:00:00. > :00:08.Tonight on BBC London News. Closures, cancellations and delays.
:00:09. > :00:11.We've the latest on the great Christmas getaway as a weather
:00:12. > :00:21.warning for heavy rain and strong winds brings travel misery for many.
:00:22. > :00:24.IMac Euston Station, where passengers are doing their best to
:00:25. > :00:27.get home this Christmas. We'll have a full weather forecast. Also in the
:00:28. > :00:37.programme... Three people are killed in a crash as a car collides with a
:00:38. > :00:44.lorry on the North Circular. It is something that stays in your mind.
:00:45. > :00:46.My son couldn't sleep last night. It was quite a shock.
:00:47. > :00:51.Plus, Crisis at Christmas, as the charity opens its doors with a
:00:52. > :01:03.warning that the number of young homeless is on the increase.
:01:04. > :01:07.# Tell me on a Sunday please... And back for the first time in a
:01:08. > :01:14.decade, Marti Webb returns with the West End hit which made her name.
:01:15. > :01:21.Good evening and welcome to the programme. We start with more on the
:01:22. > :01:23.storm which is tonight bringing disruption to thousands of
:01:24. > :01:26.travellers attempting to leave London for Christmas. The Met Office
:01:27. > :01:31.has amber warnings in place, forecasting torrential rain and
:01:32. > :01:34.winds hitting speeds of 70mph. Many train services out of the capital
:01:35. > :01:39.have been disrupted with some operators running a reduced service.
:01:40. > :01:43.And on the roads, the QE2 Bridge at Dartford has been closed until
:01:44. > :01:46.tomorrow morning. The latest on all the travel coming up, but first
:01:47. > :01:57.Gareth Furby reports on a day of disruption.
:01:58. > :02:00.Any child will tell you there's a certain well`known individual who
:02:01. > :02:05.can always rely on his slave to get him where he wants to go at this
:02:06. > :02:10.time of year, no matter what the weather. But as mere mortals, we
:02:11. > :02:13.have to cope with what we are given. Tonight there is growing and
:02:14. > :02:16.significant disruption, and you could tell something big was coming
:02:17. > :02:24.as the wind picked up during the day. Gale force winds in central
:02:25. > :02:29.London. And a wash`out at the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, closed as a
:02:30. > :02:36.precaution because high winds and some of the highest rides don't mix
:02:37. > :02:41.well. A disappointing day for the McQuade family, from Middlesbrough,
:02:42. > :02:48.who'd hoped to enjoy this Christmas attraction. We saw it when we walked
:02:49. > :02:54.in and thought, oh, no! It was closed due to the weather. We can't
:02:55. > :03:01.do anything about the weather. We are a bit disappointed. What are you
:03:02. > :03:06.going to do now? Go shopping! But even the Christmas shopping was for
:03:07. > :03:13.some, a bit of an ordeal. What is it like shopping in these conditions?
:03:14. > :03:20.Very cold. I'm from Holland. Is this colder than Holland? Yes.
