06/06/2014 Spotlight

We will remember them. The South West joins the nation in

commemorating D`Day. Good evening and welcome to Spotlight. Events

have taken place across the region to remember the sacrifice of the

fallen and honoured. We will also have one man's heartfelt trhbute to

his brother, who died on thd beaches in northern France. And it hs a two

of the Royal Cornwall Show. A bright stay here at Wadebridge. Ond of the

events in the main ring had to be cancelled following a cruelty

debate. More on that later. We will also take a closer look at `

sometimes forgotten hero of the countryside, the humble scarecrow.

today in commemorating the D`Day landings 70 years ago. Veterans from

all four corners of the South West have travelled to Normandy to take

part in the services there. And here at home, events were held in towns

all along the coast, remembdring the troops who left on the largdst sea

bourne invasion force in history. Thousands of American troops were

stationed in the towns and villages of Cornwall, Devon and Dorsdt. John

Henderson reports from Lyme Regis, where the D`Day soldiers were

A memorial fly`past above Lxme Regis. 70 years ago, hundreds of

planes would have filled thd skies taking paratroopers to fight in

France. So many aircraft, the blocked out the sun. Watching

bewildered, was this man. Hd was a terrified six`year`old on hhs way to

school. All of a sudden, the whole sky was

black with aeroplanes. They were coming from everywhere. Thex were

not little planes, they werd big. And the sudden, the sun was blotted

out, almost. They board was horrendous. It was very frightening.

Over the course go our bombdrs. . The start of the battle of

Normandy. Among those taking part were American soldiers stathoned

around villages in the South West. The company will never be

forgotten. It was rather totching. When the infantry marched ott of

Lyme Regis down this very straight 70 years ago, the soldiers were

emptying their pockets of English currency and throwing it to children

because they knew they would never need it again.

Bunting will be out in forcd weekend. This commemorative plaque

was unveiled at the weekend. Today saw several D`Day ceremonies

dedicated to those whose cotrage, bravery and selfless commitlent pay

the way for victory in Europe. Veterans played their part `t this

service in Jersey. 70 years. But time has not been important.

It just stayed with me. It was one of those things you could not erase.

I can remember a little part of history.

Exactly 70 years ago tonight Churchill was telling the commons

that D`Day had been an outstanding success. At the forefront w`s a

soldier from Dorset. Through the eyes of his brother who now lives in

Fowey in Cornwall, Simon Cldmison looks now at the story of one man

involved in the assault on the th of June 1944.

The preparation, the planning, the secrecy, the subterfuge, thd luck.

But this was the reality for the troops who carried out the D`Day

landings. Weird ACE laps on calm beaches today, ways of men searched

onshore. 7000 men were lost. One was this man. Foremost, the history of a

lifetime is told in a streal of images, but for some, there no more.

His brother has missed his company for the last 70 years. Charles is

not forgotten. I think about in a commend this

amount. I have his picture on my desk. We practically conversed. He

is there all the time. Charles now lives in a military

cemetery in Normandy. The rdason for his sacrifice, clearly statdd. The

same inscription is here in the church at this village in Dorset.

The story behind the photographs and the memorials is one of two brothers

whose time together only lasted into their 20s. But it is also one of the

huge capability of a soldier, Charles Martin was the man of the

moment. A childhood at this location was idyllic. The brothers spent a

lot of time with each other. They rode together. First and horses

then in cars. Charles initi`lly wanted to join the Navy but when

they could not get a place, the Army beckoned. He was with the Dorset

shirt regiment in Sicily, ldading the first soldiers onto the beach,

showing he was a man who cotld succeed in doing that. D`Dax was on

a different scale, but similar in essence. At the Allies set off from

the Dorset coast, the seaside was a sea of green. In the early lorning,

the operation began which would lead to western Europe being libdrated.

Attached to a neighbouring regiment, Charles Martin was among

the first British troops to make it to northern France. His comlanding

officer was wounded and he was called to take control of the

Battalion. Charles had provdd he could be the right man in the right

place at the right time. Thdre are few greater hours than this.

His experience was not uniqte, but it was rare at that point. He had

won a reputation by them for being very swift and brave and effective

in action. But it was not to be. Almost

immediately, he was killed by a sniper. He was in the front line. It

was unsurprising, but it was a great shock. A very sad shock for me. A

piece of my life just dislodged and was taken away.

One`man's story among thous`nds remembered 70 years on.

A doctor's wife from Feock near Truro has pleaded guilty to his

manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.G`ry

Hughes was stabbed through the heart at his home in November last year.

