Leaves are turning red on the Market Place. Lots of people were out in the open, drinking coffee.

Hedgehogs were this weeks cause for the XR Abingdon group. The group will be promoting a number of causes in coming weeks and months. Several small changes in people’s behaviour add up to a big change.

They were giving away bags of hedgehog food and information about how to help hedgehogs. To avoid the danger of roads, hedgehogs need to move between back gardens. They suggested opening holes under fences – big enough for hedgehogs to squeeze through.

Abingdon Country Market have moved their market to the yard outside the Salvation Army – rather than inside. They had a one way system, and track and trace. 

I was not the only photographer taking pictures. Somebody thought the other chap was doing the Abingdon Blog. He has actually been taking pictures of Abingdon much longer than me. They are very good. One day we may see more.

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council will be looking at a smaller Remembrance Day ceremony this year because of Covid-19, or possibly no ceremony at the war memorial. It may or may not involve a road closure.

For those people who are back at church, or are watching church on live-stream, the ceremony can take place as usual. Remembrance happens at 11am on Sunday when some people are at church, every year.

For others, not at main event, it can be commemorated at home. They can watch the national event at the cenotaph, or even local events streamed from their local war memorial.

Poppy selling is going to be different with fewer places selling poppies. Fewer volunteers will be selling them. Due to Covid-19 many elderly volunteers will be unable to help. The Royal British Legion provide a download and print Remembrance Poppy to display at home and show your support for the Armed Forces community. They will ask people to get batches of poppies and distribute them.

Whatever happens Remembrance Day, on Sunday 8th November 2020, will be different.

During the lockdown, the Abbey Cinema have been encouraging people to become members and get special deals as well as ensuring a steady cash flow and the survival of the cinema. Their first event will be the Formula 1 race from Silverstone, and is a members only event.

The Unicorn Theater has no What’s On yet. They have a holding webpage saying ‘New Site Coming Soon’.

The Studio Theatre Club announced they have started a read through of Love’s Labour’s Lost, to be performed at the Unicorn Theatre in November, if all’s well that ends well.

The Amey Theatre booking office still only has cancelled events at the moment.

Some leisure and fitness centres have reopened this week in Abingdon. I can see people back on the gym machines at Results and the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre have: gym, swimming (not splash pool), fitness classes, indoor and outdoor tennis only. The open air pool will not open this season.

Regarding churches, I hear that St Edmunds and Our Lady have a booking system for Masses and up to 30 people can attend. I have not heard about any other church meeting physically yet. The congregation size will be limited to 30 in most churches, and so streaming or service sheets will continue for those who cannot attend.

The posters in the window of Oxfam, Abingdon are like a time capsule on what was just about to happen before we went into Coronavirus lockdown and all public events stopped.

The What’s On section on the Town Council site has a cascade of cancelled events.

Two days ago the June 2020 Town Crier, published by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council, and Round & About Magazine dropped through the front door together.

Round & About had no Idle Ramblings about forthcoming community events, and the Town Crier had no What’s On.

We could do with a What’s Streaming in Abingdon to find – in one place – the streamed concerts and church services, virtual jumble sales, Zoom fitness classes and Instagram art exhibitions.