:03:21. > :03:26.Challenging, to say the least. Where do you come from? Australia. Here,
:03:27. > :03:30.and other seasonal London attraction called the snow globe, in Picadilly
:03:31. > :03:35.Circus, which covers the statute you Ross, it is filmed apparently
:03:36. > :03:40.bursting open in the wind. And beyond London, the QE2 bridge at the
:03:41. > :03:45.Dartford Crossing has been closed until the winds ease. During the
:03:46. > :03:50.day, 9000 homes in Berkshire lost power. And all the rail companies
:03:51. > :03:55.serving London have introduced speed restrictions. On southeastern
:03:56. > :04:01.trains, a landslide is causing disruption. First Capital Connect is
:04:02. > :04:04.having to cope with a fallen tree. Passenger safety is our priority. We
:04:05. > :04:08.want to make sure that the service we run is the best possible we could
:04:09. > :04:14.do to get people home for Christmas, but also make sure we carry them
:04:15. > :04:21.safely. The alternative, the roads, may also prove tricky. Depending on
:04:22. > :04:26.how much wind there is, it is worth planning ahead. This evening, many
:04:27. > :04:29.of the Royal Parks were closing early Bostock and they may also be
:04:30. > :04:38.closed tomorrow morning, as any assessed. Tonight, the mood here at
:04:39. > :04:42.Euston Station, just one of the stations affected, is one of
:04:43. > :04:46.frustration. But there's also a sense of stoicism, the notion that
:04:47. > :04:51.when people finally get where they are going, despite all that
:04:52. > :04:55.disruption, they will, of course, have been worth it. How very
:04:56. > :04:56.British! As Gareth mentioned there's widespread disruption tonight. Greg
:04:57. > :05:08.McKenzie is here with the latest. There are problems across the entire
:05:09. > :05:12.railway network this evening. The advice for passengers is simply
:05:13. > :05:17.leave enough time to make your journey. So there are delays and
:05:18. > :05:18.some cancellations on Virgin Trains services and Midlands Mainline out
:05:19. > :05:25.of Euston tonight. First Capital Connect are also
:05:26. > :05:28.experiencing problems for its services out of Kings Cross St
:05:29. > :05:31.Pancras, trains running at reduced speeds. And Southern Train services
:05:32. > :05:34.from Victoria are also running at reduced speeds, some trains being
:05:35. > :05:47.cancelled due to fallen trees and branches on the tracks.
:05:48. > :05:52.And airports, some delays for inbound and outbound flights due to
:05:53. > :05:55.high winds at Gatwick, Heathrow and London City Airport. Passengers are
:05:56. > :05:59.advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport. And
:06:00. > :06:02.for the latest travel advice, log on to the BBC London Website or tune in
:06:03. > :06:21.to our radio stations BBC London 94.9.
:06:22. > :06:25.And explosively deepening area of low pressure. It's turning into the
:06:26. > :06:34.fright before Christmas. I will have the details later. Also ahead..
:06:35. > :06:35.Packing the pews. Why churches across the capital are bucking a
:06:36. > :06:47.downward trend. An investigation's under way after
:06:48. > :06:50.three people died when their car collided with a lorry and burst into
:06:51. > :06:53.flames. It's believed the car crossed the carriageway on the North
:06:54. > :07:02.Circular, hitting the lorry which was travelling in the opposite
:07:03. > :07:04.direction. The driver and the occupants of another car involved
:07:05. > :07:08.escaped with minor injuries. Warren Nettleford is at the scene in north
:07:09. > :07:14.London for us now. What more can you tell us?
:07:15. > :07:18.This is one of the busy road in North London. It was closed for
:07:19. > :07:21.several hours this morning, as the police tried to work out what
:07:22. > :07:29.happened here last night. There were two cars travelling westbound, the
:07:30. > :07:32.Subaru crossed the central reservation before colliding with a
:07:33. > :07:40.bread delivery lorry. That lorry then hit that bus stop. There was a
:07:41. > :07:46.lot of damage caused. The Subaru was badly damaged, it set fire as a
:07:47. > :07:50.result of the impact. Three people who were inside died as a result of
:07:51. > :07:54.that collision. As well as that the Vauxhall Astra, the two people
:07:55. > :07:57.travelling inside that car were taken to hospital with minor
:07:58. > :08:01.injuries. I was speaking to neighbours who were here last night.
:08:02. > :08:10.They were saying what it was like when the accident happened. The
:08:11. > :08:14.impact was so hard because... It caused a lot of damage. People tried
:08:15. > :08:19.to help but you couldn't do anything about it. It is something that stays
:08:20. > :08:28.in your mind. My son couldn't sleep last night. It was quite a shock. I
:08:29. > :08:34.understand the police have already made some arrests.
:08:35. > :08:38.Yes, two people have been arrested, it's believed they were the two
:08:39. > :08:42.people travelling inside the forks all Astra. They've been arrested on
:08:43. > :08:44.suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. We will be
:08:45. > :08:48.watching the story to see what happens.
:08:49. > :08:51.A double decker bus has crashed into a railway bridge in south west
:08:52. > :08:55.London, resulting in the roof almost being sliced off. The accident
:08:56. > :08:58.happened after the driver took a wrong turn in Norbiton earlier this
:08:59. > :09:01.afternoon. No passengers were on board at the time. TFL said the
:09:02. > :09:03.driver was not injured and the accident was a result of human
:09:04. > :09:15.error. Many rail commuters in the Home
:09:16. > :09:18.Counties will face above`inflation increases on their annual season
:09:19. > :09:21.tickets from next week, after new fares for 2014 were announced today.
