:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. the BBC's news teams where you are.
:00:00. > :00:00.The headlines tonight: It's Frantic Friday with travellers
:00:00. > :00:07.hitting roads, rail and airports for the Christmas getaway.
:00:08. > :00:11.With a storm sweeping in from the west, we'll
:00:12. > :00:16.have the very latest on any problems.
:00:17. > :00:21.We are expecting the busiest festive season ever with around half a
:00:22. > :00:31.million passengers travelling out over the two-week Christmas period.
:00:32. > :00:35.We are alive at the network, the nerve centre of the regions motorway
:00:36. > :00:35.network and assessing the impact storm Barbara.
:00:36. > :00:40.Now, 16 months after his body was found by the M54,
:00:41. > :00:46.We just need answers. We need answers and a funeral and really to
:00:47. > :00:48.say goodbye properly. Little festive fun for professional
:00:49. > :00:50.footballers with crucial fixtures Our special guests,
:00:51. > :00:59.the Miltary Wives Choir from Cosford And as the sun sets on storm
:01:00. > :01:11.Barbara, storm Conor is likely to have an impact on our Christmas
:01:12. > :01:14.weather, but will we get any snow? It's been dubbed Frantic Friday
:01:15. > :01:27.as people hit the roads, railways and airports to get away
:01:28. > :01:30.to visit family and Add in the number of people
:01:31. > :01:34.visiting their local shops for last minute presents and groceries
:01:35. > :01:37.and the AA are estimating around 12 million cars will have been
:01:38. > :01:40.on the roads today alone But, as well as congestion,
:01:41. > :01:44.Storm Barbara could be making herself felt in the Midlands
:01:45. > :01:46.with strong winds causing Sarah Bishop is at the
:01:47. > :01:49.Highways England control How's it looking
:01:50. > :02:00.this evening, Sarah? You know, despite the absolutely
:02:01. > :02:04.atrocious weather we have had in the last few hours things haven't been
:02:05. > :02:09.quite as frantic as I think the experts predicted. Behind me is the
:02:10. > :02:17.amp 42. When did you last see it like that on a Friday night? It is
:02:18. > :02:20.probably quieter than usual. Here we have the M6 looking quite clear but
:02:21. > :02:29.the storm has wreaked havoc and we have had problems and it has been
:02:30. > :02:36.really busy on public transport. Morning, how you? Are you for
:02:37. > :02:40.Christmas? We are going to London, to our daughters. Who would fancy
:02:41. > :02:45.driving from Stoke-on-Trent to London on frantic Friday? Many in
:02:46. > :02:48.Staffordshire chose to let the train take the Yuletide strain. I am going
:02:49. > :02:52.away to Hastings to see my family and I haven't seen them since last
:02:53. > :02:58.Christmas. No idea what time I will get there. At Birmingham 's new
:02:59. > :03:02.Street station they expect 200,000 people to pass through over the
:03:03. > :03:06.holiday. The advice for anyone travelling on the train over this
:03:07. > :03:13.period is to plan your journey well in advance and on the day of travel
:03:14. > :03:17.please check before you travel at there are no train services on
:03:18. > :03:21.Christmas Day itself. Network Rail say disruption will be minimal over
:03:22. > :03:24.the holiday but they are warning that on the 27th services between
:03:25. > :03:32.rugby and Stafford will be affected by work on the West Coast mainline.
