That £25 note hovering over people’s heads shows that there are prizes to be won. In the background is St Nicholas Church, and to the left A-Plan Insurance, and to the right the County Hall.

This fair goes back centuries. The annual Michaelmas fair originated out of the annual Hiring Fair or Mop Fair (a Mop was a hat used to advertise your trade: a shepherd might have strands of wool in his Mop, a ploughman some straw, an accountant a £25 note).

Lights dance across the face of the County Hall. Before even that great ediface was constructed the fair existed.

People came to the Hiring fair to find work or get their wages set for the coming year. The Statute of Labourers in 1381 set the process going. The black death had seen many people lost from the labour market. Wages for fit and healthy workers began to rise sharply. So a law was enacted to allow wages to be set at a reasonable level and help protect the land owners from galloping wage inflation.

Beneath the County Hall are the bright lights.

Fairs remained much the same until the mid-19th century saw the introduction of mechanisation and steam-powered rides. The fairs became increasingly a chance to have a good time.

In 1868 a chap called Hatfield described a hiring fair as: “an open space crowded with … booths, stalls, swings, roundabouts, wheels of fortune, shooting galleries, photographic tents, panoramas, weighing machines, hawkers, cheap Jacks, beggars, ginger beer vendors, ballad singers, quacks, fiddlers, brass instrument players, policemen, thieves, unfortunates…”

The Carousel would be recognisable to Hatfield, although he might be a little suprised by sudden bumps or the speed of some of today’s rides, or how they hang you upside down for ages so you get disorietated and start to feel sick.

Tonight’s fair started well enough but by 8.30 it was beginning to drizzle, and anybody who stayed out much past that got drenched. Lets hope tomorrow will be even better. The showman shouted ‘Come on Scream!’ not Stream!!!

The Wilson name has been seen on fairground rides at the Abingdon Fair for well over 100 years. William Wilson ,Roundabout proprietor, got a mention in the Abingdon Herald on 26th October 1895.

The Fairground maintenance vehicles and the dodgems have the name of one of William Wilson’s descendents Bob Wilson Funfairs Limited.

The bigger rides of the funfair have been set up today. The fair stretches from the market along the length of High Street and Ock Street. We sometimes boast that the Abingdon Fair is the longest street fair in England.

The Fair always opens at or just before the 11th October. This evening was the traditional fair service with a few hymns at the Galloping Horses (Carousel). Before that the fair manager, together with local councillors and officers, and emergency service representatives walked the length of the fair to check last minute details.

Everything needs to be set up with precision. The rides get placed very close to the buildings but entrances and exits need to be left free. Here you can see: Orbiter next to China Diner at the end of Ock Street.

The Stert Stream or River Stert has a relatively short journey into Abingdon. It first sees the light of day near Boars Hill a few miles away.

According to legend, the stream first appeared when a saint-like man in saxon times was dieing of thirst. He started to pray, and the stream appeared as the answer to his prayers.

The miraculous stream may well be revered as it passes through the villages of Sunningwell and Bayworth, but when it gets to Abingdon it is treated with no real respect.

After going under Dunmore Road, it is chanelled into a concrete ditch(1st picture), and lost behind and then under the houses of Farm Road (2nd picture) .

It is kept underground until reappearing near BoxHill Walk. After a little more time above the surface, it is sent down underground again for the rest of the way to the Thames.

Tilsley Park was developed on 43 acres of land donated by the family of the late John Tilsley Greening.

To most people travelling on the A34, Tilsley Park is the area with bright floodlights. All the facilities are floodlit.

Currently Tilsley Park has an 8 lane running track with a grandstand for about 300 people (covered). It was opened in 1995. There are also: two astro-turf pitches for football and hockey with a grandstand for 200 (uncovered). Then come areas for tennis and netball.

Round the sides of Tilsley Park there are also places to walk near the Stert Stream, a well equipped play area….

…and a bar with hot food.

Tilsley Park is the home of a number of local clubs: hockey, football, netball and athletics. Many events are held there: competitive charity and educational (like cycling proficiency).

In weeks to come Tilsley Park will be hosting the ‘Run for the Children’ 2006 Event on 15th October. This is a chance for familes to join a national fitness program starting with a 3 KM run.

Then on 22nd October is probably the biggest sporting event of Abingdon 2006, hosted by Abingdon Ramblers, and starting and ending at Tilsley Park. It is the Abingdon Marathon – rated the 3rd favourite UK marathon by readers of Runners World. This year will be the 24th running of the marathon.

I see that the District Council budget for 2006/7 has a largish sum to improve and add to the facilities of Tilsley Park worth up to £800,000 but I don’t remember ever reading what that was all about… Perhaps we will be getting a Euro Tilsley Park. I can just imagine moving walkways bringing in the people past this sculpture.