19/02/2014 East Midlands Today


19/02/2014

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you. That is all from

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This is East Midlands Today with Geeta Pendse and me, Maurice Flynn.

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Tonight: The routine eye check`up that saved a man's life.

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How this simple scan spotted a potentially deadly form of cancer

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developing. If I had not had the eye test, who knows what would have

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happened. Also tonight, the reserve is enough can tee `` the reservists

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navigating some of Afghanistan's most dangerous roads. We are pretty

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much protected from everything. And I will be finding out why Derby has

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become the real ale capital of the country.

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Cheers! Behind the scenes at Nottingham Forest against Leicester

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City. The fans may not like each other but the two kit men get on.

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Find out more later. Good evening. Welcome to Wednesday's

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programme. First tonight, a regular eye test that became a life saver.

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A Derby man was diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow cancer

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after his optometrist spotted a minuscule haemorrhage at the back of

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his eye. Steve Trower believes that without

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this early diagnosis, he may not have survived.

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Today I joined Steve as he revisited the optician to say thank you.

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Keep your eye on the green square. It is two years since Steve had his

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last I scan at this distance. At the time, he thought it was a regular

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checkup, but the optometrist picked up on a tiny town which led to an

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important discovery `` a tiny tear. If you look closely, it you can see

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the tiny haemorrhage the optometrist spotted. It was because of the spot

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that a GP recommended a blood test leading to a diagnosis. If I had not

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come for the eye test, who knows what would have happened. I was

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getting more lethargic, but I put it down to advancing years, working

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hard and things like that. You would not instantly think cancer. He was

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diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow cancer. The severity of the

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illness was a surprise for the optometrist too. Most commonly, when

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you see something like that, you would be thinking more along the

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lines of diabetes or high blood pressure. He came and told us that

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happened and we were surprise. Back at work as a local plumber after

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intense treatment, Steve says he is now on the road to recovery. It is a

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great feeling that I am alive and happy and well and getting on with

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my life. Thanks to the vino. In the past, he left more than a decade

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before going to the optician `` thanks to the optometrist.

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So lucky it was spotted. Absolutely. It was all about regular

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checkups. As the optometrist said, it was a very rare form of cancer,

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but a checkup can help pick up things like high blood pressure and

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diabetes. Have a checkup, they are telling us.

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Sound advice. Next tonight, the East Midlands

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soldiers who run the gauntlet of deadly roadside bombs in

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Afghanistan. They're drivers and it's their job

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to carry supplies through Helmand province in convoys which are

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regularly attacked. One of them is Corporal Andy Betts

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from Wigston in Leicestershire. He's among a group of army reservists

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from Loughborough and Grantham who've been deployed on what the

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military calls combat logistics patrols. Our social affairs

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correspondent Jeremy Ball reports. Imagine getting stuck behind this

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lot when you are trying to get to work. More than 50 armoured trucks

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travelling in convoy. On this patrol, they reservist `` a reserve

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list from Leicestershire. A chance to get away from the traffic jams of

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his normal job and face challenges. It is small arms fire and IEDs.

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Because of the arm on the vehicles, we're pretty much protected from

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everything. There has been a lot of change. They are closing down now.

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The bases have shrunk. It is fascinating to see. They are

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collecting millions of pounds worth of sensitive equipment. It makes

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these patrols a prime target. That is why the huge force protection

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vehicles are pushing rollers in front of them. They will take the

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force of the blast if they hit an improvised bomb. The latest threat

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they are facing is known as a pillow IED, a sack full of explosives

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thrown underneath the vehicle. An occupational hazard for this man

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whose family is back in rodding ten. I was not expecting the bank. Some

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people will wave at you, some people will wave `` throw stones at you. It

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is crazy. The way they live. The way they drive. It is quite mad. As this

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mission comes to an end, the Army is becoming increasingly reliant on its

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reservist. For this man going back to delivering clothes might just

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seem a bit tame after his stint out here.

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A teenager has been jailed for three years for the manslaughter of his

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best friend who was found dead in his burnt`out car. Ryan Morrell had

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fallen asleep in the car after attending the Fristock festival near

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Melton Mowbray last July. 18`year`old Jack Buckley

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accidentally dropped his lighter while searching for his possessions

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in the dark. He didn't know anyone was in the car, but failed to raise

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the alarm after the fire started. The number of unemployed people in

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the East Midlands has fallen by 4,000. The total number of people

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out of work in the region now stands at 162,000. The rate of unemployment

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in the East Midlands is at 6.9%. That's below the national average of

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7.2%. It's Wednesday and it's Geeta and

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Maurice with you tonight. Still plenty ahead between now and 7pm,

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including what shopkeepers make of the town threatening to remove any

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A`boards or signs it feels are dangerously blocking its streets.