:09:22. > :09:25.Those affected include commuters from Reading to London who will pay
:09:26. > :09:28.?4,000 for a season ticket. Bus and tube passengers, however, will see
:09:29. > :09:36.average fares go up by less than inflation. Cancellations into King's
:09:37. > :09:40.Cross this morning, and for rail commuters it is more bad news. Peak
:09:41. > :09:46.fares are going up by an average 3.1% in the New Year. Some by more
:09:47. > :09:50.than that. It is quite ridiculous, considering at the moment the
:09:51. > :09:54.economic climate is really bad. More expenses for people, people can t
:09:55. > :10:00.afford it and the services are not improving. I'd rather not have the
:10:01. > :10:13.3.1, but that's not life. Life is that things get more expensive. A
:10:14. > :10:15.season ticket from Reading to London goes up by 3.23% to just over ? 000.
:10:16. > :10:20.Woking to London goes up 2.9%, to nearly ?3000. And a season ticket
:10:21. > :10:26.from Aylesbury to London will now cost ?3732. The reason this
:10:27. > :10:32.announcement is so late is because the Chancellor only decided to cut
:10:33. > :10:37.fares at an increase of 3.1% on average on December the 5th. That
:10:38. > :10:43.caught the industry and City Hall unawares. In fact, TfL fares in
:10:44. > :10:47.London won't now go up until the 19th of January. Critics say this
:10:48. > :10:50.shows a breakdown in communication between the chancellor, George
:10:51. > :10:55.Osborne, and the mayor, Boris Johnson. Today, TfL said bus, tube
:10:56. > :11:00.and DLR fares would rise below inflation, at an average of 2.7 .
:11:01. > :11:06.Travelcards will go up with inflation at 3.1%. Rail, campaigners
:11:07. > :11:11.say the government should be doing more. Fares are still going up by at
:11:12. > :11:15.least three times the rate of average rate increases. That will
:11:16. > :11:19.hit commuters hard when they come to renew their fares on the 2nd of
:11:20. > :11:25.January. There's not much festive cheer in this announcement today.
:11:26. > :11:28.The rail industry says it has been investing in projects like King s
:11:29. > :11:33.Cross. And ?24 billion will be invested in improving the network
:11:34. > :11:42.over the next five years. No one likes paying more, particularly at
:11:43. > :11:45.the moment, when the economy is under pressure. But what it is being
:11:46. > :11:48.able to do is help us to invest more in the network, and that ultimately
:11:49. > :11:53.lead two to more satisfaction in passengers. An end in sight to the
:11:54. > :11:57.fare rises, do you think? That's one for Government. At the moment there
:11:58. > :12:08.is no end in sight to the fare rises. The number of young people
:12:09. > :12:12.sleeping on the streets in London has doubled in the past three years,
:12:13. > :12:15.according to the charity Crisis It says high rents and welfare reforms
:12:16. > :12:20.are to blame. Katharine Carpenter has been to a shelter in Camden to
:12:21. > :12:24.find out more. Preparing lunch for 250 people. Fortunately the home
:12:25. > :12:28.economics room at this north London secondary is up to the job, as the
:12:29. > :12:32.hundreds of volunteers. It is the first time Crisis has used a school
:12:33. > :12:35.for one of its Christmas centres. But with an increasing number of
:12:36. > :12:39.homeless people in the capital, even the gym will be put to good use The
:12:40. > :12:44.scale of the Centre is impressive, it feels like a small village. There
:12:45. > :12:59.is a sewing room, where people can get their clothes mended this is a
:13:00. > :13:02.locker room, where things can be left for the whole of the festive
:13:03. > :13:04.period. There's also a beauty salon here. You can see people getting
:13:05. > :13:07.their hair cut, then they'll stun and there's even going to be a
:13:08. > :13:09.dentist offering treatment. Getting a haircut is an amazing
:13:10. > :13:11.transformation for me. It's built up my self`confidence. Able to access
:13:12. > :13:15.all the facilities, as in job advice, housing advice, benefit
:13:16. > :13:18.advice. John still has those challenges to face. A former
:13:19. > :13:23.Grenadier Guards, he lost his marriage, job and home. I'm hoping
:13:24. > :13:28.to get somewhere to live. Try and get a job and start working again.
