Archive

  • Eric takes to the saddle for veterans

    ERIC Howden is planning a bike ride next month to send war veterans on a poignant journey. Celebrating his 60th birthday in two weeks, Mr Howden is to travel to Teesside's 24 war memorials on a sponsored bike ride. He hopes to raise as much money as he

  • Warning to taxi passengers

    A CUSTOMER charter for taxi users in Darlington will include a warning to abusive passengers. Members of Darlington Independent Taxi Traders' Association (Ditto) objected to the first draft of a charter proposed by Darlington Borough Council, which aimed

  • New CD-Rom commended

    A NEW CD-Rom is helping health staff to diagnose patients with suspected mental health problems. The package was designed and produced for the NHS by the Centre for Design Research, at Northumbria University, and was highly commended at the recent NHS

  • Sky will be no limit at astronomy event

    THE sky will be no limit when the Forestry Commission welcomes astronomers on Saturday. The first astronomy event of its kind is being held in Chopwell Wood, near High Spen, Gateshead, from 9pm. Stargazers of all ages will have the chance to look through

  • Eric takes to the saddle for veterans

    ERIC Howden is planning a bike ride next month to send war veterans on a poignant journey. Celebrating his 60th birthday in two weeks, Mr Howden is to travel to Teesside's 24 war memorials on a sponsored bike ride. He hopes to raise as much money as he

  • Funding found for replacement shop

    A VILLAGE shop that closed a year ago will be replaced before the end of the summer. Grants from a number of sources mean new facilities will be incorporated in Middleton Tyas Memorial Hall, which took over the running of the sub post office three months

  • Italian puts his Cup heartbreak behind him

    STEVE McCLAREN last night paid tribute to the way Massimo Maccarone has overcome his Carling Cup final heartbreak after the Italian striker inspired Middlesbrough to a victory that leaves them only four points off a Champions League place. Maccarone was

  • Youth advice project aims to branch out

    A SUPPORT scheme that helps to keep young people out of trouble is looking to expand. The Directions Project, in Middlesbrough, has been described as "excellent'' by Ofsted, and works with 800 youngsters. The counselling service wants to recruit more

  • Restoration appeal steps ever closer to its target

    AN APPEAL to restore the 199 Church Steps in Whitby has raised £35,000 in two months. Residents, organisations and businesses are being urged to sponsor a step on the way to the historic parish church of St Mary's and Whitby Abbey for £1,000. The 200-

  • Police chief warns airgun owners to get licence or face jail

    A POLICE chief has urged people who use airguns to apply for the correct licences or face the consequences. Superintendent Ian Rowland, head of Criminal Justice at Cleveland Police, reminded airgun owners they must apply for a firearms certificate before

  • Actor enjoys the ride

    ACTOR Robert Hardy revisited one of his favourite parts of the country when he took a rail journey through the Yorkshire Dales. Famous, among other things, for his role as Siegfried in TV's All Creatures Great and Small, Mr Hardy travelled from Leyburn

  • Scale model of Eiffel Tower to go on show

    A NORTH-EAST museum is preparing for one of the most popular exhibitions in its calendar. Displays at Beamish Open Air Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, at the weekend will be created by members of the North-East Meccano Society, with working sets

  • Fallon can help Camberley to make amends

    COUNT on Camberley (3.25) to pay the afternoon's expenses on the first day of Newmarket's Craven meeting. Paul Cole's smart seven-furlong specialist owes his supporters a few quid after failing to justify favouritism on his seasonal reappearance at Kempton

  • Hunt on for school memorabilia

    A FORMER teacher is urging past pupils to scour their attics for photographs and memorabilia to help celebrate 300 years of a North-East school. Dame Allan's School, in Newcastle, is marking three centuries of learning next year and former head of English

  • Football officer nets role in Peru

    CARLING Cup winners Middlesbrough Football Club have scored an international coup away from the football pitch. Boro Safety Officer Ron Turnbull is representing the Football Association in Peru this week, advising the South American Football Federation

