:00:07. > :00:12.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Mary Rhodes and Michael Collie.
:00:12. > :00:18.The headlines tonight: Concerns for our hospices - could
:00:18. > :00:21.they be the big loser in the new Health Lottery. Without them, a lot
:00:21. > :00:24.of families would not be able to cope.
:00:24. > :00:28.The epilepsy patient forced to move after being refused a vital
:00:28. > :00:35.operation in Staffordshire. I think is wrong what they are doing in
:00:36. > :00:39.Stoke-on-Trent. It shouldn't happen, not to a child, anyway.
:00:39. > :00:41.The latest move to find legal sites for gypsies but where should the
:00:41. > :00:51.travellers rest? And another charge from the Bulls.
:00:51. > :00:53.
:00:53. > :00:57.Hereford United continue their Good evening and welcome to
:00:57. > :01:00.Wednesday's Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight, there are concerns
:01:00. > :01:04.that local hospices' fundraising could be hit by the new Health
:01:04. > :01:06.Lottery. The Chief Executives of two our region's hospices have
:01:06. > :01:11.admitted they're worried about local supermarkets giving the
:01:11. > :01:15.lottery a high profile. The National Lottery, which has been
:01:15. > :01:19.going for 17 years, gives 28 pence from every pound to good causes.
:01:19. > :01:22.The new Health Lottery will give just over 20p. But many hospices
:01:22. > :01:25.here in the Midlands also run their own lotteries, with tickets being
:01:25. > :01:35.sold alongside the other two in local shops, and now many are
:01:35. > :01:37.
:01:37. > :01:40.worried their sales will fall. Caring for life limited children.
:01:40. > :01:44.It cost seven-and-a-half �1,000 a day to run this hospice in
:01:44. > :01:49.Worcester, the same again at each of their other two sites. Some of
:01:49. > :01:54.that comes from their own lottery but now there is this - the health
:01:54. > :02:00.lottery is a national draw which is feared could damage local campaigns.
:02:00. > :02:05.Our contention is we are genuinely a local not free. It is a source of
:02:05. > :02:09.income we need, �70,000 a year, and, thirdly, the amount of money that
:02:09. > :02:14.actually comes to us through our own lottery arrangements is usually
:02:14. > :02:19.greater than that offered by the Health Lottery. Families benefiting
:02:19. > :02:24.from acorns have expressed concern. This baby received and of life care
:02:24. > :02:30.until his death. His mother is worried at the hospice could lose
:02:30. > :02:33.income. It would be a terrible shame to everyone that use this
:02:33. > :02:39.ospreys because without them a lot of families would not be able to
:02:39. > :02:44.cope. It runs its local lottery in conjunction with St Richard's
:02:44. > :02:51.husband's -- Hospice. They also worried about it. They are only
:02:51. > :02:58.giving 20 p in the pound to charity. The National Lottery gives 28 p. We
:02:58. > :03:08.pay 50 p. It does pay money to good causes but the other lotteries give
:03:08. > :03:08.
:03:08. > :03:15.more and I would urge in Worcester City Centre there was a mixture of
:03:15. > :03:18.concern and support. At it is a good thing, definitely. The health
:03:18. > :03:23.could be improved. I am not going to try it because I would rather
:03:23. > :03:27.help the hospices and the other charities, because I know where
:03:27. > :03:32.they are going, then. It is wrong, not generating as much for charity.
:03:32. > :03:34.In a statement, the People's Health Trust, distributing cash from the
:03:34. > :03:38.new lottery, said it believed the money would be a credible injection
:03:38. > :03:42.of funding for the charitable sector and it said it didn't
:03:42. > :03:47.believe it would be detrimental to existing hospice income. That
:03:47. > :03:51.remains to be seen as the likes of this hospice and other hospices wit
:03:51. > :03:54.to find out what the true impact of a lottery set up to support the
:03:54. > :03:57.health service actually turns out to be.
:03:57. > :04:00.Joining us now from London is Ralph Mitchell from the Association of
:04:00. > :04:03.Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations. Do you feel the
:04:03. > :04:06.Health Lottery will damage income for hospices, or do you recognise
:04:06. > :04:12.that some of the money being spent on tickets will be "new money",
:04:12. > :04:17.which could raise income for hospices?
