A Monday Market has been held in Abingdon since at least 1556, when Abingdon Borough came into existence, and probably much longer.
Earlier this Monday Morning there was a queue all round the fruit and veg stall – with people filling baskets. It is very popular.
Perry the butcher keeps up a constant chatter, with his microphone, and everybody can hear as he piles meat on the scales and gives the customer bargains for buying in bulk.
The fish man comes from Grimsby and has been coming for years now. Grimsby voted Conservative last week – for the first time in 74 years. They will be expecting that leaving the EU will help their fisheries.
The diagonal paths of the Market Place work well. Stalls are on the cobbled quadrants, and people can easily walk between.
On the plant stall, Holly wreaths and Mistletoe and cut Pine trees are selling well, as are Poinsettia and Cyclamen. Some of the colour may have gone out of the world in winter but at Christmas we decorate our houses with evergreens.
Isla Jane Bakery, from Bicester, bring their baking not just to Abingdon, but to many other markets round about.
On Monday the town generally benefits from having the Monday Market. It is the day many, who are not working, choose to come to Abingdon
It’s a shame the ‘Hat King’ no longer makes the trip up from Salisbury.