A £10m heritage centre dedicated to the memory of one of the country's best-known explorers has been given the go-ahead. Scarborough Borough Council's planning committee yesterday granted planning permission for the development of Cook's World, at Whitby
ARE you planning a celebration to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee? If so, The Northern Echo wants to hear about it. We want to provide our readers with a full guide to the street parties, fairs, fetes and entertainment planned for the four-day weekend
A COUNCIL is going up in the world with its plans to give facelifts to its high-rise blocks of flats. A partnership approach by Middlesbrough Council, structural repairs firm Llewellyn Stonecare and residents themselves is being taken by central Government
SO which way are you going to try and kill your children today? With fat, sugar, junk food? - or a good, greasy combination of the lot. Not much point in driving them to school to avoid the dangers of traffic if you're chopping years off their lives every
RAIDERS smashed open a safe to steal the contents at the village church of St John the Baptist, East Ayton, near Scarborough. As a result, the church is now likely to be kept locked, except for services. The raid follows a spate of vandalism, which included
POLICE in County Durham are holding security marking sessions to beat opportunist thieves. Crime prevention officers are concerned that, with people spending more time outdoors as the weather improves, garden sheds and other storage units are at risk
THERE could be changes to the structure of primary school provision in Grangetown because of an over-supply of places, according to the local authority. Jenny Lewis, director of education at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, is being asked to come
A REVAMP of the roads through the heart of a Dales market town seems unlikely to include the pedestrianisation of one of its cobbled streets. As many as 40 people attended a public meeting in Hawes to debate the outcome of a traffic survey conducted by
A LITTLE time invested in helping others could pay dividends for those who sign up to an initiative launched across Richmond and the Yorkshire Dales. The Time Bank encourages participants to volunteer for tasks they enjoy around the homes or businesses
THE preliminary heats of Hartlepool's Stars In Your Eyes competition are to begin early next month. The Headland Development Company is inviting would-be stars and celebrities to put their talent to the test and enter this year's competition. The heats
MOTORCYCLISTS in Middlesbrough are being given a secure parking area in the town centre so they can shop and know their bike is safe. The parking area in the Captain Cook Square multi-storey car park was opened by Nicki Basset Powell, chairman of the
DURHAM County Council hopes to reduce its electricity bill by installing 10,000 energy efficient bulbs. The bulbs, which are being distributed free to council buildings, could cut about £480,000 off the council's electricity bill during their lifetime
THE development of a new anti-tank missile system will bring a jobs boost for the region. Six companies across the region are set to benefit from work worth about £50m. Saab Bofors Dynamics has been chosen as the preferred bidder for the Ministry of Defence's
Echo Memories takes a wander around the distinctly non-tropical surroundings of Morton Palms, discovers more details about the Aeolian Male Quartette which enraptured its fans from 1906 to 1937, and launches an appeal for football memorabilia. MORTON
NORTH-East ice hockey is set for a massive boost with a deal to bring the sport back to Newcastle on the verge of being signed. Bosses at the city's Telewest Arena, which was the home of the region's ill-fated Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) franchise, say
THE first private mental health unit of its kind in the region has opened, providing extra capacity for hard-pressed NHS hospitals. The 14-bed high dependency unit at the new Middleton St George Hospital, near Darlington, is expected to be fully occupied
AN elderly hiker who lost his way sparked one of the region's largest ever search and rescue operations - while safely tucked up in a bed and breakfast just a few miles away. Seventy-one-year-old Patrick Newall has angered police and the rescue teams
Yorkshire have England hero Michael Vaughan and Test colleague Matthew Hoggard back with them for today's televised Benson and Hedges Cup quarter-final clash against Essex at Chelmsford. Although Yorkshire will be looking for big performances from both
