HAVING seen his team fail to win any of their last four matches, manager Martin Gray knows Darlington must be back on form when they face Salford City. The team who were promoted alongside Quakers last season provide the opposition for Darlington
KARL DARLOW and Jamaal Lascelles spent most of last week telling anyone who would listen that they were expecting an eventful return to Nottingham Forest. Never in their worst nightmares, however, could they have imagined a night quite like this
BRITAIN'S poorest regions would be worse off if the Bank of England had not cut interest rates or introduced its money printing scheme following the financial crisis, its chief economist has said.Andy Haldane defended the Bank's monetary policy
AN investigation is underway following a spate of sheep worrying incidents in the Durham Dales. One attack, in Bollihope, near Frosterley, saw a fully grown Ewe brought to the ground with a broken neck leading police to believe a large dog was
THE heady, fruity aroma of hops fills the air of the Aycliffe industrial unit that is the home of the Steam Machine brewery in Aycliffe. Head brewer Nick Smith talks intoxicatingly of the hints of citrus that the hops from around the world add to his
AN ORGANISATION which supports people living with cancer in County Durham has been handed a cash donation.The Great Aycliffe Cancer Support Group was this week given a cheque for £1,000 from the Co-operative Funeralcare in Newton Aycliffe.Funds will go
DURHAM Cathedral choristers got the Christmas period off to a start with an afternoon of carols by candlelight.Thousands of people are expected to visit the cathedral this month, with more than 100 services held during Advent and over the Christmas period.Visitors
SOME of Yorkshire’s finest food businesses have been celebrated at one of the top dates in the region’s foodie calendar. Businesses from towns and villages across Richmondshire and Hambleton gathered at the Flavours of Herriot Country Awards on
MOTORISTS will not be the only ones to benefit from the £380m A1 upgrade as a rare butterfly is set to have its habitat increased to help grow its population.The upgrade to the A1 between Leeming and Barton in North Yorkshire will create a continuous
SHOPPERS are invited to escape the rush of the high street for a luxury experience at a special Christmas fair.Living, the award-winning glossy monthly, has joined forces with the Garden Rooms at Tennants of Leyburn to stage a second Winter Wonderland
A FESTIVAL of art and creativity is set to strengthen community ties of one Darlington neighbourhood.The Play, Stay and Create event will host Red Hall residents of all ages and artistic abilities to take part in a range of arty workshops in an effort
STAFF and volunteers at a Jacobean stately home have been preparing for Christmas with members of local flowers by decorating the house with blooms and greenery.Kiplin Hall, near Scorton, is preparing for its Christmas opening this weekend, and more than
OFFENDERS have turned over a new leaf by transforming overgrown land to make way for disabled children to access North-East woodland.The work at Hartburn Lodge, Stockton, has seen a wheelchair-friendly footpath laid through woodland to a heritage orchard
WATER voles, amphibians and kingfishers are all set to benefit from Tesco’s 5p carrier bag charge.The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and the Friends of Drinkfield Marsh have bagged the maximum grant award of £12,000 from a Tesco funding scheme for their project
A REDUCED speed limit will be in place on a stretch of main road to allow work to improve crossing points.The 30 miles per hour speed limit will be in place on the A167 in the Sunderland Bridge area, from Monday, December 5.Durham County Council is carrying
A DISPUTE between two drivers led to a teenager stealing a Peugeot van and crashing it into lamppost, a court heard.Ian McKenna was a passenger in a car with friends when a van was said to have rammed into them.A dispute followed, which led to McKenna
A FORMER Coronation Street star will take centre stage in Hartlepool’s first professional pantomime.After retiring from the cobbles last year, actor Terence Maynard – who played Tony Stewart in the ITV soap – is about to star in Aladdin.The family-friendly
A YOUNGSTER who is battling cancer has switched on the Christmas lights in Durham. Five-year-old neuroblastoma patient Bradley Lowery joined Durham County Council’s chairman Cllr Edward Bell to switch on the lights outside the authority’s headquarters
WOMEN, members of the LGBT community and ethnic minority groups are being encouraged to find out about a career as a firefighter.County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) is running a series of special events to allow people to see
Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson reports live from City Ground as Newcastle take on Nottingham Forest. Tweets by @Scottwilsonecho Kick-off: 7.45pm
A COUNCIL has been recognised as a top employer by the Ministry of Defence.North Yorkshire County Council has been given the Silver Employer Recognition Scheme award, which is given to employers who employ at least one member of the armed forces community
A CARE home needs donations of sensory equipment.Staff at The Grange in Darlington are appealing for help in collecting a variety of items to help their residents reignite their senses.Anything that will help the team create more of a sensory environment
