:00:00. > :00:08.Good evening, welcome to Spotlight from Plymouth Hoe as the South West
:00:09. > :00:10.remembers the outbreak of the First World War.
:00:11. > :00:11.Today, communities across the region have
:00:12. > :00:21.been reflecting on the life changing events of a hundred years ago.
:00:22. > :00:24.In Cornwall, a re`enactment of the moment the declaration of war was
:00:25. > :00:29.Also tonight ` asbestos concerns are investigated.
:00:30. > :00:31.Council residents in Crediton fear building work has
:00:32. > :00:39.And looking back at South West success at a glorious
:00:40. > :00:55.Plymouth Hoe and this war memorial have been
:00:56. > :00:57.the scene of many important commemorations over the years
:00:58. > :01:03.and once again tonight they will play host to an act of remembrance.
:01:04. > :01:08.On the 4th of August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany.
:01:09. > :01:11.From that moment, the lives of people in this city and across
:01:12. > :01:18.The Foreign Secretary at the time remarked,
:01:19. > :01:21."the lamps are going out all over Europe tonight and they won't be lit
:01:22. > :01:26.It was perhaps a more prophetic remark than he realised because it
:01:27. > :01:32.signalled the start of one of this country's darkest periods.
:01:33. > :01:35.Well, tonight from 10 o'clock people will be encouraged to turn
:01:36. > :01:38.off their lights and leave just one lamp or candle lit to remember the
:01:39. > :01:44.Here on the Hoe, a candlelit procession will end with
:01:45. > :01:49.a gun salute to mark the precise moment war was declared.
:01:50. > :01:51.Tonight, we'll be looking ahead to the events
:01:52. > :01:56.Already today a number of commemorations have taken place
:01:57. > :01:57.including the re`enactment of the moment
:01:58. > :02:00.a Morse code message was sent from Poldhu in Cornwall to warn British
:02:01. > :02:25.This is a historic moment recreated 100 years on. Just hours after Brett
:02:26. > :02:30.declared war on Germany, this station sent the following message
:02:31. > :02:35.by Morse code. To all British merchant vessels, war has broken out
:02:36. > :02:42.between England and Germany. You must not go to German ports. Radio
:02:43. > :02:46.enthusiasts working at Poldhu Theatre is important to remember
:02:47. > :02:53.what happened. The telegram would have disappeared and this is one of
:02:54. > :02:58.only ones we know that kept the message and proves it was sent from
:02:59. > :03:06.here. We are running a special event with amateur radio to honour all
:03:07. > :03:12.those wireless operators on both sides who died during the First
:03:13. > :03:17.World War. It was from a radio mast like this one that the crucial
:03:18. > :03:26.message was sent and throughout the war Poldhu continued to keep ships
:03:27. > :03:30.informed. It was very important that shipping was aware of the dangers
:03:31. > :03:33.and I suspect they were very conscious that events on the world
:03:34. > :03:39.stage were very dangerous and therefore it was crucial that the
:03:40. > :03:44.message got through to them to avoid German ports. This is all that now
:03:45. > :03:50.remains of the original telegraph station but today's event insurers
:03:51. > :03:55.the key part it played will not be forgotten.
:03:56. > :03:58.Well, the outbreak of war 100 years ago went on to affect every
:03:59. > :04:02.In some towns and villages virtually an entire generation was lost.
:04:03. > :04:04.The families left behind had to struggle with their grief
:04:05. > :04:13.A century on, many communities have come
:04:14. > :04:23.together again today to remember the lives lost, as Heidi Davey reports.
