Pageants were all the rage at the beginning of the 20th century, and Oxford was determined not to miss out.

A week-long extravaganza took place in the city exactly 100 years ago, between June 27 and July 3, 1907.

A cast of between 3,000 and 4,000 people was recruited to re-enact memorable scenes in Oxford's history.

When Frank Lascelles, the 30-year-old lord of the manor of Sibford Gower, near Banbury, approached Oxford City Council with the idea, he received an enthusiastic response.

Sceptics told him he was crazy if he thought he could make Oxford people dress up, and even more crazy if thought he could bring together town and gown.

In the event, everyone fell over themselves to oblige.

Apart from the thousands who came forward to perform, the Prince and Princess of Wales headed the list of patrons.

And all sorts of celebrities were happy to write the scripts, among them the future Poet Laureate Robert Bridges and Oxford University's Chichele Professor of Modern History, Sir Charles Oman.

The site chosen for the performances was the end of Broad Walk, where the River Cherwell divides Christ Church Meadow from Magdalen College School.

Scenes included the legend of St Frideswide, the beginnings of the University, King Henry II and Fair Rosamund, the St Scholastica's Day riots and the Civil War.

Despite being summer, the choice of dates turned out to be unfortunate. It rained almost non-stop during the preparation and during the run.

The bad weather did not deter the performers - many were seen squelching through the mud in their period costumes - but it appeared to have some effect on audiences.

When the biggest and most expensive spectacle in Oxford's history was over, the profit to be shared by the Radcliffe Infirmary, the Oxford Eye Hospital and other good causes was just £810, a tenth of what the organisers had hoped.

But the event did Frank Lascelles no harm.

On the strength of his success at Oxford, he went on to organise pageants to mark the Tercentenary of Canada and King George V's Coronation.