Talks & meetings

September 2025

17^th – Bloxham – Stephen Barker “The British Civil Wars 1642-51, in Eight Paintings”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

17^th – Cropredy – Helen Frost “The Women’s Land Army in the First World War”. Village Hall, 7:00pm.

17^th – Enstone – Jo Willett “Sarah Siddons: The First Celebrity Actress”. St Kenelm’s Church, Church Enstone, 7:00pm.

17^th – Harwell – David Gahan “A history of Hanney”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

17^th – Littlemore – Simon Wenham “Crime and punishment in Victorian Britain”. Community Centre, Giles Road, 7:30pm.

18^th – Friends of Vale and Downland Museum – Julie Ann Godson “1066: Oxfordshire and the Norman Conquest – a light-hearted romp”. Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage, 7:30pm.

18^th – Longworth – Marie-Louse Kerr “Oxfordshire on Canvas”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:15pm.

18^th – Sibfords – Mark Davies “Oxford Castle: 17^th– and 18^th-century Crimes, Escapes and Punishments”. Sibford Gower Village Hall, 7:30pm.

18^th – Whitchurch & Goring Heath – Catherine Sampson “A Stroll through Berkshire’s graveyards”. Goring Heath Parish Hall, 2:30pm.

22^nd – Marcham – Edward Caswell “Getting big stories from small finds”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

22^nd – Middleton Cheney –Susie Stathers “The real people of Lark Rise”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.

22^nd – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Simon Wenham “Morris’s Metropolis: The motor works and transformation of Oxford”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 8:00pm.

22^nd – Tackley – Abigail Lloyd “Archaeology without digging: using place-names as clues”. Memorial Hall, 7:30pm.

23^rd – Oxford Civic Society – Stephen Barker “Oxfordshire in the Second World War”. Magdalen College Grove Auditorium (entrance on Longwall Street), 8:00pm.

24^th – Dorchester on Thames – Viviane Quirke “The Importance of Place: the Development of Penicillin in WWII in Oxfordshire”. Dorchester Abbey Guest House, 7:30pm.

24^th – Florence Park, Oxford – Helen Sheppard “Olive Gibbs: A Remarkable Woman” (film showing). Florence Park Community Centre, East Oxford, 7:30pm. Tickets from https://wegottickets.com/event/675515.

25^th – Aston – Sean Callery “The Story of the Cotswolds: Wool, Warfare, Recession, Return”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.

25^th – Burford – Carol Anderson “The Great Exodus of the 1870s, featuring agricultural labourers from Fulbrook, Taynton and Burford who emigrated to Australasia and beyond”. Baptist Church, Witney Street, 7:30pm.

25^th – Kirtlington & Bletchington – Gillian Cane “The Mitford Sisters”. Kirtlington Village Hall, 7:30pm

25^th – Launton – Dick Richards “Commonwealth War Graves Commission”. Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

25^th – Oxford Preservation Trust – Judy Webb “Oxford Fens”. Key Learning Centre, Oxford Castle, 5:30pm. Book at https://app.sheepcrm.com/oxfordpreservation/events/oxfordpreservation-booking-68874e7c74c416d895a01ad8/

26^th – Benson – Helen Cresswell “Roman Britain and its links to Benson”. Parish Hall, 7:00pm.

29^th – Cumnor – Julie Ann Godson “Memories of the Vale: a lost way of life before the railway came to the countryside”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.

29^th – Stonesfield – “Glove-making in Stonesfield – A centuries-old cottage industry revived in the 1950s”. Village Hall, 7:00pm.

30^th – Kidlington – Gillian Cane “The Miracle of Bletchley Park”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

October 2025

1^st – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock) – Liz Woolley “Dream Palaces: A history of the Ultimate Picture Palace and early cinema in Oxford” (n.b. changed from advertised programme). The Coach House, Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, 7:30pm.

