:00:00. > :00:15.With your news now for the East Midlands, I'm Maurice Flynn.
:00:16. > :00:19.A passenger ferry that dates back 800 years has today been relaunched,
:00:20. > :00:22.linking a Nottinghamshire village to its Leicestershire counterpart.
:00:23. > :00:26.The service from Normanton on Soar disappeared for around a decade,
:00:27. > :00:30.but this weekend officially reopened - along with a new boathouse.
:00:31. > :00:34.And as Carolyn Moses reports people were only too keen to try it out
:00:35. > :00:43.Something that's been missing on this stretch for several years.
:00:44. > :00:45.One side, Nottinghamshire, the other side, Leicestershire,
:00:46. > :00:51.The chain ferry, one of just a few left in the UK
:00:52. > :00:57.There were hopes to restore this service
:00:58. > :01:00.two years ago but unfortunately the covers of the ferry proved
:01:01. > :01:08.The ferry house, a shelter for it and its passengers.
:01:09. > :01:10.It's history, and it's history that we can all use,
:01:11. > :01:14.we can't lose it, it's something special.
:01:15. > :01:16.And I think for it just to fall by the wayside
:01:17. > :01:20.People come from one side, they can come from the other,
:01:21. > :01:28.they can get across, they can go to the pub.
:01:29. > :01:31.It's just great, it's just a fantastic thing to have back in
:01:32. > :01:34.In fact, Stuart and other village volunteers spent over
:01:35. > :01:39.Now with a regular weekend service beginning its hope to boost tourism
:01:40. > :01:42.And among those enjoying the boat launch today,
:01:43. > :01:46.a woman who ferried it herself in the 1940s.
:01:47. > :01:58.So this ferry across the Soar is now in service,
:01:59. > :02:01.the floating link to times past but with buoyant hopes
:02:02. > :02:08.for its future.
:02:09. > :02:11.Volunteers who usually deliver vital blood to the NHS made another
:02:12. > :02:15.hospital delivery today - Easter Eggs.
:02:16. > :02:19.Around 100 riders joined the Leicestershire and Rutland Blood
:02:20. > :02:21.Bikes to take the chocolate from Coalville to poorly children
:02:22. > :02:26.It's the first egg run the group's held, and It's hoped it'll also
:02:27. > :02:31.raise money for improvements to the children's emergency ward.
:02:32. > :02:35.The blood bike itself is a completely volunteer charity, so
:02:36. > :02:38.we don't get any money from the NHS or anything, or it's
:02:39. > :02:41.The money that we raised today will go
:02:42. > :02:43.to fuel for the blood bikes and it's going
:02:44. > :02:46.children's emergency board and what they
:02:47. > :02:47.are looking to do with the money
:02:48. > :02:55.we raised today is buy sensory equipment for the equipment.
:02:56. > :02:58.Visitors to the Royal Derby this weekend are being warned
:02:59. > :03:00.about the closure of one of the entrance's
:03:01. > :03:03.From just after eight tonight, Entrance B on Uttoxeter Road
:03:04. > :03:05.will close for the rest of the weekend.
:03:06. > :03:08.It's as the Trust creates a new one-way hospital loop road
:03:09. > :03:13.It's hoped the new system will ease congestion on-site and nearby roads.
:03:14. > :03:15.Onto today's football - starting in the Championship
:03:16. > :03:18.A Tom Ince goal in the ninetieth minute saw Derby County beat
:03:19. > :03:20.Brimingham City 2-1, while Nottingham Forest beat
:03:21. > :03:26.In League two, Notts County beat Carlisle 2-1; while Mansfield lost
:03:27. > :03:32.And in rugby, the Leicester Tigers have been at Twickenham
:03:33. > :03:35.this afternoon - playing Bath in the Aviva Premiership
:03:36. > :03:38.Two late tries saw Bath came from behind to beat Leicester 27-21
:03:39. > :03:41.in a fixture switched by Bath to the home of rugby
:03:42. > :03:56.Let's check the weather now - Kay has the forecast.
:03:57. > :04:02.Tomorrow's headline is much the same as this gorgeous day today.
:04:03. > :04:07.Temperatures higher with warm spells of sunshine. Through the evening
:04:08. > :04:11.staying dry, not as cold as it was last night, temperatures down at
:04:12. > :04:18.seven and 9 degrees, seven is 45 Fahrenheit. The cool start tomorrow,
:04:19. > :04:25.but chilly, fine spell of sunshine and a sparkly day and a bit warmer,
:04:26. > :04:29.still coming in from south, highs of 20 degrees. Further north, a bit
:04:30. > :04:31.cloud falling income sunshine a little bit hazy towards the end of
:04:32. > :04:36.the day, that cloud continues to the day, that cloud continues to
:04:37. > :04:38.build, bringing fresh air and next week more typical for the time of
:04:39. > :04:41.year. The Beat is on-air already
:04:42. > :04:43.on your local BBC Radio. Tonight, Nottingham singer Rob Green
:04:44. > :04:46.launches his new single; X Factor winner Louisa Johnson drops
:04:47. > :04:49.by and Circa Waves are in session. That's with Dean and the team -
:04:50. > :04:51.on-air and online at More from me and the team,
:04:52. > :05:20.here, at 6.40, tomorrow. What a spectacular day to day.
:05:21. > :05:21.Hardly a cloud in the