this is bbc news, the headlines: violent clashes between protesters and riot police have continued into the night in the spanish city of barcelona. earlier on friday, about half a million people held a peaceful demonstration against the jailing this week of catalan separatist leaders. britain's prime minister has urged mps of all parties to unite behind his brexit deal — ahead of a crucial vote in the house of commons on saturday. boris johnson spent friday trying to secure the 320 votes the government needs to win a majority for his agreement. one president trump's most loyal supporters, the senate majority leader, mitch mcconnell, has condemned his decision to withdraw troops from syria as a "grave mistake". writing in the washington post, he said it would embolden washington's enemies and leave americans less safe.

now on bbc news: coastal britain. hello, iam hello, i am simon mccoy here in van zandt as part of special bbc series looking at the challenges and opportunities facing britain's coastal towns. —— here in penzance. new analysis from bbc news has shown that two—thirds of coastal parliamentary constituencies have seen a real terms falling wages since 2010. that means the average worker here in a seaside town like this is earning £1600 a year less than someone working in land. john kaye has been to meet three generations of one family here in penzance to see what that means in

practice. just a mile from the beach. the trenayr estate, one of the poorest parts of britain. this family wanted to show us how they get by. we survived, day by day. dad mike isa get by. we survived, day by day. dad mike is a full—time security guard. he earns £18,000 per year. he is paid ona he earns £18,000 per year. he is paid on a friday, and it is soon gone. by monday morning, i will be already into my overdraft. thursday i could be asking my boss if she can stop me from next week's wages so i can put you in my tank to go to work. —— stumped me. and then she will take that out of my wages, so we do start again. it is a familiar story here in penzance, a town literally at the end of the line.

analysis by the bbc has found that a typical worker in coastal areas like this earned just over £22,000 last year, whereas a typical worker inland earned more than 23,000 £500. -- £23,500. that is a inland earned more than 23,000 £500. —— £23,500. that is a difference of £1600. there are 12 grandchildren, and seven adults. mike's wife amanda i’u ns and seven adults. mike's wife amanda runs the household budget, and has two food last. it's a matter of, you have to find the cheapest option live. she is a trained chef, but can't find a job around here that pays anything like what she would earn inland. it is disgusting, i don't see how we should be paid so much less. you are going to get lower wages, it is a smaller place, but you can't afford to go out, where are you going to go? we do, mcdonald's. mcdonald's is our weekly

treat, get a cappuccino and go to sit on the beach, because that is all you can afford. the government says it is investing millions to boost coastal communities like penzance, and level up the uk. but a lot of tourism jobs here are only seasonal, and other big employers like fishing, farming and mining have all been hit. lucy dreams of getting a place of her own. prices around here are high. and even though she works 50 hours a week on the minimum wage, she feels trapped. it is so, so ridiculous. people further up have this money, and are able to go and spend this money willy—nilly, because it is easy for them because they and more money out there. we don't learn so much down here. lucy now thinks she will have to move inland, splitting up a family who are cornwall born and bred. why should i have to move from

my home to get my money? i don't see why she —— why we should be treated any 20 —— we —— why we should be treated differently to anybody else. that wasjohn treated differently to anybody else. that was john kaye treated differently to anybody else. that wasjohn kaye reporting on what is like the one family to live on low income. with me now, nicole broadhurst is the mayor of penzance, labour counsellor, thank you for joining us. the perception of course of many coastal towns is what holidaymakers see, the reality is we saw there can be very different. what are the main issues here? here it is the fact that incomes are so much lower, and to do anything is more expensive, because you have to go further to do anything, you have to buy things in bigger quantities to buy things in bigger quantities to make sure you don't have to go out so often, and we have a problem with seasonal work as well which is one of the reasons the average income is so much lower. people work during the season and that it is much harder to actually get through the wintertime much harder to actually get through the winter time full up is there anything you can do about that? one of the things we are trying to do is make penzance a year—round downcomer so we are

make penzance a year—round downcomer so we are trying to have more events, we have the business improvement district which is doing lots of events through the winter, and we are advertising, because we doa and we are advertising, because we do a lot in the winter, when you live here there is loads to do, but other people don't know about it. looking at the pool behind you, it is not necessarily inviting. part of that, one of the things you will do about that is a new geothermal project. just explain how things like that of a knock—on effect? if you're coming to visit penzance you might come in the summer or the seasons either side, but you don't wa nt to seasons either side, but you don't want to get in the ocean because it is freezing. so if you have something that warms up the pool to a temperature that is nice, it will bea a temperature that is nice, it will be a beautiful thing to do to sit in a warm pool on a cold day. people will come just a warm pool on a cold day. people will comejust to a warm pool on a cold day. people will come just to have that experience. when i checked in at the b&b, the lady there said, please stop being so negative, a lot of people come to penzance and we focus on the negative. there are positives here. there are lots of positives, and we are working towards making the positives more well—known. there was a problem, ora the positives more well—known. there was a problem, or a problem with antisocial behaviour, we had a

