Over the last 10 to 20 years, a group photograph of the Bampton Traditional Morris men has been taken at Grey Barn in Queen Street and this one was taken in 1997. The dancers, fool and cake carrier are
The Bampton Traditional Morris Men nearly always held their annual Morris Party in the Village Hall. These are pictures of their party and a session in the Horse Shoe. Photos by Bob West
In the spring of 2011 Nik Stanbridge put on an exhibition for the Bampton Community Archive of Pill Boxes in this area during WWII. Simon Rae wrote a play about life revolving around one pill box and it was given its first airing in the Village Hall to coincide with the exhibition.
It was a delightful play and the scenery was excellent.
Colin Harold Bathe died on May 8th 2011 at the age of seventy three. His close friend David John Titchener, widely known as Curly, preceded him by just a few months dying at the age of seventy six on January 20th 2011. Both were well known in the area around their home town of Swindon for numerous activities relating to sports and motorised vehicles, but it is their involvement with traditional music, Morris dancing and song for which they will be remembered by Bampton people.
The article gives you far more information about these two men.
2012 was very much the early days of Downton Abbey having an effect in Bampton. The prediction of coachloads of American tourists coming was absolutely correct. By 2018 approximately 30,000 visitors went into the Vesey room housed in the building used as the Cottage Hospital in the drama to see the exhibition and memorabilia on sale. The Archive committee to the decision to have quality products only for sale because it is not an exhibition that attracts young children, space is very limited and the people who were coming clearly wanted quality memorabilia.
There was a very full program of events that took place throughout Bampton from Saturday June 2nd to Tuesday June 5th. This is the full list of the events.
This is the service program for the service of thanksgiving, held on Tuesday June 5th 2012, for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in St Mary The Virgin Church, Bampton.
The makers of Downton Abbey invited local people to take part as extras. Doreen and Douglas Clare were delighted to be chosen each each from 2011 through 2015.
A fear was expressed that fly-tipping would increase when the fees were raised to take waste to Dix pit and other waste recycling plants in Oxfordshire. That was in September 2017; now, in April 2020 the fears have proved to be well founded.
By 2019 all series of Downton Abbey had been filmed including the film of the series for showing in cinemas. Bampton Community Archive put on an exhibition of the filming in Bampton over the years in the Vesey Room. This room is withing the Old Grammar School and the doorway into this building off Church Close was used as the entrance for the Cottage Hospital in the series.