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Throttle in dubai. Oh, yes but concerns remain over potential disruption after a chaotic timetable change last year. Our Business Correspondent so do join us then. And in the meantime, from all of us Katie Prescott has more. Here at the travel show, we wish you a very happy Festive Season and, until next passengers arriving on one of the last slow trains time, its goodbye. From bristol to london. The new non stop journey from tomorrow will be just 68 minutes. Be here for dinner. Having left work, thats not bad. Yeah, a lot better than it is at the moment. I spent time on the train working as well, so for me, it doesnt really make a massive difference. But no, its good. I think any way you can get in and out of london within an hour will be really good. But in the back of everyones mind, the disastrous timetable hello there. By the time the sun changes of may last year. Chaos, cancellations and overcrowding. The organisation representing the Train Companies says rises we will have to just about theyre prepared for teething trouble. Everywhere the book through the there could be issues night, rain, hail, sleet, snow, where sometimes the trains are in the wrong place thunder, and some gusty winds. Going or maybe some staff are in the overnight but this area of low pressure to the north of us. Strong wrong place for whatever reason. And gusty winds on the south feeding well try to keep that to a minimum, the showers across the country. But, added to all that, some clear skies between them, temperatures have dropped low enough or some ice around to be with. But the day but the overall benefit of this in the long term will be thousands of extra services ahead, actually, not looking too on the tracks, bad. Lots of dry and sunny weather which will make the travelling around. But as a settlement start on experience much betterfor everyone. Around. But as a settlement start on a note. Anywhere from north wales if the new timetable is a success, passengers like these could benefit northwood, greatest risk of frost from faster and more frequent and ice. And it is here on the journeys, with more trains and more hills, most likely to wake up to a carriages, meaning 1,000 extra services a week and some quite coating of snow, too. The showers we significant changes have to start the day will gradually for some parts of the uk. Tomorrow will see the biggest fade away. A few will continue timetable change on the Great Western Railway Network since the 1970s. Across scotland. Lots of grey and the electrification of the line sunny weather for a time. Some between london and bristol across scotland. Lots of grey and sunny weatherfor a time. Some in central and eastern parts saying will shave 12 minutes sunny throughout. It into the off the quickest trains. Afternoon southern and western areas, the showers get going again, the maesteg and conwy valley lines in wales rain, hail, sleet, snow, and the will get sunday services for the first time. Race will start to pick up. The wind and there will be major improvements is not as strong as they were on the scotrail network, through saturday. At the hebridies and towards the south west we could with Additional Trains see gales if not severe gales in north east scotland develop late in the day. As well as extra seats temperatures in the south, and im between edinburgh and glasgow. Passengers are advised but by the strength of the wind, a to check before they travel as many train times chilly day, scotland, northern are changing from tomorrow. Katie prescott, bbc news. Ireland, only 2 four celsius for now on bbc news, the travel show. The vast majority. With the shower was picking up through saturday night, we will see those ball up this week on the travel show more widely, the breeze becoming more widely, the breeze becoming more of note as well the greatest chance of some hills know with a im in the uk to see up close covering, parts of northern england, how one of the nations most iconic southern scotland, Northern Ireland, landmarks is getting two. Very many by the end of the a much needed facelift. 0h night, was in scotland, northern oh, my word. Ireland. As always of the temperatures from dropping. Anyplace is again closer frost if not as a look at that condition is to working week. Here and with the Festive Season we go we go for monday, fisher just around the corner, across england and wales, medically were in londons historic across england and wales, medically burlington shopping arcade, across the coast, here will have a as a famous face helps it dry and sunny day before cloud increases from this updater. The very lovely showers road the north celebrate its 200th christmas. Of Northern Ireland with gale force was, potentially 65 and seven e mail before i head east power gusts cant be ruled out. And to norfolks thursford spectacular, will have snowfall across the higher putting my feet to the test ground of central and northern at britains biggest Christmas Show. Scotland. A chilly day to come here once more. But with the gathering clouds was this outcome is a bit of a question mark in the forecast. Just a mrs weather front will influence us as we go through monday night into tuesday. It could be a bit further is, any more of us have a dry day. This is potentially storybook today. Lots of rain across central and Eastern England and it could be cold enough over the tops of the hills to see a bit of pleated snow mixed in. Many though to the north and west of the country, way, will have a dry day, just one or two were starting this week right isolated jails. Another chilly day for most. And even if that weather front does affect us, it will clear in the middle of london, out the way through to sam liszcza. And inside the landmark that, for generations, has been notjust a source meeting the rest of the week, though of beauty, but of power too. Strong southerly winds developing, temperatures on the rise, and rain they used to call this becoming more widespread. The mother of pa rliaments. The palace of westminster was first built in 1016, but until the 19th century, it looked very different. A massive fire and a victorian rebuild created the gothic spires that have made the building famous. That is the 900 year old heart of the uk establishment, and one of its most recognisable landmarks, which you might know from scenes like this. The ayes to the right, 202. The noes to the left, 228. Cheering recently, coverage of the ongoing, and often heated, brexit debates have brought images of this building into homes all over the world. Order order. But the building is falling apart. Crumbling plasterwork riddled with asbestos and even in the chamber itself, the inner sanctum of british lawmaking, there are leaks. I want to finally finish my comments. The roofs leaking . With a leaky roof in the background. The sitting is now suspended and no photographs please rain sounds the palace of westminster has been a unesco World Heritage site since 1987, and in 2015, a joint committee determined that the longer essential works were put off, the higher the risk the building could suffer a sudden catastrophic failure. The cost of repair has been estimated at 5. 5 billion. Even just the annual maintenance bill stacks up at a whopping £30 million. Its daunting for the man in charge of conservation who meets me in the ancient westminster hall. Hello and welcome to bbc world news, this is the oldest part im james reynolds. Of the houses of parliament, negotiations are continuing through the night at the un climate of course. Talks in madrid. This dates from 1099 states vulnerable to Climate Change are pushing for more ambitious action from all countries, but some of the biggest by richard i in 1395 polluters have objected. The chilean official leading and finished off negotiations pleaded with delegates by henry iv in 1402. To work together. And it was high time it had a bit of attention, starting off with straightening the steps out over there, for example, sorting out floor, which was sinking in one corner and the roof is actually in quite good shape, but it was rather dirty we are almost there. It is hard, it so we thought we should get up there, is difficult, but its worth it. And every so often a bit fell off. We used to have fly pasts, and little pieces of timber would drop off, and that is not really conducive to Public Health and safety, so to speak. That does sound like quite a challenge. Its a huge logistical challenge. Its always very difficult in a building thats in intensive use. This is the seat of parliament, the legislator has primacy over everything we do, and we have to consider that. And so you tend to get a backlog of maintenance, because there isnt much time to do it in. One of the most famous parts of the whole site is the elizabeth tower, which contains big ben a bell, not a clock, as many think. Shutterbugs coming here on holiday will have been disappointed for the past two years as the whole thing has been encased in scaffolding. Restoring it has been a colossaljob. Were going over the top of portcullis house, and when we get to level 25 of the scaffold, which is about 50 metres up, you go past the clock faces. Oh, my very word look at that its enormous how big is that . Thats about just over eight metres in diameter. You can drive a double decker bus through it is the statistic. Was it originally natural stone . Yes. Yeah, it was, and we found as we were painting our analysis of the dialframe itself, we went back through the colours and we found that this was the blue that was the original colour. And we carried out extensive stone repairs, were about halfway through those as well. So, has it been a straightforward process . Did they leave instructions on how to fix this thing . No, obviously no instructions. I think the team that i feel particularly for are the clock mechanics who have taken apart the mechanism for the first time in its history and now have to put it all back together, and there are an awful lot of pieces that need to go back together. They are a phenomenally talented group of guys, so i have no doubt that they will do it and they will do it very well. Just behind the clockface lies the main event. The enormous chunk of cast iron im up here to see. I guess thats it that is big ben, yeah the name is apt. The bell is 13 tons in weight, which is phenomenal. You can feel the thickness of it, actually. Its so thick. You cant even appreciate looking at it from the outside. Can i have a look under . You can. Oh, wow that is. 12 inches, maybe. Maybe slightly more. That is an impressive bell. In the past, youve only been allowed up into the tower by contacting your mp, and only if youre a uk resident. The powers that be have not yet decided if they will be relaxing those rules when it reopens. As they come up the top of the stairs there will be a glass box, and just above you will be the quarter bell so it will be a really interesting viewpoint and one that will probably scare a few people, and you can also see out to big ben, which previously, there was an old bridge structure which wasnt particularly impressive so we replaced it. It kinda gives you that visibility of big ben when you come to the top, it will be a real wow moment for the people who come up the stairs. U nforg etta ble, really. Ican imagine after all those stairs, you would want something that is a wow moment 324 steps. You get a bit of a break halfway just to catch your breath, but having walked it a few times, i thought my fitness levels would improve and it would be easier, but its not. Its stilljust as hard when you get to the top. So, it better be worth it when you get here. Thankfully, it really is. It is, yeah restoration on the tower is set to continue until 2021, and the palace of westminster, years after that. But its been such a privilege to come up here and see this up close and i cannot wait for the scaffolding to come down. It will all be revealed and for everyone to get the chance to see it too. But in the meantime, limited tours of the houses of parliament back on the ground are Still Available for visitors from around the world. Its all getting nice and festive here in the uk. But if youre planning a trip and you have some last minute gifts to buy, here are some European Christmas markets we recommend. Croatias capital zagreb has become a huge citywide christmas market. A massive event thats seen it win awards for the last three years in a row. The theme this time is the nutcracker, which includes an escape room and a walk through cave to get you in the mood. 0ur tip head for zrinjevac park, which has a more traditional croatian feel, to try out what some of the croats eat at this time of year. If youre looking for winter wonderlands, salzburg in austria isnt a bad shout. Its market has roots going back to the late 15th century. Youll get all the usual mulled wine, wooden huts, gingerbread, and so on, but the activities here are pretty good too. They have organised singalongs in the main square, readings of childrens christmas stories and traditional wind music performed high above the square. Bruges usual ice rink has been replaced by an artificial one this year, said to be much more eco friendly. The annual Ice Sculpture festival has also been cancelled, because city authorities said it was too energy inefficient. However, this little belgian town is so fairytail beautiful at this time of year, its still well worth a visit. And the tiny alpine town of bolzano reckons it has got italys biggest christmas market. The organisers here go big on rustic and traditional. There are about 80 stalls, most selling locally made gifts. Its all set around a nativity scene in a real wooden stable. Still to come on the travel show as christmas nears, were off to meet the people behind one of londons most historic shopping arcades. And im heading to the east of england to take to the stage in britains biggest Christmas Show. So, dont go away. Now, at this time of year, londons streets are packed with last minute christmas shoppers and, perhaps, the most famous is regent street, which this year celebrates its 200th birthday. Butjust off regent street, youll find somewhere else celebrating too. Its the burlington shopping arcade that first opened back in 1819. We went to visit as it geared up for christmas in its own unique style. Hello. My name is mark lord. Im the head beadle at the Burlington Arcade here in the heart of mayfair. I think the beadles keep a great tradition. I love the way they stop people running, they dont let you sing and whistle, all that stuff makes it very different to most arcades. We have some very good customers and great characters. Arnold schwarzenegger is a Great Customer of ours. Bought several pairs once, didnt want to carry them around with him, was going to come back, we said what time are you coming back . As he left, he turned and winked and went, ill be back. My predecessors have told me the stories of when fred astaire danced in the arcade because someone bought some parker slippers. Marilyn monroe was filming with laurence olivier. His butler brought her here because apparently sir lawrence and ms munroe did not get on very well. We have all types of people. We have people from the Prime Minister to famous actresses and just normal people. In 2006, i popped in here because it was time for me to look for an engagement ring, so a remembered Burlington Arcade, i popped in. And i was looking at the jewellery and i couldnt see the shoeshiner. I said, do know where the shoeshine guy is . And they said he hasnt come around for the last three months. I said, youre missing the point, i am a shoeshiner, i would love to be involved here. And from that, 13 years later, im here. You could travel the world and look at lots of different Luxury Retail stores and streets and they all look very similar, Burlington Arcade is a unique thoroughfare. Its not too big. Its not a shopping mall. Its very human in terms of size. Wejumped in anothertime, because almost nothing has changed in terms of decor. Its like being in a fairytale or in a movie. And five, four, three, two, one cheering. They remind us of a winter wonderland, really, and its amazing the effect the Christmas Lights can have on people. Even after my 17 christmases in the arcade, it still gives you a tingle on the back of your spine when you are here and you see the joy on peoples faces and just a little skip in their step. It has a very, very, very special atmosphere. Now im heading 130 miles east, to norfolk. This part of the country is known for its beautiful countryside and a network of waterways called the norfolk broads. But as the winter chill draws on, it is the tiny village of thursford, which since 1977, has made Christmas Special for over 6 million people. And around this time of year you might be thinking of heading somewhere christmassy, like sa ntas grotto. But few places match the scale of the Thursford Christmas spectacular. Each day during the Festive Season up to 50 coach loads of visitors come in here to see britains biggest Christmas Show. Let the drums roll out. Let the trumpet call. While the people shout. Strike up the band. With 2000 pom poms and 1. 5 million rhinestones, this is a show to remember for the 110,000 people who come here during the Festive Season. Now in its 43rd year, this family run production was started as one mans vision. Its a journey to christmas eve, basically, in music, song, and dance. But through its popularity through the years its had to come forward. So now it starts on november 6. Its basically a non stop extravaganza of music, dance, and song. I had a friend in Kings College cambridge who was one of the Kings College choral scholars, which was a school for norfolk at the time. And just 400 500 people turned up. But it was just in the middle of this building here. So it started with one show, then went to two, then four, then eight, then 16, and so on. The show still takes place injohns converted farmyard barn. And he begins preparing each Christmas Show injanuary. This year, over 3000 west end and broadway artists auditioned to be part of the company of over 120 performers. And, today, im going to bejoining them for the big finale. But first, a crash course in learning my steps. The front, one, two, three. Five, six, seven, eight. Hands, hands, bow, stand left foot. One, two, three, four, five. And then make your way back out. Thank you so much for teaching me. I hope i dont cause any disruption later. You were great. You will be great. What is it like for you to perform in a show like this . It is a little bit different, isnt it . Yeah, its very different. Its not like any other shnow. Im one of the singers in the show. I did the show last year and fell in love with it. So im back this year. Its just such a variety. Even as a singer i do lots of Musical Theatre stuff but this has lots of classical in there as well. Its nice to get that kind of mixture. One thing that is incredible is we are celebrating christmas for two months every day. You would think it would get a little tedious, but it doesnt. Because every show we have 1400 people watching and theyre all there to celebrate christmas and its just amazing to do shows every day, twice a day. Applause. I understand that this is quite a production. Were talking about over 100 performers. I mean, what kind of logistical challenges are there for you guys backstage . Its a massive one. There are thousands and thousands of costumes in the show. Because every single musician, singer, dancer, variety act, they have all got 10 15 costumes each. And so, with backstage buzzing, this afternoons Christmas Spectacular is about to start. Ive been dreaming of christmas time. Every day through the year. Trees shine in every window. Children all dream of reindeer hoofprints in the snow. Ive been longing for christmas time. When hearts are warm and filled with joy. Theres love for all to share. As gifts. This is suzy, shes going to help me get into my costume. The best time of the year. Music plays. I have to go onstage now. Lets hope i remember my steps. Applause music plays

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