Bampton Clubs and Societies BOOK

Bampton Clubs and Societies Past and Present

By Trevor Darke

bamptoncommunityarchive.org

INTRODUCTION

There are, and have been, many clubs and societies in Bampton over the past decades. While I was sitting in the Vesey Room one morning and looking around at the various publications, I realised that not many of the clubs etc. were represented in them. There were books on Cricket, SPAJERS, Bush Club and Archery, but none of the others. I thought that it would be a good idea to have publications about all the rest that exist or have existed. Most, if not all, would not have enough detail or history to make up a book in themselves. However, I thought that it might be possible to include them all in one. I made the suggestion to Jenny Chaundy and also spoke to Don Rouse and Jo Lewington. They all concurred.

Having made a list of all those I could find, or knew about, I then approached whoever was chair or leader of each with my idea and asked if they could write about their organisation to contribute to the whole project I received a very welcome response and decided that I would then have enough material to produce a book. The following is the result, with most organisations writing their own account. I have also included some from the past which finished some time ago, but with no-one left to remember any details. For them I have taken snippets of information from the Bampton Archive website Reference to entries about them has been made to show what other information is available. There are also cross references to that website in many of the other narratives. I have still included short entries about the aforementioned books, i.e. Cricket, SPAJERS, Bush Club and Archery, to give the overall picture. I have split the book into two sections, ‘Past’ and ‘Present’, each of which is set out in alphabetical order.

Can I thank all the contributors, without whom this publication would not have been possible They are individually acknowledged where appropriate, and in the Appendix. I have left their accounts as written, without editing. However, in some cases I have added additional material as postscripts or notes, and occasionally preceding them, where it complements their descriptions I also thank in particular, Don Rouse, Jo Lewington and Frank Hudson for their assistance and knowledge. All the other accounts I have written, so I must, in addition, acknowledge the Bampton Archive website from which I obtained much material. This includes all the extracts from and references to the Bampton Beam

The intention of this publication was merely to provide a record of the clubs and societies in Bampton However, many of the contributors have also included contact details, which were current at the time of writing. These of course are likely to change in the future. I have also included some organisations, such as Guides, Scouts, Royal British Legion, WI, etc., which have local divisions

I hope that this reflects the extent and variety of community activities in Bampton and how they bring many local people together

Trevor Darke

Note: there are, or were, other organisations that I have not included in the first two sections as they don’t fit in as clubs and societies However, they were part of Bampton’s Community. See the Appendix for details.

SECTION 1. PAST

These are organisations which are no longer in existence. Some of them have only a little information but are included for historical reference.

Bampton Barn Dance Band

The band was casually formed in the mid 1970’s by Don Rouse but officially registered in 1979. It continued, with large success, until the turn of the century, when Don’s Last Bash was held. This raised a considerable amount of money which was sufficient to buy two de-fibrillators for the surgery. A new band was subsequently formed called ‘Grandma’s Yo-yo’, with a different line-up. There is a document, entitled “Bampton Barn Dance Band”, by Don Rouse, on the BCA website, with many more details and accounts, and from which the following photograph is extracted.

There were four other dance bands in Bampton, all of whom had their own followers. Apparently, these wouldn’t go to any of the other band’s performances.

Boys Club

This was held downstairs in the Old Grammar School building in the late 1940’s, to provide recreational facilities for boys aged 13 to 18 It was run by the Rev. Bateman, vicar of Bampton, assisted by Harold Hargreaves

There was a full-size billiard table in the big room which was for experienced players as it had, reputably, the best table in the district, and a half-size table in the middle room where beginners could learn. Both of these rooms formed what is now the library There was also table tennis in what is now the Vesey Room. In the same room as the snooker table, they played cards and board games. Some of the older boys, in their late teens, would gamble at cards, quite seriously in some cases. They would post the younger boys in a position where they could warn of the approach of the vicar, as it was obviously frowned upon

Bampton Brass Band

Little is known about the band, but they had their first public performance in May 1901* as stated in the following extract, with accompanying photograph, from “Old Time Bampton People” by Lloyd Hughes-Owens. This document is available to view on the Bampton Archive website, which also features a programme for a concert on December 17th 1902, shown here after the first photograph The two other photographs are also held by the archive. The band was formed by the Ancient Order of Foresters (See Appendix, p68)

* An article in the Witney Express of August 19th, 1869, about the Horticultural Society, says that the Bampton Brass Band played at their exhibition of that year This is an anomaly, but it is a possibility that the earlier one was just a brass band from Bampton and not the Foresters Brass Band, as it was known in its first years.

Front cover of programme from December 17th 1902, and their part of the concert.

The band in 1905, They are leading the Order of Foresters’ annual march

The band in 1908 outside the Town Hall. Photograph lent to BCA by Barbara Daw.

Bampton Bullets

This Cycle Speedway team was founded in June 1951 at a meeting between Mr. Hughes, Mr Green and the playing fields committee (Don Rouse, Mr. Laurence, Mr. D Hunt, Mr D Read and Frank Hudson). Meetings were held on a track built in the field, where the Fire Station now stands. They were members of the National Amateur Cycle Speedway Association. It ended in 1954, having won the county league in 1953 and also a cup in a race against a Royal Signals team. More information can be found in a video interview on YouTube via the Archive website

A document, in the Bampton Archive, “Bampton Bullets Cycle Speedway side” has a number of photographs, including this to the left. It also has copies of a licence with rules, registration form, fixtures, receipts, accounts and the minute book Frank Hudson’s book “Made in Bampton” features two pages about the team This is available in the Archive.

Cover and pages of a fixtures book for 1952, marked F W Hudson, with results added.

Darby and Joan Club

The Darby and Joan clubs were set up by the Women’s Voluntary Service after the second World War, as day centres for older people.

The Bampton club was started sometime in the 1950’s as a centre for social gatherings. They met in the Old Grammar School until 1982, after which they started meeting in the WI Hall (now Village Hall). It was run by a Mrs. Millie Birch and after she died by a Mrs. Temple, followed by a Mrs Henley. It ended in 1985 as people were beginning to think that it was old-fashioned and a new day centre was about to open. This was gifted with £1000.from their account and was later to become known as the Bush Club. (See p32 for details about them)

There is an item on the Archive website, named “1962 album created by the Darby and Joan Club”, showing photographs, newspaper cuttings, etc., from which this picture was taken It covers many topics of interest.

The copy of a newspaper clip below is also from the Archive

Bampton Drama Group

In 1985 two ladies put their heads together and decided Bampton needed to have an am-dram offering. Although these ladies were unaware of it at this time, there had been a successful drama society before which had been run by a retired actress, Hilda Pickard, within the then very active WI. If the ladies had known this then perhaps they may have been a little more apprehensive but, in the usual fashion of the community that is Bampton, the ladies hired and paid for the Village Hall, put up notices and invited people to a meeting, and then just trusted to luck. Bampton Drama Group was born.

An eclectic group gathered that night including some of the old guard from the WI. Everybody signed up for the first production – Miranda by Peter Blackmore. With no funds and little knowledge, the group started rehearsals. In those days, before every rehearsal there was a little warm up – where everybody got to know everybody else. It worked, the cast gelled, and the performance was a success although I still remember with wonder how Miranda (Gilly Betts) could eat that carrot goldfish she plucked from the other live fish swimming about in the bowl. That first production put a little in the coffers and so it continued.

There are recurring names in the programmes of these productions, some of which regularly appear in the community today – Pat Smith, Judith Warwick, Maggie & Peter Williams, Trevor Milne-Day, Jacky Allinson, Biz Gooddy, Annie Mellor, Jeremy Lane, Rosemary Colvile (now Pelham) and Pauline Ruff (now Smith) to name a few. BDG also links back to the history of drama in Bampton as after a few years the remaining costumes and scripts from the WI group productions were passed on to BDG.

BDG performances were always well attended, particularly the pantomimes. Written by members they had many references to local matters and local people. They were large productions with a children’s chorus and other extras, including a goat who caused great merriment when it donated some rather smelly ‘raisins’!

There were also ‘real’ plays like Lady Windermere’s Fan and Alphabetical Order, but BDG’s offering also included Revues, drawing in talent from nearby villages to perform such home-grown pastiches as Time Share In Carterton. There was not just acting but also musical, artistic, organisational and management talent. BDG became a friendly, fun and self-supporting group that involved many members from all spheres of the community.

Sadly, the drama group has been resting since 1999. The lights may be off, the stage packed away and the backcloth folded but the costumes live on through Bampton Classical Opera and the spirit has been passed on with grants to support other artistic ventures in Bampton (the opera and WOA) and some Bampton children (now adults) who learnt about mask making and play production.

Over the years BDG has lost many of its stalwarts but those that are left fondly remember them all, including Marjorie Cashmore (prompt), Ailsa Matheson (performer and producer), Richard Morbey (stage manager), Molly Kavanagh (rehearsal pianist) and Joan (Moley) Stevens (props).

Someday perhaps somebody will bring am-dram to Bampton again for as Oscar Wilde said the theatre [is] ... the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being

Written by Pauline Smith March 2025

Postscript:

With reference to the WI Drama Group, mentioned above, their drama society started before 1924, in which year they won the Oxford Federation Drama Cup for their production of “Much Ado about Nothing” Founder members were Mrs. Davey and Mrs Bliss. The photograph below is extracted from the Bampton Archive website.

They had a number of productions over the years, including The Farmer’s Wife, The Pink Lady and School for Scandal, all in the 1930’s; Bennet’s Folly in 1937; One Hour to Dusk and Poor Mr. Shakespeare in 1966; The Stolen Prince also in 1966, The Plot Thickens, and many others They also produced pantomimes including Babes in the Wood and Jack & the Beanstalk, plus a number of revues More information is available in “Drama and Productions of Bampton WI” available on the Bampton Archive website.

oooOooo

Bampton Environmental Watch Group

Bampton Environmental Watch Group was formed in 1989, by Ralph and Ann Norman and registered with the Civic Trust. It was a Local Amenity Group, a voluntary, independently administered group of people who were concerned with the quality of their local built and natural environment. BEWG’s aims were to foster and encourage enjoyment and understanding of the local surroundings, to give support to proposals that would be of benefit to Bampton, and to raise awareness of proposals that could be detrimental to Bampton, so that members could take appropriate action as they individually saw fit.

BEWG’s aims were to foster and encourage enjoyment and understanding of the local surroundings, to give support to proposals that would be of benefit to Bampton, and to raise awareness of proposals that could be detrimental to Bampton, so that members could take appropriate action as they individually saw fit.

BEWG monitored planning applications affecting Bampton. It submitted corporate comments to the District Council. It also informed the membership of those plans with controversial implications, so they could take individual action if they wished. It published regular Newsletters to all members.

It held an AGM and three other Open Meetings per year. Speakers were arranged for all meetings, and past talks covered such diverse subjects as the Archaeological History of Bampton, the Planning Control Process, Wild Life, Waste Re-cycling and Morris Dancing

BEWG had an Executive Committee of four Officers and between six and ten other members, elected annually from the membership.

Often local people were not aware of proposals which affected our local community until it was too late. Rural communities like Bampton were, and still are, very vulnerable to inappropriate speculative developments. It was a proposal for one such development which triggered the idea for the formation of BEWG.

BEWG in this form ceased on 1st March 2013, and survived in a different form for 2 or 3 years, and was then formally disbanded*.

Postscript:

There were a number of subjects and issues, mostly about planning. Some were for large housing developments and others were for individual buildings. The following are also worth mentioning.

• One major issue was with the proposed gravel pit on Lechlade Road which was eventually cancelled.

Above written by Sally Proctor

oooOooo

• Another issue, not far removed from planning, was the preservation of buildings. A good example was when the Old School in Church View was designated in 2001 as a building of architectural or historical interest. This achievement was accomplished by Tony Page.

• A further subject was with footpaths and cycle paths. Footpaths needed maintaining and, in at least one case (Hoskins Barn footpath), an application to have it designated as a public footpath came to fruition. There was a talk about Sustrans’ proposals for a nationwide cycle path. Also, discussions were held about a millenium cycle path. As an aside, mention should be made of a sponsored cycle trip in Turkey, in which Jo Lewington, a member of BEWG, raised £1800 for MacMillan Cancer Relief Maps of local footpaths were published, first in the Bampton Beam individually and then as a leaflet.

• In 1996 children from the top classes at Bampton Primary School went to Knapps Farm to learn about hay meadows, which was followed by group projects, with prizes for the best.

• There were talks with OCC about traffic calming measures. Other discussions were held on proposals for a 7.5 tonne environmental restriction on traffic.

• In 2001 Dr. John Blair of Queen’s College, Oxford was welcomed as BEWG’s first president.

