Heavy rainfall leading up to last weekend resulted in the region's rivers several feet in flood and still rising, writes Jeff Herbert. In Saturday's River Swale Preservation Society Les Winder Memorial Middle Swale Championships competitors were greeted
In the Meredith Trophy, Tyne and Wear, Saints and Newcastle booked their semi final places, whilst Durham Fire won their first round tie. The three second round ties went according to form, with all three teams having big wins. Tyne and Wear led after
Tennis World juniors achieved a hat-trick of third places in the national finals of the NJCL last weekend in Welwyn Garden City. The teams had fought through a series of at least four regional rounds after taking the Durham and Cleveland honours in the
A GOVERNMENT minister yesterday pledged that all the families of former miners whose health suffered from working down the pits will be compensated in full. Energy Minister Brian Wilson made the promise about claims on behalf of former mineworkers who
ADMINISTRATORS trying to find a buyer for a crisis-hit North-East steelworks revealed last night they were in the final stages of talks with a prospective buyer. They said that after nearly two weeks, negotiations with a Northern company interested in
RATHER than worry about the departure of Adam Crozier, England fans should today be far more concerned about the possibility of another senior Football Association employee following him out of Soho Square. For the question that ought to be on the lips
Cockton Hill darts team whitewashed their hosts at Horndale to stay at the top of the darts section with 14 points out of the possible 15. The Hill's winners were John Denham, Nigel Watson, Keith Morton and Tommy Ward. However the home side maintained
THE widow of a father-of-three who died in a three-vehicle pile-up has spoken publicly of her grief for the first time. Jacqui Eaton told of her dissatisfaction with the sentencing of school-bus driver Alan Little, who was yesterday found guilty of careless
A RESIDENTS' association has pledged to continue its fight to stop a house in its street being used by four people with learning disabilities. The Pine Grove Residents' Association in Darlington had objected to a planning application by Darlington Learning
AN architectural company is celebrating the completion of a £13m project which started life as an idea scribbled on the back of an envelope. Browne Smith Baker, of Darlington, one of the largest practices in the North-East, designed and planned a revolutionary
AN aristocrat who owns one of the country's finest Old Master paintings has defended his decision to sell it abroad. The Duke of Northumberland, who is worth an estimated £250m, has decided to sell Raphael's Madonna of the Pinks to the J Paul Getty Trust
IT is not the sort of thing most people would give house-space to - but museum staff were yesterday delighted to be reunited with what to them is an old friend. After weeks of frantic appeals, the genuine human skull once again has pride of place among
AN inquest has heard that signs warning of a dangerous road bend that claimed a motorcyclist's life have been improved. Experienced biker Richard Stothard, 37, of Princess Street, South Hylton, Sunderland, failed to negotiate a right-hand bend on the
A FINANCIAL advisor who deceived four female clients out of more than £500,000 was jailed for five years yesterday. Stephen Butterworth, 54, of Whitebridge Parkway, Gosforth, Newcastle, pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to 11 counts of obtaining
A NEW building to house Sure Start staff in Darlington has been approved. At a council planning committee, members granted permission for the local authority to erect a building on a car park in the grounds of Darlington's railway museum. The two-storey
ARRIVA Trains Northern is again promising a "robust" service for customers when members of the RMT rail union stage their latest walk- out tomorrow. The company has said that about 80 per cent of its network will be operating as normal, despite strike
AN application to demolish a Victorian house in the West End of Darlington has been refused. Hunton Grange Developments had applied to Darlington Council to demolish Ashgrove House on the corner of Trinity Road and Cleveland Avenue and build eight four-storey
AN application to demolish a Victorian house in the West End of Darlington has been refused. Hunton Grange Developments had applied to Darlington Council to demolish Ashgrove House on the corner of Trinity Road and Cleveland Avenue and build eight four-storey
A NORTH-EAST pewter giftware company is about to break into the export mar- ket. Kevin Mason Castings, of Gateshead, is being helped by Trade Partners UK with "Your Passport to Export Success" programme. The company has been manufacturing fine pewter
EDUCATION bosses pledged yesterday that truancy would not be tolerated, as a woman was ordered to attend parenting classes to improve her child's school attendance. The Darlington mother was made the subject of a parenting order when she appeared in court
APPROVAL of an imaginative development in the grounds of Faverdale Hall in Darlington has received unanimous support. An application by Leftbank Developments to transform the front part of Faverdale Hall into two homes, convert stables into three homes
APPROVAL of an imaginative development in the grounds of Faverdale Hall in Darlington has received unanimous support. An application by Leftbank Developments to transform the front part of Faverdale Hall into two homes, convert stables into three homes
DARLINGTON'S fireworks display will be action-packed, with a world-renowned expert at the helm. This year's bonfire night, being staged tomorrow, is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the town's South Park. The event, which attracted 120,000
NEIGHBOURHOOD Watch schemes will have a big role to play if Operation Lancelot is to be a success. Borough co-ordinator Sarah Norman says Neighbourhood Watch is a way of bringing households together, empowering people to work together to reduce crime.
