:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: Unemployment
:00:07. > :00:14.falls in the region for the first time this year, down by 14,000 to
:00:15. > :00:18.254,000. But more jobs and services at risk as councils look to save
:00:19. > :00:25.tens of millions extra from their budgets. People are slogging on day
:00:26. > :00:29.by day not knowing if they will have a job in 12 or 18 months and it has
:00:30. > :00:31.been like that for a couple of years now.
:00:32. > :00:34.Also tonight as we'll be hearing from Police and Crime Commissioner
:00:35. > :00:37.for the West Midlands, Bob Jones as three chief constables are called
:00:38. > :00:41.before a parliamentary committee to answer questions in the Andrew
:00:42. > :00:44.Mitchell Plebgate row. A new ?40 million fleet of trams
:00:45. > :00:48.linking Birmingham and the Black Country.
:00:49. > :00:53.And Shefali has the weather. It's been a day of stark contrasts `
:00:54. > :00:56.soaking up the rain then soaking up the sun. If anything, it's prepared
:00:57. > :00:59.you for what's to come. More details later in forecast.
:01:00. > :01:18.Good evening. Unemployment has fallen here in the West Midlands for
:01:19. > :01:21.the first time this year. Figures released this morning show the
:01:22. > :01:25.number of people out of work fell by 14,000 in the last quarter. That
:01:26. > :01:28.means the total jobless in the West Midlands is now 254,000, though at
:01:29. > :01:31.9.4%, our unemployment rate is still above the national average. But more
:01:32. > :01:34.job losses seem inevitable tonight as three local authorities revealed
:01:35. > :01:37.tens of millions in savings. Walsall needs to cut ?19 million, while at
:01:38. > :01:39.neighbouring Wolverhampton, it's ?65 million. And in Worcestershire the
:01:40. > :01:46.figure is ?100 million. Dark clouds were hanging over
:01:47. > :01:49.Worcestershire's County Hall today as leaders confirmed plans to slash
:01:50. > :01:56.spending by ?100 million over the next four years. It comes on top of
:01:57. > :02:00.?50 million savings already made. By the time the books are balanced, 50%
:02:01. > :02:03.of the council's workforce will have gone. Services for vulnerable adults
:02:04. > :02:05.are taking the biggest hit, ?32 million. There'll be more
:02:06. > :02:08.outsourcing and fewer home visits, technology will be used to monitor
:02:09. > :02:12.the elderly instead. This is a challenge that I am determined we
:02:13. > :02:13.will face up to and we will do it by reforming, localising and basic
:02:14. > :02:20.efficiency. By the time the books are balanced, 50% of the workforce
:02:21. > :02:23.will have gone. Suzi Jones lost her job in the last round of cuts and
:02:24. > :02:29.knows what her former colleagues may be thinking. How do we pay the bills
:02:30. > :02:34.and the mortgage? Where do we go next? Should I look somewhere else?
:02:35. > :02:37.Do I look elsewhere even though I enjoy my job? So it is a very
:02:38. > :02:40.worrying time. Meanwhile, Children's Services will
:02:41. > :02:43.save ?9 million with a range of measures including taking fewer
:02:44. > :02:48.vunerable children into care. It comes at a time when the spotlight
:02:49. > :02:53.is on child safety. We have organised the workforce in a way we
:02:54. > :02:58.think maximises the support to children and families. We have some
:02:59. > :03:06.innovative ideas on, when we bring children into care, those that will
:03:07. > :03:11.be in permanent care and good foster placements and things but we can
:03:12. > :03:15.never guarantee that will not be a case somewhere, you never can. More
:03:16. > :03:19.money will be saved are spending less on public lighting with this
:03:20. > :03:23.area of Droitwich receiving a current experimenting by turning off
:03:24. > :03:27.two out of every three street lamps and there could be more of that to
:03:28. > :03:31.come. You cannot put this level of cuts in without having real
:03:32. > :03:34.consequences and with 50% of staff leaving, that will have very real
:03:35. > :03:37.consequences. The council also said today a
:03:38. > :03:40.three`year freeze on council tax is likely to end next year. The
:03:41. > :03:44.sunshine after the rain seems a long way off.
