20/04/2017 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good evening - you're watching Thursday's Look North.

Thousands more shoppers in Leeds -

but business isn't booming for all stores in the city's

Can exercise benefit our mental health?

We'll meet the West Yorkshire runner taking on a marathon challenge,

Harrogate flower show gets under way, with visitors asked

Joined me for the latest weather forecast.

It's six months since Leeds' new shopping centre,

Victoria Gate, opened - bringing thousands more shoppers

But though footfall has increased by 3%, there are signs that trade

for some shops has not been as brisk as hoped.

The centre was dubbed the Knightsbridge of the North

But with rising inflation and political uncertainty,

the retail sector as a whole is facing a difficult time.

Our business correspondent, Danni Hewson, joins us

Last month the centre was named to the number one centre in the world.

The arrival of Victoria Gate has helped propel us up the retail

ranking, leapfrogging Manchester and Birmingham to make as number three

in the country behind on the Leeds and Glasgow. Lots of new names

coming here but it is not all good news. We can only spend a pound once

and post-Christmas the inflationary pressures are certainly affecting

some of the shops here. Thursday morning and things are

pretty quiet. But Victoria Gate has always been about quality not

quantity and management insist they are happy with fruitful. We are

comfortable with the customer numbers we are experiencing,

particularly with higher spend and more volume. That is to be expected

given the mix of retail that we have. Probe also more and it's clear

not all shops are making the kind of profits they would like. Even high

and retailers are facing High Street problems. We have changed the way

that the shop sold 95% of us no shop online, that is one way of

controlling your finances. What is challenging us, how do people get

back in here and start spending money at a time as we go into a

period of general election when we are focused on the concerns the

economy? There's not much retailers can do

about the cash in your ward but shoppers can be tempted from the

coaches with bars and restaurants. Riders are some of the rooftops of

Victoria Gate will be home to a Japanese restaurant and a New York

bar. I do not know anybody who sits and 87 meals at home. Most of my

friends and people I work with are out once or twice a week and Leeds

gives them that flexibility of what they would choose to eat at all

different price points as well. As for online shopping most brands have

a digital presence. Shops have become primarily a window to be

dressed to impress. Bricks and mortar retailers, the key

focus they have got to look at is making sure that customers get

something extra when they come into the store. You cannot just have

transactional retail anymore predators picked this and pop it

through the till. Every sector from luxury to High Street D2 focus on

what they are doing installed to make that customer connect with the

brand and make them keep wanting to come back to the High Street. New

names, saying challenges. It is not just new names that are

struggling. We have heard the news from high-street department store

Debenhams today that they are looking to cause about ten of their

stores, and some of the warehouses and distribution centres. They have

not said precisely where but they say they want to focus, as Victoria

Gate is doing, on experience went shopping. It is all about tempting

people of their sofas onto the High Street. Come and have a drink, spend

your money, and experience as well as shop.

Police investigating the mysterious disappearance of a woman

who lived in Micklefield, East of Leeds, have been carrying

40-year-old Svitlana Krasnoselska, known

to her friends as Lana, has not been seen for two and a half

weeks and detectives say they're extremely worried about her as it's

totally out of character for her to go missing.

Police officers were back in Micklefield this

They were searching a half mile radius

around her home checking bushes, shrubs and water.

The 40-year-old Ukrainian has not been seen since

5.30 in the morning on Monday April the 3rd.

She is known to have links to York and the Halton area of Leeds.

Police hope someone somewhere knows where

She leaves behind a husband and a daughter

and they have no idea of

where she may have gone and why she might have gone.

It is all this that really raises our concern about where

We deal with missing people on a daily

And there is always something to go on.

It is completely out of character for Lana.

We just do not know where she has gone to.

Detectives are working to build a picture of Lana's life style

across Yorkshire and the people she knew.

She's been in this country about 12 years.

I would appeal to any Ukrainian communities within

Leeds or even further afield that may know Lana,

that may know anywhere that she might go to, to give us a

ring, just speak to us, just give us any bit

of information that might

Despite extensive searches the police remain baffled by this

Detectives say it is as though Lana has disappeared off the face of

Her bank accounts have not been touched.

There's no sign yet of foul play but what happened to

Later on Look North: Keeping Yorkshire talent in the north.

Can this derelict mill put Wakefield on the musical map?

The leader of Leeds City Council is calling for clarity

from the Government over the future of transport funding.

The city was promised ?170 million

following the cancellation of the Trolleybus scheme.

This week's announcement of a general election

has potentially called that into question.

Phil - Leeds is desperately in need of a solution to its travel chaos?

Yes, and people of Leeds could be forgiven for thinking they have

heard this before. We have been talking about a solution to the

traffic problem for 30 years. At the turn-of-the-century edit that things

were on track with a super tram scheme and then potentially

Trolleybus. I know we're on the brink of more uncertainty.

Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool.

Then there's Leeds, the largest city in Europe without one.

