WHEN bus company staff hit upon the idea of a raffle to raise money for disabled children in November 1981, they found it was just the ticket.

The aim at the Oxford-South Midland open day was to raise enough money to buy one special chair for the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

But the response was so good that the staff found they could buy five chairs at a total cost of £763.

So it was all smiles at the Cowley bus garage when chairman of the National Bus Company Lord Shepherd presented the chairs.

Mr Barnett, a chargehand fitter at the depot, who helped organise the fundraiser, said: "We had expected only to make enough money to provide one chair, so we were very surprised when we got this amount."

Pictured from left are Mr Roger Pilcher, Lord Shepherd, Sister Margaret Rymill and Mr George Barnett.