Speaker: John Lowe John tells the story of how major fires and efforts to tackle them over more than ten centuries affected Oxford, including the tragic fire that led to the formation of the Oxford Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1870. John Lowe served as a firefighter in the Oxford City and Oxfordshire brigades for more […]

Speaker: Hubert Zawadzki Hubert’s parents came to Britain with the Polish Armed Forces during WW2. Hubert describes his father’s time in a forced labour camp, his service with the Polish Army during the Battle of Normandy in 1944 and his return to Scotland where Hubert was born.  Dr Zawadzki, a former history teacher at Abingdon […]

Speaker: Mike Hurst Mike describes the range of railway activities in southern England and France during WW1, including the transport and care of the wounded back to Blighty with examples from south Oxfordshire and west Berkshire. Mike is a committed railway enthusiast and volunteer for local heritage railways. Visitors are very welcome to attend our […]

Speaker: Stephen Wass Stephen explains how recent discoveries in historic gardens using archaeological techniques have allowed a better understanding of their construction and development. Stephen Wass is a freelance consultant specialising in historic gardens and a member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. Visitors are very welcome to attend our meetings (suggested donation £3). Doors […]

Speaker: Victoria Bentata Victoria links people and places in Oxford to the happenings and thinly disguised characters such as the Dodo in Lewis Carroll’s famous book, Alice in Wonderland. Victoria lives in Radley and is an Oxford Green Badge Tour guide and member of the Oxford Guild of Tour Guides. Visitors are very welcome to attend […]