:04:18. > :04:22.The fear is very much that it will deprive charities of money. You
:04:22. > :04:27.heard the maths. The advertising that the new Health Lottery is
:04:27. > :04:35.doing is very explicitly trying to attract people away from the
:04:35. > :04:39.National Lottery to what's this new Health Lottery, so it is highly
:04:39. > :04:44.likely that less money will go to good causes. We help -- we heard
:04:44. > :04:46.the statement from the Health Lottery, saying they are work -
:04:46. > :04:50.were working with hospices, and there are happy the lottery will
:04:50. > :04:56.not be detrimental to existing hospice income. They might be right,
:04:56. > :05:00.more people might play at. Well, they might be like -- they might be
:05:00. > :05:04.right, but it is highly unlikely because this lottery is marketing
:05:04. > :05:09.itself as a competitor to other lotteries that give more to charity.
:05:09. > :05:14.The simple fact, it seems to me, is highly likely that if you play this
:05:14. > :05:19.lottery, less money goes to charity, more money goes to Richard Desmond.
:05:19. > :05:23.In your view, we heard from two hospices, what are they don't have
:05:23. > :05:28.to do now? They are in a very difficult situation. There is not
:05:28. > :05:33.much they can do beyond telling the public that they have this choice.
:05:33. > :05:36.Either they play the existing hospice lotteries, which will
:05:36. > :05:39.support those hospices substantially, or they play the
:05:39. > :05:45.people's Health Lottery and the result is those hospices have
:05:45. > :05:50.difficulties. So those hospices are in a critical situation. People
:05:50. > :05:54.that can play either lottery have a very clear choice to make, and I
:05:54. > :06:01.actually think the government has a choice to make, too. One of the
:06:01. > :06:05.things we have asked them to do is to look at whether this new lottery
:06:05. > :06:09.is exploiting a loophole in the law, because it is highly unlikely that
:06:09. > :06:14.Parliament, when it legislated for these lotteries, intended for this
:06:14. > :06:17.kind of outcome. And for less money going to charities. Thank you very
:06:17. > :06:20.much indeed. So, do you think there's room for
:06:20. > :06:23.this extra lottery, and have you changed which one you play every
:06:23. > :06:25.week? Join the debate on our Facebook page and we'll read some
:06:25. > :06:34.of your comments out at the end of the programme.
:06:34. > :06:40.Still to come on tonight's programme... Happy Diwali. Happy --
:06:40. > :06:45.Habiba Seoul. We will be finding out why this year's Diwali has
:06:45. > :06:49.brought a much-needed economic boost.
:06:49. > :06:51.A postcode lottery for care. That's the claim after a teenager was
:06:51. > :06:54.refused an operation three times in North Staffordshire, but was
:06:54. > :06:58.offered it at the first attempt in Nottingham. Ryan Lomas suffers from
:06:58. > :07:04.a severe form of epilepsy which means he can have several fits a
:07:04. > :07:09.day. Here's our Health correspondent, Michele Paduano.
:07:09. > :07:11.14-year-old Ryan Lomas has a severe form of epilepsy. He takes a
:07:11. > :07:15.cocktail of drugs. Ryan's fits can be life-threatening and he has
:07:15. > :07:18.already broken an eye socket and lost a tooth. When he lived in
:07:18. > :07:20.Biddulph, he was refused an operation for a vagal nerve
:07:20. > :07:29.stimulator which might reduce his fitting, but the NHS in Nottingham
:07:30. > :07:33.has said yes. First time we got refused, and then the second time
:07:33. > :07:37.and then the third time. There was no chance he was going to have it
:07:37. > :07:43.done. It was something to do with where we were in Stoke-on-Trent. It
:07:43. > :07:47.was stupid, really. Ridiculous. used to leave -- used to live in
:07:47. > :07:51.Biddulph, but if he lived a couple of miles up the road, he would have
:07:51. > :07:55.been far more likely to have got the funding. In fact, in a year in
:07:55. > :08:00.North Staffordshire they thundered just 5% of all special requests,
:08:00. > :08:03.wears in Stoke-on-Trent -- Stoke in Trent they funded more than 50%.
:08:03. > :08:09.Just half a mile away in Biddulph lives seven-year-old William Merron.
