Archive

  • Hill won't give up on Superbikes dream

    TOMMY HILL refused to give up on retaining his MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship crown despite seeing his title chances all but evaporate after a disastrous weekend at Silverstone. Hill could only manage a pair of seventh-place finishes

  • MATCH REPORT: Hartlepool United 1 Sheffield United 2

    NEALE Cooper has, for the most of the season, been critical of his players - and he has had every right to be. But in defeat to Sheffield United, he had nothing but praise for the performance of his Hartlepool United side. The Blades, managed

  • Match Report: Penrith 1 Darlington 4

    Final Score: Penrith 1 Darlington 4 A DOUBLE from Adam Nicholls helped Darlington to another high-scoring win. Their goal tally now stands at 24 in their last seven games, all of them victories, after they won 4-1 at rain-soaked Penrith.

  • October entertainment at Cockfield club…

    Before I give the details of Octobers events, it would be remiss of me not to remark on the sad and untimely death of Ada Gardener. Ada, who was 62yrs old, died suddenly on Thursday 27th September. Alongside her husband, David, she worked tirelessly

  • Ord quits at Durham

    Former Sunderland defender Dickie Ord has quit as manager of Durham City, so James Winter and Dan Madden will take charge of their away game at Newcastle Benfield on Wednesday night. Ord had been in charge of City for over two seasons after the departure

  • Cooper makes three changes to his Hartlepool side

    NEALE Cooper has made three changes to his Hartlepool United side for their League One home game with Sheffield United. After losing 3-1 at Colchester at the weekend, skipper Sam Collins, left-back Evan Horwood and winger Craig Lynch have been benched

  • Residents asked about community issues

    PEOPLE in north Durham have been asked to talk about community issues at a series of drop-in sessions. Residents of South Stanley are invited to call in and discuss any concerns about their neighbourhood with representatives from Durham County

  • Miliband takes a step forward

    AT the end of last week, The Northern Echo asked the question: Where has Ed Miliband been while the Coalition has been busily shooting itself in the foot? Now we know - he's been practising his leader's speech to the point at which he may 

  • Have your say in Stanley

    PEOPLE in a former mining town are being urged to bid for a slice of £120,000 of public cash. Stanley Area Action Partnership (AAP) is working with Stanley Town Council to give residents the chance to say how local budgets are spent for the second

  • "I need a husband"

    Celebrity Big Brother winner Julian Clary chats to Steve Pratt about his experience on the show and why he decided to turn his hunt for Mr Right into a comedy tour taking in Harrogate and Newcastle JULIAN Clary is sitting in the garden of his 15th

  • Thief steals charity cyclist's £1,000 bike

    A CYCLIST is devastated after a thief stole the bike he was planning to use for a Coast to Coast charity cycle ride. Daniel Ridley locked up his Canondale SL3 bike outside Bannatyne’s Health Club, in Haughton Road, Darlington, on Saturday at about

  • Guitar greats

    The North-East is about to play host to some of the world’s best guitarists for a nine-day festival. Viv Hardwick sets the scene NEXT month’s North East Guitar Festival features internationally famous performers such as Djangologie and Wilko Johnson

  • On tour with North Country Theatre

    Steve Pratt talks to Nobby Dimon, of North Country Theatre, about taking the almost forgotten horror stories of J S Fletcher out on tour HALIFAX-born J S Fletcher wrote more than 100 novels – mostly detective stories and thrillers – but, today,

  • War Horse

    The National Theatre’s multi-award winning production currently running in the West End and on Broadway, will embark on a UK tour next year and is due to be staged at Sunderland Empire Theatre in 2014. Exact Wearside dates are still being discussed

  • Robbery is a tall order from Carl to Chas and Cam

    BLACKMAIL is a terrible thing. Especially, as secret lovers Chas and Cam will tell you, when you don’t have the cash to satisfy the person demanding money with menaces. The shadow of Carl, the tallest man in soap, is casting a long shadow over

  • New £1.75m roundabout planned for Durham road

    A COUNCIL wants to build a £1.75m new roundabout on the busy A167 to cut congestion and improve road safety, it emerged today. Motorists, truckers and residents have raised concerns over the A167/B6300 junction, near Sunderland Bridge, south of

  • The Manson Family: Born to Kill? (Channel 5, 8pm)

    MUCH has been said about Charles Manson since the infamous murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and her friends in August 1969. Over two nights, seven people were killed by Manson’s followers – members of his socalled Family. More than 40 years

  • Last Man Standing (Sky1, 6pm)

    FOR those under 35, chances are that the first time they heard of Tim Allen was when he provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the original Toy Story animated film. More mature people may remember a US sitcom called Home Improvement, in which Allen

  • Fire at Redcar steel plant

    FIRE crews were called to a steel plant in the early hours of this morning after a spillage of molten steel. The incident took place at 6.30am at the SSI steel plant in Redcar when a ladle carrying molten steel spilled its contents into a safety pit

  • Theatre Review: The Sacred Flame, Newcastle Northern Stage

    I’M off to the library to get some (William) Somerset Maugham novels. What a cracking writer; eerily contemporary with a formal, literary dialogue that really captures the essence of character and place. I can’t believe that The Sacred Flame was

