:00:10. > :00:14.Good evening and welcome to Points West. Our Headlines tonight...
:00:14. > :00:19.The dangers of drinking too much. With the festive celebrations well
:00:19. > :00:22.underway - we hear how too much alcohol can ruin lives.
:00:22. > :00:28.The heartfelt thanks for two lives saved - doctors deliver a baby and
:00:28. > :00:32.remove a rare tumour from his Mum. Running out of beds - the region's
:00:32. > :00:35.homeless shelters tell us they turning people away.
:00:35. > :00:44.And the former Bristol City and Yeovil Town boss gives us his
:00:44. > :00:47.predictions for the festive fixtures.
:00:47. > :00:50.Good evening. Police forces across the West are on standby to deal
:00:50. > :00:55.with any disorder in our towns and cities as they prepare for the
:00:55. > :00:58.first busy night of the festive season. They remain vigilant on our
:00:58. > :01:04.roads too, with some forces already reporting an increase in the number
:01:04. > :01:07.of drink-drive arrests. So, while most of us like to enjoy a drink at
:01:07. > :01:10.Christmas-time, there's a warning tonight that too much alcohol could
:01:10. > :01:14.ruin lives. Here's our Gloucestershire reporter, Steve
:01:14. > :01:18.Knibbs. Tis the season to be jolly, but it
:01:18. > :01:21.seems some people take merry Christmas a bit too literally. The
:01:21. > :01:24.drinking culture right across the UK doesn't appear to be getting any
:01:24. > :01:34.better Studies are showing drink is having a more damaging effect than
:01:34. > :01:36.
:01:36. > :01:41.ever before. We should be very worried about alcohol. It is a
:01:41. > :01:45.massive cause of damage and calm. Four people between 15 and 60,
:01:45. > :01:49.alcohol is the biggest problem of health problems in the UK, more
:01:49. > :01:52.than smoking, rogue traffic accidents or cancer. The latest
:01:52. > :01:55.drink-drive figures for the region don't make good reading either...
:01:55. > :01:57.Arrests are up in both Wiltshire and Dorset. Avon and Somerset have
:01:58. > :02:01.arrested 51 drivers this month and with 43 arrests in Gloucestershire
:02:01. > :02:06.in just the last week And it seems that the party season also brings
:02:06. > :02:09.with it a new level irresponsibility. Gloucestershire
:02:09. > :02:17.County Council said today they know of some parents who put their
:02:17. > :02:20.children into care just so they can go partying on New Year's Eve.
:02:20. > :02:25.talk and the frontline social workers and they will tell you
:02:25. > :02:28.there are some parents around that frankly, just the social care as an
:02:29. > :02:33.excuse to take the children off their hands to go and do other
:02:33. > :02:36.things. And at Christmas there, is a temptation to drink more than
:02:36. > :02:40.ever in the spirit of celebration. Alcohol charities tell me that
:02:40. > :02:43.they'll take more calls in the new year as people take a decision to
:02:43. > :02:50.tackle their drinking. I have spoken to people and they drink to
:02:50. > :02:54.forget. When you drink alcohol it is eight to present, and you get
:02:54. > :03:04.lower. Below you grow the more you want to drink and it attaches
:03:04. > :03:04.
:03:04. > :03:07.itself. -- the lower you go. Although most of us drink
:03:08. > :03:14.responsibly, there is still a warning to make sure that it is a
:03:14. > :03:17.Christmas to cheer and not one to regret.
:03:18. > :03:21.We're joined by TV presenter Mike Dilger. He's in the middle of
:03:21. > :03:24.making a film for Inside Out West and the One Show about alcohol. As
:03:24. > :03:28.part of the programme, you're giving up drink for the whole of
:03:28. > :03:35.December, including Christmas. How's it going? It is a dry
:03:35. > :03:39.December, not a drop of alcohol. It has been an interesting experience.
