08/11/2017 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good evening, welcome

to Wednesday's Look North.

On the programme tonight:

Hiding behind sham marriages.

How lesbian and gay Asian people

in Yorkshire are pairing up online

to marry and avoid shame

within their communities.

Islamically we were only married

for four or five days, but as a

marriage of convenience it went

on for eight or nine years.

One religious leader tells

us being gay is a sin

and they must leave the faith.

Also tonight: Pioneering mental

health treatment in Wakefield

which is thought to be the only one

of its kind in the UK.

Aiming high - the teenage

trampolining champion

from Wharfedale hoping for a medal

in the World Championships.

If you are someone who loves

to count down the days to Christmas,

this is no doubt the date ringed

in red on your calendar because this

is the day Chatsworth house

reveals its Christmas 2017 theme.

And what a glorious day it has been.

There should be more sunshine for

Thursday, what about Friday and we

can. Join me for the latest

forecasts.

Join me for the latest forecasts.

Hello, thank you for joining us.

Hello, thank you for joining us.

An investigation by BBC Yorkshire

has revealed that hundreds

of gay men and lesbians

from South East Asian communities

are using websites and forums

to arrange marriages of convenience.

Many feel that pressures from family

and their community means they can't

declare their sexuality.

They fear it would bring shame

because their religions do not

condone same-sex relationships.

Sabbiyah Pervez reports.

I wanted my family to

have the wedding that they wanted,

to make them happy,

to make them proud.

Khalid is a gay Muslim

living in Leeds.

For eight years he was married

to a lesbian in a marriage

of convenience that allowed them

both to hide their sexuality.

There was a lot to think about.

It wasn't just, yeah,

let's get married, that

will get our families off our backs.

There was where are

we going to live?

What are the living

arrangements going to be?

When are we going to see the family?

It took us three years in planning.

Their families believed

it was a typical heterosexual

marriage, but in reality the couple

lived apart and led

entirely separate lives.

We would meet up on the M62 and go

in the same car to see the family.

On an emotional level

because you are living an additional

lie on top of the lie of being gay,

it does get to you.

The pressures do get to you.

Marriages of convenience

are not new.

But whereas before Asians

who are lesbians are gay might have

But whereas before Asians

who are lesbians or gay might have

found it difficult to find potential

partners, now the Internet makes it

easier and provides them

with the anonymity that they need.

One online forum we have

seen has over 1000 posts

about marriages of convenience.

Whilst another one has almost 300

current members from the UK.

Carmen Ivana Helpline,

how can I help you?

Carmen Ivana is a human rights

charity based here in Yorkshire.

They say they have seen a rapid

increase over the past two years

in the number of calls

they are getting from

Asian LGBT people.

We are dealing with

the tip of the iceberg.

I believe the story of the marriages

of convenience and the issues

of LGBT communities is a big,

hidden issue out there.

The extent of the problem

is going to be far more

than what we are seeing and hearing.

Being gay is not about sex,

it is about falling in love

with someone of the same

gender as yourself.

Matthew Mahmoud Oxton was engaged

to marry his partner Naseem,

but in 2014, Naseem committed

suicide just two days

after his family confronted

him about being gay.

Why can't people just accept me?

Matthew now goes into schools like

this one in Leeds to try and change

attitudes about homosexuality.

The way we change these

attitudes is to have

conversations like this,

more conversations, more school

talks, more university talks,

more work in the media,

but more importantly to go

into the communities themselves

and actually talk quite openly

about love, unconditional love,

and what might happen

to their own children

if they are not really

accepted for who they are.

I think the lack of awareness causes

a lot of trouble in society.

I think people need to be more

open-minded about different people

and the fact that it is not

a choice, it is how

they were actually born.

Khalid now regrets his marriage

and says he wouldn't do it again,

but he doesn't believe his family

would be upset by his deception.

I don't think they would be shocked.

I almost think my mother

would be proud that I did it

to save the family's name

and the standing

within the community.

But they wouldn't understand

the reason why I couldn't do it any

more and why it felt I wanted to get

a divorce and live

the life I wanted to live.

Khalid ending that report.

