SUNDERLAND plc remains focused on achieving long-term, sustained success, despite reporting an operating loss of £181,000 for the six months to January 31. And while developments on the pitch this season might not be so good, with the team currently in
ORCHID enthusiasts have gathered for a display of bountiful blooms. Houghall College, near Shincliffe, in Durham, was the venue for the colourful show staged by the North-East of England Orchid Society each year. Society member Mary Burt, above, is seen
A FARM which lost its livestock to foot-and-mouth disease has a second attempt today at persuading national park planners to give their blessing to its diversification plans. Ashes Farm, near Hawes, North Yorkshire, already has permission to use former
RUMANA Ramzan holds down two careers but still fizzes with energy. She's vital, confident and relaxed. In fact, she's a walking advertisement for alternative health care. Rumana, who juggles her career as a natural health consultant with her role as general
Groups to get funding tips COMMUNITY groups operating in former coalfield wards of Derwentside have been invited to attend a funding seminar. The event has been arranged to enable groups to find out what funding is available to them through the Neighbourhood
Anglers urged to return catch ANGLERS are being urged to return any fish they catch in the River Skerne at Darlington in an attempt to safeguard future stocks. The Environment Agency's plea follows concern about the numbers of trout being taken from the
A HOME furnishing chain will create 50 jobs in the North-East by the end of this year with the opening of four additional stores. The Yorkshire Linen Company, which already has nine outlets in the region, is investing £600,000 in stores at Consett, County
BT's chief executive Ben Verwaayen has unveiled his long-awaited strategy to control costs, cut debt and promote growth at the telecoms group. Mr Verwaayen said his three-year strategy was to focus on "customer satisfaction" and "financial discipline"
TWO schools marked for demolition have won a ministerial accolade for improving exam results. Langbaurgh and neighbouring Keldholme secondary schools, in east Middlesbrough, will close in July to make way for a multi-million pound city academy. Falling
DESMOND the duck was recovering yesterday just hours after he was left dangling from a tree. Firefighters and RSPCA inspector Ian Jackson named the Mallard drake Desmond after rescuing it from a tree in Auckland Park, yards away from the Bishop of Durham's
THE prospect of a breakthrough in a long-running rail dispute looked remote last night. Stan Herschel, regional organiser with the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said that conductors working for Arriva Trains Northern were in for a long haul. The
A SURGEON who resigned from Health Secretary Alan Milburn's local hospital has spoken out against spin in the NHS. In a letter to a national newspaper, Howard Rutherford said he quit Darlington Memorial Hospital because he was "totally frustrated after
A CHARITY'S plans to expand into new premises have been abandoned, but a move could still be on the cards. The Encephalitis Support Group, in Malton, launched a £100,000 fundraising drive last year to help expand from its Market Square offices into a
As millions watched the televised proceedings of the Queen Mother's funeral some sought quieter contemplation and reflection. And few settings could have been more tranquil and fitting than Gibside Estate, ancestral home of the Queen Mother. The only
VITAL repair work on crumbling railway bridges has still not got under way - three months after council chiefs pledged £100,000 to improve the dangerous structures. And despite the desperate pleas of local authorities, the Government has yet to sort out
Kings, queens and royalty from around the world mourned the Queen Mother Elizabeth at her funeral today in Westminster Abbey as huge crowds stood outside, honoring a woman beloved for her kindness and dedication to duty. In a great display of regal pageantry
RESIDENTS in Hartlepool are being offered the chance to pick up some useful advice on crime prevention at a series of meetings in the town this week. PC Colin Hopkins, Hartlepool crime prevention officer, will be guest speaker at three council meetings
The Cry (ITV) The Most Evil Men And Women in History (C5) ITV's drama onslaught continues, although the psychological thriller The Cry is very different to other recent offerings such as The Forsyte Saga and David Jason's The Quest. Not only is it a contemporary
