Browse content similar to 08/04/2014. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
you can head to our website. Now on BBC One we join the | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
This is BBC News line. The headlines: The first state visit by | :00:00. | :00:25. | |
an Irish President to the United Kingdom has started. | :00:26. | :00:30. | |
Already, Michael D Higgins has fulfilled a number of engagements, | :00:31. | :00:34. | |
including an actress to both Houses of Parliament. | :00:35. | :00:37. | |
The Florida gun Runner smuggling weapons for the IRA during the peace | :00:38. | :00:40. | |
process speaks out for the first time. | :00:41. | :00:45. | |
The row over posters about foreign workers in east Belfast. Join me at | :00:46. | :00:49. | |
Augusta where a confident Rory McIlroy says he can become the first | :00:50. | :00:54. | |
golfer from Northern Ireland to win the Masters. And not quite as chilly | :00:55. | :00:58. | |
for tonight and tomorrow, but there'll be more cloud and patchy | :00:59. | :01:00. | |
rain for some as well. Good evening. Or as the Queen said | :01:01. | :01:13. | |
in her official Twitter feed earlier, Failte go Windsor, welcome | :01:14. | :01:16. | |
to Windsor. Today at the start of the first | :01:17. | :01:20. | |
state visit by an Irish President to the UK, we saw the sort of pomp and | :01:21. | :01:26. | |
circumstance not normally associated with Anglo-Irish relations. Here at | :01:27. | :01:29. | |
Windsor Castle, guests are arriving for the state banquet due to start | :01:30. | :01:34. | |
at 8 o'clock. Among the guests will be the Deputy First Minister, Sinn | :01:35. | :01:38. | |
Fein's Martin McGuinness. Here, sgrout side the castle walls, there | :01:39. | :01:43. | |
is a protest -- here outside the castle walls, there is a protest, | :01:44. | :01:47. | |
some have gathered representing the Omagh bombings and some killed in | :01:48. | :01:51. | |
Birmingham pub bomb attacks and other atrocities. | :01:52. | :02:00. | |
It's a return of of the visit the Queen made in 2011 yet it's so much | :02:01. | :02:13. | |
more of that. For 800 years, Britain and Ireland shared a chequered | :02:14. | :02:19. | |
history. With an 800-metre carriage rocket-propelled grenade, the Queen | :02:20. | :02:21. | |
and the President sought to show that the old animosity had been | :02:22. | :02:35. | |
Consigned to the past. Oh yay, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth | :02:36. | :02:42. | |
I will welcome Mr and Mrs Higgins as for the first time in our history... | :02:43. | :02:46. | |
From early, crowds gathered to see the spectacle and welcome the | :02:47. | :02:51. | |
President. Went down well the Queen going there | :02:52. | :02:55. | |
last time, the Irish people welcomed her. We are returning it now. We've | :02:56. | :03:00. | |
never had the Irish President here have we? It's something for the | :03:01. | :03:03. | |
books. I think it's really important. One of the most important | :03:04. | :03:07. | |
ones we've had here in Windsor and I'm local so I like to come to these | :03:08. | :03:10. | |
events. The President was welcomed into the heart of the castle, formal | :03:11. | :03:15. | |
duties followed. A review of the Guard of Honour and | :03:16. | :03:20. | |
later, after a private lunch, a chance to view items from the Royal | :03:21. | :03:23. | |
collection with an Irish significance. | :03:24. | :03:27. | |
The visit is meant to demonstrate the depth of the limps between the | :03:28. | :03:31. | |
countries and the vastly improved relationship they have built in | :03:32. | :03:34. | |
recent years. At Westminster cathedral, there was | :03:35. | :03:37. | |
a reminder of the days when the bullet and the bomb were part of | :03:38. | :03:42. | |
Anglo-Irish relations. President Higgins paused in tribute at a | :03:43. | :03:46. | |
memorial plaque for Lord Mountbatten, the Queen's cousin, | :03:47. | :03:51. | |
