Police are looking for relatives of a 59-year-old found dead at a hostel for homeless men. Edwin Snowdon was discovered at Bridgehouse Hostel, Bridge Road, Stockton on Tuesday (April 23). A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said there were no suspicious circumstances
HARTLEPOOL United go into the play-offs against Cheltenham this weekend - but James Coppinger won't be involved. The Newcastle man completed a three-month loan spell at Victoria Park after Saturday's win at Exeter, but won't be returning to Pool. Coppinger
SKIPPER Alan Shearer led Newcastle back into the Champions' League with a double strike as Bobby Robson's side came from behind twice to secure the point they needed and defy the best efforts of old boys Keith Gillespie and Andy Cole to spoil the party
HANG out the flags because it's full speed ahead for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. Only months ago there were fears the big event over the weekend of June 1 to 4 could turn out to be a damp squib. But, following the death of the Queen Mother
ONE of the North-East's oldest residents has added another greeting from the Queen to her already growing collection. Annie Pattison celebrated her 106th birthday yesterday, with friends and residents at the Castle Bank Residential Home, in Tow Law. Mrs
AMERICAN boxers arrive today to take on young fighters from one of the country's top clubs. Sporting rivalries will be set aside until Friday night, when the visitors from Chicago will test their skills in the ring against fighters from Spennymoor Boxing
A MAN fears his home could be at risk if an ambitious flood defence scheme goes ahead. Ryan Gilbey's home lies about 30ft from the site of a proposed giant earth dam, which is being designed to prevent a repeat of the floods that devastated West Auckland
THE parents of missing schoolgirl Amanda Dowler faced a traumatic wait last night to hear if a body pulled from the River Thames was that of their daughter. Surrey Police confirmed the body of a female had been recovered from the water at Sunbury Lock
The Northern Echo and Durham Students' Union have joined forces to present a weekly column highlighting news from the university with an emphasis on students' work in the community Success in union election AN unprecedented number for representatives
A North-East family doctor accused of terrorising surgery staff was also blamed for a patient having to have her leg amputated, a medical tribunal heard yesterday. A General Medical Council hearing in Manchester was told that a female patient of Dr Ashok
Yorkshire decided ten days ago to call in the Fraud Squad to investigate the mysterious loss of at least £50,000 in turnover at their Headingley shop, president Robin Smith revealed yesterday. With news of police involvement already out by midday, Yorkshire
Women shouldn't be forced to go to work if they would rather stay at home and bring up a family, according to a new book. Women's Editor Christen Pears speaks to the author IN the old days, girls learned how to cook and sew and, when they left school,
A TEESSIDE school has set up an excursions club to help disadvantaged pupils learn about their area. The weekend trips have been organised by Breckon Hill Primary School, in Middlesbrough, to give children and their families the opportunity to visit places
FERRYHILL'S new youth caf will open to all children in the town for the first time tonight. The e.caf is the result of an overwhelming response for such a facility among the town's youngsters, who filled in appraisal questionnaires. The children set up
AN information day is being held to provide support and advice for carers looking after people with learning disabilities. The event, organised by Teesdale Carers Centre and the Wear Valley Carers Initiative, will also be an opportunity to establish a
ANYONE interested in running a community arts project in the borough of Stockton is invited to bid for a share of the Local Arts Development Fund 2002. Grants of up to £500 are available to community groups, organisations and local artists with a commitment
A flotilla of boats sailed along the River Tyne yesterday in preparation for the official opening of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge by the Queen. Both the Millennium Bridge and the Swing Bridge were opened as crowds lined the river to watch four boats
A DERELICT forge that has blighted a town for years has been bulldozed to make way for a £15m superstore. Work has started on clearing the derelict buildings at Wilson's Forge, in Bishop Auckland. Supermarket chain Asda says its proposed 45,000sq ft store
Around 150 jobs are to go at the Royal Ordnance factory in Birtley - half the workforce. Officials told shocked staff the news this morning. They said the factory, which manufactures shell casings, needed to make savings despite a full order book. Unions
NEW blueprints have been submitted for a skate park in Richmond. Youngsters were devastated when the district council rejected a bid for facilities in Ronaldshay Park by a single vote last month. Opponents were concerned that the project - fronted by
FAMILIES have been learning the value of healthy living by taking part in a fun day. More than 500 families attended the event, organised by Sunderland's Healthy Living Centre, and supported by staff from London Electricity's customer contact centre at
