At the recent Durham County Schools' Track and Field Championships, held at Monkton Stadium, Jarrow, four members of the Quakers RC earned selection for County representation. Barry Stephenson of Darlington's Queen Elizabeth VI Form College, who was competing
A GOOD WEEK FOR... SEXUAL EQUALITY THE big news of the week is that council workers in London are testing the first female urinal with a view to letting it loose on the streets. It allows women to do their business standing up, just like men. The creator
The Northern Echo sent a strong message on behalf of its readers telling me that they wanted action to save their local post offices. Yesterday the Government showed that it has listened, with new measures and financial support to help secure the long-term
IT has all backfired. Zero Tolerance is now top of the agenda. It is the talk of police and public alike. In the two-and-a-half years that I have been suspended from Cleveland Police, I have avoided using this column to discuss my own situation. But following
A MAGICIAN who is allergic to rabbits has been reduced to tears again - after his fluffy pet went to the great warren in the sky. Ian Wragg usually only cries when he picks up rabbits while performing his magic show. But his eyes are watering again after
A double murder suspect poured out his heart in a suicide note before he ended his own life. John Thompson, 27, is prime suspect in the murders of Rachel Tough and Julie Smailes, both of County Durham. Two years after his death, his widow Michelle Thompson
A LEADING North-East computer network specialist has relocated and is expanding due to the rise in e-business across the region. Knowledge IT has just moved from premises in Chester-le-Street and relocated to a purpose-built facility at Crowther Industrial
THE Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and BT will invest more than £2m in a communications network for the Tees coastline. The new communications structure will link the MCA station in Stockton with offices across the country though a permanent connection
AN innovative new Teesside company has grand designs for other companies and organisations in the Tees Valley. Stockton-based Natural Artlines has launched a picture loans and purchasing service so that businesses can use art in a flexible and affordable
TOBACCO WARNINGS WHAT possible benefit is there to having health warnings on tobacco products, as demanded by politicians in Brussels. Knowledge of the potential health risks of smoking is already at saturation level and more information can only entrench
In the gathering gloom and growing chill of another long Wimbledon evening, Anna Kournikova was bundled out of the championships by little-known French girl Anne-Gaelle Sidot. And such was the collective groan on court one that it might have carried as
A COUNCIL'S campaign for a national licensing scheme for private landlords will go under the spotlight today, as representatives from local authorities across the country meet in Gateshead to discuss the issue. The campaign, launched at the House of Commons
THIEVES and vandals threatened to drive prestigious Darlington Dog Show out of town after more than a century, it was revealed last night. Marquees have been slashed with knives, and goods have been stolen from trade stalls. The problems got so bad that
MR BLOBBY is alive and kicking and can be seen at a North-East summer fair this weekend. The cuddly pink character, and his wife, Mrs Blobby, made famous on Noel Edmonds' House Party TV shows of the 1980s and 1990s, may now be seen as retro in the early
A burglar has been given a final warning after taking property from two garden sheds. Judge Judith Moir warned 20-year-old Wayne Parkinson he would be likely to face a prison sentence if he committed any more offences. Parkinson, of Ashgrove Avenue, South
VILLAGERS are mourning the end of an era after highways chiefs announced that a 120-year-old tree was posing a threat to public safety. The sycamore tree at Scorton, near Richmond, was condemned at a public meeting after only recently being given an 11th
RESIDENTS went back to their roots this weekend, when a Wear Valley village celebrated its Saxon origins. Two days of entertainment, exhibitions and workshops centred Escomb's Saxon church, which was built in 670AD. Saxon re-enactment group Theod camped
THE Romans are set to make a dramatic return to Teesdale centuries after the last legions returned to Rome. The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, is to bring a taste of Roman Britain to its visitors with the help of North Country Theatre's latest production
A CHARITY which provides financial and emotional support for former servicemen and women in Darlington has issued an appeal for help. The town's branch of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association/Forces Help urgently needs volunteers to
A 70-year-old former teacher is preparing to go to jail after refusing to pay a fine for an anti-nuclear protest. Grandmother Joan Meredith has until today to pay a £100 fine or she could face a week behind bars. Magistrates in Alnwick, Northumberland
A FEATURE film made in the North-East has undergone a change of title before reaching cinemas. Dancer, shot in and around Easington last year, is now called Billy Elliot - after the leading character, a teenage boy who secretly trains to join a ballet