  • Break could pay dividends for Hi George

    HI George is highly rated by Malcolm Jefferson and is taken to get back to winning ways in the Constructing Excellence Novices’ Hurdle at Sedgefield. Winner of his first start over hurdles at Kelso, he dropped away tamely at Aintree in May but

  • Saturation coverage

    SAVE for its most famous inhabitant, globally renowned, Ravensworth might be supposed a pretty anonymous sort of a place. It’s a small village off the A66 west of Scotch Corner, home to a couple of hundred people, a ruined castle and a pub. These

  • The horseman riding high

    ROBERT Wilmot can’t remember ever learning to ride a horse, but does recall, at the age of four, setting off on his horse for regular 20-mile rides from his parent’s riding centre. By the age of eight, he’d competed in his first three-day event

  • WE ALL NEED TO THINK BIKE

    I READ the complaint about motorcyclists (HAS, Oct 1) with growing anxiety. While attempting to criticise the actions of a motorcyclist, it is quite apparent that the anonymous writer was, in fact, admitting to leave a junction into the path of

  • ANDREW MITCHELL

    GERALD WILD wonders why the recent altercation between Cabinet Minister Andrew Mitchell and the police has taken on a life of its own – and then rather adds to the furore by asking for an inquiry (HAS, Sept 28). I rather hope that the Prime Minister

  • MORE SCROUNGERS

    LABOUR once boogied to the song Things Can Only Get Better, Lib Dem pop sensation Nick Clegg recently released a cheesy I’m sorry remix but the Conservatives have a more cultured taste in music. They like opera. Chancellor George Osborne, Education

  • LABOUR

    THE Labour Party seems to think that, because the Government is taking tough measures which may not succeed, the next election is on a plate. In the post-war years, the Labour Party has heard the aspirations of its grass roots but faltered when

  • BENEFIT SCROUNGERS

    SURELY it is time to reduce the number of unemployed EU migrants and shut the benefits door on people seeking an easy life at the expense of British taxpayers? Recently a mother-of-ten from Latvia, who receives £34,000 a year in benefits, caused

  • BNP

    FOR reasons I have explained at length, I regard Ralph Musgrave’s party, the BNP, as a racist, neo-Nazi organisation. According to Mr Musgrave, this makes me a “seriously deranged” member of the “political left,” who is inclined to “throw tantrums

  • TERRORISM

    I WAS amused to read Pete Winstanley’s “dispassionate” view of how to defeat terrorism taking into account its origins and basis of support (HAS, Sept 28). However, while repetitiously reminding us that the West is somehow culpable in these

  • OVERSEAS AID

    I AGREE with the recent comments made by G Hall concerning tuition fees (HAS, Oct 1). Due to the increases in tuition fees, student applications have fallen to such a level that some universities are reporting courses with unfilled places. The

  • Cracking down on criminality

    THERE is a great deal more police work to be done on the English language. It will not do, for instance, for people in public life and authority – including former Home Secretary Jack Straw – to say that some Pakistani men are “in denial” about their

  • Did Sir Jimmy have dark side?

    The legendary Sir Jimmy Savile was a sexual predator of young girls, a new television documentary claims. Stuart Arnold reports SIR Jimmy Savile – superstar DJ, television personality, charity fundraiser, marathon runner, parttime wrestler

  • Poulter: The man they love to hate

    TEAM success in the Ryder Cup and individual glory in major championships are not mutually exclusive, as the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam proved on many occasions. But if Ian Poulter

  • Important gateway

    IT would be very sad if Durham Tees Valley Airport were to close to passengers. It would be sad because jobs would be lost. It would be sad because its role as an “economic driver” is important, and it would be sad because of the signal that it

  • Ryder Cup - what they said...

    ‘‘We have actually revised the qualification for next time. It’s nine (qualifying) spots, two picks and Poults. It’s the Poults clause’’ – Westwood reflects on Poulter’s remarkable performance. ‘‘I’m officially taking two years off and I’ll

  • Art project proves a big draw

    VISITORS to a railway museum are taking part in a giant art project. The Big Draw event is being run by staff at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon as part of a free national scheme organised by The Campaign for Drawing. The

  • McIlroy's race to the tee pays off

    RORY McIlroy shudders to think what the reaction would have been if he had missed the Ryder Cup singles in Chicago and Europe had lost by a point – both of which nearly happened. Instead the world No 1, given a police escort from the team hotel

  • Inquiry told of £362,000 pay-off

    AN investigation surrounding payments made to a senior police official included a £362,000 redundancy payoff, it has emerged. Former Cleveland Police Authority chief executive Joe McCarthy is being investigated for alleged fraud, corruption and

  • Pierced nipple clues to attack

    AN attacker who was identified by his pierced nipple was last night starting an 18- month prison sentence. Adrian Skeen was barechested when he punched another man outside a nightclub in Redcar, east Cleveland. Doormen gave a description to

  • Security anger at floods-hit estate

    SECURITY fears have led some residents from an estate badly affected by flooding to move back into their homes – despite advice to leave. After severe rainfall gouged out material from under a four-storey development, riighht, in Newburn, Newcastle

  • The main culprit

    A WATER pipe which has burst more times than any other in the region – creating chaos on one of the main roads to the Yorkshire Dales – is finally being replaced. The 500-metre section on the A684 at Leeming Bar, near Bedale, has burst ten times

  • England are just not good enough

    INEXPERIENCED England failed to measure up in defence of their ICC World Twenty20 title – and, in the words of their captain Stuart Broad, were ‘‘not quite good enough’’ throughout. England’s exit was confirmed when, despite a maiden Twenty20 international

  • House for under a grand?

