Nigel Hammond introduced his talk by drawing
attention to some Vale of White Horse
photographers who were active during parts of the
period 1860-1938:
ABINGDON:
H.H.BROOKS [Market Place]
J.G. BREWERTON [17 High Street]
Andrew WARLAND [Stert Street]
W.J.VASEY [14-16 Broad Street]
WANTAGE: Tom REVELEY [48 Market Place]
GROVE: Alfred W.BOOKER [1903-1980]
EAST HANNEY: James Robins HOLMES [1859-1938]
FARINGDON: E. Norton HOWARTH [Gloucester
Street]
STANFORD-I- VALE: F.H.AULT
FAIRFORD: J.W.GARDNER
SWINDON: W.H.HOOPER photographed up to
Shrivenham [Cromwell Street]
and the doyen of them all
OXFORD: Henry TAUNT [1842-1922] [Broad
Street]
We were taken into Faringdon Market Place on
Market Day, our attention being drawn to the
buildings of 'The Crown' and the size of the
Market, which then stretched from the Market
Place, up beyond the Church as far as the Witney
Road. We were told how the horses were auctioned
first, then the cattle, and then the sheep.
On then, to Bampton Market, where we were
shown the styles of dress of Farmers and drivers,
usually boys. Farmers were shown engaging men for
work, and girls waiting to be hired as servants.
Now along to Morlands Brewery at Abingdon,
which until recent years stood opposite our
meeting hall. Here were the Staff one morning
posing with their manager and under manager. Then
came a long distance Carrier's Wagon and happy
groups of males in all probability from Oxford
colleges, on piled to overflowing waggonettes
outside an ivy covered pub which we realised was
the 'Greyhound' at Besselsleigh.
We were now off to the White Horse Hill and
Uffington, where we peeped in at a Bank Holiday
picnic. The ladies in highly decorated large hats
of the Edwardian era, with their hair piled high
and their skirts to their ankles, whilst girls
under 18 years wore their skirts raised and their
hair loose.
We ended with a group of Cherry pickers at
Harwell and a quaint old couple outside their
cottage, and as Nigel commented, 'A World gone
by'.
These of course are not all we saw, by any
means. There were on reflection a lot more of
Abingdon and Faringdon and lots of rural scenes
such as haymaking etc., but I am afraid I was
lost in the midst of time before I realised that
I was supposed to be making notes.
