Archive

Sophie Stratford talks to Darwin Smith aka Darwin Deez about his new acclaimed fame, touring and his debut album. He is an American indie folk artist from New York City, who not that long ago used to wait tables at a vegan restaurant called Angelica

SIR John Hall is to carry out the official opening of the region's newest football stadium tomorrow. The former Newcastle United chairman and North-East entrepreneur will perform the opening ceremony at Bishop Auckland Football Club's Heritage Park.

Norwich City 1 Middlesbrough 0 ACTOR Stephen Fry once starred alongside Ben Elton in the TV series There’s Nothing to Worry About. On the afternoon he made a guest appearance at his beloved Carrow Road, Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson must be

Newcastle United have made three changes to the side which drew 2-2 against Wigan last week. In comes Danny Simpson, Shola Ameobi and Kevin Nolan while James Perch, Danny Guthrie and Peter Lovenkrands drop to the bench. Ex Newcastle midfielder Kieron

For everyone who missed Real Radio’s ‘Village of the Week’ competition this week, (It was on rather early) here are the questions I was asked. I eventually finished with 8/15 but I’d be interested to know if any readers could have done better.

A JUDGE took a swipe at modern society after hearing how no-one flinched when a man wandered into a residential street brandishing a samurai sword and another blade. Not one person who had gathered outside called the police when they saw Tony Gaffney

SCOTT McDONALD has been only named on the bench for Middlesbrough at Norwich City this afternoon. McDonald, the £3.5m January buy from Celtic, has been left out at the expense of teenager Luke Williams at Carrow Road, where caretaker boss Steve

SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce has named an unchanged starting line-up for this afternoon's home game with Aston Villa.Despite the Black Cats having failed to break the deadlock against ten-man Blackburn on Monday night, there is still no place for club-record

Michael Brough makes his first appearance for Darlington in today's FA Cup tie at Mossley.Michael Brough makes his first appearance for Darlington in today's FA Cup tie at Mossley. He has been injured since sustaining a knee problem during the pre-season

MICK Wadsworth resisted the temptation to make any changes and stuck with the same Hartlepool United side for the visit of Bristol Rovers.   Pools lost at Orient seven days earlier and Antony Sweeney was expected to return to the starting XI

FORTY protesters from six unions staged a protest against government cutbacks this morning. The group gathered outside a surgery being held by Liberal Democrat Redcar MP Ian Swales at Marske Library. Paddy Hill, Unite Union organiser, said: “Our Cuts

EXACTLY 20 years ago, John Burridge – that great eminence grise among goalkeepers – completed the 37-question profile in Newcastle United’s programme. He admitted being a loner, not having a best friend, spending frugally, eating baby food before

For more than 20 years, the BMW 3-Series Convertible has been the aspirational rag top for those who want to look cool. But, as Nigel Burton reports, the new version is very different. BMW didn’t get where it is today by ignoring market forces

There’s plenty of competition in the supermini market, but the VW Polo is proving up to the marque, says Matt Westcott. IT seems incredible, but it’s more than 35 years since the first VW Polo reached these shores. The demands made of a small

HERE in Soapland we are all agog – many have never been so agog in their lives – waiting for the verdict in the Ryan Lamb, as in Lamb to the slaughter, murder case. Did he, the jury is being asked, murder his bigamist father and plank of wood, Mark

The Hairy Bikers have parked their bikes and migrated to a studio for their new show in which they challenge families to compete for the title of Britain’s Best Cooking Family. THE set of the new Hairy Bikers television show is kitted out like a Fifties

Bruce Willis says he’s not giving up playing tough guy roles, as his new film shows. He talks to Steve Pratt about fighting and not getting hurt. SCREEN tough guy Bruce Willis has taken on and beaten many strong guys on screen. But this was too

MICHAEL Parkinson has a new book out recalling his chat show heydays. Last night, Graham Norton moved into Jonathan Ross’ vacant BBC1 Friday night slot. And Paul O’Grady is settled back at ITV with a post-watershed show. The talk show is alive and

Check out some of the best places to ski this winter with our top ten guide. ONLINE ski holiday specialist Direct ski.com has come up with its top ten ski destinations for everybody. 1. Best ski resort for a group of friends: Soll, Austria. The

