14/05/2014 South Today

A night time rescue ` Residdnts find themselves trapped in their homes

He is struggling to balance the books at the moment.

A night time rescue ` Residdnts find themselves trapped in their homes

Singing away the blues ` A new treatment

And 70 years on ` remembering lives lost when an American

He's the multi`millionaire publisher who was knighted

Sir John Madejski is both wdalthy and well known but he's not been

He's lost more than ?300 million since 2008 and the

Reading Football Club chairlan is now in danger of being relegated

Sir John will be ranked at 847 when the newspaper publishes

An investigation by BBC South has revealed that most

Our business correspondent, Alastair Fee has this exclusive report.

He is rich and famous. A fl`mboyant character who is generous and has a

taste for the high life. In business he is regarded as shrewd and honest,

but behind the image these `re tough times for Redding's most

recognisable resident. Sincd he made his fortune in printing, Sir John

Madejski's interests have bden varied. He became chairman of

Redding football club in 1980 and spent millions on the staditm that

bears his name. As the UK economy went into decline, so did hhs

fortune. He has built up a lixed portfolio of hotels, radio station

and property. We have looked at 21 properties he has a share in. Three

have gone bust, 17 are making losses and just one is turning a profit.

The majorities of the companies he has an interest him has neg`tive net

worth. They are worth less now than when he invested in them. There are

significant losses. His ventures have included the Sackville property

group which reported millions of pounds of loss in 2012. There have

been no files since. Redding foot boat club made a loss of ?2.3

million last year and there is the hotel and conference centre which

turned a corner recording a profit. So how much has Sir John Madejski

lost? At its height, the Sunday Times Rich list estimated hd was

worth ?400 million. Last ye`r that figure had fallen by 300 million. I

have known him for more than a decade and our researchers talked to

his advisers each year before we reach our valuation. It is `ll

realisable assets we are looking at the market valuation of companies

properties. As a businessman, as he lost his touch? He is struggling to

balance the books up a moment. He is honest about that, probably thinking

at the moment, will I be in the next Rich list rushed to mark it is his

investment in property that have been hit hardest. Known as Lr

Redding, he had big ambitions for the town. The redevelopment was part

of his plans, but in 2011, he pulled out. A look at Sackville properties

gives an indication at how luch trouble he is in. Total grotp assets

of ?37 million, but that's of 8 million, including 52 mediul pounds

owed to Royal Bank of Scotl`nd. We have been unable to establish if

that has been paid back. Thd crash in 2008 hit lots of developdrs. I

met up with a commercial commentator. Commercial rents in

some parts of the country, hncluding the golden corridor, come under

pressure still. We are some way of getting a resolution. Companies like

Sackville properties have when fitted, but when they are down on

their luck and the market slells blood, there is nothing mord

unforgiving than commercial developments. This site helps to

explain when much of the lost millions went. His printing company

was taken over and when it went under he lost ?80 million of his own

wealth. It is not known how much Redding football club has cost him.

He found a Russian millionahre which went sour. He said he was kden to

leave the financial burden behind. It is a concern, because we know the

cost of running a full all club is absolutely immense. Of course,

people with that sort of money are few and far between. It is critical

we find somebody, but the sdarch goes on. Hopes to return to the

Premier League with broken when they failed to get into the Premher

League. Most people think hd is rich and has lots of money. He h`s never

thrown it around, he has always been prudent. But a lot of supporters

will want someone to come in and bankroll the club. To compete at

this level, you need deep pockets. Where does this leave him? He is

still rich but not as comfortably off as he once was. If the

commercial property market lakes The Games, that will help but ?300

million is a lot to lose, no matter how wealthy you are.

South Today approached Sir John Madejski for an interview on three

We sent him more than ten detailed questions

about his finances, such as whether the RBS bank loan had been repaid.

Five people were rescued from flats in Southampton l`st night

after a fire started on the fourth floor of the block.

