The purpose of the Bampton Festival was to celebrate the 350th anniversary of The Old Grammar School. The newspaper article describes the history of the building. The festival was a village-wide celebration which ran fro 13th July to 20th July 1985. The festival included concerts, talks, old photographs, a garden contest, morris dancing and music.
Photographs supplied by Sheila Russell (nee Danford) 1) of the Carnival Queen Inga Rubensteiner, and attendants Dinah Dafter on her left. Barbara Lawrence on right, Allen Dafter (Sheila's brother was little boy sitting in the front. 2) Dora Townsend, Marjorie Danford, Lizzie Cole, and Christine James Dinner Ladies at Bampton School 3) Lizzie Cole, Marjorie Danford, and Dora Townsend 4) Marjorie Danford and Jill Ledger
Newspaper article about Bombing around us in WWII August 16th 1940 RAF Brize Norton. Two German aircraft bombed the base. Nos 1 and 3 C-type hangars plus 4 aircraft were destroyed or written off. It was the most spectacular attack on any British airfield during WWII. One civilian, Frederick Harden was killed, he was 61 and came from Witney. On the same day six civilian Irish workmen were killed in the raid on RAF Stanton Harcourt which was under construction. Stanley Jenkins describes in his book,Witney Through Time, how one of the bombs landed on Church Green and second exploded behind the Eagle Brewery. The bombs caused blast damage to the grammar school and many houses. their reports speak of army vehicles parked round Church Green being destroyed, windows being shattered in he church, the council offices and the police station as well as several shops. In addition, falling glass from the glazed roof of the weaving sheds at Mount Mills, the home of blanket manufacturers James Marriott and Sons, damaged the looms and production of blankets was halted while they were repaired. Remarkably the only injuries appear to have been cuts and bruises and building repairs were quickly carried out.
Leaflet advertising Literary Afternoon for children organised to raise funds for a new early years unit at Bampton Primary School. Programme included items by Liz Rose, daughter of Dick King-Smith, Richard McBrien and Matthew Rice
Selection of Photographs BA5EDB This is a 14th century hooded fireplace in Ham Court in the room called the solar. Seen here is 1946. It is a small room in the large farmhouse and would soon have been made warm with the fire, ideal for warming up after a day's hunting in the cold. BA676F An old drawing of Ham Court, sometime referred to as Bampton Castle. In the 1870s the turret walling was restored and an addition put on the south side of the building. The old building seen in this picture was once the west gate house to the castle. The archway has been filled in on both sides to make a fully enclosed farmhouse. BA80E7 This is the east side of what was the western gatehouse of Bampton Castle. The archway was originally open on both sides of the gatehouse to allow carriages to come and go. BA9E81 Ham Court farmhouse, originally the western gatehouse of Bampton Castle. BA05A2 This boss is in the middle of one of the two rooms on the first floor of Ham Court which are directly above what was once the passageway through the gatehouse in the west wall of the castle. BAC569 This is the western aspect of the west gatehouse of Bampton Castle, which is now Ham Court Farm. Internal door in Ham Court
