Archive

  • FOR RICHER OR POORER

    When going through divorce there are many reasons why the vows made on a wedding day can come back to haunt. Take for instance the case yesterday in the Court of Appeal when it upheld the judgment against Mrs Marano made last year, ordering her to pay

  • Twenty Twenty - Newcastle Get Down Tour 2010

    Voted ‘Best British Newcomer’ by popular online rock magazine ‘Ourzone’ at the back end of 2009, southern rockers ’Twenty Twenty’, also known as; Sam, Jack and Sonny, hit the nation on their second UK headline tour in January 2010. With influences

  • Horses provoke complaints to RSPCA

    COMPLAINTS have been made to the RSPCA about horses living on a derelict industrial site. Six horses, including a foal, have been on the former Torrington site on Yarm Road, Darlington, since at least November. Several readers have also contacted

  • Hospital waiting lists reduced

    WAITING times for hospital services in York have fallen by two-thirds over the past six years, according to Government figures. The NHS in-patient waiting time in 2003 was 15 weeks and had fallen to just under five weeks in 2009. Over the same period

  • Tyre slasher on the loose

    A TYRE slasher targeted seven cars in the same North-East street. A police officer called out early today by a car owner who found the tyres had been slashed discovered tyres on six other vehicles had also been damaged. The incidents happened overnight

  • Needleworkers needed

    THE region’s most upmarket charity shop is looking for creative volunteers to help refashion its stock. The Oxfam Boutique, in Durham City, which only offers stock from major fashion designers and is thought to be the only outlet of its kind outside

  • Cancer charity launches fundraising drive

    A CHARITY has announced collection dates for its annual fundraising campaign. Darlington's Marie Curie Cancer Care support group will carry out collections for the charity's daffodil appeal throughout March. Collections will take place in Sainsbury's

  • Diamond couple's big day

    A SENSE of humour and tackling problems together are among the secrets of a long and successful marriage. That is the view of Jim Murrell who with his wife Olive are celebrating their diamond anniversary. Sixty years ago on February 25 the Chester-le-Street

  • Cannabis farm found at Crook house

    A man has been arrested on suspicion of drug offences after a police raid uncovered a cannabis farm at his home. Officers burst into the home on Woodlands Court, Crook, County Durham, at about 4.45pm yesterday, following a tip off. A 26-year-old

  • Somethings cooking in the stadium kitchen

    THE heat is on for Sunderland footballers, both on the pitch and off it, in coming weeks. As the Black Cats players fight to preserve the club’s Premier League status four of them are also preparing to compete in a unique cookery challenge, overseen

  • Cyclist slightly hurt

    FIREFIGHTERS provided first aid to a cyclist they found lying in the roadside as they returned to their station this afternoon. The 13-year-old boy, who was not seriously hurt, was in a collision with a BMW close to the Seaham Fire Station in Princess

  • The "House of Mouse" signs up eBay trader

    AN ex-pat who auctioned his life on eBay has secured a Disney film deal for his story. The entertainment giant has reportedly paid North-East born Ian Usher an undisclosed sum for a retainer on his life story, which has also seen him attempt to complete

  • Call for residents to join organ donor register

    DARLINGTON residents will be encouraged to join the organ donor register at a town centre event tomorrow. The NHS roadshow will come to town after carrying out a survey in the town, in which 41 per cent of residents said they thought they were already

  • 'More fairtrade needed in Darlington' - Pupils

    PRIMARY school pupils have warned cafes in Darlington to sell more fairtrade goods after completing a survey in the town. The year three and four pupils from Middleton Tyas Primary School, near Scotch Corner, spent yesterday (MON) looking in shops

  • Two hunted after taxi cash taken

    POLICE are appealing for help in tracking down two men who made off with a taxi driver’s takings. The driver, in a blue Ford Mondeo, picked up two men on Darlington Road, Richmond, and took them to Catterick Village just before midnight on Sunday. As

  • Avalanche victims' families thank rescuers

    THE families of two men injured in an avalanche in the Lake District thanked their rescuers today. Stuart Nelson, 21, and Caed Parker, 22, were hurt while climbing the St Sunday Crag above Patterdale, Cumbria, on Monday. The men, both from Redcar, are

  • Ghostly Relations…

    I was having a chat with Vivian Longstaff in the Bottom House the other day and was explaining to her how I could do with a few people writing a piece or two for the ‘blog’. Viv said she would love to oblige and, true to her word, has written the following

  • Rape victim was cut with knife

    THE full horror of the vicious rape of a teenage girl became clear toay as detectives revealed the attacker used a knife to terrify his victim. The thug use the blade to inflict cuts on the victim's body during the attack in a field in York. As police

