GIN lovers flocked to the Examination Schools as The Great British Gin Festival made its return to the city.

The festival celebrating everything gin-themed pulled in more than 1,500 punters over two sessions throughout the day on Saturday.

The reason organisers chose to head back to the city for the second year running was simply because ‘Oxford loves gin’.

That point was proved by the queue of fans waiting along High Street to get into the festival.

Great British Gin Festival event manager, Ollie Hooper, said: “It is a beautiful building here and it just works perfectly.

“The people of Oxford clearly love their gin, it is as simple as that.”

The festival first visited the city last year as Gin Festivals UK and was a huge hit with gin lovers.

The first foray into the Oxford gin scene proved a fruitful success and so the festival returned this year but under the new name of the Great British Gin Festival.

As a result, the festival – which offered up more than 100 different types of gin – has grown substantially and is now a 40 day tour which travels round the country.

Each event brings together a host of traders – both local and from afar – all under one roof to allow visitors to find their favourite tipple.

There were also talks and presentations from several gin producers, plus demonstrations.

Among the eight traders that were on hand with a variety of gins was the Oxford Gin Company, and from further afield traders included Collagin.

Mr Hooper said: “It includes any gin traders that want to come along, especially local traders who want to get their name out there and for lots of people to try their gin.”

“The festival has now completely evolved into its new form and we want to come back year on year.

“It is different as now we are the Great British Gin Festival and have been touring the UK.

“It now includes a variety of traders and in Oxford we had more than 100 different gins plus the appropriate garnishes to go with it.

“We also had the live entertainment including a swing band and a great covers band, plus a number of talks.”

There were a number of tasting stations for the 1,500 visitors to whet their appetite.

Moving into the 21st century there was a make your own gin distillery virtual reality experience, photo booth and off-license for punters to takeaway their favourite gins.

Each visitors was also given a 'Gin bible' and Great British Gin Festival glass with entry tickets.

The touring Great British Gin Festival is sponsored by Franklin and Sons and visitors have to be aged 18 and over.

It is next heading off to London, before Reading in May and Chichester in June.

More details, including how to buy tickets, can be found at bit.ly/2pG2Jm1