STL Northern League Division One club Penrith have parted company with manager James Tose. He decided to quit after they his side were soundly beaten 4-1 at home by Stokesley last Saturday, a result that left them just seven places off the bottom of
A TEAM of six rowers have tonight smashed the world record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Team Hallin, which includes four Durham University graduates, arrived in Barbados more than a day ahead of schedule. The team completed the crossing
Whitley Bay gave themselves a perfect boost ahead of Saturday's Vase tie with a good win at Sunderland RCA last night. Paul Chow scored a goal in each half to put them fourth in the table, a point behind third placed Shildon. The RCA's Martin Smith missed
Newcastle staged a dramatic comeback to draw 4-4 with Arsenal, having been 0-4 down after 27 minutes. Arsenal were reduced to 10 men after half time and went to pieces. They could have conceivably ended up losing. The away side took the lead after 40
A 180-YEAR-OLD brass band which was on the brink of closing has battled back after receiving a funding boost. In 2009 Middleton and Teesdale Silver Band made a desperate appeal for funds to help meet the cost of servicing instruments and providing members
CHILDREN have been given a fun lesson on how they can help keep their towns and villages clean. Tidy Ted is half way through a tour of 15 primary schools around Teesdale telling children why it is important to clear up after dogs. Yesterday (Thursday
A POLICE officer turned teacher has a new beat - as head teacher of two remote primary schools. Ian Carroll has taken charge of Forest-of-Teesdale School and Rookhope Primary School in Weardale and is already enjoying the community spirit amongst staff
AGENCIES that support young people in the Shildon area are being invited to apply for funding from a small grants scheme. The Shildon Youth Council has launched its Community Chest, to give grants of up to £75 to groups and initiatives providing services
SUNDERLAND full-back Phil Bardsley feels in the form of his life after getting his career off the ropes at a summer training camp with European super-featherweight champion Steve Foster Jr. Bardsley felt his time at Sunderland was at risk after losing
THE former girlfriend of Raoul Moat told today of the horrifying moment the killer shot dead her new boyfriend then turned his shotgun on her. Samantha Stobbart, 22, was left fighting for her life in hospital after Moat, 37, blasted her through the glass
County Durham Community Foundation has launched an online application which is (hopefully) more user friendly and will cut down the amount of paperwork that groups have to send to us. Our website was redesigned late last year and we think it
BISHOP AUCKLAND's first ever civic ball has raised more than £3,000 for charity. The town’s mayor, councillor Lesley Zair, hosted the event for Bishop Auckland Town Council, at the town hall, on Saturday. More than 150 guests attended
THE long-promised scrapping of the 'Asbo' was criticised as a "rebranding exercise" today - after the government unveiled a new punishment that was near-identical. Police and local councils will be able to apply for 'crime prevention injunctions
A MAJOR route into Durham was closed at evening rush hour today, after a crash involving a car and a motorbike. The collision happened shortly before 4.30pm near West Rainton. The A690 westbound is currently closed around West Rainton. More details
POLICE in Chester-le-Street are appealing for information after a woman was assaulted as she walked home after a night out. The victim, in her 40s, left a pub in the town centre at about 11.30pm on Sunday night. She walked down Front Street and
THE city that is home to the Nissan LEAF electric car has officially switched on the first four of 30 re-charging points. They are at the Sunderland City Council-run St Mary’s multi-storey and officials hope that by the end of the year 90 per cent
AN award winning wine merchant has teamed up with a wine appreciation society and TV star for an evening of alcoholic fun. Actor Julian Curry is to perform HIC! a light-hearted history of wine and winemaking when he appears at Northallerton Town Hall
A WAR widow who has used her own experiences to help families deal with bereavement has won a national award, voted for by the public. Karen Upton, 34, said she is "proud but overwhelmed" at being named the Tesco People's Choice Mum of the Year for her
DOZENS of youngsters met their favourite TV character when she visited a supermarket in Bishop Auckland recently. Peppa Pig left her house on the hill to greet shoppers and delighted children at Asda, in the town, as part of the store's fundraising
