A GENTLE bonfire at a community garden offered families an alternative to the explosive displays elsewhere in the county.

About 150 people visited Barracks Lane Community Garden in East Oxford on Saturday for an afternoon of fun with a small bonfire and a range of delicious treats.

Families could toast bread and marshmallows over the 'low-key' bonfire and even make their own pizzas in the garden's wood fired pizza oven.

Coordinator, Jacqui Mansfield, said: "It was a community day where everyone was welcomed into the garden and we kept it deliberately low key – a kind of contrast to bigger bonfire events.

"There's so much busyness in the world it can be nice to find a bit of quiet.

"It's primarily aimed at younger children.

"It's something gentle and that fits in the context of a community garden being a quiet space for people to enjoy."

Singer Nick Cope played music at the event, which was held in aid of the community garden.

Barracks Lane Community Garden is a community space run by The Garden Project. It includes a sandpit, a pond and a number of ovens.

To see more photos of the weekend's fireworks displays see pages 16 and 17.