08/03/2012 BBC Points West


08/03/2012

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Good evening. Here are the headlines: The shock loss of so

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much younger wife. Photos are placed at barracks in Warminster or

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of the soldiers killed in Afghanistan - five of them were

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only 21 or under. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to

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my brave men and to offer my condolences to their families and

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many friends. Also tonight - the drugs and gang boss jailed and told

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he will get 10 more years if he does not give up his ill-gotten

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gains. Celebrity Tony Robinson joined the

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campaign to improve the care being given to their elderly and disabled.

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And plans to pump supplies of all water to London and the south-east.

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-- of the water in this region. In a moving ceremony pictures of

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young soldiers killed in Afghanistan were placed outside the

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barracks and Warminster today. Their commander paid glowing

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tributes. The striking feature was its aegis

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of the men who lost their lives. Five of the six were 21 or younger.

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Our reporter has spent the day in Warminster.

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Good evening. It was a few weeks ago that the people of war Minster

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stood on this spot to watch a safe journey to the troops on the way to

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Afghanistan. Many of those troops were going for the first time. It

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is only in the past 24 hours at the news has begun to sink in that six

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of those soldiers have died. There has been a stream of soldiers

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coming down from the backs to pay their respects and to lay wreaths

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and photographs. If you want an idea of how this has affected their

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Warminster or community then you need look no further than that

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there it believes that have been played here.

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-- believes that have been placed here.

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The barracks is at the heart of the community here.

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Each bunch of flowers is a symbol of personal grief and a show of

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collective sympathy. It was important to buy some

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flowers and to show my respects. has hit everyone. It is very sad.

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My brother-in-law is going in three weeks. It has hit home harshly.

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Throughout the day they arrived before work. Alone, in pairs, or

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even as a whole class. We have got a few service families in our

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school. Some of them have fathers in Afghanistan at the moment. It is

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a sad time for the whole community. We felt as a school that we wanted

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to pay our respects this morning by leaving flowers and saying a prayer.

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The soldiers here were filmed in Salisbury training.

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Many more soldiers are due to leave Warminster soon. Their commanding

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officer paid tribute to those killed. This week's six of our

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brothers have fallen. It has been a sad day. But as their brothers in

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arms we remain committed in our duty to continue our mission. They

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would want nothing less. Our loss is very great today. But this is

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nothing when compared to the deep loss felt by their families and

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friends. Our thoughts and prayers are firmly with them today. I wish

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to thank the many well-wishers who have shown their support to us at

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this difficult time. Warminster has close ties to its military base.

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Army vehicles are a daily sight here. Today people recorded their

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memories and their condolences at a local church. These will be made

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into a book and left on display. They are mostly young men whose

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lives have been lost. The sadness is in for it. We feel and

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understand the sadness that goes around in the family's. The flame

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outside the barracks is kept burning until all the soldiers come

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home from their tour. Tonight the thought of the people here are with

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the families and friends of those who will not be making that journey

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home. Wherever you go in Warminster it

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you can see civilian and military life mixed together. Going to the

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supermarket you can see somebody in full uniform doing their shopping.

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Anybody talk to here is either friends with somebody who works at

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the base, or or is in that the military themselves. There is a

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sense of collective loss. That will continue for some time to come.

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After the News of the soldiers debt, the mood at the medals ceremony in

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the bath was subdued. Families of the men and women from 21st Signal

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Regiment had gathered to see their They spent six months in

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Afghanistan, are working in the dry dusty heat of Helmand Province.

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gives me a huge pleasure to welcome Today medals were awarded. The

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family's watch full of pride. Today is an opportunity for the men

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of the regiment to be reunited with their families. They have carried

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out a difficult mission in challenging circumstances.

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But thought did not stray far from the pain others are feeling.

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thoughts go to the families of the six soldiers. It is shocking when

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it happens. The guys that have taken over from us will be dealing

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with that. Today there was so much to celebrate, but the families were

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aware of others less fortunate. have got friends whose husbands are

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out there now. My thoughts go out to all of their families as well. I

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cannot say more than that. Everyone here today knows they have a lot to

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be proud of and a lot to be The leader of a Chinese gang who

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ran drugs factories and brothels across a region is tonight in

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prison. Jai Jin He was sentenced to eight months, but he has been

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warned he could face a further 10 years in jail if he does not

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payback millions of pounds. Here is our reporter.

