0:00:00 > 0:00:00the UK are fabricating allegations against it. That is all from the
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Coming up on BBC London News:
0:00:08 > 0:00:11The violent moped gang who smashed their way in to shops
0:00:11 > 0:00:13is jailed for a total of 110 years.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15They were only caught after they stole 'dummy' phones
0:00:15 > 0:00:16fitted with GPS trackers.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Also tonight:
0:00:18 > 0:00:20The last-minute dash for presents, but a union warns more shop
0:00:20 > 0:00:28assistants than ever are suffering verbal or physical abuse.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Plus businesses' Brexit wishes - what are they hoping for as talks
0:00:31 > 0:00:39on trade get under way in the new year?
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Prepare yourselves for a tale so utterly horrid and yet strangely
0:00:43 > 0:00:49uplifting, here, in the nation's great capital city, London.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50And the new stage production
0:00:50 > 0:00:52from one of the directors behind
0:00:52 > 0:00:56War Horse the musical.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02A very good evening to you.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Welcome to the programme.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07A moped gang who smashed their way into mobile phone shops
0:01:07 > 0:01:10across London, stealing more than a million pounds' worth
0:01:10 > 0:01:13of handsets and computer tablets, have been jailed for a total of more
0:01:13 > 0:01:15than a hundred years.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18They used knives, hammers and guns to rob the stores and attack staff
0:01:19 > 0:01:20in the early hours of the morning.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22They were only caught after they stole three 'dummy'
0:01:22 > 0:01:24phones fitted with GPS trackers.
0:01:24 > 0:01:32Here's Marc Ashdown.
0:01:32 > 0:01:38A mobile phone shop in the dead of night, a figure in a helmet, smashes
0:01:38 > 0:01:42the Doring, then the gang bursting. Moments later, they escape with
0:01:42 > 0:01:50dozens of mobile phones. -- smashes the door in. They shovel boxes of
0:01:50 > 0:01:54phones into their bags. Outside, they use mopeds to weave through
0:01:54 > 0:01:59traffic and disappear.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02For seven months, between May and November, this gang targeted
0:02:02 > 0:02:03phone shops across north and east London,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06usually in the early hours, often attacking security guards with
0:02:06 > 0:02:07weapons like claw hammers.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08In one robbery, they threatened a bystander
0:02:08 > 0:02:09with a pistol.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12In total, the phones and tablets they stole and damage they
0:02:12 > 0:02:18caused amounted to £1 million.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23After two trials, the ten strong gang were convicted of 17 aggravated
0:02:23 > 0:02:36burglaries and today sentenced to a total of 100 years in jail.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51The gang used tools such as hammers, knives and Angle grinders to get
0:02:51 > 0:02:54into the shops. They were caught after inadvertently stealing dummy
0:02:54 > 0:02:59phones which had been fitted with GPS trackers, leading detectives
0:02:59 > 0:03:07straight to their doors.It is quick and easy.The Metropolitan Police
0:03:07 > 0:03:10recently mounted a crackdown on Mo Pegg run, making this video to show
0:03:10 > 0:03:18how easy it is for criminals to steal. Pedestrians have also fallen
0:03:18 > 0:03:22victim, with gangs stealing in broad daylight. Detectives described the
0:03:22 > 0:03:26gang jailed today as prolific and very dangerous. Six further suspects
0:03:26 > 0:03:31face trial in March, and police want to send a message that they will
0:03:31 > 0:03:33relentlessly pursue these violent criminals and take them off the
0:03:33 > 0:03:34streets.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37A prison in Hertfordshire is at breaking point according
0:03:37 > 0:03:40to staff who say they need 60 more recruits to get the unit
0:03:40 > 0:03:41back under control.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Neighbours living close to the Mount prison say they are increasingly
0:03:43 > 0:03:46hearing disturbances at night time after its claimed inmates are locked
0:03:46 > 0:03:50up for hours on end due to officer shortages.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The Ministry of Justice says a staff recruitment drive is improving
0:03:53 > 0:03:55the situation but officers on the ground say it's
0:03:55 > 0:03:57too little too late.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Sarah Harris reports.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Filmed from inside Mount prison, grenades thrown by riot trained
0:04:04 > 0:04:06staff to restore order after a wing was taken
0:04:06 > 0:04:07over by prisoners in
0:04:07 > 0:04:12the summer of 2016.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13Despite an investigation and promised
0:04:13 > 0:04:16improvements, the union representing wardens
0:04:16 > 0:04:19on the ground says they are
0:04:19 > 0:04:22back at breaking point at an institution that houses more than
