Archive

  • First team squad released from troubled Quakers

    THE administrator in charge of Darlington Football Club tonight announced the majority of the first team squad have been released. In a statement posted on the club website, administrator Dave Clark said the players had been allowed to leave

  • Brown named in new expenses revelations

    THE controversy over parliamentary expenses was reignited tonight after the Daily Telegraph printed details from receipts submitted by members of the Cabinet in support of claims running into thousands of pounds. According to the Telegraph

  • Pensioner died after mobility scooter hit-and-run

    A PENSIONER died after a hit-and-run by the driver of a mobility scooter, an inquest heard today. Barbara French, 84, suffered a broken hip after a glancing blow as she crossed Toward Road, in Sunderland, in May last year. She later developed bronchopneumonia

  • Headline Game update

    The story for tomorrow morning's Headline Game on TFM radio is about a woman who found a 5ft snake in her bathroom in Middlesbrough. Gee Ruzvidzo was woken in the middle of the night to find the black and yellow striped corn snake. The reptile, called

  • DFC: Hodgson rules himself out

    FORMER Darlington manager David Hodgson has ruled out any return to the club as he does not want to be part of somebody’s “impossible dream”. Hodgson, who is revered by Quakers fans after three spells as manager, had been touted as a possible

  • Southgate expects battle of nerves

    MIDDLESBROUGH boss Gareth Southgate has admitted the fight for Premier League survival could come down to who best holds their nerve. Boro head into a potentially decisive derby trip to Newcastle on Monday evening knowing defeat for either side could

  • Stathleg to Cockfield, Our Heritage…

    I’ve had a few e-mails from people who are not from Cockfield, asking me about the place, and how it got it’s name. So, with the grateful help of Chris Lloyd, (The Northern Echo’s deputy editor) here’s Cockfields early history. It all began with

  • Teens run amok on Darlington industrial estate

    TEENAGERS ran amok at a Darlington industrial estate, spraying paint on walls and smashing CCTV cameras. The incident happened on Wednesday night at Faverdale Industrial Estate, a site shared by AMS Steel Fabrications, Glenwood Paint Supplies, and Allten

  • Landlords looking to invest again

    A REPORT shows landlords experienced strengthening yields in the first quarter of 2009, which is helping to prompt many to look to acquire residential investment property this year. Paragon Mortgages’ latest Private Rented Sector Trends report

  • Great value for money

    VALUE for money plays a big part in any home purchase especially if, like Keepmoat Homes North East, you’re a company specialising in homes for firsttime buyers. Keepmoat offers a variety of home styles, including the three bedroom Ashby which

  • Country life, city bonuses

    EVER wanted to live a stone’s throw from the great outdoors but with the conveniences of city life nearby? Keepmoat Homes has the solution at its semirural Westfields development at West Rainton, County Durham, which offers country and city

  • Georgian gem is a perfect family home

    OAKWOOD House is a classic Georgian grade II listed house in the centre of the popular village of Gilling West. This elegant family home, set over three storeys, is believed to date from the late 17th Century (with some later additions). The retention

  • Motorbike procession given for popular rider and musician

    A CAVALCADE of motorbikes joined the funeral procession for a popular trials rider and musician. Colin Stewart died on April 28 aged just 45 after losing his battle with an alcohol-related illness. His funeral took place on Thursday at Darlington Crematorium

  • Onions on fire as paceman destroys Windies

    DURHAM cricketer Graham Onions has made a sensational start to his Test Match career with a five-wicket haul. Paceman Onions claimed three wickets in one over as England decimated the West Indies' batting line-up in the First Test at Lord's

  • Sam's new joke

    I've just been speaking on the phone to Sam Johnson, six, of Hurworth, near Darlington, who likes to tell me jokes occasionally. This is his latest: "Why did six not like seven?" The answer was: "Because seven ate nine."

