A DRIVER who took a cocktail of cocaine and alcohol before ploughing into an ambulance on an emergency call was jailed yesterday. Michael Andrew Foster, 24, of Washbrook Drive, Darlington, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and failing to surrender to custody
THE important community work done by members of a support group over the past few years was highlighted when, too busy to accept an invitation from Prince Charles, HRH chose to visit them. The story of UTASS - Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services
A PUB landlord is getting punters to sign a pledge to say they will spend more time with their families. Robert Middlemiss, landlord of the Church Mouse pub in Chester-le-Street, said families with grown-up children are less likely to get together for
CHRISTMAS comes but once a year and when it does, it lasts from the end of August until the day before Christmas Eve, when the shops start clearing the decks to start the January sales on Boxing Day. The smug have done their present buying in the July
A martial arts instructor has won the right to appeal against his conviction for murder. Anthony Bottrill is currently serving life for the murder of Bryan Scott at Kirkleatham Showground, near Redcar. The 44-year-old divorced father-of-one has won the
Division One: County Cup commitments meant only two games were played in the first division this week, Newton Aycliffe Sports Club continued their excellent form this season, when they played hosts to Shuttle and Loom. But the Sports Club were made to
Ancient Egyptians (C4): Five Go Mad In... Leeds (Yorkshire/Tyne Tees): THE spoils of war for Egyptian soldiers after the battle of Megiddo were severed hands. They measured success by the number they hacked off and collected. This was the cue in the first
Birtley Town are on cloud nine this week after becoming the League's leading scorers and extending their lead at the top of the table. "We are doing much better than I anticipated," declared happy manager David Smith. "After winning the league last season
Last weekend saw several of the County squash teams take on opponents from all around the country in Stage one of the Inter-County Championships. The very young and inexperienced County under-13 girls played the mighty Yorkshire and a very experienced
THE chairman of nuclear reprocessing firm BNFL last night announced he is stepping down, only hours before workers at the firm staged their first strike in 26 years. Hundreds of employees at the Sellafield site, in Cumbria, will strike during today's
Durham Amateur Rowing Club took part in the sixth and final event in the Long Distance Sculling series, which took place on the river Wear in Sunderland this weekend. The course proved difficult for the crews, with a bitterly cold day and a strong tide
AN ELDERLY man fell to his death at a North-East care home because the owners failed to ensure adequate safety measures were in place, a court was told yesterday. Norman Shirley, 80, was admitted to the Jenard nursing home in Hartlepool on a short stay
BUDDING athletics star Samantha Coleby is even more determined to become a success, after being inspired by one of her heroines. The teenager, from Newton Hall, near Durham City, has made it on to the England Schools athletics programme, following in
LITTLE Matilda Clough may be only six - but she's a force to be recognised when it comes to the art world. Her dramatic painting of a train in the midnight sky will soon be seen in thousands of homes and offices on GNER's official Christmas card. Matilda
East Rainton swept the board at the presentation of awards held by the Roseberry Group North East Durham League in the Country Club, Chilton Moor. Not only did they win the championship for the fourth successive year, but they also carried off all four
FROM January 2005, the four doctors in the Central Dales Practice in Wensleydale will no longer provide 24-hour cover for their patients, a stunned parish forum at Carperby heard on Wednesday evening. Chris Long, chief executive of the Hambleton and Richmondshire
Darlington bowlers are having an up and down season on many competitive fronts at local, regional and national levels. Such is the good record over many years it seems that every bowler from every club is so keen and well prepared to meet and beat the
PLANS for a £2m primary school are being opposed after residents branded access routes to the building as dangerous. About 200 people attended a public meeting in Crook, on Wednesday, to ask architects to think again about how parents, teachers and visitors
Royal Mail made a £3m profit in the first half of the financial year - the first time it has been in the black at this stage for five years. But despite the good news, chairman Allan Leighton said there was a long way to go before the organisation achieved
Barnard Castle 3, DGSOB 1: Barney were indebted to keeper Daniel Pritchard for keeping the scores level following a great double save. Old Boys then turned into benefactors as they gifted Barney the lead allowing Clint Cole to cross to Dale Dryden who
A COMMUNITY youth group in County Durham has won an award which coincides with ambitious plans to expand its facilities. Teesdale Community Resources (TCR), in Barnard Castle, this week triumphed over 100 entries to win the overall prize in the County
A NORTH-EAST lecturer will travel to Nicaragua this weekend on a fact-finding mission to see how globalisation has effected the country. Peter Mulligan, 45, a lecturer at the City of Sunderland College, is making the trip with the US-based Nicaragua Network
STUDENTS, parents, governors and teachers at a Newton Aycliffe school are looking forward to an evening of celebration. This year's GCSE results at Woodham Community Technology College produced some spectacular successes, which will be acknowledged at
A teenager faces a lifetime ban from a football club, after he admitted hurling racist abuse at a Sunderland match last weekend. The 15-year-old, from Wheatley Hill, County Durham, pleaded guilty to a charge of racial chanting at a football match when
A BUILDER is being urged to take steps to save a dance floor from the skip. About 800 tea and line dance fans have signed a petition calling for Redcar Leisure Centre's dance floor to be retained in a £45m makeover of Redcar seafront. They rate it as
A RECORD label has been set up to nurture the musical talent of the region's young people. Backed by the county council's youth service, 6K Vision has been launched to challenge the traditionally London-centred music industry. Run by young people for
