A good pampering makes everyone feel good — and so it proved for the women of Oxford's Barton estate at the weekend.

More than 300 women turned up for treatments at £1-a-go.

Sue Holden, who started off the therapy days six years ago, said: "We usually held them midweek, but found that a lot of working women could not get to them.

"So we changed to Saturday this year for the first time ever — and it looks as though it will stay on Saturdays in the future.

"We found that a good pampering was much appreciated by the women — it made them feel good and relaxed,and that was our aim."

Mrs Holden, 60, said she was delighted that this year there were many more people from ethnic minorities who came.

She said; "These special days now reflect the real mix of people we have in Barton."

Sessions on offer included manicures, head and ordinary massage, henna tattooing, facials, aromatherapy, eyebrow shaping and for the first time aerobics, shiatsu therapy and Angel Card readings — a gentler form of Tarot— which proved very popular.

The event was sponsored by Oxford City Council and the Oxford Citizens Housing Association and the cash for the therapies helped pay the therapists and subsidise the healthy lunches.