2^nd – Eynsham – Graham Twemlow “Recording Britain. Celebrating the Country’s Natural Beauty and Architectural Heritage”. St Leonard’s Church Hall, 7:30pm.

4^th – Museum of Oxford – Mark Davies “A Jericho Scrapbook”. Museum of Oxford, Oxford Town Hall, 11:00am. Booking at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/author-talk-a-jericho-scrapbook-with-mark-davies-jericho-200-tickets-1389423225269

6^th – Chalgrove – Gillian Cane “It’s a Girl’s Life in the Army”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

6^th – South Stoke – Moira Ackers “Monuments and the tales they tell”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

6^th – Whitchurch & Goring Heath – Stephen Goss “Caversham Park – from Domesday Book to listening for Doomsday”. Goring Heath Parish Hall, 2:30pm.

7^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Ross Beadle “The Origins of the Schlieffen Plan”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

7^th – Henley – Paul Lacey “Bus Operators of Henley and Marlow”. The Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, Hart Street, 7:30pm.

7^th – Hook Norton – Steve Kilsby “Banbury Historic Buildings”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

7^th – Lower Windrush – John Lowe “Always Ready, Always Willing: The story of fires and firefighting in Oxford”. Standlake Village Hall, 7:30pm.

8^th – Florence Park, Oxford – Pete Cann, “Labour’s Fifth Column” (a play). Florence Park Community Centre, East Oxford, 7:30pm. Tickets from https://wegottickets.com/event/674764.

8^th – Museum of Oxford – Victoria Bentata “Oxford in the History of Medicine: Bright ideas, discoveries and innovations through the ages”. Museum of Oxford, Oxford Town Hall, 1:00pm. Booking at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunchtime-talk-oxford-in-the-history-of-medicine-tickets-1389166607719

8^th – Wallingford – Gregory Cole “The Abingdon Abbey Project”. St Mary’s Church, 8:00pm.

8^th – Wychwoods – Diane Purkiss “A history of what the English have eaten”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

9^th – Banbury – Andy Hopper “Warwick Castle during the Civil Wars”. Education Studio, Banbury Museum, 7:30pm.

9^th – Deddington – Katherine Bradley “Creative Women – the history of women involved in the Arts and Crafts Movement in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds (including Jane and May Morris)”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

9^th – Hornton – Deborah Hayter “Lost villages of Oxfordshire”. Pavilion, 7:30pm.

11^th – Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock – Ashley Jackson “Oxford’s War 1939-1945”. 2:00pm. Tickets £12, book on-line at https://www.sofo.org.uk/whats-on/.

13^th – Chipping Norton – Neil Datson “Elsie Corbett, Pioneering Nurse and Benefactress”. Methodist Church Lower Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

13^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Janet Few “Bonnets, Bobbins, Beading and Buttony: English women’s work in the home industries”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 8:00pm.

14^th – Thame – Stephen Wass “The archaeology of Stowe Landscape Gardens”. Thame Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

15^th – Bloxham – Brian Pile “Banbury Stockyard and My Life as an Auctioneer”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

15^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Michael Philips “Hitler’s Gunner Generals”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

15^th – Cropredy – Stephen Barker “A Watershed: Mahatma Gandhi”. Village Hall, 7:00pm.

15^th – Littlemore – John Lowe “Always ready, Always willing: the story of fires and firefighting in Oxford”. Community Centre, Giles Road, 7:30pm.

15^th – Wolvercote – AGM followed by Alastair Lack “Wolvercote Cemetery”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

15^th – Enstone – Liz Woolley “Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War: 1936-39”. St Kenelm’s Church, Church Enstone, 7:00pm.

15^th – Harwell – Katherine Watsom “Crime, Medicine and Science in History”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

16^th – Friends of Vale and Downland Museum – Stephen Wass “Oxfordshire’s medieval gardens”. Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage, 7:30pm.

16^th – Longworth – Andrew Long “Naming of Oxfordshire Pubs”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:15pm.

