:00:04. > :00:07.Welcome to a special edition of South East Today. I am Rob Smith,
:00:07. > :00:12.live at Royal St George's at Sandwich, home of the 140th Open
:00:12. > :00:16.Golf Championship. Some 200,000 people are expected to come and
:00:16. > :00:23.watch golf here over the next four days and get a chance to get really
:00:23. > :00:28.close to the best players in golf. I do quite like Rory McIlroy. A
:00:28. > :00:35.little bit of a crush there. And we will be finding out how the Open
:00:35. > :00:38.could provide an �80 million boost to the economy.
:00:38. > :00:41.Also in tonight's programme. The father of two children allegedly
:00:41. > :00:44.suffocated by their mother denies having an affair in her trial at
:00:44. > :00:47.Lewes Crown Court. It's showtime. A farmer who won a
:00:47. > :00:51.battle to keep her polytunnels puts them on display at the Kent County
:00:51. > :00:53.Ground. And challenging conventional beauty.
:00:53. > :01:03.The campaign calling for more opportunities for models with
:01:03. > :01:13.
:01:13. > :01:23.The world's eyes are on Kent as the 140th Open Golf Championship got
:01:23. > :01:25.
:01:25. > :01:31.under way today. We are overlooking the first green. And there are the
:01:31. > :01:37.grandstands. Here are the hospitality tents providing
:01:37. > :01:43.hospitality for those visiting the course over the next four days. The
:01:43. > :01:47.fact that there are lots of visitors is important for East Kent.
:01:47. > :01:50.Up to 200,000 visitors from around the world are expected to arrive in
:01:50. > :01:53.Kent over the next four days. Thousands have been arriving in the
:01:53. > :01:55.town of Sandwich since the early hours of this morning. With the
:01:55. > :01:58.local economy already hit by the drugs manufacturer Pfizer
:01:58. > :02:01.announcing the loss of thousands of jobs, it's hoped that the area
:02:01. > :02:04.could see an injection of a possible �8 million. Well, as Neil
:02:04. > :02:07.Bell reports, it has been a day where the wind has blown, the rain
:02:07. > :02:10.has fallen, but the sun has shone for a lucky few.
:02:10. > :02:12.From early this morning, the focus of the sporting world was on a
:02:12. > :02:17.small but perfect patch of Kent cost. Thousands of spectators
:02:17. > :02:24.flocked to sand-wedge to experience the world's oldest and most
:02:24. > :02:30.prestigious golf Championship. -- Sandwich. The attendance last time
:02:30. > :02:37.was the highest ever, and we are set to be that. If we have a good
:02:37. > :02:42.one this year, it will fit with St Andrews. They tended to get the
:02:42. > :02:46.highest crowds there. Royal St George's will be up there with the
:02:46. > :02:54.best of the rest. This year's Championship could hardly have come
:02:54. > :02:58.at a better time. Businesses have been doing a brisk trade. It is
:02:58. > :03:06.fantastic to have the sort of opportunity to show the county off
:03:06. > :03:12.and to have the economic boost that golf brings. Unlike some sports,
:03:12. > :03:17.the Open attracts so many women. Ironically, Royal St George's men
:03:17. > :03:21.only membership means that they might not be welcomed back you.
:03:21. > :03:28.Some magnificent courses in Kent. Three Open Championship venues all
:03:28. > :03:31.within a few miles of here. We have got a lot to offer. What ever
:03:31. > :03:35.happens in Sandwich over the next few days will be big news.
:03:35. > :03:39.Thousands of journalists from around the world will be following
:03:40. > :03:49.every triumph and disaster. The impact of the Open will hope will
:03:50. > :03:55.
:03:55. > :04:00.it last longer than the final shots We are looking forward to the
:04:00. > :04:07.sporting excitement. But there is real importance as to what the
:04:07. > :04:13.legacy is going to be. Can you put it into context, had bigger deal is
:04:13. > :04:23.this? It is a very exciting day for Kent today. The Open was here eight
:04:23. > :04:23.
:04:23. > :04:29.years ago, and economic boost of �80 million and thousands of
:04:29. > :04:39.journalists. A fantastic opportunity to promote the counter.
:04:39. > :04:40.
:04:40. > :04:44.Let's speak to our dog - The Open Championship is expected
:04:44. > :04:47.to provide a huge financial boost to the local economy. As much as
:04:47. > :04:49.�80 million could be pumped into the tills of local companies who
:04:49. > :04:52.have been gearing up for this event for months. Our Business
:04:52. > :04:54.Correspondent Mark Norman has been speaking to some of the financial
:04:54. > :04:57.winners from this year's event. From transport, to restaurants, to
:04:57. > :05:03.tents. Everybody is seems to be making money from the golf. This
:05:03. > :05:08.charter company have been taking bookings since days for the Open
:05:08. > :05:12.were announced. We have got clients coming from overseas and clients
:05:12. > :05:17.who are coming him from the North of England. They want to capitalise
:05:17. > :05:27.on the services that we provide. But do the latest figures back up
:05:27. > :05:37.
:05:37. > :05:40.the estimates? At last year's Open The smaller local businesses are
:05:40. > :05:45.the immediate beneficiaries. have got plenty of stock came, we
:05:45. > :05:51.have got the staff. We are looking just to get everyone in as early as
:05:51. > :05:56.possible. They are hoping to have a good week. Within one month, we
:05:56. > :06:02.started having inquiries. We were flooded with inquiries over
:06:02. > :06:05.Christmas and new year and have continued to get inquiries.
:06:05. > :06:09.Open provides a much-needed financial boost for the region. The
:06:09. > :06:19.secret now will be to build on that and benefit the East Kent economy
:06:19. > :06:19.
:06:19. > :06:27.It is all about the future. It is not just about these four days. How
:06:27. > :06:32.much of a legacy it will thus have? Over 200,000 new visitors will have
:06:32. > :06:37.come to Kent to see this. They will talk about it and talk about the
:06:38. > :06:44.weather and how wonderful the course is. 2000 media are here
:06:44. > :06:51.talking about Kent. The legacy will go on beyond. A have you any
:06:51. > :06:58.evidence of that? We have research to the economic impact and we are
:06:58. > :07:04.very confident in the figure of 80 million direct benefit. A accusing
:07:04. > :07:14.the figures from Scotland? Yes, we are modelling on those numbers. --
:07:14. > :07:14.
:07:14. > :07:18.are you using? Will there be any investment?
:07:18. > :07:25.There are high-speed train improvements already. A lot of her
:07:25. > :07:32.visitors today have come on a new service. Lots of visitors have used
:07:32. > :07:40.it today. An injured a town like Sandwich will always have
:07:40. > :07:46.challenging roads. -- an ancient town. But when local roads are
:07:46. > :07:52.crammed, local businesses just cannot get the business him. Local
:07:52. > :07:57.businesses have been quite creative, staying late, opening earlier.
:07:57. > :08:03.Thank you. We will be back with more tales. We had been following
:08:03. > :08:07.some of our local golfers around. You will see all of that action
:08:07. > :08:10.later. A father of two toddlers, who were
:08:10. > :08:13.allegedly suffocated and locked in the boot of a car by their mother
:08:13. > :08:16.after their relationship broke down, told in court today he was not
:08:16. > :08:19.having an affair with another woman. Paul Donnison said his relationship
:08:19. > :08:24.with an old school friend remained platonic until he and Fiona
:08:24. > :08:34.Donnison had decided to end things. Mrs Donnison denies murdering 3-
:08:34. > :08:37.year-old Harry and 2-year-old Elise Donnison. Ian Palmer reports.
:08:37. > :08:41.Under cross-examination, Paul Donnison was questioned about his
:08:41. > :08:46.relationship with the mother of his by this time, Fiona Donnison had
:08:46. > :08:53.left the family home in Heathfield and was now living in rented
:08:53. > :08:57.accommodation in Surrey with her children.'s was asked if he was
:08:57. > :09:03.attempting to get back together with his wife while still seeing
:09:03. > :09:11.another woman? Paul Donnison said that is what I wanted, but I never
:09:11. > :09:17.believed it was Fiona's intent. It was suggested he was using his
:09:17. > :09:23.girlfriend as a fall-back. He replied, absolutely not. Later, the
:09:23. > :09:27.court heard a recording of a phone conversation recorded by the
:09:27. > :09:30.defendant after she left Heathfield to when Paul Donnison was tried to
:09:30. > :09:34.find out where she other children were living. During that
:09:34. > :09:38.conversation, Paul Donnison said, you sound like you have moved to a
:09:38. > :09:47.different part of the country. Fiona Donnison said, I am in
:09:47. > :09:53.Scotland now. Paul Donnison said, are you really? Fiona Donnison said,
:09:53. > :10:01.I am not. I am only joking. The phone call went on for over an our,
:10:01. > :10:06.Paul Donnison was repeatedly saying that he loved a Fiona Donnison. The
:10:06. > :10:10.children were found a dead in a sports holdall inside a Fiona
:10:10. > :10:17.Donnison's car in January last year. They had been suffocated. She
:10:18. > :10:19.denies murdering them. Dover coastguard station has
:10:19. > :10:22.survived the Government's re- organisation of the coastguard
:10:22. > :10:25.service. There will be one Maritime Operations Centre for the UK, based
:10:25. > :10:27.near Portsmouth, but the Dover centre will provide disaster
:10:27. > :10:34.recovery back-up and serve as a coastguard subcentre. Eight
:10:34. > :10:37.coastguard stations are being closed elsewhere across the country.
:10:37. > :10:41.An MP from Kent has raised concerns in Parliament about problems of
:10:41. > :10:45.bullying at Medway NHS Trust. Following an exclusive report on
:10:45. > :10:47.South East Today on Monday in which a senior surgeon spoke out about a
:10:47. > :10:50.culture of bullying at Medway Maritime Hospital, the MP for
:10:50. > :11:00.Gillingham and Rainham Rehman Chishti said it is clear that it is
:11:00. > :11:04.not an isolated incident. He is calling for a parliamentary debate.
:11:04. > :11:08.Since then, other professionals at the hospital have contacted my
:11:08. > :11:12.office to say they have encountered such behaviour. This follows a
:11:12. > :11:16.recent survey which shows that one in five workers at read the
:11:17. > :11:25.hospitals have encountered harassment or or the accused. My
:11:25. > :11:28.constituents are very concerned about this.
:11:28. > :11:32.The leader of the Commons, Sir George Young, said bullying in the
:11:32. > :11:36.NHS is unacceptable and must be dealt with.
:11:37. > :11:46.I understand that the trust is aware of the concerns and is having
:11:47. > :11:49.
:11:49. > :11:52.discussions with the trade unions in order to come up with a solution.
:11:52. > :11:54.Well, the crowds will not be just heading for Sandwich this weekend.
:11:54. > :11:57.More than 90,000 people are expected for Kent's agricultural
:11:57. > :12:00.County Show at Detling, an event that starts tomorrow and lasts
:12:00. > :12:03.three days. For the latest in our food chain series, our Environment
:12:03. > :12:08.Correspondent Yvette Austin is at the showground. Yvette, this is an
:12:08. > :12:13.important time for our farmers? Absolut. It is important that they
:12:13. > :12:20.have got these preparations just right. If there is one chance to
:12:20. > :12:24.demonstrate what they can do, what they can produce, this is it. The
:12:24. > :12:30.animals are settled in quite happily. This is a demonstration of
:12:30. > :12:35.how to grow strawberries are these days. Farmers say that without
:12:35. > :12:41.these, they could not compete with farmers from abroad. Laden with
:12:41. > :12:44.fruit, these cherry trees in sitting for -- in Sittingbourne
:12:44. > :12:52.among the most productive in the country because they are under
:12:52. > :12:56.cover. You get much smaller fruit when you are open to the elements
:12:56. > :13:02.and you have the problem with the birds. The Arab very delicate fruit
:13:02. > :13:08.and the need to be correct -- they are a very delicate fruit and the
:13:08. > :13:14.need to be protected. You can see these cherries, no damage, no
:13:14. > :13:23.splits. We can guarantee 90% of the crop to the supermarkets. For two
:13:23. > :13:27.years, the FA has used these poly tunnels. -- the farm has used.
:13:27. > :13:34.as more expense, but the benefits far outweigh their expenses. You
:13:34. > :13:44.get a much better quality crop. You get a better effect for the
:13:44. > :13:44.
:13:44. > :13:49.consumer as well. But poly tunnels are not without controversy. This
:13:49. > :13:55.farm fought for four years are to keep their poly tunnels. They
:13:55. > :14:00.succeeded this week and means they can now continue supplying
:14:00. > :14:03.supermarkets and Wimbledon. Very relieved. We need to the tunnels
:14:03. > :14:09.are to produce reliable crops for our customers. We are very pleased
:14:09. > :14:12.that they can now get on with the job of looking after the farm, the
:14:12. > :14:16.countryside and producing fantastic quality berries. From our
:14:16. > :14:21.experience, a lot of the public do not understand where their food
:14:21. > :14:27.comes from, and that is what the Kent show is all about, bridging
:14:27. > :14:31.that gap. There is a rush to pick their cherries grown outside
:14:31. > :14:41.because of rain is on the way. Those grown inside can wait a few
:14:41. > :14:46.more days for when the time is right. These strawberries are going
:14:46. > :14:56.to produce a bumper crop this year thanks to the poly tunnels of. The
:14:56. > :14:59.
:14:59. > :15:01.The fashion industry is ripe with size zero models and images of near
:15:01. > :15:04.impossible perfection, but one organisation believes everyone
:15:04. > :15:06.should be represented whatever your race, age or disability. Today, a
:15:06. > :15:09.team of models celebrating diversity visited the Advance
:15:09. > :15:19.Centre in East Grinstead, a charity which helps brain-injured children.
:15:19. > :15:23.Claudia Sermbezis reports. 18-year-old Geordie Williamson has
:15:23. > :15:27.speech and language issues and despite sell. This afternoon, they
:15:27. > :15:32.were treated to a makeover. It is part of a campaign to encourage
:15:32. > :15:42.people of all shapes, sizes and abilities to celebrate their duty.
:15:42. > :15:44.
:15:44. > :15:53.She is not ashamed anyway, but it is great that she can feel her she
:15:53. > :15:57.is. The models are on a mission. They are just the same as us and
:15:57. > :16:05.there are some beautiful people with disabilities that are more
:16:05. > :16:12.than capable of modelling clothes. Like this girl who recreated the
:16:12. > :16:21.Wonderbra advert for a documentary. A lot of people to realise that I
:16:21. > :16:31.had one arm. -- a lot of people did not realise. They were looking at
:16:31. > :16:32.
:16:32. > :16:39.my body. 32-year-old John also decided to get involved today. His
:16:39. > :16:45.mother runs as they advanced centre. When he was born, his mother was
:16:45. > :16:49.told he would never walk. He has just run a half-marathon. She wants
:16:49. > :16:56.all the children to relish all aspects of their lives. You can
:16:56. > :17:01.look at really good because of your spirit, that is the important thing.
:17:01. > :17:07.Your spirit and your character, even if you are a operating an
:17:08. > :17:12.electric wheelchair, and that goes. That exhilaration and love of life.
:17:12. > :17:22.This afternoon, the models it took step to fight the inequalities on
:17:22. > :17:26.the catwalk, and people celebrated what makes them a unique.
:17:26. > :17:29.This is our top story tonight: Thousands of visitors have
:17:29. > :17:38.descended upon Sandwich as the 140th Open Golf Championship gets
:17:38. > :17:41.underway. It is hoped that the area could see an injection of around
:17:41. > :17:43.�80 million after the local economy suffered a blow with the
:17:43. > :17:49.announcement of the loss of thousands of jobs at drugs
:17:49. > :17:59.manufacturer Pfizer. I will have all the details on the
:17:59. > :18:02.
:18:02. > :18:05.good, the Bad And the ugly weather Time now to return to Royal St
:18:05. > :18:09.George's in Sandwich where the first round of the Open is drawing
:18:09. > :18:12.to a close. Rob is there now. Today has been a chance for golf fans to
:18:12. > :18:17.get up close to some of the world's best players.
:18:17. > :18:21.I absolutely. That is a marvellous thing about this. There are some
:18:21. > :18:25.400 acres of land here. There are tens of thousands of people who can
:18:25. > :18:32.get right up close to the golfers as they come through. At the end of
:18:32. > :18:37.the day, we had been able to come onto the light rough at the edge of
:18:37. > :18:43.the first green. One of the things that you cannot necessarily see on
:18:43. > :18:49.television is how undulating this course is. That is what makes it so
:18:49. > :18:55.difficult. If you come down to ground level, you can see how the
:18:55. > :18:59.ground slopes up. That means that every single shot that the players
:18:59. > :19:03.have to play, they really have to think about it. I have spent the
:19:03. > :19:09.day on the course, following the players around and it has been a
:19:09. > :19:15.fantastic day. It is the most prestigious tournament in golf. An
:19:15. > :19:22.opportunity to see the best in the sport. And to be seen. I do quite
:19:22. > :19:32.like Rory McIlroy. I have a little bit of a crash. It will be very
:19:32. > :19:40.
:19:40. > :19:46.testing for players. Francis McGuirk. It is the first time the
:19:46. > :19:56.Kent man has qualified for the Open. He has bought 10 to support them
:19:56. > :20:06.numbers. Any advice? No! I'm as a bit nervous to start with. It was
:20:06. > :20:08.
:20:08. > :20:15.quite nice that he came over and The course itself is extraordinary.
:20:15. > :20:25.There are hazards are to chill the blood of even the most hardened pro.
:20:25. > :20:27.
:20:27. > :20:31.You have to get past this thing, the family are. -- of the Himalayas.
:20:31. > :20:41.It is never dull. This golf course is never the same twice. I have
:20:41. > :20:47.
:20:48. > :20:52.Howis Francis McGuirk are getting on? Still eating. There is lots
:20:52. > :20:59.going on away from the main action. Food and drink. If it is all
:20:59. > :21:04.getting a bit much, you can make your own entertainment. Meanwhile,
:21:04. > :21:11.behind the 18th hole, the next generation of golfers are
:21:11. > :21:19.practising their skills. This is better. It is shorter. On the 18th
:21:19. > :21:25.hole, Francis McGuirk narrowly misses out on a birdie putt. It was
:21:25. > :21:28.all right. I feel I could have taken a few scores of. But there
:21:28. > :21:38.were a few nice saves out there as well. It might not have been even,
:21:38. > :21:40.
:21:40. > :21:46.Francis McGuirk, a really lovely guy. Let's hope he has a fantastic
:21:46. > :21:51.round tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be kinder tomorrow.
:21:52. > :21:58.Somebody else from Kent who has been playing today, that is Andrew
:21:58. > :22:06.Smith. I have his mother here. What a fantastic day for you. He has had
:22:06. > :22:11.a really difficult 18 months or so. Yes. He nearly gave up his golf
:22:11. > :22:18.after a bad operation. No help with sponsors or anything. He was
:22:18. > :22:25.looking for a job. But luckily, one of the members at his club gave him
:22:25. > :22:31.the money to enter the Open. And he actually borrowed clubs? Yes,
:22:31. > :22:37.because his clubs were non conforming. And he got through
:22:37. > :22:43.final qualifying? Yes, and he has been staying near the course.
:22:43. > :22:50.does this all mean to you? I was very emotional. More emotional than
:22:50. > :22:54.him. I have been more nervous than him all the way around. It just
:22:54. > :23:00.comes naturally to him. He is a fantastic guy. But we will let you
:23:00. > :23:04.go and watch and finish. You are a professional golfer yourself. What
:23:04. > :23:10.a difference a couple of hours can make on this course. This, it has
:23:10. > :23:15.turned into a terrific scoring weather. The guys on the course
:23:15. > :23:20.should be happy about this. What makes this cause so demanding and
:23:20. > :23:27.so exciting? I think it is the difficulty from the fairway. You
:23:27. > :23:36.really get a flat line. You could enter the offer. From the rough,
:23:36. > :23:40.you have to head to a green. They are incredibly hard to judge. And
:23:40. > :23:45.then you factor in the weather. We had wind and rain earlier today
:23:45. > :23:50.which made it tricky for scoring. We will find out later what the
:23:50. > :23:57.weather is going to do short cliff. You can keep up-to-date with all
:23:57. > :24:07.the action on BBC Radio Kent. There has been lots of action going on
:24:07. > :24:21.
:24:21. > :24:31.today, let's have a look at some of A birdie opportunity for Luke
:24:31. > :25:02.
:25:02. > :25:11.A birdie opportunity for Luke Superstar status. This guy has
:25:11. > :25:18.reached that state is now. He is the future. -- that status now.
:25:18. > :25:27.Despite the fact that it was midday and market, -- oh Windy and murky,
:25:27. > :25:30.it is lovely now. People can have a golf over Lord,
:25:30. > :25:40.and this area is famous for something else. A very famous or
:25:40. > :25:43.
:25:44. > :25:49.good. It is a bit sticky, but it loves it was grassland. -- it is a
:25:49. > :25:54.bit smelly, but it loves the this grassland. The weather is not
:25:54. > :26:01.getting much better. Tomorrow will be the best day. Overnight, it will
:26:01. > :26:06.be fine. The end of the day will be quite nice. The wind is not as
:26:06. > :26:11.strong as earlier today. Temperatures of 13 or 14. Some
:26:11. > :26:20.spots just a touch lower than that. Tomorrow, a beautiful day. Thank
:26:20. > :26:24.goodness. Less cloud, a beautiful day. Lots of sunshine and
:26:24. > :26:34.temperatures are getting warmer, up to 22 degrees. A proper summer's
:26:34. > :26:42.day. But it is all picking off on Saturday. As we go into tomorrow
:26:42. > :26:52.evening, the cloud is thickening. As soon as we get into Saturday, it
:26:52. > :26:55.
:26:55. > :27:00.get hideous. Strong winds gusting 40 miles an our. Loss of they mack.
:27:00. > :27:05.Showery on Sunday and temperatures about 19 Celsius. We have got more
:27:05. > :27:12.wet weather on the way. Focus on the Friday, that is the best
:27:12. > :27:16.weather. Well done for not making the obvious joke. Have I stolen
:27:16. > :27:26.your thunder? Make the most of our weather
:27:26. > :27:28.