06/12/2013 Look East - West

Hello and welcome to Friday's Look East.

Coming up in the programme tonight: The biggest tidal surge since 1953,

but for us the new flood defences held firm.

So what's changed between then and now?

Under investigation ` former teachers at this School Federation

speak out over the way it was run. On the up ` the hospital claiming

it's one of the most improved in the country.

And as the world mourns Nelson Mandela, we look back at his links

to the East. First tonight: it was the biggest

tidal surge to hit the East since 1953. But in the end we escaped

relatively unscathed. New multi`million pound flood defences

stood firm, though in some places it was a close run thing. And tonight

there's a sense of relief in towns like King's Lynn and Wisbech that

things were not worse. So what prevented a repeat of the great

floods of '53? Let's go live to King's Lynn and Louise Hubball.

Good evening. It seems amazing, but if I had been standing here last

night I would have been waist deep in water. As you can see, the water

level has dropped, but last night it was much higher, and still remains

very high. Today has been all about the clear up. Taking stock, and it

is a very different picture here than it was last night.

The water rose rapidly. People could only watch and hope the flood

barriers would hold. There were fears and old wall could collapse,

but that held firm. Today is all about the clear up, and

it is only huge scale, involving emergency services, including

pumping out the basement of this block of flats. I met another fire

crew pumping out a 30 metre restaurant seller, six feet under

water. With no electricity, the owner is

throwing away food. Thousands of pounds worth of alcohol and

electrical goods have also been lost to the flood water.

By what can this morning, the Environment Agency letters in soon

after ten o'clock, I looked in the cellar and so it was completely

filled to the ceiling with thousands of gallons of water. It was

heartbreaking. The restaurant has only been open

eight months. Malcolm will now lose valuable Christmas trade. The impact

of this is not lost on those salvaging the situation.

You see people any state of distress, they are upset, they have

possessions and in some instances their livelihoods. You try to show a

little bit of compassion. As you say, we have got a job to do to get

on with. Parasols I spoke to in King's Lynn

had not been affected. The talk was that the flood defences had worked.

We got away very likely this time. We lived here 25 years and I have

never seen what are the high. It's astonishing, and thank goodness

that the flood defences they have put in place have worked as well as

they have. A lot of people were very worried about what would happen.

Came down about six o'clock this morning, and expect it up what down

here. It was up to here on the war. Back the sellers of this hotel were

also breached and alcohol was lost here.

Manager believes the floodgates saved them.

It shows that the investment they have made over time was working. If

not, this would have been completely underwater at one point.

Speak to everyone at Kings Lennon and they are all grateful that

whatever they might have lost, no one was seriously hurt.

This is one of the floodgates mentioned in my report. They think

these pretty much saved the day. That is a story repeated across the

Legion... `` across the region. A flooded road cars and disruption,

but not the devastation people had feared. After last night's surge,

the river was high and somewhat dit see`through, but it did not go

through the new flood defences in Wisbech, and homes were untouched.

When he spent millions on a project like this, many people think, is it

worth it? I think last night it was evident that it was worth it, and

little we don't have anything like that again.

The new defences are higher, but cost ?12 million. Many see as stop

repeat of the floods of 1953 and 1978.

I can remember near where I live frogmen having to go and get the

cars under the water. One area was particularly badly affected last

time. And this time?

This time it's all been held back. There was a good couple of food

sitting behind the floodgates. You can see where the river did,

over the top cop that the self still remains. Those boats are now down at

the level we should be, but last night they were up here at the level

of the road. But while buildings were flooded, there were power

cuts. Some businesses were left counting the cost with no

electricity since 8pm last night. Without electricity, this building

runs completely on electric heating, so there is no cheating at all in

the building, it is quite crafty as well. The alarm was going, forums

and answer phones are all based on electricity, the computers we do the

bulk of the work on, and we need lights to date any photographs...

By lunchtime they were back in business, but other parts of the

region will take longer to recover. In great Yarmouth situation was so

bad that Kimmeridge firefighters were said to help the Army could

flood defences last night. Some who bore the brunt of the weather on the

Norfolk coast have lost everything. I've been here throughout the day in

King's Lynn and I've been impressed by how this community is pulling

together. Businesses have been helping each other, and emergency

services have been working incredibly hard to get this place

back on its feet. Certainly the message from here is that it may

still be muddy, but the water levels are going down in King's Lynn is

very much open for business. Thanks Louise. Earlier I spoke to

Charlie Beardall from the Environment Agency and asked him if

the crisis was over now. It is certainly receding, and the

time this evening, there is no search on that side, it is just a

normal high springtime. The risk has moved away. There is just a couple

of things we need to keep an eye on, particularly around the gym and

Hunstanton, there are around 3000 properties behind a shingle ridge.

