Fifty years of Jam and Jerusalem were celebrated at Dean Court St Andrew's Church Hall, West Oxford, this week.

Dean Court Women's Institute marked its 50th anniversary with a grand party, inviting past and present members, including inaugural president Margaret Deveraux, and representatives from neigh- bouring WI groups.

Current president Celia Day, who lives in Fogwell Road and has been a member of the branch for 20 years, said the event on Thursday was a great success.

People were welcomed with a glass of bubbly, then members looked back fondly on half a century of baking, informative talks and outings.

Among the memories shared were of one of the members, Peggy Bates, representing the group at a tea party at Buckingham Palace, and of a tablecloth embroidered by members in 1970 — and finished off this year.

There are currently 19 members of the group, ranging in age from their early 50s to late 80s. In its heyday, 46 women were members — many young mothers.

Mrs Day said: "It is difficult to get younger women as most of them are so involved in their families, taking their children out and about.

"When Dean Court first started, they were all young mums with children but they didn't work so they had the time to get involved.

"Now mums work — some of them full time — so it is very difficult to get them to come."

Mrs Day added: "We still do sing Jerusalem because we want to, but as for jam-making, we do much more than that.

"We have the Denman College where they do all sorts of courses — you name a subject, they probably do it."