This letter, dated November 1st 1944 was send by Stan Smith's commanding officer to Stan's father informing him that Stan was missing but may be a POW. He was a POW and near the end of the was became one of the POWs who took part in the what became known as the Long March. They were marched from East Germany keeping ahead of the advancing Russians. Stan walked almost 1,000 miles. He survived.

This lovely photograph shows James and Elizabeth (nee Fox) Green with their children Lizzie, Harry, Jack, Jim, Rose, Fred and Percy taken about 1902.
Harry, really Henry Arthur Green died in the WWI

The Bampton Beam used to be produced three times a year and this issue is from December 2001. The topics covered and advertisers incluce:-

ARTICLES AND NOTICES
Yes! The Mosaic’s Coming to Town by Sally Proctor, Administrator for WOA Gallery
Design for the mosaic by Ros Wates to be installed in May 2002 and unveiled 4 June 2002
Bampton Village Hall
Saving Our Services by Jonathan Phillips, District Councillor
Bampton ‘250’ Club list of winners
Bampton Parish Council News by David Hawkins, Chairman
Golden Jubilee Plans
Bampton to Oxford Bus Service
West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011
Litter
Booster Packs for Mobile Phones
Changes on the Allotments
Wish List for Recreation Field
Market Square Mosaic
New Books on Bampton – Bampton Folklore by John Blair and Bampton – The Way it Was by Freda Bradley
The Bampton Website
Start-Up and Expansion Rate Relief Grants – West Oxfordshire District Council
Society for the Protection of Bampton
Bampton Recreation Ground
Bampton Archery Club- Summer of Success by John Hill, Chairman
Bampton-in-the-Bush Cricket Club
Bampton Youth Football
Bampton Tennis Club
Bampton Archery Club
Short Mat Bowls
Bampton Town Football Club
The Horseshoes Football Club
Bampton Gun Club
Bampton Weightlifting Club
Bampton Badminton Club
The Pavilion
Shillbrook Wood by Colin Allport
WODC News by Jonathan Phillips, District Councillor
Fly Posting
Has your car reached the end of its life?
A Thank You to Carers
Elections May 2002
National Poetry Day
Harvest Festival
Schools Clubs
Friends of Bampton School
Letters and emails to the Editor
Volunteer Reading Help
A Challenge for the First Year of the Millennium – West Oxfordshire Citizen Advocacy
Witness Service – Oxford Magistrates’ Court
BT Services
Age Concern, Oxfordshire
Bampton Environmental Watch Group by Margaret Bruce-Mitford
Bike Path Update
Notice Board
HSBC Banking Hours
Bampton Welfare Trust
Bampton Bridge Club
Bampton Exhibition Foundation
West OX Arts Bilbao Trip
Bampton Badminton Club
Bampton Ladies Group
The Bush Centre
Charity Christmas Concert in aid of Bridewell Organic Gardens
The Flower Guild of St Mary the Virgin, Bampton
Cancer Research Campaign – County and Western Dance
Bampton Classical Opera
Our and About this Autumn – a selection of photographs
Annual Pumpkin Club Weigh-in
SPAJERS Donkey Derby
Children in Need Day – the Fire Service and HSBC support
Francis Shergold drawing the raffle
Minor Injuries Unit at Witney Community Hospital
Orinoco – the Oxfordshire scrapstore
Community Lunches
Youth Club
Bampton Websites
Bampton Methodist Chapel by Linden Burley
Bampton 150 years ago by Jonathan Phillips
Advertisement for Administrator for West Ox Arts
Christmas Services during December at St Mary’s and the Methodist Chapel
Thames Travel Bus Service 18 Timetable
Stagecoach Bus Service 19 Timetable
Out of Work Farmer Turned Agricultural Correspondent by Don Rouse
Spajers News by Don Rouse
Donkey Derby, What’s to come in 2002, Josie’s Draw and The Mummers
The Cookery Corner by Gilly French
The Gardening Page by Edie Bindweed
The Gardening Club News
West Ox Arts – crafts for Christmas, exhibitions and life drawing classes
Words of the Century by Jimmy Symonds
Robert Vesey Room, Bampton Library
Crossword
Town Hall Bookings
Calendar of Events
WODC Environmental Services – Holiday Refuse Collection Timetables

LIST OF ADVERTIZERS
Ceramics, Picture & Frame Restoration – Angie Bell
Patrick Strainge, Butchers
Philippa Rayne, osteopath, Fiona Farmer physiotherapist and Lesley Mellin, reflexologist and aromatherapist
Danetree, veterinary surgeons, Faringdon
Curtain Choice
Don Rouse Cars
The Gingerbread Kitchen – classes for 4 year olds and upwards
The Pitstop and Oxford Carb Services
The Robert and Doris Watts Residential & Nursing Home, Carterton
Pellmans, solicitors, Eynsham
Community Care
Oxford Double Glazing
The Appliance Doctor
E Taylor & Son, Funeral Directors, Carterton
The Flower Mill
Grey Gables Garage
Londis, community shop
Walton Accountants
Foxbury Farm, Brize Norton
N J Woodley, building maintenance
A Simmonds, The Old-Fashioned Village Store
Temples, DIY, Ironmongery, Paint, Wood, Cement, Sand, Gravel, Toys, Gifts and Candles
Andrew Bowman, Master Thatcher
Tony Hughes, scissor sharpening
Domino Menswear, Witney
R Cooper, Builders, Painters, Decorators, Carpentry, Joinery, Dry Stone Walling
The Standlake Garage
Bojangles Hairdressers
Bodytalk, remedial sports massage
Wychwood Design – furniture
Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company
Abbey Properties Estate Agents
Cotswold Electronics, TV, Video, Audio, Microwave repairs
Bampton Fax Bureau at Emmies Newsagents
Electric Vehicles Ltd

Although the caption talks about a 'Street Fayer' the picture is actually of Jim Smith and Martin Barber in fancy dress for the Shirt Race organised annually by the SPAJERS ie the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing. The society organises fun things to raise money for the senior citizens of Bampton and Lew.

Keith Mitchell and Rhona Peacock in fancy dress for the shirt race in 1983. Their pram was made into a coffin on wheels.

Tom Smith was the son of a gypsy Queen and for 1969, the number of people and cars who came to his funeral was a very memorable affair. To this day, locals call the bend just outside Bampton on the Bampton to Brize Norton Road 'Hoppy's Corner.' It's on the right leaving Bampton just after passing the allotments.

Freda Daniels was not quite 3 years old when she was dressed up to sell poppies in 1929. She was born April 13th 1927. The photograph of her sitting has '3 years old' written on the back.
When she married she became Mrs Freda Bradley.

This article was written by Fenella Gray in the summer of 2012 where she documents the history of the Community Shop up to that point.
In 2008 the Archive made a film about the Community Shop up to that point. For a while, the shop had to close because the owners of the premises felt the storage facility at the back was a fire hazard but happily, the shop re-opened not too long after next door but one in Rosemary Lane with much improved facilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hkz-LOLJmk This is the link to the 2008 film made by the Archive

These are just five of the adverts in the July 2012 issue of The Bampton Beam and are for

Little Westbrook self catering in Bridge Street
A personal trainer
Prestige Buildings
Bampton Garage
S J Cooper, builder