Bertie Clark. Fiddle rear Harry Hampton (fool) Peter Alum, George Hunt, Bobby Wells cake Bertie (1877.-1958) was another Bampton Morris fiddler, but unlike Wells was not born into the tradition. He was brought up in London, where he worked at a railway depot in Camden Town. He had some violin lessons, and played in the railway staff orchestra. Sometime before the Great War he moved to Carterton, the village next to Bampton. When in 1926 Jinky Wells had a falling-out with his Morris side, and went off to form his own, Bertie Clark was invited to be fiddler for the original Bampton Morris; he initially learned the tunes from Cecil Sharp’s published manuscripts (presumably relations with Wells were such that he wasn’t going to teach them to Bertie himself!) Recordings of his playing made in 1958 appear on Rig-a-jig jig; dance music of the south of England from Topic Records’ "Voice of the People" collection. A listen to his playing is very instructive. At the time he would have been 81 years old, was quite likely well out of practice and possibly arthritic.
Leaflet advertising an illustrated talk by Owen Green held in the Lewington Room March 2023, Oxfordshire born William 'Strata ' Smith was known for his great geological map published in 1815
Old b/w photo of Broad Street, showing The Elms on the left, and Deanery Farm on the right, two little girls leaning against the wall on right hand side. No date.
B/w photo of the Caravan Park, date unknown, but probably about 1970-80. Now known as St. Mary's Court, in Primrose Lane, Weald. Mr Reg Rouse used one of his fields to site a few caravans.
