:00:04. > :00:11.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Michael Collie and Suzanne
:00:11. > :00:16.Virdee. The headlines tonight: The Queen honours Midlands soldiers who
:00:17. > :00:21.have served in Afghanistan. finer moment for a soldier, than to
:00:21. > :00:25.have his medal given to him, by his sovereign. And Her Majesty
:00:25. > :00:28.remembers the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Relief
:00:28. > :00:31.for the school where the threat of closure has finally been lifted.
:00:31. > :00:41.And seconds out for the footballers facing a different kind of pre-
:00:41. > :00:58.
:00:58. > :01:03.season training. Good evening and welcome to Wednesday's Midlands
:01:03. > :01:06.Today from the BBC. Tonight, the Queen honours West Midlands
:01:06. > :01:09.soldiers who fought on the front line in Afghanistan and remembers
:01:09. > :01:11.those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Her Majesty presented
:01:11. > :01:14.medals to 15 soldiers at Lichfield Cathedral before visiting the
:01:14. > :01:18.National Memorial Arboretum to commemorate the lives of 112
:01:18. > :01:28.military personnel killed during 2010. Was corporate, our stature
:01:28. > :01:32.
:01:32. > :01:38.reporter, joins us now. -- Liz Copper our Staffordshire reporter.
:01:38. > :01:41.The Queen began the day at Lichfield Cathedral. As she arrived
:01:41. > :01:47.at this ancient cathedral close, there was a Guard of Honour are to
:01:47. > :01:51.greet the Queen. First she presented medals to members of the
:01:51. > :01:54.Royal Murcia and Lancastrian Yeomanry, men who had left civilian
:01:55. > :02:00.jobs for the front line in Afghanistan. Absolutely amazing. I
:02:00. > :02:08.never thought I would ever make the Queen. It is absolutely fantastic.
:02:08. > :02:13.It is a huge honour for her Majesty to present operational service
:02:13. > :02:19.medals for Afghanistan. The Majesty is our Colonel-in-Chief and it has
:02:19. > :02:23.a huge privilege that she has come along to see us. This was a service
:02:23. > :02:28.of thanksgiving, after the regiment's five-month tour of duty.
:02:28. > :02:31.It is a tremendous event for the regiment. You can feel a regimental
:02:31. > :02:36.lift when her Majesty comes to visit us. It is one of those
:02:36. > :02:40.moments in time when you walk -- which you will remember forever.
:02:40. > :02:46.is a chance for the Queen to meet families, those who are relieved at
:02:46. > :02:50.the return of the regiment. Today has also been about recognising the
:02:50. > :02:56.sacrifices of servicemen and women who did not make it home. Within
:02:56. > :03:01.the walls of the armed forces Memorial, an annual commemoration,
:03:01. > :03:06.a service to pay tribute to the 112 members of British armed forces
:03:06. > :03:12.killed on duty last year. Their names inscribed into the Portland
:03:12. > :03:18.stone. Amongst them, Staff Sergeant Brett Lindley. This weekend was the
:03:18. > :03:21.first anniversary of his death. think you are the only one until
:03:21. > :03:27.you come to these events and then you realise that a lot of other
:03:27. > :03:32.people have the same torment at that we have. There have never been
:03:32. > :03:40.in quite so many in one year, so you know that everyone else is
:03:40. > :03:46.suffering the same as you. You know that other parents have had to
:03:46. > :03:56.suffer. This was a day dedicated to honouring those who have risked
:03:56. > :04:01.
:04:01. > :04:06.their lives, or given their lives, in the line of duty. We are joined
:04:06. > :04:12.by a representative of the Memorial arboretum. This means so much to so
:04:12. > :04:16.many families who come to see their loved ones names dedicated. And in
:04:16. > :04:21.the Queen seemed visibly moved during parts of the ceremony.
