Archive

  • Bennett appointed new Hebburn manager.

    STL Second Division club Hebburn last night moved quickly to replace departed boss Rob Marsden by appointing Paul Bennett. Bennett was manager at First Division West Allotment Celtic until early September when he suddenly quit. Since then,

  • Celebrity Basketball Game 2010

    TADEA Middlesbrough Lions 62-62 Celebrities On Sunday, Middlesbrough returned to the Lions den at Eston Sports Academy for their charitable ‘Celebrity Game’ in aid of Zoe’s Place. A good crowd turned out to cheer on the players with celebrity players

  • Good Show by TADEA Lions Against Cumbria

    National League Basketball in association with Heaven Scent Yankee Candles Middlesbrough & TADEA, Sustainable Energy Solutions Hull Wasps 96-65 TADEA Middlesbrough Lions TADEA Middlesbrough Lions 88-58 Cumbria All Stars Travelling to the in form

  • Quad bike crash

    A MAN was hospitalised and then arrested after his quad bike was collided with a car. Barton Street, off Haughton Road, Darlington, was closed for 15 minutes while the wreckage from the collision was cleared earlier this evening. The

  • Premiership Review - Week 9

    Chelsea exceptional start to the season continued as they beat Wolves 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. However, Wolves were in good form and had numerous chances but they were punished for their inability to convert chances. Florent Malouda opened the scoring

  • Marsden leaves Hebburn

    Rob Marsden became the fifth managerial change in the STL Northern League this season when he left the second division club yesterday. Hebburn hadn’t won in seven league and cup matches since the middle of September, dropping to fifth bottom

  • West v Moors -- the trilogy

    West Auckland and Spennymoor are poised for a November trilogy following the second round draw of the Durham Challenge Cup. The two clubs are already looking forward to a second round Vase tie on November 13th and a STL Northern League game on November

  • Spending cuts will widen the north-south divide - report

    THE North-South divide will widen because of the government's £81bn of spending cuts, Mr Cameron was warned yesterday. Job losses and benefit reductions will savage Northern communities while capital projects, such as Crossrail and the Tube upgrade

  • Research centres bidding for £20m funding boost

    TWO cutting-edge research bases in the region are rivals for a £20m funding boost, under David Cameron's "go for growth" strategy unveiled yesterday. The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), at NETPark, County Durham, is in line to become

  • Tesco apologises for car park chaos

    A NEW supermarket has apologised after the first day of opening saw customers queuing in the car park for up to an hour. The new store, in St Helen's Trading Estate, Bishop Auckland, opened its doors at 8am on this morning. But contractors

  • X-Factor star to dazzle at fireworks show

    X-FACTOR winner Joe McElderry will be entertaining the crowds at an annual fireworks spectacular next month. The free event, which will see the South Shields star performing his new single, on the Riverside, in Stockton, on Friday, November 5. The fireworks

  • Newcastle striker Carroll pleads guilty to common assault

    NEWCASTLE United striker Andy Carroll was today fined £1,000 after admitting assaulting a man in a nightclub. The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to common assault and was ordered to pay an additional £2,500 compensation at Newcastle Crown Court. The victim

  • Crash, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

    OSCAR-NOMINATED writer William Nicholson counts such diverse screenplays as Ridley Scott’s action movie Gladiator and Shadowlands, the emotional story about CS Lewis, among his credits. Now comes his latest stage play, Crash, which was born

  • Super-Annuated

    The X Factor (ITV1); Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1) IS it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Super-Ann. Strictly Come Dancing finally abandoned any pretence to being a serious dance show as Ann Widdecombe took to the skies to perform a tango.