A BUSINESSMAN whose three consultancy firms were wound up with debts of more than £90,000, has been banned from being a company director for six years. Julian Herbert Thomas Hale, 53, ran the three companies from his home in Junction Road, Norton, Teesside
SUNDERLAND teenager Gareth Pugh's dream of studying fashion at a top London college has come true. Gareth, 18, of Grangetown, is looking forward to fulfilling his ambition after three years' hard work studying on the pre-degree art foundation course at
A £20m spending plan has given the beleagured steel industry on Teesside a much-needed boost. The announcement yesterday by Corus, formerly British Steel, came just a day after the company announced losses of £113m over the past six months. Chairman Sir
A TOWN is using new legal powers to declare war on trouble-makers. As forecast in The Northern Echo, Middlesbrough Borough Council is to turn the tables on people who make their neighbours' lives a misery. The council has announced it will use anti social
RESULTS of an inquiry into the derailment of a train in a busy town centre will not be made public. An inquiry has been launched to establish how an empty two carriage Sprinter train ran through buffers and off the rails, ploughing through a tract of
Work by one of America's most influential photographers is going on display at the Green Dragon Museum in Stockton for a limited period. A collection of Edward Weston's photographs, taken between 1920 and 1943, will be on show from Saturday, to July 29
AN advocacy group for people in Darlington with mental health problems or learning disabilities will hold its annual meeting today. Darlington Mayor Councillor Dorothy Long, who has carried on her predecessor Councillor Bill Dixon's support of Advocacy
A burglar was caught red-handed when he broke into a house on Wearside and tried to steal a fridge. For instead of a freezer box he got an empty box - with a policeman hiding inside ready to make an arrest! Detectives In Sunderland thought up the trick
SKODA driver Derek Dobson escaped being banned yesterday after being clocked speeding four times in less than an hour. Disabled Mr Dobson, who has a damaged spine, broke the 30mph limit four times in 58 minutes. When he realised he had been caught, he
A plan to add the names of 1,800 war dead to Hartlepool's War Memorial has been given the go-ahead. Earlier this year, Hartlepool Borough Council agreed to fund the bulk of the £120,000 project, which will see the creation of four free-standing columns
WITH the first of the Euro 2000 semi-finals kicking off tonight, one team, still very much involved in the tournament teamed up with the North-East Chamber of Commerce at one of the region's top footballing venues. Cisco Systems, the company which provides
A NORTH-EAST bridge champion has been selected to represent his country in an international match which will be conducted over the Internet. Clive Owen, a chartered accountant from Darlington, recently won the North East Bridge Player of the Year for
A stretch of road, which it is hoped will help to create hundreds of jobs, will be opened officially in a former steel town this week. The 650m-long road crosses the former steelworks site at Consett and completes the southern bypass in the town. The
'THE train arriving at platform 11 is . . . the 11.40 Orient Express." It may seem incongruous when the platform is at York but the train rolling into the station could claim at least some of the heritage, being the youngest sister in the world's best
CRIME scene investigators have moved into a new era with the delivery of a purpose-built vehicle. Northumbria Police's new Sci-Lab will be sent to major crime scenes and is the first of its kind in the UK. The specially-built Mercedes will enhance the
A TOP team has been assembled to run a world-class music facility being created in the region. Two new directors have been chosen who will help ensure the success of the Music Centre, at the Gateshead Quays - the art and cultural quarter on the south
The magic 'ton' was broken during a sensational Northallerton Non Plus Cup at Scruton, writes JEFF HERBERT. Fish fed avidly and local rod Gareth Smith established a new upper River Swale record with 114.2.0 of chub. Staked above the Railway Bridge, stickfloat
HENRY the garden gnome is safely back home after being snatched by a gang of jet-setting gnomenappers. But there is still no clue as to who grabbed him from the doorstep of a County Durham pub. Since the gnomenap five months ago, Henry has travelled far
A COLLEGE security guard who took £1,000 from the bank account of a student has escaped a prison sentence. Peter Harris, 49, took a bank card and PIN number in an envelope left in a pigeon-hole for one of the students and used it to withdraw cash from
THE cash-strapped wife of North-East football legend Jackie Milburn has been forced to put his FA Cup medals up for sale. But now an 11th hour rescue package may save her from parting with the precious memorabilia. Newcastle United's famous striker was
ENTERTAINMENTS company Apollo Leisure took centre stage yesterday by winning the right to run the North-East's largest theatre. Apollo Leisure (UK)'s takeover of Sunderland Empire Theatre brings with it the prospect of shows crossing the Atlantic from
