:00:00. > :00:09.Our welcome to Friday's Look North. That's all from the BBC
:00:10. > :00:12.Our welcome to Friday's Look North. Plans to close a Northumberland
:00:13. > :00:17.Middle School. Angry parents say history is repeating itself. And you
:00:18. > :00:21.heard and a new beginning at a college after the devastation of
:00:22. > :00:25.foot and mouth. Put us in the picture. Claims the north`e`st is
:00:26. > :00:30.missing out on TV and film contracts because of its neighbours to the
:00:31. > :00:34.north and south. And going the extra mile for Sport Relief. It m`y not be
:00:35. > :00:42.Everest, but it will be by the end of today. I need someone to carry
:00:43. > :00:46.me, that's for certain! A vhtal weekend for Sunderland against
:00:47. > :00:49.Norwich. As Alan Pardew prepares to sit out another game, it's not the
:00:50. > :01:02.first time he's had to face the music. # I'm feeling glad all
:01:03. > :01:03.over... He'll be mad all ovdr if they pinched the points agahnst
:01:04. > :01:14.Crystal Palace. Ten years ago, parents took to the
:01:15. > :01:19.streets in protest at plans to shut Northumberland's middle schools
:01:20. > :01:21.Now, ten years on, parents `t a middle school threatened with
:01:22. > :01:27.closure, say history's repe`ting itself. Guidepost Middle School
:01:28. > :01:30.could close in a few months but families whose children attdnd the
:01:31. > :01:37.school say more could follow. Our Political Correspondent Mark Denten
:01:38. > :01:43.is there now. Yes, this is Guidepost Middle School. It's one of 29 in
:01:44. > :01:49.Northumberland at the moment but by the start of the autumn terl, it may
:01:50. > :01:52.well be just 28 because Northumberland Council would like to
:01:53. > :01:56.close this particular school. Of course, there are the stand`rd
:01:57. > :01:59.concerns from parents about where their children will go, how they
:02:00. > :02:04.would get there on transportation, but something else. They're also
:02:05. > :02:07.claims among those that Northumberland Council actu`lly
:02:08. > :02:13.wants to kill off this type of school completely. Home timd this
:02:14. > :02:17.afternoon at Guidepost Middle School. In July, this could be
:02:18. > :02:20.happening here for the last time. Northumberland County Counchl wants
:02:21. > :02:25.to close the school at the dnd of the summer term. It's terrible.
:02:26. > :02:29.There's not going to be a local school here. It's a small community.
:02:30. > :02:33.We all live together and th`t's not going to be a normal Middle School
:02:34. > :02:38.for the children. The proposal to close the school comes after it was
:02:39. > :02:41.put into special measures l`st October and Northumberland council
:02:42. > :02:45.is looking at reorganising the way schools work in the area. Children
:02:46. > :02:48.will go to primary school and then on to secondary school and would
:02:49. > :02:54.mean the closure of that school That sounds a bit grey and technical
:02:55. > :03:01.to you. Think again. Here in Northumberland, it brings b`ck
:03:02. > :03:05.memories of whopping great row. It is 2004 and parents are on the
:03:06. > :03:09.march. Angry at Northumberl`nd County Council's plans to scrap 45
:03:10. > :03:15.Middle schools across the country full sub schools like Guidepost
:03:16. > :03:19.survived that but Ofsted sahd Northumberland should look closely
:03:20. > :03:23.at their three tier system. Ten years ago, there were 44 middle
:03:24. > :03:29.schools in Northumberland. 05 closed since then. 29 remain. The parents
:03:30. > :03:34.claim what is proposed here is just part of a plan to kill off liddle
:03:35. > :03:39.schools right across Northulberland. Whether its financial, whatdver
:03:40. > :03:43.it's clear the plan may havd, they closed so many and they are
:03:44. > :03:46.proposing to close this one. It hasn't had a great Ofsted, but the
:03:47. > :03:50.Secretary of State does say it should be given a year to come out
:03:51. > :03:55.of special measures. You don't think the school is given a chancd to
:03:56. > :03:58.improve? I certainly don't. The council says there is no ovdrriding
:03:59. > :04:04.policy to shut middle schools and decisions are made on the b`sis of
:04:05. > :04:08.any particular area. Northulberland council did not want to be
:04:09. > :04:11.interviewed tonight that thdy categorically say there's not a
:04:12. > :04:16.hidden plan to close all middle schools in Northumberland. There
:04:17. > :04:19.will be a decision on this one early next month. The council says the
:04:20. > :04:23.real priority is getting good standards of education not just for
:04:24. > :04:30.children at the school but for all schools throughout the county. Mark,
:04:31. > :04:32.thank you. Northumbria Police have made five more arrests in Operation
:04:33. > :04:38.Sanctuary, an investigation into allegations of sex crimes committed
:04:39. > :04:44.against vulnerable women and girls. It brings the total arrests to 4.
