:00:08. > :00:12.Good evening. The headlines tonight:
:00:12. > :00:19.�200,000 down the plughole. The desalination plant is finally
:00:19. > :00:22.switched off. Honouring forgotten heroes. The
:00:22. > :00:26.most daring lifeboat rescue in Guernsey's history.
:00:26. > :00:36.And we're talking turkey and all the trimmings. A Christmas dinner
:00:36. > :00:43.
:00:43. > :00:46.�200,000 has been spent on turning sea water into drinking water for
:00:46. > :00:49.Jersey over the past seven weeks. The desalination plant was switched
:00:49. > :00:55.on after months of low rainfall left the reservoirs severely
:00:55. > :01:00.depleted. But, thanks to heavy rain last week, it is being turned off
:01:00. > :01:04.today. Is it the right move? Beckie Williams has been finding out.
:01:04. > :01:07.This was Queens Valley Reservoir at the start of November. Seven weeks
:01:07. > :01:16.later, it is a completely different picture here as the rain keeps on
:01:16. > :01:21.coming. Reservoirs have now risen from 35 to 60% full. And throughout,
:01:21. > :01:28.the desalination plant has been on, turning the sea into drinking water.
:01:28. > :01:31.It has cost �4,000 a day in energy costs alone. When we got it
:01:31. > :01:39.prepared to run in October, things were very different to how they are
:01:39. > :01:43.now. We'd had no rainfall for two months. Risible as would and and
:01:43. > :01:50.35%. It was a sensible decision to make and it is part of were
:01:50. > :01:53.operating rules. -- our. It's the first time the desalination plant
:01:53. > :01:57.has been switched on in five years. But back in November, Jersey Water
:01:57. > :02:00.had no idea just how much rain was to come. So far this month, we have
:02:00. > :02:03.already had nearly twice as much rainfall than would usually be
:02:03. > :02:08.expected in December. Had he known him were train was to come, would
:02:08. > :02:11.you still have done it on? These things are great with hindsight. I
:02:11. > :02:16.do not have a crystal ball and they are not in control of the rainfall.
:02:16. > :02:20.If I could have had a 100% guaranteed that he would have the
:02:20. > :02:23.ring for that we have had, probably not. Whilst the rain keeps on
:02:23. > :02:26.coming, Jersey Water say they still need more water. And depending on
:02:26. > :02:30.the weather, they could even have to restart the desalination plant
:02:30. > :02:33.in January. Police are renewing their appeal
:02:33. > :02:36.for witnesses after a serious sexual assault on a young woman in
:02:36. > :02:40.St Helier last weekend. At a press conference today, this CCTV footage
:02:40. > :02:46.was shown of a man that they want to speak to in connection with the
:02:46. > :02:48.incident. He was later seen at West Centre talking to the victim.
:02:48. > :02:52.Channel Islands students will be charged the same fees as English
:02:52. > :02:55.students to attend most English universities. From next year,
:02:55. > :03:00.tuition fees will rise to up to �9,000 and there were concerns
:03:00. > :03:03.Channel Island students would have to pay higher international rates.
:03:03. > :03:05.But the Islands governments have reached an agreement with the
:03:05. > :03:08.majority of universities to limit the impact on local students.
:03:08. > :03:14.However, islanders will be charged more to attend 12 universities
:03:14. > :03:16.including Cambridge, Southampton and Bristol.