SIR ALEX Ferguson has slammed the "terrible" wage demands which cost Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke a move to Middlesbrough. Yorke asked for around £60,000-a-week after Boro had agreed a £6.2m fee with United. The deal collapsed at the end of
A CHURCH devastated by fire just months ago is to rise from the ashes as huge fundraising efforts get into gear. Trinity Methodist Church in Norton, near Malton, suffered extensive damage earlier this year after an electrical fault set the building on
DOMESTIC door company Rhino could be put out of business after infringing a trademark. The South Hetton company, established a year ago by business partners David Turnbull and Allen Glasper, has been served notice to cease using the name Rhino or face
BILLIONAIRE retailer Philip Green marked his two-year anniversary in charge of high street giant Bhs by reporting the group's highest profits. Mr Green said there was now a "very solid platform" for the business after operating profits soared 202 per
PLANS are being drawn up to merge three Darlington schools. Governors, staff and parents of pupils have already been asked for their views on the merger of the nursery, infant and junior schools in Corporation Road. Following the informal consultation
SEVERAL senior Labour figures will be named in Ray Mallon's cabinet when the mayor announces his team to run Middlesbrough today. The former detective, who won the mayoral race with a landslide vote earlier this month, has offered several former political
Police have launced a murder inquiry after a 44 year-old man was found dead in a Newcastle flat. The body of the man was found with severe head injuries in a flat on Fifth Avenue in Heaton last night. The body has not yet been officially identified but
British boxing hopeful Audley Harrison won his fifth straight professional fight last night as he was taken to a points decision by Yorkshireman Mark Krence. Harrison deserved the win but it proved to be the hardest fight of his career since he turned
TOXIC chemicals were released from a North-East factory because a valve failed to close, it was revealed last night. Six people were taken to hospital following the incident at the Great Lakes Chemicals factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in January
Times are hard and time is tight. Last week we not only turned down a booze up in a brewery but money, good money, an' all. The booze up - a beer tasting, properly to identify it - was at Black Sheep in Masham. The money, enough not only to have paid
ENTHUSIASTS were in short supply when a store staged a DIY workshop for the over-50s. The B&Q warehouse, in Sunderland, regularly stages workshops on gardening and house maintenance and thought its first workshop for the over-50s would attract lots
AS MANY 40 families could leave an isolated dale in the wake of a cement works closure, causing fears of a knock-of effect on businesses and schools. Lafarge Cement, which is shutting its Blue Circle works at Eastgate, Weardale, in August, has confirmed
THE Government has pledged to clamp down on rogue holiday companies after a North-East MP claimed that a scam had conned people out of thousands of pounds. North Durham MP Kevan Jones addressed the House of Commons yesterday to highlight the growing number
A PENSIONER who strangled his housebound wife just days before they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, walked free from court yesterday. Described as the "perfect couple", Jacob Elliott, 82, and his wife, Elizabeth, 79, enjoyed a happy marriage
The most radical overhaul in drugs policy for 30 years has been put forward in a new report. Nick Morrison asks if this is an admission of defeat in the war against drugs. TINA Williams knows her son may not get another chance. A heroin user for at least
RESIDENTS on a Ferryhill estate are opposing housing plans on the site of a disused textiles factory. Dean Bank Residents' Association held a public meeting for people to give their views on future uses of the Praxis Taylor factory site. The building
TWO people were hurt and a third left suffering from shock after a collision between a car and a motorbike yesterday. A green Ford Fiesta and a green and silver Sym motor cycle were involved in the accident which happened shortly after midnight at the
WHEN it comes to surfing the Internet, Darlington pensioner Blanche Minto is an award-winner. Determined not to be left behind on the information superhighway, she enrolled on a computer course at community group Cable, in Cockerton. Having successfully
A BUILDING society has been given an award for supporting a scheme to reduce crime on streets in County Durham. Mercantile Building Society has been supporting a scheme led by the Durham Agency Against Crime (DAAC) to make County Durham a safer place.