0:04:22 > 0:04:261000 prisoners.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28The problem is, we really need another 60 officers.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32It's compounded with different issues.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34You've got sickness because of the working
0:04:34 > 0:04:35environment, then you've
0:04:35 > 0:04:39got temporary promotion because people aren't promoted any more,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42which leaves holes on the ground floor, which is covered by overtime.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And then everybody's just getting burnt out and burnt out and burnt
0:04:45 > 0:04:48out.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Over recent months, neighbours living close to the prison say they
0:04:51 > 0:05:01can often hear disturbances inside the main blog at nightfall.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03--block at nightfall.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04For some, it's an unsettling time.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07When things go wrong, we do hear the noise of them
0:05:07 > 0:05:09shouting and presumably banging cups on the
0:05:09 > 0:05:10windows and things like that.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12The kids get a little bit nervous.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13They want to know whether somebody is
0:05:13 > 0:05:16going to escape, and we are reassured that that's not the case
0:05:16 > 0:05:17at all.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20But it does prey on your mind a little bit.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Staff at the prison are not allowed to speak out
0:05:22 > 0:05:24to the media, but off-camera, we've been told it's difficult
0:05:24 > 0:05:27to see how the situation can get much worse,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28short of another full-scale riot.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30I've just spoken to a prison officer just
0:05:30 > 0:05:31finishing his shift here at the
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Mount.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35He described conditions working here as horrendous.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38He said the staff shortages were so bad that
0:05:38 > 0:05:43inmates here are being locked up for hours and hours on end,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and any kind of relief they get from agency staff
0:05:46 > 0:05:49isn't much of a help because people are so inexperienced, they are
0:05:49 > 0:05:51unable to do anything other than just menial tasks.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53He said it was difficult to see how long they can
0:05:53 > 0:05:59carry on like this for before something serious happens.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Prisoners will get locked up for longer, which
0:06:01 > 0:06:03feeds their anger and feeds their frustration.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And then they take it out on the fabric of the building
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and the staff.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Prison officers have told their union that they only have
0:06:12 > 0:06:15two thirds of the staff they need to run the unit
0:06:15 > 0:06:16safely and efficiently.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18The Ministry of Justice says they've recruited more staff and are
0:06:18 > 0:06:23continuing to bolster their numbers.
0:06:23 > 0:06:31Sarah Harris, BBC London News, the Mount Prison in Hertfordshire.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36Well, a spokesperson from the prison service said "a targeted recruitment
0:06:36 > 0:06:39campaign is under way at The Mount to boost frontline staff and improve
0:06:39 > 0:06:41the daily running of the prison.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43They've also made arrangements to ensure all prisoners have time
0:06:43 > 0:06:46out of their cell over the Christmas period.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49With just days until Christmas, many of us have been buying last
0:06:49 > 0:06:51minute presents and groceries.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53However, one union is warning that more shop workers than ever
0:06:53 > 0:06:56are being verbally or physically abused at this time of year.
0:06:56 > 0:07:02Frankie McCamley is out on Oxford Street and can tell us more.
0:07:02 > 0:07:09Frankie.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13As you can see, it is still very busy, with people getting their last
0:07:13 > 0:07:16bits of Christmas shopping, and with people from all over the world
0:07:16 > 0:07:21coming right here to Oxford Street, this can become one of the busiest
0:07:21 > 0:07:25places in the capital. It can also become one of the most stressful
0:07:25 > 0:07:29parts of Christmas, and with that in mind, one union is asking people to
0:07:29 > 0:07:34think about the people that work here to make this as pleasant as
0:07:34 > 0:07:36possible for everyone involved.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Christmas shopping - love it or loathe it.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42What about the people on the other side of the till?
