08/04/2014 Look North (Yorkshire)

you can head to our website. Now on BBC One we

you can head to our website. Now on Welcome to Look North. Tonight:

Could there be a stay of execution for our threatened pits? Miners wait

to find out if Government money will postpone their closure. But it won't

keep Kellingley and Thorseby open. It is going to be hard for a lot of

men, because it is quite an old workforce.

We'll be live at Kellingley Colliery following crisis talks between

management and unions. Also on tonight's programme: Massimo

Cellino talks exclusively to Radio Leeds reporter Adam Pope as the

Italian completes his takeover of Leeds United. I hope to get the fire

lit. I am going to drive to Leeds tomorrow, to my new town.

I don't know what these girls are doing, that they are going to get me

dancing, apparently. Find out why later.

And it is a sunny end to the afternoon, very pleasant conditions,

but what about the next few days? But first tonight to the latest on

the bid to try and salvage the planned closure of Kellingley

Colliery near Knottingley. Its owners UK Coal and the NUM have been

holding crisis talks this afternoon about the future of both Kellingley

and Thoresby pit in Nottinghamshire. Well, today the Government said it

will announce within 48 hours whether it can help financially. But

that help would still only mean their closure would be delayed. Phil

Bodmer is at Kellingley for us now. Phil.

The pit wheels are still turning here at Kellingley, but for how much

longer? UK coal and union officials have been locked in talks all

afternoon about the future of this pit, and what it will mean for the

local community, and many people who have spend their whole adult lives

working in the mining industry. One minor now fears for the future of

the industry. Victor has been a minor for 35 years. For the last

ten, he has worked at Kellingley, and like many, thought the pit had a

long`term future. It has proved it can produce the coal, supply it. Why

try to go halfway around the world? I can't see the sense and wanting to

get rid of it. But the hopes and dreams of a brighter future for

Victor and his colleagues were shattered after news of the pit's

impending closure was broken on a TV news bulletin. One of the lads on

the night shift said, have you seen the news? We are closing. That is

the first I knew about it. You had no letter? Nothing. How do you feel

about that? I think it's a disgrace. UK coal that runs Kellingley and

thaws B needs ?10 million to begin an 18 month phase chat down ``

shutdown. 1800 jobs will go. 53 years old with 35 years mining,

where do I go? My family is here. I will be chasing jobs against lads

who were 20. Who are they going to pick? It is going to be hard. It

will be hard for a lot of men at Kellingley, because it is quite an

old workforce. Is meetings between unions and UK coal being held

today, the energy minister Michael Fallon said the government is

considering whether it can contribute to a private sector

proposal to deliver a managed closure. Coalfield communities have

endured many bitter industrial disputes over the decades. But for

Victor and his colleagues, this is about survival. The difference

between whether this once mighty industry has life left in it, or it

continues a slow and agonising death.

Since the closure plans were announced, there has been widespread

cross`party support for this, and today the Conservative MP Nigel

Adams put forward an emergency debate, but it was turned down by

the speaker. I think the perilous financial situation that UK coal

finds itself in, the whole house should look at avenues that may be

open for this industry. Lets get some reaction about those talks held

here this afternoon. Keith Hartshorn from the NUM, you won't present, but

there was a delegate present? There was, but it was a consultation

exercise, and I think that is as much as what happened. There is a

meeting with the national officials and the directors of UK Coal here at

Kellingley at 9.30 on Thursday, so hopefully we will get some news out

of that. But we are fighting this all the way. What is the mood

tonight? How are people feeling? I think it is about the same. We said

we were fighting, and that is what we intend to do. The TUC and the NUM

have got a meeting with the energy Minister tomorrow, so the fight goes

on. As Keith says, we're expecting more information, a Government

announcement maybe tomorrow, and on Thursday there will be another

meeting here, and as the situation changes and we hear news, we will

bring it straight year. We did ask UK Coal for a comment,

but they haven't got back to us. Next to an issue which is often a

taboo subject, but one which affects millions of women and girls around

the world, and thousands right here in Yorkshire. It involves an

agonising procedure to circumcise women, and has been a custom in many

African countries for years. But it scars them for life. And as

Sheffield becomes the first city in the UK to officially support one

African state's bid to become independent, we ask what's being

done to stop it. Kate Bradbrook has this special report.

