15/08/2011 Look North (Yorkshire)

Welcome to Monday's Look North. On the programme tonight: Tough times

at one of our most prestigious museums.

We've seen documents which show that visitor numbers at the Royal

Armouries have fallen by 38% in just a year.

We'll hear from the Armouries and find out how our other national

museums are doing. Also tonight: The supermarket

funding university education here in Yorkshire.

Morrisons is paying for 1,000 students at Bradford University to

try to find its managers of the future.

And a familiar face on our TV screens brings Susan Penhaligan's

talents to the Leeds stage. We have seen sunshine and showers

today, some rain to come to Meara but it will lead least stay mild.

The fall for -- the full forecast later in the programme.

I can remember the excitement when it opened, the Royal Armouries

Museum in Leeds was the innovative showcase for the military heritage.

Battles, weapons, live jousting. Not any more. 16 years on and

visitor numbers are plummeting, nearly 40 % down compared with the

same period last year. There is no admission charge and with three

other national museums like that as well, the national media Museum saw

a drop of 10 %. It was similar at the National Coal Mining Museum

near Wakefield where it fell by 12 %. Better a museum news for the

National Railway Museum in York where it attracted 4% more people

than the same period last year. In a moment, we will be talking to the

experts about why this is happening, but first, we look at why the

broiler Armouries has suffered so badly.

-- the Royal Armouries. Bringing history to live, the

interpretation and education teams have won wards and brought in the

crowds, but with budget cuts, they were cut. This was the unique

selling point of the museum. It brought in numbers that may not

have otherwise have visited. It was a unique experience, the

combination of interpretation and education, there were a factor that

brought everyone in. The changes have coincided with a dramatic fall

in visitor numbers. In the last financial year a quarter nearly

82,000 people visited the Armouries. In the same period this year, there

was a fall of 30 % in visitors, but according to the Royal Armouries,

there is another cause. It was a beautiful, hot summer in Easter,

nobody goes indoors to a museum. When we change the education, and

unfortunately the staff took voluntary redundancy, that meant we

could not provide the quality of education to schools that we would

have liked, so we lost about 10,000 school children in that period. We

have restarted the education for September and will accept those the

visitors again. Add to that, the horse shows brought about peak

times and they hope they can use this to win back visitors who

enjoyed the old displays. There are more people because of the added

attractions, and looking at the faces of the people at the live

attractions, it was fantastic. is disappointing that it is not on

on a Monday, but there is still plenty to do. I like all of the

weapons and the guns. The budget has been cut by nearly �4.5 million

over the next four years. The resultant cuts were severe and

controversial. But the key test is if the visitors notice the

difference. It seems that for now at least, they may have.

Let's talk to Dr Mark Westgarth, a lecturer in a museum studies at

Leeds University. They are blaming the weather and other factors, is

that fair enough? The weather would play a role in the number of

visitors that are interested in going there, but we cannot deny

that funding cuts, government funding cuts would impact the

staffing at the Armouries and at other museums as well. The national

picture is much more complex than the cuts in the north. The museums

nationally are up, less than 1%, but they are increasing envisages

on average. When you look at the Royal Armouries, they are so

significantly down. The live jousting so goes on, but it is not

as significant as it used to be, is there something wrong with the

museum? Some people say it is cold, sterile, a boy is the pace, I love

it. There are different museums for different people, the Armouries has

a different audience, it is a collection of national significance

and Leeds should be proud to have a national museum in the city centre.

I think if you look at their game, if you'll get the picture

nationally, museum visiting is up. There are localised museums that

are having some of the funding cuts and they're having effects on this

ball, and the exhibitions and other kinds of aspects. -- having an

effect on it all. If you look at the National Rail Museum, they have

a special exhibition on the Flying Scotsman, does that help to draw

extra people in if you have that special offer, so to speak? Special

exhibitions and the media itself will create an interest in going to

the railway museum. The rail raid museum is in York which is a

heritage site anyway. -- the Railway Museum. Any advice for

these museums? In the sense of getting more people to turn up?

Temporary exhibitions are a good way to attract a new audience. Also,

engaging the existing audience, because you cannot go to see the

same displays every week. In live jazz to between some of us here ex

back -- a live jazz to retrieve some of us here! Had you been to

visit any of these museums during the summer holidays, if you have,

Also tonight: Brown to -- ground breaking research in the area for

people suffering from life- threatening heart blockages.

Coronary disease can be hit and miss, but computer software

developed in Sheffield between the university and hospital can help to

eliminate human error. We have this excuse of report.

-- exclusive report. This man's heart condition has got

no worse than the last month with more breathlessness and chest pain.

Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death and illness

in the UK, but work between Sheffield Hospital and University

with volunteers like Malvern Wells analyse problems are much more

detail. Normally, a catheter is fed into the heart and an X-ray monitor

is it. Here, a pressure probe will also analyse the flow and pressure

across the narrowing arteries. way it happens at the moment is hit

and miss. We're trying to inject some signs into the process, so we

will measure the pressure drop across these narrowings and a

colleague of mine that I am doing the research with his writings and

clever software that can predict exactly what this pressure drop

will be. So at the end of the day, beacon simply ask the software to

tell us what to treat. -- we can simply ask. This man has three

narrowings. The extra pressure allows an exact diagnosis about

what to treat. We measured the drop in pressure across each of them.

