The Pumpkin Club

The Pumpkin Club was formed in March 1969. Three friends, Arnold Woodley, Jack Horn, and the pub landlord, Reg Absolom, were enjoying a drink at the bar of the old Eagle Inn when the topic of their conversation turned to the most successful method of growing giant cucurbitaceae. After a friendly, but inconclusive argument, it was decided to hold a competition to see who could grow the largest pumpkin, marrow, or gourd. The first "Great Weigh-in" took place in the grounds of the ‘Eagle’ in October of that year and was supervised by a representative of Suttons Seeds. Joe Buckingham became the first ever winner of the Pumpkin Club Cup, with a gourd weighing 51.5lbs. After the weigh-in, the pumpkins, along with flowers, fruit and vegetables brought along by visitors were auctioned, raising the grand sum of £28 and 15 shillings. The committee and members (at this point totalling 78) decided to donate the profit from the first Weigh-in to the S.P.A.J.E.R.S.

At first the organisation was known as the Eagle Pumpkin Club but was renamed ‘The Bampton Pumpkin Club’ in 1970. Along with the change of name came the decision to donate monies raised each year directly to local pensioners, and at Christmas of that year the Club gave every single pensioner £1; married couples received £1.10 shillings! When the Eagle Inn closed, the Pumpkin Club changed its headquarters to the Romany Inn where committee meetings now take place.

As time went by the now familiar "door to door" collection of items for the auction was introduced. All donations, however small, are welcome. Larger items and bric-a-brac are auctioned individually, and smaller items such as tins and jars are made into hampers which are also auctioned. The Grand Pumpkin Weigh and Auction is, as far as is known, the only event of it’s kind in Oxfordshire.

In order to boost the Christmas fund the Club began to organise other fundraising events such as an exhibition of Bampton Souvenirs, Tramps Suppers, Bingo, Mini-fetes, Discos, Jumble Sales, Easter Bonnet Competitions, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Aunt Sally, Race Nights, Bar Billiards, Doll Exhibitions, Dances and Variety Shows. Other strange happenings such as Dwile Flunking, Moustache Growing Competitions and Catapult Contests also took place. The increased income from these events enabled the Club to give a Christmas Gift of £5 to every Bampton pensioner. In recent years, this figure has increased to £10.00 per person.

With the introduction of a new "May Day" bank holiday in 1979 the Club set about the task of organising the first Annual Bampton Street Fair and Dog Show! In those days, the Street Fair at Bampton was the only local event to take place on "May Day". People would come from the surrounding area, to enjoy the attractions and take advantage of our "all day" licensed bar - in the days before pubs had all day licensing hours, this would have been quite out of the ordinary!

Local clubs, traders and other organisations joined in by taking one of the table-top stalls, enabling them to promote or raise funds for their own organisations, while at the same time supporting the Pumpkin Club. Other attractions included produce stalls, a Grand Draw, displays, children’s rides, Craft Fair, and the Dog Show. Throughout the day, musicians and bands performed live - for little or no charge! These people were only too happy to get an opportunity to perform in public, as they often received other offers of work from visitors to the Street Fair, who had seen them on stage.

Sadly in recent years the Club’s situation has changed dramatically.

Many of the other villages in the area now hold similar events on May Day and the Street Fair no longer draws the crowds it once did. Changing lifestyles have also influenced the situation. Many families these days take advantage of the Bank Holiday weekend to go away, affecting not only the number of people visiting the Street Fair, but also those available to help set up and run it. The Club also has difficulty attracting new members, and indeed the Club has had difficulty running the Street Fair of late because of the lack of members and helpers.

Sadly, the future of this once thriving organisation has become uncertain. Unless the Club can attract new members and helpers, there may soon become a time when giant pumpkins will no longer be seen in Bampton, and the Street Fair and Pumpkin Weigh-In will go the way of many other traditions which have been lost to the village forever. Although small, the present committee remains committed to the Pumpkin Club, and hopes that new volunteers will come forward so that the future of the Club can be assured.