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Excuse me, Miss, what's a Bunfight ....?

Bunfights, best described as ceilidhs-with-spots, are an important part of Berkshire Bedlam tradition. If you're interested in how the Bunfights first came about, click here to read Stuart Barry's account of the first few such events.......

Nowadays the Bunfight is an annual event which is always great fun for everyone attending, young or old - and great to see such a wide range of ages in recent years. It is usually held on a Saturday in late November, traditionally at the California Ratepayers Hall, Finchampstead, (click here for map) with its main feature a ceilidh, always with an excellent band. Each year there is a different overall theme which people are welcome to dress in line with, but this is entirely optional. As well as various other entertainments, BB usually perform a couple of spots during the evening, the second of which is a showpiece non-Morris spot that has nothing to do with the evening's theme and everything to do with the most bizarre idea they have come up with since the last bizarre idea. The challenge is always to get down to the standard of previous years and amazingly they often succeed.

Lowlights over the years have included Flashdance, Schwarzkopf, YMCA, the famous Cockneys, Berkshire Bumfolosi, The Swans, The Men In Various Things including Black, Black and White, Tights, Coloured Ties, and Bags; The Can-Can, Flamencos, A Chorus Line, Bolshoi Bedlam, Keystone Cops, the All Star Cheerleaders, the Smurfs, Charleston Champions and Star Wars style, Austin Powers, A Hard Day's Bunfight, the Wellerman, and literally the lowest of all the spots : the legendary 'Stumpton', a spot still talked of in revered tones today, mainly due to the leapfrogs, or more accurately stumpfrogs. Covid led to the cancellation of the 2020 Bunfight and a much restricted evening in 2021, but in recent years the Bunfight is back to its weird and wonderful best, most recently in 2024 with the Diatonics again providing some specially curated music for a Magic themed evening, along with the always magic Nick Walden as caller. All the usual Bunfight entertainments were in place including Bedlam Bingo and a rendition of Me Ol' Bamboo that would probably have brought tears to Dick Van Dyke's eyes, for various reasons.

What will 2025's Bunfight bring? - don't miss out! Sat 29th November 2025, once more at the California Ratepayers Hall, with tickets on sale from
www.ticketsource.co.uk/berkshire-bedlam.

Meanwhile to whet your appetite here's a list of past Bunfight themes, spots, and souvenir photos ....  


2024   -   Band - Diatonics  Theme - Magic   Main spot - Me Ol' Bamboo

 

     

          

see larger versions of all these 2024 pictures here! 


2023   -   Band - Diatonics  Theme - Science Fiction   Main spot - Star Wars Charleston

 

  

            

see larger versions of all these 2023 pictures here!


2022   -   Band - Diatonics  Theme - Bunfight - Here We Go Again! - celebrating Abba and all things Swedish!   Main spot - The Wellerman

see larger versions of all these 2022 pictures here!


2021  -  Bunfight party, no band  Theme - Monty Python's Flying Bunfight!

 


see larger versions of all these 2021 pictures here!


2020   -   No Bunfight! (but only a global pandemic could stop it...)


2019   -   Band - Diatonics  Theme - Bunfight on Broadway!   Main spot - A Chorus Line

 




see larger versions of all these 2019 pictures here!


2018   -   Band - Diatonics  Theme - On the Piste - an Alpine Adventure!   Main spot - Los Flamencos de Berkshire

 


  

 

 

see larger versions of all these 2018 pictures here!


2017   -   Band - Diatonics  Theme - A Hard Day's Bunfight!   Main spot - Putting on the Ritz

 

 

 

see larger versions of all these 2017 pictures here!


2016   -   Band - Panjandrum  Theme - Living La Vida Bunfight   Main spot - Men in Bags

 



see larger versions of all these 2016 pictures here!


2015   -   Band - Steamchicken  Theme - Bunfight on the High Seas   Main spot - Austin Powers

 see larger versions of all these 2015 pictures here! 


2014   -   Band - Steamchicken  Theme - Comics   Main spot - Men in Coloured Ties

     


 
see larger versions of all these 2014 pictures here! 


2013   -   Band - Tickled Pink  Theme - Scotland   Main spot - Black and White Dance

 


 
see larger versions of all these 2013 pictures here!   