:13:29. > :13:33.That is all I've ever done. I started working when I was 15. This
:13:34. > :13:37.year, Crisis is particularly worried about the plight of young people. It
:13:38. > :14:28.says the number sleeping rough in London has more than doubled in
:14:29. > :14:30.three years, with 8% of 16 to 24`year`olds reporting being
:14:31. > :14:32.homeless recently. Short`term, we need to look at how housing benefit
:14:33. > :14:34.is affecting the kind of housing that is available for under 35s not
:14:35. > :15:36.just under 25s. Still to come: both sides of London are connected
:15:37. > :15:42.by the church. Three years ago, just 20 people had
:15:43. > :15:48.come here in Bethnal Green. It is a little different now. The
:15:49. > :15:53.congregation has grown sixfold. It is in the middle of a bunch of
:15:54. > :15:58.estates and the church is directly serving local people. The first time
:15:59. > :16:03.I came, this time last year, they were shovelling snow out of the
:16:04. > :16:04.doorways. High church mixes with the modern in
:16:05. > :16:19.the same service. We have been involved in all sorts
:16:20. > :16:25.of things locally that mean we are on the side of people. City safe
:16:26. > :16:31.havens on the Hackney Road. Connected with schools. Doing things
:16:32. > :16:35.with young and old people. The churches have seen 10% fewer
:16:36. > :16:40.people coming through their doors in the last decade. Compare that with
:16:41. > :16:46.London, churches across all denominations have seen a 16% growth
:16:47. > :16:51.in attendance, the majority among black and immigrant communities Now
:16:52. > :16:56.9% of Londoners go to church once a week. At Saint Pauls Cathedral, the
:16:57. > :16:59.numbers are rising as well. Slightly easier for the London
:17:00. > :17:06.churches to get their message to the local community.
:17:07. > :17:10.This is a time of year when churches are at their most beautiful and at
:17:11. > :17:14.their fullest. 20,000 people will have gone to a service at Saint
:17:15. > :17:16.Pauls by the end of the Christmas period. Come January, all of that
:17:17. > :17:26.starts again. There are some brave football fans
:17:27. > :17:29.out in the elements tonight. Here to tell us more is our sports reporter
:17:30. > :17:31.Sara Orchard. And, pardon the pun, but it's a bit of a Christmas
:17:32. > :17:37.cracker. Let 's hope it really is. We have to
:17:38. > :17:43.mention the weather before we talk about the Arsenal`Chelsea match We
:17:44. > :17:49.have been told to check travel arrangements before and after the
:17:50. > :17:54.match. Kick off is at 8pm. Arsenal could go top of the table at
:17:55. > :17:59.Christmas if they can beat Chelsea at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger's
:18:00. > :18:05.record against Jose Mourinho isn't necessarily the best. Four draws and
:18:06. > :18:10.five defeats but Arsene Wenger says this shouldn't impact on the game.
:18:11. > :18:19.It is not a personal battle, honestly, we had some big games in
:18:20. > :18:24.the past, but what is important to me is I am completely focused on
:18:25. > :18:26.Arsenal football weekly `` Arsenal football club as my team doing
:18:27. > :18:30.well. Chelsea should be confident because
:18:31. > :18:37.of that record and Arsenal are without Jack Wilshere who is
:18:38. > :18:43.starting his two game suspension. Looking ahead to Boxing Day, news
:18:44. > :18:50.for horse racing fans. The big race on the 26th is the King
:18:51. > :18:55.George VI at Kempton Park. The bad news is last year 's runner`up,
:18:56. > :19:00.Captain Chris, has suffered a minor leg injury and will not be racing.
:19:01. > :19:05.Nine horses have been named on the card.
