A SCHOOL has launched an apprenticeship project to open pupils’ eyes to job and training opportunities on their doorsteps. Woodham Academy, in Newton Aycliffe, has just begun its third annual apprenticeship challenge which will see all 150 year
A BIRDIE at the last ensured Graeme Storm will start the second day of the ISPS Handa Wales Open in the top 50 after a topsy-turvy first round at Celtic Manor. The Hartlepool golfer, in good spirits, recovered from an early bogey at the second
HEROES of the Second World War who did essential and dangerous work back home to support armed forces on the frontline have been honoured. St John’s School and Sixth Form College, in Bishop Auckland, hosted a tea party to acknowledge the essential
A YOUNG girl suffering a rare and incurable brain condition is desperately looking for help to enable her to receive some specialist medical treatment. Last month, Missy Russell ran the Tees Pride 3k Fun Run to raise awareness of Chiari Malformation
FOUR free-wheeling foster carers completed their challenging coast to coast charity bike ride today (Thursday, September 18).The group – Brian Foulger, Gary Chatterje, Adrian Wakefield and David Pennock – began on Monday at Whitehaven in Cumbria
FEMALE entrepreneurs were celebrated in Darlington today (Thursday, September 18). The Women into Business event saw business owners join together to share their skills and expertise at Darlington’s Crown Street Library. A number of stalls
A TALENTED young violinist has hit a high note with her latest academic achievements.Ceara Sutton-Jones has just been awarded an A* for GCSE music, two years early, aged 14.She sat her Grade eight piano exam last term, which she passed with a merit and
AN AUTHOR has unearthed fresh revelations about a legendary sea rescue from a hospital ship, which sank off the Yorkshire coast a century ago.The HMHS Rohilla had been on its way to Dunkirk to pick up wounded soldiers when it ran aground near Whitby on
A WOMAN who suffered from debilitating migraines for 30 years has been thrown a lifeline after being put on a trial for a piece of equipment that creates a sedative effect. Sue Anderson, 50, from Dishforth, has suffered from migraines since she
A PARLIAMENTARY candidate for Ukip has criticised MPs in the region for committing the country to foreign aid.Last week MPs from all parties voted to fix the amount British aid at 0.7 per cent of national income, about £12bn a year, and it is likely
A MAN who ordered ecstasy online was caught after the package was intercepted by Customs officials on arrival in this country.Durham Crown Court heard that Connor Southward bulk ordered the class A drug from an address in Amsterdam.Shaun Dodds, prosecuting
FOUR aspiring young bands in the North-East are coming together for a special charity concert in aid of Oxfam.The concert is part of the Oxjam Music Festival, which is coming to Shildon for the first time on Saturday, October 11.The event, at Shildon
ANY old iron can be used to make sweet music, as North-East schoolchildren learned today (Thursday, September 18). A spectacular scrap-ophony has been created by Darlington children who have worked with musicians from Sage Gateshead to form their
COUNCILLORS will next week discuss plans for a raft of changes to parking arrangements in a North-East town.A special meeting of Darlington Borough Council's cabinet will be held on September 25, at which the proposals are expected to be approved.It
THE funeral of a teenager who drowned in a North-East river is to be held next week. Family and friends of 17-year-old Jordan Roberts will gather to say a final farewell at Holy Trinity Church in Southwick, Sunderland, next Tuesday. The service
PREDATORY marine reptiles that swam the world's oceans 200 million years ago, huge Yorkshire hyaenas and the secrets of Roman burials will be among the subjects experts reveal details about at an event to highlight their research.The free-entry Yorkshire
A CUTE puppy found cold and abandoned in a hedge has had one of its badly injured legs amputated.A new home is being sought for the male Cocker Spaniel, nicknamed Bungle, which has been nursed around the clock since it was discovered on Friday.Cold, lethargic
STAFF from a community lunch club have been presented with an award at a star-studded red carpet ceremony. Age UK County Durham’s Come Eat Together scheme, which is based in Stanley, accepted their National Lottery Award after it won top health
A PARTICULARLY plump pumpkin has been cultivated by a North-East gardener. Measuring a massive 210cm around its circumference, the sizeable squash takes pride of place in the garden of Rachel Dent. Mrs Dent, 82, from Low Dinsdale, near Darlington
WORK upgrading and re-shaping a key road junction starts on Monday (September 22).The £870,000 project will see the introduction of improved lay-out and traffic flow measures at the junction of the A690 Durham to Sunderland road, with the A19.It
AN EXHIBITION of some of the books and publications that shaped the outlook of boys and young men in the run up to the First World War will open at the weekend. Books for Boys at Durham University’s Palace Green Library explores the cultural landscape
AMBITIOUS plans for a cycle route between five Ryedale market towns are to be discussed at a public meeting.The Raising Cycling in Ryedale Group and Pickering Town Council are holding the meeting on Tuesday, September 30 at Pickering Memorial Hall and
A REFORMED criminal who met his victims to say “sorry” joined parents who confronted a killer of their teenage son at a Teesside conference to share their positive experiences of Restorative Justice. After 18 years spent in and out of prison, embroiled
THE COUNTDOWN to the return of a major theatrical festival has begun. A festival hub was launched in Darlington today (Thursday, September 18) ahead of the upcoming Jabberwocky Market. The Jabberwocky Market will return to the town for the
A FORMER racehorse trainer and a top jockey have pledged to battle corruption charges relating to 57 races. The British Horseracing Authority has alleged North Yorkshire-based jockey Richie McGrath and former Middleham trainer Kate Walton used
A payment protection insurance (PPI) claims management firm is creating 80 North-East jobs.Fast Track Reclaim, which has offices in Billingham and Thornaby, near Stockton, says it wants full-time workers.Bosses say roles include customer service advisors
A TOWN'S plan to leave it's local authority for a neighbouring county has failed, but campaigners have vowed to continue.The Yarm for Yorkshire campaign to move from Stockton council control for next-door Hambleton has been rejected by councillors.But
AUTUMN will soon be in full swing, and it won't be long before the central heating is cranked up in many British homes. But as well as warming people up, the big switch-on could also bring with it a silent killer.Faulty appliances that use fossil
ECO visitors proved they had a lot of bottle when they went in search of mini beasts at a North-East organic dairy. Children, parents and other customers of Acorn Dairy were joined down on the farm by Darlington’s mayor and mayoress Gerald and
THE upgrading of passenger facilities at Durham Tees Valley Airport has taken a big step forward with the opening of new catering services.The Swissport lounge and café, located in the departure area, provides a wide choice of hot and cold food
A WORLD record holding escapologist is set to attempt to escape from Dick Turpin's jail cell - a feat Houdini is said to have refused to attempt.Weasel Dandaw will attempt to escape the condemned cell at York Castle Prison on October 31, hours before
A BRITISH journalist has appeared in a video released by so-called Islamic State militants. John Cantlie was captured two years ago while in Syria. He is being beld by the same group which is also holding and has threatened to murder British
ALAN PARDEW has praised Jonas Gutierrez's strength of character as he battles testicular cancer - and expressed a hope that the Argentinian will return to Newcastle soon. Gutierrez delivered a series of interviews in his native Argentina this week
THE DURHAM Shopping Extravaganza is returning to the city’s Ramside Hall Hotel this year, it has been announced. The annual event, which in its 26th year, has raised more than £360,000 for charities in and around the county. This year’s recipients
MANUFACTURING and economic regeneration will be the key themes at Durham Oktoberfest, the region’s biggest engineering and manufacturing event, as the full line of guest speakers is announced. Joining Nifco boss Mike Matthews, who was recently
ALAN PARDEW is expecting one of the toughest days of his Newcastle United tenure on Saturday – and admits he has not received any reassurances from Mike Ashley that he will still be in a job if things do not go to plan. The Magpies entertain Hull
CLEVELAND'S Police Commissioner claims to carrying out the biggest public engagement exercise in the history of the force. Barry Coppinger took part in his 200th community meeting in Nunthorpe, near Middlesbrough, on Tuesday. Mr Coppinger said
NORTH Country Theatre is normally famous for ripping yarns and of course the brilliant spoof stage version of The 39 Steps was Richmond director Nobby Dimon’s idea. So it’s a surprise to find it doing something a little more pastoral this autumn with
THE second Festival of Thrift is gearing up to up-cycle your rubbish and make art out of trash. You can meet the Bubble Car Buskers, and discover how to do all sorts of useful things from turning your kitchen into a dairy, to learning how to build
Three Teesdale based artists will be holding a joint exhibition at the NeST in Barnard Castle from late September until late October. Work by Anne Mason, Ann Whitfield and Alan Dyson will occupy the entire rear wall of the gallery so there will
ROSEBERRY Topping may be commonly described as “the Matterhorn of Cleveland” but, when we were kids, it was our Everest. From where we lived on the industrial side of the Eston Hills, it would be a major expedition. We’d climb up past the Nab, and
Doug Seegers: Going Down To The River (Humphead Records) DOUG Seegers is quite a new name to country music and this is his first release. Two years ago a film crew from Sweden visited Nashville with country artist Jill Johnson and other Swedish
POLICE are urging adults not to supply underage drinkers with alcohol.The warning comes after a woman was given a fixed penalty and fined £90 for buying alcohol for her 16-year-old daughter.Spennymoor neighbourhood police team was alerted by staff
WHAT’S ON: Classical season launched with Lars Vogt conducting Royal Northern Sinfonia, at Sage Gateshead, at 7.30pm on Saturday. Programme includes works by Beethoven and Brahms. Box Office: 0191-443-4661. REVIEWS: American Chamber Music (
IT was interesting to see Bellowhead on stage at the BBC Hyde Park concert last weekend, alongside the likes of Blondie and Jeff Lynne. The folk scene’s own Acoustic Light Orchestra seems to go from strength to strength and cut across the genre barrier
WHAT’S ON: Friday, 1pm, Alan Barnes/ Paul Edis Duo, Gala Theatre, Durham, 03000-266600; 8.30pm, Lickety Split, Travellers Rest, Cockerton, 01325- 382676. CD REVIEWS: Cloudmakers Trio/ Abstract Forces (Whirlwind WR4655) Vibes player Jim Hart, double
WASHINGTON actress Elizabeth Carter is triple value when it comes to musicals about the late 1950s and early 1960s because she’s starred in the three shows put together by impresario Bill Kenwright, Dreamboats And Petticoats, Save The Last Dance For
MIDDLESBROUGH magician Pete Firman is currently putting his tricks to the test at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, prior to another national tour which takes in Stockton and Harrogate, and sees the whole idea of creating a show as a 12-month process.
OFF-licences are being urged to help fight under-age drinking and the anti-social behaviour that goes with it. Businesses in Consett and Stanley will be invited this weekend to sign up to Challenge 25, which requires shops and bars to ask for proof of
FARIS Badwan is more than half-an-hour late to our meeting. When he does arrive, he dashes in, full of apologies and promises to talk really quickly to make up for lost time. Normally, the punctuality, or lack thereof, of a singer in a widely-acclaimed
WHAT’S that up there? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Andrea clinging on for dear life to the side of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street (ITV1). Neil, the husband of whom she wants to be rid, is perched on the roof in a position that
A FIRM behind plans for a major mining development wants companies to register for work.Sirius Minerals, which hopes to extract the fertiliser mineral polyhalite from under the North York Moors National Park, near Whitby, is looking to attract businesses
A VILLAGE is gearing up for its annual family fun day next weekend. Bowburn Community Association and the D J Evans Youth Club will hold the event on Saturday, September 27, from 11am to 3pmat the association’s centre and the youth club, both in
What’s your favourite part of the theatre profession? Probably the opportunity to explore and interrogate a subject: I think I’ve learnt more about myself by making and watching theatre than I have in any other circumstance. I love that theatre
A WOMAN passenger was dragged along a platform by a departing train after getting her wrist trapped in a door, an accident report has revealed. She was forced to move with the train, operated by First TransPennine Express (FTPE) from Newcastle
A GROUP of former students of what is now a sixth-form college reminisced about old times during an emotional reunion in Darlington.The class of 1960 from the former Darlington Boys' Grammar School returned to their alma mater, now Queen Elizabeth
MIDDLESBROUGH right-back Damia Abella faces six months on the sidelines after snapping his anterior cruciate ligament during Tuesday night’s win at Cardiff City. Abella was forced off in the 64th minute and Boro head coach Aitor Karanka this
PLANS to upgrade passenger facilities at Durham Tees Valley Airport have taken a step forward with the opening of new catering services.The Swissport lounge and café, in the departure area, provides a choice of hot and cold food and drinks with
A MAN has appeared in court charged in connection with a fatal crash following a police chase that led to the death of a businessman and father-of-two. Adam McLoughlin, 32, appeared before Consett Magistrates Court today (Thursday, September 18
THREE men and a woman have been arrested following theft of three children’s bikes belonging to a girl who lost her hands after contracting meningitis as a baby and her sisters. The bikes, owned by Tilly, Tia, and Lucy-Anna Lockey, have been recovered
THE EFFECT of the First World War on the landscape and communities of a picturesque rural area will take place next month.The Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) will be holding its annual Heritage Forum on Friday, October 10 at Fearby
AN RAF communications worker is hoping his music career will take off after securing a place in the regional finals of a national contest for unsigned singer-songwriters. Former Northallerton College student Jon Sibley said he hoped performing
DARLINGTON trading standards officers are investigating the alleged mis-selling of home energy efficiency assessments.Householders are being urged to be on their guard when they receive cold calls or follow up visits from firms offering them a ‘
PLANS to develop the former Rutson hospital site in Northallerton by Marks and Spencer will be a major boost for the town, councillors have been told. But the town council was told there are also concerns over traffic at the site which will have 38 car
A VEHICLE rental firm, trusted by thousands of tradesmen and holidaymakers every year, is continuing its UK expansion. Northgate Vehicle Hire, founded in Darlington, told The Northern Echo it’s pushing ahead with plans to open branches in the West
A CLERGYMAN has unwittingly helped a cathedral appeal reach an important milestone. The Reverend Ted Drayton, a priest from Filey in North Yorkshire, bought the 100,000th brick in the Lego model of Durham Cathedral. It means the cathedral has
THE school where an Olympic rowing gold medallist started her career is planning a £2.5m investment in new sporting facilities.Yarm School intends to construct a new boat house, boat storage facility and a full-sized floodlit all-weather sports
STARGAZING events will take locals on a tour of the distant night sky from Saturday (September 20).The cosmic events are being held throughout the North Pennines AONB and Northumberland International Dark Sky Park until the New Year as part of a pioneering
A DARLINGTON business leader has confirmed that his organisation will continue to sponsor an awards programme that recognises outstanding young people in the borough. Colin Fyfe, the recently-appointed chief executive of Darlington Building Society
NEWCASTLE assistant manager John Carver has apologised for his conduct during an alteraction with supporters ahead of last weekend's 4-0 defeat at Southampton. Carver was filmed remonstrating with fans in the away end at St Mary's, and after receiving
A TEAM from three leading businesses has been brought together to set out the future for cloud computing in the North-East. The North East Chamber of Commerce and Brewin Dolphin will join experts from hosted desktop specialists Atlas Cloud to host
8:15am Last result - Highland region votes.... No 87,000 to 78,000 53% voting No to 47% voting Yes And with that we're going to bed! However, you can keep up to date with this story on The Northern
FACTORY export order books have weakened to their worst level since January 2013 amid political uncertainty at home and abroad, a report has warned.The CBI said its survey of 488 manufacturers found output remained solid in the last quarter and should
A BOXING club is celebrating after becoming the first project in County Durham to benefit from a new scheme aimed at boosting opportunities for disadvantaged young people.The County Durham Community Foundation and the UKs largest sport for development
PRESBURG can make a successful return to handicap company when the doors open for day one of the Western Meeting at Ayr. The five-year-old gelding is one of 12 declarations for the valuable William Hill Handicap - registered as the Kilkerran Cup
YORKSHIRE captain Andrew Gale has been charged with a racism offence by the ECB, it has been reported. It has been long since known that Gale had a run-in with Lancashire batsman Ashwell Prince during the third day of the Roses encounter at Emirates
JEROME BOATENG pilfered a last-gasp 1-0 Champions League victory for Bayern Munich over his former club Manchester City. The German defender denied City a draw in Munich at the death, courtesy of a shot which deflected off team-mate Mario Gotze
LIVERPOOL’S new vice-captain Jordan Henderson has made giant strides since finding himself on the fringes of Brendan Rodgers’ squad two years ago, but admits he has plenty of improvement to make. Just three months after Rodgers’ arrival at Anfield
FOOD lovers had their tastebuds tickled when Saltburn Farmers’ Market enjoyed another busy day on Saturday. And Graham Ford – otherwise known as The Chilihound - had special reason to remember the day, when fellow stallholders sprang an impromptu
RICH PYRAH has been granted a benefit year in 2015 by Yorkshire. The all-rounder who took the catch which sealed LV= County Championship glory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last Friday has been rewarded for 13 years of service to his
GIVING up the demon drink has evidently worked wonders for Durham bowler Chris Rushworth, who twice routed spineless Northamptonshire yesterday to storm into the record books. Previously without a five-wicket haul this season, he took 15 in 18
WE couldn’t see out the back windows of the car on Saturday for pillows and bedding, boxes of groceries, pots and pans, laptop and docking station, suitcases and bags full of clothes, shoes and sports gear. There was just about enough room to fit in
SINCE sundry columns down the years have suggested that the Tow Law climate is a mite inhospitable, it should be recorded that at last week’s evening match with Northallerton the thermometer reached 18 degrees. Perhaps it was just as well, because
Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC1, 9pm) I HAVE only too painful memories involving the fact that Martin Shaw doesn’t want to discuss anything to do with the ITV series which made his name, The Professionals. Having read that Shaw, who has moved on
THE Last Ship, the great labour of love musical about the Wallsend shipyard by Newcastle singer, songwriter, and musician Sting – with book by Tony winner John Logan and Pulitzer Prize winner Brian Yorkey – is previewing on Broadway from September
THE national TV talent show Britain’s Got Talent is back on the road once again and will be kicking off its search for the stars of tomorrow with a visit to James' Park, Newcastle next month before moving on to ten other cities across the UK
TO the minute and to the atomically split second, the Northern League – football’s second oldest – marked on Sunday, September 7, the 125th anniversary of the day that it all kicked off. That it rather became the South Bank Show was perhaps inevitable
THERE is something very different about the referendum that is taking place in Scotland today. It is not just that it is a vote about independence and the future of the UK, it is a large scale civil reaction where many people north of the border are
Dressed in a retro space-print t-shirt, jeans and stylish thick-framed glasses, Adam Prest is not your average flower arranger. The hobby has long been associated with middle and upper-class women and, as a 31-year-old farmer’s son, Adam just does
MY father was Scottish, my mother was English. I am from a British family, so why have I not been given a say in the possible dismemberment of my own country? A close neighbour of mine in Durham is a Scotsman. “Why,” he says “have I not been
THE referendum result is just one day away and only one thing is certain: that whatever happens, Britain will never be the same again. If Scots vote ‘Yes’ for independence today, then the howls of anguish and anger will be heard across the world
PERHAPS more than any of the other English regions, the North-East has reason to understand the frustrations of the Scottish people. Just as the Scots didn’t vote for a Conservative- led Government, the majority of people in the North-East – in
DARLINGTON vehicle hire company Northgate PLC said it is trading in line with expectations and expressed confidence for the full year on the back of increased profit and revenue from its UK and Spanish businesses. The FTSE 250-listed firm said
ALMOST a dozen students were injured in a head-on collision involving a college bus and a van. The bus was carrying 19 students to Darlington College and the town’s Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College when it collided with a van in dank conditions
SEABIRDS in the North-East are among those being hit by a triple whammy of extreme weather, predators and disturbance by humans, the National Trust has said. A study by the Trust of seabird sites along the 742 miles of UK coastline it cares for
A NORTH-EAST lender has helped a group of African farmers to invest in solar panels. Newcastle, Shared Interest Society lends money to fair trade businesses across the globe. The firm is able to do this thanks to UK investors, who hold share accounts
CONSERVATIONISTS are hoping that one of the North’s ancient trees will soon be taking a ‘bough’ after the launch of a competition to find the best specimen in Europe. The Woodland Trust asking the public to put forward contenders to become the
A THIRD-GENERATION distribution company has invested in renewable energy to help it tackle increasing energy costs Duncan Renewables installed the system across three roofs at AV Dawson’s Riverside Park site in Middlesbrough. . The buildings
FOUR years ago Paul McGinley walked around the Twenty Ten course at Celtic Manor offering up his opinion as one of the vice-captains of Team Europe. Yesterday he was back in South Wales with a different mindset, just eight days before the Ryder Cup
GRANT LEADBITTER has paid tribute to Damia Abella for the way he has adapted to life on Teesside amid fears that the Spanish full-back could be ruled out for months with a knee injury. Abella had a scan on his knee yesterday in a bid to determine
EMANUELE Giaccherini knows all about swapping Serie A for the Premier League and the midfielder believes Sunderland's newest import Ricky Alvarez will have no problems adjusting to life at Sunderland following his move from Inter Milan. Alvarez
THE increasing use of legal highs is the next big challenge facing the police and the NHS, a senior police officer has warned. Inspector Colin Dobson, from Durham Police, said that without action the number of deaths caused by legal highs would
HIS cartoons will be instantly recognisable to readers of The Northern Echo but the man behind the pen has always kept a low profile. Since 1990 John Longstaff, better known to many as Cluff, has been drawing daily cartoons for the Echo but his
A BLUEPRINT for giving the North new transport powers will be unveiled within weeks, Nick Clegg pledges today (Thursday, September 18) – after the “shot in the arm” of the Scottish referendum. Interviewed by The Northern Echo, the deputy prime
STRIKER Charlie Wyke will be absent for Hartlepool United’s haul to Plymouth. Pools face the Pilgrims on Saturday, but the Middlesbrough loan signing won’t be travelling with his team-mates tomorrow. He was knocked unconscious during Tuesday’s
RECOVERING drug addicts and those affected by substance misuse will take centre stage in a quirky production this autumn. Drac and the Rat is being staged by North-East director Peter Lathan with volunteers from NECA, a charity working to reduce