  • Bike track plan for North York Moors rejected

    A SCHEME to create a mountain bike track on the North York Moors to cater for fans of the sport has been refused after locals criticised it. A plan to run a downhill track at Carlton in Cleveland, in the North York Moors National Park, was

  • Pensioner injured by reversing taxi

    A PENSIONER has suffered a broken hip after being hit by a reversing taxi. The accident happened at 10am on Wednesday when the Skoda taxi was reversing out of a parking bay at the rear of the Spitfire public house on Victor Way in Thornaby. The 89-year-old

  • First Spennymoor AAP meeting

    YOUTH facilities and town centre regeneration won the support of a new community forum for the Spennymoor area. Residents and community representatives set both as priorities for the Spennymoor Area Action Partnership during its launch at Spennymoor

  • Eco-friendly pupils design Little Rotters logo

    A GROUP of eco-friendly youngsters have successfully designed a new logo for their Little Rotters Club. The pupils from Durham Lane Primary School, in Eaglescliffe, worked alongside print and design company, AlphaGraphics, to create a logo,

  • A date with some sausages

    The editor of the Darlington & Stockton Times, who has limited manners, has just interrupted my busy schedule by poking his head round my door and shouting: "Do you wanna judge a sausage competition?" To be honest, I was trying to get

  • Bank holiday burglaries

    POLICE are hunting burglars who struck twice in Hartlepool over the Bank Holiday weekend. In the early hours of Friday, May 1, thieves raided a house on Dunoon Road in Owton Manor, stealing a 40in Sony LCD television, a Sony Ericsson mobile phone, a

  • Girl injured falling from taxi

    A 17-year-old girl has been injured after she fell from a taxi in Billingham. A yellow Peugeot hackney carriage was travelling at slow speed along Warkworth Road when the girl fell from it. The teenager suffered a head injury as well as serious abrasions

  • Former foes promote joint memoirs

    A pair of political adversaries signed copies of a book they joined forces to write today. Tales From The Council Chamber is a light-hearted take on the combined 77 years in local government of Lib Dem Chris Foote Wood and Labour’s Olive Brown MBE.

  • Unanimous support for £5m revamp

    A council has given its unanimous support for multi-million pound plans to revamp Willington town centre. An application by Durham-based Barley Homes and Lettings for a mixed development on the demolished Kensington Hall Hotel site, in Willington, is

  • New ID for gas engineers

    DIYers should never tackle jobs involving gas, but if you need some gas work done, it’s no longer the case of getting a CORGI-registered engineer in to do it. As of this April anyone installing, repairing or servicing gas appliances must be registered

  • Top tips for painting melamine furniture

    IF YOU’VE got melamine furniture that’s seen better days, don’t just throw it away! Paint it to give it a new look and lease of life. Many people think you can’t paint melamine, but you can! Providing you prepare and prime it properly, there’s

  • Garden Jobs

    ■ Continue to plant veg directly into the ground and under glass for a succession of crops; ■ Fit collars around the stems of young cabbages, cauliflowers and Brussels sprouts to deter cabbage root fly; ■ Earth up early potatoes; ■ Prune spring-flowering

  • Best of the Bunch: Tulip

    THERE are so many different varieties of tulip in a myriad colours – from whites to yellow, orange, red and deep purple – that no garden should be without them. If you like fussy and frilly, go for the parrot types. If not, opt for a classic

  • Perfect pots

    IF YOU’VE lost lots of old terracotta pots to the frost this winter, it may be time to perk up your patio with some new containers. Think carefully before buying, though, and consider the style of your property and garden. If you don’t, you

  • Star Trek (12A)

    Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Winona Ryder, Leonard Nimoy Running time: 126 mins Rating: ★★★★ THE failure of the last Star Trek movie seemed

  • Chamber of Commerce backs Bank of England steps

    COMMENTING on today’s decision by The Bank of England to pump an extra £50bn into the economy via quantitative easing and to keep interest rates on hold, Richard Bottomley, president of the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), said: “Access to credit

  • Coraline (PG)

    Voices: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Ian McShane, Ian David Running time: 100 mins Rating: ★★★★ A STORY told using stop motion animation with a young girl as the heroine – you could be excused for thinking

  • Injured driver back in the region

    A TEENAGE motorist transferred to Leicestershire for specialist treatment after an accident on the A1 is well enough to return to the region. The 18-year-old driver was seriously injured when his car veered off the motorway near Bradbury, in County Durham

  • Wear Valley kurling players' international success

    A KURLING club scored a double victory in the sport’s world championship. The Wear Valley New Age Kurling Club, based in County Durham, emerged victorious in the singles and doubles events at the New Age Kurling world championship in Liverpool. Club

  • Sussex v Durham (LV County Championship, day two)

    LIAM Plunkett was left stranded six short of his maiden century as Durham were dismissed for 380 by Sussex on a grey and chilly morning at Hove. For the second time this season No 11 batsman Steve Harmison was unable to help a team-mate to three figures

  • Ambrose Burnside boxing for England.

