07/08/2014 North West Tonight

still the potential. Quite nasty weather. To keep an eye on

Welcome to North West Tonight, with Beccy Meehan and Roger Johnson.

A Conservative MEP urges the Prime Minister to allow Gaza's

critically injured children to be offered treatment here.

Sajjad Karim has urged the Prime Minister to act.

Given just days to live ` now Bill has got a new heart

Bagging the business ` the Merseyside company exporting

And a golden anniversary on the golden mile.

The couple celebrating 50 years of marriage with

A North West Conservative MEP says the Prime Minister is out of step

He is urging him to allow children injured

in the conflict to be brought for emergency treatment to the UK.

The Palestinian authorities say that 373 children have been killed

We will be hearing from the MEP, Sajjad Karim,

But first, Stuart Flinders on how the North West has reacted to

A Palestinian flag flies defiantly in what is left of a factory

Two weeks ago, the flag was briefly flown from the town hall in Preston

But the council, anxious not to appear to be taking sides, allowed

Feelings about Gaza are running high, particularly amongst

There is a lot of anger, but more than anything there is frustration.

The fact that the UK Government has not condemned the actions. People

are very angry about that and very disappointed.

for a Commons debate that attracted 120,000 signatures in six days.

More than 1800 people have died in Gazza. Accorded to the United

Nations, 85% of those were civilians. While there is real

concern among British Muslims, it also extends into the wider

community. Angry protests have left some

feeling they have been caught In Manchester today, shop workers

staged their own demonstration. Some staff, they say,

are being unfairly targeted by protestors who believe

their stores support the Israelis. No community has exclusive rights to

the sense of shock generated by images like these. Television is

very important. Everyone feels for those children and the civilians. On

the condemnation front, I have to condemn Hamas. They started the war.

Haris from Preston is nine years old.

He doesn't really understand the politics of the Middle East.

But he is trying to raise ?20,000 pounds for humanitarian

I was watching the news and I saw what was happening in Gaza. Children

the same age as me and my sister are being bombed. I want to raise money

to build houses and for hospitals to treat

Ripples from the Gaza crisis are being felt here too.

Stuart Flinders, BBC North West Tonight.

Earlier, I spoke to MEP Sajjad Karim and started

by asking why he had decided to take issue with his own Prime Minister.

I think the dissent side of it simply comes from the approach.

I really do feel that our Government, and it is not just

the British Government ` there are many governments right

across Europe today, simply does not have a proper sense of how

I genuinely do think that the media has played

Today, people have instant access to information in

That is now meaning that people are able to lead the agenda

and unfortunately governments have been caught off guard on this issue,

As a North West MEP, what is the impression that you get

from people in this region about how they are feeling about this issue.

Certainly on the humanitarian side, I know for certain that the vast

majority of people in the North West, and certainly throughout the

country, are wanting to do whatever we can as a country to help young

children in particular, but also people that have been affected by

That is why I am leading calls to ensure that we are able to treat

people, if necessary, here in the United Kingdom.

We just talking about granting medical visas where

it is appropriate, or more comprehensive help for the people?

I think that the general mood in the country is that we should do

absolutely everything we possibly can.

If there is a need to ensure that somebody gets a visa and treatment,

What role do you think hospitals in North West will have to play

We are very lucky in the North West because some

of our medical facilities and establishments are world leading.

If there is any child or any person that has been injured

in Gaza who is in need of those specialist facilities,

and the only way to provide those is by bringing a person here,

People may be concerned that if we provide that humanitarian help to

start with, that this country will get further drawn into the conflict.

We have to make sure that measures are put in place to stop anybody

That means that Israel must be able to properly defend itself from

missiles that are coming in from Hamas, but equally there is a need

from the international community to ensure that Israel does not carry

out disproportionate reactions at any time in the future.

A court has heard the former Manchester United

footballer Ravel Morrison threatened to throw acid in the face of his

The 21`year`old, who now plays for West Ham, is accused of carrying

out a campaign of harassment against her lasting four years.

Ravel Morrison, arriving at Manchester Magistrates

The player, who is from Manchester, was initially arrested and charged

with two counts of common assault after allegedly punching and

slapping his former girlfriend, Reah Mansoor, and her mother, Parveen

But today the court heard he had threatened to throw acid in Miss

Mansoor's face, have her killed, blow up her house, and other threats

of violence ` a course of harassment which had lasted four years.

Ravel Morrison spoke only to confirm his name, age, and address

before the harassment allegation was added to the charges.

His lawyer said he would be pleading not guilty.

He was bailed to appear at Manchester Crown Court

Despite being touted as a bright prospect at Old Trafford,

Manchester United only kept him for two years before selling him to West

The player, who is originally from Manchester, was remanded in custody

As part of his bail conditions, he has to live in London.

He is not allowed to enter the Greater Manchester area

unless he is appearing in court or playing a game for West Ham.

If that is the case, he has to return to London

Judy Hobson, BBC North West Tonight, Manchester.

Police investigating suspected drug trafficking at Manchester Prison

have seized thousands of sachets, pills, and liquids from a shop

Officers found the suspected illegal substances when they raided

A campaign group of mainly women have set up a protest camp against

They have pitched tents and attached notices to fences at the site

Cuadrilla has applied for planning permission to drill

More than 200 guns and 3,000 rounds of ammunition have

been handed in to Greater Manchester Police in their firearm amnesty.

The haul, collected during two weeks last month, includes shotguns,

It has emerged that some of the region's motorways were never

Highways Agency figures show there was not a single day when there were

The M62 had just seven days without lane closures last year.

Next to our series Export Or Die. It was a phrase coined in the 1940s,

but it is just as relevant today when

the Government says selling more overseas will help the recovery.

But where are our biggest areas for global growth?

Well, China is one of this country's fastest growing export markets.

In 2013, the value of UK exports there grew by 18%.

By the end of the year, they were worth almost ?12.5 billion.

For the North West, China is now our fifth biggest

trading partner ` behind Germany, the USA, Netherlands, and France.

And it is becoming increasingly important.

So, in tonight's Export Or Die, our economics correspondent,

Jayne McCubbin, has been to meet a local company

This is Keith Hanshaw and these are Keith's satchels.

The satchel has been a British staple for decades.

But Keith's satchel story starts back in the 1960s with

Yes, 1966 ` and Uncle Stephen, Steve Hanshaw, was

Uncle Stephen was a hippy selling belts and bags

In 1966, the crowds were in London for this ` the World Cup.

Uncle Stephen is approached by a spectator `

He is in need of 100 school satchels ` can Uncle Stephen deliver?

Satchels, bags, belts ` but mainly satchels.

We made clogs for Queen ` Freddy Mercury and Brian May.

You know the satchel that Angus Young wears in ACDC on stage, the

lead singer, and he bounces across the stage ` that is one of ours.

And we made his guitar strap as well!

I'm sorry, I can't get over the image of Brian May wearing clogs.

But it is the satchel which they hope will move

There are 1.4 billion people in China.

We will find out as we follow three wanna`be

Tomorrow ` can this man sell booze to a country

Admittedly, many do not drink. But other people do.

Jayne McCubbin, BBC North West Tonight.

The couple celebrating 50 years of marriage with

In tandem ` the father and son from Cumbria rising to one of

Now for the latest in our World War I at Home series, in partnership

Last night, we heard about the torpedoing of the Lusitania

and the heroic rescue mission mounted by a Manx fishing crew.

But more than 1,200 people died on the liner

and the sinking provoked a violent reaction here in the North West.

In a war not short of horror, the sinking of the unarmed

liner Lusitania in May 1915 was for many at the time the greatest horror

of all. There were hundreds of women and children among the victims ` the

Anti`German riots erupted across the country, centred on

100 years ago, it would have looked rather different

On the night of May 11, it was attacked by rioters.

The Liverpool Echo described the scene saying that the shop had

The stock was stolen or throwing onto the street. Women hurled

Women hurled strings of sausages at one another and one woman scrubbed

The family were forced to hide upstairs

Around 400 of the Lusitania crew died, most

of them from streets in the north end of the city near to the docks.

She was engaged to one of the crew members who

According to one account there was a gang of 2,000 people going

around Liverpool looking for shops with German names.

200 businesses were attacked. The police struggled to cope. They close

down pubs and called for reinforcements.

The authorities came down hard on the rioters,

But, such was the anti`German feeling in the city, many

One newspaper said, can there be any wonder that among the less

disciplined classes a feeling bitter enmity against the Germans should be

exasperated yonder restraint. `` beyond restraint. It was difficult

for the authorities to distinguish between those who were doing it for

a reason, for example they had relatives on the ship, and those who

were there to stock up their larder essentially. These were not riots

against people. The Germans themselves were not targeted. They

may have been chased away, but they were not consulted. After a few

days, the riots burn themselves out. Anger faded and respectful grief

took its place. Smashed windows were repaired and

stock was replaced. As casualties on the Western front mounted, riots

were forgotten. An inglorious And all this week,

your BBC local radio stations will continue with their stories of WW1

and how the conflict impacted On Radio Manchester at 8.15AM

tomorrow morning, Jonathan Ali will tell the story of the sleepy

Cheshire village of Handforth, near Wilmslow, that became home to

one of the largest German prisoner Bolton will be

the venue this weekend Hundreds of transplant patients

from across the UK will be in the town competing

in events ranging from football Organisers hope it will encourage

more people to sign up to The opening ceremony is being held

outside Bolton town hall tonight and our reporter, Clare Fallon,

is there. I have someone else's kidney inside

of me. Pushing herself and proving a point. For this girl, taking part in

the games is about challenging perceptions and saying thank you.

You were eight years old when you had your transplant. What difference

has it made to your life? It has made many changes. I am different

from everybody else because I've had this it is a gift. The aim of these

games is to prove what can be achieved and save more lives by

encouraging more donors. Life life like Bill's. For many years I was on

oxygen and I could not do anything at all. They'll had hoped to take

part in the Olympics, but then he developed a heart problem. There are

no words that can express the gratitude towards the person who

allowed their loved one's organs to be donated. People are getting

behind sporting activities. We have seen a surge in membership and a

surge in the number of people who want to get fit again following a

transplant. This is a way for people to say that I want to get fit and I

want to show this to my donor family. With many people still

waiting for a new organ, the need for more donors is clear. It is

hoped that the events this weekend may help the situation.

You might associate this pose with the runner Usain Bolt.

But this father and son, from Cumbria, have adopted it

as they take on one of the world's toughest cycling challenges.

Norman and James Beech will cycle nearly 300 miles a day when they

You have done it, haven't you? Yes, it took me three weeks.

And they will be the first people ever to do it on a tandem `

They are Cumbria's Beech Boys ` father and son,

But forget surfing, they are into cycling.

And they do it around Coniston, not California.

We are not really any good at surfing, are we?

Wind surfing, we can do wind surfing.

They are no strangers to a challenge.

As a two`man team, they have already rowed

across the Atlantic and pedalled from John o'Groats to Land's End.

We spent 82 days in a boat without an argument.

Since, we have cycled the length of the country

Now they are preparing to compete in the Race Around Ireland, and,

if they complete the 1,350 mile course, they will be the first

Basically that means I am steering, braking, changing gears and calling

Meanwhile, Dad is on the back ` calorie munching, putting all

If we are going 50mph down a hill, Dad has no control from the back.

Over the years, they have already raised more than ?40,000

for good causes and they are hoping this will bring in thousands more

They think their tandem will be spurred on

In homage to Usain Bolt, we have got our Bolt pose.

We will be doing our best to go at the speed of lightening.

The race begins on the 31st of August.

The Beech Boys hope to get around Ireland in record time.

Naomi Cornwell, BBC North West Tonight, in Coniston.

We all have our favourite holiday spots ` places we might

Well, Raymond and Dorothy Bartley found their holiday heaven right

They honeymooned there half a century ago

Dave Guest has been finding out why they love Blackpool.

Raymond and Dorothy love to be beside the seaside in Blackpool.

They came here as newlyweds on their honeymoon in 1964.

This is where our first hotel was in 1964.

Bed`and`breakfast, and dinner in the evening, at that time was

In fact, they liked it so much that they have

They celebrate their golden wedding anniversary

this year and in all those years they have never once missed

There is a pull for me to come to Blackpool and we

I can vividly remember it ` that happened in Blackpool.

It has changed quite a lot in recent years.

There are places in Blackpool but are still in need of upgrading,

but you have a new precinct and the promenade has improved.

Overall, I think Blackpool is on the up and up.

Now they have introduced the latest generation of the family

Their 13`year`old grandson, Luke, is also now a regular visitor.

As long as me and Dorothy's feet keep bringing us

There will not be much sunshine over the next couple of days. This is the

view outside the window here just now. Tomorrow, the picture will

change dramatically after a sunny afternoon. In the afternoon, there

will be thundery showers and these could be spectacular and cold many

problems. It will be a cool night and the temperatures will be 9`10

Celsius in rural areas. This is the calm before the storm. Tomorrow

morning, the best of the weather will be around. But do not be

fooled. The Met Office have issued a yellow warning and this means that

there could be travel disruption and local flooding. Tomorrow afternoon

is looking very difficult. Do not be fooled by the sunshine that you see

first thing, because it will not take long for the cloud to start

moving in. There will be showers in the isle of man and then they will

spread. There could be some heavy downpours. Away from the showers,

there could be some sunshine. But we are not sure exactly where they will

be. Away from the showers, temperatures could reach 21 Celsius.

But there could be travel disruption so please check your local BBC Radio

station. They will keep you up`to`date as we head to the

afternoon and evening. The showers will start to move away across

Friday. At the weekend, there is still some debate but Saturday looks

like the better day. We may see some heavy rain and strong winds. Send