POLICE say they are concerned for the safety and welfare of a 37-year-old Middlesbrough man who has not been seen since early this morning. Andrew Mount left his girlfriend's house in Pallister Park at 6.30am to go to work in Newport Road,
ONE of the steam-belching legends of the railways pulled into York under its own power yesterday to join the biggest ever celebration of Britain’s rail heritage. No 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley travelled from Grosmont on the North York Moors to
CURRENCY printer De La Rue celebrated a 73 per cent rise in profits amid reports it is preparing to start making drachmas in case Greece crashes out of the eurozone. The company, which employs about 180 workers in Gateshead – its biggest UK
JORDAN Henderson has been promoted to England's squad for the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. The former Sunderland midfielder replaces Frank Lampard, who has been ruled out because of a thigh injury. Lampard suffered a thigh problem in
AS we are approaching the middle of the year, it is interesting to review the progress (or otherwise) of the investment markets since January 1. At the start of the year, the financial press is usually full of predictions from leading pundits
STOCKTON-based law firm, Archers Law LLP, has added a string to its bow, with the development of a new employment and human resources firm. About HR Limited has been born from its well respected employment law team. Launching as an independent
Business isn’t always about boardrooms, briefings and black coffee. So, in tribute to the North-East men and women who take a more unusual approach to enterprise, Andy Richardson takes a look at the unconventional, alternative or downright difficult
PROPERTY owners and their families planning to sell their home or land are being encouraged to investigate its status to ensure a smooth sale. Since 1990, registration of property was made compulsory, having been introduced gradually since
GORDON Brown has added to its family law team with the appointment of a family law solicitor. Karen Henry joins the family team heading up the child care unit, providing advice for parents and children’s guardians in respect of care proceedings
AN ambitious 17-year-old from the region has started an apprenticeship with a Newcastle law firm to further his career. Samuel Phillips Law Firm has appointed Hader Ali through Newcastle City Learning’s apprenticeship scheme. Mr Ali sees the
From its unassuming base in a North-East town, subsea engineering company DeepOcean is directing work deep below the waves all over the world. Lauren Pyrah reports IT may look like any other smart town centre office, but what goes on behind
DAVE McPherson is set to link up with Jonah Matranga of onelinedrawing for an unusual gig that showcases both their own work and that of Neil Young. Young, the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his album
SMALLER engineering firms in the North-East are being offered an extra financial incentive to take on apprentices and ensure they are not hit by a skills shortfall. The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board is offering to match fund
In the middle of a mini heat-wave, Peter Barron discovers a delightful corner of Greece in Stockton town centre IT was a happy coincidence that the sun beating down on Teesside was hot enough to rival anything Corfu had to offer as we headed
Art Farmer’s title track was first played by Kuhn and Swallow in the 1960s and they’ve performed together often since then. Kuhn and Baron too have worked together for 20 years so although this is a new trio, the musicians gel together very comfortably
DURING the course of preparing my American Connection Show a couple of weeks ago I came across a name I had not heard of before. I liked the song I had heard, called It Gets Better, by an artist known as Claudia Lee, and duly played it on the
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy remains an all-time favourite with book, radio, TV and film audiences in the UK. Steve Pratt talks to Simon Jones ,who first brought us hero Arthur Dent, and discusses the latest stage tour IFORGOT to ask Simon Jones
A second ECM album by the sax/bass/drums trio of Mark Turner/Larry Grenadier/Jeff Ballard. The last two also provide the rhythm for Brad Mehldau’s trio and clearly have a strong empathy with tenor player Turner. The music is concentrated
ONE of the local folk music’s scene’s most celebrated sons celebrates his 80th birthday today. Gateshead’s Bob Davenport has lived most of his performing life in London, where he is still an active part of the scene. His maverick approach
In spite of film and TV roles, Sophia Myles has always steered clear of stage roles until the offer came to star in a play at Newcastle. She talks to Steve Pratt about conquering stage fright in search of Utopia SOPHIA Myles talks of being
COUNCILLORS praised a development that will bring almost 300 homes to an area desperately in need of affordable housing - and rid a community of a site plagued by anti-social behaviour. Richmondshire District Council planning committee voted
COUNCILLORS praised a development that will bring almost 300 homes to an area desperately in need of affordable housing - and rid a community of a site plagued by anti-social behaviour. Richmondshire District Council planning committee voted unaminously
