Cambodian Archaeologists Piece Together Ancient Sculpture After a Century

Archaeologists in Cambodia have unearthed a 12th or 13th-century Buddha statue torso near Angkor Wat. The statue, found near Ta Prohm temple, matches a head discovered nearly a century ago. Believed to depict King Jayavarman VII, the statue is in the Bayon style with unique hand gestures. Researchers plan to reattach the head and display it publicly. The ongoing excavations at Ta Prohm aim to preserve Cambodia's rich cultural heritage within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Archaeological Park.

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Two Christmas World Records Set for Snow Globes and Sky-High Tree in 2025

Two festive Guinness World Records have been officially smashed just in time for the holidays—one in Germany, the other in the UK—bringing seasonal cheer on a global scale. In Nuremberg, Josef Kardinal secured his place in the record books with a staggering collection of 11,017 snow globes, making it the largest in the world. His obsession began back in 1984 with a single gift. By 2002, his collection had reached 6,100 globes. Now, it’s nearly doubled. “Snow globes capture memories, places and feelings,” Josef said. “Every one of them tells a story. I never expected that a small gift in 1984 would grow into something recognized around the world.” Kardinal stores and displays his record-breaking collection in a multi-room basement, showcasing an enormous range of styles—from classic European landmarks to rare Disney-themed globes and global city editions. Each globe is carefully maintained so that, decades later, they still “snow” as intended. Meanwhile, up in Northumberland, England, a Giant Redwood Wellingtonia on the Cragside estate has earned the title of the tallest bedded Christmas tree in the world. Planted in the 19th century, the living tree stands at a jaw-dropping 44.7 meters (146 feet 7 inches). To celebrate, Cragside adorned the towering evergreen with 1,000 multicolored lights and oversized bows, creating a spectacular display that draws festive visitors from across the region. “It’s been quite the year of planning,” said Steve Howard, Visitor Operations Manager at Cragside. “Last year we presented the UK’s Tallest Living Christmas Tree, and we kept wondering if we could go one giant leap further and secure a Guinness World Records title… and we made it!” Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief at Guinness World Records, praised both achievements as standout moments in a season known for joyful creativity. “This time of year often brings some of the most memorable and imaginative record attempts, and these two titles are no exception,” he said. “From a towering living Christmas tree to an extraordinary snow globe collection, both achievements show the passion and creativity behind record-breaking. It’s a pleasure to recognize them as part of this year’s record-breaking highlights — and to mark them, as ever, as officially amazing.”

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A Girl Who Spent Christmas Waiting for a Heart Transplant Returns to Hospital With 1,000 Gifts

Two years ago, Amelia spent Christmas in a hospital bed, waiting for a new heart. This year, the 10-year-old from Kingswinford is back on the wards—but now she’s delivering gifts, not receiving treatment. Amelia, who underwent a life-saving heart transplant in April 2023, has returned to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where she once stayed as a patient. This time, she’s leading what she calls a “Santa drop off,” handing out hundreds of toys, chocolates, and festive treats to children who will spend the holidays in hospital. “The reason why I wanted to do the Christmas Santa drop off is to put a smile on all the children who are in at the moment,” Amelia said. “As we all know, Christmas is a special time and it’s hard for everyone who is in there.” Amelia was born with a congenital heart defect and spent Christmas 2023 at Birmingham Children’s Hospital before being airlifted by helicopter to Newcastle for surgery. Now recovered, she’s made it her mission to give back. Along with her family, she’s dropped off presents at several sites across the West Midlands and Tyneside, including Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham and New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton. The final stop is Russell’s Hall Hospital in Dudley, where the family plans to deliver the last batch of gifts on Wednesday. By then, the total number of presents will surpass 1,000. Some of the gifts are being delivered early to children too sick to leave their beds. Others will be held back for Santa to hand out on Christmas Day. Nurses have also received chocolates and festive socks, and Amelia surprised her own surgeon with a box of chocolates during an emotional reunion. Messages from proud family and friends have poured in, according to her dad, Justin. “They’re coming in left, right and centre,” he said. “Some nurses have even been left in tears.” “I’m so proud of her,” he added. “We just know how hard it is. You adjust when you’re in there, but no time is easy—especially Christmas. You’re supposed to be around your family. It’s just nice to do something to put a smile on their face and help them get through it.”

