:00:00. > 3:59:59even at lower levels of light dusting to come as well. Winter not
:00:00. > :00:00.over yet. Tonight, dramatic footage
:00:00. > :00:00.of the moment a cliff This was the moment a section
:00:07. > :00:11.of garden including a summerhouse We'll hear from the owner and ask
:00:12. > :00:17.whether anything can be done The farmer in a wrangle
:00:18. > :00:32.with south west water. The next one came in at nearly
:00:33. > :00:34.?10,500 and it was me that the ceiling, not the water.
:00:35. > :00:37.But why has his three-month bill gone from ?1,000 to ?10,000?
:00:38. > :00:40.Songs and smiles as youngsters at Children's Hospice South West
:00:41. > :00:48.record a special CD to mark its 25th anniversary.
:00:49. > :00:57.And I'm at RHS Garden Rosemoor to find out what an Apple has in common
:00:58. > :01:12.with a pig's knows. People are being told to stay away
:01:13. > :01:15.from the cliffs in East Devon after what's being described
:01:16. > :01:17.as a significant cliff Tonnes of rock and soil
:01:18. > :01:20.collapsed on to East Beach, leaving homes on Cliff Road even
:01:21. > :01:23.closer to the edge. People living there have long
:01:24. > :01:25.campaigned for action to shore up the cliffs
:01:26. > :01:39.and protect their properties. Weakened by a rock fall yesterday,
:01:40. > :01:43.the land supporting the shed at the top of the East Cliff gives
:01:44. > :01:49.way without warning. There was no noise to warn us
:01:50. > :01:52.what was gone to happen It used to be surrounded by land
:01:53. > :02:05.but now all that is left is part My neighbour phoned me from next
:02:06. > :02:09.door and she told me that some of the garden had disappeared
:02:10. > :02:12.so I went and had a look About ten minutes later
:02:13. > :02:16.I looked out the window, blinked twice and decided
:02:17. > :02:18.that the shed actually You also then had another three
:02:19. > :02:25.metres of garden where my gardener had been standing not half an hour
:02:26. > :02:28.before this happened. I keep telling him not to go
:02:29. > :02:31.there and I think he has learnt But also you can see where the land
:02:32. > :02:42.had actually slipped down. That piece is going
:02:43. > :02:44.to go imminently. There are 12 properties
:02:45. > :02:50.along the cliff edge Thegardens have slowly
:02:51. > :03:00.disappeared in recent years in cliff falls extensively
:03:01. > :03:01.reported on Spotlight. Tony Miller fears it's only
:03:02. > :03:04.a matter of time before more There is bound to be
:03:05. > :03:07.another fall shortly. These things happen without any
:03:08. > :03:10.warning and can be quite small or they can be quite drastic,
:03:11. > :03:15.as the one was yesterday. Although the houses here
:03:16. > :03:18.are directly in the line of fire, when this cliff erodes back further
:03:19. > :03:25.it exposes the whole of the town to south-easterlies,
:03:26. > :03:29.which can be devastating. East Devon District Council sent us
:03:30. > :03:38.a detailed statement. They say that East Devon's cliffs
:03:39. > :03:41.form an outstanding part of the Jurassic coastline
:03:42. > :03:49.but they are made of soft rock and it makes
:03:50. > :03:50.them vulnerable to cliff They say they have now finalised
:03:51. > :03:55.a beach erosion management plan and they have put that out to tender
:03:56. > :03:58.and are looking for They say the recent cliff fall
:03:59. > :04:02.here at East Cliff will not qualify for emergency funding or approval
:04:03. > :04:05.because it is in private ownership. The council told us it will continue
:04:06. > :04:09.to monitor the situation "Astronomical" and "unbearable"
:04:10. > :04:18.that's how one tourism leader is branding planned business rate
:04:19. > :04:20.hikes affecting self-catering Ministers say the nationwide rates
:04:21. > :04:26.review of all businesses makes the system fairer,
:04:27. > :04:28.with three-quarters seeing no change But there are calls
:04:29. > :04:32.for an urgent rethink for the self-catering sector,
:04:33. > :04:34.amid claims it's being The Poldark effect and the weak
:04:35. > :04:44.pound encouraging staycations Tourism in the south-west has been
:04:45. > :04:48.surfing a bit of a wave recently. But there is a fly in the ointment
:04:49. > :04:58.for many of the region's self catering businesses as they face big
