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.

At the start of Heritage Open Day the community choir, from Abingdon Music Centre, led community singing – through the rain

The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers led the dancing that followed and skies cleared for what became a bright sunny afternoon.

The town crier announced what was happening, and found a possible town crier for the future.

Throughout the day we found a little about what it was like to be poor in ‘Hard Times’.

Re-enactors from The Ragged Victorians approached people in Abingdon as if it was 1851.

AS well as milling around, there were a number of incidents that happened during the day that needed the intervention of the Police.

But thankfully not from the modern day police.

Victorians built a lot of the Abingdon churches. On Heritage Open Day a large number of Abingdon’s historic properties were open for people to look round, including some of those churches. Churches were also open for Ride and Stride. The Bishop of Dorchester took part, visiting many Abingdon churches, in an orange T-Shirt.

Abingdon Bowling Club put on a special tournament at 2:30, which visitors from Abingdon’s twin town Schongau, in Germany, went to watch (apology I got my details wrong in saying 11:00 earlier)

Lots of people dressed up on the day, local people at the bowling, and

the visiting Ragged Victorians.

Abingdon Rotary Club sold Victorian beverages on the Market Place, and Paul from Simon’s News sold sweets that would have been recognisable to Victorians. On Sunday Christ’s Hospital Hall (alms houses), and Old Abbey Buildings are open. There are also walks:
11:00 Abingdon 1556 Boundary Walk (2 hours and 4 miles)
11:00 Wilts and Berks Canal Walk (1.5 hours and 3 miles)
14:00 Lost Abbey Walk (1 hour and 1 mile)
14:00 St Helen and the Almshouses (1 hour and 1 mile)