:00:10. > :00:17.Hello, welcome to Midlands Today with Suzanne Virdee and Nick Owen.
:00:17. > :00:22.The headlines tonight: Are these the green shoots? Around
:00:22. > :00:28.this area, people still want to get up early in the morning and come to
:00:28. > :00:33.work. Faces lit up around the region as
:00:33. > :00:36.the Olympic torch bearers are announced. I'm hoping I don't fall
:00:36. > :00:38.over and do anything silly. A hero for his fundraising.
:00:38. > :00:41.Birmingham's Congolese community pray for footballer Fabrice Muamba.
:00:41. > :00:49.And after 70 accidents last year involving horses on the road, a
:00:49. > :00:59.petition to Parliament calling for more bridleways.
:00:59. > :01:08.
:01:08. > :01:11.I try to stay off the main roads because it it it it is too busy.
:01:11. > :01:14.Good evening, welcome to the start of the week with Midlands Today
:01:14. > :01:17.from the BBC. Tonight, a big increase in the number of new
:01:17. > :01:20.businesses starting up in the region, according to new research
:01:20. > :01:22.commissioned by the BBC. The survey, from Experian, says more than
:01:23. > :01:27.62,000 new businesses have been set up in this region since 2010.
:01:27. > :01:30.That's an increase of just over 19%. Sandwell is one of the region's
:01:30. > :01:33.growth hot-spots, but it's also one of the worst areas in the country
:01:33. > :01:39.for business insolvency. Our business correspondent Peter
:01:39. > :01:47.Plisner reports. A Sandwell based metal fabrication
:01:47. > :01:50.firm. It's one of the companies that became insolvent last year.
:01:50. > :01:53.Thankfully it's now trading again, although with a trimmed down
:01:53. > :01:58.workforce. Quality Manager Simon Casey was one of the lucky ones.
:01:58. > :02:02.I have worked here for 23 years. Ever already has bills to pay so it
:02:02. > :02:06.was a difficult time. Hopefully we are looking to the future now.
:02:06. > :02:09.And this man helped save the firm. Mike Dell is also president of the
:02:09. > :02:15.Black Country Chamber of Commerce. He's not surprised that some firms
:02:15. > :02:19.are still going bust. It is still very tight, so whether
:02:19. > :02:24.trying to bar her from a bank or suppliers, it is very difficult to
:02:24. > :02:33.get enough credit so sometimes you get squeezed. You might want to buy
:02:33. > :02:42.materials but can't get credit from suppliers.
:02:42. > :02:45.It is not all doom and Liam. The same research also at tells of new
:02:45. > :02:48.businesses. In the last two years the number of
:02:48. > :02:51.business in Sandwell has risen almost 23%, amongst the highest in
:02:51. > :02:58.the region. According to the boss of this firm, Sandwell provides an
:02:58. > :03:03.ideal location. We decided to set up here because of the scale of the
:03:03. > :03:07.people within the Black Country. Metal has been such a recent
:03:07. > :03:11.industry, there are not many people in the country that can do it. The
:03:11. > :03:16.Black Country has always had a metal Spedding people there.
:03:16. > :03:19.And according to operator Steve Walters, there's another reason.
:03:19. > :03:22.They will do a job that other people were
:03:22. > :03:25.Sandwell also has it's fair share of firms that send their projects
:03:25. > :03:28.abroad, but the number of company's exporting appears to have fallen
:03:28. > :03:34.and, again, Sandwell is one of the worst affected, down 0.6%. But here
:03:34. > :03:44.there's also some good news. Part of the reason is that some work
:03:44. > :03:52.
:03:53. > :04:02.previously done in places like China is now coming back to the UK.
:04:02. > :04:05.All. So a mixed picture overall for
:04:05. > :04:08.Sandwell, but the good news is all three companies we visited said
:04:08. > :04:11.they were expected to be recruiting more staff within the next few
:04:11. > :04:14.weeks. Peter Plisner BBC Midlands in Sandwell.