MIKE Parker of Nexus states that the European grant money the Metro received (£14.75m) played an integral part in bringing the Metro to the people of Sunderland and the appointed and un-elected Vice President of the EU, Neil Kinnock, could not resist
TWO teenagers plan to abseil from the Tyne Bridge to raise funds for a disabled girl. Gemma Atkinson, 18, and Laura Malone, 17, both Durham County Council employees, will join four friends to raise funds for an artificial limb for Laura's cousin, Kate
MORE than 50 people who won community project awards have begun work. Coalfields Community Spirit Millennium Awards were given to the group as part of a scheme funded by the Millennium Commission and run by the County Durham Foundation. The awards averaged
BUSINESS start-up and management consultancy Walker Hall Associates has been appointed by the Government to validate the quality of business advice in a neighbouring region. Walker Hall Associates, of Middlesbrough, will assess 60 business advisors in
POSTMAN Ken Murphy received a send-off to write home about when he retired after more than 30 years delivering mail to the same road. People living in Marton Avenue, Middlesbrough, threw a surprise farewell party for the 65-year-old at The Ladle pub,
CASH-conscious buyers in search of a good and safe secondhand bargain are being offered peace of mind thanks to a trading standards initiative. Secondhand dealers across North Yorkshire will now be able to guarantee the safety of items which they sell
Father pays tribute to murdered packpacker Caroline Friends and family of murdered backpacker Caroline Stuttle packed a tiny village church for her funeral yesterday. More than 300 mourners attended Caroline's local church, All Saints, in Huntington,
THE takeover of the Camerons Lion Brewery by Castle Eden has been completed, safeguarding 130 jobs. Yorkshire Bank, Castle Eden's backer, yesterday transferred funds to Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, the previous owners of the Lion Brewery. The
DERBYSHIRE included a Mohammad Ali in their team sheet on Wednesday, and while not exactly the greatest he certainly stung like a bee as he cracked a 35-ball half-century against Durham. Mohammad Ali turned out to be the middle two names of a 28-year-old
BACK at work and smiling after one of the most gruelling of physical challenges of her career is personnel officer Sarah Gregory. Sarah, who works for Babcock HCS, at RAF Leeming, successfully completed the London Marathon and in so doing raised a total
PEOPLE living in Skinningrove have been learning how to operate a new flood defence system. Staff from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council have been trained already and now volunteers are being shown how to use the system at Stone Row Bridge. The villagers
DESPITE signs of an upturn in the manufacturing sector, the Bank of England's deputy governor, Mervyn King, claims it is still too early to say a full recovery from global slowdown is under way. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce national conference
YOUNGSTERS who have shown an interest in the Army have been rewarded with the holiday of a lifetime. Ten young people were chosen to take part in an adventure training scheme in Cyprus after visiting an Army careers day at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington
CRAFTSMAN Peter Thornley has won a package of high- tech office equipment to help kick-start his one-man business. He was awarded the top prize in the Plain Sailing initiative launched by Business Link County Durham, and sponsored by The Northern Echo
A SCHOOL fun run which had to be postponed because of the foot-and-mouth crisis is hoping to raise more than £3,000 for science equipment. Hummersknott School and Language College is staging the race on Sunday, June 23, to raise £3,500 to restore a greenhouse
PUPILS will have their say today on how to spend thousands of pounds to make their trips to school safer. The youngsters from Eastbourne School, Darlington, were invited to meet officials from Sustrans, the charity which encourages people to walk or cycle
AS many as 200 teenagers were given a taste of porridge in the hope that it would prove a valuable lesson in life. The day-long exercise introduced students from Risedale Collge, Catterick Garrison, to life behind bars. The programme included a glimpse
THE family of a North-East airman who died during secret Government chemical experiments, have welcomed the reopening of an inquest into his death after almost 50 years. The move comes after years of campaigning by servicemen who claim they were duped
AS a couple of towns in the North-East prepare for mayoral elections, the experiences of France can teach us a valuable lesson. Abstention is no longer an option. It can no longer be described as a valid way of letting the political parties know how disillusioned
A SEVEN-POINT plan to improve the region's railways has been published by Friends of the Earth. The environmental lobby group is pressing the Government for greater investment in the North-East network. It says a number of small, but significant improvements
