Archive

  • Driver : Parallel Lines

    Publisher: AtariFormats: PS2, Xbox Price: £39.99 Family friendly? 18+ I CAN'T help feeling sorry for this franchise. It helped create the free roaming template that gave birth to the incredibly successful GTA

  • ATV Off Road Fury 3

    Publisher: South Peak Formats: PS2 Price: £29.99 Family friendly? 3+ JUST ABOUT the only racing genre that hasn't reached saturation point on the PS2, off road racing with all-terrain vehicles is a big deal in

  • Fight Night Round 3

    Publisher: Electronic Arts Formats: PS2, Xbox, PC Price: £29.99 Family friendly? 16+ BOXING fans have good cause to be grateful to Electronic Arts. Starting with The Foes of Ali on the ill-fated 3DO console,

  • The Outfit

    Publisher: THQ Format: Xbox 360 Price: £49.99 Family friendly? 15+ IN the short while it has been available, the Xbox 360 has become the default home for war-based action games. Thankfully The Outfit isn't

  • 24: The Game

    Publisher: Sony Formats: PS2 Price: £29.99 Family friendly? 12+ With its reliance on cliff-hanging spectacle and rapid-fire action sequences to cover up massive gaps in logic, 24 is perfect fodder for a video

  • Spongebob Squarepants & Friends Unite!

    Publisher: THQ Formats: PS2 Price: £29.99 Family friendly? 3+ NOW this is more like it - a charming action adventure featuring some of cartoon-dom's favourite cult characters in a brand new story. Professor

  • FIFA Street 2

    Publisher: Electronic Arts Formats: PS2, Xbox Price: £39.99 Family friendly? 3+ IF EVER a game didn't deserve a sequel then it has to be Fifa Street, a woeful football game that tried so hard to be cool but just

  • Devil Kings

    Publisher: Capcom Format: PS2 Price: £29.99 Family friendly? 12+ DIPLOMACY is a device that's hardly ever used in video games. You certainly won't find any trace of it in Devil Kings. Six warriors are fighting

  • 'How I found the courage to come out'

    Having lived her life as a heterosexual, in 2000 Jackie O'Leary finally bowed to her true nature and left her husband for another woman. Six years on, and now at peace with her sexuality, she's helping other women in turmoil. She talks to Women's Editor

  • Pinpointing the pain

    What is only the second training centre of its kind in the country has opened in Darlington to teach doctors and nurses western-style acupuncture. Health Editor Barry Nelson investigates. THE traditional Chinese art of acupuncture has always fascinated

  • So grateful for the gift of life

    Trevor Colquhoun was just a week away from death when a heart donor was found for him. He tells Health Editor Barry Nelson about how he was given a second chance. TREVOR Colquhoun knows he is one of the luckiest men in the world. The 62-year-old from

  • The fitness fanatic who carried a deadly timebomb

    Mesothelioma is a little-known disease which is expected to kill up to 10,000 Britons a year by 2020, including large numbers of North-Easterners. Health Editor Barry Nelson listens to one victim's story. DAVE Craig was the sort of guy who never

  • How times are changing for the NHS

    Why is a successful North-East hospital trust talking about shedding 700 staff? Health Editor Barry Nelson considers the changes about to sweep across the NHS. ANYONE paying attention to Government health policy in recent years can hardly fail to

  • How £10 can save children's lives

    Can the people of the North-East come together to give our children a better start in life? Health Editor Barry Nelson explains the goals of The Tenner Campaign, which is launched today. THE Yellow Brick Road Campaign - which transformed children's

  • On TV

    NCIS (five) Everyone Hates Chris (five) SHOWS with initials in the title are just loved by five. CSI, CSI: NY and the one that isn't afraid to be daring and use a real word CSI: Miami. So it was obvious that a series called NCIS would end up on that channel

  • Ball looks to the heavens as Cats unable to post rare win

    KEVIN BALL has only been carrying out caretaker duties for four games but in one post-match comment the stand-in boss summed up an entire season at Goodison Park. Referring to the moment when, in injury-time and the scoreline level, Rory Delap struck

  • Diamond Mick to shine again at Kelso

    DIAMOND MICK (4.20) is well worth backing at his beloved Kelso this afternoon. Both of Diamond Mick's victories have come at the Borders venue, so using the tried and tested "horses for courses" formula, a third success would be no surprise. The six-year-old