Cover of published footpaths map. Four maps were inside, one of the village centre and three surrounding areas.

• *After they ceased operating in 2013 a few of the members continued but only with the ecological aspect. In 2014 it was stated that a piece of land had been donated to the village with a view to creating a swathe of bluebells and other wildflowers. This small group organised work parties to cut back and dig out the scrub and nettles to allow them to grow. This did not continue beyond a couple of years.

Bampton Horticultural Society

This was established in 1860, with the first Horticultural show taking place in August. This became an annual event. In 1865, a newspaper article said it was most successful, and it included a concert in the showground by the Appleton Band and an organ concert in the evening In 1869 it was even more popular, with amusements, tea (for about 500) and the Bampton Brass Band, all in the grounds owned by a Mrs. Southby This continued in the Schoolroom in the evening along with choir singers from Oxford The above events were reported in the Reading Mercury, the Oxford Times and the Witney Express, respectively.

It is in the entry for Bampton in Kelly’s Oxfordshire directory of 1911 and is referred to as the Bampton and District Horticultural and Cottage Garden Society

Horticultural shows ceased at the start of the First World War and restarted after the end of the Second World War, continuing in the early 1950’s. However, a newspaper cutting of August 1972 says that they thought that they were putting on the first big flower show since 1934. The schedule for 1980 shown above left, is in an item “Bampton Horticultural Soc. Oct 4th 1980” on the Bampton Archive website. This also includes a magazine which details the Flower Show and Autumn Show referred to, as shown below on the extracted notices.

In the Archive there are also newspaper cuttings and three Bampton Beam articles The last, in the August 1996 edition, announced that it had changed its name to the Gardening Club, to attract a broader range of interest.

Note: See later for continuation in Section 2 on p39

Bampton Millenium Motorcycle Club

This was an informal club formed in 2000 by Richard “Dick” Turpin. Its object was for groups of like-minded motorcyclists to take trips to various venues or on round trips. These included Avebury, Devizes, two motorcycle museums and Mallory Park. Unfortunately, the club didn’t last long. There were small entries in the Bampton Beam in the April 2000, August 2000 and April 2001 editions, which are available to view on the BCA website, but they don’t give much more information.

Numismatic Society

Little is known about this coin collecting club, except that they used to hold their meetings at the George and Dragon, Cheapside, now a private house. There are two newspaper cuttings in the Bampton Community Archive regarding meetings, first in 1972, as at left, and secondly in 1980, as at right. By 1981 it was known as the Bampton Coin Club, as it was thought that the technical name was probably not familiar to most people, although in the Bampton Directory of 1985 it was still referred to as both,.

Pumpkin Club

The club was inaugurated by Arnold Woodley, Jack Horn and Reg Absolom, in March 1969 at the Eagle Inn, Church View and was initially known as The Eagle Pumpkin Club. It had a pumpkin weigh-in to raise money to provide a cash gift (Initially £5) for pensioners at Christmas. Membership reached 113 at one point. The first President of the Club in the early seventies was the Countess Munster of Bampton Manor. In 1971 they started another competition for entries by women. Marrows were added as another category

Apart from the weigh-ins, there were other fundraising events, e.g., raffles, jumble sales, dances, sports nights (bar billiards, Aunt Sally and darts), a Pumpkin Club Clay Pigeon-shooting with a cup awarded, Dwile Flunking, and of course, the annual street fair which started in 1979 This fair, apart from stalls and entertainment, had a May Queen. An example of the programme is shown below at left. The year is uncertain.

There was an annual contest, started before 1970, between Bampton Pumpkin Club and Cumnor Horticultural Society. The contest was usually held at the Bear and Ragged Staff in Cumnor, followed by the dunking of their “mayor”, in the village pond. There were other contests against Standlake Pumpkin Club (for the Mick Ayres Cup), which started in about 1970. There was a three-way competition between the three, in 1970, for the George Seymour Challenge Pumpkin Pot for the heaviest six pumpkins, in which Bampton only came third. This was because one of their best pumpkins burst while being loaded and had to be replaced, but with a smaller one. There were other contests as well, for example against North Leigh.

In 1988 Central Television had a feature on Bampton Pumpkin Club in the Heart of the Country programme. This features on a video in the Bampton Archive.

The largest pumpkin recorded was 167½ lbs (approximately 76 kilograms) in about 1990/91, by Roger Glyde Earlier in 1983, there had been an apparent winner, but on investigation it proved that it had concrete in the middle. The contestant’s name was U B Foulde, so it was obviously a hoax, concocted by Graham Taylor.

There are numerous documents on the Bampton Community Archive website, detailing events, prize-giving, etc. but in particular “Arnold Woodley’s scrapbook of the Pumpkin Club”, which has several newspaper cuttings and more. The latest newspaper cutting in this is from 1997.

Youth Club

The Youth Club has had a chequered history, and little is known about its beginnings and subsequent circumstances, as they are unrecorded, until the following, sometimes dis-jointed, snippets from later.

It reformed in 1965 led by William Taylor, initially in the Town Hall, for those between 15 and 18 years of age. It moved to the old Secondary School in 1966. When Mr. Taylor was posted away, leadership was taken over by Ray Evans and Brian Radband.

It re-opened in March 1968, again at the Old School in Church Road, with leader Michael Yeo and his wife Lynda. In 1975 interhouse knock-out championships were held, in table tennis, billiards, table football and darts After this date the club’s leader, Mr. John Anderson, left to become an assistant leader at the Carterton Youth Club. He had been associated with BYC for 10 years, which means he had been with the club since its reforming in 1965. In 1980 they held a 24-hour table tennis marathon to raise money for the club. They were hoping that the Old School, which had closed in July, could remain in use as a community centre.

This hope was brought to fruition as the Youth Centre was re-opened in 1985 after the Old School was refurbished There are directory entries which show that the youth club had been running in 1980 and 1982, so it presumably must have continued throughout this period. It was open on Tuesdays for junior members and on Thursdays for seniors. It remained in the youth centre until July 2011.

However, during this period it had various funding problems and sometimes closed. One occasion was in the early 1990’s as it was reported that it had reopened in December 1994, under the new leadership of Gary Gummer and Tracy Charlton. Later, it was reported that it was again re-established in April 1996.

In the Bampton Beam of August 1997 it was noted that the activities available were pool, table tennis, darts, indoor and outdoor football They also had a social education programme which included lessons on drugs, alcohol and safe sex. In 1998, Gary was running the senior club, and the junior club was being run by Miriam Blackie and Mary Williams. In 1999 there were financial problems and OCC were going to withdraw their funding, but they did however provide some in April the following year. This situation was repeated a few times, although they managed to remain open, even flourishing according to some reports. In December 2003 it was confirmed that they had achieved charity status, which helped, but the problems continued The Parish Council made a contribution in November 2005, and it A promotional advert in the August and was stated that OCC were recruiting December 1998 editions of the Bampton Beam for new leaders. One did start in March the following year. Then in 2007 a leader announced that the club would shut for a few months for maternity leave.

Nothing is known until July 2010 when it re-started again. A year later they were meeting in the Willow Tree Centre (at Bampton Primary School).

In 2013 it was reformed yet again and one of the leaders was Samantha Wileman, who wrote an article in the Bampton Beam of March 2013, trying to encourage new members. This article said that it was being held on Wednesdays in the Bampton Community Centre. They had at the time about ten to twenty children aged between 8 and 13 from 6:00 to 7:30 and about twenty aged between 14 and 18, from 8:00 to 9:30. They had a competition to design a Youth Club logo, which was won by Katie Smith.

The Club was being run entirely by volunteers during this period. Apart from the committee (Roger Snow, Sarah Constable and Ann Setch) they were Amanda Townsend, Isobel Goves, Sammy Hancock, Lisa Hancock, Kofi Hancock and Serene Curtis. It continued until about 2020 when it ceased due to Covid lockdown.

Unfortunately, it didn’t reopen after the restrictions were lifted.

Sundry organisations

There are references in various documents on the Archive, or in the Bampton Directory, to other clubs which appear to have little or no records available

Angling Club

This met in the Horseshoe Inn and is named in the 1985 directory and then again in 1986.

Bampton Bowls Club

There is little known about this club. However, bowling was in existence some time ago, as hinted by a map of 1821, which shows a Bowling Green and a road named The Bowling Green Road. This is on the same alignment, approximately, as New Road. It is obvious from this how the side road, Bowling Green Close, got its name. In later years they played at Weald Manor.

There are three references to The Bowls Club on the Bampton Archive website. A newspaper cutting from 1950 refers to the death of a John Daniels, who had been a member for a number of years. Another newspaper cutting of 1954, shows a photograph of a Bowling Club Dinner. Yet another, dated12th July 1972, refers to a jumble sale. These give a vague hint of the club’s time span They ceased to play in the late 1970’s.

There was an appeal in the Bampton Beam of December 1999, to join and help form an indoor bowls club at the newly built Pavilion. This appeared to come to nothing.

Debating Society

This was founded in 1936 by Mr. Dennis Hall. The first debate was about Women’s Suffrage. Meetings were held fortnightly in the Town Hall, with a subscription of 1/(5p) for a session from March to October. By 1938 membership was 150 and meetings were held monthly. The subscription had been raised to 5/- (25p). To start with, politics and religion were barred, but the strength and good behaviour of attendees later allowed it. There were well known speakers, including some from radio, television and the Oxford Union. Some MP’s had spoken at meetings in their youth. Meetings were later held in the Secondary School but when this closed it probably moved to Carterton as members came from a wide area. Nothing further is known.

Gun Club

This used to meet at Bampton Football Ground for Clay Pigeon Shooting. They are named in the Bampton Directories from 1985 until 2003 (the 2006 edition says that they appear to be no longer active) and they are also in various issues of the Bampton Beam, the last entry being in July 2005

Old Bamptonians Hockey

All that is known is that Lloyd Hughes-Owens, the ex-headmaster of Bampton School, encouraged old pupils to form a team. There do not appear to be any records. There are two photographs in “Old Time Bampton People” by Lloyd Hughes-Owens, in the Bampton Archive. One is of a team, obviously of school age or slightly later, the other is of a match in play.

SECTION 2. PRESENT

These are organisations which were active at the time of writing although some are in decline and will possibly finish operating.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bampton Archery Club

This is only for reference, as the book “Archery in Bampton” by John Hill, published in 2010, available in the Bampton Community Archive, gives more details and includes information about equipment.

The Archery Club was formed in 1996 and it was still running at the time of this publication In addition to the book referred to above there is a video interview available on the Archive website, recorded in 2024

The following statements and photograph are from their website

We are a group of enthusiastic archers based at the picturesque Bampton Recreation Ground, in south west Oxfordshire. The club welcome members of all levels of skill, and all bow-styles – longbow, barebow, recurve and compound. Archery is an excellent family activity, contact us to come and have a go.

The Club meets all year round on Monday and Wednesday evenings, from 6-9pm. During the summer we shoot on the field (weather permitting) and during the winter inside the pavilion.

To join the club you will need to have completed the standard 12hr Archery beginners course.

Some members at the SPAJERS Donkey Derby, 2017

Bampton and District Aunt Sally Association

The Association was founded in 1972 by Bob Watts after the team felt that they had been badly treated in a competition the previous year At the time of writing this, the President was Alistair “Fred” Cooke, the Chairman was Steve Mace, the Secretary and Treasurer was Barry Aylett-Warner.

The next paragraph, photographs, pitch details and map are from their website, with their kind permission. The rules, archived league tables, trophy winners, statistics, etc. are available to view on this website (www.bamptonauntsally org)

Aunt Sally is essentially a pub sport for all ages and genders - and unique to a 25 mile radius around Oxford. It's played between teams of six players and to be enjoyed with 'responsible' quaffing of ale on balmy summer evenings!? The object of the game is to see how many times you can knock a wooden 'doll' off a post by throwing 6 sticks at it from a distance of 30 feet - simples!

You can see the 'doll' in the picture below- a 6" high wooden skittle, sitting on a swivelled post 2' 6" above the ground. (No metric measurements here!)

Just behind the doll is a canvas backdrop to catch the incoming stick. A painted bullseye helps you aim at the doll. The stick is a wooden baton 18" long and 2" or less in diameter. Its weight varies between 1-2lb according to preference. You stand 30 feet away, behind a throwing line and (underarm) throw each of your six sticks in turn at the doll. Games are the best of three legs followed by a fourth leg ‘for beer’ –i e the losers buy a drink for the winners!

The association league is divided into a number of sections, Premier and sections from A to F In 2024 the Premier section and Section A had five teams each, the remaining sections had between seven and eleven each. This is a far cry from the first season when there was only one section, in which the final was held in the Elephant and Castle between the Eagle, Bampton and the Bull, Aston. The following season there were four sections and it grew from there.

