Quakers around the world are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the birth of their faith’s founder, George Fox. In Abingdon, the local Quaker meeting is marking this milestone with a special meeting at St Ethelwold’s House. Visitors are invited to experience firsthand the quiet, contemplative nature of a Quaker meeting and enjoy a celebratory cake in honour of Fox’s birthday.

Enjoy two exciting classical music concerts this autumn at St Michael’s Church in Abingdon!

Concert 1 (Oct 6): Renowned pianist Huw Rhys James returns with a program featuring works by Haydn, Chopin, and Brahms.
Concert 2 (Oct 20): Local Pavlova Winds performs music by Holst and Hindemith.
Tickets are £12 for adults and £10 for concessions, with free entry for accompanied children under 16. Purchase tickets at the door or online:

Huw Rhys James piano recital: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/DTWR
Pavlova Winds concert: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/DTWT

Proceeds will support the church.

Abingdon’s historic Michaelmas Fair transforms the town centre and Ock Street from Sunday to Tuesday. It has already transformed the meadow by the Ock Bridge as some rides and caravans got here early.

Peter Foster leads a group of eight singers on a musical journey through the history of St. Helen’s Church. Moving through the five aisles, the singers will perform a diverse repertoire reflecting the different eras of the building, from Saxon to Victorian.

Proceeds from this event will be shared between St. Helen’s Church and Helen and Douglas House.

Despite morning showers, the Air and Country Show was sunny from around 2:30 PM. The event was less crowded than usual.
From RAF Brize Norton the Boeing C17 A Globemaster flew over the show and then came into land. There was a long queue all day of people waiting to board the plane.

The sight of a Hawker Hurricane Mk1 flying above was made more striking by a replica on the ground.

The Redline Home Guard, representing the BRX1 (Abingdon) Battalion, had an area showing weapons and a field office, and they gave a display of marching.

Chewbacca and Stormtroopers were posing for photos with countless stallholders and attendees alike.

Attendees could sit in the restored cockpit of a Buccaneer.

Mr. Punch’s insulting names for Judy, Rudy Doodie, and the Policeman, copper, always backfired. The audience enjoyed watching him get caught and scolded. Mr Punch also tried his hand at parenting, but his unawareness of a lurking green crocodile, he’s behind you, caused consternation and laughter.

This is just a brief sample of what was on offer. Congratulations to the team for putting the event together at shortish notice after the May event was cancelled.

Looking for something to do in Abingdon this Saturday? It’s Heritage Weekend! Check out the leaflets at the information stall on the Market Place for a full schedule of events. And if you have done Heritage Weekend lots of times then there are some new things:

* Relive the iron age in the Abbey Buildings.
* Join the Abingdon Artists competition to paint or draw Abingdon and visit St Nic’s Church on Saturday afternoon to see the results.
* Kimber House – MG Car Club Museum – will be open,
* The Old Ticket Office, Culham, will be open,
* The Roysse Room has an exhibition called Connected Abingdon.

* At Unit 24, Bury Street, some enthusiasts were setting up a model of the Abingdon Branch Line and that will be open over the weekend.

The theme in 2024 is “Routes, Networks, Connections. “

See https://www.abingdonheritage.org.uk/ for a fuller programme.

Over the last three or four years, Heritage Weekend has not clashed with Ride and Stride but this Saturday it does. For all those ride and striders, or people sitting in or outside churches to welcome ride and striders, there should still be time for Heritage visits.

The Abibinit! riverside litter pick is also happening.

This second Saturday of September could get very busy. Probably best not to try and do everything or you’ll burn a hole in the calendar.

With summer holidays behind us, Abingdon comes alive with a weekend of events. There is the annual Fun & Music in the Park organised by Abingdon Town Council.

The Abingdon Horticultural Society have their Autumn Show – a chance to admire displays of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and crafts.

The Abingdon Healthfest 2024 is a free event (Saturday, 7th September, 10 AM – 2 PM, Abingdon Market Place). It offers a chance to connect with nineteen local organizations promoting health and well-being. See https://healthyabingdon.org.uk/healthfest2024.htm.