Abingdon Mourns Former Mayor Margaret Crick

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The town flag is flying at half-mast above the County Hall following the death of former Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Margaret Crick, who passed away on Friday, 10th July 2026. Her health had not been good recently, but her passing was a shock to her council colleagues and friends.

Margaret was first elected to Abingdon Town Council in 2007, representing Caldecott Ward. She later represented Dunmore Ward, serving as a Town Councillor and also as a District Councillor. She was Mayor of Abingdon in 2018–19 before going on to become Chair of the Vale of White Horse District Council, a position she held for four consecutive years from 2019 to 2023.

Before entering local government, Margaret was a teacher, working both in England and in the Bahamas. Young people were always important to Margaret, and during her year as Mayor her chosen charities were Abingdon Carousel and Be Free Young Carers.

Margaret was a hard-working and dedicated councillor who gave a great deal of time to serving Abingdon. Much of what she did was away from the headlines, quietly supporting residents, community groups, and local causes. She brought the calm authority and organisation of a teacher to council meetings, while also being known for her warmth, humour, and willingness to ask thoughtful questions.

Away from public life, Margaret was a keen gardener, a member of Abingdon Horticultural Society, and a talented craftswoman. Behind the scenes she donated handmade jewellery to help raise money for community events.

Margaret leaves two sons, David and Michael, who served as Mayor’s escorts during her year as Mayor.

New Café and Pet Store Move

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This blog post is a little overdue, as the changes took place back in June, but if you haven’t visited Coxeter’s Yard recently, there are a couple of businesses have found new homes.

The former pet store premises, on the Stratton Way side of Coxeter’s Yard, is now occupied by a new café.

Meanwhile, the pet store hasn’t gone far and has a huge sign. It has moved further into Coxeter’s Yard, next to Behind Bars, the bicycle shop, close to the car park.

Mr Hemmings Day of Dance – 2026

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The annual Mr Hemmings Day of Dance took place in Abingdon today, hosted by Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, who take their name from the former Abingdon dancer, Tom Hemmings.

It was another hot day, so some of the dancing took place in the shade of the Abbey Gateway and beneath the County Hall, where a cooling breeze blew through. Four dance sides took part.

Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, led by Les Badcock, hosted the event.

One of the visiting teams was Ashnah Tribal Dancers, from Abingdon, with their colourful,  percussive performances .

Also visiting were Summertown Morris, seen in this video dancing Valentine. I liked the tune so much when they performed it at the Mayor of Ock Street in June in Abingdon that I recorded most of the dance.

Adderbury Village Morris came with two hobby horses. Adderbury like Abingdon has two traditional morris dancing sides.

There was audience participant on the Market Place. A bride-to-be, in running shoes, was chosen to stand at the centre of the dance  Maid of the Mill. She had just completed the 5 km park run with family and friends, all dressed in wedding costumes.

With temperatures remaining high throughout the day, the Lighthouse Church were handing out free chilled water to help people stay hydrated.

The other major event in town was the opening of Browns Butchers. There was a queue stretching outside on the occasions I walked past. There may have been an opening-day offer that everyone knew about, or perhaps people were just keen to use the new traditional butcher’s shop in Abingdon town centre.

Roger Thomas Launches New Book on Abingdon’s Long History

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There was a good turnout at St Helen’s Church, Abingdon,

where archaeologist Roger Thomas gave a talk to mark the launch of his new book, England’s Oldest Town? The Archaeology of Abingdon,

before signing copies for attendees.

The book explores the archaeological discoveries that support Abingdon’s claim to be England’s oldest continuously inhabited town. It is now available from local bookshops and the Abingdon Museum.

Archaeological excavations beneath the town centre uncovered an Iron Age settlement dating back to around 300 BC, including round houses, storage pits and evidence of craft working. Together with evidence of continuous occupation through the Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, these discoveries form the basis of Abingdon’s claim to be England’s oldest continuously inhabited town.

(Thankyou to Elizabeth for the pictures)