Archive

  • Comment: Politics is full of lightweights

    POLITICS, like heavyweight boxing, has been going steadily downhill since the 1980s. Things used to be so much simpler, or so it seemed. Powerful figures would trade blows, there were good guys and easily identified villains, and we’d be left with

  • Hard-up pharmacy dispenser stole sleeping pills

    A PHARMACY dispenser stole drugs to sell when she hit money troubles.Jennifer Lane's crimes were detected when managers queried why so many orders were being made for Zoplicone sleeping tablets.Teesside Crown Court heard that the 34-year-old had already

  • Glory for Eaglescliffe duo and girls golf rocks

    EAGLESCLIFFE is celebrating a title double after success stories in two of the biggest competitions in the Durham area of the year. A day after teenager Will Skipp successfully became the Durham County Boys’ champion on his own track, club-mate

  • Middlesbrough heading to Accrington

    MIDDLESBROUGH will travel to Accrington Stanley for a pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 21.Stanley, who won the League Two title last season and are preparing for a campaign with Sunderland in League One, have never faced Middlesbrough’s first team

  • University scientists discover drugs in rivers

    SCIENTISTS have discovered traces of almost 30 different drugs including antidepressants and antibiotics in York’s rivers.Researchers from the University of York analysed water from the rivers Ouse and Foss at 11 sites in the city over a 12-month period.They

  • In Pictures: Northallerton Rugby Club annual dinner dance

    NORTHALLERTON Rugby Club held their annual dinner dance and presentation recently. More than 170 people attended the event that was proceeded over by outgoing chairman Bob Baker. Club captain Jonny Frank performed the evening's Master of Ceremony

  • Takeover collapse means Gateshead preparing to become part-time

    GATESHEAD’S owners have confirmed that the National League side will have to go part-time following the breakdown of a proposed takeover of the club. An investor – believed to be Shanghai-based – has seen his attempts to take on the Tyneside outfit

  • Teenagers seen running away from car fire

    A VEHICLE was set on fire in a residential area of a County Durham town. Police in Newton Aycliffe are appealing for witnesses following the blaze in the Sugarhill Crescent area of Newton Aycliffe. Officers believe the vehicle was set on fire

  • Darlington: News In Brief

    Summer showTHE Darlington Orchestra’s annual Summer Concert 2018 will be held on Saturday, July 7 from 7.30pm at the Dolphin Centre. The informal, accessible event will feature “an eclectic selection of classical music” with pieces ranging from Beethoven

  • New Look cuts prices in bid to stall plunging sales

    FASHION chain New Look has slashed prices amid plunging sales on the high street and online. The retailer reported an operating loss of £74.3 million for the year to March 24, having made £97.6 million profit in the previous year. New Look's

  • Man, 27, found dead inside library

    THE body of a 27-year-old man has been found inside Newcastle’s City Library. The discovery was made on Monday evening. Emergency services, including paramedics, were called to the New Bridge Street West library, but the man was pronounced

  • Solicitors to raise charity funds with 'birthday' celebration

    SOLICITORS will celebrate the fourth anniversary of a community initiative with a fundraising event on Friday.DMA Law Link was established in the wake of cuts to legal aid in a bid to ensure all who need it have access to free legal advice.A subsidiary

  • Letters: Darlingotn M&S closure - sad for staff and shoppers

    I AM so sorry to hear of the closure of Marks and Spencer in Darlington and especially for all the loyal staff involved.I hear they are opening a Simply Food in West Park, but that is not a very convenient place for a lot of people to get to, especially

  • Letters: A story about Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

    OUR parliamentarians. This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got

  • Man smashed car windows outside takeaway

    WITNESSES are being sought after a car’s windows were smashed outside a Bishop Auckland takeaway. The incident happened at around 8pm last night (June 11) outside Red Double Happiness in Newgate Street. A grey Ford Focus was parked outside

  • In Pictures: Summer Ball at Richmond Cricket Club

    A SUMMER ball was held at Richmond Cricket Club recently. The charity event featured entertainment and dinner. A total of £300 was raised from the night, which included a raffle with a picture donate by local artist, Aaminah Snowdon.  A