Thousands of women in the UK have been subject to two procedure so

intrusive, in many cases it has affected their ability to have

children and live life to the full. For one woman in South Yorkshire,

like many all over the world, the trauma of circumcision began when

she was nine. I walked into a room with three of my auntie is, and I

had a feeling there was something wrong. They held me down and said

everything was OK, that I wouldn't feel anything. I was screaming so

hard that I went numb. It is a practice that has gone on for

centuries, but has been banned in the UK for three decades. My body

went into shock. I remember shouting, I will never forgive you.

It is not known how many women and girls in Yorkshire have undergone

this major procedure, which can have many life changing effects. Despite

some reports, it is not a religious practice. It is purely a cultural

one. We know thousands of women here in Sheffield and which has a high

Somali population, have had it done, but the true figure could be much

greater. Last week, the city became the first in the country to

officially back Somaliland's independence from Somalia, but

despite the territory strive with democracy, officials admit the

practice still goes on there. It is not something that is encouraged by

the government. Old habits take time to die, but we are actively engaged

in educating that this is not a religious thing, it is a cultural

thing. The reason for circumcision is supposedly to keep women pure

until they marry. It is practised in 29 African countries as well as

parts of the Middle East. But the fear now is that it is happening

much closer to home. I am concerned that it is happening in the UK,

Yorkshire, the South, anywhere. The only way we can fight against it is

to educate the next generation don't educate our parents now and say,

stop this. And it is this that an MP has been pushing for. We need to

ensure that women and girls are aware of the dangers, and that

teachers in schools are aware of those who might be vulnerable. Later

this month, the UK's first prosecutions for female circumcision

will go through the courts. An estimated 100 million women and

girls around the world are now living with the consequences.

Later on Look North: Legal or not? The City of York Council meets

lawyers to establish if their Lendal Bridge fines on motorists can

continue. The Italian businessman Massimo

Cellino has completed his takeover of Leeds United. That's according to

his lawyers. His company, Eleonora Sport, has bought 75% of the shares.

It follows him winning an appeal against the Football League blocking

the deal after they said he failed the "fit and proper persons" test.

He's given an exclusive interview to Adam Pope, who asked him about the

state of the club he's just bought. We knew that it was not in good

shape financially. We are going to look at the numbers. We have got

more work to do, and if we can win a couple of games, that is something.

That is more important thing, that we have a stadium and the fans, and

the rest we can fix. You love the fans, it seems? I love them. They

are something that you cannot really organise and buy from anywhere.

Leeds has got big fans. That is something that you can't build. And

are you worried about how much money will need to spend? I haven't slept

for the last 30 days! Lets say if we are going to be strong, we will work

it out. And what will be success for you? When will you achieve success

at Leeds? I think that Leeds has got the potential to compete in the

premiership. We have to work to bring it back. And it is a better

game to play, because it is supposed to be more of a level. It is Brian

McDermott's birthday today. 21! That is a good number. Have you got some

good news for him? He has got a contract. I like the guy. I think

that we can work together, and we have to work for Leeds. We will find

a way. I like to joke and tell jokes. He is a nice guy. I like the

guy! He certainly has charisma. He did mention Leeds financial

situation. They have posted ?9.5 million of losses. The gate receipt

is down. The directors wages are up 141%. That takes you to the year`end

2013. We understand he is taking over a club with around ?30 million

of debt. One would expect those losses to have increased as well. He

is going to the game at Watford tonight, then driving to his new

city of Leeds to start work tomorrow, and he has an almighty job

on his hands. He has charisma, but whether he can pull it off, who

knows. I don't think it is going to be dealt with him in charge. To

other news now. Police investigating historic sex

abuse allegations against a well`known businessman in

Scarborough are urging anyone with information to get in touch. The

late Peter Jaconelli was once mayor of Scarborough and died in 1999. In

February, the BBC's Inside Out programme interviewed some of those

who say they were abused by Jaconelli when they were children.