:03:45. > :03:47.So more job losses likely and many could affect older workers. Among
:03:48. > :03:52.the over 50s, 44,000 are now looking for work in this region. With some
:03:53. > :03:59.finding that setting up their own business is the only answer.
:04:00. > :04:02.Earlier this year at the age of 50, Jacqui Gray was facing redundancy.
:04:03. > :04:07.The jewellery shop in Shrewsbury she'd worked in for years wasn't
:04:08. > :04:15.doing well. So she decided to become her own boss. 60 used to be old but
:04:16. > :04:19.now it is young, isn't it? Said people who have got get up and go,
:04:20. > :04:21.which they should have at 50, to go out there and do it, I think they
:04:22. > :04:23.should. Mature entrepreneurs and older
:04:24. > :04:27.workers are a growing phenomenon. It's estimated there are now a
:04:28. > :04:31.million people in UK over 60 who've started up a business or taken on a
:04:32. > :04:39.new job. And earning a wage isn't always their top priority. I want to
:04:40. > :04:42.write stories which people love to read. Setting up a health and
:04:43. > :04:47.well`being centre. An online business selling own branded petrol
:04:48. > :04:51.remedies and supplements. These over`50s are on the same free
:04:52. > :04:54.training course Jacqui went on. It's the Prince of Wales' initiative for
:04:55. > :04:57.mature enterprise. Here in the West Midlands, uptake is 25% higher than
:04:58. > :05:03.anywhere else in the country, and more than half of the new businesses
:05:04. > :05:08.are doing well. We have only been going for about 18 months across the
:05:09. > :05:09.Midlands but we are looking about a 62% sustainability rate at the
:05:10. > :05:12.moment. But not all over`50s are
:05:13. > :05:15.entrepreneurs. Some experts warn we could see many more older people
:05:16. > :05:19.stuck between being too young to claim for a pension yet not able to
:05:20. > :05:23.a job. So how is Britain treating older workers compared to the rest
:05:24. > :05:25.of Europe? In Holland, the Dutch government has introduced age
:05:26. > :05:28.discrimination laws to protect older workers. In Germany, the Government
:05:29. > :05:31.there intends to introduce greater flexibility to working time and open
:05:32. > :05:35.up more sabbaticals for its older workforce. And in Sweden ` a country
:05:36. > :05:38.where life expectancy is at one of the highest in the world ` employers
:05:39. > :05:41.who recruit older workers on long`term contracts are entitled to
:05:42. > :05:44.a subsidy of up to 75% of their salary.
:05:45. > :05:51.At the age of 71, David Shrubbs is still teaching at Bishop Vesey
:05:52. > :05:55.Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield. To realise the importance of older
:05:56. > :06:05.workers, he says you just have to do the maths. When the retirement age
:06:06. > :06:13.was set at 65, the expected life span was about 68. Now, it is nearer
:06:14. > :06:16.90`odd. I don't think the country can afford to be paying people 30
:06:17. > :06:18.years of pension. Maybe the days of a long retirement
:06:19. > :06:24.are numbered. Coming up later in the programme,
:06:25. > :06:33.the worst place to grow up in the western world, says Ofsted's chief
:06:34. > :06:36.inspector? Birmingham bites back. To tar an entire city of the size of
:06:37. > :06:41.Birmingham with the kind of remarks he has made, it seems to me utterly
:06:42. > :06:44.unprofessional. And unjustified as well.
:06:45. > :06:50.The so`called Plebgate row involving Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell
:06:51. > :06:52.took another turn today. The chief constables of Warwickshire, West
:06:53. > :06:55.Mercia and the West Midlands have all been called to appear before
:06:56. > :06:58.Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee next Wednesday. It follows
:06:59. > :07:01.a report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday into
:07:02. > :07:07.a meeting between Mr Mitchell and Police Federation representatives
:07:08. > :07:10.from the three forces. Afterwards the officers insisted Mr Mitchell
:07:11. > :07:13.refused to clarify what he'd said to police in Downing Street,
:07:14. > :07:21.specifically whether or not he'd insultingly called one a "pleb".
