Kathleen Teward delighted an audience this week by reciting two of Richard Watson's long poems in dialect at a social evening honouring the life and works of the Teesdale Bard. A number of the lead mining poet's descendants travelled from other parts
A TEENAGER who was handed an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) for beating up strangers in unprovoked drunken attacks has been jailed. Mark Blowes was warned by police he faced prison when he was served with an Asbo last August after he committed physical
A MAN could be scarred for life after an explosive was thrown in his face as he walked along the street. The 21-year-old victim - who has not been named - was walking in an alley to the rear of Northcote Street, in Stockton, Teesside, at about 6.30pm
SINCIL Bank provided the backdrop when Darlington finally diminished any lingering relegation fears last season - this afternoon they return with a different agenda altogether. It was on a warm April afternoon 12 months ago that Quakers, with three games
A LARGE pink teddy bear is making its way through the North-East as part of a fundraising event. The Gaynor Bear is named after the late Gaynor Fear, a member of a nationwide group of family history researchers. Gaynor, who lived in the South of England
A JUBILANT Mick McCarthy last night insisted that his Sunderland side had proved themselves head and shoulders above the rest by winning the Championship title at an emotional Upton Park. Stephen Elliott's dramatic late winner earned the Black Cats a
A PROMOTIONS manager has laughed off hurtful remarks made by a colleague that appeared accidentally in a newspaper. Melanie Fletcher, 28, was launching a new computerised ID card scheme at Blu Bambu in Newcastle. She did not realise club manager Dale
APOLOGIES for the use of a picture of Tony Blair this week, particularly when I'm told that some people, not a million miles from where I'm sitting, start shouting at the TV set whenever he appears. It was actually the large beads of sweat that formed
DUMBO AWARD: I THINK Durham City Council should have an award for creating white elephants. First, we have the toll pole in the market place. Each time you pass it, it seems to be out of order or a warden is employed to collect the money. Maybe they should
DURHAM will be anxious to avoid any further embarrassment at the hands of Scotland and maintain their 100 per cent record this season when they visit The Grange, Edinburgh, tomorrow. While Durham have won their first two totesport League matches, this
JOHN GOSDEN is standing on the brink of a famous Guineas double with Iceman and Karen's Caper, both well capable of Classic glory over the weekend. Iceman is the first of the top-class duo to take the stage, trying to lower the colours of white-hot favourite
Second Division basement battlers Easington and Hebburn will face a play-off if they have identical results today. Never in the league's 116 year history has a situation like today's been encountered. Both clubs are tied on points, goal difference and
AN ambitious outdoor arts project has been unveiled which is taking shape in the workshop of a steel fabrication company. The huge sculpture, costing £190,000 funded by the Tees Valley Partnership, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and local businesses
FRANK Bennett has given up the Florida sunshine to join Newcastle Eagles - but the American rookie insists the heat of this weekend's BBL play-offs will be as intense as anything he has experienced on the opposite side of the Atlantic. The 23-year-old
SINCIL Bank provided the backdrop when Darlington finally diminished any lingering relegation fears last season - this afternoon they return with a different agenda altogether. On a warm April afternoon 12 months ago Quakers, with three games remaining
Lying dead on a grubby carpet, a young man once called the next Alan Shearer. The shocking image is published in today's Northern Echo with the full support of John Courtney's family, in the hope it will stop others from taking drugs. This is how John
Coxhoe Athletic are ravaged by injuries ahead of this afternoon's visit from Boldon CA. "I've got six players doubtful and will not know until just before kick-off what team I can put out," said manager Gary Forrest. Rob Bowman, Peter Croft, Gary O'Hara
AN electrician fell 15ft to his death from a defective ladder as he changed a strip lightbulb in a North-East factory, a court heard yesterday. Father-of-two Stuart Crooks, died at the Primex Plastic plant in Beaumont Way, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
SOME of the world's best-known financial institutions are turning to a company in the Yorkshire Dales for computer software. From its base in Richmond, North Yorkshire, thecitysecrets provides software for the Equities divisions of investment firms. It
IN James Cook's time, mutineers were fed to sharks. There are surely some Labour councillors on Stockton Borough Council who would not mind seeing a few recent deserters of the party in the town having the same fate as once available to the famous Marton-born
NEALE Cooper has hit back at suggestions Hartlepool will wilt under the pressure at Victoria Park this afternoon. Walsall boss Paul Merson reckons Pool will be 'nervous' ahead of today's game and not looking forward to playing his in-form side. The Saddlers
With Ridley Scott's Crusades epic opening in cinemas next week, Nick Morrison looks at the two-century long battle between Christians and Muslims whose impact is still felt today. "WE are freedom's home and defender. This crusade, this war on terrorism
A MENTALLY ill man allowed to diagnose himself in hospital stabbed his former partner to death just hours after being discharged. Craig Sexton, 31, stabbed Lynda Lovatt more than 40 times and slit her throat after turning up at her home in the hope of
POLICE have issued a new warning on the dangers of replica rifles after two authentic-looking examples were seized by officers. Both the replica assault rifles are capable of firing ball-bearing pellets and were recovered from teenagers in North Yorkshire
NEWCASTLE Falcons will allow Jonny Wilkinson to concentrate on his own game while Colin Charvis captains the side against London Irish at Kingston Park today. Although he came off the bench at Northampton two weeks ago, Wilkinson is making his first start
THE former girlfriend of a drug dealer has been spared jail after she gave evidence against a gang of men who supplied ecstasy and cocaine in a North-East town. Clare Neary spoke out for the Crown against her abusive ex-boyfriend, Darren Sheen, after
HOSPICE supporters have been congratulated for raising more than £10,000 for the unit. The Richmond Support Group for St Teresa's Hospice, Darlington, collected £10,794 for the charity during the last financial year, according to figures released at the
A NEW student-run journal providing a forum for political issues has gone on-line this week. A group of graduate students from Durham University's school of government and international affairs, has launched the publication, called GAIA Review . Its goal
IT SHOULD be easy to dislike Jayne Middlemiss. After all, she's the first to admit that she's led a bit of a charmed life - and nobody likes a show-off. ''I've been working in telly for ten years now and I've been really lucky to do a vast range of programmes
WEARDALE father Alistair Howes is spending the weekend walking the length of Hadrian's Wall to raise money for children with disabilities. Mr Howes, from Frosterley, and his partner Helen Blackburn, were inspired to found the charity Independence 4 Disability
AN organisation created to run sports facilities has been launched. Richmondshire Leisure Trust celebrated its official kick-off with a fun day at Richmond Pool. The trust will manage sports facilities owned by Richmondshire District Council and Richmond
A TEAM of young designers has won £500 at the semi-final of the region's biggest design competition. Pupils from St Cuthbert's Primary School, Crook, beat off competition from eight other schools at the teamwork stage of the Futures Challenge with their
COUNCIL chiefs in Darlington are checking the legality of their parking fine notices after a solicitor succeeded in getting his penalty withdrawn. Simon Catterall was issued with a £30 fine after he stopped in Northumberland Street, where new parking
Primary school pupils have been handed awards by two Darlington football stars. Neil Maddison and Akpo Sodje attended the presentation ceremony at Rise Carr Primary School, in Eldon Street, to reward pupils' efforts in sport and classwork. The two footballers
MOTORISTS are being warned to stop flouting vehicle restrictions in Sunderland as police step up action to enforce regulations. Officers are responding to complaints from businesses including shops and bars on both sides of Holmeside Inspector Gordon
A STUDENT from Bishop Auckland is to get support with her university course, thanks to Marks and Spencer. Rachael Forster, 19, has been awarded a place on the company's Marks and Start programme, which will see her receive support and paid work experience
A PROJECT to restore the banks of the River Wear between Stanhope and Frosterley has been given an £8,000 grant. The aim of the project, being undertaken by the Weardale Environmental Trust, is to turn more than three acres of land into a nature reserve
A MAN caught carrying cocaine worth £4,200 in his car has been given a 180-hour community punishment order. Durham Crown Court heard that almost 43 grammes of the drug, which was 17 per cent pure, was discovered in packets concealed in Leslie Stoker's
A DREAM to create a college of the future is expected to start to become reality next week. Members of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee are being asked to approve demolition of "obsolete'' college buildings on the town's Redcar
A MONSTER terrapin - probably dumped when children tired of it after the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle craze of the 1990s - has been found lurking in a pond. The sharp-clawed creature has grown from the size of 10p piece to the size of a dinner plate. But
COUNCIL officials in Hartlepool are trying to stop their town from going to the dogs by stepping up their efforts to keep public areas free of fouling by dogs. Six special structures incorporating a biodegradable poop-scoop dispenser and a dog dirt bin
A TEESSIDE couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a family party. Nancy and Ron Redfern, from Yarm, married in Stockton on St George's Day, April 23, 1955. Mrs Redfern (nee Watt) was working as a secretary in Thornaby Town Hall when she
STAFF at a travel agents have raised more than £1,000 for a hospital maternity unit. Travelcare, in Richmond, has donated the money towards a portable ultrasound scanner for the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton. Fundraising events included a children's
SKIPPER Gareth Southgate is prepared to sweat blood today in an effort to lead Middlesbrough back into Europe through a top-seven position in the Premiership. The 34-year-old centre-back needed ten stitches in a nasty head wound after two clashes with
THE ranks of North Yorkshire's part-time police officers are being bolstered next week with more of them going on the beat. Sixteen new Special Constables, out of 50 currently training in the county, will be sworn in at a ceremony next week. They will
FACTORY bosses who turned down a £20m Government grant last night said it would not have been enough to save 760 North-East jobs. LG Philips is closing its TV tube plant in Durham this summer, blaming the rise in popularity of flat-screen televisions.
BANK Holiday weekend in Darlington will have a Continental influence, with an opera singer and French market coming to the town centre. The market - now in its fifth year in Darlington - will be on Skinnergate over the weekend, and promises a selection
YOUNG people at a town centre youth caf saw a police dog in action when he swept the building to show them how officers uncover drugs. Beat officers PC Chris Metcalfe and Sergeant Kevin Vincent, and dog handler PC Alison Dawson, with her canine sidekick
POLICE have vowed to tackle an alarming rise in violent crime. Despite crime in Richmondshire falling by two per cent overall in the past 12 months, latest figures reveal violent crime has risen by 43 per cent during the same period. Officers suggest
IT is difficult to imagine today, but the quiet village of Brancepeth was once at the very heart of the nation's stand against the threat of Nazi invasion. For generations, the village, which nestles in the shadow of Brancepeth Castle just a couple of
Indian Amol Dhindsa will make his home debut for Darlington RA in today's Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division game against Marske United. The left-arm spinner impressed last week and although he is studying at Nottingham University
A council leader is standing down next week after losing the support of the majority of her Labour colleagues, The Northern Echo has learned. Councillor Olive Brown is expected to announce her decision at the annual meeting of Wear Valley District Council
A MAN whose catalogue of domestic violence included throwing urine over his wife, has won a reduction in his jail term. Martin Lamont, 41, of Linden Avenue, Darlington, received a five-year sentence in July last year after pleading guilty at Teesside
A MANUFACTURING company may be forced to move work to China after struggling to recruit skilled workers in the region. Despite more than 1,000 manufacturing job losses in County Durham in the past year, ALM, in Newton Aycliffe, cannot recruit ten skilled
POLICE are looking for help from the public in tracking down two alleged shoplifters. A man walked into the In Store at the Arnison Centre, Durham, at about 2.40pm on Tuesday, March 1, and put toiletries worth about £40 inside his jacket. He then left
PETER Ramage put his meteoric rise to Newcastle's first team down to his fanatical rugby playing father. The 21-year-old defender made his Magpies debut in the white-hot atmosphere of Old Trafford last Sunday, and passed the unenviable task of stopping
AN April Fool's Day stunt which caught out more than 10,000 people and the national media has been nominated for a top PR award. Yorkshire Water's bogus claim to have invented diet tap water on GMTV and Yorkshire TV's Calendar News has been shortlisted
SUNDERLAND'S season has taken them from Highfield Road to heaven and, last night, the penultimate leg of the journey secured the ultimate prize. Substitute Stephen Elliott's dramatic late winner clinched the Championship title and ensured next Sunday's
Even if the Vatican had asked him to be Pope, the beloved Father Burke would not have been let go my his congregation. THE Dermot Burke Appreciation Society, otherwise the congregation of St Charles' RC church in Tudhoe, held one of its weekly gatherings
Bishop Auckland manager Brian Honour will be raising his players for one last effort to avoid relegation when they go to title-chasing Farsley Celtic today. Bishops have won three of their last four matches to put them third bottom of the Premier Division
THE online selling phenomenon e-Bay was at the centre of an election controversy yesterday when a user tried to swap votes with a resident in the Prime Minister's North-East constituency. A message posted on the Internet auction site appeals for a voter
Q I am 57 and have Incapacity Benefit of £68 a week and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for mobility. My wife is 54 and works 15 hours a week for £256 a month. Is there any help we can get with our council tax of £863 a year or anything else? A You
My first encounter with Eastern Europe's old world is shiny and new: Ferihegy International Airport is Budapest's air terminal. It's modern and clean and there are quite a few friendly Hungarians who speak English reasonably well and can provide travellers
A PARADE to mark the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe could be the biggest of its kind in the North. South Tyneside Borough Council's commemoration in South Shields, South Tyneside, is on May 15 at St Hilda's Church, in the market place. A procession
A "NO MERCY" crackdown on speeding bikers in North Yorkshire is being rolled out across the North-East after a dramatic fall in the number of riders killed and seriously injured. The joint operation by North Yorkshire Police and the county's road safety
VICTIMS of homophobic and racially motivated crimes will find it easier to report incidents to police after the launch of a scheme today. Durham Police is one of more than 30 forces across the country to sign up to the True Vision initiative. The police-led
HUNDREDS of entries have been rejected for the 25th Blaydon Race as the 4,000 limit was passed six weeks before the big Tyneside event on June 9. This year's event in being held in memory of long-time organiser Dr Jim Dewar, who died two days after directing
MOST of the audience were not even old enough to vote - but that did not stop a political debate at a North-East college from being the most nerve-wracking experience on the campaign trail for four candidates yesterday. Students, aged between 16 and 18
GRAEME Souness last night fuelled speculation that Andrew Johnson will be a summer target for the Magpies by admitting he has already made an inquiry for the Crystal Palace striker. United have already been linked with an end of season move for the Eagles
ONE in five children in the North-East is "very overweight" - according to Government figures that show the obesity problem has reached epidemic levels. Department of Health figures reveal the number of clinically obese youngsters under the age of 11
THEY may be too young to vote, but schoolchildren are already deciding on the prospective MPs they want to see returned to Parliament. In an attempt to get the younger generation introduced to the democratic process, 150 teenagers have been e-mailing
LINDSAY Johnson is preparing for the biggest game of her life when the Hartlepool-born defender steps out in the Womens' FA Cup Final on Monday. Charlton Athletic stand between Johnson and the perfect end to a perfect year. The central defender was called
CONSUMER protection officers yesterday handed leaflets to customers at a discount electrical shop urging them not to go inside. Trading standards officers gave the leaflets to people as they queued outside the unnamed shop, in Northgate, Darlington, for
A TRANSPORT firm boss ran over a police officer outside his son's primary school after he gave him a parking ticket. Children looked on as Paul Hughes, 40, accelerated his Land Rover Discovery at Special Constable Andreas Hagemann, 31. Mr Hagemann was
TO Dale Benkenstein having to carry the label of "Kolpak signing" is a small price to pay for the opportunity to live and play in Durham. The 30-year-old South African one-day international has already made his mark, especially with his all-round performance
TONY BLAIR was hailed yesterday as a "saviour of the Iraqi people" by the country's deputy prime minister. In a message aimed at voters in Mr Blair's Sedgefield constituency, where the Prime Minister is challenged by five anti-war candidates, Barham Saleh
CALLS have been made for a road to be upgraded to a dual carriageway after five people were hurt in a head-on crash. A blue Mazda 626 and a blue Peugeot 106 collided at the Barton crossroads on the A64, between York and Malton, on Thursday, at 4.50pm.
MUSICIANS will take to the hills next week to raise money for the restoration of Harrogate Royal Hall. Members of Harrogate Symphony Orchestra will take part in the 12th annual Nidderdale Walk, on May 8. The musicians are aiming to generate additional
SHOPPERS have been urged to stay on their guard against thieves after three incidents in Darlington. Two purses and a handbag were stolen from shoppers in the town centre on Thursday afternoon. All three crimes occurred in shops. Jacqui Snowball, of Darlington
A 15-YEAR-OLD boy yesterday admitted indecently touching a woman in a Darlington subway - and was warned he could be jailed. The incident took place in an underpass on Bondgate, near Riley's snooker club, when the woman was walking to work at about 8.30am
CALLS have been made for a road to be upgraded to a dual carriageway after five people were hurt in a head-on crash. A blue Mazda 626 and a blue Peugeot 106 collided at the Barton crossroads on the A64, between York and Malton, on Thursday, at 4.50pm.
