:00:00. > :00:00.The headlines tonight. is all from us.
:00:07. > :00:08.A national college to train apprentices for High Speed Rail
:00:09. > :00:13.It reflects the growing confidence of the region, and it's
:00:14. > :00:16.It's going to be a game changer HS2.
:00:17. > :00:20.But with the two sites 95 mhles apart, we'll be asking if this is a
:00:21. > :00:26.How would you feel if you woke up to find
:00:27. > :00:34.It felt as though either a helicopter had
:00:35. > :00:45.Not much harmony here, UB40 go to court in a row over who
:00:46. > :00:49.And Midlands Today at 50, much loved former presenter
:00:50. > :01:03.Kay Alexander takes us throtgh the archive from 1974 to 1984.
:01:04. > :01:07.And it has been the driest `nd warmest September on record, but
:01:08. > :01:20.that is about to change as we going to October.
:01:21. > :01:23.Birmingham will be the site of the new National College for
:01:24. > :01:25.High Speed rail but it will have to share it with Doncaster.
:01:26. > :01:28.The HS2 college will be loc`ted in, and run by,
:01:29. > :01:31.The college will provide spdcialist vocational training
:01:32. > :01:38.But how will it actually work when both sites are 95 miles apart?
:01:39. > :01:46.Our transport correspondent Peter Plisner reports.
:01:47. > :01:53.The Prime Minister touring the site Birmingham's new Street Station
:01:54. > :01:57.currently undergoing a ?600 million modernisation. It's one of the most
:01:58. > :02:01.complex railway civil engindering project in the country and prove
:02:02. > :02:07.that Birmingham has the expdrtise to mastermind training for HS2. The
:02:08. > :02:12.city also hosts the city for `` Centre for brow education at
:02:13. > :02:17.Birmingham University, one of the largest at the UK. And this is where
:02:18. > :02:20.the college will be based, near Aston University, another place of
:02:21. > :02:24.the strong engineering expertise. The man in charge of the bid for the
:02:25. > :02:31.HS2 College for Birmingham says it is great news for the city `nd the
:02:32. > :02:33.reader. We put a great bid hn,, nation of expertise in the
:02:34. > :02:43.educational sector, business support and counsel integration. I think it
:02:44. > :02:47.reflects the confidence of the location, and I think HS2 whll be a
:02:48. > :02:51.game changer. Birmingham is at the heart of the proposed HS2 ndtwork.
:02:52. > :02:58.This site is only a stones throw away from Ron proposed HS2 station
:02:59. > :03:02.in Birmingham city centre and it is already be home of the construction
:03:03. > :03:05.headquarters. Today's announcement comes days after West Midlands MPs
:03:06. > :03:10.from across all parties sent a letter to the business secrdtary
:03:11. > :03:15.stating that we have the location, leadership and collaboration to make
:03:16. > :03:18.HS2 college success. So is their disappointment at having to share
:03:19. > :03:22.the college with Doncaster? One of the MPs who signed the lettdr says
:03:23. > :03:28.not. That will be quite an experiment. Different cities and
:03:29. > :03:31.regions co`operating togethdr, which could be good for the futurd. But
:03:32. > :03:35.not good for those affected by HS2 who today have been questioning the
:03:36. > :03:38.timing of the announcement. I think what we have seen today is ` cynical
:03:39. > :03:43.attempt during Tory party conference to come up with something that makes
:03:44. > :03:45.HS2 look like a good idea. The reality is, with a 50 billion cost
:03:46. > :03:50.and rising, and rising, it is an absolute
:03:51. > :03:54.disaster for this country. Despite continuing opposition to HS2, the
:03:55. > :03:57.new college is expected to open in 2017 and it will play a key role in
:03:58. > :04:00.both the construction and operation of the high`speed line.
:04:01. > :04:03.The announcement about the new national college was made this
:04:04. > :04:05.afternoon, but despite repe`ted requests no one from the Department
:04:06. > :04:09.of Business and Skills or Transport was available for an intervhew, even
:04:10. > :04:13.though the Conservatives ard in Birmingham
:04:14. > :04:16.But our Political Editor Patrick Burns is outside
:04:17. > :04:26.So Patrick, is this move more political than practical?
:04:27. > :04:31.Mary, you will never keep politics out of the decision as big `s this.
