28/10/2013 BBC Channel Islands News

power cuts to thousands of homes. Now we can join the news

It comes as Guernsey considers dropping its weather contract with

Jersey Met in a bid to save hundreds of thousands of pounds.

It comes as Guernsey considers dropping its weather Day would like

weather information. And rivalries over the garden fence

` we meet the neighbours who have some prize winning patios. A lot of

fun doing it all. It is good fun. Wind speeds of more than 70 miles an

hour and blasts of heavy rain have been battering the Channel Islands,

as one of the worst storms in years swept across Southern Britain last

night and this morning. Eight people were killed, four of them in the

United Kingdom. But this time the islands have come through the severe

weather relatively unscathed. Mike Wilkins went out to assess the

damage. Dealing with the debris. Across the

islands a number of trees were knocked down by the strong winds but

thankfully the storm didn't strike as hard as some anticipated.

Swollen waves raged round the islands all weekend ` the Condor

clipper didn't make it into Jersey harbour yesterday ` and most

services were cancelled today as well. This is about the worst of it.

Forecast for overnight, it is still fresh for the rest of the day.

Everything should be getting back to normal by tomorrow.

Flying conditions were also challenging ` but schedules largely

unaffected ` as commercial airline pilots battled the high winds and

poor visibility to bring their aircrafts safely in and out of the

islands. Those winds may be weakening, but

islanders could still encounter some problems.

There's a good chance of flooding now. There will be a lot of leaves

that have come off the trees so it's a good chance for people to, once

the winds have died down and things have calmed a bit, get out and clear

the drains. Get the leaves away from the drainage and that way you'll

help reduce the potential for flooding, should we have a lot of

water come down. Stormy scenes remained around

Corbiere lighthouse this afternoon ` but with no loss of life or

significant damage, the Channel Islands can this time count

themselves lucky. There was plenty of advance warning

for the weekend's storms ` but those detailed weather forecasts for

Guernsey could be under threat. The Environment Department currently

pays Jersey's Met Office ?300,0 0 a year to provide a range of services.

But it's considering stopping this funding ` as Penny Elderfield

reports. The last couple of days are enough

proof that we can't control the weather. But we can at least predict

it. And this is where the Guernsey's detailed forecasts come from ` the

Jersey Met Office. It's a service that Guernsey States contributes

?300,000 pounds a year to. But that funding could stop, meaning there's

a chance the local forecasts could too. The situation has two change

because the contract has come to an end. We have to look at it. We have

to look at the service. There are some aspects that you can get access

elsewhere. Daily weather forecasts aren't the

only service the island gets. The Met Office also provides an

extensive shipping forecast ` information you need if you spend a

lot of time out there. Like Peter. Checking his boat is

safe after last night's storm. It's people's safety that really

concerns him, if a detailed forecast isn't readily available. I listen to

the shipping forecast every single morning. It is vitally important.

There are also commercial shipping. And aircraft. We all need to know

what the weather is going to be doing.

For those in charge of Jersey's Met Office it's also a worry. They would

need to buy a service in from somewhere else. They would lack

weather information to plan their government services, leisure and

tourism. The stormy weather may be passing

now. But the storm today's news is causing amongst those that rely on

the detailed forecasts is only just beginning.

Lots of you have been in touch about this. Richard Curtis says: It's a

safety issue. It is essential for all those who work on or by local

waters to have a very local forecast that takes into consideration local

variations that a more general UK overview cannot.

Thanks for those ` and stay tuned for the latest BBC weather forecast

coming up with David Braine in a few minutes.

A 15`year`old is being urged to contact Jersey Police after fears

she was assaulted in the early hours of Sunday morning. Officers say they

have reports of a teenager being followed at half past midnight.

