A graduate has received national recognition for her work with one of the region's leading companies. Karen Wilson has been highly commended in the Graduate Employability Awards for her work with Sunderland's Leighton Group. Ms Wilson, who was president
BEAMISH Museum is facing a tough year unless councils agree to a big increase in funding, officials have warned. The joint governing committee overseeing Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, is asking eight of the region's councils for a total
NURSES, midwives and nursing students are invited to a recruitment event to find out about working at hospitals in Northallerton and Middlesbrough. The event will be held on Monday, in the Cleveland Room, at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough
DOMESTIC violence incidents in Darlington doubled over Christmas. In the past three weeks, police have attended 272 cases in the town, twice the amount in the same period last year. PC Lynsey Artley, domestic violence officer for Darlington, said: "On
A SHAKE-UP of services by a health group could see three of its four local surgeries replaced with one state-of-the-art medical centre. Auckland Medical Group hopes to centralise its services by moving to a modern purpose built base in Bishop Auckland
A COUPLE who died in a flat blaze were yesterday named as Joanne Pape and Michael McGinley. The pair, both aged 28, were pulled from the burning building but were pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. A police cordon remained outside the building in
A TEENAGE woman pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly after shouting at door staff at a nightclub. Danielle Dixon, 18, of Barrington Terrace, Ferryhill, had been drinking and was refused entry into the Escapade club, in Darlington, South Durham
A SHORTAGE of taxis on one of the busiest nights of the year is putting people at risk and increasing drink-fuelled disorder, according to police. Superintendent Mick Hartnack, area commander for police in Sunderland, said disorder in and around taxi
DURHAM MP Gerry Steinberg has handed over a quality standard certificate to a bakery supply firm. Mr Steinberg, who plans to stand down at the next election after 17 years as the city's Labour MP, visited Bako Northern's plant, in Langley Moor, to congratulate
THE next stage of an initiative to reduce the number of suicides in County Durham has been set out. This latest stage will examine ways of stopping people taking their own lives using exhaust gas, firearms and hanging methods. It will see more high-profile
CHANGES to Go Northern's 733 bus service between Chester-le-Street and Newcastle come into effect tomorrow. The 8.45am weekday journey that runs to the city during the school holidays and the 8.52am journey that runs from Perkinsville during term-time
A £52M transport scheme seen as crucial to the economic growth of the North-East is set to take a significant step forward. Consultants have now finished a long-awaited study which looked at upgrading the A66 trunk road around Darlington. Parts of the
A TEENAGER was fined yesterday for being abusive to police officers after a night out drinking in Darlington. Officers were alerted to Henry Thompson, 19, of Falmer Road, Darlington, after he was seen on security cameras involved in a fight shortly after
THE producer of a historical film chronicling the birth of heavy industry on Teesside is busy promoting the epic A Century in Stone. Using re-enactment, virtual reality, rare archive footage and interviews with the last of the Eston miners, the film provides
A new series shows footage of the region's past shot by amateur film-makers. Steve Pratt reports on their remarkable work. WHEN producer Liz Treadway approached local amateur film-makers about showing their old home movies on TV, the response was usually
A DOG has taken on the role of a carer for a disabled North Yorkshire woman. Eight-year-old Eaton is Jean Highfield's registered carer 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cross between a labrador and a retriever, Eaton is officially signed up as a
PEOPLE living in Darlington borough can begin recycling their Christmas trees today. People can recycle their trees by taking them to several venues in the borough until January 14. All decorations and lights should be removed. The trees will be collected
A VILLAGE is setting up an information service that could be copied elsewhere in Britain. A website will let people living in Gainford, near Barnard Castle, receive and exchange news. It will be based in the village hall, where a number of computers will
A new series shows footage of the region's past shot by amateur film-makers. Steve Pratt reports on their remarkable work. WHEN producer Liz Treadway approached local amateur film-makers about showing their old home movies on TV, the response was usually
YOUNGSTERS are being urged to walk at least part of the way to school. A regional survey of travel to school has shown that North Yorkshire has the lowest percentage of pupils walking to school in all of Yorkshire. County council officials put the figure
People taking their Christmas trees to their local tip for recycling are being offered the chance to enter a prize draw. North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council are giving vouchers to people up to January 12. Prizes include a garden bench
After clashing with the critics and Sir Cliff, comic Johnny Vegas is hoping for a better reception for his latest TV series in which he plays a newspaper reporter. Steve Pratt reports. Comic Johnny Vegas has been giving away more about his next top secret