:04:21. > :04:26.think we were all visibly moved and her Majesty was also moved. It is a
:04:26. > :04:31.very special day and hopefully it will bring some of the families an
:04:31. > :04:35.element of closure to have the name of their loved one on the wall, and
:04:35. > :04:43.they can move on with their lives. What do the families tell you about
:04:43. > :04:46.the importance of the Queen coming here for the ceremony? The Queen
:04:46. > :04:52.shows national recognition of the importance of their loss, so having
:04:52. > :04:56.her Majesty here, as the head of state, mean so much to them. And a
:04:56. > :05:00.big day for the arboretum? Yes, we do not often have the sovereign
:05:00. > :05:04.come here, and it is wonderful that she was able to grace us with her
:05:04. > :05:10.presence. And it was clear what a moving ceremony it was, for
:05:10. > :05:15.everybody. It is a lovely ceremony with an element of pomp, and an
:05:15. > :05:19.element of real humility. And in the final part when people Olay
:05:19. > :05:23.their brief, there is a great deal of sadness, but also happiness and
:05:23. > :05:29.trying to move on, and fond memories as well. Thank you for
:05:29. > :05:37.joining us on what has been a very poignant, memorable day in
:05:37. > :05:47.Staffordshire. The Still ahead on Midlands Today: the lost musical
:05:47. > :05:47.
:05:48. > :05:50.scores that lit up the golden era of silent films. A decision to
:05:50. > :05:53.close four Shropshire schools was confirmed by councillors this
:05:53. > :05:55.afternoon. But the threat of closure hanging over three other
:05:55. > :05:59.schools was lifted. The situation arose because Shropshire currently
:05:59. > :06:03.has nearly 3,000 fewer pupils than went to school six years ago. And
:06:03. > :06:07.that means �10 million a year less from the Government. One of the
:06:07. > :06:10.schools that will stay open is Lydbury North, but the future will
:06:10. > :06:13.be very different as it forges closer links with another school.
:06:13. > :06:23.Joanne Writtle reports. Lydbury North School in south Shropshire
:06:23. > :06:25.
:06:25. > :06:28.has just 36 pupils. 11 miles away in Onibury, is Onny School, with 50
:06:28. > :06:31.children. And today pupils from Onny came to Lydbury North for a
:06:31. > :06:35.music workshop - and to celebrate becoming a so-called federation.
:06:35. > :06:41.The two schools will share a governing body and other resources.
:06:41. > :06:47.They will retain two headteachers and two sites. We have lots of
:06:47. > :06:53.exciting plans and place, but joint visits, and I am seeking planning
:06:53. > :06:55.from different teachers. Children from the two schools enjoyed
:06:55. > :07:02.playtime together today. Their schools will maintain independence
:07:02. > :07:05.and receive individual budgets. There are no plans for job cuts
:07:05. > :07:09.Foster b have identified ways of saving money by sharing resources
:07:09. > :07:13.more effectively, shearing purchasing arrangements and
:07:13. > :07:21.practical ways of working together, making effective savings, bring
:07:21. > :07:24.together, things that we had been doing separately. In February we
:07:24. > :07:26.filmed campaigners from Onny School heading to Shropshire Council to
:07:26. > :07:29.protest against closure plans. Today the children were celebrating
:07:29. > :07:33.their reprieve. I am glad that our school is not closing, because I
:07:33. > :07:38.have lived in the school for half of my life, and it would be a real
:07:38. > :07:42.shame. It is a really good idea that we get to share our work and
:07:42. > :07:47.we get to have the same kind of work, and I think it will be really
:07:47. > :07:50.fun. It's hoped teachers will travel between the two schools to
:07:50. > :08:00.share expertise in subjects. Onny and Lydbury North schools say one
:08:00. > :08:01.
:08:01. > :08:03.of the ways they'll save money is by sharing coaches for school trips.
:08:03. > :08:08.Shropshire Council has made tough decisions on school closures. But
:08:08. > :08:13.it says it would like to see more federations. We believe that
:08:13. > :08:17.federations, for our schools, is the best way we can deliver a
:08:17. > :08:19.quality education. It's early days in this unusual arrangement. But
:08:19. > :08:29.when children returned to Onny this afternoon, they continued to
:08:29. > :08:33.celebrate - this time with a pirate theme. If you want to know the
:08:33. > :08:40.details of the threatened schools, you can find those on the BBC
:08:40. > :08:44.Shropshire website. A man's been arrested on suspicion of murder
:08:44. > :08:48.after a 72 year old woman was found dead at her home in Birmingham.
