:00:10. > :00:16.Hello, welcome. Tonight, hundreds of workers from a
:00:16. > :00:22.doomed aluminium plant begin their search for a fresh start.
:00:22. > :00:27.We are winding-down, we need to start concentrating on the future.
:00:27. > :00:30.Floundering fish get a helping hand in a drought-stricken river.
:00:30. > :00:34.Balmy temperatures give way to bitter conditions in the north as
:00:34. > :00:40.winter makes a brief return. And, a double celebration in a
:00:40. > :00:44.Cumbrian town, the 700 and 50th anniversary, and a visit from
:00:44. > :00:47.Prince Charles. We are assessing the fortunes of
:00:47. > :00:57.speedway teams. And, the weather has got worse
:00:57. > :01:03.
:01:03. > :01:07.because the new cricket season is The hunt for new jobs has begun in
:01:07. > :01:11.earnest for workers laid off at Alcan in Northumberland. The
:01:11. > :01:15.closure means 500 people will lose their jobs. Most of them will leave
:01:15. > :01:25.by the end of May, but today a recruitment fair at the Plant gave
:01:25. > :01:28.
:01:28. > :01:32.new hope that at least some of them Like hundreds more, Allen had a
:01:32. > :01:38.weight is about to be out of a job, with mouths to feed. On Thursday,
:01:38. > :01:44.he cast the last rate of aluminium. The day when it finally came, we
:01:44. > :01:49.switched off the power, it hit home. The power is off, we are winding
:01:49. > :01:53.down. We need to start concentrating on the future. We
:01:53. > :01:59.have got a jobs for today, and hopefully, I will meet some
:01:59. > :02:03.recruiters and some big companies. I will give my CV out. What are the
:02:04. > :02:10.chances of being made permanent? is looking to one company for
:02:10. > :02:20.salvation. Nissan is the same sort of skill set, production. The same
:02:20. > :02:20.
:02:20. > :02:25.sort of culture. Between 50 and 80 have put in for Nissan. There is
:02:25. > :02:32.also the chemicals company from Teesside. And, representatives from
:02:32. > :02:37.the oil and gas industry. The big question workers like Alan Hadaway
:02:37. > :02:41.is asking it, or are they handing out jobs or just information packs?
:02:41. > :02:45.This is a genuine event with genuine opportunities, we are
:02:45. > :02:49.delighted with the response from some of the best employers to talk
:02:49. > :02:54.to our employees about their vacancies. Hopefully, we will get a
:02:54. > :02:58.lot out of today. It will be nice to see people being positive.
:02:58. > :03:02.has considered moving away from Britain altogether. If he is to
:03:02. > :03:09.find a job as good as the one he has got now, it is unlikely to be
:03:09. > :03:15.around here. I have got eight weeks left, it will be a big impact, once
:03:15. > :03:20.the site rolled up. People moving away for jobs. The north-east as a
:03:20. > :03:30.whole, especially Northumberland, it will become really quiet. It
:03:30. > :03:31.
:03:31. > :03:36.The Labour leader Ed Miliband has launched his party's campaign for
:03:36. > :03:40.the local elections in the region. He met party members in Carlisle, a
:03:40. > :03:44.crucial target. He admitted Labour had lost trust with the voters in
:03:44. > :03:50.the past but said the party can now make the most of frustrations with
:03:50. > :03:54.the government. He is the leader of the opposition,
:03:54. > :03:59.and opposition is where his party has been in Carlisle for 13 years.
:03:59. > :04:04.He launched his campaign for the local elections with a speech to
:04:04. > :04:07.party members, but why did so many other voters in the City for out of
:04:07. > :04:12.love with the Labour Party? We know we lost trust and we lost touch
:04:12. > :04:17.with people. After two years, people are starting to think, you
:04:17. > :04:22.promised change, things are getting worse, living standards are getting
:04:22. > :04:26.worse, and we have got to show that we have got on alternative.
