Beard Construction, operating widely across the South of England, recorded an 11.7 per cent rise in sales to £57.3 million for its Oxford office for the year ending December 31, 2025.

This strong performance forms part of the company’s record financial results for 2025, with turnover increasing by 16 per cent to £230 million and profits reaching £9 million.

Dave Fisher, who has been with the company since 2012, has been promoted to office lead for the Oxford team, which now numbers 93 staff.

Mike Hedges, operations director at Beard, said: “Oxford saw steady growth in 2025, driven by several major projects in the region and in close collaboration with customers, partners, and our supply chain.

“Throughout this period, Dave has consistently demonstrated strong leadership that reflects our values, helping us deliver for our customers and strengthen key relationships.”

In 2025, the Oxford office delivered a series of major projects.

These included a £20 million RAAC remedial programme at an Oxford college, a £12 million central storage facility for the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and a £3 million upgrade to the Thames Valley Police training centre.

The team also delivered four new children’s homes for Oxfordshire County Council.

Beard’s commitment to supporting future talent was evident through its support of one apprentice, one construction trainee, three degree apprentices, and 12 T-Level student in partnership with Abingdon and Witney College.

Staff raised £23,400 during the year for the Oxford University Sport and Community Partnership.

Among the fundraising efforts was a cyclathon that saw 32 teams from the Oxford construction network compete.

Finance director Fraser Johns said: “Our ethos of prompt and faultless delivery, alongside a continued focus on getting the basics right have laid the foundations for the strongest three-year period in the company’s history.

“During this time, we have expanded our presence across all regions, particularly in Southampton where our newest office opened in 2024.

“Our special projects division – comprising work up to £2m in value – continues to be a key contributor to our growth and success.”

Beard completed 62 projects in 2025 from its offices in Bristol, Guildford, Oxford, Southampton, and Swindon.

The company also reported delivering £45 million in social value through 27 completed projects, with 94 per cent of spending directed toward micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Beard has been recognised for its health, safety, and wellbeing standards.

The company secured its twelfth consecutive Gold Award from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

It was also presented with the President’s Award for the third consecutive year in 2025.

Footage shared on Instagram user Aaronspotz shows the broadcaster beside an Aston Martin Valhalla before getting into the driver’s seat in the capital.

Mr Clarkson, who made his name fronting the BBC’s Top Gear before launching The Grand Tour on Amazon, is one of Britain’s best‑known motoring presenters.

The 66-year-old, who lives in Oxfordshire, has long been associated with high‑performance cars and has owned or driven a long list of sports models over the years.

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The Aston Martin Valhalla is the latest hybrid hypercar from the British marque and sits at the very top of its road‑car range.

According to Aston Martin, the mid‑engined machine pairs a 4.0‑litre twin‑turbocharged V8 sourced from Mercedes‑AMG with a trio of electric motors.

The plug‑in hybrid set‑up produces a total of around 1,064 horsepower and more than 800 lb ft of torque, with power sent to all four wheels.

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Performance figures released by the manufacturer suggest the Valhalla can reach 62mph from a standstill in close to 2.5 seconds and go on to a top speed in excess of 200mph.

Only a limited number of examples are due to be built, with specialist motoring outlets reporting a price tag in the region between £850,000 and £1,000,000.

The brief London clip has been circulating on supercar‑spotter channels, where users have highlighted both the rarity of the Valhalla and Mr Clarkson’s long association with Aston Martin road tests on television.

Zoologist Dr Jo Wimpenny is the author of Beauty of the Beasts: Rethinking Nature’s Least Loved Animals, which explores the value and importance of some of the animal kingdom’s most maligned creatures.

The book aims to challenge perceptions of animals that have long been labelled as pests or predators, such as wasps, cockroaches, and snakes, and argues instead for their vital roles in ecosystems and their potential benefits to humanity.

Dr Wimpenny said: “These aren’t monsters – they’re ecological heroes whose intelligence and emotional complexity rival species we adore.”

Drawing on scientific research, the book highlights the surprising abilities and ecological contributions of these species.

Dr Wimpenny explains how wasps can recognise faces and provide natural pest control, while snakes’ venom may hold clues to treating cancers, mosquitoes play a part in pollination, and crocodiles perform mating rituals that could be described as ‘dancing’.

She argues that losing these animals would severely disrupt ecosystems and calls for a change in how we view and treat them.

The book seeks to raise awareness of the emotional and cognitive complexity of these often-feared species.

It was published by Bloomsbury on February 26.

Dr Wimpenny holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford, where she studied tool use in crows.