Vikings in a home-made longboat led the procession as Darlington's carnival got under way at the weekend. Saturday's parade took the theme of exploration and discovery, which fired the imagination of schools and youth groups. Floats featured dinosaurs
VOLUNTEERS raised just over £1,000 for two charities by completing a sponsored swim. Local residents joined disabled people in the recent Care For Me, Care For You sponsored swim and aquafit challenge in Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre. The cash will be
POLICE are hoping a series of summer volleyball contests will prove a slam dunking success. Seven officers from the Cleveland force have been working with schools across West Middlesbrough to teach volleyball as part of the £52m New Deal for Communities
A SOUTH Bank school is celebrating a double helping of praise from the Government. St Peter's RC Comprehensive School, in Normanby Road, has been presented with an achievement award for its improved examination results and a "good and effective" rating
MUSIC to suit all tastes resounded around a market place yesterday. Visitors to Durham city centre were greeted by wall-to-wall sounds, from jiving jazz to cool classical sounds, with a touch of folk, rock, soul and blues for good measure. Continuous
TWO projects to improve young people's prospects in the North-East have been launched. The Grove Hill 2000 Regeneration Partnership Board is spearheading the projects, costing £110,000 during two years, in the Grove Hill, Beechwood and Longlands areas
ON a gloriously sunny summer day, the water of Skinningrove Beck trickles innocently through the village and meanders out into the North Sea. It is hard to believe that exactly a year ago, following days of heavy rain, a furious 8ft wall of water stormed
A ROMAN Catholic and a Church of England parish have joined together in a ground-breaking partnership to tackle an estate's problems. At a service attended by the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, and Canon Bob Spence, the RC Vicar
A CONTROVERSIAL shipment of ash from foot-and-mouth pyres is being stored at a Teesside haulage depot until permission is granted to move it to a rail terminal. The first delivery of 3,000 tons of ash was taken to the depot, at an undisclosed location
FRIENDS of a North-East breast cancer sufferer have raised £3,000 to pay for her to go to a special cancer centre in Bristol. Sheila Burt, 52, of Darlington, was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, resulting in a mastectomy, 13 chemotherapy
A CLIMBER who was badly hurt in a 300ft plunge from a mountain has vowed to continue her hobby. But Beryl Hunt, who spent 11 days in hospital following the accident, plans to stick to lower levels in future. Mrs Hunt was climbing Helvellyn, in the Lake
IT was something of a surprise for Martin Love to be awarded his county cap at lunchtime on Friday, but he aims to justify it by converting more fifties into hundreds. In scoring 729 championship runs at an average of 60.7 he has made eight half centuries
Tim Henman and Todd Martin must wait until tomorrow before concluding their fourth round tie on centre court. The umpire suspended play before 9pm due to poor light with Henman leading 6-7 7-6 6-4. Pete Sampras' hopes of a fifth consecutive Wimbledon
A DARTS trio was recovering last night after completing a 40-hour charity marathon. Friends Tony Mitchell, Glenn Moody and Andy Cree, who all play for Marske Workingmen's Club in the Cleveland Superleague, were inspired to undertake the challenge following
Q: CAN you tell me how Outram Street in Darlington got its name? Was it named after a person or a place? - JD Blewitt, Darlington. A: I was tempted to relate this name to Goodramgate in York. This street takes its name from a Viking called Guthrum and
A PICTORIAL history of the heyday of the Durham Miners' Gala has gone on sale. Memory Lane - the Durham Miners Gala is the latest book of old photographs produced by Durham City local historian Michael Richardson. The hardback has 350 black-and-white
Revellers who may have witnessed a stabbing were last night urged to come forward. A 28-year-old man was stabbed in Newcastle's Ikon club, late on Saturday. A man was arrested and is helping inquiries at Newcastle Central police station. Anyone with information
AN unusual collection of portraits will go on show at Darlington Arts Centre next Saturday. The 30 portraits are from Darlington Borough Council's collection and feature local people or are by local artists. A famous portrait of the Queen Mother by local
A RETIREMENT home is trying to recruit more male residents to balance numbers in its female-dominated apartments. At present there is just one male resident at Middleton Hall, Middleton St George, near Darlington. Any retired men interested in an apartment
RUNNERS from throughout the region gathered at a stately home for a life-saving run on Saturday. For the first time this year, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund chose picturesque Ormesby Hall for the Middlesbrough Race For Life. An estimated 1,300 women
THREE tiny unwanted puppies are looking for a fresh start in life after they were given to a rescue centre. Bailey, Lucy and Timmy are about eight weeks old. They were taken to the National Animal Sanctuaries Support League's Rescue Centre, near Darlington
LITHUANIAN students will brush up their English language skills during a visit to Teesside. Three students from the University of Siauliai have arrived to spend a week as guests of the Rotary Club of Guisborough and Great Ayton. During the visit, they
