:00:00. > :00:00.Hello, this is Spotlight with Julia Peet and Simon Clemison.
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to our last full programme of the year.
:00:00. > :00:11.From the local pub to a shop nearby - a community comes together to help
:00:12. > :00:18.a mother with a rare form of breast cancer.
:00:19. > :00:25.It has just given me hope that we can do this and it was great to get
:00:26. > :00:26.over to Germany as quickly as we did.
:00:27. > :00:30.We meet the 12-year-old boy who spent his pocket
:00:31. > :00:34.Celebrating global success - the Devon gin makers
:00:35. > :01:04.And at 94 - is Mimi Vallas the oldest gym bunny in town?
:01:05. > :01:06.We will begin tonight with a Christmas message.
:01:07. > :01:09."A really massive thank you" - the words tonight of a mother
:01:10. > :01:12.from Devon who's been given new hope after people living nearby raised
:01:13. > :01:15.money to help her get treatment for a highly unusual type
:01:16. > :01:18.Kim Jenkins has already started the private therapy abroad
:01:19. > :01:20.which could improve her chances of survival, as our
:01:21. > :01:23.Health Correspondent Jenny Walrond explains.
:01:24. > :01:26.Kim Jenkin's daughter was just three months old when she learned she had
:01:27. > :01:32.It is a rare and aggressive form that can have a high
:01:33. > :01:38.And it has come back and spread into her spine and ribs.
:01:39. > :01:41.Having run out of options for NHS treatment, they learned
:01:42. > :01:45.of pioneering work in Germany which could help, but at
:01:46. > :01:54.Friends, family and complete strangers have come to their aid.
:01:55. > :02:02.Over two thirds of the money has been raised, enabling Kim
:02:03. > :02:07.You kind of have to try and get used to it,
:02:08. > :02:09.but you feel overwhelmed a lot, really.
:02:10. > :02:11.And obviously walking around the village knowing that everyone
:02:12. > :02:16.is trying to help you out is quite overwhelming.
:02:17. > :02:20.It has just given me hope, really, that we can do this.
:02:21. > :02:24.It was great to get over to Germany as quickly as we did do as well.
:02:25. > :02:28.And early signs are that the treatment is working.
:02:29. > :02:30.In the heart of the village you can see the support
:02:31. > :02:33.the family are getting from the local community.
:02:34. > :02:37.It is really important for us to raise money for people
:02:38. > :02:40.within the community and Kim has got quite a drastic need,
:02:41. > :02:43.so we decided the pub is the perfect place to raise money.
:02:44. > :02:46.We have had some magnificent, quite weird donations.
:02:47. > :02:50.We have had violins, we have had a lion's head,
:02:51. > :02:53.you name it, it has passed through this table and all being
:02:54. > :02:58.turned into cash for a very worthwhile and lovely family.
:02:59. > :03:00.And while the family still need to raise more,
:03:01. > :03:02.they are truly thankful to the people who have
:03:03. > :03:09.I would just like to say a really massive thank you to everyone that
:03:10. > :03:12.has helped support us and raise money for us and all of the really
:03:13. > :03:21.Kim Jenkins ending that report from Jenny Walrond.
:03:22. > :03:24.And now a roundup of some of the other stories
:03:25. > :03:27.The future of helicopter manufacturing in Somerset
:03:28. > :03:31.is being put at risk by a plan to move vital machinery to Poland,
:03:32. > :03:33.according to the former Liberal Democrat leader Lord
:03:34. > :03:38.His claim comes as aerospace company GKN closes its site
:03:39. > :03:42.in the town this month - with the loss of more than 200 jobs.
:03:43. > :03:48.A Somerset-based Royal Marine, who contracted a debilitating
:03:49. > :03:50.fever in Afghanistan, will have to wait even
:03:51. > :03:55.Corporal Philip Eaglesham needs a wheelchair after
:03:56. > :04:00.The Ministry of Defence is appealing a High Court decision to grant him
:04:01. > :04:03.victory in the case where he claimed more should have been
:04:04. > :04:08.Local authorities in the South West are getting ?20 million
:04:09. > :04:12.to tackle the problems caused by second home ownership.