:19:06. > :19:11.Did you have a work Christmas party this year? You might have gone for a
:19:12. > :19:14.few drinks at the pub, or had a more extravagant knees`up. But, for a
:19:15. > :19:17.growing number of companies, volunteering has become the antidote
:19:18. > :19:19.to corporate excess, with schemes being organised by London`based
:19:20. > :19:30.charity TimeBank. Helen Drew went to one firm's alternative party.
:19:31. > :19:35.Gardening is exactly your typical office Christmas party, but all 25
:19:36. > :19:39.staff in this company have opted out of mulled wine and mistletoe in
:19:40. > :19:44.favour of volunteering in Bethnal Green. They are helping to tidy up
:19:45. > :19:48.the gardens of elderly residents. It is a lot different to last year I
:19:49. > :19:54.have never done anything like this before. The first time I've gardened
:19:55. > :19:59.in my life. It's very easy to forget about what other people's lives
:20:00. > :20:05.like. You can be insular in an office. It has been great. It is
:20:06. > :20:11.really rewarding, doing those gardens. The people came out and
:20:12. > :20:16.said thank you so much. It was the boss The Resistable Rise of Arturo
:20:17. > :20:21.Ui idea. It's the stories you hear, the special moments, that you
:20:22. > :20:25.volunteer for. Money can't buy that experience. After the Gardening
:20:26. > :20:30.time to help with someone else's Christmas party.
:20:31. > :20:35.Tower Hamlets homes has put this event on for their older residents
:20:36. > :20:41.in the area. They try to tackle isolation and. Volunteers are key to
:20:42. > :20:48.achieving that. We provide housing services, but we need help.
:20:49. > :20:55.Volunteers often provide that help. Today's volunteering is a world away
:20:56. > :21:01.from the previous session excesses. Many of which stopped after 200 .
:21:02. > :21:05.TimeBank came up with the Christmas volunteering scheme, and says it has
:21:06. > :21:11.had 50 requests so far. This year, budgets are cut niftily and people
:21:12. > :21:16.realised the value of volunteering. It's not just about who you are
:21:17. > :21:20.helping, but it can inspire your staff. The charity is hoping
:21:21. > :21:24.Christmas volunteering will lead to a year`round interest in helping
:21:25. > :21:27.others. Her West End career spans more than
:21:28. > :21:31.30 years, but it's the musical Tell Me On A Sunday for which Marti Webb
:21:32. > :21:35.is perhaps best known. The show was written specially for her by Sir
:21:36. > :21:38.Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black. And, next year, she will be
:21:39. > :21:41.performing it again, including the hit title song, and Take That Look
:21:42. > :21:49.Off Your Face. Our entertainment correspondent, Brenda Emmanus,
:21:50. > :21:56.reports. Tell me on a Sunday, please.
:21:57. > :22:01.Marti Webb sings the title song from the musical that led to her big
:22:02. > :22:06.break over 30 years ago. It charts the experiences of a young London
:22:07. > :22:09.girl who journeys to New York in search of love, and was written
:22:10. > :22:14.specifically for her by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Don
:22:15. > :22:17.Black. The only time in my life I have ever been involved with
:22:18. > :22:22.something from the very beginning, when someone sat at the piano and
:22:23. > :22:27.composed, that was Andrew Lloyd Webber, was amazing.
:22:28. > :22:34.All these different songs. Take that look off your face.
:22:35. > :22:38.I can see through your smile. The original show was a huge success
:22:39. > :22:45.with a number one album and a hit single. She is now set to reprise
:22:46. > :22:48.her role in the production with the original version at the St James
:22:49. > :22:53.Theatre. Is it nice going back to the
:22:54. > :22:58.original? It is nice, this is where it started. This is the root of it.
:22:59. > :23:06.That is exciting, especially for me, there's lots of memories.
:23:07. > :23:10.Don't leave in silence with no word at all.
:23:11. > :23:16.What is your view on the reality shows and the ladder to fame?
:23:17. > :23:22.People ask me that question, it is really funny. Good luck to anybody
:23:23. > :23:26.in this business who can get on It is being seen, being in the right
:23:27. > :23:31.place at the right time. The hardest thing is staying the course. Is
:23:32. > :23:36.there any greater challenge than a one`woman show in the west end?