Last week, North Yorkshire Police referred itself to the Independent

Police Complaints Commission about the way it handled allegations

against him and Jimmy Savile. A conference aimed at finding the

best ways of tackling human trafficking is taking place in Leeds

today. West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner is staging the

event. Mark Burns Williamson says new ways of supporting victims and

targeting perpetrators need to be found. One of the things I want to

take forward is a national working group with the Police and Crime

Commissioners to look at how we set a strategy for working together,

because of course this is happening in other parts of the country, not

just West Yorkshire, across orders, and the criminals we know don't even

respect international orders, let alone UK borders.

Leeds and York have made it into the top ten UK destinations, according

to travellers' reviews on the Tripadvisor website. York took sixth

place and Leeds was voted number nine. Both cities have risen

significantly in the award rankings when compared to last year, when

neither was named among the top ten. London came top.

The Princess Royal has opened a new stable block at a riding centre for

disabled people in Bingley. Princess Anne was taken on a tour of the

facilities at Riverside Riding for the Disabled before she unveiled a

commemorative plaque at the stable block. She also joined one hundred

invited guests to watch some of the centre's riders demonstrate their

abilities and presented them with rosettes.

Before seven o'clock, a man of many talents. We're joined by the creator

of Dusty Bin who went on to design York's first Jorvik Viking Centre.

And find out why Ian took to the floor for a flash mob performance

with a difference! The City of York Council is expected

to make an announcement tonight on the future of the controversial

Lendal Bridge traffic restrictions. Meetings are taking place with

lawyers this evening to establish if the ban on drivers using the bridge

should continue. Spencer Stokes is here with the latest. Where are we

up to? This is the ban on cars being allowed to drive of a candle bridge

between 10:30am and 5:30pm. Last night the adjudicator said that this

was unlawful. But they did say that cameras would be recording

numberplates, but finds wouldn't be issued for now, but might be a

future date, so lots of confusion. The council is meeting with lawyers

this afternoon and into this evening, and they are expected to

make some sort of decision. And this decision will be taken by James

Alexander, the leader. So what might they say tonight? I couldn't say.

The cameras might remain on, or people might be free to drive over

the bridge. There is a cabinet meeting on May the 6th and the whole

future will be decided. But the city of York Council have said to us as

they will signal their firm intention to night over what happens

next. We should know by 10.25. Thank you very much indeed. Moving

on now. The row over the cancellation of

Sheffield's half marathon has taken more twists and turns today. Water

Direct, who'd been asked to supply water for runners, have said they

didn't recieve payment in advance, and as a result did not deliver

water for Sunday's race. Shamir Masri has more.

The race today is cancelled. The reasons behind the last`minute

cancellation of the half marathon took another twist this afternoon.

Organisers cancelled Sunday's race with thousands poised to set off

from the start line. Many still ran, but officially, the race had

been called off will stop runners complained, saying their entry fee

should be re`funded. But organisers blame the water supplier, saying it

wasn't safe for people to run without enough water provision along

the route. They told look North they would go bankrupt if they were to

refund entry fees. If we had to refund every runner after all the

costs to put on the marathon, we couldn't pay them all. We would go

bankrupt, and there wouldn't be another Sheffield half marathon. But

this was before this afternoon's revelation, when the suppliers of

the water, Water Direct, released this statement, saying:

What happens now remains uncertain. If organisers are forced to refund

money paid by runners, they will be in no position to organise a race

next year. In the last half an hour, we have

Riz Eve `` received a statement refuting the claims of Water Direct,

so the saga continues. Tens of thousands of visitors flock

to York each year to experience life in the Viking Age. Now in its 30th

year, the Jorvik museum has been widely recognised as heralding the

start of the heritage industry in the UK. It allowed you to experience

history like never before. The man behind that revolutionary idea was

John Sunderland from Wakefield. His book, On My Way To Jorvik, tells the

true story of a Wakefield schoolboy inspired to create the world famous

attraction. John joins us now. I remember going to the Jorvik as a

child. It was a fantastic experience. The Vikings, the smells,

the coins. It was different to any other museum I'd ever experienced.

