:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to Look East. so it's goodbye from me
:00:00. > :00:08.In the programme tonight: Living with ME and how research in Norwich
:00:09. > :00:23.It is very promising, it gives hope now for the first time that there
:00:24. > :00:24.could be a treatment for this devastating disorder.
:00:25. > :00:27.The merger which is about to create the biggest district
:00:28. > :00:34.Ratty as you've never seen him before.
:00:35. > :00:38.And I am in Stevenage where astronaut Tim Peake is inspiring the
:00:39. > :00:48.next generation. An international centre for research
:00:49. > :00:51.into the causes of ME Scientists told Look East today
:00:52. > :00:56.they are making real breakthroughs in finding a treatment
:00:57. > :01:00.for the condition, which is also It's thought 250,000
:01:01. > :01:05.people across the country are affected by ME and so far,
:01:06. > :01:10.there is no effective treatment. The most common symptoms are severe
:01:11. > :01:14.fatigue, painful muscles and joints, Now scientists in Norwich
:01:15. > :01:22.are planning to trial a cancer drug, which has been found to help
:01:23. > :01:24.patients with ME in Norway. The research in this region has been
:01:25. > :01:28.crowdfunded by ME sufferers like Rosalind Amor from Bury St
:01:29. > :01:30.Edmunds. She's so affected by the illness,
:01:31. > :01:49.she spends her life Arriving at Rosalind's home, the
:01:50. > :01:56.first thing you notice is the sign on the door. That is because
:01:57. > :02:01.Rosalind cannot tolerate too much noise or too much light. Rosalind
:02:02. > :02:06.was diagnosed with envy at the age of eight. She is now 25.
:02:07. > :02:16.Conversations have to be conducted in a whisper. It's awful. Feeling
:02:17. > :02:22.tired and weak and heavy. Rosalind's health improved when she was 15. She
:02:23. > :02:26.could walk, stand and use a wheelchair outdoors but four years
:02:27. > :02:31.ago, Rosalind had a relapse and today she cannot get out of bed, is
:02:32. > :02:41.fed by tube and users hand gestures to communicate. You must get down
:02:42. > :02:50.about how you feel. I don't want to waste my entire life in bed. Despite
:02:51. > :02:55.everything, Rosalind remains positive. She writes a blog for the
:02:56. > :03:01.invest in N E research charity and helps to raise money for them. Now
:03:02. > :03:06.she can use an iPad and connects to the rest of the world again,
:03:07. > :03:10.immediately she is back in touch, part of the team and the fact that
:03:11. > :03:16.she can contribute to the blog and writing is what she loves to do. I
:03:17. > :03:29.want to be a journalist. I want to be a journalist since I was 17. Do
:03:30. > :03:34.you think that might come one day? Rosalind loves the outdoors but has
:03:35. > :03:38.not been in the garden for years. She is following the developments in
:03:39. > :03:39.research closely but is also realistic about what the future
:03:40. > :03:42.might hold. In Norway they've found that a drug
:03:43. > :03:48.normally used to treat cancer Now those scientists
:03:49. > :03:52.are here in Norwich to talk about carrying out a trial of that
:03:53. > :03:56.same drug here. Ian Barmer reports on the research
:03:57. > :04:10.that's giving a real hope of finding ME has always been seen as a
:04:11. > :04:13.condition in the mind but now scientists in Norway are confident
:04:14. > :04:18.they could be on the verge of a breakthrough to show it is a
:04:19. > :04:22.physical disorder. Until now there have been no effective treatments
:04:23. > :04:29.but a commonly used cancer drug has delivered a big improvement in
:04:30. > :04:33.symptoms. We had a view patients who had long-standing, severe ME who got
:04:34. > :04:39.lymphoma and we saw that when they got lymphoma treatment,
:04:40. > :04:43.chemotherapy, they seem to have a benefit from that treatment in their
:04:44. > :04:48.symptoms. The research looks at the way sugar is converted into energy
:04:49. > :04:53.in the blood and that is closely related to research in ME underway
:04:54. > :04:59.in Norwich. The experts from Norway are in Norwich now to help plan for
:05:00. > :05:03.a big upcoming trial here. It is very exciting, very promising. It
:05:04. > :05:09.gives hope for the first time that there could be a treatment for this
:05:10. > :05:14.devastating disorder. Knowledge is becoming a national centre for the
:05:15. > :05:22.study of ME. Next year the work will move to the quadrant Institute. And
:05:23. > :05:26.by the end of 2018, the major trial using the same drug will start at
:05:27. > :05:31.the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital with patients from Norfolk and
:05:32. > :05:35.Suffolk. That is good news for people like Charlotte. She is
:05:36. > :05:41.desperate for an effective treatment for ME. It has been a long time
:05:42. > :05:52.coming and I have lost the last ten or so years of this, of my life to
:05:53. > :05:58.this, so I just hope they have a breakthrough and can help us out.
