:00:08. > :00:44.Welcome to the newly Christmased up one show with Alex Jones and Matt
:00:45. > :00:53.Baker and with us is the beautiful Sheila Hancock. Hello!
:00:54. > :00:58.What do we make of this? Even a snow machine outside. It's fantastic. Are
:00:59. > :01:03.nay outside the building doing that? Yes, yes. Gosh. They are just
:01:04. > :01:14.turning a handle! Amazing. They must be freezing out there as well. Dodgy
:01:15. > :01:20.animals there Dodgy? ! What do you mean? ! That looks as though it
:01:21. > :01:25.might bite you. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the animals might
:01:26. > :01:30.move. What do you mean? Well, they might. It's a weird game Matt likes
:01:31. > :01:33.to play. What about you at home? Have you got anything surprising
:01:34. > :01:37.that you are using as Christmas decorations this year, or maybe you
:01:38. > :01:42.have gone completely over the top? Send us a picture and we'll show
:01:43. > :01:45.them later. Can you jutt do a badger in a woolly hat, that's what we want
:01:46. > :01:50.to know? The people of the north-west once again have had to
:01:51. > :01:54.cope with the worst of the weather after storm Desmond lashed the UK
:01:55. > :01:58.this weekend. Flood-hit families have been forced out of their homes
:01:59. > :02:03.and thousands still remain without power. Thankfully the water is
:02:04. > :02:06.starting to go down. Andy Kershaw's seen for himself the chaos and
:02:07. > :02:14.community spirit Desmond's left in its wake.
:02:15. > :02:18.It was a storm with the deceptively friendly name of Desmond, but it
:02:19. > :02:22.dumped more than a foot of rain in 24 hours last weekend in Cumbria and
:02:23. > :02:28.the county's flood defences were overwhelmed. Chris and Rob share a
:02:29. > :02:31.house together near Penrith. They are eager to show me what's
:02:32. > :02:41.happened. I hope it's not too bad for you.
:02:42. > :02:51.As you can see on the fire place, it came up there. It's left a thin
:02:52. > :02:57.covering of mud where my boots are. Why is the fridge freezer on its
:02:58. > :03:01.back. The water lifted it off the ground. It was floating? Yes, it
:03:02. > :03:07.reminds you of the power of water. Why did you buy a house in an area
:03:08. > :03:10.at risk of flooding? It was valued at a reasonable price, lower than
:03:11. > :03:15.the market estimate. Because of where it is? Yes, and I thought,
:03:16. > :03:23.I'll take a chance because I love the place. It's lovely. It's quaint,
:03:24. > :03:27.like. Earlier this morning, I was at the
:03:28. > :03:33.Gravestone community centre in Carlisle, which has become a refuge
:03:34. > :03:36.for those out of their homes. 23 people slept here last night and
:03:37. > :03:40.more are on their way. Let's go and have a look. The local community
:03:41. > :03:45.does what they are able to and have responded to the flooding in
:03:46. > :03:51.Carlisle and the needs to those who were evacuated spectacularly. Come
:03:52. > :04:00.and have a look at this. That's only part of it. That's what
:04:01. > :04:04.120 litres of soup looks like. Although, this is more than a soup
:04:05. > :04:09.kitchen in the Greystone community centre. Gareth Webber runs it. What
:04:10. > :04:13.kind of services are you providing to evacuees? Since Friday night we
:04:14. > :04:17.have provided hot food, drinks, bedding for people to stay, lunch
:04:18. > :04:22.time's coming up, I've got a pizza guy coming in to deliver pizzas and
:04:23. > :04:24.make them for everybody, we have different businesses dropping in
:04:25. > :04:30.stuff all day long. And people coming in today? We have just had a
:04:31. > :04:32.family of flee come in, they were evacuated this morning and the
:04:33. > :04:37.police have been on to say two more are coming in the next hour.
:04:38. > :04:41.Were managed to get out ourselves this morning. We'd stayed in
:04:42. > :04:45.overnight hoping it would be all right and wouldn't carry on rising.
