:00:09. > :00:12.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Nick Owen and Mary Rhodes. The
:00:12. > :00:17.headlines tonight: Winter's sting in the tail, as snow descends on
:00:17. > :00:23.the region. But startled holidaymakers carry on camping.
:00:24. > :00:29.Didn't come away on holiday expecting this. It is different.
:00:29. > :00:33.is typical British weather. A first look at the new truck which could
:00:33. > :00:35.bring dozens of jobs to the Potteries. To have something from
:00:36. > :00:40.Britain released in the market at this time I think is really good
:00:40. > :00:44.news. The stroke victim who says he is being neglected by his council.
:00:44. > :00:54.He has only been washed four times in three months. And why the Royal
:00:54. > :01:00.
:01:00. > :01:02.Shakespeare Company is recruiting in Winson Green.
:01:02. > :01:07.Good evening and welcome to Wednesday's Midlands Today from the
:01:07. > :01:09.BBC. Tonight: After last week's mini heatwave, winter returns with
:01:09. > :01:14.a vengeance. Snow fell today over Shropshire, Birmingham and the
:01:14. > :01:17.Staffordshire Moorlands, some of it heavy. Drifts in some areas were
:01:17. > :01:19.knee-deep. Strong winds brought power lines down, while snowploughs
:01:19. > :01:21.were needed to clear the worst affected roads. The wintry blast
:01:21. > :01:30.caught some holidaymakers by surprise but, undeterred, they
:01:30. > :01:36.carried on camping. Andy Newman reports.
:01:36. > :01:42.The British weather - full of surprises. This was the scene in
:01:42. > :01:49.Staffordshire today - well over six inches of snow. The Leeds to Buxton
:01:49. > :01:52.Road had to be closed in places. All of this happened with Easter
:01:53. > :01:57.just around the corner and the hot sunshine of only a few days ago
:01:58. > :02:03.still fresh in people's minds. What a difference a week makes! Last
:02:03. > :02:08.week it was deckchair weather, today it is this. The temperature
:02:08. > :02:13.is forecast to drop well below zero overnight. Not the conditions that
:02:13. > :02:18.campers had been expecting when they checked into this site for an
:02:18. > :02:25.Easter break. Butane gas cylinders are definitely in demand as they
:02:25. > :02:30.try to keep warm. I wasn't expecting it. Were you hoping for
:02:31. > :02:35.the weather we had last week? definitely. We were out on Sunday
:02:35. > :02:40.and the weather was glorious. We were wearing T-shirts. For it is
:02:40. > :02:45.different! It is lovely, really. I have never been away in a motor
:02:45. > :02:55.home when it has been snowing, so it is a bit different. Glorious,
:02:55. > :02:59.isn't it? After the last fortnight, this is typical British weather.
:02:59. > :03:04.Typical yet unpredictable. And for many of us today, a sharp reminder
:03:04. > :03:10.of that unpredictability. In fact, it is forecast to get milder as we
:03:10. > :03:20.head for the bank holiday weekend. That is just in case all this has
:03:20. > :03:22.got you dreaming of a white Easter. Well, as you saw in Andy's report,
:03:22. > :03:24.the roads in north Staffordshire were severely affected. We're
:03:24. > :03:27.joined now by Dean Sargeant from Staffordshire County Council's
:03:27. > :03:34.gritting depot at Leek. So what were the challenges you faced today
:03:34. > :03:40.as a result of the bad weather? Well, we have been faced with many
:03:40. > :03:43.challenges today - trees that have fallen on the roads, snowdrifts
:03:43. > :03:47.because of the high winds and in some areas abandoned vehicles,
:03:47. > :03:57.which has caused a few problems when we have been trying to plant
:03:57. > :04:04.
:04:04. > :04:08.sold some of the Ritz. -- supply 0 and put salt on some of the routes.
:04:08. > :04:12.-- to use snowploughs. We have been out since three o'clock this
:04:12. > :04:17.morning gritting the roads across the county. We have had snow
:04:17. > :04:27.blowers and snowploughs out to try to keep people on the move. What
:04:27. > :04:28.
