Archive

  • 'Stop and think of George'

    The family of George Harrison have asked his fans around the world to join them in a minute of meditation today as a tribute to the late Beatle. His wife Olivia and son Dhani also expressed their thanks for the displays of affection following his death

  • Campaign to curb Internet perverts

    A GROUND-BREAKING campaign aimed at stopping paedophiles from preying on youngsters in Internet chatrooms will be launched today amid new evidence of the growing danger. Several cases involving North-East youngsters have convinced Government ministers

  • Jobs created as store opens

    MORE than 80 jobs have been created with the opening of a store at Teesside Retail Park. Argos was opened by the Mayor of Thornaby, Councillor Derrick Brown last week. In total 85 jobs have been created. Area manager Paul Fitton said: "Opening the new

  • Number 10 backs off from NHS pledge

    THE Government was in retreat last night over Tony Blair's pledge to raise health spending in Britain to the European average by the time of the next General Election. Four days after the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment in the House of Commons

  • Politics? Done that, got the T-shirt, says Hague

    Former Conservative leader William Hague sounded as though he meant it yesterday when he told Radio 4 presenter Sue Lawley that he was now having the time of his life. Speaking on the BBC's Desert Island Discs, the Richmond MP said: "I'm having the nicest

  • MPs' fury as two dropped by agency

    Local MPs have expressed outrage at the exclusion of representatives from Durham and Teesside from the new board of the North-East development agency. They will meet Regional Development Minister Alan Johnson, to press him over reports that appointments

  • The region's best bargain? A bowl for 2p

    A LUCKY North-East shopper has stumbled upon what could be the region's best bargain. The woman visited Wilkinson's store, in Darlington, to buy a bulb bowl and was stunned to find that she had been given a discount of nearly 95 per cent. The bowl was

  • Christmas festivities under way

    festivities got off to a flying start in Stockton yesterday with the arrival of Father Christmas with debut band Macx and the Wildcats playing to the crowds. Stars from the pantomime Cinderella, at Billingham Forum, led the procession down the High Street

  • Wilson enjoys birthday

    SUNDERLAND Harrier Roger Wilson gave himself a belated birthday present by winning yesterday's 42nd Blyth Sands handicap race. The Wearside veteran joined the ranks of the over-60s last month and so qualified for a seven minute start in the 5.2 mile event

  • Denise's TV 'date' with her ex

    Chat queen Denise Welch faces her toughest interview to date - with the ex-husband she accused of cheating on her. The former Coronation Street star will sit opposite soap actor David Easter on her ITV2 show, Soap Fever, next Sunday. The 43-year-old actress

  • The Monday poem

    Love I like to think the house where I live is always full of love For even in the garden there comes a turtle dove. It's love that makes the world go round and this is true, I'm sure, For without love the quality of life would be so very poor. Love creates

  • Schools can win a share of £20,000

    CASH prizes of up to £20,000 are up for grabs in a national competition open to the region's schools. As part of the Barclays New Futures education award scheme, schools are being invited to come up with a creative and original idea to tackle an issue

  • Helen has job sights set on funeral parlour role

    DOZENS of rejection letters are not stopping teenager Helen Little pursuing her unusual dream of working in a funeral parlour. The 17-year-old from Wolsingham, County Durham, has written dozen letters over the past few years, pleading for a job as a trainee

  • Paul is hot on trail of tradition

    PAUL Meadley is keeping it in the family after following his father and grandfather into a career in the gas industry. The 21-year-old from Hartlepool is training to be a service engineer at Transco, in Cannon Park, Middlesbrough. His father, Tony, is

  • Practical answer to skills shortage

    A COUNCIL housing department is addressing a skills shortage in the building industry by taking on apprentices for the first time in 12 years. The initiative, in Wear Valley, will offer a three-year apprenticeship to five trainees, who will be given instruction

  • Drop in school exclusion rates

    Government figures have shown a drop in school exclusion figures in Teesside. Last year just one pupil was expelled from school in Redcar and Cleveland and none in Middlesbrough. Between 1996 and 1998 the authorities permanently excluded between two and

  • Top honours for under-16 fencing star

    A TEENAGER is celebrating after winning top honours for her fencing. Felicity Hemlin, 13, competed in the UK 16-years and under North-East region qualifiers competition in Durham, and came first. As a result, Felicity, a pupil at Teesside High School,

