Hester has send me a picture of the new Willow that has been planted outside the Old Gaol to replace the one that was cut down.

On the County Hall the flag is flying at half-mast.

Dr Vernon Butt, Freeman of Abingdon and Past Mayor, died a year ago. At the time the Town Council were unable to mark his passing by flying the town flag at half-mast and so they are doing so to mark the anniversary of his passing.

Click here for a link to the Town Council’s news item.

The trees on the Market Place, in front of the County Hall, have been decorated with pom-poms and rainbows over Easter.

Today, a section of Bury Street was cordoned off while some workmen gave it a power clean. They were using a machine with a rotating wire buffer and water spray.

For anybody wanting to join in with Carol on the doorstep at 8pm you need to access the sing along track of Silent Night for Carol on the Doorstep. You can follow it from 8pm using the Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIAlht4-GR2JDVZXYI9VAYA . Abingdon resident Bekah sings the carol, and the Youtube video has the words, so you can turn up the volume on your phone, tablet, laptop and sing along. The video automatically starts at 8pm, so you should be able to sing in time!. Some of your neighbors might be there too. Some neighborhoods could even provide their own band.

Here is the X13 bringing people back from the JR Hospital and from other places in Oxford. Not all of them have heard that The Abbey Cinema has reopened.

The Abbey Cinema can be found by going through the Abbey gateway.

If the lights in the foyer, up the steps, are on then there is a show going on.

Book online at www.theabbey.ac.

This Christmas you can see Live Panto! Beauty and the Beast.
or War Horse from NT Live
and much more.

Henry VIII’s men did their worst to dismantle Abingdon Abbey. A Cinema called The Abbey is now on the site.

Yesterday, Oxfordshire County Council painted the bell bollards outside St Nicolas Church to make them easier to see.

Christmas cards for charities are on sale inside the church. There are a good selection of about twenty charities – not as many charities as in a usual year.

The nativity scene at St Nic’s becomes visible as the sun goes down. It also plays Christmas Carols.

By the end of next week school pupils will break up for the Christmas Holidays.

The Salvation Army have their own nativity scene – with a rainbow behind.

Over the road, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks have unearthed a large bundle of cables outside the Co-op. It has been like that for a couple of days now.

Abingdon Country Market will be on at the Salvation Army this Saturday from 10 am with their usual assortment of jams and chutneys, and cakes (including mince pies).

Margaret sent me this …

This weekend, the Abbey Group of artists (Claire Cross, Margaret Horton, Marion Owen and Dougie Simpson) together with ceramicist Charlie Leech are delighted to say that their Christmas Artweeks exhibition is going ahead. It had to be postponed from November but we are now raring to go.

It is at St. Ethelwold’s House in East St. Helen Street, Abingdon, from 10.00 to 5.00pm on Sat. 12th and Sun. 13th December. There will be new, original paintings, prints and cards for sale together with Charlie’s ceramics, Margaret’s jewellery and Claire’s gifts.

To make it covid secure, there will be a one way system through the building and limited numbers. Please wear masks, use the sanitiser provided and give contact details. Card payment preferred. 20% of sales will go to St. Ethelwold’s House.

With another hat Margaret says …

As we are not able to run our usual, well supported Christingle service this year, St. Helen’s church is promoting a “make your own Christingle and join in online” service. From 16th to the 23rd Dec we shall be handing out Christingle bags from the west door of the church, where you will also be able to look at the Christmas crib scene. The bags will contain everything needed to make your own Christingle at home – except for the orange. Then, on Christmas eve, there will be a chance either to join in a live, zoom service of about 20 mins or to watch a recorded service online from 4.30pm. Details about this can be found by emailing aot.christingle@gmail.com for the zoom service or going to https://www.abingdon-st-helens.org.uk/ and following instructions for the recorded service.

We are also setting up a trail of sheep and angels around the outside of the church to lead you to the christingles.

The money raised at Christingle services always goes to the Children’s Society so we are hoping that people will still give generously even if they are celebrating at home and not in church

By this time of year St Helen’s Church would normally be busy every evening with different groups celebrating Christmas. The 2020 pandemic has changed that.

There is also the need to do some repairs of the historic church. St. Helen’s is half full of scaffolding at the moment. Following plaster falls from the ceilings of both the nave and the north aisle there have been builders in since mid October doing repairs and checking other ceiling panels. Margaret says … St Helen’s are grateful to the Culture Recovery Fund for providing a grant of £20,000 to go towards the cost of repairs.