  • Bike ride for special needs school

    EIGHT students will cycle across the country to raise money for a North-East school for children with special needs. Kevin Robson and Adam Fearman, both from Spennymoor; Tom Greenwood, of Whitley Bay; Rob Teasdale, from Worksop; Jamie Liddle

  • Bike ride in aid of school

    EIGHT students will cycle across the country to raise money for a North-East school for children with special needs. Kevin Robson and Adam Fearman, both from Spennymoor; Tom Greenwood, of Whitley Bay; Rob Teasdale, from Worksop; Jamie Liddle, of Boldon

  • £500,000 training centre opens

    A NEW £500,000 vocational training centre has opened at a north Durham school. Students, parents, teachers, staff and governors at Durham Community Business College (DCBC) attended the official opening on the school site, in Ushaw Moor, near Durham,

  • Youth Parliament comes to Durham

    THE European Youth Parliament will meet in the North-East next month. The parliament will hold the region’s heat of its annual international debating competition in Durham Town Hall on Wednesday, March 3. Teams of sixth formers from across the region

  • PM expresses "anger" over Corus mothballing

    GORDON Brown spoke today of his anger at the decision of steel giant Corus to mothball its Redcar plant with the loss of 1,700 jobs. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, he said the Government was doing all it could to find a buyer for the site.

  • Centenary Open Texas Scramble places available

    This year we are holding 2 open qualifying competitions when the first 6 from each event will qualify for the Grand Final. The qualifiers are to be held on Monday 31st May and Monday 30th August, both Bank Holidays. Entry for the 4 man

  • Special meeting to discuss tourism centre move

    CONTENTIOUS plans to move a rural market town’s tourist information centre are to be put to the public at a special meeting. Hambleton District Council is looking to move its tourism base from its Thirsk Market Place base to the World of James Herriot

  • Michael Chopra arrested after night out

    FOOTBALLER Michael Chopra has been arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Mr Chopra, who plays for Cardiff City, was held by police after a night out in Newcastle city centre. The 26-year-old Newcastle-born striker, who has played for both his home

  • Care home serving broth lunches

    PEOPLE are invited to Barrington Lodge Care Home, in Bishop Auckland, for home-made broth and a bun tomorrow. Staff at the home, on St Andrews Road, are serving the food at 12.30pm, followed by a game of bingo. Entry is £2.50. Proceeds go towards

  • Owl City, Newcastle O2 Academy

    IT’S hard to imagine how much better things could get for Adam Young right now. He’s the man behind the synthpop musical project Owl City, which has really taken off in recent months. Young turned to music as a result of his insomnia and created

  • Marina and The Diamonds Other Rooms, Newcastle

    MARINA LAMBRINI DIAMANDIS, better known by her stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singersongwriter tipped for great things. You can certainly see her potential through her sparkly pop tunes. The audience went wild as the shoulder-padded

  • Holly Williams, Jumpin' Hot Club, Cluny 2, Newcastle

    AS the daughter of country singer Hank Williams Jnr and granddaughter of the great Hank Williams, young songbird Holly Williams has a good pedigree and has gained respect as a singer-songwriter. It was an interesting evening which began with

  • Bunny boiler is back

    Damages (BBC1, 10.45pm) Instant Restaurant (BBC2, 5.30pm) We Need Answers (BBC4, 10.50pm) GLENN CLOSE, left, famously struck fear into the hearts of men when she played the original psychotic bunny-boiler in the movie Fatal Attraction, and she

  • A sleepy village by the Tees with links to Bannockburn

    Stapleton is a village with history, heritage and humps. The Way to the Stars is a film with Blenheims, Bedale and a bloke called Boston. Echo Memories looks at them both and divides the rest of its time among mathematicians. STAPLETON straddles

  • Sneaky bullies are the worst

    SHOUTING and throwing newspapers around? That’s nothing. In some offices I’ve worked in, life was a perpetual storm and I grew very adept at ducking flying coffee mugs, phone books, bottles of Tippex and once, memorably, a heavy card index file

  • Gordon Brown

    ONE section of Observer political commentator Andrew Rawnsley’s new book about Gordon Brown deals with the international leadership Mr Brown showed in October 2008 when a number of British banks (and many others worldwide) were faced with potentially

  • Corus shutdown

    I LEAPT off my sofa in anger when Conservative parliamentary candidate Rory Stewart tried to take advantage of the devastating closure of the Redcar steelworks on BBC1 Question Time last week, suggesting the Government didn’t act soon enough to

  • PFI spending

    TOM Hodgson is right in what he argues in his letter (HAS, Feb 20) about private finance initiative (PFI) spending. From the political perspective, it is a demonstration that New Labour follows Conservative policies and that when we vote Labour

