In normal circumstances there are talks on a wide variety of local history subjects going on all over the county more or less every weekday. During the initial Covid-19 lockdown period, all talks and other events were cancelled or postponed, and many groups took the decision to cancel the rest of their face-to-face programmes until September 2020, or even until January 2021. Some groups, however, are organising on-line talks, and these are proving very popular. They also have the advantage of being accessible to everyone, wherever you are in the world!
Talks which we know are happening are listed below. Note that a small charge for attending on-line may be made by the organisers.
For other events and exhibitions see this page.
Check whether a specific face-to-face talk is happening by contacting the relevant organiser – details here. (On-line talks listed below are confirmed as far as we know.)
January 2021
25th – Cumnor – Simon Wenham “Power and personalities – politics in Victorian and Edwardian oxford”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.
26th – Oxfordshire Architectural And Historical Society (OAHS) – Peter Steere “The League of Beleaguered Gentlemen: Three Medical Officers of Health in Berkshire 1873-1908”. On-line talk, 5:30pm, further information at https://oahs.org.uk/lectures.php (OAHS members only).
26th – Hanney – Ciaran Walsh “The Otmoor Riots in a Wider Context”. On-line talk, 8:00pm, e-mail hhgsecretary@gmail.com by the preceding Saturday to register.
28th – Kirtlington & Bletchingdon – Marie-Louise Kerr “Oxford’s Penicillin”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing shackletonuk@gmail.com
28th – Museum of Oxford – Diane Purkiss “Romance and drama – the Queen’s Court and the Queen’s ladies in Civil War Oxford”. On-line talk, 6:00pm, book via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/134544256493
February 2021
4th – Charlbury – Janet Dickinson “Courting Elizabeth: The Ditchley Portrait and the Cult of the Virgin Queen in late Elizabethan England”. On-line talk, 8:00pm, register by e-mailing susanmerry2@gmail.com
8th – Radley – Liz Woolley “Kingerlee, the building firm and family”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, for registration see the club website www.radleyhistoryclub.org.uk
9th – Oxfordshire Architectural And Historical Society (OAHS) – Louise Loe “Burials at the Old Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford”. On-line talk, 5:30pm, further information at https://oahs.org.uk/lectures.php (OAHS members only).
10th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Stephen Bungay “Alamein”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm.
11th – Banbury – Steve Kershaw “The Creation of the Barbarians”. Banbury Museum, Spiceball Park Road, 7:30pm, and streamed live via Microsoft Teams. For further information e-mail simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org
15th – Adderbury – Carol Anderson “Over the Hills to glory; the story of the Ascott Martyrs”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing philandbmansell@hotmail.com
15th – Goring Gap – Nicola Tallis “Elizabeth’s Rival – The tumultuous tale of Lettice Knollys”. On-line talk, 2:30pm, register by e-mailing goringgaphistory@gmail.com
16th – Iffley – Mark Davies “Damnable Harris – Oxford Prison Gaoler”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mpetipa@ntlworld.com
17th – Bloxham – Mark Davies “Stories of Oxford Castle: from dungeon to dunghill”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing ian_myson@hotmail.com
17th – Enstone – Carol Hardy “The impact of WW1 and WW2 on Waddesdon Manor”. Contact johnch.pritchard@tiscali.co.uk to check details.
17th – Littlemore – Richard O Smith “Z to A of Oxford: 1,000 years of history in 60 minutes”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing history.littlemore@gmail.com
17th – Museum of Oxford – Liz Woolley “Olive Gibbs, local politician and peace campaigner”. On-line talk, 6:00pm, book via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/136272315163
18th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Bill King “The Home Front in WW2”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing pennyfalls@hotmail.com
18th – Wychwoods – Martin Buckland “The Wilts and Bucks Canal: Past, Present and Future”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
22nd – Cumnor – Katie Hambrook “Field and place names in East Oxford, and some in Cumnor”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.
22nd – Marcham – Hugh Warwick “Linescapes: Remapping and Reconnecting Britain’s Fragmented Wildlife”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing membership@marchamsociety.org.uk
23rd – Hanney – Simon Wenham “Morris Motopolis -the motor works and the transformation of Oxford”. 8:00pm, War Memorial Hall, East Hanney, or via Zoom; e-mail hhgsecretary@gmail.com by the preceding Saturday for further information.
23rd – Oxfordshire Architectural And Historical Society (OAHS) – John Stevenson “Modern Architecture in Oxford”. On-line talk, 5:30pm, further information at https://oahs.org.uk/lectures.php (OAHS members only).
