Oxford Lives Graeme Fry, Jeremy Allen

In today's episode of Oxford Lives we talk to Anna Eavis, who has just taken over the role of CEO for Oxford Preservation Trust. We ask Anna about the role of the trust in maintaining historically significant buildings and green spaces throughout the city, the importance of volunteers and the forthcoming Open Doors Weekend. We also look at Anna's previous role as Ciritorial Director of English Heritage, where she played an integral part in allocating London's blue plaques and setting up the Stonehenge Visitor Centre. A fascinating listen. 

50th Anniversary Special. To celebrate 50 episodes of the podcast, we recently held a live recording at the Bullingdon on Cowley Rd. The event was a panel discussion on 'Parallel Oxfords' with three previous guests taking part: multi-media and spoken word artist, Rawz; local historian, Liz Woolley; and author of Real Oxford, Patrick McGuinness. It turned out to be a fascinating evening with a free-flowing discussion that uncovered the real Oxford in all its complexities. Let us know what you think.https://www.patrickmcguinness.org/https://linktr.ee/forgottenstoriesoxfordhttp://lizwoolley.co.uk/     

This episode of Oxford Lives features an interview with musician, rapper, poet, and community artist, Rawz. Rawz has seen Oxford from both sides, having grown up in the Town (Greater Leys) and worked in the Gown (St John’s College). Along the way, he has participated in a number of local projects from Digging Crates (Pitt Rivers Museum) to My Two Oxfords (Old Fire Station). His latest venture is an ‘off the beaten track’ walking tour, Forgotten Stories of Oxford. For further info: https://linktr.ee/rawz_official and https://www.torch.ox.ac.uk/oxfords-forgotten-stories 

Tolkien-Lewis Special. In this edition of Oxford Lives we examine the lives of two of Oxford’s most esteemed residents: JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. They first met at a Merton College English Faculty meeting in 1926. In his diary, Lewis recorded some apprehension, writing of the “smooth, pale, fluent little chap” with “no harm in him: only needs a smack or so.” From such unpromising beginnings, their relationship flourished. Here to pick up the story is Tour Guide and Inklings aficionado, Jonathan Self

Karen Ford is a prolific actor with a vast range of experience in stage and screen to her name. Perhaps her best-known role is that of Miss Booth in the BBC children’s drama, Grange Hill, playing a major role in two of the series’ most iconic storylines – Zammo’s drug addiction and her relationship with troubled student, Danny Kendall. Karen’s new play, Serpent’s Tooth, is coming to Oxford’s Burton Taylor theatre on Saturday 23rd September, after rave reviews in Edinburgh. You can book tickets for this powerful, darkly humorous performance on https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/the-serpents-tooth 

On this episode of Oxford Lives we interview Ronak Sahni from SWAT (Sikh Welfare & Awareness). SWAT are a charitable organisation committed to transforming the lives of disadvantaged members of the community. You can see the SWAT team every Thursday night on Broad Street distributing free food to the homeless. Here SWAT volunteer Ronak Sahni outlines SWAT's ethos and outlines the logistics of the project he is involved in. You can find out about SWAT's remarkable story at https://www.nishkamswat.com/