60 fire fighters were called to the Northam Estate in South`mpton

11 people received treatment at the scene but no one was seriously hurt.

The fire, under control and the flats being made safe, but `t its

peak, this fire was severe `nd developing. Hampshire Fire Service

said it had to be fought aggressively. As the flames spread

from a flat to a communal h`llway, people became trapped in thdir

homes, seeking safety on thdir balconies. I went to the front door

thinking that is where I wotld bleed. I look through the Spice

Girls and saw the flames coling across the ceiling and coming to my

front door. I close the door behind me and got to the window. Wd banged

on the window so the firemen knew we were there. Within five minttes we

were out of the property behng taken away from it. The damage was

extensive with one flat at ht. The person living here left the front

door open as they fled, which meant the fire spread. But other front

doors stood up to the flames. What we can see is the differencd closing

the door behind you can makd. The properties with the doors closed

have limited damage. You ard safer in your flat rather than coling out

here. With the clean`up unddr way, residents from five flats bding

found temporary accommodation. Investigators are trying to

establish how the fire started. Sussex Police are appealing

for help in catching a rapist who attacked a wom`n

at a cemetery in Littlehampton. The 44`year`old woman had bden

sitting on a bench in the cemetery off Horsham Road

on the evening of May 3rd. She reported

the attack four days later. Detectives say the man was of mixed

race, in his early 20s with short dark hair, spoke broken English

and was wearing dark clothing. New investment, new jobs,

new planes. There was an optimistic outlook this

morning from organisers of July's Farnborough Air Show,

the industry's showpiece evdnt. Joe Campbell has been getting

a preview. Things have gone a long way since

these were the state`of`the`art aircraft. The show itself knows it

must move with the times. Shmply putting aircraft into the ahr and

saying how fantastic it is, is no longer good enough. We have to look

around at Goodwood, Silverstone and suchlike, to realise we need to

raise the bar. Planes remain the unique selling point but thd public

will find extra seating and new presenters using X screen TVs to

link into the usual displays. While it has been the aircraft of the past

on display here, the big attraction will be the plane of the future The

F 35 will make its debut outside the US at the show. It is the fhrst

operational aircraft cake double of doing short`stay calf and l`nding.

With HMS Queen Elizabeth naling ceremony, the 35 will make hts

international debut also in July. One piece of the future has arrived

in the shape of new, permandnt exhibition facilities. The

developments of facilities on the site which can be used at other

times, increases the viabilhty of the airshow. That should link

Farnborough and flying for lany years to come.

Why the World Cup in Rio will be extra special

Next week voters go to the polls for the European elections

and tonight we start a serids of features examining how the EU

So how is money from Brussels spent locally?

We've been looking at a cross`channel project that

could help prevent coastal flooding that wouldn't be happening without

Researchers are examining old paintings of the Isle of Wight to

see how artists have capturdd the coastline over the last 200 years.

It's hoped that by studying past changes, better flood plans

Ed Sherry has been to meet the Hampshire charity

This steel engraving by William Westall from 1838 is called

Ventnor from a Hill above the Cove. Ignore the buildings

and you can see how over 174 years the cliffs

Where we are now is built on past changes, different climate change

and different effects. The cash has come from the European development

fund. Similar work is being done along northern France, in Bdlgium

and in the Netherlands. We have tried to get the types we c`n assess

and demonstrate the value of using these tools, covering all p`rts of

the coastline in the southern North Sea and English Channel reghon. A

database of paintings is behng set up to allow coastal managers and

engineers to see how the landscape is changing and help plan coastal

development. The work is behng led by the Hampshire `based Marhtime

trust and they have received over ?1 million of European funds. We

survive on those funds and the European funds are very cord to

that. We have a lot of expertise in the UK. Expertise we can sh`re with

our European colleagues. Thd charity says the UK as a whole recehves more

money from Europe and it paxs in. The funding helps to better

understand a common European heritage.

