Frank Hudson nearest in the chariot race

Mrs Emmie Hunt, mother of 'Rocky,' Ernie Hunt in Castle View farmyard sitting in one of the prams used in a shirt race.

The Great Shirt Race takes place on the Saturday before the late May Bank Holiday. The winners in this year were Anthony Collett and partner Richard Buckingham. Neither of them can be sure of the year, they won more than once but it will be 1978, 1979 or 1980.

The cuttings are from the Standard, Times, & Echo dated Friday 1st June 1973. “Holiday festivities in Bampton”, “Bampton shirt race comes of age” and “Bampton Annual Fête”
This cutting describes the race and states it is in the 21st year. Harry Hampton and George Hunt , the winners of the first races in 1952/53 were the judges. Paul Bovington relayed the information. Junior class winners were Neil Hitchins and Darryl Hirons, and Adult Winners: Michael Bradley and Geofrey Lane from Black Bourton.
Junior Race: 1st -Anthony Collett Andrew Bathe, 2nd - Malcolm Walker and Kevin Paintin, 3rd - Clive Tanner and Valerie Adams
Senior Race: 1st Richard Snook and Mickey Smith, 2nd - Richard Buckingham and Darryl Hirons 3rd - Gordon Walker and David Pearce.

Photo of John Quick, founder of the SPAJERS, pushing the gasworks pram in the shirt race, and a link to Short film by Roy Barratt of Life in Bampton in Oxfordshire recorded by Roy Barratt during the early 1960s. General views and events in Bampton ending with a short time on Church Green in Witney. Town Hall windows are bricked up, there are few cars about and the Elephant & Castle, Malt Shovel, Eagle and George & Dragon pubs were still open. https://youtu.be/fldMqNA41NY

Image of crowd outside the Londis Shop
watching the Shirt Race

Over the Bank Holiday weekend at Whitsun 1985. Ian Baker and Ivan Lomas won the fancy dress competition held prior to the Shirt Race. Reg Hall enjoyed a pint between playing on the Monday. Terry Rouse danced in as the fool outside the Horse Shoe.