THIS was the scene on the Oxford-Kennington road in 1979 after the county had been hit by torrential rain.

A stranded cyclist pondered his next move as floods halted traffic at the north end of the village, near the entrance to the Oxford Management Centre.

Twelve homes in Kennington were flooded as the River Thames was put on red alert.

On the Oxford Canal, a family were marooned for 17 hours on a pleasure boat trapped by swirling water near the Shipton-on-Cherwell cement works.

Their night-long ordeal ended when police, firemen and river authority officials helped them to safety.

At one stage, police discussed bringing in a helicopter to rescue them.