:00:03. > :00:09.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Nick Owen and Suzanne Virdee.
:00:09. > :00:14.Take a pay cut or face redundancies - the stark choice for council
:00:14. > :00:18.workers. Our members are going to be
:00:18. > :00:21.extremely worried about what will happen. As unemployment falls by
:00:21. > :00:27.more than anywhere else in the country, there are signs house
:00:27. > :00:31.building is recovering. We have taken 60 % of their staff
:00:31. > :00:36.are back, we lost during the recession and hope to take on
:00:36. > :00:39.another 20 % by the end of the year. They really don't want him - angry
:00:39. > :00:42.scenes at Villa Park as fans make their feelings know about ex-Blues
:00:42. > :00:46.boss Alex McLeish taking over. And inseparable in Afghanistan but
:00:46. > :00:56.after this soldier died, how the dog he saved has found a new life
:00:56. > :00:57.
:00:57. > :01:07.with his family. We have a British bulldog at the home at the moment.
:01:07. > :01:17.
:01:17. > :01:23.Good evening. Tonight, battle lines drawn as a council tries
:01:23. > :01:26.to/workers' pay. Shropshire Council insists cutting pay will cut -- or
:01:26. > :01:32.cutting jobs will be the only way to save millions of pounds.
:01:32. > :01:40.Pay will be slashed by 5.4 %. The council is negotiating with news --
:01:40. > :01:44.is negotiating with unions. They could dismiss 6,500 workers and
:01:44. > :01:48.then rehire them under the new terms and conditions.
:01:48. > :01:55.As unions elsewhere in the public sector have voted to strike, what
:01:55. > :01:59.is happening in Shropshire is being closely watched.
:01:59. > :02:04.Protecting jobs and still pumping money into front line services,
:02:04. > :02:10.Betty Shropshire Council's argument for pushing through the 5% pay cut.
:02:10. > :02:15.-- that is. I am angry and worried about what is going to happen.
:02:15. > :02:20.People make the decisions based on their finances. We have had a
:02:20. > :02:26.reduction in pay because we have had their pay increases for two
:02:26. > :02:31.years. In October before Christmas, they will be facing �1,000
:02:31. > :02:38.reduction in their salary. Second in command, 10 MacCabe, will see
:02:38. > :02:43.his �135,000 salary drop by a �7,000 over two years. I am not
:02:43. > :02:48.saying the staff are happy. They won't be happy to take a 5% pay cut
:02:48. > :02:53.on top of pay freezes. We need to have our staff on board because
:02:53. > :02:56.they are the people who deliver services. For the council is hoping
:02:56. > :03:04.to reach an agreement with unions. If no agreement is reached, the
:03:04. > :03:08.council plans to get rid of staff and then we hire them. It is
:03:08. > :03:13.legally possible to do this provided they have carried out
:03:13. > :03:19.correct consultation. They can issue notices of termination and
:03:19. > :03:27.offer re-employment. Those using the service had mixed views in this
:03:27. > :03:33.library. 5% is a horrendous amount. Not in agreement with that.
:03:33. > :03:36.have to make cuts somewhere. The people with cuts being made to
:03:36. > :03:41.their salary are going to feel it the most. The private sector has
:03:41. > :03:50.seen this before. In 2008, two- thirds of GMB union members at JCB
:03:50. > :03:54.in roaster voted for a theatre for an hour week. A year later, Jaguar
:03:54. > :04:01.and Land Rover staff voted for a one-year pay freeze and four-day
:04:01. > :04:06.week to save �70 million. Inflation on essentials like food is racing
:04:06. > :04:13.on heads at 5%. At the same time, the pay cut the council workers are
:04:13. > :04:20.facing is also a 5%. Those earning below �13,000 won't see a dip in
:04:20. > :04:25.pay. The proposals will go a bit for council later this month. --
:04:25. > :04:28.before council. Earlier we asked you what you
:04:28. > :04:31.thought. Malcolm says, he thinks they should be a national strike to
:04:31. > :04:35.bring an end to this Mickey Mouse Government.
