THERE are a smattering of fans who like to leave five minutes before the end of an away game to make their return trip home a little easier. Any Newcastle supporter who makes a habit of such a practice will be in for a bit of a shock when they see the
A CATALYST is defined as being a substance that can either speed up or slow down a reaction without itself undergoing any change. So, in football parlance, manager Steve McClaren has rather fittingly hailed the genius of Juninho as being Middlesbrough's
THE ultimate spring clean is under way in a North-East castle as staff tidy 144 rooms ready for the start of the visitor season. Raby Castle at Staindrop, County Durham, opens at Easter and since it closed in September last year, custodian Roly Marshall
SUNDERLAND'S Jeff Whitley admitted he had experienced the biggest high and low of his career in the space of three days. The midfielder, whose dismissal for an horrific tackle on Preston's Richard Cresswell last Wednesday rules him out of Sunderland's
THE atrocity in Madrid highlights the vulnerability of all nations to attacks by terrorists. There can be no absolute protection against ruthless, determined and evil fanatics. While we must increase both security levels and vigilance, we must not react
A North-East roadie has written a book about life touring with Black Sabbath in the 1970s. Chris Webber talks to him. FOR all his easy chair, impeccably tidy home and comfortable middle-aged lifestyle there's still something of the wild rocker about Graham
PARTS of the North-East are hotspots for homophobic hate crime, a charity has said. Gay Advice Darlington, (Gad) which covers the south of County Durham has examined the results of a survey of the gay, lesbian and transexual community and found that levels
ANNOYED residents are calling on Darlington Borough Council to ban commuters from parking in their street. People in the town's Park East Ward say they are being driven to distraction by cars parked outside their homes for eight-hour stretches. They believe
A SPANISH GP who is working in Darlington to help to meet the shortfall in the number of British practitioners, has returned to work after giving birth. Teresa Adan is back working at Parkgate Surgery, leaving little Aida in the capable hands of a local
Gunpowder, Treason And Plot (BBC2), Murder In Suburbia (ITV1), Ant And Dec's Saturday Takeaway (ITV1), Travels With My Unfit Mother (BBC2): THERE are certain rules royalty must learn - etiquette, ordering servants about, living the good life and, of course
DOWNCAST Neale Cooper admitted his Hartlepool United side were let down by their workrate as they slumped to their biggest home defeat in four years on Saturday. QPR completed a double over Pool with a 4-1 win - the same result as the Division Two game
MORE than 300 people took part in a series of workshops to mark International Women's Day at the weekend. The tenth annual event at Redcar Bowl was hailed a success after workshops on skills ranging from crystal healing to line dancing were booked up
THE North-East greengrocer dubbed the Metric Martyr for fighting EC measurement regulations has died of a heart attack. Stephen Thoburn, who lost his battle to sell his goods in pounds and ounces only, collapsed at his home in Sunderland early yesterday
A DURHAM charity that helps blind people is appealing for donations of mobile phones. The County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted, based in North Road, is collecting unwanted phones for the Community Fonebak scheme that reuses them in
ADULT education provision in a Teesside town has won top marks. A report by the Adult Education Inspectorate in Middlesbrough found the quality of learning in foundation courses for literacy, numeracy and language "outstanding" with good standards in
FOLK within earshot of Prestbury Park racecourse at 2pm tomorrow will be left in no doubt that the three-day Cheltenham Festival is once again underway. On the stroke of the hour the starter calls the runners and riders into line and for one fleeting
A CRICKET club is using grant money to set up an all-female XI. Willington Cricket Club has entered the team in the Durham County Women's League next season. Captain Sue Pringle, a qualified coach, and development officer Darren Brown, led a nets session
ORGANISERS of Sedgefield Medieval Fair are appealing for helpers for the event, on Saturday, May 15, which is organised by Sedgefield Community Association in aid of Ceddesfeld Hall. The fair, which has been running for 33 years, also gives an opportunity
A DATE has been set for a meeting which will aim to thrash out a long-term future for two of Harrogate's sports clubs. Harrogate Rugby Club is facing oblivion in the wake of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's decision to rule out a new ground between
THE FACT both managers fancy their chances of automatic promotion after serving up such unappetising fare, speaks volumes for the class vacuum which exists in the lottery that is the First Division. If ever there was a game of chance, it is this season's
THE daughter and son-in-law of crooked businesswoman Mary Blair have told of their "shellshock" at a judge's decision to confiscate their home. Claire Bartlett, 30, and husband Graham, 37, will have nowhere to live in a fortnight when their house is sold
VILLAGERS have lost a fight to save their school from closure in a scheme to reduce surplus places. County Durham's schools organisation committee has upheld a decision by Durham County Council to shut Has-well Primary School this summer. Haswell and
As head of the clinical negligemce section of a North-East law firm, Angela Curran has dealt with many distressing cases. Sarah Foster gains an insight into her work. A TYPICAL day for Angela Curran is marked by contrasts. She gets up, gives the kids
STEVE McCLAREN is convinced the watching Sven-Goran Eriksson will have been impressed by the displays of Middlesbrouigh duo Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu. England boss Eriksson was sat in the stands at the Valley and he witnessed Boro lose 1-0 to Charlton
A PET welfare charity is predicting a population explosion that could stretch it to the limit over the coming months. The Wear Valley, Darlington and Dales branch of Cats Protection says it is on standby for a spring kitten crisis and expects more than
