River Ock in Abingdon – December 2023

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The Ock Valley Walk is muddy at the moment. It looks like a cross-country course with the ground churned and the path spreading as people try to avoid the mud.

Birds are easier to see now that the leaf cover has gone.

This may be a dunnock (Hedge Sparrow).

Long Tailed Tit.

There is a tunnel through some very thick bushes and a hide facing the river. It was out of sight until now.

There are also places where litter is now revealed including a dump from some travellers that was not evident before. I saw two town council staff looking at it and they said they’d have to take a lorry down.

There are lots of squirrels along the Ock Valley Walk.

Also more ducks than at other times during the year.

The river is high and sandy looking from all the sediment. It is raining again heavily this evening.

Abingdon Town Centre Shop Changes in 2023

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2023 roundup
Press on Changes in 2023 for a bigger (pdf) map version showing the changes.

Key:
Green is a vacant shop at the start of the year and is now occupied.
Yellow means a business change or name change.
Red is a shop occupied at the start of the year and now vacant.

Change in 2007 ( 6 green, 5 yellow, 10 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2008 ( 10 green, 8 yellow, 13 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2009 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2010 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 4
Change in 2011 ( 2 green, 8 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2012 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 1
Change in 2013 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2014 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2015 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2016 ( 10 green, 5 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 5
Change in 2017 ( 3 green, 6 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2018 ( 7 green, 6 yellow, 4 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2019 ( 4 green, 3 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2020 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 8 red) – Net Loss 2
Change in 2021 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 8 red) – Net Loss 2
Change in 2022 ( 4 green, 2 yellow, 5 red) – Net Loss 1
Change in 2023 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 3 red) – Net Gain 6

Welcome to:

The Dog Spot

Govand Barbers

Keystone – Abingdon Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub

Lotti’s Bakeaway

Oxford Grazing Deli

Pappy’s ‘Back A Yard’

Tech Repair Clinic

Thomas Cleary & Sons Flooring Specialists

Goodbye to:
Udon Thai Market
Spruce (currently closed but likely to reopen under new management)

Moved inside Town Centre:
Abingdon Thai Massage
Orange Frog Mortgages

Change to business in same premises
A-Plan became Howdens
Established Barbers became Bubs Barbers
Flaming Grill became Tripoli Lebanese
Karims Trims became Turkish Barber Abingdon
Robert Stanley became Bayfields

(let me know of any mistakes in this annual roundup)

New Chapter with the right medicine

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It is over three years since The Old Chemist business closed, and the windows were boarded up ten days ago. A legal notice has been stuck to the door, saying that the landlord has changed the locks and taken back possession. It gives the leaseholder fourteen days to apply to retrieve what is left inside, or their possessions will be sold or disposed of. The Abingdon Herald had more details of the history of The Old Chemist Gin Bar at https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/24003683.abandoned-gin-bar-abingdon-repossessed/.

The clock ticks for the old leaseholder, but this will begin a new chapter for a building that once housed Abingdon Library and Smiths the Chemist. A prescription of business know-how and a dose of creativity will see the building up and about.

Avicenna, the chemist chain who took over Smiths, is the landlord.

A Memory Tree

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Thanks to Daniel for this picture of the Memory Tree.

In south Abingdon, near the marina, a tree is decorated with Christmas decorations and messages to loved ones. Many of the messages are from people who have missed loved ones who have died.

These messages have been on the tree all Christmas; today’s wind and rain knocked a few down.

Further along the river bank, a cuddly panda sat alone in the rain. The panda and the memory tree both seemed sad. Even sadder was a hearse that stopped for a few moments by the River Thames, with the word, DAUGHTER, in flowers by the coffin.