RITCHIE Humphreys admits the outlook for a footballers’ summer has dramatically altered. Hartlepool United returned for pre-season last Friday and, since breaking into football as a schoolboy, Humphreys has seen a real sea change in and around
A MAN has been arrested after threatening to blow up a house. The incident happened at Myrtle Street, Ashington, Northumberland. Police and fire crews were called to the scene at 5.10pm this evening. "Northumbria Police and the Northumberland Fire
A BRITISH soldier who went missing from his base in southern Afghanistan has been found dead with gunshot wounds, the Ministry of Defence said. The body of the serviceman, from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was found
SWANSEA City will make a renewed attempt to sign Middlesbrough duo Marvin Emnes and Leroy Lita this week, but will need to seriously improve their initial offer of around £2m for the pair. Swans boss Brendan Rodgers has been tracking both
NEWCASTLE have submitted an improved offer for Paris St Germain striker Mevlut Erdinc, and expect to learn whether or not it has been accepted tomorrow. Magpies manager Alan Pardew has been tracking Erdinc all summer, but the club’s initial
A FLOWER festival helped to raise more than £1,000 for a Methodist church. More than 100 people visited the event on Saturday and Sunday, held for the first time by Witton Park Methodist Church, raising £1,020 for church funds. An 80-strong congregation
A PILOT had a lucky escape when his glider crashed into a field today. North Yorkshire Police have been working alongside emergency service colleagues to assist the injured pilot who crashed at Appleton Wiske, a village between Northallerton
The village turned out in force at the Middle House on Saturday to raise funds for three different charities. Roy Blythe and Lisa Wood organised the event to raise money for The British Heart Foundation, Freeman Hospital Special Baby Unit and a special
A NORTH-EAST farmers' market has proved a hit with customers and enterprise judges. Saltburn Farmers' Market, which first set up stalls three years ago, has been named as Redcar and Cleveland's Best Social Enterprise for 2011. Market organiser
AN MP has hit out at plans to close a market town's Royal Mail delivery office and move its operations elsewhere. Staff have been reassured that there are no plans for compulsory redundancies following the decision to close the Guisborough branch,
There has been a new development in Gillford Park's long-running wrangle with their landlords. The club's dispute with their Railway club landlords has existed for over a year, and the club's future appeared to be less than secure until barrister Richard
A CREW of students has set sail for an experience of a lifetime on the high seas. Year nine students from The King's Academy, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, joined the Stavros S Niarchos last week as the 60m tall ship prepared for a voyage from
ONE of the region's oldest buildings has been reopened as a mini amphitheatre following a major renovation project. The Dovecot, which stands in the grounds of Yarm School and dates from about 1220, has been returned to its former glory over the past
A LIFEBOAT station has received more than £300 thanks to a charity golf event. Cleveland Golf Club's captain Keith Cooper chose to donate the funds to Redcar RNLI following his Captain's Day event in the town last month. Mr Cooper said: "I've
Steve Pratt speaks to actress Emily Pithon and director Katie Posner, two ladies currently appearing at York Theatre Royal. EMILY Pithon has been getting a taste of what it’s like to be royal playing Queen Anne in a new production at York Theatre
New TV chef Simon Hopkinson who stars in The Good Cook this Friday on BBC One, shares some of his favourite recipes. • The Good Cook starts on Friday, July 8, on BBC One. The accompanying book is published by BBC Books, £25 Serves
New TV chef Simon Hopkinson, who stars in The Good Cook this Friday on BBC One, shares some of his favourite recipes. • The Good Cook starts on Friday, July 8, on BBC One. The accompanying book is published by BBC Books, £25 Serves
THE Reccies, more formally the Reconnaissance Corps, were billeted in Swaledale for much of the Second World War, having first marched the 25 miles from Darlington station and collapsed, exhausted, on Reeth green. Their motto was “Only the enemy
Lisa Haynes unveils tips and products to help smooth out those problem areas before you strip off at the seaside. BIKINI season is upon us and the sunny spotlight is on your figure. That’s good news for leggy supermodels, but for the rest of us it
Northern Echo reporter Neil Hunter visits the Sunderland Back Pain Centre and speaks to osteopath Jason Oshinowo about all the little niggles that have accumulated over the years. THEY were four words I didn’t expect to hear, and ones which have
Compared to other Nazi Zombie Maps, Nacht Der Untoten is probably the worst Zombie map out of them all. Simply because it is missing some good features on the game such as: Perks, Pack a Punch, Traps and exclusive Zombie guns. However it does have one
Sadie The Bra Lady has become something of a North-East icon, fitting bras on the region’s women for more than 40 years. Ruth Addicott talks to her about her dream of expanding the franchise. "PEOPLE come in and say, ‘I want to hide my nipples’.
