A DARLINGTON company has been named North-East Business of the Year. Whessoe Oil & Gas picked up the coveted title at the regional final of the National Business Awards 2007. The awards were presented at a glittering gala ceremony and dinner at Manchester's
A DARLINGTON company has been named North-East Business of the Year. Whessoe Oil & Gas picked up the coveted title at the regional final of the National Business Awards 2007. The awards were presented at a glittering gala ceremony and dinner at Manchester's
A TREASURER who stole £4,000 from her village community association has been spared jail. Linda Bewick, 49, pocketed the cash belonging to Donwell Village Community Association in Washington. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Bewick, who had been treasurer
Three-times British Grand Prix winner, Nigel Mansell, rolled back the years on Friday at Silverstone Circuit when he put on a dramatic display within the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park in the BMW Sauber F1 Team car. Doughnuts and a sea of tyre smoke
p>It's the MPV for families who appreciate the finer things in life Vauxhall has introduced a new top-of-the-range luxury variant of the Zafira to further strengthen its position as the leader in its market segment. Loaded with standard equipment and
CHEVROLET has high hopes for the Captiva - its best car yet for Europe. Hot on the heels of the Captiva launch this month comes a range of accessories designed to help owners stamp their own personality on the handy SUV. The rugged sports styling
CHEVROLET has high hopes for the Captiva - its best car yet for Europe. Hot on the heels of the Captiva launch this month comes a range of accessories designed to help owners stamp their own personality on the handy SUV. The rugged sports styling
It's the MPV for families who appreciate the finer things in life Vauxhall has introduced a new top-of-the-range luxury variant of the Zafira to further strengthen its position as the leader in its market segment. Loaded with standard equipment and
THE opening day of the 149th Great Yorkshire Show has been deemed a success despite traffic problems. The Great Yorkshire Showground, at Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, was bustling with crowds from the moment the gates opened. Young and old mingled
FORMER England goalkeeper Peter Shilton has been giving a skills campaign a helping hand. The former international and two-time European Cup winner has been travelling around the North- East with a mobile poster to encourage teenagers to develop
HE is one of British TV's best-loved actors but on Saturday (july14) he will be part of a cast of thousands in a starring role at the 123rd Durham Miners' Gala. Ricky Tomlinson, best known for his role as Jim Royle in The Royle Family, will be marching
FOUR people were arrested in the North-East yesterday (TUES) as the police had a region-wide crackdown on metal theft from railways. Since April last year, there have 979 such cases reported in the region - more than two a day. Yesterday, the British
RURAL affairs minister Hilary Benn pledged to take farmers' concerns over flooding to the Environment Agency after he was lobbied at the Great Yorkshire Show. Livestock and arable producers said that failure by the agency to dredge and clear rivers,
A FOOTBALL club could face eviction from its ground if it fails to present a sound business plan to its landlord in less than two weeks. Spennymoor Town Council and Spennymoor Town FC are trying to agree terms for the lease of the Brewery Field ground
A CHAMPION winning sheep farmer at the 149th Great Yorkshire Show has praised the agricultural event and stressed its importance to the farming industry. Stuart Goldie, of Ferryman's House Farm, at Maunby, near Thirsk, in North Yorkshire, says the
Darlington Football Club have announced a short-term price amnesty for fans to buy season tickets at the discounted rate. Supporters have until Monday, July 16, to buy a ticket at £272 for adults, £119 for juniors or £187 for students, OAPs and disabled
AN ARMED gang who held up a supermarket on Teesside this week may have robbed other stores and security vans in the area, a detective conceded today. As highlighted in The Northern Echo, today, the robbery at the Tesco store in Parliament Road, on yesterday
MOTORISTS heading for the Great Yorkshire Show, which got under way today (Tues), faced traffic gridlock as journey through Harrogate to the showground took more than an hour. Show organisers said they were responsible only for traffic once it entered
FARMERS who conserve wildlife and protect the environment have been rewarded for their work. The North Yorkshire and Tyne Tees bregional winners of the Tye Trophy will receive their awards at the show tomorrow. Peter Hutchinson, of Spikers Hill Farm
THE North's first Fresh Start Academy, aimed at encouraging people into farming and agricultural industries, was launched at the Yorkshire Show today. The project is based at Askham Bryan College, near York, and helps new entrants into the farm industry
Durham's faint hopes of victory over Surrey were soon put to bed this morning. The visitors, needing seven Surrey wickets, could only get one - that of Stewart Walters for 8 off the bowling of Steve Harmison, who ended with four wickets for 51 runs.
