The town is beginning to emerge from the New Year hibernation and there are a few events being advertised on notice boards in Abingdon next week, and even more coming in the following week, which I will return to.

Thursday 15 January – 7.00pm
Conversations with Martin Wackernier
Venue: Garden Room, St Ethelwold’s House

The third in a series of conversations hosted by Duncan Brown. This free evening features Martin Wackernier, a Belgian rock guitarist turned photographer, whose work has taken him around Abingdon and beyond. Martin will reflect on his journey and creative life. Cost: Free. Places are limited. You can try reserving a seat by calling the number but it may be too late. Donations welcome.

The Snow Queen – by Ron Nicol (based on Hans Christian Andersen)
Dates & Times: (see poster)
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB

Abingdon Drama Club presents a stage adaptation of the classic fairy tale. Cost: £15 (£12 concessions). Tickets are available from The Bookstore, 15 Bury Street, or online via the Abingdon Drama Club website.

Thursday 22 January – 7.30pm
Getting Abingdon Moving: Cycling & Walking Route Improvements
Venue: Abingdon Baptist Church

A talk on proposed cycling and walking improvements in and around Abingdon over the next five years. The speaker is Robin Tucker, Abingdon co-chair of COHSAT and the Coalition for Healthy Streets & Active Travel in Oxfordshire. Hosted by Abingdon Carbon Cutters, Abingdon Liveable Streets, and One Planet Abingdon. Cost: Free. All welcome. Limited parking; disabled parking only.

Friday 23 January (Doors open 6.30pm; quiz starts 7.00pm)
Mayor’s Quiz Night
Venue: The Crown and Thistle, Abingdon

A fundraising quiz hosted by the Mayor of Abingdon in support of The Mayor’s Charities. Cost: £8 per person (maximum of 8 per team).

This is also the night of the annual Church in Abingdon quiz at Abingdon Baptist Church, where each church may enter one team, and two teams if there is room.

Saturday 24 January – 6 pm arrival
Abbey Lodge Burns’ Night
Venue: Hilton Garden Inn, Abingdon

An evening celebrating the life and work of Robert Burns, featuring traditional piping, recitals of Burns’ poetry, and live music from a blues band. Proceeds will be donated to Against Breast Cancer. Cost £38 per person

Here is the final verse of To a Louse by Robert Burns …

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion…

(Would some power give us the gift
to see ourselves as others see us.
It would free us from many mistakes
and foolish ideas.)

From early this morning the recycling lorry has made its rounds through central and Abingdon, catching up and collecting far more than usual: the cardboard boxes, bottles, and wrapping paper of Christmas. Before Christmas there had been a press release warning that household waste would only be collected if bin lids were fully closed, as ‘there is a real risk that an overfilled bin won’t attach properly to the lifting equipment’ and could cause damage. Even so, the crews seemed to manage this large post-Christmas clear-up without rejecting many bins.

Only a small amount of snow fell three days ago, but with clear skies and temperatures staying at or below freezing, it lingers, melting only where the winter sun reaches it.

The cold was felt in the Market Place. Quite a few stallholders were there, among them Martin, selling off some of his photographic cards at £1 each.

There were also plenty of spring bulbs for sale, a reminder that warmer days are not far away.

As the Market was cleared away in the afternoon, the Christmas lights could still be seen.

As darkness fell and temperatures dropped further, the gritting lorries came out.

There are posters for New Years Eve celebrations at four of the Abingdon pubs, but most pubs have something on. Some pubs are walk-in, but there are also ticketed nights which need booking.

The Blue Boar, which reopened on 21 December after a change of ownership and a refurbishment, will have a New Year’s Eve experience with DJs and lighting. Entry is free before 9pm, with a £5 charge after that.

New Year’s Day itself begins with some traditional and community events.

There is the annual New Year’s Day Boundary Walk, led by the town crier and a guide, tracing as closely as possible the historic Abingdon boundary as it was set out in the 1556 charter.

In addition to the usual Sunday junior parkrun, a special New Year’s Day junior parkrun is also being held. Organisers say they would love to see as many runners and volunteers as possible to help make it a memorable start to the year. The event takes place at Southern Town Park, Lambrick Way, with the briefing at 8.55am.

In the afternoon, Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers will be welcoming the New Year with dancing at the Punch Bowl and the Broad Face.

Please let me know of any other events that mark the start of the New Year in Abingdon. Some communities, such as East St Helen Street, have traditions of their own, including meeting and greeting neighbours in the street after midnight. The Abingdon Blog will turn twenty, and I plan to begin its twenty-first year with the Boundary Walk in 2026, as I did in 2006. I originally intended the blog to run for just one year, but then the Radley Lakes protests got quite exciting in January 2007 with the Greenpeace sit in and I carried on blogging.

The Church in Abingdon will be singing carols in the Market Place on Saturday 13 December from 10am. Everyone is welcome to join in, and carol sheets will be provided. Musicians are encouraged to come along.

There’s an ADMS Christmas Concert on Saturday 13 December at 4pm in St Helen’s Church. It’s family-friendly and features The Nutcracker Suite, Sleigh Ride, and carols. It will support The Abingdon Bridge.

Abingdon Town Band Christmas Concert
Saturday 13 December, 7:30pm – Christ Church, Northcourt Road. Donations Welcome.

The Snowman Live is on Sunday 14 December – 1:30pm & 4pm – Amey Theatre, Abingdon School. It has live music performed by the Wantage Band.

The Abingdon Traditional Mummers will be touring the villages of Milton, Steventon, and Drayton (Monday 15 December evening), and  around the pubs of Abingdon town centre ( Wednesday 17 December evening). This traditional folk play shows the struggle of good against evil with sword fighting and healing and ends with We Wish you a Merry Christmas and rattling of the donation tin. Donations support St Ethelwold’s House.

A seasonal talk by Clare Goodall for the Abingdon Area Archaeology & History Society on Thursday 18 December, 7:45pm (doors 7:15pm) at the Northcourt Centre. Christmas tales and music from the Medieval and Renaissance, with thoughts of the obby Horse, wassailing, guising, the Feast of Fools and how music wanders over time. Suggested donation £4.

Abingdon Farmers’ Market
Friday 19 December, 8:30am–1:30pm – Market Place
The regular third-Friday market.

Against Breast Cancer Christmas Carols
Led by The Abingdon Rock Choir on Saturday 20 December, 4:30pm–6:30pm – Market Place.

The LAMPS Collective – Heavenly Realms
Saturday 20 December – 3pm (sold out) & 7pm – Peachcroft Christian Centre
Watch the Old Angel Pensioners at  ‘Heavenly Realms’ as they share memories of the first Christmas. Suitable for ages 8+. Tickets £10 adults / £5 children.