:04:13. > :04:14.The government says holiday homes stop first time buyers getting
:04:15. > :04:17.on the property ladder, but Labour says the money
:04:18. > :04:25.Next tonight, the fundraising efforts of a young Devon boy have
:04:26. > :04:28.ensured that if anyone in the village of Exbourne
:04:29. > :04:30.suffers a heart attack, the right equipment will now
:04:31. > :04:34.12-year-old Joel Sawyer saved his pocket money and helped
:04:35. > :04:37.raise enough to buy a defibrillator for the community.
:04:38. > :04:42.Spotlight's Kirk England has been to meet him.
:04:43. > :04:47.All you have to do is press the red button.
:04:48. > :04:51.Take it out, and this can now help to save someone's life.
:04:52. > :04:53.I wanted to do this, because I thought, well,
:04:54. > :04:56.lots of villages round here have one and why hasn't Exbourne got one.
:04:57. > :05:01.There are lots of elderly people who may need this.
:05:02. > :05:03.There have been heart attacks here in the past
:05:04. > :05:05.and a defibrillator could have helped to save those lives.
:05:06. > :05:12.He is an amazing, amazing young person and he is just so thoughtful.
:05:13. > :05:16.He is really committed to making this happen.
:05:17. > :05:19.We now need to put the pads on the patient's chest.
:05:20. > :05:22.Some tips from those on the front line.
:05:23. > :05:25.Joel raised hundreds of pounds towards the cost
:05:26. > :05:27.of this defibrillator, which can make all the difference
:05:28. > :05:30.to those having a cardiac arrest by giving an electric shock
:05:31. > :05:39.It makes me proud that a lad that age will be that selfless and look
:05:40. > :05:46.Teenagers and young people get an awful hard time in the press,
:05:47. > :05:49.and to have something so positive come out of somebody that young
:05:50. > :05:53.So, Joel, on behalf of of the South West Ambulance Service,
:05:54. > :06:12.Age is but a number, and this year on Spotlight some
:06:13. > :06:15.of our viewers have been proving just that - showing you're never
:06:16. > :06:19.So here's a quick reminder of our generation rewriting the rule book.
:06:20. > :06:22.There was 97-year-old Joan Cool - who really was cool when it
:06:23. > :06:25.And what about this young jobseeker Joe Bartley -
:06:26. > :06:27.89 and looking for work, otherwise he said
:06:28. > :06:32.And who says you can't jump out of a plane at 100?
:06:33. > :06:37.Then there was cafe crooner Arthur Guy -
:06:38. > :06:40.they're wearing me out, this lot - he was in his 80s,
:06:41. > :06:43.and now the latest OAP or Older Active Person
:06:44. > :06:45.is 94-year-old gym bunny Mimi Vallas.
:06:46. > :06:52.Spotlight's Andrea Ormsby has been trying to keep up with her.
:06:53. > :07:05.Mimi Vallas is the very definition of a gym bunny.
:07:06. > :07:10.This 94-year-old is on a flab fighting mission.
:07:11. > :07:22.Don't ask me how long I've been trying to lose it!
:07:23. > :07:25.Mimi pushes through the pain threshold with laughter and a lot of
:07:26. > :07:47.WAAFs are now being trained in the handling of the
:07:48. > :07:51.During World War II, Mimi was in the woman's Royal
:07:52. > :07:54.Air Force working on the barrage balloons.
:07:55. > :07:56.Thousands of them dotted British skies to reduce attacks from
:07:57. > :08:01.From there she went on deciphering codes
:08:02. > :08:06.Mimi was born into a family of 11 children in South Wales
:08:07. > :08:12.Plenty of water here, though, although Mimi does like to
:08:13. > :08:16.balance her health drive with her other favourite drink.