A man has appeared in court charged with trying to import ?80,000 worth

of heroin. An independent review into the

running of Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital has found

services cost up to ?9 million a year more than necessary. The

review, by Health Systems Workshop, suggests there are significant

inefficiencies in the delivery of specialist medical services. The

Health Department says it is responding to the concerns but

believes there are many inaccuracies in the report. We accept there are

areas for improvement but there are also areas that we disagree with. We

do not think the comparison is totally fair. They do not have all

the data. It is based on a junior Dr model. We do not have junior

doctors. . The ?6 million refurbishment of

Guernsey's only tower block has begun. The new`look Cour du Parc

will include 28 one`bedroom and 22 two`bedroom flats. Work is due to

finish by November next year and is being carried out by the building

firm RG Falla, which first built the block in the early 1960s. The

picture here shows the original team, celebrating after they

completed work on the roof. It is nice that the same firm is going

back. They are updating it. In most neighbourhoods there's a bit

of rivalry over the garden fence ` and in Jersey it's being encouraged

by the Housing Department itself! It's been running competitions for

residents to improve their homes, gardens and increase community

spirit. But it's all been very friendly though ` with the aim of

bringing neighbours together. Pam Caulfield met the proud owner of a

prize`winning patio who didn't escape last night's storm.

Look at all the damage from last night.

The weather's taken it's toll but Bernie won't be beaten. This was her

patio in the summer in its prize`winning form. It's proved

quite an attraction. Lots of people come past and see how nice it looks.

You can give them cuttings to encourage them. We all get on very

well. And here comes another keen gardener

` the Housing Minister himself. His department came up with a number of

competitions. The idea being that some friendly rivalry would bring

people together. It is to celebrate the achievements of our tenants I

hope it will encourage other people to have a go and perhaps spruce up

their gardens and see if they can win a prize as well.

And the community's something Bernie likes to look after. They know they

can call on me if they need to go down the shop. Everybody seems to be

OK. So after checking everyone's OK

after last night's storm ` Bernie can get back to that prize winning

patio. Jersey Met recorded force nine wins

over the weekend. As the weather set to calm down? After last night's

storm it is a little bit quieter. We still have a blustery breeze and

plenty of showers, but we will not have the strength of wind that we

saw. Very heavy rain. To borrow as much drier. `` tomorrow as much

drier. The main area of low pressure is now across parts of Denmark.

We have a lot of showers overnight. By the middle of the day tomorrow

there is a ridge of high pressure. That'll quieten things down. There

should be dry weather and sunny spells through the afternoon. And

whether front is approaching on Wednesday that it takes its time

before it gets to the islands. Here come the showers overnight. It will

be south`westerly. Overnight temperatures down to 10 degrees

Tomorrow are few showers first thing in the morning but they become more

isolated. By the time we get to the middle of the afternoon there should

be a lot of dry weather around. Wednesday will be largely drive

Thursday and Friday closing with patchy rain.

That is all for now. Goodbye. accessible, Tim could start coming

ashore by 2015. You can see more on this and other stories on Inside Out

on BBC One at 7.30pm. Now, what's in a name? In this case,

about 4,000 miles. A woman from Plymouth, who's seriously ill and

wanted to see the Alhambra before she died, found herself en route to

Grenada in the Caribbean, rather than the Spanish city of Granada.

Oh, dear. Lamenda Kingdon booked the trip with Avios reward points over

the phone and didn't realise she was on the wrong flight until she was in

mid`air. Jenny Walrond has been to find out if she ever reached her

intended destination. What a difference a letter makes. Lamenda

Kingdon thought she was flying to grin `` to Granada in Spain, but

found herself instead on route to Grenada. She wanted to CBL Hambro

before she died and booked the trip after being quoted for breast cancer

and a brain Schumer. On my bucket list was Granada because my art

teacher when I was treading to be a teacher had said one of my paintings

reminded him of the Alhambra. But when the ticket arrived they were

for a longer flight to Grenada. I thought they would maybe be stopping

somewhere en route that wasn't on the ticket information, or maybe

they land and like a train, a sleeper on a train, you can sleep

until a time for waking up. When it said Grenada, I thought it was a

different way of spelling it. It was only when talking to a fellow

passenger that she realised something was wrong. I told her

about the bucket list and how I was looking forward to seeing the

Alhambra, and she said not on this flight, you won't. She had travelled

over 4000 miles to Saint Lucia before being dropped off and

travelling back to London. Next day, she flew a mere thousand miles ``

400 miles to Granada. Avios said they booked her on a flight to

Grenada... Now, how

she is using that compensation to fund a trip to New Zealand and plans

to raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support en route, but this time she

is anxious about booking the trip. Very nervous. I am going to get

somebody to check my ticket and my route and my times.

Now, how is your mortgage to real city? Attack your morbid curiosity?

