:00:04. > :00:07.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Nick Owen and Mary Rhodes.
:00:07. > :00:16.The headlines tonight: Big investment and a thousand new jobs
:00:16. > :00:21.for Jaguar Land Rover in Birmingham if unions accept new terms.
:00:21. > :00:24.thought that Tata will invest in the Castle Bromwich site is
:00:24. > :00:30.excellent news for the region. relief in sight at last for
:00:30. > :00:33.residents in despair over a rubbish tip that towers over their homes?
:00:33. > :00:36.The court has made it be clear that there might well penalties if they
:00:36. > :00:41.don't comply with this. Counting the cost: concern for farmers as
:00:41. > :00:43.crops and livestock are threatened by rising flood waters.
:00:43. > :00:53.And how the resplendent yellow fields of Worcestershire have
:00:53. > :00:59.
:00:59. > :01:03.become a magnet for tourists from Good evening, welcome to Thursday's
:01:03. > :01:06.Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight: new jobs, new investment
:01:06. > :01:13.and a big extension to Jaguar's main factory - but only if unions
:01:13. > :01:19.agree to new working practices. Jaguar Land Rover is to invest �200
:01:19. > :01:23.million in its Castle Bromwich It's hoped the new money will
:01:23. > :01:28.create up to 1,000 jobs. It follows the decision to build the new
:01:28. > :01:30.Jaguar F-type sports car there. As part of the deal to release the new
:01:30. > :01:33.money, workers are being asked to agree to an "efficiency drive"
:01:33. > :01:41.which includes Saturday working plus drug and alcohol tests. Here's
:01:41. > :01:44.our Transport Correspondent Peter Already busy making the highly
:01:44. > :01:51.successful XF and XJ models, now Castle Bromwich looks likely to get
:01:51. > :01:53.another big investment and jobs boost. JLR's Indian owners Tata are
:01:53. > :02:00.putting over a billion pounds into the company, and for Castle
:02:00. > :02:03.Bromwich that's expected to mean a new body shop. There'll also be new
:02:03. > :02:08.models, including this car unveiled at the Frankfurt motorshow last
:02:08. > :02:10.year. It's already been announced that what's being called the Jaguar
:02:10. > :02:16.F-type will be built at the Birmingham plant and a further
:02:16. > :02:19.model, dubbed by some the 'baby Jag' could also come here. It's yet
:02:19. > :02:24.more good news for a factory that less than two years was threatened
:02:25. > :02:27.with closure, and JLR looked at ways of cutting cost. Now as a
:02:28. > :02:36.result of strong sales abroad, the company needs all the capacity it
:02:36. > :02:40.can get. I think it is great news for the region. You cast your mind
:02:40. > :02:45.back to October pit 1010, we were all concerned that the Castle
:02:45. > :02:49.Bromwich site may not be open for much longer. So the thought that
:02:49. > :02:55.Tata will invest up to �200 million in the site is excellent reason for
:02:55. > :02:58.the region. -- excellent news. to secure the investment, it's
:02:58. > :03:00.understood that the workforce will have to agree to new working
:03:00. > :03:05.practices including Saturday working, drugs and alcohol testing
:03:05. > :03:11.and widespread cost savings. Local people have welcomed the news.
:03:11. > :03:16.it is short term heartache for the long-term investment, then so be it.
:03:16. > :03:21.The area needs the investment. see that it is for them and not a
:03:21. > :03:26.loaded gun, then take it. I think it is good news, and it is showing
:03:26. > :03:31.a very grown-up relationship between management and unions. It
:03:31. > :03:34.is significantly better than it was 20 years ago, when there was a
:03:34. > :03:38.confrontational style between the two. The company currently employs
:03:38. > :03:41.around 20,000 people across the UK - 5,000 at its factory at Lode Lane
:03:41. > :03:44.in Solihull - And, 2,600 at the Castle Bromwich plant - A new
:03:44. > :03:49.engine plant on the i54 site near Wolverhampton will create a further
:03:49. > :03:55.750 jobs. JLR itself has refused to comment on the investment plans,
:03:55. > :03:57.saying only that what's being said is pure speculation.
