13/01/2017 South Today

In tonight's programme. and on BBC One we now join the BBC's

Families left stunned as a dementia charity closes down four

Absolutely devastated to hear the news.

My husband attends here three days a week.

For him, it's going to end his world.

Controversial plans to flatten this New Forest landmark -

and replace it with retirement flats.

How this man's best friend keeps the pigeons away

They're very easy to train, they're very easy to get to do

They're almost like the Labrador of the bird world.

And some of this room is real, some of it is an optical illusion.

We reveal the artist behind it all as a major

Four day care centres helping people with dementia in Surrey

The Alzheimer's Society says it can't afford

Dementia, including Alzheimer's, has overtaken heart disease

as the leading cause of death in England.

It's responsible for one in nine recorded deaths.

There are currently 850,000 sufferers in the UK.

There's uncertainty over where else the residents can go

Let's join Joe Campbell outside one of the centres, in Haslemere.

Their centre here is very much at the heart of his town. It was set up

by local people and has been the beneficiary of the mayor's charity

on a number of occasions. You can imagine the devastation when people

were told on Wednesday that come the end of March, it will be no more.

Today, we were here as people arrived with their families who are

looked after here at the centre, and also some of those who do the

looking after them. Among them was John with his wife Margaret, and she

explained just how devastating it will be for them.

John, my husband, attends here three days a week.

For him it's going to end his world, basically.

This is his world now, the way that the carers

For me it means that I will be unable to work and run the farm.

We are due to go into the lambing season soon,

But for John it's the security, it's the caring, it's his world now.

The Alzheimer's Society says people like John at the centre of its very

reason for being, the simple fact is not enough people are coming here

for it to pay its way. Surrey County Council has today expressed

disappointment at the closure of these centres. The Alzheimer Society

would say that the county council is in no small way sharing in the blame

for what is happening here, because it has withdrawn funding for

semi-people who used use its centres. Later this afternoon, I

caught up with John Barlow as he was having his hair cut edge so many

people. Because of his dementia, you find it difficult to him that it

will make him sad when this place closes.

