Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

Penny Dyer A close up of a football pitch with miniature model players. A figure of a topless blonde-haired woman can be seen running across the pitch.Penny Dyer
Staff at Model Village Godshill love "hidden jokes and quirky characters"

Stories about a famous footballer, an indie folk band, and a streaker have been among the most popular in the South this week.

In case you missed them, we have picked five articles from the past seven days across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to keep you up to date.

'Scratch choir' to join band at hometown concert

John Bullock The band standing on a cliff by the sea in the Gower Peninsula.John Bullock
Stornoway will launch their fifth album Beyonder at Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre

An indie folk band are planning to perform with what would be the largest impromptu choir assembled in Oxford for their album launch.

Stornoway will launch their fifth album Beyonder when they return to the Sheldonian Theatre concert hall in September.

A "scratch choir" of volunteers will undergo a workshop hours ahead of the gig to learn how to sing alongside the Oxford trio in four-part harmony.

Anyone interested in being in the choir can sign up on the band's website.

Kevin Keegan's bloodstained vest given to museum

Keegan came off his bike on a track in Bracknell, Berkshire, in 1976

A bloodstained memento of a famous bicycle crash involving the late football star Kevin Keegan is set to go on public display.

Keegan came off his bike on a track in Bracknell, Berkshire, in 1976, while competing in the BBC TV show Superstars.

He signed the vest he was wearing and gave it to two teenagers who were helping at the event, including Mark Ashwell who said he put it in his pyjama drawer and forgot about it.

Ashwell, now aged 68, is donating it to the National Football Museum, following Keegan's death in July.

Charity return for model village streaker

Godshill Model Village A close up of a figure of a topless blonde-haired woman in a field with houses in the distance.Godshill Model Village
Erica will now be appearing in different locations around the model village

A figure of a streaker that was removed from a model village after complaints it was inappropriate is set to return "with a twist".

Erica the Streaker had been "bringing a smile to generations of visitors" at Godshill Model Village on the Isle of Wight before being removed following negative feedback.

But her absence prompted a backlash from fans and a social media poll ended overwhelmingly in favour of bringing her back.

The tourist attraction said Erica would "be popping up in different locations around the gardens throughout the season" to help raise awareness and funds for The Breast Friends Isle of Wight charity

Zoo welcomes new Asian short-clawed otters

An otter walking around an enclosure and looking up at the camera.
Thien than has now arrived at Marwell Zoo near Winchester

A zoo has introduced two new Asian short-clawed otters in the hope that they will eventually breed.

A huge database is used by zoos around the world to track animals and support conservation breeding programmes.

Suitable breeding pairs are identified on the database to maximise genetic diversity and ensure healthy, sustainable breeding programmes for the species

Marwell Zoo, near Winchester, is now home for male Rizzo and female Thien than, who were collected from London Zoo and Woburn Zoo Safari Park in Bedfordshire respectively.

Rare heathland still bare one year on from wildfire

A white pick-up truck drives along a gravel track surrounded by blackened heath following the severe fire 12 months ago.
Large areas of Holt Heath show no signs of recovery due to the intensity of the fire last year

One of Dorset's most important heathlands is showing only limited signs of recovery following a devastating fire 12 months ago.

About 72 hectares (177 acres) of the rare habitat, just north of Wimborne, were lost.

The intense heat stripped the soil and seed bed from large areas, with the current drought further limiting recovery.

The National Trust, which owns the land, says it plans further surveys to see what more, if anything, can be done to help re-establish the heathland.