When 10-year-old Alison Brough heard that a new road would cut across her school playing field, she decided it was time to act.

She persuaded 300 friends at St Nicholas Primary School at Old Marston, Oxford, to sign a petition and sent it with a letter to the Minister of Transport, Barbara Castle.

The protest happened in 1968 when plans for Marston Ferry Road, linking Marston with North Oxford, were announced.

Alison, of Windsor Crescent, Old Marston – pictured above, left, with fellow campaigner Susan Edmonds and other protesters – was incensed that the road would split the school field in two, leaving no room for a football pitch in either section, and that the school would lose one of its two playgrounds.

She said at the time: “Our teacher, Mrs Yardley, was talking one day about the road and some boys decided to start a petition, but nothing came of it.

“I thought it was a good idea so I went home and wrote a letter to Mrs Castle.

“I was allowed to talk to the school about it at assembly one morning and afterwards, I went round the classrooms collecting names for the petition. I am not against the road, but I think the route should be altered so that we can keep our playing field.”

Headmaster Peter Jones said: “Alison acted quite spontaneously and without any pressure from the staff.”

Mrs Castle replied, saying that the road was not her responsibility, and eventually Alison’s letter arrived on the desk of Oxford City Council engineer Tom Morris, who invited the campaign leaders to the town hall.

The delegation – Alison Brough, Andrew Haynes, David Brown, Susan Edmonds, Janet Moller, Peter Hughes, Gary Kimber and Jacqueline Yardley – discussed the plans with Mr Morris’s chief assistant, John Peverel-Cooper.

The children failed in their bid to have the route changed, but they felt they won important concessions.

The footpath and cycle track were switched from the north side to the south, allowing the road to be moved farther away from the school, and a high bank was built to shield the school from traffic noise.

The young petitioners were also assured that a new playing field would be found for the school.

* Do any readers have any memories of the campaign and where are the protest leaders now?