:04:35. > :04:41.Mrs Gilbert says, it is about time the public sector joined the real-
:04:41. > :04:45.world. In the private sector, this is a way of life.
:04:45. > :04:49.John Price says, accepting cuts in pay will be easier if any example
:04:49. > :04:53.was set by management instead of greed and bonuses.
:04:53. > :04:57.Thanks for your comments. We will keep you in touch with that
:04:57. > :05:01.situation at Shropshire Council. There was far more positive news
:05:01. > :05:05.today on jobs overall. Unemployment in the West Midlands has fallen by
:05:05. > :05:09.the biggest margin in the country. 200 and that to 5,000 people were
:05:09. > :05:13.unemployed in the region between February and April and that is a
:05:13. > :05:18.drop of 20,000 on the previous quarter.
:05:18. > :05:23.Peter Plisner is at a housing development in south Birmingham.
:05:23. > :05:27.Very positive news on jobs. Part of the reason appears to be a
:05:27. > :05:32.recovering in the house construction industry.
:05:32. > :05:36.Indeed, the show houses are amongst the most modern homes in the region
:05:36. > :05:41.and next door, you can see more houses are going up. After the
:05:41. > :05:45.toughest recession, the housing sector has ever seen, more and more
:05:45. > :05:48.sites are being developed and there are plenty of buyers -- by his
:05:48. > :05:58.interest in houses like this. The developers have been surprised by
:05:58. > :06:00.
:06:00. > :06:07.Signs of life in the housing market and that this show hosts -- a show
:06:07. > :06:12.house, there has been a brisk trade. It is a good time to buy at the
:06:12. > :06:15.moment because the prices are quite reasonable. We have decided it is a
:06:15. > :06:19.good opportunity for investment and hopefully in the latter years, we
:06:19. > :06:24.will get a good return. Housebuilders were first to feel
:06:24. > :06:28.the chill wind of the recession. They have been the last to recover.
:06:28. > :06:35.Cheaper mortgages and Government incentives are encouraging more
:06:35. > :06:43.first-time buyers. The site has woodland on the front and side. The
:06:43. > :06:47.company building here say it can't come soon enough. Mortgage
:06:47. > :06:51.availability is easing and the low interest rate is helping. There has
:06:51. > :06:57.been a heavy reduction and the number of transactions and
:06:57. > :07:01.therefore there must be some demand. New homes mean that new jobs. For
:07:01. > :07:08.every new house that is built, around 1.5 permanent jobs are
:07:08. > :07:16.created. Here, around 3,500 new homes have gained planning approval,
:07:16. > :07:20.a rise on the previous three months. It is excellent news for so Cran
:07:20. > :07:25.trick -- sub-contractors. They are taking on staff after laying off
:07:25. > :07:33.around sake -- 70 carpenters during the recession. Compared to the last
:07:33. > :07:37.three years, it is feeling good. We have taken 60 % of the staff back,
:07:37. > :07:41.and we are hoping to take on another 20 % by the end of the year.
:07:41. > :07:46.Down the road at Longbridge, more evidence of a revival. Houses are
:07:46. > :07:54.being built on the site of the old Rover car factory. People are
:07:54. > :07:58.looking and saying, "we have seen residential developments and this
:07:58. > :08:03.is an opportunity to get into the housing market early.". We are
:08:03. > :08:06.clearly not out of the woods yet. This is the picture on another part
:08:06. > :08:12.of the site where a second promised housing development has yet to
:08:12. > :08:18.materialise. We have seen a fall in unemployment today. Is there
:08:19. > :08:25.evidence that we could see this long term? It is still too early to
:08:25. > :08:29.say. More jobs are being created in this area. The developer of the
:08:29. > :08:34.Longbridge site are about to go out to consultation for more horse that
:08:34. > :08:43.-- for more houses on aside. One thing we don't know is the state of
:08:43. > :08:48.the jobs in the other sector. Despite the picture with
:08:48. > :08:54.unemployment that could go up, the Skills Minister he was in a patch
:08:54. > :08:57.today, says he is encouraged. is great news. It is at the
:08:58. > :09:03.beginning of a journey. This Government set about rebuilding our
:09:03. > :09:09.economy, dealing with a deficit and investing in our people, our
:09:09. > :09:12.infrastructure. We want to make it more sustainable and robust.
