List of winners of the Shirt race from 1953-2011, namely: Harry Hampton and George Hunt, Cyril Smith and Robert Radband, Thorarian Benediks and John Wixey, Franks Smith, Rodney Adams, Frank Hudson, Jim Townsend, Mikey Smith, Richard Snook, John Fox ,Frank Piercy, Anthony Collett, Bryan Withers, Richard Buckingham Gary Barber, Stephen Radband, Thomas Cole, Martin Wheeler, Michael Beckett, G Kane, Craig Godwin, D Lawrence, K Curtis, George Blackwell, S Preston, G Clack, D Beckett, G Benfield, Deane Barber, Andrew Bridgeman, T Perry, A Gardner J. Shuker Jr, S Godfrey, W Money, M Green, Jacob Booty Richard Stephens,

43 assorted photographs from Shirt Race and Donkey Derby taken over the years, showing how the people of Bampton have enjoyed these events since 1953.

This picture shows children in fancy dress as part of the fete, probably 1954, which took place mostly at Weald Manor although this picture is taken outside the Town Hall.

This newspaper cutting from the Oxford Mail of 1955 covers the 3rd Great Shirt Race to be held in Bampton, the first one being part of the celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Long before the days when everyone had a TV and many IT toys and gadgets, the WI Christmas Party was much enjoyed my many children. This group photo was taken 1956 at a Christmas party given by the WI.

Emmie (Emily) Papworth, nee Bishop and her son Tom.

Newspaper article in Oxford mail mentioning local pubs. In Bampton, The Malt Shovel and Elephant and Castle; The Strickland Arms in Ducklington and The Horse and Jockey in Black Bourton, The Plough at Alvescot, and the Lamb at Filkins. John Kent, 85, was the Landlord of the Malt Shovel for 34 years, he originally came from Suffolk and was a gamekeeper in Lincolnshire and Bradwell Grove. The Malt Shovel was in Lavender Square and there is an inscription on the chimney showing the date of 1659. It used to be a Malt house. The Elephant and Castle in Bridge Street was about 350 years old and had a thatched roof at this time (1957), the landlord was Clarence Dalton, ex RAF, who had another pub in London, The Prince of Orange at Greenwich. In 1957, the Landlord of the Talbot Hotel, an old coaching inn in Market Square, was a Mr Flood, and the inn itself was about 500 years old. The New Inn (now Morris Clown) was also a coaching Inn and the landlord was W.F. Wagner. The landlord of the Horse and Jockey at Black Bourton was Mr Alan George Burgess and the landlord of The Plough at Alvescot was Mr Leonard Killick, and the landlord of the Lamb at Filkins was Cyril Clements.

While the title of this piece refers to the Shirt Race, which started as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, this articles talks about many people and is a lovely snapshot of social life in Bampton in 1959. People mentioned include:-

Albert Chandlers, saddler and leather worker and chairman of the parish council and still working hard at his leather work aged 81. Reference is made to the 100 or so council houses built in Weald since the war but there have been no council houses built in Weald, they were along New Road and the area north of New Road.

Percival O Money, "bespoke and surgical boot maker where everything was done by hand, even stitching when repairing footwear. Mr Money was a founding member of the debating society and secretary of the bowls club (which was in the grounds of Weald Manor.)

John Quick, one of the founder member of the SPAJERS - The Society for Ancient Junketer - who organise the Great Shirt Race and other events to raise money for Bampton's senior citizens while providing fun for all.

Mr & Mrs Arthur Scott-Norman licensee of the Elephant and Castle Inn in Bridge Street, knew each other in their school days then bumped into each other again in Tanganyika, never to be parted again. During the war Mr Scott-Norman was in the RAF and later in the Colonial office in Dar-es-Salaam and Mrs Scott-Norman was matron of the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam.

There is much more of interest in the articel.

9 Photographs showing various events and dances hosted by the SPAJERS .
the following named as known
Neville Woodley, Dixie Deane, Don Rouse, Josie ,Frank Hudson, Paul McGarth
Jo Peck, Francis Shergold, Mrs Clarke, Mrs Jackson, Mr and Mrs Mansfield, Mrs Ellis
Jean Howell, Dor Thompson