Bradford's going Potter crazy this weekend as the National Media Museum is showing the last part of J.K. Rowling's spell-binding creation.
The final showdown between Harry and his arch nemesis, Voldemort, will be screened in the huge Imax cinema in 3D.
A twenty four hour marathon hopes to leave no fan unsatisfied as the emotional tale comes to a close.
Trapeze artists are performing live Quidditch matches above the excited crowds of dressed up witches and wizards.
Everyone attending will have a chance to be in the 2011 Hogwarts Year Book in the house of their choice.
The celebration will mark the end of seven magical years for Harry, Hermione and Ron as well as an abundance of fans that have grown up with the story.
Bradford Bulls stars were among fans at the back to back screenings today.
Residents have called for an inquest following the closure of Manningham baths.
The grade II listed building closed it's doors for the final time on Friday night due to Bradford Council's decision to cut costs.
However, the decision was made without the completing consultation exercise that had been promised.
The council took the decision in order to save in the region of £120,000 a year, as part of a £30m cuts package.
The council said the historic pool would need 'significant investment' to stay open.
Original plans to expand the baths failed to materialise a few years ago.
And local residents have been left outraged and upset with the cost cutting measure which has left the community devastated.
One campaigner told BCB reporter Raz Mirza: "What they really need to know, what they need to hear...the people of Manningham, let me tell you, when the people of Manningham speak, the whole of Bradford speaks."
The baths were designed by Bradford architect Frederick Edwards, and opened in 1904.
There are more than 50 listed Victorian and Edwardian pool in the country but there are now only 13 in use after the building on Carlisle Road was shut.
Angry Voices: Pool users tall BCB Manningham Baths must be saved:
He may be gone from Coronation Street, but he's not forgotten.
Former star Steve Huison is selling a range of his artwork to raise money to keep a mental health service afloat.
The Shipley actor, who played long-haired layabout Eddie Windass, is selling his work on an internet auction site to raise funds.
He's best known for taking his clothes off in the box office smash hit movie The Full Monty before starring in one of Britian's much loved soaps for the past couple of years.
Now Mr Huison is selling prints of the artworks featuring 20 of his former Coronation Street co-stars to raise funds for a project called Hospital To Home which provides drama workshops for people with mental health problems at Airedale General Hospital in Steeton, near Keighley and Victoria Hall, Saltaire
Much of the £20,000-a-year funding has now been axed but Mr Huison, who has played character roles in such TV series as Casualty, Where the Heart Is, dinnerladies , Heartbeat and The Royle Family is hoping to raise much-needed funds by auctioning the prints on eBay and the Shoestring Theatre Company.
The talented artist is hoping the work which includes prints of actors including William Roache (Ken Barlow), Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster) and Katy Cavanagh (Julie Carp) will sell quickly.
He told BCB reporter Raz Mirza: "I'm raising money for a couple of organisations which are both mental health related.
"It's not easy to raise money for. You use the word mental and a lot of people shut down. Also, with the recession, a lot of funding has been cut and mental health services are one of the first things to be cut.
"I did an exhibition earlier this year in Manchester, while I was working on Coronation Street, I drew large portraits.
"I sold all of them off but I got prints made, a limited edition, which I'm selling through the shoetringforum.org website and also on ebay.
"It's not the ideal way to be funding mental health services and the arts, but I don't know any other way of doing it at the moment."
Football legend Kevin Keegan believes Peter Jackson is the right man to lead the Bantams to promotion from League Two next season.
Keegan feels the City boss now has the chance to prepare the club 'the way he wants' after taking over halfway through the last campaign.
The former Newcastle and England manager exclusively told BCB reporter Raz Mirza that if the club get things right, they could be playing in the Championship within the next few years.
Keegan, who is ambassador for npower’s No Power Hour, was at Leeds' Millennium Square to urges parents and children to spend an hour without power this summer.
The 60-year-old hosted an exclusive family workshop demonstrating the many ways families can switch off, get active, and spend some quality time together outside, whilst saving energy at the same time.
But all the talk afterwards was about Bradford City and their chances next season.
Keegan claims Jackson has enough inside knowledge of the game to get the right players into Valley Parade.
And when asked if he thinks the club have a chance of promotion next season, he said: "Crawley have spent a lot of money, so I think they'll go straight up.
"So I think there will be two places up for grabs. Why shouldn't Bradford City be one of them?"
Yorkshire can still qualify for the Friends Life t20 Quarter-Finals but nothing short of three wins and results going in their favour elsewhere will make that dream a reality.
A win today at Chester-le-Street could salvage their hopes. Yorkshire have fought hard, but have been inconsistent in the division, with only captain Andrew Gale making half a century this season.
Carnegie currently sit in seventh spot in the table, with ten points from thirteen matched.
The weather forecast for tonight's match promises rain and thunder storms. Yorkshire's t20 future could rest in the hands of the Gods.
A Bradford school has booked its place in the nation’s history books by winning an annual national contest for the second time in a row.
Bankfoot Primary School is the first primary school to beat off stiff competition from primary and secondary schools up to year 11 to be overall winners of The Jaguar Car Maths in Motion Challenge.
Thirty-six other schools from across the UK competed for the prestigious trophy at Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire.