:08:17. > :08:19.I've asked her to put a gin and tonic in there,
:08:20. > :08:27.She makes everybody smile around her.
:08:28. > :08:34.She has an absolute huge zest for life and at
:08:35. > :08:36.the age of 94, there is nothing that
:08:37. > :08:42.She will tell you off if you are doing it wrong, if I
:08:43. > :08:46.am putting my toes down before my heels, she nags, really, but she
:08:47. > :09:02.For Mimi one of the best things about coming here is
:09:03. > :09:07.We had one chap coming in, didn't we, Michael, who
:09:08. > :09:11.dropped to one knee and proposed to her and he promised you a wedding
:09:12. > :09:14.We haven't seen him for a while, so I'm
:09:15. > :09:21.It's her attitude to life, absolutely brilliant.
:09:22. > :09:25.Mind you, it does help, you know, that she is Welsh,
:09:26. > :09:32.And she has been in the services, so she is self disciplined, she knows
:09:33. > :09:35.At 94, I think she is a really good inspiration to
:09:36. > :09:47.Do you find it hard to keep up with Mimi?
:09:48. > :09:52.Right, enough relaxing, back to work, Mimi.
:09:53. > :10:00.Mimi is 95 in February, and with her mix of gym and gin,
:10:01. > :10:05.she will still be going strong at 100.
:10:06. > :10:16.Mimi is going to love this next story.
:10:17. > :10:18.Well, as we approach Christmas the South West drinks cabinet
:10:19. > :10:21.is looking very healthy - we're good at producing some
:10:22. > :10:24.of the tipples people will be enjoying over the next week or so.
:10:25. > :10:27.Plymouth is now a globally recognised brand, but other
:10:28. > :10:29.smaller producers are also making international headway.
:10:30. > :10:31.They include Salcombe Gin which has just won gold
:10:32. > :10:41.at the World Drinks Awards as Simon was lucky enough to find out.
:10:42. > :10:47.On the last working day Germany before Christmas the office as do if
:10:48. > :10:52.you would like to do a story about gin. The answer to that is yes. But
:10:53. > :10:59.the industrial revolution but the upper levels of today's mills. Here
:11:00. > :11:02.they are taking delivery of a store which means these distillers can
:11:03. > :11:06.produce five times as much as gin. They are extending already. There
:11:07. > :11:13.are three of you in this relationship. Is this your new love?
:11:14. > :11:19.It is. You have already grown? We have grown quickly. We launched
:11:20. > :11:25.Salcombe Gin in this sea. Sellers are going well. There is a growing
:11:26. > :11:30.thirst for gin. Total sales across the country have had ?1 billion.
:11:31. > :11:38.There are some big players. Salcombe is a small but upmarket. There are
:11:39. > :11:44.botanicals in our gin. We use citrus fruits, ruby red grapefruit. We will
:11:45. > :11:49.be peeling mess of freshly every morning to go into the distilled. So
:11:50. > :11:54.it is a higher quality product and people will pay blood? People will
:11:55. > :12:01.pay because it is a really good quality product -- what is needed
:12:02. > :12:08.now, I think is a drink. The moment we have been waiting for. I am going
:12:09. > :12:14.to make you a movie to with marmalade on it. Why is the
:12:15. > :12:23.Southwest so good at making gin? We have got the perfect water because
:12:24. > :12:28.it is soft. Also for brewing. Just putting a bit of Salcombe Gin in
:12:29. > :12:32.there. Does having something like Salcombe Gin help success breeds
:12:33. > :12:37.success, you feel confident? It is a big player, a multinational owner
:12:38. > :12:46.and it allows people to start to grow and, with their own
:12:47. > :12:54.distilleries and gin recipes. Fantastic. There we go, a straw to
:12:55. > :13:00.finish it off. Enjoy. I will, probably too much. That is very nice
:13:01. > :13:04.actually. I do have to go back to work boat. See you in a bit, go on,
:13:05. > :13:06.go. Still to come in
:13:07. > :13:23.tonight's programme... Join me for corals and horses at
:13:24. > :13:24.Bigley barracks. -- carols. And a blustery Christmas I had. Quite mild
:13:25. > :13:33.but next week at a somewhat colder. Now the last of our
:13:34. > :13:35.Santa Steam Train series. Given the time of year we've been
:13:36. > :13:38.taking some special journeys on the railway and tonight we travel
:13:39. > :13:41.between Paignton and Kingswear. On the Spotlight Express we meet two
:13:42. > :13:43.young passengers whose lives are affected by illness this
:13:44. > :13:45.Christmas. Our reporter John Danks
:13:46. > :13:47.followed their trip Welcome aboard the spotlight express
:13:48. > :14:20.on the Dartmouth steam railway. As the train steams on towards
:14:21. > :14:24.Kingswinford Dartmouth the excitement is on board is building.
