A bit late in the day to be egalitarian, the column finds itself a token male at the Women's World Day of Prayer. While not what might be termed mammoth, these columns' usual gestation period is uncommonly lengthy, nonetheless. Sunday to Saturday offers
British actor Simon Shepherd tells Viv Hardwick about the thrill of pacing the red carpet at the Oscars. Sadly, it wasn't him who'd been nominated, though he's a talent on stage and behind the scenes. IT'S no surprise that well-known UK actor Simon Shepherd
What Katy did next was hit her father with a wrench in the garage. We all saw it coming even if terrible Tommy Harris didn't - because ITV1's been trailing the violent event for ages. Those who believe that Coronation Street is becoming more like a Greek
AFTER joining an exclusive club by bagging 20 goals this season, Adam Boyd still has some way to go to make the record books. Boyd's penalty against Brentford at Victoria Park on February 22 took him to the 20-goal mark and one of only six Pool players
THE Northern Echo's music website, Revolution, will showcase three of the region's best up-and-coming bands in Darlington on Thursday. Since November 2003, Revolution has produced a series of Platform events to show the wealth of musical talent in the
A BULLISH Mick McCarthy last night told Sunderland's promotion rivals: "Let's see how you like handling the heat". After weeks of hanging onto the coat-tails of Wigan and Ipswich, yesterday's 2-0 win at Burnley took the Black Cats to the top of the Championship
'MY goodness," says John Sergeant in a voice familiar from three decades reporting the news on the BBC and ITN, "who could have believed the Queen would refuse to go to the wedding of her son?" We're speaking the day the monarch announced she wasn't going
NEWCASTLE UNITED have been warned about the prospect of a Liverpool backlash this afternoon as the Reds, inspired by a wounded Steven Gerrard, try to forget about their Carling Cup misery at St James' Park. The Magpies are looking for a fifth straight
JENSON Button says he intends to look down on seven-time world champi on Michael Schumacher from the top of the podium this season. It's a simple enough statement of intent from the man who finished third behind the perennial champion and his Ferrari
THREE days after her body was found face-down on snow-covered playing fields, the last hours in the life of Shelley Whitfield remain shrouded in mystery. The auxiliary nurse was found dead only yards from her flat on the outskirts of Durham City, her
A SCHOOL band recorded another success in a top music festival. The 27-piece big band, from Tudhoe Grange School, near Spennymoor, won the schools award in the University of Sunderland's jazz competition. Judges were impressed with the band's overall
Spennymoor have lodged a complaint to the UniBond League about having to play at Witton Albion tomorrow - and one of their players is refusing to turn out. Moors are furious that they are unable to play their Presidents Cup tie today, because a Conference
A WOMAN jailed along with her nephew for the murder of her husband, who was beaten to death while walking his dog, have failed to clear their names. Christina Button, 33, and Simon Tannahill, then 21, were each jailed for life after a jury convicted them
RICHARD Snowball will lead out Darlington at home to Dudley Kingswinford today determined that the club he has grown up with will go on to prosper in national league rugby. Both their seasons in National Three North have been spent fighting relegation
TALENTED youngsters will fulfil their dancing dreams when they perform in the West End. The group of 35 students, aged from eight to 18, have been chosen to entertain at Her Majesty's Theatre in the heart of London. Last year, the pupils, from the Bradley
A PRO-DEMOCRACY activist who spent more than a year in a Burmese prison returned to the North-East yesterday to help his friend's campaign to stand for Parliament. James Mawdsley, 30, whose family live in Brancepeth, just outside Durham City, was in the
STUDENTS are staging their own version of the play The Vagina Monologues as part of a campaign to raise awareness of violence against women. Durham Students' Union women's officer Claire Rasul is co-ordinating the production of the Eve Ensler play as
ANNE ROBINSON often makes withering remarks about the outfits worn by contestants on The Weakest Link. But Wendy Withers, of Gainford, whose victory on the TV show was reported in the Northern Echo a few weeks ago, has revealed that those taking part
CAR owners in Darlington will be asked to move their vehicles to allow street-cleaning to go ahead. Parked cars are said to be getting in the way of the borough council's new cleaning scheme. The work in the pilot areas - Eastbourne, Lascelles, Lingfield
TWO teenage girls who attacked a stranger in a street with a knife and a broken bottle were jailed yesterday. Masuk Uddin was set upon by the 16 and 17 year-olds as he walked through Salisbury Street, Sunderland, on November 10. Newcastle Crown Court