The challenge has now become well-established in the clenders of many school as it provides children of all ages and abilities to engage in exciting and motivating mathematics based on project run by Education Bradford`s ICT team.
The challenge involves students working in small teams and competing against each other in an effort to win a Grand Prix type race and become UK champions. The activity involves a wide range of mathematical skills, some practical being used and applied.
The software being used by schools is suitable for all ages from 9 upwards. The system has been described as an ideal base for primary school maths project as well as for older students throughout secondary school.
A news release quoted the Headteacher for Bankfoot Primary School as saying the staff, pupils, parents and governors and the whole school community are immensely proud of the achievements.
She said: “This is a wonderful boost for us all as we come to the end of the summer term and trophy and certificates take pride of place in our school”.
Ten years on from the Bradford riots, Ravenscliffe estate has experienced positive effects, according to one community worker.
On July 7 2001, some of the biggest riots in Britain swept through the city of Bradford, partly as a result of mounting ethnic and cultural tensions.
Disturbances started in Centenary Square; a riot ensued and proceeded up to Manningham.
But a series of smaller scale riots were sparked in other areas of Bradford, including the Ravenscliffe estate.
Ian Kenning works at the Gateway Centre in Ravenscliffe and spoke candidly to BCB News about the effects of the riots on the community there afterwards. He said:
‘The overriding emotion for most of the people that I worked with on a day to day basis was fear. People were scared about what was going to happen next, and there were lots of rumours.
It was quite edgy for a bit but then what it did do, from my point of view, as a community development worker, was that when we tried to organise public meetings about what do next people actually decided to come out and get involved.
People realised the stakes were high and they wanted to take control of their neighbourhood, rather than be influenced by ‘dark influences’ from outside, or wait for the council to solve all their problems.”
The Gateway Community Centre was built in 2004 by the Ravenscliffe Community Association, and Kenning thinks it’s played a big part in bringing together different cultural communities in Bradford.
The former chief superintendent of West Yorkshire Police believes that the Bradford riots in 2001 could have been avoided, if bobbies had been left on the beat.
Les Vasey was in charge of the Bradford area during the first riots in 1995, and feels that the stopping of the patrol in areas such as Manningham created 'no go' zones, that affected the relationship between officer and the residents.
He said: "I think it was a combination of changes in police strategy, where more and more police were taken off the streets from the community role in order to tackle crime. Alot of issues came together and I think the police lost contact with its community."
The ex police chief feels that the first riot differed to that of ten years ago, but what the issues remained the same.
"The first riot was very much a spontaneously suituation sio there was limited plasnning no notice what was going to happen kicked off fairly quickly," said Les Vasey.
"Unlike the second riot, no one was kettled. Alot of the rioters went down to the city centre and committed millions of pounds of damage really. I think its a no win situation, either you protect city centre and control rioters in a particular area, or the rioters break loose and spread out all over the district," he added.
The question then needs to be asked, has Bradford moved on since the riots? Or is there still hostility between the districts.
He said: "I think the communities co-exist and within certain sections there's integration. I dont see that its a truly integrated city, and an independent observer coming into Bradford would see evidence its an integrated city either.
"But I think the tensions that probably existed then don't exist now, largely due to changes in police practice. I think the community and its leaders have more legitimacy now. Overall Bradford's still a multi cultural city," he added.
With the Olympic games just around the corner all eyes are turning to Great Britain's female hopefuls.
Former gold medallist Sally Gunnell, who is the only woman to ever hold four major track titles concurrently, is hoping for a gold rush in London.
Gunnell is aware first-hand what it is like to be at the top of women's athletics and the pressures many young athletes are under in the run up the the 2012 Games and other major championhips.
The mother of three is one of Britain's most popular female sports personalities after winning gold at the Barcelona Olympics back in 1992.
Now Gunnell is backing Yorkshire's rising star Jessica Ennis to achieve her ultimate goal of winning the Heptathlon next year.
In an exclusive interview with BCB reporter Raz Mirza she said: "Ennis is a great athlete and she's in great form.
"She's a massive role model and the right role model. She's very, very talented and she's got to keep herself 100 per cent fit."
Gunnell believes her team will give her all the preperation she needs in the build-up to the games and the former hurdler also claims Ennis is a 'once in a lifetime athlete'.
When asked if Ennis is nailed on for gold next year, Gunnell replied: "She's gonna go in there as favourite. There will be a massive amount of pressure. But I really believe she's the whole complete package."
Gunnell also claims that women's athletics is much stronger than men's at the moment, with the likes of Perri Shakes-Drayton and Jodie Williams making an impression.
Bradford Bulls take on high-flying Castleford Tigers this weekend. In what is a must win clash, the Bulls could close the gap on they're West Yorkshire rivals with a victory at Wheldon Road.
Bulls coach Micky Potter was left frustrated after his side failed to overcome a 12-man Catalan Dragons side at home this weekend. The defeat was a massive blow considering the fine performance they put in a week earlier at Headingley against fierce local rivals Leeds Rhinos.
The defeat to the Dragons highlights the inconsistency problems that seem to have plagued Potter's first season in charge at Osdal and injuries to Heath L'Estrange and Jamie Langley will not have helped.
