Each Saturday before Christmas there will be something happening on the Market Place in Abingdon. 15 December will see a Nativity Themed Day, and 22 December owls and a giftwrapping Service. Yesterday was the annual Christmas Craft Fair.
At the Craft Fair there were a lot of stalls, and a number of performances from bands and singing groups. The Abingdon Passion choir gave, possibly, their first public performance and sounded very good.
Against Breast Cancer had a special day on the Market Place, and around town, turning everything pink including the Town Crier’s bell.
It was all to raise awareness and funds to fight Breast Cancer and this young lad did a sponsored hour long pogo stick jump – his mum is involved in the charity.
Emily seen here with the Mayor is one of the organisers. They brought in celebrities such as Kerry Kat ona who had a good crowd, Bobby Davro, Steve Collins the boxer, a group called The Soldiers, an Elvis and Rod Steward tribute act, and a choir called the Didcot Divas..
Also Dwina Gibb, the widow of Robin Gibb was there as patron of the charity.
Tonight at 7:30 there will be a Firewalk on the market place – more of that anon.
From Thursday to Saturday a French Market filled the Market Place.
There were a variety of French food stalls. We got some French Cheese, and then went to Patisserie Pascal, an excellent Abingdon shop, open Tuesday to Sunday, for French bread.
It is always good when a Market brings in products not available elsewhere in town, like the French CD stall.
I’m a fan of French singers, and although their CDs were on sale, I never heard any of them being played. When I got there we were treated instead with jazz, blues and finally Johnny Cash.
The stalls included: carpets and mats, scarves and hats, leather bags, and basket bags (from Madagascar), that are probably found at any Market in France but did not strike me as overtly French. The Eiffel Towers, on the toys and souvenirs stall, however did tick all the boxes of my French stereotype.
At today’s Local Excellence Market in Abingdon there were apples grown just over the border in Abingdon’s old County of Berkshire.
Cheese made in Abingdon’s new County of Oxfordshire.
Bread and Patisserie baked on East Saint Helen Street, Abingdon-on-Thames.
Fabulous Flowers prepared on Bridge Street, Abingdon-on-Thames.
Additional attractions included folk music, rescue owls and sunshine from heaven above.