I saw this new post box topper on the Market Place this evening. It’s a sign that autumn is coming, and it’s been a really rainy week. The puddles on the roads have been growing and shrinking and growing and shrinking again and again from all the rain.

The previous topper, which I didn’t write about then, showed pupils returning to school at the beginning of the month. Then, all the problems with RAAC concrete started. One Abingdon school closed in the first week because they might have had some RAAC but didn’t. Then another Abingdon school discovered they did have RAAC and closed the week after. I didn’t know what RAAC concrete was before this month, but I do now. RAAC is a lightweight form of precast concrete, frequently used in public sector buildings in the UK from the mid-1960s to the 1990s. It was invented in Sweden in the 1930s and has limited durability, and must be monitored. As should most concrete. I don’t expect the multi-storey to have a RAAC problem, but it has been partially closed for a long time now.

Autumn will bring a lot more shocks and thrills. For one thing Abingdon Street Fair posters have been let down in empty shops as a reminder that Autumn could be a wild ride.

It’s autumn on the postbox topper on Abingdon Market Place.

It’s autumn around the war memorial.

There’s autumn climbing out over the wall from Abingdon School

There is autumn or jesień in the Polski Sklep Żubr shop window.

A book called Hello Autumn is in the Mostly Books shop window.

Autumn is the season between summer and winter when leaves fall from the trees, the Michaelmas Fair comes to Abingdon, the clocks go back, and squirrels used to hibernate, but they don’t anymore.

New exercise machines are on one side of the Caldecott Recreation Ground hedge.

On the other side, where the canal once flowed, are a dozen horse chestnut trees.

There was steady rain and a lot of conkers fell today on the last day of September.

There is still time to enter the World Conker Championship in our neighbouring county – Northamptonshire. The championships take place on the 9th of October 2022. To enter, go to https://www.worldconkerchampionships.com/. The rules say you cannot use your own conkers, so none of the Caldecott conkers will become champions.

The garden at St Ethelwold’s House is now ready for the winter. The annuals and leaves have been tidied and a lot are now on the compost heap. There are still a few flowers and vegetables.

The perennials are dormant.  Nutrients and carbohydrates are down in their roots to keep them going during the winter months and to help them regrow next spring.

Some evergreen  cuttings are available for people to use for their Christmas decorations with a box for donations.

The front door has a wreath.