Abingdon Country Market

Every Friday from 9:30 to 11, in the Roysse Room, you will find the Country Market. Here you can buy cakes, preserves, bread, craft, plants etc. . You can also get the cheapest tea or coffee in Abingdon.

Customers used to queue outside to get in, but nowadays trade is quieter.

The Country Market, better known as the W.I Market, has been running for over 50 years in Abingdon.

I cannot guarantee there will always be a Friday Country Market in Abingdon, so visit soon. Rent is up and customer numbers are down as everywhere in Abingdon.

Spring into Abingdon

An e-mail from Hesta suggested an idea called 'Spring into Abingdon'

What about making the Market Place lively and interesting from March to May? Invite bands and community groups so there is something every Saturday.

The town council also wants it to be used more to make the town centre more colourful.

Community Groups can book at the Old Abbey House and use it for free on Saturdays. Ring the information desk at 01235 522711 if you want to check out a date. There's room for three groups a Saturday.

Also see the Abingdon Information Centre diary for a Whats On in Abingdon.

Love Abingdon

Here we are in precinct. And all I see are red hearts

more red hearts

Even the British Heart Foundation have Hearts with messages written by celebrities and messages by ordinary people. Stuff like...

This town has been here long as I remember
This town will be here long after I am gone
This town has had her up and down times
This town keeps going on and on

Abingdon-on-Thames

St Helens Church, the Old Anchor Inn,and the Almshouses are reflected here in the River Thames at Abingdon.

The Abingdon forum has had a short discussion thread about whether our town should use the name 'Abingdon-On-Thames'.

The longer name is and can be used. Wikipedia begins the town's entry: "Abingdon (traditionally known as Abingdon-on-Thames)..." And The Abingdon-on-Thames Chamber of Commerce sees promotional value in 'On-Thames' .

I stick to 'Abingdon' because its shorter.

Its gotta get bad before it gets good

Jimmy James of the Abingdon Market Traders appeared on BBC South Today in a feature about Oxfordshire Markets. Trade is down generally because of competition from large 'under one roof' superstores. Younger people don't use markets so much as their seniors.

Cargo has a Closing Down Sale. Notices say 'Only this Store is closing'

Despite the 'Sale Continues' notice, Stead & Simpson has stayed closed. .

"Its gotta get bad before it gets good" was on the soundtrack of Skins tonight.

Out Now!

'Ock Street Remembered - An Abingdon Community' - the book of the Ock Street exhibition is out now, and available from both book shops in Abingdon. Elizabeth Drury is co-editor of the book which can now be seen displayed in the window of the Book Store.

At the back of the book are pictures of the Ock Street businesses that have given their support. Inside there are many pictures including the street floods in 2007, 1947, 1903 and 1894.

People are coming from far and wide to see the exhibition and find out about their ancestors. This will be a good souvenir for them, and for the rest of us.

Space - the final frontier

This picture shows St Michaels in the foreground, and the Trinity spire in the background.

It has been a special weekend at Trinity. Since September the church has been without a minister. But it looks as if they have made contact.

Over this weekend, the church's top choice from a list of applicants was invited to meet people, meet other ministers of the Church in Abingdon, and then preach with a view to becoming the minister.

The title of the sermon was 'Space - the final frontier.'

After the service the people of the church met, and decided if this was the right person for the job. When a new pope is chosen: black smoke means a split decision, and white smokes means a successor has been chosen.

(I'm not sure if Trinity follow the same convention but its likely they do.)