A LUNCHEON group that was set up less than a year ago is preparing for the party of the year. Brotton Luncheon Club, in east Cleveland, opened last year thanks to money from the National Lottery and the community dividend fund of the North-Eastern and
POLICE and search and rescue teams were last night hunting for a 41-year-old man who disappeared from his family home after a row with his wife. Peter Mitchell has not been seen since Sunday, when he left his home in Morley Crescent, Kelloe, south-east
A SEWERAGE works in east Cleveland is causing problems for local people. Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, was asked to find out why Marske sewerage works had caused flooding on the stray and a bad odour. Mrs Baird said: "Northumbrian Water told me that flooding
A TRAINED first-aider who admitted killing his wife during a kinky sex game could not remember what to do when she stopped breathing, a murder trial heard yesterday.. Norman Heaton, 32, throttled mother-of-three Jacqueline Heaton with a length of washing
SEDGEFIELD Town Council has appointed Councillor Ian Sutherland as mayor. Coun Sutherland is a marine electronics engineer with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He and his wife, Sheila, who becomes mayoress, are keen gardeners. Coun Sutherland
A HUSBAND firebombed the car of his wife's former boss out of revenge, a court heard. Emma Drury had been suspended as a cashier at the Shell petrol station in Guisborough, east Cleveland, while discrepancies were investigated, and was later sacked, Teesside
A MUSIC organisation in Darlington has branched out from its normal activities to produce films with a teaching element. The new venture for Circulation Recordings and its educational CircLearning initiative has attracted interest and a commission from
PARENTS and carers learnt about the services available for special needs children at an information day yesterday. Anyone who worked with disabled children and their families was invited to the event, hosted by Durham County Council's social services
A TEENAGER who has been making a splash in the world of water polo has been awarded a grant in recognition of her achievements. Charlotte Hanson, 16, from Aysgarth, in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, only took up the sport two years ago, but is already
A FORMER RAF boxer and fitness instructor hanged himself after suffering a knee injury, an inquest has heard. Robert Vickers, 82, of Meadowcroft, Cockfield, County Durham, was found dead at his home last Tuesday. His son-in-law, James Tully, from Derby
A SHED was raided by thieves who also broke into a van outside a home in Darrowby Drive, Darlington. A blue Format industrial toolbox containing a number of tools were taken from the shed. They then broke into the Ford Escort van and took more tools,
AN expert on foot-and-mouth disease, who was one of the first veterinary surgeons to visit a pig farm identified as having the virus at the start of last year's outbreak, told a court yesterday that the animals he saw there were "extremely depressed".
THE Forestry Commission is offering budding Picassos as chance to brush up on their skills with a sketching and watercolour workshop. Leading the event, on Saturday in the 4,000-acre Hamsterley Forest, County Durham, is artist Marney Swan, who lives on
THOUSANDS of youngsters will be walking to school safely this week. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's road safety unit is handing out 200 yellow safety waistcoats, with help from road safety mascot Spike, to each of the borough's 56 primary schools
FORUMS for bus passengers to give their views on services could be set up in County Durham. The proposal will be considered by Durham County Council's cabinet tomorrow, following a presentation by Dr Caroline Cahm, of the National Federation of Bus Users
ALL footpaths in the Yorkshire Dales National Park are open for the first time since the foot-and-mouth crisis swept the region last spring. Ninety-nine per cent of routes have been open since the New Year, with only a handful which pass through farmyards
A DISABLED woman says youths have been conducting a campaign of terror against her on the Darlington estate where she lives. Josie Collins, whose home is on the town's Red Hall estate, said youths indecently expose themselves to her, urinate on her car
A FIRE-HIT North Sea ferry which prompted a major rescue alert last weekend will be out of service until June 16. DFDS Seaways' Princess of Scandinavia is being repaired at Fredericia, in Denmark. The vessel had left Newcastle with about 750 passengers
THE North-East has been chosen as one of two pilot areas for Marks and Spencer's combined credit and loyalty card. The news came as M&S said it had turned the corner, recording a 31 per cent leap in pre-tax profits in the year to March 30. The group
AN investigation is under way following a suspected arson attack. Emergency services were called to a house at the junction of Franklin Mount and Franklin Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, at 11.10pm on Monday. The house was empty at the time and the
THE six shortlisted acts in The Northern Echo's competition to find the region's top pop and rock acts have been announced. More than 30 entries were received for The Big Chance, a star search run by the newspaper's music website, Revolution. Three acts
A COUPLE who both risked their lives dealing with the aftermath of a Balkans assassination, have won commendations for their bravery and quick-thinking. As a military police officer, 27-year-old Corporal Robert Balmer was the first on the scene when a
A LONE musician carried out a soundcheck yesterday ahead of an extra special concert. Mick Donnelly was at Gisborough Priory, east Cleveland, to put the final touches to a Jubilee Spectacular, taking place on Saturday, June 1. Mick, who plays saxaphone
