:00:00. > :00:00.Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka. That is all from the BBC News at
:00:00. > :00:09.Hello, and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: With
:00:10. > :00:12.Children's Services increasingly under threat of a takeover, and 100
:00:13. > :00:19.jobs unfilled, the challenge of being a social worker in Birmingham.
:00:20. > :00:21.If you do act, people can think that sometimes you've acted quite
:00:22. > :00:26.oppressively, and sometimes too soon.
:00:27. > :00:30.We'll be asking a local government expert if Birmingham City Council is
:00:31. > :00:34.simply too big to run efficiently? Just five years after it opened at a
:00:35. > :00:42.cost of ?72 million, the West Bromwich arts centre The Public is
:00:43. > :00:48.to close tomorrow. Once we close this and lose it, we
:00:49. > :00:51.lose a little bit of magic. That is what architecture is partly about.
:00:52. > :00:54.Why a headteacher's discouraging the local dialect at a Black Country
:00:55. > :01:00.school. Because of the Black Country`isms we
:01:01. > :01:04.all use, which is fine, it makes it difficult to spell the words out as
:01:05. > :01:08.they should be. I'll be live at the Library of
:01:09. > :01:14.Birmingham, as we get ready for Children In Need.
:01:15. > :01:18.And, if you're out for Children In Need tonight, you'll need to wrap up
:01:19. > :01:21.warm. But you shouldn't get wet! Staying dry this weekend too, but
:01:22. > :01:27.it's all change next week. Your full forecast coming up.
:01:28. > :01:31.Good evening. Birmingham's social workers are
:01:32. > :01:34.bracing themselves for a government review which could see Children's
:01:35. > :01:40.Services being taken over by the Department for Education. Inspectors
:01:41. > :01:44.have rated the city's child protection services as "inadequate"
:01:45. > :01:48.for the past four years. Part of the problem is said to be the lack of
:01:49. > :01:52.qualified staff. One in three social work jobs in Birmingham are vacant.
:01:53. > :01:55.And, in a speech earlier this week, the Education Secretary Michael Gove
:01:56. > :01:58.said he's determined to do more to drive up standards, and that
:01:59. > :02:08.includes a review of how social workers are trained.
:02:09. > :02:13.I believe we have not been systematic, radical or determined
:02:14. > :02:19.enough in our effort to reform a system of children's social care.
:02:20. > :02:22.That is changing. It is my aim to ensure that change is equal to the
:02:23. > :02:24.challenge we all face. There should be nearly 500
:02:25. > :02:27.front`line social workers in Birmingham, but the team's far from
:02:28. > :02:31.full strength. There are currently more than 100 vacancies. So, what
:02:32. > :02:33.can be done to ensure the city can recruit enough qualified social
:02:34. > :02:35.workers? Cath Mackie's been to Birmingham City University for this
:02:36. > :02:42.exclusive report. Year two students studying for a
:02:43. > :02:50.degree in social work, at Birmingham City University. They've another
:02:51. > :02:53.year to go before they graduate and, in light of the recent damning
:02:54. > :03:00.headlines about the city's Children's Services, there's an
:03:01. > :03:04.obvious question to ask. As the next generation of social
:03:05. > :03:06.workers, how many can see all souls applying to Birmingham social
:03:07. > :03:14.services? More than half put up their hands.
:03:15. > :03:19.We have had headlines about Birmingham children's services. Did
:03:20. > :03:23.it put you off? It has encouraged me to graduate and bring about that
:03:24. > :03:28.change. 800 people applied for just 90 places on the course this year.
:03:29. > :03:32.It's a tough selection process. Social workers have to be agile
:03:33. > :03:37.thinkers, see what is happening, see how you are feeling and take stock.