  • October 25, 2010

    The valley burn A spring emerges near the closed Westerton mine The valley burn flows beside the old defunct line Placed together betwixt hawthorn and gorse Sharing the route on a parallel course The brook veers from the abandoned way The gushing

  • Painting the town red

    As Halloween nears, author Paul Magrs takes a wander around Gothic Whitby. HALLOWEEN in recent years has meant a trip to Whitby. This is the venue for the worldfamous Goth Weekend, when the streets of this time-locked Victorian harbour town

  • Cats

    I AM sure it is easy to become attached to a cat and to mourn its passing. But, as Vicky Willis writes (HAS, Oct 15), an animal that is allowed to roam the streets both day and night cannot be regarded as a domestic pet. Also, your unnamed

  • Farming challenges

    THE Northern Farming Conference held at Newcastle Racecourse recently was a welcome opportunity to bring together a wide range of interests to discuss some of the future challenges to the industry. It was especially encouraging to hear constructive

  • Pay for your seedy snap? No thanks

    WITH a heavy sense of irony, last week’s long-awaited announcement on public spending cuts coincided with the news that Wayne Rooney no longer wanted to play for Manchester United. He slagged off the club for being unambitious, Sir Alex Ferguson

  • In it together?

    DON’T you just get sick of millionaire politicians telling us we’re all in the same boat and that there is a price to be paid? And we know just who will be paying it, don’t we? Yes, the people at the bottom, as always. When it’s talk of us and

  • Miners' pensions

    RE Joe Wellthorpe’s letter on the above subject (HAS, Oct 21). Here he goes again, having a go at the miners, once again talking utter rubbish and hatred. Yes, we were the envy of Europe in shipbuilding, steel, car manufacturing and, indeed, coal

  • Circle reunion

    IF you were ever in the Ladies Circle or your partner was a member of the Round Table, then Tangent – a national association and part of the Round Table family – is holding a reunion and friendship night for past Area 16 Ladies Circlers (Area 16

  • Propaganda war

    COLUMNIST Peter Mullen (Echo, Oct 12) praises Tony Blair for recognising that we are losing the “propaganda war” against al Qaida, but omits to mention that the main reason we are losing that war is that Mr Blair, along with George Bush, led us

  • Tuition fees

    DURING the General Election campaign the Liberal Democrats campaigned to vote against any increase in tuition fees and many to have current fees reduced. So how can these same MPs now abstain or vote for measures they pledged to oppose? A calculated

  • Review 'cuts'

    THE spending cuts of Chancellor George Osborne – above – are indeed cuts, but not as we know it. The Government is actually reducing the rate of increase in public expenditure compared to the June Budget. Current financial year expenditure is

  • Robert Plant and the Band of Joy, The Sage, Gateshead

    I hate the word "amazing". It sounds so blonde and airheaded. I must have used that exact word about fifty times Wednesday night to describe the music I was hearing and the sheer professionalism of the musicians playing that music. Robert

  • Ashleigh’s legacy

    Mike Hall’s eyes still fill with tears when he remembers his granddaughter, Ashleigh. Twelve months after her death, David Roberts looks at the impact her murder has had on her family and on the way we look after ourselves on the internet.

  • Leaks are damaging

    THE Ministry of Defence has condemned the leaking of the US military logs because it has made the atmosphere in Iraq more difficult for British troops to operate in. We, too, deplore anything that puts the lives of our brave soldiers at risk.

  • Tattenham's prospects

    CAPE RAMBLER has shown enough on his first few appearances to suggest he can open his account in the EBF Fosse Way Maiden at Leicester. Henry Candy’s youngster was noted making late progress when sixth on his debut at Salisbury in June, after

  • Fifth place finish for champions Sunderland

    DEFENDING champions Sunderland came a cropper in the opening North-East Harrier League fixture at Cramlington, finishing fifth. The Wearsiders won the individual race in the 9.6K handicap when former North-East cross country champion Mark Hood

  • Rugby round-up

    BLAYDON were hugely relieved when a failed conversion from the last kick of the game allowed them to escape with a 29-28 home win against Coventry. A third successive defeat would have raised relegation alarm bells in National One, but they moved

  • Hamilton still in hunt as Alonso roars ahead

    FERNANDO Alonso stands on the brink of securing a third Formula One world title in Brazil in a fortnight after admitting luck was again on his side following a chaotic Korean Grand Prix victory. A seemingly unstoppable Alonso has now won three

