O.B.S

18/11/2025

O.B.S. 250: New Archival Discovery!

A new discovery from the Huntingdon Library archives has confirmed that Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow (1775–1863) — founder of Brampton’s first school and long-time resident of Brampton Park — was buried here in Brampton, not in Hadleigh, Suffolk as previously recorded.

Factchecked: The original Brampton Parish Burial Register records her interment on 20 February 1863, aged 88, conducted by Rev. J. Mackie, Vicar. The entry confirms that Lady Olivia rests in the Bernard family vault beneath the Lady Chapel at St Mary Magdalene Church.

Our special thanks to Julie, a member of the Brampton Historical Society, for bringing this important record to light and helping correct a long-standing detail in local history.

The O.B.S Legacy Map has now been updated to reflect this discovery and is NOW available to download free, along with a recent live podcast and documentary, in conversation with the great lady herself at: www.walkwitholivia.com



Our existing note remains in place: ‘This information has been compiled with care and consideration. Certain details reflect interpretation or local tradition where historical sources may differ.’

02/11/2025

Brampton’s first ‘Blue Plaque’ is now underway!

A new community campaign is being launched to honour Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow (O.B.S.) with a permanent Blue Plaque at the village’s first school — recognising her lasting contribution to education.

Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow (1775–1863) devoted much of her life to improving education, welfare, and opportunity in Brampton. Her legacy includes the founding of the village’s first school.

We’re now inviting residents, historians and supporters to help make this happen.

Show your support and sign here. It’s totally free (don’t pay for ads) https://c.org/NBNQ595KWm

30/10/2025

Exciting news from Brampton!

We’re delighted to see the weekend of events for Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow featured in the Hunts Post. Read all about how our village gathered to celebrate her legacy—through walks, art, and storytelling.

https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/25584135.event-brampton-philanthropist-lady-olivia-sparrow/

If you missed it, don’t worry – you can still experience the heart of the weekend via the O.B.S. 250 Podcast, which is now live online, and best experienced on headphones. More updates to follow shortly…

www.walkwitholivia.com

A weekend event to mark local philanthropist Lady Olivia Sparrow was organised in the village of Brampton.

26/10/2025

This afternoon’s O.B.S. talk at St Mary’s Church is drawing to a close.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us to learn more about the Bernard Sparrow family memorial stones — and to our guest speaker and Olivia aficionado, Julie Barker, for an insightful and beautifully delivered talk.

We have one final gathering today at 3:30 pm — ‘O.B.S. Legacy for the Future’, an informal session to discuss the proposed blue plaque application, held at the recently reopened Dragoon Pub. Come and join us for a cheeky Sunday pint!

PS. If you haven’t already, come and collect your free ‘Walk with Olivia’ legacy map.

26/10/2025

26/10/2025

Day Two of O.B.S. 250 begins!
We’re gathering this morning at The Institute, High Street, Brampton PE28 4TH, as the Historical Society opens its archives — original documents, maps, and photographs revealing new layers of Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow’s story.

It’s the final day of our O.B.S. 250 weekend, and the perfect chance to experience the project’s roots: history, voices, and design all meeting in one place.

Doors open from 10:30am until midday. Everyone welcome. Come and collect your free O.B.S Legacy Map.
Full details, times, and directions at www.walkwitholivia.com

25/10/2025

LATEST: Today's O.B.S '250 Walk with Olivia' podcast is now live! Created as part of Brampton’s 250th-anniversary celebrations and the life of Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow, this new work explores how her story was brought back to life — through research, sound design, and AI.

Best enjoyed' with headphones and a bit of peace and quiet... And with the clocks going back tonight, you’ve got an extra hour — THE perfect time to listen.

🎧 Listen now at www.walkwitholivia.com

25/10/2025

We moved on this afternoon to an O.B.S art exhibition — following this morning’s opening event at the Lady Olivia Centre.

The ‘Walk with Olivia’ fringe show at Brampton Framing Shop drew another wonderful and passionate crowd, with guests enjoying conversation, wine, and some excellent homemade cake from one of our guests. Each visitor also received the free O.B.S Legacy map to mark the occasion.

Huge thanks to Brampton Framing Shop for hosting and to everyone who came along to support the project and share in the weekend.

Tomorrow it all begins again — 10:30am at The Institute — with Brampton Historical Society opening their archives for a guided walk through the village’s history and more.

Full schedule at www.walkwitholivia.com

25/10/2025

And we’re up and running!
Thank you to everyone who joined us on this beautiful morning for the first O.B.S. 250 event — what an incredible start.

If you missed it, don’t worry — the full podcast will be uploaded this evening so you can experience it for yourself at home: a personal, immersive journey through sound, story, and local memory. Will post a link shortly!

Next up, our O.B.S. Fringe Event begins at 4pm — ‘Walk with Olivia’, an art exhibition at Brampton Framing Shop celebrating design, heritage, and landscape.

Full details, locations, and schedules are now live at www.walkwitholivia.com — and don’t forget to collect your free commemorative map while you’re there.

24/10/2025

Wonderful news for tomorrow’s O.B.S. event!

Thanks to the very generous support of the Brampton Parish Council, we’ve been able to bring in another 30 chairs — meaning even more guests can join us for the official opening of “Walk with Olivia” tomorrow at The Lady Olivia Centre.

And every guest will receive a FREE commemorative legacy map to take away,

No booking is now necessary — simply arrive from midday and enjoy an afternoon of stories, sound, and celebration.

It’s shaping up to be something quite special — and we can’t wait to welcome everyone.

22/10/2025

Going beyond this weekend of creative events, talks, and community walks, we’re calling for a permanent Blue Plaque to honour Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow (O.B.S.) — founder of Brampton’s first village school, and a remarkable woman whose compassion helped shape our community.

You can learn more and show your support by signing or sharing the petition here:
https://c.org/Q7Pbmkf8cy

Coming up...
The O.B.S. 250 weekend is almost here. All seats for Saturday’s events are now reserved (though there will be standing space and full wheelchair access if you’d like to come along).

It’s not too late to get free tickets for Sunday’s events, including a fascinating look back at Brampton’s history through books, photographs, and local archives at the Brampton Sports & Social Club. Complimentary tea and cake will be served courtesy of the Institute, and each guest will receive a free commemorative map to mark this special occasion.

You can also purchase a set of three limited-edition “Walk with Olivia” postcards and large gallery posters from the framing shop on the High Street — titled Great Architecture of Brampton, Calendula in the Gardens of Brampton, and Red Admirals over Corn Fields of Brampton.

Find full event details and ticket information at www.walkwitholivia.com

17/10/2025

O.B.S. 250 — One Week to Go!

With just a week to go, the village is coming alive for O.B.S. ‘250 - Walk with Olivia’.

The team at Brampton Picture Framing & Gallery have today transformed their window into a vibrant display of limited-edition artwork and postcards celebrating Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow’s lifelong love of farming, architecture and gardens.

Across Brampton, art banners now line the roads and footpaths, inviting everyone to take part — while inside the Community Centre and Library, a special O.B.S. history board explores the story of the Reading Rooms, education, and the early village school she helped to create.

Our Saturday session is almost full, but we’ve now added a second talk and conversation on Sunday morning at The Brampton Institute, giving more residents a chance to join the celebration. You can still books seats online or just follow and DM here.

It’s been incredible to see so many people booking, sharing, and getting involved — from artists and volunteers to local families rediscovering Olivia’s story in their own village.

Join us for this free weekend of talks, film, architecture, exhibitions and community walks, 25–26 October.
👉 walkwitholivia.com