THESE are some of the children who took part in the Oxford schools’ music festival in 1963.

Every year, singers and musicians from city schools would delight audiences of parents and friends in a week-long series of concerts.

It was one of thousands of events that Oxford Town Hall has hosted in its 114-year history. You name it, the chances are it has taken place in the Victorian building in St Aldate’s.

Now Town Hall keeper and macebearer Tim Cox, who has worked for the city council for more than 40 years, is aiming to set up an archive – and is appealing for help from Memory Lane readers.

He would like to hear from anyone with memories or pictures of visits they made to the Town Hall at any stage of their lives.

Some major events are well-documented – the visits of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.

But there are a host of others that Mr Cox believes would have left a lasting impression on the people of Oxford.

The Town Hall opened in 1897 and became a focal point of Oxford life, housing not only all the council offices but the city library, police station, courtroom and cells.

Since then, it has been a venue for boxing, wrestling, fashion shows, exhibitions, weddings, parties, concerts, opera, organ recitals, dances, fairs, election counts, workers’ mass meetings and much more.

During the First World War, it served as a military hospital. In the Second World War, it was the nerve centre of the ARP, the Air Raid Precautions service. For many years, the Assembly Room was a municipal restaurant.

The magnificent staircase and court room have also been in great demand by film and TV companies.

Scenes for A Fish Called Wanda and Jack the Ripper were filmed there, as well as TV dramas such as Kavanagh QC and Morse.

Mr Cox recalls the days when grand dances were held and an awning and carpet would be put outside the Town Hall entrance to protect guests as they stepped out of their cars or carriages.

“One day, a passing bus went too close to the pavement and took the awning with it.”

Another memory is of the times when the stars of the New Theatre pantomime would traditionally attend the senior citizens’ New Year party. “We would send the mayor’s car to pick them up and one year, out stepped Danny La Rue in his finery.”

  • Send your memories and pictures of Town Hall events to the Press Office, Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford, OX1 1BX, call 01865 252162 or you can email pressoffice@ oxford.gov.uk.