  • Concern over role of 4x4 rescuers

    A VOLUNTARY search and rescue organisation that co-ordinates teams in the North-East has distanced itself from a new group formed to help people in difficulty. In a statement issued last night, the North-East Search and Rescue Association (Nesra) said

  • From The Editor's Chair: Redressing the balance

    IN the age of the ASBO, the accusation that newspapers give young people a bad name flies across editors' desks with increasing regularity. The common perception is that the yobs, a tiny minority of young people, get more than their fair share of headlines

  • 'Red tape stalls road projects'

    VITAL road improvement schemes are being stalled by convoluted planning procedures, it was claimed last night. The Road Users Alliance (RUA) said of six major road projects in the North-East, which were included in local authority transport plans as long

  • Gwen realises driving ambition at 56

    A GRANDMOTHER of 17 children has proved it's never too late to learn after passing her driving test for the first time. Gwen Turner, 56, of Rise Carr, Darlington, delayed taking driving lessons after serious illness, but passed her test at the first attempt

  • Finding the write way

    You probably won't earn millions doing it, but pouring out your heart on paper can be very therapeutic. Best-selling North-East author Wendy Robertson extols the healing properties of writing, from poetry and prose to today's online Blogs. BY present-day

  • A bright future for McLeod

    DAVID HODGSON feels that young midfielder Mark McLeod has all the qualities to make the grade at Darlington, writes Lee Hall. McLeod shone on his full debut in Saturday's 4-2 win over Lincoln City, demonstrating why Hodgson was so keen to offer the 19

  • Son flies to boat disaster survivor

    THE family of a North-East man who survived the Bahrain boat tragedy have rushed out to the Gulf to be by his side. Contractor David Roote, from Darlington, is one of a handful of British people rescued after a pleasure boat capsized while they were celebrating

  • Inquest verdict on prison suicide

    A JURY has concluded that a North-East prisoner took his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed. William Hunter, who was known as Billy, was found dead at Durham Prison's health care centre on May 24, 2004. The 25-year-old, of The Mill,

  • Prime Minister backs police duo's charity ride across US

    TWO former North-East detectives are preparing to cycle from coast to coast in memory of a colleague who died of a brain tumour. But instead of the popular C2C charity route across 140 miles of Northern England, Alan Penman and Bill Crosby face America's

  • Chief to retire

    The head of the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Lord Richard Best, has announced that he will retire at the end of the year. Lord Best, 60, was named as one Tony Blair's People Peers five years ago. He has lead the social research charity for 18

  • Jonny hopes for Irish treble

    JONNY Wilkinson will be hoping that a large helping of the luck of the Irish falls his way before the European Challenge Cup semi-final. Newcastle Falcons will face London Irish, and amazingly in such an injury-blighted season Wilkinson has already been

  • Rally call brings enthusiasts scooting along

    A CONVOY of scooters took to the road on Saturday with a charity destination in mind. About 150 scooters brought Hartlepool to a standstill as they road through the town centre to deliver a cheque to a children's charity. The event was organised by the

  • Meet the plain Bobby Robson

    THE two managers have much in common: both were Durham miners, both have beaten cancer, both are still as passionate about football as they were all those years ago. Both are called Bobby Robson. "I just tell them they knighted the wrong one, " says the

  • Mileson's men on brink of Europe

    A NORTH-EAST entrepreneur is on the brink of leading a tiny Scottish club into a European football adventure. Gretna, owned by Sunderland-born businessman Brooks Mileson, will meet Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final next month after his team defeated Dundee

  • 1,500 tour Education Village

    ABOUT 1,500 people have been on guided tours of the new £37.3m Darlington Education Village. When it opens on April 24, the village will accommodate 1,400 pupils of all abilities, aged from two to 19, from Haughton Community School, Springfield Primary

  • Schools turn their thoughts to pedal power

    ABOUT 25 schoolchildren and their parents took part in a sponsored bike ride at the weekend. The group from Hummersknott School and Language College took a ten-mile round trip on bikes from the school to Archer's Jersey ice-cream parlour in Walworth Gate

  • Union protesting plans to to change weekend working

    TRADE unionists staged a demonstration outside a town's supermarket on Saturday to protest against weekend working. Members of GMB picketed Asda supermarket, in Thornaby, to protest changes to the working rotas. A GMB spokesman said: "A meeting of GMB

  • Youngsters on the run to raise club funds

    YOUNG people from north Durham took part in a fun run over the weekend to raise money to buy sports equipment. Youth teams of Sacriston Colliery Cricket Club ran around woodland near the village on Saturday to raise money to buy equipment for the club