  • Record year for tourism at abbey

    THE new tourism season has barely got under way but already one of the region's major attractions has cause to celebrate. Staff at Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal estate, near Ripon, are preparing for summer on a new high after discovering that

  • Deputy Prime Minister may rule on quarry scheme

    DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott may intervene in a dispute over a quarry development. The scheme, by Hanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd, at Pateley Bridge Quarry, Greenhow, conflicts with development plans by North Yorkshire County Council, so it has

  • Woman voices concern over problems contacting police

    A WOMAN has voiced concern because she was unable to contact police to report youths causing a nuisance outside her home. The 63-year-old, who asked not to be named, said the youths were swinging on lampposts, urinating on fences and swearing in an alley

  • N-E jobs fears as chemicals firm announces global cuts

    WORKERS at chemicals company DuPont's base in the region are bracing themselves after the firm revealed plans last night to cut 3,500 jobs worldwide. The US fabric designer, which employs about 350 people at Wilton, on Teesside, announced the news as

  • Cafe aids appeal to fix church clock

    A CAFE is selling badges to try help mend a church clock. Gordon Witten and his wife, Eileen, who run the Wittens of Stanhope Cafe, in the Weardale village, decided they wanted to help when they heard that the clock at nearby St Thomas's Church was in

  • Get ready for spine-chilling evenings with horror on TV

    FOR a man about to launch a television station dedicated to the most spine-chilling films in history, Tony Hazell has more of the air of an expectant father than a tormented Dr Frankenstein. "I imagine the feeling I have got in my stomach is the same

  • Widows upset at tax letters for husbands

    REPEATED town hall blunders in sending council tax letters to dead men has sparked anger. Widow Rene Shelley received two letters which were addressed to "Dear Mr Alfred Shelley Deceased'', detailing his benefit entitlement and asking him to write if

  • Charity will recruit more translators

    A TEESSIDE language charity plans to double its staff after turnover rose to more than £450,000 in the past year. Everyday Language Solutions, based at Robert House, in Thornaby, near Stockton, was a business, but gained charitable status two years ago

  • Villagers sowing the seeds for bumper crop of tourists

    VILLAGERS are planning a colourful summer to attract more tourists to Weardale. People living in Rookhope have raised more than £3,500 to spend on hanging baskets and planting sessions to brighten up the village in the summer months. Rookhope In Bloom

  • Haley's Comets plan to repeat success of City Hall rock night

    MUSICAL fathers who achieved a rock dream earlier this year plan to stage another charity gig next year. Haley's Comets, six thirty-something fathers from Ponteland, hired Newcastle City Hall to play a night of rock and pop covers in February. They sold

  • High Sheriff breaks with tradition

    THE new High Sheriff of North Yorkshire broke with tradition when she made her declaration of office at Northallerton's revamped magistrates' court. Usually, the ceremony takes place at York Crown Court, but Caroline Thornton-Berry wanted to be among

  • Keith leads red kite release plan

    A MAN has taken on the challenge to bring red kites back to the North-East. The Northern Kites initiative has selected Keith Bowey to oversee and manage the return of the majestic birds of prey to the region after an absence of at least 150 years. The

  • Treats from the queen of cakes

    MARY Berry is the name most people associate with home baking in the UK. She has a long-established reputation for creating easy-to-follow, reliable recipes but, if there's one area where she is the undisputed queen of the kitchen, it's cake-making. In

  • Miller dashes Cats' promotion hopes

    BANK Holidays might be the perfect time for reunions, but Sunderland must be wishing that Easington-born Tommy Miller could have chosen a different day for a North-East get-together. Miller, who began his career with Hartlepool United, spent most of last

  • Keith raises glass after 31-year wait for brewing win ends

    A NORTH-EAST man was named the country's top brewer, after 31 years of vying for the title. Keith Simpson, 71, of Darlington Road, Hartburn, Stockton, won the national wine-making title in 1986, but the master brewer title has eluded him until now. He

  • Grieving mother calls for tighter driving laws

    A MOTHER whose son was killed by a speeding motorist while out jogging is calling for tougher driving laws. Ida Woodward's son, Nick, a 22-year-old lance corporal in the Military Police, died in 2002 when a car mounted a pavement and hit him. The driver

  • Police to be sued by bomb 'suspect'

    A DISABLED man traumatised by his arrest on suspicion of bomb-making has served police with a writ. Solicitors acting for Stockton resident Francis Owens have lodged a damages claim with Cleveland Police for trespass on property, unlawful arrest and false

  • Harrier jet to visit city for careers days

    THE RAF will take over a city centre later this week with an open-air careers roadshow. A full-sized mock-up of a Harrier Jump-Jet will be the star attraction of the event in Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square, York. The event, on Thursday and

  • Harmony beside the sea

    IT'S been a bit of a hectic week. I have been doing the coast to coast walk. Well, to be fair, I haven't actually been treading out the whole soggy 192 miles, but have been undertaking the most important task of backup support. It has meant lots of hanging

  • Youths get awards for their work

    LEARNERS have attended an awards ceremony to celebrate their achievements. More than 400 young people from the Tees Valley were invited to the Learning and Skills Council's party, in Middlesbrough, to celebrate completing courses. Organisers included

  • Small screen bigger picture

    Agatha Christie's Death On The Nile (ITV1); Battle Of The Boy Bands (C4); The Legend Of The Tamworth Two (BBC1): CHANNEL 4 was mean to re-run the 1978 film Death On The Nile two days before ITV1 premiered its lavish new TV version. Whether intended as

  • Scheme to provide new flood defence

    A COMMUNITY that was hit by floods twice in one year could be in line for new defences. Skinningrove, near Saltburn, east Cleveland, was badly hit by flooding in July and November 2000 and the village was given flood defences. But a report states that

  • Small-scale gigs are a big success

    A SELL-OUT concert series organised by Durham County Council is increasing its venues from four to five for its third season. Live in the Libraries, featuring Classic Rhythm, will tour the county from May 10 to 14. The trio of musicians, who play flute

  • Eating Owt

    AT approximately 7.55pm last Tuesday, the lights went out over West Auckland, or at least that part of it which is home to the World Cup-winning football club. We sat in the shadowy clubhouse singing When The Lights Go On Over England and doing things

  • Youths get awards for their work

    LEARNERS have attended an awards ceremony to celebrate their achievements. More than 400 young people from the Tees Valley were invited to the Learning and Skills Council's party, in Middlesbrough, to celebrate completing courses. Organisers included

  • How Daisy foun a bit more zip in life

    Lifelong learning has become the buzz phrase of the 21st century. Women's Editor Christen Pears talks to an army major whose life has been transformed by education. WORKING in a factory, Daisy Mundy's job was simple: take zips from the conveyor belt,

  • 'Shambolic' Quakers slip up in relegation fight

    DARLINGTON'S Third Division future hangs in the balance after they threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 and slipped a place to 20th at Southend yesterday. Three second-half goals capped a remarkable recovery from the Shrimpers after Quakers looked poised

  • Youths taught bike safety

    UNDERAGE teenagers caught riding motorbikes are being been taught basic safety on a new course. About 20 young people have been taken through their paces at a motorcycle training school run by Duggie Holmes, in Annfield Plain, County Durham. The scheme

  • Non-league round-up: Billingham grab first major trophy

    Billingham Town lifted their first major trophy when they beat Bishop Auckland in the final of the Durham Challenge Cup at the Archibalds Stadium yesterday. The Northern League side deserved their victory scoring a goal in each half against a tired Bishops

  • Wilks raises his sights after switch to Suzuki

    HE'S touted as the next Richard Burns or Colin McRae but Guy Wilks aims to stamp his own name on the world rally scene, starting with victory in his own backyard. The 23-year-old from Bishop Auckland is Britain's fastest-rising star and this season will

