It is always good to see the Christmas lights brightening up these cold and dark December evenings.
When they were last up, the bus stop at the top of Stert Street had been closed because the River Stert culvert beneath was causing worries. Work was undertaken in 2012 but not enough to allow the bus stop to re-open.
High Street has not changed greatly since the Christmas Lights shone in 2011 although there are new shops like ybuynu and OX14 Deli. The opening of Wetherspoon, in Abingdon’s former High Street post office, could have a more dramatic effect.
The Christmas lights were mostly replaced four or five years ago by Abingdon Town Council with low energy LEDs.
But some of the older generation lights remain, like the Nativity Scene at the top of West St Helen Street.
Someone from the company, who seemed to know what they were talking about, told me last week that the Abingdon Wetherspoons will not be open until about April.
Has work actually started internally yet?
the High Street needs light, indeed..
Yes we heard it would not be open till April . I hope they find a tenant for the old thai supermarket / hadleighs and also the closed newsagents then all the empty units will be filled along the high street . Any news of who is going into the new shops in the new precinct it would be so nice to see every shops full it cheers the town up .
As I understand it there are currently no takers for the shops in the precinct – those that were showing an interest pulled out because it wasn’t going to be ready for Christmas.
@Kelly that is a shame it would of been nice if all the new shops had a grand opening together on the turning of the lights night . I am sure we will get some takers after the New year we do not want any more to close
The lights and tree are nice in town but i wish the town had got a temporary ice rink in the market place . The town would look even more like christmas and is good for a laugh . maybe next year .
We have looked into an ice rink in the past, however the costs are unbelievable. It’s not just the cost of the ice rink, but it’s also the insurance, security of it overnight etc.
I was in Cambridge last week, and the lights here in Abingdon are much better than theirs!
A pity the Wetherspoon pub will not be openingin Abingdon till April – a nice quiet pub will be good competition for the purveyors of noise on Ock Street