Newcastle United 4 Blackpool 1 JONAS GUTIERREZ will be the only Newcastle United player at this summer’s World Cup Finals in a playing capacity. If he continues to perform like he did against Blackpool on Saturday he could prove to be one of the stars
DOG owners in Darlington are being warned about new measures being introduced on Monday to ban their pets from parts of the town. Darlington Borough Council has introduced a series of new legal dog control orders, which impose new restrictions on owners
LEROY LITA has been preferred to a target-man for Middlesbrough this afternoon as manager Gordon Strachan looks to keep fading play-off dreams alive. Lita, included at the expense of Lee Miller and Chris Killen, has been included in an exciting
STEVE Bruce is able to name the same starting XI that beat Spurs 3-1 last weekend after Michael Turner passed a fitness test. Turner skippers the side with club captain Lorik Cana not even included among the subsitutes after the Albania international
BEN Clark replaced Gary Liddle in the only change to the Hartlepool United side for their game at Wycombe. Liddle started a two-game suspension, which kicked in after he collected his tenth booking of the season in last weekend's win at Orient. The
HARTLEPOOL United have been hit by a Football Association charge for fielding an ineligible player. Gary Liddle's tenth booking of the season in last Saturday's win at Leyton Orient meant a two-game suspension. But the central defender
Two players make their return from injury as Darlington bid to end their losing streak at The Northern Echo Arena. Left-back Stuart Giddings (groin) and striker Mor Diop (hamstring) return to the line-up as Quakers host Accrington Stanley for a game
SIR Ian Botham is taking on another charity trek on the 25th anniversary of his famous John O'Groats to Lands End walk. Starting today, the former Durham all-rounder will be walking through ten towns in ten days for the charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma
A BUSINESSMAN is planning to erect a memorial plaque to remember a man who was murdered six years ago. Steve Hunter hopes to erect the plaque outside his new business premises but wants prior permission from Lee Walker's family. Script writing university
Would-be poets and novelists could gain inspiration from a range of country cottages. FOR a real whodunnit theme, holidaymakers can stay in a cottage in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson fictionally lived while solving their strangest case
TODAY, the Alnwick Garden, in Northumberland, will be filled with the sights and smells of spring as up to 10,000 colourful tulips fill the Courtyard Room. The garden’s first Tulip Festival will feature displays of thousands of De Jager bulb
THE Durham Amateur Football Trust, as probably we have observed before, is wholly comfortable with the acronym DAFT. With the addition of the splendid Mrs Barbara Wood, former UK Over 35s 400k champion, Wednesday was a DAFT lads outing. Not
Spain is more than beaches. It’s ancient history, mountains, good food and pomegranates. Alen McFadzean visits Granada and the Sierra Nevada. THE art of breakfast: Step from a cool casita into a sundrenched courtyard and pick a bunch
BEST-selling author Thomas returns with this novel, set in a rambling country estate. Back in her student days Miranda Meadowe and her close friends made a promise that once they faced retirement, they would live together in an attempt to return
LIFE looks sweet for the beautiful M when she takes New York by storm and then ends up as the queen of the Parisian catwalks. Celebrity status is clinched when she falls for actor Larry Vaughan, but the celebrity seems to usher in painful memories
PEARL CROFT is born in the worst of circumstances to a notorious family in Sunderland’s filthy crime-ridden East End. A violent, drunken father killed in fight; brothers sent to jail for neglecting her and her baby brothers and a mother on the game
KATHLEEN KENNY was brought up in a Tyneside family where her father and her brother didn’t speak to each other. She calls this rift “the knife”: No-one sees it. No one talks of it. Knife is not mentioned, but slices our house. Revolving mostly
IF familiar with the haiku, a threeline Japanese poem, most of us would probably struggle to define a renga, another Japanese verse form. Customarily it is the work of a group, each of whom contributes a succession of short verses, alternating
AN intriguing venture. Croft and two fellow North-East poets journeyed to Moscow, there to sample the city and, more particularly, its extensive Metro, the busiest in the world. Two perhaps slender links underpinned the Arts Council-backed project
An Irish-inspired band sharing a stage with a reality show duo? Unlikely, but true. THE idea of a well-known North-East band setting out to perform alongside last year’s oddball Britain’s Got Talent contestants Stavros Flatley seems pretty unlikely
MADINA LAKE are an alternative rock scremo foursome from Chicago. They’ve embarked on a UK tour, referred to as the Arlene Ball, intended to support their new EP, the Dresden Codex. The title refers to a Mayan astrological codex, one of the
INTELLIGENT, vulnerable, neurotic, in love with, but slightly contemptuous of, her husband, certainly not evil and a few other contradictory adjectives that I hope I incorporated.” Olivia Williams is talking about Ruth Lang, wife of the British
I WISH all our politicians, especially during the General Election, were mindful of the very apt words of Franklin D Roosevelt: “Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth.” M Hawkins, Langley Park.
The sun may not quite make it, but Easter morning rises as always to the occasion. USUALLY beneath the headline “Risen indeed”, or else “Early to rise”, it has become customary these past 16 years for the column joyously to greet Easter at what
PARENTS must assume responsibility for their own children at all times. The children hurt by pecking birds (Echo, April 8), were hurt because their parents failed to adequately supervise them. If parents then constantly complain, areas like the
GORDON Brown claims he needs the money from a National Insurance (NI) rise to fund the NHS and education. He conveniently overlooks the fact that as large employers, schools, hospitals and the police would all have to pay the extra NI, thereby
JOINERS, plumbers and bricklayers have captured the spiritual essence of a Japanese water garden in a project designed to hone their skills. NVQ and BTEC National Diploma students at Darlington College have spent weeks drawing up the designs for the
SO DAVID Cameron will not actually sack policemen, nurses, teachers and care workers – he just won’t replace anyone who leaves. For how long? Until they are all gone? Who will do their work? Do the sums and you find that to save £2 bn will cost
AFTER a lifetime of voting Labour the time has come for a rethink. I am sick of the generation of baby machines abusing the benefits system and receiving a better income than me. I am not criticising everyone who is unemployed. There are a lot
BEWARE the backdrop for Ali Baba and all such scenery at Darlington Civic Theatre. The “mosques” at the Army ranges in Catterick have simply set the scene, not depicting mosques as targets but showing normal NATO target groups with “No Shoot
THE passing of Joseph Dodds in 1891 gained just a two-line death notice in The Northern Echo. Two letters in those two lines – MP – suggest he was worth far more. In these days of duck houses, moats, second homes and second jobs, people yearn
When former Sun editor David Yelland wrote a children’s book about an alcoholic, he had to come clean about his own drinking problem. The ex- Northern Echo reporter tells Steve Pratt about his son’s reaction and what others can learn from his
WITH an unprecedented financial millstone hanging round our necks, we all know that spending cuts in the public sector are inevitable and that job losses will be part of the price to be paid for bailing out the banks. The management of those inevitable
AUDLEY HARRISON’S latest bid for a world title got off to a dramatic start with a 12thround knockout of his old foe Michael Sprott. The 38-year-old gained revenge over Sprott, who knocked him out back in 2007, and claimed the vacant European
VILLAGERS who have campaigned for speed control measures for several years hope a new project could have helped their cause. Traffic officers are set to conduct a review of speeding in Sadberge after a community speedwatch programme identified the extent
NEWCASTLE Falcons have been boosted by the return of scrum half Micky Young ahead of tomorrow’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final against Cardiff Blues at Kingston Park. Young returns to the fold having recovered from the back injury which
ANDREW GALE’S first competitive day of cricket as Yorkshire’s new captain went like a dream yesterday as his side bowled out Warwickshire for 217 before consolidating with the bat at Edgbaston. Ajmal Shahzad and Steve Patterson took three wickets
TWO months after providing the finalists at the World Match Play in Tucson, two Englishmen were setting the pace in The Masters at Augusta. Ian Poulter was the common denominator. Having beaten Paul Casey for his first world title, the 34-year-old
DARLINGTON need to win their final two games in North One East, both away, if they are to avoid returning to Durham and Northumberland One, where they began their climb through the divisions. None of the three Richardson brothers will be involved
TEESSIDE’S Olympic Games race-walker Johanna Jackson is chasing a new British 20K record in tomorrow’s Commonwealth Games Trials in London. The 25-year-old Middlesbrough and Cleveland Harrier, a former North-East junior cross country champion, will
BLACK APALACHI can make it third-time lucky in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree. Dessie Hughes’ Irish raider has failed to complete the last two renewals, but should be a lot more streetwise on his return to Liverpool. Chief cause
Niall Hannity, a former professional jockey who rode more than 100 winners, starts today as The Northern Echo’s Saturday racing analyst. The highlights of his career were riding George Moore’s Course Doctor to win a valuable handicap hurdle at Aintree
TRAINERS Howard Johnson and Paul Murphy were in the same boat yesterday with both withdrawing horses from the Grand National field, enabling their preferred entries to run in the big race. Middleham trainer Murphy’s Mr Pointment and Crook handler
Character Building leads the region’s bid to land this year’s Grand National. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson delves into recent records to find that history might just give the John Quinn-trained ten-year-old more than a fighting chance.
THE administrator of Stockport has announced the club have entered into an exclusive agreement with a fresh consortium as they seek to find a buyer. County, bottom of Coca- Cola League One and seemingly doomed to relegation, have been in administration
SIMON Davey’s appointment at Darlington brought nods of approval with many supporters more than satisfied with the club’s choice as manager. Perhaps nobody was more pleased than the coaches and players in the club’s youth setup. A feature of
WE asked The Legends: Do Newcastle United’s players deserve to celebrate promotion back to the Premier League with an open-top bus ride? MALCOLM MACDONALD I can tell you now, from experience, that if Newcastle United go on to win the
WEST BROM head coach Roberto Di Matteo will not be concerned with how his side secure promotion to the Barclays Premier League should they find themselves back in the big time tonight. Albion will secure a toptwo finish if they beat Doncaster
GORDON STRACHAN has geared up for a weekend when Middlesbrough’s faint hopes of a play-off place could finally be over by admitting a lack of invention in the penalty area has cost his team promotion. Boro must beat Sheffield Wednesday today
ALAN SMITH has insisted the Newcastle squad are focused on winning the Championship, despite sealing promotion back to the Premier League with a record six games to spare. Newcastle’s return to the top flight was confirmed before they kicked
LEON MCSWEENEY admits a few home truths and some harsh words have brought the best out of Hartlepool United. Following a big summer rebuilding at Victoria Park, Pools weren’t expected to be engaged in another season of struggle in League One
SUNDERLAND winger Bolo Zenden has stepped in to defend former team-mate Gianfranco Zola from the flak that is threatening to oust the West Ham boss from his post. The Italian has endured a turbulent season in charge of West Ham but Zenden backed
SUNDERLAND starlets Jordan Henderson and David Meyler will be tied to fiveyear deals as Steve Bruce signals his intention to build next season’s squad around the club’s emerging talent. The Black Cats boss, who tipped Henderson for international
CHRIS HUGHTON last night denied Newcastle will need major changes to survive in the Premier League, and claimed the gap between the bottom half of the top-flight and the top half of the Championship is smaller than ever. The Magpies entertain
HE might have had to endure more than his fair share of criticism from the Riverside Stadium’s boo-boys in the last few years, but Brad Jones has emerged a stronger character after fearing for his Middlesbrough future. The Australian goalkeeper
A TRUSTED member of staff at an Army base orchestrated a near-£40,000 scheme to hide a deficit of stock for soldier recruits. Karen Hustwick was employed in the stores as an assistant accountant to equip trainees at Catterick Garrison, North
TWO young boxing champions stepped out of the ring and into the kitchen for an early taste of the region’s biggest food festival next weekend. Cousins Lewis and Steffan Robinson, both 17 and from Spennymoor, County Durham, swapped boxing gloves
SERVICE Network is holding an event to look at the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility programmes during the recession. The event, on April 21, will hear from Newcastle-based business Sage. It will be at Newcastle Falcons’ Kingston
IT is a cinematic monster from the worst of nightmares, but one man has always dreamed of becoming the Predator. Bird and pest controller Jason Didlick has spent more than £1,200 to have an authentic costume made for him – and will use the
A WOMAN in remission from a rare form of leukaemia has pledged to support a fundraising walk at a beauty spot. The Macmillan Cancer Support walk will take place in Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, on Sunday, April 25. Allison White,
CADBURY is to launch a chain of high street cafes serving afternoon tea and chocolates, after new owner Kraft backed the plans . It is understood a deal to open Cadbury-branded outlets was signed in January, just before Kraft secured its £11.5bn