  • Could it be you? £1m EuroMillions win unclaimed

    THE clock really is ticking for a mystery local lottery winner who has less than a week left to claim an amazing EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker prize worth £1,000,000. The last-ditch search is still on to find the owner of the winning ticket

  • Honest beauty

    A UNIQUE magazine-style website has launched an online store to give readers better access to ethical independent brands. Noa Vee is the brainchild of Newcastle Universtiy student and social media influencer Beth Fuller, who created the platform to celebrate

  • Tom Binns brings his alter egos to Tyneside

    TOM BINNS, Fringe Festival favourite and award-winning character comedian, is embarking on his first UK tour in a decade with brand new show Everyman. With an initial 11-dates, the tour will begin at Nottingham’s Glee Club on 11th October 2018 and conclude

  • Darlington firm joins scheme to help young workers

    A MAJOR Darlington employer has signed up to a scheme which aims to promote skills development.Cleveland Bridge UK, based on Yarm Road, has joined the 5% Club.The club works with UK employers and key influencers to inspire, educate and retain a growing

  • Snow Patrol to tour this Winter

    SNOW PATROL have confirmed eight headlining dates in the UK and Ireland throughout December and January. The tour opens in Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena on Wednesday, December 5.Snow Patrol’s album Wildness, their first album in seven years, is out

  • Tonight's TV: Our Girl

    Our Girl (BBC1, 9pm)The new series of military drama Our Girl began last week, but it seems that star Michelle Keegan is still getting over the events of the previous run.That's when her on-screen fiancee Elvis Harte (Luke Pasquilano) was killed in

  • Brexit to ravage SME jobs

    THE number of workers being recruited by small businesses is set for a dramatic to tumble as Brexit uncertainty takes its toll, costing the economy more than £6 billion a year.A quarterly health check of small and medium-sized businesses, compiled by

  • Appeal after fights leave two in hospital

    POLICE are appealing for information following two fights in Newcastle on Sunday night. Just before midnight on Sunday evening police received a report of a fight involving a number of men on Dilston Road in the Arthur’s Hill area. Two groups

  • Mike Barton: Innocent blamed in Lush 'Paid to Lie' campaign

    In his regular column, Durham Police Chief Mike Barton explains why he will no longer be doing any of his Christmas shopping in cosmetics shop, Lush I AM no expert on cosmetics, bubble bath or all those other things that people like to splash on

  • Time will come when robots repair potholes

    BRITAIN'S road network will in the future be repaired by robots - which can fill in a pothole in a minute.A fleet of autonomous road vehicles or drones will travel around cities identifying cracks in roads and pavements and fixing them before potholes

  • Bill Bailey back in town

    DUBBED by The Telegraph as “the brainiest comic of his generation”, Bill Bailey brings his compendium of hilarious tales and musical jokes as part of his Larks in Transit tour to Newcastle Arena next year.With musical virtuosity, surreal tangents and

  • Black Stone Cherry announce UK headline tour

    HOT on the heels of their special guest slot to Guns n' Roses at Download Festival, Black Stone Cherry have announced a UK headline tour for this December, which takes in Newcastle.The Kentucky band says: "As many people know, the UK holds a

  • Village ready for carnival weekend

    THESE three girls will play a starring role in their village’s fun day this weekend.Amy Hobson will be the carnival queen at Cotherstone Fun Day on Saturday, with attendants Kitty Goldsborough and Emmy Blagdon.The Cotherstone Primary School pupils and

  • Tackling sport

    How did you first get into rugby?I first started playing rugby when I was nine. We had a guest coach come in to our PE lesson, so I didn’t really have a choice. I’m from Newcastle so I hadn’t seen or heard of this funny-shaped ball, but from the first

  • Boy, 13, threatened with violence before bike stolen

    A BOY was threatened with violence by an older man before the thief made off with his bike. The 13-year-old boy had his bike stolen at about 6.30pm on Sundasy as he played with friends by the water's edge at the Tees Barrage near Stockton.