:03:57. > :04:00.Our Transport Correspondent Peter Plisner is here now. We've just
:04:00. > :04:05.entered a double dip recesssion, unemployment in the region is close
:04:05. > :04:13.to quarter of a million. How are Jaguar Land Rover managing to
:04:13. > :04:17.thrive in these difficult economic conditions? The basic answer is
:04:17. > :04:22.emerging markets, China, India, Brazil, they are growing economies.
:04:22. > :04:27.People have more disposable income and they want a quality product,
:04:27. > :04:36.and JLR products are seen as quality brats. The companies cannot
:04:36. > :04:40.make enough of the cars. But this does actually rely very much on new
:04:40. > :04:44.conditions for workers, them accepting new conditions, increased
:04:44. > :04:51.productivity, drinks and drug testing and working on Saturdays.
:04:51. > :04:57.What is the Union's position? have been in talk -- talks of for a
:04:57. > :05:01.long time, and they have recommended Dees. Drugs and alcohol
:05:01. > :05:05.testing is not unusual in some plants, especially when there is
:05:05. > :05:15.heavy machinery involved. We are expecting a result from that ballot
:05:15. > :05:19.tomorrow, and I think most workers If this all goes ahead as planned,
:05:19. > :05:28.what will it mean for the future of the Castle Bromwich plant? I think
:05:28. > :05:32.the future -- this will help secure jobs and create new jobs. Not very
:05:32. > :05:37.far away is one of the worst places for unemployment in the UK. Thank
:05:37. > :05:40.you. A recycling business has been told
:05:40. > :05:43.to cut down the size of a rubbish mountain which is towering over
:05:43. > :05:45.homes in part of the Black Country. The Environment Agency took legal
:05:45. > :05:48.action against Dudley-based RDF Limited after they repeatedly
:05:48. > :05:54.ignored demands to reduce the 12 metre high eyesore, despite
:05:54. > :06:01.protests from residents. Nadine Towell reports.
:06:02. > :06:08.The view here is as bad today as it was when we filmed in January. For
:06:08. > :06:13.residents it is a view they are forced to live with. You will hear
:06:13. > :06:17.mechanical noise constantly, the smell is far worse in the summer,
:06:17. > :06:22.and the dust is all over the property, over the cars, the doors,
:06:22. > :06:26.the bricks. The estate are worried about how it will impact on the
:06:26. > :06:32.value. A few doors down, one of his neighbours' shares is can
:06:32. > :06:36.frustration. We have had rats in the garage, we have got rid of them,
:06:36. > :06:44.but they were in the walls as well, they have gone now, but I presume
:06:44. > :06:47.they came from there. The company responsible, RDF Limited, failed to
:06:47. > :06:52.meet and about deadlines to reduce the pile, so the Environment Agency
:06:52. > :06:57.has taken them to court. They wanted a judge to impose an
:06:57. > :07:02.injunction printing more waste being taken onto the site. But
:07:02. > :07:08.before the agreement was reached,... They have to get it down to 80
:07:08. > :07:12.metres high by 15th June, that is six weeks away, we think it is
:07:12. > :07:22.about golf metres high now. managing director of RDF Limited
:07:22. > :07:28.
:07:28. > :07:35.refused to appear on camera, but People living he told me they will
:07:35. > :07:40.believe it when they see it. Buses at the -- bosses must now spend the
:07:40. > :07:43.next six weeks keeping their promises, or they will face legal
:07:43. > :07:46.action, a fine or even being sent to prison.
