Final Score: Benfica 3 Newcastle United 1 DIFFERENT opposition, a different venue and a different group of players, but there was a sense of history repeating itself for Newcastle United in a Lisbon quarter-final last night. Eight years after
Spennymoor are now 26 points behind leaders Darlington with nine games in hand after they won 3-0 at Billingham Town last night. Moors hit the woodwork twice before Lewis Dodds put them into the lead after 36 minutes from outside the box, and they
A NORTH-EAST club owner has been named Britain’s Best Groomed Man after beating thousands of entrants to win a national competition. Les Langley, 46, from Darlington, who was the oldest entrant in the competition, landed a one-year modelling contract
ALAN PARDEW has recalled James Perch and Sylvain Marveaux to the Newcastle United starting line-up as he looks to take a positive result in to the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final with Benfica. Perch comes in for Vurnon Anita in the
AN ELDERLY couple described as “absolutely devoted to each other” died together in a blaze at their home. Friends and neighbours said the pair, believed to be 88 and 90-years-old, were very much in love, and wonderful neighbours. The fire at
A FATHER is facing jail after being put under pressure to store drugs at his home for another person. Kevin Moore today (April 4) admitted possessing with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court. The 47
A TV chef cooked up some hasty explanations to his friends, after his three-year-old son went on a social networking rampage. Kenny Atkinson, head chef at the five-star Rockliffe Hall Hotel, in Hurworth, near Darlington, woke on Wednesday (April
A GROUP of North-East pupils are celebrating after winning an award in a Formula 1 racing competition. The Blazing Hares team, from Durham Johnston School, won the Ferrari North Europe Research and Development prize at the F1 in Schools national
AN ADVERTISING vehicle has been stolen. It was taken from Abbey Road business park, in Pity Me, Durham City, between Maundy Thursday and Tuesday, April 2. Anyone with information on the vehicle’s whereabouts is asked to call PC Darrell Brown
A REPEAT burglar was warned he is facing the usual prison sentence for “three-strikes” offenders of three years or more after he admitted his latest break-in. Patrick Michael Carlin, 46, was accused of burglary at a house in Grove Terrace, Burnopfield
A Police and Community Together (Pact) meeting will be held at the Blackhall Resource Centre, in Blackhall, from 6pm to 7pm on Wednesday, April 10. A member of the neighbourhood policing team will be in attendance. HOUSE PLANS: A planning application
A TENNIS club has launched a new campaign to encourage more people to pick up a racquet and play tennis. Throughout April, Norton Tennis Club is inviting people to come and play tennis and find out more about the club at weekly taster sessions
A BINGE-DRINKING burglar who trashed a shop before stealing cigarettes is today behind bars. Darlington magistrates heard 22-year-old Jamie Bethell and three other accomplices broke into S & S Supermarket, in Darlington, after it had shut for
GOLFERS have raised £5,000 for a city hospice. Members of Ramside Golf Club, near Durham City, generated the cash for St Cuthbert’s Hospice over a year by holding raffles, sponsored golf days and collections. Club captain Richard Miller said
A LIFELINE bus for residents left stranded after services to their villages were stopped is set to be given the go-ahead next week. Since the start of this year, residents in Neasham, Sadberge, Bishopton and the surrounding areas have been completely
A MAN accused of stealing from his ex-girlfriend’s family has denied charges of theft and fraud. Steven Chesworth, 28, appeared at Durham Crown Court facing two counts of theft from the couple, from Chester-le-Street, in January and February last
MEMBERS of the public are being asked to help identify this man after a couple were assaulted and abused on a Metro train. CCTV stills have today been issued of the man officers officers want to speak to following the incident between Sunderland
A WELL-known pantomime villain will return to the stage in a self-penned comedy thriller next weekend (Saturday, April13). Neil Armstrong, who has played the villain in five pantomimes at the Gala Theatre, in Durham, will return to the venue for
POLICE are warning the public not to approach a convicted murderer who has escaped from a North-East prison and who poses a "significant risk of harm". Craig Hendley, 42, was last seen at about 1.40pm yesterday whilst on day release from Kirklevington