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This Polar Bear Adopted an Orphaned Cub in a Rare Act of Compassion

Scientists tracking polar bears near Churchill, Manitoba, got an unexpected surprise this fall: a polar bear mother, previously seen with one cub, had adopted a second. The sighting, which occurred in mid-November in the western Hudson Bay region, marks only the 13th recorded case of cub adoption in more than four decades of research in the area. “When we got confirmation that this was an adoption, I had a lot of mixed feelings, but mostly good,” said Alysa McCall, staff scientist and director of conservation outreach with Polar Bears International. “It gives you a lot of hope when you realize that polar bears may be looking out for each other out there.” Dr. Evan Richardson, a polar bear research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, first saw the mother in March as she emerged from a denning area in Wapusk National Park with a single cub. Both were fitted with GPS-tracking collars. When he spotted the same bear again in November, she had two cubs by her side. Only one of them wore a collar — the other, a new addition, did not. With over 4,600 individual bears documented and hundreds of litters tracked over the past 45 years, cub adoptions like this are rare. “It’s not that frequent,” Richardson said. “We really think it’s just because [polar bears are] so maternally charged and such good mothers, and they just can’t leave a cub crying on the tundra.” Researchers estimate the mother is around five years old, and both cubs are approximately 10 to 11 months. Richardson said they’re not sure what happened to the adopted cub’s biological mother, but his team collected a genetic sample that may help answer that question. The adoption is more than just a touching moment — it could be life-saving. Polar bear cubs typically stay with their mothers for two to two-and-a-half years and depend on that time to learn the skills necessary for survival. Without a mother, their odds of reaching adulthood are almost zero. “It’s not a lot of time to learn how to be a polar bear,” McCall said. “But they do soak up a lot of lessons during that time.” She noted that only about half of cubs survive to adulthood. With a new adoptive mother, this cub now has a real chance. Scientists say GPS collars, deployed in collaboration with Polar Bears International and the University of Alberta, have made it possible to track polar bear movements in detail. Each year, about 10 females are collared in the western Hudson Bay area. While rare, cases like this show just how much remains to be discovered about polar bear behaviour. “The bears need all the help they can get these days with climate change,” Richardson said. “Females have the opportunity to pick up another cub and care for it, and successfully wean it. That’s a good thing for bears in Churchill.”

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UK Family’s Grinch-Themed Christmas Lights Are Raising Thousands for a Children’s Cancer Charity