This is the wire across all of them. The pressure across this one was

not significant but it was across these, so we put in a Stent and you

can see Betty has a nice Stent across these two narrowings, but

not this one. And this is the size of this life-saving stand. Anything

that improves your quality of life, you need to look at doing it. I'm

looking forward to having it done and I'm glad that today is

happening. How do you feel now? % better. If we can treat the

patient or investigate with one single Test, then it would save

endless sun necessary tests, time and of course, money. When it is

developed, the software from Sheffield could be applied to any

body having an angiogram worldwide. They keep coming up with the wide

years in Yorkshire! Well done to the team. Coming up later: Getting

the message across, poet Ian McNeill enjoys the campaign to help

us go digital. -- joins the campaign.

Major this week, thousands of students will get their A-level

results. Unexciting but nerve- racking time. With tuition fees

rising and the job market are looking bleak, the Ratchford

supermarket chain, Morrisons, has said it will fund the education of

1,000 school leavers in the bid to recruit new store managers.

Ian Richardson has worked at Morrisons for 22 years. He joined

straight from school and climbed his way up the retell ladder.

the time I worked on the checkout. In those days, it was myself and

another man on the checkout, but we were mother to buy some of the

older checkout ladies and they took us under their wing. If something

he didn't have the right price, he would put the item into the air and

somebody to price. My career evolved from that. With hard work,

he went from the shop floor to the top floor and now 1,000 school

leavers will get the chance to be a store manager as well. But their

degrees in retail management will be funded by the supermarket chain.

Students starting university next year can expect to finish their

degrees with debts of up to �60,000. That is double this year's figure

and is fuelled by the dramatic hike in tuition fees. The chance to

learn while you learn sounds appealing, especially in a

saturated job market, but before you can get you a lecture theatre,

you have to work for six months full-time in a store and get your

hands dirty. It is about doing a full-time job, getting business

under your fingernails, understanding retell, because it is

a tough business. -- Retail. Then there is the opportunity to

continue their education and work towards their degree. Experts

expect a rise in the popularity of the Corporate degree and at a time

when graduate employment is pretty bleak, the chance of a debt free

education would be appealing to many.

Thank you. Some breaking news and a woman from Chesterfield has died

after being overcome by fumes in a tent in Wales. Police were called

to a Kent this morning at a campsite. Two men in the tent were

in a comfortable condition in hospital. Hazel Woodhams award for

West Yorkshire Police was overcome by fumes from a barbecue. It is

thought they moved charcoal ashes into their tent which caused fumes

to build up and kill her. Her funeral was held last Friday.

A 23-year-old man was charged with murder at three shooting in Leeds

which led to some disturbances. -- after a shooting. Three men were

charged with assisting an offender. Cavan Clark was hit on the face on

Monday night and died in hospital on Friday. One man and a 22-year-

old woman had been questioned by police about that and a further 10

In Kirklees, 26 people have been arrested after trouble last week.

There were attempts to have to look at an Asda store.

A team of digital TV experts is in a Leeds preparing for Yorkshire's

last switch-over from analogue to digital. The Emley Moor mast will

switch to digital in September. He was in Scarborough, Sheffield and

Chesterfield have already begun the process. Some of the struggle to

get your favourite channels. Poet Iain McMillan is helping to get the

message across. Yorkshire's official digital poet at a workshop

for kids in Leeds today. It seems even here they are making a song

and dance about the Digital Switchover. By the end of the day,

there have been to create the special poem to signal the switch

to a new era of all digital TV. That is because in September, the

Emley Moor transmitter which serves more than 4 million viewers will be

switched off. The analogue TV signal would disappear across most

of Yorkshire. If you want to keep it, you will have to go digital.

Wide-eyed did it at home. I helped him a bit. -- my dad did it.

don't really know what it is, it is quite complicated, so I will get my

mum and dad to do it. I am an old man but even I can do it. I have

managed to switch to digital. they have since South Yorkshire so

he has already started the process. But for many of you, the switch-

over has been a bit of a headache. So, here is how to retune your TV.

Using the remote control, press menu. Then you should get an option

to select set up. Then select the fall retune option. Sooner you

channels should be automatically installed. -- sooner you channels.

Good luck. -- soon your channels. Some of the had been in touch today

to say that as soon as a switch- over began, you have been getting

the wrong edition of Look North. Don't worry, you can still watch

the version you want if you call the number on this Green. Or you

can go on line -- the number on up there it's Green. Before 7pm:

Barnsley through and through. We meet the pensioner who's been on

the staff at Barnsley Football Club for nearly 70 years. From soaps to

Shakespeare and now she's at the Grand in Leeds..we catch up with

actress Susan Penhaligon. Time for the sport. It's only week two of

the new football season, but that doesn't stop fans from feeling all

sorts of emotions, from the high to the low. And there was plenty of

evidence to suggest many from our local clubs were feeling both

extremes this weekend. Here's a round-up of the best of the action.