:04:26. > :04:30.Labour Party have been out of power since 1999 here, they have not had
:04:30. > :04:36.an MP here since the last general election, so how does he think they
:04:36. > :04:39.all come to win back the lost support? We are campaigning on how
:04:39. > :04:46.Labour councils can make a difference, even when there is less
:04:46. > :04:51.money, one living standards, jobs, crime. If you do not take control,
:04:51. > :04:55.that is a disaster for the Labour Party. The media loves having this
:04:55. > :05:00.commentary. Let's think about the people of Carlisle. They make the
:05:00. > :05:04.decision as to who they want. We should talk about the issues,
:05:04. > :05:10.bothered and anticipating the result. Nearly two years into the
:05:10. > :05:14.government... Pointed towards will be contested next month.
:05:14. > :05:23.-- 22 wards. We will bring you the other party
:05:23. > :05:26.launches throughout the campaign. The past master found guilty of
:05:26. > :05:30.murdering his wife at the shop Dave Ryan in North Yorkshire will have
:05:30. > :05:34.an appeal against his conviction heard in May. Robin Garbutt was
:05:34. > :05:38.found guilty of killing Diana Garbutt last year. He was sentenced
:05:38. > :05:43.to life. He had always denied murdering her, claiming she had
:05:43. > :05:48.been attacked by armed robbers. For several years, we have reported
:05:48. > :05:51.on floods, but now drought is affecting some rivers in parts of
:05:51. > :05:55.North Yorkshire. Today, the Environment Agency moved to save
:05:55. > :05:59.the wild fish population are stranded by falling river levels.
:05:59. > :06:05.It is the earliest time of year they have had to direct.
:06:05. > :06:09.It is only just a prop, but the Environment Agency is carrying out
:06:09. > :06:15.the fish rescue because of drought. Part of the River Rye have cried
:06:15. > :06:18.out. Fish that can normally go where they will are now trapped in
:06:18. > :06:22.the port that remain. They will run out of oxygen and die, so they have
:06:22. > :06:27.to be moved. An electric current stuns them, they rise to the
:06:27. > :06:33.surface, and they all put into buckets. They are none the worse
:06:33. > :06:38.for their epic ordeal. It is not that unusual in high summer. In the
:06:38. > :06:46.first week of April, it is unheard. This is how bad things have already
:06:46. > :06:50.got. This is where they are fishing, and here, the river has run dry. In
:06:50. > :06:55.parts of Yorkshire, the Environment Agency has already declared a
:06:55. > :07:00.drought. There is plenty to drink, but obviously, not enough for
:07:00. > :07:05.wildlife. It is not just fish. Dozens of species of insects will
:07:05. > :07:09.suffer, and so will the birds that eat them. And it is nesting time.
:07:09. > :07:14.After months of dry weather, what is needed is heavy, prolonged
:07:14. > :07:18.rainfall. Otherwise, the outlook could be bleak. It could be
:07:18. > :07:24.terrible if it does not rain and if we have a very hot summer. We are
:07:24. > :07:31.not talking about a water supply track, but in terms of ecology, it
:07:31. > :07:36.could have a long-term impact. was the same stretch in June 2005.
:07:36. > :07:40.Devastating floods swept through Helmsley. Another extreme of our
:07:40. > :07:44.changing climate. Somehow, the river and its wildlife seemed to
:07:44. > :07:49.recover, but the benefit -- but they benefit from help. They have a
:07:49. > :07:53.new home, where the river flows clear and high. But with problems
:07:53. > :08:03.like this in April, there is genuine concern about what the
:08:03. > :08:06.
:08:06. > :08:10.In 2008, Beverley Brown had an award-winning stirred and stables
:08:10. > :08:15.in County Durham. Today, her business is in ruins and her dreams
:08:15. > :08:21.shattered. She claims her problems were caused by Northumbrian Water
:08:21. > :08:26.carrying out flood alleviation work on her land.
:08:26. > :08:30.Four days ago, Beverley Brown's business was on the rise, she was
:08:30. > :08:34.breeding our award-winning courses and planned to build a venue for a
:08:34. > :08:42.question events. But then, Northumbrian Water installed flood
:08:42. > :08:44.prevention works. The peace and shattered. You need tranquillity to
:08:44. > :08:54.be able to get them settled, and you have a couple of trucks driving
:08:54. > :08:59.
:08:59. > :09:04.past, it is not feasible, because these pipes disrupted the business.
