MY JERICHO


Richard Dick

Chair and CEO of Lucy Group

This meeting was held on September 12, 2018

Richard Dick talking at My Jericho

The redevelopment of the former Jericho Health Centre site at the top of Cranham Street is still on track, said Richard Dick, Chair and CEO of Lucy Group which owns the site. Mr Dick was speaking at one of the Coffee and Conversation sessions at the Jericho Community Centre on September 12. Lucy’s have been going through pre-planning with the City, but the process is slow because of the complexities of the site. There is a right of way through it, and while some flats in St Pauls’ House are council-owned others are privately owned on long leases—an outcome of the right to buy scheme. Richard is the third generation of the Dick family to manage what is still a privately owned business. He explained how Lucy’s had grown from a small iron foundry started 200 years ago to group of four companies that now employs more than 1,400 people around the world. Lucy’s most visible presence in Oxford is its property company, but this forms only a very small proportion of its operations – employing around 30 people. Like some other aspects of the business the property activity started by accident. Residents in Juxon Street were complaining about the noise and fumes from the foundry. Lucy’s responded by buying up the properties from St Johns and still owns many houses in Juxon Street – which accounts for the elegant iron railings and the colour schemes. Other houses in Jericho also had iron railings but many of these were melted down for scrap during World War II when Lucy’s was manufacturing munitions. Lucy’ iron works finally ceased operations in Jericho in 2005. With the high volume of business and the steady stream of trucks in and out of the site, the location became increasingly unsuitable. Lucy’s redeveloped the site as flats and houses – including Foundry House and Furness House. Today, only the property business is located in Oxford. Lucy Electric is in Thame and makes electrical switching equipment. Lucy Zodion is in Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire making street lighting equipment. Lucy Castings in Witney is a specialist manufacturer of iron and aluminium casting. There are also operations in Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, China, Thailand, Malaysia and India. The company name derives from William Lucy one of the early managers of the business in the 1860s. Customers in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere are often puzzled why the company seems to have a woman’s name. But the name is helpfully distinctive. William Lucy is buried in St Sepulchre’s where the company has recently restored his grave.

Report by: Peter Stalker

The triangular site of Lucy's properties in Jericho surrounding St Sepulchres cemetery

Lucy's foundry was the original basis of the business. Photo: © Lucy Group


My Jericho offers a series of independent events organized by Jericho resident John Mair. Many are at at St Barnabas. Others are streamed on YouTube.

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You can book on the My Jericho website

Forthcoming meetings

Date Venue
Sat 20 Apr
12:00pm
Lazy Saturday
Beer, sausages and music
Mount Place
Thu 25 Apr
6:30pm
Local Elections Question Time
St Barnabas Church

Previous meetings

12-03-24Iris Murdoch: the latest
07-03-24Being a vicar in a strange world
08-02-24Oxford traffic; dream or nightmare?
06-02-24My favourite Jericho building
18-01-24Will Wyatt
11-01-24Chris Andrews
30-11-23St John’ Oxfords Wealthiest College
23-11-23Why are our railways in such a mess?
26-10-23The Inklings and Greater Jericho
10-10-23Helen Salisbury and Karl Marlow
05-10-23Jan Royall
28-09-23Peter Hitchens and Danny Dorling
19-09-23Irene Tracey
07-09-23Cara Hunter
22-06-23Professor Dame Sue Black
15-06-23Call my uber agent!
08-06-23Chief Superintendant Katy Barrow-Gint
25-05-23Paul Mayhew Archer
14-05-23Community garden party
25-04-23Ted Sandback of the Oxford Cafe
04-04-23Mark Thompson
29-03-23Iris Murdoch walk
04-03-23Morsefest
23-02-23Meet David Isaac
02-02-23Meet the local police
26-01-23St Pauls House virtual tour
05-01-23Meet the City Council Leader
14-12-22Penthouse supper with Bernard Clark
17-11-22Car wars
16-11-22Somerville tour
03-11-22Lucy’s - past present and future
01-11-22 Jericho Oxford Book
20-10-22Remember the Radcliffe Infirmary
06-10-22Shaking Skeletons
05-10-22Autumn Wine and Cheese party.
28-09-22Iris Murdoch Walk
28-09-22Question Time
25-09-22Octoberfest
14-09-22Autumn Worcester College Walk
08-09-22Jesus shows the way
01-09-22PD James Health Walk
31-07-22Lazy Sunday
25-07-22Neighbourhood Watch
20-07-22My Jericho summer garden party.
13-07-22ThirdTour of Worcester College Gardens with Simon Bagnall.
13-07-22Philip Pullman Health Walk with Mark Davies
09-07-22Launch of book Reporting the War in Ukraine,
04-07-22Neighbourhood Watch
30-06-22Worcester College Gardens with Simon Bagnall.
22-06-22Bedford House
22-06-22Morse Health Walk
03-06-22Rona Painting
12-05-22Michael Crick
11-05-22Rona Painting
05-05-22John Simpson
28-04-22Gina Miller
20-04-22Visit to OUP Museum
20-04-22The Lucy Story
13-04-22Question Time
02-03-22Question time
09-02-22Sir Philip Pullman
26-01-22Question time
24-11-21Question Time
10-11-21John Humphreys
21-10-21Layla Moran MP
20-10-21Cara Hunter
13-10-21Morse and Lewis
06-10-21Hannah Yeadon
29-09-21Question time
22-09-21Jericho Book Club
15-09-21Professor Jim Naismith
20-07-21Peter Taylor
30-06-21Lewis Carroll in Oxford
16-06-21Oxford Food Banks and Jericho Parish Larder
09-06-21Meet the New Local Sergeant
26-05-21Wilding Wine Bar
12-05-21Little Clarendon Street
29-04-21Walton Street decision day
28-04-21Hustings for the local elections
14-04-21Prof Danny Dorling. Oxford University
24-03-21’What is happening with the Jericho Boatyard?’ 
17-03-21The low traffic neighbourhood
11-03-21Tribute to Sir Harold Evans
10-03-21Professor Sir Richard Peto
03-03-21Barnabas Church-at the heart of the community.
24-02-21Pandemic a year of mistakes
17-02-21Our Jericho, our film
10-02-21The low traffic neighbourhood: where are we at?
03-02-21Bob Dylan at 80
27-01-21Vaccines and Jericho
20-01-21Pete Gavan
13-01-21Another slice of Jericho History
06-01-21The pandemic - a scientist reflects
16-12-20The New Humanities Building
09-12-20The Jericho LTN what could it look like?
02-12-20True or false?
26-11-20The pandemic:where are we still going wrong?
25-11-20The Jericho Connections case
18-11-20Mike Wooldridge
11-11-20A Jericho Armistice Day

