Radley History Club

A Man and his Shed – Herbert George Mullard and the Cowley Concrete Company, 1895 to 1976
2024-10-14 19:30 - 20:45 (Europe/London) | Radley Church, Church Road, Radley, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 2JN
Speaker: Martin Buckland
Martin tells the story of the company ‘Bert’ Mullard started in his shed in Cowley in 1923 but soon moved to north Abingdon to a site that is now the Radley Green estate. Bert was active in local government and a generous benefactor to the town. Martin has a keen interest in industrial archaeology and is a volunteer with Didcot Railway Centre, the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust and Abingdon Museum.
Visitors are very welcome to attend our meetings (suggested donation £3).
Doors open at 7 pm.

Oral History Group presentation on ‘Radley during Covid’
2024-09-09 19:30 - 21:00
Early in 2022 the Group started recording a series of interviews to capture memories about the effect of the Covid pandemic on people in Radley as a record for future generations. This talk presents the common themes uncovered and the insights gained from these recordings.
Visitors are very welcome to attend our meetings (suggested donation £3).
Doors open at 7 pm.
The talk will follow the short Annual General Meeting. If you’re coming just for the talk, please arrive before 7.30 when the AGM starts.

2024 Annual General Meeting
2024-09-09 19:30 - 19:45
The 26th Annual General Meeting of Radley History Club
This will be followed by a talk from the Club’s Oral History Group about its recent project ‘Radley during Covid’. Details of the talk

Highways and Byways: The History of our Footpaths
2024-07-08 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Bob Evans
Almost all of us walk or have used footpaths. Their current state and status reflects their usage in the past and the changing values we have set upon them. Bob examines the when, how and why of our rights of way, with special reference to the Abingdon area. Bob lives in Sunningwell and was Regius Professor of History at Oxford University.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

CHANGE TO PROGRAMME: From the Valleys to the Spires: how the Welsh came to Oxford
2024-06-10 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Sharron Jenkinson

In her talk, Sharron draws on research for her book about the history of the Oxford Welsh Male Voice Choir written to celebrate its 90th anniversary. The talk goes significantly beyond just the choir in discussing the social history behind its formation in 1928 and its links to the Morris works at Cowley. Sharron is a former teacher, married to a Welshman. She and her husband are founder members of another Oxfordshire local history group, Steventon History Society.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Morris’ Motopolis: the motor works and the transformation of Oxford
2024-05-13 19:30 - 21:00
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 he teaches courses on the Victorian period.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Tea, Coffee and Chocolate: how the British first fell in love with caffeine
2024-04-08 19:30 - 21:00
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. Melanie is a full-time writer specialising in historical non-fiction.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Rose Hill: an Oxford suburb of surprising contrasts and great historical interest
2024-03-11 19:30 - 21:00
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 specialising in aspects of Oxford and Oxfordshire, with a particular interest in the city’s ‘town’ as opposed to ‘gown’.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Tracing Roots: a beginner’s guide to unearthing your UK family history
2024-02-12 19:30 - 21:00
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 past, together. James is chairman of the Abingdon Branch of the Berkshire Family History Society.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

CHANGE TO PUBLISHED PROGRAMME: Famous Local Folk - blue plaques of South Oxfordshire
2024-01-08 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Marie-Louise Kerr

