:00:07. > :00:11.Welcome to BBC Points West with Sabet Choudhury and Alex Lovell Our
:00:12. > :00:15.main story tonight ` putting the brakes on the christmas getaway
:00:16. > :00:18.Delays on the roads and disruption across the West. Problems on the
:00:19. > :00:22.railways and planes as well ` as heavy rain and strong winds batter
:00:23. > :00:34.the region. We'll bring you the latest on the bad weather. Fears of
:00:35. > :00:42.flooding and grow. Also on tonight's programme: The growing number of
:00:43. > :00:45.cannabis farms in the West. Why is this region such a hotspot? The
:00:46. > :00:48.Bristol pensioner conned out of thousands of pounds by a friend But
:00:49. > :00:52.rescued by the kindness of strangers. And not left to be lonely
:00:53. > :01:01.this Christmas, the Somerset seven year old inviting everyone to help
:01:02. > :01:11.the elderly. I think that every child should have an elderly friend.
:01:12. > :01:14.Good evening. Strong winds and heavy rain are disrupting thousands of
:01:15. > :01:21.people's holiday plans tonight, on one of the busiest travel days of
:01:22. > :01:24.the year. As people try to get home for Christmas, rail passengers have
:01:25. > :01:27.faced long delays and standing water is making driving treacherous. 00
:01:28. > :01:41.people in Somerset are also without power. Alice Bouverie reports. We
:01:42. > :01:46.are sorry to announce... The Christmas getaway is turning into a
:01:47. > :01:49.Christmas delay`away. About half the trains we saw at Bristol Temple
:01:50. > :01:59.Meads this afternoon were late. It's been a frustrating time for people
:02:00. > :02:02.travelling. Awful! Absolutely awful. I have got to get back to
:02:03. > :02:09.Nottingham, and I have mist my connections. So, I have to get to
:02:10. > :02:13.Birmingham to find a way home. We might be here for a while and it
:02:14. > :02:17.looks like my train has disappeared off the list, and I do not know
:02:18. > :02:21.where it is gone. It is frustrating but it is Christmas so we put up
:02:22. > :02:25.with it. It's mainly because of the winds. They're gusting up to 70
:02:26. > :02:28.miles an hour which means Network Rail has imposed speed restrictions
:02:29. > :02:31.on trains. The railway line near Taunton was briefly closed because
:02:32. > :02:34.of flooding. And from five o'clock this evening First Great Western
:02:35. > :02:42.reduced services to and from London to one an hour. We are really lucky
:02:43. > :02:48.because this day, in most years it is the most busiest in the year
:02:49. > :02:51.Because of where Christmas falls this year, most people have
:02:52. > :02:57.travelled at the weekend. The trains are certainly still busy. Taking the
:02:58. > :03:01.car rather than the train has been little easier. There's standing
:03:02. > :03:04.water on many roads as the drains struggle to cope. The rain even
:03:05. > :03:07.forced the closure of one lane of the M5 between Taunton and
:03:08. > :03:10.Wellington for a while. Planes have been affected too. At Bristol
:03:11. > :03:17.Airport, ten flights have been cancelled and another nine diverted.
:03:18. > :03:19.The emergency services across the West have been at full stretch
:03:20. > :03:23.throughout the day. Gloucestershire police had 350 phone calls this
:03:24. > :03:27.morning due to incidents related to the weather. Somerset fire and
:03:28. > :03:33.rescue had 60 calls, including one to Bridgwater, where a roof had
:03:34. > :03:36.become unsafe. Elsewhere in the county, trees were brought down
:03:37. > :03:40.trees, blocking roads. The storm is now moving north. But river levels
:03:41. > :03:48.are rising. And tonight, there are several flood warnings in place
:03:49. > :03:50.Well, the bad weather has meant there have been problems on the
:03:51. > :03:57.roads with some difficult driving conditions. Sarah Rice from the RAC
:03:58. > :04:00.joins us from their tower on the motorway interchange at Almondsbury.