  • Libraries music tour extended

    A SELL-OUT music concert series in County Durham is expanding. Live in the Libraries, organised by Durham County Council, is increasing its venues from four to five for its third season. The series, featuring Classic Rhythm, will tour the county from

  • Gymnasium plans shelved despite block

    ENTREPRENEUR Duncan Bannatyne is not expected to revive his interest in setting up a base at one of the region's business developments. The millionaire businessman pulled out of plans to open a gymnasium at Morton Palms, on the outskirts of Darlington

  • Objections made over club's floodlighting plans

    PLANS for floodlights at Middlesbrough Football Club's village training ground have been criticised. The Premiership club has lodged an application with Darlington Borough Council to build eight floodlight columns at its Rockcliffe Park venue, in Hurworth

  • Tykes' paceman fit to resume in friendly Roses clash

    Fast bowler, Steve Kirby, now fully fit again after an ankle injury, will play for Yorkshire in the one-day Roses friendly at Old Trafford tomorrow - the Tykes' last full scale practice match before they open their Championship season against Essex at

  • Footballer John helps youngsters to train

    FOOTBALL hero John Beresford put the best of the North-East's young footballing talent through their paces yesterday. More than 150 aspiring stars gathered in Gateshead to compete for a place in this year's Fox Kids Cup final. At the event, the second

  • Community raises cash for hospital

    VILLAGERS turned out in force this weekend to support their local hospital. A battle of the sexes fancy dress football match, on Wolsingham recreation ground, marked the start of a day fundraising in the village on Sunday. The game, which was followed

  • PM's old school puts faith in the Internet

    NEW technology is being put to good use at one of England's oldest schools. Durham Chorister School, whose old boys include Prime Minister Tony Blair and comedian Rowan Atkinson, is using the Internet to help recruit new pupils, assist in their education

  • 2,500-year-old sculpture is face-to-face with better half

    TWO halves of a lion's head sculpture have come face to face after almost 2,500 years apart. The reunion follows an expert's search that led him on a trail from Newcastle to Zurich, in Switzerland, via Ohio, in the US. The terracotta head has gone on

  • Opera company ready to stage production

    A HOTEL is preparing to provide the stage for an opera company. Opera Nova will stage a concert version of Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow in the banqueting suite of the Gisborough Hotel, in Guisborough, east Cleveland. Opera Nova spokeswoman Jean Pacey

  • Gymnasium plans shelved despite block

    ENTREPRENEUR Duncan Bannatyne is not expected to revive his interest in setting up a base at one of the region's business developments. The millionaire businessman pulled out of plans to open a gymnasium at Morton Palms, on the outskirts of Darlington

  • Hamilton's confidence gets shot in the arm

    ON a cheerless day at Riverside, there was at least cause for celebration for Gavin Hamilton yesterday as Durham's new recruit took three times as many wickets as in the last two seasons. Figures of three for 30 in the drawn game against Durham University

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Accounts manager/office secretary, Northallerton, £13,000 to £15,000pa, 39hrs pw, 9am to 5.30pm, Mon-Fri. Must have accounts experience, good communication and customer service skills, must be computer literate, although training given. Ref: NOE 21713

  • The speedy route to a perfect partner

    Finding a date isn't always easy, especially with today's hectic lifestyles, but help is at hand. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports. HELEN Dowson may be getting married in the summer but it hasn't stopped her helping those not so lucky in love. In

  • Vow to fight closure plans

    CAMPAIGNERS fighting to prevent a hospital from closure have received the unanimous backing of a council. Hartlepool Borough Council has agreed to fight any proposal to shut the University Hospital of Hartlepool. The vote on the motion received applause

  • O'Brien argues for Woodgate

    NEWCASTLE'S Andy O'Brien insists centre-back partner Jonathan Woodgate has shown he is the man to handle Thierry Henry at Euro 2004. Woodgate was commanding and composed against the threat of Henry and Spanish superkid Jose Antonio Reyes as the Magpies

  • At the edge of the Pennine foothills - as the crane flies

    Old Cornsay dates from Anglo-Saxon times when it was called Cornesho meaning hill spur of the crane. Such a bird is rarely found in Britain today and only in lowland fens. However it seems that at least one crane found its way north to these Pennine foothills

  • Granit's Irish win boosts Ferdy

    Middleham trainer Ferdy Murphy sent out Granit d'Estruval for a famous victory in the Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse yesterday. Brian Harding's mount, sent off at 33-1, jumped the fifth from home in front and grimly held the challenge

  • PM's old school puts faith in the Internet

    NEW technology is being put to good use at one of England's oldest schools. Durham Chorister School, whose old boys include Prime Minister Tony Blair and comedian Rowan Atkinson, is using the Internet to help recruit new pupils, assist in their education

  • Region's postal service in crisis

    A CRISIS threatening the region's postal delivery services is still unresolved, with desperate Royal Mail bosses drafting in agency staff to cope with a huge workload. The move comes as several North-East sorting offices continue to face serious problems

  • Caroline hopes for chart success with single

    BARMAID Caroline Kinnear is hoping a dance version of a pop song will propel her to the top of the charts. The 35-year-old from Easingwold, North Yorkshire, has just recorded her debut single with DJ Antoine, a new version of the Justin Hayward hit Forever

  • Maccarone dishes up a treat for Boro's faithful

    MASSIMO MACCARONE is winning his battle to convince the Middlesbrough faithful that he was worth the club record £8.15m Steve McClaren gambled on him nearly two years ago. The rejuvenated Italian striker, whose despair at one point forced him to consider

  • Horse racing veteran meets Princess Anne

    A NORTH-EAST veteran of the Grand National relived his memories of one of the world's best horse races when he met the Princess Royal. Pat McCarron, of Barton, near Darlington, joined Princess Anne at Aintree to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of

  • End of era for base hospital

    THE Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital at Catterick Garrison has closed, ending almost 200 years of military history. The Ministry of Defence and the Priory Group, whose clients have included Paul Gascoigne and Kate Moss, have signed a three-year contract

  • All the fun of the circus

    YOUNGSTERS were treated to an Easter show as they shopped in Darlington town centre yesterday. Comedy shows, plate-spinning and unicycling were all on the agenda in the Queen Street Shopping Arcade. The Mr Jellyspoon show was the first of a series of

  • School fashion fundraiser

    A FASHION show at a Darlington school helped to raise £450. Hurworth School Maths and Computing College held a fashion show where pupils modelled the popular Hooch and Bench brand. About £1,200 of clothes were sold after the show, with part of the profits

  • Over-50s support group has golden year

    A GROUP set up to promote the interests of people over 50 in Darlington says it is going from strength to strength. Growing Older Living in Darlington (Gold) celebrated a string of achievements at its annual conference. More than 150 people heard of the

  • New bus service prompts accident fear petition

    PEOPLE living in a quiet Darlington street have branded a new bus service "an accident waiting to happen". More than 100 people have signed a petition complaining about the Green Bus number 19 service, which runs four times an hour along The Broadway,

  • Opera company ready to stage production

    A HOTEL is preparing to provide the stage for an opera company. Opera Nova will stage a concert version of Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow in the banqueting suite of the Gisborough Hotel, in Guisborough, east Cleveland. Opera Nova spokeswoman Jean Pacey

  • Reynolds tales over lead

    John Reynolds took over the lead in the THINK! British Superbike Championship with a victory and third place in round two at Brands Hatch. However, it was Sean Emmett who took the plaudits when he battled through the pain barrier to win the second race

  • Keith leads red kite release plan

    A MAN has taken on the challenge to bring red kites back to the North-East. The Northern Kites initiative has selected Keith Bowey to oversee and manage the return of the majestic birds of prey to the region after an absence of at least 150 years. The

