Author Archives: Joyce Huddleston

Club visit to Radley Church

On Monday 8th August 2016, around 50 members and guests enjoyed an evening tour of St James the Great, Radley, on a pleasant summer’s evening, followed by refreshments in the vicarage garden. The Church is probably the oldest building in the village and Radley Vicarage is possibly the oldest building in the country to have been in continuous use as the home of a church’s incumbent.

After a short introduction to the Church building by Club chairman, Richard Dudding, people split into two groups for separate tours of the churchyard with Rita and Brian Ford or the interior of the Church with Felicity Henderson and Revd Pam McKellen (vicar of the benefice of Radley, Sunningwell and Kennington). The groups swapped tours before everyone moved to the front garden of the vicarage to listen to a short introduction to the vicarage exterior by Richard Dudding. Cheese and wine or an elderflower cup in the back garden of the vicarage rounded off the evening.

All the tour leaders had contributed chapters to Radley History Club’s forthcoming book, The Story of a Village Church St James the Great, Radley. The visit acted as a ‘taster’ for the book, which will go on sale, price £12.00, at an exhibition in the Church on 1–2 October.

Start of the tour with the church and the vicarage in the background

Felicity Henderson talks about the interior of the Church

Brian and Rita Ford lead the tour of the churchyard, pausing by the Cavalier's Tomb — Brian and Rita Ford lead the tour of the churchyard, pausing by the Cavalier’s Tomb

Richard Dudding tallks about the exterior of Radley Vicarage — Richard Dudding talks about the exterior of Radley Vicarage

Exhibition: Radley People & the Railway

Over 300 people visited the Club’s exhibition in Radley Village Hall on 2nd and 3rd November 2013 about the railway in Radley, its history, the people who used it and the people who worked on it. They were also able to enjoy refreshments provided by Radley WI and to buy a copy of the Club’s new book, Radley People & the Railway 1843-2013, written by Club chairman Christine Wootton with contributions from members and others.

Richard Tolley opens the railway exhibition (pictured alongside the master of ceremonies, Eric Blanks, and Club chairman, Christine Wootton

The exhibition was opened by Richard Tolley, a former engine driver on the branch line from Radley to Abingdon (affectionately known as ‘The Bunk’) who blew his whistle and waved his green flag in the railway’s traditional signal. Richard is pictured alongside the ‘stationmaster’ for the day, Eric Blanks, and Club chairman, Christine Wootton.

The displays were put together by Club members, Rita and Brian Ford. The collection of railway memorabilia included the ‘Radley’ nameplate normally on show at the shop at Radley College.

'Radley' train nameplate — ‘Radley’ train nameplate

A highlight of the exhibition was the working model of the Abingdon Branch layout built and operated by members of Abingdon and District Model Railway Club. The model shows what Abingdon station looked like before it closed to passenger traffic in 1963 and before Waitrose arrived.

Abingdon branch layout by Abingdon and District Railway Club

The full layout of the Abingdon Branch line

The exhibition was based primarily on photographs and other material from the Club’s archives, Club members and local railway enthusiasts. One series of photographs showed the impressive array of buildings at Radley Station in 1957 – now all long since gone – and another the stages in the replacement of the bridge over the railway carrying the road to Lower Radley in November 1983.

DIsplay of photographs of Radley Station in 1957 — Display of photographs of Radley Station in 1957

Display of photographs showing the replacement of the bridge to Lower Radley in November 1983idge in — Display of photographs showing the replacement of the bridge to Lower Radley in November 1983

Visitors were greeted by a team of Club members dressed for the part - from left to right: Eric Blanks (stationmaster), Brian Ford (porter), Tony Rogerson (engine driver) and Denis Standen (Isambard Kingdom Brunel).

Visitors were greeted by a team of Club members dressed for the part. Left to right: Eric Blanks (stationmaster), Brian Ford (porter), Tony Rogerson (engine driver) and Denis Standen (Isambard Kingdom Brunel).

Oxford Mail article on the railways book – the book featured on the centre pages of the Oxford Mail of 11 August 2014 in a spread entitled ‘Trains, plain-clothes men and royal visitors’.