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Richie left his job after receiving verbal
0:07:44 > 0:07:45abuse.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47A lot of verbal abuse, yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But I just have to stay professional.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52And I'm just like, yeah, you can talk to my manager if
0:07:52 > 0:07:55you want, or something like that, so, yeah.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58What kind of things were they saying to you?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00I've been waiting here for a long time, you
0:08:00 > 0:08:08guys are taking too long, why are you going so slow?
0:08:08 > 0:08:09Could you hurry up, please?
0:08:09 > 0:08:13And how did that make you feel when you are doing your job
0:08:13 > 0:08:15and people are giving you that kind of abuse?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Annoyed, because I do my job, so I'm just like, what do you
0:08:18 > 0:08:19want me to do?
0:08:19 > 0:08:20I can't speed up.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23So I'm just like, yeah, what do you want me to do?
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Research found that around 265 shop workers are
0:08:25 > 0:08:26assaulted every day in the UK.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Nearly two thirds were verbally abused last year, and over 40%
0:08:29 > 0:08:30threatened.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32With numbers rising over the festive period.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Those final few days before Christmas can be some of
0:08:34 > 0:08:36the busiest shopping days of the year.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39They can also be some of the most stressful, with such a short
0:08:39 > 0:08:40amount of time before the big day.
0:08:40 > 0:08:47And this is a place where tensions can often boil over.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Manners are at a premium.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57I don't know if it is just because I am getting older, but
0:08:57 > 0:08:59so many people, their manners and patience aren't
0:08:59 > 0:09:02what they should be.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07I find that hardest to deal with.We were just in a store and a lady try
0:09:07 > 0:09:13to push in front of my girls, elbows out to gain advantage, and we made
0:09:13 > 0:09:19sure that she was put firmly back in the queue so that she knew her
0:09:19 > 0:09:26place.It is a good time, but laid-back and easy for me.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Stress-free or not, festive shoppers are being urged to keep their cool
0:09:29 > 0:09:34in the hope that frantic scenes like this are not repeated in the future.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Whether it's the price of presents or the cost of Christmas dinner,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40inflation means many of us will be feeling the pinch
0:09:40 > 0:09:41this festive season.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43It's been tough for many of the capital's businesses, too,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47grappling with uncertainty over Brexit.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50So, what are they hoping for in the New Year as talks
0:09:50 > 0:09:52on trade and transition get under way?
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Our Brexit reporter Katharine Carpenter been finding out.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00The fire's lit, presents are wrapped, and the tree's decorated.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03But for many of the capital's businesses helping to create the
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Christmas magic, it's been a challenging
0:10:05 > 0:10:06end to the year, with a
0:10:06 > 0:10:12weaker pound and uncertainty over Brexit.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14These British-themed baubles are designed in Shoreditch but
0:10:14 > 0:10:17handcrafted in Poland.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22Anya says she might have to move the whole
0:10:22 > 0:10:25business there if next year's trade negotiations with the EU create more
0:10:25 > 0:10:26red tape.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29My main concerns are the value of the pound, paying VAT to
0:10:29 > 0:10:32several of my suppliers and customs.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35At the moment, the process is rather smooth.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37When it comes to shipping the goods to the
0:10:37 > 0:10:40UK, no one knows what's going to happen later, and the paperwork
0:10:40 > 0:10:46required might be much more complicated.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And getting any clarity on that will take time.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50The Government doesn't want to adopt an
0:10:50 > 0:10:53off-the-shelf trade deal struck elsewhere in the world, but
0:10:53 > 0:10:55businesses keen to get on with Brexit worry that crafting
0:10:55 > 0:10:58a bespoke new future with Europe will take too
0:10:58 > 0:11:02long.
