THE school swimming pool was likely to close because of lack of cash to maintain it.

So there was only one thing for it – for parents and staff to raise the money themselves.

And so it was that 11 volunteers embarked on a 50-hour badminton marathon at New Marston First School in Copse Lane, Oxford, in March 1977.

Five of them are pictured taking a well-earned breather.

They are, left to right, Rita Allan, Val Norris, Hilary Mullins, Deanne Rhymes and Jean Upham.

They and their six colleagues – all from the school’s Parent Staff Association – started at 4pm on a Friday and battled on until 6pm on Sunday.

When it was all over, Barry Ray, a member of the association committee and one of the organisers of the marathon, said: “It went very well, but we had our problems during the two nights. Some of our members who took part are pretty shattered.”

The pool, which was used during the summer months by the school’s 330 pupils, was facing closure because of lack of cash for maintenance from the local authority.

It was hoped that money raised from the marathon through sponsorship – expected to be about £240 – would be enough to keep the pool in use.

Among the 11 badminton players who took part was the school’s headmaster, Gordon Norris.

Did they raise the cash and save the pool?