THE keep-fit girls from St Christopher‘s Guild owed much to their mothers for their smart turnout.

With wartime rationing still dominating people’s lives, there was no chance of buying uniforms.

Former member Barbara Manger tells me: “Since this was not long after the war, dress material was in short supply and, I think, still on coupons.

“Our mothers made our skirts from old blackout curtains and edged them with braid.”

Mrs Manger, whose maiden name was Jacobs and who now lives in Exeter, has sent in this picture of the group taken in 1946 or 1947.

She writes: “St Christopher’s Guild had some connection with Quarry Church at Headington, Oxford.

“We entered several competitions – exercising, skipping with ropes etc.

“One or our main rivals was SS Philip and James in North Oxford, known as Phil and Jim.

“Our leader was Audrey Phazackerly (I’m not sure how it was spelt), who was wonderful.

“The names of some of the girls were Jean Craig, Barbara Philpott, Pauline Herbert, Frances Lockier, Pat Hartley and Pat Kipplewhite.”

Where are they all now?