YOUNGSTERS from all over County Durham converged on Durham City yesterday for the region's biggest ever youth games. Hundreds of pupils aged ten and 11 met in sport and friendship and got a taste of big time competition when they participated in the Under
A pilot scheme is helping elderly people in east Durham retain their independence while receiving the best of care. The joint venture between Durham Social Services, Easington Primary Care Group and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust is ensuring that
A SECOND phase of roadworks is about to begin as part of a scheme to improve safety at a Hartlepool junction. Works to replace the A689/Park Road/Huckelhoven Way roundabout with traffic lights began on June 12 and is due to last nine weeks. From Saturday
A ONE man success story is taking his business venture to the very top. David Stone was forced to sell his car 18-months ago to start up his own business, and after a successful first year in operation he is now reaching dizzy new heights. North-East
A FAMILY day of Medieval fun and games is on offer at Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum in Redcar on Sunday. Top British Medieval show team Rosa Mundi , which is based in Redcar, will feature archery, swordfighting, food, and much more from the days of King
A POLICE force is trying to solve a mystery surrounding one of its own. The curious case of Constable X centres on a 65-year-old photograph of officers at Stanhope, in Weardale, County Durham. An inscription on the photograph reads: "Presented to Chief
WAR veterans from all over the region are being invited to a ceremony marking one of Britain's most-famous campaigns. The County Durham branch of the Dunkirk Veterans' Association has organised an anniversary ceremony at St Ann's Church, Market Place,
CHANGES to the way councils are run will open the door for a return to the days of corruption, it has been claimed. The accusation came as independent councillors launched a concerted broadside against the switch by Durham County Council to an experimental
A radical plan to ensure no NHS patient waits more than three months for an operation is being considered by the Government, Health Secretary Alan Milburn said yesterday. The plan would revolutionise the way the health service works and effectively abolish
ALBANY Northern League side West Auckland have appointed Alan Oliver as their new manager. Oliver, who has a good reputation in Sunday football management, takes over from Graeme Forster, who left for Tow Law last month. Dale Swainston will remain as
Churches Together in Chester-le-Street stage a procession of witness on Good Friday. The walk leaves the Catholic church in Ropery Lane to the South side of the market square at around 11am, to arrive at the market at about 11.30am. On arrival there will
Durham County There were mixed fortunes for the Durham men's teams when they travelled to South Yorkshire for the Region One Inter Counties Championship. Before the games began Durham A led the league by nine points from Cleveland and seventeen from their
RETIRED headteacher Reginald Slater is proving it's never to late to learn by studying a computing course at the age of 90. Mr Slater, whose teaching career spanned 40 years from 1930 to 1970, the past 20 years spent as a headteacher at schools in Oxhill
Hydro Polymers Newton Aycliffe 10K Road Race Men: 1 B Rushworth (Sunderland) 32.45; 2 B Stephenson (Quakers) 33.26; 3 N Orr (Darlington) 33.27; 4 R Maddams (Harlow) 33.40; 5 J Lilliendale (Sund) 33.53; 6 A Tatham (Quakers) 34.27; 7 M Jones (South Shields
Scarborough Beckett League Division A Cayton 126 (M Walmsley 3-61, R Baker 3-15), Flixton 174 for 8 (N Sacrzewsky 33, R Baker 33, M Walmsley 48, P Woodhead 3.43); Ebberston 146 (A Winspear 41, J Blythe 3-31), Sewerby 149 for 3 (N Gibson 45, M Artley 51no
EFFORTS to establish a new umbrella organisation for voluntary groups in the Durham City area have taken a major step forward. A constitution has now been agreed for a Council for Voluntary Services for Durham, which is one of only two districts in the
A £700m coal supply deal which will safeguard thousands of mining jobs has been signed. The five-year deal has been agreed between RJB Mining and the owners of Europe's biggest power generation station, Drax, in Selby, North Yorkshire. The deal, which
DEVOTED father Bob Golightly had everything to live for. At 53, the deputy head-,teacher at Staindrop Comprehensive School, County Durham, still enjoyed training at the gym and rarely drank alcohol. He was also a fanatical Sunderland FC supporter, who
PLANS for a mobile telephone mast have been approved, despite pigeon fanciers' fears that it could upset their birds. Durham City Council's development control committee approved One2One's plan for the 20m mast on land near Brandon United FC's Commercial
PARTY entrepreneurs Trevor Dixon-Cave and Neil Sims are carving our a niche for themselves in the giftware market with the production of a range of hand-sculpted cartoon mice figurines. The South Shields duo, who have recently launched their own company
Boddingtons Durham Coast League A half-century by Pettey, who finished unbeaten, enabled Ryhope to overtake Marsden's formidable total of 125 for seven when the sides met in Division Three. Haynes was another batsman in form in Bill Quay's seven wickets
