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.
July 2024
15th – Adderbury – Stephen Barker “Six Warrior Women of the English Civil Wars 1642-1651”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.
15th – Bicester – Matthew Hathaway “Brain’s Trust Re-enactment”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
18th – Oxford Preservation Trust – David Radford “Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Oxford”, Oxford Castle, Key Learning Centre, 5:30pm.
18th – Sibfords – Marie Louise Kerr “The woman who would be Queen: The life of Empress Matilda her connections with Oxfordshire”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.
22nd – Middleton Cheney – Bob Hunter “Local geological history in Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and nearby counties”. All Saints Church, 7:30pm.
25th – Aston – Carol Anderson “The Ascott Martyrs”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.
25th – Burford – 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.
30th – Kidlington – Gordon Rogers “Winston Churchill’s Toyshop”. Baptist Church, High Street, 7:30pm.
August 2024
12th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Simon Gregor “The Great War – was nothing learned?”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).
September 2024
4th – Friends 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.
9th – Chipping Norton – Mark Davies “Jericho: Oxford’s ‘dangerously hospitable’ first planned suburb”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
9th – Radley – AGM followed by a presentation by the club’s Oral History Group on Radley during Covid. St James the Great Church, 7:30pm.
10th – Thame – Michael Payne “The journey to Chalgrove Field”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.
11th – Wallingford – John Painter “Reading Abbey and the Abbey Quarter”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.
16th – Adderbury – Eleanor Townsend “Parish Church Patrons in the Oxfordshire Area”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.
16th – Bicester – AGM and Matthew Hathaway “On this Day…”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
16th – Goring Gap – Stuart Ackland “Treasures from the Map Room”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.
16th – Kennington – Liz Woolley “From Axtell to Zacharias: the men who built Oxford”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.
18th – Cropredy – Bert Manton “Highlights from my autobiography, Bottom Rung of the Ladder, based in Woodford Halse”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.
18th – Littlemore – Mark Davies “Beating the ancient bounds of Oxford city: memorable moments from the last 500 years”. Giles Road Community Centre, 7:30pm.
18th – Harwell – Stephen Barker “Trench Humour in the First World War”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
19th – Longworth – 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.
19th – Sibfords – Alastair Lack “CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.
23rd – Tackley – Mark Davies “James Sadler: A pastry chef from Oxford who was the first Englishman to fly in a hot air balloon”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.
25th – Dorchester – Ed Caswell “An introduction to the Portable Antiquities Scheme”. 7:30pm Dorchester Abbey.
26th – Aston – David Knight, a Pole Lathe Demonstration”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.
26th – Burford – Julie Ann Godson “The Water Gypsy: How a Thames fisher girl became a viscountess”. Baptist Church, Witney Street, 7:30pm.
27th – Bensington – Richard O Smith “Z-A of Oxford: 1000 years of history in 26 letters”. Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.
30th – Cumnor – Bill King “The Roman invasions, occupations and colonisation of Britain”. Old School, 7:30pm.
October 2024
1st – British 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.
1st – Henley – Andrew King “Policing in Henley”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.
2nd – Friends 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.
8th – Thame – Simon Wenham “The pursuit of pleasure: Victorian and Edwardian leisure”. The Barns Centre, Church Road, 7:30pm.
9th – British 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.
9th – Florence Park, Oxford – Anna Eavis “The city of Oxford: what the future holds”. Florence Park Community Centre, East Oxford, 7:30pm.
9th – Wallingford – Steve Capel-Davies “’Ways over Water, A history of Thames crossings”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.
14th – Chipping Norton – Helen Castle “A Shepherd’s Stone: How the headstone of Great Rollright shepherd Richard Widdows sparked a local history blog”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
14th – Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) – Sue Gibbons “Conserving your Family Archive”. On-line talk, 8:00pm (OFHS members only).
15th – Clanfield and Bampton – Kathy Haslam “The ladies of Kelmscott Manor”. Carter Institute, Main Street, Clanfield, 7:30pm.
16th – Cropredy – Stephen Barker “Trench Humour in The First World War”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.
16th – Harwell – John Harrison “English style bells and the historical development of bell ringing”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
17th – Longworth – Katharina Ulmschneider “The Ashmolean Tang Camel: Symbol of the Silk Road”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
17th – Sibfords – Tim Healey “The Trail of the Green Man in Oxfordshire”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.
21st – Adderbury – Sean Callery “A Cotswold Cornucopia”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.
21st – Bicester – Bob Hessian “Bicester Shops and Shopping”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
21st – Goring Gap – Katrina Cooper “The archaeology of Newbury Reinforcement (Ipsden to Bucklebury) Pipeline”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.
21st – Kennington – Bill King “The Roman invasion, occupation, and colonisation of Britain”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.
23rd – Dorchester – Wendy Morrison “Archaeology in the Chilterns: the tip of the iceberg”. 7:30pm Dorchester Abbey.
25th – Bensington – David Solomon “The Importance of the Brook in Benson’s History”. Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.
28th – Cumnor – Mark Davies “Binsey and Medley: Treacle, cheesecakes, miracles, and nabobs”. Old School, 7:30pm.
28th – Tackley – Sue Ashton “Tackley houses through time: Part 2 of the story of 5 Nethercote Road”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.
31st – Aston – Karen & Brett Wiles “WWII Rationing and Cooking for Victory”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.
31st – Burford – 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
5th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Brian Short “Royal Musicians Marines at War 1982”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.
5th – Henley – Ron Baxter “The Rediscovery of Reading Abbey”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.
6th – Friends 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.
11th – Chipping Norton – Stephen Barker “ The Battle of Cropredy Bridge and the Oxford Campaign 1644”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
12th – Thame – 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.
