Olive Gibbs was born in the ‘tough but full-blooded’ parish of St Thomas’s in West Oxford in 1918. She went on to become a redoubtable local Labour politician, peace campaigner, and founding member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

During her long political career, she helped to stop the building of an inner relief road through Christ Church Meadow, prevented the mass clearance of housing in Jericho and was instrumental in the demolition of the infamous Cutteslowe Walls. She protested against the Spanish Civil War with Denis Healey and later led anti-nuclear marches with Marc Bolan, Joan Baez and Donovan.

In this talk, led by local historian local historian Liz Woolley, we will explore Olive Gibb’s extraordinary life and legacy, and her lasting impact on the city of Oxford.

This talk has been programmed in celebration of Women’s History Month 2025.

£5