Village party for man who keeps Oscar next to bananas

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Family and friends have held a party to congratulate an Oscar winner two months on from his award.

James Price from Herefordshire won the Best Production Design category for movie Poor Things alongside Shona Heath.

He said life had been "a whirlwind" since his return to the UK and the party was to thank those who had supported him over the years.

His mother, Silvia Middleton, who was also at the party at Brimfield village hall, stayed up with neighbours to watch the awards in Los Angeles on 10 March and said: "It was surreal really, you felt like you weren't watching it."

Mr Price's wife, Liz, said: "I can't even remember the speeches, I was bawling my eyes out.

"We knew they'd win deep down, but you just never know."

Silvia Middleton
Silvia Middleton said it had been "surreal" to see her son win [BBC]

Mr Price said he went to a series of Hollywood parties after the awards and said the experience was "really weird".

"I'd much rather settle in for the night somewhere," he said.

"I'm not really into pub crawls, I'd rather just find a nice pub and stay there."

He said his Oscar statue was on display alongside his Bafta at his home.

"They're actually on top of my record deck which is in the kitchen, next to the bananas, part of our everyday life."

But he said he got the greatest pleasure after seeing the joy the trophies brought other people.

Shona Heath, who also won an Oscar for Best Production Design alongside Mr Price, joined BBC Hereford & Worcester for its own Oscar party on Friday.

When asked if her win had sunk in yet, she said: "I do not really know what 'sunk in' means because it was something that I never thought was in my remit or even dreamed of.

"Although I am a huge dreamer, visually this was not a goal of mine so I am sort of baffled and it feels very surreal so I do not think it has sunk in."

The pair had already won accolades from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) when they won their Oscars.

Shona Heath
Shona Heath told BBC Hereford & Worcester she was still "baffled" by her awards [BBC]

Ms Heath credited her mum with helping her get into her career and described her as a "colourful whirlwind out of a box of ideas".

"It just felt very normal to me that that is what design was or colour or environment or what I would wear," she explained.

"She was always interested in fashion and design."

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