FURTHER evidence of the North-South divide has been uncovered during a study of the impact of the nation's economic growth. An in-depth analysis carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation revealed that the decline in the number of benefit claimants
A charity for disabled people is seeking volunteers to take part in the Great North Run. Dogs for the Disabled needs five people to tackle the event to help raise funds to train assistance dogs. It needs runners to raise £250 each in sponsorship, and
FOUR teenage soldiers and a woman appeared in court yesterday after an incident in which windows were smashed in a town centre. Donna Marie Cooper, 27, of Nesfield Close, Jennyfield Estate, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was remanded in custody by the town's
A CAMPAIGN to encourage more people to volunteer as foster carers was launched in County Durham yesterday. The campaign by Durham County Council, which has the slogan Ordinary people doing extraordinary things, aims to dispel some of the misconceptions
POLICE in County Durham are holding security marking sessions to beat opportunist thieves. Crime prevention officers are concerned that, with people spending more time outdoors as the weather improves, garden sheds and other storage units are at risk
ONE of the region's leading music festivals is to start with a concert for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Harrogate International Festival, in North Yorkshire, will be launched at the town's International Centre. The concert, by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
A NORTH farmer is claiming a victory for the right of wild game shooters in the region after the European Parliament agreed to let them sell their catches to local butchers. MEP Robert Goodwill, the Conservative environment spokesman in Europe, who farms
INQUESTS were held yesterday into the deaths of two railway workers struck down by asbestos-related diseases. In inquests at Darlington police station, Coroner Colin Penna heard evidence about the two men, who had both worked at the North Road Railway
CAR crime at Darlington railway station has been dramatically reduced since closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were focused on the area. Darlington Borough Council has been working with train operator GNER since last year to try to cut the number
VIA our television screens over the next few weeks, we will witness how Korea and Japan have managed to build some of the finest sporting stadia in the world. These two nations, outposts of international football, have demonstrated what commitment and
AN EXHIBITION offering a fascinating insight into life at a former locomotive works has opened at a Darlington museum. The exhibition featuring the town's North Road Works has now opened to the public at Darlington's Railway Centre and Museum. The display
Sunderland will follow the same route as last year when they begin their preparations for the new season with a week's training in northern France, writes Frank Johnson.. Black Cats boss Peter Reid was so impressed with the facilities at Le Touquet -
CULT comic Roy "Chubby" Brown is ready to tackle television hosts Ant and Dec with his own World Cup anthem. Rock band Hooper - Chubby's touring group who open his shows - reckon that they are about to score a big hit with their song, Half Way Round the
POLICE officers attempting to rid a North-East town of its drug problems have switched tack. Middlesbrough police's Dedicated Drugs Unit and the force's Road Policing Unit decided to try catching drug dealers in a different way as part of the ongoing
DURHAM County Council hopes to lighten its electricity bill by installing 10,000 energy-efficient bulbs. The bulbs are being distributed free to council buildings, including County Hall, schools, social services offices, libraries and register offices
NO prosecutions will be considered over a power plant explosion until inquests into the three workers who died have been concluded, it was revealed yesterday. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been carrying out investigations into the blast at
To mark the Queen's Jubilee, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is to bury a time capsule at Hardwick Dene, near the University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, on June 14. A competition has been launched among schools to choose the contents of the capsule.
TWO men from London appeared in court yesterday accused of taking part in break-ins at Durham University. The pair are alleged to have burgled the Stockton Road science complex on different dates last December, intending to take valuable computer equipment
BIG Food Group, which owns Iceland, is set to raise £129.3m from the sale and leaseback of 31 of its premises. The proposed deal with French insurer Axa covers 12 cash-and-carry premises, three distribution centres and offices and 16 retail shops. Big
EMI announced lower profits after a painful year at the recorded music division, which produces recordings by stars such as Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams. The group's full-year profits before tax and exceptional items in the 12 months to March 31,
POLICE were yesterday starting to sift through suspected child pornography seized at a North-East house as part of a massive series of raids across the country. A total of 36 suspected Internet paedophiles were arrested in the major operation, following
A performing arts student is hoping to make a name for herself in London's West End after winning a scholarship to a leading acting school. Leanne Hoyle, 21, of Sunderland University, has been offered a three-year scholarship at the Guildford School of
