REAL ales from different parts of the UK will be on tap at one of the most remote hotels in the North-East this weekend. Building on the success of last year's first beer festival at the Langdon Beck Hotel, in Upper Teesdale, landlord Glen Matthews
The X Factor: Battle Of The Stars follows the same format as the non-celeb series. Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh will get their own group to mentor, either the 16-24s, over 25s or groups, and they'll find out, along with the audience
This isn't the end of the X-Men, according to star Hugh Jackman, because Wolverine at least is destined for more movies, he tells Steve Pratt. Co-star Halle BerrY reveals that she was determined to make her character, Storm, more central in this third
STOP me if you've heard this one before: a computer-animated family film in which animals from a New York zoo embark on a journey into the outside world. That's right, the latest Disney offering bears more than a passing resemblance to last year's
THIS third X-Men movie shouldn't have worked out as well as it has considering the problems that beset the production. First, Bryan Singer, director of the first two films, defected to the new Superman picture. Then replacement Matthew Vaughan departed
Both Henry Luxemburg and Sarah Quintrell are enjoying a switch from TV to theatre. Hollyoaks serial killer Luxemburg and Carrie And Barry star Quintrell talk to Steve Pratt about reviving Shaw's famous play Pygmalion at York. THE annual family outing
What can I say? One of a plethora of World Cup singles which record producers hope will be sung on the terraces by England supporters in Germany. If they sing this one, I'm afraid we're doomed.
This band had phenomenal success with their piano-led debut album and could have played it safe with more of the same - not my cup of tea really. But I'm delighted to say they have returned with a grittier sound which has produced a riproaring single
Lightweight and inoffensive, but still quite pleasant all the same. Good keyboard work. I think this band has potential and I'd like to hear more. But what a terrible name. Hot Chip? Do me favour.
Tuneless beat-driven drivel from the popular songstress, who appears to be going through the motions. If this is the best she can do, I don't hold out much hope for her new album.
Singer-songwriter Rojor comes from Teesside and specialises in magnificent music of melody and rhythm. In that respect, Faint Signal is no different from his three previous CDs. It is painstakingly arranged and sumptuously produced with vivid
TICKETS for the first New Order gig in a North-East city for more than 20 years go on sale tomorrow. The band is back for more live action in Newcastle following a series of shows last year, which culminated in a memorable performance at Glastonbury
Bach: Freddy Kempf (BIS-CD1330) Freddy Kempf gives a sterling performance of Bach's Partitas Nos 4 and 6. His intimate playing both highlights the strong structural outline of the works, while exuding the inner spirit of Bach. Monteverdi: Il sesto
ONE of the main aims of this weekly column, more important really than letting local folk enthusiasts know what's going on in the region, is to encourage those readers with no particular interest or affinity with this type of music, to go to a concert
Cannonball Adderley/Why am I treated so bad! (Capitol Jazz 56314) A very lively and typical set from the alto player, recorded live in the studio before an appreciative audience. It was the follow-up album to their big hit, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,
Willie Nelson: The Complete Atlantic Sessions (Atlantic) AS I've said before Willie Nelson may have recorded more songs than any other artist alive. Shrugging off the mantle of being told what to do from the Nashville moguls in the early Seventies, Nelson
LUCKLESS Darlington defender Joey Hutchinson is ready to put his injury nightmare behind him, writes Lee Hall. The 24-year-old will be fit to resume training when the squad reassembles at the end of June. Hutchinson has been sidelined since Boxing
WITH the transfer merry-go-round beginning to gather pace, Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder will meet chairman Freddy Shepherd this morning to finalise his spending plans for the summer. The Magpies manager will discuss how much funding is available to
Yorkshire's consultant physiotherapist, Wayne Morton, has refuted reports that England captain Michael Vaughan's career might be in jeopardy because of the knee injury which has kept him out of action for several months. Morton revealed that Vaughan
MIDDLESBROUGH are expected to resist the latest move from Tottenham to prise Stewart Downing from the Riverside as the winger prepares to launch a bid for a starting place in this summer's World Cup. Downing has been named in the starting XI for England
THE tennis world has always loved its rivalries. In the early 1980s, it was John McEnroe slowly stealing Jimmy Connors' crown via a series of games that were played amid a backdrop of mutual dislike. By the end of the decade, Boris Becker and Stefan
THE Government has revealed it expects to publish its much-delayed response to a series of medical scandals, including the Richard Neale affair, in the spring. Campaigners who represent victims of the disgraced surgeon, who worked at the Friarage Hospital
Former Emmerdale star Amy Nuttall is having a loverly time as the star of My Fair Lady. AMY Nuttall is quite frankly surprised to hear so many favourable comparisons with Audrey Hepburn as she brings Eliza Doolittle and My Fair Lady to the North-East
Dancer, artist and choreographer Bill Shannon talks about his career with crutches. WHEN disabled Bill Shannon demonstrated his street dance skills with specially designed crutches in Mexico City, women kept rushing to pick him up whenever he 'fell
STEVE McDonald's marriage with ex-wife Karen was a stormy one, but his relationship with new squeeze Da-DooRon-Ronnie should carry a severe weather warning. There are hurricane force emotions causing a deep depression over Weatherfield in Coronation
Getting the right travel insurance is absolutely crucial these days. It can make or break that longed-for holiday. ORGANISED your summer holidays yet? What about insurance? I know, I know, travel insurance is so-o-oboring. . .Until you have a car crash
MENTION the Mary Celeste and most people think of a ghost ship, without knowing much more about the story. Five's Revealed documentary attempted to uncover what happened back in 1872, a tale that's been clouded by the court case to hear the salvage
The former clerk of Shildon's 'urbane' district council, and last of the town's Quaker brethren, has always valued his independence. MEMORY Lane led from Shildon railway station, up past Tunnel Top to the long-time home of Cyril A Mitchinson, former
WELL, well. A week ago I noted here what struck me as the utterly unjustified control by the EU of the TV rights to the English Premier League. Our own Government plays no part whatsoever. But where this once would have provoked an outcry, it now raises
BARELY-perceptible it might be, but the end of the football season has brought more than the biggest disappointment in Middlesbrough FC's history and a classic FA Cup Final. Less widely recognised is an outstanding example of how much we are now under
Ten years ago, Caroline Ponting was a guinea pig in a pioneering BBC experiment to find permanent happiness. As a documentary revisits the participants, Brian Redhead finds out if she's still smiling. CAROLINE Ponting is a far happier person today
In a coup for the region, Jill Clay and Katie Chaplin have arranged for the public to meet two geisha for the first time. Sarah Foster has her own rather strange encounter with them. PERHAPS I should have known from the press release that this was
A Lottery millionaire is receiving thousands of pounds in housing benefit by charging her two unemployed children rent. Freda Cowley bought her son and daughter a house each after scooping the jackpot. The 46-year-old mother of five charges them
STEVE Harmison's return to form for Durham yesterday was followed by an extraordinary collapse as they slumped to defeat by Sussex well inside two days. All out for 80, they lost by an innings and 39 runs and skipper Dale Benkenstein admitted they
Durham v Sussex (County Championship) : Day Two DURHAM returned to the days of their worst Riverside nightmares yesterday when they suffered an astonishing collapse against Sussex. They crashed from 47 without loss to 80 all out to lose by an innings
Durham v Sussex (County Championship) : Day One DURHAM were perplexed by a pair of Pakistanis yesterday as their chances of closing the five-point gap on leaders Sussex were wrecked by Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mushtaq Ahmed. Known as Ronnie and Mushy
The season for dressing up is getting under way -and, oh, how we love being in our finery. CINDERELLA has a lot to answer for. . . Ever since that Fairy Godmother scattered stardust from her wand and said "Yes, you shall go to the ball"- the rest
Some of our temperamental sports stars could learn a thing or two from the Chinese. GOODNESS knows what the Chinese would have made of John McEnroe, or Eric Cantona, or even that nice Tim Henman who's been known to have the occasional paddy and whack
THE most important function of any Government is to ensure the safety of its citizens. So perhaps the most damning indictment we have heard of the current Government has come from the Prime Minister himself earlier this week. It is a quote worth
WELL, well, what's going on in Darlington then? It's only eight years since the Bishop of London asked me to become Rector of St Michael's in the City of London. I was a country parson in Yorkshire at the time and I remember the half-jokey warnings
WE'VE just got back from a marvellous holiday in Malta - tremendously impressed. It's like Yorkshire used to be in the 1950s but with all-day sunshine. The first things you notice are the churches: even the little villages have huge basilicas with
IT'S hard to think seriously about pensions when you're in your midtwenties. Old age seems a very long way away. So, like many other young women thirty odd years ago, I opted for the married woman's national insurance option. After all, we young married
His life had all the twists and turns of a cinema blockbuster, yet he is all but forgotten in his native North-East. Tony Kearney looks back at the life of movie pioneer David Horsley - who left Stanley penniless and became the man who founded Hollywood
The sinking of the SS Ceramic was one of the many tragedies of the Second World War. But for John Dean, uncovering the details of its fate also meant solving a family mystery. IT was a terrible incident that illustrated the human - and inhuman -
AN award-winning play, set in late-1950s North-West England, is being performed in the North-East. Shelagh Delaney's modern classic tale, a Taste of Honey, will be staged at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday. The play follows the story of
AN award-winning museum's latest attraction provides visitors with an insight into life during the 1820s in the North-East. Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, has unveiled a feature that shows what the landscape of the region was like almost
A SPECIALIST team of police officers was last night continuing to search a house in the North-East as part of a nationwide investigation into terrorism abroad. The operation, led by Greater Manchester Police, involved five police teams in the UK -
OLYMPIC swimmer Nick Gillingham has saluted an isolated upland village which has rallied around to set up its own community gym. Mr Gillingham, who won Olympic silver in the 1988 games, opened a £15,000 community fitness facility in St John's Chapel's
A DARLINGTON woman has been recognised for her achievements donating blood. Ann Biggs has been presented with a crystal award after reaching 75 donations. The National Blood Service presented her with the award at a ceremony held to honour North-East
POLICE in the North-East have turned to television viewers across the country as they try to find two men wanted for separate serious crimes. Northumbria Police appealed through BBC1's Crimewatch programme on Tuesday, asking people to tell them the
A CRUEL mother has been jailed for attacking her sixyear-old boy with a table leg during a year of beatings. Deborah Chapman, 34, of Morpeth Avenue, Darlington, was jailed for seven months at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. She claimed she was bringing
TONY BLAIR was accused of "governing in coalition with the Tories" last night after his Bill to set up trust schools cleared the Commons only with Conservative support. A total of 46 Labour backbenchers - including Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland - rebelled
VIOLENT CRIME : As incidents involving knives continues to be a worrying feature of violent crime, it is vital that those who inflict injury, or take life, must suffer the consequences. Sentences rarely reflect the suffering of victims, or the pain
PUB owner David Leighton has decided to test the waters by declaring his new lounge bar a no-smoking zone. His move comes ahead of legislation that will ban smoking in all pubs and clubs next year. Although smoking will continue in the rest of The Old
POLICE are hoping to reduce crime in a village by handing out 70 kits which enable residents can put invisible markers on their property. Forms have been sent to all 550 households in Cockfield, near Barnard Castle, offering the Smartwater kits on a
A village community centre has staved off closure after a new committee took over the running of the site. But the steering group has warned that Toronto Community Centre still requires more help from the public if it is to remain open in the long-term
ASPIRING poets have been putting pen to paper to urge others to clean up their environment. More than 220 entries, some from as far afield as Swindon and Sheffield, were received by the Heighington Parish Litter Group, in its limerick competition related
DURHAM seamer Liam Plunkett helped England banish the disappointment of Lord's this morning by taking three wickets to help reduce Sri Lanka to 65 for six at lunch. Plunkett, born in Middlesbrough, was brought into the attack at the expense of skipper
A support service has been launched to help children who have witnessed domestic abuse in their homes. While their mothers receive practical and emotional support, the children spend time with a support worker, expressing their emotions through games.
