28/01/2013 Inside Out North West

Hello, welcome to Inside Out North West. We are in the heart of Rugby

League country denied to investigate the health of one of

the north-west's most popular sports. -- tonight. Before that,

nuclear waste has to be buried somewhere but do we want to dump it

in the north-west's backyard? It wasn't for the industry in the

spot of the world we would not exist. As our Rugby League players

showed up for the season, we take a test of the game's finances.

That this will staring at a financial abyss is not too harsh a

thing to say. And how musician Carl Davis is working with Holocaust

Cumbria could soon press the nuclear button as the county will

decide whether it wants to become the place where Britain buried its

high level waste. Saying yes could bring in lots of money for

community projects, but should that immigrants a decision that could

affect the county for hundreds of This is the stuff that fuels the

power stations that provide the energy we all need. Should the

county be home to the UK's only underground high-level waste store,

housing material that's radio- active for hundreds of thousands of

years? But should that influence the people taking such a vital

decision? It's the stuff no-one else wants.

This is the stuff that fuels the power stations that provides the

energy we all need. But it's radioactive and has no permanent

home. At the moment it's filling up this overground store.

You don't have to look far to see just how dominant the industry is

to the local economy. The West Lakes Academy in Egremont is itself

sponsored by Sellafield. We asked the maths teachers here to work out

the percentage of Year 7 pupils who have a parent who works in the

nuclear sector. It's a whooping 41% of this year group. And in a few

years, some of those pupils could well be here Gen II, a training

centre preparing a new crop of workers for Sellafield. They're

excited about the underground store. You feel lucky to be indisposition

because a lot of people want to be where I am. I don't think I could

name a friend who doesn't work for a company in Sellafield. It is what

we need for his more Cummins Cumbria. There aren't many more

places to work around here. I need it right now. It gives more jobs to

West Cumbria and to people like me trying to learn skills like I have.

Professor John Fyfe says a waste store would help attract more

business to the county. When I have travelled the world, if you ask

people, where is the nuclear excellence in Britain? They say,

Sellafield, West Cumbria. So we should be able to tap out and help

create new wealth creation opportunities, new jobs, for people

in West Cumbria, and that is what it is all about. The 24 councillors

will be in no doubt just how big a player the nuclear industry is here.

It's the life blood of this remote area. It's a tight-knit community

and the nuclear industry is like a web that has connections across the

whole area. It provides employment for over 26,000 workers in the

North West. The Sellafield operation pays out �365 million in

wages and contributes over �2 billion to the county's economy.

It's not just the wages from Sellafield that puts money in the

pockets of thousands of Cumbrians. The county already has a nuclear

waste store. This is Drigg, where Cumbria's exisiting store for low-

level nuclear waste is stored. For having this in their back garden,

the local community is getting �1.5 million a year from the Government.

The Copeland Community Fund provides a link between the nuclear

industry and charities who benefit from grants. Like the Greenbank

Community Association in Whitehaven. They have been doing arts and

crafts, may have a football table, a pool table, toys for the toddlers.

40% of its funding comes from nuclear sources. Without this

funding, we wouldn't have a centre. There would be no local area.

grandad worked here are of form years underground. The Haig Pit in

Whitehaven, once the main employer in this area, is also benefitting

from the fund. It's helping with the �2.4 million re-development.

will be a wonderful resource for the area. It will be a part of the

history and some way you can have a cup of tea. If it wasn't for the

nuclear industry in this part of the world, I think probably would

not exist. And up the road, another beneficiary, this time the Rosehill

Theatre in Moresby, undergoing a �4.5 million refurbishment. And

that cash is just from the Government. An extra �4.5 million

comes from the three firms that run the Sellafield site. The money is

spent in the area, like �90,000 for the Workington and St Bees lifeboat.

The money helps mitigate against certain things. So is this just a

local business doing the right thing, being socially responsible

and supporting their community? Or is the relationship all a little

too close? Critics say the financial benefits that could be on

offer for a waste store mean it's already a done deal. There was a

meeting of what is called a nuclear influencing group with members of

the council. They assumed that West Cumbria would be a willing

community to host this. And the fact they could make that

assumption is extraordinary. I think the whole thing is actually a

little bit too cosy. It is a lot too cosy. But the local MP, a

former Sellafield press officer, is confident councillors will take the

decision on safety and the environment, as well as economic

benefits. It has never been a done deal and it never will be. To imply

will suggest that again implies that people want this whatever the

environmental cost. It is fantasy. The process we have has taken over

a decade to bring into being. It is a fair prices, a transparent

process, and accountable process. And what to think those concerns

are frankly unfounded in any logical basis of fact. So the links

in our web are far-reaching. There's big economic pressure on

our 24 decision-makers, and some of them have even closer links to the

industry. County councillors Tim Knowles and Tony Markley and leader

of Copeland Council Elaine Woodburn are all board members of the

Copeland Community Fund that hands out �1.5 million a year. Tim

Knowles worked at Sellafield. He was head of corporate affairs. Tony

Markley was at the meeting in 2008 which claimed West Cumbria was

willing to have the store. So can they be truly independent when it

comes to making that big decision? I wanted to ask them some important

questions but Tim Knowles and Tony Markley refused my requests in the

run-up to the big decision later In a statement, the County Council

"The decision being made will be based on the hard evidence they

have before them. Our councillors have listened to thousands of

voices before coming to their conclusion."

And Elaine Woodburn sees no conflict of interest. The community

fund is totally different from the process at this moment in time. I

never worked with the nuclear industry. I represent is community,

I live here, I was born and bred and I have family here now and in

the future, and if anybody thinks I would take a decision to harm that

I fight -- to harm that, I find that quite insulting. Councillors

have already asked for more time to consider their decision. They've

had an extra three months to mull it over. The stakes could not be

higher, with the Government having no plan B for the nuclear store.

The councillors have the chance to stop the plans now in their tracks

or move to the next stage. It's crucial. In two days' time, we'll

find out their answer. And if you want to follow that decisions on

Wednesday you can tune into BBC Still to come, the North West

musical collaboration which tells the story of the rescue of children

from Holocaust. It is not only history. It is very much a warning

to the future and a warning to all On Friday, the Super League's

season starts, with the local club here are Warrington and the likes

of St Helens and Wigan sure to be on the hunt for honours. And then

the saw foods that you Reds, once crippled with debt, now looking for

a new future. -- Salford City Reds. What is the future like? We have

For me, League sums up everything that's great about sport. It's fast,

it's physical, and above all, it's exciting. It can be thrilling, so

how come of the pitch the game is in a bit of a mess? You have a few

teams playing poorly and a few teams playing well and then a few

in the middle. The league itself will alter many struggle for

finance because of that. With as many headlines being created by

life away from the field of play, Super League in 2012 wasn't one to

write home about. So will 2013 be any better? Well, I'm going to try

and find out by taking a journey down the M62 corridor, the old-

style heartland of Rugby League, to test the temperature of the game

and see if there's much optimism about what this crucial World Cup

season will bring. This is Craven Park, home to the

red and white side of the City of Hull, where only 12 months ago, the

Rovers chairman issued a dire warning for the game. This lawyer

doesn't mince his words. Last month Commies that the game was bankrupt

and built on sand. -- last month he said. As a group of directors we

have funded at short for but it will be difficult for us to argue

otherwise and look beyond our means. The club is important to us and we

have people who have a position In Super League, the TV money, some

�127 million, is spread equally There's a salary cap to avoid clubs

having a football style "living the dream" meltdown. But rather than

encouraging prudency, some sides have seen the salary cap as a

target, not a limit, and they've been spending money that they

simply haven't got. On the plus side, the Rugby Football League

points to growing attendances and good viewing figures on Sky. But

fundamental problems remain. The sport still struggles to pull in

high-end sponsors, and just before Christmas it was announced that

Sport England funding for the grassroots of the game was to be

cut by a third. In a town like Castleford, a place that takes its

Rugby League very seriously indeed, fans would have every right to

wonder what the future may bring. It's these small-town clubs that

would be vulnerable in a slimmed- down Super League. 20 miles down

the M62 at Leeds, the Rhinos have much to feel positive about. Super

League champions and a club that's well run both on and off the turf.

What can the other clubs learn from The game is as good as it has ever

been, we do not want it overshadowed. It is about poor

management practices. All clubs have a responsibility and a role to

play. The majority of us are working very hard. Some of the

others have let the sport down For those who watch the game

closely, the ups and downs of the last few seasons have been alarming

to watch. We might be lost without the problems, we have had so many

over the years. People have been predicting the death of rugby

league and time after time after time it has showed its resilience,

that is over many years. We would say that the game is different now

than it was in the past. The other sporting competition is so much

stronger and the demands of people's time on other areas are

stronger also. Houses are like home entertainment centres now, it is

The support base is legendary for rugby and in this documentary from

1979 it you can feel the passion. The game has come a long way. But

finance within the sport has always been a worry. So do try to

understand the state of the modern game inside out has asked as sports

finance expert to examine the books. And a detailed look at their

balance sheet at 11 of the 14 clubs shows damage and a cure to debt of

over �60 million. It is a lot of debt. It alarms me as someone who

researches these types of things. Using a term like rugby league

staring at the financial abyss I would say is not too harsh a thing

to say. I disagree. I think the game is in good health. But every

sport in the current economic environment we have our challenges

but we are working hard to meet them. We have a regulatory regime

which allows good clubs to be financially comfortable and we work

Rugby League's problems are dwarfed by those in football. But other

revenues may boost Super League finances but at the moment new

money is coming from unlikely sources. Salford could find

themselves being one of the light - - wealthiest clubs being taken over

by a racehorse owner. It will be a positive note to the last few

months which has seen wind up orders for the club. And it is the

player's viewpoint that I have sought at the end of my journey.

With its shiny new stadium since Helen's is a testament to Rugby

League in the 21st century. It can hold 18,000 fans. Here they think

the game still has a robust future. But for the players these are

uncertain times. The average career lasts for trying -- four years and

an average salary of �6,000. fear for the financial security of

your at family, at you're not talking about your port folio going

if you do not get paid, you were talking about your mortgage not

being paid. Were talking up the basics of day-to-day life.

Rugby Football League say they are working hard to combat it in the

sport and with the Spotlight on the game it is agreed that the problems

must not resurface in 2013 for what Composer Carl Davis at his best

known for his music in television and film. Now he tells of the

rescue of 10,000 mainly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Germany.

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day just yesterday we met with him and some

of the people who escaped from hit # Trains, there are trains, to

England full of Children there are trains

#. Last Train to Tomorrow revolves around the journey of the

Kindertransport, the rescue and evacuation of thousands of Jewish

children from Nazi occupied Europe 75 years ago. The creation of the

concert, and the reaction of the survivors, has proved to be a

deeply emotional experience, and a journey of discovery for everyone

concerned. 200 boys and girls we follow to England. There between

the ages of five and 17. Refugees from Germany. The statue

commemorates their entry. Over a period of nine months the children

came here to begin new life in a strange and unfamiliar place.

Liverpool St Station, London, it is cold and blackened, smelling of

soot and steam. My name is Ann Cohen, I came here in 1939 with the

Kindertransport, I was 14. My name is Steve Mendelsson and I came to

the UK on the Kindertransport in April 1939, having left my home in

Breslau, in Germany, and I came here when I was 12 years old, with

my brother Walter who was eight. name is Inge Goldrein, I came to

England on the 15th of June 1939 by way of the Kindertransport from

Vienna where I was born. Er, we arrived in Liverpool St station

where a group of charming young English ladies hugged us, kissed us,

embraced us, and we were terribly thirsty and very hungry. We were

very relieved that we actually got here, but it was all very strange.

They served us a hot cup of tea with milk in it. Quite ridiculous.

Er, on the continent people had never heard of such a thing let

alone drank it! THEY SING WORDLESSLY. The Halle Children's

Choir is a relatively new initiative, and it is full of very

bright and very involved kids, and it is very important for us to give

them something to do. Carl Davis has worked with the Halle for many

years, as a conductor and as a composer. I was very thrilled when

John said, would I be interested in doing something for this particular

choir? Some years ago my wife Jean Boht was cast in a play called

Kindertransport, and I thought about this for a while and began

remembering things I knew about Kindertransport, but I was thinking,

"There is something about this story that is striking me in a

creative way." At first I thought it was a very interesting idea, but

it might be difficult for the kids because it is ancient history, in

some senses, certainly for an 8- year-old child. But the more I

thought about it, the more the need to teach them about history as part

of this project was a really big bonus. In 1933 the first stirrings

of Nazism occurred, even at school. Jewish children were kicked out of

German schools. The situation for the Jewish population in Vienna

became increasingly difficult. suddenly found that none of my

friends would speak to me. Everywhere there were signs saying

JudenVerboten. That meant, Jews not allowed. In 1938, during the night

of the Krystallnacht programs, my father was carted off to the

concentration camp in Buchenwald. My father had been deported from

Vienna in 1942 to Minsk, Minsk had what was called "the killing

My mother received a letter from HM Government in London offering her

two places for her sons to come to England. You did not realise the

enormity of it all, you might never see your parents again. You know,

we know that most of these parents did not survive, and these children

never saw them again. It is an exceptional story. So...so, you are

confronting inside yourself, within yourself, how as a composer am I

going to write the notes that will tell this story? I needed a text

and I asked a writer called Hiawyn Oram, and her first response was,

"Do you really want to do this to With the project given the go ahead,

rehearsals took place with the orchestra and the all-important

Children's Choir. With over 80 It was my role to teach the

children the piece and give the best of their performance. Some of

the children were quite disturbed at first about leaving parents and,

in fact, one or two did not make the performance, they were quite

affected by it. Did things change when Ann Cohen became involved?

That was amazing, when Ann spoke with the children it completely

changed their perception. I have been asked to come and talk with

you about my experiences in the Kindertransport. Did you ever see

your parents again? Yes, I saw my mother again. My father died in the

concentration camps and my mother I lived through it again, but the

Here we were grouped and gathered and put on more trains. In this

story there were older kids and younger kids, so we decided it

would be a really good idea to use young actors. It is very unusual

for a young actor, in fact any actors really to encounter a

project like this, to combine music, narrative and play different

characters from young children to the military to grieving parents.

One of the most challenging things was working with the kids. It is

actually a hard task to compose yourself actually, yeah. So with

rehearsals complete, the day of the concert arrives, with many

Kindertransport survivors in the audience. I really did not know

what I was going to see. We huddled together and stared, for there it

is in front of us, the sea between It was an absolutely wonderful

piece, they made you feel the panic that the refugees felt. People

began to realise what we had all been through really. People might

go because they want to hear a concert, but whilst they are there,

they are being educated. It is not just history, it is a warning for

the future, it is a warning to all of us. From every perspective it

was a much richer and deeper project than I ever hoped it could

be. I have nothing but gratitude to the people in Britain. The only

government in the world that ever undertook anything of that nature.

I was one of the lucky ones, because it was for the goodness of

this country that I arrived here. So for the Kindertransport

survivors, their journey may have finished 75 years ago, but for Carl

Davis, his journey is still continuing. And through his music,

the story of the Kindertransport That is all from me in Warrington.

If you have missed any of it inside out you can catch it again on the

BBC iPlayer. I am back next Monday night at 7:30pm. Until then, have a