:04:24. > :04:30.In the village of Woodbury, a special day of events has been held
:04:31. > :04:39.to remember the outbreak of the First World War. This is our tribute
:04:40. > :04:44.to the sacrifice, and this is what they have handed down to us. It was
:04:45. > :04:47.the community of which they left and gave their lives for and we are
:04:48. > :04:52.honouring them by bringing the community together again. A Second
:04:53. > :04:57.World War air raid siren and marked the start of an outdoor exhibition
:04:58. > :05:04.by the town's Royal British Legion and civic society. On Weymouth
:05:05. > :05:14.seafront, 560 crosses were used to remember those from the town who did
:05:15. > :05:20.not return from the great War. A lone piper played at a special
:05:21. > :05:23.ceremony at the County Hall to mark the declaration of war and remember
:05:24. > :05:36.those who lost their lives in the conflict. Exeter Cathedral is
:05:37. > :05:41.preparing for more commemorations this evening following last night's
:05:42. > :05:48.anniversary service. At 10pm tonight they join others in marking the time
:05:49. > :05:53.the lights went out all over Europe. And like other services we
:05:54. > :05:58.will work between ten and 11 to close down all the lights in the
:05:59. > :06:03.cathedral so that we end up with just a single candle burning, which
:06:04. > :06:10.is about remembering all those who suffered and also the flicker of
:06:11. > :06:15.hope that we all carry with us. And many communities will take part in
:06:16. > :06:17.the national lights out commemorations this even in
:06:18. > :06:23.commemorating the enormous sacrifice made by so many a century ago.
:06:24. > :06:25.Later in the programme we'll hear from
:06:26. > :06:28.historian Dr Todd Gray about the impact the declaration of war had
:06:29. > :06:31.on the South West, and I've been to the Heligan Gardens in Cornwall to
:06:32. > :06:34.uncover the story of a gardener who went to war and then disappeared.
:06:35. > :06:41.First, the rest of the news from Natalie.
:06:42. > :06:43.Residents of flats in a Devon market town fear
:06:44. > :06:46.their health has been put at risk by their local council's handling
:06:47. > :06:50.The Health and Safety Executive is investigating.
:06:51. > :06:52.Mid Devon Council has apologised and called in
:06:53. > :06:54.a specialist asbestos contractor to survey the properties in Crediton.
:06:55. > :07:04.68`year`old Pete told us he is concerned about the effects
:07:05. > :07:09.of contaminated dust from asbestos insulation boards
:07:10. > :07:14.He complained to the council but they closed his complaint
:07:15. > :07:23.The vents have since been closed off but Pete says the damage is done.
:07:24. > :07:26.Immediately behind the vent were two horizontal bars of asbestos.
:07:27. > :07:29.They looked quite frankly dangerous, and the vent was blowing straight
:07:30. > :07:41.over the work surface where I prepared all my meals.
:07:42. > :07:45.That was the asbestos behind the top vent.
:07:46. > :07:47.He's kept some of the materials and he says it's evidence
:07:48. > :07:53.We asked him to take his collection for independent analysis.
:07:54. > :07:56.Spotlight was not allowed to film inside the lab but we can confirm
:07:57. > :07:59.all samples were subsequently found to contain amosite, one of the most
:08:00. > :08:07.Following these tests there was growing suspicion building work
:08:08. > :08:23.at nearby flats may have disturbed dangerous materials.
:08:24. > :08:26.Mid Devon District Council declined our request for an interview but in
:08:27. > :08:33.a statement said that both they and the contractors had believed it was
:08:34. > :08:40.non`licensable asbestos but in the light that the materials may have
:08:41. > :08:44.been of a more hazardous type, the council contacted the Health
:08:45. > :08:48.and Safety Executive to say the removal may not have been
:08:49. > :08:55.The Health and Safety Executive has confirmed
:08:56. > :08:58.an official enquiry is underway and will decide in due course whether
:08:59. > :09:09.A Devonport based survey ship has arrived in Malta after picking up
:09:10. > :09:14.more than 100 British people who were fleeing violence in Libya.
:09:15. > :09:17.HMS Enterprise left Plymouth in June for an 18 month survey deployment
:09:18. > :09:22.and had been on operation in the Mediterranean.
:09:23. > :09:27.She was despatched to Tripoli, when UK citizens were urged to leave.
:09:28. > :09:38.British Transport Police are warning people to keep off
:09:39. > :09:44.They say there've been hundreds of trespasses recorded on lines
:09:45. > :09:47.in Devon and Cornwall over the past three years.
:09:48. > :09:50.From April to June this year, there were 20 incidents in Cornwall alone.
:09:51. > :09:52.Officers say people wandering onto the tracks are taking
:09:53. > :10:05.You cannot hear the train coming and they can take a quarter of a mile to
:10:06. > :10:08.stop at full speed. The number of fatalities we have had shows the
:10:09. > :10:12.inherent dangers of the railway network.
:10:13. > :10:14.To sport now and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are over with
:10:15. > :10:18.The South West pocketed four golds, six silver and six bronze.
