Speaker: Tom Crook Tom is a lecturer on modern British history at Oxford Brookes University. His talk discusses the notorious ‘Great Stink’ of summer 1858 in London, its causes and the approach adopted to combat the problem of vast amounts of untreated human waste and industrial effluent entering the Thames.  

Speaker: Mark Davies The talk details the early history of this famous and competitive event, highlighting the unusual alliance of Town & Gown in the crucial role played by the Thames’ watermen and boatbuilders in equipping and training the early Oxford crews. Mark is a local author and guide specialising in the history of non-university […]

A presentation from the Club's Oral History Group drawing on information from the 'Radley Remembered' series of interviews in the Club's oral history recordings Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated. The talk will follow the AGM, which will start at 7.30 pm.  Please arrive for the talk […]

Speaker: Hubert Zawadzki The talk describes the turbulent and complex history of Poland from its medieval origins to the present day. Dr Zawadzki, a former history teacher at Abingdon School and a member of Wolfson College Oxford, is the joint author of A Concise History of Poland and has appeared on BBC programmes involving Poland. […]

Speaker: Timothy Walker The Harcourt Arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay was founded in 1835 by the Harcourt family and annexed to the University of Oxford Botanic Garden in 1963. The talk looks at the 180-year history of the site and some of the highlights of the 130-acre Arboretum. Timothy is a former director of the Oxford […]