CARTOON dog Scooby Doo and TV show Friends are helping to give young people fresh incentive. About 1,000 DVDs featuring the ghost-busting Great Dane and the US sitcom have been given to North Yorkshire Education Service. They were donated by BT's Northallerton
Simon Elvidge spent 30 years wondering who his birth mother was. In the third and final part of a series on motherhood ahead of Mothering Sunday, he tells Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings how he finally found her through The Northern Echo. SIMON Elvidge
A COMPANY is planning to create 100 jobs on Tyneside as part of an expansion plan. Door-to-door leaflet distribution company Amaro, based at Gateshead, will also be creating 2,500 jobs across the UK as it extends its operations to Yorkshire, the Midlands
DARLINGTON'S Spring Thing festival, run by the Campaign for Real Ale, Camra, will be held in the Arts Centre, Vane Terrace, from March 10 to 12. More than 48 ales from around Britain, plus imported ciders,will be available. Entry to the beer hall is free
After an abortive trip to his casino the column finds Duncan Bannatyne's hotel a good bet for fine dining. SAVE for the occasional hand of dominoes and for the annual sure fire wager that Hartlepool FC will finish above Darlington FC in their respective
POLICE are investigating a fire in which a 45-year-old mother died at the weekend. Grace Chambers was trapped on the first floor of her house, in Aycliffe Avenue, Springwell Estate, Gateshead, when the fire broke out on Saturday. Her partner, Thomas Allan
TELEVISION and film star Honor Blackman surprised theatre-goers last night when she made a guest appearance in a play. She was the celebrity guest at the first night of The Play What I Wrote, being staged at the Theatre Royal, in Newcastle, until Saturday
HARTLEPOOL United face an international test this afternoon, when Irish League champions Shelbourne provide friendly opposition. After a weekend performance labelled "useless" by manager Neale Cooper, when his side lost at Stockport, Pool will include
QUAKERS fans will be able to question the manager and captain at a forum this month. A limited number of supporters of Darlington FC can attend the meeting, organised by BBC Radio Cleveland, on Monday, March 14. Manager David Hodgson and skipper Craig
TRADITIONAL St Patrick's Day festivities are being extended as part of a month-long celebration of all things Irish in the North-East during March. Passengers on the Tyne and Wear Metro network will have the chance to sample the flavour of the Emerald
SCORES of pubs in the region are spurning the chance to open longer, despite new 24-hour drinking laws. By yesterday, not one North-East pub had applied for an extended licence, despite bids being invited three weeks ago. In North Yorkshire, City of York
FIRE officers and a farmer helped a landlord when his pub flooded at the weekend. The basement at the Bridge Inn, in Ramshaw, near Evenwood, Teesdale, began to flood after melting snow overflowed drains on Sunday. Landlord David Cox called the fire brigade
SCHOOLCHILDREN have shown they have a talent for town planning after constructing their own Lego community. Pupils from Crakehall Primary School used about 7,000 bricks to build the model town in their school hall yesterday. Each of the school's 69 children
A TALK on public relations and marketing will be given at the next meeting of Richmond Business and Tourism Association, tomorrow. The presentation, by Jackie Mackenzie and Associates, begins at 7pm in the ballroom of the King's Head Hotel. The meeting
Superstar Michael Jackson sexually abused a young cancer patient and showed him pornographic material on the Internet, a Californian court was told yesterday. As the trial of the pop singer finally began yesterday, District Attorney Thomas Sneddon said
A FORMER teacher's ten-year labour of love in researching his native County Durham has turned into what is thought to be the most comprehensive guide to family history in Britain. Author and historian Tony Whitehead has compiled a website which, he says
SHOPPERS are being asked to help choose a good cause to receive thousands of pounds of money. Every year, The Bridges Shopping Centre, in Sunderland, chooses a charity to support, and recently gave £5,500 to the Anthony Nolan Trust. The centre has produced
FORMER Liberal Democrat Chief Whip David Alton and pro-democracy campaigner James Mawdsley will speak at a pro-life public meeting in Durham City on Thursday. They will join Ben Rogers, Conservative Party candidate for the Durham City constituency, at
CLEM James, a veteran seadog of the North Yorkshire coast, has been honoured by the RNLI for his long service to the lifeboats at Staithes and Runswick Bay. Now aged 85, Mr James, who lives overlooking the picturesque harbour at Staithes, already holds