For one family in the UK, decorating for Christmas isn’t just about tinsel and fairy lights — it’s about giving back. Lavinia Hedges and her mum Nicola have turned their home on Wigmore Road into a festive landmark, drawing in crowds each December with elaborate themed displays, all while raising money for My Shining Star, a local charity supporting children with cancer. Over the past five years, their efforts have brought in more than £35,000 for the cause. This year, the theme is The Grinch, complete with a Dr Seuss-inspired grotto, sleigh, and even a replica of the Whoville post office. The family spent two weeks setting up the display, but planning started back in August. “We love to spread joy in our community through decorations,” said Lavinia. “It’s a lot of planning and a lot of things going on behind the scenes too.” Not everything is store-bought, either. The family has turned to second-hand shops and even their own 3D printer to bring Whoville to life. “We 3D print a lot of things, like the Cindy Lou and the Max the dog,” Lavinia said. Previous themes have included The Polar Express, It’s a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, and even a Disney-inspired display in 2024. Despite the scale of the setup, Lavinia says the lights don’t cost a fortune to run. “Surprisingly our electricity bills while running the displays are quite low as all the lights are low-powered LED bulbs, plus we have solar panels and battery storage.” The family doesn’t limit their efforts to Christmas, either. Their home becomes a seasonal attraction at Easter and Halloween too, with visitors travelling from as far as Essex to see it. The charity they support, My Shining Star, is based nearby in Rainham and works directly with families affected by childhood cancer. It operates without government grants and is entirely self-funded. “We love that we can see what they’re doing and the good work that they actually do,” Lavinia said. “They’re self-funded so all the volunteers and staff work very, very hard to support families at a difficult time.” For the Hedges family, the lights are about more than festive cheer — they’re a way to rally a community and brighten lives, both inside and outside of Whoville. This year’s theme is inspired by "The Grinch" and features a Dr Seuss-inspired grotto and sledge along with a replica of Whoville's post office. "We love to spread joy in our community through decorations," Lavinia said. "It takes probably two weeks to set up for Christmas fully and we started planning back in August." Past displays have included themes from "The Polar Express," "It's a Wonderful Life," and "Love Actually." Lavinia mentioned that assembling the decorations involves sourcing items from second-hand retailers and crafting some pieces themselves. They even use 3D printing to create characters like Cindy Lou and Max the dog. In 2024, the display drew inspiration from Disney. Despite what one might expect, their electricity bills remain low thanks to energy-efficient LED bulbs and the installation of solar panels with battery storage. The family also puts on light shows for Easter and Halloween, drawing visitors from as far away as Essex. The decision to support My Shining Star is close to their hearts since the charity operates nearby in Rainham. "We love that we can see what they're doing and the good work that they actually do as they haven't got any grants from the government," Lavinia explained. The charity relies entirely on self-funding, with dedicated volunteers working diligently to assist families during challenging times. As people gather to enjoy this year’s Grinch-themed spectacle, they contribute not only to spreading holiday cheer but also support a meaningful cause right within their community.

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Every Night, Strangers Gather Outside a Michigan Hospital to Say “Sweet Dreams” to the Kids Inside

At exactly 8 p.m. each night in December, the same quiet ritual begins outside Corewell Health Children’s Hospital in Royal Oak, just north of Detroit. Volunteers bundled in coats raise their flashlights high into the cold winter sky, aiming beams of light toward the windows above. Inside, young patients and their families — some in pajamas, some holding IV poles — shine their own flashlights back in response. Then, in unison, the crowd below calls out two simple words: “Sweet dreams.” This nightly exchange, known as Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams, has become a cherished tradition since it first began in 2017. For 10 minutes every evening, it turns a hospital stay into something just a little more magical. “It’s just a big group of people that they don’t know, but they see the love being sent by the lights,” said Tim Schuele, who stood with his 4-year-old granddaughter, Zoe, as she held her flashlight to the window. Zoe is undergoing chemotherapy and has spent days confined to her hospital room. On these nights, though, the children are far from alone. The idea behind Moonbeams is simple but powerful: let hospitalized kids know the world hasn’t forgotten them. "To be stuck in the hospital and feel like the world is moving on without you outside feels a little bit isolating," said Amanda Lefkof, a child life specialist at the hospital. “This is a wonderful way… to really offer them a lot of love when they’re going through a hard time.” The tradition runs nightly from December 9 through December 23, covering Hanukkah and much of the holiday season. Anyone is welcome to join — and they do. Some nights see a few dozen people. On others, especially weekends, the crowd can swell to hundreds. There are scout troops, high school clubs, sororities, and sports teams. One youth hockey team even came with flashlights strapped to their sticks. Stephanie McMillan, holding her 3-month-old daughter Wren in one arm and a flashlight in the other, said the event “helps the people inside here not feel so alone and the community members being able to be a part of bringing that Christmas joy to the people that are in here.” Kevin Barringer knows the feeling well. In 2020, his son Connor spent two months at the hospital recovering from a spinal injury. Back then, they were the ones on the receiving end of the flashlights. “It gets pretty dark up there for the kids and for parents as well,” he said. “Having people down here letting them up there know that there are people with them and sending all their light up that way, it means a lot.” Inside the hospital, the pediatric floor buzzes with more than just medical routines. Volunteers read stories, make blankets with families, and throw holiday parties. There’s even a Santa — played by a volunteer — who visits children in their rooms and joins the celebrations. But it’s Moonbeams that seems to leave the deepest impression. “It gives them something to look forward to,” Lefkof said. For families living in a haze of long days and longer nights, the nightly event breaks up the monotony. “The days and the nights kind of blend together,” she said, describing the hospital environment as feeling a little like Las Vegas. “But this gives them something special.” Lisa Muma, a registered nurse and one of the event’s organizers, said it’s grown into something the entire hospital anticipates each year. "We really wanted to come up with a way where we could remind the families and the kids and the patients in the hospital that we’re still thinking of them, that we’re here for them, that we’re standing with them." It’s not about elaborate decorations or big productions. It’s just light. And a few quiet minutes shared between strangers. And that’s more than enough.