:08:48. > :08:51.Police were called to a house in the Harborne area of the city last
:08:52. > :08:55.night. A 44 year-old man who was arrested at the scene is being
:08:55. > :08:59.assessed in hospital. West Midlands Police say they're treating it as a
:08:59. > :09:01.domestic incident. Staff from Severn Trent Water have been
:09:02. > :09:04.holding a demonstration outside the company's AGM in Birmingham. They
:09:04. > :09:07.were protesting against proposals to close the company's final salary
:09:07. > :09:10.pension scheme. The union Unison says it's currently balloting
:09:10. > :09:17.around 1,000 staff members, asking whether they're willing to take
:09:17. > :09:24.industrial action over the change. This is a highly profitable company
:09:24. > :09:29.with a turnover of �1.7 billion last year, and it is still seeking
:09:29. > :09:32.to end final-salary pension schemes. We cannot accept that. This is
:09:32. > :09:36.about protecting the long-term financial sustainability of the
:09:36. > :09:40.business. We see increasing volatility in the pensions market,
:09:40. > :09:48.people are living longer, so we have to do something about at that
:09:48. > :09:52.to protect the company in future. The future of the NHS is the topic
:09:52. > :09:54.of debate tonight as the public and decision-makers come face to face
:09:54. > :09:58.in Worcester.The debate's been organised by BBC Hereford and
:09:58. > :10:01.Worcester - and in the audience will be three brothers who are
:10:01. > :10:04.concerned that care in the NHS is being eroded after the death of
:10:04. > :10:08.their father. Sarah Falkland reports. The Kelly brothers were so
:10:08. > :10:11.appalled at what they perceived to be a lack of care at the
:10:11. > :10:14.Worcestershire Royal, they worked out a a shift system so they could
:10:14. > :10:20.care for their Dad 24/7. Retired farmer Frank Kelly was admitted
:10:20. > :10:24.with a stroke last November. It was very unfair to be good nurses that
:10:24. > :10:28.we met, to be running the walk on their own for a whole shift, from
:10:28. > :10:35.seven in the morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, on their
:10:35. > :10:39.own, the only trained nurse on the ward. Very often. The stroke took
:10:39. > :10:45.Mr Kelly's sight. His family say he was often dehydrated and couldn't
:10:45. > :10:50.see his meals to eat. There was no urgency for my father at all and
:10:50. > :11:00.that is why we stay 24 hours a day, between myself and my brothers, to
:11:00. > :11:01.
:11:01. > :11:05.make sure that he did get what he needed at the time he needed it.
:11:05. > :11:10.The hospital failed its Care Quality Commission test on dignity
:11:10. > :11:13.and depression. The hospital said it takes patient care extremely
:11:13. > :11:16.seriously and it was to reassure the public that all areas of the
:11:16. > :11:22.laws that will are assessed on a daily basis for staff requirements.
:11:22. > :11:25.It goes on to say that wants to make sure that staff have the time
:11:26. > :11:32.to spend directly caring for patients, and, with that in mind,
:11:32. > :11:35.it has reduced the amount of audits that they have to complete. The
:11:35. > :11:39.hospital has passed its latest care quality inspection, but the Kelly
:11:39. > :11:43.family say much more needs to be done. There are too many people in
:11:43. > :11:50.suits, head people, instead of people out there with everyone, to
:11:50. > :11:56.get a good job done, and to care for the people that need care.
:11:56. > :12:00.Sarah is in Mr ahead of the debate tonight. There is concern about the
:12:00. > :12:05.changes the Government wants to push through. That is probably an
:12:05. > :12:10.understatement. Some critics say that what Andrew Lansley wants to
:12:10. > :12:15.do is remodel the NHS based on greed rather than need. We can talk
:12:15. > :12:20.to Richard Taylor, who is on the panel tonight. We had Matthew Kelly
:12:20. > :12:25.saying in my package that there are too many men in suits in the NHS,
:12:26. > :12:30.not enough doing the job. Would you agree? I would agree to earn a
:12:30. > :12:35.certain extent. You need the right number of good managers, but nurses
:12:35. > :12:42.and doctors are crucial. Even the Royal College of Nursing, in the
:12:42. > :12:46.last few days, has been reported as forecasting there are going to be
:12:46. > :12:50.100,000 less nurses in the next 10 years. That could be a disaster.