A SELF-CONFESSED ‘reclusive North Yorkshire hillbilly’ has received overwhelming demand for his free mobile app just a month after its launch. Steve Smethurst, from Reeth, near Richmond, has combined his 25 years of traditional management training
A COMMUNITY heritage project to bring together memories of a former industrial town is being unveiled later this month. Made of Steel has captured memories of local people from Consett, County Durham, and surrounding villages over the past few
AUTHOR SOCIETY: The Malcolm Saville Society, commemorating the work of the popular children’s author who died in 1982 aged 81. He wrote more than 90 books, most famously the Lone Pine Adventures series. The society is holding its annual gathering
OPPOSITION councillors have called on auditors to investigate the controversial sale of a publicly-owned golf club to a private operator. Stressholme Golf Course, in Darlington, is being sold off to the nearby Blackwell Grange Golf Club. The
THE adventures of the mascot of County Durham’s adopted warship have been turned into a book to be sold for charity. HMS Bulwark’s Lieutenant Mark Taylor and Michelle Emerson have been sending stories of William The Bear to pupils at Durham Trinity
MAN ROBBED: A man was attacked and robbed at about 7:50pm on Tuesday (April 2) as he was walking into the Hardwick estate along the walkway leading from Durham Road onto Ebchester Close near to the BP garage, in Stockton. He was approached by two black
SEVERAL charities are to share £280,000 raised by sporting stars and celebrities who gave up their time to take part in a charity fashion show. Newcastle Freeman Hospital’s Children’s Heart Unit Fund, Marie Curie Cancer Care and the Chef’s Adopt
A SAFETY campaigner has been killed in a motorcycle crash. Neil Douglas Hamilton was a member and organiser with Cleveland RoADAR, the Advanced Drivers and Riders wing of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). He died after
THE Dolphin Centre swimming pool will be closed to the public on Sunday, April 14, as it plays host to an all-day, Diddy League swimming gala. The Diddy League is a regional competition featuring eight to 12 year-old swimmers, and Darlington Amateur
AN anonymous member of the public has given a £150 gift to burglary victim in Newcastle. Simon Michael Houchin, 33, of Redheugh Court, Gateshead, appeared before Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday March 26 and was jailed for 20 months following a
A COMEDY classic will end its national tour in the North-East later this month (April 16-20). Yes, Prime Minister, a stage version of the classic 1980s sitcom which has become a West End hit, will visit the Gala Theatre, in Durham City, for a five-day
Here is a stand-out recipe from The Women’s Institute Vintage Teatime cookbook. Ingredients (Makes about 15 scones) 450g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 115g margarine 50g caster sugar (for a sweet scone dough) 175
TICKETS have gone on sale for a comedy play about three cleaners who decide to run their own sex chat line. Dirty Dusting has been written by North -East playwrights Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood. The play stars Leah Bell, Crissy Rock and Pat Dunn
Submissions of nominations for candidates for a vacant city council seat on Wearside close tomorrow (Friday April 5). A by-election takes place to fill the Houghton ward seat, in Houghton-le-Spring, on Sunderland City Council, on Thursday May 2
THE Prison Service has said it will study concerns raised by a coroner about the death of an imate in a North-East jail cell. Kevin Rayner, 39, died at Durham Prison on September 8, 2011 where he was being held as he awaited trial. At an inquest
A MAN arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax at his former employer Virgin Media has been released from police bail without further action. Hundreds of employees were evacuated from the company’s two Teesside premises when the false report was made
Steve Pratt sets the scene for Darlington Civic Theatre’s summer season which sees the return of a comedy classic RISING Damp’s Rigsby lives again on stage in Darlington this summer. He’ll be joined by Jenny Seagrove, Captain Von Trapp, three
NEW figures show that a measles outbreak in the North-East is continuing to spread. The latest figures published by Public Health England (PHE) show that since the beginning of September 2012, when the numbers started increasing, 200 confirmed
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help carry out a survey of a town’s Grade II listed buildings. Hartlepool Council and Tees Archaeology have been chosen by English Heritage to lead a volunteer survey of 187 Grade II listed buildings in the borough.
