11/11/2011 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

BUGLER PLAYS THE LAST POST. Welcome to Look North. On an day, when

silence spoke a word of an words. The dead remembered, as Armistice

Day ceremonies take place across the region. Fears that hospital

wards may close because of an overspent by one of come here's

health trusts. At the ADT robust that is starring in the Lord

Mayor's Parade in London, after a remarkable restoration project. In

sport, the magic of the FA Cup starts here. Four of this that

teams are in action, some of them holding to two pool of a giant-

killing, and others, hoping to avoid a shock. -- hoping to pull

off. We did remember them. At 11 o'clock this morning, across the

length and breadth of our region, people came to a silent standstill

- to remember all those members of our Armed Forces, killed in action.

From the very young, to the very old, the two-minute silence was

impeccably respected. We have reports and pictures coming up,

starting with Damian O'Neil in Sunderland. Sunderland has a new

memorial. Conceived of by Brothers in Arms, a group of five local

families who have lost loved ones, and paid for by the people of the

city, this granite wall is dedicated to the servicemen and

woman from Sunderland who've died since World War II. Tom and Carla

Cuthbertson's son Nathan was killed in Afghanistan in 2008, when he was

19. Seeing the wall finally in place means everything to them.

has been two or Muir's of hard work. It is good to see the wall in his

glory, with the names on it. Does it help? Be it does, when you see

all the support and everything now, that is a big, massive help.

Everybody is so competent. Obviously the memories and the

grieving process is always going on. Not just on Remembrance Sunday.

have a younger son who 17 whose passing out with the Parachute

Regiment on frigate. And he could be posted to have Ghana stand. And

I hope that I never have to put his name on the wall. -- to Afghanistan.

The has been some debate recently about who should and should not

wear poppies. When you meet families like these, you wonder

whether the right to remember should avert be questioned by

anybody. -- should ever be questioned. They gathered beside

the memorial. The family of Lance Corporal Kyle Marshall. For them

today was especially poignant. Kyle was killed in action in February.

His mum Olwyn, placing flowers on a plaque created in his honour.

really hard, unbearable at times. But life goes on. He loved the job

he was doing and he would have been proud to be out there, fighting for

what he believed was right. Kyle was killed and Afghanistan on St

Valentine's Day. He had been due to marry his fiancee, hairy, at the

end of the tour. That was a bit of a nightmare for the whole family --

Hailey. He had been a member of the Parachute Regiment. The family of

John LEY alec, from North Shields, was also there, and Lance Corporal

Johnnie Rowe, who was killed in Afghanistan and 2008. The service

was witnessed by local children. am pleased that the children have

come along. It shows the history, and those people who have fallen,

and paid the ultimate price, and that they will never be forgotten.

Some of the ceremonies were formal - some, less so. What they all

shared was the desire of people, here in the North, to make a public

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds

show of respect. Here are just a Children at West Denton Primary

School in Newcastle were among many youngsters marking Armistice Day.

They placed crosses in the school's new Garden of Remembrance, to

commemorate each one of the troops killed in Afghanistan since last

year's Armistice Day. Red and white balloons were released, in honour

of those killed in action and those currently serving in the Armed

Forces. It means a lot to me, because it remembers those soldiers

were brave enough to give their lives and protect us. If they did

not do that we would not have the lives that we have now. I have had

a great band -- big granddad to died in the war, and that has had

an effect on my family as well. soldiers who have died, I just want

to thank them that they helped us, and they say at the world.

whole school cares about Remembrance Day. Not many kids

nowadays do care. For one school in Cumbria, this year marks a

particularly special anniversary. In 1941, three of its former pupils

won the highest medal for bravery - the Victoria Cross. Danny Savage

reports from Sedbergh School. Like many schools, said there in Cumbria

Marks Armistice Day with great respect. But this day was special.