:04:01. > :04:10.Sarah, how bad have things been today? You are absolutely right it
:04:11. > :04:17.is incredibly difficult and challenging conditions still. This
:04:18. > :04:27.morning, we saw the worst of it with strong winds. Having said that,
:04:28. > :04:32.motorists have coped admirably well. We have seen a little less traffic
:04:33. > :04:38.on the roads as people replan their journeys. People are heeding the
:04:39. > :04:42.driving advice that is given, planning routes and giving
:04:43. > :04:48.themselves lots of times, as well as adjusting their driving for the
:04:49. > :04:54.weather. Are you bracing yourself for tomorrow? We are expecting to
:04:55. > :05:00.see more traffic on the roads tomorrow. I think the better weather
:05:01. > :05:06.conditions that are forecast will benefit motorists. People will,
:05:07. > :05:12.clearly, still be getting their last`minute Christmas shopping and
:05:13. > :05:26.going to see family and friends but we are seeing little `` fewer
:05:27. > :05:30.incidents on the roads. Clearly it's been a very difficult day for
:05:31. > :05:36.many people. Jemma ` It seems to have been raining constantly since
:05:37. > :05:40.this morning. Indeed. It was a strong high`pressure system from the
:05:41. > :05:44.Atlantic. If we take a look at the radar picture that came in from 7am
:05:45. > :05:49.this morning, you can see fragments of the system but as the day
:05:50. > :05:55.progressed, the flashes of colour their, they indicate the heavy
:05:56. > :06:00.bursts. There was a respite around 5pm, but for the bulk of the day, it
:06:01. > :06:04.was really coming down. There is that fragmentation at the end of the
:06:05. > :06:10.day but do not be fooled, there is more to come tonight. It has been an
:06:11. > :06:15.unusually deep low. There is still more to come. It has been
:06:16. > :06:20.torrential. We will hear from you later. It's been revealed that
:06:21. > :06:23.police in the West have found almost two cannabis farms every day in the
:06:24. > :06:27.last four years. The highest number was found in the Avon and Somerset
:06:28. > :06:31.police area. It's a hotspot and the force ranks as one of the top five
:06:32. > :06:38.in the country for the number found. Dickon Hooper reports. There are
:06:39. > :06:42.five rooms in total... In a quiet house in a normal Bristol street,
:06:43. > :06:49.this is what police found. More than a thousand cannabis plants ` big
:06:50. > :07:00.business for those involved. This is major organised crime and they are
:07:01. > :07:03.doing this. We have recovered this from the house, and that does not
:07:04. > :07:09.include what they have already produced and sold on, which is two
:07:10. > :07:12.or three crops. Anyone growing more than 25 plants faces up to five
:07:13. > :07:16.years in prison. And the force here has a dedicated team targeting the
:07:17. > :07:19.farms. In the last four years they've raided almost two and a half
:07:20. > :07:24.thousand ` in Gloucestershire just a few hundred, with a focus on the
:07:25. > :07:27.Forest of Dean. In Wiltshire, police say cannabis production is not a
:07:28. > :07:32.major issue or a priority ` reflected in the number of raids.
:07:33. > :07:34.say cannabis production is not a major issue or a priority For some
:07:35. > :07:35.though, this is all just sound and fury.
:07:36. > :07:38.major issue or a priority For some though, this Police resources they
:07:39. > :07:47.say, could be better used with a different approach altogether. We
:07:48. > :07:57.have done the same with heroin and cocaine. It is a demand led
:07:58. > :08:01.commodity markets, and that is given away to organise criminals. The
:08:02. > :08:06.obvious solution is to bring it under the control of the government.
:08:07. > :08:09.At Police know dismantling these farms is just a short`term solution.
:08:10. > :08:12.But their number is increasing and cannabis the most widely used
:08:13. > :08:26.illegal drug. So targeting its production remains a priority.