PARTS of Darlington town centre were closed off to shoppers this afternoon after a small explosion caused a power cut. It is not yet know exactly what caused the explosion which occurred when workers on the town's Pedestrian Heart were installing a new
I've looked for a bargain from the bottom of the range this week so Aldi was the automatic choice. Both these Bushland wines are £3.99 and come from the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. The chardonnay has a straw yellow colour with a bouquet of tropical
ON the occasion of his first Prime Minister's Questions, I hope that HAS readers enjoyed the spectacle of Gordon Brown wriggling and squirming at the Despatch Box as much as I did. Reduced to a fumbling, stumbling, stuttering wreck and pleading
RE your letter from David Johnson (HAS, June 18) asking if anyone had waited longer than the 49 years he has for a Premium Bond win. Yes, I can beat that time. Our son is 52 years old and we purchased Premium Bonds worth £3 when he was born. We're
YOUR front page headline and article, "The cost of living" (Echo, July 5), about the two kidney cancer patients who cannot get the drugs they need on the NHS, was very moving. It is so unfair. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. I believe
WITH reference to the cancellation of the Durham County Show - which was to have been held at Herrington Country Park on the outskirts of Sunderland, on July 14 and 15 - because of policing costs. A charge of more than £13,000 for the "services
YOUR unnamed correspondent (HAS, July 5) accuses me of opposing cultural diversity. Had they read my letter (HAS, June 30) properly, they would have noticed I favoured people pursuing any cultural pursuit they like through many of the outlets available
THE recent EU summit in Brussels has had some publicity and discussion in the Press, where most writers agree that a reform of how the EU is run was necessary. There were practical problems in keeping in touch with 27 members of the EU instead
THE decision by South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust to recruit an extra kidney specialist despite a recruitment freeze (Echo, July 5) is good news in our ageing society. As demand for renal services continues to grow, it raises the issue of whether
DAVID Lacey's proposed solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is a little fanciful (HAS, June 30). Egypt is not going to "march in and take over" Gaza, and it would cause considerable resentment if it did. Gazans want to be part of Palestine, not
A TEENAGE netball player is celebrating after helping to win a national championship for the second time. Jenna-Louise Astwood, 15, who is originally from Ravensworth, near Richmond, plays for Oldham, in Lancashire, who beat Birmingham Parkside
A BID to halt changes to the way planning applications are handled in the Yorkshire Dales has been launched. Six members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) have called for a meeting to discuss a reduction of the planning committee
ALIENS landed in a school playground to help pupils to study a literacy topic. The youngsters' imaginations were fired when they heard a crash and the lights dimmed as they gathered in the hall at Le Cateau Primary School, Catterick Garrison. Teachers
COUNCIL tenants can find out how a home improvement organisation can help them at a coffee morning in Leyburn on Thursday. The event at Richmondshire District Council's community office from 10am to noon will be attended by a representative from
A SUCCESSFUL project which has helped families transform their troublesome teenagers has had to come to a halt, at least temporarily. The Parent Link Project, in the Ryedale area of North Yorkshire, has helped scores of families of young people
A CHURCH service to celebrate art is to be held to launch an exhibition. The exhibition, which features the work of local artists, will be held at St Matthew's Parish Church, Leyburn, from August 8 to 11. It is open to the public daily, from
A QUILT maker will explain the art of stained glass applique to embroiderers who meet next week. Gillian Arkley, whose quilts have been displayed at exhibitions around the country, is the speaker at the monthly meeting of the Richmond and Leyburn
A YOUNG volunteer has been rewarded for his efforts after clocking up 200 hours in a charity shop. Harry Lindley achieved the milestone in only nine months - compared to the year many people take. The 19-year-old, from Newby Wiske, is a familiar
A FORMER council chairman has been found guilty of misconduct by a standards board. At its June meeting, members of Brompton Town Council heard that Hambleton District Council's standards committee had finished investigating Bert Langthorne.