:04:45. > :04:48.Eight people have been charged and officers have identified around 80
:04:49. > :04:51.victims or potential complahnants. Police are continuing to appeal to
:04:52. > :04:56.the public to contact them with information. The Conservative Party
:04:57. > :04:59.Chairman says he loves a gale of bingo following a row over ` poster
:05:00. > :05:03.on Twitter. Grant Shapps was in Carlisle, visiting a graphic design
:05:04. > :05:06.company. He posted an advert after the Budget claiming cuts to duty on
:05:07. > :05:12.bingo halls and beer would help hard`working people do more of the
:05:13. > :05:16.things they enjoy. Critics, including the Liberal Democrat MP
:05:17. > :05:22.for Redcar, Ian Swales, said it was condescending. But Mr Shapps was
:05:23. > :05:25.unrepentant when he spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Emily Unia. We can
:05:26. > :05:29.all argue about whether the word should be they or us or whatever.
:05:30. > :05:33.Personally, I drink beer and I love a game of bingo. I just can't see
:05:34. > :05:36.why on earth they think that this is more important than talking about
:05:37. > :05:38.the long`term economic future of our country. Supporting, actually,
:05:39. > :05:42.sectors like bingo, where wd're halving the tax, or the loc`l pubs
:05:43. > :05:45.where we're helping them to stay open. I would have thought that s
:05:46. > :05:51.more important. They've got nothing to say about it in Labour at all.
:05:52. > :05:55.All they want to do is talk about the trivia rather than the real
:05:56. > :05:58.issues. It's claimed the North East is missing out on millions of pounds
:05:59. > :06:01.of investment from major film and TV productions, because other regions
:06:02. > :06:05.have more money to offer thdm. Campaigners in the industry want the
:06:06. > :06:07.region to set up the same khnd of multi`million pound producthon fund
:06:08. > :06:12.that exists in Scotland and Yorkshire. Our Political Edhtor
:06:13. > :06:18.Richard Moss reports. Chopwdll Woods in Gateshead. The base this week for
:06:19. > :06:22.BBC childrens' drama, Wolfblood Now shooting its third series entirely
:06:23. > :06:25.in the North East. But it's one of the few major TV series basdd here.
:06:26. > :06:29.Some say that's a big miss. Undoubtedly television prodtction
:06:30. > :06:32.brings money. And whether it's actually from our point of view
:06:33. > :06:41.employing local crews, to hotels, to locations. So, yeah, what wd're
:06:42. > :06:44.missing out on is the area hs not being represented both on screen and
:06:45. > :06:47.we're not getting the financial benefit of having that prodtction
:06:48. > :06:50.work in the region. So why `re we not seeing more filming across our
:06:51. > :06:56.region? Well, money may be one reason. While Scotland and other
:06:57. > :07:00.English regions have film commissions offering grants of up to
:07:01. > :07:03.half a million pound to lurd in crews, the North East can offer at
:07:04. > :07:07.most ?3,000. In Scotland thdy've got a ?5 million production fund.
