Monthly Archives: December 2013

The Abingdon Christmas Tree is sponsored by The Monday Market Traders …

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This year, like last year, The Abingdon Christmas Tree is sponsored by The Monday Market Traders.

They will be back tomorrow with lots more Christmas Trees …

and other festive favorites like mistletoe and holly.

All the other smaller markets, that have sprung up in recent years, are advertised with banners and road side signs but locals know Monday is Market Day in Abingdon from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Stalls include fresh fruit and vegetables, outdoor plants, bags and suitcases, clothing, greeting cards, picture frames, mirrors, bread, dairy and meat products, eggs, pickles and jams, pet supplies, carpets, vacuum cleaner bags, pillows and cushions, watch straps and batteries, jewelery,books, olives and nuts, BLACK BAGS and elsewhere more BLACK BAGS …

Donkeys, The Heart of Abingdon Heritage Trail, and Santa

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Monty and Mr Crusty were on the Market Place this morning – thanks to the Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary. One of their donkeys will be back next Saturday for a Nativity Play for under 5’s at St Helen’s Church.

This morning at St Helen’s Church there was Christmas Storytelling and crafts for children 3 – 9 years.

Outside St Helen’s at 11am was the official opening of the new heritage boards with the Mayor

On each board is a QR Code that you can scan with your mobile to listen to the audio tour of the new Heart of Abingdon Trail. The Mayor and the historians who worked on the boards did the tour before returning to the Market Place,

where Santa was in a gazebo grotto.

Window transformed

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The window at The Beaconsfield has been hidden behind scaffolding for almost a year. The Beaconsfield Working Mens Conservative Club once occupied part of this building.

The window has been transformed.

The Earl of Beaconsfield, the Marquess of Salisbury and Sir Stafford Northcote look much the same as before.

More Abingdon heritage trail information boards

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People are stopping to look at the new heritage trail information board that appeared in West St Helen’s Street yesterday.

The first picture on the board is a drawing of St Helen’s Church and shows the Half Moon pub of 1755, and next door – Hyde’s Draper, Grocer and Ready made Clothes’ shop.

Ready made clothes must have taken off because the next picture on the board shows Hyde’s (later Clarke’s) clothing factory dominating the street near St Helen’s Church

The board is one of five new heritage boards at our end of the town centre. They were organised by Ann Berkeley, researched by members of the Abingdon Archaeological and Historical Society, and financed by The National Lottery, Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council, and Choose Abingdon.