ONE man was taken to hospital after a farm fire near Ferryhill tonight. Fire crews from Newton Aycliffe and Bishop Auckland were called to the farm on the Kirk Merrington to Leasingthorne Road around 8.40pm. The fire involved an oil fired boiler in
The committee and members of Cockfield Club deserve a huge pat on the back tonight as it was announced that ALL the debts have been paid and they are now only waiting for ‘official’ confirmation from the court to say they are out of receivership.
The Black Bulls are back in action after a long, long winter break it was up to Blaydon for the first game of 2010 and not just a box standard run of the mill game no it was a County Cup quarter final against a team who have only lost one game
A 12-YEAR-old girl suffered a fractured skull after she was in collision with an Arriva North-East bus at 3.30pm on Thursday. The accident happened at the junction of Mersey Road and Troutbeck Road in Redcar. The girl was taken to James Cook University
Resolution is again backing calls for divorce law reform in England and Wales after newly released statistics highlight the flaws of a “blame centred” divorce process. The latest figures released today by the Office for National Statistics show
MIDDLESBROUGH winger Adam Johnson has asked to be allowed speak to Manchester City despite manager Gordon Strachan's insistence that he is going nowhere. It is understood the 22-year-old midfielder wants to hear what the Premier League outfit
DARLINGTON'S Conservative party candidate has promised to be a "constituency MP" if he is elected in May. Edward Legard made his first public appearance of the General Election year at a question and answer session on Wednesday night.
YOUNG people who make films about difficult social issues held an open night to mark ten years as Investors in Children. The group of nine to 23-year-olds shocked some of their local councillors seven years ago when their used their first video to condemn
FOOD festival organisers created a champagne moment yesterday for the launch of this year’s event. Bishop Auckland town councillors Sam and Lesley Zair dined out in style to start the countdown to the festival on Saturday April 17. The event is now
A £13,000 recruitment drive aims to find more sports coaches for County Durham youngsters. County Durham Sport, Durham County Leisure and NHS County Durham are funding a training project for volunteers from the Wear Valley, Sedgefield and Easington areas
YOUNG people can enjoy a fiesta full of fun next month. Spennymoor Area Action Partnership has teamed up with the Positive Action for Young People team to host the event on Friday February 12. The event at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, between 6pm and
YOUNG women are being encouraged to get in shape for 2010. New activity sessions for 16 to 25-year-old women will be held across County Durham, as part of the national Young Women’s Sport and Active Recreation programme. The programme is designed to
THE Conservatives are frantically rethinking their pledge to axe regional development agencies (RDAs) after an angry backlash from business groups. Ken Clarke, the party’s business spokesman, revealed that he had ordered a review – only weeks
WEDNESDAY'S Memories column sparked a flurry of emails concerning the Second World War film, The Way to the Stars. It was filmed in 1945 in Bedale... "If you watch the first five minutes of the film you will see that the Golden Lion is actually
NEWCASTLE United have completed the permanent transfer of Mike Williamson on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Portsmouth. An emergency loan arrangement had enabled the defender to make his debut in Wednesday night's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at
NISSAN has announced it is is to create 400 jobs at its car manufacturing plant in Sunderland. The company is to launch a temporary third production shift in response to continuing high demand for the award-winning Qashqai model. The
A HOTEL group is bringing 50 new jobs to the region with the opening of a new outlet. Whitbread PLC is opening a new £7.4m, 91-bedroom Premier Inn hotel on Blossom Street in York in April. It will be the company’s fourth hotel in the city and 50 new
THE help offered to people living with disabilities is coming under scrutiny in an effort to ensure it targets those in most urgent need. And Hambleton district councillors are also lobbying central government so sufficient resources continue to be allocated
A NEW initiative designed to improve job skills in Ryedale has been unveiled after a report showed more than 60 per cent of residents in the district are earning under the national average. The Improving Skills in Ryedale report, which was presented
A STUDENT charity is inviting community groups and other worthy causes to apply for funding. Members of the Durham University Charities Kommittee raised more than £500,000 last year, with a serious of events held throughout the year. The student-run
