:00:00. > 3:59:59Campaigners say prices are rising three times faster than wages. That
:00:00. > :00:00.is all from BBC Welcome to Thursday's Look North.
:00:07. > :00:10.Tonight, the Yorkshire teacher still in a coma nearly two years after
:00:11. > :00:13.being attacked working abroad. Adam Pickles' family is paying
:00:14. > :00:18.hundreds of thousands of pounds for his medical treatment because his
:00:19. > :00:21.insurance didn't cover him. Now there's a warning that many other
:00:22. > :00:29.people who work abroad may not be properly insured.
:00:30. > :00:33.Also tonight: and enormous hole has opened up in the Peak District.
:00:34. > :00:37.The authorities are looking into it. And revving up ` meet the
:00:38. > :00:45.Yorkshireman who's the best in the world at motorbike racing taken to
:00:46. > :00:47.extremes. It was a beautiful sunrise which has
:00:48. > :00:51.heralded a lovely day across Yorkshire but what is the next few
:00:52. > :00:58.days looking like? Join me later to find out.
:00:59. > :01:05.Welcome to the programme. And a very happy New Year. First tonight, a
:01:06. > :01:09.teacher from West Yorkshire left in a coma after being attacked in
:01:10. > :01:13.Thailand is starting to show small signs of recovery. Adam Pickles was
:01:14. > :01:15.hit over the head with an iron bar nearly two years ago.
:01:16. > :01:18.It's cost his family more than ?100,000 in medical bills and legal
:01:19. > :01:22.fees because Adam's insurance didn't fully cover him. Now there's concern
:01:23. > :01:28.that many other Britons working abroad may not be adequately
:01:29. > :01:34.insured. More on that in a moment. First, Ian White met Adam's parents.
:01:35. > :01:41.Add pickles left Yorkshire to start a new life teaching in Thailand ``
:01:42. > :01:45.Adam Nichols. He had a young son out there but everything changed when he
:01:46. > :01:49.was beaten over the head with an iron bar in a road rage attack. He
:01:50. > :01:58.has been in a coma for two years and is looked after in a special camera
:01:59. > :02:02.home recovery in Leeds. He picked my hand up at one point, and kissed it,
:02:03. > :02:09.which was wonderful and a bit heartbreaking at the same time, and
:02:10. > :02:14.he said mum. He made a sound. I was so shocked, I didn't quite believe
:02:15. > :02:18.it. It is not just Adam's recovery that is low. The Thai legal process
:02:19. > :02:26.to bring the person responsible to justice is dragging on Alsop bit is
:02:27. > :02:31.16 months since it started. `` it is 16 months since it started, and we
:02:32. > :02:34.are still to hear from two witnesses. It does make it
:02:35. > :02:39.difficult, it makes it unpredictable. It is possible to
:02:40. > :02:42.turn up and the hearing does not take place or the witness is not
:02:43. > :02:47.there. It could drag on for years, we don't know. Legal fees, medical
:02:48. > :02:50.care and flights for Thailand have cost them hundreds of thousands of
:02:51. > :02:54.pounds. They have had to remortgage their home and want people thinking
:02:55. > :02:59.of a career abroad to make sure they are properly insured. For the
:03:00. > :03:04.viewers, this is something that happens to somebody else, so I would
:03:05. > :03:08.urge all of the people going overseas to teach, do make sure you
:03:09. > :03:12.are properly covered, because disaster can strike and it is a
:03:13. > :03:15.terrible burden when it does. Adam's recovery is a huge hill to
:03:16. > :03:18.climb. It is not known whether he will be able to see when he comes
:03:19. > :03:22.around. His parents plan to return to Thailand in February for the
:03:23. > :03:26.latest court hearing and also to visit their grandson.
:03:27. > :03:30.Adam did have some insurance but nowhere near enough to cover him for
:03:31. > :03:37.the massive medical bills needed to pay for his care.
:03:38. > :03:40.A bed in a Thai hospital intensive care unit was costing ?2,000 a day
:03:41. > :03:43.with charges for medication and X`rays on top.
:03:44. > :03:48.The specialist air ambulance that brought him back to the UK cost
:03:49. > :03:51.around ?68,000. In total, the Pickles needed to find around
:03:52. > :03:57.?130,000 ` money they could only find by remortgaging their home.
