:00:02. > :00:06.Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines:
:00:06. > :00:09.How safe are our seas? Swansea coastguard station is to shut. The
:00:09. > :00:15.Welsh Government says UK ministers would have to account for any
:00:15. > :00:22.consequences. But there's relief at Milford Haven and Holyhead - the
:00:22. > :00:32.two stations will remain open. Here in Mumbles there's
:00:32. > :00:40.
:00:40. > :00:43.disappointment. We'll have full Also tonight:
:00:43. > :00:48.Welsh conservatives elect their new leader - we'll be talking live to
:00:48. > :00:51.Andrew RT Davies. And the foundation stone of the
:00:51. > :00:58.National Library laid by King George V 100 years ago - as the
:00:58. > :01:01.library celebrates it's centenary, what's next as it battles big cuts?
:01:01. > :01:09.My goodness me, he's crashed! And he'll be falling down the
:01:10. > :01:12.mountain - Geraint Thomas takes a Good evening. They'd taken to the
:01:12. > :01:16.streets in their hundreds and handed in a 20,000 signature
:01:16. > :01:20.petition to No.10 Downing Street. Today those who'd campaigned to
:01:20. > :01:23.save coastguard stations at Milford Haven and Holyhead got their reward.
:01:23. > :01:26.The two centres were given a reprieve, but the one at Mumbles
:01:26. > :01:36.near Swansea, which had been thought to be safe, will close
:01:36. > :01:37.
:01:37. > :01:43.instead. Our reporter Ross Harries is there for us this evening. Ross.
:01:43. > :01:46.It has been a day of mixed emotions. I have spent a feud debt -- a few
:01:46. > :01:50.hours with Milford Haven campaigners today. They are
:01:50. > :01:56.understandably delighted at the decision to retain their coastguard
:01:56. > :01:59.station. Here in Mumbles, it is the opposite end of the scale. They are
:01:59. > :02:04.losing their station. A number of Labour MPs are claiming Milford
:02:04. > :02:08.Haven received preferential treatment because both
:02:08. > :02:14.Pembrokeshire constituencies have Conservative MPs. Whichever filter
:02:14. > :02:17.you look at this through, it has been an intriguing day.
:02:17. > :02:19.We have decided to retain the coastguard centre at Milford
:02:19. > :02:22.Haven... The moment of victory. These
:02:22. > :02:25.campaigners fought long and hard against the decision to shut the
:02:25. > :02:32.Milford Haven coastguard station, calling it reckless. They met at
:02:32. > :02:37.their local to hear the transport minister announce a U-turn.
:02:37. > :02:41.In light of a further review of the potential costs of the they Keating
:02:41. > :02:46.the existing sites in Swansea and mint -- and Milford Haven, which
:02:46. > :02:51.has shown there are no financial or operational reasons to favour
:02:51. > :02:56.either location, and in view of my department's substantial levels of
:02:56. > :03:01.unemployment in Swansea, we have decided to retain the coastguard
:03:01. > :03:03.centre in Swansea -- in world what haven rather than Swansea.
:03:03. > :03:06.Their campaign was well organised and unrelenting. It included
:03:06. > :03:09.rallies in Milford, a journey to Downing Street to deliver a 20,000
:03:09. > :03:12.strong petition, and an angry confrontation with the head of UK
:03:12. > :03:20.Coastguard Service. He said he'd listen to their concerns. It
:03:20. > :03:24.appears he has done. Absolute elation. Absolute elation.
:03:24. > :03:29.So many emotions running through our minds right now, after that
:03:29. > :03:34.announcement this morning, that Milford Haven's disturbs station
:03:34. > :03:38.has been saved. It is the right decision. -- coastguard station.
:03:38. > :03:41.But if the mood was one of elation in Milford, it was one of despair
:03:41. > :03:44.in Mumbles. Their station will now shut, leading to the loss of nearly
:03:44. > :03:50.30 jobs. That means rescue operations like this one on the
:03:50. > :03:54.Gower will have to be coordinated from much further away.