Rick Warburton, the managing partner of Yorkshire Bank's Tees Valley Financial Solutions Centre, discusses asset-based lending as an alternative form of funding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) WHETHER it be getting on to the property
OWNING trees, whether it is one or a forest, brings responsibility - a duty of care which includes ensuring that trees on public roadsides are not in a dangerous condition. Landowners need to be aware that if their land abuts a public highway they
Whether it be knitting on giant needles or leading craft trips to Morocco, the textile artist Ingrid Wagner is determined to push the boundaries. She talks to Women's Editor Sarah Foster ON setting eyes on Ingrid Wagner she looks a little well, eccentric
THE GOD THEY CRUCIFY This is God's world I heard the preacher say, But somehow along the way it's gone astray, Children denied clean water, daily begging their bread, I wonder, when God made this world, was he out of his head? Why do men speak of
COUNCILLORS are to carry out an investigation into the lack of quality, affordable rented housing in Hartlepool. Members of Hartlepool Borough Council's regeneration and planning services scrutiny forum will meet on Thursday to outline the investigation
A MAN has helped a job-finding scheme reach a milestone by getting on his bike. Family man Tony Cowan took up the offer of a bike to get to and from a new job at UK Wood Recycling, in Wilton, east Cleveland. He has become the 250th person to have found
THE Rotary Club's Chester-le-Street branch has raised more than £500 through its annual sponsored walk. The event, organised by Rotarian Arnold Cook, took walkers around Cockfield Fell in south-west Durham, and attracted 24 Rotarians, wives and friends
PUPILS from primary schools in Hartlepool will display their creative writing talents. A selection of work produced by youngsters from Rossmere, Grange, Throston, and Sacred Heart schools will be displayed at the town's Central Library, in York Road,
A FASHION store chain has opened a branch in a shopping centre in Stockton, creating seven jobs. Select, which has more than 300 stores across the country, has opened in Wellington Square shopping centre. Store manager Lesley Steele said: "We have been
PLANS for a health and social care village for the Greater Eston area will be available to view this week. The plans for Eston Health and Social Care Village will be displayed at the City Learning Centre, next to Eston Sports Academy, Normanby Road, South
COUNCIL officials are calling on drivers of diesel vehicles to ensure they don't create a safety hazard by overfilling their tanks. Diesel spillages pose a particular danger to motorcyclists and can also seriously affect the environment. Hartlepool and
CARELINK RE Councillor Ben Ord's letter about the Carelink alarm service in the borough of Sedgefield (HAS, Page 10, July 3) - where has the care gone out of Carelink? Vulnerable elderly people need a lifeline plus human contact. My partially-sighted
A CAR was damaged during a fight outside the Spice Island restaurant in Barnard Castle. Two men arrested following the incident, at about 11.30pm on Friday, have been released on bail pending further inquiries. Anyone with information is asked to call
TWO teenage boys admitted vandalising a church with offensive graffiti when they appeared at youth court yesterday. Magistrates heard that the pair daubed graffiti across a bench and a wall at St Mary's RC Church, in Central Avenue, Newton Aycliffe.