A WOMEN'S prison has been heralded a success story by Government inspectors. Low Newton Prison and Young Offender Institution, on the outskirts of Durham, has just received a top report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons. The site only became
YOUNGSTERS from Northallerton were among those who won honours in a worldwide mathematics competition. Anthony Robinson, Raveen Jayasuriya and Stephanie Johnson proved to be among the top one per cent of mathematicians for their age in the UK, all achieving
THE Health and Safety Executive has completed its investigations into the deaths of two workers killed by an electric shock. Fred Cook, 38, and John Crimmins, 33, died when a lighting rig they were moving touched an overhead power line, delivering a fatal
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren is weighing up a double swoop on South Africa's World Cup squad. England coach McClaren, attempting to secure a £6m deal for striker Benni McCarthy, has also checked on winger Delron Buckley. Rob Moore, agent to both
TOXIC chemicals were released from a North-East factory because a valve failed to close, it was revealed last night. Six people were taken to hospital following the incident at the Great Lakes Chemicals factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in January
Green drive supported DURHAM Students' Union is backing a nationwide "green electricity" campaign. The campaign aims to persuade energy users, including universities, who spend millions of pounds a year on electricity, heat and light, to switch to renewable
THE winners of a stained glass competition have been presented with their prizes. Schools throughout Sunderland and Washington were invited to submit a design based on their visits to the National Glass Centre, in Sunderland, during Glass Week 2001, last
JOBSEEKERS have been given alternative arrangements after fire hit a town's JobCentre premises. The blaze, which caused severe damage to the centre in Seaham in the early hours of Saturday, is not believed to have been started deliberately, police have
RESIDENTS in Stockton are being notified of changes to their blue bag collections during the Queen's Golden jubilee holiday period. For residents in Eaglescliffe whose last collection day was Monday, May 13, there will now be a collection this Monday.
DURHAM County Council hopes to lighten its electricity bill by installing 10,000 energy-efficient bulbs. The bulbs are being distributed free to council buildings, including County Hall, schools, social services offices, libraries and register offices
A MAN who won a national award for adult learners has been congratulated by his local MP. Vera Baird, who represents Redcar, passed on her congratulations to Ali Matinazad when he was a guest in London for the national Adult Continuing Education Awards
Darlington Football Club have today confirmed that Jim Montgomery and Gary Bennett are to leave the club. Bennett, the former first team manager who moved to manage the reserves when Tommy Taylor arrived last year will not have his contract be renewed
TV show was real corporal punishment. ANY idea this was a serious documentary about the army lance corporal who gave up her military career to pose topless for a national tabloid newspaper vanished within the first few minutes. It wasn't just the endless
A SPECIALIST recruitment consultant from Darlington has won a top business award at the Northern region final of this year's Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Angela Anderson, 28, won the special award for growth potential, and received
A college is to become a training ground for the soccer stars of the future, thanks to a cash windfall. A £425,000 sports pavilion will be built at Manor College of Technology, Hartlepool, enabling it to become one of the key training centres for budding
FEARS are growing that cold-hearted killers are putting in jeopardy an ambitious scheme to bring a rare bird-of-prey back to the north. The concerns follow the recent discovery of the body of a red kite on the moors above Nidderdale by a team from the
Tyneside has been awarded for its floral depiction of northern landmarks in the Chelsea Flower Show. The Newcastle and Gateshead entry in the show has been awarded a silver medal for its exhibit featuring the river Tyne and landmarks including the Tyne
THE family of a North-East student who has been missing for nearly a week made an emotional plea yesterday asking him to get in touch. William Ross Edmond, known as Ross, left his home in Eaglescliffe, Teesside, last Thursday and has not been seen since
TWO confirmed sightings have been made of a missing university student following a public appeal for information by his distraught family. Ross Edmond, 22, left his home in Eaglescliffe, Teesside last Thursday and has failed to make contact with his family
Echo Memories takes a wander around the distinctly non-tropical surroundings of Morton Palms, discovers more details about the Aeolian Male Quartette which enraptured its fans from 1906 to 1937, and launches an appeal for football memorabilia. MORTON
BAYDALE Architectural Systems is set to boost its workforce by at least 20 after winning a contract to install made-to-measure windows for the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh. The Newton Aycliffe firm, which currently employs around 65 staff
THE mighty Grand Turk will be taking people on a trip through naval history when it returns to North-East waters next week. The 22-cannon, three-masted fighting frigate will be arriving in Whitby, North Yorkshire, next Wednesday, for a two-week stay.
Navigators and pilots can train on all three of the region's major rivers - without leaving dry land. South Tyneside College, the UK's National Nautical Centre of Excellence, has completed geographical databases for navigating the Tyne, Wear and Tees.
