A clown goes into battle with the Cumberland Giant during the comic wrestling, one of many attractions at the village festival. Thousands of people flocked to the event at RAF Benson. The highlight was a breathtaking display by aerobatic pilot Philip Meeson in the tiny Marlborough Pitts Special biplane. There was plenty on offer at ground level, too, including music, dancing, gymnastics, judo and six-a-side football.
Gillian Miles painted a street map in 1979, to give visitors an idea of the layout of the village and its landmarks. The map was put in a glass-fronted case on a wall at Bob’s Corner, named after a well-known village character.
With Christmas over and nothing much happening, Benson Area Play Scheme decided to hold a spring pantomime in 1979. More than 50 children – and a few adults, including the two pictured above – took part. It was called Baps in the Wood – an acronym of the play scheme’s title.
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