Very soon it'll be the Day of the Day, also known as All Souls Day.

It's when we remember the dead, and one of the ways that's done is via

tombs. At Exeter Cathedral, that's led to some intriguing and unique

discoveries. Is a place of hope, life and death. All around Exeter

Cathedral, Statute of the great and good, but what the lesser mortals

leave behind? These are images of the bit that was wrong with you, so

here we have a human foot, here are the face of a woman. Remnants of

hero worship, in this case the state like bush of. After his death,

people made pilgrimages to his tomb. They were spurred on by tales of

hurdles. It is like the opposite of black magic word you would get an

effigy of someone and hope to do them harm. Could you have a bit of

your body which is hurting you. You put that on the tomb and pray it

will be cured. They were hidden to escape the Reformation when acts of

adultery were condemned. They were only discovered during repairs to

the cathedral in 1943. Academics say the origin eat, offering an insight

into people 's lives 500 years ago. They would long to leave something

that is quite an translucent, that is something that is somehow part of

them but not part of them, and they would leave it with the Saints to

remind the same, but in a good word for me, help me with my problems and

eventually help me get to heaven. This is how many people today pay

their respects to the dead, a simple act not far removed from life in the

Middle Ages. We are doing something very similar to what people have

been doing in these buildings for the last millennium, the king about

the dead, interacting with them, getting close to them and also

thinking about how we will soon join them. All Souls Day is this to ``

this Saturday, a sacred time for the living to remember the dead.

Now to the sport, and Dave's here with the stories behind some

impressive results. Hello. The result of the weekend was

undoubtedly Yeovil Town's 3`1 win over Championship promotion

contenders Nottingham Forest. It was their first three`point haul at

Huish Park. In League Two, Plymouth Argyle's late goal at Mansfield

rewarded them with their first celebration in nine games. Here's

how the managers, BBC Radio Devon commentators and the fans reacted.

It definitely helps with couple months, because we have been telling

them the argument not to compete at this level. They few things didn't

quite go for us on this complacent that luck on this occasion and maybe

they felt sorry for themselves, but we had a great result last week and

a great campaign here, and now we have picked up another three points

against Nottingham Forest, who were on their way to the premiership. If

the goal! Albion have stolen a late goal scored by Phil Edwards. They

have been ineffective with the corners for most of the game, but

right at the death, it would appear they have stolen the points. I

thought we create it would have two problems ourselves. The most

important thing is to try and get some points from the game that is

great to score at the end and everyone that little bit of a break

of not scoring and we have scored, and got the winning goal. It comes

to chapel. He shouted into the back of the net! He shouted. The deep in

Torquay territory. To Wallace on the right. One of! `` one all ass`mac

attack ass`mac Exeter Chiefs are up to fourth in rugby's Premiership.

It's due to their six`try mauling of bottom team Worcester Warriors at

Sandy Park, and because of Leicester's loss at Wasps. The

Chiefs scored 26 unanswered points in the second half to rack up a 40`6

result. Flanker Ben White pounced for two of the scores, with locks

Dean Mumm and Damian Welch also contributing. Phil Dollman and Haydn

Thomas made sure they too were on the score sheet.

In the Championship, Plymouth Albion outscored Jersey by three tries to

two to come away 23`18 winners in the Channel Islands. But the Cornish

Pirates had a disastrous time. They conceded five tries at unbeaten

leaders London Welsh in a 41`6 trouncing. That sends the Pirates

down to fifth. Albion are lying seventh.

Finally in basketball, Plymouth Raiders made up for their Friday

defeat at London Lions by beating Durham Wildcats 85`73 at the

Pavilions last night. Weldon to Foxy and the team at the pavilions.

Hundreds of volunteers have started the huge task of planting a million

daffodil bulbs in and around Sidmouth. The plants have been

donated by a tycoon who died six years ago and wanted to see the East

Devon town blossom in future. And the blossom it will. He has left ?3

million to the town, and part of his legacy is being used to fund the

planting. One in a million. These bulbs are being planted as part of

Devon born Keith Owen's legacy to keep Sidmouth with a full. The

former investment banker spent most of its holidays in the resort before

his death in 2007. It was his wish to give the seaside town a million

flowers. I told them it will be difficult to spend all this, and he

said think big, think outside the box. I said, how do you mean? He

said, plant a million daffodils. Volunteers have started planting

them bulbs in verges, lawns and flower beds. The whole town has come

together, the rugby club, the football club, the W Y, this sailing

club, everyone has had a go, so it really has been great. Keep their

won't let all his money, more than ?3 million, to the Sidmouth

association with instructions in the spent locally. It is my hope and

which people will enjoy coming to Sidmouth in years to come, because

these bulbs will make a big splash and it will be the value of a

million bulbs, and that is what we're aiming to with this project.

