Archive

  • Moorsbus in gear for new season

    VISITORS and locals in the North York Moors will find that getting around without a car this year is easier than ever before. The North York Moors National Park has just released new timetables for the Moorsbus Network, which come into operation on Sunday

  • Physical and mental excellence

    TWO black belt karate students at the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington are striving to win a place in this year's British championships. Jenny Cooke, 16, from Ferryhill, and 18-year-old Shaun Dawson, from Woodham, are both in the reckoning

  • Pupils learn computer skills

    PUPILS from a Billingham school have improved their understanding of computers by becoming qualified information communication technology (ICT) classroom technicians. The ICT technician course, which was run at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary RC Primary

  • Agency praised for support after FMD

    A NEW independent report claims the rural economy of Yorkshire and Humberside is getting back to pre-foot-and-mouth prosperity. Much of the recovery is put down to the intervention and support of Yorkshire Forward - actions which should be used as a guide

  • Authenticity of auctioned Cook spear put in doubt

    A spear thought to have killed explorer Captain James Cook belongs in a museum devoted to walking sticks. That is the considered opinion of Cliff Thornton, Britain's leading expert on the explorer and president of the Captain Cook Society. The spear,

  • You could star in your own crime thriller

    There are few things more depressing for a police officer than to have worked hard to secure the conviction of a criminal only to see magistrates hand out a derisory sentence. It is equally depressing for law-abiding residents to see the scourge of their

  • Cash aid guarantees factory jobs

    A CHEQUE which has guaranteed factory jobs is being handed over in east Cleveland today. Prospects looked bleak for workers at the former Trellborg plant in Skelton, just one year ago. Now a lifeline of £50,000 to help keep the plant open has been put

  • Sands plan -shoud go

    CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to turn common land into a car park claim such drastic changes would first need to approved by the Government. The Save Our Sands (SOS) Action Group is opposing proposals that could see nearly half of The Sands riverside area

  • The hero father who will never be forgotten

    The grieving widow of a Royal Marine captain has given birth to a daughter only 10 days after her husband died on active service in the Gulf. Steve Parsley reports. LIKE Goose Green, Tumbledown and Bluff Cove, the significance of names such as Umm Qasr

  • Reformed drug addict is spared jail sentence

    A FORMER drug addict narrowly avoided jail yesterday despite being convicted of theft, drink-driving, benefit fraud and driving while disqualified. When he appeared before South Durham magistrates in Darlington yesterday Robert James Clark, of Cottingham

  • £37,000 taken from building society

    POLICE say a gang of thieves escaped with £37,000 after a building society raid on Wednesday. Four smartly-dressed men are believed to have been involved in the incident, at the headquarters of the Darlington Building Society, in Yarm Road, Darlington

  • Top sheepdog tops 1,000gns at Barnard Castle

    BARNARD auction mart held its inaugural sale of 38 working sheepdogs on Wednesday, March 19. A large company attended the sale, held at South View, Broomielaw, in perfect weather conditions. Dogs were presented from a wide area, including Wales and Northern

  • Magpies chief won't give in to Acuna agent

    FREDDY Shepherd's war of words with Barry Silkman has stepped up a gear with the Newcastle United chairman warning the football agent that he 'won't get a penny out of the club'. Former Manchester City player Silkman is in dispute with the Magpies over

  • Pony dates

    Area 1A. - Tomorrow: Julie Templeton training day, Dalton Piercy EC, ring Alison on 0191 4155257 or Kate on 0191 4153827 to book a place. Members only. Areas 2 & 4. - Apr 12: Team SJ at Northallerton EC, details from Hilary McKenna, 0191 4206921.

  • Firefighter runs to aid brain injury victims

    A FIREFIGHTER is taking to the streets to help people who have suffered brain injuries. John Purdy, of Whaggs Lane, Whickham, Gateshead, who is a firefighter at Newcastle Airport, is running in the London Marathon on April 13 to raise money for brain

  • Skipper's blessing sealed it for Sven

    SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON sought David Beckham's blessing for his decision to make Wayne Rooney the youngest full international in England's history, it emerged last night. The England coach asked captain Beckham for advice on how 17-year-old Rooney had settled

  • Drugs found in plughole

    WHEN police smashed their way into her bathroom, Pauline Smith had to grab a towel to preserve her modesty, a court heard yesterday. But what she did not cover was 7.6 grammes of amphetamine, with a street value of £76, found in small plastic bags beneath

  • Comment: Joy amid the sorrow

    WARS will always invoke extreme emotions, from intense sadness to unbridled joy. This week, those emotions have been encapsulated in two of the most moving human stories so far in the war in Iraq. The dramatic rescue of American prisoner of war Jessica

  • Two city schools share £3m boost

    SIXTH-FORM provision in Durham City has received a huge boost with a £3m windfall shared by two schools. Target Capital Funding grants have been awarded to both St Leonard's RC School and Durham Sixth-Form Centre by the Department for Education and Skills

  • Lock-out threat to England match

    A shadow hung over the North-East's next showpiece England football match last night. UEFA, the game's governing body in Europe, was under pressure to order the fixture between England and Slovakia at Middlesbrough on June 11 to be played behind closed

  • Power firms in talks over energy site

    Firms being asked to invest millions to create an Eco-Disneyland on a former cement works site have been invited to talks today. Power company bosses have been called to Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, to hear the latest redevelopment

  • Emma grabs chance to shine on big stage

    A YOUNG rider from Dalton Piercy, near Hartlepool, is looking forward to her first major championship after qualifying for this month's Horse and Hound winter national dressage championships at Solihull. Riding her 12.2hh Welsh section A gelding Moonlight

  • Wellcok's World: Wembley of the North

    AND now it's down to Sonia on the touchline, where our coverage of an absolutely riveting match will be interrupted as she puts a couple of pointless questions to a former player. Well, of course, if Sonia has been pre-programmed she can't be kept waiting

  • Paying tribute to 700-year-old craftmanship

    AN English Heritage ruin paid tribute to the master masons of the 13th Century yesterday with the laying of replica stone slabs. Thirty-one stone insets have been placed around the museum at Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, to replace tiles

  • "Terminal cancer won't stop me reaching Land's End"

    Terminal cancer sufferer Jane Tomlinson is cycling the length of Britain to raise money for charity. She takes a break from her punishing ride to talk to Women's Editor Christen Pears. JANE Tomlinson and her brother Luke Goward pull up on their tandem

  • Student's film on elections gets the vote

    A NORTH-EAST student's short film encouraging young people to vote is to be used in a national advertising campaign. Christophe Tuck, a 22-year-old business finance student at Durham University, has won The Electoral Commission's national Votes are Power

  • Brothers could be handed estate ban

    TWO brothers could be banned from a troubled North-East housing estate. Middlesbrough Council is hoping to impose anti social behaviour orders (ASBO) youths, aged 19 and 17, from Thornaby, who are serving custodial sentences. The brothers used to live

  • Correction: Catch Monitored Security Limited

    In an article published in The Northern Echo on February 19, 2002 we suggested that the Office of Fair Trading revoked a Consumer Credit Licence for a Teesside residential security company, Catch Monitored Security Limited. We are happy to clarify that

  • When remaking a classic's not a complete waste

    METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SUBSTANCE. Publisher: SCEE. Platfrom: PS2 and Xbox. Price: £44.99. THE TROUBLE with legends is knowing when to quit. Does anyone really believe Mohammed Ali would have been any less well respected had he decided to throw in his gloves

  • Up with the larks to spot the lapwings

    WILF Norman will be up with the lark when he starts a new project to plot the birds which nest on farmland in the North York Moors. He will be on the road before dawn for the next three months, as he carries out a survey of the wading birds breeding or

  • Second health centre for asylum seekers possible

    Health bosses are to open a second health centre for asylum seekers in the region. They believe the new GP surgery for refugees will help lift the burden on main stream doctors' surgeries. The centre - known as the Arrival Practice - is due to open in

  • Conference will debate research

    WARMING patients before surgery and asking critically ill people about their experiences are two projects to come under the spotlight at a research and development conference at a North-East hospital. A conference at the University Hospital of North Tees

  • Therapy at the sharp end

    A pioneering scheme to provide free alternative therapy in one of the region's most deprived areas appears to have been a huge success. Barry Nelson reports. FOR the last two and a half years, patients living in the Benwell area of west Newcastle have

  • Group to study spring fair site

    A WORKING group is to be set up to look into whether it is feasible to site a spring fair away from its current town centre location. Currently John Newsome, who is a member of the Showman's Guild, sites fairground rides and sideshows on the Galgate car

  • Harmonium will bring harmony with Rossini

    A VICTORIAN harmonium is being transported to a chapel from a West Yorkshire instrument museum, for a special concert by Stokesley and District Choral Society. The event, at Stokesley Methodist Church on Saturday, April 12, features Rossini's Petite Mess

  • 200 in trek for rescue team

    FINE weather over the weekend encouraged about 200 people to take part in a gruelling 26-mile trek to raise cash for local lifesavers. This year's Cleveland Survival centred on the village of Moorsholm, near Loftus, and took place on Saturday. Competitors

  • Go for the Gunner

    Precision fencing will be the order of the day in this afternoon's Topham Trophy and when it comes to getting from one side of a steeplechase fence to another Indian Gunner (3.45) represents a true master of his craft. In keeping with tradition the race

  • Wembley of the North

    AND now it's down to Sonia on the touchline, where our coverage of an absolutely riveting match will be interrupted as she puts a couple of pointless questions to a former player. Well, of course, if Sonia has been pre-programmed she can't be kept waiting

  • Partnership may bring new jobs

    Hundreds of new jobs could be created in a hard hit part of the North-East after business specialists and council chiefs forged a partnership for prosperity. Officials believe they can help create 1,000 new jobs with the signing of a partnership deal

  • Tribunal upholds dismissal decision

    AN intensive care nurse accused of deliberately killing patients in her care lost her claim for unfair dismissal yesterday. Former nursing sister Kathleen Atkinson was accused of withdrawing drugs and treatment from terminally ill patients in the early

  • High speed net service benefits children

    HIGH speed internet services have come to Stanley - and youngsters are the first to benefit. Communications giant BT has spent more than £200,000 upgrading the former pit town's telephone exchange so it can provide broadband internet access to 12,000

  • Long haul to make way for Blue Peter

    MUSEUM chiefs were overseeing a major move yesterday - as plans to bring a renowned steam locomotive to Darlington began in earnest. Four exhibits were being removed from the town's North Road railway museum to make way for Blue Peter, one of the country's

  • Reviving a once healthy industry

    FROM time to time, as I have previously mentioned in this column, there are attempts to revive some of Britain's 220 spa resorts. Currently, this is exemplified in a major renovation of the ancient Roman spa in Bath. More than £23.6m has been spent on

  • Splash out for birthday

    MOTHERS and mothers-to-be have celebrated the second anniversary of the East Cleveland Sure Start/Priory midwives aquanatal sessions at Loftus Baths. More than 50 expectant mothers have taken part in the pool-based exercise, launched to promote a healthy

  • Observation and mood in Dover Prize show

    AN ATMOSPHERIC painting of a fairground late at night after the crowds have gone home was the judges' favourite choice in this year's Dover Prize art competition in Darlington. Chris Newbrook's Fairground Embers is one of the smaller pictures on show

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: A crucial and critical stage

    THE war against Iraq has entered its most critical phase. Allied forces are just a few miles outside Baghdad, and their military might will ensure eventual success. It is clear that both the US and Britain are still hoping the Iraqi army will capitulate

  • Two skate parks get the go-ahead

    YOUNGSTERS are celebrating after councillors gave the go-ahead to plans for the first skate parks in North-West Durham. Derwentside Leisure, working on behalf of Derwentside Youth Forum, won planning permission to build the parks, costing £30,000 each

  • Tournament win has Yarm boys celebrating

    PUPILS from Yarm Preparatory School are celebrating after winning the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference under-11 seven-a-side soccer tournament last week. After a 0-0 draw with Silcoates and a 3-1 win over Leeds Grammar School in the first round

  • 'Lolita' prison sentence reduced

    A MAN who claimed he was seduced by a 12-year-old Lolita has had his "manifestly excessive" prison sentence cut. Kim Jacques, of Leeming Lane, Catterick Village, North Yorkshire, was jailed for four years last August after pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown

  • Guisborough boys reach national semi-final

    THE year seven football team from Laurence Jackson Sports College in Guisborough narrowly missed out on international glory last weekend. The team travelled to Manchester for the UK final of the Fox Kids six-a-side competition last Sunday after qualifying

  • Protesters disrupt meeting

    GOVERNMENT Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong was confronted by anti-war protesters who burst into a Labour Party meeting in her County Durham constituency. The North-West Durham MP was addressing local Labour members when several banner-waving campaigners interrupted

  • You could star in your own crime thriller

    There are few things more depressing for a police officer than to have worked hard to secure the conviction of a criminal only to see magistrates hand out a derisory sentence. It is equally depressing for law-abiding residents to see the scourge of their

  • Allied troops storm Baghdad's airport

    US troops captured Baghdad airport last night as coalition forces edged closer to the gates of the Iraqi capital. Tanks and armoured units met almost no opposition from Iraqi forces as they seized Saddam Hussein international airport. ABC television reporter

  • Return of a model favourite

    Trams and buses will stand alongside walking robots and other modern constructions in a Meccano exhibition. The History of Meccano, which is one of the most popular exhibitions staged at Beamish Museum, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, returns to

  • First aid pupils sweep the board

    YOUNG first aiders at a primary school have won first, second and third place in a competition. The Durham County round of the St John Ambulance National Schools First Aid competition took place at the organisation's county HQ in Langley Moor. Eight teams

  • 'This is not a crusade against Muslims'

    Ashok Kumar, a North-East MP who was born in Asia, explains how, after much soul-searching, he has come to the conclusion that the war against Iraq is right. I WRITE this article as a British Member of Parliament, and a Member of Parliament born in India

  • 04/04/03

    FOOTBALL HOOLIGANISM: THOSE of us who opposed the abolition of National Service in 1960, did so in the belief that, for young men approaching maturity, two years in the armed forces gave them a sense of discipline, loyalty and self-respect which many

  • Ex-wife murdered for sex taunts

    A JEALOUS man who murdered his estranged wife after she taunted him about her new relationship was jailed for life yesterday. Thomas Gallagher, 45, stabbed 34-year-old Elizabeth Gallagher 30 times after she boasted about her sex life with a new lover.

  • Men in court charged with theft from building society

    Two men have appeared in court charged with taking part in a raid on a North-East building society which netted more than £30,000. Stephen McGovern and Brian James McNally, from Liverpool, appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe today. Both are

  • Injury deepens the misery for Flo

    TORE ANDRE FLO'S miserable Sunderland career hit a new low last night when he was ruled out for three weeks with a thigh strain - meaning he will miss tomorrow's reunion with his old club Chelsea. Flo, who was hurt during Norway's 2-0 Euro 2004 qualifier

  • Shildon ace forced to settle for second place

    SHILDON'S Barry Johnson put up a sterling fight, but had to give second best to Shropshire driver Andy Burton on last weekend's Willingham's Recovery North Humberside Forest Stages Rally in North Yorkshire. Driving a hybrid Peugeot Cosworth, Burton and

  • Naylor back with a bang to stun Shakers

    THREE points at Southend United tomorrow will surely ensure Division Three survival for Darlington following last Saturday's exciting 3-1 win over Bury at Feethams. Two goals in the last three minutes helped Quakers chalk up their second successive victory

  • Warnings issued after ground opens up

    FARMER Ken Saddington is having to stop vehicles travelling on to his land after subsidence caused gullies up to 14ft deep to open up. The 72-year-old said the holes - one of which is close to a popular right of way - are deep enough for him to climb

  • Letters: Benefitting wildlife

    Sir, - I hope I can provide some reassurance to Giles Manners who wrote to you (D&S, Mar 21)expressing concerns about Defra agri-environment schemes and in particular whether the new Entry Level Pilot Scheme will benefit wildlife. This scheme has

  • It will be back to basics at the school made of straw

    A £2M "back to basics" farm school in North Yorkshire could soon be attracting attention in Europe. The accommodation block for seven to 11-year-olds is taking shape at Clow Beck in a small valley half a mile from Croft. It has rubble-filled rubber tyres

  • Burton's Bytes: When remaking a classic's not a complete waste

    METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SUBSTANCE. Publisher: SCEE. Platfrom: PS2 and Xbox. Price: £44.99. THE TROUBLE with legends is knowing when to quit. Does anyone really believe Mohammed Ali would have been any less well respected had he decided to throw in his gloves

  • Double baby joy half an hour apart

    TWO colleagues at a housing office became parents within 28 minutes and 28 miles of each other. Paul Mullis and Angela Wood joined the finance department of Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association in Chester-le-Street last year. When Angela and Paul's

  • Musical mystery tells the tale of Causey Arch's tragic creator

    THE mysterious disappearance of the builder of Causey Arch, near Stanley, is to be explored in a musical show in the town next week. Set at the dawn of the industrial age, Arch Enemies recounts the building of the bridge, completed in 1726 and the oldest

  • Royal seal of approval for Dales jobs project

    THE Prince of Wales has heard how a scheme he launched to help deprived and isolated rural areas became a lifeline to local people. Just hours before he was due to undergo surgery for a hernia, Prince Charles hosted a seminar at his Gloucestershire estate

  • Too few for election puts parish council on brink of demise

    A PARISH council wracked by turmoil last year over a code of conduct imposed by the Government is facing a fresh crisis because it will not have enough members after May 1. Lack of public interest in the forthcoming local elections means that the combined

  • Trooper Collins seals Wetherby double for Tuer

    FIRM ground ensured that only 24 runners contested the seven races as Wetherby staged its final point to point last Saturday. Grant Tuer took the day's honours in the Badsworth and Bramham Moor event with a riding and training double. His first success

  • Council's IT specialists 'a shining light'

    A TEAM of specialists set up to make computers accessible to everyone has earned a major national honour. Derwentside District Council has been awarded Beacon Status for its policy of social inclusion through information communications technology. Alan

  • Prices at the marts

    BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 186 store cattle. Feeding bulls. - Char: £550, £535, £532 K Atkinson. BB: £535 T&G Lee; £505 A&B Herworth. Lim: £515, £495 A&B Herworth; £510, £490 K Atkinson. BA: £508, £455 J&SE Bainbridge. Store steers.

  • Everyday heroes recognised by community

    IT WAS the turn of the everyday heroes who tirelessly do their bit for their community to receive their moment of praise at Redcar and Cleveland Community Achievement Awards last Wednesday. A total of 13 individuals and groups, including Pearl and Lynne

  • Quieter bypass is on the way at last

    THIRSK'S noisy bypass is to be re-surfaced. The work will reduce the effects of noise which has plagued people living in about 450 properties. The concrete section of road on the A168/A19 is also a headache for motorists, and councillors have been pressing

  • Well done Yarm

    AS THE former headmaster of Yarm School suggests this week, that group of "indomitable mothers" who were the driving force behind the early years of the school were a pretty frightening bunch. They clearly needed to be to support an enterprise which was

  • Letters: Status symbol

    Sir, - Richmondshire District Council has won £46,000 for having acquired the status of a "Beacon Council". Before anyone gets too excited about this, it has to be said that the award was made for the council's support of the rural economy only and does

  • More road tolls the answer, say MPs

    Congestion on Britain's roads can only be tackled by bringing in tolls, a House of Commons committee has found. Tony Blair's administration must either bring in widespread road-user charging or accept that congestion will rise, the Transport Committee

  • Bus colleagues reunited

    FOUR pensioners have been reunited 30 years after they last worked together on the buses. Joseph Scott, 80, from Great Lumley, Etta Burrige, 77, and Connie Newton, 87, both from Perkinsville, and Elsie Douglas, 81, of Chester-le-Street, worked for what

  • Liddle backs young Quakers

    Darlington skipper Craig Liddle has backed the club's young guns to come back stronger next season. Liddle believes the likes of Clark Keltie, Ashley Nicholls and Ryan Valentine will return better players after coming through their first full professional

  • News in brief: Provoking war drama

    A thought-provoking play about a war photographer and the tensions between his home and work life is coming to the region next week. Safety was premiered at the Edinburgh Festival last year and will visit Darlington Arts Centre on Wednesday and Thursday

  • Letters: Not strict enough

    Sir, - I have followed your recent reports on school uniform at the Allertonshire School, Northallerton, with interest, as I have a child at the school. The problems you have highlighted have arisen not because the headmistress, Mrs Hart, is too strict

  • News in brief: Role of genes in diabetes

    Professor Mark Walker, from Newcastle University's medical school will address Durham Diabetic Club when they meet on Tuesday, at 7.30pm, in the Diabetes Centre in the University Hospital of North Durham. He will give a talk on the role of genes in diabetes

  • Law may alter job prospects, survey reveals

    NEW rules on flexible working being introduced following the Employment Act 2002 could make women less employable, according to the results of a poll carried out by Croner, the UK's leading provider of business information. Human resources professionals

  • Helping people to quit smoking

    SESSIONS aimed at people wanting to stop smoking are to start in Ferryhill. Smoke cessation councillor Annie Pluse will be at Ferryhill Town Hall every Tuesday, starting on April 15, for nine weeks. The programme is part of the Passport to Health Quit

  • 151 standing for council

    THERE will be 151 candidates contesting 59 seats in 22 wards in Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's first postal ballot. When nominations closed at noon on Tuesday, there were nine more candidates than the last election in 1999 in which Labour secured

  • Providing advice on health

    A NEW series of free health topic programmes are available each month at a Newton Aycliffe care centre. Funding secured by the Pioneering Care Partnership has enabled the project to run at the Pioneering Care Centre, in the Cobblers Hall area of town.

  • Election candidate stands down

    A MAN who was to stand as a as a candidate in the Grange ward of Stockton Borough Council has stood down. Colin Pollard is standing down to concentrate on leading the campaign for a Billingham Town Council. Mr Pollard said that standing as a candidate

  • Insulation grants will help needy keep warm

    A SCHEME has been launched to try to cut the number of deaths among people who cannot afford to keep warm in winter. It has been estimated that each year an average of 323 people die cold-related deaths in the Newcastle and North Tyneside Health Authority

  • Dismay at Corus rumour

    UNIONS have reacted with dismay to reports of a possible Corus buy-up involving controversial Indian businessman Lakshmi Mittal. Corus, which employs about 3,600 workers on Teesside, is said to have been in informal talks with Mr Mittal's LNM group over

  • Council sets green target

    STRINGENT waste reduction targets have been adopted by council officials in Hartlepool in a bid to improve the environment. They have pledged to cut their consumption of water, CO2 emissions and waste production by five per cent, by signing up to the

  • News in brief: Pupils secure academy place

    Two schoolchildren who have won places at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth are meeting their MP today. York youngsters Lucy Rawkins and James Washington, both at Manor CE School, will join the rest of Year 8 to put questions to York

  • Wildlife plea to texpayers

    WITH the budget fast approaching, a wildlife charity is reminding people there is a way to take money away from the Chancellor. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) is reminding everyone who pays tax about the Gift Aid scheme, and is asking for donations. Charity

  • Seeking new home for lively Buster

    A LIVELY dog called Buster is in need of a new home after his previous owners had to give him up. The one-year-old Jack Russell/Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross would suit a family keen on walking, with children aged over ten. "He's okay with little ones

  • News in brief: Pensioner hurt in collision

    A PENSIONER has been treated in hospital following a collision with a cyclist. The 72-year-old woman was admitted to the University Hospital of Hartlepool after the collision with the pedal cyclist, believed to be in his mid-teens, outside her home in

  • Pupils from big schools make a splash

    YOUNG swimmers, including the competitor above, took the plunge last night, aiming for honours in a major competition. Participants attended the Darlington School Sports Association Swimming Gala for Big Schools at the Dolphin Centre. The event attracted

  • Children celebrate as area is designated a nature reserve

    CELEBRATIONS took place yesterday as an area of Middlesbrough was designated as a local nature reserve. More than 100 local primary school pupils, with banners flying, paraded through Linthorpe Cemetery, marking the burial ground's new status. English

  • News in brief: Funding plea for pensioners

    COUNCILLORS in Darlington will decide on Tuesday whether to provide funding for two pensioners' clubs. The Firthmoor Over 60s Club has applied for £200 towards summer outings for its 51 members. The Wesley Court Community Centre, in Darlington, which

  • Coastal plans

    Delegates are spending their second day today in Scarborough to see major coastal defence works being undertaken along the coastline. Members of the Armourstone Users Group will visit the £33.6m work to protect the Holms, Castle Headland and East Pier

  • Buildings acclaimed in awards

    THREE landmark building projects in a historic city all won prestigious awards at a ceremony last night. City of York Council is today celebrating a hat trick of success as three council-backed projects were awarded prizes for architecture and environmental

  • Border warriors tackle Falcons

    NEWCASTLE Falcons will be up against several familiar faces when they entertain the Borders tomorrow. Former Falcons Doddie Weir, Gary Armstrong and George Graham are all expected to start the friendly match, which kicks off at 2.30. Newcastle's Director

  • Plea to help soldiers in Gulf

    STAFF at a Darlington insurance firm are appealing for help to send more than 200 parcels to servicemen and women in Iraq. Workers at Axa Insurance, in the town centre, want to send packages filled with toiletries and sweets to the 250 soldiers from regiments

  • Orphanage clues

    A woman is appealing for information about St Mary's Orphanage, in Tudhoe, near Spennymoor, County Dur-ham. Joan Statham, 77, lived at the Catholic convent in the early 1930s. She is seeking information about the guardians who ran the orphanage. Anyone

  • Plans to create lake for anglers rejected

    PLANS to turn a grazing field into a lake for anglers and nature conservation area have been rejected by councillors after Teesside Airport chiefs claimed it could put airline safety at risk. The pasture, at Bishopton, near Darlington, was to be transformed

  • Cash boost for Sue's charity

    FRIENDS of a devoted campaigner against homelessness will be "sleeping rough" to raise cash in her memory. Sue Woollhouse, who helped run the Nightstop organisation working with homeless people in Darlington, died suddenly last month. A fundraising event

  • Cash boost for Sue's charity

    FRIENDS of a devoted campaigner against homelessness will be "sleeping rough" to raise cash in her memory. Sue Woollhouse, who helped run the Nightstop organisation working with homeless people in Darlington, died suddenly last month. A fundraising event

  • Beckhan taunted by Tugay

    DAVID BECKHAM revealed last night how he was branded gay by angry Turkey midfielder Tugay. The England captain blew a kiss at Tugay after the Blackburn Rovers man tried to wind him up with repeated taunts. Beckham, married to pop star Victoria and a father

  • Vet attraction's new models

    THE latest models to arrive at The World of James Herriot Centre will be those of Mrs Pumphrey and Trikki-Woo. The much-loved character and her dog will be placed in the Thirsk visitor centre's dining room on Monday as if waiting to see the vet. Mrs Pumphrey

  • Art show will tackle the stigma of mental illness

    AN art exhibition with a difference has opened on Teesside. It features black and white photographs of famous and ordinary people who have experienced mental health problems. Also included in the show is artwork, including masks, produced by people with

  • Deal creates grain marketing giant

    GRAINFARMERS have reached agreement to buy the UK grain marketing arm of Dalgety Arable, in a deal which will make Grainfarmers the largest grain marketing business in the UK. In the deal, effective from April 30, Dalgety has entered into an ex-farm procurement

  • North's shame of B&B families

    A CHARITY has highlighted the "alarming extent" of homelessness among families with young children in the North-East. Shelter said that 649 of the 2,410 people in the region who sought housing help from the charity last year were families with young children

  • Rural teenagers get travel incentive to study

    HUNDREDS of teenagers living in rural areas will be given travel expenses as an incentive to continue their school studies after the age of 16. Almost £200,000 is being made available for youngsters by North Yorkshire County Council's Education Department

  • Special sale

    SKIPTON - Sat. Annual spring sale of poultry & waterfowl. Fwd: 537 head of poultry, 37 sittings of eggs. Large fowl: pair Cream Leghorns £60; trio Cochins £40; trio Barnevelde £44; trio Marans £41; trio Welsummers £60; trio Speckled Sussex £60; trio

  • Porn mailshot causes upset

    PORNOGRAPHIC video catalogues have been posted to unsuspecting residents. Last November trading standards investigated a random mailshot by Continental Videos, based in Amsterdam, after complaints from people who received brochures containing explicit

  • Murder's a mystery

    Darlington Youth Theatre is performing Murder at Manner Manor, a murder mystery, at the town's Arts Centre, on Vane Terrace, on Wednesday, April 23, at 8pm. Tickets cost £4, concessions £2. They are available from the box office on (01325) 486555.

  • Grassroots: Derwentside

    CLASS REUNION: Pupils who attended Leadgate County School between 1953 and 1959 are invited to a reunion at 7.30pm on Saturday, April 12, at Leadgate Cricket Club. For details, call (01207) 502440 after 7pm. HELP WILDLIFE: A build-a-birdbox day for all

  • News in brief: Invite to attend trust meeting

    THE next board meeting of Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT) will be held on Thursday, at 2pm in the boardroom, Sedgefield PCT offices, Merrington House, Merrington Lane, Spennymoor. People are welcome to attend and they will have the opportunity to

  • Golfers want sponsors

    THREE teenagers taking part in a charity golfing tournament are looking for sponsors. Shaun Townsend, Robert Dowson and Dale Smith from Skelton, East Cleveland, make up the team called Freeborough's Sweetest Strikers. They are competing in the British

  • Porn mailshot causes upset

    PORNOGRAPHIC video catalogues have been posted to unsuspecting residents. Last November trading standards investigated a random mailshot by Continental Videos, based in Amsterdam, after complaints from people who received brochures containing explicit

  • Shop Talk: The best of the bubbles

    With prices ranging from 15p to almost a pound, is it worth paying extra for posh washing up liquid, or is it a case of less spent is really more? SOMETIMES you realise something that changes your whole world. Like the day you learned that there was no

  • Killer's court appeal rejected

    A MAN convicted of murdering an eccentric scrap dealer during a bungled burglary failed in an Appeal Court bid to have his conviction overturned. Jonathan Embleton, 26, was found guilty at Teesside Crown Court in November 2000 of killing 68-year-old Mohammed

  • Researchers investigate diners' needs

    Select Service Partner Airport and Marine Restaurants (SSP), the retailing arm of caterers Compass, has appointed marketing consultants Rocket Science, of Middlesbrough, to find out what its customers want. SSP has a portfolio of franchises including

  • Chieftain turnover falls but profits rise

    INDUSTRIAL insulation and fire proofing engineers Chieftain, of Newcastle, has announced a reduced turnover for last year. Overall turnover for 2002 was £14.8m, compared with £17.3m the year before. The company said the reduction was not caused by a decline

  • Burglaries fall

    The number of burglaries committed in Sedgefield borough are at a five year low, according to latest figures. Crime prevention officer Neil Langthorne released the statistics at a recent meeting of the Sedgefield Burglary Action Group. He said that there

  • Jobs lost as tour operator MyTravel looks to future

    Tour operator MyTravel yesterday confirmed it is to reduce staff numbers by almost 2,000 as it moves to safeguard its future. The figure includes 700 job losses announced two months ago and a further 600 workers who have already been told they are losing

  • A cake just for you

    CAROLE Johnston is doing her best to have her cake and eat it - and she is hoping it will earn her a living. She has launched her business, 4afters, to provide individual cakes for individual occasions. Miss Johnston, of Bagby, Thirsk, made her debut

  • Data rules out Dales cancer hotspot

    NO EVIDENCE has been found of a higher-than-expected rate of either breast cancer or total cancers in the Wensleydale or Swaledale areas, Hambleton and Richmondshire NHS Primary Care Trust announced this week. Just before Christmas, the Rotary Club of

  • Husband found guilty of manslaughter

    A North-East man was jailed for four years today for the neglect of his wife before her hospital death. Kenneth Hood, 57, waited a fortnight before calling a doctor to his wheelchair bound wife Irene, 55, who had suffered a broken leg and ribs. The jury

  • Of swans, coffin carriers and islands in the stream

    Elvet, named from the Anglo-Saxon Aelfet-Ee, meaning swan-island, was first mentioned in 762AD when a Bishop of Whithorn called Peotwine was consecrated there. Whithorn, in Scotland, is one of Britain's oldest Christian sites, so Elvet was probably a

  • Troops to be sent Echo's crossword

    SOLDIERS serving in the Gulf could soon be exercising their minds even more, thanks to colleagues back home and The Northern Echo. The paper's crossword, supplied by Bristol firm Central Press Features, is to be included in a newsletter being produced

  • Police raid cd counterfeiting operation

    A major cd counterfeiting operation has been uncovered following a raid jointly organised by trading standards officers and the anti-piracy unit. Officers from North Yorkshire County Council also seized a quantity of pornographic material during the raid

  • 'Our homes are shaking - take away the lorries'

    GREAT Ayton residents in Levenside and Guisborough Road say their houses are being shaken and their peace spoiled by heavy lorries. A number described their worries at this week's annual parish meeting. They want weight restrictions or total bans on heavy

  • Barney boys put up brave fight

    OAKHAM School captain Joe Wheeler broke Barnard Castle's hearts last Saturday before receiving the Daily Mail Schools trophy from his dad. Former England hooker Peter Wheeler handed over the cup at Twickenham after seeing his son score a hat-trick of

  • Holiday 'prizes' could cost winners dear

    TRADING standards officers have warned of bogus holiday clubs offering "free" holidays and cut-price deals which could cost people thousands of pounds. A number of people in the York area have received phone calls advising them that they have won a holiday

  • Charity disappears, wrecking poorly Vicki's Disney dream

    POLICE are investigating a national charity after it pledged to raise £1,000 to send a poorly North-East youngster on a dream holiday - then disappeared. Now Bryan and Carol Jones fear their hopes of taking their five-year-old daughter, Vicki, to EuroDisney

  • Gone is the haggard and faintly mad look

    Tariq Tahir, Political Correspondent, looks at how Tony Blair has fared in the two weeks of the war TWO weeks into the war and Tony Blair is looking relaxed. Gone is the haggard and faintly mad look that possessed him in the tortuous days when his finger

  • Treatment has its ups and downs

    BARRY NELSON meets a group of patients who are enjoying life on the rebound. PICTURES of promising young gymnasts line the walls of the sports hall at Deerness Leisure Centre at Ushaw Moor, near Durham. The impressive sports centre is equipped with a

  • The encore's in Carolina

    MICHAEL Pritchard, a highly-respected figure in the Cleveland musical scene, retires from his role as a choir conductor this weekend. He conducts Guisborough Choral Society for the last time at St Nicholas' Church tomorrow, starting at 7.30. He has led

  • Chiming in the new vicar

    CHURCH-goers hope to time the arrival of their new vicar with the sound of bells from Saltburn town clock. For more than a year, the quarter-hour chime has been silent, in need of repair. Although housed in the tower of Emmanuel Church, with running costs

  • Ex-theatre bosses may still face court

    A COUNCIL which was forced to take over the running of a multi-million pound theatre after its former managers ran up huge debts, has not yet ruled out a police investigation. In a letter seen by The Northern Echo, Durham City Council leader Maurice Crathorne

  • Mail order fraudsters may have their home confiscated

    A MAN who netted £500,000 by fleecing 16,000 people in a nationwide work-from-home fraud was jailed yesterday - and he and his wife could have their home confiscated by the court. Richard Alderson, 32, and his wife, Alison, 35, of Briarhill, Chester-le-Street

  • Crash driver 'was not to blame'

    TWO women died in a crash when the vehicle they were travelling in pulled out into the path of another car on a dual carriageway, an inquest has been told. Teacher Karen Toolan, 37, died instantly and pensioner Dorothy Daly, 70, died in hospital after

  • Community mourns marine killed in action

    TRIBUTES have been paid to a young soldier from Guisborough killed in Iraq. Christopher Maddison, who was 24, died from wounds suffered during a river patrol in southern Iraq, on Sunday. Marine Maddison was on one of two landing craft vehicles, crewed

  • Warning over lethal vodka batch

    HEALTH officers have issued an urgent warning to anyone who may have bought a potentially lethal batch of vodka. The one litre bottles of Original Vodka Russia Export Quality was made in Belgium and has the batch code Lo958 and bar code 5414145035066.

  • Jail sentence plea rejected

    A JILTED boyfriend who lit a chip pan on the cooker of his former partner's house when she was out, failed to get a cut in his jail term yesterday. Carl Anthony Warnock, 37, of Sandown Road, Billingham, was jailed for five years at Teesside Crown Court

  • £25,000 path offer as Newbus plan is approved

    A CONTROVERSIAL autistic centre could prove the solution to providing a longed-for footpath between Neasham and Hurworth. Ironically, Neasham Parish Council recently resigned itself to the fact it could not raise enough money to buy the land needed to

  • Big-hearted Lisa's in the frame to ring panto changes

    LARGER than life TV star Lisa Riley enjoyed having the whip hand at Darlington's Civic Theatre yesterday, as she was unveiled as the ring mistress in this year's panto Goldilocks And The Three Bears. The 27-year-old, famous for playing Mandy Dingle in

  • Cuban trip brings pig semen orders

    A BURGEONING tourist industry in Cuba could be good news for the British pig breeding industry. A recent trip to the Caribbean island by Henry Lewis, the Meat and Livestock Commission's livestock export manager, resulted in firm orders for semen from

  • Top brass faces interrogation over north-south divide

    TOP brass from Durham Constabulary will be grilled over plans to split the county in two when they meet Darlington cabinet members on Tuesday. Opposition is already mounting against the north-south divide being proposed in a consultation document. The

  • Girls' poems make mums proud

    THREE youngsters with a talent for verse have written their way to treats for their proud mothers. Hundreds of pupils from primary schools in the Stanley area entered a Mother's Day poetry competition, sponsored by Asda. Each child was asked to write

  • Lifeboat restorers welcome grant aid

    WORK to restore a lifeboat to its former glory has been given a £35,000 boost. The Princess Royal, which saved the lives of 94 people between 1939 and 1968, has undergone extensive restoration over the past three years. A new grant from the North Hartlepool

  • Students' field trip sparks police alert

    A GROUP of foreign students got more than they bargained for on a field trip. The group, many of them believed to have been of Arabic or Asian origin, were in the Seal Sands area as part of an engineering visit, earlier this week. They were minding their

  • Mowden office switch could bring parking relief to residents

    THE announcement that one of Darlington's major employers is to move part of its operation across town could spell good news for residents in the Mowden area. Business services organisation Capita is moving its call centre operation at Mowden Hall to

  • No benefit in reduced rate option is no great surprise

    BETWEEN us, we've paid out about £8bn and got precious little in return, but don't count me among the complainers. "We" are the millions of working wives who opted to pay reduced rate National Insurance contributions, better known as the "married women's

  • Creators of hedgehog haven honoured

    WHEN Pearl and Lynne Appleby changed the name of their modest semi from No 56 to Hog Haven, they meant it. Pearl, 80, and her daughter Lynne have 67 hedgehogs in their Redcar home-cum-sanctuary, which is cluttered with boxes, newspapers and hedgehog feed

  • Looking Back

    FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Scarlet Fever Outbreak. A serious outbreak of scarlet fever has been reported to the Sunderland Medical Officer of Health, no fewer than 40 cases having been notified in two days this week in one district. The disease

  • BNP stands for council

    FAR-right candidates are standing for election for the first time in North-West Durham. The British National Party has put up candidates in Consett and Stanley for the local government elections for Derwentside District Council which are taking place

  • Musical keeps it in the family

    A THEATRICAL family will tread the boards together in £75,000 performance of a hit Broadway musical. Husband and wife Chris and Lynn Richardson will play the lead roles of Annie and Frank Butler in West End Operatic Society's production of Annie Get Your

  • Businesswoman hits a high note

    MUSICIAN Jennie Nicholson hit the right note with a judging panel when they named her County Durham's Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Ms Nicholson, 23, who lives in Witton Gilbert, won the title and a cheque for £500 at the final, held

  • Letters: Flood risk

    Sir, - In March Defra announced its decisions on the funding feview of flood defence, laying out the broad principles of what changes will be made to the management and financing of flood defence in the next year or two. One of the decisions is to extend

  • £3m grant concentrates minds on college site

    AN East Cleveland school is able to pursue its somewhat controversial goal of constructing a new single-site building, following confirmation of a £3.8m Government grant for the area. Freebrough Community College currently operates from three school sites

  • New team chase gets off to a flying start

    THE first Zetland team chase attracted 24 teams and plenty of spectators to the new Foxberry UK Chasers cross-country course at Caldwell, near Richmond, on Sunday, March 23. Teams came from as far afield as Leeds and Huddersfield for the competition,

  • What people will pay for a bit of mythology

    THE curators of the Captain Cook Museum should not perhaps get too excited at the idea of the spear reputed to have killed the great navigator coming to Marton. According to one commentator, speaking after the spear fetched an astonishing £135,000 at

  • England's Riverside visit under a cloud

    UEFA faced growing calls last night to order England's Euro 2004 qualifier with Slovakia at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium to be played behind closed doors. Slovakian officials contacted UEFA early yesterday to inform European football's governing

  • Youths stone firefighters

    FIRE crews are being given police escorts when called to fires in a village because youths are luring them to the area and then stoning them. Firefighters from High Handenhold station and Durham have been pelted with stones by youths around the Sevenacres

  • Youngsters rally round to help Gulf troops

    CHILDREN at a North Yorkshire school are coming up trumps for troops serving in the Gulf. Romanby Primary had a sizeable stockpile of items within days of launching an aid appeal, and the school is now asking local businesses if they can help with the

  • Workers' fears realised after electronics firm axes plant

    ELECTRONICS company LG Philips Displays last night confirmed the worst fears of staff by announcing its Wearside plant is to close with the loss of 120 jobs. The company said the decision to shut the 32-year-old plant in Washington had been taken with

  • Propspects brighter for beef exports

    A RESUMPTION of British beef exports could be on the horizon. - and the Meat and Livestock Commission says there could be a level playing field in European beef trading for the first time in seven years. Duncan Sinclair, MLC beef economist, said that

  • Fairytale for young stars

    CINDERELLA tried on her new rags this week, nearly nine months before her opening night at the Gala Theatre's Christmas pantomime. Kirsti McDonagh, 16, and Luck Gasper, are cast in the leading roles of Cinderella and Prince Charming. They were transformed

  • Military funeral to be held for North casualty

    THE mother of a soldier killed in the war on Iraq is planning a military funeral. Ann Nichol watched television coverage of the bodies of the first British servicemen killed in the Gulf being flown into RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, in tears at the

  • Councillors back bid for village green application

    CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating winning district council backing for their fight to preserve an historic piece of open ground. Residents in Blackhill, Consett, applied to Durham County Council to have Blue Heaps, once the site of an historic battle, registered

  • Railway re-opening hopes revived with feasibility study

    PLANS to re-open a North Yorkshire railway line closed more than 40 years ago could soon be brought from the sidings. A scheme to put trains back on track along the former Harrogate-Ripon-Thirsk-Northallerton route has been on hold for more than four

  • Grain report

    by Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture CEREAL prices have remained unchanged, with very little significant news to affect prices. Oilseed prices have also remained unchanged at the end of the day, although they are moving in line with currency movements and

  • Burning Questions: The monks who were called to arms

    Q Can you tell me anything about the village of Blanchland? - Bill Hutchinson, Chester-le-Street. A Blanchland, situated in the Derwent valley, is said to take its name from the French word for white and that blanch refers to the white habits worn by

  • Last Night's TV: The Real Casanova (C4)

    The true story behind the world's greatest lover THE makers of The Real... series usually take delight in demolishing the subject's reputation. Giovanni Jacopo Casanova was treated more kindly. Not only did the programme confirm his position as the world's

  • A new beginning for a print institution

    THE sweet smell of ink greets us as we enter Peter Sotheran's neat little Redcar print works. He calls it his factory, but it's small. It is where his working life began in 1961, after he left the local Sir William Turner Grammar School. Now, the 59-year-old

  • Women's team will fight ban on shirt logo

    WOMEN footballers have been ordered to ditch their controversial sponsorship logo after the FA ruled it 'inappropriate.' Chester-le-Street Ladies Football Club was overjoyed when they heard they were to receive a £1,300 sponsorship deal to publicise an

  • Gymnastics trio pipped to medal place

    THREE gymnasts who represented the North-East in a national competition last week narrowly missed out on medals. Alisa Pitt, Nikki Wilson and Lyndsey Irish, all from Stockton, took fourth place when they competed in the National Sports Acrobatics Competition

  • Radio DJ helps to open new service

    PEOPLE were taken back half a century when they called at the NAAFI Financial in Catterick Garrison. Darlington Building Society launched an agency at the Shute Road premises and enlisted garrison DJ, Chris Marsden to help. The Fifties theme was chosen

  • News in brief: Role of genes in diabetes

    Professor Mark Walker, from Newcastle University's medical school will address Durham Diabetic Club when they meet on Tuesday, at 7.30pm, in the Diabetes Centre in the University Hospital of North Durham. He will give a talk on the role of genes in diabetes

  • Travel agents in the running for an award

    A NORTH-EAST travel firm is vying for a national title after being nominated as one of the top independent travel agents in the North-East and Yorkshire. Tate's Travel Worldwide, of Sunderland, has been nominated for the Agent Achievement Award, in recognition

  • News in brief: Pensioner hurt in collision

    A PENSIONER has been treated in hospital following a collision with a cyclist. The 72-year-old woman was admitted to the University Hospital of Hartlepool after the collision with the pedal cyclist, believed to be in his mid-teens, outside her home in

  • Court closes its doors to the public

    CHESTER-le-Street Magistrates' Court held its final sitting on Monday. The town's court has now closed permanently after holding its final hearings, and a string of traffic offences ensured the court's final day petered out in an unspectacular fashion

  • Event to help unemployed

    PEOPLE are being offered the chance to find out about employment initiatives, training and benefits at an event being organised by Gateshead Council later this month. The recently-opened Kibblesworth Millennium Centre will host the event from 10am to

  • Conmen may be trading the addresses of 'soft targets'

    A GANG of conmen targeting blind and partially sighted pensioners in Teesside has got away with more than £9,000 in 21 raids in only two months. Both Age Concern and the Royal National Institute for the Blind are now calling for the public to be more

  • Leisure centre closure

    A LEISURE centre is to close next week while maintenance work is carried out. The Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, will be closed for safety reasons on Monday and Tuesday to allow staff and sub-contractors to move in. Leisure attendants, cleaners, scaffolders

  • Schools may get share of £2.2bn boost

    SECONDARY schools across County Durham could become multi-purpose learning centres under new Government plans. Durham County Council is to start drawing up proposals for a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to change the face of education. The Government

  • Recognition for joint project

    A PIONEERING school construction project has won a top prize in a national competition. Springwell Dene School, in Sunderland, won second prize in the National Quality in Construction Awards in the category for a small building project successfully demonstrating

  • Helping smokers to kick the habit

    SESSIONS aimed at people wanting to stop smoking are to start in Ferryhill. Smoke cessation councillor Annie Pluse will be at Ferryhill Town Hall every Tuesday, starting on April 15, for nine weeks. Mrs Pluse said: "If you feel the time is right to stop

  • Objections to scheme

    COUNCILLORS are being asked to approve plans for a three-storey block of flats despite objections. Stockton Borough Council has received a planning application to demolish Little Corby Lodge, a dormer bungalow, in Marquis Grove, Norton, and replace it

  • Anticipation as new school proposal clears first hurdle

    A MODERN, purpose-built school seems set to be built in Richmond with news that the Government has backed in principle the redevelopment of St Francis Xavier School. The Department of Education and Skills has indicated it is willing to contribute 80 per

  • Pupils see science brought to life

    SCIENCE lessons have taken on a fresh dimension for a group of students who have seen what they are taught in the classroom being carried out in the workplace. Youngsters attending the Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough, have been getting professional

  • High street cleaned up by steam power

    A STEAM-POWERED cleaning machine is being used to tackle chewing gum stains and graffiti in Stockton High Street. The machine has been used between 6pm and 10pm every night this week. Simon Dale, head of direct services for Stockton Borough Council, said

  • Villagers honoured for driving down speed on the roads

    TWO North Yorkshire communities have won praise for their commitment to road safety in their area. County councillor Paul Richardson presented a plaque to Ian Johnson, chairman of the parish council of Fearby and Healey, near Masham. The presentation

  • News in brief: Role of genes in diabetes

    Professor Mark Walker, from Newcastle University's medical school will address Durham Diabetic Club when they meet on Tuesday, at 7.30pm, in the Diabetes Centre in the University Hospital of North Durham. He will give a talk on the role of genes in diabetes

  • 200,000 daffs planted in bid for award win

    MORE than 200,000 daffodils have been planted in a bid by Ripon to win the Britain in Bloom competition. As the 2003 campaign gets under way, Ripon is already a finalist in the awards. The preparations are already well in hand, with the planting of 30

  • Logo hints at park's hidden attractions

    A park being restored to its 18th Century splendour has unveiled its new identity. Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield, County Dur-ham, is being restored by owners Durham County Council with the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Its new logo,

  • Calls for car park clean-up

    THE council's litter squad is to inspect a Darlington car park after complaints by residents. People living near Chesnut Street lorry and car park have complained that the area is often strewn with take- away boxes and rubbish left behind by lorry drivers

  • Signed quilt to be raffled off

    A GUISBOROUGH craft shop has donated a quilt to raffle for Diabetes UK. Volunteers who attended workshop sessions at Leven Crafts have made the quilt during the past few months under the guidance of owner Beryl Frank. It has been signed by Sir Steve Redgrave

  • Youngsters go Stateside

    YOUNGSTERS from Stockton Sixth Form College are living the high life in the US as part of an educational visit to New York this week. A visit to Harlem, a tour of art galleries, and dinner on Broadway, are all on the menu for 28 students taking part in

  • Extra cash to pay for parks renovation

    THOUSANDS of pounds are to be spent renovating Darlington parks. Darlington Borough Council has announced that the Denes will be included in its park improvements programme thanks to an additional £30,000 cash boost. The £150,000 scheme to improve parks

  • Cabbie seeking council damages

    A CAB driver is to seek thousands of pounds in damages from a council that suspended his licence for having the wrong colour taxi. George Jenkinson defeated Darlington Borough Council in court last year after it ruled his taxi was not the right shade

  • Guides and Brownies' coffee date

    A GROUP of Brownies and Guides are holding a coffee morning to help promote their village community centre. The future of Middleton St George community centre was secured when a new management committee took over its running. There had been fears the

  • Praise for brave pupil who can still smile despite tragedy

    ALEXANDER Ryder has had to deal with the kind of heartache which could break anyone - let alone a ten-year-old boy. But to see him go to school each day, clutching his homework, with a beaming smile on his face, nobody would ever suspect the tragic story

  • Fire Up The Band romps in to land the Ascot spoils

    DANDY for us, Fire Up The Band scooted home in the Ascot opener on Saturday at decent odds of 3-1 favourite, just as we predicted last week. David "Dandy" Nicholls sent this winner down from Sessay and son Adrian rode. The pair were only beaten half a

  • Vandalism problem hastens housing demolition scheme

    A DEMOLITION scheme to clear a housing estate of derelict homes has been completed ahead of schedule to stop youths running riot. The final 26 properties to be cleared from the Woodhouse Close Estate, in Bishop Auckland, were pulled down on Wednesday

  • Fighting success for young experts

    MARTIAL arts youngsters are celebrating competition success after clinching 12 winners trophies. Sixteen students, aged from six to 16, from Spennymoor Tae-kwondo club battled it out in a One to One competition at Aycliffe Leisure Centre against clubs

  • Party launches local manifesto

    SEDGEFIELD borough residents will be receiving copies of the Sedgefield District Labour Party manifesto over the next few days, ahead of the local government elections on Thursday, May 1. Councillor Brian Stephens, leader of the Sedgefield District Labour

  • youngsters take lessons in Eastern culture from an expert

    A SCHOOL has been taking a look at the Far East to learn more about how cultures differ around the world. St Mary's RC Primary School, in Whickham, Gateshead, is playing host to a Japanese student, who as well as having learnt a lot about the region's

  • Success at double for Sir Jimmy's local chip shop

    A FAMILY-RUN fish and chip shop celebrated a double award yesterday - presented to them by regular customer Sir Jimmy Savile. The television star, well known for his Jim'll Fix It show, handed over the Sea Fish Fryers award to siblings Andrea Sunley and

  • £50,000 lifeline thrown to factory

    A CHEQUE that has guaranteed factory jobs will be handed over today. A year ago, prospects looked bleak for workers at the former Trellborg plant in Skelton, east Cleveland. Now it has been given a £50,000 lifeline by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

  • £50,000 lifeline thrown to factory

    A CHEQUE that has guaranteed factory jobs will be handed over today. A year ago, prospects looked bleak for workers at the former Trellborg plant in Skelton, east Cleveland. Now it has been given a £50,000 lifeline by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council