:00:00. > :00:08.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight -
:00:09. > :00:11.Jail for the gang who used pushbikes to carry out multi-million pound
:00:12. > :00:14.burglaries on jewellery shops across the country.
:00:15. > :00:17.The gang of seven left traps so the police couldn't follow them.
:00:18. > :00:29.The moment a man surrendered on a Birmingham City bank.
:00:30. > :00:32.How Birmingham's best known landmarks, including
:00:33. > :00:34.Spaghetti Junction, owe so much to the sweat and toil
:00:35. > :00:38.We've had the Gold Cup, now it's rather more sedate
:00:39. > :00:40.as the world's finest shire horses get together this weekend
:00:41. > :00:43.And there are plenty of signs of spring out there.
:00:44. > :00:46.The weather isn't exactly on form, but there will be some
:00:47. > :00:58.sunshine this weekend. I'll have a full forecast later.
:00:59. > :01:04.A gang of men who stole more than ?3 million worth of jewellery
:01:05. > :01:06.from shops right across Britain have today been jailed for
:01:07. > :01:11.The men were recruited for their fitness -
:01:12. > :01:14.they cycled to raids to avoid their cars being picked up
:01:15. > :01:18.on number plate recognition systems and left traps so that the police
:01:19. > :01:24.Today that all came to an end. Lindsay Doyle was in court.
:01:25. > :01:26.A high-end jewellers in Stoke-on-Trent, a burglary
:01:27. > :01:33.Just one carried out by a highly organised gang working together.
:01:34. > :01:36.Seven men were part of a group, all from Romania, which carried out
:01:37. > :01:40.11 burglaries at jewellers across the country.
:01:41. > :01:44.Burglaries which netted the gang more than ?3 million.
:01:45. > :01:47.That level of criminality, how highly organised,
:01:48. > :01:51.the military precision they had, they actually executed
:01:52. > :01:53.the sophistication and planning around it, clearly not accepted
:01:54. > :01:59.It was in March of last year in the early hours of the morning
:02:00. > :02:01.that the gang set their sights on Beaverbrooks, at the Pottery
:02:02. > :02:07.In what became their signature, they started a fire in the entrance
:02:08. > :02:10.of the centre before smashing their way into the
:02:11. > :02:16.Stealing watches and rings worth ?400,000.
:02:17. > :02:19.The gang members were recruited on the basis that they were young
:02:20. > :02:22.and fit, spending less than two minutes in each shop,
:02:23. > :02:25.making their getaway on bicycles to avoid automatic
:02:26. > :02:33.We saw some stuff there we'd never seen before,
:02:34. > :02:35.so fires being lit outside the shopping centre,
:02:36. > :02:41.As we then started looking into it a bit more across the country
:02:42. > :02:49.to see that actually, it was a real big trend
:02:50. > :02:52.of a number of offences, where this approach,
:02:53. > :02:54.precision, planning, had taken place.
:02:55. > :02:56.Burglaries were carried out in numerous towns and cities.
:02:57. > :02:59.Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, Milton Keynes
:03:00. > :03:07.In some cases, industrial cable and chains were tied
:03:08. > :03:09.across the roads, they believed police would use to follow them.
:03:10. > :03:15.Sentencing Judge Glenn said the conspiracy was wide-ranging
:03:16. > :03:17.and involving a significant number of individuals, some of whom have
:03:18. > :03:19.not been brought to court. The offences, he said,
:03:20. > :03:23.involved planning and organisation approaching military precision.
:03:24. > :03:26.Judge Glenn also recommended the men be deported, saying, frankly,
:03:27. > :03:29.this country has more than enough criminals of its own.
:03:30. > :03:37.A final member of the gang will be sentenced at the end of the month.
:03:38. > :03:40.A bank worker was held hostage in what looked like an armed raid
:03:41. > :03:45.Her colleagues hid in a back room, as armed police and negotiators
:03:46. > :03:50.Our reporter Joanne Writtle is outside Natwest Bank
:03:51. > :03:59.Joanne, I gather an arrest has been made?
:04:00. > :04:06.Yes, a man was arrested earlier this afternoon on suspicion of holding
:04:07. > :04:12.that woman bank worker at gunpoint. He was taken off to hospital to be
:04:13. > :04:15.assessed but he is expected to be questioned on suspicion of firearms
:04:16. > :04:18.offences later. This raid took place earlier this afternoon.
