| Where: | Bampton, Oxfordshire - starting at Bushey Row/New Road junction |
| When: | Spring Bank Holiday Monday (end of May) |
| Time: | From 8.30am |
Bampton Morris, Traditional Bampton Morris and Bampton Traditional Morris are all traditional morris sides performing in the Cotswold style and they have a history dating back perhaps 600 years. They used to perform at Whitsuntide but have moved to the more convenient Spring Bank Holiday for the annual day of dancing in their home village. Dressed in white with bells on legs and handkerchiefs in hand, the bowler hatted dancers are accompanied by a Fool with a pigs bladder and a Cake Bearer who carries a sword with a fruit cake stuck on it; eating the cake is considered lucky but be careful as it is a fertility cake! They start the day at 8.30 by the junction of Bushey Row and New Road and continue dancing throughout the day all around town, soemtimes joined by visiting Morris teams in the evening. Also look out for the May Garlands made by the village children which are shown and judged at 11am in the Market Square.
Helpful Hints
The Horseshoe Inn on Bridge Street at Bampton is the “Home” of the dancers and they provide programmes for the day with detailed times and locations. In 2015 a Morris map was available at the Village Hall with a plan of locations and times of performances.
In 2025 it should be on Monday 26th May.
Click here for the event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bamptonmorrisdancers/
and here for the website: https://www.bamptontraditionalmorris.co.uk
The side pictured are Bampton Traditional Morris…whom I have been friends with and following for a very long time, but it’s worth pointing out that there are TWO more sides in Bampton – Traditional Bampton Morris and Bampton Morris! (See their websites)
For background on the reason for three sides see http://www.traditionalbamptonmorris.org.uk/our-history/
On Sat evening is The Shirt Race -a race round the town with decorated ‘things’ might be a wheelbarrow, a bed, a Castle on wheels etc, ( very inventive) There is a Junior race, followed by a senior. Each team visits pubs and houses on the way round and has to down a drink before continuing……very silly and great fun!
And there are sessions in the pubs…partic ‘The Horseshoe’ and the ‘Morris Clown’ – certainly on Sat/Sun/Monday evenings…and we might do lunchtimes too! I’ll be in the Horseshoe,,,disability prevents me getting around as much as I used to…and I stay right across the road at ‘The Romany’! See you there!