08/11/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Welcome to Wednesday's Look North.

In tonight's headlines -

The gift of life.

How a groom thought to be

terminally ill gave friends

the best present of all.

People power.

Hundreds sign up to solve problems

in the North east, away

from the politics of Westminster.

Camera work.

Expansion plans and 100 new jobs

as a Peterlee plant builds

technology for driverless cars.

And falling into the sea.

Millions needed to repair crumbling

piers that protect a coastal town.

In sport, the new West Ham manager

David Moyes says he ought to have

done his homework before taking

the Sunderland job.

And the Eagles go back

to school after letting

slip their favourite trophy.

When Jack Kane was told he had just

weeks to live, he was determined

to use his remaining time to marry

the woman he loves.

And within days, Jack

and his partner Emma Clarke had tied

the knot in a hospital chapel.

But Jack, from Billingham,

had a perfect wedding gift

to present to friends

at the reception -

the latest tests showed

he wasn't dying after all.

What was thought a cancerous

tumour was in fact a rare

but survivable condition.

Peter Harris reports.

Jacquard always planned to marry

Emma and apparently terminal cancer

diagnosis meant it was now or never.

You've got two months. As much as I

thought I was not going anywhere, we

then had that time frame where we

had to squeeze the best times of our

life into that time in case the

worst comes to the worst.

We kept

hold of the 1% of hope that it

wasn't what they said it was and it

wasn't going to be terminal.

Jack's

problems began when shooting pains

eventually led to him being unable

to use his legs. Tests indicated a

tumour on his spine and weeks to

live. Days later came the wedding

but, in the meantime, more tests

showed it was more likely to be the

rear debits disease. He told his

family and then at the reception,

told everybody else.

It's not

terminal.

CHEERING

APPLAUSE

The room exploded.

It went absolutely crazy. Everybody

just jumped up and screamed.

To Jack

and Emma.

CHEERING

Everybody burst into tears and were

cheering.

I'll never forget it.

The

hospital says the original scans

indicated a tumour on the spine and

a definitive diagnosis was awaited.

Basically, my legs might come back

and might not and that's all they

can give me. But that's not a

problem. Life in a wheelchair is not

a bad life. There's no difference

between normal and that. You just

adapt full speed can still drive,

you can still work, you can store

have a normal life and live in your

home.

We are lucky. We are lucky we

got a second chance.

I'm not a

registrar. You may now kiss the

bride. Peter Harris, BBC Look North,

Middlesbrough. Best of luck.

A new kind of politics

free from the scandal

and chaos of Westminster.

That's the aim of a group looking

to harness people power to change

lives in the North East.

Tyne and Wear Citizens already has

more than 1,000 people signed up.

It's aiming to tackle

issues like poverty,

racism and mental health.

But there'll be no party politics

and it won't contest elections.

It held its first big meeting last

night, and our political editor

Richard Moss was there.

More than 1,000 people packed

into Newcastle's Tyne Theatre,

not for a band or a comedian,

but to talk politics.

This was the launch

of Tyne and Wear Citizens.

People here want to see

change in their community.

But they're not looking

for politicians to do it.

They want to do it themselves.

People are saying we haven't got

time to wait for another election

or to wait and see what's

going to happen with devolution.

Things are too important

in our communities right now.

People are going hungry right now.

People are struggling day-to-day

right now and so the energies

around people saying,

"Right, OK, let's see

what we can do, let's do

something about it now."

This is a very

personal politics too.

Jack from North Shields came to talk

about mental health.

I'm here to speak about how some

young people with poor mental health

have had to fight way too hard

to get the treatment they deserve.

Racial abuse, though was the focus

for Maryam Khan from Newcastle.

So, hopping onto a bus to the town

might seem like nothing to most

of you in the audience today,

but to myself, my family,

my friends and other Muslim

women in particular,

tasks like these seem

like mammoth decisions to make.

Is it worth the risk of being

harassed or racially abused today?

But Tyne and Wear Citizens say this

not just about listing problems.

Seeking solutions is vital so,

for Maryam, there was a chance

to ask for action from those

who run the metro.

Will you lead the way and set

an example and stand up

against hate crime and lastly,

can you set up a meeting with other

transport providers to meet

with Tyne and Weir Citizens

to address the issues?

Yes, we do have a hate crime

policy in public transport

and we take it very seriously.

To answer that final question, yes,

we'll definitely set up a meeting.

