31/07/2014 South East Today


31/07/2014

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Transcript


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This has been a disaster but it is not going to stop the town doing a

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really fantastic summer. Yesterday's fire, which is being

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treated as unexplained, quickly engulfed a large part of the

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pier, and brought many people out to One of the few things you come to

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see, it has gone now. They should start rebuilding it now.

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We'll be finding out what lessons can be learned

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from the experience of two other South East piers destroyed by fire.

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A crucial meeting for Manston's future?

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The council decides whether to press for a compulsory purchase.

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The private ambulance company still taking too long to pick up patients.

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Eastbourne's famous pier lies in partial ruins and, all day,

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investigators have been checking to see the extent of the damage.

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It was finally put out at lunch time, the fire. Fire investigators

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still do not know what the cause was. They have been assessing the

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damage throughout the day. Our reporter has been following events.

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For hours, flames and smoke engulfed Eastbourne Pier.

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This morning, this was what remained.

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The skeletal structure proving a tourist attraction

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in itself, as fire crews continued to dampen down hotspots.

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Today, one of those working on the pier who had to be evacuated,

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20 minutes to half an hour, the flames started coming out.

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It wasn't as bad as I thought but I could smell wood burning we passed.

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Within an hour, the whole of it went.

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The cause of the fire is currently unexplained but tonight

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the police and Fire Service have said they are not ruling out arson.

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We were lucky with the wind yesterday.

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We haven't been as lucky with the wind on other fires on piers.

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Had the wind been blowing from the north to the south, we could

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have seen a very rapid fire spread along it and we could've lost it.

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Looking back from the sea, we took a structural engineer to

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He has helped restore similar piers destroyed by fire in the past.

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How does this compare to the damage done the Hastings Pier?

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It is only 25% of the whole of the pier.

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Most importantly, the Fire Brigade did a great job in

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containing it, and it is right by the land so it is very accessible.

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At low tide, it is high tide now, you can get under the pier with men

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and machines to restore it without using expensive marine plant.

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A third of the pier has been completely destroyed.

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Fire crews are still at the scene trying to secure it and their

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The local MP said he would like to see it reopened by next year.

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I am bringing everyone together because I want to get moving

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We will start putting together a schedule

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of repairs with the owners, pushing on that so there is no danger in a

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I want the whole town to do what it does best which is to pull together

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over this dreadful episode, and remind everyone at the

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business. A benevolent fund has been set up to help those who were

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But, as the clear`up gets under way, the question for most is how soon

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can this iconic structure be restored to its former glory?

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This isn't quite the image of Eastbourne people in the town were

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hoping to project at the height of the tourist season. This is an

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iconic image of Eastbourne, it must be devastating.

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It is such an important, cultural, heritage and tourist attraction. The

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first time I have seen it close, it is so sad. Unfortunately, we are

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used to seeing this image in Hastings and in Brighton.

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The gallery enjoys the benefits tourism brings with it. Will it have

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an impact? Not a big impact, because there are

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so many cultural attractions, heritage attractions in Eastbourne.

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We work closely with all of our cultural past `` partners and the

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council, to make sure there is a strong offer in the town. Eastbourne

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is open for business, as the leader of the council said earlier. What is

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interesting, we have over 22 paintings in our collection of

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Eastbourne Pier, and a wonderful photograph taken by Simon Roberts

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who did a project photographing the 58 remaining in the country. It

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feels ironic now, these wonderful postcards the people to share their

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images about Eastbourne Pier. A lot of people have been coming in,

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looking at the photograph, wanting to share their memories. It is

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important for tourism. But important for our local community. A source of

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nostalgia and collective memory. It was the last thing be expected, the

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tourists, the locals on the beach yesterday, enjoying the sunshine.

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Suddenly, this is Gaelic seaside scene, engulfed in flames. Many of

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them were shocked and stunned. Many have come down today to have another

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look. It is just about sinking in but they did not expect to see it.

