Author Archives: Back Streeter

What’s On in and around Abingdon – November 2026

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Thursday 5 November – Gilmore & Roberts, 7pm
Award-winning folk duo Gilmore & Roberts bring contemporary folk, acoustic music and trademark harmonies to Music at the Unicorn, St Helen’s Church. Support from Rob Clamp.

Saturday 7 November – 2nd Abingdon Scouts Fireworks, 6pm
Family fireworks evening at Long Furlong Community Centre, with BBQ, hot drinks and a spectacular display from around 7.30–7.45pm. Advance tickets £7, or £24 for four. Under-threes free.

Saturday 7 November 2026 at 7.30 pm ADMS’s 80th anniversary. Borodin – Polovtsian Dances. Franck – Symphony in D minor. Shostakovich – Festive Overture. Elgar – The Music Makers

Sunday 8 November – Remembrance Sunday, 10am Remembrance service at St Helen’s Church, Abingdon, followed by a parade to the War Memorial for the service at 10:50am and the two-minute silence at 11am.

Thursday 12 November – Meet romance novelist Linda Corbett, 6pm–7pm
Local author Linda Corbett talks about her writing career, published novels and inspirations at Abingdon Library. Includes a reading, advice for aspiring writers, Q&A and book signing. Tickets £2, including a welcome drink.

Saturday 14 November – Abingdon Funfair & Fireworks, 1pm – 10 pm
Abingdon Airfield hosts a huge fairground, rides, food stalls and a 270-degree fireworks, light and laser spectacular. Includes an earlier family fireworks show. Advance booking essential; parking must be pre-booked.

Saturday 14 November – St Michael’s Christmas Fair, 10am–2pm
Christmas crafts, gift stalls, raffle and children’s activities at St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Park Road. Home-made cakes, plants, books, bric-a-brac and bacon rolls.  Proceeds support the church and Sobell House Hospice.

Tuesday 17 November – William the Conqueror: A Lucky King, 2.30pm
Historian and archaeologist Trevor Rowley explores William the Conqueror and his place in British history at Abingdon United Football Club. Organised by Abingdon & District National Trust Association. Visitors welcome; £4 donation.

Tuesday 17 November – The Ultracold Quantum World, 7.30pm
Professor Tim Softley explores whether chemical reactions can happen at temperatures close to absolute zero, and how scientists might control them. Organised by the ATOM Society at Abingdon United Football Club.

Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 November – The Importance of Being Earnest
Studio Theatre Club presents Oscar Wilde’s comedy at the Old Magistrates’ Court, Bridge Street. A satire of Victorian society. Tickets from studiotheatreclub.com.

Thursday 19 November – The People’s Emergency Briefing, 7.30pm
A 50-minute film at Christ Church Abingdon bringing together leading UK experts on the climate and nature crisis and its effects on everyday life. Followed by a discussion about what it means for the community.

Thursday 19 November – Æthelstan: The First King of Britain? 7.45pm
Professor Sarah Foot explores the life and significance of Æthelstan for Abingdon Area Archaeological and History Society at the Northcourt Centre. Visitors welcome; suggested donation £4.

Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 November – Abbey Group of Artists
The Abbey Group of artists presents paintings, prints, glass art, jewellery and handmade Christmas gifts at St Nicolas Church. Free entry. Open 10am–4pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am–5pm Saturday.

Wednesday 25 November – Archaeology and Wilding, 7.30pm
Anwen Cooper of Oxford Archaeology explores what archaeological evidence can tell us about prehistoric wildlife and how this knowledge might contribute to nature recovery today. At Christ Church Hall, Northcourt Road. Organised by Abingdon Naturalists Society. Visitors £3.

Saturday 28 November – Abingdon Extravaganza – The 2026 Extravaganza will be held from 10am in the town centre. There will be a day of music, dancing, Christmas market, donkeys, street foods, mini funfair, street entertainers etc..

Saturday 28 November – St Helen’s Christmas Market, 10am–3pm
Christmas market at St Helen’s Church with home produce, jewellery, pre-loved goods, books, gifts and a raffle. Bacon butties, cakes and drinks available. There may also be handbell ringing.

Proper meat, from a proper butcher

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Browns Traditional Butchers opened in Bath Street in July, with queues on its first day, as reported on this blog. Whenever I pass, there seem to be customers in the shop. We don’t eat much meat ourselves, so are not ideal customers, but the shop seems very friendly.

On Saturday, the Town Crier told me he had just had his photograph taken outside the shop for its social media pages. I took a similar picture for this blog.

I was interested to read on the Browns website that Mr Brown served his apprenticeship with Hedges, the traditional butchers who left Abingdon a couple of years ago. So although Browns is a new shop in the town, there is a link with Abingdon’s previous butchers.

The shop offers a traditional range of fresh meat, with cuts prepared to suit customers’ wishes. Customers can also order online for collection or local delivery.

It is an attractive looking shop, whether passing in the morning or late afternoon. I am sure most people in Abingdon are already familiar with the business, but for anyone who isn’t, here is the website: Browns Traditional Butchers

The website says: “Proper meat, from a proper butcher.”

Poppies and Murals and Remembrance Events

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On Saturday, members of the Royal British Legion were selling poppies on the Market Place as part of the Local Excellence Market. When I passed by, the Mayor of Ock Street, Harry Knight and Roger Fox, from the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, were manning the stall.

Local young artists have created a mural on the wall behind the Royal British Legion headquarters in Spring Road, Abingdon. The ‘Oxford Graffiti Crew’ could be behind this.

Inside the headquarters, Caroline Ritson was also painting a mural, to mark the forthcoming Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day commemorations.

Remembrance events in Abingdon

On Sunday 8th November, the main events will be:

10:00 am – Church Service: The official Remembrance service takes place at St Helen’s Church, East St Helen Street.

11:00 am – Act of Remembrance: Following the church service, a parade moves to the War Memorial for the wreath-laying ceremony and the two-minute silence at 11:00 am.

Other Church Services: Trinity Church on Conduit Road will also hold a commemorative service, joined by All Saints Church.

On Wednesday 11th November (Armistice Day), there will be another opportunity to observe the two-minute silence at 11:00 am at the War Memorial.

P.S. Having made various changes to the blog last week to bring the software up to date for security and for future ease of maintenance, I heard of one person getting a security warning. This was fixed by recreating a bookmark from https://www.abingdonblog.co.uk/.

Abbey Millstream Through the Year: October 2026

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October ended with a sunny day. The millstream trees had turned to yellows and red.

Fallen leaves added to the colour. It was near the end of half term. Children were in the wonderful Abbey Meadow Playpark. Lots of people were out walking.

This male Mallard among the autumn leaves is regaining his breeding colours after the summer molt.

The usual water birds (swans, mallard ducks and moorhen)

had been joined by black-headed gulls. They have mostly lost their dark summer heads for the winter. They sit lightly on the water, floating like paper boats.

Hawthorn berries are an important autumn food for wildlife. They often remain well into winter.

And as the sun went down the red sky in the west gave the Millstream a fiery glow.