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THE makers of a documentary chronicling the extensive history of a County Durham town are celebrating two “sell-out” showings.Bishop Auckland Documentary Project held its second showing at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Friday (April 28) night in response

RAFAEL BENITEZ watched his players make history in South Wales before expressing hopes that Newcastle United’s Friday night victory could still lead to a title winning party at St James’ Park next week.The Magpies moved to within a point of Brighton at

HAS it been a good or bad week on Tyneside? Depends who you ask. From a purely football perspective, what matters is that Newcastle United are promoted and firmly back in the Championship title picture.Forget about the mess with the HM Revenue and Customs

A SUPER Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting has given Darlington residents a chance to have their say on a range of policing matters.Durham Police Crime and Victim’s Commissioner Ron Hogg hosted the town centre event for two hours alongside

THE conclusion to Darlington’s season comes today with a game that has loomed large ever since the fixtures were published, though nobody could have envisaged the circumstances in which they return to Salford City. A rivalry has developed between the

DAY One of the Tour de Yorkshire proved to be a memorable event, with spectacular scenery, exciting climbs and a horrifying pile-up of cyclists just yards from the finish line. The first stage of the men’s race started in Bridlington, with riders

YOU may be forgiven for not recognising the Infiniti name immediately but across the world Infiniti sells more cars than Porsche or Jaguar. The brand launched in the UK in 2009 and within two years it offered a full range of coupes, saloons and

THE National Championships of one of the fastest growing sports is returning to County Durham next month. Newton Aycliffe is hosting two British Championships roller derby matches on Saturday, May 13 when Durham Roller Derby will be taking on Wakey Wheeled

AN ORGANISATION promoting friendship and goodwill through home-stays across the globe is seeking new members in County Durham.The Friendship Force’s county branch is calling for people of any ages to join members who are hosted by families around the

POPPY appeal organisers are asking for new members to help them equal last year’s fundraising when they made over £9,350 and maintain the Remembrance Day parade.Bedale Branch Secretary Graham Morris said nationally over £43m had been raised and they had

A MINING museum will celebrate perfectly presented pooches at a fun dog show next week.Killhope in Upper Weardale, County Durham, is hosting its first dog show on Saturday, May 6.Prizes will be handed out in a variety of categories including best trick

THRILL-seekers are being invited to take part in a Dirty Dash challenge to raise funds for two charities.Cedarbarn farm shop, near Pickering, is celebrating its tenth anniversary on May 28, and is marking the event with the fundraiser in aid of local

Chief Football Writer Paul Fraser reports live from Cardiff City Stadium as Newcastle take on Cardiff. Tweets by @paulfraserecho Kick-off: 7.45pm

A MAN turned up to meet a teenage girl for sex, but was instead met by paedophile hunters. Darren Heywood, 46, thought he was communicating with a 13-year-old called Becka Johnson and travelled to meet her. But the fake Facebook account had

SECURITY has been improved at a community gardening project.   Deerness Fencing and Landscape has helped local volunteers install fencing around the main planting area at Blackhill Club Community Garden, near Consett.   Volunteers have

A TEAM of rogue traders who fleeced elderly and vulnerable people out of more than £100,000 were tonight behind bars for what a judge called as among the worst case of its kind. Devious brothers Nathan and John King and their labourer Leon Williams

WARM tributes were paid to an author described as ‘a Yorkshireman to the end’ whose writing inspired the popular television series Heartbeat.It was standing room only at the funeral of Peter Walker at Our Lady and St Benedicts Church in Ampleforth on

SUNDERLAND’S overall debt has fallen to £110m, but the club’s most recent set of accounts reveal they are operating with an annual wage bill worth a staggering £83.8m. The full accounts for the year ending July 31, 2016 will be published shortly

BISHOP Auckland Town Hall has released its summer entertainment programme.From award-winning films, to touring theatre productions, the venue has hopes to provide something for everyone.The Baroque Theatre Company will kick off the new season with a triple

A POLICE officer who was jailed for two years for helping a drugs gang has been dismissed.PC Gary Christie was sentenced after being convicted of passing confidential police information to convicted cocaine dealer Asa Dobbing. During a trial at Teesside

