THE doors of their school were closing and it was time to say goodbye.

Pupils of Cowley St James School in Oxford were having to move because their buildings in Beauchamp Lane had been declared unsatisfactory and out of date.

The children are pictured saying goodbye to teacher Thelma Telling at the end of the summer term in 1975.

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Although unsuitable for teaching, the buildings would not be demolished, left to fall into ruin or invaded by vandals.

They would become a temporary youth hostel to house some of the hundreds of young tourists flocking to Oxford that summer.

At the time, the Youth Hostel Association had a hostel in Jack Straw’s Lane, Headington, but it was often full and staff had to turn visitors away.

Rosemary Jordan, warden of the Headington hostel, said the plan was to install in the school 25 double bunks for male visitors, to accommodate those who could not be found room at the main hostel.

Pupils at the Beauchamp Lane school transferred to what is now Church Cowley St James Primary School in Bartholomew Road.

The old school had a long history - its former pupils included William Morris, later Lord Nuffield, creator of the Cowley car factory.

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The Youth Hostel Association building in Botley Road has now been demolished.

This is to make way for a new western entrance to Oxford railway station.

Network Rail is in charge of a £161m upgrade of the railway station and as a result of the work Botley Road is closed at the rail bridge and will remain closed until October.

A similar closure is expected to take place next year as work continues.

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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. 

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