Back in Abingdon after a couple of days away, I took an evening walk around the town centre to see this year’s festive lights.
Ma Cherie was lit inside and out, and people were enjoying the warm atmosphere.
From the Waitrose car park, Bridge House is surrounded with lights, including a walk-in bauble at the Riverly Club entrance and other installations round the side.
As to the town council lights, I was reminded that you can create the illusion of an angel from the artificial illuminated tree on Roysse Court with the garland of lights across Bridge Street.
Just line them up and fine-tune your position to create the illusion.
The bollards along St Helen’s Wharf have once again been topped with crochet tops. Snowmen, robins, and Christmas puddings now alternate along the railings, adding festive interest to this picturesque stretch of the Thames.
Some of the decorations are familiar: last year saw 75 robins and puddings, and the year before 75 puddings – many of which have made a return, joined by the new snowmen.
The display is appreciated by people walking the wharf. Even the river seems to have gained a festive visitor. Among the familiar mallards, a new duck has been seen in recent months: a Red-crested Pochard. It behaves much like the others, paddling over hopefully when people stop and gaze. These exotic birds were originally part of ornamental bird collections, and have escaped and gone native.
Most people who opened the first door on their Advent calendar today will have found a picture or a piece of chocolate. But at St Helen’s Church there’s a different kind of calendar.
Each day, a new figure is added to the Jesse Tree, tracing the family line from Adam all the way to Jesus.
Today, Monday 1st December, it began with Adam and Eve — complete with serpent and apple. As the first people in the biblical story, they mark the beginning of humanity and the start of the journey that the Jesse Tree will follow through Advent.
Traders and community groups welcomed shoppers and visitors to Abingdon’s annual Christmas Extravaganza, which brought together entertainment, a parade, a market, and the Christmas lights switch-on.
The day began wet — a good excuse to visit somewhere indoors, such as the St Helen’s Christmas Fair, also taking place during the morning.
Or the Preloved clothes sale in the Guildhall, thanks to One-Planet Abingdon.
By the time the parade was ready to set off at 12 noon the rain had stopped. (These are members of Abingdon Drama Club who will be performing The Snow Queen in January.)
The parade was led by the Oxford Caledonian Pipers, followed by Amanda Alder’s Dance Academy; Guides and Brownies; the cast of Beauty and the Beast from the Cornerstone in Didcot;
the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers;
Abingdon Town Council;
Abingdon Music Centre;
and finally Father Christmas, brought to us by the Abingdon Lions. He had a grotto outside Poundland for the rest of the day.
The parade route was closed for about twenty minutes, and the parade participants ended up in the carpark behind Bury Street where I took this picture of members of the Beauty and the Beast cast with the Mayor and Town Councillors.
Bath Street was closed for the craft market, with performances running there throughout the day, as well as on the Market Place.
The final act on the Market Place was Courtney Reddy performing as Avril Lavigne.
Then Duncan Brown led the traditional countdown from 10 to 0, the Mayor pressed the red button, and the Christmas lights came on instantly.
There was a prize for the most festive market stall. There was no prize for the most festive shop front but plenty of good competition. This is Fabulous Flowers.
The Extravaganza was organised by the Abingdon Events Partnership with sponsorship from lots of local businesses including the Bury Street precinct, Fairacres Retail Park, Missing Bean cafe and Wenn Townsend accountants.
Here is a video of the Parade and the Oxford Caledonian Pipe Band:
