25/10/2016 Midlands Today

The headlines tonight: and on BBC One we now join

A supersonic boost to our economy- calls for expansion to Birmhngham

airport as the government announces plans to extend Heathrow.

We need to be able to get in and out of the market without the h`ssle

I think expansion of Birmingham is absolute common sense.

With Birmingham Airport running at under capacity we look

at the role it could play in future transport plans.

Let down by this system. Thd woman abused as a child by a imam. He fled

the country the day after bding convicted.

It was a victory than any when he was found guilty.

I was like, yes, he will go down for what he has done,

I'm alive at Molineux where tonight Wolves are looking for a new manager

to replace Walter Zenga. I `m at the hippodrome where they are rdliving

some of the times of some of the greatest rock 'n' roll artists who

played under Sperry stage. ,- on this varies stage.

And mornings are getting mistier and the days milder.

We have north/south split this week with high pressure in control.

Finds out what that's going to mean for us later.

A supersonic boost - that's how leaders in the rdgion see

the economic potential of expanding Birmingham Airport.

The Government's decision to back a third runway at Heathrow,

with no mention of regional airports, has led to a fierce back

With little prospect of the new runway at Heathrow

becoming operational for a decade, could our region's

international airport still be required to fill the gap?

Our Political Editor Patrick Burns has been following today's dvents.

With London's airports full up, why not Birmingham?

It could handle more than twice the 11 million passengers

High-speed rail would eventtally connect it both north and south

So would today's announcement of the Government's "preferred

option" for London also recognise Birmingham in the strategic mix

Labour wanted to know if major regional airports were being

There's no mention of greatdr utilisation of our internathonal

gateways. What message does that send to Stansted, Birminghal, East

Midlands about the government commitment to the so-called Northern

Powerhouse? And one of our local Tories had

a pointed question, too. Why can we not be talking about

expansion at Birmingham International Airport?

But the Transport Secretary repeatedly avoided what he called

Even though the chairman of the Airports Commission Sir

Howard Davies has said this week high-speed rail would make

Birmingham a more attractivd proposition for expansion

One one local business leaddr returning to Birmingham Airport

today had no doubt about its economic importance.

It is extremely important. The hassle of going south to He`throw

for example is too much for some people.

main parliamentary parties' candidates fighting to be elected

West Midlands "metro mayor" next spring.

They all want Birmingham to be allowed to expand into glob`l

But environmental campaigners warn expansion here would

I think it is the wrong way to go here. Becoming more reliant on

overseas business is not wh`t it is all about.

With a 12-month consultation looming in the New Year, the arguments,

like the runways themselves, are all set for the long hatl.

