Hardly room to move, but this is a typical scene during Oxford’s May Day celebrations.

University students who have spent all night drinking and feasting. are joined by hundreds of townspeople who get out of their beds before dawn.

This scene on Magdalen Bridge in 1977 had been repeated for decades and continues to this day, as thousands of revellers young and old will testify.

READ MORE: Popular cake shop to leave Covered Market 

The singing of the traditional hymn by the Magdalen College choir from the top of the tower at 6am signals the official start of the city’s May festivities.

As the last strains of the hymn fade away, it is time for the celebrations to switch to other parts of the city.

On the river below Magdalen Bridge, punts jostle each other to the accompaniment of bagpipe music, battered gramophones and the odd jazz trumpeter.

The Oxford Mail recorded one year: “Some in grimy jeans and large sweaters, their faces tactfully hidden behind dark glasses, had obviously been celebrating all night.

“Inevitably, there were top hats and bowlers and, inexplicably, a steel helmet, looking as if it belonged to a Roman centurion.”

On land, the festivities move to Broad Street, where dancers entertain the large crowd.

For decades, jumping from Magdalen Bridge on May Morning was a tradition but in 2005, when river levels were low, about 40 people were injured and since then in certain years restrictions have been placed on bridge access.

In 2010, more than 100 people jumped off Magdalen Bridge but they all escaped injuries.

May Morning was called off during the pandemic and returned in 2022.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.