:03:54. > :03:59.The Secretary of State has failed to justify his decision to close
:03:59. > :04:03.Swansea and keep Milford Haven open. It makes no sense in maritime
:04:03. > :04:07.safety terms, it may make sense in terms of narrow party-political
:04:07. > :04:13.advantage. Swansea is better placed strategically, Swansea deals with
:04:13. > :04:17.twice as many incidents as Milford Haven does, Swansea had a history
:04:17. > :04:21.of liaising with different police services across South Wales and the
:04:21. > :04:28.south-west of England. Milford Haven has only ever dealt with
:04:28. > :04:32.Dyfed-Powys. Celebrations at Tom Maynard. -- at
:04:32. > :04:36.Holyhead. A decision was made to shut the station in Liverpool
:04:36. > :04:39.instead. It is a reflection of the hard work
:04:39. > :04:43.that has gone into the campaign to keep the station opened. Local
:04:43. > :04:47.support from the public and shipping companies, and other water
:04:47. > :04:51.users, has been absolutely phenomenal. It is a reward for
:04:52. > :04:57.these people as much as anything. Hundreds of people get into trouble
:04:57. > :04:59.in waters like these around the Welsh coastline every year. The
:04:59. > :05:03.case Guard Service has always maintained the modernisation
:05:03. > :05:06.programme would lead to a more efficient and safe the system.
:05:06. > :05:16.Campaigners disagreed and today their voices have been heard, but
:05:16. > :05:20.
:05:20. > :05:27.their victory has been bittersweet. Elation at Milford and for Holly
:05:27. > :05:31.Aird, a reprieve. Despair in Mumbles. It is a suede which covers
:05:31. > :05:35.the coast from Swansea down to Cardiff and across the Channel to
:05:35. > :05:41.Bristol and north Somerset. It is a busy waterway with pleasure votes
:05:41. > :05:46.and servers. A lot of commercial shipping as well. There is
:05:47. > :05:50.potentially a chance for a reprieve. There is a consultation period on
:05:51. > :05:53.these new proposals until October. Swansea can still potentially
:05:53. > :05:56.change their minds. Thank you.
:05:56. > :06:00.Lets talk to Stephen Crabb the MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, who
:06:00. > :06:03.fought to save the Milford Haven station. We know you're pleased
:06:03. > :06:09.about the Milford decision but can you assure people that two stations
:06:09. > :06:14.will keep waters safe? The Welsh government says UK ministers will
:06:14. > :06:20.have to account for consequences. Absolutely. The decision to save
:06:20. > :06:24.Milford Haven and Holly ed stations were based on the back of a long
:06:24. > :06:29.consultation. There have been 2000 responses to that, dozens of
:06:29. > :06:33.alternatives ideas. This being very much evidence led and risk assessed
:06:33. > :06:37.and I believe the right decision has been made for south-west Wales.
:06:37. > :06:41.Is this political? Labour MPs in Swansea claimed Milford Haven was
:06:41. > :06:44.saved because there are two Conservative MPs in Pembrokeshire.
:06:44. > :06:48.There are too conservative colleagues of mine in Cornwall and
:06:48. > :06:54.they are not so pleased because their local station is earmarked
:06:54. > :06:57.for closure. Absolutely not political. It was based on evidence
:06:58. > :07:03.and the saved Milford Haven action group have come up with fantastic
:07:03. > :07:08.evidence about the importance of maintaining the station.
:07:08. > :07:13.It was thought that Swansea station would stay open. It is claimed it
:07:13. > :07:20.is twice as busy as Milford Haven. What strings did duple?
:07:20. > :07:25.I didn't pull any strings. We have been active campaign group in
:07:25. > :07:29.Pembrokeshire through. That is what a good Member of Parliament does.
:07:29. > :07:33.This has been a real consultation and the government has looked at
:07:33. > :07:40.the proposals. Normally, governments get criticised for not
:07:40. > :07:43.listening during consultations and ram-raiding proposals through. Here
:07:43. > :07:48.they have lessons. We have heard from our reporter
:07:48. > :07:52.that there is chance for a reprieve. Will you be fighting for that?
:07:52. > :07:55.I will be, if the people of Swansea want to get in touch with me, if
:07:55. > :08:00.local coastguards want to communicate with me, I am happy to
:08:00. > :08:04.look at the evidence they have put together. There is a 12 week
:08:04. > :08:14.consultation period but my duty is to look after the coast of station
:08:14. > :08:19.in Milford Haven. Fifteen-year-old Rebecca Aylward's
:08:20. > :08:23.body was found near Aberkenfig last October. A 16-year-old defendant
:08:23. > :08:28.denies murder. Matt Murray was in court.
