22/12/2011 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today with Dominic Heale and me, Kylie

Pentelow. Our top story tonight: just in time - a bone marrow match

for Rik Basra. After months of hunting for a donor,

the Leicestershire policemen will have a life-saving operation within

days. Also, the soldiers are spending

Christmas on patrol while their families worry back home. I will be

absent. But it is something that I have got to cope with the the day.

Plus, or what will the new year bring? All didn't want his work.

the job counts. And I will be finding out why all

these people are counting down the days till Christmas in a very

Good evening and welcome to Thursday's programme. First tonight,

it's the lifeline he's been praying for.

A last-minute bone marrow match has been found for a Leicestershire

police officer who needs a transplant to save his life.

Rik Basra could have only days left to live. Tonight his family say

finding a match now is the miracle they've been waiting for. Angelina

Socci reports. Rik Basra was diagnosed with acute

myeloid leukaemia in 2009. He went into remission, but in September,

had returned. The Leicestershire police officer was told that his

only chance of surviving was to have a bone marrow transplant.

the moment that you find out, you realise that you need to find a

match to win you find that it is not go to be that easy, despair,

frustration, sometimes even anger. And I think more so because there

is a process involved for somebody to be a donor, and it is steeped so

simple. So it is hard to understand or someone you love could die

because p But don't know about this. Desperate to find a suitable match

committed up a donor session to encourage people to come forward.

And after an appeal, hundred registered. Today, the news they

had been waiting for. A match they had been found. It is not going to

be easy. But we will remain positive and take each day as it

comes and we have now got this opportunity which we will grasp

with both hands, and make sure he gets through it successfully. This

really is our Christmas miracle. My daughter has summed it up. Best

Christmas present we have ever had. Well Angelina Socci is at the

Leicester Royal Infirmary tonight, where the transplant will take

place. Christmas really has come early for this family. Rik Basra

has been here at the Leicester Royal Infirmary for the last week,

and is now in the transplant unit. The procedure is expected to take

place within 48 hours. Do we know anything about the Dover? The dough

and I didn't come from the session held at Leicester a couple of weeks

ago, but has come from an Asian male in Germany. -- they don't off.

Earlier, the Anthony Nolan Trust praised the efforts of the family.

Hopefully, the success of this campaign will mean that we can take

that to other areas within the UK, and really develop relationships

and build awareness within, particularly Asian communities, to

build the numbers on the register, so more people like Rik Basra can

get that fabulous news. For Rik Basra and his family, this is a

dream come true, but they realise that this is just the start of a

long journey ahead. Thank you. You're watching East Midlands Today.

Later in the programme - Christmases past versus Christmases

present? Your fond memories of festivities in the '40s and '50s.

And Sally's got the weather, including the latest Christmas snow

updates. # The weather outside his frightful

to Mark Roe. # With only three sleeps to go, it

Hundreds of soldiers from the East Midlands are spending their first

Christmas on the front line in Afghanistan. They're with the

Mercian Regiment's second battalion - defending one of the most

dangerous parts of Helmand Province. It's a worrying time for their

families back home. But one mother's helping to inject a sense

of Yuletide normality - she's sent a Christmas tree to Afghanistan.

Our Social Affairs Correspondent Jeremy Ball has the details.

Hay, mum and dad... A letter that means so much. It is going to be a

tough Christmas for the Hadleighs here in Derby, because the eldest

son is serving in Afghanistan. sit in a parcel with a Christmas

tree, some decorations, he has received it. I will be upset, but

it is something I've got to cope with for the day. Danny is at this

remote outpost in Helmand province, where they are getting into the

festive spirit, but the work will not stop on Christmas Day, because

the Taliban could take advantage if they stayed inside their base.

are on patrol in the ground, they are constantly watching us, and

they pick the right moment and the right time to have a pot shot at us.

But we have a watch team on the roof. It makes you realise how

close they are to it. Danny's brother knows what he's up against,

because he served in Afghanistan last year. I worry more, because he

is my little brother, I have always been looking out for him. You think

about what he's going through, his next step, Andy were panicking all

the time. It is step -- scary to know how close he is do everything

that is going off. And how dangerous it is out there. I didn't

realise that he was right in the centre of it. I am really proud of

him. He is brave, strong and he would do his job well. They are

counting down the days until Danny comes home on leave, but Christmas

won't be the same this year. Jeremy Ball has joined us in the

studio. He is one of hundreds of soldiers in Helmand. What are they

actually doing? A lot of them are projecting a new bomb-proof road.