    Darlington Amateur Boxing Club’s Ambrose Burnside is thirteen. He is boxing for England at 38kg and number two in the country, outranked only by Joe Tokely of West Ham. He said: “When I put my boxing gloves on I get an adrenaline rush, it’s

  • Gordon's Sunderland season over

    SUNDERLAND goalkeeper Craig Gordon's worst fears have been realised after learning that a knee problem requires surgery. Gordon will undergo an operation this weekend after scans revealed that action was required - meaning he will not figure in the Black

  • Fire damaged Richmond fish and chip shop re-opens

    A FISH and chip shop which has risen from the ashes after been badly damaged in a fire last year is ready to re-open its doors. Barkers of Richmond, based in a Georgian grade II listed building, has undergone major renovation works since the

  • Competition for North Yorkshire's church workers

    A COMPETITION has been launched to help raise the profile of the unsung heroes looking after Britain’s rural churches. It is being run by Country Life magazine and the Church of England to recognise the often unseen work by these heroes. Vale of York

  • Leeming signal box opened

    FINE weather and high visitor numbers helped volunteers from a heritage railway mark the completion of a project to restore a Victorian signal box. More than 60 volunteers from the Wensleydale Railway marked the opening of the signal box,

  • Stars trekking...

    Steve Pratt talks to Simon Pegg and Karl Urban about joining the crew of the USS Enterprise as Star Trek returns us to the starship crew’s early days. THE new Scotty, Shaun Of The Dead and Run Fat Boy Run comedy star Simon Pegg, is a self-confessed

  • Supermarket plans expansion

    A SUPERMARKET’S plans to expand an out-of-town store have won the backing of planning officials. Sainsbury’s wants to extend its branch at the Arnison Centre, on the outskirts of Durham, by almost a third, into its car park and service yard. The scheme

  • Fancy drink for fancy dress

    THE first 20 theatre goers who attend a north Durham show dressed in 1930s gear will be rewarded with a cocktail. The Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley, is inviting audiences to delve into the bizarre world of a notorious tap dancing vicar and his disastrous

  • Old folkies

    OLD folkies, thankfully, seem to go on forever. This week we’ve seen 90th birthday celebrations for Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan, a mere youth at 68, is at number one in the UK album charts. I also caught Dylan’s concert at Edinburgh Playhouse

  • May 7, 2009

    WHAT’S ON Tomorrow Sue Ferris Quintet, Traveller’s Rest, Cockerton, 01325- 382676; Saturday, Norma Winstone and Friends, Sage, Gateshead, 0191-443- 4661. CD REVIEWS Jackie McLean/Bluesnik (Blue Note 65145) Another welcome batch of reissues in

  • Walkers wanted to mark 40th anniversary of Cleveland Way

    A POPULAR long distance footpath is celebrating its 40th birthday with an appeal to hikers to walk its 110mile length. The Cleveland Way National Trail was opened on May 24 1969 across the North York Moors from Filey to Helmsley. It

  • No charges over alleged dodgy donations to Labour Party

    THREE former Labour Party treasurers will not face charges over proxy donations to the party, the Crown Prosecution Service said today. The investigation has lasted almost 18 months since it first emerged that property developer David Abrahams donated

  • Two fined in yard crackdown

    TWO householders have been fined for keeping untidy yards. One man from Horden, in County Durham, was fined £175 with another £155 in costs and victim surcharge, while another from Easington, also County Durham, was fined £350 with £155 costs and victim

  • Be late for an important date

    Viv Hardwick looks at the regional schemes to encourage people to visit venues way after the majority normally shut for the night. THE Late Shows has been extended to two evenings, May 15 and 16, allowing thousands of visitors to enjoy free sessions

  • Pit village memories

    RESIDENTS are being asked to donate items as part of plans to open a new heritage centre in a former pit village. Plans for a new centre dedicated to the history and heritage of Horden, in County Durham, are in the early stages and villagers are being

