06/09/2011 South Today

Hello, I'm Sally Taylor. Welcome to South Today. In tonight's

programme: Gale force winds and driving rain cause disruption and

damage across the South. It is very rare that we cancel any crossing,

especially for the high-speed fairings. But it is only the second

day this year we have had to cancel due to weather.

The war memorial stripped by thieves for its lead.

Trapped indoors because of a faulty lift - the pensioner who feels like

a prisoner in her own home. Nobody should be in a box, in a coffin

like this. That is how I class it now.

We are on patrol with soldiers from the South and one of the most

remote settlements in the Falklands It may only be the first week of

September, but the South woke this morning to scenes more like mid-

winter. Gale force winds and driving rain caused travel

disruption and damage. The strongest gust of wind was recorded

at The Needles on the Isle of Wight at 86 miles per hour. Some ferry

crossings from Portsmouth and Weymouth were cancelled. Hovercraft

and Red Jet services to the Isle of Wight were suspended for a time.

And the National Trust shut two of its venues because of fears the

strong winds could bring down debris from trees onto staff and

visitors. Our reporter Chris Coneybeer has been looking at

today's unseasonal events and joins us from Portsmouth.

In the winter we expect this sort of thing, but not at the end of

summer. It has really been very rough indeed today. Some of the

gusts have been very powerful. We have been out and about getting a

taste of this unseasonable weather. At its peak, it was officially a

Severe Gale, force nine on the Beaufort scale. And you could feel

it from the seafront at Southsea. So strong it was difficult to stand

up at times. The big ferries managed to keep sailing to the Isle

of Wight and France, but for much of the day the high-speed craft

were suspended. The service that we operate is based on wave height. If

it is over three metres, we cannot operate. Indications are that

tomorrow it should be much less than three metres so we should be

OK. From South Sea we watched a hovercraft set out for the Isle of

Wight. It found the going tough and was evidently struggling to make

headway in this -- the Solent. is not what we are used to. It is

quite frightening. It has not even stopped raining so far. It is

horrible. Awful. Inland, there was disruption, too. In Dorset,

Kingston Lacy was closed by the National Trust for the day, and so

was brown sea island. In West Sussex, this windmill lost a blade,

another casualty of the high wind. On the road, some roots were

blocked as trees were blown down, including the A334. Tree surgeons

were quickly brought in but large volumes of traffic face to

divergence today. His primary school in Southampton faced a

particular problem. Rain poured into the building, making it

apparent that led had been stolen from the roof. We want everyone to

start off on a good year, and it is soul-destroying to see this problem.

To suffer this mindless damage is sickening. The severe weather had

been forecast, but it is not what we expect at this time of year. I

can tell you that a haul of the British Isles has been subject to

gales at some point today. -- the hall of the British Isles. But in

the South we have been feeling the force of it with the wind coming

off the sea. It is an unwelcome reminder of what could be in store

for us in the months to come. Let's talk a bit more about this

weather. Not what we expect in September Reham. But is it that

unusual? It is not massively unusual but it is the early nests

in the season so we are not mentally prepared for it. Things

like this can happen in August as well. Is it anything to do with the

remnants of Hurricane Irene. I know there is a lot of talk about it

being related to Hurricane Irene. Strictly speaking, it passed

through to Iceland last week but there is always the chance of

humidity trapped in the upper atmosphere, which can deepen any

low pressure making it more vigorous. Is it a sign of things to

come? It is too far ahead. It is just a sign of what the weather is

doing on a daily basis, very changeable. It can happen at any

time of the year, so it should not really worry people too much. But

who knows? You will be back with a full four caps later on in the

programme. -- forecast.

As we saw in that report, lead had been stolen from a roof. That is a

growing trend with nettles. -- Metals. These plaques were the

names of civilians killed in the Blitz in Portsmouth. They are

thought to have been stolen to be melted down. Now another war

memorial has been damaged. The vicar and churchwardens

discovered on Sunday that the church of Sir Nicholas had been

targeted by thieves. The Lydgate had been stripped of most of its

lead. They could not remove all of it and some damaged strips remain.

The gate doubles as the war memorial for the village, which the

vicar says makes it more the more upsetting. It is upsetting because

men have given their lives in the First and Second World War.

Somebody is desperate to come and take the lead but they have

desecrated something that has been standing there for many years, in

memory of people that have given their lives. The Norman church has

been targeted before, with a credence table stolen and the

vestry door damaged where thieves tried the smash the lock with a

hammer. The value of the lead is estimated to be about �40 but

replacing it could cost more than �1,000 and it is not covered by

insurance. The father believes that whoever stole the lead may not have

thought it was a war memorial. He is asking them to think about their

consciences and either return it, or make a donation here.

A former Labour MP who had a second home in Southampton is to face 21

charges relating to claims she made for Parliamentary expenses.

Margaret Moran was the MP for Luton South. She's accused of claiming

more than �20,000 for the treatment of dry rot at her Southampton home.

She's also accused of forgery, where it's alleged she submitted

false invoices to support her expenses claims.

A Brighton woman in her 80s says she feels like a prisoner in her

own home after being told the lift to her top floor flat will be out

of action for several weeks. Constance Young says it is now

nearly impossible for her to climb the 72 steps to her 6th floor home.

The council says it is trying to deal with the problem as soon as

possible. Paul Siegert reports. The council says it will take seven

weeks to fix this lift. It is the third time this year it has broken

down. In the meantime those living on the top floor have to navigate

the 72 steps every time they want to go home. Not so easy when you

are renew 80s. Without the lift I am lost. I cannot continually do

those stairs. I have to go to the doctors, or into hospital, and I

need to walk down there. I don't want to go into one of these carry

things where they carry you down. I would be too nervous to do that.

The lift operators say the delay is because the spare parts need to

come from abroad. One local councillor says that is simply not

good enough. I would like to see a maintenance contract which is

effective and gets the job done speedily. This is not the only lift

that breaks down on this estate. Then one of the other blocks, the

police were stranded on a 999 response call between floors only

three months ago. It is just not acceptable. Honour has lived here

since the 1970s and says that the lift problems have left her feeling

like a prisoner. -- Constance. has affected me mentally. Nobody

should be left in a box, in a coffin like this. That is how I

class it now. She has to rely on help of friends and neighbours much

more than she would like because now her trips outside go no further

than the lift door. Still to come in this evening's

South Today: Will the brollies come down tonight? A long wait for the

one day international at the Rose Bowl.

They've won medals in Afghanistan, they've recently been based in

Cyprus and they had a starring role at the Royal Wedding. But now

soldiers from the the South's infantry regiment are getting to

grips with life on the cold and windy Falkland Islands. For most of

the troops, it's their first trip to the islands, recaptured by

British forces in 1982. In the second of his reports, Steve

Humphrey goes on patrol with the troops in one of the Falkland's

remotest settlements. You can experience all four seasons

in just one day here in the Falklands. The winds often fierce

and at the moment the monitors are hovering around freezing point. It

is quite a challenging environment was soldiers from the Princess of

Wales's Royal Regiment out on patrol. We have an important role

to reassure the locals that the British still have a presence here

and we are here to look after them. Everything will be all right

because we are here. While they are run the Falkland Islands, the

soldiers carry out a series of patrols in the outlying settlements.

We are about three hours' drive from Stanley. Some of the people

here only get to Stanley a few times a year. It is a small

settlement. There are 19 adults, nine children and 59,000 sheep. The

arrival of soldiers on patrol is a major highlight for the people here.

There you go. I have some more for you in a second. Mervyn works on

the sheep farm, and he and his wife and children are a traditional

Falklands family. You have had the soldiers here for a couple of days.

What do you think of that? They are great child minders. It is lovely

because the kids get to see another side of life. They have a

restricted view of it and they get to see things. We have 15 of them

round for fish and chips because they had been fishing. They brought

in the guns and the equipment and the kids love it. It was another

view of life. British troops liberated the islands after the

Argentinian invasion in 1982. Despite continuing tensions between

the two countries, all of the people in this settlement are

determined to stay British. I like the idea from the Houses of

Parliament that we have our own determination and our determination

is bridges because our ancestors were British. Why should we not

have that right? Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but

mine is British and always will be. For the soldiers, their job in the

Falklands is a contrast to recent deployments. The Princess of Wales

regiment was formed in 1992. Many soldiers have seen frontline

service in Afghanistan. They have also done garrison duty in Cyprus.

And after returning to the UK, they were involved in the royal wedding

earlier this year. On the Falklands, they have learned just how tough

conditions were for the troops that fought here in 1982. Looking around

now, to actually travels through the areas they did, and cut through

the areas they did with this type of weather, I think it would have

been a bit of a nightmare. And to patrol all of that way and finish

with a fight, I think that would have been quite an epic journey.

These soldiers will soon be handing responsibility for maintaining

infantry presence on the islands to another regiment. Then they will

return to the UK and swap warm camouflage clothing for blue tunics

and polished boots as they prepare for more ceremonial duties.