:14:25. > :14:30.One passenger trying to take it all then is four-year-old Flynn who is
:14:31. > :14:36.here with his grandparents. Flynn's is with us today because his big
:14:37. > :14:41.sister has been rushed to Children's Hospital. She is being treated for
:14:42. > :14:45.cancer at the moment and has been fighting for 15 months. Her third
:14:46. > :14:50.session of chemotherapy so she is away for three months now. Doing
:14:51. > :14:54.events and trips like this with the little one is very special to him
:14:55. > :15:06.because he misses his sister and his mum. And soon it is time to meet
:15:07. > :15:12.Santa himself. I like your jumper! I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
:15:13. > :15:17.Thank you very much. Flynn's trip was paid for by the Torbay holiday
:15:18. > :15:22.helpers network, a charity that specialises in days out for families
:15:23. > :15:27.with seriously ill children. I wish you a very Merry Christmas. Also
:15:28. > :15:32.getting into the festive spirit is four-year-old Harry from Newton
:15:33. > :15:39.Abbot. Is ticket provided by a cancer charity. He has been
:15:40. > :15:44.undergoing treatment for leukaemia since April. It is one of those
:15:45. > :15:50.little things, it is very small and it means so much to them. He has
:15:51. > :15:56.been so excited. Because Father Christmas is here so it is brilliant
:15:57. > :15:57.really. Magic of it. And Flynn already knows what he wants for
:15:58. > :16:10.Christmas. To play with Allah. -- for to play with Ella. It looks
:16:11. > :16:16.like these two have headed off. In the run up to the big day we've
:16:17. > :16:20.seen families reunited as servicemen and women return from tours of duty
:16:21. > :16:23.- others of course won't be home We'll hear their Christmas
:16:24. > :16:26.message in a moment. But first military families have
:16:27. > :16:29.gathered to sing carols at the home Johnny Rutherford is
:16:30. > :16:40.at Bickleigh Barracks. A carol service with a bit of a
:16:41. > :16:44.difference, isn't it? Actually we are at Bickleigh Barracks but have a
:16:45. > :16:48.look around, this is in fact the stables at Bickleigh Barracks. Where
:16:49. > :16:54.22 horses although they are not quite military forces but I will
:16:55. > :16:59.explain that in a second are here at Bickleigh Barracks. Earlier on I had
:17:00. > :17:03.a look around the stables. The stable club was founded in 1961 but
:17:04. > :17:09.the horses aren't actually military working horses, no Trooping the
:17:10. > :17:12.Colour here. Some are owned by military personnel and some by
:17:13. > :17:20.Republic. Cathy Gillespie runs the stables. Who are the stables
:17:21. > :17:23.actually for? They are here for families and their children and not
:17:24. > :17:29.just the military but also be public as well so anybody can come up and
:17:30. > :17:36.have riding lessons and see the work that we do, our primary purpose is
:17:37. > :17:41.to provide riding lessons and horse care for military families. Would
:17:42. > :17:44.you like to have a look around? That would be great. Let me put Bob to
:17:45. > :17:52.bed and there will be right with you. This is thin. Hello. He is
:17:53. > :18:00.still a baby. Here we have grace. Hello. She is wondering what is
:18:01. > :18:05.going on. She is gorgeous. And then we come to my favourite because he
