There was plenty going on today on Abingdon Market Place today. There were stalls (quite a few of them with chilli).

Some were serving hot food (Indian and Wood fired pizza). There were not as many BBQ stalls as hoped for, but then the main caterer dropped out at the last moment.
Hedges, the Abingdon Butcher (normally to be found along Queen Street) had a selection of meats for the home BBQ.

There were fun stalls and rides.

There was also a bar, and music including Tom Hingley and the Kar-pets. Tom was born in Abingdon, and left to find fortune in Manchester where he became the lead singer of the 90’s group the Inspiral Carpets.

The event was organised by Yummy Events who also organise the Abingdon Chilli Festival.

The young lady who organised it was upset that her BBQ caterer could not make it, and about letting some people down, but there was sunshine and excellent music. It was another good day on Abingdon Market Place thanks to her.

There is a lot on this week in Abingdon for Dementia Action Week. The full list is http://www.healthyabingdon.org.uk/dementia-action-week.htm. I went into the Roysse Room on Monday where there were a number of interesting stalls. Omni have a motion activated projector which allows people to interact with lots of different images and games. It can be used in care and educational settings.
The Alzheimer’s Society had a stall telling of their support and research.

Today I attended a very interesting Dementia Awareness session at 35 Ock Street. We learned more about what it is like to live with dementia and looked at ways to turn that understanding into action, recognising there is more to a person than the dementia. See Dementia Friends to find out more.

Artweeks continues in the Abingdon area until Saturday. There will be all the venues that have been open for a week, and on Saturday, for one day only, The Mind Art Group in Abingdon in the Charter.

The exhibition in St Nicolas Church has been put on by The Abbey Group and they were open late this Thursday evening for people who work.

Another event I often visit and write about on the blog is Museums at Night which is on Friday, 17th May, 7:00pm-9:00pm. At Abingdon County Hall Museum there will be music by The Oxford Waits and others.

Ruby’s Vintage Fair will be back in the Guildhall in the centre of town on Saturday 18th May 10am – 4pm after an absence of four years. The Vintage Fair has been at Millet’s Farm and Our Lady’s Abingdon but not at the Guildhall, the original Abingdon venue.

At the Vintage Fair you might be able to get the once very popular set of three ducks for the wall. I saw three ducks flying over the Guildhall today and it brought back that memory.

Today was a lovely day: blue sky, hawthorn in blossom, and lots of buttercups in the meadows.