18/08/2011 Midlands Today


18/08/2011

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Good evening and welcome to Thursday's Midlands Today from the

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BBC. Tonight: thousands pay their respects to three men describe

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today as martyrs. People should learn a lesson. Keep it peaceful

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and calm. What now after A-levels? The highs

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and lows. And what now with Harry Potter

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having cast his final spell? It has Hailed as martyrs for protecting

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their community. That's how three young men killed during last week's

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riots were remembered at their funerals today. The funerals were

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held at a park close to where Haroon Jahan and brothers Shahzad

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Ali and Abdul Musavir, were mown down in a hit and run last

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Wednesday. Around 20,000 mourners gathered to hear prayers and

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tributes to the men with people from all religions joining the

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Muslim ceremony. Our reporter was that the service. Incredible scenes.

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It was pretty amazing. People kept coming over the course of about two

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hours. They were predominantly Muslim, but there were many people

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here from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. They had all

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come to offer their condolences. The coffins of Haroon Jahan, and

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the two brothers slowly made their way into our Summerfield Park.

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Thousands of mourners came to pay their respects. I think it is

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amazing. Not just in Birmingham but across the country, it shows the

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feeling that people have for the family's and what they have been

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through. I came just for the funeral. Why did you come? I wanted

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to pay my respects. The father of Haroon has been widely praised for

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his appeals for calm. He welcomed the mourners as it began in the

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park where they played as children. We are still very much in shock.

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Part of a says that we would not -- we would not wish anyone else to be

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killed. Haroon to hard and the two brothers died as they stop looters

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last week. All three were killed by a car. Police were here in numbers

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but remained in obtrusive. These have been among the saddest and

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most difficult of times bought these communities, but they have

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been praised for rallying together as one. We have always come

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together as a community and moved forward. Many here took comfort

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from the huge share of support, an estimated 20,000 people. I never

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expected this many people. It is such a sad day. I'm very proud of

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the ceremony that has taken place today. Both as someone who lives in

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Birmingham and as a Muslim, in terms of the dignified response but

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everyone, not just Muslims, but the vast majority of people have shown.

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As the prayers ended, the coffins were taken away for private family

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burial. With me now is a local youth worker. 20,000 people here

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today. Did you expect to see anything like this? I'm not shocked.

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I'm proud of our city and the good people of Birmingham that came out

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today. I didn't expect the numbers to be as huge as they were. I think

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Birmingham has responded to this tragic and cowardly act with such

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dignity and strength in terms of its numbers that we should all be

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proud as the nation. We have said already that too weak to harm has

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been praised by his words to stay calm -- the father of one of the

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brothers. We came here today, we have bought young people who wanted

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to be her and be part of this day - - be here. They all attended, one

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even faster today, he was not even a Muslim, to show that solidarity.

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That gives me hope in our generation, how they respond to

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those words. Hopefully, the future will be brighter as well. You can

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see behind me their dismantling the state here and getting the pop back

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to normal. Many people will be hoping that Birmingham will also

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return to normality. But it wasn't just in Summerfield

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Park that the community came together to remember the three men.

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Shops closed along Dudley Road in Winson Green, as people took time

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to pay their respects. Our correspondent spent the day there.

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Birmingham City Council has set up an online book of remembrance where

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you can log in and make your own comments. The see of bouquets he

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has been added to. People are standing quietly again, showing

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their sign of respect to their three dead men. At this shrine

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seems to be of significance, not just to Birmingham but the whole

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country, perhaps the whole world. A sign that peace and goodwill can

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prevail over greed and violence. All sections of the community, all

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religions. People came here to cent -- to pay their respects. To lay

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flowers, to pause and to spend a moment in contemplation. It is a

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loss that to accept but she never get over -- you never get over.

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whole of the UK is grieving for this. Eight days ago, three young

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men lost their lives here. As the riots raged, they were defending

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their community and local businesses. One man knew all three,

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and every day he has sat and tended the mounting tributes outside

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petrol station, unwilling to leave the place where his friends died.

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The were really good people. All these people around, trying to look

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after this area. Businesses were already share -- shutting up shop

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hours before the funeral. A local community centre brought down its

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shutters as people hurried away to pay their respects. It is a good

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thing we are closing as a mark of respect to the three men who died.

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It is supporting what is going on in the community at the moment. It

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is not a race related thing, it goes back to more deep-rooted

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problems. It is good that all the committees have come together.