:12:50. > :12:55.The Health Secretary is trying to cut bureaucracy and hand more power
:12:55. > :13:01.to GPS, and making hospital super competitive. Is that the right
:13:01. > :13:05.thing to do? I have no objection in principle to giving GPs more power
:13:05. > :13:09.which could be done within existing primary care trust structures, but
:13:09. > :13:13.I object to the stress and competition because health care is
:13:13. > :13:18.not a commodity that response to competition. Certainly, there are
:13:18. > :13:22.some aspects where the private sector could do things perhaps a
:13:22. > :13:26.little better, but if they cherry- pick and take away the cheaper
:13:26. > :13:31.things from a hospital service, then the hospital service could
:13:31. > :13:36.fall down. I am very concerned that to be written Bill does not make it
:13:36. > :13:40.clear that the Secretary of State has a duty to provide a
:13:40. > :13:46.comprehensive health service across the entire country. Do you fear for
:13:46. > :13:53.its future? I fear very much for the future of the NHS unless Andrew
:13:53. > :13:59.Lansley's plans are changed dramatically. We're off to that
:13:59. > :14:04.meeting now with the cameras. We will have a report on that that
:14:04. > :14:14.beat in our late bulletin, starting at pains 20 5:00pm. And there will
:14:14. > :14:18.
:14:18. > :14:21.be highlights on Friday at 6 o'clock. -- at 10:25pm. Midlands
:14:21. > :14:25.companies are looking to cash in on links with Jamaica as the country's
:14:25. > :14:28.track and field team heads to Birmingham ahead of the London 2012
:14:28. > :14:31.Olympics. Britain already does �46 million of export trade with the
:14:31. > :14:34.Caribbean Island. But are other opportunities on the horizon? In
:14:34. > :14:37.the the second of our reports on Jamaican Connections, our Arts and
:14:37. > :14:40.culture reporter Satnam Rana looks at how local businesses are gearing
:14:40. > :14:43.up for 2012. Take Birmingham, invite the world's fastest runner
:14:43. > :14:46.Usain Bolt and the rest of the Olympic Jamaican track and field
:14:46. > :14:49.team to trains here and - they're the perfect ingredients for
:14:49. > :14:52.boositing business. Wade Lyn started a Jamaican pattie company
:14:52. > :14:58.in 1988. Today his firm turns over �2.2 million. He's even developing
:14:58. > :15:03.a new Jamaican crust in time for London 2012. For our business, it
:15:03. > :15:09.is the ideal time to promote what we call our Jamaican heritage, to
:15:09. > :15:12.increase what I call the profile of our food, culture and music.
:15:12. > :15:18.what opportunities does he see for business in the year ahead?
:15:18. > :15:23.monetary value is quite significant. We will probably grow by 10% in the
:15:23. > :15:33.next 12 months, with the Jamaican team being here, but, also, trying
:15:33. > :15:34.
:15:34. > :15:37.to promote Jamaican food to the wider British public. Over 300
:15:37. > :15:41.companies in the Midlands have won contracts for the Olympic Games,
:15:41. > :15:46.but with Birmingham hosting the Jamaican track and field team,
:15:46. > :15:53.could this be the moment to capitalise on international trade?
:15:53. > :15:55.One firm hoping to cash in is Firmin's of Birmingham. It has been
:15:55. > :15:59.serving those who serve since 1655, making military uniforms. They're
:15:59. > :16:05.hoping to build upon trade they do with the Jamaican Minstry of
:16:05. > :16:09.Justice. Already worth tens of thousands of pounds. If you think
:16:09. > :16:15.of Jamaica providing room for the Royal Navy, we have been providing
:16:15. > :16:19.badges for them since before the days of Lord Nelson. There are long
:16:19. > :16:24.conditions -- long and traditional connections between Jamaica and the
:16:24. > :16:27.United Kingdom. And for others like Wade Lyn, 2012 is the perfect year
:16:27. > :16:37.to build upon his passion to bring a taste of Jamaica to British
:16:37. > :16:40.
:16:40. > :16:47.society. Somebody missed their lunch. You could almost smell them!
:16:47. > :16:51.We can stay with the idea of food and drink. Still ahead : we are off
:16:51. > :16:56.to the orchards, where apple crops have fallen, but cider sales are
:16:56. > :17:01.rising. And it is mid-July, but I'm not sure you would believe that,
:17:01. > :17:11.looking out of the window. I will have details of when we expect the
:17:11. > :17:11.
:17:11. > :17:18.sun to come out of hiding later in It was the thought of all that sun
:17:18. > :17:21.and cider. Long lost musical scores dating back to the golden era of
:17:21. > :17:25.silent films have been unearthed by staff at Birmingham's Central
:17:26. > :17:29.Library. The unexpected treasures were found in a basement by staff
:17:29. > :17:32.preparing for the move to a new purpose-built library in 2013. As
:17:32. > :17:37.Bob Hockenhull reports, the collection includes music used as a
:17:37. > :17:42.theme tune for the legendary Charlie Chaplin. In the depths of
:17:42. > :17:44.Birmingham's library, cinematic delights have been uncovered.
