A COMMUNITY-LED series of lectures by West Oxford residents is set to return later next month.

Residents are invited to speak on a topic of their choice for up to half an hour.

West Oxford Academy has held more than 100 talks since it started in 2006 and returns from October 21.

Previous topics have included Road Rage – a psychotherapists’ perspective and The Body Line Tour about the England cricket team’s controversial 1932 to 1933 tour to Australia, where bowlers targeted players’ bodies.

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This year’s talks include Port Meadow’s Bailey Bridge – feted wartime ‘Wonder Bridge’ fated to obscurity?, Pets as Therapy and Learning a foreign language during the Roman empire: how and why?.

Other talks include Clearing out cellular debris to fight ageing and to improve immunity.

Guest speakers must be from the West Oxford area but the 8pm to 9pm talks, to run each Tuesday for eight weeks, are open to all.

Entry costs £2 or £12 for all eight talks to include a glass of wine.

Questions from the floor are also invited.

Founder Susan Hutchinson, who lives in West Street, Osney Island, said: “We always need more speakers, I’m asking everyone I see wherever I go.

“I just love people’s enthusiasm for their topic and it rubs off on others.

“I started it because I’m curious and have a short attention span, I would describe it as all-ability, non-selective.”

The usually have an attendance of 25 to 30 at the West Oxford Community Centre cafe, Botley Road.

She said: “It’s progressed and progressed since it started, we’ve had well over 100 talks and always get a good number of people.

“Our speakers are all from West Oxford as it helps it feel like part of the community.

“Anyone one can come along to the talks and we want to encourage those from other communities as well.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about a wide range of topics and meet new people from the community and other communities.”


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