:03:58. > :03:59.So what should you do when taking up a job offer overseas? Hannah
:04:00. > :04:03.Beechman is an expert specialising in finances for those living and
:04:04. > :04:10.working abroad. She fears it's a situation many people could find
:04:11. > :04:14.themselves in. I think the biggest flag I can wave here is that you
:04:15. > :04:17.have got to look to see whether you are being offered domestic cover or
:04:18. > :04:22.international cover. If you are travelling, if you are from not the
:04:23. > :04:26.country that you are going to be working, look for international
:04:27. > :04:31.cover, this is you want to ensure that all of the events that
:04:32. > :04:36.surrounded an accident or illness or some kind of emergency are included
:04:37. > :04:40.in the emergency policy insurance that is backing Europe. Adam thought
:04:41. > :04:43.he had adequate cover from the school he worked at but it turned
:04:44. > :04:48.out not to be the case. What could he have looked for. You have got to
:04:49. > :04:54.look for the kind of benefits you most want in a policy and then check
:04:55. > :05:01.they are included in that policy. Nobody is ever going to say they do
:05:02. > :05:06.not want these benefits, it is just going to push the benefits it does
:05:07. > :05:09.cover. You can look for emergency evacuation, there it is in the plan
:05:10. > :05:13.and you think you're covered for being brought back home for
:05:14. > :05:16.treatment is something happens such as in this particular case. Not so,
:05:17. > :05:20.emergency evacuation will just get you from where you have had the
:05:21. > :05:25.accident to the nearest hospital, not out of the country. You have to
:05:26. > :05:30.look for the benefit labelled "repatriations" to make sure you are
:05:31. > :05:32.covered for that. There are so many different policies, just some quick
:05:33. > :05:36.advice if you could on how to work your way through that minefield.
:05:37. > :05:41.Draw up a list about what you want covered, because no policy is the
:05:42. > :05:45.same, no two policies are the same, no two countries run the same
:05:46. > :05:49.schemes. Each one is completely individual, so put some thought into
:05:50. > :05:53.it. If you start with a list of what you want covered and then ensure
:05:54. > :05:57.that those on the list are in the policies that you can research.
:05:58. > :05:58.Hannah, thank you for that great advice.
:05:59. > :06:01.Next tonight: Police are warning drivers a
:06:02. > :06:04.clamp`down on anti`social behaviour behind the wheel will continue. The
:06:05. > :06:07.advice follows a spate of serious collisions over the festive season
:06:08. > :06:10.here in Yorkshire. In one incident, a little girl was badly injured
:06:11. > :06:18.after being knocked over by a suspected drink`driver. The number
:06:19. > :06:22.of breath tests carried out following collisions has risen over
:06:23. > :06:25.the last three years. In 2010, almost 24,000 were carried out in
:06:26. > :06:28.the UK during December. The following year, that had risen
:06:29. > :06:32.to just short of 25,000. And in 2012, that had increased to
:06:33. > :06:34.more than 26,500. This year's figures are due out in the next
:06:35. > :06:37.week. Police here in Yorkshire say there
:06:38. > :06:40.are four things which significantly increase drivers becoming involved
:06:41. > :06:50.in a serious collision. This report contains strobe lighting.
:06:51. > :06:52.A high`speed drive to hospital under a police escort, an ambulance
:06:53. > :06:58.rushing a critically injured man to Leeds General infirmary. And here is
:06:59. > :07:05.the reason why. A car has smashed into a concrete wall on a slip road
:07:06. > :07:10.to the M 621. More emergency services arrived to free the
:07:11. > :07:14.victims. He is being stabilised, he's probably going to be seriously
:07:15. > :07:18.injured, so the fire service will cut the roof so the paramedics can
:07:19. > :07:23.assess him. We are struggling for witnesses so we will not know much
:07:24. > :07:27.more until the roof comes off and we can assess how the chap in the car
:07:28. > :07:31.is doing. West Yorkshire police say the four main causes of death on the
:07:32. > :07:36.road speed, drink or drug driving, failing to wear a seat belt, or
:07:37. > :07:39.being distracted while at the wheel. A few miles away in Bradford,
:07:40. > :07:43.officers are dealing with another collision. A drunk driver has run
:07:44. > :07:48.into the back`up of a BMW. The victim in this case has had a lucky
:07:49. > :07:52.escape. The weather is getting a lot colder, the roads are very icy and
:07:53. > :07:56.people don't realise how dangerous it is, particularly at this time of
:07:57. > :08:00.year. Not only that, and having a drink as well, it is important you
:08:01. > :08:10.don't drink and drive. As paramedics and fire crews battle to free the
:08:11. > :08:15.trapped driver on the M621, investigators say he may not have
:08:16. > :08:18.been wearing a seat belt, and all familiar to seem `` and all to seem
:08:19. > :08:21.`` and altered racing. Offers a the clamp`down will continue, they say
:08:22. > :08:24.this scene is one of those on a daily basis and it takes one second
:08:25. > :08:30.of a lapse of concentration and the consequences can be catastrophic.
