Entertainment News

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is offering supporters the rare chance to win £3,000 as part of the lifesaving organisation’s 30^th anniversary celebrations – Air30.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s Air30 Rapid Response Raffle not only gives players the chance to win cash prizes, monies raised will directly help fund future lifesaving missions and enable the aircrew to attend and treat some of the Midlands most critically ill and injured patients. As well as the jackpot prize of £3,000 there are also £500, £50 and £25 prizes available. Not only that, but the charity is also giving one lucky winner the chance to win a family pass (for up to five people) to visit one of its three operational airbases.

Emma Gray, fundraising and marketing director for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity says: “With the Rapid Response Raffle, we are returning to a more traditional way of fundraising to commemorate our 30^th anniversary year.

“During the past year, due to the pandemic, community donations from events and local fundraisers, have decreased by 50 per cent. We hope the raffle will be an alternative way for the communities we serve to show their support, get involved and potentially win some cash.” The Rapid Response Raffle is open to anyone who wants to support the local, lifesaving charity.

Each raffle ticket costs £1 and you can purchase as many as you like. Once bought, your unique raffle ticket numbers will be automatically entered into the prize draw. The draw will take place on Air30, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s 30^th birthday – Friday 21 May 2021.

Winners will be contacted directly.

The documentary, Being Sikh, explores how people within the Sikh faith celebrate and mark some of life’s biggest moments from birth to coming of age, marriage and end of life.  

Dr Takhar is an internationally recognised researcher within Sikh Studies and the Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies at the University of Wolverhampton is the only centre across the UK and Europe that researches and teaches subject matter relating to the Sikh and Panjabi communities. Her publication on ‘Sikh Identity: An exploration of Groups among Sikhs’ (Ashgate 2005) is used as a key text in many Universities around the world.

Her research is on-going in terms of caste issues and gender dynamics amongst Punjabis, and Sikhs specifically. She is currently supervising two research projects. 

Dr Takhar said: “Sikh identity has always had multiple layers even from the time of the Gurus and it’s really positive to see this become the subject matter of a new BBC documentary. 

“The programme explores several stories and the relationship that Sikhs have with their faith at pivotal moments in their life, such as when a child is born or when a family member dies. I was honoured to consult on the programme. My expertise ensures that the views are representative of what Sikhs believe and practise.  

“Sikhs have been living in the UK for over 60 years and there is still a degree of illiteracy about their religion and this documentary explores the importance of the ethics around Sikh beliefs and practices including wearing of the turban and the kirpan.” 

Being Sikh is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer and is being aired on BBC One on Tuesday April 13 at 10.45 pm. Listen to a recent interview by Dr Takhar on BBC Radio Wolverhampton. The Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies is the first of its kind in the UK and was launched in 2018, offering PhDs and Master’s level courses in Sikh studies as well as continuing professional development (CPD) courses for teachers and managers.  

Easter is just around the corner and parents desperate for things to keep their kids entertained will be thrilled to hear that Birmingham Museums has plenty to offer.

While visitor attractions currently remain closed, Birmingham Museums are inviting families of all ages to take a step back in time or zoom into space with a programme of activity designed to keep inquisitive minds entertained during the school holidays. Highlights of the Easter holiday programme include online visits to two of Birmingham’s famous historic properties - Jacobean mansion Aston Hall and Tudor family home Blakesley Hall, an online Planetarium tour exploring the night sky plus free downloads of arts and craft activities to try at home.

Sarehole Mill’s Bakehouse will be open from 11am – 4pm Wednesday to Sunday each week for delicious Easter treats, including tasty hot cross buns and mouth-watering dessert pizza topped with Nutella, marshmallows and chocolate eggs.  Sarehole Mill’s Pizza in the Courtyard dining experience also reopens from Wednesday 14 April and outdoor table reservations are now open for bookings.

Katherine Bosworth, Learning and Engagement Manager at Birmingham Museums said: “While we’re waiting for our museums to open Birmingham Museums are still here to inspire inquisitive minds with online tours of Birmingham’s famous historic properties and out of this world adventures with our family friendly online Planetarium tour of constellations and planets.  Our Easter programme activity has been created particularly with families and children in mind – we hope you will join us!”