And tomorrow, Steve and cameraman Doug Manning will be catching up

with a Portsmouth warship that left for the Falklands four years ago

and has never returned. The new Bishop of Winchester was

announced today. The Reverend Canon Tim Dakin is head of the Church

Mission Society and a member of the Church of England's ruling body.

He'll officially take up his new role next Spring. Sarah Holmes went

to Southampton Airport to meet him. It was the first day back at school

The Reverend Canon was keen to share his vision for the church,

but unusually he chose the airport. More people fly out of here every

year than live in the diocese. is a good place to come to because

it shows the connections the diocese has. He was also keen to

emphasise the inclusivity of the church. It is not a question of

whether the church of England is willing to ordain gay people. We

are don't people that there are called by God. We have no liturgies

for blessing same-sex marriages and I don't think we will be providing

them. A daily act of worship in schools is a legal requirement but

in a BBC survey, two-thirds of parents said this is not happening.

The same number said the law should not be enforced. The act of worship

is a great chance for the school community to reflect on its values.

And to ask how the values are being lived out in the school and how

they will then prepare people for later life. The church of England

has high hopes for the new cannon. Colleagues describe him as a man

who will break down barriers. It was the first day back at school

for thousands of pupils across our region today. It's always a mix of

excitement and nerves but that was particularly true of one school in

Reading. All Saints Junior is one of the first free schools to open

in the country. It's funded directly by central Government

rather than the local authority, giving it more freedom over its

curriculum, teachers' pay and opening hours. Rachael Canter

The first day of school, but fortunately there are not too many

new names to learn. All Saints Junior only has 16 pupils at the

moment. It is a big day for parents that have worked to set this up.

day that we thought would never come. At one part of the campaign

we thought we had lost it but we have not and now we are making

history at the children are run their doing their writing, whatever

it is they are doing. -- in there. It is amazing. This school is run

by an education trust that will not make a profit. The church hall is

only its temporary home. All Saints Junior has been given �1.5 million

by the Government to move to a new building in September next year.

know that pupils will come from the infant school into the junior

school on an ongoing basis. We are delighted to have 16 children

starting with us today. It is a leap of faith for the parents. You

don't know what you will get and it is brand new. What would you give

this call out of 10? And eight. Free schools like this have not got

top marks from everyone. The Labour Party and several teaching unions

say that they will weekend poor- performing schools by attracting

the best students. Free schools will take resources from existing

education budgets and existing schools. They may well take pupils

from existing schools, which will destabilise the system across a

local authority. If we have free schools like All Saints Junior,

that work with us like they have, then we will work with them. They

have chosen to be inclusive and advised us on what they are doing.

The only other free school in the South opens in Crawley on Thursday.

For both, this is one learning experience that is being monitored

closely. It's the latest innovation to help

train medical personnel in dealing with major injuries. This

prosthetic neck allows medics to practise making an incision through

skin to open a patient's airway. It's been developed by the

Berkshire company Amputees In Action. They supply actors who have

lost their limbs to take part in training exercises, as well as

special effects make-up to simulate the injuries medics may encounter.

When they have seen the reaction, it has always been how scary it was.

They think they are cutting into the person and you can see the fear.

It is like the fear made them step up to another level, which was

really good. A bus service staffed by volunteer

drivers has started picking up passengers in Wootton Bridge on the

Isle of Wight. The scheme will replace the Wight bus, which was

stopped at the end of August as part of cuts by the council. The

RMT Union says it fundamentally disagrees with the scheme but one

volunteer driver says he's proud to be part of the initiative. I think

it is a very good thing to do for satisfaction. It just makes you

feel good that you are helping people that cannot always get out

normally, especially the elderly and people that are stuck in

villages. An impressive flotilla of ships

from a variety of nations and eras of history has taken to the water

in West Sussex. Precision model makers from around the world have

been in Littlehampton to revive a tradition that dates back to the

1920s. Ben Moore reports. In Littlehampton Britain does indeed

rule the pond. It is modelling in miniature and we try, as far as we

are able, to get things right. Despite their size, there is

history behind these scale models. Some have come from Switzerland and

Germany. Some are stars in their own right. This is a 1-100 scale of

Portsmouth's HMS Illustrious. Lusty, to her friends. For others there is

a personal connection. My father was an officer on this ship in 1944.