I'm sure the other operators

will come along and we will begin

to tackle this problem.

Citizens groups have had

success in other countries

and parts of Britain.

And, although the approach

feels new, it also looks

to tap into traditions

we may have forgotten.

This area used to be volatile,

full of public meetings

going on about anti-slavery

and so on, and we are

reviving that tradition.

But did the audience feel enthused?

Incredible seeing so many

people come together

of different faiths,

generations, yeah, and background.

It was quite emotional.

I thought was excellent.

Very inspiring, very well-organised.

And really shows that people

in the north-east are committed

to making some change in the area.

It's a positive hopeful message

and it's what we need to hear.

Of course, enthusiasm will only last

if it produces results.

Perhaps it's not surprising that

people are seeking a different kind

of politics to what's currenly

going on in Westminster.

Richard's here now.

1,000 people is a good start

but what do they hope to achieve?

Their members have looked at three

areas they want to have a go at,

poverty, mental health and hate

crime. Pretty big areas. It aims to

focus on individual changes where

they can make a difference. They

will try to work with the bus

providers, the metro to tackle

racial abuse for someone mental

health about trying to get

commitments from health trusts to

improve services for younger people.

It took Jacquard three GP

appointments before he got help for

his mental health problems. On

poverty, they want free school

meals. They are also looking to get

more employers to pay the real

living wage. They have a meeting

with virgin money. They have 3000

employees in Newcastle. They believe

1000 people can make a difference

and politics can affect their lives.

Quite refreshing. Richard, thank

you.

Richard, thank you.

A policeman from Tyneside has been

killed while on duty in Canada.

PC John Davidson, who was 53,

died while trying to arrest

a suspect in Abbotsford

in British Columbria on Monday.

The former Nothumbria Police officer

was described by the force

as a "hero" and "dedicated

and devoted" policeman.

A bus has been destroyed

after it went up in flames.

The fire happened just after nine

o'clock this morning on the A693

in County Durham between Consett

and Stanley, near East Castle

and Pontop Pike, causing

the road to be closed.

The bus wasn't in service

at the time and no one was injured.

Tributes are being paid

to the Sunderland City Council

leader Paul Watson who's died

at the age of 63.

He'd been suffering cancer.

The Labour councillor played

a leading role in bringing new jobs

and investment to the city.

Our political correspondent

Luke Walton reports:

A one-time shipyard worker,

Paul Watson's political mission

was to regenerate the riverfront

and the city that

gave him his start.

This ceremony last year to mark

the beginning of rebuilding

at the former Vaux site,

one example of his

forward-looking approach.

Though he never forget

Sunderland's past.

We've got lots of mining

heritage in the city,

so obviously the brewery

and the glass-making in fact,

that are central to our history

and our heritage need to be

encompassed in there,

whether it's through works of art

or types of buildings or indeed

naming streets and roads that

will run through the place.

A councillor for 20 years,

council leader for nine,

Paul Watson revealed last year

he was suffering from cancer.

Today a local Labour MP was one

of those paying tribute.

Well, as a person, Paul cared

passionately about Sunderland

and that came through whatever

he was talking about,

whatever he was doing.

As a politician, he's been a huge

figure and a huge driving force

in our city for two decades now.

Also at the forefront

of regional and national bodies

representing local government,

his influence extended

beyond Wearside.

Though it was in his home city

with projects like the new Wear

crossing, another million-pound

scheme he helped bring about,

where Paul Watson's legacy will

continue to be most appreciated.

Luke Walton, BBC Look North.

Around 9,000 people in Hartlepool

are caring for sick children

or parents without getting

the support they're entitled to.

The figures are taken from the local

census but it's thought the real

number is far higher.

Now a local charity is trying to get

more people to register as carers,

ensuring they get the help

and support they need and deserve.

Stuart Whincup reports.

Shelly has never considered

herself a carer.

She says she has a duty

to look after her daughter.

Evie has cerebral palsy

and needs 24-hours-a-day

care, seven days a week.

I felt like I was in a dark place

and didn't know how to let in light.

I just felt like that

I was the only person out there.

I've never had anyone say, "Right,

Evie has all these complex needs

and this is what is available out

there for you."

Shelly's experiences

were shared by many here.

This event was set up to help

the 9,000 carers in Hartlepool

who are not registered and receiving

the support they're entitled to.