Dave Mark and Viv Hardwick report on Dara O Briain’s rise to A-list comedian with TV’s Mock the Week and a stand-up tour to the region. DARA O Briain has spent the past couple of months preparing for his next stand-up tour, which includes York
Polly Weeks talks to Liz McClarnon about a busy year of TV and live tours to the North-East. CILLA Black, Cheryl Baker and Myleene Klass have all done it. Now, Liz McClarnon is making the move from popstar to TV presenter. Previously
A sell-out tour with extra dates being added all year and two TV shows, Lee Mack seems to be doing anything but not going out of his way to find success. Viv Hardwick reports on Mack’s big year. HE’S most famous for TV’s Not Going Out, but 40-year-old
Gabourey Sidibie felt she was the wrong size for stardom until the role of Precious came along. Steve Pratt reports and reviews. WHEN she was cast in Precious, Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe was studying for psychology degree and working as a telephone
Stars: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey Running time: 110 mins Rating: ★★★★ CLAIREECE Jones – the Precious of the title – is a 16- year-old girl living in Harlem. Hers is not a pretty existence
ANDY MURRAY overcame an early scare to power his way into his first Australian Open final. The Scot responded to falling a set down (3-6) to Marin Cilic by winning three consecutive sets 6-4 6-4 6-2. Now Murray has set up a mouthwatering
EAST Durham College has announced the appointment of Stuart Wesselby as its new principal. Mr Wesselby, who is deputy principal at Tresham College in Northamptonshire succeeds Ian Prescott who is under contract until September 2010 - and will provide
Viv Hardwick talks to Matthew Crosby of Pappy’s, the comedy trio who set out to create a world record for performing comedy sketches, having done no research at all. THERE are two main challenges after promising to attempt a world record by
BRITISH-born Danielle Spencer is Russell Crowe’s wife and already a star in Australia where she has appeared in a string of films and TV series. Now she is carving out a career in music, and with the backing of ex-Bowie producer Tony Visconti
CHUCK Ragan’s latest album, Gold Country, may be coming out a few lifetimes after the gold rush of the midnineteenth century, however there’s a timeless quality to the album that embodies the hope and hard work that helped define that period in
WHAT’S ON: The Orchestra North East, conductor Philippe Back,performs Mahler’s Symphony No 1 and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Andrew Watkinson, St George’s, Jesmond, Newcastle on Saturday and at Durham’s Gala Theatre on Sunday. 7.30pm. Tickets
MENTION names like Steely Dan, Vince Gill, Ringo Starr, Dan Fogelberg, Clint Black, Elton John and Crosby Stills and Nash and a link is Timothy B Schmit, who has appeared on all their albums. He is better known as being the bass player/guitarist
GATESHEAD’S Sage is providing us with a brace of treats this week. Tonight there’s the chance to see the legendary Canadian songstress Buffy ST Marie on a rare visit as part of her current UK tour. A long-time campaigner for the rights
If you've picked up a paper this morning, you wouldn't have failed to notice that Apple have released its latest gadget, the iPad tablet. It was so important it even made the front page of The Northern Echo. I'm not going to talk
STATES of Emotion are four youthful, passionate, song writers, hell bent on providing a sound drenched in anthemic melody to unite the masses. With a compelling unity that has come from playing music together since the age of 14, these groove
ADAM Young is the mastermind behind a music collaboration which has taken Fireflies to No. 1 spot in the US Billboard chart in November 2009 and US iTunes chart. It is the fastest selling electronic track of all-time and has now conquered the
WHAT’S ON: Tomorrow the Rick Simpson Quartet with Martin Speake at Darlington Arts Centre, 01325-486-555. CD REVIEWS: Bill Evans/Vans Joint (BHM/Birdjam BHM 10382) Although he’s tackled most other formats this is the saxophonist’s first big band
Mel Gibson feels that BBC drama, Edge Of Darkness, starring Bob Peck, was the best TV he saw in the Eighties. Steve Pratt reports on the bid to turn a small screen classic into a movie. MEL Gibson well remembers watching the BBC TV series Edge
Here’s your chance to win a pair of tickets to see the likes of The Maccabees as the NME tour opens next week in Newcastle. THE Maccabees are headlining this year’s Shockwaves NME Awards Tour, which opens at Newcastle’s O2 Academy, next Thursday
A VILLAGE gastropub has been flying the flag for the North-East after scooping its fourth national accolade in less than six months. The Bay Horse, in Hurworth, County Durham, is celebrating again after being named as one of 28 new Michelin BIB Gourmand
