Suzy Oakes

Champion of Mill Road

When Suzy and her husband Steve O’Rahilly moved to Mill Road, straight away Suzy became involved with the community of residents and traders.

In Steve’s words ‘She had the idea that Mill Road, the neighbourhood we live in, was so fascinating and diverse and had so many interesting independent shops and so many inquisitive, talented and open-minded residents that this should be celebrated in some way. Suzy attracted the support of a small number of like-minded people and thus in 2007 The Mill Road Winter Fair was born.’

Again, with like-minded friends, she set up the original mill-road.com website to celebrate Mill Road and be a hub for information both sides of the Mill Road Bridge, She was active in many voluntary organisations.

In her will, Suzy left money to Mill Road in the shape of the Suzy Oakes Trust which supported many Mill Road organisations (including a support grant to enable a larger grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to establish the Mill Road History project and subsequent Mill Road History Society)  When the charity Love Mill Road was established the Trustees of the Suzy Oakes Fund made over its residual funds to that charity whose aims are identical to that of the Trust.

Here you can read a short booklet about Suzy which was created for the Mill Road History Society’s planned presence at the 2024 Winter Fair in the Suzy Oakes Room at The Bath House, the home of Lifecraft, one of the many charities which Suzy supported.

Suzy’s life and work are commemorated by a bench on top of Mill Road Bridge.

Read her obituary on the Guardian website.