This road goes right through hostile territory, and connects up

to �9, roughly as far apart as Nottingham and Leicester. --

connect up to main pounds. This is helping of the Afghan government

keeps things open for business, which is why the soldiers are such

a target. How much action I actually seen? It has been pretty

tough in the first stage of the tour, they were exchanging fire on

pretty much a daily basis. Two months on, there is more of a

threat from improvised bonds. 80 of them have been seriously wounded

and had to be flown home, and one of them, Matthew Haseldin, was

tragically killed last month. you.

Jobs are under threat at the Castle Donington-based airline BMI. The

owners of British Airways plan to buy BMI for more than �170 million.

The company IAG is warning jobs will be lost, if the deal to buy

BMI from current owners Lufthansa goes through.

The partner of a missing man from Grantham is pleading for him to

come home for Christmas. 46-year- old Stuart Taylor was last seen on

the 13th December in Market Harborough in Leicestershire. He

was reported missing a short time later. His family and the police

are getting more concerned for his safety.

People can now apply for the first new jobs to be created by the

planned extension of the Nottingham tram network. Two lines are to be

built next year, extending the tram to Clifton and Chilwell. Nottingham

City Council says 70 people will be recruited for a range of jobs

including receptionists, researchers and engineers.

It's very nearly the end of the year and one story has dominated

our headlines. And everyone else's. Yes, the economy. Over the last

year we've followed the region's cuts, crunches and crises.

Mike O'Sullivan's been looking at how the East Midlands economy fared

in 2011. And what might be in store for 2012.

Need a man from Leicester who says he is not fussy about the job he

does. Dylan has been unemployed since Jean. Around the time things

began to slide in our economy. can take a factory job, security

job, which is why I have just completed a job in that. In -- any

job that comes I am willing to take that. I am not saying I have to get

a job in an office. It is a mixed picture in the jobs market. Will

the number of people claiming jobseeker's Allowance has gone up

in our region by 12% in a year, figures show there are more private

sector jobs around. The public sector has shrunk to help cut the

national deficit. 16,000 jobs gone in a year. But the private sector

is creating jobs, up by 42,000 in a year, although it is not clear how

many of those are part-time. So how has the economy of the East

Midlands shaped up over the last year? This chart shows some

indicators. The East Midlands climbed after the recession in 2010

and seemed to be doing OK for the first six months are up 2011, but

the pace of things has slowed down. This is what comes out, showing a

downward trend at the end of the year. This firm in Nottingham share

is rising the export waver. Supplying a low carbon injured

penology to Sweden and the USA. Part of the trend in which experts

-- exports are. The company now wants to start training -- trading

with Brazil. Fearon legislative barriers, they are the right

partners, it is cutting edge into different languages, long distances

to travel. And there are surprising stories in the domestic market. At

this engineering firm in Ilkeston, it is claimed at the lack of

conference to attend work abroad means more orders for work at home.

People haven't got confidence to take their money somewhere else

abroad, so people have brought the business back into England, so they

can see where the parts are being made. This business leader told me

she is keen to focus on the positives, but said the euro-zone

debt crisis is a dark cloud looming ahead. Business confidence is

fairly weak, but as we move into 2012, we hope to see some changes

in this. I think we also need to focus on the positives. A but Dylan

is taking things one day at a time. I really want to work, and on a

daily basis I look for job. region has climbed out of economic

slowdowns before. Now it is going to have to do it again.

The car maker Toyota, which has a plant in Derbyshire, is predicting

a 20 per cent increase in global sales next year. The company

produces cars at its base in Burnaston. It's forecasting sales

of almost 8.5 million vehicles in 2012. Toyota hopes to recover from

losses caused by natural disasters in Japan and Thailand.

A coach driver from Nottinghamshire has been charged with drink driving

after a crash damaged eight cars earlier this year. Paul Shields,

who's 47 and from Mansfield, is accused of causing the collision at

Worthing in West Sussex in June. He's due before magistrates next

They �6 million refurbishment of East Midlands trains was completed

today, 11 weeks ahead of schedule. The Meridian fleet has been given

up -- and updated look, including new seats, carpets and a larger

luggage space. Talking about travel and such

things, the Christmas tempo is quickening and if you are not yet

organised, time is running out. You could just forget about the

whole thing, get on a plane and fly off.

