There are talks on a wide variety of local history subjects going on all over the county more or less every weekday. During the Covid-19 lockdown period many groups organised on-line talks, and these proved very popular. They have the advantage of being accessible to everyone, wherever you are in the world! In some cases these are continuing; other groups are hoping to return to face-to-face meetings from September 2021 onwards.
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.
July 2021
20th – Oxford Preservation Trust – David Radford “Recent archaeological work in Oxford”. On-line talk, 5:00pm, book via https://www.oxfordpreservation.org.uk/events/recent-archaeology-work-oxford-david-radford-tuesday-20-july-5pm-virtual-talk
September 2021
1st – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Graeme Whitehall “In India’s Image: Strange tales from the Chiltern Hills – the story of the Maharajah’s Well at Stoke Row”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing contact@FriendsOfTOM.org.uk
8th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Helen Fry “MI19 Escape and Invasion”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
8th – Enstone – Carol Hardy “Waddesdon at War”. 7:30pm; e-mail johnch.pritchard@tiscali.co.uk for venue.
9th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Simon Wenham “A crystal vision of Victorian Britain – the Great Exhibition of 1851”. Wootton Community Centre, 7:30pm.
9th – Longworth – Guided walk around Hinton Waldrist with Paul Whitton. Church in Hinton, 2:00pm.
13th – Chipping Norton – Alistair Lack “CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
13th – Radley – AGM followed by “Radley Remembered – a presentation of memories of Radley to 1953”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
14th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Ian Binnie “The Second Mounted Division at Gallipoli”. On-line talk, 2:00pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
14th – Thame – Janice Kinory “Tales from the Historical Environment Image Resource (HEIR)”. Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.
15th – Harwell – Eric Jenkins “Harwell through the camera lens”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
15th – Littlemore – Christopher Young “Roman Pottery finds in Oxford”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, further information from https://littlemorelocalhistorysociety.wordpress.com/2021-programme/
16th – Wychwoods – Stephen Barker “Oxfordshire during the Second World War”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
20th – Adderbury – Stephen Oliver “The History and Restoration of St Mary’s, Adderbury”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing philandbmansell@hotmail.com
20th – Bicester – Janice Kinory “Sharing artifacts from the production, distribution and uses of salt in Pre-historic Britain”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
20th – Goring Gap – Dan Allen “Women and the Victorian Army: What was life like for soldiers’ families at home and abroad?” 8:00pm, in Goring Village Hall if possible, e-mail goringgaphistory@gmail.com for confirmation.
27th – Cumnor – Mark Davies “A literary tour of Oxford(shire) Waterways”. Old School, 7:30pm.
27th – Marcham – AGM followed by Jim Asher “Butterflies, Marcham and Lockdown”. Marcham Centre, 7:30pm.
27th – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Will Reid “An Organisation of International Importance: The Work and Archives of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission”. Exeter Hall, Kidlington, 8:00pm.
October 2021
5th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote)– Kathy Quinlan Flatter and Linda Parker “The Blitz in London December 1940”. On-line talk, 2:00pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
6th – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Angie Bolton “Rich Pickings in the Museum Services Archaeology Collection from the Palaeolithic to the late Medieval”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing contact@FriendsOfTOM.org.uk
11th – Chipping Norton – Visit to Churchill Museum with talk by Christine Gower “The abandoned Village of Churchill”. Churchill Museum, 2:00pm.
11th – Radley – Hubert Zawadzki “The Land of the White Eagle: the Story of Poland”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
12th – Thame – Paul Barnet “In Defence of the Drift”. Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.
13th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Gareth Glover “Waterloo Myths and the Quest for the Truth”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
13th – Wolvercote – AGM followed by Alison McDonald “10,000 Years of Life Beside the Thames”. Village Hall. 7:30pm.
14th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Timothy Walker “The Harcourt Arboretum – the first 50 years”. Wootton Community Centre, 7:30pm.
18th – Adderbury – Ciaran Walsh “The Otmoor Riots in a Wider Context”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing philandbmansell@hotmail.com
18th – Bicester – Sheila Allcock “Homes fit for Heroes: The Centenary of Council Houses”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
18th – Goring Gap – Paul Henderson “James Sowerby: Enlightenment, Art and Science”. 2:30pm, in Goring Village Hall if possible, e-mail goringgaphistory@gmail.com for confirmation.
20th – Enstone – ffiona Perigrinor “The Hazards of Medieval Pilgimage: Marjery Kempe and her fellowship (1414-1417)”. 7:30pm; e-mail johnch.pritchard@tiscali.co.uk for venue.
20th – Harwell – Charles East “The Kennet and Avon Canal, past and present”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
21st – Longworth -Julie Ann Godson “On This Day in Oxfordshire”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
21st – Wychwoods – David Young “Primitive Methodism”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing mail@wychwoodshistory.uk
22nd – Thame Museum – Susan Fern “The Lenborough Hoard and the Buckingham Mint”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, tickets from www.thamemuseum.org/whats-on/talks-online/
25th – Cumnor – Liz Woolley “Victorian and Edwardian industrial buildings of Oxford”. Old School, 7:30pm.
25th – Marcham – Alastair Lack “The History of St John’s College”. Marcham Centre, 7:30pm.
25th – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Alan Simpson “From One House to Another”. Exeter Hall, Kidlington, 8:00pm.
November 2021
2nd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote)– Gary Sheffield “The Role of NCOs in the armies of the British Empire 1914 – 1945”. On-line talk, 2:00pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
3rd – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Alice Foster “In Memoriam: War in Art and Literature”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing contact@FriendsOfTOM.org.uk
8th – Chipping Norton – Mike Hurst “Old Time Christmas”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
8th – Radley – Timothy Walker “The Harcourt Arboretum”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
9th – Thame – Liz Woolley “Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War”. Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.