FITNESS club members raised funds for charities by completing challenges. Members of ten Rosemary Conley diet and fitness clubs in the Durham area took part in a range of charity events as part of the Rosemary Conley Challenge, which aims to raise more
Operation Lancelot is an example of agencies and organisations working together to achieve the same result. Under the umbrella of the Sedgefield Partnership, members of the Burglary Action Group are working together to reduce burglaries and combat the
A MAN is fighting for his life after being struck by a car in a late-night accident. It happened on Wednesday at about 10.20pm on the B1404 in Seaham, County Durham, and involved the 63-year-old and a Nissan Micra travelling south-east. A police spokesman
New County North Durham Youth League There were 12 goals when Redheugh visited Wylam and won 9-3 in the Under-16 division. Adrian Sutcliffe scored a hat-trick for Wylam and two players from the Reds also scored three goals. Chris Wilson and Terry James
PLANS to allow a taxi office to open two hours earlier look likely to be approved, despite objections from residents. Members of Stockton Borough Council's planning committee will meet today to discuss plans by Station Taxis, at Eaglescliffe Station,
A DALES market town - named this week among the top ten places to live in Britain - has won further praise from a Euro MP. Yorkshire and Humber's Timothy Kirkhope toured Richmond yesterday to see how the town is likely to spend £100,000 which it has been
THE sad demise of the Blue Circle cement works at Eastgate is at the centre of an art exhibition. Watercolour artist Jason Lowes is displaying several paintings of the site, which shut in August. The pieces show the chimneys that have stood in Weardale
ADMISSIONS to one of the region's hospitals have been halted following another outbreak of the Norwalk Virus. A total of 14 patients and 12 staff have so far been affected by the stomach bug at Scarborough District Hospital. One ward was forced to close
A FORMER electricity board warehouse has been transformed into a centre for learning Northumbria University, based in Newcastle, has transformed the warehouse, which belonged to the North Eastern Electricity Board, into a £1.6m learning suite. Based in
THE outstanding achievements of two North-East teachers are to be highlighted on television this weekend. Neil Parker, headteacher of Heighington CE School, and Roisin McVeigh, of Wolsingham Community School, both County Durham, won Plato awards - the
STAFF from a Richmond building society spent the day pedalling for charity - and all without leaving the office. Seven Yorkshire Building Society employees took turns to keep the wheels of an exercise bike turning for eight hours, raising more than £100
WITH Bonfire Night fast approaching I would like to share some safety tips with dog owners. Most dogs are very scared of fireworks but there are simple steps you can take to make sure this year is as stress free as possible for your canine friend. If
Willington Burn were taken to the deciding doubles before they managed victory on their visit to Willington Brewer's Droop. The singles were gave the home side the lead with Jason Martin, Billy Wragg and Vince Conaty winning for the Brewer's whilst Malcolm
Easington District Council's development control and licensing panel has refused planning permission for three houses at the junction of Station Street and Front Street, Haswell, because the development would be "cramped and overcrowded''. SCHOOLS CLOSED
Willington WMC extended their unbeaten run to five games with a 5-1 victory over Stanhope Town. The Club had to come from behind after Andy Lee's excellent opener for the dales side. Darren Britton made it 1-1 at half time and second half goals from Shane
A FORMER County Durham coroner and solicitor, who misused £175,000 of client's money to keep his firm's finances afloat, was struck off yesterday. David Henderson, 56, juggled the money between customer accounts and even took some to pay off his VAT bill
A FORMER policeman and his wife are celebrating 60 years of marriage. John Robert "Bob'' and Alice Chambers, of Gilesgate, Durham, received congratulations from The Queen, yesterday, the diamond anniversary of their wedding at the Wesleyan Chapel in Willington
The Carol Andrew Singers will be staging a programme of music to suit all tastes on Saturday, November 9, at the St James the Great Church, Melsonby. Tickets will be £6 including refreshments. They can be bought from Melsonby village shop, at the door
WHAT bucketloads of tears we shed for Fergie this week when his horse, Rock of Gibraltar, failed to add £20m to its estimated £30m value by finishing second in the Breeders' Cup. Sir Alex, well-versed in the art of defending the indefensible, muttered
AN anaesthetist groped a young woman after she had been injected with a sleeping drug, the General Medical Council heard yesterday. Dr Chandra Ganatra is said to have subjected patients and staff to four years of 'indecent behaviour' at the Dryburn and
A six-week basketball training course for girls in years eight and nine at Hartlepool schools will be held every Wednesday from November 13 to December 18 at the town's Brierton Community Sports Centre. The course is being developed by Hartlepool Borough
NORTH-EAST caterers are the worst in the country for not washing their hands after visiting the toilet, a survey has revealed. According to a Food Standards Agency survey, 54 per cent of North-East caterers do not wash their hands after visits to the
NORTH Yorkshire pig producer Stewart Houston has been awarded the David Black Award for outstanding service to the industry. He was on a shortlist of nine and the announcement was made by Lord Whitty, Food and Farming Minister, in London on Wednesday.
BRIGHT lights and showers of colour will be set to music at a fireworks spectacular in North Yorkshire. Richmond's annual fireworks display on Tuesday promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a half-hour colour spectacular to impress everybody
Richmond 2 v 1 Stokesley Newcomers to the league Richmond were expecting a touch game against a strong Stokesley, however, it was Richmond who took early control of the game. After a well executed penalty corner by Richmond the ball was struck by Helen
A MERGER of two specialist firms looks set to make the North-East a major player in the energy advice market. The deal brings together business consultants Smith Rea Energy Limited (SREL) and The Northern Energy Initiative (TNEI), a European centre for
THOUSANDS of free tickets are being distributed to an organised fireworks display, to ensure a safe November 5. A total of 10,000 tickets are being given away - to a maximum of five per person applying - in the run up to the Redcar and Cleveland Borough
FARMING on the edge of towns and cities can be like working in a war zone, with some farmers having to contend with prostitution, illegal raves and even attacks on livestock, an NFU study has found. It is estimated that 32,000 farms in England and Wales