Saints Row The 3rd Saints Row 3 Facts Non linear 3rd person shooter video game Carries on from Sr2 Gang War between 3rd street saints and the syndicate Due for release November 11 2011 The Plot Having defeated the rival gangs of Stilwater
This is the first Mortal Kombat game to be brought out on the modern consoles.This Mortal kombat is known as Mortal Kombat 9. This is a game of extreme violence, it involves a lot of head ripping, limb pulling and impaling to say the least. For an Arcade
To start street fighter is one of the most famous ever gaming series` it has been around for 24 years and the latest game has been super street fighter 4. This game was amazing on other consoles so imagine when it came to the 3ds in wonderful 3d
Star Wars Galaxies is a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Game) and is normally filled up with players from around the world. It is multiplayer breakthrough as the graphics are amazing and it hardly ever lags. Star Wars Galaxies is a game
A BIKER in his sixties has died after colliding with a deer on a North Yorkshire road. The man, from the Cleveland area, struck the animal on the B1257 between Chop Gate and Helmsley at 11.30 this morning. He was pronounced dead at the
A DISPUTE between two breweries about the use of the Yorkshire white rose as a logo will be heard in the High Court today. Cropton Brewery, a microbrewery behind the New Inn at Cropton, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, is being taken to court
A PLEA FOR POETRY Hear All Sides Hear our views Plenty of letters We have for you. You read our mail Then you decide If they’re interesting Then you publicise. I love reading your paper With all the topics And problems
New Tricks (BBC1, 9pm) University Challenge (BBC2, 8pm) Embarrassing Bodies: Teen Special (C4, 9pm) IT’S hardly rocket science. If you put three of the UK’s best veteran actors together with TV’s finest female performer and give them a half-decent
Chocolini's in Saltburn is a chocolate lover's dream. Ruth Addicott takes a look inside. FILLED with giant chocolate towers, fairytale castles and edible flying saucers, Chocolini’s is like walking into the world of Willy Wonka. The
MY feelings about glossy council magazines have been made plain enough. It is wrong to use distribution networks, propped up with public money, to compete with independent local newspapers for advertising revenue while often spreading party
IT is said that more than 750 years before the birth of Christ, a Greek king approached the Oracle at Delphi and asked how he might leave a legacy of peace. The Oracle suggested to him that he should hold a games so that all the fit young men –
Hutton Magna gardens will be open on Sunday July 17th. At the time of writing, there will be 12 gardens to visit; there may well be several more on the list by the event date. The gardens are open from 2pm until 5pm. Entry is £3 per person. Teas
Catterick Young Farmers hosts a Vintage Tractor Rally at Ravensworth on Sunday July 24th. Entrants should meet at the village hall at 10:00am. Entry Fees are £12.00 which includes tea or coffee and cake or scones, plus a BBQ bun afterwards. It
POLICE investigations are continuing following an unexplained death and an unrelated stabbing in County Durham over the weekend. Andrea Maughan, 39, was found unconscious by police and paramedics at her home in Coronation Avenue, Tow Law, on Friday night
A BRITISH serviceman has gone missing in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said today. He was reported missing from his base in central Helmand in the early hours of this morning. A massive search is under way to find him and his family
IN response to Gillian Jackson’s letter about Darlington carnival (HAS, June 29), I am writing on behalf of Family Help (Darlington’s women’s refuge). We would like to thank the carnival committee for its skills and dedication in once again organising
PRINCE CHARLES has just had a pay rise – perhaps the only person in Britain who has. His £298,000 increase seems no problem for today’s moneybags Government, they’ll readjust their balance books and take more off the poor to compensate. After
REGARDING the youths who garrotted a sheep near Evenwood, County Durham (Echo, June 30). It is appalling that someone can be capable of such cruelty. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. By all accounts, the North- East ranks highly in the
DUE to the present economic situation many public and private sector workers have had no pay rise, their working hours and incomes have been reduced and many have lost their jobs and homes. Many have seen their pensions reduced or made worthless
RECENT research by Prudential has revealed a wide gap between the funds today’s pensioners survive on, and how much they need in order to live comfortably. Our own survey, published in April, suggests that a staggering eight out of ten of those
RECENT research by Prudential has revealed a wide gap between the funds today’s pensioners survive on, and how much they need in order to live comfortably. Our own survey, published in April, suggests that a staggering eight out of ten of those
THE punishment of Kelsey Donkin in the David Rathband “bang-bang” case (Echo, June 28) was sensible and proportionate for an offence that was stupid and grossly insensitive. Incarceration would have cost the taxpayer a fortune and caused undeserved
Armed only with box sets of Yes, Minister and The Thick of It, a political novice took on a heavyweight while making a film about his fight to be an MP. Lucy Richardson reports. WHEN award-winning documentary maker John Walsh decided to stand at last