The court heard that Marion Hughes was suffering from severe ddpression

and pyschotic delusions. Thd 59`year`old was ordered to be

Five teenagers have been qudstioned by police following an alleged arson

attack at a derelict Pontins holiday camp in Torbay. At the height of the

blaze in Brixham last night, smoke could be seen as far away as

Exmouth. All five of those `rrested have been released on bail tntil

A former police officer has been sentenced to a two year comlunity

order after he admitted exposing himself. Motorbike officer David

Salsbury seen here on the ldft was a serving officer in Devon Cornwall

Police when he committed thd three offences in 2012. He resigndd from

the force last year following his arrest. He must also attend a sex

A 14`year`old boy from Cornwall has recorded a song which he hopes will

raise money for teenagers stffering from cancer. The charity was set up

in memory of two young girls who became best friends while bding

treated in hospital. These girls had a special bond. They met whdn they

were both being treated for cancer. A disease which eventually claimed

both their lives. After thehr deaths, there are now a set up a

charity called Laugh. Abigahl Reeve, is one of them. She developdd

thyroid cancer in her late teens. Because of her age she had to be

treated on an adult ward. The charity help turn the other

teenagers who had similar experiences. I think that L`ugh has

helped. It provides events `nd meals and we go bowling and it is a good

chance for everyone to mix together and know that they are not `lone.

There are other people out there going through similar things. If I

could turn back time... 14`year`old Benji has writtdn a song

to help raise money 14 majors living with cancer. The family of one of

the girls say the song has touched them. Everyone in the officd started

crying when they heard the song They realised it was somethhng very

special and we wanted to help the charity. He is a special person for

writing something like that. It is just amazing. My friend lost her mum

to cancer and I was speaking to her and she had shaved her head. And she

raised almost ?7,000. That was inspirational to me. I thought it

was incredible. The song is released today.

Royal Marines speed marched through towns in Devon and Cornwall today,

as part of the corps three hundred and fiftieth anniversary

celebrations.Crowds applauddd the troops as they passed through

Tavistock. The Plymouth ` b`sed commandos are marching to Truro`

it's part of a challenge to raise money for the Royal Marines

Bude windsurfer Izzy Hamilton has been selected for the British

Sailing team in the first Olympic Test event to be held this summer in

Rio de Janeiro. It's the first official test for

prospectivequalifiers in anx Olympic sport, and it's the 21 year old s

biggest accolade to date as she bids for the 2016 Rio Games.

I came third in this event, behind one or British girl and one Spanish

girl. So, a reasonable step in the right direction.

I've got to beat one more ghrl to get to the Olympics,

because only one person from each class gets to go.

Thank you. Welcome to Wadebridge. A bright and breezy day at thd Royal

Cornwall Show. It has been ` little too breezy for some of the tents and

marquees. At one stage, a l`rge BBC Cornwall marquee had to be closed to

the public because winds had increased. But a few tent pdgs soon

sorted out. I noticed a few people losing hats, but it did not cause

any spoiling of enjoyment of the show too much. However, on `nd off

the showground today, one of this year's main attractions has been a

cause of controversy. You m`y remember we were talking about

George the Shire horse. This is what they were getting ready for.

Today, the Royal Cornwall Show has decided to stop the tug of war event

after complaints it might bd cruel. This woman looks after George. How

is he? Here's Arsenal Bay fhne. But based on the comments received, we

have stopped this part of the show. I have no concerns about his

condition at all. Can you understand why people may

have thought the tug of war was cruel? I can. But we are now so far

removed from a working horsd that people do not understand wh`t they

can deal with. The pool walks out of the forest, which is no different to

the tug of war that we created yesterday. That is their natural

work. If you can imagine, the resistance on the blog if it was to

get a boulder or to start slipping down an embankment, it would begin

hard and the horse would work hard to pull the log out. No different to

what we did yesterday. So it was not cruel.

OK, thank you very much. Earlier I spoke to the secretary of the Royal

Cornwall Show and I asked hhm why the show had taken any decision to

cancel the tug`of`war. Well, people were raising concerns

with us. They felt there was an element of cruelty to it. Wd don't

think that's at all the casd. I think George was more than capable

of doing the task and beating the pirates. But obviously we think it's

important to react to peopld's views. If they feel that wax, we

wouldn't want to upset people in any Critics might argue that it was

perhaps naive to put this on in the first place. What sort of assessment

did you do beforehand, bearhng in mind this was a horse that could

react in all sorts of ways? Well, we were approached by Lizard

Stallions, the people who own George and run the carriage all thd time.

They were keen to do it. Thdy said it would be a lovely thing to see.

They are trying to show the magnificence of the beast and the

great strength that they have. Obviously we have Shires here every

year. We know them well, we know that they are very capable. The felt

they were confident, that w`s not a problem at all. I don't think in any

way that George has been injured, or even frightened. But people's

perception is that, and we `re happy Every year, the Royal Cornw`ll Show

manages to cater for all tastes and ages, from grandparents to

grandchildren. There is somdthing for everyone. Whether it is your

first or 50th visit to the show there is plenty to see and do.

Exhibits are newcomers. These piglets are pretty relaxed. These

chicks are just a few hours old But they are getting a lot of attention.

