Talks & meetings

There are talks on a wide variety of local history subjects going on all over the county more or less every weekday. Talks which we know are happening are listed below. Note that a small charge may be made for non-members to attend (on-line or in person).

For further information, click on the name of the local society in the list below to get to its website. Contact details for societies are here.

For other events and exhibitions see this page.

March 2024

15thFinstock – Bill King “Yesterday’s Childhood”. Village Hall, 8:00pm.

18thAdderbury – Edward Caswell “The Oxfordshire Small Finds Service”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

18thBicester – Charles Eldridge “The Work of the Relieving Officer in Bletchingdon District”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

18thGoring Gap – Michael Heaney “Percy Manning. The man who collected Oxfordshire”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

18thKennington – Rod Andrews “River & Rowing in and around Oxford”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

19thClanfield and Bampton – Richard Martin “Early’s, blanket makers of Witney”. Carter Institute, Main Street, Clanfield, 7:30pm.

19thIffley – Ciaran Walsh “The Otmoor Riots of 1830 in a wider context”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

20thBloxham – Gareth Winrow “Elizabeth Wisdom(e): the Chipping Norton Murderess”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

20thCropredy – Alastair Lack “The Oxford of Morse, Lewis and Endeavour”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.

20thHarwell – Dick Richards “Commonwealth War Graves”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

20thLittlemore – Simon Wenham “Living the lexicon: James Murray and the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary”. Giles Road Community Centre, 7:30pm.

21stAbingdon – Zbigniew Wojnowski “The History of Ukraine”. Northcourt Centre, Northcourt Road, 7:45pm.

21stDeddington – Melanie King “Can Onions Cure Headaches?” Deddington Primary School, Earls Lane, 7:30pm.

21stFriends of Vale and Downland Museum – Terry Randall “The Lost Manor House of the Fitzwaryns”. Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage, 7:30pm.

21stLongworth – Paul Whitton “Mary de Bohun: Royal Lady of Hinton”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.

21stSibfords – AGM followed by Lizzy Rowe “ Keble College, Oxford and ‘The Light of the World’ by William Holman Hunt”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:00pm.

21stWhitchurch & Goring Heath – Bernard Richards “Henry James and the country house, with special reference to Hardwick House”. Whitchurch Village Hall, 7:30pm.

22ndBensington – Graham Twemlow “Art and Design in the Chilterns”. Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

25thHanney – David & Kath Gahan “Holmes of Hanney & Birth Control: ‘The Most Useful Man in England’”. War Memorial Hall, East Hanney, 8:00pm.

25thMarcham – Steven Gunn “Everyday life and accidental death in 16th-century Oxfordshire and Berkshire”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

25thMiddleton Cheney – Stephen Wass “Not that kind of digging: recent archaeological digs in historic gardens”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.

25thOxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Liz Woolley “A History of Brewing in Oxford”. Exeter Hall, Kidlington (all welcome), and on-line (OFHS members only), 8:00pm.

25thTackley – Richard O Smith “Oxford Examined: Town and Clown”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.

26thKidlington – Simon Wenham “Poverty, Pestilence and Public Health in Victorian Britain”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

27thDorchester – Rosemary Leadbitter “Smallpox in Oxfordshire”. 7:30pm Dorchester Abbey.

27thOxford Civic Society – Simon Bradley “Pevsner’s guide to the buildings of Oxford and South-East Oxfordshire”. Rewley House, Wellington Square, 6:00pm.

28thAston – Historic Churches speaker (tba) “Stained Glass: The Oxfordshire Legacy”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.

28thBurford – Clendon Daukes “Classical Ruins out of Reach: Treasures in Libya, Tunisia and Syria, including some irrevocably destroyed by extreme groups”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, further information at https://www.burfordtolsey.org/events.

28th – Kirtlington & Bletchington – Philippa Joseph “The Alhambra”. Kirtlington Village Hall, 7:30pm.

April 2024

2ndBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Helen Doe “Stanford Tuck –  Hero of the Battle of Britain”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

2ndHenley – Wendy Morrison “Archaeology & Heritage in the Chilterns­ – ensuring a Future for the Past”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.

2ndHook Norton – Alastair Lack “Travels with Auntie: A Life with the BBC”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

3rdFriends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Alice Foster “The Nicholsons – a Family of Painters and their connection to Woodstock”. The Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

4thCharlbury – Robin Lane-Fox “History of Oxfordshire Gardens”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.

4thEnstone – Nina Morgan “A Study in Stone: The Geology of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History Building”. St Kenelm’s Church, Church Enstone, 7:00pm.

