SEVERAL hundred people gathered at a public meeting to back an appeal campaign launched on behalf of a promising young jockey convicted of murdering a North-East father. The family of former Newcastle United hopeful Gary Walton, who was found dead near
MEMBERS of the public had a rare glimpse of a stately home at the weekend. Lord Lambton opened his home at Biddick Hall, near Chester-le-Street, to help raise money for emergency repairs at St Barnabas Church in Burnmoor. The parochial church council
A COMPANY that rose from the ashes of a former industrial oven manufacturing plant has opened its own design department to help it win more work. Select Control Systems, of Hebburn, South Tyneside, was founded after workers agreed to plough their redundancy
THE result was sadly familiar, but Durham City's cricketers still celebrated with champagne after last Thursday's defeat at Eppleton - Gary Hulme had taken his 2,000th first team wicket for the club. "An extraordinary achievement, probably unequalled,
A GROUP of youngsters got more than they bargained for when they went on a school trip last month. When pupils at St William's Primary School, in Trimdon, County Durham, took a look at some of their photographs, taken on a day out at Preston Hall Museum
CHURCHES in the North-East are uniting to form an ecumenical body, North-East Christian Churches Together (NECCT). It will be launched at a service in Newcastle University's King's Hall, next Sunday. The organisation, which brings together all the major
AN initiative has been launched to speed up the justice process in magistrates' courts. The County of Durham Magistrates' Courts Committee has created a new post to help identify delays in the court system and reduce waiting times. Vivienne Harbron, a
A LEISURE centre was a sell-out for two days for a national sporting event at the weekend. Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre hosted the British Sports Acrobatics Championships for the fourth successive year. About 200 competitors representing clubs from
CANCER sufferers in a hospital ward have been presented with a striking new clock. Baroness Masham of Ilton unveiled the clock in the dedicated cancer unit of the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, the Scott Suite. The clock has been donated by the
SHOPPERS with mobility problems will receive a helping hand from Durham County Council. Durham City Shopmobility, which provides its members with free access to electric wheelchairs and scooters, will receive £30,000 a year from the council. The money
POUNDING the beat has taken on a new meaning in North Yorkshire - with the launch of the county's first mobile police station. Carried on a 7.5 tonne Iveco lorry, the new "station" will operate in those rural areas where there is no permanent police presence
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Support workers, Thirsk. £11,182pa plus £702 unsocial hrs, 37hrs pw. Required to support adults with autism living in own homes. Ref: NOE 13654. Production
SEVERAL towns and villages in County Durham have been without a traffic warden for almost a year. The Sedgefield division of Durham Constabulary has not had a full-time traffic warden for nearly 12 months. There is just one warden for the whole district
A DARLINGTON employment scheme has been the most successful in the region at finding work for young people on environmental projects. The Darlington Partnership New Deal Consortia found employment for 43 young people during the past 12 months after they
THE gloves will be well and truly off in the rematch between Kandy Four and Fullopep at Newcastle this afternoon. Three weeks ago when the pair clashed at Wetherby, Kandy Four seemed home and hosed until Fullopep delivered a last-ditch knockout punch
MULTI-millionaire factory owner George Reynolds was last night counting the cost of a massive blaze at one of his most recently launched companies. The fire, described as the biggest in the region this year, broke out at the Wallsend-based Just Wood plant
IN recent days, we have witnessed keynote speeches from the German Chancellor, the French Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission, setting out their vision for the future of Europe. William Hague has been quick to seize on these blueprints
WHEN Tom Cowie first got hooked on the speed and noise of the motorbike, bikes were British-made and you could feel the wind in your hair while bombing along deserted country roads. Now most bikes are manufactured abroad and the only wind you'll feel
DURHAM'S hopes of having a clean bill of health for the championship match against Nottinghamshire starting at the Riverside today have been dashed by a double-injury blow. Neil Killeen has suffered a recurrence of his ankle problem and Jimmy Daley broke
You don't have to be Tony Blair or William Hague to have a chance of becoming the next Prime Minister. Nigel Burton reports REVIEWS General Election. Published by: Infogrames. Format: PC CD-ROM (£14.99) INFOGRAMES is a French multi-media conglomerate.