:07:46. > :07:49.It's been another soggy day, following a week of heavy rain,
:07:49. > :07:53.which has caused flooding in parts of the region. There are six flood
:07:53. > :07:58.warnings in the Midlands - all of them on the lower reaches of the
:07:58. > :08:04.Severn in Worcestershire and There are also 13 flood alerts in
:08:04. > :08:07.Among those hardest hit are our farmers. They're counting the cost
:08:07. > :08:10.after rivers burst their banks, leaving crops waterlogged and
:08:10. > :08:18.forcing livestock to be moved. Cath Mackie joins us from a farm in
:08:18. > :08:25.Worcestershire. Things looking any drier tonight? Whoever said this
:08:25. > :08:29.was a glamourous job?! IM in an asparagus field, you can see some
:08:29. > :08:34.lovely looking dry asparagus underneath, but I am afraid the
:08:34. > :08:37.rest of the field is struggling. It is not just crops, but animals as
:08:37. > :08:40.well, as I discovered earlier today. Dairy farmer David Goddard watches
:08:40. > :08:44.his herd munch their way through what should be their winter feed.
:08:44. > :08:54.The incessant rain has forced him to bring the cows indoors at his
:08:54. > :09:00.farm in Tewkesbury. There is a cost implication and a work implication.
:09:00. > :09:03.We are struggling to do all the work. It is generally a nice time
:09:03. > :09:10.of the year, and here we are, back in as a bit his winter again!
:09:10. > :09:13.is more, some of the cows are in calf. These two little ones arrived
:09:13. > :09:16.just this morning - and at the farm they are fast running out of
:09:16. > :09:23.bedding straw. You tend to buy all your us draw stocks in the autumn,
:09:23. > :09:27.and that has been used up. Believe it or not this is grazing
:09:27. > :09:30.land and this is where the cows currently in that barn ought to be,
:09:30. > :09:33.but as you can see, it's under water." The National Farmers' Union
:09:33. > :09:39.say that for many, the rain it is a welcome relief. We were in a
:09:39. > :09:42.difficult situation a few weeks ago, the talk was about drought and
:09:42. > :09:46.extended periods of drought and what the impact might be, but
:09:46. > :09:49.having had some rain, it certainly has helped. Back in Tewkesbury, the
:09:49. > :09:52.cows not eating grass, are producing less milk - at a time
:09:52. > :09:56.when dairy farmers are facing cuts in milk prices. And the
:09:57. > :10:05.unseasonable rain is causing other problems. It is crucial this time
:10:05. > :10:08.of the year for silage making, and mainstream, please Lord, get a new
:10:08. > :10:17.appeal for your computer and get your whether distribution sordid!
:10:17. > :10:21.There'll be plenty of farmers saying Amen to that. Ion with one
:10:21. > :10:26.of those farmers now. I can see the damage the rain is doing. How much
:10:26. > :10:31.is this costing? It is costing us in yield. It is a very slow start
:10:31. > :10:34.to the season. We are not getting any growth, we could be looking 20%
:10:34. > :10:39.of our yield, because we are missing out on the short season we
:10:39. > :10:43.have come to that. Demand for British asparagus is huge. What are
:10:43. > :10:49.you saying to the people who supply? Just be patient, when the
:10:49. > :10:54.weather warms up, we will have the crop. There is plenty waiting to
:10:54. > :10:58.come, we need to win if -- wait for the weather to warm up, we have had
:10:58. > :11:02.enough, it is coming at the wrong time of year. It is ironic, too
:11:02. > :11:06.much rain, too little, which is worse? I would rather avoid the
:11:06. > :11:09.rain at this time of year. It is getting in the wake of what we
:11:09. > :11:16.really want to be Devon, which is harvesting asparagus. We need a
:11:16. > :11:20.warm soiled -- warm soil conditions. We always want things perfect, we
:11:20. > :11:26.never get it, they should have come in the winter, we're getting that
:11:26. > :11:30.rainfall now. It is soul-destroying, looking at this? It doesn't make
:11:30. > :11:33.for a happy life, does it? Customers are desperately wanting
:11:33. > :11:36.to find that when we are going to be ready, and every day we are
:11:36. > :11:41.looking at updated weather forecasts, it is not doing what we
:11:41. > :11:51.want. This is stopping us from doing our job. Thanks for talking
:11:51. > :11:54.