RARELY this season has the fans' expectations been so high at the Reynolds Arena. Football supporters are a demanding bunch, especially when their team sets such high standards. In November, few would imagine a struggling Darlington side would even muster
PENSIONERS: I AM writing in response to two letters (HAS, Mar 10) concerning council tax bills for pensioners and saving for retirement. The Department for Work and Pensions is very concerned that up to four out of ten pensioners are missing out on Council
DEJECTED Darlington defender Craig Liddle admitted Saturday's defeat at home to Cambridge served a harsh reminder that there is still plenty to play for this season, writes LEE HALL. Quakers remain nine points clear of safety with nine games to go. However
A NEIL Danns debut, Hartlepool United and Queen's Park Rangers all in one afternoon - there was probably only ever going to be one outcome. Pool's new temporary signing Danns made his Blackpool loan debut earlier this season against QPR and lost 5-0;
A ROUND-the-clock emergency support scheme for elderly and vulnerable residents has been praised in a review. The District of Easington warden service operates 24 hours a day to make sure its clients are safe in their homes. Alarm units link residents
THE man who designed one of the North-East's most famous landmarks has died at the age of 82. During the 1960s, no drive through Durham City's historic streets could avoid the Victorian-style police booth that controlled traffic. The booth was designed
The Government was today urged to move 20,000 civil service jobs out of London and the South East and axe a further 7,000 posts in a move which could save more than £2 billion. A report by Sir Michael Lyons said Whitehall departments had identified thousands
RICHMOND MP William Hague and wife Ffion took their hats off to an expanding local business at the weekend. The couple were the guests of honour at the Great Smeaton branch of Get Ahead - a chain of hat shops run by a co-operative of farmers' wives, which
UK music industry organisations have joined forces to stage an event in the North-East to help people get work in the business. Sound Advice aims to provide those wanting to break into the music scene with invaluable advice from people in the industry
NEWCASTLE are hoping Jonny Wilkinson will be fit to return at least a week before the April 17 Powergen Cup final against Sale, which they reached almost without breaking sweat yesterday. The Falcons have a friendly against Global Chiefs on April 10,
RESIDENTS at a retirement estate have sown the seeds of success by winning a gardening competition. Residents at the Hanover Court estate in Durham, have clinched the 2003 Best Estate Garden Award for Hanover Housing schemes nationwide. They won the Best
At the age of 60, John Maus - better known as John Walker of the walker brothers - is back on tour with some of the band's old hits. Viv Hardwick finds out why. ONE pop star who has No Regrets about nearly 40 years of British adulation is 60-year-old
WHILE Darlington scored two converted tries in injury time to seal a well-deserved win at Dudley Kingswinford, Liverpool St Helens grabbed a controversial winner right at the death at Blaydon. Liverpool's shock 19-18 win means Darlington are still not
TEN teenage girls have been given intensive training by the Fire Brigade as part of a new anti-social behaviour initiative. The girls, aged from 13 to 17, have been put through a five-day intensive work experience course. They are among a number of young
A NORTH-EAST breeder is appealing for the return of one of her prize-winning dogs. Dawn Bussey last saw her Bedlington Terrier Moe, ten, when she let her into the back garden with her companion, Sassey, on Friday morning. Sassey, also a Bedlington Terrier
I REMEMBER going into the Saatchi gallery in London when it first opened and thinking how pretentious it all was. I walked around the gallery at the South Bank, unmoved and unimpressed by the pickled sharks and the unmade beds I found inside. But a few
GRAFFITI writers could be given legal sites in a move to stop them scrawling on railway buildings. Network Rail, the successor to Railtrack, which is responsible for track and infrastructure, is clearing up unsightly lineside scrawl on Tyneside. It has
Sir Bobby Robson last night promised to "battle to the wire" in pursuit of a Champions League spot after events conspired against his Newcastle side at White Hart Lane. Andy O'Brien's last-gasp own goal condemned the Magpies to their first Premiership
A PLAN to spend £2,000 of National Lottery money confirming the age of a city's ceremonial horn has been ditched following a public outcry. Some members of Ripon City Council wanted experts to carbon date the instrument used by the city's Hornblower during
RAIL passengers in the Tees Valley are being given the chance to improve local services. The Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit, acting on behalf of the councils in the Tees Valley, is undertaking the survey exercise to help gain greater understanding of
It was a turning point in the history of trade unions, and it has lost none of its power to stir the blood. In the first part of a major new series to mark the 20th anniversary of the miners' strike, Nick Morrison talks to a union official at the heart
STUDENTS at a North-East rally were told they can win their fight against university top-up fees. The third reading of Tony Blair's controversial Higher Education Bill, which would introduce charges of up to £3,000, is expected in the next few weeks.
A HOLIDAYMAKER who lost his wallet while snorkling in the Caribbean was stunned when it was posted back to him - with the money still in it. Nurse Andrew McGowan, 46, left the wallet in the pocket of his trunks while swimming in Grand Cayman, and it fell
A MAN died when his car hit a bridge parapet and broke in two. The dead man was named as 22-year-old Shaun James Brown, of Fence Houses, near Sunderland, who was serving in the RAF and based at Wittering, near Peterborough. He was certified dead at the
THE story of one of Britain's best loved 20th Century poets is coming to the region. Actor, playwright and director Tim Heath is bringing his one-man show, Summoned by Bells, to Pickering Little Theatre, North Yorkshire. Summoned by Bells is the autobiography
THE future of Darlington Football Club could be significantly clearer by the end of this week, as the financiers holding a mortgage on the Reynolds Arena prepare to take control. The Sterling Consortium - financiers Stewart Davies, Melvyn Laughton and