  • Notes stuck around house help Tom survive

    Tom Richards has to piece his life together every day using notes after an accident robbed him of his short-term memory. Tom needs scribbled reminders to prompt him to do the simplest tasks around the house. The 39-year-old cares for his sick wife, Maria

  • Why we had to get out of the escort business

    Last year, the owners of a North-East escort ageny were arrested and charged with living off the proceeds of prostitution. They tell Women's Editor Christen Pears about how their names were cleared and how the business was really run. AT seven o'clock

  • Festive gathering for service users

    USERS of health and social care in Darlington can come together with the providers of such services for a special Christmas event next week. The User Involvement Partnership's Networks Christmas Event 2001 takes place at Darlington College of Technology

  • Athletics event is a festival of fun

    TEAMS from throughout the region met at the weekend for a day of athletics action. The Norwich Union "fun:in:athletics" festival took place at Thornaby Pavilion, Thornaby, Teesside, on Saturday. Teams from clubs including Houghton and Peterlee, Stockton

  • Who's a pretty boy, then, and smart too!

    ASK most thirtysomething blokes to stand in the cosmetics hall of a department store and they will tend to react with the same unease. After all, other than the ceiling, what is there to look at? Worse, a nonchalant glance at a blusher or a lipstick could

  • County prepared for worst of winter

    THE true grit of a dedicated team of roadworkers is poised, ready to keep a county's highways flowing during the coming winter months. Almost £2.5m has been earmarked by Durham County Council to beat the freeze in the annual battle to ensure roads are

  • Historic warship sails on to website

    HMS Trincomalee the oldest warship afloat in Britain is to feature on a website to raise its profile as a major tourist attraction in the North-East. The HMS Trincomalee Trust, with the design services of the Hartlepool Business Development Centre, has

  • Lining up at free museum

    HUNDREDS of extra visitors flocked to a museum on Saturday when it dropped its entry charges. The National Railway Museum, in York, has scrapped admission charges as part of a push to allow the public free viewing of major national collections. The move

  • Sex attack witnesses call

    Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was sexually assaulted on a grass embankment. The attack was at the cul-de-sac end of Ayresome Green Lane, Middlesbrough, at about 4am on Saturday. The victim, a woman in her 40s, was dragged to the ground

  • Fears for teachers over new sex code

    CHRISTIAN teachers in North-East faith schools could face disciplinary action over a controversial new rule on sexuality, a religious charity claims today. The Christian Institute, a charity based in Newcastle, has raised "grave concerns" over regulations

  • Deal for fitness fans after clubs close

    About 260 fitness fans who lost out when a health club chain was forced to close last weekend have been offered a deal by a council leisure service. Clients of the Classic World of Fitness chain were shocked by the sudden shutdown of four County Durham

  • Ice, fire and forest on teachers' agenda

    INVESTIGATING volcanic eruptions in Iceland and exploring the forest of Costa Rica could become a reality for teachers in the North-East. Environment charity Earthwatch is leading six projects exploring some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world

  • Threat to future of 'pitman's academy'

    A CASH crisis could spell the end of a "pitman's academy" which has shaped ideas in a former mining town for 70 years. The volunteers who run the Spennymoor Settlement fear it could close unless it can find more than £11,600 to fix a badly leaking roof

  • Volunteers create sensory delight

    A GROUND force of young volunteers took only two weeks to transform a garden at County Durham's Cheshire Home. The ten-strong team from the Prince's Trust first raised money and collected materials for the project at Bradbury House, in Crook. They created

  • £10m sale price sets record for Reynolds painting

    A PORTRAIT that has hung in North Yorkshire for more than 200 years has been sold at auction for more than £10m. Omai, a painting of a Tahitian native, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, used to grace the walls of Castle Howard, near Malton, and had been owned by

  • Manager Lindoe looks for a four-star finish

    Brandon manager Kenny Lindoe is wanting a top-four place after his side crushed Washington 8-2 on Saturday. Brandon, regarded as one of the most attractive sides in the league, started the season well, but have slipped away in the last month. But now