HOW ironic that Christian was enlisted to help put together the bed that the Masoons purchased for newlywed son Syed and his bride Amira. They might as well return it to the shop – it’s not going to get much use. The honeymoon is over in EastEnders
Surrogates (12, 85 mins, Walt Disney, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £23.99). Stars: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, James Cromwell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames, Jack Noseworthy. DOCTOR Lionel Carter (Cromwell) oversees a future in which humans use robotic doppelgangers
A CITY’S riverbanks are getting a facelift. River Rangers are working on the banks of the River Wear between Durham’s boathouse and Radisson Blu Hotel. They are repairing paths, improving seats and fences, picking up litter and removing graffiti. The
A SCHOOL has become one of three in the UK to be rewarded for using computers to help pupils learn in all subjects. Cockerton Church of England Primary School has been awarded ambassador school status by Espresso - the provider of a digital
AN annual competition for talented young musicians has been launched. The competition, which comes with a £300 top prize towards their musical education, takes place on Saturday, April 10 in the Methodist Church, in Chester-le-Street Market Place and
FAST CABS have been in business for the best part of two decades – and it’s been a long, expensive journey. The name of my taxi service stands for “Father’s A Soft Touch” and I use the phrase “in business” loosely because I’ve never actually been
‘SCREAM if you want to clap harder” we are beckoned by this theatrical ghost story. Audiences clearly are dying to be scared but producers don’t want to be, which is why this has been doing the rounds for 20 years. It’s certainly hugely popular
TWO men were arrested last night following a drugs raid. Acting on information from the public, officers searched the property on Coronation Road, in Chilton, County Durham. They discovered what is believed to be a quantity of herbal
A CHARITY which helps the educational development of children with learning difficulties have hit out at a council over proposed changes to its special needs provision. Staff from The Education Centre for Children with Down's Syndrome have condemned
How a poverty stricken school in Lesotho has been transformed by a retired couple 5,000 miles away in Byers Green. ALAN Gardner was a retired policeman, his wife Jean a former school secretary. Though they were backpacking in South Africa
EVA CASSIDY died in 1996 at the age of 33, still virtually unknown, certainly to audiences in the UK. This is a reconstruction of her short life and the story is inevitably flimsy, but punctuated with nearly 30 examples of Cassidy’s eclectic
IT appears to me that the consultation being offered by Durham County Council in relation to the possible closure of care homes for the elderly will be meaningless unless it places into the public domain certain financial information. First
RE my previous letter (HAS, Jan 18) about the adverse winter weather and attempts to obtain information from Durham County Council via emails about our refuse collection – alas to no avail. We had not had any collections since before Christmas
A SUCCESSFUL conjurer relies on making spectators concentrate on his right hand, while the left hand does the trick. Humanist Philip Nathan’s sleight of hand (HAS, Jan 20) is less successful; he purports to prove the inadequacy of Christian principles
Secret Diary Of A Call Girl (ITV2, 10pm) NO one was more relieved than actress Billie Piper when the real-life Belle of The Secret Diary Of A Call Girl fame revealed herself in public. Belle, whose blog was immortalised in a book and the
I READ with bemusement North Durham Conservative parliamentary candidate David Skelton’s attack on the Labour Party for failing to help the North-East economy (HAS, Dec 28). The recession has been incredibly tough for many hard-working people
ONCE again we find that the global warming evangelists are prone to ignore proper scientific procedures in their single-minded determination to prove that the burning of fossil fuels will cause a catastrophe for the planet. The Intergovernmental
I WAS profoundly depressed to learn of the election of yet another comedy Republican “politician” – Scott Brown, a semi-nude centrefold model in Cosmopolitan 1982, as Senator for Massachusetts – to a lengthening list of Republicans in high office
On the eve of Tony Blair’s appearance before the Iraq Inquiry tomorrow, Political Editor Chris Lloyd looks at events on both sides of the Atlantic which led up to the invasion. TONY BLAIR has been staying up until three in the morning, revising
FROM the perspective that he wasn’t “dropped in it” by his former attorney general, yesterday may have been viewed as a relatively good day for Tony Blair. Lord Goldsmith was at pains to quash suggestions that the former Prime Minister pressured
