Grand slam 11:06am Tuesday 8th July 2008 When is a door not a door? When it’s a jarring note in an otherwise first-rate pub Back story 8:41am Tuesday 1st July 2008 The buzzing Back Room truly deserves to be at the forefront on any list of places to eat. JOURNALISTS call this bit the intro. It's where the most salient or unusual bit of the story is meant to be. User Rating: 9/10      Café culture 10:02am Tuesday 17th June 2008 The column drops in at the Café in Northallerton for red mullet and pork schnitzel FORGETTING all that his fond mama had told him about its being rude to point, when Horatio Herbert Kitchener stuck out a finger and advised that the country needed us, he could have hardly imagined the impact it would have. Cachet number 9:25am Tuesday 10th June 2008 The tide has turned at Seaham, once a decaying coastal town. The column dips its toes in. WHEN people come to Seaham, as the Addams Family almost did, they may be in for a sea-change surprise. Emergency rations 9:41am Tuesday 3rd June 2008 Forced to abandon the original eating owt plans due to a power cut, the column was diverted to the Beefeater pub at Morton Park THIS town's becoming National Gridlocked. The lights go out so often over Darlington, and even more often back home, it's starting to feel like the Blitz. The dodgem car effect is that the computers crash, too. Starter for ten 9:25am Tuesday 27th May 2008 It’s only been open for three weeks, but new restaurant Starter and Puds in Newcastle has had a promising beginning A better bit o’ batter 10:31am Tuesday 20th May 2008 The column marches hungrily on the place where Hadrian - a big fish in Roman times - kept his armies after swapping the Tigris for the Tyne WE used to go to South Shields on the OK bus trip, about five and ninepence from outside Dowson's paper shop. Apart from a spring tide of replica football shirts, the old place doesn't appear to have changed a bit. User Rating: 9.5/10      The dog doesn't have its day 12:24pm Tue 13 May 08 MIKE Sarne didn't much look like a pop singer, even back in the still-startled spring of 1962. User Rating: 4.6/10      Reader comments (2) Friend or faux 9:33am Tuesday 6th May 2008 Salvatore Savino seems to have the running of restaurants in his genes. He has now turned his talents to managing a cafe in Durham THE day after loyally holding forth at a St George's Day dinner, after savouring some sumptuous roast beef and in general crying God for Harry, England and all the rest of the crew, the column found itself lunching at Café Rouge - French for beginners. User Rating: 8.7/10      Goods going 9:25am Tuesday 29th April 2008 Last year the Goods Shed cafe opened at Masham's old railway station with much success. One year on it's still going strong THE ten-and-a-half mile railway from Ripon to Masham may have been the line of least resistance, more sapling than branch at the best of times. By 1922, just four passenger trains pottered each day along the rural route, calling at Tanfield and Melmerby and taking 21 minutes in their meanderings. User Rating: 5.7/10      More ... Most read Comments 1 Big Phil makes a big impact 2 Woman accused in brawl trial breaks down during evidence 3 Boy found hanged in cell -failed by system' 4 Army families to move onto estate 5 Judge's tragic past is revealed 6 Shop foots the bill for student's broken ankle 7 Hope for mayoral campaign groups 8 'Firms may not survive the year' 9 England won't be drawn into battle 10 Lupton suffers the harshest of endings Today | 7 Days 1 Sir Elton has 'em rocking at the arena 2 Rocketman Elton blazes star trail 3 1066 and all that 4 Elton John: Viv Hardwick's review 5 Bin Laden family in bid for Magpies 6 Children questioned over slaughter of 100 animals 7 Tragic teen forced to drink petrol and set alight 8 Children questioned over slaughter of pets 9 Villagers pledge to fight plan for second wind turbine site 10 Park and ride scheme plans hit the brakes