The Electra cinema in Queen Street, Oxford, was popular with children living in nearby St Ebbe’s.

Former resident Rosemary Russell-Vines, who lived in Chaundy’s Place, off Paradise Square, remembers the cinema, on the site of what is now Marks & Spencer, being called the ‘fleapit’.

But in her memoirs, Growing up in St Ebbe’s 1941-59, she recalls: “It was just right for us to go and see cowboy films, Lassie and Hollywood musicals, all for sixpence.

“And you could see the film second time around — they didn’t clear the house after the first showing.

“I remember staggering out into the daylight after seeing the entire show twice, and dancing and singing and talking about the pretty dresses in the musicals on our way home.

“We girls would congregate under the gas light outside Pat Dawson’s house and laugh and talk about boys, school and other girl things until we were called in.

"We also played around the recreation ground by the Oxpens. We paddled in the water by the bridge and played on the swings and a creaky roundabout.

“The boys played football — it was a big grassy area.

“A small fair with bumper cars, merry-go-rounds etc came once a year. I remember lying in bed and I could hear the music from the fair.

“We went swimming at Tumbling Bay and were punted across to the swimming place in a punt clutching your ‘cossie’ and towel.

“We also swam at Long Bridges, which was almost to Iffley on the towpath, and The Lakes as Hinksey swimming pool was called then.

"We also paddled in the mill stream by the castle and went fishing in the mill stream and parts of the Thames.

“I never liked going by the gasometers as they scared me. They made a ticking sound sometimes and my brother would try to scare me about them exploding.”

More memories of St Ebbe’s soon.