Money for that project comes from a huge pot.

The EU budget for the next seven years has been

The biggest amount of around a third will go on what's called "cohesion".

That's funding for countries and regions that are economhcally

For the first time the over`ll EU budget was cut

The Greens voted against th`t, arguing for a freeze instead,

because they were worried about the impact on overseas aid.

We have a position as the ntmber`1 on the planet. I think that carries

a responsibility, help others. The result of the cut has been we are

giving less money to people who need it. I didn't want that to h`ppen. I

didn't want people to go hungry There are a number

of smaller parties also on the European ballot paper, incltding the

Socialist Party who have a full list They're campaigning

for what they're calling To claim you can run this in the

interests of the people, yot cannot do that, it is based on

exploitation. We'll be hearing more

from the other parties in the run up There is a full list of European

candidates on the BBC website. And on Friday we'll be lookhng at

whether hotels across Europd should Hundreds of patients with sdvere

depression and anxiety are being offered a new kind of treatlent

in Hampshire ` singing in a choir. It's hoped that communal singing

will help improve About 400 patients will be offered

the therapy, including young mums Our Health Correspondent,

David Fenton reports. This is an unusual quiet because

most of the people here cannot sing. Or think they can't. Some of the

group have mental health problems and they are hoping this will help.

We hope it when fits our patients by releasing some of their anxhety and

distress, building up their confidence and giving them hope and

a sense of purpose. Julie h`d severe depression and anxiety for three and

anxiety for three and a half years. She has written poems about it will

stop for three months she could not leave her bedroom, let alond the

house. I thought I was going to faint, felt as though somebody was

strangling me and felt inst`ntly sick. It took over my life. Today,

Julie has joined in the chohr and they are getting into the flow and

enjoying it. It gets rid of my agitation and anxiousness. Ht

releases a lot of energy, strplus energy you have got. They h`ve been

practising for an hour and they are just about to start singing.

The power of singing certainly makes you feel better. We have had some

breaking news? Bournemouth fans might not want to hear about Lewis

grab one. They have confirmdd they have accepted a bid from Cardiff.

The player only signed a new three and a half year contract in January

after turning down a move to Brighton. He scored 22 goals in his

first season in the championship. Cardiff have just dropped ott of the

Premier League. All of us sports fans are gdtting

excited about the World Cup, but one family from Hampshire have

a very special reason for bding so. Connor Gardner has been picked to be

a flag bearer for England's opening game of the World Cup in Br`zil

and all because he selflessly gave up some of his formative ye`rs to

care for his mum. I've been to a charity in the

New Forest today to find out more. Football dominates his life, but he

is off to Brazil on the trip of a lifetime. I am a bit nervous, never

been on a flight for this long. I said to him, you have been given the

opportunity to be a flag be`rer But he did not leave me. It is this

special bond that has brought this World Cup dream alive. His lum was

diagnosed with MS a few years ago, and he has been taking care of her.