:03:38. > :03:40.And have appropriate knowledge. But, as students, they are still a
:03:41. > :03:44.world away from the reality of serious case reviews and large
:03:45. > :03:49.caseloads. What are your students doing when they graduate? Staying in
:03:50. > :03:54.Birmingham? Many are queueing up to get
:03:55. > :03:59.placements in Birmingham. But not jobs? Placements lead to jobs. Many
:04:00. > :04:02.are interested. They realise Birmingham is a very challenging
:04:03. > :04:06.place to work. Elizabeth Bullock is in her final year, and believes
:04:07. > :04:09.social work is a vocation, a passion to improve lives. She'll soon be
:04:10. > :04:15.applying for jobs. It's a daunting prospect.
:04:16. > :04:20.You are very aware that the role you have is very intensely scrutinised.
:04:21. > :04:22.And that there isn't really an error or a margin for mistakes.
:04:23. > :04:24.These students will graduate in 2015. With other Midlands
:04:25. > :04:28.authorities also struggling to retain and recruit social workers,
:04:29. > :04:32.there should be plenty of jobs to choose from.
:04:33. > :04:35.Joining us now is local government expert Catherine Staite, from the
:04:36. > :04:38.Institute of Local Government Studies at the University of
:04:39. > :04:45.Birmingham. Good evening. It seems ever more
:04:46. > :04:50.likely that children's services in Birmingham could be taken over. Do
:04:51. > :04:54.you see that happening? Those are two different questions, I
:04:55. > :05:00.do not know whether it will happen. The same conversations have been had
:05:01. > :05:08.about Doncaster. In the end, central government backed off. I think, I
:05:09. > :05:11.don't think it would be a good idea at all. Children's services
:05:12. > :05:16.nationally particularly in Birmingham have suffered from an
:05:17. > :05:23.excess of churn and uncertainty. The new director, Peter Hay, has only
:05:24. > :05:28.been imposed since July. He has an excellent reputation and I do not
:05:29. > :05:32.know how somebody being parachuted in from central government would be
:05:33. > :05:37.expected to do a better job than he does, with his understanding of the
:05:38. > :05:42.problems. The bigger picture, is Birmingham
:05:43. > :05:48.City Council too big? No, I think Birmingham is a global
:05:49. > :05:53.city. It is competing with Chicago, Melbourne, the idea of dividing
:05:54. > :05:57.Birmingham up into smaller authority areas would make absolutely no
:05:58. > :06:02.sense. It seems to have worked in
:06:03. > :06:10.Manchester and Glasgow. Manchester City is a small part of
:06:11. > :06:15.the Greater Manchester area. All the ten local authorities have joined
:06:16. > :06:20.together into a combined authority, going upscale, not down. They have
:06:21. > :06:28.recognised in order to compete in a global economy, to have the
:06:29. > :06:31.economies of scale and critical mass for regeneration, infrastructure,
:06:32. > :06:35.you need to operate at a bigger scale. I think that is true of
:06:36. > :06:41.Birmingham and its role in the West Midlands.
:06:42. > :06:45.Let us go back to children's services and social services, is the
:06:46. > :06:51.problem a communication problem between departments?
:06:52. > :06:56.I think, whenever there is an issue about child protection, the focus is
:06:57. > :07:02.immediately on children's and social services. But if you look at serious
:07:03. > :07:07.case reviews, verdicts of inquests, you can almost always see a pattern
:07:08. > :07:13.of the complexity of situations, where many agencies, the police,
:07:14. > :07:19.GPs, mental health services, may all be involved with a family. It is
:07:20. > :07:25.critically important for the council to be allowed to take on its role,
:07:26. > :07:30.holding the ring around all those different professionals. Not holding
:07:31. > :07:34.the blame on behalf of them all, when things go wrong.
:07:35. > :07:39.You've been giving us your views on this. We were particularly
:07:40. > :07:42.interested in whether you thought Birmingham City Council was just too
:07:43. > :07:46.big to do the job, and should perhaps be broken up into smaller
:07:47. > :07:49.authorities. Muji on Twitter says: "Birmingham
:07:50. > :07:52.City Council definitely needs splitting up."