:08:31. > :08:33.With the worst of the winter still to come, police are reminding all
:08:34. > :08:36.motorists of their responsibility behind the wheel if they wish to
:08:37. > :08:41.avoid scenes like this. Stay with us, because later...
:08:42. > :08:47.Tanya is in Sheffield. I will be talking to the world's
:08:48. > :08:53.no`one squash player, we are in his home club in Sheffield. We will be
:08:54. > :08:56.reflecting on 20 13 and looking ahead to 2014, and talking about
:08:57. > :09:00.some of the talent on show at the British Junior open.
:09:01. > :09:04.Walkers are being asked to stay away from a huge sinkhole that's appeared
:09:05. > :09:08.in the Peak District. The hole formed over Christmas beside an old
:09:09. > :09:11.lead mine near the village of Foolow, near Hathersage.
:09:12. > :09:15.The chasm is at least 160 feet wide and is getting bigger. Cathy Killick
:09:16. > :09:20.reports. The Peak District, in all its
:09:21. > :09:24.spectacular glory, looks like ageless least solid ground, but over
:09:25. > :09:31.the last week also, huge sinkhole has appeared between the villages of
:09:32. > :09:35.Foolow and Breton. The shale is prone to this kind of substance but
:09:36. > :09:40.this particular hole is unusually large. The landowners stressed this
:09:41. > :09:44.ground is very unstable. I am only here having been escorted under
:09:45. > :09:48.strict supervision. It is extremely waterlogged and the sides of the
:09:49. > :09:52.whole still very crumbly. I have seen soil cascading in since I have
:09:53. > :09:56.been here. It is going to take a lot of work to make it safe.
:09:57. > :10:02.A footpath that runs alongside the hole has been closed the walk in
:10:03. > :10:06.case more land gives way and preparations are being made to try
:10:07. > :10:10.and then I is the slippage, using loads of stone, but first monitoring
:10:11. > :10:13.needs to be done to establish the cause of the subsidised. It is known
:10:14. > :10:17.currently as to what caused it. Is it just the fact that it is an old
:10:18. > :10:22.mine and it has collapsed because of the history of it and it is failed,
:10:23. > :10:26.or is it related to the water issue, or is it related to the underground
:10:27. > :10:31.mining? We just don't know, we have the research. Dean Smith is a local
:10:32. > :10:35.resident who has been checking the sinkhole daily. Around here, it is
:10:36. > :10:40.not actually limestone, it is shale, it is like an egg timer when it sets
:10:41. > :10:44.of running. It is naturally unstable. There are always holes
:10:45. > :10:53.opening up, left, right and centre. At the end of the day, the Peak
:10:54. > :10:57.District is a mining area. It moves a lot of stuff. The local wildlife
:10:58. > :11:02.can get the best view. This kestrel was taking advantage of the upheaval
:11:03. > :11:05.below to hunt, but although it is tempting to take pictures, the
:11:06. > :11:09.sinkhole is on private land and the police and county council are urging
:11:10. > :11:15.sightseers to stick to public roads, where it is safe.
:11:16. > :11:17.In other news, a reward of up to ?5,000 is being offered by
:11:18. > :11:25.Crimestoppers for information about the murder of a father in Sheffield.
:11:26. > :11:29.36`year`old Simon Holdsworth, who had a young son and was due to get
:11:30. > :11:32.married in August, was found battered to death in the
:11:33. > :11:34.Hackenthorpe area on December the 17th.