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Some were talking about how they never expected to be swept up by the

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events. We have come down now

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and we think it will be saved. It is an important part,

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it matters to people. What do you make of the pier

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and what has happened? I feel sorry for the other

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shops that have lost business. There are

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a few things you come to see. I started crying, basically,

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to see it. There are people

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in Eastbourne who have found This is the hotel and the guests

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watched the flames take hold. The manager has only been

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in the job for a month and ended up emergency services. We had all the

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staff, 200 rounds of sandwiches, hundreds of cups of tea, for the

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emergency services. They did, guests helping with

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sandwiches and clearing up. A lot

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of the guests did not expect this A lot of people have been saying

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they are prepared to do what they can to get it back up and running.

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One man who will be closely involved in the plan to restore it is the

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leader of the council. What is the plan now?

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We met as a business community this morning. We have looked at

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short`term, it is about the people, those who have events booked here,

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have alternatives so they are not disappointed. Making sure those who

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have concessions continue to trade, making offers to them.

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They have lost age meant as amount. They have not got insurance, it is a

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personal loss to them. The event on the 14th of August, we will offer

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them free stands so they have somewhere to trade. At Eastbourne

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market as well. To offer implement to those individuals. What about the

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pier itself, where will the money come? It is insured, which is good

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news. We had a meeting with the owners. We will maintain close

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contact with them. They are waiting to find out the results of a

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structural survey once the Fire investigators are away. Then we

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clear up and look at how we can get back to business as usual.

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One of the things that makes this all the more poignant for people is

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the rich history of the pier which is what we will touch on data in the

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programme. `` later. The future

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of Manston Airport could depend on the outcome of a meeting of Thanet

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Council tonight, as they consider the possibility of a compulsory

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purchase of the 750`acre site. A detailed report suggests it would

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take a minimum investment of ?100 million to make it

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successful, but it also highlights how Southend Airport in Essex has

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managed to reinvent itself. In a moment,

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we will talk to our correspondent But first, Louise Stewart has sent

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this report from Southend Airport. Passengers taking off on holiday

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from Southend Airport today. This summer has seen business

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here reach new heights. Since being taken over in 2008,

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the airport has had a ?120 million revamp including to

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transport and infrastructure. 25% of our passengers use either

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the roads or public transport, the railway station, straight

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into Stratford and up from there. That is appealing to passengers

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and that will increase in volume. Thanks to the investment

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and infrastructure, this airport In the summer of 2011,

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there was only one commercial flight Now, there are four different

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airlines flying from here to It is this success

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which gives hope to campaigners who believe Manston in Kent could still

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have a commercial future. A report for Thanet District

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Council said the most significant development to Southend

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was a new station within walking There could be

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a million passengers going into Manston within a couple of years

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soon as that is completed. For passengers at Southend,

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good transport links are It is brilliant, the timing

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of the trains, every 15 minutes. Convenience

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doesn't come cheap. The report found Manston needs

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hundreds of millions of pounds of investment if it were to be able

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to replicate Southend's success. I'm joined now by our correspondent,

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Mark Norman, in Margate. Mark,

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we just saw in Louise's report how successful Southend Airport has been

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after big infrastructure projects. They found someone to spend all that

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money. Everyone thought the owner would be the same person to do it

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for Manston. They need to find someone who will spend millions. But

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you need to find someone who will bear `` by the airport. Campaigners

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say the council should do that with a compulsory purchase order, that is

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up for discussion. Campaigners are worried it will get dried out.

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A man has been sent to prison for the third time

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in barely a month for persistently harassing a member of the public.

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Kahal Sene, who's from Brighton, was first sent to prison last month.

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On release, he then broke a Domestic Violence Prevention Order aimed

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at stopping him from contacting his victim, so was sent to prison again.

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Today, he was imprisoned for a third time after breaking that order, too.

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A waste site in North Kent, which has been the subject

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of a legal battle, is to be fenced in by the Environment Agency.

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Waste4Fuel owns the site, but none of their workers has been

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The agency says that the fencing will secure the area

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and reduce the chances of anti`social behaviour and arson.