DARLINGTON FC players, staff and the crowd held a minute's silence before Monday's crucial match against Macclesfield. The Williamson Motors Stadium came to a standstill in memory of the 200,000 people who lost their lives when the tsunami struck Asia
Wacko About Jacko (C4); Drugland (BBC2); YOU don't have to be mad to be a fan of Michael Jackson but it helps, judging from Wacko About Jacko. The line between being a fan and a stalker is a fine one. While the Jackson fans featured in the documentary
ENGINEERING services firm Amec announced last night that it had won a multi-million pound maintenance contract. The Darlington-based company will be responsible for a £13m project working on overhead electricity lines in the South-West. Over the next
A FUND supporting a North-East woman's work among Indian leprosy victims has been boosted by one of its largest single donations. Worshippers at Bishop Auckland Methodist Church have given £3,000 to the Start charity, which is run in the Indian city of
A FARMER who befriended a woman before sexually assaulting her has been jailed for two-and-a-half years and placed on the sex offenders register for life. Glen Cook, of Norton Fine Farm, Etherley Bank, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, made friends with
WHEN a woman spotted her boyfriend slipping into the home of a neighbour - and one of her best friends - she was quick to extract her revenge on him and his car, a court heard yesterday. Magistrates at Harrogate were told how Sarah Phillips approached
PUBS and hotels group Whitbread has rejected speculation that it planned to demerge its chain of David Lloyd fitness clubs. It said the leisure chain, which has 57 clubs in the UK and Ireland, including Teesside and Newcastle, was an excellent business
A Sports scheme has been set up to strengthen links between a university and the community. The University of Durham will launch the Centre for Life at the Queen's Campus, Stockton. It aims to get more local people to use the university facilities by
CHANGES to Go Northern's 733 bus service between Chester-le-Street and Newcastle come into effect tomorrow. The 8.45am weekday journey that runs to the city during the school holidays and the 8.52am journey that runs from Perkinsville during term-time
A KENNEL that cares for homeless cats and dogs now has its own vet. Sue Bielby, who has worked for the Gilmoor Veterinary Group in Durham for 15 years, has set up a surgery at the Deerness Kennels, in Mill Lane, Langley Moor, and is looking after stray
POLICE are trying to trace a man who has worried residents by riding round a village on a child's mini-motor- cycle. A number of complaints were made after the man riding the yellow machine was seen on roads and footpaths in Gainford, near Barnard Castle
England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson is close to signing a new two-year deal with Newcastle. Wilkinson is embarking on his second comeback since kicking England to World Cup glory in November 2003 after injuries wrecked last season. The 25-year-old scored
As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region: TOMORROW * Eastbourne Methodist Church Hall, Yarm Road, Darlington, 3pm-7pm * Methodist Church
DARLINGTON Memorial Hospital has become the first in the country to replace ordinary milk with organic. Hospital bosses have signed a deal with an organic dairy after receiving positive feedback from patients during a two-month trial. The hospital believes
A MURAL depicting the different kinds of sustainable energy has been unveiled by young people in St Helen Auckland. The artwork is the result of weeks of work that included talks with the Environment Agency and help from a resident artist. The Sustainable
A CONSERVATIONIST has been presented with a national award for his services to game fishing. Bob Dales, from Brompton, North Yorkshire, was awarded the Arthur Oglesby Trophy. For more than 50 years Mr Dales has been an active conservationist with particular
TESCO is behind plans to build a new town hall in Darlington as part of a multi-million development, The Northern Echo can reveal. The supermarket chain is in talks with Darlington Borough Council about demolishing the town hall in Feethams and building
ARTS bosses in Darlington yesterday launched a programme of events for this year. The spring brochure unveiled by Darlington Civic Theatre and Arts Centre includes a host of star-name shows. Fame, The Jungle Book and High Society are among the shows to
THE Teesside office of White Young Green (WYG) consultants has announced two senior promotions in its civil and structural division. DAVE REDDING and LES HILL have been promoted from principal engineers to associates. Mr Redding, from Guisborough, has
FIVE members of a Darlington bank are celebrating after winning awards for their hard work and dedication. Mike Sowerby, branch manager at Abbey, on High Row, beat off competition from about 130 others to be named manager of the year 2004 at a Midlands
EMERGENCY crews got an ambulance for Christmas this year. The £100,000 vehicle, based in Thirsk, is one of 12 vehicles due to be distributed in the area covered by Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. And after trying out the Mercedes
STEVE AMOS has been appointed supported housing manager. Among his tasks are arranging staff conferences and setting up training. He will also monitor new guidance from the Housing Corporation.
TENS of thousands of pensioners have missed out on payments after a delay at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Across the country, 140,000 people have been affected, many in the North-East. A pensioner from Darlington, who did not want to be
HOW much is enough? Like the length of the proverbial piece of string, the answer can never be precise. But the £50m put up by our Government in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster is far from enough. Any sum in mere millions is small change to major
MOTORBIKE memorabilia collected by a former miner has gone on display. Thirty exhibits, mostly accessories and badges, which have been brought together by John Williams, are on show at The Discovery Centre, Seaton Holme, Easington Village, in east Durham
TIME to think small... The enormity of the tsunami and its aftermath is almost impossible to grasp. Too many people, too many tragedies, too many survivors starting from nowhere with nothing, possibly not even their sanity. With the best will in the world
TWO businesses have been given a £10,000 start-up boost thanks to an initiative run by Darlington Borough Council. Camilleri and Leach Limited and a franchise of the National Schoolwear Centre, owned and managed by Craig Vickers, have benefited from the
Two police forces are teaming up to provide a new training regime for probation officers. Durham has joined forces with neighbouring Northumbria to introduce the new training format, the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP), starting
HOW could anyone break into a pub and steal a bucket overflowing with cash donated to the tsunami disaster appeal? How could anyone use the catastrophe to swindle money out of the public by setting up bogus charity websites? Police are appealing for information
PUBS and hotels group Whitbread has rejected speculation that it planned to demerge its chain of David Lloyd fitness clubs. It said the leisure chain, which has 57 clubs in the UK and Ireland, including Teesside and Newcastle, was an excellent business
CHARITY bosses fear a lack of funding will force them to turn away people seeking help to cope with mounting debts. Support services in the region are bracing themselves for an influx of clients struggling to cope with debts accrued over Christmas. They
People throughout the region are responding magnificently to donate much-needed funds for areas devastated by the Asian tsunami. * Children at Harrowgate Primary School, Stockton, raised £230 by packing bags for shoppers at the town's Sainsbury's store
Two councillors accused of abusive behaviour will not face any action from the Standards Board for England, The Northern Echo has learnt. Councillors John Shuttleworth and Ron Grogan were reported by Councillor Chris Foote Wood, the leader of the Liberal
PREVIOUS course and distance winner, Mr Christie (2.30), should not be left out of calculations for Hereford's Happy New Year Classified Hurdle. Because of a mulish tendency to get himself detached from the rest of the field in the early stages of his
A TEN-YEAR-OLD girl and her teenage cousin - who were hailed as heroes after nursing victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami - have returned home to a huge welcome. Cherise Watson became a hero when she bandaged battered and bleeding survivors after the huge
A TEESDALE company has helped to set up a computer network in the offices of a leading lawyer. Barnard Castle company Comtek and its telecoms partner Applegarth communications, of Leeds, have installed the latest Blue Tooth technology at the offices of
South Africa took a stranglehold on the third Test as England failed to learn from their previous mistakes with a dismal batting display. The tourists slumped to 163 all out, marginally better than their first-innings total of 139 in the second Test in
A HIT-and-run driver left a female motorist injured and trapped in her damaged vehicle. Firefighters had to remove the roof from the Citroen ZX vehicle, after the accident, on the A1086 Coast Road, between Horden and Blackhall, County Durham. The victim
The devastation caused by the tsunami has prompted a time of reflection, but we may be surprised by what really makes us happy. TIME to think small... The enormity of the tsunami and its aftermath is almost impossible to grasp. Too many people, too many
STUDENT actress Lara Denning answered an SOS call to play principal boy in a North Yorkshire pantomime - and sailed through her debut after only eight hours of studying the role. Ms Denning, 21, in her final year at theatre school in London, stepped into
As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region: TOMORROW * Eastbourne Methodist Church Hall, Yarm Road, Darlington, 3pm-7pm * Methodist Church
A HOUSING association on Teesside has created the post of business development manager. Endeavour Housing Association has appointed CAROLE RICHARDSON to the post. She said: "It is an interesting and very varied post. I like working in a development context
HIGH winds caused travel misery for commuters on the first day back at work after the Christmas break. Gales swept through the North-East and North Yorkshire during the morning - with gusts as high as 65mph reported in exposed areas. Although the winds
AN eagerly-awaited £2.7m school will open in Darlington next month. The new Alderman Leach Primary School, near the West Park development in the town, will accommodate 315 pupils. The building will be handed over to teaching staff on February 21, after
Wacko About Jacko (C4) Drugland (BBC2) YOU don't have to be mad to be a fan of Michael Jackson but it helps, judging from Wacko About Jacko. The line between being a fan and a stalker is a fine one. While the Jackson fans featured in the documentary seemed
POLICE have welcomed figures showing a reduction in the number of bikers killed on North Yorkshire's roads last year. A total of 16 motorcyclists died in accidents last year, compared to 26 in 2003. A further 114 riders were seriously injured last year
STEVE McCLAREN will be glad Middlesbrough do not have to face the might of Chelsea again this season having succumbed to the might of Jose Mourinho's men for the second time last night. Two goals in two first half minutes from striker Didier Drogba fired
A couple living in the North-East lost six members of their close family in the Asian tsunami. Sri Lankan-born Arumugam and Chandradevi Yokachandran spoke of their utter devastation that their relatives have been confirmed as dead. Another relative, Mr
The devastation caused by the tsunami has prompted a time of reflection, but we may be surprised by what really makes us happy. TIME to think small... The enormity of the tsunami and its aftermath is almost impossible to grasp. Too many people, too many
DARLINGTON duo Adrian Webster and Adolfo Gregorio will sit down with manager David Hodgson next week to discuss their futures at the Williamson Motors Stadium. Hodgson has already hinted that the midfield pair will be rewarded with extensions to their
UK Trade and Investment in the North-East has appointed an international trade advisor to help Tees Valley businesses make the most of opportunities abroad. JOHN HOLMES-CARRINGTON, 33, of Norton, near Stockton, will be using his experience of working
A HARD core of drivers are still ignoring the drink-drive message - despite a get-tough policy by police. Over the space of nine days, between December 13 and 22 a total of 491 drivers and riders were breath-tested by police, either at static checks,
PREVIOUS course and distance winner, Mr Christie (2.30), should not be left out of calculations for Hereford's Happy New Year Classified Hurdle. Because of a mulish tendency to get himself detached from the rest of the field in the early stages of his
THE organisation responsible for training in County Durham is seeing in the new year in purpose-built offices at Belmont Business Park, in Durham. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) County Durham needed new premises and the offices are central in the
SUNDERLAND chairman Bob Murray has moved one step closer to taking full control of the club after buying out BSkyB's five per cent stake. Murray also offered to buy up fans' shares after securing the TV broadcaster's chunk in the club. The deal means
HARTLEPOOL United's promotion-chasers are making the most of their own mini-break this week. Pool boss Neale Cooper, whose side has gone five games unbeaten through the festive period and thumped MK Dons 5-0 at Victoria Park on Monday, has given his players
A LONG-awaited scheme that should help in the fight against flooding in Northallerton is finally getting under way. Yorkshire Water has confirmed a start date for a sewer scheme in the town, which should help reduce the risk of flooding on the busy roads
THE first magistrates' courts dedicated to dealing with domestic violence and homophobic hate cases started operating this week. The courts will feature specialist teams of Crown Prosecution Service lawyers with cases heard by magistrates in County Durham
A LEISURE and office development in Team Valley, Gateshead, has let nearly half its space. Maingate, a development that includes a hotel, office, retail and leisure facilities, has opened and developers say inquiries for space are at an all-time high.
SUNDERLAND centre-back Steve Caldwell believes this weekend's break from the pressures of Championship football can help the Black Cats put their stuttering season back on track. The Wearsiders will forget the rigours of their fight for promotion to the
CRAIG Bellamy should be fit for Sunday's FA Cup third-round clash with Yeading after a scan showed no serious damage to his injured knee. The Wales international limped out of Saturday's 2-1 win over Birmingham, raising fears of further long-term damage
BURGLARS have stolen between £500 and £1,000 raised by pub regulars for the tsunami appeal. The thieves broke into the King Johns Tavern, in Hartlepool, and ran off with a bucket overflowing with £10 and £20 notes. Some angry and upset regulars have replaced
A NEW, multi-million pound affordable housing initiative is offering a lifeline for hundreds of people across North Yorkshire. The county council's executive has approved the first phase of a ground breaking scheme to build more than 130 new affordable
The homes of three cops have been raided in a child porn swoop. Three Northumbria police officers had their homes searched and computer equipment examined by colleagues on the force. Allegations were made about their involvement with Internet paedophilia
THERE is still no end in sight to the strikes at BPI's Stockton site, with unions appealing to the plastics company's chairman to intervene in the long-running pay dispute. Union officials said they had written to BPI chairman Cameron McLatchie asking
BUSINESS Link Tees Valley has expanded its information and communication technology (ICT) team. PAUL SMITH has joined the organisation as ICT technical support, and LEE SOMERFIELD has joined as ICT trainer. Mr Smith graduated in 1999 from the University
Malcolm Macdonald doesn't watch television during the first weekend in January. The former England international might have achieved legendary status during his five years on Tyneside but, for two days every year, he chooses to forget about his time with
A MURAL depicting the different kinds of sustainable energy has been unveiled by young people in St Helen Auckland. The artwork is the result of weeks of work that included talks with the Environment Agency and help from a resident artist. The Sustainable
A CHARITY is holding recruitment days where potential applicants will fill in application forms, be inter- viewed and get a conditional job offer in just a few hours. The Wilf Ward Family Trust runs services and schemes for adults with learning and physical
A TEENAGER who stabbed a paedophile in revenge for his own childhood sex abuse was sent to young offenders' institution for two years yesterday. Daniel Sweeney, 19, was drunk at a party when he heard that sex offender George Kirk lived next door. Teesside
DARLINGTON-based salon group Saks Hair and Beauty has appointed GRAHAM OLDFIELD as property manager. Mr Oldfield joins from DTZ Debenham Tie Leung's Newcastle office, where he was associate director. He joins as the company continues to expand, with plans
GRANDMOTHER-OF-FOUR Mildred Howell officially retired from teaching in the mid-Nineties. She was tempted back on a short term basis by a former colleague who asked for her help. Eight years later, she is still helping out at Hurworth School of Maths and
RESEARCH by a former midwife has found that pregnant women who use acupressure have a much greater chance of having an easier, natural birth. Midwife and nurse Cheryl Mason carried out the research for her MSc at The Northern College of Acupuncture, York
The first magistrates' courts dedicated to dealing with domestic violence and homophobic hate cases started operating this week. The courts will feature specialist teams of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyers with cases heard by specially trained
A woman who works with homeless families has used her artistic skills to create a creche. Lisa Andrews designed the facility at St James House, in Stockton, where a housing group-run centre helps the homeless. She transformed the walls with characters
ANYONE who saw a motor scooter being ridden shortly before it was involved in a collision is being asked to help police accident investigators. Officers are also keen to trace a driver who went to the aid of the 17-year-old scooter rider, who suffered
VERA Chapman will lead a four-mile walk south of Staindrop via Cleatlam on January 16, leaving Scarth Memorial Hall, Staindrop, at 1.30pm. The walk costs £2 for adults and £1 for children.
VERA Chapman will lead a four-mile walk south of Staindrop via Cleatlam on January 16, leaving Scarth Memorial Hall, Staindrop, at 1.30pm. The walk costs £2 for adults and £1 for children.
AN entertainment complex is supporting a North-East city's bid to become the world's first CarbonNeutral city in the fight against climate change. Carbon Neutral Newcastle encourages businesses and families to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and
A woman has virtually run across the whole of the UK to win a national competition. Lynn Sparrey, a member of Bannatyne's Just Fitness Health Club, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, beat more than 5,000 fitness fanatics to win the Tour of Bannatynes. The
CHILDREN have been helping to transform a village green. The green in West Herrington, near Houghton-le-Spring, is undergoing a facelift after the village secured grants of £2,500. Biffaward, the environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife
THE next stage of an initiative to reduce the number of suicides in Darlington and County Durham has been set out. Darlington, once called the suicide capital of the country, is still falling short of a Government target to reduce the number of people
A WOMAN sobbed yesterday as she spoke of being raped and indecently assaulted two decades ago. The alleged victim said she had been sexually assaulted by Brian Leslie Paylor over an eight-year period. In a video interview by police, played to a jury at
A CHARITY is holding recruitment days where potential applicants will fill in application forms, be inter- viewed and get a conditional job offer in just a few hours. The Wilf Ward Family Trust runs services and schemes for adults with learning and physical
Darlington law firm Latimer Hinks has appointed a legal secretary. KAYE JOHNSON-WALKER recently won an Institution of Legal Executives (ILEX) award as a student of the year at Darlington College of Technology, where she spent two years studying for a
TWO businesses have been given a £10,000 start-up boost thanks to an initiative run by Darlington Borough Council. Camilleri and Leach Limited and a franchise of the National Schoolwear Centre, owned and managed by Craig Vickers, have benefited from the
A TEENAGER punched another man in the face after seeing him in Darlington with his younger sister, a court heard yesterday. Lee Graham Poole, 19, had drunk about ten pints when he thought he saw David Matthews touching his sister, South Durham Magistrates
THE family of a man from York who is missing in Thailand spoke of their devastation last night. In a statement issued through North Yorkshire Police, relatives of 54-year-old Stephen Magson admitted that their hopes of finding him alive were fading. The
A FATHER was yesterday given a conditional discharge after repeatedly punching his former wife in front of his seven-year-old son. Paul David McDonald, of Rydal Street, Darlington, had been arguing with Julie Loughran about another woman when he attacked
THE UK's manufacturing industry was dealt a blow yesterday after figures showed the rate of growth in the sector eased last month. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply's (CIPS) activity barometer fell to 53.7 in December, down from 55 the
THE next wave of a project to reduce the number of suicides in Darlington and County Durham has been set out. Darlington, once called the suicide capital of the country, is still falling short of a Government target to reduce the number of people who
TSUNAMI: THE loss of life from the tsunami defies belief. Because of various governments' decisions not to have a warning system, thousands of lives that could have been saved were lost. That is unacceptable and it defies belief that many could have been
A VILLAGE is setting up an information service that could be copied elsewhere in Britain. A website will let people living in Gainford, near Barnard Castle, receive and exchange news. It will be based in the village hall, where a number of computers will
CAR maker Nissan may be forced to increase the cost of new vehicles following a rise in steel prices and energy costs. Leading car manufacturers, including Nissan, say they may be forced to increase prices in response to a 20 per cent rise in the cost
A SHOP worker is to retire after a decade of getting up at 4.30am to serve customers. Pat Cattle, 62, has worked the early shift at the One-Stop Shop in Hambleton Road, Norton, near Malton, for the past ten years. "I've never had a day off sick and I've
REALISTIC boss Steve McClaren was gracious in defeat last night after Premiership leaders Chelsea brushed Middlesbrough aside but maintained a Champions League place is still up for grabs. Chelsea's 2-0 victory, assured courtesy of Didier Drogba's first
MARKS & Spencer's flagship Lifestore in Gateshead will close this week amid speculation that the site is to be taken over by Danish retail company Ilva. The £40m retail experiment, which opened in February last year in a fanfare of publicity, is closing
A new series shows footage of the region's past shot by amateur film-makers. Steve Pratt reports on their remarkable work. WHEN producer Liz Treadway approached local amateur film-makers about showing their old home movies on TV, the response was usually
