The Abingdon Heritage Open Day stall had a floral H created by the Abingdon Flower Club. People were drawn to it like bees, eager to sign up for the walks and hikes in the morning.

The weather worsened in the afternoon, and the afternoon walks started with heavy rain.

That couldn’t put off the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, who performed with their hankies under the County Hall Museum, where the flower club had put sunflowers.

Abingdon’s Heritage Open Weekend is a free event, organised by volunteers to celebrate the town’s rich heritage.

The Abingdon Missal exhibition in the Abbey Buildings is a unique opportunity to see high-quality reproductions of some of the most exquisite artwork from the Abingdon Missal, a 15th-century manuscript from Abingdon Abbey held by the Bodleian Library.

Modern-day Abingdon creative people gave talks at the Guildhall, including science fiction writer Ben Jeapes, who spoke about how he plotted his book H.M.S. Barabbas.

Members of Abingdon Artists held an exhibition of pictures of Abingdon in St Ethelwold’s Garden Room. Some of the pictures were created during the group’s Friday quick draw sessions, where they find a location in the centre of Abingdon and all draw quickly.

Meanwhile, sketchbooks open and paint brushes in hand, artists captured the beauty of the garden.

Visitors were struck by the number of windows in East St Helen Street displaying the work of Abingdon’s creative people. The displays ranged from historic to contemporary, and offered a glimpse into the rich and diverse artistic heritage of the town.

Oswald Couldrey was a talented artist and writer who lived in Abingdon in the early 1900s. At the Abingdon County Hall Museum, visitors can view a display of Couldrey’s artwork in the museum attic. In the Guildhall, there is an exhibition of research from Lauren Gale’s upcoming book about Couldrey. Finally, the house where Couldrey lived, has a display of his artwork.
At St Helen’s Church, a guide led visitors around the building, explaining its history and significance. Here, the guide is talking about the monument to John Roysse, who refounded Abingdon School in 1563.

There was also a talk about the history of the St Helen’s organ with examples of music.

Lots more was happening, and there are walks tomorrow (Sunday) and some exhibitions continue. Check the website https://abingdonheritage.org.uk/ for details.

It has been another excellent Abingdon Heritage Open Saturday, thanks to Hester and her team.

Abingdon Heritage Weekend is back for 2023 from 16th – 17th September, with a focus on Creativity Unwrapped. Over the weekend, there will be a wide range of events taking place, from open properties and historical walks and talks to exhibitions and workshops.

Creativity Unwrapped in East St Helen Street This street has been home to many creative people over the years, and this year their work will be celebrated in a series of window displays. For example, Dorothea Pickering, who opened up St Ethelwold’s House for the community, was also an artist.

Community Shop The Abingdon Artists have created a series of facsimiles of historic Abingdon buildings, which can be seen in the former premises of Samuels the jeweller. There will also be an exhibition about Abingdon artists, musicians, and other creative people.

Other highlights include:
* 70 Years of Drama at the Unicorn Theatre
* Talks by four current day Abingdon creators at the Guildhall
* Two different exhibitions of Oswald Couldrey’s art, and one of Sampson Strong’s work
* The Abingdon Missal exhibition at the Abbey Buildings

This is just a small selection of the events taking place at the Abingdon Heritage Weekend. For more information, pick up a leaflet at the information stall on the Market Place at the weekend, or visit the website: https://abingdonheritage.org.uk/.