Craig Liddle's departure from Darlington edged a stop closer yesterday when clubs across the country were informed he will be made available for transfer at the end of the season. Northern Echo Sport understands that just days after Liddle was asked to
A SPECIAL needs school headteacher accused of intimidating a witness due to give evidence against one of her teachers has been cleared. Patricia Watson, 55, was said to have threatened the staff member's job if she gave evidence against Malcolm Phillips
DEMAND for no-frills air travel continued unabated last month, with easyJet and Go both enjoying a surge in passenger numbers. Figures showed that Luton company easyJet carried 839,472 people in March, up from February's 721,642 passengers and a 39 per
Fantastic food and smashing service made a visit to a transformed grotto one to remember. This restaurant is on the up THE Marsden Grotto at South Shields is a cavernous, cliff bottom pub accessed by a passenger lift. Of late, there have been too many
SARAH Yorke is adamant that her new fitness club isn't just for the "Lycra and leotard" brigade. "We want everyone to feel welcome, whether they exercise regularly or not. We've tried to make it as friendly as possible and there are always staff on hand
A MAN who rescued a woman from the sea was rewarded for his bravery last night. Northumbria Police Chief Constable Crispian Strachan and police authority chairman Councillor Mick Henry presented a Royal Humane Society testimonial to Dean Mitchell for
INTERNATIONAL fruit producer Del Monte has established a base on Tyneside, creating 42 jobs. Del Monte Fresh Produce (UK) has moved into a new 33,000 sq ft production and distribution facility on the Team Valley in Gateshead. The company, which has invested
OUR thoughts are with the Royal Family today as they attend the funeral of the Queen Mother. To come to terms with the loss of its most senior member is difficult for any family. The Royal Family has had to endure its loss in the full gaze of the public
A PUB boss aplogised last night after a cancer sufferer was humiliated by a doorman. Denise Laybourne, 43, wears a baseball cap after losing her hair through chemotherapy. She was horrified when the doorman dragged her out of a queue and ordered her to
PEOPLE living in a residential home have thanked the community that helped raise money for specialist equipment. Fundraisers in Crook raised £950 with a Christmas raffle in the Co-op store to buy a weighing machine for residents at the town's Leonard
FORMER Tory leader William Hague highlighted a cause in need of the public's backing yesterday. The Richmond MP travelled to Northallerton, North Yorkshire, to meet paramedics and air crew who operate the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The 140mph Eurocopter
Rocky a ginger tomcat astonished vets by surviving being thrown 100ft down a cliff by thugs. The cat was found wedged between rocks on the edge of the North Sea when his pathetic cries were heard by walkers near Ryhope, Sunderland. The RSPCA were called
LONDON was last night waiting to bid its final farewell to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The streets around her home, Clarence House, were lined by smartly-painted TV gantries waiting for the historic scenes and by metal crash barriers in preparation
TWO of four men accused of murder will be released on bail today. Pipefitter Phillip McGibbon, of Linnet Road, Throston, Hartlepool, died from head injuries after an incident in Church Street, Hartlepool, on October 7 last year. Four men have been charged
BENITO Carbone has put hopes of signing for Middlesbrough on a permanent basis to one side, at least until after Sunday's FA Cup semi-final. The diminutive Italian, who is Cup-tied for the Old Trafford clash with Arsenal, has been superb since joining
THE RSPCA is appealing for information after a badly injured cat was discovered zipped up in a hold-all at the bottom of cliffs. The ginger tom suffered a broken pelvis and back leg after it was thrown from the top of the cliffs at Hendon Docks, Sunderland
CRUCIAL repairs to one of the most dangerous railway bridges in the region could suffer a three-month delay, it was revealed tonight. The crumbling bridge over the East Coast main line at Dalton-on-Tees, near Darlington, has been the scene of at least
A NORTH-EAST support organisation for rape victims has called for changes in the way cases are handled following the publication of a critical report. A national study by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
THE voluntary sector is worth more than £2m a year to the economy of Teesdale, a survey has revealed. A study by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) also found that, despite the lack of a proper infrastructure, Teesdale has one of
A plan has been submitted to Darlington town council to build two three-bedroomed houses in Parkside to accommodate disabled people. The proposal has been submitted by Three Rivers Housing Association, which has developed similar schemes in the town since
Bike stolen after threats YOUTHS have stolen a 12-year-old boy's mountain bike after stopping him as he rode along Borough Road in Darlington, at about 7.10pm on Sunday. Two youths blocked the boy's way, one of them grabbing the bike's handlebars to stop
THE Queen last night thanked the nation for the "love and honour" shown to her mother - and called for today to be a celebration of her extraordinary life. In an historic televised address she spoke from the heart as she said of the funeral: "I hope that
A caf could be opened to stop young people hanging around in a shopping mall - despite a majority of shoppers saying there is not a problem. The Cornmill Centre, in Darlington, has received complaints about gangs of youngsters causing a nuisance to shoppers
STAFF at a Teesside care home were gagged and tied up with ribbon as part of a protest against what they see as discrimination by a local authority. David McArthur, a psychiatric nurse who runs Mulroy Nursing Home, Normanby, is fighting Redcar and Cleveland
ANOTHER bid has been submitted for a mobile phone mast on the edge of a Dales community which rejected a similar scheme last month. Vodafone won the backing of the Yorkshire Dales National Park's planning officers when the firm suggested an antenna disguised
THE Durham County Federation of Women's Institutes has a new chairwoman, who aims to step up the organisation's strong support for rural communities in the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth crisis. For the next three years Audrey Flanagan will lead the
CHRIS LLOYD joins the crowds outside Westminster Abbey for the Queen Mother's funeral. Read his full report in The Northern Echo tomorrow. No tears, no red eyes. Just sad goodbyes. ''A fitting way to say farewell,'' says an elderly woman. ''Such a marvellous
DURHAM City general practitioner Rob Hand suffered his first road race defeat since joining the veteran ranks two months ago when he was beaten into second place in the Wallsend 10K. Hand, after victories at South Shields and Redcar, had to yield to younger
A NORTH-EAST academic has been awarded funding to research how best to bridge the health experience gap of different social groups and to ensure teenage parents are not excluded from society. Professor Nigel Malin, of Sunderland University, has received
WE must recognise that individuals select what they see as important in making decisions in their lives, and so it is with the complex issue of the euro. The most common comment that I hear is: "I have not got enough information on which to make up my
H'Angus the Monkey is crossing frontiers - the Hartlepool mascot's fist at mayoralty made about ten column inches at the weekend in the up-market Scotland on Sunday. "A dead ringer for one of the Banana Splits," claimed SoS, which would have stirred memories
A SENIOR clergyman who earned a reputation for his forthright views was invited to voice his support for one of the UK's biggest advisory networks. Former Bishop of Durham, Dr David Jenkins, is a patron of the Friends of Hambleton Citizens Advice Bureau
film fans in the North-East are expected to be among the first in the world to see the new Star Wars film when it is released, next month. Odeon, Britain's biggest cinema chain, has announced that selected cinemas, possibly including those in the region
Bucket shop snaps up rival ONLINE bucket shop lastminute.com has taken another step towards producing a profit by snapping up a rival dotcom. The group has agreed to pay £9m for Travelselect.com, an online travel and leisure firm, in an all-share deal
The average tourist will often rub their eyes in disbelief when they spot them. But to the residents of Kirkby Stephen, in Cumbria, the dozens of exotic birds who swoop over their heads on a daily basis is a familiar sight. The 50 or so magnificent parrots
A NORTH-EAST pensioner has finally conquered the notorious mountain peak whose summit she narrowly missed late last year - and all despite a fear of heights. Elizabeth Mann, 69, of Milbank Court, Darlington, first visited Kinabalu, in Borneo, with fellow
THE Durham County Federation of Women's Institutes has a new chairman, who aims to step up the organisation's strong support for rural communities in the aftermath of foot-and-mouth. Audrey Flanagan, who was brought up on a farm near Consett, will lead
TYNESIDE chartered surveyors Naylors has been appointed by UK Land Estates to act as joint agents for the Waterfront development at Newburn Riverside in Newcastle. Naylors has been involved in many of the region's big commercial property schemes since
A FAMILY butcher's business has unveiled a £2.5m development plan, which would create up to 50 jobs. The plan was presented by Michael Dickson, managing director of M I Dicksons, to South Shields MP David Miliband when they toured the firm's production
UNSUNG heroes from across Redcar and Cleveland have been honoured at an awards ceremony. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Mayor, Councillor Vilma Collins, made the presentations for the annual Community Achievement Awards at the council chamber, in
Volunteers get stuck in A NEW task programme has been launched for a group of Dales volunteers. Starting last week with a litter pick, Nidderdale Countryside Volunteers will tackle waymarking, rabbit fencing, drystone walling, bracken bashing and meadow
GETTING a 280-strong community together for a photocall to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee has proved a problem in a North Yorkshire village. So instead of a public session at Beckwithshaw, near Harrogate, the parish council has asked residents to send
A market town is helping to spread the "wish you were here" message via a series of picture postcards featuring its town crier. Dubbed the Nancy of Knaresborough series, the colour postcards spell out the old world charm of the town. They have been produced
A RUGBY club under notice to quit the ground on which it has played for nearly a century has received a double boost. Harrogate Rugby Union Club, the top team in North Yorkshire, looks likely to receive planning consent for a new home on 30 acres of farmland
THE UK's biggest manufacturer of expanded polystyrene manufacturer has appealed to Chancellor Gordon Brown to scrap an energy tax. In letters to MPs in nine constituencies, including North West Durham MP Hilary Armstrong, Styropack UK managing director
FAMILIES pedalled a well-worn route in a charity cycle ride. People taking part in Cycle4Sight set off from the car park at Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, to complete part of the Coast-to-Coast route, returning to the same spot. They tackled
A DRUNKEN bus driver stabbed a man who intervened when he swore at children in a shop. Christopher Willis produced a knife and plunged it into the chest of the young man who merely asked him to calm down as he shouted at youngsters in the late evening
MANUFACTURERS appear to be on the road to recovery after official figures showed the first monthly improvement in output since August. The sector, which has been in recession for the past year, enjoyed a 0.4 per cent increase in output in February, the
A FORMER smoker will end his nationwide marathon run to raise money for an anti-smoking charity in the North-East. Rory Coleman, 40, of Long Eaton, Derbyshire, is running 600 miles to 13 Premiership football grounds this month as part of an anti-smoking
A project to floodlight Christ Church, on the Stray at High Harrogate, has been completed. The church is appealing for sponsors for an evening of floodlighting by making donations to mark birthdays, memorial dates or anniversaries. A minimum donation
RACING pigeon Northern Echo has been tipped to wing its way to success following her first contest under her new name. The blue hen was among more than 10,000 competitors to be released from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in Saturday's race, which was held
TWO youths were arrested after a car chase last week - only hours after they walked free from court in connection with similar offences. The 16-year-olds were arrested following a car chase through Hartlepool which reached speeds of up to 80mph. The youths
TWO young hairdressers are offering their skills for charity this weekend as part of an attempt to win a company award. Laura Marsh, 17, left, and Natalie Graham, 18, work at the Saks salon in Guisborough, east Cleveland, and have entered the company's
A PRISONER who made a daring escape from a security van is still on the run tonight - as police tried to reassure the public that he posed no threat. Daniel Crane, 22, broke free from a Group 4 security vehicle just minutes after he appeared before magistrates