They were designed as iconic landmarks to transform the skyline but the office blocks at Morton Palms, on the edge of Darlington, are also an outstaning example of environmentally-friendly design. John Dean reports. IT takes a lot of effort for a building
A 25-YEAR-OLD man died while drinking with friends, an inquest has heard. Christopher Lyon lived in Leeds, but was in Hartlepool for a family celebration when he collapsed last Wednesday night. Yesterday's inquest was adjourned for further pathologist
IT is a sad reflection of the state of Fiat Auto that General Motors preferred to pay $2bn rather than buy the company. The two had been locked in negotiations since GM signalled its desire to dissolve its five-year relationship with the Italians. Under
Britain has walked away almost empty-handed from the Oscars, as the glory went to Clint Eastwood and his boxing movie Million Dollar Baby. British hopefuls Kate Winslet, 29, and Imelda Staunton, 49, both lost out to Hilary Swank when she won best actress
I was first introduced to riding club activities by my friend Rosemary. A feisty lady who rarely takes no for an answer, she quickly had me signed up to the local club with promises of training, teams, shows, social events, in fact everything one could
YOUNG people are being given financial advice this week. Debtcred is a new initiative by the Association of High Sheriffs, which aims to teach teenagers how to look after their money as they prepare to start work. Monetary experts gave talks at two Darlington
A HIGH Court judge with a love of hunting has quit the judiciary in disgust, accusing the Government of acting like the Nazi party. Michael Spencer QC said the hunting ban was the first step along the same path that eventually led to Auschwitz. And he
TWO headteachers are to give a presentation to parents on how they can help their children at home with their education. Elaine McCue and George Ford, headteachers at Abbey Infant and Abbey Junior schools in Darlington, have already given several presentations
A TEAM of offenders has removed graffiti and grime from the windows and doors of Stanley bus station. The probation service, in Consett, sent a group of offenders, supplied with powerful cleaning equipment, to the bus station. They were all carrying out
ABOUT 175 people enjoyed an evening of Sri Lankan entertainment to raise money for the Asian tsunami appeal. The evening was held at the Middleton St George Community Centre on Saturday and raised £2,295. The money will be sent to the Sri Lankan High
COUNCIL workers, firefighters, community wardens and members of the public took part in a town clean-up operation yesterday. Litter louts were fined and residents warned that dumped vehicles would be towed away from the Parkfield and Mill Lane areas of
A COUNTY-WIDE campaign to tackle domestic abuse has been launched. The North Yorkshire and York Domestic Abuse Strategy aims to provide help and services to victims of domestic abuse and their children. Organisations involved in the strategy, launched
POLICE have issued a health warning after a large amount of frozen food was taken from bins outside a store. The food was taken after a freezer malfunction at the North Eastern Co-op, in Main Street, Seahouses, Northumberland, leading to all its frozen
ASPIRING young sailors are being offered the chance of a lifetime to take part in the Tall Ships race this year. Places are available to sail on the region's training boat James Cook, which is taking part in the festival of sail in July. The vessel will
WHEN Derek Foster announced last month that he was stepping down as Bishop Auckland's MP, he was at least reassured that he was leaving his constituency in better shape than when he arrived. With more people in work than ever and initiatives under way
MARGARET WHITE has been appointed to lead Sunderland Housing Group's Care and Support Services. She takes over the new operation of Sunderland Housing Group, which will focus on the way vulnerable people are supported. She was previously head of strategy
A CAMPAIGN to encourage more people to set up their own businesses has been launched with a bang. Business Link County Durham is putting on a series of events designed to give people the confidence to work for themselves. Mick Wood, from its enterprise
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RECENT cold weather has seen sales rise to record levels at a company that makes thermal lingerie. North Yorkshire-based Bella di Notte has reported record sales of £50,000 in the past week alone. It usually sells about £40,000-worth of underwear a week