FORMER Gladiator Diane Youdale returned to her old school to open a new-look £1m sports centre. The star attended Billingham Campus School on Teesside on Saturday to unveil the complex, which has been closed for 18 months. Thanks to almost £1m from
A GROUP of fundraisers are back on dry land after completing their most gruelling challenge to date. Eight residents from the Wynyard area, near Billingham, canoed coast-to-coast across Scotland along the Caledonian Canal, raising £400 for the Butterwick
A PLAY, funded by Lottery cash, will chart Thornaby's history from Roman times to the present day. The £50,000 grant is to help pupils at Bader Primary School in Thornaby better understand the town's past. Robert Smith, who runs the production company
CAMPAIGNERS braved the rain to protest at the lack of secondary school facilities on a growing Teesside estate. Parents and councillors demonstrated in Ingleby Barwick on Monday morning to draw attention to their fight for an extra school in the area.
A WOMAN has warned against accepting mortgage advice from cold-calling firms after she paid out almost £500 for nothing. Retired local government officer Irene Snowball, from Acklam, Middlesbrough, was visited by a salesman from a London endowment mortgage
A FAMOUS author's son will provide an exclusive insight into his father's life for visitors to a tourist attraction in the region. Jim Wight's recollections can be heard on new recorded guide tapes about the World of James Herriot, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire
VOLUNTARY crimefighters who help police to patrol their rural community are appealing for more help to ensure the continued success of the scheme. The Darlington West Rural Watch was set up in July 2004 to cover the farming communities on the fringes
A DARLINGTON woman has been recognised for her achievements donating blood. Ann Biggs has been presented with a crystal award after reaching 75 donations. The National Blood Service presented her with the award at a ceremony held to honour North-East
RARE breed enthusiast Paul Fisher is looking for a new home for his 300 pigs. His Gloucestershire old spots, British lops and Berkshires have been living temporarily on land at Easby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. Now he is looking for a minimum of
POLICE were called when a fight broke out between a lesbian couple who were the first gay soldiers to marry. Officers were called at 3am to Marne Barracks, in Catterick Village, North Yorkshire, to an incident involving Sonya Gould and Vanessa Haydock
A FAMOUS author's son will provide an exclusive insight into his father's life for visitors to a tourist attraction in the region. Jim Wight's recollections can be heard on new recorded guide tapes about the World of James Herriot, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire
MORE than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling for Remploy factories in the North-East to remain open. The document was yesterday handed to North Tyneside MP Stephen Byers in a fight to save more than 500 jobs believed to be under threat in the
FRIENDS of a murdered footballer are playing in a tournament in his memory next week. Six teams are turning out at Coundon, County Durham, on Sunday, June 4, for former Newcastle United Reserves striker Gary Walton, a father of two young girls, who was
WORK will begin later this year on a new swimming pool for Durham City after councillors last night granted permission for the £11m building. Members of Durham City Council's development control committee gave the go-ahead for the 25-metre pool, which
FUNERAL arrangements for one of the first women to be ordained in County Durham have been announced. A service for the Reverend Beryl Davison will be held at All Saints' Parish Church, in Lanchester, County Durham, at 11am this morning, followed by cremation
SCHOOL pupils were marching to lessons on their stomachs after being given dinner Army-style. Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps set up a field kitchen and provided lunch for the whole of Moorside Community Technology College, in Consett. The operation
CHILDREN at a Darlington dance school have enjoyed success in their dance exams. Pupils at the Pam Tallentire Studio of Dance, in Branksome Community Centre, entered the International Dance Teachers Association's examinations. Several pupils were highly
keep-fit enthusiasts from Darlington are hoping to get the chance to work out at the Royal Albert Hall, in London. The Darlington branch of the Keep Fit Association is going on stage at the Sage Gateshead with a performance called Harmony. The event
TWO Darlington schools are forging links across the globe as part of an education scheme. North Road and Firthmoor primary schools are entertaining teachers and parents from France, Spain, Martinique and Estonia this week. Their visit is part of the Comenius
VOLUNTARY crimefighters who help police to patrol their rural community are appealing for more help to ensure the continued success of the scheme. The Darlington West Rural Watch was set up in July 2004 to cover the farming communities on the fringes
Newcastle United football star Kieron Dyer has been arrested for allegedly exposing himself at a hotel while drinking with pals. Dyer, 27, who this week celebrated the birth of his son, attended a police station in Norfolk yesterday accompanied by
THORNABY GREEN (3.25) holds every chance of maintaining David's Barron's excellent start to the season at Ayr this afternoon. Barron is flying high in the 2005 trainers' table with 22 winners, not bad seeing as big names such as Messrs Dunlop and Gosden
A MYSTERY flooding problem has stumped a 100-year-old village cricket team. Silksworth Cricket Club may be forced to withdraw from league action after its field became a swamp. The water is moving towards the wicket - and only the ducks that have moved
THORNABY GREEN (3.25) holds every chance of maintaining David's Barron's excellent start to the season at Ayr this afternoon. Barron is flying high in the 2005 trainers' table with 22 winners, not bad seeing as big names such as Messrs Dunlop and Gosden
JOB losses are "inevitable" in a radical shake-up of the Government agency responsible for land registration across the entire region. Bosses at the Land Registry admitted yesterday that a major review of its nationwide operation could lead to some redundancies
STEVE Harmison's return to form for Durham yesterday was followed by an extraordinary collapse as they slumped to defeat by Sussex well inside two days. All out for 80, they lost by an innings and 39 runs and skipper Dale Benkenstein admitted they had
AFTER 100 years of campaigning for the right to roam the countryside freely the majority of walkers are keeping to footpaths. With the first anniversary of Open Access in the North-East on Sunday, it was revealed the majority of countryside visitors have
RARE breed enthusiast Paul Fisher is looking for a new home for his 300 pigs. His Gloucestershire old spots, British lops and Berkshires have been living temporarily on land at Easby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. Now he is looking for a minimum of
TONY BLAIR was accused of "governing in coalition with the Tories" last night after his Bill to set up trust schools cleared the Commons only with Conservative support. A total of 46 Labour backbenchers - including Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland - rebelled
THE owner of a North-East hotel fears it may be forced to close after he was fined £1,750 plus £2,815 costs for a string of food hygiene breaches. Gurpreet Singh Sahota, who owns and runs The Raven Hotel at Ebchester, near Consett, County Durham, told
BUSINESS research consultancy Acritas has opened two new offices and plans to create up to 15 jobs in the region over the next three years. The Newcastle company has opened offices in London and New York and is on target to increase turnover by 50 per
INVESTMENT management group Brewin Dolphin yesterday reported a surge in half-year profits. The group is the parent company of Wise Speke, which has offices in Teesside and Newcastle, employing almost 320 people. Brewin Dolphin also has a small office
DETECTIVES investigating a nightclub raid in which more than £30,000 was stolen from a safe have charged the venue's former manager. Police revealed yesterday that a 23-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy to burgle in connection with the raid
TWO organisations have raised concerns about the future of the rural economy and landscape. The Forum of Private Business (FPB) said the rural economy was still in crisis. "Unless something is done to address the issue there will be no rural economy left
MANUFACTURERS were given a boost yesterday as an industry survey showed export orders rose to a ten-year high this month. For the first time since February 1996, as many firms said export orders were above normal as below, driven by renewed demand for
MORE than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling for Remploy factories in the North-East to remain open. The document was yesterday handed to North Tyneside MP Stephen Byers in a fight to save more than 500 jobs believed to be under threat in the
WORK will begin later this year on a new swimming pool for Durham City after councillors last night granted permission for the £11m building. Members of Durham City Council's development control committee gave the go-ahead for the 25-metre pool, which
A TAXI driver accused of a sex assault on a passenger claimed she was the instigator of the incident. David Green, 26, is said to have carried out the act as he pulled up outside the 49-year-old home in Shildon, late on August 12 last year. Durham Crown
COMMUNITY activities take place throughout the week at the recently-opened Bishop Barrington School sports hall, in Bishop Auckland. Regular activities include netball and boxercise on Mondays, badminton and karate on Tuesdays, gymnastics and Pilates
A TAXI driver accused of a sex assault on a passenger claimed she was the instigator of the incident. David Green, 26, is said to have carried out the act as he pulled up outside the 49-year-old's home in Shildon, late on August 12 last year. Durham Crown
IF not exactly a command performance, today's column could certainly be said to have a royal flavour - beginning with the day the Duke of Edinburgh met the Mad Pieman of Meadowfield. The pie maker - "Everyone calls me the Mad Pieman, but it sometimes
ENTRANTS are being sought for a talent competition. The event, at Neville Parade Community Centre, Newton Aycliffe, is open to vocalists, instrumentalists, groups, choirs and musicians of all ages. Chairman and trustee of the centre Peter Beaty said:
TWO women from Spennymoor have taken part in a moonlit marathon to raise money for breast cancer research. Sue Mitchell, a teaching assistant from St Charles RC Primary School, in Tudhoe, and Elaine Long, chairwoman of the school's Friends committee,
FRIENDS of a murdered footballer are playing in a tournament in his memory next week. Six teams are turning out at Coundon, County Durham, on Sunday, June 4, for former Newcastle United Reserves striker Gary Walton, a father of two young girls, who was
PUPILS at a North-East school were among 12 people stopped and searched as part of a Northumbria Police drugs operation, it was revealed last night. Officers used sniffer dogs during the searches for illegal substances in the Westgate Road area of Newcastle
A WOMAN has warned against accepting mortgage advice from cold-calling firms after she paid out almost £500 for nothing. Retired local government officer Irene Snowball, from Acklam, Middlesbrough, was visited by a salesman from a London endowment mortgage
A PLAY, funded by Lottery cash, will chart Thornaby's history from Roman times to the present day. The £50,000 grant is to help pupils at Bader Primary School in Thornaby better understand the town's past. Robert Smith, who runs the production company
A HEROIN addict carried out a bungalow burglary to feed his habit three weeks after his release from prison. Glen Wilson, 21, and another man were seen running from the back yard of the property, in Horden, County Durham, shortly after 6.30am on May 15
A MIDDLESBROUGH garden centre is helping the University Hospital of North Tees raise funds for a garden at the haematology ward. The garden is the idea of Chloe and Jake Costello, from Stockton. Their father, David, was treated for leukaemia in the ward
A COLLEGE has said goodbye to one of its longest-serving teachers. Religious education teacher John Thompson has left Freebrough Specialist Engineering College, in Brotton, east Cleveland, after a 43-year career, teaching three generations of pupils.
A GROUP of fundraisers are back on dry land after completing their most gruelling challenge to date. Eight residents from the Wynyard area, near Billingham, canoed coast-to-coast across Scotland along the Caledonian Canal, raising £400 for the Butterwick
A COMMUNITY centre will have a champion boxer in its corner when it holds a fun day. Hartlepool fighter Michael Hunter is a guest at the event at the town's Brougham Centre this Saturday, from 1pm to 3pm. Organisers hope that the appearance by Hunter,
RARE breed enthusiast Paul Fisher is looking for a new home for his 300 pigs. His Gloucestershire old spots, British lops and Berkshires have been living temporarily on land at Easby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. Now he is looking for a minimum of
CHEMICAL group ICI last night indicated it would keep its Uniqema business if it did not get a better offer. ICI said earlier this year it was considering a sale of the business, which employs 360 people in Teesside, making ingredients for products such
CHILDREN at a Darlington dance school have enjoyed success in their dance exams. Pupils at the Pam Tallentire Studio of Dance, in Branksome Community Centre, entered the International Dance Teachers Association's examinations. Several pupils were highly
More than 70 year ten design and technology students at Hurworth School Maths and Computing College have taken part in an industrial production day. The pupils, including Joanna Dinsdale and Sian Sunley, pictured, converted classrooms into a factory to
TWO Darlington schools are forging links across the globe as part of an education scheme. North Road and Firthmoor primary schools are entertaining teachers and parents from France, Spain, Martinique and Estonia this week. Their visit is part of the Comenius
A theatre group has visited Darlington to help launch a drama group. The Chicken Shed Theatre Company, from London, visited the Darlington Education Village to launch the first "Shed" in the North-East. The Darlington project is the 22nd "Shed" to be
AN INTERNATIONAL row was raging last night over the death of a North-East mountaineer on Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary - the first man to climb the world's highest peak - criticised those who passed by David Sharp as he lay dying 300 metres below the summit
POLICE forces throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire yesterday joined a national campaign to reduce the number of knives and offensive weapons in circulation. The launch of the amnesty came hours before a 38-year-old woman was stabbed to death
A SECURITY camera could be installed in one of Darlington's parks, if councillors approve funding. The proposal for a camera in Lascelles Park comes after residents expressed concerns about their safety, and several reports of anti-social behaviour in
POLICE are hoping to reduce crime in a village by handing out 70 kits which enable residents can put invisible markers on their property. Forms have been sent to all 550 households in Cockfield, near Barnard Castle, offering the Smartwater kits on a first
THOUSANDS of North-East youngsters will get better access to sports facilities after schemes encouraging participation got a £320,000 boost. Across the region, projects helping young people to take up rugby, football, cricket, and gymnastics were among
THE funeral of one of the first women to be ordained as clergy in a North-East diocese takes place today. Family and friends will pay their last respects to the Reverend Beryl Davison, at All Saints' Parish Church, in Lanchester, at 11am. The service
POLICE were called when a fight broke out between a lesbian couple who were the first gay soldiers to marry. Officers were called at 3am to Marne Barracks, in Catterick Village, North Yorkshire, to an incident involving Sonya Gould and Vanessa Haydock
FORMER Gladiator Diane Youdale returned to her old school to open a new-look £1m sports centre. The star attended Billingham Campus School on Teesside on Saturday to unveil the complex, which has been closed for 18 months. Thanks to almost £1m from the
CAMPAIGNERS braved the rain to protest at the lack of secondary school facilities on a growing Teesside estate. Parents and councillors demonstrated in Ingleby Barwick on Monday morning to draw attention to their fight for an extra school in the area.
ASPIRING poets have been putting pen to paper to urge others to clean up their environment. More than 220 entries, some from as far afield as Swindon and Sheffield, were received by the Heighington Parish Litter Group, in its limerick competition related
DURHAM County Council has launched one of the North-East's first carton recycling schemes. The authority, in conjunction with carton maker Tetra Pak Ltd, is trialling the new project in east Durham. If the six-month experiment proves successful, the scheme
In a coup for the region, Jill Clay and Katie Chaplin have arranged for the public to meet two geisha for the firs time. Sarah Foster has her own rather strange encounter with them. PERHAPS I should have known from the press release that this was not
A DEVELOPMENT company was shocked to uncover a drugs den in a newly-acquired property. But only weeks after the discovery, Westnew Management yesterday unveiled the transformed property it believes will mark another step on the way to the renaissance
TWO men have had their chests waxed to support the Durham County 13-year-olds soccer team. The sons of both Paul Williamson and David Haywood play for the team, which needs a new kit - but it was their meeting with another player's mum which led to them
A TALKING newspaper service that provides a vital link to keep listeners in touch with their local communities looks set to expand thanks to a charity grant. The Gannett Foundation, sponsored by The Northern Echo's US parent company Gannett, is to donate
DURHAM returned to the days of their worst Riverside nightmares yesterday when they suffered an astonishing collapse against Sussex. They crashed from 47 without loss to 80 all out to lose by an innings and 39 runs to the division one leaders inside five
LUCKLESS Darlington defender Joey Hutchinson is ready to put his injury nightmare behind him, writes Lee Hall. The 24-year-old will be fit to resume training when the squad reassembles at the end of June. Hutchinson has been sidelined since Boxing Day
WITH the transfer merry-go-round beginning to gather pace, Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder will meet chairman Freddy Shepherd this morning to finalise his spending plans for the summer. The Magpies manager will discuss how much funding is available to him
THE tennis world has always loved its rivalries. In the early 1980s, it was John McEnroe slowly stealing Jimmy Connors' crown via a series of games that were played amid a backdrop of mutual dislike. By the end of the decade, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg
POLICE forces throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire yesterday joined a national campaign to reduce the number of knives and offensive weapons in circulation. The launch of the amnesty came hours before a 38-year-old woman was stabbed to death
A SPECIALIST team of police officers was last night continuing to search a house in the North-East as part of a nationwide investigation into terrorism abroad. The operation, led by Greater Manchester Police, involved five police teams in the UK - Cleveland
DEMAND for blast-proof glass and panels that turn the sun's rays into electricity have helped drive up Romag's profits by 37 per cent. The specialist glass maker, based in Consett, County Durham, reported a jump in half-year pretax profits to £586,000
PUPILS at a North-East school were among 12 people stopped and searched as part of a Northumbria Police drugs operation, it was revealed last night. Officers used sniffer dogs during the searches for illegal substances in the Westgate Road area of Newcastle
A CRUEL mother has been jailed for attacking her six-year-old boy with a table leg during a year of beatings. Deborah Chapman, 34, of Morpeth Avenue, Darlington, was jailed for seven months at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. She claimed she was bringing
MIDDLESBROUGH are expected to resist the latest move from Tottenham to prise Stewart Downing from the Riverside as the winger prepares to launch a bid for a starting place in this summer's World Cup. Downing has been named in the starting XI for England
A MILLIONAIRE, jailed for ten years after being found guilty of kidnapping and threatening to kill two North-East businessmen, has had his convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal. Volker Kappler, 41, from Llanfairtalhaiarn, near Conwy, North Wales,
A YOUNGSTER knocked down by a stolen car was last night fighting for his life after his condition deteriorated. Eight-year-old Daniel Curtin suffered serious head injuries when he was struck by the car on a cycle path. The Middlesbrough boy was knocked
POLICE are appealing for information after a registered sex offender with links to the region went missing from a bail hostel. William Anthony Knowles, 44, was due to sign on at the hostel in Bury, Lancashire, at 3pm yesterday, but failed to do so. He
VIOLENT CRIME: AS incidents involving knives continues to be a worrying feature of violent crime, it is vital that those who inflict injury, or take life, must suffer the consequences. Sentences rarely reflect the suffering of victims, or the pain and
IT's hard to think seriously about pensions when you're in your mid-twenties. Old age seems a very long way away. So, like many other young women thirty odd years ago, I opted for the married woman's national insurance option. After all, we young married
A MYSTERY flooding problem has stumped a 100-year-old village cricket team. Silksworth Cricket Club may be forced to withdraw from league action after its field became a swamp. The water is moving towards the wicket - and only the ducks that have moved
A theatre is looking for two ponies to help with the launch of its pantomime. This year's panto at Darlington Civic Theatre is Cinderella, starring Denise Welch and the Krankies. The theatre is looking for two ponies to help with the launch in June. The
A former Darlington car hire depot could be turned into a block of flats. Plans to demolish the former Wentworth Self Drive Hire, in Melland Street, and erect a block of 36 flats with car parking and associated works have been submitted to Darlington
A CHARITY has been given funding to buy equipment after helping to secure almost £100,000 for good causes in Darlington. Darlington Council for Voluntary Service (DCVS), which helped nine other organisations gain grants last month, has been given £4,375
GOLFERS will toast a club stalwart tonight for her sterling work helping young players develop in the game. Despite being unable to play in recent years due to ill health, 82-year-old Mary Vine remains an active member of Durham City Golf Club. Her work
A children's centre will open its doors in Saltburn next month. The £1.5m development, on the Huntcliff School site, will be home to the town's Sure Start programme, a private day care nursery and will see the relocation of Langbaurgh Primary Care Trust's
A project has been launched to help young people learn how to run their own homes. The Skills for Life initiative is being run by Housing Hartlepool, the not-for-profit company that runs the town's former council housing stock. It is being piloted in
JUSTIN Hoyte has tipped Nyron Nosworthy to become a first-team regular next season, after claiming the Sunderland full-back was the club's most under-rated player last term, writes Scott Wilson. Hoyte is now back at Arsenal after making 30 appearances
Yorkshire's consultant physiotherapist, Wayne Morton, has refuted reports that England captain Michael Vaughan's career might be in jeopardy because of the knee injury which has kept him out of action for several months. Morton revealed that Vaughan was
A DARLINGTON woman has been recognised for her achievements donating blood. Ann Biggs has been presented with a crystal award after reaching 75 donations. The National Blood Service presented her with the award at a ceremony held to honour North-East
keep-fit enthusiasts from Darlington are hoping to get the chance to work out at the Royal Albert Hall, in London. The Darlington branch of the Keep Fit Association is going on stage at the Sage Gateshead with a performance called Harmony. The event,
YOUNG musicians are hoping for a sell-out crowd as they take to the stage tonight. The students, from Darlington College, have spent five months planning the concert, which will form a key part of their work on the 1st Diploma Performing Arts course.
