Award for Naturalist and Broadcaster

Sir David Attenborough is to be awarded the honour of the Freedom of the City of Bristol in a ceremony at the City Hall on Tuesday, 17th of December.  This is the highest accolade that the city can bestow and Sir David will be joining an elite club of scientists, public figures and sports personalities who hold this honorary position.  Other holders of the Freedom of the City of Bristol are the British theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Peter Higgs (he of Higgs Boson fame) and Kipchoge (Kip) Keino the head of the Kenyan Olympic Committee.

Kip Keino, a top athlete in the 1970s did much to establish Kenya as a world force in middle and long distance running.  He was awarded the Freedom of the City last year, when Bristol hosted the Kenyan Olympic and Paralympic teams as they prepared for London 2012.

Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough Honoured by the City of Bristol

Sir David is honoured by a city in the south-west of the UK.

Sir David is honoured by a city in the south-west of the UK.

The Natural History Unit of the BBC

Sir David’s award is in recognition of his close association with the BBC’s Natural History Unit which is based in Whiteladies Road, Bristol.  The Natural History Unit has been located in the city since its inception back in 1957.  The BBC’s Natural History Unit produces about fifty hours of television output each year as well as a great many radio programmes and contributions to radio programme content.

Asked to comment on this award, one of many such accolades the broadcaster has received after some sixty years of work in television, Sir David stated:

“It’s a pleasure to receive this honorary title from Bristol, a city I love to visit.  To be made a freeman of the city is a great privilege and one I’m delighted to accept.”

Sir David can be heard on radio 4 next week, when he talks to wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson about his life in sound.  One of his first jobs in the Natural History Unit was as a sound recordist.  The interview was recorded in Qatar, where Sir David is making a film about the captive breeding of Birds of Paradise.

Congratulations to you Sir, look out for those Bristol hills.