23/12/2016 Points West

And on BBC One, we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and David Garmston.

Our main story tonight: Lonely this Christmas -

volunteers get ready to befriend dozens on Christmas Day

as research shows the mental cost of being alone.

If you haven't got family around or people, then

You're fed up with watching television all the time

It's just lovely to be with some other people.

Our other headlines tonight: The driver who appears to be

using his phone on Lansdown Hill, as campaigners call

for greater safety following the tipper truck crash.

Struggling for survival at the bottom of the league -

can Bristol beat a side that's having almost as bad

And getting ready for tomorrow night - the reindeer bringing a touch

Hundreds of volunteers in Bristol are getting ready to give up part

of their own Christmas Day and put on lunch for people who'd

The charity behind the festive meal says an estimated one million people

in the UK are suffering from chronic loneliness - and that isolation can

And we want to make the hampers just look really nice and lovely.

Amy Perrin and her volunteers getting ready for Christmas Day.

She helped just a handful of lonely people four years ago.

Come Sunday, there'll be close to 100 having Christmas lunch

at five different venues in and around Bristol.

I just wanted to give them a nice treat, really,

But realising the effect that that has and the change that

can have afterwards, as well, just that one point

of contact, and then being helped into new friendships,

70-year-old Safia Wiggram Christmas lunched with the charity last year.

A former nurse, she's lost contact with her family and now lives

I'm used to being alone, but being lonely is a different thing.

And just missing the sharing, just a little joke or something that

passed by, you want to say, look, that was funny, wasn't it?

Or just the touch of someone, touching your hand or something,

when you're deprived of that, it does - it affects you very much.

Recent studies suggest chronic loneliness is as bad

for you as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

And it can increase a person's chance of suffering diseases

If you feel unhappy and lonely, you don't really feel

like looking after yourself, so it can actually make

you physically ill because you're not able to look after your

diabetes, you don't feel like - you're not going out to meet

people, you don't feel like looking after yourself.

The charity ensures those they help at Christmas

None of it would be possible without the hundreds

willing to sacrifice some of their own Christmas Day.

I decided to help because I realised that time spent helping other people

was going to be far more fulfilling than sitting around eating cheese.

Amy, who's an occupational therapist, is always on the lookout

for other venues willing to open on Christmas Day.

Since we're all living longer, this looks like a charity that's

Laura Alcock-Ferguson is from the charity

I asked her just how much of a health threat being lonely is.

Loneliness has been shown to increase your risk of dementia,

And because there are a million older people feeling chronically

lonely across the UK, the Campaign to End Loneliness

considers this to be a major public health issue.

We're talking about this at Christmastime, but there's

It's not because you're particularly lonely at Christmas.

We have to make loneliness everybody's business.

Something like Christmas gives you the chance just to knock

on your neighbour's door or say hello to someone

in the street, but loneliness is the responsibility of everybody.

Those at Christmastime, people at Christmastime,

as well as charities - local authorities need to see this

as a public health issue and even national government,

businesses and organisations - businesses on the high really need

to take this issue much more seriously, and their

Why are so many people - you talked about a million people -

Loneliness is caused by so many different triggers.

Retiring can be a big trigger, as well as poor health.

Lack of transport in rural areas and even a high turnover

It does affect all ages, of course, and big changes in life often

And if somebody watching this is feeling lonely, what can they do?

If you're lonely right now, then it's really important

to know you're not alone and there are people

and organisations out there who can help you.

One of the organisations who is open all Christmas is The Silver Line,

OK, you've definitely given us food for thought.

Laura, it's an important time to talk about it, as well.

The family of the former Wiltshire boxer Nick Blackwell say they've had

the Christmas miracle they've been wanting so badly -

Nick, who's from Trowbridge, suffered a bleed to the brain

after a sparring session at the Devizes Amateur

He had to retire from the sport after suffering another

brain injury in a match against Chris Eubank Junior

Volunteers have been out on Lansdown Hill in Bath

doing their own speed checks following last year's crash

They're appealing for motorists to slow down and take care -

but at least one lorry driver didn't appear to be taking any notice.