:11:54. > :11:59.to us in the pouring rain. company which owned to be my baby
:11:59. > :12:04.has announced it may be forced to close. They have failed to find a
:12:04. > :12:09.buyer for the airline. Flight between Birmingham and Belfast, not
:12:09. > :12:16.and Amsterdam, will be stopped on June 11th. No flight anywhere on
:12:16. > :12:21.their network are being offered beyond September tent.
:12:22. > :12:26.Inquest into the death of Kate Prout has been told her husband
:12:26. > :12:32.just snapped when he strangled her. At his trial, Adrian Pratt denied
:12:32. > :12:37.killing her, but years later, admitted burying a body on their
:12:37. > :12:45.farm. Their family said that the apology has come too late. Kate
:12:45. > :12:50.Pratt simply disappeared on bonfire night, 2007. They had a tempestuous
:12:50. > :12:53.relationship. Despite being convicted of her murder, her
:12:53. > :12:58.husband protested his innocence, but last November, he finally
:12:58. > :13:05.confessed. He showed police where he had buried his wife. At all of
:13:05. > :13:08.that brings us to debate. The inquest into her death. It -- its
:13:08. > :13:13.aim, to discover how she died, something which hasn't been
:13:14. > :13:19.revealed until now. The coroner was told that in his confession, Adrian
:13:19. > :13:22.told the police he was arguing with his wife when he just snapped and
:13:22. > :13:28.thrust his hand into her neck. She didn't struggle, and fell to the
:13:28. > :13:32.ground. Realising he had killed a, he wrapped her body in a curtained
:13:32. > :13:41.and put it in burqa. He even went to the pub to appears everything
:13:41. > :13:46.was normal. When he took us to the site, he was very tearful, very
:13:46. > :13:51.remorseful, and you did actually apologised to the family and
:13:51. > :13:55.friends -- he did. He says he knows now that he should have told them
:13:55. > :14:00.right from the start. Now we can reflect on what he has done in the
:14:00. > :14:04.18 years prison sentence he received for her murder. In their
:14:04. > :14:08.own interview today, Kate's family said that his remorse was too
:14:08. > :14:13.little too late. I'm glad he did confess, but it took him a four
:14:13. > :14:18.years, and it was four years of agony. We have lost Kate forever.
:14:18. > :14:26.He is locked up for 18 years. It took a long time for him to come
:14:26. > :14:29.forward and say. It has caused the family a lot of stress. With the
:14:29. > :14:32.investigation into her murder now complete, her family said they were
:14:32. > :14:42.now concentrate on plans for a memorial service to celebrate her
:14:42. > :14:53.
:14:53. > :14:56.life. Putting behind them the focus Still to come: We'll be meeting the
:14:56. > :14:59.Midlands gymnast who is battling it out for a place in Britain's
:14:59. > :15:02.Olympic squad. And we've had slate grey skies and
:15:02. > :15:12.almost constant rain till now, could we do any better for the bank
:15:12. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:19.Or last year, the government pledged to a try of a military
:15:19. > :15:21.Covenant into law. Today, civic leaders in
:15:21. > :15:26.Staffordshire a sign of their own version in a ceremony at the
:15:26. > :15:30.National Memorial arboretum. It pledges help to up soldiers but it
:15:30. > :15:33.into a county after serving overseas.
:15:33. > :15:43.Dignitaries from across Staffordshire gathered today to
:15:43. > :15:50.
:15:50. > :15:53.witness these special signing of the Covenant. In all there are 22
:15:53. > :15:57.signatories all pledging to help ex service men and women with things
:15:57. > :16:02.such as finding a new home or job, and also for any other issues they
:16:02. > :16:05.may face. The covenants were introduced by the Ministry of
:16:05. > :16:12.defence to redress disadvantages faced by former Armed Forces staff.
:16:12. > :16:15.Nikki Peterson knows what it's like. As well as serving herself, she's
:16:15. > :16:19.also been an army wife to her husband, Steve, who's just de-
:16:19. > :16:22.mobbed after 22 years. Today you are sold here, tomorrow you are a
:16:22. > :16:26.civilian. Today you've got health care, to worry you've got to
:16:26. > :16:36.register with a doctor. Those kind of changes in your status, which
:16:36. > :16:37.