NEWCASTLE United has followed its £80m stadium redevelopment by investing in its club profile. The club has followed the appointment of chief executive David Stonehouse from rivals Sunderland, and commercial manager Carole Beverley from Adidas, with the
ON the day that newspapers reported the brave bearding of Tony Blair by Sharron Storer, the partner of a cancer patient, who told the Prime Minister some uncomfortable truths about the hospital he was visiting, another story indicating the run-down state
A ROAD that will hopefully ease congestion leading from Europe's fastest-growing housing estate is taking shape. The South Stockton Link Road, which runs south from Concorde Way on Preston Farm Industrial Estate, Stockton, is on target to open next spring
MOBILE phone firm Vodafone has unveiled full year pre-tax profits of just over £4bn after a period of rapid expansion worldwide. The figure of £4.03bn, which strips out one-off costs, represents an 87 per cent improvement on the group's performance a
WHAT is the problem with hair? David Beckham, England football captain, millionaire, doting husband, besotted dad and loving son, has had his hair cut. Granted, it is a peculiarly unflattering style but, suddenly, critics are calling him aggressive, a
A HOTEL in a foot-and-mouth hit community has organised a fundraising weekend to help those affected by the disease. The Morritt Arms Hotel, at Greta Bridge, near Barnard Castle, will be holding a green welly weekend to raise money for the Royal Agricultural
PART of a touching memorial stone to a North-East pit disaster has turned up in a barn in rural County Durham. The slab appears to be part of a memorial to those who lost their lives in the Trimdon Grange Colliery explosion of 1882. The tragedy claimed
AUSSIE star Brett Emerton last night insisted he was happy with Feyenoord - and that it would take a massive offer to lure him away from the Dutch giants. Newcastle have joined the hunt for the 22-year-old midfielder, who was on Middlesbrough's wanted
A COMMUNITY has vowed to fight on against the vandals who have robbed toddlers of their play area. Youngsters from St Helen Auckland have been left without a play area at Fountains Square, over the bank holiday weekend after youths ripped up safety tiles
REVELLERS defied foot-and-mouth disease for two days of carnival-style fun at Richmond over the Bank Holiday Weekend. Despite setbacks caused by the farming crisis, it is believed the event could still have turned a profit, albeit a modest one. The Richmond
AN experimental scheme to give residents a greater say in the running of their Hartlepool estate has reached a major milestone. The Central Estate Neighbourhood Management Initiative has taken shape over the past 18 months, resulting in an Interim Management
ONE of the first steps taken by the new Mayor of Durham was to invite people to take a walk through the city. Councillor George Cowper is encouraging walkers to take part in a sponsored event in aid of The Children's Society. The Seven Bridges of Durham
THE brother of a teenager who died after being punched says the state of the graveyard where he is buried is an insult to his memory. Fourteen-year-old John Hall, of Esh Winning, who suffered from a rare complaint which causes excessive bleeding, died
POP sensations Hear'Say brought chaos to the region yesterday as thousands crammed on to a festival site to see the group make their North-East debut. More than 10,000 people crowded in to the main stage area to watch the Popstars celebrities perform
A RIDING centre for the disabled has raised more than £500 by taking part in an It's a Knockout Challenge. Thirteen teams of three took part in a riding obstacle course wearing blindfolds, in a water carrying race, a throwing competition and a general
TWO people are celebrating after being crowned Hartlepool's fittest man and woman. Marie Bond, 33, the wife of a Hartlepool firefighter, and Daniel Auty, 29, an engineer at Hartlepool Power Station, earned the title in the Warburton Superstars Challenge
DURHAM Cathedral will host a musical celebration of the life of St Cuthbert on Friday, at 7.30pm. Will Todd's oratorio, Saint Cuthbert, will be performed by the Halle Orchestra and a chorus of nearly 200 singers drawn from across the North-East. The work
POLICE have condemned cruel thugs who shot a female swan in the head with an air rifle pellet. The swan, its partner and their family of six newly-hatched cygnets were targeted as they swam in a pond in Trimdon, County Durham. They have now been transferred
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Cleaner/cook, Norton. £3.80ph, full-time, 39hrs pw, 8.30am to 4.30pm, Mon-Fri. Required for building site. Food and hygiene certificate preferred but
