Hospital bosses who paid a gynaecologist almost £100,000 to stay at home because they could not agree terms for her return to work have been ordered to reinstate her immediately. A tribunal ruled that South Tyneside District Hospital executives were told
Sussanna Clarke spent ten years writing her first novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, set in the world of Georgian magic. She tells Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings what it's like being compared with JK Rowling and why she's a northern girl at heart
THE European Endurance and Racing Club heads North to Croft Circuit this weekend for the first of a three-round series which will see a Le Mans type spectacle of cars racing in the dark. The EERC Britcar Endurance Series Twilight Race, to be held on Saturday
A MAN implicated in an infamous arson attack that killed a pregnant woman, her two infant daughters and a teenage babysitter has been stabbed to death. Gary Cornish, 23, was attacked outside the Beehive pub at the bottom of the Bigg Market, in Newcastle
RESIDENTS have been invited to offer their suggestions about the future of nursing in their district. Derwentside Primary Care Trust (PCT) will hold the public consultation event at the Civic Centre, in Consett, at 6pm on Thursday. The trust is producing
A FORMER newsagent who suffered a brain stem stroke is continuing his fight back to health by brushing up on his education. Nigel Dougill started having problems with his sight and co-ordination four years ago. "I got up one day and discovered I just
GROWN-ups who harbour a desire to be the next Margot Fonteyn or Rudolph Nureyev are being offered the chance to do just that. They are getting the chance to flex their muscles and tone their body using ballet movements and body conditioning. The exercise
A SERIES of motivational talks will take place at a North-East university later this month. Although primarily aimed at women, the event on Wednesday, October 27, from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough, is open to all.
A SCHOOL has been awarded £20,000 from the National Lottery to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War. Harrogate Grammar School's will hold a programme of events throughout the school year, with the climax on July 11. The
A COMMUNITY has been invited to comment on a council's draft policy governing the way licences are issued. Under the Licensing Act 2003, responsibility for issuing licences will transfer from the magistrates' courts to Chester-le-Street District Council
COMPENSATION claims on behalf of deceased miners will be assessed by a chest specialist if new proposals are accepted, Government officials have confirmed. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is to lodge proposals with the High Court today, which
According to an exclusive poll commissioned by The Northern Echo, the North-East is on the verge of saying No to a directly-elected regional assembly. Political Editor Chris Lloyd reports on the different voting intentions between the sexes and the generations
A PROGRAMME of family fun events has been drawn up in Hartlepool for the school half-term week. The events will mostly take place at The Historic Quay, the Museum of Hartlepool, the Art Gallery and the Town Hall Theatre, starting on Saturday and running
A Darlington GP who secretly filmed intimate examinations of female patients today had his "unduly lenient" jail term increased by London's Criminal Appeal Court. Describing Dr Syed Husain's conduct as a "grave breach of trust", Lord Justice Rose increased
Five furlongs on a course with a stiff uphill finish looks ideal for Ok Pal, who is fancied to give a good account in The Packsaddle Handicap at Pontefract this afternoon. Terry Mills' four-year-old has won twice on soft ground at Sandown so won't be
SCHOOL pupils have been busy learning difficult spellings to try to win fame on national television. Three students from Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, won through to the regional heats of Hard Spell, a BBC Television show which
AN innovative partnership to raise standards in education has been honoured in a national awards ceremony. Visual applications specialist Direct Visual was presented with the Videoconferencing Project of the Year Award at a ceremony in Newport, Wales.
FORMER Viz editor Simon Donald has panned a new film based on his cult comic caricatures. The cartoonist, who helped create the terrible twosome, said the film Fat Slags, which hit the big screen on Friday, was "worth less than zero." He said the plot
AN art project has been launched to rejuvenate a city's creative industries. The York Renaissance Project has invited artists to suggest futuristic schemes for the city. The project has already agreed funding for several schemes, including video artwork
SUSANNA Clarke was sitting in the plush London offices of publishers Bloomsbury when it dawned on her just how big her book was going to be. "It was when I first went down to see them and I realised how many people had actually read it," she says. "I
A POIGNANT tribute was yesterday paid to the memory of a gipsy campaigner during a charter fair. For years, Romany Lawrence Wood led his pony behind civic dignitaries as they toured Yarm's boundaries, at the height of the Teesside town's annual fair.