:08:28. > :08:34.A bright and popular girl. 15-year- old Rebecca L-word was battered to
:08:34. > :08:38.death with a rock. The 16-year-old cannot be named for legal reasons.
:08:38. > :08:42.Today he gave evidence in his defence. A former boyfriend, he
:08:42. > :08:49.told the jury he did not kill her but Hare's best friend did in this
:08:49. > :08:54.would land. He said he had handed to the words to chat with his
:08:54. > :08:57.former girlfriend and have some peace.
:08:57. > :09:02.The defendants at his best friend had never liked Rebekah. When he
:09:02. > :09:07.arrived in the words, the pair had started arguing. He said he grabbed
:09:07. > :09:11.her and pushed her to the court. -- to the floor. He said it was at
:09:11. > :09:16.this point that his friend grabbed a watch -- wrapped in rock and
:09:16. > :09:19.smashed it against her head. He said it all seemed to happen in a
:09:19. > :09:23.matter of seconds. Her body was found the next day after her mother
:09:23. > :09:27.reported her missing. Today in court it was claimed that the two
:09:27. > :09:30.friends had joked about killing her and her best friend -- his best and
:09:30. > :09:34.had even offered to buy the defendant breakfast it he went
:09:34. > :09:38.through with it. Today he said it was not meant to be taken seriously.
:09:38. > :09:42.The defendant watched helplessly in a state of shock. He then headed
:09:42. > :09:46.back to his best friend's house. A friend suggested having a
:09:46. > :09:50.celebratory drinks but he said it didn't feel right and he wanted to
:09:50. > :09:53.leave. He headed back to his grandmother's house, who lived near
:09:53. > :09:58.by. He said he was trying to convince himself that his friend
:09:58. > :10:08.had not done it. His barrister asked him, did you know how to deal
:10:08. > :10:09.
:10:09. > :10:14.with this situation? He said, no. The trial continues.
:10:14. > :10:19.The bodies of a couple have been found in a flat in the peninsula.
:10:19. > :10:23.They were discovered by police in Chwilog. 53-year-old Steven Paul
:10:23. > :10:31.Finch and his patent -- and his partner, Kaitlyn Willow, were found
:10:31. > :10:40.on the same day. Officers are not treating the matter as suspicious.
:10:40. > :10:44.A sub-postmaster in when if -- in Penryn day drive has been charged
:10:44. > :10:46.after financial irregularities in the town.
:10:46. > :10:50.The Education Minister has announced that comprehensive
:10:50. > :10:53.schools in Wales were -- will be placed into the form of dance from
:10:53. > :10:56.this autumn. Leighton Andrews insists the move is part of
:10:56. > :11:04.measures to improve standards and not about naming and shaming
:11:04. > :11:08.schools. The model for primary schools is still under development.
:11:08. > :11:11.The Conservatives have a new leader at the National Assembly. Andrew RT
:11:11. > :11:13.Davies beat rival Nick Ramsay with 53.1% of the votes cast by party
:11:13. > :11:17.members. Tonight David Cameron said he's looking forward to working
:11:17. > :11:19.with him. The contest had been called after former leader Nick
:11:19. > :11:23.Bourne lost his seat in May's assembly election. Our Welsh
:11:23. > :11:26.Affairs Editor Vaughan Roderick is at the Senedd. Vaughan.
:11:26. > :11:34.Well Lucy it took six hours for the Conservatives to count the 3,000 or
:11:34. > :11:42.so votes cast at the SWALEC Stadium. Maybe it was the tightness of the
:11:42. > :11:48.margin responsible, a couple of hundred votes between the winner
:11:48. > :11:54.and the defeated Nick Ramsay. Taking the applause. Andrew RT
:11:54. > :11:58.Davies received 53 % of the vote. He became the leader of the
:11:58. > :12:01.Conservative group in the Assembly. It is, as I said as I have gone
:12:01. > :12:06.around Wales, in honour to stand for the leadership of the
:12:06. > :12:09.Conservative group. I believe passionately in the ideals of what
:12:09. > :12:14.the Conservative Party is about. It is about freedom, the individual
:12:14. > :12:21.being able to get on in life and protecting the most vulnerable.
:12:21. > :12:25.Andrew RT Davies also paid tribute to his opponent, he feels the party
:12:26. > :12:30.has benefited from a race. I think it is good we had a contest.