:07:22. > :07:26.But a recording of that meeting suggests he did in fact give a full
:07:27. > :07:29.account. Bob Jones is Police and Crime Commissioner for the West
:07:30. > :07:32.Midlands. I spoke to him earlier and asked if officers didn't tell the
:07:33. > :07:41.truth, then surely they should be disciplined by their chief
:07:42. > :07:46.constables. I think the issue is a very full and thorough investigation
:07:47. > :07:51.supervised at the IPCC has taken place and the results were put in
:07:52. > :07:54.front of senior officers of the three particular forces and then
:07:55. > :07:58.concluded on the basis of the evidence and clear legal advice that
:07:59. > :08:03.there was no case to take forward to disciplinary procedures. This has
:08:04. > :08:09.been long`running, as public confidence in your offices
:08:10. > :08:17.undermined by this `` has a big confidence in your offices in
:08:18. > :08:20.undermined? `` public confidence. Having supervised this
:08:21. > :08:26.investigation, they now have the opportunity to take over this and it
:08:27. > :08:37.has been delegated to West Mercia Police and senior officers here with
:08:38. > :08:41.deciding at the last point to make a statement which is not justified by
:08:42. > :08:46.either the evidence of the legal advice. David Cameron says that
:08:47. > :08:50.Andrew Mitchell is due an apology saying that Mr Mitchell had been
:08:51. > :08:53.able to prove that the three Police Federation representatives had not
:08:54. > :08:57.told the truth. Do you not think that Vista Mitchell deserves an
:08:58. > :09:04.apology? He would deserve an apology if there was any evidence had a
:09:05. > :09:12.process not then gone through thoroughly. The process has gone
:09:13. > :09:16.through and all sides and issues are looked at and their conclusion was
:09:17. > :09:20.reached in a fair and appropriate way through due process. So you
:09:21. > :09:25.would dispute what David Cameron said today? He also said the conduct
:09:26. > :09:31.of these officers was not acceptable. Do you dispute that?
:09:32. > :09:37.David Cameron could save me a lot of money by getting rid of lots of the
:09:38. > :09:40.processes like the CPS and simply have the Prime Minister deciding who
:09:41. > :09:48.is guilty but since the introduction of the Magna Carta we have a process
:09:49. > :09:55.of June fairness and that is appropriate to everybody. Should you
:09:56. > :09:58.not be impartial? I should stand up for the whole of the community
:09:59. > :10:02.including police officers when they are being treated unfairly and I
:10:03. > :10:07.forget anything, the police officers are being treated unfairly and the
:10:08. > :10:12.IPCC having investigated and said it is a full investigation have
:10:13. > :10:15.gratuitously slurred their particular character and found them
:10:16. > :10:21.guilty by media and those officers have no redress in respect of that.
:10:22. > :10:31.The official proceedings supervised by the IPCC say they do not have
:10:32. > :10:35.to... There is a strong public view that this is a total waste of money
:10:36. > :10:40.because it all boils down to who said what to whom in a heated
:10:41. > :10:44.exchange over one year ago and has costs estimated at hundreds of
:10:45. > :10:47.thousands. It has and in this particular aspect which refers to
:10:48. > :10:52.the meeting between the Police Federation representatives and
:10:53. > :10:54.Andrew Mitchell is obviously only a small part of that but the whole
:10:55. > :11:03.thing has dragged on. Clearly whatever the profile of people
:11:04. > :11:08.concerned, we need to ensure appropriate and fair treatment to
:11:09. > :11:16.all parties concerned. Thank you. Hundreds of people turned up in
:11:17. > :11:20.heavy rain to the funeral of rapper Joshua Ribera who was stabbed to
:11:21. > :11:23.death in Birmingham last month. The 18`year`old, who's also known as
:11:24. > :11:27.Depzman, was attacked in Selly Oak after attending a tribute night for
:11:28. > :11:30.another stabbing victim. After the attack, a defence today of
:11:31. > :11:33.Birmingham. Politicians, youth workers and teachers lined up to
:11:34. > :11:36.criticise the Chief Inspector of Ofsted for his scathing remarks
:11:37. > :11:38.about the city. Sir Michael Wilshaw described Birmingham's Children's
:11:39. > :11:41.Services as a "national disgrace". But he went further, calling
:11:42. > :11:45.Birmingham one of the worst places in the western world to raise a
:11:46. > :11:52.child ` remarks dismissed today as unprofessional and wrong.