:04:46. > :04:50.What made you decide to get out today and not yesterday or the day
:04:51. > :04:53.before? We've got a dog and two cats and we just wanted to stay. What
:04:54. > :04:59.have you done with the dogs and cats? They are sleeping on the bed
:05:00. > :05:04.upstairs, so they are happy. What are your biggest worries about going
:05:05. > :05:08.home eventually? I need to get back within the next three weeks because
:05:09. > :05:18.I've still got some Christmas presents to wrap. That's the least
:05:19. > :05:23.of your worries. I know. It's 10. 30 in if morning and although the water
:05:24. > :05:27.level is receding, you can see people are still being rescued. One
:05:28. > :05:34.of the main problems at this stage is perversely because of the river
:05:35. > :05:36.defences built in 20005. They are now holding the floodwater into town
:05:37. > :05:38.and the emergency services are having to pump it back into the
:05:39. > :05:52.rivers. People are sticking in with the
:05:53. > :05:59.community spirit. I hope that lady gets back soon to wrap the Christmas
:06:00. > :06:04.presents. This is Mike the donkey and he was rescued and brought on to
:06:05. > :06:09.dry land and he's now available for nativity scenes!
:06:10. > :06:17.We are all right! Having got donkeys on our farm, that's the happiest
:06:18. > :06:24.donkeys I've ever seen! Are they not usually happy then? Not usually.
:06:25. > :06:30.They make an awful noise. They do. We are going to talk about your new
:06:31. > :06:35.musical. We have racoons and cats but no donkeys. You have got to tell
:06:36. > :06:42.us your incredible story, the story of Jackie Kennedy's family living
:06:43. > :06:45.outside of New York? It's the American aristocracy and they
:06:46. > :06:54.discovered these two old ladies, one very old, obviously my part, and one
:06:55. > :06:57.middle aged and they were living in total squaller, absolutely
:06:58. > :07:03.appalling, this beautiful big house was falling apart. There were rats
:07:04. > :07:09.and fleas and smells and everything. It turned out that she was Jackie
:07:10. > :07:14.Kennedy's or Onassis or whatever she calls herself, aunt. They had been
:07:15. > :07:22.part of the an stock radiocy and the musical is about where they get to
:07:23. > :07:26.-- aristocracy. It goes back into their lives and sees what happens to
:07:27. > :07:32.the two women who didn't fit into the society that expected them to be
:07:33. > :07:34.like all the Kennedy wives and things behaving beautifully and
:07:35. > :07:41.impeccably and they were a bit wild always. That's how they end up. I
:07:42. > :07:49.think the second act is tragic, it's wonderful because they are being
:07:50. > :07:56.themselves and they don't give a - about what is going on - I just
:07:57. > :08:00.remembered a thing I signed to say I would not swear because I'm on the
:08:01. > :08:04.BBC. You follow the lives of the women?
:08:05. > :08:10.And you got hold of the documentary in quite a bizarre way, I suppose? I
:08:11. > :08:14.was appearing in a musical called Cabaret in the West End and a lot of
:08:15. > :08:19.people love musicals and go all over the world to see them. There was a
:08:20. > :08:23.group of guys who'd seen Grey Gardens in New York because it was
:08:24. > :08:27.there at the same time and they said it was wonderful, they were at the
:08:28. > :08:35.stage door and gave me a copy of the documentary. I saw it then and I had
:08:36. > :08:41.a tape of the music and the music was wonderful. What tone does it
:08:42. > :08:46.take then with the music because usually they are uplifting,
:08:47. > :08:52.musicals? They are comedic. My numbers are quite funny, I think!
:08:53. > :08:57.Jenna has some absolutely beautiful ballad-type music. The music is
:08:58. > :09:00.constantly telling the plot. I'm really enthusiastic about this show,
:09:01. > :09:05.as you can tell. I've hardly started rehearsing which is a bit scary. I'm
:09:06. > :09:17.trying to learn the lines, which is terribly difficult. And this is
:09:18. > :09:21.Jenna. So that is Jenna who plays your daughter recording one of the
:09:22. > :09:26.songs there? She's wonderful. She has about 17 numbers in the show and
:09:27. > :09:31.she plays me young and in the second half she plays the daughter. So
:09:32. > :09:35.she's playing a double role really. This opens on 2nd January doesn't
:09:36. > :09:40.it. You say you've hardly started rehearsing yet. You're not going to
:09:41. > :09:46.have a restful Christmas are you? No, I know. I shall spend the whole
:09:47. > :09:50.of Christmas with my nose in the book trying to remember the lines.
