Archive

  • South american teachers provide school with flavour of brazil

    STUDENTS at a County Durham school have been learning Latino-style from their South American guests. Brazilian teachers Eliana Edmundo and Gelcines Rodencz have been giving lessons at St Bede's Comprehensive School, in Lanchester. They are taking part

  • £16m facelift unveiled with bus station the focal point

    A SCHEME to give Stanley town centre a multi-million pound facelift is being unveiled today. The main feature of the £16m project will be the Public Transport Hub, which will include a bus station in the town centre. It will feature solar power, with

  • Job only half done for Pool after stalemate in capital

    A GOALLESS draw in the FA Cup away from home and it's fair to say Hartlepool United weren't referring to the Boston Book of FA Cup Etiquette. Following the round three shut out at Victoria Park on January 8, Boston spent the immediate aftermath celebrating

  • Thornton slams the doubters

    SEAN Thornton slammed suggestions that Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Everton exposed Sunderland's lack of Premiership pedigree claiming: "We are the best team in the Championship". The Black Cats were comprehensively outplayed at Goodison Park as Everton's

  • Boro seeking Balde transfer boost

    CONFUSION last night surrounded the transfer of Celtic's Bobo Balde to Middlesbrough. The 29-year-old has already passed a medical and agreed personal terms at the Riverside, but Hoops boss Martin O'Neill insisted the Guinean has still not made a decision

  • Warning given on driveway offers

    A WARNING about cold-call conmen who offer to install driveways at people's homes has been issued by highways officials. North-East council staff gave the alert following incidents that have left their authority with expensive clean-up bills. Trading

  • Musical producers hunt for star dog

    PRODUCERS of a musical set in the North-East are seeking a canine recruit to tread the boards when the show is staged next month. They are to stage a "pup idol" contest to try to find a suitable four-legged candidate to fill the last remaining role in

  • Children hope to hear war memories

    CHILDREN with an interest in history want to hear from people who remember the Second World War. Pupils from Harrogate Grammar School, in North Yorkshire, are preparing for their People's War Project to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe

  • Wearside League: Stokesley slip allows RA to extend lead

    Darlington RA strengthened their position at the top of the table when they defeated Windscale and Stokesley SC suffered a shock defeat at Whitehaven. RA's challenge for the championship shows no signs of weakening, however, and James Chapman gave them

  • Festival that's out of this world

    FIVE years ago Chris Williams returned home to the North-East from an animation festival in London in an angry mood. He'd travelled all the way there only to find out on the first day that many of the guest speakers wouldn't be appearing. "I came back

  • Mark of courage as Iraqis flock to vote

    THE Iraqi people defied the suicide bombers yesterday to pave the way for democracy. Officials said turnout among the 14 million eligible voters appeared higher than the 57 per cent that had been predicted, while UN officials described the process as

  • Cathedral service in honour of a VC hero and his deeds

    DETAILS have been released for next week's service in memory of North-East war hero Captain Richard "Dickie" Annand. Capt Annand was a Durham Light Infantry (DLI) veteran and was the first soldier to earn a Victoria Cross in the Second World War. He died

  • Musical producers hunt for pup idol

    PRODUCERS of a musical set in the North-East are seeking a canine recruit to tread the boards when the show is staged next month. They are to stage a "pup idol" contest to try to find a suitable four-legged candidate to fill the last remaining role in

  • Inspired by their favourite things

    FATHERS have been working with their sons to create works of art for an exhibition. They used their own lives, memories and favourite things as the inspiration for the show at the Yorkshire Museum, in York. Each pair was invited to record their own experiences

  • Arch goes up to mark Year of the Rooster

    IT has only been four weeks since the New Year celebrations, but for the Chinese community the big day is still to come. The Year of the Rooster gets under way on February 9 and York is planning to mark the occasion in spectacular style. As part of a

  • Mowbray hits Hibees road

    Tony Mowbray, Middlesbrough legend, is fast making a name for himself in the management game. MIKE AMOS travelled north of the border to meet up with the Hibernian boss. FIRST the bard news: it's Burns Night in Edinburgh and Tony Mowbray - a man who probably

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Queuing for democracy

    SUICIDE attacks, explosions and killing have been the predictable backdrop to Iraq's first multi-party elections for 50 years. But despite the threat from terrorists intent on wrecking the election, the Iraqi people formed queues yesterday to register

