A NORTH-EAST college is launching a course on retirement. Newcastle College has designed the course, Preparation for Retirement. College bosses say many people coming to the end of their careers worry about adapting to a new way of life. The five-day
EDUCATION officials in North Yorkshire will press Westminster for more cash to make up for a shortfall in school budgets in the county in the next financial year. County Hall thought it had done well to win £1.4m extra from the Government to help develop
THE farmer blamed for starting the foot-and-mouth crisis is to quit the industry. Bobby Waugh, 56, says he has lost heart after he was made a scapegoat by Government officials. He has given up the tenancy of Burnside Farm, at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland
FILMS from the early 20th Century through to Harry Potter will be shown at a North Yorkshire cinema in the year which marks its 90th anniversary. Once a fortnight, The Ritz in Thirsk will set aside Sunday night for special showings of movies dating back
A team of 31 is being trained by Durham County Council to run the Durham Clayport Library, which is due to open in February as part of the Millennium City development. According to one of its principles of providing new opportunities for local people,
DRINKERS in South Shields have another reason to celebrate this festive season - they are not being ripped off when it comes to buying spirits. Tests carried out by South Tyneside Council's trading standards and environmental health teams found that revellers
HEALTH bosses in the North-East have launched a major drive to encourage qualified nurses who have left the profession to return to work. The scheme, set up by Gateshead Health NHS Trust, will help nurses decide which area they want to return to as part
FLOOD warnings have been taken out on to the roads as the region once again braces itself for the winter weather. The Environment Agency is using buses across the North-East in a campaign to warn people of the dangers of flooding in the region. From this
POLICE on Tyneside believe a thief may have been seriously injured after smashing a house window in an attempt to steal figurines. A police spokesman said a 78-year-old man and his 76-year-old wife were at their home in Grange Crescent, in Gateshead,
A young woman who died from "economy class syndrome" on a long-haul flight home for Christmas was laid to rest yesterday before a huge congregation of family and friends. Alayne Wake, 28, died from deep vein thrombosis with only half an hour of her flight
For the second consecutive match Darlington lost to a late goal away from home. Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers came two weeks after the single goal defeat at Plymouth which was also conceded in the last five minutes. Tommy Taylor was without
A DISABLED pensioner has had her motorised scooter stolen by thieves only days after buying it with the last of her savings. Widow Ada Cobb, 77, of Columbine Close, Marton, Middlesbrough was knocked down by a car three years ago, leaving her unable to
UNIVERSITY of Teesside graduate Jenny Beadnall has plenty to be pleased about - she is celebrating a triple achievement. The 22-year-old, from Fairfield, Stockton, has achieved a first class honours degree in applied science and consumer law and won two
FOR someone who has made his name as the master of spin and the manipulation of other people's images, Peter Mandelson has an unhappy knack of overlooking the obvious when it comes to his own career. That's why he had to resign over the Hinduja affair
Police are continuing their efforts to trace a man they believe may be able to help with an inquiry into a serious sex attack on Boxing Day. A 29-year-old woman was walking home after a night out in Ripon, North Yorkshire, when she was dragged into an
DURHAM County Cricket star Danny Law revealed last night that he is related to shoe bomber Richard Reid. Law, a 26-year-old all-rounder, has previously played for Essex and Sussex. In a statement issued through the North-East club, he said: "Although
Shoe bomber suspect Richard Reid was back behind bars in America last night after he was remanded in custody during a preliminary court appearance. The 28-year-old Londoner was denied bail while the FBI continued to investigate allegations that he tried
NEWCASTLE striker Craig Bellamy was last night on Red alert after winning an appeal against his sending-off for violent conduct at Arsenal last week. The fiery Welsh international was set to serve a three-match ban following his clash with Ashley Cole
STRIKER Alen Boksic has cried off from Middlesbrough's critical test at Arsenal today after falling victim to a virus. The Croatia star, who made straight for the tunnel when he was substituted nine minutes from time in the 3-0 Boxing Day defeat at Newcastle
REPUBLIC of Ireland striker Niall Quinn called on his Sunderland team-mates last night to follow the example of arch-rivals Newcastle United and charge up the Premier League. The Tynesiders sit on top of the table after five consecutive victories - and