  • Why title talk is still off agenda

    THE Newcastle camp has got the party line down to a tee whenever the Premiership is mentioned. After a weekend of results that have seen the battle to be the English game's top club thrown wide open, Newcastle find themselves in fourth spot - just five

  • Shearer protesting his innocence

    AS protestations of innocence go, Alan Shearer's appears 100 per cent genuine. Any striker who boasts a highly successful 14-year professional career based on physical strength, power and pace can expect to land himself in the referee's notebook on the

  • Little capital gain for Magpies

    TO lose one striker may appear unfortunate, to lose two could definitely be considered careless. Newcastle will begin this week facing up to the prospect of at least one game this month without both talisman Alan Shearer and speedster Craig Bellamy. Shearer

  • Phillips' strike helps paper over the cracks

    SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid held up his hands after scraping a win and admitted: "It wasn't pretty but the result was more important than the performance." Now the Wearside boss must be hoping that the badly-needed three points will give his side a

  • Boro run leaves boss facing tough decision

    IN the absence of two of Middlesbrough's most influential stars they boast an impressive record, and now manager Steve McClaren has a couple of massive decisions to make. Boro fans must have feared the worst when they knew captain Paul Ince and goalkeeper

  • Conlon ends drought with very tasty double

    After drawing nine consecutive blanks, Barry Conlon finally brought his scoring drought to an end, and in York City he picked the perfect opposition against which to put the ball in the net for the first time since September. The team which sold him to

  • Enter the new year ceilidh

    REVELLERS can dance their way into 2002 at Darlington Arts Centre's annual New Year ceilidh. This year's event will feature music from top ceilidh band Accordance, and caller Barry Evans. Tickets are on sale for £6 and early booking is recommended. For

  • Awareness campaign takes off

    A THOUSAND red balloons were released on Saturday, as Darlington marked World Aids Day. The borough's mayor, Councillor Isobel Hartley, performed the ceremony in the Market Square, in an effort to help raise awareness of HIV and Aids. This year's World

  • Festive warning to unwanted visitors

    POLICE in Stockton are sending out a simple festive message to thieves, troublemakers and beggars to keep out of the town. A series of high-visibility patrols are under way and will continue until after the New Year celebrations to ensure shoppers and

  • Veterans pay tributes to renowned regiment

    VETERANS left a lasting reminder of their renowned regiment alongside a memorial to some of its heroes. All 11 Durham Light Infantry (DLI) holders of the Victoria Cross are listed on the memorial stone unveiled near the entrance to the regimental museum

  • MP's son arrested over cheques theft

    THE son of a North-East MP has been arrested in the House of Commons after allegedly stealing from another MP. Malcolm Bell, 19, son of Middlesbrough MP Stuart Bell, is accused of taking four blank cheques. He is alleged to have stolen them from Labour

  • Open days open up world of computing courses

    PEOPLE who struggle with spreadsheets or find bytes bewildering are invited find out more about special courses at open days at four computer learning centres next week. Bishop Auckland College is hosting the days next Monday, in the Thames Shopping Centre

  • Grants put rail museum on track

    Plans to put a railway town firmly on the national tourist map could move a step closer to reality next week. Two key grants will move Shildon, County Durham, almost £600,000 closer to opening a new £7m branch of the National Railway Museum in two years

  • Patient 'not well enough' to give evidence on doctor

    THE woman patient whose allegations led to the suspension of a North-East consultant has told the General Medical Council she is not well enough to give evidence at a forthcoming hearing. But health campaigners in the Northallerton area of North Yorkshire

  • Santa and his friends bring joy to little Ben

    A YOUNG North-East autistic boy has been offered the trip of a lifetime and a fundraising boost by one of the region's shopping centres. Five-year-old Ben Collins has touched the hearts of people living across the North-East in the past two years as he

  • Deal for Enron 'ready in days'

    A DEAL to secure hundreds of North-East energy jobs could be signed within days, according to sources at troubled US energy company Enron. More than 900 workers on Teesside endured an uncertain weekend after the group collapsed with debts of more than

  • Bridge-widening scheme may face objections delay

    English Heritage has warned a county council they will strongly object if plans to widen an 18th Century, flood-damaged bridge are pursued. And their objection could spark a public inquiry which could take up to two years to finalise, said North Yorkshire

