:00:00. > :00:21.welcome to Spotlight. Tonight: Milton Keynes we are welcome
:00:22. > :00:25.welcome to Spotlight. Tonight: Warnings about the desks while
:00:26. > :00:33.driving, it could be the toughest winter getaway for years. The day
:00:34. > :00:38.they have called manic Monday, people are looking for a bargain.
:00:39. > :00:44.And we are on the wards of Peterborough City Hospital on one of
:00:45. > :00:45.the busiest nights of the year. Also the tiny village with the giant
:00:46. > :00:57.Advent calendar. First tonight. The day they have
:00:58. > :01:00.called Manic Monday. For travellers in the region, disruption and
:01:01. > :01:04.cancellations on the trains and delays on the roads. In all, misery
:01:05. > :01:07.for people trying to get home or getaway for Christmas. High winds
:01:08. > :01:12.and heavy rains have brought down power lines and closed roads and
:01:13. > :01:15.bridges. We start in Milton Keynes where London Midland and Virgin West
:01:16. > :01:27.Coast Trains have been seriously affected. Neil Bradford is there
:01:28. > :01:31.now. Idea see those who took the advice to travel earlier today are
:01:32. > :01:35.feeling smug right now because then the last half`hour London Midland
:01:36. > :01:39.have announced they are only able to operate one service in each
:01:40. > :01:46.direction between London Euston and Northampton. Those services will be
:01:47. > :01:55.restricted to the 50 mph speed restriction. Like many travellers
:01:56. > :02:01.today, this 18`year`old from Milton Keynes was preparing for the worst.
:02:02. > :02:06.She has allowed extra time for her journey to Kent where she will be
:02:07. > :02:13.joining her boyfriend for Christmas. We are heading down the but we are
:02:14. > :02:21.having to set off early because the trains are being cancelled and it is
:02:22. > :02:27.even worse down in Kent. Milton Keynes had minor delays with the
:02:28. > :02:33.speed limit due to be introduced warmly at seven o'clock this
:02:34. > :02:39.evening. Other services had a speed limit introduced at four o'clock.
:02:40. > :02:46.About 20 line blockages so far, we will get many more as we go through
:02:47. > :02:51.this. While some passengers seemed prepared, others were taking their
:02:52. > :03:00.chances. We thought we would head off earlier than we did to beat the
:03:01. > :03:04.four o'clock deadline. It was busier than be expected but we were
:03:05. > :03:09.expecting that. Hopefully they will be all right it is the long journey
:03:10. > :03:15.but fingers crossed and we will see how that goes. Passengers continued
:03:16. > :03:25.to arrive by the dozen knowing full well that the journey might not be
:03:26. > :03:30.easy. Because of the disruption ticket restrictions have been
:03:31. > :03:36.lifted. Other lines out of London are not feeling any better. There
:03:37. > :03:40.are delays to services through Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
:03:41. > :03:45.because of the tree on the line There is also a tree on overhead
:03:46. > :03:49.power lines in the West Hampstead ADF. Those who was born on their
:03:50. > :04:00.journeys to model do not know what the weather is going to bring. ``
:04:01. > :04:03.West Hampshire region. Well that's the picture in Northamptonshire and
:04:04. > :04:06.Bedfordshire, but the disruption is having its effect right across the
:04:07. > :04:09.region. Greater Anglia trains into and out of Cambridge are not
:04:10. > :04:12.expecting to run any service tomorrow until at least ten o'clock.
:04:13. > :04:15.Mike Cartwright reports Well Mike joins me now, Mike, what's the
:04:16. > :04:21.latest? On the roads this Christmas getaway there are warnings of high
:04:22. > :04:27.winds. These are urging people not to drive for the next 24 hours
:04:28. > :04:34.unless they really have to. Take her, avoid areas with the lot of
:04:35. > :04:40.standing water, fallen trees and fall and fallen electricity pylons.