:03:39. > :03:44.It has been difficult in parts. Friday and Saturday night is quite
:03:44. > :03:49.difficult. I am not one of those people who used to bring a huge
:03:49. > :03:53.amount every weekend but I have found the problem is, I drink quite
:03:53. > :03:58.a lot of red wine at home. Tarting up with a doctor at the start of
:03:58. > :04:04.this project, I found that I was drinking, and I consider myself a
:04:04. > :04:12.moderate drinker, above the legal limit. 30 units was on average what
:04:12. > :04:15.I was drinking. I lot of people at home would be surprised. There is a
:04:15. > :04:21.serious side about the law and order aspic. You went out with the
:04:21. > :04:24.police, didn't you? It has been a fascinating experience. I have had
:04:24. > :04:30.an opportunity to interview alcoholics and people who have
:04:30. > :04:35.given up drinking. I went out on a Saturday night in Bristol and at
:04:35. > :04:38.about 2 o'clock on Sunday morning, after a night out, Corn Street and
:04:38. > :04:44.Park Street were places to be avoided. It was astonishing the
:04:44. > :04:48.amount of running a brown going on. There were fights that we filmed.
:04:48. > :04:56.There were people running around with very little clothing on,
:04:56. > :05:01.terribly inebriated. I am worried for people add their. The police
:05:01. > :05:04.really have to try and maintain law and order. The are picking up
:05:04. > :05:08.drink-drivers at those times? went out with police when they were
:05:09. > :05:13.doing drink driving stops. The police were delighted to say, not a
:05:13. > :05:18.single person out of the 200 stopped had been drinking and
:05:18. > :05:23.driving. I understand the figures are going about the minute. People
:05:24. > :05:29.really must not do it, it is so dangerous. Christmas for you, no
:05:29. > :05:36.alcohol, Sherry at midnight on New Year? I am not entirely sure if I
:05:36. > :05:46.can have sherry trifle or brandy butter! On New year's Eve, I will
:05:46. > :05:47.
:05:48. > :05:50.have a couple of beers. You'll find out how I got on on the one show.
:05:51. > :05:54.Well here's a story that'll lift your hearts this Christmas - a
:05:54. > :05:57.mother from Gloucestershire with a rare tumour who's life was saved by
:05:57. > :05:59.surgeons in Oxford just days after her baby son was delivered safely.
:05:59. > :06:02.Susannah McKenzie was diagnosed with the potentially fatal heart
:06:02. > :06:05.tumour while she was pregnant. They think it's the first case of its
:06:05. > :06:08.kind in the UK. It took 40 specialists at the John Radcliffe
:06:08. > :06:18.Hospital to bring baby Felix safely into the world and make sure Mum
:06:18. > :06:19.
:06:19. > :06:24.would be there to take care of him. Susannah McKenzie from Gloucester
:06:24. > :06:27.should knows she and her son are extremely lucky. Doctors picked up
:06:27. > :06:33.a heart murmur and on closer inspection, they discovered she had
:06:33. > :06:37.a rare tumour which could obstruct her hard and be fatal. She needed
:06:37. > :06:43.urgent surgery, but that meant Felix, who was due on Christmas Day,
:06:43. > :06:48.had to be delivered eight weeks early. I was really scared but they
:06:48. > :06:53.were very reassuring. It is what they do, it is their job. I had a
:06:53. > :07:02.lot of confidence in what was going to happen. I always knew it was
:07:03. > :07:06.going to be hard. At 32 weeks she had a Caesarean section. A large
:07:06. > :07:11.team of specialists were on hand with up to 25 people in the
:07:11. > :07:15.operating theatre at any one time. It was a very dangerous situation.
:07:15. > :07:21.If she went into labour and started to try and push the baby art, it
:07:21. > :07:27.was almost certain the tumour would obstruct the and left side of her
:07:27. > :07:30.heart. We had to plan to take the baby out when it was saved at 32
:07:30. > :07:36.weeks and then removed the hearty humour as soon as possible
:07:36. > :07:42.afterwards. Just five days after giving birth, Susanna underwent
:07:42. > :07:46.heart surgery to remove the tumour. The cardiologist says it is
:07:46. > :07:51.extremely unusual for someone so young to have this type of tumour,
:07:51. > :07:57.particularly during pregnancy. is maybe the first time we have had
:07:57. > :08:01.this combination of problems in England. There are a handful of
:08:01. > :08:04.Keys reports worldwide. There is no report of English women having a
:08:04. > :08:11.Toome or in their hard during pregnancy before. This is extremely
:08:11. > :08:18.rare. -- too much. Back at home, mother and baby are doing well.