STEEL group Severfield-Rowen said it was confident for the coming months despite posting a slide in full-year profits. The firm, based in Dalton, North Yorkshire, said turnover for the year to December 31 rose 13 per cent to £145.8m. But tough economic
A CERTIFICATE sent to a North-East woman by the Queen Mother during the Second World War has been discovered after a spring clean. Trevor and Pam Morgan, of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, found an old envelope, postmarked Buckingham Palace, in a bag while
TEEN beanie collector Michelle Bosomworth has turned her hobby of collecting cuddly bears into a booming business thanks to help from local enterprise agency Tyneside Economic Development Company (TEDCO). The 20-year-old from Hebburn, South Tyneside,
SHERRY Baines owes her current stage appearance in York to someone she's never met having chickenpox ten years ago. That's when she first met the Theatre Royal's artistic director Damien Cruden. Now he's directing the Yorkshire-born actress in Terry Johnson's
A YOUNG people's project is celebrating a successful first year after securing £14,000 and participants from throughout the area. Thornley Young People's Project, based at Thornley Community Centre, was set up to deter youngsters from anti-social behaviour
THE boss of a North-East security firm cleared of attempted murder last month, but who still faces two other charges, was told yesterday that his retrial would take place as soon as possible. Judge Peter Fox told Teesside Crown Court it was a matter of
As the nation comes to a standstill for the Queen Mother's final journey today, Nick Morrison looks at the history of royal funerals. As the nation comes to a standstill for the Queen Mother's final journey today NICK MORRISON looks at the history of
THE Marsden Grotto at South Shields is a cavernous, cliff bottom pub accessed by a passenger lift. Of late, there have been too many ups and downs. More downs, in truth. The Grotto had become inescapably grotty, even the huge Marsden Rock - if not of
SCIENTISTS have created the world's first solar powered stained glass window for England's oldest cathedral. Designs for the window in Ripon, North Yorkshire, have already been prepared and when complete it will be used to power a bronze water feature
A £15m fund to help set up small and medium-sized businesses was launched before an audience of the region's leading businessmen yesterday. Hilary Armstrong, North-West Durham MP and Government Chief Whip, launched the new Capital North East fund at the
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Deputy manager, Thirsk. £10,600pa, various shifts. Experience is preferred but not essential as training given. Ref: NOE 16070. Play/care worker, Kirkby Fleetham
ARGENTINIAN star Julio Arca's season at Sunderland could be finished by a stubborn groin injury. The 21-year-old crowd favourite, who has not played in the Premiership for two months, has been sent home for a break with his family after flying to Switzerland
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Bar person, Stockton. £4.40ph. Previous experience and own transport preferred. Ref: STC 32339. Fitness instructor, Stockton. £4.10ph plus bonus. Will be working
THE wraps come off blueprints for a £23m museum in the region this weekend. As exclusively revealed in The Northern Echo last month, the Army is planning to build the northern wing of its national museum at Marne Barracks, on the edge of the A1 at Catterick
The RSPCA has described the way a dog was deliberately drowned in a flooded quarry as a "cold and calculating" act. An investigation was launched after the decomposing body of a young dog was discovered on Friday tied inside a weighted down sack. Around
THE region can boast the best and the worst in entrepreneurial spirit, according to a survey commissioned by Barclays Bank. Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, makes it into the top ten of towns and cities boasting the most business start-ups, alongside Bournemouth
LOUIS SAHA returned to haunt Newcastle and deal a damaging blow to their hopes of clinching a Champions' League place. The French striker, on his first appearance at St. James' Park since former United boss Ruud Gullit decided against making his loan
A VILLAGE store is planning to help heart attack victims who take ill while shopping. Peter and Michael Gosnay, who own the Spar shop, in Heighington, is hoping to raise enough cash to buy a defibrillator to help in emergencies. They are hoping to organise
Market traders caused outrage yesterday when they dressed up a town centre monument with a baseball cap, handbag and a suitcase. The statue of Joseph Pease, the treasurer of Darlington's original railway, has stood on the town's High Row for years. An
