on tonight's programme... after his brother's murder, the inspiring story of howjah chose life over a gang life. if you've got a dream, if you've got a vision, there's steps — it's not going to come overnight. you've got to work hard, you've got to believe in yourself, and you've got to be focused, and that's what i try and instil in all these kids that walk through the door. what's next for the mercians? local soldiers reflect on their service and sacrifice in afghanistan. friend isn't a strong enough word to describe the relationship that we have. i think we are absolutely brothers. and talking about their generation — the mods are back in town. # talking 'bout my generation. # just because we get around...#. well, first tonight a deeply personal story from a nottingham musician and youth worker called jah digger.

he was 15 when his brother remi was murdered, on september 22 2002. now, it was a time of unprecedented violence in the city, and also whenjah decided to turn his own life around. it's a sprawling estate on the edge of the city centre. you don't have to look hard to see many of the signs of today's recession. it's a place where yesterday's intentions didn't turn out the way they were meant to. above all, saint ann's is an area where it appears everyone knows someone who's been a victim of crime or who's seen it happen in front of them. growing up in saint ann's in the 90s was... it was home, you know? i'm a mummy‘s boy, i'm the youngest out of five. i've got a big family, like, cousins, i've got hella cousins. my mother was a single mum. like, even when times are hard and scrimping and scraping, she always put her youths first, and that's just my mum's character. little dan dan. he didn't give me no trouble.

none whatsoever. he was a kid you could put down to play and he'd just play. but where remi was concerned it wasjust boysjust... out of my brothers, we was, like, kind of the closest. at times, we were inseparable, you know? we were always together, remi and dan dan. we were kind of ahead of our time. we were, like, eight, nine, like, conversing with the 16—year—olds. he weren't a saint in the community. he was mischievous. dan dan started playing football, remi was into cars. and as they got older, dan dan went the football way but remi took the road way. and started getting into trouble. we had to go to court one day with rem. and he came up and he said, mum, i will never put you through this. i got a knock on the door, it's one of my brother's friends. your brother, something's happened to your brother down at the pub. i've seen people, like, just in tears and sobbing. they have that kind of look, like, what do i say? i've got inside the pub, i can just see everyone just

like in a panicked state. and then, boom, i've just seen my brother on the floor, like... like, blood allaround him. it was almost like he was sleeping, it was like he was just sleeping. just covered in blood, though. and i'm like... iwas numb. like, i didn't even know what to do. the place just went silent, and it wasjust me and him in there. i was there for about 20 minutes, then finally the ambulance has come, got to hospital, flatline, you know i'm saying? the doctors saying, yeah, he didn't make it. from then, that's the beginning of, like, yeah, your brother's gone, your brother's dead. just seeing remi on a slab, it... i can't even explain. the whole the saint ann's was in mourning. it hit us like a ten pin... when you play bowling, all the skittles are knocked down. but it brought the boys and me really, really close. throughout the day, shocked friends and relatives have been laying

floral tributes and laying photographs in memory of the dead teenager. remi samuels was only 17 years old. there is always going to be a hole within the family structure. people were coming to my mum's house, giving the family condolences, just genuinely upset. i've learnt to sit in the sadness now and just embrace the sadness. because it's temporary, isn't it? it's not going to be here forever. how do you bounce back as a family, as a family unit? and that shows the strength and that shows the character, that we were able to bounce back after such a tragic time. there is no limit on the grieving, it is timeless. after the time my brother passed away, i got kicked out of school and it was, like, i needed a bit of guidance and a bit of direction at this point in my life. the yip, standing for the youth inclusion project, it was a provision for kids that got

kicked out of mainstream school. young people go and get creative. they had an internet caf, they had like a classroom, they had... it was a space where people could go, like a hub. flipping heck! i'll never forget. you know you were... dan dan was the most difficult young person that i worked with at that point. if yip wasn't here, what would i be doing? i'd probably be on the streets everyday, slanging drugs. because of dan dan's reputation, and his family at the time, we got told under no uncertain terms, what are you doing working with him? you can't change him anyway. you're not going to be able to do anything. and furthermore, if you are seen with him you're likely to get attacked or shot, anyway. so what they said to me, they said, your best bet is to not work with him. but they didn't know we had no choice because he used to come every day, so we couldn't just lock the doors on him. so what do we do? how can we get these young people

