It was a regular Abingdon Monday Market. The Market Place cobbles were filled with stalls and vans and the crosspaths with people. There was a breeze but no storms or floods. It was cloudy but the fruit and veg stall knew rain wasn’t expected, as they hadn’t put up a cover!

Everyone’s first stop seemed to be fish van, judging by the queue waiting for their catch fresh from the quay. There was also the butcher’s van, but not the butcher who always keeps up a dialogue through a squeaky PA system. Isla Bakery had piles of loaves, buns, and a table of cakes. The stationary stall had greeting cards and a table of crossword and puzzle books. Over at the photography stall, Martin greeted every enquiry with his usual friendliness. He had a sale – as new stock arrives soon.

You could get a bunch of daffodils for £1, or 3 for £2.50. The pet food stall had bags of pet and wild bird food. You couldn’t miss the outdoor gear stall with its dazzling display of Hi-Viz jackets. Opposite that was the egg stall with the stacked trays of eggs.

Who have I forgotten?

Today, the Abingdon Fire Fighters collected money for the Fire Fighters Charity on the Market Place. During 2023, they have dealt with house fires, refuse fires, bus fires, and road collisions and given out lots of safety information. They had an open day in July that raised over £1000 for their charity, and in October raised over £2000 with a 24-hour cycle challenge.

Also on the Market Place were Hedges, the butcher, so people could pick up their Christmas orders. And the fruit and veg stall from the Monday Market – on a Saturday.

As the wind blew across the Market Place in Abingdon, the town’s annual Christmas Craft Market weathered the worst and stayed firmly on the ground.

The lights on the Christmas Tree have now been put up properly. Last weekend, they had been put up temporarily because the contractor was in hospital.

A jeweller called Tracey was at the market for the last time. She has been selling at the  Local Excellence Markets for over ten years.

The Abingdon Honey company displayed the award for the most festive stall at last week’s Abingdon Extravaganza. This week, they eased up on the tinsel and baubles.

The next local excellence market will be in March 2024.

Next Saturday, 16th December 2023, from 10 am to 12 pm, there will Christmas Carol singing led my Sally Mears and people from the churches in Abingdon.