  • Hunting

    DAVID Cameron’s General Election slogan should be “Bring back hunting with dogs” because, if his party is elected, there’s a massive chance of a vote to repeal the humane Hunting Act. Of course, money talks in this country. Filthy rich pro-hunters

  • The saddest chapter to an epic tale

    TRUE or false, a good story is hard to knock down. So, although it’s been struck potentially fatal blows quite a few times, not least by this newspaper’s esteemed Chris Lloyd in his popular Echo Memories column, it was no surprise to see the hoary

  • The ex-factor

    After months of allegations and speculation, Girls Aloud singer and X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has announced she is giving up being a footballer’s wife. Steve Pratt charts the four-year marriage of the “nation’s new sweetheart” and the England player

  • Pre-occupied

    Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? Matthew 5:13 MOST of the posher papers have what are known as readers’ editors, an accustomed reference point for all manner of feedback. Sometimes

  • Council tax rise

    HOW gracious of Stockton Borough Council to notice that there are people in their thousands losing their jobs in the area. How perspicacious to see that this might mean difficulty in paying council tax, and how considerate to limit the rise to

  • Very stupid, very lucky

    DRINK driver Tracy Kelsey is clearly very stupid. He is also very lucky. He is very stupid because he drove his car up the A1 despite being four times over the limit – the sixth time he has been convicted of drink driving. And he is very lucky because

  • Outlook is optimistic

    EMPLOYERS are more optimistic about the economic outlook this year, with most of them planning to spend less time cutting costs than they did in 2009, according to a new study. A survey of 800 employers showed that one of their top priorities

  • Cash for Bangers boosts car firm

    PENDRAGON, owner of Sunderland- based Reg Vardy, has seen a significant turnaround in its fortunes after returning to profit last year. Helped by the Cash for Bangers scheme and strong recovery in used car margins, Pendragon posted underlying

  • Endorsed by radio’s big cheese

    A NORTH Yorkshire cheese has received a celebrity endorsement from BBC Radio Two breakfast presenter Chris Evans. Evans’ love for Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese was broadcast to millions of listeners across the country. His support was sparked

  • £5m to aid industries as site receives green gas power

    ON the day a £5m pot to help Tees Valley industries become more energy efficient was unveiled it emerged a major Teesside industrial site is to receive power from green gas. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson yesterday announced local companies

  • Planning to reduce carbon emissions

    THE North-East office of professional services company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has developed a carbon reduction plan which will help it send zero waste to landfill by 2012. PwC’s Newcastle office aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 25

  • Online sofa company aims for national expansion

    AN online sofa company is eyeing national expansion within the next five years, in a move that will see the firm become a multi-million pound business and will bring jobs to the North-East. Since being established three years ago, Sofaitalia.

  • Sherwoods Folly ticks all the right boxes

    EIDER CHASE: Henry Daly feels Sherwoods Folly ticks all the right boxes ahead of the totesport.com Eider Chase at Newcastle on Saturday. The eight-year-old recorded his first success in almost two years at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and was

  • The day the doodlebug fell on Tudhoe

    THERE'S been loads of interest in the day the most northerly doodlebug fell on poor old Tudhoe: Christmas Eve, 1944. It would seem that the doodlebug blew up in mid-air - somewhere above roof level - and the biggest chunk of it to survive was

  • Hopes remain high as city of culture shortlist is revealed

    DURHAM will discover today whether it has made the shortlist for UK City of Culture. The Government is expected to announce a shortlist of four cities at lunchtime. Melanie Sensicle, chief executive of Visit County Durham – bid organisers, said

  • Eight-year wait for new stadium coming to an end

    A NORTHERN League football club will receive the keys to its’ new stadium in October, signalling the end of an eight-year wait. Bishop Auckland FC announced this week that the facility at Tindale Crescent, on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland, will have

  • Balloons will raise awareness for Claudia

    THE family of missing chef Claudia Lawrence hope an awareness day may help bring an end to almost a year of agony. On Friday, they will pull out all the stops to put the mystery firmly back in the public eye. And they hope the effort will persuade

  • Riders rev up for trip of a lifetime

    THEY call themselves the Magnificent Seven. And appropriately enough, this group of County Durham bikers plan to roar off on a European charity adventure of a lifetime at 7.07am on the seventh day of the seventh month. They will ride to 14 cities

  • Hundreds pack hall to oppose closure plans

    THE fight to save a school from closure nearly descended into chaos last night, when more than 1,500 people turned up to support the campaign. Tempers frayed as hundreds of people faced being turned away from the meeting to keep St Peter’s Catholic

  • Court told ‘poison’ very easy to give

    A CHILD health expert has told a jury that it would have been easy for a father to administer drugs to the newborn son he is accused of trying to murder. The Darlington dad is alleged to have poisoned his baby with the powerful painkillers

  • Agency boss speaks out over Tory axe threat

    CONSERVATIVE plans to axe the region’s development agency would prolong the economic slump and lengthen dole queues, its chairwoman warned yesterday. Margaret Fay broke her silence on the growing controversy over the future of One North East by

  • Inquest hears of evidence inconsistency

    EVIDENCE given at an inquest into the deaths of three patients of Dr Howard Martin was thrown into doubt yesterday. The inquest is into the deaths of Frank Moss and Stanley Weldon in 2003 and Harry Gittins in 2004, who the GP was cleared of murdering

  • Birthday joy for engine maker

    A RAILWAYMAN who helped build a top-secret, but ultimately unsuccessful, steam engine has celebrated his 100th birthday. Over six decades, Reg Moses worked as a fitter in Darlington’s North Road shops, building world-renowned locomotives. During

  • Wilkinson admits his worst critic is himself

    JONNY WILKINSON has shrugged off the critics and vowed to keep his cool in the face of mounting criticism. England’s iconic fly-half was named in an unchanged team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations match against Ireland at Twickenham. But, despite

  • Quakers facing fixture backlog

    DARLINGTON manager Steve Staunton has revealed his disappointment at last night’s game with Notts County being postponed. He says that being without a match denied Darlington the opportunity to atone for Saturday’s setback. His side threw away

  • Magpies find a positive in Portsmouth’s plight

    WHEN the wider footballing world discusses the ongoing crisis at Portsmouth, the general hope is that ‘some good will come out of it’. Speak to the players and staff at Newcastle United, however, and you will find plenty of people who are willing

  • Henderson targets early Cats return

    JORDAN HENDERSON is hoping to hand Sunderland a much-needed boost by returning for the final eight matches of the season. Henderson, who has been the Black Cats’ best midfielder this season, has been sidelined since damaging his ankle ligaments

  • Capello will stop the circus

    FABIO CAPELLO is confident his World Cup training camp at Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus will ensure no repeat of the circus that accompanied England in Baden-Baden four years ago. FIFA have yet to confirm the bases for the 32 teams at this summer

  • ‘Hospital threat is just the start’

    UNION bosses have warned that a threat to mental health services at a North hospital is the “tip of the iceberg” of the funding crisis faced by the NHS over the next three years. Health chiefs last night said that no decision had been taken on

  • McManus backed for recall

    MIDDLESBROUGH defender Justin Hoyte believes that it is only a matter of time before Stephen McManus is recalled to the Scotland squad. The Boro centre-half found himself snubbed by manager Craig Levein when the Scotland squad that faces the

  • Knife talk on dead father’s birthday

    ON the day a daughter should have been celebrating her father’s birthday she was telling a group of teenagers the impact his murder had on her family. Kay Boyle told of the utter devastation the single act of violence had when her father was

  • MP demands inquiry over lack of gritting

    AN MP last night demanded an inquiry into Britain’s grit shortage after County Durham’s pleas to be made a national priority for salt supplies fell on deaf ears. A Durham County Council spokeswoman confirmed only 150 tonnes arrived yesterday

  • Very stupid

    He’s the drink-driver who made a V-sign at a motorist – who just happened to be Durham’s chief constable in an unmarked car. That makes Tracy Kelsey Very stupid. BRITAIN’S most arrogant drink-driver offered a defiant two-fingered salute as he sped

  • 'Ignore whims of King of the Gipsies'

    A JURY has been warned not to “open the floodgates to anarchy” by allowing themselves to be influenced by Darlington bare-knuckle fighter Louis Welch’s refusal to give evidence against two teenagers accused of attacking him with machetes.

  • Hartlepool United 4 Carlisle United 1

    Hartlepool United 4 Carlisle United 1 HARTLEPOOL United last night finally got the victory they craved, leaving manager Chris Turner relieved and full of praise for his players. Pools recorded their first win in eight, taking a first three-point

  • Cheryl's pain in the neck

    Predictably, Cheyl Cole's split from Ashley dominates this morning's front pages. And as forecast here yesterday, the headline "The Ex-Factor" features - in the Daily Mirror. The Sun has gone with "Cheryl kicks Ash" which is pretty good,the Daily Star

  • 100% Northern Rock savings guarantee to end

    THE 100 per cent guarantee on savings deposits held with Northern Rock is to be lifted in three months, the Treasury said today. The removal of the cast-iron guarantee comes as the Government prepares to return the nationalised bank to the

  • Girl breaks leg in accident with car

    A TEN-year-old girl suffered a broken leg after she was in collision with a car. The accident happened at the junction of Normanby Road and Allandale Road in Normanby, Middlesbrough at 4.20pm on Tuesday. The driver of a Fiat Punto is believed to have