  • 'Red tape stalls road projects'

    VITAL road improvement schemes are being stalled by convoluted planning procedures, it was claimed last night. The Road Users Alliance (RUA) said of six major road projects in the North-East, which were included in local authority transport plans as long

  • 20-year-old charged over stabbing

    A MAN has been charged with the murder of a keen photographer who was stabbed through the heart on his way to take pictures of snow-covered hills near his home. The body of 31-year-old Lee Phipps was discovered close to a path less than a mile from his

  • Eyesore to be demolished piece by piece

    DEMOLITION of one of the region's most notorious eyesores is to take place later this month. Westgate House, a 1970s concrete office block in the heart of Newcastle's Grainger Town, was recently voted one of Britain's ugliest buildings in a Channel 4

  • Ride-to-job charity adds to its fleet

    TEN mopeds have been bought by a charity which provides cheap transport to young people. Wheels 2 Work is now looking for young Wensleydale and Swaledale residents who could use one of the bikes. Co-ordinator Andrew Johnston said: "The scheme has proved

  • Residents angry over revised plans for mixed development

    PLANS for a large-scale community development on a Teesside housing estate have angered its residents. Details for offices and community facilities at Ingleby Barwick have been submitted to Stockton Borough Council, months after a previous application

  • Plot your way to garden joy

    PEOPLE going to Harrogate's Spring Flower Show seeking a new look for their gardens are being asked to take some basic measurements of their plots Whether it is an expansive area or a tiny terrace, expert designers at the event at the Great Yorkshire

  • Player's privates matter becomes public

    GROIN strains, pulled hamstrings and broken metatarsals are among the more common reasons for footballers having to pull out of matches. But Sunderland striker Kevin Kyle had a more unusual excuse for missing Saturday's 2-2 draw with Everton - scalded

  • Taking a stake in community

    PEOPLE in east Durham can find out more about getting involved in their community at an event this week. District of Easington Tenants and Residents Federation (DETRF) will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday at Lee House, Upper Yoden Way, Peterlee.

  • £200,000 bid for day club funding

    BIDS are being made for £200,000 to ensure that 260 elderly people can go on enjoying weekly outings. The cash is needed to ensure ten day clubs operate for another three years in the rural area around Barnard Castle. The figure was announced by Peter

  • Two schools to celebrate

    STUDENTS and staff from two Newcastle schools will celebrate their centenary at a service. Sacred Heart Catholic High School and Sacred Heart RC Primary School are marking their 100-year histories with a Mass, which will be celebrated by the Very Reverend

  • Police chase ends with crash injury

    A TEENAGER was left with serious injuries after being knocked down by a car being followed by a police helicopter. Officers followed the Fiat Punto after it failed to stop for a police car about 11pm on Friday. As the car drove through Stockton, a police

  • Running man

    A PE teacher is training to take part in two marathons around the world to raise money for charity. Richard Alderson, from Bridgemere Drive, Framwellgate Moor, Durham City, is taking part in the Paris marathon on Sunday. The 31-year-old, who teaches at

  • 'Thieves won't get the better of me'

    A MAN who was seriously injured when he tried to stop thieves raiding his business said last night he would do the same again. Company boss Chris Hields is recovering at his Teesside home after two weeks in hospital following the attack last month. The

  • Happy weekend for Stephenson

    PAUL Stephenson's Hartlepool United remain outside the League One drop zone after Saturday's results went in their favour. Of their immediate relegation rivals, only Blackpool won - against Yeovil - to ensure that Friday's point from their draw with Oldham

  • Man admits attempting to poison teenager

    A MAN has admitted trying to poison a teenager by giving him a drug used to treat insomnia. John Young, 51, pleaded guilty to administering a poison or noxious substance with intent to injure a 16-year-old male. Teesside Crown Court heard that a tablet

  • Jonny hopes for Irish treble

    JONNY Wilkinson will be hoping that a large helping of the luck of the Irish falls his way before the European Challenge Cup semi-final. Newcastle Falcons will face London Irish, and amazingly in such an injury-blighted season Wilkinson has already been

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: The time to say when

    THERE is clearly a lot of rubbish being spouted about Tony Blair's timetable for leaving Downing Street. We saw it last week with the laughably over-the-top reaction to North-East Labour MP Ashok Kumar's article in The Northern Echo, calling for a rapid

  • Energy firm's donation to wildlife trust

    A WILDLIFE trust is celebrating after winning support from an energy company. EDF Energy, which employs more than 1,000 people at its Doxford call centre, in Sunderland, has agreed to make a £5,000 donation to Durham Wildlife Trust. Volunteers from the

