Bishop Auckland missed a chance to go fourth in the EBAC Northern League when they were beaten 4-1 at home by Whitley Bay last night. Whitley took the lead when Steve Salvin slipped, allowing Denver Morris to run through and set up Ashley Davis
Saturday 6th October is ‘Cockfield Kings Head Quoits Team’ presentation night. Although the team didn’t exactly set the ‘A’ division alight, we did manage to avoid relegation… by one point! To be fair, with a depleted squad, it wasn’t a bad
TONY MOWBRAY has opted against naming Scott McDonald in his 18-man match day squad to face Derby County tonight. Despite clear-the-air talks between the pair earlier this week and McDonald's return to the first team fold, the Australian has not
ANGER over Sir Jimmy Savile's alleged sex abuse, as more women make claims they were victims over many years, has led to a memorial in North Yorkshire being attacked and fears of further reprisals. A historic rape allegation made against the late
AN EXOTIC orchid housed at a North-East college has started to flower fully for the first time in a decade. The Stanhopea tigrina, named after the Earl of Stanhope – former President of the Medico-Botanical Society, is native to South America.
DETECTIVES investigating an armed robbery in which a masked gang stole thousands of pounds from a County Durham family have recovered a vehicle believed to have been used in the raid. Four knife-wielding men made off with more than £6,000 after
POLICE are hunting a motorist who failed to stop after an accident in Darlington. The driver was travelling in a car which collided with a silver Renault Megane on the North Road and Thompson Street East junction around 9.30pm on Sunday, September
A DARLINGTON dyslexia charity is holding a fundraiser to raise awareness of the learning disability. Dyslexia Action, in Woodland Road, Darlington, will host a coffee morning on Saturday, October 13, for parents and carers to find out more about
AN ambitious company has launched a training division to offer students hands-on experience while helping to reduce printing costs for educational organisations. Newton Aycliffe-based Schoolprint, part of the Splash Print Management group, offers
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 was jailed for three years in April
A CHURCHMAN has launched a book to help fellow clergymen cope with an ever-increasing workload. The Reverend Canon Dr Stephen Cherry, a residentiary canon at Durham Cathedral, said his book, Beyond Business, is packed with time management tips
EMPLOYERS have been praised for embracing the chance to reduce youth unemployment which has blighted the North- East. Foundation for Jobs is on course to hit its targets in creating jobs for young people and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow
HOSPITAL staff have admitted that national guidelines issued to prevent an outbreak of a potentially-fatal disease at one of the region’s largest hospitals were not followed. The guidelines, put into place to protect patients from the C-Diff (clostridium
A MAN accused of stabbing his girlfriend’s stepfather through the heart with a steak knife has gone on trial charged with murder. Nicolas Warrender, 23, is alleged to have attacked 53-yearold Kevin Gaunt on the doorstep of his home in Avenue Vivian
JUST over a year ago, in July 2011, we made a significant leap as Hummersknott School and Language College and became Hummersknott Academy. Reflecting on the past year or so, I have only one regret – that we did not do it sooner. Academies
THE son of a North-East miners’ leader who died recently is bidding to launch his political career. Stephen Guy’s father David had been president of the Durham Miners’ Association for 27 years when he died of cancer in July, aged 66. Now Mr
IT is always nice when something you are dreading is not so bad after all. And when that something is actually highly enjoyable, it is one of the best feelings ever. This sums up my experience at the first rehearsal of the Lindisfarne Gospels Community
A SWIMMER who had a kidney transplant more than 25 years ago is appealing for sponsors to help her represent her country for the eighth time. Denise Baker, 53, from Darlington, has won more than 50 medals at the British Transplant Games and the
A 4D cinema experience was launched yesterday at a North-East visitor attraction. There were screams all round when schoolchildren from the region came faceto- face with Dracula as the Life Science Centre, in Newcastle, launched its latest ride
WAVERLEY TBS Limited, one of the UK's largest wholesalers and distributors of alcoholic and soft drinks, has gone into administration, putting 200 North-East jobs at risk. Daniel Butters and William Dawson, partners at Deloitte, have been appointed
A STORM is brewing in the offshore energy industry. UK waters have the highest concentration of wind turbines anywhere in the world. Of the 211 built in Europe during the first half of this year, 158 were installed off the UK coast. But only
A HERITAGE railway has launched a £250,000 campaign to extend its line and build a new station. The Wensleydale Railway has already begun work to upgrade the track between Leeming Bar and Northallerton, in North Yorkshire, to make it suitable for