:11:35. > :11:37.Police say they won't give up their search for a missing mother`of`three
:11:38. > :11:40.who's believed to have been murdered. 25`year`old Rania Alayed,
:11:41. > :11:43.from Manchester, vanished in June. Detectives believe her body was
:11:44. > :11:46.buried in land off the A19 near Thirsk, in North Yorkshire. Today,
:11:47. > :11:51.they showed her uncle Ali Aydi around the fields close to a lay`by
:11:52. > :11:55.where they've been looking for her. Rail fares have gone up today, to
:11:56. > :11:58.pay for more trains and improvements to stations. Northern Rail, East
:11:59. > :12:04.Midlands Trains and First Transpennine Express have increased
:12:05. > :12:08.prices by more than 2%. Meanwhile, East Coast Trains says prices are up
:12:09. > :12:14.1% on average, but more than half of its fares to and from London will be
:12:15. > :12:17.frozen. The Magna Centre in Rotherham is
:12:18. > :12:21.likely to remain closed for much of January. It's after part of the roof
:12:22. > :12:24.of the attraction was ripped off in high winds. It has been temporarily
:12:25. > :12:30.fixed, but it'll be several weeks before it's open for business again.
:12:31. > :12:34.We have had a crane in, which has levered the roof back over to stop
:12:35. > :12:38.all of the water getting in. It is a temporary fix and the roof is
:12:39. > :12:42.starting on the 13th of January. They will come in, there is a lot of
:12:43. > :12:46.scaffolding to build up, it is 100 feet up in the air, and they will
:12:47. > :12:51.take two to three weeks to repair it and we can reopen the attraction.
:12:52. > :12:55.The granddaughter of a Yorkshire couple who died within hours of each
:12:56. > :12:58.other over Christmas has told Look North they've left a living legacy
:12:59. > :13:00.which has brought pleasure to millions.
:13:01. > :13:03.Tom Salmon was the founder of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and
:13:04. > :13:07.his wife Erica is also credited with much of its success. Joe Inwood has
:13:08. > :13:10.been to speak to their family. It is a familiar, iconic site,
:13:11. > :13:16.snaking through some of our region's most picturesque
:13:17. > :13:24.countryside. North Yorkshire Moors Railway. But it would not exist
:13:25. > :13:28.without this man, Tom Salmon, seen here signing the contract at its
:13:29. > :13:33.inception and here celebrating its 40th birthday. At his side, his wife
:13:34. > :13:40.of 66 years, Erica. The whole project was his idea and a huge part
:13:41. > :13:44.of their lives. From the 1960s until the end of their lives, it played a
:13:45. > :13:48.big part in their lives. My grandad, it was his vision to save the
:13:49. > :13:53.railway from the Doctor Beeching cuts. My Nan was the greatest
:13:54. > :13:57.support to him and he always said that, so both of them, it was
:13:58. > :14:02.extremely important. Important as well for this part of Yorkshire.
:14:03. > :14:06.Tom's vision eventually turned into the UK's most successful heritage
:14:07. > :14:08.railway, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers and
:14:09. > :14:14.contributing millions to the local economy.
:14:15. > :14:20.Tom's legacy is the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and the effect he has
:14:21. > :14:27.had on thousands of peoples lives. It will never die. Tom will always
:14:28. > :14:34.be with us. Tom and Erica passed away over Christmas, less than 24
:14:35. > :14:40.hours apart. Without them, this railway would not exist. To honour
:14:41. > :14:43.that, these red reads, a final tribute to the man they called the
:14:44. > :14:49.father of the railway `` red wreaths.
:14:50. > :14:53.A great couple, brought a lot of pleasure to a lot of people.
:14:54. > :14:58.They have, and you couldn't imagine North Yorkshire without the North
:14:59. > :15:02.Yorkshire Moors Railway. But before seven o'clock, the
:15:03. > :15:07.rough`and`tumble of extreme Enduro, one of the toughest things to do on
:15:08. > :15:11.two wheels. Sport now. 2014 should be another
:15:12. > :15:13.big year for Sheffield's Nick Matthew.
:15:14. > :15:17.He starts it as squash's world number one after a blistering end to
:15:18. > :15:26.2013. Tanya's with him at the Hallamshire Club now. Can you.