  • Full statement from Darlington Football Club

    ADMINISTRATORS acting for Darlington Football Club have today provided an update on the troubled situation at the club. Dave Clark, from Brackenbury Clark & Co, said: "As everyone is aware we set a deadline of May 5 for all interested parties

  • May 7, 2009

    WHAT’S ON Northern Sinfonia, conductor Ilan Volkov, Sage Gateshead, 7.30pm tonight. Programme: Stravinsky’s Octet, Haydn’s Symphony No 60 and Shostakovich’s Symphony No 14 sung by soprano Joan Rodgers and baritone Neal Davies. Box office: 0191

  • Tricky vicar

    The incredible true story about a minister who was killed by a lion after being defrocked for immoral behaviour is heading for County Durham. Viv Hardwick talks to leading lady Mira Dovreni. LIFE is always stranger than fiction and none was stranger

  • Oh brother

    NORRIS Cole knows how to welcome his long-lost brother Ramsay to Coronation Street (ITV1) – he accuses him of murdering their mother. Typical Norris, always moaning about something. He’s come halfway round the world from Australia – where neighbours

  • Girls Aloud, Newcastle MetroRadio Arena

    THE North-East went crazy when Girls Aloud made a welcome return to the region with their Out of Control Tour this week. The fab five arguably performed their best show yet to a packed house, where the baying crowd was literally bouncing, and

  • To Ten To Rent

    UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL 1 (-) Australia 2 (-) Zack And Miri Make A Porno 3 (1) The Day The Earth Stood Still 4 (6) Twilight (DVD) 5 (-) Bedtime Stories 6 (2) Quantum of Solace 7 (4) Yes Man (2008) 8 (3) Max Payne (DVD) 9 (5) Changeling 10 (9) How

  • Teachers strike over academy plans

    TEACHERS have gone on strike over plans to replace their school with a privately-sponsored academy. Forty members of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) from Belmont School, in Durham City, are staging a one-day

  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sunderland Empire

    POOR Joseph, he really did get on his brothers’ nerves and, as second youngest and his father’s favourite, there’s nothing he can do about it. He doesn’t help himself, either, by telling his brothers about his dreams, which always seem to be about

  • By George

    ER (More4, 10pm); Crimewatch On The Streets (BBC1, 9pm) GORGEOUS George is back in ER and his bedside manner hasn’t changed one jot. “I love you,” he says in the final scene, although it should be pointed out that George Clooney’s Dr Doug Ross

  • How my passion got snuffed out

    MY wife and I had gone to look for a new car – so how we ended up in the lingerie shop is anyone’s guess. Our daughter was 17 last week and is planning to spend her birthday money on driving lessons, so we thought it might be worth downsizing

  • Hackforth pub back in business

    A COUNTRY pub has re-opened, to the delight of local residents, after being closed for almost two months. The Greyhound Inn, at Hackforth, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, recently opened its doors again, under new manager Cindy McAulay. The re-emergence

  • Golden oldie

    Ron Davies-Evans is a man of many talents – RAF navigator, football referee, JP and Methodist preacher. The column meets a local lad made good. PERHAPS it’s innate humility, perhaps because the place is overflowing a bit, but Ron Davies-Evans keeps

  • Identified correspondent

    RE the possible sightings of UFOs over Darlington and Christopher Wardell’s suggestion that, were one of them to land, the occupants might take him away with them (HAS, May 1). A possibility equally worth considering, and one that might have occurred

  • Cycling

    WITH reference to an article about more consideration for cyclists (Echo, Apr 30), I think it is time someone stood up for pedestrians and motorists. Darlington has become a town obsessed with catering for lunatic cyclists, who, regardless of

  • Campaigners new tool to spread road safety message

    ROAD safety campaigners have unveiled a new trailer to help save the lives of North Yorkshire drivers by warning about speeding. The 95 Alive Road Safety Partnership is to take the trailer around the county as it bids to save 95 lives on the roads by

  • Margaret Thatcher

    THERE is an everlasting debate about whether Thatcherism was good or bad (HAS, May 6)? In my opinion, Thatcherism was a crude and nasty political philosophy that did not end in 1990 with the resignation of Margaret Thatcher. We have now had 30

  • Durham memories

    IN the late Sixties, my friends and I used to visit a pub in Hallgarth Street, Durham City. It was on the left going out of the centre. Pattinson’s chip shop was on the corner at the time. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the pub.