  • Pond surveys will build picture of wildlife

    NATURE-LOVERS have been invited on a safari at their nearest pond. Washington Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Wearside, has launched a campaign to get more people to learn about the region's wetlands by surveying their local ponds and ditches. Survey results

  • Approval expected for new recycling centre

    A recycling centre that will handle 20,000 tonnes of material a year looks likely to get the go-ahead. North Yorkshire County Council planning officers say there is a need for a waste transfer and recycling centre alongside the York-Harrogate railway

  • Scheme to provide new flood defence

    A COMMUNITY that was hit by floods twice in one year could be in line for new defences. Skinningrove, near Saltburn, east Cleveland, was badly hit by flooding in July and November 2000 and the village was given flood defences. But a report states that

  • Youngsters set shining example

    A TEAM of young engineers have invented a hazard warning system that could deter thieves from stealing lamps from roadworks safety barriers. Shaun Dixon, Michael Hall, James Matthews and Sam Proud, from Wolsingham School and Community College, have been

  • Everest firefighters go to great lengths

    A GROUP of North-East firefighters are making final preparations for an assault on Everest to raise the flag for equality in all walks of life. Some of the team members stepped up the pace at the weekend when they met in Durham Market Place to run and

  • Victorian ingenuity in action

    VISITORS took a trip back in time yesterday at a popular tourist attraction. The Tees Cottage Pumping Station, on the outskirts of Darlington, opened to the public to offer a rare glimpse of Victorian engineering. The waterworks, which began supplying

  • Club boosted by television gift

    Members of an out-of-hours club for people with physical and learning disabilities can enjoy cinema nights thanks to the gift of a large television set. The Options Disability Initiative in the Pioneering Care Centre, Newton Aycliffe, has extended its

  • Minibus on route to success

    A YEAR-LONG project to expand a minibus service has been hailed a success. The scheme in Leadgate, County Durham, was set up thanks to a National Lottery grant of £5,000 awarded last year by the Social, Economic and Environmental Development (Seed) programme

  • Nursery gets top marks in report

    A NURSERY has received the highest grades possible in an Ofsted report. Staff at Hartlepool College of Further Education's First Steps Nursery said they were delighted at the news. The nursery was praised by Ofsted inspectors for developing an excellent

  • Town's taxis to gain use of bus lanes

    TAXIS and private hire vehicles are to be given greater priority in a town's public transport system. Gateshead Borough Council has given taxis and some private hire vehicles the go-ahead to use most of the town centre's bus lanes. The aim is to help

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Softly, softly is the key

    INCREASINGLY the military campaign waged by US forces in Iraq has a calamitous look about it. With the notable exception of Britain, it is difficult to find a nation that is standing four square behind the American response to the upsurge in violence.

  • Controversial DIY store plan is deferred

    A DIY company is hoping to set up a shop on the outskirts of an east Durham town. But the bid by Maxwell's DIY to site a store on Peterlee's North West Industrial Estate has been deferred at the firm's request. The application came before a meeting of

  • Students prepare for American adventure

    NORTH-EAST students will be making the headlines this summer as they jet off to the US to join a school for journalists. Alastair Knapper, of Durham, and Adam Wilson of Washington, Wearside, who attend Newcastle College, have beaten worldwide competition

  • Villagers win battle to stop development near homes

    VILLAGERS have won their long-running battle to stop a housing development near their homes. Developers have pulled the plug on plans to build more than 300 homes on the edge of West Rainton - a scheme dating back to the early 1990s. Wimpey Homes has

  • Motorcyclist fighting for his life

    A motorcyclist from the North-East was last night fighting for his life after an accident in the Lake District. The 42-year-old, from Darlington, was airlifted to hospital after the smash near Coniston on Easter Monday. He was left in a critical condition

  • Tributes paid to Labour academic

    AN MP has spoken of his sorrow at the death of academic and biographer Ben Pimlott. Mr Pimlott died over the Easter holiday from leuk-aemia, at the age of 58. He was Labour's candidate for the then Cleveland and Whitby constituency in both the 1974 and