4thEynsham – Ed Caswell “The Portable Antiquities Scheme”. St Leonard’s Church Hall, Thames Street, 7:30pm.

8thChalgrove – Karen and Bret Wiles “World War Two rationing and cooking for victory: a fair share for all”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

8thChipping Norton – Simon Randall “The English Civil War in the Cotswolds”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

8thOxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Peter Lawrence “The Great Exhibition 1851 & Albertopolis”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).

8thRadley – Melanie King “Tea, Coffee and Chocolate: how the British first fell in love with Caffeine”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.

9thThame – Tim Healey “Drovers’ roads in Oxfordshire and beyond”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

10thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Andrew Lambert “Creating a British Way of War”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

10thStanford in the Vale – Cathy Haslam “Kelmscott Manor”. Large village hall, 7:30pm.

10thWallingford – Jonathan Stamp “The Lost Library”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.

10thWychwoods – Liz Woolley “Child labour in 19th-century Oxfordshire”. Milton-under-Wychwood Village Hall, 7:30pm.

11thDidcot – David Taylor “Former Didcot industries”. Northbourne Centre, Church Street, 7:30pm.

15thAdderbury – AGM followed by Barry Davis “Banbury from St Mary’s Tower”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

15thBicester – Ciarán Walsh “The Otmoor Riots in a Wider Context”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

15thGoring Gap – Nicola Tallis “The early days of Elizabeth I”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

15thKennington – Mark Davies “Beating the bounds of Oxford City: Memorable moments from the last 500 years”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

16thClanfield and Bampton – Chris Pickford “Campanology: Burford Bell Foundry and more”. Carter Institute, Main Street, Clanfield, 7:30pm.

16thIffley – Marie-Louise Kerr “Oxford Penicillin – a forgotten World War II story”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

17thBloxham – Carol Anderson “Over the Hills to Glory: the Story of the Ascott Martyrs”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

17thCropredy – Jackie Hibbert “The Quest for the Knights Templar in Middle England”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.

17thHarwell – Brendan Bailey “Adnams Farmhouse revisited”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

17thLittlemore – Mike Heaney “Tom Carter of Marsh Baldon: The invisible collector”. Giles Road Community Centre, 7:30pm.

18thAbingdon – Mike Evans “Fitzharry’s: The Story of an Abingdon Manor and Estate”. Northcourt Centre, Northcourt Road, 7:45pm.

18thDeddington –  Stephen Barker “Soldiers, Saints and Sinners of the Civil War in Oxfordshire”. Deddington Primary School, Earls Lane, 7:30pm.

18thFriends of Vale and Downland Museum – Timothy Walker “The University of Oxford Botanic Garden – 400 years of gardening and botany”. Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage, 7:30pm.

18thLongworth – Tim Healey “Pagans and Puritans: The story of May Morning in Oxford”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.

18thSibfords – Ivan Tyrrell “Why History is important: the Rise and Fall of Civilisations, including our own”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.

18thWhitchurch & Goring Heath – Marie-Louise Kerr “The Two William Morrises of Oxfordshire”. Whitchurch Village Hall, 7:30pm.

19thFinstock – Katherine Bradley “Creative Women”. Village Hall, 8:00pm.

22ndHanney – Julie Ann Godson “1066: Oxfordshire and the Norman Conquest: it began and finished here? ”. War Memorial Hall, East Hanney, 8:00pm.

22ndMiddleton Cheney – “Village Voices: looking back to interviews with long-term residents of the village, past and present”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.

22ndTackley – John McNeill: “Tackley Church”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.

24thDorchester – Liz Woolley “Lord Nuffield’s great generosity to the Oxford colleges”. 7:30pm Dorchester Abbey.

25thAston – AGM and Bill King “The Roman Invasions, Occupation and Colonisation of Britain”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.

25thBurford – Carol Anderson “Glove Making in West Oxfordshire in the 18th Century”. Baptist Church, Witney Street, 7:30pm.

26thBensington – Bill King “Industrial Archaeology in your garage, shed and attic”. Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

30thKidlington – Graham Horn “An Heir and a Spare – the monarchs we never had”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

May 2024

1stFriends of the Oxfordshire Museum – John Harwood “History of the Lord Lieutenancy”. The Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

2ndCharlbury – Carol Anderson “History of Gloving in Oxfordshire”. Memorial Hall, time tbc.

7thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Kathy Quinlan-Flatter  “ Forbidden Art of the Third Reich”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

7thHenley – Stephen Wass “The Archaeology of Fishponds and Fishing in Oxfordshire”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.