Forum CentreSpace, in Newcastle, has appointed Toby Wragg as an account executive. Born in Sheffield, Mr Wragg, 22, joins with a degree in business management from Newcastle University, after North-East enterprise agency, Entrust, matched him for the
European tour greats Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo have only one more day to wait before discovering which of them is to be the next Ryder Cup captain. Although Sandy Lyle has also declared an interest the vote taken in Dubai by the players' committee is
The decline of heavy industry in the North-East has left agencies across the region searching for ways to create new and enduring employment. Deputy Business Editor Dan Jenkins reports on one project that is working. Derwentside in County Durham was once
TEENAGERS are being encouraged to seek work in the environmental sector through a scheme that has started operating in the North-East. Shape Training, part of Cleveland Youth Association, is running courses for young people who initially expressed an
A CAMPAIGN group has been launched to fight further quarrying near ancient monuments. TimeWatch has been formed to protest against Tarmac Northern's proposal to expand its quarry near Thornborough Henges, near Masham, North Yorkshire. TimeWatch chairman
TREVOR the tiny terrapin faced a certain death after he was dumped in a cold street in a cardboard box. But a curious member of the public saved his life after calling the RSPCA. Now the under-nourished pet is on the road to recovery at the Animal Centre
If you are stuck on what to buy your mum this Sunday, fear not. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings picks out the best buys to be had. WE can all take our mums for granted from time to time, but Mother's Day is the one day of the year we can make up for it
THE first phase of work to restore a mill is almost complete, despite the building losing out in a national television competition. Gayle Mill, near Hawes, North Yorkshire, came third in the final of BBC television's Restoration programme last year. Although
A NORTH-EAST man is taking part in the first UK Sled Dog final and world championship qualifier this weekend. The competition is being held in the normally tranquil grounds of Drumlanrig Castle, in Dumfries. One hundred and twenty mushers, or sled dog
A LAUNDRY boss who mowed down his cheating wife with the company's van was jailed for three years yesterday. Andrew Lincoln, 44, snapped after Carol, 48, his wife of 14 years, set up home with businessman Andrew Danylew, 42, in an office at the company's
A SERIES of freak incidents led to a helicopter crash in which 11 people died, accident investigators said yesterday. Three of those who died when the Sikorsky S-76A ditched into the North Sea 30 miles off Cromer, Norfolk, in July 2002 came from North
Struck lucky as it were, Geoffrey Gregg has discovered while moving house a packet of matches produced to mark the 1931 FA Cup final - his Uncle Billy on Birmingham City's losing side. Match of the day, just one has been used. This is the same Robert
A MAN has admitted killing his girlfriend, her sister and an elderly couple. Lawyers for Mark Hobson, 34, made the admission as he appeared briefly at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. Hobson, of New Lane, Selby, North Yorkshire, is charged with killing
A GRANDFATHER has received an award for more than 50 years of teaching. On Saturday, Raymond Evans, 73, who lives with his wife, Majorie, in Crook, was given an award by the Worshipful Company of Music in London, after sharing 57 years of passion for
A Durham company is shipping Scotch whisky to the Taiwanese. Sarah French speaks to John McDonough, who has a whisky heritage of his own. FOR businessman John McDonough, making good Scotch available to other parts of the world is the continuation of a
SUDAN 1: WE DON'T all have access to computers so thank you for publishing a list of foods banned due to Sudan 1 (Echo, Feb 19). I found WeightWatchers banned meals still on sale in local stores last week, and I was able to quote the Echo to them. Both
It's been raining unseasonably in Saudi Arabia. Cause? Global warming. Kashmir has suffered its coldest winter in living memory. Cause? Global warming. The winter in Britain is extraordinarily dry. Cause? Global warming. Are you getting sick of this article
YORK Minster was in mourning yesterday after a member of its staff plunged 100ft from one of its towers to his death in front of horrified tourists. John Robert Angus, 59, who had been a verger at the cathedral for 25 years, was killed instantly when
