SO it's back to the bad old days - when a top education was a luxury just for those who could afford it. Welcome to the brave new world of equality and opportunity. When the Labour government - yes, the Labour government - brought in university tuition
A second World War flying ace whose dying action was to save an entire village is finally to be honoured by the community. And his only surviving son who never knew his him will be there to witness the occasion after being traced by The Northern Echo.
It's supposed to be only the British who talk about the weather, but most of Europe has been full of stormy tales over the last few days. I spent last weekend in Amsterdam, and on Sunday it experienced some of the strongest winds in living memory. I know
MARCUS STEWART struck twice in as many minutes as Howard Wilkinson claimed his first win as Sunderland manager in sensational fashion at Highbury. With a catalogue of injuries and a Premiership relegation battle looming, this Worthington Cup third-round
STRIKE-HIT train company Arriva Northern has lost the lucrative contract to run trains on the Trans-Pennine route. The Strategic Rail Authority has confirmed the company will not be asked to carry on running services when the current contract expires.
YESTERDAY marked the darkest day in Conservative history. In its precipitous decline of the past five years, the party that was once the most efficient electoral machine in the democratic world has lost two landslides and whittled itself down to a rump
A YOUNG couple with a small child have escaped with pensioners' cash in two bogus caller thefts. On Monday, two incidents occurred in Durham that police believe may be linked to others on Tyne and Wear. A man in his 20s with a girl of about seven called
A FATHER who broke the jaw of a promising North-East football star in an unprovoked attack on the pitch pleaded guilty to the offence last night. James Brown, of Hewitson Road South, Darlington, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to former Darlington
BRITAIN needs an effective Opposition. It patently does not have one. What it has is a Liberal Democratic Party which, while doing its best under Charles Kennedy, does not have enough weight to compete with Labour's parliamentary dominance, and a dysfunctional
Iain Duncan Smith pushed his party to the very edge last night by delivering an ultimatum that left his position as Tory leader in great danger. His dramatic statement that the party must "unite or die" behind him was met with a mixture of anger and disdain
As Ian Duncan Smith's hold on the Tory Party looks increasingly tenuous, Political Editor Chris Lloyd looks at a leader seemingly determined to dig himself into a hole. YESTERDAY marked the darkest day in Conservative history. In its precipitous decline
LATEST score from the Ashes series: Australia 0 England 0. Forgive me if I'm telling you something you already knew, but cricket fans could be excused if they thought Australia had retained the little urn before a ball had been bowled. Yes, the Aussies
A JAZZ band has celebrated its first anniversary by taking delivery of new uniforms paid for by the community. Children from as young as six years are enjoying the benefits of being members of the Shildon Jubilees jazz band. Their enthusiasm for their
THE two Persian cats pictured above are in need of a loving new home. The pair are being looked after at the Ramshaw Rescue Centre, near Bishop Auckland, because their owner is unable to continue looking after them. But Kate Wilson, who runs the animal
A £4m car park had a model opening in Harrogate yesterday. The new Jubilee multi-story car park has taken the place of its 1960's crumbling concrete predecessor on Oxford street. For the first week the secure car park, with an impressive range of facilities
HOWARD WILKINSON has delivered a new dent to the Worthington Cup's damaged reputation by admitting that tonight's third-round tie at Arsenal is a game Sunderland could do without. Wilkinson will field an embryonic side as he looks to safeguard the fitness
Computer services groups Logica and CMG are planning to cut nearly 1,500 jobs in merger plans unveiled yesterday. The groups said they had agreed terms of a merger to create LogicaCMG, which would be 60 per cent owned by Logica shareholders and 40 per
THOUSANDS of pounds have been collected to help replace wiring at an old Darlington church. St Andrew's Church, in Haughton-le-Skerne, faces a bill of £90,000 to replace dangerous wiring . The church, which is the oldest in Darlington, was built on the