    A HOUSE going under the hammer in Middlesbrough could become Britain’s cheapest with a starting price of £750. Number 12, Limetrees Close, in Port Clarence, could become Britain’s cheapest house when it is sold at auction the end of the month.

  • Thirsk man wanted for recall to prison

    POLICE are hunting a man wanted for recall to prison. Joshua Lee Sargent, 20, was released from prison on Friday, September 14 but breached the terms of his licence by not living at a specified address. He had been sentenced to three year’s

  • Drugs case couple ordered to pay £844

    A DISGRACED former solicitor and his ex-girlfriend were ordered to pay a total of £844 in proceeds of crime following a conviction for drug possession. Bernard Ridsdale Tombling and Lisa Beatrice Hutchinson were found with an estimated £8,000-worth

  • Baldwin to get a chance at centre-half for Pools

    HARTLEPOOL United embark on an important week, with boss Neale Cooper planning more changes. Pools meet unbeaten Sheffield United at home tonight, and after the visit of Danny Wilson's side they go to Crewe, where they have already lost 5-0 this

  • Mowbray defends selection policies

    TONY MOWBRAY will not be afraid to fine tune his Middlesbrough team again if he thinks changes are the perfect way to boost the club's promotion aspirations. Boro's first home defeat of the season arrived against Leicester City on Saturday, when

  • More to come from Quakers

    The Ebac Northern League’s top four are all in action this evening with league leaders Darlington hoping to widen the gap on second-place Spennymoor when they travel to Penrith. They hold a six-point lead over Moors who are at Ashington, but are

  • Spirit of Seve conjures up Medinah magic

    THROUGHOUT last week, it was made clear that Jose Maria Olazabal wanted to win the Ryder Cup for the late, the great, Seve Ballesteros. Over the course of Sunday it became clear he was not the only one with that mindset. Make no mistake about it

  • McFadden's Cats deal close ahead of departures

    MARTIN O'NEILL has told some of his fringe men to think positively about the future if they leave Sunderland on loan this month as a deal for James McFadden edges closer. The Black Cats boss is ready to give the go-ahead for temporary moves away

  • Magpies set up 'excellent' new deal

    NEWCASTLE UNITED have terminated their shirt deal with Virgin Money early having found a new sponsor. The Magpies signed their two-year deal in January but have taken the option available to them to end to that contract after this season and not

  • Jonas confident Pardew will keep Magpies ticking

    JONAS GUTIERREZ thinks stability off the pitch will ensure Newcastle United continue to flourish on it after securing the future of manager Alan Pardew. The Magpies' first match since Pardew committed to a new eight-year deal ended in a 2-2 draw

  • Darlington built Tornado prepares for its blue period

    A STEAM locomotive with strong North-East links is to be repainted in a different colour, the charity that built it has announced. Tornado, the first main line steam locomotive to be built in Britain for nearly 50 years, will have its traditional

  • Chilton church pensioner defied scissors thug

    AN elderly church helper was praised for his “great fortitude” in refusing to submit to a heroin addict who threatened to stab him with scissors. Would-be robber Stuart Eric Marley was jailed for a total of eight years after tried to waylay the

  • Crook murder trial told of stamp and kick

    A MAN killed his stepfather’s drinking friend after an argument about a comment he was said to have made a week earlier. Christopher Morgan punched, kicked and stamped on Jonathan Gilbert at his home in Crook, County Durham, on April 20. The

  • Flu jab plea to region's pregnant women

    A YOUNG mother is helping to launch the annual free flu jab campaign in the region, after concerns that the takeup among pregnant women was too low last year. Sarah Lister, 27, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, agreed to help launch the big

  • Couple hope to build hospice in Weardale for virus-hit cats

    AN animal sanctuary has applied for planning permission to build the only hospice in the country for cats with feline Aids. Gareth and Jan Edwards first became aware of the illness six years ago while helping feral cats in St John’s Chapel in Weardale

  • Inquest told how Easingwold farmer was crushed

    A FARMHAND has told of her desperate attempts to save a respected rare breed cattle farmer from being crushed to death. Terence Bailey, originally from Richmond, died after using a hydraulic post driver for the first time on March 13, a jury at

  • Barnard Castle crash victims remain in hospital

    A FATHER and two of his children remain in hospital after a serious two-car collision near Staindrop at the weekend. Darren Handyside, 45, from Butterknowle, is said to be improving in The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, after suffering