ONE of the North-East’s most stunning and historic attractions is appealing for volunteers to help drive forward its return to glory. Ushaw, set in a 500-acre estate near Durham City, was built as a Catholic seminary and trained priests for over
WORKMEN are carrying out repairs to a burst water main. Engineers from Northumbrian Water were called at around 3pm on Thursday afternoon to Newcastle Road in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. The road is closed and diversions are in place for
STORM ALI has blown through and carpeted our street with a crunchy layer of nuts and conkers. At one end, the horse chestnuts have dropped a good crop of conkers and their casings onto the tarmac which the car tyres have ground into a pithy green
IF the old proverb is correct that the “road to hell is paved with good intentions”, then the train line to hell must be as well. An interim report by the rail regulator into the summer timetable chaos warned of a “lack of clarity about roles and
A COLLABORATION between the Environment Agency and firefighters has resulted in the innovation of a coupling that has the potential to save more lives, land and property across the country. Developed between the Environment Agency Northumberland
WOLSINGHAM School is a thriving and happy community where pupils achieve very highly, are exceptionally well cared for and develop into thoughtful, well-rounded adults. Education at Wolsingham School stretches all students, regardless of their
SCHOOL friends and teachers of singing sensation Courtney Hadwin have spoken of their “immense pride” at her achievement after she missed out on winning America’s Got Talent. The performer from Hesleden, near Peterlee, was among the favourites
A NORTH-EAST film club is to screen a tribute to a much loved actress. Fenella Fielding, who died last week aged 90 after suffering a stroke, appeared at Darlington Film Club in 2015 for a Q&A. The event drew a full house and founder James
VOCALIST Juliet Kelly made a return visit to the region to play two gigs in a day. A sellout lunchtime concert at Durham's Gala Theatre featured a selection of Kelly's original compositions from her album Spellbound Stories alongside songs associated
CHARLIE WYKE is unlikely to play again for Sunderland for the rest of the year, Jack Ross has confirmed at the Academy of Light this afternoon. The former Middlesbrough and Bradford striker has only made one League One start since his £1m summer
THE true story of an unlikely band of modern-day Lady Godivas who shed inhibitions to raise money for charity has already inspired a hit film and a much-performed play and now, the man who wrote both, Tim Firth, has collaborated with old friend and
MORE than one million pounds worth of seized drugs have being burnt to keep them off the streets. Hundreds of cannabis plants, Class A and prescription drugs have been seized by Cleveland Police working to disrupt the activities of those who produce
HARTLEPOOL UNITED have received positive news on Ryan Donaldson’s hamstring injury, even if the forward has been ruled out of the next two away dates. The 27-year-old hobbled out of last Saturday’s draw with Eastleigh before half-time and there
TWO men who hijacked a car have been both jailed for three years. The 19-year-olds who were high on drugs flagged down a motorist late at night on Corporation Road, Darlington, and at first they tried to sell him a stolen bike. When he refused
HARDLY a day that goes by without Brexit being undermined or sidelined by the establishment. This week, the Migration Advisory Committee is arguing that the number of highly skilled migrants the country lets in is increased ! Well, I for one
I UNDERSTAND that a lady was nearly knocked down near the Kingfisher pedestrian crossing, Spennymoor, on Saturday. I have pointed out the road dangers that exist at both this point and the road which bisects Durham Road. This crossing, which is
IF Brexit is going to be such a disaster for manufacturing, especially in the North-East, how is it that there are five companies bidding for the building of new trains for the Metro, to be supplied by 2021? (Echo Business, Sept 18). The bidding
A MAN is facing a legal bill of almost £400 after failing to clean up after his dog. Ralph Kettell, 51, of Station Road, Easington Colliery, was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) after a neighbourhood warden from Durham County Council spotted
I NOTICE Hartlepool is always mentioned when people start talking about fluoride (Echo, Sept 7). Let me tell you a couple of tales about the local water there. In 1985 I moved to Hartlepool from Stockton, and stayed for seven years, but mostly was
FUNDS have started to pour in for the family of a man who died more than one week after being assaulted. Iain Lee, of Newton Aycliffe, died at lunchtime on Wednesday in James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough. The 31-year-old had been
AS much as we are all delighted that Darlington council has had a rethink about its proposed closure of our Crown Street library, I am wondering what is to be the fate of the staff? So far we have been concerned with the saving of the building,