NEWCASTLE United striker Craig Bellamy has a star in the making in brilliant puppy Baggio. Trained at Kelloe by top open-race handler Ted Soppitt, the October 2000 Split The Bill-Rubys Thatch black dog scorched round the tricky Sunderland 450m circuit
THE country pile of a retired Army major could make a cool £1m when it goes on sale this summer. Major Ernest Ambler and his wife, Vivien, moved into Branton Court not far from fashionable Harrogate in North Yorkshire in the early 1930s when the town
TEENAGERS have turned shipmates to celebrate the end of a training course. On Monday, six 16-18 year-olds from Pennywell Youth Project joined the crew of the yacht, Hartlepool Renaissance, which will take them on a five-day trip via Whitby to the Farne
Bogus taxi drivers are putting North-East reveller's lives at risk, it is claimed. Private vehicles are posing as taxis and taking fares from drinkers at night. But legitimate drivers fear the fakes could put lives at risk. The issue is a particular problem
GOALKEEPER Thomas Sorensen, in the nightmare situation of knowing that unless he keeps a clean sheet Sunderland are likely to lose, last night pleaded with his teammates to end a three-match goal drought by scoring first at Charlton on Saturday. "It's
THE final resting places of 40 men and boys who died in the region's worst mining disaster have been lost, The Northern Echo can reveal. Burial records name the grave sites of just 128 men and boys who died in the Stanley Burns Pit disaster of 1909, even
OF THE three deaths of famous people over Easter, the Queen Mother's inevitably took the lion's share of the headlines. But the passing of the comedian Dudley Moore was also well noted, with many glowing tributes. However, the death of a man whose name
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Telesales Person, Satley Crook, £5.50ph, 5.30-8.30pm M-Th. Own transport essential due to location. Ref: CRK5707. Housekeeper, Neasham, Min £4.20ph, general housekeeping
WHAT a good week for middle-aged mothers. There were little things like Jodie Foster saying how much more interesting women are in their forties, and proving herself a splendid example. Then there was the news that Helen Mirren and Julie Walters are to
Against all the disenchantment that has piled up against New Labour, credit must now be set for the truly spectacular initiative to revive the NHS. The party's leaders have committed themselves, and the country, to a publicly-funded health service, matching
IN all its serendipitous sashays down the broad sweep of Inconsequentiality Avenue, the column had never once imagined that it might be considering the more personal arrangements of Ms Anne Boleyn. Did she really, last week's column asked, have six fingers
A PUBLIC inquiry opened yesterday into an ongoing planning dispute in north-west Durham. The inquiry at Consett Civic Centre concerns the building of 156 houses at Station Fields, Shield Row, Stanley, on a greenfield site of more than five acres. Earlier
The body of a female found in the River Thames yesterday is not that of teenager Amanda Dowler, Surrey police said today. A spokeswoman says dental records have proved the body was not that of the 13-year-old who was known as Milly. The body had been
AN engineering company set up in Darlington less than a year ago is looking to expand. Pure EDM, at Morton Park, plans to create three jobs, having already become a leading supplier of precision engineering components in the region. Now fully operational
IN all its serendipitous sashays down the broad sweep of Inconsequentiality Avenue, the column had never once imagined that it might be considering the more personal arrangements of Ms Anne Boleyn. Did she really, last week's column asked, have six fingers
A man has been arrested over the mugging last Friday of Durham City pensioner Doris Douglas. Mrs Douglas, 89, was set on by two men in Lawson Terrace, yards from her home, as she returned from a shopping trip to the city centre. As the muggers tried to
WHAT a good week for middle-aged mothers. There were little things like Jodie Foster saying how much more interesting women are in their forties, and proving herself a splendid example. Then there was the news that Helen Mirren and Julie Walters are to
Airline group bmi british midland claims the events of September 11 cost it £35m in lost revenue last year, as passenger numbers fell more than five per cent. During 2001, 6.7 million passengers flew with the airline, 400,000 less than the previous year
The Edwardian Country House (C4) YOU can't get the staff these days. Lucy the scullery maid was the last to arrive and the first to go, unable to cope with living in a real life Upstairs, Downstairs. She appeared not to have grasped the concept of the
Against all the disenchantment that has piled up against New Labour, credit must now be set for the truly spectacular initiative to revive the NHS. The party's leaders have committed themselves, and the country, to a publicly-funded health service, matching
A FATHER wept as he told how he is still trying to find answers to his son's fatal fall from a railway bridge parapet. Steven Griffiths, 19, never regained consciousness after falling from a footbridge on to the Tees-side to York line at Eaglescliffe.
Workers at one of the region's biggest defence factories which had been threatened with closure were this afternoon celebrating a management decision securing the plant's future. Jubilation at the announcement that the Royal Ordnance Factory at Birtley
Ipswich Town 1 - 0 Middlesbrough - TEENAGE substitute Darren Bent popped up at the back post with his first touch of the match to hand Ipswich Town all three points against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night. The 18-year-old, whose only other goal for the
Delighted Newcastle United boss Bobby Robson last night saluted his players and admitted that their Champions League qualification was beyond his wildest dreams at the start of the season. Alan Shearer, who scored his 200th Premiership goal against Charlton
PLANS are in the pipeline to reduce the disruption caused to residents and businesses in Darlington by roadworks. A review group set up by Darlington Borough Council's environment scrutiny committee in September last year will report its findings to the
STAFF at Newton Aycliffe lawnmower manufacturer Flymo raised £1,200 for charity in a day-long fundraising event. More than 500 employees, plus suppliers and visitors to the plant, each paid a donation to don bright orange sunglasses, with the more daring
PLANS to demolish a care home and build a more modern one on the site, as part of a county-wide initiative to improve services for the elderly, will be considered by councillors today. Durham County Council is planning to demolish Stoneleigh, in Barnard
SCOUTS DISPLAY: Children interested in becoming Scouts can meet representatives of the Crook and Weardale District Scouts Group at a display in Crook's Co-op store on Saturday, from 10am to 2pm. HAT-TRICK HEROES: Two Crook Town Cricket Club bowlers took
Three people have been jointly charged with conspiracy to burgle pubs in the Teesdale area. Andrena Milligan, 36, from Downfield Street, Glasgow, Francis McIntosh, 40, from Eskford Street, Glasgow, and Thomas McSeveney, from Inverkip Drive, Shotts, Lanarkshire
A DARLINGTON woman grabbed more than £100 worth of groceries and helped raise £643 for St Teresa's Hospice. Asda, in Whinbush Way, has adopted the hospice as its chosen charity and held a trolley dash at the Whinfield store. Doreen Jones managed to collect
WITH eight months to go, the strategy for developing culture in Darlington is already under way. Since the Government proposed that local authorities should have a cultural strategy in place by the end of the year, Darlington Borough Council has been
LONE PIPER is fancied to call the tune in the Stanley Racing Handicap at Epsom today. Given a favourable mention by Middleham handler Jedd O'Keeffe in an interview for this year's Racing North, Lone Piper left (3.40) the impression he was about to hit
A FORMER soldier and policeman has been appointed to crack down on illegal street trading. Mike Orchard, 35, has transferred from Sunderland City Council's treasurer's department to take up his new role as enforcement officer. He will protect the city's
FUNDRAISERS are gearing up for their annual moneyspinner. Shildon will be buzzing over the August Bank Holiday, with a host of entertainment. Showband The Piggies takes to the stage at Sunnydale Leisure Centre, on Saturday, August 24, at 7pm. The next
A VETERINARY surgery has moved into one of Bishop Auckland's landmark buildings - with the help of a fleet of shopping trolleys. The Victorian building has stood empty in Tenter Street, Bishop Auckland, for more than a year after the post office moved
IN a poignant moment for a community touched by tragedy, Leonie Shaw's tiny lilac coffin was yesterday carried past the flower-strewn spot where the six-year-old was struck by a car. Police stopped traffic to let the horse-drawn hearse, chosen by Leonie's
A NEW group is giving users of a disabled transport service the chance to have their say on how it is run. The Ring-a-Ride service, which was set up in Darlington after Dial-a-Ride collapsed in February, is a special taxi and transport service with disabled
A SERIAL stalker who threatened to mutilate TV vet Trude Mostue was jailed for ten years yesterday. The star of BBC's Vets In Practice was so worried by the chilling calls made by John Maynard she feared she could become another stalker victim, like the
Swimmers in Loftus, east Cleveland, will be able to visit their local pool again from Monday after a five-month closure. The Tees Valley Leisure pool, at Loftus Leisure Centre, in Deepdale Road, was shut while five pool filters were replaced. Manager
THE threat of a prison sentence is hanging over a failed businessman almost six years after a hotel venture collapsed with debts of more than £2m. Anthony Mattimoe will be sentenced next month for fraudulent trading and false accounting relating to dealings
