A Game Of Soccer In The River

A Memory of Bourton-on-the-Water.

Every year there would be a game played in the river in the village using the bridges as goal posts and is, as far as I am aware still played today. It would be around 1955 that my late father, Frederick Tarte, was a referee at local football matches. My father attended over a number of years at the games in the river, as he was stationed at RAF Rissington. Fred arrived one year in a bowler hat and holding a briefcase, upon his arrival he open the briefcase and pulled out his referee's whisle, rolled up his trousers and entered the water ready for the match. The referees in subsequent years then also arrived in fancy dress to the amusment of all. This summed up my dad, he was certainly a joker at times.
I am proud to be one of his children.