:04:32. > :04:37.You will just have so much riding on it. We have been hearing, so much
:04:38. > :04:40.intense political lobbying, on behalf of all four short listed
:04:41. > :04:47.cities including Birmingham. But Doncaster does have some very
:04:48. > :04:50.significant political backing, it is deeply cheap `` constituencx of Ed
:04:51. > :04:57.Miliband. As a Sheffield MP, Nick Liberal Democrat leader has a broad
:04:58. > :05:06.interest in that area as a whole. And I think this point us towards a
:05:07. > :05:06.fact that this is a street party project, `` three party project 451
:05:07. > :05:47.MPs have yard in his constituency. Hd says a
:05:48. > :05:54.business park would come `` create jobs. I fixed the key point is `` I
:05:55. > :05:57.think his key point is is the main party leaders will use the perceived
:05:58. > :06:01.advantages of high`speed rahl to put it opponent including UKIP on the
:06:02. > :06:05.wrong side of the argument. While the main conference events
:06:06. > :09:44.take place in the ICC, And garden damage is
:09:45. > :09:49.the top problem, closely followed Urban badgers are also diffdrent to
:09:50. > :09:53.their country cousins They are typically much larger than
:09:54. > :09:58.their rural counterparts, and that's because we know that they
:09:59. > :10:02.are fed in gardens by peopld. I once talked to
:10:03. > :10:07.a chap who fed cheese and phckle sandwiches to his badgers in his
:10:08. > :10:11.garden and the badgers loved it So because of that,
:10:12. > :10:14.they are much bulkier. Stopping badger feeding on this
:10:15. > :10:18.street might encourage them to Certainly more extreme attelpts to
:10:19. > :10:24.discourage them haven't worked. They suggested tea bags soaked in
:10:25. > :10:29.Jeyes fluid, so I went and got 40 tea bags, soaked them in a lass of
:10:30. > :10:33.Jeyes fluid, we scattered them over the ground where they had already
:10:34. > :10:37.been, we scattered them down the side of the fences,
:10:38. > :10:41.it made no difference whatsoever. Badgers could be coming to
:10:42. > :10:47.a street near you and not everyone And you can read more about this
:10:48. > :11:09.on David's blog Around 200 tonnes of scrap letal
:11:10. > :11:16.have caused serious delays by catching fire on a yard in the Black
:11:17. > :11:20.Country. 50 firefighters ard tackling the blaze at Charlds Street
:11:21. > :11:25.in Smethwick. London Midland says services in and out of Birmhngham
:11:26. > :11:29.past the scene had been suspended, tickets are accepted on bus routes.
:11:30. > :11:33.There are always `` also delays on the Midlands Metro.
:11:34. > :11:36.A court's heard allegations that a soldier was brutally murderdd by a
:11:37. > :11:38.comrade at his Shropshire b`rracks in a possible revenge attack
:11:39. > :11:41.32`year`old Corporal Geoffrey McNeill,
:11:42. > :11:44.of the Royal Irish Regiment, was allegedly beaten to death bx Lance
:11:45. > :11:46.Corporal Richard Farrell at Tern Hill Barracks in March this year.
:11:47. > :11:53.The trial at Birmingham Crown Court continues.
:11:54. > :11:55.A row between the original members of UB40
:11:56. > :11:58.over who can use the band's name, is set to go to the High Cotrt.
:11:59. > :12:01.Current band members have started legal action against the former
:12:02. > :12:03.lead singer Ali Campbell and former members Astro and Mickey
:12:04. > :12:06.It comes as the three prepare to release their first album together.
:12:07. > :12:27.UB40 or not UB40? That's wh`t many fans of the biggest selling reggae
:12:28. > :12:31.act in history are now asking. There's been a lot of confusion but
:12:32. > :12:36.what we've decided if the f`ns will vote with their feet. There is
:12:37. > :12:42.another UB40 out there, my older brother Duncan is singing the hits
:12:43. > :12:50.that I had. But there is a TB40 with me, Astro and Mickey where xou have
:12:51. > :12:53.got the original thinkers. So it is everyone who they want to sde. 0
:12:54. > :12:56.years ago when we got together, we made an agreement went someone
:12:57. > :13:01.leaves the band, they do not take the name with them, the band stays
:13:02. > :13:08.with the original members and we are the original members and th`t is it.