:04:28. > :04:31.are the plans for this evening and overnight? We have already had
:04:31. > :04:34.their gritters out this evening. We will continue to monitor the
:04:34. > :04:41.weather forecast for the rest of the evening and into the early
:04:41. > :04:44.years of tomorrow. I would encourage any motorist who
:04:44. > :04:48.experiences hazardous conditions to get in touch with the council and
:04:48. > :04:56.we will try to rectify the situation as best we can.
:04:56. > :05:01.Thank you for joining us. So how much longer is it going to go on
:05:01. > :05:04.for? Shefali can tell us. Not for much longer. The worst of it is
:05:04. > :05:07.practically over, and that was bad enough, with snow depths in excess
:05:07. > :05:10.of 20cm and the worst affected areas. At least it won't be
:05:10. > :05:14.affecting us over the Easter weekend, but I'll have more on that
:05:14. > :05:17.later. One of the country's most wanted
:05:17. > :05:19.men has been arrested in Birmingham after a vehicle was car-jacked with
:05:19. > :05:22.two toddlers still strapped in the back seats. It happened in
:05:22. > :05:25.Erdington following reports of a burglary. Anthony Bartram is near
:05:25. > :05:32.the scene for us this evening. So tell us more about what happened,
:05:32. > :05:37.Anthony. It must have been a terrifying oil
:05:37. > :05:40.or -- ordeal for this young mother, caught up in the middle of a major
:05:40. > :05:47.police operation. They were on the trail of three suspected burglars
:05:47. > :05:52.who fled the scene of a burglary which was reported. They chase
:05:52. > :05:56.their getaway car to hear. Three men got out of the car, one of them
:05:56. > :06:01.then dragged a woman out of her car and sped off with a two young
:06:01. > :06:09.children - a one-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl - still strapped
:06:09. > :06:13.into their seats in the back. The police changed -- chase that
:06:13. > :06:19.vehicle and, that about a mile down the road. The children are safe and
:06:19. > :06:23.well, thankfully. Police now have a suspect in custody from both the
:06:23. > :06:33.burglary and the car jacking incident.
:06:33. > :06:38.What do we know about this man? The man involved -- allegedly
:06:38. > :06:43.involved, is 44-year-old Cedric Brown. He is already on the police
:06:43. > :06:48.wanted list in connection with a burglary two years ago in Bristol,
:06:48. > :06:58.a violent incident, we're told, which featured on Crimewatch. He is
:06:58. > :07:01.now being questioned in connection with all of those incidents. Truck
:07:01. > :07:04.dealers and service centres have been getting a first look at a new
:07:04. > :07:07.truck which it is hoped will bring dozens of jobs to Stoke-on-Trent.
:07:07. > :07:10.The Longton Avia is being backed by a group of Staffordshire
:07:10. > :07:13.businessmen who are aiming to set up production in the city once
:07:13. > :07:17.sales are high enough. An order has already been placed ahead of its
:07:17. > :07:20.official launch to the market. Liz Copper reports.
:07:20. > :07:23.Arriving in Longton, the truck that bears this town's name, and with it
:07:23. > :07:26.hopes of economic rejuvenation. Dealers who will be selling and
:07:26. > :07:29.servicing the Longton truck were in Stoke-on-Trent to see it on the
:07:29. > :07:35.road for the first time. But how confident are they that there is
:07:35. > :07:41.room in the market for this new marque made in the Potteries?
:07:41. > :07:46.very exciting because, to have something that is from Britain to
:07:46. > :07:50.be released in the market at this time, I think it is really good
:07:50. > :07:54.news. I think they're coming in difficult conditions but if they
:07:54. > :07:58.can crack it while it is like this it should be good in the future.