Well, the majority of the people

using these websites

are from the Hindu and Muslim

faiths, but the two religions have

quite differing opinions.

It's the older generation who need

to become perhaps more aware

and more knowledgeable of the fact

that it is not against a religion,

it is a societal pressure.

I would recommend to those people

who are doing this do not do two

wrongs because two wrongs will not

make it right.

If you are struggling

with your faith, that is your

personal journey with God.

However, deceiving other people

is in itself a moral problem.

Well Sabbiyah, who brought us that

report, joins us now.

So this is a real problem

especially for muslims

because in Islam homosexuality

is classed as a sin?

Yes, it is important to note that

the act itself is prohibitive. I

spoke to a lot of local imams and a

lot of them were saying the same

thing that feeling attracted to some

of the same gender is not at fault

because you are not judged, but it

is acting on those impulses. That is

similar to the Roman Catholic view

as well.

as well.

So a clear issue for Muslims.

But for example the Hindu Council

say homosexuality is not

against their religion,

so why are marriages

of convenience still happening

amongst other religions?

I think the culture can be more

restrictive than the religion, that

is your culture, your family and

what is expected of you. These days

they are expecting a heterosexual

marriage. If you are gay you cannot

go down that route, but you feel

those pressures to conform to those

expectations. South Asian

communities have been dealing with

homosexuality for a long time, but

hardly been dealing with it is

pushing it under the carpet. Some

people say the first thing we need

to do is break down the stigma of

talking about sex and relationships

and provides safe spaces so young

people can talk about how they are

feeling, what they are going

through, so they are supported and

not pushed down this route to lying

and deceiving their families and

their communities.

Is that a

realistic thing or will this

deception continue?

We have seen it

in different religions. Look at the

Anglicans and Roman Catholics

themselves who are moving to a more

progressive and liberal approach.

Even in western faith there are a

fringe minority views coming through

and saying homosexuality is

permissible, this is something

between the individual and their

God, who are you to judge? Those

views are coming through and as a

new generation comes through they

will start changing.

Next tonight, patients say

a pioneering form of underwater

treatment for mental health problems

needs to be made available

outside Wakefield.

Watsu treatment has been trialled

at Pinderfields hospital

and has had 100% positive

feedback from patients.

It's thought the unusual form

of treatment isn't available

anywhere else in the UK.

Ali Fortescue reports.

It is hospital treatment

as you probably have

not seen it before.

Watsu involves stretching

and massaging patients

in a pool of warm water.

Unusual perhaps, but this

is a treatment that

appears to be working.

Nothing has had the impact

like Watsu has because it is more

than words, it is practical,

it is physical.

There is a huge amount of trust

involved and you have to be

totally submissive to it.

Just let yourself go.

It improves sleep, it induces

relaxation, it brings

down anxiety levels,

it improves lung function.

Through the gentle movements

and the warmth of the water

as health practitioners we can treat

any part of the body in a very safe

and a very gentle way.

All mental health patients

are different, but Watsu treatment

has had just positive feedback

from around 60 patients,

many of whom have identified

it as a turning point

in their recovery.

Pinderfields is the only hospital

that offers this treatment

to mental health patients

on the NHS in Yorkshire.

But the problem isn't just access,

it is what happens when patients

leave the hospital.

Because funding stops

at the hospital doors,

patients say recovery at home

without Watsu can be tough,

but since we raised the issue

the Trust are now reviewing

their current after-care plan.

If you have mental illness a lot

of the time you become

socially isolated.

It is very difficult anywhere

to actually open up in the fear

of being ridiculed and dismissed.

But here there is none of that.

Here we are so part of,

we are made to feel worthwhile.

It is very life changing.

The hope is that success

in Wakefield will inspire hospitals

across the country and that more

patients like Michael can

leave the scars of mental

health behind them.

Still on the way before seven

tonight: How martial arts

are making a difference.

We'll find out how the ancient

techniques are helping young

Yorkshire students stay

focused at school.

Let's get some news in brief from

around the region.

Let's get some news in brief

from around the region.

Strikes continued today on rail

services across Yorkshire meaning

some trains are cancelled

or replaced by buses.