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Children as young as 11 are being investigated for sending indecent

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images to each other by text message. Kent Police say they have

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investigated 40 similar cases and are warning teenagers will not be

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immune from prosecution. One of the South East's largest

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private ambulance providers, NSL, is still taking too long to pick up

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some patients, after the latest inspection by health care regulator,

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the Care Quality Commission. It found that the service failed to

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show improvements in a number Dorothy Marsh has been home

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for two weeks, She had been in hospital

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for a month after falling in her flat, and was relieved when

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she could told she could leave. Then she said, I'm sorry,

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we are short`staffed, Finally, after waiting two and a

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half days, Dorothy was brought home. Except she was taken to

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the wrong address. One of the nurses said it was better

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when they had ambulances, they would ring up for someone to go

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home, they came to take them home. The results of the

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Care Quality Commission latest reports in March have revealed

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there are still problems. Changes have been made

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and they are continuing apace. We are working closely with

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the commissioners. The service is a long way

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from where it was last year. The accountable officer for

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NHS West Kent CCG admitted that their advert for the tender had

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been based on incorrect patient transport numbers, something they

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rectified six months later. They say they are continuing to

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work with NSL Kent to improve. It is disappointing, coming

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in the wake of other CQC reports. I sense some frustration

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the previous recommendations have It is not

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the ambulance drivers' fault. The family say she had better not

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need the hospital again Work to assess the extent of the

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damage to Eastbourne Pier, and causes the fire that badly damaged

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a third of it, has begun today. It's thought that an electrical

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fault may be to blame. The couple who've recorded every

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year of their relationship, Some unsettled weather is making its

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way to us at the weekend is not a complete wash`out. The forecast is

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at the end of the programme. A couple from East Sussex have used

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photobooth pictures to document every year of their relationship,

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spanning 14 years and two children. Giles Paley`Phillips

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and his wife Michelle first snapped themselves a month

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into their courtship, and then It is an annual event that started

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14 years ago but, for Michelle and Giles, the trip to the photobooth

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has become a family event, providing a snapshot of their life together.

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Right, stand up. We were in Brighton Station, on a

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day out. I saw the photobooth. I just turned to Michelle and said,

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shall we have our photo taken? We have not been seeing each other for

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that long. Just to see if she was up for it. She was. A year later, we

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were in a similar place, Brighton again, and we decided to do another

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one. It carried on from there. Here we go. Yes! This is your last try.

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We will take that one. We will take that one. Michelle and

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has a collection, charting their changing hairstyles, more

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importantly, the changes in their relationship from going out, to

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married life, having children. The third one, we were married, it

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seemed a nice way of carrying it on and documenting our life as it was

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continuing together. And the kids? The kids, the first

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one, there is one with me in a green coat. It was our first night out

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without him. Six months later. It was very exciting for us to be out

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on our own for the first time. After that, we thought it would be nice to

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have them in with us. We have our photobooth anniversary.

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Michelle and Giles say they will continue with their tradition every

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year but fear that photobooth might be phased out in the digital age.

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Our main story, many of you have been posting photos and comments on

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Facebook about Eastbourne Pier. Hugh Wilton, taken last night,

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as the fire crews were still It?s "a sad day for Eastbourne

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and its pier". It really shows how huge

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the fire was at its height. I spent several holidays

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in Eastbourne, and love Kim Sweet took this panoramic shot

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from the beach, showing Eastbourne Pier ablaze,

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with hundreds of onlookers. It really captures how

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the building has been reduced to "Let's hope a quick decision is made

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to rebuild this wonderful asset to Let's cross back to Polly

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in Eastbourne. Clearly a huge well of affection

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for the pier in the town. That is correct. It is just about

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sinking in that the pier has been so badly damaged by the fire. People

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coming back in disbelief to take pictures to remind themselves it has

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happened. There were people here yesterday who could not believe what

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they were seeing. Amongst them, Elaine and Gareth, here on

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honeymoon. What were you thinking as you saw it in flames?