  • Bevin Boys

    IN response to Ralph Hughes (Echo, Apr 29), the Bevin Boys were awarded their long overdue Bevin Boys Veterans Badges in 2008. It took several years of campaigning to get this recognition and they were treated as a special case, similar to the

  • Water bills

    I HAVE just received two communications. The first, from the Prime Minister’s Office, said: “It is clearly very wrong if customers such as faith buildings, community amateur sports clubs and Scout huts are facing hikes in their bills of several

  • Gurkhas

    "IF a man says he is not afraid of death, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha.” These are the words of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, MC of the Indian Army, former Gurkha commander, who died last year. Last week, the Government was defeated by

  • Stroll down memory lane

    THE article about the Darlington CHA and HF Rambling Club (Echo, May 5) brings back memories of a walk I took in 1950, when I was 13. It was with the Darlington Field Club and was led by my great uncle, Albert Stainthorpe, and Stan Cardwell

  • Snakes alive! Woman finds 5ft reptile in bathroom

    A WOMAN was confronted by a 5ft black and yellow snake in her bathroom this morning. She made the shocking discovery at her home in the Thorntree area of Middlesbrough. Firefighters from the Grangetown station were called to the scene

  • Star trekking for a new generation

    Popular culture is under renewed attack from a cult phenomenon known as Star Trek . . . More than four decades, six TV series and 10 films since the crew of the Enterprise first pledged ‘to boldly go where no man has been before’, Captain Kirk

  • Last-chance saloon to call time

    LAST orders, please, for anyone wanting a new school, hospital, college or railway line! Last orders! Yes, just as the thirsty drinker has ten minutes left once the pub bell tolls, the clock is ticking for pupils, patients and passengers hoping

  • 'My passion is not a secret'

    She may call herself ‘posh Southern totty’, but award-winning author Freya North is a North- Eastener at heart. She talks to Jenny Laue about her love for the region. CONSIDERING that Freya North’s latest novel is all about secrets and whether

  • A fitting tribute to a fine principal

    First job of the day was to attend the official opening of new teaching facilities at Carmel RC College in Darlington. MP Alan Milburn performed the opening and the Rt Rev Bishop Seamus Cunningham gave a special blessing. It was a stunning

  • Out of tune

    Lost out again on this morning's Headline Game on TFM radio. The story was about an old German man who called in the police over his neighbours allegedly playing the same song over and over again. It turned out to be a musical greetings card blowing

  • Quakers on the brink

    AT the end of its 125th season, the future looks extremely bleak for Darlington Football Club today. With the deadline for bids having been extended, there appears precious little room for optimism that a deal will be done. The only bid on the

  • Benkenstein leads Durham’s recovery

    AFTER landing two trophies during his three-year stint as captain, Dale Benkenstein wanted Durham to progress under a new leader. In time, they will also have to learn to survive without his runs. Following his 181 at Taunton and 77 not out in

  • Racing prospects

    LINCOLN winner Expresso Star can take the step up in class in his stride and land the extrabet.com Huxley Stakes at Chester, writes TATTENHAM. This race may only be a Group Three on paper, but it has attracted some top-class types, none more

  • Sayers ends long wait for ton

    JOE SAYERS recorded his first County Championship century in almost two years as Yorkshire dominated the first day against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, closing on 258 for two. The left-hander was unbeaten on 114 when bad light brought an early

  • Walk will raise money for rescue team

    MEMBERS of a volunteer rescue team will receive a cash boost thanks to an annual walking challenge. The Northumbria Group of the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) has organised the Durham Dales challenge in June. The event, which

  • Carole has a taste of her own success

    A CIVIL servant from the North-East has missed out on winning a packet with her exotic idea for a new flavour of crisps. Mother-of-two Carole Wood, 54, of Durham City, came second in Walkers’ Do Us A Flavour contest. Her Onion Bhaji flavour was

  • World title hopes

    A YOUNG kickboxer is preparing to represent England in World Championships, in Dublin, in the autumn. Catherine Trainor, 16, from North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, has been involved with martial arts from the age of eight and was a karate black

