01/08/2014 Midlands Today


01/08/2014

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The headlines tonight: That's all from the BBC News at

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Bowls with benefits ` the National Championships bringing

:00:07.:00:08.

The vision of the Council is to have the whole area buzzing.

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We'll look at how our region is gaining a

:00:30.:00:31.

reputation for staging major sports events ` and the economic benefits.

:00:32.:00:34.

Also tonight, the Banksy artwork defaced by vandals ` just days after

:00:35.:00:36.

Jazmin's jump for joy ` another medal for the Midlands to be

:00:37.:00:41.

I woke up this morning, rolled over and saw the medal on my bedside

:00:42.:00:51.

table and I gasped. The doubly thankful villages `

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our two unusual communities with no And we've certainly had some

:01:00.:01:02.

beautiful weather recently ` I'm afraid it's wellies

:01:03.:01:04.

and brollies at the ready for the start of this weekend `

:01:05.:01:07.

but a return to something a little Good evening,

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the Midlands is playing host to another major sporting competition `

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as the region gains a reputation The National Bowls Championships

:01:25.:01:27.

start in Leamington Spa tomorrow, the month long event is worth around

:01:28.:01:30.

?1.5 million to the town's economy. In 2012, when Coventry hosted

:01:31.:01:35.

Olympic football at the Ricoh Arena, it's estimated spectators spent

:01:36.:01:38.

around ?4 million in the local area. And last year,

:01:39.:01:45.

the five Champions Trophy matches at Edgbaston brought nearly ?16

:01:46.:01:47.

million to the Birmingham economy. Our reporter Sarah Falkland is

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in Leamington this evening. So this really is a big event

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for them? It is a big event. The town has a

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long history with all. We have had the women's National Championships

:02:08.:02:10.

here for the last 30 years, but this year, it is the first year we have

:02:11.:02:15.

had the men's championship. They have been working on the greens for

:02:16.:02:21.

three months. They are so perfect, you could almost each or supper of

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them. Earlier, some of the locals had a chance to play here. For such

:02:28.:02:37.

a sedate sport, it is strangely compelling. In 24 hours time, the

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carefully tended Greens will caused the country's top players. The town

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has become the balding capital of England, with some people moving

:02:52.:03:02.

here from Sussex. The central location is fantastic. It was fit

:03:03.:03:06.

for purpose. Around 20,000 people are expected here during the course

:03:07.:03:13.

of the championships and it is all people add ?1.5 million to the local

:03:14.:03:18.

economy. The Regency town is on a roll. We have got masses of new

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businesses coming in, we have a major furniture supplier coming into

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the town and having their headquarters here. The vision of the

:03:31.:03:36.

council is to bring people in and make the whole area bars. To have

:03:37.:03:40.

the bowling here is icing on the cake. Leamington's historical parade

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is just a few moments from the bowling green. It is good for trade,

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good for business. It will bring far more people into the time. The whole

:04:00.:04:06.

area comes alive. Just people passing by, maybe popping in to see

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what we do. Come tomorrow, the professionals will be here and it is

:04:12.:04:14.

not just the crowd who will be applauding. We didn't see quite how

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far she got to the jack there. Good news for the economy there

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in Leamington ` but what about elsewhere, how does our region

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rate for hosting sports events? Well, starting with Edgbaston

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cricket ground, it's hosting two one day international matches

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against India in September and will The NIA

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in Birmingham regularly hosts world class indoor athletics and the All

:04:41.:04:44.

