THIS is what you’d call a real family holiday.

In fact, not one family, but EIGHT.

Children, mums, dads, and grandparents were looking forward to two weeks by the sea.

They all lived on the Barton estate in Oxford and were heading by coach for Clacton in Essex.

The 36-strong party posed in front of the coach for an Oxford Mail photographer in August, 1964, then clambered aboard the coach, ready for the start of their long journey.

The families clearly got on well together. They had been on a caravan holiday to Clacton together the previous year and had enjoyed each other‘s company so much that they decided to have another joint holiday.

Both holidays were organised by Mrs B G Timms, of Waynflete Road, Barton.

When the party returned from the 1963 holiday, she thought her job was done.

How wrong she was!

The families had had such a good time that they pestered her to arrange another.

Apparently, she was a little reluctant at first, but after being inundated with re-quests, she caved in to the communal pressure.

Soon the caravans had been booked, the coach ar-ranged and money collected — all that was left was for the families to pack their bags and get going!

And, as you can see in the picture above, there were plenty of smiles from the young and not-so-young as they prepared to leave.

Do you recognise yourself or anyone else in the photo? And does anyone have any memories of the 1963 and 1964 trips, not to mention any subsequent outings?