THERE is still time to take the plunge and join in this year’s Swimathon at the Dolphin Centre. The event, over the weekend of April 27, will be the tenth annual charity swimathon where individuals and teams can set their own challenges or swim
Chris Lloyd finds a stylish eatery on offer at the Croft Hotel restaurant, North Yorkshire OVER the past 20 or so years, the Croft Hotel just to the south of Darlington has undergone more revamps than I’ve had hot dinners. It’s been ripped
CONCERNS have been raised about to plans to opencast a former coal mine and coke works. UK Coal Surface Mining wants to remove more than a million tonnes of coal and 175,000 tonnes of fireclay from the land between Stanley and Marley Hill.
A WOMAN has been assaulted in an attack in the centre of a North Yorkshire market town. Northallerton Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a 31-year-old woman was assaulted on Northallerton High Street on Saturday, March 30.
THE FATHER of a young Darlington woman who died from a rare illness will walk a marathon in her memory. Student Diane Cowan, 26, died in December 2009 after suffering for more than 12 years with the muscle debilitating illness myasthenia gravis
LAST week’s recipe was for a goat or lamb curry with lentils and I’m continuing the theme this week with another warming dish, but this time vegetarian and inexpensive, for this unseasonally cold spring. I’ve used puy lentils but other sorts can
The alto saxophonist’s already substantial body of recordings is greatly enhanced by this double CD, recorded with friends and musical colleagues Mike Outram, on guitar, and Jeff Williams, drums. All the songs, old and new, are dedicated to friends
ARTIST and author Peter Hemming will give a presentation and read from his autobiographical book Oil Paint and Greece: Memories of Kefalonia at the People’s Bookshop, The Attic, near Vennels Cafe, Saddler Street, Durham City, on Wednesday (April 10
A second achingly beautiful and poetic recording by this sensitive trio with Battaglia’s fine piano playing superbly supported again by Salvatore Maiore, on double bass and Roberto Dani, drums. The music, and performance, is a delight just on its
DURHAM’S Gala Theatre steps up to the mark next Tuesday night with a truly remarkable concert as part of the Feast of Fiddles tour. This star-studded gathering of instrumentalists get together every few years or so, and present a memorable evening
THIS release marks Tim McGraw’s first visit to the UK, although he did enjoy a number one record, called Over and Over with Nelly, in 2005 and has had successful nationwide airplays with the song Me and Tenessee, on which he duetted with Gwyneth Paltrow
The Lamentations of Jeremiah have had a deep resonance for composers throughout the ages. This collection reflects that diversity – from John Mundy’s setting, which highlights the grave concern over schisms in the Catholic Church of the 16th century
This concerto is notable for its eloquently expressive cello lines – given a brilliant reading by cellist Vittorio Ceccanit. The Sonata Sequentia Serpentigena, written for cellist Vittorio, uses Gregorian chant to bring the serpent’s symbolism of temptation
Cellist Guy Johnston and the Ulster Orchestra perform Ernest Moeran’s work, which features a raptly lyrical and profoundly felt slow movement. The CD includes the Serenade in G, Lonely Waters and Whythorne’s Shadow.