10th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Paul Beaver “Suez”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
11th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Liz Woolley “The common lodging house in Victorian England”. Wootton Community Centre, 7:30pm.
12th – Thame Museum – Tom Crook “The Big Stink: The Victorian Battle Against Dirt”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, tickets from www.thamemuseum.org/whats-on/talks-online/
15th – Bicester – Liz Woolley “’No Other Way’: Oxfordshire’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-9”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
15th – Goring Gap – Nicola Tallis “Lady Jane Grey”. 2:30pm, in Goring Village Hall if possible, e-mail goringgaphistory@gmail.com for confirmation.
18th – Longworth -Alastair Lack “Oxford of Inspector Morse”. Southmoor 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 – Marcham – Richard Venables “My role as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire”. Marcham Centre, 7:30pm.
22nd – Oxfordshire Family History Society – Tim Healey “A 17th-Century Christmas”. Exeter Hall, Kidlington, 8:00pm.
24th – Enstone – Caroline Barron on “Women in Medieval London”. 7:30pm; e-mail johnch.pritchard@tiscali.co.uk for venue.
29th – Cumnor – Martin Way “Glimmer in the dark”. Old School, 7:30pm.
December 2021
1st – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum – Howard Robinson “A History of Worcester Cathedral and some of its unusual Patrons”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing contact@FriendsOfTOM.org.uk
8th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Paul Caddick-Adams “The Battle of the Bulge”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
9th – Longworth -Antonia Keaney “Christmas at Blenheim Palace, past and present”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
13th – Chipping Norton – David Artingstall “Blockley: A Cotswold Village from Bishop Wuffstan to Father Brown”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
14th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Robin Brodhurst “The Battle of the Atlantic – The Turning Point”. On-line talk, 2:00pm, register by e-mailing zoom@bmmhs.org
16th – Thame Museum – Andy Thomas “Christmas: A Festive History”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, tickets from www.thamemuseum.org/whats-on/talks-online/
20th – Goring Gap – David Allan “The Amazing Mr. Dickens: the inspiration behind his most famous characters”. 2:30pm, in Goring Village Hall if possible, e-mail goringgaphistory@gmail.com for confirmation.
January 2022
6th – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum – David Juler “|The Museum of Oxford: Recent changes, Acquisitions and Attractions”. On-line talk, 7:30pm, register by e-mailing contact@FriendsOfTOM.org.uk
10th – Radley – Marie Louise Kerr “Romans of Oxfordshire: Roman settlement and impact in the local area”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
13th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Richard Dudding “Radley – gentry, yeomen and land”. Wootton Community Centre, 7:30pm.
20th – Longworth -Stephen Barker “The Flying Sikh in the First World War”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
24th – Cumnor – Simon Wenham “Power and personalities: politics in Victorian and Edwardian Oxford”. Old School, 7:30pm.
February 2022
10th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Tim Healey “Apples ! The Myth and Mystery of England’s Favourite Fruit”. Wootton Community Centre, 7:30pm.
14th – Chipping Norton – John Marshall “What’s so special about St Mary’s?”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
14th – Radley – Stephen Dawson “Oxford Preservation Trust – opening doors all year round”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
17th – Longworth -Marie-Louise Kerr “Lives of Local Medieval Saints”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
28th – Cumnor – Katie Hambrook “Field and place names in East Oxford, and some in Cumnor”. Old School, 7:30pm.
March 2022
10th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Peter Forsaith “From London to Oxford: building Westminster College (a queer sort of story) ”. Wootton Community Centre, 7:30pm.
14th – Chipping Norton – AGM followed by Mark Davies “A Literary Waterways Tour”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
14th – Radley – Deborah Hayter “Poor law in the 18th century – the crisis in the parishes”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
17th – Longworth -Mark Davies “Daniel Harris: Oxford Castle Gaoler Extraordinaire”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
28th – Cumnor – Trevor Jackson “RAF Brize Norton:over 80 years of flying operations”. Old School, 7:30pm.
April 2022
11th – Chipping Norton – Carol Anderson “‘Over The Hills To Glory’: The Story of the Ascott Martyrs”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
11th – Radley – Mark Davies “Professors of rowing – the Oxford-Cambridge boat race”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
21st – Longworth -Hana Whitton “Ashdown House and the Winter Queen”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
25th – Cumnor – AGM and Tim Healey “Pagans and Puritans:the Story of May Morning in Oxford”. Old School, 7:30pm.
May 2022
9th – Chipping Norton – Tom Crook “‘The Great Stink’: Engineers, sewerage systems and the Victorian Battle against dirt”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
12th – Radley – Members’ interests evening. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
19th – Longworth -Simon Wenham “Living the Lexicon: James Murray and the Creation of the Oxford English Dictionary”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
June 2022
13th – Radley – Liz Woolley “From Axtell to Zacharias: the men who built Oxford”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
July 2022
11th – Radley – Tom Crook “The Great Stink! Engineers, sewerage systems and the Victorian battle against dirt.”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
September 2022
12th – Radley – Tim Healey “Apples! The Myth and Mystery of England’s Favourite Fruit”. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
15th – Longworth -Martin Syrot-Smith “Daily Life in Tudor Times”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
October 2022
20th – Longworth -Michael Heaney “600 Years of Morris Dancing”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
November 2022
17th – Longworth -Richard Dudding “Radley Wood”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
Back to the main events page.