16^th – Sibfords – Oswyn Murray “The Battle of Edgehill, and the Sibford Gallows”. Sibford Gower Village Hall, 7:30pm.

20^th – Adderbury – Muriel Pilkington “The Lost Villages of Oxfordshire”. The Institute, 7:30pm.

20^th – Bicester – Pete Seaward “House Arrest in Woodstock”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

20^th – Goring Gap – Timothy Walker “The history of Harcourt Aboretum”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

20^th – Kennington – Stephen Barker “Warrior women of the Civil War”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

21^st – Clanfield & Bampton – Rosemary Honour Smith “Clanfield in photographs; a trip down Memory Lane”. Carter Institute, Clanfield, 7:30pm.

21^st – Iffley – Stephen Wass “Digging up Stowe – Archaeological Investigations into one of the country’s finest landscape gardens”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

22^nd – Dorchester on Thames – Simon Wenham “The Compilation of the Oxford Dictionary”. Dorchester Abbey Guest House, 7:30pm.

23^rd – Kirtlington & Bletchington – Nigel Biggar and Paul Clifford “Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning”. Kirtlington Village Hall, 7:30pm

27^th – Cumnor – Michael Heaney “The man who collected Oxfordshire: the antiquary Percy Manning”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.

27^th – Marcham – Sem Seaborne “The Port of Wantage”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

27^th – Middleton Cheney – Bill King “The industrial archaeology in your attic, garage and shed”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.

27^th – Tackley – Jonathan Healey “1596 and all that: the Oxfordshire Rising in its context”. Memorial Hall, 7:30pm.

28^th – Kidlington – Paul Barnett “Light in the Darkest Hour – Dunkirk’s Little Ships”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

29^th – Florence Park, Oxford – Frances Moody “A history of the Florence Park estate”. Florence Park Community Centre, East Oxford, 7:30pm.

30^th – Burford – David Cohen “Conversation around the archive images and reflections of old Burford”. Audience participation encouraged. Baptist Church, Witney Street, 7:30pm.

30^th – Aston – Kim Davies “Oxfordshire’s Military Heritage in 50 objects”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.

30^th – Oxford Preservation Trust – Catriona Bass “Floodplain meadows”. Key Learning Centre, Oxford Castle, 5:30pm. Book at https://app.sheepcrm.com/oxfordpreservation/events/oxfordpreservation-booking-68b9bc840aa1129fa431a8a4/.

31^st – Benson – “The Work of the Air Ambulance”. Parish Hall, 7:00pm.

November 2025

3^rd – Chalgrove – Karen and Brett Wiles “Wartime children: the 1940s Home Front from a child’s point of view”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

3^rd – South Stoke – Steve Parrinder “Witchcraft”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

4^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Spencer Jones “Boer War – Scorched Earth”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

4^th – Henley – John Rogers “Kings, Boxes and Dots: A Brief History of the Post Office and Royal Mail”. The Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, Hart Street, 7:30pm.

4^th – Hook Norton – Russell Collins “More Tales from Hook Norton Pottery”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

4^th – Lower Windrush – Amy Moore “Charles I and Oxford – Pre-Civil War”. Standlake Village Hall, 7:30pm.

5^th – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock) – Alice Foster “World War I: Paintings and Poetry”. The Coach House, Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

6^th – Eynsham – Kathryn Davies “Artisan Art in Vernacular Wall Painting”. St Leonard’s Church Hall, 7:30pm.

6^th – Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock – Mike Montagu & Antonia Keaney “Churchill Remembered”. Marlborough Room, Blenheim Palace, 6:30pm. Tickets £45, book on-line at https://www.sofo.org.uk/whats-on/.

10^th – Chipping Norton – John Leighfield “From Gough to Google”. Methodist Church Lower Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

10^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Bill King “The River at War (River Thames) ”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 8:00pm.