13th – British 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.
13th – Wallingford – Malcolm Airs “From Berkshire to Oxfordshire – Conservation as a force for change in Wallingford”. St Mary-le-More Church, Market Place, 8:00pm.
18th – Adderbury – Brett & Karen Wiles “1940s Girl Guides”. The Institute, East Adderbury, 7:30pm.
18th – Bicester – Stephen Barker “Trench Humour in the First World War”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
18th – Goring Gap – Julian Rose “The local resource base for locals: Reclaiming our destinies”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.
18th – Kennington – Trevor Jackson “RAF Brize Norton – over 80 years of flying operations”. Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.
20th – Clanfield and Bampton – David Palfreyman “The Bampton Railway”. Carter Institute, Main Street, Clanfield, 7:30pm.
20th – Cropredy – Gill White “Bess of Hardwick and Hardwick Hall”. Village Hall, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.
20th – Littlemore – Timothy Walker “Oxford Botanic Garden: more than 400 years of history”. Giles Road Community Centre, 7:30pm.
20th – Harwell – Jane Card “The Gunpowder Plot: who, why and a tiny local link”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.
21st – Longworth – Sarah Somerville “A Guide’s Guide: working in historic houses in the 21st century”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
21st – Sibfords – A performance by the Launton Bellringers. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 7:30pm.
25th – Cumnor – Ann Ford “William Morris and his versatile Minor vehicles”. Old School, 7:30pm.
25th – Tackley – Neil Wilson “Transport and Tackley: Travellers tales – journeying to Tackley through the ages, from medieval times to the early days of the motor car”. Memorial Hall,
27th – Florence Park, Oxford – Olaf Bayer “The archaeology of East Oxford”. Florence Park Community Centre, East Oxford, 7:30pm.
28th – Aston – Simon Wenham “Crime and Punishment in Victorian Britain”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.
December 2024
3rd – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Mike Nicholas “Rorke’s Drift” . On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.
3rd – Henley – Catherine Sampson “Berkshire and South Oxfordshire Churches”. Chantry House, St Mary’s Church, 7:45pm.
5th – Longworth – Sean Callery “Christmas in the Cotswolds”. Southmoor Village Hall, 7:30pm.
6th – Bensington – “A Christmas Theme” (to be confirmed). Benson Parish Hall, 7:30pm.
9th – Chipping Norton – John Graves “The Romano-British Settlement in Chipping Norton”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
11th – British 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.
15th – Bicester – Ian Giles “Christmas Music & Song Through the Ages”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
16th – Goring Gap – Edward Casswell “The Bronze Age”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.
16th – Kennington – 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.
20th – Bicester – Simon Wenham “Poverty, Pestilence & Public Health in Victorian Britain”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
20th – Goring Gap – Melvin Seaborne “Morris Dancing. What is it and where did it come from?”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.
27th – Cumnor – Marie-Louise Kerr “Oxford’s pencillin: The forgotten WW2 story of the development of penicillin by scientists in Oxford. Old School, 7:30pm.
27th – Tackley – Charmian Knight “Frideswide of White Hill: A search for Tackley’s medieval neighbours”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.
February 2025
4th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Taylor Downing “The Army that Never Was – D Day and the Great Deception”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.
10th – Chipping Norton – Jonathan Maisey & Joe Duxbarry “The History of the Windrush Stone Quarries”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
12th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Sean Feast “The RAF Pathfinders”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.
24th – Cumnor – Martin Harris “My dad Francis Harris (1925-2010): Growing up in Cumnor and Farmoor”. Old School, 7:30pm.
24th – Tackley – Liz Woolley “Felicia Skene: Prison reformer and friend to the poor in Victorian Oxford”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.
27th – Aston – Trevor Jackson “The Oxford to Fairford Railway”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.
March 2025
4th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – James Goulty “The Path to Dien Bien Phu – The French in Indo China 1945-1954”. On-line talk, 7:30pm; e–mail zoom@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.
10th – Chipping Norton – AGM followed by Neil Datson “Elsie Corbett – Pioneering Nurse and Benefactress”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
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.
17th – Bicester – Nick Millea “The Message in the Map”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
24th – Tackley – John Harwood “The history of the role of Lord Lieutenancy”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.
27th – Aston – Mark Davies “Artists in Wonderland: the Pre-Raphaelites in Oxford”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.
31st – Cumnor – Ciaran Walsh “The ups and downs of Ruskin College: a history of the college”. Old School, 7:30pm.
April 2025
9th – British 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.
14th – Chipping Norton – Malcolm Rogers “The Broadway Colony of Artists and Writers”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
24th – Aston – AGM followed by Stephen Wass “The Peculiar History of Fishponds and Fishing in Oxfordshire”. Fellowship Centre, Cote Road, 7:30pm.
28th – Cumnor – Martin Buckland “Canal history: The world to Wiltshire from 502BC to the present day”. Old School, 7:30pm.
28th – Tackley – Anni Byard “Tackley: The dig at Gibralter Point”. Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.
May 2025
12th – Chipping Norton – Matthew Armitage “Tooley’s Boatyard, Banbury”. Methodist Church Hall, West Street, 2:00pm.
14th – British 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.
19th – Bicester – Stephen Wass “Garden Archaeology – a different kind of digging”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.
June 2025
11th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Ian Jones “Malice Aforethought – The History of the Booby Trap”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.
July 2025
9th – British Modern Military History Society (Woodcote) – Tony Bray “Manna from Heaven – The Story of Air Re-Supply”. Woodcote Village Hall, 7:30pm; e–mail info@bmmhs.org or check www.bmmhs.org for more details.
October 2025
15th – 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.
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