While at the Fairacres Trading Estate I saw a couple of helicopters on low training flights over Argos and Beales. They seem to come down low at this point before heading back to RAF Benson or wherever they come from.
Beales have been advertising a Closing Out Sale for some weeks. I am fairly sure that Closing Out is something quite different from a Closing Down sale. I gather it means the end of some product lines rather than the end of the store.
We were in there on Sunday – and yes it is a marketting ploy – the staff have had to esplain on several occasions!
That old chesnut……
Another favourite in Oxford: Stop us from Closing Down Sale…
The staff told me it is an American term.They too are puzzled by its usage as the company is not American. They say they have been spending their time telling people they are not closing down. In these days of so many closures it seems an unfortunate way to advertise your end of season sale.
I confess: I was one of those who asked whether it meant that Beales was closing down. The staff member I spoke to gave me a very weary look before explaining.
nearly 50 years on the Earth, and I have never heard the term before.
I imagined those helicopters were based here in Abingdon but perhaps not.
Why are the Helicopters using Abingdon Airfield?, I know it’s still an MOD site and that helicopters are based at Benson, strange goings on… covert operations?
“strange goings on… covert operations? – Hardly.
Soldiers need routinely to be trained in how to climb into and fall out of helicopters in a safe manner. Also, those rigging underslung loads need practice to ensure that bit don’t fall off onto the public below.
I have no specifics on the current tasking but it is likely to be more efficient to bring a couple of helos to Dalton Barracks than to bus a bunch of squaddies to Benson and allow them to mill around on an active airfield !
Back to Beales – what a useful shop!! Lovely helpful staff (even if they are weary of explaining ‘closing out’) and very polite.
The coffee bar/cafe is super too. (Gluten free options there for information for someone who was commenting a few days ago!).