10^th – Weston on the Green – Maurice East “Slade Army Camp”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

11^th – Thame – Stephen Barker “Oxfordshire in the British Civil Wars, 1642-51”. Thame Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

12^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Anthony Tucker Jones “Churchill: the Cold War Warrior”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

12^th – Enstone – Mark Abrey “St Kenelm’s church records, family histories and old tombstones”. St Kenelm’s Church, Church Enstone, 7:00pm.

12^th – Florence Park, Oxford – Matthew Spring “A biography of William Hershel”. Florence Park Community Centre, East Oxford, 7:30pm.

12^th – Museum of Oxford – Stephen Barker “The Indian Army in the First World War: An Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Perspective”. Museum of Oxford, Oxford Town Hall, 1:00pm. Booking at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lunchtime-talk-the-indian-army-in-the-first-world-war-tickets-1389187811139

12^th – Oxford Civic Society – Mark Davies “Jericho: Oxford’s ‘dangerously hospitable’ 200-year-old suburb”. Rewley House, Wellington Square, 6:00pm.

12^th – Wallingford – Richard Oram “Oxfordshire Archaeology Round-up”. St Mary’s Church, 8:00pm.

12^th – Wychwoods – Juliet Heslewood “Fairford Church”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

13^th – Banbury – Duncan Murdock “Uncovering Oxfordshire’s Dinosaur Highway”. Education Studio, Banbury Museum, 7:30pm.

13^th – Deddington – Shaun Todd “The history of afternoon tea and its etiquette”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

17^th – Adderbury – Tim Healey “A Victorian Christmas”. The Institute, 7:30pm.

17^th – Bicester – Matthew Hathaway “Bicester in World War 2”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

17^th – Goring Gap – Stuart Ackland “Oxford maps”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

17^th – Kennington – Bill King “Women of World War Two”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

18^th – Clanfield & Bampton – Andrew Wright “Fishers, seafarers and us; yesterday and today”. Carter Institute, Clanfield, 7:30pm.

18^th – Iffley – David Wiles “Democracy as Theatre”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

19^th – Bloxham – AGM and Liz Woolley “Early Cinema in Oxford”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

19^th – Cropredy – Marie Lou Kerr “The woman who would be Queen: Empress Matilda, the anarchy and her links to Oxford Castle and Wallingford”. Village Hall, 7:00pm.

19^th – Littlemore – Jamie Williams “Another man’s trash is an archaeologists treasure: Excavations from Trinity College”. Community Centre, Giles Road, 7:30pm.

20^th – Friends of Vale and Downland Museum – Marie-Louise Kerr “Romans of Oxfordshire: Roman settlement and impact in the local area”. Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage, 7:30pm.

20^th – Longworth – Stephen Wass “The Peculiar History of Fishponds and Fishing in Oxfordshire and around”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:15pm.

20^th – Stonesfield – “The Avro Vulcan bomber and its role in the Cold War”. St James’s Centre, High Street, 7:30pm.

20^th – Sibfords – Tim Healey “A 17^th-century Christmas”. Sibford Gower Village Hall, 7:30pm.

20^th – Whitchurch & Goring Heath – Bill King “Industrial archaeology in your garage, shed and attic”. Goring Heath Parish Hall, 2:30pm.

24^th – Cumnor – Alan Copeland “Eccentric London, Part 1” (Social Evening). Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.

24^th – Marcham – Robert Evans “God’s acre: writing village history from the graveyard”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

24^th – Middleton Cheney – Stephen Barker “Armistice 1918 and after”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.

24^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Claire Moores “The rise of the Reading Rooms”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 8:00pm.

24^th – Tackley – Robin Gibbons “Tackley’s parson, priests and pastors: some colourful characters through the centuries”. Memorial Hall, 7:30pm.

25^th – Kidlington – Charles Boundy “Ice Age to Athelstan – The emergence of England”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

26^th – Dorchester on Thames – Patsy Smith and Denise Line “Education in Dorchester on Thames”. Dorchester Abbey Guest House, 7:30pm.

27^th – Aston – Peter Gibbs “Concord – First to Last” (talk and film). Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.