:04:59. > :05:00.hikes in business rates from April after a nationwide
:05:01. > :05:03.government review. We've been going for 40 years
:05:04. > :05:06.and this is the biggest tax hit And it is a major problem for us
:05:07. > :05:14.and we are worried about the future. 23 people are employed
:05:15. > :05:16.at this family business, a complex of 15 cottages near Looe,
:05:17. > :05:20.open all year round, where extras are on offer to keep
:05:21. > :05:23.the visitors choosing Cornwall -- Here, they are facing a rise
:05:24. > :05:34.in their business rates of 135%. That means more than
:05:35. > :05:37.?2000 a month on top It's not just that it's not fair,
:05:38. > :05:41.it's that it's not sustainable. If we want to bring people
:05:42. > :05:44.to Cornwall and even to the UK, we are competing not just with other
:05:45. > :05:47.businesses in England but also we want to bring tourists
:05:48. > :05:50.here rather than going to France or wherever so it's a big
:05:51. > :05:52.hit that is going to... You know, I'm sure there
:05:53. > :05:54.will be business closures Based on turnover, not profit,
:05:55. > :06:04.the hit is particularly being felt by the hundreds of complexes
:06:05. > :06:06.in the region, like Treworgey, Tourism leaders are lining up
:06:07. > :06:10.to call for a rethink. I'll tell you what, if my income tax
:06:11. > :06:14.went up by 140% I think I was worse than a loser,
:06:15. > :06:27.so it is not a matter of habit than a loser, so it is not
:06:28. > :06:31.a matter of a bit of winning and losing,
:06:32. > :06:33.this is quite catastrophic for some businesses, so I think it is time
:06:34. > :06:37.for the government to step back This will mean less profitability,
:06:38. > :06:40.which means people will pay themselves less,
:06:41. > :06:42.which means there will be less investment and ultimate outcome
:06:43. > :06:45.is less stock with less quality The impact on coastal and rural
:06:46. > :06:48.communities is going to be looked at by a tourism inquiry chaired
:06:49. > :06:51.by a south-west MP. The government's asked quite rightly
:06:52. > :06:53.for tourist operators to pay a higher minimum wage,
:06:54. > :06:55.to pay better wages to their workforce,
:06:56. > :06:57.which is very welcome, I'm sure, by everybody,
:06:58. > :07:00.but it is an extra cost for them and now they're getting a double
:07:01. > :07:04.whammy with the business rate. The government says across all types
:07:05. > :07:07.of business in the south-west the majority of bills are staying
:07:08. > :07:10.the same or falling and there is a cap for the first few years
:07:11. > :07:13.for those that are facing increases. It says there is transitional help
:07:14. > :07:16.available and the changes overall A farmer from Bickleigh
:07:17. > :07:20.near Tiverton says he's been involved in a wrangle
:07:21. > :07:22.with South West Water for almost The company says it's
:07:23. > :07:25.still investigating what's happened and is trying to resolve the issue,
:07:26. > :07:29.but Ray Hull says he's been told Our Environment Correspondent Adrian
:07:30. > :07:36.Campbell has been to see him. Ray Hull farms at
:07:37. > :07:39.Bickleigh, near Tiverton. He says he and his wife have been
:07:40. > :07:42.upset by repeated demands for money from South
:07:43. > :07:46.West Water over years. Each one of these cattle can drink
:07:47. > :07:50.around ten gallons of water a day. It can be even more when they're
:07:51. > :07:53.in calf but Ray says when the bill came in in 2009 he was
:07:54. > :07:59.flabbergasted by the size of it. I think the first one in August was
:08:00. > :08:02.for about just under ?1000, which was a lot of money for three
:08:03. > :08:07.months' water in 2009. The next one came
:08:08. > :08:11.in at nearly 10,500. It was me that hit
:08:12. > :08:14.the ceiling, not the water. And obviously that's
:08:15. > :08:16.when our battle, I suppose, with our water
:08:17. > :08:20.suppliers started. Ray says his normal water bill
:08:21. > :08:28.from South West Water is around ?1200 a year but in May 2009 he says
:08:29. > :08:32.he was sent a bill for more than He says after complaining
:08:33. > :08:49.to South West Water they cut the amount they said
:08:50. > :08:51.he owed by around half. But according to his
:08:52. > :08:53.records, the latest Ray claims problems began