:12:30. > :12:34.We have a democratic leader for the group. We haven't had a contest for
:12:34. > :12:38.a long time and it is for the team to unite behind Andrew.
:12:38. > :12:44.What do we know about the Assembly's newest party member?
:12:44. > :12:46.Andrew RT Davies was born in Cowbridge in 1968 and has been an
:12:46. > :12:51.Cowbridge in 1968 and has been an Assembly member since 2007. Before
:12:51. > :12:55.entering politics, he ran the family farm in the Vale of
:12:55. > :12:57.Glamorgan. He is married with four children and says he enjoys
:12:57. > :13:01.swimming and spending time with his swimming and spending time with his
:13:01. > :13:04.family. Any spare time will be at a premium now he is Assembly group
:13:04. > :13:07.leader. He has already had the prime minister on the phone,
:13:07. > :13:12.congratulating him, as has the Welsh Secretary.
:13:12. > :13:16.I think he will bring a fresh style to the group. I think he has strong
:13:16. > :13:21.unionist credentials. He has the credentials which appeal across
:13:21. > :13:26.Wales, as a farmer and businessman. Some of his constituents in the
:13:26. > :13:29.South Wales Central Region have also welcomed him in his new role.
:13:29. > :13:34.I think it will be good news for the agricultural community with his
:13:34. > :13:38.farming background, and hopefully, good news for the Vale, having a
:13:38. > :13:41.local man represent us in the Assembly.
:13:42. > :13:46.It is neither here nor there. Somebody had to do the task.
:13:46. > :13:50.Somebody has to do it. Andrew RT Davies is the new leader
:13:50. > :13:55.of the Conservative Assembly group. A group of 14 members, the biggest
:13:55. > :13:59.group ever. He told party members his priority is to challenge Carwyn
:13:59. > :14:09.Jones and his Labour government. He has a few months before he is
:14:09. > :14:12.backing the Assembly with an opportunity to do that.
:14:12. > :14:17.The new leader of the Conservatives in the Assembly, Andrew RT Davies,
:14:18. > :14:22.is with me now. Congratulations. It was a squeaky when.
:14:22. > :14:27.It was a good election campaign. We had good engagement from the
:14:27. > :14:29.membership. We had hustings across Wales and it shows that the
:14:29. > :14:34.Conservative Party want to engage with the Assembly and the Assembly
:14:34. > :14:37.group. I am obviously pleased with the outcome but pleased with the
:14:37. > :14:41.way the party membership has raised to the challenge.
:14:41. > :14:45.People will say Nick Ramsay deserves to be your deputy but you
:14:45. > :14:49.have closed out that opportunity? I haven't taken any assumptions on
:14:49. > :14:54.board because after met the I did nothing for granted and we had the
:14:54. > :14:56.election today. We will be discussing over the next couple of
:14:56. > :15:00.days the way I see things going forward but also working with
:15:00. > :15:04.colleagues to see how it fits in with portfolios.
:15:04. > :15:08.Can he be your deputy? I have an idea I want to construct.
:15:08. > :15:14.I will talk to colleagues over the next couple of days. It is
:15:14. > :15:17.unfortunate we are going to recess. What I am excited about is the
:15:17. > :15:20.opportunity this will present in the second decade of the 21st
:15:20. > :15:24.century, to promote a positive Welsh Conservative message about
:15:24. > :15:29.the positive aspects we have. What does that message? The message
:15:29. > :15:32.the it David Cameron gave to the Assembly about breaking up the
:15:32. > :15:35.public's services in Wales and bringing in the private sector,
:15:35. > :15:40.breaking up the monopoly of public services?
:15:40. > :15:44.We need to empower people in Wales to take control of their lives so
:15:44. > :15:49.we improve the economy, schools and hospitals.
:15:49. > :15:53.Break up the health service? It is ironic you have used the
:15:53. > :15:57.health service as an example. If an error in Berlin can see what we are
:15:57. > :16:01.doing in Cardiff by taking a billion pounds out of the health
:16:02. > :16:06.service, he will be turning in his grave. The Welsh Conservatives are
:16:06. > :16:10.championing the NHS. I will be taking that positive message for
:16:10. > :16:13.what. It is about empowering clinicians and teachers and
:16:14. > :16:18.business people to make their decisions which make Wales a richer
:16:18. > :16:20.and more prosperous place. People will look to Wales as an example of
:16:20. > :16:24.what they want to see in their own lives.
