THOUSANDS of people enjoyed a range of entertainment at the Headington Festival today.

Highlights at Bury Knowle Park – the festival venue – included a fancy dress competition won by nine-year-old Fred Bale, centre, who dressed as a kite.

His sisters, Grace, eight, right, who came as like Little Miss Muffet, and Cora, five, left, dressed as a Spanish dancer, also lined up for the judging by Oxford’s Lord Mayor Mary Clarkson. Father Ashley Bale, who also had daughters Lydia, three, and Matilda, one, with him said he was extremely proud.

The 37-year-old, of Barton Lane, Headington, said: “Fred worked very hard on his outfit. It’s a good community event, and this year I have found out things about Headington I didn’t know. The children have had a lot of fun.”

Headington Action, which was involved in organising the event, said it cost £7,000 to stage the event, with £4,000 donated in a grant from the city council, and the rest raised from sponsors in the community.

Organisers were worried the event was going to be cancelled because of rain on Saturday affecting the park but rangers gave the go-ahead after an early-morning inpection.

Mel Dodds, a member of the committee, said: ““The highlight has been the weather holding off.

“It has been good to see so many people turn up. We were expecting about 3,000. It’s been really successful.”