Photo of John Quick, founder of the SPAJERS, pushing the gasworks pram in the shirt race, and a link to Short film by Roy Barratt of Life in Bampton in Oxfordshire recorded by Roy Barratt during the early 1960s. General views and events in Bampton ending with a short time on Church Green in Witney. Town Hall windows are bricked up, there are few cars about and the Elephant & Castle, Malt Shovel, Eagle and George & Dragon pubs were still open. https://youtu.be/fldMqNA41NY
Second short film by Roy Barratt showing Morris Dancers and flower garlands at Whitsun 1962 and 1963. Some participates in Shirt race can be named as Mikey Smith, Frank Hudson, Frank Purslow, Albert Radband and in the Flower Garlands some of the children can be named as Teresa Lock, Wendy Radband, Elaine Howell, Sylvia Barber, Philip Curtis, The cover photo shows the children's shirtrace starting from the Swan Pub in Buckland Road.
The cuttings are from the Standard, Times, & Echo dated Friday 1st June 1973. “Holiday festivities in Bampton”, “Bampton shirt race comes of age” and “Bampton Annual Fête” This cutting describes the race and states it is in the 21st year. Harry Hampton and George Hunt , the winners of the first races in 1952/53 were the judges. Paul Bovington relayed the information. Junior class winners were Neil Hitchins and Darryl Hirons, and Adult Winners: Michael Bradley and Geofrey Lane from Black Bourton. Junior Race: 1st -Anthony Collett Andrew Bathe, 2nd - Malcolm Walker and Kevin Paintin, 3rd - Clive Tanner and Valerie Adams Senior Race: 1st Richard Snook and Mickey Smith, 2nd - Richard Buckingham and Darryl Hirons 3rd - Gordon Walker and David Pearce.
The Great Shirt Race takes place on the Saturday before the late May Bank Holiday. The winners in this year were Anthony Collett and partner Richard Buckingham. Neither of them can be sure of the year, they won more than once but it will be 1978, 1979 or 1980.
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.