England Open Badminton Championships Next year Kingsholm Rugby ground

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in Gloucester will host four Rugby World cup matches featuring

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Argentina and Scotland, while Villa Park has two games `

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you'll be able to catch South Africa Meanwhile this August bank holiday `

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around 48,000 people are expected to attend

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the Evesham fishing festival . Good to have you with us this Friday

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evening ` The old library of Birmingham `

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a carbuncle or We meet the man who finds beauty

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in the concrete construction. A Banksy artwork painted

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on the wall of a house in Cheltenham Earlier this week it was announced a

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deal was almost secure to keep Spy Booth in the town, after campaigners

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raised the money to buy it. Cheltenham's Banksy, eavesdropping

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on this telephone box, these undercover spies are now covered

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up after an overnight attack. People here had been proud

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of their Banksy and were angry this morning as news

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of the new graffiti got round. I don't understand why people

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have to do this any more. This is what it looked like

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in April. A few weeks

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after Spy Booth was painted, there was talk of selling it to a

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collector, but a local businessman pledged hundreds of thousands

:06:13.:06:15.

of pounds to save the piece. If the graffiti cannot be removed,

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are you still going to buy it? Obviously, it is something that

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the people in this town love This is what people here are

:06:25.:06:34.

hoping might just save the Banksy. This is three layers of

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anti`graffiti paint and that is a If they are quick enough

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and use the right chemicals, they might be able to take

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off that top layer of new graffiti This one in Bristol was hit

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by blue paint balls. Others like this one have been

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quickly removed, preserved, Mobile Lovers, like much of Banksy's

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street art, will eventually be sold. Some believe it is just part of

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the life cycle of street graffiti. For others though, these Banksys are

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precious and should be preserved. Andrew Plant, BBC Midlands Today,

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in Cheltenham. Police investigating a fire

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at the former Cadbury family mansion in Birmingham have arrested three

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schoolboys on suspicion of arson. The boys aged 12, 14 and 15,

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were questioned yesterday evening and later released on bail

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while investigations continue. Crews spent most

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of yesterday damping down at Northfield Manor ` after the fire

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was started on Wednesday night. A West Midlands Police Community

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Support Officer has been jailed for leaking confidential information

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to a convicted drug dealer. 43`year`old Andrew Thompson,

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from Tipton, admitted downloading intelligence from police computers

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and was jailed for two years. Fire fighters were called to rescue

:07:54.:08:01.

a horse from The animal was found neck deep

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in water at Walbrook Bridge, It had apparently fallen in

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after being left tethered close to A rescue team eventually managed

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to pull the horse to safety. The RSPCA says it's now

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in relatively good health and is appealing

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for the owners to come forward. Three weeks from today,

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we'll know who'll succeed Bob Jones as West Midlands Police and

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Crime Commissioner. Mr Jones died last month,

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just 20 months after the first PCC elections, in which only 12 percent

:08:31.:08:32.

of voters turned out. Our Political Editor Patrick Burns

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is here. If the turnout was embarrassingly

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low then, it could be even lower this time ` in the middle

:08:43.:08:45.

of the summer holidays. Yes, if you wanted to demonstrate

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just how low turnouts can go, Many council employees who'd

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normally staff elections, So not all polling stations will

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be the ones we're used to. Do check the polling cards, which

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have gone out to the two million eligible voters in Coventry,

:09:05.:09:07.

Birmingham and the Black Country. There wasn't exactly a stampede,

:09:08.:09:19.

I'm told, but the four main parties Labour's David Jamieson is

:09:20.:09:29.

a former transport minister, The Conservative Les Jones is

:09:30.:09:32.

the former Dudley Council leader. The Liberal Democrat Ayoub Khan is

:09:33.:09:35.

a barrister and former Birmingham And UKIP's Keith Rowe is

:09:36.:09:37.

prominent on Birmingham's But this is as much a referendum

:09:38.:09:40.

on the role of the PCC itself. We put that to the research

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organisation who pushed for these They say recent polls suggest

:09:50.:09:52.

the PCCs are recognised by ten times as many people

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as the "invisible and unelected" police authorities they replaced,

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so let's not get a possible low The timing of this means people will

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be looking at the turnout as a test for the future of this role. What is

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important is that the people of the West Midlands will be appointing

:10:33.:10:35.

their new Commissioner. And with that in mind, a Labour

:10:36.:10:40.

policy commission has recommended But Policy Exchange say some Labour

:10:41.:10:43.

commissioners who were sceptical when they were elected,

:10:44.:10:46.

have since changed their minds. Which could explain why

:10:47.:10:48.

the party has yet to commit itself And you can read more about the PCC

:10:49.:10:51.

elections on Patrick's blog, Campaigners trying to save

:10:52.:10:55.