Commercial Square, in Leyburn, will be closed from Monday for five days for a water main to be renewed. In Thirsk, the footpath between Market Place and Chapel Street will be closed for five days, also from Monday, in the interests of public safety while
PARENTS have been kept busy working on a project that celebrates life in their community. Those taking part have redesigned and redecorated the community room at Hemlington Library, with help from the local Sure Start programme. Drawing inspiration from
FORTY children have been suspended from school for two days after a snowball fight. The pupils were banned after motorists told the school they had pelted passing cars during a schoolyard snowball fight. The pupils, from St Mary's RC School, Newcastle
GARDEN centre staff dug deep to raise £10,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Workers at Dean's Garden Centres, based at Scarborough and Stockton-on-the-Forest, near York, chose the ambulance as their charity for a year. Money was raised by Christmas carol
TEESSIDE Athletics Club picked up two awards at the UK Regional Awards in Gateshead this week. Sprinter Jared Deacon handed over the awards during a ceremony held at Gateshead International Stadium. Richard Hunter, Regional Development Co-ordinator, handed
SHOPPING centre manager David Ward has vowed not to slow down, despite taking early retirement. Mr Ward is leaving the former Cleveland Centre, now called The Mall, after 33 years, 17 years as manager, to exercise racehorses for a local trainer. Horse
HOPES for a village bypass have been dealt a severe blow after 40 years of campaigning. North Yorkshire County Council, backed by residents, have been pressing for a bypass at Killinghall on the A61 Ripon-Harrogate road. But county highways chief Mike
FUNDING has been secured for a £5.6m scheme to build sheltered housing for elderly people. It will be a complex of individual apartments with care services available to residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week, built in Easingwold. Social services
A STUDENTS' charity is warning that the deadline is approaching for applications for grants this year. During the past year, Durham University Charities Kommittee (Duck) has raised thousands of pounds with a variety of events, ranging from Stars In Their
THREE workers at a shopping centre are celebrating after winning promotion on the same day as part of an overhaul of staffing. Millburngate Shopping Centre, in Durham City, has reorganised its staff structure and the changes have seen centre administrator
A MOBILE youth club packed with new technology is being launched to give teenagers in Derwentside something to do. "Ellie" is kitted out with a DVD, video and TV, PlayStation 2 and laptop computers as well as top-of-the-range decks for aspiring DJs. It
LIFESAVING blood donors have been honoured. Donors who had clocked up at least 75 donations were invited to a three-course celebratory meal at Newcastle's Gosforth Park Hotel. Among those receiving awards were Geoffrey Bromiley, of Durham City, Gordon
CLINICS will be set up in Darlington to monitor patients' blood pressure, and help to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Darlington Primary Care Trust pharmaceutical advisor Chris Williams has undergone four months' training in supplementary prescribing
POLICE are becoming concerned for the welfare of a man missing from Forest Hall, North Tyneside, since February 26. Vladimir Buchell, 54, who speaks Russian but very little English, is believed to be suffering from depression. He is about 6ft 2ins, slim
THE Northern Echo's music website, Revolution, will showcase three of the region's best up-and-coming bands in Darlington on Thursday. Since November 2003, Revolution has produced a series of Platform events to show the wealth of musical talent in the
A MAN who admitted attacking his girlfriend is likely to escape a prison sentence after she pleaded for him not to go to jail. Edward Linton's girlfriend, Danielle Dixon, retracted a statement she provided for police in relation to a domestic incident
A MURAL which celebrates Darlington's history has been unveiled at a school. The painting at McMullen House was produced by students and a professional artist over the course of a year. It is a tribute to heroic Canadian airman William McMullen, who died
A TOURING exhibition of wartime memorabilia is being put together by the North Yorkshire Records Office. The display will go on show at the office on Malpas Road, Northallerton, before being taken around the county. It is part of the BBC's People's War
POP star Prince famously urged music fans to "party like it's 1999" during his heyday and, last night, Sunderland's supporters followed his every word. A hard-earned 2-0 win over Burnley took the Black Cats to the summit of English football's second tier