Exhibition: Radley Farms and Families 1600-2011

The exhibition in Radley Village Hall on 16-17 July 2011 told the story of Radley’s farms and families, past and present. Radley once had at least 17 farms, now it has just two – Peach Croft Farm and Lower Farm. The Club’s new book, Radley Farms and Families 1600-2011, charts the story of Radley’s farms and families over more than four centuries.

Display of old farming implements at the exhibition

The displays featured material from the Club archives on various farms (Walsh’s, Minchin’s, Wick, Pumney, Neat Home, Peach Croft, Park End, Church, Sugworth, Gooseacre, Home, Thrupp), the Stonhouse family, Radley people, farmhouses in the village, farming methods through the ages and aerial photographs of Radley. Rita and Brian Ford brought along many items from their collection of agricultural implements and memorabilia.

Over 300 people visited the exhibition during the course of the two days.
“A very interesting exhibition which has brought back some lovely memories”
“Very professional – an excellent farming history”

Exhibition: History of Radley Primary School

Reunions and memories were the order of the day for many of the several hundred visitors who came to Radley History Club’s exhibition on 12/13 July 2008 on the history of Radley Church of England Primary School. The School has been part of the village of Radley for over 150 years and its history is typical of that of many rural schools in the area.

Enlarged section of Ordnance Survey Map 1875 showing the layout of the school area at that time

Held in the Old School Building (first built in 1872 and extended in 1892), the exhibition used maps, photos, copies of old documents, press cuttings and extracts from the school’s log books to move through the ages from the school’s development in the 19th century, the early years of the 20th century, the 1940s/1950s, and 1960s onwards to the present day.

Display board about the early years of the school

The pupils of today featured in a film made as part of the Club’s two-year project with Radley Primary School.

Visitors to the exhibition could experience a Victorian classroom complete with lamp, stove, maps and cane; children and adults could sit in an old school desk and try writing with an old-fashioned dip pen and ink well. Or ring the old school bell. Club members set the scene by dressing up in Victorian costume to greet visitors.

The exhibition saw the launch of a new book, The History of Radley C E Primary School, by Christine Wootton. The book describes how the school buildings changed over the years but concentrates on the people who worked and studied at Radley Primary School between 1851 and 2007. One visitor to the exhibition, Gerald Jeacock, was thrilled to find the book recorded his achievement in 1935 of winning the Bishop’s prize.

The exhibition was opened by the current headteacher, Frances Lockwood, who was presented with a copy of the book for the school by Tony Rogerson in his guise as the Rev. John Ratcliffe, the vicar of Radley at the time the school began.

*From left-to-right: Tony Rogerson, Joan Gibbs, Frances Lockwood (head teacher), Christine Wootton (chairman),*
*Chris Gasson (Clerk of the Green Cloth), Rita Ford and Eric Blanks*

Exhibition to celebrate the Club’s 10th anniversary

The Club celebrated its tenth anniversary with a major exhibition in Radley Village Hall on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th May 2007. The exhibition featured all aspects of village life through the ages – the wedding dress seen in the photo below was worn at a Radley wedding in May 1957. The happy couple still lived in Radley and celebrated their Golden Wedding a few weeks after the exhibition.

Photograph from the exhibition with the wedding dress in the centre

Farming was a major part of Radley’s history. The exhibition featured just a few of the many items of equipment from Brian Ford’s collection.

The exhibition made extensive use of material from the Club’s archives with displays on well-known Radley families, Radley Church, Radley Vicarage, Radley Primary School, Radley Station, local businesses, archaeology, sports clubs, village organisations, Radley entries in the National Monuments Record, thatched cottages, farming life, the River Thames and the Wild Rose pattern of china.

A slide show of photographs of Radley (mostly by Les Hemsworth and compiled by Stanley Baker) ran continuously throughout the course of the exhibition, attracting a ‘full house’ with standing room only at the back.

The exhibition would not have been possible without the ideas, planning and tremendous amount of work by Brian and Rita Ford. Special thanks must also go to Brian and his family for the loan of the farming exhibits for the exhibition.

The effort and enthusiasm of the project committee and Club members were also vital for the exhibition’s success. As well as Brian and Rita Ford, the Club particularly wishes to thank John Homewood, Christine Wootton, Malcolm Grieve, Stanley Baker and Marian Orchard. And all the ladies who served refreshments!

Radley History Club

Local history society in Oxfordshire