:04:14. > :04:19.Later tonight there's a Midlands Today special on the economy on
:04:19. > :04:27.BBC1. Presenter Mary Rhodes joins us now. Mary, what are the big
:04:27. > :04:32.themes of the debate? It promises to be a lively debate
:04:32. > :04:36.between decision-makers and those most affected by decisions. Firstly
:04:36. > :04:42.unemployment continues to be a big problem here. Close to one in 10
:04:42. > :04:48.looking for a job. Debt, personal debt and the cost of living
:04:48. > :04:52.continuing to rise. Many people are struggling to match those bills. We
:04:52. > :04:56.also try to be optimistic about growth. There are some reasons to
:04:57. > :05:04.be cheerful. People looking for jobs here, what
:05:04. > :05:08.are their prospects of the three gamble is that Peter visited a or
:05:08. > :05:13.emigrate in the next three weeks. Particularly among young people.
:05:13. > :05:19.One in five in the West Midlands without a job. One of the panel
:05:19. > :05:25.members from the stone house gang try to help young people into work.
:05:25. > :05:31.We asked him if the main problem was a lack of skills. I think it is
:05:31. > :05:36.opposite. Our young people are keen to get jobs and they are all
:05:36. > :05:40.completely are employable. They have the social and -- social
:05:40. > :05:45.skills and qualifications. It is just the experience that they
:05:45. > :05:48.sometimes lacked. What is your overriding feeling
:05:48. > :05:54.about the economy? Cupboard is are struggling to get
:05:54. > :05:59.credit, that is an issue. 62,000 new company is in the West Midlands
:05:59. > :06:04.has to be good news, however we are started that a low base. Professor
:06:04. > :06:09.David Bey in the keen to put things into context or as.
:06:09. > :06:18.It even if we avoid double dip, at the prospects of growth are pretty
:06:18. > :06:23.grim. We will not get back to pre- recession levels of output.
:06:23. > :06:30.The Independent egg etc. In the West Midlands than anywhere else
:06:30. > :06:33.that the country so we can end are an optimistic note.
:06:33. > :06:36.And you can see tonight's programme, Our Economy: The Midlands Today
:06:37. > :06:39.Debate here on BBC One at 11:05pm. Still to come tonight: After metal
:06:39. > :06:48.thefts from hospitals, railways and churches, now car exhausts are
:06:48. > :06:53.Hundreds of people are celebrating after being confirmed as London
:06:53. > :06:56.2012 Olympic torch bearers when the flame visits the region. The torch,
:06:56. > :07:00.which is being made in Coventry, will be carried by around 800
:07:00. > :07:06.people as it passes through our region. It'll include the youngest
:07:06. > :07:09.torch bearer anywhere in the UK. Dan Pallett reports.
:07:09. > :07:15.He's the schoolboy with the eyes of the world on him. Dominic MacGowan
:07:15. > :07:18.took centre stage at the Olympic torch route launch today. Rubbing
:07:18. > :07:22.shoulders with Boris Johnson and Jonathon Edwards. This summer
:07:22. > :07:31.around 8,000 people will carry the Olympic flame. And the 12-year-old
:07:31. > :07:35.from Halesowen will be the youngest. I am just hoping I don't fall over
:07:35. > :07:38.or do something silly. I'm confident and I hope it goes well.
:07:38. > :07:40.And this man's he's not just another jogger. Peter Frazier is a
:07:40. > :07:43.ground breaker. The 61-year-old from Leamington Spa
:07:43. > :07:46.created history in 1981 when he became the first transplant patient
:07:46. > :07:54.to run a marathon. He'd had a kidney replacement three years
:07:54. > :07:59.earlier. Now he's to become an Olympic torch bearer.
:07:59. > :08:05.The Olympics are such a big event a world come a run together in my
:08:05. > :08:08.lifetime. I am at 61 now, but I did not even see the previous Olympics.
:08:08. > :08:14.21-year-old Zakia Begum from Walsall cried when she learnt that
:08:14. > :08:19.she will be a torch bearer. She has congenital muscular dystrophy.
:08:19. > :08:25.Having a disability is not a bad thing and I don't want anyone to
:08:25. > :08:29.think that it is. You can do anything.