A SWIMMING pool is to be closed for more than two weeks for essential maintenance work. Richmond pool will close on Monday. The pool and poolside will then be re-tiled before re-opening on March 25. Leisure contract manager Iain Garth said the existing
A FURIOUS Franck Queudrue has warned his Middlesbrough team-mates they risk undoing all of their good work if a cure is not found for their UEFA Cup hangovers. The French full-back helped secure a point against Charlton on Sunday when his 86th-minute
Frances Griss looks at the history of one of the UK's best-known retailers. When Michael Marks set out his first stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market in 1884, he could not have known that it was the start of a British institution. Marks knew that people liked
IT FIRM Waterstons is launching software to help companies keep their staff happy, after testing it on its own workforce. The group, based on Belmont Business Park, near Durham, has developed a resource planning and management information system (MIS)
The new Endurance Riding season is about to start and Endurance GB, the governing body of Endurance Riding, is encouraging people to try the sport of in the hope that you will 'get hooked '- as so many of us have before you - and join the society. A try-before-you-buy
Cooking is still king on TV and the current Masterchef Goes Large contest has inspired thousands to seek fame through kitchen flame. Viv Hardwick talks to York housekeeper Katherine Haworth about taking part in the competition. THREE nights without sleep
A WORLD-BEATING electric vehicle is to be manufactured in the North-East, it was announced yesterday. Smiths Electric Vehicles (SEV), based on the Team Valley in Gateshead, is to produce a model with a top speed of 35mph and a range of more than 60 miles
Bodyshock: When Anaesthesia Fails (C4) Faith (BBC1) DIANE Parr went into hospital to have two teeth removed and an abscess drained. She was given a standard general anaesthetic to make her unconscious, immobile and insensitive to pain. At least, that
CHRIS FAIRHURST'S Ringside Jack (2.10) has been given the opportunity to show what he's made of in the opening Barton Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Catterick. After being campaigned at significantly shorter trips to date, Fairhurst has opted to give his
A FOLK club is back in tune having found a new venue after being asked to leave its home of more than 20 years. Members of Durham City Folk Club were told they could no longer meet at the Colpitt's Hotel, in Colpitt's Terrace. Although no explanation
WORK has started on a £490,000 project to resurface a two-mile stretch of the A1 in the region. The scheme will see both carriageways strengthened between the B6285 at Burneston and the Londonderry interchange, in North Yorkshire. The work will continue
Sunday, February 6 saw the opening of the Point to Point season in the north of England, held at Witton Castle hosted by the Old Raby Hunt Club. The beautiful settings in which the castle stands made a perfect venue for such an event. You can stand on
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Sales assistant, Ouston, £4.85ph, 16hrs pw between noon and 7pm over 2/3 days, required for newsagents, must be 18 or over, no experience required as training given
PRIVATE bank Coutts & Co has appointed banker Dave Carman to expand its business on Teesside. Mr Carman, who will concentrate on the Middlesbrough, Darlington and Hartlepool areas, becomes the sixth private banker to be recruited by the North-East
A PLAN to build 75 houses on the former steelworks site in Consett has been given the go-ahead. Dysart, part of the Project Genesis initiative, is to develop the land south-west of Knitsley Gardens, in Templetown. The original plan was to build 79 homes
FOUR teams from Darlington Borough Council's education department are in the top ten nationally in education audits. The Audit Commission survey of schools is carried out annually and this year four areas of work have been praised. They are quality of
Struck lucky as it were, Geoffrey Gregg has discovered while moving house a packet of matches produced to mark the 1931 FA Cup final - his Uncle Billy on Birmingham City's losing side. Match of the day, just one has been used. This is the same Robert
THE region's shipyards were last night assured by a Government minister that they will have a key role in building Royal Navy warships, but they must do more to win contracts. Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram was in Durham to meet representatives of
THE early days of banking and money lending is the talk at the Durham County Local History Society's next meeting. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 9, at 7pm, in Bishop Auckland Town Hall. Tickets cost £1 and include refreshments.