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It was a shock, surreal comic is it happening? We saw the smoke from the

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town centre. Someone said the pier was on fire. What was yesterday

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evening like for you, Gareth? It was very surreal, you could not

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believe it was actually happening. It has only been sinking in today,

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to see the extent. You will certainly remember your honeymoon.

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This is one of three that were designed by the Victorian designer,

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and two piers have already been ravaged by fire. That has

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In 2003, Brighton's West Pier burned down and to this day remains

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Then, in 2010, an arson attack following years of neglect led

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to almost all of Hastings Pier to be destroyed by fire.

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But unlike Brighton, it's now undergoing

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fallen `` so, can Eastbourne learn lessons from this? Storm damage and

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fire were the main threats. In 2010, Hastings Pier, built in 1872, was

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engulfed in flames. Some feared it spelt the end of a pier that had

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suffered neglect. After a long campaign, a restoration plan was

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born. The majority of the structure here,

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we are fortunate, the columns which date back to Victorian times, are in

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sound condition. But, above that, you can see the galvanised pieces,

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we have had to replace a lot of trusts work and bracing and

:22:53.:22:53.

steelworks. Work is in full swing. It is the

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local public passion that has helped the Hastings get off the ground and

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may be the key to Eastbourne Pier being restored. People have a great

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fondness for them related to heritage personal memories.

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The target is for the work to be finished in a year, for a grand

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summer opening in 2015. In contrast, here in Eastbourne, the

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lights are likely to be out for some time. Restorations like this are

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complex physically and financially. In its favour, it is historically

:23:32.:23:36.

important, opened in 1870, the finest remaining pier.

:23:37.:23:46.

The pier has suffered many disasters. A big one in 1872 when

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the shore and was washed away. A fire in 1870. This is a continuing

:23:53.:23:58.

involvement. Our love of these structures is not

:23:59.:24:04.

enough to save them. The one in Brighton is slowly being claimed by

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the sea. People will hope it will be more than starlings visiting

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Eastbourne Pier in the years to come.

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I'm joined now by veteran broadcaster Michael Fish, who spends

:24:21.:24:23.

How much does this mean to the town? Five generations of my family have

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lived in Eastbourne, it was the best pier in the world and it will be

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once again. I have many fond memories. The theatre is the only

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one way you can sit in your seat and have the seas sloshing around your

:24:53.:24:56.

feet. My grand daughter is three and is never started `` devastated.

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One little girl said, her father is a fire fighter, she said she was

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glad he could save it. We are all devastated, of course. It

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had a soft play area, a carousel for the young kids.

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I feel like I should be asking you to do the weather forecast. Instead,

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we will go to Georgina. It would have been a lovely

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summer's date under normal circumstances in Eastbourne. If we

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look at the picture earlier, for most of our region, lovely sunshine

:25:47.:25:53.

around, not much cloud. Temperatures up to 24 Celsius. A little cooler

:25:54.:25:58.

along the coast. A bit breezy as well. This evening, a largely dry

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and warm night, some showers to the north. A couple major cull in but

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most of us will escape. Temperatures up to 17 degrees. Tomorrow is a day

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of sunshine and showers but those showers will be isolated. Many of us

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will escape them altogether. Temperatures up to 23 Celsius but

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along the south coast making it fairly to 20. Tomorrow night, we are

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more likely to see heavy showers. Another warm night, similar

:26:37.:26:41.

temperatures. Some showers will be pretty heavy. Saturday, that is

:26:42.:26:47.

looking a wet day. Lots of those showers coming up from the

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continent. Quite thundery, some lightning in there as well. You may

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be able to escape them in between. Certainly, drying up at the time you

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get to Sunday. Sunday is looking a much better day of the weekend. Much

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drier, brighter, temperatures still in the low 20s, not as warm as it

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has been. The weekend isn't a washed out. There's temperatures rise on

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Monday. No one could have expected the drama

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of the last few days, certainly not the holiday`makers. But Eastbourne

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Pier has survived in the past, survived an order to have it

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destroyed, so there is every sense of optimism she can be resurrected

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again. MUSIC: "All About You"

:27:41.:28:26.

by McFly

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