:00:00. > :00:00.in advance of the general election. That is all from
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and David Garmston.
:00:00. > :00:08.Our main story tonight: The kindness of strangers.
:00:09. > :00:14.Volunteers rebuild some of the homes flooded out on the Somerset Levels
:00:15. > :00:19.because the insurance companies have abandoned them.
:00:20. > :00:24.When it came to renewal timd, the broker says he could not get any
:00:25. > :00:26.insurance company to take it on But from next Summer,
:00:27. > :00:28.the government's promising flood insurance will be available
:00:29. > :00:30.for all homes. We'll be talking to the indtstry
:00:31. > :00:43.about how the scheme will work. A new home for travellers `
:00:44. > :00:57.Bath approves plans It is now or never for Bristol Rugby
:00:58. > :00:59.cup who need a bigger win in tonight's lay`off final to secure a
:01:00. > :01:00.place in the premiership. And is is this the best cop car ever
:01:01. > :01:05.` Avon and Somerset go Formtla One ` with a vehicle that acceler`tes
:01:06. > :01:26.from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds. Volunteers are rebuilding sdveral
:01:27. > :01:31.uninsured homes after flood that costs the West millions of pounds.
:01:32. > :01:35.The government are introduchng a new scheme that will force interviewers
:01:36. > :01:40.to offer policies at it affordable rates. That does not come in until
:01:41. > :01:47.next summer. Our Somerset Rdporter reports.
:01:48. > :01:50.When this house flooded last year, the insurers did not want
:01:51. > :01:55.And so for Chris Matthews, the volunteers working inside,
:01:56. > :02:04.This is the sorry state we are in at the moment.
:02:05. > :02:07.We visited the house in February, right after it flooded,
:02:08. > :02:15.a matter of days later, four inches of water was to become four feet.
:02:16. > :02:18.Rebuilding the house now is costing the family nothing,
:02:19. > :02:24.even though they are uninsured. One building company has offered
:02:25. > :02:30.time and manpower, completely free of charge.
:02:31. > :02:34.It restores your faith in htman nature, but it does worry
:02:35. > :02:38.me, because if ever this sort of thing was to happen again, H mean
:02:39. > :02:43.you are not going to get a constant flow of people who can afford to
:02:44. > :02:51.give you the time and also invest the money to rebuild.
:02:52. > :02:53.So you are worried about the future?
:02:54. > :03:00.So, all this has been freshly concrdted
:03:01. > :03:03.Next door, Mr Matthew's daughter`in`law was
:03:04. > :03:06.covered, her big fear is, if the family house next door could
:03:07. > :03:11.not get insurance this year, what are her chances next ydar.
:03:12. > :03:15.We still have a mortgage on this place and without insurance,
:03:16. > :03:20.no mortgage, what happens, are we going to end up homeless
:03:21. > :03:22.Fears that are not unfounded.
:03:23. > :03:25.This Somerset estate agent hs already finding companies ttrning
:03:26. > :03:35.Where houses have flooded for two years, they are unlhkely,
:03:36. > :03:39.perhaps, to want this risk back on their books and if the housd changed
:03:40. > :03:43.hands, in the past they oftdn continued with cover, but now they
:03:44. > :03:47.don't want to continue with cover, we are hearing more and mord. It
:03:48. > :03:54.is causing a big problem for their clients and custolers
:03:55. > :04:03.And even those who thought they had cover are realising that thd devil
:04:04. > :04:05.may be in the small print. This couple,
:04:06. > :04:09.on the edge of Moorland, were told their insurance was null and void
:04:10. > :04:12.because they did not declard a drainage ditch near their property.
:04:13. > :04:14.So now, they are living in a caravan.
:04:15. > :04:16.As you can see I live in this wonderful caravan
:04:17. > :04:25.which was donated to us... Sorry. the generosity of people is
:04:26. > :04:29.amazing! To give us caravan to live hn.
:04:30. > :04:34.The generosity does not stop there, there is another house
:04:35. > :04:47.being rebuilt by people givhng their time for nothing.
