:00:16. > :00:19.Thousands of people are makhng their way to the region this weekdnd as
:00:20. > :00:26.Emergency services, highways staff and the rail companies are
:00:27. > :00:33.In Northamptonshire, 375,000 people are expected to go to Silverstone
:00:34. > :00:41.At Knebworth on the A1 in Hertfordshire, 50,000 are attending
:00:42. > :00:46.And on Monday the Tour de France comes to Cambridge.
:00:47. > :00:50.It's estimated up to 150,000 people will be entering the city alone
:00:51. > :00:52.and thousands more lining the route to London.
:00:53. > :01:06.This big sporting event will draw big crowds, thousands wanting to see
:01:07. > :01:09.the Tour de France in Cambrhdge To cope with demand there will be extra
:01:10. > :01:16.carriages and train services between Cambridge and London. Howevdr..
:01:17. > :01:22.Those trains will be busy, so please plan ahead and be patient. Please
:01:23. > :01:27.try to plan your journey after pm and avoid the evening peak.
:01:28. > :01:31.In Northamptonshire, Silverstone hosts the British Grand Prix.
:01:32. > :01:35.350,000 people are respected to pass through.
:01:36. > :01:40.The logistical problems are what you would expect. They lose things,
:01:41. > :01:43.sadly crime takes place, sole people drink too much, there are cdrtain
:01:44. > :01:48.drug abuse, so we expect those things that is we plan for.
:01:49. > :01:55.In Hertfordshire, around 50,000 are respected to attend dishonest beer
:01:56. > :02:01.Festival in network. Over there you have the main stage where Mdtallica
:02:02. > :02:05.and the Prodigy will perforl. Thousands of people have already
:02:06. > :02:10.arrived, and that is even bdfore the second stage has opened. On the spot
:02:11. > :02:16.I will be replaced by Hundrdd Reasons, Slayer, and Chas and Dave,
:02:17. > :02:20.with thousands of people tr`velling to watch them perform.
:02:21. > :02:24.We have had thousands of people arriving on Thursday, and on Friday
:02:25. > :02:29.this evening we will have another 20,000 arriving. On Sunday, the
:02:30. > :02:32.departure is spread over Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening and Monday
:02:33. > :02:36.morning. Heavy traffic on the roads hs
:02:37. > :02:41.expected and will be closelx monitored by the Highways Agency.
:02:42. > :02:45.Those three big events will between them attract around half a lillion
:02:46. > :02:47.people. Expect roads and rahlways across the region to be busx between
:02:48. > :02:48.now and Monday. Now, with all those people turning
:02:49. > :02:51.out to watch the Tour, it provides a huge opportunhty
:02:52. > :02:55.for many businesses to cash in. But are there any
:02:56. > :02:58.longer term benefits? Our business correspondent
:02:59. > :03:05.Richard Bond's been finding out Keith Johnson is getting into the
:03:06. > :03:10.swing of things, as well he might. His pub,
:03:11. > :03:13.the Fox at Finchingfield is in prime The route goes past
:03:14. > :03:19.the front door of the Essex pub He has sold 80 VIP tickets dntitling
:03:20. > :03:25.guests to a champagne breakfasts, The VIP tickets, we have sold
:03:26. > :03:31.those at ?155 per head. Easy to sell simply because the Tour
:03:32. > :03:36.de France and an opportunitx Hotels close to
:03:37. > :03:43.the route are also busy. The Doubletree
:03:44. > :03:47.in Cambridge will be packed out We normally find ourselves full
:03:48. > :03:49.on Saturday, We have found that with the Tour
:03:50. > :03:55.de France coming into Cambrhdge we It is not all good news
:03:56. > :04:00.for business. extensive road closures
:04:01. > :04:03.will hit many firms. Hauliers are worried
:04:04. > :04:05.about disruption. We need to deliver goods
:04:06. > :04:11.and services to shops and pdople's homes while all this fantastic
:04:12. > :04:16.sporting spectacle is going on. There are hopes
:04:17. > :04:21.of a long`term boost for totrism, but for now businesses have enough
:04:22. > :04:24.on their hands catering for visitors Local politicians are demanding more
:04:25. > :04:31.answers about the future of Accident and Emergency services in Bddford
:04:32. > :04:36.and Milton Keynes. A ?3.2 million pound review
:04:37. > :04:39.of health services in the towns is It states that "sustaining
:04:40. > :04:45.emergency surgery on both shtes It's a key route linking
:04:46. > :04:53.the Midlands to But although the A47 is classed
:04:54. > :04:58.as a European super`highway, But today
:04:59. > :05:06.the transport minister drovd along Trailing traffic as far
:05:07. > :05:15.as the eye can see. After years of talking,
:05:16. > :05:18.could there finally be some action? Today the roads minister cale to see
:05:19. > :05:22.for himself, It would be great
:05:23. > :05:27.if we had unlimited resourcds and What is important is to identify the
:05:28. > :05:33.bits which will have the most impact Another problem is traffic lovements
:05:34. > :05:43.between Peterborough and Norfolk and the coast, and the area between
:05:44. > :05:49.Thorney and Guyhirn and Wisbech can be very congested
:05:50. > :05:52.particularly in the summer. Part of the road has alreadx been
:05:53. > :05:57.improved here at the Thornex bypass. People who travel
:05:58. > :05:59.the route regularly, whether for business or trips to
:06:00. > :06:02.the coast, can't understand why a route that is so important to the
:06:03. > :06:23.region is not of a higher standard. We get lots of announcements, and
:06:24. > :06:26.indeed we get lots of feasibility but what everybody wants is a firm
:06:27. > :06:30.commitment to the cash and spades But today there has been a growing
:06:31. > :06:34.sense of optimism about upgrading. More news is expected by thd end
:06:35. > :06:37.of the year. Time to get
:06:38. > :06:50.the weather now with Alex Dolan Good evening, quite a shift in
:06:51. > :06:54.weather pattern, already a band of rain pushing in from the west. It
:06:55. > :06:58.will be light and patchy rahn at first, but by the early hours of
:06:59. > :07:02.tomorrow morning it will be more persistent and heavy. It will be a
:07:03. > :07:06.warm and Monday night with temperatures not lower than the
:07:07. > :07:10.teams. At the start of tomorrow it will be cloudy with outbreaks of
:07:11. > :07:13.rain, gradually clearing eastwards, and although it may remain cloudy,
:07:14. > :07:19.there are signs it might brhghten up on the end of the day. Any of the
:07:20. > :07:26.showers could be on the heavy side. It will be cooler tomorrow, with
:07:27. > :07:30.highs of 20 or 21 Celsius. Hn a moment we have the National
:07:31. > :07:31.forecast, but he was our outlook. Sunshine and showers around on
:07:32. > :07:32.Sunday and Monday. later in the day. Before that,
:07:33. > :07:46.plenty of sunshine. Today's weather played out like a
:07:47. > :07:55.classic World Cup match - a tale of two halves.
:07:56. > :07:59.Highest temperatures for this year. A different story further north and
:08:00. > :08:06.west. A lot of cloud around. It was breezy, and yes, we saw significant
:08:07. > :08:11.rain. This rain has to clear further east overnight and then it
:08:12. > :08:16.introduces a different feel to our weather - sunny spells but also
:08:17. > :08:21.showers. So a good drenching for the gardens overnight. Some of the rain
:08:22. > :08:25.heavy over north-east England for a time and stretching up towards
:08:26. > :08:31.south-east Scotland as this weather front goes further east. First thing
:08:32. > :08:33.there is the potential for some of that rain to be