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The walk takes place on Saturday, March 23, celebrating Herbert Payne, a notable people’s champion and initiator of council housing in Oxfordshire.

Banbury Town Mayor, Fiaz Ahmed, with music from Rebecca Mileham, will lead the way for the second annual Herbert Payne Day. Participants will meet at the People’s Park cafe at 11am.

Walk organiser Steve Kilsby said: “The date coincides with the 102nd anniversary of Herbert Payne’s death.

Independent Labour Party councillor Herbert Payne with his wife and daughter

"It is more a stroll than a march. We’ll meet in People’s Park and will then take the short walk to the Kings Road council houses for speeches and then another walk to the Southam Road cemetery where Payne is buried.

“We shall finish at the Town Hall – in the part of Bridge Street formerly known as Cow Fair. All told, the event should last between one and a half and two hours.

Mr Kilsby, who organises history walks in the town, said: "This should be a lively event to celebrate the life of this great Banburian. Payne had a difficult life, as he stood up for his principles as an Independent Labour Party Councillor.

"He was jailed as a conscientious objector during the First World War. His world then crumbled around him but his lasting legacy is the 40 fabulous houses in Kings Road, the first council houses built in Oxfordshire."

A poem written about Herbert Payne, a man whose ground-breaking work in Banbury helped the poor

Payne was an Independent Labour Party councillor before the establishment of the Labour Party proper. He served in Banbury between 1906 - 1917.

He was a pacifist, reformer, passionate speaker, conscientious objector - and cutlery salesman. He had fire and energy and pushed a complacent Banbury Borough Council into providing first class housing for working people in the teeth of resistance and obstinacy.

“Payne got things done. In 1907, he achieved improvement in borough workmen’s wages and made waves on the Education Committee. He campaigned for more, improved housing from council’s own resources. He wanted improved sewerage in Grimsbury, better lighting, heating in schools and other improvements” said Mr Kilsby.

“Payne did all this despite active opposition from other councillors. He was one of only two ILP members amongst a huge majority of Conservatives and Liberals.”

Walk remembers Banbury working class hero who gave the town and Oxfordshire its first council houses