A LITTLE bit of the West End came to Wolvercote with a fun puppet show on Tuesday.

Sarah Mardel, one of the puppeteers behind the hit stage show War Horse, came to Oxford to lead a workshop on how to bring inanimate objects to life.

Youngsters taking part in the week-long workshop, organised by the Oxford Academy of Performing Arts (OAPA) in Wolvercote Village Hall, were tasked with making everyday objects look like animals.

Tilly Joyce, 12, from North Oxford, said: “We made a giraffe from two long, thin wooden sticks and it was really fun.”

Robin Colyer, co-principal of OAPA, who is pictured recreating a horse with some of the children, said: “Something we have all taken away from it is the level of skill required, but puppetiering is all about using your imagination, coming up with creative solutions and trying them out.”

The play War Horse, adapted from the book by Michael Morpurgo, features a life-size horse puppet which helped the show win a host of awards.