Bampton Community Archive

Morris dancing in front of the Elephant and Castle (1950)

BCA - 2019.1800
Item
1950

1950 Morris dancing in front of the Elephant and Castle on Bridge Street

Nik Stanbridge

Morris Men outside the Elephant & Castle c1924

BCA - 2020.2338
Item
1924 or 1925

Bampton Morris dancers c1924/5 outside the Elephant & Castle.

The sign over the pub door says Posting House, Horses, Carriages, Brakes. Personal attention given, Albert Townsend. The 3rd and 4th lines are hard to read which is a pity but it looks like 'For Hire All Trains Met On The Shortest Notice.

On 23rd September 1935 the Townsend family moved across the road to Castle View and made a farm of it having much more room to fatten more pigs.

Bampton Community Archive

Jean & Peter Elliot and Maurice & Rene Wiggins

BCA - 2020.2489
Item
early nineteen seventies

This post card shows a picture of Jean and Peter Elliot who owned and ran the Talbot Inn in the Market Square on the left and Maurice and Rene Wiggins who ran the Horse Shoe Inn seen on the right.

Bampton Community Archive

Advert & calendar for the Horse Shoe Inn 1969

BCA - 2020.2490
Item
1969

This is a calendar and advert for the Horse Shoe Inn by Maurice and Rene Wiggins

Bampton Community Archive

The Eagle Inn, Church View

BCA - 2021.2555
Item
1980s

The Eagle Inn in Church View, Sadly, it closed in January 1992. It was the head quarters of the Bampton Traditional Morris Men when Francis Shergold was squire of the side. It was a happy place with darts, aunt sally, a garden and a one time a piano in the bar.

Bampton Community Archive

The New Inn is renamed The Morris Clown

BCA - 2021.2611
Item
1973

In 1973 the New Inn on Bampton's High Street was re-named The Morris Clown.
It was a very contentious issue because the jester in the Bampton Morris has never been called a Clown, always a Fool. That piece of history cut no mustard with the Brewery, Courage (Central) which is a pity. Now 48 years on, this perceived poorly renaming is hardly ever mentioned but there are still those who feel the name should be corrected.

Nik Stanbridge