Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, is celebrated on the 29th of September every year. It celebrates the Angel of Light who slayed a dragon.

Michaelmas daisies bloom late into September, and beyond, and bring late colour to gardens, as seen here at St Michael’s Church.

In Abingdon, not far from the Church of St Michael and All Angels, the annual Abingdon Michaelmas Fair takes place early in October each year.

On 2nd September 1752 people went to bed, and when they woke up it was 14th September. The dates had changed to be the same as the rest of Europe. Since that time the Abingdon Michaelmas Fair has happened on the Monday before the 11th October instead of the Monday before the 30th September.

At the fair pedestrians can walk safely down the middle of Ock Street and High Street between the fairgrounds rides.

Smoke breathing vehicles are banished for three days by the angels of light.

St Helen’s Church Market opened at 10am on Saturday.

When the door opened people were glad to get into the warmth of that glorious church building.

At Trinity Church Fayre, held in the Conduit Centre, there was the chance to play games, visit stalls, and sit round chatting over refreshments.

At the Abingdon Baptist Church Fayre you could visit Father Christmas in his grotto,

and view one of the very biggest display of jigsaws ever assembled in a church.

Fund raising is underway for the church development fund, and church members have compiled a book of their own recipes, and made a calendar of their own photographs – with originals on display at 35 Ock Street alongside.

Jessica couldn’t get to the fair this year and so she asked me to take a picture of her favourite ride. She remembers it best as Jump ‘n’ Smile. More recently it has been known as Froggit. This year it had been reincarnated as Super Bounce.

I sometimes try to imagine what Abingdon Fair was like in the past with the help of old newspapers … In 1830, instead of Superbowl, you might have seen “an exhibition of wild animals and fat ladies, and elephant and dwarfs, monkeys with hands and a child without any.”

Instead of The Waltzers “for  the price of one penny, you could have seen the lying in state and funeral procession of George IVth, and the glorious battle of Paris during the very last revolution.”

In 1840 “Our Police Force needed to be vigilant in detecting the hordes of pick-pockets who could be seen in every direction pursuing their vocation.”

By 1882 rides had started to replace the shows, and exhibitions, so instead of Captain Hook  you could have experienced “Bailey’s Steam Yachts with the simulated motion of the sea. Three electric lamps stationed outside gave a brilliant light, but they were not seen to best advantage amid the smoke and the blaze of paraffin lamps.”

“Birds was the only steam roundabout at the fair , but there was a rickety one in the Sheep Market at which a pony provided the power.”

It has been raining all day, but that did not stop people going to the fair. It was just not so crowded as previous years.

But there were still a lot of fun lovers: many with umbrellas and waterproofs, and quite a few who did did not seem to worry about getting wet on this one day in the year.

At least being a Street Fair it does not get muddy underfoot

and you can fly above the rain on some rides.

Maybe tomorrow the weather will be better.