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result of their deaths, wise heads prevailed over hot heads, and the

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flames of the riots died down in Birmingham. As with the murders of

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the two teenage girls are shootings in to set -- 2003, the killing of

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these three young men seems to have been a significant moment when

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Birmingham held its breath and stepped back from the brink. This

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nine-year-old boy it is Haroon's cousin. He said this was a sad but

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also a proud day for his family. As people hurried off to the ceremony

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at the park, one friend of the dead man spoke to me. I'm comforting

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them, helping them to get through a difficult time. We want to thank

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everybody for their support. Tonight, as a quarter urged drove

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past the makeshift skies -- shrine, the family stop to pay their

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respects. As the months and years go on, do you think these men will

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be remembered by the local community or will many -- memories

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fade? These young men here are trying to keep these flowers alive

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with water. Of course, the flowers were Welt, but extraordinary scenes

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here will reverberate around the country. People will be taking

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notice of what has happened here today. The death of the three men

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was always going to have a big impact, why do you think it was so

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significant? I think it was because of the words of Haroon Jahan's

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father. I think we often underestimate the power of speech.

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When that man said, I have lost my son but I don't want any more

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violence, I want the by its to stop, people listened. -- I want the

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right to stop. The quiet dignity of that father has been appreciated

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not just in this country but in the whole world. The impact of that man

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has really been priceless. He has maintained the peace in the City of

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Birmingham. Ian Beckford is the 4th man to be

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charged with murder. Tomorrow morning, a two-minute silence will

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be held as a mark of respect and the men.

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100 jobs are being created as part of a multi-million-pound investment

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at a factory in Stafford that makes engines. It comes just weeks after

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a reported 1000 new jobs were being created at a distribution warehouse

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Amazon. Yesterday, Stoke-on-Trent lost out to have an enterprise zone,

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but today, the news for Staffordshire was better. This is

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the new production line which has secured the future of a company

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which employs 800 people in Stafford. The recession affected

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everybody. We have a global market place and we did see a downturn in

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our order book. We had to take appropriate action so we had to

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lose some people. However, we have seen a recovery in the market and

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we see a strong future for our products. Perkins makes diesel and

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gas engines for electrical power. Several temporary staff were laid

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off by the positions have been re created as part every �10 million

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investment. It is brilliant news everybody and the community. It had

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a bit of a knock back, but it is the same way of the work, whichever

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industry. It has picked itself up. It is good news for the company.

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The factory in Stafford is expanding at a time when Stoke-on-

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Trent lost out on a bid to have an enterprise zone. The government

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defended the decision by saying the area would benefit from a

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neighbouring sown in the Black Country. I'm talking about the good

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news here. We have got a chance to be in their. All the local MPs are

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pushing for it. Also had good news that in suffix -- South

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Staffordshire, it includes the I 54. 90 % of what is made here is

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exported. The new investment is a welcome boost for workers to make

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22,000 engines per year. A 44-year- old man from Staffordshire has been

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arrested in connection with an ongoing corruption investigation.

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He has been bailed pending further inquiries into alleged tendering

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practices. Two other men already arrested remain on police bail.

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TJ Hughes is shutting another three stores with the loss of 130 jobs.

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Shops in Coventry, Redditch and Hanley will close later this month.

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It follows the demise of five other TJ Hughes stores last week like

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The Government's promising a new generation of local television

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stations across the Midlands. Ten locations have been identified as

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suitable and shortlisted for the new services. Culture Minister

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Jeremy Hunt was in Birmingham encouraging people and

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organisations to come forward and say why their town or city deserves

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one of the new local TV stations. Clear going to issue 20 licences

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next year, and out of 65 possible candidates, we are encouraging

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people to write in to say why they would like their town or city to

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beyond that initial list of 20. Then we will issue the other

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licences shortly after that. We will have 20 pioneered licences

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that Ofcom will issue next year. shall have to apply to want! Thank

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you for joining us. Still to come: Find out how Harry Potter worked

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his magic on these actors. First, though, if you got your A

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level results this morning, I do hope you got what you wanted - it's

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always a nerve wracking time. Overall, it's been another

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successful year, with pass rates rising once again. But there won't

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be many as successful as Ellie Davidson from Harborne in

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Birmingham. She's sealed her place at Oxford University to study maths

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with a stunning achievement... Wait for it... She got eight A* grades,

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and even taught herself some of the modules at home.

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I really don't know what to say. I cannot believe it. I worked hard

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and I thought I would do OK but I never expected to do this well. It

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has surpassed all expectations. looks a bit pleased!