:04:19. > :04:21.This is the moment a man surrendered after an armed raid at a bank
:04:22. > :04:27.Filmed on a mobile phone by a member of the public as the dramatic
:04:28. > :04:31.events came to a close. He was then led away by police.
:04:32. > :04:34.The area surrounding the bank had been cordoned off by police,
:04:35. > :04:39.following reports that a female bank worker was being held at gunpoint.
:04:40. > :04:43.Armed police and negotiators made telephone contact with other bank
:04:44. > :04:47.workers who were hiding in a back room.
:04:48. > :04:50.Shopkeepers nearby were told to close their shutters
:04:51. > :04:57.Scary, to be honest, but the police were very reassuring
:04:58. > :04:59.which was good and they kept everybody where they needed to be
:05:00. > :05:02.so that was quite good. But obviously, we had the shutters
:05:03. > :05:04.down, that was the best we could do, really.
:05:05. > :05:07.Estate agency staff opposite the bank said they were shocked.
:05:08. > :05:13.They were obviously making sure it was safe etc over there,
:05:14. > :05:16.but there were various armed vehicles going into
:05:17. > :05:20.the cornered off area. And at that point, they managed
:05:21. > :05:23.to talk the guy out of it, I'm assuming.
:05:24. > :05:32.It was a little bit concerning, obviously, a bit scary,
:05:33. > :05:34.but we were safely tucked away in there.
:05:35. > :05:38.Police say the motive is currently unclear but it does not appear to be
:05:39. > :05:44.an attempted robbery. No one was hurt in the raid.
:05:45. > :05:51.What's the latest there this evening?
:05:52. > :05:58.A-League tonight, forensic officers still working inside the bank but
:05:59. > :06:03.meanwhile, police have praised the bank staff for acting so calmly in
:06:04. > :06:07.what they say was undoubtedly a very scary situation. They said
:06:08. > :06:11.thankfully they manage to bring it all to an end quickly and it's
:06:12. > :06:16.understood the man pulled a gun from a bag but he didn't make any threats
:06:17. > :06:21.or any demands for cash. NatWest bank has said little but said they
:06:22. > :06:22.are working closely with the police and thankfully, no customers were
:06:23. > :06:24.caught up in raid. 19 officers and staff
:06:25. > :06:27.at West Midlands Police are to be investigated for misconduct
:06:28. > :06:31.following the murder of a woman in Birmingham.
:06:32. > :06:33.Jacqueline Oakes was killed by her ex-partner
:06:34. > :06:37.Marcus Musgrove in January 2014. The Independent Police Complaints
:06:38. > :06:39.Commission has been looking into how officers handled offences committed
:06:40. > :06:42.by her killer in the nine months The IPCC says there's
:06:43. > :06:48.also a case to answer for gross misconduct for one,
:06:49. > :06:53.now retired officer. Doctors had to pause operations
:06:54. > :06:57.at the George Eliot hospital in Warwickshire today
:06:58. > :07:00.because of a power cut. The lights went out in A,
:07:01. > :07:04.radiology and on a number of wards for around an hour.
:07:05. > :07:08.Patients being driven to the hospital by ambulance were
:07:09. > :07:12.diverted to Leicester and Coventry. Extending the tram service
:07:13. > :07:17.into the heart of Birmingham's shopping centre has increased
:07:18. > :07:20.the numbers using it by a third. 6.6 million people
:07:21. > :07:23.use the tram service. Following its expansion,
:07:24. > :07:27.it now runs from Wolverhampton to the back of New Street station.
:07:28. > :07:31.Latest predictions show the number of passengers could top
:07:32. > :07:36.the 7 million mark by May. The Conservative candidate
:07:37. > :07:41.for West Midlands Mayor Andy Street officially launched his campaign
:07:42. > :07:44.today. Mr Street, who grew up in Birmingham
:07:45. > :07:47.and resigned from his job as Chief Executive of John Lewis
:07:48. > :07:50.to run, is promising a focus on jobs, training
:07:51. > :07:53.and sorting out congestion. Elizabeth Glinka was at the launch
:07:54. > :07:56.this morning and joins me now. So this is a first stab at politics
:07:57. > :07:59.for the Conservative candidate? The former John Lewis boss
:08:00. > :08:05.is hoping this campaign will result in him being elected
:08:06. > :08:08.as West Midlands Mayor on May 4th. His campaign launch was held
:08:09. > :08:11.in Birmingham this morning, and it was a pretty busy event,
:08:12. > :08:14.lots of supporters there and this is a little taster
:08:15. > :08:18.of his pitch for the job - a job he says is about someone
:08:19. > :08:23.finally "getting a grip" in a region that in the past has lagged behind
:08:24. > :08:27.London and even the north west. Here it is.