Miss Sporty’s so clear cover stick is a great base to your make up and gives you a flawless face by covering any spots and blemishes. Its costs £1.99 and all you have to do is rub it on where you want it to go and then dab foundation over the top. It
If you want a small phone which is simple but effective then buy the LG Pop. The LG Pop is a low budget small touch screen phone with many features that you’ll find on more expensive phones including: a 3 megapixel camera, a music player, fm
A GRIEVING couple watched in horror as repeated efforts were made to lower their baby son's coffin into a grave that was too narrow. Kelly Tullius and David Mahoney had to enlist the help of a council worker who climbed into the hole to widen it during
STUDENTS at a Durham school are taking part in an annual maths week. Framwellgate School Durham’s maths week began today and runs until Friday, February 11. The aim is to allow students aged 11 to 19 to connect more with maths and learn how it can be
A CHARITY is organising a five-day historical trip to York this summer. Leaders of the History of Education Project, a group which works with long-term unemployed people, is organising The York Historical Experience for the Durham Historical Association
A VILLAGE is starting work on its second parish plan. Coxhoe’s Parish Plan 2 will cover 2011 to 2016, setting out the community’s goals and aspirations for the next five years. A steering group is organising several community engagement events to be
FOLLOWING in the footsteps of their male counterparts, the England Women's team got their RBS Six Nations campaign off to the perfect start with a 19-0 win over Wales on Sunday. Friday night saw Martin Johnson's side defeat Wales 26-19 at Cardiff's Millenium
DRUG dealers were targeted by the police who carried out searches of town centre pubs in a market town to tackle the problem. Thirsk Police took two drugs sniffer dog round pubs in Thirsk and also nearby Carlton Miniott on the night of Saturday, February
Billingham Synthonia will set off at noon on Friday for their adventure to Cornwall for their fifth round FA Vase tie – but the long distance won’t worry them. Synners have been handed one of the furthest possible ties of the round in terms of distance
PAY UP I still can remember pounds, shillings and pence From my youth, when inflation was small; When the Beano cost tuppence, for years, and house rents, In the main, didn’t rise much at all. This started me wondering the worth of my wage In
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident at the weekend which has left a teenager in hospital with serious injuries. The accident happened at 10.15pm on Saturday night along an unlit stretch of the A688 in Spennymoor. It is believed
AFTER last year’s sellout concert we once again had the wonderful lineup of Jerry Douglas, Ally Bain and their fellow Atlantic spanning musicians gathered on stage. Inspired by the on-going BBC4 Transatlantic Sessions – which return to the
RE MT Walton’s letter about High Force and Cauldron Snout (HAS, Feb 2). The highest waterfall, albeit underground, in England is that of Fell Beck after it enters the pothole Gaping Gill on the southern slopes of Ingleborough Hill, North Yorkshire
ONE of the episodes in the Yes Prime Minister/Yes Minister TV series was about the Government wanting to pass a very controversial Bill. Its strategy was to throw a couple of red herrings at the public, hoping to cause maximum uproar, and slip
ON Saturday, February 19, I will join my fellow members of Northern Ghost Investigations at a ghost hunt in Chillingham Castle, Northumberland, raising money for the Butterwick Hospice. We will be joined by TV ghost hunters Richard Felix, of Most
I URGE Eating Owt columnist Mike Amos to revisit the George and Dragon at Heighington, near Darlington, at the earliest opportunity following his column of October 30. My husband and I have eaten there on many occasions and have nothing but praise
THE Customs House should be very proud of this production. Set amid the Anzac contingent in First Word War Turkey, it’s as captivating as Oh What A Lovely War and Journey’s End. The fact that it features a South Shields lad called John Simpson
CHAMPION jockey Paul Hanagan will be one of the guests of honour at a popular racing open day. Mr Hanagan will take part in a question-and-answer session at Middleham Stables Open Day, in North Yorkshire, on Good Friday, April 22. Organisers hope this
Antiques Road Trip(BBC2, Monday to Friday, 5.15pm) DAVID HARPER doesn’t appear to be a reluctant television star. He admits he was “trying to get myself found for quite some time” – that’s found as in discovered by broadcast producers and put in
