The Michaelmas fair takes place each year in October and is reputed to be the longest street fair in Europe.

By law, the Michaelmas fair must take place annually on the Monday and Tuesday falling first before the 11 October in the centre of Abingdon-on-Thames, covering Ock Street, High Street and the Market Place.

The fair began as a way to hire labour in the period after the Black Death in 1348, when the population fell by upwards of 40%, giving workers more power to seek work elsewhere. Skilled workers would carry the tools of their trade over their shoulder, while unskilled workers would carry a mop instead, which is why the fair is sometimes known as the ‘mop fair’.

Credit: www.abingdon.gov.uk/town-council/town-council-services/fairs

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