A GROUP of care homes earmarked for possible closure by stricken Southern Cross Healthcare have been saved after the landlord said it would take them over and keep them open. Cash-strapped Southern Cross is locked in negotiations with landlords of all
A BATTLING display from Sacriston put a large dent in Percy Main’s title ambitions as the top three all won to forge on at the top of the table. Main had made the title stakes a four-horse race with some good displays in recent weeks, but they
HYLTON’S championship hopes took a pounding as they became the last team to lose their unbeaten record, bringing to an end a run of 11 games. And it was Seaham Park who inflicted the first defeat on them, which provided an ironic twist to the
HARD working Stockton got an unexpected lift out of the bottom two as fellow strugglers Gateshead Fell and South Shields suffered further agony. The Teessiders produced one of their best batting displays to achieve crucial draw points at Hetton
RECORDS were smashed in all directions as Tudhoe’s brilliant opening batsman Simon Davies hit a sensational unbeaten 328 on an unforgettable Saturday in which his side powered their way to an amazing 509 runs. The new individual and team records
REVENGE became superbly sweet for leaders Hartlepool as they overpowered their principal championship rivals Richmondshire to extend their advantage from two to 17 points with their eighth win in a run of 13 unbeaten games. For the Dalesmen
A HOSPICE'S latest event to celebrate its silver anniversary includes a raffle with a top prize of a car. A Vauxhall Corsa will go to the lucky winner of Darlington's St Teresa's Hospice prize draw at the annual ball in October. Darlington Mayor
NEIGHBOURS of a care home have objected to proposals to build an extension so it can provide care for mentally ill residents. Planning officers have recommended that the plans for the 12-bed elderly mentally ill (EMI) unit at The Gardens Care Home
POLICE have insisted that they changes to the opening hours for many of its smaller police stations will have "little or no impact on communities". Opening hours at a number of stations will be cut from today as bosses at North Yorkshire Police try to
STAFF and customers at a country pub are celebrating after claiming a new world record for the largest serving of fish and chips. Chefs at the Wensleydale Heifer in West Witton, North Yorkshire, broke the record by frying a fillet of prime halibut, in
A 12-year-old boy has raised hundreds of pounds with a series of events after being touched by the story of a young girl who was paralysed in a freak accident. Bel Young, nine, fell from a climbing frame and broke her neck, which left her unable to move
CHILDREN had a magical time as the centrepiece of their village's annual festival. Sadberge Summer festival took place on Saturday at a number of venues around the village. One of the main attractions of the event - on the theme of Disney
HORDEN burst into championship contention as they walloped Castle Eden by 142 runs to go second, just six points behind leaders Kimblesworth who drew at Norton. Castle Eden had new ‘pro’ Habib Quereshi on show and he picked up 3-34 in ten overs
FAMILIES made the most of the summer weather for an anniversary at the weekend. The Friends of North Lodge Park put on a range of activities for all ages yesterday to celebrate the park's 108th anniversary. The friends group has hosted
GREEN-fingered council tenants are being encouraged to make the best of their gardens this summer for a new competition. For two weeks in August judges will secretly mark all Richmondshire District Council owned homes to find the best gardens, window
A RACING welfare officer who helped the victims of a fire which killed two young jockeys has been nominated for a national award. Paul Lodge, 44, who works for Racing Welfare, a charity based in Norton, near Malton, in North Yorkshire, supported people
DURHAM Schools were the most successful North-East team in the English Schools Championships, with the region's only gold medallist in junior high jumper Anthony Hogg. But North-East athletics enthusiasts in the sun-baked venue had to wait very late
British teenager Liam Broady insists a disappointing Wimbledon boys' final defeat will not stop him aiming for the bigger prize of the men's title in years to come. Broady, 17, raced into a one-set lead and was a break up in the second set on Court One
Five years ago, Petra Kvitova did not think she was good enough to be a professional tennis player. On Saturday, she gave Maria Sharapova a lesson in power hitting to win her first grand slam title at Wimbledon. The 21-year-old hails from the small
JOSE Enrique’s future will be decided by the end of the week, with Liverpool and Arsenal poised to battle it out for the in-demand Newcastle United full-back. But while Alan Pardew has been offered an opportunity to sign Manchester City’s Wayne
SUNDERLAND are hoping to push through a deal for Manchester United defender John O’Shea before Steve Bruce’s squad reconvene for the start of pre-season training on Wednesday. Black Cats officials have already held preliminary talks with
ONLINE fraudsters are marketing a small North-East office as a cosmopolitan hotel with sea view rooms for up to £200-a-night. Poulett Hotels and Suites claims visitors to its Darlington hotel can "discover fresh, new surprises in familiar,
A CHARITY fun run in aid of the fight against cancer was held in sunshine yesterday, with 3,400 women taking part. Cancer Research UK held the latest in its series of North-East Race for Life events in the Aykley Heads area of Durham.
