This is a newspaper article written by S.P.B.Mais, following a visit to some Oxfordshire village inns. The Elephant and Castle in Bridge Street; The Malt Shovel in Lavender Square; The Horse and Groom in Black Bourton (now The Vines) and The Plough at Alvescot are all mentioned. The writer says by far the most interesting character was 85 year-old Mr. John Kent of The Malt Shovel, Lavender Square, Bampton. At that time Mr Kent had been landlord for 34 years and had an abundance of fascinating stories to tell.
In 1989 Mr Geoffrey Fowler, then the County Councillor for Bampton Division of Oxford, began the process of trying to get the National School in Church View listed as a "building of architectural and historic interest.
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.