777 was a very lucky number. It was one of a group of them in Ostend

harbour in 1945. There was a major fire. Although 777 was smack in the

middle of it, it was not damaged. The attention to detail is

staggering. Every line and every life voted exact. Modern mechanics

power the boat and the event is a rebirth of an old tradition.

found this one for black and white photographs dating to the 1920s,

which shows a perfectly scaled Dreadnought sailing on the pond. We

thought we should get warships back on this pond. This is a model Navy,

by any standard. Quite realistic when you get down to looking at the

detail! Now we have the sport. We have had terrible by four across

the South. Lots of rain and wind. - - terrible weather. We have not had

any plate for that one day international at the Rose Bowl.

yet. I am following the BBC feed, and at 7 o'clock we will get a much

reduced match. They will play 23 overs per side. Effectively like a

Twenty20 game and they hope there will be no more rain this evening.

These are pictures today at the Rose Bowl. Heavy rain. The

groundsman there, poor chap. They had the Test match earlier this

year which was pretty much washed out. Now 21,000 fans, and they are

hiding. Such expectation as well. Everybody looking forward to an

international at the Rose Bowl. It would have been good. Absolutely

and what can they do? The weather haunts them. The Indian side are

going to bat, not surprising because they won the toss. They put

them in. It will be difficult for them because it is wet. The game

will start at 7 o'clock and you can follow it on the BBC radio stations

and online tonight. One of the country's leading young

motor racing drivers is recovering after six hours of surgery as part

of his treatment for cancer. Less than a year ago Dean Stoneman was

testing with Formula 1 teams, but he was diagnosed with testicular

cancer and has undergone two courses of chemotherapy this year

in addition to the surgery. The operation has been described by his

doctors as a success, and Dean hopes to continue on the road to

recovery, and one day to be back behind the wheel.

Another of the signings who Brighton and Hove Albion hope could

fire them into the Premier League trained with his new team mates for

the first time today. The Spanish winger Vicente Rodriguez joins the

Albion after being released by Valencia in the summer. He has 38

caps for Spain and has played at the very top of the club game too,

having appeared in the Champions League.

Congratulations tonight to a brother and sister team who have

claimed national titles for the second consecutive year in their

sport. Sapphire Dallard from Poole and her brother Jasper were winners

of the National Championships in 2010 in Junior Trampolining's DMT

class. This year they've done the double again. Both will now

represent Great Britain at the World Championships in November.

You may remember earlier this year I tried out with the Southampton

Mustangs baseball team. Well, the Mustangs have enjoyed another

successful season and last week beat Croydon 12-8 to claim a place

in the national finals to be contested by the best four teams in

their league. This weekend they face the daunting prospect of

playing Lakenheath, a team of US I have forgotten you had done that.

It was great fun. They clearly did well without me! So did not get

paid? I am very upset. You can run fast when you of chasing something.

Now, come on, it has been dreadful for everybody. It is not my fault!

Don't be defensive. I want to know It will not be as windy as it has

been today for the rest of the week. We have had some nice pictures

today. Keep them coming in. Lots of people are using a weather to their

advantage. It was wild at Boston this morning under the Pier.

Sandbanks making hard work of the ferry crossing in stormy conditions.

I have given you some weather with the cricket already, but this is

another nice one. It was wet and windy and the winds have been the

main story of the day. Gusting up to 86 mph on the Isle of Wight, and

even elsewhere across our region. It has been a windy day and the

breeze is still around. Not as strong as during the daytime. It

will be dry and cooler overnight. This cloud brought us the rain and

the winds. North of Scotland, you would think they would have had the

worst conditions, but we have had that cold front across our region.

The isobars are focusing here so we have had the worst of the winds in

the South. This evening we will see a couple of showers, becoming

lighter and fading away overnight. Dry, breezy and cooler night to

come. Temperatures go down, 11 to 12 by dawn. It dry start to

tomorrow morning and think it will be bright to begin with. Lots of

sunny spells through the morning but then the distinguishing feature

will be increasing cloud. By the afternoon quite a lot of cloud. 18

degrees is average for this time of year, but the breeze will still be

there but not as windy as today. Into the evening, the next week to

-- feature pushes in. Some damp conditions of Thursday morning.

Temperatures on the mild side, generally speaking. A cloudy and

damp start to the day on Thursday. From the West we will see a drier

and brighter end to the day. The winds will be brisker at first but

then easing. Generally lighter than those on Wednesday. Very cloudy to

start on Friday and it will persist for coastal Rhys -- regions. But

then more rain on Saturday. We hope the cricket will get going. You

have some text messages coming in. Michael from Southampton was there