Times are hard and time is tight. Last week we not only turned down a booze up in a brewery but money, good money, an' all. The booze up - a beer tasting, properly to identify it - was at Black Sheep in Masham. The money, enough not only to have paid
SO which way are you going to try and kill your children today? With fat, sugar, junk food? - or a good, greasy combination of the lot. Not much point in driving them to school to avoid the dangers of traffic if you're chopping years off their lives every
THE Northern Echo's acclaimed campaign to end the scandal of the region's crumbling railway bridges looks set to be raised in the House of Commons. Senior MP Anne McIntosh, who sits on the influential transport select committee, has agreed to raise the
JOHN DUNLOP and Pat Eddery, one of horse racing's longest and most enduring partnerships, team up yet again in an attempt to take the day's feature event at Goodwood, the Listed Lupe Stakes with Kootenay (2.30). Kootenay began the season in a blaze of
Goalkeeper Stephen Morris, 37 - who played for Cardiff City FC as well as Plymouth Argyle - has been found hanged from goalposts at Ashvale football ground, Tredegar. Gwent Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the death
AFTER being discovered on the streets, Pippa, an 18-month old cross-breed bitch, has been nursed back to health. But now the National Animal Sanctuary Support League in Darlington is hoping to find a new home for the animal. Pauline Wilson, from the league
AN AMATEUR theatre group is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a show next week. Members of the Glenholme Theatre Club, in Crook, will be staging the comedy, Don't Start Without Me, by Joyce Rayburn, at the town's Elite Hall. The club is trying to
POLICE were called yesterday after Darlington Football Club chairman George Reynolds was involved in an incident outside the home of a journalist employed by The Northern Echo. A neighbour called the police after Mr Reynolds was seen shouting at football
RESIDENTS on a Ferryhill estate are opposing housing plans on the site of a disused textiles factory. Dean Bank Residents' Association held a public meeting for people to give their views on future uses of the Praxis Taylor factory site. The building
STUDENTS have been putting their engineering skills to the test in the first of a series of innovative workshops. Two dozen pupils from Woodham Community Technology College, in Newton Aycliffe, attended the South West Durham Training workshop, on the
A REVAMPED community centre in Newton Aycliffe is to be launched with a family fun day. Silverdale Community House has undergone a huge transformation over recent years. The centre has been closed since January while the last phase of the work was carried
A FLEDGLING Darlington business has been able to grow thanks to local grants and support from Europe. The UpperCrust Sandwich Shop, on The Green, Haughton, opened in November last year, but by January the one-person operation was in a position where it
BUSINESSES across Darlington are being urged to make the most of an Internet database set up as an economical benefit of the Commonwealth Games. Companies can log on to the www.nwbusinessclub.com website without charge, to register for a number of benefits
INTERNET and media company Intermedia Solutions has been chosen to initiate a trial web-marketing project for an international car rental firm. The aim is to improve recognition of Thrifty Car Rental's franchises, initially focusing on Darlington, Teesside
Some like it hot. Last night, 10,000 people packed into Newcastle's Telewest Arena to catch Kylie fever. Miss Minogue, considered the sexiest singing star on the planet, may be on record as being three days older than former Neighbours TV husband Jason
TWO council receptionists are letting their fingers do the talking to help visitors with hearing problems. Christine Park and Karen Knowles, who work at Sedgefield Borough Council's headquarters in Green Lane, Spennymoor, embarked on a sign language course
THE fallen of the Falklands War were remembered at the British Army's largest garrison yesterday. Paras, Gurkhas and Guards all fought in the South Atlantic 20 years ago, and were once again standing shoulder-to-shoulder yesterday when a poignant parade
A 104-year-old woman, who has been interested in the fire service since she moved next door to a station, has been given a birthday reception by firefighters. Gerty Watson, from Lindisfarne Care Home, in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham,
A MUSEUM worker from the North-East has been selected from thousands of applicants to attend an event to mark the Queen's golden jubilee at Buckingham Palace. Almut Gruner, fundraising coordinator for the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, has been chosen
ORGANISERS of this year's Harrogate International Festival programme are promising "17 days of world-class entertainment". Among those appearing will be jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and comedian Jeremy Hardy. Full details
DARLINGTON Rotarian Alan Charlton has returned home after suffering a heart attack last week. Mr Charlton, 66, was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital early on Tuesday last week after falling ill at his home. He returned home on Saturday after receiving