:03:33. > :03:40.We are going to Blackpool. Because we like it. And it's a nice hotel. I
:03:41. > :03:43.get to spend time with my mum. Birmingham to Blackpool on frantic
:03:44. > :03:48.Friday, no problem. National Express have put on an extra 60,000 seats to
:03:49. > :03:52.cope with the festive influx on Christmas Day is no exception. We
:03:53. > :03:56.have nine services leaving from here on Christmas Day with staff here to
:03:57. > :04:01.support our customers and our drivers as well. We go to
:04:02. > :04:05.destinations such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Heathrow Airport, London
:04:06. > :04:09.Victoria, Bristol, and another of -- a number of other destinations en
:04:10. > :04:15.route. For those driving themselves over 100 roadworks have been lifted
:04:16. > :04:19.across the West Midlands but by mid morning the closure of M1 due to an
:04:20. > :04:23.accident was having an impact. If you're heading to London and the
:04:24. > :04:27.south-east this afternoon and early evening you should use the 40. As
:04:28. > :04:31.well as that our key concern this afternoon and this evening is the
:04:32. > :04:38.strong wind and potentially torrential rain which will be short
:04:39. > :04:42.in duration but extremely heavy. Britain's wintry weather is of no
:04:43. > :04:46.consequence if you are jetting off this Christmas. Birmingham Airport
:04:47. > :04:50.reports a 20% increase in festive flyers and on Christmas Day itself
:04:51. > :04:58.there will be 14,000 air passengers in and out of Birmingham, up an
:04:59. > :05:02.incredible 82% on last year. For the last 15 years we have gone away for
:05:03. > :05:06.Christmas and New Year. It is because of our jobs, it's the best
:05:07. > :05:09.time to have. Christmas is the time to go to these countries and nice
:05:10. > :05:15.warm weather and nice beaches and most people, what can you say. She
:05:16. > :05:20.has got a point, hasn't she? Be a stormy weather has caused quite a
:05:21. > :05:23.few problems. We have this picture of a family in Northfield in
:05:24. > :05:27.Birmingham this afternoon who had quite a lucky escape when this big
:05:28. > :05:33.tree came down in front of them in the storms. There has been quite a
:05:34. > :05:36.serious accident on the M5 going south and thankfully no serious
:05:37. > :05:40.casualties but that is not the end of it, there have been more
:05:41. > :05:43.problems. Yes, there had been trees down on the motorway network as well
:05:44. > :05:48.which we dealt with very quickly. There have been some other issues,
:05:49. > :05:51.the usual bumps and bangs. Fortunately traffic levels have been
:05:52. > :05:56.lied than usual and we would like to thank motorists for their help in
:05:57. > :06:00.making the getaway much more smooth than we anticipated. The earlier
:06:01. > :06:05.problems on the M1, what is the situation now? It has now fully
:06:06. > :06:08.reopened and the Watford Gap services have reopened for business
:06:09. > :06:14.but there is no traffic at the moment or any traffic delays on the
:06:15. > :06:18.M1 southbound. We didn't have quite the frenetic traffic and chaos today
:06:19. > :06:22.and the next spike to look out for is Boxing Day morning with everyone
:06:23. > :06:27.going out shopping and then prior to that Christmas Day we have stormed
:06:28. > :06:27.M1 coming, repeat what we have had today.
:06:28. > :06:32.Thank you. -- storm Conor. But, while others may have
:06:33. > :06:34.struggled to get away, there was some good news in Coventry
:06:35. > :06:37.today with work on the notorious There's been absolute
:06:38. > :06:40.gridlock there on occasions, whilst the junction has
:06:41. > :06:42.been completely re-designed. It's taken major exploration work
:06:43. > :06:53.spanning three years. It's taken major excavation work,
:06:54. > :06:55.spanning three years, and costing more than ?100 million
:06:56. > :06:58.to redesign, Tollbar Island. There have been endless queues
:06:59. > :07:03.and much frustration. A nightmare. I have been here for
:07:04. > :07:05.hours. It took me over an hour to get up the road last night.
:07:06. > :07:07.But at last apart from one lane restriction,
:07:08. > :07:10.Driving through Tollbar during the height of the roadworks
:07:11. > :07:13.could have taken you hours but now, thanks to the new underpass,
:07:14. > :07:17.The project also took six months longer than expected
:07:18. > :07:20.because the wrong concrete was used on new bridges and had
:07:21. > :07:25.It was too much for Lisa Crankshaw from Hinckley who used to travel
:07:26. > :07:27.through the junction on the way to work.
:07:28. > :07:34.Getting back in time for her daughter became almost impossible.