Birmingham's old Library are asking Friends

:10:56.:11:04.

of Central Library say the building has architectural significance ` and

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not enough has been done to come up Work on a new development

:11:09.:11:11.

of Paradise Circus is due to begin And historic building that should be

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preserved or just an eyesore. It is a conversation that campaigners have

:11:36.:11:40.

had before and lost, but they're not easily put off. It is a shame to

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lose the building, it is only 40 years old. Even back in the 1970s,

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the new concrete skyline was controversial. How do you feel

:11:50.:12:00.

affection? Where is the warmth? Now the old library is going to be

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knocked down for eight new development starting in 2015. There

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will be nothing like it when it is not down. What will replace it will

:12:10.:12:14.

be good, but it would be outstanding, it would be special, it

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will be like many other city centres around the world. 90% of people in a

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consultation voted to get rid of this building. Developers say it is

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a no`brainer. Developers say they are building will fit in with the

:12:36.:12:40.

new look of Birmingham, but if you are coming up from the new station,

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walking through Victoria Square, heading for the bars and restaurants

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or at the new library, you don't want to see this on your way

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through. What do the public thing? The old buildings look good. That

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doesn't look nice at all. I think it would be sad to knock it down,

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because it is part of Birmingham's yesterday. They have a new one much

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better than that. Birmingham City Council says it is a done deal.

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Permission to knock it down was granted in 2013, but campaigners say

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they will continue the fight to make sure this particular concrete

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remains. John Grindrod has written a book

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about the rebuilding of post`war Convince us ` why shouldn't

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the old Library be demolished? It is a unique building and it

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represents a time in history when there was a unique optimism. A lot

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of our viewers may get the unique part but not the fantastic park.

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Partly, it is this shape, it is an upside`down pyramid. Nobody thought

:14:05.:14:10.

that was possible. Also, the wait is constructed, it is fascinating

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inside with the huge atrium. It is a lovely building to walk round. But

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90% of people asked said get rid of it. Though at the moment, it really

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needs to be washed and looked after, it hasn't had a lot of care

:14:30.:14:35.

for many years. It is surrounded by weird additions of shops that

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weren't there in the first place. If it were spruced up, I am sure a lot

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of people would like it. We can look beyond Birmingham for many examples

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of buildings that people are not sure, but you have followed in love

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with them. Have a look at this. This is a tower block in Coventry. Love

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it or loathe it? I do like it. There is a school of architecture that it

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represents, that glass curtain wall. Again, that building hasn't

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been looked after, so it looks tired and tatty. This next one might even

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test your love for all things concrete. It is in Kidderminster,

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apologies to residents, but I have relations with live there and

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they're not terribly fond of it. What do you think of it? It is the

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post office? Yes, that really never was a great design. Have I found a

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little chink in your armour? I am quite happy to admit that there are

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good and bad buildings in that post`war period. That is what is

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great about the library is it is a fantastic building, it is not a

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boarding building, it is really memorable. People always remember it

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because of its unusual shape. Thanks very much.

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Bowls with benefits ` the National Championships bringing

:16:11.:16:13.

Rebecca's standing by with the weather for the weekend.

:16:14.:16:17.

The vault with a fault ` but Christian Thomas still picks up

:16:18.:16:20.

And we visit the two communities who have reasons

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to be doubly thankful when it comes to remembering the war dead.

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Well, that's what Gavin Sanford from Selly Oak is planning to do.

:16:40.:16:47.

He's going to start at John O'Groats, but rather than take

:16:48.:16:50.

the shortest route to Lands End, he'll run around 1200 miles taking

:16:51.:16:52.

in cities such as Edinburgh, London and Cardiff along the way.

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The former soldier, who now works for the NHS, is raising money for

:16:59.:17:01.