:08:09. > :08:17.His moods change rapidly. He too was refused an operation by NHS
:08:17. > :08:23.North Staffordshire so his parents raised the money. Terrible. Why
:08:23. > :08:27.they don't funded here where they funded everywhere else, we struggle.
:08:27. > :08:31.We didn't have the money at hand, so the only way to do that was to
:08:31. > :08:34.raise the money. William's fits are beginning to return. The stimulator
:08:34. > :08:37.will take up to six months to start working. A vagal nerve stimulator
:08:37. > :08:41.is a type of pacemaker which sends mild electrical pulses to the vagus
:08:41. > :08:45.nerve. The signals travel into parts of the brain thought to cause
:08:45. > :08:50.the seizures. Trials show the vagal nerve stimulator can halve the
:08:51. > :08:56.number of fits in 40% of patients. We think this is not an isolated
:08:56. > :08:59.case but is happening to lots of families, and, therefore, epilepsy
:08:59. > :09:09.services, it is a postcode lottery as to whether or not you get the
:09:09. > :09:18.
:09:18. > :09:23.treatment you need. In a statement, Ryan will have his operation next
:09:23. > :09:29.month. More patients may move in future to get the treatment they
:09:29. > :09:32.need. West Midlands Police Authority has
:09:32. > :09:36.received more than 300 claims against it for damage to property
:09:37. > :09:40.caused during the August riots. Under laws dating back more than
:09:40. > :09:44.100 years, the force is liable to pay compensation. The claims mount
:09:44. > :09:47.to more than �5 million. The issue is being discussed at tomorrow's
:09:47. > :09:50.Police Authority meeting and we'll have a full report on that on
:09:50. > :09:54.Midlands Today. The Stoke-on-Trent pottery firm
:09:54. > :09:56.Jesse Shirley has ceased trading, and made its staff redundant. The
:09:56. > :10:01.190-year-old firm went into administration in 2009 because one
:10:01. > :10:03.of its biggest customers was Wedgwood. But it was saved by a
:10:03. > :10:06.management buy-out. Now the company's confirmed it's ceased
:10:06. > :10:14.trading, but hasn't revealed why. Its 27 staff were made redundant
:10:14. > :10:17.last week, and administrators are due to be appointed.
:10:17. > :10:20.MPs have been debating the future of BBC Local Radio. The 40 English
:10:20. > :10:23.local radio stations are being asked to make cuts to their budgets
:10:23. > :10:26.that'll result in changes to programming and job losses. One
:10:26. > :10:28.Midlands MP suggested that local radio was vital to communities and
:10:28. > :10:33.should be treated sensitively by BBC bosses, but the Culture
:10:33. > :10:38.Minister said it wasn't for him to tell the BBC what to do.
:10:38. > :10:42.Most importantly, local radio is the part of the BBC which has was
:10:42. > :10:47.genuinely local and based in the communities it serves. More so than
:10:47. > :10:52.television and online, the 40 radio local stations are often the only
:10:52. > :10:55.representation of the BBC's service in our constituencies. It is not my
:10:55. > :11:01.job to tell the BBC what to do. I think that would be quite wrong for
:11:01. > :11:04.a minister to order the BBC to close down a particular service or
:11:04. > :11:07.saved another service. That is the job for BBC management.
:11:07. > :11:10.And you can have your say on the proposed BBC cuts by visiting the
:11:10. > :11:12.BBC Trust's website. Just 24 hours after the gypsy site
:11:13. > :11:15.in Meriden was deemed illegal, it seems plans for new legal
:11:15. > :11:20.travellers sites in North Worcestershire are proving just as
:11:20. > :11:23.controversial. Some residents in the Wyre Forest area of north
:11:23. > :11:26.Worcestershire say they're worried that proposals for small sites
:11:26. > :11:29.could attract more travellers than they're being built for. Tonight,
:11:29. > :11:32.the latest consultation meeting takes place in Cookley, near
:11:32. > :11:38.Kidderminster. Jackie Kabler has been looking at what's being
:11:38. > :11:42.proposed. This is the 250 acre old Lea Castle
:11:42. > :11:45.Hospital site in Cookley near Kidderminster. Derelict for years
:11:45. > :11:48.and earmarked as a possible site for 15 traveller pitches. But it's
:11:48. > :11:56.surrounded by residential areas, and locals had hoped there'd be a
:11:56. > :12:03.housing and leisure development here. We were very surprised when a
:12:03. > :12:06.few months later, this was suddenly identified as a site Ford gypsies,
:12:06. > :12:10.travellers and travelling show people. But the site would only
:12:10. > :12:17.take up a tiny corner of this huge plot, so what's the problem?