  • Lucky escape for driver after A19 crash

    A DRIVER had a lucky escape after narrowly avoiding hitting a lamp post head on just off the A19 in the early hours of Monday morning. The car was driving southbound and just near Elwick the driver lost control  of the car, clipped a concrete barrier

  • Novel way of helping charities

    GENEROUS pub regulars have a raised £1,400 for charity by making regular donations in a ‘booby jar’.A dedicated fundraising evening was held recently at Golden Lion in Leadgate, with the money being split between Boobilicious, a breast cancer charity,

  • Cyclists - are you signed up for the Stockton Sportive?

    CYCLISTS are being urged to claim their place on the starting line for the eighth edition of Stockton Sportive. The challenge, which is being held on Saturday, July 14, offers cyclists of all abilities the choice of four routes ranging from around

  • Ten years ago: Newborn baby has open heart surgery

    TEN years ago, this week a baby returned home after undergoing open heart surgery at just two weeks old. Evie McVeigh was taken by helicopter from James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, when she was less

  • Bid to reduce village parking pressure

    A NEW "frequent user" car-park permit has been launched to try and reduce pressures caused by roadside parking in and around a North York Moors village. The National Park Authority has launched the permit for its Newton-under-Roseberry car park

  • Woman fell to death from staircase after night out

    AN inquest has opened into the death of a woman who fell from a metal staircase in a County Durham market town. Hayley Clarke died after falling from the stairs of a building at the rear of Newgate Street, in Bishop Auckland, on the evening of

  • Charity changes name to reflect all of Humankind

    ONE of the North-East's biggest charities has rebranded and changed its name. Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities (DISC), which employs almost 1,000 staff and helps more than 20,000 people each year, will now be known as Humankind. The charity

  • Georgia brings glamour to local show

    A FORMER beauty queen has taken on a new role - as the president of a local agricultural show.Georgia Horsley, originally from Malton, was crowned Miss England in 2007 and four years ago married rock star Danny Jones of the band McFly.Now she has been

  • New look on way for busy mainline railway station

    MAJOR plans have been drawn up to dramatically overhaul the entrance to York station, demolishing a redundant road bridge and reconfiguring entrances and exits to the station.The taxi rank and car parking would be reorganised, a new “Station Square” created

  • Biker crashes out of fortnight-long 30 country trip

    BIKERS undertaking an epic fundraising journey through 30 European countries in 13 days lost one of their team in a serious crash. The trio of kind-hearted motorcyclists are now just two following an accident that forced injured Steve Armstrong

  • The final countdown to the Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018

    THE final countdown has begun for The Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018 - a five-day festival of magnificent ships, circus, theatre and music.With just one month to go to the event, organisers have revealed the scale of the event in numbers and the economic

  • Five years ago: Bon Jovi played the Stadium of Light

    FIVE years ago this week, the Stadium of Light was preparing to the first of three major summer gigs.US rock band Bon Jovi played to tens of thousands of fans at the Sunderland football stadium on June 13 as part of their Because We Can tour. The band

  • Everton turn to Gibson after cooling on Lascelles

    EVERTON are ready to turn their attention to Middlesbrough centre-half Ben Gibson after opting out of a bidding war for Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles. New Everton boss Marco Silva is determined to make defensive changes this summer

  • County puts mental health at top of the agenda

    A SERIES of pledges for the future have been made at North Yorkshire's first-ever Mental Health Summit.People with mental health issues joined leaders from the NHS, county and district councils, housing and the voluntary sector at the summit, held

  • Householders alerted to risks of illegal fly-tipping

    HOUSEHOLDERS are being reminded that they are responsible for their rubbish – even if someone else fly-tips it illegally.The reminder is part of the Don’t be a Waster – Reduce, Reuse, Respect campaign which has been looking at issues around fly-tipping

  • DNA linked man to burglary gang who targeted isolated farms

    ISOLATED farms were targeted at night by a gang of burglars in search of high value machinery they could plunder, a court heard. But, following a series of break-ins at ten farms, many in remote areas of Teesdale, in which £47,655 worth of equipment