meeting, you had everybody and from town to talk about it, and then we started to do some partnerships working with cornwall council and we have an antisocial behaviour officer, and his presence in town has made it less hectic than it was before, and we do think that if we are seem before, and we do think that if we are seem to be doing something about it, people's perception does change. i saw it, people's perception does change. isaw him it, people's perception does change. i saw him earlier,. i wonder if national government gets the difficulties of seaside towns, the success of —— successive governments have been criticised for a lack of help here. i think they don't get it because people say, you live in such a beautiful place, what's the problem? there is a problem, we have the same problems as someone living in hackney but because we are so far away from the centre of things it is much harder to make that clear and actually get the funding we need and deserve. the trouble with the seasonal nature of this, whatever projects you do, such as the one here at the lido, you can't escape the fact that months such as 0ctober— january can be grim here.

they can be, but there is so much you can do that doesn't involve being outdoors. we have beautiful shops, a museum, a gallery, so much things you can do, that we had to be better at getting the message out there. this is a place to come all year round, and it's beautiful any time of year. there is an issue about housing people, young people here, they won't be able to buy anything here. something we are working hard with cornwall council, they have allocation sites for council to help —— for housing, and we have to make sure that is actually affordable, not "affordable", but something that you can actually afford. if your average income is £111,000, there is no way you can afford a house that costs £400,000. we need to make sure they are actually affordable. cornwall is well known for its beautiful beaches, dramatic cliffs and pretty fishing villages. but being right at the end of the uk can make a living and working here a lonely experience, especially for younger people. alex 0sborne has been

meeting those who have been using social media to overcome rural isolation. starting a newjob, moving to a new country, it is bleak, there is not a lot of people, not knowing anybody. it is all the ingredients really to feel quite isolated. kelvin relocated to cornwall from the netherlands in 2018. is and he was offered a job in penzance. i remember driving back from cambridge or london down to cornwall, and you would reach exeter, and it would be the last city lights you saw, and then all of a sudden there is just this blackness ahead of you and a 30 at night. and you still have 90 minutes. the geography of the place definitely adds to that feeling of being stuck out on the far edge of something. many people view west cornwall as a dream location to live

m, cornwall as a dream location to live in, but not knowing anyone was challenging for kelvin. whenever you turn up to somewhere and you are new, your thought of coming into other people's lives that are established. which is very different. they have their lives and you make friends, but you're not going to see them every day, so it is just going to see them every day, so it isjust a different going to see them every day, so it is just a different kind going to see them every day, so it isjust a different kind of situation. your room can become your present, you can be in a flat and... you are just there and there is nobody about you. a university of exeter study revealed that levels of loneliness are higher in younger people with 40% feeling lonely, compared with only 27% of over 75s. it isa compared with only 27% of over 75s. it is a particular problem in places like cornwall. given its rural location, it really can be quite isolating, especially for young people. this professor is head of psychology at the university of exeter. rural isolation will make it harderfor young people, exeter. rural isolation will make it harder for young people, or older

people for that matter, that access the kind of activities that make it easierfor the kind of activities that make it easier for social connections to flow, and to be sustained over time. so if it's hard to access the right kind of transport that gets you into those places, it is going to be harder to sustain those social relations. i moved to cornwall in october 2016, i literally didn't know anyone at all when i first moved out. after working and travelling aboard the six years, kay decided it was time to settle down and save for a house. the idea of living beside the sea drew her to cornwall. going from being around people constantly to being around no—one at all and just yourself, it was obviously quite lonely and horrible to come back to an empty house and not even having anyone you could call up to go for a drink or anything like that. obviously a lot of people know each other from school, i wasn't sure howl of people know each other from school, i wasn't sure how i would go about making friends. enter social media, and a solution to kay and

calvin's isolation. —— kelvin. all of these people met online, sort of like internet dating but for new friends. you are instantly channelled towards people who have the same experience as yourselves. it just fast tracks i think a process that might take many years. my process that might take many years. my life turned around in many respects. it has had a major impact on my life, pretty much the majority of my friends have been through these social media platforms. definitely the future is bright, yeah, thanks to social medial definitely the future is bright, yeah, thanks to social media i have got a partner now, a group of friends, and yeah, we do lots of activities together. so it is good fun. and very recently kay got engaged, to a partner she met online. we often worry about the use of social media, but here is an example of it working really well. asa example of it working really well. as a young person living here in cornwall you will never find yourself feeling home alone. ok,

