Abingdon Town Centre Shop Changes in 2020 (14th annual review)

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2020 was the year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Government restrictions changed how businesses could operate and many businesses started doing takeaways, deliveries, and click and collect. There was also some government support for businesses, and payment for staff on furlough. Otherwise more businesses would have closed.

Press on Changes in 2020 for a bigger (pdf) version of the map showing the changes.

Key:
Green is a shop that was vacant at the start of the year which is now occupied.
Yellow means a change of business.
Red is a vacant shop premises that was occupied at the start of the year.
Red question mark means I don’t know whether a business has closed

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, 2 red ?s ) – Net Loss 2-4

Welcome back to:
New in 2020
Acacia, rebuilt after a fire

Welcome to:
New in 2020
Al Mulino
New in 2020ess
BeClean

Chic it Up

Karim’s Trims

Qué Pasa

Abingdon Nail Spa moved to Stert Street from West St Helen Street where they traded as TK Nails.

Goodbye to:
Abingdon Sports
Eileen
H Samuel
M&Co
Pandora
The Old Chemist
TSB

I am not sure about:
Gifts and Gallery – where one of the staff told me they were closing but there is no notice on the shop door or website. So they may continue in another form.
Ox Vapours – stopped trading from Stert Street after a flood and could be waiting for the premises to be put right. They do now operate from a business park in Kingston Bagpuize.

Peacocks are having a long running closing down sale but still have stock in the shop.

Change to business in same premises
Sean Antony moved back from two to one salon after the original salon had a revamp, and Karim’s Trims took his place in Lombard Street.

(let me know any mistakes in this annual roundup)

Local Covid Vaccine Centre in Abingdon town centre

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Covid Vaccination Centre
The Charter is the site of the Local Covid Vaccine Centre for patients in surgeries in the centre of Abingdon. The Malthouse Surgery says the local council are helping to expand the available space over the next few weeks.

The Malthouse and Abingdon Surgeries now work together as a Primary Care Network and the first major outcome of that network is to deliver the Covid 19 vaccine. The Malthouse Surgery say on their website … w/c 14th december we gave the vaccine to 600+ of our most vulnerable over 80s.

Surgeries will contact patients when their turn comes. They ask people ‘Please do not contact us to seek the vaccine before it is your turn, everyone who is eligible will get a vaccine.’

The NHS has produced a prioritisation list. Priority is generally by age as that is the biggest risk factor. Carers of people at risk are also prioritised. The list can be seen at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups…

The Marcham Road Health Centre and Long Furlong may not have received vaccines yet. When Marcham Road last updated their website news section on Christmas Eve, they said ‘As soon as our delivery date is confirmed we will immediately contact eligible patients to attend.’

Matt Hancock (Health Minister) tweeted today: “We must suppress this virus to protect our NHS & save lives until the vaccine can keep us safe.”

The BBC reported today ‘Covid: UK surge in cases an ‘extreme concern’ with ‘a record number of cases for two days running.’
Covid Vaccination Centre
Statistics of Covid-19 cases for Vale of White Horse can be seen at https://phdashboard.oxfordshire.gov.uk/?view=cases&location=Vale+of+White+Horse .

Flood Update

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Floods Going Down
Yesterday morning Philip sent me a picture of a couple of boats wedged on Nags Head Island. They floated downstream after loosing their moorings on Saturday night. One is the pirate boat.

On Sunday there were a lot of people about near the River Thames in Abingdon. Some were watching the emergency vehicles on Abingdon Bridge and St Helen’s Wharf. The fire engine at St Helen’s Wharf launched a couple of rescue boats.
Floods Going Down
This morning I went for an early walk – there were already quite a few people out and about. The water level is now going down, but too late for one boat moored at Nags Head Island.

Ice had begun to form overnight. The air felt cold and damp. My wife said that one of her friends on Facebook in Abingdon had seen snow.
Floods Going Down
The walk took me over Abingdon Weir.

There has been progress on the new steel boat layby. The old wooden layby has been used during previous floods to secure a couple of boats, including one of those now wedged against Nags Head Island.

The paths and road on the other side were mostly underwater. I returned back over the weir with dry feet.