You could even stamp your own coin at the end. It was brilliant. Thank

you? How did you come up with the idea? Believe it or not, it started

when I was 11, and my maths master at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in

Wakefield. I got in and scholarship, and I was terrified of maths, I just

couldn't do it. So I came up with a plan for truancy. I told him one day

I was going blind. What kind of an excuse is that? I didn't have a

note, and basically it said, unfortunately, sir, I'm going blind,

I have to go to Clayton Hospital the regular exercises, and every week,

it coincides with your lesson. And he bought it! I was 11, natives of

the one. So I had to find somewhere to hang out, so I went to Wakefield

Art Gallery, the museum and the fleapit cinema. I used to Nick off,

as we say, and after awhile of being in the museum on my own an awful

lot, and the gallery, and the cinema, it all started as Len

together, and iron in the museum, and this is a dusty old Victorian

place, and I was going to choir practice at the Cathedral School,

and I stood at the top of Westgate, and I said out loud, why can't

museums be more like films? And Jorvik was like a film! 23 years

later, I heard from a friend that the York archaeological trust have

got this plan, and bells rang for me. I took my long`suffering wife

and told her that I wanted to do it, and I was determined I was going to

do it. The crazy thing was, I had no qualifications whatsoever to do it.

And you have done loads of others. Around the world, yes. I managed to

get one questioning! You are good talker, and in your

book, you talk as you write. You're also responsible for creating

another cult attraction in the '80s, the character Dusty Bin from hit

quiz show 3`2`1. Yes, and I kept it a secret. I didn't think anyone

would take me seriously. Nice to talk to, well played. Lovely to meet

you. Now, students at a college in

Doncaster were given a very special surprise today by a group of golden

oldies who performed a dancing flash mob to thank them for the work they

do. Sir Thomas Warton College organises tea parties for the group

of nans, grandads, great aunts and uncles. And to say thanks for the

entertainment they provide, the silver dancers provided some

entertainment of their own. Ian White was in on the surprise.

They call themselves the recycled teenagers. Three times a year, they

are invited to St Thomas Wharton community college for lunch and

entertainment. But today is different. They are going to provide

the attainment, performing a dance routine to the song All That Jazz.

They have been queueing outside to come in, probably hear an hour

before the event starts, and it is lovely to see them all. We have an

old lady who is 102. She is not 200! That's passed a joke, that is!

We're going to prove to everybody just how young you are, because we

are going to jig about together. Could anybody do this? Could look

North reporter do it? Absolutely, yes! All you need is a big smile and

a sense of fun. I'd Mac we will see, won't we?

Margaret, have you been drinking? I think I could do with one!

And after the big rehearsal, it was time for the big show, which brought

the schools will stand still. Well played, Ian. OK, what has the

weather in store? We had a few sharp showers this

morning, as forecast. This was one of the showers that went through, a

fantastic rainbow. The second picture is a lovely panoramic one of

Sheffield the centre `` city centre.

A mostly fine day to come tomorrow, although there will be a little

patchy rain around times. It will still be quite a breezy day, a

moderate and gusty south`west winds to come. All of us have ended on a

dry and sunny note. But pretty fresh and cool. Temperatures will fall

away in the next few hours, and it does look drive. Cloud increasing

later. One or two spots further eastward, with lowest temperatures

tonight coming in at five or six see us. That risk westerly wind will

ease by dawn. The sun will rise 6.21, setting 7.56. Times of high

water: The cloud first thing could be thick

enough for a few rain patches, but that will become confined to the

Dales. There will be some sunny spells

coming through, especially across more eastern areas. Temperatures in

Gray also higher than today, around 13 Celsius.

Thursday looks fairly similar, mostly dry and fine, although a week

cold front will bring thicker cloud. A little patchy rain Thursday night

into Friday morning, but then Friday and much of the weekend looks

predominantly dry with very little rainfall on offer.

That's it from us. Join me at 10.25 when I will be speaking to the

leader of York Council, James Alexander, on the bridge situation.

Goodbye. Some businessmen have turned

failing companies around.