Archive

  • South Durham win Alpha trophy

    The South Durham Gymnastics Club returned triumphantly from Wiltshire last weekend after winning the Alpha Factor UK Invitational Gymnastics Tournament. The competition involved pieces of work on the vault, bars, beam and floor and the top score on every

  • Clarke set to return up front

    Matt Clarke looks set to shake off the flu and lead Darlington's attack in tomorrow's visit of Bury. With Danny Mellanby unlikely to be fit to face the Shakers, after suffering a recurrence of a back injury in the midweek defeat at Cheltenham, Clarke

  • Sven adds voice to anti-racism video

    ENGLAND manager Sven Goran Eriksson is backing a North-East campaign to kick racism out of football. The Swede recorded a four-minute personal message for a film produced by Tyneside-based organisation, Show Racism the Red Card. It will form part of an

  • Morpeth's quick one-two

    MORPETH Harriers continued their domination of the North-East senior mens distance running scene by filling the first two places in Sunday's Blaydon Nichol Hunter Memorial cross country relays for the second year in succession. Last year the Northumbrians

  • Revival raises Shepherd's hopes

    NEWCASTLE United chairman Freddy Shepherd can see no reason why the Magpies can't be back in Champions League action as early as next season. After being dumped out of Europe's premier club competition in the qualifying stage by Partizan Belgrade and

  • Richmond and Zetland Harriers

    Rounding-up the missing results for Harriers takes you far and wide - John Wild definitely went furthest, making a trip to Hungary for the World Throwing Championships, but others travelled to Manchester and Carlisle for competition. John has had the

  • Alsop to work on Middlehaven

    A leading UK architectural practice has been selected to further shape and deliver one of the most important regeneration projects in the North-East. Tees Valley Regeneration has appointed Alsop Architects to work with its partners - the national regeneration

  • Ice hockey: Junior round-up

    Billingham Bears came out on top in their English U16 North A League encounter with Sunderland Arrows at the Telewest Arena. Bears ran out 4-2 victors, but would have been a much bigger margin if not for the performance of Arrows' netminder Mark Thurman

  • Baby ends 20-year wait

    THE arrival of Aidan Michael Dargue has ended a 20-year wait by his great, great aunt and brought unexpected joy to a Durham WI. In 1983, Ruth Brown, of Durham, won first prize in a raffle - a quilt made by Merry Oaks WI. Traditionally, the quilt is used

  • Kay finds gold at end of Rainbow success

    Durham Ranking Tournament: Tony Kay of Darlington won the final qualifying tournament of the year at Durham Snooker Club with an odd point victory over Kevin Rainbow and boosted his overall place in the Ranking List to give himself a much better placing

  • Award winners are chosen

    After hours of discussion and deliberation the winners of the 2003 Local Heroes Awards, powered by npower, have been selected. As always, it was a hugely difficult task, one made tougher by the high standard of entries which have been flooding into The

  • Dancer to call tune

    MICK CHANNON could win with the stable cat at present, such is the sublime form of his powerful Lambourn yard. Having failed to climb on the Channon bandwagon thus far, I'm desperately hoping the bubble doesn't burst before Bravo Dancer (2.15) takes the

  • Dancer to call the tune

    MICK CHANNON could win with the stable cat at present, such is the sublime form of his powerful Lambourn yard. Having failed to climb on the Channon bandwagon thus far, I'm desperately hoping the bubble doesn't burst before Bravo Dancer (2.15) takes the

  • In search of city's Roman heritage

    STUDENTS of Durham's history are often drawn to Old Durham, the name of a farm a mile to the east of Durham Cathedral, below Gilesgate's Sherburn Road Estate. The obvious question is: How old is Old Durham? Well, to put it into perspective, Durham City

  • 24/10/03

    SUNDERLAND might be out of the League Cup, but Willington Under-15s' run in our version of the competition continues unhindered. We followed up our 7-1 win in the first round with a victory by the same scoreline against Jarrow YMCA last Sunday. Ryan Young

  • Racist fears as schools targeted by far-right

    FAR-RIGHT politicians are targeting the region's schools in a bid to recruit children as young as 11. The British National Party (BNP) claims to have gained supporters in seven North-East schools, colleges and universities. They are listed on a website

  • Shildon sample glory ahead of biggest game in 40 years

    SHILDON players had a little taste of FA Cup glory as they got their hands on domestic football's most coveted trophy yesterday - two days before the club's biggest game in four decades. As the countdown to the Railwaymen's cup clash with Stocksbridge

  • Roman road is revealed as pub is levelled

    REGULARS at the old Starting Gate pub may not have known it but their favourite watering hole was sitting on a piece of history. For under the now-demolished pub, cobbles that the Romans once walked on nearly 2,000 years ago have been found. And the experts

  • UniBond League

    Bishop Auckland have been given a list of tasks to complete on their ground before the UniBond League will allow them to take promotion at the end of the season. The league inspectors paid a two hour visit to their Dean Street ground on Sunday morning

  • Tennis

    Sarah Borwell (Nunthorpe) was the last British survivor in the ITF 25,000-dollar Welsh International Women's Open last week in Cardiff. The Durham and Cleveland player, placed ninth in the British order of merit, reached the semi-finals as a qualifier

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: A victim of his own conscience

    GEORGE Galloway was not the only Labour MP who opposed the war against Iraq, but he is the only one to be thrown out of his party. It is essential in the increasingly discredited world of politics that freedom of speech is protected, irrespective of party

  • 'Brilliant' boy dies playing in tree house

    THE heartbroken parents of an eight-year-old boy who died after becoming tangled up in a rope swing last night paid tribute to their "kind" and "brilliant" son. Jerome Frewen - who was known to friends and family as Romey - was playing in his tree-house

  • Advice from the experts of panto

    TWO favourite pantomime characters travelled to a Durham school to give pupils some useful theatrical tips. Straight from rehearsals of Cinderella - this year's Christmas production at Durham's Gala theatre - Buttons, alias Peewee Price, and Ugly Sister

