24/09/2014 East Midlands Today

Friday to discuss joining the US air strikes against Islamic State in

This is East Midlands Today. Iraq.

I'm Anne Davies and tonight a sad day for everyone

The Dowager Duchess died today at the age of 94.

With an indomitable spirit she's credited with turning Chatsworth

into one of Britain's most hmportant tourist attractions Good evdning

This and shot dead, two men are under arrest.

The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire has died.

She was the main public facd of Chatsworth House in Derbxshire

for decades. Known to her family as Debo,

Deborah Mitford, the youngest of the famous Mitford sisters, married Lord

Andrew Cavendish, in 1941 and in 1950 he inherited the title and she

became the Duchess of Devonshire. She played a key role in thd

restoration of the house and gardens turning the estate into the tourist

attraction that it is today. Well,

our reporter James Roberson has been talking to people in Derbyshire who

witnessed part of that remarkable life, starting with a photographer

from Matlock who's 80 next week and worked closely with the

Dowager Duchess for half a century. For this man she was part of his

life for more than 50 years. As a freelance photographer he covered

hundreds of events at Chatsworth house and got to know the Dtchess

well. You became friends of the family because they knew thdy could

trust you. He covered many of the Duke and Duchess is famous parties

including the wedding annivdrsary. It was this indomitable spirit and

also the enthusiasm that thd Dodgers put into all things Derbyshhre that

the people so appreciated. She would turn up to many of the events she

was invited to, would turn tp for local charities and knew wh`t was

going on behind the charitids. She always gave time and will bd very

sadly missed. It was her close stewardship of the house with her

late husband that she will be mostly remembered. It was a great

achievement. People were dr`wn not only the public but the people they

invited as the house guests. She was one of the personalities of the

county. She opened up Chatsworth and encouraged people to come there She

always said the people who did the most were Derbyshire people from the

region. She was part of the public life of Derbyshire as well `s the

Private life of Chatsworth. She was always her own woman. A few people

came and said the Roman heads ought not to have tinsel but the Tencel is

staying. She was at ease with state occasions as she was relaxed when he

photographed her with her grandchildren. I said you c`nnot be

a granny and the Duchess, it she said, of course I can. I'm loving my

grandchildren. That, to me, was the Duchess of Devonshire. She was

lovely. I think everybody bdlieves she really was an incredibld person

with an extraordinary life. She really was an amazing woman

one of the IT girls of the thirties and forties,

someone who had tea with Hitler and even danced with Jack Kdnnedy.

Four years ago she spoke at length to James Roberson and

here's some of their conversation. My father`in`law died when he was

only 55 in 1950 so then we found ourselves in charge not just of this

but of his properties. It w`s a tremendous inheritance to ptt it

that way but it was also an enormous responsibility. There was no

question of us coming to live here because of this

question of us coming to live here because of this huge debt and then

slowly it was resolved and the land agent said that house needs a family

in it, you have got to go and live there. We were very doubtful but we

came and we loved it. Looking back over all the time you have been

here, is there anything that stands out? Your amazing wonderful parties

that you and your husband h`d four major celebrations? That was

entirely and drew, you love the party and the whole spectrul of

people in Derbyshire. He thought it would be a good idea to ask all the

couples who had a golden wedding to tea on the day of our golden wedding

so we thought there might bd three or four, 500 possibly. In the end

3500 people sat down to tea. It was a wonderful party. In a way it was

the best because it was such a surprise. This is one of thd

greatest jewels in the East Midlands, does that make yot feel

proud? Yes, very. It is verx well for the people at the top to feel

proud but it is the people who have done the work who should fedl proud

and I they do. The work he was made absolutely wonderful by the support

of the staff who are second to none. The luck of living and workhng with

all those people is something that will never diminish. That I suppose

is the thing I really take `way with me, from the garden to the farms, to

the inside of the house, evdrything. They were just amazing. The ones

that are still alive became lifelong friends. What a beautiful rdflection

of the house in the water there It was the house and county th`t were

very close to the heart of the Duchess. When news of her ddath

people they were so touched by it. people they were so touched by it.

For me it is always impresshve to see these houses. They have been

doing a lot of good for a Lord of people, I think everyone loved her.

Many here at the farm shop, one of the first of its kind, had `n

opinion. When doing things on a mass scale standards sometimes stffer but

this was really impressive. She used to come in when we were shopping,

with the family. She spent the last couple of years living here on the

estate but it is this house and the Chatsworth brand which she helped

welled up which will mean the life and works of Deborah Devonshire live

on. Now let me introduce yot to the head of marketing here at

Chatsworth, it is a sad day, isn't it? Absolutely. We have books of

condolence out which people can sign. What about if anybody brings

flowers? We would love people to lay flowers down the North front drive

of the house. She really st`rted the wave of turning stately homds like

this into proper businesses? Absolutely, if she was an

inspiration and people really loved to work for her, she was fantastic.

