:00:00. > :00:08.heading our way and wet and windy again. That is
:00:09. > :00:12.Good evening welcome to Wednesday's BBC Channel Islands. Coming up on
:00:13. > :00:15.the programme tonight: Whooping cough and scarlet fever are at their
:00:16. > :00:22.highest level for decades ` Guernsey health bosses urge islanders to take
:00:23. > :00:28.action. Do it is important that people take
:00:29. > :00:34.up these opportunities. Immunisation are safe and simple and effective.
:00:35. > :00:37.Plus ` the French Condor workers strike is felt throughout the
:00:38. > :00:40.islands ` school trip travel plans are thrown into disarray.
:00:41. > :00:43.And why ancestory just got trendy ` archive facilities expand as more
:00:44. > :00:56.and more of us research our family history.
:00:57. > :01:02.Guernsey is in the grip of the worst outbreak of whooping cough for three
:01:03. > :01:04.decades. That's according to the latest health report. Medical
:01:05. > :01:07.experts say all children and pregnant women should be immunised.
:01:08. > :01:13.And as Mike Wilkins reports, there's been an alarming rise in other
:01:14. > :01:16.preventable diseases as well. The sound of a child with whooping
:01:17. > :01:21.cough is distressing and unmistakeable. You have to go back
:01:22. > :01:25.to the early '80s when this public information was made to match the
:01:26. > :01:27.current rates of infection. Babies are most at risk, suffering from
:01:28. > :01:34.bouts of uncontrollable coughing, which in some cases can lead to
:01:35. > :01:37.death. The increase in Guernsey has been dramatic, there were 36 cases
:01:38. > :01:46.last year, this compares to an average of just three a year over
:01:47. > :01:49.the previous decade. In fact, the latest figures reveal that 2013 saw
:01:50. > :01:54.the worst outbreak for 30 years So why now? The whooping cough vaccine
:01:55. > :02:03.is effective but its protection isn't permanent. It may be because
:02:04. > :02:09.that's the immunity in children Wayne. Parents may be at risk of
:02:10. > :02:13.passing the disease on to children and it is most dangerous in
:02:14. > :02:19.infants. In Guernsey we had our first days of infants whooping cough
:02:20. > :02:23.for the first time. It is important that people take up these
:02:24. > :02:28.opportunities. Immunisation is safe, simple and effective.
:02:29. > :02:31.But it's not just whooping cough that's got health experts concerned
:02:32. > :02:35.here ` illnesses that many thought were long gone are actually making
:02:36. > :02:38.an unwelcome return. For example in 2012 there were more cases of the
:02:39. > :02:43.potentially fatal scarlet fever in Guernsey than for more than half a
:02:44. > :02:48.century. We have come a long way since whooping cough victims were
:02:49. > :02:51.treated and decompression chambers. But while there have been
:02:52. > :02:56.improvements over the last half`century, the island's health
:02:57. > :03:03.chief says there is no time for complacency and is encouraging
:03:04. > :03:06.people to get immunised. Meanwhile Guernsey's Medical Officer
:03:07. > :03:09.of Health also found in his report that islanders are suffering from
:03:10. > :03:15.alcohol related liver deaths. But there have been some improvements in
:03:16. > :03:19.people's drinking habits. The statistics on alcohol consumption
:03:20. > :03:25.are going down generally in Guernsey which is very good and positive But
:03:26. > :03:29.that does not mean that we are complacent. We hope going into a new
:03:30. > :03:35.strategy that we can put in new campaigns.
:03:36. > :03:38.Meanwhile Jersey could lead the way in using technology in the health
:03:39. > :03:40.service with the island's future hospital. Hospital boss Helen O Shea
:03:41. > :03:43.told business leaders the multi`million pound hospital make
:03:44. > :03:46.over is an opportunity to put the island at the forefront of using
:03:47. > :03:49.technology in medicine. It's hoped things like iPads, iPhones and the
:03:50. > :03:57.latest medical equipment could be used to treat patients remotely It
:03:58. > :04:02.is a platform for us to be able to say what sort of things can
:04:03. > :04:09.recreate? How innovative can we be in terms of technology delivering
:04:10. > :04:14.better health care in the future. We know that we have the perfect
:04:15. > :04:18.virginity where we are rebuilding and refurbishing to make sure that
:04:19. > :04:26.the hospital meets its models of care around the latest technology.
:04:27. > :04:30.Guernsey States have voted to allow residual waste ` that is rubbish
:04:31. > :04:33.that cannot be recycled ` to be exported. The proposals from the
:04:34. > :04:36.Public Services Department include a short list of where the waste could
:04:37. > :04:39.be exported to. They also include new powers for the Douzaines for
:04:40. > :04:41.collection and enforcement. The pay dispute between Condor and
:04:42. > :04:44.the International Transport Workers' Federation have remained deadlocked
:04:45. > :04:47.` with no sign of a resolution. Ferries between France and both
:04:48. > :04:51.Jersey and Guernsey are cancelled until next week. Today the striking
:04:52. > :04:54.crew ` ten French men and one Frenchwoman, plus a British seaman `
:04:55. > :04:58.hoisted the 'Gwenn Ar Du' flag of Brittany on board the Rapide. They
:04:59. > :05:02.say they won't leave the ship until Condor gives them what they want.
:05:03. > :05:10.Well Fae Clery joined me from our Guernsey newsroom with the very
:05:11. > :05:14.latest. The strike started last Thursday and
:05:15. > :05:17.the Rapide hasn't left the French port since. The striking crew, have
:05:18. > :05:21.stayed on the boat and are refusing to give it up until Condor agrees to
:05:22. > :05:24.change their working contracts. One of their demands is that the company
:05:25. > :05:27.should be re`registered to France instead of Guernsey, giving the
:05:28. > :05:30.staff the same benefit as their counterparts on the mainland, such
:05:31. > :05:33.as social security benefits, OR that Condor create a formal agreement to
:05:34. > :05:36.give the sailors social security and pension rights. Condor said the
:05:37. > :05:41.International Transport Workers Federation rejected the offers it
:05:42. > :05:48.had already put on the table. So where does this leave passengers?
:05:49. > :05:51.With half term fast approaching many holiday`makers are being forced
:05:52. > :05:55.to make contingency plans, including the organisers of the Grammar School
:05:56. > :06:02.ski trip who were due to sail to St Malo to catch the coach to their
:06:03. > :06:07.Italian ski resort. There is worried they are. The strikes went public at
:06:08. > :06:12.the end of last week. We are grateful to Condor that they were
:06:13. > :06:16.reasonably early and telling us the ceilings were cancelled. We have
:06:17. > :06:22.been trying to arrange alternative transport. Condor have been very
:06:23. > :06:26.good, we sympathise with them. We would like to say thank you to the
:06:27. > :06:32.local airline providers. They have been helpful hand have offered us
:06:33. > :06:35.their services. Condor meanwhile is putting plans in
:06:36. > :06:39.place to get islanders to France via the UK using other ferry companies.
:06:40. > :06:42.People booked onto Condor ferries to travel to France will be offered
:06:43. > :06:46.sailings via the UK. Condor says it will pay for passengers to travel to
:06:47. > :06:49.the mainland, and then on to France from either Plymouth or
:06:50. > :06:58.Portsmouth.Details of how this will work are being finalised.
:06:59. > :07:02.Jersey's new police authority is now ready to start work, according to
:07:03. > :07:05.the chairman. Advocate Jonathan White says a panel has now been
:07:06. > :07:08.appointed with a mixture of islanders and politicians. It's an
:07:09. > :07:12.independent group, set up to make sure the force sticks to its aims
:07:13. > :07:16.and is working as well as it should. I spoke to Mr White earlier about
:07:17. > :07:21.why he thinks his new team will work.
:07:22. > :07:27.We have appointed somebody under 30. I was keen that we should have
:07:28. > :07:31.somebody under 30 who was representative of the youth of the
:07:32. > :07:36.island. I think we all have responsibility for things. We will
:07:37. > :07:40.all take different areas of responsibility so we can build a
:07:41. > :07:45.greater knowledge and a greater expertise, which will enable us to
:07:46. > :07:55.discharge our responsibilities. How independent will it be?
:07:56. > :07:59.I think it will, it needs to be genuinely independent. It needs to
:08:00. > :08:02.be separate from the police and it needs to be separate from the
:08:03. > :08:07.Minister who still controls the purse strings. I think if we are to
:08:08. > :08:12.do a proper job, we have to work with the police when they do
:08:13. > :08:18.everything well. But we have to be willing to criticise when we think
:08:19. > :08:28.they have got it wrong. Why is that the Shana 30 now? `` why establish
:08:29. > :08:36.another tea now? Recent events have put us into this public focus. The
:08:37. > :08:38.police force has to be headed in the right direction. Some public
:08:39. > :08:45.accountability is a good thing and I think we can provide it.