SHE was only there for a few days but Hurricane Florence has caused a massive amount of damage in the US. Of course, some weather events can last a lot longer. For instance Storm Donald has been raging for two years now and shows no sign of going
SUNDERLAND striker Luke Molyneux will unveil a football club's new stand tomorrow. Shildon AFC’s new 200-seat covered stand was made possible thanks to a £57,027 grant from the Premier League through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) –
CHRISTMAS at a County Durham castle is promising to be bigger than ever this year. Raby Castle is preparing for appearances by Father Christmas' reindeer, Elvis the Shetland pony and an opportunity for children to enjoy breakfast pancakes cooked
THE family of a terminally-ill pensioner savaged by a police dog said she repeatedly said the animal had been ‘out of control’. Irene Collins, 73, who died four days after Cleveland Police dog Dano attacked her in her own home as it searched the
A WOMAN who left two sofas on the street outside her home has been left hundreds of pounds worse off and with a criminal record. Julie Stephenson, of Pateley Close, Newton Aycliffe, was given a fixed penalty notice by Durham County Council but failed
HEALTH bosses are calling for improved diagnoses rates for dementia patients. NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), responsible for the planning and purchasing of the vast majority of health services across
TWO residents part of a housing association panel which awards grants to local not-for-profit organisations have seen how some of the money is spent, after visiting the headquarters of the Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team. A grant of £500 from Broadacres
STUDENTS at Newcastle Royal Grammar School achieved a record-breaking set of GCSE results this summer, with 62.8 per cent achieving the top grade of A* or 8/9. Despite all the concerns surrounding the new and more rigorous GCSE exams and the 9-
IT was a successful summer for a number of RGS students competing on not only a national level, but also internationally in their representative sports. Lola Davison (Year 11), was a storm in the pool as she became two-time national champion at
AT KING Street we understand that choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will ever have to make so we would like to invite you and your child to visit us to soak up the wonderful atmosphere. We run an open door
DANIEL Harrison is very proud to be Headteacher of Ox Close Primary School in Spennymoor. "The children of the school are our biggest asset and they are at the heart of our vibrant but very nurturing culture and ethos," he said. "I really believe
OVER 70 new starters joined the annual King James Transition Summer School this year, spending two days in school before heading off for a free, three-day adventure holiday to Weardale Adventure Centre. Organised by the King James Transition Team
THERE are many reasons to choose King James for your child’s education. High-quality teaching, excellent facilities, a diverse curriculum and a friendly environment are just a few of them, but if you need more proof, the families of 185 students
KING JAMES strives to offer outstanding lessons supported by a wide range of opportunities to enhance personal skills and learning through participation in competitions, educational visits and residential trips. In the last year alone, 35 students
FOR those in the know, autumn is a fantastic time to pick up a bargain when it comes to buying a holiday home. With the end of the season approaching on many parks, there are often great deals to be found because the parks need to create extra space
POUNDLAND has unveiled plans to take over 20 former Poundworld stores, creating 400 jobs. But the budget retailer issued a stark warning to high street landlords to "change their expectations" to reflect the tougher retail environment. Poundworld
A brand new production celebrating 70 years of the NHS will be staged at The Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, on Friday 21 September at 7.30pm. Written by Ged Cooper for the award-winning Mikron Theatre Company, Get Well Soon is a comic play with
KAISER CHIEFS explore the boundaries between art and music this winter in a unique and experimental exhibition at York Art Gallery. Using their position as pop musicians as a starting point, Kaiser Chiefs have chosen to rethink sound as a medium
THE owner of an Indian restaurant is paying a £30,000 fine – but has been allowed to keep his premises licence – after four of his workers were arrested by immigration officers. Cookson Spice, in Chester-le-Street, was investigated by the Home
A CUTE little dog scampering over the petrified prehistoric forest on Redcar beach is the subject of the winning photograph in The Northern Echo’s Enjoy Tees Valley in the Spring competition. It wins photographer Rachel Hughes, a nurse from Darlington
THE best of tonight's TV Emmerdale 1918 (ITV, 8.30pm) IF Emmerdale had been set 100 years ago, how would the villagers have been affected by the First World War? We're about to find out as this new series, which marks the centenary of the
A COUPLE were left shocked after returning home from the supermarket to find a tree embedded in their house. The tree crashed down onto the roof of the house in Hackworth Close, Newton Aycliffe, as high winds from Storm Ali caused havoc across
