Archive

  • School rewarded for promoting healthy living

    A SCHOOL is celebrating after it was recognised for promoting healthy lifestyles for a second time. St Godric's RC Primary School, Newton Hall, Durham, has again been awarded the County Durham and Healthy School Standard. It reflects the school's commitment

  • Deal to help clean up allotments

    MEMBERS of a day centre in Darlington have agreed to help clean up a local village's overgrown allotments. About six of the 20 plots at the Bell View allotments, in Middleton St George, near Darlington, are covered in weeds and rubbish that has been tipped

  • Rising crime prompts action call from police authority chief

    POLICE are being urged to concentrate on a recent increase in crime. The demand comes from Councillor Ken Walker, chairman of the Cleveland Police Authority, who was concerned at a 6.9 per cent rise in crime last month and a 1.8 per cent fall in the detection

  • Survivor of the forgotten war

    For almost 30 years, Mike Kelly has maintained his silence over what happened in the jungle in Borneo. Now for the first time, he is able to tell his story. Neil Hunter reports. GROWING up in one of the toughest parts of the North-East was doubtless a

  • Dodgy definitions and doubtful directions

    CORUSCATING as always, last week's column reflected upon Collins Gem Dictionary, umpteenth edition just published. Via former Redcar and Cleveland council leader David Walsh, we'd also raised an eyebrow at the word "standee", now used by Arriva to mean

  • A future of being flogged

    Twenty years ago, we thought the future would see us travelling on monorails and having plenty of free time. But it seems we're more slaves to the workplace that ever. SO what happened to all this free time then? You remember - about 20 years ago the

  • Woman seen weeping where note was found

    A woman was seen weeping at a beauty spot shortly before a teddy bear with a mysterious note pinned to it was found stuffed into railings. A dog walker saw the woman being comforted by a man in the car park at the Broken Scar picnic site in Darlington

  • Smoking ban clears the air in city's indoor market

    A MARKET'S management says a ban on smoking has been a success so far and improved the air quality. The ban on lighting up anywhere in Durham Indoor Market was introduced on Monday last week in response to requests from customers and traders. Eileen Wood

  • You write...

    DEVOLUTION I AGREE with every word of Mr Taylor's letter (HAS, Mar 4). Scotland has sought devolution for years knowing that it would be much better off, by more than £400 per head. The reason for the above and why Scottish MPs can vote for and against

  • Community call for action over gangs

    COMMUNITY leaders on a Darlington estate are writing to police to ask for their help in clamping down on increasingly serious levels of anti-social behaviour. Branksome residents have complained about youngsters swearing, using fireworks as weapons and

  • A rude awakening for unruly teens

    Brat Camp (C4): THIS is a programme that should be shown to all wayward teenagers - as a threat of what could happen to them if they don't behave themselves. Six parents at the end of their tethers have sent their seriously unruly offspring to the RedCliff

  • Hodgson full of praise

    DARLINGTON manager David Hodgson last night heaped praise on his side after seeing them edge closer to league safety with a 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town at the Reynolds Arena last night. Quakers are now nine points clear of the relegation zone with ten

  • Family aid group launches appeal

    THE fundraising effort of a family support network seeking to open a base in Wear Valley has been launched with a charity night. The Crook and District Parent Carers group, which offers support to families of children with special needs, marked its first

  • Car dealer looks forward to another bumper year

    Car dealer Lookers has recorded another year of record results thanks to buoyant sales. The company also demonstrated a pragmatic approach to business, closing a Jeep and Seat dealership in Middlesbrough that was underperforming. Overall, Lookers said

  • Housing plan for disused auction mart

    HOMES could be built on Bishop Auckland's auction mart site, three years after trading there was ended by the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic and changes in livestock laws. Darlington Farmers Auction Mart, which owns the site, has applied for outline

  • Extra £1m to spend on roads

    DURHAM County Council has won a £1m bonus from the Government to spend on the county's roads. Civil servants judged the council's performance as a highway authority as "above average" and awarded the extra cash on top of its £16m core funding for transport