A COUNCILLOR has undergone an operation to remove a brain tumour. Friends said that outspoken Stockton borough councillor Stephen Smailes was recovering well from surgery. A former mayor of Stockton, where he is leader of the opposition Tory group, Coun
REGIONAL ASSEMBLY: AN article (Echo, Oct 8) states: "The set-up cost of the elected assembly will be around £25m and paid for by Central Government. This should cover the cost of moving to an existing building in Durham". Should this be true fact, then
A BOOK revealing how a North-East council reclaimed swathes of land decimated by industry is published today. Durham County Council mounted its land reclamation programme in 1954 and has since restored 22sq km - an area twice the size of Kielder Reservoir
A Most Mysterious Murder (BBC1); Venice (BBC2): STRANGE things were happening in the Bravo household. The master was being beastly to his wife and forcing himself upon her. She was drinking too much. Her female companion was having secret meetings with
VETERANS of a conflict often overlooked by the public were reunited at the weekend when they gathered once more to remember those they left behind. Almost 800 people, men and women, died between 1945 and 1948 while trying to keep the peace between the
Richard Taylor talks to Steve Pratt about the huge scope and variety of his work as a composer. IF YOU'RE going to make a living as a composer, Richard Taylor believes you have to be something of a musical carpenter - make a chest of drawers one week
Contact Dancer had to call on all his extensive reserves of stamina to grind out victory in an exciting renewal of the totesport Cesarewitch at Newmarket. Heavy rain on Friday turned the going to soft, heavy in places, and 34 runners lined up for the
HEALTH warnings will appear on Newcastle Brown Ale cans and bottles from next month. The decision by brewers Scottish and Newcastle is part of a campaign to promote sensible drinking. Messages will be extended across other Scottish Courage brands, which
A LONG distance lorry driver is looking forward to an epic journey in a very different vehicle - his cherished Mini. Sean Hayes, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, can not wait until Sunday when he meets up with other fans of the cult car on the trail
THE latest donation from a trust has funded equipment for a multi-sensory room. The Durham City Trust has given the support to Deerness Leisure Centre, which opened its Sensations room with the help of money raised during the 1996 Mayor's Appeal. Disabled
IT is easy to understand why the people of the North-East appear so sceptical about the benefits of a directly-elected regional assembly. For a start, everything about it is so vague. There's a lack of certainty about its powers and a lack of understanding
SHOPPERS were offered a taste of porridge when a mobile jail cell was set up in a city centre at the weekend. County Durham and Darlington's Criminal Justice Board parked the cell - created for the Prison Me, No Way educational programme - outside Durham's
GOVERNMENT ministers are to be urged to come up with funding to pay for landslip repairs. Redcar and Cleveland Council commissioned the £3m reconstruction of Loftus Bank, in east Cleveland, following a devastating landslide in 1999. Five years on there
A COUNCILLOR has warned that Middlesbrough Council will do everything it can to tackle nuisance noise-makers. Every year, the council receives about 1,300 noise complaints. Councillor Barry Coppinger, executive council member for community safety and
DARLINGTON midfielder Ian Clark may be on the fringe of manager David Hodgson's first-team plans, but he believes he can use that to his advantage. Clark has been a bit-part player so far this season, making eight of his 14 appearances as a substitute
A 22-year-old man died from suspected hypothermia after fleeing into remote woodland when a stolen car he was in crashed, police said today. Danny McLeod, who was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, was discovered in a ravine by a dogwalker in remote woods at
