Stephen Stafford

Personal letters between JRR Tolkien and fan Eileen Elgar sold at Sotheby's for £103,680. The collection includes correspondence from the early 1960s, a letter referencing the death of CS Lewis and a signed copy of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. Elgar’s family described her fascination with Tolkien’s work and the unique friendship that developed through written notes due to her deafness.

A court has made permanent an injunction preventing flags from being hung on lampposts across Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire County Council pursued legal action against four individuals, citing safety risks and interference with highways. The order, extendable beyond a year, allows penalties including fines and imprisonment for breaches. The individuals involved agreed not to promote or obstruct flag removals, while the council stressed support for residents flying flags on private property. The issue has sparked tensions, with flag displays prompting both political criticism and concerns over xenophobia.

The sculptor David Williams-Ellis is creating a life-size statue of Sir Andy Murray for Wimbledon’s 150th anniversary, acknowledging the risks of producing a likeness that meets expectations amid past high-profile sculpture failures. Murray and his wife have participated in selecting the pose, and the tennis star has modelled for the artist. The statue will depict Murray in motion in his early to mid-twenties, though elements such as the shoes and racket pose challenges. The work follows Williams-Ellis’s previous sports sculptures, and the project fulfils long-standing calls for Murray to be honoured at Wimbledon.