THE man who turned North-East software house Sage into an international brand name is aiming to repeat his success in the IT support market. Technology Services Group (TSG), an IT solutions firm set up by Sage co-founder Graham Wylie, has revealed that
A SKATE park has been saved because of a move to British-made equipment. Sedgefield Borough Council has been forced to pull the plug on a modern mobile skate park because of high running costs. But the council has identified new kit that will cost half
A BI-ANNUAL quiz night, which proves a popular fund raiser for Cancer Research UK, takes place at Chester-le-Street Cricket Club next week. Teams of up to four are welcome to take part in the event, at the clubhouse off Ropery Lane and Mains Park Road
INCONSIDERATE dog owners caused a hitch for green fingered villagers who turned out to brighten the gateway to their neighbourhood. Volunteers, including Brownies and Scouts, helping to make the Durham Road approach to Sedgefield village more attractive
PLANS for a controversial wind farm were approved yesterday. Renewable energy development company, Wind Prospect, was granted planning permission to install seven turbines at High Swainston Farm, near Wynyard. The turbines, measuring 110m to the tip of
A SUNDERLAND AFC star returned to his roots yesterdayto help promote a successful community scheme. Chris Brown returned to his former school, Shotton Hall Comprehensive, in Peterlee, to launch a new phase of the Shining Through initiative, which was
SOME new faces have joined the team behind one of the biggest events in the agricultural calendar. The staff of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has been strengthened following the recent announcement of a £10m development plan for the 250-acre site
A PLAN to build 75 houses on the former steelworks site in Consett has been given the go ahead. Dysart, part of the Project Genesis initiative, is to develop the land south-west of Knitsley Gardens, in Templetown. The original plan was to build 79 homes
A MAN broke into the home of an elderly neighbour while she was in hospital undergoing treatment for cancer, a court heard. Richard Thomas William Lawson used a key entrusted to his grandmother, whose home he was staying in at the time, to gain access
A FARMER is to increase security on his property after repeated attacks on his land, culminating in the death of a pregnant cow. Vandals have cut through Jeff Horn's fence 15 times in different stretches, allowing some of his 250 cows, which are all carrying
TEENAGER Jason Chapman is proving himself a dab hand in the world of martial arts after collecting a bronze at the British Taekwondo Championships. The 15-year-old student at Northallerton College fought his way into the medals in Sheffield after taking
A CHEF who trashed his girlfriend's flat was banned by a court from returning there, even though the woman is prepared for a reconciliation. Harrogate magistrates heard yesterday how Paul Dilloway, 24, had ransacked the flat in Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate
A GROUP of US visitors laughed off the wintry weather during a visit to Durham City last week. Durham Johnston Comprehensive played host to 15 visitors from Ithaca High School, in New York State, as part of a Transatlantic exchange scheme. The visiting
A SECRET police video which helped convict a woman of murdering her "gentle giant" of a husband should never have been shown to the jury at her trial, the Court of Appeal was told yesterday. Lawyers for Christina Button and her co-accused - her nephew
PLANS for a controversial wind farm near Sedgefield were approved yesterday. Renewable energy development company, Wind Prospect, was granted planning permission to erect seven turbines at High Swainston Farm. The turbines, measuring 110m to the tip of
A FOLK club is back in tune having found a new venue after being asked to leave its home of more than 20 years. Members of Durham City Folk Club were told they could no longer meet at the Colpitt's Hotel, in Colpitt's Terrace. Although no explanation
A DAY care centre has vowed to fight back against thieves, after their annual pantomime was disrupted by the latest break-in. Coverdale Day Care Centre in Darlington, is replacing thousands of pounds of equipment after thieves raided the building in January
A MAN who has spent the past 13 years at the helm of a Darlington shopping centre has retired. Albion Small joined the Cornmill Shopping Centre when it opened in 1992. Yesterday, past and present colleagues and friends attended a party to say goodbye.