A MAN implicated in an infamous arson attack that killed a pregnant woman, her two infant daughters and a teenage babysitter has been stabbed to death. Gary Cornish, 23, was attacked outside the Beehive pub at the bottom of the Bigg Market, in Newcastle
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott brought his battle bus to the North-East today in a bid to win votes for the Yes campaign for a regional assembly. On the day an exclusive poll for The Northern Echo predicted a crushing defeat for the Government in
AN urgent action plan has been drawn up by a North-East council, determined to ensure a multi-million pound shopping centre is built. Doubts hung over the future of the £90m Commercial Street scheme in Darlington after developer St Martin's Property Group
Ferryhill Athletic celebrated their first win of the season defeating rival strugglers Washington Nissan UK 3-2 when Andrew Howard took the man-of-the-match honours. He bagged a brace of goals inside 19 minutes and after Kyle Sumner reduced the deficit
A Most Mysterious Murder (BBC1) Venice (BBC2) STRANGE things were happening in the Bravo household. The master was being beastly to his wife and forcing himself upon her. She was drinking too much. Her female companion was having secret meetings with
ALMOST two years to the day and Antony Sweeney took a leaf out of Mark Tinkler's book, writes Nick Loughlin. Tinkler netted a hat-trick as Hartlepool United beat Wrexham 4-3 and on Saturday it was Sweeney's turn to bag three from midfield. Sweeney's triple-salvo
SCHOOL pupils have been busy learning difficult spellings to try to win fame on national television. Three students from Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, won through to the regional heats of Hard Spell, a BBC Television show which
TIME marches on and even the bravest cannot soldier on for ever. Now some of the dwindling band of men who helped turn the tide of the Second World War decided it was time to make an important decision. The ten remaining active members of the Leeds Air
AFTER keeping five clean sheets in his last seven appearances, Sunderland goalkeeper Mart Poom was described as a man every Championship club would love to have in their team by manager Mick McCarthy. Poom is the main reason why Norwegian international
HEALTH chiefs in Darlington fear elderly and vulnerable people have become complacent about keeping flu at bay. Darlington Primary Care Trust has sent thousands of letters to those eligible for flu jabs, but says not everyone who needs the vaccination
YOUNG designers from Darlington College of Technology are to have their work considered by experts at car manufacturer Jaguar. The second year BTEC National Diploma Multi-Media Design students were asked to design a web page, logo and show stand for a
A SERIES of courses is on offer allowing people to learn more about computers. Beginners can learn how to send an e-mail or search the Internet, and can also work towards a certificate or learn the basics at the computer classes, which are being held
Sharon McDonald, a receptionist at Hurworth doctors' surgery, near Darlington, scored the maximum amount possible when she sat her dispensing exams. Ms McDonald gained a distinction in the 45-hour Vantage dispensing assistant's course. She said: "I have
A BOOK revealing how a North-East council reclaimed swathes of land decimated by industry is published today. Durham County Council mounted its land reclamation programme in 1954 and has since restored 22sq km - an area twice the size of Kielder Reservoir
RESIDENTS of Darlington can have the safety of their electric blankets tested for free this week. Darlington Borough Council's trading standards team and 50plus Age Concern are running their annual safety testing campaign from today until Wednesday to
HEALTH boss Colin Morris found a new meaning to the phrase putting his feet up when he visited St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington. The chief executive of the town's primary care trust got to try out a hydraulic hoist similar to one that will be bought
CHECKS by firefighters have revealed five speeding hot-spots which will now be clamped down on by the police. A team from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service used a flashing speed sign at 20 places across Ryedale to warn drivers they were going too
