Archive

  • Easington manager Colledge quits

    Easington manager Andy Colledge quit straight after tonight's 2-0 home league cup defeat by Whitehaven. Colledge, who guided the club into the Northern League from the Wearside League last season, has become more and more frustrated with the club's situation

  • Bishops blow two goal lead

    Bishop Auckland blew a two goal lead and lost 3-2 at home to Bedlington last night. It looked good for Bishops when Andy Johnson turned quickly on the end of a Chris Bell free kick and scored from twelve yards, and then he got the second when

  • Record breaking weather.

    THE WEATHER in Darlington today is wet, damp and miserable, setting the tone like some willful misbehaved child spoiling the fun of those who dare to enjoy the ‘party.’ Autumn is here, for the brave who like to wrap up and face the elements, or for those

  • Two take on Pady

    Forpadydeplasterer faces just two rivals on his return from a long layoff in the Star "Best For Racing Coverage" Chase at Punchestown today. The 2009 Arkle winner proved himself among the best over two miles the following year, although he could only

  • McCoy banned after void race

    Tony McCoy was one of nine jockeys at Wetherby today hit with a ten-day suspension for failing to stop after a race had been voided. The 16-times champion jockey was riding Sharadiyn in the Betfair Supports Spinal Research Handicap Hurdle when he and

  • Middlesbrough X-Factor girl to return as a guest

    X FACTOR reject Amelia Lily is returning to the hit show this weekend as a guest of judge Kelly Rowland. The former Destiny's Child star dumped the 16-year-old from the show last weekend when each judge had to reject one of their own acts. Writing on

  • Judge's "dog attack" case adjourned

    A HEARING for a judge whose dog allegedly bit a man on the leg has been adjourned. Judge Beatrice Bolton, 57, from Whitton, Rothbury, Northumberland, is accused of owning a dog which was dangerously out of control in a public place. The incident, involving

  • Transporter Bridge left boats in its wake

    Chris Lloyd tells the story of how the 100-year-old Transporter Bridge – dubbed a European monument by one expert - came into being. The Transporter Bridge is “a European monument – in its daring and finesse, it is a thrill to see from anywhere

  • Railway returns to wartime era this weekend

    THE crucial role which Britain's railways played during the Second World War will be remembered this weekend. The North York Moors Railway is turning back the clock to the dark days of the 1940s for their annual wartime weekend. Visitors will take

  • Bereaved husband praises charity for its help

    A BEREAVED husband has praised a charity for the help it gave his family in his wife’s final months before she died of cancer. Steven Smith, 40, of Consett, County Durham, spoke as he presented more than £2,000 to Lifespan, which offers support

  • ‘An untoward jerk and the car was off'

    The iconic Transporter Bridge’s opening day – and the crowd was not unanimous in their welcome for the royals and other wealthy VIPs... On Monday, it is 100 years to the day since the iconic Transporter Bridge was opened. With commemorative

  • Health bill clears Lords hurdle

    THE Government's reform programme for the NHS cleared a crucial hurdle today as it received a second reading in the House of Lords. Peers rejected by a margin of 330-262 an attempt by former SDP leader Lord Owen to delay the Health and Social

  • End Of The Rainbow, Newcastle Theatre Royal

    SOMEWHERE over the rainbow, bluebirds fly… but not without an awful lot of drink, drugs, cigarettes, bullying, self-pity and raw emotion, according to playwright Peter Quilter’s painfully funny view of the last days of Judy Garland. Or, as she

  • Added bite

    Planet Dinosaur (BBC1, 8.30pm) Grand Designs (C4, 9pm) Valentine Warner Eats the Sixties (Yesterday, 9pm) THREE years in the making, this Beeb blockbuster has been one of the trickiest and most rewarding projects of executive producer Andrew

  • Firm to get souped up IT system

    A TECHNOLOGY firm has secured a major deal to overhaul the IT infrastructure of a leading car parts supplier. SITS Group will implement a string of recommendations after a four-week consultancy project to assess the performance of the IT infrastructure

  • MP demands help for biofuels plant

    A NORTH-EAST MP will today call on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to help safeguard jobs at a biofuels plant in the region. In May, Ensus temporarily suspended production at its £250m facility at Wilton, on Teesside, after it was hit by cheap

  • Biotechnology base wins slice of Cable’s funds

    A TEES Valley facility offering biotechnology firms access to equipment that will help turn their research into commercial opportunities is to share in a £140m funding package. Business Secretary Vince Cable said the high value manufacturing

  • Market report

    INVESTORS lost their appetite for risk as doubts remained over progress towards solving the eurozone debt crisis. The FTSE 100 Index was nearly flat, closing 3.3 points lower at 5395.7, having risen by two per cent yesterday as France and Germany

  • War on common sense

    THE war on terror has made us paranoid. What other explanation can there be after a father was quizzed by police for innocently taking photos of his daughter eating an ice-cream in a shopping centre. The police may have been within their

  • Unemployment

    IN 1957, when unemployment was less than 350,000, Harold Macmillan said that most of us had “never had it so good”. If someone stood up at a public meeting then and predicted that 54 years later the jobless total would be over 2.5 million that

  • David Cameron

    RECENTLY, I watched a Conservative Party political broadcast. It focussed entirely on child poverty and overseas aid. It was something quite different from a party of the rich and friends of the bankers. But, as we know, politics is as much

  • Not so cunning as a Fox

    DR Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, has shown – much as William Hague did in his friendship with a personal assistant – that clever people are capable making very stupid errors of judgment. High intelligence and perspicacity don’t always go together

  • Charity walk

    I WOULD like to say a special thank you to the County Durham toddlers who walked on the wild side this summer, raising money for the UK’s largest children’s charity Barnardo’s. This year’s animal-themed Big Toddle attracted over 400 toddlers dressed

  • The fight for our heritage

    THE timing couldn’t be better. As the National Trust leads a fight to save Britain’s countryside, its membership has topped four million. How easily will the Government be able to ignore the world’s largest conservation body, outnumbering all Britain

  • Jobs

    FOR those people who doubt the severity of the cuts imposed by the Government, look at the services geared towards helping young people into college, training and employment. Connexions has disappeared and with it the services to young people,

  • Hear All Sides

    MANY contributions to HAS are intelligent, thoughtful and mature. However, I wonder why you persist in printing trivial letters by one reader in particular. His letter today (October 8th.) about footballer Tevez reads like something from a young

  • Overseas aid

    NOW we live in what is rapidly becoming a Third World country is it not time to stop sending the £9.7bn in aid to foreign countries until we have our own house in order first? Also, do we need to spend billions on two new Aircraft carriers and

  • Mary Rundle

    I WAS saddened to hear of the death of Mary Rundle (formerly Miss Penty), who was the cookery teacher at Hurworth School for many years. It is so sad as she was killed in a car crash. Mary helped organise a reunion of her former pupils every

  • Damaging indecision

    AT the start of the week, we called on David Cameron to act decisively over the pickle in which Defence Secretary Liam Fox has landed himself. Having failed to do so, the Prime Minister is allowing the embarrassment over Dr Fox’s bizarre relationship

  • Does the Bill fit the NHS?

    The Government’s highly controversial proposals to reform the NHS are due to be debated in the House of Lords today. Health Editor Barry Nelson answers some of the questions readers may have. Q What is the purpose of the Health and Social Care

  • Alnwick looking for new manager

    Second Division Alnwick Town are looking for a new manager, following the departures of Dougie McKeown and Steve Gibbard. The pair tendered their resignations, even though the club is lying fourth in the second division after being promoted from the

  • First Durham food festival

    DURHAM will host its first food festival next week, celebrating the best of regional, national and international fare. The inaugural Durham Food Festival will be held across Durham City from Thursday, October 20, until Sunday, October 23. Highlights

  • 'Phone faults costing us business' say firms

    OWNERS of two Darlington firms who say they are losing business as a result of their faulty phone service have complained to Ofcom. Accountant Sue Blaeford, of Blaeford Richardson Ltd, contacted the industry regulator in August after she says she

  • Temporary classroom

    PUPILS at a north Durham school will have a temporary new classroom from tomorrow until the end of term while repairs are carried out. The 112 pupils at Bloemfontein Primary School in Craghead, near Stanley, will take the short walk down the street