Despite the financial squeeze, passenger numbers are up at East

Midlands Airport this Christmas. You could say that this flies in

the face of the grim economic times. Despite everything else pointing

down, passenger numbers at East Midlands airport are up at this

time last year. This is her 4th Christmas abroad. We just love it,

sitting in the sun on Christmas Day. You cannot be it. How can you

afford it? Have a word with my husband. You can either sit back

and think about all of the difficulties or and you can just

enjoy yourself. Top vested destinations this year

include Tenerife, Alicante, Dublin and Belfast. Today is is seen as

the start of the Christmas getaway, with more than 8,000 passengers

travelling through the airport. Between now and the beginning of

January, the 80,000 people are expected to be on the move, with

January second set to be the busiest day with around 10,000

passengers travelling through here. We are around 2.5% up on last year.

People are really determined to get away this year. It has been a grim

here economy wise. Even on Christmas Day itself,

flights will be coming in and out from the likes of Malaga and

Barbados. The odds are that we will not be getting a white Christmas,

where these travellers are heading to, there will not be snow.

They are getting away from it all, but we can have just as much

Christmas fun at home. This next but can, anyway.

They are a group of neighbours who decided to make an advent calendar,

but they went one better than the traditional version and the what

beggar. These houses in six streets. It has become a daily delight this

month for people living in this area of Derby. Going to see what it

chant and will be revealed this morning. Which one do you like?

Residence in the six streets airier have gone together to make their

homes into a giant advent calendar. One or sometimes two houses Peddy

unveiling their displays in their windows. There has been a buzz

about it. The local nursery have walked the children up to look at

the windows in the morning. It has been great fun to see how different

they all are. Me and my sister made an angel. I like the sparkly dress.

I wanted something to sort of attach Santa to the house. I have

gone for something quite glitzy and well let. Summing to let him know

that we are here and that he does not forget the family. There is a

lot of Christmas spirit in the area. It is a bit of fun and to make

people laugh. We have a Penguin a winter Wonderland. We made it all

ourselves with recyclable materials. Everybody met when we were giving

out the numbers to decide who was getting which stays, and we had a

glass of wine while we did that. People have been very secretive

about what they were doing and not telling other people, it has worked

very well. Injury advent tradition, there are only two more windows to

reveal, what will they bring? On Christmas Day, the teddy bears will

wake up and open their presents. We love that idea. I want to do

that in my street next year. It is one of those weird ideas that

actually works. Time for the sport. They say good things come in small

packages, and cricketer James Taylor is a case in point.

Nottinghamshire officially welcomes the diminutive batsman to Trent

Bridge today after his move across the border from Leicestershire. He

has been tipped as a fancied favourite for next season.

James Taylor was loved by the Leicestershire fans, but like his

predecessor, he has left to join Nottinghamshire in pursuit of

international cricket. It is a great opportunity for me to face

the best bowlers in the country and the First Division, and show

selectors what I can do at the top level. He was born in Nottingham,

but played for Leicestershire when he was still doing A-levels. He

became the youngest player to score 1,000 runs for the county in one

season. He currently plays in one rung below Test cricket. I'd just

got off a plane a couple of days of war from India, and straight back

to Bangladesh, a quick stop for Christmas in England and straight

back out there. James is a terrific signing and a wonderful batsman. He

will be a great addition to a squat. His father was a jockey, and at

five feet 5, James is one of the smallest players in cricket.

suppose I have a lot of scampering allow up -- around the wicket. A

lot of unusual shots to expect. When I am required to, I could hit

the ball out of the park. Want to football, and Derby

County's Chris Riggott is leaving the club by mutual consent. He

rejoins the Brahms after a long lay-off through injury, but has not

played for the first team so far and has decided to move on.

It is the time of year when you look back over the past 12 months

and see what you would like to do differently. As ever in sport,

there have been plenty of highs and lows. Here are our review of how

our football clubs have fared. -- here is a review.

No doubt where the most turmoil has been, Nottingham Forest fight their

way into the top six, but lost the play-off semi-final. Then they lost

their manager, too. Billy Davies finally lost his job after months

of conflict with the club's board. His replacement had a shocking

thing, looking like a fish out of water. He lasted 112 days. So did

Steve Coppell, his arrival paid instant dividend. Right now he has

a side which plays well but cannot score.

