Arnold Woodley and his musicians outside the Jubilee Inn in the Market Square in 1973. Frank Purslow on melodeon, Andrew Bathe on fiddle and Arnold on fiddle playing for the Bampton Morris Men
A letter from Vic Legg to Dave Rose accepting the invitation to attend the Bampton Traditional Morris Men's party November 1981 along with Pete Cock. About 1980/1 Trigg Morris were guests on Bampton's day of dance. They will be coming up from Bodmin in Cornwall. Pete and Vic were members of Trigg Morris in Bodmin, Cornwall.
This is a newspaper article from the Oxford Times June 10th 1960 which talks about the fete held at Weald Manor by kind permission of Mrs A.M. Colvile and her son Major R.A. Colvile. It was to raise funds for the renewal of part of the floor inside Saint Mary The Virgin Church, specifically the parquet flooring across the front of the aisles by the pulpit and lectern. It was Whit Monday, the day of Morris Dancing in Bampton (until the government stopped Whit Monday being a Bank Holiday and fixed it at the last Monday in May with may or not be Whit Monday) and the dancers called at the Fete.
Bampton Traditional Morris Dancers under squire Francis Shergold, fool Terry Rouse outside The Talbot about 1982. Brother and sister Francis Shergold and Ruth Wheeler on the right looking down at the two little boys
L-R Bill Daniels, Ray Borrett, Billy Main, Tony Daniels (started dancing in 1965), Martin Ferguson, David Rose dancing outside The Talbot under squire Francis Shergold
This letter is from the chairman of Cecil Sharp House, Douglas Kennedy to Rose Wells who lived at 18 Fox Close in Bampton. It was to thank Rose for the letter she sent informing them of her grandfather's death. Nathan William 'Jingy' Wells was responsible for keeping Morris dancing alive in Bampton at one time in the early twentieth century.
This photograph was taken in Tickhill at Rock House when Bampton Traditional Morris Men went up to Yorkshire for a weekend of dancing. The date is probably 1995 but could be 96 or 97. The ladies are wives and girlfriends and daughters of the dancers and Jasper, the fool is at the centre back.
Frank Purslow was not only an excellent melodeon player, he taught many local people as well. He also had a wonderful catalogue of music gathered throughout his life. It was shocking to see it all put outside the gate of his house after his death for the bin men to pick up. A little was rescued but the vast majority was thrown away. The letter from Frank shown here was a follow-on from one sent the week before and the text will explain all.