Gemini Hair stylists have announced that they will be closing their business after 46 years in Stert Street, Abingdon
Notices says the business will be closing on 23rd February 2019. Their 45th anniversary was featured in the Oxford Mail.
Gemini Hair stylists have announced that they will be closing their business after 46 years in Stert Street, Abingdon
Notices says the business will be closing on 23rd February 2019. Their 45th anniversary was featured in the Oxford Mail.
Today, quite hilariously, whilst out for a walk and looking at the river thinking where do all the fish go this time of year, I bump into a foreign tourist, just by the Upper Reaches. He asks me how do I get in, i say… you can’t, it’s an abandoned hotel, for 3 or more years now, he says ‘oh, I thought it was a park’ and then asks ‘what can I see in Abingdon?’… good question, on the spur of the moment I point him at the Museum, the Cinema and the circular walk to the lock and back… he heads off toward the county hall, I guess the museum was the best first port of call as free and a good source of info on other places to visit?
Yes Badger, the Museum is a good start, especially as the Town Council’s Visitor Information Centre is in there at present – hopefully it will move to somewhere more accessible soon. They can also give people maps and leaflets.
There are also pictorial maps at various places around the town – by the river, outside Waitrose, can’t remember where the others are. They have pointers to various places of interest.
Other places I point visitors to, depending on what they seem to be looking for, are the Abbey Gardens and the walk down East St Helen Street and around St Helens Church and the almshouses. And of course in summer the Abbey Buildings are open.
There is plenty for visitors to see in Abingdon but we aren’t very good at publicising it!
Hester – Must admit I was rather caught on the back foot at the time, it’s not as if I don’t know the place having lived here for over 43 years now. As it was rather cold with the threat of snow forecast I pointed him at indoor stuff but omitted to remember the churches even though I’d walked past St Nic’s less than 10 mins before (and noted the ‘come in’ sign outside). Subliminally I must have known the Visitor Info Centre was in the Museum nowadays.
Badger here’s a thought. Newbury has a similar population as Abingdon and it’s BID employ “can I help you rangers” who are basically mobile information posts, had it not been run by a bunch of ningcompoops the Abingdon BID could have been such a positive body for the town,
Hester correct me but I thought one of obligations of the Old Gaol was to provide space for an information office? It was once where Costa is now?
Isn’t it a shame too that the places of interest listed above are all about what we used to be or have, Morland, MG, Abbey, museum, streets, Upper Reaches, etc, not much to boast about on a cold January day? No full time cinema, arts centre, bowling Alley, a variety of shops !
HM – Yes, I remember the old Tourist Information Office, somehow it seemed to be in exactly the right location, seemed to suit its purpose well. Even after moving and reduced in size in the entrance to the Roysse Room it was accessible to all, now should you or a member of your party be disabled it is inaccessible to them.
As has been said before it’s a shame there isn’t an MG museum here and although it is more than well represented in the town museum plus the MGCC hq I’ve met no end of MG pilgrims from all over the globe who are disappointed when you tell them that as such there’s no one specific place here and that to see some of the historic cars you have to travel to Gaydon Warwickshire 44 miles away. Equally, the brewing heritage of Abingdon is (apart from Loose Cannon and some smaller local brewers) wiped from the landscape/our memories and largely forgotten about.
Horsesmouth – the OG obligation was mainly to do with public access; they also promised some form of interpretation of the history of the Building. They have just about complied with the former and promise to do so fully when the wine bar opens; the latter has so far just been in the form of a plaque on the courtyard wall, but they plan to have more in the wine bar.
And yes, 25 Bridge Street – or indeed anywhere along that stretch – is indeed the ideal place for the Information office, but given that the Town Council owns several properties i cant see them being amenable to renting one somewhere else for the purpose.
In a couple of weeks time we are meeting the officer from the Vale who has responsibility for tourism among other things so will be talking about these issues then to see if they can help..
Thanks for that Hester, who’s “we” in the wecwill be meeting ?
Steve – The Friends of Abingdon Civic Society
What’s on the agenda? Thoughts ? Ideas? Suggestions?