Archive

  • It's grin up North on Red Nose Day

    RED noses were out in force today as young and old alike staged a variety of inventive and hilarious fundraising stunts. Staff at Belmont Community School, Durham, starred in a "Gangnam Style" video before charging pupils £1 each to attend a special

  • Moving the goalposts

    WHEN the Government saved £162m-a-year by scrapping School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) three years ago, the move was greeted by fierce criticism. Critics justifiably asked how such a decision could fit with the pledge to ensure a legacy from the

  • Victor Chandler writes . . .

    THE Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter means the Cheltenham Festival has been and gone for another year. There's 14 going to post for Uttoxeter's big race of the year and a chance is taken on Big Occasion (3.50) representing the David Pipe yard. The

  • Looking for a home for Lady and Tramp

    A INJURED dog found standing guard over his badly hurt mate after the two were attacked by an unknown animal have been named Lady and Tramp by vets who treated them. Staff at Dunelm Veterinary Practice in Gilesgate, Durham City, are now looking

  • alk on ancient Chinese theory

    Feng Shui practitioner Michelle Grundy-Wakelin will be conducting a talk on the ancient system of Feng Shui, which involves organising your environment for positive benefit. It will take place at The Healing Clinic on Museum Street in York on April

  • Search for missing grandmother continues

    THE SEARCH of a stretch of river for a missing woman had to be called off  after a specialist police marine unit developed mechanical problems with its boat - but officers are continuing to extend their hunt around a North-East town . Pamela Jackson

  • Flower club in full bloom

    THERE was a healthy turnout at the recent annual meeting of Darlington Flower Club. Members heard that the club had enjoyed a successful year. Christina Stell was presented with her honorary secretary’s badge and Jenny Spivey was welcomed as

  • Police boat in search for missing woman swept over weir

    THIS is the dramatic moment when the search for a missing grandmother went wrong as a dingy containing sophisticated search equipment was swept over a raging weir. Officers of Northumbria Police Marine Unit were forced to abandon their rigid inflatable

  • Shopping at school

    A SCHOOL which champions environmental, health and fair-trade issues will hold a farmer’s market next week. (Tuesday, March 19) West Cornforth Primary School, in West Cornforth, near Ferryhill, is inviting all parents to the event between 1.30pm

  • Let's Dance - for Comic Relief

    SHOPPERS in Durham City were treated to a ‘flash mob’ performance to raise money for Comic Relief. Staff at Freeman’s Quay and Spennymoor leisure centres descended on the Market Place today (Friday, March 15) between 12 noon and 12.30pm. They

  • Students cook up a storm for charity night

    CATERING students at Darlington College prepared and served a selection of Italian food at a themed event held recently. The event was organised by Soroptimist International of Darlington and District. Green, white and red bunting made by Darlington

  • Science pair head for Parliament

    Two scientists from York University have been invited to Parliament to present their research to MPs and a panel of experts, who will judge their presentations for SET for Britain, a competition promoting early-stage researchers. Postdoctoral research

  • Tomato eating red nose fun

    FANS of Spanish food have been raising money for Comic Relief with a tomato-eating competition. Durham’s tapas bar and restaurant, La Tasca, on Saddler Street, asked everyone who competed to donate £1 to the charity. Restaurant bosses dubbed

  • Care worker jury sent home for the weekend

    THE jury in the case of a care worker accused of assaulting a resident at a home was tonight (Friday, March 15) sent home for the weekend. The panel of eight men and four women will return to Teesside Crown Court on Monday morning to continue its

  • Exercise class in Darlington

    EXERCISE: A weekly piloxing class at Hummersknott School, Darlington, will be held at the earlier time of 5.50pm on March 20, before returning to its usual 6.15pm slot the following Wednesday. A pilates session will be held at Hummersknott School

  • Last chance to book for choir show

    DARLINGTON audiences only have days left to book seats to see a popular choir in concert. Darlington Choral Society's programme, for its performance on Saturday, March 23, features Elgar’s The Music Makers and Vaughan Williams’ Toward the Unknown

  • Election date fixed for poll for vacant seat on council

    VOTERS will go to the polls to fill a vacant seat on a council, following the death of a serving member. The election will take place for one of the three Houghton ward seats, in Houghton-le-Spring, on Sunderland City Council, on Thursday, May

  • LAST DIGS Further warnings after shed burglaries in Cockerton

    SHEDS TARGETED: Police have advised householders to buy alarms for their shed or garage after a number of outbuildings were burgled in the Cockerton East area of Darlington. Two people have been arrested after a spate of break-ins in recent weeks.

  • Safeguarding initiative for vulnerable youngsters

    A SAFEGUARDING initiative is being launched to improve communication between groups responsible for helping vulnerable children in Darlington. The MASH - Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub – is expected to start in April to improve information sharing

  • Information event on welfare changes

    PEOPLE worried about the Government’s welfare reform changes are being invited to a free information event in Northallerton this month. Broadacres Housing Association is hosting the event at its Rivendale extra care housing scheme in Bankhead Road

  • Sunderland a big price for the Premier League drop

    If Sunderland aren't careful they could be sucked into a relegation scrap and the encouragingly high odds of 9/1 with Skybet for the Black Cats to go down, will fall considerably if Martin O'Neill's side loses Sunday's home game with Norwich. However

  • Actors wanted for summer show

    ACTORS WANTED: The Nunthorpe Players are holding auditions for their summer production “A Matter of Life and Death”, which has been adapted by Bill Colombi from the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Anyone interested should come along

  • Batman to fly over North-East airfield

    A RADIO DJ is to skydive 13,000ft dressed as Batman to raise money for a children’s charity. Metro Radio’s drive-time presenter Stu Elmore will plunge through the skies over County Durham in the summer dressed as the Caped Crusader in aid of the

  • Residents to appeal highways decision

    FAMILIES who failed to convince councillors not to introduce traffic measures near their homes are appealing against the decision fearing it will increase road dangers. Durham County Council’s special highways committee approved officers’ proposals

  • Small Chinese vase commands attention from across the world

    BIDDERS made the journey from halfway across the world to an auction house in the market town of Leyburn today (Friday, March 15) lured by the chance of owning a small, 20cm high Chinese vase. Lot 128 was a small, blue and white porcelain vase

  • EDU PAGE Teens follow science trail

    YOUNGSTERS from across the Yorkshire region are experiencing science in action this week as they take part in a series of interactive sessions at York University. The university’s Science Trail 2013 is designed to bring science to life for students

  • New dance classes launched

    A NEW dance class for the over-50s is about to be launched in Northallerton. Strictly Ballroom is a fun way to learn new routines and get fit while socialising at the same time. No experience is needed, but people should bring a partner or friend

  • Mayor's award for dynamic community worker

    AN entrepreneur who swapped international banking for community justice has been presented with an award. Yasmin Khan was presented with the accolade by Mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon, at a ceremony this week to recognise her outstanding service

  • Disabled football tournament cancelled

    A FOOTBALL festival for young disabled people has been postponed. The six-a-side tournament, which was to be held on Sunday, March 24, at Eastbourne Sports Complex, had to be rescheduled due to a shortage of teams signing up. Organisers say the event

  • Row after Yarm play area scheme is cancelled

    A ROW has broken out over the cancellation of a new play area for Yarm. About £50,000 was secured from the Government for new play equipment for Leven Park - which has been bought - but now the park maintenance budget of £8,000 has been cut.

  • North-East Football Live: Saturday, March 16

    12:22pm MATCH OFF Newton Aycliffe's home match with Bedlington Terriers today has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Aycliffe's next match is due to be at Billingham Synthonia next Saturday.

