GURKHAS will perform a fundraising concert in the North-East next month. The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion will be at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, on Friday, October 31, at 7.30pm. The evening, featuring
MIKE Catt was last night celebrating a call from the international wilderness to join England's World Cup elite in their quest for global supremacy. Catt has been handed an early 32nd birthday present, returning to the England fold almost two years after
THE inquest into the deaths of ten people who died in the Selby train crash starts today. West Yorkshire coroner David Hinchliff will oversee the five-day hearing at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate. The crash, at Great Heck, near Selby, happened in 2001
HUNDREDS of North-East travellers were caught up in the international computer failure affecting British Airways flights. Passengers at Newcastle Airport were delayed, with some missing connecting flights, following the power failure in London. Newcastle
SPACE TRAVEL I COMPLETELY disagree with the comments of Keith McAllister (HAS, Sept 3). I believe the Space Shuttle missions by Nasa do have a key to a happier and brighter future here on earth. Most of the Shuttle missions are for servicing and/or expanding
Although any one of four teams could still win the championship of The Readers Durham County League, Evenwood have finally emerged as favourites to retain their crown. They managed to stage one of only two games to be played and although it was soon abandoned
A MOTHER who took drastic measures and shed 15 stones to become pregnant spoke of her joy after giving birth and said: "She's my little miracle." Tanya Wood weighed 28 stones when she was told by doctors two years ago that she would die by the age of
A PRESSURE group for the homeless has condemned a council's plans to bulldoze hundreds of houses on an estate. Church leaders have already written to Stockton Council, protesting at plans for the Hardwick estate on the grounds that large scale demolition
ELDERLY people in Darlington and south-west Durham were targeted by bogus callers at the weekend. Detectives are linking a series of incidents which took place on Saturday afternoon. The first happened shortly after 2.30pm in Great Burdon when an 80-year-old
ANGRY residents have criticised developers for not completing their estate five years after they moved into their homes. People on the Oakfield Lodge development, off Brinkburn Road in Darlington, said unfinished pavements and roads are a danger to elderly
A COMMUNITY today bids farewell to a post office which started life as a wooden hut more than six decades ago. Broom Post Office, in Ferryhill, will close at 5.30pm today, becoming the second branch in the town to close in a week. Cleves Cross Post Office
HUNDREDS of members of the Scots Guards Association paraded through Darlington at the weekend. Current and ex-servicemen and their families marched from Bondgate Methodist Church to the Market Place, followed by a 15-minute performance from the Regimental
A CHARITY is back in business following an arson attack. When vandals set fire to a van, the flames spread to the warehouse used by the furniture recycling charity FRADE (Furniture Reclamation and Delivery Enterprise). Its stock of donated furniture,
A FORMER steel erector who survived a near-fatal fall is now chalking up success in the classroom. David Hatton was working on a roof when it collapsed. He plunged 20ft on to concrete, shattering his ribs and puncturing his lung. After surviving the fall
EX-JOCKEY turned pub landlady Jean Newman has rekindled her passion for the Sport of Kings in her latest venture. Mrs Newman, 42, a pioneer of women's participation in horseracing during the late 1970s and early 1980s, has taken the reins of an 18th Century
AN Elvis Presley tribute show at the Dormans Social Club, in Middlesbrough, has raised more than £1,500 to buy a horse for the Riding for the Disabled Association's Unicorn Centre, at Hemlington, Middlesbrough. The event was organised by Bill Holmes,
A SCHEME to improve safety and ease traffic congestion at a city's main education site should be approved, councillors have been told. North Yorkshire County Council has drawn up a scheme to provide extra bus and car parking spaces on a site between Ripon
A MAYOR who will be handing in his resignation this week due to pressure from his electors has told of his determination to give his total commitment in his role as a district councillor. Councillor Peter Wood spoke yesterday of his sadness that he will
Judith Wildwood, 46, of Southbank, York, was last night still missing from her home. Police began searching for the woman, who suffers from depression, on Friday. She is described as white, of medium build, with short, light brown hair. She was last seen
TRADERS say a new multi-million pound supermarket is costing them money. Businesses in South Burn, next to the Tesco supermarket in Chester-le-Street, said they have lost parking and trade since work began on the store. One firm, ABA Taxis, has even lost
A FORMER steel erector who survived a near-fatal fall is now chalking up success in the classroom. David Hatton was working on a roof when it collapsed. He plunged 20ft on to concrete, shattering his ribs and puncturing his lung. After surviving the fall
EX-JOCKEY turned pub landlady Jean Newman has rekindled her passion for the Sport of Kings in her latest venture. Mrs Newman, 42, a pioneer of women's participation in horseracing during the late 1970s and early 1980s, has taken the reins of an 18th Century
THOUSANDS of families enjoyed England's oldest agricultural show at the weekend. Wolsingham's 224th annual show offered a more diverse programme than ever, which more than lived up to expectations for all ages and tastes. Yesterday was said to be one
Visitors will have a chance to see how a court operates when more than 20 agencies and volunteer groups stage a free open day in Consett Magistrates' Court on Saturday, September 20, between 10am and 4pm. There will be a guided tour of the cell block
HORRIBLE Histories author Terry Deary will launch a less gruesome book on the region's heritage this week. Sunderland-born Mr Deary, who lives in Burnhope, near Stanley, County Durham, will be at the Beamish Museum on Wednesday, to launch its guide book
PEDAL power has raised £1,000 for child cancer patients. Workers at Lucite International's Cassel Works, in Billingham, cycled 240 miles between three company sites to raise the sponsorship for the children's cancer ward at the Royal Victoria Hospital
SOUTH Hetton Women's Institute will give a warm welcome next week at its monthly meeting. A representative from Powergen's Staywarm service, a fixed cost electricity and gas scheme for the over-60s, has been invited to address the meeting at the Jubilee
Two arts projects start tomorrow as part of Hartlepool's New Deal for Communities. Drawing Together is a weekly programme of workshops run by local artist Peter West. It begins at Grange Road Methodist Church Resource Centre and runs between 10am and
DAY care services in South Tyneside for older people and those with disabilities look likely to change. South Tyneside Council is looking at a report to meet the changing needs of day care service users. Councillor Michael Clare said: "We spent a lot
Visitors will have a chance to see how a court operates when more than 20 agencies and volunteer groups stage a free open day in Consett Magistrates' Court on Saturday, September 20, between 10am and 4pm. There will be a guided tour of the cell block
CHAMPAGNE was served at a nursing home as one of its residents celebrated her 100th birthday. Family, friends and staff at Leeming Garth nursing home, in Leeming Bar, raised a glass to Elizabeth Armstrong on Saturday to toast her on her special day. Also
A FIRE brigade is turning to play acting in an effort to reduce arson attacks. Youngsters are to be invited to take part in role-playing court room dramas where the emphasis will be on the crime and its consequences. To make the proceedings as authentic
TRADERS say a new multi-million pound supermarket is costing them money. Businesses in South Burn, next to the Tesco supermarket in Chester-le-Street, said they have lost parking and trade since work began on the store. One firm, ABA Taxis, has even lost
FORMER Middlesbrough teacher David Bowe, Euro MP for Yorkshire and Humber, is supporting an Oxfam petition calling on trade ministers across the globe to stop protecting their markets and to protect the poor by making trade fair. He said: "Trade has the
Darlington manager Mick Tait was left fuming with the referee after seeing Gary Pearson's late sending off at the weekend. The midfielder was dismissed for a second bookable offence following an injury time challenge on Carlisle defender Peter Murphy.
