By 11.30 pm on Tuesday the dismantling of the fair was well underway. I decided that I would not walk across the Market Place at it was so full of activity, with rides being put away quicker than they were put up.

Great care was taken with the big expensive rides. They were collapsed and folded into shapes that fitted into a lorry. A man put on a harness and went on a lift to the top of the high swing roundabout to collapse the large tower from the top down.

Taking longer than most was the stall that sold only doughnuts. It took time to serve the queue, and afterwards the man was cleaning all his equipment with care.

Today was very warm and sunny for October. On the Market Place the fair was gone, replaced by the van from Smokefreelife Oxfordshire. They provide a 12 week treatment plan, combining behavioural support with nicotine replacement therapy, free of charge if you live in Oxfordshire.

There were more locals  than ever outside their businesses during the fair. Delicious Abi, who have re-opened in the last week, were giving out samples.

The balloons with the fairy lights looked really good but did cost £8.

Lots of stalls were serving doughnuts but a lot of people went to the stall that only did doughnuts. There was quite a queue and you could see them being made as you waited.

I didn’t see anybody manage to hang onto the ‘Beat the Bar’ for the 2 minutes to win the old style fair challenge. Very entertaining to watch when the crowd got behind the competitor.

At the Ock Street end of the fair the Mission Space ride stood out again. It is a high swing chair roundabout with colourful lighting.

At the High Street end was the helter skelter.

Here is a five minute video showing how long you get on the Bodycount and Meterorite rides …

It is goodbye from the big fair for another year.

The duck, crocodile and giraffe could be there again next week.

The runaway fair will be back next Monday with mainly children’s rides.

The strangest thing about Abingdon Fair is that, even though we live only sixty yards from the fair, we do not hear the pulsating noise from the big rides until we leave the house.

This evening as we left the house, people from South Abingdon were streaming by, up West St Helen Street, towards the fair and the main thoroughfare along High Street and Ock Street.

On the corner of West St Helen Street you can get popcorn, candy floss, and toffee apples from the Fresh Fast Food stall.

As the night drew on there was still lots of youngsters enjoying hook a ducks (which have made a come back this year)

and the many children’s rides and harnessed trampolines.

Further on there are the dodgems, the ideal ride for parents and kids to enjoy together.

About half way along Ock Street you come to Hell’s Gate.

The bigger rides are on the Market Place and from Hell’s Gate to the end of Ock Street. Here the roads are wide enough to allow bigger rides and spectators and the passage of lots of people – all together. But nowhere on the route can take some of the biggest rides that you get at some of the other big fairs.

The weather was good, and there seemed to be lots of people enjoying themselves.