DISCOUNTS on leisure and arts across Darlington are to be reviewed. The borough council wants to ensure that price reductions at the Dolphin Centre, Stressholme Golf Centre and Eastbourne Sports Complex are regulated, so that the concessions system is
A SCHOOL that offers sport to every pupil - including those who are not natural athletes - has netted a top award. Sedgefield Community College has been awarded an extension to its Sportsmark Gold status for offering pupils a broad PE curriculum and opportunities
Cracking a ring of hardware thieves and exposing a diamond hoax is all part of the job of a corporate private investigator. Deputy Business Editor Dan Jenkins meets the North-East firm helping companies to combat industrial espionage - and cleaning their
YOUNGSTERS in Teesdale and Wear Valley are being urged to take advantage of a card scheme which allows them free access to leisure. The 'Buzzin' Leisure Card scheme was put together by young people working on the Durham Health Initiative Action Research
CONSULTANTS have been hired to look into the feasibility of creating a water-based leisure attraction in a town. Consultants, Capita Symonds, who have experience of leisure attractions in the UK and abroad, have been appointed to explore a number of options
MOTORISTS have been warned to check their vehicle excise licences or risk a fine. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is launching a campaign, starting this week, on road tax cheats. John Moore, enforcement manager for DVLA, said that the agency
A FOOD company is creating 45 jobs as it offers shoppers a taste of the good life. The Tanfield Food Company will launch a range of gourmet ready-meals this month. The brand, called Look What We Found, is aimed at people who want the finest cuisine, but
WORK has started on a £315,000 makeover of a "forgotten" park. A regeneration group said the revamp should transform under-used Laycock Park in Middlesbrough, into a vibrant green space for local residents to enjoy for generations to come. The upgrade
HEALTH worker and Sunday School teacher Christine Martin has taken her beliefs one step further - by qualifying as a lay preacher. Christine, of Northallerton, is secretary of the North-East Sector Community Mental Health Team and has also been a Sunday
POLICE are looking for the owners of medals from the First and Second World Wars. The medals, which are in good condition, were recovered in Newcastle and are believed to be stolen property. Eight of the 13 medals have names or identification markings
UP to 100,000 former miners were promised fast-track payments of up to £12,900 for breathing injuries, under a scheme that started yesterday. Solicitors representing claimants hailed the announcement by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) as a
A GRANDFATHER has received an award for more than 50 years of teaching. On Saturday, Raymond Evans, 73, who lives with his wife, Majorie, in Crook, was given an award by the Worshipful Company of Music in London, after sharing 57 years of passion for
AN engineering company has been taken over by a husband-and-wife team who are expanding the business through new markets. Gary and Joanne Atwood have bought Graythorpe Forge and Engineering, in Hartlepool, from the previous owner, who was retiring. Mr
Cooking is still king on TV and the current Masterchef Goes Large contest has inspired thousands to seek fame through kitchen flame. Viv Hardwick talks to York housekeeper Katherine Haworth about taking part in the competition. THREE nights without sleep
THE new branch manager at Aycliffe recruitment company LMR is hoping to hit the right note. Singer Suzanne Barbour, 29, has taken on the top position at the agency, at the Aycliffe Industrial Park, County Durham. She is lead singer of the rock band Two
A SUSPECT sought for two long-standing takeaway robberies was arrested on his return to the North-East after almost four years on the run in Spain. Terence David Finnigan, who fled Britain after twice raiding a balti-house in a week, returned to the region
A FORENSIC scientist who claims a toddler was killed when he had his head bashed against a banister, has been told that the conclusion to his investigation was "meaningless". The accusation was rejected by Neil Garton, who was giving evidence on the fifth
A FLY-TIPPER is believed to have struck again after five barrels of a highly toxic chemical were found dumped at the base of a footbridge. The latest discovery came the day after a similar incident caused a full-scale chemical scare at South Bank, near
