Jackie Smith Granted Freedom of the Town

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A rare event took place today as Jackie Smith was granted the Freedom of the Town of Abingdon-on-Thames – the highest honour the Town Council can bestow. She was recognised as “a person of distinction who has rendered eminent service to the people of the town.” The Freedom badge was presented by the Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Rawda Jehanli, at a ceremony today (27th September 2025) in the Roysse Room.

The Council voted unanimously to confer the honour. In his speech proposing the award, the Leader of the Town Council, Cllr Jim Halliday, praised Jackie for caring for the town archives “with professionalism, love and care.” Jackie said afterwards that she was “overcome with emotion” and had never imagined receiving such an honour.

Jackie has served as Honorary Archivist for Abingdon Town Council since 1993. For more than 30 years she has been there every week to answer questions from councillors, residents and researchers from beyond the town. She supports events such as the annual John Mason Charter Day and Heritage Open Day, undertakes specialist tasks including the Albert Park Conservation Area Appraisal, has written numerous articles for the Abingdon Herald, and prepares background briefs for councillors and local organisations. In 2008 Jackie also became archivist for Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon.
The last Freedom ceremony was held in 2019. In the photograph above, Jackie is pictured with the three women who became Honorary Freewomen in 2019: Marilyn Badcock, Julie Mayhew-Archer and Lesley Legge.
Jackie has also written books about Abingdon and is the archivist of the Abingdon Area Archaeology and History Society and is seen here with Roger Thomas and Elizabeth Drury, fellow historians from the society.

Since the honour was first conferred on John Morland in 1922, only 25 individuals and organisations have been granted the Honorary Freedom of Abingdon. (A full list is available on the Town Council’s website: abingdon.gov.uk/freedom-of-abingdon.)

Abingdon Next Week – Freedom of the Town, Litter Pick, Abbey-Con, Debates, Drama, Council, Cake Club and Poetry

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Jackie Smith, Abingdon’s Honorary Archivist, will be granted the Freedom of the Town of Abingdon-on-Thames at a special ceremony on Saturday 27 September (photo courtesy of the Town Crier).

Also on Saturday 27 September there’s a litter pick beside the River Thames. With the weir pathway now open, access for volunteers should be easier than at the previous event.

On Sunday 28 September Abingdon hosted Abbey-Con 25, a TV, film and pop-culture convention featuring celebrity guests, photo opportunities, trade stalls, props, costumes and interactive experiences.

On Tuesday 30 September Agnostics Anonymous will continue their discussions, this time exploring the question: “Why would a good God create through evolution with its violence and waste?”

Starting Wednesday 1 October, Abingdon Drama Club are staging a thriller at the Unicorn Theatre about a sociopathic student who persuades his weaker-minded friend to help murder an innocent fellow undergraduate.

Also on Wednesday 1 October, the Town Council meets in the Roysse Room. Alongside updates from County and District councillors, committee reports will be presented. The Finance Committee is recommending that the Council move its day-to-day current account banking away from NatWest.

The new Abingdon Cake Club for local baking enthusiasts meets next on Thursday 2 October. For details contact debbiegarrod21@gmail.com / 07939 260580.

On Thursday 2 October for National Poetry Day, four published poets living in or near Abingdon will read from their work at the library. There will also be poems by other local poets, followed by an open-mic session for anyone who would like to share a poem.

NatWest Bank Closes on Abingdon Market Place

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At midday on 24th September 2025, the NatWest branch on Abingdon Market Place closed its doors for the final time. It is one of 55 NatWest Branches closing in 2025.

The closure also ends the personal contact many customers valued with familiar faces of staff. Staff have either been redeployed to Oxford, taken redundancy, or accepted early retirement.

The closure also means the loss of the branch’s ATMs. The indoor machine was unusual in allowing withdrawals of just £5, and the external one was popular with drivers for its easy access. The branch’s cash machine allowed cash deposits. Local businesses and people will now need to bag their change and take it to the Post Office.

Soon after the doors shut, a van arrived and took down the NatWest signage, removed the external ATM and sealed the nightsafe.

The building is not listed and has mostly been a bank with offices upstairs since it was first built in 1885-6. It replaced an earlier London and County Bank building.

Overnight Resurfacing on Drayton Road

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Resurfacing work is taking place on Drayton Road this week, with Oxfordshire County Council closing the road between Saxton Road and Preston Road from 22–29 September, 8 pm to 6 am each night.

On the night of 23 September, crews were planing off and resurfacing the stretch between Morland Gardens and Preston Road. The road planers with a fleet of muckaway lorries worked in sequence to remove the old surface and then fresh tarmac was laid and compacted by rollers.

During the closure, buses and other traffic have been finding alternative routes. I saw the X2 trying to make its way along Saxton Road to get round the closure.

The Drayton Road is the main route into Abingdon from the south and is cracked along this section.