Bulls Centre Michael Platt says that the injuries aren't to blame for the squads inconsistency: "We can't blame it on injuries. We've proven we can beat a top side. Hopefully we can put enough consistency together to see that we finish in a play-off spot.
Asked whether he was satisfied with his own form Platt said: "No I think theres a lot to improve on. Like the team I feel I need to be more consistent."
BCB's Raz Mirza spoke to Micky Potter and Michael Platt about last weekends performance as well as the upcoming clash.
Young people in Bradford will have the chance to sell their business ideas in a Bradford version of the Dragons Den.
Anyone aged between 16 and 25 can enter the competition, which will see two winners, one aged between 16 and 19, and one between 20 and 25.
They compete for the chance to win a £1000 start up grant for their business idea, an office space at The Grid at Low Moor Business Park, a website, staff and specialist business coaching.
The competition was the idea of Craig Marsden, owner of the Style Loft Group, a company that develops apps and websites.
His fellow dragons are Ben Watson who is a director of Bradford based company Digital Inc, Emmerdale actress Tanya Vital,Enterprise coach Shelley Tasker who runs the GRID office complex, and Jonathon Smith, Associate Director of Bradford City football club who is pictured above.
The panel will be looking for the region's most promising talent in a bid to find Bradford's entrepreneurs of the future.
If you fancy your chances, you need to email your ideas by September 30th to info@dragonsdenbradford.co.uk. For more details you can take a look at their web page at www.dragonsdenbradford.co.uk.
Dragon Jonathon Smith told BCB exactly what they are looking for in a successful candidate.
The district’s iconic Keighley & Worth-Valley Railway is up for a regional award.
It has been shortlisted in the Large Visitor Attraction Category of the Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Awards.
The train and it’s staff are up against big names such as the Yorvik Viking Centre in York, and the Yorkshire museum.
The station, made famous in The Railway Children attracts over 120,000 visitors every year, and is run through the kind hearts of volunteers and train enthusiasts.
The Chairman of the railway, Matthew Stroh, told BCB that just to be shortlisted was an honour, and that, “it is a reflection on how much our volunteers have done over the fast fifty years…a real pat on the back.”
On gaining a nomination, Mr Stroh says, “We’re very proud of what we have achieved.” Winners are due to be announced in October, so keep listening to BCB to see whether Keighley and Worth-Valley ‘steam’ to victory.
Three Bradford men are on a mission to raise a million pounds which will help rebuild villages in Pakistan that were destroyed by floods.
Councillor Rizwan Malik and two friends have already raised a massive £600,000 for the charity, Islamic Relief, and are on the final push for the rest.
The trio visited northern Pakistan in October last year, Councillor Malik said:
“It was probably the most emotional thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.
“We went to area’s where there were just mountains of mud, sand, rubble and debris. These mountains were formally houses or mud huts that people were living in.”
After a trip to the devastated areas, the three fundraisers felt compelled to do more.
With a team of around 50 humble volunteers from Bradford and Leeds, they were inspired to organise charity car washes, sky dives, community events and fundraising dinners.
The money raised will help with the reconstruction of four villages and improve the quality of life for around 10 thousand victims.
The cash is desperately needed to help towards reconstructing the poorest parts of the country.
What we've known for years has been vindicated by a survey today. That's right, 4 out of 5 people questioned said that we in the North are the funniest in the UK.
And, we voted ourselves the funniest nation but put Germany and France down at the bottom of the list.
But, as a nation, we don't always laugh at the right time - three quarters of us have sniggered in an awkward situation, one third giggled when we shouldn't have, and nearly fifteen per cent of us admitted to laughing at a funeral.
Laughing is infectious, with a small chuckle gaining momentum and becoming a full on belly laugh.
Bradford's finest comedian, Billy Pearce tells us his best northern joke. Be warned, you listen at your own peril.
School kids in West Yorkshire can join free athletics sessions held across the region this summer.
Children of all abilities aged between 8-15 have been invited to join one of the Aviva Startrack training schemes.
British athlete Jessica Ennis joined the Startrack scheme when she was ten years old in her home city of Sheffield. She's now IAAF World Heptathlon Champion 2009 and a Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner.
Schemes are being held in Leeds, Huddersfield, Liversedge, Holmfirth, Wakefield and Harrogate. Parents who would like to find out more about sending their child to one of the free events can go to www.uka.org.uk/academy for more information.
British runner, and Olympic silver medallist Iwan Thomas helped to launch the scheme today, alongside entertainment duo Jedward. He told BCB why the scheme was such a fantastic opportunity for young people.
More than one in five motorists have been driven off the road in the past year by rising petrol prices.
Pudsey-based Green Flag claim the cost of running a car is putting more of us off being behind the wheel.
Research also suggests that 1.3 million have quit driving with many motorists saying they've changed the way they drive - either by using the car less, sharing or even buying a smaller, cheaper one.
In some cases, people have ditched the car completely, switching to motorbikes or even walking.
Petrol prices have continued to climb, with prices hitting an average 131.61p per litre for unleaded compared with averages of 111.49p in 2010.
Green Flag found that 14 per cent of people in their survey have stopped using their car and seven per cent have swapped their cars for motorbikes.
