FLOBBALOBBALOB may sound like gibberish but for anyone of a certain age it can only mean one thing - two characters who live in plant pots at the bottom of the garden. Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men, along with their friend Little Weed, became stars throughout
The latest sports news from the Darlington & Stockton Times will be updated here every Friday. You can also read the latest farming news from the paper online in the business section of this website. If you wish to contact the paper you can email
RAIL CRASH I AM writing in the aftermath of the Hatfield rail disaster. When I was younger we had plate-layers going up and down the tracks mending as they went. Do they not have them any more? Just a thought. - K Craig, Northallerton. HOUSEWORK THE Office
Bryan Robson is ready to move into the transfer market again, despite spending over £18m on seven players since July. The Middlesbrough manager will decide this week whether to go ahead with a £1m deal for Australia international defender Simon Colosimo
The latest news from the Darlington & Stockton Times will be updated here every Friday. You can also read the latest farming news from the paper online in the business section of this website. If you wish to contact the paper you can email us.
A NORTH-EAST shopping centre was flooded after wheelie-bin arsonists caused an alarm system to set off sprinklers. Police believe the damage to stock in the centre may run into thousands of pounds after the early morning attack on the County Durham mall
FINANCIAL advisers, lorry drivers, headteachers and ambulance staff - people from all walks of life are represented at Bishop Auckland Chess Club. The only area under-represented is Bishop Auckland. The club has been going for 30-years and chairman Rob
PLANS for an American-style wine bar have prompted councillors to make a site visit before approving the scheme. The owners of an off-licence in Main Street, Ferryhill, have applied for planning permission to convert it into a licensed coffee bar, selling
The Bupa Great North Run looks to have smashed the UK record for the largest participation sporting event. Race organisers estimated between 34,000 and 35,000 runners had successfully completed the half-marathon course between Newcastle and South Shields
THE passing years may have changed their appearance, but it was not long before there were cries of recognition from every corner of the school, when more than 130 former pupils and teachers of Rosa Street Primary School, Spennymoor, met to swap memories
Tanni Grey-Thompson overcame an attack of nerves as she prepared for the T53 classification of the women's 100 metres at the Paralympics in Sydney. The Redcar-based runner landed the second of her targeted four gold medals following her 800 metres success
a support group is running an information evening as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week. The promotion week starts next Monday, when Darlington and District Dyslexia Support Group holds its open evening at the Morton Park Business Training Centre in the
PEOPLE can have their say on the future of Bishop Auckland town centre tomorrow. The draft Town Centre Strategy comprises a series of initiatives to help revitalise the fortunes of Bishop Auckland. The strategy is being launched for consultation at a
VISITORS to the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition have until tomorrow to see the first of the five pages to be featured in the illuminated display. The page, introducing St Jerome's letter to Pope Damascus, was the first to go on show when the exhibition
A MAJOR engineering firm is set to expand its site. Tallent Engineering has been granted planning permission to extend a factory building at its site on Newton Aycliffe Industrial Estate, County Durham. The firm, which employs 900 people in Aycliffe,
EEVEE the rabbit wants to hitch a ride to Northern Ireland so she can be reunited with her owner. Ten-year-old Tammy Reagan moved to Newtonards, County Down, with her family earlier this year. But she had to leave her pet black and white bunny rabbit
REVELLERS at a Newcastle nightclub were amazed when pop star Robbie Williams dropped by for a few drinks. The superstar was celebrating the success of his two nights at the Telewest Arena and drowning out a home-team defeat at St James' Park on Saturday
ONE of the most-famous and poignant stories of all time reaches a North-East theatre next month. The Diary of Anne Frank, which plays at Darlington Civic Theatre from Monday, November 6, to Saturday, November 11, features previously-censored material
SCORES of people attended a ceremony to pay tribute to North-East miners who lost their lives. Following an appeal in The Northern Echo, members of the public came forward with more than 100 names to be inscribed on plaques in Jubilee Park, Spennymoor
