Archive

  • Jail for man who grew cannabis

    A South Tyneside man was jailed for 12 months yesterday after he cultivated and stored £22,000 worth of cannabis in his flat. Jonathan Pelling, 21, admitted to police that he had been growing cannabis for two months to support his drugs habit. Police

  • Simply's the best

    WETHERBY'S reputation for attracting rising young jump stars has once again been reinforced with the appearance of Ballinclay King, Behrajan and Simply Gifted at the course today. Ferdy Murphy's Ballinclay King and Tim Easterby's Simply Gifted (2.45)

  • Your last chance to nominate a hero

    FIVE weeks ago The Northern Echo launched the search for the heroes of grass roots sport in the North-East - and the deadline for nominations is fast approaching. Since The Northern Echo launched Local Heroes over a year ago thousands of people's sporting

  • Coaching the kids in search of fame

    WHEN you think of a stage school, images of precocious children and pushy parents spring to mind. The idea of encouraging youngsters to draw attention to themselves, then showering them with praise for doing so, is one which sits uncomfortably with the

  • woodworking brainwave helps bells ring again

    SUCH was the devotion of one parishioner to his local church that he invented a woodwork system to repair its bells. Woodwork and metalwork expert Tad Jurowski was given the task of removing the cradle of the two bells at St John's CE Church, Snod's Edge

  • Too much Chris Tarrant may harm your health

    CHRIS Tarrant has taken over our house. He is, as you might guess, very difficult to live with. It's all Smaller Son's fault of course. On the first day of half term he went into town and bought himself some new shoes, jeans, jumper and a computer game

  • Museum's time trek project adds up to educational fun

    SCHOOLCHILDREN have been stepping back in time at one of the region's leading attractions to improve their skills with numbers. The Time Trek project, at York's Castle Museum, was developed by the York Mathematics Enhancement Programme, and the city's

  • NBA fears influx of cheaper Irish beef

    THE National Beef Association has called on supermarkets to continue their commitment to British beef and to resist the temptation to import the cheaper product from Eire. It says national deadweight steer prices plunged by 6p-7p a kilo to 166.3p in the

  • Easington aiming to bridge 45-year gap

    IT was 17 years ago that Alan Purvis nailed his colours to the Easington mast, after becoming disillusioned with his first love, Sunderland. He has spent the last 15 years on the committee and is club secretary, even though it involved an 40-mile round

  • Easington aiming to bridge 45-year gap

    IT was 17 years ago that Alan Purvis nailed his colours to the Easington mast, after becoming disillusioned with his first love, Sunderland. He has spent the last 15 years on the committee and is club secretary, even though it involved an 40-mile round

  • Building a secure future for pupils

    SECURITY in schools is always a big worry, but at Eastbourne there have been many developments during the last term. The "archways" have now been filled in and will provide a seating area for pupils. The pupils are now using many of the original doors

  • Junior theatre group ready for pantomime

    A PRODUCTION of family favourite The Sleeping Beauty is coming to Chester-le-Street. The town's community centre, in Newcastle Bank, is to host the pantomime, by Chester-le-Street Theatre Group junior section, next month. Directed by Bill Stephenson,

  • The Albany Northern League

    SEAHAM Red Star suffered humiliation when they were beaten by Nissan, the Wearside League champions, in the Albany Durham Challenge Cup. Red Star went down 1-0, the only goal scored by Adam Johnson from a pass by Glen Moan after 15 minutes. The closest

  • Letters: Why should I put up with this?

    Sir, - The failure of the Yorkshire Dales national park authority, as highlighted in your columns, can be equally well matched by that of local planning authorities, and in particular Hambleton District Council. This is a tired and weary department, stricken

  • Police continue hunt for rapist

    POLICE are still searching for a man who raped a young clubber in a town park. Almost three weeks ago, a 21-year-old woman, who met her attacker outside the Plastered Parrot, was assaulted in North Lodge Park, Darlington, County Durham. Since then, police

  • Grain prices

    Thursday's prices Kenneth Wilson, Thorpe Arch. - Wheat: Oct £57; Nov £57.50; Dec £58. Barley: Oct £60; Nov £61; Dec £62. Oilseed rape: Oct £121; Nov £122; Dec £123. GrainCo, Tyne Dock. - Wheat: Oct £57; Nov £57; Dec £58. Barley: Oct £61.50; Nov £61.50

  • Diamond couple celebrate

    RETIRED farm worker Tom Wood is living proof that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Mr Wood, 85, has been celebrating his diamond wedding anniversary with his wife, Violet, a former cook. The couple, who met at a friend's house in

  • Easy win for United

    Marske United 6 Atherton LR 1 MARSKE United cruised into the next round of the FA Vase competition with an easy win over North Eastern Counties side Atherton Laburnum Rovers. Simon Kasonali opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and a speculative cross-cum-shot

  • Farm buildings project rejected

    Plans to convert redundant farm buildings on the North Yorkshire coast into business workspace and living accommodation have been rejected following an appeal. The Rural Buildings Trust, and Rural Workspace and Housing Association had wanted to carry

  • Motorsport: Hobbs roars to seven wins at Croft

    GUISBOROUGH rider Dennis Hobbs confirmed his potential when he romped to an amazing seven straight victories aboard the SMR 900cc Honda in the final New Era Club road race meeting of the year at Croft Circuit near Darlington last weekend. On his first

  • Vandals defile village memorial to war dead

    VANDALS have desecrated the war memorial at Egglescliffe. Parish councillors were stunned to discover the damage over the weekend. Louts had spilled masonry paint over the monument, dumped rubbish at the site and kicked carved poppies from the decorative