LESS than two years after a fierce battle to stop a hostel for the homeless opening in Newton Aycliffe, the building is to be turned into a church centre. Residents fought to stop Horndale House, in Burnhope, becoming a hostel because they feared it would
A NORTH-East band are celebrating signing a five-album record deal after touring Europe with rock legend Slash. Amara, who formed only 18 months ago, spent part of December on the road with the former Guns'N'Roses guitarist's band, Slash's Snakepit, thanks
A TEACHER will be among those trying to keep up the area's incredible record at the National Teaching Awards this year. Norma Machell, from Scarcroft Primary, in York, took the prize for the best primary teacher in 1999, with Cathy Roberts, of Harrogate's
Lucky Andrew Malby will never forget his wedding day. Not only did he marry his sweetheart Julia Middlemiss, he won promotion at work and became a major in the Territorial Army. He learned of his promotion to the post of charge nurse at North Tyneside
CHILDREN playing at a disused industrial building sparked a chemical alert when they knocked over barrels of a mystery liquid. It is understood three boys called the fire brigade to the flood-hit Sparkprint depot in Northallerton's Yafforth Road themselves
A WALKER'S crisp worker with a chronic stammer needed psychiatric treatment after being forced to speak in public by his bosses, an industrial tribunal heard today. Kevin Alderson, 40, told how he was bullied and humiliated so much that he quit his job
AN anti-drugs message will be passed on to almost 3,000 schoolchildren at Sunderland's Empire Theatre this week. Youngsters, aged ten and 11, from 100 primary schools across Wearside, will attend concerts, on Thursday and Friday, jointly organised by
THE horror of the Nazi Holocaust has inspired a group of youngsters to produce poems, paintings and stories. Pupils in year nine at Staindrop Comprehensive School have been studying the events which claimed the lives of millions of Jews during the Second
FEMALES in the North-East are being urged to get more of a kick from the country's most popular team sport. The Football Association's Girls Football 2001 roadshow kicked-off in the region yesterday. The visit attracted more than 150 young female players
FORMER EastEnders star Sophie Lawrence kicked off her shoes to enjoy all the fun of the fair on Saturday. The actress, who played Diane Butcher in the award-winning soap, was special guest at George Dent Nursery, in Darlington, when it opened its grounds
YOUNG canoeists took to the River Tees for a racing regatta on Saturday. The annual Canoe Orienteering Championships, at Stockton's Castlegate Quay Watersports Centre, was the first of three events organised by Stockton Borough Council in the lead up
A WINDOW cleaner who was impaled on a metal spike was last night continuing his recovery in hospital. Norman Johnston described himself as "the luckiest man alive", after he fell from a ladder on to a 4ft pole. It pierced his left side and emerged through
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid, seeking to sign a top-class right back, could return to South America in a swoop for a third brilliant Argentinian teenager. The Wearside boss had been linked with Boca Juniors star Hugo Ibarra after checking personally
THE North-East is the third most friendly UK region to visitors, according to a survey. It found Londoners were perceived as "rude, uptight, arrogant and selfish", and named people from King's Lynn, in Norfolk, as the least friendly. The North-East was
TRIBUTES have been paid to the volunteers and supporters who keep the Swaledale Fell Rescue Organisation (SFRO) operating, as the charity-run unit finally opened new headquarters. A £425,698 grant from the National Lottery's Community Fund paid for the
CURRY lovers across the Tees Valley are being given the opportunity to learn more about Britain's favourite food. The Learning and Skills Council Tees Valley and the Workers' Educational Alliance are hosting three bite-size courses designed to introduce
PROUD Bob Wilson shares an extra-special bond with his granddaughter, Rhianne, after they both had life-saving heart operations performed by the same surgeon. Rhianne was diagnosed with a faulty heart valve shortly after she was born in 1996, and underwent
A FARMER has been forced to install an expensive traffic lights system on a busy trans-Pennine road because of what he describes as "ministry madness". Dennis Craig has had to foot the £820 bill for the lights so he can get his 30-strong pedigree shorthorn
BUS passengers watched in horror as a balaclava-clad youth pulled a knife on the driver and demanded cash. But the bungled raid ended in near-farce after he was foiled by the quick-thinking driver, who pulled away and sent the youth hurtling backwards
TEESSIDE hospitals will benefit from £75,000 of improvements under a new health authority action plan. The South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust has produced the plan, for the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough General Hospital and North Riding Infirmary
ABOUT 50 dinghy crews from all over the world made a splash at a summer regatta yesterday. The Tees and Hartlepool Yachting Club, which has just been awarded Volvo Royal Yachting Association Champion Club status, organised the event as a celebration.
