St George’s Flag above County Hall in Abingdon

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The cross of St George has been flying above Abingdon County Hall Museum over the past two days, marking St George’s Day (23rd April) and its place in the civic year.

The flag itself, a simple red cross on a white background, carries centuries of tradition. The St George’s flag originated in the Middle Ages and became associated with Saint George, a soldier-saint venerated across Europe. English soldiers began using the red cross as a distinguishing emblem during the Crusades, and by the 13th century it had become a national symbol .

Abingdon has a practice of marking particular days by changing the flag on the Hall, and St George’s Day is one occasion when the St George flag is raised. It will probably appear again during the world cup which starts for England on June 17th when England play Croatia in Dallas.

Morrisons Daily Opens at Peachcroft After 11-Day Turnaround

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The new Morrisons Daily at Peachcroft Shopping Centre opened its doors this morning (Thursday, 23 April 2026), following a quick turnaround. The previous Budgens store closed 11 days ago.

The change is immediately visible. New Morrisons Daily signage has been installed — with some final touches still being completed after an inspection — and an arc of green and yellow balloons marks the reopening.

Inside, the overall layout, flooring and shelving appear largely unchanged. However, staff are now in Morrisons-branded uniforms, and the store is now stocked with a range of Morrisons own-label products, giving new choice for Abingdon shoppers.

Doors Open at M&S Foodhall at Fairacres Abingdon

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The wait is over. The Marks & Spencer Foodhall at Fairacres Retail Park opened its doors this morning (Wednesday, 22 April 2026), marking the arrival of the long-anticipated addition to Abingdon’s shopping scene.

Shortly before 8am, staff gathered at the entrance behind a branded ribbon, watched over by a larger-than-life Colin the Caterpillar.

After a brief countdown, the ribbon was cut and the team took up their positions, ready to welcome the first customers.

An orderly queue had already formed ahead of opening time, with early shoppers keen to be among the first inside.

Inside, the new store was spacious and bright. Customers were greeted at the entrance by a display of orchids alongside fresh fruit and vegetables and bright signs indicating the different product zones.

To mark the occasion, shoppers were given Fairacres Abingdon tote bags featuring Percy Pig, who was on hand to greet customers. Staff were distributing leaflets about the Sparks loyalty scheme, which launched earlier this month.

The final photo captures some familiar Abingdon faces enjoying the opening – a moment in the town’s history.

Abingdon East St Helen Street Active Travel Scheme: What the Consultation Revealed

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Oxfordshire County Council has published the results of its informal consultation on plans to improve walking, wheeling and cycling through Abingdon town centre.

The overall picture is one of broad support. However, residents of East St Helen Street – who made up around 6% of respondents strongly opposed some measures.

The full results can be viewed at https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/43234/widgets/147176/documents/103518

The consultation, held between 30 September and 28 October 2025, focused on a £1.47 million scheme funded through the Government’s Active Travel Fund. It would upgrade the National Cycle Network Route 5 (NCN5) as it passes through the town centre.

Proposals included:
* New pedestrian and cycle crossings at the Bridge Street / High Street junction
* A contraflow cycle lane on East St Helen Street
* Planting on East St Helen Street
* New informal crossings on both East and West St Helen Streets
* Early-stage ideas for a future contraflow on West St Helen Street (not yet funded)

Around 345 people completed the survey and more than 220 attending drop-in events at Abingdon Guildhall.

Support for individual elements varied.
Improved crossings at the Bridge Street / High Street junction were supported (strongly or partly) by 81% overall, and 50% of East St Helen Street residents.
The East St Helen Street contraflow was supported by 70% overall, but only 15% of East St Helen Street residents.
New planting in East St Helen Street was backed by 67% overall, but just 5% of residents on East St Helen Street residents.

Respondents with disabilities generally supported the proposals.

55% of respondents said the changes would make them more likely to walk, wheel or cycle in the area – an aim of the scheme.

Despite this overall support, several concerns were repeatedly raised.

Road width and safety
Many questioned whether East St Helen Street is too narrow to accommodate contraflow cycling alongside parked cars, pedestrians and delivery vehicles. Heavy goods vehicles serving local businesses were mentioned.

Parking pressure
Residents, particularly on East St Helen Street, were concerned about the loss of already limited parking spaces.

Heritage and character
There was worry about the visual impact of road markings, signage and materials on one of Abingdon’s most historic streets.

Crossing locations
Some respondents felt the proposed crossing points may not align with how people actually move through the area.

The consultation suggests that many people see benefits in safer crossings and a more connected cycling route through the town. At the same time, there are challenges in introducing these changes on a narrow, historic street.

Council officers are now reviewing the feedback to decide whether changes are needed before the scheme progresses.

As a reminder of current conditions, there was an incident on East St Helen Street today involving a car manoeuvring to park and another passing vehicle that hit the car and shunted it into other parked cars.