IT WAS a time for celebration for these British Legion members in Oxford.

The Marston branch had been lucky enough to be offered a piece of land at a peppercorn rent.

But then they had to raise more than £5,000 to pay for the building.

When this picture was taken in 1958, it marked the end of three years of intensive effort to provide modern and permanent headquarters.

Members are pictured in their new clubhouse in Hadow Road, New Marston, the day before the official opening.

The branch had been formed in 1930 and met for many years in Oxford Road, Old Marston.

But in 1955, committee members met the trustees of the Oxford Road building and received some bad news.

The trustees told them that they were happy for the premises to continue as the Legion branch headquarters, but not as a club.

Without a club, where members could meet socially over a drink, the branch feared it would lose membership and would have been hit financially.

In their search for a new base, members heard that there was spare land belonging to the Co-operative Society off Hadow Road and made an approach.

Mr AW Gregory, vice-president of the branch and president of the club, said at the time: “The Co-op agreed to lease us this land for an annual rent of a shilling (5p) – they were lending us the land, but we had the responsibility of erecting the building.”

Members worked hard for three years to raise the money and there was delight when the new single-storey clubhouse, with clubroom, bar and hall was opened.

The building remained for more than 40 years, but by the turn of the century it was becoming dilapidated and it was decided a replacement was needed.

Plans for a £3m clubhouse, with two blocks of flats to help pay for the scheme, were unveiled in 2003 and the new building was opened by the Lord Mayor of Oxford, John Tanner, in 2007.