Abingdon has many good venues and other related services for weddings. The Chamber of Commerce is holding the first ever Market Place Wedding Fair today, and there were quite a few stalls.

You could try wedding cake from Waitrose…

Get second hand wedding dresses and gowns and suits from Cancer Research. Abingdon also has a couple of first hand wedding dress retailers.

Paul Viney, from West St helen Street, was there with examples of his wedding photographs.

Then there was the Oxford Saxtet who play weddings – thanks to Greg from Blue Door – the Fixed Fee Estate Agent – who sponsored them.

The Friends of Abingdon were also there with information about their reasonably priced and wonderful venue – The Abbey Buildings. Of course there are many Abingdon venues : the Guildhall, old part recently reburbished, and Coseners House, and Preston Road Community Centre (which certainly deserves a plug as I’m on the committee there).

In the window of the Abingdon Job Centre Plus – that is where people in Abingdon go to sign on every two weeks if they have not got a job in order to get what is called Job Seekers Allowance or Unemployment Benefit – there are pictures mixed with the job opportunities.

I think I got 3 of the 5 opportunities.

1. Office Clerk
2. ?
3. Road Maintenance
4. Surveying
5. ?

Can anybody help me with the last two – possibly painter and decorator and plumber.

The Finishing Touch always does the most amazing displays but really I need to invest in a camera that can cut out all the reflection.

The Gift Centre is another shop you can guarantee will have a good display. Often it will be framed art, but they are never averse to cuddly animals and a few eggs.

Sweet Chocolate had two filled pinatas in the window in the form of Easter Bunnies. No idea what is inside these Easter gift packs.

Masons were displaying their drapes and cake making kits with Easter Chicks.

And The Honey Pot were pleased with their newly laid pavements – better than the mix of concrete and slabs they had before.

Thanks to the craftsmen who have been relaying and replacing paving stones over the last eleven weeks in an undramatic way, trying not to disrupt anyone too much.  There were no great innovations. It is more level,  cracked pavements have gone, and concrete and ashphalt patches have been replaced by paving slabs in East and West St Helen’s Streets.

Bath Street deserves to be next.

Marie on Bath Street are running an Easter Egg Competition. They have lots of jars filled with Mini Eggs, and  are asking people to guess how many eggs are in them. The correct/closest answer wins a £20 Marie Gift Voucher! Children and families are welcome to take part!

Thanks to Verity for the picture.

There will also be an Easter Party in the Albert Park on Saturday 31st March, 2 pm to 4 pm. This has become an annual family event.