  • Ben's comic creation ready for print

    AN 11-YEAR-OLD'S comic creation is to appear in The Beano and Dandy, after he was named the UK's Best Young Cartoonist. Ben Nightingale's comic strip hero, Jonny Gizmo, a mad inventor who creates robots to do household chores, so impressed judges in a

  • Stepy's Coaches Sunday League

    The League's own cup ties and the Durham County Football Association Sunday Cup reduced the League's Programme. Premiership leaders Hetton Lyons Cricket Club maintained top spot with a fine 3-0 home win over second bottom club Fishburn WMC. Last season's

  • In praise of exposing the poice racists

    SHOCKING as it was, there were many positive messages from this week's documentary The Secret Policeman. Firstly, this was top quality investigative journalism. The BBC has had its share of knocks recently - some from this column - but this was brave,

  • A challenge that's childsplay for a pro

    Hunting Chris Ryan (BBC1): IF I were lost in the jungle, Chris Ryan is the man I'd like to have with me. The former SAS hero showed in the first of three real-life action adventures that he's more than capable of outwitting his enemies to get out of a

  • Passport to success

    A FASHION boutique owner is to be the first to try a scheme that promises to change the future of retailing in the region. Jeanette Davies, who runs Dusty's Daughter in the MetroCentre, Gateshead, is to pioneer the Passport initiative, which helps to

  • Investment leads to excellence

    THE region can now boast its own Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for media after more than £300,000 was invested in staff and equipment. Darlington College, renowned for its media training courses, upgraded its Media Design Centre after being selected

  • Woman's plea for help to find her son's killer

    THE mother of a takeawaydelivery man lured to his death has renewed her appeal for help in bringing his killers to justice - a decade after his murder. Paul Logan, from Shotley Bridge, County Durham, was killed after answering a bogus call two days before

  • Basketball: Durham League

    Division One: Belmont Panthers v M'brough Mav. A close tie in Durham provided a good competitive game of basketball between the Belmont Panthers and Middlesbrough Mavericks A game eventually taken by the Teeside team only after a valiant Belmont stand

  • MEP supports curbs on organ trafficking

    A MOVE to tackle human organ trafficking has been backed by North-East MEP Martin Callanan. MEPs voted yesterday in Strasbourg on proposals aimed at addressing so called "transplant tourism", where European Union citizens travel abroad to donate and purchase

  • Police hunt hit-and-run driver

    Police are hunting a driver who failed to stop after her car struck a teenager. A 15-year-old girl and her friends were crossing Passfield Way in Peterlee, near St Bede's Church, and were mid-way across the road when the purple car hit her. The girl,

  • Cestrians overcome test to keep up record

    Chester-le-Street: The Chester-le-Street promotion bandwagon rolled west to Carlisle for what many thought would be their toughest test yet in the Northern Regional Women's League Division One. The match was a thoroughly entertaining game with both sides

  • The Albany Northern League Today

    Dunston assistant manager Perry Briggs says that centre half Steve Holmes is having a new lease of life. Holmes started his career in the Northern League with Guisborough, before moving into the pro game with Preston and Lincoln. A knee injury finished

  • Brompton take the points

    Brompton Juniors: Having lost undeservedly 4-1 at home to the Allstars while missing four players on a rugby tour, Brompton started second favourites for their latest game against the 21st Allstars. That said, the confidence of the players never slacked

  • Search is on for missing ice rink scrapbooks

    A FAMILY is trying to track down two missing scrapbooks full of memories of Durham City's former ice rink. Agnes Payne, granddaughter of the rink's founder Icy Smith, is appealing for help in tracking down the books which are filled with newspaper cuttings

  • TV review

    Hunting Chris Ryan (BBC1) IF I were lost in the jungle, Chris Ryan is the man I'd like to have with me. The former SAS hero showed in the first of three real-life action adventures that he's more than capable of outwitting his enemies to get out of a

  • Boddy Printers Sunday League

    Big W went down by the odd goal in three at home to Priestfields. Dougie Arnold put Big W ahead but Priestfields hit back with two to take the points. Goals from John Welsh and Carl Hansen for Priestfields. Cleveland Inn went down to a goal in the 90th

  • Appeal to help air medics takes off

    A MAJOR fundraising appeal to buy the North-East a new air ambulance is being given a boost by environmentally-friendly businesses. A European directive means the Great North Air Ambulance, based at Teesside Airport, aims to raise £3m in the next 12 months

  • News in brief

    Photographers face Diana trial Three photographers go on trial in Paris today for taking pictures at the scene of the 1997 car crash in which Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed died. The trial, the latest judicial proceedings surrounding the

  • Wellock's World: Irregular heatbeat

    IN a week when an irregular heartbeat has generated ludicrously lavish media attention, the main point of interest is what sport will our Prime Minister take up in order to be seen to be looking after his ticker? Shots of him next to elderly ladies on

  • Bishop gets rail dream pledge

    THE Bishop of Durham's whistle-stop tour of his new diocese took him to one of the region's new developments yesterday. The Right Reverend Tom Wright stopped off at the site of the £10m Shildon Railway Village, which will become the North-East's first

  • Surfers plan march in move to stop toxic fleet

    A PROTEST meeting will be held today by surfers opposed to the US Ghost Fleet project. Members of Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are planning to march on Able UK to protest against plans to dismantle 13 former US navy vessels at its Hartlepool yard. The

  • Family's second tragedy as brother dies

    A North-East family has suffered a second tragedy five years to the day after a University gardener was killed in a pub fight. Phillip Hoban, whose brother was killed five years ago, died on the anniversary of his sibling's funeral. Thirty-eight year

  • Kall Kwik Harrogate and District League

    The nip and tuck race for supremacy in Division One shows no sign of letting up. While North Leeds top-of-the-table side Adel have taken a six point lead over nearest rivals Chapel Allerton following their 3-0 away win at Knaresborough the chasing pack