RICHMONDSHIRE councillors are to debate whether they should join forces with other North Yorkshire authorities to provide cut-price travel. The district council is expected to become part of a countywide concessionary fares scheme, after the Government
A GLEAMING new lifeboat paid for by local people has been presented to its delighted crew. Among those most excited by the handover, which took place at Hartlepool Marina on Saturday, were the four children chosen to officially name it. The naming and
KEY posts have been filled at Durham University and at two of its constituent colleges. Professor Alan Bilsborough has been appointed a pro-vice chancellor of the university, while Dr Alan Pearson becomes principal of St Hild and St Bede College, and
WORKMATES took a great leap for a charity when they plunged 12,000ft from a plane. The team of ten from drainage manufacturer Marshalls made the jump yesterday, in aid of the John Butterwick Hospice. In a true spirit of solidarity, they leapt in tandem
ANIMAL welfare experts have sprung into action amid reports that a kangaroo is prowling a park and attacking dogs. Several people have apparently made sightings and one woman claims her dog was kicked out of the undergrowth by the antipodean beast. Members
darlington skipper Martin Gray is hoping Quakers can start the game well at Cardiff City tonight. Quakers conceded the first goal in an away game for the seventh successive time at Scunthorpe on Saturday, but they battled back to earn a point which kept
MEMORIES came flooding back for Second World War Royal Navy veteran John "Jack" Sloan on a surprise trip to the coast at the weekend. Jack, 86, from Darlington, thought he was going to visit a new shopping development when daughter Maureen and her partner
CHILDREN are being taught that beauty can be found in even the seemingly mundane, during the Big Draw art project at Middlesbrough Art Gallery. Youngsters are working with writer Bob Beagrie and artist Adrian Mole, to "paint a picture of an average person
TENANTS on Teesside are being asked to come up with a name for a company, which could take control of the council's housing stock. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been briefing tenants in the build-up to a ballot in the new year, to decide whether
A SURVEY has found that large numbers of Teesside young people live unhealthy lifestyles and are misinformed on sexual health matters. The Linx Voluntary Youth Project, in Middlesbrough, was given cash by the Teesside Health Action Zone to assess 14 to
THE architect behind a new £8.1m hospital being built in Darlington has unveiled his innovative plans for the design of the building. The 42-bed independent Woodlands Hospital, scheduled for completion in the summer of 2001, will feature the very latest
CONSERVATIONISTS were shocked to learn that "vandalism" at the graveyard they have spent ten years restoring was carried out by council workmen. Police were called last Wednesday after headstones were flattened and crosses broken in the Victorian extension
WHAT could be the region's first food access worker is to be appointed soon, as a healthy eating campaign shifts up a gear. Joanne Coady, co-ordinator of the Five A Day healthy eating programme, announced the development as she handed out leaflets at
TOWNS in County Durham will have their traditional Christmas lights after all, following a change of heart by a council. Spennymoor and Ferryhill, which usually have impressive seasonal displays, had been told by Durham County Council that their lamp-posts
PLANS for a children's nursery in Sedgefield may be approved, despite traffic fears. Jane Thompson has applied to convert her house at North End into a nursery to cater for 28 pre-school children. The need for more child-care provision in Sedgefield has
FIRE chiefs are investigating a blaze at a house in the Harrowgate Hill area of Darlington yesterday. The first floor of an unoccupied house in Peabody Street was badly damaged, and the neighbouring house, occupied by a woman in her 80s, was smoke damaged
PLANS to improve an area of shops will come under the spotlight at public consultation sessions. Tree planting, new lighting, and repainting of shopfronts are among improvements suggested for the shops, in King Oswy Drive, Hartlepool. Other ideas include
HIGH levels of sick leave among council cleaning staff are being blamed for the amount of rubbish on a Stockton's street. On average, almost one in ten of the council's street cleaners are off sick at any one time. John Latimer, of Countisbury Road, Norton
FIRMS in Hartlepool have been invited to find out more about environmental and cost benefits of liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Hartlepool Borough Council's public protection division has arranged a seminar in response to the number of queries from companies
A LEADING councillor has accused bus companies of using a town centre scheme as an excuse for cutting costs. Councillor Tom Mawston, a member of Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet, protested after the companies' decision to reduce services operating
A GLEAMING new lifeboat paid for by local people has been presented to its delighted crew. Among those most excited by the handover, which took place at Hartlepool Marina on Saturday, were the four children chosen to officially name it. The naming and
DOROTHY Long shall go to the ball - in a designer gown created specially for the occasion. The Mayor of Darlington invited students at the town's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College to design her a stunning outfit for the Mayor's Ball, next week. Students
PAUL GASCOIGNE took his Everton teammates on a guided tour of his old Geordie haunts - and rounded the day off with a glorious homecoming. This was Gazza's first taste of competitive action at St. James' Park for over 12 years since the one-time Mars
FRUSTRATING wouldn't be the word to describe Hartlepool United. For Chris Turner's side contrived to turn three points into one against Plymouth at Victoria Park on Saturday after a second-half display that was a million miles away from their opening
Darlington striker Glenn Naylor helped Quakers forget another bad start as they fought back for a deserved draw at Glanford Park. Naylor took his tally to four goals in the last four games, and with a touch more luck and the usual better finishing, they
Q: WHAT is the difference between a sedan and a palanquin? - J Anderson, Houghton-le-Spring. A: SEDANS and palanquins are very similar although palanquins are normally called litters. A sedan is a kind of portable chair which is usually enclosed and elaborately
HEALTH secretary Alan Milburn has ordered an urgent inquiry into allegations that an organised cigarette-smuggling ring is operating within his local hospital. The move follows a tip-off to Mr Milburn that a sophisticated network within Darlington's Memorial
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd was unrepentant yesterday over his decision not to let Bobby Robson manage England. The Toon chief continued to claim that the FA had wanted Robson's services until next summer and not just for one game. The FA have
FAMILIES can get involved in planting tree seeds and willow sculpting at a free event organised by Tow Law Community Partnership tomorrow. There will also be a story teller at the Trees of Time and Place event, from 10am to 3pm. Anyone interested in attending
THE standard of entries was higher than ever in an annual bonfire poster competition. Great Aycliffe Town Council organises the competition for children every year in the run up to the fireworks display. This year there were 349 entries, giving Mayor
FREED human rights campaigner James Mawdsley is heading to the North-East today four days after his release from prison in Burma. Following a hectic round of weekend interviews in London, after flying into Heathrow Airport on Saturday, he plans to spend
A RISING North-East singer just failed to hit the high note in a televised talent contest. Karen McManus was voted into third place by viewers of BBC1's Star For a Night grand final on Saturday. The 27-year-old solo artist, from Peterlee, County Durham
EFFORTS by a church to find a new home have again proved unsuccessful. The Christian Life Centre, in Woodham Village, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, has outgrown its facilities. The centre, which runs a range of religious and community-based activities
A SMALL band of football supporters tagged the most active gang in non-league football have come through their most stringent test with flying colours. After hearing horror stories about the activities of the Misfits, a group singled out as troublemakers
A councillor is renewing his appeal for a Minister for the North to look after the area's interests. Councillor Stephen Smailes, leader of Stockton Borough Council's Conservative group, believes only a designated politician can adequately give the region
A DISGRACED officer's career has been ruined after he became the first in the British Army to test positive for drugs. The officer, who served as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, resigned after tests proved he had been smoking cannabis
THE Army has been placed on stand-by to prevent another fuel crisis as a 60-day deadline set by protestors gets closer. Emergency measures invoked by the Government have seen soldiers from Europe's largest Army base, at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire
THE magic of 77 years of football history touched a North-East pub football team as it played in one of the last matches at Wembley yesterday. Members of the Red Stripe team, from The Owington Farm, Billingham, beat off competition from 900 other sides
POLICE are reinforcing their warning to parents to be on the alert after receiving a report of a second attempted child abduction. As a result of an appeal for information regarding an attempted snatch of a 12-year-old boy in Linden Road, Brotton, east
CHILDREN have been working hard at preparations for this year's Orange Darlington Festival Lantern Parade. The first workshop for the parade took place at the Eastbourne Sports Complex, in the town, yesterday. The theme of this year's Lantern Parade is
A MOTORCYCLIST and a horse were killed in a road accident at the weekend. The 35-year-old man, from Marske, east Cleveland, was riding on the A1085 from the Quarry Lane roundabout towards Marske High Street, when he collided with the horse, which was
A MAJOR engineering firm is set to expand its site. Tallent Engineering has been granted planning permission to extend a factory building at its site on Newton Aycliffe Industrial Estate, County Durham. The firm, which employs 900 people in Aycliffe,
GUNFIRE was exchanged by pretend warriors in re-enactments that would have stirred North-East explorer Captain Cook. The mock battles were staged throughout the weekend at Middlesbrough's Stewart Park, on Teesside, as part of this year's festival to commemorate
HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn has ordered an inquiry into an allegation that organised cigarette-smuggling is taking place at Darlington Memorial Hospital. It must, of course, be stressed that as yet there is no hard evidence of any illegal activity taking
A TEENAGER has been chosen to receive the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award certificate for her outstanding contribution to her school. Jenny Snow, 18, a sixth former at Darlington's Polam Hall School, was chosen for her commitment to the school
THE mother of a bullied teen-ager has spoken of her daughter's torment since the ordeal. Marie Booth and Hayley Short, both 16 and from Darlington, were locked up on Friday for two-and-a-half years after a vicious attack on the 15-year-old, who cannot
YOUNGSTERS from Darlington's Whinfield Infant School swapped their Lego building blocks for the real thing. The youngsters took part in Construction Festival Week at Darlington College's School of Building under the supervision of teachers and students
A CONFERENCE aimed at dispelling the myths surrounding food is being organised in the region by a university. The University of Teesside is holding the event, entitled Functional Foods: Future Foods or Fashion Fad? at Tees Valley TEC, Queens Square, Middlesbrough
YOUNGSTERS have won £2,000 to decorate a subway. Members of the Linx youth work project, at The Viewley Centre, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, were awarded the sum by Hemlington Community Council. They impressed officials with their plan to improve the subway
ARMY Sergeant Shaun Findlay is used to bawling out recruits on the parade ground - but is now gearing up to battle on behalf of troubled youngsters in a North-East town. The 29-year-old is quitting the Army to become an assertive outreach worker with
PROBATION service bosses have cancelled a series of public meetings about a planned bail hostel in Chester-le-Street because of the public outcry. Officials at County Durham Probation Service had hoped to explain plans for the 25-bed hostel at three public
A MODEST East Durham enterprise has received an award for its success in getting people back into employment. The organisation beat off strong regional competition to secure a top trophy from the Northern Branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute. And
CHILDREN'S favourite Fireman Sam will visit a fun day in Darlington on Wednesday. The Darlington Borough Council event at Skerne Park will feature a circus performer, a balloon artist, a magician and a bouncy castle. Fireman Sam will be guest of honour
A WOMAN is threatening to sue a lingerie company after she claims a stick-on breast support ruined her sex life on holiday. Hazel Hitchin used the special boob-pad to boost her cleavage as she did not want to wear a bra with a low-cut dress. But after
COUNCILLORS have inspected the site where a McDonald's restaurant could be sited, yards from the front doors of residents in Redcar. Families in Hanson Street are opposed to plans for the restaurant, on the site of the old gasworks, in West Dyke Road
A WOMAN was punched in the face outside a nightclub after she refused to give her attacker a cigarette. The incident happened at 2am on Friday as the 32-year-old woman from the Owton Manor area of Hartlepool was standing outside the town's Wesley nightclub
The latest news from the Darlington & Stockton Times will be updated here every Friday. You can also read the latest farming news from the paper online in the business section of this website. If you wish to contact the paper you can email us.
AIRPORT chiefs heralded an increase in passenger numbers on its scheduled services as a sign of the "region's competitivess". According to management at Newcastle Airport, its latest figures reveal the region's business community is showing its support