:08:29. > :08:32.Today we fouled out exactly where the torch will be going and that
:08:32. > :08:34.included unusual places. The Erlstoke Manor will take the
:08:35. > :08:40.torch and hundreds of school children along the Severn Valley
:08:40. > :08:44.Railway from Bewdley to Kidderminster.
:08:44. > :08:50.This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only for the
:08:50. > :08:52.country, but for the Severn Valley Railway. We are looking forward to
:08:52. > :08:54.the opportunity. Jack Picken will have to do the
:08:54. > :08:57.leg-work himself. But that's no problem for him. The 12-year-old
:08:57. > :09:05.from Sneyd Green on Stoke-on-Trent was chosen for his commitment to
:09:05. > :09:12.physical education. Are really are good because only a
:09:12. > :09:14.few people in the country have been chosen. I'm really excited, but I
:09:14. > :09:17.am nervous at the same time. And while doctors thought 14-year-
:09:17. > :09:20.old Matthew Clarke from Bishop's castle, in Shropshire, may never
:09:20. > :09:26.learn to walk, he's overcome a number of health problems to earn
:09:26. > :09:31.his place as a bearer. The teacher came into my lesson and
:09:31. > :09:36.said, can I borrow Matthew, please. I was thinking I had done something
:09:36. > :09:41.that didn't know whether it was good or bad. I saw my sister and my
:09:41. > :09:44.mum there and I thought, what have I done. They said and had been
:09:44. > :09:47.picked to run with the Olympic flame.
:09:47. > :09:49.This year's annual dash around Lichfield Cathedral will also be
:09:49. > :09:56.combined with the torch route. 2012 will see remarkable Midlanders
:09:56. > :09:59.doing remarkable things. One of the major Olympic torch
:09:59. > :10:02.events in our region will be in Worcester on Thursday May 24th.
:10:02. > :10:06.Thousands of people are expected at the home of Worcestershire County
:10:06. > :10:15.Cricket Club - and that's where we find Sarah Falkland this evening.
:10:15. > :10:21.Sarah, how is planning going? It is very tranquil and so read
:10:21. > :10:27.here tonight. The Cathedral lit up behind me. Come May 24th, this will
:10:27. > :10:33.be an Olympic Party Central. There will be a massive stage at the back
:10:33. > :10:38.with a cauldron that will be lit by the torch. A Georgia, tell us about
:10:38. > :10:41.the party night. There will be a couple of hours of
:10:41. > :10:49.celebration including our community choir at they will be singing in
:10:49. > :10:53.unique vision is a bore it. It is free? It certainly is. Head of will
:10:53. > :10:59.have to apply for tickets in the next couple of weeks.
:10:59. > :11:07.Caroline, you have been aroused as a torch-bearer, how happy I you?
:11:07. > :11:12.Really excited, it is a real honour. You are up he teacher and former PE
:11:12. > :11:17.teacher for the Sunday Times? I was nominated by a past students
:11:17. > :11:24.he was a Premiership football player. Do you know which bits you
:11:24. > :11:29.will be doing? I don't know yet. I know it is about 300 metres.
:11:29. > :11:33.might get the leg that brings you here into the cricket ground.
:11:33. > :11:39.would be amazing. You could be lighting the cauldron. That would
:11:39. > :11:43.be a dream come true. Thank you very much from both of you. There
:11:43. > :11:48.are other parties across the Midlands at that time in Cheltenham,
:11:48. > :11:53.Birmingham, Stoke and Coventry. We will be doing a special broadcast
:11:53. > :11:56.here for the Worcester party. A huge amount of excitement, isn't
:11:56. > :12:00.there? And all the information about where
:12:00. > :12:01.you can see the torch in your part of the region is on our Facebook
:12:01. > :12:03.page. The Congolese community in
:12:03. > :12:06.Birmingham today joined well wishers from around the world in
:12:06. > :12:09.praying for former Blues footballer Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a
:12:09. > :12:12.cardiac arrest at the weekend. Muamba was a popular figure among
:12:12. > :12:14.Congolese ex-pats during his two years at St Andrew's, helping local
:12:14. > :12:23.charities and churches. Giles Latcham reports
:12:23. > :12:26.In Lozells in Birmingham a salute for a hero. It's nearly four years
:12:26. > :12:36.since he left Blues for Bolton, but when Fabrice Muamba needs a haircut
:12:36. > :12:38.