  • Bird display will attract people from across UK

    NATURE lovers in the North-East have been invited to witness the courtship ritual of the goshawk. The Forestry Commission has organised a three-hour trek through Kielder Forest from 10am on Sunday, March 21, led by ornithologist Martin Davison. The goshawk

  • Pupils get insight into world of work

    A CALL centre operator is working with budding young entrepreneurs to help prepare them for the world of work. T-Mobile, from Sunderland, invited eight pupils from the city's Hetton School to the call centre at Doxford Park, as part of the Young Enterprise

  • Quakers ease fears of the drop with win

    DAVID HODGSON may persist in warning that league safety is not yet assured, but with nine points between Darlington and the bottom two, the threat of relegation is slowly diminishing. Last night's 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town at the Reynolds Arena lifts

  • Industry and education on agenda during prince's visit to n-e

    PRINCE Andrew was in the region yesterday to check out what the North-East has to offer in terms of education and innovative industry. The Duke of York visited Emmanuel College, in Gateshead, and Komatsu UK, in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street. He met

  • Plans to increase security at spy base

    SECURITY at Menwith Hill US listening base, near Harrogate, is to be intensified. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has submitted two applications to Harrogate Borough Council for the Nidderdale moorland base. One involves the installation of an 8ft perimeter

  • 10/03/04

    DEVOLUTION: I AGREE with every word of Mr Taylor's letter (HAS, Mar 4). Scotland has sought devolution for years knowing that it would be much better off, by more than £400 per head. The reason for the above and why Scottish MPs can vote for and against

  • No faith in GM crops

    MARGARET Beckett's announcement yesterday allowing the first commercial planting of genetically-modified maize is extremely disappointing. We are not green Luddites who wish to stand in the way of progress. We see many potential benefits of GM crops -

  • Fears are eased over future of courthouse

    FEARS over the future of one of the area's busiest magistrates courts left administrators baffled yesterday. Councillor Jim Clark issued a statement indicating he is fighting for an assurance that the Harrogate's courthouse - opened in 1991 by Princess

  • Free courses on offer to adult learners

    FREE courses are being set up for adult learners in the borough of Stockton. The coursesare funded by the Single regeneration Budget 6 Local Project and are intended for adults who want to improve their career prospects or learn for fun. Courses on offer

  • You've won nothing yet, McCarthy reminds Cats

    SUNDERLAND'S crop of European hopefuls have been reminded by cautious manager Mick McCarthy that they have achieved nothing yet. Should the Black Cats overcome an FA Cup semi-final date with either Millwall or Tranmere on April 4 then there is every likelihood

  • Fast-food coup for beefless burgers

    THE makers of meat-free product Quorn have signed a lucrative deal with a fast-food chain. Marlow Foods will supply the meat-replacement fritters to all 1,235 McDonald's outlets in the UK after a successful trial. Commercial sensitivity prevents the company

  • Organiser livid over leisure centre boxing ban

    AN international Thai boxing event has been barred from a North-East venue following a riot at the weekend. About 40 Queensbury-rule boxing fans hurled tables, chairs and glasses at each other during a title fight at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington on

  • How a man of letters links Bogard to Bush

    HAVING for years been able to say "I Saw It" - the 1981 Test Match climaxed by the legendary heroics of Ian Botham and Bob Willis - I can now also say: "I Heard It". Not that same event, but one that stands equally as a towering landmark - Alistair Cooke's

  • PM's man is ready to quit

    TODAY is No Smoking Day and hundreds of the region's nicotine addicts will be trying to quit. This year, they will be joined by John Burton, Tony Blair's agent in his Sedgefield constituency, who has been a smoker since he was 16. On New Year's Eve, Mr

  • Leonard ends England days after Six Nations

    Test centurion Jason Leonard admitted the prospect of spending a month away from his family during England's summer tour to New Zealand and Australia was the driving force behind his decision to quit international rugby. Leonard is to exit the international

  • Scientists unveil therapy robot for elderly people

    THE first "robot physio" was demonstrated in the region last night. But if scientists and designers have their way, the Newcastle-buit robot will be just one of many inventions to help elderly people. The table-top machine, which can help stroke victims