:10:19. > :10:22.Spotlight's Dave Gibbins reflects on a successful Games for the region.
:10:23. > :10:24.The biggest achievement of the Commonwealth games came
:10:25. > :10:28.On his debut in Glasgow, the student from the University
:10:29. > :10:32.of Saint Mark St John collected two gold medals in the 50 metre
:10:33. > :10:35.butterfly and 50 metre freestyle, proving he's one to watch in this
:10:36. > :10:44.Tom Daley cruised to gold in the 10m platform putting him
:10:45. > :10:50.in the right frame of mind for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
:10:51. > :10:53.For me, in the next ten years, with the legacy of London 2012
:10:54. > :10:58.and Glasgow 2014, we're going to see some young stars emerging.
:10:59. > :10:59.Another games debutant, Sophie Tolchard,
:11:00. > :11:01.capped her consistency throughout the lawn bowls competitions with
:11:02. > :11:09.The 22`year`old headed the medal haul from the Kings club in Torquay.
:11:10. > :11:12.The quartet is made up by doubles silver medallist
:11:13. > :11:14.Natalie Melmore, Jamie Chestney, who also won silver, and Sam Tolchard,
:11:15. > :11:21.Although Kingsbridge hockey player Giselle Ansley won
:11:22. > :11:25.the silver playing for England in the final against Australia,
:11:26. > :11:29.They were denied gold as the favourites equalised with only 11
:11:30. > :11:36.seconds remaining and went on to win the resultant penalty shoot out.
:11:37. > :11:38.And what a performance from the 40`year`old mother of two
:11:39. > :11:42.Jo Pavey, seen here at the 5000 metres finals going into the final
:11:43. > :11:45.lap, but she found an untapped reservoir of strength and power to
:11:46. > :12:05.It was very much a team effort and my children keep me happy and that
:12:06. > :12:10.keeps me motivated. Eight happy personal life helps you feel
:12:11. > :12:14.motivated and I would encourage mothers to get out and get fit!
:12:15. > :12:16.Well, that's the latest news this evening.
:12:17. > :12:18.Back now to our World War one commemorations.
:12:19. > :12:38.This is one of the centrepieces of the regional commemorations for the
:12:39. > :12:42.100th anniversary. We will talk more later but what is planned but I am
:12:43. > :12:49.joined by Todd Gray to reflect on the events of 100 years ago. Across
:12:50. > :12:54.the world millions of lives were lost but is it possible to narrow it
:12:55. > :13:05.down and ask how many lives were lost from here? The roll of honour
:13:06. > :13:14.gives almost 12,000 for Devon, mostly men. And just for one county
:13:15. > :13:20.that is a colossal figure. What sort of proportion is that? It is about
:13:21. > :13:24.important is that the numbers were important is that the numbers were
:13:25. > :13:31.so high that everybody knew someone, and it came home to you. You
:13:32. > :13:37.mentioned one end, not a straightforward with the men going
:13:38. > :13:43.out because they were women on the front line? Lots of men and
:13:44. > :13:55.hospitals were seen with wounds, so the war came back to Devon. You had
:13:56. > :13:59.women going on the front line, one Belgian aristocrat, who was an
:14:00. > :14:14.Exeter girdle, remarries and becomes a great headline on the Western
:14:15. > :14:21.front. `` heroine. It was such a horrific war and was described and
:14:22. > :14:26.hoped to be the war to end all wars, but what changed if anything? There
:14:27. > :14:36.was a different sensibility and an idea about war that permeated the
:14:37. > :14:42.1940s. The first thing that happens is the economy collapses with high
:14:43. > :14:48.inflation and low employment. Loads of women without husbands. Widows
:14:49. > :14:56.and women who never married because they feel unsafes died. Going into
:14:57. > :15:03.the Second World War, people remembered what happened.
:15:04. > :15:11.The two world war is really need to be studied together. I know you are
:15:12. > :15:14.involved in the leading tonight, with the famous phrase about the
:15:15. > :15:22.lamps going out all over Europe, but thank you for joining us. All this
:15:23. > :15:25.we'll be marking this 100th Anniversary in our series
:15:26. > :15:28.World War 1 At Home, in partnership with Imperial War Museums.