:12:38. > :12:46.this is where he comes. He is a very, very good guy. A good guy for
:12:46. > :12:51.everyone. Fabrice Muamba was at his wedding
:12:52. > :12:58.to her regularly hands out tickets. I pray that everything will be
:12:58. > :13:03.alright. Fabrice Muamba played 17 times. He
:13:03. > :13:08.forged links in this city that have endured despite his transfer.
:13:08. > :13:14.When he arrived in Birmingham he became part of the congregation
:13:14. > :13:19.here in a stunt. He still worships here.
:13:19. > :13:25.A boyhood friend travels to all of his games. He says his collapses
:13:25. > :13:33.shocking because in the Congolese community he is the biggest name.
:13:33. > :13:43.For the English, David Beckham is the biggest off. For me and our
:13:43. > :13:49.whole community, we love Fabrice Muamba. Everyone. He is always
:13:49. > :13:59.smiling, always happy, always speaking everyone. We recognise
:13:59. > :14:02.
:14:02. > :14:07.that and that is why we support him. We wish him the best.
:14:07. > :14:15.At Molineux yesterday, players and supporters joined in applause. A
:14:15. > :14:23.lot of man -- a lot of praise for Aric man.
:14:23. > :14:31.A man has been injured after an accident on the red before 2pm this
:14:31. > :14:41.afternoon. The van collided with a lorry and a car, the driver was
:14:41. > :14:53.
:14:53. > :14:55.taken to hospital in Coventry. We've heard lots about metal thefts
:14:55. > :14:58.from hospitals, war memorials, railways and even church roofs, but
:14:58. > :15:01.the latest targets are our cars. Thieves are cutting out catalytic
:15:01. > :15:04.converters, which are part of the exhaust system to get the rare
:15:04. > :15:07.metals they contain. And it's drivers who are left counting the
:15:07. > :15:14.cost. Cath Mackie reports. Cathy Chesworth got in her car the
:15:14. > :15:19.other morning, switched on the engine and was horrified. There was
:15:19. > :15:24.a big cloud of white smoke pass the passenger door which did not seem
:15:24. > :15:27.right. I tried again and it did start.
:15:27. > :15:33.Overnight, thieves had stolen the catalytic converter from the car
:15:33. > :15:37.parked outside her house in Ewyas Harold in Herefordshire. Absolutely
:15:37. > :15:39.gobsmacked to the village like this. This is what the thieves are after.
:15:40. > :15:42.The cat, as it's sometimes known, which filters the emissions, is
:15:43. > :15:45.lined with precious metals such as platinum. In all, five cars were
:15:46. > :15:48.attacked here last week, and in another village, six cars had their
:15:48. > :15:54.catalytic converters stolen. Car mechanic Paul Oliver has seen
:15:54. > :16:01.the damage first hand caused by catalytic converter thefts. They
:16:01. > :16:07.are cutting run out at the front and back ends. By I have seemed
:16:07. > :16:10.generally fall by four cars and minibuses and vans. Easy access.
:16:10. > :16:15.Inspector Paul Gebbie is another victim. Thieves stole his catalytic
:16:15. > :16:20.converter 18 months ago, leaving him with a �500 bill. It is a are
:16:20. > :16:24.rebelling problem. It fits in with a larger picture of metal theft
:16:24. > :16:29.that a whole country is experiencing. When you commit these
:16:29. > :16:32.crimes, you will make a noise so if you ever hear anything please call
:16:32. > :16:42.immediately. As for Cathy Chesworth, she now has
:16:42. > :16:56.
