25/04/2014 Look North (Yorkshire)

Welcome to Friday's Look North. That is all from the BBC News

Welcome to Friday's Look North. Tonight: Pulling out ` controversy

over why direct flights between Pakistan and Yorkshire will stop

next month. We speak to those directly affected.

Also tonight: Damage limitation ` concern that Tour De France

spectators will damage Yorkshire's dry`stone walls.

I am at the Harrogate Flower Show with these budding gardeners.

And mixed weather for the weekend. I will be back later with all the

details. Good evening, and welcome to Look

North. A row has broken out between Leeds Bradford Airport and Pakistan

International Airlines after the airline cancelled its flights from

Yorkshire. PIA says the route isn't making enough money to cover fuel

costs, but the airport claims it's surprised by the decision. Harry has

the details. Yes, it's a big blow to Yorkshire's

Pakistani population. There are about 225,000 in the region. Many

regularly use the twice`weekly service from Leeds to Islamabad.

31,000 thousand people used it last year alone. But they'll now have to

go to Manchester or Birmingham airports instead, or travel to

London. Spencer Stokes reports. Islamabad, a name that stood out

from the more predictable European destinations served by Leeds

Bradford Airport, but now it is disappearing from the departure

boards, with Pakistan International Airlines saying the economics are

not very promising. The airport disagrees. The twice`weekly services

are the fastest`growing of the airline's services in the UK at the

present. We know the figures and we can see that the passenger growth in

the last 12 months has been 30% or higher. We think they should

increase their services. Six years ago, when Leeds Bradford Airport

were privatised, the Islamabad flights were the first introduced by

the new owner. Since then, they have come to be relied upon by West

Yorkshire's Pakistani community, but within a matter of weeks, they will

disappear. And Yorkshire's loss is Manchester's gain, with two

Yorkshire flight switching to the North West. This afternoon one

Bradford man tried to book one of the last rites, but without success.

I think it was really good in the sense with the Asian community being

closely knit and with a lot of extended family. It is that last

goodbye before people boards and aeroplane and people wanted to go to

the airport to say goodbye. In Radford, the airline's sales are big

business. Leeds Bradford Airport is not as attached to the operator, and

it will now look for other airlines which might continue the service. We

are here to serve the Bradford community and the Pakistani and

Kashmiri community and we will do our best to ensure that services are

resumed as soon as possible. Pakistan is 4000 miles away. Today

if you live in Yorkshire it feels a little bit further. But hopefully

the link will be restored. Next tonight, farmers are concerned

that some of the famous dry`stone walls around their fields could be

damaged when spectators flock to Yorkshire for the Tour De France at

the start of July. Up to four million people are expected to line

the route for the two Yorkshire stages of the race. With no firm

promise of financial compensation from the Tour's organisers, the

farming community is worried they could have a big bill if fans climb

on the walls to get a good view of the race. Here's our Tour De France,

correspondent Matt Slater. I sat mute and once said, we build

too many balls and not enough bridges. These walls are quite nice,

though, aren't they? And even Newton would surely appreciate the fact

that we've nothing to stick them together, Yorkshire's dry`stone

walls defy gravity. But will they survive the Tour De France this

summer? Farmers like this hope so. We hope that people respect them and

realise they are there for a purpose. The three main things that

are detrimental to the dry`stone walls are people, animals and

weather. We hope people will respect them and hopefully not damage them,

clambering over them. With the tour now ten weeks away, the first

foreign team visited Yorkshire this week to test the route, and after

they arrived, I asked some of the cyclists for their first

impressions. There are a lot of walls, a lot of sheep and... All

these walls there, it must be so much work to put those walls there.

Who did it and when did they do it? Would question. I have no idea. But

I know a dry`stone wall who might. I have been told that some prisoners

of war did a lot. They must have had thousands of men. They must have.

But I have lived around here all my life and done it all my life and

nobody has really come and told me exactly who did it and what it was

about. Even I would be interested to know, really. It can be dangerous.

There is a lot of weight there. In a square yard you have a tonne of war.

You could end seriously hurt if you scramble on them. Boundary markers,

shelters for man and beast, historic artefacts. Yorkshire's dry`stone

walls are many things and for a few days this summer during the Tour De

France, hundreds of millions of people around the world will see

them on television. So let's look after them.