:15:29. > :15:30.Tonight we hear the story of the gardener of Heligan,
:15:31. > :15:32.and how his disappearance eventually played a part in
:15:33. > :15:36.I've been to meet historian Peter Lavis who's rediscovering
:15:37. > :16:10.the stories of the families who worked there at the time.
:16:11. > :16:16.100 years ago, the peace and tranquillity of life in the gardens
:16:17. > :16:23.of Heligan was shattered by the outbreak of war. This was one of 23
:16:24. > :16:28.gardeners who worked on the land and left to join the Navy. Many were
:16:29. > :16:35.called up even before the declaration. There was a prearranged
:16:36. > :16:41.signal with the town crier marching on to the peer and ringing the bell.
:16:42. > :16:49.That was the signal for the men to put on their uniforms. By 1917, the
:16:50. > :16:56.gardeners at Heligan numbered just eight. It is not often there's a
:16:57. > :17:00.poignancy about a toilet but here, the gardeners who went off to war
:17:01. > :17:06.wrote their names on the wall of this outside toilet, and as far as
:17:07. > :17:10.we know this is the only toilet that is designated as a living memorial
:17:11. > :17:18.to those who served in the First World War, by the Imperial War
:17:19. > :17:24.Museum. 48 left town that day and channels was among them. He actually
:17:25. > :17:30.went to work on a trawler in the First World War. Something like 500
:17:31. > :17:36.trawlers from around the coast of the United Kingdom used to
:17:37. > :17:42.supplement ships. Many were fitted with small guns and about half of
:17:43. > :17:48.them went out hunting submarines. Some went out minesweeping. Was that
:17:49. > :17:54.how he spent the rest of the war? We also know he was either windowed or
:17:55. > :17:59.endurance and he went back to hospital, and one morning, he got up
:18:00. > :18:02.as usual and got ready and walked out of the main gates and
:18:03. > :18:11.disappeared and was never seen around here again. The Navy had no
:18:12. > :18:18.idea of what happened to him and he was notified as a disaster and his
:18:19. > :18:23.wife was accordingly contacted. `` deserter. His wife and three
:18:24. > :18:32.children were stuck here with no income and the family reputation was
:18:33. > :18:40.ruined. The family were vilified. And the stigma of that legacy is
:18:41. > :18:48.still felt by his granddaughter. She always felt there was shame. I do
:18:49. > :18:53.not think she ever got over it and stayed like that for all of her
:18:54. > :19:00.life. She loved him so much and could not say anything about him. I
:19:01. > :19:05.think it broke her heart. She could never speak about him without
:19:06. > :19:15.crying. She could never speak about her husband. From the day he
:19:16. > :19:20.disappeared until the day she died, she wore a black and she and the
:19:21. > :19:26.three children lived with their shame until this gold ring restored
:19:27. > :19:30.the reputation. The ring engraved with his initials helped identify
:19:31. > :19:37.his remains, discovered in woods near the hospital. His body was
:19:38. > :19:45.brought home for burial. They took him off the deserter's West and gave
:19:46. > :19:50.her a pension, but more importantly she got the family reputation back.
:19:51. > :19:58.He was no longer listed as a deserter. Even more poignantly, she
:19:59. > :20:05.was home in Cornwall again. The family all knew what this meant.
