Bampton memories
Here are memories of Bampton and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Bampton or a Bampton photo.
Bampton Open Day
Each August Bank Holiday Monday Bampton, near Exmoor, is the venue for a huge village open day. This year's event featured a duck race, teddy bear parachuting form the top of St Michael's Church Tower, tombola, white elephant sales and special opening hours by most of the village's shops, cafes and pubs.
For me the highlight was the entertainments offered in the Riverside Hall on a special music and talent stage. I was invited to join in a dance demonstrated by the Bampton Folk Dance Club which was fun.
St Michael's Church
St Michael's Church hall is a typical meeting hall for community events and is the venue for monthly dances organised by the Bampton Folk Dance Club. I first started going to these dances a couple of years ago with my wife Elizabeth and we enjoyed the live music by the 'Friendly Folk Band' and the new caller invited each time. It's a bit of a throwback to years gone by with a cup of tea and a biscuit midway through the evening. The fun makes one quite nostalgic for memories of dances attended years ago!
Morris Dancing After The Fair at Bampton
I went along on Saturday 1st November and watched Devon based Grimspound Border Morris perform outside "The Swan" along with three other teams of dancers including Sweet Coppin clog dancers from Taunton to mark the close of the 2008 Charter Fair.
Sadly the landlord, Robin, died just this year. It was his wish that the traditional music and dancing that follows the Bampton Fair should continue outside his pub after his passing. Although "The Swan" itself was closed we danced outside to honour the landlord's memory and later went inside other bars in the town including "The Quarrymans Rest" to join in music sessions with visiting Breton musicians. My wife Elizabeth joined in some of the border dancing and loved it. It was a chilly day but a lot of fun.
"After The Fair" at The White Horse Hotel, Bampton
This view is exactly the same as the hotel now looks in 2008 - although sadly the landlord, Robin, died just this year. It was his wish that the traditional music and dancing that follows the Bampton Fair should continue outside his pub after his passing.
I went along on Saturday 1st November and watched Devon based Grimspound Border Morris perform outside the White Horse Hotel along with three other teams of dancers including Sweet Coppin clog dancers from Taunton. Although the White Horse Hotel itself was closed we danced outside to honour the landlord's memory and later went inside other bars in the town to join in music sessions with visiting Breton musicians. My wife Elizabeth joined in some of the border dancing and loved it. It was a chilly day but a lot of fun.
Memories of Devon
The 697 Bus From Tiverton to Wellington Via Huntsham
I suppose one of the advantages of being "old" is having both the pensioner's free bus pass and the time to use it!
So having retired to the middle of Devon with my wife Elizabeth in 2006 I gradually set about exploring the area.....and one of the best ways to do this is by bus. Armed with the local bus timetable I went down to the Tiverton Bus Station and boarded the 697. It sounds grand with a "big number " like that but in fact there is ( or rather "was" as the service no longer runs as it did ) just one return journey on a Tuesday and another on a Friday. These are Tiverton's miid-week market days so I boarded the Tuesday afternoon bus for its return run through Huntsham and Holcombe Rogus and on to Wellington in the neighbouring county of Somerset.
Believe me, I have never known another bus journey like it! The lady bus driver seemed to know ALL the passengers... Read more
BLIZ KID
I was fortunate to spend time during the war at Chevithorne Farm, the home of the Gale family. I have some photos and would be happy to share them and memories. Cordially Bert
Flying Our Kite at Knightshayes Court
Yesterday our family went for a walk around the parkland surrounding Knightshayes - a grand Victorian estate owned by the National Trust between Tiverton and Bolham and only a mile from our home in Hawks Drive. Although it was a damp January day, the views from the top of the main drive over the countryside were lovely. The house itself looks just like this picture apparently taken in 1896 ! The trees are bigger of course ! At the top of the grassy slopes we felt a stiff breeze so we tried flying our kite and our granddaughter Anna who is not yet two held on to the string and was fascinated by it!
Heathcoat Community Centre
The Westexe Park sadly no longer has the beautiful flowerbeds featured in this 1955 view. I walked through this park today leading a party from the Tiverton Walk and Talk Group from the Heathcoat Community Centre. Even the grass has been neglected and has lots of mud and duck poo!
Our walk took us up Longdrag Hill and Patches Road on a circular route of around three miles. I found it pretty tough as I was pushing my granddaughter Annalise Norfolk in her pushchair! I was glad to get back to the level ground of the park where I could let her out of her pushchair - she loves to stand on the grass and be surrounded by inquisitive ducks!
Finally we went in to the Community Centre where I collapsed in a heap and enjoyed a deserved coffee!
An Outing For A Picnic by The Grand Western Canal With my Granddaughter
Our granddaughter Anna Norfolk stays with us each Tuesday and Friday starting with breakfast and we try to keep her entertained with things to do around our home town of Tiverton. One recent February day felt like the first day of Spring so we planned an outing while making her favourite breakfast of fishfingers and tomatoes and toast.
We planned a sunny walk with her pushchair near the river view shown in this picture but first she wanted to play football in our lounge! Then we prepared Grandma and Grandad’s picnic. We got the “55 bus” from Tesco Express to West Exe then took Anna for a run around Heathcoats Factory shop with Grandma to choose material to make a pushchair blanket. From there we walked to Country Babies shop to ask about nappies! Its all go with a 22 month old toddler!
We gazed down at the ducks from West Exe bridge - its a really beautiful view southwards down the River Exe. From... Read more
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