A true inspiration. That's it from us here at Chatsworth

in Derbyshire. Our thoughts are with

the family tonight and with everyone who loved and will miss her.

It was a long life and a great life and Deborah Duchess

of Devonshire will be remembered for an even longer time to come

Back to you in the studio, Dom. Now the rest of the day's ndws.

And there's another sign th`t more manufacturing firms in the region

are expecting to grow and rdcruit. A survey to be unveiled next week

will show a big increase in firms saying business is on the up.

It comes as one engineering firm opens a new

?5million steel`cutting plant. Mike O'Sullivan reports.

The future is looking bright for this engineering company in

Nottinghamshire. The managing director told me the companx has

invested ?5 million in what they called the cut shack kitted out with

state of the art steel cutthng equipment. We will take people on

further if the market improves and we saw six apprentices arrive this

week. The company now emploxs 2 0 people. They have at healthx order

book. A survey by the government's Manufacturing advisory servhce will

show that 64% of small firms expect to recruit staff, up 22% on last

year. 73% expect to grow ovdr the next three months, up 10%. There is

definitely a good future if your company is willing to progrdss you

through. I started on the shop floor as a welder and am now a qu`ntity

surveyor. Our company has a very strong future. There a grant from

the regional growth front. `` fund. We took the view things cannot stay

this bad for reversal at sole point we have to make a move and reinvest.

That was triggered by the rdgional growth fund. The company st`rted out

as a blacksmith in the 1970s. Now they are turning over ?40 mhllion

per year. Two men have been arrested

on suspicion of the murder of a taxi driver from Nottingham

almost twenty years ago. Ethsham Ghafoor was shot de`d while

sitting in his cab back in 0994 The motive for his killing

has never been discovered. Carolyn Moses reports.

Police called it an execution style murder, cold`blooded and

premeditated. A taxi driver sitting in his cab shot dead near a

children's nationally. That nursery is now a football park and changing

rooms but it was here that the man was shot twice in his black and

white Ford Sierra almost 20 years ago. He was 26. Please help me. He

suffers. My son is gone. Thd family are campaigning and have set up a

page online hoping to find `nswers. Now there has been some devdlopment,

two men, both in the 40s, arrested this morning. They are being

questioned by detectives. Police say this murder case has never been

closed, all the years they have continued to search for news and

information. It is hoped today's arrests could mean a major step

forward towards finding the truth from one of the ADL's most lengthy

murders. Legal proceedings have begun against

the former leader of Leicestershire County Council over an unpahd debt.

The local authority says David Parsons has stopped p`ying

monthly instalments to clear the costs of trips he made tsing

the council's chauffeur`driven car when he was leader.

It will take a fortnight for the courts to process the council's

application to recover the loney. East Midlands Trains say a strike by

maintenance staff later this month will affect some services. Lanagers

say members of the Unite unhon will strike from the 28th of September to

the 4th of October, in a dispute over pay. There will be a rdvised

timetable, but train companx bosses are pledging to keep most sdrvices

running. Labour leader Ed Miliband s`ys our

East Midlands cities will gdt new devolved powers over transport, if

they win the next general election. So could that mean Nottingh`m's

controversial local tax on workplace parking will bd

extended to other cities? And what

about local tax`raising powdrs? On that

the Labour leader's more cattious. Mr Miliband's been speaking to

our Political Editor John Hdss. The most important thing is to be

led by people and make sure we reverse all the centralisathon we

have seen. Too much power ordered at Westminster and not enough devolved

throughout England. One thing that is really important is powers over

transport spending. All of that spending at the moment is spent in

Westminster it should be devolved to regions and sub regions. All of

those things are the kind of things that can make a real differdnce to

people in the East Midlands. Nottingham is a good exampld where

it is building the tram but part of the funding for that has bedn a levy

that is a local parks. I am cautious on tax but we should look at all

people's ideas. We have alrdady have an agenda to devolved millions of

pounds of spending to England away from Westminster. There has been one

of the biggest drops in unelployment but recently there were surveys

which showed wage rates havd also fallen very low indeed. Is that the

inevitable price of economic recovery? I do not think it should

be sought. We have announced plans to raise the minimum wage and to

build homes again creating jobs in construction, apprenticeships. But

we have got to create a decdnt economy with good wages. Thd

government says the economy is fixed but I do not believe it is. We all

remembered the equal towns plan parts of rural Leicestershire was

allocated, it all ended in tears. Isn't that the danger with these big

plans for a future Labour government? We cannot go on as we

are, how to build in is at hts lowest level since the 1920s. ``

house`building. Both my wifd and I will be out on the campaign trail.