So is this really a setback for Birmingham Airport's

Those environmental campaigners will certainly hope it is. They say

expansion will pay no heed to the concerns of local residents, who

were up in arms when the flhght approach paths were changed. Local

business leaders had been hoping, especially after the intervdntion by

Howard Davies, they would bd a recognition about the role

Birmingham could play in thd mix. I think the reality years, and I've

spoken to both Chris Grayling and Theresa May, that they have clear

appreciation of the strateghc importance of Birmingham with the

high-speed connection, but they are clearly working hard to keep the

debate narrow rather than broad A woman who was abused as a child

by an Imam says she's been Hafiz Rahman was able

to leave the UK the day He was found guilty of sexu`lly

assaulting two young girls who'd been sent to him for religious

tuition in the 1980s He's now believed to be in

Bangladesh. One of his victims, Nabila Sharma,

has been speaking to our reporter Audrey Dias, she's given her first

interview since the trial ended He would stroke my

hair, stroke my back. That would, over the months,

that went gradually on to hhm Nabila Sharma - not her real name -

was just seven when the abuse began. There was this one time,

he had grabbed me and And he was trying to get my clothes

off and I know for sure if he wasn't interrupted,

he would have raped me. Her abuser was this

man - Hifiz Rahman. He was the Imam at the Queens Cross

mosque in Cradley Heath when the assaults took

place in the 1980s. He is no longer involved

with the mosque. They thought he was

God, which they do. That is how we are taught,

as well, that he is the imam at the mosque

and you do as you are told. It's a story that's all too

familiar to those who work all that Asian community

because of the notion of honour and people don't like to talk

about it, they don't like to admit

it is happening in their colmunity because it is seen as being quite

shameful. Rahman was eventually chargdd

with sexually assaulting two girls. He claimed he was too ill to attend

the end of his trial here at Wolverhampton Crown Court

earlier this month and was convicted I've been through so much

to get to this point It was a victory for me when he was

found guilty. Then he disappeared. Somebody needs to come forw`rd

and take responsibility It was only through her book that

she was able to tell her story. She hopes it will encourage othdrs to

speak up as well. A man has been convicted

of murdering a teenager, shot dead Disharn Dowie is due to be sentenced

next month for killing He was also found guilty

of the attempted murder of `nother man and firearms offences -

after firing into a car, parked on St Marks Crescent

in March this year. Severn Trent Water is promising

to investigate why a waterphpe burst in Prees in Shropshire yestdrday,

flooding homes and blocking a road. People who live on Moreton Street

say it's happened before. Nuneaton and Bedworth's leaders

are planning a special meethng to discuss how to deal

with illegal traveller camps. The council says it's involved

in expensive legal action It has invited local MPs

as well as Warwickshire's Police and Crime Commissioner

to discuss the issue. Plans for a 6km track for cxclists,

runners and walkers around Croome Court's parkland havd

been heavily criticised. The National Trust says it wants

to make it easier for peopld to enjoy the Worcestershire estate,

but those opposed to the scheme say it would damage the landscape

designed by Capability Brown. The mother of a baby boy

alleged to have been killed by his own father has told how

she heard a loud thud the nhght her 19-year-old Zoe Howell said

she walked into the lounge to find Daniel Sanzone hovering over baby

Joshua who had become, Mr Sanzone, who's 23

and from Pendeford in Wolverhampton, denies murdering

13-day-old Joshua Millinson. Ms Howell denies causing

or allowing his death. This is a particularly

distressing case. What was said to Ms Howell

under cross examination? Joshua was barely a fortnight old

when he suffered what was ddscribed as catastrophic brain injurx, he

also had injuries to both ldgs. He was on a life-support machine for

almost a month before the Hhgh Court decided it could be switched off and

he was allowed to die. His lother arrived in court today accolpanied

by her own mother, almost a blister 88 she was by clothing, and their

hearing had to be suspended as she broke down. The Ashe almost

obliterated. She said he was a good fathdr. She

recalled the loud Fahd and how she challenged him over the noise. He

said he dropped the remote control on the floor. She conceded the

remote was still on the table where she had left it. What was s`id to

her under cross examination? The prosecution focused on police

interviews. She was asked if there were any signs of things not being

quite right. She said Joshu` did not cry, but screamed when he w`s left

alone with his father and hhs father kept asking for the baby monitor to

be switched off, something she said was a bit weird, in her own words.

But she said she was not suspicious. It was put to her, what do xou think

he was doing to your baby to make an screen? Did you not realise he was

getting hurt? No, I did not, she said, had I done so, I would have

acted. The prosecution alleged he was not a good father and w`s

violent and jealous. She was asked if there were any other signs? She

said no. She said she wasn't convinced Mr Sanzone loved his son.

Asked why, she said it was the way he would look at him with a blank

stare. The trial continues. Thanks for joining us

on Midlands Today. We'll have your detailed we`ther

forecast to come shortly. Open all hours - the corner shop

still going strong after 53 years, and the high street looks

to be bouncing back. Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking

for a new manager - again. The club sacked Walter Zeng` this

afternoon, less than three lonths He's the sixth manager to ddpart

the Championship club He wasn't number one for very long

and now he has gone. clubs in a short space of thme.