  • Black Cats hoping to profit from end of their cup run

    WHEN Norwich lost 3-1 to Everton in the third round of last season's FA Cup, boss Nigel Worthington was quizzed on whether the defeat proved his side would wilt in the heat of the First Division promotion battle. Five months later, the Canaries were in

  • Animation festival to show world premiere

    AN animation festival is hosting a world premiere tonight. The Animex International Festival of Animation will show Dream on Silly Dreamer at the Arc Cinema, in Stockton. Two years in the making, the documentary marks the end of the hand-drawn artform

  • Property heritage role for Jeremy

    A NEW man has been appointed to help safeguard the region's ancient and historic properties. Jeremy Reed, from Pickering, North Yorkshire, has become English Heritage's visitor operations director for northern England. He joined English Heritage five

  • Park 'rags' turn into riches

    PARKS staff have become the modern-day equivalent of rag-and-bone men - turning rubbish into hard cash. But the "old iron" they are converting is illegally-dumped material that is helping them to buy gardening tools. The parks team in Harrogate, North

  • Up to 15 killed in Hercules disaster

    Up to 15 British troops are feared dead after an RAF Hercules aircraft crashed in central Iraq yesterday. A military sources said the figure was "around ten", with it highly unlikely to be more than 15. No further details of the casualties were provided

  • Court centre opens £25,000 waiting area

    VICTIMS of crime and witnesses attending a North-East court centre now have their own suite of waiting rooms. The facilities, which are solely for the use of victims and witnesses, come into use at the Newcastle Crown Court Quayside complex today. It

  • Town has highest number of people on incapacity benefit

    A former County Durham mining community has more incapacity benefit claimants than any where else in England. New shock statistics have revealed that one in five of the working population in the District of Easington in east Durham claim the allowance

  • Miners stage sit-in at colliery

    Miners at a stricken colliery staged a sit-in protest to demand the right to pump clear their flooded pit yesterday. But the 40 early shift workers at Ellington Colliery, Northumberland - the North East's last deep coal mine - headed for home after bosses

  • Bosses outline freight vision for the North-East

    A TRANSPORT strategy to boost the North-East economy has been launched by freight bosses. The Northern Freight Group wants to take advantage of little-used rail routes, and encourage highways authorities to improve bottleneck junctions and signs on the

  • On TV

    Ahead of the Class (ITV1) Ancient Plastic Surgery (C4) Hallowed Be Thy Game (C4) IF you didn't know that Ahead Of The Class was based on a true story, you'd accuse the makers of cobbling together every clich from every other film about a head recruited

  • Tsunami appeal bucket is stolen

    THIEVES have stolen money collected for victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. Organisers of the appeal called the raiders disgusting and appealed for help in catching them. They broke into the Mill House Leisure Centre, in Hartlepool, and grabbed the

  • Glendenning leads Darlington rout

    UNTIL Saturday there had been a big question mark over whether Darlington's former skipper David Glendenning could have as big an impact at National Three level as he did lower down the leagues. Two years ago he opted for a player-coach's role at Gateshead

  • Officer dies after collapsing at gym

    A POLICE officer has collapsed and died at a North-East gym. The police constable with the Cleveland force has not been named, but is understood to be aged 42. An ambulance was called to Bannatyne Fitness, in Haughton Road, Darlington, shortly after 5pm

  • Minster looks the best bet

    Howard Johnson flew the flag for the North with two winners at Cheltenham on Saturday and both Keith Reveley and Ferdy Murphy can keep up the good work by notching doubles in the South at Kempton today. Both trainers have been in good form in the last

  • Appeal for witnesses to fatal accident on A19

    A RENEWED appeal has been made for witnesses to a fatal accident in icy conditions on a dual carriageway. Peterlee call centre worker David Riddell died after his scooter was struck by a van and car on the A19 between the A690 junction at Herrington and

  • McClaren's warning

    STEVE McClaren has a stark warning for football managers across the world - the best of Wayne Rooney is still to come. The Boro boss watched on as the 19-year-old ripped his FA Cup dreams apart with two sumptuous second half strikes at Old Trafford on

  • Dyer reveals how pleas to 'best friend' fell on deaf ears

    KIERON DYER has revealed how he pleaded with Craig Bellamy not to throw away his Newcastle United career. The Magpies' midfielder, no stranger to controversy himself, says he phoned the striker and begged him to not wash his dirty laundry in public. But

  • Stepping out for a healthier lifestyle

    NORTH Yorkshire's countryside is seeing an increasing number of walkers as people step out to enjoy better health, says the Ramblers' Association. Members of the Derwent area branch were told at their annual meeting that its membership had risen by eight

  • £1,500 helping hand for playgroup's garden plan

    A PRE-SCHOOL playgroup aims to raise almost £5,000 to ensure everything in their newly-planned garden is rosy. Harlow Hilltop Pre-School group, in Harrogate, has received £1,500 from North Yorkshire County Council towards creating a garden where children

  • Colleges aim to improve childcare

    THE North-East will become the first region in the country to develop a new programme of excellence for childcare. The scheme has been formed by Bishop Auckland College, North Tyneside College and Stockton Riverside College. The colleges have signed up

  • MP's call to save Victorian buildings

    Multi-million pound developments set to transform Middlesbrough and Stockton could help save architectural gems in the area, according to a local MP. Stockton South MP Dari Taylor said residential areas promised as part of the North Shore development,

  • Man in court on drugs charges

    A MAN has appeared in court facing drugs charges. Derrick Woods, 25, appeared before magistrates on Friday accused of two counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and a similar charge relating to a class C drug. Mr Woods, of Tynedale

  • Demand for new homes

    New homes are being snapped up on a prestige housing site being developed near Durham's University Hospital of North Durham. Housebuilder Barratt said the first phase of the St Leonard's development, which will total 111 properties, sold out in under

  • Seafarers' centre seeking gifts for visiting sailors

    A CHAPLAIN hopes that your Christmas spirit has lasted long enough to support visiting seafarers arriving in port on the North-East coast. Gifts of clothes, non-perishable foods and toiletries are needed to make merchant sailors from across the globe

  • Schools across the region stay silent in aid of charity

    PUPILS across the region gave their teachers a bit of peace and quiet on Friday to raise money for charity. Macmillan Cancer Relief's Big Hush initiative saw hundreds of North-East schoolchildren taking part in a sponsored silence. Youngsters at Rise

  • Appeal lodged over mobile phone mast

    COUNCIL officers are opposing a telecommunications company over plans for a 15-metre mobile phone mast. Last November, Darlington Borough Council refused permission for the mast in Fulthorpe Avenue. Now, O2 has lodged an appeal with the Secretary of State

  • Advice workers to be based in GP surgeries across town

    A VISIT to the doctor can also be a visit to the Citizens' Advice Bureau thanks to a new initiative launched in Darlington. The Health Extra scheme will see Citizens' Advice Bureau workers based in GP surgeries across the town and in the primary care

  • 'Toucan crossing is too dangerous'

    COUNCILLORS have warned a toucan crossing due to be installed on a busy Darlington road will be dangerous. Tory members Tony Richmond and Charles Johnson told a full council meeting on Thursday that the toucan crossing -for both cyclists and pedestrians

  • Close encounters of the wildlife kind

    PUPILS have been treated to some animal magic as exotic creepy-crawlies visited a school in Darlington. Eastbourne Comprehensive School was visited by Zoolab, a travelling exhibition which educates children about animals from all over the world. Year

  • Screening to find unwitting diabetes sufferers

    MORE than 1,000 unwitting diabetes sufferers may be traced through a screening programme at pharmacies in the Durham dales. Health bosses estimate that as many 1,100 Wear Valley and Teesdale residents could unknowingly have diabetes, an incurable condition

  • Funding pledged to biker initiative

    MORE cash is to be pumped into the campaign to reduce the number of people killed or injured in motorcycle crashes in North Yorkshire. The joint campaign held by the police and the county council last year was judged to be successful and effective in

  • Male actors in short supply

    RELUCTANT young male actors are causing problems for producers of a youth theatre group's major summer musical. County Durham-based Dionysis Theatre Company has held two sets of auditions for its planned production of 42nd Street. But although there has

  • Scheme brings in booze shop ban

    AN initiative aimed at stamping out under-age drinking and unruly behaviour near off-licences is launched in Newton Aycliffe tomorrow. The town's police team has formed an Off-Licence Watch scheme, which all 13 shops selling alcohol in the area have signed

  • Villagers form action group after junction plan delayed

    ANGRY villagers have formed a campaign group to protest against delays to make safe an accident blackspot. Residents in Longnewton, near Stockton, are angry over council moves to shelve plans for a new junction on the A66. Residents Against Interchange

  • Couple attacked in Indian restaurant

    A COUPLE were assaulted at an Indian restaurant by a gang who then hijacked a car to get away. The man suffered a broken nose and suspected broken ribs while his partner received cuts and bruises to her head after the pair were set upon at Kahn's Tandoori

  • Tory hopeful's fears over licensing law

    The recently-selected Conservative candidate for the Durham City seat for the forthcoming General Election has expressed opposition to plans to allow pubs to extend opening times. Ben Rogers has written to the city's Labour MP, Gerry Steinberg, who stands

  • Free training offer for businesses

    A SERIES of courses are being run to help smaller businesses in County Durham develop. Free training is available in essential business disciplines covering everything from health and safety, employment law, VAT and data protection to stress management

  • Cooper's salute to the fans

    NEALE COOPER last night saluted his travelling support, after Hartlepool United secured a spot in the draw for round five of the FA Cup, writes Nick Loughlin. Pool are one of only two North-East representatives left it the competition. And now, with Brentford

  • Art centre plans unveiled

    Ambitious plans for a £9m music and arts centre in a North Yorkshire city have been unveiled. The facility at Cathedral Choir School, in Ripon, would include an 850-seat concert hall, plus smaller performance and teaching rooms. Headmaster Richard PepysCOR

  • Deans appointed for North-East university's academic schools

    A NORTH-EAST university has appointed deans to head two of its academic schools. Dr Derek Simpson is the dean of the school of computing, and Liz Barnes, dean of the school of social sciences and law, at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough. Dr

  • Mowden need Falcons' help to stop the slide

    DARLINGTON Mowden Park will be relying on help from Newcastle Falcons to halt their slide towards the National Three North danger zone. A sixth successive defeat, by 18-3 at Rugby Lions, saw them slip to fifth from the bottom, only seven points above

  • North-East girls strike treble gold

    NORTH-EAST women stole the limelight with a brilliant hat-trick of individual gold medals in the North of England Cross Country Championships at Consett. The men, expected to provide a series of medal challengers, struggled in the sunshine at Berry Edge

  • Congregation's parish priest Alan is dame for a laugh

    A CONGREGATION is soon to see their parish priest in a way they never have before -as a pantomime dame. Father Alan Sheridan is swapping his dog collar and clergyman's suit for the frock and cap of the all-singing all-dancing Nurse Nelly. He will also

  • NHS support for teenager - six years after plea for help

    A BOY with a serious developmental problem has finally been offered NHS support - more than six years after his family asked for help. Helen Steel, 48, from Stanley, County Durham, had given up hope that anything could be done for her son, George, who

  • Choir to boost hospice funds

    Northallerton Male Voice Choir will be holding a charity concert in St Mary's Church, Richmond, on February 19 at 7.30pm in aid of Herriot Hospice Homecare. Tickets are £6 and are available from the tourist information centre, in Richmond, or Greensleeves

  • ASBO for 82-year-old who tormented neighbour with loud TV

    An 82-year-old pensioner has been branded a yob after playing his televison at top volume to drown out his neighbour's crooning. Elderly John Kirkpatrick has been threatened with up to six months in jail if he does not quit warring with his club singer

  • Saints await Pool

    HARTLEPOOL UNITED will be rewarded with an FA Cup fifth round trip to Southampton if they overcome League One rivals Brentford in a replay. Pool secured a spot in the last 16 draw after Saturday's goalless draw at Griffin Park. The sides will replay at

  • Success of measures to reduce suicide rate

    A TOWN once dubbed the suicide capital of the country is working to rid itself of the tag. Suicide rates in Darlington have begun to fall as measures to tackle the unenviable record take effect. From 2001 to 2003, 53 people took their own lives, a rate

  • Army chiefs make history

    ARMY chiefs made a little bit of military history as they prepared to enter a new era in their regiments' long histories. The three Yorkshire regiments - The Green Howards, based in Richmond, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, based in York,

  • Ball now in Bellamy's court

    BIRMINGHAM boss Steve Bruce is expecting to learn Craig Bellamy's decision regarding his future this morning - but Newcastle United fear the stubborn striker will dig his heels in over a switch. Bellamy held negotiations with Bruce on Saturday, while

