10/02/2017 South Today

The first word from Freddie as he wakes up from a brain tumour

Meanwhile, support grows for the Hampshire toddler.

This taxi driver's doing the right thing but why are others defying

the law and refusing to take guide dogs?

My dog is less trouble than other passengers.

The youngsters from Romsey Golf Club on their way to Portugal

And it is a little cold to be under canvas. Find out why this

headteacher of the school in Surrey is camping in the woods for ten

days. One operation down

and, so far, so good. Two-year-old Freddie Hunt

from Hampshire last night underwent his first surgery

at an American hospital It's been an anxious time

for his family and also people in his home town of Yateley,

where a fundraising drive is still trying to make up

an unexpected shortfall when the costs of his potentially

life-saving treatment doubled. Let's get the latest

from Nikki Mitchell Freddie's family have been riding

an emotional roller-coaster Freddie was on the operating table

in a private clinic in Arizona Since I filmed these pictures

of Freddie playing at home in Yateley three months ago,

his tumour has grown at a much faster rate than any

of his surgeons had predicted. So cutting it out was much more

complicated than expected and hence Freddie's mum, Abby,

has been posting regular updates on their Together For Freddie

facebook page. "They have reached the tumour site,"

she wrote after the operation began. This morning, after the operation

was completed, she posted that he was still under anesthetic

and as much of the tumour had been But then, "Freddie scared the life

out of us last night when he had But, within an hour,

he was breathing on his own again and Abby wrote he was "now heavily

sedated and quite peaceful". "He shouted out Mum -

just all I need to know and hear". So, even though he's not

yet awake, he appears But it's early days yet

as his dad, David, told me Freddie at the moment still has not

opened his eyes all seen us. He is heavily sedated. The next five days

a huge for him. It has been a emotional, that is an

understatement. And this second chance Freddie's

been given at life would not have been possible without huge community

support, would it? The support for Freddie

and his family from people People are stretching themselves,

not just financially but with prayers and well-wishers.

Children, like Amelie at Westfield School,

In fact, a lot of local schools have raised thousands of pounds by having

Knowing the whole community is behind them is giving

the Hunt family an enormous amount of strength.

?368,500 has been raised in total so far.

?107,000 more is needed and more fundraising events

are planned including a dinner, dance and auction later this month.

"You can get in but your dog will have to go in the boot."

That was the response from one taxi driver to a blind woman

from Hampshire who was trying to get home with her guide dog.

Madeline Close from Fareham says she regularly experiences cabbies

refusing to take her on journeys even though it's actually

She's calling for greater awareness and enforcement when necessary.

In the course of her community work, Madeline Close, with guide

dog Deano by her side, is out and about each day,

In Eastleigh this morning, they had a very good

experience but Madeline, who is registered blind,

says at least once a month taxi drivers refuse to take her

It makes me very angry. It is very inconvenient because you could end

up needing to be somewhere or having a meeting or something and not being

able to get a taxi. 7000 assistant dogs currently work in the UK...

The law says that taxis must accept assistance dogs

unless they have a medical certificate proving

Recently at her local station in Fareham, a fellow passenger told

Madeline a cabbie took one look at the dog and rejoined the back

of the queue to avoid taking picking them up.

They are providing a service, they get paid, they are charging. My dog

is a lot less trouble than other passengers, he always sits in the

foot well. I do not see why they cannot take him.

The Taxi Association in Fareham says it's doing what it can

I am disappointed especially in this day and age when we notice abilities

are out there and we have our job to do. The taxi driver's dog is all

about trying to please. Fines of up to ?1,000

can be imposed. The Guide Dogs Association

is pressing for better We have done a survey of 500 guide

dog owners across the UK in 2016 and it is prevalent, from Cornwall up to

Scotland, guide dog owners are being refused access to taxis.

So far, the number of prosecutions has been small - gathering

Madeline says she's determined to make the discrimination

that she and others like her encounter a thing of the past.

The partner of a young Hampshire father accused

of murdering their baby daughter has told a jury he'd previously made

Jemma Pethybridge's seven-week-old daughter, Ezmai Martin, died

Her father, Joshua Martin, denies murder.

20-year-old labourer Joshua Martin is accused

of murdering his seven-week-old baby daughter, Ezmai, in June last year.

The prosecution alleges Ezmai suffered a fatal head injury

at the family's flat, above a funeral company's premises

in New Road in Bordon, while her mother, Jemma Pethybridge,

Ezmai died 24 hours later after being transferred

to a specialist unit at George's Hospital in London.