Easington District Council's development control and licensing panel has refused planning permission for three houses at the junction of Station Street and Front Street, Haswell, because the development would be "cramped and overcrowded''. SCHOOLS CLOSED
ONE might wonder what North Yorkshire County Council's waste operation, Yorwaste, has against that corner of the county bounded by the neighbouring communities of Scorton and Brompton-on-Swale. Just weeks after the county controversially granted planning
Easington District Council's development control and licensing panel has refused planning permission for three houses at the junction of Station Street and Front Street, Haswell, because the development would be "cramped and overcrowded''. SCHOOLS CLOSED
Engineering giant Cleveland Bridge has scooped a prestigious honour for its work on a unique project. The Darlington firm has gained recognition for improving the Tamar Bridge, the main link between Devon and Cornwall, which was the first suspension bridge
CARVING GENIUS: R Browell will be talking about the life of engraver Thomas Bewick at the meeting of the Sacriston and District Everyman's Club at 7.30pm on Tuesday, in the lounge of St John's Court. JAZZ NIGHT: The Old Glory Band are the guest stars
A six-week basketball training course for girls in years eight and nine at Hartlepool schools will be held every Wednesday from November 13 to December 18 at the town's Brierton Community Sports Centre. The course is being developed by Hartlepool Borough
YOUNGSTERS are invited to two Halloween events at Southlands Leisure Centre in Middlesbrough tonight. Children aged five to nine can enjoy a Halloween Haunt with haunted bouncy castles and inflatable mystery mazes. Dracula will be on hand throughout the
AWARD-winning businesswoman Sally Robinson will share the secrets of her success with North Yorkshire's budding entrepreneurs tomorrow during Yorkshire Forward's Enterprise Show at Thirsk Racecourse. "Every business starts somewhere - and there's no limit
TOY SALE: Yarm Primary School, Spitalfields, is holding a toy sale on Thursday, November 21, in the main school hall, from 6pm to 8pm. A chance to buy nearly new items at bargain prices. Admission costs 30p. CPRE MEETINGS: Regular meetings of Stockton
CARING children at a primary school staged a harvest festival play to raise money for youngsters thousands of miles away. Pupils at Howden-le-Wear Primary School staged Lord of the Harvest, to celebrate harvest festival and support the Seeds for Africa
WHAT bucketloads of tears we shed for Fergie this week when his horse, Rock of Gibraltar, failed to add £20m to its estimated £30m value by finishing second in the Breeders' Cup. Sir Alex, well-versed in the art of defending the indefensible, muttered
BEEHIVE were buzzing after they held high-flying Spennymoor Thorns to a 1-1 draw last week. Thorns have enjoyed a strong start to their First Division campaign after a string of fine results alleviated them to third in the top flight. And it had looked
A generous benefactor has anonymously handed over £50,000 to help fund the restoration of a town centre park. The money means work at South Park in Darlington can start next month. The surprise donation was sent to the County Durham Foundation with instructions
Darlington and District League Division One Railway A 8 (Evans 3, Pontone 2, Thorns 2) Sedgefield 2 (D Young). DTTC A 6 (Cooper 2, I James 2, Scruton) Henknowle B 4 (Crawford 3, Webstell). DTTC B 6 (Leighton 3, J de Wind, C Wilson) Fire Station 4 (Ellenor
THREE weeks ago, I was in my kitchen having just made myself an afternoon cup of tea when I saw a bird hurtle past the window. It flew at a very high speed and seemed dangerously close to the stonework. I knew, of course, its aerial skills would not allow
Darlington Mowden Park beat Percy Park 7-5 after one of the quickest tries ever scored at Yiewsley Drive. Percy Park kicked off straight into the arms of James Parks who ran through the forwards up the touch line to score in less than 30 seconds converted
A section: Station played 4, points 23; Lord Nelson A 4, 22; Cat and Bagpipes A 4, 21; Three Horseshoes 4, 21; Oddfellows Arms A 3, 20; Bluebell 4, 16; County Arms 4, 16; Crown 4, 13; Oddfellows Arms B 3, 13; Old Royal George 3, 8; Green Tree 3, 7. B
A PIONEERING partnership will be launched today as the latest phase of The Northern Echo's awarding-winning campaign to reduce waiting times for heart bypass operations. We have joined forces with Wear Valley District Council, Dales Primary Care Trust
SIX of the best from Annfield Plain Cricket Club has seen them reach the dizzy heights of second place in the First Division. Gone are the usual relegation battles this season and it was reigning champions Blackhill Comrades who became the latest notch
B & H Kings Head 4 Stokesley 0 It was as you were at the top of the League table with all the top sides picking up maximum points. Kings Head remained the only side with a 100 per cent record however thanks to four goals from Paul Round. Stokesley
Steve Whitehead Joinery and Double Glazing Middlesbrough Mavericks made it three wins from three Durham League first division outings this week with a comfortable 91-60 victory in their derby with Norton at Yarm. New signing Neil Thorne initiated a 14
Tow Law League: Tow Law Dan's Castle A became "King's of the Castle" when they landed the Championship for the first time following their odd point home win over Esh Football Club, who ended up in third place, separated from the Champions by Tow Law New
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a waste transfer station just yards from businesses at Brompton-on-Swale have not found favour with planners. Officers at Richmondshire District Council have recommended refusal of proposals by Yorwaste for the development at the
A FIRM from the North-East is helping businesses scale the fridge mountain with one of the UK's first fully approved recycling units. Designed to deal with the thousands of large chiller cabinets and freezer units disposed of each year by supermarkets
Residents on an exclusive housing estate have been dumped by their developers after they forgot to connect them to a sewage system. Plush Oakland Lodge is reeking of effluents rather than affluence because a "poo waggon" drives through the development
ONE of the last producers of besoms in the country is enjoying increased sales, thanks to the Harry Potter books and films. But, while the fictional wizard's new broomsticks are delivered by owl post, the hand-made heather brooms from the workshops of
Sir, - I have read with much interest your reports and correspondence on the attempt by the local cheese maker, Shepherds Purse, to market its own brand of feta cheese. I believe that the European Union's case law on this matter was determined a number
Timely reminder of the true cost of history EVEN the archaeologists on Time Team have the door slammed in their faces sometimes. Not everyone welcomes the cameras as they discovered in The Wreck Of The Colossus. At the climax of this story about the discovery