A MAN who assaulted his wheelchair-bound fiancee was spared jail yesterday because they are now married. Teesside Crown Court was told that neighbours rushed to help when they heard sounds of violence from the home of Sheila Nyburg and her partner, Angus
A DRUGS dealer was arrested by undercover police who saw a cocaine deal taking place on a garage forecourt. Alex Hand, 29, was seen getting out of a Volkswagen Golf car and into the back of a BMW that had pulled up behind him at a petrol station in Cambridge
PENSIONERS are in line for a cash windfall after it was discovered that benefits they were entitled to were going unclaimed. About 250 pensioners will be notified by Hartlepool BoroughCouncil in the next few days that they are missing out on council tax
DARLINGTON manager David Hodgson has spent the week scouring the transfer market in a bid to strengthen a forward-line ravaged by suspension and injury. But his biggest loss could prove to be influential skipper and defender Craig Liddle as Quakers try
SCOTTISH Borders National candidate, Devil's Run, is anything but a stalking horse in the four-mile Kelso marathon. Actions speak louder than words in the cut-and-thrust of National Hunt racing and when it comes to form in the book, Devil's Run has twice
DURING Terry McDermott's days at Liverpool he knew exactly what it was like to win silverware. McDermott won the league title four times, the League Cup twice and the European Cup three times not to mention the PFA and Footballer Writers' Player of the
NEWCASTLE UNITED have been warned about the prospect of a Liverpool backlash this afternoon as the Reds, inspired by a wounded Steven Gerrard, try to forget about their Carling Cup misery at St James' Park. The Magpies are looking for a fifth straight
VOLUNTEERS are celebrating the tenth birthday of the cinema they rescued from closure. The Ritz Cinema, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was saved by a group of volunteers who took control in March 1995. To celebrate the anniversary, nine of the most popular
AN aspiring film-maker has become the star of a new video aimed at encouraging more people to become volunteers. Andrew England, from Durham, features in What's Your Passion?, a film produced by Barnardo's, as part of the Year of the Volunteer. Mr England
A PARROT breeder's five-year legal battle with Customs and Excise continued in court yesterday. Harry Sissen, 66, appeared before magistrates in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, for failing to pay part of a £150,000 court order made after he was convicted
LIFESAVING blood donors have been honoured. Donors who had clocked up at least 75 donations were invited to a three-course celebratory meal at Newcastle's Gosforth Park Hotel. Among those receiving awards were Geoffrey Bromiley, of Durham City, Gordon
NORTH education bosses are spending vastly different amounts on ingredients for primary school dinners, it has emerged. A Northern Echo survey has revealed that the money spent at one North-East local education authority was 40 per cent higher than a
After three decades spent reporting on war and politics and as the face of serious news, John Sergeant is letting his lighter side shine through by returning to his first love - showbiz. "MY goodness," says John Sergeant in a voice familiar from three
POLICE are looking for thieves who stole a three-tonne crane from a haulage depot. The crane was mounted on the back of a truck taken after burglars broke into the depot in Stockton, late on Wednesday night. Police later recovered the burnt-out remains
Robin Hood has been a favourite in our house ever since Buzz Lightyear fell, admittedly with style, from grace. The man in green, who robbed from the rich to give to the poor, has inspired all sorts of shenanigans from our four-year-old son Jack. He has
A CANNABIS-COOKING grandmother is hoping to become an MP for a party campaigning to legalise the drug. Patricia Tabram, 66, made headlines when £800 of cannabis and 31 cannabis plants were seized from her home after smells wafting from her kitchen attracted
A GROUP of giant crabs were putting their claws up yesterday after a long journey from Japan to their new home in a sea life centre. Thirteen giant spider crabs arrived at the Scarborough marine sanctuary in the early hours of yesterday. The crabs are
HARTLEPOOL'S British champion Michael Hunter last night moved a step closer to his dream European title fight after a clinical defence of his belt last night. Hunter successfully retained his super-bantamweight title for the second time with a bright
A BANK that sacked nearly 1,000 North-East call centre workers last year has seen a dramatic fall in profits. Lloyds TSB announced pre-tax profits of £3.5bn for last year, a fall of nearly 20 per cent on the previous year. The decline is in stark contrast
A MAN jailed yesterday for downloading child pornography from the Internet told the court he had been sexually abused as a child. Teesside Crown Court was told that John Alexander Smith, 53, had more than 7,000 indecent images of children when police