COULD it be that Wilfred Pickles, radio star of the Forties and Fifties, and Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, are related albeit distantly? Both no-nonsense, bluff Yorkshiremen making a difference to the
RECENT events in Tunisia and Egypt have captured the headlines, but much more insidious forces are at work in the Middle East. Lebanon has to all intents and purposes been taken over by Hezbollah, which, of course, is Iran’s proxy army, and there
LIKE former soldier Steve in your article about Gulf War Syndrome (Echo, Feb 3) I am also a veteran of that war and can confirm what he says about the nerve agent pre-treatment tablets and injections. I, too, have been seen in London because of
THE Big Society is David Cameron’s big thing, but I’ve always had big doubts. It’s not that I don’t see the value of the voluntary sector. I see volunteers, holding society together, everywhere I go. What I don’t see is how people will have the
CONGRATULATIONS to The Northern Echo for giving prominence to Doug Porthouse’s appreciation of the Michel Roux’s Service programme running on BBC (HAS, Feb 1). Like Mr Porthouse, I have watched the series, and been impressed by the chef’s ability
THE Government is determined to press ahead with its changes to the NHS, yet it seems most people are against what it is proposing. At risk of being accused of high treason, I should like to pose the following questions to all of them. First,
A COURSE teaching sign language to the brothers and sisters of deaf and hearing impaired youngsters in the Tees Valley is available free of charge. The CHILD Deaf Youth Project (CDYP) has been awarded a grant from Tees Valley Community Foundation
WE wish to commend the work of our colleague, Stockton Labour borough councillor Ann Cains, and representatives from 12 North-East local authorities who have been working with the NHS and forces’ organisations to highlight the need for better
I FIRST became aware of the music of John Barry, who has died at the age of 77 (Echo, Feb 1), when his orchestra provided the accompaniment to an Adam Faith hit in 1960. The record was What Do You Want? and such was the invention of the arrangement
VE day celebrations arrived early for children and their families of Willington Primary School, Chapel Street, Willington. Mrs Wright and Mrs Sokell ran the 'Lets Get Cooking' club along with year 6 children, to discover and make meals from the World
North-East climber Graham Ratcliffe was camped on Everest the night of its worst disaster in 1996 when eight people died. He tells Steve Pratt, that after five years of research, he’s revealing the untold story in a new book. AS the storm raged
Darlington have drawn Zamaretto Premier outfit Salisbury City at home in the quarter finals of the FA Trophy. Quakers progressed to the last eight of the competition thanks to a 3-0 win at AFC Telford on Saturday, while Salisbury were 2-0 winners
DARLINGTON has weathered the effects of the recession and subsequent economic downturn better than the rest of the Tees Valley, a report claims. But unemployment among young people is one of the highest in the UK and the gap between wealthy and deprived
THE region’s councils clearly have a difficult task as they attempt to identify areas of their budget that can be cut to save money. Whatever they choose, there will inevitably be people who are unhappy at the loss of a post or service they have
A GOLF club may get a new access road, despite residents' fears it will lead to more congestion, danger for pedestrians and noise. Darlington Golf Club, in Haughton, wants to build a new access road from Sparrow Hall Drive. The plans would see
COMMUNITY activists in north Durham are hoping to re-launch a village group to restore civic pride. The Leadgate Caretakers, part of the Leadgate Area Partnership, were responsible for tidying up the village with a series of co-ordinated environmental
NEWCASTLE Falcons will play their crucial Aviva Premiership relegation clash with Leeds Carnegie on Saturday, April 9 (ko 3pm). The game, which was originally scheduled for Boxing Day, was postponed because of the bad weather. Falcons have also brought
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after thieves stole around £3,500 of goods in a high value raid on a house. The crooks removed padlocks to a converted stable block at the rear of Main Street, Helperby, near to Easingwold, to gain entry. The burglary
SURPLUS stone from the construction of Darlington's Pedestrian Heart cost the local council more than £57,000, The Northern Echo can reveal. Hundreds of square metres of granite setts were left over at the end of the £9m pedestrianisation project