PUPILS from Bishop Auckland demonstrated their fire-breaking skills and received a fire service award for their hard work. Nine students from Bishop Barrington School, King James Community Arts College and St John's RC Comprehensive School completed
EXCLUDED children have been given a new purpose and aspirations with the help of an innovative music project. Year ten and 11 pupils who have been taken out of mainstream schooling have written, performed and recorded a CD of house music and prose. The
COUNCIL SHAKE-UP DARLINGTON Borough Council's planned shake-up of council procedure (Echo, July 5) is very much a PR exercise and designed to enable the authority to control discussion. It will be of very little help if one wishes to influence council
A health drop-in service has opened to offer confidential support to patients. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service has begun its monthly service for patients to discuss a variety of health issues. It will be based in Darlington Primary Care Trust's
WORK has started on a £2.4m development to bring a former Darlington primary school back into use. The old Rise Carr Primary School site, in Eldon Street, will be home to the town's Pupil Referral Unit and Education Other Than At School services. Contractor
A woman branded a "hooligan" by a judge was yesterday jailed for two years for making racist threats to a takeaway owner. Stacey Ord, 21, who was the subject of an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) for her unruly behaviour in West Cornforth, breached
A DETAILED plan for a multi-million pound regeneration of an area of Teesside could soon be put before planners. National development company JG Land and Estates (JGLE) bought the former Ministry of Defence (MoD) spares depot in Eaglescliffe, last year
TOO many cooks have not been spoiling the broth on Teesside. Youngsters from three schools in Stockton have been learning how to cook and what ingredients to use at an after-school cooking club to help them learn more about food. And their parents have
PEOPLE can now find out more about the heritage of Weardale after three information panels were installed around the area. The panels have been produced under Groundwork West Durham's Connecting Communities initiative, as part of the Natural-England
The sacking of a senior Whitehall official over the farm payments fiasco has cost the taxpayer more than £250,000 so far, it was revealed last night. Former Rural Payments Agency chief executive Johnston McNeill told MPs he had been awarded more than
A TEENAGER, with ambitions to become a firefighter, destroyed a £1m row of shops in an arson attack because he did not like the "posh" people who lived in the neighbourhood. Aaron Ralston told police he went to The Ings estate, in Redcar, east Cleveland
A YOUNG woman, branded a hooligan by a judge, was yesterday jailed for two years for making racist threats to a takeaway owner. Stacey Ord, 21, who was already the subject of an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) for her behaviour in West Cornforth,
POLICE are hunting a semi-naked jogger who indecently exposed himself to a teenager as she walked along a path on Teesside. The man, naked from the waist down and with no running shoes, ran alongside Ashleigh Gibson, 17, as she walked home along the old
An art exhibition has opened, featuring work by landscape painter Paula Dunn, at the offices of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, in Bainbridge, runs until September 3.
TWO spectacular evenings of summer music will be staged at Durham County Cricket Club this weekend. The open-air concerts in the grounds of the Riverside Stadium in Chester-le-Street, will open on Friday with The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular, followed
WOMEN are invited to a keep fit to music session on Tuesdays, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, at the Gleneagles Centre, New Marske, and on Mondays, from 5pm to 6pm, at St Thomas Church Hall. For details, call 01642-483234.