:16:24. > :16:28.Why should the people of Wales vote Tory?
:16:28. > :16:32.I believe the people of Wales what a centre right message. We have
:16:32. > :16:36.made steady gains and I look forward to looking people across
:16:36. > :16:38.the Conservative band -- brand to bring that message to the people of
:16:38. > :16:47.Wales. We will be hearing more from this
:16:47. > :16:50.man in the coming years and months. Coming up in Wales Today: Welsh
:16:50. > :16:55.cyclist Geraint Thomas takes a tumble in the first high mountain
:16:55. > :16:59.stage of the Tour de France. Should the way we elect Assembly
:16:59. > :17:02.Members change? Peter Hain, the shadow Welsh Secretary, thinks so.
:17:02. > :17:05.He says AMs should be chosen wholly by first past the post. Currently,
:17:05. > :17:08.one third of them are elected by proportional representation. But
:17:08. > :17:17.Labour's opponents think it's a plan to keep them out of power.
:17:17. > :17:23.Here's our parliamentary correspondent, David Cornock.
:17:23. > :17:26.Voting was easy back in the Swinging 60s. The winner was the
:17:26. > :17:32.candidate with their most books. These days with devolution things
:17:33. > :17:39.are more complicated. At the moment, when Assembly Members floated from
:17:39. > :17:43.each of the 40 constituencies through first past the post. But
:17:43. > :17:48.with the number of Westminster MPs being cut to 30, Labour say the
:17:48. > :17:51.Assembly system has to change as well. They give each voter two
:17:51. > :17:56.votes in the 30 constituencies which would each sent to Assembly
:17:56. > :17:59.Members Cardiff Bay, elected by first-past-the-post. There is no
:18:00. > :18:04.evidence that Labour would benefit from the change I am suggesting. We
:18:04. > :18:07.have to make a change to avoid the chaos and Scotland of Welsh
:18:07. > :18:13.Assembly members having different boundaries from March
:18:13. > :18:17.parliamentarians, causing chaos for parties and confusion for voters.
:18:17. > :18:25.Labour have tended to win most first-past-the-post seats in the
:18:25. > :18:28.Assembly. For the former coalition partners, it is a deal breaker.
:18:28. > :18:33.This is not for the good of Wales and we will not support a
:18:33. > :18:38.government that advance this as the future for us democracy. It is a
:18:38. > :18:42.travesty of the gains we have made in having a more proportional and
:18:42. > :18:47.representative Assembly over the years. It would create an Assembly
:18:47. > :18:51.which was biased towards the south- east of Wales in particular. It
:18:51. > :18:56.would be stacked with Labour Party members and this is political
:18:56. > :19:00.manipulation. The UK Government is looking at the idea of having more
:19:00. > :19:04.members elected proportionately with just 30 elected by first-past-
:19:04. > :19:09.the-post. It is natural that officials will look at all sorts of
:19:09. > :19:14.options. There needs to be wide consultation. Two months ago, Peter
:19:14. > :19:17.Hain was talking about a proportional system and they want
:19:18. > :19:23.to change it in the interest of the Labour Party not in the interest of
:19:23. > :19:28.Wales. A Although we are talking about Assembly elections, the rules
:19:28. > :19:32.are decided by Parliament. So Labour's Peter Hain is going to
:19:32. > :19:36.have to convince a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition
:19:36. > :19:38.government and that might be easier said than done.
:19:38. > :19:41.Plenty more political discussion to come on Dragon's Eye tonight when
:19:41. > :19:44.they'll be looking at the hacking scandal. They'll be talking to the
:19:44. > :19:46.mother of Richard Hunt from Abergavenny, the 200th British
:19:46. > :19:49.soldier killed in Afghanistan. She says she's sickened that the phones
:19:49. > :19:52.of families of dead soldiers may have been hacked into.
:19:52. > :19:55.And you can hear more on that story tonight in Dragon's Eye. That's on
:19:55. > :19:58.BBC 1 Wales at 10:35pm tonight. The National Library of Wales in
:19:58. > :20:01.Aberystwyth is celebrating a very special birthday this week. It's
:20:01. > :20:04.100 years tomorrow since King George the Fifth visited the town
:20:04. > :20:06.to lay the foundation stone. But with cuts to public funding taking
:20:06. > :20:09.their toll, what does the future hold for our National Library?
