Mainsforth kept their nerve and improved their hopes of a top-four finish thanks to a slender win at Etherley on Saturday. Mainsforth just managed to squeeze home by one wicket, thanks to a steady innings of 51 from David Fishburn, who kept his cool in
A MAN was taken to hospital for precautionary checks after a reported chemical leak at Teesside Airport yesterday afternoon. The man, a security guard, discovered a leaking chemical container in a freight hanger. Firefighters were called and staff were
TRIBUTES have been paid to a North-East charity worker who died while on a mercy mission abroad. Colin Appleyard, 62, won an MBE for efforts to help thousands of poverty-stricken youngsters in Poland. His Aid to Poland charity, set up ten years ago with
SHILDON SHOW YOUR article says (Echo, Aug 11) that Shildon Show was always held on the August 26 weekend. That is not so. My father, Walter Tillotson, was field manager for many years until we moved to Blackpool in 1928 and the show was always on the
THE Home Office has awarded a £33,000 grant to steer bored youngsters away from crime in Weardale. The money is awarded for schemes that divert young people from vandalism and other petty crimes during the long summer holidays. Although the funding has
FORMER GMTV fitness guru Diana Moran, above, was on Teesside over the weekend to open a refurbished shop. Ms Moran - dubbed the Green Goddess after her fondness for green leotards during her appearances on morning TV - was opening the Laura Ashley shop
THE old soldier summed it up as he left the cemetery: "He might have had no money in his pocket but he didn't go a pauper''. Private Robert Bell was awarded the Military Medal by George VI - one of the highest honours - for a single-handed act of bravery
VILLAGERS are preparing to fight a bid by developers to renew permission for a controversial ten-year-old housing plan. The scheme to build 229 homes on fields near Station Road and Rainton Gate, at West Rainton, won outline approval at appeal in 1991
PARENTS who are running out of ideas for ways to entertain their children during the long summer break, will be glad to hear a fun day has been organised. Five child care clubs are staging a mini-olympics fun day and picnic for youngsters in the Darlington
THE human cost of the foot-and-mouth outbreak may not become apparent until next year. David Haynes, director of the Samaritans branch in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said that while many rural businesses may be able to keep going in the short term
RONNIE Rowland sits and comforts an anguished woman in her cell. The women hold hands and the one who sits and cries has deep, self-inflicted cuts running the length of her forearms. Ronnie listens to the woman as she talks about the torment that led
IT'S enough to make Oz, Dennis and Neville unpack their trowels and stay at home. For the 1980s recession which forced many British brickies to seek work abroad, as portrayed in the hit TV series Auf Wiedersehen Pet, looks to be a thing of the past. The
A WOMAN who smashed the rear window of a car with a paving slab was given a six- month conditional discharge by magistrates. Jill Gray, 36, of Grasmere Road, Ferryhill, admitted damaging the car, which belonging to Gavin Dawes. The court heard that Gray
YOUNGSTERS learned how to turn rubbish into art at a workshop held as part of the Orange Darlington Festival. Matt Hearn and Sarah Warden, two graduates from Newcastle University, showed the group how to create sculptures from recycled waste at Redhall
IT is not surprising that William Hague has chosen to support Iain Duncan Smith to replace him as Conservative leader. The two men's European policies are very close. Both want to renegotiate past treaties. Both policies also are unlikely. Our European
HEALTH bosses in Teesside are finding out the public's views on modernising NHS services in the region. People registered with family doctors in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland are being asked for their views on the proposals, which form part of
FARMERS' leaders are showing the first signs of optimism that the foot-and-mouth crisis might be nearing an end after six months of misery. But the improving outlook comes alongside an admission that the outbreak will have a major impact on the long-term
NOMINATIONS are being invited for the Child of Achievement Awards. The awards are presented annually to up to 150 children who have helped others or have shown commendable courage in overcoming difficult circumstances, such as illness or disability. Previous
