Neighbouring Mursley may once have been the home of the film star David Tomlinson, but Swanbourne also has a claim to movie fame for, in 1948, the first born of the famous screen actress Deborah Kerr, and her husband, Anthony Bartley, was christened in St. Swithun’s Church. Anthony had been born in India where, having been a barrister of the Irish High Court, his father, Charles Bartley, was a High Court judge. Indeed Charles would be knighted for his service, and on their return to England it would thus be as Sir Charles and Lady Bartley that they made their home at The Cottage, in Swanbourne. As a boy, Anthony was often out and about the village with his air gun, and one day on seeing two aircraft flying over the Swan he raised his rifle and fired at the inviting, if distant, target. Suddenly one of the planes appeared to develop engine trouble, and losing altitude came down to make a forced landing in the fields between Swanbourne and Mursley. Circling a while to confirm the safety of the crew, the companion aircraft then flew off, as also did young Bartley who, convinced that his shot had been the cause, fled into hiding. However, having been engaged on a training mission the aircraft had been troubled by a malfunctioning engine long before reaching the hostile airspace of Swanbourne! Yet soon Anthony would be engaged in shooting down aircraft for real, for following the outbreak of World War Two he would fly as a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain, during the course of which he would destroy eight enemy machines. Indeed, much to the delight of the more youthful residents on occasion he would ‘beat up’ Swanbourne in his Hurricane, and during his operational career his tally of enemy ‘kills’ was to increase to at least 15. Later in the war Anthony was sent to lecture in America, and since whilst he was there he became acquainted with several film personalities, it would be when stationed in Brussels during 1945 that, through an introduction by Stewart Granger, he made the acquaintance of Deborah Kerr when the two stars, and the rest of the cast of the ENSA production of ‘Gaslight’, were invited to the Officers Club. Before the entertainers left Brussels Deborah and Tony would be dining together, and their relationship became such that when Deborah was away filming in Ireland Tony proposed by telegram; ‘Have been posted to the South Pacific Stop Will you marry me’, to which she replied ‘Yes Stop’, Where and when’. With Tony being allowed only 48 hours of compassionate leave, before the wedding Deborah travelled alone to Swanbourne to make the acquaintance of her prospective in laws, and amidst great publicity the couple were duly married at St. George’s Church, Hanover Square, in London. After the war Anthony become a test pilot and foreign representative for the Vickers aircraft company, but when Deborah’s career soon took them to Hollywood this posed a dilemma for Anthony since, having been born in India, under American law he was not officially allowed to work in that country. However, Congress then resolved the situation by passing a private bill ‘for the relief of Anthony Charles Bartley, in recognition of one of our greatest Allies’ greatest heroes.’ Sadly the marriage was not destined to last, but even until her later years Deborah would still retain an affection for Swanbourne, as also an interest in the local activities.