  • Webber blamed for carnage in Korea

    MARK WEBBER yesterday accepted full responsibility for the smash that has put his Formula One world title hopes on the line. Webber crashed out on lap 19 of a chaotic Korean Grand Prix which included four safety car sessions amounting to 24

  • Darlington Mowden Park 16 Billingham 12

    Darlington Mowden Park 16 Billingham 12 A LOSING bonus point was the least Billingham deserved for the skill and determination they brought to a gripping game. Had Peter Evans’ goal-kicking matched his general play they might well have won, although

  • Parry up to 41 in rankings

    NORTH Yorkshireman John Parry’s impressive rookie season on the European Tour continued yesterday with his third highest finish of the year at the Castello Masters. Parry might not have been able to repeat the outstanding 63, eight under, he

  • Stoke City 1 Manchester United 2

    Stoke City 1 Manchester United 2 MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Javier Hernandez’s late winner in the 2-1 victory at Stoke could prove crucial in this season’s Barclays Premier League title race. Ferguson has endured a remarkable

  • Manchester City 0 Arsenal 3

    Manchester City 0 Arsenal 3 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger believes yesterday’s win at Manchester City will give his side the belief to march on again. The Gunners have gone through a sticky spell in the past month with defeats by West Brom and

  • Pompey safe as deal finalised

    PORTSMOUTH have confirmed the sale of the club to businessmen Balram Chainrai, Levi Kushnir and Deepak Chainrai has been completed. The deal, which has safeguarded the club’s future, has received Football League approval, with the transfer

  • Late Spennymoor show puts Esh in deep trouble

    STRUGGLING Esh Winning were denied a point when they were beaten by two stoppage time goals at champions Spennymoor Town. Esh, who only have five points from 16 games this season, looked good for a point at 1-1 until they were cruelly denied

  • Flying Colliers hit four

    EASINGTON COLLIERY are flying as Willington found to their cost on Saturday. The visitors were unable to contain a free-scoring attack which has now notched up 40 goals in 11 games. Willington never looked like ending the impressive

  • Recalling big Mal

    I’M formerly the Chief Sports Writer on the Evening Gazette. I covered the Boro when Malcolm Allison was around and he was just wonderful to deal with. Mad, of course, but such fun. Paul Daniel, by email

  • Funny old game

    THE STRANGE result, Northampton 3 Hereford 4 on October 16 received little comment. McKenzie recorded a firsthalf hat-trick to give Cobblers a 3-0 half-time lead. They then conceded four goals. Our much loved Brian Clough once scored a hattrick

  • Low on patience?

    IF the manager’s job at Middlesbrough had come up before the season started, the job description would have included the words “get us out the Championship this year”. Some three months into the season, the job is up for grabs, and the job description

  • Wayne on wane

    I THINK that Sir Alex Ferguson should be complimented on his approach to the Rooney situation. He has shown that, whoever you are or how good you think are, no-one is bigger than the club. And the most insane statement of all, is the one from

  • No Gateshead?

    I CONTINUE to be disappointed with the fact that you regularly fail to have a match report in respect of Gateshead. I reckon you have ignored their last three games. You cover every other nonleague team in our area so I do not understand why

  • Betting scandal

    AFTER the revelations concerning the game of cricket involving spot betting and match fixing. I was astonished to see in the Northern Echo an interview with an agent for our leading cricketers that appeared to be sponsored or promoted by Sporting

  • Not in real world

    I APPLAUD Gordon Strachan’s integrity in resigning when he could, I assume, have done nothing and continued to draw a substantial salary for three more years or until he was sacked whereupon compensation would have been due. However, can anyone

  • Courtroom battle for North-East clubs

    TWO of the region’s football teams are due to square up to each other in a court room instead of a football pitch. The future of Billingham Town Football Club is in the balance after Hartlepool United issued a writ in connection with debts of

