Books for Christmas

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Mostly Books has Ruffles by local author David Melling featured in their window at the moment.

The Bookstore has reindeer in the snow in their window and a selection of books. If you are wondering what to buy book lovers you know for Christmas, then both shops have selections on tables and more on the shelves.

Annabel from Abingdon has been writing a blog reviewing books since 2006, possibly earlier. In 2023, she has reviewed 116 books and aims to read and review 125. I often check out her reviews before deciding what to read. See https://annabookbel.net/.

Steve King also reminded me that his book ‘Now I grow oranges’ is still available. Martin Wackenier has copies on his Monday Market stall.

There are even a few copies of ‘Ten Poems about Abingdon’ available at the Bookstore and the Abingdon Museum. Most of the money from this book which I helped produce goes to the Abingdon Bridge charity.

Mayor’s Christmas Advent Service

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Breaking with tradition, Mayor Gwyneth Lewis opted for Trinity Church, the church of her chaplain, Deacon Selina Nisbett, for this year’s civic service. While the service was less formal than a full civic service, lacking the use of the Mace, it was still well attended by the town councillors. The councillors processed into the church at the beginning of the service.

The service began when the Mayor’s cadet read an advent reading, and the Mayor lit the second of the five candles on the advent crown.

The Fijian Fellowship Choir from Dalton Barracks sang two worship songs during the service.

Deacon Selina Nisbett, the Mayor’s chaplain, spoke on building a ‘highway of hope,’ drawing on the reading from Isaiah 40 by the Mayor about ‘Make straight the way for the Lord‘ . Selina encouraged the congregation to focus on their own ‘stretches’ of the path to peace. The service concluded with the National Anthem, ‘God Save the King.’

Afterwards people went through to the Conduit Centre for coffee and mince pies. This picture shows the Mayor, Deacon Selina, and one of the members of the Fijian Choir.

Abingdon Christmas Craft Market Braves the Wind

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As the wind blew across the Market Place in Abingdon, the town’s annual Christmas Craft Market weathered the worst and stayed firmly on the ground.

The lights on the Christmas Tree have now been put up properly. Last weekend, they had been put up temporarily because the contractor was in hospital.

A jeweller called Tracey was at the market for the last time. She has been selling at the  Local Excellence Markets for over ten years.

The Abingdon Honey company displayed the award for the most festive stall at last week’s Abingdon Extravaganza. This week, they eased up on the tinsel and baubles.

The next local excellence market will be in March 2024.

Next Saturday, 16th December 2023, from 10 am to 12 pm, there will Christmas Carol singing led my Sally Mears and people from the churches in Abingdon.

Fields to Houses: Abingdon’s continuing Transformation

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One feature of the Kings Gate and Abbey Fields developments is the presence of artificial lakes that alternate between flooding and dryness. One such lake is adjacent to Blyth Park, a residential street that has a waterfront some of the time. The street’s name pays homage to Wing Commander James Blyth, who served as Mayor of Abingdon from 1984-5 and previously was at RAF Abingdon.

Hobby Green had an open view to the north on a previous visit, but now the houses surround it on all sides.

The Abbey Fields development is shielded from the A34 by a fence, intended to mitigate the noise from the busy highway. When the A34 was constructed, traffic levels were significantly lower, and a buffer of fields separated it from the houses in Abingdon. It won’t be long before people are demanding a 50 MPH limit as happens where the A34 is as close to the houses in North Oxford.
The Abbey Fields development has a footpath that goes through the middle. Until recently only the western side of the footpath has been built upon, but now the eastern side has started to be built upon.

Further east, the new development on Twelve Acre Drive was in the news recently, because of silting up of a stream that goes through Abingdon. They Environment Agency are investigating the cause. See https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23965706.environment-agency-investigating-abingdon-waterway-pollution/.