CAN it be true the Tories are pinning their hopes on Motorway Man – a mysterious, car-happy voter living near Britain’s fastest roads – for General Election success? And could it possibly help explain why voters in the North-East have, at least
A PRINT company has put itself into the top one per cent of businesses nationally after receiving an award. Statexcolourprint, which employs 90 staff in Newcastle, has received an Investors in People (IiP) bronze award. Twenty-four of its staff
A RECESSION-BUCKING flooring company has moved into larger premises and is looking to take on more staff after doubling turnover in the past 12 months. Wholesale flooring company PW Flooring Solutions is moving onto the Canon Park Estate, in
MORE than 2,000 companies from the North-East have signed up to bid for contracts for the London 2012 Olympics. A total of 2,073 firms from the region are now accessing the free CompeteFor service, launched in January 2008 – an online agency
TEA company Ringtons is investing £3m in a fleet of vans to help expand its brand on the South Coast. The North-East retailer, which has been in business for more than a century, saw sales and profits soar last year, and is now looking to expand
STUDENT Loans Company (SLC) workers in the North- East are facing an uncertain future after the company last night announced it was consulting on redundancies. The Darlington site, which employs 525 permanent staff, is expected to be among those
A NORTH-EAST technology firm is helping rock bands sound their best on stage. KBO Dynamics, based in Consett, County Durham, has produced a device improving the sound quality of amplifiers. The company, established in 2007, is working closely with
MORE than 130 jobs are set to be created by the Korean takeover of the mothballed Artenius chemical plant in Teesside. As reported in The Northern Echo yesterday, KP Chemical secured a deal to buy the Wilton plant, which had been in administration
A NORTH-EAST egg farm is to take on more staff after stepping in to help smaller producers following the introduction of new legislation. Lintz Hall Farm, in Burnopfield, County Durham, the largest egg producer in the North-East, is to create
THE charity set up by Northern Rock before the bank’s spectacular collapse will pay for a team of debt counsellors to help those hit hardest by recession. The Northern Rock Foundation yesterday announced a £1.5m grant to fund 12 counsellors,
THE man at the helm of Grand Central Railway said he was surprised at the demise of National Express East Coast and suggested small is beautiful when it comes to connecting with rail travellers. In an interview with The Northern Echo, managing
A RETIRED farmer is appealing for help after the workings of an antique grandfather clock were stolen during a burglary. Thieves who broke into a rural house in the Durham area and stole the brass face and mechanics of the 200-year-old clock but left
TWO women are facing lengthy prison sentences – one for a campaign of harassment against asylum- seekers and the other for trying to set fire to a house where immigrants lived. Susan Oliver, 33, and her friend Natasha Shields, 18, sobbed in the
DAILY passenger services are returning to a North-East heritage line this summer, nearly 60 years after they were withdrawn. The US owners of the Weardale Railway, in County Durham, announced plans yesterday for a service between Stanhope and
TWO teenage girls could be rewarded for their loyalty if they are named this month’s Going the Extra Mile award winners. A proud grandmother has praised her granddaughter and friend for their commitment to their Saturday job. Beth Parker
A TEENAGER caused tendon damage to a neighbour when he punctured his forearm with a golf club following a prank in the snow. Motorist Karl Millard got out and remonstrated with James Weaver, 19, after the teenager hurled a snowball at his vehicle
ELEVEN to 15-year-olds in the North-East are the most likely in the country to smoke and drink alcohol, according to a national survey. North-East youngsters are also the most liable to have tried smoking. The statistics are contained in a new
BAKBENSCHER can continue the upward curve of Alan King’s team with victory in what looks an intriguing renewal of the warwickracecourse. co.uk Novices’ Chase. King’s Barbury Castle powerbase has underperformed for various reasons this term,
DEFENDING champion Serena Williams survived a major scare against Victoria Azarenka to keep her bid for a fifth Australian Open title alive. The world number one recovered from being a set and a double break behind to overpower her 20-yearold
Everton 2 Sunderland 0 IF STEVE Bruce did not think much of Liverpool yesterday morning, it’s a fair bet he’s even more sick of the sight of the place now. It might have been the blue half of the city, rather than the red, attracting his ire last
STEVE Borthwick will captain England for the 17th consecutive Test in the opening RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales on February 6 but there still remain doubts about his long-term future in the role. Martin Johnson yesterday stopped short of