It is great. We have seen horses, and other animals. I like sdeing all

the animals. Many of the young visitors head here

to have fun on the vintage rights. Others have a job today. And William

have got to get their prize`winning Guernsey cows ready for the show. I

like it because I get to sed lots of machinery and see my friends. We go

to nearly every show every xear I have been a steward since 1867.

What do you think when you see these youngsters darting out? It hs great.

We must encourage them becatse they are the future.

For those dedicated showgoers, there are plenty of displays and plenty of

tradition. The older generation will tdll you

that when they were children, they remember seeing this sort of them.

Whatever your age, when it gets a little hard on the feet, and you can

just sit back and be entert`ined. Whiskey in the jar...

They resolve is so much to see here at the show, including all things

agricultural. For the very first time, one of the heroes of the

countryside is being honourdd any special way. It is for fun `nd for

charity and has been rather a challenge. They have been protecting

crops are thousands of years and now this champion of rural life is that

the Royal Cornwall Show. Everywhere!

This family are taking up the scarecrow challenge. We will find

many as we can. There are more than 100 hidden all

over the showground. This is the farmer's white. She is very elegant,

as you can see. She is part of the wonderful scarecrow Trail.

Once your lure den, there is learning to be done. Let's find the

next one! At the end, a favourite has to be

chosen, but it is a tricky decision. I like the... One out there... That

one over there. It has straw in his head.

It is the first year this h`s happened, but it has been stch a

success that it looks like these give crows could be here to stay. At

the heart of the Royal Cornwall Show is the main ring, where you will

find the most impressive and colourful displays. Jumping seems to

have been a recurring theme this year. Whether over fences or off

cramps or even out of the sky. The stunt bikes are real crowd puller.

And he is doing the comment`ry at the same time. You just switch your

brain off and tried to get the job done.

Less horsepower, one in fact, the show`jumping is a great staple of

the Royal Cornwall Show. You just concentrate on your stride

and insured you are in the right place. You're just thinking about

the next fence. Here is what that looks likd.

Meanwhile, these guys have ` great view of the main ring as a drop`in

from 3500 feet. There is a lot of concentration on the parachtte

beneath. It is excellent. Wd are just concentrating on putting on the

display for the crowds. It will take the RAF Falcons a few

minutes to drop down here. Let's look at the grand parade of cattle,

sheep and goats. All the brdaks and their champions are here for the

audience and for Sophie, Cotntess of Wessex. There has been a delegation

of Americans here to see how we do agricultural shows in the South

West. They say this parade hs the one big idea they will take back

with them. They do not have a royal visitor to give prizes. One of the

highlights of this very agrhcultural show...

It isn't a tested the year. A concentrated glimpse of events in

the main ring. What you think you might a well`deserved round of

applause for all the events going on in the main ring today. It hs good

to see we can still teach the Americans a thing or two. The show

is still going strong this dvening. The rings around here have been

packed with spectators and there are still lots of people enjoying the

show. Have you had a good d`y? Yes!

David, do you have good weather news for us? There are some showdrs out

to the West of the Scilly Isles Let's start with the detail at

Wadebridge. For both tomorrow, the final day, and dandy, the wdather

will be kind. Not as nice as today. Tomorrow, just that little bit

cooler. What's happening on Sunday. This area of low pressure ott to the

West of us at the moment has not moved very far in the last 24 hours.

But overnight it will get a little bit closer and will bring showers

closer. You will notice that weather front is just to the West. By the

middle of the day tomorrow, it is in the central part of the country

Where that front lines will be the focus of some heavy showers, with

the risk of hail also. By the middle of the day on Sunday, we ard between

weather systems so although there is a risk of the shower, it is mainly a

dry day. Patchy cloud and the highest temperatures have bden

across parts of Somerset. 23 degrees today. Overnight, a hint of rain

will gradually creep in. Th`t is this evening's forecast. Clouding

over more, some sherry outbreaks of rain. Some could be quite hdavy You

may hear a rumble of thunder through the night. A mild night.

Temperatures could be around 14 degrees. Tomorrow, more clotd

around. Most likely across Dorset and Somerset. For Devon and

Cornwall, it will likely be a dry day. Not quite so breezy and not

quite so warm as today. The forecast for the Isles of Scilly is dvery

showers and then brighter in the afternoon. Some high water times

here. It will be rather choppy on the south coast. Winds will become

southerly. The Mayfair, with the risk of some showers. We will

continue with the threat of showers. But that is a low threat for Devon

and Cornwall. Slow`moving, thundery showers developing. Some hazy

sunshine in the afternoon. The risk of showers on Sunday, otherwise

mainly dry. That will continue into next week. Have a good evenhng.

Thank you very much. Sounding pretty good for the third and final day of

the Royal Cornwall Show tomorrow. Thank you very much for all the

people who came to say hello to us over the last couple of days. We

will leave you tonight with another song. Two students from Fallouth

University have now graduatdd, but they wrote this song togethdr while

there. We hope you enjoy it. From everybody here in Wadebridgd and the

team in Plymouth, good night. The average person moves home

eight times during their life.