A FIVE-star hotel in India will have a little piece of the North-East in it when a Darlington restaurateur transports a charity shop find 5,000 miles to Bangalore. Mohammed Miah, proprietor of Akbar The Great Indian Restaurant, in Bondgate, Darlington
A NEW book by a film enthusiast from the region has gone on sale in the US. George Orwell on Screen, by freelance journalist David Ryan, from Hartlepool, looks at moves and TV shows inspired by the legendary British author. Orwell, an Old Etonian
AN ICONIC 19th century windmill near York is set to undergo a Grand Designs-style makeover. Familiar to passengers on the East Coast Mainline, the windmill, between Appleton Roebuck and Bolton Percy, was built around 1820 and was a working corn
A WELL-loved park in Great Ayton is undergoing a makeover thanks to a cash boost from Hambleton District Council. Waterfall Park was in need of repair and thanks to a grant of £3,129 from the council’s ‘Making a Difference’ fund and other sources
A SCHEME to expand one of the country’s most highly rated inns has been put on ice after councillors heard the business was leaving its neighbours facing a headache. Raby Hunt's expansion plan exposes village tensions James Close, chef-patron
A FORMER councillor and Team GB coach are teaming up for a community event. The pair are hosting a table football tournament showcasing some of Europe’s best players at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington. Red Hall Community Centre trustee and organiser
A FRIEND of Albert Dryden last night recalled how he dug the hole to help the former steelworker create the illegal bungalow that led to the murder of a council planning officer. Killer Albert Dryden dies in care home John Snowdon,
A MAN has died in hospital more than a week after being injured in a town centre assault. Iain Lee, of Newton Aycliffe, died at lunchtime on Wednesday in James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Funding page launched in memory
A LUXURY hotel has announced it will be holding its first ever festival of food in February next year. Rockliffe Hall, in Hurworth, near Darlington, will welcome some of the country's top professional chefs during the eight-day festival, which
OLD shoes are being converted into charity cash by a Stockton shoe shop. Wynsors World of Shoes in Stockton are collecting old shoes as part of a recycling drive that for the next three months will see 100 per cent of profits donated to Cancer Research
A MAYOR has visited a shipbuilder which has found a second home in the Tees Valley. Parkol Marine Engineering has opened a new facility at Middlesbrough’s AV Dawson to expand its business and grow its offerings. Parkol, established in 1971
ESTON Amateur Swimming Club is on the way to funding new starting blocks after a homebuilder splashed the cash and handed over £1,000. The club, based at Eston Sports Academy in Middlesbrough, is in need of new blocks to allow its members to train
A CHARITY which provides training and work to adults with disabilities says the theft of gardening equipment from their premises has dealt them a real blow. Staff with Northdale Horticulture noticed two chainsaws and two hedge cutters had been stolen
A FREEMASONS lodge has chosen a cancer centre being built at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton as one of its chosen charities for next year. Lennox Lodge in Richmond, one of the oldest Freemasons Lodges in England, which was established in
BUDDING engineers were invited to a behind-the-scenes tour of the construction of a locomotive. Students at the University Technical College (UTC) in Newton Aycliffe, South Durham, visited the P2 Steam Locomotive Company in Hopetown Lane, Darlington
North-East teenager Courtney Hadwin has finished in sixth place in the America’s Got Talent final. The Golden Buzzer performer missed out on the $1m (£762,000) fund and a Las Vegas residency in last night’s final despite an epic performance with
A MAN twice attacked his partner at the culmination of a “toxic” relationship, a court heard. Following the second incident of domestic violence, John George Stephenson took an overdose, and, as he was being treated in hospital, told a doctor he
A DOG which was at death’s door after being eaten alive by infestations of parasites, has made a remarkable recovery thanks to a Thirsk-based company. The canine, called Tum, had been living in Chiang Mai in Thailand, an area popular with British
THE next meeting of the Branksome and Cockerton Residents Association will be held on Thursday, September 27, at 7pm. All residents of Cockerton and Branksome are welcome to join the meeting in Wyvern Academy, off Eggleston View, Darlington.
DURHAM Cathedral’s new Sunderland-born Canon will be installed in her post this weekend. The Reverend Charlie Allen will be officially installed in her post as Canon Chancellor at an Evensong service at 3pm on Saturday. Rev Allen, who moves to
PUPILS at a specialist arts and science school have a new creative space thanks to the hard work of a men's group. Students at Greenfield Community College, in Newton Aycliffe, are delighted with their new Special Educational Needs (SEN) space.