:12:17. > :12:21.could have an effect on selling the rest of the land and if they were...
:12:21. > :12:26.If there was a gypsy site nearby, that could put people off. Gypsies
:12:26. > :12:31.have to live somewhere. Is this a case of Not In My backyard? Mare.
:12:31. > :12:36.We think the site is unsuitable and we are few -- fearful that the
:12:36. > :12:42.gypsies could be affected by illegal set-up of camps on the rest
:12:42. > :12:46.of the site. Just a few minutes' drive away, the other site. An old
:12:46. > :12:49.score, right next to a residential area, and under the proposals,
:12:50. > :12:54.there would be 10 pitches here. But the Council says it's under
:12:54. > :12:58.pressure from the Government to find new sites.. The latest
:12:58. > :13:02.government -- the latest government guidance says we have to meet unmet
:13:02. > :13:05.demand which is what we're doing, but it is a consultation and we are
:13:05. > :13:09.listening to the public, and all of those fees will be taken into
:13:09. > :13:11.account. The eviction of illegal travellers at Dale Farm in Essex
:13:11. > :13:14.hit the headlines, while yesterday the site at Meriden in Warwickshire
:13:14. > :13:22.was also declared illegal. But gypsies say the public perception
:13:22. > :13:25.of their community is simply wrong. 90% of planning applications made
:13:25. > :13:31.by gypsies and travellers are turned down, which explains why so
:13:31. > :13:35.many people living legally. They are a nice bunch of people that a
:13:35. > :13:37.trust discriminated against. They are just an ethnic minority.
:13:37. > :13:45.public consultation in Worcestershire continues, as will
:13:45. > :13:49.the arguments. The consultation finishes in November and we will
:13:49. > :13:52.keep abreast of that one. Thousands of Hindus, Sikhs and
:13:52. > :13:55.Jains are celebrating Diwali today, the Festival of Lights. And for
:13:55. > :13:57.many of our shopping areas, that means business is booming. Our
:13:57. > :14:02.reporter Sarah Falkland has spent today in Birmingham's Soho Road,
:14:02. > :14:07.where most of the shops are independent, family-run businesses.
:14:07. > :14:10.Happy Diwali! Happy Diwali to everyone!
:14:10. > :14:14.There's a party atmosphere on the Soho Road. For many, Diwali is all
:14:14. > :14:17.about food. They've been queuing up for sweets, or jalebi, at this shop
:14:17. > :14:26.since 8 o'clock. So, with the recession and job losses, is anyone
:14:26. > :14:34.cutting back this year? What will they be spending this Diwali?
:14:34. > :14:41.-- Unlimited. More than several hundred? Maybe. Oh... It can come
:14:41. > :14:45.up to about �400. Years. And that's music to the ears of traders.
:14:45. > :14:50.been a difficult year with the recession and the riots and so we
:14:50. > :14:56.need Diwali to give us an upward, a bruised, psychologically and
:14:56. > :14:59.financially. -- a boost. This sweet shop suffered a 20% drop in trade
:14:59. > :15:03.this year so it's gone into overdrive for Diwali and produced
:15:03. > :15:08.35 more sweets in the hope it can claw back some profit. -- 35% more
:15:08. > :15:15.suites. It changed his moods. It is about giving and receiving, just
:15:15. > :15:21.like Christmas is. But it does change the mood, so hopefully it is
:15:21. > :15:26.a turning point. Because of the high price of silver, there aren't
:15:26. > :15:31.many silver foil sweets, because a kilo of those will set you back �70.
:15:31. > :15:37.But this festival isn't just about food and fireworks. Bringing the
:15:37. > :15:40.community together. Happiness. And we all feel good. And, you know,
:15:40. > :15:44.tonight is going to be lights. Diwali means literally "rows of
:15:45. > :15:47.lights". Candles will be lit tonight in thousands of homes.
