At the start of the summer holidays, one visitor from Glasgow was visiting friends in Abingdon. They went up to the roof of the County Hall to admire the 360° views. Apparently, we are having better weather than Glasgow.

There was also a large group of visitors from the Brentford and Chiswick History Society exploring East St Helen Street and the River Thames in Abingdon.

There are similarities in the aspects of the houses to the River Thames. It helps give them an impression of what Chiswick might have looked like in centuries gone by.

People are leaving Abingdon for foreign parts at the start of the school holidays. There were huge queues at Dover as the great getaway met tight security and not enough border guards. Also in 2016, post Brexit, we will not be as many Euros to the pound, but people coming here can get a bargain. No better time for visiting Abingdon.

About 20 motor scooters gathered mid morning on the Market Place, and were to be seen buzzing round town afterwards.

People were sitting outside at Costa, Java&Co and Throwing Buns.

About half the shops in Abingdon town centre were open. Meanwhile the Fairacres out of town shopping centre, and Millets farm, were having a busy bank holiday as people looked to buy things for the house and garden.

I was not aware of any particular events in town. But there were quite a few people just visiting and walking down East St Helen’s Street, looking at the Alms Houses, and popping into St Helen’s Church where there were displays of Easter Lilies round the church. There is a growing tradition at St Helens for people to give donations for displays of lilies at Easter – to remember people they have lost.

Even more people were going to the river and the parks, and Mister Whippy was doing a steady trade.

Kevin from Walkabout Abingdon says that he already has a lot of forward bookings and endorsements as he enters into the second year of providing visitors with guided walks round Abingdon. He will be starting again in May, but today he was just enjoying the quiet bank holiday. He said he has recently started tweeting and recently tweeted “The History of Abingdon in 140 characters.” He asks if others would like to try to do better.

Today Walk.About.Abingdon – a new company specialising in guided walks around historic Abingdon-on-Thames – did a pilot walk for a mixture of visitors and local people.

There was a French Market in town, and a Craft Fair at the Old Abbey Buildings, so that added a different flavour to today’s 1.5 hour tour.

The aim of the company is “To share the beauty and history of Abingdon-On-Thames with as many people as possible”.

They will be on BBC Radio Oxford on Monday talking about the new venture (7:20am I think – but cannot be sure).

This evening was the Annual Public Meeting of the Choose Abingdon Partnership.

The outgoing Chairman (pictured) has been in the job for the three years – since the partnership started – and a new chap took over tonight.

The most interesting part of the evening was a report on how visitors perceive Abingdon.  Good perceptions were:  the town’s appearance and cleanliness,  good service and welcome in shops / eating places – service was particularly good at the Tourist Information Centre. Not so good were: public toilets, vacant shops and confusing signage.

Visitors tended to be 56 years or older, and come for a family or public event, and are not drawn in by publicity but by word of mouth, or they are revisiting. They will come back and will recommend the town.

My report is an oversimplification. The full report will be available on the internet in due course.