  • Moloney displeasure at whip offence penalties

    Leading jockey Paul Moloney voiced his displeasure at the penalties dished out for whip offences as the first National Hunt meeting to take place under the new guidelines passed without serious incident at Huntingdon. Under the new rules, which

  • Borthwick shines along with Bairstow

    JONNY Bairstow’s 53-ball hundred for England had the statisticians scurrying to find out where it stands among the quickest in List A cricket. But the Yorkshireman did not even know he had reached three figures against the Hyderabad CA XI,

  • No doubting Thomas

    Thomas Chippendale provided Tom Queally and Sir Henry Cecil with a nice fillip ahead of Frankel’s big day when emerging victorious. Although the Warren Place team have their sights fixed firmly on the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday

  • Transported through time by accident

    OLD Amos - the fellow the once bushy sideburns who until last week occupied the office next to mine - had several oft-used, favourite words. One of them was "serendipity", and in his absence, now that he has retired, I shall use it. Because

  • Bach masterpiece at Durham Cathedral

    MUSIC lovers will be able to enjoy a fresh performance of one of the greatest works in Western music, in the glorious setting of Durham Cathedral. J.S.Bach’s masterpiece, his Mass in B Minor, will be sung by the Durham Singers, accompanied

  • Bus station’s bike lockers ‘unusable’

    COUNCIL chiefs are back-pedalling rapidly, after it emerged bike lockers installed in a £500,000 bus station renovation are unusable. The four grey plastic lockers have stood empty since being installed at Durham City’s bus station, in North Road

  • Ben Arfa back in training

    HATEM Ben Arfa has returned to training with Newcastle United following the end of a brief spell of compassionate leave. Ben Arfa was a late withdrawal from the reserves squad that won at Bolton Wanderers last week, with Magpies manager Alan

  • Bit of a foul-up

    The curse of the juxtaposition has struck again. Today's back page lead in The Northern Echo is about Sunderland midfielder Lee cattermole launching a staunch defence of his combative style. There's a perception that Cattermole is a

  • Concern over missing man

    A PENSIONER who has not been seen for more than a month is being urged to make contact with his family. Police say they are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of Thomas Potts, who has been missing for several weeks. The 65-year-old, from

  • Shock at tragedy of rough sleeper

    A CATHEDRAL city has been shocked by the death of a homeless man on its streets. Paramedics went to the aid of Ian Hallimond, 45, in Durham City, after a woman spotted him apparently in distress at about 11am on Friday. Mr Hallimond, who is understood

  • eBay the lads – stadium sign goes up for auction

    MAGPIES owner Mike Ashley is selling the famous Newcastle United sign that once adorned St James’ Park on eBay – to the dismay of fans. The move comes two years after Mr Ashley provoked outrage over attempts to rename the club’s home Sportsdirect.com

  • Southern Cross plans to close home in weeks

    ATTEMPTS are under way to find nine elderly people somewhere else to live after it emerged that their care home is the only one of 752 across the country unlikely to attract a new operator. Langholm care home, in Bishop Auckland, has been at

  • Former council chief on rape charges

    A FORMER council chief has gone on trial over a series of alleged rapes and sex attacks. In one incident, Richard Dunn, a former Conservative councillor and deputy leader of Richmondshire District Council, is alleged to have punched his victim

  • Thompson back in BTCC - for one weekend only

    NORTH Yorkshire driver James Thompson will race an Airwaves Racing Ford Focus in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s title-decider at Silverstone this weekend. The double champion from York Thompson has been drafted in by team

  • Dealership told to rethink plans

    A CAR dealership at the centre of a row over its bid to create a forecourt has again been told to re-think its plans. Stoneacre wants to turn open land in Sawmills Lane, Brandon, into a display area for its vehicles. But it has run into

  • Recycling fair helps people choose to reuse

    PEOPLE are being offered the chance to see, buy and learn something different at the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership’s “Choose2Reuse” fairs. The fairs will showcase collections of charity and vintage chic and creations from local designers

  • Young musicans show off their talent

    TALENTED will be hitting all the right notes this weekend at the Ripon Young Musician of the Year 2011 event. Young players and singers will be showing their skills on Friday evening and all day on Saturday culminating with a concert at 7.30pm. Joining

  • Supermobile library timetable is revealed

    A “SUPERMOBILE” library providing a range of services to remote communities will begin operating a new schedule later this month. From October 24, North Yorkshire County Council’s service will call at 22 locations on a rolling fortnightly timetable.