:15:27. > :15:30.`` Tanya. Yes, not only is it Nick's home club, it is caught,
:15:31. > :15:35.named after him, and the young kids here, the British Junior open, have
:15:36. > :15:38.you seen some new Nick Matthews coming through? I have seen some
:15:39. > :15:41.great battles. There is a lull in the proceedings there, some practice
:15:42. > :15:46.in between matches but it is just the first day, it goes on for five
:15:47. > :15:49.days. There are kids from 36 countries and this is the 19th year
:15:50. > :15:55.it has been in Sheffield, which makes me feel old, because I was
:15:56. > :15:58.part of it 19 years ago, I played in the under 16s, so it shows you how
:15:59. > :16:03.long and prestigious the tournament has been. Are you a bit sad to see
:16:04. > :16:07.the back of 2013 pleasure it was good view on the court and special
:16:08. > :16:14.of the court. It was a great year, I didn't want to drain. I married, got
:16:15. > :16:18.the title back, world number one, so 2014 has a lot to live up to. But a
:16:19. > :16:21.great start to see these kids and great to see them inspired and they
:16:22. > :16:26.inspire me, hopefully they will be the same when they watch me
:16:27. > :16:28.practice. 2014, one of the big tournaments a year is the
:16:29. > :16:33.Commonwealth Games. It is because squash, we saw the elation on your
:16:34. > :16:38.face when you won the gold medals back in Delhi. Yes, for squash, it
:16:39. > :16:42.is our Olympic Games and it transcends more globally. I got a
:16:43. > :16:45.lot more coverage for winning a medal than for getting to world
:16:46. > :16:49.number one, for example. It is a very strong sport at Commonwealth
:16:50. > :16:52.level. We might not have the Egyptians or the French but you have
:16:53. > :16:57.a strong field, half of the top 20 in the world, so it will be one of
:16:58. > :17:02.the strongest sports in Glasgow. And for you, when did you start your
:17:03. > :17:05.season? I started training in the last couple of days, working off the
:17:06. > :17:13.Christmas puddings. I had one to mince pies too many and I started in
:17:14. > :17:19.New York at the Tournament Of Champions, , a fantastic venue, that
:17:20. > :17:25.will be the 17th of January. And everyone will be after you. Yes, I
:17:26. > :17:29.have that big X on my back, the world, one is just a bonus, though,
:17:30. > :17:33.and I'm looking forward to the new challenges. All of the very best. If
:17:34. > :17:38.he is smiling extra, it is because he is also a Sheffield Wednesday
:17:39. > :17:41.fan. If one club has had a good Christmas and started 2014 well, it
:17:42. > :17:47.is Sheffield Wednesday. A few others didn't enjoy New Year's Day quite so
:17:48. > :17:51.much. Paul Ogden reports. Sheffield Wednesday found themselves
:17:52. > :17:54.in some emergency gardening to play Blackpool, but it was worth it.
:17:55. > :18:00.Connor Wickham pounds to put Wednesday ahead and then took on the
:18:01. > :18:05.role of supplier. A 2`0 victory lifted them out of the relegation
:18:06. > :18:09.zone. A perfect start to 2014. Replacing them in the bottom three
:18:10. > :18:13.than our Doncaster Rovers, for whom striker Theo Robinson opened the
:18:14. > :18:17.scoring at QPR. But the Londoners hit back to win 2`1.
:18:18. > :18:24.Barnsley are still bottom but now but thanks to this curling free kick
:18:25. > :18:31.from Jacob Melas, they managed a 1`1 draw at Birmingham.
:18:32. > :18:34.Martin Paterson's could prevent a 3`2 defeat at Burnley and red
:18:35. > :18:39.triumphed over White at Elland Road, with Leeds losing to Blackburn.
:18:40. > :18:42.Lives got their goal through Matt Smith.
:18:43. > :18:45.In league one, Rotherham took the lead against Coventry but the
:18:46. > :18:51.referee then decided that this foul was inside the box. Yes, I know.
:18:52. > :18:57.Commentary scored from the penalty and Rotherham missed one of their
:18:58. > :18:59.own in a 3`1 defeat. Sheffield United's Chris Porter
:19:00. > :19:06.provided the only bright spot in their loss to Walsall.
:19:07. > :19:10.Bradford lost 3`0 at struggling Notts County.
:19:11. > :19:15.And Chesterfield were rained off, but York city bagged a precious win
:19:16. > :19:17.to give themselves hope for the New Year. Ryan Jarvis was the scorer in
:19:18. > :19:29.a 1`0 success against Morecambe. And finally, a bit of cricket. Joe
:19:30. > :19:34.Sayer has announced his retirement from the game today and also Gary
:19:35. > :19:38.Ballance is expected to make his test debut for England down under in
:19:39. > :19:42.the Ashes, alongside Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and possibly Tim Bresnan as
:19:43. > :19:46.well. Fingers crossed England can end the Ashes on a high, because
:19:47. > :19:50.they needed. Thank you very much `` they need it.