2012   -   Band - Tickled Pink  Theme - Down on the Farm   Main spot - Men in Black - Gangnam Style

   

 


2011   -   Band - Tickled Pink  Theme - France   Main spot - Charleston Champions

 

 


2010   -   Band - Committee Band  Theme - Space   Main spot - Belgian Blue Boys a.k.a. The Smurfs

 

            

  


2009   -   Band - Committee Band  Theme - Circus   Main spot - BB All Stars Cheerleaders

 
 


2008   -   Band - Random  Theme - Myths and Legends   Main spot - Men in Tights


 

 


2007   -   Band - Random  Theme - Heroes and Villains   Main spot - Keystone Kops

  
 


2006   -   Band - Phungus  Theme - Carry On At The Bunfight   Main spot - Bolshoi Bedlam

  
 

      


2005   -   Band - Phungus  Theme - Bunfight at the OK Corral   Main spot - The Can-Can

 


2004   -   Band - Phungus  Theme - Schooldays   Main spot - Men in Black

   
       
     


2003   -   Band - Phungus  Theme - A Day at the Races   Main spot - 'Flame' sword dance

Sadly no pictures survive of this epic evening, but rest assured it was good!


2002    -   Band - Phungus  Theme - The Underground     Main spot - 633 Squadron

02bun03.jpg (42829 bytes)  02bun02.jpg (46410 bytes)  02bun01.jpg (42456 bytes)  02bun04.jpg (44712 bytes)  02bun05.jpg (47566 bytes)  02bun06.jpg (43142 bytes)  02bun07.jpg (39024 bytes)  02bun08.jpg (39483 bytes)  02bun09.jpg (33335 bytes)
02bun10.jpg (46111 bytes)  02bun11.jpg (41013 bytes)  02bun15.jpg (40309 bytes)
02bun12.jpg (31599 bytes)  02bun13.jpg (38484 bytes)  02bun14.jpg (45166 bytes)


2001    -   Band - Phungus  Theme - Mysteries of the East     Main spot - Flashdance

 

01bun1.JPG (56860 bytes)  01bun2.JPG (59518 bytes)  01bun3.JPG (40643 bytes)  01bun4.JPG (47425 bytes)  01bun12.JPG (35325 bytes)

01bun6.JPG (59647 bytes)  01bun7.JPG (46419 bytes)  01bun10.JPG (43214 bytes)
  01bun8.JPG (61847 bytes)  01bun9.JPG (34499 bytes)  01bun11.JPG (41405 bytes)    


2000    -   Band - Phungus  Theme - Australia     Main spot - Jake the Peg

00bun2.JPG (24723 bytes)    00bun3.JPG (13193 bytes)    00bun4.JPG (18171 bytes)    00bun1.JPG (24572 bytes)    00bun5.JPG (64298 bytes)


1999   -   Theme - Fin de Siecle   Main spot - Berkshire Bumfolosi

99bun1.JPG (25563 bytes)    99bun7.JPG (17016 bytes)    99bun5.JPG (13787 bytes)    99bun2.JPG (17138 bytes)    99bun3.JPG (12333 bytes)


1998   -   Theme - Latin   Main spot - Los Bastidos Morosos


98bun1.JPG (4837 bytes) 98bun2.JPG (20647 bytes)
98bun4.JPG (25742 bytes) 98bun3.JPG (25068 bytes) 98bun5.JPG (21609 bytes)  98bun7.JPG (19576 bytes)


1997   -   Theme - A Day at the Seaside   Main spot - The Swans a.k.a. Duck Pond

97bun5.JPG (21128 bytes)    97bun1.JPG (11291 bytes)    97bun2.JPG (22338 bytes)    97bun3.JPG (21327 bytes)    97bun4.JPG (14289 bytes)


1996   -   Theme - Hammer House of Horror   Main spot - Gilbert and Sullivan

96bun1.JPG (21385 bytes)


1995   -   Theme - Pantomime   Main spot - Y.M.C.A.

95bun3.JPG (17907 bytes) 95bun1.JPG (25040 bytes) 95bun2.JPG (27982 bytes) 95bun4.JPG (21956 bytes) 95bun5.JPG (21610 bytes)  


1994   -   Theme - Old London Town   Main spot - The Cockney Dance

94bun1.JPG (22415 bytes)


1993   -   Theme - Children's storybook characters   Main spot - The Boxes

   


1992   -   Theme - Europe   Main spot - Schwarzkopf


1991   -   Theme - Rolf Harris   Main spot - Stilts / Paint Pots


1990   -   Theme - Battle of Britain   Main spot - Stumpton


1989   -   Theme - Revolution   Main spot - Aristocrats v Peasants

                


1988   -   Theme - Bad Taste   Main spot - Blindfold Dance

        


1987   -   Theme - Opposite Gender   Main spot - Albemarle's Hop

                


1986   -   Theme -    Main spot - Punch and Judy

 



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