A lot of parent carers don't tend

to see themselves as carers

because it's their mum or their dad,

so they don't necessarily pick up

that they actually do

above and beyond what the average

person would be doing.

Simon is one of those who's been

helped by the charity.

At 35, he left his job

in London to care full-time

for his father John,

who was diagnosed

with dementia at 57.

Because of the way dementia

is and with the man that's my dad,

that looks like him,

but the man that he was isn't there,

and every day a little

bit more of him goes,

so generally you are mourning

for the person he was every

single day of the week

and that's really hard.

You've just got to try and shut

yourself off to it really,

and just put your emotions to one

side, so you can do the best for him

to make sure that his days

are enjoyable and fun.

Simon says finding help and support

can be difficult but it's important

people know it is out there.

Stuart Whincup, BBC

Look North, Hartlepool.

100 new jobs will be created

in Peterlee next year thanks

to the technology that will be used

on cars that can drive themselves.

The German company ZF Group

will make the essential cameras that

can detect problems on the road

or in the car itself.

Our business correspondent

Ian Reeve reports.

This is the future, a car

that will drive itself.

And in this Peterlee factory,

they are gearing up to provide

some of its technology,

the cameras that

will help it to see.

It's very similar to what you do

when you are driving and what you're

doing is using your ears

and your eyes and what we're

doing here is the eyes.

We are making the camera

that is used for automated driving

to make the detection.

We also believe that

between 2025-30, those automated

driving features will be

on the market for everybody's car.

The spin off is 100 new jobs that

will be created here.

The demand for camera technology has

been explosive in the last couple

of years and it continues to be.

The appetite for this

technology is huge.

The workforce will hit 1,000

new workmates for apprentice Ryan,

also convinced that there

is a market for autonomous vehicles.

I'm confident because of

the technology and the features

of the cars, a lot more safety

when you're driving the car as well,

I think that gives us a lot more

incentive to buy the car.

That's for the future.

But rather more traditionally today,

a union protest at the gates.

The company doesn't recognise

unions, something that rankles.

THey too, they say,

want to come along for the ride.

Ian Reeve, BBC Look North, Peterlee.

Nearly £9 million of repairs

are needed to repair Whitby's

eroding piers to continue defending

the town from the sea.

The local authorities should

have an answer to their pleas

for money from the EU

and the Environment Agency

by the end of next March.

But the work's taken

on a new urgency, with next year's

relocation of Stockton's replica

of Captain Cook's Endeavour,

recently acquired for Whitby

as a major new tourist attraction.

Phil Chapman has more.

For many centuries, Whitby has been

sheltered from the full force

of the North Sea by harbour walls

and piers, from early wooden

examples to present-day extensions

added in nearly 1900s.

But time and tide have

taken their toll and it will cost

millions to put things right.

There are individual areas

where there has been

some significant failure

of the foundations and that's

a vital part of the work

that's got to be done.

And, yes, the work that's been done

on the piers is part of the ongoing

maintenance and investment that's

been made in the whole harbour.

If it was left to go on for years

and years and years,

there is the serious risk

that the piers would fail and that

would have a very detrimental affect

on the harbour and some

of the properties

around the harbour.

The could lose that protection

the piers afford to them.

To avoid that happening,

the full cost will be

around £8.5 million.

Bids are in for nearly five million

from the Environment Agency,

2.7 million from the EU,

and £1 million from the marina

management organisation.

Long before these pier

extensions were constructee,

Long before these pier

extensions were constructed,

the Whitby-built Endeavour carried

Captain Cook and his crew

to Australia in the 1760s.

Next Easter, the Stockton-based

replica of the ship is moving

to Whitby and all fingers

are crossed at least

a decision on harbour funding

will be made by then.

And the new owners of the vessel

intend to make it a major tourist

attraction here in the heart

of Whitby but it's hoped the harbour

walls and the harbour itself can

eventually be in a good enough

condition to a fitting backdrop.

If the Endeavour is moored

in the basin down at the end

of the bridge there,

again, so many more people

will remember Whitby

as a special place to come to.

If all the money that we've

generated by the harbour

was actually put into the harbour,

as it should've been

done, we wouldn't be

in this situation now.

Phil Chapman, BBC

Look North, Whitby.

You're watching Look North.

Later in the programme.

Dawn joins me with

the latest sports news.

And a chance to see a medieval

masterpiece at its best.