that are selling drugs he was so talented, but obviously, you know, he was troubled. so my role was to come in and provide diversionary activities and projects in a deprived area to try and address some of the issues that some of the young people faced. through the yip we got to go to jamaica on a football camp. we stayed there for about two weeks, played for our mothers‘ and ourfathers' and grandparents‘ national side. jamaica was like my first time going abroad and seeing different cultures. and the kids just took to me straightaway. i can remember one incident, i had a cup of ice because it was hot, and about six youths surrounded me saying, give me a piece of ice, give me a piece of ice. and i gave them the cup and they cheered. they celebrated. these kids, these kids are happy with a cup of ice! why am i going to be sad in nottingham, privileged nottingham, saint ann's, and these kids are in the ghetto happy, smiling, dancing, music thumping from the car? and that for me was, like, a shift in my energy. i can remember it like it was today. that was a shift in my energy that was like, you know what?

i'm being happy, i want to be like these kids, justjolly. they ain't got much but, yo, they've got love. his horizon was opened when he went to jamaica. there was a shift. the music side was coming out more than the football. envelopes, papers, writing. i hooked up with my close friend called glenda, and he was early on making the beats. he had a radio set on a pirate radio station. we used to go on there, and from then itjust grew. people were like, you're hard still. local promoters used to, like, book us. we used to run up on them shows and just tear it down. it was just that, and it felt good. i didn't want to have to have beef, rolling in a car and doing the madness. it didn't feel good, i didn't want to do that. crs. the community recording studio, that is a musical hub in saint ann's. i thought, like, we could up quality on the sound, and nick and trev, they had that quality down that crs. this is jah diggs, aka dan dan. he raps.

# beef is watching our mothers‘ grief. # funeral eulogies leave communities weak #. so over a period of time i've seenjah kind of, like, ultimatelyjust accept who he is as a person. i got offered a job as a mentor, mentoring some of the young people that attend crs today. crs is like a development centre. we help develop young artists into becoming what they want to be on theirjourney. if you‘ve got a dream, if you‘ve got a vision, there‘s steps — it‘s not going to come overnight. you‘ve got to work hard, you‘ve got to believe in yourself, and you‘ve got to be focused. and that‘s what i try and instill in all these kids that walk through the door. over the past couple of years we‘ve built relationship with prince harry and the royal foundation. the hard work and the impact we‘ve had on our community is getting recognised by people in big places. it feels amazing to look at me and my friends and see them becoming entrepreneurs, becoming family men, becoming writers and poets and rappers, and they followed their dreams

and they are still following their dreams and doing exactly what they wanted to do, you know what i mean? kids need to be listening to someone who has been through a lot of turmoil. but he's put his knowledge into a peacemaker. for me, i‘ll tell anyone just to be yourself, man, and don‘t be afraid to be yourself. step out into this world, because there is only one you. you know what? for me, it has been incredible being a part ofjah'sjourney. the first thing that hits you is his smile, he just kind of lifts the room. i think he is most comfortable with a pen and pad in his hand. teachers told me, you are going to prison. you are going to prison, that is what a teacher said to me, you are going to prison. i am here now, you get me, to prove wrong. thanks to jah and film—maker luke radford for helping us to tell his story. and if you have been similarly affected there is plenty of information about organisations offering advice and support, as ever, online at

bbc.co.uk/actionline. now, thousands of soldiers from across the east midlands fought in the war in afghanistan. the mercian regiment?s second battalion saw some of the british army‘s toughest front—line action there. jeremy ball has been following them for a decade, from their homes to the front line, to see how it changed their lives. this is the mercian regiment — the largest recruiter of front line soldiers across the midlands. friend isn‘t a strong enough word to describe the relationship that we have. i think we are absolutely brothers. they‘re being welcomed back to their base after their recent tour of afghanistan. the 2nd battalion were in the thick of some of the army‘s bloodiest fighting since world war two. it only takes a split second for things to change out there. you know you‘ve got to run out in the open while you‘re getting shot.