27^th – Kirtlington & Bletchington – Dick Richards “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission”. Kirtlington Village Hall, 7:30pm

27^th – Launton – Pat Tucker’s “Launton Quiz”. Parish Hall, 7:30pm.

December 2025

2^nd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Christina Holstein “Verdun – The German Offensive 1916”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

2^nd – Henley – Adrian Cox “Excavations at Greys Court”. The Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, Hart Street, 7:30pm.

2^nd – Hook Norton – Ray Gasson “Farming in Hook Norton”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

2^nd – Lower Windrush – Stephen Goss “Oxford’s statues and the forgotten celebrated citizens they remember”. Standlake Village Hall, 7:30pm.

2^nd – Oxford Civic Society – Simon Horobin “C.S. Lewis’s Oxford”. Rewley House, Wellington Square, 8:00pm.

2^nd – Thame – AGM plus the Launton Handbell Ringers. Thame Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.

3^rd – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock) – Colin Harrison “William Turner of Oxford and Shipton-on-Cherwell”. The Coach House, Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

3^rd – Oxford Preservation Trust – Liz Woolley “Dream Palaces: A history of the Ultimate Picture Palace and early cinema in Oxford”. Key Learning Centre, Oxford Castle, 5:30pm. Book at https://app.sheepcrm.com/oxfordpreservation/events/oxfordpreservation-booking-68a2f7e904bb811d408e8ca6/

5^th – Benson – Mike Brook “A Christmas Miscellany: Humorous performance pieces on a seasonal theme”. Parish Hall, 7:00pm.

8^th – Chipping Norton – Simon Randall “History in Your Post”. Methodist Church Lower Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

8^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Sean Callery “Christmas in the Cotswolds”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 8:00pm.

9^th – Kidlington – Tim Healey “A Seventeenth-Century Christmas”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

10^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Gary Sheffield “The Dominion of Fear – The Experiences of Soldiers on the Battlefield in the Two World Wars”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

10^th – Florence Park, Oxford – Emma Orton “Covid and the decline of childhood literacy”. Florence Park Community Centre, East Oxford, 7:30pm.

10^th – Museum of Oxford – Tim Healey “A 17th-Century Christmas”. Museum of Oxford, Oxford Town Hall, 1:00pm. Booking at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lunchtime-talk-a-17th-century-christmas-tickets-1401363940269

10^th – Wychwoods – Sean Callery “Christmas in the Cotswolds”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

11^th – Banbury – Stephen Barker “Indian Students at Victorian Oxford”. Education Studio, Banbury Museum, 7:30pm.

11^th – Deddington – Simon Wenham “More than three men in a boat: the rise and fall of pleasure boating on the Thames”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

15^th – Goring Gap – Rob Clarke “The Maiwand lion in the Forbury, Reading”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

15^th – Kennington – Tim Healey “Victorian Christmas”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

16^th – Iffley – Tim Healey “A Seventeenth-Century Christmas”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

17^th – Marcham – Christmas astronomy debate : How does Santa navigate? Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

January 2026

5^th – Chalgrove – Liz Woolley “Felicia Skene: Oxford writer, prison reformer and friend of the poor”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

5^th – South Stoke – Simon Wenham “Living the Lexicon: James Murray & the Creation of the Oxford English Dictionary”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

6^th – Hook Norton – Trevor Jackson “Cemeteries of Oxford”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

7^th – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock) – Lizzy Rowe “John Piper in Oxfordshire”. The Coach House, Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

8^th – Banbury – Stephen Wass “Secret Gardens and Science – Tales from Oxfordshire Gardens 1600 -1680”. Education Studio, Banbury Museum, 7:30pm.

