WHAT'S the best and simplest way to entertain a baby or toddler? With clapping, finger and action rhymes of course. For those who have forgotten the favourites of their own childhoods, this big treasury is a must, with lots of lesser known ditties
THE first Crusade is on the march to Jerusalem but is held up by the stubborn resistance of the Turkish garrison of Antioch. Byzantine's special agent does his fair share of fighting but finds himself in a much more bizarre and disturbing battle against
NORTH-EAST lass Amy Shawe has had it tough from the day of her shameful birth with even her granddad rubbing salt into her wounds. Brought up by her Sunderland relatives, she either spends her time working her fingers to the bone for her aunt or fending
In 1775, Capt James Cook, newly returned from his second epic voyage of discovery, wrote to his friend John Walker, the Whitby shipowner who had set the great navigator on his seagoing career: "A few months ago the whole Southern Hemisphere was hardly
The independent label's quirky offerings continue with this Irish fourpiece. CombinIing the psychedelia of the Super Furry Animals with Scott Walker's Sixties chic, this debut EP showcases both the bands' ability to swap instruments and their undoubted
When The Libertines imploded so spectacularly at the start of last year, the wise money was on troubadour Pete Doherty hogging the headlines. He's certainly done that in recent months, but his notoriety has had little to do with his band Babyshambles
The Mozfather returns with his eighth solo record and, after years of intense introspection, he clearly feels it's time to get happy. 'There are explosive kegs between my legs' is hardly your typical Morrissey lyric, but it provides a fitting reference
A COMMUNITY is rallying together after it emerged that thousands of pounds are missing from the funds to stage an annual procession. The future of this year's Barnard Castle Meet looked uncertain after police launched an investigation into alleged irregularities
PLANS by two schools to federate are to go ahead in September after winning approval from governors. Durham Community Business College, in Ushaw Moor - formerly Deerness Valley Comprehensive - and Fyndoune Community College, in Sacriston, are joining
A town in east Cleveland is to be given expert advice on how best to market its nightlife. The night time economy of Redcar, which has been boosted with the arrival of three new bars, is to be given free management, technical, and communications support
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to reduce the number of long-term vacant properties and provide homes for local people. Housing officers in Hambleton are working with owners and landlords to find ways of renovating properties to use as housing. They are
A RISING star is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake after wowing producers of the Mickey Mouse Club. Six-year-old Kaleb Harvey, left, had his first audition in front of the cameras only four weeks ago and is preparing
THE NORTH-East was facing more large-scale job losses last night as tyre company Goodyear Dunlop said it was ending production at its Wearside factory with the loss of almost 600 jobs. The firm said the move would affect manufacturing and management jobs
A social worker who allegedly advertised herself as an escort will become the first to appear before the professions new standards watchdog today. The woman, who has not been named but is from County Durham, is facing a General Social Care Council (GSCC
NORTH-East housebuilder Bellway last night cautiously predicted a pick-up in the property market despite seeing a two per cent drop in profits. The Newcastle-based company reported a pre-tax profits fall to £87.8m from £89.7m in a challenging six months
Passing a driving test doesn't automatically turn you into Jeremy Clarkson. It takes years of practice to master the car properly . . . OKAY, so when you learned to do something, could you do it perfectly straightaway? If so, you're darn sight cleverer
I'M in Halifax, Nova Scotia, early one afternoon. Crowds from the three cruise ships in port throng the bustling waterfront of a town as inextricably connected with the sea as any of the Tyne ports, many of them visiting the exhibits of the world famous
CABLE company NTL yesterday agreed a £962.4m takeover of Virgin Mobile to create the first company to offer cable television as well as mobile phone services. NTL, which recently merged with Telewest, won the support of Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin
A DELAY in deciding who will run the region's Business Link services is better than choosing the wrong candidate, regional development agency One NorthEast said last night. It was due to announce its decision on who would run a North-East-wide business
After conquering children's TV, the charts and Saturday night viewing, cheeky Geordie chappies Ant and Dec have set their sights on the big screen with the release of Alien Autopsy. They talk to Steve Pratt about fame and friendship. 'Trying to explain
