THE wonders of the world of Captain James Cook are on show on Teesside. The latest exhibition at The Captain Cook Museum in Middlesbrough, titled The Wonders of Native Manufacturers, features exhibits from museums from across the UK. It concentrates on
A desperate mother is praying for a miracle - a return to health for her seriously-ill daughter. Doctors discovered that Joanne Russell's five-year-old daughter, Devon, had a potentially fatal heart condition after she fainted on her way home from school
A £30,610 DONATION by Biffa Waste Services will benefit villagers in Margrove, near Guisborough. The cash has paid for a boundary fence around Margrove Park Village Green, tree planting and a pathway constructed through a wooded area. Margrove Park Village
WORK is about to begin on a pedestrian crossing in Eaglescliffe following a 20-year road safety campaign. Parish councillors have been calling for the zebra crossing on Durham Lane to be upgraded to a pelican since the early 1980s. Instead, Stockton Borough
The next beach watch and litter pick at Saltburn, in east Cleveland, will be held on Saturday, January 11, from 11.30am. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Pier Car Park and are advised to wear strong shoes and gloves. Litter picks, bags and survey forms
A PLAN to fell some broad leafed trees to thin out a woodland near Ripon has brought no objections. But council planners have raised concerns about a proposed scheme to create lakes in the area. Harrogate Borough Council planners have yet to receive a
POLICE at Bishop Auckland had to call for back-up from nearby Crook station to deal with a fight in a town centre pub. The brawl broke out in the Postchaise Hotel, Market Place, shortly before midnight on Boxing Day. Officers from the two stations, supported
TWO visiting youngsters from Belarus are enjoying Christmas in comfort thanks to local people's generosity. Lindsay McNicholas, of Brandon, near Durham, and Lynda Brown, of Haswell, east Durham, raised £510 to fly Liudmila, 12, and Anastasia, nine, from
A business network group established to help the region's entrepreneurs has secured £300,000 funding over the next three years. The Entrepreneurs Forum, developed to share practical advice and support, won grant aid from regional development agency One
The Cable credit union, for people in the Cockerton and Branksome areas of Darlington, will reopen in the new year. The credit union will be open from Monday, January 6, at the offices at 108 Whitby Way. FESTIVE THEFT: Two people have been charged and
A PRE-SCHOOL scheme is to be extended in Teesdale with the appointment of a parental involvement worker. Donna Urwin, based at Barnard Castle's Richardson Hospital, will develop the Government's Sure Start Initiative in the dale. The scheme aims to improve
LAND occupied by derelict farm buildings in a commuter village is likely to be turned into a complex of 24 luxury homes, despite protests from conservationists and neighbours. Fairclough Homes Limited wants to build 15 apartments and nine houses on a
A SCHEME to build eight flats on the site of a petrol station should be given the go-ahead, a planning official has said. Tate Fuel Oils is behind plans for the site, at Skellbank, Ripon, near Ripon and District Hospital. Residents of a nearby property
THE spirit of King of rock' n' roll Elvis Presley returns to Tyneside next month. Tribute band The Elvis Years will don their rhinestone jump suits for a live performance at Newcastle nightspot, Mood, in The Gate, on January 16. It is part of a series
PROPERTY developers have been taken on a tour to help promote an area as a prime business site. More than 30 commercial property firms and developers were given a guided tour of Gateshead Quays by Gateshead Council's business team, to see how the area
EVERY single nut and bolt on a rusting locomotive is being removed, cleaned and replaced during a painstaking restoration process. The North-Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG) is undertaking its first project since moving into the Hopetown
Cable firm ntl last night denied its extensive debt restructuring programme had hit the rocks despite missing a self-imposed deadline for the deal. The operator set itself a target of exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by late November but was forced
A TEAM of architects has released an artist's impression of its vision for a new visitor centre. London firm Hoger Hare Architects won a contest to design the centre for the Grade II* listed Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield, County Durham. The winner was
A VETERAN performer and daughter of a former soap star is appearing in a free pantomime show. Jacquie Basquil, the daughter of Bryan Mosley, who played Alf Roberts in Coronation Street, is starring as the Snow Queen in the MetroCentre's festive show,
HEALTH services in Darlington have been given a boost with more money than ever being pledged from central Government. The town will receive almost 30 per cent more money over the next three years to provide health services. This year, Darlington received
Bishop Auckland College has said goodbye to a long- standing employee. Angela Shaw joined the college in 1984 as a part-time mathematics lecturer, then became senior manager of learning programmes. She has left to become head of curriculum management