After clashing with the critics and Sir Cliff, comic Johnny Vegas is hoping for a better reception for his latest TV series in which he plays a newspaper reporter. Steve Pratt reports. Comic Johnny Vegas has been giving away more about his next top secret
RETAILER Woolworths was yesterday the first to report a tough Christmas season after sales of toys and blockbuster DVDs failed to meet expectations. It said sales of movies, such as Shrek 2, pictured, and Spiderman, had been affected by increasing levels
CAMPAIGNERS fighting further quarrying near a site of historical interest will demonstrate at a museum at the weekend. Members of Heritage Action, angry at plans by Tarmac Northern to extend its Nosterfield Quarry, close to Thornborough Henges, near Masham
A CASH-strapped railway company, which last week announced it was laying off all its staff, has ended its first winter service on a positive note. The Weardale Railway Ltd, ended its first winter service on Monday after attracting nearly 1,000 passengers
A BIKER who sped along a bypass at twice the 60mph limit because his pillion passenger needed the toilet escaped a jail sentence yesterday. Harrogate magistrates saw a videotape shot from an unmarked police patrol car on the Harrogate and Knaresborough
HE'S only ten months old but already Jacob the English springer spaniel is a veteran at the dog show game. Despite his young age, he has enjoyed success already - but is about to face his biggest challenge yet. From 10,000 dogs that entered the Pro Plan
A TEENAGE girl has been awarded the Yarm Citizen Cup for her community work. Lauren McCredie, 15, from Ingleby Barwick, near Yarm, was presented with the Yarm Lions' Cup in front of her school assembly. "I couldn't believe it," she said. "I had to get
THE Northallerton Variety Company is preparing for its annual pantomime. Mother Goose will be staged at the Hambleton Forum, in Northallerton, from Sunday January 23, to Saturday, January 29. Tickets can be bought by calling (01609) 770936, or at the
A BRIDEGROOM spent his wedding night in hospital after his reception erupted into a brawl. What should have been the happiest day of Trevor McDonald and his bride Kerry O'Rourke's lives turned into a wedding from hell as tempers flared and a mass brawl
THE running of a community house in Middlesbrough has been handed over to 180 of its residents. The £113,000 facility was built for community meetings, events and activities, after the Tees Valley Housing Group (TVHG) demolished the gatehouse to the former
A NATURE reserve on the fringe of a city, gifted to local children more than half a century ago, is to be opened up to more youngsters. Thanks to a £70,000 grant, Quarry Moor, Ripon, will soon see a range of improvements, ensuring its users will be able
A Sports scheme has been set up to strengthen links between a university and the community. The University of Durham will launch the Centre for Life at the Queen's Campus, Stockton. It aims to get more local people to use the university facilities by
THE WALK to school will be safer for a group of primary and nursery pupils this term. Children aged three to 11 who attend 15 primary and nursery schools in the Stanley area of Durham are being issued with reflective and fluorescent tabards to make it
A VETERAN of the "forgotten" Suez Crisis campaign has finally been presented with a medal for service nearly 50 years ago. Former flight engineer Brian Wilkie, who lives in the Harrogate area of North Yorkshire, was invited to RAF Leeming, near Bedale
A POLICEWOMAN who has helped disadvantaged children has been recognised in the New Year's Honours. PC Lynda Hutchinson was awarded the Queen's Police Medal. PC Hutchinson, 36, from Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland, received the honour for her work as co-ordinator
TWO friends are giving up their jobs to launch a business venture. Paul Howard, 37, Chris Dobson, 41, have worked in heavy chemicals and engineering industries at Wilton, North Tees and Hartlepool since leaving school. The pair have taken a franchise
BIOFUELS Corporation plc has announced an addition to the board and management of the company. SEAN SUTCLIFFE, executive vice-president and managing director for new businesses at BG Group plc has joined the Teesside company as chief executive. John Nicholas
A BULLISH Jermaine Jenas is confident that Newcastle can confound convention by finishing the season with a flourish. In previous campaigns, the Magpies have tended to hit their stride before Christmas, only to falter in the final furlong. Two seasons
WHEN producer Liz Treadway approached local amateur film-makers about showing their old home movies on TV, the response was usually the same. "What do you want to watch them for?," people would ask. But, as the new Tyne Tees Television series The Way
THE Labour Party has selected its candidate to contest the Richmondshire seat at the General Election. Neil Foster was chosen by the Richmond Constituency Labour Party from a shortlist of five candidates at a recent meeting at Northallerton Town Hall.