A POLICE inspector has vowed to crack down on gangs of 'chavs' terrorising Darlington town centre on their bikes. Beat inspector Chris Reeves says he hopes to obtain orders preventing persistent offenders from using bikes. Local councillors have promised
DETECTIVES have launched an investigation following the discovery of a woman's body in the smoke-filled garage of her Middlesbrough home. Cleveland Police are releasing little details about the inciden,t but a Home Office pathologist was due to carry
A BIKER paralysed in a crash eight years ago appealed yesterday for motorists to take more care on the roads. Paul Carr, 39, was speaking at the launch of the latest safety campaign at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. Mr Carr,
A MAN who so terrified his partner that she ran barefoot through fields and woods to escape has been ordered to compensate her. Michael Keers, 19, collected the 20-year-old woman from her mother's home, where she had spent the night after the couple had
Passing a driving test doesn't automatically turn you into Jeremy Clarkson. It takes years of practice to master the car properly . . . OKAY, so when you learned to do something, could you do it perfectly straightaway? If so, you're darn sight cleverer
A MAN accused of trying to strangle his girlfriend had previously been convicted of attacking two other women in similar circumstances, a court heard. Steven Wallace has denied the attempted murder of Wendy Brown, whose past relationship with a lesbian
That'll Teach 'Em: Boys Vs Girls (C4) WHO needs the nanny state when television will raise your children? There's a programme to suit every age. Supernanny for the youngest, while older ones can be sent to brat camp or finishing school. If all else fails
A DELAY in deciding who will run the region's Business Link services is better than choosing the wrong candidate, regional development agency One NorthEast said last night. It was due to announce its decision on who would run a North-East-wide business
THESE kittens who have been fostered in Newton Aycliffe desperately need to find new homes. They are among more than 20 kittens and cats who have been taken in by the RSPCA. Vanessa Robinson, auxiliary secretary for Darlington and Durham South and North
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott will act as referee with a final decision on whether a North Yorkshire soccer club can develop new pitches in the green belt. Members of Harrogate Borough Council planning committee yesterday voted by eight votes to
A DECISION on funding for a multi-million pound flood defence project will be announced in the next few days. North Yorkshire County Council has had to reapply to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for the scheme, to protect
YOUNGSTERS were yesterday celebrating after their town was selected as one of only three places in the country to pioneer a £3.2m transport project to help clear traffic congestion. In the five-year initiative, funded by the Department of Transport, Darlington
LIBRARY shelves have been cleared for the arrival of new books after readers bought hundreds of titles at reduced prices at the weekend A sale in the Coatham Memorial Hall, Redcar, raised £1,000 for council library services and helped make room for new
THIS week has been a bad week for justice. On Monday, the hit-and-run driver who killed 20-year-old Birmingham medical student Abigail Craen was given an 18-month jail sentence. Jaswinder Singh could be released in just four months. Yesterday, here in
POLICE have released images of two men they want to question in relation to a burglary at a town supermarket. The Co-op store in Commercial Street, Willington, was broken into in the early hours of January 30, and cigarettes and cash were stolen. Detectives
Durham School coach Paul Gerrard has been in the hunt for Daily Mail Schools Cup success for long enough to know that the only message worth bothering with is the need for the team to deliver its best form on the day. Ahead of today's U-18 final with
BATTLING youths on a housing estate have been targeted by police in a crackdown on violence and disorder. Northumbria Police are responding to complaints from residents that youths were regularly meeting to fight, causing violence and public disorder
THERE'S no danger of Paul Stephenson feeling the pressure of Hartlepool United's relegation battle. Since his temporary appointment in early February, Stephenson has lifted everyone's spirits at Victoria Park. And, after Friday's draw pushed his side
POLICING is being taken to heart in east Cleveland as the force looks to bolster its number of volunteers. The initiative was pioneered in Saltburn several years ago and is now being spread across Cleveland Police's Langbaurgh district. There are three
A MAN who grew cannabis at home was yesterday ordered to pay £19,634 he earned from the drug. Police recovered 36 skunk plants in a raid at the home of James Williams, in Blackhall, County Durham, in April last year. Nine were in an airing cupboard and