From this newspaper 100 years ago. - Death of a Thirsk character: On Wednesday afternoon the remains of Christopher Bell (familiarly known in Thirsk and the racing world as "Funny Kit") were consigned to rest in Thirsk Cemetery, in the presence of a large
Lingdale v Hinderwell After suffering a heavy defeat by Lingdale in the league, Hinderwell hoped to put things right in the League Cup, they began well, playing some good football and went ahead on 30 minutes when the ball rebounded off the cross bar
A 30-feet high carving will welcome people to Darlington. A huge development at the north west corner of the town will include a 30-ft chalk carving on a cliff visible to passing motorists, the D&S Times can reveal. The land carving is one of a number
Sir, - In response to Mr Latter's letter (D&S, Oct 25) about the withdrawal of the grant by Darlington Borough Council from Middleton St George Community Centre, he has my sympathy. I can understand his being aggrieved by this devastating blow, particularly
The cast of television programme Heartbeat have agreed to send a team to play Whitby in a fund-raising game on Monday, November 11. Whitby are raising cash to pay for a new grandstand while they are also hoping Chris Waddle and Paul Gascoigne will be
BEHIND metal shutters, in a top-secret location close to Darlington, the future of transport - and possibly a jobs lifeline for the North-East - is taking shape. David Royle, who models himself on James Bond's Q character, has spent the past 15 years
Birtley Town manager David Smith is always cautious when forecasting his side's future but he could not disguise his delight after seeing the team defeat Hartlepool United Reserves in the Durham Challenge Cup last weekend. "To say I was on cloud nine
Sir.,- I must respond to a letter (D&S Oct 25) from a member of Northallerton Town Council, Rob Kennedy, especially as Brompton residents have subsequently drawn this letter to my attention in my capacity as the chairman of Brompton Parish Council
Nine Billingham swimmers participated in the Harrogate Junior Gala at the weekend, where they competed against tough opposition. The first eight in each category attaining a medal position and Billingham swimmers brought home a total of 17. Two ten-year-olds
Spennymoor Boxing Academy's show, taking place next Friday, is a sell-out. The Spennymoor boxers will be taking on a Midlands select at the town's lesuire centre in seven days time and tickets are no longer available. In his first bout of the year the
Sixteen-year-old Edwin Jowsey experienced the ups and downs of motorsport on Saturday when racing at Donington In practice on Saturday morning Edwin was only sixth fastest and therefore gained sixth place on the grid but he wasn't assisted by the fact
Harrrogate Squash closed the gap on rivals with a 12 point haul in their latest Division One clash. Their 3-0 away win against Collingham II puts Harrogate just three points behind second placed Ilkley and nine adrift of leaders Adel. Harrogate's hat-trick
Newhouse Club slipped further behind in the Championship stakes despite beating the visiting Tow Law Cattle Mart by three points. The leading Tow Law New Market A went 13 points ahead with a match in hand after they only dropped two points at home to
WARNINGS about the dangers of fireworks have been underlined by two incidents in which the doors were blown off telephone boxes in the centre of Bedale. Trading standards officers in North Yorkshire have warned teenagers not to fool around with fireworks
PLANNING councillors in Darlington could be on thin ice after overturning an officer's recommendation. A controversial application by Count Cash of Middlesbrough to change the use of a caf on Cockerton Green to a caf with 30 gaming machines, was refused
After losing 9-4 in the reverse fixture last week Spennymoor Hillingdon got off to a good start when they hosted Bishop Auckland Grand A this week when Gary Smith and Ben Smith won the opening two singles games. Unfortunately for them the Grand then took
ALTHOUGH dreadful weather was forecast for the Zetland Hunt PC showcross at Manfield on October 20, the event was blessed with a cold but pleasant day. The club were very grateful to Mr Chris Graham for allowing the event to run at this time of year.
TODAY is All Saints' Day. And after last night's ghoulies and ghosties and instant scary monster kits, the Undead have presumably gone back to where ever they came from and we are in calmer mode. Not quite a day of good works and reflection, but we thought
NTHE opening chapter in the life of North Yorkshire County Council's new mobile libraries has started with the first official stop. Thornton le Clay was the first to be visited by one of the 12 mobiles, which feature special designs to reflect the variety
Jesmond Parish Church put five goals past Monkwearmouth Christians. David Angier (2) Jon Cook, Tim Hawe and Andy Widdrington scored. Metro Church Sunderland won at Saint Peter's Low Fell. Terry Mallon opened the scoring for the Saints but strikes from
IN three years time, Darlington College of Technology hopes to have a new £27m campus up and running in Yarm Road. The intention is to sell its Cleveland Avenue base for housing and start from scratch on the factory site now owned by Torrington Engineering
TIMESPLITTERS 2. Published by: Eidos. Formats: PS2. Price: £44.99 TIMESPLITTERS was the first truly next generation game that showed us all what the PS2 was really capable of. With a couple of years' experience beneath their belt, Free Radical Design
THE H and H Group, Carlisle, has continued to trade profitably into the new financial year, chief executive Trevor Hebdon reported to the annual meeting on Tuesday. In its annual report and accounts the group reported a 40pc increase in profit before
A PATIENT who fears she has been exposed to an incurable brain disease has hit out at the way the crisis was handled by North-East hospital officials. The 38-year-old Darlington woman - who asked to be known only as Mandy - feared the worst when she read
THE club are accepting entries for the Norman Woodcock Memorial Road Race to be run on Saturday, December 7. Starting at 2pm, entry is £3 for club athletes, £4 for unattached athletes and there will be an extra charge for late entries. Awards will go
A SERIES of anti-burglary offensives are being mounted in an attempt to halt the seasonal upsurge in house break-ins heralded by the long, dark nights. The four-month intelligence-led operation, codenamed Lancelot, is being carefully planned across Sedgefield
The holders Billingham Wanderers are through to the Villa Real Cup quarter finals. They defeated the Killingworth Arms 3-1 away. Trailing 1-0 to a Hodgson goal at the interval, they came good after the restart. Keith Corner scoring his hat-trick to settle