A WOMAN from north Durham is promoting life-long learning by studying for qualifications in her 60s. Margaret Marshall, from Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, has proved that learning does not have to end just because you have left school. She started her
PEOPLE struggling to get on the property ladder will have the first chance to buy homes in their village. Developer Reiver Homes says it will invite offers for its development in Sadberge from residents first before the 16 family homes go on general sale
TWO students from a school in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, took on a gruelling challenge to raise money for charity. Steven Brewes and James Herron joined nine others from the area in the Three Peaks Challenge to raise £10,000 for Kidney Research
DEERNESS Valley Gymnastics Club is celebrating after securing medal success in the first tumbling competition it has entered. A team of 35 youngsters, aged seven to 19, travelled to Dublin for the Irish leg of the national championships. Despite the team
THE Rotary Club of Durham has appointed a new president. The club, which is one of three Rotary groups in the city, has appointed David Wallace. Mr Wallace was welcomed into the role by outgoing president Eddy Nicholson. Mr Nicholson thanked members for
AN exhibition of pictures by members of the Durham Photographic Society will open in Durham Cathedral on Friday. The photographs will be on display in the cathedral's Galilee Chapel until Friday, July 27. The exhibition, which is free, will open at
Lingfield Point is asking the future workforce and homeowners of Darlington to help shape the planned regeneration of the East Darlington site. Marchday, the owner of Lingfield Point business park, launched its ten to 15-year future vision for the site
LAW firm Blackett Hart & Pratt (BHP) advised energy efficiency company Eaga in the completion of its latest acquisition. Newcastle plc Eaga bought Essex-based heating installation and repair company RG Francis (RFG) Limited for an initial
M&S Supplies, one of the largest hairdressing and beauty wholesale cash and carry companies in the North-East, has taken two trade counter units at UK Land Estates' Blaydon Trade Park, a total of 4,836 sq ft, on a ten-year lease. M&S Supplies offers
Pork bellies anyone? No. Live hogs then, perhaps? These are only two of the trades available in the commodities market, which exists to provide a futures market for producers and wholesalers. Other fancy trades available include orange juice, soya beans
FARMER John Spence is looking forward to seeing how a hybrid winter oilseed rape variety performs at harvest. He reckons the best looking of his 330-acres of rape is a 50-acre field of Es Betty, which he planted because its high vigour is suited to northern
THE nightmare of farmers having to record the individual number of each sheep looks to have been avoided. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) believes its intensive lobbying campaign in Brussels and Whitehall has paid off. The requirement for individual
ORGANISERS of a new equestrian sport are looking for farmers willing to diversify. JumpCross involves a track measuring 1,800m to 2,200m - ideally over eight to ten acres - with water features, hills and cross-country terrain. Launched six years ago,
A firm of butchers is piloting a range of top-quality cuts of beef and lamb - all from farms in the Tees Valley. Newboulds is the only butcher offering the St George's Shield cuts for the English Beef and Lamb Executive (Eblex). If successful
URGENT talks to allow live exports of cattle and sheep to Russia are taking place following huge interest at the recent Agrofarm exhibition in Moscow. Delegates believe there is huge demand for UK breeding cattle with initial orders put at 200,000 females
A WOMAN who runs her business from a shed in her back garden hopes to expand into bigger premises in the near future. Judith Britton decided she wanted to set up her own company after completing a degree in ceramics at Dundee University and a masters
ONE of the UK's leading women entrepreneurs has helped to inspire women entrepreneurs in the Tees Valley to develop their business ideas. Michelle Mone, founder and co-owner of MJM International, the creator of the Ultimo
A long-established family firm of auctioneers is reaping the rewards of the increasing popularity of collecting antiques, which has been boosted by television progammes such as Flog It!! and the Antiques Roadshow. John Dean reports. NESTLING in the Wensleydale
TEESSIDE firm Archers Law has acquired a rival firm to help make inroads into North Yorkshire. Archers has announced that Sheffield French Solicitors, based in Stokesley, will be added to the business. The Middlesbrough company has paid an undisclosed
