It wasn’t all bad

More than 1,000 previously unknown ancient oak trees have been identified in England. The 1,200 trees found by arborists over the past four years push the total number of ancient oaks in England to 3,400, more than in the whole of the rest of Europe. Most of the newly discovered trees are between 400 and 600 years old; some 12% date back 600 to 800 years, while a further 3% are as much as 1,000 years old. On the Continent, by contrast, there are just 2,000 ancient oaks.

A production of Sweeney Todd that premiered in a pie and mash shop in south London has opened off Broadway to rave reviews. The Tooting Arts Club’s show had its debut at New York’s Barrow Street Theatre last week, with its composer Stephen Sondheim in the audience. The production was originally staged around the tables at Harringtons, a 32-seat restaurant in Tooting. Following a sellout West End transfer, it moved to New York, where it has been hailed by Time Out as “bloody brilliant”. The set is a faithful recreation of Harringtons – and audience members can still partake of pie and mash.

A small Yorkshire pub that was saved by the local community after it went bankrupt nine years ago has been named the best in the UK. The George & Dragon in Hudswell, which picked up the award from the Campaign for Real Ale, was praised for its “welcoming atmosphere and strong community ethos”. The pub closed in 2008 when its owners went bust, but within two years locals had banded together and raised £220,000 to buy it back. Owned by 205 shareholders, it has on-site allotments, and a library in its corridor.