:04:48. > :04:52.amazing how kind some peopld are.
:04:53. > :04:57.From next Summer people livhng on the Somerset Levels will be able to
:04:58. > :05:02.A new fund has been set up by the government and the insurance
:05:03. > :05:05.industry to help householders who live in high risk areas.
:05:06. > :05:07.I asked Malcolm Tarling from the Association of British
:05:08. > :05:13.Insurers if it means people will no longer be left high and dry.
:05:14. > :05:20.Next summer, people in the region who are most at risk of flooding and
:05:21. > :05:24.least able to afford the cost of flood insurance should be able to
:05:25. > :05:27.get the insurance they need at the price they can afford. Flood
:05:28. > :05:32.premiums will be capped at ` certain level. Who will pay for that? Why
:05:33. > :05:39.will they ensure people who want to claim? The cost will be paid for by
:05:40. > :05:42.those people who go into it through insurance premiums and also through
:05:43. > :05:47.a levy which would be paid by all insurance customers. This is not an
:05:48. > :05:50.additional amount, it is a standardisation of amounts they have
:05:51. > :05:55.already been paying under a previous agreement. If you come across
:05:56. > :05:58.property, and there is a stream nearby which might flood, you will
:05:59. > :06:04.not be staying in future we won t insure you? In the future scheme, we
:06:05. > :06:09.will be able to offer insur`nce cover to people at risk of flooding,
:06:10. > :06:12.just as we do widely at the moment. The difference is that the premiums
:06:13. > :06:17.will be capped at a level that should ensure, regardless of the
:06:18. > :06:22.risk of flooding, that you can get the insurance at a price yot can
:06:23. > :06:28.afford. What happens to people who are about to renew? Insurance will
:06:29. > :06:32.continue to offer flood covdr today getting customers. Obviouslx, the
:06:33. > :06:40.cost of the cover will depend on the level of flood risk and previous
:06:41. > :06:48.flood claims made. People mhght have too increased their flood excess to
:06:49. > :06:54.in sure that premiums can bd capped at an affordable level. What would a
:06:55. > :06:59.reasonable premium be, a three house `` three level house on the Somerset
:07:00. > :07:03.Levels. It is too difficult to say. There are so many variables. Are we
:07:04. > :07:09.talking about hundreds or thousands of pounds? Hundreds of pounds,
:07:10. > :07:12.maybe, in extreme cases we light have a flood excess running into
:07:13. > :07:28.thousands of pounds but thex are the exception rather than the rtle. The
:07:29. > :07:33.cost of a travel' site in Twerton has been given a go`ahead. For four
:07:34. > :07:38.years they have been camped here is eagerly, now the council must pay to
:07:39. > :07:41.make it legitimate. One pointed me in pounds will be spent on this site
:07:42. > :07:47.in the green belt beside Bath. Instead of Mark Dasher goat mud and
:07:48. > :07:55.portaloos, there will be 14 pitches come each with its own Port`kabin. I
:07:56. > :08:01.think they have every right to feel outraged. On top of that, the fact
:08:02. > :08:06.that the administration is talking about having someone in place to
:08:07. > :08:11.keep a check on the cost, adds insult to injury is. We are not
:08:12. > :08:21.allowed to film inside, but inside the councillors discussed the highly
:08:22. > :08:24.`` costs discussed. One member described it as extravagant. Today
:08:25. > :08:29.doesn't go vote was about the plan is not the cost. The council
:08:30. > :08:35.response will, relief after years of seeking a suitable site. If we take
:08:36. > :08:39.in comparison building two`bedroom houses, it is below the cost of
:08:40. > :08:43.building them. Bearing in mhnd there are major infrastructure problems on
:08:44. > :08:49.the site, that this is a world Heritage site, and that we `re
:08:50. > :08:54.enhancing the nature reservds, which have become rundown in prevhous
:08:55. > :08:59.years. ?750,000 of the cost will come from the government who expect
:09:00. > :09:01.councils to provide suitabld sites for travellers. The work is due to
:09:02. > :09:07.start in the autumn. A jury has been hearing how
:09:08. > :09:10.a Cheltenham man was beaten to death for stealing a towel, phone
:09:11. > :09:14.charger and two bottles of wine Victor McDermott's body was found
:09:15. > :09:16.in a car park The court was told Simon Boswell
:09:17. > :09:20.and Andrew Harling knocked Mr McDermott unconscious
:09:21. > :09:22.before dragging him into thd car park and attacking him again.
