Thanks to Sarah for this follow up to the post about the 1978 Abingdon Market Place Act …

“As promised, here is a somewhat poor picture of Fritzi’s hot dog van in the Market Square circa 1979.

It’s taken from a brochure which was produced for the opening of Miele in Abingdon. The full picture shows a Miele lorry in front of the County Hall. Behind the County Hall you can see a gap that is now filled by the Sue Ryder shop on East St. Helen Street.”

Miele are still here in Abingdon – employing many Abingdon people in 2015.

The weather forecast for the Market Place this Saturday predicts strong winds. The planned Christmas Craft Market has been postponed until next Saturday – 12th December 2015.

In 1970 all the efforts of the councils to stop cars parking on the refurbished Market Place were put in jeopardy. A hamburger vendor convinced local magistrates that the Market Place was partly a highway.

A few years later a private bill was given Royal assent in June 1978. Sponsored by the Vale of White Horse District Council, and Abingdon Town Council, it allowed the Town Council to lock the gate and legally control what vehicles are allowed on the Market Place.

The Runaway Fair was in town today. There were not quite so many attractions as usual, but that could because some of them have been enticed away to the big money of the Mop Fair in Stratford-upon-Avon – a fair like our Michaelmas Fair where people traditionally found employment.

In days gone by people got their annual pay after harvest and went to find their next year’s employment at the Michaelmas Fair. The Runaway Fair, a week or two after, was the chance to escape a bad employment and find something better. Stratford has a traditional Runaway Mop in a week or two.

Stratford is similar to Abingdon in being a riverside town with traffic problems. Like Abingdon, they have had discussions about finding somewhere else, other than the town centre, for the annual fairs. Their District Council even put it to the vote in 2004, and 68% of those responding said it should remain at its current location.

At 11am on Sunday morning, the bells of St Nicolas were ringing, and the Town Crier was ringing his bell, and the dogs, who have very sensitive ears, were not enjoying the walk – yet.

Patrick, who led the Boundary Walk, made himself heard over the Bells of St Nics.

Pat Bryden organises the walks on the Sunday of Heritage Weekend, and some got overbooked. An extra walk was laid on for those who would otherwise have been disappointed – Hester volunteered to lead a second Abingdon Abbey Walk.

Residents of East St Helen Street, and round the Albert Park, and 3 Stert Street, and Oxfam in Stert Street, had put out interesting displays.

Last year the Museum put on the WWI commemoration event on the Market Place, and this year we remembered Victorian times, inspired by the Albert Park Residents Association who produced their book – 150 years after the Prince Albert Monument was unveiled.

So what next in 2016? It will be 50 years since England won the World Cup for one thing.