:07:08. > :07:12.Yorkshire have a ?7.5 million fund that's just recently been doubled to
:07:13. > :07:15.?15 million. So we are literally surrounded by regions that can
:07:16. > :07:20.entice film and TV projects with financial investment. We can't at
:07:21. > :07:23.the moment. A bid though is now being put into persuade the Local
:07:24. > :07:26.Enterprise Partnership to sdt aside European money for the North East's
:07:27. > :07:29.own multi`million pound production fund. If it happens it could help
:07:30. > :07:34.these Sunderland University media students stay in the region. The
:07:35. > :07:38.chances are pretty much all of them, certainly a big majority of them,
:07:39. > :07:48.will end up having to leave the north`east in order to get work So,
:07:49. > :07:51.it would be a missed opporttnity, I think, not to try and support the
:07:52. > :07:54.industry in this region. Thhs week The Dumping Ground, another
:07:55. > :07:58.children's programme shot in the North East, won a Royal Teldvision
:07:59. > :08:01.Society award. But when it comes to film and television, while the North
:08:02. > :08:10.East can boast quality, quantity remains a problem. And therd'll be
:08:11. > :08:15.more on that story with Richard on BBC One's Sunday Politics at 11am
:08:16. > :08:18.this Sunday. We haven't heard it for more than a decade but farmhng
:08:19. > :08:24.leaders say their industry could at last be on the way up. Todax near
:08:25. > :08:27.Penrith, Newton Rigg agricultural college opened its new ?2.5 million
:08:28. > :08:30.dairy unit. Student numbers are booming, evidence, say many in the
:08:31. > :08:33.industry, of a justified confidence. Our Chief Reporter Chris Stdwart
:08:34. > :08:41.tells us more and his report does contain a little surprise. Bless
:08:42. > :08:48.these cows and the milk thex produce. Difficult to remember the
:08:49. > :08:53.last time we saw a Bishop blessing a herd of cows. Difficult also to
:08:54. > :08:56.remember the last time this industry seemed so, well, bullish. Btt
:08:57. > :09:01.student numbers who have dotbled to more than 600 and 300 of thdm are
:09:02. > :09:07.from non`farming families. Like Jessica. I'm 18 and I'm frol Silith.
:09:08. > :09:12.And for some reason I just did not enjoy sixth form. I thought I want
:09:13. > :09:17.to do something more practical with my life. Agriculture was just there
:09:18. > :09:24.at the perfect time and I absolutely love it to pieces now. The dairy
:09:25. > :09:27.herd here was lost 13 years ago to foot and mouth but it's back with
:09:28. > :09:34.151 heifers. Actually, make that 152. Yes, born while we werd
:09:35. > :09:39.filming. Did you organise that? It's fantastic. As well as the stnshine,
:09:40. > :09:42.to have a calf born on our opening event is wonderful, we're rdally
:09:43. > :09:46.pleased. As you can see, our students are hands`on involved and
:09:47. > :09:50.that's what new dairy unit hs about. Newton Rigg is one of a grotp of
:09:51. > :09:54.eight such colleges in our region. Students come here as an alternative
:09:55. > :09:57.to working straightaway or going on to A`levels. And their confhdence is
:09:58. > :10:02.reflected by the industry as a whole. Agriculture is not jtst an
:10:03. > :10:06.industry people turn to when they got nothing else to do. This is a
:10:07. > :10:13.career of choice for more and more young people. And people ard seeing
:10:14. > :10:15.a future for agriculture, the countryside, the professions related
:10:16. > :10:21.to agriculture because it is so important. Young Will is from a
:10:22. > :10:25.farming family. From an early age, it's all I've ever wanted to do I
:10:26. > :10:29.can't see myself doing anything else. Despite your mum and dad
:10:30. > :10:33.telling you how tough it is? Despite that. It's a very good industry to
:10:34. > :10:37.get into. We need more young people getting into the industry. So, from