COUNCIL bosses in Darlington are looking into ways to make it easier to park in the town. The council is launching a feasibility study and consultation exercise exploring new ways of paying to park. The study will look into the possibility of installing
VOLUNTARY crimefighters who help police to patrol their rural community are appealing for more help to ensure the continued success of the scheme. The Darlington West Rural Watch was set up in July 2004 to cover the farming communities on the fringes
A group is to star in an advertisement to promote one of its main funders. The Pilgrim Club, in Shildon, gives children from the Sedgefield area the opportunity to take part in a variety of outdoor activities, including camping, canoeing and hiking. It
A support service has been launched to help children who have witnessed domestic abuse in their homes. While their mothers receive practical and emotional support, the children spend time with a support worker, expressing their emotions through games.
A ROADSHOW aimed at preventing falls takes place tomorrow. It has been organised by the Pioneering Care Partnership and takes place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, from 1pm to 4pm. For more information or to book a place call (01325) 321234 or minicom (
MORE than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling for Remploy factories in the North-East to remain open. The document was yesterday handed to North Tyneside MP Stephen Byers in a fight to save more than 500 jobs believed to be under threat in the
A village community centre has staved off closure after a new committee took over the running of the site. But the steering group has warned that Toronto Community Centre still requires more help from the public if it is to remain open in the long-term
PUB owner David Leighton has decided to test the waters by declaring his new lounge bar a no-smoking zone. His move comes ahead of legislation that will ban smoking in all pubs and clubs next year. Although smoking will continue in the rest of The Old
A HISTORIC hall is inviting visitors to visit the land of make believe during the half-term break. Historic Crook Hall, in Durham City, stages a fairy-tale week during the half-term holiday between Sunday, May 28, and June 4. The event will include fairy-tale
SCHOOL pupils were marching to lessons on their stomachs after being given dinner Army-style. Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps set up a field kitchen and provided lunch for the whole of Moorside Community Technology College, in Consett. The operation
FUNERAL arrangements for one of the first women to be ordained in County Durham have been announced. A service for the Reverend Beryl Davison will be held at All Saints' Parish Church, in Lanchester, County Durham, at 11am this morning, followed by cremation
A FAMOUS author's son will provide an exclusive insight into his father's life for visitors to a tourist attraction in the region. Jim Wight's recollections can be heard on new recorded guide tapes about the World of James Herriot, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire
TWO plumbing students from north Durham have celebrated success in the regional heat of the British Plumbing Employers' Council (BPEC) Skills Competition. Christopher Lonsdale, an apprentice studying at New College Durham, won first place in the Sheet
AN INTERNATIONAL row was raging last night over the death of a North-East mountaineer on Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary - the first man to climb the world's highest peak - criticised those who passed by David Sharp as he lay dying 300 metres below the summit
TO accuse anyone of putting their own ambition before a human life is an extremely serious allegation to make. But that is what Sir Edmund Hillary is saying in his outburst against climbers who passed North-East mountaineer David Sharp hours before he
PSYCHOLOGY student Rebecca Clarke last night clinched the Miss Durham title. The third annual beauty contest was held last night at Sedgefield Racecourse and saw 20 finalists compete over three rounds. After displays of evening wear, club wear and football
IF not exactly a command performance, today's column could certainly be said to have a royal flavour - beginning with the day the Duke of Edinburgh met the Mad Pieman of Meadowfield. The pie maker - "Everyone calls me the Mad Pieman, but it sometimes
I WASN'T upset by the letter published in The Northern Echo from a reader castigating me for letting our 14-year-old babysit his four younger brothers. Well, not too much. The fact is he, or she (they didnt reveal their name) did make a valid point
TO accuse anyone of putting their own ambition before a human life is an extremely serious allegation to make. But that is what Sir Edmund Hillary is saying in his outburst against climbers who passed North-East mountaineer David Sharp hours before
THE victim of a cold-blooded execution was named by police today as 42-year-old David Rice. Mr Rice was shot several times by two masked men as he sat in a car at a North-East beauty spot at around 4pm yesterday. Northumbria Police said a 46-year-old
IF not exactly a command performance, today's column could certainly be said to have a royal flavour - beginning with the day the Duke of Edinburgh met the Mad Pieman of Meadowfield. The pie maker - "Everyone calls me the Mad Pieman, but it sometimes
TO accuse anyone of putting their own ambition before a human life is an extremely serious allegation to make. But that is what Sir Edmund Hillary is saying in his outburst against climbers who passed North-East mountaineer David Sharp hours before he
STEVE Harmison's return to form for Durham yesterday was followed by an extraordinary collapse as they slumped to defeat by Sussex well inside two days. All out for 80, they lost by an innings and 39 runs and skipper Dale Benkenstein admitted they had
MIDDLESBROUGH are expected to resist the latest move from Tottenham to prise Stewart Downing from the Riverside as the winger prepares to launch a bid for a starting place in this summer's World Cup. Downing has been named in the starting XI for England
WITH the transfer merry-go-round beginning to gather pace, Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder will meet chairman Freddy Shepherd this morning to finalise his spending plans for the summer. The Magpies manager will discuss how much funding is available to him
DURHAM returned to the days of their worst Riverside nightmares yesterday when they suffered an astonishing collapse against Sussex. They crashed from 47 without loss to 80 all out to lose by an innings and 39 runs to the division one leaders inside five
THORNABY GREEN (3.25) holds every chance of maintaining David's Barron's excellent start to the season at Ayr this afternoon. Barron is flying high in the 2005 trainers' table with 22 winners, not bad seeing as big names such as Messrs Dunlop and Gosden
LUCKLESS Darlington defender Joey Hutchinson is ready to put his injury nightmare behind him, writes Lee Hall. The 24-year-old will be fit to resume training when the squad reassembles at the end of June. Hutchinson has been sidelined since Boxing Day
