Easter Shop Windows in Abingdon

Several Abingdon shop windows have bright Easter displays.

Helen and Douglas House is crammed with plush toys — rabbits, chicks, and ducks peeking out from every shelf — alongside “Happy Easter” signs and a few carrots and eggs.

Breckon & Breckon features entries to an Easter colouring competition. This is just a small sample of all the carefully coloured springtime scene with bunnies, eggs, and butterflies.

In the window of the Book Store, Peter Rabbit and his mother hold some eggs. There is also a nest with some speckled eggs.

The most featured decoration in Abingdon’s Easter shop windows in 2025 appears to be rabbits.

Good Friday in Abingdon

In Abingdon today, congregations from the town’s different churches began Good Friday in their own buildings before coming together for a united walk of witness. The procession moved solemnly down Bury Street, led by a man carrying a cross.

The Market Place was already busy with a Farmers’ Market.

So instead of gathering in the Market Place, the crowd assembled in nearby Roysse Court, where the Salvation Army band played hymns.

There were prayers, hymns, and reflections shared by speakers from various churches.

The Salvation Army speaker emphasized that the cross represents a message of love and forgiveness, uniting the churches in their shared faith.

The Old Bridge over the Stert

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John sent in this fascinating photo of the old bridge over the River Stert — a hidden route that links Clifton Drive to Boxhill Park through a gap in the hedge. He tells me he used the bridge many times but has no idea of its history. Perhaps someone reading this does?

One particularly curious detail: the large tree you can see in the picture isn’t just next to the bridge — it’s actually growing out of it. John describes it as quite extraordinary. And I agree.

There’s been some tree work nearby recently, with a number of trees felled along the riverbank, but the bridge itself appears neglected. John wonders why there’s no visible effort to preserve it. It’s not just a practical footpath, but a part of Abingdon’s history being slowly reclaimed by nature.

I know the Town Council manages Boxhill Wood, but I’m not sure who’s responsible for the bridge or this stretch of the Stert. If anyone has more information — perhaps about the bridge’s age, who maintains it, or what its original purpose might have been — John and I would love to hear from you.

The Easter Garden at St Helen’s Church

The Easter Garden, in the West Porch of St Helen’s Church, first happened during the pandemic. With church services suspended and indoor gatherings restricted, the garden provided a symbol of hope for passers-by.

Now an annual tradition, it will be on display throughout this Holy Week, from 11am to 3pm. With Easter falling late in 2025, finding spring flowers was a challenge.

The garden features three simple wooden crosses representing the scene of Calvary, with a stone symbolising the tomb. On Easter Sunday, the stone will be removed, and a small tealight will be placed inside the tomb to signify the resurrection.

The display is filled with moss, greenery, and a variety of flowers. Pansies in shades of purple and yellow, pale blue forget-me-nots, along with small white blossoms, came from the garden of Sue, the creator. Despite the Monday Market shifting to summer bedding plants, Sue found pots of Calibrachoa; their tiny purple and white flowers trail at the front. She also found pots of late daffodils, and hopes they’ll last until Easter Sunday.