The Bampton Beam used to be produced three times a year and given to every household. This issue is from April 1996 and the list of topics covered and advertisers are:-

ARTICLES AND NOTICES
Bush Centre saved, five year plan
Meet the new vicar – Revd David Lloyd and his wife Jenny
District Councillor, Jonathan Phillips says Oxfordshire County Council is threatening to sell The Paddocks for private housing
New editorial board for The Bampton Beam, Editor Fenella Gray
Friends of St Mary’s Bampton, fundraising report and forthcoming events
The Society for the Protection of Bampton and Bampton Recreation Ground Trust
The News from Bampton 100 years ago, extracts from The Faringdon quire by Simon Garrett
Squire’s Final Jig – Francis Shergold retires in his 61st year of Morris Dancing
Bampton Railway (the East Gloucestershire Branch) by Major R A Colville
Bampton Recreation Ground, multi-sports court, tennis club and the Pavilion – when, how and costs?
Ask a Policeman
Bradford and Bingley Christmas Prize Draw – winner Bernard Hitchman
The Thames Path, Britain’s next National Trail, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
Bampton Environmental Watch Group
Bampton W.I.
Letters to Auntie Beam
Notice Board
Bampton in Old Photographs – book to be published in summer 1996
Bampton Gardening Club
Bampton Conservative Association AGM
Ann Manly’s print – The Shillbrook Ford, Bampton - limited edition print sold in aid of Friends of St Mary’s
Cancer Research Campaign, Bampton Branch, forthcoming events
Bampton Welfare Trust
The Royal British Legion, Women’s Section
Bampton Village Hall, remedial work to cure damp problem completed
Bampton ‘250’ Club
Burford School – Fun Night for all the family
Bampton Pumpkin Club
Bampton Youth Club
S.P.A.J.E.R.S
The Burford Singers, concert with The Cotswold Chamber Orchestra, Good Friday 5 April 1996
Lions Cotswold Motor Fair, Sunday 19 May 1996
Architecture around Bampton, written and drawn by Gilbert Marsh (The Old Cottage, Bell Lane, Bampton)
Gardening Column by Bill Carr – Cuttings
Photograph of tenth birthday party of the Bampton Beam
The Bampton Directory
Letters to the Editor
Bampton Parish Council News
Arts Page – West Oxfordshire Arts Association, Members Spring Exhibition, 21 April to 12 May, ‘Darling Buds of May’
The Food Page by Gilly French
Bampton Primary School – Yenworthy 1996, contributions by Sophie Hoy, Jenny Morris, Charlotte Daw, David Llsmer and Louisa Howard
Bampton Youth Club news. Drama Attack – a new drama group, Bampton Acts.
Regional Rock and Pop Quiz at Caroll Youth Centre, Winchester
National Music Festival, local bands Freefall and Phil and Dave Trio
Our Church by Bishop Paul Burrough
Volunteer Link-up
Crossword

LIST OF ADVERTIZERS
Electric Vehicles Ltd
Farmington Stone Company
Midland Bank
Curtain Choice
Danetree Veterinary Surgeons
Community Care
Bubbles dog grooming
Andrew Bowman, master thatcher
Bampton Fax Bureau at Emmie’s newsagents
J Temple, hardware, DIY, fancy goods & toys
The Appliance Doctor
Abbey Properties
CSW Picture Framers, Aston
Castle Wines
Health Matters
A Tisket-a-Tasket
Eastern Cuisine
Grey Gables Garage
N Woodley, building maintenance
E Taylor & Son, funeral directors
A Simmonds, the old-fashioned village store
The Romany Inn
The Pitstop, complete motoring service
Philippa Rayne osteopath and Lesley Mellin, reflexologist and aromatherapist
R Cooper, builders, painters, carpentry, joinery, general repairs and dry stone walling
Ironing tel: 851182
Gardening and Painter, Roger West
Alpha Print (Oxon) Ltd

John Temple ran this hardware shop for many years and it was brilliant. He always had a smile on his face and worked very hard to stock items that were really wanted.

Richard Briers used to live in Carswell on the edge of Bampton and came to Adrian Simmonds' shop in the Market Square to buy his pet food. He is in the shop in this photograph.

In the middle of this picture you can see Angela John Antiques on the left and Health Matters on the right. Both were in the Market Square. To the left you can just see the entrance to Market Square Garage. On the right behind the blue car you can see two windows of the what was the WI Hall and later became the Village Hall.

These three photographs are of one of the visiting sides to Bampton in 1985 dancing in the Market Square outside the Village Hall in two pictures and at the West end of the Square in the third picture.

This newspaper cutting is from April 1st 1983.
The anniversary of the Women's League was celebrated by joining with the Mothers' Union for prayers and a celebration tea.
The PTA held a bazaar and raised £75 for their funds which in 1983 was a good amount of money. The same day head teacher Malcolm Mason took some of the school's boy to Wembley to see the schoolboys' match against Germany.
The wives club monthly meeting had a special speaker called Mr Blue who talked about colour in the home; he had previously worked on the interior of Blenheim Palace.

Celebrating the launch of the nationwide Farm Holiday Bureau are Mr Nick Hooper, Mrs Mary Rouse from Lew and Mr Dick Millard of the English Tourist Board. Nick and Mary were members of the local group, the Thames Valley Farm and Country Holiday group and were part of a small group of people from across the UK to set up the national organisation with included members in England, Wales, Scotland and N Ireland. Several years down the line the name was changed from Farm Holiday Bureau to Farm Stay UK. The launch was held at Cogges Farm in Cogges next to Witney.

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

Back in the 1980s a club or society had a bazaar or jumble sale almost every Saturday in the WI Hall and there would be a queue of people waiting to come in. This was the Christmas Bazaar held by the Playgroup to raise funds for its running.
Mrs Lynne Evans and Mrs Diane O'Brien can be seen with young Neil O'Brien in the top picture and along with one of Father Christmas's helpers are Lizzie Betts, Kathryne Betts and Louise Burton.

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.