:08:28. > :08:30.I'm calling it the renewal plan and what it's all about is restoring
:08:31. > :08:33.the leadership of this region. Key parts of it are around
:08:34. > :08:35.transport, jobs, housing and actually, all coming together
:08:36. > :08:39.to make this a place This is his rather weighty manifesto
:08:40. > :08:48.- all 45 pages of it, covering all kinds of detail
:08:49. > :08:51.including tackling homelessness, investing in the arts and sport even
:08:52. > :08:54.re-introducing the Birmingham Anyone around in the 80s
:08:55. > :09:00.will remember that race around The suggestion now is that we might
:09:01. > :09:06.have electric racing, reflecting the aspiration that this
:09:07. > :09:09.region will lead the way So let's have a closer look
:09:10. > :09:15.at some of the headlines - Training and skills -
:09:16. > :09:18.Mr Street says that by 2020 - he wants zero youth unemployment
:09:19. > :09:21.and those that aren't in work He wants an economy growing faster
:09:22. > :09:28.than any other region - he'll act as an international
:09:29. > :09:31.ambassador to attract investment. And he says he wants
:09:32. > :09:35.to solve the problem of congestion on our roads -
:09:36. > :09:38.he's talking new trams, re-opening train lines,
:09:39. > :09:41.and supporting cycling. All impressive stuff,
:09:42. > :09:44.but I put it to him that some of these lofty goals
:09:45. > :09:47.were going to be pretty I will never apologise
:09:48. > :09:53.for being ambitious but it's also realistic and practical.
:09:54. > :09:56.If you look at youth unemployment, it's already fallen by 50% over
:09:57. > :09:59.the last four years. You are the Conservative candidate,
:10:00. > :10:05.we have a Conservative government. If it comes to it, are you going
:10:06. > :10:08.to be prepared to stand up to that government?
:10:09. > :10:10.Categorically, yes. I am the Conservative candidate,
:10:11. > :10:12.I'm proud to be that, but my first loyalty is to the West
:10:13. > :10:14.Midlands. It must be.
:10:15. > :10:17.So I'll be banging on the door of Downing Street and saying,
:10:18. > :10:20.this is what we need. Well, it's a big document and there
:10:21. > :10:24.are lots of promises in here, Mr Street like the other candidates
:10:25. > :10:27.now has just under seven weeks to convince voters he's
:10:28. > :10:47.the man for the job. Interesting to hear talk of the
:10:48. > :10:48.Birmingham Superprix. It was on live television I seem to remember and
:10:49. > :10:50.the streets were packed. Thanks for joining us
:10:51. > :10:53.on Midlands Today, this is our top story tonight -
:10:54. > :10:56.a gang who used pushbikes to carry out multimillion pound
:10:57. > :10:57.burglaries on jewellery shops It's the start of the weekend,
:10:58. > :11:03.but how's the weather looking? Rebecca will be here
:11:04. > :11:05.shortly with the forecast. Also in tonight's programme -
:11:06. > :11:07.a record week for Cheltenham, as a nail-biting Gold Cup brings
:11:08. > :11:10.the Festival to a thrilling climax. And we find out how the sweat
:11:11. > :11:13.and toil of hardworking Irishmen built most of Birmingham's
:11:14. > :11:18.best known landmarks. If you have a story you think
:11:19. > :11:21.we should be covering on Midlands Today, we'd
:11:22. > :11:27.like to hear from you. You can send an email
:11:28. > :11:29.to Midlands Today at bbc.co.uk. We are also on Facebook
:11:30. > :11:38.or you can tweet us - @bbcmtd. A mother and daughter
:11:39. > :11:42.from North Staffordshire want to encourage other families
:11:43. > :11:45.to become live kidney donors. Mum Janet Matthews says her daughter
:11:46. > :11:48.Jenny has given her a "new life" The West Midlands has some
:11:49. > :11:53.of the highest waiting lists in the country,
:11:54. > :11:56.yet in the last year the number of live donors coming forward
:11:57. > :11:59.at the Royal Stoke University hospital, where Janet
:12:00. > :12:02.was treated, has almost halved. Laura May McMullan has
:12:03. > :12:06.been to meet them. A mother and daughter
:12:07. > :12:10.bond, now even closer. Jenny donated her kidney
:12:11. > :12:15.to her mum nine months ago. It has been life-changing for me