  • Liverpool 2 Blackburn Rovers 1

    Liverpool 2 Blackburn Rovers 1 LIVERPOOL manager Roy Hodgson believes striker Fernando Torres is rediscovering the joy of football after five months of criticism. The 26-year-old scored only his second goal of the season in the 2-1 win at home

  • Upson not worried about drop

    MATTHEW Upson insists West Ham are not worried about being relegated despite seeing their latest attempt to move off the bottom of the table end in failure. An early opener for Carlton Cole gave the long-suffering home fans some hope of moving

  • Adversity brings the best out of Newcastle, says Barton

    JOEY Barton believes Newcastle are at their best when staring in the face of adversity. The club was again in the spotlight last week for all the wrong reasons when striker Andy Carroll was bailed for assault. But the midfielder, who was inspirational

  • Glad to make his Marc

    DROPPING two divisions into the Blue Square Premier was something Marc Bridge- Wilkinson admits he had to think twice about. But the on-loan Darlington midfielder is glad he made the change. The 31-year-old joined from Carlisle ten days

  • Dad’s advice helps Hartley to settle with Pools

    PETER Hartley admits a bit of fatherly advice helped him make the most of his chance at Hartlepool United. After starting the first game of the season, Hartley had to wait a further 12 games. But since starting in central defence in the win

  • Onuoha praises Bramble

    NEDUM Onuoha has praised Titus Bramble’s performances since his summer move from Wigan, claiming the previously-maligned defender has been Sunderland’s “best player” in the opening nine matches of the season. Having marked Blackburn striker

  • West Ham United 1 - Newcastle United 2

    YOU might not want to leave your car with Andy Carroll, have a night out on the town with him or entertain him as a lodger, but you would be quite happy to let him lead your forward line every weekend if he continues to perform as he did at West

  • Mossley 2 Darlington 6

    Mossley 2 Darlington 6 Too many Darlington matches these days are nondescript affairs, lacking in incident but sadly overflowing with tedium. So Saturday’s FA Cup thriller made for a welcome excursion away from the Blue Square Premier.

  • Hartlepool 2 Bristol Rovers 2

    Hartlepool 2 Bristol Rovers 2 CHRIS Turner’s biggest bugbear in football came back to haunt Hartlepool United on Saturday. The former boss often stated his dislike for a two-goal lead, insisting it was the hardest lead to have, much

  • Sunderland 1 Aston Villa 0

    Sunderland 1 Aston Villa 0 THE last time Sunderland remained unbeaten for eight Premier League matches was in the early stages of the 1999- 2000 season. The game that started the sequence? An unforgettable Tyne-Wear derby win at St James’ Park

  • Middlesbrough close in on Mowbray

    TONY MOWBRAY is on the verge of becoming Middlesbrough’s new manager after holding successful talks with chairman Steve Gibson yesterday. Twenty-four hours after Boro suffered a defeat at Norwich City that left striker Kris Boyd admitting the

  • Newspaper backs A-level scholarship

    THE Northern Echo has teamed up with a private school to offer a talented teenager the chance to study A-levels with a scholarship. Yarm School’s Northern Echo Sixth Form Scholarship is open to anyone in the North-East whose parents have a joint

  • Hannah earns accolade

    A YOUNG North-East scientist has earned national recognition for her pioneering genetics research. The work by Sunderland University pharmacy graduate Hannah Beba has the potential to treat diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s. Human genetic

  • TA soldiers prepare for tour

    TERRITORIAL Army soldiers from across the region were put through their paces yesterday as they prepare to deploy to Afghanistan. Royal Mechanical and Electrical Engineers (Reme) service personnel were at 102 Battalion Reme’s headquarters

  • ‘Shocking’ rise in obesity and diabetes cases

    THERE has been a “shocking rise” in the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes and classed as obese since last year, figures show. In the North-East, cases of diabetes have increased by more than 7,000 to 121,685. In Yorkshire and the Humber

  • The odds couple

    A UNIVERSITY student has staked a £100 bet on him and his girlfriend still being together when they graduate. Christopher Brooker and fellow philosophy student Hannah Grayson were discussing the difficulties of students committing themselves to

