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Flute which starred in The Beatles and James Bond films for sale

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The flute accompanied The Beatles on their 1967 track The Fool on The Hill and played the Nutcracker Suite for the classic 1970s Cadbury’s ‘fruit and nutcase’ television commercials is to be sold at auction in June.

Owned by leading British flautist Jack Ellory, until his death in 2009, the flute was custom made for him.

The flute appears on soundtracks for many of the Sean Connery-period James Bond films, Pink Panther films, episodes of 1960s The Avengers and the film musical Oliver!  

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Undated TV still from The Beatles Anthology. Pictured: The Beatles. See PA Feature SHOWBIZ Download Reviews. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ Download Reviews. PA Photo. Picture credit should read: Apple Corps Ltd. All Rights Reserved. NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ Download Reviews.The flute was used on a famous Beatles song (Image: Apple Corps Ltd)

In 1967, George Martin asked leading British flautist Mr Ellory to play flute for the Paul McCartney-penned The Fool on the Hill, a track The Beatles recorded for their Magical Mystery Tour project, which topped the UK chart.

The flute was also used in numerous advertisements of the period including the Cadbury’s ‘fruit and nutcase’ campaign, which featured the flute playing an excerpt from the Nutcracker Suite while humourist Frank Muir sang.

In 2000, the advert was ranked 36 in Channel 4’s official poll of the 100 Greatest Adverts.

Mr Ellory worked extensive in the film industry.

He taught the late British actress Dame Maggie Smith how to pretend to play the flute for a scene in the 1968 film Hot Millions.

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Chris Baker with the fluteChris Baker with the flute (Image:  Adrian Beeby)

Brian Ellory, Jack’s son, said: “I inherited my father’s flute in 2009. It was in a bit of a state, held together by elastic bands, so I had it completely overhauled.”

Explaining why he is selling the flute, he said: “I wanted to learn to play it but soon found I had no talent. I’m the last member of our family to know the story of the flute and my father’s career so it’s best I sell it rather than my children when I’m gone.

“I hope it goes to someone who can make music with it and who appreciates its incredible history.”

Jamie South, auctioneer from Gardiner Houlgate, said: “This is a remarkable instrument once owned by a remarkable musician. Jack Ellory’s career ranged right across the mid-20th century music world – from playing in orchestras conducted by Toscanini and Sir Thomas Beecham to recording some of the greatest musical moments in popular culture, including Sinatra and Bing Crosby.”

The flute will be sold by specialist music auctioneers Gardiner Houlgate in Wiltshire on Friday, June 12.

Jack Ellory’s flute will be available for public viewing from Monday, June 8 to Thursday, June 11.

The flute can also be viewed at any time by contacting Gardiner Houlgate.





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Evri tests new innovation at Oxfordshire Tesco superstore

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The parcel delivery company has installed new lockers at the supermarket just off Hadden Hill in Didcot, one of only a handful across the UK.

A spokesperson for Evri said: “Customers using the lockers will have access to Evri’s pick-up and drop-off services, providing a quick, contact-free method for sending and receiving parcels, with ‘print-at-locker’ functionality, alongside fast and seamless QR code scanning.”

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Since March this year a number of parcel lockers have been installed at Post Office branches and Asda stores but this announcement marks a new step forward with Tesco.

Evri van (Image: Alamy/PA)

A spokesperson for the supermarket said: “We’re constantly looking for ways to make the shopping trip even more convenient for our customers.

“As part of an ongoing locker hub partner trial across a small number of stores, we have introduced parcel lockers to give even more customers a convenient way to collect and drop off their parcels as part of their shopping trip.”

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In addition Royal Mail, Yeep and InPost are introducing lockers including at the Didcot branch and Tesco said it was excited to see how customers respond to this new innovation.

A spokesperson for Evri added that the new scheme comes amid a growing trend in consumer appetite for choice.

Its internal data showed a 19 per cent increase in parcel diversions to lockers, compared with 2025, and a 343 per cent increase in usage of the lockers.





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Sri Lanka Prime Minister speaks at Oxford University

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Dr Harini Amarasuriya spoke at St Antony’s College on Tuesday, May 19, as part of the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) Annual Lecture.

Her address, titled ‘The politics of development: Sri Lanka and beyond,’ explored the realities of development policy in practice, with a focus on governance, gender equality, and the influence of grassroots women’s groups on political participation in Sri Lanka.

Professor Diego Sanchez-Ancochea, head of department at OSGA, said: “We were honoured to welcome Dr Amarasuriya to Oxford to deliver the OSGA Annual Lecture.

“She offered an important and timely reflection on the relationship between politics and development, drawing on both scholarly insight and direct political experience.”

During the lecture, Dr Amarasuriya discussed how development theory collides with the complexities of real-world politics.

She considered her role as Sri Lanka’s third female prime minister and the country’s ongoing efforts to recover from its recent economic crisis.

As a social anthropologist, activist, and development practitioner, Dr Amarasuriya drew on her extensive experience to highlight the challenges of implementing reform in complex political environments.

She also emphasised the importance of productive engagement between international agencies and domestic institutions.

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, covering topics such as judicial independence, the pace of political change, and the balance between academic ideals and political pragmatism.

The OSGA Annual Lecture is the department’s flagship event, designed to bring leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners to Oxford to reflect on contemporary global challenges.





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Tech CEO Sara Wahedi graduates from Oxford University

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Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sara moved to Vancouver, Canada, as a refugee before returning to her country of birth for most of her 20s.

It was then that she co-founded civic technology start-up Ehtesab before moving on to become the CEO of Civaam.

At the age of just 25 years old, she was recognised as one of TIME Magazine’s Next Generation Leaders in 2021.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Sara Wahedi reflects on life in Oxford and studying at the university

Having completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University in New York City, Ms Wahedi became a Clarendon Scholar at Oxford University in 2024.

Having undertaken a Master of Public Policy (MPP), the 29-year-old has now graduated from the prestigious institution.

Attending the formal ceremony yesterday (Saturday, May 24), Ms Wahedi shared several photographs across social media.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, she said: “It’s been one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences of my life to study at Oxford.

“I’m especially grateful to the residents of Oxford and how they make students feel like they are at home, especially when we’re far from our parents.

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Sara Wahedi studied in the city for one year. (Image: Sara Wahedi)

“My mother was there, and it was quite emotional to see her there sitting at the top of the Sheldonian, remembering all she’s done, and having sacrificed her own dreams and aspirations to flee Afghanistan so I could chase my own.”

Ms Wahedi remains focused on the future with her role at the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice.

This institute is a partnership between the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government and the Clooney Foundation for Justice and sees the 29-year-old placed in a research associate role.

Guiding the technology pillar, Sara is now working in a team with the likes of Amal Clooney and Philippa Webb, as well as other lawyers and technologists leading in the space globally.

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Sara Wahedi now works in the city and calls Oxford home. (Image: Sara Wahedi)

“During the graduation ceremony, I was constantly thinking about the privilege and opportunity I had been given, having once been a refugee from Afghanistan, to then study at one of the top universities in the world,” added Ms Wahedi.

“Millions of Afghan women and girls will experience their fifth year, half a decade, of being banned from education by the Taliban.

“My work and mission remain to bring awareness to this horrific human rights violation, and to protect the fundamental right to education for every girl across the world.

“I’m grateful that I get to continue to call Oxford home as I remain committed to our important work in responsible AI deployment at the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice.”





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