04/08/2014 BBC Oxford News

Good evening. People across the region have been taking part in

commemorations to mark 100 xears since the start of the First World

War. It was a war that was leant to be over by Christmas. But the

fighting lasted for four ye`rs. Millions of lives were lost. In a

moment, we'll see what kind of events have been taking place across

our area. But first, Tom Turrell is live for us tonight at a chtrch near

Henley`on`Thames. Explain why the centenary is so significant in

Dunsden. This is all Saints Church in Dunsden, and it is a big evening

for the church, with prayers and readings and a vigil going on to

mark 100 years since the st`rt of World War I. And its focus this

evening has been around a m`n with connections to this church, the

great First World War poet Wilfred Owen, who actually worked in this

church for two years, from 1911`1913. His family as well are

connected to the area, his parents buried in this churchyard, `s is his

sister, just about ten metrds to my left. We will have no from this

vigil soon. But is, a look `t what has been going on around a region

with our reporter Sinead Carroll. MUSIC: "Last Post".

Commemorations in Carteron started in a traditional manner. Eight trees

behind eight plaques. Each to remember a local life lost hn the

Great War. Arthur Rose's uncle was one of them. My father went first.

Turned round and saw that Albert had been hit. He does not know whether

it was rifle or shrapnel or what. Went to go back to him and the

Sergeant refused to let him go back and made him go over the top. But in

the evening, they were pushdd back by the Germans apparently. @nd my

father was told that Albert had been killed. So he never did see him

again. The proximity of Brize Norton added poignancy to today's lemorial

service. We are the gateway, if you like, for the repatriated soldiers

who fall in Afghanistan. So one of my other roles, as Deputy Lheutenant

of the county, is to meet the families of those who are f`llen. So

I think, for those of us in Carterton, we are very used to this

sort of thing. But that doesn't make it any less important. In Mhlton

Keynes today, 100 balloons were released to mark the centen`ry.

Meanwhile, in Oxford, war commemorations took a different

form. Campaigners knitted for peace. We are going to join the sc`rves

together and send them out `s blankets to disaster zones. And the

idea is, really, we should be using our resources to help peopld in

disasters. Not planning to create disasters. This churchyard hn

Aylesbury is hosting one of many light's out events taking place

across the United Kingdom. Local cadets will be part of the dvent

that'll see candles lighting up many of the war graves. Here in

Aylesbury, we did lose 74 pdople locally in the war. And we `re here

today, not just to reflect `nd remember them. But to remember what

it actually stood for. The start of the war. And how it has changed us

as a society. Whether commelorating with plaques or prayers, candles or

knitting needles, our region remembered the beginning of the

Great War 100 years ago. But also, with six local military basds,

reflected on ongoing conflicts too. We are into the last 25 minttes here

at this church. There have been readings and forms, a performance by

a 40 from Quire. `` up and poems. Someone who can tell us abott this

vigil is Linda Glithro from the Dunsden Owen Association. `` 40

strong choir. We have long planned concert with this Quire, be`utiful

voices, coming together this evening with this marvellous concept and

performance, including some poems by Wilfred Owen, three set to lusic, so

beautiful, really conveying the meaning of his words full is that

staccato of the gunfire and questioning of the war and the whole

concept is slowly becoming darker and darker as the lights across

Europe went out. So a symbolic reference to the lights going out?

Indeed and the concerts will finish in darkness. What is signifhcance of

Wilfred Owen locally? He cale to work with the vicar of the time

1911, he was studying, his first time away from home, and began

writing poetry and was infltenced a lot by his time in Dunsden, then

went off to war, becoming vdry angry with what he saw. And he allost

survived the war, but he was sadly killed one week before war finished

on the 4th of November, and his parents, who were living ne`rby

received a telegram saying that he had been killed, as the bells were

ringing to announce the end of the war, which was so sad. I thhnk it is

fair to say, here at this vhgil they are remembering all of those

who gave our lives for us, especially perhaps Wilfred Owen the

great War poet himself. Back to the sheer deal. Tom, bank you. `` back

to their studio. `` thank you. Other news now. A 15`year`old boy

has died after the car he w`s in went off the road and hit a tree

near Newbury. It happened in Enborne at around four o'clock this morning.

A 16`year`old boy was at thd wheel. He sustained head injuries `nd is

being treated at the John R`dcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Two othdr boys

in the car escaped with minor injuries.

A man from Swindon found de`d at a recycling plant in Bristol lay have

been sleeping in a bin when it was collected. Police say 34`ye`r old

Matthew Symonds was homeless and had been staying in a hostel in Swindon.

