The Town Crier was out and about in town today announcing that there will be a Local Excellence Market next Saturday.

Also I have been asked to mention that next Saturday there will also be the second running of the Abingdon Wassail at the South Abingdon Children’s Centre..

And a public meeting is to be held at St Ethelwold’s House (30 East St Helen Street) on Tuesday 26 January 2016 at 7 pm for those who would like to explore practical responses to the desperate plight of asylum seekers and refugees who arrive in the Abingdon area. Temporary accommodation is needed and they will hear about local charities that support families to make a room available. For those who can donate money, St Ethelwold’s has established a fund to make a room available on an ongoing basis. There are other practical needs such as language lessons and food donations. The meeting will include a speaker from Oxford City of Sanctuary. Please let the office at St Ethelwold’s House know if you are coming so that they can arrange a larger room if necessary on 01235 555486 or at ethelwoldhouse@btinternet.com.

Also I noticed today that Patisserie Pascal has re-opened after an extended New Year’s break.

Not everybody is taking part in the Government promoted Dry January.

There was a good turn out on the first Tuesday of the month for the tour of the Loose Cannon Brewery in Abingdon.

Up to 150 people can take part in the tour. They taste the beers, enjoy sausage and chips delivered from Salamis on Ock Street, and learn all about brewing.

Beer is made from four ingredients: Barley, water, hops and yeast. The basic idea is to extract the sugars from grains (usually barley) so that the yeast can turn it into alcohol and CO2, creating beer.

Different flavoured malts, and hops are added to create different beers.

From these ingredients, and some clever know-how, many different beers are produced.

Abingdon Bridge XB is a copper coloured beer brewed from Cascade and Amarillo hops, and mostly served at the Nags Head Inn on Abingdon Bridge.

Every Month Loose Cannon creates a new beer, and in January the brew is ‘English DARK’, devised by the brewery’s own Drayman after listening to pubs where he delivers.

To find out more about the Abingdon Brewery visit Loose Cannon.

In 1957 Abingdon Borough Council decided to close the upstairs Council Chamber and Abbey Room because there was no secondary access – in case of fire.

It re-opened later in the year after an iron staircase had been added. A stone stairwell then replaced that temporary structure.

The new plans for the re-development of the Guildhall have been agreed. Work will be carried out in 2016.

The Information Centre, now accessible from Roysse Court, has plenty of leaflets advertising what’s on in the New Year of 2016.

For a start, on January 1st is the New Year’s Day beating the bounds. The Christian Aid New Year walk is also on, starting at 10am from Abingdon Baptist Church.

There was a battle between good and evil, and life and death, tonight in Abingdon as The Abingdon Mummers took their Mummer’s Play round some of the pubs near the town centre.

In the first battle scene St George is killed by Bold Slasher, But a Magical Doctor has a potion that brings St George back to life.

In the next battle St George kills Bold Slasher, and this time the magic of the doctor is not enough.

Only the magic, of Mrs. Finney’s flashing umbrella, applied to various parts of Bold Slasher’s anatomy, brings him back to life.

This play ends with a song and a chorus of We wish you a Merry Christmas.

A collection was then taken for the charity of the night…“The Abingdon Breakaway Club, which helps people who don’t get out enough to get out a bit more.”