:09:23. > :09:27.Both men deny murder. The new
:09:28. > :09:29.Paediatric Emergency Departlent at the Great Western Hospit`l
:09:30. > :09:32.in Swindon will be launched today. The ?1 million works began last
:09:33. > :09:34.August As well as a redesigned building,
:09:35. > :09:38.there's a dedicated children's A big fundraising effort
:09:39. > :09:48.from local people means the hospital Youngsters can be treated sdparately
:09:49. > :09:59.from adults. The whole thing cost ?1 million. This evening Bristol Rugby
:10:00. > :10:04.club will be trying to bring aid place back in the Premier. @ny to
:10:05. > :10:17.overturn a definite deaths `` deficit. Do you think we can do it?
:10:18. > :10:21.No side has ever lost the fhrst match and gone on to win. Bristol
:10:22. > :10:25.must read some ground. Here is a trophy the winning team will get.
:10:26. > :10:29.It's a symbol look`up rights. Obviously, they're winning prize is
:10:30. > :10:32.to win promotion up to the premiership. There have been
:10:33. > :10:39.different levels of investmdnt into the Bristol team. It's down to this
:10:40. > :10:42.man. Most people know him for his connections with Bristol city. It's
:10:43. > :10:49.these play`offs. Whatever sport you are involved in, they box ndw. They
:10:50. > :10:55.do exist! We have to be good enough to get through them. We havd an
:10:56. > :10:59.opportunity tonight to achidve that. Just how much of your money has gone
:11:00. > :11:05.into this venture? I won't say that! We have invested and we havd
:11:06. > :11:09.invested wisely. We set a btdget and we have stuck to it. We will do the
:11:10. > :11:15.same next season will stop ht is a proper business plan. We have
:11:16. > :11:20.invested not just in the sqtad, but obviously in the coaching and Andy
:11:21. > :11:29.Bosna river team and the medical side. It is on a good fitting. Are
:11:30. > :11:35.you still prepared for thosd players who are coming in? Oh yes. The aim
:11:36. > :11:39.is to get into the premiership. If not this time, we aim to do it next
:11:40. > :11:44.time. We will be stronger ndxt year. That is good news. And if it does
:11:45. > :11:49.turn out well tonight, are xou prepared to up that level of
:11:50. > :11:58.investment even more? We ard not far from it. We will move to Ashton Gate
:11:59. > :12:03.and house more people, maybd not immediately, but certainly over the
:12:04. > :12:08.years to come. That is the whole point of it. We want to plax our
:12:09. > :12:15.sport in a top acidity with the infrastructure which supports it. I
:12:16. > :12:22.hope it goes well. It is a special night on many levels. When xou join
:12:23. > :12:26.me again, I will be reminiscing about some of the good old days
:12:27. > :12:30.with a couple of club legends and talking to a fan who has tr`velled
:12:31. > :12:44.from the other side of the world just to be here tonight. Incredible!
:12:45. > :12:50.We will also continue our World War I at Home tyrannies. We will hear
:12:51. > :13:05.about an object from his datghter in Cheltenham. The running of West in
:13:06. > :13:09.general was the taps to tender after a series of inspections. Its
:13:10. > :13:16.improvement has improved and is now likely to be taken over by `nother
:13:17. > :13:20.trust. It's been a long fight against what this campaign `nd see
:13:21. > :13:26.as privatisation of the NHS. Today, that fight is over.
:13:27. > :13:29.But a turnaround in performance means joining forces
:13:30. > :13:40.It is great for the people of North Somerset. It's a relief to know it
:13:41. > :13:41.will not be a private company taking over this hospital.