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The gang's money bureau where millions of pounds were illegally

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transferred to China. This firm was a front for organised

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crime on a massive scale. This firm is used by Chinese

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expatriates to send money home. The public face was just a cover.

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The mastermind behind the operation was this man - Jai Jin He. He is no

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stranger to money laundering. In 2008 he was convicted by a court in

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Hong Kong and fined �250,000. Part of the gang's huge profits

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were generated by cannabis factories including this one.

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The drug money was then moved overseas to mainland China.

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People were involved in cannabis factories, management and control

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brothels, the criminal money generated was passed through this

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firm and transferred out of the country. Two members of his staff,

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including Man Xu, pleaded guilty to making deceptive statements.

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The figures are vast. They made full use of these blacks money

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service bureaux. The judge told Jai Jin He that he

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had let themselves down very badly. Jai Jin He and Man Xu were ordered

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to carry out 100 hours of committee service.

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Tonight Jai Jin He will not be celebrating a light sentence. He is

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estimated to have made �7 million from the scam. These are just some

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of the luxury homes he was talking to buy. Under their Crime Act the

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prosecution could force him it to pay back millions of pounds. If not

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he will be looking at an extra 10 years in prison. I hearing to

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decide how much you will have to find will be held later in the year.

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-- how much he will have to find. It is nearly the weekend.

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Stay with us as there is much more. Which famous son in Wells is

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ordered by this monument? And we need your help four hour

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coverage of this special royal year. -- for our coverage.

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We will tell you all about that later.

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First, campaigners in our region are calling for politicians to

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unite to insure their elderly and disabled are cared for. Tony

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Robinson joined a lobby of Parliament. The lobby claimed that

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the current system is in crisis. For this afternoon MPs debated some

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of their concerns. They came from a region and from

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all points of the country. Some of the most lovable and society,

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fearful of the future. The number of elderly and disabled who need

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care is growing and growing. With government spending being cut

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sharply, all feel something must be done. We have not got a service

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that is fair or fit for purpose. It is important that they have that.

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Everybody in the country wants that. We are telling them to get their

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act together, to have the courage to give as a care system which

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reflects what the 21st Century Society wants.

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Simon Langridge had travelled up from the West Country with a group

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of people who have learning disabilities. We have protested in

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London before and also in Bristol. We have spoken whenever we can. We

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want to work with other charities and organisations. We want to say

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that the cuts to adult social services are wrong. People are

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missing out on what they need. This afternoon it was debated by

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MPs. Of course money is important, but is it just about money? Until

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we can re-engineer what we are trying to deliver, we will not be

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able to look at the funding mechanisms. If the start funding

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what we have currently got, we are finding something that is broken.

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The government is due to bring out Water from the River Severn could

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be used to ease the drought in the South East - it's just one of the

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options being considered by Thames Water who have had their plans for

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a reservoir rejected. But the scheme has already been met with

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criticism, as Alice Bouverie reports.

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The River Severn, the longest river in Britain, and already a source of

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drinking water for thousands in the West. But now, there are plans for

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that resource to go east, to the very thirsty south-east. How?

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Through the canals. Many are disused at the moment. But Thames

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Water says one of the options it is considering is to restore them.

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They can now give us a chance to move the water some of the way

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without having to build expensive pipes and plumping. Anything that

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keeps costs down, it is just the amount of water we need to the

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distance we needed to, is good. was first put forward in the 1970s

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when drought first hit. It was rejected because of economic

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reasons, but after Thames Water had its plans rejected for a reservoir,

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it is back on the table. Much to the delight of the Cotswold Canal

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Trust. It is a good idea. It is not just solve the problems of

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providing water to the south-east and London, but also restores

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valuable heritage. It is a multi- functional solution, which has got

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a lot of merit. But is there enough water to provide barbs for

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Londoners? 6 million people use water from the River Severn every

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day, as do firemen. -- farmers. We cannot afford to lose any more

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water. It or be several years before Thames Water makes a

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decision about the canals. Doing nothing is not an option.