TEMPORARY flood barriers will be deployed in the region for the first time next week in a training exercise to test their capabilities.The Environment Agency will deploy 700 metres of temporary flood barriers along Newcastle’s Quayside on Tuesday in a
AYOZE PEREZ returns to Newcastle United's starting line-up as Rafael Benitez's side look to end a difficult week with a confidence-boosting win at Nottingham Forest. The Magpies kick off at the City Ground with a two-point gap at the top of the
COMMUNITY volunteers have turned out in force to give a North-East cemetery an autumn makeover.The TS1 Tees Valley Community Group teamed up with the Friends of Thorntree Cemetery, in Middlesbrough, and Middlesbrough Council to plant trees in the graveyard.The
A FREE school in Darlington has announced plans to join a multi-academy trust.In a move governors believe will bring economic advantages and further stability, Polam Hall School will be part of the Woodard Academies Trust from 2017.The trust will allow
A PENSIONER has been recognised for his “remarkable” efforts to make life better for people with dementia.Ernie Malt, of Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was named Inspirational Individual of the Year at Alzheimer’s Society’s 2016 Dementia
EXMOOR ponies will soon be doing their bit for conservation thanks to a campaign that hit through a near £10,000 target in one week. Durham Wildlife Trust (DWT) is set to enlist the herd of animals following its successful crowd funding appeal
A GEORDIE Shore star will join Big Brother’s Anthony Hutton at a charity event in Darlington this month.The annual Thank You for the Music fundraiser will return to the town on Sunday, December 18.A showcase of Darlington’s singing talent, the event is
ONE of the UK’s most successful athletes and a North-East business leader have received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sunderland during the Winter Academic Awards. Eleven-time Paralympics Gold Medalist, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
A HOSPITAL trust has won a new contract to continue to deliver urgent care services on Teesside following a formal bidding process.North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust will deliver urgent care services in Hartlepool and Stockton in conjunction
HEALTH campaigners are calling for an increase on taxes on the cheap alcohol being sold in the North-East.A report compiled by Public Health England revealed that alcohol is the leading cause of illness and death among 15 to 49-year-olds, with 167,000
Jack and the Beanstalk, Customs House, South ShieldsIN the safe hands of director and dame Ray Spencer (as Dame Trott and co-writer with Graeme Thompson) we are introduced to Cooksonville, where the delinquent dolly lives with her sons Jack (Luke Maddison
A WOODLAND badly damaged by harsh winter winds will soon be flourishing again thanks to hardworking volunteers.The first 100 of 1,100 native trees have now been planted at Thornley Wood, near Tow Law. They will replace the 25-year-old fir trees that had
A MAN who branded himself one of the best motorbike riders in County Durham was fined after taking a four-year-old for a ride and crashing – leaving the child with serious facial injuries.Steven Marley admitted riding his off-road motorbike without due
A "BRUTAL bully" who battered a disabled man to death over a period of days before getting a vulnerable accomplice to dump his body by a footpath has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years. Victim Lee Irving's profound learning difficulties made
TWO men were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after a crash which closed Kirkleatham Lane in Redcar. A 25-year-old and a 43-year-old were arrested following the four-car collision just after 1.30pm on Friday. Two adults and two children
YOUNG musicians from the region are putting on a weekend of free concerts.The events are part of the Young Musicians Programme Winter Festival, which is being held at Sage Gateshead.The festival will showcase groups such as singers Quay Voices, folk group
THE achievements of Olympic and Paralympic medal-winning athletes from a district with a population of about 90,000 have been celebrated with the unveiling of a town centre tribute.Northallerton’s Town Square has been renamed Olympic Square in honour
OUTSPOKEN politician George Galloway will visit Darlington next week.The MP will be the guest of honour at a screening of a crowdfunded documentary about Tony Blair on Monday, December 5.The Killings of Tony Blair, narrated by Mr Galloway, tackles allegations
THREE masked robbers armed with planks of wood robbed an elderly couple in their own home. The intruders barged into the couple's home in Peterlee and threatened them in what police described as a "sickening incident". Although the victims
THE North-East could have lost 50,000 jobs if the Bank of England hadn’t taken decisive action following the financial crisis, a senior figure has claimed. Andy Haldane says “exceptional measures” to slash interest rates from 2008 removed jeopardy
THE world is becoming more misogynist, County Durham TV star Mark Gatiss has said. The Newton Aycliffe actor - who plays Sherlock Holmes's brother Mycroft in the hit BBC series that he co-created - called on people to stand up and fight what he