Members of the RMT union

at Northern Rail have walked out

for 24 hours in a long-running row

over driver-only trains.

Drax power station wants to stop

generating electricity from coal

and switch to burning gas.

People living near the power station

have the chance to look over

the plans at a meeting

in Selby tonight.

The power station says it plans

to stop burning coal completely

in the next eight years.

NHS bosses in Scarborough

and Ryedale are holding two

public meetings to discuss

their worsening financial situation.

The first is tonight

in Malton, with the other

in Scarborough next week.

They want to know what people think

about money-saving measures

including travelling further

for hospital appointments,

longer delays for non-urgent

operations and cutting the number

of prescribed medicines.

The Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical

Commissioning group is one of three

NHS organisations in North Yorkshire

placed into financial special

measures where spending is capped.

Wakefield Council have unveiled

a brand new fleet of gritters ahead

of this year's cold spell.

It's hoped the 14 new state

of the art vehicles

will help to maintain the county's

roads more quickly and

safer than ever before.

The authority claim they'll be

twenty percent cheaper

than their previous fleet.

The high tech machines have already

begun gritting the district's roads.

What our residents expect is that we

do our very best to keep the roads

open when the worst of the weather

hits us. By investing in this fleet

of brand-new vehicles we can do just

that. It is important to make sure

all our residents can get to work,

go to school and we keep all our

hospitals open, so we think it is a

really good investment.

How do you

get kids to concentrate in class?

How do you get kids to

Well, one school in Yorkshire

is using martial arts to help pupils

who are struggling to focus.

Mount St Mary's in Leeds is sending

small groups to jujitsu

classes and say they've seen big

improvements in the teenagers who've

been learning the new skills.

Warming up for a jujitsu session,

but this is not about keeping fit,

it is about keeping focused.

The boys come here once a week

to learn skills that will also help

them back in school.

They are being taught by

Fred Greenall, a Brazilian jujitsu

champion and a qualified teacher.

They are learning martial arts,

but what it is about is

self-discipline, speaking

with respect to others,

working as part of a team.

Obviously they learn martial arts

but it is non-violent,

non-aggressive, self-defence type

of martial art.

So when they come in here

into a slightly different

environment they are learning

the skills, about how

to work with others,

learning the rhythm of work,

learning what it is like to work

with other people and other

people are learning those

things alongside them.

It does improve their attendance,

performance, behaviour.

The teenagers are all pupils

at Mount Saint Mary's in Leeds.

They have been coming

here for six weeks.

English and maths are also

part of the programme.

These sessions are already

making a big difference

back in the classroom.

You get taught how to be more

resilient, you get taught

how to deal with anger,

which emotions to show and which not

to show, and how to deal

with certain situations.

It helps me out, it helps me do my

work and concentrate in school.

Most of all respect towards my

teachers, family members

and a lot more really.

Teachers say some of these boys

were at risk of becoming disengaged

with lessons at school.

While much of the work here

is physical, the impact has been

improved behaviour and attitude.

Normally I would just

lash out but now I don't

because I find it like,

kind of I keep it in and then

I come here and I can let

all my stresses out.

Last year I was like a bit naughty,

but this year I've changed.

Like I've been doing all right

and I haven't been as angry as much

and I've been respectful to people.

That the boys themselves can see

the progress they have made just

shows how the jujitsu approach

is hitting the mark.

On to football and Bradford City

lost 3-0 at home to Rotherham

in the Checkatrade Trophy last night

but made history by giving

a first team debut to their

youngest ever player.

First-half goals from Jerry Yates,

Jonson Clarke-Harris

and Richie Towell gave

the Millers their first

win in five games.

But it was 15-year-old

Reece Staunton who made it

a night to remember,

coming on the pitch for the last 15

minutes to become the Bantams'

youngest player aged 15 years

and 332 days.

A Huddersfield player accused

of biting the Captain

of the Lebanese team

at the Rugby League World Cup in

Australia has been found not guilty.

This is the moment Jermaine

McGillvary allegedly bit

Robbie Farah during Saturday's win.

The disciplinary hearing in Sydney

earlier this morning found him not

guilty and he's been cleared

to remain with the England Squad.

Now to the Leeds teenager whose

gymnastic talents have

catapulted him sky high.

At just 16 years old, Harrison Green

is going to represent Great Britain

at the double-mini-trampolining

World Championships.

And if you can't picture this sport,

we're about to show

you some spectacular moves.

Heidi Tomlinson's been to meet this

amazing young athlete.

Charging towards not one but two

trampolines, Harrison Green looks

fearless, twisting and turning in

the air. Seconds later a solid

landing, demonstrating why he's won

the double mini trampolining in the

British Championships two years in

the running and now the 16-year-old

has qualified for the World

Championships in Bulgaria next week.

I am really excited, but also

nervous. I am going for experience

and I want to do well and make the

final, so coming in the top eight. I

want to have some fun.

This spot

differs to standard trampolining in

that you bounced twice in quick

succession on two mini trampolines

and they are judged on artistry and

landing.

To have somebody who is not

sitting until next month, he will be

the youngest in the category, but he

has outscored a lot of the senior

gymnasts from Great Britain, so we

have high hopes for him in the

competition next weekend.

These

moves look impressive when you see

them on the telly and when you stand

beside the side of the trampoline it

is quite scary to watch. I wanted to

give you an impression of how it

feels when you are up there

somersaulting. He is coming now, so

I will get out of the way.

I get

scared, but it feels nice in the

air, but sometimes it is a bit of a

blur like flashing lights, but it is

really good.

All his life he has

wanted to represent Great Britain,

get that GB kit from being a little

boy. For us to go to Bulgaria and do

that it is fantastic, it is the

first time and wonderful really.

Double mini trampolining is not

recognised in the Olympics, the

World Championships is as good as it

gets. But it is second nature for

Harrison to aim high. He is after a

medal. He is good on that

trampoline.

Really talented.

Really talented.

Now, we've had to leave

the studio for our next story.

Prepare yourself for

a live science experiment

which I may live to regret!

The Otley Science Festival

turns ten this week.

It's aimed at everyone aged

five to 95 with a range

of activities throughout the week.

Self-described "science bloke"

Marty Jopson is the man

behind the festival

and he's here with us now.

Ten years is quite a record.

It is

fantastic. I had no idea it would

still be going when we started this

ten years ago. It is a treat to be

able to carry on doing this.

It is

accessible because you make things

very engaging. You have got some

props for us now.

This is part of

what we call the oddly molecule

trail. These are models of some of

the common chemical compounds you

find in all sorts of things. If you

grab that one, that one is called

humour lean. These are individual

atoms.

These are all around us.

Yes,

and this is the bitter compound in

hops, so that is what makes bitter

bitter. This is one of my

favourites, it is called

theobromine. It is a bit like

caffeine, and it gives you a

chocolate bars.

How about this

little fella?

That is ethanol. That

makes beer. Then you need this on

afterwards because it is aspirin.

How important is it for young people

to appreciate sites practically?

People may be put off it thinking it

is too complicated with equations

and chemical formula.

It is

essential we engage with young

people and older people because it

is a technological world. If we do

not understand science, how do we

navigate the world? It is important

to enthuse people about science.

It

seems to be having a moment, people

are into science and exploring the

world around us.

And it is what we

are trying to do. I have got the

show on Friday and a big science

fair on Saturday. It is all

happening.

Talking about this

experiment. Lottie has volunteered

to put her life on the line for Look

North. Let's do this. I will take

one for the team.

This is Mr spiky.

Hello. He is on a long pendulum, so

back up, keep going, keep going. We

are going to put Mr spiky close to

your face, really close. Then I will

let go and he will swing away, but

because of the laws of conservation

energy and the laws of science we

know he cannot come further back

than he started. We definitely know

that?

Yes and you trust the size?

Sort of.

It is nothing to do with me

it is part of science. This is part

of my show on Friday. Would you look

at it when it happens?

No, I am in

denial.

Do not move forward. Hey! I

don't get danger money. There is

some aspirin over there.

Your life

in their hands and you have come out

intact.

intact.

"Bah, humbug!"

The famous words of course

by Ebenezer Scrooge from

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol,

the writer who many say

was responsible for creating

the festive traditions

we still enjoy today.

Well, Dickens' influence is being

celebrated at Chatsworth House

where they'll be bringing some

of his much-loved stories

to life with the help

of characters like Fagin,

Bill Sikes and Miss Havisham.

Tom Ingall has been to take a look.

Autumn is still catching

the breath at Chatsworth,

but inside the house life

is always moving forward.

The firs are being spruced,

the baubles dangled,

it is Christmas time,

but is that Christmas

past or present?

Well, we have been thinking

about doing Dickens

for quite some time just

because it is so atmospheric

and everybody thinks

of A Christmas Carol and Christmas

stories to do with Dickens

so it is something we

really wanted to do.

We have tried to liven it up a bit

because obviously Dickens can be

a bit sad in places,

and we have taken it

into each of the rooms,

taken the main stories and given it

a bit of pizzazz.

In the State dining room the table

is being dressed for the wedding

breakfast Miss Havisham

will never eat.

Scrooge sleeps uneasily

in the bedroom nearby.

And who knows what delights

will catch the eye in the window

of the old curiosity shop?

How many people does it take to put

your decorations up every year?

It must take a while.

We have got two main teams who get

involved in the decorations team

and there are probably about 20

of us altogether, although we don't

work at the same time.

We have a shift system,

we start early in the morning

and finish mid afternoon and then

the second shift comes

on until the night.

But even with double

shifting the decorating,

Dickensifying Chatsworth takes time.

They were not finished today,

so only the ghost of Christmas yet

to come can tell you if this story

came to a happy ending.

There will be an awful lot of pine

needles to brush away.

As soon as bonfire night is over I

am Christmas all the way. I love it,

fairy lights the lot.

I would rather

wait until the week before.

I bet

you have been out spending your

money.

No, I work all week and wait for the

sales to come in. Get your have

priced bargains.

This picture was taken last night in

Sheffield. A lovely picture there.

The second picture is something we

will see a lot of, especially at the

weekend. It looks like lots of blue

sky, lots of sunshine around. Thank

you, Linda. This is the next one. I

went here in July and the view was

very similar. That is 2000 feet up

and it is looking stunning as ever.

Keep the pictures coming in, you can

send them in on Instagram or on the

website. Let's have a look at the

headline for tomorrow. It is looking

not too bad, we will get off to a

fairly cloudy, damp start. The cloud

will break up and lots of sunshine

developing, becoming sunny during

the course of the day. We have got

cold weather on the way over the

weekend. Watch the blue developed

over Saturday and into Sunday.

Widespread frost inland, but it will

be mainly sunny skies for many of

us. The chance of a few showers on

the coast on Sunday. The air is

coming all the way from the Arctic

Circle. Air temperatures just 7

degrees despite the sunshine. What a

beautiful day it has been today.

Lots of sunshine around. The cloud

is beginning to increase from the

North West. We have had 0 Celsius at

Riggindale and we have got three in

the Vale of York. Temperatures will

level off in the next couple of

hours as the cloud increases from

the North West. Patchy rain and

drizzle chiefly over the hills. By

the end of the night that rain

across the Pennines will begin to

clear. Lower temperatures lifting

through the course of the night. By

dawn it will be about five or six.

The sun rises in the morning. A bit

of dampness first thing,

particularly over the Pennines. But

that patchy rain will sink quickly

southwards and you can see the

breaks in the cloud moving south

eastwards. It looks lovely and dry

and mainly sunny once again. The

breeze in the West or Southwest. It

should feel a little milder.

Tomorrow it will be 11 or 12

degrees. It might go up to 13 for

eastern parts of South Yorkshire.

Thursday night sees patchy rain

spreading back in from the North

West. Friday looks bright day with

sunny spells. A few spells running

into western South Yorkshire,

particularly over the Pennines. The

weekend looks cold, windy, sunny and

mostly dry, just a few coastal

showers to come. That is the

forecast tonight.

I am thinking I might get a clause

in my contract about danger money.

Thank you. We will be back later. I

will see you at ten o'clock.

Goodbye.