  • Carer declares war on debt trap

    A CARER has been inspired by a former colleague of US President Barack Obama to tackle high interest credit companies targeting the poor. Determined Kath Carter is striving to persuade lenders to cap the amount of interest they charge and offer

  • 20 jobs created at EDF

    ABOUT 20 jobs are expected to be created at an office overseeing an energy company’s growth in the North- East renewables sector. EDF Energy Renewables has opened an office at the Wilton Centre, on Teesside, creating up to 20 jobs. Tim Bland

  • Plan to demolish eyesore

    AN eyesore building is to be demolished and a hotel built if planning permission is granted. North-East-based Athenaeum Developments Limited (ADL), is preparing to submit an application to redevelop the former Springs Health Club site on Teesside

  • Success in business is no laughing matter

    A NORTH-EAST comedy fan who started organising stand-up shows as a hobby has launched a business after bringing funny men John Bishop, Reginald D Hunter and Kevin Bridges to the region. Three years ago, Darlington’s Neil Jollie began juggling

  • Arts action group sets its sights on first task

    A PRESSURE group set up to fight for threatened arts and culture in a North-East town has earmarked its first priority. Darlington for Culture was set up this month in response to the Comprehensive Spending Review. Its steering group met this

  • ‘Pathetic’ burglar jailed for three years

    A PROLIFIC offender who went on a crime spree which affected nearly every resident of a small village has been locked up for three years. Daniel Lawrence stole a car from Middlesbrough to target vehicles, houses, sheds and garages in Knayton

  • Mum-to-be is allergic to her own pregnancy

    A MOTHER-TO-BE whose morning sickness was so severe she was hospitalised and lost nearly three stones in weight has been diagnosed as being allergic to her own pregnancy. Within four weeks of discovering she was pregnant, Lyndsey Plummer, from

  • Praise for Lynn charity effort

    A CANCER charity has praised the fundraising efforts of a man personally affected by the disease. Gez Walker raised £1,649 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of his partner, Lynn Morgan, who died in December last year, aged 50, following

  • Tragedy still takes heavy toll on family

    A DAY does not go by without thinking of Ashleigh Hall, her grandfather has said. Speaking on the first anniversary of her death, Mike Hall said his family was still trying to piece their lives together again. Mr Hall said he hopes that

  • Cancer survivor’s cup-sized fundraising effort

    A BREAST cancer survivor is collecting a mountain of bras to raise cash for charity. For every kilo of bras collected by Lesley Colley, £1 goes to the cancer research charity Breast Cancer Campaign. The customer service advisor from Chester-le

  • Lifting the blues

    FORMER Newcastle United chairman Sir John Hall joined footballers, supporters and dignitaries to officially open the region’s newest football stadium yesterday. Bishop Auckland FC hosted an afternoon of celebrations to mark the opening of its

  • High do

    THEY were not quite on top of the world, but it felt like it to Nichola Bagshaw when her boyfriend proposed to her on top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The couple had just reached the highest point in Africa, at 19, 341ft after five days of climbing

  • Property valued at £1 by building society

    A PROPERTY owner has been given a valuation of £1 for a two-bedroomed terraced house – after he spent spent £10,000 refurbishing it. Paul Rooney, who owns 33 properties with his partner, Keith Widdrington, bought the house in Holmside, near Sacriston

  • Union: Public in dark about privatisations

    A NURSING union says many mainstream NHS services in the region are being lined up for privatisation without public knowledge or consent. A survey of North-East NHS groups by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that a wide range of services

  • Japanese culture celebrated at event

    JAPANESE culture was placed under the spotlight at the weekend. The Teikyo University of Durham held an annual festival celebrating Japanese culture and cuisine at the Lafcadio Hearn Cultural Centre, in Durham City. The programme included

  • Ex-charity director accused of kidnap

    A FORMER charity director who travelled to the US to attend a wedding has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a woman in a hotel. Campbell Mourton Senior has spent the past two months in a Nevada detention centre. The 43-year-old was arrested