they won more battle honours than almost any other british army battalion but they‘ve paid a high price. if i don‘t laugh and joke about my injuries i‘m going to sit down and cry and most probably never stop. i‘ve been out to afghanistan five times to report on the mission there — a mission that went from winning hearts and minds in the country‘s bombed out capital kabul to some of the fiercest fighting against the taliban down in helmand province. i wanted to ask some of those soldiers i‘ve met along the way about the sacrifices they‘ve made and how war has changed them. kyle smith is from nottingham. he joined the army in 2005 when he just turned 17. i first met him when he was training to go to afghanistan. five years later kyle was awarded the conspicuous gallantry cross, one of britain‘s top battle honours, for running into heavy gunfire to save two wounded comrades.

you see mates getting shot, you got rounds whizzing past, you can hear the crackling tjhumps going above your head and you know they‘re close, but you‘ve just got tokeep moving. how was i not another statistic? how was i was not injured. how are you still alive? exactly, and the only thing i can put that answer is i‘m really short. that‘s the only thing. the mercians had to face countless dangers in afghanistan. i first saw aaron back home in derby. he was giving evidence at his friend‘s inquest. they‘ve both been blown up by a roadside bomb in 2007. the blast shattered aaron‘s leg and killed drummer thomas wright. i knew tom for some years. so that hit me hard. when it happened i was shouting, screaming, crying, bawling, trying to find a way out of it. so that night hit me hard

when after no shouting, screaming, crying, bawling, trying to find a way out of it. it‘s hard to see what future you‘ve got, at that point where you can see metalwork sticking out your legs. we meet again. today aaron‘s future‘s with his wife callen and their son bobby. both reminders of the friend they lost. the couple met at tom‘s funeral. the reason we got together was because of tom and there‘s not a day that doesn‘t go by that tom‘s never in our thoughts. life has moved on for aaron and his family. but the explosion in afghanistan changed everything. it was december 2008 i had the amputation. it‘s what‘s called an elective amputation. the way i dealt with it was i had a goodbye leg party, itjust eneded up me being very drunk and saying goodbye to my left leg. mike brigham from birmingham is one

of the army‘s youngest company commanders at 34. he first went to afghanistan with the mercians ten years ago. skirmishes like this one on a patrol, are routine for the mercians. but there‘s one that stands out for mike. it led to the toughest battlefield decision he‘s ever had to make. the soldier was really young, 18 years old, and he just snapped, and it was too much for him. the young soldier dropped his weapon and ran off towards the enemy. the enemy were firing in an apex to keep us away from him. but i knew that if he got close enough they would capture him and they would undoubtedly kill him. but capture would also risk sensitive information falling into enemy hands. it left mike with an impossible decision. so i told my platoon sergeant that if he got within 200 metres of the junction that he was to fire atjohnson to stop him. it‘s definitely the hardest decision i‘ve ever made in my life. thankfully, that shot was never fired. one of mike‘s men got

to the young soldier first. the patrol commander from there actually dived off the top of his vehicle and rugby tackled all out to the ground, undoubtedly saving his life. there‘s no doubting the closeness of this band of brothers. kyle‘s brought some of the mercians to an old friend‘s gym in derby. matt fought side by side with kyle on one of the mercians‘ most horrific nights. we was extremely outnumbered and we didn‘t know how many taliban there was going to be. but we basically practically got hammered and people were going down left, right, center. i thought i was dying. two of their friends did die that night. sergeant craig brailsford and privatejohan both. i remember seeing both from the floor and he was still in the firing position so he thought he died actually firing me say it and putting his body on it

