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David Attenborough artwork created by Oxfordshire school

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The piece, created by pupils at Europa School UK in Culham, near Abingdon, celebrates the broadcaster’s 100th birthday and reflects his lifelong commitment to the natural world and sustainability.

Titled Papilio Europa Attenborough, the collaborative artwork is made up of hundreds of hand-drawn images of plants and animals.

It was created by 500 pupils from across the school and will be displayed on-site for students, staff and visitors to enjoy.

A spokesperson for the school said: “Sustainability is very important to our school and our community, and this felt like a wonderful event to celebrate together.”

READ MORE: Former Oxfordshire taxi driver convicted for fraud and insurance offences

One part of the mosaicOne part of the mosaic (Image: Europa School UK)

Key Stage 2 teacher Mrs Harries said pupils were especially enthusiastic about contributing to something in honour of Sir David.

She said: “The children were so excited at the idea of creating a special gift for Sir David.

“They all know him and they were eager to talk about the wildlife they had watched on his programmes.

READ MORE: Remembering David Attenborough’s visits to Oxfordshire on 100th birthday

“They got stuck in drawing their favourite plant or animal and created beautiful pictures.

“We have everything on there, from snakes to jellyfish via the most popular – the axolotl.”

The school now plans to send a poster of the mosaic to Sir David, along with photographs of some of the individual drawings.

Mrs Harries said: “We plan to send him a poster of the artwork along with photographs of some of the individual pieces.

“He has done so much to inspire a love of nature, and we wanted to thank him for inspiring us.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those paying tribute to Sir David for his birthday.

He said: “I would like to send my warmest wishes to Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday.

“Like millions of people across the country and around the world, I grew up watching Sir David’s programmes. For decades, the nation has been captivated by his passion for nature and his remarkable contribution to public broadcasting.

“He is a true national treasure and a pioneer in his field – may his work continue to inspire people of all ages for years to come.”

Sir David Attenborough turned 100 on FridaySir David Attenborough turned 100 on Friday (James Manning/PA)

In the week leading up to the milestone, Sir David said he was “completely overwhelmed” by the birthday messages pouring in, and thanked his well-wishers “most sincerely”.

In a recorded audio message shared the night before his birthday, he said: “I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas.

“I’ve been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings from pre-school groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages.”





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Crime & Safety

Witney – cyclist sexually assaults woman as he rode past

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The woman was running along the A4095 between North Leigh and Witney when the unknown man cycled past her at about 9.30am on May 2.

As he passed, he reached out and touched her before cycling away, looking back at her, police said.

A spokesman added: “Thankfully, the woman was not physically injured, but we understand this was a distressing incident.”

READ MORE: Cotswolds pub in liquidation had £500,000 debts

The offender is described by Thames Valley Police as a white man in his early to mid 40s, with short black hair. He was wearing black clothing, including a jumper and possibly jogging bottoms.

“We recognise the impact incidents like this can have, and want to reassure the community that officers have been conducting enquiries since this sexual assault was reported, with work continuing to identify the individual involved,” the spokesman for the force added.

“We ask anyone who was in the area at the time, or who may recognise the description, to please come forward.

“If you were driving along the A4095 at around 9.30am, or have dash-cam footage, please check it.

“We are also keen to hear from anyone with CCTV or doorbell footage from properties along this route.

“Anyone with information or footage can call 101 or report online, quoting the reference 43260216156.”





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Cotswolds walk the most beautiful in the world says American couple

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Katie and Anthony Kay have shared glowing praise for a 5.5-mile circular route in the Cotswolds, calling it “a must for a first-time visit”.

The couple, who document their trips to an audience of hundreds of thousands on TikTok, have been spending time exploring the Cotswolds and posting videos of their experiences.

In one of their latest clips, they focus on the circular walk linking Bourton-on-the-Water with the neighbouring villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter, describing the outing as “beginner-friendly” with “only a few moments of slight incline.”

READ MORE: Five Cotswolds villages named among the prettiest in the UK

They said the 5.5-mile “loop” took them around two and a half hours to complete, including occasional pauses to admire the scenery and film content for their social media followers.

Katie admitted in the video that things did not quite go according to plan at the start of the day.

“Let’s just say this walk did not start out the way we thought it would,” she said, explaining that they had inadvertently approached the trail from the “end” rather than the official starting point.

