There was hardly room to move as huge crowds thronged the stalls and sideshows.

Warm weather brought thousands flocking to St Giles in Oxford to enjoy the thrills and spills of the annual two-day fair in 1979.

The Oxford Mail reported: “The street was packed throughout the day and, by night, had become almost impassable as long queues waited to brave the rides.

“A steady barrage of screams accompanied the blaring music as youngsters dared each other to try the latest attractions. One of the most popular was the new Orbiter, which was hurtling round at breakneck speed while spinning its passengers through the air in dizzy loops.”

All the traditional attractions had turned up as usual, including the Wall of Death, the helter skelter and the dodgems.

That year, the police reported few problems, although they issued the usual warning about pickpockets, a constant danger at such a crowded event.

Earlier, city councillors had debated whether to continue to employ their own inspector to check the safety of equipment at the fair, at a cost of £500 a year.

Showmen employed their own inspector and some councillors felt it was a waste of money for the council to duplicate the checks.

When Councillor Harry Liddy questioned the cost and the council’s liability in the event of an accident, Reg Luck, the council’s deputy estates officer, said it did seem to be “belt and braces”, suggesting that having two inspections might be seen as “over the top” and unnecessary. But Councillor John Power said he thought it was money well spent. Machines should be inspected before they were used by the public, he said.

Mr Luck said the council’s inspector could insist that repairs were carried out to any faulty equipment.

But he said the purpose of having a separate inspection was not about the council’s legal liability, but to prevent accidents happening.

The council agreed that the £500 cost was a small price to pay for safety and agreed to continue its own inspections.

* This year’s fair takes place today and tomorrow.