:09:12. > :09:15.private sector companies like housebuilders are recovering from
:09:15. > :09:22.recession, we should be in a good position to apply many of those who
:09:22. > :09:24.are about to lose their jobs in the public sector. That is the hope.
:09:24. > :09:29.There's more confidence in the private sector that managing
:09:29. > :09:33.directors I have been speaking to are still cautious. They have faced
:09:33. > :09:39.a tough recession and they see it is too early to be creating too
:09:39. > :09:44.many new jobs at the moment. Later, we will be at the unveiling of a
:09:44. > :09:50.new multi-million-pound plant which is adding to create jobs and go a
:09:50. > :09:58.way to saving the planet. For also, reliving our history as
:09:58. > :10:02.children from the East End of London had to Shropshire for a re-
:10:02. > :10:06.run of the exodus on evacuees. On to the increasingly bitter
:10:06. > :10:10.tussle between Birmingham City and Aston Villa over former Blues
:10:10. > :10:14.manager, Alex McLeish. Some fans are making it clear tonight that
:10:14. > :10:19.they don't want McLeish at Villa Park.
:10:19. > :10:23.Nick is there for us now. What is happening?
:10:23. > :10:28.It is starting to quieten down about around 300 Aston Villa
:10:28. > :10:32.supporters were very angry at disappointment of Alex McLeish.
:10:32. > :10:37.They staged a sit-in on the streets outside the main gates here at
:10:37. > :10:43.Villa Park. They were angry. They had been small numbers but it grew
:10:43. > :10:47.and grew. There have been on the payment -- pavement and took over
:10:47. > :10:53.the road. They don't want Alex McLeish here as the next manager.
:10:53. > :10:58.Let us hear from some of the fans. If you have ambition and direction
:10:58. > :11:03.this club, we would not be thinking about employing him. They have to
:11:04. > :11:09.learn that this is not good enough. Our credibility is bankrupt. The
:11:09. > :11:13.country is laughing. They are laughing at the board. For he is
:11:13. > :11:20.hour rivals manager. We don't like Birmingham City and they don't like
:11:20. > :11:29.us. We don't want him. For please, go away and go to Scotland. Leave
:11:30. > :11:37.us alone and get out the country. You are useless. Some passion there.
:11:37. > :11:40.First, things are cranked up. Villa announced that they consider
:11:40. > :11:45.McLeish to be a free agent who would -- and they would interview
:11:45. > :11:48.him imminently about the job. Birmingham responded cooling the
:11:48. > :11:53.actions eight taint on football. They said they would lodge a formal
:11:53. > :12:00.complaint with the football authorities at what they call this
:12:00. > :12:03.tap up attempt. Nick, what you think will happen next? Alex
:12:03. > :12:08.McLeish has interrupted his holiday to come back and talk today in
:12:08. > :12:13.London. Fetters with a view to appointing him as manager if they
:12:13. > :12:17.believe he is the right candidate. That is with their view. You have
:12:17. > :12:22.to wonder, would be really put themselves through this if they
:12:22. > :12:27.weren't going to appoint Alex McLeish as their new manager? Alex
:12:27. > :12:32.McLeish is a very tough man. He has managed Rangers in Scotland. You
:12:32. > :12:37.have to be hard to do their job. He was a tough centre-half in his
:12:37. > :12:42.playing days. He will not be put up -- after bathing the club will give
:12:42. > :12:52.him the job. We will have to wait to see what will happen. Maybe it
:12:52. > :12:52.