Marcus Brigstocke so enjoyed playing King Arthur in Spamalot that he asked for the run to be extended, he tells Steve Pratt. THE voice of God came from shadows at the back of the circle and spoke to Marcus Brigstocke. “He won’t go,” says Brigstocke

Tax avoidance is nothing new. Jenny Needham finds out how it was done in the 18th Century. WE had wanted to take the dog on our mini break to Scotland, but the rules of the house stated clearly “No Dogs”, so Meg was left at home. In retrospect

AUTUMN is a time of year when we naturally look towards our broadleaved trees to provide us with a rich tapestry of colour in the lowering light levels. But there is so much more to the autumnal finale for gardeners who cling onto the light

Nifty storage solutions can transform a home and provide space without the expense of moving. Gabrielle Fagan finds the best space savers around. FEEL that your possessions are taking you over and the walls are closing in? You’re suffering from “clutter

DATING from the 12th Century, Stanhope Old Hall in County Durham has the luxury of stunning architectural features as well as modern comforts. The grade II-listed medieval manor house spans four floors. with five reception rooms and ten bedrooms

Steve Pratt meets the artists behind the festival that will light up York next week. THE stained glass masterpiece, the Rose Window, in York Minster, will be seen in a different light next week. A light and sound show centred around the window

THE follow-up to the successful 2008 childhood memoir, At My Mother’s Knee, The Devil Rides Out explores Paul O’Grady’s early, pre-fame adult years, the trials and tribulations. It makes for intriguing, often poignant reading. A rarity in the

THE inspiring story of a small boy from a poverty-stricken home who reached the heights of film stardom is continued in this entertaining new autobiography by Sir Michael Caine. The elephant in the title is the Elephant and Castle area in south-east

GAVIN Stamp is an angry man, and in the introduction to this book he gives his reasons. As a member of the Victorian Society, he is dedicated to preserving and promoting buildings and structures from the Victorian and Edwardian ages. It has been

IN Kathy Reichs’ 13th Temperance Brennan novel, the forensic anthropologist is called to the scene of what appears to be an autoerotic death. Nothing extraordinary in Tempe’s world of dead bodies, except that the victim is identified as a soldier

THE Mariah Mundi author, a retired Northallerton policeman and a former North Yorkshire vicar, returns with a dark tale of fantasy and intrigue. Red Eye is the first of the Vampyre Labyrinth series and focuses on our hero, 15-year-old Jago Harker

Robert Battle talks to Viv Hardwick about taking charge of America’s biggest modern dance company as Alvin Ailey visits Newcastle. THE top US contemporary dance company, Alvin Ailey, returns to Newcastle Theatre Royal celebrating 50 years of touring

AT a time when so many country pubs are closing, it might be thought that Sarah Lewington is running a bit of a risk taking over an inn in a fairly remote corner of County Durham. But after years of hard graft in other people’s kitchens, she

Although not ambrosial, the food at The Angel, at Topcliffe, was much to be thankful for. IT is a stone-sobering thought that when Mr Arthur Mee set out in the Thirties to compile a national list of Thankful Villages, those whose men and boys

Actress Joanna Page, who found fame as Stacey in BBC comedy Gavin And Stacey, talks to Gabrelle Fagan about her life-changing health condition and her addiction to thrill-seeking. A CONVERSATION with blonde, bubbly Joanna Page is quite breathtaking

Take the pain out of seasonal spending with top tips for Christmas cutbacks. SANTA’S revving up, his clothes are dry cleaned, the sacks are piling up and the shops are starting to rub their hands in glee at what, for some, is a retail festival

Whether it’s walking boots, waterproofs or a lightweight stove, Swaledale Outdoors has it covered. Ruth Addicott finds out how a trek in the Andes inspired its owners to open a shop in Reeth. FORGET glamping – when you’re stuck on top

Born Maurice Micklewhite in London’s Elephant and Castle to a charlady and a Billingsgate porter, MICHAEL CAINE has made more than 100 movies including Zulu, Alfie, Educating Rita and Sleuth. He won Oscars for The Cider House Rules and Hannah

MORE than £8,000 in fines have been handed out and 200 bags of litter collected in the past six months during a campaign to rid Darlington of rubbish. Darlington Borough Council launched a blitz last year to reduce the amount of litter across the