  • Police to target firework vandals

    A SPATE of firework-related incidents in a County Durham town has prompted police to launch a major initiative. Operation Argon is a two- pronged assault on firework misuse in Newton Aycliffe, involving extra patrols and checks on traders. There have

  • Smith's double strike

    Three second-half goals gave Durham a 3-0 home win over North Yorkshire in the English Schools FA Premier League Under-16 tournament (Northern section). Mark Smith from Farringdon School, Sunderland, scored twice with one from Daniel Craggs of Blackfyne

  • Council objects as traders get new parking rights

    A ROW is brewing over market traders' vehicles being parked in Guisborough's busy high street. Town councillors say Lord Gisborough's ancient rights over the market do not shape up to modern traffic laws. They want police to handle complaints about traders

  • Festival casts net

    ORGANISERS of this year's Cleveland Coast Maritime Folk Festival have become the latest to benefit from The Northern Echo's CommuniGate service. The festival, which began last Friday and runs until Sunday in conjunction with the Captain Cook birthday

  • Good sports are winners at Spirit of Soccer Festival

    A FOOTBALL festival with a difference was hosted by the boys and staff of Aysgarth School, at Newton-le-Willows, near Bedale. The Spirit of Soccer Festival was conceived as a day of fulfilment and fun for pupils with modest footballing skills, who would

  • Helping hand for local charities

    ELDERLY residents of five Wear Valley housing schemes invited their local MP to make a double charity presentation. Hanover Housing Association tenants in Bishop Auckland and Crook raised £612 with a spring fair and balloon race. Bishop Auckland MP Derek

  • Halloween horrors in library display

    IF turning the page of your average Stephen King novel gives you a chill, imagine the horror of reading off a page made out of the skin of a man hanged for murder. It is one of the gruesome delights on offer at a new exhibition of the macabre and bizarre

  • Artists' efforts rewarded

    MORE than 100 pupils showed their support for a national campaign by making badges in its honour. And six of the best young artists were rewarded for their efforts by being presented with certificates and gift vouchers by the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Councillor

  • Looking Back: news from 100, 50 & 25 years ago

    FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Spectator writes: The gentlemen of Leyburn and District who promote the annual show of cheeses and butter deserve the thanks of all who are interested in the benefit of Wensleydale ... But it is stated that the show

  • Julie's mum goes back to the top

    THE mother of murdered pizza delivery girl Julie Hogg has demanded a personal hearing with the country's top legal brains to urge them to change the double jeopardy law. Ann Ming has written to the Law Commission and Home Secretary Jack Straw expressing

  • Darlington - Cyril's plot is pick of the bunch

    COMPETITION was fierce and the standard higher than ever for this year's Ferryhill Allotment Awards. The town council has seven allotment sites and 630 plots, so finding a winner was not easy. There was an award for best garden and most improved garden

  • Spa town told it can turn on spring taps

    FOR Newcastle it was coal, but for a North Yorkshire town the geological turmoil of 340m years ago has left a far cleaner legacy. A crashing together of rocks known as the Acadia deformation has left Harrogate with an abundance of spring water, rich with

  • Shifting opinion

    THERE are clear signs that the message on the double jeopardy law is starting to hit home. The Northern Echo is campaigning for a change in the law, which was enacted in the 13th Century, on the grounds that it is helping people to get away with murder

  • Lee relishes rivalry

    ROBERT Lee will be tailed by his own shadow when he returns today to Upton Park, the ground where he used to help out as a kid. Waiting to pounce on his Newcastle place is Chilean international Clarence Acuna, who was described yesterday as a "younger

  • Mystery of museum -ghost train'

    A SINISTER spectre is giving staff and visitors at a North-East museum a real chill. For the past few weeks a series of spooky happenings has left staff and visitors to the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum scared out of their wits. And the ghostly

  • Football: Slow starts again cost Quakers dear

    QUAKERS picked up just one point on their travels this week, following a hard-earned point at Scunthorpe United on Saturday with a 2-0 defeat at Cardiff City on Tuesday night, writes Andy Brown. Gary Bennett's side's alacrity at conceding early goals

  • Swimming News

    Northumberland and Durham put up a fine performance to finish second of the 39 teams, the 33 English counties plus four from Scotland and two from Wales, in the annual ASA inter-county age group competition at Sheffield. The winners for the first time

  • 'Gipsy gang' in cashpoint swoops

    A BAND of Romanian gipsies is thought to have stolen hundreds of thousands of pounds from cashpoints across Britain. Detectives last night appealed for people to take care withdrawing money after two young men were arrested following a theft in Durham

  • Constantine to enjoy Easington's big day

    EASINGTON manager Wilf Constantine yesterday warned Conference high fliers Chester City: "Underestimate us at your peril." Constantine sends his team out against the former Football League side for the biggest FA Cup tie the club has had since it took

  • Organic lamb sales off to good start

    THE first UK sale to include fully organic lambs attracted plenty of interest and a virtual total clearance at Harrison and Hetherington's Borderway Mart, Carlisle, on Friday of last week. The sale, held in conjunction with the Soil Association, attracted

  • Mixing it with Mrs Malaprop

    Wendy Craig was doing her holiday washing when I rang. The Sacriston-born actress, who's returning to her native North-East with the Royal Shakespeare Company, has just returned from a week in Crete. Far from a having a nice time wish-you-were-here sort

  • Maths = fun as pupils find out at jamboree

    A SPECIAL maths event took place in Hartlepool to encourage youngsters to enjoy the subject. High Tunstall School was host to a Maths Jamboree, which saw 50 teams of pupils aged between ten and 13, from the town's schools, compete for a range of prizes

  • The ships are coming back!

    SHIPBUILDING is returning to the North-East after Tyneside yard Swan Hunter landed a major Ministry of Defence order, bringing with it 2,000 new jobs. North-East Labour MPs yesterday hailed Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's decision, even though the Cammell

  • Caption competition

    'How blessed are the pizza makers," says the Pope, head in hands after eating too many. Or maybe: "Do I want another pizza? Am I Catholic?" Can you do any better? If so, have a try and send your entry in and the funniest will win a pack of three Pilot

  • Consett & Stanley - Stage set for beastly good show

    LOVE and magic is in the air as a variety troupe prepares to tread the boards with a traditional fairy tale. Stanley Variety Troupe is to stage Beauty and the Beast at the town's civic hall next month. Troupe members have written their own scripts for

  • Ahoy there, it's Cook day

    CAPTAIN Cook sailed again this week when children at Great Ayton celebrated the the explorer hero's birthday with a water pageant. A flotilla of home-made vessels sailed along the River Leven as part of a series of activities to mark the 272nd anniversary

  • Stop unfair pricing or rural pumps will vanish

    RURAL garage owners have echoed calls for the government to put a stop to unfair pricing by the major petrol companies. Last week the D&S Times reported that independent fuel companies had begun a protest campaign by filling their road tankers at

  • Court leet seeks peace to work

    CRITICS of a centuries-old moorland order have been warned: hands off. The steward of Danby court leet says people who attack the ancient society could risk harming the community it serves. Mr Christopher Goodway says he has been saddened by often negative

  • A solitary struggle of inspiration

    HUMAN rights campaigner James Mawdsley lived in solitary confinement with rats, was regularly beaten and given only rice and fish paste to eat during his 400-day incarceration in Burma. He believed he would have to live like this for his full 17-year

  • Growing confidence with pupil-figure rise

    THE numbers at Eastbourne Comprehensive School in Darlington are growing thanks to a increased confidence in the school. Nearly 200 new pupils started at the school in Year Seven at the beginning of September. This is the second year running that there

  • Rural bus grant needs to double, says report

    RURAL activists have claimed that an additional £26.5m is needed for the government to realise its target of increasing access to rural bus services. In a joint report published on Wednesday, the Council for the Protection of Rural England and Transport

  • Work together across industry

    CO-OPERATION across the milk industry has a key role to play in the future of British dairy farming. A three-month investigation undertaken by Wye College on behalf of the Milk Development Council found that the real need in the UK was for a co-ordinated

  • Countryman's Diary: Breakfast visitor is colourful sight

    MY daily breakfast was blessed with an added interest this week when I spotted a linnet feeding on our lawn. This finch-like bird, whose male has pink breast feathers and a tiny pink cap, is more usually associated with gorse-covered moorland or rough

  • Industry sector needs minister, pleads MP

    AN MP will call for a "Minister for Manufacturing" in a speech to steel bosses at the weekend. Ashok Kumar, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, will make the demand during the annual conference of the Steel Industry Managers' Association

  • Views sought on services

    TWO local authorities are asking residents for their views on a range of services, from refuse collection to leisure facilities. Harrogate Borough and North Yorkshire County Councils have sent out detailed questionnaires to gauge public satisfaction with

  • School grounds to be given spruce-up

    UNUSED areas of courtyard and playground at a Hartlepool school are in line for a makeover. Plans are being made to spruce up the areas at St Bega's Primary School, to make them more attractive and interesting for pupils. Landscape architects from Hartlepool

  • Consett & Stanley - Council ticked off for delays

    DERWENTSIDE District Council has been rapped for maladministration said to have caused private landlords hardship. The Local Government Ombudsman has ordered the council to pay £750 to one landlord after he complained that the authority was up to 18 weeks

  • A role to get your teeth into

    JIM Carter didn't so much tread the boards as shuffle about on the sand in his first serious acting role. The Harrogate-born actor had appeared in a school play and quite liked it but then gone off to university in Sussex to study the law without any

  • Discovering Shakespeare

    YOUNGSTERS at a Sunderland primary school have been getting to grips with the work of the country's greatest playwright. Pupils at St Hilda's Primary School learned about William Shakespeare and his plays during a workshop with Andy Chessell, education

  • Traders ponder stalls' future as farmers move in

    STALLHOLDERS in Darlington's covered market claim they lost out in the battle to keep their regular customers during the town's first farmers' market last Friday. Mr Charles Smith, chairman of Darlington retail markets stallholders' association said:

  • Police appeal for witnesses

    POLICE investigating a fatal accident at Marske are anxious to trace witnesses. Motorcyclist Christopher John Thompson, 35, of Eastfield Road, Marske, died when his machine collided with a horse on the A1085 at the entrance to Marske Inn Farm on Friday

  • Chester le Street - Town rallies to fight hostel plan

    PROBATION service bosses have cancelled a series of public meetings on a planned bail hostel in Chester-le-Street because the public outcry has been so overwhelming. Officials at County Durham Probation Service had hoped to explain their plans for the

  • Split over cash for learning

    COUNCILLORS are divided over the future funding of an adult learning initiative in Teesdale. During a heated debate at a meeting of Teesdale District Council, members were split over whether they should continue to partly fund the Teesdale Learning Partnership

  • Motorsport: Jarvis just misses fifth Scott victory

    THE annual Scott Trial, the highlight of the year for the sport of motor cycle trials, took place last Saturday at Feldon, high above Richmond. The 195 competitors started at 20-second intervals to attempt to ride more than 80 miles around the rocks,

  • Chance to meet your councillors

    COUNCILLORS holding ward surgeries throughout Redcar and Cleveland this week are: Today: Keith Pudney, Guisborough, Chapel Beck Community Centre, 6pm-7pm. Tomorrow: Brenda Forster, Norman Davies, Mark Hannon, Kirkleatham, Larkswood Community Centre, 10.30