A HEALTH trust has won three national honours for its work in spreading the word to staff, patients and the public. Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust's communication team won two awards and were highly commended in a third category, at an Association
FORMER Viz editor Simon Donald has panned a new film based on his cult comic caricatures. The cartoonist, who helped create the terrible twosome, said the film Fat Slags, which hit the big screen on Friday, was "worth less than zero." He said the plot
ALLOTMENT holders are digging in against an eviction notice which they say will spell the end of a century-old tradition. The 20 gardeners who tend plots in Howden-le-Wear were shocked when letters arrived last week giving them a year to quit the three-acre
CRIME and the fear of crime is in the spotlight at an open evening focusing on Community Safety next week. Wear Valley Community Network has organised the event in the Four Clocks Centre, Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, on October 27. Durham police's
THE rural economy of North Yorkshire needs revitalising to create jobs, according to research being pioneered by the county council. Consultants have been brought in to set up workshops of small groups to brainstorm ideas including farm diversification
SCHOOLS should be teaching everyone from toddlers to pensioners in North Yorkshire, according to a report by the county council's education chief. Cynthia Welbourn says greater use could be made of school sites and buildings so that people of all ages
AN MP has backed a community's campaign to restore a vital bus service. Villagers of Tanfield, near Stanley, say they were left stranded when Go North East cancelled their only direct route to Newcastle two months ago. North Durham MP Kevan Jones, who
A BIG thank you has been issued to those who took part in a coffee morning to raise money for charity. Sue Nelson, from Long Newton, near Stockton, raised £550 at her coffee morning last month as part of Macmillan Cancer Relief's World Biggest Coffee
THE rural economy of North Yorkshire needs revitalising to create jobs, according to research being pioneered by the county council. Consultants have been brought in to set up workshops of small groups to brainstorm ideas including farm diversification
A pensioner has been left in a critical condition after an early morning accident on the outskirts of Durham City. The 65-year-old woman has undergone emergency surgery in Newcastle General Hospital today following the accident near Sherburn Village.
DUTCH hot-shot Clyde Wijnhard has dropped his strongest possible hint yet that his long-term future remains in the North-East with Darlington. The stocky striker has made an immediate impact at the Williamson Motors Stadium, scoring in all three games
WASTE experts in the North-East are hoping a national campaign launched this week will boost recycling efforts in the region. The Big Recycle, launched by WRAP, the Government-backed Waste and Resources Campaign today will see an extensive advertising
PUPILS from a north Durham school enjoyed a VIP engagement when they were invited to open a supermarket. The children from South Stanley Primary School were asked to open the North Eastern and Cumbria Co-op's new Welcome store in the town's Tyne Road.
PLANS for a temporary portable cabin to provide two consulting rooms behind a doctor's surgery have been approved by councillors. Chester-le-Street District Council's planning committee gave the go-ahead to proposals for the building at Middle Chare Surgery
Flying circuits being trialled by an RAF base look likely to be scrapped after six months following complaints from residents. Hambleton District and Harrogate Borough councils suggested a change to the flying patterns at RAF Linton-on-Ouse earlier this
PRACTICE nurses are joining forces with a workingmen's club to fight flu this winter. Nurses from Sacriston Surgery and Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust (PCT) will be at the Sacriston Workingmen's Club, in Sacriston, at 9am on Thursday.
