Father Christmas was in a grotto at the Guildhall on Friday, and will be there again on Saturday from 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm.
There are other events going on at the Guildhall over this festive period such as the chance to dance in the New Year. More about what is happening is at the Guildhall at abingdonguildhall.co.uk. I see from Twitter that new carpets are down and the foyer area has just been painted.
East St Helen Street was blocked by a Co-op lorry earlier this evening. The driver got out of his cab when he could not drive through the parked cars.
Cars stuck behind the lorry then reversed back up East St Helen Street and some of them drove down West St Helen Street the wrong way.
There was a carol service at St Helen’s Church and all the surrounding roads were chock-a-block with parked cars. Parents had desperately tried to get their children to church on time, and many parked wherever they could.
It is always good to see the Christmas lights brightening up these cold and dark December evenings.
When they were last up, the bus stop at the top of Stert Street had been closed because the River Stert culvert beneath was causing worries. Work was undertaken in 2012 but not enough to allow the bus stop to re-open.
High Street has not changed greatly since the Christmas Lights shone in 2011 although there are new shops like ybuynu and OX14 Deli. The opening of Wetherspoon, in Abingdon’s former High Street post office, could have a more dramatic effect.
The Christmas lights were mostly replaced four or five years ago by Abingdon Town Council with low energy LEDs.
But some of the older generation lights remain, like the Nativity Scene at the top of West St Helen Street.