:23:37. > :23:40.You only have you and the audience. It's not like anything else I have
:23:41. > :23:43.ever done. I feel safe in a cast with other people. I like that
:23:44. > :23:53.better. Marti Webb is going solo from the
:23:54. > :23:55.seven until the 12th of January `` seventh. Back
:23:56. > :23:59.and the QE2 Bridge in Dartford remains closed tonight because of
:24:00. > :24:04.the adverse weather. Peter Whittlesea is there for us now. How
:24:05. > :24:08.much disruption is this going to cause as the Christmas getaway
:24:09. > :24:13.begins? This is what it has been like for
:24:14. > :24:16.the last six hours, bumper to bumper. The tailbacks on this side
:24:17. > :24:22.of the tailbacks on this side undercutting stretching as far
:24:23. > :24:29.back, where the M 20 metres the M25. There is no sign of it changing The
:24:30. > :24:33.QE2 bridge was closed at 1:30pm and all southbound traffic has to come
:24:34. > :24:38.through the eastern tunnel. The highways agency is saying the bridge
:24:39. > :24:43.will not open until wind speeds die down. I have recorded speeds of up
:24:44. > :24:49.to 55 miles an hour. They say the wind will not die down until four
:24:50. > :24:53.tomorrow morning, so the delays are expected to continue for some time.
:24:54. > :25:02.Let's take a look at the all important weather, with Peter.
:25:03. > :25:08.It's not particularly Christmas spirited, the weather. The good news
:25:09. > :25:13.is things will be a good deal karma for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. At
:25:14. > :25:20.the moment, we have the beginnings of the storm. It has not peaked yet.
:25:21. > :25:25.As I just said, a somewhat quieter colder day on Christmas and Boxing
:25:26. > :25:30.Day, but another big, Atlantic storm, looks set for the end of the
:25:31. > :25:35.week. A subtle difference in the colours, and amber warning to be
:25:36. > :25:41.prepared. A yellow triangle for the end of the week, be aware warning.
:25:42. > :25:49.What have we got to be prepared for? At the moment, the winds are
:25:50. > :25:53.touching 70 miles an hour. There are outbreaks of moderate rain mixed in
:25:54. > :26:00.with all of that blue. Once we get through midnight, that is when the
:26:01. > :26:05.gusts are likely to peak at something like 80 miles an hour We
:26:06. > :26:10.could well get if you rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning, as
:26:11. > :26:14.the heaviest rain moves through and add to any flooding problems. That
:26:15. > :26:21.wet weather starting to move away at dawn. Not a particular cold night,
:26:22. > :26:25.down to five Celsius. So, relatively speaking, I think Christmas Eve is
:26:26. > :26:31.going to be a better day. It is still going to be breezy, some sharp
:26:32. > :26:36.showers out there. We are likely to see top amateurs getting up to 0
:26:37. > :26:41.Celsius. On to Christmas Day, things really do start to calm down. Still
:26:42. > :26:49.the chance of getting caught in a sharp shower if you are out trying
:26:50. > :26:54.to work `` walk the turkey off. Then, early warnings of yet more
:26:55. > :26:59.heavy rain and strong winds for the end of the week. Just be really
:27:00. > :27:01.cautious out there, this evening, and if you are moving around in the
:27:02. > :27:08.early hours. A look at the main headlines now:
:27:09. > :27:11.Much of the UK has been hit by a fierce storm, with heavy rain and
:27:12. > :27:13.winds threatening chaos for millions of people preparing for Christmas
:27:14. > :27:16.travel. Thousands of homes are without power
:27:17. > :27:19.in Berkshire and the West Country. Many train services out of the
:27:20. > :27:21.capital have been disrupted, with some operators running a reduced
:27:22. > :27:31.service. And the QE2 Bridge at Dartford has
:27:32. > :27:34.been closed until tomorrow morning. We'll have the latest on the weather
:27:35. > :27:38.and the travel disruption during the ten o'clock news here on BBC One.
:27:39. > :27:41.And you can keep up`to`date throughout the night on our radio
:27:42. > :27:43.station BBC London 94.9. But, for now, from us all on the team,
:27:44. > :27:45.goodnight.