In the 1950s Jericho building boss Wally Peedell bought a cine-camera and stood on a street corner filming daily life.

Every year, he would organise a grand parade of floats and marching bands for St Barnabas Day and capture the happy scenes on his Bolex Standard 8.

He also filmed people in corner shops, the school, the ironworks and at many special occasions.

Twenty years ago the films were discovered in a drawer by Mr Peedell's daughter Pam Powell, who lives in Shakespeare Road, Eynsham.

Earlier this year, Mrs Powell, 76, decided to get them copied to DVD.

The result was so impressive that Mrs Powell arranged a free screening of the 50-minute film at the Phoenix Cinema and 200 people came along.

Mrs Powell said: "Dad died about 25 years ago aged 83, and after he died I found his old films in a can.

"In March I thought I would try to get the films put on DVD and since then whole thing has really taken off.

"Many of the people featured on the film are former pupils at St Barnabas School. The film is a piece of living history.

"Dad bought the cine-camera in 1956 and every Sunday we would have to watch his films and we would say 'not again', but they have really stood the test of time."

John Richards, 62, of Phototechniques in Eynsham, who transferred the films on to DVD, said: "Anyone interested in the Jericho of the 1950s or 1960s will be interested in these films. There are some remarkable shots of floods, which in those days seemed to be part and parcel of people's lives."

Mr Richards wants to make a film about Jericho's history and would like people with memories or footage to call him on 01865 880645.