Later on Look North: Could this be the weekend when Chesterfield secure

promotion to League One? The family of a man from Sheffield

who's been missing in Nepal for two years has spoken to Look North about

their helplessness. Zisimos Souflas was last seen in 2012. He'd been

planning an expedition on Everest but disappeared. Despite numerous

searches, there have been no sightings of him. James Vincent

reports. Missing in the world's biggest

wilderness, 29`year`old Zisimos Souflas from Sheffield went to Nepal

and had been expected at Everest's base camp, but he was never seen

again. Having a brother missing in such a remote location has left his

family wondering what, if anything, they can do. I do feel useless. I

cannot help. We can raise awareness, which is good, and mainly what the

family is concentrating on now is raising awareness to make sure

trackers do not travel alone, just to make sure it does not happen to

anyone else. Lots of thoughts, from the worst case to the most

optimistic that at this stage it is still very much up in the ad. There

has been so little conclusive information. Be family wants to warn

travellers against trekking on their own and an international charity say

people need to prepare. There are certain things you should do before

you go. Do research on the area you intend to be in. Find out about

local customs and cultures. The Foreign Office have a very good

website which will give information as to the dos and don'ts of what to

do prior to going. And the most important thing is to make sure you

have dropper travel insurance. To coincide with the second anniversary

of the difference, Zisimos's mother is in Nepal. My parents have

obviously taken it hard. My dad is in Greece and he's always saying, he

will turn up next week. Two years after he left Sheffield for an

adventure in Nepal, Zisimos's family know they may never see him again.

In other news, a High Court legal challenge to cuts in concessionary

travel for pensioners and people with disabilities in South Yorkshire

has been launched. Michelle Turner is one of two people with

disabilities from Sheffield to begin judicial proceedings. Protests have

been held after the use of free travel cards on buses before 9.30am

and on trains was banned. Campaigners claim councillors failed

to consider the impact of the cuts. I don't want to be socially

excluded. I want to be able to have the same opportunities that an

able`bodied person has. I want to be able to go places, do things. I want

to attend meetings. I want to make an impact in my community. Without

the bus pass, I am not able to do that.

A multi`million`pound water park for Scarborough's North Bay has been

given the go ahead by the council. The park was agreed in principle

last year, subject to an independent financial analysis, which has now

been completed. Scarborough Borough Council plans to ?9 million to help

pay for the project. It's expected to open in Easter 2016.

Tickets have gone on sale for the biggest ever Tour De France

presentation ceremony. The show at Leeds Arena will mark the start of

the sporting event, which of course kicks off in Yorkshire, and see

competing teams showing off their riders and their bikes to the

public. Some cycling fans have complained about booking and

delivery fees, which can add ?8 to the cost of a ticket. But organisers

say the fees are standard practice and can be avoided if tickets are

bought in person at the box office. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is

among six venues in the running to be named the UK's Museum of the

Year. The open`air gallery near Wakefield has been short listed for

the ?100,000 Art Fund Prize. Last year was the park's busiest ever,

with 350,000 visitors. The winner will be announced in July.

The final line`up of parties contesting next month's European

elections here in the Yorkshire and the Humber has been announced. Ten

parties will be fighting for the region's six seats in the European

Parliament. Our political editor, Len Tingle, has the details.

He don't get much more Yorkshire than here upon the moor. Out there

in the mist of 5.3 million people. That makes Yorkshire bigger than

Scotland and bigger than many of the 28 member states of the European

Union. For that reason, we are allocated six seats in the European

Parliament. And we now know the election will have a crowded field.

Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats all have current

MEPs as their lead candidates. UKIP has a new face and snapping at their

heels, the Greens and Liberal Democrats, and also the far right

British National party again. There are two new parties. In European

elections you vote for a party, not a candidate. All of the votes across

the Yorkshire and the Humber are added together and the seats shared

out based on the proportion of the vote that each party gets. So let's

take a look at what happened in the last election, in 2009. The

Conservatives came top of the poll with almost a quarter of the vote

and that meant they could have two seats. Labour came second in so far

behind that they could only have one seat. Third came UKIP, pushing the

Lib Dems into force, and then the surprise of the election, the six

seat was allocated to the far right BNP. So what will happen this time?

Clearly it will be very different, because this election is happening

against a very different political backdrop. Look North will be

following this campaign every step of the way towards those elections

in just under a month. Before seven o'clock: It's Rugby

League's Challenge Cup weekend, with quarterfinal places up for grabs.

And the budding young gardeners who've worked hard for months to

make it to the Harrogate Spring Flower Show.