A RURAL retirement home has been given a silver-rated award by an elderly accommodation team. Sycamore House, a Housing 21 extra care property in Bainbridge, North Yorkshire, was presented with the accolade by the Elderly Accommodation Council (EAC)
Rating:4/5 MORE than three decades ago the North-East’s most successful movie director Sir Ridley Scott reinvented the science fiction genre with his chest-bursting display of space horror called Alien. A few years later he did it again with the
Viv Hardwick looks at the visit of Adam Ant to the region and the forthcoming Evolution Festival ADAM Ant, born Stuart Leslie Goddard, aims to lay the ghost of near musical inactivity for seven years, between the late 1990s and early 2000s,
A COUNSELLING service with more than 20 years experience has pooled resources with a charity that specialises in end-of-life care at home. Bereavement Care was set up in 1990 by volunteers and aimed to fill a gap of trained, local counsellors for the
PLANS to convert a historic school into council offices and community venue have taken a step forward. Richmond Lower School closed last summer after the recently completed multi-milion pound redevelopment of the upper school site on Darlington Road
POLICE want to question these two people in connection with an alleged shoplifting in Newtown Hall, Durham City. A police spokesman said the male and female entered the Co-operative stores in Newton Hall, Durham, between 7.15pm and 8.35pm on Saturday
THIS isn’t quite the wedding day that Rita Sullivan imagined – being held hostage by a drugdealing thug while a friend tries to negotiate her release. Bridegroom Dennis Tanner is left standing at the altar waiting for his bride, the Queen of the
DURHAM are investigating the possibility of signing Keaton Jennings, the former South Africa Under 19s captain who scored 207 not out for the second team last week. A left-hand batsman and right arm seamer, he is in his second season with Durham and
Britain’s Lost Routes With Griff Rhys Jones (BBC1, 8pm) Married to the Moonies (C4, 9pm) Live at the Electric (BBC3, 9.30pm) THESE days, this sceptred isle seems a small place. Thanks to the M1, we can get from Leeds to London in little over three
NEWCASTLE United legend Alan Shearer hopes to raise £250,000 a year to help disabled people across the North-East. The former striker yesterday (thurs) launched his Alan Shearer Foundation to support the work of St Cuthbert’s Care, a Tyneside charity
Steve Howard’s back where it all began, though it may not be Tow Law as ever he knew it IT may not be said that Steve Howard is the Prodigal Son since prodigal – contrary to popular belief – means not “contrite” but “wasteful” and, waste not
THEY are very pleased with themselves in Aycliffe Village in that they have a Double Diamond Jubilee. They are celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 60th anniversary in the village hall which used to be a school which was dedicated to Queen Victoria's 60th anniversary
WHY is it that government ministers always put their foot in it when discussing soaring unemployment? In 1981, the Tory Employment Secretary Norman Tebbit instructed the unemployed to “get on your bike and look for work”. Ten years later, in
THE vice chairman of the Local Government Association said recently “councils only issue fines as a last resort against people who leave unsightly rubbish creating a blight on their neighbourhoods” (Echo, May 30). Can I therefore suggest that
HOW is it that some people like to play with danger? I see a number of young men and women riding bikes on pavements or in the middle of the road with no hands on their handlebars sending messages on mobile phones. It seems to me this is asking
SOMERSET County Council has banned the chamber of trade in Burnham-on-Sea from hanging bunting on lamp posts and street furniture for the forthcoming celebrations of our beloved Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (Echo, May 29). The reason? Health and safety
VJ CONNOR complained of three pointless and costly speed bumps that have been added to a quiet residential estate in Bishop Auckland (HAS, May 29). As a resident, we received letters from Durham County Council’s Neighbourhood Services making us
I WOULD like to comment on several Darlington issues. For instance, we may be getting wheelie bins nobody wants but Darlington still has no state-of-the-art bus station. The streets in the town centre are cluttered with stalls – yet the market
MY daughter starts primary school in September. I put down three choices of schools – two are near to where we live and one is a little bit further away. I could not believe it when I received a letter saying my daughter had been allocated a
U-TURN if you want to, Margaret Thatcher said famously – before vowing to do no such thing. But, boy, does this Government want to. In the wake of that embarrassment over pasties, here is an up-to-date list of its many rethinks, retractions, reversals
Footballer Titus Bramble was cleared today of sexually assaulting two women. The Sunderland defender was found not guilty by a jury at Teesside Crown Court following a four-day trial. Bramble, 30, was accused of groping a woman in a
CONTROVERSIAL plans to protect pheasant shoots by destroying buzzards’ nests and taking the protected birds of prey into captivity have been dropped. Ministers say they will look at other ways of controlling buzzards “in the light of public concerns
Darlington FC is still fighting for its life. Quakers fan Scott Thornberry, who runs the Darlo Uncovered fans’ forum, looks back at the past six months and issues a plea for the FA to help – not hurt – the club he loves TO paraphrase the saying, we