FOLLOWING a concert featuring the first symphonies of Brahms and Schumann, Northern Sinfonia presented chamber music reflecting a more intimate side of the composers. Performing to a capacity audience in The Sage’s Hall Two, Kyra Humphreys introduced
JUST when it seemed the last Hosanna might have sounded for the stage version of this much-revived 1970s musical, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber have come up with a 21st Century version which rocks us from Passion to Crucifixion. Director Laurence
THE head of a successful imaging firm will talk about the region’s engineering heritage and the need to encourage businesses to set up here at the North-East’s biggest engineering and manufacturing exhibition. Dr Arnab Basu, chief executive of
A RENEWABLE energy entrepreneur is exploring new markets following a company merger. Helios Eco Solutions, which was set up by Gerard Harrison with help from Newcastle Science City two years ago, is now trading under the name Rosedale Utilities
OLIVER LANSLEY does an uncanny impression of late DJ and comic Kenny Everett. So much so that Everett’s former wife, Lee Middleton, said: “It’s as if Ev’s come back from the dead”. Lansley was the last person to be auditioned to play Everett in
STEELMAKER Tata Steel has arranged a £3.7bn loan from a banking consortium to fund construction of a factory in eastern India. In August, Tata Steel announced an 89 per cent slump in first-quarter net profit from a year earlier, due to falling
LAST week’s floods have left a legacy of chaos, distruption and misery as the clean-up operation and repairs continue. In North Yorkshire, 21 roads, many involving bridges, are still closed although engineers have worked round the clock for seven
SPORTY students at a North-East school were left inspired after a talk from a Paralympic star. Three-times gold medallist Stephen Miller, who also competed at this year’s Paralympic Games in the club throw, gave a talk to about 50 year ten pupils
CALL centre operater Spark Response has launched a recruitment drive for 170 temporary staff to help manage the Christmas rush. With clients, including retailers such as Toys R Us, who see a significant hike in demand in the coming months, Spark needs
THE lack of a coherent Government policy on "green" industries is thwarting the creation of thousands of jobs in the Tees Valley, writes Alex Cunningham, Labour MP for Stockton North. Our industrialists are committed, they have investors who believe
ARTIST Mackenzie Thorpe has donated a limited edition print to charity that celebrates the working men who made Teesside a major industrial force. The Middlesbrough-born artist has released the print called Knights to raise funds for the Middlesbrough
HEALTH officials have released figures which show a controversial new centralised stroke treatment unit has improved the treatment of acute patients. Since the new centralised unit was set up at the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham
AN elderly man whose Jack Russell was savaged by another dog has warned other owners to be on the lookout. Roland Metcalfe, 84, was walking seven-year-old Tiny on wasteland near Wesley Court, off Yarm Road, Darlington, on Thursday morning, when
NEW workplace pensions designed to help people who are not voluntarily saving for retirement take effect in October, writes Harry O'Connor, Wealth Management Consultant, Pearson Jones Plc in Bishop Auckland. From October 1, business owners, starting
A CHARITY which aims to promote the great outdoors to children and young adults is hoping to strike the right note with music fans. WoodNRock Fest 2012 has been organised by Wood- NWheels, an organisation based in Hamsterley Forest which offers
ASKED to conjure up an image of a drug addict, most people would picture a stereotypical junkie – unkempt, down and out, with needle marks puncturing their arms. Cathryn Kemp couldn’t be further from that. At 41, she’s smart, attractive, middle-class
TESTIMONY Films is producing a new documentary for ITV1 with David Suchet, better known as TVs Poirot, exploring and celebrating the life and work of best-selling author Agatha Christie. We are looking for people with firsthand knowledge of Christie
REGARDING the argument over bees on allotments in Hurworth (HAS, Sept 29). At some point the vice chairman of Hurworth Parish Council asked the opinion of the recently retired Director of Development and Environment for Darlington Borough Council
THE Northern Echo asks why couldn’t the A1 cope with the recent downpours (Echo, Sept 27). Reporter Stuart Arnold suggested that the cancellation of the Leeming to Barton upgrade was something to do with it. The cancellation of the upgrade had
HOW much more misery are we going to be subjected to by this insipid bunch who call themselves the Government? While our economy sinks further into an abyss, we are still handing out billions in foreign aid to countries, like India, whose economies
IN this time of cost cutting and general despondency at austerity measures, it is nice to know that when an urgent request goes to Durham County Council on a potential highways safety issue that officers respond promptly. They erected a traffic