:16:56. > :16:59.a repair bill of over �300. Still to come tonight: Can you help
:16:59. > :17:01.unravel the mystery of up to 45,000 photographs gathering dust in
:17:01. > :17:04.Shropshire? And with Spring on the way and
:17:04. > :17:06.longer days ahead, do we have the weather to match? I'll be telling
:17:06. > :17:09.you later. It's estimated that four million
:17:09. > :17:12.people enjoy horse riding in the UK, but there are increasing fears
:17:12. > :17:15.about the safety of horses on busy roads. Many riders now feel that
:17:16. > :17:18.drivers no longer understand about horses and may not give them a wide
:17:18. > :17:20.enough berth. Now a petition is underway calling for more
:17:21. > :17:23.bridleways where horses can be ridden in safety. Kevin Reide's
:17:23. > :17:25.report contains images which some people may find upsetting.
:17:26. > :17:29.Over the last year there have been around 70 accidents involving
:17:29. > :17:30.vehicles and horses on roads in the Midlands, a fact many riders, like
:17:30. > :17:39.Kayleigh Strangewood from Shropshire, are becoming
:17:39. > :17:45.increasingly concerned about. friends horse has had a card drive
:17:45. > :17:48.so close that it chipped up pebbles at it and it then fell over and
:17:48. > :17:51.fell underneath the car and caused severe injury.
:17:51. > :17:54.A long running poster campaign has been highlighting the dangers, but
:17:54. > :17:57.now an online petition has been set up to lobby parliament. It calls
:17:57. > :18:03.for the number of bridleways to be increased from 20,000 miles to
:18:03. > :18:05.91,000, in line with the number of public footpaths.
:18:05. > :18:08.The British Horse Society now records all road accidents
:18:08. > :18:11.involving horses on their website and this map shows some of the
:18:11. > :18:20.hotspots - for example in this area near Sutton Coldfield there were
:18:20. > :18:24.four accidents in the last year. Accidents are only recorded by
:18:24. > :18:29.police if the person involved gets taken to a hospital. There are
:18:29. > :18:33.numerous accidents where people and horses are injury at -- injured,
:18:33. > :18:39.but they do not want to leave Ed Balls alone. A lot of accidents do
:18:39. > :18:43.not get it all did. More than 12,000 have signed the
:18:43. > :18:46.petition and hope a leisurely ride in the future can be just that.
:18:46. > :18:51.Sport now, Dan's back and after the excitement of the Olympic torch
:18:51. > :18:54.bearer announcements, it's football that dominates tonight.
:18:54. > :18:57.Stoke City's Premier League game at Tottenham on Wednesday will go
:18:57. > :19:01.ahead as planned. Postponement had been a possibility following
:19:01. > :19:03.Fabrice Muamba's collapse during Saturday's game at White Hart Lane.
:19:03. > :19:08.Yesterday, 6,000 Stoke fans travelled to Anfield, but tasted
:19:08. > :19:12.defeat in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Luis Suarez scored first for
:19:12. > :19:18.Liverpool. Peter Crouch made it 1-1 before half-time but there was to
:19:18. > :19:21.be no repeat of last season's trip to Wembley. Stewart Downing
:19:21. > :19:27.clinched Liverpool's place in the semi-finals, mid-way through the
:19:27. > :19:29.second half. The Wolves chief executive, Jez
:19:29. > :19:32.Moxey, has called for a sense of perspective after yesterday's five-
:19:32. > :19:36.goal mauling by Manchester United saw the Molineux side drop to the
:19:36. > :19:40.bottom of the Barclays Premier League. Moxey said the long term
:19:40. > :19:46.goals for the club would not be "damaged" by a turbulent few weeks.