A tanker driver was airlifted from his cab after the vehicle was trapped in swollen waters while crossing a ford in a river. Efforts were continuing yesterday to recover the 14-tonne tanker from the flooded River Coquet, near Warkworth, Northumberland
WITH £25,000 up for grabs in the two mile Showcase Handicap at Musselburgh it's no surprise that the Arundel-based trainer John Dunlop has opted to send Heir To Be (3.20) all the way up from his west Sussex stables. The near 900-mile round-trip is a gruelling
A SENIOR police officer has vowed to get tough on youngsters running wild on the streets around Langbaurgh in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour. A get tough initiative, codenamed Operation Mischief, has been ordered by Langbaurgh District Commander
Tony Blair has declined to say if the Government is looking at whether new rules should be drawn up following the CJD scare at Middlesbrough Hospital last week. He confirmed that the Department of Health and the hospital are looking at the case, after
In the first of her dispatches from Romania, Jane Bradley gets to grips with a new type of time-keeping. Jane, 22, from Wolviston near Billingham, is spending the next nine months teaching English in Romania. ROMANIA is not known for its efficiency -
Jamie's Kitchen (C4) - The Entertainers (BBC2) - After They Were Famous (ITV1) JAMIE Oliver's recipe for cheese on toast was simple. Spread Marmite on a slice of bread. Put cheese and tomato on top, and grill. Then add a few four-letter words. The chirpy
HAWAIIAN shirts and sunglasses were worn by six members of staff from the environmental health service at Middlesbrough Council to emphasise the problem of global warming when they joined mayor Ray Mallon to sign the local government Declaration on Climate
TICKETS are now on sale for one of the sporting occasions of the year in the North-East. The Northern Echo Local Heroes Awards, powered by npower, take place at Tall Trees Hotel, near Yarm, on November 14. Firmly established as the most prestigious awards
SO it's back to the bad old days - when a top education was a luxury just for those who could afford it. Welcome to the brave new world of equality and opportunity. When the Labour government - yes, the Labour government - brought in university tuition
A DARLINGTON man is starring on a website designed to raise awareness about Modern Apprenticeships. Mark Atkinson, an apprentice at the Lightwater Valley theme park in North Yorkshire, was chosen by the Learning and Skills Council to feature in a prospectus
A BATTLE to keep a village's church bells ringing has been launched by a dwindling band of bellringers. The trio of regular bellringers, at Winksley Parish Church, near Ripon, have called for help from the Fountains group of parishes. Acting bell captain
AN MP has criticised the delay in deciding the future of a bridge put out of action two years ago by flooding. Ripon and Skipton MP David Curry has called for action amid growing frustration in the Kirkby Malzeard area, near Ripon. North Yorkshire County
WORK has started on the restoration of a North Yorkshire landmark. Richmond's obelisk was beginning to look weather-worn, and the local authority was keen to see restoration work get under way - if it could find the money to cover the cost. Earlier this
PUPILS in Stockton are getting together to reduce rubbish on the borough's streets as part of a Government scheme to reduce litter. Stockton is one of seven local authorities in the North-East selected to take part in the scheme, which aims to get schools
WORK has started on three new facilities to help families with young children in east Middlesbrough. An investment of more than £1m will see Sure Start facilities created in Thorntree and Brambles Farm, as Middlesbrough's drive to provide support for
A BUSINESS which promotes the advantages of learning a foreign language has made a donation to Children in Need - after raising the cash by accident. Amigos Languages has opened a shop in Richmond, North Yorkshire, where it will be running language clubs
COLLEGE staff have warned of further strike action unless their employers get around the negotiating table to talk about pay. In a rare show of joint defiance, lecturers and support staff including porters, clerical workers, and administrators, brought
CAMPAIGNERS will be pressing for a public debate tonight when a crucial decision is made on the future of one of Richmond's best-known buildings. A meeting in the Town Hall a fortnight ago gave people an opportunity to discuss four bids to buy the old