:09:51. > :09:56.Just have a sherry with it, you'll be all right! I might do that!
:09:57. > :10:00.I don't know about sherry, but... You always say you take on roles
:10:01. > :10:04.where you like an element of a character, so which elements then
:10:05. > :10:11.does Edith have that you have taken to and liked? Well, the element of
:10:12. > :10:21.the show that I like is how women are used by important men, these
:10:22. > :10:25.women were used by these men. It's a cry for individuality, for
:10:26. > :10:29.eccentricity, for people that, a lot of people would think they are mad,
:10:30. > :10:33.but actually they are doing their own thing and enjoying it. I have a
:10:34. > :10:39.line when I say being alone you have to be an individual and that's what
:10:40. > :10:43.they are, they are individual. Rather like Quentin Crisp, do you
:10:44. > :10:47.remember him, he was an eccentric guy and he lived in squalid
:10:48. > :10:52.conditions, but there are not many genuine eccentrics. A lot of people
:10:53. > :10:56.pretend to be so, but there are not many who 're genuinely are and these
:10:57. > :11:00.women are. They were talented, creative women and people tried to
:11:01. > :11:05.make them conform and they didn't. But they end up in this appalling
:11:06. > :11:09.squalor, but that's what they choose.
:11:10. > :11:13.If you would like to see the results of Sheila's line-learning over
:11:14. > :11:17.Christmas, you can do, the Great Gardens opens at Southwark Playhouse
:11:18. > :11:20.on 2nd January. Does it? ! Yes, it does!
:11:21. > :11:27.Now also, do you know what, we are just about to meet a no-nonsense nun
:11:28. > :11:32.and you played one in Sister Act didn't you, was that liberating? It
:11:33. > :11:37.was a lovely show to be in. I went to a convent when I was young so I
:11:38. > :11:43.had some sympathy with it but I'm now a Quaker which is the absolute
:11:44. > :11:46.opposite. Self-styled atill la the Nun is not afraid to take her
:11:47. > :11:53.community's concerns right to the door of Number Ten -- Atilla the
:11:54. > :11:59.Nun. If I find chewing gum on the carpet, I'll be sorry for the one
:12:00. > :12:02.that put it there. Sister Rita has a reputation for straight talking. If
:12:03. > :12:06.you smoke out this, well you'll be dead if I catch you.
:12:07. > :12:11.She fights a running battle with the benefits system, from her
:12:12. > :12:19.headquarters at the centre which hands out food and benefits advice
:12:20. > :12:29.at Collyhurst in Manchester. A lot of people come into the Lalley
:12:30. > :12:36.Centre because they are depressed. Then They are told they are not
:12:37. > :12:41.depressed they can get a job. I'm furious. I wrote to David Cameron to
:12:42. > :12:45.say, this is how it is for people who're desperate. To raise some
:12:46. > :12:49.awareness. To try and raise some awareness of what people have to put
:12:50. > :12:54.up with in this day and age, in this affluent society. There is no
:12:55. > :12:59.affluence in Collyhurst. The Government must and should be doing
:13:00. > :13:05.more. In the meantime, it falls to the centre staff to do what they can
:13:06. > :13:09.for people like single mum Louise. Unemployed and being treated for
:13:10. > :13:13.depression, her benefits were stopped or sanctioned when she
:13:14. > :13:18.missed a DWP work capability assessment. At the follow-up, Louise
:13:19. > :13:29.was shocked to be pronounced fit for work. I suffer with mental health
:13:30. > :13:33.issues. I clearly explained how a general day is for me and all the
:13:34. > :13:38.stress... Sorry. It's OK, don't worry. How many children have you
:13:39. > :13:43.got? I've just got one currently living with me which is my youngest.
