During some building work at her cottage, the owner, Leanne Mullen, found a child’s shoe. The shoe was found in December 2024, within the original back wall of Dunlaoghaire, Primrose Lane. The cottage had a catslide roof added in later years so this original back was currently an internal wall. It is thought that the cottage dates back to 1800-1820? The shoe was badly worn and in pieces with the top, heel and sole all separated as 3 separate parts. It was around 15cm in length, composed of black leather which surprisingly was still soft to the touch (once the dust was removed). In order to keep the shoe as an intrinsic part of the structure of the cottage, it has been placed with a new wall that has just been used to block up a chimney breast. Dunloaghaire was the home of Francis and Anne Shergold, for many years, and Paul McGrath, their grown up nephew lived with them.
An article from The Bampton Beam discussing the history of the Girl Guide movement in Bampton.A page from The Beam 1991 volume 6 No3 about the Girl Guides in Bampton. It gives the history of the Girl Guide movement. There is a rather dark picture of Mrs Bullen (wife of Dr Bullen of Bampton) and Mrs Ewings meeting Lady Baden Powell at a Guide Rally. It is thought that the “Bampton Guide and Brownie packs were formed in 1949 by Mrs Margery Bullen who ran them for ten years with the help of Mrs Ewings and Eileen Graham. Mrs Jean Gascoigne took over the Guides in 1964 and was their leader until 1978. Mrs Meg Daley has been running the Brownies for the past few years assisted by Miss Elizabeth Tanner who was Lieutenant of the Guides before that. Mrs Mavis Clack and the late Mrs Margaret Wythes were Brown Owl and Tawny Owl in the 1970s and before that, Mrs Ham, Mrs Dora Ewings and Mrs Lynne Barber ran the 1stBampton Brownies.” In 1950 at the Remembrance Sunday Ann Spurrett, Dinah Dafter (colour bearer) and Barbara Green represented the Brownies
Francis Shergold, who died aged 89, was the former squire and president of Bampton Traditional Morris Men, whose single-minded dedication helped to preserve morris dancing in Oxfordshire villages, and bring it to a wide and appreciative audience through concerts and folk festivals all over Britain.