:07:53. > :07:56.But Stuart Francis Twigg disagrees, saying: "Size is not the problem if
:07:57. > :07:59.resources are adequate." Meanwhile, John Wheatley Price on e`mail says:
:08:00. > :08:02."What sort of community is it that seems to lack Good Samaritans, and
:08:03. > :08:05.runs away from its own responsibilities? It is easy to
:08:06. > :08:08.blame others, especially when we have evaded our own
:08:09. > :08:12.responsibilities." Thanks for those views.
:08:13. > :08:16.And, if you have a story you think we should be covering on Midlands
:08:17. > :08:20.Today, we'd like to hear from you. You can call us or send an email. We
:08:21. > :08:24.are also on Facebook, or you can tweet us.
:08:25. > :08:30.Coming up later in the programme: A famous name making his way.
:08:31. > :08:32.Dan Skelton, son of Olympic champion Nick, goes it alone as a racehorse
:08:33. > :08:40.trainer. Since it was first mentioned, West
:08:41. > :08:44.Bromwich's ?72 million arts centre has been a topic of heated debate.
:08:45. > :08:47.Now, just five years after opening, it's to close tomorrow. The
:08:48. > :08:51.building's going to be converted into a sixth form college, after the
:08:52. > :08:54.council decided it could no longer afford to subsidise the running
:08:55. > :08:58.costs. Lindsay Doyle reports on its penultimate day.
:08:59. > :09:05.Its architect described it as his box of delights. Its critics dubbed
:09:06. > :09:14.it the Pink Elephant. Love it or loathe it, it's to be consigned to
:09:15. > :09:17.history. The Public closes tomorrow. Gutted for all the community groups
:09:18. > :09:23.and the people who have made this building into a lively, vibrant
:09:24. > :09:24.place. And gutted the people in Sandwell who are losing a stunning
:09:25. > :09:28.facility. The original idea was drawn on the
:09:29. > :09:33.back on an envelope. It was meant to be the centrepiece of the major
:09:34. > :09:36.refurbishment of West Bromwich. It has become almost a symbol for
:09:37. > :09:43.Sandwell, the essence of the regeneration of the town, West
:09:44. > :09:48.Bromwich in particular. It suffered terrible bombing in the war and
:09:49. > :09:54.never really recovered. Things began to go wrong. Its windows, shaped
:09:55. > :09:58.like jelly beans, cost a fortune. It was meant to cost ?40 million but
:09:59. > :10:01.spiralled up to ?72 million. Sandwell Borough Council has been
:10:02. > :10:09.subsidising The Public at a cost of ?30,000 a week. But no more.
:10:10. > :10:11.I have been charged by the public of Sandwell to protect front line
:10:12. > :10:15.services and that is what I am trying to do. It is a difficult
:10:16. > :10:18.position. I am sorry we are having to make this decision and I
:10:19. > :10:20.appreciate why some people are upset.
:10:21. > :10:22.Aside from its theatre, and technical wizardry, The Public
:10:23. > :10:31.prided itself on celebrating local arts.
:10:32. > :10:35.The new Square has opened but they are shutting The Public. It doesn't
:10:36. > :10:39.make sense. Finally, they have got a good thing
:10:40. > :10:42.around here but are closing it up, ridiculous.
:10:43. > :10:47.I am devastated, I can hit all the time.
:10:48. > :10:50.`` I come here. The pink landmark will become part of Sandwell
:10:51. > :10:53.College, a sixth form. Half`term saw thousands of children taking part in
:10:54. > :10:57.drama sessions and storytelling. But the story of the Public is over.
:10:58. > :11:00.Police in Birmingham are investigating a series of needle
:11:01. > :11:04.attacks on women in the city. They've released a picture of a man
:11:05. > :11:07.they want to talk to in connection with an assault close to Broad
:11:08. > :11:11.Street on the 3rd of November. It's one of five hypodermic needle
:11:12. > :11:15.attacks in the last 18 months. The government has agreed to pay a
:11:16. > :11:17.fuel allowance to miners who lost their jobs, following the closure of
:11:18. > :11:21.Daw Mill Colliery in Warwickshire. The yearly allowance of ?1,300 worth
:11:22. > :11:23.of coal, or ?600 in cash, was previously restricted to former
:11:24. > :11:27.British Coal workers. The scheme's now being extended to miners who
:11:28. > :11:36.lost their jobs when the owners of Daw Mill, UK Coal, went bust.