  • 15 years ago: Richard Griffiths pops back to old college

    THIS week, 15 years ago, North-East actor Richard Griffiths returned to his roots to repay the college that helped him on the road to success. Griffiths, best known as the chef in TV's Pie in the Sky and for playing Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter

  • City celebrates the end of Ramadan

    NEWCASTLE’S largest annual Eid gathering is returning again as Muslims prepare to mark the end of Ramadan.This year’s Eid in the Open celebration is expected to attract about 5,000 people. The event, organised by Newcastle Central Mosque will be held

  • Charity's ball raises £13,000 for abuse victims

    A CHARITY supporting domestic abuse victims has raised £13,000 and broken their fundraising record.Crowds donned masks and flocked to Gisborough Hall in May for the fifth annual charity ball hosted by the Middlesbrough-based My Sister's Place. The

  • Run in memory of football commentator to return

    RUNNERS are being urged to sign up for an event held in memory of a much-loved commentator.The Ali Brownlee Riverside Run, which is being organised by Everyone Active on behalf of Middlesbrough Council, is taking place on Saturday, July 1.The event is

  • Lecturer enjoys floral success

    EAST Durham College have been celebrating the return of floristry lecturer Rebecca Hough after she beat the country’s best floral talents to be crowned RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year.Ms Hough, 29, of Peterlee, also won a gold medal at the prestigious

  • Cycling gender gap in UK's major cities is revealed

    ALMOST three-quarters of women living in seven major UK cities never ride a bike for local journeys, a survey suggests.This is despite more than two-thirds believing their city would be a better place to live and work if more people cycled, according

  • Literary festival will celebrate our local writers

    A WEEK of free events celebrating the written word starts on Saturday.The first ever Derwent Valley Literary Festival: A Celebration of Books is being organised by the Leadgate Taskforce.A total of 20 events, over eight days, includes sessions with writers

  • Hairdresser Jill celebrates 30 years of growth

    A HAIRDRESSER of the year has celebrated 30 years of her Thirsk salon and a business which has grown to a group of five salons. Jill Watkins-Wright celebrated with around 100 clients and staff and said she was overwhelmed by the loyalty her customers

  • Cricket club festival will be repeated

    A FREE festival with music, sport, food and drink has been hailed a great success by Richmondshire Cricket Club.Mark Layfield from the club said the event was the first time the club had held one like it, but it had such a positive reception that it would

  • North Yorkshire: News in Brief

    Fag-end fireAN unattended cigarette is thought to have caused a fire in a chair at a home in Hutton Rudby shortly after 11.30pm on Sunday. The flames were out by the time fire crews arrived however they used breathing apparatus and foam extinguisher

  • Plan for town centre shops premises unveiled

    A SCHEME to build three shops and 11 flats in one of a town centre’s most historic premises has been unveiled.Stockton-based firm Arkgrove has applied for both planning permission and listed building consent to create new shop fronts off Northallerton

  • Retained firefighter had affair with police officer's wife

    A NORTH Yorkshire Police officer visited the home of a retained fire officer who had had an affair with his wife, a misconduct panel heard. PC Christopher Parnell, stationed at Harrogate Police Station, is accused of breaching standards of professional

  • Council's home plan to be discussed

    PROPOSALS have been unveiled which could see a council build homes for the first time in a generation.Today, Middlesbrough Council's executive will be asked to approve a report outlining the need for the authority to positively intervene in the housing

  • Bob Mortimer to star in new TV show....about fishing

    A NORTH-EAST comedian is to feature in a new show about fishing. Middlebrough-born Bob Mortimer, comedy partner of Vic Reeves, is teaming up with fellow funnyman Paul Whitehouse – best known for co-creating The Fast Show – for the series.The BBC Two show

  • Flowers by Nattrass founder dies aged 91

    THE founder of one of Darlington's oldest family-run businesses has died at the age of 91. Ronnie Nattrass took his smile, and his love of flowers, wherever he went, his family said, and they are all still involved in the business he founded more