DONALD McCAIN has his string in excellent nick and can add to his tally with Eighteen Carat in Ayr’s Bet Now At victorchandler.com Novices’ Hurdle today. The seven-year-old is seemingly a late developer as his first few racecourse appearances promised
France 34 Scotland 21 CAPTAIN Alastair Kellock lamented Scotland’s costly losses of possession in the RBS 6 Nations opener against France – and head coach Andy Robinson warned Wales are as capable as Les Bleus of exploiting such lapses. For the
THE head of Darlington Citizens Advice Bureau hasmade a plea to the Government to continue to sponsor its debt advice service. Neeraj Sharma is concerned that if the Government chooses not to renew the £90,000 grant the service receives from the Treasury's
Italy 11 Ireland 13 RONAN O’Gara may no longer be first choice fly-half but he insists his expertise was needed to guide Ireland when RBS 6 Nations disaster beckoned. The Irish scraped home 13- 11 at the Stadio Flaminio, with O’Gara landing
MARTIN Johnson warned England cannot afford to let their standards slip as they begin preparations to face Italy on the back of a landmark victory over Wales. England rose to the occasion in a raucous Millennium Stadium atmosphere to launch their
A DISAPPOINTED Pete Taylor admits Darlington Mowden Park’s promotion ambitions are all but over following a 24-21 defeat to struggling Billingham in National Three North. Fourth-placed Mowden are now 13 points behind secondplaced Bradford & Bingley
Newcastle Falcons 17 Exeter Chiefs 3 NEWCASTLE head coach Alan Tait paid tribute to his side’s impact players as the Falcons moved into the semifinals of the LV Cup with a 17-3 win over Exeter at Kingston Park. The Falcons trailed 3-0 at the break
EASINGTON Colliery extended their lead at the top to ten points with victory over fourth-placed Ashbrooke Belford House. The Wearsiders scored first as Alan Young drove past goalkeeper Niki Lawson after half an hour. Two goals in six pre-interval
WHILE having a beer one Friday tea time with my friend, Mike Whiting, we had a chat about the FA Cup final and how it seems that it’s no longer that important, especially for the bigger clubs. To me, this English cup competition is the greatest
HOW flustered Steve Bruce and the rest of us Sunderland fans were to watch Stoke snatch a winner in added on time. Every time Stoke got a throw-in the ball boy promptly gave a towel to the Stoke players, mainly Rory Delap, who starts to wipe
THREE North-East golfers finished in the top 30 at the Qatar Masters, with Harrogate’s John Parry the pick. Parry climbed up the leaderboard on the final day with a superb 67, which propelled him up to tied 12th place on four under to earn
NEWTON Aycliffe kept a firm grip on the Second Division leadership with a comfortable 5-1 win at Hebburn on Saturday but manager Alan Oliver still isn’t talking about promotion. Aycliffe brushed Hebburn aside with four second-half goals to keep
THE football headlines have been dominated by the transfer of Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll and the huge sums of money involved. An unlikely by product of these transfers is to make Darren Bent look a snip at around £24m. To think that when
OUR 11-year-old grandson has worn his No.9 black and white Newcastle shirt with the name Carroll on its back since opening his Christmas presents, despite the taunts from a Black Cats orientated family during his weekly visits to see us. Will
ENGLAND Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce has had to make a string of changes to his squad for tomorrow’s friendly with Italy following eight withdrawals. Aston Villa loanee Kyle Walker pulled out to join the senior squad for their game with Denmark
CARLO ANCELOTTI claimed Fernando Torres “did a good job” despite a disappointing debut from the £50m striker as Chelsea lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Torres had been the name on everyone’s lips in the buildup to yesterday’s much-hyped
ROBERTO DI MATTEO has voiced his surprise after being sacked by West Brom yesterday. The Baggies placed their Italian manager on gardening leave after their 13th defeat in 18 games, Saturday’s 3-0 reverse at Manchester City, left them outside
FABIO CAPELLO will hand Darren Bent an England start in Wednesday’s friendly with Denmark convinced the former Sunderland striker will be a better player for his £24m move to Aston Villa. Despite Bent finishing third behind Didier Drogba and
KENNY DALGLISH said the presence of Fernando Torres in the Chelsea side defeated 1-0 by Liverpool provided no extra incentive for the striker’s former team-mates. Raul Meireles struck after 68 minutes to seal a memorable victory against the
