Thousands of people across the county turned out yesterday to do their bit for this year's Children in Need appeal, writes Beth Gibbons and Nick Evans. Roots-pop band Epona drummed up a crowd when they made a surprise appearance at Oxford railway station to entertain and raise money.

Parents of children at Iffley Mead School, Oxford, held a barn dance at the school and South Oxford Social Club held a St Trinian's evening with everyone dressed up in school uniforms. Members also held a street collection.

The head of Woodstock Primary School, Andrew Walkley, dressed as a baby and was pushed around the town by the caretaker, Trevor Stokes, dressed as his mum.

Pupils joined in by feeding the 'baby' and giving him bottles.

Students dressed as nurses and pushed a bed around Abingdon town centre.

The 11 teenagers are in their second year of a health and social care course at Abingdon College, Northcourt Road. Workers at Milton Distribution, Milton Park, dressed as char ladies. They had to pay a fine for not wearing their uniforms and others paid a penalty for calling them scrubbers.

The Blue Boar pub in Abingdon held a 24-hour darts marathon and Pangbourne Adventure Dolphin Centre held a sponsored 'Pudsey Paddle' from the Victoria Arms pub in Marston.

Sixth-formers at King Alfred's School in Wantage didn't need any excuse to dress up, but the annual fundraising extravaganza gave them the perfect opportunity to take to the streets in a variety of guises to raise cash for Children in Need.

Brandishing buckets, they waylaid shoppers and office staff on their way to work, and smilingly accepted strangers' loose change by the handful. By the end of the day, the students had collected around £2,600 with more cash promised, from such various wacky wheezes as a sponsored hug session, a maths challenge, and sponsored cross-dressing!

And at the Fitzwaryn School in Wantage for children with learning difficulties, pupils and parents raised £124 from a coffee morning.

In Wallingford, the Mayor, Betty Atkins, collected in chain and full regalia in the Market Place, while staff at RAF Benson took part in a bungee run.

Anne Power, landlady of the George pub in Botley Road, Oxford, did her best to cheer up motorists stuck in traffic by dressing up in a shaggy dog costume and taking their money.

Women staff from Aqumen and Hyder, a maintenance firm for the Ministry of Defence in Bicester, dressed down by turning up for work in their nightclothes, whilst the men dyed their hair to look like matchsticks.

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