:09:04. > :09:08.The work went on for eight months, picking up five acres of land. The
:09:08. > :09:13.impact is still being felt. Vital grazing land has never recovered,
:09:13. > :09:17.and a year on, the fields were flooded, but this image. We had
:09:17. > :09:21.little grazing in the field they have taken, and we have 10 acres of
:09:21. > :09:28.other field that we could have put them on, but it was full of water,
:09:28. > :09:32.sewage. She says her business was effectively ruined. She had to lay
:09:32. > :09:36.off seven staff and shelve plans to create another 20 jobs. The
:09:36. > :09:40.European Grand had to be handed back because she could not find the
:09:40. > :09:44.money to match it. If everything had gone according to plan, I would
:09:44. > :09:51.be standing next to an indoor arena capable of international standard
:09:51. > :09:55.events. Because of the problems, or what is there, the foundations. We
:09:55. > :10:00.can -- Northumbrian Water says it has offered adequate compensation,
:10:00. > :10:04.but Beverley Brown says it is nowhere near enough to claw back
:10:04. > :10:07.losses of �750,000. She is campaigning for a change in the
:10:07. > :10:11.door so that the compensation is agreed before the work begins,
:10:11. > :10:16.avoiding the legal battle she is now locked into. This could go one
:10:16. > :10:20.for 20 years, and I will not be here. They will not be any
:10:20. > :10:25.compensation to pay. We have put blood, sweat and tears into this.
:10:25. > :10:29.In the last four years, there have been more tears than we can cope
:10:29. > :10:33.with. It has been really hard. change in the law will not affect
:10:33. > :10:43.her case, but she hopes it might prevent others having their dreams
:10:43. > :10:45.
:10:45. > :10:49.Plenty more to come. We have the sport. Paul Collingwood
:10:49. > :10:52.talks about his pride at being asked to carry the Olympic torch.
:10:52. > :10:57.We meet a flower girl fit for the Queen.
:10:57. > :11:04.And, more snow fall to come for part of the region tonight. I am
:11:04. > :11:08.back with the weather forecast later.
:11:08. > :11:12.Despite bitterly cold weather, the crowds have turned out to greet the
:11:12. > :11:18.Prince of Wales on a day-long tour of Cumbria. He started in the south
:11:18. > :11:21.of the counter this morning, before moving north to help Wigton
:11:21. > :11:26.celebrate the 700 and 50th anniversary of it Mark -- its
:11:27. > :11:32.market town status. There may have been a belated icy
:11:32. > :11:36.blast of winter in Cumbria today, but it did nothing to dampen the
:11:36. > :11:40.enthusiasm for a royal visit. The cheers cut through the driving seat
:11:40. > :11:47.-- driving sleet and arctic wind. It is great he was, in, we have had
:11:47. > :11:52.the day off work. We were looking forward to read. It is a shame
:11:52. > :11:58.about the weather, but it is really nice to see him. For such a small
:11:58. > :12:03.town, it is great, to get everybody together. 750 years ago, it was
:12:03. > :12:11.given its market town status. Times have been tough of late, as one of
:12:11. > :12:16.the famous sons acknowledged. hard for small towns like this, but
:12:16. > :12:21.the people in the town are really fighting back. Prince Charles, when
:12:21. > :12:27.he came, he gave it a boost, people were glad that he came. Many hope
:12:27. > :12:31.the heir to the throne could help bring another era of prosperity.
:12:31. > :12:34.believe it is a beautiful place, it has had a great history, but if we
:12:34. > :12:37.can really focus on improving the High Street, getting jobs and
:12:37. > :12:43.getting the right kind of attractions, we can get it taking
:12:43. > :12:48.off again. They say that the visit will give a huge boost to the
:12:48. > :12:51.regeneration hopes, but the MP has also told me that he is hoping to
:12:51. > :12:55.persuade Prince Charles to provide architects and designers from his
:12:55. > :12:59.foundation to give their time free of charge to help redesign streets
:12:59. > :13:03.like this one. We will have to wait and see if he agrees to the request,
:13:03. > :13:12.but as his visit showed, he seems to have a special relationship with
:13:12. > :13:17.Cumbria. The periphery of a young girl from
:13:17. > :13:21.your car has been recognised this week -- bravery. She was born with
:13:21. > :13:25.a hole in her heart and underwent surgery when she was three years
:13:25. > :13:35.old. She has been chosen to give the Queen a Posy when she arrives
:13:35. > :13:38.