  • Deadly pills claim another victim

    A DEADLY batch of drugs has claimed a fourth victim, police said yesterday. Detectives investigating four suspected fatal overdoses on Tyneside within a fortnight believe that blue pills may be the common link. The small round tablets, which look like

  • Inquest is told of talented cricketer's fall down stairs

    A TALENTED young cricketer died from head injuries after falling down an iron staircase behind a pub. Michael Cooper, 18, had been celebrating the start of the Christmas break with work colleagues when the accident happened at the Station Pub, in Newgate

  • Jack's the lad for Pool as Cooper looks north of the border

    NEALE Cooper will return North of the Border to make his first summer signing. The Hartlepool United boss has offered Jack Ross a deal to move to Victoria Park and the midfielder, who has skippered Clyde to the verge of the Scottish Premier League this

  • Nemeth earns his Spurs with the only goal

    SZILARD NEMETH, the forgotten man of a momentous Middlesbrough season, gave manager Steve McClaren a timely reminder of his predatory skills at the Riverside Stadium last night. The Slovakia striker, who wasn't even among the substitutes as Boro lifted

  • A future of being flogged

    SO what happened to all this free time then? You remember - about 20 years ago the experts were telling us we were all going to be working a 20-hour week and retiring at 45. It was a vision of the future that seemed to go with wearing pastel catsuits

  • How girls helped make drama teacher's dream come true

    STUDENTS are helping a drama teacher fulfil his dream of producing a show he has wanted to work on for years. Paul Telfer, head of drama at Yarm School, has spent the past few years dreaming of being able to stage the musical Cabaret. However, he has

  • Insights into home energy-saving

    FREE lightbulbs, healthy eating advice and Indian head massages were on offer to people attending an energy efficiency awareness day. Sedgefield Energy: Securing Affordable Warmth (Sesaw) aims to cut fuel poverty in homes in the borough. The scheme partners

  • A future of being flogged

    Twenty years ago, we thought the future would see us travelling on monorails and having plenty of free time. But it seems we're more slaves to the workplace that ever. SO what happened to all this free time then? You remember - about 20 years ago the

  • Reynolds now faces bankruptcy

    GEORGE REYNOLDS is facing a bankruptcy hearing after the financiers who loaned £4m to Darlington Football Club launched legal action against him, The Northern Echo can reveal. The Sterling Consortium, the finance group that holds a mortgage on the Reynolds

  • Verdict awaited on roads shake-up

    WORK to tackle traffic congestion in Northallerton could start later this year if a £1.2m scheme is approved next week. The town's traffic management strategy will go before county councillors for final approval on Monday. If it is given the go-ahead,

  • Dodgy definitions and doubtful directions

    CORUSCATING as always, last week's column reflected upon Collins Gem Dictionary, umpteenth edition just published. Via former Redcar and Cleveland council leader David Walsh, we'd also raised an eyebrow at the word "standee", now used by Arriva to mean

  • Objection over bus terminus proposal

    A TOWN council has asked for highway chiefs to rethink plans to build a bus terminus in an historic market place. Councillors at Helmsley say they do not want the shelter to be sited close to the Feversham Memorial. The memorial was erected in memory

  • International crane group returns to its Wearside roots

    INTERNATIONAL crane group Manitowoc is maintaining its century-old connection with Sunderland by building a UK technical and administration centre there. The 9,000sq ft development at Hylton Court replaces the company's offices at the nearby Doxford International

  • Weak US dollar hits industrial recovery

    THE benefits gained by the UK manufacturing sector in the global economic recovery seem to have disappeared overnight, an economist has warned. David Page, of Investec, suggested industry's export markets have been devastated by the slide in the US dollar

  • Businessman held in kidnap drama

    A 30-hour kidnap ordeal was brought to a dramatic end last night when a North-East businessman was returned to his family safe and well. A man was being held by Cleveland Police in connection with the abduction of the Hartlepool man on Monday afternoon