:11:37. > :11:39.On the first anniversary of elections for five new Police and
:11:40. > :11:42.Crime Commissioners in our region, the Shadow Police Minister has told
:11:43. > :11:45.the BBC most people here would rather the money was spent instead
:11:46. > :11:48.on front`line policing. He said the issue would figure in the
:11:49. > :11:59.recommendations of Labour's review of policing, to be published in ten
:12:00. > :12:03.days' time. Police commissioners were an
:12:04. > :12:08.experiment, ?100 million on it, 90% of people do not know who their
:12:09. > :12:13.commissioner is. We have a good one in the Midlands, Bob Jones, but
:12:14. > :12:18.across the country there has been tension. Democratic accountability,
:12:19. > :12:22.without doubt, but I suspect people would prefer that ?100 million to be
:12:23. > :12:25.spent on more police officers on beat.
:12:26. > :12:27.Patrick will be back with more about that, in this weekend's Sunday
:12:28. > :12:30.Politics. Plus, the developing storm over the government's drive to speed
:12:31. > :12:34.up developments of new housing. That's at the usual time of 11
:12:35. > :12:37.o'clock, here on BBC One. There's controversy at a school in
:12:38. > :12:40.the Black Country where pupils have been told not to speak colloquially
:12:41. > :12:43.in the classroom. A letter to parents warns that the local
:12:44. > :12:46.dialect, together with slang words and phrases, is contributing to a
:12:47. > :12:48."decline in standards". But some say it's an assault on their heritage,
:12:49. > :12:59.as Giles Latcham reports. This primary School in Craigie Heath
:13:00. > :13:04.is at the heart of the Black Country, a place apart priding
:13:05. > :13:08.itself on its dialect. Some parents don't take cuddly to their kids
:13:09. > :13:13.being told to mind their language in class. It is disgusting teaching
:13:14. > :13:17.them how to talk to when they have been brought up this way. We should
:13:18. > :13:23.be proud of our Black Country language. They should be allowed to
:13:24. > :13:29.do whatever they want to do. I can talk properly if I want to. This is
:13:30. > :13:31.what it is about, school guidance listing the top ten damaging phrase
:13:32. > :13:45.is heard in class. Fraser is the school says it is
:13:46. > :13:53.taking a zero tolerance approach in class. The head says children need
:13:54. > :13:57.to know how to speak properly. All the staff are from the Black Country
:13:58. > :14:03.but there are times when we need to use formal language, when we are
:14:04. > :14:06.presenting, writing a letter. So we get the best results for our
:14:07. > :14:14.children. Some parents support his stance. In the classroom, it doesn't
:14:15. > :14:19.help with reading or writing. Because of the dialect we use, which
:14:20. > :14:24.is fine, it makes it difficult for them to spell the words as they
:14:25. > :14:29.should. At this show at the NEC, a window
:14:30. > :14:34.into the world of work for youngsters. A reminder presentation
:14:35. > :14:38.matters. The advice about trying to think about speaking properly, but
:14:39. > :14:46.retaining something of who you are is important. Historians will tell
:14:47. > :14:53.you Black Country dialect harks back to Chaucer. At this school, the
:14:54. > :14:56.debate is about its place today. This is our top story tonight: With
:14:57. > :15:00.children's services increasingly under threat of a takeover, and 100
:15:01. > :15:05.jobs unfilled, the challenge of being a social worker in Birmingham.
:15:06. > :15:08.Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly from Rebecca.
:15:09. > :15:12.Also in tonight's programme: We're out and about, finding out what
:15:13. > :15:17.you've been doing to raise funds for Children In Need, including a rather
:15:18. > :15:22.strange world record! And, watch out!