:07:35. > :07:40.Some days I was the last parent to pick their child up and it was just
:07:41. > :07:44.getting so stressful that I just had to, you know, rethink everything and
:07:45. > :07:45.I decided that I was going to leave my job.
:07:46. > :07:47.But at the Midlands Air Museum, which became stranded
:07:48. > :07:51.on the wrong side of the roadworks, they're optimistic.
:07:52. > :07:57.It has been a terrible nightmare. The last three years have been
:07:58. > :08:01.horrendous for us, both fast getting in and for the customers getting
:08:02. > :08:04.air, but it is something that we have had to deal with and thankfully
:08:05. > :08:05.hopefully we are now in a situation where it stood get better.
:08:06. > :08:08.The lane restrictions are due to be removed any time and then
:08:09. > :08:10.the junction will be fully functioning in time
:08:11. > :08:15.Well, wherever you're going over the next few days,
:08:16. > :08:18.you can keep up to date with the travel news by listening
:08:19. > :08:26.Eight years after he went missing, the family of Surjit Takhar
:08:27. > :08:29.from the Black Country are appealing for help to find out
:08:30. > :08:36.His body was found by the side of the M54 near Telford last year.
:08:37. > :08:41.Here's our Special Correspondent Peter Wilson.
:08:42. > :08:45.Surjit Takhar, a father of three, known as Skin to his friends,
:08:46. > :08:51.In August last year his body was found by motorway maintenance
:08:52. > :08:56.workers in a ditch by the side of the M54.
:08:57. > :08:59.His ex-wife and his twin daughters visited the area
:09:00. > :09:13.We just need answers. We need answers and a funeral and it is a
:09:14. > :09:16.goodbye properly. We imagine all sorts in our Ed, I think about what
:09:17. > :09:21.he looks like and what is left of him and we just want to him and let
:09:22. > :09:22.him rest in peace, basically, lay him to rest.
:09:23. > :09:25.The finding of human remains led first to an investigation
:09:26. > :09:30.Once that was discovered police revealed that they're treating
:09:31. > :09:42.At the time of his disappearance he was living alone in a flat in the
:09:43. > :09:46.West Midlands. We know at that time he had been battling alcohol issues
:09:47. > :09:50.and also may have had financial issues. I am keen for people to come
:09:51. > :09:54.forward who may have information regarding the kind of lifestyle you
:09:55. > :09:55.out which may help me formulate an understanding regarding his
:09:56. > :09:56.disappearance. His family gathered at the site
:09:57. > :10:04.where the body was discovered. There are people out there who know
:10:05. > :10:07.something about him and what happened and how he got there and we
:10:08. > :10:11.would appeal to those people to come forward and talk to the police. If
:10:12. > :10:14.it is an anonymous so be about contact the police and let them
:10:15. > :10:15.know, however small it is, contact them let them know.
:10:16. > :10:18.A year ago a man did just that and telephoned the police
:10:19. > :10:22.Detectives say that caller could help unlock
:10:23. > :10:29.the mystery of Surjit Takhar's disappearance and death.
:10:30. > :10:31.An NHS risk summit has been held in Worcestershire,
:10:32. > :10:36.following safety fears over accident and emergency services.
:10:37. > :10:38.The Worcestershire Royal Hospital, which has been running
:10:39. > :10:42.at more than 100% full, has accepted it needs help.
:10:43. > :10:47.The plan will involve stopping all non-urgent operations to ensure
:10:48. > :10:50.that there are enough beds available to treat extremely ill patients.
:10:51. > :10:53.Two men, one from Stoke-on-Trent, have been found guilty of using aid
:10:54. > :10:56.convoys to send cash to extremists in Syria.
:10:57. > :10:59.37-year-old Syed Hoque from the city and a 27-year-old from East London
:11:00. > :11:02.were convicted at the Old Bailey of funding terrorism.
:11:03. > :11:06.The taxi driver kidnapped and murdered by Islamic State
:11:07. > :11:12.fighters, Alan Henning, was a volunteer for
:11:13. > :11:19.The mother of a nine-year-old boy who died after a road accident
:11:20. > :11:23.in Staffordshire has paid tribute to her tremendous son.