murdered by the IRA in Sligo in 1979. | :03:52. | :03:55. | |
Also in the cathedral, a wreath-living at the grave of the | :03:56. | :03:59. | |
unknown warrior. A recognition of the role of Irish soldiers who died | :04:00. | :04:03. | |
in the service of the British Army in the Great War. | :04:04. | :04:08. | |
And then it was on to the Palace of Westminster for an address to | :04:09. | :04:13. | |
members of both the Commons and The Lord's. We have a fresh canvas on | :04:14. | :04:19. | |
which to sketch our shared hopes and which to advance our overlapping | :04:20. | :04:24. | |
ambitions. What we now enjoy between Ireland and Britain is a friendly | :04:25. | :04:29. | |
cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and deep and | :04:30. | :04:33. | |
indelible personal links that bind us together in cultural and social | :04:34. | :04:35. | |
terms. In an hour-and-a-half, the focus | :04:36. | :04:40. | |
will switch back here to Windsor Castle, 160 specially invited guests | :04:41. | :04:44. | |
will attend a state banquet at which both the President and the Queen | :04:45. | :04:47. | |
will speak. Their comments are expected to | :04:48. | :04:50. | |
reflect the theme of this visit, one of mutual respect. | :04:51. | :04:58. | |
A Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are back here to | :04:59. | :05:02. | |
Windsor for tonight's Newsnight programme, the deputy first, many | :05:03. | :05:06. | |
Martin McGuinness, was asked by Jeremy Paxman at tonight's state | :05:07. | :05:10. | |
banquet here at Windsor Castle, when there's a loyal toast, would he | :05:11. | :05:16. | |
stand up and toast the Queen. I will absolutely observe all of the | :05:17. | :05:20. | |
protocols and civilities that are conducted in the course of that | :05:21. | :05:24. | |
event to honour the President of Ireland. The President of Ireland? | :05:25. | :05:29. | |
Yes, well the dinner is basically an honour. But you wouldn't toast the | :05:30. | :05:35. | |
Queen? Well, if there's a toast to Queen, I'll observe all the | :05:36. | :05:41. | |
civilities and protocols. You can see all of that interview on BBC Two | :05:42. | :05:46. | |
at 10. 30 tonight. This visit will reconnect with the artistic and | :05:47. | :05:50. | |
working life of Britain. Today was very much about the political. | :05:51. | :05:53. | |
Stephen Walker, or political reporter, is at Westminster where | :05:54. | :05:57. | |
the President addressed both Houses of Parliament. Stephen, how do you | :05:58. | :06:01. | |
think the speech went? What stands out, in your view? I was struck by | :06:02. | :06:06. | |
the large number of historical references, the whole speech was | :06:07. | :06:10. | |
littered with historical references. He talked about the history of | :06:11. | :06:13. | |
democracy, the history of the House of Commons, he mentioned the Magna | :06:14. | :06:19. | |
Carta, talked ability countess Markovic and national MPs and Daniel | :06:20. | :06:23. | |
O'Connell, then he fast-forwarded to the Good Friday Agreement and talked | :06:24. | :06:29. | |
about how the historical events affected British/Irish relations and | :06:30. | :06:35. | |
the history of Britain and Ireland. The Anglo-Irish relationship was the | :06:36. | :06:40. | |
recurring theme? It was throughout the entire speech. He talked about | :06:41. | :06:45. | |
how his siblings settled until Britain. He talked about the bad old | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
days when the relationship wasn't good and then about how the | :06:50. | :06:53. | |
relationship was much better in recent years. He used a lyrical | :06:54. | :06:58. | |
phrase where he talked about sketching fresh canvas so very much | :06:59. | :07:01. | |
the whole relationship of Britain and Ireland was a recurring theme of | :07:02. | :07:04. | |
this speech. And how was the address received? | :07:05. | :07:09. | |
It was very well received. If you looked at the Royal Gallery, it was | :07:10. | :07:12. | |