THE parents of heart transplant girl Sally Slater have sent a message of support to the family of another youngster who is clinging to life in hospital. Jon and Bridget Slater said they had joined the nation in praying for a donor to come forward to save
A DRAGON which forced a town centre to close has been put firmly back in its place - on St George's Day. Traffic and pedestrians were banned from the centre of Middlesbrough on February 1 after high winds rocked a 4ft, one-and-a-half ton stone dragon
TIP-offs to police on the activities of drugs dealers have fallen, but Detective Superintendent Adrian Roberts, who pioneered the Dealer a Day operation, launched last December, insists the campaign is going from strength to strength. Officers act on
Man charged with murder A man has been charged with the murder of Kelly Riseborough, 23, of Power Grove Road, Pennywell, Sunderland. Leslie David Purvis, 38, of Power Grove Road, Pennywell, will appear before Sunderland magistrates at 10am today. Heroin
BUDDING journalists have been given a £5,000 grant to ensure their community newspaper's future. Pupils at Norton School, Norton, were presented with a cheque yesterday from Barclays New Futures Award to help finance their newspaper, called Norton Buzz
TELEVISION archaeologists descended on a stately home yesterday, hoping to discover Viking secrets hidden beneath its lawns. The experts of Channel Four's Time Team programme began digging at Castle Howard, where they were going in search of the lost
A POLICE spotter plane should be fitted with a revolutionary propeller design by the summer, ending years of complaints about noise. The crime-fighting plane, which is kept at Teesside Airport, between Darlington and Stockton, is shared by the Durham,
DANCE artist Daniel Bedingfield is the latest star to sign up for a charity concert in the region. The chart-topper, who shot to fame with his multi-platinum selling hit Got to Get Through This, will join a host of other stars at Gateshead International
CONSTRUCTION companies are being urged to recruit and train now to prepare for the future growth and development of the sector. The call to action has come from Newcastle College, at a time when it is seeking employment for almost 40 modern apprentices
Further evidence of a mini-revival in Richmond's economy will come when another new shop opens on Saturday. There was concern when Captain Travel, in Finkle Street, and the cobblers in the town's Trinity Square announced closures within days last month
A CHARITY which helps elderly people to live independently is celebrating its first anniversary - and looking for new volunteers. The Middlesbrough Live at Home scheme, run by Marton Methodist Church, offers a befriending service to older people who are
OWL RIGHT: Owls are being displayed by birds of prey experts from 11am to 4pm in Dobbies Garden Centre, from Saturday to Monday, May 4 to 6. CLASSIC FLOWERS: Classic with a Twist is the title of a demonstration to be given by Diana Joyce to the Cestrian
THE North Yorkshire moorland village of Rosedale has got its post office back after nearly two years. Publican John Belt, of the Milburn Arms, has stepped in and switched the business to his pub in the heart of the village. "I volunteered because it was
DURHAM will give Jimmy Daley another chance to solve a problem at the top of the batting order in their match at Derby starting today. Now in his sixth season with the club, skipper Jon Lewis has had nine opening partners in the championship - Mike Roseberry
A FORMER railway track is being converted into a right of way for horses, bikes and walkers. The Faverdale Black Path, in Darlington, which runs through the Faverdale Industrial Estate, is becoming part of the National Cycle Network in a £95,000 scheme
PARKING PLEA: Members expressed concern about the damage being caused to the village green by vehicles "cutting the corners" in order to avoid parked cars. This was particularly relevant in the area around the bus shelter. Residents were asked, wherever
GIFTED pupils from Darlington have been taking part in a team building day to challenge their minds. About 20 pupils from each secondary school in the town took part in the challenge day at Carmel RC Technology College. The most talented year seven and
A HEALTH and safety officer has pleaded guilty to hitting a man with a bottle in a pub. James Shepherdson, 42, hit David Crawford on the head with the bottle during a disagreement at Humphrys pub, Darlington. Shepherdson, a £30,000 a year health and safety