:15:23. > :15:24.Argh! The game that's keeping kids fit and
:15:25. > :15:33.healthy, in the name of fun. Sport now, with Dan, and the
:15:34. > :15:37.National Hunt racing season really takes off this weekend in
:15:38. > :15:40.Cheltenham. A big weekend in Cheltenham.
:15:41. > :15:43.Around 70,000 racegoers will descend on Cheltenham this weekend for the
:15:44. > :15:46.three`day open meeting which began today. And, for young trainer Dan
:15:47. > :15:50.Skelton, it's another small step forward. In the summer, he left his
:15:51. > :15:53.job as assistant to Paul Nicholls, to set up his own yard in
:15:54. > :16:02.Warwickshire. But he couldn't have done it without his family.
:16:03. > :16:09.He is doing well. Dan Skelton has just become a
:16:10. > :16:12.trainer, and he loves his job. It's a dream come true. I planned to
:16:13. > :16:17.train myself, one day, I'd obviously love to do it with the support of my
:16:18. > :16:19.family around me. To do it like this is fantastic.
:16:20. > :16:22.And that family support allowed Dan to build excellent facilities near
:16:23. > :16:25.Alcester in Warwickshire, with a loan from his dad, the show`jumper
:16:26. > :16:33.Nick Skelton. And his brother Harry is the stable's main jockey.
:16:34. > :16:39.Yes, he's a good boss, my brother. There is always going to be a bit of
:16:40. > :16:46.argument because we are family. At the end of the day, he has the final
:16:47. > :16:50.say. I have to respect that. Dan Skelton spent nine years as an
:16:51. > :16:56.assistant to a seven`times champion trainer. He led in Gold Cup winners
:16:57. > :17:00.such as Kauto Star, but he's now starting from scratch, and craves
:17:01. > :17:05.the big time. Nobody starts out in this job
:17:06. > :17:12.without dreaming big, owners, stable lads, you name it. Everybody is a
:17:13. > :17:17.big dreamer. Everyone wants to do their best. To be competing and
:17:18. > :17:20.winning is fabulous. This weekend at Cheltenham, in fact,
:17:21. > :17:23.this entire season, is a starting point for Dan Skelton. But his dream
:17:24. > :17:26.won't be complete until he's competing regularly with the very
:17:27. > :17:30.best. Who'd have thought that throwing a
:17:31. > :17:33.ball at someone as hard as you can would become an international sport?
:17:34. > :17:37.Dodge ball is becoming huge here, and the man behind a club in Walsall
:17:38. > :17:40.is a contender for Newcomer Of The Year at the West Midlands Community
:17:41. > :17:50.Sports Awards. Ben Godfrey's been to meet him.
:17:51. > :17:57.Glyn Marston noticed that children in Willenhall had few opportunities
:17:58. > :18:01.to let off steam after school. So, a year ago, he set up Walsall
:18:02. > :18:10.Warriors dodge ball Club, and waited to see what happened. We started as
:18:11. > :18:16.a fun and fitness club. Before long, a view of our members became
:18:17. > :18:18.competitive. We came third in our very first tournament in Leicester.
:18:19. > :18:21.A big boost for us. These children, some with special
:18:22. > :18:28.needs, join weekly training sessions to get fit, and make new friends.
:18:29. > :18:32.It is really fun, you get to join in. You can get lots of kids
:18:33. > :18:41.involved. A lot of people come to my school.
:18:42. > :18:51.This is an elimination game, two teams. If you get hit, you are out.
:18:52. > :18:54.And it's not just the kids. Glyn volunteers his time and money to
:18:55. > :19:00.coach, compete in regular competitions, and test out a new
:19:01. > :19:10.line in eyewear. I have a mark here. I wear goggles, cycle glasses. The
:19:11. > :19:11.kids aim for me, just for the fun of it!
