WORLD-RENOWNED chocolatiers Idlo and Maureen Nicolello brought their skills to the North-East yesterday. Thirty students, from beginners to chefs working in the industry, benefited from their expertise during a course at Darlington College of Arts and
A Place In The Sun (C4); America's Fattest City (C4); The State Of Texas (C4); HOUSTON, we have a problem. Not in space but down on earth in the state of Texas, where size really does matter. Two-thirds of Texans are overweight, and a third can be classified
PEOPLE are being urged to contribute to a tree planting and woodland programme. Every aluminium drinks can and kilo of foil people recycle in North Yorkshire will count towards the programme, organised by the UK Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation
SOME of the most common - yet mysterious - creatures from the world's oceans will be finding a new home later this year. The Scarborough Sea Life Centre, North Yorkshire, is a staging a major exhibition on the jellyfish from Easter. Jellyfish live in
RIO FERDINAND: I AM no fan of Manchester United but I think that the FA's clumsy handling of Rio Ferdinand's failure to attend a routine drug test was deplorable. They named him before any tribunal and, with the instant tabloid media publicity, the FA
A NORTH-EAST scientist's belief in using food supplements to boost children's learning powers gets a powerful endorsement on television tonight. The new series of Child of Our Time, on BBC1, will include footage of a three-year- old whose hyperactivity
A BUSINESS specialising in motivation classes for residents in nursing and residential homes has been launched in the North-East. Motivation and Co moved into the Warrior Park Care Home, in Seaton Carew, after deciding to expand outside Yorkshire. It
A BUILDING company which started as a small village enterprise has announced a record order book for this year, with projects valued at more than £100m. The Harrison Group, which was started by the late Stanley Harrison at Rillington, North Yorkshire,
CHARTERED accountants and business advisors Keith Robinson and Co is celebrating its 25th anniversary. During the past 20 years, its eight longest-standing clients have created more than 350 jobs and increased their collective turnover by three times
ONE of the country's most popular bands is marching back to the region by popular demand. When the Band of the Royal Marines played at the Yorkshire Air Museum, near York, nearly three years ago, the museum was inundated with requests for a repeat performance
MOURNING jewellery, containers for holy relics, execution plates and memorial etchings all go on display this month at a North-Eastmuseum. The exhibits are part of After Life, a temporary exhibition that opens at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County
THEY may be far from home but that has done nothing to dampen the sporting prowess of soldiers from the region. For the second year The Green Howards are the Army's Northern Ireland boxing champions. It is the first time any battalion has won the competition
HUNDREDS of homes could be built in some of the North-East's most deprived areas if £34m of investment gets the go-ahead. Four of the region's leading housing providers will learn next month whether 40 projects are to be given the go-ahead by The Housing
A GROUP of construction consultants are celebrating after winning a project on the Caribbean island of Barbados. Faithful and Gould Consult, a specialist division of the worldwide project managers and construction consultants, was appointed by the Government
AMBULANCE crews in the North-East dealt with more than 2,500 calls between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (Tenyas) received 444 calls from midnight on Tuesday to midnight on New Year's Eve. From 12.01am
EDUCATION chiefs are pledging 'excellence for all' in a three-year plan for North Yorkshire. The Education Service Plan sets out goals and aims in North Yorkshire for everyone from toddler age to pensioners. Currently 13,000 staff are supported by 5,200
SOHAM MURDERS: LORD Mackenzie of Framwellgate claims that the tragic Soham murders show the need for compulsory identity cards. In fact, they show why they would be useless. Ian Huntley was able to get a job in a school because police did not have the
CONTROVERSIAL new guidelines that will strip local councils of their power to block building on green belt land won surprise backing last night from the North-East's planning chief. Ken Manton, Labour chairman of the North East Assembly's planning and
A SHOP owner who stocked potentially lethal bottles of toxic vodka has been fined. Officers from Newcastle City Council's Public Health and Environmental Protection department visited the Value Centre, in Newcastle, and found the counterfeit spirit on
NEW-STYLE walk-in health centres are to be opened throughout the North-East as part of a shake-up of NHS services. Three centres, designed to make it easier for people to see a doctor or nurse, will open in Darlington, Sunderland and Gateshead. Visitors