7thHook Norton – AGM followed by Sue Smith “Conscientious Objectors in WW1”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

8thStanford in the Vale – Liz Woolley “The Victorian and Edwardian Industrial Buildings of Oxford”. Large village hall, 7:30pm.

8thWallingford – Peter Adamson “A town called Wallingford”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.

8thWychwoods – AGM and “From our Archive” . Milton-under-Wychwood Village Hall, 7:30pm.

9thDidcot – John Foreman “Abingdon boat builders”. Northbourne Centre, Church Street, 7:30pm.

13thChalgrove – Victoria Bentata “Oxford’s Jewish heritage”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

13thChipping Norton – Colin Clay and Phil Taylor “Back Tracks – Detecting the Past”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

13thOxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – John Vigar “Leave no stone unturned”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).

13thRadley – Simon Wenham “Morris’ Motopolis: the motor works and the transformation of Oxford”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.

13thWeston on the Green – Maurice East “Morris Motors in WW2”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

14thThame – Marie-Louise Kerr “Romans of Oxfordshire: Roman settlement and impact on local area”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

15thBloxham – Jeremy Holmes “The Most Heroic Failure of Modern Times: Shackleton’s Antarctic”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

15thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Chris Leworthy “Disaster and Bravery at Dieppe”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

15thEnstone – Anthony Benn “Rembrandt’s Eyes”. St Kenelm’s Church, Church Enstone, 7:00pm.

15thHarwell – Clare Sargent “Capability Brown at Radley – rediscovering a lost landscape”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

15thLittlemore – Liz Woolley “Beer, sausages and marmalade: Food, drink, politics in 19th-century Oxford”. Giles Road Community Centre, 7:30pm.

15thUffington – Robert Ritter “The Bright Young Things: Oxford Between the Wars”. Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall, 7:45pm.

16thAbingdon – Paul Booth “From Roman Britain to Early Anglo-Saxon England: Archaeological Evidence from Dorchester-on-Thames”. Northcourt Centre, Northcourt Road, 7:45pm.

16thDeddington –  Simon Wenham “Oxfordshire Saints and Sinners”. Deddington Primary School, Earls Lane, 7:30pm.

16thFriends of Vale and Downland Museum – Daniel Bashford “The Historic Ridgeway Project”. Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage, 7:30pm.

16thLongworth – Owen Green “The Life and Legacy of William ‘Strata’ Smith: it all started in Oxfordshire”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.

16thSibfords – Bill King “Dad’s Underground Army”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.

16thWhitchurch & Goring Heath – Members’ Evening “The last seventy years”. Goring Heath Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

17thFinstock – Meet the Detectorists. Village Hall, 8:00pm.

20thAdderbury – Katherine Bradley “Creative Women in Oxfordshire”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

20thBicester – Pat Snelson “Bicester’s Gothic Architecture”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

20thGoring Gap – Nick Millea “The message in the map”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

20thHanney – Richard O Smith “A Z-A of Oxford – more eccentric aspects of the city’s past”. War Memorial Hall, East Hanney, 8:00pm.

20thKennington – Ian Giles “Maytime”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

21stClanfield and Bampton – Abigail Lloyd “The medieval stone-vaulted undercrofts of Westgate Street, Gloucester: recent investigations and comparisons with undercrofts nationally, including in Oxfordshire”. Carter Institute, Main Street, Clanfield, 7:30pm.

21stIffley – Caroline Pond “The lives and achievements of Iffley Residents who are, or will be, celebrated by Oxfordshire Blue Plaques”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

22ndDorchester – “Mount Farm, Berinsfield: its wartime history”. 7:30pm Dorchester Abbey.

27thMarcham – Steve Parrinder “Eynsham Abbey”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

28thKidlington – Eve Bacon “Spices and Medieval Society”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

30thBurford – Lesley Gray “The King’s Jockey at the Suffragette Derby of 1913”. Baptist Church, Witney Street, 7:30pm.

31stBensington – John Leighfield “From Gough to Google: Putting Benson on The Map”. Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

June 2024

3rdChalgrove – Mark Davies “Beating the ancient bounds of Oxford: memorable moments from the last 500 years”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

3rdSouth Stoke – Stephen Wass “The Peculiar History of Fishponds and Fishing in Oxfordshire and Around: an Archaeological Perspective”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

4thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Jon Trigg “D-Day through German Eyes”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

4thHenley – Helen Parish “The Windsor Witches”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.

5thFriends of the Oxfordshire Museum – AGM followed by Angie Bolton “Friends’ Treasures: Recent Archaeological Acquisitions”. The Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

10thOxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Janet Few “Ancestors on the margins”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).