There are currently ten different competitions. Primary 8 a-side, Secondary 8 a-side, Tertiary 8 a-side, Pairs, Men’s singles, Sub 5 singles, Primary 4 a-side, Secondary 4 a-side, Mixed Pairs and Ladies singles. A trophy is awarded annually for each and also awarded for competitions.

Two of the trophies:-

Some of the trophies are memorials, e.g. Bob Watts (founder), Alan Clarke (past Secretary) and Lindy Flavell (majority Ladies Singles Winner). There is as well, a keepsake, originally metal as shown right, but now made in glass

The pitch dimensions

Map showing extent of the Association in 2025

Baby and Toddler Group

I believe The Baby and Toddler Group started at least 25 years ago1 When I moved to the village it was out of the Children’s Centre2 (which is now the Old Station Nursery3). When the Children’s Centre was closed down it moved to the church for a year or so and then to the Village Hall.

The group has always been run by local Mums who have volunteered their time to provide a place for parents to come with their babies or toddlers to meet others, to have a much-needed hot drink and to entertain their little ones.

The usual format has been children having free play with toys, an art and craft activity, snack time and finally song time! Everyone has been welcomed to come along from the village and surrounding areas. It has been a great place for Mums, Dads, Grandparents and Carers, who may be new to the village, to meet new friends and to offer support and advice to each other.

Above written by Justine Clifton

Postscript and notes:

Justine ran the group for a number of years, one of a succession of mothers doing the same, including, but not limited to, Cerian Cooper, Jo Bath, Rachel Boland and Louise Cloke

The group meet on Thursdays every week during term time, from 9:30 to 11:00, in the Village Hall.

It changed its name in 2025 to ‘Bush Babies and co.’, to reflect its location in Bampton in the Bush. It is currently being run by Aletta Carpenter van Barthold

Notes:

1 In the Bampton Beam of March 2009 it stated that they had been running for over 10 years, which agrees with Justine’s belief

2 The Children’s Centre was known then as the Willow Tree Children’s Centre, which they had been given the use of since 2012.

3 The Old Station Nursery is part of a national commercial group and is not included here.

Photograph from their Facebook entry

Bampton Badminton Club

We are not sure when the Badminton Club was started* but it is over 40 years ago! I think it may have been when the Village Hall was enlarged and improved and discussions were had with the hall committee and some keen badminton players. The only drawback of playing in the hall is that although it is the correct length for a court the width is a tiny bit short and we have to keep control of our rackets so we don’t hit the walls but we can still have a great game! We also enjoy a break with coffee and a chat.

We were very lucky to have Marlene Snow from the village to take over the organisation of the club some years ago and I took over from her when she became ill and sadly died last year. I think the club may have folded if it hadn’t been for her as she was very enthusiastic encouraging people to try it out and we all enjoy our social end of year lunches down at the Garden Centre.

Our numbers have fluctuated over the years with a steady core supporting it but it would be lovely to have a few more players and if you are interested then I can be contacted on 07971 686877 if you would like more information or pop in on a session and have a chat. You don’t have to live in Bampton to play and we have both male and female players. We play on a Tuesday morning from 10 to 12 am term time only and can loan a racket if you are new to the game. There is a small cost of £3 per session which includes the coffee.

Written by Diana O’Brien

*Note: It had originally been formed by Mrs. Fry, the schoolmaster’s wife as part of the WI’s social activities, but it ceased at the outbreak of war It reformed after the war as a village club but also included players from other villages.

Playing in the village hall

Bampton Singers Choir

Some years ago, Belinda Lacock saw an advertisement for singing lessons. She answered it and had a lesson with Robin Martin Oliver. So impressed was Belinda with Robin that she asked him whether he would be willing to come to Bampton and form a choir. He agreed on condition that she found a minimum of 10 people. She did and that was the start of the Bampton choir. By 2015 there were 16 regular singers.

Robin was keen that a committee should be responsible for the running of the choir, and one was duly appointed by the singers. Sadly, Robin died in August 2018 and Lizzie Soden was subsequently appointed as the Musical Director along with an accompanist.

Bampton Singers is a community choir which means there is no audition and no requirement to read music. All that is wanted is an enjoyment of singing and a sense of humour!

The repertoire is from many genres including musical theatre, pop, folk, gospel and classical. The choir now performs several times throughout the year: at the Bush Club, Bampton Garden centre at Christmas and when the Christmas lights are turned on in Bampton. There are two concerts, one in the summer, the other in December. The choir sing alone for half of the evening and then the audience joins in for the second half. In March, it is the Chipping Norton Music Festival when you love singing come along. You will be very welcome.

Written by Judy Scotcher

Bellringers

Bampton has one very visibly obvious and important link to the past in the form of our big and beautiful Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Built on the site of an earlier Saxon Minster, St. Mary’s has been an important place of worship for Christian people for over 1,000 years. Our lovely church, cruciform in shape has a massive central tower dating back to Norman times. On top of this a majestic spire was added in the mid 12th century. As befits a church of this magnitude, we have a first class peal of eight bells.

By 1629, Bampton had a ring of six heavy bells installed. It is thought that ours was the first church in Oxfordshire with a peal of six. Two more bells were added in 1906, giving us our present peal of eight. It is also one of the heaviest peals in Oxfordshire. Our Treble bell (the lightest) weighs in at just over 5 cwt and our Tenor bell (the heaviest) at just over 23cwt. 4ft 6in wide at its rim, the Tenor bell stands almost 5ft tall! If you are musically minded our ring of bells is in the key of D.

Sadly, in the last half a dozen or so years, ringers aging and/or moving away, lack of interest from youngsters in learning the art and Covid have conspired to leave Bampton currently with only three members, one of whom is still ringing. Luckily, using a generous bequest from a Will, our carillon has been refurbished and computerised in recent years, so we can still at least call people to church services and ring for weddings using an automated change ringing system. Also, we are regularly able to host visiting ringers, with whom

In 2004 a Bell Appeal was launched which raised enough money to refurbish, our bells, making them fit for another 100 years or so of ringing. The work was carried out by Whites of Appleton, Bellhangers, who removed the front six bells from the church and took them to their workshop. Work on number 7 and the Tenor was carried out in situ. Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London, dealt with the retuning of those bells that required it.

Bells awaiting transport to the foundry our bells are very popular, when they are on a day’s ringing outing.

With the help of ringers from other local towers, who love our bells, we are able to maintain a weekly practice night on Monday evenings at St. Mary’s. Access to the Ringing Chamber is from the Lady Chapel and involves climbing a spiral staircase in

a turret of Saxon and Norman origin. When you reach the chamber itself you will be surrounded by an arcade of Norman round headed arches in pairs, with two pairs on each of the four walls. This arcade can only be seen from within the chamber itself.

David Rose at left and Terry Rouse, preparing to ring

Should you be interested in watching a practice to see what is involved, please contact our Tower Captain, David Rose on dave@greybarn/plus.com

Above written by Dave Rose

Postscripts:

In the Bampton Beam of April 1997, it was announced that Graham Taylor and Terry Rouse had each reached the 50th anniversary of being with the bellringers and Ted Dixey had achieved this earlier in 1995. Graham, who was Tower Keeper, master-minded the making of a wooden canopy for the bells. Terry came from a family of bellringers with his father, Ted Rouse, and his sister, Theresa Terry and Graham were taught by Ted, who in turn had been taught by Jack Tanner, who had been a sexton. The bells were rung every Shrove Tuesday and Oak Apple Day

In the June 2014 edition, there was an article about David Rose and Terry Rouse reaching the 40th anniversary of their roles. David had been elected Tower Captain at the AGM of January 1974 and Terry as Vice-Captain. They ensured that the bells were rung for appropriate services, weddings and the New Year. Muffled bells were rung on Remembrance Sunday. They oversaw the Bell Appeal raising £40,000 for refurbishment of the bells by 2006.

The following is an extract from St. Mary’s church website.

St Mary’s has a peal of 8 bells, some of which date back to the 17th Century. In late 2006 the bells were restored for the first time in 100 years at a cost of about £40,000, and all but the heaviest two were removed by Whites of Appleton. The bell ringers practice on a Monday evening and ring most Sundays, as well as for many weddings through the year. They would welcome new members, both experienced and those wanting to try to learn a new skill.

The Ringing Chamber

Windrush Valley Amateur Boxing Club

The Windrush Valley Boxing Club are based in the Old School Community Centre in Church View, Bampton They hold a number of training sessions during the week

The following descriptions and the two photographs of training are extracted from their website, with the kind permission of Dan Hall, Head Coach

In 1978, the Witney Boxing Club was established under the visionary leadership of the legendary Reg Marshman, and later, Steve Setch. At its inception, the club operated out of the Newlands Sports and Social Club in Witney. For those who ever trained there, it’s likely they would recall the place as a near-mud hut or portacabin. Nonetheless, it provided an invaluable opportunity for many to experience the thrill and discipline of boxing.

Fast forward to 2007, when the floods that struck Witney rendered the training premises unusable, forcing a pivotal decision about the club’s future. A new committee was swiftly formed, a new venue secured, and with generous sponsorship and funding support from the Witney Rotary Club, new equipment was acquired. In a bid to reflect a broader geographical area rather than being confined to just the town, the club was aptly renamed Windrush Valley Amateur Boxing Club.

Today, we proudly stand as the sole boxing club in West Oxfordshire affiliated with England Boxing, training athletes to compete at the national level. Our team of coaches is fully qualified through England Boxing, DBS cleared, first aid certified, and up-to-date with safeguarding regulations. We were the fourth boxing club in England to earn the prestigious Sport England Club Mark Accreditation and have had the distinct honor of receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (often referred to as the MBE for voluntary services).

We collaborate closely with governing bodies and the local community including the Police, Social Services, local Council, and Schools to provide a secure and supportive environment for everyone. We actively promote moral values and community inclusion. Our regulated environment fosters physical and mental health, fitness, and overall well-being for all participants. Additionally, we organize trips to various boxing venues across the country, allowing our team to savor the sport beyond the confines of regular competition. Furthermore, we are accredited to deliver the ASDAN CoPE qualification, which is equivalent to a Level 2 GCSE. Thus, even if competitive boxing is not your ambition, there are abundant opportunities for individuals aged 10 and up, of any ability or gender, to improve their fitness both mentally and physically.

Joining the Windrush Valley Amateur Boxing Club offers numerous benefits for individuals looking to improve their physical fitness and boxing skills. The club provides a supportive and inclusive environment where members can train and learn from experienced coaches. By participating in the club, members have the opportunity to develop discipline, perseverance, and teamwork skills through regular training sessions and sparring matches. Additionally, being part of the club allows individuals to build a sense of camaraderie with fellow members who share a passion for boxing. Overall, joining the Windrush Valley Amateur Boxing Club can lead to improved physical health, mental well-being, and a sense of belonging within the boxing community.

Additional photographs:

Training at the gym. To the left is AJ and at the right is Luke

Gym equipment and ring in the Old School

Bampton Bridge Club

Way back in the mid 1980’s there were a few Bampton residents playing social bridge, a trick-taking card game played by four people in two competing partnerships. In 1987 they started discussing the possibility of forming a Club to improve the amenities offered in the village. They decided to see how much support there was in the area and so the following article appeared in the Bampton Beam, Vol 2, Issue 2.

In response to the advertisement, it was felt that enough support had been expressed to call a public meeting on the 26th August, to discuss the way forward and appoint a steering committee.

The steering committee moved quickly, and the inaugural meeting of the Bridge Club happened on Tuesday 22nd September 1987 in the Village Hall. At that meeting a committee was appointed, comprising of Raynald Franks as Chairman, Ian Packer as Treasurer and Bill Brookson as Secretary, and that the first night of actual bridge would be Tuesday 6th October.

In order for anyone who was interested in playing bridge to come to the meeting, on the 6th October, the decision was that the club would play cut-in rubber bridge. This meant that no one was required to have a partner to play. Players would cut for

partner and those who didn’t end up with a partner would wait until a game had been won and then would swap with players that had lost.

Much of the work to setup the club was done by Mr C.W. Brookson (Bill) who was ably assisted by many others. As a result, he holds a special place in the history of the club which is celebrated every year when the club plays for the Brookson Cup. There are several variations of the game but the two most dominant are rubber bridge, which is common in social play, and duplicate bridge, which enables comparative scoring in tournaments.