IF you can remember the TV series called ‘Bret Maverick’ where James Garner played the title role then you may also remember the second lead role was a sheriff named Tom Guthrie. The original series simply called ‘Maverick’ originally aired in the
A NORTH-East independent school is opening a sister venue in Qatar. Durham School for Girls Doha is set to open in September 2019. It will become the first school in the North-East to open a sister school overseas. Headteacher Kieran McLaughlin
A CHIEF Constable has been given the full backing of a force's police and crime panel after speaking of the 'hate campaign' he endured while leading a highly controversial investigation. Mike Veale was reprimanded following an Independent Office
A COMMUNITY fun day is being held on Sunday to raise money for a six-year-old boy with a rare form of cancer. Alfie Taylor, of South Moor, Stanley, was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in April 2016 and is currently undergoing
DEVELOPERS are making plans for the first “Grade A” offices in a city for more than a decade. Property investment group Hanro and iMpeC Developments is constructing the new office space at the Fram Well building, which is off Framwelgate Peth in
FESTIVAL organisers encouraging visitors from far and wide to catch the last train home after an afternoon of entertainment are worried the event’s premise will be hampered by rail strikes. The day-time music and comedy festival – named Last Train
FISHING wire, odd socks and Lego figurines were among the pieces of litter picked up at a mass beach clean over the weekend. Volunteers across the North-East stepped up to take part in a large-scale annual event organised by the Marine Conservation
A GIFTED young dancer with type one diabetes has celebrated her recent success at an international dance competition. Erika Porter, 13, from Darlington, travelled to Glasgow over the August Bank Holiday with her dance school, Dimensions Dance, to
A Simple Favour (15, 117 mins)**** A SINGLE mother and food blogger turns amateur sleuth to unravel the mystery of her best friend's disappearance in the sinfully entertaining comedy thriller, A Simple Favour. Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids
THE fast rising Gracefool Collective bring their satirical and slickly choreographed theatre to Northern Stage IN a year when #metoo, gender pay inequality and the feminist agenda has rarely been out of the headlines, 2018 is an especially appropriate
ALMOST £15,000 worth of legal bills were handed out in court to people who failed to remove waste from their garden or yard. Magistrates heard that the 16 defendants were initially given community protection warnings by Durham County Council neighbourhood
A TALENTED nine-year-old brought a trophy home when his band represented the region in a prestigious contest. Spennymoor Town Band, as North of England 4th section champions, competed at the National Brass Band Finals of Great Britain at Cheltenham
A RESPECTED figure in British motorsport predicts a teenage racing driver from North Yorkshire will be a future champion. Tony Gilham, owner and team principal of Team Hard Racing, last weekend watched Ethan Hammerton make a highly impressive debut
RESEARCHERS want to gather stories of protest from women in the region. Remembering Resistance: A Century of Women’s Protest in the North of England is a new project by Lancaster University that aims to bring the history of women’s activism to life
PLANNING officers are recommending that councillors reject proposals for homes for over-55s on the outskirts of a north Durham village on the grounds they will be an “unacceptable encroachment into the countryside”. Durham County Council area planning
A TEACHER has been recognised for his enduring contribution to grassroots rugby and named a "hero of the game". Yarm Preparatory School games teacher Chris Simpson has earned the praise as part of a campaign by Premiership Rugby sponsors Gallagher
Knitted poppies APPROVAL for a cascade of knitted poppies over Bedale’s ancient Market Cross has been backed by the town council after a request from the British Legion as part of moves to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
THE festive pantomime at Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal has become a must-see event – but equally as popular is the knitting competition which sees thousands of entries each year. The Georgian Theatre Royal is well known across the region for
JONJO SHELVEY is set to return to Newcastle United’s starting line-up for Saturday’s trip to Selhurst Park, but Jamaal Lascelles remains a major doubt for the game with Crystal Palace. Lascelles damaged his ankle during the warm-up ahead of last
A CONVICTED teenage rapist has admitted further sexual offences, involving a 13-year-old girl. The defendant was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), when, as a 14-year-old, he was convicted of the rape of a younger girl, at Teesside
What’s on Thursday, Sep 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band, The Oxbridge, Stockton (8.30pm) Friday, Sep 21: Zoë Gilby Trio. Bishop Auckland Town Hall (1pm) Saturday, Sep 22: Emma Fisk & James Birkett, St Cuthbert’s Church, Shadforth
IN conversations about Brexit over the past two years, I’ve often said that things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. The problem facing businesses is that with fewer than 200 days to go until we leave the European
THERE'S much to recommend for local folk music fans in the week ahead. My own week starts tonight when I'm back at The Bluebell in Sunderland, which has established itself as one of the most popular clubs in the area. Resident band Pipe Dream have
STEVE should know better than to try double-crossing a Barlow (Coronation Street, ITV) – there are so many of them about, one member of the family or another is bound to find out. Tracy fears he's got cold feet, so treats him to a bath and a massage
THE body charged with managing a national park which attracts more than eight million visitors annually is set to adopt measures to shape its future for the next five years. After almost two years of planning and consultations, members of the Yorkshire
A SALON team worked 24 hours straight to boost a fundraising campaign started by an inspirational ‘brain-tumour blogger’ who lost her fight two years ago. On the second anniversary of Anna Swabey’s death, sister Victoria Cartwright welcomed customers
A DIRT track in woodland used by illegal off-road bikers has been closed by after complaints by members of a community. A group of 15 volunteers, including Stanley Town Councillors Les Timbley and Mark Davinson, cleared the track and remove a lorry
THE proposed closure of Thornaby's HMRC office and transfer staff to Newcastle has been in the spotlight as the town's MPs continues to fight the plan. Stockton South MP Dr Paul Williams visited the site alongside Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Treasury
AN INNOVATIVE facility offering dogs and their owners the chance to explore parkour equipment and a sensory garden has opened in the North-East. Dogwood Adventure Play is a secure field in Stockton designed to help nervous dogs and energetic dogs
AN ART college which has changed its name is to hold its first open day. Cleveland College of Art has renamed itself as The Northern School of Art and is unveiling some new additions to the range of creative degree courses at its University-level
A RECORD number of speed watch volunteer groups were out in force across North Yorkshire yesterday in a bid to cut speed-related deaths. Sixteen Community Speed Watch groups monitored the roads in action that coincided with Project EDWARD, which
WALKERS are being urged to sign up to an annual event to support those affected by young sudden cardiac death in their family. Next month will see charity supporters take to the streets for the ninth annual Cardiac Risk in the Young CRY Durham
A POLITICIAN has written to school governors across County Durham to share her concerns about funding for education. Councillor Olwyn Gunn, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s services, wrote to update school governors
CAREFUL research has been carried which could establish whether a shipwreck off the east coast of the US is that of Captain Cook’s Whitby-built Endeavour. Archaeologists from the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) are set to make a
Parish changes PLANS to reduce the membership of West Rainton Parish Council from 11 councillors to nine have moved forward after the final round of consultation was approved by Durham County Council at a meeting on Wednesday. The parish council
A UNIVERSITY has announced a £1m investment in medical student training in the region. Newcastle University is partnering with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to help provide enough doctors for the future at a time when there is a national
A PIT village's historic banner has inspired a drive to encourage kind acts which will be celebrated in a "living art" in the heart of the community. The surviving fragment of Trimdon Colliery's banner may be 126 years old but its depiction of the
A WOMAN who swapped sunny Greece for East Rainton has won first prize in a housing association’s annual gardening competition. Leda Gibbins was the overwhelming choice of the judges deciding who should win the Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association
JACK ROSS admits Sunderland’s lengthy injury list has made it harder for him to impose his ideas and philosophy on the first-team squad at the Stadium of Light. It is now almost four months since Ross was appointed as Chris Coleman’s successor,
RED kites, one of our most aerial and spectacular large birds of prey, are still struggling to expand and spread out from the core area of the Derwent Valley where they were reintroduced more than a decade ago. The latest breeding report from the
SEPTEMBER 20 1258: Salisbury Cathedral was consecrated. 1842: Sir James Dewar, Scottish physician and chemist, and inventor of the vacuum flask, was born at Kincardine-on-Forth. 1854: The Battle of Alma, fought by the British against the Russians
A ONE-WAY walk accessible via the wonderful Settle to Carlisle railway (which extends conveniently all the way to Leeds). There is a choice of low level or high level routes depending on your preferences and of course the weather. Both are described
RENOWNED Gilbert and Sullivan company, the West Yorkshire Savoyards, are set to perform in the region The acclaimed northern touring company will be making a welcome return visit to St John's Church, in Sharow, just outside Ripon on Saturday, September
A Prayer Before Dawn (Cert 18, 116 mins)**** BRITISH boxer Billy Moore (Joe Cole) is handed a three-year prison sentence for possession of drugs while he is on holiday in Thailand. His punishment consigns him to two of Thailand's notorious
A MUSEUM is opening its doors after dark for a Halloween party for adults. Newcastle’s Life Science Centre will offer everything from a Crystal Maze-inspired laser maze to dissecting real organs, from 8pm to 11pm on Friday October 26. At Halloween
