This Blog reported 4 years ago that Hathaways had closed, and back in April showed scaffolding going up round the old baccy shop. Hathaways was the shop on the High Street that sold smoking paraphernalia and souvenirs.

Since then the interior, the back and the roof have been rebuilt and the scaffolding removed.

A little bit of Hathaways still lives on in another shop in Abingdon. The walking sticks, and tobacco pipes were taken over by E R Goffs after Hathaways closed.

There are also a range of  bubble pipes and colourful baccy tins. As well as its core newsagency business Goffs tries to fill gaps in the Abingdon market in an enterprising way. For example, they are also a Western Union agency for people who need to send money abroad.

Mrs Goff still owns the freehold, and visited recently for the first time in a while, and was shown a display of  improvements since the current lease holders took over. It is part of the lease conditions, I believe, that the name Goff stays above the door.

A Christmas Shop is about to open where the Community Shop used to be along Bury Street.

In the window it shows 60 days to Christmas.

The Community Shop has moved along on the same side, and this half term week there are play activities thanks to the North and South Abingdon Children’s Centres.

I read in the Abingdon Herald last Wednesday that the new plans for the redevelopment of the Abbey shopping centre (aka the precinct)  have been submitted. Pictures of before and after are still on display in one of the shops.

To summarise …

Before: flat 1970s roofs, smaller shops with covered walkways and fewer people

After: traditional roofs, larger shops to attract major national chains, with brighter spaces, and more people.  Let us hope it works out well for the sake of Abingdon.