:16:37. > :16:47.will happen now have to once, can present huge problems. The ceremony
:16:47. > :16:49.
:16:49. > :16:53.was completed with a wreath-laying. We will bring back people... Many
:16:53. > :17:02.of those people will want to leave the Services in due course and
:17:02. > :17:05.finish up in that the community. Transferable skills... Whilst
:17:05. > :17:07.symbolic money is being made available for some of the
:17:07. > :17:14.organisations involved, to help them help those who've served their
:17:14. > :17:18.country. Voting's been underway since seven
:17:18. > :17:20.o'clock this morning in this year's local elections. There are also two
:17:20. > :17:24.referendums taking place over directly elected mayors. The
:17:24. > :17:26.polling stations will be open for just over a further three hours.
:17:26. > :17:33.BBC WM's Political Reporter Elizabeth Glinka joins us now.
:17:33. > :17:36.Remind us first of all, Elizabeth, what's at stake today?
:17:37. > :17:42.We have elections taking place at 18 local authorities across our
:17:42. > :17:47.region. That means 351 council seats are up for grabs today. As
:17:47. > :17:49.well as those elections, we've also got to referendums taking place,
:17:49. > :17:52.one or Coventry and one in Birmingham, to decide whether these
:17:52. > :17:57.cities want to be run by elected mayors.
:17:58. > :18:02.When will we get the results? The polls close at around 10
:18:02. > :18:05.o'clock tonight. For the majority of our councils, they will start
:18:05. > :18:09.counting out that point. We hope to get the results towards the early
:18:09. > :18:15.hours of tomorrow morning. Five of our councils, Newcastle-under-Lyme,
:18:15. > :18:18.Wolverhampton, Redditch, rugby and Solihull, have decided they will
:18:18. > :18:22.count tomorrow. We will not be getting those results until Friday
:18:22. > :18:27.afternoon. And because of the referendums, in Coventry, they will
:18:27. > :18:30.be counting tonight. -- in the case of the referendums. In Birmingham,
:18:30. > :18:34.they are not going to start counting until about 2 o'clock
:18:34. > :18:43.tomorrow afternoon, which means we are hoping to get a result of that
:18:43. > :18:47.referendum, perhaps by late afternoon, early evening tomorrow.
:18:47. > :18:56.And you can keep right up to date with all those results as they come
:18:56. > :18:59.in on your BBC local radio station and the BBC website.
:18:59. > :19:01.There'll also be a special election programme on BBC One this evening,
:19:01. > :19:11.starting at 11.35pm, including round-ups from of what's happening
:19:11. > :19:21.
:19:21. > :19:24.Now with a look at the sports news. Warwickshire's Ian Bell returned to
:19:24. > :19:27.form today completing his first century of the season despite a
:19:27. > :19:30.frustrating rain affected day at Edgbaston. And it's not the only
:19:30. > :19:33.sport he's been playing this week. The Bears have been to Villa Park
:19:33. > :19:35.to show their support for the Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov and his
:19:35. > :19:38.battle with leukaemia. A warning, my report contains some flash
:19:38. > :19:40.photography. Don't you just hate them? They're
:19:40. > :19:43.former and current Warwickshire players who've all played
:19:43. > :19:46.international cricket. And guess what - they're all good at football
:19:46. > :19:49.too. How annoying! But this wasn't just a kickabout at the Villa Park
:19:49. > :19:54.Academy. The Warwickshire players and coaches were signing a wall to
:19:54. > :19:58.support Stiliyan Petrov and his fight with Leukaemia. Warwickshire
:19:58. > :20:02.already support this charities so it is no surprise they stepped in
:20:02. > :20:08.to support the Aston Villa captain. It to be here today is special
:20:08. > :20:18.because no one of his good mates. Am happy to be helping him. How is
:20:18. > :20:20.