A ROMAN Catholic priest was facing jail last night after he admitted sexually abusing 18 boys over a period of 12 years. Noel Barrett, now 61 and retired, admitted 31 charges of indecent assault on boys aged nine to 13 while he was at churches in Middlesbrough
Top Ten Egypt (BBC2): Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory: After They Were Famous (ITV1): Inside Australia (five); SOME years ago I took what was described, erroneously I discovered, as "a leisurely tour of Egypt". It was anything but leisurely as we
Bishop Auckland have been given a bye into the semi-finals of the Durham Challenge Cup after Sunderland last night withdrew from the competition. Bishops were hoping for a share of a bumper gate at the Archibalds Stadium tonight until they were told that
A Place In The Sun (C4); America's Fattest City (C4); The State Of Texas (C4); HOUSTON, we have a problem. Not in space but down on earth in the state of Texas, where size really does matter. Two-thirds of Texans are overweight, and a third can be classified
A Place In The Sun (C4) America's Fattest City (C4) The State Of Texas (C4) HOUSTON, we have a problem. Not in space but down on earth in the state of Texas, where size really does matter. Two-thirds of Texans are overweight, and a third can be classified
FOR the next month, visitors will have the rare chance to see just how spacious one of the country's most magnificent cathedrals really is. The nave of York Minster, which was begun in 1280 and took about 70 years to complete, was yesterday cleared of
SUNDERLAND boss Mick McCarthy has been thwarted in an attempt to bolster his defensive ranks. Former Roker Park goalkeeper Chris Turner, now in charge of Sheffield Wednesday, revealed "a top First Division club" had enquired about defender Graeme Lee.
A CONSORTIUM linked to a possible take-over of crisis-hit Darlington Football Club broke its silence last night, revealing that it wants to involve supporters in owning and running the Quakers. Businessman Mark Meynell, a lifelong Darlington fan, is heading
A PILOT scheme that will see traffic police in a North-East force working 12-hour shifts has been given a cautious welcome by senior officers. The trial for Durham Constabulary's traffic police will start on February 1, and run for the rest of the year
THE owner of a North-East brothel is facing jail after admitting living off the earnings of prostitution. John Middleton, 60, confessed to running a brothel at the Pleasure Zone sex shop, Northgate, Darlington and at a caravan on the A1 near Bedale, North
A finance firm, set up to secure funding to help new ventures grow, has scored its first major success. NStar, the new technology finance company set up by regional development agency One NorthEast, has been given £33m by the European Union to help businesses
Fat Friends (ITV1): Carrie's War (BBC1); JUST when you've stopped feeling guilty about over-indulging over the Christmas period, along comes Kay Mellor's slimming club comedy-drama to remind everyone to keep counting the calories. This was a large, jumbo-size
BUSINESS and union leaders were in conflict last night over the UK workforce's right to work longer than 48 hours a week. The debate was sparked by the European Commission launching a consultation into the UK's opt-out from a directive aimed at limiting
THREE anglers were rescued as their fishing coble, the Ann Marie, started to sink just off Tynemouth pier yesterday. Water bubbling up from a leak around the inspection hatch of the boat rose to knee-height as the fishermen radioed for help. Tynemouth
COUNCILLORS are being recommended not to call for an environmental impact assessment on a hotel's plan to extend its golf course. The Ramside Hall, at Carr-ville, on the outskirts of Durham, plans to build extra bedrooms on part of its existing 27-hole
Voluntary countryside ranger Michael Jones will lead a 12.5 mile walk tomorrow. The walk is called Castle Eden and the Durham Coast and starts at 10am in the car park opposite The Castle Eden Inn, Castle Eden. It is part of a series organised by Durham
A men's choir is on the lookout for new voices to join its ranks. The Lyons Male Voice Choir resumes its rehearsals on Friday and particularly hopes to recruit tenors. The choir recently performed carols to members of St Andrew's Church, Blackhall, and
TWO masked men brandishing sticks left a shop assistant terrified after they robbed a post office yesterday. The men escaped with a substantial quantity of cash following the raid on the sub-post office in Charltons, a village near Guisborough, shortly
GATES installed at the entrance of a town centre street to reduce weekend violence have moved the problem elsewhere in the town, according to a taxi firm. The gates were put up to stop traffic using Yarm Lane, Stockton, between Prince Regent Street and
