IT may have been March and just a few days before the start of spring, but there was a distinct nip in the air.

Oxford had suffered a severe snowstorm in the hours before this sponsored walk was due to take place.

Organisers feared they might have to cancel the event – the prospect of young people getting out of bed to take part in a walk on a snowy Sunday morning seemed unlikely.

Their fears at first appeared to be justified as just six youngsters had turned up when the walk was due to start.

But they found they could count on the goodwill of others after all, as the trickle of walkers turned into a mini avalanche, with more than 100 arriving to give their support.

The walk, which took place in South Park, at the foot of Headington Hill in March 1974, was in aid of the Help the Aged charity.

The Oxford Mail reported: “Although the snow was an unexpected surprise for the young fundraisers, they stepped out in Wellington boots with unabated enthusiasm.

“One young participant, from St Edmund Campion School at Cowley, said he was wearing three pairs of trousers and three pairs of socks to keep warm, and he carried an umbrella to protect himself from the snow.

“Although at 9.30 only six people had turned up, within the next hour there were 100 eager walkers.”

Between them, they had raised about £380 in promised sponsorship money to go into the Help the Aged general fund.”

Rowena Jewers, the charity’s youth organiser, was full of praise for the walkers who had turned out in such treacherous conditions.

She said: “The kids were really raring to go and really enjoyed the walk. We are very grateful for the support they have given us.”

Miss Jewers also thanked five students from Oxford Polytechnic who had helped organise the event – Richard Marks, John Cox, Tom Kemp, Heather Ross and Mary Nock.

This was one of a number of sponsored walks organised at that time in aid of Help the Aged.

A month earlier, 100 youngsters had walked circuits of Florence Park at Cowley. A previous walk at Cutteslowe Park had raised £610.

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