It will take several years to plan all 1 million bulbs in what Keith

Owen described as the picture perfect English resort. Hopefully by

next spring there will be a riot of colourful blooms. I'm sure we've all

had collections of various things from time to time, but for sci`fi

buffs, there's something very special going under the hammer in

Dorset. A collection of Star Wars toys,

collectables and memorabilia will be auctioned in Dorchester tomorrow,

with some of the items expecting to go for hundreds of pounds. John

Ayres has had a proper around a lot with his light Sabre. Auctioneers

are best known for fine art but tomorrow it will be something a bit

affront. But a bit different. More than 50 lots will go under the

hammer and for the enthusiasts, there are all sorts of things. So

who would like a Han Solo in carbon night? People who remember seeing

this sort of thing as youngsters, and that is remembering the fun they

had with the Tories, the numbering toys perhaps they didn't get for

Christmas, and seeing them in their boxes with all the accessories is

quite exciting for collectors. And I have a young son and can't imagine

giving him any kind of toy and expecting him to keep them in the

box, but keeping them in the box makes these collections valuable.

When whoever got a Star Wars land speaker for Christmas, he should

really have taken it out of the box and run around the room, but

occasionally the boxes survived, and that is what collectors like, and in

this sort of promotion, if they are bit battered, the getting rarer and

harder to find. Princess Leia, Luke skywalker and Darth Vader are all

here. I'm not really a Star Wars fan myself, but do people who were into

it, some of the staff is quite special and could go for a few

hundred pounds. Many of these toys have in their complete state become

rare. It is now a question of just how much fans are prepared to pay

for them. What a collection. It is time for the weather and it seems

that is all anyone has been talking about. It is calming down, still

quite breezy, but nothing compared to both the rain and gusts of wind

we saw last night. There is a quick summary, highest winds were at

Portland but most of the Southwest had gusts of wind over 60 mph,

although it was shortly own. This week we have some windy conditions

with showers and this lightly colder than last week, not too much frost

on the cards and a lot of clear sky on the Atlantic heading our way for

tomorrow, but it is speckled so there are also some showers dotted

around. One weather system pushes by this evening, we placed by a few

showers tomorrow, but a weak ridge of high pressure will ease that

winds down and give us some respite from the strength of the wind. It is

short lived as another line of rain comes in to give us wet weather on

Wednesday. You can see how speckled the cloud structure is. It rain

showers, we had pleasant sunshine and where showers turned up they

were a beefy. Earlier today, we did have some sunshine of you can see

how chaotic the sea looks because of the strength of wind we saw last

night, and still some big waves in the Atlantic and the English

Channel. Here some blue sky, the little bit inland we also had some

blue sky between showers, but Alex Song the camera at the other way and

there is a lovely rainbow. We do have some clear sky this evening,

which will let temperatures fall well into single figures. We have a

risk of showers overnight so some could be heavy but the isolated, and

temperatures are down as low as six or seven degrees. Tomorrow, we start

the day with some sunny spells. There will always be showers around

to the morning, and by the afternoon, those showers are more

isolated with some lengthy sunny spells to end the day, winds all the

while gradually reducing but taking their time to ease down.

Temperatures up to about 12, 13 degrees. About right for the time of

year. For the forecast for the Isles of Scilly, breezy in the morning

with a scattering of showers but easing down to mainly dry conditions

in the afternoon. There are times of high water. Those times are now in

GMT. Big waves, most of our coastline quite dangerous, it will

take 24 hours for the seas to calm down, along the north coast, six to

eight feet and messy, winds are five to six and dropping, good

visibility, turning more showery on Thursday, and have a good evening.

We will be back at 10pm tonight. Have a good evening.

This is Malcolm, who owns Iceland. He's the one

that's going to present us with the ten grand. When we win it.