TO the 54th BFI London Film Festival where a little bit of Hollywood glamour intrudes from time to time on the serious business of movies programmed by festival director Sandra Hebron, who grew up in North Yorkshire. How better to kick of the festival

I WOULD like to say thank you to the kind lady who, while shopping in Asda at Spennymoor on Sunday morning, handed in the gold ring that had fallen from my father’s finger. He picked it up on Monday morning to be told the lady had not left her

CONGRATULATIONS to the councillors representing Leyburn, North Yorkshire, for actually looking to do something about the scourge of street accordion players (Echo, Oct 21). These people seem to have settled unopposed in many of our towns and cities

The event’s named S2 after a couple of saints. It could be subtitled ‘hanging on to your youth.’ APPARENTLY oblivious to the potential outcry from the wildlife lobby, Michael Turnbull liked to claim when Bishop of Durham a decade ago that the best

WHY do you refer to Royal Air Force establishments as “bases” in your story about the threat to the future of RAF Leeming (Echo, Oct 20)? The Royal Navy has bases, but the RAF has stations. Is it all part of the increasing use of American English

I’D be very much surprised if Stanley Walinets (HAS, Oct 15) receives a satisfactory reply to his letter to Business Secretary Vince Cable expressing concern about the “sinister aims” of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Let’s face it, Britain’s weak-kneed

IS Mike Amos such an old fuddy-duddy as his column implies? Reading his Eating Owt column about the restaurant at Barkers Furnishing Store at Northallerton (Echo Weekend supplement, Oct 16) and his offensive skits about what elderly women discuss

LIKE many, I’m sure, I empathise with Ray Mallon’s column about the rescued Chilean miners (Echo, Oct 15). Probably, Mr Mallon accurately reflects the views of very many of us with his thoughtful contribution. However, while gladly joining with

PLANS by the coalition Government to raise the cost of tuition fees to up to £12,000 a year in some cases have been condemned by, among others, Michael Heaver, chairman of Young Independence (youth branch of the UK Independence Party). I agree

SINCE the coalition Government was elected – just – we have heard ad nauseam that “we are all in this together”. Fat chance. The London Olympics is reckoned to cost more than £1bn. In nearly all events we are dishing out taxpayers’ money to those

WHAT sort of an “Alice in Wonderland” financial system runs Teesside Airport? (I refuse to call it Durham Tees Valley – DTV: deep vein thrombosis). Have they not heard of SPQR? No, it’s not just a plaque below a Roman eagle standard, but is just

RE your Comment column (Echo, Oct 21) about the Comprehensive Spending Review. I agree there will be more concentration of minds of politicians as we approach May’s local council elections when we will have felt the impact of the reduction in

FOR the past 20 years I have enjoyed watching blackbirds foraging on the village greens, churchyard and in my garden. A dozen or more made regular visits to my feeding area several times a day. Two weeks ago, they were conspicuous only by their

‘DID you know,” said a caller, “that Monday is the 120th anniversary of what The Northern Echo called ‘a rather serious riot’.” Naturally, on receipt of this titbit I went scurrying to the Echo’s dusty bound files to see what story might unfold

IT has been a week dominated by the country’s need to cut costs in order to tackle the crippling national deficit. Disabled benefits hit. Firemen losing their jobs. Road programmes cancelled. Business support reduced. These have been the headlines

SINCE its formation by the post-war Labour government, the NHS has twice saved my life – once last year when I suffered a heart attack on the very day of my retirement and before that as a young boy in the late Forties when I recovered from

UK’s Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox was in North Yorkshire this week to encourage more people to get online. She tells Ruth Campbell how the internet transformed her life. DOT com internet entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox is dressed in smart

Newcastle Falcons 13 Saracens 15 A LAST-GASP penalty from Alex Goode handed Saracens a dramatic victory over Newcastle at Kingston Park last night. It was cruel for Falcons, who battled their way back from 9- 3 down to lead 13-12 before conceding

BLAYDON welcome back Scott Riddell from Scotland Sevens duty at the Commonwealth Games for today’s home match against Coventry. The versatile flanker will play at open side as Blaydon attempt to shrug off last week’s mauling at Macclesfield

AS North-East councils desperately try to identify savings of up to 40 per cent as a result of this week’s Government Spending Review, there is a very real fear that sport and leisure services will bear the brunt of the cuts. Despite successive