:19:12. > :19:13.The Walsall Warriors are on the lookout for new members. If you
:19:14. > :19:25.dare. Some good news for Birmingham today,
:19:26. > :19:31.with the world's best athletes heading back to the city.
:19:32. > :19:34.Birmingham has been named as the host city for the World Indoor
:19:35. > :19:39.Athletics Championships in 2018. The city successfully hosted the World
:19:40. > :19:43.Championships in 2003. They'd bid to host the 2016 Games, but had to
:19:44. > :19:44.compete with Portland in the United States. Portland gets 2016,
:19:45. > :19:50.Birmingham 2018. We'll just have to be patient.
:19:51. > :19:53.Now, as I'm sure you know, it's Children In Need day today, and
:19:54. > :19:57.people around the region have been taking part in all sorts of events
:19:58. > :19:59.to raise money to help children. Last year, Children In Need
:20:00. > :20:03.nationally made nearly ?27 million, more than ?2 million of that coming
:20:04. > :20:07.from the West Midlands. The focus in the region tonight is on the new
:20:08. > :20:10.library in the centre of Birmingham. And, waiting for us there right now
:20:11. > :20:16.is Andy Akinwolere. How's it going, Andy?
:20:17. > :20:24.I tell you what, we are literally going to be raising the roof at the
:20:25. > :20:28.Library of Birmingham. We are surrounded by 225 children from ten
:20:29. > :20:32.different schools in Coventry and Birmingham, practising to sing their
:20:33. > :20:37.hearts out the children in need. How are you?
:20:38. > :20:40.Yes! I don't need to tell you how excited
:20:41. > :20:50.they are. We all like a bit of bunting to
:20:51. > :20:53.celebrate. And BBC Hereford and Worcester have taken it to the next
:20:54. > :20:57.level, with their world record attempt of the longest line of
:20:58. > :21:02.bunting. At 4.7 miles, it smashed the
:21:03. > :21:06.previous record by two miles. I literally asked the listeners if
:21:07. > :21:09.they would come on board, accepts and was crazy and go crazy with me.
:21:10. > :21:12.In Chelmsley Wood, Libby Bright from Chelmsley Wood has followed in the
:21:13. > :21:15.footsteps of her favourite pop star Jessie J, and had her long hair cut
:21:16. > :21:19.off. A viewer saw her on Midlands Today
:21:20. > :21:25.earlier, and offered a further ?300 to her fundraising efforts.
:21:26. > :21:29.It wasn't that bad. When she cut the ponytail off, that was the worst
:21:30. > :21:32.bit. At NFU Mutual Headquarters in
:21:33. > :21:37.Stratford, there's been a Gladiator Challenge all day, staff versus
:21:38. > :21:41.management. Much to the delight of staff, it was
:21:42. > :21:52.management who took the tumble in this jewel.
:21:53. > :21:59.Fabulous. For a good cause. Small children, emotional blackmail, but
:22:00. > :22:06.it didn't work! In Stoke on Trent, this pair have
:22:07. > :22:09.been travelling on a server in a rickshaw.
:22:10. > :22:19.We will be going from Hanley to Trentham, 7.5 miles, then Trentham
:22:20. > :22:22.to leak, in total, 21.5 miles. This school in Kenilworth is making
:22:23. > :22:24.maths fun, and has released its own pop`style counting song for Children
:22:25. > :22:29.In Need. I like doing it most days of the
:22:30. > :22:35.week because it helps me remember my times table.
:22:36. > :22:47.Whilst teachers and pupils here have been getting into the Dr Who spirit
:22:48. > :22:55.with dalek racing. And staff will be working on the
:22:56. > :23:01.lines until early morning. We are going from 645 until 2am in
:23:02. > :23:07.the morning. We wanted to see it through until the bitter end.
:23:08. > :23:08.All in all, a day of generosity in the Midlands, all for children in
:23:09. > :23:21.need. Don't forget, all the money you are
:23:22. > :23:25.rated that will help change so many children's lives. The man left in
:23:26. > :23:32.charge of this madness today is a man called David, talk to me, how
:23:33. > :23:38.has it been going? We met this afternoon and started rehearsing.
