The runaway fair, another Abingdon tradition, happens a week after the Michaelmas Fair. It is set up on Sunday. It runs on Monday. Road changes are needed because it takes place on the Market Place and High Street.
The iron bridge direction for example is reversed.
The Drayton Road traffic appeared to be feeling the effects, but there are many factors can cause problems here.
Ah ha! Thank you anonymous two. I knew that it was "tradition" but sometimes if traditions aren't very old then they might as well be scrapped. By the look of some of the rides this year, I just figured they that one of the additions may have been recent rather than ancient 😉
The Michaelmas Fair was once the annual hiring fair (for farm labourers etc) and for anybody who did not get on with their employer they could try again for a new job a week later at the runaway fair. Tradition.
it's called tradition…
As a newcomer to Abingdon. I just don't understand why the put these fairs on one after the other… why not space them out a bit? Is this the infamous Abingdon town planning in action?