Detroit on Thames – September 2021

This tour explores Oxford through the remarkable life of William Richard Morris. A local lad who started repairing bicycles in the front room of his Victorian family home, he went on to become the greatest British industrialist of the twentieth century.

For Tickets – click here

Morris built a car making empire in the shadow of the University. His first vehicle, the Bullnose Morris, was assembled in a simple garage located in the heart of the city. This milestone achievement would lead to the construction of a vast factory complex at Cowley and the creation of Morris Motors Ltd, the largest British car maker of all time. His business would attract thousands of new workers to Oxford from all over the UK. A migration which transformed the city from rural seat of learning, to an industrial powerhouse.

William Morris never lost the distinctive burr of his Oxford accent, but he did gain a vast fortune and access to the upper echelons of British society. He was made a Viscount in 1938 and became one the greatest philanthropists in British history. He lavished hundreds of millions of pounds of his fortune in Oxford and evidence of his boundless kindness are scattered throughout the city.

The story of William Morris story is one which shines a light on the century’s old differences between ‘town and gown’. Over time this often uncomfortable relationship has marked by political injustice, cultural misunderstandings, the occasional murder and even a scalping.

To understand the relationship of Morris to the city, we will explore medieval riots, pre-Raphaelite painters, Victorian slums, brutalist architecture, political scandal, the Battle of Britain, Hooray Henrys, Philadelphian steel, and the origins of a Covid vaccine.

Please join me on a journey to the local side of Oxford, on a tour which will reveal a hidden modern history of an ancient city.

For Tickets – click here