A FARM in the North-East is streaming live lambing online. Hall Hill Farm, a visitor attraction near Lanchester, County Durham, has now switched on its Lamb Cam so people can see lambs being born on their computers. Ann Darlington, the farm
NORTH Yorkshire Police are appealing for information about the last 11 hours of walker Darren Stawman, who died after being hit by a car on the A174, near Mickleby, in the North York Moors, at 8.30pm, on Sunday, March 24. Officers are also trying
Toyah Wilcox, pictured below, reveals to Steve Pratt how she found her hormonal side in spite of living the kind of life that doesn’t lend itself to motherhood and being a housewife HORMONAL Housewives is the title of the show, but Toyah Willcox
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after thieves smashed car windows to steal handbags. Two cars parked in the Riverside car park, in Chester-le-Street, were broken into on Saturday between 2pm and 3pm. Rear windows were smashed on a silver
The Rocky Horror Show is renowned as the musical where the performers have to deal with shouted insults. Roxanne Pallett tells Steve Pratt she doesn’t mind in the least. The actress playing virginal Janet reckons she’s more upset when the audience
Following the death of well-known Teesside actor Richard Griffiths, fellow Darlington actor Jamie Parker, who played one of the pupils in the class run by Griffiths’ teacher-character, Hector, in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys on stage and screen,
A WOMAN has appeared in court accused of starting a fire in the flat where she was living. Melissa Ann Sinden is alleged to have been responsible for the fire, which is said to have posed a potential risk to other tenants in neighbouring flats
BUSINESSES are being offered enterprise support packages to help them to develop in Stockton town centre. Stockton Council is offering business and enterprise support packages to help businesses develop in Stockton Town Centre. A variety of
In under three years, Peace have morphed from bored students to the most talked about new band in Britain, and are about to take their show on the road again – visiting York and Newcastle. Andy Welch reports THEY may be one of the most hyped new
BREWING UP: Family tea-makers Ringtons has posted its biggest revenue since the firm began more than 100 years ago. Ringtons, which has a factory in Longbenton, Newcastle, said turnover hit £41m, with sales increasing by £7m in a year. The
AN industrial insulation company has seen business heat up after experiencing a huge surge in demand for its specialist fire-proof pipework protection jacket. Advanced Industrial Solutions (AIS) makes jackets for pipes on offshore energy industry
A PUB will hold three car boot sales in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance. The Brown Trout, at Sunnybrow, near Willington, will hold the events on Saturday May 25, Saturday July 27 and Saturday September 14. Sellers to arrive at 10am, open
I DREAM of Gennie with the light brown… well, let’s not get too personal about the blushing bride in Emmerdale (ITV1). Gennie is all set to walk down the aisle with fiance and father of her child Nick-Nick-Nikhil. Alas – and this will come as no
THE men behind two exhibitions about to run side by side at a gallery take a modern approach to their creative disciplines. Spennymoor Town Hall Art Gallery, on Spennymoor’s High Street, will show work by artist John Hebborn and photographer Tim
A TEENAGER is behind bars for sexually assaulting a child who was forced to relive the ordeal during a trial. Ryan Softley denied abusing the youngster after his arrest last year but since his conviction last month has confessed. A judge told
THREE patients with throat cancer are recovering well after surgeons used pioneering robot technology for the first time in the region. The £2m Da Vinci robot was used by Vinidh Paleri and David Meikle, consultants in head and neck surgery at the
POLICE have sent 900 letters to residents of a North-East community asking them for help to prosecute organised criminal gangs. People in South Stanley are being asked to supply officers with information about who they are, where they live and
A HOUSE fire in a North Yorkshire village at the weekend was arson, police have confirmed. Detectives are now appealing for information about the incident in Colburn , near Catterick, at about 8.30pm on Sunday, March 31. The blaze at a property
DURHAM is to host a musical evening to celebrate International World Heritage Day. The city’s Castle and Cathedral were made a Unesco World Heritage Site (WHS) in 1986. International World Heritage Day is Thursday, April 18. The following
A SIX-FOOT high elephant themed sculpture unveiled today will stand as a tribute to the hard work of young carers in Darlington. The sculpture, which now takes pride of place in the gardens of the Tees Valley YMCA building on Middleton Street,
A VICTORIAN church is throwing open its doors to all to celebrate the completion of the reinstatement of its heating system. The church at Pockley, near Helmsley on the North York Moors, is fed by an underground railway track through a tunnel leading
VODAFONE reversed share gains yesterday as bid speculation was quashed. Verizon denied it was plotting a record-breaking bid for the phone company. The wider FTSE 100 Index slumped into the red after weak economic data in the US and UK. Disappointing
THE battle for David Miliband's South Shields constituency seat could take place as early as May 2. The Acting Returning Officer for the borough has advised that the election could be called early next month after Labour MP David Miliband stated
A BUSINESSMAN whose family has been selling furniture since 1920 has re-opened a store where it all began. Iain Race worked in the family business Race for Furniture for most of his life until the company went into administration last year.