Covid-19 continues to impact Birmingham Museums and the Easter holiday programme of activity adds to an already packed and varied programme in bringing the museums to audiences during the pandemic. Other ways audiences can engage with Birmingham Museums online include a Digital Image Resource where thousands of images from the city’s collection are freely available to view, download and use creatively.

A 3D virtual tour gives people the opportunity to visit the permanent galleries of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery online. Art lovers are able to open the doors to their own fantasy art galleries and exhibitions in the virtual online game, Occupy White Walls and there’s a packed online programme of fun, learning activities for families and schools including some amazing Kitchen Science videos to try at home.

Game of Thrones is coming to the stage, with a theatre adaptation likely to be a major attraction in the West End and on Broadway.

The show will open in 2023 and depict a pivotal gathering a decade before the events in George RR Martin's novels and the hit TV series. Some of the best-known characters from the epic story will be involved. The show will be brought to life by the British pair of playwright Duncan MacMillan and director Dominic Cooke.

A statement said: "The production will boast a story centred on love, vengeance, madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now." Martin said: “The stage show, set during a grand jousting tournament that helped set in motion the subsequent events, ought to be spectacular.

"The seeds of war are often planted in times of peace. Few in Westeros knew the carnage to come when highborn and smallfolk alike gathered at Harrenhal to watch the finest knights of the realm compete in a great tourney, during the Year of the False Spring.

"It is a tourney oft referred during HBO's Game of Thrones and in my novels, A Song of Ice and Fire. And now at last, we can tell the whole story... on the stage." Characters who were present and went on to be major figures in the books and TV show include Robert Baratheon and Jaime Lannister.

The author said: “Starting work with MacMillan and Cooke before the pandemic had been a treat - and I am eager for our collaboration to resume. Our dream is to bring Westeros to Broadway, to the West End, to Australia... and eventually, to a stage near you."

MacMillan, whose plays include Lungs; People, Places and Things, and 1984, said: "I have such admiration for George's world and his characters. His generosity and trust during this process has been incredible.

"Working on this play during lockdown has felt like a real privilege. I can't wait until we can be back in a theatre to experience this together." Cooke was artistic director of London's Royal Court Theatre from 2007-13 and directed The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, a TV adaptation of a series of Shakespeare's plays.

"One of George's inspirations for the original books was Shakespeare's history plays, so the material lends itself naturally to the theatre," the director said. "Duncan MacMillan and I are having a great time digging into the dynastic power struggles at the heart of George's extraordinary imaginative world - and he has been hugely generous and supportive towards both of us."

The announcement came after the news Martin has signed a five-year deal to develop more TV shows for HBO. A prequel series, House of the Dragon, set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, is expected to air next year, while several other TV spin-offs are also already in the works.

Rag‘n’Bone Man has releases a new collaboration with US superstar P!nk on their new single ‘Anywhere Away From Here’, out April 9, taken from his new album ‘Life By Misadventure’ – released May 7 on Columbia. 

Written by Rag’n’Bone Man, his album collaborator Ben Jackson-Cook, as well as Simon Aldred, Dan Priddy and Mark Crew, the song is about being uncomfortable in your surroundings. “When the lights go up/ I don’t think I told you… That I feel out of place,” he sings. “Pull me underground/ Don’t know if you notice/ Sometimes I close my eyes and dream of somewhere else.”

Of the track, Rag’n’Bone Man says; “This song is an honest reflection of wanting to disappear from uncomfortable situations - about the vulnerabilities that we all face. It’s a honour to have P!nk on this record and I’m so glad she is able to be a part of it”

“I first encountered Rag’n’Bone Man in Europe in 2017 not long after hearing his song ‘Human.’ By then I had already fallen in love with his voice, and when we met in person I quickly learned he has a beautiful soul, too,” P!nk says. “Since then, I knew I wanted to work with him one day. ‘Anywhere Away From Here’ couldn’t be a better song for us to sing together. I’m so honoured to be a part of this collaboration.”