:15:47. > :15:50.And Sarah's now at the Geeta Bhavan Mandir building in Handsworth,
:15:50. > :15:59.where festivities are getting in full swing, so what's happening now
:15:59. > :16:05.Sarah? Well, I'm at Europe's bigger Sikh
:16:05. > :16:11.temple. The hive of activity. Lots of people here for prayers. Out in
:16:11. > :16:15.the precinct, you can see everybody wants to light a candle. Diwali, in
:16:15. > :16:22.the Hindu religion, but in Sikh favour, it is something else, isn't
:16:22. > :16:26.it? It celebrates the 6th gurus liberating kings. What is the
:16:26. > :16:30.significance of the Campbells? candles represent the light in God
:16:30. > :16:33.that was in all of the kings and humanity and it is about spreading
:16:33. > :16:37.that light, recognising that in everyone and remembering that
:16:37. > :16:42.everyone, because they have that light, they are entitled to the
:16:42. > :16:45.same freedom and liberation. What does it mean to you as a young Sikh
:16:45. > :16:49.was made it reminds me of human rights and all of these sorts of
:16:49. > :16:54.things, and it is a reminder of the importance of being true to what
:16:55. > :17:00.people are entitled to and caring for them. There is a lovely warm
:17:00. > :17:03.atmosphere, not just from the candles. What will you do tonight?
:17:03. > :17:08.I will be praying, and spend it with my family and reflecting on
:17:08. > :17:13.what it means to be a Sikh, and to help humanity, in general. You can
:17:13. > :17:17.probably hear the bangs of the rockets and fireworks. There is
:17:17. > :17:27.more candles been lit. We will review with a message from the
:17:27. > :17:29.people at the temple. Everybody... Happy Diwali!
:17:29. > :17:32.Still to come in tonight's programme:
:17:32. > :17:42.The humble apple finally gets the recognition it deserves in the
:17:42. > :17:44.
:17:44. > :17:46.Onto football, and Stoke City and Wolves are both hoping to make it
:17:46. > :17:49.through to the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup tonight. Stoke
:17:49. > :17:52.start as favourites to beat Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium,
:17:52. > :17:57.but Wolves face a Manchester City team who won 6-1 at Manchester
:17:57. > :18:07.United on Sunday. However, manager Mick McCarthy is confident his side
:18:07. > :18:08.
:18:08. > :18:12.We understand we haven't enjoyed the best five weeks, players
:18:12. > :18:16.understand it, and they are desperate to make it better. The
:18:16. > :18:20.good thing is we have got the quality and spirit to make it
:18:20. > :18:23.better. And we will. We will get better.
:18:23. > :18:26.There's full commentary on both those matches on your BBC local
:18:26. > :18:29.radio station from seven o'clock this evening and you can see all
:18:29. > :18:31.the goals in the League Cup Show on BBC One at 11:20pm.
:18:31. > :18:35.Three weeks ago, Hereford United fans must have feared their team
:18:35. > :18:38.was heading out of the Football League. Six games without a win had
:18:38. > :18:42.left them in the relegation zone. But last night's victory at
:18:42. > :18:50.Northampton was just the latest step in a thrilling revival. Nick
:18:50. > :18:55.were second bottom of the entire Football League and the fans were
:18:55. > :18:58.worried about the future. Four weeks on and it all looks so much
:18:58. > :19:02.healthier. Last night's victory at Northampton was their third in a
:19:02. > :19:05.row, untold riches for a club who'd only won once in the League
:19:05. > :19:08.previously this season. And the luck even seems to be going their
:19:08. > :19:12.way as Steven Leslie's heavily deflected free-kick doubled the
:19:12. > :19:15.lead given them by Nathan Elder. Even a goal back for Northampton
:19:15. > :19:18.didn't throw them out of their stride and Hereford's night was
:19:18. > :19:25.complete when Harry Pell headed home a third to move the Bulls well
:19:25. > :19:30.up the table and four points clear up the table and four points clear
:19:30. > :19:35.of the bottom two. Everyone is ecstatic with the winds we have got
:19:35. > :19:45.but we want to keep our feet on the grounds. We are still at the bottom
:19:45. > :19:47.
