Upcoming events

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Abingdon & District Musical Society (ADMS) will hold a choral & orchestral concert at 7:30pm on Saturday 18th November 2023 in St Helen’s Church, West St Helen St., Abingdon OX14 5BS.

The programme of the concert will be as follows:
Brahms – Song of Destiny
Bruckner – Te Deum
Dvorak – Symphony no. 8, in G major

The annual Christmas Fair at St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Park Road, Abingdon is on Saturday 11th November 2023 from 10am – 2pm. This is their biggest fundraising event of the year with proceeds to St Michael’s Church and the Archway Foundation.

Other events include:

Friday 17 & Saturday 18 November, Art & Crafts Exhibition & Sale, St Nicolas Church, 10am-5pm daily.

Saturday 18 November, Church Twinning Event: French Bourrée Dance Workshop & Bourrée Dancing with Argentan Ceilidh Band Natalan, followed by Barn Dance. From 5.30pm at Trinity Church Hall. Tickets £10, children free includes a Buffet Supper.

Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair – 2023

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The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair was held from Friday to Sunday at the picturesque medieval Abbey Buildings in Abingdon. The fair featured 68 stalls showcasing a wide array of handcrafted items by skilled artisans. The stalls were spread across the Abbey Buildings. There was a small area for refreshments, but food stalls no longer feature at the Fair.

The event was organised by the Abingdon Partnership group, which also manages the local excellence markets and the annual extravaganza. This year, the organisers introduced a new initiative to encourage advanced online bookings to better manage the flow of visitors.

From the ceramics of Emma Baldwin, who used to teach at Abingdon College, to marquetry pieces by Gabriella Blakey and wooden block prints by Art of Jaipur.

The fair provided an opportunity to talk with local artists and appreciate their work. There were more jewellery stalls than any other single artform, but lots of artwork, textiles, ceramics, candles, glasswork, photography, woodturning etc.. There were also demonstrations of pottery and weaving in the crypt.

Proceeds from the event’s entrance fees and stall rentals contribute to the upkeep of the medieval Abbey Buildings. The fair has done that since the 1970s and has been managed by different people and organisations over the years. The current organisers put a premium on craftworkers who are small producers with original quality designs.

Lighting the sky with Abingdon Fireworks

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The 2nd Abingdon Scouts put on a spectacular fireworks display this evening behind Long Furlong Community Centre. It was a chance to enjoy some loud bangs, see some bright flashes and support a local Scout group. The 2nd Abingdon Scouts have over 100 young people in their activity programmes.

The ground was wet after the previous rain, but the weather was fine this evening. There was a good view of Orion overhead, with its nebula, before the fireworks created their own nebulas.

Most of the audience were young families, but there were a few of us trying to recapture the wonder of the fireworks of youth. The smell of gunpowder is even more evocative than the bangs and flashes.

The audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the fireworks display. There were cheers and gasps during the display and, at the end of the show, an ovation.

Wood Carving for experts and beginners

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The Oxford & District Woodcarvers is a club for woodcarvers of all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced. The club has been running for 18 years and was founded by Brian Eastoe. Since Brian’s retirement, Jeff Wheeler has taken over as tutor.

This week, the club has exhibited and demonstrated wood carving in Unit 24, Bury Street, Abingdon, and has stimulated interest in the very ancient art and craft of wood carving. Wood carving demands both artistic and manual skills. One of the members was telling me that it is a collaborative process between the carver and the wood to reveal what is hidden inside.

The club meets on Thursday evenings between 7.00 and 9.00 pm during term time at John Mason School, Abingdon.