Raising the roof for Bampton Church

3:02pm Wednesday 27th August 2008

Once again the people of Bampton are preparing to Raise the Roof in order to top up the funds required to repair their parish church roof, which needs urgent attention. They have already raised £230,000, but must find a further £85,000 if they are to replace the damaged slate tiles that are causing so many problems, both outside and inside the Church of St Mary the Virgin, with its lovely spire that can be seen for miles around.

As one of many fundraising events the Bampton community have organised this year, Raise the Roof aims to bring in at least £20,000 through the staging of a concert by the Aberavon Male Voice Choir from Port Talbot along with a grand charity auction, which will he held during the interval.

The choir, which was formed in 1966, has performed in numerous music festivals throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada and the US.

Their programme, which will be performed in the church, includes popular pieces such as Climb Every Mountain, The Lord is My Shepherd and This is the Hour.

The grand auction, which has been organised by The Earl of Donoughmore and his wife Meg, includes some quite superb lots. Lord Donoughmore is particularly thrilled with Lot two, a 25cm high bronze sculpture (pictured) by Jill Tweed, entitled Gundog. Jill trained at the Slade School of Art in London and has lived and worked in Bampton for the past 19 years.

A pastel painting Hare in Winter, by one-time steeplechase jockey Philip Blacker, is also included. He is now considered one of the most successful artists in England. His life-size horse sculptures stand in many countries, including Canada, Australia, France and Ireland.

Lord Donoughmore says that people have been very generous. Philip Blacker is one of many artists who have donated their work for the grand auction.

He puts this down to the remarkable community spirit that exists in Bampton and the way the Church of St Mary the Virgin, which dates back to the mid-12th century, infiltrates everyday life.

He explained that this is not the first time that the church has been used as the venue for a charity event such as this. "It is the only venue in Bampton that can hold more than 100 people. Although we have a very nice village hall, it is not large enough to hold the choir and audience," he said, adding that this was one of the many reasons why it was so important to repair the church roof.

At the moment a large net is suspended at the rear of the church to catch falling debris, which would otherwise fall on the congregation. It's hoped that major work on the roof can get under way at the end of the year. But first they have to raise another £85,000.

The concert and auction are on Saturday, September 13 at 6.45pm. For tickets or more information about the grand auction phone Lord Donoughmore on 01993 850231.

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