EASTER bonnets come in all shapes and sizes, as these pictures from the Oxford Mail archives prove.

Picture 1 was taken at Berinsfield Nursery School in 1982 and shows Timothy Caswell, left, and Simon Williams sporting their hats.

About 80 youngsters paraded their home-made creations before being presented with an Easter egg by the vicar, the Rev Martin Walker.

In pictures 2 and 3, also taken in 1982, Nicholla Longley, seven, and Paul Matthews, eight, show off their prize-winning hats at Aston Rowant School. Paul’s monster combined Easter bonnets, Easter eggs and Easter chicks.

There was another magnificent array of hats that year at Queen’s Dyke Primary School at Witney.

The judges were representatives of Compton Webb, a Witney hat factory.

Among the 50 children taking part were, from left in picture 4, Michael Hole, Tanya Clarke and Martin Grant. The winners, however, were Simon Claridge, Helena Knox and Lee Hughes.

The winner of the bonnet contest at Cowley Community Centre playgroup in 1983 was three-year-old Louisa Patey, seen in picture 5, who was dwarfed by her enormous headgear.

In picture 6, the winner of the competition at the White Lion pub, Steeple Aston, in 1979 wasn’t smiling – and for good reason.

Just seconds before being proclaimed the judges’ favourite, three-year-old Carl Logan took a tumble. Fortunately, he and his splendid bonnet escaped virtually unscathed.