Thanks to Captainkaos2 for these pictures. He says …

Today was Saint Nicolas day for St Nicolas School in Abingdon.

Much fun was had as school children lined the road to welcome Saint Nicolas in his horse drawn carriage to the school.

This is an old school tradition. It was last featured on this blog for St Nicolas Day 2009.

Friday and Saturday saw the first ever Abbey Beer Festival.

Many local breweries were represented at the event held in the ground floor of the Abbey Buildings.

People bought a card for £7 which allowed 2 pints or 4 half pints. Bands, and folk artists were playing most of the time. The event was intended to bring new people to the Abbey Buildings, and did bring in a lot of new people particularly on Friday.

The next Beer Festival is likely to be in a warmer month.

Loose Cannon were on the Market Place on Saturday as part of the Craft Market. They are part of a long line of successful Abingdon brewers dating back to medieval times.

And they will there at the Beerfest this coming weekend at the Long Gallery, part of the medieval Abingdon Abbey Buildings.

This is an opportunity to drink local beer on the site of the original Abbey Brewery. The Abbey Brewery was based in and around the Long Gallery and made beer there at the turn of the century – 1800, according to Abingdon Buildings and People. Before them the monks of Abingdon Abbey would also have produced local ales and beers.

Thanks to Sue for this …

On Saturday, near the Extravaganza, there is a Fair Trade and Craft Fair in St Ethelwolds House (30 East St Helen Street).

You will find Fair Trade gifts, and local crafts including leatherwork, jewellery, textiles, knitted goods, wood, pottery, watercolours. Also local charity stalls.

You can enjoy cake and drinks by the log fire!

Date: 26th November 2016
Time: 10:30am-4:30pm