A SERIES of 90-minute fitness sessions will kick off at Guisborough Forest and Walkway on Sunday. The six sessions, which will be running between 10.30am to noon, are being organised by one of the walkway's volunteers, qualified athletics coach Jill Sexton
A BANNED driver was double the drink-drive limit when he rammed two police cars in a bid to escape arrest, a court was told yesterday. Teesside Crown Court heard how Robert Lee, 39, was driving a car without lights at 11pm in Newport Road, Middlesbrough
THREE North Yorkshire residents received MBEs in the New Year's Honours. The man who led the reconstruction of a North-East bridge after it was washed away in the floods of 2000 said he was taken aback when the letter informing him of his MBE dropped
CLEVELAND Fire Brigade's modernisation plans will be outlined at a meeting in Hartlepool tomorrow. Bob Scott, the brigade's district manager for Hartlepool, will give a presentation on the Integrated Risk Management Plan at the North Area Police and Community
AN inspection of council car parks in Stockton town centre found that 16 out of 17 qualified for the award of Secure Car Park status. The scheme, run by the British Parking Association, is designed to increase security in car parks and reduce car-related
RESIDENTS moving into a housing scheme in Stockton were welcomed by primary school pupils. Endeavour Housing Association, in partnership with Stockton Borough Council's housing and social care departments and the Housing Corporation, completed the scheme
AN open evening for people wanting to find out more about fostering, is taking place on Thursday. The success of the Foster Care Worker Scheme, started by Sunderland Social Services, has attracted national interest since it began in 1999. It provides
THE only way is up for a teenager who has gained his pilot's licence aged only 16. Sixth-former Daniel Swaddle is too young to hold a driving licence, but has passed his first set of pilot's exams and will sit his final tests on Thursday. If successful
VILLAGERS have welcomed a new rector to her post at a ceremony in a village church near Darlington. The Reverend Michelle Ferguson was inducted as rector of Hurworth and Dinsdale with Sockburn at All Saints Church, in Hurworth, on Sunday. Parishioners
GREEN homes are being built for tenants who want an environmentally-friendly lifestyle and low heating bills. Tenants will get heating bills of £1 per week for the houses, which are all heavily insulated and have a mechanical ventilation system. Eighteen
A ONCE deprived area of Darlington is to be transformed with new facilities giving residents more opportunities than ever before. Work began to improve the Skerne Park estate more than five years ago with investment under the Single Regeneration Budget
STAFF at an animal sanctuary have made a desperate appeal to find a home for a dog who was first looked after by them in 1991. Cross-breed, Penny was adopted from the Jerry Green Foundation Trust's Northern Animal Sanctuary in Catton, near Thirsk, 13
A FORGOTTEN industry which once breathed life into part of Teesside has been remembered in a display. Shipbuilding in Stockton and Thornaby had ended by 1931 but has now been recorded in a temporary display in the Green Dragon Museum, Stockton. The exhibition
THE magistrates' court in Northallerton re-opened yesterday, two years after it was closed for a £1.8m refurbishment. Staff hailed its first full day of operation a success, with 67 cases going through the court. The building, which is in Racecourse Lane
A GROUP of construction consultants are celebrating after winning a project on the Caribbean island of Barbados. Faithful and Gould Consult, a specialist division of the worldwide project managers and construction consultants, was appointed by the Government
SPECULATION is continuing about the future of two North Yorkshire branches of Safeway following a takeover by Morrisons. The future of the Safeway stores in Harrogate and Ripon is being questioned as both are about a mile from Morrison stores. The £3.1bn
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after thieves stole a pensioner's shopping. The 72-year-old was left with an injured knee following the incident, on Saturday, at about 2.45pm, in the Whitehouse Road area of Billingham. The victim had just got off a
EMOTIONAL Ken Hodcroft last night saluted the Hartlepool United supporters who invaded Wearside on Saturday - and admits the day will live long in the memory. Pool took the biggest number of away fans to the Stadium of Light in its six-year history as
DEVELOPMENT PLANS: ALAN Scott (HAS, Dec 20) appears to limit the countryside around Spennymoor to a distance of two miles. The keyword for the future of Spennymoor in the 21st century is diversity. This means not only the vocational abilities of the people
A new documentary highlights the Bevin Boys, who were conscripted to the mines in the Second World War but did not receive the recognition they deserved. Steve Pratt talks to one of them. ALF Gaddas was expecting to go off to war like his four brothers