:13:09. > :13:13.It is no simple. `` very silple UB40 has sold more than 100 million
:13:14. > :13:17.records but the last few ye`rs has seen riffs, rows and bitter
:13:18. > :13:22.divides. If it had just rem`ined on a professional level, then laybe
:13:23. > :13:28.after a few years we could set them around a table. But this is got
:13:29. > :13:35.personal. You think to yourself do I really want to have anythhng to do
:13:36. > :13:39.with it? Six years ago, when Ali Campbell left, he was replaced by
:13:40. > :13:42.his older brother Duncan. The two have not spoken since and are now
:13:43. > :13:47.locked in legal battle over the bad's name. It is the confusion it
:13:48. > :13:52.has to be put right unfortunately. We were hoping that his reaction
:13:53. > :13:56.would be to step back from the situation but it looks like he wants
:13:57. > :14:00.to contest it. Both bands are currently on tour, both using the
:14:01. > :14:02.name UB40. How long that will last is likely to be decided by the
:14:03. > :14:06.courts. For more than half a centurx,
:14:07. > :14:09.David Coleman was the voice He lived in the Midlands
:14:10. > :14:12.for many years. And tonight Ian Winter is
:14:13. > :14:16.at the Aldersley Stadium in Wolverhampton for a rathdr
:14:17. > :14:29.special event in his memory. Tuesday night is training nhghts
:14:30. > :14:33.here at Wolverhampton and Bhlston athletics club, and David Coleman
:14:34. > :14:38.was the honorary president of the club. He died at the age of 87 just
:14:39. > :14:41.before Christmas, but he was passionate about his athlethcs. He
:14:42. > :14:45.really loved it and that is where the club is holding this very
:14:46. > :14:48.special event this evening. David Coleman used to run on this same
:14:49. > :14:51.track, so if we can call yot in John, you are the starter, these
:14:52. > :15:03.youngsters are going to follow in his footsteps, get ready, on your
:15:04. > :15:10.marks, get set,. On your marks. Go! Sorry, mate.
:15:11. > :15:18.David, made his first TV appearance on the first David Roger Bannister
:15:19. > :15:22.broke the four minute mile. His marathon broadcasting it was up and
:15:23. > :15:29.running. He loved covering lost sports, but athletics was hhs
:15:30. > :15:35.passion. And it said Colgatd the risk `` resolve he wants! It is
:15:36. > :15:41.Linford Christie! He covered 11 Olympic Games. George Best never
:15:42. > :15:48.made it to the World Cup finals but David Coleman did. On six occasions.
:15:49. > :15:52.Can he do it? He surely must. After almost 20 years of hosting `
:15:53. > :15:56.question of sport, and a lifetime of broadcasting, David Coleman OBEs
:15:57. > :16:01.will always be fondly remembered by sports fans across the Midl`nds and
:16:02. > :16:04.beyond. So, the kids are still runnhng on
:16:05. > :16:08.the track. Let's have a chat with two of the guys who knew David
:16:09. > :16:12.Traill well indeed. Mike Coleman is his son, one of several children.
:16:13. > :16:18.Telly, what would your dad have made of this? He would have been in his
:16:19. > :16:21.element. This is what he was all about. The fact that he is hn his
:16:22. > :16:27.name, he would not have been seeking that an heap probably would not have
:16:28. > :16:31.realised that. We are just really pleased there is a legacy whth his
:16:32. > :16:37.name, and hopefully it will last for years. Your dad was famous for his
:16:38. > :16:44.gaffes, how did he react to that? Initially very badly, because the
:16:45. > :16:50.great that started it was, that started it off, `` the quitter
:16:51. > :16:53.started it off, he comes on the corner and opened his legs `nd shows
:16:54. > :17:01.his class, that was not even him, it was Ron Pickering! What was David's
:17:02. > :17:07.legacy to this club? We werd already a top club when we had him, we had
:17:08. > :17:12.international athletes and then we suddenly had the greatest
:17:13. > :17:17.commentator in the world mark `` bar none, so it was absolutely
:17:18. > :17:21.fantastic. As you say, he is still inspiring us today. Thank you very
:17:22. > :17:25.much. It would be rude not to finish with a gaffe. In the words of the
:17:26. > :17:29.great man, that is the fastdst time ever run, but it is not as fast as
:17:30. > :17:32.the world record! Stoke City have climbed six places
:17:33. > :17:35.up the Premier League table And it was a special night for
:17:36. > :17:38.Neil Baldwin. His life story was dramatisdd
:17:39. > :17:41.in the BBC programme Marvellous And he received
:17:42. > :17:46.a standing ovation before khck`off. Stoke won
:17:47. > :17:49.the game 1`0 thanks to this goal It was their first home win of the
:17:50. > :17:54.season and lifts them up to 11th. And manager Mark Hughes was full
:17:55. > :17:57.of praise for the man who stpplied He's done great since he's come
:17:58. > :18:02.here, we've been really ple`sed Once again, he's made an impact
:18:03. > :18:06.in a positive way for us. You know when you give him
:18:07. > :18:09.the ball in wide areas that he's going to cause fullbacks and wide
:18:10. > :18:13.guys a problem and he was able just to stand the ball up and th`t's
:18:14. > :18:17.the type of service Peter craves. All this week we're celebrating
:18:18. > :18:20.the 50th Anniversary of We've been raiding the archhve to
:18:21. > :18:25.bring you some of the highlhghts. Kay Alexander was a familiar face
:18:26. > :18:28.on this programme for many xears and she's been looking back
:18:29. > :18:47.at the era between 1974 and 198 . In the 1970s, Led Zeppelin were
:18:48. > :18:51.showing the world how it's done A local band, taking the rock world by
:18:52. > :18:52.the scruff of the neck. Heavy metal music made right here in thd
:18:53. > :19:05.Midlands. Over at BBC Birmingham, in our own
:19:06. > :19:09.style, we were trying to captivate audiences in new and exciting ways.
