It may look like a lot of old clutter, but these Scouts were hoping to make money from it.

Members of the 43rd Oxford Cherwell Venture Scout Unit spent a weekend in 1977 following in the footsteps of the Wombles.

They had set themselves a task of organising a sponsored cleanup of Old Headington in Oxford and the villages of Old Marston and Stanton St John.

READ MORE: Severe flooding hits Oxfordshire town

They had just the right vehicle to carry the rubbish away during their ‘Wombling Weekend’ – an old cart, with the name of their unit, the 43rd Oxford, prominently displayed on the side.

These four members – left to right, Hilary Turner, Malcolm Crick, Ralph Martin and Steve Emmett – were among a team of 20 Scouts from the group who took part.

Once they had tidied the streets, they planned to clear more rubbish from Angel Meadow near Magdalen Bridge in Oxford.

They hoped to raise between £75 and £100 to help re-equip their unit.

Many readers will remember the Wombles of Wimbledon as children’s favourite TV characters.

First aired in 1973, the creatures with their pointed snouts and floppy ears lived beneath Wimbledon Common, collecting and recycling litter left behind by visitors.

Actor and singer Bernard Cribbins narrated the series and did all the voices of the different characters.

Elisabeth Beresford created the Wombles, and they featured in her series of books. Nick Price illustrated the characters.

Musician Mike Batt created the Wombles pop act.

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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.