  • Minster looks the best bet

    Howard Johnson flew the flag for the North with two winners at Cheltenham on Saturday and both Keith Reveley and Ferdy Murphy can keep up the good work by notching doubles in the South at Kempton today. Both trainers have been in good form in the last

  • Children hope to hear war memories

    CHILDREN with an interest in history want to hear from people who remember the Second World War. Pupils from Harrogate Grammar School, in North Yorkshire, are preparing for their People's War Project to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe

  • Congregation's parish priest Alan is dame for a laugh

    A CONGREGATION is soon to see their parish priest in a way they never have before - as a pantomime dame. Father Alan Sheridan is swapping his dog collar and clergyman's suit for the frock and cap of the all-singing all-dancing Nurse Nelly. He will also

  • A festival that's out of this world

    Just like some of our favourite cartoon characters, the Animex festival on Teeside has been stretched out of all recognition to become a giant in the field of animation. As the sixth festival gets underway today, Steve Pratt reports. FIVE years ago Chris

  • 'I am going into a deep sleep...'

    I have had insomnia for as long as I can remember. I used to lie in bed as a seven year old and wait until my brother, whom I shared a room with, had fallen asleep before I would finally nod off myself. In that time, I'd think about what had gone on at

  • £16m facelift unveiled with bus station the focal point

    A SCHEME to give Stanley town centre a multi-million pound facelift is being unveiled today. The main feature of the £16m project will be the Public Transport Hub, which will include a bus station in the town centre. It will feature solar power, with

  • Tragedy averted after car crashes on to railway line

    A TRAGEDY was narrowly avoided after a car plunged down an embankment on to a railway track as a freight train approached. The near-miss took place following a collision between two vehicles on the A117 Durham Road at Stockton. A Mitsubishi involved in

  • Free business training

    A SERIES of courses are being run to help smaller businesses in County Durham. Free training is available covering health and safety, employment law, VAT, data protection, stress management, telephone sales, marketing on a shoestring and finance. They

  • No repeat show for Boro

    WHEN a depleted Middlesbrough side went to Old Trafford in October and earned a point Steve McClaren hailed the 1-1 draw as one of the most memorable results of his career. Three months later the Boro boss returned to the Theatre of Dreams for an FA Cup

  • Proctor confident about Petta

    DARLINGTON will hold further talks with Bobby Petta this week after assistant manager Mark Proctor said preliminary discussions with the former Celtic winger went "very well". Manager David Hodgson met with Petta and his agent on Friday to talk about

  • Plans to cut regional TV unsound

    Plans to cut ITV regional programmes are based on flawed research, according to the North-East regional screen agency. Northern Film and Media has called on Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, to think again "before clearing the way for such devastating

  • Computer firm donates fees to appeal

    A BUSINESS is donating its charge for computer health checks to help the Asian tsunami disaster appeal. Harrison Computers, of Langley Moor, near Durham, charges £25 for the service, but in the wake of the Boxing Day tragedy in the Indian Ocean, the company

  • War paint at the ready for short course in military thinking

    Business people swapped suits for war paint and combat fatigues at a weekend training course. The team building event, at Redworth Hall, near Darlington, included an Army sergeant major, tanks, marching, salutes and an inflatable assault course. A dozen

  • Council seeks to streamline its services

    A COUNCIL will reduce its departments from seven to five later this year. Officers at Harrogate Borough Council hope the restructuring will save money and streamline services. The changes include combining the finance department with the administration

  • Watching brief: EastEnders upon Tyne

    LAST week EastEnders was said to have been hours from the chop because of poor story lines and a ratings slump. The scriptwriters from one of the nation's favourite television dramas, however, could have done themselves a big favour and tuned in to the

  • How will we judge Jackson

    More than 14 months after police raided his Neverland ranch, Michael Jackson's trial on child abuse charges is due to get underway today. Nick Morrison looks at the singer who is either a childlike innocent, or a predatory paedophile. MILES of cable are

  • For sale: A seat with a difference

    A FURRY lavatory is going under the hammer to raise money for charity. Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre, which provides training and work experience for visually impaired people, is holding an art sale and auction from today until March 11. The unusual

  • Uncertainty surrounds council leisure services

    INSPECTORS say Durham City Council's leisure services are good but prospects for improvement are uncertain. The Audit Commission awarded two out of a possible three stars to the Liberal Democrat-run authority after running the rule over the service, which

  • Insurance rises £3,000 after car damaged in storms

    A DRIVER says his car insurance has gone up by £3,000 after a financial wrangle with a housing organisation. David McGrath has been quoted £4,500 to reinsure his Ford Puma after he was left to pay the bill for damage caused by a roof that was ripped off

  • Booklet offer for teenagers

    A NEW guide designed to help teenagers get the best out of a Teesside town is to be published. The guide, which is called TAG, has been produced by young people and is aimed at giving their peers a comprehensive guide to what is on offer in the town.