As the club continued to prosper it always tried to maintain a balance between the social and comparative elements of bridge. It always offered a mix of both rubber and duplicate bridge. Most other clubs in the area only offered duplicate. When the Covid pandemic hit all face-to-face bridge had to stop. Like many clubs the option of going online was investigated to enable the club to continue playing. To try and maintain the more social benefits of meeting face-to-face those online options not offering audio & visual capabilities were thought unsuitable. That delayed the move to online bridge until Real Bridge became a viable option. Online bridge presented the club with a new set of challenges. It still had members that enjoyed and wanted the social interaction of playing face-to-face, but it also meant members who had moved away from Bampton could continue to play with friends they had made at the club.

To promote bridge more in the Bampton area the club has recently started offering teaching to those interested in learning the game or just want to refresh their knowledge.

Information about the club is available from our website at www.bridgewebs.com/bampton. Please contact the Secretary or Chairman for more details.

Michael Hopkins Chairman Bampton Bridge Club

Postscript:

Frank Hudson has written about the club with much the same detail but one paragraph in his text is worth showing for interest and amusement:-

“I found a letter from the early nineties from a club member from Standlake, and I quote.

‘I am sorry to say but my partner who suffers with asthma and myself will not be coming to the Bampton Bridge Club anymore this being due to members smoking at the table then putting their cigarette in the ash tray on the table where it continues to smoulder away’ How things have changed.”

Bush Club

This is only for reference as the book ““Celebrating 30 years of the Bush Club in Bampton” by Anna Pitt.” , gives its history and is available in the Bampton Community Archive,

In 2011 it moved into the refurbished main building of the Old School with the old Horsas demolished for new houses. It has been running there since and still was at the time of publication

Meetings are held on most Wednesdays, more or less the same as school terms, starting with coffee or tea, followed by entertainment. This can be talks, performances, music, demonstrations, etc. Lunch follows, prepared by volunteers and then usually a raffle.

This club was started in 1985 to provide lunch, entertainment and socialising for anyone over the age of 65. It was held in one of the Horsa buildings to the rear of the Old School building in Church View, which had been classrooms.

In the old Horsa building

Annual trips are also held, often to the seaside

Where required a minibus provides transport and assistance between the Old School and home, in both directions.

Apart from Anna Pitt’s book, referred to above, there are also a great number of photographs, newspaper cuttings, etc. available on the Archive website.

See Darby and Joan Club on p 9 in the first section, for the club’s predecessor

30th anniversary held in the refurbished Old School

Cricket Club

This is only for reference as the book “Cricket in Bampton” by Anna Pitt, available in the Bampton Community Archive, gives the club’s history.

It is said in the above document, extracted from “Album created by the Darby and Joan Club”, in the Bampton Community Archive, to have been founded as a club in 1890 by a Mr. Ravener. Note that Anna Pitt’s book, referred to above, states that it was founded in 1890 by a Mr. J. P. Oates. In this, there is a photograph of the Bampton XI dated 1881, but this was probably a team and not actually a club.

Bampton Folk Club

There have apparently been three incarnations of a folk club in Bampton.

The first, which may be hearsay, appears to have no records.

The second, known as the Bampton Folk Song and Music Club, was held in the George and Dragon, which is now a private house. It is mentioned in an advert in the Horticultural Society Programme of 1980

The third started in 2017 and performed in the Village Hall, as shown in this flyer to the left. In October of that year, they moved to perform in the Romany Inn and continued there on a regular basis until the Covid restrictions came into being. During this time they used Zoom to continue meeting. After lockdown restrictions eased, and because The Romany had closed for refurbishment (as the Fleur de Lys), they moved to The Horseshoe and then to the Morris Clown, where they perform in the barn, twice a month on Sundays.

They still perform in the Horseshoe on an ad hoc basis

The Club is led by Calum Scott.

After the Covid restrictions had eased, they helped new musicians to improve their skills and taught beginners on several instruments.

Then, after restrictions were completely lifted, they held a concert in conjunction with the Methodist Church, to raise money for NHS workers and the church.

Football

There are, or have been, different teams and clubs over the years. Details are often sketchy, but the following give a good insight into most of their history and the current situation in 2025.

Bampton Town FC

The shield shown below, has a date of 1867, but there are no apparent records available, between then and 1901 What happened in the intervening years is not known

They are said to have started in 1901 and absorbed the Weald Swifts team who had been in existence for two years. They were a founder of the Witney and District Association in 1908. Not much is known about them until they reformed in 1947, after World War II. There is little written information, as their records were burnt in the mid 1970’s. However, a document on the Bampton Archive website, titled “Football in Bampton through the C20th” , has a number of photographs dating from 1911 to 1932 for the earlier period, but also includes more from the 1960’s.

This extract below, and the first photograph following, are from “Old Time Bampton People” by Lloyd Hughes Owen, on the Bampton Archive website.

There is a video interview “History of the football club in Bampton in Oxfordshire” of Albert Radband and Mick Cleaver, made in 2006, on YouTube, via the Archive website, which gives a lot of information, from memory, of the later years

The players, in kit, are named in the extract. The others, presumably, are coaches, managers etc.

The photograph below is of the team in the 1919 to 1920 season.

They played in a succession of four different fields until finally, they moved to a field in Buckland Road, owned by Percy Shepherd. After he died, in 1964, his estate was split up, but they were given the opportunity to buy the field. They raised the money, bought it and they have been resident ever since The trustees of the club then were Albert Radband, Mick Cleaver, George Dafter and Jack Laurence. The video referred to above, has a lot more information than this, regarding snippets of its history, players, the club’s ups-and-downs, anecdotes, etc. etc.

They have had various successes in the Association, over the years, as follows.

Bampton Town wins:

Division 1 – 1964, 1998, 2007

Bampton Town Reserves wins:

Division 2 – 1933, 1956, 2006………………………………………….…………2008

Division 3 – 2005……………………………………………….…………...1965, 2007

Division 4 1985

Ted Young Senior Challenge Cup - 1967, 1968, 2000

Jack Busby Memorial Cup – 1972 2001, 2007, 2008

Fred Ford Memorial Cup – 1965

The Hughes Supplementary Cup 1983

John Fathers Oxon. Junior Shield – 1971

Watts Junior Challenge Cup – 1932……………………………………………….……. Oxfordshire Charity Cup – 1972, 1973

There was an occasion in June 1971, when after the season ended, they organised a competition similar to television’s “It’s a Knockout” against a number of other teams. There was a trophy donated by the Aylesbury Mushroom Company.

Bampton Town FC now only have youth teams, after the older players split away and formed Bampton United. They are now in the Witney and District Youth Football League, which has Autumn and Spring seasons. The ages can be from under 7 to under 18, in yearly stages. They don’t always have a team in each age group in every year. They use the same logo or shield as the senior teams had, but sometimes they used the one shown here. The photographs below show the various youth teams in June 2019.

There is a good selection of photographs of past teams, some with player’s names, in “Football in Bampton through the C20th” on the BCA website.

A reunion of players was held in October 2015 as shown in this extract from the Bampton Beam of December 2015

There was a team for children of 3½ - 7 years, from 2016, called Shooting Stars, aimed at having fun but teaching the rules of football at the same time. It was being run by Serene Curtis in 2018. They played at the Buckland Road on Sundays.

Bampton United

They formed in 2012 after there was a split from Bampton Town Youth teams. They are in the Witney and District Football Association. There were two men’s teams in the 2024/2025 season. They were fourth in the Premier Division and the Reserves were ninth in division 2. They play at the Bampton Town Football Ground in Buckland Road.

Reserves, Division 2

There are also two boy’s teams. The under 14’s who are in the Witney and District Football Association and the under 10’s who are in the Oxfordshire Youth League. --oooOooo--

There was a Bampton Boys Football Club formed in 1992, who were known as ‘The Bees’. In 1997 they were still going strong, with the under 10’s who played on Saturday mornings and the under 12’s, under 14’s and under 15’s, who all played on Sunday afternoons There is an article in the Bampton Beam of December 1993 about them. oooOooo

There was also a Horseshoe Football team, which played in the Sunday League. It was managed by Alan Clarke. Not much information is available about it, except for small notices in various Bampton Beams from April 2002 until November 2009, but without details of matches, results etc. Other pubs also had teams from time to time.

Premier Division

Six-a-side team in November 2017

Bampton Gardening Club

This club was renamed from the old Horticultural Society in 1996 (see earlier p14) They still held annual shows in the Village Hall and in 2003 revived the idea of having two shows a year, one in summer and one in Autumn, which was repeated in 2004 but then reverted to one in the following year. Coffee mornings were also held a few times per year.

The shows held competitions, which in 2003 had 70 classes but this increased over the years The categories included, flowers, vegetables, fruit, herbs, crafts, cooking (cakes, jam and wine) and a children’s section. Flower arranging and home brewing were added later. There was a category called the ‘Bampton Only Competition’, which included best commercial window box or tub, best private window box or tub, best commercial hanging basket, best private hanging basket, best kept private vegetable garden and best kept private front or back garden.

The competitions were sponsored by local businesses, such as shops, pubs, etc. and also many private donors. Most of the awards were named after local residents.

The club organised several days out but not always garden orientated. There were trips to the seaside, the Scottish Highlands, Malvern Show, Wisley RHS, London sightseeing, Christmas shopping, Cheltenham races, the bulb fields at Keukenhoff, Westonbirt Arboretum, Bath and West Show, Coughton Court and so forth.

They continued in the same vein until the Covid pandemic in 2020, when it ceased to operate, but was revived in 2023. Details from then onwards follow.

The following was written by Jo

Lewington

The Bampton Gardening Club was closed down during Covid and failed to rise again at the end of 'the shutdown'. It was known to have been going since 1860, so it seemed a tragic betrayal to let it just fade away. Some of the old committee members got together to restart it, working with some new enthusiasts. We soon found out it was to be a lot of work for a few dedicated people. The plan was to be

Display of awards Photograph from the Bampton Beam, November 2011.

educational as well as sociable – having coffee mornings and outings as well as educational talks. Times have changed – it seems that everyone (apart from the very ancient) go online to get their information. Only about 20 or 30 people come to talks even by the most knowledgeable experienced gardeners. Books, that I, in my younger days would have coveted, do not manage to sell on our coffee morning stalls, even for £2.00! However much we put out information on social media, when you ask people, they have heard of events by good old 'word-of-mouth'.

Matthew Rice is our President and is full of great ideas and the space to make them happen. We had the first 'Tulip in a Bottle' show in April 2024, (our president's idea based in part on his love of tulips but also inspired by having a store of dozens of old glass milk bottles, perfect for showing tulips). This will be an annual event, in addition there will be a dahlia show in August of each year, to be held in Ham Court. Last year's Tulip Show attracted 130 visitors – more than any other of our events. I think it is going to take 21st century thinking to keep a 19th century Horticultural Society going. We shall see!! History either swallows things into oblivion OR it forces us to innovate and change and flourish. The deeply held core of the Bampton Gardening Club is that gardening is not only important for feeding the body and nurturing the soul but is also Tulip in a bottle competition 2024 essential for our physical and mental health and we hope to keep it going as long as is possible.

One venture that is new, is the creation of the Bampton Community Orchard on Parish Council land adjacent to the tennis courts. The plan is that the orchard will contain 57 fruit trees, mostly apple but including some pear, plum, damson and quince. The orchard will be paid for by grants including King Charles' coronation fund (our current monarch is in favour of trees and the environment). But there is also a 'sponsor a fruit tree' scheme. This scheme is not about tree ownership, but to help pay for the whole orchard. The trees will be mostly heritage trees of Oxfordshire, including 3 from Bampton. This is a project requiring patience. It will be 2 or 3 years before you will see any fruit. But there are further plans for the orchard – it will be in part a haven for wild Volunteers at one of the plantings. plants including many like the fritillaries and

Location of Community Orchard (in red outline) adjacent to recreation ground

the wild orchids that used to grow in abundance in the area and are now fairly rare. There will be a notice board with information on the fruits we are growing, on the wild flowers and the birdlife in the field. The fruit will be distributed to anyone in the Parish, on a collect your own and make a donation if you can basis, Care will be in part (mowing) by the Parish Council and on a voluntary basis by members of the Gardening Club, and members of the Village Community who love the idea of a village orchard. We will see what we will see. There are a pessimists and optimists among us.

There was a Gardener’s Question Time held in Bampton (not BBC) in Autumn 2024. Matthew Rice organised it with the following guests as panellists: Anton Blackie, head gardener at Estelle Manor, Isabel Bannerman, who has worked at Highgrove and Waddesdon Manor amongst others and Becky Craven from Rollright Manor

St. Mary’s Flower Guild

This is not connected to the Gardening Club but appropriately fits in at this point.