Hospital bosses who paid a gynaecologist almost £100,000 to stay at home because they could not agree terms for her return to work have been ordered to reinstate her immediately. A tribunal ruled that South Tyneside District Hospital executives were told
RESIDENTS launched 1,000 balls into a river at the weekend as part of continuing attempts to raise cash for new play areas. The north Durham communities which have formed the charity Equal Partnership, representing Esh, Quebec and Langley Park, staged
Joe Fanning stole the show with a near 200-1 treble for Mark Johnston and in the process equalled his best score of 84 at Musselburgh yesterday. He, and not the jockeys' title contenders, took the riding honours as Frankie Dettori drew a blank and Kieren
Comedienne Victoria Wood is coming to the region to celebrate the tenth anniversary of a music therapy charity. She is patron of Jessie's Fund, which helps seriously ill children through the therapeutic use of music. It was set up in memory of Jessica
A JUDGE answered questions about the criminal justice system at a weekend event. Judge Les Spittle put himself forward for three question and answer sessions at the Teesside Combined Court Centre, in the middle of Middlesbrough, on Saturday. He was joined
WHEN Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored a 14-minute hat-trick for Chelsea against Wolves in March this year each of his goals appeared borne out of frustration. The then Chelsea striker was celebrating his 32nd birthday that day, but the celebrations were
BOB the Builder creator Curtis Jobling and Disney archivist David Williams are two of the high profile names taking part in a university's annual visiting lecture series. Mr Jobling, an animator who also worked on the Wallace and Gromit films and Tim
THE Government is being urged to accelerate plans to tackle an accident blackspot after it claimed another life. Campaigners made their calls following an accident on the so-called "death-mile" stretch of the A66 near Stockton in which an elderly man
IT WASN'T quite the World Cup final, but a drop goal with the last kick of the game snatched a draw for Newcastle Falcons in yesterday's mid-table battle at Kingston Park. They could be well satisfied with the result after being thoroughly outplayed in
Tow Law are in the thick of the relegation dogfight after they lost 4-3 at Jarrow Roofing on Saturday, even though they led 3-1 with just eight minutes left. Roofing, who were bottom of the table at the start of the game, had Craig Nelson to thank, because
Centurions Charlton celebrated their old age at the Valley yesterday but, for Newcastle, it was a case of age-old defensive mistakes costing them a second away win of the season. The Magpies looked to be cruising when Craig Bellamy headed them into a
WASTE experts in the North-East are hoping a national campaign launched this week will boost recycling efforts in the region. The Big Recycle, launched by WRAP, the Government-backed Waste and Resources Campaign today will see an extensive advertising
I HAVE discovered a whole heap of people who are as culturally confused as I am out there. I met them at my new Urdu evening class a few weeks ago, after I decided it was shameful that I spoke in my mother tongue with the same ability as a five-year-old
THIEVES have destroyed a car used by an elderly cancer sufferer to get to hospital. Trevor Munro's burgundy Metro Rio was taken from outside his flat in Eldon Street, Darlington, on October 7. Police found the vandalised car in McMullen Road at the weekend
GRAEME Souness last night revealed that he would be asking Craig Bellamy to provide his version of events following the striker's alleged outburst at the Valley. Television pictures appeared to show the Wales international launching a foul-mouthed tirade
ALMOST two years to the day and Antony Sweeney took a leaf out of Mark Tinkler's book, writes Nick Loughlin. Tinkler netted a hat-trick as Hartlepool United beat Wrexham 4-3 and on Saturday it was Sweeney's turn to bag three from midfield. Sweeney's triple-salvo
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren offered a glimpse into the intense pressure of football management as he spoke of a game 'destroying' confidences and making or break individuals. McClaren handed some words of comfort to beleaguered Blackburn boss
Brian Honour has decided to return as manager of Bishop Auckland after a "frank and honest" meeting before Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Farsley Celtic. The former Hartlepool player quit last weekend, but agreed to return to the club at a three-hour long
REDCAR-BASED Stephen Hepples led home the Great Britain team when he finished 12th in yesterday's Reims International half-marathon in France. The 24-year-old North Yorkshireman, who was making his senior UK debut, was nearly a minute outside his personal
Darlington have invested a lot of faith and finance in assembling an impressive attack which will average more good days than bad, but what David Hodgson needs next is some consistency from his team. Quakers have made massive strides in recent weeks and
DETECTIVES have been left baffled by an apparently motiveless knife attack on a father-of-four. The 26-year-old man was pounced on by a gang of youths after leaving an off-licence in Yarm Road, Darlington. He was knocked to the ground with a martial arts
THE gap of two divisions proved too much to bridge for Blaydon when they lost 38-0 at Orrell in the third round of the Powergen Cup. But they felt the scoreline was very unflattering as they dominated the first ten minutes and matched the Division One