TWO centuries ago the world of high finance was a very different place and the concept of the national domination of a few big banks had not even been considered. Instead, most towns and communities had their own small banks that issued their own notes
ANXIOUS parents will soon be able to test their children for drugs - thanks to an idea by a North-East man. Darlington-born Les Vasey, a former police commander, is marketing mouth-swab kits with laboratory analysed results produced in 48 hours. He said
Jubilee plans dealt blow ONLY 12 people attended the meeting to discuss the village's plans for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. It was agreed to look into the possibility of buying commemorative mugs for the under-11s. Only one donation, from the Parochial
HEDGEROW VIEWS: A hedge-row removal notice had been received, for the internal hedge in the layby next to the proposed driving range. The parish council had already agreed that this section of old road should be stopped up. At the site meeting for the
EXTRA nursery school places could be provided in four deprived areas of County Durham. The move is part of Durham County Council's drive to meet a Government commitment that all three-year-olds should have access to free education by September 2004. The
Betting was suspended on a candidate for Hartlepool mayor last night - after punters went nuts for H'Angus the Monkey. Internet bookmakers Hartlepoolbet.co.uk were flooded with bets when it offered odds of 100-1 for the Hartlepool United mascot to be
TWO members of the public have been appointed to Derwentside District Council's standards committee. They are Gerald Corr, of Leadgate, near Consett, and Mark McNally, of Shotley Bridge. Mr Corr worked at Chester-le-Street District Council and Mr McNally
THOUSANDS of Gateshead residents will help make democratic history this week when they get their first chance to cast their vote by post in this year's council elections. From this week, more than 150,000 registered voters will receive postal voting cards
SOME of County Durham's smallest companies are going on a trade mission to Finland next month. More than 20 companies from the North-East, some with just one employee, are taking part in the Trade Partners UK Export Explorer programme. Among them are
Budding racing drivers in the North-East had a rare opportunity to experience the thrills of Formula One recently. Gavin Englebricht - who normally drives a 'racing' 1.4-litre Nissan Almera - decided to go for a spin THE exhilaration of belting around
Memorial site help offer MORE offers of help have come in for the council's scheme to tidy up the war memorial site. Following a £50 donation towards the work from a local firm, an allotment representative has sent £20. Two women have also written saying
PEOPLE living in Hartlepool are urged not to miss out on a chance to help draw up a blueprint for improving life in the town. Workshops are now being held in the central part of the New Deal for Communities (NDC) area to help prepare a community housing
Loos talk lined up IN advance of a report of public toilets in the town centre, it was agreed to ask Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's assistant director of environmental services, Mike Hardman, to talk to the council on the issue. There has been
The region's biggest police force has bucked the rising trend in robberies, new figures show. But crime overall within the Northumbria Police force area is still on the up by more than three per cent year on year. A total of 139,130 crimes were recorded
REVELATIONS that a two-year-old boy died after controversial surgical instruments were used have caused new upset for a bereaved North-East family. When 33-year-old Elaine Basham, of east Cleveland, died after what should have been a routine operation
A TOWN united in grief for the funeral of a six-year-old road accident victim as hundreds of mourners attended her funeral yesterday. To Leonie Shaw's family, the bright, bubbly little girl who loved dancing and dressing up was a "princess" and they treated
MIDDLESBROUGH have been hit with an injury-crisis after nine players were ruled out of their trip to relegation threatened Ipswich Town tonight. But confident manager Steve McClaren insists his makeshift side can still put another dent in the Tractor
Dependable Darlington left-back Paul Heckingbottom has denied he's about to join Burnley, but admits he will shortly be speaking to prospective new clubs. Heckingbottom was linked with the First Division club at the weekend, but the 24-year-old says he
Unsigned rock and pop acts across the region are being given the chance of a lifetime thanks to The Northern Echo's music website, Revolution. A competition is being launched to find two original acts who will win a host of fabulous prizes to give them