:13:44. > :13:51.She's the reason I get up in the morning. Based on what she's told me
:13:52. > :13:55.today, I couldn't imagine her in a work place tomorrow because she's
:13:56. > :14:00.got issues. With support from the centre, Louise is taking her case to
:14:01. > :14:04.tribunal. When I see and hear who they are struggling with, with
:14:05. > :14:07.benefits and unemployment, that makes me fume. Sister Rita e-mailed
:14:08. > :14:13.David Cameron telling him to consider such cases when taking big
:14:14. > :14:17.decisions on benefits. To her astonishment, she's had a reply. It
:14:18. > :14:20.seems the Prime Minister forwarded her e-mail to the Secretary of State
:14:21. > :14:26.for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith. He now wants to meet her.
:14:27. > :14:32.I was very, very, very surprised when I got to e-mail to say he'd see
:14:33. > :14:36.it. Were going to go to London tomorrow to see the minister and
:14:37. > :14:41.you'd better be thinking of us, all of you, OK. I'm hoping she'll get
:14:42. > :14:51.Iain Duncan Smith to realise that we are struggling, the real people out
:14:52. > :14:54.there are struggling. We ain't got any support. The Secretary of State
:14:55. > :15:01.for Work and Pensions has no idea what's coming down the track.
:15:02. > :15:08.She'll tell him straight. They don't call me the formidable sister Rita
:15:09. > :15:12.for nothing. They call me Atilla the Nun, they don't call me that for
:15:13. > :15:17.nothing. And she won't be happy if she thinks the minister is not
:15:18. > :15:21.listening. Back in Manchester, on another battle front, Louise is
:15:22. > :15:26.facing her tribunal. She emerges triumphant.
:15:27. > :15:29.Amazing. Thank you. Every penny Louise should have received in
:15:30. > :15:33.benefits since they were stopped in January will be paid in full. But
:15:34. > :15:40.much of it will go to paying off the back street loans which have kept
:15:41. > :15:44.her afloat through the year. Sister Reeta is feeling victorious too. It
:15:45. > :15:51.was better than I ever imagined it could be. I didn't imagine that he
:15:52. > :15:56.would be so receptive. The minister's promised a DWP adviser
:15:57. > :15:59.will drop into the Lalley Centre once a week to sort out the problems
:16:00. > :16:02.that Louise had to take to tribunal. It's a promise sister Rita will hold
:16:03. > :16:14.him to. Politicians make a lot of promises,
:16:15. > :16:21.but they haven't met Sister Rita before, have they? It seems Sister
:16:22. > :16:27.Rita's visit has inspired the minister. If it works and other food
:16:28. > :16:32.banks think it worthy, we would like to roll this out across the UK.
:16:33. > :16:39.That's a decision for further down the line, in the meantime one nun's
:16:40. > :16:45.victory means food banks are already being helped by DWP advisers. If
:16:46. > :16:53.someone asks me how successful was the trip to London, I would say 100%
:16:54. > :16:56.successful. And Sister Rita To The Rescue continues tomorrow morning
:16:57. > :17:02.and the rest of the week on BBC One at quarter past nine. There is one
:17:03. > :17:08.for the iPlayer if you miss it. She is a force to be reckoned with. Joe
:17:09. > :17:11.is here now. We saw the victory for Sister Rita, how soon do you think
:17:12. > :17:18.we might see these advisers rolled out in other food banks across the
:17:19. > :17:22.country? We saw the advisers, and if the trial works the next April we
:17:23. > :17:26.might see official advisers at other food banks around the country, and
:17:27. > :17:31.that is significant because of all the people that have to go to food
:17:32. > :17:38.banks, about 40% of those cases relate to people's benefits. Either
:17:39. > :17:41.they have been sanctioned or their benefits have been changed. If you
:17:42. > :17:46.have an adviser on the spot to help them out, it is thought to 30 of
:17:47. > :17:51.those cases can be sorted out really quickly. But we mustn't forget the
:17:52. > :17:57.bigger picture here, why are so many people going to food banks? In the
:17:58. > :18:02.decade up to 2013, Britain had the highest general inflation in terms
:18:03. > :18:06.of price rises for food and fuel and housing, so people really squeezed
:18:07. > :18:10.on low incomes and forced into accepting these hand-outs. It must
:18:11. > :18:16.be difficult to put a handle on the number of parcels handed out but you
:18:17. > :18:20.have statistics, don't you? Yes, there are many independent food
:18:21. > :18:26.banks around the country. There's a lot in Hammersmith where I am. If we
