General Motors appears to have reached a deal to sell Vauxhall and Opel to Canadian car parts group Magna International. The two sides are thrashing out the final details of a memorandum of understanding that would help Magna tap into £1.3 billion of
General Motors appears to have reached a deal to sell Vauxhall and Opel to Canadian car parts group Magna International. The two sides are thrashing out the final details of a memorandum of understanding that would help Magna tap into £1.3 billion of
THE presence of Paul Collingwood in their team did nothing for Durham as they again batted poorly in their Twenty20 Cup tie at home to Leicestershire. Against a very inexperienced attack Durham’s only excuse was that they had never seen any of the bowlers
As he was led to the scene of his eventual death 17-year-old Simon Everitt was heard to whisper a prayer. One of his killers, Jimi-Lee Stewart, later recalled how he had been “asking God and Jesus to save him”. Prosecutor Karim Khalil later observed
THE issue of "ripping" a DVD - copying the content onto your PC - is a difficult topic. Film companies claim that it represents copyright theft, but that hasn't stopped PC owners downloading their favourite movies to iPods. I would never
SONY may have invented the concept of portable music players but its efforts to invent an iPod killer have been embarrassing failures. They always seemed at least one step behind the Apple jukebox. In the X-Series Walkman, Sony is confident it has
Publisher: Ubisoft Platform: Nintendo DS Price: £29.99 THE DS has become the de facto home for hand-held versions of classic puzzle games. Now Ubisoft unleashes a new version of a PC classic starring the greatest detective of them
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Julia Roberts, Carrie-Anne Moss, Ioan Gruffudd, Hayden Pantettiere Running time: 99 mins Rating: ★★ HERE we are in dysfunctional family territory yet again, although with a starrier cast than
Stars: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Big Rob Feggans, Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift Running time: 78 mins Rating: ★★ THIS concert movie featuring US teen pin-up band the Jonas Brothers is like being hit over the head with a rolled-up newspaper
The southbound carriageway of the A1 will be closed from Monday June 1 to Wednesday June 3, between 8pm and 6pm as part of an ongoing project to upgrade the road between Dishforth and Leeming. During the closures, southbound traffic will be
A SCHOOL which was being forced to teach in entrance areas and corridors is set to be given permission for a temporary classroom. Abbey Junior School, in Abbey Road, Darlington, has applied to build a classroom on playing fields to the south of the main
Bono probably wasn't talking about breakfast cereal when he wrote I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Or perhaps he was. Because, perhaps like me, he knows what would make the perfect cereal, but he just can't find it. I'm not mates with Bono
A TEESDALE village is expected to turn out in force for its annual village carnival next weekend. Mickleton Carnival will take place on Saturday, June 6 on the Village Field. The festival, which is over 100 years old, will start with
A GROUP of textile artists called Stitch-in-9 is holding an exhibition in Barnard Castle between June 25 and July 1. The free display, called Midsummer Marvels, will be in the Witham Halls Castle Gallery from 10am until 4.30pm every day except the first
■ Prune shrubs such as spiraea and Kerria japonica once they finish flowering ■ Wall-trained pyracantha can be pruned now. Remove shoots which are growing directly away from the wall or directly into it, then reduce other shoots to around 7.5cm
LILAC – also known as Syringa – is a glorious shrubs with clusters of fragrant flowers in all shades of mauve, pink and white. If you have a small garden look for a slow-growing lilac which forms a compact bush covered from late spring to early
SMALLER gardens are likely to be the talk of Chelsea Flower Show this year as several big sponsors have pulled out because of the credit crunch. Chelsea veteran and award-winning designer Andrew McIndoe has given some thought to the easiest
I’ve got louvre shutters on my dining room windows and want to paint them. How should I go about it? Start by sanding the wood and cleaning off the sanding dust with white spirit. Don’t use a paint brush for this job – spray paint or a spray
