07/07/2016 BBC Wales Today


07/07/2016

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Welcome to the programme. Tonight's headlines:

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One hundred years on, services of commemoration in France

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and at home to remember the Welsh soldiers who fell in

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the battle of Mametz Wood.

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Workers at Tata Steel sites in Wales wait for confirmation

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but the company is expected to hold off on the sale of most

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of its UK business.

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And the Wales team who made history in France prepare for a heroes'

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welcome home tomorrow.

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Good evening.

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It lasted five days, left more than a thousand Welshmen

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dead or missing, around 3,000 wounded.

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Today marks the centenary of the battle of Mametz Wood

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in northern France, where soldiers from across Wales were told

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to assault a German strongpoint.

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Today, services were held across Wales as well as

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a special ceremony in France.

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Roger Pinney reports.

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The music played by the band of the Royal Welsh would have been

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familiar to those who fought here a hundred years ago.

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It included the marches of their regiments.

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We are here today to remember but also to thank.

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And today was a time to remember.

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Those who travelled to Mametz Wood for the ceremony came

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from all aspects of Welsh life, just as the soldiers of 1916 did.

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As wreaths were laid, there was a reminder of the terrible

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toll of the battle for Mametz Wood.

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In 15 minutes, the losses were greater than the British Army's

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15 years in Afghanistan.

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Anita Jordan's uncle, Oliver Loosemore from Penrhiwceiber,

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was among those who died.

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He came out here in May and he died of wounds as a result

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of the battle on July the 11th.

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You are standing here on his ground.

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Yes, on his ground.

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That is a very emotional for me, as you can imagine.

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I think how proud my father would have been to stand

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here in honour of his brother.

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For those who were here, going through the mud,

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walking over barbed wire, towards gunfire,

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and yet still they did it.

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I think it is difficult for us to understand that and that is why

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it is so important for us to remember it.

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For five days the Welsh fought here.

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Time and time again they threw themselves at the wood.

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By the time they were relieved, accounts of the time talk

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of this valley strewn with the dead and wounded.

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4,000 lost - that's a third of the division's infantry strength.

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And back home there were events to remember those from Wales

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who lost their lives at Mametz Wood and throughout the First World War.

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From Cardiff to Caernarfon, hundreds attended ceremonies

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to recall all those Welsh men and women who made

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the ultimate sacrifice.

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We've become used now to the grainy black and white images of war.

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This remarkable film was recorded during the Battle of the Somme

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and then shown to packed picture houses back home.

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And some still photographs survive of the aftermath at Mametz Wood.

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Here, a wounded soldier is returning through the trenches.

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Other pictures show damage caused by hours of shelling.

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They give a flavour but can't fully convey the horror.

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30 years ago, BBC Wales interviewed men who lived through it.

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They included Albert Evans of the 16th Cardiff City battalion

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of the Welch Regiment.

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Alf Jackson of the 14th Swansea Welch and Williams Davies

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of the 11th South Wales Borderers.

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They did not have two shell us because they were mowing us down

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with the rifle fire, the snipers and machine guns.

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I ran through, up to the edge of the wood.

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When I looked at the wood, it was all demolished.

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Branches down, trunks stripped, trunks lying down,

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stumps on the ground.

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Two Welsh rugby internationals were killed at Mametz,

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including Dick Thomas, a collier turned policeman

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who played in two Grand Slam winning sides.

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The Welsh Rugby Union has put his shirt and caps on display.

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We have this remarkable account of his death.

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I remember this huge man down lying down in front of me.

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He got up on his knees and two hands on the ground, went down

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to the ground, killed like that.

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Just in front of you?

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Just in front of me, and I hid behind him all day.

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Many of those who died at Mametz Wood are buried at this

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ceremony, near to where they fell.

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Today, they were all remembered.

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The 38th Welsh Division - men from north, south,

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east and west Wales who fought together and died together here.

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To other news.

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A 29-year-old man from Cardiff has been found guilty of causing

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the deaths of a father and his unborn baby by dangerous driving.

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Kyle Kennedy crashed into a car on Lamby Way on New Year's Eve.

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33-year-old Simon Lewis died at the scene.

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His son was delivered three days after the collision

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but died later that day.

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A nurse has been sacked for looking at patients'

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private hospital records.

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Hywel Dda University Health Board, which runs services

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in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, says no

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changes were made to any of the records and has apologised

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to everyone affected.

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Tata Steel is expected to announce that it will hold off on the sale

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of most of its UK business, including its site at Port Talbot,

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which employs around 4,000 people.

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But the company says it will proceed with the sale of its speciality

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steel-making operations at sites in England.

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Tata's board is due to meet at its headquarters in Mumbai tomorrow,

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from where our correspondent Yogita Limaye reports.

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It is inside this building, the headquarters of the Tata Group

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in Mumbai, that the Tata Steel board meets and the meeting on Friday

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is particularly significant because it is the first time

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the board will be coming together after the UK voted

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to leave the European Union.

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That has huge implications for Tata Steel's business in Europe.

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In March, the company had announced it wants to sell off its entire

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British business and in May it said that at least seven potential buyers

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had expressed an interest.