:08:54. > :08:57.after the company attempted to deal with low pressure in
:08:58. > :08:59.the pipes to the farm. He believes a leak in 2009 happened
:09:00. > :09:02.because pressure was far This is where I was
:09:03. > :09:06.checking the meter every We contacted South West
:09:07. > :09:17.Water about Ray's bill. In a statement,
:09:18. > :09:19.they told us... "This has
:09:20. > :09:21.been a complex case which has required ongoing in-depth
:09:22. > :09:22.investigation. We are continuing to work
:09:23. > :09:25.with Mr Hull to achieve a But Ray says, after years
:09:26. > :09:29.of dispute, there is still an outstanding amount which is
:09:30. > :09:31.unsettling for him and his wife. It has an effect on you that you've
:09:32. > :09:37.got, it's rather like the Sword of Damocles over your head,
:09:38. > :09:39.saying, "?5250, please." keeping a careful check on every
:09:40. > :09:47.drop of water they use. Three out of every ten people over
:09:48. > :09:54.the age of 60 are affected weakness and ways to tackle it
:09:55. > :09:58.are now the focus of Plymouth academics who are leading
:09:59. > :09:59.a European research It makes people much more likely
:10:00. > :10:04.to have a fall or develop conditions Our Health Correspondent Jenny
:10:05. > :10:07.Walrond reports from the University So, this is just like the one
:10:08. > :10:13.they use to look at the babies Jill Willock is having
:10:14. > :10:19.her leg muscles assessed at the University
:10:20. > :10:22.of St Mark and St John. I've been unable to undertake
:10:23. > :10:30.any exercise whatsoever Researchers want to see how
:10:31. > :10:43.which muscle she has lost and whether she rebuilds it
:10:44. > :10:44.through The reason this research
:10:45. > :10:57.is important is that one in three over-65-year-olds will fall
:10:58. > :11:00.at least once a year. Muscle weakness is
:11:01. > :11:02.a key factor in those files and many people never
:11:03. > :11:04.regain their mobility. The university is coordinating
:11:05. > :11:10.the research with 14 other institutions and has
:11:11. > :11:12.a 1.45 million euro EU grant, something they are particularly
:11:13. > :11:15.proud of following the Brexit This is a partnership
:11:16. > :11:23.that we are coordinating across 15 European partners that
:11:24. > :11:25.covers education, industry, all related to science and scientific
:11:26. > :11:27.study around muscle, physiology, So to be given that level
:11:28. > :11:36.of responsibility for such a big grant shows a confidence I think
:11:37. > :11:39.that Europe has in us and I think This is the thigh muscle,
:11:40. > :11:47.so we see the bone here. As well as looking at patients,
:11:48. > :11:54.they are examining MRI scans and looking at individual muscle
:11:55. > :11:56.fibres to see prone to falls, their metabolism
:11:57. > :12:08.goes really bad, they get diabetes, they get too much fat
:12:09. > :12:11.inside the muscles and in the body and overall they get a premature
:12:12. > :12:17.ending of life. They hope their research can find
:12:18. > :12:20.ways to simply and cheaply assess what is happening to people's
:12:21. > :12:22.muscles, to pave the way for improvements to treatments
:12:23. > :12:24.and other interventions which could reduce
:12:25. > :12:25.the cost to health services of falls
:12:26. > :12:39.and physical activity. The five judges who heard
:12:40. > :12:42.the two-day appeal by a former Plymouth-based Royal Marine
:12:43. > :12:43.against his conviction for murder have said they will announce
:12:44. > :12:49.a decision at a later date. Sergeant Alexander Blackman's QC
:12:50. > :12:52.told the Court Martial Appeal Court that the conviction was unsafe
:12:53. > :12:54.because psychiatrists said the soldier was suffering
:12:55. > :12:57.from a mental illness when he killed an injured Taliban
:12:58. > :12:58.fighter in Afghanistan. The judges will take time to review
:12:59. > :13:01.the evidence and the law before The Conservative MP for Torbay,
:13:02. > :13:11.Kevin Foster, is seeking an urgent meeting with NHS bosses after plans
:13:12. > :13:14.emerged yesterday to close 32 He says there hasn't been
:13:15. > :13:21.enough consultation. The hospital says it will treat
:13:22. > :13:40.patients elsewhere and says patient In a moment we will be catching up
:13:41. > :13:43.with Sir Ben Ainslie to find out why he is training in Bermuda.
