THERE has been far too much bad news lately. Hardly a day has gone by in recent weeks without news of further job cuts – including a significant number here at The Northern Echo – having to be reported.

And then, last Wednesday, the news bulletins began to come through about the Mumbai massacre. Terrorism was back, sharing the gloomy headlines with the worst recession in a generation.

The Local Heroes Awards on Thursday provided some welcome relief.

It is my favourite night of the year – the night on which we celebrate the achievements of the local stars of grassroots sport.

In nine years, it has grown into a wonderful occasion and this year more than 1,000 people gathered in a marquee at Hardwick Hall Hotel, near Sedgefield.

Having hosted each of the awards ceremonies, I have special memories of them all, and this year was no exception.

Our overall Local Hero of 2008 was 74-yearold Ted Wood, who has dedicated his life to Durham University Rugby Club, touching countless lives, and nurturing dozens of future stars along the way.

When he came to the stage to collect his award, amid a standing ovation, there were tears in his eyes. And when he was handed his winners’ prize of £500, he immediately donated it to Sir Bobby Robson’s fund for cancer research.

For me, it was a perfect end to a night I won’t forget.

ONE of the stars of the night was 12-yearold Natalie Garner.

Natalie was the youngest member of the Chi Demonstration team, from Spennymoor, which got the night off to a spectacular start.

The team became local heroes after getting into the last 100 out of 40,000 entries in Britain’s Got Talent earlier this year. We decided there and then they were the perfect act to open the Local Heroes Awards 2008.

I was having a chat to Natalie backstage as she and her team-mates were waiting to perform.

“Are you nervous?” I asked.

“Not as much as before Britain’s Got Talent,” she said.

“Why’s that?” I asked. “Well I think Gareth Southgate’s got a much nicer reputation than Simon Cowell,” she replied, ever so politely.

PROUD dad Alan Macnab kindly emailed to say how much Middleton Rangers Under-10s football team had enjoyed themselves – even though they missed out on the junior team of the year award.

“The boys had a great time collecting autographs,” he said. “My youngest son, Andrew, managed to get Gareth Southgate’s autograph twice – once on the programme and once on his arm!”

Alan assured me that Andrew washed his arm before he went to school next morning – but I wouldn’t mind betting that he didn’t.

WHEN the awards had all been handed out and I could breathe a sigh of relief, I went in search of an autograph myself.

“Excuse me, can I have your autograph?” I asked.

And little Natalie Garner was delighted to oblige.