The Forsyte Saga (ITV1) The Royal (ITV1) FROM the moment you see her, there's no doubt that Fleur Forsyte is going to be trouble. "I'm not your daughter for nothing - if I want something I generally get it," the forward little hussy told besotted father
Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson has admitted he wrestled with his conscience before handing Lee Bowyer a second chance. The Magpies announced on Friday they had finally tied up a deal to take the controversial midfielder to St James' Park as a series
YOUNGSTERS showed off their acting skills to win parts in a pantomime written by a former Dr Who. Auditions for the show by Colin Baker, on the theme of Robin Hood Meets Local Legends, were held at Chester-le-Street's Newker Primary School on Saturday
A scheme to build a new home for Scarborough Football Club and for its McCain Stadium to be redeveloped for housing, has been revealed. Club chairman Malcolm Reynolds said talks had been held with Scarborough Borough Council officers about building a
YOUNGSTERS sampled toys of yesteryear as part of a half-term event yesterday. The Playing in the Past event is taking place at Crook Hall, Durham, until Friday. Families are invited to try old-fashioned toys, including hoops, quoits, whips and tops, boulers
A COFFEE shop and bistro in North Yorkshire has become one of the first to collect a certificate of excellence from the Real Coffee Society. The accolade identifies Sam's Coffee Shop and Bistro, in Leyburn marketplace, as one of the best coffee places
A DEVELOPER is hoping to help build a future for a child suffering from a rare disease. Seven-year-old Devon Barnes suffers from the rare Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, which includes difficulties in learning and restricted growth and affects one in every
THE final phase of a ten-year plan to revitalise a former colliery site is being realised. Construction work on land occupied by Vane Tempest Colliery, in Seaham, is being carried out by a consortium of regional house builders - Yuill Homes, Haslam Homes
A SIXTH-FORM college has pulled out of a £25m town centre redevelopment plan. Bede College, Billingham, has decided it cannot wait indefinitely for plans to build community facilities on John Whitehead Park, near the town centre. The college's decision
England star Jermaine Jenas has become the latest Newcastle United footballer to land in trouble with the police over serious motoring offences, The Northern Echo can reveal. The 20-year-old midfielder - crowned Young Player of the Year by the Professional
AN organisation has been set up to ensure elderly people are not discriminated against over health care. The County Durham Age Discrimination Scrutiny Group is asking people to inform it of unfair practice. The chairwoman of the committee is Ann Hitchman
A GOAT called Endeavour is to line up with other animals at a racecourse next month. She will be among the star attractions at an evening meeting at Thirsk racecourse next Monday. The meeting is being held as part of Herriot Happenings - a week-long celebration
A PLAN to set up a 130ft pole to measure the force of wind on North Yorkshire moorland could pave the way for a wind farm. National Wind Power has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to install a temporary anemometer on piece of land bounded by the A59
HUMAN waste will be recycled as part of a community garden project after it received £2,250 in funding. The County Durham Environmental Trust (Cdent) has awarded Brandon Allotments Ltd the cash to build a composting toilet and water collection system.
VILLAGERS are being asked to dig deep into their pockets to help ensure the survival of a centuries-old church. The financing of All Saints' Church, in Manfield, near Darlington, has come under scrutiny in the past week after officials revealed a funding
WAS it politics? Nah, they were just a load of old rubbish. And with that damning indictment of the United Kingdom's worst performance in the Eurovision Song Contest, another song was struck up and the commentator left to join the party. Liverpudlian
Ryan Sidebottom was sent off for treatment after one legitimate ball had cost him 11 runs in Yorkshire Phoenix's National League match against title-holders Glamorgan Dragons at Headingley yesterday. Gary Fellows conceded a further nine runs in completing
We were out in splendid company on Sunday night for a very pleasant meal at the Lotus Garden on Hartlepool Marina, and the time and the place were good indicators of how things change for the better. The place first: the range of good quality restaurants
Any doubts that Stockton's early-season form would be a flash in the pan were surely dispelled on Saturday when they defeated Sunderland to move into pole position. It is a far cry from last season when they managed just one victory but having seen off
AMBITIOUS Gareth Southgate has revealed a burning desire to achieve honours on the European stage could see him turn his back on Middlesbrough. The Boro centre-back has been linked recently with Newcastle United and Liverpool, although Magpies chairman
DEDICATED followers of Darlington Football Club braved the rain to snap up the first available season tickets. Queues formed despite the showers on Saturday morning at the Quakers' new stadium off thw town's Neasham Road. They prompted chairman George
A FLOCK of rare sheep is helping restore a wildlife site to its former glory. Eighteen Hebridean sheep have been taken to the Crow Trees nature reserve at Quarrington Hill, near Durham City, to stop the spread of hawthorn and gorse. The 40-hectare site
FOR most people, the discovery that they were having twins would come as something of a shock. But the Taylor family, of Billingham, Teesside, not only had this to contend with, but also the fact that one of their newborn daughters showed worrying signs
Q In Wharton Park near Durham railway station there is a headless statue of 'Albert the Good'. Who was he? - Peter Dodd, Hebburn. A The statue remains a mystery, particularly as its stone base may not have been built for it. It is the base that bears
RACHEL PARKIN'S business is blossoming and growing apace with the help of the Prince's Trust. Her Hylton Hydroponics company, based on Wearside, has been awarded further cash from the trust to cope with increased business. Ms Parkin sells equipment to
residents are to ask a rail maintenance firm to demonstrate apparatus to be used in a phase of track work. Two large machines are being brought in by contractors Jarvis next month to bed new rails at Eaglescliffe. Residents' spokeswoman Jane Orton wants
FIREFIGHTERS were called to a supermarket after a toddler got his arm stuck in a trolley. The incident happened just as Claire Doyle, 26, was finishing her shopping at the Asda store in Peterlee, east Durham, with her two small children in tow. Her younger
Wolviston, aiming to make an immediate return to the Premier Division, moved to the top of the table with a comfortable victory at Bedale. Despite making a modest 130, they had more than enough in hand as Jimmy Jones and George Sayers proved a potent
CRIME fuelled by drink is on the increase in a North-East town, prompting calls by police to call time on the granting of more late-night licences. Cleveland Police say alcohol-related disorder in Middlesbrough town centre has reached "a totally unacceptable
It seemed a good idea at the time - to provide Harrogate with a fountain or water feature in the town centre. With £5,000 promised from a sponsor and a good chance of more to come towards the £10,000 bill, Harrogate Civic Society set out to find a site
A MUSIC venue has been saved in a six-figure deal, but small North-East firms owed money will not see a penny. Newcastle Opera House has changed hands, after its former owners went into administration. Developer the Adderstone Group has bought the Grade
AMUSEUM which is home to the world's first steam turbine powered ship - the Turbinia - is to get a £500,000 grant. Newcastle's Discovery Museum has been awarded the cash to help refurbish displays around the popular exhibit. Officials said that the cash
POLICE will adopt a low-key approach despite the threat of political protest overshadowing the North-East's entry to the cricket Test match arena next month. Durham Police have pledged that spectator safety is their main concern when Chester-le-Street's
Darlington extended their unbeaten sequence to six games and are now breathing down the necks of Redcar, whose lead at the top has been reduced to just a single point. The target set by Normanby Hall posed few problems for the Feethams side who paced
DURHAM-born Joanna Burton says she knows it sounds a bit of a clich, but she always wanted to sing. It wasn't until she was in the final of the BBC Choirgirl of the Year at the age of 12 that her family began to take the idea seriously. Her dad had heard
a man saved his mother when she was in trouble in the sea without realising it was her while they were away from the region on holiday. Howard Holmes had been in Spain's Costa Dorada, with his wife Gina, 17-month-old son Elliot and parents Marion and
VETERAN football coach Sir Bobby Robson has proved he is still fighting fit by pitching in to help removal men. After selling his £500,000 home in Ipswich, Surrey, which he bought in 1982 when he ran Ipswich Town, the 70-year-old Newcastle United manager
TRADING standards officials are warning people not to be duped by letters promising cash following a spate of complaints. Officials in Sunderland have received a number of complaints about unsolicited mail suggesting that the recipient has won an overseas
LITTERBUGS are being targeted in the a local authority's latest crackdown. Following the success of a campaign to fine dog owners for allowing their pets to foul in public, Easington District Council is focusing on those who drop litter. Six teams of
A COLLEGE has been designated a centre of excellence in recognition of its quality of catering skills training. The School of Catering and Hospitality at Middlesbrough College has been awarded Centre of Vocational Excellence status by the Learning and
A REWARD scheme is being introduced in a Teesside town for food businesses that meet hygiene standards. Certificates of Inspection are to be issued by Middlesbrough Council to businesses ranging from sandwich shops, to pubs, restaurants and takeaways
CHILDREN are to be asked what they like most about their town. Their contribution is being sought in celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the signing of a charter allowing Middlesbrough to set up its own corporation and so take its place as a
A TEESSIDE firm is celebrating after winning a contract to help hundreds of RAF personnel improve their computer skills. Training organisation ClickHere has secured the two-year contract to assist staff at RAF Leeming and RAF Fylingdales improve their
A POST office is facing closure as part of a national shake-up of the service. Post Office Ltd is carrying out the restructuring because it says there are too many branches in many towns and cities for the amount of business available. The Government
BRIGHT eyes and a waggy tail is all that is needed for the county's best loved pets to enter this year's Richmond Dog Show. Kiplin Hall, near Scorton, is holding a show with a difference in its beautiful walled gardens on Saturday, from 2pm to 4pm. Pets
THE Great North Air Ambulance Service has been given a cash boost. The former chairman of Hambleton District Council, Councillor Percy Featherstone, presented the service with £100. He was given the money by the Showmen's Guild during its annual visit
A STUDENT who once struggled to tell the time has overcome her difficulties to be shortlisted for a national achievement award. Mabel Daniel was invited to the London headquarters of the entry level qualification authority Edexel, to be interviewed by
A COMPANY is flying high after winning an important contract to teach hundreds of RAF personnel how to use a computer. Training organisation ClickHere has won a two-year contract to help staff at RAF Leeming and RAF Fylingdales improve their information
QUARRY operators are asking for two more years to complete landscaping work. W&M Thompson (Earthworks), which operates Barmpton Quarry, Darlington, was given until September 1996 to finish operations and start restoration. The company was given an
TEENAGE tearaways could soon find themselves banned from entering a park, which has been selected for a £3m facelift. Anti-social behaviour orders are to be enforced against youngsters who residents say are turning Ropner Park, Stockton, into a no-go
PART of the North Yorkshire coastline that has had £85m invested in it during the past few years still needs more money, says a report. Scarborough Borough Council is looking to update its economic development strategy to boost the economy of Scarborough
AS DURHAM step up their search for a replacement for Dewald Pretorius, the South African paceman gave them a taste on Saturday of his match-winning qualities. He took three of Derbyshire's remaining four wickets in 5.2 overs at a cost of 13 runs to clinch
POLICE have launched a crackdown on rogue motor-cyclists to co-incide with school half-term holiday. Officers from Durham Constabulary's motorcycle section will be riding around the force area looking for children and adults causing a nuisance on off-road
Alec Burns, the Tynesider who dominated North-East distance running between the two world wars, has died aged 94. His first Olympic appearance was in 1932 at Los Angeles, where he finished fifth in the 5,000m and 10,000m finals. He repeated this feat
YOUNGSTERS are being shown how vital it is to get medical help to accident victims as soon as possible with the launch of a computer programme. The CD Rom is the idea of the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA) and has been distributed to schools throughout
Not one of the five leading sides won but Lanchester opened up a three-points lead over Newcastle City when they drew the match of the day. Champions Shotley Bridge won for the first time defeating Swalwell by eight wickets. Scott Kay is one of the best
HE'S not so much an entertainer, more of an institution. In a career spanning almost the whole of the last century, Bob Hope carved out an unparalleled niche as a vaudevillian, film star, comedian, presenter and all round showbiz legend. The wisecracking
Canadian justice officials have abandoned efforts to prosecute disgraced North Yorkshire surgeon Richard Neale. The decision followed a legal opinion from senior Justice Ministry lawyers that there was no reasonable prospect of Mr Neale being convicted
MOUNTAINEER Alan Hinkes will this week join veterans from the first expedition that conquered Everest to mark the moment a man stood on top of the world. The North Yorkshire climber has been invited to attend the special event in in the Nepalese capital
PREPARATIONS are under way for an annual 10km road race. More than 1,000 competitors will be hitting the road in August, including junior athletes aged 13 to 16 who will run 3.5km. Darlington Borough Council is working with Darlington Rotary Club to organise
It's hard to believe just how quickly the market in air fares has changed in this country. Through a combination of legislation, inertia and customer powerlessness, fares stayed artificially high, but how things have changed! It's probably the power and
NORTHUMBRIA Police Authority has appointed Kevin Mathieson as its assistant chief constable. Mr Mathieson was selected on Thursday following interviews by authority members at Gateshead Civic Centre. The 43-year-old, who is married with three children
DURHAM were robbed of vital practice for Wednesday's C & G Trophy fourth round tie at home to Lancashire when rain washed out yesterday's National League match against Derbyshire. The weather also deprived reserve wicketkeeper Phil Mustard of his
RACHEL PARKIN'S business is blossoming and growing apace with the help of the Prince's Trust. Her Hylton Hydroponics company, based on Wearside, has been awarded further cash from the trust to cope with increased business. Ms Parkin sells equipment to
WORK has started on a £7.8m scheme that will protect two villages from flooding. More than 400 homes and businesses in South Church and West Auckland, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, were flooded when the River Gaunless burst its banks in June 2000
Billy Teasdale's five-wicket haul set leaders Evenwood on the road to victory, but it still needed a crucial contribution from young Chris Peareth to seal a fifth win of the season. Teasdale, introduced as second change, quickly had Brandon on the back
A football team from the North-East could make an outing on the silver screen, it has emerged. Big-budget movie Goal! will tell the story of a young player from Los Angeles who makes the move to a top northern club in England. The film is a co-production
A EURO MP is campaigning for an end to what he claims is a "cartridge con trick". Yorkshire and Humber MEP David Bowe has called on the European Commission to investigate manufacturers who fit "smart chips" into printer cartridges indicating they are
Row upon magnificent row of classic American cars vied for attention at the sixth North-East American Car Club show at the weekend. Among them were Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Dodges, Chevrolets, Stingrays and Corvettes - each oozing character, machismo and
residents are to ask a rail maintenance firm to demonstrate apparatus to be used in a phase of track work. Two large machines are being brought in by contractors Jarvis next month to bed new rails at Eaglescliffe. Residents' spokeswoman Jane Orton wants
A biography of a heroic family - including World War One's only Victoria Cross-winning brothers - will be launched next week. Author and retired head teacher Harry Moses will launch his biography of the Bradford brothers, The Fighting Bradfords, at the
Yorkshire squeezed one extra bowling point out of the final day of their rain-wrecked Championship match against Glamorgan at Headingley - but then lost a quarter of it through bowling their overs too slowly. It is a slovenly habit they got into towards
