WHENEVER someone mentions the term self-made man I always start looking around for the wind they've been sailing close to. At first sight oddball auctioneer Michael Hogben seems to have come from the early dodgy dealings days of David Dickinson, the Bargain
ELECTRONICS firm Filtronic last night sounded an upbeat trading message as it looked ahead to the rest of the year. Chairman Professor David Rhodes said in a statement to shareholders at its annual meeting that trading after three months of the year was
NATIONAL women's cross country champions Chester-le-Street switch their impressive talents to the road as they try to score a first victory in the North of England Four Stage Relay Championships at Warrington today. The Cestrians became the first women's
IF not exactly a turbulent priest, for that is now a clich, our old friend the Vicar of Ferryhill may be said - a succession of clerical high-ups have probably said it - to be a man of firm opinions. Thus it was something of a surprise at the start of
NEALE Cooper admits that two months ago he needed convincing about the merits of Chris Westwood. Westwood, ever-present in last season's Hartlepool United promotion side and The Northern Echo's Player of the Year last season, failed to make an impression
NEWCASTLE'S suicidal tendencies cost them a precious point and the chance to escape from the Premiership's bottom three last night. Under-fire leaders Arsenal defied their growing army of critics to move four points clear of Chelsea and Manchester United
IT has been a busy week for the asterisk. The poor little fellow has been flying all over our newspapers, even appearing in the Times' main front page headline. It has been called upon to cover up the deficiencies in Alastair Campbell's vocabulary. His
Three months after resigning from the Cabinet, Alan Milburn is returning to the political fray. In a frank interview, he tells Political Editor Chris Lloyd where New Labour is going wrong - and why Tony Blair can draw inspiration from Margaret Thatcher
DARLINGTON Football Club chairman George Reynolds warned yesterday that the club faces closure unless it is allowed to hold events other than football matches at its new stadium. The warning came at a court hearing in Newcastle, where Mr Reynolds argued
AT the age of 66, Tommy Steele says he is facing the biggest stage challenge of his life to play the title role in Scrooge at Newcastle's Theatre Royal next month. When others are considering bus passes and retirement, Steele said he was tricked into
WHAT would have seemed almost impossible ten years ago becomes reality today when Darlington's two rugby clubs meet in national league combat at Mowden Park's Yiewsley Drive ground. Given that both teams want to display their skills rather than get sucked
SEVEN companies have been celebrating their achievements at Darlington Business Venture's annual awards. The event was held at the New Grange Hotel, in Darlington. Les Mooney, owner of the Gulp Cafe, won the overall Business Achievement award. New Business
A FATHER blamed for the death of his baby daughter by a coroner will not be prosecuted. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyers have reviewed the case against Gary Hughes for a third time and again decided there is insufficient evidence to take it to
WELL, that's it, it's official then, summer has come to an end. We have passed the autumn equinox, the first bands of heavy, sustained rain have hit us, the amber-tinged leaves are starting to float down from the trees, and, most tellingly of all, Stokesley
A TEENAGER and his neighbour have been hailed heroes after saving a young couple from a blazing flat in a complex which residents are campaigning to be demolished. Seventeen-year-old Robert Stubbs and Allan Caswell, 48, rushed to help a woman in her late
DESPITE improving their tally of championship wins from one in 2002 to five this season, Durham are still not happy with their batting and are considering signing another Queenslander. Although they already have South African Test opener Herschelle Gibbs
NEWCASTLE'S suicidal tendencies cost them a precious point and the chance to escape from the Premiership's bottom three last night. Under-fire leaders Arsenal defied their growing army of critics to move four points clear of Chelsea and Manchester United
IN an ideal world all children would do well at school but the reality is very different. Many youngsters require long-term one-to-one help to overcome reading, writing, concentration and behavioural problems. Unless these serious problems are overcome
England make one change from the side that lifted the trophy last year for next Tuesday's Seniors Home Internationals at Seaton Carew. Patrick Garner, a former England cap from Sunningdale, joins the team for the four-sided encounter. Garner made his
