A BURST of colour brought this cafe to life as residents celebrated 60 years of Ghana's independence.

Adorned with festive flags, the Refresh Cafe at 131 Cowley Road, was at the heart of the city's celebrations for the African anniversary.

Ghana, formerly known as the Gold Coast, gained independence from Britain and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations on March 6, 1957.

On Saturday, cafe visitors spent the day surrounded by artwork and icons celebrating the culture of the West African nation.

The event, from 9am to 5pm, also included performance pieces which celebrated the Ghanaian community living in Oxford.

Ghana was led to independence by Kwame Nkrumah who transformed the country into a republic.

The country's red, gold, green and black star flag became the new standard in 1957 and was designed by Theodosia Salome Okoh.

It is said the red represents the blood that was shed towards independence, the gold represents its industrial minerals wealth, the green its rich grasslands and the black star is the symbol of the Ghanaian people and African emancipation.

Refresh cafe is a social enterprise community cafe run by volunteers.