:20:20. > :20:25.he getting on? To have spoken to him. He is a strong character. You
:20:25. > :20:29.wouldn't know he had this illness, he is just normal. The other fight
:20:29. > :20:32.Villa have at the moment is to stay in the Premier League. And on
:20:32. > :20:36.Sunday they host Tottenham. It'll be tough but a win would make them
:20:36. > :20:41.safe. And Villa fans Ian Bell and Chris Woakes wil be glad if the
:20:41. > :20:44.relegation fears are eased. I am more optimistic now. The side is
:20:44. > :20:48.picking up points which is nice to see. I'm optimistic we will stay up.
:20:48. > :20:51.There is a big game this weekend and hopefully we will pick up a
:20:51. > :20:55.couple of points there. You are always going to be a little bit
:20:55. > :21:00.concerned but hopefully we will have enough to get through. We like
:21:00. > :21:03.to think we will get the result we want. Villa fans are being urged to
:21:03. > :21:09.sign Stan Petrov's wall at Sunday's game. They hope it can help inspire
:21:09. > :21:15.the club in more ways than one. And BBC WM is backing a family fun
:21:15. > :21:18.run in Birmingham as part of its Red Alert Appeal for Cure Leukaemia.
:21:18. > :21:28.It's on Sunday May 27th at Sutton Park. Further details are on the
:21:28. > :21:32.charity's website. Kristian Thomas was a teenager when
:21:32. > :21:36.London was awarded the Olympic Games. But in less than three
:21:36. > :21:40.months time he's hoping to compete for Britain in the mens' gymnastics.
:21:40. > :21:43.And the pressure is on to book a place in the team.
:21:43. > :21:51.It's one of the most graceful sports. But also one of the
:21:52. > :21:54.toughest. But the British team are starting to reap the rewards of
:21:54. > :21:57.their intensive training at Lilleshall because the men will
:21:57. > :21:59.have a team at the Olympics this summer for the first time in 20
:22:00. > :22:04.years. And Kristian Thomas from Wolverhampton is desperately keen
:22:04. > :22:09.to make sure he's on that team. is what I have worked 18 years
:22:09. > :22:16.towards and what my main ambition and goal is to be they competed for
:22:16. > :22:19.Great Britain. I really am looking forward to it. He's been selected
:22:19. > :22:22.for the European championships in France later this month, two years
:22:22. > :22:24.after holding his nerve to win European silver for Britain in
:22:24. > :22:30.Birmingham. I think his performances have continued to grow
:22:30. > :22:33.over the last few years. He has gone from strength to strength. He
:22:33. > :22:38.put in a strong performance in Croatia last week as well. I think
:22:38. > :22:42.he will do a good job and Montpellier. A and the pressure is
:22:42. > :22:46.on for these gymnasts. Six were in the European team. Only five will
:22:46. > :22:50.make it to the Olympics. We are all aware of the situation. We've known
:22:50. > :22:54.for a few years that this will be the case. We will all be fighting
:22:54. > :22:57.for a play such training hard. It will be difficult for a person who
:22:57. > :23:00.doesn't make it but at the end of the day, everyone will say they
:23:00. > :23:04.have tried their hardest to make the team. Hopefully I will not be
:23:04. > :23:07.the one out of the team. The 23- year-old learnt his trade at the
:23:07. > :23:17.Earls club in Halesowen. They won't be the only ones hoping he makes
:23:17. > :23:18.
:23:19. > :23:23.the cut to carry the Midlands hopes into this summer's Olympics.
:23:23. > :23:25.I don't know how they do it! We're used to hearing about coach
:23:25. > :23:29.loads of tourists descending on places like Stratford-upon-Avon.
:23:29. > :23:32.But an unlikely location's becoming a big draw for the Japanese.
:23:32. > :23:38.A farmer's oilseed rape fields in the picturesque Cotswolds are now
:23:38. > :23:46.attracting hundreds of visitors from the Far East.