:13:42. > :13:45.The last time Weston was merged with another hospital was in the 198 's,
:13:46. > :13:47.when it joined forces with the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
:13:48. > :13:51.So from today , 12 NHS trusts from a 50 mild radius
:13:52. > :13:55.of the town have been invitdd to merge with or acquire the hospital.
:13:56. > :14:00.But that will be a challengd as it has debts of ?4.5 million
:14:01. > :14:06.It's the emergency department that relies most heavily on loculs,
:14:07. > :14:14.but joining up with another hospital could improve this.
:14:15. > :14:18.That could be seen as a bendfit for doctors wanting to come herd and
:14:19. > :14:21.rotate between two hospitals. But could a takeover mean closing
:14:22. > :14:24.its A E at night, so that resources can be concentratdd
:14:25. > :14:32.at its partner's hospital? Decisions are not about services but
:14:33. > :14:35.about the organisation itself. The town will know within two weeks
:14:36. > :14:38.which bidders are interested, the most likely candidates `re
:14:39. > :15:03.Taunton's Musgrove Park One more men killed `` betwden 8
:15:04. > :15:07.and 41 were called up. But some refused to fight. Conscienthous
:15:08. > :15:10.objectors or Conchie were shunned by many.
:15:11. > :15:13.MUSIC PLAYS The pressure of a young men to sign
:15:14. > :15:17.up for the Great War would have been irresistible for most kids. Even the
:15:18. > :15:21.music hawkers conspired to hnduce young men to take King's shhlling.
:15:22. > :15:23.As is movingly encapsulated in the feature film, Oh
:15:24. > :15:35.but we think you ought # to go #.
:15:36. > :15:39.But by 1916, Britain had lost half a million soldiers and
:15:40. > :15:44.volunteers were no longer enough. The Military Service Act was
:15:45. > :15:55.passed, requiring every fit young man to fight on the front lhne. I
:15:56. > :15:58.have come to Cheltenham to leet the family of one man who refusdd that
:15:59. > :16:07.call and paid a terrible prhce. He was prepared, wasn't he, to die for
:16:08. > :16:12.his cause. If necessary, yes. He wasn't a coward. No, he was not
:16:13. > :16:15.This is Jack Forrester's datghter, Elizabeth. Jack was a Conchhe. His
:16:16. > :16:19.father and his two brothers joined up at the beginning of the war and
:16:20. > :16:30.his father must have been qtite young. They went off, but hd decided
:16:31. > :16:34.that war was wicked and wrong. He didn't want to have anything to do
:16:35. > :16:37.with it. Jack was a mathematician, a schoolteacher and a
:16:38. > :16:40.loving but fun father who did everxthing
:16:41. > :16:49.by numbers. He told me my thmes tables. Not just, 3 x 3 = 9,
:16:50. > :16:53.but, on up to the 50s and 60s. But his
:16:54. > :16:57.peaceful life at a public school came to an abrupt end when his
:16:58. > :17:01.call`up papers arrived. Relhgious and moral grounds, he supported the
:17:02. > :17:04.anti`war movement but while most pacifists were given noncombat
:17:05. > :17:11.roles, Jack refused to lift a finger for the war effort. He felt that if
:17:12. > :17:16.a sufficient numbers of people said what was wrong, even if thex had to
:17:17. > :17:20.give up everything, to do that, later on, in the future, thdre would
:17:21. > :17:25.be more and more people who would not. They would not take part in a
:17:26. > :17:38.His generation which set an example which later on would get more
:17:39. > :17:46.popular and eventually therd would be no war is he felt there should
:17:47. > :17:49.not be wars. He was among the few hard court refuses and the lilitary
:17:50. > :17:53.tried to break him. They weren't allowed to execute him in Britain,
:17:54. > :17:56.said the army moved into Fr`nce where he was sentenced to ddath for
:17:57. > :18:05.refusing to obey an order. Lessily, that was changed to improvelent ``
:18:06. > :18:12.mercifully. Unbelievable by today's standards. They were given field
:18:13. > :18:18.punishment, called crucifixhon, they were tied to the barbed wird with
:18:19. > :18:21.chains and ropes with their arms out and their feet tied together at the
:18:22. > :18:26.bottom of the barbed wire. They had to hang like that for two hours
:18:27. > :18:29.every day. Then they were ptt back in the darkness and were handcuffed.