Angelo Mathews perplexed both his own captain and England's Alastair Cook with his determination to ensure team-mate Dinesh Chandimal put a Lord's hundred on his CV yesterday. Cook was even moved to suggest the "gods of cricket" might have viewed the
POLICE are investigating whether or not drugs were involved in the death of a mother. Paramedics were called to a house in Tow Law, County Durham, on Friday night, where they found the 39-yearold unconscious. They discovered the woman, named
Yorkshire suffered more frustration in their t20 campaign after their top order again struggled to reach a more competitive total and condemned them to a convincing defeat against Notts Outlaws. After winning the toss and batting first on a
Cricket writer Tim Wellock looks back on the career of Zimbabwe-born Dale Benkenstein, who last week became Durham’s top first-class run scorer, overtaking the record held held by Jon Lewis. And despite reaching the age of 37, the prolific batsman has
PAUL Collingwood has generally been more effective with the ball than the bat in Twenty20 cricket for Durham, and so it proved in yesterday's 28-run win at home to Worcestershire. Needing 162, the visitors were 60 for one after seven overs
David Haye does not know what his future holds after insisting he "put heavyweight boxing back on the map" despite losing to Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg. In what Klitschko claimed was ‘‘a victory for boxing'' after some of Haye's pre-fight talk
A NORTH-EAST lord on a 3,500-mile truce walk has found himself as popular as Norman Wisdom in Albania. Lord Michael Bates is 700 miles and two months into his walk from the site of the ancient Olympic Games, in Greece, to London, for the start
A GRIEVING father who donated his daughter’s organs following a car crash that also killed his wife is urging people to sign up to the donor register. Ian Richardson was devastated after his family were involved in an accident last August, which
DIVERSIFICATION into new markets is expected to bring North-East subsea sector firms multi-million pound growth in the next two years, new research has shown. A study by industry support body Subsea North East(SNE) predicts that regional firms working
TWO of the 33 Chilean copper miners whose rescue gripped the world will appear at the 127th Durham Miners’ Gala at the weekend. Carlos Barrios Contrera and Carlos Bugueno Alfara will be on the platform along with politicians and union leaders
A MAN has been charged with attempted murder after a tourist was repeatedly hit with a rock. The victim, a 78-year-old man from South Africa, was visiting York for the first time while on holiday. The pensioner was walking alone through York Minster
JON-LEWIS Dickinson will fight for the British cruiserweight title before the end of the year after claiming the Northern Area crown at the Stadium of Light yesterday. Birtley ABC's Dickinson outpointed Sunderland's David Dolan 97-94 as two
A DOUBLE murderer from the North-East is alleged to have stabbed a child killer in the eye in a violent prison attack. Gary Vinter, of Middlesbrough, is believed to have launched an assault on Roy Whiting, who was convicted of murdering schoolgirl
Liverpool yesterday appointed Kevin Keen as first-team coach. Keen spent nine years on the coaching staff at West Ham and was named caretaker manager on three occasions, most recently for the final game of last season, a 3-0 defeat at home
CALLS have been made for the leader of the British National Party to step down in a row over a £16,000 debt to a North-East printing firm. The BNP owes the money to the Newton Press, a community newspaper based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
