Winston Churchill’s Oxfordshire connections will be explored by two leading historians in conversation.

The British statesman who was Prime Minister during the darkest hours of the Second World War was born at Blenheim Palace and is buried in nearby Bladon.

Through his father, Lord Randolph Churchill, a Tory politician, he was directly descended from John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough.

Acclaimed Churchill authors David Lough and Professor Ashley Jackson will stream the latest in the series of popular online talks from the Soldiers of Oxfordshire (SOFO) Museum website live.

The wartime leader naturally occupies a prominent place at the Woodstock museum.

The historians will explain how big a part his Oxfordshire background and military career played in his political career and decision making.

They will cover all aspects of his life, from his soldiering in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry (Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars), to his family relationships and the difficult inter-war "wilderness" years.

David Lough is the author of the critically acclaimed No More Champagne: Churchill and his Money as well as Darling Winston: Forty years of letters between Churchill and his mother, and winner of the International Churchill Society’s Somervell Award 2016.

Drawing on his in- depth knowledge of this personal correspondence, and insight into Churchill's finances, Lough will answer questions from Professor Jackson.

Ashley Jackson is Professor of Imperial and Military History at King’s College London, with many published works on various aspects of British imperial history, focusing on the Empire during times of war, as well as his own book covering Winston's life from his Woodstock origins, Churchill.

A live Q&A session will follow which will allow viewers to pose their own questions.

The event will be available to view both live at 7pm on Tuesday February 1 and in a catch-up version free from the SOFO Museum website.

Donations will be encouraged to support the work of the museum.

SOFO Museum, in the gardens of The Oxfordshire Museum and Woodstock Library, has a range of changing displays and events with permanent exhibits exploring topics such as raw accounts of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen from both camp survivors and Oxfordshire soldiers.

Battles of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry puts you on-board a Horsa Glider as it prepares to land in Normandy in the early hours of D-Day 1944, while Secret War explores the world of spies and espionage and lets you try your hand at sending and decoding secret messages.

Stream Link: https://www.sofo.org.uk/whats-on/wsconlinetalk/