Visits

Previous events

Speaker meetings

12-03-24Iris Murdoch: the latest
07-03-24Being a vicar in a strange world
08-02-24Oxford traffic; dream or nightmare?
06-02-24My favourite Jericho building
18-01-24Will Wyatt
11-01-24Chris Andrews
30-11-23St John’ Oxfords Wealthiest College
23-11-23Why are our railways in such a mess?
26-10-23The Inklings and Greater Jericho
10-10-23Helen Salisbury and Karl Marlow
05-10-23Jan Royall
28-09-23Peter Hitchens and Danny Dorling
19-09-23Irene Tracey
07-09-23Cara Hunter
22-06-23Professor Dame Sue Black
15-06-23Call my uber agent!
08-06-23Chief Superintendant Katy Barrow-Gint
25-05-23Paul Mayhew Archer
14-05-23Community garden party
25-04-23Ted Sandback of the Oxford Cafe
04-04-23Mark Thompson
29-03-23Iris Murdoch walk
04-03-23Morsefest
23-02-23Meet David Isaac
02-02-23Meet the local police
26-01-23St Pauls House virtual tour
05-01-23Meet the City Council Leader
14-12-22Penthouse supper with Bernard Clark
17-11-22Car wars
16-11-22Somerville tour
03-11-22Lucy’s - past present and future
01-11-22 Jericho Oxford Book
20-10-22Remember the Radcliffe Infirmary
06-10-22Shaking Skeletons
05-10-22Autumn Wine and Cheese party.
28-09-22Iris Murdoch Walk
28-09-22Question Time
25-09-22Octoberfest
14-09-22Autumn Worcester College Walk
08-09-22Jesus shows the way
01-09-22PD James Health Walk
31-07-22Lazy Sunday
25-07-22Neighbourhood Watch
20-07-22My Jericho summer garden party.
13-07-22ThirdTour of Worcester College Gardens with Simon Bagnall.
13-07-22Philip Pullman Health Walk with Mark Davies
09-07-22Launch of book Reporting the War in Ukraine,
04-07-22Neighbourhood Watch
30-06-22Worcester College Gardens with Simon Bagnall.
22-06-22Bedford House
22-06-22Morse Health Walk
03-06-22Rona Painting
12-05-22Michael Crick
11-05-22Rona Painting
05-05-22John Simpson
28-04-22Gina Miller
20-04-22Visit to OUP Museum
20-04-22The Lucy Story
13-04-22Question Time
02-03-22Question time
09-02-22Sir Philip Pullman
26-01-22Question time
24-11-21Question Time
10-11-21John Humphreys
21-10-21Layla Moran MP
20-10-21Cara Hunter
13-10-21Morse and Lewis
06-10-21Hannah Yeadon
29-09-21Question time
22-09-21Jericho Book Club
15-09-21Professor Jim Naismith
20-07-21Peter Taylor
30-06-21Lewis Carroll in Oxford
16-06-21Oxford Food Banks and Jericho Parish Larder
09-06-21Meet the New Local Sergeant
26-05-21Wilding Wine Bar
12-05-21Little Clarendon Street
29-04-21Walton Street decision day
28-04-21Hustings for the local elections
14-04-21Prof Danny Dorling. Oxford University
24-03-21’What is happening with the Jericho Boatyard?’ 
17-03-21The low traffic neighbourhood
11-03-21Tribute to Sir Harold Evans
10-03-21Professor Sir Richard Peto
03-03-21Barnabas Church-at the heart of the community.
24-02-21Pandemic a year of mistakes
17-02-21Our Jericho, our film
10-02-21The low traffic neighbourhood: where are we at?
03-02-21Bob Dylan at 80
27-01-21Vaccines and Jericho
20-01-21Pete Gavan
13-01-21Another slice of Jericho History
06-01-21The pandemic - a scientist reflects
16-12-20The New Humanities Building
09-12-20The Jericho LTN what could it look like?
02-12-20True or false?
26-11-20The pandemic:where are we still going wrong?
25-11-20The Jericho Connections case
18-11-20Mike Wooldridge
11-11-20A Jericho Armistice Day

Visits