:18:30. > :18:36.That hands were behind their backs all day. They were handcuffs ``
:18:37. > :18:40.handcuffed at night with thdir hands in front. Many years later, Jack
:18:41. > :18:45.gave a television interview about his experiences and how he hn by ``
:18:46. > :18:49.survived the imprisonment, torture and near starvation by his own
:18:50. > :18:57.country. Elizabeth has never seen the interview, until now. It was not
:18:58. > :19:01.done by tedium. I can always find something to do. Even beford the
:19:02. > :19:04.state of conflict, we were on the local side and I would do d`ft
:19:05. > :19:09.things like counting out all the names in the Bible, making ` list to
:19:10. > :19:18.show their frequencies. What did you think? I am very proud of hhm. He
:19:19. > :19:23.did not talk about it, we knew nothing of this when we werd Jordan.
:19:24. > :19:28.After the war, public opinion started to turn and tens of
:19:29. > :19:35.thousands signed the Piece Pledge saying they would never fight again.
:19:36. > :19:41.Conversely, Jack Austro views changed to anti`signed up to fight.
:19:42. > :19:49.Jack went on to live a long and principled life and bore no
:19:50. > :19:54.bitterness. That was humbling. Jack was a remarkable and brave lan who
:19:55. > :19:59.was quite happy to be shot hn the cause of peace. As we look back 100
:20:00. > :20:10.years to get terrible conflhct, it is worth remembering that there is
:20:11. > :20:17.more than one type of hero. I have learned so much from this sdries.
:20:18. > :20:19.BBC local radio is also bro`dcasting stories. Look at our websitd to find
:20:20. > :20:29.out more. Let's head back to the
:20:30. > :20:31.Memorial Stadium now where Tonight's playoff final is Bristol's
:20:32. > :20:50.last ever game Just under the cover! It is going to
:20:51. > :20:55.be an emotional night, what ever happened about the results. This
:20:56. > :21:00.place has been home for Bristol since 1921 but next season these
:21:01. > :21:08.fans on the terraces will bd watching their rugby at Bristol
:21:09. > :21:11.City's Ashton gate. The Memorial Stadium was built in memory of the
:21:12. > :21:16.rugby players from the city who died in the First World War. Of course,
:21:17. > :21:24.it looked very different back in those days. These pictures of me
:21:25. > :21:31.1960s when Bristol was in its prime. We have been catching up with two
:21:32. > :21:36.legends. 1984, and the Memorial Stadhum
:21:37. > :21:40.looked very different. All these years on, it still providing many a
:21:41. > :21:53.memory of playing. The forwards run up. I used to
:21:54. > :22:01.invite the opposition to trx and stop me. Usually, it was a little
:22:02. > :22:06.bit further back. With the constraint of time, we should bring
:22:07. > :22:18.it closer. He said he scored it from further out! Not many peopld were
:22:19. > :22:25.failing. Not many people want to challenge such a big butt look of a
:22:26. > :22:31.man. There are some fantasthc personal memories from the very same
:22:32. > :22:36.match. There was a ball just around here and it came on an arc `round
:22:37. > :22:44.the rock. Someone took a pass from Richard. They drew the defence that
:22:45. > :22:52.was here, all this way and then flicked the ball back insidd. Alan
:22:53. > :22:56.Morley scored at the post. @PPLAUSE Fantastic memories, particularly of
:22:57. > :23:01.the Welsh teams which came `cross. The players and the calibre of the
:23:02. > :23:07.play on those days, the Barry Johnson, they all played here
:23:08. > :23:11.against us and it was a trelendous thrill to pick your skills `gainst
:23:12. > :23:17.these fantastic players. It was such a big part of mine and Mike's life.
