19/02/2014 BBC Oxford News

you. That is all from

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

programme... Sewage in their garden for six weeks ` Thames Water says

it's fixed the problem but residents will have to wait until the water

drains away. It is a horrible situation. It smells, it is

unhygienic and it is something Thames Water can sort out quickly

and cheaply. Also tonight, the need for knee

surgery ` and how scientists in Oxford are hoping to improve

treatment for people suffering with arthritis.

And later on, almost 70 years since D`day, a World War II veteran meets

up with an old friend. Flood equipment has been removed

from the Abingdon and Botley roads in Oxford as the water recedes, but

many people across the region are still living with the effects of

flooding and, for some, that means sewage. It's been running through

gardens and driveways in Mill End, near Henley, for weeks after a

pumping station flooded. Thames Water says it's fixed the pump but,

with floodwaters still high, the sewage isn't draining away.

Charlotte Stacey reports. This water is basically a massive

tidal full of sewage. I'm sure it does not take much to imagine the

smell here. The pumping station down there has failed, the electrics have

been swamped with flood water and sewage is coming onto people's

Gardens and affecting people who live here. We have not been able to

use the drive for six weeks. The smell outside and the fact that the

manhole cover has been raised with the sewage is most unpleasant. The

problems we have at the moment are minute compared to what is happening

down the Thames at Wraysbury and Datchet. But we are annoyed with

Thames Water because the pumping station is not clearing properly and

we have sewage leaking out and we have to drive and alter it every

day, which is pretty nasty. This cottage is next on the bumping

station and the seller is full of raw sewage. It was into the house a

few weeks ago but that has now started to drain away. Alex manages

this property, which is in the process of being renovated. They

have had to stop the work. Tell us about the problems. We accept the

fact that water will come into the property, we are by the river. We

have raw order coming in from the river and from ground water. I do

not accept the fact that we have sewage coming in for the second time

in a year. I want Thames Water to get down here, look at the pumping

station, look at why is water getting into their palms. They need

is the problem out. It is a symposium on in, all any to do is

invest properly and get the job done. Thames Water say the problem

is fixed and the electrics are working again. The system is

overwhelmed by the amount of flood water. For people living here, they

just want a solution. Thames Water says it needs to prioritise

customers who are most in need and will start assessing the situation

when water levels subside. Meanwhile, in Oxford, some

householders are still suffering from the effects of flooded sewers.

Ann Watts has been unable to use her bathroom for almost two weeks. She's

lived in the street since she was a child and claims that, back then,

the waterways and sewers were better maintained. Now she says the problem

is getting worse every year. We never had to double sandbag

before. It is all the way round the house. Before, it is due to be on

the back side of the house. Now it is the back and front. I have had to

buy the humidifiers to keep the place dry inside. `` the

dehumidifiers. Today, MPs and local councillors

have met with Downing Street advisers to press for a permanent

solution to the flooding problems in and around Oxford. Nicola Blackwood

was one of those and she told me why they went. Clearly, for people

living in Oxford and Abingdon, the flooding has become a really

comfortable reality of the winter and even though we have had a good

emergency response from the emergency services, the Environment

Agency and councils, we need to recognise it is time for long`term

solutions. The Environment Agency has come up with an impressive

opposer, `` and impressive proposal, the Western Conveyance Channel,

which will go around Oxford. It will take the water down to the south of

Oxford. It will take about eight years to build. This is something we

are seeking government support for but we also looking to local

authorities and businesses. Today's meeting at Number Ten was to explain

the challenges we face in Oxford, not just in terms of the human cost

but also in terms of the economic cost when you have the roads

closed, when you have the rail services down. This is really not

something that a 21st`century city can sustain. How can your government

make this happen? I personally believe that there is a huge vat of

political will to make long`term solutions like this, which are

viable and thought through, actually happen. I do not think that the

Government alone can do it. We need all of the partners working

together. That is why I was so pleased that today was a cross`party

delegation. We had the Labour Party and also the leader from the city

council, we also had representatives from the county council, who will

lead the flooding summit on the 21st of March. What we are seeing now is

a coming together of political will from the local community and we need

everybody to get together to make sure that long`term solutions do not

just remain rhetoric that actually become fact. I do believe we will

get the momentum behind this project because this is the way we will be

protecting homes and businesses for the long`term and that is why we are

determined to make sure that this momentum maintains for the

long`term. Thank you. One place which has benefited from a

long`term flood defence system is Banbury. ?17 million was spent on a

flood alleviation scheme near the M40 two years ago. Before the work

was done, the town was always a high`risk area, causing problems for

businesses and hundreds of homes. Adina Campbell reports.

Banbury in the late 1990s ` the train station out of action and

homes knee`deep in flood water, wrecking people's possessions. Until

recently, the town had always been a target but, in 2012, this

happened... A multimillion`pound anti`flooding system was built by

the Environment Agency, with funding from Cherwell District Council,

Thames Water and Network Rail. These tunnels take rising water from the

River Cherwell onto nearby fields, and then drain it back into the

river slowly to keep things under control. Their plans for this patch

land next to the flood defences to be redeveloped and turned into a

shopping centre. Councillors have told us, if the flood prevention

system was not in place here, this area would always be high risk.

These defences mean there's a much lower risk of flooding to local

businesses. But when the River Cherwell burst its banks in 2007,

the Spiceball Leisure Centre and Mills Arts Centre were both forced

to close. That's now changed. You see the devastation in other parts

of the region and this is just... It is such a relief for us that we have

not been affected. Our business is not been affected by it. If you ask

any one of the 1000 people whose homes have not been flooded or the

businesses that have not suffered from floods, they would all say it

is a great investment. I think it is done the job wonderfully. Temporary

flood defences, like sandbags, are still in places in a number of areas

in Oxfordshire. But, for people in Banbury, permanent defences have

solved their problem. An inquest has been opened and

adjourned into the death of an Oxford teenager. Police were called

to Fairacres Road last Thursday evening, where they found

17`year`old Connor Tremble. He'd been stabbed and died in hospital at

the weekend. A 20`year`old man from Banbury has been remanded in custody

accused of his murder. Lorry drivers are being warned it

can be dangerous to drive over small bridges in Oxfordshire. Magistrates

have fined one driver ?500 after he drove his 7.5`tonne lorry over

Shabbington East Bridge near Thame. The bridge has a three`tonne limit

because it's too weak for heavier loads.

Researchers in Oxford are trying new techniques to reduce the number of

people needing knee replacement operations. Osteoarthritis in the

knee affects around six million people in the UK and the number's

rising as we live longer. The team at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre

is developing customised surgery which can be done at an early stage.

Jessica Cooper reports. Doing her daily exercises after just

having her knee replaced. For Sally, the operation was a last resort

after struggling with osteoarthritis for 20 years. When you are going

through the video, you are going through the medications, you are

hoping that you will find something that will assist you. But there

comes a point where nothing helps and you either are told this is it,

carry on, all you need a total knee replacement. There is nothing else

they can offer. Now scientists in Oxford are trying to bridge the gap

by offering tailored treatment to people with the condition at an

earlier stage. One of the treatment is being trialled here is to cut

into the shin, which realigns the leg and reduces the pressure on the

knee, which makes it less painful for people with osteoarthritis. This

image shows a knee with osteoarthritis and how the red

pressure reduces after the shin surgery. We are really hoping to

have really clear guides at the end of this three years. We can see who

we should be applying these treatments to, which ones we should

be applying for each person and particularly at what stage we should

be applying them for each particular person. Sally's now looking forward

to a pain`free life. She's donated her tissue and bone to the team in

Oxford to help people affected by the disease in future.

That's all from me for the moment. I'll have the headlines at 8pm and a

full bulletin at 10:25pm. Now more of today's stories with Sally

Taylor. driving, as well as three other

motoring offences. Still to come in this evening's

South Today. We meet the 91`year`old reminiscing about her flight in a

Horsa glider 70 years ago. A year ago the Ministry of Defence

revealed that areas like Salisbury Plain and Aldershot would see more

soldiers and their families based there as the army pulls out of

Germany. Today we got an idea of the scale of what's being planned on

Salisbury Plain. Up to 1,400 new homes will be needed for at four

different locations by 2020. They would include 540 houses at

Larkhill. The army wants to build to the east of the camp. At Bulford,

another 240 new homes. The army has a number of possible sites. Tidworth

would see 200 and they could go on land mainly to the north of the

town. The same number would be built at Ludgershall and Perham Down. The

army says it will also need new mess buildings, garages and workshops

inside existing bases. James Ingham reports.

Tidworth barracks, one of the main military sites on Salisbury plain.

This garrison town is one of four that will increase in size when

British bases in Germany close. 4000 soldiers and as many family members

are heading for Wiltshire. It is predictably, there is a lot of

planning involved, there is something we do all the time. This

is difference, there is a lot of infrastructure involves. It is

getting those units back to the UK. Facilities will be improved on base

and outside, new homes need building for military families. Married

service men and women and their families typically live in

accommodation like this. They are building another 1400 homes around

Salisbury plain and that presents real challenges. In Lark Hill, this

area is favoured the development but it is away from the base near the

village of Durrington. Many locals and soldiers prefer a closer site

but that might be too near to Stonehenge. It is an ideal location

for houses and although Stonehenge is behind those trees, we are not

visible from there. If the families are with `` living away from base,

they do not have the opportunity to use the facilities here, the medical

centre, recreational facilities. They will be out on a limb which is

not integrating the Army. The MoD is talking to English Heritage about

this site as part of a wider consultation. The return of troops

from Germany marks the end of an era. But as the Army shrinks in size

and consolidate around seven key bases, Salisbury plain will be as

ever. Getting this move right will be crucial for the military's

future. Passengers had to be rushed to

safety after a double decker bus caught fire on the A338 spur road

heading out of Bournemouth. It's believed the fire, which destroyed

the double decker bus, may have been caused by an electrical fault in the

engine. No one was injured. The incident which happened near the

Ashley Heath roundabout caused long delays.

Hampshire police are growing increasingly concerned for the

welfare of a man who hasn't been seen since Saturday. Michael

Bateman, who is 28 and from Medstead, left his home address

without taking his regular medication. Police say they don't

believe he has any money with him. The government says new figures

showing another drop in unemployment, is further proof its

economic policies are working although the speed of the fall is

slowing. The South East has the lowest

unemployment rate, with the South West not far behind. The jobless

total in both areas dropped by between one half and 1% in the last

three months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012.

Reading's been named one of the best places in Europe for foreign

investment. A list compiled by the Financial Times, described the town

as the second most business friendly in Europe. It's down to factors such

as the number of firms in high tech industries, jobs and credit rating.

A man from Hampshire is planning a solo expedition to the South Pole to

raise awareness of depression. John Dennis from Bishop's Waltham became

ill last year. He's called the trek Dare to Express, as he believes

talking about the condition can be the first step to recovery. Katy

Austin went to meet him as he prepared for one of the world's

toughest endurance challenges. I find it very therapeutic with the

water. It helps evaporate any memories or thought I have got going

on. The pond near John Dennis's home has become a refuge since he was

diagnosed with depression last year. It was huge, everything changed.

Social awareness was gone, I couldn't go out or go to bed or

sleep. It has had a massive impact. It has been very hard. The first few

months before John admitted it, they were probably the worst because he

was not himself. He was not a nice person to be around and he's

normally fund and bubbly and a nice person. John's recovery is ongoing

but he has regained his motivation. Having formerly been sceptical about

depression now he wants to raise awareness that it is something

people need to talk about. He is planning a solo walk to the South

Pole in December. His expedition is called there to express. Expression

and depression do not go hand`in`hand, so I am trying to

break that by doing the expression of expressing myself. Training is

underway, an old tyre has been replaced by a third which John

Paul's first railway track. He wants his physical challenge to mirror the

challenge of mental health problems. If I can inspire to three families

to say it is OK, get that help, I think I have done my job that I set

out to do. Recovery is the hardest thing, admitting it is the biggest

thing. That has been the biggest thing to me, admitting that it is

there. After his South Pole challenge. John's aim is to start up

a depression charity and work with Armed Forces veterans.

And if you want to find out more about John Dennis' expedition

there's more info on Facebook. Let's move on to sport now. If you

love rugby and cricket, you will love this. It is something to do in

the winter and summer. If you've ever been to a cricket

match, you might've seen the players enjoying a bit of touch rugby as

part of the pre`match warm`up. Today, the two sports came together

in a more official capacity. Hampshire Cricket and London Irish

announced a new partnership, which had the cricketers handling the oval

ball for a change. Cricketers may enjoy a bit of

pre`match rugby but you are unlikely to see rugby players warming up by

turning their arm over. The prospect of joining in with those rugby pros

today that even the steeliness of the Hampshire professional slightly

wary. Looking back at them, they are a little bit different in size to

what I am normally used to. It is going to be interesting. A great

experience to be able to train with these boys. Two of the South's

leading professional club unveiled a new haircut. Members of season

ticket holders for each will be able to enjoy discounts and benefits at

the other. They are too great sports, family orientated, great

crowds for both of them, it was a great opportunity to get together

and help each other out. The aim is to offer supporters of the two clubs

the chance to experience a sport they previously may not have had a

chance to. To get a partnership between London Irish and Hampshire,

it is brilliant for fans and players. We can cross over and pick

up some ideas for them, and other bits and pieces, likewise they can

pick up some stuff from us. Irish hope to tap into the South Coast

market while Hampshire cricket will be wanting to attract fans from near

the Thames Valley. But will the players take advantage? We are all

Quins fans! I love it, if I can get a couple of free tickets to watch

the boys, I will give them tickets to come and watch as! While the

rugby union season is hotting up in the cricketers are waiting for the

weather, today was about having a try something new.

We will have to keep an eye on that! In last night's football, MK Dons

moved up to ninth in League One, following a goalless draw with

Preston. The Dons best chance came through Daniel Powell, who saw his

effort spectacularly cleared off the line. Meanwhile, Oxford lost their

unbeaten away record in League Two. The U's took the lead early on at

Newport through James Constable. But Rene Howe equalised for the Welsh

side, who won with goals from two of former Oxford players, Ryan Burge

and Chris Zebroski. Sussex County Cricket Club have

announced an operating loss of ?65,000 for the 2013 season. The

county's turnover rose to ?5.5 million, from ?5.2 million. But

after factoring in what the club describe as a high level of

depreciation of assets at their Hove ground, Sussex's overall deficit for

the year, was ?630,000. No surprise to see the covers on

there! The covers will be on everywhere at the minute. The

cricket season is not to far away, nearly March, which means it's

nearly next month. Cricket reporters across the country cannot wait!

There are a few in our office ticking off the days!

70 years ago allied forces based here in the south were beginning to

train for the Normany landings of June 1944. As they did so nearly 70

years ago Edna Miller took a very special flight. As a member of the

Women's Auxiliary Air Force in 1944 she got a chance to fly a Horsa

glider which was being delivered from Hurn airfield to Oxford. Edna

has never forgotten the journey. Today she went to the army Air Corps

Museum in Hampshire to relive those memories. Ena Miller went to meet

her. This is the first time in 70 years

Edna Miller has seen a Horsa glider. It brings back memories. To think I

have sat in that! I worked for a wing commander, and we were moving

camp from hand to Harwell. My other friends are going by train, my boss

said, I will get you a ride on an aircraft, Edna. The aircraft turned

out to be a Horsa glider with no engine. It took only 30 minutes to

deliver the aircraft which was used on D`day. It was towed, then we were

just going round at circles, you could hear the air going round. As

we went round in circles. And then we did a landing. Happy memories

today, but at the time she felt different. When I got to the

Billett, summer my friends said my face was grey! A month later, D`day

arrived. Edna watched American soldiers climb aboard Horsa glider.

They were going to be silently flown into occupied France. I saw the men

go to D`day landing, they all had their faces blackened. I thought,

poor devils. How many of them will come back? That was quite an eye

opener for me. On June six, 1944, men were towed across the channel

towards nobody in the `` Normandy in the dark. Thousands meant the

journey but many did not mean to fight. This is a serious business,

many men suffered injuries because the aircraft was made of wood and

they often broke upon landing. There are memories Edna says she will

never be able to share, but this is one experience she is willing to

tell the world about. How many people have been in a Horsa glider?

This was the best. The Horsa was the best.

Edna Miller reminiscing, 91 years old. Remembering every moment of

what happened in 1944. You can get your stories coming to us, we will

have something to tell you about in a moment. In the meantime, let's get

on to the weather. It seemed,, was there any rain today?

We did have a little bit. I had some, it followed me to Berkshire! I

got my hair wet! It must've been a deep `` disaster for you!

It was improving, but we are talking about the return of some gales in

the next 24 hours and I will tell you about that. Let's have a look at

some pictures first. Nick van den Braak took this photo

of Misty in the Bluebells in Clanfield. The sun was shining today

in Netley in Hampshire, this picture was taken by Martin Curtis. And Tony

Boyt captured the altocumulus undulatus in Calmore in Southampton.

These are 15`18,000 up and form some time before the arrival of rain. ``

18,000 feet up. The rain is on the way, it has

arrived in some cases already this evening, especially in western

areas. We are looking at strengthening winds, touching gale

force by the rush`hour drive tomorrow. 30 mile an hour gusts

initially with bands of rain moving their way in, showers of rain at

times the temperature is very mild for the time of year. Along the

south coast, by dawn tomorrow and through the rush hour, we are

looking at costs of between 40 to 50 miles an hour. Touching gale force

towards the coast. Inland, up to 30 miles an hour. The wet and windy

start tomorrow, a band of rain will rattle through fairly safely on the

brisk south`westerly winds. Following that, sunny spells and

scattered showers. They could be heavy with hail and thunder.

Temperatures higher than average. The temperatures will be at the

highest during the morning so feeling fresher through the

afternoon. The showers will gradually fizzle out tomorrow

night. Clearing skies and the winds of falling light which means only

one thing. Temperatures will fall away rapidly. The risk of a touch of

frost in the countryside. Where we have showers trysting in through the

Bristol Channel, the risk of ice on untreated surfaces. Also I swear we

have standing water from flooding. Despite an `` to start on Friday. ``

also, ice will be on standing water from flooding. There is low pressure

coming in on Sunday, there is a little bit of uncertainty about it.

Probably late on Sunday, affecting western areas of first. Sunshine and

showers will follow a band of rain tomorrow, dusty wind string the

rush`hour drive to work. Sunny spells on Friday and Saturday and

rain on Sunday. on tomorrow night's South today, we

begin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World

War I and we take a fascinating look at the life in the South at that

time.