standing room only, the great and the good were there, the Prime | :07:13. | :07:15. | |
Minister, David Cameron, was there, the Leader of the Opposition Ed | :07:16. | :07:18. | |
Miliband was there, there were lots of local MPs there as well, so it | :07:19. | :07:23. | |
was standing room only. He was very well received, there was a good | :07:24. | :07:28. | |
introduction from John Bercow and President Higgins at the end was | :07:29. | :07:32. | |
given a standing ovation. Thank you. That's all from Windsor | :07:33. | :07:36. | |
for moment. Join me later when we look in more detail at the | :07:37. | :07:39. | |
importance of this state visit. For now, back to Belfast and to Tara. | :07:40. | :07:46. | |
Tonight's Spotlight investigation from Florida features an exclusive | :07:47. | :07:49. | |
interview with a gun runner who armed the IRA during the peace | :07:50. | :07:54. | |
process. Mike Logan was granted immunity from prosecution by the | :07:55. | :07:57. | |
American Government in return for information. | :07:58. | :08:01. | |
The programme also blames the IRA boss at time accused of ordering | :08:02. | :08:12. | |
guns over a period. Spotlight's Mandy Macaulay has more. | :08:13. | :08:17. | |
Mike Logan started gun running for the IRA a year after they called | :08:18. | :08:22. | |
their ceasefire. I was told to ignore my headlines and keep sending | :08:23. | :08:26. | |
guns. From 1995 to 1999, he posted around | :08:27. | :08:32. | |
200 guns to the IRA in toy fire engines. I was a regular customer | :08:33. | :08:38. | |
here. Sometimes I would buy four or five at a time. Brought them home, | :08:39. | :08:44. | |
the kids would play with them, then I would pack 'em up and ship 'em | :08:45. | :08:49. | |
off. Mike lowingle said his contact in the IRA was this man, Sean Spike | :08:50. | :08:55. | |
Murray, now at the heart of the peace process. Nevers the Sinn Fein | :08:56. | :08:59. | |
delegation as part of the recent talks and is involved in a variety | :09:00. | :09:02. | |
of groups dealing with cross community and parading issues. Mike | :09:03. | :09:08. | |
Logan said Sean Murray was security conscious in his dealings with him. | :09:09. | :09:14. | |
The IRA believe that there was British surveillance everywhere, | :09:15. | :09:16. | |
that they could hear through the walls with different Quiess and so | :09:17. | :09:25. | |
forth -- devices. Mike Logan tells Spotlight that Sean Murray let him | :09:26. | :09:31. | |
know one of his guns was used in the double murder of two RUC officers. | :09:32. | :09:35. | |
We start with the murders of two policemen in Lurgan. They were on | :09:36. | :09:39. | |
foot patrol when they were shot at close range. | :09:40. | :09:52. | |
He would break down. He'd tell me which weapons had been received. He | :09:53. | :09:58. | |
circled a couple and he said "that one there" had been used -- he would | :09:59. | :10:05. | |
write down. Sean Murray declined to be interview bid Spotlight and said | :10:06. | :10:09. | |
our accusations were without foundation. He went on to say he'd | :10:10. | :10:13. | |
never been arrested, detained or interviewed about any of the | :10:14. | :10:17. | |
allegations and that the PSNI would have acted if there had been any | :10:18. | :10:23. | |
evidence. He told us his focus was and remains on helping the peace | :10:24. | :10:30. | |
processes. You can see that special Spotlight investigation tonight at | :10:31. | :10:34. | |
10. 35 after our late news here on BBC One. | :10:35. | :10:38. | |
One of two men ordered to pay over ?1.5 million in damages to the | :10:39. | :10:42. | |
families of those killed in the Omagh bombing is being questioned by | :10:43. | :10:47. | |
police about the Real IRA attack in August 1998. Seamus Daly was | :10:48. | :10:52. | |
arrested in Newry yesterday and is being questioned by detectives at | :10:53. | :10:56. | |
the serious crime suite in Antrim. A man is being reported missing in the | :10:57. | :11:04. | |