:08:18. > :08:27.am hugely relieved and grateful and in all of all the people from
:08:27. > :08:33.midwives to nurses and doctors. It's Amanda and Sabet with you,
:08:33. > :08:36.this Christmas Eve Eve. A warm welcome to any new viewers from
:08:36. > :08:39.across the country who might be staying with family and friends
:08:39. > :08:45.here in the West. Yes, we'll have a full festive forecast for you a bit
:08:45. > :08:49.later. We are going to be conducting a scientific experiment
:08:49. > :08:57.to find it if there is a genetic reason why you should never have to
:08:57. > :09:01.eat Brussels sprouts. With the number of homeless people
:09:01. > :09:06.reported to be on the rise, one night shelter in Bath says it's the
:09:06. > :09:10.busiest it's been for many years. Julian House has been full for many
:09:10. > :09:13.months now, and every night staff have to turn people away. They say
:09:13. > :09:20.the surge in demand for beds coincides with a cut in homeless
:09:20. > :09:24.services this year, putting pressure on volunteers.
:09:24. > :09:29.Mitch has been homeless for 15 years. He says after divorcing his
:09:29. > :09:37.wife, he lost his job, and was left with nothing. He's spent the last
:09:37. > :09:44.few Christmases here at Julian House, a night shelter in Bath.
:09:44. > :09:50.This is the dining area, where we have our food. There is plenty to
:09:50. > :09:54.drink, like coffee and tea. What have we got to eat today? That
:09:54. > :10:03.looks nice! 7pm and doors open. Every night at Christmas time, it's
:10:03. > :10:06.a rush for beds. This year is no different. It is not oat cuisine,
:10:06. > :10:09.but it's good... For �3.50 a night, those staying
:10:09. > :10:13.here receive a cooked dinner, breakfast and a roof over their
:10:13. > :10:17.heads - something of a necessity as the winter sets in. I live here.
:10:17. > :10:24.There's a guy over there, snores all night. Basically, we are
:10:24. > :10:29.comfortable, we get fed. It's a place to come right now and we get
:10:29. > :10:37.a bit of support from people down here and it is better than being
:10:37. > :10:41.out on the streets. This is the male dormitory. There are 13 proper
:10:41. > :10:46.beds and five temporary mattresses. One evening Fergus when we are full
:10:46. > :10:50.of. We could have up to 18 men. There is another room for the
:10:50. > :10:59.female clients. Many of those who come here have no family, and this
:10:59. > :11:05.time of year can be very difficult for them. Shekinah -- Gillian
:11:05. > :11:11.Howarth Kris Meeke security, food and a warm bed and my friends. --
:11:11. > :11:17.Julian House. If it was not for my friends, I would be crying.
:11:17. > :11:20.Literally, we are on the door and we get some nice coffee. As the
:11:20. > :11:22.donations pour in, it's thanks to dedicated volunteers that Julian
:11:22. > :11:29.House stays open over Christmas, giving those who have nothing
:11:29. > :11:32.something to wake up to on Christmas morning.
:11:32. > :11:35.A West Choir has been given the honour of performing at a
:11:35. > :11:37.prestigious event in New York. The Euphoria Show Choir, which
:11:37. > :11:43.rehearses at Backwell near Bristol, was talent-spotted and asked to
:11:43. > :11:47.perform on the Britain's Got Talent Winners UK Tour. And that's now led
:11:47. > :11:57.to much bigger things. I'm joined by a few members now. It's been
:11:57. > :12:02.quite a year for you all? certainly has. We cannot believe
:12:02. > :12:06.that things that have happened. From performing on Britain's Got
:12:06. > :12:11.Talent we were talent-spotted to perform in New York by the National
:12:11. > :12:16.show choir championships of America. You are one of the soloists, what
:12:16. > :12:20.would you do in New York? We are at the first English choir. We will be
:12:20. > :12:27.singing a selection of songs from British songwriters and singers and
:12:27. > :12:31.we are looking forward to that. lot of practice needed! Absolutely.