:18:06. > :18:13.is my horse. This is labour. The stables here, we work very closely
:18:14. > :18:18.with soldiers who have PTSD and problems like that so we are doing
:18:19. > :18:22.therapy with them. We're going to be extending that into 2017. Quite a
:18:23. > :18:28.big thing because back in May the stables were close to closing and
:18:29. > :18:34.within two weeks, and now all good to go. 2017 is definitely for you to
:18:35. > :18:39.be our year. Something special going on? I am not going to say, watch
:18:40. > :18:45.this space, but there is going to be something very special happening
:18:46. > :18:53.over 2017. The commander of 42 commando is here. What does this
:18:54. > :18:56.mean having the stables here? It is wonderful, it brings great warmth
:18:57. > :18:58.and character to the unit. We are having the carol service this
:18:59. > :19:04.evening not just to get into the Christmas spirit to remember all the
:19:05. > :19:10.people at 42 Commando deployed at the moment. Members in the Middle
:19:11. > :19:13.East but also people in the Naval service and wider Armed Forces
:19:14. > :19:19.working for Christmas and means we can figure them. There are some
:19:20. > :19:22.families here this evening? Yes, the stables live with us here at
:19:23. > :19:26.Bickleigh Barracks but they work with servicepeople from all over the
:19:27. > :19:29.Naval service and give a lots of the community so we are bringing in the
:19:30. > :19:36.family is deceiving to say thank you. It is always a difficult time,
:19:37. > :19:40.to be away from families. Yes, as I said we have people away and it
:19:41. > :19:43.gives us a moment to think of them. The stables are all about a
:19:44. > :19:46.community and family spirit and there is no better time than
:19:47. > :19:52.Christmas to have that. Hopefully we will hear some music later on.
:19:53. > :19:55.As we mentioned - many military families won't be
:19:56. > :19:56.together this year - spending the festive
:19:57. > :20:01.The men and women on board HMS Ocean which is currently out in the Gulf
:20:02. > :20:32.have sung their Christmas wishes ? well, almost.
:20:33. > :20:39.# Were going to have a party tonight.
:20:40. > :20:48.# Snow is falling, all around me, children playing, having fun.
:20:49. > :20:56.# The season, love and understanding, Merry Christmas,
:20:57. > :20:59.everyone. And you can see the full video
:21:00. > :21:20.on our Facebook page. Well, the big day really is almost
:21:21. > :21:24.upon us now and here at Spotlight we're big fans of Christmas,
:21:25. > :21:32.so our Christmas celebrations Here is a reminder. It is nearly
:21:33. > :21:36.over, this stupid money spending bracket we call Christmas. The
:21:37. > :21:40.pantries are stuffed with charities, cakes and puddings. Sellers are
:21:41. > :21:52.dripping with... Sorry, I have forgotten it. Can we start again?
:21:53. > :22:01.What a fantastic site. And Santa Claus has got 31 hours. How much do
:22:02. > :22:04.you get paid? I think that is a personal matter, isn't it? Would you
:22:05. > :22:16.do it for nothing? I would if they wanted me to.
:22:17. > :22:25.I looked across the field. I thought I saw a rabbit, spiced the rain
:22:26. > :22:36.gear. When we came close it was a baby reindeer! 531 hours and that
:22:37. > :22:56.gives us the speed which is 6 million mph.
:22:57. > :23:09.Looking at the plumpness of the breast. Do you agree? Yes.