0:11:02 > 0:11:0580% of the globes made here in Stoke Newington are exported.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07They've just had their best month ever.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09And while keeping his largely European
0:11:09 > 0:11:12workforce is important, the
0:11:12 > 0:11:15company's founder says negativity around Brexit is unhelpful.
0:11:15 > 0:11:25We've been put in this situation through
0:11:26 > 0:11:30ignoring, through the London elite ignoring half the country.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I think we've just got to get on with it.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34For us, I don't think, whether it's done well
0:11:34 > 0:11:36or badly, it will make a
0:11:36 > 0:11:38massive difference, because we are not reliant on any
0:11:38 > 0:11:39one particular market.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42For most of us, luxury goods are a one-off purchase, but it
0:11:42 > 0:11:44is the day-to-day shopping where we feel the pinch most.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Inflation's running at a six-year high of 3.1%,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49outstripping wages, and food prices are some of those that have gone up
0:11:49 > 0:11:54most.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56The Herbert family's run this stall since the '70s.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59They say customers are still stocking up for
0:11:59 > 0:12:06Christmas, and they've faced bigger challenges than Brexit.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Food's not really been that dear for the last
0:12:08 > 0:12:09seven years.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12It might have jumped up a few pence, but whether there is a
0:12:12 > 0:12:13bigger hike, I haven't noticed.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15It's getting a little bit tougher at the
0:12:15 > 0:12:18supermarkets, though.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Open late and Sunday trade, but we try and keep
0:12:21 > 0:12:24people happy with local service, and have a friendly smile and just a
0:12:24 > 0:12:25little chat, really.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26Been a good Christmas for you?
0:12:26 > 0:12:27Hopefully it will be.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30The countdown is on for the weekend, but hopefully it should be
0:12:30 > 0:12:31OK.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34And across London, the countdown's on to secure that Brexit
0:12:34 > 0:12:38trade deal and details of a transition phase.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Come the New Year, it will be all eyes on Brussels.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45Katharine Carpenter, BBC London News.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48The kindness of commuters was on display outside Euston
0:12:48 > 0:12:51station today as they donated items to help those forced to spend
0:12:51 > 0:12:52the festive period outdoors.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54A group of volunteers which helps rough sleepers in London says
0:12:54 > 0:12:57there won't be enough spaces at shelters this Christmas
0:12:57 > 0:12:58to accommodate all of the capital's homeless.
0:12:58 > 0:13:06Thomas Magill has more.
0:13:06 > 0:13:13Just some of the places Londoners are calling home this Christmas.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16According to one group that helps rough sleepers, there is a shortage
0:13:16 > 0:13:21of available space is at shelters in all parts of London, a problem that
0:13:21 > 0:13:25is made worse over the festive period.It's never going to be
0:13:25 > 0:13:30enough. As soon as the winter shelters open, with 20 or 30 beds,
0:13:30 > 0:13:36run by volunteers, they are full already.Charities say hundreds will
0:13:36 > 0:13:41spend the next few nights outdoors on the capital's streets, a
0:13:41 > 0:13:45situation John says is putting people at risk.We have lost people
0:13:45 > 0:13:49on the streets. We are talking about vulnerable people, vulnerable women,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54young people, people who are scared anyway.Help can be slow to come,
0:13:54 > 0:14:04and that is why organisers turned to social media.I follow Streets
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Kitchen on Facebook and I heard about this and brought some stop
0:14:07 > 0:14:13along.These items have been Di noted -- donated by people passing
0:14:13 > 0:14:19by, and is at -- it is hoped they will come in handy for anyone
0:14:19 > 0:14:26spending time outdoors. A jumper, a hat, some socks, a scarf, and even
0:14:26 > 0:14:30some toiletries for women. Now, all that's left to do is to deliver the
0:14:30 > 0:14:36bags that those in need. Giving that is a team of willing volunteers.We