:11:53. > :11:57.Uncomfortable reading for Birmingham ` a city named and shamed. Its
:11:58. > :12:07.record on child protection, a "national disgrace" said the Chief
:12:08. > :12:10.Inspector of Ofsted. White is it... `` why is it.
:12:11. > :12:13.But Sir Michael Wilshaw went further, branding Birmingham one of
:12:14. > :12:17.the worst places in the developed world for a child to grow up. One of
:12:18. > :12:20.the city's MPs agrees child protection is failing but Sir
:12:21. > :12:26.Michael she says has gone too far. To tar an insider city with the kind
:12:27. > :12:29.of remarks he has made seems to me utterly unprofessional `` an entire
:12:30. > :12:32.city. Liam Nolan's made his reputation as
:12:33. > :12:39.a super`head improving the prospects of Birmingham schoolchildren. It is
:12:40. > :12:47.a city with problems, he says, but a great city. Birmingham is a vital,
:12:48. > :12:53.vibrant city, the number one city in my eyes. But we have to get the
:12:54. > :13:02.problems that we currently face looking after all our young people
:13:03. > :13:05.correct. He spoke about high levels of deprivation but others would say
:13:06. > :13:09.that Liverpool and Manchester were worse and even in the midst of
:13:10. > :13:11.poverty, people are trying to make a difference.
:13:12. > :13:13.This charity worker organises activities for children from
:13:14. > :13:18.deprived areas and supports families on low incomes. I do not think it is
:13:19. > :13:24.fair to wrap everything up and say that Birmingham is a place not to
:13:25. > :13:30.raise your children. I think the context of raising children in
:13:31. > :13:35.Birmingham are that two thirds of the families are doing a great job.
:13:36. > :13:41.At the town hall they were tuning up for Tchaikovsky, with 20 of
:13:42. > :13:47.youngsters listening on. What did they make up the remarks? Birmingham
:13:48. > :13:49.has lots of lovely areas and children have educational
:13:50. > :13:54.opportunities, all they want. I think it is taken out of context. I
:13:55. > :13:59.think there are loads of things to do and activities for children,
:14:00. > :14:04.children can immerse themselves in them. Plenty to be proud of. A
:14:05. > :14:08.casual look tells you that but while children services continues to fail,
:14:09. > :14:12.expect more intense scrutiny and more criticism.
:14:13. > :14:17.Our top story tonight: Unemployment falls in the region for the first
:14:18. > :14:22.time this year, but more jobs and services are at risk as councils cut
:14:23. > :14:26.tens of millions from their budgets. Shefali will be along shortly with
:14:27. > :14:32.your weather forecast. Also tonight, plans to commemorate the centenary
:14:33. > :14:35.of the start of the First World War. One of the country's most important
:14:36. > :14:38.archives throws open its doors. And how an Irishman playing for
:14:39. > :14:39.Warwickshire hopes to help England retain the Ashes this winter in
:14:40. > :14:52.Australia. If you have a story you think we
:14:53. > :14:56.should be covering, we'd like to hear from you. You can call us or
:14:57. > :14:58.send an email. We're also on Facebook or you can tweet us `
:14:59. > :15:08.@bbcmtd. The first of 20 trams that will run
:15:09. > :15:11.from Wolverhampton to the heart of Birmingham was unveiled today. The
:15:12. > :15:14.?40 million fleet will increase capacity on the Midland Metro line
:15:15. > :15:19.from 5.5. Million to as much as eight million passengers. Bob
:15:20. > :15:24.Hockenhull reports now from Wednesbury.
