The 21st December, the Winter Solstice, is the shortest day of the year. The 22nd December will be longer. Winter solstice is celebrated by some people as the darkness turning back to light.

The impact of winter is not as perilous as it once was. In medieval times life would have been hard and food in shortening supply. Many of the animals would be slaughtered to keep people alive. We still experience the short days but most of us escape the food shortages. I was in Waitrose earlier today, as we piled up our trolleys, and one lady said, ‘We won’t be going hungry!‘

The snow has melted but I did get a picture of snow balls in the shape of a stone circle in the Abbey Meadow a few days ago. People still go to stone circles to celebrate the Winter Solstice – four days ahead of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

November 16th is Saint Ælfric’s Feast Day. Ælfric, a monk from Abingdon, went on to become Abbot of St Albans, and then Archbishop of Canterbury.

Quite by chance, during a lunchtime walk, I found the parish church of St Mary’s, in the parish of Cardington, was open and so had a few minutes to look round inside. One notable feature is a chapel dedicated to Samuel Whitbread, the brewer and his family, who was born in Cardington.

I also noticed a book of saints and pilgrims – open at 14th-15th November, and so turned the page to 16th-17th and saw Ælfric of Abingdon – d.1005. Ælfric became well known far beyond Abingdon. I was suprised to see Abingdon mentioned in such a far away church. He died on this day in 1005.

Coincidentally it is also the Feast Day of St Edmund of Abingdon who died on 16th November 1240, at Soisy-Bouy in France.

The Abingdon Lighthouse Church had a musical event on the Market Place on Saturday August 12th. They have been in Abingdon for about a decade and are part of the much larger Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). RCCG is a worldwide church that was established in 1952 in Lagos, Nigeria, and now, according to wikipedia, has a presence in 196 countries.

Thanks to Elizabeth for sending the picture. I am away for a few days but can publish anything sent to backstreet60@gmail.com. There might even be the odd entry on notabingdon.blogspot.com