10thRadley – Julie Ann Godson “Memories of the Vale: a lost way of life before the railways came to the countryside”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.

11thThame – Melanie King “Tricks of the trade: Spying in the First World War”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

12thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Helen Fry “Women in Intelligence”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

12thBurford – Nigel Hastilow “The Man who Invented the News: Marchamont Needham, born in Burford; teacher, lawyer, spy, doctor”. Warwick Hall, Church Green, 7:30pm.

12thStanford in the Vale – Gareth Winrow “Elizabeth Wisdom, The Chipping Norton Murderess?”. Large village hall, 7:30pm.

12thUffington – Mike Heaney “The Ancient English Morris Dance”. Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall, 7:45pm.

12thWallingford – Anthony Wilder “William Wilder, POW on the Thai Burma Railway”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.

17thAdderbury – Mark Davis “What a Liberty! Along Oxford’s Ancient Boundaries”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

17thKennington – Melanie King “Taking the waters: the waxing and waning of the English Spa”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

18thClanfield and Bampton – AGM followed by an lighthearted talk by historian Robin Shuckburgh”. Carter Institute, Main Street, Clanfield, 7:30pm.

18thEnstone – Melanie King “Not Just Napoleon and Jane Austen: Lesser Known Weird and Wonderful Memories from 1815”. St Kenelm’s Church, Church Enstone, 7:00pm.

19thCropredy – Marie Lou Kerr “William Morris & the other William Morris – two eminent designers in two very different fields”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.

20thAbingdon – Open Evening with presentations by members. Northcourt Centre, Northcourt Road, 7:45pm.

20thDeddington – Stephen Wass “Voyages to the House of Diversion: 17th Century Water Gardens and the Birth of Modern Science”. Deddington Primary School, Earls Lane, 7:30pm.

20thSibfords – Gillian White “1346 – Crécy”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.

24thMarcham – Hedley Thorne “The Ridgeway and Lowbury Hill from above”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

24thMiddleton Cheney – Steve Bacon “Dr Jenner and vaccination”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.

25thKidlington – AGM and Bill King “WWI, part 2”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

July 2024

3rdFriends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Simon Townley “New Work on Old Places: Recent Work by the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire”. The Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

7thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Graham Murchie, Baedsy Radar “ The Eyes of the Few”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

8thOxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Gill Blanchard “Writing your Family History”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).

8thRadley – Robert Evans “The History of our Footpaths”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.

8thWeston on the Green – Frank Collingwood “The Oxford Bus Museum”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.9thThame – Deborah Hayter “The seventeenth-century village: who was in charge?” The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

10thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Keith Mills “Battle for South Georgia 1982”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

10thWallingford – Alastair Owens “Treasures from the privy: new perspectives on everyday life in Victorian East London”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.

15thAdderbury – Stephen Barker “Six Warrior Women of the English Civil Wars 1642-1651”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

18thSibfords – Marie Louise Kerr “The woman who would be Queen: The life of Empress Matilda her connections with Oxfordshire”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.

22ndMiddleton Cheney – Bob Hunter “Local geological history in Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and nearby counties”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.

25thBurford – Peter Radford “They Run With Surprising Swiftness: The story of 17th– and 18th– century women athletes and their athleticism”. Baptist Church, Witney Street, 7:30pm.

30thKidlington – Gordon Rogers Winston Churchill’s Toyshop”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

August 2024

12thOxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Simon Gregor “The Great War – was nothing learned?”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).

September 2024

4thFriends of the Oxfordshire Museum – John Caldicott “The History of the Foundling Hospital”. The Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

9thRadley – AGM followed by a presentation by the club’s Oral History Group on Radley during Covid.  St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.

10thThame – Michael Payne “The journey to Chalgrove Field”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

11thWallingford – John Painter “Reading Abbey and the Abbey Quarter”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.

16thAdderbury – Eleanor Townsend “Parish Church Patrons in the Oxfordshire Area”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

16thBicester – AGM and Matthew Hathaway “On this Day…”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

16thGoring Gap – Stuart Ackland “Treasures from the Map Room”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

16thKennington – Liz Woolley “From Axtell to Zacharias: the men who built Oxford”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

18thCropredy – Bert Manton “Highlights from my autobiography, Bottom Rung of the Ladder, based in Woodford Halse”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.

18thLittlemore – Mark Davies “Beating the ancient bounds of Oxford city: memorable moments from the last 500 years”. Giles Road Community Centre, 7:30pm.