Film-maker Alan Fentiman saw redundancy as an opportunity to relocate and to become an entrepreneur. Deborah Johnson speaks to the latest If We Can, You Can challenge entrant. AFTER being made redundant while living in London, film-maker Alan Fentiman
A MAN who stabbed his ex-wife to death as she prepared to hold a divorce party was urged to leave the neighbourhood moments before she was killed, a court heard. The best friend of 63- year-old Brian Jones pleaded with him to go home before the
A RETIRED street sweeper who still cleans the streets of his town has been given a reward for going the extra mile. Despite retiring as a council worker in 2001, 74-year-old Peter Woodmansey still works for the people of Darlington keeping the
A TEENAGER has been charged with the manslaughter of a soldier in a North-East nightclub. Andrew Gibson died five days after sustaining a suspected blow to the head while in the Escapade nightclub, in Darlington, in December. The 19-year-old, from
THE hopes of the region are pinned on one of the big outsiders in the UK’s most famous horse race. Although many will back the favourite Big Fella Thanks at today’s Grand National at Aintree, trainer Howard Johnson says Royal Rosa, priced at
THE bodies of two North-East soldiers killed in Afghanistan were brought back to the UK yesterday. The town of Wootton Bassett, in Wiltshire, fell silent as the coffins of Rifleman Mark Turner, 21, of 3rd Battalion The Rifles, and Guardsman Michael
THE Liberal Democrats yesterday launched their election campaign on Teesside vowing to fight for the area. Ian Swales, prospective candidate for Redcar and Chris Foote-Wood, prospective candidate for Middlesbrough, were joined by Fiona Hall MEP
LABOUR and the Conservatives were last night locked in a bitter battle over the scale of job losses their rival economic policies would entail once the General Election was over. Chancellor Alistair Darling claimed Tory plans to cut £2bn from
MUSLIM peace campaigners say they have accepted the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) apology over the use of mosque models on an Army firing range. Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Hartlepool, which has launched a campaign across the Tees Valley to
AN out-going long-standing Labour MP is to stand as an independent in the forthcoming General Election. Frank Cook yesterday confirmed he is campaigning to be MP for Stockton North, an area he has represented for 27 years. The 74-year-old
Joanne Maddison deceived long-standing friends, her aunt and uncle and, most shocking of all, her husband, out of thousands of pounds each. Mark Tallentire reports. “JOANNE, remember me?” Those were the angry words of Peter Cameron, Joanne
A MOTHER-OF-TWO who fleeced friends and family out of about £160,000 in a bogus compensation scam has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Joanne Maddison claimed she needed money to mount a multi-million pound unfair dismissal claim against
REGIONAL planners have been criticised for failing to ensure enough homes are being built. Figure published by the National Housing Federation show that since 2002 the North-East has missed its target for new houses by more than 11,000. Between
AN ungrateful granddaughter repaid her grandparents’ generosity by stealing their savings. Gemma Anne Thomas intercepted mail to her grandfather to gain his banking details and cash cards, which she repeatedly used to make withdrawals. Her dishonest
ONE woman has been treated for shock after a kitchen fire in Newton Aycliffe tonight. Fire and ambulance crews were called to a flat on Hutton Place in Woodham, shortly after midnight. The fire was out by the time fire-fighters arrived. A spokesman
FUNERAL details have been announced for a former council leader who died last week. Albert Nugent, leader of Durham County Council from May 2006 to May 2008, died at his home on Friday, April 2, following a long illness. His funeral will be held at
