Oxfordshire Customs, Sports and Traditions

The people of Oxfordshire certainly know how to enjoy themselves and take part in many varied and remarkable activities. Some of these, like May Morning and Beating the Bounds, go back for centuries but have been altered and adapted over the years. Some are relatively recent revivals and others Victorian in origin. As regards sporting events, the Pooh Stick championships are unique and the pub game Aunt Sally is unusual elsewhere. However the last 50 years has seen an unprecedented number of new leisure pursuits, many of which have now become traditions in their own right. Foremost among these are the Cropredy and Towersey festivals. Apart from being huge fun, and bringing the community together, these events are great charity fundraisers. Inside this book are funfairs and festivals, celebrations and exhibitions, games and shows, fêtes and carnivals, a few of them solemn but most of them unashamedly frivolous, and each one a unique celebration of Oxfordshire's heritage.