:17:44. > :17:53.Scattered along the forgotten shelves, around 500 silent movie
:17:54. > :17:58.scores, believed to be Britain's largest collection. With the advent
:17:58. > :18:04.of talking cinema, this music was so much waste paper, and much of it
:18:04. > :18:11.is being thrown away. The fact that we have 500 sets of parts of this
:18:11. > :18:14.music, it is partly the sheer quantity that is of interest.
:18:14. > :18:17.the collection -an example of music being composed specifically for a
:18:17. > :18:25.star rather than the action, in this case - the legendary Charlie
:18:25. > :18:30.Chaplin. The collection reveals that musical directors could choose
:18:30. > :18:35.from a range of scores, reflecting moods and action to stop for
:18:35. > :18:41.example, we have titles such as Help, help, desperation, and
:18:41. > :18:50.Supreme Pearl, presumably suitable music for an action film or horror
:18:50. > :18:53.movie. Guest pianist Ben Dawson opened this week's City of
:18:53. > :18:59.Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's Film Music Festival with the newly
:18:59. > :19:06.discovered. Those things we regard as cliche now started off back in
:19:06. > :19:09.the 1910s and 1920s, with music written for silent film. British
:19:09. > :19:19.music publishers were sending out reams and reams Of Music, to be
:19:19. > :19:23.
:19:23. > :19:26.played by the orchestras that cinema has could afford. As the
:19:26. > :19:33.preparations continue for the move to Birmingham's new Library in 2013,
:19:33. > :19:43.who knows what other gems will be uncovered? Very clever. I think
:19:43. > :19:47.they might do that at the Black Country Museum. Now, what happens
:19:47. > :19:50.when twenty footballers go head to head with a former British boxing
:19:50. > :19:52.champion? The answer is they're taught a serious lesson in extreme
:19:52. > :19:56.fitness. That's what happened when Burton Albion's squad were shown
:19:56. > :20:06.how to punch above their weight in a work out with Birmingham boxer
:20:06. > :20:14.
:20:15. > :20:17.Wayne Elcock. This is a boxercise session on a different scale.
:20:17. > :20:20.Upsound boxing and punching Former british middleweight champion Wayne
:20:20. > :20:26.Elcock is getting Burton Albion's footballers into shape. It's not
:20:26. > :20:30.long before his intense work out is almost causing burn out. Someone
:20:30. > :20:36.who is taking to the punches though is big defender Darren Moore. He's
:20:36. > :20:40.got heavyweight potential. When I stop the football, I can start with
:20:40. > :20:46.the boxing gloves. I take my hat off to all the boxers. The manager
:20:46. > :20:50.says that this is also about group dynamics. There is the camaraderie,
:20:50. > :20:54.with the lads egging each other on, that is an important part of the
:20:54. > :20:59.season, making sure that you players come in and integrate to
:20:59. > :21:04.the group. Them using his operas, from Gillingham, and Cleveland
:21:04. > :21:08.poorer, who says he is happy to be back after a long spell -- loan
:21:08. > :21:11.spell two seasons ago. I feel really settled and I am looking
:21:11. > :21:16.forward to the season ahead. Everyone has been really well
:21:16. > :21:26.coming and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Hopefully, we will have
:21:26. > :21:35.
:21:35. > :21:39.a successful season. Birmingham born boxer Elcock has been at the
:21:39. > :21:43.top of his sport. But after setting up his new Box Clever business last
:21:43. > :21:51.year - he says the reward from that has given him a new lease of life.
:21:51. > :21:54.I cool that I have found my mission for after I have finished boxing.
:21:54. > :21:58.He hasn't retired yet but for the time being - putting professionals
:21:58. > :22:08.through their paces is certainly something he'll go the distance for.
:22:08. > :22:14.