:13:44. > :13:45.And some early spring colour in the sunshine today,
:13:46. > :13:50.Children with life-limiting illnesses have released their very
:13:51. > :13:55.own CD to mark the 25th anniversary of Children's Hospice South West.
:13:56. > :13:57.Music therapy is one of the highlights for many
:13:58. > :14:02.of the children at the hospices in Devon, Cornwall and Bristol.
:14:03. > :14:05.Yes, and now, with a little help from family and friends,
:14:06. > :14:07.they've chosen and performed 30 tracks for the special CD
:14:08. > :14:09.which will help raise money for the charity.
:14:10. > :14:12.Spotlight's Andrea Ormsby has the story.
:14:13. > :14:28.For Sam, he doesn't have any vocabulary, he can't say words,
:14:29. > :14:32.but with music he seems to come alive and Carolyn's just been
:14:33. > :14:38.amazing in that she has worked with him for so long she's got
:14:39. > :14:43.to know him, what he likes and what actually will get him to open up.
:14:44. > :14:54.I think I've got the best job in the world.
:14:55. > :14:58.To be able to offer children a space in which they can actually really
:14:59. > :15:03.Sam's song is the first of the 30 tracks recorded by the children
:15:04. > :15:09.It's just amazing to think that my son is on a CD.
:15:10. > :15:16.But the fact that it's something that we can treasure forever,
:15:17. > :15:19.it's a memory that is there forevermore now and we can share
:15:20. > :15:21.that with all our family and it's just been so special.
:15:22. > :15:26.For Sam to be involved and for us to be part of that.
:15:27. > :15:31.Singing Bridge Over Troubled Water is the Children's Hospice South West
:15:32. > :15:33.Joint Choir, singing together for the first time after just
:15:34. > :15:45.It's one thing that we can do to add to that precious treasure chest
:15:46. > :15:47.of memories that families accumulate while they're staying with us
:15:48. > :15:51.It has been absolutely tremendous and the CD,
:15:52. > :15:54.we just want to share with everybody because it's got some
:15:55. > :16:08.Windchimes are her favourite sound ever.
:16:09. > :16:13.The children have chosen the songs because they have a very significant
:16:14. > :16:17.meaning for them so it might be that it's their sister's favourite song,
:16:18. > :16:20.it might be a song that a parent has written in memory of their child
:16:21. > :16:23.who has died, so the booklet really, I think, has to be read
:16:24. > :16:36.alongside listening to all the beautiful contributions.
:16:37. > :16:40.Even a world-renowned countertenor is on the CD.
:16:41. > :16:47.Iestyn Davies said he was delighted to contribute.
:16:48. > :16:49.The CD costs ?5 and can be ordered from the Children's
:16:50. > :16:57.All proceeds go to the charity, which needs to raise
:16:58. > :17:11.nearly ?10 million to keep the three hospices going.
:17:12. > :17:18.Sir Ben Ainslie started sailing at Restronguet Sailing Club near
:17:19. > :17:22.Little did anyone know then that he would become the most
:17:23. > :17:24.successful Olympic sailor of all time, first winning a silver
:17:25. > :17:26.and then four gold medals at consecutive games.
:17:27. > :17:28.After the London Olympics he switched his attention
:17:29. > :17:30.to the America's Cup - the oldest international sporting
:17:31. > :17:35.trophy - and he tasted immediate success the following year on board
:17:36. > :17:39.Now he's aiming to do something that's never
:17:40. > :17:42.been done before and win the America's Cup for Britain.
:17:43. > :17:44.Tony Husband was in Bermuda as Sir Ben and his team launched
:17:45. > :17:54.the boat they hope will sail them to victory this summer.