On this day 70 years ago, three of his former pupils one Britain's

highest military award, for bravery. Their names are on a special

memorial for those who were awarded the Victoria Cross. Pilot Kenneth

Campbell was awarded the Victoria Cross when he died, aged 23. In

1941, Britain was struggling in the battle of the Atlantic. Allied

shipping was being lost at a rapid rate. And one of the biggest

threats came from the battleships of the German navy. Campbell was

given the job of sinking one of them. To get at the ship, he and

his crew had to fly at mast height, whilst being fired on by hundreds

of guns. Against the odds, Campbell succeeded, but just after they drop

their torpedoes, they were shot down and killed. At this week,

pupils who are RAF cadets from his school were given the extremely

rare chance of seeing and holding his Victoria Cross. It is an honour

to be able to hold that, when he was not able to. Just seeing it at

school and what the presents to us, it is phenomenal to be able to hold

it now. To have walked in the same corridors, as the hero, who won his

medal... There are 1100 old boys who served, and over 250 were

killed. To say nothing of those who were severely injured. That

casualty rate is one of the highest casualty rates in schools of this

kind. First came that decision to sell off the naming rights to St

James's Park. And we were also told that Newcastle United required a

new shirt sponsor. But Look North has discovered another detail. That

this means Northern Rock has backed out of its entire sponsorship deal

with the club early. It'll cost the Magpies millions. The Rock says

it's a "purely financial" decision. The leader of Newcastle City

Council says he's shocked it wasn't made public. Here's our Chief

Reporter, Chris Stewart. Happier days when St James's Park was St

James's Park, and the No. 9 was smiling for the sponsors. It was a

deal that would come to be worth �2.5 million a year, which both

parties said was a perfect fit. In January last year that a deal was

being hit for four years, with a get-out clause available to the

back after two years. That clause has now been exercised. The bank

has decided that its tie in with Newcastle United is over. We

understand the decision was taken in the summer. The Northern Boxer

is that it is to do with the change in the way that expense money on

marketing. But it all seems to have been kept quite quiet. Not even

this man knew, he is the leader of the city council, ironically on his

way into a meeting at the place that he refuses to acknowledge by

its new name. I was shocked when I found out from the BBC today that

this deal has ended. Vase will be horrified that a deal appears to

have been done behind the scenes on this. Fans will be wondering why

they have not been taught and what the implications are, for the club.

Nine matches will be played during the Olympics next year, and 2012

organisers said that the club as the Julie -- is legally obliged to

use the name, St James's Park, for those matches. So no publicity

there for any potentially new sponsor. We're not going to change

the name of the middle station or any other sign aged around St

James's Park. We're not in the business of giving Mr Ashley free

advertising. A branding company which counts Coca-Cola among his

clients said that the unexpected availability of the Shots

sponsorship could damage efforts to sell the rights to been in the

stadium. It has become more fashionable thing to try to link

the stadium deal and the shirt deal. In this case would you want to take

over as a stadium sponsor, given the bad publicity it is getting at

the moment? So, potentially, the sponsor themselves might make that

decision for Newcastle. If the plan had been to get the club noticed,

well... Or of course football clubs need investment, but this is not

just about and mean, this is about an historic status, of St James's

Park. I hope that the club can find a different way forward. It has

been a torrid couple of days for Newcastle United. One fan staged a

protest, hoping for a return to the name, St James's Park. Another took

a picture of a sign which might not be there, too much longer.

Newcastle are certainly making the headlines over renaming the stadium.

But Sunderland Football Club has told the BBC that, in principle, it

has no objections to renaming the Stadium of Light if it would help

maximise its revenues. Watch this space. Wards at hospitals in

Carlisle and Whitehaven in west Cumbria, may have to close to cope

with a cash crisis at the Trust that runs them. A leaked e-mail

from Dr Neil Goodwin, the chief executive of the North Cumbria

Trust, says it was overspent by �1.3 million in October. From the

beginning of December, wards could close, locum consultants no longer

be used and short-term staff contracts end. The trust says any

changes will be risk assessed first. But the Copeland MP, Jamie Reed,

says the Trust isn't being honest with the public, while unions are

concerned about patient care. totally disagree that patient care

is not being compromised. We know from our members that the pressure

they are under and the lack of staffing and the inappropriate

skill mix, patients are at risk in this hospital ship -- today, and

have been for some pan. A care worker has been found guilty of

ill-treating two dementia patients at the Amathea care home in

Workington. Carlisle Crown Court had heard that 24 year-old

Kimberley Walker put a pillow over the face of one elderly woman, and

pulled a fleece very tightly over another woman's face. Walker will

be sentenced in December. Robin Garbutt, the man convicted of

murdering his wife at their post office in North Yorkshire, is to

appeal. Diana Garbutt was found dead at the couple's home in

Melsonby in March last year. Her husband - who had pleaded not

guilty - was sentenced to life imprisonment. Levels of fuel

poverty in the North East are double those in the South of

England. Officially, it means you spend more than 10% of your

household income on fuel. Rising gas, oil and electricity bills are

largely to blame. And a new report, commissioned by the government,

estimates 2,700 people across England and Wales will die this

winter - because they can't afford to heat their homes. Here's our

Political Correspondent, Mark Denten. In a community centre in

Chopwell, a group of pensioners playing a game- with a difference.