COMMERCIAL law firm Robert Muckle has re-branded itself as Muckle LLP. The Newcastle company unveiled its new identity to business leaders and clients at the Baltic, in Gateshead, last week. In addition to its new name, the branding includes a new
LAW firm Ward Hadaway has scored another success in the growing public sector side of its practice by becoming one of only seven firms in the country to sign a new Government agreement. The Newcastle-based firm has been selected to appear under the Employment
GORDON Brown's new security adviser, Admiral Sir Alan West, warns that the terrorist threat will be with us for another 15 years. Does he think the threat will be over after 15 years? The lessons of history convince me that it won't. Before 9/11 I was
As the number of deaths of British soldiers in Iraq rises, Lindsay Jennings speaks to a former Catterick-trained soldier about patrolling the hell-streets of Basra and the problem of bullying in the Army. THE words were designed to provoke patriotism
THE boss of flooring company Carpetright, which acquired North-East rival Storey Carpets earlier this year, was yesterday said to be considering buying the company. Shares rose on the back of speculation that Carpetright founder Lord Harris of Peckham
Time was when Bishop Auckland fans would walk to matches, the road to Shildon - or Crook, or wherever - said veritably to be wick with folk as kick-off drew near. Once they'd draw 100,000 to Wembley, fill 20 trains with supporters ever more, flat capitalise
ARCHITECT Browne Smith Baker (BSB) has added another operation to its business. BSB Project Services Limited has been created to improve the Darlington business and provide a wider range of services to clients. The firm, which also operates from offices
James May's 20th Centrury (BBC2, 8pm), Cape Wrath (C4, 10pm) Presenter James May has driven his fair share of vehicles in Top Gear but his new series finds him behind the wheel of a car that's difficult to handle. You might expect a 1908 Ford Model T,
A FIRM of Tees Valley architects has been chosen to design the marketing suite for Middlesbrough's flagship £500m Middlehaven development. The announcement is the latest stage in the £200m transformation of the site, which will see the creation of the
A fuel distribution company has won an accolade from a national business publication. Bayford and Company was named family business of the year at the 2007 Business XL Company of the Year awards, run by industry magazine Business XL. Judged by a panel
A DRINKS company has seen its sales soar by more than 20 per cent after securing a contract to supply sparkling wine and champagne for reality TV show Big Brother. Naomi Hill, who set up online venture Bottled and Boxed two years ago, struck the exclusive
BACKERS of Bahama Baileys (2.45) hold excellent prospects of getting the afternoon off to a winning start in Pontefract's opener, the Diane Nursery. Bahama Baileys carries the same colours as Mister Baileys, who provided Mark Johnston with his inaugural
A NEW type of recruitment agency being trialed in County Durham has secured £850,000 funding. People Acumen has been set up by the Acumen Community Enterprise Development Trust (ACEDT) to help small companies source and retain staff. People Acumen offers
A law firm from the region has been chosen to help oversee the creation of a £74m mental health centre in the region. Ward Hadaway, in Newcastle, is advising the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust on replacing the 102-year-old St Luke's Hospital,
A 15-year-old latecomer to an archery contest in County Durham at the weekend showed competitors he has more than one similarity to Robin Hood after winning first prize. Whereas Robin of Loxley could claim to be king of the shooters in Sherwood Forest
THERE are two chief motivations for publishing a political diary: to establish an historical record of events in the public domain, or to make pots of money. Alastair Campbell's diary was bound to be the subject of significant public interest because
A high-speed crash which saw 30 riders sprawled across the tarmac and the majority of the peloton stuck in an immovable jam came close to overshadowing Gert Steegmans' Tour de France stage two win. The Quickstep rider wrestled control of the 168-kilometre
The Bank of England was helped in its fight against inflation yesterday by figures showing lower-than-expected increases in manufacturing prices last month. Factory gate prices rose by 0.2 per cent last month - less than than the 0.3 per cent predicted
QUORN-MAKER Premier Foods yesterday announced a £35m investment in one of its factories in the region. The group plans to build a fermentation unit at its plant in Billingham, Teesside, to support the meat-free side of the business. Premier, which also
A REPORT into alleged cheating at horse racing to be published today is expected to see a local trainer charged. Over the past six months, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) has looked into claims against Robert Tierney. The racehorse trainer,