:19:10. > :19:13.In the late 50s, it was every girl's due to be picked up hn this,
:19:14. > :19:22.and it was every young man's dream to own and drive one. Yes, that
:19:23. > :19:26.really is me! Shocking behaviour. When I joined Midlands todax, we
:19:27. > :19:29.were in the nationwide era. When all the regions joined together for a
:19:30. > :19:36.national news magazine hour. There was something from everyone in it.
:19:37. > :19:41.For example, some of our vidwers sound very strange ways of raising
:19:42. > :19:43.money for charity. Anxious places in the crowd, reflecting the hhgh drama
:19:44. > :19:51.of the training session upon which so much depends. Do you havd any
:19:52. > :19:56.protection down there that we don't know about? No ferrets were injured
:19:57. > :20:04.in the making of that rogue ramp! Well, not much, anyway. Most of my
:20:05. > :20:08.career was at Pebble Mill in Birmingham. The building th`t became
:20:09. > :20:12.the first purpose`built bro`dcasting centre in the UK. And a legdnd in
:20:13. > :20:18.its own right. You have a vdry good evening on BBC One tonight, good
:20:19. > :20:21.luck, Khlifa! With the BBC now at the Mailbox, this vast site will
:20:22. > :20:26.soon become a dental hospit`l and health centre of excellence. It was
:20:27. > :20:30.such an exciting place. He would meet in the corridors the fhlm stars
:20:31. > :20:35.who were being interviewed `t 1pm. We often used to do that on Midlands
:20:36. > :20:40.Today, but we did completelx mad blue Peter sorts of things. We would
:20:41. > :20:51.have the latest batch of lion cubs in the studio from the Safari Park,
:20:52. > :20:54.live. Midlands Today reportdrs, producers, presenters and
:20:55. > :21:01.technicians have worked hard to cover the biggest news storhes for
:21:02. > :21:06.you over the past 50 years. Who can forget the awful events of November
:21:07. > :21:14.1974, when the IRA detonated two bombs at two part in Birmingham 21
:21:15. > :21:18.people died and almost 200 were injured. Tensions were so hhgh at
:21:19. > :21:21.that time that I had to be locked in the studio set any invading
:21:22. > :21:30.terrorists would not be abld to gain access to the air. In 1976, the
:21:31. > :21:33.Queen officially opened the NEC The nation has at last acquired an
:21:34. > :21:40.exhibition centre which can bear comparison with the best thd rest of
:21:41. > :21:45.the world has to offer. And who can forget the weather that amazing
:21:46. > :21:53.summer? It was also the dec`de when industrial relations were hdated.
:21:54. > :21:58.More than 12,000 of the Longbridge workforce turned off the unhon
:21:59. > :22:05.meeting. Here is Derek red Robbo Robinson addressing a mass rally.
:22:06. > :22:16.There were more than 500 walk`outs in 1978 and 1979. It was not all
:22:17. > :22:19.hard news. Midlands Today sdt about finding the more quirky stories like
:22:20. > :22:24.the parish priest from Stoke`on`Trent determined to live an
:22:25. > :22:28.alternative lifestyle. They have asked me about the campus on the TP.
:22:29. > :22:36.As I said to them, Buffalo hs in short supply in Stoke`on`Trdnt.
:22:37. > :22:43.Remember when my late colle`gue Alan Towers brought us the skateboarding
:22:44. > :22:53.duck? Is it really your board? Yes. It was. What do you mean? Hd will
:22:54. > :22:56.not let me on it any more. Where Led Zeppelin led the way, the lhkes of
:22:57. > :23:03.Black Sabbath followed. Midlands heavy`metal went mainstream and so
:23:04. > :23:07.did we. The 50 years, Midlands Today has produced a mountain of lemories.
:23:08. > :23:11.Filled with stories that yot have brought to the air with us. I have
:23:12. > :23:16.found myself being interviewed after I had just given birth to mx son.
:23:17. > :23:19.Just another product of the Birmingham maternity hospit`l and in
:23:20. > :23:23.this programme, we are going to follow a typical day in the life of
:23:24. > :23:32.this hospital. What's more, I went on to marry one of my co`prdsenters,
:23:33. > :23:39.Brian Conway. Now, that is rock 'n' roll!
:23:40. > :23:41.The voice of Kate Alexander, we have still got it `` she has still got
:23:42. > :23:42.it! Over the last five decades
:23:43. > :23:45.entertainment news has also been From Hollywood to Bollywood,
:23:46. > :23:49.we've also tried to reflect what's Our arts reporter Satnam Rana
:23:50. > :23:52.has been taking a look. Our region is full of entertainment
:23:53. > :23:54.and entertaining people. And for half a century,
:23:55. > :23:57.Midlands Today has entertained you. I declare today, Friday 6th of July
:23:58. > :24:04.2007, Ozzy Osborne Day! When Birmingham's famous export Ozzy
:24:05. > :24:10.Osborne got a star on Broad Street, # Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing
:24:11. > :24:16.Matilda... # I love ordinary people,
:24:17. > :24:21.that's why I've come to Birlingham. A youthful looking George Clooney,
:24:22. > :24:29.stirring up a Perfect Storm In fact, the red`carpet has been
:24:30. > :24:38.rolled out over, and over again Midlands Today has also celdbrated
:24:39. > :24:42.home`grown talent over the decades. You want to know what's going on
:24:43. > :24:51.in Coventry or Solihull or Wolverhampton,
:24:52. > :24:53.that's what you want to know about. But it's not just the rich
:24:54. > :24:58.and famous who've entertaindd us. I've seen Asian women stare at me
:24:59. > :25:03.in town, and I deliberately go up Not only do they have a heart
:25:04. > :25:07.attack, they think, that's `ll right From carnivals to melas,
:25:08. > :25:12.drama to dancing, when you've been And then sometimes, well, the
:25:13. > :25:26.entertainment has come from...us! In the programme, I shall bd telling
:25:27. > :25:31.Nick the way to, well, you know There's no business
:25:32. > :25:50.like show business. September was unusual with hts
:25:51. > :25:54.dryness, let's see if Octobdr carries on.
:25:55. > :26:03.It has been mentioned a few times already today so I am not tdlling
:26:04. > :26:14.you anything you don't know, it has been the driest October `` September
:26:15. > :26:16.since records began. It is going to change by the end of the wedk when
:26:17. > :26:23.things become cooler, wetter and windier. Best interest rate it by
:26:24. > :26:30.the wind mass chart. It is `ll down to high pressure. And the Jdtstream.
:26:31. > :26:34.This sounds like it should be more south, it has been in the north and
:26:35. > :26:39.it has affected our weather. The temperature is still very good, the
:26:40. > :26:41.yellow is warm air but it whll sweep away to the south`east by the
:26:42. > :26:47.weekend being replaced by the cooler blue air. Even before the change
:26:48. > :26:52.occurs at the end of the wedk, we are looking at subtle changds occur
:26:53. > :26:57.in the head of that. `` occtrring ahead of that. Clear skies hnitially
:26:58. > :27:01.but through the night the cloud will decant from the west and we will
:27:02. > :27:04.bring in some light and patchy rain as a frontal system crosses the
:27:05. > :27:11.region. Towards the end of the night it dried up again. Quite a bit of
:27:12. > :27:16.mist and Merck in the early hours which is what we wake up to. This
:27:17. > :27:19.will clear slowly and gradu`lly and for a brief period we will see some
:27:20. > :27:26.brightness as that cloud brdaks up and it will be dry as well. Another
:27:27. > :27:30.system roles in from the west which will be coming in in the afternoon.
:27:31. > :27:37.That will be bringing light patchy rain in the western half of the
:27:38. > :27:43.recent `` region. Temperatures will rise from 17 to 19. Tomorrow will be
:27:44. > :27:56.dry and more fresh. We will be back at 10:25pm, join me there.
:27:57. > :27:59.The stage is set for the Party Conference Season 2014.
:28:00. > :28:02.Stay with BBC News for the key moments,
:28:03. > :28:05.including Conservative Party leader David Cameron's speech.
:28:06. > :28:09.On BBC TWO and with ongoing coverage on Radio 5 Live.
:28:10. > :28:17.The Party Conferences 2014, as they happen.
:28:18. > :28:24.There's so much more to this story than I thought.
:28:25. > :28:27...and even murder. With a knife!
:28:28. > :28:31.Unravelling the mysteries of their family tree.