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A Mystery Star Just 70 Light-Years Away May Unlock a Key Challenge in the Search for Earth-Like Planets

Astronomers have long been puzzled by Kappa Tucanae A, a star about 70 light-years from Earth, surrounded by dust that shouldn't exist. Orbiting dangerously close to the star, the dust is so hot — over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit — that it should either burn up or be blown away by radiation in a matter of days. Instead, it sticks around. And now, researchers think they know why. A team led by Thomas Stuber at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory has discovered a companion star repeatedly plunging through this same dust-filled zone — and that may be the missing piece. The research, published in The Astronomical Journal, used a powerful tool called MATISSE at the European Southern Observatory to achieve the most precise detection ever of a stellar companion with this technology. “There’s basically no way that this companion is not somehow connected to that dust production,” said Steve Ertel, a co-author of the study and associate astronomer at Steward Observatory. The discovery offers a new explanation for something that’s become a major headache in the hunt for habitable planets: hot exozodiacal dust. These tiny particles, similar in size to smoke, orbit far too close to their stars for comfort. By all accounts, they should be gone — and yet, in many systems, they’re still there. “If we see dust in such large amounts, it needs to be replaced rapidly, or there needs to be some sort of mechanism that extends the lifetime of the dust,” Stuber said. This isn’t just an academic problem. That glowing dust creates a glare that could interfere with NASA’s upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), scheduled to launch in the 2040s. HWO is designed to block out a star’s light and capture faint reflections from nearby planets. But if hot dust surrounds the star, it causes light to scatter — a problem scientists call “coronagraphic leakage” — which can drown out signals from potential Earth-like worlds. That’s why figuring out where this dust comes from, and how it behaves, is so important. A surprising discovery, hiding in plain sight Stuber’s team wasn’t looking for a companion star. Their plan was to track the dust itself using a method called interferometry, which combines signals from multiple telescopes to simulate a much larger one. They observed Kappa Tucanae A repeatedly between 2022 and 2024. Instead of changes in the dust, they found something more surprising: a companion star, faint and hard to detect, following a highly stretched orbit. At its closest, it swings just 0.3 astronomical units (AU) from Kappa Tucanae A — well inside Mercury’s orbit around the Sun. This trajectory allows it to pass directly through the dust-filled inner system, then slingshot far away before returning again. Each time it plunges inward, it may stir up the region, trigger collisions, or even release new dust from passing comets or rocky material. The fact that this star had been observed many times in the past — and yet the companion went undetected — makes the discovery even more compelling. “Considering the Kappa Tucanae A system was observed many times before, we did not even expect to find this companion star,” Stuber said. “This makes it even more exciting.” A lab for cosmic dust With this find, Kappa Tucanae A has become a sort of natural laboratory for studying a tricky type of cosmic dust. While other systems have warm dust farther out, the ultra-hot dust near this star is far more extreme. For years, Steward Observatory has been at the forefront of this field. Its Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI), perched atop Mount Graham in Arizona, helped pioneer studies of exozodiacal dust. The observatory’s work has shaped new instruments and drawn support from NASA, the NSF, and private donors. Now, Steward researchers are collaborating on a next-generation European interferometer that will be 50 times more sensitive than previous designs. One of its leaders, Denis Defrère, trained at Steward and helped develop the LBTI. “Steward has established itself as the global leader to this kind of research, which is really critical for exo-Earth imaging,” said Ertel, who also received NASA funding to continue dust studies with the upcoming instrument. What’s making the dust? There’s still no definitive answer to what exactly is creating or sustaining the dust around Kappa Tucanae A. The companion star is clearly involved, but how? Several theories are in play. Some researchers believe magnetic fields could trap charged dust particles. Others, like Steward’s Virginie Faramaz-Gorka, are studying whether constant comet activity replenishes the dust, like a conveyor belt of debris. The true answer may be a combination — or something else entirely. What’s clear is that the discovery has opened new avenues for research. Steward’s team now plans to reexamine other dusty star systems, searching for similar hidden companions that might have gone unnoticed. With major missions like HWO on the horizon, finding and understanding these disruptive dust sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Every bit of insight helps astronomers get one step closer to the ultimate goal: seeing and studying another Earth. And in this case, the clue came from a companion hiding in the glow.