:15:25. > :15:31.Three, two, 1... A fanfare for a tram which is hoped will play a
:15:32. > :15:39.major role in rebuilding the Metro line. This is the first of 20 trams
:15:40. > :15:49.to be delivered from Spain. At the current length of 20 25 feet longer
:15:50. > :15:56.than the previous, they will have more services. Gives better
:15:57. > :15:59.world`class transfer for the area. They will be delivered from the
:16:00. > :16:02.factory in Spain at the rate of one a month and when they are all in
:16:03. > :16:07.place, it will increase capacity on the network by 40%. If all goes to
:16:08. > :16:11.plan, people will get their first taste of what it is like to travel
:16:12. > :16:16.on the trams when the first of the 20 `strong fleet operates on the
:16:17. > :16:23.network next spring. They can carry up to 200 passengers. Compared with
:16:24. > :16:28.156 on the current trams. The new ones will not only run on the
:16:29. > :16:32.existing line from Wolverhampton to Birmingham's Snow Hill station but
:16:33. > :16:36.also to New Street station by 2015. And there are plans to expand
:16:37. > :16:42.further past the city's town hole and onto centenary square which is a
:16:43. > :16:50.trend following the rest of the world. I am happy with the way they
:16:51. > :16:55.have developed these and it has been successful in every city which has a
:16:56. > :16:59.good tram system is expanding and that is a sign of success. Although
:17:00. > :17:03.passengers will be able to travel and more comfort and greater
:17:04. > :17:05.numbers, transport managers say there are no plans to increase fares
:17:06. > :17:12.to pay for the investment. Next year is the centenary of the
:17:13. > :17:16.outbreak of World War One and today the BBC announced plans to mark that
:17:17. > :17:19.anniversary with a series of programmes. The University of
:17:20. > :17:23.Birmingham, with the largest War Studies department in the country,
:17:24. > :17:27.has been closely involved. And it has a war story of its own to tell.
:17:28. > :17:32.The University of Birmingham on a peaceful day. A young generation
:17:33. > :17:37.embraces life, in the place where a previous generation fought to save
:17:38. > :17:40.it. The first convoy of casualties arrived in September 1914 ` injured
:17:41. > :17:43.in the first days of the First World War and the Great Hall where
:17:44. > :17:53.students graduated became a hospital. Images of the men
:17:54. > :17:57.convalescing after being brought here... At the University's Cadbury
:17:58. > :18:02.Research Library, they're digitising thousands of photos from the time
:18:03. > :18:08.and planning exhibitions. We see people whose parents were involved,
:18:09. > :18:12.bringing items in and for them, it is still very personal for them. You
:18:13. > :18:17.think it is a long time ago but it is not that long ago, actually.
:18:18. > :18:21.There are many personal stories here in this archive. This is a diary
:18:22. > :18:24.written by Private Benjamin Gordon Williams of Moseley in Birmingham.
:18:25. > :18:28.He was stationed in Egypt and the Mediterranean. 30th August, 1917 `
:18:29. > :18:31.he says, "I woke at 1am to hear shells bursting over the hills, 300
:18:32. > :18:35.yards away. Four prisoners came down today". His diary finished in June
:18:36. > :18:37.1918 and what we don't know is what happened to Private Williams after
:18:38. > :18:39.that date. The extensive archive will also
:18:40. > :18:42.reveal the role played by Birmingham's famous families, like
:18:43. > :18:49.Chamberlain and Cadbury. Historians say the world is still living with
:18:50. > :18:53.the consequences of that conflict. A lot of the problems we face in the
:18:54. > :18:58.Middle East today in places like Iraq and Syria and Palestine are
:18:59. > :19:04.directly traced back to the First World War and the peace treaties
:19:05. > :19:08.that came back to it. Many who were alive in 1914 never lived to see the
:19:09. > :19:09.end of the War, but marking its centenary will ensure their memory
:19:10. > :19:17.lives on. And you can find more about the war,
:19:18. > :19:19.its continuing impact and the BBC's plans for the centenary by going
:19:20. > :19:22.online. As we were hearing earlier,
:19:23. > :19:26.unemployment may at last be heading down in the West Midlands, but could
:19:27. > :19:29.we be doing better at creating new companies to generate more jobs? Our
:19:30. > :19:32.science correspondent David Gregory`Kumar is in the offices of
:19:33. > :19:39.one start`up with very big ambitions. Those offices still look
:19:40. > :19:46.a bit bare. They've only moved into these Birmingham offices, eight
:19:47. > :19:49.weeks ago. But this newly`formed company, spun out of cutting edge
:19:50. > :19:52.university research, has very big plans for the future of all our
:19:53. > :19:59.mobile phones. They've invented a brand new type of antenna. This is
:20:00. > :20:02.one of the prototypes with a prototype Arial, a very smart phone.
