Archive

  • Welcome for 'gay wedding' proposal

    THE first gay and lesbian commitment ceremonies in the region could soon be given the go-ahead. Because same-sex couples are not able to marry in the UK, commitment ceremonies allow them to make a similar public declaration of their love. Next week, at

  • Town wards are some of the most deprived

    SEVERAL areas of Darlington are among the most deprived in the country, a new report reveals. The town centre ranks within the top three per cent of poor areas in England, while Eastbourne South comes within the top four. Cockerton West, Eastbourne North

  • Quakers woe continues after Nugent strike

    Basement boys Swansea City condemned Darlington to their second successive defeat with a narrow 1-0 reversal at Vetch Field last night. Kevin Nugent's first half strike was enough to hand Brian Flynn's side a valuable three points in their battle to beat

  • Lights, camera and action for Pools v York

    CHAMPIONSHIP chasing Hartlepool United and York City are to go head to head in front of the Sky Sports cameras later this month. The Third Division clash at Bootham Crescent on February 15 has been put back to 5.35pm for live viewing. As the away team

  • Man stabbed in neck by teenager caught trying to steal car

    A MAN who fought off a teenager trying to steal his wife's car spoke of his brush with death yesterday. Michael Garthwaite, 46, was left with a stab wound less than an inch from his jugular vein, when he took on the would-be car thief in the early hours

  • Saluting the magnificent seven

    SEVEN people dead in an accident... if it were just a road accident in Texas, we would never have heard about it. A plane crash in America might have merited a paragraph or two. Instead, the news of Columbia's dramatic disintegration has dominated the

  • Bringing home the bacon

    PIGGY in the middle as always, last week's column pondered the origin of the word "gis", as in "Fower taties more than a gis." The response has been headlong, like the Gadarene swine, though entirely more thoughtful, of course. Except in Darlington, which

  • Image of the past recreated and then its tally ho again

    Chris Lloyd joins the Hurworth Hunt as it celebrated a milestone with the re-enactment of a 19th Century scene captured on canvas IT'S an idyllic English winter's day beneath a beautiful blue sky. The Cleveland Hills, snowclad from top to toe, rise majestically

  • 'A positive response'

    DESPITE icy weather conditions the first week of kerbside recycling in the Harrogate district got off to a good start. The trial newspaper and magazine kerbside collection scheme was launched last Wednesday and already lorry loads of material have been

  • Trio reach nationals

    A GROUP of Stockton youngsters will be representing the North in a national acrobatics competition after winning the regional title at the weekend. Ailsa Pitt, 17, Nikki Wilson, 17 and Lyndsey Irish, ten, won the Trio Competition, in which teams perform

  • Diamond day for Jack and Betty

    WHEN Jack and Betty Greathead were wed, they were lucky to even celebrate one day of being married. They were spending their wedding night at a friend's house when an air raid sent then scurrying to a shelter. And after the all-clear was sounded, they

  • Just how wacko is Jacko?

    Already dubbed the television event of the year, Monday's documentary on Michael Jackson gave an extraordinary insight into the life of a superstar. But is Wacko Jacko more victim than villain? Nick Morrison reports AS he sat in his home cinema, watching

  • Tributes are paid to former teacher

    TRIBUTES have been paid to a former senior teacher who has died at the age of 94. Mrs Irene Bainbridge was first a pupil and then a teacher at the old Wolsingham Grammar School, which later became one of Durham's first comprehensive schools. She worked

  • Children's play units poised for rejection

    TWO proposals for children's play units in Newton Aycliffe look likely to be turned down. Darren and Andrea Peckett have applied to Sedgefield Borough Council to establish play facilities on the town's industrial estate. One application is for a soft

  • All change at prison

    A PRISON has undergone remarkable changes since it closed as a remand centre 18 months ago. Northallerton prison is now home to up to 254 young offenders, who come to the site to complete the final weeks of their sentences. The prison's new role has led

  • Snowboarding success

    A SOLDIER has competed in a snowboarding championships just a week after being introduced to the sport. Gunner Dean Fox, from Bishop Auckland, grabbed the chance to learn how to snowboard. Seven days after taking up the winter sport he was asked to compete

  • Bookmakers gets go-ahead

    A BETTING licence has been granted for a bookmakers at a development in Newton Aycliffe. Magistrates granted the licence to John Joyce company director Alexander Robertson at a licensing hearing in Darlington yesterday. The shop will form part of the

  • Free swimming on offer for youngsters

    YOUNGSTERS will be able to receive free swimming at Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor Leisure Centres from February 17. Sedgefield Borough Council's leisure services department has obtained funding for the scheme from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. The

  • How we shattered our space odyssey

    OF COURSE the US shuttle disaster is a great human tragedy. The heartstopping circumstances - bodies flung into the air miles up at the very edge of the Earth's atmosphere - compel more than even the usual feelings of sadness for those lost and sympathy

  • Pub licence extended

    A DARLINGTON town centre pub has been granted a licence to serve alcohol from 9am. The Boot and Shoe, in the Market Square, already opens at 9am to serve breakfasts to market traders and shoppers. Magistrates in Darlington yesterday agreed to grant a

  • Hear All Sides

    WAR ON IRAQ - THE debate goes on as to whether or not a war against Iraq is justified. There are strong arguments being made for and against action. One point, however, appears constantly from those who oppose a war and that is the almost sanctified status

  • Kate's in fashion at awards ceremony

    A fashion designer is setting the trend for budding start-up companies in the Tees Valley having been crowned Best New Business at an awards ceremony. Kate Fearnley, who started her Billingham business of the same name in January last year, specialises

  • Event marks closure

    AN event to mark the closure of Bedale police station, a year short of its centenary, will take place on Saturday, February 22. Anyone with any professional connection with the station, on Aiskew Bank, including serving and retired police officers and

  • Family of convicted IRA bomber seek compensation from police

    THE family of a convicted IRA bomber who brought terror to mainland Britain are suing police for damages over their arrest when he was captured. Sean McNulty, who was aged 25 at the time, was jailed for 25 years at the Old Bailey in August 1994 after

  • Angel artist takes up Arena challenge

    ANTONY Gormley, the artist behind the Angel of the North sculpture, is returning to the region to work on five new projects. Mr Gormley is to train five young artists, who in turn will liaise with 60 of the region's most talented A-level art students,

  • Family pets that go out to work

    DETECTING drugs, explosives and human remains are all in a day's work for the dogs in the police force. But the specialist training required to be the best at the job does not come easily, with each animal having to undertake a rigorous 13-week intensive

  • Car dealer helps grant some wishes

    A CAR dealer from Consett has given a boost to a children's charity. Eric Soulsby, of Motor Services, Consett, in parnership with Daihatsu Vehicle Distributors, has donated a new Daihatsu Terios EL 4x4, worth £12,000. It will be the star prize in the

  • Charity's tilt against violence

    BARNARDO'S is calling on the Government to do more to protect children as it launches a report on domestic violence. The children's charity believes youngsters suffer long-lasting emotional damage from witnessing violence between adults in the home. The

  • Saluting the magnificent seven

    SEVEN people dead in an accident... if it were just a road accident in Texas, we would never have heard about it. A plane crash in America might have merited a paragraph or two. Instead, the news of Columbia's dramatic disintegration has dominated the

  • Bringing home the bacon

    PIGGY in the middle as always, last week's column pondered the origin of the word "gis", as in "Fower taties more than a gis." The response has been headlong, like the Gadarene swine, though entirely more thoughtful, of course. Except in Darlington, which

  • Fatal accident costs steel firm £10,000 fine

    STEEL maker Corus has been fined £10,000 over the death of a fitter, crushed under a three- and-a-half tonne steel plate. Bob Powlay, 54, of Coatham Road, Redcar, had carried out welding work on a roller which had sheared on a 48-year-old conveyor belt

  • MoD accused of flouting guidelines

    THE Ministry of Defence has been accused of flouting guidelines over the planned use of RAF Fylingdales, North Yorkshire, in the US Son of Star Wars programme. The Council for National Parks has accused military chiefs of being hasty in allowing the US

  • News In Brief

    Crash blamed on icy roads - ICY roads are believed to have caused a three-car collision near Peterlee yesterday. A car and two vans collided on the A19, north of Wingate, at about 9.30am. One woman had to be freed by fire crews from Peterlee and Wheatley

  • Markets to be held regularly

    THE first in a regular series of Farmers' Markets will be held in Guisborough's Westgate on Saturday, from 10am to 3pm. The success of a pilot market, which brought more than 20 stalls to the town in December, has convinced organisers to set up a regular

  • Nominations being sought for awards

    THERE is still time to submit nominations in recognition of the hard work and dedication of youngsters in Stockton. The Stockton Mayor's Achievement Recognition Trophy awards were set up last year and nominations are now being sought for this year. Positive

  • Questions for the new chief

    YESTERDAY was the day Cleveland Police had been waiting for - the chance of a fresh start. We welcome Cleveland's new Chief Constable, Sean Price, to our region and we wish him well in the challenging task ahead. He is right to insist that the accident-prone

  • The bottom line is . . . there's a cheeky rival down the road

    The Northern Echo sparked a national media frenzy by revealing how a pub had been renamed in honour of the naked ambition of a local lass. Today Steve Parsley exposes the emergence of a rival a few miles down the road. FIRST there was the magazine model

  • Walk your way back to health

    A COUNCIL chairman took a stroll around Stokesley to launch a healthy walking scheme just weeks after undergoing a double hip replacement operation. Hambleton District Council chairman Percy Featherstone went for a 40 minute walk around the market town

  • Search begins for outstanding contributors

    THE search has begun for people who deserve to be recognised for their contribution to education. Last year, Jack Stephenson, who is chairman of governors at Brompton Hall School, North Yorkshire, won the Outstanding Governor Award at the national Edexcel's

  • Council tax rises above inflation despite grants

    PEOPLE in Durham city will have to pay 3.5 per cent more for services provided by the city council. The Labour-run council is expected to ratify the slightly-above inflation council tax rise on Monday after the Government confirmed it would provide £7m

  • Bitter pill for surgeon over waiting lists target

    A LEADING North-East surgeon has attacked "totally unrealistic" Government waiting list targets. Professor Paul Gregg, of South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, spoke out after it was revealed that hundreds of people in County Durham who have already waited

  • School is awarded £560,000 for sport

    A SCHOOL is celebrating after securing £560,000 for new sports facilities. The bid was made for Whickham School by Gateshead Council through the New Opportunities Fund for Physical Education and Sport. It will be used to provide an all-weather sports

  • Mobile cameras to be used in speeding fight

    A TOWN'S speeding drivers are again in the spotlight. A mobile speed camera enforcement unit will be monitoring vehicles along the 40mph A179 linking Hartlepool with the A19, this week, following complaints of speeding. The announcement comes just days

  • £2m extra to assist schools improve GCSE exam results

    COUNCILLORS hope to improve County Durham's GCSE results by putting an extra £2m into education. Durham County Council is tightening its belt after getting a disappointing grant from the Government, despite a shake-up in the funding system that was expected

  • 'I was groomed for abuse' - ex-inmate

    A FORMER young inmate yesterday described how he had been groomed for sexual abuse at the hands of a prison officer, who later went on to become a church minister. The man, now in his forties, said Neville Husband had developed a "strange friendship"

  • US will use Fylingdales

    Britain was today formally agreeing to America's request to use the Fylingdales early warning station for its controversial national missile defence system, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon told MPs. Mr Hoon said he was ''satisfied that we have been able

  • Children aid fight to save a species

    A GROUP of Darlington schoolchildren have helped launch a project to help save one of the nation's most endangered animals. The children from Harrowgate Hill Junior School are working with adult members of their families to create nest boxes for harvest

  • Man under armed guard after shooting

    A 23-year-old Guisborough man is under armed guard in hospital this morning as police hunt a gunman who shot him down at point blank range. The victim was hit in the lower abdomen and surgeons are to carry out an operation this morning to remove the bullet

  • Homegrown talent key to success at the Boro

    DELIGHTED boss Steve McClaren has decided British is best in his bid to turn Middlesbrough into a top flight force. McClaren added three homegrown talents to his squad on transfer deadline day and he is convinced players of that ilk will help Boro challenge

  • Requests for more money ignored

    COUNCIL bosses reacted with anger yesterday after being told they were to receive the minimum amount of Government funding - for the second year running. Although Scarborough Borough Council, which reaches as far as Whitby, has a funding gap of £1.4m,

  • Chase moves from hounds to otters

    Back to the chase as Echo Memories pursues the history of the sporting crowds who went on the hunt for small animals around the Darlington area a century ago A CENTURY ago, there must have been hundreds of hounds charging around the Darlington district

  • Ball adds bite to the relegation battle

    KEVIN BALL is expected to join Sunderland's relegation battle next week after agreeing to become part of Howard Wilkinson's coaching staff. Almost four years after Ball captained the Sunderland team that swept into the Premiership, the Wearside legend

  • Cash boost for property blackspots

    The North-East stands to benefit from a £500m cash boost unveiled by the Government today as part of a bid to regenerate rundown property blackspots. The announcement has been welcomed by business and community leaders as an opportunity to tackle social

  • Woman's body found in Stockton flat

    Police are investigating the death of a young woman whose body was found in the early hours of this morning. Paramedics were called to a flat in Leybourne Terrace, Stockton, just after 1am where they found the 20-year-old in a collapsed state. She was

  • Business complex sponsors art challenge

    A DARLINGTON business complex is sponsoring a student art competition. The Lingfield Point complex, in McMullen Road, is asking students to draw inspiration from the site, and the history of Darlington as a whole, to create their artwork. About 40 first-year

  • Police storm in to end 'samurai sword' siege

    POLICE early today ended a tense siege after a former councillor doused himself in petrol and threatened to kill himself with a samurai sword. The drama began at about 1pm on Monday when bailiffs accompanied by police officers tried to repossess the home

  • 'Women soldiers battle for equality'

    WOMEN soldiers are seen as "problematic" and "disruptive" despite attempts to combat sexist attitudes in the British Army, according to a new report. Researchers from Newcastle and Sunderland universities have found that women still face great opposition

  • War hero is attacked by robber

    A WAR hero bravely tried to fight off a knife-wielding robber who broke into his home and demanded cash. Former Army commando John Hawkins, 82, grabbed the robber's wrist and tried to disarm him but ended up with the blade pointing at his stomach. The

  • Lucky escape after airgun pellet hits boy's eye socket

    A BOY has miraculously missed being blinded after being shot in the face. The 15-year-old, who has not been named, was walking along Cleveland Street, in Eston, near Middlesbrough, on Monday, when he felt a sudden, severe pain in his eye. Medical staff

  • Novel way to reduce disorder

    SEDGEFIELD Borough Council is to launch a series of Saturday night activity sessions for youths to reduce crime and disorder at weekends. The council's leisure services department is to run its Saturday Night Spectacular at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre

  • Protest over decision to leave fire station unmanned

    THOUSANDS of people were left without fire cover after a recruitment shortage left a rural fire station unmanned. A decision by fire chiefs to leave Stanhope Fire Station without any cover for a night has sparked an outcry by one local councillor. But

  • Weight suits Aswan

    TIM ETHERINGTON'S fortunes have taken a turn for the worse over the past 18 months, but if he could only find the key to Lingfield-bound Aswan (12.45), things could be so different for his small Malton outfit. Formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Aswan

  • Teacher hits the ski slopes

    THE assistant principal of Stockton Sixth Form College is off to the French Alps this month to give lessons to young skiers. Dr David Dodds, who is also head of physics, has been invited during half term to give physics, maths and science lessons to the

  • 700 travel firm jobs may go

    Tour operator MyTravel is planning to cut up to 700 of its 15,000 UK staff to reduce costs. The firm said in a statement that it would be entering into a consultation period with employees which "unless savings can be achieved by alternative means, may

  • Exhibition of art by mental health patients goes on display

    A PERMANENT art exhibition by people with mental health problems has gone on show in Durham. The display is based at the Northern Centre for Mental Health, off Claypath, and consists of artwork produced by mental health groups from across the North-East

  • 'Laziness' threatens town centre recycling sites

    TOWN centre recycling sites are being threatened with closure because lazy recyclers keep dumping their bags of bottles and cans outside the bins. Councillors are urging residents across Hambleton to put their waste in the banks provided instead of piling

  • New charges agreed

    A NEW charging scheme for non-residential services such as home and day-care has been approved by North Yorkshire social services. The system will see new support to help people claim welfare benefits as well as a detailed means test. Councillor Murray

  • Public's chance to have say on massive revamp of town

    THE public is to be given the chance to influence how a planned multi-million pound leisure and housing scheme takes shape. It was announced last month that a £2.5m "substantial-sized" swimming pool would be central to plans to develop Redcar's 35-acre

  • Town in top 60 for failure of companies

    DARLINGTON is one of the top 60 towns in the UK for business failures, a report has revealed. The town was placed 54th in a survey of UK towns and cities with the highest number of insolvent companies. Nearly 1.9 per cent of businesses in Darlington collapsed

  • Swimming tribute to brave Meg

    FIVE swimmers are paying tribute to a special little girl next week on what would have been her fifth birthday. The courage of cancer victim Meg Lockey, from Bishop Auckland, has inspired her family and friends to raise money for the hospital which battled

  • Witnesses plea on taxi paint attack

    TAXI bosses are appealing for witnesses to a weekend paint attack on one of their cabs. Black paint was sprayed over the white Rover belonging to Wear Cabs, of Willington, in a car park off Kingsway, Bishop Auckland, on Sunday afternoon. The driver was

  • Farmers urged to protect wildlife

    INFORMATION about wild-life-friendly farming is being sent to farms in the region, in an attempt to increase rare bird species and plants. About 2,000 arable farms across the North-East are to be sent leaflets containing information by the RSPB, the Government

  • Action plan for better health

    AN action plan to improve people's health in Darlington is being drawn up as part of a ten-year community strategy for the town. A range of preventative measures, including Japanese-style exercise-at-work programmes, better provision of fresh fruit and

  • Groups are urged to apply for funding

    THOUSANDS of pounds in grant aid is available for youth groups and village halls in Derwentside. The district council is urging groups to bid for the cash in the latest round of Government funding. Grants ranging from £5,000 to £25,000 are available through

  • Sounds from Vienna will be performed

    THE sounds of classical Austria come to Derwentside later this month. Lanchester and District Operatic and Choral Society will perform Waltzes from Vienna, by Johann Strauss, in Lanchester Endowed Parochial Primary School, from Wednesday, February 19,

  • Cleaner process pleases clients and safeguards jobs for Berger

    INVESTMENT in innovation is drumming up business for Berger Closures. The Peterlee manufacturer of metal closing rings has developed a process that will benefit its customers, particularly those in the pharmaceutical sector. The company supplies metal

  • College receives quality accolade

    WORK by Derwentside College to bring learning to a wider audience has been recognised. The centre, based in Consett, County Durham, has won a quality Kitemark for its work to develop non-accredited learning. The college worked for the Kitemark in partnership

  • Schools celebrate Ofsted success

    Dozens of schools in the region were celebrating today after being singled out for praise in the annual report of the best schools in the country. The schools in the Annual report of Standards and Quality in Education either received outstanding Ofsted

  • Last Night's TV

    The male fantasy who prefers women - Our Sam (C4), Rail Cops (BBC1) IF nothing else, Samantha Fox gave one newspaper sub-editor the opportunity to write the headline "In loving mammary" when she quit topless modelling. That's the problem when your fame

  • Rubbish tips given a facelift

    RUBBISH tips in County Durham have been given an environmentally-friendly facelift. The new style of household waste recycling centres have been created with the help of a £1.7m grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

  • Worker crushed with forklift

    A warehouse worker has been killed after being crushed by a forklift truck at a supermarket warehouse. Joseph Ward, 55, a single man who lived in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, died of severe head injuries at the Co-op distribution site on the Drum

  • Union may take legal route to settle recognition battle

    A UNION is to take legal action to gain recognition for its members at a North-East furniture company in a historic move. Union leaders have been trying for some time to come to an agreement with managers at Ness Furniture, which has plants at Croxdale

  • New chief constable offers an olive branch to Mallon

    THE new chief constable of Cleveland yesterday extended an olive branch to Ray Mallon, the man who controversially quit the force to become mayor of Middlesbrough. In his first public statement after he was named as the successor to Chief Constable Barry

  • Mortgage payments taken out twice

    YORKSHIRE Building Society apologised to 25,000 homeowners last night after "human error" led to their monthly mortgage payments being debited twice from their accounts. The society said it was "very embarrassed" by the mix-up which left borrowers temporarily

  • Woman charged with daughter's murder

    A 34-year-old woman appeared in court today charged with the murder of her nine-month-old daughter more than 13 years ago. Defendant Maxine Robinson, with vivid red hair and glasses, entered no plea and did not speak during the brief hearing into the

  • Magpies prepare another raid on Ipswich

    NEWCASTLE UNITED will make a £4m summer move for Darren Ambrose after watching the Ipswich Town midfielder again on Saturday. After Newcastle director of football Gordon Milne filed a report on Ambrose from Ipswich's game at Sheffield United on January