  • News in brief

    WOMAN TRAPPED: Fire crews were called to help free an elderly woman who had trapped herself in a walking frame. The incident happened at a residential home in Marine Parade, in Saltburn, on Saturday morning. Fire chiefs said the woman did not require

  • New role a surprise to Ryan

    Darlington defender Ryan Valentine admitted to being surprised when asked to play in an unfamiliar central midfield position in Saturday's defeat at Southend United. The former Welsh under-21 international has made his name as a tough-tackling full-back

  • Mark of courage as Iraqis flock to vote

    POLLING officials counted votes by candlelight last night as Iraq counted its dead after an election that divided the country. As night fell and power supplies failed, jubilant voters in the north and south cleared from the streets in darkness. In the

  • No room for Bellamy as Magpies look to future

    JUST to the left of manager Graeme Souness on Saturday, as he chose to witness the first half of Newcastle United's FA Cup success over floundering Championship side Coventry City from the directors' box, remained an empty seat. Flanked by chairman Freddy

  • UniBond League: Clark hails Moors' team spirit

    Spennymoor manager Graeme Clark once again hailed his side's spirit after their 2-1 win at Witton Albion on Saturday. Despite the problems off the field, Moors are still winning matches, and Clark said; "On our second half display, we deserved to win.

  • Prescott unveils regional regeneration plans

    Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott today unveiled his new five-year plan for regional regeneration, pledging to get people ''more involved in the democratic life of their community''. Mr Prescott outlined a comprehensive strategy for empowering local

  • 31/01/05

    REGENERATION: I THINK that the urban regeneration that is happening in Darlington and on Teesside is amazing and it bodes well for the future of both areas. The Quayside development at Newcastle and Gateshead, similarly, is a clarion call to the region

  • Link brings 300 homes

    MORE than 300 affordable homes are to be built across the North-East by summer next year. In Stockton, 124 homes are planned at a cost of £3.5m. There will also be 56 in Durham, 30 in Sunderland, 23 in Gateshead, 21 in Teesdale, 13 in Hartlepool, 12 each

  • No need to panic about play-offs just yet, Liddle

    After a poor team performance in Darlington's first defeat in six outings, captain Craig Liddle believes Quakers have no need to worry just yet about the club's play-off chances. After months of unpredictable results, Darlington seemed to have found some

  • An extraordinary hit of a Miss

    Ahead of the Class (ITV1); Ancient Plastic Surgery (C4); Hallowed Be Thy Game (C4): IF you didn't know that Ahead Of The Class was based on a true story, you'd accuse the makers of cobbling together every clich from every other film about a head recruited

  • 'I was standing in a bank when the earthquake happened'

    After leaving university and not ready to start work, Will Roberts decided the best option was to head east. In the first of a series of despatches, Will, from Teesdale, reports on his first impressions of Taiwan. I REMEMBER my teary-eyed girlfriend as

  • Tribute to bike tragedy father

    A HEARTBROKEN son last night paid tribute to his "perfect role model" father who was killed in a cycling accident. David Sayers, 58, was run over by several vehicles after being knocked from his bike by a car on a busy dual carriageway on Teesside. Mr

  • Cash needed for dolphin-swim wish

    THE parents of a boy suffering from cerebral palsy are hoping to make his dream of swimming with dolphins come true. Nine-year-old Liam Rogan has been affected by the condition since birth, and recently underwent a painful and costly operation to realign

  • Private nursery group owners open school

    THE first private nursery in the UK to open in a school has been launched on Teesside. The Top Tots Day Care has opened at Beech Grove Children's Centre, in South Bank. The centre, in the Beech Grove Primary School, is run by Yvonne and Bob Cook. The

  • Divisions over bank's plan for access ramp

    AN amended planning application for a disabled access ramp to a bank in a Teesdale town has been recommended for approval - despite the town council's objections. Although Barnard Castle Town Council has recommended the application for the ramp at the

  • Joiner ends devoted career

    A joiner is hanging up his hammer and saw after working for more than three decades at a County Durham museum. Roy Wood, 65, is retiring as a woodwork technician at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, after working there for 33 years. Mr Wood, who lives

  • Residents issue a plea for help

    HOUSEHOLDERS are appealing to the good nature of building merchants to donate materials to help tarmac roads near their homes. People living in Tindale Crescent, Bishop Auckland, say they cannot afford to repair the back street to make access easier.

