A new takeaway/restaurant at Number 3 West St Helen Street offers Afro-Caribbean Cuisine. They have been open for about a week and had a trial run during the Abingdon Fair. I enjoyed my first meal this evening. The Curry Goat was tender, and the rice and peas were flavourful. Good luck to them in their new venture. Check out their menu at pappys.co.uk.
Preparations for the Abingdon Passion Play are underway and the organisers took time out to pose for a photograph. They are at the early stages and having done most of the auditions and will be starting rehearsals on January 4th 2024. The Abingdon Passion Play has been previously staged in 2013, 2016, and 2019. The passion has been shown in different ways. We look forward to 2024 and a different vision.
Clare has been watching advent windows being revealed in Exbourne Road and was particularly impressed by one by Roz and Faith that shows a silhouette of our County Hall.
I walked that way this evening and saw some of the others. They are on the ground floor and easy to see. Some are more for daytime viewing.
The Abingdon Peace Group held their usual vigil by the war memorial early this Monday Morning. The vigils began at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and continues during the Gaza crisis.
The Gaza Crisis Appeal is prominent in the Oxfam window in Abingdon.
In Bethlehem, Christmas is muted this year. There are few tourists and pilgrims. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has made it difficult for people to travel and celebrate. In solidarity with Gaza, church leaders in Jerusalem and the Bethlehem city council have decided to cancel or scale back Christmas celebrations. This has left many businesses in Bethlehem struggling, as they rely on the holiday season for a large portion of their income.
(ref https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2023/1217/1422481-bethlehem-christmas/)