:20:06. > :20:09.When they did find him, it gives closure of some sort. At least she
:20:10. > :20:21.had a grave to visit and knew where it was. How does it feel talking
:20:22. > :20:27.about him now? I could cry actually. The losses of the great war were too
:20:28. > :20:32.great for many to be and as well as changing the lives of this family
:20:33. > :20:38.fodder, it signalled a big change at Heligan as well. They all said he
:20:39. > :20:44.could not live with the ghost of the place because so many of the team
:20:45. > :20:51.perished. We can't race to that moment in time the beginning of the
:20:52. > :20:54.decline of Heligan. So the one gardener was eventually found and if
:20:55. > :20:58.he was to return today he would see the garden is looking much as the
:20:59. > :21:03.dead 100 years ago, but the loss of so many lead to the gardens
:21:04. > :21:12.themselves eventually being lost. Tonight in communities
:21:13. > :21:14.across the region, people will be playing their part commemorating
:21:15. > :21:16.the outbreak of the First World War, by dimming their lights,
:21:17. > :21:20.leaving just one candle burning. There will be church services taking
:21:21. > :21:23.place all over the South West, including at Exeter and
:21:24. > :21:25.Truro Cathedrals. In Camelford there will be an open
:21:26. > :21:28.air vigil, with community singing. In North Devon
:21:29. > :21:33.a special walk is being held to Service personnel from St Mawgen
:21:34. > :21:38.will be joining the community of St Columb Major in an act
:21:39. > :21:40.of commemoration. Our reporter Philippa Mina
:21:41. > :21:53.has been to find out more. Later tonight, service personnel
:21:54. > :22:02.from here at RAF Saint Morgan will join and Navy service people as well
:22:03. > :22:06.as members of the public. They will carry 57 candles, one for each
:22:07. > :22:14.serviceman who lost his life in the conflict. I am joined by the station
:22:15. > :22:19.commander. How do you feel about tonight's Memorial and why are you
:22:20. > :22:28.taking part? We are honoured to be a part of it. It is about remembering
:22:29. > :22:37.the beginning of a war and once we have about a hundred people going up
:22:38. > :22:43.with 57 lives lost, and it is about remembering those brothers,
:22:44. > :22:51.husbands, sons who gave the ultimate sacrifice. And you are currently
:22:52. > :22:57.serving, what similarities can you identify with those men 100 years
:22:58. > :23:01.ago? I would not like to make similarities because I imagine 100
:23:02. > :23:11.years ago the conditions they faced were atrocious. War is nowadays are
:23:12. > :23:15.still atrocious but we have better equipment and communications,
:23:16. > :23:19.accommodation, and it is never a good thing to be in a conflict zone
:23:20. > :23:30.but I would not have liked to have been in the trenches. We will be
:23:31. > :23:34.live tonight from 10:30 p.m.. And we would like to see how you are
:23:35. > :23:40.commemorating events tonight, you can contact us by Facebook. The
:23:41. > :23:43.weather is set to be fear for all the commemorations across the region
:23:44. > :23:48.but what were conditions like 100 years ago? Was more on that and the
:23:49. > :24:04.forecast, here is David. I have a copy of the charts that was
:24:05. > :24:12.drawn up at the start of the war. You can make out the United Kingdom,
:24:13. > :24:18.down here. The black lines illustrate low`pressure taking
:24:19. > :24:22.charge and July would have been quite a good month, with August
:24:23. > :24:30.starting off with low`pressure and some unsettled weather. Let's get
:24:31. > :24:35.more up`to`date, and they did not have satellite pictures in 1914.
:24:36. > :24:44.This cloud may well bring some more showers later this evening and this
:24:45. > :24:48.bunch of showers coming and, and the high pressure is weakening and
:24:49. > :24:59.low`pressure taking charge by the end of the week. The showers we have
:25:00. > :25:03.seen so far today are fading away but more showers gathering to the
:25:04. > :25:13.west of Cornwall and the Wellcome end overnight, some creeping in two
:25:14. > :25:20.parts of Devon. Lowest where the skies are clear so around Dorset.
:25:21. > :25:24.For many of us, quite a cool night and for many of us, show the
:25:25. > :25:30.outbreaks of rain to start the day tomorrow. Sunny spells only good
:25:31. > :25:35.part of the day and late in the day, thicker cloud approaching from
:25:36. > :25:45.the West and coming off the Atlantic, brighter colours and more
:25:46. > :25:49.persistent rain. Temperatures not too bad, around 21 Celsius. Wind
:25:50. > :25:56.coming from the South West with showers possible but largely dry
:25:57. > :26:09.with thicker cloud and more persistent rain later on in the day.
:26:10. > :26:16.The north Coast will be choppy, bigger waves than we have seen
:26:17. > :26:26.today. They list the coastal waters forecast, banking southerly into the
:26:27. > :26:32.evening. It will be an overnight feature sole weapon state is not a
:26:33. > :26:38.bad day, quite warm as well. Sunny spells and the small chance of a few
:26:39. > :26:41.showers, mainly dry on Thursday, and the big change comes on Friday
:26:42. > :26:52.moving into the weekend with more babies developing, but also timing
:26:53. > :26:58.substantially more unsettled. `` breezes. Thank you.
:26:59. > :27:03.with live coverage of events here on The Hoe and across the South West.
:27:04. > :27:06.But tonight is not just about remembering the start of the war.
:27:07. > :27:10.It's also a chance to reflect on the next four years and how