30/10/2013 BBC Oxford News

That is all from the BBC's news at six, so it is goodbye from me,

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's programme:

How money taken from fines on banks is helping soldiers.

A charity that helps bomb disposal officers adjust to life back home is

getting a share of ?9 million. Also tonight: The plan to boost

trade ` by going halves on a make over. The council encouraging shop

owners to give their businesses a face`lift.

And later on: Take the best that exists, and make it better ` the

story of Rolls`Royce. Good evening. A charity based in

Didcot which helps soldiers readjust to life back in the UK has been

given a share of ?9 million by the Government. The Felix Fund is just

one of the armed forces charities benefiting from fines imposed on

banks that had rigged interest rates. Victoria Cook reports.

After six months of work like this, returning to home life can be tough.

When Captain Andrew Hambley came home, he went from disarming bombs

to sitting in Didcot traffic. To deal with the mental adjustment, the

Felix Fund paid for a holiday with his team. When you leave you do not

have that same bond, with people who have been through the same

experiences you went through. So it is good to catch up when you can,

and just discuss it, maybe let off a bit of steam.

And this is how the charity lets them blow off that steam. Experts

say it's an important way of dealing with the mental trauma.

Last night, the charity that helps them readjust was invited to Downing

Street to receive ?85,000. As the Chancellor put it, what we

have done is taken the money from some people who demonstrated the

worst of values, and given it to organisations like yours and to

people who have served in our Armed Forces who have shown the best of

British values. The Felix Fund is based here Ed did

cut. The extra cash will mean it can now help another 121 disposal

operators. Holly Davies founded the charity two

years ago. It is great to have large donations, it gives you a bit more

freedom and you can focus on the cause itself.

The charity hopes the money will help it expand, and ultimately help

more bomb disposal teams in the future.

Retailers in Wallingford are being offered council cash to help them

renovate their shop fronts. It's the latest in a series of measures in

the county to revive our flagging high streets ` but are they working?

Charlotte Stacey has been investigating.

Louise has been running her millinery business in Wallingford

for nine years, but she says it is tough to keep a small business going

especially in a listed building. She feels our grant could make a real

difference. Obviously it would tidy up the approach into town. We are

one of the first shops you pass. It gives a better impression, and nice

tidy shop. Shop owners will have to much any money they are granted for

repairs, signs lighting, but do people here think it is a good idea?

I think it could be spent in better ways, especially for kids around

this area. I think it is a good idea, because Wallingford is really

during summer tourist town. There are other things I think could be

beneficial. If they could use it to enhance their shop fronts and

generate more business and have more income and have more people come

here, I think it is great. A similar scheme ran in Wantage 18 months ago.

More than a dozen businesses took part. A lot of the work was

repainting writing and the impact was that the place looked a lot

nicer. `` sign writing. Back in Wallingford the council are

hoping the scheme will give a boost to the town's image. Retailers have

until the end of the year to apply, and the money will be allocated in

the New Year. Earlier I spoke to Margaret Coles

from the Oxfordshire branch of the Federation of Small Businesses. I

asked her how our high streets are faring. Where there is free

parking, there is much more footfall. When you get the smaller

towns that do not have this attraction, they have higher parking

charges, and we have been pushing councils to reduce their parking

charges. Last year towns received money from the Government because of

what may Porter had said, and I think some of the town is used that

money to give free parking `` Mary Portas.

How helpful our initiatives like the one in Wallingford? It will attract

people in maybe on the short term, but I don't think it will solve all

the problems. What do you think would help solve

the problems? I think reducing costs for small

independent retailers, for example business rates.

Also to have more innovation, for instance in Henley they have an

initiative which starts in December which is a living advent calendar,

and every day they have different things happening in different

shops, so people are encouraged to come in and see it.

And the hope is if people come in for one reason, they might stay and

spend a bit of money? Yes, but you have to keep them in.

People like independent shops with something different to sell.

Eight Thames Valley Police officers and a civilian staff member have

been served with misconduct notices. It's part of an investigation into a

traffic collision in which a teenager was killed. Matthew Seddon

died in February after his red Ford Fiesta collided with the central

reservation of the A33. He was being pursued by officers at the time. The

19`year`old was thrown into the road and hit by a police vehicle.

A rowing club in Berkshire which burned down three years ago has been

demolished ` to make way for a watersports hub.

The demolition of the Marlow Rowing Club ` which Sir Steve Redgrave

credits with making his career ` had been delayed twice this month due to

a potentially dangerous gas pipe and asbestos. The ?2.5 million rebuild

should be complete by next summer. Over the last few months, she's

spent time in hospital having surgery and is still coping with

nerve damage after a trampolining accident. But just a couple of hours

ago, nine`year`old Jenny Allen from West Oxfordshire completed a charity

kayak along the Oxford canal. She's raised hundreds of pounds for a

children's charity. Adina Campbell has been finding out more.

Preparing for five hours in the water, Jenny and her father do

last`minute checks ahead of the ten kilometre kayak challenge. Four

months ago, Jenny broke her arm and spent five days in hospital. She has

already had two operations but still has difficulty moving some of her

fingers. I chose to do this because I enjoy kayaking, because it is for

a great charity. Before today Jenny had only practised kayaking up to

five kilometres, but after months of coping with restricted and movement,

her dad is full of confidence. If anyone has seen her child in that

much pain, you can understand. But to see her come back and bounce

back, and to see her get stuck into this to help other children, it has

blown me away. And they are off, with support from

family and friends plus the weather on their side, they should be back

in time for dinner. Jenny originally planned to raise ?150, but she has

received donations nearly three times that amount of her charity

page. Six miles later, the end is in

sight. It was tiring, but it was fun and

enjoyable at the same time. It has been a long five hours, but it has

been great. Jenny has worked really hard. After all the hard work, Jenny

will now enjoy a well`deserved party celebrating her success.

That's all from me for the moment. weather in a moment. Also coming up

today. Soldiers returning from Afghanistan reward their children

for their bravery. Rolls Royce. Its very name has become a byword for

products of the highest quality. The company was formed in Manchester in

1906, and began making luxury cars in Derby. And its reputation was

sealed when one of the founders moved to West Sussex and designed

aircraft engines that went on to help Britain win the Second World

War. David Allard starts his journey behind the brand at Goodwood, the

current home of Rolls Royce motor cars.

With its living roof, this manufacturing plant near Chichester

was designed to blend modestly into the Sussex countryside, but the cars

assembled here are among the boldest personal statements money can buy.

This is a brand`new model. Rolls`Royce is very much something

that the customer creates themselves. We handbuilt it. Every

carries unique. Let your imagination go wild. John Lennon's imagination

ran wild, in 1965 Ted Meecham's car is more subtle. But he's no less

enthusiastic about his latest Rolls Royce.

Seven or eight, I suppose. This is from 2002. When I was a young man, I

had a mini and I got in the mini and I used to grab the steering wheel to

try and make it go faster. Now I am an old man, I sit in my Rolls`Royce

and it carries me forward. It is called wafting. Not only is it a

very impressive motorcar, but you are aware of the excellence of the

engineering. That excellence is the legacy of Henry Royce, the engineer

who in 1904 formed a partnership with a wealthy motoring enthusiast

called Charles Rolls. Educated at Eton, Rolls had plenty of money and

all the right connections to be the publicist and salesman in the

company. He was a pioneering aviator, the first to make a nonstop

double crossing of the English Channel. Unfortunately he was also

the first Briton to be killed in powered flight, when the tail fell

off his plane during a display over Bournemouth.

Royce continued to build the company but he moved to the coast for the

good of his health. He spent that last 15 years of his life in West

Wittering and brought a team of designers with him, using a Rolls

Royce Phantom as his personal transport. Today his outbuildings

have been converted into a house. Henry's workshop is now a garage and

it still houses a Rolls Royce. You can see from the plaques and

rosettes on the wall, or my activity since the clubs when I joined in

1988. It has been a very happy time. This is for holding the tools. I

often think about whether he is looking down from above and saying,

well done, David. You have a nice car. The cars were built in Derby

but many were brought to West Wittering for Royce's approval ` and

this stretch of road, known as the Birdham Straight, was where he would

test them out. There would not have been a speed camera then. Henry, by

this time Sir Henry, often walked on the local beach, talking over ideas

with his designers. He'd turned his attention to aircraft engines and

would sketch ideas in the sand. I think he probably thought the

engines year. It won the trophy, the race track is here between the Isle

of Wight `` Assam the Isle of Wight, if you like. Any country which won

the Schneider Trophy three times could keep the cup forever. The

political climate of the early '30s made competition fierce, but RJ

Mitchell's Supermarine S6 fitted with Sir Henry's R engine triumphed.

That design was taken forward for the Merlin engine which some say

saved Great Britain when it was put into the Spitfire and the heron

came. `` heron came. Sir Henry worked until he died in 1933, the

day after sketching a new type of shock absorber. His motto lives on

in the current company headquarters. Poole Town's 30 year wait for an FA

Cup First Round tie goes on. Take the best and exists and make it

better. You can always make something better, it might just do

the trick. She has been airbrushed and made to look like a doll, the

opinion of a Jane Austen expert on the image of the novelist being used

on the new ?10 note. The Bank of England consulted the Jane Austen

Society and says it stands by its likeness. But the Paula Byrne says

she prefers this picture which is on display at the National Portrait

Gallery in London. Is this a case of sense or sensitivity?

What could be a greater compliment to your success than being the face

of a banknote? The answer may be a flattering picture of you on a

banknote. And that is what this war of words boils down to. Is this

image of reality or flattery? It was chosen by the Bank of England with

the support of the Jane Austen Society. It was painted after the

Hampshire author 's death but did have her family 's approval. Her

eyes have been enlarged. They are huge. We have soft and features, for

lip is, it really like it is a 19th`century make over. Jane Austen

's family were not particular wealthy. There is no portrait of

her. But we do have this one picture, a sketch done by her

sister. Some experts say it is not very accurate or flattering. It

makes her look a little cross. She was interested in her appearance,

she did like clothes. And I think she would be pleased to have a

portrait that possibly made their prettier than she was. Without

photos, it is difficult to judge which is a true likeness. Could she

trust her sister to highlight her best side? Can we trust a posthumous

painting? Bank of England say the sketch by Jane sister was not used

because of the lack of detail which could have posed a security risk. It

is a more flattering picture. She is looking a little stern in the plane

one. We do not know what any of these people looked like. There were

no cameras about in those days. Until 2017, the debate is a matter

of pride or prejudice, and is likely to continue.

There really has been quite a debate about that.

On to sport, Chris is here. What about Poole Town?

Unfortunately, it was not to be for Poole Town.

They were edged out by Staines, in last night's Fourth Qualifying Round

replay at Tatnam. A trip to League One side Brentford was in store for

the winners, but it proved a match too far for Poole.

Saturdays Gola straw in the original tie in Surrey handed old a chance to

capitalise on their impressive home record. `` Gola straw.

The goal adult unlucky when it was of high quality. `` but ultimately

when it. Has good chances came and went, it was looking like it was not

going to be Poole Town 's night. Staines Town were reduced to nine

men for the closing minutes but Poole Town could not capitalise. The

effort and determination of the players, you could not fault them.

And I feel we have more than matched them over the two matches. That it

is just an inability to convert one of probably six or seven chances,

good chances. That has cost us. And it was an unbelievable strike from

their centre forward for their goal. A crown of 935 was three times Poole

Town 's average great `` gate. It wasn't a good night for Aldershot

Town either in the FA Cup. They were knocked out in a replay by short

wood, who are 63 places lower in the non league pyramid. On to cricket,

and Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior will captain England for the first

time tonight, as they kick off their Ashes tour of Australia.

Prior will lead the side in the absence of the injured Alastair

Cook. That's for a three`day warm`up game against a Western Australian

Chairman's 11 in Perth. Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry is also in

England's 12`man squad for that game, along with Surrey pace bowler

Chris Tremlett. We want to play well and put the best team out and

ideally win these games. Having the top border get out there and score

the runs is what we are looking to do. We all know now what the right

preparation is for each player. Alastair Cook has a stiff back, it

is purely precautionary. Rushing him in is not the best idea. Hampshire's

Olympic and world cycling champion Dani King is preparing to compete on

home British track this week in the first round of the World Cup in

Manchester. King, who's from Hamble, also recently scooped a European

title in Apeldoorn. She has praised the impact that the new Great

Britain endurance coach Chris Newton has made to the team, particularly

in some of the more tactical events. Having Chris as a coach has really

helped my sort of tactical awareness and I think that has shown recently.

We are moving forward. That is definitely something I would like to

pursue, a lot more focus. Good luck to Isle of Wight Islanders speedway,

who need to turn over a 25 point deficit against Dudley to win the

National League Knockout Cup in Ryde tonight.

There was a touch of role reversal today as the courage of youngsters

who cope with parents being deployed to Afghanistan for months on end was

recognised. I suppose you could call them mini heroes, and they were

presented with their own medals at special ceremonies. One of the

presentations took place in Tidworth, where troops from the

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers have just returned from

six months in Afghanistan. And there was a similar ceremony in Gosport

where there was a whole day of homecoming events for the town's

field hospital unit. Steve Humphrey was there.

They lined up just like their adult relatives to on the Parade Square.

And then these youngsters were presented with their own medals for

being many heroes. Amongst them, five`year`old Simone. It is the same

colour. They do need to know that they are appreciated as well, the

children. And it is lovely. It is a great idea. We are busy doing our

job but it is the ones back home that notice the biggest change. I

think it is wonderful. Simone 's dad and the others serving in

Afghanistan were presented with their medals this morning in

different of an audience made up of proud friends and relatives. It has

been very difficult. It was quite hard getting used to not having him

around. It is long but you know they are doing their bit. The Gosport

field hospital has been deployed to Afghanistan twice in three years.

The unit brings together a wide range of medical skills. During

their six months in Afghanistan, they dealt with 3500 casualties, of

which 2300 were admitted to hospital. There was plenty of

applause as the soldiers marched through the centre of Gosport. It

was a very public thank you for their work in Afghanistan.

Brilliant, really nice to come back. The effort that everyone has

gone too, going through the town and everything for the public. It is

nice to come back and know that people have been thinking about you.

It has been a proud day for the field hospital and one that

youngsters like Simone will always remember.

A really special day for those youngsters. I think that was a

really good idea. They were a big attraction in

Southampton this summer. Tonight a colourful collection of rhinoceros

statues is up for auction. They were installed across the city to

celebrate the 40th anniversary of Marwell Zoo. 36 sculptures will go

under the hammer at the Grand Harbour hotel, with the proceeds

going to a number of good causes. The rhinos are expected to fetch up

to ?2,000 each. Good luck if you are bidding. Let's

hope they make lots of money. I thought we might have won in here.

Time for the weather forecast. It has been OK today. The wind did

increase. And tomorrow, it will do the same. These are the weather

pictures from today. Tonight, we already are seeing some

rain pushing in from the west. Some areas, it has already arrived. It

will be working its way in from the Atlantic. Showers or longer course

of the night. We may even have some mist and fog patches. Temperatures

staying mild tonight. A complete contrast to last night. A damp start

first thing tomorrow morning. We will have a brief dry period for the

region before the showers start rolling in again. They will become

much more frequent in the afternoon. But we will see some sunshine down

towards the southeastern corner. Top temperature 14 Celsius. Around

average for this time of year. Tomorrow night, further showers or

longer spells of Rangeworthy early hours of Thursday morning and some

clearer periods. `` longer spells of rain for the early hours. The Met

Office are keeping a close eye on this low pressure. This could

produce a significant amount of rain through the course of Friday and

Saturday morning. There is in early weather warning. Bad weather warning

is in force from Friday until 6am on Saturday morning `` that weather.

Tomorrow, there will be a damp start in the southeastern corner of the

country. A few blustery showers, becoming more frequent in the

afternoon. Friday afternoon, overnight into Saturday morning,

lustily conditions. `` blustery conditions. Thank you for watching,

good night. Everyday normal things that everybody

does is where I use my energy. I haven't got an extravagant

lifestyle, I've not got a hot tub outside or

something like that. In essence, it is

a choice between heating or eating. We will still eat

and we will still have heating It's just maybe the quality

of the food that we eat may not be as good as what we're

eating at the moment.