Q We have a joint retirement pension of £181.70 a week as our only income, plus savings of £3,000. Can we get any help with our rent of £51.76 a week and council tax of £777.25 a year? A You should be getting a Council Tax Rebate of nearly £10 a week
THE centre of Durham will be filled with thousands of cars taking new students to the university next weekend . About 2,500 young people will arrive a week tomorrow for their first term. Up to 700 cars are expected to travel along Saddler Street to the
HUSBAND-and-wife fraudsters, who conned thousands of people in a nationwide work from home scam, lost their home yesterday on the orders of a judge. Richard Alderson, 32, and his wife, Alison, 35, of Briarhill, Chester-le-Street, County Dur-ham, advertised
IT has been a busy week for the asterisk. The poor little fellow has been flying all over our newspapers, even appearing in the Times' main front page headline. It has been called upon to cover up the deficiencies in Alastair Campbell's vocabulary. His
MICK McCARTHY insists a new trend is about to become the order of the day in English football - goalkeepers scoring goals. After Sunderland's Mart Poom headed in a late equaliser at his old club Derby last weekend, Leeds' Paul Robinson repeated the feat
DESPITE improving their tally of championship wins from one in 2002 to five this season, Durham are still not happy with their batting and are considering signing another Queenslander. Although they already have South African Test opener Herschelle Gibbs
THE family of tragic holidaymaker Christopher Rochester said yesterday they had suffered a "rollercoaster of emotions" during a trial of five medical staff accused of neglecting him in his last hours. The 24-year-old, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham
MILLIONAIRE businessman Duncan Bannatyne has got the go-ahead to expand a North-East hotel, despite objections. Darlington Borough Council has granted permission for a four-storey extension to the north-eastern side of the Grade II-listed Grange Hotel
SEVENTY years of Women's Fellowship meetings at a Darlington church are to be celebrated. A celebratory lunch is being arranged for Saturday, October 18, at Elm Ridge Methodist Church, Darlington. Former president of the Women's Fellowship, Ruth Howard
PUPILS from Haughton Community College, in Darlington, enjoyed continental celebrations to mark the European Day of Languages yesterday. Students sampled French delicacies while Haughton's radio station, Radio Rockwell, filled the halls with continental
A dance night with the Border Bend Duo accordion and drum outfit takes place in Castleside Workingmen's Club, near Consett, on Friday, from 7.30pm to 11.30pm. Tickets are £5 and proceeds will go to Macmillan Cancer Relief. For further details, contact
WALKERS are being helped to get out into the countryside over the next few months. Durham County Council has devised a programme of almost 70 guided walks between October and December. The first will be on Wednesday and is a 14-mile trek from Cow Green
PRIMARY school pupils in Darlington will be clearly visible when they walk to and from school in future. The borough council is offering fluorescent yellow jackets to all primary school children to mark international Walk to School week, from October
THE new headteacher of one of Darlington's leading schools has pledged to work closely with parents to boost education opportunities. Pat Howarth, who has taken over Hummersknott School and Language College, has a clear vision of how he wants to enhance
COUNCILLORS have approved plans for a nature reserve in Darlington. Estate leaders on Firthmoor feared the proposals would be rejected because of concern from Teesside International Airport about bird strikes. But airport managers decided not to object
WHAT would have seemed almost impossible ten years ago becomes reality today when Darlington's two rugby clubs meet in national league combat at Mowden Park's Yiewsley Drive ground. Given that both teams want to display their skills rather than get sucked
Sedgefield and District Rose Society's annual show attracted a high quality of exhibits in the Golden Lion Inn. Former Sedgefield Town Council gardener Les Parrish won the Harkness Cup for best exhibit in the three roses in vase or box. Mathew Waite retained
ORGANISATIONS far and wide took part in the World's Biggest Coffee Morning yesterday. And staff from energy company npower, which supports the Macmillan Cancer Relief charity through its Health Through Warmth scheme, led the way. Workers tucked into cakes
