Simon Wenham is a member of the part-time tutor panel of Oxford University’s Continuing Education Department where he teaches courses on the Victorian period. His doctoral research at the university focused on leisure on the river Thames from the nineteenth century onwards. Simon's thesis was turned into the book Pleasure Boating on the Thames: a History of Salter Bros 1858 – Present Day (published in 2014) and he is also the author of Hobbs of Henley: a History (2020). He has produced articles on a variety of subjects, including the popularisation of camping in Britain and the impact of the suffragettes in Oxford.
Simon's research interests include the social history of Victorian Britain, the river Thames, the city of Oxford and the development of leisure. He runs the website www.simonwenham.com that promotes those topics and he also gives popular-level talks on a variety of related subjects. Simon has also featured in a number of radio and television programmes and has provided advice for a range of authors and media companies. He lives in Oxford with his wife and two sons.
Last modified 29 April 2020