Mr Hemmings Day of Dance – 2026

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The annual Mr Hemmings Day of Dance took place in Abingdon today, hosted by Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, who take their name from the former Abingdon dancer, Tom Hemmings.

It was another hot day, so some of the dancing took place in the shade of the Abbey Gateway and beneath the County Hall, where a cooling breeze blew through. Four dance sides took part.

Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, led by Les Badcock, hosted the event.

One of the visiting teams was Ashnah Tribal Dancers, from Abingdon, with their colourful,  percussive performances .

Also visiting were Summertown Morris, seen in this video dancing Valentine. I liked the tune so much when they performed it at the Mayor of Ock Street in June in Abingdon that I recorded most of the dance.

Adderbury Village Morris came with two hobby horses. Adderbury like Abingdon has two traditional morris dancing sides.

There was audience participant on the Market Place. A bride-to-be, in running shoes, was chosen to stand at the centre of the dance  Maid of the Mill. She had just completed the 5 km park run with family and friends, all dressed in wedding costumes.

With temperatures remaining high throughout the day, the Lighthouse Church were handing out free chilled water to help people stay hydrated.

The other major event in town was the opening of Browns Butchers. There was a queue stretching outside on the occasions I walked past. There may have been an opening-day offer that everyone knew about, or perhaps people were just keen to use the new traditional butcher’s shop in Abingdon town centre.

Roger Thomas Launches New Book on Abingdon’s Long History

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There was a good turnout at St Helen’s Church, Abingdon,

where archaeologist Roger Thomas gave a talk to mark the launch of his new book, England’s Oldest Town? The Archaeology of Abingdon,

before signing copies for attendees.

The book explores the archaeological discoveries that support Abingdon’s claim to be England’s oldest continuously inhabited town. It is now available from local bookshops and the Abingdon Museum.

Archaeological excavations beneath the town centre uncovered an Iron Age settlement dating back to around 300 BC, including round houses, storage pits and evidence of craft working. Together with evidence of continuous occupation through the Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, these discoveries form the basis of Abingdon’s claim to be England’s oldest continuously inhabited town.

(Thankyou to Elizabeth for the pictures)

Traffic Update: Progress at Peachcroft Roundabout and Lodge Hill

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There has been progress at the works at the Peachcroft roundabout being carried out by the house developers. The temporary four-way traffic lights have now been removed, with construction on the new sewer continuing away from the carriageway. As a result, traffic is flowing well through the junction.

There are still traffic lights on the A34 interchange upgrade works at Lodge Hill as the work moves steadily forward.

Oxford Road was closed on Tuesday night to allow contractors to create a new road level on the approach from the Lodge Hill interchange towards Boars Hill, ensuring a smooth connection with the newly constructed section.

Traffic is now able to circulate all the way around the new roundabout, which will eventually link the northbound slip road towards Oxford with the southbound slip road from Newbury.

The northbound slip road to Oxford has reopened after being closed for the past four weeks. During that time it was rebuilt and resurfaced to modern standards.

Work has now moved to the opposite side of the junction. The slip road from Oxford is closed for the next four weeks while it undergoes the same reconstruction and resurfacing work.

Work continues on the new south bound slips roads.

Petunias keep Abingdon looking colourful

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We are into another hot spell, and all the petunias planted by the Town Council staff in the beds and hanging baskets around the town centre are looking colourul.

I saw a flatbed truck full of plants going up West St Helen Street last week, and now that they have been planted they need regular watering to help them establish during the dry weather.

There is also the ongoing work of weeding and dead heading to keep the displays looking their best.

Petunias are a favourite choice for town centre and park displays because they flower continuously from early summer until the first frosts.