Now, various members of the families of those who come hell are due to

meet with the Alzheimer's Society at the start of next month, but already

they are looking at ways they can contribute before the society

leaves. The centres are used

by a mixture of clients paid for by Surrey Social Services

and self funders. At little earlier, Chris Wyatt

from the Alzheimer's Society told me it had been a difficult decision

to close the service. It has been devastating

for everybody. Not only our clients and carers

and volunteers, but also our staff, who are hugely trained

and very professional. But also very caring, and have got

to know people really well. And it's incredibly sad

that we've had to reach Is there a glimmer of hope that

at least one may stay open, or indeed that there could be

a further dialogue with We'll be exploring all the different

sorts of options that Indeed, one of the services

that we had had to close last year has now been taken over by a group

of people that have formed their own charity

and they are running at themselves. formed their own charity and they

are running that themselves. What message does it send

if even you are having I think at the nub of it,

nobody is getting the right level We used to have funding both

from health and also county council to provide block contract funding

to support our day services. We get none of that now at all,

and that's a very dire situation for all people who wish

to still live as healthily Who wouldn't want a day off

at home on a Friday? The answer is thousands

of Southern Rail passengers who were unable to get to work

because of the third strike this The dispute is about what's known

as Driver Only Operation - or DOO - where the train doors

are opened and closed remotely by the driver in the cab

instead of the guard. Our transport correspondent

Paul Clifton has been Driver only operation,

where the driver works the train doors, is safe,

according to Brian Denton, but only with the right equipment

at stations with platform staff. Some of the trains that Southern

operate our 15 years old. Inherently, it is safe

if it is correctly applied. Now, the technology,

in particularly the earlier 377s that are used by Southern trains

is on par with, say, He was a union official,

and later a manager. Drivers currently employed

by Southern are not The image and quality

that the driver can see in his cab mounted screens is less

than it could be. It's quite old technology,

and it is low resolution. The last driver's strike

on Southern was 17 years ago. Brian says drivers are not militant,

and the highly paid drivers earn Most don't care for the politics

of this strike, he says. But they do feel that some safety

systems aren't up to the job. But the following week,

conductors strike on Monday, and then the drivers strike

on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. It will be even more

disruptive than this week. Many Southern Rail passengers caught

up in the dispute feel their needs Robin Marchant from Worthing was one

of them and he decided So Robin has organised a series

of peaceful protests We moved out of London for,

you know, better quality of life. I knew I'd be commuting,

but I didn't realise I'd be I don't get home until eight,

nine o'clock on most nights. That has a massive

impact on my kids. My wife wants me home

at a certain time to do Maisie calls London "stinky London",

because she understands that I'd just go for long periods of time

and don't come back. Just before Christmas,

I'd been on a four hour horrendous journey, I was angry,

I was on the train and I started a Facebook event protest for three

days, a passenger protest for three We've got over 2000 people

and they voted to build memorials of flowers at London Bridge,

London Victoria, Brighton Starting on Tuesday, and it

continues Wednesday, Thursday. The idea is people can lay flowers

within their normal commute to show their frustration

at all the people involved. The government, the unions,

Southern management, and just want a resolution

and a better service, which has been horrendous on non-strike days

as well as strike days. The service is terrible

all the time. A Southern rail manager. --

passenger. A man has pleaded guilty to raping

a teenager on the Isle of Wight. The 18-year-old was picked up

in Sandown High Street and then driven to a secluded car park

in Niton, where she was Kevin Finch, 36, of no fixed abode,

has been remanded in custody to be It's a landmark building

on what's called the gateway But a developer is seeking

permission to knock down the Park Hotel in Lyndhurst

and replace it with more Because these would be assisted

living accommodation, there's no requirement to include

affordable housing - but that's what opponents say

the village desperately needs. The 19th-century Lyndhurst

Park Hotel has been shut It can now be demolished to make way

for 74 retirement flats Mum of two Rachel is one

of hundreds opposing the idea. The main objection is

that the development doesn't meet the local need

for affordable housing. I know of a number of families

who have had to leave Lyndhurst to be able to afford to buy

property, or to upsize. The nature of the developer is such

that planners can't insist that It was built around 1815

as a residential mansion, during which time it was

used for smuggling. Then it becomes a more residential

place, during which time the author of Jekyll and Hyde,

Robert Louis Stevenson, who also who also wrote Treasure Island

and Kidnapped, stayed And then it becomes a hotel

about a hundred years ago. During which time Margaret Thatcher,

the Beatles stayed here. The developers, Pegasus Life,

were not available to be interviewed today, but in a statement

they say their proposals will enhance the site and bring huge

benefits for the village. They also say they've

done their own investigations and found that the building has

limited heritage value. Public consultation ends today,

and the new Forest National Park authority will be discussing

the matter in the next Some coastal communities

in West Sussex and Hampshire are being warned to prepare

for possible flooding tonight. Temporary flood defence walls have

been put up along the River Arun's east bank in Littlehampton,

to protect nearby homes Large waves and higher-than-usual

water levels are expected to hit parts of the coast

just after midnight. Flood warnings and alerts are also

in place in Arundel, we've put up his temporary flood

barrier that you can see behind us. We've also been busy putting out

some sandbags and other We are expecting some flood alerts,

and we have some flood alert in place already across West Sussex

and Hampshire tonight. And we do have one flood

warning in place at Bosham. Anjana Gadgil meets a hunter that

scares the pidgeons. Willow flies outside

the hospital three times a day She's really become

a local celebrity. Environmental concerns have been

raised over plans to build new homes on and around a lake near Theale

in West Berkshire. It's not the first time the site has