DURHAM'S hidden treasures are coming into the limelight in the city's latest calendar. The Images of Durham calendar, which has won awards and is appreciated around the world, is now in its 12th edition. Photographer Royston Thomas has captured 12 landmarks
DEERBOLT at Barnard Castle remains a broadly safe environment for the 425 young offenders it houses, with progress made in addressing many of the weaknesses identified in its last inspection report. However, overcrowding and lack of resources are hampering
YOUNGSTERS from Stockton gave the environment a helping hand during their half-term holiday as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award. The group took part in an expedition to Cod Beck Reservoir, at Osmotherley, for their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award
THE SKY really is the limit for a village school. St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Brotton, has a new Lottery funded hall, with changing rooms, toilets, community room, office and reception. Headteacher John Stinson said: "This is a marvellous
A STUDENT is seeking sponsorship to enable her to carry out voluntary work in Africa. Laura Barron, from Sedgefield village, needs money for immunisations and equipment including mosquito nets, sleeping bags, a medical kit, and water sterilisation equipment
THE spirit of Christmas Past moves into the present as fragile baubles are put up for sale in Northallerton. Parish church stalwart Joan Cawthorn hopes to sell these treasured family mementoes before next weekend. She is inviting offers for a white duck-down
SPANISH doctor Ana Ramos celebrates her first year in Darlington this month with plans to continue her work in the town. Dr Ramos is one of many foreign doctors working in the UK to help meet the shortfall in the number of British practitioners. For the
TOURIST PLAN: Parish councillors welcomed a five-year tourism plan for Redcar and Cleveland. It includes the development of wet weather facilities and refurbishment of tourist attractions, such as Saltburn cliff lift, Smugglers Heritage Centre, Redcar's
GOVERNORS at a Darlington school have objected to plans to install a mobile phone mast nearby because of health fears. The board of governors at St Augustine's Primary School have registered "the strongest possible opposition" against mobile phone operator
CRIME is a major worry for rural shops and post offices, according to the annual report of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council. Chief executive Ian Strong said that last year saw staff resigning because they were too scared to carry on working. He said
ONE man and his dog are aiming to become world record beaters in more ways than one by taking part in 131 different shoots in 131 days, the maximum number possible, to raise money for two charities. Barry Atkinson, a Yorkshireman now living in Newark,
PRIZE-winning farmer Trevor Dixon has spent hundreds of hours over the years repairing dry stone walls between tending his sheep and cattle. But he is also scoring a big success by building the same type of wall on a miniature scale. At his farmhouse
AN event next month will allow people to remember their loved ones. Hartlepool and District Hospice is holding a Light Up a Life event, inviting people to sponsor a Christmas tree light at a dedication service at Hartlepool Historic Quay, on Saturday,
Worthington CIU Winter League: Crowtrees A made their promotion intentions clearly known when they moved to the top of the Second Division with a whitewash success over the visiting Langley Park. The home winners were Peter Laverick, Steve Armstrong,
A LIFE-SAVING idea developed on a Teesside chemical complex could be adapted by fire and rescue services across the country. Workers for SembCorp Utilities, on the sprawling Wilton International chemical complex, near Redcar, are using satellite mapping
POLICE and trading standards officials are keen to talk to two salesmen who are going from door-to-door selling furniture. They are selling cut price three-piece suites from the back of a white van. The suites, said to be leather, are almost hidden in
TWO men have been jailed for a petrol bomb attack on a seaside pizza shop run by Iraqis and asylum seekers. The attack, on the first day of the war in Iraq, was suggested by Gordon Robb, whose soldier brother was stationed in Kuwait. Robb even waged a
OFFICERS from three emergency services are joining forces to help raise cash for charity. They plan to raise much needed funds for the Children's Society at a charity auction, in Harrogate, this month. PC John McPartlan, ambulance service assistant general
In the Bill Godward Cup the Cestrians took the honours against Marton, but a knee injury for midfielder Rachel Furness was a high price to pay. The first half saw Laura Gibbon open the scoring with the only goal of the half in a pretty uneventful game
Richmond and Zetland Harriers: On November, Saturday 1, Andrea Woodvine competed for Nottingham University in the second North Midlands X-C League fixture at Heanor in Derbyshire. Clubs from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire
Braes of Derwent PC. - Nov 16: Team show jumping, open to teams of three or four, Holmeside, minimus, novice and open classes, sae for schedule to Linda Middleton, Grange Farm, Sunnyside, Bishop Auckland DL13 4LZ. Cleveland Hunt PC. - Nov 21: Social evening
ANY Quakers fans who expected David Hodgson to immediately cure Darlington's many problems were soon brought back to reality by last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Hornchurch in the first round of the FA Cup. The embarrassing exit at the hands of the Ryman
CREW from Richmond's adopted ship welcome the town's civic guests on board this week. On Monday, Coun Stuart Parsons, the Mayor of Richmond, headed a civic party which visited HMS Richmond at its berth in Newcastle. Guests joined Cdr Wayne Keble and senior
HAWES and High Abbotside Angling Association held their annual dinner and presentations at the Wensleydale Pantry. After an excellent meal, the secretary reported that it had been a testing season for fishers because of the low water. However, fish had
David Hodgson's Reynolds Arena reshuffle was in full flow yesterday as the new Darlington boss completed the double swoop of a promising North-East duo. On the same day striker Mark Sheeran joined Whitby Town on a month's loan, Hodgson completed the loan
A SCHOOLGIRL is streets ahead when it comes to road safety. Sophie Williams, 11, has just made history as the first pupil in the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council area to score 100 per cent in her cycling and pedestrian training. Thousands of youngsters
