On Saturday, the North-East witnessed the end of 60 years of injustice. Stuart Mackintosh and Sam Strangeways joined people from both sides of the Atlantic as the gallantry of Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski VC finally got the public recognition
The two daughters of Pat Brophy, the man Andrew Mynarski died trying to save, travelled more than 3,000 miles from their homes in Canada to be at Saturday's statue unveiling. They talked to Sam Strangeways about their feelings on the day.
AFTER witnessing upwards of 30,000 people pack into a North-East stadium for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, circuit bosses say they should now be entitled to host it on an annual basis. Bikers and motorsports enthusiasts from across the
A COUNCIL flat may have to be demolished - because up to 60 hamsters have set up home inside its walls. The thriving family started when the man who lives there gave his hamsters the run of the flat. Four of them scuttled behind the skirting boards and
Community leaders say they are hopeful a town's night-time fire cover will not be downgraded. Fire chiefs have told councillors they will look again at plans to swap one of Harrogate's two full-time night duty crews with part-time retained firefighters
CENTURIES-OLD bloody battles were brought to life yesterday as a military encampment was set up in a rural village. Parliamentarians and Royalists gathered in Manfield, near Darlington, to revive the conflicts of the English Civil War. The event was staged
HELEN CROSBY, of Middleton St George, is to trek 100km through Brazil in November in aid of Breast Cancer Care. The 51-year-old will hike 62 miles in six days.The trek begins on November 9, and Mrs Crosby needs to raise at least £2,500 in sponsorship.
PAUL Collingwood's 103 not out at Worcester on Saturday took him to third equal on ten in Durham's list of first-class century-makers. He stands alongside Wayne Larkins, with John Morris (14) and Jon Lewis (12) ahead of him. Two of Collingwood's hundreds
A LEAFLET is being produced warning residents how to cope with the effects of a long, hot summer. Middlesbrough Council is considering action after a report warned that young children and up to 2,000 pensioners could be among those most at risk from heatwaves
MORE than 3,000 women charity walkers and runners were set on their way yesterday by a family hit by cancer. Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, in Sunderland, was started by cancer survivors and sisters Karen and Kay McGurrell, of Sunderland, who were
ADULT learning in Darlington has improved since an inspection earlier this year, according to a new report. The Adult Learning Inspectorate has re-inspected Darlington Borough Council's learning provision after it previously found the service was inadequate
ONE of the most significant phases of a £60m community village taking shape on the edge of Darlington will be completed this month. The first new parkland to be created in the town in more than a century is to be unveiled at West Park, in the Faverdale
Bishop Auckland Town Hall will host workshops for eight to 12-year-olds dedicated to the Second World War. Sessions will be every Saturday from June 11 to July 9, between 10am and noon. Tickets, are £2, must be ordered in advance on (01388) 602610.
PUPILS have been given a masterclass in African dance by a university student in Durham on a special scholarship. Seven and eight-year-olds at Blue Coat Junior School, in Newton Hall, Durham City, were taught to dance the Sho Sho Loza by Mthoko Ntuli,
A COUNCIL which is urging its residents to recycle waste plans to practice what it preaches. An internal audit has discovered Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council departments used more than eight million sheets of unrecycled white paper during the past
MUSIC is being used to bring two Teesside communities together. Church organist and music teacher Chris Nixon is spearheading a four-year project, which it is hoped will have a lasting impact on the Coatham and Dormanstown neighbourhoods in Redcar. Largely
A COUNCIL has given its blessing to plans to transform a derelict town centre eyesore into flats. Councillors in Middlesbrough have given planning approval to the £12m redevelopment of the ten-storey empty Teesside House tower block, on Borough Road,
MANY exhibitors from across the UK have vowed never to return to the North-East, after show stalls were looted by thieves and personal items stolen. Thieves crept into one tent and stole a £1,500 laptop computer and digital camera while the owner, a juggler