:19:46. > :19:49.Nick Clitheroe reports. When West Bromwich Albion were held
:19:49. > :19:52.to a draw at Wigan on Saturday afternoon it dropped Black Country
:19:52. > :19:55.rivals Wolves to the foot of the Premier League. Only the most
:19:55. > :19:58.optimistic fan would have turned up at Molineux expecting their team to
:19:58. > :20:02.beat Manchester United and climb away from the bottom, but only the
:20:02. > :20:06.most pessimistic was expecting another five goal mauling. After
:20:06. > :20:09.all, United may be top, but they went out of Europe midweek. For 20
:20:09. > :20:12.minutes the game was fairly even until Jonny Evans put the leaders
:20:12. > :20:15.in front. But it was the rush of blood which saw Ronald Zubar sent
:20:15. > :20:18.off for two yellow card challenges which really started the rot. By
:20:18. > :20:21.half-time it was three as confidence visibly drained from the
:20:21. > :20:23.Wolves players. Even the simplest principles of marking went out the
:20:24. > :20:29.window as Javier Hernandez was gifted two further goals at the
:20:29. > :20:32.start of the second half. But with the vocal backing of fans, who were
:20:33. > :20:39.determined to try and lift their team, Wolves at least made it
:20:39. > :20:43.through to full-time without any further punishment.
:20:44. > :20:49.They had a awful lot to swallow this season and took out their
:20:49. > :20:53.frustrations on management rather than players which shows an
:20:53. > :20:57.admirable level of support to the squad. Those fans appreciate it is
:20:57. > :21:03.not their fault. The pundits on Match of the Day 2
:21:03. > :21:06.were in no mood to offer false hope. It is concentration and wanting to
:21:06. > :21:10.do your job. The prospects look very bleak.
:21:10. > :21:13.Wolves have taken just 15 points from the last 78, they've lost six
:21:13. > :21:18.in a row at Molineux for the first time since 1951 and conceded 19
:21:18. > :21:22.goals in five games. But there is hope. They're still just one point
:21:22. > :21:27.adrift of safety and with games to come against Norwich and Bolton.
:21:27. > :21:30.Nick Clitheroe BBC Midlands Today. If Wolves do go down, then
:21:30. > :21:34.Birmingham City could take their place in the Premier league.
:21:34. > :21:37.They're up to fourth in the Championship. One of five teams
:21:37. > :21:40.separated by just a point in the race to make the play-offs with
:21:40. > :21:43.only ten games left. Blues climbed back into those
:21:43. > :21:46.playoff places with Saturday's 3- nil home victory against promotion
:21:46. > :21:49.rivals Middlesbrough. This was Birmingham's 50th game of the
:21:49. > :21:54.season already and they were rarely threatened after Nikola Zigic put
:21:55. > :21:59.them in front at St Andrews. Marlon King ensured the victory with a
:21:59. > :22:02.second just before the hour. But the pick of the goals was scored by
:22:02. > :22:12.Irishman Keith Fahey who celebrated St Patrick's Day with a fine solo
:22:12. > :22:14.
:22:14. > :22:20.third for the Blues. Anybody that puts it a good run is
:22:20. > :22:23.capable of getting in the play-offs. There are -- they are 10 a very big
:22:23. > :22:29.games and we are always looking at other results, but the more
:22:29. > :22:33.important are our own. If we can perform like today a on Tuesday, we
:22:33. > :22:36.will give ourselves a chance. Burton Albion's search for a new
:22:36. > :22:39.manager is well underway after the club sacked Paul Peschisolido on
:22:39. > :22:43.Saturday. Their 4-1 home defeat by Torquay was their sixth straight
:22:43. > :22:46.defeat. And their 14th game in a row without a win. Gary Rowett and
:22:46. > :22:48.Kevin Poole will take charge for tomorrow's home game against
:22:48. > :22:53.Northampton. You can see all the Football League
:22:53. > :22:55.goals on the BBC sport website. And tomorrow, we'll have a special
:22:55. > :23:05.feature on the Shrewsbury Town Graham Turner, before their home
:23:05. > :23:08.match against Cheltenham. That is an important game, isn't
:23:08. > :23:11.Shropshire's Archive Service has a problem. Their collection of 45,000
:23:11. > :23:14.photographs charts the history of the county from Victorian times
:23:15. > :23:18.until the present day. But nobody's sure exactly what pictures the
:23:18. > :23:21.collection holds, because it's never been fully catalogued. Now
:23:21. > :23:25.they're hoping the public will step in and help them uncover some
:23:25. > :23:29.hidden gems. Here's James McDonald. More than a century of Shropshire's
:23:29. > :23:33.photographic history is contained in these boxes. And this archive
:23:33. > :23:42.needs help. They want volunteer members of the public to sort
:23:42. > :23:47.through the entire collection. we are offering essentially is to
:23:47. > :23:49.go on a journey of discovery and take a lead of a box and see what
:23:49. > :23:52.they find. A flick through a random folder
:23:52. > :23:55.reveals snapshots of daily life long since forgotten. Who were
:23:55. > :23:58.these women, dancing in the grounds of Shrewsbury Castle? Lord & Lady
:23:58. > :24:03.Barnard, but does anybody know more about them? An Edwardian crowd
:24:03. > :24:06.looks on as two gas balloons take off, but where was this event?
