As Eddie Redmayne has just won an Oscar for Best Actor, for his portrayal of Professor Stephen Hawking – in The Theory of Everything … here is a picture of him with, Mark Chalk Iles, a former student at Abingdon School, whose mum still lives in Abingdon. Eddie and Mark appeared together in the National Youth Music Theatre production of The Ballad of Salaman Pavey at the Globe Theatre in about 1999. Mark is currently appearing in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

The forthcoming Atom Science festival happens in March, and you can pick up leaflets from Mostly Books, or read about it online. The festival will include, among many features, a well illustrated presentation called “Cosmic Quest – From Babylon to Big Bang”.

This Thursday there will be one of Atom’s regular talks at the Kings Head and Bell.