A weekend event to mark local philanthropist Lady Olivia Sparrow was organised in the village of Brampton.
The Walk with Olivia event on October 25/26 included an AI installation that reimagines Lady Olivia's life a landowner and benefactor. Her initials 'OBS' can still be seen in carvings on buildings and memorials across Brampton and throughout Huntingdonshire.
The two-day programme, entitled OBS to mark 250 years since her birth in 1775 combined talks, interviews, an art exhibition, guided walks, and sound installations curated to explore her enduring legacy and her influence on local education, architecture, and culture.
The weekend opened at the Lady Olivia Centre, where residents and guests gathered for the launch of Walk with Olivia — a new community initiative blending history, art, and storytelling.
The event featured projected visuals, interviews, and a live-streamed podcast with 'Lady Olivia' herself, created using artificial intelligence to train and reconstruct her voice.
Saturday afternoon continued with an exhibition at Brampton Framing Shop, presenting a series of limited-edition artworks inspired by Olivia’s world — architecture, nature, and design — with visitors enjoying conversation and homemade cake from the Driver family.
Sunday’s coffee-morning session at The Brampton Institute and Sports & Social Club brought together members of Brampton Historical Society, who opened their archives to share early documents, photographs, and studies connected to Olivia’s estate and the first village school she helped to establish.
Later that afternoon, a talk at St Mary’s Church saw local historian Julie Barker share her deep knowledge of Olivia’s life and the memorial plaques that remain within the church — offering a moving connection between her legacy and the village today.
At the centre of the project sits the newly released OBS. 250 Podcast, which went live online over the weekend. Developed by local designer and fringe curator John Lancaster, the work documents the creative process behind rediscovering Lady Olivia’s voice and narrative through AI.
“My kids are fascinated by the OBS. letters around the village green,” John explained.
“The idea behind the weekend was to help people connect with those letters — to experience them differently, through sound, space, and imagination. The podcast is designed as a quiet, immersive listen — best with headphones.”
The project was supported by Brampton Parish Council, Brampton Historical Society, and local volunteers, with additional creative input from Cambridgeshire Archives and community contributors, notably local archivist Margaret Footner.
The OBS. 250 Podcast, postcards, posters, and commemorative map can all be found online at www.walkwitholivia.com
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