POLICE officers who dedicated themselves to cutting bike thefts and an off-duty hero who caught a burglar have been rewarded for their efforts. Cleveland crime-fighter PC Brendan Lowes recently received a commendation from his force’s Chief Constable
PERCEPTIONS can have an overbearing effect on how we view certain situations. During his first four years as manager, Martin Gray has, rightly or wrongly, garnered a reputation for being dismissive of cup competitions. I actually think that reputation
A WRITING competition has been launched inspired by a pitman poet.The first Northern Writes Poetry Competition has been launched by Stanley-based arts group The Forge and the Tommy Armstrong Society.The celebrated songwriter and poet was a Stanley miner
A BIKER involved in a horror smash in a remote forest has raised almost £1,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAAS).Father-of-one, Paul Parker, from Houghton-le-Spring, was out riding at Slaley Forest in Northumberland when he was seriously injured
PEOPLE in the North East lose more teeth than elsewhere in the UK, according to research by mydentist.The firm, which has half a million patients in the region, found the region had 12.22 extractions for every 100 patients in the last year compared to
A WOMAN pushing a pram has been indecently assaulted in Newton Aycliffe. The 30-year-old was grabbed from behind at around 7pm on Burn Lane, near to the Tesco garage, on Thursday. Police said the offender was described as male, around 14 years
A CHEESE made at a family-run dairy has been named among the best in the world, after scooping a prestigious gong at the World Cheese Awards, beating several French and Swiss varieties. Thirsk-based Shepherds Purse Cheeses has been awarded Super
A DISPLAY of festive artwork by schoolchildren has been unveiled at Middlesbrough Sports Village.Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd did the honours in officially declaring the exhibition open for the Christmas period.More than 100 youngsters entered a competition
AITOR KARANKA expects to welcome George Friend back from injury before Christmas in a major boost to Middlesbrough's Premier League campaign. Boro's head coach revealed his stand-in skipper is 'one or two weeks' away from a return, as the influential
GIVE socks, not dogs is the message as a leading charity changes its name this Christmas.Darlington Dogs Trust has become the Socks Trust for the festive season in a bid to encourage people not to give dogs as presents.The charity say many of the pets
THE businessman behind a planned country club and spa in Yarm is threatening to bypass Stockton Council and go directly to the Secretary of State if outstanding legal matters on the site are not resolved soon.Tom Howson won outline planning permission
UNIVERSITY scientists say they have developed a new test to spot which patients suffering from a rare liver disease will respond to standard treatment.Primary Biliary Cholangitis is a long-term condition which injures the bile ducts within the liver,
A COMMUNITY has welcomed people seeking asylum in County Durham with a meal.The North East Liberal Jewish Community hosted the event along with other groups in Durham.Volunteers from Durham Student Community Action (SCA) helped cook the meal, which was
A MUSIC venue is getting ready for Christmas with carols and other family favourites.The first festive event at Ushaw College, near Durham, takes place today at 4pm, when the tree will be lit, accompanied by carols. It will be followed by a Mastersingers
THE new leader of Ukip sounds very northern and working class. He is clearly envisaging his party having a place in British politics if we actually do leave the EU. He talks of a party for the working class which is not Labour. He imagines
THE media coverage of the 89-year-old “bored stiff pensioner” seeking employment struck a chord with me, but I feel that often it’s loneliness rather than boredom that’s the real problem. I’m in my 74th year and for the first time I have to cope
I WATCHED episode one of Rillington Place on BBC 1 on Tuesday evening wondering if it could compete with the film version when Richard Attenborough acted the role of John Reginald Halliday Christie, the serial killer who killed at least eight women
PLANS have been submitted to alter a student housing development to include a bar, gym and common room. The proposals to change the development at Sheraton Park, in Durham, have been made following the announcement that a university college will
THE future of an animal rescue centre could be under threat if a housing development is given the go ahead near to its base.Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (SARA) is calling on supporters to object to the scheme which could be built on land adjoining
INSPIRED by her own experiences, Benidorm actress Crissy Rock joined survivors of domestic abuse to film a hard-hitting video in Darlington this week.Married at just 16, the television star – who also appeared in I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here –
AN elderly man was assaulted during an altercation with three off-road motorbikers. The victim was in the Stamfordham allotments in The Grove, near Consett when three motorbikers drove past on their way to fields near the Gill Bridge viaduct.
A RANGE of radical solutions to decades of traffic misery in Northallerton, all of which cost in excess of £10m, have been unveiled.A crisis summit was called by MP Rishi Sunak to consider what could be done to solve the congestion nightmare at the town
WELL, the Football Association has finally appointed Gareth Southgate as the permanent England football manager. Gareth gets a four year contract at £2 million per year. I’m glad that we have a manager who has come through the England mill,
Newton Aycliffe manager Peter Dixon says that his side has the hardest tie in the third round of the FA Buildbase Vase on Saturdday. Aycliffe face fellow Northern League side Morpeth, who are the Vase holders and beat Aycliffe 5-0 in the league
AN autism charity is £500 better off after support from a housing provider.The North East Autism Society says it will use the money donated by Derwentside Homes to help its Family Support Service.Staff raised the money through a series of cake sales,
Spennymoor are looking for swift revenge when they go to Ashton United in the EvoStik Premier League on Saturday. Moors lost 2-1 to the Manchester side at the Brewery Field last weekend, which was their third successive defeat – their worst league
A NORTH Yorkshire woman has paid tribute to celebrities who died in 2016 in the form of angel decorations to hang on her Christmas tree. As well as adding angel wings to stars including David Bowie, Prince and Victoria Wood, she also added them
WHEN it comes to filling a "butty" I like mine spread with jam rich, fruity and sweet. The Tories on the other hand like their jam so sour, it often leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. To improve the living standards of those “just about managing
DAME ESTHER RANTZEN is animatedly describing her plans for a family Christmas, but behind the jollity, it's not hard to detect her sadness that there'll be an empty chair at the festive table."People assume it's the tough times in life
Durham Christmas Festival, Centre of Durham on Friday-Sunday Three days, with a wide range of festive entertainment for all the family in and around the World Heritage Site of the Cathedral and the Castle and throughout the City Centre. The huge
WITH winter here you'll be wanting to keep your bike safe and away from the worst of the inclement weather. Bike Parka will certainly help in that regard. It's not cheap, at £30 it might not be at the top of your 'must have' list when it comes
AREAS of the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales national parks will feature in next year’s Tour de Yorkshire alongside tourist hotspots including Whitby and UN World Heritage Site Fountains Abbey, it has been announced. Welcome to Yorkshire
NORTHERN Stage is in party mood with jazz rhythms galore to accompany James on his legendary transatlantic adventure. The energy and enthusiasm of this young company is truly infectious and you could hardly wish for a livelier seasonal production.The
TAKE a bow Mowden Primary of Darlington, because former pupil Stan Hodgson had to imagine himself back to his days as a seven-year-old to help re-create the title character for James and the Giant Peach, a very different festive season production by Newcastle
ALTERNATIVE to pantomime, The Terminal Velocity of Snowflakes, written by Nina Berry, opens at Newcastle's Live Theatre on Thursday, December 8, offering a touching look at what it means to grow up, fall in love and how the tiniest, most seemingly
Jamie Parker... the North-East actor has been nominated in the Best Actor Award section of the WhatsOnStage awards for his work in the hugely-successful West End run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which has 11 entries across nine categories.The
THERE are few better feelings in cycling than getting back home and realising you have gone a lot further than you thought you had. Out for a quick ten-mile ride and return to find you’ve done 20 and feel you could do 20 more – that’s the kind
PARENTS in the North are less likely to see their children get a good job or go on to university than those in London. Sir Michael Wilshaw has used his final report as Ofsted chief to hammer home the message that he believes a growing North-South
A POEM about serial killer Mary Ann Cotton has been discovered under layers of wallpaper in a house built the same year she was sent to the gallows. Kate Vickers uncovered the faded verse while renovating her new home in High Grange, near Crook
Katie Coleman's December datesDARLINGTON born songstress Katie Coleman is Teessider James Arthur’s official support act for his December tour, hitting three sold out shows in London (Koko), Birmingham (Institute) and Manchester (Ritz) and she is also
NEWCASTLE FALCONS winger Vereniki Goneva is determined to make up for lost time as he looks to help his side maintain their surge up the Aviva Premiership table when they host Harlequins on Sunday afternoon. Goneva was Falcons’ match-winner last
TRAIN fares will go up by an average of 2.3 per cent next year, the rail industry has announced. It is the largest rise in three years and will take effect from January 2. Public transport campaigners warned that some people are being "priced
TWO people were released by firemen after a crash on the A167 at Croft. The accident happened on Thursday night. A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue tweeted: "Richmond and (Darlington) crews have released two casualties from an
Boy Jumps Ship's Newcastle celebrationTYNESIDE band Boy Jumps Ship are playing a headline show in Newcastle on Saturday, December 10, at the Riverside, with support from Dalaro and Northern Horizon.The event celebrates a successful year for the quartet
Ross Noble heads for Newcastle and ScarboroughKING of improvisational comedy Ross Noble has extended his 15th UK tour and, after his traditional four-night visit to Newcastle City Hall, has added a March date in Scarborough. The Geordie funnyman and master
Art Fair at Barnard CastleTHE debut Teesdale Christmas Art Fair at Barnard Castle's Witham arts centre in Barnard Castle, showing almost 30 selected artists from across the region, will run until December 20.The artists either live in County Durham
PICTURES from the sold-out Local Heroes Awards 2016 ceremony honouring inspirational North-East athletes, coaches, teams and clubs in front of hundreds of guests at Wynyard Hall, in County Durham, on Thursday night. If you're having trouble
A PUB manager stole more than £5,000 from his employers to feed his gambling habit, a court heard. Adam Michael Holland, 23, was duty manager at the Hungry Horse Woollen Mill pub, at the new Feethams development in Darlington, when his gambling
A FATHER was pulled over for drink-driving after going to the aid of his adult son following a car crash. Clive William Foster, of Kenilworth Avenue, Bishop Auckland, was pulled over by police on his way to help his son and found to be about two
CRAIG HIGNETT is desperate for his demands to sink in for Hartlepool United to become a real force in League Two – and it would be nice for it to start in the FA Cup this weekend too.Pools’ suffered defeat at Wycombe last Saturday and sit closer to the
A HOMELESS man who stole at least £200 from Cleveland Bridge Social Club used the cash to pay for bed and breakfast and food for a few days, a court heard. Joseph Benson, 32, of no fixed address, became homeless after leaving his family house when
SUNDERLAND could sell Lamine Kone in January to help David Moyes’ own bid to strengthen his squad in the battle for Premier League survival.Despite signing a new contract in September, Kone remains a highly sought after player and one of the Black Cats
RICH PYRAH is relishing the step up to more regular first-team coaching duties at Yorkshire and is confident he and Andrew Gale will help maintain the county’s recent success. Gale’s appointment as first-team coach at Headingley will bring about
RAFAEL BENITEZ is not taking much notice of the fellow managers predicting Newcastle United will runaway with the Championship title ahead of a Friday night out when he needs his players to return to winning ways.The Magpies will head to the City Ground
MORE than 80 defibrillators have been installed in rural parts of North Yorkshire over the past two years - with the help of local fundraising and health organisations. Access to defibrillators in Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby has increased
Secrets of Great British Castles (Channel 5, 8pm)FOR history buffs, Lancaster Castle, often known as John O'Gaunt's Castle, is one of the most fascinating buildings in the country.Its beginnings date back to Roman times when, from its commanding
A CONSTRUCTION firm has been ordered to pay more than £45,000 after a two-tonne concrete slab dropped onto a crow bar - causing it to fly up and hit a worker in the face. Family-run Walter Thompson (Contractors) Ltd was the main contractor on an
A BUSINESSWOMAN has told how she was “conditioned” into handing over more than £300,000 after dabbling in internet dating for the first time. The North Yorkshire mother, who wants to remain anonymous, said she had decided to reveal how she lost
A FORGOTTEN mining hamlet which was ultimately destroyed by the force of floods half a century ago has been remembered by its surviving spiritual community. Page Bank, near Spennymoor, County Durham, bustled with life for seven decades from its
DARLINGTON’S two injured players are making progress toward recovery and manager Martin Gray expects them to be putting their boots back on soon. Tom Portas and Arran Wearmouth have been on the sidelines for differing lengths of time, the former
ADAMA TRAORE does not want to lose the raw pace and power that make him such an exciting attacking prospect – but the Middlesbrough winger accepts he will have to adapt his game if he wants to succeed in the Premier League. Traore has made a major
A PARISH council says it has concerns about how well proposals for a new local plan for the district have been communicated with the public. A six-week public consultation on Hambleton’s preferred options for its new local plan is currently ongoing
THE County Durham girl who went to Rio and returned as an Olympic champion – all before finding out her GCSE results – has been crowned The Northern Echo’s Local Hero 2016. Gymnastics bronze medallist and South Durham’s biggest star, Amy Tinkler