A wayward wallaby has been spotted crossing the road on the outskirts of a North-East town. The wallaby was spotted on Monday night by a couple who had been out for a meal in Darlington. They had been driving along Staindrop Road and were just turning
Premier Division: Wigan 4, Warrington 1; Sheffield Hallam 2, Ben Rhydding 2; Harrogate 1, Timperley 4; Oxton 1, Sheffield Bankers 5; Durham Uni 2, City of York 2; Southport 3, Brooklands 1. Division One: Leeds Uni 5, Doncaster 3; Alderley Edge 6, Durham
DONCASTER suits Tim Easterby, and Easterby suits Doncaster. Following up his St Leger success with Bollin Eric, the Great Habton trainer returned to the Yorkshire course last Friday to land a one-two in the DBS October Yearling Stakes. Golden Nun, under
Tow Law Area League Tow Law New Market B moved four points clear at the top of the table after they won by the odd point at title challengers, Esh Stag's Head. The singles were shared when Jim Hodgson, Mattie Walker and Michael Wightman won for the Stag's
Tyne Tees Girls Youth League Under-12s SAFC 24/7 Girls 14 v 0 N'castle Jun. The score did not justify Newcastle who played well but were unlucky not to score. Newcastle pushed forward applying pressure but could not convert their chances. Player of the
TIMESPLITTERS 2. Published by: Eidos. Formats: PS2. Price: £44.99 TIMESPLITTERS was the first truly next generation game that showed us all what the PS2 was really capable of. With a couple of years' experience beneath their belt, Free Radical Design
Division One In week four, New Marske A climbed into third place after beating Redcar Cons. B 5-1. Mark Rookes won the first and only game for the visitors when beating Keith Corner 53-28. Keith Corner, the longest serving player in the league, then called
The Cadets representing Sunderland and district Table Tennis Club of Anthony Barella (Redby CA) Chris Dixon (Silksworth CC) and Philip Dixon (St John TTC) travelled to Northfield Billingham and had a very successful day in the first day of the 2002-3
THREE members of the Zetland Hunt Pony Club were part of the North squad which finished second in the British Eventing Junior Regional Novice Championships at Weston Park. Lucy Morrison, Chloe Straker and Tanya Buckingham successfully completed their
At the first Winter Harrier League event at Chester-le-Street the club started their season well coming in eight in Division One thanks to Geoff Hewitson 27.28, Ian Sumler 27.29, Ray Partridge 28.11, Colin Everson 28.34, John Dennis 26.34, Phil Carter
Motorists across the North-East are being encouraged to help reduce car crime over the festive period. The RAC Auto Windscreens have launched a safe sack which encourages drivers and their passengers to remove valuables from their car and carry them in
ORGANISERS of Richmond's Remembrance Day parade fear a change of route could prevent some war veterans from taking part. Police have modified the usual route for security reasons but some old soldiers have warned they are not able to tackle the new march
Thirteen Harriers were part of the 72-strong field which took part in the Pinchinthorpe Plod Fell Race, one of the Championship events for the club. The testing course was about seven and a half miles long, and the event was won by Marco Cara of Middlesbrough
by Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture WHEAT markets have remained unchanged but seem rather nervous as both we and France keep missing some export orders. Oilseed rape markets have remained steady in the nearby positions but have fallen back a little for 2003
A FUTURISTIC workspace complex at Stokesley has been given the go-ahead. A building to house ten units with relevant facilities impressed councillors with its design. Members of Hambleton District Council development control committee said the scheme
AT A recent conference a delegate from London asked me about my views on our capital city. When I replied it didn't mean a lot to many in the North, other than somewhere we occasionally have to go on business, a look of disbelief fell across his face.
The Carol Andrew Singers will be staging a programme of music to suit all tastes next Saturday, at the St James the Great Church, Melsonby. Tickets will be £6 including refreshments. They can be bought from Melsonby village shop, at the door or reserved
A BURGLAR pretended to be a policeman to force his way into a pensioner's home, then held the terrified woman captive for half an hour. The woman, who has lived alone since her sister's death, was initially reluctant to let Lee Grainger into her flat,
THE architect of one of the greatest football upsets ever returned yesterday to the city that hailed him as a messiah. Bob Stokoe left Blackpool in November 1972 to become manager of Sunderland AFC, then an ailing Second Division (equivalent of today's
WHEN The Northern Echo set out in the summer of 1999 to highlight the scandal of heart bypass waiting times in Britain, we knew it would not be a short-lived campaign. The average wait for a heart bypass patient in Britain was a year - in many cases significantly
For most people it is one night's fun, but for a growing number it's becoming a way of life. Paul Willis looks at how Paganism is making a comeback. LAST night was the annual commercial fright fest of Hallowe'en and, if you didn't dress up in ghoulish
A NEW building to house Sure Start staff in Darlington has been approved. At a council planning committee, members granted permission for the local authority to erect a building on a car park in the grounds of Darlington's railway museum. The two-storey
A FIRM supplying website solutions for blue chip companies and the public sector is to expand, following a £250,000 investment. Northern Enterprises Limited (NEL) is pumping the cash into e-knowledge firm Scientia Solutions, based in the Gateshead MetroCentre
BARITONE Sir Thomas Allen sings with Cleveland Philharmonic Choir at Middlesbrough Town Hall later this month, in a personal tribute to the choir's former chairman who died last year. The internationally renowned singer is one of the soloists in the performance
CRIME Prevention Officer PC Neil Langthorne says one of the key messages of Operation Lancelot is: "A house in darkness is a vulnerable one". Two out of three burglaries which occur during the winter months take place between 4pm and 9pm. PC Langthorne
POLICE drafted a plane load of holidaymakers returning from the sun to stage an identification parade with a tanned suspect in a sex attack, a court heard yesterday. Bronzed Paul Wilkinson, 24, mingled with 160 passengers from the Span Air flight from
Most burglaries are carried out by the opportunist and can be prevented. In one in five cases, homes have been left insecure. Lancelot offers the following advice: * Lock windows and doors, even when at home. You will feel safe and be safe. * All windows
CHILDREN playing with fireworks could be the cause of a blaze that gutted a high street shop. Firefighters worked through the night to tackle the inferno, which threatened the shopping street in Malton, North Yorkshire, in the early hours of Thursday.