:23:39. > :23:44.Someone said they had sung it eight times in rehearsal, with all their
:23:45. > :23:50.heart. You have been choirmaster the TV programmes. There is a bit more
:23:51. > :23:56.screaming on a day like today. Essentially, it is about keeping
:23:57. > :24:03.spirits up, keeping them energised. I have a feeling they might pull it
:24:04. > :24:08.off. A little secret, no one is watching, how are the kids of
:24:09. > :24:10.Coventry and Birmingham? They are fabulous, the incredible
:24:11. > :24:18.spirit which characterises this area.
:24:19. > :24:25.How have you been feeling? Really excited. What school are you
:24:26. > :24:30.representing? Inari. `` Deanery.
:24:31. > :24:40.What is going through your mind? Don't forget your words.
:24:41. > :24:45.Are you nervous? Definitely. Why? I can't really say. You can't even
:24:46. > :24:50.speak. Finally, you are representing your school, are you nervous? Yes,
:24:51. > :24:56.very nervous. It will be all right on the night. Join us at 7pm
:24:57. > :25:04.tonight, I know it is going to be a great show.
:25:05. > :25:11.Let's find out how the weather's going to be for Children In Need
:25:12. > :25:18.night. Here's Rebecca. Not too bad. If you are heading out,
:25:19. > :25:23.it will be rather cold. But it will be cloudy and dry, the theme for the
:25:24. > :25:31.next few days. We have seen plenty of cloud, sitting across us. It
:25:32. > :25:36.won't shift anywhere overnight. It has restricted temperatures today,
:25:37. > :25:44.only getting up to seven Celsius. During the day, it will have helped
:25:45. > :25:50.tonight, particularly across the North, staying at five Celsius.
:25:51. > :25:57.Further south, we will see some fog. That will be quite stubborn.
:25:58. > :26:04.For all of us, it rather dull start, a few breaks in the cloud. Not much
:26:05. > :26:10.to write home about. Once again, temperatures will struggle. Where we
:26:11. > :26:16.do get the sunshine, 11 Celsius. Light winds as well. Then, another
:26:17. > :26:21.cloudy night tomorrow. Once again, that blanket of cloud. Temperatures
:26:22. > :26:27.falling away too far, around seven Celsius overnight tomorrow. Not much
:26:28. > :26:34.lower than daytime temperatures. Some rain starting across the North.
:26:35. > :26:40.Sunday, we see a weather front moving through, bringing with it
:26:41. > :26:45.some rain. Temperatures again, nine Celsius. Sunday night, that rain
:26:46. > :26:51.will pep up and the winds will build. That weather front will move
:26:52. > :26:56.through and it will change. We will see cold air moving across us.
:26:57. > :27:02.Striding bear down from the Arctic. Some really cold winds to come. Ice
:27:03. > :27:07.and frost in the forecast, we could see some snow, possibly even
:27:08. > :27:11.dropping to lower levels. Temperatures will be much colder by
:27:12. > :27:13.Tuesday. Not uncommon for this time of year.
:27:14. > :27:17.Tonight's headlines from the BBC: David Cameron's convoy is surrounded
:27:18. > :27:20.by protesters in Sri Lanka. They claim their relatives were
:27:21. > :27:24.murdered during the country's bitter civil conflict.
:27:25. > :27:27.With Children's Services increasingly under threat of a
:27:28. > :27:31.takeover, and 100 jobs unfilled, the challenge of being a social worker
:27:32. > :27:35.in Birmingham. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be back at ten o'clock,
:27:36. > :27:38.with a look back at a fantastic day's fundraising for Children In
:27:39. > :27:42.Need across the region. Stay with us here on BBC One, for entertainment
:27:43. > :27:45.from across the country. And, in the Midlands, our choir at the Library
:27:46. > :27:47.of Birmingham. Have a great evening. Goodbye.