  • McCartney issues challenge to Arca's rivals

    JULIO ARCA'S left wing sidekick at Sunderland has challenged anyone interested in filling the void vacated by the South American to 'prove their worth'. Skipper George McCartney has forged a great understanding with the skilful Argentine over the past

  • Football fan scores an own goal with spanish air tickets order

    football fan Anthony Crozier spent £800 on tickets to see his team play in Europe, but he got the wrong Spanish city. The Magpies supporter thought Newcastle were playing in Malaga instead of Majorca. Toon fans were thrilled when their team were drawn

  • First multiplex cinema to be pulled down

    THE region's first multiplex cinema is to be bulldozed as part of a university's £60m expansion. The 15-year-old Warner Village cinema, in Newcastle, will close later this year, with the loss of about 50 jobs. Northumbria University has bought the seven-acre

  • Lessons about healthy living

    CHILDREN at a Darlington school enjoyed a day of activities designed to encourage healthy living. The annual health day at Hurworth School Computing and Maths College was open to year eight pupils. There were several activities, as well as a healthy cooking

  • Quakers have nine-point cushion after win

    DAVID HODGSON may persist in warning that league safety is not yet assured, but with nine points between Darlington and the bottom two, the threat of relegation is slowly diminishing. Last night's 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town at the Reynolds Arena lifts

  • Brothel shock for neighbours

    AN Internet-advertised brothel was closed by police after neighbours discovered what was going on in their street. At least four prostitutes were said to be working at the premises in Laygate, South Shields, South Tyneside, taking dozens of paying customers

  • Bergamo could catch bookies on the back-foot

    THE BOOKMAKERS could be caught on the back-foot from the word go if as expected Bergamo gets punters off to a flying start by winning the opener at Catterick this afternoon. The Leeds Selling Hurdle is by definition a race of poor quality and by rights

  • First multiplex cinema to be pulled down

    THE region's first multiplex cinema is to be bulldozed as part of a university's £60m expansion. The 15-year-old Warner Village cinema, in Newcastle, will close later this year, with the loss of about 50 jobs. Northumbria University has bought the seven-acre

  • Tv review

    Brat Camp (C4) THIS is a programme that should be shown to all wayward teenagers - as a threat of what could happen to them if they don't behave themselves. Six parents at the end of their tethers have sent their seriously unruly offspring to the RedCliff

  • Bobby backing Ameobi

    SIR BOBBY ROBSON has told Shola Ameobi he can take over Alan Shearer's attacking mantle at Newcastle. Manager Robson, mindful that 33-year-old Shearer retires at the end of next season, insists Ameobi has the ability to emerge as his skipper's long-term

  • Appeal for more funding as museums blueprint unveiled

    MUSEUMS in the region said yesterday that more government funding is vital if they are to build on their success. They were speaking following the launch of a national Manifesto for Museums, in London. It calls for an extra £35m from the Government to

  • Old footbridge back in working order

    A 123-year-old wooden footbridge, built in Loftus in 1880, was reopened yesterday. The 60ft walkway, in Dam Street, was shut last year because it was in a dangerous condition and Cleveland Potash had to close the rail line underneath for three days while

  • Now Reynolds faces bankruptcy hearing

    GEORGE REYNOLDS is facing a bankruptcy hearing after the financiers who loaned £4m to Darlington Football Club launched legal action against him, The Northern Echo can reveal. The Sterling Consortium, the finance group that holds a mortgage on the Reynolds

  • Giles happy to sit back

    Ashley Giles is happy to stay out of the limelight and allow England's pace-setters to enjoy the attention in the forthcoming Test series against West Indies. While the media spotlight has been trained firmly on England's five-strong pace battery of Simon

  • Study launched into land development sites

    A MAJOR study is to be carried out over the development potential of several key sites in North Yorkshire. A team of consultants has been appointed to look at six specific areas, all in Malton and Norton, and close to the river and railway line. They

  • Kidnap victim released

    A wealthy businessman has been reunited with his family after his 30-hour kidnap ordeal was brought to an end. The 45-year-old Teesside man, who was held hostage by a gang who demanded a substantial ransom from his family, was freed last night. Police