She'd suffered a fractured skull and died from a brain injury.

Ezmai's mother, Jemma Pethybridge, who is 19, has been giving evidence

for the past two days from behind a screen here at Winchester Crown

The jury heard that, in police interviews soon

after her baby's death, Miss Pethybridge made no mention

of Joshua Martin's violent or threatening behaviour,

describing him at the time as caring.

But the court was told that, three months later,

she went to the police with a very different story.

Miss Pethybridge said, on one occasion, he'd threatened

to smash her head in with a baseball bat

and, during an argument two weeks before Ezmai's death, he'd gone

to punch her but accidentally struck the baby.

Asked why she hadn't gone to police sooner,

she said she'd known Joshua would get bail and she

Joshua Martin, who now lives in Alton, denies murder

For the past four years, a specially equipped bus has been

parked up in central Reading on weekend evenings,

The First Stop service helps those who've had a bit too much to drink,

had a minor scrape or just need a safe place to sit and recover.

From tonight, it's coming in from the cold.

The service is being relaunched from a new base

Sally, it's a combination of things - one of the main ones

But this move secures the longer-term future of a service

that was valued but had been in doubt because some

which chip in to run it are tightening the purse strings.

The First Stop bus was hired in and had to be driven

to and from the centre of town plus it needed security

But coming into a permanent building offered freely by the church

and with its own volunteers will be much cheaper.

It's more secure, there's just more space and there's also a belief

that, contrary to what you might think, it's a perfect use for this

People who come in are worse for wear and we have plenty of pockets

available when they are required. This is a community space, a place

where we can accept people, where they can feel safe, we are reaching

out to people and meeting the needs and we're trying to do that in a

modern urban way. Patients to do need to go to hospital but the vast

majority we see and treat here. That benefits the Indy, it also benefits

the Ambulance Service. This is the chill-out

area which will be used This is normally the vestry but

tonight they will be dressing rooms and injuries in this place.

Sally Leonard helped set up the service four years ago.

This will be cheaper than the bus but is the service itself

Absolutely, it is better all the way round, not just about cost but it

was a warmer place for everyone to be and a lot of agencies are working

together in partnership. Some nights, you're helping just

a handful of people. People do not only come in to be

treated but to have conversations. From tonight, it's being run

by Reading Christian Network. Fire has destroyed the office of

a software company in Waterlooville. Staff at Nxtera raised the alarm

when the blaze broke out in the roof of the building

on Waterbury Drive overnight. A formal request has been made

to the Secretary of State for Local Government to back plans

to shake up Dorset's Six of the county's nine councils -

including Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole -

voted to support the proposal, which would see a merger to create

two unitary authorities. Christchurch, East Dorset

and Purbeck all voted Later, despite the cold, we're under

canvas with the headteacher fending for himself to raise

money for charity. I think it is mad but brilliant.

There is no outside so it is a really great thing to do. Really

admirable. 16 years since it first

opened to the public, Southampton's main West Quay

shopping centre is now complete. Restaurants, a cinema and a bowling

alley have been added It cost ?85 million

and is being heralded as an example of the strength

of the city's economic revival. But is it the type of

growth the city needs? Here's our business

correspondent, Alastair Fee. For years, Southampton was on catch

up, a trend to it, shop and be entertained began long ago but now,

West Quay, you can do all. We appeal right along the south coast. We can

now compete with anything, whether it be shopping or leisure in the

catchment. To complement the shopping centre, visitors have more

than 20 new places to eat, is an complete the package. This will

undoubtedly improve Southampton's retail and leisure appeal. That is

good for quality-of-life and consumers spending but critics

question whether this will bring sustainable long-term economic

growth. If you just rely on retail, then you are not heading down a road

of long-term sustained high value growth because that's not what

retailers about. It is a perfectly respectable industry sector but not

the sort of thing that we could be doing and other cities in the south

are doing. The City Council has seven large development projects

worth ?3 billion of investment opportunities. It says Harper that

has been achieved already. A report on urban economic well-being by

business advice is ranked Southampton third in England because

growth. But another report ranked Southampton is the low-wage, low

welfare city and on several other economic measures lags behind

Portsmouth. We're trying to make the most of what we have got and trying

to make Southampton a place where people want to come and visit and do

business in, so people will post the company in a place for the employers

want to live and spent time in. The fan that it was aimed at drawing in

the crowds who would've travelled along the coast of the same

experience. The city will need to look beyond is consumer spending if

it is the really light up its long-term future.