kelvin and many of us, finding friends online has turned their lives around. —— many others. as you drive into penzance you will see signs welcome you into a plastic free town. it is the first community in the uk, in fact the world, to gain that status from the marine conservation charity surface against sewage. we have been to the charity to see how the campaign is getting on. grassroots protests for global awareness. this is a town that works ha rd to awareness. this is a town that works hard to keep its eco— friendly printing bills and is happy to shout about it. we will not stop until action is taken. -- eco- friendly credentials. we are surrounded by the environment and nature, i think it would be horrible to let that go. something you are so close to to be

taken something you are so close to to be ta ken away from something you are so close to to be taken away from you, really upsetting. it's notjust the shoreline that is being polluted by plastics. localfishermen have been catching it for years to. now 160 vessels around the south—west have signed up to help tackle the problem. the mission for penzance to go plastic free began around two yea rs go plastic free began around two years ago. residents have worked with local businesses and the wider community to try and crackdown on single—use plastics. that sometimes washed up on beaches like this one and like them. the ultimate aim is to make the town more environmentally friendly and for to have a more sustainable future. now hundreds of other communities around the uk are following its lead. so with got the compostable cutlery that we use... this one shop -- 1—stop health food shop and cafe was quick to do its bit to get rid of single—use plastic. quick to do its bit to get rid of single-use plastic. as a town we felt we could make a big difference.

it has not happened overnight, and customers have had to get used to paying a bit more for a substitute. there is nothing but positivity for penzance, people are really believing in the town now. and the more people see these things happening the better it will be. and his enthusiasm for all things environmental seems to be catching. campaigners in penzance i hope the number of towns looking at what they can do in their own backyard continues to grow. being able to see that in other plastic free community around the uk, how they are all linking up with environmental organisations where they live, and making bigger things happen, and thatis making bigger things happen, and that is engaging the community even more in raising even more awareness. so with the town flying the plastic free flag, the hope is that small steps free flag, the hope is that small ste ps ca n free flag, the hope is that small steps can help make big changes.

behind me but you rather talk to susan, director of the we were talking about the nature of business you hear what can you do longer? usually people came into community ownership 1400 shareholders with money into a redevelopment project which we have going on we have a cafe, a community space and two treatment rooms, that is going to be open all winter with some selected winter pool opening opening autumn. the brave year in advance we are going to have inflatable wipeout, a dancer in the pool, but the big change will be our geothermal

project a santa in the book. if that is up and running throughout the year, it means people are working throughout the year. the plan for that? i will be slated, i'm calling ita game that? i will be slated, i'm calling it a game changer, which it really is and that is a really seasonal economy. we have lots of really high proportions of people with part—time work, they have five or six part—time jobs work, they have five or six part—timejobs in the work, they have five or six part—time jobs in the summer and almost nothing in the winter. this project means we will be creating something like eight new full—time jobs across the year, which isn't many, but quite a significant change. now we'll go geothermal and nod our hats. how does it work? we got hot rock year in penzance was 500 metres down the ground is quite odd. a well have been drilled will bring water over 30 degrees and we pump that into our new geothermal pool which will be open all year round in the winter you can in 35 degrees water, you have steam rising around your head you can be one of

our first you like. it will be great stop some of it will bring in higher value tourism is, we can help to extend the winter about 60 degrees. cornice has been written off as dead or dying, but that has been changed by local musicians. sarah gosling has gone to

meet some of them. —— cornish. iam sarah i am sarah gosling, and i present bvc music where we showcase the very best local music. since i've been doing the show, i've noticed a really, really happy and kind of unexpected increase in the number of artists singing in cornish. think of cornish, and you might think of bards and druids, folk music and old blokes with beards. it's about as contemporary as it gets. here at the blue live music festival. it's sort ofan blue live music festival. it's sort of an anchor to our history, our past and our future. so it's a

celtic language was developed from breton and was spoken all the way up until the 19th century. if it wasn't for recent events to try and revive it, it would have died out completely. so we've got about 300 fluid speakers, 1000— 2000 speakers of some competency —— fluent speakers. the music scene in cornwall is quite buoyant. there is a diversity of groups coming through and that is fantastic to see generally. some of the ones using cornish, some of them will sing entire songs in cornish, othersjust play with words and use it a little bit. it all helps. this thing is half english, half wells with releasing an album entirely in cornish does make half wells. there is something about it for me, about

its survival, it's fascinating. it's been up against the wall, really, and it's still here. it's notjust music, though, all across the county, people are taking time out of the evenings to learn the language. we aren't appreciated, we are on the end of england. it is a way of identifying us. and, i think it gives us a lift. yeah! thank you very much. so while cornish may not be completely safe as a language, yet. with the efforts of of bands like these, things are looking brighter. would you like to learn cornish? yeah, i would like to learn a few words. it's good to see bands keeping it alive. that's the end of that report and

