Through the city of water might now help preserve this jewel of civilisation. Mark lowen, Bbc News, rome. Now its time for a look at the weather with louise lear. Good afternoon. Its a rather grey sunday out there for many. If we take a look at the satellite picture, you can see exactly what im talking about. There are some breaks in the cloud and some Brightness Into Western Scotland in particular and parts of North Wales but a weak Weather Front is shifting its way steadily south and its enhancing some sharp, possibly thundery downpours to develop a little bit later on in the day. Also, a northerly flow means that its quite cool out there, particularly on exposed North Sea coasts. There will be a good deal of dry weather but, as i say, quite a lot of cloud around as well. So top temperatures, 12 20 degrees at the very best. It looks likely that the best of the weather as we go through the week, though, will be monday and tuesday, as this little bump of High Pressure will build in from the atlantic and keep things relatively quiet. So if youve got some outdoor plans, certainly monday and tuesday look likely to be the best days but its not going to be very warm for the early half of august, with top temperatures of 20 degrees. Hello this is Bbc News with lukwesa burak. The Headlines Success for gb athletes at the tokyo games the Gymnast Max Whitlock wins the teams tenth gold as he retains the Olympic Pommel Horse title. And before that there was gold for Charlotte Worthington in a dramatic Bmx Park Freestyle final. Young people in england will be offered incentives to have their first Covid Jab like discounts for Takeaway Food and taxi journeys. And employers who still have staff on furlough will have to start contributing 20 of workers� wages from today. Now on Bbc News, the travel show. This week some of our favourite memories of new York City. From historical landmarks. I think its what we needed to do to create a real movement, to create real equality. To hidden treasures. This view is incredible. Where creativity is everywhere. Somebody has to preserve a record of what we have. Its worth it. And everyones got a story to tell. Im a traveljournalist and a little while ago i was injapan. Hello and welcome to the programme, coming to you this week once again from our home here in london. That means, unfortunately, we are still grounded, but it does give us a great opportunity to rummage through the archives and dig up some forgotten gems. This week, memories from one of the most exciting destinations in the world new York City. And, were Kicking Off with an emotional visit back in 2019 when the bbc� s first ever lgbt correspondent, Ben Hunt, went for the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In the us, the 1960s was an era of activism and protests. It was The End of the counterculture, 19605. Women were fighting for their rights, blacks were fighting for their rights, latinos were fighting for their rights. We just said, what about us . Why not us . Why not me . 0njune 28th, 1969, the riot at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street would mark the birth of the modern gay rights movement. So, this is where its at. Yes. Where it all happened. Mark segal was 18 at the time and had arrived in the cityjust a few weeks earlier. Its so amazing, all the rainbow flags on it. Whats it like to be back here . Its sort of emotional. I think of the people who helped educate me or what we needed to do to create a real movement to create real equality. What was it like that night . Just like any other normal night. We were inside, we were having a great time. I was standing in the back near the dance floor. Lights flickered on, then they came on full force. I looked over at someone and said, whats happening . And they said, very casually, its a raid. I had never been in a raid before so i was a little nervous. Police barged in, just started pushing people around. And if anybody looked like they were successful, they went up to them and said, take out your wallet, and they took the money. It was right in front of everybodys faces and they didnt care because thats the way you got to treat gay men and lesbian women in those days you treated them like trash. So they carded me, i went out and i stood out about right over there. 0ut here, somewhere between 50 and 100 police tried to disperse us. We would not disperse. It was the first time gay people said to police, no, this is our neighbourhood, you are not going to tell us to get off our street. We picked up stones, we picked up cans and threw them, and that was the first night. The protests raged for several nights and led to the first Pride March in 1970. The Stonewall Inn has since become an historic landmark and attracts visitors from across the globe keen to learn about the struggles. Tour guide it was illegal. To serve gay people alcohol. I mean, it wasnt easy. Many of us went to jail, many of us were beat. Its been a long 50 years but, Guess What . Were further along than i ever would have expected. I cant really imagine what it must� ve been like to be there on that day when the Stonewall Riots were Kicking Off, but i loved what he said about the fact that for them it was just a protest, they were just sticking up for their rights and what they felt they needed to do, and its only now we realise what a big impact they all made. Many cultural institutions have embraced the opportunity to delve deeper into lgbt history and culture, highlighting the bravery of some of the less well known figures. Some of the most important people are transgender people, in particular, Sylvia Riviera and marcia pjohnson. A lot of people think of them just in terms of their participation in stonewall but they were really major activists at that time and were on the front lines on all of the demonstrations. So the whole community came together then . Yeah, both this new generation of activists and the older generation of activists and lesbian activists, gay activists, transgender activists. Oh, yeah, lesbians unite. Yes, so here you see thousands of people who were willing to come out of the closet and be part of this political movement. Its hoped that exhibitions like this will help keep the memory of what happened alive and inspire future generations. Im 27, this is the first time i am seeing many of these pieces. Why should people in my Generation Care about this exhibition . In this Internet Age of people liking things on Facebook And Internet activism, it is hard for people to realise the real oppression that people faced in the 19605 and 705, and also that they were able to make a difference. And the way that they changed our society was personally getting involved in politics and joining organi5ation5, creating new5letter5, and putting their bodies on the line at demonstrations. I think we need to appreciate today and also be inspired by today to know that we can make a difference again. Back at stonewall, a Chance Encounter with a group of students provides an emotional Reminder Ofjust how far the movement has come. Im proud of what happened there. It makes me proud to see you all here today because it says the work that we did is filtering through. I think any of us who were there that Night Wouldve never expected we would have come as far as we have, i am shocked. I never thought i would be able to get married, able to express that publicly. Me saying that i have a husband. Sorry, i am getting emotional. Its something i never thought i could do. Wow. Clapping. Thank you, guys. An emotionaljourney for Ben Hunt back in 2019. Pop culture has made new york so familiar to us all. Some visitors arrive thinking they already know the place inside out. So, in 2017, we sentjo there with a brief to uncover some hidden treats that might still offer a few surprises, all with the help of travel bloggerjessie festa. Now i have to try a new tour that goes behind the scenes at one of new yorks most iconic hotels. Historianjoe takes me down to an abandoned tunnel that was used until the late 1960s as a private route for vips. We are underneath the intersection of Eighth Ave and 24th Street right now. You head south towards penn station. What famous people came here . John F Kennedy and Robert Kennedy were here. Of course, there are many legends aboutjohn F Kennedy. And this would take you out to the platforms to penn station. The most exciting bit is the roof. This view is incredible. Were besides the Chrysler Building and the empire state building, and if you look down there, you can see the statue of liberty. Lets go see the roof sign. You can see it all over the city, cant you . I can see it, actually, from the town where i live in newjersey. The letters are enormous, arent they, when you get up close . The letters are about 20 feet tall and theyre illuminated by leds. How many people have touched the sign, joe . You are in a group of less than a dozen people, i am sure. Thank you for bringing me up here. Oh, you are welcome. Jessie said to come here to see an orchestra but the address seems to be a normal block of flats. Who is it . Hi, itsjo. Knocks. Hello. Hi. Are you sam . Iam. What is happening here . So, this groupmuse. This is a classical Music House Party. 0k. So come with me. We arrive in the middle of a recital. This is really special. Orchestral music. Groupmuse is a classical Music House Party that connects classical musicians in the area to people who have living rooms, or clearly rooftops, in the area. So we have, you know, groupmuses every night pretty much every night in new york and anybody can host and anybody can attend. The idea is that people make a 10 donation to the musicians, which makes this a much cheaper Night Out than an evening at the orchestra. Applause. To end my hectic day in new york, jessie has fixed me up with a bed for the night. Hi,jo hi, are you the guy thats sorting me somewhere to stay . Absolutely, follow me. Its a cab. Its a luxury liner taxicab. Wait till you see the inside, you are going to love it. That is lovely. Here is some complimentary water, and here is your official taxi hat. How much does it cost to stay here . 39 a night, thats it. Monday to friday 39, weekends 49. And so you are allowed to park here . Yeah, nothing i am doing is illegal. Ijust need to make sure i follow parking regulations. I always pick a place that has a beautiful view of the skyline. Well, then, i better get in. This is actually quite comfortable, but very strange. Well, good night. And believe me, on bbc budgets, the back of a cab is about as luxurious as it gets. Still to come on the show. How one man has devoted his artistic life to the new york subway. Ive done 110 stations so far and i have many more to go. And the contest that shines a spotlight on storytelling. I cant be a sumo wrestler, i cant really dance so well, but i could probably tell a story. So, dont go away. Welcome back to our look at some of our favourite new york memories, from before pandemics, lockdowns and social distancing were even a thing. Up next, we are heading underground to meet an amazing artist who has dedicated his life to sketching the new york subway. He started back in 1978 and, a0 years later, when we went to visit, he was still going strong. When i began my study, a voice inside my head said, why dont you see how conscious people are of the Subway Art after all . I would say are you aware of the art in the subway . Half of them said what art . No idea at all. I have some pens here, red, green and blue. Here we go. My study of the subway really began years ago when i was eight years old. My father told me that down in the Subway Station in new york there were pictures on the walls, and i thought that was very curious, but what got me going deeper, besides the fact that i realised some stations were losing their decor so that had to be recorded, and realising this, i got concerned and thought Well Somebody has to preserve a record of what we have. Now, it became sort of a cause for me to record the embellishments of the station. So this is a rather long project, now ll0 years in the making, and not done yet. Actually the earlist station built, that was in 190a, and at that time, there was a great movement called the city beautiful movement, when the mayor and his council decided that they wanted to establish new york as noble and attractive a city as the old European Capitals were, are, which americans and new yorkers had always looked up to, and the mayor decided that we could do that right here in new york also. A good example of a very high design elements in the Subway Station we found in Borough Hall in brooklyn, the first Subway Station on the first Subway Line into brooklyn, its just like one of the dozen designs that are part of the creative history of the station alone, but it is worth it. So what i do when i do my project, i have to do it at night, weekends, often you will find me at the library or on the Subway Drawing Pictures of whats on the wall and taking notes on how many mosaics, what colour are they, a general description about any station. I have been self publishing my work ever since i began. This year though, a lot has changed. A university has published a book of my drawings. My drawings and my notebook, the real thing, the originals, have been on display in Grand Central tunnel. This made us stop and appreciate. Look, 137th street, look at that, we dont do that anymore. No, we dont. We dont have time to look at it and we dont have the money to produce it. Since i started this study, being, i hope, somewhat of a thorough person i intend to finish it, which means i really have to visit all the stations in the system. I have done 110 stations so far, and i have many more to go 360 more, god knows. Because i started it, i feel i have to finish it. Philip has finished his work on the lexington avenue line, that was published in december. Now hes hard at work on the Sea Bench and West End lines from brooklyn out to coney island. Because of the pandemic, there has been some hesitation on my part to go back to the city, concerned about my health, which is good though, thank goodness, but as a researcher, i have to go back. I will go back, i want to go back. I havent been in the city for a year, i want to see how it is and what it feels like to be there again. It was familiar Stomping Grounds to me for a long time, i kind of miss it. And finally this week, a trip that, frankly, still gives me nightmares. I am not the most confident public speaker, so when i was entered into a public live Storytelling Competition back in 2016, lets just say i was less than enthusiastic. The idea came from a Poet And Novelist who wanted to recreate the feeling of Southern Sultry summer evenings in his native georgia, when moths were attracted to the light on his porch where he and his friends would gather to tell stories. Now, people from cleaners to School Teachers and War Veterans are getting the chance to share their own personal stories in front of audiences across new York City and beyond. It feels authentic, also that its an Art Form that anyone can do. I cant be a sumo wrestler, i cant really dance so well but i can probably tell a story, that is human communication, so it is very accessible to all kinds of people. I cant hold a tune, but i can tell a story Tonights Moth Event is being held at flushing town hall, an historic building located in queens, to an almost sold out crowd. The show started in 2001, a little show in new York City, lower east side, a few people, i was begging my mother to come somebody please come to the audience and tell some stories then by word of mouth it grew, and then new York City got two slams a month, and then it grew to three and four and i thought maybe we could try los angeles, now we are in 26 cities all over the world actually, so not only in cities all over america but also we are in london, we are in dublin, In Sydney and melbourne, australia. The first storyteller will be liv ramsdale, come on anyone who wants to tell a story has to come prepared. The idea is that stories have to be told and not read, meaning no scripts or notepaper to hand. Somehow that dog ended up telling me everything that i now know about love. Each event features ten Volu Nteer storytellers who are picked at random. And every other saturday, my sister, who was older, a friend, and i would go to the movie. They can talk up to five minutes each, and are then given a score by a team ofjudges. The winner goes on to perform at the moth Grand Slam so no pressure, then. This is quite nerve racking, and the prospect of me having to be up on that stage sometime soon is kind of freaking me out. 9. 2, very nice, we applaud. Strictly between you and me, im secretly keeping my fingers crossed that i wont be chosen, so you can imagine my horror when this happened. Give us a hand for christie, lets go flushing here she comes there she is, come on, come up and although i do perform for a camera for my dayjob, up here i feel exposed and genuinely out of my comfort zone, as you can probably tell. Stand closer to the mic. Im a traveljournalist, and a little while ago i was injapan, and i was there to interview a very famous chef, and he was bringing out with great Pomp And Ceremony this dish that he created for me, and its coming towards me, and it has this kind of a Crab Leg sticking out the top, and of all the things that ijust cant eat, and there are many many things i cant eat, seafood is right up there at the top, there is almost nothing from the sea that i will happily put in my mouth, so i asked my translator, so What Is This . And she kind of looked at me and said, she asked the chef and said oh, its fugu, the japanese pufferfish, you know, The One that if you just prepare it very, very slightly wrong, then you die because its full of neurotoxins . And i was like, oh so i went to put it in my mouth, and i kind of bit down on it, and it didnt yield in the way that i thought it. It popped in my mouth like a cyst. Laughter despite my nerves and to my total surprise, i camejoint runner up at tonights contest, but the handsdown Winner Wasjuliet holmes, a retired grandmother whose endearing story about her early childhood really won over the crowds. How we turned the movie show out on a Saturday Afternoon in Savannah Georgia in 1950. Thank you. So, if youre coming to new york and fancy a change from broadway, then the moth could make a good Night Out, and who knows, you could even end up on stage yourself. Now hes apologising to me right, thats all we have time for this week, but coming Up Next time. The first instalment of rajan� s Epic Indian Journey from 2017, when he crossed the entire subcontinent. These are areas really for the adventurous traveller, this Isnt India on tap. From gujarat in the west, to assam in the east, along one of the longest Railway Lines in the country. Its still the lifeblood of the country today. If youd like to see more of our recent adventures, you can find us on the bbc iplayer, we are also on social media, just search bbc travel show, we are on most of the major platforms. Until next time, do keep planning those trips wherever you may be heading, and we will see you soon. Bye bye. Good afternoon. Its the 1st august, Summer Holiday Season in full swing but, unfortunately, the settled Summer Sunshine has deserted us, not only for today but for the week ahead. This is a fairly typical story of whats happening out there. There is a little bit of sunshine around but quite a lot of cloud at the moment and you can see also some showers. Its a weak Weather Front thats drifting its way steadily south and, actually, we could see those showers turning thundery in the far South East by The End of the day. The best of any brightness will come with the best of the warmth, probably, but its a quiet story. Theres not that much in the way of showers around further north, so a good deal of dry weather out there. Temperatures, though, will be a little bit more subdued on exposed east coasts with that northerly breeze, just into the mid teens. But with the sunshine, well see temperatures peaking at 20 degrees, 68 fahrenheit. A little disappointing for the beginning of august. A ridge of High Pressure will develop, not only for monday but also into tuesday. So the early part of the week is certainly the best of the weather. It will mean a chilly start first thing on monday morning, with some Clearing Skies into the far north, so single figures here. But a dry start with some early morning sunshine. However, as we go through the day, theres a possibility of a little more cloud developing. So a rather dull afternoon but largely dry. We just need to keep our attention down towards South Wales and south west england. Here, we could see some pretty intense thundery downpours developing. Temperatures again just below par, really, for the beginning of august, 12 20 degrees the high. Again, tuesday, dry, settled and sunny for many. We might see 21 degrees if were lucky on tuesday and just the risk of an isolated shower, perhaps, out towards northern ireland. But as we move out of tuesday into wednesday, this area of low pressure looks likely to drift its way over to northern france but it may welljust enhance the risk of some showers out to the west as we go through the day on wednesday. So, wednesday is subject to change but it looks likely well see an increase in sunshine and sharp showers developing, most of those out to the south and the west. Top temperatures of 21 celsius. But the real Gear Change comes from Wednesday Night into thursday, as well see more significant areas of low pressure starting to move in across the country. It turns increasingly wetter and windier at times as well. This is Bbc News with the latest headlines. In the last few minutes the italian Sprinter Lamont marcelljacobs has won the mens100 metres final in tokyo. Earlier there was gold for Team Gbs Max Whitlock the gymnast retains the Olympic Pommel Horse title. I cant even describe the feeling. I feel completely overwhelmed and it feels very, very surreal. Another gold for Team Gb Charlotte Worthington wins a dramatic Bmx Park Freestyle final. Young people in england will be offered incentives to have their first Covid Jab like discounts for Takeaway Food and taxi journeys