  • Darlington Church & Friendly League

    After being away on cup commitments Tindale WMC were back on league duty carrying on their good run with a 4-0 win at Hurworth over the Emerson Arms, Ashley Wilson hit a brace with one apiece going to Garry Whittaker and Andrew Fairley. Shildon Elm Road

  • Creative Calum wins Cook arts prize

    A 12-YEAR-OLD boy has won top prize for a mosaic detailing the life of Captain Cook. Calum Henderson, of High Tunstall Secondary School, Hartlepool, was presented with his prizes by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. The arts competition was organised

  • Building work misery for the disabled and elderly

    ELDERLY and disabled people are being cut off from the outside world because of building work on a housing estate. Residents of a sheltered housing complex in Willington said their lives have been disrupted during the regeneration of a nearby former council

  • Samoa are dangerous, warns England captain

    England captain Martin Johnson last night warned his World Cup team-mates to beware the unpredictable danger of Samoa. The South Sea Islanders will go into Sunday's clash against England at Telstra Dome as Pool C leaders following runaway victories over

  • Adding splash of colour with flower containers sponsorship

    FERRYHILL traders are making a determined effort to improve their town centre. Ferryhill Town Council has recently bought five flower containers, which will be used for seasonal bedding and, eventually, trees. They have been placed at various points around

  • Top travel shop staff celebrate

    STAFF at a travel agents in Hartlepool are flying high after beating off competition from 15 other branches in Teesside to pick up a Store of the Year award. The award was given to the Callers Pegasus branch by the company's head office following a series

  • Principals' warning over new sixth form centre plan

    COLLEGE principals are concerned at a controversial plan to build a new sixth form centre on Teesside. Councillors will decide next month whether the centre, which would take in Nunthorpe School, Eston Park School and Southbank's Gillbrook Technology

  • Agincourt weekend concession to French

    THE clock is being turned back 588 years as a restored medieval townhouse marks the day a small force, commanded by King Henry V, triumphed over a mighty French army at Agincourt. The great English victory of October 25, 1415 is being celebrated this

  • South Cleveland Garages Teesside League

    Division One: Hartlepool FC 1, New Marske SC 0: Oa hard bumpy pitch with a strong swirling wind the game was very scrappy with no goals forthcoming in the first half. The home side struggled throughout but the introduction of 16-year-old substitute Ian

  • Hill is hat-trick hero in six-goal rout

    Richmond Under-12s maintained their great start to the season by completing the double over Dales Diamonds. Richmond went straight at the Dales goal and were one up in the first minute. Josh Slinger hit a shot from outside the penalty area. Richmond went

  • Chilly response to Warm Zone staff

    HOUSEHOLDERS may be missing out on free home improvements. Officials at Stockton Warm Zone fear residents are failing to respond because they are mistaking their staff for door-to-door salesmen operating in the area. The assessors are calling on householders

  • Study success from kitchens

    KITCHEN staff from schools across east Cleveland are being praised for their top class learning achievements. Twenty-two women were presented with certificates for basic IT, literacy and numeracy and confidence building at Hunley Hall Golf Club, Brotton

  • Beware tea-time burglars

    HOUSEHOLDERS in Yarm and Eaglescliffe are being urged to make their homes more secure after a number of opportunist break-ins. Police issued the warning after several tea-time burglaries, where houses have had windows or doors forced open. Crime prevention

  • News in brief: Hit-and-run accident plea

    A man aged 34 remained in hospital last night receiving treatment for a broken left leg after being injured in a hit-and-run accident in Billingham. The incident happened shortly before 8pm last Friday as the man was crossing Low Grange Avenue, near the

  • Project wins city cultural accolade

    A NORTH-EAST city has won recognition for cultural and commercial work carried out during an extensive regeneration programme. Judges of the Association of Town Centre Management Awards heaped accolades on Newcastle's Grainger Town, presenting it with

  • George Reynolds Industrial Estate sold to carpet group

    A CARPET company has rescued a trading estate left devastated when a chipboard factory folded. The George Reynolds Industrial Estate, in Shildon, County Durham, has been bought by the Createcity Group for more than £2m. The deal will bring jobs and investment

  • Art landmarks for green way

    A NEW pedestrian and cycleway linking three east Durham communities has opened. The Greenway joins the villages of Wingate, Station Town and Deaf Hill using traffic-free paths and quiet roads to Trimdon Colliery. Local artist David Gross worked with village

  • Irregular heatbeat

    IN a week when an irregular heartbeat has generated ludicrously lavish media attention, the main point of interest is what sport will our Prime Minister take up in order to be seen to be looking after his ticker? Shots of him next to elderly ladies on

  • Council workers make outstanding contribution

    THREE council workers have been singled out for their outstanding contributions. Angela Lindsay, Caroline Webb and Robbie Stubbs all received the Chairman's Excellence in Performance Awards at a ceremony held at Richmondshire District Council's headquarters

  • Nursery's goal to help people back to work

    THE first of three nurseries, aimed at helping parents in disadvantaged areas get back to work, has been opened in Darlington. Kids & Co, a £59,000 nursery at a heritage site in North Road, near the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, will provide

  • Longhorn Hardware Darlington and District League

    Barnard Castle 1, Greyhound 2: The league leaders went ahead after when Liam Pearson headed home a Thomas Wilkinson cross. Peter Robson added a second when he skipped past a defender and slotted home. Barney never gave up however, Joseph Lewandowski's

  • Flying into the sunset

    It was a triumph of engineering and a source of national pride, but it was also a commercial and environmental nightmare. As Concorde makes its final flight today, Nick Morrison looks at the world's first - and maybe the last - commercial supersonic aircraft

