These Girl Guides, Brownies and Rangers attracted plenty of admirers as they marched through Oxford.

Not everyone, however, heaped praise on them – motorists were annoyed to have their journeys disrupted.

As the Oxford Mail reported in 1962, the parade “stopped traffic in High Street and Queen Street as far as The Plain and County Hall”.

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These were the days, of course, when there were few restrictions in the city centre, with traffic from four directions meeting at Carfax.

But who couldn’t be impressed as the smartly-dressed girls, with their flags, made their way through the streets?

Headed by a Salvation Army band, they marched from Keble Road, through St Giles and Cornmarket Street for their annual service at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in High Street.

Inside the church, the 400 girls from the Oxford City Girl Guides Division II were joined by more than 100 relatives and friends.

The vicar, the Rev P M Martin, took the service and among the guests was Mrs M Houghton, county commissioner for Girl Guides.

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The parade had been held in the three previous years at St Aldate’s Church, but that year, it was decided to hold it at a different venue.

The university church has been a place of Christian worship for over 1,000 years.

The tower is the oldest part of the church and visitors can climb to the top.

It dates from 1280 and is decorated with beautifully carved gargoyles and grotesques.

The 127 steps up to the top lead you past the Clore Old Library and the historic bell ringing chamber.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.