Lansdown Lane in Bath, a steep hill winding past pavements

often filled with pedestrians, close to homes and

Now with its own amateur speeding enforcers.

A new campaign by volunteers aiming to change the way drivers use this

often congested lane, with a 20 mph limit that locals say

Biggar some even seemed to use their phone at the wheel.

So we're starting a community speed watch scheme where volunteers

are going to monitor the speeds along the lane and inform the police

of any infringements to the speed limit.

Four-year-old Mitzi Steady was one of four people killed

here in February last year when a tipper truck's brakes failed

Yesterday, the truck's owner and its mechanic were found

Now this community wants to make Lansdown Lane a safer place.

They'll be using cameras and placards, as well,

It's just a very busy road, a very dangerous road,

and there are lots and lots of children - especially during

opening hours for the school - coming back and forth.

The area of Weston in Bath, still shocked by the deaths

almost two years ago, but determined to change the way

You're watching Alex and David on BBC Points West.

It's Christmas Eve Eve - if there is such a thing.

I hope you've got all your shopping in.

Still to come: Val from the Great British Bake Off is coming

in with some last-minute Christmas tips.

Conditions have taken a turn for the worst here.

And you thought it was going to be mild. It will be, don't worry.

The future of helicopter manufacturing in Somerset

is being put at risk by a plan to move vital machinery to Poland,

according to the former Liberal Democrat leader Lord

His claim comes as aerospace company GKN closes its site this month -

Our Somerset correspondent, Clinton Rogers, has the story.

In a matter of days, this factory will close,

the company GKN saying it's simply no longer viable.

But it is what happens to the manufacturing equipment

inside there which is now at the centre of a political storm,

with the former Liberal Democrat leader arguing that,

if it is shipped to Poland - and that is one option -

then it could signal the beginning of the end for helicopter

GKN make airframes for the Royal Navy's new Wildcat

helicopter under license to Leonardo Helicopters next door.

When Leonardo, formerly Augusta Westland, decided to take

that work back in-house, that effectively killed

Now the company is considering moving the manufacturing kit

Lord Ashdown says the government could and should intervene,

not least because the kit is actually owned by

I think we are in danger of undermining the long-term

viability of the Yeovil site which has served the nation

for 100 years in being able to make our own aircraft -

And if we do not retain as much work in Yeovil as we can, we lose that.

But Lord Ashdown has been accused of exaggerating the threat.

The local Conservative MP says he, too, is lobbying the company to keep

He says no final decision's been made, but it's not the government's

It's worth remembering also that, unless there are Wildcat orders,

then there's no Wildcat work to do anywhere.

And what the government has been working really hard on is working

with the company to help garner those export orders in all sorts

So far, the company has refused to comment.

Now, there are rumours it may be announcing a new foreign order

If that is true, where the airframes will be made clearly

Bird flu has been found in a dead wild bird in Somerset.

The UK's chief veterinary officer has confirmed

it was found in a wigeon, and is the same strain

which was found at a poultry farm in Lincolnshire last week.

The advice from Public Health England remains that the risk

to public health from the virus is very low, but farmers

are still having to keep all their poultry inside

Rail passengers travelling to and from London over Christmas

Paddington station is closed from eight o'clock tonight

Great Western Railway services won't get back to normal

Passengers are being advised to go to Ealing Broadway,

then use the Underground to get into central London.

A Bristol teacher has spent the afternoon raising money

for the displaced people of Eastern Aleppo.

Ousama Fadel, who's originally from Syria, has been holding

an open-air food sale at his local mosque.

All the money raised will go to the charity

Human Concern International to provide blankets for refugees.

There's no bigger match in the West on Boxing Day than Bristol

against Worcester in rugby's Premiership.

Ali Durden is here to look ahead to all the festive action.

It's bottom against second from bottom.

If Bristol can't beat Worcester, they're going

Mathematically, they're not down if they lose,

but, psychologically, it would be devasting.

Win it, and they're right on Worcester's heels

Bristol have been improving in recent weeks, but they'll face

this game without one of their most experienced players.

For most, more time with the family at Christmas and would be welcome,

but Jordan Crane's injury has come at the worst time for Bristol.

The four-times Premiership winner will miss the Boxing Day battle.

Already six points adrift, it's a fixture they can't afford to lose.

Bitterly disappointed, but I've got every faith

and confidence in the boys to go out and get the job done.

If we can get the result and do it in the right manner, as well,

it can have a real momentum shift for them, as well as us -

hopefully us on the way up and them on the way down.

Back-to-back wins in European competition have given Bristol

a new perspective and a confidence boost, as they now try to break

It's going to be about staying calm, as well, during the game,

because it is going to be a great atmosphere at Ashton Gate.

We want to go out and play the rugby we've been playing over the last

three or four weeks and hopefully, by doing that, get

For the fans, a nervous Christmas ahead of a game that appears

I think there's ten games left after this one.

I don't think we're likely to win any more than Worcester and bear

in mind, we'd then be two games behind them and then to play

on the last game of the season, so for me it's make or break.

You sense that the atmosphere is different within the team,

but I think the players will relish what will be possibly be

Lets get some score predictions from you -

It is the Christmas gift every Bristol supporter really wants.

Bristol's game, a three o'clock kick-off on Boxing Day.

Bath's game at Wasps is Christmas Eve, while Gloucester

Bristol City away at Wolves - a ground they haven't

Rovers play Coventry - manager Darrell Clarke has just

The other big head-to-head contest on Boxing Day

is between Somerset-based horses Cue Card and Thistlecrack.

Trainer Colin Tizzard has entered them both into the King George

Cue Card is hoping to complete the second part of a big-race treble

But stable-mate Thistlecrack could jeopardise those chances.

We have to treat both horses as individuals.

People keep bringing the million pound bonus with Cue Card

and we might be the people that take that opportunity away

But they are two individual horses with two separate owners

and they have to be treated fairly, and then you have to be fair

to the horse because there is only one King George a year,

Both horses are expected to contest the troll on Gold cup in March and

they could be joined by two other runners from the same yard. It looks

cold. If only they had a hand! Wear it with pride. As we do.

I don't know if you have a lifetime ambition you want to fulfil,

but one woman has recently achieved hers - owning reindeer.

Karen Perrins from Gloucestershire has spent months preparing "her

boys", as she calls them, and she's now bringing a festive

Christmas is a busy time for Dancer and Blitzen.

But it does seem to help if you put the hat on.

It's been a dream of Karen Perrins to own reindeer and now that that's

come true, it's been a steep learning curve.

Also, growing the antlers, as they grow, they're full of blood.

So you do have to be really, really careful that they don't knock them.

So it's off to the first visit of the day, but the locals

Although someone was almost left behind.

And that meant these youngsters at Little Skylarks in Randwick got

to feed Dancer and Blitzen with buckets full of lichen.

# Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey!

Well fed and serenaded, it was time to head to a place where conditions

Dancer and Blitzen were guest stars for their Christmas community event,

and if proof were needed about the power of feeding

This is an absolute dream, this is what I've always wanted to do.

And to be able to bring them out and share them with other

Karen now wants to build an accessible sleigh to take

disabled people on rides, pulled along by the reindeer,

bringing some real-life magic of Christmas to the Cotswolds

and helping Dancer and Blitzen work off all that lichen.

You may have noticed we're starting to get in the Christmas spirit here.

And who better to welcome into the studio but Val Stones

from Somerton, who was one of the contestants on the Great

And you've brought lots of Christmas goodies with you.

Thank you for coming in. It looks delicious, this food. This Christmas

special time for you? The best time ever. It is when you get together

with your family, friends, and it's a time of presents for the children

and reflection for the adults, thinking about past Christmases and

future Christmases. It has been quite a year for you. A little

different from most years. You want everybody's hearts on Bake Off when

you spoke about staring in love. Yes, but I am one of your original

hippies. I am of that era and it is something I've always done. When you

bake it is very reflective. You think and what have you. I like

that. What he P food have you brought in for us today? These are

the things I always serve at Christmas. That is festive slice,

and it is frangipani and home-made mincemeat and a really good slug of

brandy. This one here is home-made mincemeat and home-made pastry and

those dogs have little olive ranches that I flying away with. Christmas

trees, my gingerbread recipe I had when I was on Bake Off. I remember.

These are my famous sausage rolls. I had one before you came in.

He was practically salivating! It is a lot of work, isn't it? I don't

count it as work, bigging is a pleasure. When I was a headteacher,

I used to come home on Thursday night and bake for my staff and make

Friday treats for them. Can you come and work here?

Let's look at you while you are chatting. Any hints and tips for

anyone who was inspired by you and are facing Christmas and may be a

bit intimidated? Just take a breath, go shopping, and by some ready-made

pastry if you can't make it. By some ready-made mincemeat and then add

extras to it. Add the love and a good slug of brandy. Is that good?

You couldn't stop him. It is lovely. It has a bit of booze in it. Yes,

and a real tip is always have plenty of icing sugar at hand because you

can sprinkle over and hide everything. The last thing is a bit

of brandy in your gravy. In your gravy? This is lovely. Thank you and

happy Christmas. All the best for next year.

This is our last full programme of the year,

although Points West of course keeps broadcasting right over

But it seemed only right to have a very quick

look back over 2016, to the tune of a well-known

Gold medals coming their way after a magnificent tournament.

From up here, you realise just how fragile the Earth is.

The atmosphere here is absolutely electric.

Brilliant, and David has put his hat on.

Thank you. Thanks to Bristol's Gurt Lush Choir

for singing that for us, and if you want to watch it again,

it's on our Facebook page. Ian is on the roof to give us the

festive forecast. Have you got your hat?

Absolutely. A whole raft of equipment in our weather shack.

Hello. Let me take you through the Hello. Let me take you through the

forecast expectations through the next couple of days. We will take a

peek towards Boxing Day, as well. Tomorrow, many areas will be dry and

generally quite bright. There could well be showers around, rolling in

Western districts, one or two getting further across. They will

tend to be the exception. Most areas dry, if breezy. Somewhat chilly, not

markedly so. Turning mostly mild overnight and into Christmas Day

itself. It will be an almost extensively cloudy day, a bit of

drizzle in the air and continuing on a breezy if not windy note. Storm

Barbara has passed up to the north-west today and so the front

associated with that came over this afternoon. We are now into this

regime through tonight and tomorrow, seemed mostly dry conditions. A

second storm following in the wake of Barbara overnight and into

Christmas Day, that one is called Conor. No real impact for us. For

the rest of the evening, the last of the rain on the cold front is just

edging out of Wiltshire. Behind that, perhaps one or two showers, a

lot of dry weather will characterise the overnight picture. Rather

breezy, temperatures around two to 5 degrees. The rest of the day, as I

mentioned, we can't rule out a few showers coming in from the West, but

certainly a decent share of dry and bright weather, varying amounts of

cloud will be the order of things throughout the daylight hours. As we

get was the tail end of the evening, milder air stars to come back in

from the south-west. Ultimately, that would be associated with a lot

of cloud for Santa to deal with as he tries to land on all the

children's rooftops. Temperatures tomorrow of nine to 10 degrees, but

by Christmas Day it could be as high as 13. Some parts of the British

Isles will be competing with the warmest Christmas Day on record. To

the tail end, some places in the north-west could see a white

Christmas at least in Shari fashion. Boxing Day looks dry and generally

bright. Time for us to wish you a very

heartfelt Merry Christmas as we all going to the festive weekend.

Merry Christmas. We will still have bulletins over the festive period,

but it is time now for the last of our festive choirs to play us out.

Tonight we hear from the Vocal Works choir. Be safe.

Christmas is about family. I'll have that.

Let's get this Christmas party started!