I have stayed in and taken care of her. The honeypot children's charity

was there to help him. I usdd to be lonely, I didn't go out bec`use I

wanted to help my mum. They have left to me to have free timd. After

four years attending their respite centre, it was the charity that

nominated him for the prize. Who have you got your hopes up `bout

meeting? Steven Gerrard. Wh`t do your friends think about thhs? They

don't believe me. Swapping the tranquil of the New Forest for the

exuberance of Brazil, is an experience he will never forget He

is excited, Hampshire batsman Michael C`rberry

says he thinks the change of England coaching staff is a key factor

behind him being brought back Carberry was outspoken

against the previous regime, criticising a lack of communication

when he was dropped from thd team. But after being recalled

for the upcoming one`day and T2 series against Sri Lanka,

he's delighted that all parties It was me expressing my opinion

which I am entitled to. We have had a chat since and the lines of

communication have deemed bdtter. I will be playing at the top of the

order. It is one of the things they have been looking at and sed how I

go again Sri Lanka. Despite another week

of rain`affected matches, both Surrey and Hampshire recorddd wins

in cricket's County Championship. A century from captain Graele Smith

led Surrey to a tricky`lookhng At Hove, plenty of rain and a very

flat wicket meant a high`scoring Meanwhile, Hampshire is top

of Division Two after compldting a comfortable six`wicket win over

Glamorgan at the Ageas Bowl. Bournemouth athlete, Steve Way,

named in England team for Commonwealth Games marathon

in Glasgow. A service of remembrance has been

held for those who lost thehr lives when an American bombdr crash

landed on Chichester 70 years ago. The crew

of the plane successfully b`iled out but three civilians were killed

including a 14`year`old girl. Relatives of the bomber pilot

travelled from the United States The beat 24 Liberator was c`pable of

long distances and carrying heavy loads of bombs. Dozens set off

across the Channel to one r`ilway yards in central France. Endmy fire

up the damage this plane and they aborted their mission. The pilots,

Joseph Duncan nursed the pl`ne towards the south coast but a fire

broke out on board. It's got worse and got over land and told his crew

to bail out. He turned the `eroplane back out to sea and then he left.

All ten members of the crew survived but the plane did not crash over the

sea. It's damaged engines ttrned it 180 degrees taking it inland. It

crashed in the centre of Chhchester on wartime allotments and a laundry

filled with workers. I remelber this massive ball of flame. It is a thing

you never forget. I remember feeling the heat from the flames as well. I

ran home and my mother was running to meet me. We thought it h`d been a

bomb dropped. We heard later it had been a crash. There is a short act

of remembrance... 70 years on, the events are remembered at thd

graveside of 14`year`old mate Granger who had been underw`y to see

her mother. This man wrote ` history of the crash and he tracked down the

family of the pilot. His son came to represent his father, who is now 93.

The British and Americans wdre great friends. They were allies. Ht is the

tragedy of the war, I guess. He did what he could. It wasn't enough but

yes, he went on to keep fighting. Keep the bad guys back.

High pressure is in charge of the weather. We do have some lovely

weather pictures sent it. A stroll in the sunshine at Poole

Park by Ed Inman This view from Old Harry Rocks looking towards Swanage

was captured by Mike Ludwig. And Richard Jacobs captured

a Peregrine Falcon on a crane at Southampton Docks enjoying

the sunshine. A touch of mist and fog and maybe at

touch of frost. Most towns `nd cities I expect things seven to nine

Celsius. In the countryside, perhaps down to five or 6 degrees. Winds are

light and variable. Mist and fog to start tomorrow but that will earn

away. Sunny spells initiallx but there will be more cloud th`n today,

filling in from the North. Bright sunny spells for the afternoon and

they hiked up to 19 Celsius. Today we reach 19 Celsius. Tomorrow we

might have a high of 21 degrees Through the course of tomorrow

night, skies were clear agahn. Another mild night to come with a

low of seven to 11 Celsius. Clear spells and the slight chancd of mist

and fog patches first thing on Friday morning. Once again the winds

are fairly light. A lovely day on Friday. A contrast for tomorrow 19

Celsius today, a high of 21 Celsius. Temperatures are continuing

to climb as we head towards the weekend. It is all thanks to this

area of high pressure. 22 Cdlsius through Friday, perhaps up to 2 by

Saturday. But there is this weather front moving south later on in the

day on Saturday. May produchng thundery downpours. If you `re

planning a barbecue on Saturday do be prepared we could have

thunderstorms. If you do catch a shower on Saturday afternoon, they

could be heavy and slow movhng. Temperatures are set to clilb into

the low 20s at the weekend. Things change and a breakdown occurs later

on Sunday. Can I let you into a little secret.

She hasn't even got her shods on. I have listers and die, get these

high heels on. It is not th`t bad. We are back tomorrow at 6:30 p.m..