we're going to start my interview with a member of the cornwall council. we did that on a much warmer day, i suspect, council. we did that on a much warmer day, isuspect, but council. we did that on a much warmer day, i suspect, but why is it important to hang onto languages like this? fregon well, it's a big pa rt like this? fregon well, it's a big part of our culture and our heritage and from that flows all sorts of other things like the music, other customs here like cornish wrestling, dancing and all sorts of things. by keeping the language alive and the structure of all sorts of other things, it gives the distinctiveness of cornwall. and we just featured singer—songwriters trying to do their bit. but unless you get youngsters to get interested, it becomes a dying language. yes. so in every aspect, use of the language is quite difficult, doing classes in schools, schoolbooks, resources, films. it's a massive task, at the same time, it's a real community effort, it always has been with

cornish. so it's kind of an inspiring thing and a creative thing. think how are we going to do this, how we going to do it together? in penzance we are working with ten schools here, we have giving teachers onboard and we have community groups that are really responding to the challenge. do you ever walk into sobs and try to speak cornwall if anybody understands?” have done that in london... really? but there are some shopkeepers here not understand a little bit of cornish, but not completely randomly. the probability is quite low. i'm just randomly. the probability is quite low. i'mjust wondering, a lot randomly. the probability is quite low. i'm just wondering, a lot of the focus on cornwall, when we see things on the television, does that help? all aspects of the coverage, i work in the economic development team, and part of it is branding and marketing cornwall for the culture. its exposure for our customers and

our heritage here. there is a cost implication, though. if you want to bring in the language to the fore, you want signs in it, will that ever bea you want signs in it, will that ever be a moment where the cornish is able to do that? it's quite interesting with the internet, the way digital media works. it's actually quite affordable now to do things in cornish, it'sjust the upfront things in cornish, it'sjust the u pfro nt cost things in cornish, it'sjust the upfront cost of setting things up. websites, all sorts of things, films you could do the voice—overs all quite cheaply now in things we could never have done 10—20 years ago with cornish. is easy to learn? know, but you can have a go. 0k, cornish. is easy to learn? know, but you can have a go. ok, let's have a go. speaks cornish. that means let's go for a swim. wow.

you know the weather like is like in the seaside —— weather is like you may have wondered where those swimmers earlier have gone, they are all over here. ijust wonder, what possesses you to want to go swimming in this sort of weather? well, i think it'sjust in this sort of weather? well, i think it's just that feelgood factor. you are the battery bells? pa rt factor. you are the battery bells? part of the battery valves. so the majority of us come down every day and swim —— belles. but it's the social side, so... it's not necessarily looking fine right now? we are enjoying it. we didn't plan the rain but everybody comes, no matter what the weather is. in the snow,, in the winter, some of us we re snow,, in the winter, some of us were here. who did i see dancing?

what possesses you? i totally mad, i think. i know! i can see. it's a good place to be. this is an upside of living in a coastal town like this. it is fabulous and it's important things like this keep going. we are very lucky to have this pool to swim in throughout the winter. and also we swim in the sea every day. it'sjust winter. and also we swim in the sea every day. it's just a good, winter. and also we swim in the sea every day. it'sjust a good, like you said, it's a feelgood factor. it's good for your mental health. and you get on? yeah! and it keeps you fit? yes, it does. and you wouldn't mind me saying, you are old barking mad as well? i'm not going to stop you. come on, go on. off you go. ladies. come on. no, you can't hide there! in you go. anyway, that is the scene here. it stopped

raining, that's good. come on. they weren't really expecting to have to do that. that's it from penzance, a fascinating look at the problems and solutions facing britain plasma towns. amir, simon mccoy, goodbye —— coastal towns, from me, goodbye. good morning. another chance of seeing plenty of rainbows this saturday. make the most of it because the low pressure is like to ease over the second half of the week. as we go through the day you can see quite clearly behind the winds are swinging around more northerly, so it is going to feel noticeably cooler. showers from the word go out of the west will move their way inland but not quite as many as we have seen recently. some temperatures to the afternoon of 10—

15 degrees. now as we go through the evening, those cells into stolid was the early start to fade away and skies will clear in places, so it could be a chillier start to sunday morning as you can see quite clearly, low single figures in a few sheltered areas. but, without northerly flow taking over and the low pressure drifting further east, things were quiet and down. on sunday, a greater chance of staying dry and a little cooler.

this is bbc news, i'm ben bland. our top stories: turmoil in barcelona — police fire rubber bullets and use teargas — at protesters angry at the jailing of catalan separatist leaders. what's clear is that they are becoming worse and worse. more violent, more protesters on the streets and more response from the police as well, who tonight have used tear gas for the first time and rubber bullets as they are trying to protect the national police headquarters which are just down here. super saturday in the british parliament — just hours before mps decide whether to back borisjohnson's brexit deal. what matters is mps coming together, across the house tomorrow, to get this thing done. rare criticism of president trump's decison to withdraw troops from syria by a republican party heavyweight: