DIDCOT is to get a second new shopping centre and multi-story car park.

What has Abingdon got? A grotty throwback to the 1970s with a few changes made a couple of years ago.

I don’t understand how other local towns like Didcot, Banbury, Bicester, Witney and Newbury can all get new and thriving shopping centres and Abingdon just sits in a time warp.

It makes you wonder what the council officials and local businessmen have meetings for – maybe just to sit around and have tea and biscuits – as nothing ever changes. Am I being too unfair?

We did get a new traffic jam system so they are probably still wallowing in that success. I would like to see the 2016 tourist brochure for Abingdon, it could read: ‘Come and visit this old market town and enjoy its facilities. You can get a haircut, a new pair of glasses, endless coffee or you could have real treat and visit the Old Gaol, the longest running building project of modern times.’

Someone needs to wake up and make some changes. My wife and I would rather travel to Newbury than waste our time going into town.

TONY THOULESS
Ypres Way, Abingdon