They have about 15 to 20 members. They provide the flower arrangements for St. Mary’s Church throughout the year and have a flower festival there every year over the last Bank Holiday in May, which is the main fundraiser for the purchase of flowers throughout the year. Sometimes they arrange flowers for weddings. They aim to have an annual summer social event, a workshop, a demonstration or an outing. (This information is taken from an advertisement in the Bampton Lowdown of May 2021, which included this photograph at the left of a flower arrangement by the late Lis Banham for the May 2014 Festival)

Display from the 2025 Festival, which had a music theme. This represents ‘Diamonds are Forever ’

oooOooo

Girl Guides and Boy Scouts

Both of these organisations have had chequered histories in Bampton, but the following pieces give some account They remain in this section of the publication as there is always hope that they may be reformed.

Guides and Brownies

The Bampton Guide and Brownie packs were formed in 1949 by Mrs. Margery Bullen, who ran them for ten years, helped by Mrs. Ewings and Eileen Graham. In 1964 they were taken over by Mrs. Jeanne Gascoigne, who was their leader until 1978. (details of the interim period are not known). Mrs Meg Daley ran the Brownies for a few years assisted by Miss Elizabeth Tanner. Mrs Mavis Clack Old emblem and Mrs Margaret Wythes were Brown Owl and Tawny Owl in the 1970’s. Previously Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Dora Ewings and Mrs. Lyn Barber ran the 1st Bampton Brownies.

(The above is extracted, with edits, from an article in the Bampton Beam of 1991, written by Jenny Izzard, the Bampton District Commissioner. The picture to the left is also from that article and features Mrs Bullen and Mrs Ewings meeting Lady Baden-Powell in 1955 at a Guide Rally at Blenheim Palace. The full article is available to read on the Bampton Archive website).

After this article featured in the Bampton Beam there were five letters from exGuides in the April 1992 issue. They had memories of earlier groups. The earliest recollection was from 1920, when Miss Nettlefield, from Bampton Manor, started a company. They held their meetings in the upstairs room (now the Lewington Room) of the Old Grammar School. They had three patrols, the Robins, the Canaries and the Swallows. Another letter says that during the war they would sometimes drill in the garden of Weald Manor. At that time Emmy Papworth was Guide Captain and there was then a Nightingale Patrol. They used to go camping in Alvescot Rectory, as real camping was not allowed during the war. A further letter says that the 1st Brownies were started in about 1938 by Miss Susan Gillman in Bampton Manor. After the Gillmans left the Manor, meetings were held upstairs in the Old Grammar School.

These letters from the Beam are available to read in full on the Bampton Archive Website and feature more names and a photograph

There appear to be few other records or references to either the Guides or Brownies in Bampton after the above. At some point they were transferred from the Bampton Division with Eynsham to the Windrush Division, but the date is unknown.

There are some exceptions, however. In 1978 one guide, Claire Wythes, aged fifteen, was presented with the Queen’s Guide award by the District Commissioner, Mrs. C Cooper. This was the Guides’ top award. Her mother, Margaret Wythes, was captain of her company and had been Brown Owl to the Brownies when Claire was three years old, i.e. in about 1966. Also, the four photos below, from the Bampton Archive, give some dates.

Bampton Girl Guides about to go on a trip in about 1958

Bampton Brownies with Ann Cook, Camping, 1973.

Bampton Brownies, unknown date

Brownies with Meg Daley on Remembrance Day 1988

Other photographs and some references are available in various Bampton Beam editions, accessible on the Archive website. The account about Brownies following these photographs, however, does give information about them after 2001.

The following account about Brownies was written by Wendy-Jane Copping

I set up Brownies at Bampton CE Primary School in Sept 2001 until July 2017. I had been a Brown Owl for over 21 years at this unit and at 5th Witney Brownies.

We had 24 girls in our unit - ages 7-11. From 4pm - 6pm ever Tuesday.

Our leaders over the years were: Karen Williams, Clare Rednall, Angela Jones, Rachel Deegan, Cerian Cooper and Fiona Godwin (These were Tawny Owls and Snowy Owls).

We worked on a variety of badges, organised & hosted a sports day for the local district, went on trips to Cadbury's World, Gulliver's World, Pitt Rivers Museum, trips and walks in the local area, annual trips to the local wood, cinema and theatre trips, including The Gang Show every year.

We attended large district sleepovers (at Wood Green School and Cornbury Park).

We helped raise money for different charities by organising cake bakes and sales, car boot sales, 'bob-a-job' style sponsored events and also bag packing in local supermarkets.

We supported local events - serving tea & cakes for the Bampton Morris Dancers over the Whitsun Morris Dancing event; visiting local nursing homes; we attended church organised events: carol singing, Christingle making and celebrations, Light Parties and processions on 31st Oct each year.

Girls took over the planning of meetings for the whole of the summer term each year. They organised pamper evenings, film savings, games evenings, baking, art and craft sessions amongst others.

After 2017, people seemed to lose interest.

Postscript: A similar situation existed in Aston and they closed in September 2025

It seems there were no guides in Bampton during this time.

oooOooo

Scouts, Cubs and Beavers

This first paragraph on Scouts is from information in the Bampton Beam of (March?) 2015, written by Don Rouse

In the late 1940’s they met upstairs in the Old Grammar School. The Scouts had two patrols, Fox Patrol, led by Ray Applegate and

Stag Patrol, led by Graham Taylor. It was strictly boys only in those days, but they were allowed to invite girls each year at Christmas for a party.

It is said that the Cubs started in about 1935 and they also met upstairs in the Old Grammar School. In those days they were led by senior scouts and assistant scouters but with no women leaders

In the Bampton Beam of December 1991, it was reported that the local movement was growing in strength, for Scouts and Cubs, who had both been to camps, and for Beavers, who had visited the Blue Cross Animal Rescue Centre. The Group Scout Leader was Leslie Harrison, Scout Leader was Paul Tomlin and Beaver Leader was Mrs. B Heaton. The Scouts were offering a Christmas Card delivery service throughout Aston, Bampton, Clanfield and Cote

The next paragraph is extracted from another article in the Bampton Beam, this one of December 1997, written by Phil Roberts

The 1st Bampton Scouts Troop is one of the oldest in the West Oxfordshire District of the Scouting Movement The group has enjoyed mixed fortunes over the years, but at its peak a Beaver Colony, Cub Pack and Scout Troop were all well attended. The group enjoys the luxury of excellent facilities at the rear of Bampton Youth Centre where the cub pack meets on Wednesday evenings 7.30 to 8.30 pm. The Cub Pack has 28 boys on the books and an adequate number of adult helpers. There is currently a full waiting list for Beavers. Cubs normally go to one of the other Scout Troops in the district Over the last year the boys have enjoyed a wide range of activities including a district camp, swimming competitions, camping at Youlbury Scout Camp a visit to Oxford United FC and participated in various badge work.

It was then announced in the issue of August 2000, that the Cubs were going to suspend their operations, as new entrants were not forthcoming.

The next information is taken from an article by Fiona Richmond in The Bampton Beam of June 2015, the full text of which is available via the Bampton Archive website.

The 1st Bampton Beaver Scout Colony was set up in 2012 by Fiona Richmond. She had visited a Beaver Scout colony in Witney to learn the ropes and was assisted by parents. The age range was 6 years to 8 years. They had sports, crafts, a visit to the Fire Station, a 5-mile hike and numerous camps. The first camp was at “One World Camp” at Thame in 2013, with four Beavers joining about 5,000 other Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from around the world. The colony proved popular, reaching about 15 in number at its peak, which then remained a fairly constant figure. As they started getting older it was apparent that they would need to set up a Cub Scout pack, so a return was made to Witney for information and the Bampton pack was formed in early 2014, with the aid of Bampton’s assistant Cub Scout

leader. This also reached a membership of 15 in number, for ages of 8 years to 10 years. They had outdoor activities such as hikes, weekend camps, kayaking, climbing, bird box making, etc.

There was a ‘Beaver Shout’, which went: 1,2.3

Who are we?

We are Beavers

The Beavers emblem from 2018 Can’t you see?

B.E.A.V.E.R.S Beavers!

It was usually followed by much rushing about,

The following is a timeline of events and organisation from 2012 until 2025, written by Emma Dedman Some details are a repeat of those in the above article by Fiona

Summer 2012 - Su Allen and Fiona Richmond started Bampton Beavers (both were leaders; the Beavers met at the Primary School)

Winter 2013 - Fiona Richmond started Cubs (Su remained as Beaver Leader, Fiona as Cub Leader; they all met at the Primary School)

New emblem from 2018

1st Bampton Scouts sat under Witney Buttercross initially, but as Witney Buttercross grew, Bampton were forced out. Fiona then acted as Group Scout Leader. This was a time of extreme difficulty as Su and Fiona all of a sudden found themselves with no management support (for permits, admin, Executive Committees, Treasurer etc).

Winter 2019/Spring 2020 - Fiona and Su stepped down; Claire Macauley kept Beavers running with the amazing support of Chloe Busk as Assistant Section leader and Lynne Hicks and Tara Jeynes as helpers; The Cubs emblem from 2018 County Scouts stepped in to keep Cubs running Marcus Goodwin, as County Commissioner, ran Cubs. During Covid, he ran it online as zoom sessions, ably supported by his two children Joe and Lottie. (I will never forget Lottie's armpit fudge)*

Winter 2020 - My husband, Wayne Smith, became Group Scout Leader for Bampton Scouts.

Spring 2021 - Cubs and Beaver meetings continued virtually. Beaver and Cubs leaders delivered activity packs to front doors.

Summer 2021 - Marcus held monthly in-person meetings at Minster Lovell and Charlbury for Beavers and Cubs. In Scout jargon, these are known as Day Camps. I formally became a parent helper.

Winter 2021 - Su Allen stepped back in as Cub leader. I became Assistant Cub leader, Claire Macauley and Chloe Busk continued to run Beavers. Lynne and Tara supported Su and me. We were no longer allowed to meet at the Primary School, so we found an alternative venue in the Pavilion at Bampton Rec. The Pavilion was only available on Thursday evening, so Beavers and Cubs met concurrently. All leaders wore face masks - Covid era, with hand sanitising in and out. The young people did not need to wear masks. Handover of the young people between parents and

leaders was on a strict one in one out basis, for infection control reasons. We asked that every person take a lateral flow test before the sessions. Julian Digby was recruited as a new Beaver leader, with a handover planned between him and Claire. He was supported by Pete Gane. Guy Wiseman also signed up as a Section helper. Phil Wilson signed up as Cub leader. Su was also Assistant County Commissioner for Beavers from Winter 2021 - Summer 2022.

Spring 2022 - Although schools were closed, Scouts were allowed to meet, so we continued meetings with everyone wearing masks. A Young Leader, Oliver Foster, did his D of E silver volunteering with us. We performed a sheep dissection on the hard court at the Rec

Summer 2022 - We had a brilliant programme, including raft building on the Shill Brook, a Day Camp when we hiked from Radcot Bridge to the Alpaca field, an overnight camp at Rushey Lock.

Winter 2022 - I started a Scout Troop with Su Allen helping me. The Scouts met once a month on a Sunday as we could not find a suitable venue for weekly meetings. The Beavers and Cubs continued to meet weekly on a Thursday evening at the Rec (Beavers from 6pm to 7pm, Cubs from 6pm to 7.30pm). The Scouts held a Day Camp at Claywell Farm, where we climbed trees, dug fire pits etc. We had a sleepover in St Mary's the night before Remembrance Sunday. We held a second dissection evening on the hard court at the Rec. Joel Richmond joined Scouts as a Young Leader for his D of E Gold. Sleepover in St. Mary’s Church Spring 2023 - The standout Cubs meeting was ‘Cubs have got Talent’. The Cubs and Scouts visited Bush Club during the Christmas hols Summer 2023 - We held a Day Camp at Minster Lovell for Cubs and Scouts and built a seesaw using our pioneering skills. Scouts also had a Day Camp at Claywell Farm and built a Trebuchet, again using our pioneering skills. Scouts also had an amazing three Robot Building sessions in the Lewington Room. which ended in a big Robot Wars session. A huge shout-out to Dave Weston for his support. I took Beavers, Cubs and Scouts to the two-night District Camp at Newbridge, Oxfordshire. The weather was dreadful with storms, and we literally had Beavers and Cubs clinging to the mess tent to prevent it from blowing away at one point.

Winter 2023 - Su Allen stepped down as Cub and Scout leader and became Chair of the Exec. Steph and Dan Cartwright stepped forward as Cub leaders; Steph did the planning, Dan acted as Akela for the actual meetings. Cubs moved to once-a-month meetings as Steph and Dan could not manage Sleepover in St. Mary’s Church weekly meetings. Hazel Adamson also joined as Cub leader. Phil Wilson joined me as Scout leader. We held our second sleepover in

St Mary's Church The Cub and Scout meetings were still held separately. I continued to act as Cub leader during this term for the handover.