:05:59. > :06:02.Scientists are more confident now that ME could be reversible. For
:06:03. > :06:03.Charlotte and the quarter of a million sufferers, that cannot come
:06:04. > :06:05.soon enough. A plan to merge two councils
:06:06. > :06:08.in Suffolk completely is expected If the tie-up between Waveney
:06:09. > :06:11.and Suffolk coastal is agreed, the new authority will become
:06:12. > :06:14.the largest district But what will it mean
:06:15. > :06:22.for people who live there? Our political correspondent
:06:23. > :06:24.Andrew Sinclair is outside the meeting at Melton
:06:25. > :06:37.near Woodbridge. Good evening. Meeting will get
:06:38. > :06:41.underway in about 20 minutes. Last night, Waverley Council approved
:06:42. > :06:46.these plans. If Suffolk Coastal approve them tonight, history will
:06:47. > :06:50.be made because this is the first time that two councils have voted to
:06:51. > :06:55.merge. District councils are responsible for more than 100
:06:56. > :07:00.different services, maintaining beaches, public toilets, car parks
:07:01. > :07:06.and collecting the rubbish. In two years' time in Waveney and Suffolk
:07:07. > :07:12.Coastal comedy names on the jackets will change but that should be all.
:07:13. > :07:17.I hope residents will not notice anything. We have been working with
:07:18. > :07:22.Waveney District Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council in
:07:23. > :07:32.partnership for ten years and so I hope they have noticed anything so
:07:33. > :07:35.far. It has saved these two authorities ?16 million so a
:07:36. > :07:39.complete merger was the obvious next step but among residents in
:07:40. > :07:46.Lowestoft, there was a lot of scepticism. I think the more local
:07:47. > :07:57.the better. Bad enough getting them to do something in this town N
:07:58. > :08:01.adding a feud more. -- few. The new council will stretch from Lowestoft
:08:02. > :08:06.to Felixstowe with the two headquarters at Lowestoft and Mt.
:08:07. > :08:11.The move will save ?1.3 million every year. The council says there
:08:12. > :08:16.will be few job cuts as most services are already emerged but
:08:17. > :08:21.there will be up to 30 fewer councillors, something which worries
:08:22. > :08:25.the opposition. If councillors are reduced, you will not have people
:08:26. > :08:30.who know what is going on in their communities so how can you represent
:08:31. > :08:35.people properly. What would happen if you did not do this? We would
:08:36. > :08:39.have to cut services because of the finances that would not stack up,
:08:40. > :08:45.because as a District Council, we are struggling to set budgets. And
:08:46. > :08:49.this probably won't be the last merger. Other councils in Suffolk
:08:50. > :08:54.are thinking of following suit as the pressures on local government
:08:55. > :08:57.finance growth. That though it will take place shortly.
:08:58. > :09:00.Andrew, while you're here, can I ask you about some other
:09:01. > :09:02.political news tonight involving the Norwich MP Clive Lewis?