:23:46. > :23:51.They've done London and Bourton-on- the-Water. Next stop, some
:23:51. > :23:54.quintessential English fields of gold. This sea of oil seed rape at
:23:54. > :23:57.East Lodge Farm at Stanton is becoming a must see for Japanese
:23:57. > :24:01.tourists in the same way we might be fascinated by Mount Fuji.
:24:01. > :24:11.think it is wonderful and it is quite beautiful. This is a most
:24:11. > :24:13.beautiful place. It's fantastic. Farmer Charlie Beldam has planted
:24:13. > :24:15.1,000 acres of the crop on the Worcestershire/Gloucestershire
:24:15. > :24:18.border. He's set up his own processing business making cooking
:24:18. > :24:21.oil. But was taken by surprise when a tour company contacted him,
:24:21. > :24:27.asking if they could bring the Japanese visitors to his fields.
:24:27. > :24:34.They don't grow rapeseed in their country. It's an eye-opener to have
:24:34. > :24:42.49 Japanese turn up to see the flowers, a completely different
:24:42. > :24:48.thing to what they expect and something that is so normal to us.
:24:48. > :24:53.Charlie gets �1 per visitor. The Japanese get their pictures. It's
:24:53. > :24:57.very beautiful. A it's a yellow, lovely sea. A But not everyone
:24:57. > :25:02.closer to home is as enthusiastic about the crop. They gave the hay
:25:02. > :25:06.fever, it's the wrong colour for the countryside. We live by �1 it
:25:06. > :25:11.can be a bit overpowering. Some people think that it shouldn't be
:25:11. > :25:14.in this country. It is a really important crop for us to grow. It
:25:14. > :25:19.allows for soil to have a break from cereal crops, helping prevent
:25:19. > :25:23.disease and pests. And of course it brings a welcome tourist boost to
:25:23. > :25:28.the Cotswold. In a month's time, this car that of the other will be
:25:28. > :25:32.gone. On other fields in the farm, crops of linseed will be blossoming,
:25:32. > :25:42.creating carpets of blue. 14 coachloads of Japanese tourists
:25:42. > :25:49.
:25:49. > :25:56.have already been booked in to see There is hope on the horizon but
:25:56. > :26:02.are not overly impressed with the weather at the moment. All things
:26:02. > :26:06.considered, we should consider ourselves lucky felt it is not
:26:06. > :26:09.going to be a complete washout over the weekend. We are getting at the
:26:09. > :26:13.rain out of the way before then because we can see a pair of France
:26:13. > :26:16.heading down for the North. The rain sandwiched in between will
:26:16. > :26:20.affect us tonight and tomorrow. The emphasis this weekend is going to
:26:20. > :26:26.be on colder weather. Colder for Saturday and Sunday with night
:26:26. > :26:29.frosts, widespread frosts. Then the rain returns on bank holiday Monday.
:26:30. > :26:35.Back to the seething under overnight, we are covered in cloud
:26:35. > :26:40.and we saw the rain in the south of the region. We will see this band
:26:40. > :26:43.of rain having another go at us tonight. It will be heading out
:26:43. > :26:49.from the north and then it will become patchy towards the early
:26:49. > :26:53.hours. But a lot of Claus left behind. Misty and murky as
:26:53. > :26:56.temperatures down to seven orate. However, this all overlaps into the
:26:56. > :27:00.morning to Morris and it is going to be a grim, dreary start to the
:27:00. > :27:04.day. That rain will become patchy through the afternoon, perhaps
:27:04. > :27:07.meeting up this and showers are heading down from the north. The
:27:08. > :27:10.afternoon will definitely be drier than the morning and it will not be
:27:11. > :27:14.as wet as today. If there is any brightness during the afternoon,
:27:14. > :27:18.that will be enough to boost those temperatures slightly, otherwise it
:27:18. > :27:23.will feel like today with highs of around nine to 11 Celsius. 12
:27:23. > :27:33.Celsius in places. As for tomorrow night, it will start to clear and
:27:33. > :27:33.
:27:33. > :27:40.those guys will give us some Documents and letters received...