THE old tradition of North- East cricketers signing for Northamptonshire has been revived with Luke Evans’ decision to join the Midlanders. A day after saying he was leaving Durham to pursue opportunities elsewhere, the 6ft 7in seamer confirmed

FORMER world champion John Higgins is set to launch his comeback at the Euro Players Tour Championship in Germany next month. The Scot will take on Joe Jogia on November 11 in his first match since suffering a surprise defeat to Steve Davis in

SWEDEN’S Peter Hedblom shot 64 to take go one shot clear at the top of Castello Masters leaderboard after two rounds. Scot Paul Lawrie and Spain’s Ricardo Gonzalez were joint leaders after 18 holes, having both matched Hedblom’s seven-under

JOHNNY Murtagh does not get it wrong too often, but he looks to have made a bad call in bypassing the ride on Seville in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. Aidan O’Brien’s retained rider has instead opted for Master Of The Hounds and, while

TODAY the final Group 1 of the season takes place at Doncaster in the shape of the Racing Post Trophy, in which ten talented two-year-olds face the starter. The talented bunch have already amassed 17 wins between them in their first season

Newton Aycliffe rounded off a good week for them by easily winning 5-0 at neighbours Darlington RA in their local derby last night. Aycliffe beat Consett in the Durham Challenge, and now they're four points clear at the top of the table going into Saturday's

With Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson finalising a four-man shortlist, the club should have a new manager by the time they entertain Bristol City next weekend. Assistant Editor Scott Wilson looks at four of the leading candidates and assesses

POLICE have arrested a man in connection with a suspected stabbing in the early hours of this morning. A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said three people were hurt in the incident in Carisbrooke Avenue, Middlesbrough, one seriously. "One person received

HARRY Redknapp last night vowed to hand Wilson Palacios his first Premier League start for six weeks following an ear-bashing from the midfielder’s mother. Palacios was a virtual everpresent last season as Spurs qualified for the Champions League

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger could easily spend millions like Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, but maintains each approach to winning the Premier League has it “own problems”. Sheikh Mansour has bankrolled a spending spree at Eastlands

DARLINGTON manager Mark Cooper has warned his players to expect an upset if they do not respect their opponents when they travel to Mossley for their FA Cup fourth round qualifier today. Quakers travel to the tricky surroundings of Seel Park

MICK WADSWORTH might have fallen in to the position of leading Hartlepool United’s first-team affairs in August – now he has designs on leading them to the top six. The departure of Chris Turner, the director of sport who operated as the team’

Who should be the next Middlesbrough manager? MALCOLM MACDONALD: I THINK they should go with somebody who knows and understands the area and I really do think getting Mogga in, with Bruce Rioch as his number two. I think that would tick

DESPITE having a £13m striker on the bench, Sunderland manager Steve Bruce will not bow to demands from fans and partner Asamoah Gyan with Darren Bent - yet. Gyan is yet to start a league game for the Black Cats since his record-breaking move

STEVE Bruce looks like the type of manager who is not afraid to tell his players to ‘make mincemeat out of the opposition’. Quite what goalkeeper Simon Mignolet would make of such an instruction, though, remains to be seen. Mincemeat, when you

THERE is discontent within the ranks at Newcastle United. Danny Guthrie is ready to lead a revolution – he wants a table-tennis table introduced to the games room at the club’s Darsley Park training complex. Since his days with Liverpool, Guthrie

CHRIS Hughton has praised Fabricio Coloccini’s attitude and believes the defender has been Newcastle’s most consistent performer this season. The Argentinean was the Magpies’ saviour last weekend when he scored a 94th minute equaliser against

AVRAM Grant has warned West Ham may have to start getting nasty with referees if they continue to pay the price for being a soft touch. The Hammers have been on the wrong end of a string of bad decisions so far this season, the most recent

PORTSMOUTH'S Championship match at Hull will go ahead today, despite Pompey’s fight for survival. The club last night released a statement suggesting they are on the brink of liquidation, pointing the finger at former owner and creditor Alexandre

STEVE Agnew has paid tribute to Gordon Strachan, describing the former Middlesbrough boss as a “great man manager” who helped set him up for his own career in management. Agnew will oversee his second game in caretaker charge of Boro when he travels