A SHOCKING statement by an American congresswoman has cast fresh doubt over the safety of toxic US warships now berthed in the North-East. In the news release, Jo Ann Davis spells out her delight at getting rid of the ships, saying: "They are a disaster
Easington Colliery, 9.20pm, Tuesday. "Forty one and still running," exults Andy McCreesh, leaving the field after a fortunate but fervently celebrated 2-1 comeback over South Shields. "Aye," says a teammate, "but only round and round in bloody circles
CIU League: The quarter finals of the League Knock Out Cup produced some very tight finishes but Crook Belle Vue's visit to Cockton Hill was expected to be the tightest but finished with a comfortable five points win for the visitors. Crook took the darts
Junior round-up: Sunderland Arrows gained their first victory of the season in the English U16 North A Leaguein a 6-5 win over Nottingham Cougars in the Lace City. Arrows trailed 5-3 with ten minutes left only for three goals in five minutes put them
A North-East butcher has won two of the meat industry's top national accolades. George Bolam was named personality of the year at the annual Food and Farming Industry Awards, at a lunch in the House of Lords. His business, George Bolam Foods, was highly
A JUMBO jet packed with service personnel returning from Iraq was involved in a landing incident at a North-East airport yesterday. The Boeing 747 - chartered by the Ministry of Defence to bring hundreds of men and women home from the Gulf - hit trouble
Crook Town are crossing their fingers that Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson will be able to attend his side's friendly at the Millfield against Newcastle United next Thursday. Newcastle agreed to send a team for a fund-raising friendly thanks to the
CAROLYN Corfield's rather saucy torso ceramics have another showing in Darlington at the Pizza Express in Skinnergate. Her wall-hung figurative sculpture exhibition, Reflections, opens on Sunday and runs until January 17. It is the second time the restaurant
So magnanimous is Robert Lee that should he win the npower Leading Light Award at next week's Local Heroes Awards ceremony there's a chance he might not want to collect the trophy! He's one of grassroots sport's unsung heroes as manager, amongst other
AS the debate rages over whether the ghost ships should have been sent to Teesside, isn't it interesting to read the comments of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. On this side of the Atlantic, opinions vary wildly over the potential dangers posed by the rotting
STEVE McClaren last night opened the door for Sunderland to keep Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing beyond his initial month's loan. Downing has impressed since arriving at the Stadium of Light and should play his part in the Black Cats' two remaining
A SERIES of public exhibitions is to be held regarding plans to upgrade the A66 trans-Pennine route, which aim to make it safer, improve journey times and benefit the local and regional economies. The Government has given the go-ahead for the Highways
POLICE have defended their handling of an incident which marred the aftermath of the Bedale community bonfire and fireworks display. Sgt Geoff Bush, who manages the Bedale police area, was challenged about his officers' response and about problems of
BARNARD CASTLE. - Mon show & sale of 177 suckled calves. Champion: Char X bullock JW Dent & Sons £600 to W Robshaw, Tadcaster. Prices, feeding bulls. - Lim: £560, £555 ER Thompson. Char: £440 D Smith. Bullocks. - Char: £600, £590 JW Dent &
CORUS has already earmarked £40m to pay off thousands of workers if its Redcar plant closes, it has emerged. The news raised fears that steelmaking on Teesside could be dead by 2007. In a statement, the Anglo-Dutch manufacturer issued a veiled threat
Consett Saint Patricks held on to top spot in a 3-0 win over Jesmond Parish Church. Andrew Murray, David Rowe and Rob Nichol knocking in the goals. Metro Church Sunderland got back to wining ways beating Ryton Churches 3-1 Anthony Ditchburn, Anthony Sedgewick
Lanchester Social dropped their first league points of the season when they were involved in an eight-goal thriller with Chopwell. The win still took the Social one point clear of nearest rivals Blackhill Comrades and the Lanchester side have also played
Sir, - I believe I have heard recently that there is a 15pc chance of power cuts in this country this winter. This, I understand, is due to our demand for electricity and the likely inability of the generators to meet that demand. We have partly brought
Cyril Pattison, an ever helpful and always affable blacksmith, was making sparks fly this week. He was smiling broadly as usual when I looked in on his new workshop following his enforced departure from the centre of Barnard Castle, where he was a notable
Richmond Town: Richmond Town Under-8s played their first match away to Barnard Castle. A confident display by the Richmond team saw them run in ten goals without reply. Some excellent finishing by Adam Cocks saw him notch eight of the goals courtesy of
MPs have demanded more Government cash to end the neglect of road and rail links into ports such as Tees and Hartlepool. A report by the Commons transport select committee has attacked the Government for not funding desperately-needed infrastructure improvements
AN author is appealing for help in finding a propeller blade from a fighter plane which was signed by a North-East war hero. Ken Chester says the location of the blade, which appears in a photograph of members of the 41 Squadron at RAF Catterick in 1940
Bedale Club Dinner: One of the major social events in the club's calendar was held in the clubhouse on Friday and this year attended by not only captains of other clubs and union officials but also the president of Yorkshire, Dennis Trickett and the president
DARLINGTON police were put out of action by one of their own officers when called to quell a Hallowe'en party crowd. The four were called to a fight outside the stadium bar at Darlington's Reynolds Arena, where they were surrounded by revellers trying
A mental hospital in the North-East has been chosen to pilot a way of treating potentially dangerous patients. The personality disorder unit at St Nicholas' Hospital, in Newcastle, which services the entire region, will be the first dedicated unit of
A County's new team of police inspectors spelt out their intent to tackle anti-social behaviour and disorder yesterday. The 13 County Durham community inspectors have been given the task of tackling what police describe as "quality of life issues," which
A MAN convicted of sexually abusing a boy and girl over a number of years was yesterday jailed for three years and six months. Durham Crown Court heard that William Sherrington, now 64, systematically abused the boy from 1973 to 1980, when his victim
CURFEWS, in the form of church bells, are still rung at several venues around Britain, albeit not for their original purpose. Most of us associate them with official instructions to get off the streets and go indoors between certain specified hours, usually
A CORONER has criticised two young thugs who walked away after running down a pensioner in their car and leaving him to die. The fact that neither Christopher Eade nor Robert Webber were brought to justice enraged the family of pensioner Jimmy Mulligan
Fairs Software Tyneside Junior League: Only one game was played at the weekend and Seaham Red Star maintained their 100 per cent record defeating Consett 4-1. Nicky Martin struck a hat-trick and Daniel Appleby was also on target for Red Star, while Consett's
WE first stumbled on the Holly Hill Inn in a state of some desperation. A family outing to the first Dales Festival of Food and Drink had entered the slightly farcical stage when it became clear that getting a meal in Leyburn that day was going to be
Premier Division, Belle Vue Old Boys 1 Blackhall Hardwick 3: Hardwick were made to work hard for their victory by Belle Vue, but eventually proved to be too strong. Matthew McBurney's fine through ball created the first for Martin Walton but Vue equalised
THE last day, the final fling, at Doncaster on Saturday as far as Flat racing on turf is concerned for this year, and how marvellous to see Scott's View land the CIU Serlby Stakes, a Listed race, under Joe Fanning. Mark Johnston's charge seemed better
Darren Burnham hit three goals for Whitehill against his old club Durham Victoria Bridge. Mark Elliott got two with Graham Embleton adding to the tally. Nick Barker replied for Durham. Hartlepool Town had a fine 3-0 win at home to a strong Durham City
Darlington Railway are having a lean spell at the moment, nothing they do seems to come, shots hit the bar or the posts and if they make an error it always ends with a goal being given away. They lost 7-0 away to Hylton Castle for whom all they did came
SUNDERLAND manager Mick McCarthy is the latest big name guest to announce he is coming to the sell-out Local Heroes Awards 2003. McCarthy, who has the Black Cats flying in Division One, will join Boro boss Steve McClaren on the top table at the event
TOWN councillors are considering special measures in an attempt to stamp out trouble in Bedale Hall park. The question of curfew and warning signs was raised at the council meeting on Monday after an incident involving about 50 teenagers, which marred
Work to improve one of the country's most dangerous roads could take several years, the Highways Agency warned last night. A series of public consultations are being held on plans to create six sections of dual carriageway on the A66 trans-Pennine route
Crook Individual League: The inaugural Championship was clinched in the final frame of the two hundred and forty matches when David Craggs completed a whitewash victory over Adam Martin when Martin came up dry on the break and Craggs cleared up. Craggs
A GROUP of dads and their children were recently given the chance to try out their football skills with professionals. The fathers took part in the Dads Aloud event, which was organised by Roseann Szomoru, full service schooling co-ordinator for The Hermitage
October was, in this era of "global warming", a rare, cold month. It was distinctly so in some areas and especially at night. It was the first appreciably colder than usual month since last October. The margin by which it was below the average, here at
STOCKTON councillors have approved plans to extend a private school, despite strong objection from villagers. More than 1,100 letters and a 1,500-signature petition against plans submitted by Red House School, Norton, were received by the council. Residents
THE Wild West comes to Stanley next week when the Lamplight Arts Centre is transformed into Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, for South Moor Amateur Operatic Society's production of the musical, Annie Get Your Gun. It tells the story of sharpshooter Annie
THE managing director of Teesside Airport has explained the decision not to re-name the site after explorer Captain Cook. Airport bosses are expected to agree to change the name to Durham-Tees Valley in the next few weeks, as part of a £20m overhaul.
WHEN the Salvin family built a new parish church for Croxdale at Sunderland Bridge in 1845, the addition two years earlier of Hett Village to the parish must have been an important factor. Hett, which had no church of its own, increased the population
TRIBUTES were paid last night to a referee and father-of-two who died while playing in a five-a-side football match. Paul Adamson, 43, of Glebe Road, Harrowgate Hill, Darlington, collapsed during the final of the Durham County Referees' annual competition
Parklands regained top spot when they just edged out D&E Locksmiths by the odd goal in nine. D&E lead through Craig Bell only for Danny Watcham to level from the spot. Andy Leach put Parklands in front before Ben Lithgow tied the score at the
NURSERY children now have their own toy library. Nearly £1,000 has been spent on toys and games for the new library at Roseberry Primary School's nursery in Pelton. Under the Sure Start Chester-le-Street initiative, children are allocated a game a week
ACCUSATIONS of a breach of rules against a parish council leader have been scotched. Members of Romanby Parish Council backed their chairman, Coun John Smith, when they debated the matter on Tuesday. He later said he hoped this would draw a line under
LEADING Russian organist Ekaterina Melnikova returns to St Gregory's Church, Bedale, next weekend to accompany Bedale Festival Choir in an uncut performance of Handel's oratorio, The Messiah. Trumpets and timpani will be played by members of Orichalcum
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - The autumn of 1903 will stand out as one of extraordinary and continuous rains. From 21st September to 3rd November rain fell every day except on October 3rd, that is, with one exception, 43 consecutive days. The total
MORE than 60,000 teenagers in North Yorkshire are to benefit from a project designed to ease the pain of growing up. A Young People's Network is to be launched, pulling together the many youth organisations that run independently across the county. The
A STUDENT at Egglescliffe School has been named as principal percussionist with the National Youth Orchestra. Danny Allinson, 17, began percussion lessons with Tim Plaice, a teacher with the Tees Valley Music Service, at the age of 11 when he attended
Newfit Services Willington: The Prospect Club made their second big consecutive win to throw off the memories of two heavy defeats and lift them up the table after only dropping three points to Sunnybrow Brown Trout B, who just managed to edge up from
A man has been given a new lease of life thanks to a gift from his father. When Craig Vickers, 32, had to go on to dialysis after being diagnosed with a suspected industrial disease, his father, Peter, 55, immediately volunteered to donate one of his
THE final round of the Richmond Motor Club youth championship was held at Ironbanks near Richmond last Saturday. An entry of 52 young riders and their fathers rode the four-lap, ten-section course mostly based round the slippery banks and wood. Overnight
A LOCAL Conservative MP featured prominently in the slimmed-down Shadow Cabinet announced this week by new party leader Michael Howard. David Curry, who represents Skipton and Ripon, was named as shadow secretary of state for local and devolved government
Norton Under-13 B drew 2-2 in a tough but entertaining match with a physical Hartlepool St Francis side. St Francis scored within two minutes catching Norton cold, but the home team hit back after good work from Michael Bell & Cooky on the left, Danny
Stuart Bowes gave Stanhope Town a first minute lead against Evenwood White Swan. The visitors came back to 1-1 at half time and went on to lead 4-1 through John Simpson, Neil Teasdale and Kevin Watson (2). Sub Andrew Dinsdale pulled a second back but
DETAILS have been unveiled for a £1.45m bus station in Stanley, which it is hoped will help regenerate the town. Stanley's 30-year-old bus station, on the A693 town centre bypass, will be replaced by one sited on the nearby Mary Street car park. The development
BUSINESSES across the North-East and Yorkshire are haemorrhaging more than £110m each year due to energy waste. The Carbon Trust, the national body set up to cut carbon emissions by business and public sector organisations, yesterday launched a national
While many parents would prefer to feed their children organically, it is not always easy to find tasty foods at affordable prices, as Shoptalk discovers. BRITISH babies are going organic - and it's easy to see why. Sales of organic food in the UK have
WITHOUT wishing to be alarmist, a 5-0 thrashing at Chelsea in the week when his old mate Peter Reid was sacked by Leeds must serve as a dual warning for Sir Bobby Robson. Although they have not been so ludicrously profligate as the Yorkshire club, Newcastle's
Bishop Auckland and District League: Crook Olde Horse Shoe closed the gap at the top to two points after they edged through a very tight home game to beat Henknowle Manor by the odd point. This leaves Spennymoor Ash Tree at the top with just one match
ANTIQUES worth tens of thousands of pounds are to feature in the Tennants autumn catalogue sale at their auction rooms in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. The sale includes nearly 1,800 lots and takes place on November 19, 20 and 21. Paintings, furniture, jewellery
MINERS' PENSIONS: RETIRED miners and their families in County Durham will be wondering if they will ever get a decent pension. Many still struggle to get by despite a lifetime working in the industry. After years during which the Government raked off
THE Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra packs a mighty punch and it did a good job of bowling over an audience at Newcastle City Hall. A memorable evening, under the baton of Zoltan Kocsis, began with George Benjamin's Sudden Time, which swirled
CRIME and the fear of it is a major worry for rural shops and post offices, says the annual report of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council. The council's chief executive Ian Strong said: "This is evident in rural post offices with a number of high profile
A MINING company will begin a major environmental project after being awarded the UK's largest payout from the European Union's Life Environment programme. Cleveland Potash plans to spend £3.3m returning the unusable part of mined ore to its underground
THE world's leading supplier of catalysts to the methanol market is to showcase its latest development at the World Methanol Conference this month. Johnson Matthey Catalysts, of Teesside, will present a new generation of catalyst to help manufacturers
FIRE chiefs in the North-East are considering radical proposals which could see all the region's brigades sharing one control room. The idea is being explored as part of the integrated risk management programme which the Government has ordered all brigades
WHEN the Salvin family built a new parish church for Croxdale at Sunderland Bridge in 1845, the addition two years earlier of Hett Village to the parish must have been an important factor. Hett, which had no church of its own, increased the population
MEMO to self: I must not use this column to rant about referees. Right, now I've got that out of the way, I can get on with discussing Willington Under-15s' heroic efforts at Birtley Town last week. We were beaten 2-0, but after the capitulation against
THE multi-million pound development of a National Army Museum in the North will not be going ahead as planned, it has been confirmed. The project at Catterick Village is on hold because of fears that certain legal requirements cannot be met. But hope
CHESTER-LE-STREET station is to be added to the Intercity route - but warnings have been issued that unless more hotels are built, the town will lose out on trade. Virgin Trains has just announced that it will soon be stopping its high-speed trains at
Wilton: Gateshead were this week's visitors to Wilton 1st as the Teessiders looked to continue their climb up the table. The home team took time to adjust their formation and went a goal. However, men of the match Peter Brewer and Scott Morton worked
HARTLEPOOL United boss Neale Cooper has introduced two more young guns to the first-team - and he has every confidence in them. Jack Wilkinson and Darren Craddock were given their debuts in last Saturday's FA Cup win over Whitby. The pair arrived as second-half
LOMANA LuaLua is pleading with Portsmouth to renew their interest in him and end his Newcastle nightmare. The Democratic Republic of Congo striker has incurred the wrath of Magpies boss Sir Bobby Robson after complaining on his personal website that he
Fashion designer Stella McCartney was in the region today to show her support for patients who are battling cancer. The world-renowned designer, whose mother, Linda McCartney, died of breast cancer five years ago, planted a silver birch to mark the official
A HOSPITAL which served a North-East community for more than 60 years is finally being demolished. Sedgefield Community Hospital was built as an emergency military hospital in 1941 and was expected to have a working life of ten years. But the hospital
JUST over a year ago the Darlington & Stockton Times took the civic leaders of Richmond to task over the state of the town. Commenting on the number of empty shops and the apparently inexorable decline in the town centre's fortunes, we wondered why
A bus driver has been treated in hospital after being struck by a pool ball, thrown the cab window as he drove across Teesside. Cleveland Police say the incident could have had "disastrous consequences'' - and could even have killed the driver and any
New guidelines will allow Caesareans only where there are medical reasons. Christen Pears looks at how the cost of the 'too posh to push' brigade is affecting a woman's right to choose. VICTORIA Beckham, Madonna and Zoe Ball are among the growing number
MODERN commercial commercial farming could exist alongside conservation, Teresa Dent, chief executive of the Game Conservancy Trust, told the audience. Describing a GCT project undertaken with funding from members, charitable trusts, farmers, landowners
Goldsborough v Lingdale Utd: Goldsborough began the game with the wind at their backs and dominated the play from the kick off. Marsay took Goldsborough into the lead after 15 minutes, scoring from eight yards. The Lingdale defence were under constant
A £385m expansion programme at the Asda supermarket group created 1,790 more jobs than expected, the company said. Wal-Mart owned Asda planned to recruit 3,900 staff. Wal-Mart also reported a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent in sales at its international
FARMERS have been urged to look at ways of making more use of their grass - but Dr Dave Roberts, head of the SAC Dairy Research Unit, urges a degree of caution. "I do think some enthusiasts have gone overboard with grass, using it as much as possible"
CAMPAIGNERS who oppose a college campus being built on a playing field last night expressed delight at a Law Lords' ruling on the issue. Washington First Forum wants the sports arena at Princess Anne Park registered as a village green. The designation
A NORTH-EAST teenager is due to complete a David Blaine-style stunt this evening. Chris Williams, 19, has spent a week in the public gaze, on a sofa in the window of The Lounge, in Neville Street, Newcastle. The business management student took up his
REPRESENTATIVES from Tyneside will attend a conference in Barcelona this week to progress plans for the Tall Ships' Race 2005. Newcastle-Gateshead formed a partnership with the three other European cities hosting the race - Waterford, Cherbourg and Fredrikstad
TWO drug addicts, whose children were taken into local authority care, suffered a setback in their bid to see them, at London's Court of Appeal yesterday. In July, at Middlesbrough County Court, Middlesbrough Council was given permission to ban the parents
BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed of last week. Fwd: 2,028 sheep. Lt lambs to 93.1p av 87.8p; std to 112.2p av 100.6p; med to 112p av 102.2p; heavy to 102.1p av 96.9p. Cast sheep: Mule to £44.50; cont to £52.50; Swale to £30. DARLINGTON. - Thurs of last week. Fwd
TWO County Durham schools have won an award for their efforts to teach pupils about other countries. Cockton Hill Infants School, Bishop Auckland, and St Patrick's RC Primary School, Consett, have been given the British Council's International Schools
ALMOST a month of nervous tension has ended for 16-year-old Abby Blackburn with the news that she has been selected for the under-19 England women's rugby squad. The selection procedure started in the late summer with open trials, from which 50 hopefuls
Fifty years after its exposure, it is still regarded as one of the greatest scientific frauds of all time. Nick Morrison looks at Piltdown Man - and how the search for the culprits goes on. EVER since Charles Darwin claimed we came down from the trees
A teenager faces a lifetime ban from a football club, after he admitted hurling racist abuse at a Sunderland match last weekend. The 15-year-old, from Wheatley Hill, County Durham, pleaded guilty to a charge of racial chanting at a football match when
A COMMUNITY is taking a trip down memory lane by holding a reunion for former residents. People who lived in South Church between the 1920s and the 1960s are invited to the event at Cockton Hill Working Men's Club, Bishop Auckland, on Saturday, December
VILLAGERS are angry at plans to erect a mobile phone mast near a housing estate. Hutchinson 3G has lodged a planning application for a 15 metre mast next to the A690, near the A1(M) junction at Carrville, near Durham. The proposal has yet to go before
NORTH-EAST tourism bosses descended on Darlington yesterday for a workshop on improving visitor attractions. The event, at the town's Railway Centre and Museum, was set up so that rail-related attractions which are linking together as part of a heritage
A MAN who went missing after walking out of a hospital ward may have travelled to Manchester, police said last night . John Pedalty, 59, has not been seen since he left Darlington Memorial Hospital on Monday. Inspector Steven Steen, from Darlington police
BUFFALO are not the commonest sight on the North Yorkshire landscape, but a cheesemaker's success could change that. Thirsk's Shepherds Purse uses locally sourced water buffalo milk in its Buffalo Blue cheese, which has beaten competition to win a gold
FURIOUS farmers are threatening the future of a pioneering Farm Watch scheme, feeling targeted by the very people they aim to assist. Feelings are running high among residents in the isolated communities of Upper Teesdale. Several have told the D&
A TEN-YEAR-OLD from Richmond has qualified for the finals of the World Irish Dancing Championship in Belfast next year. Frances Finn has been Irish dancing since she was six and won the North-East under-12s qualifying round of the competition, in Gateshead
POLICE and trading standards officials are keen to talk to two salesmen who are going from door-to-door selling furniture. They are selling cut price three-piece suites from the back of a white van. The suites, said to be leather, are almost hidden in
Public toilets that are more disabled-friendly have opened at the Gateshead MetroCentre. The block, in the centre's green mall, also includes baby change and feeding areas and has been designed to be more water efficient.
A County's new team of police inspectors spelt out their intent to tackle anti-social behaviour and disorder yesterday. The 13 County Durham community inspectors have been given the task of tackling what police describe as "quality of life issues," which
A WOMAN could have died in a house blaze because fire crews were dealing with a stolen car that had been dumped and set on fire by vandals. "The actions of those people who stole the car could have caused a tragedy," said Tony Churchill, station manager
Sunday's match at Notts County was Shildon's biggest in 42 years and despite the result it proved to be a great day. Although Shildon, the lowest ranked team to reach the 1st round this year, were massive underdogs, over 1,000 supporters made the trek
COMPUTER fan Steve Matthews is the proud owner of an X-Box after entering a competition organised by the Richmondshire Broadband Group. The contest was part of the group's campaign to bring broadband Internet communications to the district. Steve, from
JASON McAteer is set to end more than a year of injury misery by returning to boost Sunderland's promotion campaign. The Sunderland captain, who has spent most of the last 14 months on the sidelines, is aiming to play for the reserves against Blackburn
FIVE closed circuit television cameras are to be installed to ease congestion and improve road safety in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Harrogate Borough Council has announced that £210,100 is being spent on the cameras for some of the busiest roads in
TWO County Durham schools have won an award for their efforts to teach pupils about other countries. Cockton Hill Infants School, Bishop Auckland, and St Patrick's RC Primary School, Consett, have been given the British Council's International Schools
Darlington Allstars: The Under-12s took on Norton and Stockton Ancients away in the league and this was a game they had to win. The Allstars started well and the score at half time was a 0-0 draw. Norton went ahead 1-0 early in the second half, and the
GEORGE BUSH told last night of how he was looking forward to visiting North-East next week - and how he was concerned that he might not be able to understand the local accent. In a wide-ranging interview, the US President revealed that during his three-day
DARLINGTON Mowden Park will draft in Newcastle Academy lock Andy Buist for tomorrow's National Three North match at home to unbeaten Waterloo. Described as a 6ft 5in athlete, Buist will fill the gap left by Kelekolio Paino, who is to have a scan on his
Durham League, Division Two: Belmont Pumas v Old Houghtonians: A fast moving game settled down into a basket for basket affair until Graham hit six straight points for the Pumas. Houghton who had a more controlled build up used Burlinson well enable Smailes
MORE than 1,500 people have now been arrested in the continuing crime crackdown in North Yorkshire. Since Operation Delivery was launched in September a total of 1,562 men and women have been picked up. Chief Constable Della Cannings has pledged there
WITHOUT wishing to be alarmist, a 5-0 thrashing at Chelsea in the week when his old mate Peter Reid was sacked by Leeds must serve as a dual warning for Sir Bobby Robson. Although they have not been so ludicrously profligate as the Yorkshire club, Newcastle's
Events area three results:- Singles: D Fenwick (Hpool) 15, A Kirtland (Dton) 21; K Skipp (Thornaby) 19, P Hartley (Hpool) 21; J Hanmer (Shildon) 21, M Bertram (Hpool) 2; P Payne (Gt Aycliffe) walkover. Junior singles: D Andrews (Hpool) bt D Ray (Hpool
A HOUSE in Wales has been a cause for celebrations in Yorkshire. The York Handmade Brick Company, at Alne, near Easingwold, has won the trophy for the Best Single House in the 2003 Brick Awards. The award recognises the company for its work on a house
SIX people appeared in court yesterday charged with conspiring to supply heroin. It follows drug raids in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, on Wednesday. The six appeared at Richmond Magistrates' Court for a preliminary hearing and will go before Teesside
LATALOMNE (2.55) deserves a change of luck in this afternoon's £25,000 Showcase Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but that is patently untrue for Latalomne, who crashed out at the second last fence in both the 2002
Darlington Travellers Rest and Darlington The Mowden had an excellent encounter although the scoreline of 7-2 belies the actual difference of play between the teams. Travellers opened the scoring through Chris Hall but by the interval Mowden had hit back
Hartlepool MP Peter Mandelson today launched an outspoken attack on critics of a deal to scrap a fleet of toxic ships in the North-East. Mr Mandleson claimed opponents were "peddling falsehoods" and portraying the town as a dumping ground for toxic waste
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A NORTH-EAST schoolgirl's campaign against bullies, which was highlighted in The Northern Echo, has won her a national award for moral courage. Joanne Geldart, of Ferryhill, County Durham, won an inaugural Anne Frank Award in the under 21s category. The
THE Riding For The Disabled Association's Unicorn Centre at Hemlington, Middlesbrough has set up a new fundraising scheme for Christmas. The Adopt a Pony scheme offers people a chance to make friends with a horse or pony of their choice at the centre,
EDUCATION chiefs are threatening to take legal action against a mother to resolve a wrangle over school drinking water. Steven Tindall, five, has been kept away from Whitecliffe Primary School, Carlin How, by his mother, Lisa, since early September because
Sir, - I certainly agree that there is growing disquiet about the proposal for a pedestrian bridge over the River Tees at Barnard Castle (D&S, Nov 7). Apart from the environmental issues, there are other issues at stake. Teesdale Marketing, an un-elected
Easington Colliery, 9.20pm, Tuesday. "Forty one and still running," exults Andy McCreesh, leaving the field after a fortunate but fervently celebrated 2-1 comeback over South Shields. "Aye," says a teammate, "but only round and round in bloody circles
Gold for Billingham pair: Rebecca Leighton, 14, and Michele Gray, 14, from the Billingham Forum Lifesaving Club, struck gold at the RLSS National Lifesaving championships on Saturday. Held at the International Swimming Pool in Sheffield, Rebecca and Michele
A staggering new record was set on the middle reaches of the Swale on Saturday when Kippax's Johnny Bath bagged 79.10.0 during the Middlesbrough AC Anglers Choice Rosebowl fished between Gatenby and Baldersby. Patience and little and often drip feeding
Darlington's unfailingly affable Mayor, Coun Ron Lewis, is rarely lost for words but found himself flummoxed when he offered to do a favour for one of his constituents recently. Returning from a practice for last Sunday's Remembrance Sunday service and
A NORTH Yorkshire teenager has set her sights on attending the British Eventing squad trials next season. Rachael Lupton, aged 16, from Awmack House livery yard, Thornton le Beans, has had an exceptional year eventing with her two horses. All she needs
BUDDING tennis star Jonathon Gunn is getting a helping hand from his local leisure centre. For the Hambleton Council facility in Stokesley is opening its gym doors to the teenager. Managers are allowing him to train alongside regular users rather than
A NORTH-EAST celebrity has turned down the chance to pose for Playboy. Emma Nicholson, 24, formerly Emma Padfield, was recently voted ninth in a list of the most beautiful UK woman by readers of mens' magazine Maxim. It led to an offer to pose for Playboy
Kings Head 6 Thornaby Mandale 1: Aoutstanding first half display enhanced the King's Head's title chances when they brushed aside the current champions. Brian Crawley set the Guisborough side on it's way as early as the second minute when he headed home
THE RE-STAGED inquest into the death of a Consett serviceman in secret military chemical warfare tests has been put back to the New Year. Wiltshire and Swindon coroner David Masters is to hear the circumstances leading to the death of Ronald Maddison
A driver has been found guilty of grievous bodily harm after an argument over a packet of cigarettes led to tragedy. Alan Rees was also found guilty by jury at Teesside Crown Court of attempting to pervert the course of justice and dangerous driving.
Sir, - Many people, including leading archaeologists, are incredulous at the loss of the prehistoric landscape and associated archaeology around the unique ritual Neolithic and Bronze Age Thornborough Henge complex. In 1991/2 Tilcon commissioned a pre-planning
Ferryhill Town Youth Under-10s were at home to Bishop Auckland St Mary's C and won 10-0. A great team effort again saw Ferryhill 5-0 up at half time. Nathan Ball got his first hat-trick while Reece Wooley and Jake Pearson also found the back of the net
A COUNCILLOR has branded a committee's plans to hold a development workshop at a golf club as a waste of money. Durham County Council's overview and scrutiny committee will hold the event at the Mount Oswald Golf Club, in Durham City, instead of at county
BEN Gill, president of the NFU, warned that climate change was one of the biggest challenges to be faced, with first estimates saying the unusually long hot summer across Europe had resulted in lost food production totalling 13bn euros. "It is a lot of
In the league, Pelton Crown Inn got back to winning ways with a 6-2 success over the Gateshead Black Bull. It was even at one stage after Crown went 2-0 up only to be hauled back on to level terms. Crown's Stephen Cameron was the star of the show with
The Government is setting up pilot centres to treat a potentially dangerous form of metal illness. Barry Nelson visited a North-East hospital which is preparing to tackle the problem of personality disorder. FOR someone who has been asked to treat some
THE complete re-organisation of the NFU, involving scrapping all the existing committees, has caused concern among some members. Here Richard Ellison, regional director of the NFU North-East, explains what the review means at a local level. AS part of
NEWTON Aycliffe got back into the swing with a comfortable home win over Lakeside last week. Aycliffe's season appeared to be on the rocks after they dropped points recently - including a 5-3 defeat against rivals Old Shildon five weeks ago. But they
CLUB FOOTBALL. Publisher: Codemasters. Format: PS2. Price: £39.99. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 3. Publisher: Konami. Format: PS2. Price: £39.99. FIFA 2004. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Format: all major. Price: £39.99. CHRISTMAS is coming and games publishers
A MAJOR review of the competition laws should be carried out to help UK farmers compete in the new world after CAP reform. Both Richmond MP William Hague and Ben Gill said farmers were being urged to co-operate and collaborate, but competition rules made
Sir, - In response to your correspondents from Vets for Hunting (D&S, Oct 31), may I draw the attention of your readers to some facts. The 530 vets in favour of hunting are only a tiny percentage of the 14,000 or so vets in the UK. Most vets (96pc
DIABETICS who also need kidney dialysis have new hope of a life-saving operation with the decision to make a North East hospital a "centre of excellence". The Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, is one of only seven across England that will receive Government
North-East Premier League: Recent fixtures in the Northern Division saw a triple success for the teams based in North Yorkshire, with Ripon beating Tennis World Middlesbrough 3-1, Next Generation York doing the same to David Lloyd Newcastle, and North
VILLAGERS have clashed with a new pub landlady over late night noise from the Three Tuns at Sadberge. Objectors to an application by Marie Kenny for a public music entertainment licence said there had been noise going on well into the small hours from
POLICE and trading standards officials are keen to talk to two salesmen going from door-to-door selling furniture. The cut price three-piece 'leather' suites being sold from the back of a white van - heavily shrouded in polythene wrapping - are in fact
Tow Law Area League: Tow Law Rose and Crown visited the league leaders, Esh McKennas and edged through to an odd point victory, a result which cost the home side their top spot as they were overtaken by Esh Stag's Head. The Stag's only dropped two points
A MAN dressed as Santa Claus was arrested after allegedly taking advantage of people at Consett Bus Station. The 51-year-old Derwentside man was arrested on Friday last week. A Durham Police spokesman said: "A man has been arrested, for allegedly obtaining
A COUNTY Durham farming family is racing towards a brighter future after harnessing its knowledge of horses to launch a new business with the help of Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme. David and Anne Davies and their son, John, launched the new venture
Hambleton Radio's trial broadcast has been hailed a success. The nine-day experiment was to establish if a local commercial radio station would be popular with listeners and business in the Northallerton area. Station manager Brian Cooper said: "I was
East Durham Cadets Under-12s kept up their 100 per cent record on Saturday with two more wins to make it 12 out of 12 so far, beating Newcastle A 4-1 and Consett Blackfyne 3-0. Boldon suffered their first defeat in the Under-16s, losing 8-0 to Darlington
A BID has been launched to improve life for more than 11,000 people in rural East Cleveland. An application is being submitted to the Government for £2.6m from the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme, which would be invested to develop community
by Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture THE only description of the wheat market is "strong and volatile". Prices are moving £3 a day, mostly upwards but with the occasional correction. Firmer US markets and lack of domestic selling are the two main factors,
RURAL folklore or traditional countryside skills can be learned at a series of workshops for conservationists. The free events are being planned in Durham and Chester-le-Street, following the success of a workshop on the secret lives and folklore of woodland
Durham HQ maintained their lead at the top of the table, with a 6-2 win at Newcastle. The Tyneside team remain bottom but this was only their second league game and were obviously rusty. The league meeting this week, will see them pick up points for matches
THE ghost ships seem to have crossed the Atlantic without poisoning the ocean - but they do seem to have dredged up a few red herrings on route. One such fishy tale is the suggestion from a member of Friends of the Earth that the hulls of the ships are
WORK is due to start on preserving Eston's Victorian cemetery wall following a campaign by residents. Concerned residents had pressed for repairs to the 160m-long sandstone wall - built in 1860 - as it suffers from severe erosion. Now Redcar and Cleveland
THE ghost ships seem to have crossed the Atlantic without poisoning the ocean - but they do seem to have dredged up a few red herrings on route. One such fishy tale is the suggestion from a member of Friends of the Earth that the hulls of the ships are
Division One, Carlin How 3, SMG Redstripes 1: The home side took the lead when Martin Say's volley into the six yard box found Frank Moran who slotted the ball in. The visitors were back on level terms when Anthony Photopoulos scored. Tyreman pulled off