A 78-year-old man from Burnopfield escaped uninjured after his car overturned on the A692 at Dipton this morning. The Skoda Fabia ended up on its side at around 10.15am and the road was blocked. Police said an ambulance attended but the driver
A GOLD medal winning Paralympian is to be inducted into the Bupa Great North Run Hall of Fame. David Weir, the four-time gold medallist at last summer's London Paralympic Games, will be inaugurated at the charity dinner held at the Gateshead Hilton
A SOCIAL housing company has been awarded gold standard for its work to help its customers. Dale and Valley Homes, of Bishop Auckland, was presented with the award by the Investors in People group. The Investors in People scheme was set up
ABOUT 100 war widows from across the country have gathered in Durham for their annual conference. The War Widows’ Association of Great Britain is holding its annual general meeting at the Radisson Blu Hotel, in Durham City. Members began gathering
A FORMER world champion athlete is taking advantage of facilities in her home town to prepare for the world of professional sport. Georgie Rutherford, who was born and raised in Darlington, has taken the leap in to professional triathlons following
POLICE searching for missing grandmother Pamela Jackson have admitted there is little realistic chance she is still alive, and said they are now looking for her body. Ms Jackson, 55, was last seen just over a month ago at the home she shared with
A MOTHER whose son completed odd-jobs for neighbours to buy his own moped is offering a £500 reward after it was stolen. Declan Furniss, 16, worked hard mowing lawns, washing cars and clearing paths last winter to earn enough money to buy the £1,200
A CHURCH hopes to hit the right notes when it hosts a flower festival. The festival at St David's Church and Church Hall, in Tudhoe village, near Spennymoor, will feature floral displays based on the theme A Celebration of Music. It will take
A SUPPORT group teamed up with Dulux to help young people with learning disabilities revamp their new home. Dulux Decorator Centres in Darlington donated paint for the 247 Community Support centre on Denmark Street to use in the home of Natasha
NORTH Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has unveiled her plan to keep the county England’s safest. Julia Mulligan said following six weeks of public consultation, she had developed a number of goals for the force to concentrate on over
CHILDREN are invited to join a monthly creative writing group run at Crown Street Library, in Darlington. The group, for children aged seven to 11, is run on the first Monday of every month, from 4pm to 5pm. Themes of future sessions include limericks
WARD SURGERY: Residents of Heighington, near Darlington, are invited to a ward surgery held by councillors Gerald Lee and Paul Crudass at the Village Hall, Heighington on Saturday April 6 from 10am to 11am. WILDE PLAY: Oscar Wilde’s classic play
DOG owners who fail to clear up their pets' waste have been targeted by a council initiative to clean the streets. Durham County Council’s neighbourhood wardens spent February on patrol on the streets of Newton Aycliffe, Shildon, Fishburn, Sedgefield
STAFF from a housing provider joined forces with members of a community to clean up an east Durham estate. Workers from East Durham Homes, members of Thornley Residents Group, Year 6 pupils from Thornley Primary School and Durham County Council
THE history of the region’s mining industry is to be put on show at an exhibition in the refion. The two day mining exhibition, organised by the Silksworth Mining Society, will be held at Ferryhill Town Hall. There will be memorabilia on show
THE landlords of a pub and about 20 of their customers are to walk over hot coals to raise money for charity. On Friday, May 3, Carl Lee and his partner Beth will be staging a firewalk within the carpark of their pub, the Beeswing Inn at East Cowton
A GIRL who had been missing from home for four days has been found. Police had appealed for help to trace 13-year-old Megan Gibson who was reported missing from Tow Law, in County Durham, on Saturday night. Durham police have this morning confirmed
A FOSSIL fuel exploration firm says it could help ease spikes in gas prices after being awarded the rights to a large area off the North Yorkshire coast. The Department of Energy and Climate Change has given Egdon Resources a four-year licence
THE care a woman received during illness inspired a legacy that has safeguarded the future of a support group for similar patients. The Bishop Auckland Stoma Care Group can continue its work helping people who have had bowel cancer and operations
Organisers of Ferryhill’s annual summer gala are asking performers and stallholders to apply for places. Ferryhill Town Council and Ferryhill 2000 Committee will run the town’s gala which runs from August 17-18. Visitors can enjoy fair rides
AN animal sanctuary has appealed for the owners of a dog found at the side of a busy road to come forward. The female dog, described as a black and white sheepdog is believed to be about 15-years-old, and suffers from cataracts, arthritis and hearing