Imagine putting up with white noise all day, every day.

That's what life is like for one in ten adults who endures tinnitus.

Campaign groups who represent sufferers say many get a raw

deal from their GPs, who often know little about it.

Joe Campbell has met one teenager who is facing up to it.

You mentioned you were having a ringing sound...

Dean Fisher first began to be troubled by a constant ringing

If you see an action film, an explosion or bomb just goes off, and

then, the camera focuses on one person and they cannot see a thing

or they cannot hear anything apart from ringing. That is what I feel

like. All I can hear is just this whining in my ears.

Tinnitus is not a condition in itself but a symptom resulting

from a range of things, from ear infections through stress

If you have hearing loss, your brain tries to fill in the gaps. The brain

has to turn up again and becomes much more sensitive. It is very

common that you would hear something that is a in the year went inner is

struggling to hear. This is a waterfall, a waterfall, a bit more

like white noise. Experts here at the Royal Berkshire

can help with a range of therapies, from relaxation to devices that help

mask the noise. But groups representing sufferers

say that many feel let down by their first point of contact

with the Health Service. They say GPs are often dismissive

while unsympathetic. Awareness amongst GPs

about tinnitus can be quite low. They may not know what to do when

people reporting the test. They might not take it seriously

and people are not often, therefore, But the need for proper medical help

remains vital. You have been on the golf course

today? I have, I met very talented juniors. We will start with

football, though. The Reading boss, Jaap Stam, has

picked up the Championship Manager Stam says it's a team effort

although it is good to be recognised Reading managed four

wins in January, two at home and two away,

including their match against Bristol City,

where they came from two down in the first half to

clinch a 3-2 victory. A run of three wins at the end

of the month helped catapult It was nice to win something on a

personal note as well but I have not done by myself. I have got great

staff with me who have helped me out and I've done a lot of work to make

the team better, to get results. It is good I get a trophy but it is not

only for me but for my team members. Well, Reading are now four games

unbeaten as they head into their match tomorrow

against ninth-placed Barnsley, who are the visitors

at the Madjeski Stadium. Things are tight at the top

of the play-off places so the Royals will be looking to consolidate

that third place. Meanwhile, Brighton,

currently second and just a point behind leaders Newcastle,

are also at home and in with a good chance of grabbing points

as they host struggling In the Premier League,

a long trip north for Southampton. It's their last game before

the League Cup final Saints have only managed

one league win in 2017. They face a bottom-placed

Sunderland, fighting Bournemouth play Man

City on Monday night. In League 1, Swindon

are the visitors at Bury while Oxford and the MK

Dons go head-to-head. And in League 2, Portsmouth

host Accrington Stanley. For many youngsters,

next week is half term and junior golfers from Romsey Golf Club

will be spending it But there'll be no relaxing

because they're out to win They're one of three teams

representing England in the Home Nations Final,

which is being held I caught up with them

this afternoon. Like a tea shop, Ramsey golf club's

Junior team is flying high and tomorrow the flying off Portugal.

You cannot get much higher than that. England is the next level. Top

of the top. The England call-up came after months of tough competition,

qualifying from the local league, winning regional finals at the top

three place in the national finals. We came up against very good teams

who pushed us as us as far as they could. We have managed to do it so

it feels so much better than winning a few easy games. Like a hole in

one, it is left them feeling on top of the world. It is pretty much a

dream country. I have just wanted to represent England my whole life. It

means everything. We have worked really hard as a team and it is my

biggest achievement so I am very proud. And they are definitely in it

to win it. At the end of the day, we have got to remember we are still

trying to win, we're going there for a reason, so just want to win,

but... Like a bunker shot, they know it will not be easy. They are up

against the best from elsewhere in England, Scotland and Wales. We will

just have to see how it goes. The young players aged 16 to 18 and with

experience in the game ranging from two to 12 years now the pressure

will be on but I hope the tight-knit team spirit will get them through.

