At one stage these buildings were part of the Lion Hotel – demolished in the 1930s to make way for shops and the Red Lion Pub (which closed in 1987).

The upstairs area was then used for storage until being transformed into the Kitsons Restaurant. The original interior beams have survived, and been restored, and added to, and look beautiful now.

P.S. Due to circumstances beyond the organisers control the Medieval Banquet, at the Old Abbey Buildings, has been cancelled. Apologies to everybody who had already made their costume and were looking forward to it. Maybe the nearest you will get to it now is Kitsons with another 14th Century Roof.

Rye Farm Meadow, by the River Thames, was filling up with horse boxes from early morning.

By afternoon the clouds were gone and there was very little shade for the horses.

This annual event has something for all horse enthusiasts: Show Jumping, Ridden and In-Hand Showing, Fun Children’s Ring, Fancy Dress.

Watching to see whether the horses can do a clear round is also fairly interesting to people like me who wouldn’t know a Hock from a Fetlock.

NB: You can see the Old Gaol in the back ground here just to prove it really is Abingdon and not Blenheim

On the Market Place there were two Abingdon Fire Engines today.

Fire fighters do a lot of training for all the the emergencies they can be called to.

In turn they try to train the public to reduce the risk of fires, which is partly why they were on the Market Place, that and raising money for charity, and showing off the red fire engines.

Just a quick look round the Farmers’ Market. It is well advertised in the town centre on the third Friday of the month. The signs are everywhere.

Blackberries ( the non electronic type) and raspberries are in season…

as are plums from the Q gardens Stall. Q Gardens is about 4 miles away on the far side of Steventon.

The Abingdon Country Market, featured recently in The Abingdon Herald, has a stall.

Lastly beer from the Appleford Brewery – 6 miles away. They have been brewing for about three years as I understand it. The box on the left has two bottles of ‘Power Station’ with a picture of Didcot Power Station, and one of ‘Brightwell Gold.’