  • Johnson takes crown in style

    Following an impressive debut season in Formula Renault 2000 last year, John Johnson dominated the British Automobile Racing Club's British Formula Renault championship, taking the crown with ten wins out of 11 races. Driving his Swift Formula Renault

  • Former school set for new use

    REDCAR and Cleveland Borough Council looks set to grant Loftus Development Trust a 25-year lease on the former Skinningrove School in an attempt to bring the building back into community use. The Council Executive was told at a meeting on Tuesday that

  • Flamenco on form at Wembley

    The showing finals at the Horse of the Year Show produced a reserve champion for Jerome Harforth, from Great Ayton, in the Breeders Challenge Supreme Championship. He was showing Pam Sowersby's yearling Rotherwood Flamenco, by Rotherwood Peter Pan, which

  • Head extols benefits of single-sex schools

    A WOMAN at the top of her tree was guest speaker at Darlington's independent girls' school speech day. Prof Janet Bainbridge, director of Teesside university's department of science and technology, urged Polam Hall pupils to make the most of their personal

  • Tributes paid to an exemplary college leader

    A PIONEERING education chief has announced that he will retire at the end of the current academic year. Mr Peter Shuker, who has been the principal and chief executive at Darlington college of technology for 14 years, told the college corporation board

  • Club takes gold

    ONE of the region's smallest health clubs is celebrating after it picked up a top award in a national competition. Healthwise Fitness Club on Milton Street, Saltburn, won the gold award in the Small Private Club category of the Awards for Excellence.

  • Athletics News

    The Pathfinder 25 Challenge Mandale Harrier Bob Firth from Billingham, a 51-year-old chemical porker for Huntsman, was the winner of the hike and fell race - run for the 17th year from the Raven Gill Scout Champ in Commondale - for the fourth successive

  • Welcome praise for troubled

    CLEVELAND Police at last has reason to celebrate after a report hailed it as one of the country's most successful forces. The report, by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabularies (HMCIC), Sir David Dowd, ranks Cleveland's performance among the best

  • Grandpa's great run for babies

    REDCAR grandpa Stan Barron raised money for some of the most sick children in the country by taking part in The Great North Run on Sunday. Mr Barron, 62, ran in his fifth Great North Run - in his best time of 2hrs 5mins - on behalf of Zoe's Place Baby

  • Family's plea to give hope to brave Hope

    A NORTH-EAST youngster suffering from a rare condition is in line for a pioneering operation to rebuild her face. Hope Elliott, five, of the Redhouse Estate, Sunderland, has cystic lymphovenous malformation - a build up of cysts on her face and throat

  • Double delight for young riders

    After a lapse of 18 months, affiliated show jumping returned to Holmeside Park, Edmondsley and, despite low entries, the quality of jumping was excellent. Adam Valks scored a double win with Sagittarius II taking the 11 years and under and the intermediate

  • Life-saving training

    MORE than 100 staff at the North-East's biggest shopping centre have been trained to use life-saving equipment. Gateshead's MetroCentre has been equipped with nine defibrillators, which can be used to resuscitate people who suffer heart attacks. The centre

  • Bank history comes to light during re-vamp

    A MAJOR refurbishment at a High Street bank has uncovered archives revealing its history. HSBC bank plc in Northallerton is undergoing a refurbishment to modernise its banking hall to provide customer service and waiting areas. Whilst preparing for the

  • The long wait is over as Swan Hunter celebrates Navy contract

    IT'S been a long and frustrating wait, but shipbuilding is back on the Tyne, and the furure's looking bright. Defence secretary Geoff Hoon may not have been very popular on South Tyneside, but he won't have to buy a drink in Wallsend for a good few years

  • Scheme to transform grounds

    SCHOOLS across North Yorkshire are taking part in an initiative designed to improve their grounds for the benefit of youngsters. Greener Grounds is a Learning Through Landscapes scheme (LTL), which has been designed to promote the important environmental

  • Stabbing soldier gets life

    A SOLDIER who stabbed a young man to death and left his cousin in a pool of blood was jailed for life yesterday. David Tillen, 26, was found guilty of murder at Newcastle Crown Court. It took the jury just two and a half hours to find Tillen guilty of

  • Stigma puts children off free school meals

    THOUSANDS of children are not claiming free school meals because of the stigma attached to poverty, says a report. Some schools have separate queues for children receiving free meals and in others they must wait for their lunch until paying students have

  • Kept in the dark

    Incompetence and complacency by ministers and officials hid the truth about the dangers of mad cow disease from the public for years, the BSE inquiry report said yesterday. People were repeatedly misled and kept in the dark by statements that underplayed

  • Explorer's brainchild to save a continent

    MOUNTAINOUS seas and freezing temperatures, piles of scrap and boundless beauty await a young teacher prepared to take up the challenge of a lifetime. Mission Antarctica, an ambitious multi-million pound scheme to clean up a Russian scientific station

  • Cold comfort from 1931 fridge

    FARMER'S wife Maureen Mace boasts that her fridge is part of the family - which is not surprising as it is still going strong 69 years after it rolled off the production line. Maureen, who lives near the County Durham village of Esh, paid £7 for the mechanical

  • Families urged to use postcode for festive mail

    PEOPLE in Teesside are being urged to crack postcodes in time for the Christmas rush. Royal Mail is urging people to make sure they have the correct postcodes for all their family and friends across the country. Nick Morgan, area manager for Royal Mail

  • Motor Racing News

    BRITISH Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert may have opened the door to a belated Formula One chance for North-East racing star Warren Hughes, writes Nigel Burton. Herbert has quit the sport after a lacklustre season with the Jaguar team to carve out a new

