Monthly Archives: November 2011

St Helen’s Festive Coffee morning with Bells

St Helens Festive Bell Ring
At St Helen’s Church yesterday morning there was a Festive Coffee morning with stalls selling crafts, cakes, and books, as well as place for people to sit for a cup of tea or coffee, a mince pie, and a chat.
St Helens Festive Bell Ring
In the centre aisle hand bell ringers were playing.
St Helens Festive Bell Ring
Upstairs in the Bell Tower, Whites of Appleton, the bell hanging firm, were fitting out the bell ringers’ room with new chests for storage and seating.

For this alteration notices have been displayed outside the church for some weeks – saying an application for a faculty from the diocese had been requested. That is church-speak for planning permission.
St Helens Festive Bell Ring
The great bells were silent – Whites of Appleton installed them about five years ago and they look and – when played – sound splendid.
St Helens Festive Bell Ring
And right above all that the view from the top of the bell tower shows the new development at the Old Gaol.
St Helens Festive Bell Ring
… and the County Hall with scaffolding removed and with flag flying. One wonders what will be the big change in five years time.

Free Food and Drink Showcase and a very well known celebrity

Today’s event on the Market Place – organised by Abingdon-On-Thames Chamber of Commerce – was a repeat of a very popular one from last last year – which I missed then but made sure to get to this time round because there was lots of  free food on offer.

That included …
Food and Drink Showcase
… Tapas from the Lounge Cafe on Bath Street. They are still doing Tapas on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the colder months.
Food and Drink Showcase
… Dough balls and wine from Pizza Express.
Food and Drink Showcase
… Curry from Tiffins on Bath Street …
Food and Drink Showcase
… and Burgers and Chilli Con Carne from Skillets at the Crown and Thistle.
Food and Drink Showcase
There will also be a special act appearing at the Crown and Thistle on New Year’s Eve – doing some very well known songs.

The fallen leaves

Fallen Leaves
Yesterday, in the Abbey Gardens, I saw the men with leaf blowers, and the machine with the leaf blowing attachment, blowing all the leaves into a trail that could be gathered up.
Fallen Leaves
It seems almost like a harvest but there is really no end result –  leaves are composted and cannot really be called a harvest. They need clearing away.
Fallen Leaves
When I was young we raked up leaves to burn on the November 5th Bonfire and that marked for me an important turning point of the year.

Morris Men and Maypole dancers welcome in the spring but are absent at this time of year.

Instead we remember Guy Fawkes with fireworks and have Remembrance Day parades. Such ceremonies fit in better with the fallen leaves. The fallen leaves do bring with them a sense of loss.