25th – Kirtlington & Bletchingdon – Alastair Lack “The Architecture of Oxford University”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing shackletonuk@gmail.com
March 2021
4th – Charlbury – Stephen Barker “Soldiers, Saints and Sinners: Oxfordshire Characters from the British Civil War 1642-46”. On-line talk, 8:00pm, register by e-mailing susanmerry2@gmail.com
8th – Radley – Simon Wenham “Living the Lexicon, James Murray and the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, for registration see the club website www.radleyhistoryclub.org.uk
9th – Oxfordshire Architectural And Historical Society (OAHS) – Alex Davies and Chris Hayden “Changes in Later Prehistory: Recent Later Bronze and Iron Age Discoveries in Oxfordshire”. On-line talk, 5:30pm, further information at https://oahs.org.uk/lectures.php (OAHS members only).
10th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Clare Mulley “The Women Who Flew for Hitler”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm.
11th – Banbury – Toby Purser “Conquered England: the Norman Conquest and the end of the Anglo-Saxon state”. Banbury Museum, Spiceball Park Road, 7:30pm, and streamed live via Microsoft Teams. For further information e-mail simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org
11th – Wootton & Dry Sandford– Tim Healey “Apples! The Myth and Mystery of England’s Favourite Fruit”. Community Centre, Wootton, 7:30pm.
15th – Adderbury – Stephen Dawson “The Work of the Oxford Preservation Trust”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing philandbmansell@hotmail.com
15th – Goring Gap – Bill King “The Upper Thames Patrol – the waterborne Home Guard of the River Thames”. On-line talk, 2:30pm, register by e-mailing goringgaphistory@gmail.com
16th – Enstone – Caroline Barron “Women in Medieval London”. Contact johnch.pritchard@tiscali.co.uk to check details.
17th – Bloxham – Ian Keable “The history of cartoons from William Hogarth to Private Eye”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing ian_myson@hotmail.com
17th – Harwell – Marie-Louise Kerr “Oxfordshire Blue Plaques”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
17th – Littlemore – Liz Woolley “How the coming of the railway changed Oxford”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing history.littlemore@gmail.com
18th – Museum of Oxford – Stephen Barker “Hardit Singh Malik – the Flying Sikh”. On-line talk, 6:00pm, book via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/136278198761
18th – Wychwoods – Tom Shannon “The Journey from Afghanistan”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
20th – Iffley – Tim Porter “Medieval Hospitals”. 7:30pm, in Iffley Church Hall if possible, e-mail mpetipa@ntlworld.com for confirmation.
23rd – Hanney – Tim Healey “Sex, Drink and Death in the 17th Century” . 8:00pm, War Memorial Hall, East Hanney, or via Zoom; e-mail hhgsecretary@gmail.com by the preceding Saturday for further information.
25th – Kirtlington & Bletchingdon – James McDougall “The Middle East 1918-48”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing shackletonuk@gmail.com
29th – Cumnor – Neil Clennell “The Wychwood Project – towards a wilder Wychwood”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.
April 2021
1st – Charlbury – Carol Anderson “Over the Hills to Glory: The Story of the Ascott Martyrs”. On-line talk, 8:00pm, register by e-mailing susanmerry2@gmail.com
8th – Banbury – 75th anniversary showing of “24 Square Miles”, the 1946 film about the survey of the area between Banbury and Chipping Norton”. Banbury Museum, Spiceball Park Road, 7:30pm, and streamed live via Microsoft Teams. For further information e-mail simon.townsend@banburymuseum.org
12th – Radley – Tim Healey “Pagans and Puritans, The story of May morning in Oxford”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
13th – Enstone – Frank Prochaska “The feminisation of the Monarchy”. Contact johnch.pritchard@tiscali.co.uk to check details.
14th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Dilip Sarkar “I Knew the Few – The Battle of Britain Pilots”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm.
14th – Wolvercote – Julie Hamilton “Wolvercote Young People’s Club”. Village Hall. 7:30pm.
15th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – AGM, plus Philip Candy “A Tapestry of Life – James Candy”. Community Centre, Wootton, 7:30pm.