JUSTIN Hoyte has tipped Nyron Nosworthy to become a first-team regular next season, after claiming the Sunderland full-back was the club's most under-rated player last term, writes Scott Wilson. Hoyte is now back at Arsenal after making 30 appearances
TWO organisations have raised concerns about the future of the rural economy and landscape. The Forum of Private Business (FPB) said the rural economy was still in crisis. "Unless something is done to address the issue there will be no rural economy left
A MILLIONAIRE, jailed for ten years after being found guilty of kidnapping and threatening to kill two North-East businessmen, has had his convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal. Volker Kappler, 41, from Llanfairtalhaiarn, near Conwy, North Wales,
A TALKING newspaper service that provides a vital link to keep listeners in touch with their local communities looks set to expand thanks to a charity grant. The Gannett Foundation, sponsored by The Northern Echo's US parent company Gannett, is to donate
RARE breed enthusiast Paul Fisher is looking for a new home for his 300 pigs. His Gloucestershire old spots, British lops and Berkshires have been living temporarily on land at Easby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. Now he is looking for a minimum of
In a coup for the region, Jill Clay and Katie Chaplin have arranged for the public to meet two geisha for the firs time. Sarah Foster has her own rather strange encounter with them. PERHAPS I should have known from the press release that this was not
AFTER 100 years of campaigning for the right to roam the countryside freely the majority of walkers are keeping to footpaths. With the first anniversary of Open Access in the North-East on Sunday, it was revealed the majority of countryside visitors have
DETECTIVES investigating a nightclub raid in which more than £30,000 was stolen from a safe have charged the venue's former manager. Police revealed yesterday that a 23-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy to burgle in connection with the raid
PUPILS at a North-East school were among 12 people stopped and searched as part of a Northumbria Police drugs operation, it was revealed last night. Officers used sniffer dogs during the searches for illegal substances in the Westgate Road area of Newcastle
JOB losses are "inevitable" in a radical shake-up of the Government agency responsible for land registration across the entire region. Bosses at the Land Registry admitted yesterday that a major review of its nationwide operation could lead to some redundancies
MORE than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling for Remploy factories in the North-East to remain open. The document was yesterday handed to North Tyneside MP Stephen Byers in a fight to save more than 500 jobs believed to be under threat in the
DEMAND for blast-proof glass and panels that turn the sun's rays into electricity have helped drive up Romag's profits by 37 per cent.The specialist glass maker, based in Consett, County Durham, reported a jump in half-year pretax profits to £586,000,
POLICE are appealing for information after a registered sex offender with links to the region went missing from a bail hostel.William Anthony Knowles, 44, was due to sign on at the hostel in Bury, Lancashire, at 3pm yesterday, but failed to do so. He
MANUFACTURERS were given a boost yesterday as an industry survey showed export orders rose to a ten-year high this month. For the first time since February 1996, as many firms said export orders were above normal as below, driven by renewed demand for
INVESTMENT management group Brewin Dolphin yesterday reported a surge in half-year profits. The group is the parent company of Wise Speke, which has offices in Teesside and Newcastle, employing almost 320 people. Brewin Dolphin also has a small office
BUSINESS research consultancy Acritas has opened two new offices and plans to create up to 15 jobs in the region over the next three years. The Newcastle company has opened offices in London and New York and is on target to increase turnover by 50 per
CHEMICAL group ICI last night indicated it would keep its Uniqema business if it did not get a better offer. ICI said earlier this year it was considering a sale of the business, which employs 360 people in Teesside, making ingredients for products such
A SPECIALIST team of police officers was last night continuing to search a house in the North-East as part of a nationwide investigation into terrorism abroad. The operation, led by Greater Manchester Police, involved five police teams in the UK - Cleveland
A YOUNGSTER knocked down by a stolen car was last night fighting for his life after his condition deteriorated. Eight-year-old Daniel Curtin suffered serious head injuries when he was struck by the car on a cycle path. The Middlesbrough boy was knocked
Yorkshire's consultant physiotherapist, Wayne Morton, has refuted reports that England captain Michael Vaughan's career might be in jeopardy because of the knee injury which has kept him out of action for several months. Morton revealed that Vaughan
A MYSTERY flooding problem has stumped a 100-year-old village cricket team. Silksworth Cricket Club may be forced to withdraw from league action after its field became a swamp. The water is moving towards the wicket - and only the ducks that have moved
THE owner of a North-East hotel fears it may be forced to close after he was fined £1,750 plus £2,815 costs for a string of food hygiene breaches. Gurpreet Singh Sahota, who owns and runs The Raven Hotel at Ebchester, near Consett, County
A CRUEL mother has been jailed for attacking her six-year-old boy with a table leg during a year of beatings. Deborah Chapman, 34, of Morpeth Avenue, Darlington, was jailed for seven months at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. She claimed she was bringing
POLICE forces throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire yesterday joined a national campaign to reduce the number of knives and offensive weapons in circulation. The launch of the amnesty came hours before a 38-year-old woman was stabbed to death
AN INTERNATIONAL row was raging last night over the death of a North-East mountaineer on Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary - the first man to climb the world's highest peak - criticised those who passed by David Sharp as he lay dying 300 metres below the summit
TONY BLAIR was accused of "governing in coalition with the Tories" last night after his Bill to set up trust schools cleared the Commons only with Conservative support. A total of 46 Labour backbenchers - including Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland - rebelled
PSYCHOLOGY student Rebecca Clarke last night clinched the Miss Durham title. The third annual beauty contest was held last night at Sedgefield Racecourse and saw 20 finalists compete over three rounds. After displays of evening wear, club wear and football
