Town Centre Dresses for World Book Day

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Masons, the craft and fabric shop, decorated their window three weeks ago with a mermaid rising from a sea of children’s books. They have animal character headbands on sale, and material out of which creative people could make favourite book characters.

At Oxfam, a dress made from the sewn pages of a book stands in the window, alongside a display of books.

World Book Day is celebrated on the first Thursday in March each year. World Book Day was set up in 1995 to encourage children to discover the pleasure of reading. The book shops will have books available for just £1.

Schools taking part in Book Day will have celebrations to promote a love for reading.

And beyond the animal headbands and mermaids, there are plenty of books waiting for grown-up readers too.

More Bus Shelters on Stratton Way

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A long line of bus shelters now stretches along Stratton Way. Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council has installed two new bus shelters to provide additional seating and shelter between the three already in place. The original three were installed twenty years ago when Stratton Way became two-way as part of ABITS (the Abingdon Integrated Transport Strategy), and the main bus waiting point moved to Stratton Way. The new shelters have been added to cater for the high number of passengers using the Oxford bound stops each day.

Plenty Afoot in Abingdon – Early March 2026

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The first of two Spring concerts by the Abingdon and District Music Society takes place on Saturday 7 March. The programme includes works by Wagner, Suk, and Saint-Saëns.

At the Abbey Cinema on 11 March (6.00–7.30 pm) there is a screening of Gentle Angry Women, followed by a Q&A with the director, Barbara Santi of Folklife Films. The film follows three teenage girls as they encounter the story of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp for the first time and begin to recognise parallels with their own activism today. Now a nature-rich common, Greenham was once a USAF base housing nuclear-armed Cruise missiles during the 1980s. Many Abingdon residents supported the protests that eventually led to their removal.

Model railway enthusiasts can visit an exhibition featuring over 40 model train layouts, along with traders’ and society stands. More than 4,000 visitors are expected over the two days, on 7 March (10.30 am–5.00 pm) and 8 March (10.30 am–4.30 pm).

The Abingdon Artists Spring Exhibition of recent work opens at St Helen’s Church from 9 March. There will be original work for sale both as part of the exhibition and in browsers. Cards are also available. Members will also be giving demonstrations. Entry is free.

Finally, it is too late for the latest production by the Studio Theatre Club.  ‘Better three hours too soon than a minute too late’ is a quote from their next Abingdon show which is in preparation. The Merry Wives of Windsor will run from 10–13 June, with a script read-through by the cast scheduled for Monday 9 March.

Saint David’s Day

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Saint David’s Day was celebrated today, 1 March. In Abingdon, Helen and Douglas House marked the day with a red-and-white display and daffodils.

At Trinity Church there were displays of daffodils outside the building, inside the building, and some people wore daffodils.

Three Welsh hymn tunes were sung (with English words). The story was told of Saint David’s last sermon. People had heard that he was dying and came from far and wide, expecting something momentous. Tradition says that Saint David had a surprisingly simple message:

Brothers and sisters,
be joyful.
Keep your faith and your creed.
And do the little things
that you have seen and heard me do.