:04:41. > :04:50.Trees and power lines have been brought down on train tracks. Some
:04:51. > :04:56.routes are closed in case there is more damage. Ticket restrictions
:04:57. > :05:02.have been relaxed to allow people to travel earlier but tomorrow morning
:05:03. > :05:09.Greater Anglia trains will not run until ten o'clock so that tracks can
:05:10. > :05:16.be checked for debris. The highest winds will be overnight. They will
:05:17. > :05:27.drop off quickly by the daylight hours. After the storms are fears of
:05:28. > :05:35.flooding with standing water and swollen rivers. Heavy rainfall is
:05:36. > :05:44.expected in Bucks and Beds. Some of the rivers are likely to flood. As
:05:45. > :05:48.the rain and wind arrives there are warnings that if you do travel this
:05:49. > :06:02.Christmas take extra care and allow extra time. What is the very latest?
:06:03. > :06:11.Nothing major to report since we have come on year. The live one
:06:12. > :06:14.flood warning on the outskirts of no fountain `` Northampton. You can
:06:15. > :06:21.ring the flood line number. The trains have a restrictive service in
:06:22. > :06:27.operation and network rail will be checking the track for fallen trees
:06:28. > :06:31.and power lines. People are warned not to drive through floodwater The
:06:32. > :06:38.bridge on the M25 is closed tonight because of strong winds but the
:06:39. > :06:43.tunnels are open. It is the case of watching and waiting at the moment.
:06:44. > :06:47.Thanks, Mike. And you can keep fully up to date with the latest on the
:06:48. > :06:55.weather and travel tomorrow morning with your BBC local radio station.
:06:56. > :06:58.Well it's also been Manic Monday for our shops ` thousands of people
:06:59. > :07:01.across the region have been hitting the High Streets today in pursuit of
:07:02. > :07:04.bargains, and last minute provisions. In Milton Keynes alone
:07:05. > :07:07.they were expecting 150,000 people today. But, as Louise Hubball
:07:08. > :07:16.reports, not everyone's been heading for the big centres. This is the
:07:17. > :07:25.story of manic Monday revealing the last`minute dash at two very
:07:26. > :07:30.different centres. The traditional festive approach is working its
:07:31. > :07:34.magic here. In Milton Keynes they expect 100 and the thousand through
:07:35. > :07:39.the doors today, more than on Saturday. This is one of the top ten
:07:40. > :07:46.shopping centres in the country In the battle against online buying
:07:47. > :07:57.right offering retail are and are the thing they have the right idea.
:07:58. > :08:06.You can get wrapping done, we have got to the cruisers, we have the
:08:07. > :08:10.lights you cannot get that at home. Add the part of manic Monday by
:08:11. > :08:18.accident or design, the people who have come here? I am on holiday so I
:08:19. > :08:23.have sent my wife of somewhere else so she cannot see what I am buying.
:08:24. > :08:29.I have bought things for myself that I should not have bought! The macro
:08:30. > :08:33.it is nice to see lots of sales going on which has been quite nice
:08:34. > :08:42.but I do not think it has been as bad as last year. The main item on
:08:43. > :08:49.people's to buy list here is good. How long would you queue for the
:08:50. > :08:57.butchers? One hour. We started at ten to ten and now it is ten to 11.
:08:58. > :09:06.What are you waiting to pick up I have forgotten my list! Do we really
:09:07. > :09:09.need the sausage meat? It is important to keep the small shops
:09:10. > :09:15.going, the supermarkets get too much. I will have to look for my
:09:16. > :09:22.parsnips elsewhere, they are sold out. Managers at a hostel for the
:09:23. > :09:25.homeless in Hertfordshire have criticised workers who've gone on
:09:26. > :09:28.strike over Christmas. Five employees from the St Mungo's hostel
:09:29. > :09:32.in Hitchin walked out yesterday afternoon. The charity says the
:09:33. > :09:41.strike couldn't have come at a worse time. Last`minute preparations for
:09:42. > :09:46.Christmas. This year temporary workers from other hospitals are
:09:47. > :09:51.running this homeless hostel in Hitchin. Five permanent staff have
:09:52. > :09:55.walked out on strike for 12 days. Even industrial action comes after
:09:56. > :10:04.the shelter switched from opening only at night to 24 hours per day.