THREE boozy scarecrows were making hay behind a farmer's back yesterday. While Simon Waudby was hard at work, his three scarecrows abandoned their duties for a drink around the piano. Mr Waudby was stunned when he saw the scarecrows were drinking on the
WORKERS were celebrating last night after more than 400 jobs were saved at a North-East frozen desserts factory. Staff at Hibernia Foods in Stockton had faced redundancy after the company went into receivership in October. But administrators KPMG announced
THE discovery of a large fireplace on waste ground has left historians puzzled. A number of theories have been suggested for the origin of the fireplace, which was found by antiques shop owner Bob Jordan, in Barnard Castle, County Durham. Mr Jordan was
RECRUITMENT agency North-East Workforce has created New Cuisine, a division serving the catering industry. New Cuisine will recruit staff to work for companies in hospitality, hotels, restaurants and any event where catering is needed. The driving force
UNDERRATED Upswing (12.40) possesses the potential to spring a major surprise in the Nidd Handicap Hurdle at Wetherby. Upswing has only run once this season, defying his somewhat portly appearance to occupy a perfectly respectable fourth spot over course
Darlington Arts Centre is staging an exhibition of work to help visitors appreciate the variety of workshops and events that take place there. "Photography Residency" will be on display in the foyer of the centre until January 27. Published: 06/01/04
Talented Michael Cutter is hoping to make a career out of his creative streak. With the help of the Department of Work and Pensions New Deal Scheme, he is setting himself up as an artist. Mr Cutter, 36, of Sunderland, has put together an exhibition of
LAW firm Ward Hadaway has secured a substantial investment in Arjuna Technologies. Arjuna Technologies was formed in a management buy-out from the Hewlett-Packard Arjuna Lab, and is based at the Nanotechnology Centre, in Newcastle. The company is a centre
A SHOP owner who stocked potentially lethal bottles of toxic vodka has been fined. Officers from Newcastle City Council's Public Health and Environmental Protection department visited the Value Centre, in Newcastle, and found the counterfeit spirit on
THIEVES stole vital navigation equipment from an ambulance after it was called out to an emergency, police said yesterday. The vehicle's crew members were attending to a patient in the Walker area of Newcastle when the remote controller for its satellite
FANS of the new television series of Auf Wiedersehen Pet can catch its stars reprising their roles on stage next month. Nev, Oz and Dennis, better known as Geordie actors Tim Healy, Jimmy Nail and Kevin Whately, will appear at the third Sunday for Sammy
UNDERRATED Upswing (12.40) possesses the potential to spring a major surprise in the Nidd Handicap Hurdle at Wetherby. Upswing has only run once this season, defying his somewhat portly appearance to occupy a perfectly respectable fourth spot over course
VOLUNTEERS at a charity shop are baffled about a white ceramic object that was donated to them to sell. The item, a unicorn's head just over a foot high, was among goods handed to St Teresa's Hospice shop, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, three weeks
THE construction sector expanded further last month, despite a slowdown in house price growth in the South-East of England, industry data showed. The rate of construction in the UK slowed slightly from a two-year high in November, but still registered
RIO FERDINAND: I AM no fan of Manchester United but I think that the FA's clumsy handling of Rio Ferdinand's failure to attend a routine drug test was deplorable. They named him before any tribunal and, with the instant tabloid media publicity, the FA
After already signalling a change of direction with the introduction of admission fees, the new director of the region's flagship arts centre tells Viv Hardwick why free entry is not the only ideal being ditched at the Baltic. SOME of the main aims of
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Massimo Maccarone last night reacted angrily to suggestions that he is desperate for a return to Italy in a bid to reignite his career. The £8.15m club record buy has struggled to hit top form since arriving from Empoli in the summer of
SCRABBLING around in the undergrowth of a cemetery peering at weather-ravaged centuries-old gravestones might not sound like everyone's idea of fun. But a group of North-East history enthusiasts has a good reason for doing just that. Members of Darlington
A DISABLED pensioner has persuaded Government officials to investigate the design of the disability badge after she complained to Tony Blair about a parking ticket she received. Mary Lewis, of Marwood, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, wrote to the