Meanwhile, 58 per cent of drivers have reduced their speed to conserve fuel and 14 per cent now end up walking to their destination more often than they drive.
Henry Topham, head of Green Flag, told BCB news: "Since January, there has been a 40 per cent rise in fuel rated call outs for us. Just showing that its starting to take the pinch on household incomes.
"For many drivers, owning a vehicle is a necessity rather than a luxury, so they are being forced into driving more fuel economically or switching to more fuel efficient modes of transportation in the face of rising prices."
Bradford City will be tickled pink this season, after unveiling a new fuschia away kit.
The Bantams know that it may divide opinion - stating it will be like marmite - you either love it or hate it.
Former City player Nicky Summerbee isn't too keen.
He said: "I dont think I'd have liked doing it. I think Everton did it, they had a pink kit. Its not very manly thats the only thing, and I certainly wouldn't like to have worn it myself.
"Its definitely different and will cause a few problems. People will talk about it, what with it being pink," he added.
City feel the feminine colour will modernise the club and bring it up to date for the new season.
Midfielder Summerbee - whose OPTA stats say he had a better accuracy rate with crosses than David Beckham- isn't convinced with the kit.
He said: "The away fans will have a field day and get a bit of stick but thats just what you have to live with."
Bradford's Asian population are being urged to donate organs.Twenty six lives have been saved in the city over the past year thanks to donations, but those of an Asian ethnicity are waiting longer for life saving transplants.
Consultant Physician, Dr Jahangir Reeman at Bradford Hosipitals said "this issue in the Asian population needs to be brought out into the open.
We need to ask questions such as what are the cultural aspects and what are the religious and traditional aspects behind this problem."
The availability of donars is an issue that can touch many lives and communities however.
Cheryl Ragg, of West Yorkshire, waited for 6 years for a heart transplant. She was born with a major heart defect, which affected the two main vessels carrying blood away from the heart.
She said: "The diagnosis was that I shouldn't have lived past the age of twenty four and when I got my transplant I was thirty six.
"I'm a very defiant person but when I had my daughter my health deteriorated. It wasn't until I was thirty that the transplant option became available.
Being on the waiting list is very very hard. I had 8 call ups and I got the transplant on the ninth call."
There are currently seventy one people on the waiting list in Bradford, fifty nine of whom are waiting for a kidney.
For those considering organ donation, there is a clear message from Dr Reeham: "Get in touch or those on the transplant list might die."
A butcher from Ilkley is cooking up a campaign to create the perfect Yorkshire sausage.
David Lishman, who owns the award-winning Lishman's of Ilkley, wants to create a banger that will rival the Cumberland and Lincolnshire sausage.
David has invited around 3,000 people from across the district to vote from a short list of sausages, and is even taking his campaign to the House of Commons tomorrow, to get the opinions of six Mps.
David says the idea came to him after making Cumberland and Lincolnshire sausages.
"I thought why in this glorious county of Yorkshire have we not actually got a true, recognised Yorkshire sausage?", said David.
So what will the banger taste like? David said: "I think the Yorkshire person is quite a conservative person in terms of taste, so they want something simple, nicely seasoned, something that can be for their breakfasts."
The winning sausage will be announced at Yorkshire Day on August 1st.
Today saw the annual Howden festival take place at the Ashes Playing Field in Howden.
It was an incredibly hot day, with regular tannoy announcements reminding visitors to wear suncream and seek out shade.
The sun ensured that the festival was very popular with visitors and stayed busy all day long.
Amongst the attractions on offer there were sheepdog shows, 'MAD' bike shows and horse shows.
There was also a circus skills tent offering free workshops for all ages and a Women's Institute tent offering craft workshops for kids, as well as a giant bouncy slide and go karts.
Possibly the most popular tent was the food tent, packed with stalls offering homemade cupcakes, wines, chutneys, jams, olives and other tasty snacks.
This morning Bradford residents had a chance to view the proposed plans for the Westfield shopping centre, which will be filling the hole in the heart of Bradford's city centre.
The developers are showcasing the new, scaled down plans at the Midland Hotel today and tomorrow.
The shopping centre is long overdue, as plans for the development were shelved at the start of Britain's recession.
The development is now back on the cards, however it promises less than the original proposals did.
The site will now only be single story, rather two floors, and will no longer have the hotel, residential and office space that it originally would have done.
However there will be around 75 new stores, restaurants, bars and carparking facilities, hopefully enough new business to kick start Bradford's ailing economy.
Councillor Ian Greenwood is behind the new plans, and insists that Bradford shoppers will not be missing out.
BCB spoke to the man behind the project, Director of Development and Asset Management at Westfield, Duncan Bower. He says that whilst Westfield are completely commited to submitting the planning application for the development, they cannot promise work will go ahead until it has been approved.
Sixty-eight schools in the Bradford area have closed or partially closed today as part of a national strike by several unions in protest over pension reforms.Also striking are academies, universities, and colleges as well as workers in courts, libraries and job centres.
Two unions marched through the city this morning. The Public and Commercial Services Union met in Centenary Square and the National Union of Teachers had a rally at Valley Parade.
Outside the Jobcentre this morning, all was quiet, and it seemed like business as usual, whereas Bradford College saw picket action.