8^th – Deddington – Marie-Louise Kerr “The Romans of Oxfordshire: Roman settlement and impact in the local area”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

12^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Penny Walters “Mixing DNA results with a paper trail: Demystifying DNA”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

12^th – Weston on the Green – Stephen Barker “Women in the First World War”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

14^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Katherine Carter “Churchill’s Citadel – Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

14^th – Wychwoods – Gillian Cane “The Mitford Sisters”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

19^th – Goring Gap – Tim Healey “A history of St Giles Fair, Oxford”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

21^st – Bloxham – Stephen Goss “The Secret History: Oxfordshire and the Cold War”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

22^nd – Kirtlington & Bletchington – Janice Kinory “Salt in Prehistoric Britain”. Kirtlington Village Hall, 2:30pm

26^th – Cumnor – Liz Woolley “Kingerlee: the family and the building firm”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.

26^th – Marcham – Caroline Rymer “Bugs, Drugs and Goats – how not to plan a career”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

26^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Phil Isherwood “Whatever happened to Aunt Gonda? (Looking at mid 20^th-century sources) ”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

26^th – Tackley – Stephen Barker “Women in the First World War”. Memorial Hall, 7:30pm.

27^th – Kidlington – Dick Richards “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

February 2026

2^nd – Chalgrove – AGM followed by Colin Oakes “St Brides Church: London’s History in one Building”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

2^nd – South Stoke – Steve Capel-Davies “Ways Over Water-Thames Crossings”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

3^rd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Taylor Downing “1983 – The World at the Brink”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

3^rd – Hook Norton – Tim Healey “Apples – Myth and Mystery”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

3^rd – Lower Windrush – Bill King “Glenn Miller: the magic and the mystery”. Standlake Village Hall, 7:30pm.

4^th – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock) – Antonia Keaney “Lights, Camera, Action: Behind the Scenes at Blenheim Palace”. The Coach House, Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

9^th – Chipping Norton – Hugh Thomas “RAF Flying Training in the Chipping Norton area in WW2”. Methodist Church Lower Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

9^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Rebecca Probert “The crime of bigamy, 1604-2024: a guide for family historians”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

11^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Gordon Rogers “Churchill’s Toyshop”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

11^th – Wychwoods – “Witney Blankets or the New Mill”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

12^th – Banbury – Elizabeth Gemmill “Medieval British Women: Myth and Reality”. Education Studio, Banbury Museum, 7:30pm.

12^th– Deddington – Trevor Jackson “RAF Brize Norton: over 80 years of flying operations”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

16^th – Bicester – John May “The Role of the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

16^th – Goring Gap – Sue Ellis “Not all beer and skittles”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

17^th – Iffley – Edmund Gray “ A brilliant circle of Arts and Crafts designers”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

18^th – Bloxham – Members’ Night (some of our members share their historical interests). Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

23^rd – Cumnor – Karen & Bret Wiles “Life on the Home Front in WW2”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.

23^rd – Marcham – Andrew Mann and Barry Hudson “Those other village voices, the birds that share our gardens with us”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

23^rd – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Tim Healey “Drovers’ Roads in Oxfordshire and beyond”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

23^rd – Tackley – “Collections and recollections” (details tbc). Memorial Hall, 7:30pm.

24^th – Kidlington – Ann & John Ford “Morris Minors in the Media – not about engines and gearboxes”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

26^th – Aston – Ken Langford and Susie Fletcher “Saddlery & Leather”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.

26^th – Kirtlington & Bletchington – Lizzie Rowe “Christopher Wren’s Oxford”. Kirtlington Village Hall, 2:30pm

March 2026

2^nd – Chalgrove – Bill King “Dad’s Underground Army: the Auxiliary Units of the British Resistance Organisation”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

2^nd – South Stoke – Joseph Rogers “Tithe Barns”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

3^rd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) –John Curatola “US Eighth Air Force over Europe in WW2”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

3^rd – Hook Norton – Robert Hudson “Elizabeth Woodville – Edward IV’s scandalous wife”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

3^rd – Lower Windrush – Stephen Barker “Tricks of the Trade: Spying in WWI”. Standlake Village Hall, 7:30pm.