  • Shooting inquiry: Two men surrender

    TWO men being hunted by police in connection with a double shooting have handed themselves in. A 26-year-old from the Derwentside area went to Stanley police station, in County Durham, with his solicitor late yesterday morning. He was taken into

  • GP visits nursery children

    CHILDREN at a nursery school had a chance to find out what it is like to be a doctor yesterday. Parent and local GP Dr Alex Calabro visited Ferndene Nursery, in Elton Parade, Darlington, which encourages parents to teach children about their

  • Disabled drugs boss sent to jail

    THE wheelchair-bound boss of a drugs gang has been jailed for seven years for selling crack cocaine and heroin from his home. Polio victim John Mitzi shared the house, in the centre of Middlesbrough, with his brother. Dan Cordey, prosecuting

  • Funeral held for stab victim mother-of-two

    MORE than 150 mourners gathered to pay their last respects to a “kind, funny and bubbly” mother-of-two who was stabbed to death in her home. The funeral of Julie Anne Mordue, 38, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was held yesterday.

  • TV Apprentice fails to impress Sir Alan

    THE North-East lost its second of two Apprentice hopefuls last night when Philip Taylor heard the fatal words “You’re fired”. The County Durham estate agent was kicked out by Sir Alan Sugar after flirting with fellow contestant Kate Walsh in front

  • Anger over drivers using disabled bays

    A GIRL whose father suffers a debilitating spinal condition has condemned able-bodied motorists who park in disabled bays. Chloe Fodden, 12, from Close House, near Bishop Auckland, says countless family outings have been hampered by non-badge

  • Sawmill takes over new site

    A TIMBER business in North Yorkshire has expanded by taking over the site of a former competitor. Duncombe Sawmill, in Helmsley, has purchased what was Dales Timber in Pickering, and has taken on two extra staff to run its new branch. And in

  • Vanmaker rescue warning over jobs

    HUNDREDS of workers at vanmaker LDV were warned yesterday there was no guarantee all their jobs would be saved despite a last-minute rescue to prevent the firm going bust. A court hearing originally expected to place the Birmingham- based firm

  • Sage cuts jobs in bid to beat downturn

    ACCOUNTANCY software firm Sage yesterday said it had cut 700 jobs since October as part of cost-cutting measures during the recession. The group said 200 jobs had been lost in the UK as part of the restructuring move, which involves about five

  • Talented business leaders vie for competition title

    FIVE of the region’s top emerging business leaders yesterday pitched their ideas to the judging panel of the If We Can, You Can entrepreneurial challenge. The five were chosen from more than 100 entries to be shortlisted in the challenge, which

  • Market report

    LONDON’S blue chip share index rallied higher again yesterday thanks to hopes that the worst of the recession may be over. The FTSE 100 Index soared through the 4400 level at one stage, but failed to hold its head above the mark after bank stocks

  • News in brief: Boosting jobs in ethnic areas

    A BUSINESS summit today will look at ways of boosting job and enterprise opportunities across minority and ethnic communities in the North-East. The event, organised by Becon, a North-East network for black, minority and ethnic community groups

  • Firefighter earns award for bravery

    A FIREFIGHTER who saved a man’s life during a heroic river rescue is to be rewarded for his bravery this week. Darlington man Allan Richardson was on the crew on the night of the incident in February, when a man jumped into the River Tyne.

  • Firm is helping to create perfect pies

    A FAMILY-RUN engineering firm is helping bakers create perfect pies by developing an automatic glazing machine. Addington Engineers, based in Brompton-on-Swale, Richmond, North Yorkshire, came up with a design for a portable pie glazing machine

  • Getting paid to watch football

    WHENEVER the editor is unhappy with his lot, he likes nothing better than to remind us sports writers how good a life we have. “Getting paid to watch football,” seems to be the top and bottom of it. Now I’m not about to complain about the privileges

  • Pools let five leave

    JUST five players were yesterday told they had no future with Hartlepool United, but there’s every chance more will follow out the exit door. Goalkeepers Jan Budtz and Arran Lee-Barrett were both not offered new deals, as well as defender Jamie

  • Bardsley says Sunderland owe their manager

    PHIL BARDSLEY has admitted the Sunderland players owe Ricky Sbragia a performance at Bolton on Saturday to help the beleaguered Black Cats boss secure his job. The right back was part of another lacklustre defensive display on Sunday when defeat