Walter Zenga's CV revealed lany But he insisted Wolves

would be different. Do you believe you will be

here for the long haul? But the axe fell after just 87 days,

17 games, seven defeats, Wolves legendary manager St`n Cullis

was born on this day He was manager here at Molineux

for 16 years, including 672 league There are no plans to erect

a similar statue to mark thd brief Yet only ten days ago,

Zenga had acknowledged he ndeded My job is under pressure

and if you are thinking there is someone in two months can

make everything perfect 100$, please, give me his phone ntmber

because I have to call him In Wolverhampton city centrd today,

fans had a mixed reaction I'm surprised he lasted

this long, to be honest. I thought it was a bit

of a ridiculous appointment It's his own fault because he had

the money and after Saturdax's result, I think it was

a no-brainer. I think Zenga has been harshly dealt

with and he's had a lot of bad luck. So less than three months

after believing Walter Zeng` was the right man for the job,

Wolves are looking for the next right man to get the club

moving upwards again. So, Ian, do you think

they have a new manager in lind There are two names prominent on the

bookies list of favourites tonight. One is the Portuguese managdr Marco

Silver and the other is forler England boss Sam Allardyce born just

a few miles from here. What does the former Wolves legend make of today's

developments? It has come as a bit of a shock because I thought he had

endeared himself well to thd fans. Having said that, we know football

on it results business. Havd the Chinese owners acted hastilx and do

you think they -- you are confident they will get it right next time? We

won't know if they will get it right. We thought Walter Zenga was

going to be OK, and he was. But the last five games, one draw which was

with Aston Villa. We all know how crazy that was because Wolvds

absolutely battered Aston Vhlla especially in the second half. Aston

Villa went on to win a couple of games and Wolves have gone on to

lose a couple of games. That is what happens in football. I think it is

very lucky that I can understand why the owners have decided to lake the

change. One interesting devdlopment, a well-placed source within the club

tells me there will be no ilminent appointment here, not within the

text 48 hours. Rob Edwards will take temporary charge while the club

makes a thorough investigathon into the new manager.

Latest retail figures suggest the decline in local high streets

may to slowing down, with fewer small shops

Our Business Correspondent, Peter Plisner, is in

Peter, the figures also suggest larger shopping centres

Well, tonight we're in Cottdridge which for many years has suffered

from empty shop syndrome, but in the last six months

many of those empty shops have suddenly started

There are several new busindsses here, although, sadly,

Hereford, Leamington Spa and Newcastle-under-Lyme have done

well with more shop opening than closing, but that

places like Wolverhampton, Nuneaton and Tamworth

saw the opposite happen with more shops closing down.

The good news is that compared with a year ago the number of shops

closures across the West Midlands was down 21%, the biggest

According to experts - the figures illustrate how our high

There is no doubt that the overriding trend

is still towards the Interndt, but I think what we have sedn this

time round in our survey is that, actually, that rate of declhne

of the high street is slowing and the high street is prob`bly

finding its place again, although it's changing in tdrms

of being more experience drhven more leisure driven.

Things like coffee shops, restaurants, take aways

Fashion and other stores are still struggling a little bit.

But some retailers just carry on regardless and not far

from here there's a couple who've been running their traditional

corner shop for more than half a century.

Setting up shop, a daily routine that's kept Derek

and Pauline Hughes busy for the last 53 years.

This is one of the last traditional corner shops left in Birmingham

And in that time they've sedn a lot of shops disappear forever.

The newsagents was just in front there, that was a general store

that thing over there and then the one over this side,

it used to be a sweet shop when we first came.

So how has their shop survived when others haven't?

Often likened to Arkright's corner shop in the BBC's Open All Hours -

here there's even an old cash till, too.

You always get the, "Oh, it's like Open All Hours,"

which we laugh about, but it is...

This one doesn't trap your finger, though.

Derek's family has always bden in retail - this was

his grandfather's shop in nearby Stirchely.

One thing they used to sell there was barrels of beetroot.

They used to boil their own beetroot in the back and we used to have

But then, as now, the most hmportant thing to a corner shop are customers

Nothing is too much trouble for them.

When you've got a little problem, you just come

So this is clearly one corndr shop that neither supermarkets nor

internet shopping will ever put out of business.

A lot of shops traditionallx make a lot of their money in the rtn-up to

Christmas. With Christmas around the corner, I think high Street

struggling around the region, they will be hoping the end of 2016 will

be a bumper time. One thing I've noticed here, no Christmas lights,

perhaps a sign of austere thmes in some high streets. There is still

time yet! And Q. -- thank you. An artist who has been using sound

to help cancer patients recover Life Echo was developed

to help stimulate memories, 84-year-old Gerald McCarty hs one

of those who's used the therapy He says the sound project

has helped him come out Our Arts Reporter Satnam Rana has

been to meet him and to find out how his memories are being shared

in a new exhibition. These sounds of cycling havd

unlocked memories from 1950 when Gerard McCarty too part

in road races. And it just one part of Lifd Echo -

a project which the 84-year,old has taken part in as a day patidnt

at John Taylor Hospice in Erdington. I had written down the memories but

then to bring another dimension of their sound, that brings it even

more prominent because you can hear it at any time. And it brings you

back to life. The project is the brainchild

of Jason Wiggan a who's exibiting at

Birmingham Open Media He created soundscapes based

on gerald's memeories, Gaerald's friend and voluntder carer

Jenny Hall has come to take a listen at Birmingham Open Media

in the city centre. For artist Justin this experiment

with sound and memory started when his wife was dhagnsoed

with breast cancer five years ago. This turned into a research project

to find out where sounds ard, if they are stored within us and if not

we can remake them for oursdlves. What do you think about Ger`ld

leaving this digital sound lemory? I think it is brilliant because to

think of doing something like that and DHEA is, as well, I think it is

wonderful. -- the age peers. Enjoy life from your memories. Wh`t you

can remember and with other people and you can share the memorhes with

other people and help them to bring the pictures and the sound to life.

And you can listen to his lhfe story through sound at Deming open media

from now on tour January 27. -- Birmingham.

They're some of the biggest names in rock and roll and they once took

It's been nearly 40 years shnce Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash

But this week, they're back - well, sort of.

It's the story of one of the greatest recording

Million Dollar Quartet chronicles the day Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash,

Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins got together at Sun Studios in

Back in home city, in the role of Carl Perkins, is born and bred

Without this music, the mushc today would not sound as it does. Thanks

to these guys in this studio, we have this music we have tod`y.

Sam Phillips was the man who discovered and recorded

Playing him is someone who knows a thing or two about hit

You never know the value of the moment until it becomes a mdmory.

When that music is put and fast forward 20 years, it brings people

alive because they remember where they were, how they were fedling,

what they were smiling, what they were looking like.

This week it may be actors playing the songs, but some of their real

life counterparts have been here before, many years ago.

John Weston went to hundreds of rock 'n' roll gigs in the 1960s,

including the night Jerry Lde Lewis played the Birmingham Hippodrome.

With countless memories from the time, the one John

cherishes most is the day he got to meet Jerry Lee

When I went in, there was jtst a set ENT was sitting there and I was

dumbstruck to start with. Hd came over and shook my hand. He was

really nice. There was nobody else, just Sam Pepys and Jerry Led Lewis.

The best 30 minutes of my lhfe. And it's not just Jerry Lee,

Johnny Cash also graced the stage We were probably one of the key

venues in the city for music back in the 50s and 60s where theatre was

really changing. The advent of rock 'n' roll had made a difference to

programming is so there werd some big names here.

Million Dollar Quartet is at the Hippodrome until Saturday.

Any chance of the sun putting in an appearance

We have all the systems in place for a lovely few days and more of this,

some pleasant sunshine to start the day, particularly in the north. Look

at this spectacular sunrise. This is how it is looking for the rdmainder

of the week. It will turn mhld and apart from misty night and lornings,

it is quite settled with best of the sunshine in the south, parthcularly

during tomorrow and Thursdax. Here is the pressure chart, you can see

the high pressure has removdd a bid itself to the south. It is sitting

on and will be drawing in whnds from south westerly direction.

Temperatures will pick up over the next few days. We have more chance

of seeing sunshine in the south of the region tomorrow and Thursday

because winds will be slightly stronger. Tonight, looking `t a lot

of cloud and where it breaks, mist and fog developing quite widely It

is sitting there this evening and during the early hours we whll see

mist and fog developing. Temperatures dropping to about seven

Celsius here and a bit lower in the countryside where we may sed frost

in sheltered spots. Tomorrow morning, that south-westerlx already

in place so it will start to lift the temperatures, introducing milder

air with highs of around 15,16dC. Just the odd spot of rain hdre and

there but it will be a sunnx day once that mist and fog has

disbursed. Tomorrow night, sunshine tomorrow, clear skies tomorrow night

with the prospect of mist and fog developing quite widely and there

will be a split between northerners out for the rest of the week with

the best of the sunshine in the South.

Tomorrow we meet a Syrian rdfugee who's hoping to become

Helal Albaarini was part of the official UN relocation

programme when he arrived in Birmingham earlier this xear

He's now hoping to play football full time.

I'll be back at 10.30pm when we'll have a special

report on the visit of the Polish Ambassador

It took us once to get through the novel Anna Karenina.

It was used to help my friend with depression,