A TITLE-winning college football team is seeking recruits for the new season. The Bishop Auckland College side made a spectacular debut in the Russell Foster Under 13 League by winning last year's championship. The team is holding trials at the college
A man died after being struck by a train on a level crossing, transport police said last night. The accident happened as the 6.30am service from Newcastle to Glasgow Central was passing through a level crossing at East Linton, near Dunbar, East Lothian
WORRIED pensioners who objected to a grim reminder of their own mortality from opening on their doorstep have lost their battle. Elderly people in Joicey Gardens, in Stanley, had objected to the plans to open a funeral parlour at the end of their street
YOUNG athletes from County Durham are under starters orders for the biggest primary school sports festival to be staged in the county. Teams of 11-year-olds from 120 primary and special schools, totalling more than 3,500 competitors, will take part in
SOUTH Durham communities are promised better health care from a trust being set up next year. Public meetings are planned in Wear Valley and Teesdale, where the Dales Primary Care Group is publishing plans to become a primary care trust from April next
SEVEN women have taken up the challenge to prove their driving skills at the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. The team answered a plea in The Northern Echo from go-karting experts Bob Pope and Tracy Humphreys for seven women willing to be trained to take
A UNION last night expressed dismay at how bureaucratic bungling and red tape could be adding to the nation's teacher recruitment crisis. With her mature attitude and a passion for learning, Sara Harry would appear to be the perfect candidate to help
AN east Cleveland after-school club is to be expanded because it is so successful. Last April, the club at St Joseph's Primary School, in Loftus, gained a £10,000 grant from the New Opportunities Fund with help from the Redcar and Cleveland Early Years
VILLAGERS spent the weekend celebrating after successfully staving off a proposed housing scheme on a cherished green haven. The people of High Pittington, near Durham, now hope there will be no future developments planned for the small area of open space
A LOCAL authority has failed in a bid to claw back thousands of pounds it spent on a teenager crippled in a road accident. The High Court ruling against South Tyneside Council in the case of 19-year-old Dean Bell is expected to have a far-reaching impact
YOUNG athletes from across Durham are under starters orders for the biggest primary school sports festival to have been staged in the county. Teams of 11-year-olds from 120 primary and special schools, totalling more than 3,500 competitors, will take
A SIX-YEAR planning wrangle over greenbelt land that left Darlington Borough Council with a £100,000 High Court bill has ended. A report received by the council from the Government's Planning Inspectorate has agreed that neither of two greenfield sites
Midsummer 2001 The Midsummer sun, reluctant to relinquish his role on this, his most important night of the year, sends up the longest, brightest rays he can muster, from his Western domain, as if to make his presence felt until the last possible minute
TWO projects to improve young people's prospects in the North-East have been launched. The Grove Hill 2000 Regeneration Partnership Board is spearheading the projects, costing £110,000 during two years, in the Grove Hill, Beechwood and Longlands areas
DOZENS of Darlington's older generation will be returning to their younger days in a month of activities for the over-55s. The Darlington Active Independent and Staying Young (Daisy) scheme will be launched tomorrow. The launch of the scheme, in the town's
AN appeal for funds to transform a Teesdale community hall is being launched. Restoration work at the 19th Century Witham Hall, Barnard Castle, could cost up to £5m, a study found last year. Plans include an art gallery, meeting rooms, a public computer
MORE than 600 children from 21 primary schools will make up force of young rural crimefighters this week. The youngsters from Weardale and Teesdale are learning a lesson in country issues at open air classrooms in Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland
A DEVELOPER'S attempt to give an empty Richmond fashion house a new lease of life seems likely to fail. Builder Randall Orchard Construction was hoping Richmondshire District Council would throw its weight behind the conversion of the old Frances Lee
POLICE have appealed for information after a man was stabbed in the chest. The attack happened outside the Bell's store, in Darlington Lane, Stockton, Teesside, at 10pm on Friday. The victim was taken to North Tees General Hospital with a single stab
A CHARITY says its presence in a town is under threat because people think its shop has closed. The Imperial Cancer Research Fund shop, on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, has seen support plummet since to let signs went up marking the end of its lease.
A CHARITY says its presence in a town is under threat because people think its shop has closed. The Imperial Cancer Research Fund shop, on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, has seen support plummet since to let signs went up marking the end of its lease.