SADDAM HUSSEIN: I AGREE that Saddam Hussein should be tried before the courts. However, any such trial should be before an independent, international court where the trial is not driven by revenge, but by truth and justice. It should be an open trial
A CONTROVERSIAL hospital, under fire for having too few beds, was forced to close its accident and emergency unit because it was too busy. Patients needing urgent medical care in the North Durham area on Sunday were sent to hospitals in Bishop Auckland
Artist Ingrid Sylvestre is known throught the North-East as the Giraffe Lady but her latest venture takes her into the realms of footwear. She talks to Women's Editor Christen Pears. LYING on the sofa, resting a sprained ankle, Ingrid Sylvestre looked
DARLINGTON FC: SINCE its opening, the Reynolds Arena has been described as magnificent, beautiful, etc. May I add one more superlative: titanic. This giant vessel will consume money at a colossal rate, not creating a springboard for the football team,
DRINK-driving is continuing to cause concern for the police despite a drop in the numbers of offenders caught. Police forces around the region carried out breath tests over Christmas and New Year to try to catch drinkers who got behind the wheel. In North
ASYLUM SEEKERS: I HOPE F Wealand understands why Roma people, from Central Europe, may be allowed to enter Britain and stay here (HAS, Dec 29). Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, there has been an appalling rise in racism in those countries which were
The Return (ITV1) The Welsh Great Escape (C4): A WOMAN puts on make-up as though she's going somewhere special. Lizzie Hunt is - this is the day she's released from prison after serving ten years for killing her doctor husband with a broken bottle. "All
POLICE investigating the death of a baby boy who was struck by a car have appealed for people to come forward. Eight-month-old Callum Taylor died in Newcastle General Hospital last week, several days after he suffered serious head injuries when a Volkswagen
AN education specialist who devised a national curriculum for a Pacific country is to help boost the numbers of North-East youngsters staying in education. Peter Cradock, who helped create the first national curriculum for Papua New Guinea, has taken
Auf Wiedersehen Pet (BBC1); Down To Earth (BBC1); Dalziel And Pascoe (BBC1); SOME things never change. Like Oz's baggy underpants in Auf Wiedersehen Pet. They first appeared 20 years ago in the original series and there they were making an appearance
PUBLIC SERVICE: AW Dunn (Echo, Dec 24) seems to have a very low opinion of the human race. It is all very well for him to say that people in occupied countries become puppets when faced with oppressions. In occupied Europe during the 1939-45 war, local
AN education specialist who devised a national curriculum for a Pacific country is to help boost the numbers of North-East youngsters staying in education. Peter Cradock, who helped create the first national curriculum for Papua New Guinea, has taken
MIDDLESBROUGH will face Arsenal four times in 18 days after the clubs were yesterday paired together in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It is a short January spell which threatens to make or break the Riverside outfit's season. But the tie of the fourth
THERE can be little sympathy for motorists who flout the law. Those caught speeding or carrying out illegal manoeuvres deserve to be punished. In principle, therefore, there is no objection to giving traffic wardens new powers to impose fines for minor
Convent education may be on the wane but it seems there's still something about a convent girl. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports. AFTER a few pints of beer, most men will admit to a curious fascination with convent girls. They seem to think that
David Hodgson has every confidence that his struggling Darlington side can raise their game for Saturday's daunting visit of promotion-chasing Hull City. Crisis-hit Quakers remain three points adrift of relegation safety after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at
THE UK has one of the highest levels of inactivity among people of working age, despite record low levels of unemployment, a survey has found. More than twice as many people want a job, but are out of work, than show up in the official unemployment statistics
Talented Michael Cutter is hoping to make a career out of his creative streak. With the help of the Department of Work and Pensions New Deal Scheme, he is setting himself up as an artist. Mr Cutter, 36, of Sunderland, has put together an exhibition of
A YOUTH project is offering courses for young people in east Cleveland. The Doorways Youth Project, in Saltburn, works with young people to get them involved in activities. This month, artist Andy Hawkins, from Saltburn, will be teaching courses. In February
POLICE have issued a description of a man they believe stabbed a 55-year-old and left him to die in the street. A passenger in a car has told police she saw someone attacking John Wells, who was discovered bleeding to death from a fatal neck wound in
SENIOR councillors are being recommended to back a scheme to help villagers get to medical appointments. Durham County Council has won £843,000 from the Department of Transport's Rural Bus Challenge fund. It plans to spend £178,000 of that money on GP
A FAMILY doctor appeared before the General Medical Council yesterday, accused of serious professional misconduct. Dr Nabil Naroz, who lives in Hett Hills, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, stood before the Professional Conduct Committee, in Manchester
DURHAM County Council's headquarters could be the venue for citizenship ceremonies for immigrants. From next month, foreigners applying for British nationality will have to make an obligatory oath and pledge at a ceremony held by a superintendent registrar
A SKATE park project will be opened later in the year after a Christmas present for village campaigners. Members of Coxhoe Community Partnership have received confirmation of a £30,000 grant from the Coalfield Regeneration Trust. Along with £44,000 already
A REWARD was posted yesterday to help catch armed robbers who snatched tens of thousands of pounds in a bank raid. The £15,000 sum will be paid to anyone supplying information which leads to the arrest of the gang who struck at Lloyds/TSB branch in Consett
A ONE-man police station is hoping to cut anti-social behaviour in a former pit village. The office, at Leadgate Community Centre, will be the base for beat bobby Kevin Kilkenny and was opened by Durham Deputy Chief Constable Jon Stoddart. PC Kilkenny
SADDAM HUSSEIN: I AGREE that Saddam Hussein should be tried before the courts. However, any such trial should be before an independent, international court where the trial is not driven by revenge, but by truth and justice. It should be an open trial
AFTER a few pints of beer, most men will admit to a curious fascination with convent girls. They seem to think that beneath the innocent facade there lurks a budding nymphomaniac, desperate to be diverted from the path of godly devotion and ripe for corruption
A long-awaited report into what went wrong at troubled mutual Equitable Life will be published in full as soon as possible, the Treasury has promised. The Penrose Report, which was commissioned by the Treasury in August 2001, was handed over on December
Shareholders in air-filter maker McLeod Russel have been given an extra week to decide whether to approve a takeover of the group. McLeod Russel, which has its headquarters in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is considering a £28.1m offer from the SPX Corporation
A THRIVING club for people with mobility problems is hoping to attract even more members after receiving a substantial National Lottery grant. The Newton Aycliffe Mobility Club has blossomed since it was formed last year. Now, with the help of a £5,000
DARLINGTON Building Society director David Dodd clearly is not content with run-of-the-mill New Year's resolutions. For the 46-year-old, of Melsonby, near Richmond, has pledged to complete not one half-marathon this year, but 13, all to raise money for
HUNDREDS of people received a greetings card designed by a Darlington schoolboy over Christmas. Carl Hardman, 12, won a competition to create an official card for Haughton Community School. The school had 300 cards printed featuring his colourful design
PUPILS have been rewarded for their work by Darlington Rotary Club at the club's annual awards ceremony, which has taken place for nearly 50 years. Pupils nominated by teachers for exemplary conduct and school service were presented with books by club
POLICE in Darlington are appealing for information about the following crimes. Anyone who can help is asked to telephone (01325) 467681: HOUSE BURGLed: Thieves stole a computer, two television sets and ornaments from a home in Mary Court, Darlington,
SENIOR councillors are being recommended to support a scheme to help villagers keep medical appointments. Durham County Council has won £843,000 from the Department of Transport's Rural Bus Challenge fund. It plans to spend £178,000 of that money on GP-access
RESIDENTS in Sedgefield borough are being offered help to stop smoking. Smoking cessation programmes will be starting this month in Fishburn and Newton Aycliffe. The Pioneering Care Partnership, as part of its Passport to Health Project, is to run weekly
DURHAM County Council's headquarters could be the venue for citizenship ceremonies for immigrants. From next month, foreigners applying for British nationality will have to make an obligatory oath and pledge at a ceremony conducted by a Superintendent
VILLAGERS are being invited to help solve a cash crisis that is threatening the future of a community hall. It has been revealed that an extra £3,000 a year will have to be found to pay the running costs of the village hall at Gainford, near Darlington
A CHARITY that provides emergency accommodation for homeless people in Darlington is appealing for more volunteers. Nightstop, based in Grange Road Baptist Church, needs people who can provide rooms for a homeless people for one night. Anyone interested
A WOODLAND that faced the threat of being turned into a paintball park by a developer has been given added protection. Hackfall Wood, between Masham and Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, was captured by landscape artist Turner and visited by Wordsworth but was
Christmas Ruined My Life (five) The Christmas Truce (five) WHILE the other channels were stuffing themselves with traditional Christmas cheer - soaps, old movies, variety shows - five was playing at being Scrooge. There was precious little seasonal cheer
POLICE are appealing for help to piece together the cause of a road collision which left one person dead and another injured. A 35-year-old woman was fatally injured as she was getting out of a Ford Sierra in Newbiggin, Malton, at about 7.45pm on Sunday
If Freddy Shepherd was getting a bit upset last week, his 1960s counterpart Wally Hurford had professed himself "heartbroken" exactly 40 years earlier. It was January 4 1964, Newcastle United at home to non-league Bedford - a team of builders, draughtsmen
A HEROIN addict, who hanged himself in prison, had a packet of the drug in his tracksuit pocket, an inquest was told. Twenty-four-year-old addict Mark Anthony Allen was probably suffering heroin withdrawal when he hanged himself using a bed sheet, in
THE UK has one of the highest levels of inactivity among people of working age, despite record low levels of unemployment, a survey has found. More than twice as many people want a job, but are out of work, than show up in the official unemployment statistics
WITH a few carefully selected spices, a bland and unimaginative dish can be magically transformed into a tasty treat in no time at all. With their heady aromas, spices can alert our senses, arouse our appetites and dazzle our tastebuds through a mixture
THE running of two very different races is likely to dominate a profitable year for media and market research group Aegis. The group forecast a year of progress, with the Olympics and the US Presidential Election likely to boost revenues. The firm said
A MAN posing as an official was arrested after he targeted a couple's home. He knocked on the door of their home in Stockton Road, Middlesbrough, at 7.45pm on Saturday. The man kept the stranger talking while his wife went to call their Neighbourhood
With Gary Wearmouth assured of the title, veteran Pete Wilkin led the chase for late points when Velo Club 167 staged the penultimate round of the North East cyclo-cross league on a course at Mowden Park in Darlington. The Cleveland Wheelers rider, who
THE haulage industry is trying to shake off its tough image in an attempt to recruit more women. The male-dominated freight transport sector has been struggling to find enough qualified drivers in recent months. The Freight Transport Association said
SIR Bobby Robson last night labelled Jonathan Woodgate "as good as anything in Europe", and claimed the Newcastle centre-back is the man to step into Rio Ferdinand's England boots. Woodgate returned to the starting line-up on Saturday in the FA Cup third
Alec Guinness - A Secret Man (BBC2): Sir Alec Guinness told a friend he accepted the role of Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars because it gave him the chance to wear a pleated skirt and cloak. He was one of the few cast members who championed George
RETAIL group Kingfisher rose on the London stock market yesterday after a report that US DIY store group Home Depot was considering making an £8bn bid for the company. Stockbrokers were watching the situation closely after reports in the Sunday Observer
EARTHQUAKE AID: THE earthquake in Bam, Iran, has killed over 20,000 people, leaving many thousands injured and destroying 80 per cent of the city. In the aftermath of this disaster children who survived are now in a desperate situation, traumatised, without
POLICE in County Durham are hunting a masked gang who burst into a village flat and attacked a 21 year-old labourer with baseball bats on Sunday evening. The victim was struck repeatedly about the body and suffered two fractures to his left arm and extensive
UNITED STATES: THE gullibility and naivety of some people never ceases to amaze me. This has never been more apparent than in the recent visit by President Bush to Sedgefield. Underneath his affable mask is a very deceptive and cunning man who has invoked
The Brides In The Bath (ITV1): WHAT did you do on New Year's Eve? I watched that chap who used to be in EastEnders drown a woman in the bath. And then another woman. And then another. And then another... Yes, it does sound a bit monotonous, doesn't it
Assistant telesales manager, Darlington £5.50 per hour plus bonuses, 33 hours per week, seven-day rota, required for running of telesales office. Must have telesales experience. Ref: DAE 37569. Motor fitter, Darlington, £7.22 per hour, 39 hours per week