HEALTH bosses have moved to allay fears after a ten-year-old boy died suddenly from a rare form of meningitis. William Cressey, of Hurworth Place, near Darlington, died on Tuesday night from a non-infectious form of the illness. Yesterday, his headteacher
SOME of the nation's greatest rail treasures are providing the theme for a floral display at a North-East museum. Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon, County Durham, has been transformed by the ladies from Shildon and District Flower Club
A LITTLE over two decades ago, Easington Colliery was a thriving coastal mining community. Residents loved their cosy colliery rows, families stayed on for generations, jobs were secure and local businesses were buoyant. But on March 5, 1984, the miners
A ROW over sending obsolete US navy support ships to be broken up in Britain, has taken a new twist. The investigative arm of America's House of Congress is preparing a scathing report on the US Maritime Administration's (Marad) handling of the affair
WHY do you watch things like this? You only let them upset you," said my animated other half at the weekend. Most of the family had gathered to discover what were the UK's 100 Best Cartoons (C4, Sunday). But they were soon doing Deputy Dawg (not included
ROBSON GREEN'S TV production company, Coastal Productions, is to screen its first BBC commission -a harrowing one-off drama dealing with domestic abuse. The drama begins at what the actor calls the point of no return. He said: "You see my character, Michael
AS the political in-fighting continues in the Battle of Margaret's Shoulder, the future of the National Health Service has been thrust to the top of the election agenda. But as well as focusing on individual cases highlighting the rights and wrongs of
AS the political in-fighting continues in the Battle of Margaret's Shoulder, the future of the National Health Service has been thrust to the top of the election agenda. But as well as focusing on individual cases highlighting the rights and wrongs of
STEVE McCLAREN believes the Football Association's decision to scrap FA Cup fifth and sixth-round replays is "unfair". The FA yesterday decided to change the format of the world's oldest knock out competition to give England boss Sven Goran Eriksson four
FAMILIES at risk from a rare form of heart failure will be offered free genetic tests to pinpoint the threat, the Government announced yesterday. The move marked a personal triumph for North-East MP Dari Taylor Ms Taylor, MP for Stockton South, persuaded
THE company that owned Darlington Football Club before it was taken over by the Sterling Consortium is being wound up. The Darlington Football Club Limited, which operated during the time George Reynolds was chairman, is in the hands of the official receiver
After the miners' strike 20 years ago, the death of the mining industry left thousands out of work in east Durham. While many organisations have fought hard to attract new jobs, the industries that have sprung up bring their own problems. Deputy Dusiness
CHRIS Riggott might think John Terry is the best defender in the Premiership, but the Middlesbrough centre-half is desperate to emulate the Chelsea's captain's attacking play. Terry, who is expected to battle it out with team-mate Frank Lampard for this
POP star Prince famously urged music fans to "party like it's 1999" during his heyday and, last night, Sunderland's supporters followed his every word. A hard-earned 2-0 win over Burnley took the Black Cats to the summit of English football's second tier
STEVE McCLAREN believes the Football Association's decision to scrap FA Cup fifth and sixth-round replays is "unfair". The FA yesterday decided to change the format of the world's oldest knock out competition to give England boss Sven Goran Eriksson four
HOPES are high that tomorrow's re-scheduled final North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League fixture at Richmond will receive the all-clear, enabling various team and individual championships to be decided. The postponement of last weekend's meeting
WITH a plethora of front-runners engaged in Newbury's £100,000 Vodafone Gold Cup, the logical betting ploy is to stick with a hold-up horse, such as Hand Inn Hand (3.15). Known tearaway Venn Ottery, having his first run for Martin Pipe, is bound to set
A MISSING bag could hold the vital clue to explaining the death of an auxiliary nurse whose body was found on frozen playing fields only yards from her home. Detectives trying to trace the last movements of Shelley Whitfield now believe that the 21-year-old
TEACHING practices at a nursery have been billed as an example of good practice for the rest of the country. Staff at Crook Primary were celebrating yesterday when a glowing Ofsted report congratulated them as being an example of outstanding practice.
