First Christmas Lights turned on


The Christmas Lights have been turned on in Bury Street.

There is no Christmas Extravaganza this year. The Abingdon-on-Thames Chamber of Commerce organised the event in previous years. Their website says they are no longer organising local excellence markets / extravaganza. It took all their time and did not leave much time to carry out business related activities.

There will be a Christmas Craft Market on Saturday 4th December. Local excellence markets (including this) are now organised by the Abingdon Events Partnership.

Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair


The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair is here for a three day run, Friday to Sunday. There are about 50 stalls, all of them arts and crafts, and it isĀ  run by the Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust.

All profits are used for the upkeep of the Abbey Buildings.

Some stalls were pure Abingdon – like this one with prints and paintings and tea towels.

A great setting. The event is popular with stall holders as it is pure art and craft and not the retail or tat stalls you get at other events.

For a few years up to 2016 this event was run by a commercial company, now defunct. The one thing I do miss from those days is the larger food marquee where you could try samples, and then buy sausages, cheese, pies, and alcohols. Before that company, the event was built up and run by Mrs Pauline Burren, on behalf of the Friends of Abingdon, from the 1980s.

In the grounds and undercroft were craft demonstrations including a potter and blacksmith. We also saw a sock being made inside a vintage Griswold circular sock machine – a museum piece that made socks much faster than knitting needles.

Remembrance crochet / knitwear

300th concert
The latest decoration on the postbox in the Market Place in Abingdon has been put there to symbolise
‘those who gave their tomorrow
for our today
LEST WE FORGET’.

Thanks to ‘THE CREATOR’ for the excellent crochet / knitwear.

The big red poppy over the war memorial is there waiting to be turned on soon. The remembrance service is on Sunday 14th.

There are three charity shops with Remembrance Displays. Acacia

Helen and Douglas House, and Sue Ryder.