:11:24. > :11:25.Zachary Barker died in hospital after the accident,
:11:26. > :11:26.in Spring Gardens in Leek, on Saturday.
:11:27. > :11:28.In a statement issued by Staffordshire Police,
:11:29. > :11:30.his mother Stephanie said he was a lovely lad,
:11:31. > :11:33.full of life and joy, and was always willing to help
:11:34. > :11:43.Officers are searching for a group of men who attacked a man
:11:44. > :11:45.on his driveway in Birmingham before stealing his car.
:11:46. > :11:50.The 41-year-old had parked outside his home in Livingstone Road
:11:51. > :11:53.when he was approached by one of the suspects who asked him
:11:54. > :11:55.if he was OK before demanding his car keys.
:11:56. > :11:58.The thieves eventually drove off in the man's blue Audi SQ5.
:11:59. > :12:07.The owner of the car suffered only minor injuries.
:12:08. > :12:09.A Worcestershire woman who's spent the last year looking
:12:10. > :12:11.for her missing dog says she desperately needs to know
:12:12. > :12:14.Max, an eight-year-old springer spaniel, went missing
:12:15. > :12:16.on Christmas Day last year in Herefordshire.
:12:17. > :12:18.But it's not just Max's family looking for him.
:12:19. > :12:21.A group of complete strangers have given up their year
:12:22. > :12:27.On Christmas Day last year, Max the springer spaniel went missing.
:12:28. > :12:35.His family from Malvern began a desperate search.
:12:36. > :12:43.I don't know if you remember last Christmas Day. It was kind of etched
:12:44. > :12:49.into my head. It hammered it down on Christmas night and I was out
:12:50. > :12:55.walking and looking for him in the Christmas tree feels. I was soaked.
:12:56. > :12:57.It was in these fields around Much Cowarne in Herefordshire
:12:58. > :13:00.Hundreds joined the search as it turned from days,
:13:01. > :13:11.We come out to walk through and think if there was anything that we
:13:12. > :13:17.missed or any pile that we haven't looked in or any in Sherbrooke that
:13:18. > :13:21.we haven't had a look at, but the literary isn't, within five miles, I
:13:22. > :13:27.think we can say that every inch has been uncovered in the last months.
:13:28. > :13:29.Emotionally she is in a time warp and it is very hard to forward from
:13:30. > :13:31.that. Steph Edwards from Hereford
:13:32. > :13:33.and Dawn Smith from Kempsey near Worcester, had never met Max,
:13:34. > :13:36.but became part of team of nine or ten people,
:13:37. > :13:38.all complete strangers to the family, who decided to give
:13:39. > :13:41.up their year to help run Max's Facebook page and try
:13:42. > :13:51.and find him. If you don't love animals that you
:13:52. > :13:56.will probably find it difficult to understand why we would do that. The
:13:57. > :14:00.family on Macs have got to me so I don't have a break from it, it is
:14:01. > :14:05.what I want to do. I constantly look on Facebook and at various rescue
:14:06. > :14:06.site said anything, just to see if there is a glimpse of him.
:14:07. > :14:09.Amanda's slowly coming to terms with the fact that she may
:14:10. > :14:12.never see Max again, but refuses to give up hope.
:14:13. > :14:27.Life has to go on but it doesn't have to, it doesn't ever leave you.
:14:28. > :14:33.My evenings are looking for him. I look on the Internet every night,
:14:34. > :14:34.when I'm not at work, and only closure.
:14:35. > :14:37.For Amanda, her family and all those who run his page,
:14:38. > :14:40.the greatest present they could get this Christmas is an answer
:14:41. > :14:49.Thanks for joining us on this last full BBC
:14:50. > :14:58.Coming up, we have something rather special!
:14:59. > :15:04.It's been a stormy start to the Christmas period but to cheer us up
:15:05. > :15:11.this lot will be back with a real festive treat a little bit later.