  • Woman charged over death of young girl at nursery

    A WOMAN has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter following a six-month investigation into the death of a child at a nursery. Three-year-old Lydia Bishop died after becoming entangled in play equipment at York College’s nursery on September

  • Work begins on new £3m ground for Consett AFC

    WORK has begun on a long-awaited new £3m ground for a town’s football club. A groundbreaking ceremony for Consett AFC’s new ground near Tesco at Crookhall took place on Thursday evening (March 14). David Pyke, the club’s secretary, said: “Our

  • The hi-tech way to even better service

    ATECHNOLOGICAL revolution is sweeping through the housing market as a leading estate agent embraces a raft of hitech devices to improve its services to its clients. Tablets, smart phones, clouds and the web are running in sync at North-East agents

  • Individually designed

    TUCKED away in an exclusive cul-de-sac of four properties on the outskirts of High Shincliffe is Bramcote, an individuallydesigned detached house set in enclosed gardens. Briefly, the accommodation comprises a spacious entrance hall, cloakroom,

  • Loads more recycling under twin bins - council

    ALMOST 1,600 extra lorry loads of rubbish have been recycled since the introduction of fortnightly bin collections, a council has said. Durham County Council switched to alternate weekly collections of waste and recycling in April last year.

  • There’s no simpleanswer totherent-or-buydilemma

    A COMBINATION of plummeting mortgage costs and soaring rents has meantthatbuyinga home is now on average £120 cheaper than renting one across the UK – a gap which has widened in the past year. According to Halifax, the monthly costs associated

  • Country charmandmodernliving

    HHALCYON Manor is a stunning stone barn conversion that offers buyers the chance to enjoy the best of both worlds: panoramic and far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside, and the convenience of being within easy reach of Durham City and

  • Organisers hope for record numbers at Darlington 10k

    ORGANISERS of a popular annual road race are hoping this year’s event will see a record number of people taking part. Last year’s Darlington 10k saw a record-breaking number of entries, with 1,370 people taking part, but organisers are hoping to

  • Work to start on new link road

    WORK is to start on a new link road designed to reduce traffic in residential areas. Construction on the £300,000 road in Horden is due to start on March 25 and is expected to last around 20 weeks. The route will connect Blackhills Road and

  • Sprucing up the garden for HRH

    VOLUNTEERS have been showing off their newly created garden, ahead of a planned Royal opening. Green-fingered people have been helping create a Royal Garden at Langley Park Primary School, in Langley Park, near Durham. The school is expecting

  • Crafty Nook honoured in retail awards

    A MARKET trader has been named runner up in a prestigious award. Susan Platten’s business Crafty Nook, based in Durham Indoor Market, was runner up in the North East Craft Retailer of the Year category at the British Craft Awards 2013. The

  • Hat-trick of awards for Ramside Hall

    RAMSIDE Hall Hotel, near Durham, has won the laterooms.com award for the top rated luxury hotel, based on guest reviews. Meanwhile, the hotel’s Rib Room Steakhouse and Grill has been awarded an AA Rosette for its culinary excellence. Finally, the hotel

  • Hit for six by loan request

    DURHAM County Council has agreed in principle to a £2.8m loan for Durham County Cricket Club (Echo, Mar 14). It is all very well bailing out a troubled company, but the council cannot repair roads, is starving village halls and community centres

  • Cosmetics

    THE sale of cosmetic products tested on animals has been banned across the whole of the European Union. While testing on animals was banned in the UK in 1997 and across the EU in 2004, products with ingredients tested on animals could still be

  • Secularism

    BILL BARTLE comments on CT Riley’s letter about secularism by quoting the horrifying atheistic regimes of Communist Russia, China, and North Korea (HAS, Mar 11). Though atheistic, these three regimes show some of the characteristics of religions

  • Archbishop

    WELL done to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the bishops for speaking up about the suffering that will be inflicted on the poor as a result of the Government’s austerity policies. The Church needs to get closer to the people

  • Wasters

    WHY is the Government wasting so much money abroad? Some £12bn a year is spent on overseas aid. A further £5bn has been gifted to private companies in France, America and Australia which are paid to help the unemployed find work in Britain. That

  • Demolition man

    RAY MALLON has been aware for some time that his obsession with demolishing hundreds of Middlesbrough’s older houses and selling most of the town’s remaining greenfield sites to property developers for new housing has alienated him from thousands of

  • Mutton Jeff

    THERE are none so deaf as those who don’t want to hear. I am having trouble with hearing which I have constantly told clinicians and ear nose and throat (ENT) consultants occurs when there is a change in barometric pressure. This affects some

  • The NHS

    IN the late 1940s the National Health Service saved my life. I had tubercular meningitis and was not expected to live. I was in hospital for a year and off school for 18 months. Prior to the formation of the NHS I would almost certainly have died

  • Time to act over strong alcohol

    IPOPPED into the supermarket today. First stop was the fruit and veg counter. It was packed as usual. Remember how everyone laughed when the Government forced the big chains to sell healthy food at a ten per cent discount? They said it would

  • In the name of the Father...

    The Reverend Peter Mullen, a columnist for The Northern Echo, considers the legacies of the past four popes and the problems facing the newly-elected head of Catholics worldwide, Pope Francis I HEAR they are dancing in the streets in San Francisco

  • Hundreds enjoy Durham dance festival

    MORE than 1,000 children from 28 schools have taken part in a dance festival. The Durham City School Sport Partnership’s (SSP) annual Primary Dance Festival was held at the Gala Theatre, in Durham, on Monday and Tuesday (March 11-12). This

  • Police chief defends silence over new HQ plans

    A POLICE and Crime Commissioner has hit back at a parish council after refusing to respond to its concerns over proposals to close the force’s headquarters. Thornton le Moor with Thornton le Street Parish Council chairman Ian Woods said Julia Mulligan

  • Gym club appeals for safer future

    A SUCCESSFUL gymnastics club is appealing for support to beat the vandals who are targeting its academy base. In the latest crime to hit Deerness Gymnastics Academy, the letter ‘E’ was stolen from the club’s sign just a couple of weeks after it

  • Darlington men urged to be aware of prostate cancer risks

    MEN are being urged to take control of their health by being aware of the signs of signals of prostate cancer. In support of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, which runs throughout March, consultants from BMI Woodlands Hospital, in Darlington, are

  • Body found after missing from home report

    A REPORT will be prepared for the coroner after the death of a 63-year-old man in a North-East village. Police were called to an address in Over Dinsdale, close to the border of County Durham and North Yorkshire , on Tuesday (March 12) evening,

  • No independent candidates to contest Lascelles by-election

    A BY-ELECTION to replace a popular councillor who died last year will be a three-way fight between the main political parties, it was confirmed on Friday (March 15). The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will contest the seat in the Lascelles

  • Nurses rescue family from fire

    A TEAM of brave nurses have rescued a family of four from their burning home. The trio were making a late-night visit to a patient when they spotted a fire in a neighbouring house and raised the alarm, before helping a woman and her three young

  • Sedgefield school pupils hold Comic Relief bake sale

    SCHOOL pupils have been using their baking and entrepreneurial skills to help raise money for Comic Relief this week. As well as paying £1 to wear their own clothes for the day, youngsters at Sedgefield Community College made and sold more than

  • Peter hopes to get his latest fundraising scheme licked

    A COMMITTED fundraiser has launched an appeal he hopes will be his biggest and best yet, but he needs the stamp of approval from the people of Darlington to make it a success. Great-grandfather Peter Longstaff, a resident at Care UK’s Ventress

  • Double award for Pools

    JOHN Hughes has been named as the League One manager of the month for January - at the same time his Hartlepool United captain Peter Hartley was named the division's best player. Pools enjoyed four wins and two draws in an unbeaten month to move

  • Magpies draw Benfica in Europa League quarter-finals

    NEWCASTLE UNITED will face Benfica in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, today's draw has confirmed. The Magpies sealed their place in the last eight of the competition with a last gasp win over Anzhi at St James' Park last night. They

  • O’Regan is targeting a Gold Cup place

    JOCKEY Denis O’Regan will be “delighted” if Cape Tribulation can run into a place in today’s Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. Trained by Malcolm Jefferson at Norton, the nine-yearold will bid to become the first North Yorkshire winner of the

  • Winner right on Cue

    FANTASTIC jumping and an inspired piece of front running propelled Cue Card (7-2) to Ryanair Chase glory at the Cheltenham Festival. Colin Tizzard’s hero set the pace from the start, winged his fences at a furious gallop, and wore down serious

  • Trott and Compton ease their way through first day

    CENTURIONS Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott dominated day one of the second Test for England against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve. The second-wicket pair joined forces after a rare failure from captain Alastair Cook and shut out the Kiwis for

  • Wales finale is all part of the process

    STUART LANCASTER believes England need to go into the 2015 Rugby World Cup having tasted Grand Slam glory – and there will be no better opportunity to achieve it than against Wales in Cardiff. Tomorrow’s showdown at the Millennium Stadium will

  • New developments at the Forum

    THINGS are moving ahead at a major Hambleton venue now in the hands of a newly-formed charity. New staff are being recruited, a new logo and website are being launched and a new audience development strategy is being developed for the Forum in

  • Pardew's relief after late victory

    NEWCASTLE UNITED sealed a place in the quarterfinals of the Europa League last night with a dramatic late winner – and Alan Pardew admitted that for a brief second he feared Papiss Cisse’s decisive header had been ruled out. Papiss Cisse’s stoppagetime

  • Police boat in search for missing woman swept over a weir

    THIS is the dramatic moment when the search for a missing grandmother went wrong this morning as a dingy containing sophisticated equipment was swept over a raging weir. Officers of Northumbria Police Marine Unit were forced to abandon their vessel

  • Same again as Hughes sticks with what he has got

    STICKING with what he knows – and has at his disposal – has been part of John Hughes’ methods of late. Since deciding on a system to suit his Hartlepool United squad, the manager has kept changes to his team at a minimum. It’s a style and a

  • O’Neill recalls Wickham from Wednesday to provide back-up

    MARTIN O’NEILL is in no rush to turn to Connor Wickham to save Sunderland from dropping further down the Premier League table. Wickham has been prevented from extending his initial one-month loan at Sheffield Wednesday, despite strong efforts from

  • 'I'm not privatising the fire service' - minister

    THE region’s fire services will not be forced into private hands despite moves to allow one to be mutualised, the fire minister has insisted. Conservative MP Brandon Lewis said Labour-controlled Cleveland Fire Authority (CFA) “wants” mutualisation

  • Dancers break out into Zumba flashmob for Comic Relief

    A BUSY town centre became the setting for an impromptu Zumba class as fitness fans launched into a mass dance to raise funds for Comic Relief. Shoppers in Darlington gathered in Joseph Pease Place to watch as about 30 members from Fit-Lab fitness

  • Police appeal for help to track stolen tools

    POLICE are urging people living in an area of Darlington to check in their gardens for tools that do not belong to them. Officers are appealing to residents in the Brinkburn Avenue and Darrowby Drive areas of the town to search their gardens for

  • Teesside University gets 'yarn-bombed' by its own staff

    STUDENTS arriving at Teesside University during the week were greeted by Easter-themed knitwear hanging off the entrance gates - thought to have been put there by staff. The ‘yarn-bombing’ – a craze in which woollen decorations are hung in public

  • healthy donation from Darlington Lions Club

    DARLINGTON’S Parkinson's UK group has received a £250 boost from the local Lions Club to help keep its members fighting fit. The money will be used buy new exercise mats for twice-monthly exercise classes run by a qualified physiotherapist who

  • Teenager aiming for silverware in national final

    A TALENTED young footballer is hoping to pick up some silverware when he plays in the final of the English Schools’ Under 18 Inter County Trophy. Teesside High School student Ben Goodchild will be representing Cleveland County when he pulls on

  • One-man passion play coming to Durham

    A ONE-man passion play will be staged at a city church in the countdown to Easter. Actor Mark Topping will perform the production Impossible God at St Nicholas’ Church, in Durham Market Place, on Monday, March 25. The show is part of a nationwide

  • Europa win would see manager handed freedom of Tyneside

    WHEN Guus Hiddink led South Korea to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup he was made an honorary citizen of Seoul, just as he also was in Eindhoven after leading PSV to a triple crown 14 years earlier in his managerial career. The former Holland

  • Match Report: Newcastle United 1 Anzhi Makhachkala 0

    Final Score: Newcastle United 1 Anzhi Makhachkala 0 (Newcastle win 1 - 0 on aggregate) ALAN PARDEW dared Newcastle United fans to dream of reaching the Europa League final in May before last night's second leg against Anzhi. As Tyneside woke this

  • Heading for a sad day

    THREE months after the Leveson Report was published, we are in a right old mess over the future of press regulation. The Prime Minister has walked away from cross-party talks on the issue and set himself up for a Commons showdown on Monday, when

  • Forrest: We're wrapping players in cotton wool

    Shildon manager Gary Forrest says that he is going to wrap his key players in cotton wool for their local derby at home to West Auckland today. Shildon’s squad was stretched to the limit because of injuries last Saturday when they pulled off a superb

  • Quakers issue apology

    Darlington have apologised to supporters after failing to produce a programme for Wednesday's 4-0 win against Shildon. Some fans were angered when they discovered there was no programme as the club had made a decision not to print one in fear of the

  • Same again as Hughes sticks with what he knows

    STICKING with what he knows - and has at his disposal - has been part of John Hughes' methods of late. Since deciding on a system to suit his Hartlepool United squad, the manager has kept changes to his team at a minimum. It's a style and a

  • Industries bodies welcome apprenticeship changes

    INDUSTRY bosses have welcomed the Government's planned changes to apprenticeship schemes, but warned more work still needs to be done. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said companies will be given more power to design and develop apprenticeship

  • Apprentices back scheme after Government changes

    THE Government yesterday handed more power to companies to design their own apprenticeships and ease the skills shortage. Deputy Business Editor Steven Hugill visited a North-East training provider to find out how young workers are shaping the region's

  • Supermarket staff have fun for Comic Relief

    STAFF and customers at a busy supermarket got in the Red Nose Day-spirit with a day of fundraising. Energetic volunteers were left with natural red faces after a two hour Zumbathon led by instructor Jan Vickers at Sainsbury’s, in St Helen Auckland

  • Wallets stolen from Barnard Castle Rugby Club changing rooms

    WALLETS WARNING: Thieves stole two wallets from the changing rooms of Barnard Castle Rugby Club, in Birch Road, Barnard Castle, between 7pm and 9pm on Thursday, March 14. Police say those using the club facilities should ensure their belongings are

  • Vintage tractor stolen from Barnard Castle livery

    TRACTOR THEFT: A vintage David Brown tractor has been stolen from the Little Livery, Barnard Castle, overnight between March 14 and 15. Police say there was a possible sighting of the vehicle on the main A688 near Raby Castle, at Staindrop, in the

  • Cross Lanes Organic Farm highly commended in "rural Oscars"

    SHOP ACCOLADE: An organic farm shop has been highly commended in the national finals of an awards scheme dubbed the “rural Oscars.” Cross Lanes Farm, on the A66 near Barnard Castle, won the 2012 North-East Countryside Alliance Start-up Award, progressing