Archive

  • Newcastle lose again

    NEWCASTLE 0 BLACKBURN 2 Newcastle finished yet another disappointing season at home with yet another disappointing defeat at St James' Park, which culminated with supporters calling for chairman Freddy Shepherd to leave the club. In an insipid game

  • Boro safe after Wigan win

    MIDDLESBROUGH ended any fears of relegation with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Wigan Athletic, who themselves now face a battle to retain their Premiership status. Mark Viduka's first half strike was enough to send Boro back to the North-East with all three

  • Pools miss out on title

    HARTLEPOOL United's hopes of winning League Two are over - their hopes ended just four minutes from glory. Pools needed to better Walsall's result at Swindon to be crowned champions. And, with four minutes of their final game remaining and Walsall losing

  • Power switch

    IS what Tony Blair is doing, just proposing to hand his leadership to Gordon Brown, democratic? I am not sure. At the last General Election Mr Blair was, and still is, Prime Minister. So how many people voted for Mr Blair and how many for the actual

  • False pretences?

    IN view of the recent GMTV telephone scams, would it not be feasible for Newcastle United to sue EUFA and the Premiership for allowing them to enter competitions they had no chance of winning? Kev McStravick, Darlington.

  • Demolition worries

    RE reports about the possibility of homes being demolished under plans being drawn up by Darlington Borough Council (Echo, some editions, May 1). My home of 55 years is in the area that has been mentioned. This is the third time in my lifetime

  • Unison advert

    I REFER to the advertisement (Echo, Page 13, Apr 30) taken out by Unison, the public service union, which urged people to use their vote in last Thursday's local elections to keep the BNP out. How many members of Unison voted for the insertion

  • Let Scots go

    I HAVE been following the Scottish parliamentary elections in the hope that the SNP would win a landslide. But if I were a Scot I would note that public spending generally is higher in Scotland, care for the elderly is better, education is better

  • Handymen

    IN his Dad at Large column about problems stemming from a broken fan on a fan-assisted oven (Echo, May 3), Peter Barron bemoans not being a handyman. It has more downs than ups, though. People have waited for a family visit to ask: "While you are

  • Muddy roads

    AS a visitor from Canada, I was told that the Yorkshire Dales were a very beautiful part of your country. They certainly are, but I was taken aback by the amount of mud on the roads. The mud is clearly dangerous as it can cause vehicles to skid,

  • Car parking spaces

    REGARDING your story about the inadequate size of parking spaces in the Commercial Street car park, Darlington (Echo, May 1). I recently parked my car there. I am a "blue badge" holder, but as all the "disabled driver" places were full, I had to

  • Fire Service cuts

    THE local elections are now over. When readers cast their vote I hope they spared the time to consider how the local fire service has been decimated over the past four years - a service they pay for. It has been attacked and decimated as local

  • Immigration

    SEVERAL correspondents are ever ready to spring to the defence of immigration. Are they reacting against some supposed suggestion that foreigners are not nice people? I make no such claim. For me, the bottom line is quite simple: this is ours.

  • You're nicked

    The headlines announcing BBC1's new drama say it all. 'The nick of time' and 'Holby's arresting arrival'. For those who don't get the joke, they're referring to television's latest police show. "Oh no, not another cop drama," I hear you shout. Or even

  • Blog off... and get yourself a real diary

    In the age of the ubiquitous blog, it might seem old fashioned, but novelist Wendy Roberson extols the virtues of keeping a journal. MY current obsession is the keeping of a diary or a journal. Although I have done this for decades, it seems to have

  • Soft cell

    Barry Nelson is detained at this own pleasure in an extraordinary landmark Oxford hotel. IT was while I was watching Lewis, the Oxford-set TV detective yarn, that I first set eyes on the extraordinary Oxford Malmaison Hotel. It was a few weeks before

  • Concerns at obtrusive electricity wire covers

    A POWER company has defended safety devices fitted to electricity poles against claims that they spoil the look of a village. Residents of Aldbrough St John, near Richmond, say the conservation area is marred by bright yellow sleeves on the stay wires

  • Art of fatherhood

    Performer Mike Maran set off to discover Picasso and found a father and son reunion instead. WE know about Picasso and his women but we never discuss Picasso the son and father. So says the one-man show phenomenon Mike Maran who reveals he unwittingly

  • Bosses' drive to tackle bus overcrowding

    TRANSPORT bosses are talking to a bus company to see if extra seats can be provided at short notice after overcrowding left passengers sitting on the floor. North Yorkshire County Council came under fire from Swaledale residents after a new contract changed