4^th – Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock) – David Meara “50 Gems of Oxfordshire”. The Coach House, Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, 7:30pm. Also available on-line; e-mail friendsoftheoxfordshiremuseum@gmail.com for further details.

9^th – Chipping Norton – AGM followed by Tony Cooper “The Great Prize Fight at White Oak Green 1846”. Methodist Church Lower Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

9^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Carol Anderson “The Woodstock cut-steel industry (postponed from 2025) ”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

9^th – Weston on the Green – Simon Wenham “Poverty, Pestilence and Public Health in Victorian Britain”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

11^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Geoffrey Vesey Holt “The Last Hundred Days – The Battle of Amiens to the Hindenburg Line”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

11^th – Wychwoods – Tracey Bowers “The Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre (Armed Forces & Veterans Services)”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

12^th – Banbury – Tom Crook “The corruption of Parliament? A brief history of where MPs get their money from, 1800-2025”. Education Studio, Banbury Museum, 7:30pm.

12^th – Deddington – Christopher Hotten “The Man who Saved England: James Lees–Milne”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

16^th – Goring Gap – Richard Marks “The history of the Great Western Railway in Berkshire”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

17^th – Iffley – Liz Woolley “Leisure and Entertainment in Victorian and Edwardian Oxford”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

18^th – Bloxham – Film Night (rare ‘shorts’ covering aspects of the local history of our area). Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

23^rd – Marcham – Alan Bovingdon-Cox “The History of RAF Abingdon”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

23^rd – Tackley – Deborah Hayter “’The Poor law in the 18^th century: crisis in the parishes”. Memorial Hall, 7:30pm.

26^th – Kirtlington & Bletchington – Sean Callery “The Story of the Cotswolds”. Kirtlington Village Hall, 7:30pm

30^th – Cumnor – Mark Davies “James Sadler: the Oxford air balloon pioneer”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.

31^st – Kidlington – John Duddington “Wick Hall – from bin bag to book”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

April 2026

7^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) –Paul Whittle “River Kwai Railway – The True Story”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

7^th – Hook Norton – Julie Ann Godson “Scandal in High Society Oxfordshire”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

7^th – Lower Windrush – Andrew Long “Oxfordshire place names”. Standlake Village Hall, 7:30pm.

8^th – Wychwoods – Family genealogy evening”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

9^th – Deddington – Carol Anderson “All that glitters: Woodstock’s cut steel industry”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

13^th – Chalgrove – Marie-Louise Kerr “Oxford’s Penicillin: the forgotten WW2 story of the development of penicillin by scientists”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

13^th – Chipping Norton – Ramon Gater “Chastleton Graves”. Methodist Church Lower Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

13^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Simon Davies “Family History Archive on wearexyz”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

15^th – Bloxham – Members of the Bloxham Underground Tunnels Society “Bloxham’s Underground Tunnels” (tbc). Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

15^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Chris Leworthy “Operation Chastise – The Dambusters Raid”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

16^th – Banbury – Map evening; details to be confirmed. Education Studio, Banbury Museum, 7:30pm.

20^th – Goring Gap – Malcolm Summers “Greyfriars, Reading: prison to parish church”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

21^st – Iffley – Christina Hardyment “Alyce Chaucer: The Facts and the Fictions”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

27^th – Cumnor – AGM and Melanie King “‘Taking the Waters’: the waxing and waning of the English spa”. Cumnor Old School, 7:30pm.

27^th – Marcham – David Guyoncourt “The Wildlife of Radley Lakes”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

27^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Simon Doyle “How AI can save you hours when researching your family history”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

27^th – Tackley – Anni Byard “Tackley: The Dig at Gibraltar Point”. Memorial Hall, 7:30pm.

28^th – Kidlington – John Caldecott “The story of how John (a foundling baby) found his mother (the rest of the story)”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

30^th – Aston – AGM and in-house session “Aston and Cote Field Names”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.