DISCUSSIONS have taken place on the possible amalgamation of two primary schools in Stockton after it was revealed the number of children attending Roman Catholic schools is declining. English Martyrs RC Primary School and St Peter and St Paul RC Primary
AN ELECTION hopeful took a step back in time yesterday to highlight the need for women to vote. Redcar Labour Party candidate Vera Baird enjoyed a day out at Redcar races dressed as a suffragette in a bid to encourage women racegoers to use their votes
TWO Darlington sisters took to the skies to raise cash for a local charity. Yvonne Barker, 45, a supervisor at Orange, and her sister Melanie Pitchford, 31, completed a freefall parachute jump. The jump at Peterlee Parachute Centre, Shotton Colliery Air
ANGLO-Saxon Northumbria came to life over the Bank Holiday weekend. Members of medieval re-enactment group Theod were at Bede's World in Jarrow showing visitors how people dressed, behaved and carried out their crafts. Theod has members representing three
PHARMACEUTICAL firm GlaxoSmithKline has announced plans to review its network of research and development sites. The company, which has a manufacturing and supply operation in Barnard Castle, County Durham, says it is looking at which of its research
THE project to build a new annexe to a town hall is expected to be completed towards the end of next month. With work on the exterior under way, efforts are being concentrated on the interior of the hall, at Thirsk, North Yorshire. The town hall management
IN politics even your most trusted allies can end up letting you down, as David Blunkett found out yesterday. With teachers, unions and school watchdogs demonstrating their unrest, the beleaguered Education Secretary at least had his famous guide dog
THE COUNTRYSIDE WE support the Government's continuing efforts to control foot-and-mouth disease. Until the disease is eradicated, these controls must remain a priority. All our organisations want the countryside to return to normal as soon as possible
TO try to combat the problem of illegal dumping of household rubbish Stockton Borough Council will collect, free of charge, bulky domestic items such as suites, cookers, fridges and beds. They will not however, collect garden waste, doors, kitchen units
A 76-YEAR-OLD woman was forced to pay for her own taxi home after treatment at a hospital casualty department - due to funding cuts. The move has been strongly criticised by both Help The Aged and The Patients Association, who say ambulances should be
SuNDERLAND Supremo Bob Murray has forecast that the Black Cats will shock football by mounting a genuine championship challenge to the Premiership's big guns. The Wearsiders finished seventh for the second successive season - just outside a UEFA cup spot
RAIL passengers are at the mercy of rocketing fares through a loophole in contracts with train operators, transport groups warned last night. Now the Government is facing growing calls to tighten regulations to prevent steep increases, with claims the
AN appeal is being made for volunteers to help run one of the country's smallest museums. An open day is being held at Weardale Museum, which incorporates High House Chapel, at Ireshopeburn, in Upper Weardale, County Durham, next Sunday, from 2pm to 5pm
ASPIRING authors are being invited to take part in an annual regional writing competition. Redcar Writers organises the competition and this year has not put any guidelines on the subject. It is for poems up to 40 lines long and short stories up to 3,000
A PAPIER-MACHE Postman Pat is waiting to greet the Prime Minister, along with camera crews bombarding him with questions about Oldham and Lionel Jospin. Tony Blair neatly side-steps the questions and avoids Pat before lustily shaking the hand of the man
REVELLERS enjoyed ten hours of live music yesterday, as 50 bands took to seven different stages. Middlesbrough Borough Council put in £50,000 to stage the town centre event, following the success of last year's Radio One show, and those who attended were
PLAYERS will be descending on North Yorkshire from around the world later this year for the Yorkshire International Open Golf Croquet Championships. Golf croquet is a high speed version of the more traditional game, with players hitting the ball at more
THOUGHTFUL Jamie Lee, 11, plunged down a cliff as he tried to reach a heart-shaped stone he wanted to give his mum as a gift. His cousin, Lee Smith, 13, dashed to Jamie's aid after he plunged 30ft to the beach below. Jamie had seen the stone on a ledge
A UNIVERSITY student is to embark on an adventure of a lifetime when he goes to Ghana this summer. Ben Wicling, a second-year sport, health and exercise student at the University of Durham, Stockton campus, will take part in the voluntary project from
