Alan Trinder, six, and his two-year-old sister Kim couldn’t resist sitting at the controls of this ancient machine.

Traction engines and fairground roundabouts were on display at Cowley Centre, now Templars Square, in Oxford in 1979.

It was the third annual show organised by the Oxford Old Steamers Traction Engine Club and attracted owners from as far afield as London, the South Coast and Abergavenny in Wales.

READ MORE: First look inside pub with new name

Enthusiasts had spent many hours building the models, taking great care to get the minute details right.

The shopping centre was opened in 1965 and was known as Cowley Centre until 1989.

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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.