:08:27. > :08:28.There's been a huge Christmas present for campaigners trying to
:08:29. > :08:31.re`open an arts centre in Gloucestershire. A mystery person
:08:32. > :08:34.has come forward with what's being described as a hugely generous
:08:35. > :08:38.donation in excess of at least half a million pounds. The Axiom closed
:08:39. > :08:41.13 years ago and was put on the market earlier this year. Here's our
:08:42. > :08:51.Gloucestershire reporter, Steve Knibbs. What was a Corn Merchant in
:08:52. > :08:54.1899 became the Axiom Arts Centre in the 1980's. But it closed in 20 0
:08:55. > :08:56.following a police fraud investigation. Now, two local
:08:57. > :09:10.benefactors, who were Axiom customers, say they'll buy it for
:09:11. > :09:14.campaigners. We have been realistic about what needs to be done to
:09:15. > :09:20.sustain a building like this in the current economic climate. The first
:09:21. > :09:25.thing that gets cut is arts, music and culture when it comes to
:09:26. > :09:29.government spending. We are aware of that and the success will lie with
:09:30. > :09:34.people who have supported the project. As these recent photos from
:09:35. > :09:37.inside show, there is a lot of work to do, as John Redfearn knows. He
:09:38. > :09:41.reopened the Axiom 20 years ago You have two have strong aims, strong
:09:42. > :09:45.vision and strong leadership, as well as control of the various fact
:09:46. > :09:50.is that are involved in the structure of the arts centre. You
:09:51. > :09:57.have lots of departments, including the theatre, the workshops, and the
:09:58. > :09:59.cinema. The council sold the Axiom in 2000 because it wasn't
:10:00. > :10:02.commercially viable. The chief executive welcomes today's news but
:10:03. > :10:11.warns the risks of making the Axiom sustainable haven't gone away. Will
:10:12. > :10:15.The Axiom be able to make a profit? Obviously, the council found it
:10:16. > :10:20.difficult and that is why we closed it 13 years ago. Maybe things have
:10:21. > :10:26.changed, I do not know. The benefactors will need deep pockets.
:10:27. > :10:32.I understand the asking price is ?500,000. Add to that, the cost of
:10:33. > :10:39.refurbishment and restoration. This could be an early Christmas present
:10:40. > :10:45.for those who have campaigned to see The Axiom reopen in the town.
:10:46. > :10:49.There're just two sleeps to go now till the big day! And to get you in
:10:50. > :10:59.the festive spirit, we've got some very special Christmas music.
:11:00. > :11:16.# It is the most wonderful time of the year!
:11:17. > :11:28.# It is the most wonderful time of the year!
:11:29. > :11:39.# It is the happiest season of all. # With holiday greetings and happy
:11:40. > :11:52.meetings, it is the happiest season of all! You will have to wait for
:11:53. > :11:57.the rest of that but it is gorgeous, is it not? Amazing. Christmas was
:11:58. > :12:01.looking bleak for a Bristol pensioner, who was defrauded by a
:12:02. > :12:04.trusted friend. But now his faith in human nature has been restored after
:12:05. > :12:09.neighbours rallied round and dropped off a Christmas card ` containing
:12:10. > :12:12.?100,000. Zoe Gough reports. Norman Cornish says he's always happy to
:12:13. > :12:15.help a friend. But when his life`savings of ?6,000 were taken by
:12:16. > :12:22.a neighbour, he says he lost all trust in others. Karen Whittaker
:12:23. > :12:29.offered to help Norman with his shopping after his wife died. It was
:12:30. > :12:40.only when his bank got in touch he realised she was helping herself to
:12:41. > :12:50.his cash. She cleared my bank out. Even the overdraft was gone as well,
:12:51. > :12:53.?500. Norman is well known in his Henbury street and his neighbours
:12:54. > :13:05.regularly drop by. But one visitor gave him quite a shock when she left
:13:06. > :13:14.a Christmas card filled with ?1 000. It restored his confidence in people
:13:15. > :13:18.and respect for people. That is all Norman has ever done. He has always
:13:19. > :13:22.thought of other people and he is very friendly, we love him to bits.
:13:23. > :13:25.The card gave little clue as to the identity of those responsible. But
:13:26. > :13:30.Norman would like to thank each and every one of them for transforming
:13:31. > :13:40.his Christmas. I feel a lot better now. I am going to enjoy Christmas.
:13:41. > :13:44.I will have a few drinks with my son. Although Karen Whittaker
:13:45. > :13:47.admitted her crime in court, Norman says she has yet to apologise.
:13:48. > :13:58.Thanks to the kindness of his other neighbours, his trust is being
:13:59. > :14:01.slowly rebuilt. It is, according to the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, a
:14:02. > :14:04.source of "national shame". He was talking about the hundreds of
:14:05. > :14:07.thousands of people in England who say they are chronically lonely `
:14:08. > :14:12.something which is felt even more keenly at Christmas. Well, it was
:14:13. > :14:15.hearing that story which spurred on one seven year old from Somerset to
:14:16. > :14:19.get a letter published in her local paper, a letter which led to a whole
:14:20. > :14:31.new friendship. Sarah`Jane Bungay takes up the story. Hello! It is the
:14:32. > :14:38.warmest of welcomes. But Sonya and the Rowntree family have only known
:14:39. > :14:43.each other a couple of months.. It began when seven year old Lana saw a
:14:44. > :14:54.news report on lonlieness. Soon pen was put to paper. She said she had a
:14:55. > :15:01.happy family and did any old people want to be her friend, she said I
:15:02. > :15:07.was very moved. This was a girl and her family where, basically, they
:15:08. > :15:14.were interested in someone like me, who was elderly, and yes, elderly at
:15:15. > :15:26.times. Now there is a friendship which embraces the 66 year age gap.
:15:27. > :15:35.I think every child should have an elderly friend. She is like a really
:15:36. > :15:41.nice, gentle lady. She likes it because I come round and I am a bit
:15:42. > :15:46.younger. In Yatton, Sonya isn't facing a lonely 2014. Instead it'll
:15:47. > :15:51.be one filled with making new memories with new friends. Although
:15:52. > :15:57.I have not got children, I love it. I love the noise and I love the fact
:15:58. > :16:06.we have great fun, and I do feel that the family I have met,
:16:07. > :16:12.certainly, have made my life richer. She should be very proud of herself,
:16:13. > :16:16.that is lovely. Lovely. While many of us are looking forward to a bit
:16:17. > :16:18.of time off over Christmas, the region's footballers are getting
:16:19. > :16:22.busier. Alistair Durden and Geoff Twentyman are going to have a look
:16:23. > :16:30.at the fixtures for us. Ali is outside the Radio Bristol studios
:16:31. > :16:34.right now. We are here at BBC Radio Bristol. Jeff is doing his show at
:16:35. > :16:42.the moment. Good evening, Jeff. Thank you for having us. It is great
:16:43. > :16:48.to have you. Christmas is a big`time for footballers. Discipline and self
:16:49. > :16:52.control. Yes, you have to forget what is going on around you. It is
:16:53. > :16:58.quite difficult with the family eating and drinking around you. They
:16:59. > :17:02.do not want sympathy, though. They have got to be totally professional.
:17:03. > :17:13.We are going to have a look at our teams. Yeovil. Where are their
:17:14. > :17:17.points coming from over Christmas? They won 3`0 recently at Watford.
:17:18. > :17:26.Their manager is a motivator and they can get a result. They will get
:17:27. > :17:36.something over Christmas. Swindon's home form is keeping them in the
:17:37. > :17:39.League One playoff hunt. Eight winds from 11 at the County Ground.