:24:06. > :24:11.a photographic collection particularly, people have looked at
:24:11. > :24:13.them but never had the time to study them. Who knows what might be
:24:13. > :24:16.in there. Volunteers can choose their own
:24:16. > :24:22.village or area to investigate, their local knowledge helping to
:24:22. > :24:26.bring the old photographs to life. You get the feeling that people
:24:26. > :24:29.living in a market out in the centre of the county are still
:24:29. > :24:34.doing the same sort of things and have the same problems that we used
:24:34. > :24:37.Today Wyle Cop in Shrewsbury is a busy street - in that sense not so
:24:37. > :24:45.different to the scene 80 or 90 years ago. This Ironmongers used to
:24:45. > :24:50.stand at number two, today it's an opticians.
:24:50. > :24:53.We have never seen a photo of the shop, we have seen the street, but
:24:53. > :24:56.lot of photo of our premises. There's at least three years of
:24:56. > :24:59.work for the volunteers, perhaps longer. The end result should give
:24:59. > :25:01.us a new view of the county's past. James McDonald BBC Midlands Today
:25:01. > :25:04.in Shrewsbury There'll be a special event at
:25:04. > :25:14.Shrewsbury Library on March the 27th - and there's further
:25:14. > :25:14.
:25:14. > :25:23.information on the Midlands Today We were there for the royal wedding
:25:23. > :25:29.last year. There will be a special event at
:25:29. > :25:33.Shrewsbury library on 27th March. There is further information on the
:25:33. > :25:38.Midlands Today Facebook page. And Midlands Today Facebook page. And
:25:38. > :25:42.now the weather.. I sensed things are picking up and
:25:42. > :25:46.the week has barely begun. Tomorrow is the official start of spring and
:25:46. > :25:51.we will be in the British summertime by the end of the week.
:25:51. > :25:58.I can hear some of these saying already, forget about that, where
:25:58. > :26:03.is the rain? I am afraid that is still elusive. We have this high-
:26:03. > :26:09.pressure taking place looming and dominating this week. It will fend
:26:09. > :26:13.off anything remotely wet. So tonight is looking dry with clear
:26:13. > :26:18.spells to begin with. The wind will pick up from the West and introduce
:26:18. > :26:24.cloud across the region. Before that arrives we will see pockets of
:26:24. > :26:33.mist. We then have the odd spot of drizzle out of their care cloud,
:26:33. > :26:38.but mild tonight a run five to six Celsius. Moving on to tomorrow, a
:26:38. > :26:43.great start. Overall at cloudier day for the first day of spring,
:26:43. > :26:49.but we will see it breaks in the cloud through the afternoon. Not as
:26:49. > :26:55.much as today. Temperatures are a well on their own, up to 13 or 14
:26:55. > :27:01.Celsius. It goes through the week and depends on the wind direction
:27:01. > :27:06.and as to what the temperatures will be. We have a cool breeze
:27:06. > :27:09.coming in through the English Channel Wednesday, but in the
:27:09. > :27:13.sunshine temperatures shoot up to sunshine temperatures shoot up to
:27:13. > :27:16.Very nice. A look at tonight's main headlines:
:27:16. > :27:18.A hit and run gunman leaves four dead at a Jewish school in southern
:27:19. > :27:21.France. Three of the victims were children.
:27:21. > :27:28.And are these the green shoots? 62,000 new businesses have started
:27:28. > :27:30.up in the region in the past year. That's all from us this evening,