Bedale Club With the course suffering from an excessive amount of water it was necessary to combine the June Medal with the Rouse Cup which should have been played over two separate weekends. This year's winner of the Rouse Cup went to the in form Paul
Crook Town are again organising their popular Herbert Hutchinson memorial trophy at the end of July. The club has invited Consett, Willington and Shildon to play in the knockout competition between Monday 17th and Sunday 23rd July. The Cleator Cup game
Nat West Darlington and District League Division A Middleton St George retained their position at the top of Division A with a seven wickets victory in their visit to Weardale. The home side made a poor start to their innings but 28 not out by Breeze
The Auckland and District EBAC Youth LEague League is looking for new U18 teams to join the league for next season. Ferryhill Athletic have joined the league, taking the place of Darlington Spraire Lads who have dropped out because they have nobody to
Stuart Walker is certainly making a name for himself with his batting performances and in the last week scored three successive centuries. The Hetton Lyons youngster hit 104 in the Durham Senior League junior division game against Sunderland and followed
Willington Games Cup I the first legs of the semi-finals both away teams established a lead but by vastly different margins. Hunwick Club visited Willington Market in a match which opened evenly as Paul Maddison and Ian Richardson took the first two pool
Boddingtons Durham Coast League U15 Dawdon romped to a ten wickets victory when they hosted Bill Quay who managed 61 for two which included a top scoring 26 not out by Phillips. Matthew Young then led Dawdon's reply recording an unbeaten 33 in a total
TAXI operators have been urged to follow all required safety measures when carrying people with disabilities. The call has been made to private hire and hackney carriage businesses in Chester-le-Street after a disabled rights campaigner banged his head
Q WHAT was the Kellogg Briand Pact and is there any connection with Kellogg's, maker of breakfast cereal? - Jeff Wilkinson, South Moor, Stanley.A THE pact was an agreement made between the US and France in 1927. The countries renounced war in favour of
BY their very nature, our rural communities tend to be among the last to benefit and take advantage of new technology. They lag behind urban areas in embracing the age of the internet and tele-banking. That is why it seems unfair that these communities
THE destruction Melvyn Betts has been threatening for some time yesterday helped Durham enjoy their best day since the victory over Surrey. On the Darlington ground where he took seven for 29 against Kent three years ago, Betts routed Derbyshire with
POLICE officers who risked their lives to help others are to be rewarded at a national ceremony. Five officers from the North-East have been nominated in the annual Police Bravery Awards organised by the Police Federation. The men, along with 47 other
ANOTHER week, another rebirth of industry in the North-East. Tony Blair was in historic mode yesterday as he opened the new Filtronic factory in his constituency on the site of the failed Fujitsu plant in Newton Aycliffe. ''The Phoenix has risen from
A SERIAL conman delayed a train for hours and forced Virgin bosses to put him up in a hotel for three nights after he fooled them into believing he was a barrister in the Lockerbie bombing trial, a court heard yesterday. He had claimed that vital papers
MANY years ago Chilton near Ferryhill was known as Chilton Buildings. Why? - D. Simpson (no relation), Darlington.THE name Chilton goes back to Anglo-Saxon times and means child-ton - the place belonging to a young noble. The original Chilton is the village
The Shildon R and AC hosted their first Stadium 2000 Primary Schools Track and Field Millennium Games on June 15 with over 120 children competing from eight schools in the area. Heighington Primary were winners in the girls section with 103 points and
ALBERT THE BEAR deserves a change of luck in the Club United Handicap at Newcastle today. Things could not have gone worse for the sprint gelding at Carlisle last time, when he was caught napping in the stalls and then badly hampered over one furlong
NEWCASTLE International Airport marked another milestone in its 65-year history when the three millionth passenger checked in. And film buffs would have been forgiven for thinking the passenger was a major Hollywood film star, because he shared the same
THE family of a teenager who nearly lost an eye when he was hit by an air rifle pellet are backing moves to curb the weapons. An inch or two lower and Darren Temple, 16, of Seaham, County Durham, could have lost his right eye, but the pellet lodged above
A NORTH-EAST man was left to die in agony in a Greek hospital after falling from a balcony, his family claimed last night. Chris Rochester, 24, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, flew out to Rhodes three weeks ago to join his older brother who worked
RIVERSIDE Amateur Operatic Society is presenting its 25th anniversary production next month: the Lerner and Loewe musical Brigadoon. Set in the Highlands of Scotland, the story revolves around two Americans who find themselves lost in the hills. Suddenly