In Centenary Square, a rally was held made up of Unison, University and College Union and the Public and Commercial Sector unions.
Conservative MP for Shipley, Philip Davies says he thinks strike action will weaken public support for the unions cause in the long term.
Elderly people in Bradford could have to make cash payments or rely on other people if the plan to phase out cheques by 2018 is put in place. New research by Age UK shows nearly three-quarters of elderly people rely on cheques as a method of payment.
Today is the final day that the cheque guarantee card system operates, meaning that the question of whether cheques are relevant has been once again raised.
UK Payment Council Spokesman, Mark Bowerman said: “In terms of the cheque guarantee card scheme, our research showed that 91% of people aged sixty-five and over have little or no concern about the closure of the cheque guarantee system.
"The guarantee card system has been in place for over forty years but Bowerman said that it had become dated and was especially difficult to use.
“Hardly anyone was using guaranteed cheques anymore and of the small minority that were most of them where getting the rules wrong so the guarantee function was actually invalid when the cheque was actually presented” he said.
Lucy Melenczuk, Financial Policy officer for Age UK, the leading charity for a older people believes that until a suitable alternative is created, getting rid of cheques would be a big mistake,
“People are still using cheques and they need them. It doesn’t really matter about the total number of cheques from the older person’s perspective, if it’s the only way you can pay for something then it is an essential service” she said.
“We hear from people who give out their pin number so they put themselves at risk of financial abuse. We think it’s going to push people into risky behaviour and really restrict they’re access to goods and services.”
A study conducted by Age UK suggest that nearly one in five of those over 65 often use other people to draw cash out for them, while only 43% said that using a cash machine in the street was their preferred method of drawing cash.
Mark Bowerman says they will look at all available options when making a decision on the use of cheques,
“One of the roles of the Payment Council is to protect the vulnerable and that’s why this project is making sure that there are alternatives to the cheque by 2016.
“If we get to 2016 and people are still using cheques, the cheque will stay with us” he said.
Stop smoking experts in Bradford want to send supportive text messages to smokers - to help them kick their habit.
UK researchers sent motivational text messages to three thousand participants who were going through the process of quitting smoking in the 'text to stop' trial.
Three-thousand people wnating to quit were sent texts which said things such as 'carry on you're doing really well' and 'you can do it.'
Of these smokers, 10% had quit six months later. This figure is double the amount of wannabe quitter who were monitored but did not recieve encouraging texts.
Bradford smokers can expect text messages from early next year.
Lorraine Bradbury from NHS Bradford's stop smoking service says: "The study was really successfully. It's not something that we use in Bradford at the moment, although we do use texting to remind people of their appointments.
It's certainly something that we'd like to consider in the future. We're looking into it for early next year. We already have a texting system in place so it shouldn't be too difficult to implement."
Yorkshire cricket captain Andrew Gale is facing a new challenge - other than keeping his side in the T20 competition - by cycling 350km across central America in aid of Marie Curie.
The batsman will ride from Yosemete National Park right up to San Francisco, and the heat plus steep climbs will certainly put him to the test.
"Marie Curie is something I'm passionate about and they've helped my family through cancer in the best way they could," he said.
"I've been looking into doing something over the past few years but with my cricket commitments it hasn't fell right in the diary. So when the opportunity came up I grabbed it with both hands and raise money for a great cause," he added.
The charity ride in October coincides with the T20 champions league and Englands tour in India, but Gale doesn't think this will be a problem.
"Obviously I haven't been involved with the full England set up yet, and its where I want to be," he said.
"My current form is pretty good at the moment and I want to get into the England side. But I can't put my life on hold every winter and wait for the call. If the England call comes then I'll drop out, and someone can fill my place but for the moment I'm not selected for England, so I'll be doing this bike ride," he added.
Yorkshire's recent eight wicket defeat to the Leicestershire Foxes has put a spanner in the works, if they want their quarter finals T20 dream to stay alive.
But Gale believes they still have everything to play for, by getting the result they need against Northampton tomorrow.
"It's important that we change our fortunes round and put it right on Friday night," said the White Rose skipper.
"I'm sure if we can get a win that confidence will give us a kick on and there's no reason why we can't win our last six games. We're not dead and buried yet."
Selection from andrew gale (student) by ladyjade21
Bradford youngsters are amongst one thousand children who have taken part in an Olympic style competition.
The West Yorkshire Youth Games are an annual event, which sees athletes from across the region competing across a range of sports which include athletics, tag rugby, badminton, gymnastics, cricket, netball and cheerleading.
Most of the games took place at Leeds Metropolitan University's Headingly Campus.
Ex-Bradford Bulls and Huddersfield Giants captain, Robbie Paul, presided over the event.
He said: "I think it's fantastic when you can get the best of the area come together and get to compete against one another."
Amada Derbyshire, a teacher at Woodside primary school in Bradford said: "It's been a fantastic opportunity. It's a day out, something completely different to what they'd normally do so it's an experience they can take away with them."
The games are organised by West Yorkshire Sport and sponsored by Leeds Trinity University College, Horsforth.
Nigel Harrison, director of West Yorkshire Sport said: "These games are the sporting highlight for hundreds of young athletes across the five districts and are often the first time many of them will taste the excitement of a major event."
