VOLUNTEERS are calling for a community to rally round a new lifeline bus service.In the face of cuts to many rural bus services across North Yorkshire the Bedale Minibus Project has taken on a new vehicle which will run alongside their existing bus.The
BIRMINGHAM (4-4-1-1): Legzdins 6; Caddis 7 (Spector 89), Morrison 4, Shotton 6, Grounds 5; COTTERILL 8, Gleeson 7, Kieftenbeld 7, Davis 6 (Solomon 86); Fabbrini 6 (Robinson 79); Donaldson 5. Subs (not used): Trueman (gk), Vaughan, Lafferty,
A FRUSTRATED Aitor Karanka last night claimed Middlesbrough were being treated “differently” to their promotion rivals after Daniel Ayala had what would have been a match-winning goal at Birmingham City incorrectly ruled out for offside. Boro’s
RAFAEL BENITEZ has refused to be drawn into mind games with Sam Allardyce but has agreed with the Sunderland manager’s assertion that Crystal Palace will have one eye on a FA Cup final ahead of today’s trip to St James’ Park.Allardyce, whose side are
EVERY season has its defining moments, and with one more game in which to determine whether or not they finish in the top two, Middlesbrough will be hoping last night’s refereeing controversy at Birmingham City does not come to be remembered as the
There may be a wintry weekend in prospect but the heat is already on Chester-le-Street in the NEPL after their surprise opening day defeat at the hands of Benwell Hill.Knowing that their arch rivals for honours, South North, have not lost a single league
Billingham Synthonia can’t wait for the action to start as they prepare for their opening games after a three year absence from the NYSD’s Premier Division. The Synners were relegated in 2012, but after a couple of modest campaigns at the lower
IN Memories 273, we appealed for information about a picture of a First World War reunion. There wasn’t much information to go at – it was held in Durham in the 1960s – but, as usual, Memories readers came up trumps.Marjorie Cook of Bishop Auckland even
DARLINGTON FC’S die-hard fans braved the elements to welcome their hometown heroes in style tonight (Friday, April 29). To see a gallery of photographs click here Virgin Trains to sponsor Darlington FC next season The unseasonal
ONE of the world's most complex machines has been temporarily immobilised - by a weasel. The world's largest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider at Cern outside Geneva, has suspended operations because a weasel invaded a transformer that helps
To coincide with Darlington revealing their kits for the 2016-17 season, sponsored by Virgin Trains, here are the club's away kits since 1990 - how many do you remember? PHOTO GALLERY: Darlington's home kits down the years
Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson reports live from St Andrews as Middlesbrough take on Birmingham City. Tweets by @Scottwilsonecho Kick-off: 7.45pm
AITOR KARANKA has named an unchanged starting line-up for Middlesbrough's crucial Championship game at Birmingham. Boro head into their final away game of the regular season locked together on points with Burnley and Brighton, who do not play until
THOUSANDS of spectators turned out to see the Tour de Yorkshire begin to wind its way through the county as one of the country's premier cycle races got off to a dramatic start. Day one of the race ended with the shock announcement that Sir Bradley
A BAND of wintry weather left parts of the region covered in snow today (April 29).Sleet and snow caused disruption to motorists with a number of weather-related collisions in the north of England.As temperatures struggled to reach six degrees and with
A DOCTOR described how “forceful pressure” to the neck led to the death of an 85-year-old retired teacher who is alleged to have been murdered at his North Yorkshire home.George Francis Kidson was discovered unconscious and naked from the waist down at
EASTER Week of 1916 saw the Durham Pals waist-deep in water and thoroughly miserable.Exactly 100 years ago Easter was three weeks later than this year, and so it was on April 20 – Maundy Thursday – that the volunteers of 18th Battalion of the Durham Light
A RECRUITMENT drive is underway to get more police officers on the beat in North Yorkshire.The force is aiming to boost its ranks in the next two years, and has launched a new campaign for police constables, or student officers.Successful applicants undertake
DARLINGTON FC has today announced an impressive two-year sponsorship deal with Virgin Trains. The agreement will mean the East Coast route operator features on all first team and replica kits. PHOTO GALLERY: Darlington away kits down the
THIEVES sneaked into the back of an ambulance while it was parked at a hospital to steal vital equipmentPolice were called by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service to Harrogate District Hospital at about 6.20am on Wednesday.A spokesman said the ambulance had
A DEAD horse left to rot in a field for five weeks is due to be removed this weekend.Concerned residents of Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland, said the horse died after giving birth but was left to decompose.One, who did not want to be named, said she became
A TEESDALE charity is appealing for more volunteers to join a project to help people access the internet in rural areas.The Teesdale YMCA set up the Community Support Information and Access project last year after receiving funding from the Teesdale Action
A FORMER Premier League footballer accused of raping a woman he met in a nightclub has told a court she wanted to have sex with him.Adilson Tavares Varela, known as Cabral, told Hull Crown Court he had consensual sex with the 22-year-old woman at his
A WATER company has been fined more than £1m after thousands of cubic metres of sewage was illegally discharged into the River Ouse. The foul smelling spillage could be seen in the river for about 200 metres and the water quality was affected for
IT has been reported that Sir Bradley Wiggins has abandoned the Tour de Yorkshire, not far from the stage one finish line. The four-time Olympic gold medallist had set off on the first stage of the race from Beverley today, but is believed to have
TOURISM and Heritage Minister David Evennett visited County Durham today (April 29) to see how a multi-million pound development is progressing.Mr Evennett was given a tour of Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, as he viewed the £100 million project
POLICE are trying to trace stolen jewellery of sentimental value and a car following a burglary in Middlesbrough.The raid took place at an address on Newlands Road over the weekend of Friday, April 15 to Sunday 17 when items including a large quantity
A CONVICTED child sex offender was warned he is facing a “significant sentence” after he was convicted for abusing eight people - all from the same village. The warning was given by Judge Simon Hickey following the trial of John Jeffrey Mawson,
THE SEARCH is on to find Durham’s next Tourism Superstar - with the hope the winner will go on to score a hat-trick for the county by scooping the national award.Visit County Durham (VCD) launched its third annual competition, run in association with
A SURVIVOR of the nuclear detonations at Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be speaking at a public conference next week.Setsuko Thurlow will give a keynote speech on her experience as one of the Hibakusha – a Japanese term used to describe the survivors of
A CHARITY night in aid of a seriously ill youngster has been organised by a north Durham art gallery.The White Room Gallery and Coffee Shop is holding a fundraiser to help three-year-old Daniel Rainbow, from Stanley.He is undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma
A hundred years ago a soldier sat down in a French village to write one of the most difficult letters of his life. The words he penned below marked the first death of hundreds which would devastate the families of the Durham Pals. Rachel Conner reports
TWO suspects have been arrested in connection with a suspected burglary in the early hours of today (Friday, April 29).Cleveland Police were called at around 3.30am to Lady Mantle Close in Bishop Cuthbert, Hartlepool, after a member of the public reported
BAR staff and bouncers will be trained to spot the signs of sexual exploitation.A scheme training Darlington’s taxi drivers to identify markers of sexual exploitation was so successful it is being rolled out to door and bar staff.More than 200 taxi drivers
FOOD lovers are being invited to feel the burn as one of the North-East’s best loved festivals makes a welcome return.The third annual Distinctly Delicious Darlington - Festival of Food will return to the town centre on May 14 and 15 - with a special
A MARKET town will step back in time this summer as it hosts its first 1940s weekend.Barnard Castle Town Council is organising the event, which is funded by local businesses, on June 25 and 26 June.Several military vehicles will be displayed on the market
THREE men from the North-East are to appear at Canterbury Crown Court charged with violent disorder.Simon Martin, 42, of Elm Terrace, Bishop Auckland; Tony Lee Baker, 30, of D'Arcy Square, Seaham, and John Thomas Boyes, 54, of Laburnum Road, Sunderland
TRANSPORT firm Stiller Warehousing and Distribution has launched an innovative scheme to get more people into driving heavy goods vehicles.The family-run company, based on Aycliffe Business Park, is trying to tempt young people to take up a career in
AN HISTORIC sporting trophy has visited the region as part of a nationwide tour to celebrate Britain winning it for the first time in almost 80 years.The Davis Cup went on display at Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness centre in Sunderland
ON the front of a low unnoteworthy brick building in a back lane behind Darlington town centre is an anonymous red, wooden door with an ordinary round metal doorknob.Even if you have found yourself in one-way Raby Terrace at the rear of Skinnergate, perhaps
SHOE retailer Charles Clinkard has opened a new £3m head office and warehouse .Lottie Clinkard, 14, - representing the fourth generation of the family firm and former worker Bryan Wilkinson, officially opened the new building at Cannon Park, Middlesbrough.Bryan
RAFAEL BENITEZ has refused to get drawn into mind games with Sunderland counterpart Sam Allardyce ahead of another crucial round of fixtures in the Premier League relegation run-in. The Newcastle United boss, who has had a number of feuds with
VOLUNTEERS are still needed to cover a variety of shifts at a new hospice charity shop.St Cuthbert’s Hospice is opening a store on Hope Street, Crook, in June.Jude Smith, volunteer co-ordinator at St Cuthbert’s Hospice, said: “We have received a wonderful
A CHOIR of more than 200 students from across North Yorkshire joined together at Ampleforth College to perform choruses from George Frederick Handel’s oratorio Messiah including the famous Hallelujah Chorus. Ampleforth College hosted the choral day for
LOVERS of Lego are in for a creative treat when a new exhibition of miniature marvels take centre stage at a new exhibition.‘Brick Planet’ was created by Lego artist Warren Elsmore, who has recreated some of the world’s most famous landmarks including
RESIDENTS in Newton Aycliffe are being asked their views on a proposed play park.Great Aycliffe Town Council (GATC) has launched a consultation to give people the chance to express their thoughts on the design of the play area south of Burn Lane.Councillor
COMPLAINTS from councillors about affordable housing on a proposed new Yarm housing estate being like "soldiers' barracks" and separate from more expensive homes has not prevented planning officers from once again recommending approval.Outline
A PETITON has been launched to help residents fight against proposals to build houses at a country park.Redcar MP Anna Turley is opposing Theakston Land's plans to 400 homes on land they own within Flatts Lane Woodland Country Park in Normanby, near Middlesbrough.A
SUNDERLAND'S army of military veterans are being invited to help play their part in VE Day commemorations.While the city has one of the highest percentages of Second World War Two and military veterans as residents, many of the modest heroes have never
SNOW showers have fallen across the region this morning, with bitterly cold winds sweeping in from the west. Stanley and Consett, in County Durham, experienced heavy falls this morning, while it has been particularly severe on higher ground.
RACEHORSE trainer David "Dandy" Nicholls will appear in court charged with sexually assaulting a woman.The 59-year-old, from the Thirsk area of North Yorkshire, has been told by letter that he must appear before Northallerton Magistrates' Court
A WINNING lottery ticket with a £1m bought in Durham City has gone unclaimed.Camelot UK Lotteries has today (Friday, April 29) announced that the Millionaire Raffle prize from the Lotto draw on October 31 has remained unclaimed more than 180 days after
A PLAY exploring the experiences of unmarried teen mothers in the 1960s who were coerced into giving up their babies is to be performed in Richmond.The Best Thing is a touring production from Vamos Theatre – the UK’s leading mask theatre company which
A NORTH-EAST security guard has won a lifetime achievement award in recognition of the positive impact he has had in reducing retail crime over several years.Barry Jago, who has been in the security team at House of Fraser at intu Metrocentre, in Gateshead
A LUCKY little girl has been crowned Sedgefield's Flower Queen ahead of the town's annual traditional medieval fair.Sedgefield Primary School pupil Robyn Taylor, aged eight, will undertake the honourable task of leading the parade to mark the start of
AFTER 170 years, the world's oldest quoits club has accepted its first female members.Darlington Quoit Club, which was founded in 1846, has relaxed its men-only rule for the start of the summer season and welcomed Claire Harrison, 32, and Kay Price, 57
A TEENAGER is preparing to take on the region's toughest peaks to raise money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.Grace Clark, 14, will tackle the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge on July 23, with her mother Bridget and friend Gemma Richardson as a tribute to
INCREASED membership numbers and significant investment have ensured that Darlington Credit Union is on course for continued growth.Healthy figures were reported when the not-for-profit organisation hosted its sixth AGM at St Augustine’s Parish Centre
DARLINGTON Building Society has coordinated a charity day at George Dent Nursey as part of its community pledge.The Society is celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2016 by giving 160 volunteering days to organisations, such as, the George Dent Nursery.With
Oliver Twist, Durham Market Hall PROMENADE theatre can be tricky. From sightlines, to scene placement, to acoustics, there are a myriad of things to go wrong. Front Room Productions – Durham Student Theatre, successfully navigate these potential
NEW aerial views of work on the new £34m bypass in North Yorkshire have been revealed.These birds eye photos show the new line of the Bedale, Aiskew and Leeming Bar bypass which takes the main A684 into Wensleydale around the town and villages.The work
It could end up being the busiest hour of the week… Asda are trying “a quiet hour” in one of their Manchester stores. Ostensibly for people with autism who are often overwhelmed by noisy surroundings, it’s an experiment in making the store as quiet as
I READ in the Northern Echo (Apr 8) about the irresponsible horse owner who left a horse to fend for itself on a field owned by Durham County Council. The law should be changed so that all horses are microchipped the same as dogs. This would
REGARDING the tragic case of Darlington man Richard Stark who was left brain damaged by an attacker (Echo, Apr 25). The Crown Prosecution Service takes the view that the victim’s inability to remember the assault meant that it would be hard to
IN response Chris Gallacher (Echo, Apr 27) he is right to say that many EU countries have been able to rescue their steel industries. But this is not because the EU is showing some sort of preferential treatment, it is because their governments
AS THE Referendum Campaign gets up to speed we are starting to find out how devious and deceitful our Prime Minister and his campaign team are. We, of course, started with the well-publicised propaganda leaflet distributed at our expense outside
I TOTALLY agree with J Richardson’s letter on the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989 (HAS, Apr 26). The machinery of justice grinds exceedingly slowly and much credit must go to the tenacity of the campaigners who never gave up. I am not a football
IT is time for Ken Livingstone to do the decent thing by his party leader and resign from Labour. Jeremy Corbyn has denied there is a crisis in the party over allegations of anti-Semitism, after Mr Livingstone was suspended over comments about
Whitby Town are aiming to gather funds this close season to give manager Chris Hardy much needed funds as he plans for the 2016 / 17 new season. The team finished 19th in Evo -Stik Northern Premier League and even though the end of the season caused
As the Tour De Yorkshire heads to his home town of Middlesbrough this weekend, artist Mackenzie Thorpe tells PETER BARRON about the influence bikes have had on his work FOR Mackenzie Thorpe, artist and globe-trotter, the travelling hardly
ADRIAN McNally has a lot to be thankful for, he says – in addition to taking this year's BBC Folk Awards' best album with Mount The Air – namely “for meeting Rachel and Becky, without whom I would be just another bedroom musician”. Adrian is pianist,
THE chance to interview John Lennon – even if he’s confusingly really called Paul – was really too good to turn down, particularly when it’s 50 years since The Beatles stopped touring and there was that controversial quote about the band being “more popular
A show in a caravan that seats nine people, a Live Theatre and The Marlowe Theatre co-commission, is being presented by The Paper Birds, at the opening of the new Live Garden, on Newcastle Quayside.Performances of Mobile will run from Wednesday, June
A TARGET of August Bank Holiday Weekend has been set for Darlington FC to play its first home game at Blackwell Meadows. Darlington FC director Richard Cook said a team made up of representatives from Darlington FC, Darlington RFC and Darlington
TOURMAKERS are advising cycling fans to plan well ahead for the Tour de Yorkshire in order to get the most enjoyment from the world class racing event. Click here for a map showing the route and timings for all three stages of the Tour de
TWO men were taken to hospital after their cars collided and were badly damaged on a North-East road. The smash happened at about 7.35pm on Thursday evening on Longclose Bank, Medomsley, near Consett. The road was closed while emergency services
POLICE arrested two people on suspicion of drug dealing after stopping a car last night. The vehicle was boxed in as part of a 'proactive stop' near Ainderby Quernhow, Thirsk, North Yorkshire. An amount of Class A drugs was found and two people
YORKSHIRE folk don’t need too much of an excuse to proclaim their county the centre of the universe, but in sporting terms at least, the last few years have given them sufficient ammunition to mount a valid argument. From the successes of London
Adil Rashid is as confident as he ever has been with his cricket, according to Andrew Gale.The England all-rounder’s performance in Yorkshire’s County Championship draw against Warwickshire at Edgbaston earlier this week was hailed as “brilliant” by the
THE DAY MPs voted to keep 3,000 Syrian refugee children out of the UK is a ‘black stain on our history’, according to a North-East charity.This week saw the Government narrowly defeat an amendment to its Immigration Bill which would have allowed thousands
The Secret (ITV, 9pm)IN 1991, 31-year-old Lesley Howell, a former nurse, and 32-year-old Trevor Buchanan, a policeman in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, were found dead in a car full of carbon monoxide in a garage in the seaside town of Castlerock, Londonderry
AITOR KARANKA is hoping Middlesbrough’s fondness for Friday nights will enable them to take a giant step towards the Premier League when they play their final away game of the season at Birmingham City. Boro travel to St Andrew’s this evening looking
SAM ALLARDYCE expects Newcastle United to prove the biggest threat to Sunderland’s hopes of remaining in the Premier League this season. The Black Cats edged out of the bottom three when they drew with Arsenal last weekend, but things could hardly
WITH their Premier League futures on the line, the stakes could hardly be higher for Newcastle United’s players as they prepare for the final three games of the season. Yet for one member of Rafael Benitez’s starting line-up, the prospect of three
DARLINGTON defender Gary Brown is on the verge of being in the unusual position of winning two title medals for his efforts this season, but he wants only one of them. Brown returned to Quakers midway through the season and played an integral part
A “CARING and sensitive” man who “lost his way” after one partner committed suicide and another died after she was hit by a bus died as a result of drug-related cause, a coroner concluded. Wayne Andrew Skene, aged 33, had a long history of drug
POLICE are urging members of the public to sign up to a service that could save a child’s life. Child Rescue Alert is a system designed to quickly inform the public about the abduction of a child, or the disappearance of child deemed by police
AS thousands of parents across the region are set to pull their kids out of school in protest at controversial SATs tests, we've set up two mock tests for you to try. Could you pass these Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests? SATs Key Stage
AITOR KARANKA has warned his Middlesbrough players to be wary of the threat posed by their former team-mate Diego Fabbrini tonight, after admitting he was surprised by the Italian’s negative response to being dropped to the bench earlier in the season
FROM humble beginnings around a table at Mrs Johnson’s Eating House in 1856, one Darlington organisation has come a long way. It was smiles all round as Darlington Building Society celebrated its 160th anniversary by hosting loyal members, North-East
ON THE ROAD: HONDA has set out to give drivers the best of both worlds with the HR-V. The aim behind the design was to offer "the lines of a coupe (with) the robustness of an SUV. It's an aim that, to a large extent, that they have succeeded in.
ON THE ROAD: THE name might be derived from the Persian for the 'carrier of kings', but for me it meant a means of transporting three unruly kids and a dog. The Sharan, Volkswagen's seven-seater people carrier, is big in almost every area and it
JIMMY Doherty is best known for his TV series, Jimmy’s Farm. He is currently preparing for Jimmy’s Harvest Festival of Sausages & Beer, which runs from July 23 to 24. The main stage headliners are Reef and Newton Faulkner with a special appearance
JIMMY Cricket is a welly-wearing comedian famous for his catchphrase ‘Come closer, there’s more’. The Jimmy Cricket Laughter Show is at the Maltings Arts Centre in Berwick-Upon-Tweed on Sunday, July 17 at 2.30pm. Tickets are £12 and £10.50 and more
A YOUNG mother - now facing parenthood alone after her partner was killed in a motorbike accident - is backing a North-East road safety campaign after a rise in the number of serious crashes. Faye Keeler's partner of ten years, Chris Earl, died
DURHAM will consider adding left-arm spinner Gurman Randhawa to their squad for the championship game starting at the Oval tomorrow, although skipper Paul Collingwood insists he has not lost faith in Scott Borthwick.Randhawa, a Yorkshire Academy product
THE Shadow Home Secretary is to appear alongside a playwright, a comedian and two musicians in a wide-ranging debate at a family-oriented festival. Andy Burnham will answer questions over whether Northern culture can act as a foundation to strengthen
CRAIG Hignett is hoping the force is strong with Hartlepool United next weekend. Pools go to Plymouth on the final day of the season, with their travelling supporters opting to go dressed as Stormtroopers for their annual fancy dress exploits.