:22:14. > :22:17.Just watching that makes me feel tired! Cider Sales are soaring -
:22:17. > :22:20.which is good news for our cider makers and orchard owners. In
:22:20. > :22:24.Herefordshire, Westerns cider alone is looking to plant an extra 1000
:22:24. > :22:26.acres of trees. And that's also good news for wildlife as our
:22:26. > :22:31.Environment Correspondent David Gregory has been finding out. And
:22:31. > :22:34.he joins us now from the sharp end of the cider industry. It's not all
:22:34. > :22:37.good news for the industry this year, is it David? The cold weather
:22:37. > :22:40.at the beginning of the Year has harmed the apple crop, but it turns
:22:40. > :22:46.out that all jobs are very good for wildlife here in the Midlands. As I
:22:46. > :22:50.found out at a special event today. This is a traditional Herefordshire
:22:50. > :22:56.orchard complete with heritage of cattle. Ancient trees, never
:22:57. > :23:01.sprayed with chemicals, so organic. And teeming with wildlife. A couple
:23:01. > :23:08.of years ago, the map provided 75 different species of moths, when
:23:09. > :23:13.tested. These apples are destined for Western's cider, and the boss
:23:14. > :23:18.of the company popped down the road to the UK's first meeting of Cider
:23:18. > :23:28.makers and wildlife experts. It is all part of hear that culture's
:23:28. > :23:28.
:23:28. > :23:32.year of the orchard. -- Herefordshire's Year of the orchard.
:23:32. > :23:36.This is an illustrated guide to all the apples and pears of the county,
:23:36. > :23:41.by Thomas Knight. And it is absolutely gorgeous. It is unlikely
:23:41. > :23:47.that Thomas night envisaged the modern boom in cider production.
:23:47. > :23:52.Can the orchards here be wildly friendly? There is more space for
:23:52. > :23:57.wildlife but in the commercial bridge or jobs, they might
:23:57. > :24:02.appertain in grass margins, and a mix of seeds, to encourage wildlife
:24:02. > :24:08.into the orchard. It has taken some time, but orchards are finally
:24:08. > :24:13.gaining their reputation at they dessert, as he wins for wildlife.
:24:13. > :24:17.Now, the Elan Frost did for the apple crop, but all of this rain is
:24:18. > :24:22.leading to a bumper crop later in the year, so things are evening out.
:24:23. > :24:27.Good news if you enjoy a pint of cider. Cider makers would like a
:24:27. > :24:31.bit more sunshine so that they can make more of the staff, -- and
:24:31. > :24:39.because people drink more of the stuff, when it is a bit sunnier.
:24:39. > :24:46.Don't forget, we have the British weather Show, at 7:30pm, on BBC One.
:24:46. > :24:55.Time now for the weather forecast. I can promise you some sun. But it
:24:55. > :25:01.Her I am calling it an autumnal summer's day today! We're expecting
:25:01. > :25:10.to see skies clearing a little this evening a. Some exciting things
:25:10. > :25:16.happening in the sky - we saw that funnel cloud at Leamington Spa. And
:25:16. > :25:23.we would love to get more of your pictures, too. There have been a
:25:23. > :25:29.few showers around. We expect those two Clear, with temperatures not
:25:29. > :25:35.dipping all that low, down to around 12 Celsius, just a touch
:25:35. > :25:40.milder than last night. Tomorrow, we expect to see some brightness
:25:40. > :25:47.and some scattered showers. Probably the heaviest of this
:25:47. > :25:52.showers in the north, in the south, a little more sunshine. That will
:25:52. > :25:55.affect temperatures, warmer in the south than in the know. Going into
:25:55. > :26:04.Thursday night, and on Friday, we have some high-pressure beginning
:26:04. > :26:08.to build. Low temperatures tomorrow night, a round then. It looks like
:26:08. > :26:14.high pressure is going to win over the weekend. That is good news,
:26:14. > :26:19.because it means that even through Sunday, it might be dry and bright.
:26:19. > :26:28.And that bears out the temperatures, with highs of 21 Celsius. We have
:26:28. > :26:31.not seen anything like that for a few days. There is a special
:26:31. > :26:36.programme tonight celebrating the 50th anniversary of regional
:26:36. > :26:41.television programmes, including a Pebble Mill, which had become a
:26:41. > :26:47.global success story. Here is a question - do you know who was the
:26:47. > :26:51.first ever presenter of Top Gear? This is a pretty good programme,
:26:51. > :26:56.let's have it on the network, suddenly the programme I was asked
:26:56. > :27:02.to do in the region again, an idea that came from a regional producer,
:27:02. > :27:09.made by original production team, was catapulted onto the network.
:27:09. > :27:18.And just look what happened to Top Gear, now! The answer to the
:27:18. > :27:23.question if you have not guessed, it is BBC news presenter, Angela
:27:23. > :27:33.Rippon. Everyone thinks the first presenter of Top Gear was Jeremy
:27:33. > :27:33.
:27:33. > :27:37.Clarkson, but it was me! Before we leave you, we can look at the