:08:46. > :08:48.Now, have you ever wanted to dig deeper into your family history but
:08:49. > :08:51.you haven't got the information or resources to know where to begin?
:08:52. > :08:54.Well Jersey Library ` the home of thousands of stories ` has expanded
:08:55. > :08:58.its archive section to help islanders look into their very own
:08:59. > :09:00.family story. We sent our very own Jersey girl Emma Chambers to find
:09:01. > :09:06.out more. This is my family, my mum, my dad
:09:07. > :09:10.and my sister, taking in a blustery day last year. I have come to Jersey
:09:11. > :09:14.library to find out more about my family history. Your
:09:15. > :09:21.great`grandfather's father was a call bearer. And his mother lived at
:09:22. > :09:26.home, obviously looking after all the children. It tells us where his
:09:27. > :09:36.parents, they were all born in Jersey. But his parents, their own
:09:37. > :09:43.father's came from Yorkshire. You have the information there to go
:09:44. > :09:47.back. Finding out about my great, great, great`grandfather was England
:09:48. > :09:55.is a new resource the library? The online access gives us all the UK
:09:56. > :10:03.census information. Why have you added your resources here? Family
:10:04. > :10:07.history is a growing thing. Television programmes have increased
:10:08. > :10:11.people's interest. I think more people look at their families and
:10:12. > :10:16.they get enthusiastic and they tell other people. It spurs other people
:10:17. > :10:23.on to look into theirs. Is there an area that people are looking more
:10:24. > :10:30.into? They are looking into the First World War, people are looking
:10:31. > :10:37.into their military history more. Some of that information is on the
:10:38. > :10:41.website, but it is in more detail here. It has been fascinating about
:10:42. > :10:48.finding out about my family history. I have come away with names
:10:49. > :10:52.and other details that I did not know. If you are a member you can
:10:53. > :11:04.use the resources here. If you're not a member, you can sign up to use
:11:05. > :11:07.the resources free. If that has whetted your appetite, a free event
:11:08. > :11:10.is being held in Jersey this weekend by the island's Family History
:11:11. > :11:18.Society. That's on Saturday between nine and one at the Jersey archive.
:11:19. > :11:21.Well it's been another day of unpleasant weather ` so it won't
:11:22. > :11:24.surprise you to learn that Guernsey has had 85% more than average
:11:25. > :11:27.rainfall over the last year. Guernsey Water says the island
:11:28. > :11:30.experienced nearly double the amount of rain in January than it normally
:11:31. > :11:33.would, and now ALL of the island's reservoirs are full. Time for our
:11:34. > :11:36.weather forecasts now. David, we have seen some harrowing pictures on
:11:37. > :11:39.the national news. Is that for us as well? We have got away quite lately.
:11:40. > :11:43.We have some lively gusts of wind. The islands have not had as much
:11:44. > :11:50.strong wind as in other parts of the south coast. Guernsey had the
:11:51. > :11:58.strongest gust at 67 miles an hour. Those wins are starting to ease
:11:59. > :12:02.down. We continue to see showers overnight tonight. Some of those
:12:03. > :12:06.could be heavy, even a risk of thunder and lightning. A windy day
:12:07. > :12:11.tomorrow. There will be further showers and it will feel cold. Some
:12:12. > :12:16.cold error behind this area of low pressure. Some showers out of the
:12:17. > :12:21.Atlantic, being blown on in that brisk westerly wind. It is a sherry
:12:22. > :12:25.day tomorrow and then the next area of low pressure is here. That is
:12:26. > :12:32.moving quite fast. It should move into our showers `` showers on
:12:33. > :12:38.Friday. That is one to watch. At the moment the main threat is showers.
:12:39. > :12:43.Overnight the will return. Winds continuing to drop a little bit and
:12:44. > :12:48.do overnight temperatures down to five degrees. For tomorrow, expect
:12:49. > :12:53.the frequency of showers to be very frequent. Perhaps drier for a short
:12:54. > :12:56.while in the morning, then more showers returning over the
:12:57. > :13:00.afternoon. Some of those could be heavy with ill stones and thunder.