:03:16. > :03:20.Changes to Jersey's business tax system have been approved by the
:03:20. > :03:23.European Union. The States changed some aspects of Zero Ten after the
:03:23. > :03:27.EU said that the rules on taxing profits for shareholders of local
:03:27. > :03:35.companies were unfair. It is thought the Treasury will lose
:03:35. > :03:40.about �10 million in tax a year. Chelsea needed do something with
:03:40. > :03:44.its tax regime to continue to make it attractive to the international
:03:44. > :03:48.community. Being attracted to the International Committee bolsters
:03:48. > :03:52.opponent services industry, while bolstering that industry means more
:03:52. > :03:57.jobs for the A one. More job for they would and would tax for the
:03:57. > :04:04.Government and a better economy. There may be some shocked him been
:04:04. > :04:06.on the tax, but will do all the islands should be a winner. --
:04:06. > :04:10.overall. It was one of the biggest, and most
:04:10. > :04:13.dangerous, rescues ever undertaken by Guernsey lifeboat. 30 years ago
:04:13. > :04:16.this month, a crew of volunteers set off in hurricane conditions to
:04:16. > :04:23.help a stricken cargo ship. A special film has just been released
:04:23. > :04:25.by the RNLI to commemorate their courage. Mike Wilkins reports.
:04:25. > :04:29.Watching events from 30 years ago. Peter Boughourd was one of
:04:29. > :04:33.Guernsey's lifeboat volunteers. Back then, he was looking forward
:04:33. > :04:36.to his Sunday lunch. But this was to be one meal he was going to be
:04:36. > :04:40.very late for. A cargo ship called the Bonita was caught in a
:04:40. > :04:43.hurricane mid Channel and issued a Mayday distress call. Peter and his
:04:43. > :04:46.crew members raced to the scene in their lifeboat. Battling gale force
:04:46. > :04:51.winds and 45ft waves, it took them about four hours to reach the
:04:51. > :05:01.Bonita. And even now, 30 years on, Peter says he can still remember it
:05:01. > :05:01.
:05:01. > :05:06.vividly. One up a outstanding memories is the noise, the roar of
:05:06. > :05:11.the wind, shrieking through the rigging. One of the most awe-
:05:11. > :05:21.inspiring sight I had obscene, this great big ship painted white, lying
:05:21. > :05:22.
:05:22. > :05:25.on restore bought sight -- lying on our store -- her side. When they
:05:25. > :05:28.arrived, a rescue helicopter had already taken four people from the
:05:28. > :05:32.boat. But the wind strengthened and it got rougher and the helicopter
:05:32. > :05:35.was struggling, so it was down to Peter and his crew to do what they
:05:35. > :05:38.could. Of the 31 people on the Bonita, including four children and
:05:38. > :05:45.two women, 29 survived. Some tied themselves to ropes and jumped into
:05:45. > :05:53.the sea so they could be plucked out by the lifeboat. You think when
:05:53. > :05:58.it is passed, that was close! But you concentrate on doing your job.
:05:58. > :06:03.When you have backed off and holders to buy it was me, then you
:06:03. > :06:09.think, that was a close one. people like Peter, it was just
:06:09. > :06:19.their job, but for those that survive, they are forever grateful.
:06:19. > :06:26.They were fantastic. It was just unbelievable. They must have been
:06:26. > :06:34.exhausted. I am also glad that so many of us survived, because it was
:06:34. > :06:42.so dramatic. We all these men. Without them, we would be lost.
:06:42. > :06:46.These men, they gave me at least 30 more years to live.
:06:46. > :06:49.John Aicher, who was rescued from the Bonita 30 years ago. And you
:06:49. > :06:51.can see more on that dramatic rescue on the BBC Guernsey website.
:06:51. > :06:55.You're watching the BBC in the Channel Islands. Later in Spotlight,
:06:55. > :07:03.with Justin and Victoria: Making a splash. Find out why this
:07:03. > :07:06.Paralympic swimmer's getting a Thanks to supermarkets, most of us
:07:06. > :07:11.have got used to having seasonal produce like asparagus and
:07:11. > :07:14.strawberries all year round. But, chances are they have been flown or
:07:14. > :07:17.shipped in. Well, Guernsey's smallholders association decided to
:07:17. > :07:27.make the biggest meal of the year, Christmas dinner, using only local
:07:27. > :07:45.
