Speaker: Karen Wiles Karen explores why rationing was necessary in WW2, how the rationing system worked, what was on ration and what foods were off ration. She talks about some of the surprising things the Ministry of Food tried to get people to eat, the Dig for Victory campaign and how people keeping chickens, rabbits […]

Speaker: James Thornber Discover the roots of your family tree with our guide to genealogy in the UK. James will explain how to navigate public records, censuses and parish registers, explore online resources like Ancestry and Findmypast, and discuss strategies for connecting with relatives and distant cousins. Let's embark on this exciting journey into your […]

Speaker: Liz Woolley Rose Hill is generally known as a 20th-century outer suburb of Oxford, yet the area was first settled in the Early Iron Age. Liz tells us about the area’s long history, its maze of narrow lanes, Oxford’s earliest surviving Methodist chapel and the housing developments of the 1930s. Liz is a local historian […]

Speaker: Melanie King Tea, coffee and chocolate play an important part in the modern British diet. Yet all three caused anxiety and debate when they arrived in London in the 1650s. Melanie explains why Europeans were at first so terrified of these drinks and describes some of ways they were consumed in the 18th century. […]

Simon describes the importance of the Morris Motor Works founded by William Morris (Lord Nuffield) and the massive impact on the city of Oxford during the interwar period as his business became the largest British car producer at that time. Simon is a member of the part-time tutor panel of Oxford University’s Continuing Education Department, where […]