:15:12. > :15:14.We all know and love the traditional image of Christmas,
:15:15. > :15:19.snow-dusted landscapes, sparkling decorations and choirs
:15:20. > :15:23.wassailing away under star-spangled winter skies.
:15:24. > :15:29.But how did we arrive at Christmas as we know it today?
:15:30. > :15:32.Well, a Shropshire baker will be returning to TV on Christmas Day,
:15:33. > :15:34.stepping back in time to the Victorian period.
:15:35. > :15:36.Here's our Arts Reporter Satnam Rana.
:15:37. > :15:38.Making mince pies in a more modern way.
:15:39. > :15:41.John Swift is the fifth generation of bakers in his family business
:15:42. > :16:01.Come on, it is Christmas, so you are helping.
:16:02. > :16:04.So when he was asked to take part in BBC Two's programme
:16:05. > :16:06.Victorian Bakers At Xmas, it was another chance
:16:07. > :16:12.Not only are they using meat and alcohol entry also it, it was to
:16:13. > :16:17.begin with 12 days of festive, not just one day, which, to be fair, 12
:16:18. > :16:21.is better than one, isn't it? It is a lot of mince pies! It is a lot of
:16:22. > :16:21.mince pies. The show was filmed at Blists Hill
:16:22. > :16:24.Victorian Town museum in Telford. Four professional bakers
:16:25. > :16:26.create seasonal treats. Historians Alex Langlands
:16:27. > :16:30.and Annie Gray look at how customss emerged when Queen Victoria came
:16:31. > :16:34.to the thrown in 1837, into what we now see
:16:35. > :16:46.as a traditional British Christmas. The perfect Christmas will be masses
:16:47. > :16:48.of baked goods and even more alcohol.
:16:49. > :16:51.For John it's a follow on from his TV debut in January
:16:52. > :16:54.when he featured in Victorian Bakers.
:16:55. > :17:02.I'm doing public talks in talking to W eyes and doing demos and getting
:17:03. > :17:03.recognised, which is a little bit strange for a baker.
:17:04. > :17:09.So what do the paying public make of their TV star?
:17:10. > :17:11.The grandchildren are very impressed me make a point of watching the
:17:12. > :17:15.programmes swells, so it great. The show will be aired on BBC Two
:17:16. > :17:35.at 9.30pm on Christmas Day. A great accolade. Merry Christmas. I
:17:36. > :17:37.get to eat the pilot help make! Merry Christmas.
:17:38. > :17:40.Football, and West Bromwich Albion have confirmed they've made a bid
:17:41. > :17:42.of around ?13 million for the Manchester United midfielder
:17:43. > :17:45.Any deal would have to wait for the New Year.
:17:46. > :17:48.But Ian Winter has been celebrating the 12 days of Christmas
:17:49. > :17:53.Those loud and proud Stoke City fans who sing
:17:54. > :17:56.Homelessness is a big issue in Stoke on Trent,
:17:57. > :18:00.So the Potters players have been down to the YMCA
:18:01. > :18:10.to dish up a tasty lunch, and raise awareness.
:18:11. > :18:15.It's been great, there have been fantastic lads out there I'd is
:18:16. > :18:21.great to meet them. They are less fortunate position than ourselves so
:18:22. > :18:25.we come along. 11 is the potter 's current position of the Premier
:18:26. > :18:28.League, but that can they get higher after finishing ninth for the last
:18:29. > :18:31.three years. Ten if the number of different
:18:32. > :18:33.nationalities in the Port Vale squad a segment -- assembled by their
:18:34. > :18:34.Portuguese boss. Nine is the number of new managers
:18:35. > :18:36.we've seen during 2016, including two at Villa and Wolves
:18:37. > :18:40.plus one each at Birmingham, Walsall, Port Vale,
:18:41. > :18:42.Shrewsbury, and Coventry. Eight is where the Blues currently
:18:43. > :18:44.lie in the Championship. And it's also the Baggies position
:18:45. > :18:48.in the Premier League. This week, the West Brom players
:18:49. > :19:01.popped into Sandwell Hospital If we can brighten up their day
:19:02. > :19:06.little bit then it is job done for us. Some of the kids are happy to
:19:07. > :19:08.see us and we got a few presents of them as well so everyone is a
:19:09. > :19:09.winner! Seven is the remarkable number
:19:10. > :19:11.of FA Cup rounds that featured Westfields FC,
:19:12. > :19:13.the tiny non-league Their crazy Cup run began in early
:19:14. > :19:16.August against Stourport Swifts, Six points are still up for grabs
:19:17. > :19:20.in the old year before Hogmanay. It's now five home games
:19:21. > :19:23.without defeat for Aston Villa, And this week, the players delivered
:19:24. > :19:26.presents to patients Sadly these young Villa fans
:19:27. > :19:31.would love to be part of a bumper crowd on Boxing Day,
:19:32. > :19:33.but they''ll be there in spirit, hoping for another win
:19:34. > :19:41.for Brucie against Burton. We all remember how excited
:19:42. > :19:46.Christmas was. It is a special time of year to spend time with family
:19:47. > :19:49.and if you're fortunate enough to be at home, so it is nice to come and
:19:50. > :19:51.see the children in hospital and put a smile on their faces.
:19:52. > :19:53.Four clubs in League 1 are all facing a battle
:19:54. > :19:56.Three is a magic number for non-league Stourbridge.
:19:57. > :19:59.They've reached the FA Cup third round for the first time
:20:00. > :20:03.Just two Premier League Clubs still play in our patch.
:20:04. > :20:09.So the one festive wish uniting football fans across the region
:20:10. > :20:13.is that 2017 will be rather more succesful than 2016.
:20:14. > :20:25.Whoever you support, a very Merry Christmas.
:20:26. > :20:29.Did you see the state of him there? Time now for the weather.
:20:30. > :20:37.Now Rebecca, we need to talk about Barbara.
:20:38. > :20:43.Barbara did clear through very quickly today but we have felt the
:20:44. > :20:47.effects of it is days like today that we really need the Weather
:20:48. > :20:51.Watchers to help us tell the story. We had drizzle through the
:20:52. > :20:55.day-to-day and then we saw the storm clouds really gathering. Then we had
:20:56. > :21:00.heavy downpours, really heavy rain today. It wasn't long before it blew
:21:01. > :21:04.through and then we had the back of the storm. We have been left with
:21:05. > :21:09.something calm and clear about this is what it looks like. A very lively
:21:10. > :21:13.band of rain coming through from the West with strong winds on there.
:21:14. > :21:18.Gusts of up to 30 miles an hour recorded. Behind that it has started
:21:19. > :21:23.to clear and for the next few hours we could get spots of rain but it is
:21:24. > :21:27.largely clear out there. There is a chance of a touch of frost and some
:21:28. > :21:31.sheltered spots but only in sheltered spots because the breeze
:21:32. > :21:35.will keep the temperatures between two and 5 degrees. For the Christmas
:21:36. > :21:40.period we are not out of the storms yet. Barbara has cleared but storm,
:21:41. > :21:44.is coming in from the West. On Christmas Day we have a warm sector
:21:45. > :21:50.of our with very mild conditions and then we have a cold front sinking
:21:51. > :21:55.through. For Christmas day it is largely dry to start and then the
:21:56. > :21:59.showers come through. If you still have shopping to do it shouldn't be
:22:00. > :22:03.too bad. Temperatures between eight and nine, still breezy and we keep
:22:04. > :22:08.that breeze from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day and the milder air
:22:09. > :22:11.sinks over the top of us. Our night-time temperatures are the same
:22:12. > :22:17.as our daytime temperatures and on Christmas Day we wake to a cloudy
:22:18. > :22:21.day with a lot of cloud around and it is still breezy. Brighter spells
:22:22. > :22:25.and then the rain works its way down from the north. It is a cold front,
:22:26. > :22:29.introducing some refresher, so Boxing Day she sees high-pressure
:22:30. > :22:33.taking charge and we settled down and we feel a bit fresher. Finally
:22:34. > :22:35.we return to something more seasonal as we start the new working week.
:22:36. > :22:40.Have a Merry Christmas. We'll be joined shortly
:22:41. > :22:42.by the Military Wives They were formed four years
:22:43. > :22:45.ago, and now fundraise But first we caught up with them
:22:46. > :23:16.on camp in Shropshire. I am Kelly Brown my husband is in
:23:17. > :23:19.the air for Sandy has been for nearly 30 years. We watched the
:23:20. > :23:23.Gareth Malone series on TV and we were inspired and I thought we could
:23:24. > :23:35.do this here at Crossford and when I first came here it was hard to mix.
:23:36. > :23:41.I am Flying Officer and I joined the military wide squire in June 2016.
:23:42. > :23:44.Being in such a male dominated environment the opportunities to do
:23:45. > :23:48.something that is just for females was something that was completely
:23:49. > :23:52.different so there is always someone on the end of the phone or on the
:23:53. > :23:59.other side of the Internet that is available to help you and support
:24:00. > :24:02.you through things. I am Flying Officer Cathy Morton and I joined
:24:03. > :24:07.the choir in June this year when I was posted in after initial training
:24:08. > :24:10.and it was nice to meet different people and talk about things that
:24:11. > :24:15.won't work and talk about people's real lives and get a better feel for
:24:16. > :24:21.the wider air force. We have winning their group have been service wives
:24:22. > :24:24.for many years and some of them are currently serving themselves.
:24:25. > :24:27.Getting the benefit of their experience has been invaluable. We
:24:28. > :24:31.were really excited when we heard the BBC Midlands would like to come
:24:32. > :24:34.on film are singing. We have a great group of girls and a really positive
:24:35. > :24:44.atmosphere going so it is a great time to get away from work and get
:24:45. > :24:48.your music on. And Becky and I have come downstairs at the mailbox in
:24:49. > :24:52.Birmingham now because the choir I hear themselves. Thank you for
:24:53. > :24:56.coming in, it is lovely to see you. They will sing us out in a little
:24:57. > :25:00.while. First I will speak to Clare. Why is it great to be a part of this
:25:01. > :25:04.quite? The choir is just a brilliant social experience. I have made so
:25:05. > :25:07.many friends, met new people and build my confidence. It has been
:25:08. > :25:11.fabulous having somewhere to go where you just know people and they
:25:12. > :25:16.will be friendly and welcoming. In your situation you are quite often
:25:17. > :25:20.alone for long periods. Yes, a lot of the ladies have the problem of
:25:21. > :25:24.husbands going away and so having that stability and somewhere to go
:25:25. > :25:30.and people to speak to that know how you feel is just amazing. There are
:25:31. > :25:36.scores of similar choirs, aren't there? There are loads, all over the
:25:37. > :25:39.UK and further afield. Thank you very much indeed.
:25:40. > :25:43.I am with one of the longest serving members of this choir, Lynne, who
:25:44. > :25:48.has been a member for four years. What are the media to be a part of
:25:49. > :25:52.the choir? In means so much. I left the Royal Air Force in 2007 and I
:25:53. > :25:56.just felt that I have lost a lot of the support network that I would had
:25:57. > :26:00.previously said joining the choir has been so important because I have
:26:01. > :26:06.managed to make friends and I just feel I have had that support. My
:26:07. > :26:09.husband is still serving in the Royal Air Force and he goes away
:26:10. > :26:12.offered and then the girls will be around, running around for you and
:26:13. > :26:15.being the support the shoulder to cry on. It has been brilliant. You
:26:16. > :26:20.will all singers out of the programme now so all that is for us
:26:21. > :26:23.now is to say Merry Christmas. Yes, and have a happy New Year when
:26:24. > :26:27.it comes. Thank you for being with us throughout the year. It is the
:26:28. > :26:36.last fully fledged programme of the year. Have a lovely festive season.
:26:37. > :28:08.Christmas is about family. I'll have that.
:28:09. > :28:26.Let's get this Christmas party started!