  • Celebrating a £5,000 screen saver

    THE future of alternative cinema is looking brighter this weekend after Northern Arts announced £5,000 backing. Graham Ramsey has been successfully running KINO, Leftfield and Independent Cinema from Around the Globe, since last month, using the University

  • North shows it's first class for deliveries

    MORE than 90 per cent of first class mail in the region is being delivered on the next working day - ahead of the Royal Mail's national targets. With 95 per cent, the DL postcode area, which serves the Darlington area, had the region's best performance

  • Shoppers show a taste for farmers' goods

    FARMERS' markets are such a hit with shoppers in Bishop Auckland that they are going to be held every month. Regular markets are held across the Wear Valley and Teesdale districts to give dales farmers a showcase for their products. Now the stalls in

  • Ton-up Darlington notch record win

    DARLINGTON topped 100 points for the third time in recent seasons and went on to a club record score in a 123-10 home win against Wigton. The Cumbrians, who had to shut down from mid-February last season because of foot-and-mouth, are on minus two points

  • Hear all sides; Building on the Whitehouse legacy

    MARY WHITEHOUSE MANY people will surely mourn the passing of Mary Whitehouse, who, for many years, worked for better broadcasting that would benefit society as a whole. Much has been written about her in recent days giving testimony to the years of campaigning

  • Insurance premiums show huge variations

    A CAR insurance survey has found huge differences in cost across the North-East. The survey by the AA measured an average couple with a clean licence and accident-free record driving a Ford Focus car in postal areas throughout the country. The most expensive

  • Work on youth centre begins

    A £1.2M youth centre dream will start to become a reality today for youngsters in Hartlepool when work begins on a long-awaited project. Contractors will begin to restore the derelict former Golden Anchor pub, in Abbey Street, and convert it into a centre

  • Schools' environment to improve

    AN ENVIRONMENTAL improvement scheme is being planned for two primary schools in Hartlepool. Grounds for Learning is a north Hartlepool partnership environmental initiative which hopes to create defensible and sustainable spaces within school grounds.

  • Festive feel to town centre

    A FESTIVE feel pervaded a city centre at the weekend as traders enjoyed rich pickings at a Christmas festival. Thousands of shoppers flocked to Durham for the four-day festival, which culminated with a weekend of activities around the city centre. Market

  • Comment from The Northern Echo; Birthplace blues

    HOW Darlington folk must look with envy at Shildon which is in the process of receiving more than £1/2m to bolster its museum. How Darlington folk must look with envy at York where this weekend the National Railway Museum became one of a handful outside

  • What's hot...and what's not

    What's hot DENTAL GLOSS: Forget getting the perfect bust, slim behind or shapely legs - the in-thing to spend your money on is your smile. Various treatments are available to make your pearlers as white as possible and the great and the good are spending

  • Historichall is for sale no more

    A FORMER manor house should begin a new chapter today as the headquarters of a Dales town council. Leyburn's Thornborough Hall has had a chequered history - first as a home and then as a magistrates' court, a meeting place, a register office and a Wensleydale

  • Teenage driver Jonathan hits the fast track to racing stardom

    BOY racer Jonathan Potts is proving a fast learner behind the wheel in the world of motor sports. But he needs the spark of cash backing to ensure he fulfils his potential as a driver. Just months after passing his driving test, 17-year-old Jonathan quickly

  • Improvements to centre

    A LEISURE centre in Hartlepool will be closed this week while electrical works are carried out. The work is the latest phase of an ongoing programme of improvements at the Mill House Leisure Centre, in Raby Road. It follows the completion of a £52,000

  • Model railway enthusiasts line up for exhibition

    ENTHUSIASTS from across the region gathered for a two-day annual exhibition of model railways at the weekend. They included nine-year-old Gavin Dodsworth, of Darlington, above. The event, at Darlington College of Technology, was run by Darlington Model

  • Accident family's grief mounts

    A FAMILY has been devastated by a second death following an accident a week ago. David Robinson, 22, died on Saturday in Middlesbrough General Hospital, where he had been fighting for his life after receiving head and chest injuries in last Monday's crash