on the actual wagon seemed more seeing one of my best mate was my deadin seeing one of my best mate was my dead in front of me. that‘s the reality, that was. that's when it hit me hard, you know? that was the last time i was going to see him. and that was quite hard to take for an 18—year—old. for matt it was the last straw. he left the army the next day, but the trauma stayed with him. i felt really suicidal but i knew that i was never going to... i knew that i was never going to try and end my life. but i wasn't far from actually going through with it. support from family and close friends has helped matt and many like him to heal and start again for the mercy a new chapter awaits. for now, it‘s away from afghanistan. at the current base in cyprus. this is riot training — mercian style. i think i value life more for going through afghanistan than i ever would have

because of seeing and taking of lives. so honey, we‘re to actually have to say goodbye but these two willjust keep talking forever. so goodbye and i love you. afghanistan has changed me dramatically. i think love‘s a bit taboo in the armed forces. you know it‘s not something that a big masculine organisation talks about. it‘s really important and it‘s about loving the job you‘re doing. loving the people that you are doing thatjob for your nation but also loving the enemy that you‘re fighting as well. it changed me quite a lot, i went into afghanistan as a boy but i came back as a man. you could tell we had aged. it is nearly two years i spent out there, so it is nearly my second home is wet as it sounds. it will always have a place in my heart, really. we have certainly heard some truly life changing stories from the east midlands tonight. for ourfinalfilm, we go

back to an area which changed music and fashion for a generation. described as one of the most influential youth movements in britain — mod culture embraced new fashions, music and attitude to life. if there were three words to sum up mod culture — cool, stylish and excitement. style, without a doubt. freedom, we like to kick against the norm. sharp suits, scooters and club life — mod culture exploded in britain in the early 605. a time of freedom and newness. it may have kicked off in london but there was a huge scene in the east midlands. now the untold stories of those mods are being put in the spotlight — and young people today are helping tell them.

from fashion and music to the old haunts — how the mods paved the way way for the next generations. oh, look at the clothes! it may have been an exciting new era but young mods were also experiencing the highs and lows of teenage life. ann barry grew up in nottingham — and kept a diary of the time. from school and family life to meeting her now husband eddie. november 1966, i‘ve been 16 since may. read that teenagers have a depression period and go all moody and feel awful. june ‘66, met gee, went to an all—nighter at the burlesque in leicester. met some londoners. wish a new club would have another nottingham. we‘ll have to open our own. july, 1966. mum and me kept raring, she sloshed me.

as i‘m sick of it i want to leave home. there‘s no denying ann‘s teenage angst — but life seemed to get better when she was at the dungeon. it was one of the biggest mod hang—outs in the midlands. where friends became family — and music was everything. you knew you were approaching the dungeon by turning the corner at the top of the street and you could see there were always people outside. sometimes people didn‘t go into the hole dungeon, you could hear the music outside, it was loud. you were hearing all this music for the first time, like the who, the kinks played there in 64, they played early. little stevie wonder. the dungeon is now a solicitors firm

but one nightclub that still stands in nottingham is the former hippo club — now coco tang. this is where we are going down to now. ann and a group of former dungeon members are taking a trip back down memory lane. fond memories of the dungeon faces stories that will be part of the big exhibition the sum the interest in their teen years has been surprising for the never dreamed i was in it sixties. this would be happening now. but there was never a better era to be a teenager. in leicester one of the inspirations

for the exhibition isjohn knapp. from supporting the who to designing clothes — john was known as a face — one of mods you wanted to be. it was a great time to pose, you had your nice new scooter. today his younger brother shaun and photographerjoe are capturing some of his memories of life on silver street — leicester?s answer to carna by street. this used to be the il rondo nightclub. the exhibition at the new walk museum is organised by the pair. and it‘s personal. my dad was a mod — along with a couple of other guys in leicester at that time was known as a faces around town. he was quite a superstylish guy. a lot of the stories you read about mods it's usually focused on london and the south coast and no one is really concentrating on the inner cities, make sure it's all recorded before it's too late. as well as collecting stories, the project is about connecting with the next generation. here at soft touch arts, young people are getting to grips with the fashion,

music and culture. making their own garments, all of which will be on display. you know the raf symbol, i‘ve based the dress on that. learning about it now you can apply that same mentality to what is applied now, it is the same mentality but it manifests itself in different forms of being. there is a was going to be a rebellious nature to humans. i've learnt it was more about expressing yourself and identifying yourself from others and i sorta found that empowering and inspiring at the same time. the day has finally arrived, the mods shaping a generation exhibition is about to be seen for the first time. from authentic memorabilia to original costumes, from the cult movie woodruff india,

the museum in leicester has been transformed into a mod haven. and getting a sneak preview of the former dungeon mods. how‘s it feel, seeing yourself so large? look at you in your uniform! my face on a poster! who would have thought it, if someone had said to me all those years ago, they are going to get your photos and put them on a display, you would never have believed it. she would be saying, at least your spots of cleared up. well, actually you married eddie barry! yay! with that, the doors are open to the public. after months of planning it seems like sean and joe‘s dream is coming true. it‘s absolutely incredible.

from the guys that were there, it is bringing back all sorts of memories for them, and for the people who were not there they are actually learning a lot from it as well which is really good. we didn't know it was a special time, it wasjust our time. and then looking back, so many of us realise it was just a one—off. it is certainly worth checking out that brilliant mod exhibition archive online. that is it for tonight.

hello, we have mixed weather fortu nes hello, we have mixed weather fortunes across the country, big contrast in weather at the moment. in scotland, we have blue skies, bit of sunshine coming through, feeling pleasa nt of sunshine coming through, feeling pleasant here with light wind. noti million mild away in the north—east of scotla nd million mild away in the north—east of scotland in aberdeenshire, we have waterlogged roads and the rain is coming down heavily, thanks to the slow—moving weather system. this is not the only place we will see rain, another line of rain working from merseyside across to lincolnshire. a little bit lighter here, but light rain will be quite persistent. further south, showers across wales and parts of south—west england, those showers will turn into general outbreaks of rain as the next weather system approaches. a better chance of seeing sunshine and dry weather across western, southern and central parts of

scotland, northern ireland and the far north of england as well. the next weather system is rapidly approaching, this swell of cloud you can see on the satellite picture racing across the atlantic. this will bring rain, quite quickly into wales and south—west england. 0vernight, the wet weather pushes northwards and eastwards. we have some fairly tightly packed isobars across the south of england, and we will see the strongest wind overnight, gusts of around 45—50 my mild per hour, a few showers across northern scotland. tomorrow, and settle for england and wales, rain out times. the rain will ease for many of us, but it will be one of those days where the rain doesn‘t wa nt to those days where the rain doesn‘t want to move away from the east midlands and lincolnshire, where it will feel quite cool, miserable and grey. 0therwise, will feel quite cool, miserable and grey. otherwise, the best of any brighter weather across western areas. again, scotland will see further showers moving into the north and west. in the latter part of sunday, the low pressure will pull away, and more strong when the

eastern england, up to 55 mph. monday into tuesday, the low pressure will be heading in. this one will bring heavy rain for england and wales. 0ur weather has been very wet for a number of days, so we been very wet for a number of days, so we could see some localised surface water flooding building so we could see some localised surface waterflooding building up as this next weather system works in. it will also become windy once again. it is an unsettled looking picture, weather—wise, into the start of next week. rain on monday and tuesday, it will turn a bit showery as the week goes by, but it will stay unsettled for a good while. that is your weather.

this is bbc news, the headlines at 2pm. as conservative mps gather for their party conference, opposition parties consider whether to call a vote of no confidence in the government, in an attempt to avoid a no—deal brexit. meanwhile, downing street reacts angrily, as boris johnson is referred to the police watchdog over his links to an american businesswoman, when he was mayor of london. the labour leader, jeremy corbyn, promises to replace the government‘s controversial welfare policy, universal credit, should they get into power. renewed pressure on the trump administration over its dealings with ukraine. the us secretary of state, mike pompeo, is ordered by democrats to turn over documents connected to the impeachment investigation. incredible scenes in shizuoka, as rugby world cup hosts japan make history, by beating ireland for the first time with