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About a quarter of the steel that Tata produces in the UK is sold

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to Europe and potential buyers are likely to worry about future

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access to such a key market.

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It is just another complication in what is already

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a complex sale negotiation.

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There is speculation that Tata Steel might decide to put the entire sale

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process on hold until there is some clarity on what the Brexit vote

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really means for businesses.

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Tata Steel employs about 11,000 workers in the UK.

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About 4,000 in Port Talbot.

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The British government has been desperate to save face

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and save jobs.

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Business Secretary Sajid Javid has been here several times to meet

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with Tata Steel's management and he is on another visit now.

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Despite the Brexit vote, the government has said

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it maintains its offer to take a 25% stake in whatever deal is struck to

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buy Tata Steel's British operations.

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But the company has said it has been losing ?1 million a day for more

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than a year in the UK and finally it will be up to the board in that

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building to decide how long the company can afford to keep

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losing that kind of money.

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A parade and concert to welcome the Wales football team home

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from Euro 2016 will be held in Cardiff tomorrow.

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Thousands are expected to line the streets

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of the capital to celebrate the team's achievements.

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It was an historic few weeks for Chris Coleman's side,

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who reached the semifinal of the tournament.

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From Lyon, Tomos Dafydd reports.

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Heading home after a football adventure which has lasted longer

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than anyone could have imagined.

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This morning, some were still celebrating what they had achieved

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and, for the manager, a chance to spend time with the family.

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In Lyon, the mass exodus of Wales fans started early.

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They are going home after a memorable summer.

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All lines lead to Cardiff and after four weeks in France,

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the fans can leave with their heads held high.

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As for the players, they will return as heroes.

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"Together stronger" has been the motto throughout.

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In victory and defeat.

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Players and fans have been united.

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They are now national heroes.

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The players say this is just the start of something special.

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We don't want to just turn up to one tournament,

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we want to start qualifying on a regular basis

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and it is about the bigger picture as well.

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We are disappointed now but we will pick ourselves back up.

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We have got loads of confidence.

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A defeat does not damage this bunch

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and we will pick ourselves up for the next trip and go again.

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What a performance from the team in the tournament.

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And as a country as well, we have added to the tournament.

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It has been a great experience.

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# Gwlad, gwlad...

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They cheered in Lyon well into the night.

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And back home, the support just as passionate.

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Tomorrow these fans will have a chance to say thank you.

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An open top bus parade through Cardiff is planned.

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The celebrations culminating in a concert at the Cardiff City Stadium.

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Wales leave the stage having excited, delighted and surprised

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a proud nation.

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The summer of 2016 forever remembered

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for this football fairy tale.

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As Tomos mentioned in his report, the Wales team will have

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a homecoming to remember in the capital tomorrow.

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Some details now on what they and the fans can expect.

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The celebrations get underway at Cardiff Castle.

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This is where, at four o clock, the team will board an open-top bus.

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They'll travel along High Street and St Mary's Street,

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then on to Wood Street.

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Next it's a right on to Westgate Street, before turning left

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and crossing the River Taff.

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The bus will carry on along Wellington Street

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before turning onto Leckwith Road.

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The final stop, Cardiff City Stadium.

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Here, from 5:15pm, at the home of Welsh football, there will be

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a homecoming concert with special guests the Manic Street Preachers,

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before the players and the staff take their place on the stage

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for a question and answer session.

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Preparations are already underway but if you can't make it

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you can follow every twist and turn on BBC Wales services.

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A look at the weather now with Benny.

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Not much sign of summer today by things improving a little bit

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as we go through tomorrow.

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By the afternoon, it is looking dry and brighter.

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Tonight, we have this front which will push back northwards

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through the overnight period.

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Heavy rain likely across the south-east.

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A very muggy night.

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Temperatures getting down to 12 Celsius.

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Tomorrow, that front will clear, but we do have an area of low

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pressure coming in by the time we get to Saturday which will bring

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some wet and windy conditions.

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First thing tomorrow, a wet and windy start,

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but by the afternoon we can look forward to dry

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and brighter conditions.

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Feeling warm and humid out and about across the British Isles

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with that rain clearing parts of the south-east.

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Behind it, just a few showers.

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Highs of 23 Celsius.

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In Wales tomorrow afternoon it is looking promising.

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You can look forward to bright or sunny spells,

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just the odd isolated shower.

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Good news if you are going to the Wales homecoming parade

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to take some sunscreen with you.

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Highs of 17 to 21 Celsius.

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Tomorrow night, dry at first but overnight that next weather

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system pushing in from the south-west, bringing more rain.

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Another very humid night.

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It will be uncomfortable for sleeping.

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Temperatures no lower than 14 Celsius.

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The winds light to moderate.

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On Saturday, it is looking like a wet and windy day.

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Some heavy pulses of rain likely as well.

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Not a nice day to be out and about but it is feeling warm

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with highs of 20 Celsius.

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Sunday, blustery showers, sunny spells and a better day

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in comparison with Saturday.

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As we go into the start of next week, it will remain unsettled

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but feeling less humid.

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And don't forget to join us for that special programme

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celebrating their homecoming between 4pm and 6pm tomorrow.

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For now though, from everyone here, good evening.

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