:19:47. > :19:49.or near the bottom, so we want to suffered their own heartbreak in
:19:49. > :19:52.recent seasons. Twice in three years they've seen promotion slip
:19:52. > :19:54.away in the play-offs. So last night's 1-0 home victory over
:19:54. > :19:57.Accrington Stanley was all the sweeter as Tom Bradshaw's goals
:19:57. > :20:00.lifted them into the automatic promotion places. Cheltenham Town
:20:00. > :20:03.stay in the play-off positions despite losing 1-0 at home to Crewe,
:20:03. > :20:05.their first defeat in eight games. But Port Vale bounced back from
:20:05. > :20:07.Saturday's heavy home defeat by Morecambe with a swashbuckling
:20:07. > :20:10.victory at Bristol Rovers. Sean Rigg's thunderbolt the pick of
:20:10. > :20:13.their three goals. Walsall continue to struggle in League One. Alex
:20:13. > :20:23.Nicholls' goal unable to prevent them losing 2-1 at home to Exeter
:20:23. > :20:23.
:20:23. > :20:26.and leave them just one point above Worrying times.
:20:26. > :20:29.Now, a reminder that you've got just four more days left to
:20:29. > :20:32.nominate your BBC Midlands' Sports Unsung Hero. The closing date is
:20:32. > :20:36.this Sunday. The Award is aimed at rewarding those who dedicate their
:20:36. > :20:38.lives to helping others take part in sport, and to help in the search
:20:38. > :20:45.for your nominations we've enlisted the help of a famous Warwickshire
:20:46. > :20:49.and England cricketer. I am Ian Bell and by unsung hero
:20:49. > :20:59.was the Warwickshire coach, Neil Abberley. It is time to nominate
:20:59. > :21:09.
:21:09. > :21:13.Please, get your nomination form today and say thank you to your
:21:13. > :21:16.unsung hero. That his this Sunday.
:21:16. > :21:19.The Midlands has a long and glorious tradition of apple growing,
:21:19. > :21:21.especially this year when there have been rather a lot! So for
:21:21. > :21:24.Autumnwatch, our Environment Correspondent David Gregory has
:21:24. > :21:29.been investigating the history of this humble fruit. And he joins us
:21:29. > :21:35.now live from the centre of Birmingham. I have to say, David,
:21:35. > :21:39.that's not the most impressive apple tree I've ever seen. You mean
:21:39. > :21:43.my tiny Apple tree? Every day, I walk past it on the
:21:43. > :21:48.way to work and ask: is this the remains of some long forgotten
:21:49. > :21:51.orchard? Just one tree on a bit of wasteground in central Birmingham?
:21:51. > :21:54.So when the president of the Royal Horticultural Society, no less,
:21:54. > :21:57.invited Midlands Today to a special apple event, it presented a chance
:21:58. > :22:07.to learn more about the history of apples in the Midlands. And perhaps
:22:08. > :22:10.
:22:10. > :22:13.Kington on the Herefordshire-Wales boarder. And at Hergest Croft
:22:13. > :22:22.Gardens, a celebration of the county's rich history or apples and
:22:22. > :22:26.orchards. What are you doing with them at this time of the years?
:22:26. > :22:31.collect them and to reduce them, and we are trying to do a great
:22:31. > :22:38.deal more with the apples. In fact, this festival here has made a huge
:22:39. > :22:40.difference to our attitude of the Apple. This festival is just one of
:22:40. > :22:43.many events celebrating Herefordshire's Year in the Orchard
:22:43. > :22:48.marking 200 years since this man, Thomas Andrew Knight, wrote the
:22:48. > :22:52.first book to try and record all the apples and pears of the county.
:22:52. > :22:58.And with so many apple experts on hand, it's also a chance to see if
:22:59. > :23:05.that tree in your garden is actually a long lost apple variety.
:23:05. > :23:11.So, I've brought one sad Apple from a sad and lonely Apple tree in
:23:11. > :23:17.central Birmingham. Is there something special? This is from
:23:17. > :23:23.central Birmingham. It's not the nicest Apple, but... It is hard to
:23:23. > :23:26.be certain. It has got some of the colours and appearance at Worcester,
:23:26. > :23:33.which is quite widely grown from the 19th century onwards. It has
:23:33. > :23:36.been around a long time. So not a rare variety? Unfortunately, I'm
:23:37. > :23:41.afraid not. Disappointment for me, but joy for others as the Royal
:23:42. > :23:44.Horticultural Society hands out its first ever awards for orchards. The
:23:44. > :23:50.awards were created for Herefordshire's Year in the Orchard
:23:50. > :23:51.and to honour Thomas Andrew Knight's great achievement. But
:23:51. > :24:01.there is one more coincidence here linking Herefordshire, the RHS,
:24:01. > :24:01.