That is the first line of defence and did its job very well, but it

has been damaged a little, so we are monitoring that.

The King's Lynn area and north of the air, Wisbech, everything is

going to be OK this evening, is it? Yes, we still have flood warnings so

we will watch it, but redundant dissipate any significant issues. ``

we don't anticipate any significant issues.

How well did the floodgates work? Very well. There was some flooding

in some people moved out of their properties, but we were pleased with

the way they performed, and generally around the whole of

Norfolk, they did a very good job protecting thousands of properties

from flooding. The cost ?12 million in four years

to build. If they had not been there in time, how bad could it have been

last night? I would have been very significant

flooding in King's Lynn, as elsewhere are Norfolk, Suffolk and

Essex. If we hadn't invested the money it would have been a very

serious issue. We only have to look back to 1953 and the scale of the

impact then. We have invested hugely since then, and a lot of very

recently. I think last night shows just how effective our defences have

been all`round East Anglia, including around King's Lynn.

Other news now and former teachers at Barnfield College and Federation

in Luton have told the BBC of their concerns about the way it was run.

The Department for Education is currently investigating allegations

of bullying and so called "grade massaging". Its report is due out

next month. The Federation manages a chain of academies and colleges in

Bedfordshire. It's been held up as a flagship by the government, as Paul

Scoins reports. It's a set of skills that has been

held up as a shining example by the education secretary. But the

Barfield Federation, which comprises more than half a dozen schools and

academies, is now the subject of an official enquiry. Staff are made to

sign confidentiality agreements, one former teacher wanted to remain

anonymous. It was demanded of staff to

spoon`feed students to get the grades, they would continually

rewrite pieces of coursework. The two students of timetable, and spend

a week they can show they rewrote it, rewrote it, until we achieve

those grades. There are five campuses already in

Luton were 25 per of the town's children are taught, and the

federation wants to expand even further. There are plans for free

schools in Kimmeridge and Oxfordshire.

Buying these days is St George's school. It is next on the list to be

converted into the family of Armfield academies, but that has

been put on hold. It know what happened until the results of this

investigation are known. The same goes for two other schools in

Bedfordshire. Another application for a school in mid`Bedfordshire

which failed at the 11th hour prompted an MP to raise the issue at

Prime Minister's questions. With the Prime Minister please use

his offices to ensure that they failed free school application in

mid`Bedfordshire is incorporated into this wiry?

Concerns have been raised to the secretary of education.

Many people try to raise concerns directly and were misdirected until

they could not do so. That is a very serious concern.

And he did in these concerns to the Department for education?

I did try, but it was really difficult. The person at the end of

the line at the department said, I don't know you need to speak to. I

felt I was going round in circles, so I did not.

On a recent visit, Ed Miliband said this highlights the lack of

accountability of the academy model.

It is the illustration of a wider problem, which is that Michael Gove

believes you can run all of Britain's schools and free schools

from central government, that is thousands of schools. Actually what

you need is local accountability as well, because that Israeli important

for holding skills to account. In a statement, the Department for

education told us call on: Investigation is due to be published

next month. I know colleagues that raise

concerns are raised questions, and they would be demanded to attend a

meeting and would be called off. Basically, they have no voice.

Well, the Barnfield Federation gave us this statement saying it did not

recognise the picture being painted and strongly refuted the claims.

And the Sunday Politics show will hear from Education Secretary,

Michael Gove on that story. That's on BBC One at 11am.

Managers at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon say it's become one of

the best performing hospitals in the region. Today an independent report

said it had a "significantly low" mortality rate. Latest figures show

the A department sees 98% of its patients within four hours. That's

the best in the region, with the worst being 88% in Northampton.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital begin the first NHS hospital to be run by a

private company. Almost two years on, they say this exponent is one

which is working. We have a real opportunity, because

we are a test case of how the NHS can look in the future. Everyone

here in this organisation knows they are part of something that is about

redesigning NHS care in the future, and saying this is how we think care

can be delivered. That led to clinicians managing

their own departments. The company says that has improved care. The

number of serious incidents have halved, and other services have

returned to the hospital after they were suspended for safety concerns.

For the second year running, Care Quality Commission has given the

hospital a clean bill of health. When Circle to go over, some feared

an A department could be downgraded or closed, but it is now

seen as one of Circle's success stories. Is now ranked number four

in terms of waiting times. We have been working extremely hard

in the Department. We make sure that clinicians see our patients quickly,

get them into the system quickly, order investigations so that

patients can get through within our four hour window.

Health care improvement aside, some are still worried about Circle's

long`term financial plan. Our big concern was how much profit

they would be taking out of the contract. They haven't actually got

to that stage yet, and we will still keep an eye on it and look to see

what they do take out. I Circle says its efficiency

programme will mean the hospital will break even next year, and then

it will begin paying off the hospital's ?40 million debt. An

impossible task? Circle points out that is what its critics said two

years ago I promised to improve ageing brick hospital's services.

Tomorrow is an unusual day for politics and members of the public

had the chance to decide who should replace to the region's MPs. Sir

James Paice is standing down in South East Cambridgeshire, while

Brian Binley, the MP for Northampton South, is also retiring at the next

election. Normally Conservative members choose their next candidate.

But the local parties have decided to hold a so`called open primary.

Our Political Correspondent Andrew Sinclair explains.

For the last 26 years, Sir James Paice has represented Cambridge.

Last time round recorded a majority of nearly 6000. Normal in the

Conservative party would want a lot of control room becomes the next

candidate here, but this time he is leaving the final decision to the

public. Open primaries have been very

successful in other constituencies, and this gives us an opportunity to

engage with the public and for local electors to take part in the

selection process. More than 200 people, half of them

not party members, have registered to come along to the hustings" . The

idea of inviting members of the public to choose a candidate was

first tried out in Bedford in the 2009 May oral election. More than a

thousand people crowded into vote. It's a fantastic idea, and his free

speech for everyone. Is democracy, isn't it?

Supporters of the idea say that this is a great way to reconnect with the

public, and make them feel we have a say in who represents them.

Deciding who gets to be your next MP should be left to local people, not

three little clique. But among the Tory leadership, there

is a little bit of winning this about candidates who are chosen by

the public rather than the party. Sera Wollaston, a Devon GP, beat all

the favourites in a primary and became MP for Totnes. But at

Westminster, she has regularly attacked the government. Boris

Johnson is another uncontrollable former primary candidate.

These people are a little bit outspoken and ten to be their own

brand. That is what the party hierarchy does not like.

Into moral's to primaries, the party has run up a short list, but that's

where it includes an. It will be up to members of the public to decide

who the next Conservative candidate, and quite probably the

next MP, should be. Now with all the sport for the

weekend, plus some news of a very special unsung hero, here's

Jonathan. It's one of those magical weekends

for the country's non league and lower league football teams. The FA

Cup second round. The prize ` a possible money`spinning tie against

a Premier League giant. Cambridge United are the region's last non

league side standing and feature in one of the ties of the second round

against Sheffield United. It's been a long time since they

originated fans had it to be proud of. The current crop have seen the

light, losing just one game all season. The biggest test is on

Sunday, with Sheffield United at the Abbey in the FA Cup.

The other big esteem that in the competition at this stage, no doubt

about it. It's a long while since we were easily club. It's a long time

since we had a game like this. Everyone is looking forward to it.

Moving through the rounds takes fans back to the glory days, twice

quarterfinalists in the early 1990s, Cambridge normally give the big guns

a run for their money. The televised game will bank them around ?100,000,

reach the third round and they will bank even more. Five other teams

from the region to be in the hat for Sunday's third round draw. M K Dons

Stevenage are the targets. Norwich have the worst defensive record in

the Premier League, conceding 21 goals, five against Liverpool in

midweek. The stats speak for themselves.

We're on the back of a big defeat at Manchester, and of course the big

defeat at Liverpool. Mac we have to defend as it even better.

Nick McCarthy has got Ipswich moving the right way. Three wins out of

four. The play`offs or insight. Rugby Union now, and all the talk

has been about whether the English clubs will play in next season's

Heineken Cup. As it stands teams including Northampton won't be

playing in the competition. Instead they are exploring the possibility

of teaming up with Welsh regions in an Anglo`Welsh league. Thankfully

the Saints fans will see the battle on the pitch and not the boardroom

tomorrow. The top two sides in Pool A meet, Leinster are at Franklins

Gardens. Two years ago the Irish side beat Saints to win the Heineken

Cup. They don't come much bigger in terms

of a challenge. They have a wealth of international experience

throughout the team, Lions experience as well. They are well

established team in the core of their site have been together for a

long time. Will have to be at our very best if we want to get the

result. As we near the end of the year a

chance for one of our leading gymnasts to add some more silverware

to his collection. Olympic bronze medalist Sam Oldham from the

Huntingdon club in Cambridgeshire competes at the Glasgow World Cup.

The 20`year`old is part of the British team along with Ruby

Harrold, who was born in Stevenage. It was a big game for me to be part

of this... I was fortunate that Max and Dan gained places for GB. Max

estate near Reston likely call`up to do this competition.

Finally from me, time to reveal BBC East's Unsung winner for 2013.

Hundreds were nominated, three were on the short list and we've watched

their immense contributions on Look East this week. But there can only

be one winner, and last night netball volunteer Gloria Keech from

Bedfordshire received her award. She'll now go to the BBC's Sports

Personality of the Year awards on Sunday to compete for the national

prize. Just finally. Good luck to

Cambridge's Neil Robertson as he tries to reach the final of the UK

Snooker Championships, and you can follow your team this weekend on

your local BBC Radio Station. Now, I'm sure you'll have seen that

millions of people across the world are celebrating the life of Nelson

Mandela. Closer to home people have been remembering the historic visits

he made to this region. Susie Fowler Watt reports on the late South

African leader's links with the East.

Nelson Mandela inspired millions of people around the world, but he was

also inspired by many people from this region, which is why he visited

several times after his release from jail in South Africa in 1990. In

1997 when he was president of South Africa, he came to the University of

Essex. His partner was being given a honorary doctorate for her work in

human rights. A year later, they were married. In 2000, a year after

he retired as president, he came to Bedford. 10,000 people crowded into

the town centre to see him. Eugene to pay tribute to the Archbishop who

was born in Bedford and work in South Africa supporting Mandela and

the anti`apartheid campaign. Mandela said of him, no white person has

done more for South Africa and Trevor Huddleston.

I am very honoured to be here today to pay homage to the great man.

Model and College Cambridge awards scholarships named after Mandela to

candidates from South Africa. He was made an honorary fellow of the

college. He said he was nervous of receiving the honour because of his

history. I have a bad criminal record.

Mandela's magic then inspired the Cambridge dons in an impromptu

dance. One year later and looking frail, he returned to England. The

final resting place of another inspiration for him because of her

campaigning on landmines and eights, Diana, Princess of Wales.

When I got the news that she had died in an accident, I was

completely devastated, and so, the fact that I come here now visited by

car, is something very significant, unforgettable.

Memories of Nelson Mandela. The weather has dominated the

headlines but how's the forecast looking?

The next high tide at King 's Lynn will be at 8:29pm this evening. If

you have concerns about flooding, the floodlight number, . The weather

is quieter for today. It has been very cold. Light winds will continue

into the weekend. It is looking largely dry, but will be cloudy at

times. At the moment we have got clear skies across the region. That

had been a touch of frost, also the week when a fund that might bring

isolated shower. For many, it does look largely dry and the

temperatures are expected to recover by the end of the night. Low

temperatures of three or four Celsius. We start tomorrow with

bright weather, some sunny spells breaking through the cloud, but

quite a lot of cloud, and into the afternoon a bit more cloud feeding

through. Not as cold as today, highs of perhaps eight Celsius. The winds

south`westerly, so it will become milder as we work our way through

the weekend. Looking ahead, we have high pressure building in. You can

follow the Isa buyers to see that, it is a south`westerly wind, that

means milder temperatures through the weekend and into next week. For

Sunday, ten pages may claim to nine Celsius. A lot of cloud and at

times, the odd bright spell, a brisk south`westerly wind, but not a bad

day for most. Into the beginning of next week, very little is changing.

It stays cloudy, high`pressure, temperatures around average, not too

chilly. After tonight, we have got slightly milder night. A risk of

frost in some spots, but with most of us, we should be about frost

free. That's all from Look East for

tonight. We're back with all your news in our

late bulletin tonight, after the ten o' clock news. We'll have all your

up`to`date weather as well, with Alex Dolan. But from me, goodnight

and have a great weekend.