In 2001 Labour gave a 500 million Supertram scheme the

In 2005 it was cancelled because of costs.

Five years later Labour said OK to a ?250

That was then put on hold by the new coalition

Two years on Trolleybus is restarted after the coalition agrees

After a planning inspector ruled that Trolleybus

didn't provide enough public benefits Leeds was allowed to keep

?173.5 million for other public transport investment.

However with a general election looming could

that funding potentially be in jeopardy?

We are waiting for the Treasury to sign off the final

And the general election came from nowhere for all of us so

we've been asking everyone to have conversations with the Department

for Transport to see if we could get the letter to us before the weekend.

But we're just waiting to have a response back to see

Despite the setbacks three new rail stations have been opened in

the last 18 months and there are plans for more including at

But public transport campaigners say clarity is

I personally think that that money needs to be campaigned for to be

retained, but it is not the whole picture, and there is much wider

The Department for Transport told us ?173.5 million is being retained

But when asked if that money was being ring fenced

following the announcement of a general election

Three decades ago a BBC report about the subject concluded with

While Leeds ponders its transport future

30 years later it seems little has changed.

A motorcyclist who died in a collision in Sheffield over

the Easter weekend had been on his way to a charity event in aid

20-year-old Sam Pickering is thought to have lost control of his bike

on Langsett Road North early on Sunday morning.

He was a regular supporter of the annual Easter Egg Run,

which involves hundreds of bikers riding through the city centre

and over 15 years has raised tens of thousands of pounds

The former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has confirmed he is not

standing in the constituency of Morley and Outwood.

The Labour MP lost his seat in 2015 to the Conservative MP

Andrea Jenkyns in one of the shock results of the last election.

Since then he's taken part in the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing

programme in which he became famous for his own brand of dad dancing.

Three people have been arrested in Leeds on suspicion

of intimidating jurors during a trial.

In February three men were jailed for killing 88-year-old Betty Laird

They deliberately drove into the car she was travelling

in so they could make fake compensation claims.

During the trial jurors reported being offered bribes.

Today two men and a 15-year-old girl were arrested in Beeston

and Harehills on suspicion of conspiracy to intimidate jurors

We know how much creative talent comes from Yorkshire -

but the key is keeping it here as many singers

and musicians are lured by the bright lights of London.

Well, a company from the capital is trying

to reverse that trend by using the derelict mills

Tileyard Studios is the biggest venue in Europe housing people

Amy has been for a look at their plans for a new site in Yorkshire.

Talk me through what you are thinking.

Paul and Nick, Southern luvvies with a big vision for the North.

To convert 100,000 square feet of derelict mills in Wakefield

We're going to see a hotel, we're going to see studios,

music studios, we're going to see a very exciting event

space and lots of spaces for creatives to work together.

Tileyard Studios in London is the largest community of its kind

in Europe housing people in film, graphics and musics

including the likes of Tinchy Stryder, and Mark Ronson.

Wakefield will become its northern sister, a direct link with London.

A place to retain some talent where it originated.

I think, for us, it's about having a site that's a complement

to what we've got in London but we have an appetite to tap

Rather than drag them down to London, why not build something

that can become very much a community in its own right?

A vision from the South wants to breathe fresh

It could be a perfect spot right next to the world

renowned Hepworth Gallery, but how likely is it that the likes

of Tinchy Stryder and Mark Ronson are really going to

Mark Ronson is obviously a very well-known client of ours in London.

He is spending a lot of time in LA at the moment but he's driven

If there was something up here that got him excited, for sure,

The man behind Corrine Bailey Rae's biggest hits has always believed

He is first on the list for a studio here.

Not just for the people who are already working

within the industry but for the kids coming through to see that

there's a place they can go and work like-minded people.

Remember this number one by Sheffield band, Olive?

The creator has collaborated with the likes of James Morrison

and Taio Cruz but he always comes back to Yorkshire.

Leeds and Wakefield, there's bags of talent up

here so there's no reason why we can't have a Northern Powerhouse

and take some of that control from London.

Rutland Mills will be open for arty types from 2018.

This Sunday thousands of runners will take part

Among them will be Sam Tewari from West Yorkshire.

He's one of ten runners affected by mental health issues

His story features in the BBC TV programme Mind Over Marathon

During the filming Sam has met both Princes Harry and William

who are trying to break the taboo around mental health.

Let's hear a bit about of the programme.

It is estimated one in four adults will need professional help for

mental health problems at some stage in their life. Chances are we all

know someone who is suffering. I don't want sympathy or empathy. Just

a bit of understanding. That is all. No, ten volunteers have agreed to

try something different, a running programme. Exercise can help with

mental health issues. Most definitely. From personal

experience. Talking about mental health issues on national TV, and

running a marathon, two massive challenges. What did you decide to

take part? One of my friends was a producer on the programme and he put

something about it on social media. Running and mental health are two

things that, running has been a part of my recovery from mental health

conditions, know I am in a state where I am happy with my mental

health, it felt like time to give back, and the next thing I was at

the boot camp and starting the training. It's all kind of spoils.