WORLD number one Roger Federer reached his 23rd consecutive grand slam semifinal after overcoming his recent tormentor Nikolay Davydenko yesterday. The Swiss maestro recovered emphatically from losing the opening set, after which he reeled
ANDY Murray will not be motivated by revenge ahead of his semi-final meeting with Marin Cilic at the Australian Open. Cilic dished out one of Murray’s most embarrassing defeats of recent times when the 21-year-old Croatian dumped him out of
STEVE Staunton has revealed a key factor in Darlington’s improved performance on Tuesday was the players being treated to a screening of last Saturday’s poor showing at Crewe. Although Quakers lost 2-1 at home to Northampton on Tuesday, Darlington
UNDER-FIRE Chris Turner accepts that the supporters are far from united in their backing of him as manager – but he insists the club is on course for a respectable finish this season. Tuesday’s home draw with Gillingham was watched by under 2,500
MANCHESTER City will attempt to get over their Carling Cup disappointment by signing England Under-21 star Adam Johnson from Middlesbrough. The Blues have lodged a bid for Johnson and they hope to conclude a deal before the end of the transfer
Manchester United 3 Manchester City 1 WAYNE Rooney silenced ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City with an injury-time winner which sent Manchester United to Wembley. Last week, in a New York bar named Mad Hatter, City chief executive Garry Cook
Newcastle United 2 Crystal Palace 0 IT SEEMED appropriate that Newcastle took the lead in last night’s uninspiring contest with Crystal Palace courtesy of an own goal. Nile Ranger’s smart finish in the third minute of injury team added a late
CHRIS HUGHTON was left to count the cost of a battling victory at home to Crystal Palace after a hamstring injury sustained by Jose Enrique further exposed Newcastle’s meagre squad. Hughton is hoping the Spanish left-back, the Magpies’ most impressive
A CONCERNED Steve Bruce last night admitted Sunderland’s next two matches will “define their season” after first-half goals from Tim Cahill and Landon Donovan condemned the Black Cats to a 2-0 defeat at Everton. On a night that saw Sunderland’
A SERIAL rapist from the North-East has been questioned by detectives about an attack 23 years ago. Antoni Imiela was taken from his prison cell to a police station this week for questioning about the case. The 55-year-old, who grew up in Newton
A COUNCIL would be breaching a 93-year-old great-grandmother’s human rights if it closes her care home, one of her sons says. George Dutch said that if Durham County Council closes Shafto House, in Newton Aycliffe, where his mother, Margaret
Apple finally unveiled its latest product last night – the eagerly awaited iPad. Fans believe the tablet PC will revolutionise the way we read newspapers and magazines, just as the iPod changed the way people listen to music. Nigel Burton reports
A COMMUNITY rallied round a seriously ill toddler yesterday as she prepared to face her latest hospital treatment. Two-year-old Sienna Smith is in desperate need of a liver and bowel transplant and will travel to Birmingham this weekend for tests
FORMER engineer Tom Morris is on the verge of joining an elite band of musicians. The veteran cornet player will shortly become one of only a handful of 90-year-olds still playing in bands throughout the country. To celebrate the event, a birthday
A SEVENTIES club singer is facing possible life imprisonment after being found guilty of the attempted rape and sexual assault of a young barmaid more than three decades ago. Michael Adam Khannan, 58, a convicted rapist, trawled the region’s
POP music fans are in for a treat this weekend at an indoor festival featuring some of the country’s biggest acts. Among those at the Outside-In event at The Sage music centre, in Gateshead, on Saturday will be Pixie Lott, pictured, the Sugababes
BEING named UK City of Culture in 2013 could boost a county’s economy by £120m, experts say. The figure, the first time a value has been attached to the Durham campaign, is revealed in the county’s initial bid to the Government, made public
LIFEBOAT volunteers will answer unusual SOS calls tomorrow to raise funds for the RNLI. They will be Soaping Our Saloons and serving up Soup Or Sausages during the charity’s biggest annual fundraising day. The RNLI SOS Day will feature hundreds
TONY Blair’s top legal advisor changed his mind to authorise the invasion of Iraq after allegedly being “straightened out” by the White House. In evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry yesterday, former attorney general Lord Goldsmith said talks with
MANCHESTER City will attempt to get over their Carling Cup disappointment by signing England Under-21 star Adam Johnson from Middlesbrough. It is understood the Blues have lodged a bid for Johnson and they hope to conclude a deal before the