0:14:36 > 0:14:40are taking Hackney, so we will go along the overground, get up at each
0:14:40 > 0:14:49station and do a sweep of the area, see who we can find, at a chat with
0:14:49 > 0:14:51them.For everyone involved, the hope is that their work will make
0:14:51 > 0:14:53sleeping on the streets tonight that little bit more bearable.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56So, that's what it was like outside Euston station today,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58but for those travelling, it's not the only station in London
0:14:58 > 0:15:01that will shut on Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Engineering work is looming over the festive period.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Our transport correspondent, Tom Edwards, is the man
0:15:06 > 0:15:10with the details.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14We been here before, have we? It's never straight forward at this time
0:15:14 > 0:15:18of year.There will be lots of disruption of Christmas. Example,
0:15:18 > 0:15:23engineering work on the tube, on the overground, and a number of mainline
0:15:23 > 0:15:29rail stations will be shut as well. Example, London Bridge will be
0:15:29 > 0:15:34closed for ten days from the 23rd of December until the 2nd of January.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38New signalling is being feted there. As for Cannon Street, Charing Cross
0:15:38 > 0:15:52and many of the ThamesLink stations. Paddington be shut from Christmas
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Eve until the 27th. Most rail timetables in and out of London will
0:15:54 > 0:15:57be amended. On top of that, there is industrial action on cant Greater
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Anglia, South Western Railways and the DLR. These are things that
0:15:59 > 0:16:06passengers will have to look out for.You can't blame passengers
0:16:06 > 0:16:10wondering why they choose this time of year to do engineering works.The
0:16:10 > 0:16:14reason is that it is much quieter on the transport network, something
0:16:14 > 0:16:18like 50% fewer passengers trying to get around in London. There is lots
0:16:18 > 0:16:22of detail of the engineering works, so if you want to find out more, you
0:16:22 > 0:16:28can go to our website, and also look at our Twitter feed. Interestingly,
0:16:28 > 0:16:35we have just had a warning from London Travel, watch, the watchdog,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39saying: We are concerned that the extent of the works this holiday
0:16:39 > 0:16:44period. Many passengers will be affected, including those travelling
0:16:44 > 0:16:49to airports. Their advice to passengers - check and check again.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54We wish passengers luck. Just say, the Twitter feed was in the -- on
0:16:54 > 0:17:01the screen.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06It is the latest production to hit London's west end, a musical mixed
0:17:06 > 0:17:11with puppetry and a touch of the macabre. And later, I will have the
0:17:11 > 0:17:17full festive forecast and more aluminium -- alliteration! Is it
0:17:17 > 0:17:22going to be a White Christmas or a traditionally great Christmas?
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Survivors of the Grenfell fire are preparing for what will be
0:17:27 > 0:17:35a difficult festive season.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39A special Christmas dinner is being prepared for them at a church which
0:17:39 > 0:17:41has continued to support many of those affected by the tragedy.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Our reporter, Ayshea Buksh, is at a church which is continuing
0:17:44 > 0:17:46to help support many of those affected by the disaster.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Ayshea...
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Good evening. I'm outside the Tabernacle Christian Centre just a
0:17:53 > 0:17:57few streets away from the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington. It is a
0:17:57 > 0:18:01fantastic Christmas scene. The Salvation Army playing Christmas
0:18:01 > 0:18:06songs. All of the volunteers here have been tirelessly working to
0:18:06 > 0:18:13support survivors and families for the last six months. All dressed as
0:18:13 > 0:18:21elves. There are even some special guests from Lapland. Some fantastic
0:18:21 > 0:18:25reindeers for the children to meet. And inside, any minute now, there
0:18:25 > 0:18:32will be a meal served for around 130 people, all survivors of the fire.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35With me is Pastor Derrick Wilson. Thank you for having us. What is
0:18:35 > 0:18:40happening tonight?We are hosting a banquet for the survivors of the
0:18:40 > 0:18:48tower. We also have presents for the children donated by Hamleys and John
0:18:48 > 0:18:53Lewis. We have a grotto in the garden and children's entertainer.