A SHAMED politician who admitted fiddling his expenses has resigned from the county council after being told he had brought the authority into disrepute. Robert Heseltine, also a former chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, was sentenced
Cyclists' favourite David Gray is giving a talk about Britain's new cycling network tomorrow. The off-road expert will discuss the 10,000-mile national cycle route network, at Consett Library at 7.15pm. A member of Sustrans, the charity responsible for
A COOL-HEADED little boy knew exactly what to do when his grandad fell down unconscious in front of him in an isolated wood. Paul Rowling, who was only six at the time, calmly cleared Ken Robson's airwaves so he could breath properly, put him in the recovery
NEWCASTLE United star Kieron Dyer claimed he was the target of vicious gossip yesterday after reports he had been glassed in a nightclub brawl. The up-an-coming England midfielder was reported to have needed five stitches around an eye after a night out
AN expansion bid by Newton Aycliffe Sports Club looks likely to be approved by councillors. The club, in Moore Lane, has applied to Sedgefield Borough Council for a single-storey extension to provide new changing rooms, lavatories and a physiotherapy
A BAKERY has helped to restore traffic to a route where roadworks have caused chaos for months. Commuters have been avoiding Darlington's Haughton Road because of tailbacks caused by essential strengthening work on a bridge. The work has seen a significant
A BUTCHER shot himself while his wife slept in the same room, an inquest has heard. Stephen Duffy, 52, put a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, an inquest at Durham Coroner's Court heard. He was found in a living room armchair, with the shotgun
CHURCHES in Prime Minister Tony Blair's constituency are backing a campaign to overturn a ban on Christian groups applying for national radio licences. About 1,200 worshippers from Sedgefield, County Durham, are said to have signed up to a petition, prompted
A COUNCIL is preparing to implement an initiative aimed at improving the quality of life for people living on its housing estates. Sedgefield Borough Council has made £300,000 available for the scheme, which is due to begin later this year. Residents
TRADERS hope to attract thousands of visitors to their city this weekend when they stage their annual summer festival. On Saturday and Sunday, Durham City Centre Forum has lined up a wide range of entertainment. The Vlaams Caledonian Society, from Ghent
TWO team-mates were involved in a heated post-match exchange over a misplaced pass during a Northern League football match. But a blow was allegedly struck during the spat in the bar of Durham City's New Ferens Park ground, after a division one clash
AN inquest was opened yesterday into the death of a North-East man on a Greek holiday island. Christopher Rochester, 24, of Ullswater Road, Chester-le-Street, died on Rhodes on June 11. A post-mortem examination has been carried out but no cause of death
A DRIVE to recruit nurses in the South Durham area is being hailed a success. South Durham Health Care NHS Trust launched a campaign to encourage former nurses to return to the service as part of a nationwide initiative to get skilled workers back into
A DANCE school is celebrating a birthday milestone with a toe-tapping extravaganza. It is the tenth anniversary of the formation of Spennymoor-based Joanne Banks' Dance School, and this weekend students will put on their dancing shoes for a performance
A CREDIT union is about to expand to offer its services to hundreds of new customers in Darlington. The Cockerton Churches Credit Union was set up ten years ago to offer low-cost loans and savings facilities to church members. Now the union, which has
SHIPYARD workers are expected to reject controversial new working practices when the results of a ballot are announced later this week. The ballot follows accusations that managers at A&P Tyne, at Wallsend, North Tyneside, threatened to lay off staff
CHILDREN in Teesdale are getting set for an art project based on glass and ceramics. Pupils at Montalbo Primary School, in Barnard Castle, will taking part in a workshop at the school on July 3, which will see them creating their own designs from glass
A RETIRED Barnard Castle postman knocked down and killed by a bus was nearly four times over the legal drink-drive limit, an inquest heard. Russell Hodgson, 60, of Birch Road, walked into the path of a bus being driven by Donald Fishwick, the husband
STUDENTS took to the streets of Durham to prove you don't need a car to get about the city. Members of Durham University's People and Planet Society, dedicated to green and humanitarian issues, declared Tuesday Curb Car Culture Day. They paraded through
PUBLIC meetings are to be held in two areas of Hartlepool to let residents have their say over plans to improve street lighting. The first will take place tonight, at West View Community Centre, Miers Avenue, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. The second meeting
ORGANISERS of a Teesdale farmers' market are looking to the heavens and praying for dry weather after last month's event was blighted by torrential rain. Farmers from Teesdale gathered in Barnard Castle at the start of June to sell a variety of goods