RESIDENTS and ramblers are up in arms after a countryside path was blocked. The route through the wooded grounds of Shincliffe Hall, Shincliffe, is used by walkers to reach a path alongside the River Wear. But Durham University, in the process of selling
A COUNCIL flat may have to be demolished - because up to 60 hamsters have set up home inside its walls. The thriving family started when the man who lives there gave his hamsters the run of the flat. Four of them scuttled behind the skirting boards and
POLICE are looking for two muggers who attacked and robbed an Asian man. The 46-year-old was walking alone along Birchington Avenue, Grangetown, at about 5.50pm on Saturday, when he was attacked. Two youths approached him from behind, grabbed his arms
A TOWN centre stepped back to the 1940s this weekend with a musical celebration and memorabilia exhibition. Shoppers in Bishop Auckland were serenaded by Sluggers Boogie Box as they browsed the military vehicle display in Newgate Street on Saturday. In
PLANS to stop modern materials and buildings from damaging the character of a market town are being developed. A study of the conservation area in Helmsley found that plastic window frames and some badly designed shop fronts were standing out from more
A rodent mascot is being used to help spearhead a drive to get a town's residents healthier - and out of their cars. Vernon the Vole is helping environmental charity Middlesbrough Environment City (MEC) launch a cycle route around the Becks Valley, in
A FESTIVAL held to celebrate an ancient monument was an overwhelming success, organisers said yesterday. Thornborough Free Festival took place in Masham on Saturday. The event featured more than 40 music acts, street performers and artists at seven venues
RESIDENTS are urging councillors to reject plans for a dormer bungalow at nearby allotments. Residents of Co-operative Terrace, Stanley Crook, said if the application is approved it would cause more traffic problems in the narrow streets behind their
A HOST of strange home-made craft fought it out on the River Wear in a rowing competition with a difference at the weekend. The Durham Raft Race was a popular attraction several years ago, but had not been held for a long time until it was revived last
A Picture of Britain (BBC1) Doctor Who - Boom Town (BBC1) THEY were a timid lot, our ancestors. If you'd ever thought of them bravely struggling to eke out a living in the most wild and inhospitable conditions these islands can throw up, then you should
FOR those who were there, it was a day which will not be forgotten - the day we remembered Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski. And it would be wrong to let the occasion pass without recording our thanks to the many individuals and organisations who made it
ANN Duffield's team has struck form with a vengeance in the last couple of weeks and her prolific winner Prairie Sun is fancied to maintain her unbeaten record this year in the Tony Bethell Memorial Handicap (7.15) over two miles and one furlong. The
A CHARITY auction attended by North-East football legend Jack Charlton raised £3,300 on Saturday. The former Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Republic of Ireland manager was at the event, held at the Travaux Sports Club in Catterick Garrison, North
THE taxman should not force people to return money if they have been overpaid for tax credits, a North-East MP has said. North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones says those on low incomes - whom tax credits are designed to help - are suffering financial hardship
THE crew aiming to beat the North Atlantic world rowing record continued to make good progress at the weekend - and had a whale of a time. Nigel Morris and George Rock, of Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, with Steve Dawson, of Lincolnshire, and Rob Munslow
CELTIC have made a last-ditch attempt to scupper midfielder Tommy Miller's proposed move to Sunderland. Miller, who is currently out of the country on honeymoon after being married on Saturday, is expected to reveal his future plans when he returns at
THE global success of The Northern Echo's Forgotten Hero campaign was highlighted on Saturday when a £10,000 donation, all the way from Canada, was presented. Colonel Dan Edgar, of the Canadian High Commission, in London, handed the cheque to the newspaper's
A Picture of Britain (BBC1); Doctor Who - Boom Town (BBC1); THEY were a timid lot, our ancestors. If you'd ever thought of them bravely struggling to eke out a living in the most wild and inhospitable conditions these islands can throw up, then you should
Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League: Sacriston scored almost 200 but could not prevent Leadgate moving to the top of the table. Ian Jones claimed three early wickets but Rohan Rafiq inspired Leadgate carved out a sixth win in seven attempts
Darlington Building Society NYSD League Division One: Marton quickly saw off the challenge from Guisborough to maintain pole position yesterday. They had the home side back in the pavilion for just 88 runs as Matthew Telling took six for just 37 in 17
THE home of one of the first rail passenger services in the world could be handed over to the recently-opened Locomotion: National Railway Museum. The Daniel Adamson Coach House, in Shildon, County Durham, once stabled horses used to pull coaches along
DURHAM will anxiously await fitness reports on Nathan Astle and Liam Plunkett today before making plans for the visit of Essex to Riverside for the four-day game starting on Thursday. They also have to prepare for the absence of Saturday's century-maker
The Readers Durham County League: Esh Winning's reward for winning Saturday's match of the day at Brandon was to top the table for the first time this season. Rizwan Quereshi was Esh match winner with a stunning all-round bat and ball display in a four-wickets
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division: Saltburn strengthened their grip at the top of the table when they defeated Middlesbrough and closest rivals Guisborough and Bishop Auckland both failed to win. The Seasiders thought they
GREGORIO Lavilla thrilled the Croft crowd with a battling victory in testing conditions during yesterday's British Superbike action. The Spaniard, riding for the Airwaves Ducati team, won race two and secured third in the first race around the Darlington-area
Yorkshire will know later today if England star Matthew Hoggard is fit to play in the Roses showdown due to start at Headingley on Wednesday. After the strike bowler had polished off Bangladesh at Riverside yesterday, capturing five wickets for 73 runs
Foster's Durham Senior League: Whitburn saw their lead at the top cut to nine points when both Eppleton and Hetton Lyons won against South Shields and Durham City respectively. The leaders lost 70 minutes play at the beginning of the game at Horden and
A LEVEL-HEADED Michael Vaughan last night admitted the real work of the summer was about to begin, after England completed the most routine of series wins over Bangladesh at Riverside. Fellow Yorkshireman Matthew Hoggard completed the fifth five-wicket
Durham Coast League: Murton, who moved to the top of the table for the first time this season on Saturday, maintained pole position despite being held to a draw by lowly Boldon CA in yesterday's programme. Gary Robson was in typical prolific form with
A TEAM of accountants raised more than £5,000 to fund research into a rare illness by tackling acoast-coast bicycle ride. The accountants, from the Newcastle office of Ernst and Young, cycled 140 miles from Whitehaven, Cumbria, finishing on the east coast
FOUR generations of the family of the only Englishman on board Andrew Mynarski's crew travelled to the North-East for Saturday's statue unveiling. Ellen Vigars, 80, widow of Flight Sergeant Roy Vigars, came from her home in Guildford, Surrey, with her
VETERAN cricketer John Armstrong is nursing a broken ankle, bruising and battered pride - caught, fair and square, by the sight screen. The 60-year-old retired chartered surveyor simply didn't see it coming. It happened in Saturday's Durham County League
OUT-OF-CONTRACT Darlington winger Jason St Juste will consider his options over the next couple of weeks, according to the player's agent. The 19-year-old will discuss his future with representative Ian Flanagan when he returns from holiday next week.
Domestic violence affects one in four women, but you don't need to carry physical scars for abuse to have occurred. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings speaks to one South African victim who endured years of mental abuse beore forging a new life for herself
A LEVEL-HEADED Michael Vaughan last night admitted the real work of the summer was about to begin, after England completed the most routine of series wins over Bangladesh at Riverside. Fellow Yorkshireman Matthew Hoggard completed the fifth five-wicket
Singer John Tomlinson revels in a worldwide reputation for being a Bluebeard. He talks to Viv Hardwick about the role he's bringing to Gateshead's The Sage tomorrow. JOHN Tomlinson is quite happy with the knowledge that he's an experienced Bluebeard.
