SPRING revellers of all ages and from all walks of life donned their seasonal finest and hit the city centre for May Morning yesterday.

About 5,000 people took part in the traditional coming-of-spring celebration, starting with the choristers of Magdalen College choir at 6am.

Crowds began to form in Magdalen Bridge, which was closed to traffic for the fifth year running from 3-9am, from about 5am onwards.

But the earliest arrivals had been there longer still. Among the first to the scene long before dawn broke were Oxford Brookes students Joe Keeble, 19, Zoe Morris-Brown, 20, Oliver Fairey, 18 and Alex Parrott, 18.

Mr Keeble said: “It’s very exciting.

“We’re just hoping for some nice hymns really – something a bit magical.”

As the sky grew lighter the bridge filled with onlookers.

Representatives from local businesses were also out in force, including Oxford Ice Rink and G&D ice cream parlour, which supplied hundreds of blue balloons.

Both sides of the bridge were gated off and lined with security personnel.

In previous years people have jumped from the bridge into the Cherwell, with 40 injured in 2005 alone.

This year, however, there were no reports of jump attempts.

Keenly awaiting the choristers’ appearance was Catherine Weller, from Oxford. Armed with posies of flowers from her back garden and a bottle of Buck’s Fizz, she said: “I used to come here when I was at school.

“We used to sit on the bridge leaning against the lamp posts.

“This whole jumping tradition is quite a new one.”

Not everyone was so well-prepared. Oxford University student Alex Doody, 20, arrived on the bridge 15 minutes after waking up and still in his dressing gown.

He said: “This is the first one I have been up for. I took it easy last night and slept. I’m excited to know what happens next.”

The crowd fell silent as the choir performed a repertoire of songs from the Great Tower as the sun crept into view.

Artist Ted Dewan, from Summertown, said afterwards: “I always love them. This is my 14th year and I don’t know what I would do if I missed it. Its significance goes deep.”

Meg Wiessler, 25, studying in Oxford for a year, said: “It’s a little bit surreal after staying up for the whole night. May Morning has a pagan ritual aspect to it; spring is something everyone wants to celebrate.”

A spellbound crowd dispersed across town, with brass bands and marching bands in High Street and Morris dancers at the Bridge of Sighs among the attractions on offer.

Cafes and restaurants across the city centre opened their doors early, offering breakfast to hungry partygoers.

The Charlbury Morris group, who take part in May Morning festivities almost every year, gave their first dance outside the Sheldonian Theatre.

One performer, Geoff Griffiths, took a tumble midway through. He said afterwards: “The first dance we did was the first of the season in public. That’s why I fell over: it’s first-night nerves.

“It’s one of the best crowds we have seen in quite a few years and, best of all, dry.”

From innocuous flower garlands to full-on Green Man costume, Oxfordshire residents made sure they looked their best despite a lack of sleep.

Some kept it more traditional; Penny Roberts and Kevin Broughton, from Yarnton, both wore summery floral hats. The pair have been attending for 50 years. Ms Roberts said: “I love it.”

Most of the morning’s events were over by about 9am, after which the assembled crowd prepared to go to work – or, in the case of a lucky few, back to bed.