Have you ever spotted a Blue Plaque in the area and wondered about the person to whom it is dedicated, what their life was like and why they are important? The talk will discuss the variety of famous and infamous folk who lived in South Oxfordshire and the impact they had on British society and the world. Marie-Louise is an experienced museum curator caring for a wide variety of collections, and describes herself as ‘a curator without a museum’.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Glimpses of the Other Oxford through the Eyes of a Victorian Mission
2023-11-13 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Emily Greig
Oxford’s population grew rapidly in the second half of the 19th century as streets of densely packed terrace houses were built on the fields of east Oxford. Emily describes how the Oxford City Mission in Cowley sought to improve the lives of the area’s poor. Emily is a local historian who lives in Oxford.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Apples! The Myth and Mystery of England's Favourite Fruit
2023-10-09 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Tim Healey
Tim presents many fascinating facts about apples covering myths about apples, the history of apples, apple rituals, working with apples, and local varieties. Tim is a broadcaster, musician and writer.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Cemeteries of Oxford – More than a Century of History
2023-09-11 19:45 - 21:00
Speaker: Trevor Jackson
Oxford today has four municipal cemeteries plus a number of parish cemeteries and churchyards. Trevor tells the story of the development and closure of cemeteries in the city over the years. Trevor was Oxford City Council’s Manager of Cemeteries for 12 years following his retirement from the RAF.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £3.00 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
The talk follows the short Annual General Meeting of Radley History Club.
Doors open at 7 pm

Annual General Meeting
2023-09-11 19:30
The 25th Annual General Meeting of Radley History Club
This will be followed by a talk from Trevor Jackson on the more than a century of history of the cemeteries of Oxford. Details of the talk

50 Years in the Thames Valley Police Force
2023-07-10 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Christine Bovingdon-Cox
Christine joined the Thames Valley Police Force in 1973 and worked in various departments including Child Abuse Investigation, Major Crime, Counter-Terrorism, Protection for the Royal Family and Members of Parliament, and Professional Standards. In recognition of her remarkable career, Christine received a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Six Warrior Women of the English Civil Wars, 1642-1651
2023-06-12 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Stephen Barker
During the English Civil War, women were not meek bystanders who took no part in the conflict but actively participated in a variety of ways, challenging the orthodoxies of their day and perhaps our own preconceptions. This talk looks briefly at six women who took part in the fighting, undertook spying missions and negotiated deals with politicians. Stephen is an independent Heritage Advisor who works with museums, universities and other heritage organisations to design exhibitions and make funding applications.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Growing up in a 1950s Corner Shop
2023-05-08 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Josie Midwinter
Josie’s parents, Henry and Esther, ran Midwinter’s Grocery Shop in Didcot opposite the railway station where Josie grew up. Josie describes her memories of her childhood there and the role of corner shops at that time. Josie, a retired minister in the Church of England, has returned to her roots in Didcot for her retirement.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm
After Josie’s talk, there will be drinks and nibbles for everyone to mark the Coronation.

The History of Oxford University
2023-04-03 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Alastair Lack
Alastair read modern history at University College Oxford. After a career working for the BBC, he now lives in Oxford where he is a Green Badge Guide. Alastair is thus well-placed to present what might be called a ‘whistlestop stop tour’ of the history of Oxford University.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm
Note the change of day from the usual pattern: to avoid Easter Monday this talk is on the first Monday and not the second Monday of the month.

The History of the Radley Lakes area up to 2000
2023-03-13 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Richard Dudding
Until commercial gravel extraction began after World War II, the area known today as the Radley Lakes was farmland. Richard, Club archivist and secretary of the Radley Lakes Trust, describes the history of the area from the Iron Age to 2000.
Many thousands of years ago, a very different River Thames deposited gravel in the Radley Lakes area, making it attractive for early human settlement. Following World War Two this same gravel was extracted, but before then the area was mainly agricultural. Richard’s talk charts this history, starting before the Romans arrived and finishing around 2000, just before the Save Radley Lakes campaign. Along the way, it describes fisheries for Abingdon Abbey, the growth and decline of the settlement at Thrupp, changing land ownership, the impact of the railways, and the transition from farming to gravel workings. It ends with pictures of the Lakes area today, showing how some familiar landscapes have been shaped by past events.
Richard Dudding is secretary of the Radley Lakes Trust and formerly chair of Radley History Club where he is now archivist. His talk offers a preview of the history chapter of a forthcoming book on the Radley Lakes story.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

Thames Bridges between Oxford and Abingdon
2023-02-13 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Keith Parry
After the Norman conquest major bridges across the Thames were established at Oxford, Abingdon and Wallingford, initially as wooden structures and later as stone. Keith’s talk focuses on the older road bridges, particularly those in Oxford, Grandpont and Oseney, and Abingdon. Keith is a voluntary researcher at the Maidenhead Heritage Centre and a trustee of The Historic Towns Trust.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

The History of the Railway from Didcot to Oxford
2023-01-09 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Laurence Waters
Laurence draws on his extensive knowledge of local railway lines to tell us the history of the railway from Didcot to Oxford. Laurence has written several books about the Great Western Railway, the latest being Railways of Oxford: A Transport Hub that Links Britain. He is the Photo Archivist of the Great Western Trust at Didcot Railway Centre.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

From Axtell to Zacharias: the Men who built Oxford
2022-11-14 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Liz Woolley
The talk examines some of the characters involved in the city’s enormous expansion during the Victorian period including builders, architects, property developers and landlords. Fortunes were made, reputations were lost, regulations were ignored, and political careers were boosted. Liz is a local historian specialising in aspects of Oxford and Oxfordshire, with a particular interest in the city’s ‘town’ as opposed to ‘gown’.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm.

Keble College and The Light of the World by Holman Hunt
2022-10-10 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Lizzy Rowe
Lizzy looks at the origins of Keble College and tells some of the fascinating stories about its early days, focusing in particular on The Light of the World, the famous painting by William Holman Hunt that hangs in its Chapel. Lizzy teaches art history and leads guided tours of Oxford city centre and the Ashmolean Museum.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
Doors open at 7 pm

CHANGE TO PUBLISHED PROGRAMME: A Guide's Guide: Working in Historic Houses in the 21st century
2022-09-12 19:45 - 21:00
Speaker: Sarah Somerville
Sarah is the Visitor Services Officer at Shaw House, a Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house situated on the northern edge of Newbury and managed by West Berkshire Council as a visitor attraction and conference centre. As well as guiding tours of the house, Sarah manages events held at Shaw House and the gift shop there. Her talk highlights the varied skills needed to work in a historic house seeking to pay its way while being part of the local community in the 21st century.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated.
The talk will follow the AGM. Please arrive at 7.30 pm to allow a seamless transition from the AGM to the talk.

Annual General Meeting
2022-09-12 19:30 - 19:45
The 24th Annual General Meeting of Radley History Club
This will be followed by a talk from Sarah Somerville on working as a guide in a historic house in the 21st century. Details of the talk

The Great Stink! Engineers, sewerage systems and the Victorian battle against dirt
2022-07-11 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Tom Crook
The talk discusses the notorious ‘Great Stink’ of summer 1858 in London, its causes and the approach adopted to combat the problem. Tom is a Senior Lecturer in Modern British History at Oxford Brookes University.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated

NEW DATE: The Land of the White Eagle: The Story of Poland
2022-06-13 19:30 - 21:00
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.
This is the talk originally scheduled for October 2021.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated
Programme change: The talk by Liz Woolley, From Axtell to Zacharias: the men who built Oxford, originally advertised for 13 June will now take place on 14 November 2022.

Members' interests
2022-05-09 19:30 - 21:00
A chance for members to tell us about a person, place, event or object of interest to them which they’ve researched and wish to share their findings with us.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated

‘Professors of Rowing’: The early Oxford-Cambridge Boat Races
2022-04-11 19:30 - 21:00
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 Oxford, with a particular focus on the city’s waterways.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated

Poor Law in the 18th Century: the crisis in the parishes
2022-03-14 19:30 - 21:00
Speaker: Deborah Hayter
The talk discusses the reasons for the increasing struggle by many parishes during the 18th century to pay the poor rate to growing numbers of poor people, and the variety of schemes they adopted to try to ‘balance the books’. Deborah is a tutor at Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education, specialising in rural and landscape history.
Non-members welcome – a donation of £2.50 towards the meeting costs would be appreciated