COUNCIL house tenants are being urged to arm themselves with the facts about proposals for the future of their homes ahead of a referendum. Sedgefield Borough Council wants to transfer its homes to Sedgefield Housing, a non-profit making housing organisation
A MAN faces prison after admitting he starved a dog to death. Magistrates, sitting at Bishop Auckland yesterday, warned Carl Robert Coulson that he could be given a jail sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to the Staffordshire-English bull terrier
THREE German teenagers have been assaulted in a park during an exchange visit to Darlington. The youngsters were members of a group of exchange students from Bremen, visiting Darlington on an annual trip organised by their school. They were on their penultimate
A PUBLIC meeting is to be held about the shortage of NHS dentists in north Durham. Patients in need of treatment are being urged to get in touch with the Patient and Public Involvement Forum (PPIF) for Durham and Chester-le-Street. The consulting body's
CRIME in Darlington town centre car parks has hit an all-time low, according to figures. The borough council said there were only 11 incidents of car thefts or thefts from cars reported last year in car parks covered by the authority's closed circuit
A 16-YEAR-OLD boy who pushed a firework through a letterbox was yesterday warned that he should expect a custodial sentence. The teenager was found guilty of arson and recklessly endangering life after he sparked a blaze at the house in Marrick Avenue
TWO men face lengthy jail sentences after admitting causing the death of a child by their dangerous driving. David Garner and Neil Sullivan were in a Honda Civic car which mounted the pavement and struck two-year-old Demi Schwec, causing severe head injuries
THE role of the Mayor's chaplain in Darlington is to be honoured, thanks to a special gift from a former civic leader. Tradition in Darlington dictates that the outgoing mayor buys a gift for the new incumbent. And Councillor Ron Lewis, who held the position
WORK on a £60,000 scheme to improve a Darlington road will be carried out this weekend. The borough council will be resurfacing Thompson Street East tomorrow. The road will be closed from its junction with North Road to The Leas, between 8.30am and 9pm
THE public is being urged to inspect the new services at a refurbished library. Book-borrowing at Easingwold library and information centre has risen 21 per cent since it reopened in November. Use of audio-visual equipment has more than doubled. Library
A ONCE-boggy playing field has been transformed into a dry, safe and clean sports area, boosting PE facilities for local children. The new court at Hookstone Chase Primary School, Harrogate, will allow a variety of sports and activities to take place
A PENSIONER held captive as two men raided her home managed to escape into the street to scream for help. The 73-year-old was left traumatised after the men burst into her bungalow at about 6.30pm on Thursday wielding a stick. She was held by one of the
VOLUNTEERS from ethnic minorities received recognition for their contribution to community development at an event last night. The awards ceremony, which took place at Arc in Stockton, is the culmination of a project to help black and minority ethnic
TRAINEE hairdresser Rachel Butterworth is hoping to cut it with the best in the country. The 17-year-old has been nominated by her tutor at Darlington College of Technology for the Apprentice of the Year Award, run by the Learning and Skills Council.
