Abingdon Town Council has made a new deal with Bob Wilson & Sons Funfairs Ltd. Because of this, the funfair has been open for an extra day today, Sunday. It started at 4 pm and finished at 9 pm. It will start again at noon tomorrow, Monday.

The Fair Service was held at 3 pm instead of the usual 8 pm. There were many people there. The Abbey Brass Band played the hymns.

The service was led by the Mayor, Cllr Gabby Barody, and by Deacon Selina Nisbett.

After the service there was a free ride on the galloping horses for those at the service.

Many people knew that the fair was starting early, and by 4 pm all the stalls and rides were open and the roads were full with people.

A fire engine was driven through the fair at one point. There are many road changes because of the fair, and a letter has been sent to town centre residents warning that the fair may make it take slightly longer for firefighters to arrive in case of a fire. The advice is: fit smoke alarms, keep doors closed at night, do a safety check before bed, practice your fire action plan.

It started to drizzle at around 5 pm, followed by a heavier rain. After the rain stopped, there were many open stalls and bright lights, but not as many customers.

The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair was held from Friday to Sunday at the picturesque medieval Abbey Buildings in Abingdon. The fair featured 68 stalls showcasing a wide array of handcrafted items by skilled artisans. The stalls were spread across the Abbey Buildings. There was a small area for refreshments, but food stalls no longer feature at the Fair.

The event was organised by the Abingdon Partnership group, which also manages the local excellence markets and the annual extravaganza. This year, the organisers introduced a new initiative to encourage advanced online bookings to better manage the flow of visitors.

From the ceramics of Emma Baldwin, who used to teach at Abingdon College, to marquetry pieces by Gabriella Blakey and wooden block prints by Art of Jaipur.

The fair provided an opportunity to talk with local artists and appreciate their work. There were more jewellery stalls than any other single artform, but lots of artwork, textiles, ceramics, candles, glasswork, photography, woodturning etc.. There were also demonstrations of pottery and weaving in the crypt.

Proceeds from the event’s entrance fees and stall rentals contribute to the upkeep of the medieval Abbey Buildings. The fair has done that since the 1970s and has been managed by different people and organisations over the years. The current organisers put a premium on craftworkers who are small producers with original quality designs.

During the fair, we had the rare sight of West St Helen Street with no parked or moving cars. While East St Helen Street was far busier than usual. But things were back to normal today now the fair has gone.

The scarecrow that was perched on top of the postbox during most of the fair was gone this evening.

Hopefully, somebody has second thoughts and returns him.

I am reminded that the runaway fair will be here next weekend.

Another night at the fair.

The weather has been good for both days of the fair. Some people came back for a second night.

I did a video tour of the bigger rides.