IT is every sports player's dream: to take on the cream of the crop in his or her chosen field. Locals at a Spennymoor pub have the chance to fulfil that dream next month, when a famous figure from the world of darts pays a visit. World darts champion
A man was accidentally shot after hunting foxes with two friends, police said last night. He was getting into his car in the early hours of yesterday, near Consett, County Durham, when a .22 rifle went off, hitting him in the foot. Durham Police have
A TOWN centre pub is at the centre of a compensation claim over the effects of construction work on a £43m shopping centre. Bosses at one of Teesside's oldest pubs claims to have suffered a loss of trade, disruption and damage to the building. Stockton's
A police inspector who coordinated a pioneering Pubwatch scheme to stamp out drunken behaviour was yesterday banned for 18 months and fined more than £1,000 for crashing his car while over the drink-drive limit. South Tyneside Magistrates Court heard
THIEVES who carried out an overnight raid on a site office may well have made off with the guard dog which was there to stop them. It is thought that Benson, the Rottweiler which patrols the grounds of the Civic Amenities Site in Newton Aycliffe, may
FEARS that the North-East police force at the centre of a long-running corruption inquiry was now facing the axe were dismissed last night. Labour MP Ashok Kumar had raised worries that the Home Office could move to disband Cleveland Police in the wake
DETECTIVES were last night questioning three men after a man was found beaten to death in his home. They were arrested after an ambulance crew found the badly beaten body of an Asian man in his house in Teak Street, Middlesbrough. The three men in custody
ALMOST 2,000 schoolchildren from across County Durham are using their mathematical skills to work out a way to rescue trapped miners. A massive week-long maths challenge sees children from 74 primary schools solving a series of mathematical problems to
A HEROIN addict attempted to rob a disabled man of cash takings as he made his to a bank. Darren Peter Walsh, 25, grabbed the cash bag containing £750, and struggled to prise it from his victim's grasp, Durham Crown Court was told. In the melee that followed
A football club has turned to feathered friends to help fix a balding pitch, after a wiggly solution turned to tragedy for 50,000 worms. Darlington FC, which has just spent £150,000 on improving the drainage system and reseeding the football pitch, has
Elvet Striders InI the Barnard Castle 10 Phil Layton finished 13th in 59.50, Roz Layton earning first FV45 place in 72.14. Other results: Jan Donnachie 63.28; Keith Wesson 64.04; Paul Loftus 64.55; Alan Smith 73.24; Lynn Lairs 73.32; Steve Gater 73.35
A LARGE Easter bunny is expected to be spotted in the grounds of a Medieval manor house that opens to the public over the holiday weekend. Crook Hall, overlooking the River Wear half-a-mile from the centre of Durham, opens for the spring/summer season
TWO NORTH-East cat lovers have set up only the second sanctuary for Persian cats in the country. Lynn Mulholland's passion for Persians began six years ago when she bought her first one. Now she's got another 34 pedigree chums roaming round her house
A BEAT bobby is mounting a new attempt to try and overcome traffic congestion outside four primary schools. PC Ken Judd has come up with the idea of handing out Big Macs instead of parking tickets as a way of highlighting the problem. All previous efforts
The Northern League, the world's second oldest and among its most respected, has produced a remarkable value 530-page history with which to mark the millennium. Richly anecdotal, overflowing with information, full of often rare photographs, the book is
Paints that can be programmed to change to suit people's daily moods - in the home, office, car or even on clothing are soon to be a reality, according to a report today. The latest nanotechnology means the building blocks of colour will be able to be
Middlesbrough's Tom Maine heads the qualifiers in three events, 15-16yrs 200m backstroke, 50m and 100m freestyle when the first half of the NE Counties long course age group championships are staged at Sheffield this weekend, writes ERIC WILKINSON. Club
A LOCAL chemical storage company received a bumper birthday present yesterday. Tees Storage Company, based at Seal Sands, Middlesbrough, received a £2.5m boost from its new owners, Dutch company Royal Vopak. Tees Storage stores and distributes bulk liquid
One of the oldest non-professional cricket leagues in England is celebrating ten years of consecutive sponsorship by Darlington Building Society. President of the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League, Ken Gardner is delighted with the sponsor's
IF everything that Alan Milburn has initiated as Health Secretary is delivered, it is no exaggeration to say that he will be remembered as one of the most significant politicians to hold that Cabinet position. It is a big if, but his promises do bear
PIGEON fanciers are preparing for a legal battle with a developer who they claim bulldozed one of their lofts on land at the centre of an ownership dispute. John Best claims that the plot was passed on to him by another fancier more than 46 years ago.