A FATHER has spoken of his outrage that an apparent game of hurling missiles at passing cars could have ended in tragedy for his family. Paul Cornish was driving home to Chilton, in County Durham, with his youngest son, Jack, when a lump of earth
CLEVELAND Police has recorded its lowest ever crime figures, according to data released by the force. The results for the financial year April 2012-March 2013 show that publicly recorded crime was reduced by 9.4 per cent compared to the previous
THE Ensus refinery in Wilton, near Redcar, is the largest facility of its type in Europe and a key part of the UK meeting its renewable fuel targets. This week’s temporary shutdown is the third in three years and Ensus bosses admit they do not
A BRIDE and groom to be, who won their dream wedding in a Northern Echo competition, have met with the photographer who will capture their special day. Zoe Coleman and Brett Barraclough, from Darlington, were the lucky winners of the Win a Wedding
VOLUNTEERS are wanted to help make the return of a spectacular light festival a sparkling success. A third Lumiere festival will be held in Durham City from November 14 to 17. Producers Artichoke wants to recruit 200 volunteers, or Festival
STAYING STEADY: Sessions to help improve older people’s strength and balance and avoid falls, are to run in Leyburn. Staying Steady sessions will involve exercises to improve flexibility, strength and mobility and correct posture and breathing problems
MORE talent has been announced to play the Stockton Weekender music festival. Indie pop five piece Frankie & The Heartstrings, from Sunderland, and James Skelly & The Intenders - the new band of The Coral frontman James Skelly - are among
YORKSHIRE has always been a big cheese in the cricketing world – but now the position is official. The makers of Wallace and Gromit’s favourite treat, Wensleydale cheese, have teamed up with the county cricket side for the next three years.
FOOTBALLERS will be competing to win trophies at a family fun day to be held in Ferryhill. The event is being organised by Ferryhill Town Council, the Ferryhill 2000 Committee and the Ferryhill Town Youth Football Club. It will be held at Dean
WHEN Arthur Dawson paid £50 for a horse, her shoes and a cart to pull coal around the region, he could never have envisaged the strides his company would make from such humble beginnings. But AV Dawson is now in its 75th year, and one of the UK's leading
The Cyprus bailout warns us that our savings are only safe as long as our economy is robust. As a triple dip looms, it may be time to start thinking of alternatives, says Kathryn Gaw WE may have awful weather, but who would really want to be in
BENFICA and Newcastle United have had contrasting domestic campaigns, but the head coach of the Portuguese league leaders, Jorge Jesus, thinks that will count for nothing tonight. While the threat of relegation still hangs over the Magpies in the
SLEEP deprivation has got to be one of the biggest challenges of parenthood. Baby books and manuals are full of well-meaning advice on how to ensure youngsters and, just as importantly, mum and dad, sleep through the night. Then, one day, after
BENFICA'S Estadio da Luz has proven a fortress both domestically and in Europe this season, but manager Alan Pardew insists Newcastle United are not facing Mission Impossible in their tough quarter-final duel. The Magpies trained in the 65,000-
LISBON is not a new city for a North-East club to visit. Not only did Newcastle United visit in 2005 in the UEFA Cup, both Middlesbrough and Sunderland have had trips to the Portuguese capital in the past too. And while Middlesbrough's game with
DESOLATE days for us Shildon supporters, last Saturday’s FA Vase semi-final defeat a bitter disappointment. The team did themselves, the club and the town proud, nonetheless. Good also to bump into boyhood football heroes like Eddie Swift – still
GROUND hoppers are football crazy, a sort of Monopod Fellows Society who’ll go anywhere for a game and for the undiminishing rapture of visiting a new ground. The Northern League staged the nation’s first ground hoppers’ weekend over Easter 1992
EXACTLY 50 years after helping his team to college league triumph, Geoff Wade has been honoured for his service to football – and for his role in the class of ’63. Better late, there was also recognition for Ray Armstrong, a mechanical engineering
THOSE of us with even a passing interest in the city of Durham must be weeping real salt tears at the disservice the custodians of the city are engaged in. The vandalism caused in recent years by building on what appears to be every available green
I AM hoping that some of your readers might be able to help me with research I am undertaking relating to the famous Dambuster raid of May 1943. One of the men who flew, and sadly died that night, was Sergeant Ronald Marsden from Redcar. Ron
IAIN DUNCAN SMITH reckons he could live on £53 per week (Echo, Apr 2). I am sure he could for one week but what about doing it for six months? Has he taken into account £3 per week to save for a TV licence, bus fares to get to the supermarket,
I REALLY can’t see why there’s so much fuss about Paolo Di Canio’s appointment as the manager of Sunderland Football Club (Echo, Apr 1), especially when the football community and the press were quite happy to tolerate Roy Keane in the same role.