A nail`biting weekend of sport lies ahead. Tanya's here with what's in

store. And I have been instructed by you to

start with cricket! Joe Root has been included in Yorkshire's squad

for their County Championship match at Middlesex at the weekend. He's

been out of action since breaking his thumb playing for England.

Captain Andrew Gale has said he may drop himself to include Root in the

team. Sheffield boxer Curtis Woodhouse

will face the Commonwealth champion Willie Limond in Glasgow in June.

Woodhouse had said he'd retire after his last fight, when he won the

British title. But the footballer`turned`boxer has since

decided to fight on. He says it's an honour to be challenging for the

Commonwealth crown. Football now. And it's a

nerve`wracking weekend for many of our teams. Rotherham United can

relax. Their League One play`off place is secure with two games left

to play. In League Two, York City are hoping to book theirs as well,

with victory against Newport. But Barnsley and Chesterfield fans can

expect the nerves to start jangling at about three o'clock tomorrow.

Paul Ogden can explain why. Just one more hurdle for

Chesterfield and they might not even have to lift a finger. Never mind a

leg, to guarantee automatic promotion this weekend. The key to

their strong position is their big goal difference advantage over their

pursuers, meaning that even if just a field were to lose their two

remaining matches, only Fleetwood can seriously hope to knock them out

of the top three. But if Fleet would lose or even draw at home to

Southend tomorrow, will Chesterfield need realistically from the match

this Sunday at Burton is a draw. Any Chesterfield win from the last two

matches will effectively guaranteed the Spireites' promotion. The

challenge now is for us to stay in the top league for the next two

weekends. If we can achieve that we would look back on a very good

season. If we dropped to fourth, it will be where we deserve to finish.

Hoping not to be meeting Chesterfield in league one next

season are Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley. The job for Barnsley is to

keep their hopes alive for next weekend. Lose at Middlesbrough

tomorrow and Barnsley are already down. For this game, our destiny is

in our hands. If we get three points we take it to next weekend. I will

be delighted. Anything Doncaster gain from their final daunting two

matches against Reading and Leicester will be both deserved and

worthwhile, especially if teams below them, notably Blackpool and

Birmingham, continue to slump. Fingers crossed for all of them.

It's the fifth round of the Challenge Cup this weekend, as the

teams look to take the next step to picking up this magnificent trophy.

The headline game is the big Super League clash between Leeds and St

Helens, but on Sunday, two old friends will go head to head as

Castleford host Sheffield. But on Sunday,

In 1998 the Sheffield Eagles beat the then mighty Wigan. It has gone

down in folklore. None of the match that day is now the Chief Executive

and coach of the club. I am proud of achieving the trophy as well. Having

my name on that trophy as well. With so many great players. This week the

clubs held a joint press Conference. There were no mind games or slating

the opposition. In fact, it was a big loving between former Sheffield

team`mate. The atmosphere will be electric and I will be pitting my

wits against one of the best markers. Really looking forward to

it. An outstanding club all the way through. They have quality people.

They had a tough time in terms of losing a couple of players since

they won the grand final last year, but the way he manages things at

Sheffield he has done an unbelievable job. If they could make

it up there I would be really pleased. Mark Aston is a Castleford

lad and his player coach Henderson is a former Tiger. I have had some

great years here and thoroughly enjoyed my time. Great people, great

club. It will be a tough task for Sheffield. Castleford are in a rich

vein of form this season, but whatever happens on the field,

expect a view classes to be raised afterwards Joining us now, the Leeds

Rhinos forward Jamie Jones` Buchanan.

Between friends. with the Sheffield Eagles at the

moment and we are all looking forward to the game. It was a great

upset in 1998. This is the challenge cup and open for everybody. Leads

Saints, live on BBC TV. You are out injured, hence you are here tonight,

but it is a cracking game. I do not need to remind you that Leeds beat

you a month ago in the Super League. Yes, they injured my bicep as well.

People have talked about than going through a bit of a transition. When

you look at some of the guys that they have got now, experienced guys,

they are on the forefront now and they are fantastic. They have been

great this year. Really looking forward to beat. How desperate are

you and your team`mates to finally get a hands on this? Yes, it has

been a bit of a nemesis for me, brought nothing but heartache and

tears and four challenge cup finals, four losses for me. But they are

fantastic team. A lot of the investment goes into that on and off

the pitch and if you want to win it you have to play really well. We

have to give her and slipped a mention. They are up against Wigan.

