BHS Notes
Heritage Search Oxfordshire
(A powerful search engine covering Oxfordshire and surrounds)
At an OLHA study day on "A History of Shops and Shopping", held in Bicester on Saturday 18th November 2023, our member Professor Brian Goodey found himself bowled over by the presentation on Heritage Search Oxfordshire, given by Mark Lawrence, one of its joint managers. This is a Search Engine that searches through the digitised records (including maps and images) held in all the Oxfordshire county archives, depositories and libraries. Thus it found 1356 documents pertaining to Cropredy. Nor was it confined to Oxfordshire, for there were 526 references to Middleton Cheney (including little known documents and photos), and 161 to Chacombe. Brian Goodey urges the curious to try it for themselves at https://heritagesearch.oxfordshire.gov.uk/.
Burton Dassett Church,
Sunday 16 July 2017, from 2:30pm
Interested in Local History?
Historical archaeologist Stephen Wass will be giving a talk on All Saints’, Burton Dassett, at the Church on Sunday 16 July from 2:30pm.
Dr. Stephen Wass is a professional freelance archaeologist who specialises in the archaeology of historic landscapes, working mainly with the National Trust, and cemeteries. In the past few years he has maintained a watching brief on the various works that have been undertaken in and around the churchyard of All Saints and will be talking about the results of these excavations.
Tickets are £10 to include light refreshments. Wine extra. Payment by Cash or Cheques acceptable payable to Burton Dassett PCC; BACS payments can be made to Burton Dassett PCC Sort code 55-70-33 Acc. no. 28544420. Reference: your name. To book, which helps with the catering, contact: Lynn Pearson: 01295 770580 or Chris Compton: 01295 770355 (E-mail: BDPCC-Sec@compton-family.eu)
Rosy Burke
Rosy Burke, a local creative artist who regularly exhibits at the Church Lane Gallery, Banbury and with the Chacombe Art Group in Chacombe Village Hall, has made a number of Videos and Slide Shows, all of which will entertain and some of which will inform with considerable Local Historical interest. I list some titles below, but the full list with active links can be found on her youtube website at: https://www.youtube.com/user/rosydesign1/videos?app=desktop
● Alcan - Sapa 2008, the MOVIE, Banbury 2008
● Alcan - Sapa 2008 - When there was fire in the furnace and power in the press.
● Banbury Christmas Event - Late Night Shopping in the old town centre on 12 Decomber 2019
● Banbury on a frosty evening.
● Banbury Hobby Horse Festival 2017 Slideshow
● Banbury Hobby Horse Festival Sunday 4th July 2010
● Banbury Hobby Horse Festival Saturday 3rd July 2010
● Banbury Halloween 2017
● Browse the independent shops in Parsons Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16
● The fine Lady Upon a White Horse - how she came to 'ride' to Banbury Cross.
● Banbury Old Town Party, Armed Forces Parade and St. Mary's Fete 2012.
etc. etc. etc.
(A weary knight - observed by ICW)
David Hitchcox
It is with sadness that we record the recent death of David Hitchcox, a long-term member of the Society, editor of Cake & Cockhorse for a decade between 1984 and 1994, and a member of the committee for several years afterwards. A host of memorable articles appeared in the magazine during his time as editor, including the late Ross Gilkes’s celebration of the life of Ted Brinkworth, Rob Kinchin-Smith on Staley’s Warehouse and the Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit’s report on Bridge Street and Mill Lane. David was the manager and subsequently owner of the branch in Church Lane of W Ekins the outfitters. The shop’s closure in 2003 was the subject of an article in the Banbury Guardian (15 January 2004) by Brian Little, which will be reproduced in the anthology of Brian’s writings, Banbury Remembered, to be published by the Society later this year. We extend our sympathy to David’s family.
The next Banbury Historical Society publication
"Banbury Remembered: looking back 1995-2019" is an anthology of about a hundred of more than 1200 articles written for the Banbury Guardian which were a hub for local history in the town and its neighbourhood for more than a quarter of a century. The book, edited by Dr Barrie Trinder, is now with the printers. It runs to more than 250 pages, and is well-illustrated and thoroughly indexed. We had hoped to launch the book in May, but the current emergency makes this impossible, and we look forward to its public appearance in the autumn.
(Barry Trinder, March 2020)
Harry Judge (1929-2019)
Few people did more to influence Banbury’s development in the twentieth century than Harry Judge who was appointed headmaster of Banbury Grammar School in 1962, and went on to transform the town’s educational system, being designated principal of Banbury School from 1967. He left the town in 1973 to direct the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Oxford, a post he held until 1988. He became one of the most respected educationalists of his time, sitting on numerous committees and commissions. Harry Judge’s family had roots in North Oxfordshire, although his father worked for the Great Western Railway and Harry was born and went to school in Cardiff before studying at Brasenose College, Oxford. He was a valued member of the committee of the Banbury Historical Society from 1963, and was elected a vice-president when he stood down. In 1977 he returned to Banbury to deliver to the Society a memorable lecture on ‘History, Politics and Education’. He described his time in Banbury in A Generation of Schooling: English Secondary Schools since 1944 (OUP, 1984). We extend the Society’s sympathy and best wishes to his widow and family.
BT (April, 2019)