We have done very well and to go out there and beat the other teams would

be such an achievement for such a small club like us. And beat the

other teams would be such an achievement for such a small club

like us. Unlike that perfect tricky putt, they are hoping to nail it. --

and the like. The Vendee Globe sailing hero

Alex Thomson returns Celebrations are planned to welcome

the ocean racer home after his second place finish

in the race known as the world's Alex Thomson on board his racing

yacht completed a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation

of the globe in 74 days, Tomorrow, you'll be able to see

Alex in person and this At 10:15am, a parade of sail

or flotilla will start out at Spitbank Fort in the Solent,

heading into Portsmouth Harbour. You'll be able to view it

from waterfront locations in and around Portsmouth and Gosport

- so Southsea's round tower, Gunwharf Quays,

the Gosport waterfront. At 11am, Alex will bring his boat,

Hugo Boss, alongside You'll be able to see all of this

from Falklands Gardens in Gosport, where a civic reception will be

held at 11:20am. After the formalities are over,

Alex will be meeting members The weather forecast in a moment

but you'll already know it's not the sort of night to be out

in the open unless you have to be. So respect is due to Andrew Fisher,

who is spending ten nights in a tent in woods near Farnham to raise

money for charity. It's not just the cold he has

to contend with because Andrew is also continuing to hold

down his day job as the head teacher So it's a quick wash

in a bucket before heading off Let's join our reporter,

Chrissy Sturt. I know you envy me, really. This

very cold, very dark wood in Surrey. Why would you want to sleep in that

tent at this time of year? Let's meet the man doing just that, the

head of French heights. This is all do with raising money for a school

in Malawi you are closely linked to? I am trying to raise enough money as

I can for our partner school and inspire my own students to question

the quality-of-life they take for granted. You hope this code to

achieve? We look to buy desks, stationery, textbooks, contribute to

building a house for the headteacher and give them support and friendship

as well as teacher training and other equipment. Let's polls there

in here from two of your students about what they make of this

challenge. I think it is such a good idea because it is such an active

way of helping raise money for them, it will make such a big difference.

Amazing. I think it is mad but brilliant. It is snowing outside so

it is really brave thing do. What is your life actually life they debate

the moment? I have tried to strip it back to reflect the life of the

phone teachers I consider friends in Malawi. I am carrying my food and

water in, cooking over an open fire and live as basic life as I can as

well as continuing to work effectively is a headteacher. It has

been pretty gruelling, it has been bitterly cold. Monday night, when it

rained for four hours, was very difficult, looks like it will snow

tonight, but the point of a challenge is that it is hard and

that has inspired my students to think carefully about the things we

take for granted. And what have you learned from this? It is easy to get

tired, cooking over a fire takes a long time, and there is still peace

and quiet that you can find in the world, even on a cold winter's

night. We wish you well with your challenge. The weather forecast is

up next, spare a thought for Andrew when you listen to that forecast and

those temperatures. Give him an extra blanket, give them

your cold! We have had some snow today in some places.

Red Watch at Rushmoor Fire Station took this video of the light snow

You may think it's chilly here in the south but,

because of the colder temperatures, along the east coast of the UK

and in Europe, Dorset has seen some unusual visitors.

Waxwings were spotted in a car park off Ringwood Road

in Poole by Ian Ballam, and it's caused excitement

Through the course of the night, we are expecting a good deal of cloud,

very cold indeed, and maybe some snow showers. It may give a dusting

of snow in places first thing tomorrow morning. Where we do have

clearing skies, the chance of frost in the countryside. A cold night

with temperatures falling to freezing but down to minus one

Celsius in the countryside. Quite a lot of cloud about tomorrow, very

similar to the day, we will have that cold north-easterly wind, and

the continuing snow flurries joined the cause of the day. Dry through

the afternoon but the showers may well fall as rain rather than snow.

Temperatures reach a high of 3-4 C. To the cause of the afternoon, we

will hold onto that cloud cover and that bitterly cold wind. Tomorrow

evening, the temperatures will fall away in the risk of snow showers.

Temperatures will fall away the one or two Celsius in towns and cities

and down to freezing in the countryside. The potential for snow

showers first thing on Sunday morning but an improving picture in

terms of the snow showers. But we still hold onto that cloud cover and

back road east to north-easterly wind. With the cloud, it will feel

bitterly cold. Sunday, temperatures will reach a high of five or six

Celsius but feel more like two or three Celsius without wind chill. It

stays cold in the next week. But we will start to see milder

temperatures arrive into the middle part of next week. A good deal of

cloud over this weekend, limited brightness, and a strengthening wind

on Sunday, that wind will be very raw indeed. But the sunshine makes a

return on Monday and Tuesday into next week, now in the way of dry

conditions and less in the wake of showers, so fairly settled with high

pressure not far away. Chilling, very chilling. Whatever you are

doing this weekend, have a great one. We will be back on Monday.

Enjoy yourselves.