Previous single, the sublime ‘All You Ever Wanted’, made its mark with Radio 1 and Radio 2 playlist spots, as well as racing to #1 in both the Airplay and iTunes Chart. Rag‘n’Bone Man recently turned in all-star performances on Comic Relief, Later...with Jools Holland and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and will perform three special sold out shows at London’s Jazz Cafe on June 27th, 28th & 29th.

His 2017 landmark debut ‘Human’ was a phenomenal success; a 4x platinum album which shot to #1 week of release in the UK, became the fastest-selling album by a male artist for the entire decade and earned him BRIT and Ivor Novello Awards.
 
If that’s a hard act to follow, Rag‘n’Bone Man tore up the rule book and went to Nashville to write and record what would become ‘Life By Misadventure’, returning to the UK as the first lockdown set in. While a dose of heavy blues and soul lives within some of these new tunes, the majority of this new album finds Rag‘n’Bone Man taking a huge step forward as an artist, a songwriter, and a singer capable of showcasing tremendous warmth and real emotion with every breath.
 

Poet Amanda Gorman was Oprah Winfrey's latest interviewee on her ‘The Oprah Conversation’ series. 

After being enthralled by the 23-year-old's performance at President Joe Biden's inauguration, the media mogul said the USA’s first National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet in the country’s history, stepped into a moment in history with enormous grace and dignity,” after she recited her poem; ‘The Hill We Climb’ for the swearing-in ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in January.

“I was enthralled by her youthful spirit from the first moment we met,” the world’s most famous chat show queen said in a statement just before her Apple TV+ interview, “and very much looked forward to hearing her unpack all that has happened to her the past few months.” The two ‘national treasures (Oprah Winfrey and Amanda)’, united for the TV event in honour of ‘Women's History Month’.

The first National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, Gorman recited The Hill We Climb for the January 20 swearing-in ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a wide-ranging interview, Miss Gorman discussed how she approached the poem's creation, the literary figures who has inspired her, personal stories that shaped her past and her hopes for the future. During their discussion, she (Amanda) offered an insight into her poetic process and pulled the curtain back on the making of her inaugural poem — a hard-copy edition of which will be available to purchase.

“It felt meaningful, not only for me but in a broader sense,” she said of her poem. She describes the work as “something that the world needed to hear and that I needed to write.”

Oprah's interview with Ms Gorman comes after her bombshell conversation with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, who opened up about their struggles of their lives as part of the royal family, as they detailed why they left their royal duties and are now more at ease by creating a new, independent life in California.

Other leading figures who have been interviewed for The Oprah Conversation include Emmanuel Acho, author of ‘Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man’, ‘How to Be an Antiracist’ author Ibram X. Kendi, pop sensation Mariah Carey, former US President Barack Obama, Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey as well as legendary musicians Stevie Wonder and Dolly Parton.

23-year-old author, Amanda, who recently signed with modeling and talent agency IMG, has stated that she plans to run for president as soon as she's eligible in 2036).

Lord Andrew Adonis has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for DIB’s first national property and regeneration conference which will take place at the Belfry on Thursday 9th September 2021.

Lord Adonis, Baron Adonis, PC is a British Labour Party politician and journalist who served in government for five years in the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown administrations. In addition his political career, Lord Adonis became a weekly columnist for The New European in 2018.

Other confirmed speakers at the event include Tom Bloxham of Urban Splash, Sir Howard Bernstein and Gary Neville. Many leaders and chief executives of local government agencies from across the country will also be in attendance for the one-day event with further speakers will be announced.

International Law Firm Kennedys have already been announced as key partners for the property and regeneration conference. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are limited. 

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announces its first in-house podcast, Interval Drinks, bringing together members of the RSC’s 2020/21 acting company with inspirational personalities from the Company’s history. The series is supported by Darwin Escapes.

Interval Drinks is an opportunity to learn more about the life of the RSC from those at the heart of the Company. The Podcast offers audiences a rare insight into the professional journeys of these RSC artists, as well as a chance to explore the craft of modern theatre and discuss some of the biggest issues facing the theatre industry today.

Each episode of the seven-part series will be available to download for free via the RSC website, as well as multiple podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes). A new episode will be made available to download every Thursday and will include a captioned vodcast episode, available via video supporting platforms and the RSC YouTube channel.