area close warren Point harbour. The 34-year-old was last seen at 4. 45 | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
on Sunday afternoon. He was wearing dark jeans and a dark top. Police | :11:10. | :11:13. | |
have asked anyone who knows where he is to contact them. The Enterprise | :11:14. | :11:17. | |
Minister has said it's wrong for people to say there should only be | :11:18. | :11:23. | |
local jobs for Lib Dem people. It comes after posters calling for -- | :11:24. | :11:29. | |
local people. It comes after posters were put up. They were described as | :11:30. | :11:35. | |
racist. These are some of the posters | :11:36. | :11:39. | |
plastered around east Belfast. Although they don't say it, what | :11:40. | :11:42. | |
they are complain being about is workers being brought in from | :11:43. | :11:46. | |
outside the area to complete a contract on an oil rig. | :11:47. | :11:52. | |
It's no secret that most of the 600 people employed to work on the | :11:53. | :11:56. | |
refurbishment of this rig were recruited from Great Britain and | :11:57. | :11:59. | |
mainland Europe. When the company announced the deal last year, they | :12:00. | :12:03. | |
said because of a skills shortage, only a third of those needed could | :12:04. | :12:10. | |
be found in Northern Ireland. East Belfast community worker Jim Wilson | :12:11. | :12:13. | |
says the posters are a sign of people's anger. | :12:14. | :12:17. | |
There is no doubt there is a stills shortage in Northern Ireland now, | :12:18. | :12:20. | |
it's obvious there is. The number of people we have at the shipyard don't | :12:21. | :12:24. | |
have the skills but there are still skills there. If there isn't, why | :12:25. | :12:28. | |
are we not training our children to accommodate the skills, give them | :12:29. | :12:35. | |
what they need to go on to the rigs and work. The company says they | :12:36. | :12:40. | |
provide local employment opportunities through their supply | :12:41. | :12:44. | |
chain and the service sector, a sentiment echoed by the Enterprise | :12:45. | :12:48. | |
Minister, Arlene Foster, at Stormont earlier today. I think it's wrong | :12:49. | :12:53. | |
for us to say we only want jobs in Northern Ireland for Northern | :12:54. | :12:56. | |
Ireland people. We want people to come to Northern Ireland and share | :12:57. | :12:59. | |
skills and experiences with us in Northern Ireland to build up the | :13:00. | :13:03. | |
Northern Ireland workforce so that we can be competitive and global. | :13:04. | :13:07. | |
Others though believe that the posters are more sinister. They | :13:08. | :13:14. | |
believe they send out a racist message. Putting up the | :13:15. | :13:19. | |
unsubstantiated lies, accusations of immigrants coming into Northern | :13:20. | :13:23. | |
Ireland, particularly at a time when we have seen recent racist | :13:24. | :13:31. | |
incidents, is only going to heighten tension and cause undue fear with | :13:32. | :13:38. | |
the immigrant community. Police say although the posters had been | :13:39. | :13:42. | |
reported to them as a hate crime, they've concluded that no crime has | :13:43. | :13:44. | |
been committed. A family - including two young | :13:45. | :13:51. | |
children - have been threatened in their home during a robbery. They | :13:52. | :13:54. | |
were returning to their house at Fernridge Road in Newtownabbey in | :13:55. | :13:57. | |
the early hours. They were approached by masked men carrying a | :13:58. | :14:00. | |
gun. The father was beaten about the legs during the incident - and all | :14:01. | :14:04. | |
four members of the family were tied up while the men ransacked the | :14:05. | :14:07. | |
house. The gang got away with jewellery, money and a car. The | :14:08. | :14:10. | |
Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry has heard that nuns provided | :14:11. | :14:13. | |
cheap childcare services to the state during the last century. The | :14:14. | :14:18. | |