THE scaling of a building above Whitehall and Downing Street by Batman, Robin, and Captain America was timed to coincide with the Government's announcements on family friendly working. There is no suggestion that it was timed to coincide with Home Secretary
DAVID Hodgson fears his hopes of landing a striker could be hindered by the competition in the Quakers attack. The Darlington manager is chasing a Championship forward but admitted he is in no position to promise a regular start. But with Clyde Wijnhard
Like most horse lovers I look out of the window when driving along and notice every field that has a horse in it. You cannot help but do a rough head count and grumble about the number of horses grazing in a small field with little grass, wondering what
THE Duchess of Northumberland's controversial Poison Garden was opened yesterday. Cannabis, opium poppies, tobacco and the coca plant, the source of cocaine, feature in the garden, which is part of Alnwick Garden, in Northumberland. The drugs will be
WHILE plenty of England players have seen their stock plummet in the last month, one man has emerged from the fall-out of this year's Six Nations Championship with his reputation enhanced. When Sir Clive Woodward resigned from his role as England coach
Harry Mead is fascinated by an absorbing history of the Oxford English Dictionary. THE MEANING OF EVERYTHING by Simon Winchester (Oxford University Press, pb £7.99) SAMUEL JOHNSON'S DICTIONARY edited by Jack Lynch (Levenger Press, £19.99) THE ALPHABET
PANTO favourite Berwick Kaler is making an about-turn with his latest stage appearance. For years, the Geordie actor has been delighting audiences with his eccentric Dames at the annual Christmas show at York's Theatre Royal. But now he is taking on his
The Government's majority was slashed to only 14 last night over the proposed introduction of house arrest. A cross-party bid to ensure judges, rather than the Home Secretary, impose the orders on suspected terrorists was narrowly rejected by the Commons
The Northern Way has appointed a director of implementation to help bridge the £29bn North-South divide. VINCE TAYLOR, 46, from Newcastle, and a former pupil at the city's St Cuthbert's Grammar School, will return to the North-East to take up the role
BEAT officers got out of their cars and on to mountain bikes yesterday to launch a new scheme that will bring police closer to their communities. Community Inspector George Ledger and Sergeant Steve Donnelly brought the bikes out from Stanhope police
Business Editor Julia Breen meets Hazel Mynard, who overcame illness but then struggled to find a job. Hazel Mynard was told to make her will and say her farewells to family and friends. In 2000, she was diagnosed with leukaemia and there was little hope
LAW firm Robert Muckle has appointed Jo Grady as an associate in the corporate finance unit. She joins from Arriva where she was an in-house lawyer. She gained extensive experience of buying and selling businesses, both in the UK and across Europe. She
A THIEF who used her four-year-old daughter to trick her way into houses was jailed yesterday. Teesside Crown Court was told that Anita Collins, 36, was allowed into three houses after asking if the girl could use the lavatory. Collins admitted stealing
After an abortive trip to his casino the column finds Duncan Bannatyne's hotel a good bet for fine dining. SAVE for the occasional hand of dominoes and for the annual sure fire wager that Hartlepool FC will finish above Darlington FC in their respective
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SURVIVING THE SWORD: Prisoners Of The Japanese 1942-45 by Brian MacArthur (Timewarner, £20): IT IS appropriate that this book should be published so soon after Holocaust Day, which recalled the horrors of Hitler's concentration camps during the Second
JULIE UNDERWOOD has been appointed account manager for Business Link in County Durham. Ms Underwood, 35, from Sedgefield, County Durham, is based at the Sedgefield Borough Business Service. Her work experience includes two years with Visqueen in export
Bodyshock: When Anaesthesia Fails (C4) Faith (BBC1): DIANE Parr went into hospital to have two teeth removed and an abscess drained. She was given a standard general anaesthetic to make her unconscious, immobile and insensitive to pain. At least, that