Bradford youngsters are amongst one thousand children who have taken part in an Olympic-style competition.
The West Yorkshire Youth Games are an annual event sponsored by Leeds Trinity University College. Athletes from across the region compete across a range of sports which include athletics, tag rugby, badminton, gymnastics, cricket, netball and cheerleading.
Most of the games took place at Leeds Metropolitan University’s Headingley Campus.
Ex-Bradford Bulls and Huddersfield Giants captain, Robbie Paul, presided over the event.
“I think it’s fantastic when you can get the best of the area come together and get to compete against one another.” he said.
Amanda Derbyshire, a teacher at Woodside primary school in Bradford said:
“It’s been a fantastic opportunity. It’s a day out, something completely different to what they’d normally do so it’s an experience they can take away with them.”
Nigel Harrison, director of West Yorkshire Sport said:
“These games are the sporting highlight for hundreds of young athletes across the five districts and are often the first time many of them will taste the excitement of a major event.”
A Bradford woman is one of five in the country to be shortlisted for a bravery award. One of the UK's top magazines has named Stephanie Papworth one of the country’s ‘Woman of Courage’.
Stephanie was nominated by her sister, for her struggle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed when she was seven weeks pregnant and endured chemotherapy throughout her pregnancy.
Rebecca Papworth told Prima that her sister may have had to abort the pregnancy in order to survive the cancer, or induce labour at only 28 weeks.
Willing to do neither of these, Stephanie struggled through chemotherapy and pregnancy together. She gave birth to son, Gabriel, six weeks early in November last year.
Karen Swayne from magazine, Prima, says Stephanie's personality helped win her the nomination. She describes Stephanie as ‘sassy’ and ‘funny’ and that the cancer never got her down, despite her extra pressures.
Prima will announce winners of the 'Woman of courage Award' this September.
The full feature appears in the August issue of Prima, on Thursday 3rd July.
This car my not look like anything special, but it is. It is one of a new prototype electric car that could be a regular feature on Bradford's streets.
In a bid to cut car exhaust pollution, become greener, and reduce noise pollution, this car is being trialled by the council.
Standing outside in the car park this morning, it attracted a lot of attention, not because it looks any different to any other car, and not from passers by, but from the council workers themselves.
Sally Jones, Pollution Control Officer, believes that these sorts of cars are the future both for the council and the city in general. She is keen to see the amount of noise pollution reduce in Bradford. She also points out that the city is one of the worst places in the country for car pollution, so if the council were to replace some of their petrol cars with electric ones, it would have a positive impact.
The benefits of buying these cars aren't yet known. They are more expensive than regular cars at about £23,000 and they need a constant supply of electricity - it takes about eight hours on mains to charge up. But they are cheaper in the long term to run, and with the price of petrol always on the rise, they could be a good investment.
Clothing and homeware chain TJ Hughes could go into administration, putting 4,000 jobs at risk.
There are 57 of the budget department stores in the UK, including the one in the former Sunwin House building in Bradford (pictured).
At 4pm yesterday, the company's directors filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.
The discount shops have struggled recently due to a slump in consumer spending.
The chain is owned by Endless, a private equity firm based in Leeds.
Their spokesperson said they are looking for potential buyers for TJ Hughes. Endless have assured staff that they will be paid this week and have said it is 'business as usual' for now.
It could be the latest in a series of blows for the high street. Retailers Habitat and Jane Norman have both announced they are going into administration this week, with Thorntons planning to close almost half of its stores over the next three years,.
A group has been set up in Bradford to promote the use of renewable energy.
The Heaton and Frizinghall Energy Group has been created to help residents and organisations apply for funding available for installing solar panels and wind turbines.
It’s hoped the group will raise awareness of the benefits of renewable energy and help people reduce their energy bills.
The group was formed by Heaton Labour councillor Imdad Hussain, who is working with fellow ward councillor Rizwan Malik on the project. They hope to get support from people living in the area, which would enable to earn the group £500,000 funding.
Councillor Hussain says they will use the funding to install solar panels and wind turbines to local churches, mosques, community centres and public buildings. He then hopes to supply local residents with renewable energy sources.
He said: “I don’t think the public have really been made aware of the benefits of renewable energy, it’s the way forward”.
He added: “As a local councillor I felt that maybe that’s something I can set up as a project and if I can get the right funding, then I’m going to help the local people save money on fuel bills.”
A strategy to tackle Bradford's growing child poverty problem has been launched today. The scheme, organised by Bradford Children's Trust, will encourage organisations that provide services to youngsters to work together in eradicating the causes of poverty.
Around 70 members of staff from education, health and voluntary sectors gathered at City Exchange to discuss how to improve sub-standard housing and provide families with debt and careers advice.
The event also incorporated workshops to help organisations look at how to encourage children to eat better food and increase uptake of free school meals.
The scheme comes a fortnight after a documentary highlighted the plight of children living on the city's Canterbury estate. It showed that four out of five children living there are from low-income families.
Bradford labour councillor Ralph Berry said that, despite the economic down-turn, the scheme could make a big difference.
The lead member for children's services said: "We can't completely protect people from the scale of the public spending cuts, but there is a huge amount we can do by looking creatively at all the services we are delivering to make children's lives that bit better."
