There was a Farmer’s Market on Abingdon Market Place today.

The Church in Abingdon had their traditional Good Friday Procession from the library . The procession stopped on the Market Place to sing “There is a Green Hill Far Away.”

They then processed to St Nicolas Church where there was a United Service led by Reverend Paul Smith.

It was a lovely sunny day, and so not only St Nicolas Church , and the Market Place were busy. Nags Head Island was busy, as was the Abbey Meadow Play Park. It was also the busiest day of the year so far in terms of passing boats for Abingdon Lock. There is currently quite a narrow navigation channel, with red buoys, below the lock, and I saw a boat getting stuck on a shoal (accumulation of sediment) for a few minutes.

At 7pm this Thursday evening the bells of St Helen’s Church and St Nicolas Church, in Abingdon-on-Thames town centre, rang in solidarity with the people of Paris because of the fire that destroyed the spire and roof of Notre Dame on Monday night.

On Sunday, at the Abingdon Cycle Festival, the Town Crier announced the rides as they set off every quarter of an hour through the morning and early afternoon.

The first rides were the fast rides over 40 or 50 miles. Then followed a range of different rides for all abilities.

Traffic was diverted down East St the Helen Street and West St Helen Street so the Market Place and High Street were dedicated to stalls which registered cyclists, provided food and refreshment,cycle products and safety, and different bands played.

There was also a challenge of three static bikes trying to do an enormous distance without moving.

The event wants to encourage people to get on their bikes and enjoy the outdoors. During my canvassing in Caldecott (to try and get on the Town Council as an Independent) I hear the message that more people would use their bikes, and let their children cycle, if the roads and cycle ways were safer.