EVIDENCE is being sought to ban a further two troublesome teenagers from a suburb's streets. It is understood that an application for anti-social behaviour orders on the pair is being prepared to exclude them from various streets in Hemlington, Middlesbrough
Prime Minister Tony Blair has sent a message of support to the Sedgefield Burglary Action Group. Operation Lancelot is running in Mr Blair's Sedgefield constituency for four months during the winter. Mr Blair said: "Operations like this are very important
A POLICEMAN was recovering yesterday after being injured during a car chase. PC James Noble suffered whiplash and slight leg injuries when the police Volvo estate he was travelling in crashed while chasing a stolen Ford Granada towing a trailer. The drama
OLYMPIC triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards will officially open a North-East college today. The Gateshead Harrier will open All Saints College, in Newcastle, which is the result of a collaboration between the city's Local Education Authority, the Church
A motorcyclist who was clocked travelling at more than 120mph was yesterday banned from driving for a year. Ian Llewellyn Charles, 34, of Vickers Close, Marske, East Cleveland, was caught doing 122.5mph on his Honda motorbike on the A67, at Long Newton
A PRE-MATCH diet of wine gums, bananas and Jaffa cakes for players of a North Yorkshire football team has helped them create a piece of FA Cup history. For the first time in its 88 year history, Harrogate Town are through to the first round proper of
WORK starts today on a £3.4m special school for Wearside primary pupils. Columbia Grange School, Albert Place, Columbia, Washington, will replace the ageing Davenport and Wellbank special schools and is due to be completed next year. The school will cater
Forty years ago this weekend, November 3 1962, Crook Town went to Hull City in an FA Cup first round tie, led 4-1 and lost 5-4. "When you get old you forget about things, but I've never been able to forget that," says Ray Snowball, Crook's distinguished
A BUILDING products firm which employs about 40 people in County Durham has won an industrial award. Forticrete Limited has been named Construction Product Manufacturer of the Year in the Contract Journal Awards - one of the industry's highest accolades
ADULTS and children are being invited to join the latest club to be launched in Hambleton. Owing to the popularity of canoeing courses that have been running at Thirsk swimming pool over the past 18 months, the Hambleton Paddlers has been formed. Aimed
MARKS & SPENCER has tabled two planning applications which could pave the way for the opening of a new food store in Ripon. The nearest M&S store is in Harrogate, and the firm announced recently that it planned to open a 3,000 sq ft store in The
A STUDY tackling transport problems on the A64 has been announced. Key investors, employers and business organisations will give their views about the problems on the stretch of road between York and Scarborough. It follows the publication of the Highway
As part of North-East Food Fortnight and the Government's Your Countryside Your Welcome - which aims to attract people back to the countryside following the foot-and-mouth crisis - The Northern Echo is running a series of articles highlighting places
Asda at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, is looking for aspiring models to step on to a fashion show catwalk and model autumn and Christmas fashionwear. The event is held on November 11 and models can keep the outfits. Entry forms are available at the
VOLUNTEERS are putting in 1,000 hours of work to improve a treasured piece of North Yorkshire countryside. The Nidd Gorge, between Bilton and Knaresborough, is being given special care and attention by Bilton Conservation Group and Knox Valley Residents
TRIBUTES have been paid to one of the last distinguished fluorspar and lead mines experts, who died last weekend. Bill Proud started work in the mines of Weardale when he was 14. He lived most of his life in the Durham dales village of Ireshopeburn. He
A SMALL North Yorkshire market town could set a national precedent on Remembrance Sunday when it becomes the first to lay a wreath to honour those wounded in battle. Until now, poppies left by the Queen at the Cenotaph in London and on war memorials around
MORE than 300 out-of-school childcare places are to be created in Hartlepool after a successful grant bid. Hartlepool Borough Council has been awarded £184,151 from the New Opportunities Fund to provide a mixture of after-school, pre-school, wrap-around
BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 160 cattle. Cows & calves: WT Elstob & Son £610; N Manners & Co £560; M&P Wilson £490; W Peat £530, £425; WT Robinson & Son £600. Ped Lim cattle, WT Robinson & Son, Ovington Grange (in gns). - Cows
A SPARROWHAWK has put in a rare appearance in a North-East garden. The bird was spotted by photo-journalist Gavin Engelbrecht, of The Northern Echo, in his garden in Whickham, Gateshead. He said: "I could not believe my eyes. I am more used to enjoying
Brandon became the early leaders of the First Division after they only dropped one point at Newton Aycliffe, who had Bill Barrigan as their only winner. The Brandon points came from John Hall, Graeme Jackson, Brian Graham and Colin Goodrick. Spennymoor
Mary Le Druillenec from Heighington gave herself a break from studies at Birmingham University to win the Durham Open Under 19 girls singles title in Gateshead last Sunday. She beat the county's newest rising star Louise Trueman, from Harrowgate Hill,
PROTESTORS celebrated yesterday after a developer withdrew its plans to build houses on a grassland area used as a park. Residents of Consett, County Durham, formed an action group earlier this year to fight plans by Strathmore Homes to build 13 executive
JOHN Oster last night gleefully grabbed the chance to rebuild his career at Grimsby Town after putting his Sunderland nightmare on hold. After making just 27 appearances in more than three years at Sunderland, Oster has moved to Grimsby on a month's loan
THE owners of a factory site earmarked by Darlington College of Technology for a new multi-million pound complex warned last night that the deal is not a foregone conclusion. College principal and chief executive Sarah Farley this week unveiled plans
Easington District Council's development control and licensing panel has refused planning permission for three houses at the junction of Station Street and Front Street, Haswell, because the development would be "cramped and overcrowded''. SCHOOLS CLOSED
A CASTLE built from 500 wooden pallets will form the basis of a bonfire organised by Durham police and fire service. Now in its 28th year, the bonfire and fireworks display will be staged at police headquarters in Aykley Heads, Durham, by Durham Police