:07:58. > :08:08.Initially, the trucks will be made here at a factory in pride in the
:08:08. > :08:13.Czech Republic. But it is planned to shift production to Stoke-on-
:08:13. > :08:19.Trent as soon as next year. industrial history that this town
:08:19. > :08:22.has, I think there is an ethos of manufacturing in Longton. I think
:08:22. > :08:32.people associate that if a truck is built over here it will be built
:08:32. > :08:35.well. Are there signs that this sector is seeing a recovery? The MP
:08:35. > :08:39.for Longton also chairs the all- party Freight Transport Group, and
:08:39. > :08:43.he believes the outlook is encouraging. The response that we
:08:43. > :08:48.have had from across the country has been incredible. People have
:08:48. > :08:54.been saying, about time, we have been waiting for a British truck to
:08:54. > :08:59.be launched. They want details. moving assembly to the Potteries
:08:59. > :09:07.would generate jobs and benefit the city's economy. Adventure like this
:09:07. > :09:10.is going to add millions of pounds -- ventures like this will add
:09:10. > :09:13.millions of pounds to the local economy and employ more people.
:09:13. > :09:16.Already, the first orders have been placed for these trucks. It is
:09:16. > :09:19.hoped it is part of a long and illustrious route ahead which will
:09:19. > :09:25.boost the region's economy. Liz Copper, BBC Midlands Today, Stoke-
:09:26. > :09:28.on-Trent. And in Midlands Today at 10:25pm, we will have news of a
:09:28. > :09:31.significant announcement being made this evening by Jaguar at the New
:09:31. > :09:34.York Motor Show. Detectives investigating the murder
:09:35. > :09:38.of a 92 year-old man in the Black Country have arrested a 35-year-old
:09:38. > :09:41.woman. William Davis, a decorated war veteran, was found with head
:09:41. > :09:49.injuries at his home in Willenhall on Sunday. Police are now
:09:49. > :09:53.questioning a woman, believed to be local, on suspicion of murder.
:09:53. > :09:56.The jury's been sent home for the night in the case of Tariq Jahan,
:09:56. > :09:59.whose son was one of three men killed in last summer's riots in
:09:59. > :10:02.Birmingham. Mr Jahan's accused of an unrelated assault on a road in
:10:02. > :10:05.Handsworth last July as he picked up his wife from work. He denies
:10:05. > :10:11.assaulting a factory worker, Sajjid Ali, and the jury will resume its
:10:11. > :10:14.deliberations tomorrow. A 33-year-old man has been
:10:14. > :10:18.sentenced to 16 months in prison after sending a hoax bomb report to
:10:18. > :10:21.MI5. Ghulan Kibria used the name of his estranged wife to tell security
:10:21. > :10:27.service officials there was an explosive device at Prince Albert
:10:27. > :10:36.Junior and Infant School in Aston in Birmingham. The school was
:10:36. > :10:39.evacuated of more than 800 pupils and staff as a precaution.
:10:39. > :10:41.A hundred new jobs are being created in the region's computer
:10:41. > :10:44.games industry. Codemasters are expanding their headquarters in
:10:44. > :10:47.Warwickshire as well as their development studio in Birmingham.
:10:47. > :10:55.The company's one of a growing number of high-tech gaming
:10:55. > :10:58.companies now based in the West Midlands.
:10:58. > :11:02.A stroke victim says he has been abandoned in his own home. Colin
:11:02. > :11:05.Bird lost mobility in his arm and leg two years ago he gets 30
:11:05. > :11:07.minutes of care every morning and evening and says his house doesn't
:11:07. > :11:17.provide suitable accommodation for his condition. His friends and
:11:17. > :11:20.
:11:20. > :11:25.family now say that's got to change. Louise Brierley reports. Friends
:11:25. > :11:29.say that it is hard to believe that people are living in these
:11:29. > :11:33.conditions in 21st century Britain. Colin Bird is only 46 years old and
:11:33. > :11:37.has had two strokes in four years. He has been living in this flat in
:11:37. > :11:42.Yardley Wood in Birmingham for the last few months. Terrible. I can't
:11:42. > :11:45.do nothing myself any more. city council provide him with half-
:11:45. > :11:52.an-hour's care in the morning and evening. But friends say that's not
:11:52. > :11:58.enough. He needs fully assisted living, which is doctors say is
:11:58. > :12:03.fully agreed. For a man with that level of disability to be left
:12:03. > :12:06.wanting and starving in modern-day Britain is an absolute disgrace.
