THIS was one of the colourful floats which took part in the Lord Mayor’s Parade in Oxford.

The Mexican hats and costumes of the 22nd Oxford Sea Scouts couldn’t fail to catch the eye of the hundreds of spectators who watched the procession pass through the city streets. This picture was taken on Bank Holiday Monday in late May 1990 when the Lord Mayor was Queenie Hamilton.

The Oxford Mail reported: “Traffic in the city centre came to a standstill and hundreds lined the route as an array of floats manned by local voluntary groups, charities and businesses paraded along Woodstock Road to South Park at Headington.

“A funfair and arena entertainment kept crowds entertained after the floats had arrived.” Many people enjoyed the day, but financially, the event that year was a flop and the following year, there were fears it would not take place.

The organisers, the Oxford Lions, revealed that the financial burden they faced had become too great.

Our former sister paper, the Oxford Star, took up the challenge and appealed for help. The Lions agreed to continue to organise the parade after nursery nurse Margaret Brown, of Northern House School in Summertown, stepped forward to coordinate activities in South Park.

The decision delighted the new Lord Mayor, Alan Pope, who said: “I am extremely grateful to the Oxford Star for publicising the plight of the parade and to the hard-working Oxford Lions who are organising it once more.

“The Lord Mayor’s Parade has become an important event in the Oxford calendar, and a nice way to start the Lord Mayor’s year. When I was told that it might have to be cancelled, I was very disappointed. But now I am delighted it is going ahead – and I can’t wait to judge the floats.”

Mrs Brown said: “I didn’t realise just what was involved when I said I would take on organising the park activities, but now the main work is done, it’s all very exciting. I could not have done a thing without the incredible response I got from Oxford Star readers.”

In a preview of the event, under the headline ‘Join the Big Parade we Saved’, the paper listed 28 organisations that planned to be represented.

The Lord Mayor’s Parade grew out of the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977 when the Queen completed 25 years on the throne. That year, when Dora Carr held office, a procession of 40 floats arrived at South Park for what was billed as a Jubilee Entertainment Extravaganza on the theme of Oxford, the Queen and the People.

Celebrations to mark the inauguration of Lord Mayors at this time of year have continued in different forms over the years, although health and safety and high insurance costs have put paid to