  • Report gives region's air quality clean bill of health

    A NEW report could nail the myth that pollution in the North-East is responsible for poor air quality. Five councils in the region have joined together to assess the air quality in response to the Government's National Air Quality Strategy, published

  • Call to keep green site

    A PETITION signed by more than 3,000 residents with a message not to develop the last green site in Guisborough is on its way to Redcar and Cleveland Council. The borough council wants to move its headquarters to the market town, but if it relocates to

  • Cheers from The Clarion

    A DOSE of festive cheer is on its way to Redcar thanks to The Clarion. Your weekly free newspaper has teamed up with Redcar Town Centre Management and Redcar Business Association to produce a series of festive activities in the run up to Christmas. Cash

  • Views are mixed on health care proposals

    PLANS to give Teesdale residents a bigger say in the future of their health care have been given a mixed reception. Members of Teesdale District Council discussed the proposed changes to health care in the dales as part of the national plan for the NHS

  • Chester le Street - Councillor plants a piece of history

    IT'S only right that a sapling planted to mark the Millennium should be as old as the Millennium itself. Civic leaders at Chester-le-Street last week planted a cutting from a 2,000-year-old yew tree at the entrance to the North Lodge estate. The tree

  • Snooker News

    Norman Fowler Memorial Alan Todd of Stanley played Michael Pratt of Chilton in the last quarter final at Tow Law Club. The first frame provided one of the most entertaining of this season's competition as Pratt knocked in an early 28 break with the black

  • Country petrol stations face fuel price crisis

    RURAL filling stations could be put out of business if the government failed to amend pricing structures, a Yorkshire dales garage proprietor has warned. Ministers' insistence that major companies like Shell and BP keep pump prices down in spite of rising

  • Girl aged 12 found drunk and incapable after binge on cider

    A 12-YEAR-OLD girl on her half-term holidays was found so drunk she was incapable of telling police her name or address, it has been revealed. Police initially thought the child had been sexually assaulted after she was found on scrubland in Darlington

  • Boro Chat

    THERE are tough times for Boro, lying fifth from bottom after ten games, and their unbeaten away record disappeared with an unlucky defeat at Charlton. England Under-21 international Andy Campbell is backing the team to rise up the table. "Everyone knows

  • Glendale toppled

    Stepy's Coaches Durham Sunday League With the bad weather and the Durham County FA Sunday Cup taking place Sunday there was very dramatic reduction of league fixtures. In the top game of the day Third Division leaders Houghton Glendale Social lose 3-2

  • Final whistle for Cockfield farmer after 21 years

    A FORMER World Cup referee has ended 21 years as a magistrate. The move comes just weeks after Mr Pat Partridge quit as chairman of a prison board of visitors. At the time, Mr Partridge said he was leaving his post with Holme House prison near Stockton

  • Spectator's Notes: Can we close the great national park gap?

    THE letter we publish today from the New Forest Commoners' Defence Association illustrates a point Spectator has made obliquely in the past, namely that national parks seem to be struggling to gain the support of the people who live within them. The troubles

  • Letters: Moors road is much calmer now

    Sir, - Peter Cook in his letter last week said he was congratulating Mrs June Imeson on her stance against traffic calming for Great Ayton and berating the defiling of the highway in Great Broughton. Great Broughton is a completely different kettle of

  • The Darlington Northern Echo Sunday Invitation League

    The Darlington Northern Echo Sunday Invitation League The weekend was dominated by individual division cup competitions. The second division cup, sponsored by Darlington Motor Factors, produced three of the four semi finalists. Northern Spirit RA booked

  • Two aim for export 'Oscars'

    TWO local companies have reached the final round of the "export Oscars", a national competition recognising the achievements of British businesses exporting to Europe. Amdega of Darlington, and Stokesley-based Analox Sensor Technology are among the ten

  • Junior Football

    Hetton Youth League HERRINGTON maintained their 100 per cent record in style, defeating Springboard 9-0. The home side held out for 20 minutes but once the leaders broke the deadlock it was one way traffic and by the interval Herrington established a

  • Children step up to main event

    CHILDREN from Redcar's Kirkleatham Hall School have trained for two years to take part in a special race on Sunday. Ten youngsters with learning difficulties have been training for the ten-kilometre cross-country Green Tree Run. The youngsters are stepping

  • Durham - City workmen toppled graves

    CONSERVATIONISTS were shocked to learn that 'vandalism' at the graveyard they have spent ten years restoring was done by council workmen. Police were called last week after headstones were flattened and crosses broken in the Victorian extension to St

  • Con man warning

    THE chief executive of one of the region's best-loved charities has condemned a young man for collecting money on false pretences. Last Thursday evening a man claiming to be collecting for the Butterwick Hospice attempted to obtain money from several

  • Guisborough march on

    Morpeth Town 1 Guisborough Town 1 A HARD-FOUGHT point puts Guisborough in sixth place in the Albany Northern League and their unbeaten league and cup run to eight. Chris Fuller scored for Guisborough and Andy Dugdale for Morpeth. Guisborough are at home

  • Students' perfect start

    Durham University have made a perfect start to the North Premier Men's Hockey League with maximum points from four games and top the table. And goal a game Nick Gay has handed out an early warning to defences. He maintained his excellent run with a second-half

  • £35m regeneration plan moves on

    PLANS to regenerate a run-down area of Redcar took a step forward this week. Outline planning permission has already been granted for the development of the Courts estate and Roseberry Square but Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council officials say the

  • Our county home - down in the Dome

    LIFE in County Durham as seen through the eyes of young people is to go on show in the Millennium Dome. More than 80 pupils from north Durham comprehensive schools Moorside, Tanfield, Dene Community School of Technology and Belmont devised the presentation

  • £4,000 raised at angling competition

    AN environmental fund set up by Durham Mayor George Wharton is better off following a fishing competition. Chase the Butterfly, which was launched to support local environment and conservation schemes, shared £4,000 with the Third World water charity,

  • North Yorkshire - Postal vote dropped

    AN ambitious experiment aiming to boost public interest in local government elections has been scrapped. North Yorkshire County Council this week abandoned its plans to introduce voting from home as a way of increasing the turnout at next year's elections

  • Potato prices

    Yorkshire and North-East. - Ex farm in growers' bags. Cara and similar £70-80 a tonne. Estima, Nadine, and Marfona, main range £70-75. Best quality £70-90. Maris Piper £80-110 in south of region. Bulk: Cara and similar £60-90. Reds £90-£120. White varieties

  • Students' mobile site re-launched

    A NORTH-East firm offering students the cheapest deals for mobile phones has re-launched its website for the new academic year. The company, www.studentmobiles. has implemented the latest technological advances to redesign its site to handle the massive

  • Bridge closure adds to safety concerns

    THE closure of the Mercury Bridge has emphasised the need for safe off-the-road routes for Richmond horse and pony riders. Ten took part in last Saturday's national horse and road safety day, launched by Horse magazine and the Peugeot motor company and

  • Website launched

    RESIDENTS of Teesside's former steel-working communities have launched themselves on the world-wide web. Steel Valley, an event at the University of Teesside on Friday, saw the launch of Tees Valley Communities Online project. Community groups in Owton-Rossmere

  • Police horse rests after endeavours

    YOUNGSTERS from Saltburn have said a fond farewell to Cleveland Police's longest-serving horse. Endeavour has been with the force for 15 years and will be sadly missed by his rider, Ian Lumley. He said: "He is one of the most experienced and mild-mannered

  • A lifetime spent picking up clangers the children dropped

    EDUCATION standards may be rising but the nation's scholars still have the capacity to make howlers - like the pupil who wrote that the universe began millions of years ago with "little orgasms crawling about". Or the youngster who wrote that the great

  • Dazzling choice for fashionable mayor

    THE mayor of Darlington is guaranteed to be wearing a unique outfit when she makes her entrance at her charity ball tonight. Coun Dot Long will wear a dress designed by a student at Queen Elizabeth sixth form college. She invited students on the BTEC

  • Event adds up to maths fun

    CHILDREN at a Redcar primary school have been going mad for maths. Add Ings Up at Ings Farm Primary School, Stirling Road, involved 400 pupils in a series of fun and imaginative activities in the main hall and playground. The week's events were the school's

  • Lottery notes benefit brass band

    A BRASS band will be able to buy much needed instruments, thanks to a National Lottery grant. Trimdon Concert Brass Band has been awarded £30,000 by the Arts Council of England from National Lottery funds. The band is currently using instruments supplied

  • Litter louts 'damaging image'

    LITTER louts have come under fire following a clean-up operation which revealed the extent of their anti-social behaviour. Students from Manor College of Technology, Hartlepool, working with the borough council's Pride in Hartlepool officer, Ron Gosling

  • Jigsaw fit for fund

    A JIGSAW puzzle featuring MP Mo Mowlam was the star prize at a coffee morning in aid of a cancer charity set up in memory of a Redcar schoolgirl. Katie Neal was six years old when she died last March following a courageous battle against a form of cancer

  • Strodder is our guiding light - Turner

    HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner last night urged his side to follow the example of centre-back Gary Strodder as they strive to lift themselves up the Third Division table. The 35-year-old defender has been a model of consistency after returning to

  • Barry's TV role to get Special Olympics' ball rolling

    DOWNS Syndrome sufferer Barry Cairns is to star in a national TV commercial to plug the Special Olympics. Barry, 35, of Carrville, Durham City, fought off competition from other hopefuls to win the role. The advert is part of a public awareness campaign

  • just the thing for little horrors

    CHILDREN got into the Halloween spirit yesterday by making spooky kites and hats. The event took place at Preston Hall Museum, Eaglescliffe. kite maker Eric Stephenson, showed the youngsters how to make and decorate kites and hats. Some of the children

  • Bennett aiming for inspiration against high-flying Brighton

    DARLINGTON manager Gary Bennett will today demand his players show their true colours. Inconsistent Quakers go into the toughest game of the season so far against promotion-chasing Brighton without a recognised left back because of injuries to Gary Himsworth

  • Race crash driver has sights back on track

    AN horrific picture captured the moment when he was catapulted from his racing car - but for Nigel Corner the scene could be someone else. The 34-year-old was thrown from his 1960 Ferrari Dino after a collision during a race meeting in September, but

  • Racing driver on the road to recovery

    A HORRIFIC picture captured the moment when he was catapulted from his racing car _ but for Nigel Corner the scene could be someone else. The 34-year-old was thrown from his 1960 Ferrari Dino after a collision during a race meeting but amazingly escaped

  • 'Silent killer' talk cancelled through illness

    A CONFERENCE to highlight the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning had to be postponed because one of the speakers was ill. The Council of Gas Detection and Environment Monitoring (CoGDEM) had organised the conference in Darlington yesterday. The

  • Families alerted to -sick' letter

    A BOGUS council letter telling residents they must take in a family of Asian lodgers has provoked ridicule among ethnic minority leaders. An official-looking letter, with the Derwentside District Council letter-head, informs the resident that they have

  • Ice Hockey News

    Junior round-up Billingham Bears suffered two weekend losses in English Junior (U-16) North A league. On Saturday, they hosted league leaders Sheffield Rapiers at the Forum ice arena. Bears restricted Sheffield to only one goal in the 12th minute and

