Saturday 7 March, 11:30am: Free screening of The Ultimate Survivor, the documentary by film maker Phil Hind to mark the centenary in 2011 of the Ultimate Picture Palace (UPP), the oldest cinema in Oxford and one of the oldest in the country. Part of this year’s National Lottery Open Week . Free, but booking is recommended. Book here for the film.
Sunday 8 March, 10:30am: Local historian Liz Woolley will give an illustrated talk, Dream Palaces: A history of the Ultimate Picture Palace and early cinema in Oxford, at the Ultimate Picture Palace cinema in Oxford. Part of this year’s National Lottery Open Week . Free, but booking is recommended. Book here for the talk.
Monday 9 March: The documentary film Olive Gibbs: A Remarkable Woman will be shown at Oxford Town Hall as part of this year’s 37th Oxford International Women’s Festival. Olive Gibbs was a redoubtable local Labour politician, peace campaigner, and founding member of CND. During her long political career she helped to stop the building of an inner relief road through Christ Church Meadow, prevented the mass clearance of housing in Jericho, and was instrumental in the demolition of the infamous Cutteslowe Walls. She protested against the Spanish Civil War with Denis Healey and later led anti-nuclear marches with Marc Bolan, Joan Baez and Donovan. The film, by BAFTA award-winning producer Helen Sheppard and film maker Chris Baines, explores Olive’s extraordinary life and legacy. The evening will start at 7:00pm and the film will be followed by a Q&A, light refreshments and a performance from the Oxford Ukrainian Choir. It will finish at around 9:30pm. Book your tickets here.
Wednesday 11 March: The Museum of Oxford’s popular series of lunchtime talks continues on , with historian (and OLHA committee member) Carol Anderson speaking on Over the Hills to Glory: The story of the Ascott Martyrs. In 1873, sixteen women from the Oxfordshire village of Ascott-under-Wychwood – two with their babies – were imprisoned for supporting agricultural labourers who were on strike over meagre wages, resulting in a public outcry. The Ascott Martyrs’ story sheds light on the conditions of Victorian agricultural labourers and their families, and on the early history of agricultural trade unionism in Oxfordshire. Further information and booking here.
Thursday 12 to Monday 30 March: 24 Men of Grandpont and Cold Harbour 1939-45, an exhibition to commemorate the men from South Oxford who died in the Second World War at the Westgate Library, Oxford. Gives a fascinating insight into the war and how it affected one small suburban community. Visitors can learn about what Oxford – and South Oxford – were like in this period, about women’s roles, and about wartime evacuees, and discover the stories of the local men who went to fight, their families and neighbours. Free and no need to book; further information here.
Sunday 15 March: Combe Mill near Long Hanborough re-opens for the 2026 season with a special ‘in steam’ event for Mothers’ Day. Combe Mill is the original sawmill and workshop of the Blenheim Palace Estate. Visitors to this working industrial museum can see all the machinery running under steam power, including the 1852 beam engine and boiler, line shafting and gearing, the forge, the lathe, and the 8ft-wide water wheel. There will be market stalls to browse, and a free cream tea for every mother accompanied by their child. Find out more about Combe Mill and its events programme here.
Friday 20 March: Historian Maurice East will present an illustrated talk Lost in the Woods: Rediscovering Slade Camp & Slade Park, a tale of university land, a local billionaire, Dunkirk, a housing crisis, the Youth Opportunities Scheme, and dog walking during covid. The talk will take place at 7pm at the Dean Court Community Centre, Botley, Oxford. Reserve your place here. (Entry on the day will be by cash only, with a suggested donation of at least £6 per person, all funds raised going to Against Breast Cancer Abingdon.)
Saturday 21 March: Launch of a new exhibition, Oxfordshire’s Military History in Fifty Objects, at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO) in Woodstock. Combining old favourites from the archives with some of the most recent donations to the museum’s collections, the display will illustrate milestones in the history of the two county regiments – the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars – as well as the impact that conflicts have had on the people of Oxfordshire. Find out more here.
Wednesday 25 March, 7:30pm: Archaeologist Matt Nichol will give a talk, Early Saxon activity at East Challow, at St John’s CE Primary School in Grove. Excavations in advance of a residential redevelopment at East Challow near Wantage have revealed evidence of an early Anglo-Saxon settlement comprising 16 buildings, pits, and the remains of two possible timber halls. Come and hear about these remarkable finds, and about how they may indicate a more extensive Anglo-Saxon settlement in the area. The talk is free but places are limited so booking is recommended.
Ongoing until 26 March: The Museum of Oxford celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025 with an exhibition entitled Our Oxford, 50 years, 50 stories. The display brings together fifty new stories about the heritage of the city, from a wide range of individuals and communities. Free entry.
Monday 6 April: Join historian Maurice East for an Easter walking tour, From Green Road to Captain Bob’s house. Participants will discover the remains of the Headington workhouse, lost shops, a forgotten pub, and the house of an 80s TV legend. The walk will finish at Headington Hill Hall, once the residence of Robert Maxwell. Find out more and book your place here.
Saturday 18 April, 7:30pm: Paul Whitton of Longworth & District History Society will give a special talk, A Tale of Three Chaucers: Their Oxfordshire Connections, at St Margaret’s Church, Church Road, Hinton Waldrist, SN7 8SA. Many of us know about Geoffrey Chaucer, his son Thomas, and granddaughter Alyce, but perhaps not about their importance to Oxfordshire. This illustrated talk will explore this family’s interesting connections with Oxford, Woodstock, Abingdon and Buckland. All welcome; no need to book.
Ongoing until 29 April 2026: The spirit of the place, an exhibition focusing on the lives of the staff and servants at Magdalen College, Oxford, from its foundation to the present day. On display in the Old Library every Wednesday from 2pm to 4:30pm (except for during the Christmas closure period). Private group visits at other times can be arranged by contacting the college librarians.
Ongoing throughout 2026: The year-long Warneford 200 – Mental Health Through the Ages project, marking 200 years of mental health care at the Warneford Hospital in Oxford, launched in January. The Warneford, which opened in July 1826, is the oldest psychiatric hospital still in clinical use in the UK. The Warneford 200 projects reflects on its long and complex history, recognising the experiences of patients, families, and staff whose stories have shaped the evolution of mental health care. Events running throughout 2026 include a short film, a traveling exhibition (currently at the Museum of Oxford until Saturday 21 March), an on-line exhibition, a theatre production, workshops, public lectures, and a garden installation, at locations all over Oxfordshire. Read more on the project website.
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. 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. 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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