  • Ball looks to the heavens as Cats unable to post rare win

    KEVIN BALL has only been carrying out caretaker duties for four games but in one post-match comment the stand-in boss summed up an entire season at Goodison Park. Referring to the moment when, in injury-time and the scoreline level, Rory Delap struck

  • Race hate murder trial begins

    A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of race hate victim Lee Phipps. Lee Trevor Nicholls, 20, of Borough Road, South Shields, South Tyneside stood charged with the murder of Lee Phipps, 31, whose mother was of Somalian descent. Nicholls

  • UniBond League: Games are piling up for Bishops

    Bishop Auckland's fixtures are piling up after their home game with Eastwood Town was postponed on Saturday. The Dean Street pitch was declared unfit early on Saturday morning to save Eastwood from a wasted journey, and club officials will be hoping that

  • The Judge's Tales

    Just a couple of days now until our early morning flight back to Manchester. This week has seen two day-night games completed under lights at the excellent Sharjah Stadium and we were left with two one-day games to complete the tour. On the field we have

  • Son flies to boat disaster survivor

    THE family of a North-East man who survived the Bahrain boat tragedy have rushed out to the Gulf to be by his side. Contractor David Roote, from Darlington, is one of a handful of British people rescued after a pleasure boat capsized while they were celebrating

  • Why the king is all shook up

    PLAYING Elvis has its drawbacks, as Simon Bowman has found out. The actor/singer was a hunk of burning love after injuring his right arm with one too many microphone gyrations. But after being patched up by medics, Bowman, 44, reaches Sunderland's Empire

  • Still a chance for Hodgson to tell doubters ' told you so'

    FOR a man who had just watched his side put four goals past their rivals for a play-off spot, David Hodgson was surprisingly solemn on Saturday. In his quest for a top seven finish, Hodgson has fought an almost one-man campaign in recent weeks, while

  • Still a chance for Hodgson to tell doubters 'I told you so'

    FOR a man who had just watched his side put four goals past their rivals for a play-off spot, David Hodgson was surprisingly solemn on Saturday. In his quest for a top seven finish, Hodgson has fought an almost one-man campaign in recent weeks, while

  • Restrictions are threatening future of club, says report

    SPORTING, music and religious events must be staged at a football stadium if the club is to survive, a report says. Agents acting for Darlington FC have warned that the club could go into receivership unless planning restrictions on the use of its Neasham

  • Johnson hails 'special' strike as the fans salute a new hero

    Jemal Johnson described his first goal for Darlington as "special" after his double salvo helped Quakers back into play-off contention. The first goal of his pair in Saturday's win over Lincoln City was a stunning, powerful strike from an acute angle

  • The Lifeblood Appeal

    As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region:. Today St Aloysius' Centre, corner of Argyle Street and Coquet Street, Hebburn, 2.30pm-7pm Victory

  • Collingwood heroics not enough to save England

    DURHAM'S Paul Collingwood hit 93 runs, but that was not enough to save England from a 49-run defeat to India in Goa. Andrew Flintoff's men are now 3-0 behind in the seven-match series. Yuvraj Singh set India up with 103 and put on 142 with Suresh Raina

  • Go-ahead likely for schemes bringing homes and stores

    THREE major developments for a market town are being recommended for approval later this week. Plans to build 75 homes, 19 flats, a Homebase store and a Halfords store in Northallerton, have all received the support of planning officials at Hambleton

  • Seven academy products show future is bright

    STEVE McClaren last night hailed his young guns after they fired Middlesbrough to a convincing 1-0 win over Manchester City, and predicted things can only get better. McClaren included seven players from Boro's academy in his squad at the Eastlands Stadium

  • Council to get cracking on roads

    THE first areas of Darlington to benefit from a £2.5m scheme to improve the town's streets have been revealed. Last year, the borough council asked residents to pinpoint roads and pavements in the town which needed work as part of a project called Let's

  • Row over ditches to stop travellers

    Residents have been asked to wait before condemning ditches dug to keep travellers off open land. Council workers have dug trenches around green space in Melrose Drive and Tintern Road, St Helen Auckland, where travellers have set up illegal camps in

  • Gangs of thieves who target parked cars in police sights

    POLICE in Darlington have launched an operation to crack down on the increasing problem of vehicle crime. Gangs of opportunist thieves are operating in the town. The thieves, many of them youngsters, travel around Darlington at all hours, checking parked

