Bernie Basson, Jasper Walsh in jacket, and Cyril Smith on left enjoying a drink at a dance in Alvescot

A Chronology of Performance in Bampton. itemising the events and names of the various dancers from 1790 through to the 1900's

Photograph of Frank Tanner holding the hand of a young Michael Hampton, and a copy of his orbituary.

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.

Cyril Smith on left and John Grout 1995

Copy of Poster issued for a Traditional Dance Day and BBQ held at the Scarborough Arms featuring Bampton Morris Dancers

Dancing outside the Elephant and Castle in 1951, this picture is from Country Life.
Francis Shergold on the Extreme left Jingy Wells on fiddle

Dancing in the grounds of the Deanery. Reg Hall on fiddle, Craig Godwin (back to camera) and Jamie Blackwell dancing a jig.

Frank Purslow on melodeon, Roy Shergold dancing a jig