Here's our Health correspondent, Michele Paduano.

:17:02.:17:09.

Everything Gavin Sandford needs for his ordeal has to fit

:17:10.:17:11.

For the past three months, for three hours each morning he has

:17:12.:17:15.

The ex`infantryman, who works in hospital theatres, is on a mission.

:17:16.:17:20.

Having seen horrific injuries, he believes better physiotherapy

:17:21.:17:22.

equipment would lead to better outcomes for soldiers

:17:23.:17:24.

I need to dig deep into some of the things I have seen. Even I have to

:17:25.:17:43.

crawl over by the skin of my teeth, I will see it.

:17:44.:17:47.

And these are the children that Gavin is determined to help.

:17:48.:17:50.

Mohammed Nahib has a muscle waiting disease.

:17:51.:17:52.

This is the furthest the five`year`old has ever walked.

:17:53.:17:54.

Four`year`old Seb Whatton is recovering from leukaemia.

:17:55.:17:56.

The exercises here are to strengthen his arms and legs.

:17:57.:18:00.

I need something I can slide on. This is what it is about. This is

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why I am putting myself through this thing. I will get the money to get

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these children the equipment they need to get them to a better place

:18:14.:18:15.

as fast as possible. The cash will be shared between the

:18:16.:18:26.

Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital To see somebody do this in 45

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marathons, it is the craziest thing I have ever seen done for the

:18:42.:18:45.

hospital. We are amazed by him and what he is doing.

:18:46.:18:51.

His test of endurance begins on Tuesday.

:18:52.:18:52.

And it's been another great 24 hours for Midlanders at the Commonwealth

:18:53.:18:59.

Kristian Thomas won a silver today, he has three in total. South Africa

:19:00.:19:35.

squad their way back into the match at the end, it went to sudden death

:19:36.:19:37.

and they lost. The highlight last night was

:19:38.:19:41.

20`year`old Jazmin Sawyers Jazmin, who's from Stoke,

:19:42.:19:43.

was winning her first medal I spoke to her a little earlier

:19:44.:19:46.

from Glasgow. And I began by asking if her

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success had started to sink in. I think it will take awhile. I woke

:19:50.:20:05.

up this morning and saw the medal on my bedside table and gasped to

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myself. I still can't believe it. Talk us through being on the podium,

:20:11.:20:15.

because you have these was a picture. I could hear the crowds and

:20:16.:20:25.

my friend told me to go out there. A lot of people had left by then, but

:20:26.:20:30.

unbelievable. Everyone was screaming unbelievable. Everyone was screaming

:20:31.:20:34.

and cheering and I was just so proud. I couldn't believe it. You

:20:35.:20:40.

will all two centimetres off the gold. Have you thought about that

:20:41.:20:45.

today? Today, I have. Yesterday, it didn't register. But I am over the

:20:46.:20:52.

moon with the silver and I feel I have many years to grab that gold.

:20:53.:20:58.

Let's say you're a silver medal clearly. This is just the start of

:20:59.:21:03.

your career. Do you think you'll get into the European Championships now?

:21:04.:21:09.

I don't think so, I don't have the qualifying standard for this year.

:21:10.:21:16.

There isn't time, so not for me, but I am just so over the moon with the

:21:17.:21:21.

can now take it forward to training can now take it forward to training

:21:22.:21:27.

and work on it. 20 to look forward to. Q1 the silver medal in the youth

:21:28.:21:35.

Olympics in 2012. During a singer songwriter, studying for a law

:21:36.:21:41.

degree. Is there anything you can't do? Plenty, I just don't do it. It

:21:42.:21:51.

has been a great week for the Midlands. How many medals to we

:21:52.:21:59.

have? The latest for the Debenhams is 12 medals in total. If the West

:22:00.:22:05.

Midlands was a country, we would be eight. There would be a campaign for

:22:06.:22:10.

independence for the West Midlands them.

:22:11.:22:19.

A war memorial is a feature of nearly every village

:22:20.:22:21.