THE bride's family was in floods of tears as she made her vows, her voice over-spilling with emotion.There was an obvious joy in her eyes and not a hint of nerves as she lay herself prostrate before the altar as the Litany of the Saints was sung. For
TWO of the North-East's best known names in legal circles have merged to create a leading regional law firm. Solicitors Blackett, Hart & Pratt, with its origins in Durham City and bases across County Durham, has joined forces with Deas Mallen, of
A GROUP of adult learners have been selected as model students after devising a project to help their education. The five Shildon students, who studied on a course at the town's Sunnydale School Community Learning Centre, have won the County Durham Adult
GOING to court or to jail is not something many people will want to experience, but that is exactly what North Yorkshire's assistant chief constable will be encouraging people to do if they visit Ripon this summer. The city's Prison and Police Museum
A £1M scheme to revive the centre of Crook will be unveiled to the town's Community Partnership on Thursday. The money comes from a Market Town Regeneration Programme announced by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in May. Bob Hope, director of regeneration
MUSIC-MAD youngsters mimicked the stars at an event to spread an anti-drugs message on Saturday. Popsters, based on the hit TV show Popstars, aimed to give secondary school pupils from Redcar and Cleveland the chance to fine-tune their singing and dancing
A 15-year-old youth is due to appear in court today charged with the attempted rape of a mother-of-two. The alleged attack is said to have taken place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 7, as the woman was walking, with her children, in Green Lane, in the Harrowgate
HUNDREDS of teenagers who have benefited from a Prince's Trust project will gather to celebrate their achievements this week. Pupils aged 14 to 16, from schools in the Durham, Hartlepool and Sunderland areas, are involved in the trust's XL Network initiative
A NORTH-East team missed out on a place in the world championships of their sport by a single point when they took on the cream of the European crop in Amsterdam. Darlington's Eastbourne Eagles were hoping for a place in the NFL World Flag Football Championship
A schoolgirl who achieved success despite a rare bone disease has become the first recipient of the Joelene Kimbley Award. Paula Medley, 16, was presented with Nunthorpe School's award for courage in adversity by Ms Kimbley's brother, at Middlesbrough
PUPILS from a Stockton school have excelled in a national maths competition. The youngsters from Grangefield School were among 180,000 year seven and eight pupils who took part in the United Kingdom Junior Maths Challenge. The entrants took part in a
A NORTH Yorkshire soldier is reported to be the envy of the Army, dating busty model Jordan. Lance Corporal Joe White is understood to have impressed the 23-year-old former Page 3 star during her recent morale-boosting trip to troops in Kosovo. He has
GREENKEEPER and golfer Richie Hood was not to be bunkered by a challenge designed as a test of his accuracy and stamina. The head greenkeeper and club champion at Durham's Mount Oswald course surprised himself by completing his target of hitting 50 shots
A PROGRAMME to help children overcome poverty and disadvantage worth up to £2.4m during three years has been approved. Middlesbrough Borough Council will spend the money on providing additional services focusing on families and communities. The scheme's
FRESH plans are to be considered for new motorway services on the region's busiest road. Richmondshire District Council was taken to task by developers for failing to determine an application for the redevelopment of Barton lorry park, near Darlington
Rail chiefs got a shock today when a 'body' on the line woke up and walked away. Train services between York and Harrogate were suspended after a man was spotted on the track at 7.30am. But 20 minutes later, the National Rail website reported the apparent
SQUASH WEAR: Common sense has finally prevailed in the world of women's squash. British star Vicky Botwright has won her battle to be allowed to wear a thong during matches after the Women's International Squash Players' Association changed its policy
BUDDING scientists tried to drive home the message that science and technology can be fun, by showcasing some of their off-beat designs. The University of Sunderland's Science and Technology Innovations Day featured a range of gadgets and gizmos developed
TOWNSFOLK let their hair down for a day of music and high jinks, all boosting a leading cancer research charity. It was no ordinary occasion in Stanley, as 007 paid a visit to the town's annual fun day, and the local MP was put in the stocks. Kevan Jones
A SCALED-DOWN blueprint has been submitted for a village hall in North Cowton - four years after councillors gave more ambitious proposals the go-ahead. In 1997, the community was celebrating after winning permission to put up a two-storey building, which
PUB regulars have raised £3,000 for two charities close to their hearts. The drinkers at the Norton Tavern, in Norton, have donated £1,000 to children at Catcote School, in Hartlepool, and £2,000 to the British Heart Foundation. The school, where pub