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93-year-old Grandfather Travels 40 Hours From Rwanda to Surprise Grandson at Arizona Wedding

Jeff Mugongo wasn’t expecting his grandfather to make it to his wedding. The 93-year-old had just recovered from a stroke, didn’t speak English, and lived more than 9,000 miles away in Rwanda. But none of that stopped Gatera from showing up. The groom was in the middle of his wedding day in Phoenix, Arizona, this past November when he turned around and saw his grandfather standing on the porch. The surprise sent him into tears. “I couldn’t control the tears that [were] coming out of my eyes,” Jeff told Fox 10 Phoenix. “It’s just incredible to witness that, through all the odds, that he would show up for my special day.” The moment, captured on video and shared on Jeff’s Instagram, quickly went viral, racking up more than 1.3 million views. In it, Jeff spots his grandfather, rushes to hug him, and the two share a laugh before embracing again. “Grandpa flew 40 hours all the way from Rwanda to Phoenix to surprise me,” Jeff wrote. “They definitely got me with this amazing gift and surprise!” The entire family was in on it. Jeff’s friends and relatives had kept the visit secret for weeks, while Gatera navigated a multi-day journey that included missed flights, hotel stays, and layovers — all while not speaking a word of English. Jeff said he didn’t think his grandfather would be able to come. Before the wedding, Gatera had told him that his visa was delayed and that he wasn’t well enough to travel. Jeff believed him. But behind the scenes, the family had been working to make it happen. When it finally did, Jeff says the impact was enormous. “I didn’t have strong relationships with the male figures in my family,” he told Fox 10. “But my grandfather was the one who always made an effort to communicate with us and get to know him.” That bond was clear throughout the night — especially on the dance floor. In a second Instagram video, Jeff and Gatera can be seen dancing to Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary,” showing no signs of jet lag. “The layovers, tiredness and long-hour flights didn’t stop grandpa’s dance moves!” Jeff wrote. “HE STOLE the whole show!!” Even at 93, Gatera’s energy lit up the room. “At the ceremony Grandpa told me, ‘Jeff, me and you need to be grateful and joyful!’ ” Jeff shared. It wasn’t just a family reunion — it became a moment that struck a chord with people around the world. The clip of their embrace spread quickly on social media, with many commenting on the power of grandparents, and the lengths people will go for the ones they love. “He showed me that no matter what, you have to show up for your family,” Jeff said. “It made people appreciate grandparents and their love and the strength they have.” Jeff summed it up in a caption on Instagram: “Moments that only happen once are gifts and grace we never deserve. I thank God for this moment and my family and friends who prayed for this moment to happen.”

