Anybody walking along the road to Abingdon Lock will see sheep are grazing. There are a lot of them.
The crocodile has grown scales since last time I looked.
Over the other side of the River Thames, in the Abbey Meadows, workmen were chopping a poplar that had fallen.
The paths in the Abbey Gardens seem clear of fallen leaves somehow.
The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair is here for a three day run, Friday to Sunday. There are about 50 stalls, all of them arts and crafts, and it is run by the Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust.
All profits are used for the upkeep of the Abbey Buildings.
Some stalls were pure Abingdon – like this one with prints and paintings and tea towels.
A great setting. The event is popular with stall holders as it is pure art and craft and not the retail or tat stalls you get at other events.
For a few years up to 2016 this event was run by a commercial company, now defunct. The one thing I do miss from those days is the larger food marquee where you could try samples, and then buy sausages, cheese, pies, and alcohols. Before that company, the event was built up and run by Mrs Pauline Burren, on behalf of the Friends of Abingdon, from the 1980s.
In the grounds and undercroft were craft demonstrations including a potter and blacksmith. We also saw a sock being made inside a vintage Griswold circular sock machine – a museum piece that made socks much faster than knitting needles.
The latest decoration on the postbox in the Market Place in Abingdon has been put there to symbolise
‘those who gave their tomorrow
for our today
LEST WE FORGET’.
Thanks to ‘THE CREATOR’ for the excellent crochet / knitwear.
The big red poppy over the war memorial is there waiting to be turned on soon. The remembrance service is on Sunday 14th.
There are three charity shops with Remembrance Displays. Acacia
Helen and Douglas House, and Sue Ryder.
Abingdon & District Musical Society will hold their 300th Concert on Saturday 13th November 2021 at 7:30 pm in St Helen’s Church.
Programme:
Bushell – ADMS 300 (a specially commissioned coral work by ADMS member, Geoff Bushell to celebrate the 300th ADMS concert)
Dvorak – Te Deum (the Te Deum is a traditional Latin hymn set to music here by Czech composer Dvorak)
Poulenc – Gloria (this is a Mass set to music by French composer Poulenc in 1959 and has soprano solo, orchestra, and choir)
Dvorak – Symphony no. 6 (the sixth of Dvorak’s nine symphonies, inspired by Czech folk music, has warm lyrical melodies.)
Conductor: Alexander Walker
Orchestra Leader: Kate Bailey
Tickets: Adults £14 on the door (£1 children) or £12 in advance. The advance tickets can be obtained from: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/529055 or telephone 01235-521392 or 07979-894-095.