PAUL Stephenson and Kevin Henderson are set to hand Hartlepool boss Chris Turner a New Year boost. The pair have been out of action for almost two months, midfield playmaker Stephenson undergoing knee surgery, while striker Henderson damaged medial knee
NEW Spennymoor boss Tony Lee has wasted no time in making his first signing and quickly vowed there are more to come. Lee stunned the non-league scene in midweek by quitting Premier Division Bishop Auckland where he had been manager for eight years and
Brandon full back Anth McStea has signed for First Division Wolves for the rest of the season even though he's currently injured. McStea, who was signed by Brandon from Middlesbrough this year, has just finished a trial at Wolves but picked up a hamstring
AS the pine needles fall off the tree, the beer cans pile up and the cards come off the mantelpiece it is obvious that Christmas is over. But rather than dumping the festive rubbish in the bin, families around the region are being urged to have a green
INDUSTRY leaders and representatives from North Yorkshire County Council hope to build on progress made at a seminar in Thirsk. Leaders of the local construction industry were invited to a seminar at the town's racecourse to thrash out health and safety
A SCHEME to make the morning after pill available over a chemist's counter to girls as young as 13 is to start in North Yorkshire. The borough of Scarborough has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the county, with one in every 30 girls becoming mothers
A PLEA for people in Crook to help sell tickets for a fundraising New Year's Eve party has been made by Wear Valley District Council chairman Wilf Dobinson. Councillor Dobinson said: "We have only sold 80 tickets, but we need to sell 140 to break even
A CYCLING club which is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary is appealing for new members. Bishop Auckland Cycling Club was formed in 1952 and still has a host of long-serving members, but feels the time is right to attract new blood. Although several
A GROUP has been formed to promote the study of County Durham's history. The Friends of the Durham County Record Office was set up by enthusiasts who delve into the archives at County Hall. Secretary Andrew Fletcher said: "We have members as far spread
AN amateur singer has raised £1,400 for a Darlington hospice with her first compact disc. Tess McAreavey, from Darlington, collected the money after her husband, Kevin, bought her time in a recording studio as a birthday gift. During the session she recorded
ANGER is growing in Eston because buses are not stopping to pick up or set down passengers in a town square bus layby. The bus companies have told Cleveland Police and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council that the drivers are instructed not to stop if
HSBC's stake in the Orient BANKING company HSBC is on the brink of becoming the first foreign commercial operation to hold a stake in a Chinese bank. HSBC - otherwise known as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation - is to acquire an eight per
DARLINGTON'S hopes of reaching the final stages of the All-England Inter-Club Championship for the Denny Cup to be played on their own green in February were dashed when they went down by 20 shots to Nottingham in the sixth round. Ironically the damage
A young woman who died from "economy class syndrome" on a long-haul flight home for Christmas was laid to rest yesterday before a huge congregation of family and friends. Alayne Wake, 28, died from deep vein thrombosis with only half an hour of her flight
JULY Unemployed loner Barry George was found guilty of the murder of television presenter Jill Dando, after the jury returned a majority verdict. Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in a five-set thriller, making him the only wild card player ever to lift
Hartlepool United skated to a 3-1 victory over Leyton Orient at Victoria Park on Saturday. In cold and frosty conditions Gordon Watson smashed home for his ninth goal of the season and half an hour later Paul Smith headed in his first goal for Pools.
A GRATEFUL owner has been reunited with her pet after it went missing over Christmas. Jackie Crofter Harris is convinced her ten-month-old lurcher, April, was stolen from her home in Bilsdale, North Yorkshire, on Sunday afternoon. At first, she thought
BUBBLE babies have received a major cash hand-out. Staff at the Ward 23 at Newcastle General Hospital, home of the Bubble Appeal for babies born without working immune systems, received a share of £25,000 donated from a trust run jointly by Northern Electric
A BIG stone cross has joined the landmark historic crosses and waymarking stones on the North Yorkshire Moors - the first to be erected for hundreds of years. The imposing structure has been put up by residents of Rosedale and Hartoft to mark the millennium
athletes from a Sunderland school hope to be running on gas when they take part in a fun run today. Sixteen pupils from St Anne's RC Primary School, Pennywell, will join about 1,000 other runners in the British Gas Great North Cross Country event in Newcastle
A PROJECT to reintroduce harvest mice to part of the region is gathering pace. The scheme is backed by Chester Zoo and Stockton Borough Council, whose area includes the planned release site, at Castle Eden Walkway. Harvest mice are still widely distributed
PLANS for a multi-sports games area at a Teesside primary school are being met with opposition from local people. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee is being asked to consider a proposal to provide the multi-sports games area on
Newcastle were knocked off the top of the Premiership as bogey team Chelsea boosted their own Championship ambitions at St James' Park. Two first half goals by Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, either side of an Alan Shearer effort, brought to an end
A NEW college or sixth-form centre could be built to boost an area's low number of youngsters staying in education. Officials are looking at various ideas to encourage east Durham teenagers to continue with their studies after 16. East Durham's staying-on
NEW fishing quotas are a good reason for optimism as the Yorkshire coast looks ahead to the New Year, according to one of the region's MEPs. The European Commission has been forced to revise its original proposals for 2002 - and David Bowe insists it
A PLAY area in Eston may be redeveloped after local people decided against a new play area being constructed. When land at Parkgate, in Eston, was sold to make way for a housing development, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council also decided to sell the
A NORTH-EAST college is extending a training centre for gas fitters in bid to reduce gas deaths in the home. Newcastle College will refurbish and extend its gas training centre to enable more gas fitters in the region to attend refresher courses. Since
SIX people were injured when a car was ripped apart in a head-on collision with a bus. The car driver, who had to be cut free from the wreckage, suffered a broken leg plus head and neck injuries. The driver of the bus suffered a blow to the head and three
AT ANY other time the youngsters at the record deck would have been scolded for messing about. The din blaring out of the sound system would have most of the adults scowling and wondering when they'll wreck the stylus. But it's all okay and so is the
NORTH-EAST pop sensation Zoe Birkett will take to the stage again today in a bid to win the Pop Idol crown and a recording contract. The 16-year-old from Darlington has been wowing the judges on ITV1's Pop Idol programme, as well as audiences, who vote
HOPES of northern success at Newbury this afternoon rest squarely on the shoulders of Europa (1.15). Thomas Tate's Tadcaster-trained star made a pleasing transition from hurdles to fences by scoring on his debut over the bigger obstacles at Hexham this
Perhaps best known for giving up the Bible for the Koran during Lent and for his willingness to bless gay partnerships, the retiring Bishop of Jarrow has also demonstrated against the war in Afghanistan and made great strides in the field of interfaith
CHANGES are to be made to the way in which a scheme to protect a stretch of the North-East coast operates. The Heritage Coast Service stretches from Saltburn, in east Cleveland, to Flamborough Head, on the border between North and East Yorkshire. It was
A DIP into the history of a cluster of small County Durham villages is being reproduced, but the search is on for more information about the author. Esh Leaves gives an intriguing insight into life in Hamsteels, Langley Park, Quebec and Esh Village itself
A NEW head of housing services has been appointed for Middlesbrough Borough Council. Bill Pearch, 51, is the head of strategic initiatives at Ashford Borough Council, in Kent, and takes up his role next month. In Middlesbrough, Mr Pearch will be responsible
A MIDDLESBROUGH health food shop is starting the New Year with a fresh outlook - by moving to larger premises. For Goodness Sake, formerly on Gilkes Street, has moved to a bigger store on Newport Road, in the newly pedestrianised area of Corporation Road
FAITH, Hope and Charity is the title of a public artwork soon to grace Newcastle's Metro system. Cullercoats Metro station, on the route from Newcastle to the North Tyneside coast, has been chosen to host the work by local artist Steve Hines. Featuring
PUBS in the city centre are now the only places that are selling wristbands for Newcastle's New Year celebrations. Canny revellers have snapped up thousands of bands for Countdown 2002, and there is only a limited number still available. The following
A NORTH-EAST rail company has given its conductors mobile phones in a bid to improve customer services and in case of emergencies. Arriva Trains Northern piloted a phones scheme last year and it has now been extended to all of its conductors. Conductors
NEW buildings and offices for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council look like being completed ahead of schedule. The buildings, which have been given names associated with the area's history, were due for completion in May next year, but could be ready
A woman who went missing from her North-East home has been found dead in her car. Police began hunting for 41-year-old Anna Hope when she was reported missing from her North Yorkshire home on Thursday. It had been suggested she may have been heading for
STUNNED Christine Hill got a big Christmas shock when a £1,100 bill landed on her doorstep from a company she is nt even a customer of. The 34-year-old British Gas customer has received bills from Npower for the past four years - all demanding payment
Car careers into garden TWO women in a silver Mercedes escaped serious injury when their car left the road and ended up in a garden in York. Parked cars normally line St Benedict Road, but the street was empty when the accident happened. The car, which
Tommy Taylor's depleted Darlington take on buoyant Bristol Rovers today and admits his squads ever-decreasing number is a constant worry. Quakers are without six players today through either suspension or injury, while Rovers are high on confidence having
TWO politicians, planning to head for Amsterdam on New Year's Day in an attempt to be the first to bring the euro back to the UK, vowed to go ahead yesterday even though some of the new currency has already arrived in the north-east. As reported in the
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid was so delighted with his team's performance in the 3-0 victory at Blackburn on Boxing Day he took the uncharacteristic step of announcing that he will be sticking to an unchanged team for the third game in a row at Ipswich
ALAN SHEARER last night insisted Newcastle's resurgence under Bobby Robson has breathed new life into a Premiership that was dying on its feet after years of domination by Manchester United. Newcastle skipper Shearer believes the next two months will
PLANS to charge motorists to drive to Durham City's World Heritage Site have met with opposition. Durham County Council is planning to introduce one of the country's first toll roads in Saddler Street, from the Market Place to the cathedral. A £2 charge
The Yorkshire coast's tourist industry is in line for a big boost as a result of a £1.5m television advertising campaign being mounted in the wake of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. County cricketer Darren Gough, gardener Alan Titchmarsh, film star
WEATHERMEN warned the region to batten down the hatches last night as heavy snowfall followed ferocious gale force winds. Snowfall was reported in Weardale and North Durham as temperatures plunged after a day of damaging winds. A section of the A1M motorway
BITTERlY cold weather was forecast for the New Year last night after winter gales brought havoc to parts of northern Britain. Winds gusting up to 85mph brought down power lines and trees while snow and sleet made driving hazardous on many roads in Scotland
A GOOD Samaritan who stopped to help a motorist in distress in Middlesbrough was rewarded with a stab wound to his neck. Craig Nettleton, 21, was driving along Fakenham Avenue, Whinney Banks, on Thursday afternoon when he spotted what he thought was a
A MAN wanted in connection with the murder of a North-East father-of-six has been arrested by armed police in Spain. Jonathan Crossling, 36, was detained on Thursday at the popular resort of Benalmadena, near Malaga, after an international arrest warrant
A crater which forced residents to leave their homes and closed a road for more than two-and-a-half years appears to be growing, according to a resident living just yards away. The gypsum crater in Ure Bank Terrace, Ripon, swalloped up part of a garage
Thieves snatch charity boxes Two charity boxes, containing about £40, and badges promoting guide dogs and the Blue Cross animal welfare centre, were stolen from the reception area of a veterinary surgery at East End, Sedgefield, between 9.15am and 12.30pm
DON'T panic, says ABTA, if you are travelling in Europe while the 12 countries in the euro-zone switch to the single currency. "Going on holiday during this time just needs a little bit more planning than normal," says Mike Monk, ABTA's head of financial
A POOL enthusiast is trying to resurrect the Newton Aycliffe Superleague team. The town has been represented in the Superleague for a number of years, playing against other towns in the area. But interest has dwindled over the past few years and the few
A LOST toy has spent a lonely Christmas in a railway station after being left on a train. The cuddly skunk was found under a seat in the carriage of a train travelling from Kings Cross to Newcastle on December 14. It was dropped by a family of three,
GROUPS set up to help develop Darlington's nature reserves are continuing to grow. Darlington Borough Council says there are now steering groups for the Drinkfield Marsh, Brinkburn Pond and Firthmoor reserves, and The Whinnies at Middleton St George.
NOMINATIONS are still being invited for the Positive Young People Awards 2002, which marks the achievements of people from Darlington aged under 18. Six winners will be announced at a ceremony at Darlington Civic Theatre on March 25. The winners will
SECONDARY school pupils are at the centre of efforts to revive a town's musical tradition with the aid of a National Lottery grant. It is hoped the £8,500 cash injection, which has been awarded by the National Foundation for Youth Music, will help to
AN increased number of elderly and disabled people in Darlington need help to live at home, according to a report. The report, by Darlington Borough Council's social affairs and health scrutiny committee, reveals a need for more specialist housing for
Thieves snatch charity boxes Two charity boxes, containing about £40, and badges promoting guide dogs and the Blue Cross animal welfare centre, were stolen from the reception area of a veterinary surgery at East End, Sedgefield, between 9.15am and 12.30pm
PARTY-goers have their pick of New Year parties this year, with Newcastle leading the way. About 38,000 people are expected to descend on Newcastle's Quayside for an event billed as the biggest New Year's Eve celebration in England. Northumberland Street
BRITAIN must make its decision on the euro within the next year or so and "get on with its life", the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said last night. Digby Jones called on the Government to end "delay and prevarication
MMR INJECTION I READ with interest that Darlington MP Alan Milburn is threatening to boycott the BBC Today programme after one of his ministers was asked if her child had been given the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) jab. Mr Milburn's threat puts me
A GUIDES group could be forced to close if more volunteers do not come forward to run it. Two Guides groups in the Blackwell area of Darlington are in desperate need of new leaders. There are three Brownie packs in Blackwell, but many of the young girls
SUPERMARKET chain Asda increased sales in the weeks leading up to Christmas due largely to non-food items such as televisions and computer games. Although it does not release exact figures because they are "commercially sensitive", Asda said that the
POLICEMAN Les Hall says he is lucky to be alive after getting an electric shock while fitting a new cooker. Les, 50, from Durham City and an inspector in the headquarters operational planning department, was rushed to the city's University Hospital of
PLANS for a 40-bed hotel on the outskirts of Durham have been welcomed as extending the range of accommodation for visitors. Durham City Council's development control committee has granted planning permission to Whitbread Restaurants to build the Travel
Pensioner died 'after incident' AN 89-year-old woman died following an incident at a Redcar nursing home, Middlesbrough Coroner's Court has heard. Widow Mary Jackson, a retired occupational nurse, died at St David's Nursing Home, Lord Street, on December
DEVELOPMENT and construction firm S Harrison is going into the new year with a new name, a promising order book, and plans for further expansion. A revised corporate structure, which comes into force on January 1, will see S Harrison Construction Ltd
CHARITIES in the North-East are £1,500 better off thanks to the skills of big-hearted breadmakers. The bakers, who work at Warburtons, in Newburn, Newcastle, have won the Derrick Warburton Cup for the quality of their bread buns. The cup also brings an
DURING the next week or two, conservatory and pot plants, especially of those varieties which require a long growing season, should be sown indoors. It is mostly the small-seeded kinds like begonia, eustoma, exacum and calceolaria which should be started
THE team at UK Steel Enterprise's office in the region is ending the year on a high note with almost £1m of investment approved in 2001. More than half that investment, aimed at helping to regenerate former steel areas, has already been completed. Simon
A RENOWNED auctioneers is promising to start the New Year with one of its most intriguing sales. Tennants of Leyburn has been engaged to sell property from the estates of three families from the Yorkshire area. "There are over 900 lots - from gigs and
A LITTLE girl who touched North-East hearts has had a double celebration this Christmas - a year after an appeal was set up to fund her treatment. Hannah Maxwell-Jones, of Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, is all smiles after celebrating Christmas and her third
A NEW home is being sought for a Jack Russell terrier which was found wandering the streets on Boxing Day. The dog, which is white with tan patches, is believed to be about a year old. He has been named Buster by staff at the National Canine Defence League
FANS of pop band Steps can commiserate with each other over the demise of their idols when a tribute band arrives in the region. Steps Beyond will be appearing at the Civic Theatre, in Darlington, on April 3. The band, which performs all Steps' hits,
NEWCASTLE Falcons will be relying on the boot of Jonny Wilkinson, rather than David Walder, to kick them to victory at Gloucester today. Six penalties by Walder gave the Falcons an 18-16 home win against Gloucester last month when Wilkinson was on England
POLICE have been given permission to continue using a former distribution depot for riot training. Durham Constabulary began using the VG warehouse in Renny's Lane, Dragonville Industrial Estate, Durham, in October, after losing its Aycliffe Hospital
THE pressure group resisting the construction of a power line through the heart of the Vale of York is to carry on its fight, despite the first pylon going up at Tholthorpe. The 180ft steel tower is the first of dozens to be built from Picton in the north
CHARITY workers have praised the generosity of County Durham people who almost doubled their contribution to the Christmas shoebox appeal for underprivileged children. This Christmas, 18,444 shoeboxes filled with sweets and toys were collected for children
WHEN Johnathon Potter heard about a course that would help him towards a "lifetime in work", he had no hesitation in enrolling. The prospect of earning a good wage and working for car manufacturer Nissan, convinced him to embark on a training programme
BOOKINGS for diving are here to stay and that is how it should be. The Football Association have ordered a disciplinary clampdown in the New Year and they have demanded that cases of diving continue to be met with a mandatory yellow card. That will lead
HIKERS tiring on the Coast-to-Coast Walk from Cumbria to Yorkshire can enjoy panoramic views over a Dales market town in comfort, thanks to the community's Civic Society. The Richmond society has raised £300 to pay for a new bench, sited at Westfields