Derby County, by comparison, I'd be very model of stability. So much so

that this season is in mirroring the last. A brilliant beginning of

followed by a slide. They kept their head above the relegation

places earlier this year, they kept their manager and brought in a new

signings in the summer. The result was the best start to a season in

over a century. Followed by a terrible run of defeats. All they

want for Christmas is an end to injury.

It is never dull at Leicester City, with a target of the top two, the

club's Forest Hunt on the money tap. And who it flowed. Signing after

signing arrived. The results have a resolutely failed to match the

ambition. With its not quite clicking, SenEricsson is on his way.

What happens text here if promotion does not?

As for Notts County, they are still enjoying the fruits of last year's

rescue mission from the man who sounds like a warrior, Mad Dog and

Martin Allen. Sting against the odds was one thing, carrying County

into the League 1 top six was quite another. Staying in touch with the

promotion race is tough, but a whole calendar year in the division

is perhaps more than we might have expected.

Next for our clubs, who knows? Every year, every club has a story.

Yes indeed, and finally big night tonight, it is the BBC Sports

personality of the Year award. Leicester cyclists Lucy Garner has

made it to the final three for the Junior Sports personality after she

became junior road race champion of this summer. Derby's Steve Pate and

will be at the award show, too. He won the East Midland's unsung hero

war for his 25 years working at a gem with youngsters, specialising

in some more wrestling. It is at 8pm tonight on BBC1.

Thank you. There is always one Christmas that

you will never forget, a memorable present, a dinner cooked to

perfection or maybe Nana having won too many sherries.

But where they've really all better than they are today? Our

correspondent has been along to meet a group from the 50 Plus Club

in Derby to hear their memories of Christmases past.

He used to be got in the morning, and who would be the first one to

rush downstairs? I was basically frightened of Father Christmas

coming into the house. We would all go to Mass. We used to go to the

church for a carol service. That sort of thing. We used to go to

church on Christmas morning. Derby, will be had, like most towns,

departmental stores rose wedded to a grotto or on a boat to see Father

Christmas, and I truly thought that you travel the long way. It was

absolutely amazing. Every Christmas morning be used to have a pork pie.

It had lashings of, torsos on it. It was more tomato sauce than it

was pork-pie. Turkey was a novelty. They'd used to be just a rooster, a

cockerel. You could get a turkey if you could afford it. I can remember

seeing my grandmother and my and doing that. I remember going into

the living room with a big roaring fire. We had this Christmas tree

and be put these paper garlands on, because that was all we had. And we

lead candles and my dad went to the fire with the long piece of paper

and let its and went to the candle on the tree and set the whole thing

on fire. That was the end of that. We did not have a television then.

You were lucky if you had a radio. We had a little TV. It was not on

all day, was it? It was very simple, you had a piano, probably and

neighbours would come in and we would all sing and have carols.

had a good time, a really good time. Don was just telling me about one

of his memories come, come on, share.

Too many drinks and my uncle almost dropped his trousers.

Unlike you teased earlier, with your lovely singing.

I can tell you are so genuine when you make that remark. I have heard

you make that remark. I have heard of listening the waistband, but

your uncle to get too far. We have had a really lovely day across the

East Midlands, some really nice sunny spells. It has been mild,

with most places into double figures. Surprisingly mild for the

time of year. Through the evening, we will stay mild. A lot of cloud

building up. It is coming ahead of a cold front. The wet look to

tomorrow. I thought I would share this sunrise. A gorgeous shot.

If we take a closer look, here is that cold front that is working its

way towards us. Heading towards the Atlantic and working its way

towards us during the course of the night. Tomorrow, ahead of that, we

will see that cloud increasing. One or two clear spells. As the cloud

staff to increase to the evening and overnight and thickens up. We

will see one or two drizzly spots, but it will mainly stayed dry. Many

places will stay in double figures. Was of eight or nine degrees. We

will start mild tomorrow. Cloudy and drizzle, and then there comes

this cold front working its way and from the north-west. The middle

portion of the day will be heavy, persistent rain. Strong winds

accompanying that train. As we go into the afternoon it will clear,

but cold air will feed in. There will be one or to show any

outbreaks into the afternoon. We could see some sleet and snow mixed

in. Then into Friday night, and very cold with good, clear skies.

Frosty as well. The frosty but lovely and sunny start to Christmas

Eve. On Christmas Day, a cloudy and when the affair, but mainly drive.