But there are two small communities in our region where

:22:22.:22:24.

Middleton on the Hill in Herefordshire and Upper Slaughter in

:22:25.:22:28.

Gloucestershire are known as Doubly Thankful Villages ` remarkably none

:22:29.:22:30.

of their residents died in either the 1st or 2nd World Wars.

:22:31.:22:33.

Middleton on the Hill near Leominster and Upper Slaughter

:22:34.:22:36.

70 miles apart but they share a common bond.

:22:37.:22:39.

Nobody in either community died in two world wars.

:22:40.:22:51.

They're known as Doubly Thankful villages `

:22:52.:22:53.

there's only 13 in the country and only these two in the Midlands.

:22:54.:22:56.

Tony Collett's father George was one of 60 soldiers who returned

:22:57.:22:59.

He served in both wars and made these plaques, listing

:23:00.:23:02.

Life is a very placid thing in this Cotswold village.

:23:03.:23:06.

As this film made in 1939 just before the outbreak of war shows,

:23:07.:23:09.

But it wasn't the case on February 4th, 1944.

:23:10.:23:12.

Hundreds of incendiary bombs were dropped by the Luftwaffe on Upper

:23:13.:23:15.

We were very fortunate that it didn't go off. It went into timber

:23:16.:23:26.

shades. `` shades. Tony Collett still has one

:23:27.:23:34.

of the shells and is thankful the village's record on war

:23:35.:23:37.

survivors didn't end that night. Soldiers from 16,000 villagers from

:23:38.:23:50.

across the UK fought in the two world wars and to give you an idea

:23:51.:23:56.

of how lucky this village was, 99.92% of those villagers will cost

:23:57.:23:58.

at least one of them men. In the churchyard at Middleton

:23:59.:24:01.

on the Hill, a lantern celebrating the safe return of every soldier is

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a permanent reminder And now there's another one `

:24:04.:24:06.

this roll of honour was recently found stuffed away in a drawer

:24:07.:24:10.

of the back of the church, the names of all the men who came

:24:11.:24:13.

back recorded in fading pencil. When you think of all the people who

:24:14.:24:27.

got killed in the war, but all of ours came home and it is a minor

:24:28.:24:29.

miracle. And BBC Hereford

:24:30.:24:39.

and Worcester will have more about the thankful villages

:24:40.:24:41.

as part of the World War at Home Let's find out if we're in for a wet

:24:42.:24:44.

weekend ` Rebecca has the forecast. Yes, we are. We have had plenty of

:24:45.:25:07.

showers already and flash flooding. More rain in the forecast, but it

:25:08.:25:14.

will mark be a complete wash`out. But we do have sunshine by the time

:25:15.:25:23.

we get to Sunday. We have had this cloud and rain coming in from the

:25:24.:25:30.

South West, lively downpours in there. Those continue over the next

:25:31.:25:38.

few hours. There will be some breaks in it, but with all that cloud and

:25:39.:25:47.

rain, temperatures will be about 13 Celsius. Tomorrow, fronts moving

:25:48.:25:57.

through right the way through the day and a yellow warning in place

:25:58.:26:02.

for heavy rain. Rain continuing through the mining, but slowly, as

:26:03.:26:08.

the pressure begins to move its way northwards. Temperatures getting up

:26:09.:26:25.

to 22 Celsius. Slowly through the day, it does improve and overnight,

:26:26.:26:28.

the last of the rain will clear the way. Overnight temperatures around

:26:29.:26:39.

13 Celsius. It will mean a pleasant start to Sunday. Good spells of

:26:40.:26:42.

sunshine and definitely the best day of the weekend. Rain picking up and

:26:43.:26:48.

there will be a breeze on Sunday, which will make things fresh air.

:26:49.:26:54.

Into the new working week, we continue with the pattern of

:26:55.:26:56.

sunshine and showers. Tonight 's headlines, and other

:26:57.:27:02.

cease`fire collapses in Gaza.

:27:03.:27:15.

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