However, because the route is circular, they said this mistake did not prove to be a “huge deal”, and they were still able to enjoy the full experience.

By the time they reached the end of the walk, the pair said they were “exhausted” but agreed that the “beautiful” surroundings meant the effort was more than “worth it.”

READ MORE: Popular Oxfordshire restaurant to close this summer for renovations

In the comments section beneath the post, Katie added: “It really is one of the most beautiful walks I’ve ever been on!”

In their caption accompanying the footage, the couple set out advice for others planning to tackle the same route.

They described it as “the best walk in the Cotswolds” and wrote: “It is a loop trail of 5.5 miles total and takes roughly 2.5 hours with occasional stops.

“The route is beginner-friendly, with only a few moments of slight incline.”

They also urged people to make use of a walking or hiking app, suggesting options such as OS Maps, AllTrails and Wikiloc to help keep on track.

READ MORE: 80s music legend to play gig in Oxfordshire this week

The pair warned that the starting point is not especially obvious, saying they had assumed the signage would be “extremely clear” and found the beginning “a bit less obvious” than expected, despite there being plenty of waymarkers once on the main trail.

They also highlighted a stretch along a busy main road that walkers should be aware of when planning their day.

Katie and Anthony further cautioned that “there aren’t a ton of shops, toilets or water bottle refill points” along the way and recommended packing a snack and setting off with a full bottle of water.

Viewers were quick to respond in the comments, with one person simply writing: “What a beautiful walk.”

Another commenter said: “Okay, but this is gorg,” while a third added: “This is beautiful,”

Katie replied: “It really is one of the most beautiful walks I’ve ever been on.”





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Star of hit detective series reveals more about season 2

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The series set in Cambridge starring Peep Show actor David Mitchell has been a huge hit for the BBC.

The channel has announced that season 2 is due to be screened later this year, but has not yet provided any dates.

READ MORE: Community upset after trees are ‘napalmed’

David Mitchell will return as John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor, while Anna Maxwell Martin will also be back as his sister-in-law, Lucy Betts-Taylor.

Best known for his role in the comedy Peep Show, David Mitchell was born in Headington and was a pupil at Abingdon School, before going to university at Oxford University’s New College.

Series one of the detective drama was a hit in 2024, becoming the channel’s biggest new scripted show since 2022. It attracted more than 9.5 million viewers across 28 days.

The cast of Ludwig (Image: BBC/Big Talk Studios/Olly Courtney)

Mr Mitchell’s co-star Anna Maxwell Martin who plays Lucy, the wife of a missing detective who enlists his puzzle-loving twin brother (both played by David Mitchell) to solve the mystery, has confirmed that filming has now finished for season 2.

She told the Radio Times: “Season 2 is cracking. It’s really, really good.

“I can’t tell you anything because my mind’s gone blank and I’ll probably be killed and I don’t know what I’m allowed to tell you!

“But what I can say is it’s really, really good, I think it’s even better than season 1.”

David Mitchell, Anna Maxwell Martin and Dylan Hughes (Image: BBC/Big Talk Studios/lly Courtney)

She added: “I think we’ve sort of built on what we had, and we’ve made it even better.”

Mr Mitchell previously spoke about season 2, saying: “When you watch the second series, you realise there’s still quite a lot of obfuscation involved in his role, because not everyone in the police force is entirely on side with his appointment.

“And of course, he’s still got to cover up the fact that for a long time he was solving cases while impersonating a police officer. And if that ever gets out, well, five murderers will walk free, and he won’t walk free himself.”

During the first series John Taylor became surprisingly adept at solving murders, despite his lack of experience.

Sian Clifford as Joanne Kemper MP (Image: BBC/Big Talk Studios)

The synopsis for season two, which has once again been written by show creator Mark Brotherhood, says: “Picking up from the end of series one, master puzzle-setter John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor (Mitchell) is now a crime scene consultant, working alongside DCI Russell Carter on ‘impossible’ crimes for the Cambridge Police Authority.

“No longer having to masquerade as his brother, he’s openly more ‘Ludwig’ than ever – brilliant at solving puzzles but hopeless at everything else.

“But John’s identical twin brother, James, is still missing, and now that he’s an official employee of the station, John is forbidden from using any police resources to look for his brother or uncover exactly what he was investigating.”

It adds: “Of course, John won’t stop and neither will Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), John’s sister-in-law and wife of his missing brother James – a puzzle needs solving and a husband and father needs bringing home.”





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