:10:38. > :10:39.blessing bishops to bovine births, a day to remember for the students and
:10:40. > :10:53.for our region's farming industry. Very sweet. Plenty more to come in
:10:54. > :11:01.tonight's programme. A steep challenge on the Cumbrian fdlls for
:11:02. > :11:05.Sport Relief. Go on. Go on. The moment a grey seal is released back
:11:06. > :11:13.into the wild. It's a rare sight on the Northumberland coast. Whntry
:11:14. > :11:16.showers tonight, clear spells and icy roads and pavements. More
:11:17. > :11:25.details later in your weekend forecast. It's often easy to forget
:11:26. > :11:30.about what's lying around otr homes but if you look closely enotgh you
:11:31. > :11:36.may just uncover a piece of history. For more than 70 years this iron
:11:37. > :11:39.bell sat in a garden. It turns out that it belonged to a German
:11:40. > :11:43.warship, which played an important part in the first attack on British
:11:44. > :11:46.soil in World War One. The story began nearly 100 years ago off the
:11:47. > :11:52.North East coast. Chris Robhnson reports. When German battleships
:11:53. > :11:58.attack Britain in December 0914 Hartlepool took a direct hit. The
:11:59. > :12:02.intense shelling killed mord than 100 people injuring hundreds more.
:12:03. > :12:09.Violet was a seven`year`old girl at the time. She was interviewdd by the
:12:10. > :12:17.BBC for a recent documentarx. I went upstairs and looked at the bedroom
:12:18. > :12:24.window and I saw big flashes. I thought of were coming to the door
:12:25. > :12:27.to take us. One of the ships fought in the Battle of Jutland but after
:12:28. > :12:32.the war it was sunk by the German fleet when they surrendered. She
:12:33. > :12:38.remained submerged until 1938 venture was raised for scrap but
:12:39. > :12:42.part of her survived. Locked away in storage in Southampton, this is the
:12:43. > :12:46.ship's bell. It spent the l`st 0 years sitting in a garden. Ht's only
:12:47. > :12:51.when other items were being looked at auction but its history was
:12:52. > :12:58.retold. Having found it in the bush, and dug it out after a 20 mhnute
:12:59. > :13:03.flight, I thought it was solething special. I wasn't immediately sure
:13:04. > :13:06.full swing on top and did some research and then of course it
:13:07. > :13:13.became clear. How much of a significant find is this? Vdry
:13:14. > :13:17.significant. There's very fdw left in circulation. I know one hn
:13:18. > :13:22.Scotland on the act to Hebrhdes And another return to the German navy in
:13:23. > :13:27.the 1950s. It will be auctioned tomorrow where it is set to fetch up
:13:28. > :13:33.to ?5,000. There's already been interest from private collectors and
:13:34. > :13:40.German museums. A rare seal release has taken place on the
:13:41. > :13:43.Northumberland coast. The fdmale pup was found in trouble at Whitley Bay
:13:44. > :13:47.last month, and nursed back to health by volunteers from the Paws
:13:48. > :13:50.for Thought charity. Grey sdals rescued in our region usually get
:13:51. > :13:53.sent to Norfolk, but the RSPCA reserve there is full after the
:13:54. > :13:56.winter's tidal surges. Hann`h Bayman reports. Almost ready to go.
:13:57. > :14:02.Four`month`old grey seal Cullercoats was picked up last month suffering
:14:03. > :14:06.from digestive problems. Since then, she's more than doubled her body
:14:07. > :14:08.weight on a diet of herring here at the North East's first
:14:09. > :14:12.rehabilitation unit. Daily feed she has about six to eight kilograms of
:14:13. > :14:16.fish a day. Constantly being fed so we are trying to fatten her up as
:14:17. > :14:20.much as possible because thdy can live off that for a good cotple of
:14:21. > :14:24.weeks out in the wild if shd can't find food. Time to go back to the
:14:25. > :14:28.North Sea. Up to full strength and with a healthy layer of blubber
:14:29. > :14:31.It's a new thing. We are brdaking new ground here in Northumbdrland.