  • Elvis wig taunts led to gun threats

    What was it about Ronald Walton that made neighbours mock him to the point that he eventually flipped his lid? The 60-year-old proudly sports an "Elvis style" hairpiece whenever he goes out in public, attracting gasps of astonishment rather than admiration

  • Games News

    Willington Ladies League Willington Club, who lead both the darts and dominoes sections, went down in both when they entertained the Prospect Club. However the only effect was that their lead was cut but they still remain top in both. In the darts section

  • Hospital campaigners take fight to minister

    CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save the Duchess of Kent military hospital have urged Health Secretary Mr Alan Milburn to meet them. Although Mr Milburn, MP for Darlington, has not yet replied to a letter, the campaign group is confident he will agree to a meeting

  • War pensioners to get rise in benefits

    WAR pensioners and widows in Chester-le-Street are to receive extra tax benefits after a council spending review. Those affected by the measures could find their pensions boosted by up to £8.76 a week, from next April. When Chester-le-Street District

  • Past Lives: Darkness and light in pit paintings

    WHAT astounded me was not so much my being mistaken for a clergyman. Nor that the challenge occurred, just where it did. For mine is a face so chameleon that it has, in its time, compelled strangers to accost me with an outpouring of embarrassing symptoms

  • Parents dismayed over lack of help for ailing daughter

    THE parents of a young Aiskew woman who died from a brain tumour said this week that they had found no local support groups for people of her age with such life-threatening illnesses. The last wish of 23-year-old Miss Cara Richmond, whose funeral took

  • In peak fitness for ladder climb

    Accident-prone action man Alan Hinkes is surely tempting fate with his latest escapade - a stunt that will involve walking under at least one ladder. The Northallerton-based mountaineer has agreed to clean the windows of a leading Newcastle adventure

  • Competition launched to name new company

    TENANTS on Teesside are being asked to come up with a name for a company that could take control of a council's housing stock. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been briefing tenants in the build-up to a ballot to decide if the stock should be

  • Letters: The other side of the cuddly otter

    Sir, - The feature by Sheila Dixon (D&S Oct 6) "The otter gains a staunch ally" begs a reply which is a little more critical than your reporter's story. Whilst agreeing that the glimpse of any secretive form of wildlife can enhance a day's fishing

  • Traffic campaign gets police support

    SAFETY campaigners are close to winning their fight for a 30mph speed limit on a village road. Despite suffering 16 car accidents on the road in the last ten years, the 70 residents of Middlestone Village, near Spennymoor, had been told their community

  • Pony dates

    BCTG. - Oct 29: pm show jumping, Middleton St George EC, open to non-members. Details 01325 332685. Braes of Derwent South PC. - Nov 4: Dressage to music demonstration with Hilary Hindmarsh, 4.30-6.30, Seagold Centurion EC. Tickets at £5 from Mrs J Little

  • Hawes draw proves a costly slip

    Wensleydale Creamery League HAWES United lost top spot after a run of five successive victories was halted when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catterick Garrison last Saturday. The visitors took the lead after 20 minutes through Nick Prince, but the

  • Concert to aid almshouses

    HARPSICHORD player David Bolton will perform with the Cleveland Chamber Ensemble in the 17th Chapel at Sir William Turner's Almshouses, Kirkleatham, near Redcar. Mr Bolton has built almost 250 harpsichords since leaving his job at ICI in the 1980s. He

  • Get in now for your share of government funds

    FARMERS have been advised to get in quickly if they want to benefit from the millions of pounds of new government funding. The England rural development programme offers £1.6bn of help through a variety of schemes but that has to cover the whole country

  • Decision on council structure delayed

    A COUNCIL has agreed to continue its "wait and see" attitude over changes to the way local government is run. Teesdale District Council is one of the few authorities in the region still to make a decision on which system to adopt as part of the Local

  • Angling News

    A book titled 'Mr. Crabtree Goes Fishing' by Bernard Venables is one of the best selling, best loved angling books of all time, writes JEFF HERBERT. Now through a unique initiative put together by the publishers of a 50th anniversary celebration edition

  • Pensioners' group stages dance

    The Pensioners Rights campaign group, in Consett, is holding a dance at the Demi Rugby Club on Wednesday, November 15, between 2pm and 5pm. Tickets cost £1. Call (01207) 503818 or (01207) 502717 for details.

  • North Yorkshire - Historic day for county

    The North Yorkshire County Council archaeology service, established to protect the area's rich heritage, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The first county archaeologist was appointed in 1975 to carry out a survey of the area and recommend sites that

  • Darts News

    Cleveland County Cleveland entertained Tyne and Wear at their new venue, Visions, Billingham Green, and in a great weekend the home side secured the top spot in table with a win. Saturday started with the Ladies B and on her county debut, Mandy Stephens

  • Solid protest at loss of land for car park

    A FULL-scale revolt is taking place in Guisborough over plans to use green space as an office car park. Furious residents say they will seek a judicial review if Redcar and Cleveland council goes ahead with a scheme to develop an old depot site for one

  • Tax boycott threatened over squalor

    FAMILIES who claim empty houses are turning an area to squalor say they will stop paying council tax unless something is done. Residents of Grangetown, east Cleveland, claim the area's high proportion of abandoned houses have become magnets for rubbish

  • Police give abduction warning

    POLICE are warning parents to be on the alert after reports of two attempted child abductions. The first incident, last Wednesday, was an attempted snatch of a 12-year-old boy in Linden Road, Brotton. A similar incident took place at 11am on Friday, when

