10 Daily Express Tuesday, July 30, 2019
DX1STBy David Pilditch
By Mark ReynoldsBut there’s no
lack of hot air
at balloon show
HOT air balloons brighten up a
golden summer sky – in a
tribute to Concorde.
More than 20 rose over Filton
airfield, Bristol, where the
supersonic plane was made.
Yesterday’s stunt marks 50
years since the iconic
passenger jet first flew in 1969.
The display launches Bristol
International Balloon Fiesta –
Europe’s largest balloon
extravaganza.
It also celebrates another
Bristol icon – Aardman
Animations which celebrates
30 years of Wallace and Gromit.
Organiser Chris Allcock said:
“This year, the fiesta is
dedicated to the city and the
icons that make us so proud to
call Bristol our home.”
Half a million visitors will see
130 balloons over four days
next week. Nightglows, where
they are lit up in time to music,
take place before fireworks.October. Trains in and out of the
city were cancelled, cars were
left submerged and canal boat
owners said they feared being
swept away as water levels rose.
There were even reports of
fish swimming in a gym opposite
a Manchester canal, following a
deluge on Sunday night.
The Y Club in Castlefield was
closed yesterday, after water lev-
els reached up to five inches, and
its swimming pool is likely to be
closed for the rest of the week
after reportedly being turned
brown through floodwater. Theclub’s fitness manager, Reece
Samuels, 28, said: “It is pretty
bad. We’re just working on try-
ing to get as much water out of it
as we can.”
There were more than 20 flood
warnings across the Midlands
and North-west yesterday morn-
ing and Rochdale saw almost
four inches of rain – more than a
month’s worth – in 48 hours.
Met Office meteorologist
Mark Wilson said parts of the
South-west and Wales would see
heavy downpours and could
have up to 1½ inches of rain. Theaverage July rainfall for the
region is just over three inches.
Mr Wilson said: “An area of
low pressure will bring the risk
of quite heavy thundery showers
into Tuesday.
“There’s definitely a risk of
flooding. Thunderstorms are a
concern – there could be as
much as one to 1½ inches of
rain. That’s quite a lot flowing in
quite a short period of time.”
The Met Office also warned of
public transport delays and can-
cellations, difficult driving condi-
tions and road closures.TOP 10 MOST MISSED
Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks in drama Foyle’s War
Bring back Foyle’s War, demand fans
IT WAS a much-loved tale of wartime
policing that gripped millions.
And ITV drama Foyle’s War has now
been voted the show most Radio Times
readers would like to see brought back.
Written by Anthony Horowitz, the
drama starring Michael Kitchen as DCS
Christopher Foyle and Honeysuckle
Weeks as his resourceful driver
Samantha, has already had two lives.
First broadcast in 2002, it was initially
axed in 2007, only to return following
pressure from fans for a further three
series between 2010 and 2015, taking
the story beyond the Second World War
and into the Cold War era.
On hearing the poll result, a delighted
Mr Horowitz, 64, said: “I’m really thrilled
that Radio Times readers have voted
Foyle’s War as the show they’d most like
to come back.
“I wrote the last episode in 2014, but
no matter where I am in the world,people still tell me how much it means
to them. And the repeats still get high
viewing figures.
“I’d certainly be up for a Christmas
special or two if anybody asked. Foyle’s
War was a passion project for me from
start to finish and I miss it to this day.
“It really cheers me up to think that
Radio Times readers still hold it in such
high regard.”
Another popular ITV drama, long-
running police series The Bill, came
second in the poll.
Originally broadcast in 1984, the Sun
Hill set drama ran for 26 years before
coming to an end in 2010.
And BBC sitcom Count Arthur Strong,
written by Steve Delaney and Graham
Linehan and broadcast from 2013 to
2017, completed the top three shows
viewers would most like to see again.21st century TV shows fans
would most like to see again,
according to Radio Times:1) Foyle’s War, ITV, 2002—
2) The Bill, ITV, 1984—
3) Count Arthur Strong,
BBC2/BBC1, 2013—
4) Spooks, BBC1 2002–
5) Home Fires, ITV, 2015-
6) Life On Mars, BBC1,
2006—
7) Detectorists, BBC Four,
2014-
8) Downton Abbey, ITV,
2010-
9) Phoenix Nights, C4,
2001-
10) Happy Valley, BBC1,
2014-Unicorn float ride in Kilmarnock
Flooded section of A555 in Manchester was shutFlood chaos hits UK...
with more on the way
THUNDERSTORMS brought
flooding and travel chaos to
parts of Britain yesterday – and
there is more on the way.
Torrential downpours and
thunder and lightning strikes sig-
nalled the end of last week’s
heatwave which brought record
temperatures.
Yesterday, the Met Office con-
firmed last Thursday was the
hottest UK day on record. A
temperature of 101.66F (38.7C)
was recorded at Cambridge
University Botanic Garden, top-
ping the previous record of
101.3F, set in Faversham, Kent,
in August 2003.
The UK joined Belgium,
Germany and the Netherlands in
breaking national records as
soaring temperatures gripped
large parts of central and west-
ern Europe last week. But that
seemed a distant memory as the
Met Office told the South-west
and Wales to prepare for floods,
lightning, wind – and even hail.
A band of low pressure is set
to send slow-moving thunderous
showers sweeping across most of
the country by Thursday.
Householders were warned of
floodwater posing a “danger to
life” and a risk of power cuts
and further travel mayhem.
Yesterday, roads and rail lines
were flooded in the Midlands
and North-west, as half a
month’s worth of rain fell in just
24 hours.
Travellers heading off for sum-
mer holidays were left battling
to catch flights after a section of
the A555 Manchester Airport
link road was shut in both
directions.
It is the second time the
£290million relief road has been
flooded since it opened last
Picture: PAUL BOX/PA