THE official opening of the newly-refurbished tea rooms and the school railway at a woodland park has taken place. The Station House at Wynyard Woodland Park, near Thorpe Thewles, is a popular visitor attraction. The tea rooms and refurbished shop marks
FIREFIGHTERS are inviting residents to trade-in their chip pans for £25 deep-fat fryers, - for only £5. The hand-overs will take place at two fire safety awareness events in the car parks at Hume House flats, in Stockton, and Hudson House, in Thornaby
THE clocks were turned back 60 years at the weekend to a very different era, a time of camaraderie, excitement and fear. For the eighth successive year, the Pickering-based North York Moors Railway brought the dark years of the 1940s to life with their
A MULTI-million pound training centre for student doctors might be built in the region. The £3.2m centre at York Hospital would provide mock wards where trainees can practise medical procedures on mannequins. Health chiefs hope that the learning centre
TWO schoolgirls have gained an insight into a law career as part of their work experience. Amy Atkinson and Charlotte Potts, both 15, and pupils at Laurence Jackson School, Guisborough, have spent five days at the Combined Court Centre in Middlesbrough
A MAN froze to death after a stolen car he had been travelling in, crashed. Danny McLeod missed his footing as he ran from the scene of the crash through woods - and plunged to the bottom of a hidden ravine. Clad only in a light T-shirt and jeans, the
BOB the Builder creator Curtis Jobling and Disney archivist David Williams are two of the high profile names taking part in a university's annual visiting lecture series. Mr Jobling, an animator who also worked on the Wallace and Gromit films and Tim
A £4.5M BUSINESS park is to be handed almost £500,000 to make it more upmarket - despite remaining empty for three years. The first company to commit to Queen's Meadow Business Park, in Hartlepool, has been announced. But the site, first developed in
ABOUT two dozen pro-hunting supporters staged a peaceful protest outside a dinner being hosted by Government chief whip Hilary Armstrong at the weekend. Ms Armstrong, who is the representative for North-West Durham, was holding a constituency dinner at
IT is a great testament to Michael Bridges' optimism that he is as confident as ever things will turn his way. After all, it is more than 53 months since his last goal after a series of serious injuries restricted a promising career. Last month Bridges
A CONGREGATION was surprised to learn that its church has been used for 140 years without a licence for public worship. The error came to light when officials of the Victorian church in the hamlet of Marishes near Malton, North Yorkshire, set out to rectify
IT WASN'T quite the World Cup final, but a drop goal with the last kick of the game snatched a draw for Newcastle Falcons in yesterday's mid-table battle at Kingston Park. They could be well satisfied with the result after being thoroughly outplayed in
ONCE one of the biggest fishes in the water, now badly affected by arthritis, retired sports outfitter Jack Hatfield still swims 1200 yards every day. "I reckon swimming is all that keeps me out of a wheelchair, " he says. "You can't fall over when you're
A man was taken to hospital with minor injuries caused by an airbag after a collision between two cars in Woodland Road, Darlington, yesterday morning. Firefighters were called to the scene just after 11am when smoke was seen coming from one of the vehicles
FORMER worshippers were reunited one last time yesterday when one of the oldest Salvation Army Corps in the country was disbanded. The Spennymoor citadel, in Dundas Street, was full for the final service, ending 126 years of ministry in the town. Memories
A PROGRAMME of family fun events has been drawn up in Hartlepool for the school half-term week. The events will mostly take place at The Historic Quay, the Museum of Hartlepool, the Art Gallery and the Town Hall Theatre, starting on Saturday and running
POLICE have pledged a tough crackdown on youth disorder in Darlington in the run-up to Bonfire Night. Darlington Community Safety Partnership says it is determined to cut down misuse of fireworks, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour during Mischief
POLICE in Darlington are blaming a "dramatic increase" in anti-social behaviour on lax parenting and the sale of alcohol to under-age youths. Officers in the town say violent teenagers are causing havoc on the streets, fuelled by too much alcohol. They
A nursery in Darlington has celebrated its first anniversary with a party and a cake. Kids and Co, in the town's North Road, was officially opened by Tony Blair last year, and has since had an Ofsted inspection, which was described as good. A nursery
A CAREERS advice service based in North Yorkshire has been presented with a top national award. Staff from Future Prospects, in Swinegate, York, received the honour from actress Maureen Lipman at a ceremony in London. Acting manager Andrew Cambridge said
GOVERNMENT ministers are to be urged to come up with funding to pay for landslip repairs. Redcar and Cleveland Council commissioned the £3m reconstruction of Loftus Bank, in east Cleveland, following a devastating landslide in 1999. Five years on there
Stockton Borough Council is planning a firework display on Friday, November 5, on the Riverside. The display, provided by local company G2, begins at 7.30pm and there will also be fairground rides. A radio roadshow by 96.6tfm begins at 6pm.