:12:31. > :12:35.You are used to trying to raise money for charities but now, you
:12:35. > :12:40.are having to raise money for your selves as well? Exactly. We have
:12:40. > :12:46.got a lot of money to raise. It is expensive getting a whole choir to
:12:46. > :12:49.New York. We have to worry about travel and accommodation. We need
:12:49. > :12:53.about �30,000. We have done some successful fund-raising on ready
:12:54. > :12:58.with some events that we have organised, but there is a long way
:12:58. > :13:03.to do a book -- to go. If anyone would like to donate they can do so
:13:03. > :13:09.on a website. How experienced are you all, Are You experienced
:13:09. > :13:11.professionally? We are all talented amateurs really. A lot of people
:13:11. > :13:19.are school age. There is a lot of performing experience in different
:13:19. > :13:29.venues. You are going to be performing for us later. What we
:13:29. > :13:29.
:13:29. > :13:33.using? Or we will sing winter Wonderland.
:13:33. > :13:40.Now, some news about Brussels sprouts.
:13:40. > :13:43.What's small, green and round and could easily ruin your Christmas?
:13:43. > :13:49.Well it depends how you feel about a certain controversial little
:13:50. > :13:52.winter vegetable that divides us all - the sprout! If you're in the
:13:52. > :13:55."hate 'em" club though, never fear, you now have the ultimate
:13:55. > :14:05.scientific excuse when your Nan tries to pile them up on your
:14:05. > :14:07.
:14:07. > :14:13.plate... They are the stuff of nightmares.
:14:13. > :14:18.Some call them yucky, others call them evil. They are the dark side
:14:18. > :14:24.of Christmas dinner. But Christmas can be saved, by science, because
:14:24. > :14:27.it tells us that it is in our DNA to think that sprouts taste icky.
:14:27. > :14:29.They contain a chemical similar to this one - Phenylthiocarbamide or
:14:29. > :14:37.PTC and we're genetically programmed not to like it because
:14:37. > :14:40.it tastes extremely bitter. But some people have a genetic
:14:40. > :14:43.variation which means they can't taste PTC at all, and it's those
:14:43. > :14:53.people who actually like sprouts and get all the vitamins and aren't
:14:53. > :14:58.
:14:58. > :15:02.scared of Christmas dinner. There is nothing you can do about it. But
:15:02. > :15:09.taste changes over time. If you eat a lot of Brussels sprouts you might
:15:09. > :15:15.learn to love them. If you have got a cold or flu, that might also
:15:15. > :15:25.affect your taste. There is a test to see if I have a valid excuse. He
:15:25. > :15:27.
:15:27. > :15:33.has to wear gloves to handle this. That is not nice. It does mean that
:15:33. > :15:39.I've got a decent scientific excuse never to eat Brussels sprouts!
:15:39. > :15:44.You're experience is shared by about half the people that we see.
:15:44. > :15:54.So you have the perfect centre of a good excuse. It is not new, it's
:15:54. > :15:59.
:15:59. > :16:09.your DNA. I am told they are rather good for you.
:16:09. > :16:10.
:16:10. > :16:17.We have got some of these strips with PTC Ahmed. -- on them. 1, 2, 3.