INTERNATIONAL tennis umpire Malcolm Huntington, who once famously clashed with star player John McEnroe, has died at the age of 82.The former sports editor of The Northern Echo’s sister paper in York, he leaves a widow Gina, daughter Alex Jane and son

WARNINGS have been issued in the wake of a “significant increase” in house fires around Teesside.There were 16 accidental house fires across the area during April this year – an increase from the six recorded by Cleveland Fire Brigade in the same period

POLICE in York have launched a major campaign to protect the city’s cycles – and make them easier to trace if they go missing.So far this month, 46 bikes have been reported stolen in York – down by almost 50 per cent from the same period in April 2016

A TEAM of walkers are taking part in an almost 200-mile trek to raise awareness of fostering.The hikers are travelling the 187-mile coast to coast challenge across the North Yorkshire Moors, Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.The group are setting

THE return of RSPB Saltholme’s Lambing Live proved a real tonic for the visitor attraction.A year after a series of devastating dog attacks, which led to the death of 50 sheep, the event drew more than 8,500 people to the wildlife reserve during April

MONTHS of work to refurbish an historic bridge is to start next week.Work to restore Old Elvet Bridge in Durham, parts of which date back to the 12th Century, is expected to take until early next year to complete.Durham County Council is to begin work

A PRIMARY school has teamed up with a bakery and homes and community organisation to give pupils a good start to the day.West Cornforth Primary School has secured the support of Livin and Greggs to continue to run a breakfast club for two years. The

A COUNCIL is calling on housing authorities to buy up a “shocking” property which has become the target of vandals and vermin amid fears it has become a health hazard. The house on the Ashlands estate in Northallerton has not been lived in for at least

A TEENAGER has received a national award in recognition of his efforts to tackle bullying and support Teesdale Lions Club. Lewis Baillie, 16, received the Shipshape Trophy at the final of the Lions Club International’s Young Ambassador of the 21st

BOTH sides in a rail dispute have hailed their response to a third strike in recent weeks.The RMT union said a 24 hour walkout at Northern rail had been solidly supported, while bosses claimed they kept services running.More than 1,120 services were expected

STUDENTS will be able to walk in the footsteps of royalty thanks to an initiative offering a taste of university life.Experts from the University of St Andrews, where both Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, studied travelled to

ORIGINAL illustrations for Ladybird books by the artist John Berry proved much in demand when they came up for auction at Tennants of Leyburn.The first part of the John Berry Collection, comprising 24 lots of colourful gouache illustrations, reached a

A SPECTACULAR crash at the end of the first day of the Tour de Yorkshire left riders piled up on the approach to the finish. After a gruelling ride through Yorkshire the finish came down to a bunch sprint and when one rider went down, many others followed

A TINY school that thinks big has opened its very own “trim trail.”St Nicholas CE primary at West Tanfield, near Ripon, is a very small rural school with just 46 pupils on roll.However, it was ambitious enough to be allocated grants from the National

ALMOST half of properties in some North-East towns are being sold below the asking price, new research shows.Findings from property firm Zoopla show almost 46 per cent of homes in Darlington and County Durham are sold below their market value, whilst

TEACHERS are being invited to an evening at the farm to teach schoolchildren more about food and farming.The charity Farming and Countryside Education has organised a free twilight training session has been organised for teachers and teaching assistants

A GRADUATE businesswoman had a royal appointment to collect her young entrepreneurs award.Newcastle University graduate Shantelle Million set up her MiCarePlan business developing electronic systems for the care industry, allowing staff to easily document

THE BUTTON has been pushed on an initiative that could deliver a multi-million-pound boost for the region with Sunderland submitting the first stage of its bid to become UK City of Culture.The decision to whittle down the final 11 bidding towns and cities

MORE than 50 people turned out to express their concerns about the imminent closure of a health centre that will leave more than 4,000 patients without a doctor.Marske Medical Centre is due to close its doors at the end of June after NHS South Tees Clinical

A SOCIAL landlord is seeking permission to build and finalise details for almost 30 homes across three sites in the South Durham area.Livin has submitted applications for nine homes in Newton Aycliffe, 15 homes in Tudhoe and the reserved matters for three

A SERVING county councillor has been selected as the Labour Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for North-West Durham. Laura Pidcock was chosen on Thursday, as former Shadow Education Minister, Pat Glass, decided she would step down at the

CARE home residents have been adding their own artistic touch to add a splash of colour to their dull grey walking aids.Stockton Borough Council is running the “Make my Zimmer Shimmer” campaign to try and reduce the frequency of falls.Residents have been

DAVID MOYES has hinted for the first time that he might be willing to walk away from Sunderland at the end of the season, even though he maintains he is not to blame for the club’s plight at the foot of the Premier League table. Sunderland’s relegation

A TEENAGER shot in the head while riding on the back of a moped has vowed to fight for his recovery – despite fragments of pellet still being lodged in his brain.Kyle Johnson, 15, was critically injured last October in Sunderland by Steven Thompson, who

Teesdale artist Anne Mason is holding another open studio this weekend. A selection of new 2017 work will be on display, including Widdybank Farm and Cronkley Scar (pictured). There will also be prints and cards available to purchase. Anne's

RESIDENTS are up in arms over delays to repairing a major road bridge which has brought mayhem to the heart of a market town. Work to repair the parapet of Mercury Bridge, in Station Road, Richmond has taken ten months and it is now due to reopen

A SUCCESSFUL project to replace historic bells at a Richmond church was celebrated this week with a dedication ceremony by the Bishop of Ripon.Bishop James Bell blessed the eight new bells at St Mary’s Church in a service which heralded the success of

IN the Seventies, anyone who was anyone in showbiz appeared opposite Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. They were the kings of light entertainment, their popularity matched only by Morecambe and Wise. They were television royalty. Madeline Smith

NATIONAL crime figures have again confirmed North Yorkshire as the safest place in England. The figures emerged in the latest bulletin issued by the Office of National Statistics for crime in England and Wales in the year up to last December.

RAILWAY enthusiasts can have a go at driving a historic locomotive on Bank Holiday Monday. Weardale Railway is bring back its popular ‘Driver for a Fiver’ offer on May 1, with visitors given the opportunity to operate its Sentinel shunter throughout

A MAN who killed his paedophile uncle who abused him as a child was yesterday jailed for eight years and eight months. Kevin Caddick beat to death 51-year-old John Mathers after a chance encounter in Middlesbrough last November. Caddick, 35, saw

OZZY Osbourne, Bon-Jovi and Slade are just some of the acts lined up for a popular music festival next week – well kind of. CrookFest returns to the County Durham market town on Sunday and music fans can look forward to energetic sets by top cover

EXPERTS from one of the region’s leading auction houses will be offering free valuations and advice at an Antiques Roadshow-style event. Hosted by Thomas Watsons of Darlington, it provides an informal opportunity to find out more about a range

A FARMER is opening up his barn to members of the public for the seventh year running, to raise funds for charity. The annual Barn That Rocks event has become a labour of love for Peter Fall, 70, and wife, Barbara, who now combine the daily chores

COUNCILLORS have granted planning permission for a new housing estate, despite an emotional appeal from schoolchildren who fear for their safety from increased traffic. Members of Durham County Council’s area planning committee (north) said it

A CHARITY is more than £700 better off thanks to a wizard wheeze conjured up by two cafe workers. Tim Henton, 29, and Kirsty Dodge, 27, raised the money for Harrogate-based charity Disability Action Yorkshire by hosting a "Harry Potterthon" at

A HEAD TEACHER from Darlington who donated a kidney to a relative is looking to raise funds to help others in need. Alison Maddison, head of school at Hurworth Primary School, donated the organ to her brother who is suffering from kidney failure

A MAN has been charged with a robbery at a foreign exchange store in Durham city centre earlier this month. The incident happened at Eurochange, at the entrance to the Prince Bishops shopping centre, on the afternoon of Friday, April 7. David

FOR almost a decade, a group of Darlington youngsters have been working tirelessly to make a real difference in their community. Often operating under the radar, these young leaders have made a host of changes to improve the lives of those with

A FORMER air cadet who joined his local unit as a teenager has joined the RAF as a cyberspace communications specialist. Aircraftsman Alex Beck joined the air force from 1507 (Chester-le-Street) Squadron where he has been a cadet for six years.

VICTOR VALDES, Daniel Ayala and Grant Leadbitter are all set to miss Middlesbrough’s crucial Premier League game with Manchester City on Sunday. Boro are currently six points adrift of safety with four games remaining, but the gap will rise to

BUYERS who want the best of both worlds – the charm of a barn conversion with its panoramic views over the surrounding countryside, yet the convenience of being with a very short drive of nearby towns and commuter links – should make sure to view The

A WELL-KNOWN construction boss has died after a short illness. Brian Manning passed away this morning (Friday, April 28) following a battle with cancer. Mr Manning was known across the North-East business community as chief executive of Esh

AN IT worker sickened by “terrible” driving standards where he lives has produced his own ‘video nasty’ of lawlessness at the wheel. Keith Higgs, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, bought a dashboard camera for his “own peace of mind”after witnessing

THE funeral of a much-loved former school teacher is due to take place next week. Brian Johnson, who taught at Hurworth School near Darlington for almost three decades, passed away last week after suffering a stroke at the end of March. Tributes

AFTER a decade exposed to the elements, the Turkish limestone cladding covering one wall of an art gallery has been given a much-needed clean. The Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima) has become a North-East landmark since opening in 2007 with

Spring toy fair, National Railway Museum Locomotion, Shildon, on this bank holiday weekend, 10:00am-4:00pm The spring toy fair is back at Locomotion. The ever-popular toy fair will play host to an abundance of stalls and traders selling everything

A ‘NIGHTMARE’ parking fiasco has caused stress for scores of motorists who have been wrongly issued fines and court threats for parking in Northallerton. The Alpha Dental Studio on Brompton Road contracted the services of Smart Parking Ltd last

This year marks the 800th anniversary of Crook Hall, Durham. Sarah Millington looks back on the history of the illustrious landmark and family home THE year was 1217. Two years previously the Magna Carta had been signed., the preeminent document upon

A couple who are world renowned for growing diverse and pretty border auriculas tell Ruth Campbell how their passion for the plant grew into an award-winning business Row upon row of richly-coloured primula auricula flowers are lined up neatly

Max Beesley may have spent the best part of his career chasing the Hollywood dream, but his priorities have changed. The Jamestown actor talks to Gemma Dunn about finding life balance NOW a father, Max Beesley is the first to confess his career

Eighties pin-up Dennis Quaid is happy to embrace ‘different’ roles as the years tick by, and his latest is in new feel-good family weepie A Dog’s Purpose. He talks to Ella Walker DENNIS Quaid, at first, is not so friendly. He rubs his eyes continuously

A FORMER pupil at an independent school has avoided jail - after being found with an arsenal of weapons and expressing an interest in high profile massacres. Denis Dautovic, 18, had talked to a pupil about the Columbine school massacre in America

On May 5, cyclists will compete in the 100th Giro d’Italia race. Ben Mitchell gets in on the action by tackling part of the course on a bike holiday through the South Tyrol MY thighs are burning, my chest is heaving and my heart is banging. As

Harlow Carr’s tulip trail has 100 different species of the spring favourite flower This Spring we are celebrating with a new Tulip Trail at RHS Garden Harlow Carr with over 100 different species on display in the garden. The Tulips have put on

Grief doesn't get better - but it does 'get different'. Actress and writer Nanette Newman talks to Hannah Stephenson about life after loss It's four years since the death of Nanette Newman's husband Bryan Forbes, but the pain of his loss still

Anjum Anand gave up her business career to pursue a passion for food. The TV chef and writer tells Jeananne Craig how her gamble paid off WHEN Anjum Anand decided to give up a steady career in business to become a full-time foodie, her parents

Sandal season will soon be upon us. But if your toes are in need of more than a pedicure before you're willing to step out in style, what should you do? Kate Whiting asks the experts When was the last time you you treated your tootsies to a little

Many people are concerned about the cost of buying foreign currency, and the best time to do it HAVE you got a case of the holi-wobbles? The pound is still in the doldrums and many holiday makers are too. Yet two minutes now can let you relax when

A POTASH firm behind a 1,000-job fertiliser development has completed a stock market switch it says will raise its global profile. Sirius Minerals is now trading on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market. The business announced its intention to

A TECHNOLOGY firm helping thwart terror attacks has confirmed it expects a “step change” in income growth – just weeks after telling The Northern Echo it aimed to do so. Kromek believes it will continue picking up new work after a strong year bolstered

AT the end of the last football season a correspondent, presumably a Sunderland fan, suggested that Petula Clark’s Doon Toon was an appropriate song to mark Newcastle’s relegation. In view of the circumstances less than 12 months later, with both

NOW Jeremy Corbyn is hinting at a policy of a free university education once more in England and a major national newspaper is saying this would cost £10 billion. When the SNP introduced free university education in Scotland in 2007 am I right

I NOTICE that North Yorkshire County Council is now redecorating the potholes and craters with yellow paint. I must say they look somewhat colourful. Here’s hoping they will repaint them when the colour eventually wears away, like they did the

UK agriculture is worth more than the motor and aerospace industry combined but, while Theresa May is signing sweetheart deals with French-owned Nissan, her government hasn’t even had a meeting with agriculture leaders. She says Australia and New Zealand

EMERGENCY first aid equipment for a hospice has been bought using a charity grant.Willow Burn Hospice, near Lanchester, was given funding of £8,000 by the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of The Northern Echo’s parent company.The money has been

LAST year we had the referendum on our membership of the EU. The Prime Minister stated that the people had spoken – yet 27 per cent on the register did not vote. What a farce, and yet the PM agreed with the result. Now on May 4 we have

THE recent Westminster terror attack was a shocking reminder of the threat posed by extremists on the streets of London. Had things turned out differently yesterday, it is possible we could have witnessed a repeat. A 27-year-old man carrying knives

WITH Durham set to be transformed by £195m of investment, council bosses are working with transport companies to improve transport links to the city to deal with increased demand. While parts of the city centre are currently building sites, with the

THE RMT union has warned that the failure to guarantee guards on Northern rail services could lead to a surge in crime. It said from 527 Northern train stations 333 were already unstaffed and claimed crime and anti-social behaviour could increase

THREE bridesmaids who were faced with hitchhiking to a wedding have praised a couple who got them to the ceremony in the nick of time. Rachel Walker, Karen Sutherland and Beth Knight, were forced to flag down cars with their bouquets after their

A BIKER who injured and abandoned a four-year-old in a hit and run left court with just eight penalty points and a fine on Thursday. Calls for an automatic ban for off-road bikers who flout the law have followed the sentencing of Sean Yarrow, who

MIDDLESBROUGH South and East Cleveland Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop talks to Brian Gleeson about his reasons for not standing at the General Election PERHAPS the only person in Britain who was not taken by surprise by Theresa May’s shock calling of

NATHAN Thomas admits to doing to serious soul searching last weekend. As Hartlepool United floundered to a home defeat to Barnet, the attacker struggled; struggled to get the ball, suffered on it, didn’t get enough of it and when he did he wasted it.

NATHAN Thomas is confident a different Hartlepool United side will turn up at Cheltenham today. A side with belief in what it is trying to do, a team with a new outlook following the dismissal of Dave Jones.Matthew Bates and Billy Paynter are in charge

ADAM FORSHAW claims Middlesbrough have given themselves a ‘fighting chance’ of survival with their Tees-Wear derby win over Sunderland, and is hoping the momentum generated by their first league victory of 2017 will spur them to further success against

A CLOUD of uncertainty is hanging over a heritage railway after a $3m legal dispute erupted over the biggest event on its calendar – The Polar Express. Weardale Railway volunteers' efforts could be derailed due to a disagreement between Iowa Pacific

RAFAEL BENITEZ will hold face-to-face talks with Mike Ashley in the next fortnight after a telephone conversation with the Newcastle United owner left him feeling “positive” about the future. Ashley phoned Benitez yesterday morning to congratulate

AS someone who has spent plenty of his time in casinos, Mike Ashley should know a thing or two about how to play poker. When he sits down with Rafael Benitez to discuss the future of Newcastle United later this summer, he might have to. For once, the

JOHN O’SHEA can fully understand the mounting frustration within the Sunderland support, and while survival might be an unrealistic ambition, the Black Cats skipper admits he and his team-mates have to repay the fans’ loyalty in the final five games of