:20:09. > :20:11.Cemlyn Davies reports. It's one of our most iconic
:20:11. > :20:16.buildings, offering a spectacular vantage point over Cardigan Bay and
:20:16. > :20:20.a unique glimpse at some of our most treasured possessions. 100
:20:20. > :20:25.years ago, King George V and Queen Mary came to Aberystwyth to lay the
:20:25. > :20:28.building's foundation stone. It opened five years later. Since then,
:20:28. > :20:34.the library's faced many challenges, including the birth of the digital
:20:34. > :20:38.age and the world wide web. The library's now in the process of
:20:38. > :20:43.scanning two million pages from old newspapers. The articles will then
:20:43. > :20:46.be made available to read on the library's website. But perhaps the
:20:46. > :20:50.greatest challenge of all will come as the library tries to cope with
:20:50. > :20:54.cuts to its budget. This place is expected to lose �1 million over
:20:54. > :21:03.the next three years. That could have an impact on the library's
:21:03. > :21:09.ability to buy new collections and jobs could also be under threat.
:21:10. > :21:19.The library has been used to restrictions. It is a challenge but
:21:20. > :21:20.
:21:20. > :21:25.we will overcome these challenges and an hour timescale -- in our
:21:25. > :21:31.timescale, it is nothing compared to a long timescale. Should we be
:21:31. > :21:33.worried about the future? I think we should be very confident. Local
:21:34. > :21:36.libraries could also be facing difficulties as councils feel the
:21:36. > :21:39.pinch. Aberystwyth town library is older than its more illustrious
:21:39. > :21:46.neighbour. Its doors are about to close because the council has
:21:46. > :21:53.decided to move the library to a newer building. We can be proud of
:21:53. > :21:58.the investment we have invested in the libraries. We are investing in
:21:58. > :22:02.moving a library provision from Corporation Street and Aberystwyth
:22:02. > :22:07.to the old town hall behind me. That is an investment of over �1
:22:07. > :22:09.million. Back on the hill, preparations are underway for
:22:09. > :22:12.tomorrow's celebrations. People are being urged to come and form a
:22:12. > :22:15.human chain around the building. The National Library may already be
:22:15. > :22:19.feeling the squeeze but tomorrow there'll be a special birthday
:22:19. > :22:22.cwtch for a much loved institution as it enjoys its day in the sun.
:22:22. > :22:24.Planet Ice, who run the existing temporary arena, were given the go
:22:24. > :22:27.ahead to build the rink at Cardiff's International Sports
:22:27. > :22:37.Village last August, but this afternoon councillors decided to
:22:37. > :22:44.
:22:44. > :22:49.re-tender the contract. We are looking to get the new ice-rink
:22:49. > :22:52.delivered by 2013 and we are in discussions with the operator of
:22:52. > :22:56.the current temporary facility to make sure that facility can
:22:56. > :22:59.continue in the interim period. It's been a difficult first day for
:23:00. > :23:02.the Welsh golfers at the Open in Kent. Mark Laskey is the leading
:23:03. > :23:06.Welshman on 73, three over par. Rhys Davies from Bridgend carded a
:23:06. > :23:09.disappointing 75 and Simon Edwards finished 12 over.
:23:09. > :23:11.Welsh sides face tough games tonight in the Europa League second
:23:11. > :23:15.qualifying round. Llanelli entertain Georgian side Dinamo
:23:15. > :23:18.Tbilisi and the The New Saints face Denmark's FC Mitgyland. Bangor
:23:18. > :23:21.City's first appearance in the Champions League looks like being
:23:21. > :23:24.short lived. They lost the first leg of their second round
:23:24. > :23:30.qualifying tie at home to Finnish side HJK Helsinki last night. The
:23:30. > :23:33.final score was 3-0. Glamorgan have lost their County
:23:33. > :23:41.Championship match at Derbyshire. The Welsh side were set an unlikely
:23:41. > :23:44.target of 353 to win but they were well short, managing only 167 runs.