HSBC is planning to close its branch in Shildon (Echo, 27 September). Instead of campaigning to keep the branch open, why not bid good riddance to the big banks and instead try to persuade one of the more customer-focused banks to open a branch
Pat Howarth, principal of Darlingtons Hummersknott Academy, reflects on the benefits of being more independent of local authority control for over a year and comes to an overwhelmingly positive conclusion. Just over a year ago in June 2011, we
I JOIN others who are frustrated at the extradition saga of radical cleric Abu Hamza. Hamza’s extradition to the US has been put on hold pending a further hearing this week (Echo, Oct 1). Surely the charges against him could have been dealt
IT was heartening to read Lauren Pyrah’s exclusive report that the County Durham manufacturing firm Ebac is hoping to start making washing machines (Echo, Sept 26). However, I was shocked to read that, at present, all our washing machines are imported
VERY good of him, I’m sure. David Cameron has at last promised, or at any rate hinted, that he might allow the public its say on Britain’s continued membership of the European Union. Or has he? Let’s examine his words, uttered not to the British
EMMA Hignett's voice is hard to avoid. Her announcements on London's buses make sure the capital's six million commuters and tourists don't miss their stops. For several years she was the voice of Sensodyne toothpaste's TV advertisements.
A COUPLE who set up a family cheese-making business to secure the future of their dairy farm have won an industry award. Carol and Neil Peacock, of Parlour Made Artisan Cheese, in Mordon, near Sedgefield, County Durham, received a bronze medal
TWO staff members from a North Yorkshire nursery where a three-year-old girl died after she became entangled in playground equipment have been arrested, police confirmed. North Yorkshire Police said detectives investigating the death of Lydia Bishop
NOT a geek, not a nerd, not a wonk. No longer Red Ed. No more the baffling talk of producers, predators and predistribution. Gone was the awkwardness, the gawkiness, the nasal whine. Gone even that strange white badger streak in his black hair
TWO firms have admitted breaching health and safety rules four years after a fatherof- two was killed in a steel plant when a falling metal bar hit his head. Bricklayer Kristian Norris, 29, of Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, died on April 12, 2008
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 finally
HOVERING over the edge of a steep cliff with only a rope and a pair of stout boots for safety, this looks more like a mountaineering expedition than a fishing trip. But the North-East coast has become a favourite spot for Britain’s bravest anglers
THE North East Shadow Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has delivered a majority decision not to change the interest rate and hold further quantitative easing, ahead of the Bank of England's announcement on Thursday. However, one member, Michael
THE death of a man whose body was found in Hartlepool Marina is not being treated as suspicious, police said last night. The body was found by a fisherman in the water beside boats at the weekend and a post-mortem examination has been carried out
A NORTH-EAST businessman is determined to employ as many local workers as possible if a major retirement village gets the go ahead. Javed Majid has announced that his company Maher Developments has submitted an outline planning application for
A North-East company behind the Tees Barrage white water centre has won a £5m contract to inspire future generations of Olympic athletes. Patrick Parsons Consulting Engineers is about to start work on the Lee Valley site where Team GB enjoyed one
It's not easy being an editor. Sometimes you end up doing the strangest of things. Like this morning for example, when I had to perform a Beatles hit in front of workmen in our kitchen. You see, we're having a new kitchen fitted over the
TEES Valley is fast becoming the global capital for subsea innovation. Darlington may be about 25 miles from the coast but it has a cluster of firms, such as Modus Seabed Intervention and DeepOcean Group, formerly known as CTC Marine, capable of
A CORONER has said the full inquest into the death of a three-year-old girl will have to wait until a lengthy investigation by police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is complete. The inquest in York was told Lydia Bishop died after being
DRAGON’S Den star Duncan Bannatyne has been discharged from hospital following a heart attack scare. The entrepreneur was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital on Monday morning with chest pains, but was allowed home yesterday after undergoing
A PATHOLOGIST has told a murder trial jury that a man killed in his home suffered at least three blows to his head, as well as one which broke a rib. Dr Mark Egan said victim Jonathan Gilbert died of a subdural haemorrhage – a bleeding to the brain
