A double celebration took place in Kingston on Tuesday, 10 February to commemorate the debut of David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' persona.

A new mural of the music icon, designed to replace one that was accidentally destroyed by TfL during the pandemic, was unveiled at Tolworth Roundabout by local charity The Community Brain.

Following the unveiling, cows were released onto Tolworth Court Farm Fields for the first time in 50 years, as part of rewilding efforts by Citizen Zoo.

The occasion marked 54 years to the day since Bowie kicked off his world tour at the Jug Pub, which sits directly opposite the Roundabout.

Dr Robin Hutchinson MBE, Director of The Community Brain, claimed the idea to link the two events was inspired by Bowie's iconic Life on Mars lyric "Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow."

He described the occasion as a "wonderful, wonderful day", and hailed the monumental impact Bowie had on the cultural zeitgeist.

He said: "On 10 February 1972, one man walked onto a stage and changed music, sexuality, design and fashion.

"Bowie's influence is still felt today through all of those. It isn't just his music, it's his whole persona."

Ben Stockwell, meanwhile, Senior Urban Rewilding Officer for Citizen Zoo, hopes the cow release helps to improve biodiversity in the Farm Fields.

He added: "I hope to see a mixed mosaic of grassland, scrubby areas, woodland and trees.

"Obviously with the wetland in there as well we hope to see a lot of wildflowers and vegetation blooming."

The scheme is part of the Zoo's Wild Tolworth initiative, which has benefitted from £500,000 of National Lottery funding.

The organisation has previously led efforts to reintroduce beavers and water voles to London, and also plans to bring white storks back to the capital for the first time in centuries.

Elliot Newton, Director of Rewilding at the Zoo, highlighted the importance of having natural habitats such as Tolworth Court in urban areas.

He said: "This is a story for the people of Tolworth that we do not need to travel into the distant countryside to experience nature.

"It is here, 20 minutes from Waterloo.

"It's absolutely phenomenal we can have these natural stories unfolding around us."

Newton also praised locals for bringing the project to fruition, with more than 5000 people involved in Wild Tolworth and over 2000 volunteering on the Farm Fields alone.

"This is a project being led by local people, which is truly phenomenal," Newton continued.