:15:29.:15:39.
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Congratulations to her. Ellie has already got her uni place sorted,

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but this year there's extra pressure for university places, as

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students try to get on a course before tuition fees rise to up to

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�9,000 next year. But for many students, university is no longer

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the only option. Sarah Falkland was with students at the Q3 academy in

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Great Barr in Birmingham as they opened their results.

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A picture for the press - but university is out of reach for half

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this group. Luke got A, D, B. He's going to take up an in house

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apprenticeship at the academy with the aim of being a PE teacher.

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thought about university, but obviously with the costs, and the

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fact I play for at all, it just was unsuitable. Debbie did well, with

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an A star and two As. I'm just excited I have got my results and I

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can focus on going to university now. Jonathan got two Bs, but is

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going to take advantage of the academy's Inqbate scheme which will

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mean he can set himself up in business as a photographer. I will

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get premises where I can set up a studio for myself. I get �500

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start-up costs, I get a mentor. with 3 As and a C, Aimee is going

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to take a year out before applying to drama school - but fees will

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then be at a record high. I am hoping maybe they might be reduced

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by the time I actually get there. The academy's had an above average

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A level pass rate. It only opened 18 months ago - it is pretty swish.

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It has raised aspirations and made them believe they really can

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achieve. And of course it is not just a building that leads to

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success. It is what goes in the building. Such a definitive day.

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What they get inside this envelope can decide the rest of their lives.

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I'm trying to find out if I have got a place. And inevitably, some

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are disappointed. Ben has just heard that Nottingham won't take

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him with slightly lesser grades. For him and others, results day

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means shattered dreams. Joining us now is Kathryn Jones

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from Birmingham City University. This means a very busy day for

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clearing. At one point, 400 calls a second. How has it been for you?

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Frantic. We have had 3,500 calls and we are open until 8pm tonight.

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People are really upset when they don't have their grades. This is a

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pivotal part of their educational life, going on to choose probably

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their future career. It is. We are dealing with very anxious,

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distressed people. There is lots of coverage about the reduction in

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places. The message we're trying to get across is to stay calm, speak

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to the universities because they may still accepted, although as we

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know the pressure is rising and places are limited. But also

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consider other options - you can still take a gap year, you could

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consider a another subject for another level. Or perhaps part-time

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study. You said you were busy, had you still got places at Birmingham

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City University? We started out with between 203 hundred places.

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The last count we at less than 100. We have some left on law and

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specialist areas of Nursing like learning disabilities. Engineering,

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technology and planning are also difficult to recruit for but there

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is a store -- a shortage of those skills, so do think about what you

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want to study. A scary time, but there are still some places out

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there. Let us talk about some real success.

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So, the England cricket team have successfully established themselves

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- officially - as the best test side in the world. And we're proud

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to say they got there thanks to two of Warwickshire's stars. But Ian

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Bell and Jonathan Trott's successes with England leave the Bears

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pushing hard to win the County Championship without them, as Nick

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Clitheroe reports. As he proudly leads out his team,

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Jim Troughton knows Warwickshire have a real chance of winning their

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first County Championship title for seven years. The Bears have been

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through a lean spell in recent seasons that even included

:20:18.:20:27.

relegation, but this year they seem to have got it just right.

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Generally, the 16 games over a season of cricket to terms --

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determines who is the best side in the country. So it is important ask

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what is going on at the club. Conditions have been quite tough.

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Where in a position now where we can challenge and it is important

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we played good cricket from here on in. Warwickshire a fourth but just

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17 points behind their leader, Durham. It didn't go too well at

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first as Hampshire got off to a flying start under grey skies. But

:20:59.:21:01.

soon the visitors found themselves feeling the force of Warwickshire's

:21:01.:21:09.

determination to lift the county title again. Champions in a great

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new stadium. Brilliant. We're just worried a rather weather. That is

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the worst thing. On top of his new pavilion, winning it would be the

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icing on the cake. The cups are all right, but the championship is the

:21:30.:21:33.

main one, definitely. Wickets fell regularly, to the delight of a

:21:34.:21:36.

crowd which wasn't big but was certainly enthusiastic. And

:21:36.:21:38.

Warwickshire took control of the match, with Hampshire all out for

:21:39.:21:43.

just 141. Onto football and Stoke City have

:21:43.:21:46.

already kicked off in their Europa League play-off in Switzerland this

:21:46.:21:56.
:21:56.:21:58.

evening. The score there is currently FC Thun 0, Stoke - 1.

:21:58.:22:01.