THE family of a murder victim has raised money to buy an oxygen analyser for Darlington Memorial Hospital. The monitor cost more than £400 and will be used in the Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) where Justina Harrison died two years ago. Miss Harrison,
ALTHOUGH the Queen Mother was 50 years a widow, she truly fulfilled her vocation in the early part of the last century. She was living proof of the saying that, behind every successful man there is a great woman. Actually, she first met George at a children's
Members of the Royal Family went on an impromptu walkabout yesterday to thank the thousands of people who have queued around the clock to pay their respects to the Queen Mother. The Princess Royal, her husband Commodore Tim Laurence, her son Peter Phillips
ANGLERS are being urged to return any fish they catch in the River Skerne at Darlington in an effort to safeguard future stocks. The Environment Agency's plea follows concern about the numbers of trout being taken from the river. On one occasion, 17 trout
PARENTS could be shown videos of their children's anti- social behaviour as part of a crackdown being considered by police. The idea for the scheme, which is in the early stages, would involve gangs of rowdy children being rounded up and taken to schools
NEWCASTLE boss Bobby Robson conducted a lengthy post-mortem into last night's hugely disappointing home draw with Fulham, then emerged to insist: "It's not all doom and gloom.'' United were booed off by their fans, but Robson hit back and declared: "I
TOWNS and cities across the UK will fall silent at 11.30am as the nation mourns the Queen Mother. Normally bustling workplaces, shopping centres and factories will come to a standstill as the funeral begins. Announcements will be made at train and bus
MOBILE phone companies are being asked to help police fight crime. Detective Inspector Simon Orton, who is based at Consett, discovered that by dialling in a simple code into their phones, owners could call up a security number exclusive to each handset
BT's chief executive Ben Verwaayen has unveiled his long-awaited strategy to control costs, cut debt and promote growth at the telecoms group. Mr Verwaayen said his three-year strategy was to focus on "customer satisfaction" and "financial discipline"
An 11-year-old runaway stunned drinkers in a North-East pub by singing and dancing for money while she was being hunted by police. Chantelle White, 11, who suffers from an extremely rare medical condition leaving her with no concept of danger, went on
MOORLAND farmer Maurice Medd has quit sheep farming - to breed worms. Mr Medd's family have been leading sheep farmers at Newton-on-Rawcliffe, on the North York Moors, for about 70 years, but now he has switched to producing thousands of worms. He said
THE Queen spoke from the heart last night to thank the nation for the "love and honour" shown to her mother in life and death. "I thank you for the support you are giving me and my family as we come to terms with her death and the void she has left in
KIM Galvin remembers the moment, ten years ago, when she thought she was coming down with flu. She had the classic symptoms - aching neck and shoulders and a throbbing headache - but within a few hours she realised it was something far more serious. Disorientated
AERO-engines manufacturer Rolls-Royce has landed a contract with Cathay Pacific worth more than £370m. The company will maintain the Trent 700 engines which power Cathay Pacific's 20-strong fleet of Airbus A330 planes. The total care agreement is worth
AN ACCIDENT at the weekend has prompted renewed pressure for a skateboard park in Richmond. A 13-year-old boy was still seriously ill in hospital in Middlesbrough yesterday after plunging 20ft through a skylight at Colburn Primary School. He was among
A TOTAL of £69m needs to spent over the next half-century to save the piers, harbour and coastline in an area of North Yorkshire. Scarborough Borough Council's cabinet has approved a report on work which has to be carried out on the stretch of coastline
MORTGAGE bank Northern Rock said the housing market remained robust and it expects lending to stay strong. The Newcastle group said its record lending performance last year had continued in the first three months of this year, and should remain strong
JOBS will be at stake when councillors decide whether to back plans to expand a pharmacy's wholesale business. Hambleton District Council planning officers have chang-ed their recommendation on the application by G Pharma for permission for extensions
