The Christmas Lights in the town centre were all on this evening for the first time. They have been half-on for the last week.
Normally there is pressure to get everything ready for the big celebrity switch-on. This year there was no S Club 2, Spice Girl, or a celebrity from the Vicar of Dibley.
This evening there was no crowd, no fireworks and no celebrity, but it did all come together. Three cheers …
The Abingdon foodbank operates throughout the year, but at Christmas there is a special effort. Over 200 families received parcels / hampers in 2020 and a similar number are expected in 2021.
The parcels / hampers will be put together next week and donations can be taken directly to the foodbank . You can find out more about the foodbank at https://abingdon.foodbank.org.uk/.
There are also easier ways to give.
At Trinity last Sunday there was a gift service and people had been asked for shower gel, soap, shampoo, toothpaste etc.
At Waitrose they have a stall with a list of suggested items for the foodbank when you enter. Shortbread and some others are available to pick up on entry. You can pay for and then put them into the foodbank box on the way out.
P.S. I have not checked out whether this is also happening at Tesco, Little, Coop, Budgens, Reynolds Supermarket, Spar, and Londis.
The garden at St Ethelwold’s House is now ready for the winter. The annuals and leaves have been tidied and a lot are now on the compost heap. There are still a few flowers and vegetables.
The perennials are dormant. Nutrients and carbohydrates are down in their roots to keep them going during the winter months and to help them regrow next spring.
Some evergreen cuttings are available for people to use for their Christmas decorations with a box for donations.
The front door has a wreath.
The Abingdon Lions asked Father Christmas to be in their grotto on the Market Place in Abingdon today. He was giving little presents to children. He will be back on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day morning to fill stockings.
Somebody had made a Christmas decoration from wool on the post office box. There were also lots of stalls selling things that would make good presents for Christmas.
There were also decorations made of leaves to make houses and doors look Christmassy without using lights or blow up snowmen.
After Christmas there will be a pantomime about ‘Dick Whittington’ who had a cat. She is the best cat in all Abingdon at catching mice. You will have to go and watch to see what happens when they go to London. The Abingdon Drama Club are selling tickets.