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A further round of big budget cuts and job losses have been approved by

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one of the region's county councils. The Conservative leadership at

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Leicestershire's County Hall says it has to find savings of ?110 million

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over the next few years. But voluntary groups and opposition

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parties have been pressing for a rethink. For the details, let's join

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our political editor John Hess. We are now into the fourth year of

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council austerity budgets. And the political decisions being taken here

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at County Hall, Glenfield, aren't getting any easier. A council

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meeting today where the only item on the agenda was money. And the

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continuing squeeze on budgets. Leicestershire County Council is

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having to find budget cuts of ?18.2 million next year. That is part of

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?110 million worth of cuts over the next four years. It will reduce its

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overall spending by a third. It could mean 700 additional job losses

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on top of the 750 that have already gone. Is there an alternative? That

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is the challenge I put to the Labour Party opposition. It is proposing to

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chop the support staff to the political parties. That is something

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we can do immediately. An enormous number of redundancies are taking

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place in the county council that front line services. We cannot

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justify three political assistants. What is the alternative budget at

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the Lib Dems? They want to freeze council tax. We are still delivering

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three additions. It costs 100 thousand pounds on the brochures and

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publicity. The impact of the cuts will be felt at this museum and

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visitor centre. It is facing a funding cut of a third of its

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funding. Joining me now is the county council Leader, Nick Rushton.

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These are big cuts. Was there any alternative? No, not in our view. We

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have done the best we can and we have sought to protect the front

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line servant `` services. Incredibly tough decisions. We have tried to

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get some alternative budget proposals from the opposition. The

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Labour Party suggested scrapping the political assistants. Is that a

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runner? They also suggested a 1.5% council tax rise, that is the

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principal difference between us and the Labour Party. We want to keep

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the tax levels at 0%. At a national level, coalition partners, the Lib

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Dems, they suggested perhaps changing the street lighting policy,

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introducing LED lights which are cheaper. Also chopping

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communications budget saving ?100,000. Big numbers. We will look

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at all those things. ?100,000 does not save 110 million. Next year,

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even tougher decisions. It is 110 million over four years. I am

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assured by the Chancellor that no matter who wins the next general

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election, the recession may be over, but the structural deficit is not

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and we need to deal with it. And you. Next week, it is County Hall

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West Bridgford and the turn of Nottingham county council to fix its

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budget next Thursday. For details to emerge, I am sure.

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Now to a high`street row that's got shopkeepers standing firm against

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threats to confiscate their advertising boards if they're put on

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the street outside their businesses. The town council at Stamford in

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Lincolnshire says such signs obstruct pavements, are dangerous

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and they say they're illegal. But traders say they're vital in

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attracting shoppers in tough times. Paul Murphy has more.

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High streets are competitive places and for many businesses putting out

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the board as part of the morning routine. Here their proliferation is

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dividing the town. The council wants them to go and businesses are

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furious. It is ridiculous. We put something on our Facebook page and

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we had so much response saying how ridiculous it is. Seems very

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aggressive from them. We would like to have a conversation about it

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rather than a nasty letter. The town council's letter says it has had

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complaints about the increasing number of boards and advertising

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clutter. It says the boards or illegally placed items in hazardous

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locations and says there could be legal action if they cause an

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accident. The council says enforcement action could involve

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removal of the obstruction. Kathleen is partially sighted and among those

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who have complained. A trip to town she says is like going on an

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obstacle course. You are frightened you are going to run into them.

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Sometimes you might go down the high street and someone has put one out

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that you do not know about. Retailers now have about two weeks

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to get rid of their boards. We are going to look into our insurance and

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make sure we are covered. We are going to stick together. If they

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want to take them away, we are not going to let them. No one from the

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council was available for comment or to give a statement. Their letter to

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retailers makes it clear that in their view, the boards are a

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potential breach of the highways that and they want them cleared from

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the street. Alfreton Town Football Club want the

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team's fans to buy tickets early for upcoming games to avert a cash`flow

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crisis caused by seven weeks without a home match. The Reds are doing

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well this season and are currently in third place in the Conference

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Premier League. But poor weather has stopped them playing at home for

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weeks and the club says it's now struggling to pay its bills.

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A railway tunnel in Derbyshire has been named as the oldest in the

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world by the Guinness World Book of Records. The tunnel at Fritchley

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near Crich was built on a short mineral railway dating from 1793.