The first two episodes of Interval Drinks are available to download now. Episode one features actor and comedian Miles Jupp in conversation with singer/songwriter, Tim Minchin, who this year joins the RSC in celebrating a decade since Matilda the Musical, for which Tim wrote both music and lyrics, opened in the West End. Episode two features Mogali Masuku in conversation with playwright, actor and political activist John Kani, who recently wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed RSC production of Kunene and the King, which premiered at the Swan Theatre before transferring to the Ambassadors Theatre in London last year. The show’s run was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series’ guests also include Adjoa Andoh (Netflix’s Bridgerton, RSC’s Troilus and Cressida) Charlotte Arrowsmith (RSC’s As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew), Justin Audibert (RSC’s The Taming of the Shrew 2019/20) Paul Chahidi (BBC’s This Country, Death of Stalin) and Juliet Gilkes Romero (RSC’s The Whip).

Joining Miles and Mogali from the RSC’s 2020/21 acting company are Kemi-Bo Jacobs, Hal Chambers, Greg Haiste, Avita Jay and Bea Webster. The music is ‘Oberon’s Theme – King of Shadow’, originally composed by Sam Kenyon for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016).

A socially-distanced operatic production of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Coraline, led by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students, will take place behind closed doors this weekend and without an audience. Vocal and orchestral students from the acclaimed UK music school will perform a semi-staged version of Coraline, an opera based on Neil Gaiman’s children’s novella, in the Conservatoire’s 493-capacity Bradshaw Hall on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 March.

Fashion, Visual Communication and Stage Management students and alumni from Birmingham City University, of which Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a part, have lent their skills to the project, making bespoke costumes, documenting preparation and rehearsals, and overseeing the logistics of the opera. It will be one of the first opportunities for vocal studies and orchestral students to perform live in the space since the pandemic began a year ago, and will allow the 30-strong multi-disciplinary group to learn practical skills and experience in a working concert hall despite the current restrictions.

Covid-secure measures taken by staff in advance of rehearsals and two performances include a series of risk assessments, employing a taped grid on stage to ensure two metre distancing for performers and musicians, a chamber orchestra comprising 15 members, and no physical contact between individuals during the opera. Specialist Visiting Tutor, Daisy Evans, director and founder of the critically-acclaimed Silent Opera, is working alongside staff and students from Birmingham City University to deliver the project, stage managed by Rebecca Critch, a 2016 graduate of the Stage Management course at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and experienced opera and classical music concert professional.

The children’s novella Coraline, written by English author Neil Gaiman, scooped a number of awards following its publication in 2002. Following the story of a girl who moves into a new house, finds a door into a parallel universe and meets her Other Mother and Other Father who’ll give her anything she wants if she exchanges her eyes for buttons, Coraline was adapted in to a stop-motion animated fantasy film in 2009, voiced by Dakota Fanning.

Turnage’s opera, based on the book, was premiered at London’s Barbican in 2018. It recently took part in a virtual Q&A with Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students, organised by Head of Vocal & Operatic Studies and Coraline conductor, Paul Wingfield.

Speaking ahead of the performance, Paul said, “I am enormously proud of the students and creative team behind this exciting production of Coraline. Not only are we the first conservatoire to stage this complex and colourful opera, but we have created something of which Birmingham City University can be rightly proud in the face of the enormous challenges to live performance posed by the pandemic.

“I would like to thank staff at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and at Birmingham City University more widely for their support of this production which surely places us at the leading edge of what is currently possible for live opera performance in the UK. The fact that, on top of all of this, we’ve been able to make this a truly cross-faculty project reflects the desire for students across Arts, Design & Media to create projects of real impact which must surely rival anything to be found at other conservatoires across the UK.”

Coraline, performed by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire vocal and music studies, will be recorded for broadcast at a later date.

Falana’s latest single ‘Joy’ has been embraced by tastemakers from London to Lagos, resulting in support from Wonderland, EARMILK and the Independent. The Nigerian-Canadian artist now presents an engaging introduction to her story by sharing the short documentary ‘Life From My Point Of View’.
 