TRUST me, I’m a doctor, the saying goes – but will that rock-solid faith survive this week’s NHS shake-up? Maybe not, say the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and British Medical Association (BMA), which are among groups worrying it will be badly damaged
A BUSY Darlington post office reopened today (Thursday April 4) after undergoing a major transformation. The West Auckland Road post office, in Cockerton, has been completely refurbished to become a ‘main’ post office as part of a nationwide network
TERRY DEARY, writer of the fun, informative children’s Horrible History books, has been abused in personal, vitriolic terms many times. Glance through his books and it’s easy to see why. They massively outsell most “serious” histories and have
THE UK's services sector grew more strongly than expected in March despite the freezing weather, suggesting the economy may narrowly avoid slipping back into recession. Services recorded an activity reading of 52.4 in March - above the 50 mark which
IT has been suggested that the furore over Paolo Di Canio becoming Sunderland manager is merely the work of political opportunists and the media. Yesterday morning’s passionate open letter to Di Canio, written by the Dean of Durham, The Very Reverend
THE North-East and North RACING RESULTS Yorkshire will be without a single entrant in Saturday’s Grand National after Ferdy Murphy was forced to withdraw Poker De Sivola yesterday because of a dirty scope. Poker De Sivola, who was previously available
A WOMAN was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and minor burns after a fire at a picture framing shop. Emergency services were called to Station Terrace, in Middleton St George, near Darlington, at 7.15am on Thursday (April 4).
IT is looking more and more likely that the race for the Northern League Division One title will go right down to the wire, but Darlington kept the pressure up on Spennymoor Town with a patient performance at Sunderland RCA. All Martin Gray’s side
POLICE have named a man who died in a motorcycle crash in County Durham yesterday. He was Neil Douglas Hamilton, 60, of Offerton Close, Sunderland. He was pronounced dead at the scene after his motorcycle collided with a 4x4 near Tow Law yesterday
TWO people have died in a house fire this morning. The fire brigade were called to the property in Carlton village, Stockton-on-Tees, at about 5am. A spokeswoman for Cleveland Fire Brigade said: "There has been a severe fire and unfortunately
A TRANSPORT business that once relied on the efforts of Dina, a coal-carrying cart horse are celebrated in a business feature. AV Dawson, on the banks of the River Tees, is now in its third generation of family ownership. The firm, launched
A RASPING, no-nonsense voice, eye-wateringly high stilettos and shoulderpads from here to the other side of Christmas. That’s Hilary Devey for you, but what she lacks in subtlety, she more than makes up for in business-minded intelligence.