:13:38. > :13:42.on Thursday. It is an honour she is My face will be shocked. I think it
:13:42. > :13:52.will. A boom would not be overwhelmed if they were invited to
:13:52. > :13:56.
:13:56. > :14:06.meet the Queen? Just two years ago, Margot was in intensive care
:14:06. > :14:10.recovering from surgery. The doctor find doubt that she had come armour
:14:10. > :14:15.in her heart. Then be found out that she had a hole in her heart so
:14:15. > :14:19.she had to be monitored for the first two years of her life. Then
:14:19. > :14:25.be found out when she was three that she would have to have open-
:14:25. > :14:31.heart surgery. Margot is now a happy and healthy young girl. After
:14:31. > :14:36.winning an award for her bravery, she has been chosen as one of four
:14:36. > :14:40.children who will present the Queen with flowers on Thursday. I am
:14:40. > :14:46.going to curtsy and give her some flowers. She will remember meeting
:14:46. > :14:52.the Queen or her life have. It will put the trauma at the start of her
:14:52. > :14:58.life in a positive light. She said it was good to have open-heart
:14:58. > :15:08.surgery because she is getting to do unusual things. Me T the Queen
:15:08. > :15:15.is an honour, but 1 Margot is prepared for. I will be very
:15:15. > :15:24.excited. I am wearing a grey dress with pink flowers. That is her out
:15:24. > :15:33.that sorted. I wonder what colour her Majesty will be wearing.
:15:33. > :15:36.She is a treasure. What a day to remember that will be.
:15:36. > :15:39.So what on earth happened? Well, perhaps we shouldn't be too
:15:40. > :15:42.surprised, but what a difference a week makes. Just a few days ago, we
:15:43. > :15:45.were basking in temperatures more typical of June or July. Today, it
:15:45. > :15:48.seems that we've been plunged back into normality. Our reporters Gerry
:15:48. > :15:50.Jackson and Olivia Richwald are out in the elements tonight. First to
:15:50. > :15:55.Gerry in County Durham. Cold enough for you?
:15:55. > :16:00.Thanks, Carol. It feels like we've time travelled back about 15 months.
:16:00. > :16:04.Welcome to Tow Law. Temperature about 4 degrees but, with the
:16:05. > :16:13.windchill, well below that. Let's compare and contrast with
:16:13. > :16:19.what was going on last week. This was Roker seafront at Sunderland on
:16:19. > :16:23.Tuesday last week. 20 or 21 Celsius that day. Compare that with the
:16:23. > :16:27.same scene today. 5 or 6 degrees - pretty miserable.
:16:27. > :16:35.This time last week, it was a good day to be alive. Today is probably
:16:35. > :16:38.a good day to hibernate. Now, the average temperature for
:16:38. > :16:41.our region, at this time of year, is about 10 degrees so you can see
:16:41. > :16:47.how spoiled we were last week. Basically, the winds were from the
:16:48. > :16:51.South, and the weather more like the Mediterranean.
:16:51. > :16:54.But all day, this weather has been moving down the region from the
:16:54. > :17:00.North. It has been worst on the high ground, of course, and it is
:17:00. > :17:02.being driven by strong, northeasterly winds. There were 70-
:17:02. > :17:07.mile-an-hour gusts at Holy Island this morning, for instance.
:17:07. > :17:10.Lindisfarne Castle was closed, as was Howick Hall not far away. Of
:17:10. > :17:13.course it's made getting around difficult but I think it's the
:17:13. > :17:16.shock of suddenly having to cope with these conditions just when we
:17:16. > :17:22.thought spring had properly arrived that has made the biggest impact on
:17:22. > :17:26.people. Last week, it's a lot different, and I did not think it
:17:26. > :17:31.would be as bad. I have been waiting all afternoon to go to the
:17:32. > :17:36.shop, I thought it was going to stop. But I have had to come out.
:17:36. > :17:40.It is just crazy. But you are used to it up here, hard winters? Not
:17:40. > :17:47.really, I've only been up here for a year. This is the first one I've
:17:47. > :17:51.seen. So all the balmy weather seems a distant memory. Why? Well,
:17:51. > :17:54.the land has been warming up, but the sea air is still very cold and
:17:54. > :18:03.that's where this has come from. More on the why's and wherefores
:18:03. > :18:07.from Hannah in the weather forecast shortly.
:18:07. > :18:13.Thanks, Gerry. And Olivia Richwald in North Yorkshire. What are
:18:13. > :18:17.conditions like where you are this evening?
:18:17. > :18:26.It is lovely inside. We will go outside in a minute and you will
:18:26. > :18:35.see this snow coming down. This time last week, it was 23 degrees
:18:35. > :18:41.here are the customers were outside sunbathing. How unexpected is the
:18:41. > :18:45.weather? We hoped the sun would keep shining over Easter. But
:18:46. > :18:54.perhaps it is just for one day. Fingers crossed, the sum that will
:18:54. > :19:01.be back tomorrow. In December 2010, we had all that snow. Seven people
:19:01. > :19:06.were stranded here because the pub was cut off. It started off fun,
:19:06. > :19:15.but then it got a bit boring. As you can see, the snow is coming
:19:15. > :19:23.down. We have just heard that two cars have just slipped off the road
:19:23. > :19:26.here. More snow is on the way. Olivia Richwald in North Yorkshire
:19:26. > :19:30.and Gerry Jackson in County Durham, thank you. And as Gerry said,
:19:30. > :19:33.Hannah will be here with the full forecast near the end of the
:19:33. > :19:37.programme. So the weather has gone to pot.
:19:37. > :19:40.That can only mean one thing - the cricket season is almost here. Who
:19:40. > :19:43.can forget the day, a few years ago, when Durham's first match was
:19:43. > :19:47.stopped by snow! Well, today was the county's annual photo-call. But
:19:47. > :19:51.plans to hold it on the pitch were - you've guessed it - scuppered by
:19:51. > :19:54.the weather. Keith Akehurst reports. A wintry scene at Chester-le-Street.
:19:54. > :19:58.Typical for the launch of England's summer sport. Team photos had to be
:19:58. > :20:01.taken inside. It's 20 years since Durham became a first class county.
:20:01. > :20:04.Back then wicket keeper Andy Fothergill made the step up from
:20:04. > :20:07.minor counties. Now still connected with Durham, he works with one of
:20:07. > :20:17.the sponsors and admires a side that has tasted success and expects
:20:17. > :20:18.
:20:18. > :20:22.it again. Fantastic. You could not have dreamt of this up. Favourites
:20:22. > :20:26.again this year. Probably favourites for the next at three
:20:26. > :20:28.years. Ben Stokes was a baby when Andy played for Durham. Last year,
:20:28. > :20:38.the 20-year-old Cumbrian was a sensation until injury shortened
:20:38. > :20:41.
:20:41. > :20:48.his season after an England call-up. As long as we can come of way with
:20:48. > :20:51.some type of silverware, it will be great for the club. Durham have
:20:51. > :20:56.signed Australian seamer Mitchell Johnson for the T20 series. The ICC
:20:56. > :21:01.Cricketer of 2009 joins Herschelle Gibbs for the shorter format.
:21:01. > :21:06.have signed some big players were. We are looking to raise the bar and
:21:06. > :21:15.go and try and win the 2020. With the talent we have got here, the
:21:15. > :21:21.experience and youth, on paper, we have got a fantastic cricket side.
:21:21. > :21:26.But cricket is not played on paper, it is what happens out there.
:21:26. > :21:28.There's a long, hard six months ahead.
:21:28. > :21:31.You might have spotted the former England all-rounder, Paul
:21:31. > :21:34.Collingwood, in the Durham line-up there. As well as helping his
:21:34. > :21:38.county, this summer, he'll be doing his bit for the Olympics - as he
:21:38. > :21:45.told Dawn Thewlis. Paul Collingwood is more used to
:21:45. > :21:48.carrying his bat. An Olympic torch is something else. But he will be
:21:48. > :21:53.the proud bearer on a stretch of the route through Durham after
:21:53. > :21:58.being nominated by the county council. He cannot quite believe it.