Spring 2024 - Handover completed so I stepped back from running Cubs. Dan and Steph Cartwright ran a Greenfield camp under my supervision at Claywell Farm – a huge success!

Summer 2024 - Steph organised an amazing day out on the high ropes at Lydiard Park. I organised a day trip through Chimney Meadows to remove Himalayan Balsam. I took Cubs and Scouts on a two night camp to Wales, brilliantly supported by Dan, Steph, Chloe and Phil We took the Scouts down the mines, the Cubs went on a trampolining adventure, then went on a treasure hunt in Betws-y-Coed. Su announced that she would step down as Chair of the Exec next year, Lynne resigned as treasurer. Dan Pullin joined Beavers as a leader.

Winter 2024 - Steph and I were now both working full time and struggled to manage the planning and organising without additional volunteers. We tried to recruit some more volunteers but were not successful. We held our third sleepover at St Mary's for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. The Cubs and Scouts helped plant the first trees with the Bampton Gardening Club for the Community Orchard at the Rec.†

Spring 2025 - A crisis meeting was held with the District Commissioner as we had not been successful in recruiting additional volunteers and Steph and I had reached capacity. The decision was made to close Cubs and Scouts at the end of March. Oliver Foster and I organised a visit to a Hindu Temple in London in Feb, then Su Allen organised a wonderful last Day Camp in Hailey in March.

Summer 2025 - Beavers continue and are about to visit Crocodiles of the World.

Postscript notes:

* Armpit fudge is made by putting the required ingredients together in a small plastic bag (icing sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla essence and cocoa) and squeezing it all under the armpit to mix them (the full recipe is available online – on various Guides and Scouts websites)

† See Gardening Club, page 40.

Scouts at the entrance to the mine at Betws-y-Coed and rafting inside

Preparing for planting at the orchard

Bampton Ladies Group

Way back in 1973 there was a Bampton Young Wives Group which met monthly in the Village Hall to chat and listen to speakers. In 1996, the club was renamed Bampton Ladies, with the aim of welcoming ladies of all ages. However, life moved on, needs changed and it became difficult to find someone to come to the fore prepared to take the lead and make all the necessary arrangements like booking the hall. Hiring the hall had become itself a cost implication and it became apparent that something new was needed. Eventually this group declined and after much discussion, the agonising decision was made, in 2012, to formally disband the Club. A number of the Ladies, keen to maintain the social aspect of the club, agreed to continue to meet monthly on an informal basis as Bampton Ladies Group. (BLG).

Until the dreaded Covid struck BLG went from strength-to-strength meeting in the third week of each month, varying the days and usually visiting a different village pub each month. The consumption of alcohol was by no means compulsory but several of us enjoyed the odd glass of wine or a gin and tonic.

During Covid lockdown we, like so many others, learned to use Zoom. In fact, our Zoom group is still meeting every Wednesday evening allowing Ladies who moved away or who are no longer able to get out and about to keep in touch with everyone. The way things are now we have at least one meeting a month either in a pub, or in the home of someone who has enough space and is kind enough to invite us to her home, or if the weather co-operates we meet in someone’s garden. What do we do? We talk (what a surprise), discuss village events, offer advice and opinions about everything under the sun but most of all we laugh. We laugh a lot, then return home having spent an enjoyable evening in good company and sometimes making new friends. We help each other out if needed without being intrusive.

We have entered teams in local quizzes, (we even won once), we have meals out, which we like to keep local (not so easy now), we’ve even had short holidays - with or without family members. Ladies are encouraged to bring other ideas to the table. Prior to lockdown, many dark winter evenings were passed in ‘Games Evenings’ hosted by one member or another.

Basically, we are a friendship group who enjoy each other’s company and are there for each other. BLG has no formal structure, no subs, or fees. Attendance is not regulated.

If you would enjoy a pleasant evening out with ladies of all ages and backgrounds, then consider joining us. Contact Christine, our unelected, unofficial organizer (or facilitator as she now styles herself) who is the main point of contact on 07748818954 or c.hughes844@btinternet.com

Above written by Christine Hughes

Postscript:

There was a small advertisement in the Bampton Beam of November 2011 stating some of the same details as Christine has written but it also referred to an annual skittles outing

This photograph of a meeting is from that advertisement.

Bampton Ladies Netball Club

Bampton Ladies Netball meet on a Tuesday night at 7.30 pm. We are a very friendly group and we meet at the recreation ground in Bampton, all new members are welcome. Your first session is free and then each week is £3 thereafter. If you’re looking to get back to netball or for a new club, we would love to see you. Our netball is for mixed abilities and ages with the focus very much on having fun whilst getting a good workout. Don’t worry if you haven’t done any netball since school, it all comes back to you!

Above written by Natalie Alcraft

Postscript:

The club was founded in 2012 by Sam Constable (now Bradley) who ran it for many years. Their adverts in the Bampton Beams of 2012 and 2013 say that they completed their evenings with a drink at the Morris Clown, although not obligatory! See at left.

Bampton Movies

Bampton Movies, or Movies on the Move as it was first known, originally started in 2008 through an initiative organised via Chipping Norton Theatre and funded in part by the European Community and the West Oxfordshire Network Leader Programme. Any villages within West Oxfordshire could be involved and Chipping Norton Theatre provided the films, chosen at regular meetings with village representatives, and the projector, projectionist and screen did the rounds of the villages each month with considerable response. As well as the feature film, Bampton chose to also show a short film taken from Bampton Archive, which might relate to the history of a particular Bampton event or an interview with a local farmer, resident or anything else that would be of interest to the attendant audience.

This continued very satisfactorily with the hard work of Bampton residents, including Susan Phillips, Jo Lewington, Biz Gooddy, the late Tony Page, who was responsible for advertising and Janet Rouse, who took care of notification in the Contact magazine and also narrated the Archive film.

Unfortunately, early in 2012, due to a cut in funding, Chipping Norton Theatre could no longer continue with Movies on the Move, and it was decided to launch an appeal to raise sufficient money to purchase a projector, screen etc. and for Bampton residents to run the movies themselves. This they did and £9,000 was raised, with funding received from Oxfordshire Community Foundation, Doris Field Charitable Trust, the Community Shop, the Parish Council, Bampton Archive, Bampton Environmental Watch Group, Bampton Charity Cards and the Slow Living Society. The name was changed to Bampton Movies, the film licence was organised, at considerable cost, and at that time the film rented from the film licencing company. A bar was also on offer to hopefully increase the takings to help cover the monthly outlay. Sadly, with the coming of Cineworld to Witney, it was difficult to keep the numbers up and in February 2014 it was decided to change the status to that of a film club, which meant that a cheaper licence could be obtained. The downside was that due to the nature of the film licence, advertising was no longer possible in any form and information about upcoming films relied solely on word of mouth. The upside was that because it was then a club, each year a Christmas party was organised and run alongside the December film. This was always well received.

In 2024, because numbers were still low, it was decided to give the more expensive advertising type of licence another go for a year to see if this would help. Thanks to Jenny Chaundy there is a very smart poster each month and notification also appears on the Vesey Room website. Bampton Village Hall also has been brought into the 21st century thanks to Anna Smart and there is now a village hall Facebook page and Bampton Movies appears on that. All of this is run by Maggie

Poster March 2025

Williams and Pat Smith, with a special mention to Anthony Hall, the village hall Chair who acts as projectionist, occasionally supported by Andy Drake, and Jane Barnes who is always on the door. The DVDs are currently bought by Pat Smith and she and Maggie Williams try to choose a wide range of films to suit all tastes, spending a considerable amount of time watching trailers or, if enticing enough, the whole film. Although there is still only an audience of roughly 40, there is a good atmosphere and with the extra effort with advertising it is hoped numbers will increase. Any profit made goes to the village hall.

To further encourage the potential audience, tables and chairs are arranged to give a more relaxed atmosphere (it worked so well at the Christmas parties) and people are invited to bring wine if they so choose. Choc ices are still being sold at 50p, and admission is still £4! – possibly to be revised in the near future.

It is hoped that Bampton Movies will continue for the foreseeable future as one of the many activities on offer in Bampton, a great place to live. Do come along, films are shown on the first Wednesday in the month, with a break in July and August, and the film starts at 7.30 – doors open at 7pm. Look forward to seeing you!

Above

written by Pat Smith

oooOooo

Postscript:

Films shown have been of different genres and ages. They have included comedies such as The Ladykillers; adventures such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; musicals such as Mamma Mia; histories like The Young Victoria; dramas like Slumdog Millionaire; and so on

Badge of the Womens Section

Royal British Legion

This organisation needs no introduction as they are known nationally, however the following two edited extracts are from their Bampton website dated 2016.

The Bampton Branch was first established in Nov 1928 and later amalgamated with the Bampton Ladies Branch.

Our records date back as far as 1963. Where we had a membership of 60+ members. Today we have around 45 members.

We range from currently serving through ex serving members and civilian membership. It was thought for a long time, that the legion was only open to people who had a military connection. These days we accept membership from the whole community.

The branch used to arrange a children's Christmas Party which was held in Clanfield each year.

For the 70th anniversary of VE Day our branch decided that we should try and recreate the parties which would have happened at the time.

We managed to persuade a local landlord (Who happened to be a legion member) to give us the use of his pub and set about decorating it for a party.

We put the word out to the local community that there would be an opportunity to dress up and have a sing along. This was mainly due to the fact we had hi-jacked the local church organist to come and play the piano in the pub.

So the scene was set and we all had a jolly good time. Dancing, drinking and singing into the small hours. We also managed to raise a substantial amount of money for both the Branch and the Poppy Appeal.

According to a document “Bampton Today 1965” , in the Bampton Archive, which is effectively a scrapbook, a branch of the Royal British Legion was formed in 1921. The Women’s section was formed in 1949. These details are at odds with the extract from the website extract at top, but the probable error is in that the RBL was formed in 1921, and the Bampton branch was formed later. In 1965 the men’s branch had 106 members and the women’s had 50 members. In that year they held a carnival in the grounds of the Grange, the residence of Major Scott, the President. £75 was raised to aid sick members and to provide gifts for the elderly at Christmas.

There are numerous documents available in the Bampton Archive, including a collection of photographs from the Women’s Section and a book “We Will Remember Them “, by Tony Page.

From 2016 meetings were held in the Romany. Currently, they are held in the Horseshoe on an intermittent basis. In 2025 membership was about 86 in number and their chairman was Tom Buxton. They always attend the Remembrance Day parade and sometimes other events. For example, in May 2025 they held an 80th anniversary VE celebration in the Horseshoe

The Horseshoe May 2025

There is a video of “Dixey” Dean describing the Legion’s part in the repatriation of fallen service personnel at RAF Brize Norton and the memorial garden in Carterton. This repatriation ceremony, which started in 2011 after it ceased to be held in Wootton Bassett, is organised by the MOD and Oxfordshire County Council. A quote from a Royal British Legion web page follows.

The Royal British Legion has been in close consultation with Oxfordshire County Council, Thames Valley Police and RAF Brize Norton over the route that fallen Service personnel will take from RAF Brize Norton to the John Radcliffe Hospital. Our views have been taken into account in informing the route decision and we feel the chosen route provides our members and the wider public with opportunities to pay their respects.

The Legion encourages its members to pay honour and respect to those who have fallen in service to the nation. Our presence is most visibly demonstrated by the parading of the branch standards, but as the Legion is part of the local community many Legion members will stand silently among those who gather to pay their respects.

Oxfordshire County Council has commissioned a Memorial Garden near RAF Brize Norton and we feel that this is an excellent location where our members can continue their dignified tradition of paying respects to the fallen

Photograph taken from Oxford Mail website

Scottish Country Dancing

This was started in 2015 by Catherine Lane. Catherine is Scottish and has danced since childhood. We are a group of twenty members who meet weekly in Bampton Village Hall. The ethos is to have fun and release the endorphins as well as learning to dance. The processing is very good for the brain cells as we have to focus on some complex figures and remember the routines.

It is very much a social group as well as instruction in the art of Scottish Dancing. It provides good exercise once a week on Monday afternoon between 3 and 5 p.m.. We have a break for tea, biscuits and a blether. Our ages range from mid-fifties to eighty.

We have provided entertainment for the Bush Club members and also Rosebank Care Home, both based in Bampton.

We are always happy to welcome new members. At present we have just two male dancers – so they are a little outnumbered!

Why not come along and join us Monday afternoons.

