This window showing St Helen is to be found in St Helens Church. All I know about St Helen was that she was the mother of the Emperer Constantine, the first Christian Emperer, and that she is reputed to have found the Holy Cross on a visit to the Holy Land on 14 September 326. Such a claim is difficult to verify, but I’m the trusting sort.

Much of old Abingdon now has her name. The house jutting out to the left in East St Helens Street is called Helensbourne. It is a 16th Century timber-framed house. Behind it you can see the tower of St Helens Church.

The tower and some of the outer walls date from the 13th Century. The Steeple itself is far more recent. It had to be rebuilt in 1886, but steeples do tend to be a bit more flimsey than towers.

St Helens Church was the town church as opposed to the Abbey’s. And within its walls met two Medieaval Guilds. One Guild called ‘The Fraternity of the Holy Cross’ is closely linked to St Helen because of the ‘Holy Cross’. The Fraternity met in that upper room which served them as an Exchequer or counting house. They must have brought in a lot of money because they built Abingdon Bridge, the causeway and an aisle or two in the church.

The entrance to the exchequer was from inside the church. The interior has changed many times but in the last year or so the alter table has been brought out into the middle of the congregation. Instead of everybody facing the front, there is now a sense of community at the communion table. I hope St Helen would approve.

There has been Bingo at the Preston Road Community Centre for some time. The main hall is usually full with people from about 8 on Tuesday.

However other places in South Abingdon want a piece of the Bingo action. Both Schools in the area (Caldecott and Thameside) now run bingo evenings, and lately there is a new bingo venue at the Saxton Rovers football club.

‘And Bingo’ is an Anagram of Abingdon.

The Reynolds Way Supermarket is run by Reggie. It is open

Monday-Saturday 06:30 A.M-09:00 P.M
Sunday          07:00 A.M-09:00 P.M

Alongside that is the Tandoori Restaurant which I have not seen open to ask the times.

Alongside that, there used to be a hairdresser. I would guess that there is a still a thriving local service but it is more house to house. There are lots of beauty therapists and hairdressers living in South Abingdon.

Next with the red banner is Taylor’s Racing Service where you can go in and place a bet.

Next to the betting shop is Martins Newsagents with a Post Office inside. Then lastly but not leastly is the Tung Sun Chinese Take Away.

The Mighty Fair Roared Last Week but, a gentler music played.
As children came to the Runaway Fair on the Market Place.
And when the children all went home, it wasn’t very late.
(Rides were loaded back on trucks at barely half past eight.)