GOLFERS putting the public at risk with flying golf balls in parks and recreation grounds will soon be banned from their training sessions by a new bylaw. Wayward golf balls have been putting walkers and park users in Harrogate at risk of injury. Members
UNDERCOVER checks will be carried out on the region's pubs and clubs to ensure they do not flout laws on underage drinking. Police officers and underage youngsters from Newcastle have carried out eight test-purchases of drink at licensed premises in the
A PHOTOGRAPHIC history of the past 50 years of life in Durham City will be exposed to library-goers next weekend. Photographer Janet Thackray will present a slide show entitled Durham Old and New at the city's Clayport Library on Saturday, March 12. Mrs
SPARKS were flying as a group of school pupils became among the first to take part in an inspirational science club. Students at Easington Community School investigated the principles behind fireworks and explosions as part of a programme planned by the
FEMALE residents of a north Durham community have been invited to celebrate International Women's Day with four hours of activities. The event, organised for women in Derwentside, will be held at St Stephen's Church Hall, Holly Hill Gardens East, South
YOUNG victims of the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident are visiting the region as part of an exchange visit. Sixteen children, many of them in remission from various forms of cancer caused by nuclear contamination, are in the North-East thanks
Five people were arrested following raids in the Old Fold area of Gateshead yesterday afternoon. Police executed four search warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Three women, one man and a male youth were last night helping police with their inquiries
THE inquest into the death of a teenager following a high-speed police chase has been opened. Bev Beech, formally identified her son, Craig Morris, of Muirfield Way, Middlesbrough, at Teesside Coroner's Court yesterday. The family of the 18-year-old took
A ROGUE trader who made thousands of pounds by selling pirated versions of blockbuster films at car boot sales has escaped a jail sentence. Alan Rootham, 38, used computer equipment at his home to copy films such as The Italian Job, Finding Nemo and Pirates
A SERVICE that has helped hundreds of cardiac patients to overcome their fear of heart problems and has given them back a quality of life is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Annette Turner, the first nurse to join the Cardiac Rehabilitation Service,
A HOTEL has brought back two awards from the Meetings and Incentive Travel awards in London. Rudding Park, in Harrogate, was named Best UK Hotel in the meetings category for the fourth time and Best Conference and Banqueting Staff. Guests vote for the
PATIENTS will cease to be admitted to a North-East psychiatric ward after controversial plans were given the go-ahead. The Tony White Unit at the County Hospital, in Durham, will be temporarily moved to Darlington's new West Park development by March
INTENSE competition may force Nissan to cut production of the Micra at its Sunderland plant. But the group, which employs about 4,500 people on Wearside, promised the cuts would not mean redundancies. A spokesman said: "We don't know for certain if production
PRIME Minister Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency includes some of the lowest-paid workers in the UK, a survey published today shows. People in Sedgefield borough, County Durham, are paid an average of £397.20 a week, compared with £1,251.50 a week
Q I am 62, with fortnightly Incapacity Benefit of £148.30 and Disability Living Allowance for mobility. My wife, 61, has a State Pension of £71.16 a week and a four-weekly works pension of £137.94. We have £16,000 savings. Can we get help with our rent
THE number of job seekers in east Durham is down to 2.2 per cent - a far cry from the time in 1986 when unemployment peaked at over 18 per cent. But that may not be the full story, as mining has left the area another legacy - and it is one that disguises
BUSINESSES in the Tees Valley will have the chance to quiz the tax man during a series of seminars being organised this month. Free advice and help will be on offer to firms during the advice mornings held by Business Link. Events run from 9am to noon
AMDY FAYE is relishing the prospect of competing with six times Premiership winner Nicky Butt for the right to act as the anchor man at Newcastle United. Since making the £2m switch from Portsmouth in January, Faye has fitted in well at St James' Park
As Bishop Auckland Labour Party meets to choose a successor to Derek Foster MP from an all-woman shortlist, Chris Lloyd looks at the history of women MPs in the North-East. TODAY, from an all-woman shortlist, Bishop Auckland Labour Party will chose its
TONY BLAIR: TONY Blair will go down in history as one of our greater prime ministers. Witness Government speed on tsunami, Palestine, domestic economy, G8 presidency, no Tory boom/bust, maximum employment. Everyone in with more than a chance. Law and
A ROYAL Marine has been awarded a campaign medal for the part he played in the Iraq War. Warrant Officer 2 Nev Nixon, from Peterlee, who is serving with HMS Raleigh, in Cornwall, was on board the Royal Navy's largest warship, HMS Ocean, when the vessel