:17:40. > :17:45.Another good one on Saturday against Coventry, but they're finding it
:17:46. > :17:48.tough away. Tough games away at Brentford and Bradford as well. It
:17:49. > :17:57.is symptomatic of having a young side. They need a better mindset.
:17:58. > :18:02.That is some trouble that they need to sort out. Bristol City won't be
:18:03. > :18:06.sorry to see the back of 2013, looking at their Christmas fixtures
:18:07. > :18:23.they've got to take advantage of two home games. I am not great on
:18:24. > :18:26.statistics but in 2013, Bristol City 17 league matches. That tells you
:18:27. > :18:32.what it is all about. Things must improve. Two home games give them
:18:33. > :18:36.the chance to do so. Great for Louis Carey to equal the club's appearance
:18:37. > :18:38.record on Saturday. Today he was putting in another appearance,
:18:39. > :18:42.playing Santa on the children's ward at Frenchay hospital. In this
:18:43. > :18:51.situation, does he have a bigger role to play now, do you think?
:18:52. > :18:56.Absolutely. He is still fit. He has not played many games lately. He
:18:57. > :19:01.still has the fitness and extra energy in his tanks so I think he
:19:02. > :19:11.will play a significant part. It depends what Steve Cotterell does in
:19:12. > :19:15.the January window. 646 will be the magic number, the new record.
:19:16. > :19:31.Celebrations, at the moment, are on hold. Four years in charge for Mark
:19:32. > :19:33.Yates ` impressive how he keeps rebuilding that team. They're
:19:34. > :19:36.heading into their Christmas fixtures on a ten match unbeaten
:19:37. > :19:39.run, an impressive win at Fleetwood at the weekend ` one of the
:19:40. > :19:42.promotion favourites. I have a soft spot for Cheltenham. Historically,
:19:43. > :19:46.they have always been near the top, and they have not made it. I sense
:19:47. > :19:56.that they could be getting it on schedule. Bristol Rovers? Picking
:19:57. > :20:01.up? John Ward was brave. Great stuff, thank you for having us here.
:20:02. > :20:10.All the football will be covered on local radio over the festive period.
:20:11. > :20:14.Thank you. Now, I don't know how many people you'll have round for
:20:15. > :20:21.Christmas dinner or how big your turkey will be. But spare a thought
:20:22. > :20:25.for Anita Simmons who'll be cooking a 42 pound bird. The biggest family
:20:26. > :20:31.turkey dinner in the Points West area? Well maybe..... Clinton Rogers
:20:32. > :20:34.has been along to the family's home in Kingston Seymour in North
:20:35. > :20:44.Somerset to see how preparations are going. Now that is one fact words,
:20:45. > :20:53.but it has a lot of mouths to feed. `` big bird. A ?42 turkey will take
:20:54. > :21:01.at least ten and a half hours to cook. Will that fit in the oven I
:21:02. > :21:10.have no idea! I have not thought about it! What will you do if it
:21:11. > :21:16.does not? Well, I suppose... We could have a barbecue! Somehow, I do
:21:17. > :21:25.not think it will be barbecue weather. They are already preparing
:21:26. > :21:29.the vegetables. Half a hundredweight of potatoes, about 50 carats and
:21:30. > :21:35.more brussels than you can count. Enough to make a young girl cry
:21:36. > :21:40.There will be for generations of the family and a few friends around the
:21:41. > :21:47.table on Christmas Day. For this great grandmother, this one is easy.
:21:48. > :21:54.Olive, who is 84, cooked in her own home for pensioners in the village.
:21:55. > :22:01.I have got a table that sits 20 You do that in your own home? Yes. In
:22:02. > :22:09.honour of this story, I wore this tide. However, Anita pointed out
:22:10. > :22:17.that I am wearing geese! It is the thought that counts. Here it is 42
:22:18. > :22:26.pounds. It is the biggest Christmas turkey in the Points West area. .