  • Figures show most trials take place on time

    MORE court trials are going ahead on the day they are planned in North Yorkshire than required by targets, according to figures released yesterday. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform has published its quarterly report into the performance of the North

  • Bruce sticking by the Blues

    Steve Bruce has quashed the speculation surrounding his imminent future as Birmingham boss by insisting he will see out the remaining two years of his contract. Bruce is hoping to pip his former Manchester United team-mate, Sunderland boss Roy Keane,

  • Fun but no flames at sponsored campfire sing

    CUBS and Scouts learned traditional campfire songs for a fundraising effort. The 1st Richmond pack held a sponsored campfire sing to raise money for the Diabetes Society. The idea came from a Cub member, and leader Tracy Appleyard took it up because a

  • Exercise experiment is hailed

    A THREE-YEAR experiment designed to boost the activity levels of children has been declared a success - despite research which appears to show it had the opposite effect. Between 2003 and last year, £225,000 was invested in child exercise programmes

  • Hughes wary of Owen factor

    Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has warned his side they must overcome the Michael Owen factor at St James' Park today if they are to keep their dream of European football alive. With three games to go, Rovers sit in tenth place in the Barclays Premiership

  • Rumours are just part of the job for Roeder

    UNDER-pressure Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder has come out fighting over recent speculation surrounding his tenure on Tyneside. Reports circulating this week suggest chairman Freddy Shepherd has offered Sam Allardyce the chance of reviving United's

  • Banned driver led police on town chase

    A BANNED driver who led police on a chase through Darlington town centre was yesterday jailed for 15 months. Karl Wilson's barrister urged a judge to impose a suspended sentence because prison had not worked for his client in the past. Dan Cordey said

  • Arca happy to see Black Cats back in Premier League

    JULIO ARCA is still adored by Sunderland fans, despite last summer's short move south to Middlesbrough, and he insists the Stadium of Light is destined for fantastic years under the new regime. For the first time since moving to England in July 2000,

  • Volunteers invited to networking day

    VOLUNTEERS involved in children's activities are being urged to attend a day-long networking event. Places are still available on the course at Maidendale House, Firthmoor Community Centre, Darlington, next Friday, from 9am until 4pm. The event is aimed

  • Blair to announce his departure on home turf

    SPECULATION was growing last night that Tony Blair will make his historic announcement about stepping down as Prime Minister in his Sedgefield constituency on Thursday. It is understood that Mr Blair will tell the Cabinet of his plans to relinquish the

  • Company to launch female health products nationwide

    A COMPANY on Teesside expects its turnover to push into the millions next year as it plans to launch its female health product into clinics nationwide. Femeda Limited has developed a revolutionary medical treatment for urinary incontinence and intends

  • Music group EMI reveals takeover approaches

    MUSIC group EMI yesterday said it had received takeover interest from "a number" of potential bidders. The company, home to stars including Lily Allen, Norah Jones and Robbie Williams, has warned on profits twice this year after struggling with falling

  • Bates takes administration route to keep Leeds afloat

    Leeds chairman Ken Bates confirmed his reputation as football's wheeler-dealer supreme by yesterday putting the club into administration and immediately forming a new company to buy it back again. The move, for an undisclosed fee, wipes out a substantial

  • Teen cleared of alleged

    A TEENAGER accused of raping two North-East schoolgirls at the Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria has been found not guilty. A jury took less than 90 minutes to clear the 17-year-old after a four-day trial at Carlisle Crown Court. The teenager, a member of

  • A bad night for democracy

    IT was never going to be good news for Labour - but it could have been worse. In the end, there will be relief among Labour ranks that it wasn't total humiliation, and disappointment for the Tories that there weren't further gains. Tony Blair can take

  • Goodbye Jenny Wren, the care home protestor

    A CAMPAIGNING centenarian whose wheelchair protest helped save her council care home from closure has died. Durham County Council leader Albert Nugent led tributes to 101-year-old Jane Anne "Jenny" Wren, who demonstrated outside County Hall against home

  • Alarm bells ring as store staff told of redundancies

    DEPARTMENT store Robbs will close next weekend with the loss of 140 jobs - but bosses have been condemned as "brutal" for breaking the news to staff by rounding them up by ringing the fire alarm. The future of the store, in Hexham, Northumberland, which

  • Labour blames leaflet for its poor showing

    A LEAFLET aimed at discrediting an independent group was blamed for Labour's downfall in the Stockton Borough Council elections yesterday. Labour group leader Bob Gibson said the unofficial leaflet, distributed by a Labour Party member to homes in Thornaby

