Archive

A SCHOOL is reaping the rewards of adding a new sport to its timetable. Last year Sedgefield Community College- a specialist sports college- bought 15 mountain bikes so add a new discipline to its PE curriculum. Through the project an Under 16s cycling

TELEVISION motor stars are appearing at a vintage vehicle rally in County Durham this weekend. Weardale Railways and the Sunderland and District Classic Vehicle Society promise Sunday’s event will be a treat for all classic vehicle enthusiasts

POLICE involved in a stand-off with gunman Raoul Moat are understood to have used a Taser stun gun, said the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) today. IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said early indications showed that police officers

THE A1 was closed in both directions because of a police incident. It is believed a man had been threatening to jump from a bridge at junction 58, where the A68 meets the A1. The road reopened shortly before 1pm. No further details

A ROYAL Marine from North Yorkshire killed in an explosion in Afghanistan showed Commando Spirit throughout his life, his family said today. Marine David Charles Hart, 23, of 40 Commando, died on Thursday after he was caught in a blast while on foot

THE Far Corner, still in print and perhaps the most affectionately regarded North-East based sports book of all time – perhaps simply the best – appeared 16 years ago. It landed here one quiet Saturday morning. I read two chapters, rang the author

FANS of the world’s most famous murder mystery writer can track down the perfect break and mark a trio of literary anniversaries this year – including what would have been the 120th birthday of Torquay’s very own Agatha Christie. Visitors to

THE best-selling author of The Reading Group returns with this retrospective, coming-ofage tale about 39-year-old Susannah, who is attending her brother’s wedding. Reflecting on her own failed marriage and a childless relationship with her current

GOING on a cruise is supposed to be good for your health and 1.5 million Britons try it every year, but it’s not all sun, sea and plain sailing, as ship’s doctor MacFarlane relates. His year on board a cruise ship was anything but as he had to

THIS is bound to set the cat amongst the pigeons – putting the Hurricane above the Spitfire in the Battle of Britain. It’s not quite that, of course, but McKinstry does make a good case giving the “Hurri” at least equal billing with the “Spit”

IF you are fed up of getting stuck in traffic jams on the daily commute, or would like to see more of the great outdoors, this practical guide by cyclist and journalist Helen Pidd will help you get on your bike. The book offers handy pointers on

Viv Hardwick discovers that Roxanne Pallett is ready to sparkle as a musical leading lady. ROCK Around The Clock is putting Roxanne Pallett’s career back on track after several dark months where she walked away from the headline role in Newcastle

I WRITE to thank all of your readers from the North-East and North Yorkshire who put their hands on their hearts and signed up to volunteer with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) last month. For the second year running, the campaign was a resounding

ANNIVERSARIES are supposed to be happy times when people celebrate, throw a party and have a good time with family and friends. How different it is if you happen to live in Soapland. Then these occasions, like other key social gatherings such

Rain – and wind – threatened to stop play at a village day with a Stars and Stripes theme. IT’S ten o’clock on Sunday, July 4. American Independence Day. Though the Stars and Stripes flies full-blown at one end of the village green, there’s a Union

I WISH to comment on the Con-Lib Dem coalition’s stance on the economy; specifically, that we all must suffer to put the economy back on its feet. I am willing to lay a pound to a penny that whoever suffers in the fight to re-establish the country

MY wife and I recently returned from our early summer break in Crete and I feel I must write with my concerns about the way the current difficulty Greece is experiencing with its economy has been reported back here in the UK. We saw no evidence

TWO suspected burglars were disturbed while breaking into sheds in Trimdon Village. Between 11.45pm on Friday and 12.50am on Saturday a resident disturbed a young man and woman at the rear of Springwell Avenue, Trimdon Village. Property including power

WE cannot believe what is happening to our elderly folk in the seven residential homes run by Durham County Council which are facing closure (Echo, July 1). Some of these elderly folk have no doubt served our country in the Armed Forces or

I’M glad that Adam Walker acknowledges that some “indigenous folk” enjoy Britain’s “vibrant and cosmopolitan culture” (HAS, July 6). I would go further, and suggest that most people do. But, as he says, those who do not enjoy this aspect of Britishness

I WOULD like to thank Pete Molloy (HAS, July 6) for providing accuracy to my generalisation on voting numbers (HAS, June 25). It further proves my point that the BNP cannot field enough candidates or win significant numbers of seats at any level

FURTHER to my letter on the above subject (HAS, some editions, July 8), over the past six years the founder of The Forum music centre in Darlington, David Cox, and his team have provided a fantastic facility for people to enjoy live music or create

YOUNG performers will go back in time to 1960s American when they tread the boards with their next show. The Tearaways Youth Theatre Group will present its version of the musical comedy Hairspray at the Civic Hall, in Shildon, later this month

WITH an unprecedented public sector squeeze about to begin in earnest, there are many controversies and battles ahead for local communities. And the outcry over the threatened closure of The Forum music centre, in Darlington, has been extraordinary

A RIVAL’S words help propel Mark Cavendish to successive victories at the Tour de France, taking his career tally to a remarkable 12 stage successes in three seasons and reviving his green jersey hopes. The HTC-Columbia sprinter, who won four

The man who revived the Batman franchise has made a summer movie that defies expectations – it’s not a sequel, a remake or a franchise. Steve Pratt looks at a blockbuster with brains. THE new film from British film maker Christopher Nolan is that

THIS is a story that may never be told. Last Friday, our sports desk was working on an article about Fred Perry, the last British male to win Wimbledon in 1936, just in case Andy Murray made it to the final. “Did you know Perry was engaged to a Darlington

SEBASTIAN VETTEL has brushed off suggestions he is the dark horse of this year’s Formula One championship and that age will count against him over the run-in. In Ferrari star Fernando Alonso and McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button,

MICHAEL DODS has enjoyed a fine season so far and the trainer based at Denton, near Darlington, could have another big winner today in the 51st running of the John Smith’s Cup at York. Sweet Lightning is the horse in question, and the five-year-old

CHESTER’S totesport 0800 221 221 City Wall Stakes should fall to the mighty Borderlescott, while Lord Shanakill can reap handsome dividends back down to Listed class in the totepool City Plate. La Capriosa can bag a fourth win in five starts

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER is convinced a season he has already written off cannot get any worse. Schumacher suffered an all-time career low in Valencia a fortnight ago when he finished 15th in the European Grand Prix, the 41-year-old’s worst classified

LEWIS HAMILTON is adamant he has the mental strength to cope with the mind games currently being played by his rivals. After three-and-a-half years in Formula One, Hamilton may still be learning the tricks of the trade, but he feels his experience

FRIENDLY rivalry is the key as two friends off the track go head-to-head in the 400 metre sprint in Gateshead today. Martyn Rooney and Michael Bingham were part of the 4x400m relay team that won silver in the World Championships in Berlin last

CHRIS Tomlinson admits it’s time to put his money where his mouth is and return from this summer’s European adventure in Barcelona with more than experience to declare. The 28-year-old continued his excellent recent form on Wednesday by leaping

The Aviva British Grand Prix takes place at Gateshead International Stadium today, and one of the highlights will be Asafa Powell’s battle with Tyson Gay in the 100m. As Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson learned yesterday, though, the star of the

YORKSHIRE’S hopes of qualifying for the quarter finals of the Friends Provident Twenty20 are hanging by a thread after losing their seventh North Division match of the campaign against Lancashire at Old Trafford last night. The White Rose county

ARJEN ROBBEN would be delighted to win ugly in the World Cup final tomorrow. The present Dutch squad is generally regarded as the least attractive of the three that have reached the game’s greatest stage. Their first attempt came in the ‘total

DARLINGTON have announced their squad numbers for next season with Kelvin Jack taking the number one jersey. Along with Sam Russell, Jack is one of two goalkeepers to arrive at The Northern Echo Arena this summer. The Trinidad & Tobago international

A MAN who sexually assaulted and raped a girl was yesterday jailed for 11 years. Aubrey Banister, 50, carried out the offences at various locations, including at a campsite and a hotel, in the late-Nineties. But Durham Crown Court heard they only

A UNION leader said plans for a £7.5bn rail upgrade were a prime opportunity for the region’s businesses thrive, and all efforts should be made to ensure the project goes ahead. After being postponed under the previous Government, the future

A HIGH-FLYING businesswoman who was left unable to work after a devastating accident has become an entrepreneur by turning her hobby into a business. Veronica Harnett held a senior management position with Connexions in Redcar, east Cleveland

PATIENTS at a hospital are tuning in to a marathon radio broadcast this weekend. Volunteers at Auckland Hospital Radio, in Bishop Auckland General Hospital, hope their annual 60-hour broadcast will raise funds for the station, which has been

A DRINK-DRIVER whose girlfriend died instantly when he lost control of his car has been jailed for four years. Paul Errington was told by Judge Peter Bowers that he had been in a wholly inappropriate condition to drive before the accident on

A PUPIL has fulfilled every boy’s dream and demolished his school. The maths classrooms, dining hall, kitchen, first aid room and reception at Yarm School, in Yarm, near Stockton, are being demolished to make way for new facilities.

A MOTORIST who caused a fatal accident when she pulled over on a road to read a map walked free from court yesterday. Elizabeth Ann Parker feared she was lost as she headed north on the A68 in County Durham on her way to a business meeting,

TWO former police officers who set themselves up as “quasi firearms dealers” were spared jail by a judge who criticised the “lax” gun licensing system of their force. Maurice Allen, 48, and Damian Cobain, 42, were given suspended sentences by

HARD-UP people in the North-East are being declared insolvent faster than anywhere else in the country, according to new figures. Data from the Insolvency Service showed that the North-East had the highest number of people unable to keep up with

NORTON’S Durham Senior League season, which a few weeks ago looked like being a disaster, has burst into life, with the team enjoying success in both league and cups. And this weekend provides the frenetic evidence of their rise from the ashes

STOCKTON make the trip to Jesmond this morning desperate to secure a result that can lift the pressure at the bottom. Last week’s defeat at Ropery Lane wasn’t a surprise, given the strength of the opposition, but the fact that Tynemouth picked

TIGER WOODS will still be world number one at The Open next week after a quintuple bogey nine led to Phil Mickelson missing the halfway cut in the Scottish Open. The Masters champion had to finish first or second at Loch Lomond to go top for

MIDDLESBROUGH face a trip to the seaside as they seek to increase their advantage at the top of the table. And the scorers will need to be on their toes, with the Marske ground proving to be a bowler’s graveyard in recent weeks. A series of

MISERLY bowling by Gareth Breese allowed Durham pull an unlikely three-run victory out of the flames lit by Sanath Jarasuriya at Worcester last night. The veteran Sri Lankan threatened to make a mockery of Durham’s total of 144 for six, but Breese

LEON SMITH hailed a perfect first day as Davis Cup captain as Great Britain moved to the brink of victory over Turkey and the end of their fivematch losing streak. Not since Tim Henman’s final tie against Croatia in September 2007 have Britain

HARTLEPOOL UNITED will have to act fast if they want to land Evan Horwood. Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen have made a move for the defender, and he trained in Scotland yesterday. Horwood had been training with Pools since the squad returned

JAMAICAN sprinter Asafa Powell has played down compatriot Shelley-Ann Fraser’s failed drugs test, claiming it is “not a big deal”. Olympic and world 100m champion Fraser tested positive for the banned substance oxycodon at May’s Diamond League

GRAEME STORM’S frustration boiled over on the 18th at Loch Lomond yesterday when a wayward putt for a birdie left him six-shots behind halfway leader Darren Clarke. Storm is four-under after the opening 36 holes of the Barclays Scottish Open

NICKY BAILEY was paraded as Gordon Strachan’s third signing of the summer yesterday, outlining a desire to play Premier League football by ensuring Middlesbrough don’t sink in the Championship next season. It is 11 years since Bailey was told

■ Talks held with Campbell ■ Injury-hit Mensah remains an option ■ Westermann on Bruce’s radar STEVE Bruce will prioritise the strengthening of Sunderland’s defence in the next few weeks, but despite approaching Sol Campbell, Heiko Westermann

ONE of the most famous Labour politicians outside of Parliament is looking forward to speaking to the 126th Durham Miners’ Gala today. “Red” Ken Livingstone, who was the elected Mayor of London for eight years, is the main speaker at the event

SEVENTY years ago it blazed a trail high in the sky, played a crucial role in winning the Battle of Britain and was immortalised in history. But the giant Spitfire that has been created in North Yorkshire will never leave the ground – and later

A MAN accused of holding a five-year-old boy under water in a stream is to undergo a medical assessment before being sentenced for child cruelty. Wayne Ellwood pleaded guilty to child cruelty at Durham Crown Court in May, after prosecutors agreed

Mark Tallentire reports on the bizarre life and crimes of book dealer. AN eccentric would-be international playboy was facing a lengthy prison sentence last night, despite being cleared of stealing a priceless Shakespeare volume from Durham

THE hunt for Britain’s most wanted man ended in dramatic fashion early today when gunman Raoul Moat was shot after a six-hour stand-off. At about 1.30am Northumbria Police reported from Rothbury, Northumberland, that ‘‘a shot or shots have

GUNMAN Raoul Moat made a dramatic last stand today, killing himself at the end of a week-long manhunt. The 37-year-old shot himself in the head after being surrounded by armed police. It followed a tense six-hour stand-off sparked when he was spotted

HOPES of a breakthrough in the week-long hunt for Raoul Moat were raised when police yesterday revealed they had found a number of clues left by the fugitive. Seven days after his rampage started with the shooting of Chris Brown and Samantha

IN a bizarre twist to the story, Newcastle and England football legend Paul Gascoigne, right, arrived in Rothbury to offer his support for Moat. The 43-year-old told North- East radio station Real Radio he had brought the wanted man a ‘‘can

A WEEK after it began, the hunt for gunman Raoul Moat came to a dramatic end last night. This is how events have unfolded. THURSDAY, JULY 1 Moat, 37, from Newcastle, is freed from Durham Prison after serving a term for assault. FRIDAY, JULY 2

RAOUL Moat became agitated as the siege wore on, rubbing his face and telling police negotiators: "Nobody cares about me." A man who was staying at a guest house close to the scene in Rothbury said he heard Moat talking to the negotiators. "I would

FUGITIVE gunman Raoul Moat has died after shooting himself during a six-hour stand-off with police. Despite being taken to hospital, Moat did not survive the wounds suffered when it is believed he shot himself in the early hours as the week-long