It's back – after missing last year because of coronavirus, St Giles Fair will again attract the crowds tomorrow and on Tuesday.

The picture shows one of the delights that generations of fairgoers have enjoyed – the Galloping Horses.

The fair retains many of its traditions – rolling balls to win a prize, the helter skelter, merry-go-rounds, side shows, food stalls and much more.

But older readers will remember some of the more outrageous offerings which would be frowned upon today.

In 1971, for example, the Oxford Mail reported: “Mr W Shufflebottom will be throwing Wild West knives at pretty girls.

“The oldest St Giles showman, Tommy Norman, who is in his 70s, is here with a miniature bull, which is only 22 inches tall, though it is full grown.”

It was the first time in more than 25 years that Jack Gage’s famous boxing booth did not appear at the fair.

Read again: Indian summer forecast for Oxford

He had been taken ill and forced to retire as a showman.

He and his colleagues would stand outside the boxing booth trying to entice fairgoers to try their luck in the ring.

Mr Gage’s pitch was taken by another showman with a new attraction – a six-lane Astroglide.

According to John Nichols, a committee member of the Fairground Society, St Giles Fair was “the showpiece of the showman’s year”.

The fair dates back to 1625 when it was a parish festival to celebrate the feast of the patron saint, St Giles.

Read more: Blenheim Palace has role in new Cinderella movie

In the 18th century it was a toy fair, and then in the early 19th century it was a general children’s fair. The funfair grew during mid and late Victorian times.This was a time when better transport meant that large numbers of people could be brought into the city to attend the festivities.