:13:01. > :13:12.Eight degrees will be the maximum temperature. `` heavy hail and
:13:13. > :13:20.thunder. Times of high water. Similar times in the evening. For
:13:21. > :13:29.our servers, some big waves. `` surfers. Friday will be a windy day.
:13:30. > :13:34.It will be less cold. Saturday is wet and it will be brighter on
:13:35. > :13:37.Sunday. That is it from the Channel Islands. Let's go back to
:13:38. > :21:50.Spotlight. Dear Anna, how I long for your debt
:21:51. > :21:57.was `` such `` touch. I have been practising writing a special letter
:21:58. > :22:03.for my life `` wife. We are here to talk about love and how to express
:22:04. > :22:09.it and get it. This is a class to learn how to write a love letter. It
:22:10. > :22:22.is a one`off evening lecture at Exeter University. Doing something
:22:23. > :22:31.like this makes you come across as an old romantic but I want to write
:22:32. > :22:39.a meaningful letter. The letter means you, not all these other
:22:40. > :22:50.people. It means going for it and putting down how you feel on paper.
:22:51. > :22:57.Since meeting you, I can only smile. That technology can also be
:22:58. > :23:07.romantic. We use a lot more images in digital culture. You can express
:23:08. > :23:14.what literally cannot be expressed. Everyone else in the world is just
:23:15. > :23:20.in black and white. Even now, in this digital age, the pack things
:23:21. > :23:26.away for later also letters provide the ability to do that. Have to hold
:23:27. > :23:33.onto. We may begin to lose the edge to send valentines that we will
:23:34. > :23:42.never lose the urge to receive them. `` but we will never lose the urge.
:23:43. > :23:45.Lovely stuff. We can return now to our top story. Western Power
:23:46. > :23:51.distribution have told us 5000 homes are without power cut Devon,
:23:52. > :23:56.Somerset and Cornwall. David is here with the forecast.
:23:57. > :24:01.The winds are beginning to drop. Tomorrow is a quieter day and we
:24:02. > :24:09.should see a few showers dotted around. The possibility of some snow
:24:10. > :24:13.on higher ground. We will not see the strength of wind we saw today.
:24:14. > :24:26.The highest gust was that Eddie head. `` at Berry Head. They are now
:24:27. > :24:34.lower and continue to drop. We still have the saturated ground and more
:24:35. > :24:38.rain. It is likely to return in the form of showers tomorrow for top
:24:39. > :24:50.Friday will bring in a new area of low pressure. The curl of cloud here
:24:51. > :24:56.is a lovely book of cloud. The highest winds are between Ireland
:24:57. > :25:01.and the South of Scotland. That pressure will move out of the way.
:25:02. > :25:06.Notice how much further apart the isobars are for midday tomorrow.
:25:07. > :25:12.Another area of low pressure races in from the Atlantic to bring more
:25:13. > :25:29.of the same. More rain, wind and gusts of wind could be up to 70 mph
:25:30. > :25:33.on Friday. That is the rain we saw earlier today. It is now gone. Those
:25:34. > :25:45.showers could be heavy throughout the night. They will turn
:25:46. > :25:51.increasingly wintry. High areas could wake up to a dusting of snow
:25:52. > :25:58.tomorrow morning. Most likely over Exmoor and Dartmoor. A cold night to
:25:59. > :26:09.come with overnight temperatures along the coastline at four or five
:26:10. > :26:22.Celsius. Inland, closer to serial Celsius. `` 0 Celsius. S have a look
:26:23. > :26:25.at the forecast for tomorrow. We have some sunshine and a few
:26:26. > :26:32.scattered showers. Wrap up warm there is a cold wind tomorrow.
:26:33. > :26:37.Temperatures struggling up to six or seven Celsius. With the wind chill,
:26:38. > :26:55.it will feel colder. Quite a list read they for the Isles of Scilly.
:26:56. > :27:10.Surfing conditions will be hundreds that horrendous tomorrow. ``
:27:11. > :27:17.horrendous tomorrow. For the coastal waters forecast, this is easier on
:27:18. > :27:29.the eye. Very rough but the policing `` that decreasing. Saturday will be
:27:30. > :27:34.a windy and blustery day. Next week, a lot less stormy.
:27:35. > :27:42.Snow and ice. That is all we need! We will be back with an update after
:27:43. > :27:44.the ten o'clock news.