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Discovery of a Lifetime: How a Software Engineer in Hawaii Found an Interstellar Visitor

What started as a routine evening for Larry Denneau quickly turned into one of the most significant nights of his career — and one of the most exciting for astronomers around the world. Denneau, a senior software engineer and astronomer at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, was doing what he’s done hundreds of times before: reviewing automated detections from the ATLAS project, a NASA-funded asteroid early-warning system designed to catch objects that could pose a threat to Earth. On July 1, 2025, one of those detections stood out — though not in any obvious way. "It looked like a completely garden variety new Near Earth Object," Denneau told Space.com. So he did what the software advised. He clicked “submit.” What he didn’t know at the time was that he had just logged the third known interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system. By the time the discovery began lighting up inboxes across the global astronomy community, Denneau was offline — quite literally. He was up on Mauna Loa, helping service a telescope, with no internet access for most of the day. “I was oblivious to them until we got back that night,” he said. “And my inbox was completely exploded with all of this stuff.” He had unknowingly submitted data that would go on to identify a cosmic interloper: 3I/ATLAS. Like ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019, 3I/ATLAS is not from around here. These rare objects don’t orbit the Sun like comets or asteroids. They’re not gravitationally bound to our star at all — they come from other solar systems entirely, flung out into interstellar space and occasionally caught passing through our own. The moment that realization clicked, astronomers around the world scrambled to observe it. "Within a day... there are hundreds of observations from different telescopes all confirming the orbit," Denneau said. But when teams at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Minor Planets Center tried to model its orbit, something didn’t add up. "All of the orbit fits turned out to be really poor," Denneau said. The object was moving too fast and on a trajectory that didn’t match any solar system object. "It’s not bound to the sun." That was the giveaway. 3I/ATLAS wasn’t just a curious rock — it was a visitor from another star. A software project that looks to the stars Denneau’s path to this moment didn’t begin in a telescope dome. It started with code. He trained as an engineer, not an astronomer. His degree is in electrical engineering, and only later did he pursue a PhD in astrophysics. Even now, Denneau doesn’t consider himself a traditional stargazer. “We built some telescopes,” he said of the ATLAS project, “but after the telescopes are built, it’s really a software project.” ATLAS — short for Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System — is made up of a network of wide-field telescopes that scan the night sky looking for anything that moves. Every night, they take thousands of images, covering nearly the entire visible sky every 24 hours. The system is built to spot faint movements — tiny points of light that shift across a starry background. To do that, the software looks for motion by taking four quick exposures of the same part of the sky. If something moves between frames, it leaves behind a tracklet. That gets compared against reference images, and anything that doesn't match — potentially an asteroid or comet — is flagged. From there, it’s up to a human reviewer to make the final call. On July 1, that human was Denneau. "Things that look like stars that are moving across the background,” he explained, is what the software pulls out. “I’m literally the person who clicked the button and submitted the discovery observations for this object." Missed it by that much Even though 3I/ATLAS was moving fast, it had likely been visible for days — just not detectable. Why? It was passing through a dense part of the Milky Way, packed with background stars. “When there’s so many stars in the background, sometimes an asteroid goes right on top of a star,” Denneau said. “And so you only get three out.” ATLAS requires four solid detections to confidently flag a new object. So 3I/ATLAS remained hidden until it moved into a less crowded patch of sky. Only then did the system recognize it, trigger a detection, and allow Denneau to hit “submit.” In fact, once it was officially flagged, the software even found earlier “precovery” images that had captured it days earlier — buried in the noise. From code to comet hunting Denneau’s work on ATLAS is part of a broader trend in astronomy where software plays a central role. “We’re a multi-petabyte project at this point,” he said. “And so that’s the kind of stuff that, as a computer person, keeps me awake, because it’s a lot of data to keep secure and backed up.” The system doesn’t just detect interstellar visitors. A few months before 3I/ATLAS, Denneau was on duty when another object showed up: a near-Earth asteroid called YR4. At first, it looked like it could impact Earth in 2032, but after more observations, it was ruled out as a threat. With so much data coming in nightly — as much as half a terabyte from the ATLAS telescopes — the priority is ensuring only real, reliable detections get flagged. “We’re really sensitive to not wanting to put false things on the confirmation page,” Denneau said. “We want to be like 99-point-something-percent reliable on that front.” It’s that reliability that gave the astronomy community enough confidence to quickly classify 3I/ATLAS as interstellar. And for Denneau, the moment still feels a bit surreal. "Every day I still love coming to work and working on astronomy," he said. "It's just super fun.

