John MacGregor (‘Rob Roy’): Explorer, Philanthropist and Sportsman (1825-1892)
Throughout the ages there have been pioneering individuals who have been prepared to risk life and limb to reach uncharted parts of... Read More
Out now: Updated (2017) version of Pleasure Boating
A new edition (reprint) of Pleasure Boating on the Thames is out now. Besides being a thicker tome, thanks to it being... Read More
The Great Exhibition of 1851
We live in an age when superlatives are often bandied about to describe almost anything, but if any event in the nineteenth... Read More
Maritime Legacy: The Titanic and Oxford
The sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage is probably the most famous shipping disaster of all time, but few know... Read More
Oxford and the St Scholastica Day riot
Oxford has a long history of ‘town’ versus ‘gown’ tensions, but arguably the most infamous event of them all was the St... Read More
Did Queen Victoria save the monarchy?
Queen Victoria had such an immense impact on British history that we sometimes forget that she rose to the throne at a... Read More
Oxford, the Thames and leisure: updated thoughts (August 2016)
This month (August 2016) my doctoral thesis (‘Oxford, the Thames and Leisure: a History of Salter Bros, 1858 – 2010‘) is finally... Read More
Recommended resources on the history of leisure
A huge range of literature on the history of leisure has developed over the past 40 years and it is impossible to... Read More
A brief history of Salter Bros Ltd (Salter’s Steamers)
There are a number of long established businesses still operating on the Royal River Thames and arguably the most famous of these... Read More
Where was the ford of Oxford?
Oxford was named after its ford, but where was the original crossing place of the town? Many Oxonians have their theories. Some... Read More