THE hit-and-run killer of six-year-old Leonie Shaw was yesterday locked up for four years for more driving offences and a ram-raid. But his sentence was criticised by campaigners and the girl's family after it was revealed Colin Meek will be out of jail
IT was only last week that the play-offs seemed a million miles away for Darlington but, after last night's win at Rochdale, those fading dreams are fast becoming a distinct possibility. The debate over their play-off chances has rumbled on to the point
OPPONENTS of a council's £5m office move are delivering 20,000 leaflets asking residents to support a referendum on the issue. Liberal Democrats on Richmondshire District Council, in North Yorkshire, plan to distribute a pamphlet to every household in
A TEENAGE girl was assaulted as she walked home from a drunken night out. The 17-year-old was walking through Billingham in the early hours of Saturday when she was grabbed from behind by a man and thrown to the ground. She managed to kick the attacker
DUE to thoughtless fixture planning by the BHB there's no racing within 200 miles of our region and we must therefore go far afield in search of winners. Exeter's west country track is the first port of call in the hope Coach Lane (2.30) can oblige in
A SCHOOL is celebrating after being given a £500,000 cash boost from a leading businessman to help build a sixth form centre and major refurbishment programme. Sir Tom Cowie announced his contribution towards the £5m project to an assembly of staff and
WRITERS are responding to the challenge to produce compelling fiction in a national short story competition run by The Northern Echo. Orange New Voices is backed by telecommunications company Orange and Darlington Arts Centre and showcases new writers
THREE North-East councils are locked in a race to build the country's first Las Vegas-style super-casino offering unlimited jackpots, it was confirmed yesterday. Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland are among 27 councils bidding to open a so-called
IRAQ WAR : In your story (Echo, Mar 30) about Ashok Kumar's recent article you wrote: "Dr Kumar's loyalty was tested by the decision to go to war in Iraq. The MP only decided on the day of the vote to back Mr Blair." This is very misleading. Dr Kumar
LEE Clark will continue his love affair with Newcastle United next season after chairman Freddy Shepherd assured him he would be offered a new deal regardless of who he appoints as manager. Clark's current contract, which involves both playing and coaching
A WOMAN who breached an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) three times by abusing emergency staff has appeared in court. Christina Charlie Llew-ellyn, 39, of Vancouver Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty at the town's magistrates court yesterday to three
RELEGATION, a sacked manager and endless speculation about an impending ousting of the board - for most players, the current situation at Sunderland will be a novel, if unwelcome, experience. But, for midfielder Rory Delap, strife and upheaval have become
A DISCOUNT supermarket chain is expanding by opening stores in two County Durham towns. German company Aldi plans to take over former Kwik Save stores in Front Street, Consett, and Watling Road, Bishop Auckland. The firm says it will invest £8m in the
CHILDREN have planted the final seeds of an improvement scheme at the site of a historic shelter. Pupils from Holy Trinity Primary School spread grass and wildflower seeds to complete the landscaping on the site of the former North Shelter, fronting on
A NIGHTCLUB will host a teenagers' party to launch a website promoting activities for children and young people across Sedgefield borough. Cube, in Spennymoor, will host the event next Wednesday, from 6pm to 9pm, to celebrate the online arrival of www.offthestreet
DISGRUNTLED people on Teesside have added their weight to the growing campaign for improved dental care provision. The Liberal Democrat group, in Stockton, has collected a petition against the new changes to NHS dentistry, which have resulted in one in
WHAT is democracy? You and I might think it involves listening to the people. And as long as we don't expect more, that's about right - at least in the eyes of our present Government. Its concept of democracy was underlined the other day by the Lord Chancellor
AN east Durham mother and daughter have been recognised for their outstanding achievements at an awards ceremony. Liz Longstaff, 53, and her daughter Julie Longstaff, 30, from Peterlee, were both presented with an Aim High Achievement Award by local best-selling
A VILLAGE is to get a new community centre thanks to council-backed redevelopment. Sherburn Hill's ageing centre will be replaced with a building on a new site that will be part-funded by the sell-off of council land under Durham City Council's Flourishing
LIAM Botham, who played first class cricket for Hampshire as a teenager before becoming a professional rugby union and league player is returning to the game with Northallerton Town. Botham, 28, who lives in Ravensworth near Richmond, was forced to end
