John Temple ran this hardware shop for many years and it was brilliant. He always had a smile on his face and worked very hard to stock items that were really wanted.
In the 1970s Fleur de Lys was a hair salon owned by Margaret Roberts. It is in Bushey Row. There were several owners after Margaret and it was later a video rental shop, a shop selling twee things for gardeners and a Physiotherapy Centre. Now it sells pottery (2021)
The Burford and Bampton branches of the British Red Cross got together for their annual bazaar. L-R in the photograph are Mrs R Lockyer, Mrs Isabel Collins, Mrs Bridget Smith and Mrs Margaret Wilson.
Celebrating the launch of the nationwide Farm Holiday Bureau are Mr Nick Hooper, Mrs Mary Rouse from Lew and Mr Dick Millard of the English Tourist Board. Nick and Mary were members of the local group, the Thames Valley Farm and Country Holiday group and were part of a small group of people from across the UK to set up the national organisation with included members in England, Wales, Scotland and N Ireland. Several years down the line the name was changed from Farm Holiday Bureau to Farm Stay UK. The launch was held at Cogges Farm in Cogges next to Witney.
Although the caption talks about a 'Street Fayer' the picture is actually of Jim Smith and Martin Barber in fancy dress for the Shirt Race organised annually by the SPAJERS ie the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing. The society organises fun things to raise money for the senior citizens of Bampton and Lew.
In 1983 the Lowlands Area Planning Sub committee gave permission for 70 more homes to be built between New Road and Coalpit Lane. The said no more than 20 per year on the 8 acre site but in the event, there were more than this annually.
Tom Smith was the son of a gypsy Queen and for 1969, the number of people and cars who came to his funeral was a very memorable affair. To this day, locals call the bend just outside Bampton on the Bampton to Brize Norton Road 'Hoppy's Corner.' It's on the right leaving Bampton just after passing the allotments.
When Lloyd Hughes Owens created a series of albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s there were people alive who could remember seeing Fred Able in Bampton with his little cart, two donkeys and his dog.
This is Elsie Hughes with three boys and a girl. Elsie had 2 daughters, Mary and Sylvia and one son Jim, so I'm not sure who the 4 children are. She was married to Len Hughes and the last place they lived and worked was the garage and shop next to Cromwell House in Cheapside. The property is now a private dwelling called Exeter House.