EVERYONE on board! Perched on running boards, bumpers and bonnets, these children were having a whale of a time.

But we can’t imagine such a gathering being repeated today. Health and safety would surely step in and stop children clambering all over an old jalopy like this.

But in 1959, when this picture was taken, the rules were less strict and children had more freedom to play. Risk assessments and safety procedures were a thing for the future.

The children attended South Oxford Nursery School in Abingdon Road, Oxford, and the newly-arrived Austin Six became a huge attraction.

Under the headline ‘Playtime at South Oxford School’, the Oxford Mail reported: “There is so much to do at South Oxford Nursery School and so little time to do it all in.

“Everyone must have a ride (at the same time) on the newly-acquired ancient Austin Six which bears the strain of its youthful passengers remarkably well. The problem is to make room for the driver.”

We know the names of some of the pupils in the picture – John Webley, Christine Phillips, Colin Wright, David and William Phillips, Paul Bayliss, Heather Ryman, Lynne Clewley and Julie Marchetti. But the Mail report didn’t explain how the car had been acquired, whether it was still in working order or anything about its history.

Was it a permanent fixture at the nursery? Or had it been loaned by the owner for a particular occasion?

The number plate appears to SB 4281? Perhaps that will provide a clue to any motor enthusiasts. The Mail carried two other pictures. One showed Heather Ryman, three, of Kennington, demonstrating how to fill the tyres with air (except that she appeared to be trying to do it with a petrol pump!), while Linda George, of Western Road, Oxford, polished the wheels.

In the other picture ‘nurses’ Mavis Sheppard, of The Cottage, Wadham College, and Jean Clarke, of Sidney Street, Oxford, were on hand to provide first aid should any be needed.

The nursery was at the north end of Abingdon Road, just below Folly Bridge and next to the White House ground, Oxford City’s former football ground, where the Pegasus Grange flats now stand.

* Any memories of playing on the Austin Six? Write and let me know.