:19:51. > :19:57.Well, we're going to continue the sports theme ` an extreme sport this
:19:58. > :20:00.time. Off`road biking. I don't know if you fancy yourself
:20:01. > :20:03.on this one. They're made for rough terrain, but powerful enough to go
:20:04. > :20:07.uphill and clear whatever's in their way. The sport, extreme Enduro, is
:20:08. > :20:09.one of the toughest things you can do on two wheels. We are not
:20:10. > :20:12.insured, don't touch it. It's about timing. The fastest
:20:13. > :20:15.competitor round the course wins. But it's carried out on different
:20:16. > :20:19.types of surfaces, with gruelling courses that in some cases can take
:20:20. > :20:22.days to complete, with a range of natural or man`made obstacles on its
:20:23. > :20:26.route. It's still quite a young sport, it
:20:27. > :20:30.began in 1998. And the best in the world is Graham Jarvis from Ripon.
:20:31. > :20:40.We borrowed his bike to get a closer look. But over the holidays, Nick
:20:41. > :20:46.Gemzoe went to see him in action. People have raced motorcycles of
:20:47. > :20:50.road for over 100 years. `` off Road. But over the last few years,
:20:51. > :20:55.organisers have been creating events so tough that only a handful can
:20:56. > :20:58.finish them. You get professional riders against amateurs, they can
:20:59. > :21:02.ride against their heroes. It has taken me to new places, like
:21:03. > :21:06.Australia, South Africa. Every event is different every year. They make a
:21:07. > :21:12.new course, C don't know what is ahead of you. Graham Jarvis keeps
:21:13. > :21:20.winning extreme Enduros, like Red Bull events. But as new races are
:21:21. > :21:24.created and the going gets tough to come he's more determined than ever
:21:25. > :21:33.to keep winning. The year has really been good for me, I have at `` won
:21:34. > :21:37.every event at least once. That comes from new riders coming into a
:21:38. > :21:41.new competition and new events, so a lot to look forward to and I have
:21:42. > :21:45.got to keep working hard and maybe harder than I ever have done to keep
:21:46. > :21:48.up with the youngsters. When a careers adviser at school at Graham
:21:49. > :21:56.what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said, " I'm going to be a
:21:57. > :22:01.professional motorcycle rider". Now the second seasonal, proving the
:22:02. > :22:06.second wasn't a fluke. By the age of 16, Graham had been semiprofessional
:22:07. > :22:11.for five years. By 1993, he had reached fourth in the world trials
:22:12. > :22:15.ranking. Ten years later, he had won nine Scots trials and for British
:22:16. > :22:20.Championships. And at the age of 32, he considered calling it a day.
:22:21. > :22:27.Then, just for fun, he had a go at a new time of writing `` a new type of
:22:28. > :22:31.riding, extreme Enduro. But success comes at a cost. It is hard being
:22:32. > :22:35.away from your family and home for long periods. But at the end of the
:22:36. > :22:41.day, it is a job as well, so I go out there to win. Graham is moving
:22:42. > :22:51.to a new sponsor for 2014, and he is ready to take on the challenge of
:22:52. > :22:55.winning anything that extreme `` extreme Enduro can throw at him.
:22:56. > :22:58.Can you imagine yourself on two wheels like that?
:22:59. > :23:02.Not like that. Two wheels going very slowly...
:23:03. > :23:05.We said we will go out with him next time.
:23:06. > :23:10.I think we should. We can do it on one bike, who is going on the back?
:23:11. > :23:13.Carry on! I don't know what presents you
:23:14. > :23:17.received this Christmas. Did you get mine?
:23:18. > :23:21.I didn't, is it in the post? Few people had a surprise quite like Zoe
:23:22. > :23:24.Averianov. Amongst her gifts on Christmas
:23:25. > :23:26.morning was a letter in strange handwriting.