Birmingham City kick off in about an hour against the Portuguese side

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Nacional. It's their first game in a major European competition for 50

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years. We have to make sure we are still in the Thai come next

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Thursday. If we had a choice, we would have done it this way, away

:22:16.:22:20.

from home first. Taking it back to son Andrew's next week, that is

:22:20.:22:24.

what we've got. It is up to was. And if you want to follow

:22:24.:22:27.

Birmingham City or Stoke City in the Europa League, you can hear

:22:27.:22:31.

full commentary on BBC WM and BBC Radio Stoke.

:22:31.:22:34.

Harry Potter is the most successful film franchise of all time, turning

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a whole load of unknown teenage actors into worldwide stars. Among

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them, our very own Oliver and James Phelps from Sutton Coldfield, who

:22:40.:22:47.

were cast in the roles of the Weasley Twins. Now, after eight

:22:47.:22:52.

movies it's all come to an end. Ben Sidwell's been to meet the brothers

:22:52.:22:55.

and find out what the last 11 years of their lives have been like and

:22:55.:23:05.
:23:05.:23:11.

We told all our closest friends we were going to be in Harry Potter

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and they did not believe us. We any told a few people, and they did not

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believe us. Then a week later we turned up with ginger hair, and

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then they said, OK, maybe you are. At school we were just going into

:23:31.:23:38.

year 10. We picked our GCSEs, and neither of us picked drama. It was

:23:38.:23:43.

not on our radar at the time. 14, Oliver and James Phelps, from

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Sutton Coldfield, began filming the first Harry Potter movie. Back then,

:23:46.:23:54.

no one had any idea just how big it would all become. We knew they

:23:54.:23:59.

would make two, and there were whispers of three or four. But to

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do eight... And the premiere for the last one last month, to bring

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the whole of London to a standstill, because they reckon in and around

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Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square, they reckon there were

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20,000 people. The twins have received a similar reception around

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the world and get plenty of fan mail. Some more unusual than others.

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The weirdest one was recently. James got a massive box. A huge

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package. I thought, this should be good. I opened it up and there was

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a water melon in sight, which said, please sign and send back. Despite

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the fame and adulation and money they have received, both James and

:24:40.:24:45.

Oliver still live in the Midlands and have no intention of leaving.

:24:45.:24:49.

Earlier in the year we were in the States the two months. Although it

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was really nice weather and quite miserable over here, when we came

:24:52.:25:00.

home, we said, I'm glad to be home. We still go down to Birmingham and

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we both go down to Gloucester to watch the rugby. The Midlands is

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our home. Both Oliver and James continue to make movies. But

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whatever the future brings, they have some fantastic stories to tell

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their children in the future. never kept a scrapbook, but no

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friends and family who have kept scrapbooks. We saw a couple of

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weeks ago, things we forgot even happened. As you say, it will be

:25:31.:25:41.
:25:41.:25:42.

great to show kids and Gran kids. We're very lucky.

:25:43.:25:52.
:25:53.:25:53.

Now, a look at the weather. Can you do any magic on that? I am afraid

:25:53.:26:00.

not! We have had many changes since the start of the week, so the

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weekend is unsettled but still warm. Temperatures in the low twenties.

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That is thanks to this area of low pressure. It will produce a narrow

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but fairly intense band of rain tomorrow night and into Saturday

:26:19.:26:23.

morning. The best day in terms of dry weather and sunshine will be

:26:23.:26:28.

tomorrow. In the interim period, we are looking at today's main

:26:28.:26:32.

clearing to the north-east. Under clear skies, temperatures will dip

:26:32.:26:37.

to lows of around seven Celsius, so in other chilly night ahead. It

:26:37.:26:40.

does mean that tomorrow morning we start off with a good deal of

:26:40.:26:45.

sunshine right across the board. It stays dry today even though we get

:26:45.:26:53.

an increasing cloud. Temperatures rising to 20 Celsius, so it will be

:26:53.:26:57.

warmer than today and it turns even warmer during the weekend. Tomorrow

:26:57.:27:04.

night we get the cloud increasing and rain moving in. Even then those

:27:04.:27:11.

temperatures already left, with loads of about 13 or 14 Celsius.

:27:11.:27:14.

Fairly wet on Saturday, some heavy showers on Sunday but highs of 23

:27:14.:27:21.

A look at tonight's main headlines: The frantic scramble for a

:27:21.:27:24.

university place - tens of thousands are expected to miss out

:27:24.:27:27.

after another record A level year. And around 20,000 people turned out

:27:27.:27:30.

in Birmingham at the open air funerals of three men killed during

:27:30.:27:35.

last week's riots. That's all from us this evening,

:27:35.:27:37.

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