0:18:53 > 0:19:02We have Carols. A lot of things going on to keep them entertained.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06What do you hope people will go away with tonight? Why is tonight so
0:19:06 > 0:19:12important to you as a church and for these people?It was so important
0:19:12 > 0:19:16for us to do something for the survivors. The majority of them are
0:19:16 > 0:19:20still in a hotel. We decided to put on something that they would still
0:19:20 > 0:19:26think there is some ollie out there who still believes in them and they
0:19:26 > 0:19:30are valued. We decided to put on a 5-star banquet, and hope they will
0:19:30 > 0:19:35leave with a better sense of gratitude. That someone is still
0:19:35 > 0:19:39there for them.Thank you so much. I hope it goes well. If you still want
0:19:39 > 0:19:45to donate to the church, they are accepting donations because the work
0:19:45 > 0:19:50will carry on into the New Year. Google Tabernacle Christian Centre.
0:19:50 > 0:19:58The food is about to be served. And the party is about to start.OK.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59Great to see that support continuing.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05Thank you.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07We've all heard of the gentleman-only members
0:20:07 > 0:20:08clubs of London.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Many are hundreds of years old, and have always excluded women.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Now, things are changing in the opposite direction -
0:20:13 > 0:20:15London is seeing a rise of women-only members' clubs.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Victoria Cook has been to find out more.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22When it opened five years ago, it was one of the first women only
0:20:22 > 0:20:26member clubs in London. Women can come here to do everything from
0:20:26 > 0:20:29personal training to hosting business meetings. But men are not
0:20:29 > 0:20:34allowed to be members.Men have always talked about business over a
0:20:34 > 0:20:38brandy and a cigar. We like to talk about business over a glass of
0:20:38 > 0:20:45organic wine and do it in a more gentle way. But somebody said to me,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49why were their main's clubs? It was really to talk about business,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53escape your family, recalibrate and go back and be a wonderful charming
0:20:53 > 0:20:58husband again. It's no different to us. Where do we get our space?Now
0:20:58 > 0:21:01another club like this is opening its doors in London. It has been
0:21:01 > 0:21:06reported that more than a thousand women signed up on the first day. It
0:21:06 > 0:21:10is part of an international movement. Women's clubs are
0:21:10 > 0:21:15springing up across the world.I never thought I would believe in
0:21:15 > 0:21:18segregating the sexes. But in this instance it would be nice to go for
0:21:18 > 0:21:27a glass of bubbly and relax and not have to deal with getting accosted.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31It can create problems but at the same time that is what everybody
0:21:31 > 0:21:37wants. They want equality and stuff like that.I think as a concept
0:21:37 > 0:21:41separation of the sexes is not should be going. That is just as bad
0:21:41 > 0:21:46as having male only clubs.It is a good idea. Finally, right? I think
0:21:46 > 0:21:54it is a really good idea. I'm not allowed to go in.We contacted a
0:21:54 > 0:21:57number of gender equality groups and asked what they thought about the
0:21:57 > 0:22:01increase in women only clubs. Non-wanted to appear on camera. But
0:22:01 > 0:22:07a lot told us they genuinely -- generally supported the idea. One
0:22:07 > 0:22:12told me they thought a quality will only truly exist on women and --
0:22:12 > 0:22:15when -- men and women can network and any environment whatsoever.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18A new stage production that combines the allure of War Horse-esque
0:22:18 > 0:22:20puppetry, with the show-stopping numbers of a musical
0:22:20 > 0:22:23like Les Miserables, has arrived on London's West End.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28The Grinning Man tells the story of a boy whose face is cut
0:22:28 > 0:22:31into a smile, and follows him as he tries to discover why.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33It's a journey of romance and discovery all against a backdrop
0:22:33 > 0:22:36of dystopian London. Charlotte Franks reports.
0:22:36 > 0:22:45Here in the nation's great capital city, London.As dark and cracked
0:22:45 > 0:22:49fairy tale world in an 18th-century London. We are in the capital of
0:22:49 > 0:22:56England but not as we know it. The Grinning Man is the West End's
0:22:56 > 0:23:00newest musical, which mixes freak shows with the macabre. It tells the
0:23:00 > 0:23:06story of an orphan boy whose face was cut into a smile by a stranger
0:23:06 > 0:23:15one day.The show is basically his quest with his love to find out who
0:23:15 > 0:23:18cut his face, essentially.What sort of skills did you have to develop in
0:23:18 > 0:23:22order to ensure that you were bringing that character to life?