`` we have to give `` Hunslett a mention. A lot of our players come

and go there. That is the beauty of the challenge cup. If it was like

that he wouldn't get opportunities to play for teams like Wigan and for

some of those guys it will be the greatest game of their life. You

have obviously got as well Wynton and Featherstone Lee. We're

guaranteed a great tie. Yes. I am sure John Bastian is fired up as

well. Featherstone is a massive rugby league Town. A huge challenge

cup effort. Who knows? We will keep you away from the trophy. I know you

would like to run off with it! Thank you for coming in. Good luck to the

Rhinos. The Harrogate Spring Flower Show is

one of the UK's biggest and most prestigious gardening events, and

exhibiting there can be a nail`biting experience. Especially

when it comes to your work being judged. Well, spare a thought for

pupils at Bainbridge Primary School near Leyburn. They're budding young

gardeners, and with the help of TV garden designer Chris Myers, they've

created a "pocket garden" made of wild flowers. It's taken months of

hard work, as Kate Bradbrook has been finding out.

They say a gardener's work is never done and for these budding garden

designers at Bainbridge Primary in North Yorkshire, it is only just

beginning. They are creating a pocket garden, to be displayed at

the Harrogate Spring Flower Show. They have just three months to

complete it. I have learned how flowers grow, and what colours

flowers have and what they can do and things. It will be really

exciting for me because my crime is a big part of it. She loves it. She

will be proud of me. They are being given a helping hand by TV Garden

designer Chris Myers. He has taken all the children's individual ideas

and come up with plans for a garden on the theme of wild flowers. It is

really important to teach children about what is going on in the

countryside. There are so many distractions in the modern world

that they could easily overlook things that are dying out. They are

the future of the country and they need to know. We are here at the

flower show and the children have not yet seen the finished garden.

Let's bring them in and see what they think. It may only be small,

one metre square to be exact, but it is perfectly formed, and the judges

thought so, too. But what about our own resident experts? They are all

winners and they are now such experts. Hopefully in the future

they will work to protect the flowers in the wild. It is better

than I thought it would be. I like all the wildlife and the flowers. It

is really nice of the judges to award us with this. And after

achieving so much at a young age, who knows what these young gardeners

could be in the future? Congratulations. When those judges

walk`in, everyone falls silent and they are there with the clipboards.

It takes a lot to impress them. I know, and you are were

whispering. I know, and you said you have never heard me whisper before!

There will be some sunshine tomorrow. Sunday does not look

great. But also quite a lot of rain. This photo sums up today, a lot of

cloud. Suzanne says it did not arrive until 2pm there.

Lots of mist and fog across the coast. Keep your pictures coming in.

Tomorrow we will. Off on a wet note. Another band of rain pushing up from

the South and then it will brighten but there will still be the odd

heavy shower tomorrow afternoon. That is because low pressure

continues to dominate. A band of rain pushing up from the South on

Saturday and then on Saturday a lot of cloud being fed in on an easterly

breeze. We will have to wait until midweek next week for high pressure

to take over again, but that does mean cool air. So by Wednesday more

settled, but colder. Through the rest of this evening, we continue to

see outbreaks of rain spreading up from the South. Like today, some of

them could be really heavy nature and thunder be as well. It will

clear away to the North later in night so a drier zone later.

Temperatures dipping back to around seven or eight degrees. Seven is 45

Fahrenheit. Tomorrow morning, if you are up and

about early, it may well start of dry and we will see outbreaks of

rain spreading up from the South West. A band of rain through the

morning. Sunny spells for a time but clearing the way North. Perhaps

lingering across North Yorkshire into the early part of the

afternoon. Here is where it will take the longest to brighten up, but

we will see bright and sunny spells developing in the afternoon. We have

them well with temperatures this week. On Wednesday we got up to 19

on the Vale of York. It will not be that warm but 13 will not feel that

bad, 55 Fahrenheit. Over the hills and the West, some brightness

elsewhere on Sunday. On Monday, the rain returns going into Tuesday.

We are here with our update at 8pm and also at 10:25pm.

I want to know whether trophy has gone, because we want to get our

hands on it. Goodbye. at the European elections

on May the 22nd. even though that would wreck

the recovery and destroy jobs. The Conservatives

are now openly flirting with exit. they just don't have the courage

of their convictions on this. They wouldn't lift a finger

to help keep Britain in the EU. So, I'm asking you to vote for the

Liberal Democrats, the party of in. In for the sake

of British prosperity and jobs. I'm in

because we set the global standards