17^th September 2018

AGM followed by The Extraordinary Women of Bicester
St Edburg's Heritage Group

This talk will put the heritage group in context, and then will be based on the research that the group and the community groups who supported St Edburg's Heritage Open Day (8 September) have done to celebrate and recognize those women of our community who have either achieved greatness in their field or have simply been wonderful and supportive neighbours. Women whose stories have never been told - until now! The group consists of Julie Cordingly, Gill King, Janet Puddick and Victor Puddick.

15^th October 2018

“The Bicester Gang” and other stories of Oxford Castle – including a personal Norman, Indian and local association
Mark Davies

Oxford Castle has experienced a relatively uneventful past, in the sense of its military or royal importance, but when told through the exploits of some of its more colourful prisoners (and indeed its gaolers), its relevance comes vividly to life – and death! From the Civil War onwards, these mainly 17th- and 18th-century tales of imprisonment, hard labour, transportation, escape, and execution reveal the extremes of human cruelty, desperation and ingenuity – Bicester residents included! Oxford local historian Mark Davies, author of Stories of Oxford Castle: from Dungeon to Dunghill, will outline some of the more interesting cases, and his own surprising discovery of a family history which connects the first Norman governors of Oxford Castle with both Bicester and India.

19^th November 2018

Oxfordshire in 50 Objects
Stephen Barker

Fifty fascinating objects, each telling a unique story, and brought together to celebrate Oxfordshire Museums Service’s half century. Chosen by community groups and members of the Service past and present, this exhibition showcases Oxfordshire's rich heritage through the memories, experiences and interests of people from across the county. I curated the exhibition on behalf of the Service.

17^th December 2018

Christmas Social

21^st January 2019

Churches have memories - the memorials of St Edburg's Church
Christopher Young

18^th March 2019

Common Right to Private Property: how enclosure shaped the Oxfordshire landscape
Deborah Hayter

This talk looks at how, why and when medieval field patterns, which had lasted in many places for a thousand years, were swept away to create a ‘mass-produced, drawing-board landscape.

15^th July 2019

1066: Oxfordshire and the Norman Conquest
Julie Ann Godson

So many of the key events surrounding the Norman invasion of Anglo-Saxon England in 1066 took place in modern Oxfordshire. It was an event which changed the country forever. And from the birth of a prince to the formal surrender after the Battle of Hastings, Oxfordshire frequently provided the background for the board-room take-over which was the Norman Conquest of England. Enjoy a not-too-serious romp through the most tumultuous ever period of England's history.