‘Life From My Point Of View’ covers everything from her early years growing up, her influences and creative process, right through to the making of the video for ‘Joy’. Falana revisits various locations in Lagos that represent landmark moments in her career so far, including the I.AM.ISIGO fashion show room where she played her first head-line show in the city, and ALÁRA, a contemporary design store when she held the launch party for her ‘Chapter One’ EP.
 
Falana says: “I wanted this documentary to tell my story from my roots to where I am now. Finding old pictures and video footage of me and my family brought back many memories which I wanted to share. The documentary tells the story of how this journey shaped my sound and me as an artist, from Toronto to Lagos via Havana. It is a snapshot of my life and musical journey, right up to the making of the video for my current single ‘Joy’ in Jamaica.”
 
Raised in Toronto, Falana’s upbringing was soundtracked by a diverse music selection that spanned Fela Kuti to Sia. Her Nigerian parents would play a lot of traditional Yoruba music as a way of staying connected to their home, and through the melting pot of the city, Falana was introduced to the pop, hip-hop, soul, R&B & dancehall that she’d spend hours compiling into her own playlists.
 
Added to her extensive travelling, spanning London, Denmark to Cuba, Falana has honed in on the sound she’s been searching for.  Falana is now on the road to a bright future as a unique international artist.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has published an educational resource that features five films that focus on transgender experiences for families to watch together. The BBFC has partnered with All About Trans, an On Road Media project, on this initiative. The Charity supports people with first-hand experience of the issues to do safer, more strategic media work, bringing them together with journalists and producers to inspire great content.

At the lower end of age rating categories, Little Girl (PG), A Kid Like Jake (12) and Ma Vie En Rose (12) have all been highlighted as films that deal with transgender themes sensitively. For older teens and parents who want to continue learning about other topics, such as trans representation in the media and starting a family, the BBFC has suggested both Disclosure (15) and Seahorse - The Dad Who Gave Birth (15).

All films come with information about the classification, information about what viewers can expect, and accompanying suggested discussion points so families can hold a guided conversation after the credits roll. The BBFC and All About Trans held a focus group, made up of non-binary and trans people and a parent of a trans child, to consult on the films and the resource.

Sarah Peacock, Compliance and Education Manager for the BBFC, said: “Films are excellent springboards for starting conversations. We’ve selected three films rated U, PG and 12 and two films at 15, so there is something for the whole family to pick from, with a range of different themes to explore together. We were delighted to partner with All About Trans on this resource, to ensure that the voices of trans people were accurately reflected in the project. We hope that these films act as a starting point for more research and education.”

Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir from All About Trans, said: “We know it can be hard to find time to sit down with your kids to learn about new issues and ideas. We hope that this resource will open up a space for really meaningful and worthwhile discussions with children and young people about identity, and what it means to explore who you are.” The educational resource can be found on the BBFC website.

Enter Stage Write, an annual West Midlands scriptwriting competition with an international judging panel from the world of film and TV, is set to reach a global audience this year.

The innovative competition, which gives budding writers a chance to see their work brought to life, was faced with the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. However, multi-award nominated entrepreneur and founder, Natalie Edward-Yesufu, has proven to show resilience in the face of adversity and adapt the competition for 2021 by streaming the competition online.

The hugely successful competition encourages script writers to submit a script for a short film. Six of the shortlisted scripts, chosen by a panel of judges made up of prolific industry professionals, will then be performed by local creatives and filmed, rather than performed on stage as done in previous years.

This will allow the judges, and members of the public, to view the works of art online. The winning wordsmith will receive £1,000 of prize money and a year of support and meetings with TV and film professionals. Previous winners of Enter Stage Write have gone onto achieve colossal success within the industry.

A previous winner, Abraham Adeyemi, won a Tribeca Award for Best Short Film and is working with ITV. Abraham will be returning this year as a judge alongside the highly-esteemed international judging panel. Last year's winner, Jonathan skinner, had their script picked by the judges to make into a short film. 

Transition Stage Company Founder, Natalie Yesufu-Edwards, said: “I am ecstatic to relaunch Enter Stage Write 2021 competition and play a leading part in creating an even playing field in the creative sector. Even though the world of theatre has taken a massive hit during the pandemic - 'The Show Must Go On’. 