CENTURIES-OLD bloody battles were brought to life yesterday as a military encampment was set up in a rural village. Parliamentarians and Royalists gathered in Manfield, near Darlington, to revive the conflicts of the English Civil War. The event was staged
PARALYMPIC Dame Tanni Grey Thompson is asking people to give disabled people a chance to prove themselves. The medal-winning athlete was one of the guests at the opening, last week, of a £1.2m flagship centre in Middlesbrough for the Shaw Trust, the employment
STAFF from an accountancy firm in Darlington have been praised for swapping their calculators for kennels as part of a national initiative. Twelve employees from the town's PricewaterhouseCoopers office offered their support to the Dogs Trust, at Sadberge
A NEW man has taken over at the helm of the Citizens Advice Bureau, in Darlington. Mike Hill, of Hutton Rudby, North Yorkshire, has become the service's manager, after spending the past six months establishing a management system at the London Jewish
COMMUNITY leaders have revealed plans for a major drive to encourage youngsters to take up new activities in a village plagued by anti-social behaviour. Children of all ages are being invited to the Water Park, in Middleton St George, next month for an
GARDENERS and plant lovers were able to enjoy a selection of blooms as specialist nurseries from all over the country descended on the North-East. Hundreds of people visited Raby Castle, near Staindrop, County Durham, yesterday as it held its annual plant
PRIMARY school pupils in Shildon have proved they could be the budding entrepreneurs of the future following their business success. The group of children from St John's Primary School, Shildon, have received Young Enterprise Awards from their headteacher
CHILDHOOD sweethearts Ernest and Marjorie Hughes have celebrated 50 years of marriage. The couple, from Chestnut Avenue, Spennymoor, enjoyed a party with family and friends at The Green Tree, in Tudhoe Village, on Saturday. And all five of their bridesmaids
POLICE are hunting thieves who made off with a haul worth £25,000 from a Durham business unit, including two vehicles. The raid happened at about 1pm on Friday, May 20, when three men in a white Ford Transit van - thought to have false registration plates
UNSUNG heroes have won praise for sterling, unpaid work in the community. Hartlepool MP Iain Wright has presented a mock cheque for more than £1m to the people of Hartlepool. The cheque represents how much Hartlepool's workforce of Millennium Volunteers
YOUNGSTERS were able to learn all about animals thanks to a SureStart half-term event. Bob Brown, Stockton Borough Council's countryside ranger for the River Tees, gave talks to youngsters at Roseworth library about wildlife which can be found within
Singer John Tomlinson revels in a worldwide reputation for being a Bluebeard. He talks to Viv Hardwick about the role he's bringing to Gateshead's The Sage tomorrow. JOHN Tomlinson is quite happy with the knowledge that he's an experienced Bluebeard.
RUNNERS are limbering up for the annual Aycliffe 10k road race and three-kilometre fun run this month. The event, sponsored by 3M Aycliffe, Great Aycliffe Town Council and Sedgefield Borough Council, is open to runners of all ages and experience. It will
AN ethnic healthy living group in Darlington is forging new links in the community. People from Peru, Bangladesh, India, Brazil and Malaysia meet Darlington Primary Care Trust's healthy lifestyle officer Ruth Brown every week at Thornton Street Baptist
RUNNERS are limbering up for the annual Aycliffe 10k road race this month. The event, sponsored by 3M Aycliffe, Great Aycliffe Town Council and Sedgefield Borough Council, is open to runners of all ages and experience. It will take place on Sunday, June
YOUNG musicians are preparing to battle it out for the right to play at a rock festival planned as part of the summer celebrations in Bedale. On Friday and Saturday, ten bands from Bedale High School and colleges in the area will feature in a knockout
A 500-MEMBER strong group is looking for answers in the hope of financing a cure for a distressing medical condition. Over the past 17 years, the Tees Group of the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease has raised £10,000 for medical research
Darlington Building Society NYSD League Division One: Marton quickly saw off the challenge from Guisborough to maintain pole position yesterday. They had the home side back in the pavilion for just 88 runs as Matthew Telling took six for just 37 in 17
A North Yorkshire man has taken over at the helm of a Citizens Advice Bureau. Mike Hill, of Hutton Rudby, has become Darlington CAB's manager, after spending the past six months establishing a management system at the London Jewish Museum of Art. He started
A WIND farm has won planning permission, despite opposition from residents and ramblers. Derwentside District Council has approved the construction of four wind turbines at Long Edge, Burnhope, near Stanley. The energy generators will be more than 100
A SYNTHETIC outdoor sports pitch is due for improvements costing £20,350. It is 11 years since the all-weather pitch was laid at Rossett Sports Centre in Pannal Ash, Harrogate. But wear and tear from the feet of thousands of footballers, hockey players
A SCHOOL secretary has retired after 30 years in the job. Cynthia Hill has said farewell to staff and pupils at Richmond Methodist School. But she has promised to keep in close touch with the school, where two of her grandchildren are pupils. Mrs Hill
