Ongoing: The Museum of Oxford continues its popular series of free gallery tours, Stories of Oxford, led by knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. From football to fairgrounds, marmalade to Morris Motors, patron saints to pubs, barges, bones, and all types of quirky customs, there’s something to interest everyone. The next tours are at 1pm on Saturday 6, Thursday 11, Saturday 27, Tuesday 30 April. Further information and booking here.
Saturdays, ongoing: Tours of Oxford’s magnificent Town Hall take place twice a month on Saturdays at 11am. These are a great opportunity to see behind the scenes and to learn about the building’s fascinating history. The next tours are on 6 and 20 April. Find out more here.
Wednesdays, ongoing: The Museum of Oxford’s series of city walks led by local historians, every Wednesday at 2pm from April to September. Further information and booking here.
Wednesday 24 April, 1:30pm: The next lunchtime talk at the Vale & Downland Museum in Wantage will be Foundries of the Vale & Downs. Find out about the role foundries played in rural society, the metals and methods used, and local examples. The presentation will end with a demonstration of mould making and metal casting. Further information and booking here.
Thursday 25 April, 4:00pm: at the University Faculty of History, George Street, Oxford, Making History Here: Community History in Oxfordshire, the second in a series of discussion events called Who Makes History? organised by the Community History Hub at the University of Oxford. The series explores new directions pioneered by community historians and academics working in partnership, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing historians, and the impact of community history methodologies on university research, teaching and public understanding of ‘history’ as an academic subject. Free; find out more and book your place here.
Friday 26 April, 7pm: Oxford historian and retired fireman John Lowe will give a talk on The history of fires and firefighting in Oxford, at Rewley Road Fire Station. John’s talk with cover events from the 10th to the 21st centuries, and the former Oxford City Volunteer Fire Brigade steam fire engine Victoria (above), which dates from 1887, will be on display. Find out more here.
Saturday 4 May, 7.30pm: Local historian, author, and Lewis Carroll Society trustee Mark Davies will give a talk Alice’s Adventures in Oxford at St Giles’s Church in Oxford. On this significant day for both the fictional and the real Alice (the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church), Mark will explain the factual background and inspiration for the story of Alice, and outline some of Lewis Carroll’s less well-known connections with local institutions such as Lucy’s Iron Foundry, St John’s College, and a floating chapel on the Oxford Canal. Find out more and book tickets here.
Saturday 11 May: Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education will host a day school at Rewley House in Wellington Square, Making Oxford: People and Communities in the Modern City. The event is both a showcase and a celebration of the rich diversity of Oxford’s many histories, particularly those tied to places, faiths, cultures, trades and the city’s migrant communities. Further information and booking here.
Thursday 16 May, 5:00pm: at the Asian Cultural Centre, Manzil Way, Oxford, Making a Difference: Community History and Social Change, the third in a series of discussion events called Who Makes History? organised by the Community History Hub at the University of Oxford. The series explores new directions pioneered by community historians and academics working in partnership, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing historians, and the impact of community history methodologies on university research, teaching and public understanding of ‘history’ as an academic subject. Free; find out more and book your place here.
Tuesday 21 May, 10am-1pm: Plan! Plans! Plans! at the Museum of Oxford, a chance to see some more of the thousands of building plans which are stored in the basement of Oxford’s Town Hall. This treasure trove contains architects’ drawings and plans going back to the 1880s of every kind of building in the city – private houses, public buildings, factories, pubs, shops, cinemas, ice rinks, churches, housing estates, and many more. Come and explore these fascinating documents; learn about how we are cataloguing this vast resource; and find out whether we hold the plans for your own house! Free entry, all welcome, no booking required.
Thursday 23 May, 6:30pm: .As part of Local History Month, the Museum of Oxford is hosting Can you make history?, a chance to learn about and, if you like, get involved in recreating, three important incidents from Oxford’s past, whose 90th anniversaries are being commemorated this year: the Florence Park rent strike, the Pressed Steel strike, and the building of the infamous Cutteslowe Walls. This is a free event, open to all. No need to book. Find out more here.
Ongoing until Monday 27 May: Eynsham Museum and Heritage Centre is open, with its special exhibition Eynsham’s Lost Railway. A working model of Eynsham station as it was in 1958 is on display, with a video showing the last passenger train, artefacts, and an exhibition illustrating the beginnings of the Witney line in 1861 to its closure by GWR in 1970. Entry is free. Find out more here.
Saturday 1 June, 11am: Hidden Heritage Graffiti walk around Oxford with Nina Holguin of the Oxford Preservation Trust. Further information and booking here.
Ongoing until Saturday 29 June: an exhibition at the Museum of Oxford called Oxford Digs In: Our Food Stories. Working closely with local community groups, Oxford Digs In: Our Food Stories is a project exploring the journey ‘from farm to fork’, encompassing the history of allotments, famous Oxford foods, local shops and markets, cultural practices, feasts and gatherings, and preparing, cooking and preserving food. Oxford Digs In will bring Oxford’s food heritage to life through displays in the museum’s galleries and with a special events programme.
Saturday 13 July, 11am: Straight Line Archaeology: from the Parks to the Meadows, a guided walk around Oxford with archaeologist Julian Munby, organised by the Oxford Preservation Trust. Further information and booking here.
Sunday 20 October, 10am to 4pm: Thame Museum will be holding its second History Fair at Thame Town Hall. There will be stalls, activities for all ages and associated events. There are still some spaces for stallholders so if any group would like to participate please contact the organisers.
Saturday 26 October: The Oxfordshire Family History Society will be holding their annual Family History Fair at Cherwell School, Marston Ferry Road, Oxford. This will be an opportunity to get help with your research, chat to subject experts, and browse a wide variety of stalls. Free and open to all. Find out more here.
If you know of any relevant events which could be advertised on this page, please send details to: membership@olha.org.uk
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