There are a variety of events as we move towards the second half of October. I’ll begin with 3 events where people emailed me details.

Abingdon Swingtime, an 18-piece big band featuring vocalists, will be playing classic big band tunes from the Glenn Miller, Count Basie and Duke Ellington era. The band played at last year’s Poppy Ball.

Eddy Smythe will tell the story of his father, John Smythe, who came to the UK from Sierra Leone to join the RAF during the Second World War. He became an officer but was shot down over Germany during a bombing raid and spent 18 months in a prisoner-of-war camp. After liberation, he was seconded to the Colonial Office, where he played a crucial role in the beginnings of the Windrush Generation. He later trained as a barrister and became Attorney General of his home country.

Mental health charity Restore is running a free 10-week series of crafting and mental health and wellbeing sessions, starting on 20 October. The sessions are intended to reach and support people in the Caldecott area.

Then there are those posters and banners I’ve seen advertised around town. Make Music Abingdon have another music event at the Loose Cannon Taproom on 15th October.

The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair cannot be in the Abbey Buildings this year and so instead from the 23rd to 25th October they will be at St Helen and St Katherine School. See https://www.abingdoncraftfair.org.uk/.

The Abingdon Drama Club are also displaced while the Abbey Building’s work is underway. And their Play 1984 will be in Sutton Courtney Parish Church. The author of 1984, George Orwell, is buried in the church yard.

Abingdon Artist have their Autumn Exhibition at Christ Church Barn at the end of the month.

Abingdon Operatic Society will be staging the musical COME FROM AWAY at the end of the month. Come From Away tells the true story of 7,000 air passengers who were stranded in the wake of 9/11. Grounded in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, when US airspace closed.

The Salvation Army were holding a jumble sale this morning. Tables were full of low‑priced items, starting from 10p, with donated clothes, books, games, and a bric‑a‑brac stall. The A‑board outside let me know it was happening. I’d missed it on the blog’s ‘What’s On’ yesterday.

The window display at the Helen & Douglas House charity shop has a wedding theme, with brides dressed in white.

On the Market Place there was a visit from Guide Dogs, with two Labradors and a couple of gazebos offering merchandise and information. Collectors with tins were taking donations and handing out stickers.

Traffic moved in a slow queue through town from Bridge Street and West St Helen Street, and at St Helen’s Church Revd Dr AKMA and a man in a kilt with bagpipes were waiting for the bride to arrive. Her car eventually made it through the queue of vehicles, and the piper piped a welcome.

Here are some of the events and activities coming up in Abingdon over the next couple of weeks that I have noticed.

Saturday 3 October – Oxford Gospel Choir Concert – St Helen’s Church, 7.30pm

The Oxford Gospel Choir will be performing at St Helen’s Church in aid of Family of Hope, a school in Uganda for children with special educational needs. Tickets: £10, available at the door.

Saturday 3 October – Sewing Repair Cafe

Also taking place on Saturday 3 October is a sewing repair workshop at Unit 25, Bury Street. A chance to bring along those clothes and textiles and learn some repair skills rather than sending them to landfill.

Sunday 4 – Tuesday 6 October – Abingdon Michaelmas Fair

The Michaelmas Fair returns to Abingdon from Sunday 4 to Tuesday 6 October, bringing the usual fairground activity to the town centre and along Ock Street.

There will also be fair-related traffic restrictions from Sunday 4 to Wednesday 7 October, so motorists may want to allow extra time for journeys through the town.

The Fair Blessing Service will take place in the Market Place at 4pm on Sunday 4 October. (Sorry this was at 3:30pm)

Sunday 4 October – Animal Blessing Service – St Michael’s Church, 2pm

St Michael’s will hold an animal blessing service at 2pm on Sunday 4 October, celebrating St Francis’ Day and Animal Welfare Sunday. Well-behaved animals are welcome, provided they are on leads or in appropriate carriers. If your animal wouldn’t be comfortable attending, you can still have them blessed by bringing along a photograph.

Wednesday 7 October – Abingdon Town Council Meeting – Guildhall, 7pm

Town council meetings are normally held in the Old Magistrates’ Court and are open to the public. I sometimes go along to see what’s being discussed and, where appropriate, write about them for the blog.

Saturday 10 October – 50 years of Abingdon Library at The Charter

Abingdon Library has been in its current building at The Charter for 50 years. On Saturday 10 October the library will be marking the anniversary by sharing some photographs from its history. The library opened at The Charter on 11 October 1976.

Saturday 17 October – 10 Circuits of Abingdon Airfield

Robin is taking on a cycling challenge on Saturday 17 October – ten circuits of the old RAF Abingdon airfield at Dalton Barracks.

The challenge is in support of the Newman Holiday Trust, which has helped Robin’s family over the past few years, including providing a six-day residential holiday at Bloxham this year. Robin wants to give something back to the charity. While he still has a specially adapted bike on loan from Charlotte’s Tandems, he will attempt the ten circuits with Andrew and Helena.

You can find out more and support Robin’s fundraising on his JustGiving page https://justgiving.com/page/robinday2026

There’s a lot happening around Abingdon over the next couple of weeks, from poetry to heritage, volunteering and a fan convention.

Thursday 17 September – Woodland Apothecary

6.00pm, Abingdon Library

Three founders of the Friends of Radley Large Wood – artist and poet Diana Bell, nature writer and poet Paul Gamble, and author and poet Sylvia Vetta – have curated Woodland, an anthology of prose, poetry and pictures celebrating this ancient woodland.

Tickets are £2, including a free welcome drink, from the library counter.

Thursday 17 September – MG Cars: Abingdon’s Legacy

7.45pm, Northcourt Centre, Northcourt Road

The Abingdon Area Archaeology and History Society welcomes Richard Martin to talk about MG Cars: Abingdon’s Legacy – From Small Beginnings in Oxfordshire to World-Wide Recognition.

The talk looks at the story of MG and its links with Abingdon, where the famous cars were manufactured for many years. Visitors are welcome, with a suggested donation of £4 for non-members.

Thursday 17 September – Make Music Abingdon

7.30pm to 10.00pm, Loose Cannon Taproom at Suffolk Way

Third Thursday of the month showcase of local music. This month features
Karvara
The Sepia Tone Folk Collective
Ady Davey

Saturday 19 September – A Day in the Life of the Anglo-Saxons

10.00am–4.00pm, Abingdon Museum

Meet the Anglo-Saxons at Abingdon Museum as part of the Heritage Open Days Festival.

The Hwitmearum, the Oxfordshire branch of Regia Anglorum, will bring the period to life with demonstrations, crafts and displays showing what everyday life was like for the Anglo-Saxons.

The event takes place under the Arcade of the Museum and is free to attend.

Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 September – Abingdon Heritage Weekend

‘From Agriculture to Atoms’ – Abingdon’s 2026 Heritage Festival tells the story of the working lives of the town’s people.

There will be ‘Abingdon at Work’ exhibitions at the Guildhall and Unit 25 in Bury Street, with real-life stories, photographs and films showing how employment and everyday life changed over time.

Around ten historic buildings will also be opening their doors.

Friday 25 September – Volunteer Recruitment Day

10.00am–2.00pm, Roysse Court, Bridge Street

Have you ever thought about volunteering, but wanted to know a little more before getting involved? The Volunteer Recruitment Day at Roysse Court is an opportunity to find out about volunteering opportunities and speak to organisations looking for people to get involved.

Sunday 27 September – Abbey Con 2026

White Horse Leisure Centre, Abingdon

Abbey Con is back in Abingdon for its third year. Trooper Events UK are bringing a family day featuring stars from TV and film, photo opportunities and lots of stalls to explore.

More events and details can be found in the individual event listings and on organisers’ websites.