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Santa Swaps Sleigh for Helicopter in Royal Navy Christmas Surprise

Santa Claus made a high-flying entrance this year, trading in his sleigh and reindeer for Royal Navy helicopters to deliver early Christmas cheer across Somerset and Dorset. In a festive operation dubbed “Santa’s Sleigh,” choppers from Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton touched down at 30 local schools — including a heartwarming visit to Charlton Farm children’s hospice near Bristol — to deliver gifts and collect letters for the North Pole. “With the reindeer resting up for an intensive Christmas period, naval helicopters were drafted in,” said the Royal Navy. Among the aircraft were Wildcats from 815 and 825 Naval Air Squadrons, a Commando Merlin from 846 Squadron, and a chopper from 1 Army Air Corps. “Bringing Santa into local schools in a Wildcat not only allows us to share some Christmas magic,” said Commander Sammy Haynes, “but also helps us maintain our strong links with the community.” Three schools even received special flypasts, thrilling students below. “The children were delighted to watch Father Christmas touch down,” said headteacher Dave Gordon. “It’s a memory they’ll never forget.”

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School Librarian Discovers She’s Distantly Related to Jane Austen — at the School Where Austen Studied

A school librarian in Reading has traced her family tree back nearly 500 years and found something she never expected — a distant connection to her literary hero, Jane Austen. Joanne Wenman, who works at The Abbey School in Reading, said she was “excited” to discover the link to Austen, whose wit and insight into the lives of 19th-century women helped define English literature. Wenman’s 11th great-grandfather was Thomas Austen, who was also an ancestor of the celebrated author. As she explained to the BBC, “That makes me sixth cousin six times removed from Jane Austen.” Wenman’s discovery comes just as fans around the world mark the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth. The Abbey School itself is part of the story — it's named after the Reading Abbey Gateway, where Austen and her sister Cassandra were educated at a boarding school from 1785. Wenman said she began researching her family tree about two years ago, using the site Ancestry. “When I was looking at my family tree… these Austens started appearing,” she said. “So my ninth great-grandmother is Jane Austen — not the Jane Austen but a different one — and then her grandfather is Thomas Austen.” Even just seeing the name ‘Jane Austen’ in her ancestry gave her a thrill. “When I first saw a Jane Austen appear in the 1600s even that excited me,” she said. “I know it sounds weird but it was seeing that name on my family tree.” She dug deeper. The Austen branch she belongs to was based in Hawkhurst, Kent — not far from Horsmonden, where Jane Austen’s immediate family also had roots. “That made me quite excited and then I cross-referenced and checked everything,” Wenman said. “I did lots of research before I was convinced.” Her discovery is more than just a fun coincidence. Wenman, who spent two decades as an English teacher before becoming a librarian, said Austen played a direct role in her career path. “If somebody's already your hero and you admire them greatly, it's going to mean so much more,” she said. She described the connection as “really nice and exciting”. She’s not the only one who’s thrilled. “The whole school is delighted for Joanne,” said Dr Sarah Tullis, head of The Abbey School. “We already knew what a huge fan of Jane Austen she is and how much this connection would mean to her. What makes this even more special for us here at The Abbey is that it strengthens our connections with Jane Austen even further.” Jane Austen, born in Steventon, Hampshire in 1775, never married and had no direct descendants. But her literary legacy — from Pride and Prejudice to Emma and Persuasion — has made her a permanent fixture in English literature classrooms around the world. Wenman is now set to meet other distant Austen relatives during a coffee morning hosted at The Abbey School to celebrate the author’s 250th birthday. For a lifelong fan, the moment is a little surreal. “Some of these coincidences,” she said, “are uncanny.”

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