:18:27. > :18:33.look at the Castle trust, they run about 420 or just over that in terms
:18:34. > :18:39.of the number of food banks. In 2011 they handed out 129,000 food
:18:40. > :18:44.parcels, food parcel will keep one person going for three days. Go
:18:45. > :18:49.forward to the last financial year, they handed out over a million food
:18:50. > :18:55.parcels, they had gone over by times. Not only have we stayed at
:18:56. > :19:00.that exceptionally high level, but the need has risen even more so it
:19:01. > :19:07.is a record high at the moment. People say, oh, just anybody is
:19:08. > :19:12.going along, but that's not the case, it is very much vetted. Yes,
:19:13. > :19:19.the referral process. Yes, with the Trussell Trust dummy you have got to
:19:20. > :19:26.be referred by a health worker or a social worker. The other thing is
:19:27. > :19:31.that people say these hand-outs that people just accept, that really
:19:32. > :19:35.isn't the case, most people only go once. People are struggling so
:19:36. > :19:41.much, there is no margin for error so they go wants to get them over
:19:42. > :19:45.that crisis over three days, and the average is under two referrals per
:19:46. > :19:51.person over a six-month period. And we can help by popping in some food
:19:52. > :19:56.to most supermarkets and they will go directly to them. That's right.
:19:57. > :20:00.This is the toughest time of year, more food parcels were handed out
:20:01. > :20:05.last year in December than any other month.
:20:06. > :20:09.There's a new musical sensation on the block and we can reveal tonight
:20:10. > :20:14.that some of our One Show family members have come together to form
:20:15. > :20:19.our very own barbershop quartet. But seriously, who on earth would be
:20:20. > :20:25.daft enough to do that? As the One Show Street Barber, you
:20:26. > :20:32.would think there would be one form of entertainment that whets my
:20:33. > :20:49.whistle. Barbershop quartets. But you would be wrong. I just don't get
:20:50. > :20:54.barbershop quartets. So, when the One Show set me a challenge to lead
:20:55. > :21:03.my own team to take part in the UK barbershop Championships in Wales,
:21:04. > :21:07.you can imagine my reaction. But in the interests of light
:21:08. > :21:11.entertainment, this is my mission. So, I need to get over my own
:21:12. > :21:16.ignorance and prejudice towards barbershop singing. Doctor Liz
:21:17. > :21:22.Garnet is an authority on this artform. It started in the late 19th
:21:23. > :21:30.century in the American South and it flourished in males' social spaces
:21:31. > :21:33.like the barbershop, that's where it gets its name from, but it became
:21:34. > :21:37.mainstream with the early recording industry because of you think about
:21:38. > :21:47.early technology, a small group with a bright sound, perfect. Everyone
:21:48. > :21:52.thinks of barbershop as American but it impacted on this country too in
:21:53. > :21:57.the 1970s, heavily laced with schmaltz. Today there are around
:21:58. > :22:03.6000 barbershop quartet regularly singing and today I'm going to be
:22:04. > :22:08.one of them. I'm going to compete in Llandudno in Wales, how nervous
:22:09. > :22:12.should I be? It is quite a big stage and very much the emotional
:22:13. > :22:16.highlight of the year the people involved in barbershop. How much
:22:17. > :22:22.training do you think I will need? I have about two weeks to be honest.
:22:23. > :22:32.It's better than nothing! She cannot even answer!
:22:33. > :22:37.These are previous winners of the National Championships. I have been
:22:38. > :22:42.speaking to one of the founders of the quartet. What makes a really
:22:43. > :22:50.good quartet? It is the way the voices blend and the expanded sound
:22:51. > :22:57.that comes out of it. The tenor is the highest part, which floats above
:22:58. > :23:00.the tune, which is called the lead in barbershop. That's the second
:23:01. > :23:08.highest part, then you have the baritone that fills in the notes in
:23:09. > :23:15.between. Then the base, which provide the basis of all the
:23:16. > :23:21.harmony. OK, if I'm ever going to make it to Llandudno, I need to
:23:22. > :23:26.recruit another three singers, drawn from the ranks of the One Show
:23:27. > :23:34.presenters. How would you like a weekend in Wales? I know, it will be
:23:35. > :23:45.brilliant. Come on! Hello? Here is the line-up. Richard, the maestro,
:23:46. > :24:02.Joe Crowley, the choirboy, and Alex, the rookie, and I'm going to sing
:24:03. > :24:08.lead. I think I'm going to need some help. There's only one thing left to
:24:09. > :24:19.say. # To be continued... #.