Welcome to the wonderful world of energy efficiency bingo. The bingo

players are finding it hard to pay their bills. Energy firms aren't

exactly popular. I am absolutely disgusted about it, all the profits

that they are making, and they are putting prices up, for everybody.

They are making enormous profits, so surely they could pass something

on to the consumer. The charity organising this event says the

government isn't doing enough to tackle rising fuel bills.

Government is committed to trying to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016.

The way we're going at the moment, that is simply not going to happen.

The bee's family who lived near Rothwell can only use oil as fuel,

and the bills have gone up by 50%. You have no alternative but to buy

more oil, at a high price. It is difficult the budget over the

winter. His energy companies are paying the majority of the cost to

insulate these houses, and why? Because they have the Government

are telling them to. We have carried about �1 million worth of

insulation improvements. Energy companies are funded -- have funded

more than �700,000 of that. people who live here will have a

warmer winter, but in just five years the Government wants to end

fuel poverty for everyone, it is an ambitious target, and some people

are questioning whether it will be achieved at all. So what do the

politicians have to say about this? Find out on Sunday with The

Politics Show, here on BBC1 at the later time of 3:10pm. A Yorkshire

Tiger is making its first journey in decades this weekend - at the

Lord Mayor's Parade in London. The 82 year-old Leyland Tiger bus was

offered a starring role by the new Lord Mayor, who happens to be a

Yorkshireman. But it's taken staff and apprentices at Scarborough's

Bluebird Vehicles two years to get it up and running. Carla Fowler

reports. The final touches to a labour of love. When it arrived at

Bluebird vehicles in Scarborough, this 82 year old boss was a shell

of its former self, and had even been used as a makeshift homes were

summoned. But staff here have been a coach building or half a century,

and set about restoring it. We did it as a refurbishment project, to

help teach old skills to Modern apprentices. But this Tiger's glory

days were in the 1930s, and there was only way to get it right, by

bringing a former coach maker out of retirement. He started the 1959

and remembers some of the craft skills needed back then. Wood

machinists made a lot of it all by hand, the patterns, starting afresh.

It has been exciting. It has been very hard at times. At team of

apprentices has been on board to get the bus ready for its starring

role in the Lord Mayor's Parade in the capital. I have been doing bits

and bobs Foster it has been quite hectic. But it would have been dead

and buried, when we bought it. It is incredible how much it has

turned round. When the bus takes to the road this weekend, more than 2

million people will be watching, and some of Yorkshire's finest

crafts men will be on board. Sports news now. And it is all about the

Cup. Yes four of our teams are in FA Cup first round action this

weekend. That's the stage of the competition when Football League

clubs get involved. First up for us, though, a North-East derby between

famous non-league giant-killers Blyth Spartans and full-timers

Gateshead. Mark Tulip looks ahead. Blyth Spartans are rather partial

to the FA Cup. Who - of a certain vintage - could forget the

Northumberland part-timers reaching a fifth round replay at the stadium

formerly known as St James's back in 1978? More recently, Big Sam was

given a scare when Premier League Blackburn could only win 1-0 at

Croft Park in the third round. The �350,000 net profit from that cup

run came in very useful. That did pay off all the debts that had been

alone to the club by various parties. We invested in the stand

covering at Cropp Park, and we reallocated the budget for the

former -- the next couple of years, to balance the money, to make sure

that we could move the team on, on the pitch. Reaching the first round

proper, Spartans - currently propping up Conference North, won

the right to take on Gateshead of the Conference Premier with victory

over Droylsden. The new boss has a link to a Sunderland triumph over a

century ago. Yes, my ancestor played for Sunderland in the Cup

final in 19 Turpin. Even though my family is all from Wallsend, Full-

timers Gateshead are chasing promotion back to the Football

League for the first time in more than 50 years. This is the big game

of the day in the North East. We're looking forward to it. It is an

opportunity for both clubs to progress to the second round proper,

so there is a great day to be had. Hoping to fire the visitors to

victory, a striker with 18 goals in his last 19 matches. You cannot let

it get to you, the pressure. Blyth fans can still buy tickets tomorrow

morning. Gateshead fans need to go to the International Stadium before

8 tonight or Gateshead Civic Centre tomorrow. Timings on the screen.

For Carlisle it's a trip to Conference side Alfreton Town where

Hartlepool Manager Mick Wadsworth played as a winger in the 1970's.