Hetton Lyons Sunday League Consett surged to 198 at home to Felling who managed 95 in reply as Andrew Waters took five wickets for four runs and Dixon returned three for 31. Batting first the Steelmen were in command and Mellons (66), Stewart (47) and
Northern Goalfields Revisited is rich in anecdotes - from the "smoking concerts" of Victorian times to the clubhouse gossip among today's 40 Albany Northern League clubs . . . l Arriving at a test match in the West Indies, Brian Hunt once realised he'd
Ackrill Newspapers Nidderdale Amateur League Division One Goldsborough 155 for 9 (D Cummings 42, R Thompson 6-44); Hampsthwaite 156 for 6 (K Crack 50). Birstwith 170 for 8; Pannal 172 for 4 (P Carter 94). Masham 171 for 7 (R Smirthwaite 40); Studley Royal
Durham Senior League Juniors Felling 100 (Cannon 66no), Hetton Lyons 102-1 (S Walker 37no, P Riddle 45) Philadelphia 119-2 (M Moore 48no, J Grant 41), Sunderland 71-5 (D Keeley 3-20) South Shields 116-4 (D Maughan 34), Eppleton 117-0 (C Hunter 61no, A
Urlay Nook scored an impressive 171 to 122 victory over new comers Marne CC. Veteran Peter Masters top scored a 19 for Marne, while Paul Dowson scored a 24 for the league leaders. Welbury scraped a home victory over Fox Hall 156 to 155 while the highest
Division One Champions Harrogate Racquets and title pretenders Thirsk both had warning shots fired from lesser teams in Division One of the Harrogate and District Tennis League. Racquets and Thirsk both won their latest matches, but only by 5-4 margins
NatWest Tyne League Haltwhistle confirmed their position at the top of the table when they won for the seventh time in eight outings defeating Allendale, but were hard pressed before securing a nine wickets victory. Batting first the leaders were all
Bass North Cleveland League Brotton had 51 runs to spare when they visited Staithes. Batting first Brotton totalled 195 for eight with Broughton contributing 65 while for Staithes Allen had four wickets for 37 runs. When they went into bat Staithes could
PROFITS at retail giant Sainsbury slumped 23 per cent in the last year due to poor performance at its supermarkets. But the company also announced it was to create around 5,000 jobs over the coming year with new investment in its home shopping service
Worthington CIU Summer League The Third Division Championship race was blown wide-open last week when the joint leaders both lost which dramatically affected the top of the table. Meadowfield now share the top place with Newhouse B after they only dropped
A FAMILY feud over the estate of a late maiden aunt has resulted in a financial nightmare and two solicitor cousins being struck off. Peter David Nixon, 62, and Michael Marwood Smith, 57, both operated as senior partners of Nixon and Co, of Exchange Buildings
RESIDENTS and businesses are to be given a say in sweeping improvements aimed at breathing life into a market town. The initiative is the work of a partnership between Durham County and Chester-le-Street District councils, to regenerate the town centre
WARDENS may be taken on to reduce crime and vandalism in run-down areas of Derwentside. The district council's cabinet will today consider plans to employ six neighbourhood wardens at Burnhope, Dipton, Catchgate and Annfield Plain, South Moor and South
3D Durham County League U15 Hunwick made the biggest score of the night when they reached 115 for five at home to Ushaw Moor. Most of the runs came from Ashley Coveney who carried his bat for 78 and when Ushaw Moor replied they were restricted to 74 for