  • Four men arrested over street shooting

    FOUR men have been arrested in connection with a shooting in a North-East town earlier this year. A 36-year-old man, who has not been named, was gunned down in Borrowdale Street, Hetton-le-Hole, on Wearside, at lunchtime on August 19. Witnesses reported

  • Club is inspired by brave youngster

    A BRAVE ten-year-old boy's battle with leukaemia has inspired a Darlington club to raise money for research into the disease. Michael Fogarty, from Hurworth, was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was seven and underwent ten months of chemotherapy followed

  • Now Sven seeks to inspire English firms to success

    ENGLAND football boss Sven-Goran Eriksson took a short break from the soccer merry-go-round yesterday to help inspire people in the business world. The super-cool Swede's "consensual" style of leadership is taking over in the UK workplace, according to

  • Racecourse dog is too quick for the jockeys

    A blurred image is the only known picture of Dwain, the fleet-footed stray who has caused a headache for owners of a North-East racecourse. The dog - named after sprinter Dwain Chambers - has eluded all attempts at capture since it first appeared on the

  • Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers

    The weather had an autumnal feel for the start of the Richmond Castle 10k, and a fine misty rain accompanied the runners almost the whole of the way. The course is scenic but hilly, and Chris Sampson of Morpeth Harriers was the winner in 33.43 minutes

  • Teachers won't be prosecuted for using finger clamp

    Teachers alleged to have used a "diabolical" Victorian finger clamp to punish an eight-year-old child will not face prosecution. Police child protection officers were called in after the boy was left in his headmaster's office with his fingers jammed

  • All England Egham Trophy

    THE Darlington Indoor Bowls Club mixed fours team to play Hartlepool in the All England Egham Trophy championship includes Dorothy Donald, Tracey Fairless, Eric Ramsdale, Mark Jones (skip), Ann Anderson, Maureen Whitton, Barry Hodgson, Allen Moore (skip

  • Lion clinch crunch clash

    Mike Gough Sports Hartlepool Sunday League, Premier Division, Athletic Rugby 0 Lion Hillcarter 2: In a very competitive game played in difficult conditions, Lion started the stronger. Although Alan Hoey went close for the home side, Andy Allen put Lion

  • Death in city car park 'was not suspicious'

    A MAN who was found slumped against a car park wall did not die in suspicious circumstances, police confirmed last night. A police investigation was launched when a passer-by on his way to work reported seeing a man lying by a retaining wall of the Nunnery

  • Why it's time to ring the changes

    NOKIA N-GAGE: IT'S been a week of vastly differing fortunes for Britain's games console manufacturers. Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia is hoping for great things from its new hand-held, called the N-Gage. It's the first device to combine a games console

  • Family launches diabetes database as aid to midwives

    A FAMILY has produced an educational CD ROM for midwives and nurses to help them deal with diabetes in pregnancy. Mandy Cook, from Canvas Farm, Knayton, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has been an insulin diabetic for 30 years and almost died after giving

  • Former pupils back in class

    FORMER pupils went back to school this week to look at how classrooms have changed over the last 50 years. The group, who spent their formative years at Tanfield School, near Stanley, sat in on classes to get a flavour of how teaching has changed. Among

  • Extra support for police on streets

    POLICE have been joined on the streets of Chester-le-Street by community support officers and town wardens. It is the first time all three uniformed disciplines have worked in the town at the same time. The community support officers (PCSO) are among

  • Bishop Auckland Bridge Club

    Results for Thursday, October 16 North/South: 1 B Myers/A Race 57.22%; 2 O Blenkinsopp/M Dexter 56.94%; 3 K Watson/D Latner 55.83%. East/West: 1 G Spence/J Bainbridge 57.50%; 2 M Pitt/A Darnell 56.94%; 3= I Gordon/J Dobson 55.83%; 3= R Cottrell/R Potter

  • Shildon boys lead the way

    Shildon's athletes were in action last weekend at the Blaydon XC relays. The Under-15 Boys team produced the club performance of the day with an excellent victory, taking the Nichol Hunter Trophy. High Jump specialist Michael Wilkinson got the team off

  • North East Christian Fellowship League

    Metro Church Sunderland continue their 100 per cent record in a 5-2 win at Airport Church, Gary Thomas scored before half time then three goals in ten minutes of the restart from Ryan Pender, Gareth Hern and Thomas a second, after an hour Hern got his

  • Revenge is sweet for Lancester Social

    Consett Sunday League: Revenge was sweet for Division One leaders Lanchester Social when they made up for their Harkness Cup set back at the hands of Stanley Central. Just a week earlier the Central enjoyed their cup win, but the tables were turned in

  • Nicola reveals the bear facts of her life

    NICOLA Smith is a self confessed arctophile, but her passion for bears is restricted to just one well-known member of the species - Winnie the Pooh. For those not in the know, an arctophile is a collector of teddy bears. And, standing testimony to her

  • City prepares big blast for hornblowers

    HORNBLOWERS from across Europe will be descending on a city famous the world over for its historic ceremony. Ripon, where the nightly hornblowing ceremony dates back 1,100 years, has been chosen to host a European hornblowing convention in May next year

  • School holds celebrations

    COLLIERLEY Primary School in Dipton, near Stanley, celebrated its 125th anniversary this week. This Thursday there was due to be a performance of a new school play written by the children and Cap-a-Pie theatre group. Theatre member Benny Graham is pictured

  • Railway Mission launches new calendar

    THE Railway Mission launched its calendar in Chester-le-Street this week. Historically it could be argued the town is the birthplace of Christianity, being the place where the bible was first translated and where St Cuthbert's body was kept for 100 years

  • Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire League

    Bedale have bounced back to take over at the top of Division One. They were temporarily deposed because of their 3-0 defeat by Harrogate Squash 11. But a 3-0 away win at Northallerton saw Bedale regain their lofty status. Phil Martin, Dave Smiley and

