Past Meetings

A full listing of topics/meetings and other activities of the Society, in chronological order since its foundation in 2008, may be found here

Below is a listing in reverse chronological order with, where available, a full report or summary of the talks’ contents.   

2022

Meeting & Talk 16th May - Spring Meeting followed by Talk by Liz Woolley : “Leisure and Entertainment in Victorian and Edwardian Oxford”  

2021

Because of the on-going effects of the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, the Society was unable to hold any meetings in 2021. 

As a result the Society’s 2020/2021 AGM has yet to be held.

2020

Meeting & Talk 21st January  -  The History of the Army at Didcot : Milton Depot and Sutton Courtenay.

The meetings scheduled or provisionally scheduled for the remainder of 2020 (listed below) had to be postponed in the light of Government advice about public gatherings and social distancing, etc in response to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.  

Meeting & Talk 24th MarchTalk by John Boothroyd : "Power in the Landscape: Anglo-Saxons between Abingdon and Dorchester" - POSTPONED

AGM & Talks 12th May - POSTPONED

Meeting & Talk 22nd September - Talk by Timothy Walker : “What have plants done for us?”- POSTPONED

Tuesday 10th November 2020 - Talk - POSTPONED

2019

Meeting & Talk 12th November - A 17th Century Christmas

Meeting & Talk 24th September - History of Harcourt Arboretum

Meeting & Talk 20th June - House of Wessex Project

Visit to Waterperry Gardens - Sunday 16th June

AGM & Open Forum 14th May

Meeting & Talk 26th March - Early Women Professional Gardeners

Meeting & Talk 22nd January - Abingdon’s Medieval Bridges

2018

Meeting & Talk 13th November - Harwell through the Camera Lens

Meeting & Talk 25th September - The Lost Villages of Oxfordshire 

Visit to Nuffield Place 19th June

AGM & Open Forum 10th May - Presentations on “Focus on Sutton Courtenay - Pictures that tell a story."

Meeting & Talk 13th March - James Sadler of Oxford: The First English Aeronaut 

Meeting & Talk 23rd February - Morris’ Motopolis: the Motor Works and Transformation of Oxford

2017

Meeting & Talk 14th November - Martin Way : The Golden Age of Stage Coaching

Meeting & Talk 26th September - John Boothroyd : The Archaeology of Bridge Farm, Sutton Courtenay 2006 - 2017

Visit to Oxford Botanic Gardens 5th July 

AGM & Talk 17th May - Tim Healey : Pagans & Puritans - The Story of May Morning in Oxfordshire

Meeting & Talk 28th March - Laurence Waters : "The History of Local Railways and the impact on the area”

Meeting & Talk 24th January - Brigadier Robin Draper CVO OBE : "Redcoats to Riflemen: the County Regiment’s Story from 1741”

2016

Meeting & Talk 22nd November - Tim Healey : "Drove Roads of Oxfordshire and beyond”

Meeting & Talk 27th September - Timothy Walker : "The Oxford Botanic Gardens: the first 393 years”

Visit to Merchant’s House and Abingdon Abbey 9th July

AGM & Talk 18th May - John Talbot : “What’s in a Name?"

Meeting & Talk 22nd March - Liz Woolley : "Children's Experiences of the Second World War in Oxfordshire

Visit to Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum 16th March

Meeting & Talk 26th January - Mary Thompson and Clare Simpson : "Contrasting Schooldays in Sutton Courtenay from the Victorian School to Courtenay Lodge School

2015

Meeting & Talk 10th November - Mary Gould : "A Gallop through Abingdon’s History"

Meeting & Talk 29th September - Stephen Barker : "Oxford and area during the Civil War"

Visit to Ewelme 5th July

Visits of Other Local History Societies - July 

AGM & Talk 19th May - Richard O. Smith : "Eccentric Oxford: A History of Mischief and Mayhem"

Meeting & Talk 24th March - Simon Wenham :  "The History of Salters Steamers"

Meeting & Talk 27th January - Bill King : "The Roman Invasions, Occupation and Colonisation of Britain"

2014

Evening of Remembrance 8th November

Meeting & Talk 23rd September - Andrew Sargent : "The History of the River Thames"

Visit to Chalgrove 24th July

Visit to Harwell 19th June

AGM & Talk 13th May - Malcolm Lock : "A Victorian of Sutton Courtenay Remembers: The Life of Henry Lock 1875-1963"

Meeting & Talk 25th March - Liz Woolley : “Child Labour in 19th Century Oxfordshire”

Meeting 28th January - "Family Histories"

2013

Meeting & Talk 12th November - Martin Way : "Tin Helmets and Gas Masks"

Meeting & Talk 14th September - Shaun Morley : "Time out of Mind : Customs and Rituals of 19th Century Oxfordshire"

Visit to Abingdon County Museum 24th July

Guided Visit to Wallingford 13th June - Judy Dewey

AGM & Talk: “History of Wilts & Berks Canal"

Meeting & Talk by Judy Dewey - "Wallingford: Royal Stronghold of the Middle Thames Valley”

Meeting & Talk - The History of Didcot Power Station

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Similar brief summaries of talks and activities during the previous five years since the Society’s founding can be found via these links:

2012

2010-11

2008-09


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