Dancing outside the Wheatsheaf in 1956 Roy Shergold fooling

Bertie Clark. Fiddle rear Harry Hampton (fool) Peter Alum, George Hunt, Bobby Wells cake
Bertie (1877.-1958) was another Bampton Morris fiddler, but unlike Wells
was not born into the tradition. He was brought up in London, where he worked at a railway depot
in Camden Town. He had some violin lessons, and played in the railway staff orchestra. Sometime
before the Great War he moved to Carterton, the village next to Bampton. When in 1926 Jinky Wells
had a falling-out with his Morris side, and went off to form his own, Bertie Clark was invited to be
fiddler for the original Bampton Morris; he initially learned the tunes from Cecil Sharp’s published
manuscripts (presumably relations with Wells were such that he wasn’t going to teach them to
Bertie himself!) Recordings of his playing made in 1958 appear on Rig-a-jig jig; dance music of the
south of England from Topic Records’ "Voice of the People" collection. A listen to his playing is very
instructive. At the time he would have been 81 years old, was quite likely well out of practice and
possibly arthritic.

Taken about 1958 opposite the Elephant & Castle and by Castle View farm. Gladys was one of the daughters of Mary Elizabeth and Albert Townsend. Syd White and Bobby Wells in the centre front. Sisters Lynne and Teresa Rouse on the left edge.

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.

Photograph of Dancers outside the Jubilee Reg Hall on fiddle and Frank Purslow as Fool. Date not given

Dancers outside the Jubilee, this was Frank Purslow's 2nd year as Fool. Date not given

Group Photo of the Morris Dancers outside the Horseshoe mid 1960's

Black and White Photo of a young Roy Shergold dancing solo at Chipping Campden date not given

Morris Dancers outside the New Inn (now Morris Clown) date not given. Sonny Townsend is the Clown, and Frank Purslow on melodeon

Second short film by Roy Barratt showing Morris Dancers and flower garlands at Whitsun 1962 and 1963. Some participates in Shirt race can be named as Mikey Smith, Frank Hudson, Frank Purslow, Albert Radband and in the Flower Garlands some of the children can be named as Teresa Lock, Wendy Radband, Elaine Howell, Sylvia Barber, Philip Curtis, The cover photo shows the children's shirtrace starting from the Swan Pub in Buckland Road.