AFTER the Peases came the Plewses. Woodlands, on Woodland Road, Darlington, was taken on by Thomas Plews, brewer, maltster and wine merchant. (Is there such a word as a maltster: Mr Plews had a large malthouse near the railway on Neasham Road
PAKISTAN cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were handed long bans after charges under the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code were proved. Former Pakistan captain Butt has been banned for ten years, five
ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss has admitted that Eoin Morgan could be ruled out of the World Cup because of a fractured finger. Morgan became the sixth England player to leave the tour of Australia early yesterday after being diagnosed with the
ALAN PARDEW felt the full force of a few angry fans’ frustrations during Newcastle United’s first half horror show against Arsenal, but Cheik Tiote has revealed the players were on the receiving end of much worse. With Arsenal sitting comfortably
JOEY BARTON has outlined an intention to sign a new contract at Newcastle United quickly in the hope it will send out a signal to everyone at St James’ Park that there is life after the sale of Andy Carroll. Barton admitted that he had questioned
MIDDLESBROUGH have a defensive crisis on their hands following an injury to Matthew Bates. The Boro skipper limped out of the club’s 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace clutching the back of his leg, suggesting he pulled a hamstring at the weekend
HE might prefer to get his goals in the league but Darlington midfielder Gary Smith is developing a cup specialist tag. Smith got Quakers off to the perfect start in their FA Trophy tie at AFC Telford by scoring in the second minute. Boosted
THE draw for the FA Trophy quarter-finals takes place today with Darlington one of five Blue Square Bet Premier teams remaining in the competition. Luton and North-East neighbours Gateshead are the only other clubs from the division definitely
JOEY BARTON last night hit back at Arsene Wenger’s claims the Newcastle midfielder should have been sent off during Saturday’s sensational 4-4 draw by suggesting Arsenal’s players should play netball instead. Barton was at the centre of the incident
MICK WADSWORTH was quick to praise stand-in coach Micky Barron for his input at the weekend. With Hartlepool United struggling for the breakthrough against Colchester, substitutes Andy Monkhouse and Colin Larkin were introduced and both made
A MASKED robber sprayed an unknown liquid into the face of a security guard this morning and fled with an unknown amount of cash. The guard was walking back to the Loomis security van with a cash box having collected the takings from a petrol station
ASAMOAH Gyan expects Sulley Muntari to be a pivotal performer for Sunderland in the final three-and-a-half months of the season. Muntari made his Black Cats debut at Stoke on Saturday, having completed a loan move from Inter Milan that could turn into
Newcastle United 4 - Arsenal 4 AS classics go, this was as thrilling as they come. There might not have been relegation or a title triumph riding on it, but Newcastle United showed just how powerful damaged pride can be by achieving the comeback
PESSIMISTIC Middlesbrough supporters probably got an inkling of how Saturday’s contest at Crystal Palace was about to unfold while listening to the pre-match recording of the Muse epic Knights of Cydonia over the tannoy. But while there was no
Stoke City 3 Sunderland 2 BEING a goalkeeper at the Britannia Stadium is a bit like being a contestant on the Channel Four game show Deal Or No Deal. You know exactly what to expect, because the format never changes. Every three or four minutes
Hartlepool 1 Colchester 0 ANTONY SWEENEY has certainly scored better goals than his winner on Saturday; but how many of them have proved as important? His top two in terms of style and panache are a twisting volley against MK Dons in
AFC Telford 0 Darlington 3 ALMOST 26 years to the day since Darlington suffered a humbling defeat at Telford, Quakers returned to the scene of their FA Cup embarrassment and ensured there would be no repeat. An early goal from Gary
A WOMAN tried to cash in on gunman Raoul Moat’s notoriety by attempting to sell a car on the premise that it once belonged to the killer. Internet auction site eBay has since removed the advert, which offered to sell a black Fiat Punto once
A WOMAN was rescued after her car became stuck in floodwater at the weekend following heavy rain and gale force winds. The woman’s car was pushed to safety by firefighters after it became stuck in Maunby Lane, Kirby Wiske, near Thirsk, North