  • Negotiation will start to work out coalition

    THE political future of Redcar and Cleveland District Council hung in the balance last night after no single party was able to take overall control in the local elections. Labour boosted its seats from 22 to 28, but was two short of taking overall control

  • 'Voters sick of same old story'

    THE Labour group in Hartlepool lost three of its strongest seats in the local elections. Previous strongholds of Brus, Dyke House and Owton wards were lost to two Liberal Democrats and one Independent candidate. However, Labour continues to hold the council

  • Former deputy mayor rejected at the polls

    LABOUR held on to power at Middlesbrough Council with a slender majority after they secured 26 of the 48 seats in Thursday's elections. An early shock saw the deputy mayor become a casualty of the rise of the Independents. Bob Brady, the former Labour

  • Finance firm on the acquisition trail

    FINANCIAL management firm RMT FM is on the acquisition trail as it looks to more than treble its investment portfolio during the next five years. Following the purchase of R Monckton-Milnes and Partners, which brought with it 1,000 new clients, RMT FM

  • Back in after 30 years away from politics

    A CANDIDATE who last served as a councillor 30 years ago was sensationally re-elected yesterday. Councillor Peter Freitag, 78, was last a Darlington councillor in 1977. But he caused a huge upset yesterday by winning in Park East - which had been regarded

  • Television engineer is back in the running

    A TELEVISION engineer is dusting down his running shoes to raise money for a disability charity during this year's Great North Run. Grandfather Terry Carr took part in the first Great North Run in 1981, then for the next 15 years, peaking with a personal

  • No surprises as majority is increased

    LABOUR managed to increase their overwhelming majority on Easington District Council by taking two more seats. The result leaves the party holding 47 out of the 51 seats on the council, with the other four divided equally between the Liberal Democrats

  • Supermarket to sponsor students

    A SUPERMAKET chain is offering sponsorship to business students at Durham University. The best performing first-year student reading business, business finance or accounting and finance will get £500 to spend on course books or anything else to help

  • Crafts on show in village church

    CRAFTY residents in a Darlington village are to show their artistic side at a church exhibition this weekend. Wood carvers, painters, potters and model aeroplane enthusiasts are taking part in the display of local handiwork at All Saints' Church, in Hurworth

  • Chaos reigns as victory snatched from candidates

    AN election count ended in chaos when two victorious candidates were told they had lost. Officials from Wear Valley District Council mislaid at least two ballot boxes, leading two Labour candidates to be wrongly declared as elected. Elation turned to

  • Turning heads

    HEADS turned at the Wear Valley election count, as defeated candidate Norman Strongman appeared in overalls and flat cap. Mr Strongman, who until Thursday was a Labour councillor for Coundon, was on his way to Locomotion: The National Railway Museum

  • Keeping politics in the family

    LIBERAL Democrats in South Durham will be keeping politics in the family, after two members of two households were elected. Husband and wife Sam and Lesley Zair were elected to Bishop Auckland Town Council. Sharon Ord followed in the footsteps of her

  • Dead dog found as gipsies quit site

    RUGBY club officials found a dead dog dumped in a hedge after an illegal gipsy camp moved on from their ground. About 20 caravans containing a total of between 80 and 100 people, arrived at Northallerton Rugby Club on Tuesday. They stayed until Thursday

  • Vaughan set to miss Test

    Michael Vaughan's hopes of a prompt return to Test cricket have been dashed by a fracture to his right middle finger which means he is almost certain to miss England's first Test against the West Indies, which starts at Lord's on Thursday week, and also

  • Tree surgeon takes a bough

    A tree climber has proved he has a head for heights after winning a European championship. Alistair Magee has scaled some of the world's highest branches and is celebrating winning his latest titles. The tree surgeon, from Hartlepool, finished in first

  • Second term at city council for Lib Dems

    THE Lib Dems secured a second term in charge of Durham City Council yesterday, after Labour failed to make any significant headway in regaining an authority once considered rock solid territory. The Lib Dems' capture of the city, which had been ruled

  • Too late to say sorry, violent robber told

    REMORSEFUL robber William Abel was yesterday told it was "too late to say sorry" for snatching a pensioner's handbag. Judge Richard Lowden made the remarks as he imposed an indefinite sentence for public protection on 36-year-old Abel, who was jailed

  • Husband-and-wife team double the number of Conservative seats

    LABOUR maintained its overwhelming majority on Chester-le-Street District Council - but lost three seats. The Tories doubled their presence to two seats when existing councillor Peter May was joined by his wife, Maureen. Mrs May, who took a seat on the

