Happy New Year 2016

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Happy New Year 2016
In 1957 Abingdon Borough Council decided to close the upstairs Council Chamber and Abbey Room because there was no secondary access – in case of fire.

It re-opened later in the year after an iron staircase had been added. A stone stairwell then replaced that temporary structure.

The new plans for the re-development of the Guildhall have been agreed. Work will be carried out in 2016.
Happy New Year 2016
The Information Centre, now accessible from Roysse Court, has plenty of leaflets advertising what’s on in the New Year of 2016.

For a start, on January 1st is the New Year’s Day beating the bounds. The Christian Aid New Year walk is also on, starting at 10am from Abingdon Baptist Church.

Abingdon Town Centre Changes in 2015

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Press on Changes in 2015 for a bigger pdf version.

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

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 3
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
Changes in 2015
Welcome to:
Boots Optician
Clockwork Dragon (fantasy)
Oriental Food Mart
Pandora
Polski Skleb Zubr (deli)
ReStyle (barber)
Savers
TechnoCraft (computing)
White Horse Exotics (pets)

Changes in 2015
Goodbye to:
Abingdon Shoe Shop
Co-op Bury Street
Hallmark (cards and Thornton’s chocolate)
Mary Brooks (fashion)
Notag (fashions)
Scruffs (children’s shoes) – opened in 2005, and have had a closing down sale this week. But they could be back if sold as going concern.
Sparkle and Dream (children’s costumes and party)
Qutis (clinic)
Upper Reaches (hotel)

Move to new premises:
Valentina (ladies fashion)

Change to similar business in same premises:
Buns in The Basement to Mousehole (cafe)
Philosophy to Idle Wild (hairdresser)

Temporarily Closed in 2015. Likely to re-open in 2016:
Smarts (fish and chips) – major refurbishment
Cottage Imperial (Chinese Restaurant) – if new proprietors found

Opened and Closed in 2015:
Frozen Yogurt

(let me know any mistakes in this annual roundup)

Boxing Day MG Gathering on Abingdon Market Place

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Boxing Day MGs
There are black and white pictures of the Old Berks Hunt setting out from the Market Place on Boxing Day in years gone by. These years there is a gathering of MGs on Abingdon Market Place on Boxing Day.

In 2015, MGs started arriving at about 9:30, and the last one came in just after 11:00am.
Boxing Day MGs
I counted over 40 at one point but there were others that came and went after that. Costa were doing a good trade, and the Sales had started at the clothes shops like M&Co and Fat Face.

Many people and dogs had come to look at the Mgs. This is Morris a one year old Basset Griffon Vendeen.
Boxing Day MGs
Some of the cars were going on a Boxing Day Drive, ending at The Prince of Wales pub in Shippon, and drivers are seen here being given instructions of the route.

Others came to socialise with other MG owners.

The Mill Stream- Ten Years On

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In 1951 Phyllis Dawson Clark wrote a poem about the River Ock that flows throgh the Vale of White Horse to Abingdon. Here is the first stanza:
Christmas EveThe Mill Stream
Down from the chalky range of Berkshire hills
Stamped with the cave-man’s god, a lean white horse;
Through rustling cornfields, by a dozen mills
Whose wheels are long since rusty, and across
A thistle wast where winter storms have laid
To rest the hollow trunks, where brittle rot
Harbours the comfrey seedlings that have strayed;
Where centuries of blue forget-me-not
Have sighed away their days unseen, alone,
And sprays of blushing dog-rose bend to kiss
Their own reflection in a pool that’s known
A thousand summers just as sweet as this, —
By the wild rhubarb leaves and giant dock,
Under the willow arches flows the winding Ock.

The Mill Stream was the first blog entry I did about Abingdon ten years ago today. I intended writing a blog about Abingdon in 2006 for one year, and called it Abingdon 2006, but then in 2007 I carried on with The Abingdon Blog. So now it is ten years old.