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Upcoming events
Visit the Western Art Print Room
Friday 24th April
A visit has been arranged with the Ashmolean Western Art Print Room This will be curated by Dr. Caroline Palmer, Western Art Print Room Manager and will be a selection of views of Oxford.
Date and time: Friday 24th April at 2.15-3.15 pm. Meet at 2.00 (see below)
Room: The new Duce Room. Jude Barrett, Adult Programmes Creative Producer, will meet the group at the front door and escort you to this section of the Print Room.
Charge: £15 per person in cash on the day, collected by Sue Allmond (based on a minimum number of 10 attendees).
Maximum number of people: 15
Availability to non-member partners / spouses: priority will be given to Brookes Society members to attend the talk, because of the room number limit
Disability access: There are 25 steps down to the Print Room with no level access available.
Please book through: Hilary Currie at hcurrie038@gmail.com by April 14th if you would like to attend, as we need to provide numbers to the Western Print Room in advance of the visit.
Drinks on the Terrace – Victoria Arms, Old Marston, Oxford
Wednesday 20th May
An informal evening of ‘Drinks on the Terrace’ at the Victoria Arms, Old Marston. This is a friendly pub down by the River Cherwell with lovely views and dating back to the 17th century when it was a ferryman’s cottage. Owned by Butcombe Brewing Company, it serves classic pub food too’
Date and Time: Wednesday 20th May, from 7.00 pm. The pub is open until 11.00 pm.
Charge: pay as you go
Maximum number of people: none
Availability to non-member partners / spouses: all welcome
Disability access: Level access
Arranged by: Hilary Currie at hcurrie038@gmail.com. No need to book- just turn up!
Guided Educational Tour of Oxford Botanic Garden
Thursday 4th June
This walking tour in the grounds of Oxford Botanic Garden will be led by Dr Lauren Daly, Education Officer.
Lauren was our guide last year, when a group of us very much enjoyed a visit to Harcourt Arboretum. On this occasion, Lauren will focus on the research and conservation collections at the Botanic Garden. She informs us that June will be a stunning time to visit for this. Our tour will also include the Literary Garden (which details plants primarily associated with English literature). This area of the Garden used to include a well-loved Black Pine, associated with Tolkien, which sadly was felled in 2014. However, we will be able to see a sapling, grown from seed of the original tree. It was planted by the then Prince Charles in 2021. Oxford's black pine: From Tolkien's favourite tree to a royal sapling - BBC News
If space is available on the tour once members have booked, partners/spouses would be most welcome to attend as well.
Date and Time: Thursday June 4, 2026, 10:00 - 12:00.
Charge: This depends on the number of people attending. The total cost of the visit is £125, so if 20 people come, the cost would be £6.25 each. If 10 people come, the cost would be £12.50 each.
Maximum number of people: 20 (with proposed minimum of 10)
Disability access: Please see the following information on the Botanic Garden website: Botanic Garden | Access Guide
Travel Information: The Botanic Garden is well served by buses which stop close to the Garden. See, for example, Oxford Botanic Garden - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel. The nearest car park is St. Clements (a 5-minute walk from the Botanic Garden) St Clement's car park - Car Parks in Oxford | Oxford City Council
Please book through: Sandy Oldfield sjoldfield@oxfordbrookes.net
Introduction to the Brookes Special Collections
Tuesday June 30th.
Oxford Brookes Special Collections houses collections on art and architecture, publishing and church history. This talk for Brookes Society members will give a short introduction to these and then focus on the Steve Hare Collection of Penguin Books.
Steve was an Associate Lecturer at Brookes and amassed a collection of over 10,000 books, including 3,000 Penguin books published between 1935 and 1970. The founder of Penguin, Allen Lane, aimed to produce cheap and readily available books in large numbers. The Collection reveals developments in production, design and branding over the years.
It is hoped that members will meet each other over tea in the Student Forum between the two events.
Date and Time: Tuesday June 30th 2.00-2.45 p.m.
Room: the Special Collections Reading Room is in the basement of the Library in the John Henry Brookes Building, level -1
Charge: None
Maximum number of people: 40
Availability to non-member partners / spouses: priority will be given to Brookes Society members to attend the talk, because of the room number limit
Disability access: fully accessible
Please book through: Maggie Wilson at mavowilson@aol.co.uk by June 23rd
Talk by the Vice Chancellor, Helen Laville
Tuesday June 30th.
Helen joined Brookes on 1st August 2025. We will welcome her after being in office for nearly a year.
She was previously Pro Vice Chancellor at Manchester Metroplolitan University and Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Kingston University, following a 20-year career as Head of the School of English, Drama, American and Canadian Studies at the University of Birmingham. Her research focus was on American history.
She has an impressive track record in enhancing the research agenda, improving student outcomes, embedding employability into the curriculum, and leading strategic change and development.
Date and Time: Tuesday June 30th at 3.30 p.m.
Room: tbc in JHB building
Charge: none
Maximum number of people: 50
Availability to non-member partners / spouses: priority will be given to Brookes Society members to attend the talk, because of the room number limit
Disability access: fully accessible
Please book through: Maggie Wilson at mavowilson@aol.co.uk by June 23rd.
Possible visit to the Mini/BMW Plant in October 2026.
We are looking at a possible visit to the BMW mini plant in October 2026. There are a number of restrictions (for good reason it is a working factory) and minimum numbers.
Group tours are possible for up to 15 people per tour (Accompanying persons count as well). The price is per group. This would be approximately £18.00 per person. Can members let Hilary Currie know if this is of interest to members hcurrie038@gmail.com
Past events
As well as the annual party, events in recent years have included:
Post-Christmas Lunch at Victoria Arms, Oxford.
Ashmolean Western Art Print Room Visit
Dorchester Abbey Tour and Tea
Guided visit of Green Templeton College Gardens
Guided visit of Worcester College Gardens
Walking tour of Medieval Oxford
Visit to the History of Science Museum in Oxford
Tour of Western Art Print Room at the Ashmolean Museum
Guided visit to Christine Bainbridge Studio during Arts Week
Visits to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
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