:12:06. > :12:10.Colin has told us he's only been washed four times in the last three
:12:10. > :12:17.months and has sores around his legs as a result. He also says he
:12:17. > :12:22.has just �96 a month to live on, which means he often goes hungry.
:12:22. > :12:25.It's disgusting. Colin should not be here. He should be an supported
:12:25. > :12:29.housing where he can get the care that he needs. He cannot handle his
:12:29. > :12:34.finances. I was upset about it yesterday because I hate seeing him
:12:34. > :12:42.like this. The flat is also not designed for someone in his
:12:42. > :12:46.condition. Colin's door is double lot. Because of a stroke he cannot
:12:46. > :12:51.use his arm and that means he cannot lock his door at night. His
:12:51. > :12:56.bed is broken in two places. Inside his kitchen he has very few
:12:56. > :13:00.amenities and has to live off of a microwave and a toaster. Birmingham
:13:00. > :13:02.City Council say this is a complex case and they are satisfied with
:13:02. > :13:05.the care provided in very difficult circumstances. They say they are
:13:05. > :13:08.trying to find him more suitable accommodation that would suit his
:13:08. > :13:18.needs. Colin, meanwhile, is having to rely on the kindness of people
:13:18. > :13:19.
:13:19. > :13:26.like Chris to get by. I get fed up. I can't do nothing myself. I can't
:13:26. > :13:32.walk out beside myself. -- out side by myself. Do you think you need
:13:32. > :13:35.more help? I do, yeah. Luoise Brierley, BBC Midlands TOday,
:13:36. > :13:41.Yardley Wood. We're joined now by Patrick
:13:41. > :13:45.Olzowski from the Stroke Association. Thank you for joining
:13:45. > :13:50.us. What challenges do stroke patients face when they leave
:13:50. > :13:54.hospital? They want to get back to the sort of life that we all
:13:54. > :14:03.actually take for granted, whether it is actually saying a loved one's
:14:03. > :14:06.name were being able to type in a PIN number at the shopping till or,
:14:06. > :14:11.as one gentleman said to me, he wanted to get back to the Royal
:14:11. > :14:16.Marines. There is a huge variety of impacts and recovery is possible
:14:16. > :14:22.but it needs the right support. I gather that the Stroke
:14:22. > :14:26.Association is releasing a report in the next few weeks - are the
:14:26. > :14:36.problems among those who need care? I absolutely. We will be releasing
:14:36. > :14:41.a report at at the start of May. It will be highlighting what is a one-
:14:42. > :14:45.off largest surveys carried out -- carried out of survivors and their
:14:45. > :14:50.carers and what the barriers are to recovery. Survivors are telling us
:14:50. > :14:53.that they are not getting assessed. Assessments should cover the health
:14:53. > :14:57.and social care needs of individual and they should result in
:14:57. > :15:02.meaningful action, but survivors are not -- are telling us they are
:15:03. > :15:06.not getting that. If that places a huge burden on the survivor,
:15:06. > :15:11.pushing back the possibility of recovery, and also on carers who
:15:11. > :15:15.are being forced to sacrifice -- sacrifice their own health and
:15:15. > :15:19.economic well-being to care for a loved one. What impact are the cuts
:15:19. > :15:24.in social care having? Stroke survivors are finding it
:15:24. > :15:28.increasingly hard to get access to show to -- social care. Those who
:15:28. > :15:33.are getting it are actually getting less and less. I would encourage
:15:33. > :15:41.people who are interested in this to visit our website.
:15:41. > :15:51.Thank you. There will be more on this on BBC
:15:51. > :15:58.
:15:58. > :16:02.Radio West Midlands with Adrian Goldberg tomorrow at nine o'clock.
:16:02. > :16:10.Still to come: Giving people from Birmingham the chance to tread the
:16:10. > :16:13.boards in Stratford. Time for sport now, and Ian - big news from Port
:16:13. > :16:16.Vale as they try to move on from their financial troubles. Yes, we
:16:16. > :16:19.now know that Lancashire businessman Keith Ryder is the man
:16:19. > :16:22.in pole position to buy Port Vale out of administration. And he's got
:16:22. > :16:25.a plan to lift the club from the bottom division of the Football
:16:25. > :16:27.League to the Championship within five years. Nick Clitheroe reports.