:21:58. > :22:04.You have to pinch yourself at times. I am from the north-east through
:22:04. > :22:09.and through, very proud to come from here and for the county
:22:09. > :22:15.council to ask me to do it, and to carry the torch on a small part of
:22:15. > :22:23.its journey around England, I think it is very humbling. As a child
:22:23. > :22:27.growing up, you like to watch the Olympics and to be part of that in
:22:28. > :22:35.some small we is very exciting. will join at the long list of great
:22:35. > :22:41.names to have carried the torch. Cricket has just featured ones in
:22:41. > :22:49.Olympic history, but in the build up to vet London games, it is all
:22:49. > :22:57.refitting that someone should represent it. I am so proud to come
:22:57. > :23:02.from here. I don't know where I will be carrying the torch, but if
:23:02. > :23:05.it is anywhere near here, it will be a very proud day. Something I
:23:05. > :23:13.can look back on in years to come and remember for the rest of my
:23:13. > :23:20.life. Court flick, my children will be able to look back and remember
:23:20. > :23:22.it as well. On to speedway now, and Redcar
:23:22. > :23:26.Bears' revealed today their captain, Gary Havelock, could be out of
:23:26. > :23:28.action for a year following this crash at the South Tees Motor Sport
:23:28. > :23:31.Park last month. The former world champion is recovering in hospital
:23:31. > :23:35.in Leeds, with a broken shoulder. Meanwhile, two of the region's
:23:35. > :23:38.other teams met up on Tyneside this week, which gave us the the chance
:23:38. > :23:41.to check out the form of Newcastle Diamonds and Workington Comets.
:23:41. > :23:48.With an away win at Sheffield already under their belts, the
:23:48. > :23:51.Comets have started the season with a bang. They just don't want too
:23:51. > :23:54.many more crashes like this which put Kenny Ingalls out for the rest
:23:54. > :24:00.of the match. With former Newcastle star Rene Batch now on the books,
:24:00. > :24:10.Workington have been tipped for the top. We have got the last few years,
:24:10. > :24:11.
:24:11. > :24:15.but I think this your's team have the potential to improve.
:24:15. > :24:17.Diamonds also have great hopes. George English is now in his 16th
:24:17. > :24:23.year as co-promoter and team manager. So does he still look
:24:23. > :24:26.forward to the season with as much enthusiasm as ever? You do. You are
:24:26. > :24:32.also very worried because you do not know what is going to happen
:24:32. > :24:37.until you get out on track, until the next race starts. It is always
:24:38. > :24:41.a bit of a lottery. But yes, we are excited. For the record, a last
:24:41. > :24:51.heat 5-1 gave the Diamonds a narrow derby victory in this League Cup by
:24:51. > :25:01.46 points to 44. It could be an interesting season. It was quite
:25:01. > :25:03.
:25:03. > :25:12.sunny Wembley did those interviews, This southerly wind last week gave
:25:12. > :25:22.us high temperatures breaking records at some weather stations.
:25:22. > :25:33.
:25:33. > :25:41.this week, northerly breezes giving Sold for the her northern hills
:25:41. > :25:48.continues. A mix of snow and sleet for lower levels. But we could
:25:48. > :25:54.still get snow at lower levels as well. It should start to clear
:25:54. > :26:00.tomorrow. Temperature is down to freezing, or just above for most
:26:01. > :26:06.places. Very strong north-easterly winds as well. The snow will clear
:26:06. > :26:11.away first thing tomorrow morning. Most parts becoming dry and bright
:26:11. > :26:17.but a very chilly. Temperature is not much higher than they were this
:26:18. > :26:27.afternoon, between 5 and seven Celsius. The wind will make it feel
:26:28. > :26:31.
:26:31. > :26:35.much colder. It will feel just above freezing for most places. A
:26:35. > :26:45.little bit less breezy in the West, but even here, a cold field despite
:26:45. > :26:46.
:26:46. > :26:50.the bright skies. The cold us not just last a few days -- the cold
:26:50. > :27:00.snap just last a few days. The temperatures at start to return to
:27:00. > :27:04.average for the time of year. Good Friday, more traditional bank
:27:04. > :27:08.holiday weather. Things get considerably milder but wet. From
:27:08. > :27:12.the West, a spell of drizzly rain arrives in time for the bank
:27:12. > :27:17.holiday weekend. The cold snap will not last, but Moore has slowed to