:12:52. > :12:55.Alex McLeish will be the new Now, other news.
:12:55. > :12:58.After 150 years, a part of farming history has closed its doors.
:12:58. > :13:01.Thousands of animals have been bought and sold in that time at
:13:01. > :13:04.Hereford cattle market, but now it's moving to new premises. But
:13:04. > :13:07.it's the redevelopment of the old site that's causing controversy, as
:13:07. > :13:10.Cath Mackie reports. Aged 90, farmer Jack Sparey has
:13:10. > :13:20.been coming to Hereford cattle market for over 80 years. And today,
:13:20. > :13:24.he's come to say goodbye. To me, it is a sad day. But I have had my
:13:24. > :13:27.turn. So I mustn't grumble. After 154 years, the livestock sales are
:13:27. > :13:33.coming to an end on this city centre site - the market's moving
:13:33. > :13:36.to purpose built premises on the outskirts of the city. It will make
:13:36. > :13:42.it easier for us to have the Newmarket there because we won't
:13:42. > :13:47.have congestion. It is easier out of town but it is sad. The road
:13:47. > :13:51.system cannot cope. It is a marvellous piece of history.
:13:51. > :13:54.Unfortunately, it has got to move on. But it is very happy memories
:13:54. > :13:57.and looking forward to a future. Today, though, is not all about
:13:57. > :14:00.nostalgia. There are real political arguments over the future of this
:14:00. > :14:03.site and whether or not its redevelopment will be good or bad
:14:03. > :14:10.for Hereford. Shops, restaurants and a cinema will replace the
:14:10. > :14:15.livestock pens. When you think of multiplex cinemas wanting to come
:14:15. > :14:19.to Hereford for the last 15 years, this is a sensible place to develop
:14:19. > :14:21.for. But detractors say it'll cut the city in half. The It's Our
:14:21. > :14:27.County party grew out of the opposition, winning seats at last
:14:27. > :14:33.months local elections. I welcome the shops, don't get me wrong.
:14:33. > :14:39.Hereford needs better shops. But to put them all on one place, on the
:14:39. > :14:42.age of city centre with four lanes dividing the city, it spells
:14:42. > :14:45.competition, and all those local businesses that feed off the town
:14:45. > :14:48.centre will lose out. That theory will be tested when the
:14:48. > :14:51.redevelopment's completed in 2013. But today was about saying goodbye
:14:51. > :15:01.to a piece of rural history as the auction hammer fell for the last
:15:01. > :15:03.
:15:03. > :15:07.time. The end of an era. For more on the colourful history of
:15:07. > :15:10.Hereford's market and pictures, take a look at the website.
:15:10. > :15:13.A 16-year-old boy accused of killing a Warwickshire tennis coach
:15:13. > :15:15.in Florida has allegedly confessed to another prison inmate. Shawn
:15:16. > :15:18.Tyson is currently awaiting trial for shooting 25-year-old James
:15:18. > :15:23.Cooper from Warwick and his university friend James Kouzaris in
:15:23. > :15:29.April. According to court documents obtained by a Florida newspaper,
:15:29. > :15:31.prosecutors allege Tyson told a fellow inmate he killed both men.
:15:31. > :15:36.Stoke-on-Trent would benefit from significant regeneration if it was
:15:36. > :15:39.part of the high speed rail route, according to the city council. It's
:15:39. > :15:43.now likely to try to secure a station that would be used by the
:15:43. > :15:46.fast rail link from London to the Midlands. Meanwhile, Birmingham
:15:46. > :15:50.City Council claims most people living along the route in the city
:15:50. > :15:55.support the scheme. People living near the proposed tracks were asked
:15:55. > :15:57.for their views with nearly two thirds backing the plans.
