ON OUR RADAR

St Leonard’s Christmas Fair 2024

Community-run market returns for thirteenth year with festive food, music and gifts.

Leigh Curtis

St Leonard’s Christmas Fair is returning to Magdalen Road on Saturday 7 December for its thirteenth year.

The road will be closed to provide space for dozens of stalls selling gifts, food and drink. Bricks and mortar retailers will also open their doors and sell food and wares outside their shops.

There will be live music from five acts which will play festive music throughout the afternoon.

Magdalen Road Christmas Fair poster

The St Leonard’s Neighbourhood Association has held the Magdalen Road Christmas Fair every year since 2011, except in 2020 because of the pandemic. It routinely attracts thousands of visitors.

It was formed following efforts by local residents to protect Bull Meadow Park from the construction of Western Way, and has been active for half a century.

Today it promotes community activities and publishes a neighbourhood newsletter which it delivers to 3,200 local addresses every two months.

It is the inspiration for comedian Mike Wozniak’s St Elwick’s Neighbourhood Association Newsletter Podcast.

Subscribe to The Exeter Digest - Exeter Observer's essential free email newsletter

Your personal information will be processed and stored in accordance with our Privacy Policy

This year’s Magdalen Road Christmas Fair will take place from 2-6pm on Saturday 7 December 2024.

For more information visit the St Leonards Neighbourhood Association website.


UPDATE – 5 December 2024

St Leonard’s Christmas Fair has been cancelled following a Met Office amber wind warning for this Saturday.


Democracy doesn't work when people don't know who is deciding what on whose behalf and what the costs and consequences of those decisions will be.

Exeter Observer is proving that reader-funded media can deliver the independent public interest journalism our local democracy needs.

Upgrade to a paid Exeter Observer subscription to support our work and get access to exclusive premium content and more.

More stories
Devon & Cornwall Police deputy chief constable Jim Colwell, previous chief constable Will Kerr and interim chief constable James Vaughan

Devon & Cornwall Police deputy chief constable Jim Colwell receives 18-month misconduct warning

Outcome of Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation delivered day before retirement of suspended chief constable Will Kerr announced, with Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez unwilling to say whether “golden handshake” agreed.

Newtown active travel scheme map

Newtown active travel scheme approved after four years of public consultations

Joint Devon County Council and Exeter City Council project includes road closure, car parking changes and contraflow Clifton Hill cycle lane.

South West peninsula 2025 spending review road and rail investment map

Dawlish rail resilience, Exeter A379 bridge renewal and Cullompton M5 J28 schemes all shelved after spending review

Government road and rail funding announcement billed as “the biggest boost to England's transport infrastructure in a generation” largely passes Devon and Cornwall by while leaving final phase of South West Rail Resilience Programme undelivered.

Illustrative floor plan of new redevelopment proposals

New Heavitree Road police station student accommodation and “co-living” complex proposals submitted to Exeter City council

Application for full planning permission for 813-room scheme in seven blocks follows decision to reject previously-proposed 955-room scheme in two blocks which was subsequently upheld at appeal.

Change in bus passenger journey numbers 2019-20 to 2023-24 by England local transport area bar chart

National Audit Office finds decline in Devon bus passenger journey numbers among largest in country

Devon journeys down 28% – seventh from bottom across 85 areas – while journeys in Cornwall increased by more than 40%.

Danny Barnes

Danny Barnes received full £15,000 Devon County Council allowance during 2024-25

Heavitree & Whipton Barton councillor failed to sign off £14,600 community grants after attending only two of fifteen public meetings and is alleged to have worked for Scottish Labour MP Imogen Walker since shortly after last year’s general elections.

, updated