Over a thousand people attended the Abingdon Beer Festival on Saturday night and many more on Friday. Sunday visitors (like me) had the advantage of no queues but the disadvantage of fewer guest beers. Brews such as Yabba Dabba Doo and Rude Not Too had run dry. Plenty of Abingdon Bridge and Trub and Gunners Gold from Loose Cannon was on hand to stop the beer festival from ever running dry.

Bryan Brown welcomed people at the door, and food tents were well stocked on Sunday.

The Friday and Saturday night bands were not playing, but there was a D.J. with some good music on Sunday

On the way out, a notice told visitors about next Saturday’s Abingdon Walking Festival. Anybody wanting to walk on Sunday will have to do their own thing.

The Town Crier, Penny Clover, was on the Market Place, announcing that the Abingdon Beer Festival is on this weekend in the Abbey Buildings.

Entry is free, and the festival is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Cider, Wine, Food and music from local bands also feature during the festival.

On the Market Place representing Abingdon Rotary was David Pope. He told me that the most important letter in the word altruism was not I but U. Doing things for others motivates Rotarians. Not I but You.

Penny and David were there in a non-political capacity, but both, as active members of the local community, have decided to stand as candidates for the town council.

Seeing some people open-air preaching on the Market Place was also interesting. I spoke to one, and he said he had been a Hindu but converted to Christianity ten years ago. In the past, England sent missionaries over to India, and now we have missionaries of Indian descent preaching in England. They come from a church in Heddington whose members are mostly of Indian descent.

Another important Abingdon event at the moment is Carousel by Abingdon Operatic. There are tickets for the last show this evening.