SHOPPERS are spending more than ever at Gateshead's MetroCentre. Figures out yesterday, from a survey carried out in August show that, year on year, the average spend per visiting group has increased 22 per cent. It is the biggest increase during a non-peak
FOR more than 100 years there has been an educational establishment on Cleveland Avenue in Darlington. But now the technology college, which took over the site of the town's former Girls' High School, is due to be on the move. Despite the loss of history
THE future of Scarborough's Alexandra Bowling Centre could be saved thanks to a partnership between the borough council and the district bowls club. They have agreed to work on a business plan to breathe new life into the centre and bring in investment
YOUNGSTERS skateboarding on a private car park fled in terror when confronted by an angry man brandishing a knife, a court was told yesterday. Harrogate magistrates heard how Philip Turner ran from his flat waving a kitchen knife and shouting at the boys
THE spectacular tradition of riding horses along Yarm High Street during the annual fair has become entangled in legal proceedings, after it was banned by police last month. The dramatic display known as flashing demonstrates riders' ability and horses
ADVICE on how to turn website visitors into customers will be revealed at the first of two workshops in North Yorkshire. The event, hosted in Northallerton by Business Link York and North Yorkshire, takes place on Tuesday, November 12. The first workshop
A NEW network of bus services for the Harrogate area has been launched at the town's bus station. The county council's Travelinks project follows a successful bid for £602,000 of Rural Bus Challenge funding, and will see buses running between Harrogate
Heroin with a street value of £60,000 was recovered after a raid on a house in Billingham. Stockton Drugs Unit, assisted by a dogs handler, carried out the search at an address in the town's Mendip Road area on Thursday night. A 40-year-old man and a
Whitehill earned the three points with a hard-fought game away to Seaham Mallard. Mallard opened the scoring on ten minutes through Barry Cougle. Gary Johnson replied with a powerful header from a Michael Graver corner. The visitors took the lead on the
LAST week the charge of apathy was being levelledat the people of Stokesley. Spectator wonders if that is quite fair. The group in question doing the pointing had spent two years labouring toward producing a Stokesley design statement, a sort of blueprint
PETER BEAUMONT'S exciting young chaser Hunters Tweed (3.05) has the class to defy a 170-day absence by winning on his long-awaited reappearance at Wetherby this afternoon. Hunters Tweed, who had some distinctly useful form over hurdles, made a smooth-as-silk
CARING children at a primary school staged a harvest festival play to raise money for youngsters thousands of miles away. Pupils at Howden-le-Wear Primary School staged Lord of the Harvest, to celebrate harvest festival and support the Seeds for Africa
HUTTON Rudby shopkeepers have received parish council support in their applications for Government grants to enhance and diversify services. Cash is available to village shops under certain conditions, with safeguards to ensure other businesses are not
FARMERS in the North Pennines, one of England's largest Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are being encouraged to explore new funding in a bid to improve the area's prospects. Defra's Rural Development Service North-East has teamed up with the North
The top of the table clash between Cleveland Inn and Poverina ended in a 1-1 draw. Poverina took the lead when Dave Plummer netted but Cleveland Inn quickly responded with a goal from Ray Woodhouse. The defenders stood out on both sides, a draw being
The torrential weather that hit the region on Saturday evening put paid to several games in the League this week, with only seven matches escaping the weather. Amongst the abandoned games were both of the Darlington Motor Factors Division Two Cup semi-finals
This Sunday sees a day of rugby at Darlington Mowden Park RFC in Yiewsley Drive in aid of charity. A varied range of teams from minis to girls, to an 'elite' ladies' team and a 'golden oldies' men's team will play the game, have fun and, at the same time
Results for Thursday, October 24 North/South: 1st M Clark & B Thompson 59.66%; 2nd O Blenkinsopp & M Dexter 59.09%; 3rd A & G Young 55.97%. East/West: 1st A Mawston & A Race 67.05%; 2nd I Gordon & J Dobson 62.78%; 3rd J & E Blackett
HAWES. - Wed & Thurs of last week. Annual two-day show & sale of registered Swaledale shlg rams for Swaledale Sheep Breeders' Association (B district). Wed . - Fwd: 279 rams to £20,000 av £1,928.99 (up £1,022.51 on 2000). Prizes. - Large breeders
Felling Mulberry soon found themselves in trouble against unbeaten Pelton Fell when they trailed to an early penalty from Danny Bankhead. The Fell then went into a 4-1 lead only for Andy Parkin to pull back another goal for the never-say-die Mulberry
The Northern League is awaiting written confirmation that the National League system has abandoned plans for reorganisation of the pyramid. League chairman Mike Amos revealed last week that he had been told verbally that plans, which have been on the
THE D&S Times let the cat out of the bag for Ken Walmsley when he was a youngster. The 14-year-old had played truant to go to a hedge-laying event in Stokesley and, to his joy, won the day against adult competitors. But unbeknown to him, a D&S
IT may be too soon to judge if he is the right man for the job, but the early impact made by Quakers' caretaker manager Mick Tait has certainly been encouraging. The improvement in the team's performances was immediate as a 4-0 drubbing of struggling
Billingham Wolves' 100 per cent record came to an end on Saturday when they were beaten 3-1 by Sheffield Steelhawks at the Forum Ice Arena. The Teessiders had won their previous two encounters which included a 2-1 win over Steelhawks in Sheffield. Another
SHEEP farmers say they are becoming increasingly worried about the safety of their flocks on the road between Bilsdale and Helmsley. Now police and North Yorkshire County Council highway chiefs are taking action to curb the volume of heavy lorries, members
Cockton Hill darts team whitewashed their hosts at Horndale to stay at the top of the darts section with 14 points out of the possible 15. The Hill's winners were John Denham, Nigel Watson, Keith Morton and Tommy Ward. However the home side maintained
A HIDDEN bureaucracy controlling £10bn of public spending in the North-East has been attacked by the leader of the Northern Liberal Democrats. As the party gathered for its regional conference in Gateshead at the weekend, Coun Chris Foote Wood published
