14/07/2011 South East Today

Welcome to a special edition of South East Today. I am Rob Smith,

live at Royal St George's at Sandwich, home of the 140th Open

Golf Championship. Some 200,000 people are expected to come and

watch golf here over the next four days and get a chance to get really

close to the best players in golf. I do quite like Rory McIlroy. A

little bit of a crush there. And we will be finding out how the Open

could provide an �80 million boost to the economy.

Also in tonight's programme. The father of two children allegedly

suffocated by their mother denies having an affair in her trial at

Lewes Crown Court. It's showtime. A farmer who won a

battle to keep her polytunnels puts them on display at the Kent County

Ground. And challenging conventional beauty.

The campaign calling for more opportunities for models with

The world's eyes are on Kent as the 140th Open Golf Championship got

under way today. We are overlooking the first green. And there are the

grandstands. Here are the hospitality tents providing

hospitality for those visiting the course over the next four days. The

fact that there are lots of visitors is important for East Kent.

Up to 200,000 visitors from around the world are expected to arrive in

Kent over the next four days. Thousands have been arriving in the

town of Sandwich since the early hours of this morning. With the

local economy already hit by the drugs manufacturer Pfizer

announcing the loss of thousands of jobs, it's hoped that the area

could see an injection of a possible �8 million. Well, as Neil

Bell reports, it has been a day where the wind has blown, the rain

has fallen, but the sun has shone for a lucky few.

From early this morning, the focus of the sporting world was on a

small but perfect patch of Kent cost. Thousands of spectators

flocked to sand-wedge to experience the world's oldest and most

prestigious golf Championship. -- Sandwich. The attendance last time

was the highest ever, and we are set to be that. If we have a good

one this year, it will fit with St Andrews. They tended to get the

highest crowds there. Royal St George's will be up there with the

best of the rest. This year's Championship could hardly have come

at a better time. Businesses have been doing a brisk trade. It is

fantastic to have the sort of opportunity to show the county off

and to have the economic boost that golf brings. Unlike some sports,

the Open attracts so many women. Ironically, Royal St George's men

only membership means that they might not be welcomed back you.

Some magnificent courses in Kent. Three Open Championship venues all

within a few miles of here. We have got a lot to offer. What ever

happens in Sandwich over the next few days will be big news.

Thousands of journalists from around the world will be following

every triumph and disaster. The impact of the Open will hope will

it last longer than the final shots We are looking forward to the

sporting excitement. But there is real importance as to what the

legacy is going to be. Can you put it into context, had bigger deal is

this? It is a very exciting day for Kent today. The Open was here eight

years ago, and economic boost of �80 million and thousands of

journalists. A fantastic opportunity to promote the counter.

Let's speak to our dog - The Open Championship is expected

to provide a huge financial boost to the local economy. As much as

�80 million could be pumped into the tills of local companies who

have been gearing up for this event for months. Our Business

Correspondent Mark Norman has been speaking to some of the financial

winners from this year's event. From transport, to restaurants, to

tents. Everybody is seems to be making money from the golf. This

charter company have been taking bookings since days for the Open

were announced. We have got clients coming from overseas and clients

who are coming him from the North of England. They want to capitalise

on the services that we provide. But do the latest figures back up

the estimates? At last year's Open The smaller local businesses are

the immediate beneficiaries. have got plenty of stock came, we

have got the staff. We are looking just to get everyone in as early as

possible. They are hoping to have a good week. Within one month, we

started having inquiries. We were flooded with inquiries over

Christmas and new year and have continued to get inquiries.

Open provides a much-needed financial boost for the region. The

secret now will be to build on that and benefit the East Kent economy

It is all about the future. It is not just about these four days. How

much of a legacy it will thus have? Over 200,000 new visitors will have

come to Kent to see this. They will talk about it and talk about the

weather and how wonderful the course is. 2000 media are here

talking about Kent. The legacy will go on beyond. A have you any

evidence of that? We have research to the economic impact and we are

very confident in the figure of 80 million direct benefit. A accusing

the figures from Scotland? Yes, we are modelling on those numbers. --

are you using? Will there be any investment?

There are high-speed train improvements already. A lot of her

visitors today have come on a new service. Lots of visitors have used

it today. An injured a town like Sandwich will always have

challenging roads. -- an ancient town. But when local roads are

crammed, local businesses just cannot get the business him. Local

businesses have been quite creative, staying late, opening earlier.

Thank you. We will be back with more tales. We had been following

some of our local golfers around. You will see all of that action

later. A father of two toddlers, who were

allegedly suffocated and locked in the boot of a car by their mother

after their relationship broke down, told in court today he was not

having an affair with another woman. Paul Donnison said his relationship

with an old school friend remained platonic until he and Fiona

Donnison had decided to end things. Mrs Donnison denies murdering 3-

year-old Harry and 2-year-old Elise Donnison. Ian Palmer reports.

Under cross-examination, Paul Donnison was questioned about his

relationship with the mother of his by this time, Fiona Donnison had

left the family home in Heathfield and was now living in rented

accommodation in Surrey with her children.'s was asked if he was

attempting to get back together with his wife while still seeing

another woman? Paul Donnison said that is what I wanted, but I never

believed it was Fiona's intent. It was suggested he was using his

girlfriend as a fall-back. He replied, absolutely not. Later, the

court heard a recording of a phone conversation recorded by the

defendant after she left Heathfield to when Paul Donnison was tried to

find out where she other children were living. During that

conversation, Paul Donnison said, you sound like you have moved to a

different part of the country. Fiona Donnison said, I am in

Scotland now. Paul Donnison said, are you really? Fiona Donnison said,

I am not. I am only joking. The phone call went on for over an our,

Paul Donnison was repeatedly saying that he loved a Fiona Donnison. The

children were found a dead in a sports holdall inside a Fiona

Donnison's car in January last year. They had been suffocated. She

denies murdering them. Dover coastguard station has

survived the Government's re- organisation of the coastguard

service. There will be one Maritime Operations Centre for the UK, based

near Portsmouth, but the Dover centre will provide disaster

recovery back-up and serve as a coastguard subcentre. Eight

coastguard stations are being closed elsewhere across the country.

An MP from Kent has raised concerns in Parliament about problems of

bullying at Medway NHS Trust. Following an exclusive report on

South East Today on Monday in which a senior surgeon spoke out about a

culture of bullying at Medway Maritime Hospital, the MP for

Gillingham and Rainham Rehman Chishti said it is clear that it is

not an isolated incident. He is calling for a parliamentary debate.

Since then, other professionals at the hospital have contacted my

office to say they have encountered such behaviour. This follows a

recent survey which shows that one in five workers at read the

hospitals have encountered harassment or or the accused. My

constituents are very concerned about this.

The leader of the Commons, Sir George Young, said bullying in the

NHS is unacceptable and must be dealt with.

I understand that the trust is aware of the concerns and is having

discussions with the trade unions in order to come up with a solution.

Well, the crowds will not be just heading for Sandwich this weekend.

More than 90,000 people are expected for Kent's agricultural

County Show at Detling, an event that starts tomorrow and lasts

three days. For the latest in our food chain series, our Environment

Correspondent Yvette Austin is at the showground. Yvette, this is an

important time for our farmers? Absolut. It is important that they

have got these preparations just right. If there is one chance to

demonstrate what they can do, what they can produce, this is it. The

animals are settled in quite happily. This is a demonstration of

how to grow strawberries are these days. Farmers say that without

these, they could not compete with farmers from abroad. Laden with

fruit, these cherry trees in sitting for -- in Sittingbourne

among the most productive in the country because they are under

cover. You get much smaller fruit when you are open to the elements

and you have the problem with the birds. The Arab very delicate fruit

and the need to be correct -- they are a very delicate fruit and the

need to be protected. You can see these cherries, no damage, no

splits. We can guarantee 90% of the crop to the supermarkets. For two

years, the FA has used these poly tunnels. -- the farm has used.

as more expense, but the benefits far outweigh their expenses. You

get a much better quality crop. You get a better effect for the

consumer as well. But poly tunnels are not without controversy. This

farm fought for four years are to keep their poly tunnels. They

succeeded this week and means they can now continue supplying

supermarkets and Wimbledon. Very relieved. We need to the tunnels

are to produce reliable crops for our customers. We are very pleased

that they can now get on with the job of looking after the farm, the

countryside and producing fantastic quality berries. From our

experience, a lot of the public do not understand where their food

comes from, and that is what the Kent show is all about, bridging

that gap. There is a rush to pick their cherries grown outside

because of rain is on the way. Those grown inside can wait a few

more days for when the time is right. These strawberries are going

to produce a bumper crop this year thanks to the poly tunnels of. The

The fashion industry is ripe with size zero models and images of near

impossible perfection, but one organisation believes everyone

should be represented whatever your race, age or disability. Today, a

team of models celebrating diversity visited the Advance

Centre in East Grinstead, a charity which helps brain-injured children.

Claudia Sermbezis reports. 18-year-old Geordie Williamson has

speech and language issues and despite sell. This afternoon, they

were treated to a makeover. It is part of a campaign to encourage

people of all shapes, sizes and abilities to celebrate their duty.

She is not ashamed anyway, but it is great that she can feel her she

is. The models are on a mission. They are just the same as us and

there are some beautiful people with disabilities that are more

than capable of modelling clothes. Like this girl who recreated the

Wonderbra advert for a documentary. A lot of people to realise that I

had one arm. -- a lot of people did not realise. They were looking at

my body. 32-year-old John also decided to get involved today. His

mother runs as they advanced centre. When he was born, his mother was

told he would never walk. He has just run a half-marathon. She wants

all the children to relish all aspects of their lives. You can

look at really good because of your spirit, that is the important thing.

Your spirit and your character, even if you are a operating an

electric wheelchair, and that goes. That exhilaration and love of life.

This afternoon, the models it took step to fight the inequalities on

the catwalk, and people celebrated what makes them a unique.

This is our top story tonight: Thousands of visitors have

descended upon Sandwich as the 140th Open Golf Championship gets

underway. It is hoped that the area could see an injection of around

�80 million after the local economy suffered a blow with the

announcement of the loss of thousands of jobs at drugs

manufacturer Pfizer. I will have all the details on the

good, the Bad And the ugly weather Time now to return to Royal St

George's in Sandwich where the first round of the Open is drawing

to a close. Rob is there now. Today has been a chance for golf fans to

get up close to some of the world's best players.

I absolutely. That is a marvellous thing about this. There are some

400 acres of land here. There are tens of thousands of people who can

get right up close to the golfers as they come through. At the end of

the day, we had been able to come onto the light rough at the edge of

the first green. One of the things that you cannot necessarily see on

television is how undulating this course is. That is what makes it so

difficult. If you come down to ground level, you can see how the

ground slopes up. That means that every single shot that the players

have to play, they really have to think about it. I have spent the

day on the course, following the players around and it has been a

fantastic day. It is the most prestigious tournament in golf. An

opportunity to see the best in the sport. And to be seen. I do quite

like Rory McIlroy. I have a little bit of a crash. It will be very

testing for players. Francis McGuirk. It is the first time the

Kent man has qualified for the Open. He has bought 10 to support them

numbers. Any advice? No! I'm as a bit nervous to start with. It was

quite nice that he came over and The course itself is extraordinary.

There are hazards are to chill the blood of even the most hardened pro.

You have to get past this thing, the family are. -- of the Himalayas.

It is never dull. This golf course is never the same twice. I have

Howis Francis McGuirk are getting on? Still eating. There is lots

going on away from the main action. Food and drink. If it is all

getting a bit much, you can make your own entertainment. Meanwhile,

behind the 18th hole, the next generation of golfers are

practising their skills. This is better. It is shorter. On the 18th

hole, Francis McGuirk narrowly misses out on a birdie putt. It was

all right. I feel I could have taken a few scores of. But there

were a few nice saves out there as well. It might not have been even,

Francis McGuirk, a really lovely guy. Let's hope he has a fantastic

round tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be kinder tomorrow.

Somebody else from Kent who has been playing today, that is Andrew

Smith. I have his mother here. What a fantastic day for you. He has had

a really difficult 18 months or so. Yes. He nearly gave up his golf

after a bad operation. No help with sponsors or anything. He was

looking for a job. But luckily, one of the members at his club gave him

the money to enter the Open. And he actually borrowed clubs? Yes,

because his clubs were non conforming. And he got through

final qualifying? Yes, and he has been staying near the course.

does this all mean to you? I was very emotional. More emotional than

him. I have been more nervous than him all the way around. It just

comes naturally to him. He is a fantastic guy. But we will let you

go and watch and finish. You are a professional golfer yourself. What

a difference a couple of hours can make on this course. This, it has

turned into a terrific scoring weather. The guys on the course

should be happy about this. What makes this cause so demanding and

so exciting? I think it is the difficulty from the fairway. You

really get a flat line. You could enter the offer. From the rough,

you have to head to a green. They are incredibly hard to judge. And

then you factor in the weather. We had wind and rain earlier today

which made it tricky for scoring. We will find out later what the

weather is going to do short cliff. You can keep up-to-date with all

the action on BBC Radio Kent. There has been lots of action going on

today, let's have a look at some of A birdie opportunity for Luke

A birdie opportunity for Luke Superstar status. This guy has

reached that state is now. He is the future. -- that status now.

Despite the fact that it was midday and market, -- oh Windy and murky,

it is lovely now. People can have a golf over Lord,

and this area is famous for something else. A very famous or

good. It is a bit sticky, but it loves it was grassland. -- it is a

bit smelly, but it loves the this grassland. The weather is not

getting much better. Tomorrow will be the best day. Overnight, it will

be fine. The end of the day will be quite nice. The wind is not as

strong as earlier today. Temperatures of 13 or 14. Some

spots just a touch lower than that. Tomorrow, a beautiful day. Thank

goodness. Less cloud, a beautiful day. Lots of sunshine and

temperatures are getting warmer, up to 22 degrees. A proper summer's

day. But it is all picking off on Saturday. As we go into tomorrow

evening, the cloud is thickening. As soon as we get into Saturday, it

get hideous. Strong winds gusting 40 miles an our. Loss of they mack.

Showery on Sunday and temperatures about 19 Celsius. We have got more

wet weather on the way. Focus on the Friday, that is the best

weather. Well done for not making the obvious joke. Have I stolen

your thunder? Make the most of our weather