“Enter Stage Write is a scriptwriting competition for the screen too and now more than ever, there is a demand for fresh new voices and content while we watch more TV at home and, of course, the streaming wars. There has never been so much opportunity for writers.” Louise le Puloch will also be joining the panel for the first time. Louise works within Frenchkiss Productions based in Paris, who specialise in script development and produces TV shows for Netflix.

Fellow judges also include Darcia Martin, Director for BBC and Channel 4 TV Shows; Chris Sudworth, Director of Artistic Programme at Birmingham Hippodrome; Lisa Walters, Development Executive and Script Editor at Channel 4 and Producer on BAFTA-nominated "On The Edge"; Miguel Parga, Emmy Award-winning Director the USA; Piero Basso, cinematographer and Chair of the Cinematography Program at New York Film Academy; and Anya Camilleri, award-winning Writer and Director.

10cc have announced a new UK tour for 2022, where they will celebrate the hits which have seen them recognised as one of the most inventive and influential bands in popular music.

The Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour will begin in Liverpool on March 25, and take in York, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Bath, Southend, the iconic London Palladium, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Guildford, Glasgow and Gateshead.

Led by co-founder Graham Gouldman, 10cc are heralded in equal measure for their ability to craft ingenious songs that also resonated commercially. The icons of art-rock achieved eleven Top 10 hits, and over 15 million albums sold in the UK alone, with three No.1 singles – Rubber Bullets, Dreadlock Holiday and the ubiquitous I’m Not In Love.

The current 10cc line-up features Gouldman (bass, guitar, vocals), Rick Fenn (lead guitar, bass, vocals), Paul Burgess (drums, percussion) – both of whom have been with the band since the early years - Keith Hayman (keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals) and Iain Hornal (vocals, percussion, guitar, keyboards).

In a message to fans, Gouldman says, “It’s difficult to express just how much we have missed playing live and how much we want to be back playing concerts for you. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2022.”

In recent years, 10cc have toured worldwide, playing in Australia, Canada, Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, the USA, and across Europe and throughout the UK - including sold out shows to over 60,000 people at British Summer Time (BST) in Hyde Park, and numerous sold out shows at the 5,200-capacity Royal Albert Hall.

Radford has use of its own race track. Following its recent return, the iconic coachbuilder is announcing its association with the recently renamed Radford Racing School, in Arizona, USA. The iconic Radford brand is being revitalised by leading car designer Mark Stubbs, TV presenter and car builder Ant Anstead, former FIA Formula One World Champion, Jenson Button, and leading business adviser and lawyer Roger Behle.

The agreement to grant Radford use of the racetrack was instigated by the Radford board and Stig Investments, which owns the track facility. Radford will create contemporary luxury commissions true to classic timeless designs, bringing a modern and relevant version of coach-building, to a new discerning clientele. 

Jenson Button said: “For a car to be truly great, it has to feel as good as it looks. It has to possess both style and substance in equal measures, and that you can only achieve through extensive testing and improvement. Great engineering is only achieved through obsession over every detail and marginal gains.

“The testing that all Radfords will be put through is integral to creating the smiles on the faces of those that get to drive them. A race track is the perfect environment for this and it’s also my happy place of course.”

Ant Anstead commented: “Not many coachbuilders have a racetrack to call home. For all of us, part of the revival of the Radford brand is to stay true to founder Harold Radford. He was an innovator – and he would want his cars to be perfect in every way.

“Track development, led by Jenson, is integral to achieving that for our future cars. As we revive this famous brand, this marks the first of many exciting developments and partnerships.

“We can’t wait to share them with you.” The first Radford car is already in development and will be subject to an announcement soon. 

A 3,000-year-old ceremonial gold mask has become an unexpected social media sensation in China after its recent discovery in Sichuan province. The artefact was one of 500 Bronze-Age relics found at the Sanxingdui archaeological site.

Experts say the discovery could provide new insights on the ancient Shu state, which ruled the area before 316 BC. But the mysterious half-faced mask has also spawned a popular meme and tribute videos on social media.

As soon as the latest batch of discoveries was announced, users of microblogging platform Weibo started to make pictures that superimposed the mask on the faces of pop culture figures. The hashtag "Sanxingdui gold mask photo editing competition" has been viewed nearly 4 million times, and has spawned numerous posts as netizens praised the "stunning" and "beautiful" mask.