Written by Maggie Williams

Some of the Group in the Village Hall, February 2025 (Costumes by member Jane Chapman)

Photographs by Nick Holmes

Bampton Slow Living Society

This society was founded in 2003, by Ray and Sally Proctor, David Pullman, Angie Bell, Geoff Woodward and others It was inspired by the Slow Food movement in Italy, formed in the 1980’s as an antidote to the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome. Over the years it has had many talks on a variety of food and drink topics. These include regional wines; other wines such as sherry, sparkling wine and Madeira; Persian food; a butchery demonstration; talks on cheese, chocolate, olive oil, tea and coffee, flour

A display from Riverford Organics milling, organic vegetables, liqueurs and spirits, fruit importing, food in art, bread baking; a sausage making demonstration, a vineyard visit, etc. etc.

The talks have been followed by a meal which was usually relevant to the subject, for example regional food for regional wines These were prepared, more often than not, by members.

There has been a barbecue or garden party each year in various member’s gardens and once at Glebe Farm Organics, which included a talk and tour

Olly Weaver, of Patrick Strainge, demonstrating his unusual skills

Geoff Rayner & Anthony Hall, cooking at one of the Garden Barbecues.

The membership is about eighty in number. The events are held in the Village Hall, about three or four times per year, with an attendance of about sixty at each

There have been special events as well. A pig roast was held in the Market Square as part of the Jubilee celebration in 2012 (right) Two anniversary parties have been held, one in 2013 and one in 2023

Also, two Burn’s Night suppers were organised, one in 2015 and one in 2023, complete with whisky and bagpipes

In addition to all this, there was for a while, an informal gathering of members and guests who used to meet on the first Tuesday of each month for a meal, at the Biztro in Wheelgate House. It was known as the Tuesday Club, although not a club in the true sense.

Two founders, Ray Proctor, right in the above photograph, and Sally Proctor in the other, both with wine producers Slides from their presentation on the Wines of Piemonte, 2006

During writing this, it was decided, in March 2025, to close the Society with a farewell garden party held in July.

Addressing the Haggis, 2015

Garden party BBQ 2013

S.P.A.J.E.R.S

This is only for reference, as the book, ““SPAJERS” by Frank Hudson, Don Rouse and Helen Grimwade, available in the Bampton Community Archive, gives more detail.

The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing was formed in 1953 as part of the Coronation Celebrations. It was decided to hold a pram race to raise money, which was given to nurses for the Radcliffe Infirmary It was so successful that it was decided to run it every year and proceeds would go to pensioners. This race was known as the Great Shirt Race and still continues annually.

In the 1950’s to 1970’s they also held Shirt Race Balls and Gala Dances to promote the race. The following three are a selection of tickets from “SPAJERS: Collection of Dance Tickets” on the Bampton Archive website.

SPAJERS still organise other events such as the Donkey Derby, Josie’s Draw, Fireworks Display, quizzes, etc.

Raffle ticket, Xmas 1963

Society for the Protection of Bampton

The society for the Protection of Bampton (known as the SPB) was founded in 1993 by local resident Earl Donoughmore, “to improve the quality of life of the people of Bampton”. It currently has over 300 members and continues to protect the unique character of Bampton.

One of its early successes was to rescue a piece of land in the heart of the village from development by the County council. Thanks to the generosity of our founder, this area, known as Sandfords Field, is now owned by the village and used for fetes, the Donkey Derby and the enjoyment of everyone.

Funded entirely by its members, the SPB continues to oppose inappropriate development. We accept the need for growth, but feel this should be small-scale and in keeping with the unique character of the village. Additionally, during the planning process, the SPB often makes constructive points to increase the resilience of developments, especially as regards flooding.

In recent years, a speculative developer attempted to build 127 new houses off the Aston Road in an area which was known to flood. The SPB raised over £20,000 to fight this application. We commissioned a hydrologist to model the flood risk and employed a planning barrister to fight our case. As a result the application was denied by the Planning Inspector. With the arrival of Covid in 2020, the SPB initiated and funded the village Covid support group, known as Bampton Aid Network (BAN). This quickly established a dedicated mobile number through which a team of volunteers could be accessed to do all types of jobs, mainly the collection of prescriptions and shopping. Long after lockdown ceased, BAN continued managing Covid vaccination clinics for the elderly and vulnerable in local surgeries.

The SPB welcomes new members, who in the first instance can contact the chair, Richard McBrien, at richardmcb@me.com

Written by Richard McBrien and Trevor Milne-Day.

The cover of the Lowdown magazine of October 2020, sponsored by SPB. It contains an open letter regarding planning, amongst other items. It is available to read on the Bampton Archive website.

Bampton Tennis Club

Bampton Tennis Club was formed before the establishment of recreational tennis courts in the village. At that time it comprised a group of keen tennis players, who organised matches on local courts. When the recreation ground was first developed in the 1990s, there was debate about whether there was sufficient demand for the new development to include tennis courts. Under the inspirational guidance of Di O’Brien, local resident and honorary club member, the club gathered evidence on the popularity of tennis within the village. By securing support from village residents the desire to make tennis available in the village was successfully demonstrated, and the two courts seen today were incorporated into the recreation ground development plans.

Over the years Bampton Tennis Club has hosted numerous tournaments, social gatherings, club nights, and coaching events. These have appealed to all ages and we have seen children as young as 4 and adults over the age of 80 enjoying all there is to offer when people come together with a racket in hand and a tube of tennis balls! During the Covid pandemic, tennis was one of the first sports allowed to restart, with some modifications - handshakes were replaced with racket touches, social distancing was maintained, and players used hand sanitiser each time they changed ends. Looking back, those adjustments feel surreal.

Bampton Tennis Club is committed to being inclusive and accessible, with a thriving membership kept at an affordable £40 per year for adults, with non-members also welcome to play. Details about membership and how to get involved are available by emailing bamptontennis @hotmail.co.uk.

Looking ahead, the club hopes to build on its success, with plans to install lights, making the courts usable throughout the year. In the meantime, everyone is encouraged to come and play - no need to be the next Jack Draper, just bring a racket and balls, and have fun!

Written by Debbie Landray

Bampton Theatre Club

Liz Banham founded the Club back in 1992 and for the first few years was the driving force behind the Club. The club went from strength to strength over her 23 years tenure due not least to Liz’s inspiration, dedication and attention to details. She was helped in later years by Liz and Tony Page who published the Club’s newsletters and programme of events and by Maurice Rossie the Treasurer The aim of the Club is to organise visits to theatres for residents who live in Bampton and the surrounding villages and towns.

The Club is an important cultural and social benefit for members. Other benefits are coach transport to and from the organised events; a discount on ticket prices; a social occasion for shopping and a meal before the performance The pre-show meal is an opportunity to join and meet other members

The committee at time of writing in 2025 was: Dennis Walker (treasurer), Jane Telfer (membership, programme and transport), Wendy Rayner (pre-show meals) Michael Hopkins (IT)

Above written by Jane Telfer

Postscript:

The Club have visited many venues including the Oxford Playhouse, the New Theatre, Oxford, the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, the Malvern Theatre, the Swan, High Wycombe, the Watermill near Newbury and the RSC in Stratford-uponAvon. They have also been to visit Highgrove Gardens and the Christmas lights at Waddesdon Manor. Some performances feature on these extracts from flyers

West Oxfordshire Arts Association

The West Oxfordshire Arts Association was born in 1973 - the brainchild of John Birkhead of Filkins, who taught at Radley College, and his wife Margaret Ralston, herself an artist of some reputation. An art exhibition organized by Alvescot College the previous year had demonstrated that the neglected upper room of Bampton Town Hall had the possibility of being a local centre for exhibitions and arts events. John Birkhead was undergoing treatment in London and used the time travelling up and down to map out what form the society might take. By the end of May1973 the newly formed WOAA (as it then was) had negotiated a lease for three years from Bampton Parish Council and staged its first exhibition of paintings. The Birkheads were obviously good at networking- it was reported in the Oxford Times that over 100 people attended the first private view and that members came from many of the surrounding villages including Holwell, Westwell, Swinbrook, Harwick and Standlake as well as Bampton and Filkins. The Oxford Times noted: A considerable number of paintings were sold on the open night and the exhibition appeared to have been received with enthusiasm from people of all ages as a variety of style represented

The success of the '70s WOAA’s first decade was a period of tremendous vitality. From the first it was intended that it would be the focus of a wide range of artistic activity, encompassing literature, drama, music, film and photography as well as art. There was a central organizing committee, initially chaired by John Birkhead, and panels were set up to oversee each of the different activities, for which they were also to be financially responsible. Money was always tight but Southern Arts did contribute Entrance to WOAA at the Town Hall towards capital expenditure and Bampton PC was generous with the terms of the lease. As well as the AGM there was a Supper and Dance for members in the first couple of years. The Events Calendar for May-July 1976 lists the following:

• Rich and Rare Crafts Exhibition (organized by Libby Calvert)

• Book discussion of The Balkan Trilogy

• A photographic ramble, a drama workshop and a poetry reading

• An evening of cartoon films and of films made by students

• Young American Artists exhibition of collage

• Paintings and drawings by Paul Cress

• An exhibition by Kyle Hanton of the University of Montana of Kites and Aerial Sculpture

In addition, there were regular drawing and painting sessions and a course on 18th C literature and social history.

Working with children

It is clear that as well as providing exhibition facilities and an outlet for members’ work, WOAA intended to extend cultural activity as widely as possible in West Oxfordshire. Working with children played an important part in this - a number of the early members had been teachers themselves and many of the younger members had school age children. In the early years Charles Mussett led children’s holiday painting classes, Brian Winston published a summer holiday children’s newspaper, there was a children’s music workshop led by Southern Arts’ Musician in Residence, the Literature panel ran a number of poetry competitions for adults and children and the Art panel ran a Christmas card design competition. There was even an educational trip to London culminating in a visit to a children’s theatre.

The range of activities and events which were offered is remarkable, especially since all those running them were volunteers and there was no paid administrative or secretarial assistance. On the other hand, there was obviously a lot of good will towards the association and local (and not so local) professionals and celebrities pitched in as well. The 1974 children’s writing competition, for example, was judged by Douglas Hurd MP (who lived at Holwell) and Roald Dahl and prizes were sponsored by Barclays and Lloyds Bank, Blackwells and J.A. Pye’s of Oxford.

50th anniversary exhibition with exhibits created by the school and based on the Bampton Morris dancers and shirt race

The second decade

With Charles Mussett as chairman, WOAA carried forward the momentum of the early years into the 1980s. One particularly successful series of exhibitions which attracted much attention in the local press were the Rich and Rare craft exhibitions curated by Libby Calvert. Exhibits were chosen with great care that they should be of the highest quality - thus avoiding any dismissal of them as mere rural handicraft! Certainly, they seem to have been a hit with Peter Palumbo, then Chairman of the Arts Council, who visited the gallery in 1989 and spent (so the press report tells us) £2000! The professionalism of these craft exhibitions seems to have had its counterpart in the organization of the art exhibitions of the early 80s too. The Members’ Exhibition for 1980 attracted 138 entries which The Oxford Times recorded as being of “a very satisfactory standard”, but it is also clear from the review that the effect was somewhat crowded. That may be the reason why a second “Syndicate Members” exhibition was organized in the same year for those who saw themselves as rather more professional and wished to exhibit in rather more select company! It is also interesting to see that WOAA went out and about with plein air painting sessions for members and an open-air display and demonstration at the (then) new Cotswold Wildlife Park.

West Ox Arts today

With the focus on visual arts in recent years West Ox Arts Gallery hosts between 10 and 12 exhibitions per year including Oxfordshire Artweeks. Most exhibitions feature two or more artists at a time), the Gallery promotes the talents of a staggering number of artists from Oxfordshire and beyond. In addition to exhibitions, WOA also strives to offer workshops, demos and art talks led by the artists it helps promote.

Written by Kay Adamson

Below and to the right, the Gallery in May 2025 (Oxfordshire Art Weeks)

Bampton Weightlifting Club

This was formed in 1956 by Don Rouse. There are details of its history, on the Bampton Community Archive website, in a document, “The History of the Bampton Weightlifting Club” by Don Rouse. There are other documents available on this website, including the photograph below

Early Bampton Weightlifters in the WI Hall From left to right: Don Rouse, Mike Dowsett, visitor Dave Prowse (played Darth Vader), Dave Headford, Mitch Fields and Nigel Chivers.

The club has had many successes, nationally and internationally. Some members have competed in the Olympic and Commonwealth games and world championships.

They continue to operate at the time of publication and now use the extension to the Old School in Church View, to where it moved in 2011. It is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, seven days a week. Details, history, competition results and other information are available on their own website, from which this picture inside the club is taken.

50th Anniversary 2006

Original logo

The Women’s Institute was created in Canada in 1897, based on the Women’s Guilds in Britain. It expanded quickly there and then spread to Britain and other Commonwealth countries. The first branch to open in Britain was in 1915 in Llanfairpwllgwyn in Anglesey It had two aims, first to revitalise rural communities and second to encourage women to produce more food during the war. They are known for this association with food but are also involved with crafts and they campaign on a number of issues.