:10:05. > :10:11.They were offered the same terms and conditions as other employees but it
:10:12. > :10:15.did not happen, the say. The staff that look after those vulnerable
:10:16. > :10:24.people that do an incredibly challenging and experienced job for
:10:25. > :10:28.Saint Mungo 's. The centre here houses up to 17 homeless people at
:10:29. > :10:35.the time, they are getting clean clothes, and evening meal and a
:10:36. > :10:42.place to sleep. They are encouraged to get into independent
:10:43. > :10:46.accommodation. We thought we had reached agreement with the new
:10:47. > :10:50.rotors and terms and conditions for staff, we are very disappointed that
:10:51. > :10:54.they have chosen this time of year to go on strike because it is a very
:10:55. > :11:01.difficult time of year for homeless people. Some residents support the
:11:02. > :11:06.strike. I think they are fighting for what is the right. They could
:11:07. > :11:16.not have made it feel any more Christmassy for me. I've fully back
:11:17. > :11:18.them up. They deserve fair pay. Controversial bells in a
:11:19. > :11:22.Hertfordshire village are to be silenced at night after complaints
:11:23. > :11:26.from local residents. The bells of St Mary's Church in Ashwell have
:11:27. > :11:34.rung out every quarter day and night for more than a century.
:11:35. > :11:44.be long before the community is tested again.
:11:45. > :11:47.Still to come on the programme tonight: Chris Bell will be here
:11:48. > :11:50.with the latest on those storms. And in football, another manager
:11:51. > :12:03.bites the dust. Aidy Boothroyd pays the price after a torrid season at
:12:04. > :12:06.Northampton Town. Hospital managers have been warning
:12:07. > :12:08.for months about the building pressure in our Accident and
:12:09. > :12:12.Emergency departments this winter. And we were warned that last weekend
:12:13. > :12:16.would be particularly bad ` so much so that they were predicting last
:12:17. > :12:20.Friday would be 'Black Friday'. But what was the reality for the NHS?
:12:21. > :12:32.Well, we were on the wards at Peterborough City Hospital. Jo
:12:33. > :12:36.Taylor has this report. It's only 8pm and the place is full. This
:12:37. > :12:41.woman is having breathing difficulties. She has a history of
:12:42. > :12:46.health problems. In the next cubicle, a man has been brought in
:12:47. > :12:50.uncoscious. He's been in a road accident and is being taken for a
:12:51. > :12:54.scan to assess how badly injured he is. The Emergency Department has
:12:55. > :12:58.seen more than a 50% rise in the number of people turning up over the
:12:59. > :13:02.Christmas fortnight over the last five years. When I first started we
:13:03. > :13:11.had a minor injury unit and another area... It was rare to use it, never
:13:12. > :13:15.mind fill. This is three times the size and full. This man is worried
:13:16. > :13:19.about redness following a hernia operation. He called the
:13:20. > :13:25.non`emergency 111 number and told not to come here. They said a GP
:13:26. > :13:38.would ring us in six hours. We didn't want to wait. We were a bit
:13:39. > :13:47.concerned. So we came down here and hopefully we will be seen soon. One
:13:48. > :13:57.in ten who turn up do not need to. The problem is that doctors deal
:13:58. > :14:07.with are getting more serious. We have got a wide range of patients.
:14:08. > :14:19.Patients with cases revolving around XS alcohol and many other things. ``
:14:20. > :14:31.excess alcohol. Dominic was a week after row. He is being transferred
:14:32. > :14:39.to Addenbrooke's Hospital. That is life. But they are not able to save
:14:40. > :14:48.everybody. There are two deaths this evening. It was quite moving for us.