19thLongworth – Antonia Keaney “Passion for Fashion: an amusing look at some of the clothes, underclothes, shoes and accessories worn by many of the more colourful characters in Blenheim Palace’s 300-year history”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.

19thSibfords – Alastair Lack “CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.

25thDorchester – Ed Caswell “An introduction to the Portable Antiquities Scheme”. 7:30pm Dorchester Abbey.

26thBurford – Julie Ann Godson “The Water Gypsy: How a Thames fisher girl became a viscountess”. Baptist Church, Witney Street, 7:30pm.

27thBensington – Richard O Smith “Z-A of Oxford: 1000 years of history in 26 letters”. Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

October 2024

1stBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Peter Green “Captured at Arnhem – the men’s experiences”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

1stHenley – Andrew King “Policing in Henley”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.

2ndFriends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Gareth Winrow “Lawyer, Town Clerk and Ruthless Land Speculator? The life of Henry John North of Woodstock”. The Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

8thThame – Simon Wenham “The pursuit of pleasure: Victorian and Edwardian leisure”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

9thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Annabel Venning “To War with the Walkers”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

9thWallingford – Steve Capel-Davies “’Ways over Water, A history of Thames crossings”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.

14thOxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Sue Gibbons “Conserving your Family Archive”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).

16thCropredy – Stephen Barker “Trench Humour in The First World War”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.

17thLongworth – Katharina Ulmschneider “The Ashmolean Tang Camel: Symbol of the Silk Road”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.

17thSibfords – Tim Healey “The Trail of the Green Man in Oxfordshire”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.

21stAdderbury – Sean Callery “A Cotswold Cornucopia”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

21stBicester –  Bob Hessian “Bicester Shops and Shopping”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

21stGoring Gap – Katrina Cooper “The archaeology of Newbury Reinforcement (Ipsden to Bucklebury) Pipeline”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

21stKennington – Bill King “The Roman invasion, occupation, and colonisation of Britain”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

23rdDorchester – Wendy Morrison “Archaeology in the Chilterns: the tip of the iceberg”. 7:30pm Dorchester Abbey.

25thBensington – David Solomon “The Importance of the Brook in Benson’s History”. Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

31stBurford – David Cohen will lead group reminiscences of Burford prompted by old images, inviting the audience to share their memories. On-line, 7:30pm, further information at https://www.burfordtolsey.org/events.

November 2024

5thHenley – Ron Baxter “The Rediscovery of Reading Abbey”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.

6thFriends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Deborah Hayter “The Lost Villages of Oxfordshire”. The Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

12thThame – John Lowe “Always Ready, Always Willing: The story of fires and firefighting in the city of Oxford from 879 to 1874”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

13thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Chris Finn “First Gulf War Air Campaign”.  Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

13thWallingford – Malcolm Airs “From Berkshire to Oxfordshire – Conservation as a force for change in Wallingford”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.

18thAdderbury – Brett & Karen Wiles “1940s Girl Guides”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.

18thBicester – Stephen Barker “Trench Humour in the First World War”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

18thGoring Gap – Julian Rose “The local resource base for locals: Reclaiming our destinies”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

18thKennington – Trevor Jackson “RAF Brize Norton – over 80 years of flying operations”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

20thCropredy – Gill White “Bess of Hardwick and Hardwick Hall”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.

20thLittlemore – Timothy Walker “Oxford Botanic Garden: more than 400 years of history”. Giles Road Community Centre, 7:30pm.

21stLongworth – Sarah Somerville “A Guide’s Guide: working in historic houses in the 21st century”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.

21stSibfords – A performance by the Launton Bellringers. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.

December 2024

3rdHenley – Catherine Sampson “Berkshire and South Oxfordshire Churches”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.

5thLongworth – Sean Callery “Christmas in the Cotswolds”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.

6thBensington – “A Christmas Theme” (to be confirmed). Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

11thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Guy Walters “Hunting Evil – Bringing Nazi War Criminals to Justice”.  Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

15thBicester – Ian Giles “Christmas Music & Song Through the Ages”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

16thGoring Gap – Edward Casswell “The Bronze Age”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

16thKennington – Sean Callery “Christmas in the Cotswolds”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

January 2025

15th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Mike Walsh “ Battle of Kursk”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

20thGoring Gap – Melvin Seaborne “Morris Dancing. What is it and where did it come from?”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

March  2025

12th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Tim Saunders “The Peninsular War – The making of the Light Division”.  Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

April 2025

9thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Philip K Allan “Wellington’s Navy”.  Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

May 2025

14thBritish Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Robert Lynam “ Bill Slim and Burma”.  Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

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