Ann Hazel Spokes Symonds (10 November 1925 – 27 December 2019) was a British author and former

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

. Spokes was born in November 1925, the daughter of Peter Spencer Spokes and Lilla Clayton. Her father founded the Museum of Oxford in 1974. She was a writer on the history of Oxford. She entered

St Anne's College, Oxford St Anne's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It was founded in 1879 and gained full college status in 1959. Originally a women's college, it has admitted men since 1979. ...

in 1944, where she read

Philosophy, Politics and Economics Philosophy, politics and economics, or politics, philosophy and economics (PPE), is an interdisciplinary undergraduate or postgraduate academic degree, degree which combines study from three disciplines. The first institution to offer degrees in P ...

, obtaining her B.A. and

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

. She was a trustee of the Oxford Preservation Trust, having first become a trustee in 1959. She served as Lord Mayor of Oxford in 1976/77 and also as the Chairman of

Oxfordshire County Council Oxfordshire County Council is the county council (upper-tier local authority) for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire in the South East of England. Established in 1889, it is an elected body responsible for most strategic local government ...

between 1981 and 1983. Spokes-Symonds chaired

Age Concern Age Concern is the banner title used by several charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people (defined as those over the age of 50) based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom. I ...

England from 1983 to 1986. She made a donation towards a statue of

Alfred Russel Wallace Alfred Russel Wallace (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 pap ...

which has been erected at the Natural History Museum. In 1980 she married the United Nations official and historian Richard Symonds (1918–2006) and was henceforth known as Ann Spokes Symonds. She died in December 2019 at the age of 94.

Books

Spokes Symonds' books include: * ''The Origins of Oxford Street Names'' (with Nigel Morgan). * ''The Changing Faces of Iffley''. * ''The Changing Faces of Wolvercote with Wytham and Godstow''. * ''Also-Rans: The Injustice of History''. * ''The Changing Faces of North Oxford''; Books I & II. * ''Storks, Black Bags & Gooseberry Bushes''. * ''The Changing Faces of Rose Hill''. * ''The Changing Faces of Summertown and Cutteslowe''; Books I & II (with Christopher Nichols). * ''Celebrating Age: An Anthology''. * ''Follow Me: A Dog's View of the Gospel Story'' (with Richard Symonds).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Spokes Symonds, Ann 1925 births 2019 deaths Writers from Oxford Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Mayors of Oxford Historians of Oxfordshire 20th-century English writers 21st-century English writers Charters Symonds family Women mayors of places in England Women councillors in England Councillors in Oxfordshire