IN The High Art of the Low Countries Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how history has influenced the area’s art, architecture and culture. The journalist and broadcaster begins by looking into the art of Renaissance Flanders, and exploring how it evolved
TIM KRUL received a birthday boost last night when he was told he will return to the Newcastle United starting line-up in Lisbon, but the Dutchman paid tribute to the man he will replace. During the Holland international’s seven-match absence,
IF those who made Jodie Marsh’s former years a misery could see her now, they would probably think twice about tormenting her. The model-turned-bodybuilder has turned her life around, but makes no secret of the fact that those bullies made her
BEFORE the show begins, the voice of producer-director Bill Kenwright tells the audience not to feel shy about singing along with the songs. They do not need telling. They have come for a theatrical musical knees-up from the team behind runaway
LATVIAN composer Peteris Vasks’ Violin Concerto Distant Light was given its first outing at The Sage, with Northern Sinfonia leader Bradley Creswick presenting a scorching reading of the stirring work. The first gossamer note rose ethereally from
SUNDERLAND are set to appoint a director of football this summer, but new boss Paolo Di Canio insists he will still have a major say in the club's transfer policy. Di Canio was described as a "head coach" when he was appointed at the weekend, and
SAMMY Ameobi is hoping he gets the opportunity to spend more time in a central attacking midfield role during the final six games of Middlesbrough's season. Since moving to the Riverside on loan, Ameobi has spent most of his time on the flank,
PAUL Collingwood has admitted his frustration at Durham's inability to strengthen their ranks this winter, but expressed confidence the club's youngsters can enable them to challenge for honours this season. Durham start their sole first-class
STEVE HOWARD admits the chance to start enjoying his football again away from Hartlepool United was too good to turn down. The striker returned to Pools last summer as Neale Cooper's marquee signing, but has suffered a miserable campaign at Victoria
A TECHNOLOGY company which has developed touch-sensitive clothing is working on a project to improve printable electronics. Peratech, based near Richmond, North Yorkshire, is being supported by The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), in Wilton
THE family of a North-East man found dead in a foreign country lane have been refused information on the case because it could damage Britain's relationship with France. A freedom of information request submitted to the Foreign Office by Julie
CHOCOLATIER Thorntons expects to exceed profit targets after enjoying solid Easter sales. The company said chocolate egg sales, coupled with an encouraging Christmas period and satisfactory successes over Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, could
THE North-East automotive industry's need to capitalise on supply chain links has been highlighted in a roadshow. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) held an event at car parts maker Nifco, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, aimed
A RESTORATION company, which has worked on some of the UK's most famous buildings, has taken on two apprentices and a junior manager. Stone Technical Services is expanding its team after seeing increased demand for its lightning protection services
PRIMARY school entrepreneurs, backed by Sir Richard Branson’s bank, sold hundreds of pounds worth of their own hand-made products in a project aimed at boosting their business skills. The 48 pupils at Firthmoor Primary School in Darlington travelled
A TEAM of university graduates and students are helping to spread the work about the re-birth of North-East steelmaking. Multimedia Journalism graduates Thomas Mulliner, 23, from Sedgefield, County Durham, and Araminta Hartley, 22, from Redcar,
MINISTERS have been urged to take strong action to ease fears over the future of a mothballed £300m North-East refinery. Ensus has halted production at its Wilton plant, near Redcar, for the third time in three years. The factory is Europe's
A NORTH-EAST company could be exporting goods to Sweden after a successful trade visit. Bespoke Concrete, in Prudhoe, in Northumberland, has signed up to UK Trade and Investment scheme to allow novice exporters a foothold in wider European markets
The Northern Sinfonia’s latest chamber recital at The Sage Gateshead gave players in the wind section the chance to indulge in some of the richest music written for their instruments. The varied programme took its title from Gounod’s Petite Symphony
POLICE have issued a stark warning that they will close down an illegal camp next to a river in Bishop Auckland. Two Romany caravans and about half a dozen horses were moved on to Durham County Council-owned grassland alongside the River Wear on
DRIVERS WARNED: Seven motorists were clocked travelling above the 30mph limit through Mickleton, in Teesdale, in the latest Speedwatch operation in the village. In all, the speed of 50 vehicles was checked during the operation. Police say warning letters
A COUPLE who met at a dance in 1950 are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary this weekend. Bill Harman had just completed an apprenticeship and was preparing to begin his national service in the Royal Navy when he spotted his bride-to-be
A COMMUNITY spirited duo are leading a major spring clean in Barnard Castle this weekend. Tom Deacon and Gary Marshall got so fed up of the rubbish piling up in parts of the town they decided to act – and are hoping townsfolk will join them.
THE Lord Lieutenant of County Durham Sue Snowdon will officially open Trudi’s Bakers, on Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, on Saturday, April 6. Owner Trudi Stamp has been inspired to set-up her own business after being made redundant when Peters
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help clear scrub and plant trees. The event is taking place on Wednesday, April 10, from 1.30pm to 4pm on the railway path near Mickleton station as part of a programme to plant thousands of trees in the Teesdale