:17:55. > :18:00.Around half of the America's Cup team have left their main base in
:18:01. > :18:05.Portsmouth and here at the Royal Navy dockyard. The temporary help
:18:06. > :18:09.officially opened on Monday. It coincided with the launch of the
:18:10. > :18:13.boat in which Britain will aim to win the America's Cup for the first
:18:14. > :18:21.time. They will hope this was the only force start -- is the only
:18:22. > :18:29.false start of the campaign. A pivotal day for the team. Lunch hour
:18:30. > :18:36.race boat, get it in the water, -- launch our. It is many man-hours in
:18:37. > :18:40.terms of design and engineering and our note builders who have done a
:18:41. > :18:49.fantastic job to get it in the water. Land Rover BA are have been
:18:50. > :18:52.training here since November in their testable and their rivals are
:18:53. > :19:01.all around them so it raises the state 's. Full is -- we are
:19:02. > :19:05.developing our report very well but we don't know it all so we can learn
:19:06. > :19:08.a lot from watching techniques other boats sail weather and other
:19:09. > :19:15.components they have stopped we are a long way from the end product. The
:19:16. > :19:21.boat will have a crew of six led by Sir Ben Ainslie but also current
:19:22. > :19:33.Olympic medallist Giles Scott. The hydrofoils can see the boat reach a
:19:34. > :19:37.top spiral of 60 mph. They will get the idea of the kind of catch up
:19:38. > :19:43.that they face as a start-up team. The establish likes of Artemis
:19:44. > :19:47.aboard are strongly fancied to do well in this year's qualifiers but
:19:48. > :19:53.there is so much optimism around Land Rover Bar and they really feel
:19:54. > :20:00.this time Britain could bring the cup home.
:20:01. > :20:04.Looks horrible in Bermuda! Much nicer here!
:20:05. > :20:08.What fruit do you think we're talking about if we mention
:20:09. > :20:12.Some of you may remember them as old fashioned
:20:13. > :20:17.These types of heritage apples are being planted in a bid
:20:18. > :20:19.to save some of the more unusual varieties from extinction.
:20:20. > :20:21.It's all happening at the Royal Horticultural Society's
:20:22. > :20:34.Lucie Fisher has been to take a look.
:20:35. > :20:39.The first blooms are breaking the ground here at Rosemoor, an
:20:40. > :20:47.And one of those is an orchard dedicated
:20:48. > :21:02.to protecting rare species of Devon apples.
:21:03. > :21:05.So this is one of 90 trees that is to be planted
:21:06. > :21:07.here in what is to be the heritage orchard,
:21:08. > :21:10.and one of the people planting those trees is Pete.
:21:11. > :21:12.It's incredibly important to maintain
:21:13. > :21:14.this amazing kind of diversity of varieties,
:21:15. > :21:30.Hollow Core, Crimson Queen, Johnny Round.
:21:31. > :21:32.I mean, some of these names, you know,
:21:33. > :21:34.people will remember from their childhood and they're
:21:35. > :21:37.And they are evocative for Pete, too.
:21:38. > :21:40.Down in the poly tunnel he showed me some of their
:21:41. > :21:44.So, you won't see any of these apples for sale in the shop
:21:45. > :21:47.They are all very unusual varieties, which is the whole
:21:48. > :21:51.We want to ensure that they continue and don't get lost.
:21:52. > :22:00.There is one here called Pig's Nose, which
:22:01. > :22:03.is very descriptive of just the shape of apple,
:22:04. > :22:07.So these are the kind of apples, then, that you wouldn't see
:22:08. > :22:10.in a supermarket if presumably they looked like a pig's nose.
:22:11. > :22:13.No, we wouldn't see any of these in a
:22:14. > :22:17.Which is kind of the reason we are creating this heritage
:22:18. > :22:21.Everyone wants a perfect apple or a perfect piece of fruit
:22:22. > :22:23.or vegetable and the ones which might be less
:22:24. > :22:34.than perfect to look at are probably better tasting.
:22:35. > :22:38.This attempt to protect an older, quirkier specimen
:22:39. > :22:41.from more dominant others could end up being the difference between rare
:22:42. > :22:49.And you never know, the gardens here at
:22:50. > :22:51.Rosemoor may actually end up encouraging a resurgence in demand
:22:52. > :23:07.What a good idea. Good to see some signs of spring as well.
