St Ebbes was once a busy neighbourhood in Oxford but homes were torn down in the 1960s to make way for the Westgate Centre.

The Urbansuburban heritage project in 2016 and 2017 preserved precious memories.

Here we look at some old photos of St Ebbes.

The Urbansuburban book, researched by historian Rachel Barbaresi, is full of colour photographs and stories of the neighbourhood of St Ebbes, torn down in the 1960s to make way for the Westgate shopping centre.

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Dozens of former residents contributed pictures and memories and joined a launch party at Oxford Town Hall.

Oxford Mail:

One of them was Lois East, who grew up in St Ebbes and revealed she did not have a bathroom.

She recalled going to the public baths in Paradise Square just to wash.

Oxford Mail:

"You would sit in the tub and shout 'more hot!' and 'more cold!' to the people outside," she said.

Some of the homes in St Ebbes were controversially referred to as 'the slums of Oxford'.

Janice Stewart, who grew up in Bridport Street with her sister Diane, added: "It wasn't a slum until they moved everyone out – it wasn't even rundown.

Oxford Mail:

"Slums to me are filthy, but St Ebbes people looked after each other.

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"They were all council houses but my dad was always painting and decorating."

Ms Barbaresi, who created and led Urbansuburban, said the slum image may have been perpetuated to justify demolishing St Ebbes.

She said in 2016: "I think it still raises a lot of emotions for people around how it was perceived at the time.

Oxford Mail:

"It is true there were historic problems with sanitation but those had been remedied by the 1900s.

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"What really came out from talking to people was how hard everyone in St Ebbes worked, and the pride they took in their homes."