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Well, elsewhere, there was another problem with the water today - a

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couple had to be moved from their house in the Forest of Dean after a

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mains pipe sprung a leak. One of the joints broke on the pipe and

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around 30 firefighters have been on standby for much of the day in case

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it burst. The road through the village of Lower Lydbrook has been

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closed since yesterday to stop any danger of flooding. We are pumping

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1,500 litres a minute. We are keeping that water away from the

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main plant. There is electricity down at there and the main the

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pumps, so the flood water would run into that pumping station and cause

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damage. Severn Trent says water supplies

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haven't been affected and repairs to the broken pipe will start

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around midnight tonight. A school for deaf children in

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Bristol - which was under threat of closure - has been told it's to

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stay open. The city council announced it was considering

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shutting Elmfield School in December 2010 but its future has

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now been secured, with a reduction in the number of places being

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funded from 36 to 30. A memorial celebrating the life of

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Harry Patch - the last British survivor of the World War One

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trenches - was today lowered into place in his home city of Wells.

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The six foot stone, with an engraved plaque, sits on the lawn

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of Wells Cathedral. It's all the result of more than a year of

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fundraising by a local couple, who felt the city should honour one of

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its most famous sons. Ladies and gentlemen, please

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welcome Mr Harry Patch. APPLAUSE Harry Patch was a reluctant

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national treasure. A man who was rather amused by all

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the public attention. A man who never even spoke about his war

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memories until he was 100. So quite what he would make of a permanent

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memorial is anyone's guess. But others were determined his home

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city should celebrate, and commemorate, his lap. Alan and

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Margaret Williams - who knew Harry - came up with the idea is 16

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months ago, and started a campaign. We went his funeral, like many

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other people. A year had gone by, and there had not been a monument.

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I said to Margaret, "I am up red. Are you"? And it was born.

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months ago now. And so, today, five tons of stone was carefully lowered

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into place on the Cathedral Green, outside the museum. And, for the

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first time, we got a chance to see what the finished memorial wall

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look like. Harriet would be chuffed to bits to think he would be

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immortalised in this way. There are plans for an official unveiling,

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complete with military honours, in May.

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Tomorrow night, Bath will face rivals Leicester in a game which

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could define their season - it's the semi-final of the LV Cup.

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Victory in the competition would mean a title and entry into next

:18:56.:19:03.

season's all-important European Cup. And for full-back Sam Vestey, it's

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also a game against the club he grew up with and played for for

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:19:17.:19:17.

eight years. It could almost be an edition of

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the good life. Sam Vesty, white and three children have settled well in

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this village, along with their chicken and vegetable patch. It is

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a lovely little village, very good community spirit. It is a lovely

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part of the world to move to. about the rugby? We went through a

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tricky patch, where we were having close games, but not quite getting

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on the right end of the scoreline. But we feel we are playing better

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rugby now. Sam Vesty is 30, and joined Bath 18 months ago. He first

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started playing for Leicester juniors at 15, and won trophies in

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84 seasons. He is aware how West Country fans you his club. I think

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:20:22.:20:23.

there are victims of their own success. People take that a bit

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grudgingly. They get a bit of bad press, I suppose. Potential

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silverware and European qualifications are key factors, but

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Sam Vesty also knows how much a defeat would hurt the Bath fans.

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The managers of the two Bristol football clubs could be answering

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some tough questions tonight when BBC Radio Bristol's Sports Forum

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gets underway. Four of the West's top sporting figures are on the

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panel, with the audience picking the subjects. It's all happening at

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the home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. And the man in the

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middle of it all is our own Geoff Twentyman. So, Geoff, who's your

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:21:11.:21:14.

panel tonight? You mentioned the managers. As will the head coach of

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rugby, and Somerset cricket. What questions to you think will be

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asked to? We get subject matters like stadiums in Bristol, all the

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opinions like that. But football fans may have a specific questions,

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such as tactics. We get it diverse issues and specific issues.