:23:18. > :23:22.We are still coming now. It's a fresh start, but I guess a new
:23:23. > :23:28.chapter. We look forward to going to Ashton Gate. Some great memories,
:23:29. > :23:33.hopefully one more tonight. Tickets sold out within three days, but no
:23:34. > :23:39.one has come further than this man, Dave Rawlings, where have you come
:23:40. > :23:46.from? I have come from Sydndy, Australia. How much has a cost? A
:23:47. > :23:51.small fortune! It's certainly a lot of money, but hopefully it hs worth
:23:52. > :23:57.it. A lot of people will be saying, why? I have been a supporter of
:23:58. > :24:04.Bristol since I was seven or eight years old. I have missed only a
:24:05. > :24:09.handful of games. I always promised myself I would be back to this game
:24:10. > :24:13.and here I am. You put thesd flights reasonably before the first leg
:24:14. > :24:19.Would you have still come even if you knew that Mr needed a 20 point
:24:20. > :24:26.win tonight question mark yds! I took the gamble and would h`ve been
:24:27. > :24:37.here regardless. I hope it works out for you. Do you think they would do
:24:38. > :24:42.it? I hope so! Good stuff! Well done on making the trip. Bristol need to
:24:43. > :24:55.win by 20 day are going to lake Dave and everyone's night here. Results
:24:56. > :25:00.later. Could it be
:25:01. > :25:02.the fastest police car ever? It's an Arial Atom, made
:25:03. > :25:05.in Somerset, holder of the Top Gear lap record, and the closest thing to
:25:06. > :25:10.a motorbike on four wheels. It's fitted out with the Avon
:25:11. > :25:13.and Somerset police livery. It won't be chasing villains
:25:14. > :25:16.on our roads though ` it's been drafted in to prolote
:25:17. > :25:51.their new bike safety campahgn, I was keen to come to you. Ht was
:25:52. > :25:56.pretty good! More than 50 cc! These guys will greet us tomorrow. Plenty
:25:57. > :26:02.of blue sky and sunshine for tomorrow. There will be the odd
:26:03. > :26:08.shower in the afternoon. Thd majority will be dry and warm
:26:09. > :26:16.competitor Dave. The rain h`s killed its way across Wales and is ready
:26:17. > :26:22.its way eastwards. Potential thunderstorms over South Wiltshire
:26:23. > :26:26.and heavy rain on the cards for many of you through the evening.
:26:27. > :26:34.Including the rugby match. Ht will tidy up eventually. Tomorrow, under
:26:35. > :26:40.high pressure ridges, it will bring a much better day all round. But
:26:41. > :26:44.this evening, still a fair `mount of wet weather to come but it will turn
:26:45. > :26:49.erratic and then lighter as the evening goes on and it will clear
:26:50. > :26:55.away. The skies were clear, too Temperatures will drop too low
:26:56. > :27:03.values, even as low as four Celsius five Celsius. Widely, seven to nine
:27:04. > :27:06.Celsius. A cool start tomorrow. That won't last long with June stnshine
:27:07. > :27:12.and will turn into a differdnt story. A good deal of sunshhne with
:27:13. > :27:18.only a few showers. Variabld amount of cloud as the day wears on. Just a
:27:19. > :27:23.light moderate breeze. Tempdratures will be well up on the ten to 1
:27:24. > :27:28.Celsius that we saw today, closer to 16 to 18 Celsius. We still retain
:27:29. > :27:34.the yellow weather warning for Saturday, I will update you further
:27:35. > :27:38.tomorrow. Still a lot of uncertainty are some disruption. Please do
:27:39. > :27:48.better and nine. Think you very much. We will be back at 10pm. We
:27:49. > :27:54.hope to return in triumphant tomorrow!
:27:55. > :27:57.When the first travellers crossed America, they were faced with this -
:27:58. > :28:13.The very nature of the American personality was defined.
:28:14. > :28:16.Ray Mears explores the land behind the Hollywood legend
:28:17. > :28:19.and discovers the wild that made the West.