:16:17. > :16:22.Are you getting that? Not nice. That is what evil tastes like. That
:16:22. > :16:27.is really quite... If you can get hold of one of these,
:16:27. > :16:31.you might just find an excuse. If my mother is watching, now you
:16:31. > :16:35.know! I'm sure our sports section won't
:16:35. > :16:38.leave a bad taste in the mouth. The christmas period is a vital time
:16:38. > :16:41.for our football clubs, both in terms of league position and
:16:41. > :16:44.increased income from holiday crowds. One man who's experienced
:16:44. > :16:47.his share of Christmas highs and lows over the years is former
:16:47. > :16:57.Bristol City and Yeovil boss Gary Johnson and he's here now with
:16:57. > :17:01.
:17:01. > :17:06.David Passmore. Welcome back. You have a rare
:17:06. > :17:10.chance to spend Christmas with your family this year? I haven't done it
:17:10. > :17:15.that many times over the last few years. I thought I was went to look
:17:15. > :17:19.forward to it but I would rather be working! We have got a picture of
:17:19. > :17:25.your granddaughter. She is a true princess, by the looks of things.
:17:25. > :17:31.She did not look like that when she had passed on her face when I left,
:17:31. > :17:37.but she looks fabulous there. difficult is it to prepare a side
:17:37. > :17:41.at Christmas time, when there are so many distractions? First of all
:17:41. > :17:44.you have to see Christmas as a positive. You get three games very
:17:44. > :17:53.quickly and you can pick up. Very quickly, or you can lose. Very
:17:53. > :18:01.quickly. --. Smack. The managers enjoy the quick succession of the
:18:01. > :18:05.Games. You can enjoy it one or two of the other games coming up pretty
:18:05. > :18:10.soon. They have to try and treated as a positive and I am sure that is
:18:10. > :18:20.what they are doing. Bristol City have got to brainee contrasting
:18:20. > :18:22.
:18:22. > :18:27.games. The Coventry game is a key game. People are enjoying the
:18:27. > :18:31.management and training. I think people will be confident to go to
:18:31. > :18:41.Coventry and get a result. It is a big game and they need to get a
:18:41. > :18:42.
:18:42. > :18:47.result. Nicky Maynard, will he go and where? When you hear rumours,
:18:47. > :18:54.London seems to be the popular place. Fulham is being talked about
:18:54. > :19:00.and West Ham and a couple of other sides. He is a great striker and a
:19:00. > :19:05.fantastic finisher. When myself and Steve Lansdowne spoke, he thought -
:19:05. > :19:10.- we thought he would be a lot of money and he would be worth it. He
:19:10. > :19:14.has been worth it. But the rules as they were marks up every club at
:19:14. > :19:21.some stage. If he is deciding to keep his options open until the end
:19:21. > :19:25.of the season, the club will not get anything back for his transfer.
:19:25. > :19:32.Cheltenham next up, the great success story at the moment?
:19:32. > :19:36.Fantastic. They have always been the perennial strugglers. This year,
:19:36. > :19:42.they have started off very well. They looked to be a good
:19:42. > :19:49.footballing side. I played against them at Northampton. They look
:19:49. > :19:54.strong. They are not lucky to be there, they are there on merit.
:19:54. > :20:01.Bristol Rovers got the better of you when you brought Northampton
:20:01. > :20:05.down. Their problem seems to be inconsistency. It is inconsistency.
:20:05. > :20:11.The club deserves a team that is competing at the top of that
:20:11. > :20:19.division, which everybody thought they would, from the new signings.
:20:19. > :20:27.There is plenty of time to grow. They have had a proper run -- April
:20:28. > :20:37.run. They need to try and get their goals in two league form. -- into
:20:37. > :20:41.league form. The let's have a look They have got to win the Plymouth
:20:41. > :20:47.game and move up the table. The other two are winnable as well.
:20:47. > :20:53.There is a good chance of a bit of a run. Are you will going to pick
:20:53. > :20:58.up points? Terry has done a great job and for Yeovil to be in the
:20:58. > :21:03.First Division after all these years is very good. Charlton are
:21:03. > :21:07.difficult, but they have nothing to use. You will can try and win it.
:21:07. > :21:17.They have got to try and win the Exeter game because that is a key
:21:17. > :21:21.