TWO teenage boys have been arrested and questioned by police after a fire at a centre for adults with learning disabilities. The Darlington boys, aged 15 and 16, are believed to have been released on police bail on Saturday night following the fire in
ANIMAL CRUELTY I AM a supporter of the RSPCA. Indeed my three pets are all rescue animals from the RSPCA. I am horrified by cruelty to animals and would wish to see such cases dealt with as serious crimes meriting serious penalties. However, I think your
A RUNAWAY Romeo and Juliet were back at home safe and well last night after a two-day seaside adventure. The pair - a 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl - who are both from the Bishop Auckland area in County Durham - vanished on Thursday, apparently
AFTER all the bright hopes, these are worrying days indeed for Northern Ireland. With tension mounting in the run-up to next Sunday's Orange March at Drumcree, the province is in turmoil following David Trimble's resignation as First Minister. The ultimate
THE Northern Ireland peace process was engulfed in a fresh crisis last night when David Trimble stepped down from the executive, claiming he would only return if the IRA disarms. Mr Trimble resigned as First Minister at midnight on Saturday, arguing the
Scotland Yard has launched a nationwide appeal for help in tracing one of Britain's most wanted convicted paedophiles. Detectives have been searching for Warwick Spinks, 36, (right) since he breached the conditions of his licence after being released
POLICE last night renewed an appeal for witnesses to a road accident in which a little girl was killed. Accident investigators from Durham Police's traffic department are trying to piece together the circumstances surrounding the death of Billie Margaret
TRIBUTES have been paid to the volunteers and supporters who keep the Swaledale Fell Rescue Organisation (SFRO) operating, as the charity-run unit finally opened new headquarters. A £425,698 grant from the National Lottery's Community Fund paid for the
GREAT Britain international Peter Gordon warmed up for the World Veteran Championships in Australia by breaking his own over-45 British discus record in perfect throwing conditions at Jarrow on Saturday. And immediately after the invitation event the
The Pitmen's Derby is regaining some of its old pulling power, as Bruce Unwin discovered at the weekend. THE sun shone, the champagne corks popped and the racing fizzed to give the punters a great day at the races. It was the North-East's biggest meeting
Thousands of British holidaymakers remained stranded at airports today - despite Spanish coach drivers calling off their strike. Tempers flared in UK airports because of the knock-on effects of the strike, which have meant some travellers waiting up to
MEGA minis shared the stage with stunt cycles as the highlights of a town's annual rally at the weekend. This year's fire engine and vehicle rally, at Preston Park, in Stockton, included the biggest-ever range of trade stands. It featured the only arena
A FORMER workingmen's club is to be turned into a training centre after its new owners cleared the final bureaucratic hurdle. S&D Training has been granted planning permission to convert the former Jubilee Fields Workingmen's Club, Shildon, County
NEW figures suggest that North Yorkshire's roads are becoming safer to drive on. Members of the county council's Richmondshire area committee meets in Northallerton today and will be told accidents resulting in injuries were down 3.2 per cent in 2000,
SIMON Brown rejoined Durham's bowling casualties at the weekend when he took the field only to bat against Warwickshire. After missing the first five championship matches with a side strain, Brown is suffering from swelling in the knee on which he had
A COUPLE whose son died of a rare genetic disorder are facing a race against time to save their other child after he was diagnosed with the same illness. Alyson and Ian Herbert were shattered when their son Edward, seven, died from the immune deficiency
ENTERPRISING gymnasts are reaching for the skies to raise funds for a trip to EuroDisney. The Riverside Display Team, at South Bank, Middlesbrough, is hoping to raise the money for travel and accommodation for its 50 members. While they have travelled
TEESIDE hospitals will benefit from £75,000 of improvements under a new health authority action plan. The South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust has produced the plan, for the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough General Hospital and North Riding Infirmary
THE Territorial Army stepped in to solve a transport headache for disabled young people sending to buses to Russia. Red tape threatened to ruin a massive effort by clients from Spennymoor Day Centre who mounted a fundraising effort to provide mobility
A SPORTS changing facility used by several teams was moments away from being destroyed in a blaze started by children. Firefighters were called to The Pavillion changing rooms, at St Mary's Walk, in Acklam, Middlesbrough, on Friday afternoon after a passer-by
DEVELOPERS hoping to create an outdoor leisure facility will decide this week whether to appeal against a council decision to refuse planning permission. Willmott Dixon Construction had hoped to create a leisure facility including a riding school and
RIOT police came under fire from missile-hurling youths at a derelict hospital. But the clash, at the former Aycliffe Hospital, County Durham, was all part of an exercise to help police with their riot training. Durham Constabulary asked the Durham Army