:15:57. > :16:01.With unemployment down in the region, another boost to the
:16:01. > :16:05.economy now. A �2 million machine's been unveiled which it's hoped will
:16:05. > :16:08.create jobs and help cut emissions by turning rubbish into fuel. The
:16:08. > :16:12.finished product is being used to power a nearby factory and will
:16:12. > :16:17.prevent 20,000 tonnes of rubbish going to landfill every year. Bob
:16:17. > :16:21.Hockenhull reports. It looks like something out of
:16:22. > :16:25.Wallace and Gromit. But its purpose is deadly serious. The shredder has
:16:25. > :16:33.cost �2 million to install at a waste plant in Rugby and is the
:16:33. > :16:37.first of its kind in the country. 50% of the rubbish would have gone
:16:37. > :16:41.to land will a few months ago but now the Schroder has been installed,
:16:41. > :16:44.only a fraction of it is going to land four and eventually, none of
:16:44. > :16:46.it will be going to landfill. That's because the machine can
:16:46. > :16:50.separate materials like plastic, textiles and cardboard which were
:16:50. > :16:53.previously considered unusable. Strong magnets take out metals and
:16:54. > :16:57.rubble to leave this. It's called Refuse Derived Fuel and is being
:16:57. > :17:06.used to power this cement making plant less than two miles down the
:17:06. > :17:10.road. I feel other companies can use this material. There is a lot
:17:10. > :17:13.of it and it is the right thing to do morally and environmentally.
:17:13. > :17:15.alternative is this. The UK dumps more than 50 million tonnes of
:17:15. > :17:25.waste into landfill every year. Companies are charged �70 a tonne
:17:25. > :17:30.to dispose of it and that price is set to increase annually. Britain
:17:30. > :17:36.is behind the rest of Europe in its treatment of waste. It is not
:17:36. > :17:39.sustainable. We will run out of places to put it soon. Investing in
:17:39. > :17:46.the shredder has helped secure jobs, it's provided a cleaner alternative
:17:46. > :17:48.to fossil fuels and it's helping to save the planet.
:17:48. > :17:51.Still to come tonight: As Wimbledon approaches, what's
:17:51. > :17:56.happened to our grass roots tennis and when will we ever produce a
:17:56. > :18:00.champion to take the title? And there's a total lunar eclipse
:18:00. > :18:10.tonight. Question is, will you be able to see? Find out what the
:18:10. > :18:12.
:18:12. > :18:15.One of the most poignant episodes of World War Two was re-enacted
:18:15. > :18:18.today as a Shropshire village welcomed a new wave of London
:18:18. > :18:22.evacuees. The evacuation from Britain's cities involved nearly
:18:22. > :18:25.three million people. Children were told to take with them only
:18:25. > :18:32.essentials, including a knife, fork and spoon, and a warm coat or
:18:32. > :18:37.mackintosh. It is heart-warming, isn't it? But what would today's
:18:37. > :18:43.generation make of it all? Here's Sarah Falkland.
:18:43. > :18:47.It is goodbye to cities. The children had for the special train.
:18:47. > :18:49.They are not worrying - they are going on holiday!
:18:49. > :18:52.Operation Pied Piper, the biggest and most concentrated mass movement
:18:52. > :18:55.of people in British history. Children at St Mary's in Bucknell
:18:55. > :18:59.in Shropshire were only expecting 62 pupils from a primary school in
:18:59. > :19:06.Peckham in London. Only it wasn't quite the smooth operation of 1939.