:14:32. > :14:34.Our seals normally go down to Norfolk after two days of
:14:35. > :14:38.rehydration. And then they `re released from Norfolk at 37 to 0
:14:39. > :14:41.kilos back to the Wash. It's very rare we bring one back to
:14:42. > :14:46.Northumberland so a really good job to get her up to this stand`rd and
:14:47. > :14:50.weight. Come on, out you cole. The crew have brought Cullercoats to a
:14:51. > :14:54.secluded spot at Alnmouth. OK, just take it away, just slowly. Ht's wet
:14:55. > :15:01.and windy but she's ready for freedom.
:15:02. > :15:14.Excellent. Excellent. She's just going over the waves. She rdally
:15:15. > :15:18.enjoyed being in the sea. You could see her flapping. She's really
:15:19. > :15:22.enjoying it. She's just offshore there now getting her bearings. And
:15:23. > :15:25.then she'll find her way back to her friends, I hope. It's amazing to
:15:26. > :15:29.think we've given her a second chance of survival and she's gone
:15:30. > :15:33.straight off into the sea and not looked back. It's hoped now she will
:15:34. > :15:50.join a colony and one day h`ve a pup of her own. That was really lovely
:15:51. > :15:53.to see, wasn't it? Now, how long do you reckon it takes to get to the
:15:54. > :15:57.top of the world's highest lountain, Everest? Days, weeks, longer? Well,
:15:58. > :16:00.if you're a member of a west Cumbrian running club raising money
:16:01. > :16:03.for Sport Relief, you'll know it takes just two hours. How? Lark
:16:04. > :16:06.Mcalindon explains. Three, two, one. They like a challenge, the lembers
:16:07. > :16:15.of the St Bees Triers. At ltnchtime today the countdown began on one of
:16:16. > :16:18.their most audacious to datd. We are running up and down Dent, which is
:16:19. > :16:22.our local Everest, as many times we can, to achieve what we would hope
:16:23. > :16:29.will be a multiple ascent of Everest. How many will it t`ke? 40
:16:30. > :16:32.ascents will get us one Everest About an hour in, with bright
:16:33. > :16:35.sunshine but bitter wind, the equivalent of base camp had been
:16:36. > :16:39.reached. So, anyone in need of a sherpa? I need someone to c`rry me,
:16:40. > :16:42.that's for certain. Yeah. They might not have encountered glaciers,
:16:43. > :16:47.avalanches or vast vistas of snow, but they were enjoying their journey
:16:48. > :16:53.to the top of the world. It gets easier the more you do it, H think.
:16:54. > :16:57.Fresh air. The views. Even when it's raining it just makes you fdel
:16:58. > :17:00.alive. You're coming down for the third time. There's isn't a bead of
:17:01. > :17:03.sweat I can see. You're not breathing deeply. You must be
:17:04. > :17:09.terrifically fit to do this. No I think the wind's blowing it all off.
:17:10. > :17:13.It's hard work but it's for a good cause. And it wasn't long bdfore the
:17:14. > :17:16.lung busting efforts had ch`lked up the equivalent of 8,850 metres give
:17:17. > :17:20.or take. Well it's just aftdr 2pm. John here is totting up the number
:17:21. > :17:23.of ascents. They've been running for about two hours and we think that
:17:24. > :17:29.these guys coming through the door now are 39, 40, 41. That's the first
:17:30. > :17:32.Everest completed. You can see what it means. Huge smiles on thdir faces
:17:33. > :17:36.and huge congratulations. Only two hours gone, and there will be many
:17:37. > :17:40.more Everests in the course of the next 22 hours. They are are still
:17:41. > :17:43.running now and into the night and into tomorrow lunchtime. It's a fund
:17:44. > :17:55.raising effort worth flying the flag for. Someone run a bath for them.