The Great East Window

of York Minster as you've

never seen it before.

Will have a bit of colour in the

weather. Join me shortly for the

full forecast.

It was one of the most

dramatic sights in the wake

of Storm Desmond two years ago -

the bridge at Pooley Bridge

in the Lake District

completely washed away,

cutting communities in two.

But tonight, people living

there will see for the first time

the proposed design for a permanent

bridge to replace the temporary

crossing on Ullswater.

Mark McAlindon reports.

The old sandstone structure stood

here for 250 years before the weight

of water washed it away.

What it left behind became one

of storm-bashed Cumbria's

most startling images.

It then took 16-weeks

to slide a temporary

crossing into place and now,

two years on, we can reveal

how a new, permanent

crossing is likely to look.

It's modern.

It's got fairly graceful curves.

One of the good things they've done

is where the footpath is on either

side of the bridge they're

going to make them bulge

in the middle so there will be

room for people to stand

and take photographs.

Miles MacInnes has already

had a sneak preview,

but round about now,

people at a public meeting

in Pooley Bridge will see

the proposed design themselves.

It's good that it's been pushed

forward and we're actually

going to get an iconic bridge

to last 250 years plus hopefully.

But, and there is a but,

building a bridge on the same site

means road closures and disruption.

So, how long?

We're going to be

starting work next year.

We would hope to be completed,

new bridge in place and out

of Pooley Bridge, contractors wise,

by sort of mid-to-late 2019.

Back in the village,

shop owner Darren Todd

is worried about that,

but thinks it can be overcome.

With the right sort of media

marketing, use of webs,

local papers and things to say that

you can still get here,

then it might not affect us as much.

The county council has

promised to do that.

Mark McAlindon, BBC

Look North, Pooley Bridge.

Now, this isn't your

average window repair job.

Centuries-old stained glass panels

have been cleaned and restored,

and are now being put back

into the Great East

Window at York Minster.

It's part of a multi-million

pound project to restore

the vast medieval window.

Luxmy Gopal has been

along to take a look.

The finishing touches before fitting

this 600-year-old glass

into the biggest medieval stained

glass window in the country.

The panels at York Minster's Great

East Window has been restored

and are finally being returned.

For those behind the project,

it's been a long road to get here,

starting nearly a decade ago

when the stained glass

panels were removed.

Now the restoration scheme,

one of the biggest of its kind

in Europe, is a step

closer to completion.

Gosh.

So what do you think,

your first glance at it?

Incredible to see it

at such close quarters.

Yes.

A view most people

have never ever got.

Absolutely.

As part of the work,

the window has been double glazed

with a layer of UV-resistant glass

put in to protect the stained-glass

panels from the elements.

As you can imagine, this

is not a job for people

who are scared of heights.

Each stained-glass panel is carried

up by hand up all the flights

of stairs and then delicately placed

in each section.

It's like a giant jigsaw

puzzle 80 feet in the air.

And the pieces of that jigsaw

were meticulously restored

by specialists taking more

than 92,000 man hours

after an £11 million project

helped by lottery funding.

It was probably one of the most

intricate projects that we'll ever

attempt because we actually

dismantled every single panel

so that we could clean,

repair and indeed examine every

single little fragment

of glass, so it was very

time-consuming, very meticulous.

And, on the other

hand, very rewarding.

Over the next eight weeks,

the final panels will be put

into place so this part of Minster

can once again serve its purpose.

It's a very important space

of the Minster, the Lady Chapel,

where morning prayers take place.

Prayers haven't happened

here for over ten years or so,

fully cleaned and restored

stonework, restored glass

is going to be very important

for worship here and of course

for visitors coming to look at this

magnificent building.

This window has gazed out onto York

for the past 600 years and the work

being done will help to keep it

stable and safe for hundreds

more years to come.

Luxmy Gopal, BBC Look North, York.

Beautiful. Now it's time for sport.

Let's start with basketball and top

of the table Newcastle Eagles

are at home to Surrey Scorchers

on Friday night.

It's a chance for the team to bounce

back, after losing their grip

on the BBL Cup last weekend.

To help them recover from the loss

of their favourite trophy,

they've been back to school,

as Jeff Brown reports.

When you talk about a dramatic

finish, not too many

are as gripping as this one.

One point ahead with just seconds

to go in the BBL Cup quarterfinal,

the Eagles lose possession and,

within the blink of an eye,

Cheshire Phoenix snatch

an unlikely victory.