  • Coastguard sets sail for retirement

    Whitby's chief coastguard Tony Hornigold is retiring and his deputy, Robert Parkin, is to take over. Halifax man Mr Hornigold 59, was a mechanical engineering lecturer in Middlesbrough before he became a coastguard. He now plans to spend more time enjoying

  • Late saviour Oliphant to crack Mowden whip

    KEVAN Oliphant is planning to work his Darlington Mowden Park players hard this week after sparing their blushes with an injury time drop goal on Saturday. The player-coach was justifiably unhappy with Northern Group referee David Drury, but admitted

  • Alan scoops national learning accolade

    ALAN Brown, who last month was named North-East regional winner of the Library Association and learndirect E-Learning Community Prize, has now scooped second spot in the national final for the award. The prize recognises and rewards learners aged 16 and

  • Bede inspires beauty

    THE rich history of early medieval learning in the North-East is reflected in three new stained glass windows which were unveiled at the weekend. Advent was chosen as a suitable occasion to reveal the specially-commissioned windows at Bede's World Museum

  • High-rated force 'will not rest on laurels'

    A POLICE chief has promised his force will not rest on its laurels after receiving a high rating in a performance league table. Durham police came second in a survey of all police forces in England and Wales published yesterday, with neighbours Northumbria

  • Warning after indecent attacks

    WOMEN are being urged to be on their guard following a spate of indecent attacks in a North-East town during a ten day period. All of the incidents have occurred within close proximity to each other in areas of Hartlepool known as Cemetery South and Dyke

  • £3m allocated to give seaside park a facelift

    Scarborough's Peasholm Park is to get a £3m facelift. Used by thousands of holidaymakers every year the park, created 70 years ago, is renowned for its naval battle, Japanese gardens, boating and island bandstand. The scheme will include re-building the

  • Concern over missing man

    CONCERN was growing last night for a man who has been missing from home for more than three days. James Redhead was last seen at his home in Laurel Avenue, on Durham's Sherburn Road Estate, at about 10pm, on Thursday. Mr Redhead is described as "of heavy

  • Placing ancient names

    Q: WHY do many place names end in wick. Also, what is the origin of the name Edmundbyers? - W Sewell, Bishop Auckland. A: Place names ending in wick can sometimes be Viking if they derive from the old Scandinavian word vik, meaning creek or bay. However

  • Police raise funds

    A GROUP of police officers have raised more than £1,000 for charity after taking part in a sponsored bike ride. The seven officers plus one civilian worker, from Stockton, cycled 204 miles from St Bees Head, in Cumbria, to Saltburn in three days. They

  • Viaduct arrest

    AN 18-year-old man from the Bishop Auckland area is being treated in a hospital psychiatric unit after surrendering to police on Newton Cap viaduct, on Saturday night. He walked towards officers as soon as they arrived on the viaduct and was arrested

  • Beamish steams ahead of rival museums

    BEAMISH Open Air Museum has been voted one of the country's top attractions. The museum fought off competition from the some of the most well-known tourist attractions in the country to be crowned Living Museum of the Year. Beamish was given the accolade

  • Man accused over friend's death in river crash

    The best friend of a man who drowned in a boat accident has been charged with causing his death. Mark Smith, 29, and two other friends had gone by dinghy along the River Tyne into Newcastle, for a night out. There was a dispute over a meal at a Beefeater

  • Paramedic risked own life during river rescue attempt

    AN award-winning paramedic, who put his own life at risk in an attempt to save a canoeist, has been praised by ambulance chiefs. Stan Beer, 50, braved North Yorkshire's fast-flowing River Ure to reach 46-year-old prison officer Stephen Scott, who had

  • Boy identified

    The 14-year-old boy who died as a result of a car accident on Mitchell Avenue, Thornaby, on Monday November 26, has been named. Daniel Stewart, from Staindale Road, Thornaby, was with friends at the time of the accident. Police would like to speak to

  • Ann retires after dedicated history

    AN archivist who helped set up a study centre housing a valuable collection of railway history has retired. Ann Wilson, 65, has worked at Darlington Railway Museum for 11 years and was responsible for setting up the Ken Hoole Study Centre. She originally

  • Land Rover 'had no defects to explain Selby accident'

    A police vehicle examiner today told a court the Land Rover driven by the man accused of causing the deaths of 10 men in the Selby rail disaster had no defects which could explain why it veered off a motorway. Ian Charlton, a civilian who works for Humberside