COMPUTER NEEDS: A com-puter fair is being held from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, in the Northumbria Centre, in District 1. FOLK NIGHT: Withy Creek is entertaining the Davy Lamp Folk Club on Saturday, November 16, in the Biddick Arts Centre. FINDING STAFF:
Warning over winter roads - RESIDENTS are being warned that salting and snow clearing on an area's roads will be cut by a third this winter. As a result of Durham County Council's £400,000 cut to this year's winter maintenance budget, the services will
EUROPEANS Hoechst £27 Thyssen Krupp £6 NORTH AMERICAN Black & Decker £30 Du Pont £27 AEROSPACE Alvis 151 Chemring 234 -10 Cobham 987 -2 Meggitt 187 -1 Rolls Royce 118 AUTOMOBILES Avon Rbbr 134 + G K N 222 -2 BANKS Abbey Nat 685 +8 Alld Irish 939 -
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has slammed the "ridiculous timing'' of tonight's Worthington Cup third-round clash with Ipswich at Portman Road. McClaren, still smarting from the unlucky 2-0 defeat at Newcastle, is furious that his side face a trip
A BESPOKE bedroom for Harry Potter fans is part of the service being provided by a North-East housebuilder. Broseley Homes is adding appeal to houses on developments at Castlebeck, in Consett, and Hollowbeck, Crook. The Sunderland company has opened four-bedroom
A study on the importance of tourism says the value of the industry to the North-East economy is £1.8bn. Minister for Tourism Dr Kim Howells revealed the figure yesterday as part of the findings of a study commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media
Conservative Party - THE resignation of John Bercow from the Tory Shadow Cabinet is a shame. His principled stand to reduce the numbers of children in institutional care by opening up adoption to unmarried couples was welcome. The Tory official policy
A FORMER mayor is to be banned from council meetings after an incident in which an elderly man suffered a sprained shoulder. The motion was agreed at a meeting of Stockton's Labour group on Monday night, and the action will go through if members pass
THE North-East is at the bottom of the league table for small business creation, according to new figures. Statistics released by Chancellor Gordon Brown last night show that 175,455 new businesses started up across the UK last year, equivalent to 37
TWO taxi drivers are celebrating this week after becoming the first to pass a controversial new driving standards test. Drivers Samantha Henney and Paul Scott sailed through the test - designed to improve the standard of taxi driving in the town. The
DIY chain B&Q is to create 4,000 jobs over the next year in a store opening programme announced yesterday. The firm, owned by Kingfisher, said it would invest £200m, opening 17 stores next year to cash in on a new DIY boom. One of them will be in
I need some help from you this week, dear reader, because, after years of trying, I still don't understand what prevents Government from taking the obvious, and popular, step needed regarding firework control. I could have written this article six months
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has slammed the "ridiculous timing'' of tonight's Worthington Cup third-round clash with Ipswich at Portman Road. McClaren, still smarting from the unlucky 2-0 defeat at Newcastle, is furious that his side face a trip
The King of Siam is perhaps best known from his depiction in The King and I. But, as Sarah Foster discovers, he also had an unusual connection with the North-East... MEMBERS of a North-East Army regiment renewed links with the King of Siam today after
A SENIOR official of a North-East charity who helped herself to its funds has escaped a prison sentence because of a psychiatric condition. Gail Bland, 43, was given a 12-month suspended sentence yesterday and was ordered to pay £12,000 compensation at
The Northern Echo's campaign which is "working for a future" has had a good start, and it's vital that a difference is made after a string of body blows on the jobs front. Of course, there's a real need to protect and revive manufacturing, but the progress
HOWARD WILKINSON has delivered a new dent to the Worthington Cup's damaged reputation by admitting that tonight's third-round tie at Arsenal is a game Sunderland could do without. Wilkinson will field an embryonic side as he looks to safeguard the fitness
GRANDFATHER Peter Turner has swapped his job as an electrician in heavy engineering to build a business designing and making dolls houses. When an accident forced him to seek different work, he looked at various ideas but in the end a life-long love of
A BUSINESSMAN who has helped rejuvenate a 128-year-old Darlington conservatory company yesterday received an Order of the British Empire (OBE) at Buckingham Palace. Colin Taylor, 42, managing director of timber conservatory manufacturer Amdega, was awarded
SCHOOLS in Wear Valley are at the heart of a multi-million pound project which could revolutionise the education system. Parkside Comprehensive School, in Willington, its feeder schools and Whitworth Special School, in Spennymoor, have been selected for
SIR Bobby Robson will tonight defy Alan Shearer by refusing to satisfy the Newcastle United captain's insatiable appetite for football. Even though Shearer maintained last month that he does not want to miss any games, Robson will resist the temptation
VAGRANT Mel Bird was back in court on a public order offence today. The 57-year-old - who confesses to preferring beer to water - has held regular court on Leyburn Market Place throughout the summer after frustrating a number of attempts to have him moved
A study on the importance of tourism says the value of the industry to the North-East economy is £1.8bn. Minister for Tourism Dr Kim Howells revealed the figure yesterday as part of the findings of a study commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media
Pool chairman Ken Hodcroft has reluctantly gave Sheffield Wednesday permission to speak to Turner about the vacant managerial position at Hillsborough - and talks will start tomorrow morning. Both parties, however, are expecting a swift conclusion and
A NEW business is hoping success will be on the menu after its launch in Darlington. Four Corners Food Service Products will be selling specialist commercial catering equipment from a showroom and offices at Morton Park, on the outskirts of the town.
For the second week running, we played Friday night football and again we could look at the results coming in on Saturday with a convincing lead at the top of the table. It's certainly a great feeling to be top and great credit must go to everyone at
DURHAM residents fed up with late-night drunken trouble say they cannot face any more pubs opening in the area. People in and around North Road have joined police in objecting to the 700-capacity Walkabout Australian theme pub planned for the Robins Cinema
I kicked off this week with a very funny Sunday evening at the Cackling Clown Comedy Club at The Studio in Hartlepool. Live entertainment is always the best kind, and this venue works brilliantly. As you might know, it's a great conversion of a former
MOTORISTS ignoring stop signals outside a fire and ambulance station are putting lives at risk, emergency chiefs warned yesterday. Rescue crews leaving the station, in St Cuthbert's Way, Darlington, to respond to emergency call-outs are being delayed
A HARD-HITTING report published today has revealed further evidence of the crisis faced by wildlife in the North Sea. An investigation by English Nature, the Government's conservation arm, concluded that England's marine environment has suffered alarming
PATIENTS of a family doctor twice convicted of kerb-crawling are to decide his future at a North-East practice. Patrick Holmes, 33, a GP at Felix House Surgery in Middleton St George, near Darlington, was convicted for the second time in September of
FOR a competiton that is rapidly turning into a footballing joke, there were precious few laughs for a makeshift Middlesbrough side soundly beaten by Joe Royle's Ipswich at Portman Road on Wednesday night. The former League Cup has had many incarnations
Marks & Spencer's Christmas ad campaign features a list of stars, the high street retailer revealed yesterday. Denise Van Outen will be a miniature fairy. The TV presenter will be joined by a number of other celebrities in the adverts, including Graham
Fund-raisers working to open a six-bed care unit at St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington have created a unique shopping list. The list, totaling more than £4,500 per room, shows the items needed to turn the rooms at the hospice into full-time bedrooms. The
IN his first appearance in the Newcastle United senior side, Michael Chopra missed a penalty in a dramatic shoot-out as their hopes of a famous five were dashed by Everton. Chopra blazed over the crossbar as Newcastle, who took an early 2-0 lead in the
HUNDREDS of families in two flood-hit communities face an agonising wait for measures to protect their homes. A flood defence scheme to protect the County Durham villages has been delayed because the estimated £4.5m cost has risen to £7.8m. Homes in South
ROY Keane might be nursing a sore hip at the moment, but that is unlikely to have prevented him dancing an Irish jig of delight last night at Mick McCarthy's demise. "Hip hip hooray!" an incapacitated Keane might have roared after winning the war of attrition
YOUNG bird watchers visiting a nature reserve at the North-East's second largest reservoir will now be able to twitch in style. Northumbrian Water and Northumberland County Council have built a £20,000 bird hide which provides panoramic views over the
SUNDERLAND AFC is extending its award-winning community education programme with the opening of a Centre of Light. Part of the Stadium of Light complex is to be converted into a modern learning facility to boost the club's already flourishing community
THE cast of a rip-roaring comedy playing at Darlington's Civic Theatre have visited one of the town's best-known attractions to kick-start their run. Members of the cast of Travels With My Aunt were at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, in North Road
THOUSANDS of jobs are to be created in the North-East as two engineering giants battle it out for the £2.7bn contract to build the biggest warships ever made in the UK. Building the two aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy would create work for up to
A SERIES of hard-hitting radio adverts will be broadcast throughout the region as part of a campaign targeting people's fear of crime. The adverts, funded by the Home Office, will attempt to make people feel safer in their homes and communities. The five-week
PLANS for five houses in the grounds of a former castle have been rejected by councillors. Members of Wear Valley District Council's development control committee refused planning permission for the proposed development at Stanhope Castle, in Weardale
POLICE have issued a warning about bogus callers after an elderly woman was targeted by four men. The woman, who is in her 70s and lives in Darlington, answered her door to a man who said he was from a water company. While she was in the upstairs bathroom
A PRESTIGE pub/restaurant venture reopened with a bang yesterday - hoping for better fortunes second time around. Cathedrals was developed in the Victorian-built former city police station in Durham by former sausage company owner Richard Lazenby. It
A SENIOR official of a North-East charity who helped herself to its funds has escaped a prison sentence because of a psychiatric condition. Gail Bland, 43, was given a 12-month suspended sentence yesterday and was ordered to pay £12,000 compensation at
THE former head of a company which collapsed and put 150 people out of work has been arrested by police in Australia. Charles Forsyth, formerly of Oulston, near Easingwold, in North Yorkshire, was detained by police in Boyup Brook, near Perth, over an
THE opening of a new super market took a step closer yesterday as staff made final preparations for the event. The Asda store opening in Bishop Auckland is on schedule for Monday, and staff are busy moving into the building in South Church Road. The £20m
A MAN stole his mother's chequebook and bank cards and then used them so he and his partner could feed their heroin addiction, a court heard yesterday. Harrogate magistrates were told by Michael Hammond, prosecuting, that Christine Palmer's name and Yorkshire
A LEADING service for those with serious drug and alcohol problems is expanding. The Tunstall Unit, in Sunderland, which provides residential care for people from the North-East and beyond, is growing to meet the increasing demands for detoxification
A NIGHTCLUB for youngsters under 16 is to open in Newton Aycliffe. The Meltdown will give young people between 11 and 16 somewhere to go for socialising and entertainment in the evenings. The club, in Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre, will play the latest
SIR Bobby Robson will tonight defy Alan Shearer by refusing to satisfy the Newcastle United captain's insatiable appetite for football. Even though Shearer maintained last month that he does not want to miss any games, Robson will resist the temptation
A nurse who claimed a North-East doctor fondled her breasts after he sedated her was accused of exaggerating during a General Medical Council (GMC) hearing yesterday. Dr Chandra Ganatra, 51, is said to have groped her after she was sedated for an operation
YOUNG carers helped host a conference organised by children's charity Barnardo's. The event, in Chester-le-Street, looked at the implications of being a child carer and how looking after a sick or disabled relative affects children's lives. Young people
Darren Gough's referral to the England Academy in Adelaide in a further desperate bid to help him over his serious knee problem places an even bigger question mark over his future as a Test bowler. The Yorkshire and England strike bowler's worrying absence
Nasser Hussain will encourage his young and inexperienced side to become inspired rather than intimidated by the strength of their opposition when the Ashes series begins at the Gabba tonight. Only four players in the tourists' likely starting line-up
THE North-East is at the bottom of the league table for small business creation, according to new figures. Statistics released by Chancellor Gordon Brown last night show that 175,455 new businesses started up across the UK last year, equivalent to 37
A HARTLEPOOL school is "looking forward" to facing the challenges set by an Ofsted report. The inspection team that visited Brierton Sports College identified a need for improvements in attendance levels, key stage three results, curriculum planning,
Marks & Spencer's Christmas ad campaign features a list of stars, the high street retailer revealed yesterday. Denise Van Outen will be a miniature fairy. The TV presenter will be joined by a number of other celebrities in the adverts, including Graham
A MAJOR cache of weapons and ammunition has been handed to a North-East police force. In a month-long amnesty by Durham Constabulary, people surrendered more than 150 handguns, rifles and shotguns; as well as a crossbow and nearly 200 knives, swords and
HUNDREDS of families in two flood-hit communities face an agonising wait for measures to protect their homes. A flood defence scheme to protect the County Durham villages has been delayed because the estimated £4.5m cost has risen to £7.8m. Homes in South
HOVERING in the background throughout the Paul Burrell trial, and surging to the fore on its collapse, was a belief about the Royal Family that has now been part and parcel of our view of them for years. Indeed, this belief seems to shared by the Royal
THOUSANDS of jobs are to be created in the North-East as two engineering giants battle it out for the £2.7bn contract to build the biggest warships ever made in the UK. Building the two aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy would create work for up to
Iain Duncan Smith pushed his party to the very edge last night by delivering an ultimatum that left his position as Tory leader in great danger. His dramatic statement that the party must "unite or die" behind him was met with a mixture of anger and disdain
Mick McCarthy last night insisted he was ''completely happy'' with his decision to quit as the Republic of Ireland boss. McCarthy resigned yesterday after coming under increasing pressure following the infamous bust-up with Roy Keane prior to the World
TEENAGERS learned how maths could help land them an RAF career in a series of challenges yesterday. Pupils at Fyndoune Community College, in Chester-le-Street, were the latest to take part in the activities through the RAF's maths challenge workshops.
A HARD-HITTING report published today has revealed further evidence of the crisis faced by wildlife in the North Sea. An investigation by English Nature, the Government's conservation arm, concluded that England's marine environment has suffered alarming
TOP SECRET: Vera Ridley, who worked at Bletchley Hall and helped break the Enigma Code, will give a slide show and talk on a Wren's View of Station X to the Stanley Men's Thursday Club at 10.30am tomorrow in the Limelight Arts Centre, Stanley. GUIDED
An evil drugs gang netted up to £6m - using six-year-old children as lookouts. Tonight the mob - who used the cash to buy expensive sports cars, luxury holidays and designer clothes - were jailed for a total of 25 years after they were caught out by undercover
ORIGINAL art and poetry, costing thousands of pounds, will be incorporated in Darlington's largest residential development. The West Park development in the Faverdale area will include 700 houses, a rugby club, part of a new hospital, a park and a community
Let's start with something of a riddle for you. How can you be on holiday less than an hour after leaving home, and yet soon drive for days without seeing another British car? The answer begins with boarding the DFDS ship Princess of Scandinavia on the
Tony Blair has declined to say if the Government is looking at whether new rules should be drawn up following the CJD scare at Middlesbrough Hospital last week. He confirmed that the Department of Health and the hospital are looking at the case, after