:24:01. > :24:11.apples and two people two centuries apart. Thomas Andrew Knight was the
:24:11. > :24:16.founder of the Horticultural Society in 1,800 for. -- 1804. I am
:24:16. > :24:26.the second career for Diame to be President, so that is why we are
:24:26. > :24:26.
:24:26. > :24:31.here today and we are looking at all the apples of Thomas Antrim. --
:24:32. > :24:34.Thomas Andrew Knight. Perhaps today we take the humble apple a bit for
:24:34. > :24:36.granted. But this autumn has provided both a bumper harvest and
:24:36. > :24:40.a chance to reconsider and celebrate Herefordshire's crowning
:24:40. > :24:43.glory. So not a long lost variety. But if it grew from a seedling,
:24:43. > :24:47.then it is at least unique. Because any apple tree, just like you and
:24:47. > :24:49.me, that grows like that is a mix of both parents. So, not special,
:24:49. > :24:52.but unique. And it does make an excellent crumble.
:24:52. > :24:56.Tomorrow, meet the film maker who's been capturing the wildlife of
:24:56. > :25:06.Shropshire for decades. And, as far as we know, he's also the only
:25:06. > :25:10.
:25:10. > :25:18.wildlife cameraman who's also a Well, beautiful celebrating the
:25:18. > :25:21.apples, but what about the weather? Maybe after tomorrow. We had a pure
:25:21. > :25:26.showers today. Not too many, but now we are on the brink of wetter
:25:26. > :25:30.weather. Rain is heading our way in the second half of tonight, coming
:25:30. > :25:35.up from the South, heading up to the South coast, but the amounts
:25:35. > :25:44.are adding up and by the time it reaches us, it is not going to be
:25:44. > :25:47.as heavy. If we do get a sizable amount tonight, it is due to the
:25:47. > :25:54.persistence the the rain and the length of time it is going to be
:25:54. > :25:58.with us. Temperatures down to 8-9. That rain is still with us,
:25:58. > :26:02.spreading further northwards. It looks as though the rain will be
:26:03. > :26:06.airing on the side of the West, and the darker colours indicate the
:26:06. > :26:12.heavier bursts, and then through the afternoon it eases away from
:26:12. > :26:17.the West, becoming patchy. It is going to be a grim, grey and wet
:26:18. > :26:24.day, and quite cold. The winds he's down, but the temperatures only up
:26:24. > :26:27.to 10-11, so it is quite chilly for this time of year. That rain moves
:26:27. > :26:32.away during tomorrow night, and as it clears, because it keeps
:26:32. > :26:37.dampness, we will see a widespread fog developing. It is a bit chilly
:26:37. > :26:42.with temperatures down to six. But fog clears through tomorrow or
:26:42. > :26:46.Friday morning, meaning it will be brighter and drier after that with
:26:46. > :26:49.the sunshine continuing through Saturday. The weekend will be
:26:49. > :26:52.largely dry. So, some good stuff to come?
:26:52. > :26:55.Years for. A look at tonight's main headlines:
:26:55. > :26:58.It's now or never. The warning to European leaders as they gather in
:26:58. > :27:01.Brussels for a crucial summit on the Eurozone debt crisis.
:27:01. > :27:05.And concerns for our hospices - could they be the big loser in the
:27:05. > :27:07.new Health Lottery? Before we go, we were talking
:27:07. > :27:10.earlier about concerns some local hospices have about the Health
:27:10. > :27:12.Lottery, worrying that it'll actually take money away from them.
:27:12. > :27:15.Thanks for your thoughts on Facebook. James Craib says, "I
:27:15. > :27:23.support our local Severn Hospice via their lottery then I know where
:27:23. > :27:28.the money goes." Glen Watson says health care should be fully funded
:27:28. > :27:31.through taxation. But Cheryl Aston says, "In the Healthy Lottery, 20p
:27:32. > :27:35.goes to a good cause and the rest to winners; it's helping us our
:27:35. > :27:37.help own country." Thank you for your thoughts.