:24:20. > :24:25.Good effort. We do that every night. Part two is on tomorrow and the
:24:26. > :24:33.group gets suited and booted. It is time now for our Advent calendar and
:24:34. > :24:38.to find out why The Corrs and Charlie Martin are expecting a
:24:39. > :24:45.special Christmas, go to our website to find out. Behind door number 7 is
:24:46. > :24:49.Kath Sylvester and this lovely picture has been sent in by her
:24:50. > :24:54.daughter, Annie Dee Hughes, because Kath will be celebrating her 90th
:24:55. > :25:03.birthday on December 20. The same day as Matt! A good day to
:25:04. > :25:08.be born. If you have a reason why this particular Christmas will be
:25:09. > :25:13.special, e-mail must trust at the usual address. The big Christmas
:25:14. > :25:16.dilemma - how much do you spend on your partner? Spend a little and
:25:17. > :25:20.they will think you are mean, spend too much and they will be
:25:21. > :25:24.embarrassed when they give you a pair of socks. We have been to see
:25:25. > :25:29.how much Christmas cash couples are going to be spending on each other
:25:30. > :25:32.this year. The Christmas retail season is well
:25:33. > :25:36.under way. Research shows Christmas spending is a cause of strife for
:25:37. > :25:44.many couples, but are we putting ourselves under too much pressure?
:25:45. > :25:56.I've already bought his present. Have you bought her a present? No.
:25:57. > :26:02.Have you got something in mind? No. Who is more generous? I'm going to
:26:03. > :26:06.say me, aren't I? I'm going to say me. Do you think Christmas has
:26:07. > :26:17.become too competitive? Yes, maybe people think the more I spend the
:26:18. > :26:23.more I love him, unfortunately. I think he thinks I spend more on him.
:26:24. > :26:29.You just spend more in general! Write down how much you think you
:26:30. > :26:39.are spending on each other. Crikey, you're a bit tight. Do you know what
:26:40. > :26:49.I conclude from that? I am tight. Perfect! Look at that. Brilliant,
:26:50. > :26:56.exactly the same. When we had our boys, we couldn't afford presents
:26:57. > :27:05.for each other. When I go shopping, it is what I can spend money on for
:27:06. > :27:10.both of us, so I can enjoy the present too. It is more about the
:27:11. > :27:19.thought. It used to be about 250, 500. Now it all goes on this one! A
:27:20. > :27:25.massive difference, he's not happy about that! We go out and have a
:27:26. > :27:34.drink together and spend time together rather than lots of money.
:27:35. > :27:45.That's going to be a superb Christmas for you! ?4000? Lovely!
:27:46. > :27:54.More or less. Thank you for all of the photos you have been sending in.
:27:55. > :27:58.We asked you if you could outdo our decorations and you haven't
:27:59. > :28:07.disappointed. Sheila, start us with this one. This is Linda's rubber
:28:08. > :28:15.glove Christmas tree. A little bit spooky, isn't it? I asked you if you
:28:16. > :28:22.could outdo a badger in a furry hat, and you have done quite well.
:28:23. > :28:25.This is a picture of Ingleby, a fox that gets dressed up every
:28:26. > :28:38.Christmas. It's not a real fox, is it? Michele
:28:39. > :28:50.run out of floor space, so this is a new one for me. And this is their
:28:51. > :28:54.favourite ball -- bauble in Sarah's lounge.
:28:55. > :29:23.Thank you to Sheila, Grey Gardens Christmas Day may be the highlight
:29:24. > :29:26.of the holidays... Oh, yes. ..but all that pressure
:29:27. > :29:29.in the kitchen...