Pub regulars think of different ways to raise money for charity and other good causes, many of which have featured in Memory Lane over the years.
Darts has always been one of the favourites, but as readers have pointed out, we haven’t often mentioned pool or snooker.
It’s time we made amends for that omission with these two pictures, the one above from 1986.
READ MORE: Fire service chief 'lies' about her qualifications
It shows members of Didcot Fire Station Social Club, their families and supporters who took part in a 24-hour darts and pool marathon.
Twelve members of the club played in shifts, raising more than £500 from sponsors.
The money was divided between the special baby care unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the Fire Services’ Benevolent Fund.
In the picture, right, regulars at the Duke of Monmouth pub in Abingdon Road, Oxford, showed that they were also right on cue to raise money for charity.
A team of 16, some of whom are in the photograph, played pool continuously for 24 hours in 1988, raising about £600.
The special baby care unit also benefited on that occasion, as well as the ITV Telethon appeal.
Another fundraising event which a reader recalled being featured in the Oxford Mail took place at the Jordan Hill Social Club in North Oxford in 1988.
Members of the women’s darts team and their husbands were, as the Mail pointed out, “on the oche” all night. Again, the special baby care unit was to be the beneficiary.
The darts marathon was the idea of a Kidlington couple whose son had died from a heart disorder just one week after he was born at the hospital.
The parents were so impressed with the efforts of staff that they decided to raise money for the unit.
They joined 18 other darts enthusiasts at the club for the 12-hour marathon.
Of course, not all families spent their spare time raising money for good causes – they simply went out to enjoy themselves.
Other readers remembered spending childhood afternoons on the Croft Road recreation ground at New Marston, Oxford.
READ MORE: Thief admits stealing £400 pair of glasses
They played football, laying their overcoats on the grass to act as goalposts and shooting the ball into an imaginary net.
When they had exhausted themselves on the football field, it was time for a spell on the swings, roundabouts and climbing frame.
And what about South Park at the bottom of Headington Hill? It was in easy walking distance from homes in Marston, Headington and East Oxford.
It may have been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently when the muddy ground was churned up by crowds attending the annual fireworks display.
But in good weather, it has always been a good place for families to enjoy a leisurely walk.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe
As a digital subscriber you will get:
- Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
- Advert-light access
- Reader rewards
- Full access to our app
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.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel