13/09/2011 The One Show

Hello and welcome to The One Show with Matt Baker. And Alex Jones.

Our guest tonight was once the most famous choirboy in the country.

we have asked some of the Trinity Boys' Choir to come in and help us

introduce him. Who is it? Thank you so much for that! They

are my personal quiet now. They follow me everywhere I go. We could

do and Alex Jennings song as well - - and Alex Jones song. So you are

here to talk about the 50th anniversary of Songs Of Praise. But

you call it karaoke. In tis the world's largest karaoke, watched by

30 million people worldwide. You get the words, and you can sing

along. My grandparents call it Sunday karaoke. Most people have a

go when they see the words. used to sing those hymns in

assembly. Even if you are not Christian, you watch it and sing

along. Are you a fan of karaoke? Are I have done it once on holiday

when I was 19. And a girl came up to me and said, you have got a

really good voice, he should be a professional. But you are not as

good as Marti Pellow. As we have got Aled and the Trinity Boys'

Choir here, we want to see pictures of you and your choir. So send us

your choir photos. Make sure we know which one is using the picture.

Many who suffer violence at the hands of their partners later

discover that they have previously committed similar crimes. Anita

Rani looks at a controversial proposal which could change that,

and meet a policeman who says women should be able to ask police if

they new boyfriend has a criminal record.

I am not someone you would ever expect to be on the receiving end

of domestic violence, and neither, probably, are you. But imagine for

one second that you have met someone new and it is all going

well, and then you start to have doubts. Are they being too intense,

a bit controlling? Possibly even aggressive? When aspects of your

new partner's behaviour begin to raise concern, should women have

the right to know if they have a history of domestic abuse? This man

believes they should. It would give the ladies of this country another

layer of protection if they are informed that their partner has a

history of violence. Michael Brown's daughter Claire was

murdered by a man who had already assaulted five other women. Should

she have been told about his history? To find out that he had

already had three Moller station orders against three other ladies

and had also done six months of breaking one of those orders and

had followed one young lady from Manchester up to Newcastle after

she had changed her name and appearance, he took the wind out

and held this young lady at knifepoint for eight hours. He got

three and a half years for that. You are not supposed to bury your

children. It just left a hole. Still does. Michael wants to give

the police the power to tell people that their new partner has a

history of domestic abuse. Known as Clare's Law, it has received

support from the most senior police officer responsible for combating

domestic violence at a national level. There are two ways it would

work. People can approach the police and say, I have a new

partner or I am about to have a new partner. I am bringing somebody

into my household. Is there anything I need to know that

affects my safety? The other way is the right to know, where, from

police data, we can tell that someone has a long history of

abusing a number of partners. We should be in a position to consider

disclosing that information to the next new partner. Could Clare's Law

really work? Do we want the state knocking on our door, telling us

what is what? There are problems in my relationship, shouldn't I be the

one who works it out? If it gets violent, I could always leave.

too long, we have been reacting to domestic abuse, hoping that some

victim will come forward. I want to see a more proactive approach. I

think Clare's Law could reduce the number of cases we have to deal

with. In every case, there is the potential for homicide. So could

Clare's Law help reduce homicide in this country? I think it could.

Knowing something about the past of the perpetrator takes the guilt of

the victim. It is not me that is at fault, it is him or her. Lucy Reid

is a barrister who specialises in domestic violence cases. She is not

convinced the Clare's Law is practical. There are many

perpetrators of domestic violence who have managed to avoid having

any convictions. So if a woman were to ask the police for a check on

her partner, it could come up clear. But it might not mean she is safe.

But what if I were in an abusive relationship, and then I found out

that the guy had a history of violence and the police knew about

it, but they didn't tell me? How would I feel? We did a lot of

research. We found the 25,000 serial perpetrators of domestic

abuse. We found one case where a guy had seven different apartments

being abused by him over three years. So we think where we have

information that is compelling, we should make that known to people.

But Lucy Reid says it would take considerable police resources to

keep tabs on all potential perpetrators. But the police to be

able to seek out women and warn them of a potential risk, they need

to firstly know where the perpetrator is in order to identify

that he has formed a new relationship. Brian Moore says in

his force, they have already started to do that. In my own force

area, we had over 126 individuals who had assaulted multiple partners.

A serial perpetrator will continue to offend against partners unless

they are stopped. My force is trying to get ahead of the curve

and work to try and track these people. Do we have the power to do

this? No. That is why I want the law clarified. Had I known what he

was capable of, I would have had her out in a heartbeat. If my

daughter had known, she would have been away from there so fast, it

would have made her eyes water. Anita is here. Chief Constable

Brian Moore obviously supports the law. He wants to be able to give

women the right to ask and the right to know. He also wants to

give police the power to be able to warn women in advance when they are

in relationships with serial domestic abusers, which would mean

the police would be able to have the power to track these seriously

violent abusers, which he says they are already doing in Wiltshire. He

wants to make policing proactive rather than reactive. That is

because he says women in these horrible relationships, it is

difficult for them to come forward because they are vulnerable and

feel trapped. There are lots of statistics to back up that it takes

them a long time to come to the police. So he wants to provide an

environment where the police can step in if they feel a woman is in

danger of being abused severely. man obviously also affected by

domestic violence. Would this law help them as well? Potentially. It

is still in discussion. One in six men have suffered some form of

domestic violence at some point in their lives. So we will say,

depending what discussions come out of it.

A Aled is here to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Songs Of Praise.

Is that why I am here? Like all good things, it started in Wales.

In 1961, the first ever programme came from the Tabernacle Welsh

Baptist Gedge in Cardiff. Since then, it has grown into a TV

institution. Gyles Brandreth takes a look at why it has lasted an

amazing half-a-century. I have had a letter from BBC

religious programmes, a chap called Tristan Campbell. He says he wants

to film Songs Of Praise here at St Barnabas. Heaven preserve us!

50 years old. 50 years of prayers. 50 years of hymns, and more hymns.

Oh, yes, and even more hymns. And suspiciously full congregations.

Its cameras have visited more than 1800 locations since 1961, from

mighty cathedrals to a humble chapels. Hat shops will be

eternally grateful. People would say that a switch on for the hymns,

but what they remember most after the programme has finished are the

people who speak so generously in between those hymns. So Arms Of

Praise has opened its welcoming doors to many recognisable faces.

Charlotte Church, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, Dolly Parton. Dolly

Parton? # Hello, God. If we are still on

singing terms, can you help me? My mother told me never to wear

anything I would not wear in church. That is why I have not stepped in

church in 40 years! But no matter who performs on it, the values that

have underpinned the show remain constant. On the fourth day of

Alamein, they kept shelling us and shelling us and then suddenly, a

shell blew a wind from his neck to his bottom. I had this man in my

arms. God gave me the strength. After all these years, it still

affects me. And it can always be relied on to capture the public

mood in times of national tragedy. This morning, we woke to the tragic

news of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. We staged a live

outside broadcast from St Paul's Cathedral that evening. During that

programme, by Anna's body arrived in the plane. And someone very wise

at the top of the BBC must have made the decision to stay with the

music coming from St Paul's Cathedral during our programme.

Songs Of Praise, there is a place for solemnity. And yes, there is a

place for silliness, too. A lot of people who would not be seen dead

talking to a priest will always come and talk to a parrot! You are

dressed as a clown, but you are actually a real Reverend? And a

real clown! A warm welcome, on a very cold day in winter. Over 200

different presenters have fronted this show. None loomed larger than

Sir Harry caecum. It is a place of barbed-wire and locked doors. These

cells are home, not so sweet home, for every prisoner until his

sentence is served. It has been in our homes over half a century, with

an audience peaking at 11 million. To be honest, I have not watched

every episode religiously. I am waiting for the box-set. For now,

let's leave the last word to my favourite, Dame Thora Hird. Bye bye

for now. And God bless you. Brilliant excerpts in that film.

The new programme is celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. As

soon as that music starts, it is Yorkshire pudding and my mum's mash.

You have the Voice Of An Angel! me, it is a cup of tea and a piece

of cake. For me, it is a job. saw you at a very young age in that

film. Yes, I did not realise I had been involved with it for so long.

I have been presenting it properly since 2000, but I did it a few

times prior to that. You were telling us your first glass of wine

was shaped -- shared with Harry? was a professional. When he stood

up to do a piece to camera, he would have a special pair of

trousers with no creases in them. I had my first glass of wine at about

16 or 17 in Rome with Harry. What is your best memory? There have

been so many. I really enjoyed the Remembrance programme I did from

the Falklands, because I had never been there before. It was moving.

It was minus 19, pretty cold. I did not build a snowman, before you say

anything. They must be delighted to have such an incredible chorister,

even if you are a bit forgetful at That is brilliant. They have first

time Songs of Praise has ever been on Auntie's bloomers. A lovely

leather jacket. The Church always looks really full with a massive

congregation. Everyone has great hair. The is it because they are on

the telly? I couldn't possibly comment. They are more full because

of the TV but most members of the congregation are members of that

church, but maybe they don't go every Sunday. The hairdresser it

does well when Songs of Praise comes to town. Hazard put pressure

on your faith at all? I don't go to church on a Sunday because I am on

Radio 2. I don't think you have to go to church every week to be a

Christian. You show me a perfect Christian and I will show you a

liar. I have tried to live my life with Christian values, don't always

succeed but I drive. There are loads of things going on. Yes,

there is a service coming from Cardiff this Sunday, Pam Rhodes is

presenting that. That is the music they had on that programme in 1961.

The second want the following week is me looking back at 50 years of

the best stories and music. Then an hour-long second on the 22nd from

Alexandra Palace, with Catherine Jenkins, Beverley Knight, 7000

people. It will be good. There will be another aunties bloomers for you

to play in another few years probably! Back to the next

generation of Alan -- young The English countryside is

beautiful. Very green, very pleasant and wonderful place to

spend some time, but when we are sauntering in the countryside there

is something lurking in the background - the electricity pile

on. Of course, they have always not been with us. Before the 1920s,

electricity was a very local affair. Originally when we started using

electricity there were local generators, but as are used to the

-- our use of electricity increased, we needed for these. We needed

something that was safe and structurally sound, something that

would end your and it met that brief. It was designed in 1928 and

I think it is run a successful. It is like Wade, strong. You can see

this guy behind them because it is a lacy design. Pylons don't talk

many popularity polls but they did bring power to the masses and that

is what inspired some unlikely fans. They weren't in the large

industrial cities, but here in the heart of intellectual English

thinking. The University of Oxford. This library holds the papers of a

group of poets who were partial to a pylon. Valentine Cunningham is

Professor of English language and literature. Aren't poets usually

interested in trees and fields? this lot, they were obsessed with

modernity. They wanted to write about the modern world,

industrialism and so on. They were particularly interested in

industrial modernism. Perhaps this was the most famous poem of the

1930s, called The Pylons. The pile on swerve a sign of a happy arrival

of modernity. What comes across and holds up in a poem like that is

this kind of genuine democratic, and it was of course socialist,

feeling that her at last something was being done for ordinary people.

Love it or hate it, the current design has been around for more

than 70 years. There are thousands of them and their numbers are about

to increase because we are aiming to reduce our reliance on fossil

fuels. That means more electricity, but coming from different sources

such as wind farms. They need new prions to carry the electricity.

These could be radically different from the old ones if someone can

come up with a better design in a competition for engineers,

architects and students. In Iceland they had the most stunning designs,

which was men striding across the landscape. Why change such a

successful design? Because technology has changed, things have

moved on over the years. There maybe new materials and more

elegant designs. The best six designs will be on display in the

Victoria and Albert Museum and the public will be invited to comment.

It is a design classic which has stood the test of time, but if some

bright spark comes up with a good idea the British landscape could

change forever. Still in his pylon costume, it is

filled. How do you feel to be our new pylon expert? Very proud.

disaster be one of the weirdest competitions going. What happens

next? The shortlisted designs are announced in the morning and will

be displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum with the winner

announced in October. The winner will be considered by the National

Grid, that is all. It is not definite. But they have got a

chance, so good luck to them. other countries they have come up

with some beauties. In Italy, this is in production. It is a beauty,

nice clean lines. It is meant to be the shoot of a plant. This is in

Norway, that was a one-off pylon. It might be dangerous, people

walking into the mirror as they go along. The runner-up was a reindeer.

We have had a go at designing our own, and you kind of went with the

reindeer, didn't you. It looks like I have been copying, but I haven't.

Would that be a real sheep? I went for... Predictable, disco balls on

top. Add a bit of glamour to the roads. A singing pylon! And, as you

say, very predictable. A cricket bat. Next you'll be saying there is

a pylon appreciation Society. is a website you can go to and get

pictures of them from all over the world, and another website which

has a pylon of the month award. This one is in Oxfordshire. I can

see why. On we go. Anyway, we need I am in Scotland hunting for a wild

thing. She is a bit fruity because she looks like a strawberry. And

she has got eight legs. On this estate in Scotland, lying just

miles from the infamous Loch Ness, it is home to the strawberry spider.

It is originally thought to be confined to south-east England,

they were discovered north of the borders in the late 80s in small

numbers. Thanks to this local spider enthusiast, an impressive

population has recently been found. I have not seen all 640 British

spider species but I would love to see the strawberry spider. How did

you find your first one? He last summer, it happened to be a mail so

not as spectacular as the female. By the time the summer was over, I

had found 50. In this one area? but bear in mind they are all over

the place. The spite being one of the brightest coloured spiders in

the UK, they are masters of hiding themselves from us and their prey.

They do this by using a simple virtually folded into a tent-like

structure and suspended on a web. George, over here. I assume I have

found you won, I am 95% confident. That is amazingly brightly coloured.

We had found a male spider, which showed us we were in the right

place. In the summer months, males actively search for the females who

are safely tucked up inside their abode. It is not long before I hit

the jackpot. Reveal all, please. She is quite big. Super. You are

right, once you get your eye Ian for the home, the retreat, it is

quite obvious. That looks like a strawberry, a very small strawberry.

It is amazing to think that, if you were a spider in the open in the

Highlands where it rains a lot, having little umbrella retreat is

quite a good idea, isn't it? That is what you want. Some were dry.

But their retreats have a second purpose as well. Being ambushed

predators, the spiders can wait inside the leaf for unsuspecting

insects to become entangled in their words. The strands of these

words are super-strong and sticky, making them great for catching

small insects. The trouble with spider webs is they can be very

hard to see but if you fill a sock with cornflour, you simply give it

a little pat and particles settle on the web making it easy to see

and it does not hurt the spider at all. By following these spiders for

the past year, Jane has a much better idea of exactly where to

look for them. What does this spider require for its habitat?

Where we are, just where we are. Large open spaces, clearings within

the woodland. They particularly like this purple more grass which

seems to add strength to their words. -- webs. As little is known

about this spider's distribution, Jane is continuing her hunt and has

already found two more locations in the Scottish Highlands. The Spider

might be more common than we thought, we just haven't been

looking in the right places. Thanks to you for all of your choir

pictures you have been sending in. Gail Ritchie from the Glasgow

Gospel Choir, there she is smiling away. Gospel and modern pop music.

Card of style ladies barbershop chorus. This is Louise sitting on

the floor and she is with the Peterhouse chapel choir from

Cambridge. Dan White and his choir, the funky little choir. Thank you