Inquiry is examining claims of abuse at 13 homes and training centres | :14:19. | :14:21. | |
here from 1922 to 1995. Kevin Sharkey was at today's hearing. The | :14:22. | :14:32. | |
living conditions at Termonbacca boys' home and Nazareth House were | :14:33. | :14:37. | |
under review again today. Giving evidence was a retired director of | :14:38. | :14:43. | |
the social services trust who worked with some children during the 70s | :14:44. | :14:47. | |
and 80s. There have been allegations of sexual, physical and mental abuse | :14:48. | :14:53. | |
at these two homes. Today the retired official was asked for his | :14:54. | :14:56. | |
observation about Termonbacca he said he thought the atmosphere there | :14:57. | :15:00. | |
caring and welcoming. The witness was questioned by the chairman about | :15:01. | :15:07. | |
the amount paid to homes run by nuns, compared to fees at state | :15:08. | :15:11. | |
homes. He was asked ills it a case that the state was getting child | :15:12. | :15:16. | |
care on the cheap? Yes, the witness replied. He said this was possible | :15:17. | :15:23. | |
because nuns provided charitable and voluntary services to the state. The | :15:24. | :15:29. | |
former Chief Medical Officer of England will head a group of experts | :15:30. | :15:33. | |
to consider improvements to the way the health service is run in | :15:34. | :15:35. | |
Northern Ireland. The announcement came along with the publication of a | :15:36. | :15:39. | |
review into the A at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Our Health | :15:40. | :15:41. | |
correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly reports. While still on the subject | :15:42. | :15:50. | |
of hospitals and emergency care, today was about making announcements | :15:51. | :15:56. | |
signposting ways forward and highlighting solutions. Showing he | :15:57. | :16:01. | |
meant business the Health Minister sa patient care must come first and | :16:02. | :16:07. | |
he was pulling out all stops to achieve that. Edwin Poots published | :16:08. | :16:11. | |
a range of actions. The most significant was to commission Sir | :16:12. | :16:17. | |
Liam Donaldson to assess thousand health service should be governed. | :16:18. | :16:23. | |
The RQIA to undertake a programme of inspections. | :16:24. | :16:34. | |
The regulator's full report on the royal emphasised poor staffing | :16:35. | :16:42. | |
#4re68s, too much emphasis on targets and low morale. The | :16:43. | :16:46. | |
announcements couldn't be more timely with Belfast hosting tomorrow | :16:47. | :16:51. | |
a summit on emergency care. Consultants will discuss a range of | :16:52. | :16:56. | |
issue, including staffing, funding and patient safety. An indication of | :16:57. | :17:01. | |
just how fragile things are, the entire summit, which involves the | :17:02. | :17:05. | |
Health Minister, is to be held in private. Back to Donna now at | :17:06. | :17:19. | |
Windsor. Guests continue to arrive here at Windsor for this evening's | :17:20. | :17:21. | |
reception marking President Higgins' State visit to the UK. It's | :17:22. | :17:33. | |
impossible to escape history here. We've compiled just some of the | :17:34. | :17:36. | |
images of major events in Anglo Irish history over the last 100 | :17:37. | :17:38. | |
years. Professor Richard Burke is with me. | :17:39. | :19:44. | |
It has been a long and difficult journey to get us to this day. How | :19:45. | :19:50. | |
do you think the state visit will be written in the history books? I | :19:51. | :19:55. | |
don't think it is the most epic development in the history of Anglo | :19:56. | :20:01. | |
Irish relationships. But it does restore diplomatic normality between | :20:02. | :20:05. | |
the two states and that has to be seen as a Sigg captain develop -- | :20:06. | :20:10. | |
significant development. It seemed as relaxed as the Queen's visit to | :20:11. | :20:17. | |