  • Special livestock sales

    BELLINGHAM. - Sat. Second special sale for Blackface & Blackface X Swaledale ewes & gimmers. Prices. - Blackface gimmers to £58 Brieredge; Blackface ewes to £30.50 Townfoot; Swale gimmers to £36 The Raw; Swale ewes to £25 Rothley West Shield;

  • Football: Brown rescues a point for Town with double strike

    Northallerton Town 2 Ashington 2 TWO late goals from leading scorer Andy Brown salvaged a vital point for Northallerton Town in their top of the table clash against Division Two leaders Ashington last Saturday. The visitors made a storming start and were

  • Neville bows out

    REDCAR and Cleveland Council's own Big Brother is retiring following 14 years of watching the public. Neville Blantern, who is the borough's CCTV Manager, is confident that the council's Big Brother image is winning the fight against crime. He said: "

  • George's wife tells of attack ordeal

    The wife of millionaire soccer boss George Reynolds told yesterday how she thought her husband had been stabbed to death in a street mugging. Susan Reynolds, 40, said her husband made such a noise during the attack that she feared for his life. She spoke

  • Wear Valley - Adoptive parents found guilty of cruelty

    A couple have been found guilty of cruelty against an adopted son. Both parents were convicted of ill-treating the boy, now aged 14, by locking him in his room for long periods without letting him out to go to the toilet. The father, aged 49, was also

  • Durham - Campaigner James comes home to rest

    HUMAN rights protestor James Mawdsley finally came home this week and headed straight for bed. After 14 months in a tiny rat-infested cell, the 27-year-old seemed overjoyed to see his mother's terraced cottage. He looked weary as he stepped from the train

  • Leading article: The lost movement

    ASSORTED worthies, mostly political, gathered in York on Saturday to debate how best to advance the dream of regional government in the county. Reports of the event seem to suggest there was a lack of agreement as to what was the next step forward. The

  • Free trade plan would hit sheep market

    AUSTRALIAN sheep producers are capable of posing a significant threat to UK farmers if the World Trade Organisation allows free trade at world prices. Mr Christopher Lloyd, commercial manager of the National Sheep Association, reached this conclusion

  • Rugby: Kent signs off with a brace

    DARLINGTON Mowden Park are the only club outside the national leagues to have reached the last 32 of the Tetley's Bitter Cup. Although they hope to be in National Division Three North next year, that will still leave them two divisions below their fourth

  • Darlington - Councillor recovering after heart attack

    A VETERAN councillor is recovering at home after suffering from a heart attack. Coun Tony Moore, 59, of Newton Aycliffe, was taken ill while walking home on Monday evening of last week. Daughter-in-law Marie Moore said: "Once he sat down he felt a bit

  • Arts News: Far East in the North-East

    CHINESE treasures, many of which have been in storage for decades, have gone on display at Durham university's Oriental Museum. They include an extremely rare 19th century bed which is almost a room in its own right, standing more than 9ft high and 6ft

  • Plea for women to join stars and add sparkle to charity

    WOMEN'S Institute members pledged yesterday to turn their baubles into brass to fund research into Britain's biggest killer disease. Thousands of women around County Durham will be following celebrities such as Victoria Wood, Joanna Lumley, Richard Whiteley

  • Ladies Hockey News

    Roseberry Ladies Sunday Invitation League Stockton's Emma Renwick gave a captain's performance and scored the only goal which gave her side a 1-0 away victory over Stokesley. In an evenly balanced game Stokesley's Perry Anderton, making her debut, had

  • Have you any news?

    IF YOU want to share your news and views, or would like to publicise a forthcoming event, contact Clarion and Northern Echo reporter Lucia Charnock on (01642) 480397, fax (01642) 498910 or e-mail redcar_editorialIf you would like your wedding photograph

  • Pupils map the way ahead

    PUPILS at a Hartlepool Primary School are not lacking direction when it comes to PE. Orienteering is already a popular part of lessons at West Park Primary School, with pupils regularly visiting the town's Summerhill Country Park to take advantage of

  • Amazing Grey in world glory bid

    Darlington power lifter Steven Grey broke his back a decade ago but next month he bids for world gold. The Army staff sergeant based at the Arm Foundation College in Harrogate, has been selected as part of the Great Britain squad for the World Championships

  • Prices at the markets

    BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed. Fwd: 1,842 sheep. Bull calves to £148. Store lambs to £25.50; lt to 69.8p av 58.2p; std to 86.6p av 74.4p; med to 88.4p av 76.2p; heavy to 80.5p av 73.6p; Mule ewes to £19; Cont to £23; Swale to £12; Leics to £20.50. BISHOP AUCKLAND

  • Hear all Sides

    COW PLANTATION I USED regularly to take my children into the Cow Plantation at Spennymoor, locally known as the Top Wood. It was a lovely way to spend an hour or two, the children loved to see the different butterflies and pick the odd flower. We do not

  • Bus passenger hurt in attack

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an assault which left a teenager badly injured. Passengers on a late-night bus could prove to be key witnesses to the assault on the 19-year-old from Brotton, east Cleveland. The teenager boarded the number 62 bus

  • Prosecution threat over countryside hoarding

    AN ADVERTISING company has been ordered to remove hoardings from fields on the outskirts of Darlington or face possible prosecution. The three large advertising boards are situated on the back of farm vehicles alongside the A66 near Great Burdon, off

  • Wear Valley - Lady luck drives in

    A TEENAGER who was left devastated when thieves wrote-off his first car had his faith in human nature restored this week when a mystery benefactor stepped forward. Stuart Sokell, of Binchester, had battled his way back to full health since undergoing

  • Campbell injury blow

    Darlington suffered yet another long term injury blow yesterday when Paul Campbell was ruled out until at least February. Campbell picked up a groin injury in the win over Torquay a fortnight ago, and at first it was thought he would be back in action