YOUR anonymous correspondent (HAS, May 13) has the temerity to cast some aspersions at Steve Thoburn. I couldn't care less whether I deal in metric or imperial, but, like Steve and his mate Neil Herron, I care passionately about Britons' right to freedom
A DRAMA group is looking for children to play urchins in a forthcoming production of the musical Oliver!. South Shields Amateur Operatic Society's senior section will be staging the musical at the town's Customs House from November 18 to 23. A spokeswoman
A FORMER taxi driver is calling for more taxi licences to be made available to prevent violence among stranded revellers. Phillip Wilkinson, 33, used to drive a cab around Durham City, but gave up after suffering at the hands of violent attackers at weekends
FOOTBALL supporters in the North-East are the most patriotic in England, research has revealed. A third of men in the region are planning to watch every match England plays in the World Cup, according to the survey of 1,000 people nationally by video
TWO men are facing charges after police found thousands of Ecstasy tablets with a street value of £45,000 when they stopped a car for speeding on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire. Christopher Alexander, 22, who was described in court as a music promoter,
A FUND to raise money for research into a rare form of cancer was launched yesterday. The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund has been set up by the British Lung Foundation with help from Chris Knighton, whose husband, Mick, died from the condition
Two industry heavyweights are coming to the North-East to support a new initiative for manufacturers. Sir John Harvey Jones and Lord Sainsbury will be in Sunderland next week to launch the Regional Centre for Manufacturing Excellence (RCME), at Hylton
Middlesbrough Football Club's £7m damages claim over German international Christian Ziege's controversial move to Liverpool was thrown out by a High Court judge yesterday. But a Boro spokesman said the club intended to challenge the decision. "We will
YOUNGSTERS from a dance school will be helping with a tribute to rock legends Pink Floyd at a concert in the town in July. Tribute band Think Floyd are performing at Darlington Civic Theatre, and will be joined on stage for their rendition of the song
A GROUP of farmers fighting the Government's decision not to hold a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis have dropped their case. The farmers and landowners, including Peter Jackson from a village near Whitby, North Yorkshire, announced yesterday
Visitors arrived in the North-East to see whether they can export the secret of Beamish Museum's success to Italy. The Friends of Casdellazzo hope to establish a a 17th Century Italian villa, just outside Milan, as a museum. So they are on a fact-finding
A gadget in a can of beer brought World Cup joy for a football-mad councillor. Little did Michael Malone, deputy leader of Derwentside District Council, know that his tin of Budweiser contained a little transmitter. Within 24 hours, UK representatives
ONE of America's leading university choirs - the Millikin University Choir, from Decatur, Illinois - is to give a concert in York Minster on Friday, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £7, or £4 concessions, and are available from Ticket World in Patrick Pool, York
A SWALEDALE farmer has taken over as chairman of Richmondshire District Council. Councillor James Kendall took over the role from the outgoing chairman, Councillor Jane Metcalfe, at the authority's annual meeting yesterday. A resident of Reeth, he has
England's draw with South Korea may have done little to whet the appetite ahead of the World Cup proper, but Sven-Goran Eriksson will have been reassured that his judgement has been proved correct. The team that began the friendly looked powerful, pacy
THE next generation of environmentally-friendly citizens are being honed at fun activity days at a North-East nature reserve. Durham Wildlife Trust is playing host to Eco-Rangers 2002, a series of interactive sessions that are designed to raise environmental
CRANSWICK has announced a sizzling rise in profits. The Yorkshire business, which owns sausage firm Lazenby's in Thornaby, saw pre-tax profits rise 49 per cent to £17.5m in the year to March 31. Turnover increased 17 per cent to £255.6m. Cranswick Country
Two free Pilates sessions are to be held in Southlands Leisure Centre, Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough. The classes, on Wednesday, June 5, and Sunday, June 9, from 6pm to 7pm, are designed to help people decide if the body sculpting exercise, which is said
A VILLAGE fair wiped out last year because of the foot-and-mouth crisis has been switched from its normal date to create a double celebration marking the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The village of Aldfield, near Ripon, which has a population of just over
KEEN walkers are being urged to get moving and book their places on a festival. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Coast and Country Festival of Walking was cancelled last year because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, but is back this year over the
A CONTROVERSIAL sculpture which many would like to see demolished has won official accreditation as a site of special interest. The Apollo Pavilion was created by acclaimed artist Victor Pasmore in Peterlee in the 1960s - but years of neglect have seen