:07:45. > :07:48.produce. Penny Elderfield has this It was quite a few months before
:07:48. > :07:53.Christmas, when Guernsey's small holders said, "Let us make a
:07:53. > :07:56.completely local Christmas dinner, so we all shall be fed." So the
:07:56. > :08:00.search was on for the veg and the meat. Figs for the figgy pudding
:08:00. > :08:03.and spices for all to eat. At which point popped up Joyce, with her
:08:03. > :08:12.herbs and her limes. And don't forget her Christmas chutneys
:08:12. > :08:18.divine. We have quite a variety of stuff, actually. Because we did not
:08:18. > :08:21.have enough redcurrants to make any sources from, we're using a plum
:08:21. > :08:28.chutney and that is good to go with the chair -- the turkey. Then we
:08:28. > :08:33.have crab apple and rum sauce, which is from her apples in the
:08:33. > :08:42.orchard and mint sauce to go with the lamb. It is a home-grown, home-
:08:42. > :08:45.produced, home-cooked dinner. what meal would complete with out a
:08:45. > :08:48.turkey to eat? So the next challenge was to find the meat.
:08:48. > :08:53."Look no further," is what the Febraches said, and to their rather
:08:53. > :08:56.large greenhouse, the group was led. Good turkeys and vegetables, so
:08:57. > :09:00.what is the turkeys we provided. He Riyait them ourselves coming to
:09:00. > :09:06.beat him in April or May and keep him going on until Christmas and
:09:06. > :09:09.then it's time for them to go. We have about 68, I think, this year.
:09:09. > :09:12.And what should they drink if their mouths become parched. Why hundreds
:09:12. > :09:18.of apples, squeezed, pressed and pulped by the friends, producing a
:09:18. > :09:23.rather delightful blend. The side of this year was made by a all of
:09:23. > :09:33.the smallholders. We had a group of 15 that came along and we made the
:09:33. > :09:39.
:09:39. > :09:42.cider and then we made it into a Sorby and we drank it. -- sorbet.
:09:42. > :09:50.With some local students up for cooking the feast, the time had
:09:50. > :09:54.come for the flavours to be unleashed. Really, really nice.
:09:54. > :09:58.is a pleasure to have something really local. It just taste fresh,
:09:58. > :10:08.you cannot take any chemicals. It tastes clean. Really nice,
:10:08. > :10:18.unsatisfied. -- satisfied. So, full of food and festive cheer now they
:10:18. > :10:19.
:10:19. > :10:27.can look forward to doing it all again next year.
:10:27. > :10:34.The mild weather -- weather has now arrived. That will continue for the
:10:34. > :10:42.rest of the week. Some patchy rain overnight tonight, already
:10:42. > :10:46.beginning to move into the far south-west of England. It will
:10:46. > :10:51.introduce some rain, which will come and bitter and this evening.
:10:51. > :11:01.To donate, that green and will continue to move eastwards. For a
:11:01. > :11:03.
:11:03. > :11:09.we'll, we'll see some patchy rain and wind from the north-west. This
:11:09. > :11:17.is because the's chart. Little change in the up. -- this is
:11:17. > :11:22.Thursday's church. Little change in that. Temperatures knoll or
:11:22. > :11:32.overnight than nine Celsius. Quite a warm night. A mild start to the
:11:32. > :11:35.
:11:35. > :11:45.data model, some mistiness. -- a mild start to Biddy to model. --
:11:45. > :11:55.Patchy drizzle at first and in becoming fair, with the generally
:11:55. > :12:04.
:12:04. > :12:09.good visibility at sea. Times of high water: on to Thursday, quite,
:12:09. > :12:18.the breeze from the request again. A lot of cloud, 12 or 13 the top
:12:18. > :12:28.temperature. Friday brings rain and it will be bright and dry for at
:12:28. > :12:28.
:12:28. > :12:31.Christmas to you. -- Christmas Eve. The gorillas at Durrell had some
:12:31. > :12:35.early treats today. Papier mache Christmas puddings with food
:12:35. > :12:38.parcels inside were put in their enclosure. The older members of the
:12:38. > :12:41.group have seen this in previous years, so dug straight in. But