:23:44. > :23:48.Geraint Thomas was back on the podium at the Tour de France today
:23:48. > :23:50.after winning the prize for the day's most aggressive rider. The
:23:50. > :23:54.Team Sky cyclist from Cardiff led today's first high mountain stage
:23:54. > :23:57.in the Pyrenees for all but seven kilometres. But he was fortunate to
:23:57. > :24:03.finish the race in one piece after crashing during a high speed
:24:03. > :24:07.descent. Here's Ashleigh Crowter. We knew he was quick on the flat,
:24:07. > :24:11.but today Geraint Thomas proved he can climb mountains too. He led the
:24:11. > :24:18.12th stage in the Pyrenees from the start, but as he was speeding
:24:19. > :24:22.downhill from an early climb, near disaster. Thomas was just a few
:24:22. > :24:30.feet from falling over a precipice, although he later denied that a fan
:24:30. > :24:33.waving a small Welsh flag had put him off. On steep descents, the
:24:33. > :24:36.bikes can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour and it was clear Thomas
:24:36. > :24:39.had been shaken by his fall as he skidded off again. But incredibly,
:24:39. > :24:42.he fought back to regain the lead, defying many people's expectations
:24:42. > :24:47.as he continued to attack.The Col de Tourmelet was the day's biggest
:24:47. > :24:49.climb. The peak is twice the height of Snowdon and Thomas was the
:24:49. > :24:52.second rider to reach the top before throwing himself into
:24:52. > :24:55.another high speed descent where he reclaimed the lead. But with seven
:24:55. > :25:04.kilometres to go, Thomas had to concede defeat as the chasing group
:25:04. > :25:07.overtook him. But the Welshman's bravery and aggression earned him
:25:07. > :25:12.another podium appearance as he won the prize for the day's most
:25:12. > :25:16.attacking rider. Time for the weather forecast.
:25:16. > :25:21.Derek is out enjoying the glorious Derek is out enjoying the glorious
:25:21. > :25:25.sunshine. It's a beautiful evening here. Blue
:25:25. > :25:29.skies, sunshine and a few cumulus clouds. Pleasantly warm too with a
:25:29. > :25:35.sea breeze. Mind you, it's not going to be as nice as this over
:25:35. > :25:40.the weekend. There is a change on the way. In fact it's going to feel
:25:40. > :25:45.more like Autumn with rain, heavy showers and strong winds. That's to
:25:45. > :25:49.come. This evening, fine and sunny. Dry overnight with some cloud
:25:49. > :25:56.spreading from the west. Turning cool. Lowest temperatures, 8C in
:25:56. > :26:04.Brecon. Milder on the coast. Tomorrow's chart shows low pressure
:26:04. > :26:07.over the Atlantic with fronts approaching Ireland. So tomorrow,
:26:07. > :26:10.St Swithin's Day, will bring a change. A dry start. Bright in
:26:10. > :26:13.places. Some sunshine but it won't last. Cloud in the west will spread
:26:13. > :26:15.across the whole country during the afternoon with a little rain and
:26:15. > :26:19.drizzle. The south-westerly wind picking-up and cooler than today.
:26:19. > :26:22.Top temperatures, 16C to 19C. In Gwynedd tomorrow, a dry start but
:26:22. > :26:28.turning cloudy and damp in the afternoon. Temperatures in
:26:28. > :26:37.Trawsfynydd around 16C. Some tide times. The time of high water in
:26:37. > :26:39.Barry, 0744 and 2006. The next full moon tomorrow. So the weather going
:26:39. > :26:43.downhill tomorrow and it's looking very unsettled over the weekend.
:26:44. > :26:47.Low pressure bringing a dose of inclement weather. On Saturday, a
:26:47. > :26:52.wet morning. Some heavy rain. Clearing to showers in the
:26:52. > :26:55.afternoon. Feeling cool and breezy with temperatures below average.
:26:55. > :27:00.Sunday, a few bright intervals but with blustery showers. Cool and
:27:00. > :27:09.windy as well. Fresh to strong winds. Gales on some exposed coasts
:27:09. > :27:12.and hills in the north and west. Lots going on this weekend. In
:27:12. > :27:15.Conwy, the Romans are back with an invasion in Llandudno. It looks
:27:15. > :27:18.like they will be battling against the elements on Saturday. While in
:27:18. > :27:20.Llangeinor, the summer show is on Saturday. Heavy rain will clear to
:27:20. > :27:23.showers. Next week is Royal Welsh Show. Weatherwise, very changeable
:27:23. > :27:26.but not a total washout. There will be some drier, brighter interludes.
:27:27. > :27:28.So enjoy the sunshine this evening. Not so nice tomorrow, with a taste