:20:03. > :20:06.The modern smartphone may generate a lot of excitement. But these days
:20:07. > :20:14.they all look the same. A glass`fronted slab. The real
:20:15. > :20:17.innovation these days is taking place inside and here in
:20:18. > :20:21.Birmingham, they have come up with an idea that they say could end up
:20:22. > :20:23.inside every single one of these in the future. This brand new
:20:24. > :20:26.Birmingham company has a hobby. Buying broken second`hand phones and
:20:27. > :20:34.tearing them apart to learn more about the antennas inside. Up to six
:20:35. > :20:37.in every phone. The six have to be designed into the phone and have to
:20:38. > :20:43.be characterised and controlled. You have software, different collections
:20:44. > :20:46.and it is a whole cobweb of connections and control for these
:20:47. > :20:50.antennas. Despite the looks, this is probably
:20:51. > :20:53.the most advanced smartphone in the world. It contains just one antenna
:20:54. > :20:59.invented here in Birmingham but that single antenna can do the work of
:21:00. > :21:07.six ` or more. Up to around $20 is the cost of the antenna, just the
:21:08. > :21:11.antenna. That is getting on for 20% of the total cost of manufacturing
:21:12. > :21:14.the phone. With ours, it cost less than a dollar.
:21:15. > :21:18.The scientist behind much of this has now left university to be part
:21:19. > :21:26.of this company, and he's thinking big. Every mobile device, not just
:21:27. > :21:29.every phone. Pretty big! The question is, are there more gems
:21:30. > :21:34.like this hiding in our Universities? That is a good
:21:35. > :21:39.question. And with me is Mark Payton. Your
:21:40. > :21:45.company is a big investor in this start`up. What does the University
:21:46. > :21:52.get out of this? Security because our capital means we can attract a
:21:53. > :21:56.management team and people get paid in a start`up environment. The
:21:57. > :21:59.university gets funded back to its research. It gets a seat at the
:22:00. > :22:01.table so it gets to see the technology going forwards while
:22:02. > :22:06.having an equity stake in what we hope will be able prosperous company
:22:07. > :22:10.spinning out. You are working in eight different madeleines
:22:11. > :22:15.universities, is it hard to get investment in Midlands ideas? It is
:22:16. > :22:20.very challenging and not because the idea is not world leading, it is
:22:21. > :22:24.because the capital predominantly resides around London and Oxford and
:22:25. > :22:30.Cambridge and to get back into the Midlands is challenging and we are
:22:31. > :22:34.one of very few fund managers taking that challenge. Does that mean that
:22:35. > :22:39.many ideas may be falling through the gaps? We are privileged to be
:22:40. > :22:43.able to capitalise and nurture this but I am sure that businesses that
:22:44. > :22:49.we are unable to support because we cannot support that many are falling
:22:50. > :22:57.through the gaps. This idea will make lots of money if it works but
:22:58. > :23:05.what about jobs? Suzi Jones we are investing ``.
:23:06. > :23:13.Lots of businesses are starting off like this and now employ many many
:23:14. > :23:23.people. Replacing six antennas at once reduces the drain on the
:23:24. > :23:26.battery life. For Warwickshire cricketer Boyd
:23:27. > :23:29.Rankin, home is a farm in a tiny village in Northern Ireland. But
:23:30. > :23:32.this winter, he'll be hoping to bowl England to an Ashes victory Down
:23:33. > :23:35.Under. The 29`year`old was a surprise selection for the tour of
:23:36. > :23:37.Australia and he's determined to take his big chance.