:17:56. > :17:59.Well done to them and everyone raising money today. If you want to
:18:00. > :18:02.take part in Sport Relief btt from the comfort of your sofa, the Sport
:18:03. > :18:08.Relief Appeal Show starts straight after this programme at 7pm. The
:18:09. > :18:12.comfort of your own soap sotnds very attractive to me as well. What is
:18:13. > :18:15.this about Alan Pardew? An alternative career in singing? We
:18:16. > :18:18.would come to that in a mintte. Injuries mean both our Premher
:18:19. > :18:21.League teams are without thdir leading strikers tomorrow.
:18:22. > :18:24.Sunderland are at relegation rivals Norwich minus Steven Fletchdr who
:18:25. > :18:28.has an ankle injury while Ndwcastle are without Loic Remy for the visit
:18:29. > :18:31.of Crystal Palace. And for once Black Cats fans will hope Ndwcastle
:18:32. > :18:37.win because it'll do them a big favour. Andrew Hartley reports. It
:18:38. > :18:41.was 0`0 the last time Sunderland played Norwich and no one's
:18:42. > :18:44.expecting a goal`fest tomorrow. I think it's going to be tight.
:18:45. > :18:54.Especially looking at the fhrst game. A proper 0`0. I cannot see too
:18:55. > :18:58.many goals, apart from some accidents, somebody sending off If
:18:59. > :19:04.City view this as a must`win fixture, what about Sunderl`nd who
:19:05. > :19:08.trail their hosts by four points? I think you're going to play the game
:19:09. > :19:11.from the beginning to win. The mentality of a football teal is to
:19:12. > :19:15.win anyway. Norwich haven't lost in front of their own supporters since
:19:16. > :19:19.the turn of the year. But Stnderland can point to excellent away form of
:19:20. > :19:23.late. Defeat at Arsenal last month ended a run of six league g`mes on
:19:24. > :19:26.the road without defeat. Al`n Pardew will be watching his side on the
:19:27. > :19:34.television again tomorrow as he serves the second match of his three
:19:35. > :19:38.game stadium ban. Difficult to assess the mood of the stadhum, the
:19:39. > :19:43.mood of the players, when it comes to a flat screen. It's not the first
:19:44. > :19:48.time that Alan Pardew has h`d to face the music. Here he is `s a
:19:49. > :19:56.Crystal Palace player ahead of 990 FA Cup Final. You always have links
:19:57. > :20:01.to your former club and it would be very very sad that they get
:20:02. > :20:08.relegated and I hope the sqtad and Tony keep them there. His whsh may
:20:09. > :20:13.come true. Tony Pulis has f`shioned Crystal Palace and aside to beat.
:20:14. > :20:17.They will be fighting in scrapping Antoni's teams are always vdry sure
:20:18. > :20:19.in terms of their jobs, and we need to come up with some more
:20:20. > :20:30.imagination than we did agahnst Fulham. And more cutting edge to our
:20:31. > :20:37.play. Newcastle won 3`0 in September but failed to score in eight of the
:20:38. > :20:42.last 11 league matches. I bdt he was happy to see that old footage again!
:20:43. > :20:46.Middlesbrough's clash with PPR at the Riverside has been made a whole
:20:47. > :20:49.lot tougher with the news that they'll be without Mustafa Carayol
:20:50. > :20:52.for the rest of this season and the start of next season after the
:20:53. > :20:57.winger ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament last weekdnd.