IT’S curtains up for the cast of one of the region’s pantomimes. The star of the show in Middlesbrough Theatre’s production of Peter Pan will be John Challis, who played Boycie in TV show Only Fools and Horses. He will perform alongside established
THE demolition of a building which once represented the North- East’s industrial dominance finally started yesterday. The ruined shell of Billingham House, in Billingham, near Stockton, once the headquarters of ICI’s agricultural division, has
EUROPE’S Ryder Cup-winning captain Jose Maria Olazabal compared the performance of Ian Poulter at Medinah to that of his late countryman Seve Ballesteros. Olazabal led Europe to a remarkable comeback from 10-4 down to beat the United States on
CALL centre operater Spark Response has launched a recruitment drive for 170 temporary staff to help manage the pre Christmas rush. With clients including Toys R Us, Soap and Glory, FitFlop, Micro Scooters and Well Mount who see a significant hike
BUSINESSES can benefit from an innovative partnership between Teesside University and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to create new opportunities for graduates. A subsidy is on offer for businesses which employ a graduate through the programme,
HE might not have been at the club last season, but Sunderland defender Danny Rose admits Martin O'Neill's men have a point to prove when they go to Manchester City on Saturday. The Black Cats came agonisingly close to springing a surprise on the
GAEL BIGIRIMANA'S career at Newcastle is only a few months old, but already the teenager is earning himself a big reputation on Tyneside. The 18-year-old was part of manager Alan Pardew's summer recruitment drive, which was focused on bringing
FORGOTTEN man Scott McDonald is set to make a surprise return to the Middlesbrough squad for tonight's game against Derby County. McDonald hasn't featured for Boro at all this season, but after holding talks with Boro boss Tony Mowbray on Tuesday
YORKSHIRE yesterday confirmed the signing of Liam Plunkett, who hopes the move will rekindle his England career. With a year left on his contract, Durham will be happy to offload Plunkett from their wage bill as he has been unable to respond to
Five fire crews were called to tackle a major blaze at a chapel in Teesdale, County Durham. A report of a building on fire was received at 5am this morning near Selset quarry on the B6276 Middleton-in-Teesdale to Brough road. Initial
A HERITAGE railway has launched a £250,000 campaign to extend its line and build a new station. The Wensleydale Railway has already begun work to upgrade the track between Leeming Bar and Northallerton, in North Yorkshire, to make it suitable for
HOSPITAL staff have admitted that national guidelines issued to prevent an outbreak of a potentially-fatal disease at one of the region’s largest hospitals were not followed. The guidelines, put into place to protect patients from the C-Diff (clostridium
A TEENAGER with no history of ill health who collapsed after suffering a heart attack was saved by the quick thinking and actions of his family, neighbours and the emergency services. Emmerson Hird last night said he was “the luckiest teenager
EXPERTS have warned that one of the region’s oldest theatres is in need of major refurbishment if it is to compete with other venues in the coming years. Often described as the “jewel in the crown” of Darlington, the town’s Civic Theatre was saved
ARTIST Mackenzie Thorpe has donated a limited edition print to charity that celebrates the working men who made Teesside a major industrial force. The Middlesbrough-born artist has released the print called Knights to raise funds for the Middlesbrough
THE grandfather of two children critically injured in a head-on crash paid tribute last night to the emergency services which saved their lives. Ten-year-old Jack Handyside and his eight-year-old sister, Sophie, suffered severe head injuries and
EXTRACTS from “sensitive” letters between Prince Philip and an actress he is alleged to have had an affair with are to feature in a controversial musical opening tonight. The play, Pat Kirkwood is Angry, dramatises the life of the stage and
To mark the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to their spiritual home in Durham Cathedral, members of the public have been invited to join a community choir and perform at a concert on Palace Green in July. Lizzie Anderson joins the ranks. IT
A MAN accused of stabbing his girlfriend’s stepfather through the heart with a steak knife has gone on trial charged with murder. Nicolas Warrender, 23, is alleged to have attacked 53-yearold Kevin Gaunt on the doorstep of his home in Avenue Vivian
LAST week’s floods have left a legacy of chaos, distruption and misery as the clean-up operation and repairs continue. In North Yorkshire, 21 roads, many involving bridges, are still closed although engineers have worked round the clock for seven
THE North-East’s largest council has snubbed transport’s major names in favour of smaller, local firms in awarding bus contracts worth more than £3m. Durham County Council has completed a retendering process covering £3.3m-worth of subsidised bus
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
