Christmas Consolation

In the West End newsagents window there is an advertisement for a new toy shop upstairs - its been there for about a month.

Also advertised in the window is a Christmas Craft and Beauty Fair today from 11 to 3.

I went to the fair at around 1, and found lots of colourful stalls, and bought some things for Christmas. Some of the proceeds go to Helen and Douglas House. But there were not that many paying customers and the stall holders were giving each other Christmas Consolations as a consequence.

The four liquid amber trees are also now up in the Market Place.

Sunrise Sunset

This is the sunrise over the Thames from the Abbey Meadows.

This is the sunset looking across St Helen's Close from our top floor window in West St Helen's Street.

Shop Windows - Get Festive

Helen and Douglas House is a charity shop with a lounge in the book section. Always good window dressing too.

The original 5 cent store was Frank Woolworth's store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Strange that the UK now has Woolworths and the USA hasn't. Things have turned upside down.

The Council Levellers

Last weekend, barriers and traffic cones had been set up like a little orange fortess at the start of the Ock Valley Walk.

The fortess has gone and the kerbs have been levelled. (The levellers were a 17th century political movement. They weren't really about bringing everybody to the same level. But that is how they got labelled by their enemies.)

These new age levellers are employed by the council. They are helping to give EQUAL ACCESS to legs or wheels. (Hopefully not too many of those wheels will be shopping trolleys and motor cycles.)

Contractors Return

The workmen were back, and most of the Market Place was fenced off.

They were digging holes for the Liquid Amber trees to be planted on Thursday, or maybe Friday.

Different contractors are back near the Abbey Gateway, to do some remedial work, replacing the York stone setts on the road that chipped too easily.

Abingdon Town Bus

At a good time, the Abingdon Town bus can loop unhindered round the town.


This is the bus caught in traffic last Friday afternoon, when the four O'Clock tail-back began at two thirty.

New bridge being built

Sorry to raise hopes, but this is not the new road bridge across the River Thames that the town needs. This is a footbridge to connect the Abbey Meadows, this side, with the Barratt's Riverside Collection, that side. Four or five trees have been cut this side, and deep holes are being drilled that side. I can't wait to get across.

Advent Sunday

One moment it was raining, the next there was sunshine.

There was a local derby game. Parents were on the touchline: some supporting Saxton Rovers F.C. under 11s , some supporting Abingdon Youth F.C. under 11s at Caldecott Rec.

At Trinity the first candle of the Advent Crown was lit, and 'Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel!' was sung

There was chaos on the town's roads, probably caused by the telecom road works on the Drayton Road Bridge, and exacerbated by 'sheer weight of traffic' as people went home from sports, leisure, church, shops or whatever. In any case it was all quiet again within the hour...

- even sooner for residents of the Tomkins Almshouses. All they have to do is shut the gate behind them, and they are in a quiet place.