  • Get ready for spine-chilling evenings with horror on TV

    FOR a man about to launch a television station dedicated to the most spine-chilling films in history, Tony Hazell has more of the air of an expectant father than a tormented Dr Frankenstein. "I imagine the feeling I have got in my stomach is the same

  • Hospital is praised in patient survey

    THE majority of patients who had operations at one of North Yorkshire's flagship hospitals were happy with their treatment, according to a survey. One hundred patients who attended the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, for emergency or planned operations

  • New salvo in row over fire brigade control room move

    A FIRE brigade's controversial control room move was last night branded a waste of time and money as a row over a regional command centre intensified. Call-takers for Cleveland Fire and Rescue are poised to move into a shared control room with colleagues

  • Man has his ears chewed by attackers

    INVESTIGATIONS were continuing last night after a man had parts of his ears chewed off in a vicious attack in his home. Police believe the assault, by two armed men in a house in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, on Friday night, could have been a case

  • 13/04/04

    EUROPE: ANYONE who has waded through the 350 pages of the proposed EU constitution knows it is a weapon of mass destruction of all the member states, including our country. Tony Blair must give us a choice on this new constitution. In fact it is not a

  • Invitation for 6,500 to join in party fun

    SOME of the biggest names in dance music are coming to the region next month. North-East house music pioneer Shindig is celebrating 12 years in clubland with an open-air party for 6,500 people. The event, part of the Orange Evolution festival, will be

  • Stir crazy

    It may have been a bad week for the Gunners, but the food at the Wok Inn still hit the spot. AT approximately 7.55pm last Tuesday, the lights went out over West Auckland, or at least that part of it which is home to the World Cup-winning football club

  • Project sets the standard for road care

    A PROJECT that turned the clock back 20 years to help improve the appearance of a market town is to be copied by other communities. Two years ago, Durham County Council introduced the first of a new kind of lengthsmen - workers who look after the maintenance

  • Town reveals 25-year plan

    A VISION for the future of a market town is to be unveiled later this month. Consultants have produced a 25-year plan for Bedale, featuring proposals to revamp the market place and railway station and improve the town's famous harbour by Bedale Beck with

  • Revamp scheme earns award

    A £12M scheme to breathe new life into the heart of a former coal mining community has won two major awards. The Seaham Regeneration Scheme was one of the flagship projects of the East Durham Task Force's Programme for Action. The multi-agency blueprint

  • Marion wins £16m - itchy hands down

    A NORTH-EAST woman's itchy hand led her to check the numbers that scooped her a £16m lottery jackpot. Grandmother Marion Richardson, from Winlaton, Gateshead, will face the cameras today when she is handed the cheque she won on Friday's Camelot Euro draw

  • Pet lambs stolen

    A family have been left devastated by the theft of six pet lambs on Easter Sunday. The Tindale family were shocked to discover that the animals, some only days old, had been taken from a stable at their smallholding in Brancepeth, near Durham City. They

  • £250 for windfarm assesment 'an error'

    A COMPANY has hit back at claims that it is not giving the public information about its plans for a windfarm. EDF Energy wants to build an offshore windfarm half a mile off Coatham Sands, Redcar, east Cleveland, with 30 400ft turbines capable of generating

  • Harmony beside the sea

    IT'S been a bit of a hectic week. I have been doing the coast to coast walk. Well, to be fair, I haven't actually been treading out the whole soggy 192 miles, but have been undertaking the most important task of backup support. It has meant lots of hanging

  • The Great Debate - My View: An opportunity we must take

    The column that gives leading figures in the region the opportunity to speak frankly on the issue of self-government in the North-East. ANDY CROFT, a Middlesbrough poet who has signed petitions in favour of a regional assembly, wrote a poem read out when

  • Eating Owt: Stir crazy

    It may have been a bad week for the Gunners, but the food at the Wok Inn still hit the spot. AT approximately 7.55pm last Tuesday, the lights went out over West Auckland, or at least that part of it which is home to the World Cup-winning football club

