:00:00. > :00:07.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines this lunchtime:
:00:08. > :00:10.Security is stepped up ahead of bank holiday events across the region.
:00:11. > :00:13.We're looking at each individual event on its own merits,
:00:14. > :00:15.and looking to put a sensible policing response, policing
:00:16. > :00:25.How Joe Clarke's Olympic gold medal is driving up participation in water
:00:26. > :00:28.He's got loads of muscles, and I want have loads
:00:29. > :00:32.I just find it a fun sport, really, I've always wanted to do it.
:00:33. > :00:37.You can get out on the water and have loads of fun.
:00:38. > :00:39.And can Wasps return from Twickenham this weekend as the rugby union
:00:40. > :00:55.Extra security is being put in place at events throughout the region this
:00:56. > :01:00.In Gloucester, where the Tall Ships Festival is expected
:01:01. > :01:02.to attract more than 100,000 visitors, armed officers will be
:01:03. > :01:07.Security measures have also been stepped up
:01:08. > :01:12.at festivals in Staffordshire, Shrewsbury and Hay on Wye.
:01:13. > :01:14.And in Birmingham, West Midlands Police say
:01:15. > :01:18.a large number of officers, specials and staff will be
:01:19. > :01:22.on hand to keep visitors to the city's Pride event safe.
:01:23. > :01:27.Well, this weekend is one of the biggest events
:01:28. > :01:35.It's Birmingham Pride - tens of thousands of people
:01:36. > :01:38.will both be here in the gay village and also around the city
:01:39. > :01:41.Let's speak to the festival director, Lawrence Barton.
:01:42. > :01:43.First of all, we all know that terrible, tragic things
:01:44. > :01:48.For you this week, has that meant changing things
:01:49. > :01:53.I think we've certainly brought into focus extra communications
:01:54. > :01:56.with West Midlands Police, and we do take a very serious
:01:57. > :02:00.approach in any case to security and policing.
:02:01. > :02:02.Months of planning goes in, and that's no different
:02:03. > :02:05.to any other year, but yes, certainly with what happened,
:02:06. > :02:07.the terrible situation that happened in Manchester on Monday,
:02:08. > :02:10.we've had extra communications, which we've brought about just
:02:11. > :02:13.to ensure that every measure is taken possible to
:02:14. > :02:17.And people are concerned, aren't they?
:02:18. > :02:20.There are worries, because people have seen what has happened.
:02:21. > :02:25.People are going to be concerned, I guess?
:02:26. > :02:30.However, there is also an appetite that has been expressed very widely
:02:31. > :02:34.now that people are going to be defiant, and they are going to come
:02:35. > :02:37.out in very large numbers to be part of something that is about bringing
:02:38. > :02:42.people together in a safe space, to celebrate 50 years
:02:43. > :02:47.since the decriminalisation of homosexuality, and of course now
:02:48. > :02:51.it has that extra poignancy, where we will be doing a minutes
:02:52. > :02:53.silence to mark respect for everybody who lost
:02:54. > :02:59.I think the one thing they are saying here,
:03:00. > :03:01.this is very much, as Lawrence was saying, a celebration,
:03:02. > :03:04.and I think people want to state that whatever happens,
:03:05. > :03:07.and whatever threats there are, they really want to be here showing
:03:08. > :03:10.that they can stand united for the people of Manchester
:03:11. > :03:17.Thousands of people are expected to attend mosques across the region
:03:18. > :03:21.today to mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
:03:22. > :03:24.In addition, a one-minute silence will be observed
:03:25. > :03:26.at the Central Mosque in Birmingham for the victims of the
:03:27. > :03:31.They will also be remembered with special prayers.
:03:32. > :03:34.Whoever did that, we consider it is the job of a devil.
:03:35. > :03:37.A human being, a kind-hearted person, can never do
:03:38. > :03:41.So whoever is behind that, we want people to wake up
:03:42. > :03:47.And a candlelit vigil has been organised in Nuneaton this
:03:48. > :03:52.Yesterday police arrested a man at gunpoint in the town as part
:03:53. > :03:57.Organisers say tonight's event at 6:30pm is not only
:03:58. > :03:59.to remember the victims, but to send the message,
:04:00. > :04:06."We won't let anyone infiltrate our peaceful town."
:04:07. > :04:09.Canoeist Joe Clarke's success at the Rio Olympics is helping
:04:10. > :04:13.to drive up the numbers of young people wanting to take up
:04:14. > :04:16.the sport at his home club of Stafford and Stone.
:04:17. > :04:20.Participation in watersports as a whole is on the rise
:04:21. > :04:23.across the UK, with 3.5 million adults taking part in boating
:04:24. > :04:29.And the fastest-growing age group was the under 35s,
:04:30. > :04:31.with one and half million regularly involved in a watersport
:04:32. > :04:39.In the Staffordshire sunshine, it's hard to think of many nicer
:04:40. > :04:43.places to spend your time than on the River Trent in Stone.
:04:44. > :04:45.These children are getting their first taste of canoe slalom,
:04:46. > :04:50.I just find it a fun sport, really, I've always wanted to do it.
:04:51. > :04:53.I've kind of chosen this one because it's just so fun to get out
:04:54. > :04:57.There's a particular reason why they've chosen Stafford
:04:58. > :05:00.and Stone Canoe Club - because last summer in Rio,
:05:01. > :05:02.Joe Clarke, who learnt to paddle here, won an inspirational
:05:03. > :05:07.I've been watching Joe Clarke, and he's inspired me,
:05:08. > :05:12.What was it about watching Joe that inspired you?