:16:27. > :16:30.I am delighted to announce this morning that the preferred bidder
:16:30. > :16:33.is Keith Ryder. After a month of uncertainty, today at last Port
:16:33. > :16:36.Vale supporters learnt the identity of the man who's been chosen from
:16:36. > :16:39.five bidders to buy the club out of administration. We are sure he has
:16:39. > :16:42.got the money. He is asking the right questions and has the right
:16:42. > :16:48.ideas about how to take the club forward. We believe he would be
:16:48. > :16:52.very good for Port Vale as well as giving us the best price. We are
:16:52. > :16:54.may not get the full details of his plans until he meets supporters on
:16:54. > :16:57.the 18th. We do know that he has a programme
:16:57. > :17:01.to get this club into the championship within five years and
:17:01. > :17:11.is planning to sit down with the manager, Micky Adams, and talk
:17:11. > :17:24.
:17:24. > :17:28.about building the team. Mr Ryder For the fans who continue to raise
:17:28. > :17:30.money to keep the club going in difficult times, it's a welcome day
:17:30. > :17:36.of positive news. We want to encourage people to go
:17:36. > :17:39.out and buy season tickets. Let's try to get them up to 5,000. Mr
:17:39. > :17:43.Ryder now has two key issues to overcome: First, he must convince
:17:43. > :17:46.75% of the club's creditors to accept his offer, then he has to
:17:46. > :17:49.pass the Football League's fit and proper person test. Do both and he
:17:49. > :17:53.should officially be the owner by the end of June. Nick Clitheroe,
:17:53. > :18:03.BBC Midlands Today, Stoke-on-Trent. Fans will be dying to know more
:18:03. > :18:05.about him. Yes, and we will, too. He's from
:18:05. > :18:09.Lancashire, has interests in financial services and the property
:18:09. > :18:17.business, and he did try to buy into the club last year but was put
:18:17. > :18:22.off by the boardroom politics. Chris Hughton admitted Birmingham
:18:22. > :18:24.City had to ride their luck against Burnley last night. But the Blues
:18:24. > :18:27.manager thought his team deserved to win. On a rain-soaked, blustery
:18:27. > :18:34.night in Burnley it was Birmingham who scored first, through Marlon
:18:34. > :18:44.King, his 16th goal of the season. In the second half, the home side
:18:44. > :18:46.
:18:46. > :18:50.hit back to make it 1-1. But two minutes later the Blues were back
:18:50. > :18:53.in front, thanks to Jordon Mutch, and they went on to seal a 3-1 away
:18:53. > :18:56.victory for the second time in five days when David Murphy scored from
:18:57. > :19:06.close range. Just six games left, the Blues are fourth and still with
:19:07. > :19:07.
:19:07. > :19:09.everything to play for. There was a major disappointment for
:19:09. > :19:12.Bromsgrove's Jess Varnish in her Olympic preparations today. Varnish
:19:12. > :19:15.and Victoria Pendleton could only qualify in fourth place for the
:19:15. > :19:18.finals of the team sprint at the world cycling championships in
:19:18. > :19:26.Australia. They were then beaten in the bronze medal match by China and
:19:26. > :19:29.saw their world record broken by the Germans in the final. On the
:19:29. > :19:31.eve of the new cricket season, some disappointing news for
:19:31. > :19:34.Worcestershire. Spin bowler Saeed Ajmal looks unlikely to return to
:19:34. > :19:36.New Road this summer because of Pakistan's proposed tour of Sri
:19:36. > :19:44.Lanka. Nevertheless, Worcestershire are still in confident mood after
:19:44. > :19:47.narrowly avoiding relegation from division one. Ah, the pre-season
:19:47. > :19:50.photo call. It's just not cricket without one. As traditional as
:19:50. > :19:53.April showers and Easter eggs. Every year, a few new faces, a lot
:19:53. > :19:57.of new shirts, and not a single grass stain in sight. Normally,
:19:57. > :20:02.they take the pictures out here but this year the snappers are forced
:20:02. > :20:12.to their snapping indoors. And that is because it is cold
:20:12. > :20:13.
