Jeremy Paxman and Stephen Fry lend voices for tree trail

Thanks to an Oxfordshire school, now you can.

The duo may be famed for their involvement in Blackadder and QI, Newsnight and University Challenge, but now they have lent their well-known voices to a school project.

Their imitations of trees is part of an upcoming virtual tree trail at Cheney School in Headington.

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Lorna Robinson, director of the Rumble Museum and Iris Classics Centre at the school, said: “All of the trees in the trail have a voiceover – most of them are staff but there’s well-known people such as Stephen Fry and Jeremy Paxman too.

“Those voicing the trees talk about the history of their tree, how the wood of the tree is used, and how they appear in myths and fairytales.

“All this is done in the character of the tree.”

The tree trail sees Mr Fry become a yew tree and Mr Paxman imagine himself as a hawthorn, while local MP Anneliese Dodds impersonates a cherry tree.

Meanwhile, Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries, is an oak tree, and novelist Monica Ali a sycamore tree.

QI host Stephen Fry. Picture: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire

University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman. Picture: Dave Williams

Dr Robinson continued: “We asked the students who they wanted to voice the trees, and they said staff, and also some famous voices.

“We had contact with Jeremy Paxman as he gave a talk a couple of years ago, so he and Stephen Fry were people who we had previous contact with.

“They were both more than happy to get involved and it’s great to have them on board for this.

“One of the best things about the Cheney site is the beautiful trees and woodland, and this project has allowed Year 8 pupils to get to know the trees really well.

Cheney School student Adam Diesel with one of the trees at the site. Picture provided by the school

“Originally we wanted to design a physical tree trail but with lockdown, we decided to go for a virtual trail.

“It was all mainly done over lockdown, the students mapped the trees and identified them during their allowed exercise.

“The staff also really enjoyed lending their voices to the trees, it’s been great to get the school community involved and allow people to find out more about the site.”

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The trail is part of the ‘Cheney 2050’ event, which launches later this month.

The virtual event, which goes live on March 24, is designed for students to imagine what the school might be like in the future, with regards to the environment and its design.

Visit cheney2050.org.uk