WITH Steve Gibson expected to start formally interviewing candidates for Middlesbrough’s vacant managerial position on Monday, Tony McMahon has urged the club’s supporters to continue trusting their chairman. With Steve Agnew still in caretaker

MCLAREN team principal Martin Whitmarsh yesterday led the chorus of approval for the £180m Korea International Circuit. Despite delays in construction, which put the event in jeopardy, the organisers will be delighted and relieved upon hearing

LEWIS Hamilton has revealed how the fall-out with his father has taken its toll on him this season. Days before the campaign began, Hamilton caused a major stir when he announced dad Anthony would no longer be his manager. Over time it became

SIR Alex Ferguson has admitted Manchester United have been hurt by the staggering turn of events this week – but feels Wayne Rooney deserves credit for acknowledging his mistakes. Rooney has apologised to his manager and team-mates for the

GORDON STRACHAN raised more than £10,000 for a charity set up by a former footballer after his young son tragically died. Mr Strachan, who resigned as manager of Middlesbrough Football Club this week, took part in the Tees Pride Middlesbrough

DAREDEVIL students have taken the plunge to raise money to help celebrate a college’s 450th anniversary. The teenagers, from Guisborough’s Prior Pursglove College, in east Cleveland, put their fear of heights behind them to abseil 80ft off

BEERS of all shades and flavours are flowing at one of the North-East’s newer real ale festivals. Chester-le-Street Cricket Club is staging its third annual beer festival after earning popular feedback in the real ale community for its first two

THE partner of a man who has been missing for almost two weeks has made an emotional appeal for him to return. Gail Thompson has not seen Glen Cowan, from Craghead, near Stanley, County Durham, since they had a row at Stanley Empire Workmen’s Club

POLICE sealed off an area of a North-East town for more than three hours yesterday to deal with a man who had threatened to harm himself with a Stanley knife. Armed officers and negotiators were called to a house in Corporation Road, off North

A SUPERMARKET worker was caught with hundreds of indecent images of children and sick pictures involving animals when police raided his home after a tipoff. Michael Carter was told yesterday that he deserved a prison sentence for sharing some of

FOOTBALL hooligans who clashed with police at a North-East railway station have been banned from attending games for a minimum of five years. Fifteen Magpies supporters appeared before Newcastle Crown Court after trouble at Central Station on

A MAN who murdered his friend and seriously injured the man’s brother has been told he will not be eligible for parole for 18 years. John Donnison, 23, was sentenced to life in prison yesterday at Newcastle Crown Court and was told he will

A HISTORIC North-East inn that has featured on the Most Haunted TV programme has been flooded with bookings from ghost hunters in the runup to Halloween. Janice Carmedy-Pye and her husband, Philip, took over running of the Manor House, Ferryhill

HOTELS across the region have established a new partnership to fill the destination marketing vacuum that will be left when One North East is abolished. Some of the biggest names in the North-East hotel industry, including Rockliffe Hall, near

POLICE investigating a double shooting earlier this month have recovered a second firearm. Officers had been conducting searches around Clyde Terrace, Spennymoor, County Durham, where on Saturday, October 9, two men from the town received shotgun

HUNDREDS of troops who returned to the region after a sixmonth tour of Afghanistan have received a heroes’ welcome at parades held in their honour. In Richmond, North Yorkshire, troops from the 4th Mechanized Brigade headquarters and 204 Signals

A GAMBIAN wood carver is hoping to sell his goods in the UK, so he can buy food for his family – with the help of a woman from the region. Arty Joof is a woodcarver in the West African country, living in the town of Brikama, away from the main

AN investigation has been launched into a fire at a recycling centre. Three fire crews were still at Cleveland Waste Paper Recycling, in Hartlepool, yesterday to dampen down the flames. When the alarm was raised at about 5.45pm on Thursday,

THE grieving parents of a woman killed by a speeding police van are demanding answers from the police force which has taken responsibility. Aimee Welsh announced her engagement only hours before she was fatally injured on October 18, 2008. The

HEALTH bosses will stop funding infertility treatment for three months as part of emergency cuts worth tens of millions of pounds. NHS North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) said the measures, including making up to 60 redundancies

Millions of pounds of public money has been wasted on preliminary work for the axed A1 upgrade project, The Northern Echo can reveal. The Highways Agency admitted that £24.6m of taxpayers’ money has been spent on paving the way for the scheme