the republic in 2011? Yes I think the Queen's visit was anticipated | :20:18. | :20:21. | |
with greater trepidation and therefore relief that it passed off | :20:22. | :20:27. | |
so well. In this case, I don't think there were expectations of any great | :20:28. | :20:30. | |
problem and therefore I think it was expected to be more relaxed and it | :20:31. | :20:35. | |
was so. They will see this visit as successful, the diplomats, but what | :20:36. | :20:40. | |
about the problems in Northern Ireland? How do you think that will | :20:41. | :20:44. | |
affect Anglo Irish relations as they move on? Well those problems still | :20:45. | :20:51. | |
exist. There are problems of sectarianism and political problems | :20:52. | :20:56. | |
and there is bitterness among victims of the Troubles. But | :20:57. | :21:01. | |
improved relations can only contribute positively to wards a | :21:02. | :21:09. | |
good outlook into the future. Thank you. And one final bit of | :21:10. | :21:15. | |
Anglo-Irish affairs. The Republic will host England for a friendly | :21:16. | :21:18. | |
football international in Dublin in June next year - 20 years after a | :21:19. | :21:22. | |
match at Lansdowne Road had to be abandoned because of crowd trouble. | :21:23. | :21:35. | |
The two heads of state here today forged a greater alliance, I think | :21:36. | :21:40. | |
though that on that day on match day, the old allegiances will be | :21:41. | :21:44. | |
exactly the same as they always have been. That is a bit of sports news. | :21:45. | :21:51. | |
Back now to Tara who has some more immediate sports' news. Northern | :21:52. | :21:53. | |
Ireland's three golfing champions tee off in the first major of the | :21:54. | :21:57. | |
year - the US Masters - later this week. With the world number one | :21:58. | :22:01. | |
Tiger Woods missing through injury, the tournament favourite is now | :22:02. | :22:04. | |
Holywood's Rory McIlroy. After a turbulent year in 2013, the | :22:05. | :22:07. | |
24-year-old is showing a return to his best form. And in a special | :22:08. | :22:12. | |
interview for BBC Newsline, McIlroy says he's ready to win a green | :22:13. | :22:16. | |
jacket - the famous prize for the Masters champion. Stephen Watson | :22:17. | :22:25. | |
reports from Augusta. Augusta national golf club is a unique | :22:26. | :22:29. | |
sporting venue. Only the world's very best players receive an | :22:30. | :22:35. | |
invitation to take part in its annual event. Rory McIlroy arrives | :22:36. | :22:40. | |
here as tournament favourite, confident of mounting a Masters' | :22:41. | :22:46. | |
challenge. Hitting the ball well, I feel probably the most comfortable I | :22:47. | :22:51. | |
have felt coming into Augusta. I feel similar to how I arrived in 11. | :22:52. | :22:56. | |
So it is more managing expectations when you feel like you're playing | :22:57. | :23:01. | |
well and you feel you just have to keep dining what your doing and | :23:02. | :23:06. | |
conserve enough energy and put it into the four tournaments days. How | :23:07. | :23:14. | |
much does Major experience count and Augusta experience? Yes, 22nd Major, | :23:15. | :23:21. | |
but it is my sixth Masters. Each year you get more comfortable with | :23:22. | :23:25. | |
your surroundings. That is more important than I should be at the | :23:26. | :23:30. | |
point where I'm comfortable with the course and know what I'm doing out | :23:31. | :23:33. | |
there. So three years ago I had a great chance to win and it didn't | :23:34. | :23:38. | |
quite happen. If I get myself in that position again, I will be able | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
to handle it better than a few years ago. So difficult to watch the | :23:43. | :23:46. | |
youngster unravelling. Since then, Rory McIlroy has had double Major | :23:47. | :23:53. | |
success to add to that of Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke. Northern | :23:54. | :23:57. | |
Ireland golfers have won three of the four Majors, what would it mean | :23:58. | :24:02. | |