:23:38. > :23:41.At six`foot`eight, Boyd Rankin towers over most people, let alone
:23:42. > :23:44.the pupils of Bentley Heath primary school in Solihull. Today's coaching
:23:45. > :23:48.session was a lot of fun for the kids but it's as far as you can get
:23:49. > :23:52.from Boyd's next cricket assignment. On Friday he leaves with the England
:23:53. > :23:58.squad aiming to come back from Australia with the Ashes in their
:23:59. > :24:01.luggage once more. It has not sunk in yet but I am trying to enjoy
:24:02. > :24:08.every moment of it. Three matches coming up before the first test so
:24:09. > :24:12.it is really important to go out and do as well as I can during those
:24:13. > :24:17.games and hopefully I am in for a shot for that first cap at road
:24:18. > :24:24.test. He was outstanding in the one`day international against
:24:25. > :24:28.Australia and those pitch patterns will suit him. He is seeing the
:24:29. > :24:31.benefits of his training. This is not your average cricket
:24:32. > :24:34.story. Boyd left this farm in the tiny village of Bready in Northern
:24:35. > :24:37.Ireland ten years ago to study agriculture at university in
:24:38. > :24:40.Shropshire. But he was also playing cricket in the summer and joining
:24:41. > :24:43.Warwickshire saw his career blossom. The 29`year`old has already played
:24:44. > :24:47.for Ireland in the World Cup but decided to switch to England to
:24:48. > :24:54.fulfil his dream of playing Test cricket. My main aim was to play
:24:55. > :25:00.test match cricket for playing at the highest level so I think that
:25:01. > :25:02.was pretty easy for me in terms of making that decision.
:25:03. > :25:06.Breaking into a winning England team will be difficult but the children
:25:07. > :25:09.he was coaching today are convinced that whoever plays Down Under
:25:10. > :25:15.there's only one team going to win the Ashes. England! Not that they
:25:16. > :25:20.are biased at all. We got some torrential rain today but then we
:25:21. > :25:26.got some lovely sunshine, what will it be like over the next few days?
:25:27. > :25:30.Changeable is the keyword and compare this afternoon to this
:25:31. > :25:36.morning, you would be forgiven for thinking we had experienced two
:25:37. > :25:40.different days. A belt of rain before the weekend means the weekend
:25:41. > :25:46.will be open to comparatively decent weather. Showers at times, yes, and
:25:47. > :25:49.breezy but it will stay mild and those milder conditions will filter
:25:50. > :25:53.through by tomorrow. The rain and showers are created by this trio of
:25:54. > :25:56.fronts, the first of which will be more active than the rest but
:25:57. > :26:03.basically it is this area of low pressure that is giving the energy
:26:04. > :26:05.to the whole lot. It is drawing in the wind from the south`westerly
:26:06. > :26:11.direction which will give us mild conditions. Back to this evening and
:26:12. > :26:13.overnight, we saw the dazzling sunshine this afternoon so you would
:26:14. > :26:17.be forgiven for thinking everything is calm right now but I think we
:26:18. > :26:21.could see some activity resurfacing later on tonight in the form of some
:26:22. > :26:26.punchy showers which will affect the extremities of the region so north
:26:27. > :26:30.and also South but elsewhere looking dry with patchy cloud. At least
:26:31. > :26:35.there is a sign of things warming up even by tonight, temperatures down
:26:36. > :26:38.into double digits. Through the day to morrow, we have got the
:26:39. > :26:42.distribution of showers in the same parts of the region so in the north
:26:43. > :26:46.and the south of the region and they could be torrential and they could
:26:47. > :26:50.contain some thunder but there is a huge swathe across central parts of
:26:51. > :26:54.the region that remained dry with plenty of sunshine. The temperatures
:26:55. > :26:59.as well, highs of 17 Celsius, it will feel pleasantly warm compared
:27:00. > :27:05.with the feel earlier on in the week. Tomorrow night, the same as to
:27:06. > :27:09.light, without the showers. Some cloud around and temperatures into
:27:10. > :27:12.double figures. Reasonably warm and then, because of the rain that is
:27:13. > :27:15.arriving on Friday, it will be cooler but we look quite decent at
:27:16. > :27:23.the weekend. Tonight's headlines from the BBC:
:27:24. > :27:25.Unemployment down again with the biggest fall in people claiming
:27:26. > :27:28.jobseekers' allowance for 16 years. Unemployment also falls in the
:27:29. > :27:31.Midlands, for the first time this year, down by 14,000 in the last
:27:32. > :27:35.quarter to 254,000. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be
:27:36. > :27:38.back at 10pm with our political editor for further analysis of those
:27:39. > :28:13.unemployment figures. Have a great evening. Goodbye.
:28:14. > :28:15.You ask us to get behind you and why should we?
:28:16. > :28:17.You're punching above your weight, aren't you?
:28:18. > :28:24.He wouldn't do that to me because he wasn't that sort of a man.