Love Wantage

30/10/2026

Wantage is doing its own thing for Small Business Saturday!

We’re celebrating our fantastic local business community on Saturday 5th December, and all businesses are welcome to get involved.

And there’s plenty of support available in the run-up, too. Small Business Saturday is running a series of FREE webinars to help businesses build skills, boost their profiles and grow.

Why not take a look and sign up for a session that could help your business?

Let’s celebrate, support and shout about our brilliant businesses, both locally and nationally.

30/10/2026

Calling all local businesses!

An opportunity to discuss the Budget and share the challenges facing our local business community.

Ollie Glover is hosting a Business Breakfast for local businesses to come together and have their say.

If you run a business, this is a great opportunity to get involved.

Worried about how the Budget will impact your business? 💼

I'm hosting a Business Breakfast event on Tuesday 17th November for local businesses to come together to discuss the Budget and share any challenges you may be facing.

☕If you would like to attend, please RSVP using the link below:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nt3mHDeziEC-Xo277ASzSiT5m3RqqvtHqb3AuN6q53JUMk85S01RR0JKTFNHRzFUU1MyVUxZVlhRVy4u&origin=QRCode

📍Venue details will be shared with registered attendees

I look forward to seeing you there.

30/10/2026

Sometimes the simplest things make the best mornings!

A warm welcome, good coffee and a little time to yourself.

Pop into Colombia Coffee UK and enjoy a local favourite.

30/10/2026

So much more than books at Wantage Library.

Your local library is also a place to find support, advice and help when you need it.

Dementia Oxfordshire holds a monthly advice drop-in for anyone affected by dementia, including family, friends and carers.

Wantage Library, just behind the Waitrose car park on Stirlings Road.

Another valuable service right here in our local community.

Dementia Oxfordshire (part of Age UK) are offering a Dementia Advice Drop-in service for anyone with dementia, their carers, family, neighbours or friends at Wantage Library on:

First Monday of every month from 10.30am - 1pm

Speak to a dementia adviser about support, local services, social groups, staying independent, finance and legal issues.

For more information contact: [email protected]

30/10/2026

Did you know Ridgeway Cycles head out on guided rides every Thursday, exploring some of the beautiful countryside around Wantage?

Last night even came with a helicopter display. What a bonus!

Why not pop into Ridgeway Cycles on Newbury Street and find out more about joining a ride?

Awesome helicopter display on the Ridgeway tonight. 🚁

30/10/2026

Local support, right here in the heart of Wantage.

Worried about bills, benefits or the cost of living? Vale Community Impact offers free, confidential advice to help people through difficult times.

You’ll find their friendly team in the Market Place, behind Wantage Motorist Centre and Colombia Coffee.

Keeping support local and helping our community when it matters most.

💙 What does the Autumn Budget mean for local households?

Following the Government's Autumn Budget announcement on 28 October, several measures have been announced that could help households with the cost of living over the coming months and years.

These include:

✅ A planned £100 Household Energy Payment for households in England from January 2027
✅ An extension of the temporary VAT reduction on electricity bills until June 2027
✅ Plans to abolish gas standing charges on domestic energy bills
✅ New measures aimed at helping people struggling with energy debt

While some of these changes won't take effect immediately, they are intended to help reduce the pressure many households continue to face with energy costs and everyday expenses.

If you're worried about bills, debt, benefits or the cost of living, Vale Community Impact's Advice Team is here to help.

📞 01235 765348
✉️ [email protected]
🌐 www.vci.org.uk

Free, confidential advice for people across the Vale of White Horse. 💙

29/10/2026

A fantastic Friday of books, stories and big names at Wantage Literary Festival.

From ancient history to Hollywood and a special Wantage connection with Jasper Fforde, there’s something for every book lover.

Support our local festival and enjoy the brilliant events happening right here in Wantage.

📚 TOMORROW IS DAY 5 OF WLF 2026 — AND WHAT A FRIDAY IT IS!

From ancient Mesopotamia to Oscar-winning Hollywood costume design, from Wantage's very own literary detective to a former Home Secretary — Friday 30th October has it all. Here's what's on...

🏺 10am — MOUDHY AL-RASHID | Between Two Rivers
B**r recipes, personal letters, and the writing of preschool children — all preserved for 3,500 years in cuneiform texts. Moudhy Al-Rashid brings ancient Mesopotamia vividly to life in this widely praised masterpiece.

🎨 12pm — CHARLOTTE MULLINS | The Art Isles
A vivid 15,000-year journey through British and Irish art, from Ice Age caves to modern murals. Leading art critic Charlotte Mullins explores how these works challenge and reshape the art canon.

🎬 2pm — ALEXANDER BALLINGER | Phyllis Dalton: A Career in Costume
Dr Zhivago. Lawrence of Arabia. The Princess Bride. The extraordinary story of the double Oscar-winning costume designer behind some of cinema's most iconic looks.

✨ 4pm — JASPER FFORDE | Dark Reading Matter
The legendary Thursday Next returns for her eighth and final adventure — set entirely right here in Wantage! Unmissable for fans of this brilliant series.

🏛️ 5.30pm — ALAN JOHNSON | Harold Wilson: 20th Century Man
Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson offers a vivid portrait of Harold Wilson — in conversation with Ed Vaizey. Politics, history, and great storytelling.

🎟️ Tickets at wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk, by phone on 0333 666 3366, or in person at Brews and Books Café at The Beacon!

29/10/2026

Love live music? Support our local venue, The Beacon, and enjoy a great night of live entertainment right here in Wantage.

Support local. Enjoy local.

29/10/2026

SOLD OUT

The Swan’s Halloween Fancy Dress Party is officially sold out.

If you have a ticket but can no longer make it, you can return it to The Swan before the event for a refund.

Please don’t buy tickets from third parties, as these may be scams.

29/10/2026

Did you know Wantage once had its own cinema?

Discover the story of The Regent and more at Wantage Literary Festival this Friday, 30 October, as the author of Dark Reading Matter talks about the cinema’s past.

A fascinating slice of Wantage history.

Appearance this Friday: You'd hardly know, it but this is how The Regent cinema in Wantage looks now, mostly converted to retail space and a bookshop. It's still a cinema within the pages of 'Dark Reading Matter' and I'll be talking at the Wantage Lit Fest on Friday 30th Oct, 16:00 at The Beacon. https://wantageliteraryfestival.co.uk/friday-30-october