COFFEE mornings throughout Teesside raised money for Macmillan nurses. About 1.5 million people took part in the world's biggest coffee morning across the UK yesterday. Gill Owens, whose father and first husband died from cancer, attended a coffee morning
DOZENS of people have been rewarded for striding towards a healthier lifestyle by completing a fitness challenge. A ceremony was held on Thursday for people who rose to the Ton-Up Challenge, and reached 100 miles by jogging or walking at Peases West athletics
THE centre of Durham will be filled with thousands of cars taking new students to the university next weekend . About 2,500 young people will arrive a week tomorrow for their first term. Up to 700 cars are expected to travel along Saddler Street to the
NOW that the go-ahead has been given for its bid, Morrisons may be about to take its place among the big three supermarkets - Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. Predominantly northern-based until now, and with a strong presence in the North-East with 15 stores
FOOTBALL fans who have worked tirelessly to save one of the region's oldest football clubs are celebrating victory. Residents, businesses and supporters pulled out all the stops to raise vital funding for floodlights at Evenwood Football Club. The 113
EIGHT hundred balloons filled the sky above Bishop Auckland when school pupils did their bit to support an education scheme. Pupils from three secondary and nine primary schools in the town sold balloons for £1 each to take part in a sponsored race from
A SUPPORT group is to be formed in Wear Valley for people with a debilitating illness. A series of public meetings will be held next week to highlight the need for a local group for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), which is also referred to
VETERINARY staff are hoping to reunite an old, blind cat with its owners. The black tom, thought to be about 14, was found in the Bolton Grove area of Bishop Auckland last weekend. Staff at Paul Wilson Veterinary Surgeons, in Tenters Street, took in the
THE survival of a Dales festival is being threatened by a lack of volunteers to help organise it. Sue Constantine has been the driving force behind the Middleham Festival, along with stalwarts John and Dawn Woodward. But Mrs Constantine has now been asked
A REPORT on the impact of a ban on hunting on a North Yorkshire district concludes it is unlikely to have more than a minimal impact on the local economy. Councillor Mike Bury wanted Harrogate Borough Council to urge the Government to rethink its strategy
THE centre of Durham will be filled with thousands of cars taking new students to the university next weekend . About 2,500 young people will arrive a week tomorrow for their first term. Up to 700 cars are expected to travel along Saddler Street to the
Three retired engineers from Newcastle University have come to the aid of the world-famous Water Research Institute, in the Czech Republic, which lost thousands of books during last year's flooding in central Europe. The flooding caused serious damage
THE group behind plans for a heritage centre in Whitby has come to the rescue of an old lifeboat which helped save 16 lives. Built in 1918 and stationed in the North Yorkshire harbour from 1947 to 1957, the rowing boat had been in the lifeboat museum
A CD-ROM teaching aid on diabetes and pregnancy is to be launched at a North Yorkshire seminar later this month. The event, aimed at midwives, has been organised by the Maternity and Diabetes Educational Trust, in Thirsk, in conjunction with the Friarage
THE rebuilding of the North-East economy will come under the spotlight at a conference next month. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) holds a regeneration conference in Tyneside and Amsterdam on October 8 and 9. It will examine the future
AN east Cleveland centre celebrated the launch of a new pre-school playgroup and website yesterday. Leapfrogs, which opened its doors at the beginning of September after the closure of the Loftus playgroup, will meet every morning in the Sure Start Centre
NOW that the go-ahead has been given for its bid, Morrisons may be about to take its place among the big three supermarkets - Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. Predominantly northern-based until now, and with a strong presence in the North-East with 15 stores
AN east Cleveland centre celebrated the launch of a new pre-school playgroup and website yesterday. Leapfrogs, which opened its doors at the beginning of September after the closure of the Loftus playgroup, will meet every morning in the Sure Start Centre
WHENEVER someone mentions the term self-made man I always start looking around for the wind they've been sailing close to. At first sight oddball auctioneer Michael Hogben seems to have come from the early dodgy dealings days of David Dickinson, the Bargain
DARLINGTON are hoping to be in party mood after this afternoon's visit of Boston United to the Reynolds Arena. Quakers have a great chance to extend their unbeaten run, though manager Mick Tait last night delivered a warning to his in-form side, who can
NEALE Cooper admits that two months ago he needed convincing about the merits of Chris Westwood. Westwood, ever-present in last season's Hartlepool United promotion side and The Northern Echo's Player of the Year last season, failed to make an impression
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT: A NORTH-EAST Regional Assembly, a Geordie Parliament, will have little or no benefit to the region. The proposed location in Durham is only a ploy to make readers think this is a half-way location between Tyneside and Teesside which
ENTERTAINER Darren Day will be spending the pantomime season in the North-East. He will play Buttons in the Sunderland Empire's production of Cinderella, which will also star CBBC presenter Kate Heavenor, as Cinderella, and singer Tim Churchill as Prince
BRITAIN'S most powerful woman trade unionist Frances O'Grady called for a relationship of mutual respect with the Government yesterday, after the unions faced criticism from Alan Milburn. The former Health Secretary had earlier sent out a stark message
ACTOR Michael Sheen has played real people before. He's been Mozart, Caligula and is preparing to play Dylan Thomas in a new film. But his role in C4's political drama The Deal was altogether more scary, playing not only a British Prime Minister but one
A FATHER blamed for the death of his baby daughter by a coroner will not be prosecuted. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyers have reviewed the case against Gary Hughes for a third time and again decided there is insufficient evidence to take it to
How Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren must wish he had Kevin Phillips in his starting line-up this afternoon, rather than against him. No doubt at St Mary's today McClaren will afford himself the luxury of a closer look at the former Sunderland striker
DARLINGTON Football Club chairman George Reynolds warned yesterday that the club faces closure unless it is allowed to hold events other than football matches at its new stadium. The warning came at a court hearing in Newcastle, where Mr Reynolds argued
MILLIONS of under-achieving children across the world stand to benefit from ground-breaking research carried out in the North-East. The world's biggest trial of food supplements suggests that simple food supplements can radically boost brain power. It
A COLLEGE has launched a new service for businesses in Teesside. Redcar and Cleveland College is offering a wide range of courses, allowing businesses to find many of their training needs locally. The courses provided, which are specifically tailored
CRAFT FAIR: The Biddick Arts Centre is hosting an Arts and Crafts Fair, from 10am to 4pm, next Saturday. There will be free parking and entry to the event. PLAY OF THE HEART: Dark Heart is being staged by the Washington Theatre Group at 7.30pm today,
REGIONAL government for the North-East and Yorkshire could be one of the "great transforming reforms" of the 21st Century, Peter Mandelson said yesterday. The Hartlepool MP was speaking to 1,000 guests, who included England football manager Sven Goran
A QUESTION mark still hangs over the future of a North-East hospital - despite attempts to reassure protestors last night. More than 50 people took part in a rally yesterday around the perimeter of the University Hospital of Hartlepool. They were expressing
A TEENAGER and his neighbour have been hailed heroes after saving a young couple from a blazing flat in a complex which residents are campaigning to be demolished. Seventeen-year-old Robert Stubbs and Allan Caswell, 48, rushed to help a woman in her late
DARLINGTON Football Club chairman George Reynolds has warned that the Quakers could fold if he is not allowed to make money from events such as car boot sales. Mr Reynolds saved Darlington FC, saying he invested £5.2m. He built a stadium which is one
ACTOR Michael Sheen has played real people before. He's been Mozart, Caligula and is preparing to play Dylan Thomas in a new film. But his role in C4's political drama The Deal was altogether more scary, playing not only a British Prime Minister but one
ACTOR Michael Sheen has played real people before. He's been Mozart, Caligula and is preparing to play Dylan Thomas in a new film. But his role in C4's political drama The Deal was altogether more scary, playing not only a British Prime Minister but one
DURHAM have signed West Indian all-rounder Gareth Breese on a one-year contract. As his parents are British he can be considered an EU-qualified player, but he will have to play for Jamaica this winter as an overseas player. Born in Montego Bay, he is
St Luke's Church, in Ferryhill, has withstood many changes in its 150 year history, but retains its warmth as well as its characters. IF not exactly a turbulent priest, for that is now a clich, our old friend the Vicar of Ferryhill may be said - a succession
A NORTH-EAST man has organised a fundraising event to help buy vital equipment for his two-year-old granddaughter. After Bethany Tayla Woods was born, it became clear that there was something wrong with her hands and feet. Tests, including an MRI scan
IT has been a long, frustrating and at times traumatic fight for justice, but the family of Christopher Rochester can now be satisfied their quest has not been in vain. With the help of the 24-year-old's friends in Chester-le-Street, Mr Rochester's mother
STEVE McCLAREN last night urged former Middlesbrough target Kevin Phillips not to give up on earning an England recall. Phillips joined Southampton, Boro's opponents this afternoon on the south coast, from Sunderland in a £3.5m deal in the summer. The
STEVE McCLAREN last night urged former Middlesbrough target Kevin Phillips not to give up on earning an England recall. Phillips joined Southampton, Boro's opponents this afternoon on the south coast, from Sunderland in a £3.5m deal in the summer. The
Wearside League: Regardless of the outcome of their game with Wolviston at Jack Clark Park, Cleadon SC will still lead the table tonight. They are four points clear and manager Doug Key reckons his side is in pole position on merit. "I know critics claimed
SUPERMARKET group Wm Morrison last night landed a major blow to its larger rivals as the Government cleared the way for it to bid for Safeway. Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt gave the family-run firm the go-ahead to take over the UK's fourth
A PENSIONER used a baseball bat to fight off a drunken intruder who was attacking his grandson, a court heard yesterday. The man, in his 80s, was woken in the early hours of the morning by the sound of his grandson wrestling downstairs with another teenager
POLICE in Darlington are appealing for information after several thefts. A car radio was stolen from a Peugeot 206 car in Ainsley Grove overnight yesterday. Thieves raided a home in Rothbury Drive on Thursday night and stole two mobile phones and a radio
RESIDENTS of one of the region's prisons joined the attempt on the record for the world's biggest coffee morning. Women at Askham Grange invited the local community to join them, as they served coffee and cakes in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief. An estimated
BURGLARS broke into a house in Heighington, near Darlington, but fled empty-handed. Thursday's attempted raid followed two other daytime burglaries in Heighington and Redworth, when watches, cameras and alcohol were taken. A man was disturbed breaking
THE second phase of Darlington's kerbside recycling scheme will start next month. Fifteen thousand homes in the town will join the 9,000 already taking part on October 1. During September, 120 tonnes of recyclable goods, including paper, glass, textiles
A TOWN'S mining heritage has been commemorated in an impressive mural which was unveiled yesterday. The mural has pride of place in the Dean Bank Literary Institute, in Ferryhill, which is undergoing an extensive programme of renovation. As part of the
WELL, that's it, it's official then, summer has come to an end. We have passed the autumn equinox, the first bands of heavy, sustained rain have hit us, the amber-tinged leaves are starting to float down from the trees, and, most tellingly of all, Stokesley
POLICE have been accused of failing to tackle rowdy youths who make pensioners' lives a misery. Elderly residents are living in fear of teenagers who gather in gangs outside their homes at Dipton, near Stanley, said local councillor Reg Ord. Coun Ord,
A COUNCILLOR charged with three sex offences was too ill to attend court yesterday, his solicitor said. Harry Devine, 52, of Wooler Drive, Billingham, Teesside, failed to appear because of cardiac problems. In his absence, magistrates decided to transfer
WALKERS are being helped to get out into the countryside over the next few months. Durham County Council has devised a programme of almost 70 guided walks between October and December. The first will be on Wednesday and is a 14-mile trek from Cow Green
A SCHEME has been devised to prevent organisations' activities in Sedgefield village clashing. Sedgefield Community Association, in conjunction with the Business Forum, plans to establish a village events calendar, published yearly with quarterly updates
AN in-house band officially opened the South Tees Business Centre yesterday. The centre, in Puddlers Road, Middlesbrough, which houses 36 businesses, was launched by musicians connected with the complex. Adrian Beadnell, enterprise development officer
CLEVELAND Police is to receive extra help with the arrival on the streets of additional community officers. Twenty-two newly trained civilian Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will go on patrol from Monday. Cleveland Police said they would tackle
Sedgefield and District Rose Society's annual show attracted a high quality of exhibits in the Golden Lion Inn. Former Sedgefield Town Council gardener Les Parrish won the Harkness Cup for best exhibit in the three roses in vase or box. Mathew Waite retained
The Richmond Meet committee is planning a Festival of Remembrance at the town's Zetland Christian Community Centre on Saturday, November 8. All three armed forces will be represented at the event but any military organisations that would like to parade
DAVID CHAPMAN has never advocated a policy of allowing his horses to put their feet up, so the swift reappearance of last Saturday's Ayr Gold Cup winner Quito (3.05) in this afternoon's £70,000 Tote Trifecta Handicap at Ascot comes as no surprise. "The
RADIO listeners have given Durham's hospice a financial boost by bidding in an on-air auction. Durham Local Radio (DLR), which is coming to the end of a month-long temporary licence, held a four-hour auction last Saturday for St Cuthbert's Hospice. Items
A LEARNING awards scheme has been expanded. The Learning and Skills Council Tees Valley and Connexions Tees Valley have extended the Celebration of Learning Awards 2003. Previously, the awards were for those aged between 13 and 19 but the new category
YOUNGSTERS have been learning to play unusual musical instruments. The instruments are being made from unused off-cuts of yellow gas pipe donated by gas pipeline company Transco to the Teesside Play and Educational Resource Centre, known as Percy the
A RECORD number of trainee engineers have been recruited at a Teesside college. A student engineering programme has attracted 130 young people, including two girls. They will undertake the two-year course and aim to enter an industry sponsored Advanced
LITTLE Sophie McGee is hoping to have Christmas all wrapped up. The ten-year-old and fellow pupils Lucy Smith, Oliver Giles and Katie Gibson are taking a crash course in learning Saami, the language of Lapland. Sophie took the top prize in the North-East
A MAYOR has issued an appeal to traders to stop fireworks being sold to children. Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond has written to about 60 shops in the town reminding them of the law and warning of tough action if they break it. The letters have been
A SUNDIAL depicting the history of a North Yorkshire village has been unveiled. Residents of Middleton Tyas commissioned it for the village green with money left over from a golden jubilee party last year. It was made by stonemason John MacLaren, from
IT has been a long, frustrating and at times traumatic fight for justice, but the family of Christopher Rochester can now be satisfied their quest has not been in vain. With the help of the 24-year-old's friends in Chester-le-Street, Mr Rochester's mother
Teenager Cressy Holmes-Smith helped children's dreams come true when she finished the Great North Run earlier this month. The 17-year-old, from Ingleby Greenhow, raised £750 for the Make A Wish Foundation for children with life-threatening illnesses.
A PANEL set up to tackle Harrogate's traffic problems has met to consider ideas suggested at a public meeting earlier this year. During peak times, Skipton Road and Wetherby Road are often at a standstill. Suggestions have included banning parking on
A FAMILY trust has agreed to buy the former North Yorkshire home of Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII. The lure of an Englishman's home literally being a castle caused great interest when Snape Castle, between Bedale and Ripon, went on the market
A SKILLS guru is on a mission to help thousands of workers in the region who have numeracy and literacy problems. Valerie Stephenson has been appointed as a workplace basic skills advisor to the Learning and Skills Council in County Durham. She will help
DARREN Day seems to have almost given up trying to escape the tabloid-awarded title of Britain's biggest celebrity love rat. He's broken the hearts of so many beautiful girls that it's hardly surprising to find him clad in a blue uniform at Sunderland's