:23:10. > :23:16.The knowing nod. I think someone is following you around. I will miss
:23:17. > :23:18.him after Christmas. It feels like Christmas eve, but that is not so
:23:19. > :23:19.plenty of time to start the shopping! I would think about what
:23:20. > :23:32.It looks like we will have a relatively quiet Christmas. There
:23:33. > :23:36.will be some wind. Quite a strong wind. It is easing off a bit
:23:37. > :23:41.tonight. It will return tomorrow. Generally it is mild and we will see
:23:42. > :23:46.some showers dotted around. Compared to other parts of the country we are
:23:47. > :23:51.doing quite well. That book of cloud to the north-east is one area of low
:23:52. > :23:55.pressure. That is leaving Canada. Tracking across the Atlantic and it
:23:56. > :24:00.has been given a name and it looks like that will head towards the
:24:01. > :24:04.centre of Bavaria. Heading towards the far north of Scotland. For much
:24:05. > :24:11.of Christmas Eve for tomorrow looks like it will be dry. A few showers
:24:12. > :24:15.dotted around. That turns up through Christmas Day. The weather front
:24:16. > :24:19.will arrive late in the day for us on Christmas day afternoon into
:24:20. > :24:23.Christmas Day evening. Let's have a look at the rain we saw earlier
:24:24. > :24:27.today because that is now clearing away from Dorset and the east of
:24:28. > :24:31.Somerset and what we are left with is more broken cloud over to the
:24:32. > :24:36.West. This was earlier today where is there was some pretty big waves.
:24:37. > :24:40.Strong gusts of wind earlier today have whipped up the seas. Not too
:24:41. > :24:44.bad for people other than the bug with the breeze nowhere near as
:24:45. > :24:50.strong across the northern half of Britain. 40 or 50 mph. Those winds
:24:51. > :24:54.have eased and I think for tomorrow it won't be nearly as windy and
:24:55. > :24:58.actually quite a bit brighter too. This evening and overnight tonight
:24:59. > :25:02.the first line of showers clears away and we are left with clear
:25:03. > :25:07.skies. Just a few showers dotted around. In between some lengthily
:25:08. > :25:12.clear skies which will it turns quite cold. Overnight temperatures
:25:13. > :25:16.could well be as low as three or four Celsius. I don't think we will
:25:17. > :25:19.see a frost but it will be a cold start. We should get some morning
:25:20. > :25:23.sunshine before the cloud thickens and later in the day we will start
:25:24. > :25:27.to see thicker cloud approach from the far west but most of the day
:25:28. > :25:30.brightened dry. The chance for a few showers. Otherwise a dry story and
:25:31. > :25:37.not as windy is today. Temperatures getting up to an around ten or 11.
:25:38. > :25:46.For the Isles of Scilly bright and breezy then cloudy in the afternoon.
:25:47. > :25:53.For other surfers the waves are going to be big. Very messed up
:25:54. > :25:58.because of the wind. Ten feet along the northern shores of Cornwall. The
:25:59. > :26:04.winds for the coastal waters are westerly. Forced 5-6. Mainly fair
:26:05. > :26:09.with generally good visibility. Here is the Christmas Day broadcast. A
:26:10. > :26:16.lot of cloud and also quite windy. Not strong to start with but picked
:26:17. > :26:19.up and in the afternoon on the coastline we will have gale force
:26:20. > :26:24.winds. Through boxing day and the early part of next week it is much
:26:25. > :26:28.quieter but also quite a bit colder. The only white stuff we are likely
:26:29. > :26:30.to see is a bit of frost from early next week. From all of us have a
:26:31. > :26:33.lovely Christmas, back to you. Well, that's our last full
:26:34. > :26:35.programme before Christmas - we will, of course, keep you up
:26:36. > :26:38.to date in our bulletins We'll leave you tonight
:26:39. > :26:47.with the sound of members From Arsenal, a very happy
:26:48. > :27:10.Christmas. -- we leave you with Rudolph, the
:27:11. > :27:16.red nose reindeer.