Centenarians open Attenborough 100th birthday show

Two centenarians will lead the celebrations as a city marks Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday with a new immersive show on Friday.

Ivor Foster and Nicky Nicholson, both born in 1926, will be among the first people to experience a new 210-degree version of Our Story with David Attenborough inside the Market Hall Immersive Dome in Plymouth.

Born in Stonehouse, Foster remembers the Market Hall from wartime Plymouth, when he worked as an air raid precautions messenger boy, running messages between Stonehouse and Devonport.

Also 100, Nicholson has lived in Plymouth all her life and raised six children after being widowed at just 41.

The immersive dome projection system covers a 210-degree field of view alongside a large sound system.

The experience officially opens to the public on Friday, Sir David's birthday, telling the story of Earth's 4bn-year history alongside humanity's shorter journey.

Foster, who was 18 when he joined the RAF as a Lancaster bomber gunner, said after the show: "Today was just beautiful. We really need to know and understand this world we have.

"So many people are destroying it and that's not right. I hope people listen to David Attenborough and change their ways."

Nicholson's career spanned roles with the Navy and the War Damage Department, which managed post-war building materials, before she spent 31 years working for the charity Gingerbread supporting single parents.

She said: "Today's just been such wonderful stuff. I think until recently I didn't really understand how everything in nature added up, but David Attenborough has really helped me understand the significance of nature."

The pair watched the show alongside family, friends and carers, before joining a wider community preview later with 100 Devonport residents.

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