In addition to the estates mentioned two days ago, my wife told me that the Fitzharris Manor estate also has an advent window trail.

This estate was taken over by a government ministry during WWII. After the war, houses were built on the estate for the scientists working at the nearby Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) at Harwell. The old manor house still stood at the centre.

Now there is a large green space and a plaque where the house used to be. An article in the Sphere magazine in 1952 suggests that a figure in the region of £20,000 would have been needed to repair it. Local campaigners from the Friends of Abingdon contested this figure. Abingdon Town Council told the Sphere that even if the building were given to the town it would be doubtful the town could afford to repair it.
Names of nearby villages were adopted for the road names on the estate: Letcombe, Sutton, Aston, Stanford, Kingston.

The advent windows mostly keep to traditional Christmas themes.

But I did see one Scientist warning us to ‘Buy Less Plastic this Christmas’.

Anyone walking by St Helen’s Church today would have seen sheep and angels stuck to the windows.

They led to the crib where DIY Christingle packs were being handed out. Normally the Christingles are made by volunteers on Christmas Eve before the popular Christingle Service. This year you make your own Christingle at home and join the service using Zoom.

There will be three services in St Helen’s in front of the main alter on Sunday 20th. Up to now only the side aisle has been used, when the church was allowed to open at all.

The scaffolding has been cleared from most of the church (ceiling plaster had fallen and this work was needed).

When I got home I made a Christingle using the DIY kit. The leaflet that came with it, explains:
Dried fruits / sweets = the fruits of the earth
Candle = Christ, the light of the world
The Orange = The World
Red ribbon = Christ’s blood shed for the world
4 cocktail sticks = the seasons
foil – protects fingers and reminds us we can all reflect the light.

As we head into Advent, the Churches in Abingdon have teamed up with Abingdon Town Council to promote a community wide sing of the carol Silent Night at 8pm on Thursday 17th December.  There will be a track released closer to the time to sing along with.

Catherine sent me a picture from the Fitzharrys estate to show that they have started a living advent calendar this year.

The countdown begins. Christmas will be different this year. The Christmas story is the same but society has been changed by a virus.

From https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/
Last updated: December 03, 2020, 22:34 GMT
United Kingdom Coronavirus Cases: 1,674,134
Deaths: 60,113