ELDERLY and vulnerable people have enjoyed a free Sunday lunch thanks to a campaign to help people through the cold weather. The Winter Relief Appeal was launched by The Northern Echo and County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) in December
A FORMER executive with the North-East’s largest call centre operator has launched his own contact centre in the region. RevolutionCC has already secured its first contract to provide outsourced customer service activities ahead of schedule
PLANS to halve the number of people who undergo criminal record checks could have drastic implications for nearly 200 workers in the region. Darlington’s MP has called for the Government to clarify its proposals for the Independent Safeguarding
ROLLS-ROYCE, drinks firm Diageo and medical devices firm Smith and Nephew will report results this week in a busy few days for investors. Hip and knee replacement maker Smith and Nephew has seen its shares jump to alltime highs in recent weeks
A THIRD company in the region has won work for the Shard of Glass skyscraper, in London. The York Handmade Brick Company is supplying 70,000 bricks for the 87-storey Shard, Britain’s tallest building (310 metres). Although the Shard is primarily
A RECRUITMENT agency which has helped more than 280 people find permanent work since launching 15 months ago is now looking to take on staff. GEM Partnership, which was formed through a management buy-out of Premium People Recruitment in October
A MIDDLE-AGED man who abused a teenage girl has been jailed for more than seven years. Leonard Wood, 52, is said to have treated the youngster like his girlfriend and coerced her into not revealing their secret. The married family man
HISTORIANS have been left baffled by a mystery figurine about to go on show in a museum. The brass sculpture, originally thought to depict King Charles I, is about to go on display as part of an exhibition about the English Civil War at the
AUTHORS, artists, trade unionists and politicians from across the political spectrum took part in a day of action to raise awareness of the importance of the region’s libraries. The protests at libraries in Darlington and North Yorkshire were
THE wife of an MP who has not held a surgery for more than ten years over fears for his safety has refuted claims that his constituents are not being properly served. Margaret Bell, the wife of Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell, denies it is a
THE congregation of a north Durham church is to move after it emerged there are structural problems with the building. Bishop Seamus Cunningham, RC Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, has written to members of the church to tell them about problems
HUNDREDS of public sector workers from across the region have taken part in protests against Government cuts. The Northern Public Services Alliance (PSA) held a rally on Saturday to send its message that cuts are not the answer for the region
LABOUR today launches a campaign against the “crazy” police cuts that the North-East’s four forces are about to suffer. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper used Friday’s first Shadow Cabinet awayday at The Sage Gateshead to gather figures showing
THE Shadow Health Secretary John Healey has delivered a hard-hitting attack on the coalition Govenrnment’s plans for the NHS during a visit to the North-East. Mr Healey, speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, said that, as more and more
Loss-making golf club facing closure GOLFERS are being invited to have their say about a council-run club. The loss-making Roseberry Grange Golf Course, in Chester-le-Street, faces closure. Durham County Council has to reduce its spending by
A COUNCILLOR arrested by police after complaints about comments posted on an internet forum says he is looking forward to his day in court. Geoff Lilley, an independent Hartlepool borough councillor, spent eight hours in custody before he was
THOUSANDS of people all over the North-East have helped to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. In Durham City on Saturday, a lion roared its way through the streets. The lion dance is traditionally performed each Chinese New Year and
THE owner of a transport company has told of his devastation at having to make more than 200 workers redundant. Family-run Bulmers Transport ceased to exist on Friday after severe trading conditions and a £140,000 bad debt were compounded by
A SOLDIER who served in Afghanistan and his girlfriend were killed when their car overturned and crashed into a tree. The accident happened on the A1086 coast road, just outside Blackhall Rocks, in County Durham. Emergency services were