A SCHOOL has received a glowing report from inspectors from the Government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). The inspectors said Greenfield Community and Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe, had some outstanding features and singled out standards
POLICE at Bishop Auckland had to call for back-up from nearby Crook station to deal with a fight in a town centre pub. The brawl broke out in the Postchaise Hotel, Market Place, shortly before midnight on Boxing Day. Officers from the two stations, supported
DEDICATED fundraisers have helped bring some festive cheer to a hospital The Northallerton and District Diabetic Club, together with the Friends of the Friarage Hospital, raised £35,000 to buy two new cameras for the diabetes clinic. The Diabetic Club
The Cable credit union, for people in the Cockerton and Branksome areas of Darlington, will reopen in the new year. The credit union will be open from Monday, January 6, at the offices at 108 Whitby Way. FESTIVE THEFT: Two people have been charged and
A SENIOR detective has been transferred to his force's headquarters pending the outcome of an internal inquiry which follows an alleged incident in a pub. The investigation involving Derwentside's acting Detective Chief Inspector, Simon Orton, centres
HARTLEPOOL'S Historic Quay has rounded off 2002 by scooping two tourist awards. It was named Large Visitor Attraction of the Year by the Northumbria Tourist Board and The Good Britain Guide declared it Living Museum of the Year. The attraction recreates
NINE people were arrested for public order offences after drinking until the early hours in a North-East town on Boxing Day. Fights and arguments broke out outside the many pubs and clubs in Middlesbrough town centre after large crowds of people spent
YOUNGSTERS were treated to a Chinese meal and an ice skating session as a reward for their fundraising work. Quarrington Hill Youth Group raised more than £7,000 to pay for two youth workers and equipment and transport. They were taken to Durham for a
NORTH-East folk fans have paid tribute after the death of a singer song-writer hailed as the Noel Coward of the North. Jake Thackray, who was 63, achieved popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with quirky, satirical songs such as Isabel, about a girl who
VISITORS to the region are being surpassed by their hosts on the amount they spend, according to a survey. Research carried out as part of work to develop a new framework for tourism in Northumbria shows that the average visitor spends £93 during their
VISITORS to the region are being surpassed by their hosts on the amount they spend, according to a survey. Research carried out as part of work to develop a new framework for tourism in Northumbria shows that the average visitor spends £93 during their
It is a dark, starlit night and the town sleeps. The bedroom lights are out, the day's business done - yet while most people slumber, a surprising number are still awake. John Dean tells the story of a night in the life of Darlington, of the people who
ONE of the region's oldest locomotives will soon be back on track with the help of £38,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Fears were growing for the future of the 1939 locomotive Merlin, a major attraction at the Timothy Hackworth Museum, in Shildon,
Football supporters will be able to park in council-run multi-storey car parks on New Year's Day. A large crowd is expected at St James' Park for Newcastle United's Premiership clash with Liverpool. With no Metro trains or buses running, many fans are
STAFF at an envelope factory delivered presents to Santa as they visited an on-site grotto to make charity donations. Staff at Washington Envelopes have been working around the clock to cope with the Christmas demand, but took a festive break to visit
CHILDCARE COURSES: Sure Start, in Stanley, is considering arranging courses on becoming a childminder, creche worker or teaching assistant.For details, call (01207) 232048. PANTO TIME: Mother Goose is being performed by the Consett Citizens' Choir from
DURHAM'S Freemen have given cash to help expand a former pit village's play park. The Durham City Guild of Freemen dates back hundreds of years to the time when craftsmen and traders, such as masons, joiners, bakers and cordwainers ran the city's affairs
EASTERN PROMISE: Chester-le-Street Community Centre is starting six-week courses in Middle Eastern folk dancing. The first is a beginners' course starting on Tuesday, January 21, at 6.45pm, followed by an intermediate course at 7.25pm. Another beginners
Gone are the days when people enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame and then faded into the background. Now they want more and it seems the recent batch of TV discoveries from the North-East are doing better than most. Steve Pratt reports. For Newcastle train
Another year, another list of TV highs and lows. Of course, we could be democratic and get you, the public, to vote. But every other programme does that, whether deciding the survival of stranded celebrities or finding the next chart sensation. So, save
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren is convinced his side can cure their travel sickness on the back of the home Boxing Day triumph over Manchester United. Boro are enjoying their best home start to a top-flight season since 1936-37. The stunning 3-1
HOWARD WILKINSON sensed when he had Gordon Strachan on his playing staff that the fiery Scot would one day make it as a successful manager. And this afternoon Sunderland boss Wilkinson will get to see at first hand just how far Strachan has come since
DETERMINED boss Mike Newell is pleading the case for Hartlepool United's defence. Pool's backline have conceded 14 goals in their last eight games and they have not kept a clean sheet since the goalless draw at home to York on November 1. But Newell,
SIR Bobby Robson last night warned he will have to patch up his dodgy defence on the cheap. The Newcastle United manager, whose back four on display at Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day cost just £2.5m, fears his sparse transfer war chest will preclude him
Darlington extended their unbeaten run to eight games on Saturday after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Torquay. Jason Fowler's 74th minute strike cancelled out Ashley Nicholls' first half opener in a competitive game which produced six yellow
Ten-man Middlesbrough's dreadful away run continued with a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday. Midfielder Mark Wilson, making only his second Premiership start of the season, was shown the red card after being harshly booked for a foul on Villa's Jaylloyd
FOLLOWING its acquisition by Japanese group Nikko Securities, the new board of the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority (THPA), put in place in the course of the past year, is beginning to realise the growth potential of its transport assets. The port is
BARGAIN hunting began in earnest in the North-East yesterday as thousands of shoppers descended upon the sales. Gleeful retailers, who had slashed prices, reported a brisk trade throughout the day with the biggest sales, at stores like Next, WH Smiths
Northern League chairman Mike Amos believes league clubs won't be encouraged by the latest move to reshape the non-league pyramid. The Nationwide Conference announced at the weekend that it intends to expand from its current 22-team format and possibly
DERWENTSIDE'S Acorn Amblers are holding a walk from 1.30pm on Sunday. The walk starts from the car park opposite the Queen's Road Surgery in Blackhill. A bus will collect walkers at 12.45pm from the former Stanley Fire Station (behind Asda), and at 1.05pm
THE tourist information centre in Stockton has moved from the Green Dragon Museum to the town's central library. The centre is on-line to offer a quick and comprehensive service.There is also disabled access and the centre has a wide selection of gift
GARY Speed has told Sir Bobby Robson he must not employ the man-marking tactics on Newcastle United nemesis Gustavo Poyet that proved disastrous last season. Poyet heads to St James' Park tomorrow, having scored five goals in his last five appearances
TORE ANDRE FLO last night predicted he is about to see the best of Sunderland strike partner Kevin Phillips. Since making the move to Wearside in August, Flo is yet to see the real Phillips stand up. Sunderland's post-war record goalscorer struggled to
A HEALTH alert has gone out after one of the first confirmed cases of influenza in the UK this winter was recorded in County Durham. Routine checks carried out by doctors at Bishopsgate Medical Centre, in Bishop Auckland, two weeks ago picked up the case
FIRE brigade officials have welcomed proposals to modernise the fire service nationally. Senior figures at Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade have described Sir George Bain's recently-published independent review of the service as offering a "unique
RAIL chaos hit the region last night after the East Coast Main Line was shut between York and Darlington for essential work. Hundreds of furious passengers were forced to queue the length of the platform in Darlington as they waited for buses to ferry
A SCHOOL has received a glowing report from inspectors from the Government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). The inspectors said Greenfield Community and Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe, had some outstanding features and singled out standards
LONG-SERVING staff from electrical company Electrolux, who have all worked at the Spennymoor plant for at least 25 years, have been rewarded with a celebration dinner to mark their loyalty to the company. The event was held at the Redworth Hall Hotel,
Up to 1,500 athletes are expected to take part in this year's Redcar Half Marathon. Entry forms for the Somerfield-sponsored event, which opens the North-East athletics season on Sunday, March 9, will be available shortly. Already, there is speculation
THE family of Dean Farmer thought they would never see another New Year with him again after a motorbike accident left him with severe brain damage. But this week his mother, Lynne Zimmermann, stepfather Guy and sisters Hannah and Lindsey, were celebrating
POLICE yesterday named the toddler who is believed to have drowned in the bath on Christmas Day as 18-month old Erin Louise Reed. Erin had been playing in the bath at 10.45am with her three-year-old sister when her mother, Melissa Connolly, 29, went to
SACRISTON Auto Services (SAS) is still open for business following a fire in a neighbouring workshop early on Christmas Eve. Boxing Day's edition of The Northern Echo reported that a building used by the firm as a garage, in the Old Colliery Yard, Sacriston
TRADERS in the market town of Pickering have been given two £1,000 grants to help produce a promotional booklet. Graham Berney, who runs the Country Collector antiques shop in Birdgate, is designing the guide, which will cover 59 traders in Pickering.
PUB regulars on one side of a river were once again celebrating their success after a bit of Boxing Day rivalry. On the other bank of the River Nidd, at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, Christmas spirits were not dampened despite futile efforts to give
FATHER Christmas visited a store in Darlington town centre to distribute presents to pupils who attend the town's Beaumont Hill Special School. Wilkinson's donated all the presents not needed for its Santa's Grotto to the schoolchildren and Father Christmas
Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT) is to welcome in 2003 with the launch of its first calendar, which has been produced to raise awareness of the services it provides. The trust is also keen to celebrate the achievements of its staff, including GP practice
CHILDREN were in full voice this week to bring festive cheer to Bishop Auckland town centre and raise money for their school. Pupils from Woodhouse Close Junior School formed a choir to sing carols in the town. The group, made up mainly of year six pupils
A DRIVER last night relived the moment he was beaten in a road rage attack which left him partially blind. Alan Bell, of Hartlepool, lost the sight in his left eye after being struck with an unknown weapon following a row with another motorist. And with
SUPERGRAN Jean Robertson has won a computer after completing four courses at Darlington College of Technology. Mrs Robertson, 58, won the computer when she designed a web page for Children in Need fundraising events at Darlington College of Technology's
A FORMER pitman's heart has never left his home town, even though he has lived away from the North-East for more than half a century. Pensioner Bill Mosey has never forgotten his old friends in Crook, and is keen to hear from as many of them as possible
LONG-SERVING staff from electrical company Electrolux, who have all worked at the Spennymoor plant for at least 25 years, have been rewarded with a celebration dinner to mark their loyalty to the company. The event was held at the Redworth Hall Hotel,
FERRYHILL Chamber of Commerce is consulting with residents on what should be the priorities for improving the town as a place to shop and work. The chamber has drawn up a form with a list of suggestions and ideas in order to get the views of local people
A PRE-SCHOOL scheme is to be extended in Teesdale with the appointment of a parental involvement worker. Donna Urwin, based at Barnard Castle's Richardson Hospital, will develop the Government's Sure Start Initiative in the dale. The scheme aims to improve
THE winners of Darlington's Queen Street Arcade Christmas competitions have been presented with their prizes. Joe Phillips, four, Sophie Carvell, nine, and Louise Callender, 13, each won £10 of Thorntons' chocolates in the Christmas colouring competition
A NUMBER of off-licences in County Durham could lose their licences after being caught selling alcohol to under-age drinkers, police have revealed. The rebuke from police comes in the wake of an undercover operation using teenage decoys, which was launched
THE cream of Hambleton's musicians will be performing next month to launch a £23,000 initiative. Fourteen youngsters will be playing in a concert to promote in2arts, an equipment bank established by Hambleton Arts. Funded by the National Lottery, the
A COUPLE'S conservatory has been named the best in Britain. Wilf and Muriel Hall, of Rowlands Gill, near Gateshead, have received the accolade from Garden News. It follows a string of other awards for the pair from Britain in Bloom, the North-East Co-op
Robbers kicked a pensioner after knocking him to the ground during a Christmas Day attack that netted them just £20. Two thugs attacked the 77-year-old man at 10.15pm on December 25, as he made his way past shops in Windsor Drive, Wallsend, North Tyneside
TWO good samaritans who saved a woman from being abducted could have important evidence about her attacker, say police. Detectives are keen to trace the pair, who intervened as a man tried to drag a 20-year-old woman into his off-white Peugeot 306 car
WHEN an unidentified mummy was discovered in a cold and dark warehouse earlier this year, nobody suspected it may have been the inspiration for a century of books and films dedicated to the sinister world of the undead. Wrapped in expensive linen, preserved
PLANS have been announced to invest up to £400,000 in public transport in east Cleveland. A study has been commissioned by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to look at providing better bus stops and transport links. It is hoped that eventually it will
ARTISTIC youngster Danyelle Woodmansey is celebrating after winning a community calendar competition. The competition was organised by ten chemical, steel and power companies on Teesside. Danyelle's picture of two horses was chosen by judges, who had
A SURPRISE Government windfall could provide a welcome boost for Sunderland City Council's under-used athletics track at Silksworth. Officials of local clubs have been told the track, which has become a virtual white elephant since being built on the
A PROPOSED multi-million pound plan to create schools and classrooms of the future has been given the go-ahead. In its final meeting before the end of the year, Gateshead Council agreed to submit an investment plan totalling almost £150m to the Government
A PROPOSED multi-million pound plan to create schools and classrooms of the future has been given the go-ahead. In its final meeting before the end of the year, Gateshead Council agreed to submit an investment plan totalling almost £150m to the Government
A NORTH Yorkshire mayor has made a New Year's resolution to do all he can to make sure one of the county's most famous beauty spots is cleared of litter. The view of Richmond Castle towering over the River Swale is one of the most painted in England.
THE tourist information centre in Stockton has moved from the Green Dragon Museum to the town's central library. The centre is on-line to offer a quick and comprehensive service.There is also disabled access and the centre has a wide selection of gift
DERWENTSIDE'S Acorn Amblers are holding a walk from 1.30pm on Sunday. The walk starts from the car park opposite the Queen's Road Surgery in Blackhill. A bus will collect walkers at 12.45pm from the former Stanley Fire Station (behind Asda), and at 1.05pm
CARRIER BAGS: THE positive response to your phone-in poll seeking readers' reaction to the prospect of a levy on plastic carrier bags (Echo, Dec 17) was most encouraging, but not entirely unexpected. For generations, environmental abuse was the price
SWIMMING about in the festive fog inside our heads are the words "North Korea" and "nuclear" that have been half-heard on the Christmas newscasts. They sound threatening and frightening, but in the holiday malaise, no one has quite worked out what yet
A symbolic day in the shambolic saga of Railtrack's demise was played out on the London Stock Exchange as the company's shares were finally shunted into a siding. The stock - now known as RT Group - were de-listed at the end of trading yesterday as part
An injury time winner from Jo Tessem denied Sunderland a valuable point at Southampton on Saturday. Tore Andre Flo looked to have earned his side a share of the spoils when he cancelled out James Beattie's 73rd minute opener, rising to head past Antti
Darlington's goalkeeping crisis took another unexpected twist yesterday when on-loan goalkeeper Andy Lonergan was forced to return to Preston after suffering a knee injury. The England under-20 shot-stopper, signed only last week on a month's loan, was
DESPITE showing no respect whatsoever for his hurdles, Newbury-bound Coolnagorna (2.00) remains one of the most exciting young National Hunt horses in the land. Trainer Jonjo O'Neill knows he has a potential champion on his hands and he's not mucking
DESPITE his usual Christmas Day kicking practice, Jonny Wilkinson is unlikely to rejoin Newcastle Falcons' Premiership survival battle tomorrow. The match at London Irish comes just too soon for Wilkinson, who expects to be fit for next Friday's visit
FORMER Middlesbrough defender Steve Vickers, the victim of Wayne Rooney's horror tackle, has rallied to the defence of the under-fire Everton striker. Wonder boy Rooney, 17, was sent off for the first time in his career when he lunged into Birmingham
Another year, another list of TV highs and lows. Of course, we could be democratic and get you, the public, to vote. But every other programme does that, whether deciding the survival of stranded celebrities or finding the next chart sensation. So, save
A CONSUMER watchdog has criticised impending increases in water bills. WaterVoice Yorkshire has expressed its disappointment that Yorkshire Water customers face a significant rise in bills over the next two years. But the action group says it is pleased
FROM the moment that Dolly the Sheep was successfully cloned in Edinburgh five years ago, it was inevitable that someone, somewhere would some day clone a human. It appears that that clone was born on Boxing Day. These are shocking and thought-provoking
A WOMAN was robbed of her handbag outside her home on Christmas Eve. The 39-year-old woman was near her home in Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, when a man attacked her and snatched her bag. He was seen running off across Woodhouse Lane
PLANS are under way to sell off an entertainment and leisure centre and pump the proceeds into other projects around the city. The proposals have been put forward by York District Sports Council, which says that more than £30m could be gained by selling
POP Idol's Zoe Birkett's plans for New Year's Eve will make her the envy of every girl in the country. For the North-East favourite is planning to see in 2003 with her fellow singer Gareth Gates. Since they appeared on ITV's Pop Idol show at the start
A MOTHER has told of her joy after her missing teenage daughter was found yesterday. And Gillian Dickinson said she would now finally be able to give her daughter, 14-year-old Sarah Jane, her presents, which had remained unwrapped under the Christmas
BRITISH scientists reacted with horror last night to reports that the world's first cloned baby had been born. A cult which believes that life on Earth was created by extra-terrestrials 25,000 years ago claimed yesterday to have created a girl called
Lisa Pearson has double cause for celebration after she gave birth to twins. But babies Eve and Holly will not be blowing out their birthday candles on the same day in years to come - because they arrived on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They were
FEARS have been voiced over plans for an all-postal ballot at a Cleveland council election next year. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been chosen by the Government to pilot an all-postal vote and electronic counting system. But independent councillor