:14:49. > :14:55.The patient had died but they were still very grateful. That is
:14:56. > :15:01.touching. If we don't feel like that then we shouldn't be nurses. By
:15:02. > :15:07.midnight, another 40 patients have come through the door. It is a
:15:08. > :15:14.typical Friday night for staff as they head towards Christmas. Dr Dan
:15:15. > :15:17.Poulter is a Health Minister. He's also the MP for Central Suffolk and
:15:18. > :15:21.North Ipswich. Late this afternoon, I asked what we could do about so
:15:22. > :15:24.many people going to A when they don't need to. It's absolutely right
:15:25. > :15:28.that if someone is unwell they should be seen quickly. That's what
:15:29. > :15:31.A is for. But the challenge is to help people understand that it's not
:15:32. > :15:35.in their interests ` or the interests of other, sick patients `
:15:36. > :15:41.to put extra pressure on A for routine complaints like a sore
:15:42. > :15:45.throat. The appropriate thing to do is go to see their GP the next
:15:46. > :15:52.morning. Part of that is about doctors in A pointing it out to
:15:53. > :15:55.people. Next time they might want to see their GP rather than come to A
:15:56. > :16:00.when it's a relatively minor complaint. One of the big problems
:16:01. > :16:11.is that it's not always easy to see your own GP. Do we have enough? Do
:16:12. > :16:15.we pay them enough? The average GP is paid around ?105,000 a year which
:16:16. > :16:20.is a good salary by anybody's standards. Most of them won't be
:16:21. > :16:30.doing evenings or weekends. Some will, of course. The challenge is to
:16:31. > :16:34.increase the number of GPs. If we want to move to a position where we
:16:35. > :16:37.have more working over evenings and weekends then it's not just about
:16:38. > :16:41.getting the current GPs to work later... It's about making sure we
:16:42. > :16:46.have enough bodies on the ground to provide the service. Is one of the
:16:47. > :16:50.problems that people move around so much in the country, and Europe as a
:16:51. > :16:56.whole, that they don't bother signing up with a GP? There is a
:16:57. > :17:06.challenge relating to high population. It happens in inner`city
:17:07. > :17:14.areas as well as some rural ones. As much as a third of the GP register
:17:15. > :17:19.can change on a yearly basis. `` an annual basis. Younger people are
:17:20. > :17:23.particularly bad at signing up. It tends to be them who turn up at A
:17:24. > :17:26.for more trivial complaints. When they do turn up with a minor
:17:27. > :17:30.complaint, the A department should link them to a GP so that in the
:17:31. > :17:49.future that person won't be putting extra pressure on. Thank you. And
:17:50. > :17:52.the BBC is keeping a close eye on how our Accident and Emergency
:17:53. > :17:55.departments cope this winter. You can actually see how your local
:17:56. > :17:59.hospital is getting on by going to the BBC website online and searching
:18:00. > :18:04.for 'NHS Winter' You can put a post code in ` the studio here is NR2 1BH
:18:05. > :18:14.` and we get the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
:18:15. > :18:24.You can see how many patients are being seen within four hours in A
:18:25. > :18:33.And if you scroll down you can also compare how your hospital is doing
:18:34. > :18:41.compared to the England average. Plenty of opportunity on the site to
:18:42. > :18:44.share your own NHS experiences too. In football, Northampton Town go
:18:45. > :18:47.into Christmas and the New Year battling for survival in the
:18:48. > :18:50.Football League and trying to find a new manager. Aidy Boothroyd was
:18:51. > :18:54.sacked at the weekend following a heavy defeat. Back in May they were
:18:55. > :18:57.at Wembley in the League Two play`off final. But they've only won
:18:58. > :19:01.four games this season and the manager paid the price. Saturday.
:19:02. > :19:06.Wycombe Wanderers at Sixfields. Aidy Boothroyd needed a win but he didn't
:19:07. > :19:09.get it. The Cobblers lost 4`1 ` and at 5:39pm, less than an hour after
:19:10. > :19:16.the final whistle ` Boothroyd was sacked. We lost the manager at the
:19:17. > :19:21.weekend. He was a friend, particularly to me. The players got
:19:22. > :19:25.on with him well. But they reacted. We had a little talk and I thought
:19:26. > :19:28.they trained very well. Aidy Boothroyd joined Northampton Town
:19:29. > :19:31.just over two years ago. He'd already taken Watford into the
:19:32. > :19:37.Premier League, followed by spells at Colchester United and Coventry.
:19:38. > :19:41.In May, the Cobblers made it to the League Two play`offs and the Wembley
:19:42. > :19:46.final... But they lost. And this season has been a disaster. This is
:19:47. > :19:51.what Boothroyd told Look East just a few weeks ago. You know you're going
:19:52. > :19:55.to have highs and lows. There are more lows than highs. Fortunately,
:19:56. > :20:01.I'm getting the opportunity to change it and turn it around. A lot
:20:02. > :20:10.of guys in this day would have been chopped by now. `` in this day and
:20:11. > :20:13.age. Whether he realised or not, the board was losing patience. The
:20:14. > :20:20.Cobblers are bottom of League Two with just four wins. I know there
:20:21. > :20:25.was gloom after the decision. I just feel we have to have a lift. We
:20:26. > :20:29.can't have a negative opinion. I think the club are taking a gamble
:20:30. > :20:33.by replacing him at this stage. He knows the players. He's been backed
:20:34. > :20:37.financially. He looked to be getting more in January as well. After
:20:38. > :20:42.Saturday's final whistle, maybe Boothroyd did know what was coming.