  • In praise of exposing the police racists

    SHOCKING as it was, there were many positive messages from this week's documentary The Secret Policeman. Firstly, this was top quality investigative journalism. The BBC has had its share of knocks recently - some from this column - but this was brave,

  • Home win sends Lion and Unicorn clear at the top

    Willington League: Willington Lion and Unicorn moved three points clear at the top of the table after they beat the visiting Byers Green Royal Oak by the odd point. The home side had singles wins from Kevin bake, Arthur Goldsborough, John Bolam and Phil

  • Town's past to be preserved

    CHESTER-LE-STREET'S historic town centre has been designated a conservation area. The town that was home to a Roman cavalry station and was the place where the Lindisfarne Gospels were first translated has been granted conservation area status to ensure

  • Another op for student

    THE student who was crushed by a runaway council van has undergone more surgery. Ursula Billington, 18, was left fighting for her life after she was pinned against a wall by the van as it rolled down Owengate, near Durham Cathedral, two weeks ago. The

  • Burton's Bytes: Why it's time to ring the changes

    NOKIA N-GAGE: IT'S been a week of vastly differing fortunes for Britain's games console manufacturers. Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia is hoping for great things from its new hand-held, called the N-Gage. It's the first device to combine a games console

  • Pontefract Junior Open Squash Championship

    Favourite Neil Cordell surprisingly made a second round exit in the Pontefract Junior Open Squash Championship. The Wigginton player from York was beaten 5-9 9-1 9-4 9-4 in the under-15 event which was eventually won by Warwickshire's Thomas Marley who

  • Catch Dwain? Not a sniff of a chance

    JOCKEYS, trainers, punters and staff have all failed to catch him and even the council dog warden has admitted defeat. But armed with a tin of dog food - delicious beef chunks in jelly, who could resist? - and a lead and collar, I was determined to succeed

  • Hathaway and Cope Stokesley League

    Stokesley 0 Middlesbrough PO 5: Middlesbrough Post Office regained top place in the league following their 5-0 win at Stokesley. Two early goals from John Simon set the Posties on their way, before John Leach added a third beating the keeper from thirty

  • Nicola reveals the bear facts of her life

    NICOLA Smith is a self confessed arctophile, but her passion for bears is restricted to just one well-known member of the species - Winnie the Pooh. For those not in the know, an arctophile is a collector of teddy bears. And, standing testimony to her

  • 'Weed out all the racists', urge region's police chiefs

    NORTH-EAST police chiefs are calling for tougher measures to help root out the region's racist police. Four forces yesterday urged Centrex, the body responsible for police training, to carry out more stringent attitude tests on recruits. The move follows

  • Coundon class shines through

    Worthington CIU Winter League: Newly promoted, Coundon and Sacriston both made their presence felt in the Second Division with victories in the first week of the new season. Coundon visited Wheatley Hil B and only dropped one point when Jock Frost won

  • Great win moves Burn up the table

    Newfit Services Willington: Willington Burn moved up to fourth place in the table with a good home win over a strong Prospect Club team. The visitors only singles win came from Paul Morris, who then joined Trevor Bourne to take their only doubles point

  • Durham Memories: In search of city's Roman heritage

    STUDENTS of Durham's history are often drawn to Old Durham, the name of a farm a mile to the east of Durham Cathedral, below Gilesgate's Sherburn Road Estate. The obvious question is: How old is Old Durham? Well, to put it into perspective, Durham City

  • Celebration of our unsung heroes

    A LEADING tourist attraction is celebrating the work of the region's army of volunteers. Beamish Museum, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, is hosting a series of activities to mark Make a Difference Day on Sunday. The national event aims to highlight

  • Review: Saturday Night Fever, Darlington Civic Theatre

    JOHN Travolta is a hard act to follow by anyone's standards so it's no surprise that this stage version of Saturday Night Fever fails to sparkle like the original film. A West End hit, it has a wonderfully energetic cast and some amazing dancing, but

  • Hair we go for the big day

    A day before the big match - Shildon's first FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie for 42 years - and club chairman Gordon Hampton is finding it all rather hair raising. Gordon, 50-year-old boss of a Ferryhill based road sign manufacturer, had a barber's

  • Cleveland League Sponsored by Coors Brewers

    Division One: With only four weeks into the new season the Redcar Unionist's A team have once again made the headlines this week with a 5-1 home win against their local opponents Redcar Cons. A. Paul Reeve was drawn first to play Mick McDermott. Reeve

  • Mills vows he won't play for Reid again

    DANNY MILLS last night insisted he won't play for Peter Reid again - and revealed that Leeds priced him out of a permanent move to Middlesbrough. England right-back Mills was publicly humiliated by Leeds manager Reid before he joined Boro on a season's

  • Men's hockey: Eight goal thriller ends even

    Wilton's 1st team were entertained by Durham University 3rds on Maiden Castle's national standard, water-based pitch which proved to be an eight-goal thriller. The students struck first finishing a rebound from a mediocre penalty corner after sloppy defending

  • A Hoggarth and Son Eskvale and Cleveland League

    With their first attack of the game Stuart Bell beat the offside call and closed in on the Ayton goal to give the home side the lead in the first minute. Annandale were the better side in the opening stages, the Ayton players appeared not to have realised

  • 24/10/03

    EUROPE: EU sceptics beware. Just one hour's flying time from Teesside and you are in Holland. At Schipol Airport, which must be one of the best in the world, buy a rail ticket at the airport station and you can get an instant printout of all your journey

  • Bede is making it big in Japan

    X-RAY specialist Bede has gained an important foothold in the Japanese semi-conductors market which could pave the way for significant future work. The Durham company has secured its first contract in the country for the new BedeMetrix system. The product

  • Sunderland Catholic Club Over-40s League

    In Division One, Barnard Castle Glaxo are going great guns and are still unbeaten. They won 5-0 at home to Wallsend Rising Sun. The first half was fairly even with the Castle having a slight advantage, "Nookie" Proud scoring to give them a 1-0 interval

  • Mowden let lead slip to Houghton

    Mowden Park Under-15s' match against Houghton turned into an eventful day to say the least. Houghton went into the lead after around 15 minutes when a failed tackle allowed them to score on the wing. They were unable to convert. Houghton then had a player

  • Surfers protest ghost fleet

    A group of surfers attempted to deliver 50 limbless dolls to the company behind the ghost fleet project today. The Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) group claim the dolls were symbolic of the harmful affects PCBs, which they allege the ships are carrying,

  • Potter fan scarred like hero after saving friend

    A young Harry Potter fan who was almost killed saving his best pal's life has been left with a scar just like his Hogwarts hero. Shay Corrie, nine, was left in a coma after he threw himself in front of five-year-old Jack Briggs and took the full impact

  • Galloway threatens to force by-election after expulsion

    Rebel MP George Galloway last night vowed he would stand against Labour as an independent after being thrown out of the party for his outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq. Labour's National Constitutional Committee found Mr Galloway guilty of four

  • Stand and deliver . . . grim tales

    VISITORS to one of the region's top attractions are promised a truly spooky time later this month - including a visit to the cell where Dick Turpin spent his last night. During Halloween week they will get the chance to see a different side to York's

  • Mortgages...home truths

    GOT an endowment mortgage? Then it's time to get your head out of the sand. Now. The chances are that however much you have paid, however long you have paid it, it won't be enough. In five or ten years time, or whenever your policy matures, you could

  • New ambulance station opened

    CHESTER-le-Street's new ambulance station could help crews to arrive at emergencies faster. The new station has been built in the town's new community hospital, which is nearing completion, and replaces the base a few hundred yards away that has been

  • Bayles backs Railwaymen to succeed

    Midfielder David Bayles reckons Shildon will never have a better chance of reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup. As Shildon prepare to take on Stocksbridge tomorrow, Bayles said: "I believe we have a great chance of winning, taking in to consideration

  • Town extend lead at the top

    Fairs Software Tyneside Junior League: Chester-le-Street extended their lead at the top of the table to three points when they defeated Prudhoe Town 6-2, while New Hartley, who were in second position, went down to North Tyneside College. The Cestrians

  • Opening party for sex club delayed

    THE opening party for a club for swingers has been postponed, while the owners meet police chiefs and council bosses. Last week, our sister paper, The Northern Echo, revealed that the former King's Head Hotel in Stanley is to re-open as The Love Shack

  • Darlington pin hopes on two new props

    DARLINGTON hope that two new props can solve their front row problems in tomorrow's National Three North match at home to Macclesfield. Catterick-based army men Paul Shepherd and Simon Orr are in the squad after being signed too late last week to prevent

  • Wearside League

    North Shields, 'over the moon' at their last-minute victory against championship rivals New Marske last weekend, have appointed Paul Ross as assistant manager. His association with the club goes back a long way and in 1982 he played against Halifax in

  • Baroness raises bid for store group

    A CONSORTIUM led by private equity group CVC Capital Partners was last night on track to take over Debenhams after its opponent pulled out of a battle for the store group. Rival bidder Laragrove said it would not be raising its £1.5bn offer for Debenhams

  • Jackson Anderson Accountants Spennymoor Sunday League

    A LATE goal by Chris Harman helped Thorns to shade a close First Division match against Postchaise. Visitors Postchaise didn't trail throughout the game until Harman netted the crucial winner. Paul Downs put them 1-0 up, but Michael Oliver equalised from

  • Durham Alliance

    Hartlepool Town made progress to the next round of the Durham County Trophy beating Felling The Willows 2-0 at home. The Town went 1-0 up in 35-minutes, a neat bit of play from Chris Birkbeck and Mark Peterson had the Willows in disarray. Mark Peterson

  • RA battle to home victory

    Darlington RA: The RA won the battle of Brinkburn Road, league leaders Northallerton came for a battle and got one, with long balls and physical tactics by the visitors, strong minds and even stronger bodies were required by the RA. Tom Watson opened

  • Wilson leads home Harriers

    Darlington Harriers: At the Richmond Castle 10km on Sunday, October 19 on a very testing, hilly course, Ben Wilson ran an excellent race to finish first Harrier in 16th place in a time of 37mins 25secs, holding off the ever improving Jack Mason in 17th

  • Shop Talk: Mortgages: some home truths

    GOT an endowment mortgage? Then it's time to get your head out of the sand. Now. The chances are that however much you have paid, however long you have paid it, it won't be enough. In five or ten years time, or whenever your policy matures, you could

  • Billingham SC

    Last weekend 11 swimmers from Billingham Swimming Club competed at the N & D Graded Championships at Killingworth. All the team continued to progress to a higher level achieving 22 personal bests out of 32 swims. Three swimmers were triumphant in

  • Village surgery under threat

    PLANS to close a village's weekly branch surgery have run into opposition. The Coxhoe Medical Practice has run a Monday morning sessions in Quarrington Hill Community Centre since 1993. But the practice has written to almost 900 patients in the village

  • Disabled man robbed

    A THIEF has robbed a disabled man of more than £600 after snatching a bag from the back of his wheelchair. The 34-year-old victim was making his way along Arnold Close in East Stanley, after a night out in Stanley with friends, when he felt his motorised

  • 'I've been punched, bitten and spat at'

    Long-suffering medic Juliet Alletson has been abused on countless occasions by frustrated, angry and alcohol-fuelled patients, she tells Health Correspondent Barry Nelson. BEING kicked in the stomach by someone you are trying to help is bad enough. To

  • All-rounder Emma takes silver at first attempt

    Sporty Emma Morris will try her hand at any sport and her latest success is second place in a triathlon - a gruelling test for any athlete. The eight-year-old is a jack-of-all-trades and seemingly master of them all. Emma is a keen swimmer - recently

  • Sex fiend, 75, starts new spell in prison

    A PENSIONER jailed last year for sexual assaults on a young girl was starting a fresh prison term last night after admitting attacking another child. Frederick Thornton, 75, was given a two-year sentence in October last year for five indecent assaults

  • Brothers in running for different national awards

    TWO brothers have been separately shortlisted for national awards. Jim and Bob McManners will attend their awards ceremonies in London within a few days of each other. Younger brother Bob, a GP in Bishop Auckland, has been entered for the Raymond Williams

  • Fish Tales

    The Ripon Piscatorial's Tetley Cup set on the Norton Conyer waters of the River Ure produced some staggering sport with 23 double figured bags. Chub dominated but there were even a few bream taken with one a super specimen of 7.2.0. Steve Hodson under

  • Concern growing over North's missing voters

    THE alarm has been raised over parliamentary constituencies in the North-East where thousands of voters have "disappeared". Eleven North-East seats appear on a list of the 84 constituencies where electoral rolls have shrunk dramatically since 1999. The

  • Gravestones row halts grass cutting

    GRASS cutting in 20 churchyards across North-West Durham has not been carried out for more than a year, as a row over safety rages. Derwentside District Council, which is responsible for maintaining the cemeteries, is in dispute with the Bishop of Durham's

  • Ken in line for Leading Light crown

    Ken Gardner MBE is one of grassroots sport true heroes. Among his commitments he counts 40 years of involvement with the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League, 25 years on the league management committee but he is to step down as president at

  • Author recounts memories of former hospital

    A NEW book on the history of a North-East hospital will be launched next week. The original Sedgefield Community Hospital, in County Durham, was built as an emergency military hospital in 1941 and was expected to have a working life of ten years. But

  • Fresh checks ordered on rail bridges

    WORK is needed on road-over-rail bridges throughout the region - despite recently completed safety upgrades. Highways chiefs have ordered fresh checks on scores of bridges amid fears that some may not be strong enough to accommodate a new class of 40-

  • Concern over plans for farm poly-tunnels

    VILLAGERS are objecting to a planning application to build four large poly-tunnels on nearby farmland. A petition against the proposed development at Page Farm, on the southern side of Heighington, has been raised by residents who fear the development

  • St Trinian's fundraiser

    COLLEGE students turned the clock back to their school days to raise cash for charity. Teenagers studying at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, donned their old school uniforms for a St Trinian's Day event. All proceeds from the end-of-term

  • House-builders provide cash for creation of ponds

    ANGLERS have received £3,000 worth of funding to help towards the creation of two fishing ponds at a nature reserve in Darlington. The donation has come as welcome news to members of the Firthmoor Community Partnership (FCP), which has pushed for the

  • Sven backs fight against racism

    ENGLAND manager Sven Goran Eriksson is backing a North-East campaign to kick racism out of football. The Swede has recorded a four-minute personal message for a film being produced by a Tyneside-based organisation, Show Racism the Red Card. It will form

  • Lanchester receive championship trophy

    There was a big contingent of Lanchester supporters present at the Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League presentation dinner held in Newcastle. League Chairman Brian Taylor, who has announced that he is to stand down at the annual meeting

  • Students put their brain power to the test

    STUDENTS at a Newton Aycliffe school have been testing their brain power by using a new super-learning technique. During the past year, Woodham Community Technology College has run an out-of-school-hours learning club. A small number of staff from the

  • Family art sessions take off

    SESSIONS encouraging families to get arty start at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery this weekend. The gallery will hold about 20 drop-in art and craft sessions leading up to Christmas aimed at youngsters and their parents. Is it Art? starts the ball

  • Leisure centre ready to unveil its new slide

    A NEW waterslide at a Darlington leisure centre has been named Lightning Slide and will open to the public tomorrow. Andrew Morrison, seven, from Middleton St George, came up with the name for the slide at the Dolphin Centre. It was chosen from 140 entries

  • Sex club scrapped after protests

    PLANS to open the region's biggest club for swingers have been shelved, after outraged residents fought the scheme. The Northern Echo revealed last week that the derelict King's Head Hotel in Stanley, County Durham, was to re-open as The Love Shack, a

  • Link-up to tackle crime paying off

    JOINT action between shop-keepers and police has helped to cut crime in a city centre. The fall in some types of offending has been attributed to the work of Durham City Centre Action Group, an offshoot of the local community safety partnership. Set up

  • Egg ration police plea for Halloween

    SHOPKEEPERS are being asked to ration the sale of eggs to children. Retailers across Middlesbrough are being urged by Cleveland police to restrict eggs sales to young people in the run up to Mischief Night and Halloween - to prevent them being used as

  • Bus tours put architecture in spotlight

    BUS tours taking in Newcastle's historic architecture will be on offer next week. Newcastle City Council's tourist information team has arranged two days of city sightseeing trips. The one-hour tours of the city will run every half an hour on Wednesday

  • Last Night's TV: A challenge that's childsplay for a pro

    Hunting Chris Ryan (BBC1): IF I were lost in the jungle, Chris Ryan is the man I'd like to have with me. The former SAS hero showed in the first of three real-life action adventures that he's more than capable of outwitting his enemies to get out of a

  • Couple survive bridge brick attack at 70mph

    A COUPLE were almost killed after yobs hurled a brick from a bridge and smashed their car windscreen. Student Chris Mulliss had to have a shard of glass removed from his left eye after the windscreen of his Rover car shattered as he and girlfriend Nicola

  • Writer prepares to record rich history of Dockside community

    AN author has been appointed to write about one of Teesside's most historic areas. Bob Beagrie has been named as writer in residence on the Headland in Hartlepool, as part of a project to research and record the area's heritage. He will organise workshops

  • Big fireworks sale warning

    GIANT fireworks are giving authorities in one Teesside town, a monster headache. Middlesbrough Council officials have discovered large fireworks for sale in certain shops. Officials claim few people have access to enough open space to legally or safely