Yorkshire captain Darren Gough expects the England and Wales Cricket Board to allow Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard to play for their county in the Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston starting on Friday, writes DAVID WARNER. The change
Jamie Murray is hoping his remarkable Wimbledon triumph will help him finally emerge from the shadow of his famous younger brother. The 21-year-old left-hander from Dunblane was virtually ignored as Andy Murray surged up the rankings to eighth in the
Ashley Giles is facing a major dilemma over his future as he considers the long-term effects of his battle to resume his cricket career. The 34-year-old left-arm slow bowler had hoped to bounce back from a year on the sidelines with hip problems by starting
TWO of the region's amateurs are keeping alive slim hopes of fellow North-East golfer joining Graeme Storm at next week's Open Championship. Hexham's Ben Taylor and Tyneside's Ricky Lee are the only two golfers in with a realistic chance of claiming one
AYEGBENI YAKUBU'S long-winded exit from Teesside will reach a conclusion in the next fortnight when he ends his two-year association with Middlesbrough. The Nigerian striker is expected to be the subject of bids of around £9m from both Portsmouth and
NEWCASTLE UNITED will return from a pre-season get-together in Austria later today, but manager Sam Allardyce will not be on board the flight. The Magpies boss left the camp on Saturday to step up his efforts to make further additions to his playing staff
A SCHOOLGIRL yesterday told a jury that a man accused of murder burst into her home with a knife hours before he is alleged to have stabbed to death a father-of-six. David Reed is said to have been looking for another man when - along with others - he
Manchester United are confident Carlos Tevez will be in a position to sign a long-term contract once Argentina's Copa America campaign concludes at the weekend. Tevez is at the centre of a messy transfer saga involving United, West Ham, the Premier League
MARTIN Gray last night revealed that Darlington are following Hartlepool United's lead by introducing new measures to bring a "togetherness" to the Quakers squad. Gray was impressed with the team spirit Pools players showed last season as they were promoted
CHRIS BAIRD should still become Sunderland's third signing of the summer this week - despite returning to the south coast to train with Southampton yesterday. The international defender is believed to have been on Wearside discussing the finer details
WORK has started on building two sixth form colleges after years of campaigning.The £12.3m project will provide 16 to 19 "collaborative" centres in Normanby, on the site between Gillbrook Technology College and Eston Park, and at Nunthorpe School.Redcar
A PIONEERING North-East college is to lead the way in teaching the language and culture of China to other schools across the region.Hummersknott School and Language College, in Darlington, is one of only five schools nationwide to become the first Confucius
SUMMER fever struck in the saleroom when a rare big game trophy was sold for a world-record price.The stuffed head of a rare white rhino had been estimated to fetch up to £6,000 when it went under the hammer at auctioneers Tennants, in Leyburn, North
A CLEAN-UP of Close House and Eldon Lane that aims to curb crime and anti-social behaviour was launched this week. Wear Valley District Council has been given a Government grant to complete a pilot improvement scheme in areas classed as Designated Renewal
A TEENAGER has been rewarded for her many hours of voluntary work.Amy Savage, from Darlington, has taken part in information technology mentoring, fundraising during Fairtrade Fortnight and also worked for the YMCA.The 16-year-old, from Carmel Road, has
MURDER, mayhem and monstrous goings-on have been thrilling and chilling audiences at a Barnard Castle school.Pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School performed their end-of-term production, The Murder at the Hotel Crumhorn, to packed houses.Ghouls,
A MAN who has helped to provide good homes for former pitmen for the past 18 years will call it a day after this weekend's Durham Miners' Gala.John Humble is retiring as director of Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association (Damha), one of the largest
POWERS to decide which schools are given money for refurbishment should be given to local councils, said the Conservative candidate yesterday.If Graham Robb becomes MP for Sedgefield, he has promised to lobby for local councils to decide which schools
ENGLAND'S one-day cricket captain Paul Collingwood was honoured by the University of Sunderland yesterday for his services to the sport.Paul was joined by about 2,000 students at the university's annual academic awards ceremony at the Stadium of Light.The