:20:43. > :20:46.Instead of thanking the players on the pitch, he looked on then turned
:20:47. > :20:50.and walked straight down the tunnel. Within minutes he'd be sacked.
:20:51. > :21:01.Another manager looking for another job.
:21:02. > :21:05.A former sports editor here at BBC Look East has died at the age of 82.
:21:06. > :21:08.John Myatt presented sports bulletins during the 1970s and
:21:09. > :21:12.1980s. He was also a reporter and presenter on the radio programme
:21:13. > :21:24.Roundabout East Anglia. He died at Southwold Hospital yesterday.
:21:25. > :21:27.There was a time when you knew what to expect with an advent calendar.
:21:28. > :21:31.Mary and Joseph round the crib, perhaps a few shepherds in a field
:21:32. > :21:34.or some wise men on camels. These days it's anything from a Christmas
:21:35. > :21:37.tree to pop groups like One Direction. And behind every door,
:21:38. > :21:40.anything from chocolate to whiskey. But in the village of Abington Pigot
:21:41. > :21:43.in Cambridgeshire they've gone one better. The whole village has, in
:21:44. > :21:46.effect, become an advent calendar. Every night throughout December,
:21:47. > :21:59.people have gathered at a house and opened another window. Alex Dolan
:22:00. > :22:05.explains. It is the eve of Christmas Eve. For a small Cambridge village
:22:06. > :22:12.the countdown has been extra special. People usually open and
:22:13. > :22:17.Advent calendar but here in Abington Pigotts they have taken the idea
:22:18. > :22:30.even farther. They have transformed the house is in two Advent calendar
:22:31. > :22:38.windows. `` their houses. `` into Advent calendar windows. I tried to
:22:39. > :22:57.gauge interest and I had a great response. We have got lots of things
:22:58. > :23:04.here. Beyers, rabbits... `` Bears. What has it been like seeing all
:23:05. > :23:07.these windows? Everybody has had a different slant. It has been great
:23:08. > :23:24.to get together with people even just for 15 or 20 minutes. It has
:23:25. > :23:29.been lovely. It has been amazing. We are new to the village of this is
:23:30. > :23:34.our first experience. 24 minced pies. 24 glasses of wine. Lots of
:23:35. > :23:58.friendly people. The villagers have really got into
:23:59. > :24:03.the spirit of things. With just two windows left to open, they are
:24:04. > :24:12.likely that next year will be even better. `` they are all agreed that
:24:13. > :24:25.next year will be even better. That music will be in my head all night!
:24:26. > :24:40.Now for the weather. I am going to show you some graphics. Here are
:24:41. > :24:53.some very cold air over my homeland of North America. `` Here is some.
:24:54. > :24:56.There is a real contrast in temperature. It has allowed these
:24:57. > :25:12.big areas of low pressure to develop. You can see at streaming
:25:13. > :25:18.over. `` it. Some of these winds have been very fast. When you get
:25:19. > :25:31.strong winds like this, over the top of low pressure, it becomes quite
:25:32. > :25:37.fierce. Fort and eight, across our region, there will be gale force
:25:38. > :25:52.winds and some strong gusts. `` For tonight. The Met office has a wind
:25:53. > :26:14.their brain will be with us right throughout the night. `` the rain.
:26:15. > :26:25.60 to 70 mph is for the winds. These will come at around midnight. There
:26:26. > :26:32.could be some damage done. At the end of the night it will be confined
:26:33. > :26:36.to eastern areas. It will start to ease down eventually. The rainbow
:26:37. > :26:46.sweep away to the east leaving us with a much nicer day. `` the rain
:26:47. > :26:58.will. High temperatures of 78 Celsius. `` seven to eight Celsius.
:26:59. > :27:08.For Christmas Day it looks like a mild day. That is how things will go
:27:09. > :27:22.into Boxing Day. We will see the wind is picking up again. That could
:27:23. > :27:26.potentially cause some strong winds. See you tomorrow.