Wibsey primary school teacher, Maureen Kearns, who is also involved in the project, said it is important that the scheme helps entire families and not just children.
"There may be things that we can do on literacy and numeracy and sharing what we do in school with parents who may themselves have literacy and numeracy issues," she said.
Graduates will be enticed into teaching via a £20,000 bursary it has emerged today.
It is hoped that the bursary will help to improve teaching standards by attracting the top graduates across the country.
According to the Daily Telegraph, it will see students with a first-class degree offered a tax-free bursary to teach in secondary schools.
Education Secretary Michael Gove is hoping to attract specialist teachers with Maths, Physics and Chemistry being targeted.
West Yorkshire Teacher, Anna Harrison believes that the suggestions may work but they plans must be approached cautiously: “A lot of people go into teaching because they genuinely love teaching kids whereas with this massive bursary, it could attract the wrong kind of teacher.”
The plan would see the bursary scaled down dependent on the graduates final degree classification. A graduate with a 2.1 would be eligible for £15, 000 whilst someone with a 2.2 degree would get £11, 000.
Leeds Trinity University College’s associate lecturer in professional development for Education believes that there are other ways to incentivize secondary school teaching, “Writing off university fees for those who have been teaching for five or ten years is a creative way to look at it.
“If you want attract the best people into teaching then you should be looking to extending incentives across the curriculum not just maths and physics.”
Although the plans are at an initial phase and teachers across the country have been sent consultation plans.
Convicted criminals in Bradford are being named and shamed online, as part of a pilot project which has been praised by the Home Office.
In The Dock, which features on the West Yorkshire police force's website, shows photographs and details of the crimes of recently convicted criminals in the region.
Wes Yorkshire Police's Jayne Sykes, Head of Performance Review said:
"'In the Dock' is designed so members of the public can track how local crimes are dealt with and ultimately who is convicted and the sentence they receive. The aim behind the project is to make the criminal justice system more transparent to the public, who may often hear about an initial crime but rarely find out what the end result is.
"The scheme is in its early stages but we are proud to be seen as a forerunner in ensuring the public sees that justice is done."
However, Anjum Tahirkheli from Bradford based organisation Basic Human Rights doesn't think it'll help criminal rehabilitate into society.
A football loving Gran from Bradford has been banned from watching her favourite team play.
Margaret Musgrove, 63, from Eccleshill, Bradford has been stopped from buying Leeds United tickets for a twelve month period.
Margaret described that she became over excited when her team won, she jumped over the fence onto the pitch to congratulate the players. This lead to Margaret being arrested by the Police and taken to a cell. Margaret said that she was just trying to get some good video footage of the players.
Margaret was tearful in interview to Bradford Community Broadcasting that she was “shocked and devastated ” and that she was appealing to Leeds United Officials to rescind the ban. She went on to describe that she had been a fan for forty three years and that she had never before been banned from watching football.
Margaret launched her appeal on the 25th of May and has not yet recieved a response to it. However she has been heartened by the support that she has been getting from the public who have been shocked at the ban. She told Bradford Community Broadcasting that her best friend from Wales had given her a lot of support, even starting a Facegroup group. The Facegroup group is appealing Leeds United officials to let Margaret attend matches again.
THURSDAY certainly turned out to be a happy day for six hundred school children in Bradford as they got to meet a TV legend.
Henry 'The Fonz' Winkler, who is dyslexic, arrived in town to encourage youngsters with learning difficulties to follow their dreams.
The American actor, who is famous for playing leather-clad mechanic Arthur Fonzerelli in the TV sitcom Happy Days, told a packed audience at The Abundant Life Centre how difficult life was for him at school.
For the past three years he has teamed up with First News, the country’s only children’s newspaper, as part of a campaign to raise awareness about children with learning challenges.
Despite his dyslexia, Mr Winkler has gone on to become a bestselling author of children's novels including Hank Zipzer stories, which tell tales about a 10-year-old boy who is the World’s greatest underachiever.
Mr Winkler wowed kids with stories about his Labradoodle dog and how he has gone on to achieve so much, despite suffering from dyslexia.
As his UK tour comes to an end, the producer and director told BCB reporter's Raz Mirza and Lauren Stewart about the frustration he felt growing up because he wanted to do well at school and wanting to be able to read well. He wasn't diagnosed dyslexic until he was 31.
One thing is for sure, his visit may have been brief to Bradford, but its given a whole new generation some Happy Days.
A former Bradford policeman is celebrating his one hundreth birthday this sunday - and has been honoured by the chief constable of West Yorkshire Police.
Left: George shows off his new whistle to Sir Norman Bettison.
Friends, family and old colleagues of former Sergeant George McOnegal surprised him in his Wibsey home yesterday. They thanked him for all his hard work - and shared a celebratory glass of sherry.
George recieved an engraved silver whistle from the National Association of retired Police Officers in West Yorkshire. Dorothy Bell, secretary of NARPO said:
"He always had a very measured way of speaking so there was never any trouble in the charge office. It's alleged that he walked every beat in Bradford and there were one hundred and twenty eight - that was back when policemen used to walk of course. He comes to our renuions still, he's very lively. "
Sir Norman Bettison, Chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, also presented George with a cermonial miniture police helmet to mark the occassion.
Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison said: "During his time in Bradford he covered every beat area, getting to know the people who lived and worked on his patch.
"I am privileged to have been able to present George with a memento to acknowledge his dedication and efforts in keeping the city safe all those years ago. There are not many people who will have seen as many changes as George has witnessed in the City of Bradford."
George was born on 26 June 1911 and joined the merchant navy at the age of sixteen, and served for 5 years. At the age of twenty one he applied to be a police officer and joined the Bradford force in 1932, and served for twenty five years.
George was overwhlemed by the occassion. He said: "It's amazing really. It's very good". George said his job wasn't always easy, but he did enjoy it. "I always used to say you have to take the good with the bad, and vica versa," he said.
George will offically turn one hundred on Sunday and is having a quiet celebratory lunch with his family.
West Yorkshire midwives are being stretched to their limits because of overweight mums-to-be.
A report by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) states that obese mothers need more care after giving birth, which is causing a shortage of care across the region.
A rising birthrate, coupled with the problems linked with obesity in pregnancy, is putting pressure on overstretched maternity services. It has reduced the amount of time midwives can spend on advising on diet and lifestyle.
Bridget Benelam, senior nutrition consultant at the BNF, says the fall in numbers is concerning.
"The latest figures for birth rates in West Yorkshire are 31,000 a year. In terms of the amount of midwives we would want available to cope with that is 12,000," she said.
"We know that in Yorkshire and Humber overall there's a shortfall of nearly 400 hundred midwives, so we've certainly not got the numbers we would want for midwives in this area."
Nick Clegg has thrown his backing behind proposals to give the public shares in part-nationalised banks Lloyds and RBS.
The idea is based on the principle that individual taxpayers would benefit from any long-term gains made by the bank when they are eventually sold.
Both banks were bailed out using taxpayer money and the announcement has been met warmly by the deputy prime minister.
It is not believed that the proposals could come to fruition anytime soon as they are in the early stages and the banks are currently working at a loss however.
West Yorkshire investment banker David Battersby from Redmeyne Bentley believes the government would have to hold them for a while before they become profitable to the public:
"Once you have got these shares in your own possession, you can make a decision to hold on or you can sell these shares which will provide you with some much need money for this austier period that were are going through" he said.
MPs will vote later today on whether to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. The backbench debate has been called by Conservative MP Mark Pritchard and has cross-party support from from Lib Dem and Labour MPs, including West Yorkshire's Mary Creagh.
Labour's Shadow Environment Secretary has spearheaded a campaign to remove non-domestic creatures from circuses. It has received backing from celebrities like Ricky Gervais and Brian Blessed. She believes that animals such as zebras and camels are not meant to perform.
"To have them sitting in a damp field in a corner of Britain or jumping through hoops for people's entertainment is not acceptable in the twenty-first century," she said.
Circus Mondao, one of the last travelling circuses in Britain to use wild animals, is opposed to the move. Ringmistress Petra Jackson insisted their animals are not exploited or subjected to cruelty.
"Our animals are kept in the correct manner, trained in the correct manner and transported in the correct manner.
"We get inspected on a regular basis by local animal officers and government vets and they have never found anything wrong with what we do," she said.
Government ministers said they would rather strengthen the existing Animal Welfare Act than implement a total ban.
If the motion is passed a ban will not become law but put extra pressure on the government to act. MPs will debate the motion this afternoon and the vote will be held tonight.
Single mums are feeling the government’s cuts the most, according to a report out today.
The report by the Fawcett Society says that as a result of benefit and tax changes, the average single mum will lose the equivalent of more than a month’s income by 2015.
An single parent with one child will receive government supports, in the form of Child Tax Credits, of around £3000. With cuts to benefits, this could be reduced.
These findings come as single parents in Bradford are also facing the prospect of losing a vital support service.
For Bradford single mums, the situation looks bleaker, as the Gingerbread Housing Project, which helps support around a hundred families, could be closed due to council cutbacks.
The Project currently helps parents by providing housing and support groups. They also distribute fresh food from supermarkets on a weekly basis.
Corinne Campbell, manager of Gingerbread, is extremely worried, and explained that these families simply don’t have enough money to survive; even before benefits cuts are made. She agrees with today’s report, but extends the struggling single-parents to include single dads too.
With government cuts increasing, and Gingerbread's future uncertain, Bradford’s lone parents will be harder hit than most.
Three men have been arrested in Bradford on suspicion of murder. The arrests are in connection with the murder of two men whose bodies were found on New Lane in Tong on Tuesday 10th May 2011.
The three local men, aged 37, 24 and 29 were arrested earlier today and remain in custody.
Two women aged 63 and 27 have previously been charged with offences of Murder and Assisting an Offender. Both have appeared before the courts.
Detective Superintendent Dick Nuttall, who is leading the investigation, has said,
"As part of our investigations, we want to speak to 31 year old Mohammed Zubair. Our enquiries suggest Zubair left the country on Wednesday 11 May.
"I would like to appeal to anyone with information on his whereabouts or recent movements to contact the Incident Room as a matter of urgency on (01924) 334693."