  • Best to look after number one

    ARMED & DANGEROUS Publisher, Activision; Formats Xbox, PC; Price £40. Out now: WERE you one of the gamers who bought Giants: Citizen Kabuto? If you were, then give yourself a slap on the back. Despite a recent low cost re-release, Giants remains something

  • TV review

    Agatha Christie's Death On The Nile (ITV1) Battle Of The Boy Bands (C4) The Legend Of The Tamworth Two (BBC1) CHANNEL 4 was mean to re-run the 1978 film Death On The Nile two days before ITV1 premiered its lavish new TV version. Whether intended as a

  • Baggies offer last chance

    SUNDERLAND manager Mick McCarthy last night admitted that the Black Cats were rapidly running out of time in their attempt to claim automatic promotion to the Premiership. Yesterday's 1-0 defeat at Ipswich leaves the Black Cats nine points behind second-placed

  • Murphy junior joins celebration

    FERDY MURPHY'S day of joy at Fairyhouse with Irish Grand National hero, Granit d'Estruval, didn't end there as his stable-companion, Looking Forward, swooped to overhaul Dream On Willie and capture the feature event at Sedgefield yesterday, the £7,000

  • Pool enjoy a happy Easter

    HAPPY Easter? It couldn't have been more joyous for Hartlepool United. Yesterday's win at Wrexham keeps Pool sixth in the table, but, with other results going their way, they are in a prime postion as a clutch of teams chase the final play-off berth.

  • 'Shambolic' Quakers slip up in relegation fight

    DARLINGTON'S Third Division future hangs in the balance after they threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 and slipped a place to 20th at Southend yesterday. Three second-half goals capped a remarkable recovery from the Shrimpers after Quakers looked poised

  • Home-alone patients

    A SCHEME to support patients, free up hospital beds and lower re-admission rates has been launched in Hambleton and Richmondshire. The Red Cross Home from Hospital Service aims to provide practical help and emotional support for people who are leaving

  • When hell is queuing up for stamps

    IN Dante's vision of hell it says in large letters over the door: ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE. It ought to say the same over the door of every post office in London. I don't know how things are in the North-East these days, but in my neck of the

  • Band concert

    Kirkbymoorside Town Brass Band will be performing in the council chamber of Ryedale House, Malton, North Yorkshire, on Sunday, May 2 at 3pm. The fundraising concert is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Tickets cost £3.

  • New CD-Rom commended

    A NEW CD-Rom is helping health staff to diagnose patients with suspected mental health problems. The package was designed and produced for the NHS by the Centre for Design Research, at Northumbria University, and was highly commended at the recent NHS

  • Role-play that's perfect for the patient

    FINAL FANTASY X-2. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Format: PS 2. Price: £39.99. Out now. THE trouble with role-playing games is that unless you happen to be a bit, err, obsessive, they can be a mite boring. Massive games like the Final Fantasy saga are the

  • Mother scoops lottery

    A mother-of-five who scooped the biggest ever EuroMillions jackpot was today expected to speak of her £16.7 million fairytale rags-to-riches story. Marion Richardson can now afford to swap her three-bedroom council house on Tyneside for millionaires'

  • Scale model of Eiffel Tower to go on show

    A NORTH-EAST museum is preparing for one of the most popular exhibitions in its calendar. Displays at Beamish Open Air Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, at the weekend will be created by members of the North-East Meccano Society, with working sets

  • Sky will be no limit at astronomy event

    THE sky will be no limit when the Forestry Commission welcomes astronomers on Saturday. The first astronomy event of its kind is being held in Chopwell Wood, near High Spen, Gateshead, from 9pm. Stargazers of all ages will have the chance to look through

  • At Your Service: Pleasant society at the peaceful priory

    ONE of the happiest things about St Antony's Priory, that is to say its still small voice of calm, may also have been the thinking behind the "Quiet Zone" coach on the train from Darlington to Durham last Friday evening. The quiet zone, alas, overflowed