  • Todd wants to take charge at Quakers

    COLIN TODD is the first manager to publicly declare an interest in succeeding Dave Penney in the Darlington hotseat after the former Middlesbrough and Bolton boss announced: “a challenge like Darlington wouldn’t daunt me.” Todd recently ended

  • Chaos at final whistle as Blues bow out

    Chelsea 1 Barcelona 1 (Aggregate score 1-1. Barcelona win on away goals) TEN-MAN Barcelona robbed Chelsea of a place in the Champions League final in the cruellest of fashions with a 93rd-minute away goal at Stamford Bridge. A stunning first-half

  • Barton not hard to manage, insists his mentor

    JOEY BARTON’S mentor has declared he remains “proud” of the Newcastle midfielder despite the 26-year-old’s latest misdemeanour earning widespread condemnation. Peter Kay, director of the Hampshire-based Sporting Chance Clinic, who’ve worked with

  • Magpies unrest can give Boro the edge

    GARY PALLISTER believes reports of unrest in the Newcastle squad has handed Middlesbrough a potentially crucial advantage ahead of what he called “the most important Tyne-Tees derby ever”. Pallister was speaking at the Middlesbrough Former

  • Gray sacked by Quakers

    MARTIN GRAY last night spoke of his frustration at being sacked by Darlington only three days after the club staged a fundraising game that he had played a significant part in organising. Next week he is due to become assistant manager at Oldham

  • Ravi drags England out of trouble

    RAVI BOPARA regards his unbeaten hundred on his home Test debut at Lord’s as merely the start. England were hugely indebted to their new number three for his 118 not out in an otherwise patchy 289 for seven by stumps on day one of their npower

  • ‘Shining example’ of Gurkhas’ character

    ACTRESS Joanna Lumley has acclaimed a Gurkha who returned a woman’s purse containing nearly £500 as a shining example of why they should be allowed to stay in the country. Speaking to The Northern Echo yesterday, Ms Lumley said the unknown

  • Crime rise warning on probation budget cuts

    CRIME will rise sharply because of shock cuts to the region’s probation service, the Government was warned last night. Union leaders and the Conservatives reacted angrily to news that £2.42m has been stripped from budgets this year – potentially

  • Here come the girls... for the first time in 900 years

    A CATHEDRAL broke with more than 900 years of tradition as the first girls to be allowed into a choir held their inaugural rehearsal. Ten choristers-elect, aged between nine and 12, set off from The Chorister School, in Durham City, to Durham

  • House raffle was a mistake, admit couple

    A COUPLE who hoped to buck the housing market slump by raffling their home say they wish they had never thought of the idea. Simon and Vicki Brown decided to raffle their £600,000 property, in Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, after failing to sell

  • Sinatra recording could net thousands

    A NINE-MINUTE tape of Frank Sinatra talking and singing could be worth a fortune to a North-East man who bought it at a car boot sale for £10. Found in a box of odds and ends in Newcastle, experts say it could be worth tens of thousands of pounds

  • Chimes, they are a changin’

    FOR 300 years, the bells at St Nicholas’ Church, in Durham City, have called worshippers to prayer, but only a few years ago it seemed they may fall silent forever because they had become so worn. Yesterday, the bells – the oldest in the region

  • Rail firm could ditch franchise agreement

    DEBT-RIDDEN National Express could surrender its East Coast Main Line franchise after it revealed the extent of its battle against falling revenues and passenger numbers. The transport group, which operates the key London to Edinburgh route

  • Nissan may help region clinch contract

    THE North-East’s history with Japanese companies such as Nissan could help it secure a train assembly plant that will create hundreds of jobs. Sir Stephen Gomersall, chief executive of Hitachi Europe, yesterday visited the Tyne Marshalling Yard

  • It looks all over for the Quakers

    THE outlook for Darlington Football Club was last night described as “dire” – with administrators unable to argue a case for its Football League survival. The grim warning came as the only bid to buy the debtridden Quakers was yesterday rejected

  • Fifty days since Claudia Lawrence last seen

    THE father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence described today how ''the strain is intolerable and the sorrow unbearable'' as he marked 50 days since his daughter was last seen. Peter Lawrence made a direct appeal to whoever has taken his daughter