Loose Cannon were on the Market Place on Saturday as part of the Craft Market. They are part of a long line of successful Abingdon brewers dating back to medieval times.

And they will there at the Beerfest this coming weekend at the Long Gallery, part of the medieval Abingdon Abbey Buildings.

This is an opportunity to drink local beer on the site of the original Abbey Brewery. The Abbey Brewery was based in and around the Long Gallery and made beer there at the turn of the century – 1800, according to Abingdon Buildings and People. Before them the monks of Abingdon Abbey would also have produced local ales and beers.

Thanks to Sue for this …

On Saturday, near the Extravaganza, there is a Fair Trade and Craft Fair in St Ethelwolds House (30 East St Helen Street).

You will find Fair Trade gifts, and local crafts including leatherwork, jewellery, textiles, knitted goods, wood, pottery, watercolours. Also local charity stalls.

You can enjoy cake and drinks by the log fire!

Date: 26th November 2016
Time: 10:30am-4:30pm

There were three church fairs near Abingdon town centre this morning. St Helens had a Christmas Market with stalls in the St Katherine Aisle and a long table of books right down the middle.

At Abingdon Baptist Church there was a Christmas Fayre where Father Christmas could be seen in a grotto, and Readitdaddy and Readitdaughter were selling some excellent Children’s books for a good cause.

At Trinity, where I go, we had a Christmas Fair. The toy stall was particularly interesting with a fort, old wooden game of table skittles, and some stilts, run by the scouts.

The annual Remembrance Day parades and services were held today in Abingdon. There was a large attendance by the army, and other uniformed groups, and a large turnout of the general public.

The first parade was where town dignatories followed the town band from the Guildhall down East St Helen Street to a service at St Helen’s Church led by Revd Dr Charles Miller.

That was followed by a second service of remembrance round the war memorial – with a two minutes silence at 11am

About 40 organisations came to lay wreaths at the war memorial during the singing of the hymn “O God Our Help in Ages Past.” Pictured is Ena Mitchell, aged 97, of the War Widows Association, whose husband died in Belgium in September 1944.

A member of the Royal British Legion then said the Kohima Prayer:

The Lord’s Prayer was said, the National Anthem Sang, and then people lined the High Street to cheer the troops and members of the uniformed groups as they saluted the Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames, Councillor Alice Badcock.

More pictures on the Abingdon Blog Facebook page.