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tickets have gone, and presumably it is too late for anyone to come

:21:44.:21:50.

up. But I presume all is not lost? The tickets have gone. I believe

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there is a black market on Gloucester Rd! But it will be live

:21:55.:22:05.
:22:05.:22:05.

on the radio, BBC Radio Bristol. It is also around the world on the

:22:05.:22:15.
:22:15.:22:19.

website. It should be good. Is it there no stopping you?

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Stacy Tad, who trained at the University of Bath, has just

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qualified for the Olympics in the women's 200 metre breaststroke. I

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am delighted to tell you that! People have been going to see what

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the future could look like at Cheddar Gorge. Plans have been put

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on display by the Longleat Estate, which manages the area. It says the

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Gorge is in desperate need of regeneration and believes a visitor

:22:45.:22:48.

centre accessible via a cable car is the way to do it.

:22:48.:22:51.

Now, the Queen began her Diamond Jubilee tour today, and we need

:22:51.:22:56.

your help. We want you to help us revive some memories of the 1950s

:22:56.:23:02.

as part of our coverage of this very special royal year. Yes, it

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was 60 years ago this summer that the Queen took to the throne, and

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we want your memories of that occasion, and to find out what

:23:09.:23:19.

you've got planned to mark the Jubilee.

:23:19.:23:24.

1956, and the young Queen visits the West of England. Thousands turn

:23:25.:23:31.

out to check in Bristol and in Bath. Lots of lovely flags. And that does

:23:31.:23:38.

a nice handbag! The Queen is good enough to provide us with drinking

:23:38.:23:42.

water. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since our reigning

:23:42.:23:48.

monarch opened this reservoir in 1956. Now, the Queen is celebrating

:23:48.:23:52.

her Diamond Jubilee. And we want to mark this occasion, and we need

:23:52.:23:59.

your help in your memories. Maybe you were down here in 1956. Did you

:23:59.:24:03.

spot a sudden that footage? Or, maybe, you have met Her Majesty.

:24:03.:24:11.

You have a wonderful story to tell? Are you planning a party this year?

:24:11.:24:17.

Whatever you are planning, or your memories, let us know, not by Royal

:24:17.:24:25.

Mail, but by e-mail: One it looks forward to hearing from you.

:24:25.:24:32.

We need to wear combat, really, don't we?! We have been hearing

:24:32.:24:37.

about the solar storms today. I asked on Twitter it if anybody had

:24:37.:24:43.

felt the effect, and someone has written, "it is responsible for my

:24:44.:24:53.
:24:54.:25:00.

All sorts of affect from burnt on earth, ranging from high-frequency

:25:00.:25:05.

radio communications, you name it. How profound as perfect -- effect

:25:05.:25:12.

will be is open to debate. The amount of cloud will be stubborn

:25:12.:25:18.

tonight, as it will be to the cause of tomorrow. It will remain dry all

:25:18.:25:25.

their bouts. High pressure is now establishing its up through the Bay

:25:25.:25:35.
:25:35.:25:35.

of Biscay. New ones is in terms of the wind direction. Indeed, it is

:25:35.:25:42.

the cloud cover that will be the most tricky part of the forecast.

:25:42.:25:48.

The winds ball moved around the British Isles. This mild air will

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be in situ for quite some time to come. Tonight is a case in point -

:25:55.:26:00.

nowhere near as cold as last night. Beat winds turning light, and it

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will remain dry. Good deal of cloud around tomorrow. Through the rest

:26:07.:26:12.

of this evening and into tonight, it there a Briggs in the cloud.

:26:12.:26:21.

That will continue to be a case on and off. Remaining dry, and those

:26:21.:26:29.

like winds will bring temperatures to five or six Celsius. Tomorrow,

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we will start with cloud. So things will continue for at most of you.

:26:34.:26:39.

Just at the chance that some of you in the north and Gloucester could

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see rain. And, perhaps, by the afternoon one of two breaks

:26:47.:26:52.

developing in the cloud. Temperatures tomorrow, despite the

:26:52.:26:58.

cloud cover, on a par with today - 11 Celsius. Into the weekend, the

:26:58.:27:05.

cloud cover is the tricky part of the forecast. Essentially, the

:27:05.:27:15.

temperatures will be reliant on how the brakes developer. And the

:27:15.:27:21.

overnight low should be preventing any frost. Next week, very little

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