A TREK to the woods was a Good Friday tradition enjoyed by many children.

Youngsters on the Cutteslowe estate in North Oxford turned out every year for a wonderful day in the countryside.

Rosemary Coughlan has sent in details of the annual exodus, which began after the war and continued into the 1950s.

She writes: “All the children over eight years old would walk to Woodeaton woods to collect primroses to decorate St Michael and All Angels Church in Summertown for Easter Sunday.

“We would start Good Friday by going to church, then run home as fast as we could.

“You would collect a frying pan, lump of lard, an egg, a rasher and sausages as well as a bottle of water, matches and a hot cross bun.

“At least 40 children would congregate on the ‘rec’ and our adventure would begin.

“We would walk through Sescut and the fields to Woodeaton woods.

“Our first task on arriving would be to collect kindling and wood to build our fires.

“We would then all set about cooking the food. We spent the whole day unsupervised and free, climbing trees, making dens and collecting primroses.

“The older boys were allowed to spend the whole weekend there, setting up a camp on the plateau in the middle of the woods.”

Mrs Coughlan, whose maiden name was Sheppard and who now lives in Mathews Way, Wootton, near Abingdon, recalls that the younger children visited the woods again on Easter Monday, although there was no need to pick more primroses.

“The older boys, who had camped there all weekend, would join us for the walk home.

“Nothing untoward ever happened. Everyone had a great time and arrived home tired, safe and happy.

“Oh, those were the days!”