:12:16. > :12:19.because I was ready at the point I was becoming very tired,
:12:20. > :12:27.my days were simply work and sleep. Janet was diagnosed with polycystic
:12:28. > :12:30.kidney disease and after eight years When Maisie was born,
:12:31. > :12:40.I mean she's five next month. She couldn't do much with her,
:12:41. > :12:45.playing or taking her to the park. Janet is one of over 400 kidney
:12:46. > :12:50.transplant patients at the Royal Stoke University Hospital
:12:51. > :12:55.and there are currently 91 In the last year there's
:12:56. > :13:01.been nine live donors, When someone's waiting
:13:02. > :13:07.on the national list for a deceased donor they could be potentially
:13:08. > :13:11.waiting quite some time. We have had somebody who's waited
:13:12. > :13:23.nearly 30 years for a transplant, Boon across the West Midlands,
:13:24. > :13:28.kidney patients face of the longest waiting lists in the country. The
:13:29. > :13:33.number of people on dialysis is increasing by around 5% a year.
:13:34. > :13:36.That's why Janet and Jenny want to raise awareness and fundraise
:13:37. > :13:44.It does take about three to six months to go through all the tests
:13:45. > :13:48.but then the change in all your lives is just unbelievable.
:13:49. > :13:51.They're going to run and walk the Potteries half marathon in June,
:13:52. > :14:09.They say what a difference a year makes.
:14:10. > :14:15.You can see from the emotional response from Jenny in that report
:14:16. > :14:19.just how much a chance of a better life means to her and her mum.
:14:20. > :14:21.And if you want more information on kidney
:14:22. > :14:23.donation, then you can look at the British Kidney
:14:24. > :14:26.Patient Association website for help and advice.
:14:27. > :14:29.All the excitement of the Gold Cup on St Patrick's Day in a moment,
:14:30. > :14:33.but, first, all this week, the police have been cracking
:14:34. > :14:37.There've been complaints that they're not only
:14:38. > :14:39.charging over the odds, but some tickets are fakes.
:14:40. > :14:42.Here's our Gloucestershire reporter, Steve Knibbs.
:14:43. > :14:45.For the first time, people suspected of ticket touting in Cheltenham
:14:46. > :14:47.are being targeted by police and licensing teams.
:14:48. > :14:50.He did not have a certificate which is obviously an offence
:14:51. > :14:52.and as a result, we've seized one ticket from him.
:14:53. > :14:55.We've seized that as the police and we've passed his details
:14:56. > :14:58.on to the borough Council to make a decision, whether he's prosecuted.
:14:59. > :15:01.That ticket's for you, is it? Yes, I just bought it.
:15:02. > :15:04.The teams say, if you haven't got a ticket for the races,
:15:05. > :15:06.getting one on the street isn't a problem.
:15:07. > :15:09.Tickets! Anyone want tickets?
:15:10. > :15:15.We saw plenty of people offering tickets and selling,
:15:16. > :15:18.something which is legal, but you do need a licence.
:15:19. > :15:21.If you want to sell anything on the street, whether that be
:15:22. > :15:24.tickets or anything, you need a street trading licence.
:15:25. > :15:27.And from the work we've done this week, we know that the majority
:15:28. > :15:30.of the touts out there don't have a street trading licence
:15:31. > :15:32.or a pedlar's certificate from their police authority to sell,
:15:33. > :15:34.so the majority of them are selling illegally.
:15:35. > :15:37.This man near the racecourse admitted selling tickets
:15:38. > :15:42.If you fail to have a pedlar's certificate,
:15:43. > :15:47.Officials at the racecourse say complaints about ticket touts
:15:48. > :15:50.are high on the list and the problem is often overpriced fake tickets,
:15:51. > :15:53.and the time has come to do something about it.
:15:54. > :15:56.We want our racegoers to come here and have an enjoyable time,
:15:57. > :15:58.not to be pestered, having the nuisance and sometimes pretty
:15:59. > :16:06.Not surprisingly, nobody suspected of touting that we spoke to wanted
:16:07. > :16:09.to be interviewed on camera. Although one man did tell me
:16:10. > :16:12.he was upset that his honest trade was being targeted.
:16:13. > :16:14.But others were legitimate, like this man who had
:16:15. > :16:19.But as the crackdown has gone on this week,
:16:20. > :16:21.many of those suspected of being ticket touts
:16:22. > :16:26.They've adapted, they've seen us out on the streets,
:16:27. > :16:29.we've spoken to them, given them the warnings
:16:30. > :16:32.they require and they've had information and paperwork.
:16:33. > :16:35.But they are still out there and no doubt they are still selling.
:16:36. > :16:38.This year was a soft approach - a warning to the touts -
:16:39. > :16:40.but the racecourse says, eventually, they want to try
:16:41. > :16:51.It's been another afternoon of celebration for the Irish
:16:52. > :16:54.on St Patrick's Day at the Cheltenham Festival.
:16:55. > :16:58.The Gold Cup was won by Sizing John, which is trained in Ireland,
:16:59. > :17:00.to the delight of the thousands of fans who've travelled
:17:01. > :17:04.Ian Winter has spent the day with them.
:17:05. > :17:07.So many hurdles to be overcome, seven winners to be caught
:17:08. > :17:10.on camera, thousands of pints of the dark stuff
:17:11. > :17:16.First thing on Gold Cup morning and Prestbury Park
:17:17. > :17:21.First race, 1.30pm, first gallop through the gates three hours
:17:22. > :17:24.earlier and it is the punters in pole position.
:17:25. > :17:27.30% of them from across the Irish Sea.
:17:28. > :17:30.According to a study at the University of Gloucester,
:17:31. > :17:33.Irish visitors will spend a whopping ?20 million here in Cheltenham this
:17:34. > :17:37.week and if an Irish horse wins the Gold Cup this afternoon,
:17:38. > :17:40.they will be going home with a few quid in their pocket as well.
:17:41. > :17:44.This man would be a popular winner in Ireland and England.
:17:45. > :17:48.Jonjo O'Neill was only 19 when he first came here in 1972.
:17:49. > :17:52.He has won the Gold Cup as a jockey with Dawn Run,
:17:53. > :17:58.Based in Gloucestershire he has got two runners in the day's big race.
:17:59. > :18:02.How would you describe the excitement you feel on Gold Cup day?
:18:03. > :18:06.I am shivering in my boots. I don't know if it is cold,
:18:07. > :18:10.excitement or nerves but it is great to be here.
:18:11. > :18:13.To have proper runners in the Gold Cup, that is
:18:14. > :18:15.what everybody wants. I'm very lucky to have those horses.
:18:16. > :18:19.The opening race produced a popular winner.
:18:20. > :18:22.The champion jockey Richard Johnson from Herefordshire taking the five
:18:23. > :18:25.hurdle on the 5-2 favourite Defi Du Seuil.
:18:26. > :18:29.Was that a good omen perhaps for the Gold Cup ahead?
:18:30. > :18:31.The racecourse was teeming with people and the Guinness Village
:18:32. > :18:34.was overflowing with thirsty punters.
:18:35. > :18:38.There's always an excellent buzz in the air here,
:18:39. > :18:40.when a Gold Cup day coincides with St Patrick's Day.
:18:41. > :18:43.The hat says it all, everyone's in a good environment,
:18:44. > :18:48.Everyone's just looking forward to a good day.
:18:49. > :18:50.What do you make of it all? The atmosphere?
:18:51. > :18:52.It's electric. I can't get over it.
:18:53. > :18:55.It's just a brilliant day, I'm loving it.
:18:56. > :18:58.No wonder Clodagh was smiling, as the Irish capped a memorable week
:18:59. > :19:01.with victory in the Blue Riband event, Sizing John at 7-1
:19:02. > :19:04.surged into the lead with perfect timing to leave
:19:05. > :19:07.Jonjo O'Neill's Minella Rocco in second place and Richard Johnson's
:19:08. > :19:13.Now, the Irish will head home, hoping they can prevent England
:19:14. > :19:17.from winning back-to-back Grand Slams at Dublin tomorrow.
:19:18. > :19:21.And the new statue of Sir AP McCoy will stand guard until the Gold Cup
:19:22. > :19:37.Now if the galloping glamour of Cheltenham has left you needing
:19:38. > :19:39.something a little more sedate - look no further than
:19:40. > :19:44.The County showground is hosting 250 of the world's
:19:45. > :19:46.finest shire horses - for the breed's most
:19:47. > :19:52.We sent Ben Godfrey to see what's in store.
:19:53. > :19:56.And no end of pressure for competitors in what's considered
:19:57. > :19:59.the world's premier Shire Horse competition -
:20:00. > :20:05.It's really serious business, this, because to get a horse ready
:20:06. > :20:08.in terms of feed and grooming for a competition like this, it can
:20:09. > :20:11.cost as much as ?2,000 a horse. This is the Concours D'Elegance,
:20:12. > :20:14.it's the height of glamour for these most elegant of animals.
:20:15. > :20:17.It is, I'm told, most definitely not fancy dress.
:20:18. > :20:20.Earning her winner's rosette, the Dutch competitor Antoinette.
:20:21. > :20:24.The way the English can organise a show like this, we don't have
:20:25. > :20:28.that at home in Holland. The travel is really long,
:20:29. > :20:31.it's about a 14-hour drive to Calais-Dover.
:20:32. > :20:37.We came on Tuesday night and we had a day and a half to recover.
:20:38. > :20:42.It's an international field but the judges are closer to home.
:20:43. > :20:47.Ow! He bit me!
:20:48. > :20:51.Chris Malkin will be sharpening his judging teeth
:20:52. > :20:55.after breeding champion shires for decades in Market Drayton.
:20:56. > :20:59.They've got to catch my eye when they come in.
:21:00. > :21:02.I need to see a nice level back. I don't like to see
:21:03. > :21:05.a dip-backed horse. Their legs need to be straight.
:21:06. > :21:09.The front especially. A good, broad chest.
:21:10. > :21:12.In the females, they've got to look like a female,
:21:13. > :21:15.they've not to look like... A man, if you like.
:21:16. > :21:22.This isn't just a showcase of stallions but a plea for public
:21:23. > :21:25.support for the plight of an endangered animal.
:21:26. > :21:28.Since the Great War, there has been a decline
:21:29. > :21:31.in the shire horse and the use of the shire horse due
:21:32. > :21:36.You look at your big arable farms these days,
:21:37. > :21:38.they've got big tractors, they don't use the
:21:39. > :21:45.So for us, roughly, around 300 foals are registered each year so for us,
:21:46. > :21:47.we are still very much a breed at risk.
:21:48. > :21:50.More than 250 horses will compete this weekend -
:21:51. > :21:53.the Spring Show will return to the County Showground next year.
:21:54. > :21:59.Ben Godfrey, BBC Midlands Today, Stafford.
:22:00. > :22:03.It's the busiest road junction in Europe -
:22:04. > :22:06.25 million vehicles cross over it each year.
:22:07. > :22:09.When it was built, back in the 70s, the complicated network earned
:22:10. > :22:12.the nickname "Spaghetti Junction". 14 roads on five different levels
:22:13. > :22:16.spread over 30 acres. But what of the people who built it?
:22:17. > :22:20.Ben Sidwell's been looking at the dogged teams of Irishmen
:22:21. > :22:23.who worked night and day to create a much maligned wonder
:22:24. > :22:53.In the 1960s and '70s, the Irish helped to build Birmingham.
:22:54. > :22:56.From the Rotunda, to the Bull Ring, to Spaghetti Junction,
:22:57. > :23:03.one of the most complex road systems anywhere in Europe.
:23:04. > :23:10.They had very little skill, they had a hammer and a saw and that was it.
:23:11. > :23:14.But they were told what to do and shown and they did it. And as you
:23:15. > :23:16.can see, they did it very well. Michael Geraghty and Larry Toal
:23:17. > :23:19.were just two of the thousands of young Irish immigrant labourers
:23:20. > :23:29.who came to Birmingham It was all right, there wasn't much
:23:30. > :23:37.money but it was all right. It was good to go to work. You have to
:23:38. > :23:43.crack and I lived in one room. -- you had the crack. I had a teapot
:23:44. > :23:45.and a kettle and a pan and a gas ring.
:23:46. > :23:47.Chronicling the contribution made to the city by Irish
:23:48. > :23:50.construction workers, "We Built This City"
:23:51. > :23:53.is a new exhibition which has just opened at Birmingham Museum Art
:23:54. > :24:03.The call was put out in Ireland for construction workers, nurses, for
:24:04. > :24:05.ladies to work in the factories. So they come over and that's why they
:24:06. > :24:07.left Ireland to come to the city. Of course the workers
:24:08. > :24:10.needed somewhere to stay, which is where Maureen Munnelly's
:24:11. > :24:12.mother comes in. She ran lodgings, with five beds
:24:13. > :24:14.at the family house. With demand high, it often meant
:24:15. > :24:26.more labourers than places to sleep. People were quite happy to share a
:24:27. > :24:31.bed. My mum just went along with it. And that's how it was. The night
:24:32. > :24:35.shift workers would come home and get into the beds that the dayshift
:24:36. > :24:40.workers had left. 45 years on, more than two billion
:24:41. > :24:45.people have used Spaghetti Junction. They and the second city have a lot
:24:46. > :25:03.to thank Irish workers That's fascinating. If you want to
:25:04. > :25:08.go and see the exhibition, it's called We Built This City and it's
:25:09. > :25:15.on at Birmingham museum and art gallery until May 28. My daffodils
:25:16. > :25:18.are right in all their glory, reaching towards the sun but looking
:25:19. > :25:25.a bit anxious as I left this morning.
:25:26. > :25:31.There is something for everybody in this weather forecast so stay tuned.
:25:32. > :25:36.Temperatures fell to two Celsius in Brighton so it was a chilly start.
:25:37. > :25:39.We've had lots of cloud, we did start to see the sun breaking
:25:40. > :25:44.through that at times and this is how we started with that blanket of
:25:45. > :25:48.cloud. We started to pack its way in from the north and west and where
:25:49. > :25:53.it's being thickest this afternoon, we've seen some rain. It's been
:25:54. > :25:57.quite heavy at times, particularly across Staffordshire but it's been
:25:58. > :26:01.Gray and pretty much the end that -- to end the day. We will keep that
:26:02. > :26:10.pattern of cloud, there will be rain at times and it will be quite
:26:11. > :26:14.breezy. It will stay fairly mild. Still we have some rain pushing its
:26:15. > :26:17.way across the north and west on the region. Elsewhere, largely cloudy
:26:18. > :26:25.skies and breezy. A mild night compared to last night. We start
:26:26. > :26:29.tomorrow work on a cloudy note, this waving weather front which will come
:26:30. > :26:32.and go tomorrow. Thickening up the cloud at times, bringing in some
:26:33. > :26:36.rain and it's a messy picture through the weekend. The rain will
:26:37. > :26:40.push in across the north and west of the region, breaking down over the
:26:41. > :26:44.Welsh mountains so it should make many inroads but we will see it
:26:45. > :26:47.through the afternoon encroaching. Hot on the heels of Cheltenham, it's
:26:48. > :26:55.the Midlands Grand National is tomorrow. Looking rather cloudy
:26:56. > :27:00.around 3:30pm. They could be rain as well. It filters eastwards through
:27:01. > :27:09.the day. Lots of cloud overnight into Sunday. It's staying mild
:27:10. > :27:14.overnight. Sunday, we reset, similar to Saturday, we should largely keep
:27:15. > :27:17.the rain at bay. Lots of cloud around, still breezy and temperature
:27:18. > :27:21.still in double figures. Next week, we see them taking a tumble. Not
:27:22. > :27:25.great news for your daffodils! Join us again on Monday when we'll
:27:26. > :27:28.be in Herefordshire on the set of a new film version
:27:29. > :27:31.of Emily Bronte's classic The film's partly been shot
:27:32. > :27:36.in the village of Kilpeck and stars Herefordshire actress
:27:37. > :27:38.Sha'ori Morris as Cathy. A host of Midlands extras
:27:39. > :27:40.also make up the cast. I'll be back at 10.25pm
:27:41. > :27:44.with our late update. Have a good evening
:27:45. > :27:46.and a wild weekend. It was the most beautiful view
:27:47. > :27:55.I've ever been through. For one second, I was swimming on my
:27:56. > :28:01.back, and I was looking to the sky. I was swimming across
:28:02. > :28:07.the Aegean Sea. I was a refugee,
:28:08. > :28:21.going from Syria to Germany. This is my life, my career!
:28:22. > :28:22.I did not frame him. This is my life, my career!
:28:23. > :28:28.I did not frame him.