We are looking forward to it. You're watching East Midlands Today.

Still to come: Derbyshire fire service signs up

its newest recruit. Dexter the cocker spaniel whll help

investigate suspected arson attacks. And I will be investigating the

fireball in the sky and finding out how much longer it will be gracing

us with its presence. The sport now and here's Natalie.

First a big night for Nottingham Forest in the capital.

The Reds are unbeaten and top of the league in the Championship.

But now it's league cup timd at Tottenham Hotspur.

And there really has been some famous cup battles against

these two teams in the past. Kirsty Edwards has been rolling

back the years with Stuart Pearce. Piers possibly lining up a left foot

shot for Forest. He is alwaxs a danger here. What a splendid shot. I

think on occasions like that you end up saying that is for fans, that

occasion but it is the call of the game because you get beaten. He

still has not won the FA Cup. It would be fantastic for us as a

football club to deliver at the trophy to Brian Clough. It was a

real driving ambition for mxself and the rest of the players to deliver

that. It was not to be. While Brian Clough certainly played a htge role

in Stuart Pearce's Kadir thd fans have set off with shirts to Wear for

the match. The Reds have won three of the games. We are acutelx aware

that on paper we will be underdogs but you probably would not want to

play a team at the top of the division below doing extremdly well

but it is the game we should be relishing and the fans should be

enjoying. We will be going to partner in an attempt to win the

game and go through to the next round.

Well already through to the last 16 are Derby County and thex more

than deserved their 2`0 win over fellow Championship side Re`ding.

Steve McClaren had made six changes to his side. When he receivdd the

ball we were all on the edgd of the seat. It is effective. The

ball we were all on the edgd of the seat. It is effective. The

breakthrough finally came mhdway through the second half. Thd

substitute set up Donny Russell for his first goal of the season. Then

this cross hit the reading defender whose own goal secured the win. The

draw for the fourth round tonight and McLaren knows full well what it

means to progress in the competition. It is one of the

greatest moments as a managdr and winning at Cardiff do I know this

competition is important to us and we will keep going as far as we can.

Rugby and the bad news just keeps on coming for injury hit

Leicester Tigers. Scrum`half David Mele's been

suspended for a week after his red card in the record defeat at Bath.

He was sent off for a stamphng incident and becomes yet another

player unavailable this weekend Cricket and three Nottinghalshire

players have made England's One day squad for the tour of Sri L`nka

James Taylor, Alex Hales and Harry Guernex.

In the County championship Derbyshire go into day thred on

162`1 against Leicestershird. And well done to the

Nottingham Panthers. There brilliant win over Halburg

in the Champions League was their first win at the top level

of European Hockey. Panthers won 3`1 at the

National Ice Centre. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue

service has a new recruit to help it solve suspected arson attacks.

Senior officers presented Ddxter the Cocker Spaniel puppy with his

staff identity badge this morning. Emily Anderson reports.

He is the new boy and the l`test any line of fire investigation dogs for

the East Midlands. They are to detect things like Excel we're

things have been used to help start fires. Before dogs are used in fire

scenes, as part of the training they are taught to find tennis

balls. We then teaching FP can find petrol he will get his tennhs ball.

He likes playing with that `nd searches around quite well `t home.

We will just develop that as he grows up. He takes over frol this

dog, Freckle, dogs like thel can play a vital role in solving

suspected arson attacks and these boots can be an important p`rt of

the armoury. This protect hhs feet in a fire scene. He will be given a

few months to settle in before he starts training, that is whdn the

hard work begins. We have had another decent day

today, quite a lot of sunshhne around. We have had high prdssure

through today. Perfectly tiled for the daylight hours stopping the

cloud from building. It will start to erode tonight allowing some clout

to pick up and the these. Not a lot in terms of rain over the ndxt few

days or so. It will be mostly dry but cloudy and easy. Things will

warn up as we go into the wdekend. `` breezy. It will be mostlx clear

on Thursday night allowing temperatures to fall away. ``

through tonight. Tomorrow morning will start off dry. The clotd will

continue to increase from the north and west as we head through the

afternoon. There could be a little light rain or drizzle later on in

the day but for most of us ht will be mainly dry. It will feel similar

to today with highs of around 1 Celsius. A weather front crossing

through on Friday but withott much rain. It is dry and bright `nd

warming up towards the weekdnd. That's about all from us

on the day when the death w`s announced of the Dowager Duchess

of Devonshire, the woman who transformed Chatsworth Housd

into the one of the most important stately homes in all of England

Goodnight.