RUGBY star Rob Andrew returned to his old school to celebrate a different kind of conversion. He opened a multi-purpose hall, canteen and classroom at Barton Primary School, between Richmond and Darlington - where he was a pupil more than three decades
HEALTH warnings will appear on Newcastle Brown Ale cans and bottles from next month. The decision by brewers Scottish and Newcastle is part of a campaign to promote sensible drinking. Messages will be extended across other Scottish Courage brands, which
CHILDREN taking part in a national computer project are joining in workshops this week testing the impact of technology on standards in schools. The youngsters, all aged between seven and 12, are taking part in Super Learning Week at Willington library
A £4.5M BUSINESS park is to be handed almost £500,000 to make it more upmarket - despite remaining empty for three years. The first company to commit to Queen's Meadow Business Park, in Hartlepool, has been announced. But the site, first developed in
A legal tradition has survived for 100 years in a solicitors' practice which has served generations of south Durham families. Marquis Hewitts celebrated its centenary soon after moving into smart new offices in Bishop Auckland this year. Mergers and acquisitions
SHUNNED by his team-mates three weeks ago, everyone wanted a slice of Antony Sweeney on Saturday. The Hartlepool United midfielder netted a tidy hat-trick as Pool's impressive home form continued with victory over Chesterfield. At Milton Keynes on September
A COUPLE with a relative in a closure-threatened care home have spoken up for the home's owner. Ann Langley's mother is a resident in the Graceland private care home, in Guisborough, and says proprietor Barry Parvin is being made the subject of attacks
With less than three weeks to go to the historic referendum, an exclusive Northern Echo poll predicts North-East voters will reject a regional assembly. THE North-East is on the verge of rejecting a directly-elected regional assembly by a resounding margin
A DRIVE to improve a community's health has been boosted with the launch of neighbourhood clinics. Hartlepool Primary Care Trust has set up a nurses-run clinic in the Owton Rossmere Resource Centre on the town's Wynyard Road. It follows the launch of
A £4.5M BUSINESS park is to be handed almost £500,000 to make it more upmarket - despite remaining empty for three years. The first company to commit to Queen's Meadow Business Park, in Hartlepool, has been announced. But the site, first developed in
A GIRL'S football festival will help celebrate the start of a school sports initiative. The event, to mark the start of the Chester-le-Street School Sport Co-ordinator Partnership, will be held at the Riverside Sports Pavilion in the town from 9.15pm
mountaineer Alan Hinkes is auctioning his mobile phone number on an Internet site for charity. The 50-year-old from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, is hoping to reach the top of Kangchenjunga in Nepal next year and become the first Briton to climb all
Richard Taylor talks to Steve Pratt about the huge scope and variety of his work as a composer. IF YOU'RE going to make a living as a composer, Richard Taylor believes you have to be something of a musical carpenter - make a chest of drawers one week