  • Bouncing for roof appeal

    CHILDREN are invited to help a church by taking part in a sponsored bounce. St Andrew's Church, in Haughton, Darlington, will have a bouncy castle inside the church hall on Saturday from 1pm to 5pm to raise money for the Raise the Roof appeal for repairs

  • Beer, cider and perry on offer at Real Ale Festival

    THE organisers of a real ale festival have encouraged visitors to bring along apples from their gardens to help make cider for next years event. The 10th annual Camra Richmond Ale Festival will be held in the town’s Market Hall this weekend with more

  • Cattermole: I've only ever made one bad tackle in my life

    TOUGH-TACKLING Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole last night launched a staunch defence of his combative style, claiming he has only made "one bad tackle" in the whole of his career. Having picked up his third booking of the season in

  • Jobless total at 17-year high

    UNEMPLOYMENT has reached a 17-year high after more than 100,000 people joined the ranks of those looking for a job, grim new figures showed today. Youth unemployment reached a record high of 991,000, while the numbers claiming jobseekers allowance

  • Psychiatrist faced baseball bat threat

    A MENTAL health patient swore at a prosecutor after being sentenced for threatening his former psychiatrist with a baseball bat. John Edward Butterworth told Crown Prosecution Service solicitor Blair Martin to “f*** off” on his way out of Darlington

  • I'm sorry, says runner who took the bus

    A MARATHON runner who caught the bus on his way to a third-placed finish has apologised to organisers for cheating. Rob Sloan, 31, told a friend he became tired at the 20-mile mark of Sunday’s Kielder Marathon, in Northumberland, and hopped

  • Opera star Sir Thomas accepts university role

    COUNTY Durham-born opera star Sir Thomas Allen said his appointment as the new chancellor of Durham University felt like a “homecoming”. Sir Thomas, 67, who was born in Seaham Harbour and has received worldwide acclaim for his performances, will

  • Flighty photo shoot

    A GROUP of military wives and girlfriends have joined forces for a Forties-style charity calendar in aid of a cause close to their hearts. The Leeming Ladies, who live around Leeming and Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, and who all have husbands

  • Police facing £1m bill over stitch-up

    A NORTH-EAST police force is facing a massive compensation claim from a former officer, who was convicted and jailed for a crime he did not commit. Traffic officer Sultan Alam was dismissed from Cleveland Police after being found guilty of handling

  • Cooper moved to tears after victory

    Mark Cooper revealed that he was almost moved to tears by the emotion of last night's dramatic 4-3 win at Stockport. Two days after chairman Raj Singh pledged his support following an awful run of form that had led to some calling for a change

  • Collins expects a positive Pools response

    LAST time there was real anger in the Hartlepool United dressing room, there was a positive response - and now Sam Collins expects the same. Things got heated after Pools squandered a two-goal lead at Stevenage in August and they went on to win their

  • Small firms setting the pace for recovery

    THE North-East is helping to drive economic recovery thanks to the “strong entrepreneurial spirit” of smaller firms in the region, according to a study published today. An index drawn up by Barclays on which regions benefited most from their small

  • New SSI workers fired up to restart steelmaking

    FORMER bakers and printers joined experienced steelworkers as the first batch of new recruits began their careers with Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK (SSI) yesterday. The 86 at yesterday's induction in Middlesbrough will start work at the former Teesside

  • Mowbray the reason behind Boro turnaround, says Cooper

    COLIN Cooper believes you only have to look at the Middlesbrough squad to see why the club has gone from relegation candidates to promotion challengers in less than a year. Cooper returned to the club a month ago to become part of Tony Mowbray's coaching

  • Bishops looking to stretch unbeaten league run

    Bishop Auckland are hoping to stretch their unbeaten run to five league games when they play Bedlington at Heritage Park tonight. Bishops came back from 2-1 down with nine men to snatch a draw at Shildon last Saturday, and manager Colin Myers said: “