NEARLY 1,000 Oxford people had a Christmas surprise 100 years ago.

Mr and Mrs H P Riley decided to take pity on 100 poor families in the city and give them a festive season to remember.

They embarked on a series of fundraising events and encouraged organisations such as Oxford City Football Club to support them.

They amassed enough money to buy 700lb of meat, 300lb of sugar, 100 quarter-pound packets of tea and 100 Christmas puddings as well as cakes and fruit.

It was all laid out in the Oxford City Police drill hall and families, totalling almost 1,000 people, were invited to come along and collect their share.

They were then told to go home and enjoy a “hearty English dinner”.

Some of the needy families were also given coal to keep their homes warm.

Among those who helped serve the food at the drill hall was the city’s chief constable, Oswald Cole.

Meanwhile, inmates of the Oxford Workhouse enjoyed their usual bumper Christmas, despite their grim surroundings.

After breakfast of bread and butter, tea and boiled bacon, they attended a Christmas morning service, then sat down to dinner of roast beef, roast leg of mutton, baked potatoes, brussel sprouts and plum pudding.

Our sister paper, The Oxford Times, reported: “A vote of thanks proposed by the Master to those who had provided the extra fare and to the helpers was carried with acclamation.”

As they left the dining hall, every inmate was presented with an orange and an apple. The men also received clay pipes and tobacco, the women were given sweets and snuff, and children left with sweets and toys.

At tea-time, bread and butter, cake and tea were served and the day ended with a concert.

Staff at Oxford’s main hospital, the Radcliffe Infirmary, made Christmas as enjoyable as possible for patients not well enough to go home.

The Oxford Times reported: “In the children’s ward, there was great excitement when stockings were hung up ready for the visit of Santa Claus during the night.

“The various wards looked exceedingly pretty with their Japanese lanterns hung around the electric lights and sprays of japonica around the walls.

“Pheasant and other light fare was provided for the patients’ Christmas dinner, and in Briscoe ward, physicians and surgeons helped to carve a joint of beef.”

The one-hour visiting period was extended on Christmas Day and Boxing Day so that family and friends “could partake of tea” with their loved ones in the wards.

Oxford postmen also won praise for their “zealous and efficient” delivery of Christmas mail.