Kevin Nolan gave West Ham the lead, Simon Gillette and... There was a

pre-match protest calling for Kevin Bates to stand down, with fans

fearing for the future of the club. The chairman will not have enjoyed

much day. There was a second yellow card after 26th minute and

Middlesbrough soon found themselves a man down as well. Leeds remained

pointless. Some Sheffield United fans might regret voicing their

anger following the appointment of Danny Wilson. He has so far led to

the blades to three wins. Sheffield Wednesday could have had a better

day. Huddersfield continued to look for their first win. Then Rochdale

shared the points. Chesterfield relied on Jack Lester to help and

they are forced -- first point in League One. Rotherham fans enjoyed

goals galore from Gareth Evans and another player. Bradford City got

off the mark with a point. might have noticed we missed

Barnsley out of the round-up. There's a good reason for that. We

wanted to introduce you to one of the most remarkable men at the club.

Norman Rimmington signed for Barnsley in 1944 as a goalkeeper

and has done pretty much every job imaginable for them since then. Ian

Bucknell went to find out more. Congratulations! Manager Keith Hill

has become a dad again, and there is no one better qualified than

Norman Rimmington to be the first from the club to say well done.

is straight forward, he likes a joke. It might be for the best bet

he never made it as a referee, but in his second -- 67 years at

Barnsley, he has done pretty much everything else. He has been a

goalkeeper, assistant manager, coach, kit manager, and even now at

87 years old he helps out in the laundry. The worst part is in the

morning when I have to get up. It's OK when I have been up about an

hour. When you get to my age, it is somewhere to go and something to do.

I could sit on a park bench and waste away, but no. I would sooner

be down here. Norman watches the game against Southampton from his

favourite quiet corner, but it isn't going well for Barnsley.

Southampton score and go on to win 1-nil. But Norman takes it all in

his stride. In his sixties seven years with Barnsley, he has seen it

all before. He has quite a sense of humour -- 67 years. I am bloody

taking this because it might not be long! Moving on to Super League, it

was a poor weekend for our clubs with only Leeds Rhinos winning.

Bradford Bulls' heavy home defeat to Hull KR yesterday means they're

almost certain to miss out on a top eight finish and the play-offs. If

you want to catch up with the rest of the action, the Super League

Show with Harry is now available on the iPlayer. That is just about it

for the sport. But a quick mention that Andrew Gale for Yorkshire has

broken his arm. Possibly a crucial blow running into the end of the

season. Good luck to the rest of the team.

Our next guest is best remembered for her time in the television

series Bouquet of Barbed Wire. She has moved freely from soaps to

Shakespeare. Susan Penhaligon is now appearing in an Agatha Christie

production at the Grand. Here she is in the BBC drama Casualty.

she have anything to eat that yours? What are you trying to say?

She is always a bit wary when she comes back from your son. Why are

you smoking? When you know the first thing about parenting, then

you can give me advice. Is there anything that you haven't done that,

acting wise? I didn't do Hollywood. I did go over and thought I would

have a go, but I felt a bit English. I didn't stay.

He mentioned Shakespeare to pantomime, there is no gaps to fill

in! What, are you mean the out of work it?! -- of the out of work

bits. I have been very lucky to get the work. Tell me about your Agatha

Christie play. It is their last play she wrote. It is an

interesting play because she is dealing with marriage and laugh, or

philosophical ideas of good and bad. There is a murder in it and there

is an inspector who comes on. Agatha Christie fans will not be

disappointed. But it is a much deeper play than her normal

whodunit plays. I was intrigued to to hear that you went to watch

rugby league! RUF van? Yes, I am a supporter. -- Are you a fan?

Yesterday, they got turned over, didn't they? Yes, they certainly

did. Welcome back to Yorkshire. I hope the play goes well and I hope

the Rugby League goes even better in the future! Thank you.

A glimpse of summer, can we keep it, please? Not for demurrer, but the

rest of the week is looking quite These are some pictures from

yesterday and this morning. Tomorrow, it will be mostly cloudy

and we are going to see some spots of rain at times. It will clear

away and it improves will Wednesday. The sunshine we have had will

disappear because it is going to turn wet overnight. It is going to

Tomorrow, it will be a cloudy start the day and we will see it

outbreaks of rain and drizzle. As we head into the afternoon, we will

still see some rain at times but it will start to Barton from the South

-- Brighton. -- it will start to Brighton up. Once we get rid

Tuesday, the rest of the weakest looking mostly dry. -- the Best Of

the Week is looking. You have been getting it in touch with us.

Visitor numbers are down 38 % at the Royal Armouries. One of abuse

at says -- one of our viewers says there is no where else to go really.

Somebody else says the problem is that it is in the wrong place.