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The line carried limestone from quarries at Crich to the Cromford

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Canal at Bull Bridge until 1933. The tunnel was blocked up in the 1980s,

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but was reopened last year to allow an archaeological investigation to

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take place. How wonderful. A subject close to

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many of our hearts, beer and lots of it! It seems Derby has become the

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real ale capital of the country. For the first time ever, the

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Campaign for Real Ale or CAMRA is holding its national winter beer

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festival in the city's Roundhouse. 12,000 people are expected over the

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next three days. Today, Jo Healey was one of them.

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These beers are excellent. We are having a great time. I like a bear.

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It sparkles on your tongue `` bear. The judges have come to find the

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supreme Champion beer. I hate this stuff! But these guys love it. The

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judges but winter ales. This is a blind tasting of the best. A nice

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coffee smell coming out of that. It has obviously got plenty of nice

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roasted malts in there. Quite a dark beer. You need a torch. We can make

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sure it is nice and clear and has not got yeast particles floating in

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it. The carbonation is a little low. Not a great deal of sparkle on my

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tongue. The taste is quite pleasant. I would drink a lot more of this.

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What is it like to be a former supreme champion? It had a huge

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impact on our business. People nationally acclaimed aware of the

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beers we brew in the East Midlands. Now Derby is on the map. Sadly the

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supreme winner was not local this year but the festival most

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definitely is. It is like Nirvana, beer Nirvana.

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I want to see if I can make my glass do that thing with the lights!

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I am sure there will be plenty of beer at the football match tonight.

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Let us check out the weather. My advice is to take your waterproof.

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You might need it as you head home. On the plus side, it will be mild.

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More details later. Time for sport and there's a big

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game tonight for two of our teams, so the sports team are out and

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about. Here's Natalie. Yes, a big night for two our cities

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football teams as Nottingham Forest take on Leicester City here at the

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City Ground. The shirts are out inside the dressing rooms, the teams

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are ready. Why is it so important? Well, both teams want promotion.

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They want to go to the Premier League. This is Lester's dressing

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room, the away dressing room, at the city ground. A win for Leicester

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will put them ten points clear at the top of the table. If Nottingham

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Forest when, they will go within one win of the top two. We got the

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bragging rights in the first game. This is another challenge for both

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clubs. Leicester City are going very well. It should be a very exciting

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game. We have got an awful lot to play for the season and Nottingham

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Forest are in good form themselves and they have got themselves into a

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really good position. Of course, it being a local derby, it gives an

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added spice. We are all looking forward to it. We want to try and

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get our performance right and continue with our good form. Outside

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the picture is looking good. Leicester City and Nottingham Forest

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are both in top form at the moment. So too are Derby County. We are the

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best in the East Midlands at the moment. All teams in the top six and

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what a victory last night at Sheffield Wednesday. They are now

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third. The players that Derby are having a

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well earned day off today. Another huge win for them last night. All

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courtesy of a moment of magic. It was a goal worthy of winning any

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game. Patrick Bamford has been in fine form but this was his finest

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goal yet. Derby had arrived at Sheffield Wednesday in confident

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mood and why not? They were unbeaten in their last five and flying high

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in the league. At times, they were having to dig deep. Twice they had

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to clear chances off the line. With the game seemingly headed for a

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draw, up stepped Patrick Bamford. I knew I would shoot as soon as I got

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it. It was my only chance. People were talking about pushing for

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automatic promotion, I would not know out of experience, but picking

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up the three points, that is what you have got to do. Derby are up to

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third in the table, just two points off an automatic promotion place.

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There is a very real possibility we could be seeing Premier League

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football here next season. Now it is time for the latest in our

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series in life after sport. Tonight, Helen is with Loughborough athlete

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Steve Backley. Steve Backley is one of our finest

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sportsmen. It is a new Olympic record! Here is the only British

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athlete to have one medals in three consecutive Olympic Games. `` to

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have won medals. Nowadays, you are more likely to find him here at the

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golf club. I love it. Golf grabs you and it fills a void of not being an

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athlete anymore in a lot of ways. He retired from sport in 2004. It was a

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couple of days before he knew what he wanted to do next `` it was a

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couple of years. I started out in retirement going, what now? You go

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damage of centre and say, retired javelin thrower. What are your

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skills? I can throw the javelin a long way. That is not an option.