:20:58. > :21:00.There's commentary on BBC Tdes. In League One, BBC Radio Cumbrha will
:21:01. > :21:04.follow Carlisle who desperately need to pick up three points at bottom
:21:05. > :21:08.club Notts County to take them away from the drop zone and York City
:21:09. > :21:12.have an excellent chance to jump into the League Two play`off places
:21:13. > :21:15.if they beat struggling Portsmouth. Hartlepool United are also pushing
:21:16. > :21:19.for the play`offs and could go above York tonight if they win at the
:21:20. > :21:23.Kassam Stadium. Oxford may be sixth in the table but they haven't won in
:21:24. > :21:26.the last six games. Last wedk's 4`0 win over Bristol Rovers was a real
:21:27. > :21:29.confidence boost, but Oxford will be a much tougher test despite their
:21:30. > :21:33.recent poor form. It's all `bout consistency now if Pools ard to make
:21:34. > :21:37.the top seven. We've got five home games left and I think our home
:21:38. > :21:42.performances will be key to where we end up. But we have to be able to go
:21:43. > :21:46.away from home and try and pick things up as well, you know. If we
:21:47. > :21:50.are to bridge that little g`p now, we have to back up what we did last
:21:51. > :21:53.week at home with another performance down at Oxford `nd hope
:21:54. > :21:56.that gets us a little bit closer again. Cooper is putting his faith
:21:57. > :21:59.in his young players. 17`ye`r`old midfielder Brad Walker from
:22:00. > :22:02.Billingham has been named Ldague Two's Apprentice of the Year this
:22:03. > :22:06.week following in the footsteps of last year's winner Luke Jamds. I
:22:07. > :22:09.think we have to be very proud of what we have produced here. Luke is
:22:10. > :22:13.a smashing young fella. Brad's a great lad but what they both prove
:22:14. > :22:15.is they're both good enough to jump from scholarships to first`team
:22:16. > :22:18.football and hopefully that will continue in future because
:22:19. > :22:22.Hartlepool, I have to say, hs producing some fine young players
:22:23. > :22:25.and it makes my job a lot e`sier. What hasn't made his job easier was
:22:26. > :22:28.the sudden departure of his assistant Craig Hignett who left to
:22:29. > :22:32.become Aitor Karankas right hand man at Middlesbrough earlier thhs month.
:22:33. > :22:35.He hopes to find a replacemdnt soon. This week we're doing coachhng
:22:36. > :22:37.sessions, I'm trying to watch some games, trying to watch playdrs, so
:22:38. > :22:41.that's where you find yoursdlf spread a bit thin but I havd pretty
:22:42. > :22:45.broad shoulders. I can deal with things like that. I like to think I
:22:46. > :22:49.can get something in place before the end of the season just so I can
:22:50. > :22:53.plan this summer properly and we all come back ready and prepared and
:22:54. > :22:55.planned for next season. Good luck to them. Workington Comets `nd
:22:56. > :22:59.Newcastle Diamonds go head to head this weekend in the season opening
:23:00. > :23:02.Ian Thomas Shield. Both sidds will be hotly tipped to win the Premier
:23:03. > :23:06.League this season so it'll be interesting to see who comes out on
:23:07. > :23:09.top. The first leg is at Derwent Park tomorrow with the second leg at
:23:10. > :23:13.Newcastle's Brough Park on Sunday. The Comets are confident it's going
:23:14. > :23:16.to be a good campaign. It's solid. I think there will be four, possibly
:23:17. > :23:20.five, riders challenging for the number one place at the end of the
:23:21. > :23:24.season so, yeah, I think we can do something this year. So as long as
:23:25. > :23:28.we avoid injuries, as usual, but it's the same for every teal. If
:23:29. > :23:33.they all ride to their potential, there's no reason why we can't win
:23:34. > :23:36.something. Thanks for that. Now for the next few minutes we're leaving
:23:37. > :23:39.reality behind to delve into a world of fantasy, magic, illusion and
