Archive

  • Trains running despite rail conductors' strike

    TRAIN operator Arriva Trains Northern claims most of its services ran normally at the weekend during a one-day strike by conductors. The company said it was able to operate trains on 80 per cent of the network on Saturday despite the action over a pay

  • Lottery cash promotes girls' footballing future

    A WOMEN'S football club is celebrating after winning £4,800 from the National Lottery's Awards for All programme. Lumley Ladies, which provides competitive football for players aged eight upwards, was formed in May. The grant will enable the club to purchase

  • Arsonists destroy mail in post box

    A LARGE amount of mail was destroyed by arsonists at a post box during the weekend. The fire at a box at Helmlington Post Office at Helmlington, Middlesbrough, was extinguished by firefighters at about 6.45pm on Saturday. Meanwhile, firefighters across

  • Region's best designers come together for exhibition of skills

    AWARD-WINNING artists from around the region are showcasing their work in County Durham this week. The creativity and skills of designers across all disciplines have come together for the Eurocrafts exhibition at the Durham Light Infantry Musuem and Durham

  • News in brief: Mayor to open toy library

    THE mayor of Redcar and Cleveland will open a toy library in Marske today. The new Redcar and Cleveland Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership library is mobile, and will visit libraries across the district from next week. The service was created

  • Community to have its say

    AN event is being held to try to ensure a new Early Years Centre in Hartlepool meets the needs of local residents. Parents of children under the age of four are being urged to attend a Community Have Your Say Day, at St John Vianney Primary School, King

  • Free safe sacks cut crime

    MOTORISTS are being encouraged to help cut car crime over the festive period. RAC Auto Windscreens has launched a safe sack scheme which encourages drivers and passengers to remove valuables from their car and carry them in the sack. The sack, which is

  • Flagging up the stars of the union

    Q The European Union flag has 12 stars. What do these stars signify and who designed the flag? - K Young, Sydney, Australia. A The flag has been used by the European Union since 1986 but it was in fact adopted from the Council of Europe which still uses

  • Witness appeal after assault

    POLICE are seeking witnesses after a 30-year-old man was assaulted and robbed in east Cleveland, at 11.20pm on Thursday. He suffered head injuries for which he received hospital treatment before being discharged. Police are particularly keen to speak

  • University hopes for students

    PUPILS are on course for university after completing a series of masterclasses. More than 80 students from east Durham schools travelled to Teesside University each Wednesday for four weeks for two-hour sessions in computing, design, engineering, English

  • Supermarket bid decision put on hold

    COUNCILLORS have deferred a decision on plans to build a supermarket and diner in Stockton. Members of Stockton Borough Council's planning committee met yesterday to discuss the outline application for land presently occupied by the Ahed distribution

  • Firefighters tap into park's resources

    A park has added lifesaving training to its list of uses. The fire brigade is using one of the eight recreational lakes at Herrington Country Park, near Sunderland, to recreate training situations. Officers are using its expanse of undisturbed water to

  • Sculpture unveiled at marina

    THERE were echoes of Hartlepool's proud seafaring heritage when the wraps came off a new sculpture at the town's marina. A small-scale replica of the bow of a trawler was unveiled beside the Marina's Lock Office at Navigation Point. The replica, which

  • Pet freed from behind dryer

    A DOG'S owners had to call the fire brigade after their pet became stuck behind a tumble dryer on Friday. Firefighters were called after the dog became trapped in a vent attached to the back of the appliance in Passfield Crescent, South Bank, Middlesbrough

  • Hunt as handbag is snatched from car

    DETECTIVES are hunting a robber who grabbed a pensioner's handbag and made off with cash as she sat terrified in her car. The attack happened as the 84-year-old woman was getting out of her car in the Millgate car park in Thirsk, North Yorkshire The woman

  • Water babies on show

    SWIMMING pool staff have been raiding their old photograph albums for pictures of themselves as babies. Staff at the pool in Thirsk plan to create a "rogue's gallery" to raise money for Children in Need. They hope to encourage customers to pay £1 for

  • Opportunity for patients to offer advice

    PEOPLE are being urged to take part in a scheme to help patients cope with long-term medical conditions. The Easington Primary Care Trust, east Durham, which is responsible for services such as GPs and health centres, is setting up an Expert Patient Programme

  • Householders told to beware of cowboys

    HOUSEHOLDERS and businesses across the North-East are being warned against using cowboy builders after the recent bad weather left properties damaged and in need of substantial repair. National Federation of Builders (NFB) officials issued the alert after

  • Fears of vandalism with right of way

    A GOVERNMENT Act to expand rights of way in the countryside could spell trouble for farmers and lead to vandalism, councillors in a ru-ral community have warned. Members of Teesdale District Council are worried that the Countryside and Rights of Way Act

  • Help name a new brew

    Fund-raisers have got themselves in a spin -- over what to call a new beer brewed in honour of their life-saving helicopter. The brew is being produced by Hambleton Ales of Holme-on-Swale, near Thirsk, who plan to donate a percentage of every sale to

  • Warning over letter offering prize money

    A WARNING has been issued to people in the region to beware of a company offering prize money in return for a priority handling fee. Some residents have received a letter from a company called Cheque Awards Registry, using a PO Box number in Cricklewood

  • Housing market 'remains buoyant'

    HOUSE prices are continuing to rise in the region, according to a recent survey by Northern Rock. The Houseprice survey, conducted by the company on a monthly basis, has revealed that the average price for a four-bedroom detached property in the region

  • Competition helps to preserve the countryside

    DOZENS of drystone wallers and hedge layers competed in a competition to display traditional countryside skills at the weekend. The event, at Ragpathside Farm, Lanchester, County Durham, was organised by the Tyne Tees Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group

  • Redundancy gives workers opportunity to go it alone

    A FORMER Black & Decker worker hopes to inspire former colleagues to pursue new careers after starting his own business. Martin Laverick decided to take voluntary redundancy from the power tool manufacturer's Spennymoor plant in County Durham following

  • Hear All Sides: Energy Policy

    BILLIONS of people use fuel to cook their meals and heat their homes. They use finite fuels such as wood, gas, oil and coal. It takes decades for a plant to turn into a tree, to produce wood; it takes centuries for coal, gas and oil to be formed. Our

  • A little less conversation, a little more action

    GETTING children to exercise can be a difficult task but Women's Editor Christen Pears talks to a woman who wants to turn couch potatoes into popstars. KYLIE Minogue's latest hit blasts out of the speakers and a group of youngsters strut their stuff on

  • The Monday Page: Kayleigh-Anne's a model teenager

    SHE got down to the last ten out of 12,000 in a national modelling competition. Women's Editor Christen Pears meets the teenager who wants to be a star on the catwalk. KAYLEIGH-Anne Pattison steps out from behind the changing room curtain. "What do you

  • Chippie takes taste test award

    A FISH and chip shop is celebrating winning a national taste test. Jackson's fish and chipshop in Guisborough has won the Seafish Fish Friers Quality Award because its fish suppers are so tasty. "It's taken a lot of hard work to get up to standard and

  • Sir Bobby is a big Maccarone fan

    NEWCASTLE boss Sir Bobby Robson has admitted that he 'ran the rule' over Middlesbrough's star striker Massimo Maccarone before the Italian put pen to paper at the Riverside. Sir Bobby had Boro's £8.15m record signing watched in March this year when the

  • Family faces new charges in animal cruelty

    A brother and sister, already convicted of cruelty and neglect and banned from keeping livestock on their North Yorkshire farm, are facing a fresh string of charges brought by the RSPCA. In January last year, Dorothy and William Tinkler admitted a total

  • Clouds ready to shine

    THE sky is sadly no longer the limit for the near veteran Reach The Clouds. But he's still capable of occasionally hitting the heights, especially when he's whizzing round his favourite course, Plumpton. Not that many horses act around the tiny oval-shaped

  • Man killed in bike accident

    A man was killed after his bike was hit by a car. The accident happened at around 10.35pm on Sunday at Norton Road, Stockton opposite the junction with Newlands Avenue. It is believed the Vauxhall Cavalier car was travelling south along Norton Road when

  • Home truths help spark Magpies into life

    ANDY O'Brien revealed last night how Sir Bobby Robson shocked Newcastle United into producing their Premiership and Champions League renaissance by delivering some home truths in a frank team meeting. After the humiliating 5-2 defeat at Blackburn Rovers

  • Robson joins Bali mourners

    Former England football captain Bryan Robson today joined hundreds of mourners at a funeral service for Bali bomb blast victim Ian Findley, who was killed trying to shield a friend from the blast. Mr Findley, 55, a garage owner from West Pelton, near

  • Funeral of brother and sister killed in road accident

    The funeral of a brother and sister killed in a tragic accident on the A19 will be held tomorrow. Karl Bowes, 30, and Kelly McKie, 19, were returning from a 21st birthday party at Tall Trees, Yarm, when the Fiat they were travelling in drove the wrong

  • Harry Potter and the big night out

    HARRY POTTER fever returned yesterday as fans gathered for the world premiere of the latest film about the schoolboy wizard. Scores of youngsters flocked to London's Leicester Square to catch a glimpse of cast member as they arrived to watch Harry Potter

  • Missed chances take polish off Tait's start

    As Mick Tait continues to press forward his claim to succeed Tommy Taylor as Darlington manager you could forgive the caretaker boss from getting a little carried away with his in-form side. Tait is delighted with the progress of his players, having taken

  • Four bystanders stabbed in street fight

    FOUR innocent bystanders were taken to hospital after being slashed and stabbed during a street brawl which broke out in a North-East town early yesterday. Durham Police, who condemned the use of knives, have appealed for witnesses to the fight between

  • Bannatyne keeps a healthy account among top earners

    FITNESS club owner Duncan Bannatyne is the region's highest entry in a rich list of Britain's top 500 earners. The Darlington entrepreneur ranks at number 32 in the Sunday Times Pay List 2002 with £22m. The 53-year-old is reported to have made the money

  • Reid top of Owls' wish list

    PETER Reid is being lined up for talks with Sheffield Wednesday. The former Sunderland boss is on the list of the Hillsborough board to replace Terry Yorath. However, Hartlepool's Chris Turner remains on the wanted list and if - as expected - Reid's personal

  • No joy for the Cats

    Not only are Sunderland the second poorest team in the Premiership - they are also have three of the worst players in the North-East. That is according to the latest Northern Echo Player of the Year rankings, which sees promotion-chasing Hartlepool feature

  • £100,000 crossings scheme to help protect pedestrians

    THREE pedestrian crossings costing £100,000 are to be installed in Darlington to improve road safety. The state-of-the-art crossings will be installed on Carmel Road, Woodlands Road and Whinfield Road in the New Year. The Puffin (Pedestrian User-Friendly

  • Veteran runners tune up for Ireland

    LEADING veterans Rob Hand and Sheila Allen showed their younger rivals the way home in the second Durham Pine North Eastern Harrier League, just two weeks before international cross country duty in Ireland. Hand, a 40-year-old Durham City doctor, finished

  • News in brief: Community renewal talks

    WEAR Valley Community Network is holding a conference at Bishop Auckland College on Saturday, November 30. The meeting will give groups in the area an opportunity to learn about the neighbourhood renewal plan and share ideas. WRITING AWARDS: An awards

  • Plans to turn theatre into a nightclub are withdrawn

    A CONTROVERSIAL plan to turn a former theatre in Stockton into a nightclub and restaurant has been withdrawn. Northern County Leisure had applied to Stockton Borough Council seeking permission for the conversion of the Globe Theatre in the town's High

  • Milestone reached in appeal by hospice

    A fundraising campaign to open a six-bed full-time care unit at St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington, has reached its first major milestone. The hospice wants to raise £250,000 to open the unit, which will allow people who need respite and palliative care

  • Vigilance call over steel jobs

    STEEL maker Corus has scotched fears of imminent UK job losses, but a council chief is calling for continuing vigilance. Huge lay-offs were feared as the price Dutch steel managment wanted to exact for the sell off of the Anglo-Dutch group's aluminium

  • FA Trophy: Moors win seven-goal thriller

    Spennymoor almost threw away victory, but they held on to beat Witton Albion 4-3 in the first round of the FA Trophy at the Brewery Field on Saturday. Moors led 4-1 at one stage, but Witton launched a late revival which almost earned them a replay. "We

  • Survey records town's concerns

    RESIDENTS across the Scarborough area have called for better transport and safer streets in a survey carried out as part of a £420,000 scheme to launch community-led projects. Thousands of people living in the town and the surrounding area were given

  • Bonfire and fireworks brighten night despite miserable weather

    THOUSANDS of people braved the bad weather to watch an action-packed firework display in the region. Despite the rain visitors turned up in droves for the event in South Park, Darlington. The weather failed to dampen people's spirits during the fireworks

  • Protecting wildflowers

    A COURSE is being held in the Yorkshire dales to help protect some of the area's wildflowers. Instructors from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers will spend a weekend in Middleham giving advice on how to lay hedges. After learning the theory

  • Investors in people award

    A DARLINGTON school has gained an Investors in People award. Hurworth Comprehensive School has received the award because of the efforts of headteacher Eamon Farrar, after a period of low results and morale. He drew up a strategy to improve community

  • Comment: When silence is not golden

    IT had promised to be a gloriously memorable year for the Queen. The Golden Jubilee celebrations had inspired a public response that must have gladdened, reassured and surprised her. The warmth of that nationwide reaction underlined the fact that the

  • Way clear for college move to new site

    A MYSTERY bidder for the Torrington factory site in Darlington is a retail developer which would be unlikely to get planning permission, The Northern Echo can reveal today. Darlington College of Technology has identified the Yarm Road site as its preferred

  • Sex attack on man in high street

    A 20-YEAR-OLD man was sexually assaulted and robbed at knifepoint during a 40-minute ordeal in a busy town centre. The victim was marched to a cashpoint in Stockton town centre and forced to withdraw and hand over cash. He was described by police as very

  • Rugby Union veteran makes 1,200th appearance

    A RUGBY Union veteran who has clocked up a remarkable 1,200 matches for his club says he has no plans to hang up his boots. When 51-year-old Johnny Williamson donned his kit in the landmark match for Ripon Rugby Union Club, he celebrated in style, scoring

  • Police appeal for witnesses

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a fatal road accident which left one man dead and three people injured. A 29-year-old man died when his red Rover was in collision with a silver BMW estate on the A170 in Racecourse Road, near Scarborough, at 5.45pm

  • Gipsy site rejection appeal date

    AN appeal against a council decision to prevent land in Darlington being used as a private gipsy site will be heard next year. Darlington Borough Council refused to grant planning permission to Geoff Watson, of Hurworth, to accommodate his relatives on

  • News in brief: Woman stable after flat fire

    AN 86-year-old woman who was pulled from her burning flat by firefighters was in a stable condition in hospital last night Former teacher Vera Rigby was trapped in her living room by the fire at the flat in Pasture Farm Close, Fulford, York, on Wednesday

  • School heads in games arcade protest

    HEADTEACHERS at four Darlington schools have voiced opposition to plans for an amusement arcade in the Cockerton area of the town. Count Cash Amusements had its application to change the use of the Take-a-Break Caf, on Cockerton Green, rejected by Darlington

  • News in brief: Scheme hailed as a success

    A RECYCLING scheme that was launched two weeks ago has proved a success. Harrogate Borough Council began placing kerbside boxes and bags outside homes in Knaresborough, East Harrogate and the Vale of York, earlier this month, but already people are filling

  • Agency fishes for accurate stock figures

    THE Environment Agency has launched a scheme to find out more about fish stocks in rivers while attracting youngsters to the fishing. Officials have joined forces with angling clubs in North Yorkshire to find out how much stock there is in the county's

  • Unibond League: Honour blames late arrival

    BISHOP AUCKLAND manager Brian Honour blamed heavy traffic for his side's 3-1 defeat at Rossendale on Saturday, writes Ray Simpson. Bishops were held up on the M6, and didn't reach their destination until fifteen minutes before the scheduled kick-off.

  • Public to rule on artwork

    A PROJECT to create artwork for Hartlepool's Headland is starting to move ahead. The aim is to create public works of art which will stand on Marine Drive and the Town Moor, involving the use of lighting. The work is organised by the North Hartlepool

  • Wilkinson's way earns a point

    THAT'S more like it. All right, so Howard Wilkinson is still searching for his first victory as Sunderland manager. But the indomitable spirit that has characterised Sunderland displays for so many years, and only ebbed away during the dying embers of

  • Queudrue off as Magpies claim derby win

    REFEREE Graham Barber was Public Enemy No 1 at St. James' Park last night as he controversially disallowed what would have been Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer's 100th Premiership goal for the club, and denied Middlesbrough a double penalty claim. Shola

  • Home scheme wins approval

    AN application to build a house in The Dell, Bishop Auckland, was approved by councillors at a recent meeting of Wear Valley District Council's development control committee. The home will be single-storey on the western side and three storeys on the

  • Family mourn loss of mother in bus crash

    A FAMILY is mourning the death of their mother in a bus crash in South Africa. Brenda Fleetwood, 57, of Blaydon, Gateshead, was one of ten people who died in the crash near Piet Retief on Wednesday, during a tour of Durban and the Kruger National Park

  • Operator's advice helped to save lives

    FIRE chiefs have praised the quick thinking of a control operator who helped save the lives of a couple trapped in their home by a fire. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue control operator Emma Allison has been singled out for the advice she gave to the

  • TV to highlight drivers' attitudes

    THE behaviour of drivers in a North-East town will be highlighted in a BBC1 television programme tonight. Paralympic gold medallist Tanni Grey Thompson will patrol a car park in Darlington to challenge drivers not displaying a badge in disabled bays.

  • Actors jump to aid of deaf and blind people

    TIM Healey and Christopher Fairbank, better known as Dennis and Moxey in the BBC hit show Auf Wiedersehen Pet, yesterday abseiled from the Tyne Bridge to raise cash for deaf and blind people. They were raising cash for Sense, an international charity

  • Stuart's marathon effort in memory of cousin

    CHEMISTRY student Stuart Blair was using his brawn instead of his brain when he took part in the New York Marathon yesterday in memory of his cousin. The 25-year-old, who is studying for a PhD at Newcastle University, dedicated his marathon effort to

  • David retires from community work

    A COMMUNITY worker has retired after playing a key role in local life for 35 years. More than 60 community group representatives and members of the Durham County Council's education in the community department gathered at Shakespeare Hall, Durham, to

  • Singing policeman aims to cut crime

    A MUSICAL policeman is hoping shopping centres and stores across Teesside will be getting in the Christmas spirit to help cut crime. The Castlegate Centre in Stockton has already agreed to play songs performed by Inspector Eric Robinson of Cleveland Police

  • Demolition looming for film fame street

    A STREET immortalised by Oscar-winning film Billy Elliott is facing demolition to make way for more modern housing. The news has been greeted with dismay by the few residents who remain in run-down Anwick Street, in Easington Colliery, east Durham - the

  • Route changed due to fear of attacks

    VETERANS have been told they will not be able to follow their usual Remembrance Sunday parade route through a North Yorkshire town because they could be at risk from a terrorist attack. In the past, old soldiers have marched up Frenchgate in Richmond

  • Play area fundraisers issue last-ditch plea for finances

    TIME is running out for a flagship play park that will close unless it can raise £16,000 by January. The team of volunteers that runs the £145,000 play area at Delves Lane Village Hall, near Consett, County Durham, needs the cash to pay for wardens and

  • Festive stamps are on the cards

    FESTIVE fun came early to the North-East when postman Bruce Howlett helped launched the Royal Mail's Christmas stamps. Staff went to Mistletoe Street in Durham to display the five self-adhesive stamps, which feature the traditional symbols of the season

  • Centre opens to sound of samba

    A SAMBA beat echoed around a North-East coastal town as circus entertainers mingled with shoppers. Entertainment was laid on at Redcar, on Saturday, to celebrate the opening of the £26m Regent Walk shopping centre. Twenty children from Wilton Primary

  • Special ponies brought to Dales

    Hundreds of miles from their homeland an ancient breed of pony has been brought North for its beneficial grazing habits. The hardy breed thrives on poor vegetation and a small herd arrived on an organic farm in North Yorkshire yesterday to play a part

  • News in brief: Community renewal talks

    WEAR Valley Community Network is holding a conference at Bishop Auckland College on Saturday, November 30. The meeting will give groups in the area an opportunity to learn about the neighbourhood renewal plan and share ideas. WRITING AWARDS: An awards

  • Bowlers strike it lucky with competition

    THE winners of a ten-pin bowling competition at the Hollywood Bowl, in Stockton, have won more than £1,000. The 12-week Triplex competition being held at the bowling alley ended on Friday and six winners have won £1,150 between them. In first place in

  • Rock star Skin to share business expertise at fair

    A FORMER lead singer with a multi-platinum selling group will share her business expertise with students and graduates at the University of Teesside's enterprise fair. Skin, from Skunk Anansie, will be at the fair at the University's Centre for Enterprise

  • Town's cabbies among the most expensive, study reveals

    TAXI fares in Darlington are among the highest in the region, a survey has found. The figures have been highlighted by Darlington Borough Council after the town's taxi drivers voted to go on strike over the introduction of a new driving standards test

  • Peculiar drink is a smooth celebration

    IT was 175 years ago that a farmer's son decided not to follow in his father's footsteps but to strike out on his own. Robert Theakston leased rooms at the Black Bull Inn, Masham, North Yorkshire - and the rest, as they say, is history. His brewery has

  • Flagging up the stars of the union

    Q The European Union flag has 12 stars. What do these stars signify and who designed the flag? - K Young, Sydney, Australia. A The flag has been used by the European Union since 1986 but it was in fact adopted from the Council of Europe which still uses

  • Ex-pupils boost cycling

    FOUR young cyclists have secured a new cycleway and cycle lockers for their former school. Nicholas Adams, Lewys Hall, Philip Bartlett and Matthew Jefferies returned to Huntcliff School in Saltburn to receive certificates in recognition of their research

  • Taking on the toughest job

    THE next Bishop of Durham will take over at a period of unprecedented challenge for the Church of England. Glen Reynolds tooks at how the next incumbent of one of the established church's hottest seats will be chosen. IN an editorial last year, the unofficial

  • Magical day for centre

    CHILDREN from Sure Start sure had a good time at a special fun day. The pre-school children at Government-backed children's learning group Sure Start in Redcar were treated to shows from a Sri Lankan dancing girl, learned all about the circus and even

  • Hand-crafted uniform uncovered

    An exquisitely hand-crafted mascot's uniform last worn during the glory days of pit village jazz bands has seen the light of day after decades in a loft. The uniform, which once belonged George Harris of the No Place Nobblers, was brought again after

  • Angling club expansion is approved despite protests

    PLANS to extend an angling club have been approved by councillors, despite protests from nearby villagers. Bishop Auckland District Angling Club was granted planning permission to construct a club house and car park at Wadsworth Fishery, Witton Park,

  • One-site community school brought one step nearer

    A FURTHER step towards building a new £12m school in East Cleveland has been taken. Councillors have agreed in principle that a new Freebrough Community College should be constructed at Skelton, and not Brotton or Loftus. However, members of Redcar and

  • Everitt's kicking power too much for Falcons

    THE good news for England was that Jonny Wilkinson came through unscathed at Kingston Park yesterday, but the bad news for Newcastle was that he was upstaged by opposite number Barry Everitt. The man from Tipperary kicked six penalties and two drop goals

  • Police officer praised

    A police officer who was struck by a car involved in a separate alleged hit and run was today praised for clinging to the vehicle as it sped away. The unnamed officer was knocked down by a fleeing Ford Mondeo driver who had been pulled over at about 8pm

  • Green project branches out

    A FORMER binman is turning East Cleveland green. Anthony Smith, the new recycling officer for Redcar and Cleveland Council, has piloted a paper recycling project that is being expanded across the district. He set a 20-tonne-a-week target for the Blue

  • Car found on cliffs

    CONCERN is growing for the welfare of a man whose car has been found abandoned on cliffs. Cleveland Police say Alan Passmore's silver Rover had gone over the edge of cliffs at Saltburn, but had not fallen to the bottom. But there is no sign of the 54-

  • Redundancy gives workers opportunity to go it alone

    A FORMER Black & Decker worker hopes to inspire former colleagues to pursue new careers after starting his own business. Martin Laverick decided to take voluntary redundancy from the power tool manufacturer's Spennymoor plant in County Durham following

  • Distress over handling of CJD scare

    A SECOND family at the centre of the North-East CJD scare have complained about their treatment at the hands of health officials. The couple, in their 50s, who live in the Darlington area, had an appointment at Middlesbrough General Hospital on Wednesday

  • Caretaker boss sings praises of teenage star Keltie

    Darlington's caretaker manager Mick Tait is predicting a bright future for youngster Clark Keltie. The emergence of Keltie has been one of many positives to come from Tait's short time in charge, which has seen Quakers take five points from three games

  • Wearside League: Five-star Stokesley SC move top

    Stokesley SC produced a five-star performance against Boldon CA and were rewarded by moving to the top of the table for the first time this season. Third-placed Boldon almost held their own in the first half when the only goal was scored by Paul Aldridge

  • Radar installed

    A NEW radar system has been installed by the coastguard on the Tees Bay coast. The system, bought with £3,000 donated by the Lloyds TSB Foundation, was switched on last week. The voluntary organisation Coastwatch Redcar, which is open every day of the

  • News in brief: Mayor to open toy library

    THE mayor of Redcar and Cleveland will open a toy library in Marske today. The new Redcar and Cleveland Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership library is mobile, and will visit libraries across the district from next week. The service was created

  • No sympathy for West

    DARLINGTON'S most experienced campaigner, No 8 Bryan Dixon, was more concerned about the approach of West Hartlepool than about the referee after becoming the first of two players to be sent off in Saturday's North Division One derby. West lock Andrew

  • Grant aid is up for grabs

    A NEW grant aid scheme to help community groups and voluntary organisations is being launched in east Cleveland. Grants of up to £2,250 can be accessed for a range of activities, including community events, neighbourhood safety, environmental improvements

  • Gallagher error upsets Sunderland boss as Black Cats dig in

    HOWARD Wilkinson was furious with referee Dermot Gallagher last night after his blunder cost Sunderland the chance to give their new manager his first win. With Sunderland leading 1-0, Gallagher gave a corner kick after Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Dean

  • Hill walkers brave the elements for demanding race

    MORE than 100 walkers braved wind and rain this weekend to take part in an annual race across North Yorkshire. The 18th Kilburn Kanter saw 139 people from across Yorkshire, Teesside and Lancashire battle it out to find the quickest walker in two events

  • College strikes gold

    ENGLAND rugby football star Jonnie Wilkinson has presented a Darlington school with a top sports prize. Carmel RC Technology College is the first school in the borough, and one of only 50 in the country, to be granted the Sportsmark Gold award in recognition

  • Search for family of airman draws blank

    A MEMORIAL plaque to a North-East war hero is to be unveiled, despite the failure to locate his family. Organisers of the plaque are trying to find the family of Richard Bunker, from Redcar, before the event in April. Wing Commander Bunker was the pilot

  • Young film-makers impress the experts

    YOUNG film-makers put their work on display to launch a film and animation festival at the weekend. More than 20 pupils from Thirsk Comprehensive School created short films and animations as part of the Young Film Makers' Festival 2002, at the Ritz Cinema

  • Sweet success for golden ticket holder

    YOUNG chocoholics were given the treat of a lifetime at the weekend with a tour round one of the world's biggest chocolate factories. Ten golden ticket holders were given a tour of the Nestle Rowntree factory in York, to see how chocolate is made. The

  • Final service for church

    WORSHIPPERS have gathered at a Ferryhill church for the last time. The town's Salvation Army Church is closing four years before its centenary, and a thanksgiving service was held last night to mark 96 years of continuous Christian worship there. Local

  • College strikes gold

    ENGLAND rugby football star Jonnie Wilkinson has presented a Darlington school with a top sports prize. Carmel RC Technology College is the first school in the borough, and one of only 50 in the country, to be granted the Sportsmark Gold award in recognition

  • Injury time try denies unlucky Mowden

    DARLINGTON Mowden Park's bad luck continued when they were denied a deserved win by a converted try in injury time at Liverpool St Helens. They lost 21-20 and remain fourth from the bottom of National Three North, with three of their five defeats coming

  • Don't be quiet about library

    PEOPLE of all ages are being urged to join the Stockton Borough Libraries Customer Panel and have their say on library-related issues in the area. By joining the panel, library users are given the chance to air their views on how the service could be