Tea at Lavender Place Flats 1997. Left to right:- Daisy Gill, Laura Turnham, Joan(or real name Beryl) Smith and one other lady.Sadly, the flats are to be pulled down and all the residents have been told to find somewhere else to live.
Private William Johnson Ox & Bucks Light Infantry 5th Battalion 10677 A Company. His granddaughter Pamela Smith has put together these items.
William was the first young man in Bampton to volunteer and the town awarded him a clock for this. He was also the first soldier to be awarded the Military Medal. This account by Pamela recounts his battles, the conditions, Christmas and much more.
Only five different medals were struck during the war and William was award four.
A newspaper account of the home-coming of William January 1916. William had already been award the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery in the field for recovering lieutenant Wood. He was met at Bampton & Brize Norton station by Mr Alfie Bryant in a car kindly lent by Mr Collett. A rapturous welcome awaited him in Bampton and he was presented with a handsome marble clock inscribed "Presented by friends in Bampton to Pte William Johnson O.B.L.I. on being awarded the DCM for gallantry in action 1915.
These two photographs are of the family of Os Williams and were taken some time in the 1890s. Os Williams was a fireman in Bampton.Os Williams is seated in the front row on the left in the large group photo. These pictures were lent by David Darby.
Olive McCage was born and grew up in Bampton; she was a typist at Brize Norton air base where she met a young American, married him and she emigrated to the USA when his tour of duty here was over.
Bernard Dafter used to live at Home Farm in the High Street. The farm buildings were behind the house and he rented land north of New Road when there were not houses north of the road.
Mr & Mrs Harry Sollis owned and ran the Swan Inn in Buckland road for many years. In the last few years, Mrs Sollis ran it as a widow. Emmie Papworth, nee Bishop was a relative and adored Mrs Sollis; Emmie is seen with her in two of these pictures and her son Tom is with them in one of them. Mrs Sollis eventually sold The Swan by auction October 1st 1964; it was bought by Tim Tomlins.
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.
The wedding of George Frederick Lomas and Lillian Frances Ody at St Mary The Virgin, Bampton c1938. They lived in Belgrave Cottages, Church Street until the late 1990s when Fred, then a widower moved to a bungalow in Manor View.