SKY Sports will be bringing their cavalcade of vans and crew buses with them to Easington for this afternoon's match and, as midfielder Andy Davies says, the eyes of the nation will be on the club. He said: "It's different for me, but for some of the
A SINISTER spectre is giving staff and visitors at a North-East museum a real chill. For the past few weeks a series of spooky happenings has left staff and visitors to the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum scared out of their wits. And the ghostly
RAILTRACK is bracing itself for a compensation bill of tens of millions of pounds from train companies and passengers over the chaos on the network. As teams worked around the clock to repair suspect tracks, officials were facing up to the fact that their
THE grieving mother of murder victim Julie Smailes is leaving the North-East town where she has lived all her life after being hit by more tragedy. Joy Gilmour said she could no longer stay at her home in Consett, County Durham, because there were too
WHEN you think of a stage school, images of precocious children and pushy parents spring to mind. The idea of encouraging youngsters to draw attention to themselves, then showering them with praise for doing so, is one which sits uncomfortably with the
The pressure is mounting on Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson - and the forthcoming fixtures hardly help his cause. After sinking to a third successive defeat on Saturday, Robson's men now face Arsenal and Manchester United in successive League games. Next
FRAUDSTER Keith Skelton 's riches vanished when he was arrested by detectives, a court was told yesterday. Skelton, 55, had conned finance companies to buy a £2m London house and a £133,808 motorhome, after terrifying his accountant to produce
A man who was banned from a social club for swearing returned with a shovel and demolished the bar in front of petrified staff, a court heard yesterday. James Toal, 46, smashed 23 spirit optics and destroyed four beer pump heads as he swung the shovel
THE Government was last night facing a backlash from Teesside after failing to throw local shipworkers a lifeline. About 1,000 new jobs are set to be created on the Tyne after Swan Hunter this week won a contract to build two Royal Navy landing ships.
NORTH-EAST students from working class families are being put off going to university by tuition fees. Liberal Democrat Youth Affairs spokesman Lembit Opik, a former Newcastle city councillor, claimed yesterday that youngsters in the Labour heartland
Graham Taylor has told his table-topping Watford to forget about Fulham as they seek to extend their Division One lead at one of his former clubs today. Taylor admits he knew little about Fulham's midweek home defeat to Preston - and claims it might even
UNWANTED winger Nicky Summerbee finds himself frozen out as Sunderland prepare to face Coventry City without the suspended Republic of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane at the Stadium of Light this afternoon. The 29-year-old right-sided midfielder was
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid sympathised with Coventry City for going away empty-handed from a decidedly lacklustre affair, which left the home fans happy with the result but frustrated by a dire absence of entertainment. Results might be all-important
Bobby Robson still believes the job of managing England should go to an Englishman. But he confessed: "It's not easy for the FA. Put yourself in their shoes. "They have to get the right man and if the right Englishman is not around they might have to
Bryan Robson revealed yesterday that he expects to get the sack if he fails, even though Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson is a close friend. The Boro boss, under pressure from a section of unhappy fans, denied that their six-year partnership means
IT'S becoming a familiar story for Darlington fans these days - early goal, bad luck and poor finishing. Maybe Darlington need a new scriptwriter, because matches are becoming too predictable. For the third successive game, they conceded a goal within
EASINGTON manager Wilf Constantine yesterday warned Conference high fliers Chester City: "Underestimate us at your peril." Constantine sends his team out against the former Football League side for the biggest FA Cup tie the club has had since it took
F.A Carling Premiership Ipswich Town Middlesbrough West Ham United site name hereNewcastle Sunderland Coventry City Nationwide Division 3 Darlington Brighton Hartlepool Leyton Orient
SURPRISES were absent from the opening round of the Canada Life Denny Cup National Inter-Club Championship, when all of the region's fancied clubs made progress. But the powerful Stanley club had some anxious moments before overcoming the three-rink Hebburn
Plans to convert redundant farm buildings on the North Yorkshire coast into business workspace and living accommodation have been rejected, following an appeal. The Rural Buildings Trust and Rural Workspace and Housing Association had wanted to carry
SO you've bought the kids a computer for Christmas. But how to make certain it's going to be used for more than just playing games? Intel, best known for its Pentium processors, may just has come up with the gadget for hard-pressed parents everywhere.
Holly Holly our treasured Westie A curly white loving pet, Who goes into near hysteria When visiting our vet. She always smiles to greet you Fusses to such a degree. You would think you'd been away Not hours, weeks, maybe three. She really loves her holidays
IT seemed as though someone was playing a cruel trick on Richard Attenborough in the week that the British film industry veteran made headlines over remarks about the "pornography of violence" in modern movies. The screening of his new film Grey Owl was
DARLINGTON manager Gary Bennett will today demand his players show their true colours. Inconsistent Quakers go into the toughest game of the season so far against promotion-chasing Brighton without a recognised left back because of injuries to Gary Himsworth
FUEL tax protestors are planning a massive convoy from Jarrow to London in a bid to turn up the pressure on Chancellor Gordon Brown, The Northern Echo can reveal. Trucks, tractors, taxis and coaches are expected to take part in the slow-moving cavalcade
Wendy Craig was doing her holiday washing when I rang. The Sacriston-born actress, who's returning to her native North-East with the Royal Shakespeare Company, has just returned from a week in Crete. Far from a having a nice time wish-you-were-here sort
JOHN McWilliam may be MP for Blaydon but he certainly wasn't at the races for this week's great Commons Speaker contest. Poor old John fell at the first on Monday night when a mere 29 fellow MPs backed him. And that included just four from the North-East
WE are getting to the end of the bulb planting season as far as spring flowering bulbs are concerned, but it is the beginning of lily planting time. Local garden centres are now displaying a wide range of top quality lily bulbs. While most of these are
TRIBUTES were paid yesterday to one of North Yorkshire's best-known and best-loved residents, Lady Serena James. Lady Serena, who was in her 100th year, died peacefully at her home in Richmond, the town where she had lived and worked tirelessly for nearly
F.A Carling Premiership Ipswich Town 2: Middlesbrough 1 West Ham United 1: Newcastle United 0 Sunderland 1: Coventry City 0 Nationwide Division 3 Darlington 1: Brighton 2 Hartlepool United 2: Leyton Orient 1
INDUSTRY experts are predicting a jobs bonanza will hit Tyneside with the knock-on effects of the MoD contract won by shipbuilder Swan Hunter. The £150m deal for two landing vessels at Swans' Wallsend yard will create around 2,000 jobs but politicians
ROYAL NAVY WHAT a proud man John Sloan must have been on his visit to HMS Chiddingfold (Echo, Oct 23). I noticed he was wearing his silver badge and the badge of the Royal Naval Patrol Service that I also served in from 1941-1946 on sweepers, mostly in
A NEW Internet service is set to revolutionise the way injury claims are processed, reducing the waiting time for thousands of people every year. eWitness has been established by a group of doctors, lawyers and healthcare professionals to speed up the
JONNY Wilkinson's deputy, David Walder, followed his 29 points against Cross Keys two weeks ago with 24 yesterday as the Falcons stayed on course for the European Shield quarter-finals. In unpleasant conditions at Kingston Park they had no chance of repeating
GOOD teachers make a lasting difference to young lives. They inspire and they are remembered for years to come. Unfortunately, bad teachers make headlines more often than good ones. That is partly the fault of newspapers which do not look hard enough
HUNDREDS more North-East chemical workers are facing an uncertain future amid speculation that ICI is to sell the remainder of its UK industrial chemical operations . The Dulux Paint-to-chemicals group, has been undergoing a massive restructuring operation
THE mother of murdered pizza delivery girl Julie Hogg has demanded a personal hearing with the country's top legal brains to urge them to change the double jeopardy law. Ann Ming has written to the Law Commission and Home Secretary Jack Straw expressing
A BAND of Romanian gipsies is thought to have stolen hundreds of thousands of pounds from cashpoints across Britain. Detectives last night appealed for people to take care withdrawing money after two young men were arrested following a theft in Durham
IRISH low-fares airline Ryanair said it expected half-year profits to come in ahead of market expectations as more people took to the skies and booked tickets over the internet. The group, which operates a service from Teesside to Dublin also said the
REPUBLIC of Ireland international Niall Quinn, fit to play in this afternoon's home game against Coventry City, had consoling words last night for understudy striker Danny Dichio: "Don't worry, your chance will come." Quinn, a Premiership ever-present
LAST season Hartlepool United relied on their midfielders for goals as the strikers failed to hit it off. On Saturday, they again relied on their midfielders for goals only this time it was in the absence of their main strikers. With the division's third-top
Q I am a 78-year-old pensioner and applied for my retirement pension (RP) of £67.50 a week to be topped up by Income Support. In response to my claim I was given 35p a week. I have savings of £6,000. Is this right? A Under the Minimum Income Guarantee
HE frightens Bobby Robson, Harry Redknapp thinks he's the most "incredible competitor" he has ever seen and Andy Griffin wouldn't mind having him back at Newcastle. Who are they talking about? Well, Stuart Pearce is his name and on Saturday he took the
SHARES in construction group Birse hit an 18-month low yesterday as it warned it would incur yet more one-off charges from taking legal action over contracts. The company, which has just begun work to build a £1.3m millennium footbridge across the River
Tanni Grey-Thompson wrote another chapter into the history books yesterday, then waved goodbye to the Paralympics for good. The Redcar-based Welsh woman won an amazing fourth gold medal as Britain finished a clear second in the medal table at the Games
The City will be kept busy next week as a host of blue chips give updates on their performances. British American Tobacco's nine-month profits on Tuesday are expected to be puffed up to £1.69bn, against £1.33bn last time. Merging drugs giants Glaxo Wellcome
AFTER nearly six months of hardship, a community hit by flooding is beginning to recover. The reopening of Ali's Store, in South Church, yesterday, was a clear sign of normality returning to the area. The property was among hundreds in South Church and
THE royal county of Berkshire may seem a long way to travel for a weekend break, but on arrival its charm and hospitality brings its own rewards. After a disastrous start to the day, which involved the breaking down and hiring of a car, my husband Peter
BRAZILIAN defender Emerson Thome's first goal for Sunderland secured the points in a dour game at the Stadium of Light. Coventry looked the better side in a lack-lustre first half but skipper Mustapha Hadji missed a couple of decent chances. Sunderland
THERE are clear signs that the message on the double jeopardy law is starting to hit home. The Northern Echo is campaigning for a change in the law, which was enacted in the 13th Century, on the grounds that it is helping people to get away with murder