Officials at the museum for Sanxingdui - one of the most important archaeological sites in China - soon joined in on the fun. The museum said in a recent Weibo post while sharing its own take on the meme: "Good morning, we've just woken up, apparently everyone's been busy doing some Photoshopping?"

The museum also released a promotional animated music video starring the mask and other artefacts, while a rap song created by a TV host praising the "intelligence" of the ancient civilisation has gone viral. It is not the first time a Chinese artefact has attracted the attention of social media users - in August, another relic was found to resemble the pig characters in popular video game Angry Birds.

In addition to the gold mask, archaeologists at Sanxingdui have found bronze pieces, gold foils as well as artefacts made from ivory, jade and silk. The items were uncovered in six sacrificial pits, said the National Cultural Heritage Administration, which the Shu civilisation used to offer sacrifices in prayers for prosperity and peace.

The Sanxingdui ruins were discovered by accident by a farmer in 1929. To date, more than 50,000 relics have been unearthed at the site, which is around 60km (37 miles) from the city of Chengdu.

The Concours of Elegance, presented by A. Lange & Söhne, will host the oldest surviving Aston Martin during its 2021 event at Hampton Court Palace this September. Aston Martin ‘A3’ was the third car ever built by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, and was extensively driven by the founders. This year, it celebrates its centenary.

The Concours of Elegance was first established in 2012 to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, with a collection of 60 of the rarest cars in the world in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle. Since then the Concours of Elegance has evolved into a world-renowned celebration of craftsmanship, design and innovation, hosted since 2017 at Hampton Court Palace, but always with spectacular cars like the Aston Martin ‘A3’at its heart.

Given its name because it is built on chassis no.3 and uses a Type A engine, ‘A3’ produces just 11hp from its four-cylinder side-valve engine. Nevertheless, it was raced in period, and proved capable of setting speed records, achieving an average of more than 86mph over 100 miles at the Brooklands circuit.

By 1923, the car’s life as a factory prototype was complete and it was sold to a customer. It changed hands a number of times until history shows it under the ownership of R.W. Mallabar in 1927. Following a con-rod failure, the car returned to Aston Martin for an engine rebuild, at which time the car was refinished in pale grey (rather than its original black) with red wheels.

The next time ‘A3’ reappears in the history books is 2002 when it was identified at auction as the third Aston Martin ever produced. In 2003 a generous donation enabled ‘A3’ to be purchased by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, who entrusted it to Ecurie Bertelli for a full restoration to as close as original specification.

A new body was designed and hand-beaten into shape to replace the later green body that had been added at some point in A3’s life, a new ash bodyframe was built, the engine was rebuilt, the radiator was refurbished and the chromium finish removed. The car is presented today in full working order, with its factory specification black paintwork, preserving an extremely important part of Aston Martin history.

The display of Aston Martin ‘A3’ is just the latest in a spectacular partnership between Aston Martin, particularly the Aston Martin Owner’s Club (AMOC), and the Concours of Elegance. At the inaugural event in 2012, Mark Donoghue of the AMOC arranged for sixty Aston Martins – one from each year of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign – to be lined up along Windsor Castle’s Long Walk. Then, in 2019, Donoghue was responsible for arranging AMOC’s show-stopping display of one example of every single Aston Martin Zagato model produced, many of which are one-offs.

The ‘A3’ will form part of the Main Concours display at Concours of Elegance 2021, a line-up of the world’s rarest cars set to go on display at Concours of Elegance 2021, taking in some of the finest European coachbuilt cars ever built, a collection of Gulf and Martini-liveried motorsport heroes and the very latest bespoke hypercars. The event will also welcome a number of special features and displays, including a celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 95^th birthday, bringing with it a British car from each year of Her Majesty’s life. In total, over 1,000 rare and exotic cars will be on display across the weekend.

Outside of the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance remains an occasion of pure luxury, with champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, live stage interviews with Chubb Insurance, hosted by Jodie Kidd, and a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays. Presenting Partner, A. Lange & Söhne, recently confirmed to support the event for a further three years, will continue to showcase some of its most intricate timepieces.