We are currently in the middle of Fairtrade fortnight. Some of Abingdon’s newer businesses promote Fairtrade products…

Skinny Hippo have Fairtrade craft products.

The Kings Head and Bell have been serving Fairtrade Coffees since re-opening in October 2009.

Fairtrade tries to ensure a decent wage to smaller producers. It is fair trade not aid.

Last night was world book night. One million books were given away to members of the public, including some in Abingdon.

At Mostly Books they had a party, some giveaways, and were asking people for favourite books and asking: “Can A Book Change Your Life?” Perhaps the results will appear on the Mostly Books blog.

If you are interested in children’s books check out a fairly new Abingdon blog called Read it Daddy!.

By the way, the million books given away nationally comprised 40,000 copies of each of 25 titles …
1 A Fine Balance
2 A Life Like Other People’s
3 Agent Zigzag
4 All Quiet on the Western Front
5 Beloved
6 Case Histories
7 Cloud Atlas
8 Dissolution
9 Fingersmith
10 Half of a Yellow Sun
11 Killing Floor
12 Life of Pi
13 Love in the Time of Cholera
14 New Selected Poems
15 Northern Lights
16 One Day
17 Rachel’s Holiday
18 Stuart
19 The Blind Assassin
20 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
21 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
22 The Reluctant Fundamentalist
23 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
24 The World’s Wife
25 Toast.

The old pub sign on the Wootton Road is beginning to look like it needs a haircut.

The winter and summer Aunt Sally courts have seen their last game. That was when Fitzharris Arms beat Plough Inn Hanney 5-1.

To find a weekend Disco now you will have to go down the road to Strattons, but they don’t usually open quite so early.

The pub that was built along with the estate is boarded up, awaiting whatever Tesco, the buyers, have in store for this sight.

Ryan at Camino Restaurant has sold the business. The new owners will be opening on Saturday 19th February with a new name, menu and interior – so watch this space. Camino will have it’s last day on 14th February – Valentine’s Day. From this Monday until then Camino have 20% off food (while stocks last).

Skinny Hippo have a new website at skinnyhippo.co.uk . From the new website I see they now run stain glass classes and have Valentine’s Day gifts.

Valentine’s Day hearts have taken over many a shop window. The Shoe Shop has some large red hearts on the window and Valentine’s handbags inside.