:23:40. > :23:43.enchantment. Be warned as M`gic Worlds could bring out the big kid
:23:44. > :23:46.in you. It's an exhibition from the national childhood collection at the
:23:47. > :23:50.Victoria and Albert Museum hn London. And it opens in Newcastle's
:23:51. > :23:58.Great North Museum Hancock tomorrow. Julie Smith reports. Pulling on
:23:59. > :24:01.costumes and exploring Magic Worlds. Looking in on Harry Potter or
:24:02. > :24:04.joining Alice in a tea partx. It's a mixture of fantasy and mythhcal
:24:05. > :24:11.magic in full flow here. Thd exhibition has toured the country
:24:12. > :24:16.and Newcastle is the last stop. I like the snakes and ladders. There's
:24:17. > :24:24.lots of different toys so you can play with them. What has bedn your
:24:25. > :24:31.favourite part of today? Thd fashion show and we got dressed up `nd I got
:24:32. > :24:36.dressed up as Alice in Wonddrland. It's been all about the country but
:24:37. > :24:38.it's bigger here. We have stch a wonderful big space, we've `dded our
:24:39. > :24:41.own collection to it. The fascination of illusion brings
:24:42. > :24:48.together a huge collection of tricks. This room is full of optical
:24:49. > :24:53.toys to trick the eyes and ht's been endorsed by the magic circld. Here,
:24:54. > :25:04.still things move and strange things happen. I wore a dragon costume with
:25:05. > :25:08.a striking puppet. I went down the slide fast and I really enjoyed it.
:25:09. > :25:19.The exhibition is open from tomorrow for three months. I don't know what
:25:20. > :25:24.happened to Paul. He must'vd been spirited away. He was meant to be
:25:25. > :25:29.here for the weather. Hang on. Watch yourself. Magic. I just hopd I don't
:25:30. > :25:41.set off the smoke alarms. No shortage of whether this weekend.
:25:42. > :25:46.Wintry showers around. It whll leave clearer skies obviously and that
:25:47. > :25:50.will lead to ice on the roads and pavements as we head into tomorrow
:25:51. > :25:54.morning. The showers are working their way in from the West. Some
:25:55. > :25:59.will have some sleet and snow over the high ground. Not too high. Sleet
:26:00. > :26:03.and snow settling on the North Pennines but clearing away later in
:26:04. > :26:08.the night. Temperatures dip down towards freezing and those hcy
:26:09. > :26:12.stretches will form fairly readily following those showers. Cold start
:26:13. > :26:15.tomorrow morning. Like todax, mixture of sunny spells and
:26:16. > :26:20.scattered showers. Wintry over the hills but there will be decdnt
:26:21. > :26:24.bright spells in between. Especially in eastern areas. Temperatures will
:26:25. > :26:31.stay in single figures. Likd today, eight Celsius, 46 Fahrenheit. Fairly
:26:32. > :26:35.breezy. West to south`westerly wind. Not as gusty as today, a brhsk
:26:36. > :26:42.wind, so it will never feel that warm even in the sunny spells. Low
:26:43. > :26:46.pressure to the north, cold westerly wind. High pressure building as we
:26:47. > :26:50.had through the weekend. Turning most of the showers off through
:26:51. > :26:54.Sunday. Drier on Monday and into Tuesday, the weather fronts starts
:26:55. > :27:00.to take over again. If you `re out and about over the weekend, a little
:27:01. > :27:03.bit of everything. Blustery showers, especially on Saturday. Snow over
:27:04. > :27:08.the hills. Sunshine in betwden. Gusty wind. Cater for that blocked
:27:09. > :27:14.and you won't go too far wrong. Showers on Sunday. Mostly dry for
:27:15. > :27:20.many of us. Decent spells. Before that, the cloud comes in on Monday
:27:21. > :27:24.night bringing some rain and cloud. Of course, we will keep you updated
:27:25. > :27:28.on the full forecast over the weekend on your BBC local r`dio
:27:29. > :27:35.station. You can check out the free BBC weather app. That was jtst
:27:36. > :27:41.magic. Thank you for that. H do like to make an entrance. That's it. We
:27:42. > :27:44.are back at 10:25pm. Bye byd.