to complete a Northern Ireland golfing Grand Slam? It would be mean | :24:03. | :24:07. | |
an awful lot. For Northern Ireland, to have won all four Majors if it | :24:08. | :24:11. | |
did happen, would be a very good feat for a small country. So it | :24:12. | :24:17. | |
would be a great thing to achieve and you know I'm one of three guys | :24:18. | :24:23. | |
that could maybe do it this week. There are starms approaching the -- | :24:24. | :24:28. | |
storms approaching the area. Bad weather made day one was a wash out. | :24:29. | :24:34. | |
Practice curtailed and spectators evacuated from the course. | :24:35. | :24:39. | |
Thankfully the skies are much brighter today and there is a more | :24:40. | :24:43. | |
favourable forecast for the rest of the week. When Rory McIlroy is | :24:44. | :24:47. | |
hoping to shine and see his name at top of the Masters leader board. | :24:48. | :24:55. | |
Let's take a look at the weather now, here's Angie. The clouds are | :24:56. | :25:00. | |
rolling back in after a bright day. We did have that fresh and cool | :25:01. | :25:05. | |
westerly breeze, which did bring showers. Burr they were small | :25:06. | :25:09. | |
showers and they have been fading away. There is still a hint of | :25:10. | :25:13. | |
brightness in a few spots. But the clouds gathering from the north and | :25:14. | :25:18. | |
west. They will bring patchy rain across Donegal and then through the | :25:19. | :25:23. | |
night we will get some into Londonderry and along the north | :25:24. | :25:27. | |
coast. But not amounting to a great deal and it is milder than last | :25:28. | :25:31. | |
night with temperatures around eight degrees. Tomorrow, we are looking at | :25:32. | :25:36. | |
cloudy skies. We will have a good deal of dry weather. But it is a | :25:37. | :25:41. | |
slow start. It is grey with rain and drizzle during the morning. But they | :25:42. | :25:46. | |
will be clearing. By the time we get into the afternoon, apart from the | :25:47. | :25:52. | |
odd shower, it is mainly dry with a few bright intervals. But more cloud | :25:53. | :25:57. | |
than sunshine. Temperatures are a bit up on today. We could hit 14 | :25:58. | :26:03. | |
degrees. We still have that breeze. The reason for the dry weather is a | :26:04. | :26:08. | |
ridge of high pressure. Through tomorrow night and into Thursday we | :26:09. | :26:13. | |
have a weak front edging in from the north-west. That will bring mainly | :26:14. | :26:19. | |
light rain. But as a result it means tomorrow night once again is going | :26:20. | :26:23. | |
to be on the mild side. So that is how we start Thursday. Dull and | :26:24. | :26:29. | |
damp. And it could take for a food -- good part of morning before it | :26:30. | :26:33. | |
clears. But it looks as though it will cool down and there will be a | :26:34. | :26:40. | |
few sharp showers. On Friday it is looking dry. Here at Windsor it has | :26:41. | :26:46. | |
been a dry but sort of cool start to the Irish president's first state | :26:47. | :26:50. | |
visit to the UK. The guests who are arriving for the state banquet and I | :26:51. | :26:56. | |
have a f figures I thought you might be interested in. The 160 guests | :26:57. | :27:02. | |
will sit at a table that is 55 metres long. That is a big table. It | :27:03. | :27:07. | |
has taken them two days to lay it out and they have done it with | :27:08. | :27:15. | |
precision with very expensive China silver and glass ware. I was talking | :27:16. | :27:18. | |
to one member of staff and asked them I wouldn't be wanting to do the | :27:19. | :27:23. | |
washing up with that expensive glass ware. He winked. I said, what are | :27:24. | :27:28. | |
you talking about? He said I will let you in on a secret. Its all | :27:29. | :27:36. | |
washed by hand in rubber sinks! That is what will happen at the banquet. | :27:37. | :27:42. | |
We will cover this at 10. 25. For now, good evening. | :27:43. | :27:44. |