:23:08. > :23:11.You grow apples? I have an apple tree. And I saw some
:23:12. > :23:17.crocuses. I love the snowdrops.
:23:18. > :23:22.I hadn't -- a hint of spring. Let's see what the weather is going to be
:23:23. > :23:25.like. Apple trees like some cold weather?
:23:26. > :23:36.Yes, not while they are in blossom. We have had plenty of sunshine
:23:37. > :23:40.today. It makes a huge difference. A lot of sunshine for most of the
:23:41. > :23:44.south-west of all a bit more cloud creeping in from the east. We start
:23:45. > :23:50.with a look across Plymouth Sound where we had an unusual visitor.
:23:51. > :23:57.This is a South African frigate coming in for exercise during the
:23:58. > :24:03.course of the day, and from here we go to some spring bulbs. These
:24:04. > :24:08.crocuses look great. Also beneath the trees some beautiful shots of
:24:09. > :24:21.flowers coming out. Spring is starting to show. Sadly the frost
:24:22. > :24:26.and the cold is going to come back. We have easterly winds developing
:24:27. > :24:31.over the next 24 hours. We have hardly had any today but those
:24:32. > :24:35.easterly winds will develop and continue to give us some pretty low
:24:36. > :24:40.temperatures over the next ten days. Perhaps a hint as we move into next
:24:41. > :24:48.week of some slightly less cold air but the cold is already upon us and
:24:49. > :24:51.temperatures are falling. Overnight tonight, a widespread frost.
:24:52. > :24:59.Temperatures could get down to zero, even -1 overnight. A widespread
:25:00. > :25:03.frost but not much moisture so I do not think we will see too much in
:25:04. > :25:07.the way of ice. The only chance is on some of the minor routes over
:25:08. > :25:12.high ground weather has been water coming out of the hedgerows. A
:25:13. > :25:17.frosty night, reasonable start tomorrow with some sunshine but we
:25:18. > :25:23.are going to continue to see more cloud creeping in from the east
:25:24. > :25:28.during the day. With such cold air there is a chance of a few wintry
:25:29. > :25:36.showers from the East and they could produce some showers in parts of
:25:37. > :25:41.Dorset and Somerset. Along the south coast, the chance of a few showers,
:25:42. > :25:46.mostly of rain, affecting the far south of Cornwall and the southern
:25:47. > :26:00.half of Devon but we should get some sunshine tomorrow and perhaps 6-7 -
:26:01. > :26:05.eight Celsius. A cold wind coming in from the east south-east. The
:26:06. > :26:12.easterly breeze will continue on Friday. We will all see frost and
:26:13. > :26:20.quite widespread. For most of us it will be dry but a cold wind and that
:26:21. > :26:26.cold wind, the source of error, part of Scandinavia, will make it feel
:26:27. > :26:30.pretty raw. By the time we get into Saturday and Sunday, the
:26:31. > :26:36.Scandinavian areas across us and it will be a cold few days. There was
:26:37. > :26:42.some speckled cloud around today, not much through the night, clear
:26:43. > :26:50.skies, so frosty in places, as low as -1, minus two. Showers on the
:26:51. > :26:55.south coast. There might be a wintry flurry across parts of Dorset and
:26:56. > :26:59.Somerset. Struggling temperatures, feeling colder because of the
:27:00. > :27:03.strength of wind. The Isles of Scilly, bright and dry but quite
:27:04. > :27:12.windy with Southeast winds. Times of high water. Some good surfing across
:27:13. > :27:20.the North Coast but it is pretty cold. The outlook is continuing
:27:21. > :27:26.frost at night, a lot of cloud from Friday through to Saturday and
:27:27. > :27:36.Sunday and the cloud is thick enough for the odd flurry in the winter but
:27:37. > :27:38.I have to say it isn't much to appreciate.
:27:39. > :27:44.We had our weather symbols ready in case you needed them.
:27:45. > :28:16.What is that supposed to be? A cloud!
:28:17. > :28:19.when farmers leave their daily routines behind...
:28:20. > :28:22.Right, here we come, Dorset! ..for a show day.
:28:23. > :28:37.When author Sir Terry Pratchett died,
:28:38. > :28:44.They called on Death to give Terry back.