TWO of the region's new universities have some of the best teaching in the country, according to a survey. Sunderland and Northumbria Universities broke into the top 30 of The Guardian University Guide for their teaching expertise, which saw Cambridge
SCHOOLS and charities can find out everything they need to know about how to run their own recycling project in a new handbook. The booklet, which has been produced by Sunderland City Council's Sustainability Team, is designed to build on the success
ENGLAND'S biggest forest festival will take place at Chopwell on the weekend of July 14 and 14. The Forestry Commission and Friends of Chopwell Wood have unveiled plans to make the 2001 Chopwell Forest Festival the best yet. Almost 100 exhibitors will
A YOUNG Brownie and Guide leader is looking for help in raising funds for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Emma Robinson has been a member of the Guide Association for eight years and is a young leader with the 1st Wolviston Guides and 2nd Wolviston Brownies
THERE is a continental air in a council leisure department where visitors from France and Germany have crossed the language barrier. Bernd Bangel is spending two years in the Sedgefield borough while he takes leave from his job with the City of Duisburg
A BOOKSTORE is looking for people to provide local stories for a publication chronicling a town's history. Ottakar's is looking for ordinary people to submit extraordinary stories about any event in the history of Darlington. The subject matter can be
A NURSING home in a street of private houses, built in the late 19th Century, is to be demolished to make way for a block of 18 flats. Princess Mary House, in Queen Parade, Harrogate, which for years was run as a nursing and holiday home by the Red Cross
THE secretary of a local branch of the Christian Union seems to have gone off his rocker. Simon Carpenter makes the front page of this week's Church Times with his suggestion that offices and factories should receive the laying on of hands. Now, blessing
ONE of the region's first major sailing regattas took place over the Bank Holiday weekend. It was an open regatta for members of the Tees and Hartlepool Yacht Club, but yachts and crews from sailing clubs up and down the coast also took part. The regatta
A CONTRACTOR has been appointed to restore an historic church, which was badly damaged by fire. St Brandon's Parochial Church Council in Brancepeth, near Durham City, has awarded the contract to M&M Plasline of Bishop Auckland. The church was gutted
JOHN Booth, who is standing in Hartlepool against his former employer, Peter Mandelson, wrote to Home Secretary Jack Straw yesterday demanding an immediate inquiry into "bizarre and troubling" events surrounding his campaign. Mr Booth's allegations range
IT'S not every day that your boss lets you have a lie-in. But then its not everyone who works in a bed showroom. Staff at Darlington's Sharps Bedrooms, in Skinnergate, took advantage of their product by staging a charity sleep-in. Manager Valerie Dack
YOUNG dancers caused such a sensation at DisneyLand, California, that they have been asked to perform at its Paris counterpart. The Amanda McGlynn Academy of Dance and Theatre Arts, in Middlesbrough, performed at the American theme park two years ago
A NEW initiative has been launched to speed up the justice process in magistrates' courts. The County of Durham Magistrates' Courts Committee has created a post to help identify delays in the court system and reduce waiting times. Vivienne Harbron, who
SENIOR police officers will meet residents next week to discuss crime problems in Gateshead. Gateshead East's senior police officer Superintendent Chris Symonds will meet local people at Felling Library on Wednesday, June 6, to discuss plans for policing
WHILST briefly the SDP member for Newcastle East, Mr Michael Thomas would tell the story about the miner MP who waited several years before honouring the House with his maiden speech. Finally, since the colliery from which he had risen was facing imminent
A MOTORCYCLIST was left with a broken leg after a bizarre road accident. The accident was in Weatherhead Avenue, on the Whinney Banks estate, Middlesbrough, at 11.45am on Sunday. The driver of a red Vauxhall Astra, registration E877 NHN, parked and opened
A TOWN stepped back in time at the weekend with the help of re-enactment group Rosa Mundi. The group set up camp in the grounds of the fortress that gives Barnard Castle its name, allowing visitors to sample the sights and sounds of 1471. Attractions
SITTING hunched over a radio set in the back of a van, Paul Evans was completely focused on the task at hand. As the man in charge of radio communications for speed record-breaker Donald Campbell, he may have been a mere heartbeat away from the action
