A THEATRE company has brought Oxford’s history to life by visiting elderly residents with its new play.

A team from the Oxford Playhouse developed Hello Oxford! based on the memories of residents at Marston Court care home, who have lived in the city for most of their lives.

It revisits quirky characters and events that made a lasting impression on people across the city, such as Banana Lil, who sold bananas in St Ebbes in the 1930s, and Jimmy Dingle, a sandwich-board man who wore a top hat and tails.

And 95-year-old resident Eleanor Clifford said the play left her reminiscing about her days as a young child in Oxford, where she has lived since birth.

She said: “I was born and brought up in The Marlborough Arms in St Thomas’, where my father was the landlord at the time.

“We later moved to The Woodstock Arms in the Woodstock Road “I remember all those well-known characters like Jimmy Dingle in the play, who used to walk through Oxford with his sandwich board placards advertising local shops and events in Oxford.”

The production was put together by Hannah Ringham and her team from the Playhouse who said it was developed on the premise that a simple “hello” is all it takes to put a smile on someone’s face.

The idea was sparked during discussions at the Memory Lane group as part of the Oxford Museum’s 40th celebration.

Ms Ringham said: “Hello Oxford! is a celebration where we are saying hello to each other and coming together on something we all share, which is being in Oxford.

“The show has been created through ideas and memories from all kinds of people, through songs and music hall comedy. We have discovered characters, stories and history.

“The show is also a chance to talk to each other and find out more, so the whole experience keeps on growing. We are currently touring care homes in Oxfordshire and this has been a great joy.”

Attending the show was Stephanie Hall, volunteer and events manager for The Orders of St John Care Trust, who said she thought the production was fantastic.

She said: “Although I have not grown up in Oxford I really felt included and learned of the rich culture and how the city has developed over the years.

“As part of the ‘Playhouse Plays Out’ programme, the show will now be going on tour for two weeks to other care homes and the like within the Oxford area.

“The debut performance was well received by all and throughout the various acts, the audience interacted with the performers, either by singing, clapping, or being asked if anyone had any of their own stories to tell.”