been targeted and developers says they'll provide much needed housing

while also taking measure Opponents think it could put

the area at greater risk. It may look a little barren

and grey in the rain, but this lake formed

from an old gravel gravel pit This is a very important site

for wildlife, primarily for the birds that breed here,

but we're also concerned While the Wildlife Trust understands

the need for housing in this area, we think that developers should look

elsewhere, and there are spaces in Berkshire that we think are more

appropriate for this They fear house-building will harm

and land protected nightingales. It's one of the most important sites

not only in the county, The damage that it would do,

it's just unacceptable. More than 200 houses

could be built here, including 24 floating homes

on the water. But this part of West Berkshire

is prone to flooding, and the Environment Agency has

concerns about the plans, as do The developers say their proposals

go far beyond the new homes They say they're investing

substantially in local infrastructure, and designing

a flood alleviation scheme which will bring

relief to nearby homes. The developer will provide

it with new facilities There's a lot for planners

to consider, but the demand The Thames Valley as a region

is growing very quickly. There's industry is coming in, a lot

of businesses want to be based here, and so that is attracting a lot

of new families. You've got to couple that

with the existing population who want to have homes

for their children and grandchildren Where to put those houses

is a very emotive subject, and this is one of the sites

that is up for discussion The council is due to make a

decision about the plans next month. A drive to save money could see bin

collections in Basingstoke reduced The proposal comes as Hampshire

County Council is cutting opening Basingstoke and Deane Council's due

to discuss the idea next week. It says fortnightly collections

are now common elsewhere. Pigeons nesting at Southampton

General Hospital created four So to deal with it they employed

a full-time Falconer. And each day Andy Crowle goes

to work, he's reminded of his late wife because Sue was treated

for cancer in Southampton. Before she died, she encouraged

Andy to pursue his dream That's her rousing and getting her

feathers in place for flying. High-level operations

above Southampton General Hospital. Willow the Harris hawk casts

an eye on the ground. The aim is that they see

a predator on site, and it deters them from nesting,

and so in that way we Once pigeons have bred here,

it's their home, and they're almost Willow and Rogue are well rewarded,

and they're well-suited to the job. They're very easy to train,

they're very easy to get to do And they're almost like

the Labrador of the bird world. They will follow you

around wherever go. So, Willow flies outside

the hospital three times a day She's really become

a local celebrity. Andy started working

with birds in March, He was encouraged

by his late wife, Sue. Two years ago, my wife bought me

a falconry experience day. And it really sort of unlocked the,

unlocked the lid of that Sue came to Southampton

for her treatment, giving Andy's She would probably be furious

that I dug up the garden But actually, it was Sue

that started it all. You know, she enabled

me to do this, so... I feel that she's had

a hand in it, really. As well as caring for the birds,

Andy's own brood has grown. The day I met him, he became

a grandfather for the second time. We are going to talk about football,

we're going to talk a little bit about what's going to be happening

off the pitch in the new future with Reading. I feel like we have kind of

been here before. Because we have. This has been ongoing for several

years now. Now, that brought some stability, but they want to move on

themselves. Now the question is, is the latest planned takeover going to

happen? Reading were beaten by QPR

at the Madejski stadium on a night where the ongoing impasse over

the protracted takeover of the club by a Chinese brother and sister

pairing was brought to the fore A frustrating night for Reading,

only their second home league defeat of the season. Nevertheless, Jaap

Stam's engineered a fine campaign on the pitch, with the club pushing for

promotion. It has come against a backdrop of more confusion over the

ownership of America. The Royals are currently controlled by a consortium

from Thailand. They're keen to sell. -- the ownership of Reading.

Potential buyers are brother and sister from China. One is a property

developer. They tried and failed with others to buy Hull city last

year. Senior figures at the stadium see the Chinese offer is the dream

ticket, but the Premier League, who still have a say in takeovers of

clubs who could compete in their early, are thought to be cautious.

Last night, Jaap Stam's frustrations over the takeover were made public.

It annoys me that there's nothing told yet. Basically, that they want

to sell the club. I don't know if we can still build the team for next

season or the season after, but we can achieve, you know? There needs

to be structure within the club, the owners and the team need to have a

certain vision within what they want to achieve. I don't know if it's

there at the moment, to be fair. So, well, we need to wait and see what's

going to happen. Former Royal Jamie got this goal just before the

half-hour. This was the closest equalising, just off the bar. Matt

is becoming off the pitch serious, too. -- matters becoming. Fans and

staff are pressing for answers. Indeed.

Here's a look at the top of the championship,

Reading stay third but could be down to fifth by the end of this

Chris Hughton's men have gone 18 league games without defeat,

a run which stretches back to September.

It's seen them overtake big spending Newcastle at the summit,

tomorrow the Albion travel to Preston, managed

Of course, our games against them in recent seasons,

We certainly know what to expect, and the manager has done very,

very well in the time that he's been there, since they were promoted.

In the Premier League, any hopes Bournemouth had of signing

John Terry appear over after his manager ruled out

the prospect of the defender leaving Stamford Bridge this month.

The Cherries are at Hull tomorrow Southampton

are on the road as well, they're at Burnley.

In league one, Swindon are at Bolton, Oxford

In league two, Portsmouth host struggling Leyton Orient,

Pompey have lost just once in the league since November.

BBC Local radio has full commentary of all the games.

One other line of football news tonight.

Basingstoke Town have announced plans to go

The southern league premier division club held a special meeting this

week to plot the way forward after owner and chairman Rafi Razzak

announced he was to step down at the end of the season.

Town now want to launch a drive to gain support from the Basingstoke

community to take the club into their hands.

Our nightly update, because it is getting to the wire.

Gosport sailor Alex Thomson is clawing back the deficit to

There's likely to be just six more days of racing before the boats

arrive in the French port of Les Sables D'Ollonne.

But the leader Armel le Cleach has hit an area of lights wind.

He was moving at a speed of just one knot, while Thomson is moving along

further south in the atlantic at ten knots.

He's bidding to become the first Briton ever to win the single handed

It's a massive weekend, I think in that race now. He needs to narrow

that gap in the next couple of days. I think it's exciting, given that

they've gone right round the world and it's coming down to last few

days. Amazing, isn't it? By Monday night, we'll know just how close

it's going to be. In the 1930s he was one of Britain's

most prolific artists. Rex Whistler produced

everything from romantic portraits to theatrical sets,

book covers to giant murals. He also spent eight months creating

a stunning drawing room So it's appropriate that Mottisfont

is now hosting a major David Allard has been

finding out more. He grew beautifully, just with a

pencil. He was like Spencer. A great, great draughtsman. He was

very humorous. He got on well with people. Portraits, particularly. He

seemed to did get into the heart of people. The sugary seemed to get.

You can't pigeonhole Rex Whistler - as the volunteer guides

at Mottisfont have discovered. From high society portraits

to a soldier's despair, Rex Whistler's life is reflected

He's doing advertisements, commercial work, murals, constantly

coming up with ideas and jotting down and making beautiful pictures.

Interesting, complex person who was working hard. Quite an ordinary

actually. -- an ordinary background. Mottisfont is already home

to Whistler's last great work - In 1939 he designed,

remodelled and painted this drawing The curtains are real, the permits

an optical illusion. It's just a great example of painting that is

designed to trick the eye. He painted the smoke billowing out, and

it's just the most wonderful effect. A new exhibition draws together all

aspects of ten mayor's work, from his juvenile sketches to his final

pieces, documenting his time with the Welsh Guards. In this room, we

have one of my absolute favourite pieces in the whole exhibition. It

is this one, which is Sergeant Isaacs, the regimental clock. It is

fantastic, as an example of somebody who is planted here, this is the

backbone of the British Army. I just think he has such presence. Rex

Whistler died in action in Normandy in 1944. He was just 39. Some feel

his was a talent cut short. This exhibition helps us we discover a

singular artist. -- rediscover. An exhibition where synchronising your

agree. Onto the weather, it's going to be called this weekend.

We have had a few showers today, and still lying snow in a few places, so

the risk of ice in many locations. Lewis Horsley photographed the snow

and sunrise near Basingstoke. Jill Grimwood took this picture

of the snow falling first thing this And Robin Boultwood photographed

the sunshine and highland Many of us saw the sunny spells,

little more cloud in part of Oxfordshire, and a few showers

drifted through Oxfordshire down towards Berkshire and Hampshire.

Showers mainly falling as rain, and overnight we could see the odd

wintry showers the risk of ice. There is a Met Office ice warning in

force through parts of oxygen. We'll see more cloud spill in from the

north-west, but generally we are looking at clear skies, and

temperatures will fall away in the countryside 2-4 C. These are

temperatures in our towns and cities. Met ice warning -- minus

four Celsius. Ultima, ice during the morning. The could be wintry in

higher part of Oxfordshire, showers. Temperatures ranging between four

and seven Celsius, but a key north-westerly wind. Not as strong

as today. It will take the edge of two bridges. A lot of sunshine

tomorrow, the possibility of some patchy rain at times. Where we have

clear skies towards the east, temperatures will fall away to

around two or three Celsius. Showers in some places in Oxfordshire could

be wintry at times, but mainly rain showers during the early hours of

Sunday morning. Things are starting to turn a bit milder. More so as we

head into Sunday, because we are expecting that milder air to move in

from the Atlantic from the west, and with it some outbreaks of mainly

light and patchy rain. Sunday will be a complete contrast from

tomorrow. Tomorrow is the better day of the weekend. Sunday will see our

breaks of rain at times, it will be quite grey and murky particularly

over Hilltop errors. No pressure well in charge of our weather.

Similar on Monday as well. Tomorrow a lovely sunny day, more cloud

filling in through parts of oxygen, Buckinghamshire during the

afternoon. And the chance of a wintry showers. Rain at times on

Sunday, a lot of cloud on Monday and the first part of Tuesday. Late on

Tuesday, it becomes brighter and colder. A cold weekend, at least the

start of it. That is it from us this morning. We have more for you in

bullet in the APM and temperature again. We are back on Monday at

6:30am. Enjoy your weekend. Goodbye.