:21:21. > :21:28.game. They have got to keep themselves out of trouble. There
:21:28. > :21:37.are three games that are winnable. With all respect to the other three
:21:38. > :21:43.teams, he is a bit of a fidget. He has got bad Italian way about him.
:21:43. > :21:50.I have not played against him but he would probably give me be harmed
:21:50. > :21:53.if he was right next to me. -- give me the hump.
:21:53. > :21:57.Don't forget, if you can't get to any of those games, you can listen
:21:57. > :22:00.to your BBC local radio station or catch up with the action by logging
:22:00. > :22:04.on to the sport pages of the BBC website and watching online. And
:22:04. > :22:06.the first game of the festive season is already underway. Bristol
:22:06. > :22:16.Rugby are playing Bedford at the Memorial stadium and approaching
:22:16. > :22:19.
:22:20. > :22:25.half time. Bristol are leading, 16- Commentary on that game on Radio
:22:25. > :22:35.Bristol and further highlights in our bulletin tomorrow lunchtime.
:22:35. > :22:47.
:22:47. > :22:55.Good evening. The weather has not been a very festive today. Lots of
:22:55. > :23:00.strong wind in plaster and Wiltshire. -- Gloucester. The rain
:23:00. > :23:07.is leaving behind a drier picture. One or two showers but no
:23:07. > :23:17.significant rain for the next few days. Tonight, mostly dry.
:23:17. > :23:17.
:23:17. > :23:20.Temperatures tumbling over a clear skies. We are not going to see any
:23:20. > :23:30.significant frostbite tomorrow because of the strong north-
:23:30. > :23:30.
:23:31. > :23:37.westerly breeze. There could be a - -. It will be a nice morning for
:23:37. > :23:44.you. Crisp winter sunshine during the morning. And the afternoon,
:23:44. > :23:52.clouds spilling in from the West. One or two spots of rain.
:23:52. > :23:56.Temperatures are getting up to around seven or eight Celsius. Into
:23:56. > :24:02.tomorrow evening, if you are hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus,
:24:02. > :24:06.your chances are good. The visibility will not be too bad with
:24:06. > :24:11.some cloud at times. It will stay dry and temperatures falling. Not
:24:11. > :24:16.that much difference. Temperatures during the day and evening were
:24:16. > :24:22.similar. The wind is coming round to the south-west and bringing some
:24:22. > :24:32.mild air. As we head towards Christmas, it will be a mild
:24:32. > :24:38.
:24:38. > :24:48.picture. For Christmas Day it will be dry and mild. It will be breezy
:24:48. > :24:56.
:24:56. > :25:00.at times. It will not be a white Christmas but it will be very Mary!
:25:00. > :25:10.And that's it from us this evening. I'll be back with an update in the
:25:10. > :25:41.
:25:41. > :25:45.# Sleigh bells ring, are you listening.
:25:45. > :25:52.# In the lane, snow is glistening. # A beautiful sight.
:25:52. > :25:59.# We're happy tonight. # Walking in a winter wonderland.
:25:59. > :26:02.# Gone away is the bluebird. # Here to stay is a new bird.
:26:02. > :26:10.# He sings a love song. # As we go along.
:26:10. > :26:13.# Walking in a winter wonderland. # In the meadow we can build a
:26:13. > :26:17.snowman. # Then pretend that he is Parson
:26:17. > :26:20.Brown. # He'll say: Are you married?.
:26:20. > :26:25.# We'll say: No man. # But you can do the job.
:26:25. > :26:31.# When you're in town. # Later on, we'll conspire.
:26:31. > :26:41.# As we dream by the fire. # To face unafraid.
:26:41. > :27:12.
:27:12. > :27:15.# The plans that we've made. # Gone away is the bluebird.
:27:15. > :27:18.# Here to stay is a new bird. # He sings a love song.
:27:18. > :27:20.# As we go along. # Walking in a winter wonderland.
:27:20. > :27:22.# In the meadow we can build a snowman.
:27:22. > :27:25.# Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.
:27:25. > :27:28.# He'll say: Are you married?. # We'll say: No man.