POLICE have arrested 13 people following an intelligence- led crackdown on the streets of Stockton. Teams from Operation Sabre swooped to arrest two women and eleven men on Thursday. The two females were aged 26 and 16, and were both arrested for possession
A WOMAN who has helped a boxing club's funds has been rewarded with a promotion. Dawn Jarvis, 33, of Easington Village, co-ordinated Horden Sportsmen's Amateur Boxing Club's appeal for new equipment earlier this year. This week, her employer, laminate
POLICE are looking for help from the public in tracking down two alleged shoplifters. A man walked into the In Store at the Arnison Centre, Durham, at about 2.40pm on Tuesday, March 1, and put toiletries worth about £40 inside his jacket. He then left
AFTER months of waiting, a puddle that stretches up to 20ft across a Darlington road will soon be gone, water company officials have pledged. A drain problem on Woodlands Road - next to a bus shelter - can cause water to stretch across half the carriageway
DRAGONS and lions paid a flying visit to a Darlington school yesterday. Youngsters at Hummersknott School were treated to traditional Chinese dragon and lion dances performed by pupils from Shanghai's Yew Chung International School. Students were also
Warriors go into battle at a County Durham fort on Monday. Living history group The Northumbrians take up the cudgels at Binchester Roman Fort, near Bishop Auckland, which reopens for the summer season today. The group will be demonstrating what life
CABBIES are celebrating after Durham City Council backed down in a row over a controversial colour code. Hackney carriage drivers marched on the council's offices at Byland Lodge on Wednesday to protest at the council's refusal to allow Qurban Hussain
DOZENS of golfers competed in memory of a colleague and friend yesterday. Eighteen teams played for the Mark Donnelly Memorial Golf Trophy, at Wynyard Golf Club, near Stockton. The aim was to honour the memory of the 32-year-old quantity surveyor, from
CUT-PRICE memberships for a variety of leisure facilities go on offer this weekend. The Leisure Link scheme gives people discounts at all six of Middlesbrough Sports and Leisure venues. Ordinary membership, costing £10 per year, will be reduced to £5;
A NEW student-run journal providing a forum for political issues has gone on-line this week. A group of graduate students from Durham University's school of government and international affairs, has launched the publication, called GAIA Review . Its goal
TICKETS have gone on sale for a two-day summer musical weekend. Greased Lightning will be held on Saturday, July 9, at Guisborough Priory, to be followed by a picnic in the historic grounds on Sunday, July 10. Tickets for each event, organised by Redcar
A TEENAGER who was handed an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) for beating up strangers in unprovoked drunken attacks has been jailed. Mark Blowes was warned by police he faced prison when he was served with an Asbo in August last year after he committed
A PARADE to mark the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe could be the biggest of its kind in the North. South Tyneside Borough Council's commemoration in South Shields, South Tyneside, is on May 15 at St Hilda's Church, in the market place. A procession
A HOUSING scheme that was branded as over-intensive by a city council, has been approved. Ripon City Council expressed concerns about the plan to create a pair of semi-detached bungalows on a site at Sunny Bank Place Flats, Borrage Lane, Ripon, along
A NATURE strategy will be created to protect animals and plants on a vast new housing estate where permission was given for another 100 homes yesterday. Councillors agreed to the plans for 100 homes on the south-west corner of Whitworth Park, Spennymoor
PENSIONERS in Darlington are feeling the benefit of a new advice service campaign. The town's Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) says a scheme designed to encourage people to claim all the benefits they are entitled to has got off to a flying start. In its
A SELL-OUT cinema documentary detailing Eston's mining era is being released. A Century in Stone, by Eston-born filmmaker Craig Hornby, was a sell-out at Middlesbrough's UGC cinema last year. The film opened again yesterday at UGC and movie-goers can
LOCALLY-TRAINED My Paris (4.30) has a fantastic chance of lifting this afternoon's Thirsk Hunt Cup. Kevin Ryan's progressive four-year-old only has to travel around six miles from his base at Sutton Bank to line up for the Tote-sponsored £20,000 one-mile
As a survey reveals that more people are hitting the off button when it comes to election coverage and many more plan to hire a video or DVD on election night, it seems there's too much politics on TV. Viewers are voting with their remote controls. Coverage
Second Division basement battlers Easington and Hebburn will face a play-off if they have identical results today. Never in the league's 116 year history has a situation like today's been encountered. Both clubs are tied on points, goal difference and
AN ambitious scheme aiming to offer personalised travel plans to thousands of people is to be launched. Officials from Darlington Borough Council will soon be contacting all homeowners in the North Road and Harrowgate Hill areas to ask if they want to
WHAT terrible, terrible pictures on Page 3. We are sorry if they have upset anyone. But this is real life. Horrible, grubby, real life. You could look the other way and pretend it doesn't exist. But if you do that, it won't go away. In fact, untreated
A PENSIONER found trembling with fear in a utility room at her home died of natural causes, medical tests have revealed. Detectives leading the investigation into Kathleen Roberts' death have ruled out the possibility of murder. At a news conference,