  • Girls' rugby tournament rearranged

    A TAG rugby tournament for North-East secondary school girls' teams that was cancelled last week will take place tomorrow. Female rugby players who were preparing for the competition were left disappointed after the tournament was cancelled last Tuesday

  • Free reserve day

    THE Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is offering free entry to its reserve at Barmston Lane, Washington, today to mark World Wetlands Day. The reserve is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

  • Awards to celebrate best of region's college students

    THOUSANDS of North-East students will vie for accolades in a new awards scheme to recognise their achievements in education and training. Colleges across the Tees Valley have formed FE+, which is staging its first joint awards ceremony in April with the

  • Raising a tankard to 90-year-old Tom

    THE man who knows more about one of North Yorkshire's stately homes than anyone else has found himself in the spotlight. Tom Prime has been involved with Kiplin Hall, near Richmond, for more than 40 years and is the fount of all knowledge when it comes

  • Modern comforts a thing of the past

    THE good old days reign supreme at the home of Ian and Sandra Day. For years, they had yearned to turn the clock back to the 1940s. So when their home was flooded three years ago and their belongings were damaged, they decided it was an ideal time for

  • Zenden left to rue Hasselbaink's missed opportunity

    WHEN Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink bore down on goal after accepting Bolo Zenden's pass the last thing the Dutch midfielder expected was to get the ball back. It may be unfair to accuse Hasselbaink of lacking confidence, especially after ending his goal drought

  • MP's call for town to get own council

    AN MP is to gauge public opinion to see if there is sufficient support for a town council to serve a County Durham community. North Durham MP Kevan Jones is urging the people of Stanley to back his bid for the new authority, which would have similar powers

  • BT criticised over damage to property's roof

    A MAN has criticised BT over repairs that he says caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to his roof. Mike Reed said contractors working for the telephone company were carrying out repairs when they left a hole in a vinyl roof that covers his kitchen

  • Website proves a hit

    A REVAMP for Darlington Borough Council's website has been a huge success. The number of visitors to the site has increased by a tenth since its new look was unveiled in November. More than 41,000 people visited the site in December, the most since its

  • Gifts go to tsunami fund

    STUDENTS came up with an ideal solution to get rid of unwanted Christmas presents. Students on the foundation award in caring for children at Darlington College of Technology and staff donated their unwanted gifts to charity. The 16 to 23-year-old students

  • Survey on Giro service

    PEOPLE across Darlington are to be asked what they think of the council's Giro banking service. The service was introduced three years ago after customers requested easier ways to pay rent and council tax. Nearly 300,000 transactions are now carried out

  • Scheme to clear away old cars extended

    A SCHEME to rid Darlington's streets of abandoned cars is to be extended by six months. The initial two-week car amnesty, launched on January 17, has seen council workers remove and dispose of old and unwanted cars for free. It has been hugely successful

  • Clean-up for town estate

    THE latest area of Darlington to be selected for a spring clean is Red Hall. The clean-up is part of Darlington Borough Council's on-going anti-litter campaign. Shane Shrimpton, environmental services manager at the council, said: The idea is to blitz

  • Monorail scheme proposed

    LEADERS of a scheme to generate a town's economy are exploring the idea of building a monorail. The idea is being promoted as a cheaper alternative to a £21m scheme to reinstate the rail link between Pickering and Malton. The possibility of building a

  • Parish to investigate energy plan

    RESIDENTS are hopeful that a study showing how their village could be supplied using only renewable sources could be turned into reality. The study, by research staff from Northumbria University, went on show to residents of Cockfield, in Teesdale, over

  • Unichefs cook up help after tsunami

    COOKS hope to serve up a tasty treat to help young victims of the tsunami. Durham County Council's catering workers will take part in Unicef's Unichef day next Monday, along with restaurants up and down the country. As well as feeding staff at County