  • Iraq still haunts voters' thoughts

    IT wasn't quite the disaster that it might have been, but it still wasn't at all good for Labour and departing Prime Minister Tony Blair. It was their worst performance in Wales for 90 years; their worst in Scotland for 50. In England, they are left with

  • Starry night at boxing event

    BOXERS who once crossed paths with the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson will appear at a boxing event tonight. The event, at the Hambleton Forum, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, will feature a talk by Joe Egan, former sparring partner of Iron

  • Husband and wife celebrate vote wins

    A HUSBAND and wife are celebrating after both being elected as district councillors for a North Yorkshire local authority. Bryn and Jackie Griffiths - both Liberal Democrat - will represent the Stokesley ward on Hambleton District Council. Mrs Griffiths

  • Scratching through history

    The ore is waiting in the tub, the snow upon the fell, Canny folk are sleeping yet, but lead is reet to sell. Come me little washer lad, come let's away. We're bound down for slavery for fourpence a day. TRIPPING through Teesdale, you stumble across

  • Shock as Labour comes close to losing in heartland

    LABOUR narrowly averted a major shock in one of its heartland councils, when it came close to losing control of Derwentside District Council. After a long and tense night, which saw three recounts in the key Annfield Plain seat, Labour was left with a

  • Countess to launch art exhibition

    A MUSEUM in the North-East will be paid an official visit by the Countess of Wessex at the end of the month. The Bowes Museum, at Barnard Castle, County Durham, will welcome the Countess on Wednesday, May 30. She will see the museum's famous Silver Swan

  • Shields hope home advantage pays off

    As the Northern Rock North East Premier League enters it's second weekend, all eyes are on South Shields to see if they can maintain their superb start to the season which sees them a point clear of the pack. They couldn't have a sterner test than a fixture

  • Shearer joy at strikers' return

    ALAN Shearer has backed fit again strikers Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi to break Newcastle's barren spell in front of goal and sign off yet another wretched season of disappointment on a positive note. United have gone four Premier League games without

  • Clubs prepare to take points battle to court

    The prospect of a legal battle between clubs and the Premier League has escalated after Sheffield United announced they are to join Wigan in preparing a possible case. The two clubs have hired lawyers to assess whether they can take action against the

  • My Paris to keep Cup local

    THIRSK'S Hunt Cup should remain on home soil provided My Paris (3.00) isn't too inconvenienced by the firm ground. Kevin Ryan's runner is trained a few miles from the track, however the six-year-old would ideally prefer a little more give underfoot to

  • Penney determined to halt Stockport's play-off celebrations

    For the first time since 2002 Darlington end a campaign with little to play for. But manager Dave Penney insists there is still plenty of reason to finish the season with a win over play-off chasing Stockport County. The visitors are aiming to snatch

  • Brown prepared to play waiting game

    Wes Brown is happy to play the waiting game as long as Manchester United eventually land the Premiership title. The Red Devils could clinch the championship this weekend if they beat City in the Manchester derby at Eastlands today and Chelsea then slip

  • A Major upset if Cadeaux fails to grab Guineas glory

    UNLESS something goes badly wrong, Major Cadeaux (3.25) is surely going to be in the firing line for this afternoon's inaugural Classic of the season, the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket Talking round figures it'll only take about 100 seconds to run the race

  • Pools set for grand finale

    IAN Butterworth has called on his Hartlepool United players to provide one last push for glory. And he firmly believes there's every chance Pools will be crowned League Two champions come 5pm tonight. Pools meet Bristol Rovers at Victoria Park knowing

  • Cole indebted to Jose

    Joe Cole will make his 100th start for Chelsea tomorrow - and he is determined to end the season with a flourish in a bid to say a heartfelt 'thank you' to manager Jose Mourinho. The Blues, who must pick up three points from their first trip to the Emirates

  • Mayor urging town and fans to turn out and cheer heroes on

    A MAYOR is urging residents and Hartlepool United fans to line the streets and cheer on their local heroes during tomorrow's open-top bus parade.Players and officials are taking the 16-mile tour to mark the club's promotion to League One.They will set

  • Blair is defiant after poll beating

    Labour took a beating from voters across Britain in the final electoral test of Tony Blair's career as Prime Minister.While avoiding the meltdown some had been predicting, the party lost hundreds of councillors, was overtaken by Nationalists in the Scottish

  • Election lessons 'must be learned'

    LABOUR won a sixth consecutive local election in Darlington, but its majority was cut from 15 to five.Council leader John Williams said the Pedestrian Heart's problems were partly to blame.Labour, which has controlled the borough council since 1991, went