:20:13. > :20:22.outside. Welcome to English county cricket. Michael, what was the
:20:22. > :20:24.temperature in Adelaide yesterday. It was mid- twenties.
:20:24. > :20:27.Michael is the captain of South Australia. A prolific batsman who's
:20:27. > :20:30.just scored the third double century of his career. Now he's
:20:30. > :20:33.joined Worcestershire for the next couple of months until his fellow
:20:33. > :20:36.Aussie Phil Hughes arrives at the end of May. Luckily for the men
:20:36. > :20:39.from Down Under ,the April weather's not always this bad.
:20:39. > :20:42.Exactly twelve months ago New Road was full of sun cream... And ice
:20:42. > :20:45.cream. Cold beer... And bare chests to welcome Yorkshire on the opening
:20:45. > :20:48.day of the new campaign. Six months later, Worcestershire stayed up on
:20:49. > :20:52.the last day of season. And the Head Coach said it was the biggest
:20:52. > :20:56.achievement of his cricket career. I always felt that if they could
:20:56. > :21:05.just survive then they would be a year older, better experienced.
:21:05. > :21:11.That will be the acid test now. When Steve rang me up, I saw it as
:21:11. > :21:14.a challenge. There are some great teams playing in this division.
:21:14. > :21:17.Inside, in the warmth of the Graeme Hick Pavilion... The lads had
:21:17. > :21:25.changed out of their whites and into their greens. And outside, the
:21:25. > :21:33.wind howled, the rain blew, and the coach shivered with anticipation.
:21:33. > :21:37.think it is going to be a day for three sweaters tomorrow, isn't it.
:21:37. > :21:40.They will be struggling out there if it is like this. Let us keep our
:21:40. > :21:45.fingers crossed us up I do not like to be pessimistic about anything,
:21:45. > :21:48.including the weather. Bring it on. Let's hope it's a bit warmer
:21:48. > :21:54.tomorrow for Worcestershire away to Nottinghamshire in division one.
:21:54. > :22:01.Likewise for Gloucestershire away to Essex in division two.
:22:01. > :22:05.I would say take a jumper tomorrow. It is not that unusual for it so be
:22:05. > :22:12.-- for it to be so cold at the beginning of the season, is it? I
:22:12. > :22:18.believe there is ice on some of the pitches. Yes, some of them are
:22:18. > :22:21.frozen over. I cannot remember ever seeing my hot breath on a day in
:22:21. > :22:23.April. Now, as the countdown to the
:22:23. > :22:26.Olympics continues, some of the many associated cultural events
:22:26. > :22:29.tied to the games are gathering pace. The World Shakespeare
:22:29. > :22:32.Festival 2012 is one of them - it'll be launched later this month.
:22:32. > :22:42.The Festival will celebrate the Bard's work in more ways than one,
:22:42. > :22:51.
:22:51. > :22:54.as Kevin Reide reports. The Winson Green area of Birmingham
:22:54. > :22:57.may seem a million miles from Shakespeare's Stratford but this is
:22:57. > :23:00.where the Royal Shakespeare Company is recruiting it's latest talent.
:23:00. > :23:04.They want an all Black cast for a version of Julius Caesar to be set
:23:04. > :23:06.in Africa. The inspiration has come from a number of places. One is
:23:06. > :23:09.Nelson Mandela's known appreciation of the play, and another
:23:09. > :23:12.comparisons between the Ceasers rule in Rome and that of other
:23:12. > :23:15.African rulers right up to the present day. Recruiting from one
:23:15. > :23:18.ethnic group may be contentious but the RSC say it needs to to make the
:23:18. > :23:21.play authentic and realistic adding that it's acting within the law.
:23:21. > :23:23.One volunteer who hopes to be selected is George Gordon.. Julius
:23:23. > :23:33.Caesar feels very fitting, given some of the uprisings that have
:23:33. > :23:35.