  • Sorensen assuming command at the top

    THOMAS Sorensen's super-show for Sunderland against West Ham on Saturday has rocketed the in-form goalkeeper to the top of the Northern Echo Player of the Year charts. The great Dane was outstanding at the Stadium of Light and that display saw him leapfrog

  • York boss Dolan bemoans mistakes

    AS is the norm this season, the York City supporters called for the end of Terry Dolan's stint as the Bootham Crescent manager during Darlington's 3-1 win on Saturday. For the majority of the game the travelling contingent were more occupied with singing

  • Sorensen takes his share of limelight

    DANISH international goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, whose breathtaking double super-save in the 1-0 home win over West Ham United almost stole the limelight from match-winner Kevin Phillips, had a friendly dig at the England striker afterwards. Asked if

  • Greening backs Crossley to keep place

    MIDDLESBROUGH midfielder Jonathan Greening believes manager Steve McClaren should not drop in-form goalkeeper Mark Crossley. Since Mark Schwarzer left to try to help Australia qualify for the World Cup, Crossley has been a revelation. The Welshman's handling

  • Conlon makes the cut

    BEFORE going into training this morning, Darlington's two-goal hero will be making more use than normal of his razor having ended a run of nine games without a goal. Until Saturday, Barry Conlon hadn't notched since the 1-1 midweek draw at Macclesfield

  • Shearer dismissal overturned

    The FA have confirmed Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer's red card at Charlton on Saturday has been overturned. After viewing footage of the incident, referee Andy D'Urso and assistant Graham Beale decided to rescind the decision. A spokesman for the St

  • Veteran stars help club to near its goal

    VETERAN footballers dusted off their boots and showed off their skills once more to offer a lifeline to a struggling North-East non-league side. Officials at ailing Annfield Plain AFC were last night tallying up the takings after a successful charity

  • University appoints new vice-chancellor

    A NEW man is about to take the reins at one of the region's leading seats of learning. Professor Brian Cantor will take up his role as vice-chancellor of York University at the beginning of October next year. He is currently head of the division of mathematical

  • Cash grants to aid town's youngsters

    YOUNG people across Hartlepool are to benefit from a huge cash windfall after councillors approved a package of grants. Fourteen voluntary organisations working with youngsters are to receive support totalling almost £17,000 from Hartlepool Borough Council's

  • 'Blinking' bridge named top invention

    The £22 million "Blinking Eye" Gateshead Millennium Bridge has been named as one of the best inventions of 2001. The 850-tonne bridge, which has attracted worldwide interest since its arrival at Gateshead Quays just over a year ago, was given the accolade

  • Television genetics survey reveals the region's Viking past

    THE VIKING conquest of Britain may have been more than a thousand years ago, but new research has found evidence to suggest the warriors from the frozen north left behind a genetic footprint more evident in the North-East than elsewhere in the UK. The

  • N-E second in study of clean homes

    A survey out today reveals that householders in the North-East spend more time cleaning their homes than almost anywhere else in the country. Northerners dedicate six hours and 26 minutes every week to cleaning and are second only to the Midlands in the

  • Smaller bus resolves school transport row

    A BITTER row over school transport, which split a North Yorkshire community, appears to have been resolved. When a bigger coach was assigned this term to the route to Maunby, between Thirsk and Northallerton, the driver had difficulty turning around having

  • Man conned by 'palm reader'

    A MAN was tricked out of more than £100 by a woman and a girl offering palm readings and "lucky" heather for sale. The 35-year-old was one of a number of residents in the West End area of Sedgefield visited by the pair on Thursday lunchtime. As he searched

  • D-day for riverboat tragedy captain

    Shipping chiefs will today announce whether a North-East man involved in the 1989 Marchioness riverboat tragedy is fit to hold a British master's certificate. Captain Douglas Henderson, from Throckley, Newcastle, was captain of the dredger Bowbelle, which

  • Icy waters claim life of night-time swimmer

    A MAN died in the icy North Sea in the early hours of Saturday morning despite the efforts of two policemen. Acting Sergeant Dave Chard and PC Paul Davies saw the man swimming in the sea at Redcar at 2.45am. They stripped and waded into the water in an