:19:06. > :19:09.They weren't on board, but they did eventually arrive by bus. This was
:19:09. > :19:16.the culmination of their history project on World War Two and the
:19:16. > :19:21.evacuation. They might have been a bit scared of leaving their home
:19:21. > :19:26.and they might have wanted to stay, but I think they would be happy
:19:26. > :19:31.they were sent away instead of being bombed. They wouldn't have
:19:31. > :19:35.seen farmyard animals and so much green. And, yes, it would probably
:19:35. > :19:40.be difficult. And for many of these modern day pretend evacuees, it was
:19:40. > :19:48.their first experience of the British countryside. Which do you
:19:48. > :19:54.prefer? I prefer Shropshire. you? Why? Because at night time, I
:19:54. > :19:58.will be able to sleep. In Peckham at night time, I wake up early in
:19:58. > :20:03.the morning because of noise. village hall was the first port of
:20:03. > :20:06.call for many evacuees. If they would be lined up and picked out by
:20:07. > :20:13.a host families. Today, the children from Peckham are having a
:20:13. > :20:17.slightly different experience. Each one of us will be issued with
:20:17. > :20:21.a look gas mask. A light hearted play about the evacuation, but the
:20:21. > :20:25.reality could be very different. When it came to going to bed, there
:20:25. > :20:33.were no -- there was no room for us. There was no preparation and we
:20:33. > :20:38.were not wanted, obviously. We were taken up to the attic. We opened up
:20:38. > :20:41.our cases and got into our cases across an open case and covered
:20:41. > :20:50.ourselves with clothes. There was a warm welcome for today's evacuees,
:20:50. > :20:55.though. And no rationing! It is a lot more fun when it is not
:20:55. > :20:58.real, isn't it? That is grim. Some amazing stories have come out over
:20:58. > :21:01.the years. With just five days to go until the
:21:01. > :21:04.start of Wimbledon, a new �2 million tennis centre was opened in
:21:04. > :21:06.Shropshire today by the former British number one Greg Rusedski.
:21:06. > :21:10.It's claimed more people play tennis every week than cricket,
:21:10. > :21:13.rugby union and rugby league combined. But several clubs in the
:21:13. > :21:23.region have seen membership fall so low, they're on the verge of
:21:23. > :21:28.
:21:28. > :21:31.A performance! For two weeks every year, tennis
:21:31. > :21:35.becomes the nation's favourite sport and we hold our breath and
:21:35. > :21:39.dream that one day a British player will be crowned Wimbledon champion.
:21:39. > :21:47.And could it be that a future champion is discovered here at the
:21:47. > :21:52.new �2 million tennis centre in Telford? My father used to play
:21:52. > :22:00.tennis and we started in the park. That is how I got involved. I gave
:22:00. > :22:06.it to go and made a career out of it. Despite the investment, it is
:22:06. > :22:08.not so pretty and other clubs. Bilston Tennis Club is on the edge,
:22:08. > :22:13.with two courts unrecognisable, membership numbers have dropped
:22:13. > :22:18.dramatically. If things don't change in the next couple of years,
:22:18. > :22:22.it is more than likely this club is not going to be around. At Yardley
:22:22. > :22:27.in Birmingham, two of the four courts are completely unplayable
:22:27. > :22:31.and have fallen into such a state of disrepair that until recently
:22:31. > :22:36.this club was on the brink of closure. It's is up to us and
:22:36. > :22:40.coaches like us, to think out of the box, get into schools, try to
:22:40. > :22:44.find some funding and good activity going. In Telford, the top man in
:22:44. > :22:48.British tennis joined the celebrations. Roger, this is a
:22:48. > :22:52.beautiful facility but I have seen tennis facilities in the Midlands
:22:52. > :22:56.that have got weeds growing up the outside courts. It is not about the
:22:56. > :22:59.facilities but the people as well so what we can do is help with
:22:59. > :23:05.facility investments, loans and grants, but people may things
:23:05. > :23:07.happen. As well as spending money here, up to �5 million has been
:23:07. > :23:11.promised to the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham but elsewhere
:23:11. > :23:21.there is a desperate need for support and funding, and there is
:23:21. > :23:21.
:23:21. > :23:28.no doubt some of the region's We do see some sad courts around.
:23:28. > :23:38.They are expensive to maintain. But in two weeks, and they will all
:23:38. > :23:40.
