25/11/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening and welcome to North West Tonight, to what is our very

last programme from the BBC's headquarters here in Manchester.

Although the last three decades thousands of hours of programmes

have been made in this very building, from Red Dwarf, Question

of Sport, Mastermind, BBC Philharmonic... It has all been

based here and it is our privilege, I sat on her tonight to bring the

curtain down finally on 36 years of television and radio broadcasting

from Oxford Road. Also tonight.

Police ask for criminals help to catch robbers who critically

injured an elderly woman after stealing a bag which held her

husband's ashes. The couple whose twin died after

months of cruelty and abuse. An inquiry rules it was a bizarre

crime which could not have been prevented.

Repairs are after way after a power surge damages hundreds of Homs. But

the row over who should pay goes on. And the world first -- the world's

seat first seaplane to call from Windermere 100 years ago today. --

the world's first seaplane. As we are all in a nostalgic mood

on the programme tonight, gate -- Dave Guest is out or in the yard

having his own life on Mars moment. Yes, this fine old lady back in the

days when this building was shiny and new in the 1970s, could be seen

trundling in and out of this yard on her way to exciting assignment.

More later, and we will be looking at some of the big stories we have

covered from here all the the past three decades.

First tonight, police in Oldham are tonight hunting two robbers who

attacked an elderly woman leaving her critically injured. The woman

who has not been named is thought to have fought hard to save her bag

because it contained a husband's ashes. She had been carrying them

with power for 17 years. Detectives are appealing to the town's

criminal community to help find the culprits and retrieve the back.

There has been a lot of police activity here today with extra

police officers trying to reassure residents, many of them elderly,

after this attack on a 79-year-old woman. It was here at a day centre

for the elderly that police were called yesterday when the victim

was found with head injuries in an alleyway close by. Thieves had

stolen her handbag inside a couple of hundred pounds. But also, a

velvet bag containing her dead husband's ashes which she had been

carrying a run for 17 years. A shoulder strap was recovered, but

police say what was inside the bag was the reason why she put up a

struggle. The appeal is to say to people in the wider community and

criminal fraternity, if you know who has done this, somebody has not

just taken somebody's handbag, they have left her for dead and taken

the ashes of her husband. You really need, I am appealing to you

better nature to come forward and give us that information for.

The victim was taken by to the Royal Oldham Hospital where her

condition has been described as critical. Two teenagers were seen

running away and police are discovering -- study CCTV footage.

Police emphasise that incidents like this are rare, but they are

hoping that the public can help catch those responsible.

A serious case review carried out into the death of the twin baby

whose parents were jailed for child cruelty last month has concluded

that the injuries and the death of the baby girl could not have been

prevented by any professional in contact with the family.

It is believed that Mohammed and Nafisa Karolia swapped the identity

of the baby with her twin sister in a bid to cover of her injuries

before her death. The review did say however that more could have

been done to support the baby's mother as a teenager. Our health

correspondent Laura Yates is here. This report examined the role of

the professionals in Child H's short life. She was not known to

social services but they looked at her health visitor, GP and hospital

fit -- health. No one it concluded could have spotted her injuries or

prevented that death, but it is acknowledged there are lessons to

be learned from this most unusual case.

For weeks, even months, Child H -- Mohammed and Nafisa Karolia abused

one of have their baby girls. She had broken bones, in her arms and

ribs, and her skull was damaged. But the report concluded nothing

could have been done. There is nothing we have been able

to find that might have enabled people to act differently. And we

are just so sorry about this case, because it is so unusual and so

tragic. And was so hard to predict. When that twins were born, one was

much smaller and lead in neonatal care.

It was separated from its bigger and healthier twin, Child H, and it

was that they be the couple rejected an abuse. Just why is

unknown. Health visitors saw there twins together, but it is believed

that when they got older, their parents told visitors they were

seeing one child when it was the other. In due to -- in June 2009

Child H was taken to hospital with breathing problems and died of

Concorde pneumonia. It was then her injuries were discovered and her

parents were convicted of child cruelty. Report makes clear child -

- Child H was not known to social The review says Child H's parents

appeared to be providing good physical and emotional care to her

children, which is what made what they did to her daughter so

difficult to see. Novak, the report says that she

possibly should have been given more support. The baby for's mother,

Nafisa Karolia had a difficult upbringing. She was physically

assaulted by members of her family and was taken into care. The report

says perhaps there should have been done an earlier, and she must --

should have been given more support when she fell pregnant. The big

question is why the parents abused one child and did not harm the

other? Report points to some limited research which says that

when two twins are born and one is much healthier than the other,

sometimes the parents blame that healthy twin for the problems of

the other one. We do not know if this is what happened, and perhaps

we will never know. Liverpool City Council says it

cannot fill out raising council tax next year, despite the Government

offering money to those authorities which freeze it. Today, around 30

million of the �50 million of savings was approved.

A large part of Congleton Town centre was sealed off this

afternoon after a robbery at a jeweller's. Police say it happened

at Brown's on Bridge Street at lunchtime. Detectives say hammers

and baseball bats we used to smash the windows. Four-man men have been

arrested. Night the ongoing row over who

foots the bill for hundreds of homes in Blackburn after a power

surge which destroyed TVs, fridges and borders. Energy regulator Ofgem

is investigating following a public meeting. Electricity Northwest

increased its goodwill payment to those affected from �300 to �1,000,

but that has not appeased everyone. Repairs are happening, but they

have not reached Mazhar's house. He has a large list which needs to be

fixed. Fridge-freezer, hi-fi, Printer... We are talking about

�3,500. I have got six children, eight people in the house, and we

have not had hot water for 74 hours. I have rang them up dozens of times.

600 houses suffered a power cut. 150 had appliances damaged by the

power surge, and 70 borders were broken.

The fault is so rare and the damage so unusual, that Electricity

Northwest has had to draft in specialist engineers from right

across the UK to see how many of the borders and appliances they can

repair. Why don't you simply repair the

appliances or replace them for the customer? We do not have a legal

obligation. But do you feel a moral obligation to help the people?

Customer-service and the moral obligation to serve our customers

is very important to us. The technical fault arose in their

sub-station. I am not going to make a judgment about what we lawyers

describe as a chain of causation. That may in the end have to go to

court, I hope very much not. should we pay off our own money

which is not our fault? It appears it will take more than an improved

good will payment of �1,000 to end the bad feeling which now exists

between the electricity supplier and its customers.

We all know a little something about Donald Campbell and his boat

Bluebird. But have you ever heard of water bird.

If it was one of the first seaplanes which was invented by the

shores of Windermere. Beatrix Potter apparently thought it was

too noisy, but what would she have thought today? The centenary

celebrations did not go according to plan.

This is the brainchild of Edward Wakefield, who owned much of

Windermere's shore line. In the early days of aviation he developed

a plane which could land on water. The first test flight was a century

ago, and today it was celebrated by his descendants. Because he was a

restless man, he always wanted to do something important. He had a

great sense of the need to find a role in life, and he was very

patriotic. He saw war coming and thoughts seaplanes would be useful.

He thought he could do something. We fill's role in developing the

seaplane has been largely forgotten, but now a replica is being built.

Do you look at this and think, I would not like to go up in that?

Are no, I have no qualms about jumping in it. Seeing how it is

constructed and simplicity -- its simplicity, the strength of it is

incredible. Tests 100 years ago in treat some,

infuriated others. Beatrix Potter who lived in the Lake District try

to get them stop. Those who want to get noise, go she said, go to

Blackpool. What would she have thought today? Plan A was to land

the scene playing on the lake here, but that had to be cancelled

because the park authorities would not let them break the speed limit.

Plan B to was was to have a fly- past, but that had to be cancelled

because of today's high winds. Beatrix Potter must be looking down

and smiling. Once the replica is completed it

what it might land once again on Windermere. If they get permission.

From a bit of history to our own bit of history. We are all in a

nostalgic mood this week, and Dave Guest has been looking back on this

programme's 30 years in this Yes, all the way to the back yard.

Now once upon a day, bringing you a live broadcast from outside of the

studio would have meant using one of these. It saw 13 years of

service with the Beeb, retiring in 1982. It now belongs to Steve

Harris. Why have you rescued this from retirement? It is something I

have been interested in and it seemed an opportunity to rescue an

early piece of broadcasting technology. What do you do with it?

We go out to productions and we have got a lot of interest in old

technology and it is something that we find all people are interested

in. These days we can do live broadcasts on location with nothing

more than that stuck on the back of a camera. So the technology has

changed, but our job remains the same, to bring you the stories that

matter. A few former colleagues have been remembering some of the

biggest ones from the past three He waited at home for the telephone

call which always came at about 11 o'clock at night. He went down to

the street or be square or Parliament Street. It was a very

troubled time and a very memorable time. I remember going through the

programme and it was like a bowler. We were all in shock. But I

remember getting quite emotional. That left a deep and lasting

For all five days last February, these were the most wanted

criminals in Britain, two wanted boys of 10. As the details emerged

and the story developed, it became much worse and darker and much more

sinister. Obviously that is a memory I will always carry with me.

I was the first reporter to do an outside broadcast from what was in

ruins of central Manchester. The rubble was cleared just enough and

you could see shocking devastation and we brought the programme from

just outside the centre, where Dr Harold Shipman had taken an aide

to preserve life but instead he became Britain's biggest serial

killer. By 10 o'clock they found 16 survivors. By the early hours of

this morning, they found the first of 19 bodies. These were big

stories but probably for me, the one I enjoyed and felt privileged

to have been a part of the most was when we at the Commonwealth Games

in 2002. We did the programme from the Manchester stadium. The lights,

fireworks and dancers have been And if that's got you feeling all

nostalgic, make sure to catch an Inside Out Special tomorrow night

at 8.15 on BBC 2. TV Greats will be recalling some of your telly

favourites that have been made in the North over the past 30 years or

so. For now, though, are you receiving me, Studio B? Loud and

Clare! We have got lost in the mists of time will stop that

programme is well worth a walk --. That programme is well worth a

Tony's here with the sport and ahead of their match against

Liverpool, will Manchester City be focused on revenge for what

happened last season? Yes, Liverpool won 3-0 in the

corresponding fixture in April. But now City are of course unbeaten at

the top of the table. Sunday's game at Anfield will give us another

indication of how far they've moved on. And whether Liverpool can build

on their excellent win at Chelsea last weekend. Here are the views of

the reds' boss Kenny Dalglish. played really well and we got our

reward. They have got different personnel and so have we. We might

not have the same type again but we will decide what is best for us. We

will worry about them. At the same time, we respect and appreciate how

good they are. Now, a quick word on Carlos Tevez. Really quick, promise.

His representatives have been talking to AC Milan about a

possible move to Serie A. City say they haven't had any contact with

them and won't let Tevez leave on loan in January. At the other end

of the Premier League table are Blackburn. Their manager Steve Kean

has been speaking about the revised contract and reported pay rise he's

signed this week. With Rovers next to bottom and with growing unrest

amongst supporters, Kean has come under increasing pressure. But

ahead of tomorrow's trip to Stoke, he says he's more than happy with

the backing he's got at the club. These things carry on and I have

never pushed it. I am delighted again that the players are totally

behind what we are trying to do. That has been put to one side and I

am just happy to move on. Just down the road from Ewood Park,

neighbours Burnley are not having it all their own way either at the

moment. A rough patch has left them just one place above the

Championship relegation zone with a tricky trip to Hull tomorrow. The

Chairman Barry Kilby celebrates 13 years in charge next month. What

does he think is the way forward? At the moment, Burnley fans are in

a bit of a spin. Just a couple of points above relegation, but try

this. In the last couple of games, Leeds and Birmingham have beaten

them in the past few matches. It has been a bleak month. They have

suffered four defeats consecutively and announced a loss of �4 million

and the Chief Executive have its weight. We need to -- has quit. We

need to stick together. We need the supporters to back the players and

to be fair, they have. If they want to show displeasure after we have

been beaten, that is fine. The man stayed up to for salvation is the

supporter and chairman that took them to the Premier League. It did

not do us many favours because it raised everybody's expectations.

The fans expect you to spend like there is no tomorrow. We lost �11

million. Then we made �14 million. There is that to be taken into

account. Have we got any money to spend after this? It depends how

much you ask for. We do have some money and the it capital. But we

are going to sign someone for �10 million next week. Is he happy to

continue keeping the team as a locally owned club? I have already

got my bus pass. We have got a new generation coming through and I

will hand the talk to somebody else to take up the reins. -- torch. I

would not like to put a time on it. But I am not going to be here for

Next year's Super League fixtures have been announced. Widnes' first

have been announced. Widnes' first Super League game for seven years

will be at home to Wakefield. St Helens will have to wait to

christen their new ground. They're away to Harlequins. That's not the

case for Salford though who'll play their first match at the new City

of Salford Stadium against Castleford. Warrington and Wigan

open against Hull and Huddersfield Sale Sharks are in Aviva

Premiership action tonight. The Sharks take on Exeter Chiefs at

Edgeley Park. There's full commentary of the game on BBC Radio

Manchester. My last sports bulletin from here. Back in glorious

technicolour on Monday. I hope! Let me just apologised. I said the

programme was on Sunday but it is in fact on Saturday. My apologies.

This morning from the car park, I was caught in de wind trying to get

into the building with my high into the building with my high

heels on. It was not easy! And on the windiest day of the year! I

just could not move. It was like a comedy series. I had to kettles, a

lamp and a radiator! I did not have anything good to tell you about the

weather forecast. We have got an exceptional windy day. The graphics

have decided to grind to an absolute halt. But the story has to

be about the fact that it will be very windy this weekend. Weather

warnings are in place. They have come to life! Wind is very strong

all the way through tonight and tomorrow. Sunday as well. He will

get some difficult conditions as well. Wet and windy. 55 mph gusts

have been recorded and that will not slow down tonight. We have got

clear skies tonight. Temperatures could get down to three degrees.

Through the night, cloud building and we will get a bit of rain in

the northern part of the region. Not heavy but this will boost the

temperature. In many places, we will get six or seven degrees.

Tomorrow, the wind is the main feature. Between 60 and 70 mph. It

can be damaging. Crosswind on the motorway will cause problems for

travellers. Anything between 45 and 60 mph here. A cloudy day with a

bit of rain. The best of the conditions will be in the south-

west, in part of Merseyside and Cheshire. But that is not a good

date. Temperatures will be better than today where they have been

quite chilly. Rain on Saturday it. That should clear on Sunday morning.

Then things will start to look at Now a subject that obviously I know

absolutely nothing about the on air blooper. Well as part of our look

back at our time in Oxford Road, Dave Guest has been collating some

of the best, or worst moments. are proud to have reporters that

know the patch inside out. I am outside scout... I cannot remember

what it is called. We will leave you to find out where you are!

al, Gordon! Glass houses? Good evening, sorry, good afternoon.

Every time you break down and the public can see what you are made of.

His prayers were answered in this item when the lights went out,

literally. I must apologise. We have never had the light put out on

as before. He was keen on a cookery item but his most infamous was not

caught on tape but it lives in the memory. It involved the world's

biggest Christmas pudding made in the studio. What could go wrong?

suddenly realise, I had got a 100 white. He had Christmas pudding

going everywhere. It was on the wall and all over the cameraman. It

was the biggest disaster. editor was not famous for his sense

of humour and he was going ballistic. I am not sure if she saw

the funny side when I interviewed her at a fashion show. I work 95 as

a commercial property solicitor. What is better, modelling or... I

was going to say soliciting! For other people, animals were a

problem. I remember at Chester Zoo, I was crouched down and one of the

penguins had a nibble between my legs, shall we say! In fact, I will

That is it -- and that was from the whole Look North teams will stop I

should be more --. I should be more sentimental because I met my

husband in that building. He was a cameraman said he was always there.

We will have a drink later. For the last time from us, Oxford Road,

good night. We will be back at media city on the Monday. We will

raise a glass to locks that route. Good night! -- Oxford Road. Welcome

to A Question of Sport and another Good evening and welcome to Look

North. Our top story... -- North West Tonight. Now it is time for