:05:13. > :05:15.How he's got loads of muscles, and I want to have loads
:05:16. > :05:19.The man himself is preparing for the European Championships
:05:20. > :05:24.He's delighted to have inspired more youngsters in his hometown.
:05:25. > :05:29.Well, hopefully we have some future champions coming
:05:30. > :05:31.through the canoe club, and I'd like to think
:05:32. > :05:34.there because of me, but we'll have to wait a few years
:05:35. > :05:38.But it's really exciting for the sport to have such
:05:39. > :05:41.an influx of people coming in after the successes of Rio.
:05:42. > :05:43.The club was inundated with applications after Joe's Rio
:05:44. > :05:45.success, so they put on first a taster session, and now
:05:46. > :05:51.Not all these kids will stay on past the end of the taster session,
:05:52. > :05:54.but the club hope that if three or four do, they can help them
:05:55. > :05:59.In fact, interest is so high they've taken on their first paid coach.
:06:00. > :06:02.If these children want more proof of what can be achieved,
:06:03. > :06:04.they just have to look further along the river.
:06:05. > :06:06.16-year-old Sam Maingay has just made the British junior
:06:07. > :06:11.The future looks bright for him and the club.
:06:12. > :06:15.Nick Clitheroe, BBC Midlands Today, Stone.
:06:16. > :06:18.And staying on the theme of sport success, Wasps head to Twickenham
:06:19. > :06:23.this weekend aiming to become rugby union champions of England.
:06:24. > :06:25.They'll play Exeter in the Premiership final
:06:26. > :06:36.But with two minutes left, Josh Bassett crashed over, and Wasps
:06:37. > :06:40.were through to their first final in nine years.
:06:41. > :06:42.There's a lesson to be learned from the semi-final
:06:43. > :06:46.Never leave early when it comes to our matches!
:06:47. > :06:50.I think we've probably won two or three matches in the last couple
:06:51. > :06:53.of plays of the game, so where a team that
:06:54. > :06:55.of plays of the game, so we're a team that
:06:56. > :06:57.really back our bench and back our physical performance.
:06:58. > :07:00.We know we have the fitness to keep performing for 85, 90 minutes,
:07:01. > :07:03.Wasps finished top of the Premiership league table.
:07:04. > :07:06.Tomorrow they'll play Exeter, who finished second.
:07:07. > :07:10.They were also runners-up at Twickenham last year.
:07:11. > :07:18.They talk about how that was a good learning experience for them,
:07:19. > :07:21.and they are better team for that, we understand the challenge.
:07:22. > :07:25.There are a great side, they're on a good run of form,
:07:26. > :07:27.but where not on a bad run of form ourselves, either.
:07:28. > :07:30.That's good news for the likes of the Draper family.
:07:31. > :07:32.They went along to Wasps' first match in Coventry two
:07:33. > :07:35.Now they're all season ticket holders, and they
:07:36. > :07:38.They came out extremely fired up on Saturday.
:07:39. > :07:42.If they come out with that attitude, I think they've got every chance,
:07:43. > :07:44.and I think it's as much about mindset as it is about
:07:45. > :07:52.They must have a lot of belief, though.
:07:53. > :07:55.Sadly for Wasps, their biggest star, Kurtley Beale, is injured.
:07:56. > :07:56.They'll have to tame Twickenham without him.
:07:57. > :07:59.Dan Pallett, BBC Midlands Today, Coventry.
:08:00. > :08:03.It's due to be the hottest day of the year so far today.
:08:04. > :08:05.Here's what the view was like yesterday from the Wrekin,
:08:06. > :08:09.But what does the Bank holiday have in store for us?
:08:10. > :08:24.Temperature is doing very well, we have just ticked over 227 Celsius in
:08:25. > :08:27.Pershore, the third hottest spot in the country, and it will continue to
:08:28. > :08:31.rise through today. Plenty of sunshine out there, not a cloud in
:08:32. > :08:35.the sky, a glorious afternoon, southerly breeze but temperatures
:08:36. > :08:38.should do better than we see, we might get 30 somewhere. Keeping the
:08:39. > :08:44.clear skies through tonight but then the cloud thickens as we have rain
:08:45. > :08:55.arriving. Temperatures 15-18dC, and muggy night, but this weather system
:08:56. > :08:57.will work through tomorrow, and if you can believe it we have a Met
:08:58. > :09:00.Office yellow warning in place for the bank holiday weekend, heavy
:09:01. > :09:02.downpours to come. Through the morning tomorrow 20-30 millimetres
:09:03. > :09:06.but behind that dry, bright, fresh conditions, temperatures down a
:09:07. > :09:09.little on today. Into Sunday we will keep the dry conditions, more
:09:10. > :09:13.showers to come for bank holiday Monday, and some of them could be
:09:14. > :09:15.quite lively. So mixed picture over the weekend.
:09:16. > :09:18.That's all from us for now, but later in Midlands Today,
:09:19. > :09:20.we'll be in Warwickshire, where last year, hundreds
:09:21. > :09:22.of schoolchildren missed out on beating a Guinness World Record.
:09:23. > :09:24.There's going to be another attempt today.
:09:25. > :09:27.So join Nick Owen here on BBC One at 6:30pm.