A POLICE officer has burst into song in his force's latest weapon in the fight against crime. Inspector Eric Robinson, of Cleveland Police, has recorded seasonal warnings to potential crime victims, to the tunes of two carols. Soon, shopping centres across
Jeff Sugden reached a magnificent milestone last weekend when he completed his 500th appearance for hometown club, Consett. He completed his fifth century with a 2-2 home draw against Billingham Town and admitted to be very proud to have reached the landmark
Darlington RA Youth maintained their position at the top after a hard fought encounter against Newton Aycliffe Navy Club. The fixture was transferred to the RA ground after it was found Navy Club's was waterlogged. After the first half had ended all square
THE Government admitted last night it is unlikely that any action will be taken against board members of the defunct Teesside Development Corporation - despite a damning report which blamed the quango for wasting up to £40m. But furious local MPs demanded
Police are studying CCTV footage after 15 cars were destroyed in a factory blaze. The fire broke out in the early hours of yesterday (fri 1) at the West Line Industrial Estate, near Birtley. It destroyed 15 cars kept in an outside compound owned by West
A POPULAR village vicar has decided to give up some of his parish duties to pursue his creative side. In January, the Rev Robert Cooper, vicar of St Andrew's in Sadberge, near Darlington, intends to halve his hours as full-time parish priest to devote
CAMPAIGNERS battling to save a popular footpath from slipping into the waters of England's fastest-flowing river are hoping blueprints for a rescue plan will strengthen their case. The Easby Footpath Restoration Group was formed two years ago after floods
ULSTERMAN John Haffey followed up his Superprix triumph last year with a resounding victory in last weekend's British Rallycross Grand Prix at Croft. Driving his Tony Bardy-prepared Ford Escort Cosworth, Haffey saw off a strong British and European challenge
TODAY a team of eight officials from Defra is in North Yorkshire, continuing a visit which began yesterday. They were invited by the Federation of Small Businesses for a fact-finding mission to study the impact of environmental regulations on businesses
A NOTED North-East Charolais-breeding family took the overall championship and top price of 25,000gns at the breed's official show and sale at Perth. The Campbell family - Ian, John and their father, Colin, of Thrunton, Alnwick - achieved success with
Division One Bedale FC 7 v 0 Hollybush Utd: Bedale consolidated third place with an emphatic win over visitors Hollybush United, who slipped down to the bottom of the table. Wayne Gredziak opened for the home side after ten minutes, he added the second
A NORTH Yorkshire soccer boss has revealed the winning pre-match ritual which has seen his non-league team reach the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in its 88-year history. As a rare dose of cup fever mounts at Harrogate Town, player-coach
Hungry Jacks Under-13s of Northallerton took all three points against Darlington Albion in an entertaining match played in awful conditions. Jacks went in at half-time 3-0 up thanks to goals from Daniel Wright, Johnny Burns and Tim Hall, a half that Hungry
DARLINGTON'S player-coaches Phil Lancaster and Craig Lee will not be taking their opponents lightly when their old club, West Hartlepool, visit Blackwell Meadows in North Division One tomorrow. While West are in freefall and apparently heading for their
A DELICATESSEN business with shops in Saltburn and Guisborough has been shortlisted for a national BBC food award. Real Meals has been nominated for the BBC Food Retailer of the Year title, and BBC Radio 4 visits the firm today. Co-owner Sheila Beswick
A DREAM has come true for Northallerton band stalwart, David Lewis, who has just been presented with a musical gift to treasure. During a concert at the town hall, he was presented with a trombone that once belonged to a close friend, Bob Raine. The gift
ICI today completed the sale of its Synetix division on Teesside to Johnson Matthey's global chemicals business. Speculation about the future of the business ended in September when it was announced that UK-based Johnson Matthey had agreed to buy the
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to retain a residential home have won their battle to secure a High Court injunction to be served on a local authority. Relatives of residents at Stoneleigh, Barnard Castle, are celebrating what they believe is a crucial step in their
AT A recent conference a delegate from London asked me about my views on our capital city. When I replied it didn't mean a lot to many in the North, other than somewhere we occasionally have to go on business, a look of disbelief fell across his face.
JUVENTUS were last night preparing to test Massimo Maccarone's desire to stay at Middlesbrough by putting together a £12m move for the striker. Maccarone and Boro have repeatedly insisted that the Italy international will not be leaving Teesside at the
Sedgefield 75 THE squad played a game against Darlington Dolphins at the Dolphin Centre. In an enthusiastic and competitive Under-13 game, Sedgefield won 12-7 with Joseph Reid winning the man of the match for Sedgefield while Kirsty McMillan made an encouraging
HARTLEPOOL United supporters tonight get their chance to show how much they want Chris Turner to stay at Victoria Park. The Pool boss was disappointed on Tuesday when just 3,889 turned out to see his team extend their lead at the top of the table to five
A PLAN to restrict Saturday traffic in Guisborough during a speciality market was described as forward-thinking by supporters and a panic-measure by opponents this week. The idea was debated at three separate meetings, but no final decision was taken.
UNDER the captaincy of Simon Gaskell, Thirsk and Northallerton Golf Club won the coveted 2002 Dales Alliance competition with a total of 2,305 points, 42 points clear of Catterick on 2,263. This is the third year the club has taken part in this 12-match
A POLICE officer has burst into song in his force's latest weapon in the fight against crime. Inspector Eric Robinson, of Cleveland Police, has recorded seasonal warnings to potential crime victims, to the tunes of two carols. Soon, shopping centres across
Felling Mulberry soon found themselves in trouble against unbeaten Pelton Fell when they trailed to an early penalty from Danny Bankhead. The Fell then went into a 4-1 lead only for Andy Parkin to pull back another goal for the never-say-die Mulberry
VILLAGERS in Romanby have breathed a sigh of relief after a decision by councillors on a controversial homes scheme. An application to build 99 new homes on an old county council depot site has been deferred. Residents now feel there is hope their concerns
