THE villagers at Bampton, near Witney, are well known for their crazy antics.

The Great Shirt Race, the Donkey Derby and the best moustache competition are among the quirky events which have featured in Memory Lane over the years.

Add to them the Great Chariot Race, the first of which was run on the late August Bank Holiday in 1970.

Four teams had spent weeks building their chariots and all were suitably dressed as Romans as they lined up for the start.

The Oxford Mail reported: “Ben Hur might have done better, but then he did have horses to pull his chariot.

“These latter-day charioteers had to make do with six friends with laurels askew and togas slipping.

“The chariots bore an excellent likeness to the Roman carriages of old, and the slaves were even more realistic in their togas. The circlets of laurels on their heads completed their turnout.”

Six slaves pulled the chariots through the streets. On the way, they stopped at seven pubs, where the ‘emperor’ quickly swallowed a mug of ale and swapped places with one of the slaves for the next leg of the race.

There appeared to be few rules and regulations – stirrup pumps, bags of flour and other missiles were showered on opponents as teams tried to gain an advantage.

The 1970 race ended in victory by the Talbot Gladiators, who took an early lead and stayed in front until the winning post.

Second were the Eagle Inn, followed by Raforium Bamptonium (allegedly an RAF team) and lastly, Shooting Star.

The Talbot Gladiators also won the 1972 race, again leading from the start and finishing well ahead of the Eagle Inn and the Gasworks Gang.

The winners of the race won a challenge cup and a casket of ale.

All money raised at the chariot races went to the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing (Spajers), the village organisation which still exists to raise funds for outings and a Christmas party for Bampton’s old age pensioners.