Russian pianist Lubimov presents immaculate performances of both books of Debussy’s Preludes. He depicts complex textures of the first book in sharp relief on a 1925 Bechstein, while the most delicate of touches are produced on a 1913 Steinway
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, conducted by Vasily Petrenko, perform two contrasting symphonies from the opposite ends Shostakovich’s life and career. The Second Symphony was written to commemorate the 10th anniversary of
THE DURHAM Singers will mark their 40th anniversary with a programme that celebrates the voice. The choir will perform a wide-ranging programme of English music from the renaissance to the present day, including works by Byrd, Parry, and Howells. The
A VILLAGE clock that went missing 100 years ago is being replaced after residents helped to raise enoughmoney to buy a new one. Two years ago, Barningham Local History Group launched an appeal to try to find the village hall clock, which was sent
TWO Chester-le-Street students who give time to help others enjoy sport are to be Olympic torchbearers. Rachel Burgess and Jessica Hardy, both of the town’s Hermitage Academy, will carry the flame on Sunday June 16. Sixth-former Rachel, the Durham
PLANS for a £100m retirement development which could create hundreds of jobs have been unveiled. Maher Investments is planning to submit an outline planning application for a retirement village at Mount Leven Farm, Leven Bank Road, Yarm and
DARLINGTON boxer Stuart Hall has blasted promoter Frank Maloney after his fight, scheduled for this weekend, was pulled from the card with only three days to go. The former British Bantamweight champion was due to fight Dougie Curran at Manchester's
SUNDERLAND have made their anticipated move to lure Carlos Cuellar to the Stadium of Light. Cuellar has been told he will not be getting a new contract at Villa Park and the versatile Spaniard is among Martin O’Neill’s list of targets this summer. The
Spennymoor have appointed two new backroom staff following the departure of Brian Atkinson to Darlington. Jason Ainsley, manager of the league champions, has appointed Gavin Fell as his assistant manager, and Glen McCartney as first team coach. Fell
A NORTH-EAST coroner is writing to the Health Secretary over his concerns after a twoyear- old boy was strangled by his psychotic mother. Melanie Ruddell, 40, killed Christy at her brother’s home in West Rainton, near Durham City, in August
A RAIL operator has defended a decision to close a line to the coast over the diamond jubilee bank holiday weekend. Northern Rail has said that it had selected a nine-day period, starting on Saturday, for a £2m scheme to replace four bridges on
TOP companies were attacked yesterday for failing to look for talent at most of the region’s universities, shutting graduates out of the chance of a job. Most of the country’s leading 100 firms promote vacancies at only two North-East universities
A NORTH-EAST woman has spoken of the terrifying moment she experienced a deadly earthquake which struck in northern Italy. Helen Cook, from Middlesbrough, is staying in a village on the shores of Lake Como, close to the epicentre of a magnitude
A BUSINESSMAN who masterminded a scam which centred on home study or “distance learning” courses will pay back only a fraction of his fraudulent earnings. Michael Smallman was ordered to pay £209,301 – said to be his realisable assets – by Judge
RHYS WILLIAMS is hoping appearances for Australia in the next fortnight will help to maintain his fitness levels ahead of a return to pre-season training with Middlesbrough. Williams is expected to play in Saturdays friendly with Denmark, who are preparing
THE news that Darlington Borough Council is considering allowing a supermarket to be built within the town centre has horrified independent traders, but council officials say the move might be the best option for the town’s economy. Although
TRADERS have voiced concerns after discovering a council has been asked to consider a plan that would see the town hall demolished to make way for a supermarket. The controversial idea is among a number of options put before Darlington borough
THE family of a woman who strangled her two-year-old son following a catastrophic mental breakdown spoke last night of their anguish after their pleas for help were ignored. Doting mother Melanie Ruddell, 40, was taken to hospital after friends became
A 21-YEAR-OLD man has been spared jail after he threatened to plunge a knife into his pregnant former partner’s stomach and watch as she died. James Thomas Cosgrove, of Mayfair Road, Darlington, made the threat during one of hundreds of text messages
ALL roads are leading to a North-East town for birdwatchers from all over the country following a second remarkable visitor in a year. Twitchers converged in their thousands at Hartlepool Headland on June 5 and 6 last year to see a rare white
THE mother of a teenage girl who went missing ten years ago today has made a heartfelt plea for anyone with information to come forward. Rachel Wilson was 19 when she was last seen in Woodlands Road, Middlesbrough, shortly before 7am, on May 31
THE Government’s planned welfare reforms will hit a county’s economy by £150m a year, it was claimed yesterday, prompting one Labour councillor to label the shake-up a “nasty pasty”. Replacing the dole, sickness benefit, income support, housing