His team though take on fellow League One side Stevenage.

Hartlepool have had a decent start to the season but have clearly

missed their Peruvian veteran, Nobby Solano. With just one victory

during his absence in October, they're hoping he'll be fit enough

to play tomorrow in what would be his first appearance in the first

round of the FA Cup. He has brought to us at a if it includes a number

one else, great experience, and he is not playing, it does not

strengthen the team. If he is available, he will be a welcome

return. There should be no surprises for Pools. Stevenage may

be League One new boys, but they are seventh, and proving to be a

tough nut to crack. Stevenage have had a fantastic start to their time

in this division. We had a tough 2- 2 draw with them and where in the

season and that now looks like a good result. But the loan drawer as

important, and we have got to put a great show on for our fans because

they is ever. Carlisle's away form's been pretty good this season

too and tomorrows opponents Alfreton Town are finding life

tough in their first season in the Conference - lying second from

bottom. So Greg Abbot's men are huge favourites and should go

through without too much bother. Should and the FA Cup do not go

together. There will be some shocks tomorrow. I have been on the end of

a couple of shocks. I have been on the end of a couple of giant-

killing acts, and it is great to be giant killer, but it is not nice to

be involved in at Cup shock. The FA Cup may not be what it used to be -

but it still means a lot to the Carlisle boss. It matters a lot,

but two of written down, it might matter even more. -- Alfreton Town.

Back to our top story now. And among those who paid their respects

to the fallen, today, was a family in Newcastle. They had come

together to remember their grandfather and great grandfather,

who fought in the First World War. George Russell Elder survived some

of the fiercest battles of the Great War - and wrote about his

experiences in six exercise books. They'd been kept in a drawer for

decades. Now, they've been published. Keith Akehurst reports.

Standing in silence - paying their respects. The family of World War

One soldier George Russell Elder observe the two minute silence at

11 o'clock this morning. George, from Newcastle, was a signaller,

who wrote about his experiences in the trenches. He served at the

Somme, Ypres and Passchendale amongst others. Now, his

recollections in six exercise books have been published. He talks about

going over the hill at the Battle of the Somme and how many people

died on that occasion and how many managed to escape the shellfire,

but he has no idea how. He talks about the bodies, the blood and

guts, it is all very graphic. The way he writes, he manages to put

some element of realism into it. But also some humour. Like so many

others in the Great War, George's heroics, such as carrying a wounded

comrade to safety when he himself was injured, have been unrecognised

until now. The memoirs were passed down through the family, to be

stored by his grandson. They were kept in the Tour in the bedroom. He

said nobody else would probably want them, so he just kept them.

And did you store them in any special way? We just put them in

the top drawer, and let them. left them. Surprisingly, George

didn't talk about his wartime exploits, so what he wrote came as

a surprise to his family. He did not speak about it to anyone. Even

my dad, when we met -- when they went out for a pint, he said that

he did not talk about it at all. George dedicated his writings to

his pal Teddy Watmough, who died in August 1918. His friend said that

he would not be there when he came back, and he wasn't. So that was

the reason why you woke up the story. He didn't think he was

coming when. -- home. The book is launched tomorrow. Proceeds will go

to the Army Benevolent Fund. Time now for the weather forecast.

news of her next calendar event, taking place in Durham. I will be

there in the market square with Pudsey Bear, no less, so you can

stop me and donate to Children In Need bus-stop you can have a quick

cuddle and buy a calendar. Those are selling like hot cakes. Don't

forget, you have your usual channels to go through, if you log

on to the bedsit or pile up the number on the screen that. -- on

the website or dial up the number We have to get through this evening

and overnight. We have a current bringing a band of rain across

Cumbria. It will push eastwards through the night. Eventually

cleaning into the North Sea by dawn, tomorrow morning. But plenty of

cloud behind it, the overnight low temperature is not looking too bad.

One or two mist and fog patches around, but a fairly light breeze.

As the morning goes on tomorrow, that right is bursting through,

particularly in northern and western parts of the region. The

cloud will hang on just along the North Yorkshire coast. Essentially,

a fine day, with plenty of brightness to go round. Feeling

quite mild, with a south-westerly breeze. Temperatures above average

for this time of year. Sunday is Remembrance Day, and it looks like

being a fine day, as well. It should stay dry throughout the

region. The best of the Sun will be in the West. The breeze becomes a

easterly meaning a little bit more cloud on the east coast. It will be

mild again, absolutely everywhere. It looks like it will be fine,