  • The Northern Echo's Team of the Season

    WITH another action-packed football season about to draw to a close, The Northern Echo's sports writers have come together to select a definitive North-East team of the season. With players from Sunderland and Hartlepool dominant thanks to their clubs

  • Vaughan can only watch and admire magnificent Younis

    Hampshire v Yorkshire (County Championship) : Day Three Michael Vaughan was forced to sit out a riveting day's play with a broken finger at the Rose Bowl yesterday but he looked on in admiration as Younis Khan became the first batsman since Vaughan himself

  • Killeen stakes claim for a place in first-class attack

    Durham UCCE v Durham (University Match) : Day Three WHEN you're not sure where your next first-class game is coming from all opportunities are to be seized, and Neil Killeen duly kept his name in the Durham frame yesterday.Given the new ball against

  • Lighthouse to give behind scenes glimpse

    ONE of the region's most unusual buildings will open its doors to give visitors a look behind the scenes.Maintenance work will be carried out on the engine room at Souter Lighthouse, near Marsden, Sunderland, to clean and oil the compressor and foghorn.Visitors

  • Marching to same tune

    A WORLDWIDE association dedicated to the support of military music has formed a branch in the region.The North-East division of the International Military Music Society (IMMS) will be based in Darlington.The society will promote the region's military

  • Chain mail appeal by students

    CHILDREN are campaigning to make sure their counterparts in the Third World get a decent education.About 500 students at Carmel RC College, Darlington, are joining the Global Campaign for Education to remind world leaders of the children who miss out

  • Brother of gunman loses appeal over caravan cash

    POLICE who stopped two murder suspects trying to flee the North-East to start a new life on the run found thousands of pounds stuffed under a seat in their caravan.Almost £7,000 was discovered when Robert Chapman and Lee Hay were pulled over at a service

  • Woodland wonders

    SCULPTORS have begun installing their work for a temporary exhibition over the summer.The seventh annual sculpture park at Newby Hall, near Ripon, will feature 60 contemporary works in a mixture of styles and materials. It is open to the public from June

  • Village's mystery benefactor has been identified

    A QUIET man who decided to hand over a fortune to help his village, but insisted on remaining anonymous, has been named at last, ten weeks after his death.Retired estate agent Wilfred Barker, a bachelor who lived alone, gave £10,000 to help good causes

  • Southgate admits he feared a Boro struggle

    MIDDLESBROUGH head to Wigan today knowing a point is still required for Premiership status to be assured next season and manager Gareth Southgate admits such a position at this stage was feared last August. After a 15 match unbeaten run at the start of

  • Sex abuser jailed for four years after photos found

    A CHILD sex abuser who also took photographs of naked children and downloaded internet child porn was jailed for four years yesterday. Clifford Edward Kirkham's involvement with child pornography was discovered on his computer after he was arrested for

  • Police seize cannabis valued at more than £1.5m in four raids

    POLICE have seized cannabis plants with a street value estimated at more than £1.5m in raids on four properties. Up to 40 detectives, supported by uniformed colleagues, raided a converted barn in Lanchester, a three-bedroomed semi- detached house in

  • Edwards hoping to spoil his pal's party

    CARLOS EDWARDS has already received a cheeky text from a former team-mate informing him that Birmingham's title celebrations have already started. But Edwards is confident Sunderland can prove the Blues wrong over the course of tomorrow afternoon and

  • Success for knife campaign mother

    A MOTHER who has led a campaign against knife crime following the murder of her son won a seat on Middlesbrough Borough Council, but only after two recounts.Barbara Dunne secured her place in Middlesbrough Council's Ayresome ward at the third attempt

  • A very angry young man

    Trainspotting and Full Monty actor Robert Carlyle is consumed buy a rage virus in his latest film and, as he tells Steve Pratt, even he found some of his violent scenes disturbing ONE of the scariest scenes in new horror movie, 28 Weeks Later, finds

  • Anita named English Rose for charity work

    A WORKING mother has been recognised for her years of outstanding charity work by being named the first Rose of England.Anita Savory devotes countless hours to raising money for a range of causes, work that has already led to her being dubbed the Angel

  • University site opens in town

    A UNIVERSITY has opened a centre providing a town with its first such facility.Yesterday, the chancellor of Teesside University, Lord Sawyer, opened Darlington College's £2m University Centre.The project is the first of a network of higher education centres

  • Keane convinced Quinn has saved Cats from Leeds' fate

    THEY could end the weekend as Championship champions but Roy Keane has claimed that Sunderland would have been "slugging it out with Leeds" had Niall Quinn not completed his Stadium of Light takeover last summer.While Leeds will be preparing for life