0:23:22 > 0:23:27Well, I tried to approach it more like a silent movie. So I would have
0:23:27 > 0:23:35to cover this and do loads of sort of eyebrow acting.The Grinning Man
0:23:35 > 0:23:38is directed by Tom Morris, the man behind the award-winning West End
0:23:38 > 0:23:44show War Horse. The structured yet eerily skeletal puppets of war Birsa
0:23:44 > 0:23:50echoed in this production.Audiences are interested in stories. If you
0:23:50 > 0:23:53need a pop to tell the story and the audience wants to hear the story,
0:23:53 > 0:23:59they will knew -- do what they need to do with the puppet, which is
0:23:59 > 0:24:03create the life of a puppet. That is why war Birsa works. That is why
0:24:03 > 0:24:15people cry when they watch it. -- War Horse.In The Grinning Man, the
0:24:15 > 0:24:19audience are drawn into another world.Just those basic mannerisms
0:24:19 > 0:24:29of acquisitiveness, aggressiveness, calmness. We don't have the language
0:24:29 > 0:24:36-- the tail language, unfortunately. I wear a tale which as a spring. But
0:24:36 > 0:24:42I can't controller beyond that. The Grinning Man is playing at the
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Trafalgar Studios. You are invited to enter this fantastical and
0:24:46 > 0:24:49dystopian world if you dare.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Let's get an update on the weekend weather with Darren Bett.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56And is it looking like a mild Christmas?
0:24:56 > 0:25:01Yes we are. You can forget about a white Christmas. It will be
0:25:01 > 0:25:07typically.Mild air across the UK. Stronger winds picking up as well.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13There were some sunshine today. You can see from our picture taken
0:25:13 > 0:25:19earlier. It was a brief glimpse. On the whole, a lot of cloud across our
0:25:19 > 0:25:24part of the UK. You can see some thinning early on. That is filling
0:25:24 > 0:25:30in right now. It could be misty. Particularly over to the children's.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34A dry night ahead. A tidy night ahead. Temperatures not falling very
0:25:34 > 0:25:40much. It will be unusually mild of the year. Lows of 89 degrees.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Tomorrow starts off a bit grey. A little little bit cloudy. Probably
0:25:45 > 0:25:49not quite as misty. We may see some thinning of the tide now and again
0:25:49 > 0:25:53to give us a glimpse of sunshine. But on the whole we will stick with
0:25:53 > 0:25:59the flat, cloudy, grey skies. Temperatures rising by 2 degrees to
0:25:59 > 0:26:05ten or 11. Not changing much into Christmas eve morning. We start
0:26:05 > 0:26:09pretty cloudy on Christmas Eve. Again, the possibility of breaking
0:26:09 > 0:26:12up Cloud now and again. The wind will be a bit stronger on Christmas
0:26:12 > 0:26:18Eve. We may get a spot or two drizzle. Generally speaking, the
0:26:18 > 0:26:23temperatures not changing. We are going to be in between two weather
0:26:23 > 0:26:30fronts on the big day itself. A dry day, a mild day for Christmas Day.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Then we are probably a bit cooler on Tuesday. Signalling something more
0:26:35 > 0:26:40unsettled after Christmas. Areas of low pressure heading our way. But
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Tuesday, Boxing Day, should be fine and dry, a little bit of sunshine
0:26:43 > 0:26:46but temperatures nearer normal.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47and dry, a little bit of sunshine but temperatures nearer normal.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50That's almost it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and say thank you for your
0:26:55 > 0:27:00company this year. Let's hope it is a more peaceful 2018. We're back
0:27:00 > 0:27:04over the festive period. I will see you in the New Year. We leave you
0:27:04 > 0:27:06with some festive pictures of a twinkling London.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Bye-bye.