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Where do you begin? I came away from the Olympics... He announced rules

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`` he now draws from his Olympic experience. I hope my work helps

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people. You are very selfish as an athlete. You have to be

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single`minded. I genuinely love the fact that the workshops we do, the

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presentations we do, they help people fulfil their dreams and

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overcome challenges and we help people enjoy the journey as well.

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Which is better, life now or life as an athlete? That is a tough

:21:43.:21:47.

question. Let me put it into context. Waking up in the middle of

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winter in the southern hemisphere summer and training, that is tough

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to beat. Really tough. I love what I do now, but you can't beat living as

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an athlete. My advice would be, don't try and beat it and don't try

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and compare it. That is just about it from the city ground. The work of

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the kit men is just about over as kick`off is fast approaching. Just

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time to say congratulations to the Nottingham Panthers. They beat the

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Sheffield Steelers last night. It means they are in the final for the

:22:30.:22:33.

first time in a row and they will play the Belfast Giants. Good night

:22:34.:22:39.

from the city ground. You can see all of the goals, Nottingham Forest

:22:40.:22:45.

against Leicester City, in the late bulletin at 10:25pm. We hope there

:22:46.:22:51.

will be calls. We are sure there will be. `` we hope there will be

:22:52.:22:59.

goals. One of the region's principal

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tourist sites has enlisted a local schoolgirl to help develop

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child`friendly attractions. Maddie Ball from Bingham is already the

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youngest volunteer at Southwell Workhouse and now she's been

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recruited as a junior consultant. The workhouse reopened for its new

:23:11.:23:13.

season today and Paul Bradshaw went along to find out more.

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Welcome to the workhouse. Meet Maddie Ball greeting youngsters at

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the workhouse. She has helped come up with a new visitor guide to

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encourage more young people to visit. We made a character who leads

:23:25.:23:32.

the children around the workhouse. We made her a mouse because she can

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go everywhere and she understands the segregation which makes the

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children understand segregation from families as well. She is the third

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generation to work here. Her mum and grandmother also volunteer. A

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fascination with the past, it seems, is in the blood. We have an interest

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as a family in history. I am not surprised she came up with the idea

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and it worked. She worked with the design team on the Trail. It is good

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to work with children. They are so inspiring. Their ideas about what

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workhouse life was like. I took the opportunity to invite Heron and to

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get a child's point of view `` I took the opportunity to invite her

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in. It is not just children learning more. Lily Brown was born here when

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it was known as a public assistance institution. Today was her first

:24:33.:24:38.

visit back. I think it is an eye`opener to think how people lived

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in my generation. I did not realise just how they did live. How these

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workhouses were. That was the biggest eye`opener. As helps guide

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more visitors around, this could be the start of a memorable career in

:24:59.:25:09.

history for one young girl `` as Maddie Ball helps guide more

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visitors around. I think I spotted a bit of blue sky

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in that piece. Have we got any more in store?

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It is looking more unsettled. If you were lucky to get out in the

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sunshine today, there was a little hint of spring. Thank you very much

:25:29.:25:35.

to Julie for sending this in. The perfect rainbow yesterday. If you

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have any pictures to send in, e`mail them to us. A few of your photos

:25:42.:25:47.

will be put onto our Facebook page in the coming days. Overnight, it is

:25:48.:25:51.

turning unsettled. Rain heading our way. Winds strengthening and quite

:25:52.:25:57.

mild. This is the weather front pushing in overnight. Bringing us an

:25:58.:26:02.

early spell of rain, quite patchy in nature. Heavier in the early hours.

:26:03.:26:08.

The isobars are squeezing together. Gusts up to 40 miles an hour. Not as

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extreme as anything over the last few weeks. This evening, fairly

:26:14.:26:19.

decent so far. The cloud has been increasing. One or two light patchy

:26:20.:26:24.

showers around. Then the rain starts to push in. Quite patchy but it will

:26:25.:26:28.

be quite heavy at times. It is remaining mild overnight.

:26:29.:26:32.

Temperatures will drop to seven degrees only. More like a daytime

:26:33.:26:38.

temperature at this time of year. Remaining very windy with strong

:26:39.:26:41.

winds through Thursday morning. The rain will slowly clear away to the

:26:42.:26:45.

East. But I did, decent dry spells in the afternoon `` behind it. Also

:26:46.:26:52.

sharp showers around. Remaining breezy. Still quite windy on Friday.

:26:53.:27:00.

The good news is it will be largely dry with a few showers. A lot of dry

:27:01.:27:06.

weather to be had. But watch out, it will be fairly windy at times.

:27:07.:27:13.

We will be back at 10:25pm. Have a good evening.

:27:14.:27:16.

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