What's this? A masked highwayman holding up a horse-drawn coach in Oxfordshire?
The mayor of Chipping Norton, John Grantham, was being taken on a leisurely tour of the town in the Royal Mail coach when he heard the cry: “Stand and deliver!”
The ambush in High Street had been arranged as a total surprise to everyone by Les Raven, manager of the White Hart Hotel, who had engaged local huntsman Colin Hicks to play ‘Dick Turpin’.
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Dick Turpin, with what looks like a gun at the ready, held up the coach and ordered the mayor to hand over his valuables.
He managed, however, to retain his chain of office.
Mr Raven said: “I have an unusual sense of humour and I thought it would be a good idea that somewhere along the route, the coach be attacked by a highwayman.”
The coach was on a tour of England and Wales in 1977 to raise money for celebrations to mark the Queen’s 25 years on the throne later that year.
Chipping Norton was the coach’s 34th stop.
The coach dating from the 1880s originally ran between Norwich and London.
It was driven that day by John Parker, of Diss, Norfolk.
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As we have recalled over the past year as we have celebrated the late Queen’s 70 years on the throne, dozens of streets parties and other events were held in 1977 to mark her silver jubilee.
The former hotel in the town’s High Street is a Grade II* listed building, first listed in 1952.
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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
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