REVIEWS Panzer Front. Publisher: JVC. Format: PlayStation CD-ROM. Price: £29.99. IT'S a testament to the longevity of the original PlayStation that innovative software is still hitting the shelves long after the machine should have been consigned to the
THINGS are ticking over nicely again at a business centre, after time stood still for more than seven years. The clock above Pennywell Community Business's (PCB) premises, in Sunderland, stopped working in 1994, six months after the centre opened. But
THE Ferryhill Christmas Lights Fund has been boosted by a gift of £2,318, thanks in part to the efforts of the town's retiring mayor, Councillor Edith Whitfield. Mrs Whitfield chose the appeal as her nominated charity during her term of office. A series
THE driver of a lorry had a miraculous escape after his cab suddenly flipped forwards. As he hung helplessly upside down, his lorry careered out of control down a hill, before crashing into a railway bridge. The man, who has not been named, managed to
It has already been quite a season for Glasgow-based Jim Goldie, who is basking in the upper echelons of this year's trainer's table. With over 20 wins on the board the Scot is not far off last season's best total of 28 and he recently landed a bumper
A SUMMER carnival is being held in Hartlepool on Wednesday. Clowns, puppet shows, face painting, cuddly bunnies and birds, and fairground shows are just some of the entertainment on offer at Rossmere Park, from noon. Children under 16 who look and sound
THE organiser of a support group for people with heart problems raised more than £300 by taking part in the fun run attached to the CD Bramall Ford Darlington 10km Road Run. John Waterson, who runs the Darlington Cardiomyopathy Self Support Group, took
COUNTRYSIDE guardian, the National Trust is to fight town hall proposals for a new road. A bypass being considered by Middlesbrough Borough Council would plough through Trust land on the edge of former stately home, Ormesby Hall, Ormesby, Middlesbrough
AMBITIOUS plans to transform an old garage into a major venue charting a town's history have been announced. Town councillors are looking into the possibility of redeveloping the garage to the rear of Bedale Hall in a £200,000 scheme that would provide
A DARLINGTON man will appear in court today accused of killing his 27-year-old girlfriend in a knife attack. Anthony Keith Hilton, 30, of Sparrow Hall Drive, has been charged with the murder of Nicola Gina Impett and will appear at Darlington Magistrates
FERRYHILL kept up its proud tradition of horticultural excellence in the town's annual best gardens contest. The competition, organised by the town council, attracted hundreds of entries with judging taking place earlier this year. Three categories were
A WEEKEND of entertainment is being planned in Shildon to raise funds for a hospice. A live band and fun run will feature in the Bank Holiday celebrations next weekend. Juke Box Jive take the stage at Sunnydale Leisure Centre on Saturday, and 300 tickets
IT has been a delight to see Darlington looking so attractive over the past few weeks, especially when the Britain in Bloom judges visited on Friday. The judges were impressed with the way the town's entry was a collective effort. The council took the
AN AUSTRALIAN woman has used The Northern Echo's community website to contact other foreigners in the area. Rosie Anderson, who emigrated to Darlington in September, has set up the Antipodean Group, advertised on Communigate, as a support network for
NEW signing Neil Wainwright was the star attraction on Saturday, but with 65 minutes gone and Darlington heading for a goalless draw, it was his replacement, Richard Hodgson, who stole the limelight. With his first touch he delivered a deep cross into
DROPPING litter in Hartlepool could cost the culprits a £25 fine under a new scheme. Hartlepool Borough Council has been clamping down on litter louts in an effort to clean up the town. It is planning to introduce fixed penalty fines under a government
WELCOME to management, Mr McClaren. If ever there was a baptism of fire, this was it. Steve McClaren, the chosen one to succeed Bryan Robson as Middlesbrough boss, was taught the harshest of lessons in his first competitive game in charge. When the fixture
TWO libraries could be built in Darlington in a scheme being considered by the borough council. The libraries would compliment the existing ones in Crown Street and Cockerton, and the mobile library service which travels around the more deprived and isolated
BIDDERS for the second biggest rail franchise in the region could take legal action if the decision fails to go their way. The Northern Echo has learnt that at least one of the challengers for the Trans Pennine Express contract is considering seeking
TWO big office blocks are due to rise on what was once a cricket field and pave the way for the area around to become greener. When the Central Electricity Generating Board had its headquarters at Beckwith Knowle at the top of Harlow Hill, in Harrogate
IRISH pop sensation Samantha Mumba has been added to the line-up of another North-East concert. The singer, who appeared at yesterday's One Big Sunday event, in Middlesbrough, will be on the bill at Metro Radio's Feel the Noise concert, at Newcastle Racecourse
Jarrow Roofing pulled off a shock on the opening day of the season by defeating champions Bedlington 3-1. Paul Chow was Roofing's hero with two goals, and manager Richie McLoughlin said: "We played some very good football, and we defended well when Bedlington
THE BBC and ITV both scored in the ratings battle sparked by the new season of Saturday night football. ITV said its new show, The Premiership, pulled in 4.3 million viewers for its prime time 7pm slot, 400,000 more than last season's average for the
PREPARATIONS are under way for a kite festival this bank holiday weekend. The event takes place at Ormesby Hall, near Middlesbrough, and is being hosted by local kite enthusiast Malcolm Goodman. He said: "We have some very special kites to fly this year
MARK Tinkler grabbed Hartlepool United's final goal in the win over Shrewsbury Town, and no sooner had he walked off the pitch he turned his attention to a battle with a former boss. The 26-year-old, who started his career with Leeds United, will take
BY 4.45pm on Saturday, nobody at Feethams will have begrudged Darlington their first win of the season. But the foundations for the victory lay in a controversial penalty award that meant Jan Molby's Kidderminster returned to Worcestershire pointless.
A BOY aged three is seriously ill in hospital after being knocked down by a car. The youngster, who has not been named, suffered a serious head injury when he was hit by a Vauxhall Corsa, on Friday, at 6.05pm. The accident happened in Front Street, Sherburn
THE Libyan couple who sparked controversy after giving birth to sextuplets in the North-East are pleased to be allowed to stay. Jamal Abuhelfala and his wife, Fawzla, are living in the West End of Newcastle with the three girls and two boys that have
POWER firm Enron has resumed work at its plant - two weeks after an explosion killed three workers. The power station, at Wilton, Teesside, began generating electricity yesterday morning. Darren Higgins, 28, from Normanby, near Middlesbrough, and Andrew
WANT-AWAY Player of the Season Don Hutchison suffered stinging verbal abuse when angry supporters turned on him at half-time during Sunderland's 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light. The 30-year-old Scottish international, who was suspended
ENGLAND coach Sven Goran Eriksson could do well to check personally on the rejuvenated form of striker Kevin Phillips at Fulham tomorrow night after a Man of the Match performance which got Sunderland off to a flying start at the Stadium of Light. It
Full Summer When the billowing barley bends Its head to kiss the flaunting poppy While the golden hearted ox-eye daisy Gazes wide eyed in innocent purity And the cream complexion meadow sweet Shakes her head, spreading her perfume Around the creeping
A CONSERVATIVE councillor has added his voice to the debate about a vandal-hit park in Darlington by accusing council chiefs of ignoring complaints. Councillor Bill Stenson says he is disgusted with the attitude of Darlington Borough Council over South
FOOT-AND-MOUTH would have been stopped in its tracks if proposed changes to farm practices had been in place at the start of the outbreak, according to expert analysis. The revelation means the slaughter of nearly four million animals, culled to try to
Q: BOLLIHOPE, Burnhope, Harehope, Ireshope, Middlehope, Reahope, Rookhope, Snowhope, Stanhope, Swinhope and Thornhope all appear in a small area of upper Weardale. What is the significance of the word hope? - I Wade, Darlington. A: HOPE is an Anglo-Saxon
A BODY has been recovered from a river more than a week after a man went missing after boats collided. The missing man was one of three who fled from police by jumping into an inflatable boat, which collided with a Royal Naval Reserve training vessel
A HOUSING tenant has become the first person to improve her home with the help of a saving scheme. Sandra Brown has qualified for a £250 loan with a partnership saving and loan scheme after building up savings of £125 in an account opened just four months
Darlington performed admirably against First Division opponents Sheffield United but it was Michael Brown who proved to be the scourge of Quakers. The Hartlepool-born midfielder put in a great display on the left hand side in the second half and it was
FAME beckons for six teenage thespians from Teesside. The youngsters are treading the boards at the Edinburgh Festival with two 30-minute plays. A local motor dealership has stepped in to ensure the group's appearance at The Fringe runs smoothly. Twins
SHOPPERS are being offered the chance to meet their local police officers as they do their shopping. "Bobby Lobbies" is the latest service to become available at the Asda supermarket in the Newgate Centre, Bishop Auckland. The service consists of open
MIDDLESBROUGH skipper Paul Ince mocked the introduction of professional referees after Ugo Ehiogu's controversial sending-off in Saturday's ultimately crushing home defeat by Arsenal. Central defender Ehiogu was dismissed for the third time in little
THE passion of American mining experts for a rare mineral has led to the survival of the last fluorspar mine in the North Pennines. From the tiny mine, perched 60ft up a cliff-face in a derelict quarry, the Americans are extracting tons of the quartz-like
A STIRRING second half display from Newcastle United ensured their first match of the season against Chelsea did not end in defeat. Bobby Robson's United side had to cope with a barrage of attacks from the hosts for much of the game, but Clarence Acuna
A SUPPORTER of so-called Robocop Ray Mallon is sure the suspended CID chief will answer accusations at a disciplinary hearing if he is forced to attend. Cleveland Chief Constable Barry Shaw is refusing to accept Detective Superintendent Mallon's resignation
POLICE have launched an investigation after a woman officer sustained a fractured hip when she crashed a patrol car. The constable, who has not been named, had to be cut from the vehicle by firefighters following an accident in the early hours of Sunday
TYNESIDE'S favourite adopted son, Jonathan Edwards, delighted a rain-soaked near-10,000 crowd at Gateshead International Stadium with a comfortable, if unspectacular, victory in the Norwich Union Classic. The 35-year-old Gateshead Harrier, who added the
LIFE came to a standstill for John and Joy Layfield 150 days ago, when ministry vets confirmed their farm was infected with foot-and-mouth disease. Five months later, the fields are still eerily silent and the trauma of hearing that their 800 sheep and
POGO STICKS: Bib Brother contestants were seen jumping around on them recently. Now the pogo stick, cult toy of the 1970s, is set to bounce back big time. Originally invented way back in 1919, the new pogo stick has been radically redesigned and revamped
Young volunteers will be given the chance to find out what it was like to be a soldier in Roman times at the Corbridge Roman Site, near Hexham, throughout the bank holiday weekend. From noon, Jeff "Jefficus" Barnett will equip young visitors to the site
NUMBER-crunching youngsters visited a new fire station as part of a drive to improve their maths skills. The 34 pupils, aged 11, are attending a two-week numeracy summer school at Wellfield School, Wingate. They visited the fire station, built on Peterlee's
A 30-year-old electrician charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found by police in the bedroom of her parents' home was today remanded in custody. Anthony Hilton, of Sparrowhall Drive, Whinfield, Darlington, Co Durham, today appeared at Sedgefield
A BUSINESSMAN at the centre of a planning dispute says he has done everything he can to ease a community's concerns over his meat factory. People from West Auckland attended a meeting of Wear Valley District Council to protest against plans involving
A COMMUNITY has displayed the wealth of its artistic talent by taking up an invitation to help create a sculptural landmark. Tow Law's special community art project has helped to transform the entrance to the town's Millennium Green. Town councillor Jenny
PEOPLE opposed to the new Darlington football stadium, have written to the Local Authority Ombudsman to complain about the way planning restrictions have been implemented. People living near to the site of the stadium in Neasham Road say Darlington Borough
A TWO-YEAR wait for promotion has ended for Sedgefield's new crime manager. Detective Chief Inspector Colin Pearson, 45, has taken over from Detective Chief Inspector Jeff Watson as head of Newton Aycliffe CID. In his new role he will be responsible for
A ventriloquist and puppet workshop for five to seven year olds, with Ward Allen and Roger the Dog, begins at 10am today, at Crook Library. Children should bring a glove and a pair of socks. From 2pm to 4pm, there will be mask-making and face painting
A PUB is hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for research into brain disorders. The Iron Horse pub, in Newton Aycliffe, held a family fun day on Saturday in aid of The Clarke Lister Brain Haemorrhage Foundation. The foundation helps to fund research into
HARTLEPOOL United's dreams of upsetting the odds in the Worthington Cup in front of the television cameras were shattered on Monday night with a 2-0 defeat. But Chris Turner's side were no disgrace as they fought Paul Hart's Forest team right up until
DURHAM coach Martyn Moxon has no argument with 18-year-old Nicky Peng becoming a target for short-pitched bowling. Peng retired hurt after being hit just below the back of the helmet by a ball from Hampshire's Neil Johnson on Friday and was off the field
WORK has begun on a new £6m college in a north Durham town. Preliminary work on the Derwentside College, due to be completed by 2002, began at the site of Consett's former steelworks last week. Meanwhile, a £2m expansion to the college's sixth form centre
Karaoke capers by store workers have helped raise £7,500 for charity. Four staff from the Co-op in Normanby, Middlesbrough, won a karaoke competition at a fundraising evening in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. The singing stars were Jill Donnelly, Jill
ONLY one footpath in the Hartlepool area remains closed following the foot-and-mouth outbreak. People are now free to walk the 60 miles of walkways and bridleways around Hartlepool borough, unlike many other areas of the country. The only path that remains
FORTUNE was definitely with Hartlepool United at Shrewsbury Town, and it helped Chris Turner's men to a 3-1 win - their first victory of the season. At half-time Pool were trailing 1-0 despite having a large share of possession. But within 11 minutes
A SUNNY August Saturday afternoon in Sunderland and the soccer-mad city is preparing to pay homage to its team. Ipswich are coming to town for the first match of the new Premiership season, but the large police presence is not just there to keep order
SUNDERLAND fans have another reminder of the stadium's mining heritage. The club has unveiled a pit wheel at the main entrance to the Stadium of Light as a tribute to the miners who used to make up the bulk of the Black Cats' support. The 48,000-capacity
GROUPS of children clad in rags will be asking shoppers for money in Darlington's Cornmill Centre next week. The youngsters, from Darlington and Newton Aycliffe YMCA's Millennium Volunteers project, will be putting their hearts and soles into cleaning
WHEN Radio One DJ Sara Cox offered the girls a chance to kiss co-host Jamie Theakston for 10p a go, she didn't really mean it. But sure enough, at the back of the stage area at one of Teesside's biggest music events, there was a handful of teenage girls
A COUNTY Durham sailor has made a poignant return to his roots while serving onboard a ship in Singapore. Paul Tebbit, a Royal Navy operator mechanic, is serving on HMS Gloucester, which has been deployed to the Far East and Africa. Paul was born in Singapore
THE Tory party is engaged in a "battle for survival" which could end with its eclipse as the official opposition by the Liberal Democrats, a senior shadow cabinet member warned yesterday. The failure of either candidate for party leader to embrace the
AN art group will mark the end of its first year with an exhibition to show off members' work. The Grosvenor Artists Collective, which meets once a month at Bishop Auckland's Discovery Centre, has put together its first exhibition at Witham Hall, Barnard
SUNDERLAND skipper Michael Gray believes that "on fire" Kevin Phillips is ready to resurrect his England career with a glut of goals, writes FRANK JOHNSON. "Kevin Phillips is an international player and once he gets his first goal for England I'm sure