FORMER England goalkeeper Peter Shilton has been giving a skills campaign a helping hand.The former international and two-time European Cup winner has been travelling around the North-East with a mobile poster to encourage teenagers to develop their
AN indie band from the North-East look set for the big time after building up a massive online fanbase.The Hyads are following in the footsteps of The Arctic Monkeys, who were heralded as one of the first acts to come to the public attention through the
TWO trainee sailors from County Durham have been given a masterclass in the basics of service life from an instructor whose roots are anchored in the same county. Stephen Wilson, 21, from Stanley and Scott Foster, 17, from Chester-le-Street, both joined
STONE Age Britons from across the North-East flocked to a prehistoric "Glastonbury festival" marked by mysterious rituals, a major archaeological discovery suggests. Experts believe tools, pottery and timber stakes unearthed near Durham City show a site
THE director of the Great Yorkshire Show, which begins today, hopes the event will be a bright spot after recent bad weather.Bill Cowling spoke yesterday as the finishing touches were put to the 149th show, which takes place in Harrogate until Thursday.A
TRADING standards officers are calling for tougher controls on the sale of food over the internet after finding that half the items they bought during a survey failed British labelling laws.The Durham County Council team bought 50 products - including
FIVE young people from Darlington have received gold Duke of Edinburgh awards from Prince Philip.Lucy Mears, Lucille Bradey, Sam Chesterton, Emma Watson and Victoria Booth, travelled to Holyrood House, in Edinburgh, to receive their awards. They worked
ONE of the area's best kept secrets is about to be revealed.For the first time, the garden at Tudor Croft, in Guisborough, will be opened.Mike Heagney has been fascinated by the garden for more than 50 years and has transformed it into one of the most
A SCHOOL has celebrated a decade of working with a theatre company. For ten years, Cockton Hill Junior School, in Bishop Auckland, has worked with the Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans (Bath), based at King James I Community Arts College. To celebrate
A MAN who has helped to provide good homes for former pitmen for the past 18 years will call it a day after this weekend's Durham Miners' Gala.John Humble is retiring as director of the Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association (DAMHA), one of the largest
Parliamentary Correspondent Robert Merrick delves into Alasdair Campbell's diaries.FORMER North-East MP Mo Mowlam flaunted her naked body in the bath in front of Alastair Campbell, the ex-spin doctor's diaries reveal.The long-awaited book by Tony Blair's
AN exhibition by a Cypriot-born artist is to open in the North-East tonight.A preview of the show In A Movement takes place this evening at the North-East Business and Innovation Centre, in Sunderland.The exhibition features more than 70 pieces by Panayiotis
Surrey v Durham (County Championship) : Day Two UNTIL Steve Harmison rekindled their victory chances it was just like the bad old days for Durham yesterday. They regularly used to suffer thrashings at The Oval when Surrey were a much superior side, but
POLICE are hunting for a group of men dressed in green skirts who are believed to be responsible for a trail of destruction in a village cemetery.More than 80 gravestones were pulled out of the ground and many were broken. The damage has been estimated
AN incident in which a civilian took a tank - and went on to flatten a squaddie's car in a drunken joyride filmed by a friend - was not a "rarity", it was claimed yesterday..Jack Carroll, 22, admitted taking a 25-ton Warrior Armoured Vehicle without consent
A MAN with a spider's web tattoo on his neck is wanted for questioning by police about a sex attack in the region. The man pounced on a 41-year-old woman, pushed her up against an all alleyway gate and indecently assaulted her. The victim who managed
AN armed gang held up security guards and staff at a Tesco store on Teesside, escaping with a significant sum of money, in the fifth raid on local superstores since last November. Detectives are not saying whether the raid on the Tesco shop in Parliament
AN oil worker from the North-East has spoken of his ordeal after his daughter was returned unharmed by Nigerian kidnappers. Three-year-old Margaret Hill has returned home, tired, hungry and covered in mosquito bites. The youngster, who lives in Nigeria
AN argument after a minor collision between a van and a car in a quiet lane ended with the death of a pensioner, police said last night.Wendy Doyle, 61, died two days after an argument with a neighbour over the accident.Police said she died from a suspected
