Good afternoon, and seeing as Alastair just gave me his last jelly baby, the least I could do was offer to write our daily rundown of what not to miss on London Tonight at 6!
At six months pregnant, Denise Darrell-Lambert faces the prospect of walking 3 miles, to take her young daughter to school. Having failed to get a place at her chosen primary (a ten minute stroll away) - the four year old will face an hour and a half trek just to go to school and back. They live in Chafford Hundred in Thurrock, where more housing is due to be built imminently. So, what are the council doing to provide adequate school places? And what are families supposed to do if their children have to commute miles to class? Liz Wickham has been meeting the affected families, and we've put the Chief Exec of Thurrock Council on the spot.
Staying on the theme of education - and plenty of bright sparks have been celebrating brilliant A levels results across the capital today. It's prompted plenty of chat in the newsroom... it's amazing how fresh the memories of that morning are for some fairly hardened hacks! Well today - we've followed one outstanding pupil as he discovered just how well he'd done - and the results are far more hi-tech nowadays!
Next - the 7/7 report highlighting the fact that more than two years on, the emergency services are still struggling with inadequate communications underground. The airwave radios promised to police, fire and ambulance crews for use in the depths of the tube network have still not materialised - begging the question, if disaster struck tomorrow, would we be any better off than we were two years ago?
Well, we've been waiting with baited breath for some action, and today the protestors at the Heathrow climate camp, targeted another local airport. And whilst they chained themselves to the front gates at Biggin Hill, we're asking if this was a dry run for things to come at Heathrow?
Meanwhile, to the beautiful game - which has turned ugly. West Ham are now being sued by Sheffield United, Piers Hopkirk is at Upton Park with the latest.
All that, and a guide to how to avoid being ripped off by cowboy plumbers, electricians, and builders - don't miss it at 6.
Emma and Alastair