May 2026

5^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Guy Bartlett “Operation NIMROD – SAS in Action”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

5^th – Hook Norton – AGM followed by Stephen Wass “Baddesley Clinton & Packwood House: Recent archaeological discoveries”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

11^th – Chalgrove – Julie Ann Godson “Free Spirits of Oxfordshire: true originals from history”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

11^th – Chipping Norton – George Lambrick “The Rollright Stones”. Methodist Church Lower Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.

11^th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Richard Marks “Royal Navy WW1 (part one of two talks) ”. OFHS members only (https://www.ofhs.uk/become-a-member); on-line, 7:45pm.

11^th – Weston on the Green – Tim Healey “Drovers’ Roads in Oxfordshire and Beyond”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

13^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Stephen Goss “The War that No One Wanted: The Origins of the Great War”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

13^th – Wychwoods – AGM followed by “From the Archive”. Milton Village Hall, 7:30pm.

14^th – Deddington – Tim Healey “The Green Man Trail in Oxfordshire”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

18^th – Goring Gap – Mike Cooper “The defence of Reading from the Vikings to the Civil War”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

19^th – Iffley – Malcolm Graham “Removing nuisances, creating vistas: the work of the Oxford Paving Commissioners 1771-1800”. Church Hall, Church Way, 7:30pm.

20^th – Bloxham – Martin Buckland “Canal People”. Jubilee Park Hall, Barley Close, 7:30pm.

25^th – Marcham – Ricky Smith “The History of Rycote Chapel”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

26^th – Kidlington – Andrew Shapland “Knossos – Myth or Reality”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

June 2026

1^st – Chalgrove – Melanie King “Taking the Waters: the waxing and the waning of the English spa”. John Hampden Hall, 7:45pm.

1^st – South Stoke – Dick Richards “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Archives”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

2^nd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – James Porter “German Occupation of the Channel Islands”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

10^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Mike Tickner “A Head Ache and a Heart Ache. The Indian Army at Partition”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

11^th – Deddington – Alastair Lack “CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien”. Primary School, 7:30pm.

22^nd – Marcham – Catherine Sampson “Berkshire and South Oxfordshire Churches: hidden gems and stories”. Marcham Centre, Barrow Close, 7:45pm.

30^th – Kidlington – AGM and members evening with coffee and quiz. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

July 2026

6^th – South Stoke – Andrew Long “The Naming of Oxfordshire Pubs”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

7^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Robert Verkaik “Arnhem and the Cambridge Spies”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

13^th – Weston on the Green – Nick Millea “The Message in the Map”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

15^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Guy Walters “Berlin Games – How Hitler Stole the Olympic Dream”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

28^th – Kidlington – Al Sylvester “Exercise Southern Reach – the conception of an Antarctic expedition”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.

October 2026

6^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Richard Gibbons “Berlin – A Divided City”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

14^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Ross Beadle “There was more to it than Tanks – The Battle of Cambrai”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

19^th – Goring Gap – Katrina Cooper “For God and the Cause: soldiery in the English Civil War through the lens of the Sealed Knot”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

November 2026

3^rd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Richard Phillips  “German Spies in Britain in WW2”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

9^th – Weston on the Green – Tim Healey “A Victorian Christmas”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.

11^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Chris Finn “Buccaneer and Tornado Operations in Operation GRANBY”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

16^th – Bicester – Nigel Walton “1918 – Peace & Remembrance in Bicester”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

December 2026

15^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Helen Fry “The White Lady – The story of British Intelligence Networks behind German Lines”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

January 2027

13^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Linda Parker “Rudolf Hess – His Flight to England”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

February 2027

2^nd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Rachel Pistol “World War Two Internment in UK and USA”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

March 2027

2^nd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – James Porter “Battle of Narvik 1940”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

10^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Jack Bowsher “Battle of Burma – Meiktila”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

April 2027

14^th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Andy Richardson  “Britain’s Atomic  V Bombers – The Ultimate Peacekeepers”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e-mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.

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