THE purpose of guttering is to protect your home’s exterior walls from rain by channelling it from the roof to a drain in the ground via the gutter and downpipes. If the guttering becomes damaged or blocked it may put your home at risk from
A £4.5m performing arts and media centre will be built in Hartlepool after councillors gave the go-ahead to the scheme. The New Life Centre, at St Hild’s C of E School, in King Oswy Drive, Hartlepool, was turned down last month over concerns about the
TWO environment friendly events are coming to a popular park next month. The free Greener Living Roadshow and Teescycle extravaganzas will be held at Preston Park, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, on Sunday, June 7, from 10am to 4pm. They aim to promote
ONE of Middlesbrough’s most popular sporting events celebrates its first birthday this weekend. The Albert Park parkrun was launched on May 31 last year when 26 runners turned out to take part in the inaugural free 5km time trial. The weekly event has
MEDICAL students joined youngsters at a childcare centre to clean-up a nearby wood. Staff and families at High Flyers Childcare Centre, Thornaby, near Stockton headed into High Flyers Bluebell Wood today for the litter pick. They were joined by around
A ROAD safety scheme in Hartlepool has been hailed a huge success after training 10,000 school children. The pedestrian training project recently chalked up the milestone - nine years after being launched by the borough council. Pupils in year three
A MEMORIAL plaque has been unveiled to a former Thirsk nurse who helped to create Uruguay’s nursing service. Hannah Packer is credited with being a driving force in the medical history of the South American country. A virtual unknown
TO CELEBRATE the 25th anniversary of National Volunteers Week, the National Trust is looking for new recruits to join their volunteer workforce. More than 4,000 people, aged from 14 to 84, currently volunteer as gardeners, guides and conservationists
A CHARITY set up to buy scenic land threatened by developers has finally paid off the loans it had to take out to purchase it after four years of fundraising. The Richmondshire Landscape Trust was set up in 2003 because of concern about plans
PLANS to introduce new taxi ranks to towns and villages in Ryedale are to go ahead to improve transport links in the area. After a review and consultation period by Ryedale District Council, three full-time taxi ranks will be designated in Malton and
Like it or not - and I have to confess that I like it - "Britain's Got Talent" is the talk of the nation. It is so popular that everyone wants to be in on the act - and that is leading to some of the most ridiculous press releases I've seen
A NEW transport service for vulnerable people in Middlesbrough has been unveiled by Mayor Ray Mallon. Middlesbrough Councils current Dial a Ride service will merge with Day Centre transport arrangements to create a single transport service
SHOPPERS are being urged to use a town market or risk losing it. Ferryhill Town Council is encouraging people from the town and surrounding area to visit its weekly market on Fridays. The historic market dates back to at least the end of the First World
LABOUR'S Len Junier scored a decisive victory in Thursday's North Ormesby and Brambles farm ward by-election for Middlesbrough Council. Labour secured 60 percent of votes cast securing 549 votes; BNP candidate Michael Trainor, 175; Conservative David
LOCALS have criticised a £1.4m plan to build 12 affordable homes in a village as they fear it will lead to criminals moving in. Broadacres Housing Association wants to develop a site at Newton-on-Ouse, near Easingwold, near Thirsk. But the plan for
AIRPORT staff issued a security warning today after a passenger tried to carry pease pudding on to a plane. The traditional northern snack - made from boiled split peas and ham fat - was confiscated from hand luggage at Newcastle International Airport
THREE people have been found guilty of murdering Escomb teenager Simon Everitt. Maria Chandler, Jimi-Lee Stewart and Jonathan Clarke were convicted by a jury at Norwich Crown Court of tying the 17-year-old to a tree, dousing him in petrol,
A POPULAR youth project in Thirsk has been given a boost to extend its services and facilities with a £3,665 grant. Thirsk Clock, based in Thirsk’s market place, was given the funds by Hambleton District Council recently. It will use them to buy play
CISSE may already have left Sunderland but he is still racking up points - on his driving licence. The 27-year-old France international was fined and hit with six penalty points after driving at more than double the speed limit along Sunderland Road,
RESIDENTS say their village is being used as ‘a dumping ground for the dregs of society’. Members of Ludworth Community Association have been working to improve their village by organising craft sessions, coffee mornings, litter picks and a summer fair
DARLINGTON defender Ryan Valentine has left The Northern Echo Darlington Arena to sign for Uereford United. The versatile former Wales international has joined the Bulls, newly relegated to League Two, on a one-year deal despite new Quakers boss Colin
NO, I have not yet been discovered dangling from the end of a rope, nor have I jumped off the Tyne Bridge. Given the dual frustration of breaking down unexpected barriers to selling a book, plus having to wait until the sun is going down on a glorious
WERE they marketeers or musketeers in the Riverside media centre on Tuesday? Chiefly the former, but with a dash of the latter as they were there for the launch of a new rapier blade. The first appearance of the Mongoose bat could hardly have gone
THE hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence has taken to the rails - with thousands of travellers across the region being brought into the search. Posters featuring the 35-year-old, who disappeared more than two months ago, are to go on display at stations
A POPULAR rural auction mart is to undergo a £500,000 expansion to cope with a 50 per cent trade increase over the last three years. Thirsk Farmers Auction Mart has announced the ambitious scheme which Yorkshire Forward has supported with £102,000.
TO some people, the name Urban Cruiser might suggest an unsavoury type who prowls the less than salubrious areas of town at night. To Toyota, however, it’s the latest entrant in the increasingly busy cross-over segment. One of four new models
A GREEN fingered duo have teamed up together to create a new business to help locals keep on top of their gardens. Emma Csöppü, a retired RAF sergeant at Catterick Garrison, and Tom Richardson have formed the company Two To Mow A Meadow. The pair began
POLICE are seeking witnesses to a crash which damaged a parked car in Morrisons car park, Bishop Auckland, yesterday. The offending vehicle left the scene, but severely dented the rear bumper of a silver VW Lupo. The incident occurred between 10.30am
VOLKSWAGEN is deadly serious about the Scirocco – you’ve only got to glance at the aggressive pricing to see just how much. The difference between a 2.0 Tsi GT Scirocco and the basic Golf Gti three-door is less than £100. If the same price differential
THE driver of a van involved in a crash with a motorcyclist that left a stretch of the A64 closed for more than five hours has been arrested. The collision between a blue motorcycle and a white Luton hire van happened near Whitwell-on-the-Hill, on the
IHAD just one question when the bloke from Renault turned up with the smart Megane Coupe: why has it taken you so long? Renault launched the first Megane Coupe way back in 1996. It went on to become Britain’s best-selling entry-level coupe for
A NEW owner for Darlington Football Club could be in place for the start of the new season. Former chairman and owner George Houghton and his previous vice-chairman Raj Singh are close to an agreement for the sale of the club. However
A GROUP of supermarket workers are donning their walking shoes in memory of a colleague who died last year. The ten-strong team from Asda in Bishop Auckland are doing the Butterwick Midnight Walk to raise money for the hospice where their late colleague
GOALKEEPER Darren Ward has announced his retirement following his release from Sunderland on Wednesday. The 35-year-old last played for the Black Cats in December 2007 in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa and retires after making a total of 582 career
‘WE will be back,” vowed Counting Crows’ tormented front man Adam Duritz, bidding farewell to a packed Newcastle crowd. His promise followed a rousing finale, which included the upbeat Come Around, from their 2008 offering, Saturday Nights &
A CONFERENCE has been organised for next month for people who work with the bereaved. Two organisations which work to help people deal with the practical side following someone's death will run the conference. The Bereavement Advice Centre and the Bereavement
Coach Trip (C4, 5pm); Come Dine With Me (C4, 5.30pm) A NOISY midnight dip in the hotel pool is followed by tourists Tom and Holly disappearing upstairs hand in hand “for a party of their own”, in the words of the narrator of Coach Trip.
THERE is one very simple way to save vast sums of money – learn to cook. And if you can’t learn to cook, at least learn how to peel a potato. It could save you a fortune. We’re not talking cordon bleu here, or even anything fancy. Just basic stuff
COUNCILLORS have approved plans to give a north Durham park a £335,000 facelift. The are planning committee of Durham County Council unanimously backed proposals for South Moor Memorial Park in South Moor, near Stanley. It paves the way for new play
Internet retailer Box2 makes and sells fashionable clothes for larger women. Catharine Hewitson finds out more. MAIL order fashion brand Box2 for women size 12 and over is holding two road shows in the region. The website, which has more than
ON Wednesday’s Channel 4 news, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson talked about the Vauxhall crisis, trying to justify the Government’s current position, and apparent inaction, given the role being taken by the German government in protecting the
IT’S great to see that Durham County Council is spending our money so wisely. An example I noted has been the recent installation of two bus stops near Tanner’s Hall Cottages, Stockley Lane, between Stanley Crook and Oakenshaw, near Willington
ONCE again, North Durham MP Kevan Jones (HAS, May 25) seems to want to set the agenda and control the Durham Miners’ Association (DMA). On the question of the NUM Durham area having to de-register as a trade union, Mr Jones knows fine well that
WHILE Tory leader David Cameron’s sudden conversion to the parliamentary reform agenda is welcome, his outright rejection of proportional representation (PR) suggests he is less than serious about the revival of democratic accountability. It
THERE’S a famous comedy sketch from the Sixties that pokes fun at the class system. I’m sure a lot of you remember it. It had John Cleese, with bowler and brolly, as the effortlessly superior member of the upper class. Next came Ronnie Barker saying
Reader's question FRANCES from Billingham has had a cordyline plant in his garden for four years. It is his pride and joy. The leaves now stand on a small trunk, and he wraps it carefully up in fleece every winter. It looks like
I WAS very interested in Chris Lloyd’s Echo Memories article about Sockburn, near Neasham, County Durham (Echo, May 27). Perhaps he should have mentioned that, until fairly recently, there was a bit of County Durham on the south side of the Tees
A TEENAGE fashion fan is hoping to bring city chic to a North- East market town by hosting an event for up-and-coming designers and vintage clothing retailers. Kimberley Knowles, 18, of Whinfield, Darlington, who has already set up her own clothes
HOW Conservative leader David Cameron must be wishing the MPs’ expenses expose had not come out. Coasting to a probable General Election victory, he may now find the electorate will not produce results quite so favourable to the Tories. What
The region is expecting glorious, sunny weather this weekend, but we all need to be careful in the sun. Health Editor Barry Nelson and the region’s sportsmen find out why at Durham County Cricket ground. BEING paid a decent wage for playing cricket
Half the population went to the cinema in 1916 to see a documentary about the Battle of the Somme. Alastair Fraser, author of a book about the film, tells Steve Pratt why it still has an important message. DAWN, July 1, 1916. Cameraman Geoffrey Malins
JULIE Kirkbride and Margaret Moran were always fighting a losing battle to keep their jobs as MPs once details of their expenses were made public. They clung on by their fingertips for as long as they could, but their fall was inevitable in the
I really thought we deserved a two-pointer on this morning's Headline Game on TFM radio. The story was about a cock-up on BBC Five Live. A female newsreader announced that international outrage had been sparked by nuclear testing in North Yorkshire -
CRITICAL PATH was a massive eyecatcher on her racecourse introduction at Kempton and has to be rated shortlist material as she makes her second start in Goodwood. Her trainer Andrew Balding has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season and although
CALLUM TARREN made the grade at Seaton Carew last weekend when he took a break from revision to become Durham County champion. The 18-year-old is due to sit his A-levels next week before embarking on a four-year golf scholarship in the Untied
PLANS to create stable for horses have been approved by councillors. The north area planning committee of Durham County Council backed the scheme at a meeting on Thursday. Residents opposed the scheme, fearing two metre high stables on land near The
TRAFFIC on the A66 was delayed this morning after a wagon careered off the road and crashed into an embankment. A heavy goods vehicle that was travelling on the westbound carriageway left the road and overturned down an embankment near Bowes, County
DURHAM have compensated for the absence of Twenty20 specialist David Warner by securing the release of Paul Collingwood for tonight’s match against Leicestershire at Riverside (6pm). England’s captain for the World Twenty20 Championships, which
ROGER FEDERER feared for his French Open existence during his testing secondround win over Argentina’s Jose Acasuso yesterday. The second seed ended up clinching a 7-6 (10/8) 5-7 7-6 (7/2) 6-2 victory over the world number 45, but could easily
PROMISING defender Peter Hartley became Hartlepool United’s third signing of the summer yesterday and was immediately told to set his sights on the League One play-offs. The 21-year-old centreback’s arrival at his hometown club from Sunderland
DAVID WHEATER’S Premier League admirers are on alert after Middlesbrough confirmed the defender should be fit for pre-season training. Surgery on the £9m-rated centre-back’s torn knee cartilage has proved a success and he is expected to make
NEWCASTLE’s chances of raising vital funds from the sale of Obafemi Martins took a serious blow after confirmation the Nigeria international is about to undergo a groin operation. With Alan Shearer yet to reach agreement with Mike Ashley and
COLIN TODD may face a daunting rebuilding job at Darlington, but with so many players available this summer the new manager feels Quakers can be optimistic about the future. He may be operating on a vastly reduced budget, but Todd points out
RYAN GIGGS has told his devastated Manchester United team-mates not to forget it has been a season to remember. Instead of a victory parade around Manchester, United flew home to the inevitable inquest about what went wrong in Rome after their
THE ‘leader’ of the outgoing Drumaville Consortium last night told Sunderland supporters to expect “very exciting times” following Ellis Short’s takeover of the club and revealed the Dallas-based billionaire wasn’t the only bidder interested in
LIVERPOOL have rewarded Fernando Torres with a new contract that will keep him at Anfield until at least 2013. The 25-year-old has been a huge success since joining from Atletico Madrid two years ago and scored his 50th goal for the Reds last
GERARD PIQUE feels Barcelona have set Manchester United a major challenge by moving up to a completely different level compared to the Premier League champions. Pique left Old Trafford for his hometown club last summer, and the 22-year-old said
LISTENERS to a national radio station were shocked to learn that the normally peaceful county of North Yorkshire had launched a programme of illegal underground nuclear tests. The news reader's slip of the tongue was broadcast on Monday
THE British National Party’s regional organiser in the North-East says he may sue police after he was told he would face no action over an allegation of racially-aggravated harassment. Ken Booth said the party’s lawyers were looking to see if
A COUNCIL worker with a passion for the environment is turning other people’s rubbish into striking garden art. Davey Gristwood, of Brookside Avenue, Crook, County Durham, collects rusty steel sheets, rotting old oil tanks and even old cooker
REVELLERS have raised more than £1,500 for the Great North Air Ambulance. People in Bishop Auckland held events in three pubs after the service was called to a fatal accident in which fathers Bryan Hardwick and David Weatherburn died and Mr
COLLEAGUES have raised £6,500 for the British Red Cross by completing the London Marathon. Mick Hilton and David Burton both work for Johnson Matthey, a chemicals company that has plants in Stockton and nearby Billingham. Mr Hilton, 38, from
THE parents of a footballer who died in a car crash say they have been left with many unanswered questions. Hartlepool United midfielder Michael Maidens, of Skelton, east Cleveland, died when the car he was travelling in on the A174, near Lazenby
RECRUITMENT is underway for 300 positions with a call centre provider as it expands into North-East premises. Convergys, which already employs 350 people on Tyneside, is near doubling its workforce after securing a multimillion pound deal with
HUNDREDS of North-East students have visited England’s biggest office development to see first-hand how it is being built. Nearly 400 construction technology students from Northumbria University’s School of the Built Environment were given the
TRAVEL agents took a busman’s holiday to a destination growing in popularity in the North-East. Balkan Holidays, which operates a weekly flight from Durham Tees Valley Airport, organised a trip for travel agents across the region and parts of
BUSINESS is a family affair for a Tees Valley financial advisor. Michael Coates, 34, managing director of Chestnut Finance, in Darlington, knows he can trust his workforce because they are all related to him. His father, Colin, 60, runs the
THE head of Northumbrian Water is to take early retirement after nearly 20 years with the group. Managing director John Cuthbert has decided to retire in March next year at the end of the Pity Me-based company’s financial year, it was announced
HEATING and plumbing firm Wolseley yesterday warned that “extremely challenging” conditions were set to linger until early next year as profits tumbled by nearly 90 per cent. The Plumb Center and Build Center firm, which has outlets in the North-East
A LEISURE centre worker yesterday told a jury how his world was turned upside down when he was arrested and questioned about a rape at a house party. Lee Tobin said he believed the woman wanted to have sex with him and was making “pleasurable
THE FTSE 100 Index was stuck in the red yesterday as investor nerves continued to weigh on sentiment. Oil prices were boosted as the Opec oil cartel announced plans to keep production at present levels. The price of crude jumped to as much as
THE team responsible for the off-site construction of a unit at a flagship hospital has been recognised at an award ceremony. York-based Portakabin subsidiary Yorkon was highly commended in the Value Category at this year’s Constructing Excellence
A ONE-WOMAN food business which has taken the culinary world by storm in its first six months of trading is planning national expansion. Butter-Fingers was set up in November and instantly attracted widespread attention for its range of speciality
HISTORY was brought to life as ten Roman soldiers in battle dress invaded a city yesterday. They took shoppers in Newcastle city centre by surprise as they commandeered the pavements around Grey’s Monument. The mini invasion marks the start
THE number of confirmed measles cases in the North- East has almost doubled in ten days. Last night, officials from the North-East branch of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) released figures showing a rise from 37 to 65 since last Tuesday.
A CHURCH has used its stained-glass windows as inspiration for its first flower festival in nearly 30 years. Reflections, at St Catherine’s Church, Crook, County Durham, this weekend, draws on the stories portrayed in its windows for a series
A 19TH CENTURY bridge spanning a limestone gorge has been restored using 21st Century engineering techniques. Gunners Pool Bridge was made in Hartlepool in the late 19th Century and is the most impressive of the 16 bridges that cross the Castle
A NORTH-EAST secure centre once dubbed Britain’s toughest children’s home and which still houses some of the country’s most disturbed young people is to be rebuilt. Aycliffe Secure Services – also known as Aycliffe Young People’s Centre – was
A MOTHER who subjected her daughter to four years of cruelty, including hitting her with a shovel, was jailed yesterday. Lucinda Smith was jailed for 15 months for systematic assaults and bullying carried out on the orders of controlling boyfriend
LABOUR party members in a North-East constituency say there are no moves to deselect their MP following revelations about her expenses. A meeting of Bishop Auckland Constituency Labour Party (CLP) was called last night to discuss MP Helen Goodman
A CASH-STRAPPED football club which spent more than its total income on wages has been cleared of breaking any league rules. The Northern Echo revealed last week that Darlington Football Club’s 2006-7 accounts showed the club had spent 110
COUNCIL bosses believe they can still deliver two major town centre projects, despite losing millions of pounds in grants due to Government cutbacks. Regional development agency One North East announced it would be unable to contribute key
TRUCKS should be banned from travelling along a busy road in Darlington, residents have said. A petition is being organised seeking an order which will prevent HGVs using Burtree Lane in Harrowgate Hill. However, Darlington Borough Council
A PEST controller on a mission to rid the land of grey squirrels is moving south – because of the demand for squirrel pie. Paul Parker, 45, has helped to catch and kill more than 22,000 grey squirrels in the past 18 months. The father-of-three