  • Talented youngsters leap into fame

    YOUNGSTERS from the Gala Theatre Stage School, in Durham, donned their dance gear and limbered up for their latest show. Fame The Musical opens at the Gala Theatre on Thursday and runs until Saturday. Following one group of students from auditions to

  • Hear All Sides: The School Closure Debate

    HURWORTH REACTION: WHAT great news about Hurworth School. Darlington's Labour- controlled council has changed its mind. Alan Milburn and Prime Minister Tony Blair are trying very hard to sell this as a personal victory for themselves, arranged by Milburn

  • Golden days for couple

    A couple who grew up in the same street yesterday celebrated 50 years of marriage. Allan and Clara Todd have been close friends since they were toddlers, living just four doors apart in High Street, Byers Green, Spennymoor. As teenagers, the pair were

  • Residents fear cost of bus scheme

    RESIDENTS in South Durham have complained that a new concessionary bus pass scheme could leave pensioners worse off. Because the county concessionary fare scheme excludes Darlington, pensioners coming into the town will have to pay full price for travel

  • Fundraiser tackles six peaks

    A COASTGUARD will take on six of the toughest peaks when he embarks on his biggest charity challenge to date. Frequent fundraiser Paul Waugh, 42, from Skelton, east Cleveland, will attempt the UK's Three Peaks and the Three Peaks of Yorkshire in one weekend

  • Moore is the merrier as he puts injury hell behind him

    HE might have been dubbed the 'Invisible Man' because of his seven-month spell on the sidelines, but Craig Moore insists he was even angrier than Newcastle's long-suffering fans when he was forced to sit out the majority of the season. Moore was one of

  • Decision day over the future of primary school in town

    EDUCATION chiefs will today decide the fate of two Newton Aycliffe primary schools which could be merged. Durham County Council is considering closing Elmfield and Stephenson Way Primary Schools and amalgamating the two into a new community primary school

  • Allotments are handed £5,000 grant

    A TOWN allotment association plans to build a meeting room and office after landing a £5,000 National Lottery grant. Paxton Street Allotment Association, in Ferryhill, will use the Awards for All cash to buy a secure recreation unit to host meetings,

  • Beat bobbies are back in business

    A NEW police structure that could see the return of the bobby on the beat will be launched in North Yorkshire today. Neighbourhood policing teams have been created to cover the whole of the county. Each team is led by a sergeant and consists of police

  • Farmer worms his way to award

    A MOORLAND farmer's diversification from pig farming to worm farming has won him an honour from The Queen's Duchy of Lancaster. Maurice Medd and his family had to abandon pig-rearing when the bottom fell out of the market several years ago. Faced with

  • Go-ahead likely for schemes bringing homes and stores

    THREE major developments for a market town are being recommended for approval later this week. Plans to build 75 homes, 19 flats, a Homebase store and a Halfords store in Northallerton, have all received the support of planning officials at Hambleton

  • Energy firm's donation to wildlife trust

    A WILDLIFE trust is celebrating after winning support from an energy company. EDF Energy, which employs more than 1,000 people at its Doxford call centre, in Sunderland, has agreed to make a £5,000 donation to Durham Wildlife Trust. Volunteers from the

  • Eggsactly what the playgroup needs

    YARM District Lions and their co-sponsors, Somerfield supermarket, have presented Levendale Under-Fives Playgroup with a bounty of Easter eggs to raffle. The playgroup is a self-funding organization, which was originally set up in the 1970s and is still

  • Warning after fatal flat blaze

    FIRE chiefs have warned householders to regularly check smoke alarms after a man and his dog died in a flat blaze early on Saturday. Three other people had to be rescued from the fire in a first-floor flat in Falsgrave Road, Scarborough, shortly after

  • Pupils have a taste for heatlthy food

    PUPILS with a taste for healthy eating have helped their school win an award. Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate CofE Primary School has been presented with a gold award after achieving a 100 per cent meal take-up in the past academic year. It follows a campaign

  • Delve into the past as records office opens its shelves

    FIVE miles of archives dating back to the 13th Century went on show at the weekend. Visitors were given behind-the-scenes tours of North Yorkshire County Council's records office, in Malpas Road, Northallerton, on Saturday. Project officer Vicky Hudson

  • Pupils preview boxing kit

    NEW equipment designed by a Teesside man to help athletes train for the London 2012 Olympics has been tested by a school boxing club. The Reflex 90 was designed by England Amateur Boxing Association coach and Stockton Boxing Club founder Sid Hogg. He

