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Five stories from the South you may have missed


National Trust A close-up image of the Aulonia albimana which has a dark brown body and orange hairy legs.National Trust

Two entomologists said they found the spider with just nine minutes to spare

Stories about the discovery of a rare spider, a “real housewife” TV star, and a grammatical error on important new signage were just some of this week’s popular reads.

We have picked five from the past seven days across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to keep you up to date.

Rare wolf spider rediscovered after 40 years

Aulonia albimana was last recorded in the UK in 1985

A critically endangered spider, not seen in the UK for 40 years, has been rediscovered in a remote nature reserve accessible only by boat.

Aulonia albimana, which was last recorded in the UK in 1985, was uncovered at the National Trust’s Newtown nature reserve on the Isle of Wight – about 2km (1.2 miles) from the spider’s former colony.

The tiny orange-legged arachnid has informally been named the white-knuckled wolf spider by those who found it.

Standing with Giants fully booked for viewings

A row of the silhouettes at the top of the hill, the sun shining behind them. Details reveal them to include sailors and soldiers of different varieties.

The silhouettes are made from recycled advertising hoardings and hand-cut into shape

An art installation dedicated to British servicemen who died on D-Day is fully booked for viewings.

The 1,475 life-sized silhouettes, created by Oxfordshire charity Standing with Giants, is based at Fort Nelson in Portsmouth ahead of Remembrance Day.

The installation will remain in the city until 26 January and is free to view, but Royal Armouries, which runs Fort Nelson, had asked people to register first.

More stories from the south of England

Real Housewives star on her ‘idyllic’ childhood

Stream The Real Housewives of London exclusively on Hayu A woman with blonde hair wearing a gold metal top and white trousers.Stream The Real Housewives of London exclusively on Hayu

Amanda Cronin is a former model and now a skincare founder

Amanda Cronin, a former model who founded her own skincare business, grew up in a country home in Hampshire and says she had an “idyllic” childhood in Hamble and Dorset.

The 57-year-old, who now lives in Belgravia, is one of the breakout stars of the new Real Housewives television franchise in London.

The reality show has spread around the world, with viewers lapping up the partying and catfighting by wealthy socialites in locations from Sydney to Nairobi.

Cattle grazing common after 80-year absence

Alex Cruickshank Two Belted Galloway heifers - they are dark brown and white with thick coats and have chans with a device  - a GPS tracker - hanging from them.Alex Cruickshank

The cattle wear GPS collars allowing them to roam the common without fences

Cattle are back grazing a common in Berkshire for the first time in over 80 years to help restore its rare heathland.

The herd of 10 Belted Galloway are roaming across 266 hectares (657 acres) of Bucklebury Common north-east of Thatcham, wearing GPS collars so they can be tracked without the need for fences.

The cattle’s grazing and wanderings will trample down dense areas of bracken and invasive plants to allow heather and dwarf shrubs to grow to boost numbers of heathland birds, reptiles, bats and butterflies.

Congestion charge signs to be amended after error

A grey and white road sign saying motorists can pay the fee "on line", instead of "online".

The signs in question say motorists can pay the fee “on line”, instead of “online”

Oxfordshire County Council has said it will amend road signs alerting motorists to a new £5 congestion charge after a grammatical error was spotted.

The grey and white signs advertising the new charge for cars passing through six points in Oxford say motorists can pay the fee “on line”, instead of “online”.

The local authority, which had installed various different signs sharing details of the fee ahead of its launch on Wednesday, said the error would be “amended in coming days”.



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