:23:27. > :23:30.More than two decades ago Zoe, from Hebden Bridge, dropped a message in
:23:31. > :23:33.a bottle into the sea off Hull. The letter was to tell her it had
:23:34. > :23:37.finally turned up hundreds of miles away. Stuart Flinders takes up the
:23:38. > :23:41.story. Zoe Averianov was ten years old when
:23:42. > :23:47.she headed off on a family holiday to Germany in 1990, on`board a North
:23:48. > :23:50.Sea. As the ship left Hull, when nobody was looking, she popped a
:23:51. > :23:58.letter into a bottle and threw it overboard. I probably would `` it
:23:59. > :24:01.probably would have been quite late when I threw it over, knowing we
:24:02. > :24:06.weren't supposed to do those sorts of things. Zoe had forgotten all
:24:07. > :24:11.about it until, on Christmas Day, her father handed her a letter with
:24:12. > :24:16.a foreign postmark that had arrived at her old home. Initially, I was a
:24:17. > :24:22.little bit quiet, just looking at it, and they all expectantly looking
:24:23. > :24:26.at me, thinking what is it? It contained the very letter she had
:24:27. > :24:32.written 23 years ago. My name is Zoe, please will you
:24:33. > :24:38.write to me, I like it a lot. I enjoy ballet, playing the piano, I
:24:39. > :24:42.have a hamster and fish. The message in a bottle had
:24:43. > :24:51.travelled about 350 miles to the Netherlands. Dear Zoe, yesterday on
:24:52. > :24:55.one of my many walks with my wife, looking among the debris thrown by
:24:56. > :24:59.the sea on the embankment, I found a little plastic bottle containing a
:25:00. > :25:04.message. Your message, dated September the 12th 1990. The real
:25:05. > :25:09.surprise, how it took so long to get there. It doesn't seem to have gone
:25:10. > :25:19.that far. Perhaps it has been there and back a few times. Maybe.
:25:20. > :25:26.What a heart`warming story. So I wonder where my present is...
:25:27. > :25:29.Let's move on, shall we? Where'd all? Wet tonight, the first
:25:30. > :25:35.tentative signs of something a bit more settled until the middle of
:25:36. > :25:38.January. Let's have a look at some of the pictures you sent me over the
:25:39. > :25:45.Christmas period. Bridlington at high tide yesterday afternoon. The
:25:46. > :25:48.next one, a fantastic cumulonimbus cloud photographed over
:25:49. > :25:53.Huddersfield. And this is the River Ouse in York this afternoon, it is
:25:54. > :25:58.quite high. The River wharf was quite high as well when I drove past
:25:59. > :26:00.Tadcaster this afternoon. So the Environment Agency will keep their
:26:01. > :26:05.eye on that one. This is the address if you want to send pictures. More
:26:06. > :26:08.rain tonight, tomorrow is windy with scattered showers, but you can see
:26:09. > :26:13.there is another deep area of low pressure, bringing bands of rain
:26:14. > :26:17.in. That is the overnight weather front, that feature bringing
:26:18. > :26:19.prolonged showers on Saturday and the one behind will bring wet and
:26:20. > :26:23.windy weather on Sunday, so unsettled. It has been beautiful
:26:24. > :26:26.today, lots of sunshine around and we looked into the south`west,
:26:27. > :26:32.MacLeod is no thickening and that will soon bring rain onto the
:26:33. > :26:35.Pennines. `` the cloud. After a fine start, rain is spreading eastwards,
:26:36. > :26:40.fairly fragmented and moving quickly, clear of all parts by 2am
:26:41. > :26:43.or 3am. The wind will strengthen and we'll see the lowest temperatures
:26:44. > :26:50.down to four or five Celsius, 39 Fahrenheit. So the sun will rise at
:26:51. > :26:55.8:24am. The next high water time will be 5:22am in Filey. A very
:26:56. > :26:59.windy day, the strong westerly wind well touch galeforce at times of
:27:00. > :27:05.exposed parts of the Pennines. A scattering of showers, but the
:27:06. > :27:09.further east, the dry it may be. Some places towards the coast may be
:27:10. > :27:13.having a dry day but at times, the showers are frequent. A strong wind
:27:14. > :27:18.making it feel cold despite the fact that temperatures are closer to
:27:19. > :27:21.average for early January, around seven Celsius, 45 Fahrenheit. A very
:27:22. > :27:26.unsettled weekend to follow, showers could become prolonged and possibly
:27:27. > :27:31.wintry over the hills and it turns wet and windy through the course of
:27:32. > :27:35.Sunday. That is the forecast. Oh, dear. It is good to be back out
:27:36. > :27:39.that Christmas break, back to the routine.
:27:40. > :27:41.I shall be back late with Paul at 10:25pm. We will see them.
:27:42. > :27:46.Goodbye. Good night.