It is marvellous the entire process. One in four people suffers from

mental health issues. How did you know you had depression? If you look

back to my childhood there were certain moments where I felt

different or did not quite connect with others, as I saw other people

doing. Daydreaming at school, all those kind of things. Following on

from my dad was like I had a breakdown about three years ago. --

following on from the death of my father. At the time it was scary. I

did not know what was going on. I did not have a BBC programme with

young people taking part two I could relate to. These conversations were

not happening at the time. I had to find my own way. It has taken a

while and I have tried failures different things. Ultimately it has

been the most rewarding experience of my life. I wonder by running? How

is it helping you? I was running before I came into the programme. I

was a step ahead. Sharing the experiences with ten other people.

We have got this common thread of mental health. We all came to the

first boot camp. We instantly were able to connect with each other and

support each other. And you met with royalty. Yes. How was that? That was

a crazy day. We met with him a couple of times. They came down to

St Mary 's University in London. They did some training with us. Then

we broke up and had chats, we had a couple of the boys with the

programme, we sat down with Harry, he shares his experiences. It was

amazed to see how engaged they are the subject. They have all got

personal experiences. We have seen a lot of that in the press recently.

You could tell they were genuinely affected by it and they wanted to

help our cause. Quickly, what will your time be? Hopefully under four

hours. That is a cracking time. And Mind over Marathon is on BBC One

tonight at nine o'clock. Thousands of people have been

heading to North Yorkshire for the first day of

the Harrogate Spring Flower show. They've been treated to eye popping

displays of the best blooms If there's a plant

you fancy, chances are Cathy Killick is there

for us tonight. Look who has just arrived? All part

of the magic. It has been a busy first day of the show. The

stallholders are busy restocking their stance because this is one of

the busiest selling shows in Yorkshire. If few arrived early

enough you did get something for free, a flower to wear for the day.

More on that the moment, but first here are some of the highlights of

show. There is only one phrase for it.

Blooming marvellous. The havoc it Spring flower show has a gorgeous

celebration of what is to come. Florals are in fashion. What about

these leafy waistcoats? And these amazing floral costumes all the way

from New Zealand, especially for this show. Some of them take three

months to me. I had to do this one and a hurry. This is meant to be the

York rose. I was still working on it at four o'clock the night before we

left. In the end, put it in the suitcase, and go. But edible what's

months of work can achieve, but how about eight days? This was one of

the show garden plots last week. Look at it now.

# Some say love it as a river. It is to be a memorial garden. The

military wives choir was on hand. Seeing it come to life has been

fantastic. We will have two deconstruct and reconstructed in

camp for the soldiers and their families for years to come. It has

been a great collaborative effort and I am pleased with the result.

It's one gold and Best in show. It is remarkable what you can do with

plants. The floral street displays are inspiring. Thousands have

enjoyed them today and will until the show closes on Sunday.

If you thought having small children meant your clubbing days were over,

A baby rave has been taking place in Wakefield this afternoon.

Sheffield's internet sensation, Matt Coyne.

He's made a name for himself with his parenting blog.

It was to launch his new book. I wonder why people bother reading it.

But that is such a common experience. Someone, at three

o'clock, how difficult it is, people can appreciate the empathy. It is

hopefully funny. Hopefully people sit down and laugh.

And this story has a happy ending. A terrier found himself stuck in

ageing pipe in Barnsley. He had been there for more than 20 hours. This

afternoon after a lot of digging and coaxing firefighters managed to get

him to safety. Let us move on to the weather.

What is your weather station predicting? Not store.

I know you cannot predict snow. It is going to be a wintry northerly

next week, more fat than a minute. Some of the pictures you have sent

be in the last 24 and worse. And this was the sunset last night.

That picture came in on Instagram. The rooftop Kamara, C what is

happening on our panoramic view. -- rooftop camera. Temperatures are

hovering around 15 degrees. Eight males feel at the moment. Headlines

for tomorrow, -- it is mild at the moment. Headlines for tomorrow.

Sunshine and showers. Heel and thunder. Even snow down to lower

levels. Night frosts. Gardeners beware. At the moment the cloud are

coming in from the West or north-west. But this way they have

been breaking up. Quiet this evening. Variable overnight. That

possibly thick enough for drizzle in the West. Further it will stage I.

Frost three. A lot of close to come. That East,

West split. Light drizzle the showers, but on the East of the

Pennines, towards Scarborough, it will be a pleasant day with some

bright or sunny spells and it will also be dry. The blues will pick up

pushing round to the West or north-west but that will not stop

mild temperatures. A call to front will bring patchy rain on Friday

night. Saturday is a Calderdale batted brighter one. Sunday is a

bright start. Went three showers for much of next week.

A cold snap to come. What panoramic view of your trip would you like to

see? Shadwell or York.

Scarborough. We are always doing Scarborough.

Nothing wrong with that. Goodbye.