15th – Wychwoods – David Innes “Capt Ralph Kite MC, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
19th – Goring Gap – Marie-Louise Kerr “Oxford’s Penicillin”. On-line talk, 8:00pm, register by e-mailing goringgaphistory@gmail.com
21st – Bloxham – Marie-Louise Kerr “Oxfordshire on Canvas”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing ian_myson@hotmail.com
21st – Harwell – Sally Spencer “Anglo-Saxon garnet jewellery”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
21st – Littlemore – Wendy Morrison “Hillforts of the Chilterns”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing history.littlemore@gmail.com
22nd – Museum of Oxford – Liz Woolley “Beer, sausages and marmalade: Oxford food and drink in the 19th century”. On-line talk, 6:00pm, book via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/136279763441
26th – Cumnor – AGM, plus Alan Copeland “Curiosities in the Cotswols – part 2”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.
26th – Oxfordshire Family History Society – John Frearson “Opening the Dore”. Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, 8:00pm. TBC – contact Christopher Fance, meetings@ofhs.org.uk, to confirm.
27th – Hanney – Victoria Bentata Aziz “Oxford in the History of Medicine” . 8:00pm, War Memorial Hall, East Hanney, or via Zoom; e-mail hhgsecretary@gmail.com by the preceding Saturday for further information.
May 2021
4th – Museum of Oxford – Mark Davies “Lewis Carroll and the Pre-Raphaelites”. On-line talk, 6:00pm, book via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/136282950975
6th – Charlbury – Rhona & Simon Walker “Cottages and churches; markets and mission halls – Corrugated iron from catalogues”. On-line talk, 8:00pm, register by e-mailing susanmerry2@gmail.com
10th – Radley – Alastair Lack “The Oxford of Inspector Morse”. 7:30pm, either on-line or at St James the Great church, see the club website www.radleyhistoryclub.org.uk for details.
10th – Weston-on-the-Green – Simon Wenham “Salters Steamers”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
12th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – John Peaty “Lawrence of Arabia”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm.
17th – Goring Gap – Liz Woolley “A History of Brewing in Oxford”. On-line talk, 8:00pm, register by e-mailing goringgaphistory@gmail.com
18th – Iffley – Tom Doig “The Victorian Way of Death”. 7:30pm, venue/Zoom tbc, e-mail mpetipa@ntlworld.com for confirmation.
19th– Enstone – ffiona Perigrinor “A Medieval Pilgrim”. Contact johnch.pritchard@tiscali.co.uk to check details.
19th – Harwell – Tom Crook “The Great Stink! Engineers, sewerage systems and the Victorian battle against dirt”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
20th – Abingdon – Liz Woolley – “The Coming of the Railway to Oxford”. On-line-talk, 7:45, members only.
20th – Wychwoods – AGM and Julie Ann Godson “Oxfordshire in the Past”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
25th – Hanney – Mark Davies “Artists in Wonderland: The Pre-Raphaelites in Oxford” . 8:00pm, War Memorial Hall, East Hanney, or via Zoom; e-mail hhgsecretary@gmail.com by the preceding Saturday for further information.
June 2021
9th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Philip Allan “The Battle of the Nile”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm.
14th – Radley – Nic Vanderpeet “Spitfires over Oxfordshire and the D-day Landings”. St James Church, 7:30pm.
July 2021
12th – Radley – Tom Crook “The Great Stink! Engineers and Sewerage Systems”. St James Church, 7:30pm.
12th – Weston-on-the-Green – AGM and Mark Davies “Daniel Harris, Oxford Gaoler”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
14th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Speaker from the Gurkha Museum Trust “ The History of the Gurkhas in the British and Indian Armies, 1815 to present day”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm.
September 2021
13th – Radley – AGM followed by “Radley Remembered – a presentation of memories of Radley to 1953”. St James Church, 7:30pm.
15th – Harwell – Eric Jenkins “Harwell through the camera lens”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
16th – Wychwoods – Stephen Barker “Oxfordshire during the Second World War”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
October 2021
13th – Wolvercote – AGM followed by Alison McDonald “10,000 Years of Life Beside the Thames”. Village Hall. 7:30pm.
20th – Harwell – Charles East “The Kennet and Avon Canal, past and present”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
21st – Wychwoods – David Young “Primitive Methodism”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
November 2021
17th – Harwell – Jane M Card “The Great Fire of Harwell, 1852” (to be confirmed). Village Hall, 7:30pm.
18th – Wychwoods – Juliet Heslewood “William Morris and the Cotswolds”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
22nd – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Tim Healey “A 17th-Century Christmas”. Exeter Hall, Kidlington, 8:00pm.
December 2021
15th – Harwell – Adam Sloman “The History of MG cars at Abingdon”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
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