  • Games: Willington Club B back in the winning groove

    Willington Ladies League: Willington Club B bounced back to winning ways in the darts section, after their first defeat last week, with a three points victory at Willington Lion and Unicorn. This result pushes them 17 points clear of Willington Burn and

  • Villagers hoping for return of post office

    ANGRY residents are hoping that a post office will be opened in their village following the loss of the service during the summer. A Heighington parish councillor has agreed to have talks with Post Offices Limited in an effort to provide a post office

  • Drugs offer for young offenders

    CHILDREN as young as ten will be offered drug treatment in a fresh bid to break the link between drugs and crime. An arrest referral scheme - which is already up and running for adults - will be extended to under-18s in Middlesbrough and nine other pilot

  • MP opposes closure plan for village surgery

    HEALTH chiefs are launching consultations over controversial plans to close a village's surgery. The Coxhoe Medical Practice wants to end its Monday morning surgery sessions in the community centre at Quarrington Hill. It has written to almost 900 patients

  • School's charity appeal a big success

    A SCHOOL'S appeal for shoe boxes full of Christmas gifts for less fortunate children has been a big success. Children from Hurworth School Maths and Computing College have taken part in Operation Christmas Child, organised by the Samaritan's Purse group

  • Farmers celebrate a year of markets

    THE wet weather did not dampen the celebrations this week as farmers marked one year of successfully bringing their produce to the local people. In October last year, the Northern Dales Farmers' Markets (NDFM) staged its first market in Richmond, North

  • Youngsters enjoy a Roman holiday

    ALL roads lead to Rome this half-term holiday. Youngsters from Lythe School, near Whitby, had an opportunity to take part in the Roman workshops at the York museum. They worked on Roman mosaics and wore costumes from the period. Similar activities will

  • Rally championship drives profits up for businesses

    NORTH Yorkshire is hoping to welcome the Pirelli British Rally Championship back next year after this year's visit had tills ringing in Pickering and Malton. As many as 250,000 people are believed to have either been involved in or watched the Trackrod

  • Youngsters help create a field of hope

    A FIELD of hope created by children has been blessed in a ceremony at a school. Youngsters at St Thomas More RC Primary School, in Belmont, Durham, planted daffodil bulbs in front of their school, as part of Marie Curie Cancer Care's Field of Hope campaign

  • Councillors reject plan for two lakes

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to create two lakes near a Ripon village have been rejected by councillors. Members of Ripon area planning committee of Harrogate Borough Council voted to refuse a planning application by Robert Staveley, who created the Lightwater

  • Threats man is spared prison

    A DARLINGTON man who threatened to kill a vulnerable young mother and burn down her house has been spared jail. Christopher Legge, 21, verbally abused the woman on a number of occasions and even threatened to stab her young daughter before killing her

  • 2,000 sign up to rail protest

    A PETITION launched a fortnight ago against proposals to axe direct train services between Saltburn and Newcastle has collected more than 2,000 signatures. The Strategic Rail Authority plans to scale down the 18 daily services between Saltburn and Newcastle

  • Career choices in the spotlight

    STUDENTS at a Newton Aycliffe school are considering the possibilities for their future careers after a visit from a theatre company. Cragrats, one of the country's largest touring groups, performed at Woodham Community Technology College as part of a

  • Career choices in the spotlight

    STUDENTS at a Newton Aycliffe school are considering the possibilities for their future careers after a visit from a theatre company. Cragrats, one of the country's largest touring groups, performed at Woodham Community Technology College as part of a

  • Attacker 'provoked by bottom pincher'

    A MAN who attacked a nightclub bottom pincher had been provoked all evening, a court was told yesterday. Father of two Grant Martin Edmondson, 22, had taken exception to the antics of Phillip McCaskie in a Harrogate club, his solicitor, Geoffrey Boothby

  • Fuel thefts cost company £1,300

    A MAN who stole £1,300 in fuel from his company avoided a jail sentence yesterday. Harrogate magistrates heard how Terrance Edmondson had a fuel credit card given to him by his employers HACS Construction, a Harrogate firm of plant, excavation and groundwork

  • Norton hit nine past St Mary's

    Norton and Stockton Ancients: Norton Under-10 A's dominated their fixture from the start, pounding the Bishop Auckland St Mary's goal on numerous occasion's resulting in six goals before halftime from M Johnson (2), M Garbutt (2) N Mohun (2). Norton continued

  • Tycoon wins support for development

    A NORTH Yorkshire tycoon has made a successful plea to councillors to back plans for a development at his home near Ripon. Paul Sykes, well-known for spearheading the development of the multi-million pound Meadowhall shopping centre at Sheffield, attended

  • Builders agree to sale of gardens

    HOUSEHOLDERS yesterday won the battle to save their gardens from disappearing under a major Northallerton housing development. Residents in Bridge Terrace had faced losing their gardens, leased from Allerton Engineering, when the company sells the site

  • Emergency services fear at nine-week village detour

    VILLAGERS fear a two-month road closure is cutting them off from emergency services. The B6309 at Chare Bank, Ebchester, near Consett, will be closed for the next nine weeks while Northumbrian Water contractors carry out major works. The closure of the

  • Regular squash grading

    Sunday afternoon saw over 20 junior squash players from all over Durham and Cleveland meet at the Oak Leaf sports complex in Newton Aycliffe to take part in the regular squash grading. This gives the younger players in the area a chance to play each other

  • The legacy of little Louis

    Families thrown into crisis when a child is diagnosed with cancer sometimes find it tough to cope financially. A North-East couple, who went through hell have set up a charity to help others like them. Health Correspondent Barry Nelson talks to the Simm

  • Robert stars with six goals

    Willington: Man of the match Jordan Roberts netted a double hat trick - six goals - for Willington Under-11s in their 13-0 victory at home to Shildon in the second round of the Russell Foster League Cup, the pick of his goals a 20-yard free kick into