To all those who witnessed the Lord Mayor's Parade in Oxford, think yourselves lucky.

On May Bank Holiday Monday, the day we have watched the parade for countless years, I took my two grandsons on the long walk from Botley in great expectation of floats, bands, balloons and happy children. Alas, Oxford was a ghost town.

Should I have checked the date? Well, I did. I phoned Radio 'Axford' at 10 that morning and they said they did not cover the event, so I called police, who gave me the times and every street it passed through but omitted to tell me it had taken place the day before.

The hour we spent gazing up to an empty St Giles could have been explained by a police officer, but we failed to find one.

So we returned home with a bag of chips from McDonalds.

A poor substitute, unable to eat them, of course, until we had cleared Queen Street through its stench of bus diesel fumes. Thanks, Oxford, for a great morning.

ROLAND HUCKINS

Tumbling Bay Court, Henry Road, Oxford