:09:03. > :09:09.Clive Lewis has spent the last week telling colleagues and journalist
:09:10. > :09:13.that because he represents a constituency that booted to remain
:09:14. > :09:19.in the referendum last year, he cannot bring himself to vote for the
:09:20. > :09:24.triggering of Article 50. Today, Jeremy Corbyn ordered all his MPs to
:09:25. > :09:29.vote for the triggering of Article 50 and anyone that doesn't will be
:09:30. > :09:34.sacked. At one stage there were rumours that Clive Lewis would
:09:35. > :09:39.resign over this. Tonight he said he would be voting for Article 50. I
:09:40. > :09:44.respect the result of the referendum, he said. In an interview
:09:45. > :09:46.tonight he said he may yet change his mind when he goes back to
:09:47. > :09:47.Parliament next month. who was subjected to lewd comments
:09:48. > :09:51.from the master of a hunt, has told Look East they have
:09:52. > :09:53.received an apology. who was also a local Conservative
:09:54. > :09:57.councillor in Norfolk, making the comments
:09:58. > :10:01.to 41-year-old Linda Hoggard during a hunt in North
:10:02. > :10:03.Yorkshire on Monday. Mr Carter resigned from Breckland
:10:04. > :10:16.District Council last night. Today's tabloids will not have made
:10:17. > :10:21.comfortable reading for Charles Carter, but sex and hunting make for
:10:22. > :10:24.a saucy headlight. It is now 12 years after the hunting act was
:10:25. > :10:35.passed but the battles between the pro-and anti-hunt lobby still wager
:10:36. > :10:47.on. Charles Carter's lewd comments captured on social media. Pardon? I
:10:48. > :10:51.shall tell my husband that, shall I? A former Master of the West Norfolk
:10:52. > :10:56.Hunt, Charles Carter was also a reduced rate councillor. His
:10:57. > :11:01.behaviour condemned by the local Tory party and the local council
:11:02. > :11:07.leader. He contacted the protester to apologise to the husband and made
:11:08. > :11:13.it clear it was meant in no way to be rude. I spoke to Linda Hoggard's
:11:14. > :11:18.husband tonight. He would not say whether he would accept the apology.
:11:19. > :11:24.In Charles Carter's form award, mixed views. We used to call him a
:11:25. > :11:30.hooray Henry. He spoke with an Oxford twang. Does what he's saying
:11:31. > :11:37.disqualify him from being a councillor? I would have thought so.
:11:38. > :11:42.It would not go down well in disparaging. People get wound up
:11:43. > :11:51.about hunting and it is nothing to do with the village and being a
:11:52. > :11:56.councillor. Should he have quit? No. Perhaps like the proverbial fox,
:11:57. > :12:00.Charles Carter has gone to ground. He has not responded to requests for
:12:01. > :12:06.an interview. People tell me that while he has not lived in the area
:12:07. > :12:12.for several months, he has been a good counsellor. But this sort of
:12:13. > :12:13.behaviour both angered local councillors and voters. Even Charles
:12:14. > :12:17.Carter accepted he had to go. with temperatures struggling
:12:18. > :12:23.to get above freezing. It comes after freezing
:12:24. > :12:25.fog earlier this week. the big problem now
:12:26. > :12:37.is how to stay warm. Today the weather is bitterly cold.
:12:38. > :12:45.Temperatures struggling to rise above freezing, a wind chill of -4,
:12:46. > :12:49.minus five. It's a time when agencies are busy helping the
:12:50. > :12:54.vulnerable and older people stay warm. We have been providing room
:12:55. > :13:00.thermometers, we have provided newsletters that have had how to
:13:01. > :13:03.stay warm in winter information. Occasionally our advice team might
:13:04. > :13:09.hear from someone who's heating has broken down, particularly in a cold
:13:10. > :13:13.snap like this and they may not get an engineer for a couple of days so
:13:14. > :13:18.we have a few space heaters and blankets and we can to a drop-off.
:13:19. > :13:23.Coffee mornings and lunch clubs like this one in Chelmsford which provide
:13:24. > :13:34.hot meals can be a lifeline. It is essential. I do a bit of cooking at
:13:35. > :13:38.home. But first of all, there is the mail and the company. Just eating
:13:39. > :13:44.with others is wonderful and you cannot wait to get here. The cold
:13:45. > :13:49.weather can cause us problems. It has been a busy time for plumber
:13:50. > :13:55.Chris who has been called to fix a boiler in school. In the mornings,
:13:56. > :13:59.phones don't stop. Normally get calls coming back in around half
:14:00. > :14:08.past four when people get home from work. We do get a lot of water leaks
:14:09. > :14:13.from tanks in lofts. Pipes splitting, that sort of stuff. It is
:14:14. > :14:18.still chilly but in Chelmsford, they are enjoying a hot lunch. The
:14:19. > :14:25.temperature at the moment is -2, however, from tomorrow, it is
:14:26. > :14:30.expected to get milder, seven or 8 degrees, but the information about
:14:31. > :14:35.keeping warm is not just for older people, it is for everyone, having
:14:36. > :14:37.spare food in the cupboard, checking heating and layering up when you go
:14:38. > :14:41.outside. Still to come tonight: ?1,000 a week
:14:42. > :14:46.- the care homes passing And the moment this Essex
:14:47. > :14:59.photographer thought he'd never see. Around 20 lucky children had a day
:15:00. > :15:07.they'll never forget today. They met the astronaut Tim Peake
:15:08. > :15:10.in Stevenage at a new educational centre aimed at inspiring
:15:11. > :15:13.the scientists of the future and today, we were told he's
:15:14. > :15:16.going back into space sometime But in Stevenage, it was all
:15:17. > :15:38.about getting young hands For a man who was blasted into
:15:39. > :15:44.space, it was a suitably out of this world opening. Strand putting us
:15:45. > :15:49.from Stevenage to Mars. This testing yard at the heart of the interactive
:15:50. > :15:54.centre, all about inspiring the next generation. It is all hands on with
:15:55. > :16:01.a teacher with unique qualifications. It's really exciting
:16:02. > :16:08.meeting him and everything is very fun to play with. He is a bit famous
:16:09. > :16:16.so that is really exciting. I asked him about the Northern lights and he
:16:17. > :16:25.sought them about to authorise -- two or three times a week. What more
:16:26. > :16:31.expiring for these children than to be standing next to someone who has
:16:32. > :16:36.been into orbit, looking out to the future of space exploration. If you
:16:37. > :16:41.can get them excited about science at that early age, that is when they
:16:42. > :16:45.will make the decision to study those and we can grow our workforce
:16:46. > :16:51.for the future, which will be of huge benefit to the UK. And there
:16:52. > :16:56.was a nod to today's news that he is set to return to orbit. Space is a
:16:57. > :17:01.wonderful place to live and work. Every astronaut would love to get
:17:02. > :17:12.back up there. The Airbus Centre will be won by North Hertfordshire
:17:13. > :17:15.College. Access to live space research and extraordinary asset. It
:17:16. > :17:17.is rare to see a business open the doors of its most incredible
:17:18. > :17:22.projects to help inspire the next generation. These would-be
:17:23. > :17:27.scientists filling an important void. For our burgeoning industry in
:17:28. > :17:31.the UK which is the right thing we need a good strong pipeline of our
:17:32. > :17:37.own engineers and scientists and technicians coming through, and
:17:38. > :17:42.these sort of programmes are an excellent way to create that talent
:17:43. > :17:46.for the future. When he was a boy, Tim Peake dreams of being a pilot. A
:17:47. > :17:56.message to these youngsters, anything is possible.
:17:57. > :17:58.When the national living wage was brought in last year,
:17:59. > :18:01.there was a warning that it would have an effect on care
:18:02. > :18:06.there's evidence that it's forced up the cost of care
:18:07. > :18:08.and been a factor in some homes closing.
:18:09. > :18:11.The living wage came in last April and will go up by 30 pence an hour
:18:12. > :18:16.One nursing home in Essex has already put up its weekly charge
:18:17. > :18:21.to more than ?1,000 to pay for the increase in the cost
:18:22. > :18:29.This from our business correspondent Richard Bond.
:18:30. > :18:33.Rising wages are always good for morale and when the living
:18:34. > :18:36.or minimum wage rises in April, many of the 80 staff at this nursing
:18:37. > :18:44.Lucy Young works in the kitchen and is chuffed by the prospect
:18:45. > :18:52.I enjoy working here, but getting more money would be brilliant.
:18:53. > :18:55.Cheviot nursing home has 31 residents and is
:18:56. > :19:01.It's run on a not-for-profit basis, but as wages rise, it
:19:02. > :19:09.A year ago, the price of a new bed place here was ?939 a week.
:19:10. > :19:14.That has had to rise this year to ?1,036,
:19:15. > :19:21.an increase of 10% and the boss says that is down to the living wage.
:19:22. > :19:25.The national living wage has gone up by 11.5% in the last two years,
:19:26. > :19:28.so it has had an impact on the amount we charge people.
:19:29. > :19:30.I'm sorry about that, because it must sound
:19:31. > :19:35.like an enormous amount of money if you are in the position that
:19:36. > :19:38.you are looking for care for someone you love.
:19:39. > :19:43.Yes, and believe me, we are not making a profit.
:19:44. > :19:46.The strain of higher fees falls on people like Ken.
:19:47. > :19:49.His wife Maureen has been here for 18 months
:19:50. > :19:55.She needs round-the-clock care, but it's hard for the couple to pay
:19:56. > :20:00.the fees with interest rates on savings on the floor.
:20:01. > :20:04.If you have made sensible plans for retirement and relying
:20:05. > :20:07.on and investment income and the income from the investments
:20:08. > :20:14.drops to virtually zero and yet your commitments continue
:20:15. > :20:19.to rise, I cannot see anybody being in a position where they can
:20:20. > :20:27.It's part of a charity and has the resources to survive,
:20:28. > :20:31.but many smaller homes may not be so lucky.
:20:32. > :20:34.Everyone likes the idea of higher pay, it's just footing the bill
:20:35. > :20:43.The cost of caring for the elderly is high and rising, and those people
:20:44. > :20:45.paying the full cost themselves are actually subsidising
:20:46. > :20:57.Most homes are a mixture of people who pay for themselves and those
:20:58. > :21:02.whose care is paid for by councils. The cost is going up and councils
:21:03. > :21:08.have been unwilling or unable to pay the full increases, so we have been
:21:09. > :21:13.in this situation for some years were bills for Private people have
:21:14. > :21:19.been rising at a faster rate than for councils. It has reached a point
:21:20. > :21:24.where each private residence is subsidising each publicly funded
:21:25. > :21:29.resident to the tune of up to ?8,000 a year and clearly the increases in
:21:30. > :21:33.the living wage are going to add to that number and it's a situation
:21:34. > :21:34.that many argue is unfair and unsustainable.
:21:35. > :21:37.Norfolk's Alfie Hewett has made another major tennis final.
:21:38. > :21:41.who won his first Grand Slam title with Gordon Reid
:21:42. > :21:45.has now reached the final of the wheelchair doubles
:21:46. > :21:48.He'll play against his British doubles partner
:21:49. > :21:52.Alfie and Gustavo Fernandez from Argentina
:21:53. > :21:56.beat the number one seeds in the semifinals.
:21:57. > :21:58.This region has another World Champion.
:21:59. > :22:02.has won the Ladies World Indoor Bowls Championship
:22:03. > :22:10.Ellen Falkner from Cambridgeshire in the final at Hopton
:22:11. > :22:14.She first won the title three years ago,
:22:15. > :22:21.making her the youngest ever champion.
:22:22. > :22:29.Coming back here every year has been an absolute pleasure. This is the
:22:30. > :22:35.start of the year, could not be a better start. It was an incredible
:22:36. > :22:41.fame and to be up against Alan, it is what a lot of people would have
:22:42. > :22:45.asked for. I am a bit lost for words but rather than talk about my
:22:46. > :22:48.performance, I would rather talk about Catherine and say well done,
:22:49. > :22:51.well played and enjoy the moment. If you saw Winterwatch last night,
:22:52. > :22:54.you'll have seen the Wind in the Willows character Ratty
:22:55. > :22:57.as you've never seen him before. The remarkable wildlife
:22:58. > :23:00.pictures were shot in Essex They were taken by local Film
:23:01. > :23:04.maker and photographer it took a lot of time
:23:05. > :23:08.and a lot of patience, we thought you'd like
:23:09. > :23:17.to see them again. We're on the River Colne,
:23:18. > :23:20.it's a chalk stream. I knew that it was a special site
:23:21. > :23:24.when we first arrived here. A lot of people walk past this place
:23:25. > :23:26.and don't understand Spend a few minutes,
:23:27. > :23:39.observe and it comes to you. The voles are fairly
:23:40. > :23:42.nervous and you've got to be incredibly still,
:23:43. > :23:46.so you are freezing and being very cold in the water, but just don't