THE beneficial effects of a cannabis cigarette on a disturbed patient has prompted psychiatrists to investigate the potential mental health advantages of the drug. Senior psychiatrist Professor Heather Ashton, of Newcastle University, said cannabis could
A COUNCIL has given its blessing to plans to transform a derelict town centre eyesore into flats. Councillors in Middlesbrough have given planning approval to the £12m redevelopment of the ten-storey empty Teesside House tower block, on Borough Road,
CALLS for a better deal for pet dogs on the North York Moors have been made by the Moors' Association. The association says: "It is virtually impossible for a dog owner to find any welcoming noises at all for their pets." The Sundew column in the latest
David Nicholls has an impressive record at the home of the Derby, with the Thirsk-based trainer having saddled 14 winners in the last five seasons. He added to his haul with a 38-1 double with Fire Up The Band and Gift Horse. Fire Up The Band made virtually
THE road-charging revolution came a step closer last night when Transport Secretary Alistair Darling announced plans to counter the threat of national gridlock. The move sparked fury among road-user groups and brought claims that the system would be used
Foster's ECB North-East Regional Premier League: Chester-le-Street claimed a fourth consecutive win after beating Tynemouth to close the gap on leaders South Northumberland to just eight points. Barry Stewart (62) and Matthew Summers, with an unbeaten
ONLY one in three licensed premises in the Prime Minister's constituency are likely to be affected by new anti-smoking laws. Far more pubs than the predicted national average are likely to receive exemptions in Sedgefield - where one in three deaths are
A top cop's schoolboy nephew drowned when he was knocked from his dinghy by a speeding powerboat, a court heard. Luke Noble, 15, his cousin Stephen, 18 and two teenage American friends were flung into the water when the craft ploughed into their dinghy
AN artist who has turned his unique style to Durham landmarks is to exhibit in the city. The city centre, with the cathedral and castle, has inspired thousands of traditional painters over the years, but John Coatsworth paints what he calls "bendy" buildings
A UNION leader has warned that new figures highlighting the huge loss of manufacturing jobs to the services sector are a "cause for concern". Tom Brennan, regional secretary for the GMB union, said the figures, published today at the GMB Congress in Newcastle
AFTER witnessing upwards of 30,000 people pack into a North-East stadium for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, circuit bosses say they should now be entitled to host it on an annual basis. Bikers and motorsports enthusiasts from across the
MORE than 3,000 women charity walkers and runners were set on their way yesterday by a family hit by cancer. Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, in Sunderland, was started by cancer survivors and sisters Karen and Kay McGurrell, of Sunderland, who were
LAND QUERY: THERE have been a number of articles in The Northern Echo recently on the future of the old football ground at Feethams, with talk of selling the ground to a building company. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but my understanding of the situation
ALTHOUGH so much about this long-overdue day was Canadian, the weather was determined in its efforts to remain quintessentially British. From across the globe they had come to see an unforgivable wrong righted - the scandal of Andrew Mynarski's selfless
JOHN Tomlinson is quite happy with the knowledge that he's an experienced Bluebeard. In fact, the world renowned operatic bass-baritone jumped at the chance to bring the bloodiest killer in folklore to the North-East as part of Opera North's debut tour
THE taxman should not force people to return money if they have been overpaid for tax credits, a North-East MP has said. North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones says those on low incomes - whom tax credits are designed to help - are suffering financial hardship
TOP crime fighters from across the UK are attending a conference in the region this week. A new Centre for Forensic Investigation is being opened at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, coinciding with Wednesday's campus conference, which is attracting
The two daughters of Pat Brophy, the man Andrew Mynarski died trying to save, travelled more than 3,000 miles from their homes in Canada to be at Saturday's statute unveiling. They talked to Sam Strangeways about their feelings on the day. AT the funeral
On Saturday, a statue of Andrew Mynarski, killed in a Second World War bombing raid, was unveiled at Durham Tees Valley Airport. Today, the sculptor's father, Jack Maddison tells of the day his childhood friend died. ON the night of March 3, 1945, Number
MANY exhibitors from across the UK have vowed never to return to the North-East, after show stalls were looted by thieves and personal items stolen. Thieves crept into one tent and stole a £1,500 laptop computer and digital camera while the owner, a juggler
THE Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle has performed his first ordination of priests since his appointment. The Right Reverend Kevin Dunn conducted the ceremony for Christopher Warren and Mark Millward on Saturday in St Mary's Church, Newcastle
STRESSED-OUT inmates at one of the region's prisons are being treated for anxiety and alcohol addiction with ear acupuncture sessions. Prisoners at Durham City, a category B unit that houses the second-most dangerous tier of offenders, are benefiting