:22:27. > :22:34.LSU no differently. `` unless. I am watching the e`mails carefully. Now
:22:35. > :22:39.let's get the weather. Thank you. What a way to kick off the Christmas
:22:40. > :22:44.week. A deep area of low pressure from the Atlantic. It has spread in
:22:45. > :22:48.and it will spread in over the rest of the night. It clears away
:22:49. > :22:54.tomorrow, and the Christmas period is relatively settled until the end
:22:55. > :23:01.of the week when we do it all again. This is the radar picture from this
:23:02. > :23:07.morning. Some strong winds, touching 60 mph in much of the region.
:23:08. > :23:15.Weather warning still in force for the wind and rain. The winds have
:23:16. > :23:23.almost touch 60 mph in our patch. `` touched 60 mph. Tomorrow morning
:23:24. > :23:28.could be problematic but things calm down for Christmas Eve. Some heavy
:23:29. > :23:37.showers to follow but Atacama picture than Monday's story. `` a
:23:38. > :23:42.calmer picture. Another half an inch of rain tomorrow and we could see
:23:43. > :23:48.trees down. 20 of standing water and spray to take is into Christmas eve
:23:49. > :23:51.morning. Christmas Eve is brighter after that. Heavy and blustery
:23:52. > :24:01.showers, some wintry on certain levels. In between that, we see
:24:02. > :24:06.bright and sunny weather. Under heavy showers, we see further
:24:07. > :24:10.saturation. Chillier tomorrow with temperatures between six and eight
:24:11. > :24:15.Celsius. A bit of a breeze and it feels more wintry. Tomorrow night,
:24:16. > :24:20.those showers persist. Wintry weather on higher ground. Christmas
:24:21. > :24:29.Day, and Boxing Day, broadly similar to Christmas eve. Dry and bright,
:24:30. > :24:34.showers persisting. On Friday. Wet weather comes back with another low
:24:35. > :24:46.from the South West. We end the week where we started. The Christmas week
:24:47. > :24:55.should be more settled. Thank you. Now time for today's Advent
:24:56. > :24:58.calendar. Thank you to Charles Kinsey who sent us this stunning
:24:59. > :25:02.image of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. A big thank you to him, and
:25:03. > :25:05.everyone else who's taken the time to send in these wonderful winter
:25:06. > :25:09.scenes. Well, that's about it from us on our last long programme until
:25:10. > :25:12.January second. Of course we'll have bulletins between now and then. And
:25:13. > :25:16.listen to your local radio station for all the latest on the weather
:25:17. > :25:20.over the next few days. But now as promised, we leave you with some
:25:21. > :25:26.special festive music from the Great Western Chorus. They're a Barber
:25:27. > :25:29.Shop choir featuring more than 0 unaccompanied male voices ` and
:25:30. > :25:31.they've won the British Association of Barbershop Singers' Championships
:25:32. > :25:34.a record eight times. Have a very Happy Christmas.
:25:35. > :25:39.a record eight times. Have a very # Bells are ringing, children are
:25:40. > :25:52.singing. # Christmas time is here.
:25:53. > :26:15.# Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
:26:16. > :26:19.# Let your heart be like. # From now on, our troubles will be
:26:20. > :26:22.out of sight. # Have yourself a Merry Little
:26:23. > :26:31.Christmas. # Make the Yuletide Gay.
:26:32. > :26:38.# From now on, our troubles will be miles away.
:26:39. > :26:44.# Here we are as in olden days. # Happy golden days of yore.
:26:45. > :26:48.# Faithful friends who are dear to us.
:26:49. > :27:07.# Gather near to us once more. # From now on, we all will be
:27:08. > :27:16.together. # If the fates allow, Hank is
:27:17. > :27:22.shining star upon the highest Bal. # And have yourself a Merry Little
:27:23. > :27:36.Christmas now.