:23:40. > :23:43.Private Conrad Lewis from Warwickshire was just 22 when he
:23:43. > :23:47.was shot dead in Afghanistan. Before he died he'd started to look
:23:47. > :23:50.after a stray dog and vowed one day to bring her home. Well, now his
:23:50. > :23:53.family have fulfilled that promise, as Kevin Reide's been finding out.
:23:53. > :23:55.Conrad Lewis in action in the Nad Ali district of Afghanistan. As
:23:55. > :23:58.well as befriending the locals, he also took to this three-year-old
:23:58. > :24:01.stray mongrel who he named Pegasus after the Parachute Regiment's
:24:01. > :24:08.emblem. Sadly, Conrad was never able to fulfil a vow to take her
:24:08. > :24:11.out of harms way and bring her to the UK. But now, just months after
:24:11. > :24:18.his death, his family with the help on animal charity, have answered
:24:18. > :24:22.his wishes. He loved the dock. He wrote about her extensively. At
:24:22. > :24:28.Christmas, he said he would have liked to bring her back, so we have
:24:28. > :24:32.completed that for him. With the help of the Dogs Trust. She is
:24:32. > :24:35.howling to him out there. She was by his side throughout that period.
:24:35. > :24:37.Pegasus will have to stay in quarantine until November, and then
:24:37. > :24:44.she'll be allowed to join Conrad's family. It's something they're
:24:44. > :24:48.really looking forward to. It is heart-wrenching coming here every
:24:48. > :24:53.weekend and seeing her and wanting to take her home, and her wanting
:24:53. > :24:58.to come home, but it is going to be worth it in the end. She is really
:24:58. > :25:03.placid, easy to get along with. And... She would join the family
:25:03. > :25:07.really well. You think what she has been through, the life she could
:25:07. > :25:11.have had, and hopefully the life she will have from now on. She will
:25:11. > :25:13.be very loved for. And back at the family home, they're already
:25:13. > :25:16.immortalising Conrad's love of his four legged friend in this painting.
:25:16. > :25:22.It show's him and his colleagues in armed combat, whilst Pegasus scours
:25:22. > :25:32.the floor for scraps. She can now expect a much more comfortable and
:25:32. > :25:37.
:25:37. > :25:47.She doesn't want to say goodbye. She will be all right soon.
:25:47. > :25:53.A wonderful link with Conrad. The weather now.
:25:53. > :25:55.The re and Bob has been tame, but we have still got some showers this
:25:55. > :26:02.evening. We have got a lunar eclipse taking
:26:02. > :26:10.place tonight, so will you be able to see it? Probably not. This will
:26:10. > :26:15.happen at 9:30pm, and by 11pm, we will have more rain. This is where
:26:16. > :26:23.we are. This cold front and this other front, with a bundle of
:26:23. > :26:27.showers. The secluded front creates the swell of rain. Tonight, we have
:26:27. > :26:34.got showers, a line of them running through Eastern parts. They will be
:26:34. > :26:39.moving away this evening, so perhaps some brief clear spells. By
:26:40. > :26:45.the end of the night, it is going to be covering most of these
:26:45. > :26:50.southern half. Further North, it is looking dry, but there is a lot of
:26:50. > :26:55.cloud around, leaving it reasonably mild. For the morning, it is
:26:55. > :27:00.looking damp and grey, especially in the South and East and the rain
:27:00. > :27:05.clears away quickly to the East followed by quite a few showers,
:27:05. > :27:10.widespread, heavy showers, some of them turning thundery. There will
:27:10. > :27:16.not be much sunshine in between. They take temperatures up to 19 in
:27:16. > :27:21.the South, but only 15 in the North, and could turn breezy. Heavy rain
:27:21. > :27:24.on Friday. That is a good thing, I suppose.
:27:24. > :27:26.A look at tonight's main headlines: Another union joins the protest
:27:26. > :27:29.against pension cuts. Civil servants vote to join teachers in a
:27:29. > :27:37.walk out on June 30th. And staff at Shropshire Council