The Bampton WI was established in 1921 and continued with the same principles. Over the years, in addition to their regular meetings, which included demonstrations and talks, typically shown below in their programme of 1965/66, they arranged children’s parties, raffles, outings, exhibitions, etc. One of their activities was in forming a drama group earlier in the 1920’s. They put on a number of plays, revues and pantomimes. (See addition to Bampton Drama Group, page 9, for details)

WI (now Bampton Belles)

Smock-makers of Bampton, representing village trades at a WI rally. From the Daily Mail, Sept 1921

Membership varied, but it is recorded that in 1965, attendances at meetings numbered about 35.

Visit to Stratfield House in May 1952

Membership card in May 1962

In 1923 they had bought the Bell Inn, where the Village Hall now stands, for the sum of £150.00. The hall was built on its site, but it was of course the WI Hall then. In 1984 the WI decided that the hall was not viable and it was taken over by the village

In 1996 they celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Bampton branch.

The following is an update provided by Steph Palk

The original WI group in Bampton closed its doors in 1999, but 20 years later in July 2019 a new group was formed called Bampton Belles. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm in the Village Hall in the centre of Bampton with a wide range of speakers and activities and we have tried our hand at various crafts including pottery painting and soap making. We have had many local people to speak to us about their lives or their particular creative skills as well as inviting speakers from further afield. We also host social events including musical evenings and a summer garden party. Guests are welcome to our meetings For further information about our group please email steph.palk@btinternet.com

APPENDIX

There are (or have been) other organisations which are not clubs, such as the three Morris sides and the Mummers, and others which follow below

The Ancient Order of Foresters.

This was one of The Friendly Societies, a National Organisation, which provided financial help to the sick. Members would pay fees into a central fund. The local branch was known as the ‘Bush Court’, which was established in 1891. It had a membership of about 100. On August 6th,1900, there was a great ceremony in which their new banner was unfurled and carried in procession. Every year, usually the last Sunday before August Bank Holiday, they would assemble at their court at the New Inn (now the Morris Clown). They would march to the church for a special service, then back to the New Inn for their annual dinner. This became known as Hospital Sunday because proceeds from a collection went to the Radcliffe Infirmary. They were instrumental (excuse the pun) in establishing the Bampton Brass Band, (see p4 for their details).

There were two other similar local societies, The Self-help Club, based at The Lamb Inn and the Victoria Club based at the Wheatsheaf. They would march to the church on Whit Monday, each led by a band and return to their respective “headquarters”.

After Lloyd George’s Insurance Act of 1911, these ceased to be needed.

Hospital Sunday (year unknown)

Bampton Aid Network or BAN

On 10th March 2020, a fortnight before the first COVID lockdown, Jess Egerton, a Bampton resident, emailed Trevor Milne-Day, Chair of The Society for the Protection of Bampton, “We should make up a bunch of volunteers who would do shopping, run errands, or pick up prescriptions”. Within a week the infrastructure was in place with a cohort of 60+ helpers, a mobile phone with a dedicated number, and protocols drafted. All those things and more began to be performed by the willing team. Ali Shrimpton had the charming idea of making posies from flowers in her garden to accompany deliveries made by BAN volunteers

Piers Foster created a website over a week-end with links to government and medical advice, details of services BAN offered, and local shops and services that were open for business.

Two other residents, Annie and Robin Jenkin formed a brigade of home-cookers to provide free meals to all in need of a lift, no matter what age.

Volunteer dog-walkers and people with the time to chat (a service called TalktoBAN) stood ready to help and soon Adam Lethbridge and Sue Greenwood gathered together and edited and Ali Bardsley co-ordinated the many other helpers to deliver the first of an intended weekly newsletter “Lockdown Lowdown” to more than 1,500 people.

If you lived in Bampton and needed help then you were invited to call 07946 192638 or go to www.bampton-network.co.uk (website and number no longer active)

The support group was “put into hibernation” on Friday 18th September 2020, with the home-cooked meals service continuing. BAN was temporarily resurrected with the second national lockdown on 5th November 2020. By the end well over 700 jobs had been undertaken. All recorded on a computerised spreadsheet created by Maurizio Fantato.

Thanks to the kind generosity of Ben and Manja Uglow a drinks party for all the volunteers was held on Friday 23rd July 2021 to say a big thank-you to all the many willing helpers way beyond those mentioned here and celebrate the substantial lifting of all restrictions.

Out of the cohort of volunteers was formed a separate group who assisted the Surgery at the mass vaccinations which started in January 2021 when the Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines became available. These vaccinations have continued to Spring 2023. Trevor Milne-Day 06/08/23

ooOoo

Chain

Reaction

This had a cycling club which was raising money for the Bike Path Project (A cycle path from Bampton to Tadpole Bridge). Unfortunately, it failed to get a National Lottery grant and the money raised was not sufficient. Donations were returned and the remaining excess was presented to the Parish Council, with the proviso that it would be used for any future bike path projects.

Zimbabwe Project

A village charity with an outgoing objective

Bampton Zimbabwe Project was set up as a charity in June 2003 and registered as a charity in 2006, with the object of raising funds for the reduction of distress and suffering Zimbabwe. Over a period of 21 years, more than £82,000 was raised in donations and channelled to points of need through major charitable bodies carefully selected for their economical mode of operation and freedom from political interference The Project’s fund-raising activities, which were designed to engage local interest as widely as possible, included an annual bring-and-buy fair, sponsored walks, quiz nights, tea parties and a twentyfour-hour vigil in the village market place, as well as a pattern of regular covenanted donation.

Origins and Activity:

The impetus to found the charity came from two Bampton residents, Tony and Elizabeth Page who, struck by the climate of goodwill in the locality and the generosity with which local causes were being supported, urged the desirability of directing some of the village’s charitable activity towards a suitable external objective. Research and discussion suggested Zimbabwe. A brave Zimbabwean journalist, Cathy Buckle, who had relations in Bampton, was found to supply invaluable information that revealed the shocking realities of the post-colonial regime, and World Vision, an international charity with a strong presence in Zimbabwe, was identified as the first vehicle for the transmission of funds.

An initial meeting at Exeter House in Cheapside established a committee; Michael St John Parker was elected chairman, and subsequently served for the entire duration of the Project. At around the same time a new charity, ZANE-Zimbabwe A National Emergency, was set up in Witney, and this soon became the preferred channel for the Bampton Project’s donations. Over time other organisations active in Zimbabwe have also been supported by the Project, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and more recently Practical Action.

Tea Party, September 2019

Quiz night, February 2019

Autumn Fair November 2021

Garage Sale July 2021

The Project’s legacy.

The Project quickly acquired a strong following among Bampton residents and was served devotedly by a staunch group of committee members, among whom Elisabeth Page, Elizabeth Banham, Ann Flute and Nick Newland were particularly notable.

The charity closed its operation in June 2024.

The impact of COVID, climate change and decades of incompetent and corrupt government on the poor people in Zimbabwe has been devastating, particularly given the limited capacity of health and other social services. While governments and media across the world have been preoccupied by current global turmoil, the plight of Zimbabwe’s poor often remains forgotten; the plight of groups such as disabled children and destitute elderly people is particularly harsh. Information about the true condition of the country is often restricted or inaccurate.

Cathy Buckle continues to circulate regular newsletters which supply insights into the day-to-day struggles faced by ordinary people in Zimbabwe. Her website contains an archive dating back to January 2018. These newsletters can be accessed at www.cathybuckle.co.zw

• ZANE (Zimbabwe A National Emergency) provides tailored support for poverty stricken groups and facilitates self-help. ZANE’s work supports impoverished pensioners and veterans, runs education programmes for women and children in high density urban suburbs and funds specific programmes such as club foot correction and the provision of prosthetic limbs. www.zane-zimbabweannationalemergency.com

• ‘Practical Action’ works with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy and promote self-reliance. We are Practical Action

If you would like to continue to help Zimbabwe’s poorest, then please contact these charities and also read Cathy’s Newsletters.

Written

by Alastair Wray and Michael St. John Parker

The 100 club and the 250 club, as they were known, were actually lotteries and not clubs The first was to raise money to support the Library, the latter was to raise money for the Village Hall and the Youth Centre.

Bampton Community Archive. The Bampton Community Archive was founded in 2002 to record, preserve and share the social history of the village. They maintain and update the archives about Bampton, its residents and history, most of which is on their website. The Vesey Room and the Lewington Room, both in the Old Grammar School, have exhibitions from time to time. Books associated with these exhibitions are available for sale in the Vesey Room, along with Downton Abbey memorabilia and other products. As well as the Committee members anyone is able to join for an annual fee, which entitles them to see previews of exhibitions.

Other activities are organised by the Bampton Community Archive, St. Mary’s Church, Bampton Methodist Church and the Library. Some of these are regular events and some are one-offs.

--oooOooo--

Older church organisations were the Torchbearers, based at St. Mary’s who met in the old vicarage from 1935 to 1945, overseen by the vicar and his wife. This was for children aged 8 to 15. The boys did “chip carving” on old cigar boxes. The girls did knitting or French knitting. The products of these activities went to Overseas Missions. Another was the Christian Men’s Meeting in the 1960’s but this only lasted a year or two due to lack of interest and support. One other was the Junior Christian Endeavour, held in the old Baptist Chapel, from about 1965. It was run by Emmie Bishop and Mary Witt on Wednesday evenings. They had ‘rallies’ several times a year with other JCE’s.

(Information passed on by Janet Rouse from Graham Taylor)

--oooOooo--

There were also cadet forces. In the 1970’s there was a ‘detached’ troop of Witney Army Cadet Force, who had their own HQ in Aston Road, run by Simon Bovington. There was a detached flight of 2120 Witney Squadron of the Air Training Corps, who met in the school in Church View, with Mr. Hughes Owens as CO. They became 2267 Bampton and Burford Squadron and met in an old Nissen hut opposite to what is now the drive to Lavender Place Flats. This was replaced by a new HQ built alongside the ACF HQ in Aston Road. This was later dismantled and re-erected at RAF Brize Norton, when it was re-designated as 2267 Brize Norton Squadron. (This information was also passed on by Janet Rouse from Graham Taylor)

oooOooo

In addition, the local pubs have the usual mix of darts (some teams playing in local leagues), pool, music, quizzes, raffles etc. but not as clubs. Most, if not all, of the pubs in Bampton used to have Bar Billiards teams which played in the Witney and District Bar Billiard Association and/or the Eynsham League. There is an ambition by Alistair “Fred” Cook to raise a team again in Bampton and rejoin the Association.

Acknowledgements

Contributors:

Baby and Toddler Group………….……………………Justine Clifton

Badminton Club …………………….……………….….Diana O’Brien

Bellringers Dave Rose

Bampton Environmental Watch Group………………..Sally Proctor

Bridge Club Michael Hopkins)

Bampton Drama Group Pauline Smith

Bampton Film Club Pat Smith

Bampton Gardening Club Jo Lewington. Guides (Brownies) Wendy-Jane Copping

Bampton Ladies Group Christine Hughes

Bampton Ladies Netball Club………………………….Natalie Alcraft

Scottish Dancing …….………………………………….Catherine Lane Scouts, Cubs and Beavers.. ....Emma Dedman

Bampton Singers Choir …………………..….….….….Judy Scotcher Society for the Protection of Bampton Trevor Milne-Day

Bampton Tennis Club ….Debbie Landray

Bampton Theatre Club…………………… …..……….Jane Telfer

West Oxfordshire Arts

Kay Adamson

WI Bampton Belles ……….…………………….………Steph Palk

Zimbabwe Project ………….……………….…….…….Alastair Wray and Michael St.John Parker

Websites:

Bampton Archive

https://www.bamptonarchive.org

Archery https://www.bamptonarchery.club

Aunt Sally Association https://www.oxfordauntsally.co.uk

Boxing https://www.windrushvalleyabc.com

Football www.witneyfootball.co.uk/clubdir/1018/bampton-united

Royal British Legion https://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/bampton

Others:

Don Rouse, for anecdotes and snippets of information

Frank Hudson, for snippets of information. Jo Lewington, for snippets of information.

Janet Rouse for passing on snippets of information from Graham Taylor.

Simon Paterson, for permission to use extracts and photos from the Archery website

Dan Hall, head coach of WVABC, to use extracts and photos from their website.

“Fred” Cook and Steve Mace to use extracts and photos from the Aunt Sally website.

Mandy Bray, District Commissioner, Brize Norton and Carterton District Girl Guiding, for referring me to other contacts and for searching the Guides archives.