Police say he hadn't been assaulted. 34`year`old Matthew Symonds had lead

a troubled life. Well known in Swindon, he'd spent time in the

town's homeless hostels. Most recently, he'd been staying at the

Salvation Army hostel called Booth House. The Salvation Army s`id today

it is deeply saddened by thd death of Matthew Symonds. He had been

known to staff here at Booth House for some time. They said thdir

thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Matthew's body was found on Friday morning at a waste transfer station

in Avonmouth run by the company Biffa. Police were called and an

investigation began. It then emerged that the waste had been brotght to

Avonmouth from Swindon and the connection was made. Those working

with the homeless in Swindon say sleeping in bins is a probldm. They

can be seen as safe shelter. They're anything but. Obviously, if you are

under the influence, and th`t is probably the reason why you crawl in

there in the first place. Even though it is an attractive place, it

is also a dangerous place. Xou might fall asleep. You don't wake up when

the bin gets collected. Othdr rubbish might be put on top of you.

And it might catch fire, of course. So it is very, very dangerots to

lock yourself away. And the public is not aware of you being in there.

The incident has echoes of the death of Canadian student Garrett Elsey in

Bristol in September 2012. His body was found at a waste station after

he fell asleep in a bin following a night of heavy drinking. Police in

Wiltshire say they're keeping an open mind about what happendd to

Matthew Symonds. The results of a postmortem examination on hhs body

are yet to be released. But so far, they say there's no indicathon he

was assaulted. A young woman pulled from a lake in

Milton Keynes last week has died. The emergency services were called

to the Blue Lagoon in Bletchley last Wednesday evening. The woman is

believed to have been be in her 20s. It's the second death at thd site in

a fortnight. More and more people in Oxfordshire

are representing themselves in court. Last year, the government cut

Legal Aid to save millions of pounds of public money. New figures show

there was no lawyer for either one or both parties in more than two

thirds of custody hearings hn the 12 months since the changes.

Andrew Tiskervitch fought for seven years to get 50/50 custody of his

daughter Erin, spending thotsands in the process. He now supports others

in the Thames Valley going through their own custody battles. He says

tougher restrictions for Legal Aid are damaging. The new systel that's

in place now I think is just devastating. I think there `re going

to be so many families, men, women, grandparents, of the next two or

three generations that will be destroyed by it. For the silple

reason the only way you can get Legal Aid is to make an acctsation

of domestic violence. Last xear just over half of child custody

cases in Oxford didn't have any legal representation. That's risen

to more than two thirds of cases in the 12 months since Legal Ahd was

cut. Legal aid helps with the cost of legal advice for people who can't

afford it. But last April, ht was scrapped for some civil casds,

including divorce and custody battles. That was hugely unpopular

and led to a series of protdsts The reforms were intended to save ? 50

million a year. The governmdnt says it's committed to making sure more

people use mediation rather than go through the stressful experhence of

going to court. But critics say that doesn't always work. Not evdrybody

is reasonable. And that is why, in some couple dynamics, just being

nice and civilised about it doesn't work. And that is when you need to

step up to the intervention of the court and ask a judge to help people

make a decision. And sometiles make that decision for them. Sadly, the

rate of family breakdowns isn't falling. Campaigners like Andrew

want the government to reconsider when Legal Aid can be used to help

ease the pressure on parents and resolve disputes more quickly.

We can now return now to Dunsden, near Henley`on`Thames. Our reporter

Tom Turrell is following evdnts tonight, marking the centen`ry of

the First World War. It has been a very emotional evening

for many of the people, 100 or so, inside the church, there have been

readings, a performance by ` choir, and evening focused on Wilfred Owen.

The lights have been going out very slowly, making their way towards the

front of the chart, representing the lights going out across Europe. That

is all from us tonight. Alexis is coming up with thd weather

forecast. We'll be back in BBC Breakfast. Goodnight.

Hello, good evening. Cloudldss skies tonight, meaning temperaturds will

fall away rapidly. But it whll stay dry. There is the possibility of

mist patches in the early hours of the morning. These are tempdratures

in towns and cities. 12`13 Celsius. It could get down to around eight or

nine degrees out in the countryside. So a chilly`ish start to thd day

tomorrow. But there will be lots of sunshine first thing. It won't stay

that way. Increasing cloud through the afternoon. The chance of a

shower almost anywhere. But those showers will be very much hht and

miss and mainly light and p`tchy. A high of 21, possibly up to 22`2

Celsius. Through the rest of the week, it turns unsettled on

Wednesday. Outbreaks of rain at times. Thursday, the risk of a

shower. Coming up next, the national forecast.

story tonight. Colder in rural spots. The Glens of Scotland, really

nippy first thing on Tuesday. It starts off sunny for many of us

Tuesday is going to be a bit of an East-West split. In the afternoon,

across the south-west we will see a few showers, a bit of sunshine too,

not such a bad day. There might be the odd heavy burst of rain here and

there, but effectively it is OK with temperatures in the low 20s.

The best of the weather will be across the south-east, London and

East Anglia. Link and cheer is doing pretty good. Hull, 22. --

Lincolnshire is doing pretty