:23:35. > :23:45.been happening in Africa. George's one volunteer who could
:23:45. > :23:46.
:23:46. > :23:48.soon find himself on stage alongside leading black actors.
:23:48. > :23:53.Shakespeare is associated with using the English language very
:23:53. > :23:58.effectively. That is my perception, anyway. So it has relevance where
:23:58. > :24:08.we are in Great Britain. Winson Green is no rent -- no exception to
:24:08. > :24:11.
:24:11. > :24:13.that. Nor is Birmingham. This incarnation of Julias Caesar will
:24:13. > :24:16.form part of the World Shakespeare Celebrations much of which are
:24:16. > :24:20.about spreading the Bard's word as far and wide as possible, for
:24:20. > :24:24.example there will be performances in his name as far afield as Brazil
:24:24. > :24:29.and Baghdad. Obviously this year is the Year of the Olympics, and you
:24:29. > :24:36.would think that is all about sport, but is it it -- but it is actually
:24:36. > :24:41.about the arts and theatre as well. And just like the Olympics, the
:24:41. > :24:44.events do not just belong to Britain. The African version of
:24:44. > :24:47.Julias Caesar is due on stage in Stratford at the end of May, there
:24:47. > :24:50.are more details on the RSC's website. Kevin Reide, BBC Midlands
:24:50. > :24:53.Today, Birmingham. And the star of Homeland, David Harewood returns to
:24:53. > :24:56.Birmingham to work with a group of teenagers from his old school to
:24:56. > :24:59.perform a section of scenes from Macbeth as part of the World
:24:59. > :25:08.Shakespeare Festival, and you can see how they get in a special
:25:09. > :25:11.programme here on BBC 1 at ten past eleven on Sunday 22nd April.
:25:11. > :25:14.Well it wasn't just the snow that caused problems overnight, the
:25:14. > :25:17.gable wall of this house in Stoke on Trent collapsed early this
:25:17. > :25:25.morning. Investigations are now underway to see if the strong winds
:25:25. > :25:35.affected the structure. But are we heading for better weather?
:25:35. > :25:37.
:25:37. > :25:41.We had up to 20 centimetres of snow in the worst affected areas. Along
:25:41. > :25:45.with the wind, it really was awful. Let us not forget that we had some
:25:45. > :25:50.decent bouts of rain that were desperately needed at the moment.
:25:50. > :25:57.There is more to come over the weekend. It should be warmer by the
:25:57. > :26:02.weekend. This is where we are currently at. The isobars will be
:26:02. > :26:06.listening up in the process, so no more damaging winds after today.
:26:06. > :26:15.Let's take a closer look at tonight. We can see that the band of rain is
:26:15. > :26:24.moving to the south. We will see some showers gradually dwindling,
:26:24. > :26:27.leaving dry and clear spells. Temperatures could get down below
:26:27. > :26:37.zero again. We could have some frost and ice by the morning
:26:37. > :26:41.tomorrow. It could be cloudy start to the day, a bit chilly as well.
:26:41. > :26:44.It will be brighter and drier by lunchtime. The big difference is
:26:44. > :26:51.the lighter wind, still coming from the north-east, but considerably
:26:51. > :26:55.lighter. Temperatures will be a couple of degrees higher, up to
:26:55. > :26:59.about eight or nine Celsius. The cloud will continue to break up
:26:59. > :27:07.tomorrow night. Temperatures will plunge down to zero in towns and
:27:07. > :27:12.cities, perhaps as low as of minus four in rural spots. The cloud is
:27:12. > :27:16.increasing from the north. It will be fair rain -- fairly bright on
:27:16. > :27:25.Friday, a little rain entering the North Letter Road. It turns cooler
:27:25. > :27:27.but warmer as we head into the weekend. A look at tonight's main
:27:28. > :27:30.headlines: Road disruption and power lines down as snow and
:27:31. > :27:34.blizzards hit parts of the country. There are queues of traffic across
:27:34. > :27:38.northern England - as tens of thousands are left without power: