I'm about to set off for West Cumbria. We've had a team of people from Inside Out living and working there since the heavens opened last week. I'm going to see the clean up for myself as we put the finishing touches to a Floods Special this coming Monday.

But as I head West it feels a bit like déja vu.

I've had plenty of enjoyable trips driving over the tops of the Pennines into Cumbria.
But today's journey fills me with the same trepidation about what I'd find as when I climbed up to Hartside Café back in 2001.

As I came over the summit from Alston I was confronted with an eerie sight. It was the height of the foot and mouth crisis and as far the eye could see there were plumes of smoke rising lazily into the air. There were so many of them dotted about the plains below it was as if I'd slipped back through the centuries and was witnessing a Viking massacre. Every village seemed to have been pillaged.

At the time I was a reporter on Look North and I'd seen close-up the industrial-scale destruction of livestock but nothing had prepared me for the sadness that descended as the countless lines of smoke rose skyward.

Eight years on and it's the same journey westward. The calming voice of the satnav carries me over Hartside once more but I'm nervous about what lies ahead. Quite why I'm using satellite navigation I don't know - after all so many bridges are down or unusable I'll be following yellow diversion signs before long.

The image gallery on the BBC Cumbria website tells its own story. But what will I find a week after the waters came crashing down from the fells? I'll update this blog tonight but I am pretty sure that as with foot and mouth, the TV images can give you an insight but can never quite deliver the full impact of seeing it for yourself.

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Newsvine |
• NowPublic |
• Reddit
• - What's this?

Amie attacked Lizzie in a Darlington street. Both were schoolgirls and it was more than a playground tussle. Amie admitted causing actual bodily harm and might otherwise have been given a custodial sentence. Instead, under a scheme being run by the Darlington Youth Offending Service, she agreed to restorative justice.

The question is; was it a tougher choice than being locked up?

Normally youngsters have their identities protected by the legal system but in this case both sides and a high Court Judge agreed we could record what happened when Amie and Lizzie came face to face.

You can imagine the atmosphere. For someone to admit very publicly in front of their victim that they were in the wrong takes a lot of courage, especially when the cameras are rolling.

Amie was not even 16 yet was expected to behave beyond her years. She couldn't quite bring herself to tell the whole story of what happened. Her account and Lizzie's didn't tally.

Because of that Lizzie's family didn't quite believe Amie when she said "sorry".

Yet that was not the end of the process. Amie had to undergo anger management and spent quite a few hours doing a type of community service.

There's now one elderly resident in the town whose jungle of an overgrown garden is a pride and joy once more.

But what of Lizzie? She was entitled to ask for a form of redress and she and her family opted for a chore. They wanted Amie to tidy up their driveway.

That might not sound much to ask after what had happened, but Amie felt like she was being turned into their servant and feared they would gloat or rub her nose in it. I know that wouldn't have happened but Amie didn't.

At the end of her 9 month supervision order she finally agreed to go. Sensing her original apology had not quite cut the mustard I asked if she'd be prepared to say it again, properly. Right up until that final moment in the film, neither she, I or Lizzie knew what would happen.

I had been in the privileged position of seeing Amie over the months and I have to say I spotted a positive change in her behaviour and attitude. Even she recognised she'd improved. The sadness for me is that Lizzie and her family didn't have the opportunity to see that.

When the two main characters came face to face again they didn't quite meet in the middle. Amie retreated into a less than convincing apology, even though I know she really was sorry for what happened, and Lizzie remained as sceptical as ever.

So did it work? The pair will never be friends, no-one expected that. Amie really has changed and no doubt has further to go, but her one-time victim has no way of knowing that.

Even if restorative justice hasn't worked for both parties in this case, Amie would say she's ultimately better off for not being locked up.

Sorry is that hardest word - accepting it is not much easier.

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Newsvine |
• NowPublic |
• Reddit
• - What's this?

There's no such thing as a typical week but I thought I'd give you a little insight into how this forthcoming Monday's programme was put together and the seven days leading up to it.

From Durham, to Northumberland, Yorkshire, London and back it's been a long week.

Monday 16 Nov.
Up and at 'em first thing. A live chat with Alfie & Charlie's breakfast show on BBC Newcastle to highlight that evening's lead story on Inside Out; the cold case in which a rapist was caught by DNA matching nearly two decades after the attack.

Then, it's straight off to Allendale to film in the pouring rain for a feature that will kick off our next series in January 2010.

I left a drenched producer in the downpour and hurtled back to the studios to prepare the links for this coming week's show.

Tuesday 17 Nov.
We decided Ripon would be a nice location for this week's presenter links. We started off at the city's courthouse museum and then popped into the market place for the grand opening link.

The sun which is low in the sky at this time of year causes us a few headaches with the sharp contrast between light and shade and long shadows, but we had crystal blue skies which made it look beautiful for cameraman Tom.

Fountains Abbey was next. We used the stunning ruins and the water park as great backdrops. Fortunately we got it all done and dusted before the sun sank from view.

Wednesday 18 Nov.
Early start in Durham where I spent the morning motoring around with a driving instructor.

The filming assignment wasn't about driving but I was on my best behaviour, hoping he wouldn't notice any of the bad habits I had picked up since I passed my test (more than 30 years ago).

Again, you'll see the fruits of this in the next series. It might include a bizarre moment when I was made to putt a golf ball along a country road. The producer needs therapy.

While I'm out, picture editor Robin has put the finishing touches to the three films in this week's show and is adding in the links I filmed yesterday.

Thursday 19 Nov.
I'm in a bit of an awkward position because the next two days are hush hush. I can't reveal, yet, what I've been up to but as I tell my friends who ask me what stories I'm working on:

"Can you keep a secret? Yes? Well so can I."

Friday 20 Nov.
I'm still on my secret mission but by chance I'm writing this blog at BBC TV centre which is manic. It's Children in Need day so the place it crawling with celebs. JLS climb out of a taxi as I'm lugging camera equipment about.

I pass Strictly Come Dancing professionals Vincent Simone and Brendan Cole in the corridor. All a bit glitzy compared to my normal life.

Back to reality as news comes in of the scale of the flooding in Cumbria.

Some of our Inside Out producers are despatched to the area.

As I head back North, Monday's programme is being put together in my absence. Normally I get to view it in advance but I just have to hope it's all going well.

We often have to cut stories down to make it all fit and in this week's show I have produced one of the films.

Has my boss axed the best scenes?

Just like you, I'll have to watch it live on Monday at 7.30pm.

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Newsvine |
• NowPublic |
• Reddit
• - What's this?