This, against a Newcastle side

which went into the game

with a record of played

five, won five.

Who had won the Cup

for the past three seasons.

And who had reached the final

in each of the past six years.

It was the last seconds of the game

that got away from us.

And that was me, as a player, but,

equally, there was a last couple

of minutes that got away from us

because we were up by 11 points.

And that hurt bad.

If the pain is still there, well,

it didn't show on a visit

to Gosforth Junior High Academy in

Newcastle.

All part of the Eagles'

Community Foundation's Hoops

for Health campaign.

This latest venture,

a tie up with Northumbrian Water

to promote the value of staying

hydrated and avoiding sugary drinks.

New boy Jaysean Paige is one of this

season's real success stories.

The New Yorker was in big demand.

So why choose Tyneside?

Proud history of the team.

Just going over the history and Fab

having some background,

one of my old college coaches.

He played for one of my former

coaches that I played

for when I was in college,

so it makes it a lot easier

when you have somebody there that

tells you good things about it,

so it makes it a lot easier

when you know what you're

getting yourself into.

And things like this,

it this all new to you, coming

to schools and doing coaching?

No, I'm used to talking to kids

and doing stuff like this and it's

always good for them.

Showing them the right

things and trying to get

them on the right path.

It's good to get back and come

and see the kids and see the smiles

on their faces and stuff like this.

The former Sunderland manager

David Moyes has been talking

about his latest challenge -

keeping West Ham in

the Premier League.

Moyes, who left the Stadium of Light

after the Black Cats' relegation

in May, admits he has a point

to prove but says he should never

have come to Wearside.

For me, I didn't do

enough due diligence.

You know, when I look back,

I would have to say,

I started at Preston,

which was very good.

I was fortunate enough

to get a job at Everton.

Everybody knows about

the ten years there.

From that I got a great opportunity

to manage Manchester United and then

I wanted to try something different

and I went to Spain and had

a great year in Spain.

Really enjoyed my time.

I came back and I made a poor choice

in the club I chose.

I want to get back.

I want to win.

I want to get back to showing

exactly what I'm about,

and West Ham I think is as good

a club as any to do that.

Lets her peers more luck than he did

at Sunderland. That lets hope he has

more luck than he did at Sunderland.

Time now for a look at the weather..

Last night we said was an ideal

night to spot the Northern lights

and you have not disappointed with

your pictures. A couple of crackers.

This is a dramatic view of the

aurora borealis. Hadrian 's Wall's

country, a similar green colour in

the breaks in the cloud. Today, a

lovely shot from Jill. It looks like

a rainbow except the light is

refracted so there's tiny particles

in the mist. Hence the white-collar.

Tomorrow, it looks like early rain

will clear. Are mostly bright and

breezy day across the country --

white-collar. -- white colour. More

persistent I think in Cumbria than

further east. We're not expecting

huge amounts of rain. Low cloud,

missed, damp conditions, but the

upside is it keeps us frost free

with temperatures a few degrees

above freezing for the coming night.

With a combination of that crowd and

a brisk westerly wind, we had in

tomorrow morning and the cloud

starts to break and the rain starts

to Peter out as it moves away

southwards and we are in for a

Friday. Good sunny spells through

the date with patches of cloud here

and there. The brisk wind will ease

off. Unnoticeable breeze but not too

windy for the afternoon with

temperatures around about 11-12.

That's 54 Fahrenheit. More cloud and

rain on tomorrow night. That looks

as if it will clear away to leave

drier brighter weather on Friday.

This looks as though it stays to the

south, and as we head into the

weekend, dry weather but fairly cold

across north-westerly areas.

High-pressure to the west, low

pressure to the east and the

pressure gradient in between

supplying brisk and cold

north-westerly winds. The early rain

on Friday players are going to leave

us dry. Blue skies with sunshine. A

shade cooler. Temperatures

struggling to make double figures.

Then, into the weekend, the wind

turns north-westerly. That is when

the temperatures struggle a bit. 8-9

on Saturday afternoon. Dry weather.

Blue skies. The odd coastal shower,

though. On Sunday, the wind gets

stronger. A bitterly cold winter. We

are sheltered from the wind through

the weekend, but plenty of blue

skies.

Its remember weekend, of course,

isn't it? That is it from us this

evening. We are back at 10:30pm.

Bye-bye.