NEWCASTLE United's £8m man Jean-Alain Boumsong is calling on his team-mates to ease the pressure they're under by silencing the St James' Park boo-boys. The former Rangers centre-back has become only too aware in his short time at the club of the high
Telephone review: BT has delayed plans to remove one of Carlin How's two telephone boxes. Redcar and Cleveland Borough councillor Val Miller launched a campaign to save telephone boxes at remote Carlin How, Brotton and Skinningrove. AIR TALK: Ken Weilding
A COUNTYWIDE campaign to tackle domestic abuse has been launched. The North Yorkshire and York Domestic Abuse Strategy aims to provide help and services to victims of domestic abuse and their children. Organisations involved in the strategy, launched
Yesterday's conviction of Saajid Badat, hailed as Britain's biggest breakthrough in the fight against international terrorism, came amid growing anger over proposed anti-terrorism laws. Nick Morrison looks at fears the rule of law is being trampled and
TUESDAY, February 15, saw the Hurworth Hunt meet at Eryholme, near Darlington. The meet was hosted by Lt Col (retired) and Mrs Christopher Jarvis, who, although they hunt with the West of Yore pack, showed their support by providing the meet for their
A VISIT to Spigot Lodge, home to trainer Karl Burke and his family does not disappoint. Steeped in colourful history, the yard, which has sat at the hub of North Yorkshire's racehorse industry for many generations, is a delight to behold. As we drive
You have planned your baby with a great deal of thought and money, you have chosen the stallion and you have spent time assuring that your mare has everything that she needs for a healthy pregnancy. Your mare is now in labour and pushes the eagerly awaited
LEGENDARY band Madness are to give an outdoor concert in the region this summer. They will be playing in Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, on June 24. The natural auditorium can hold 5,000 people and a capacity crowd is expected for the event
After an abortive trip to his casino the column finds Duncan Bannatyne's hotel a good bet for fine dining. SAVE for the occasional hand of dominoes and for the annual sure fire wager that Hartlepool FC will finish above Darlington FC in their respective
PIZZA delivery chain Domino's served up record profits yesterday, but said a shortage of new franchisees had prevented it hitting its annual store opening target. The group, which runs 357 stores in the UK and Ireland on a franchise basis, said pre-tax
A FINANCIALLY troubled hospital trust has warned that staff might have to be laid off unless losses are reduced. South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the 1,000-bed James Cook University Hospital 'superhospital' in Middlesbrough as well as the smaller
CHRIS FAIRHURST'S Ringside Jack (2.10) has been given the opportunity to show what he's made of in the opening Barton Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Catterick. After being campaigned at significantly shorter trips to date, Fairhurst has opted to give his
DELIVERY drivers are being warned to belt up between drops as a new law comes into force. At present, van drivers and their passengers do not have to wear a seatbelt when making short trips between deliveries or collections. But from today, a new law
FOOD packaging supplier Bunzl saw its shares soar ten per cent yesterday as it announced plans to demerge its plastics and fibres operation. The group said it would demerge Filtrona, which supplies products such as cigarette filters and ink reservoirs
BLACK & Decker is investing millions of pounds in its County Durham factory after receiving a £490,000 Government "sweetener" to stay in the region, The Northern Echo can reveal. The US company, which shed 1,000 jobs two years ago in a bid to reduce
The Budget has been announced and will take place on March 16. This is the more traditional date for a Budget, having seen others, before last year, take place in April, after the new tax year has already started. There is the possibility, therefore,
TELEVISION and film star Honor Blackman surprised theatre-goers last night when she made a guest appearance in a play. She was the celebrity guest at the first night of The Play What I Wrote, being staged at the Theatre Royal, in Newcastle, until Saturday
A MARTIAL arts expert who has already turned his hand to acting is now moving into the publishing world. Hardman Ian "The Machine" Freeman is editing a new publication, called Fighters Only, which covers the world of The Ultimate Fighting Championship