  • Hospice chosen as beneficiary

    A charity that provides hospice care will be this year's beneficiary of the Northumbria Police Pro-Am Charity Golf Tournament. After 20 years of fundraising, which has seen more than £350,000 raised for good causes across the region, the Pro-Am committee

  • Boro star helps launch community celebration

    FOOTBALLER Colin Cooper joined community leaders in his home village to urge more residents to join a group that will shape the area's future. The Middlesbrough star joined Sedgefield Borough Councillor Lucy Hovvells to open a community celebration event

  • Homes plan is approved

    A HOUSING association will demolish 22 old people's bungalows in Spennymoor and replace them with modern homes. Home Housing secured permission from Sedgefield Borough Council to demolish homes in Derwent Terrace and build 20 bungalows on the site. The

  • 03/04/06

    PENSION STRIKE: AS a joiner employed by Darlington Borough Council, I feel I have to put my point of view about the pension strike and the 85-year rule. I pay five per cent of my salary into my pension scheme, which is rising to six per cent very soon

  • Blaydon cling on to stay on the promotion trail

    BLAYDON emerged from a mauling, brawling encounter with their National Three North promotion hopes intact, while Darlington will lick their wounds ahead of Saturday's match at Mowden Park. They will be without flanker Martin Howe, while skipper Paul Lee

  • News in brief

    ART EXHIBITION: The Priory Art Society of Guisborough will present an exhibition and sale of paintings in Sunnyfield House, Westgate, Guisborough, on Saturday, from 10am to 4pm. There will also be a coffee morning, from 10am to 1pm. HEALTH TALK: Diabetes

  • Trust seeks ten nursing cadets

    HEALTH chiefs are on the lookout for cadet nurses. Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trust wants to recruit ten 18 to 23-year-olds to work with people with learning disabilities. During their first six months probation, the cadets will be expected to

  • Full season of band concerts

    THE line-up for summer bandstand concerts in Saltburn has been announced. The events will start on May 7 and end on October 1. The concerts, to be held on both Saturday and Sunday at the height of the season, are arranged and paid for by Saltburn 500

  • Company aids day centre

    CLIENTS at a day centre have seen their wishes come true, thanks to a Peterlee company. Bracken Hill Woodwork Centre, for people with learning disabilities, is to open its doors to let the public see the transformation at its Peterlee premises. Caterpillar

  • Sunderland romp to grand slam

    NORTH-EAST Cross Country champions Sunderland charged to their third grand slam from six consecutive North-East Harrier League victories to clinch the Division One senior men's team title in emphatic style at Blaydon. The Wearsiders had four over-40s

  • Debate over waste disposal includes incinerator option

    A WASTE incinerator could be built in a North-East town to achieve Government targets on rubbish disposal. Council consultants in Darlington have been working on possible solutions over the past six months and, this month, councillors will debate the

  • Wearside League: Six of the best for Stokesley

    Only three games were played on Saturday but results could not have been better for championship hopefuls Stokesley SC. Not only did they hit Nissan SSC Sunderland for six but leaders Cleadon were surprisingly defeated and second-top Windscale could only

  • Villagers welcome A1 bridge rethink

    THE reinstatement of a bridge in plans for a £325m upgrade of the A1 has been welcomed by community leaders. The Highways Agency had deleted the bridge near the village of Pickhill from a scheme to widen 25 miles of the motorway in North Yorkshire. However

  • Lee's first seals win for Boro

    Under the slate-grey Manchester skies Middlesbrough yesterday provided further evidence that their future looks bright. Lee Cattermole's first goal in a Boro shirt two minutes before the break underlined that he can now add a striker's finish to his all

  • Watching Brief: Midfield maestros

    NEWCASTLE United can attribute their first Premier League victory in four to an inspirational display from the home side's midfield quartet. Lee Bowyer, Nolberto Solano, Charles N'Zogbia and, to a lesser extent, Emre truly dominated their talented counterparts

  • Blair cash pledge on health service

    TONY Blair pledged yesterday to close the health gap with the rest of Europe through a massive injection of cash into the NHS over the next few years. The Prime Minister promised to bring health spending up to European levels after admitting there

  • New chance to stay an ex-smoker

    HEALTH campaigners are joining with The Northern Echo today to help smokers keep their New Year's vow to kick their deadly habit. Hundreds of thousands of smokers across the North-East and North Yorkshire have already decided to stub out the cigarettes