:23:47. > :23:49.move about and as time goes by and you do more days of it,
:23:50. > :23:53.they'll become more relaxed and then Sitting right in front of you,
:23:54. > :24:00.you know, chewing away, they are always here,
:24:01. > :24:03.every single day, but some of those special shots you need,
:24:04. > :24:06.they happen just once and you've got One of the most satisfying things
:24:07. > :24:11.is, because we have this beautiful chalk stream,
:24:12. > :24:13.you can see these little silver bullets which are the water voles
:24:14. > :24:17.underwater with the air trapped The life of the water vole is very
:24:18. > :24:22.short, most of them don't get very far into a second year,
:24:23. > :24:26.so a huge steep learning curve. On first coming to the site really,
:24:27. > :24:31.it was this idea that possibly, possibly we had caught water voles
:24:32. > :24:35.that were climbing trees. The evidence on the tree really most
:24:36. > :24:40.people would put it down to squirrels and I think
:24:41. > :24:46.it was worth spending some time, and then they started to climb
:24:47. > :24:49.and they were going up along the branches and I think
:24:50. > :24:51.they were probably six I thought that was
:24:52. > :24:54.quite interesting. Maybe not so steady on their feet
:24:55. > :24:57.and then to my commencement they just kept climbing
:24:58. > :25:05.and climbing and climbing. I don't know what the difference
:25:06. > :25:08.was between bark at the bottom and the bark at the top,
:25:09. > :25:20.but they just like to go higher. And the last programme in this
:25:21. > :25:36.season of Winterwatch is on BBC Two It was very cold today. Yes, we have
:25:37. > :25:42.all been complaining about the cold today. These were our top
:25:43. > :25:47.temperatures. Some places not getting higher than minus two
:25:48. > :25:52.Celsius and then factor in the wind-chill, it felt colder. Another
:25:53. > :25:59.cold night on the way. Not many photographs today because not many
:26:00. > :26:04.braved the outdoors to take them. Grey and overcast through much of
:26:05. > :26:10.the day but just as the sunset, the glimpse of a blue sky. Over much of
:26:11. > :26:14.the region there will be clear skies developing, so another sharp
:26:15. > :26:20.tonight. It looks as though many of us will get down to minus two
:26:21. > :26:25.Celsius but you can see on the map, a bit more cloud coming to the south
:26:26. > :26:32.by the end of the night and the possibility of light sleet or snow
:26:33. > :26:36.into counties like Essex. Gradually tomorrow we will see something
:26:37. > :26:43.milder coming our way. Although it will be a cold start to Friday, with
:26:44. > :26:47.a widespread frost, it will recover. This weather feature heading
:26:48. > :26:53.northwards through the morning. A very light covering of sleet or
:26:54. > :26:58.snow, not expected to settle. It clears the way. The middle part of
:26:59. > :27:02.the day dry and bright and then it tends to cloud over again.
:27:03. > :27:08.Temperatures around four or 5 degrees but by the evening, we could
:27:09. > :27:12.be up at around seven or 8 degrees as that milder air works its way
:27:13. > :27:18.northwards. We still have the chance of patchy rain arriving by the end
:27:19. > :27:24.of the day and overnight, and then we're into an unsettled weekend.
:27:25. > :27:28.There is a bit of uncertainty about this weather feature but it looks as
:27:29. > :27:35.though it will bring us strong winds, cloudy at times with the
:27:36. > :27:40.chance of rain and shall this. I had this dream that we were going
:27:41. > :27:44.upstairs and the boss said, tonight, we will go somewhere warm to present
:27:45. > :28:00.the programme. Don't think it will come true. Good night.
:28:01. > :28:02.Einstein replaced Newton's theory of universal gravitation
:28:03. > :28:05.with a more accurate theory - general relativity.
:28:06. > :28:08.So, why's my apple falling? Well, it's not.
:28:09. > :28:12.It is the ground that accelerates up to meet the apple.
:28:13. > :28:14.So that's why the chair that I'm sitting on now
:28:15. > :28:17.that actually feels as if it's accelerating up
:28:18. > :28:23.It's really changed my relationship with this chair. Mm-hm.