COUNCILLORS in Darlington are expected to delay the appointment of a developer for a multi-million pound education village. Darlington Borough Council had been due to choose a contractor to build the £34m development at a meeting on Thursday. But officers
THE number of young people from Darlington contracting sexual diseases on holidays is one of the concerns being raised at a sexual health seminar this week. The event will highlight the growing problems associated with youngsters going on holidays abroad
Two arts projects start tomorrow as part of Hartlepool's New Deal for Communities. Drawing Together is a weekly programme of workshops run by local artist Peter West. It begins at Grange Road Methodist Church Resource Centre and runs between 10am and
BELEAGURED Oldham manager Iain Dowie admits he doesn't know if Saturday's game at Hartlepool was his club's last. The club, currently in administration, have to convince the Football League that they have £1.2m in place to fulfil this season's fixtures
POLICE officers apologised for battering their way into a couple's home during a crackdown on drugs. Householder Frank Sonley, 60, was restrained and confined to his bedroom when he demanded an explanation. His wife, Jean, 57, made the officers a cup
DAVID BARRON'S two-year-olds have been running with distinction all season, boding well for the chances of Flipando (2.20) in the opener at Newcastle today. Flipando very much took the eye in the paddock prior to his debut at Thirsk early last month and
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson last night warned fans planning to travel to Turkey for next month's crucial Euro 2004 qualifier: "You're risking your lives." The England coach issued the alert after weekend reports that the Turkish football federation
Yorkshire Phoenix hoisted themselves off the bottom of the First Division table by completing the double over Worcestershire Royals at New Road yesterday to keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation in the National League. They won by seven wickets
GARY Donnison picked up the De Vere PGA North Region championship at Northop Country Park and then thanked Newcastle keeper Steve Harper for talking him out of quitting the game for good. Gosforth professional Donnison, 18, took the title with a birdie
Roy Kinnear may have been a comedy legend, but that didn't help his actor son Rory get a drink. Viv Hardwick reports. WATCHING the slim, scholarly, slightly hesitant approach of 25-year-old Rory Kinnear, you wouldn't associate him at all with the larger-than-life
SIXTH form students are determined to turn tragedy into triumph by raising funds in memory of a former pupil who died of a rare heart condition. The 70-strong team from Durham Sixth Form Centre is hoping to raise thousands of pounds for the charity Cry
ANOTHER stunning final day fightback ensured that Great Britain & Ireland made history by winning the Walker Cup for an unprecedented third successive year at Ganton, North Yorkshire, yesterday. Middlesbrough's Michael Skelton had an impressive Walker
TWO people were seriously injured when the motorcycle they were riding was involved in an accident with a van. The driver of a Yamaha motorbike, a 30-year-old man, suffered multiple fractures including broken wrists, and serious chest and head injuries
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson has warned that England football fans risk their lives if they travel to Turkey for next month's crucial Euro 2004 qualifier. It is a stark warning that should be heeded - but the signs are that significant numbers of supporters are
A MAN dialled 999 after getting a wardrobe stuck in a doorway - then asked a police officer to move it for him. PC Simon Steel, of Darlington police, believed he was coming to the aid of an elderly man who had fallen when he responded to an emergency
Just when Darlington's panic-stricken fans were reluctantly forecasting a long season ahead, Carlisle United served a reminder that it could be worse. The Cumbrians, so often the perennial strugglers of Division Three football and surprise, surprise the
I THOUGHT I must have missed a vital word or two when I read what the popstar Beyonce Knowles had for lunch. On re-reading it, I realised why her preposterous lunch should be of any relevance to the rest of us. Four slices of cucumber and six slices of
EVERYTHING is coming up roses for one of the biggest agricultural shows in the region. For the first time in its 130-year history, Stokesley Show, in North Yorkshire, will welcome Teesside Rose Society, adding 18 rose categories to what is already recognised
MUBTAKER continues to show what an improved horse he is and he put up a convincing display to land the Coral September Stakes at Kempton under Richard Hills. The six-year-old appears to be getting better with age and skipped away from his four rivals
With the release of Calendar Girls, the spotlight has once more been turned on the WI, but has it finally shed its jam and Jerusalem image? Women's Editor Christen Pears finds out. IT'S a perfect, late summer evening. The sun, low in the sky, glints through
An inquest into the deaths of 10 people in the Selby rail crash was due to begin today. Six passengers and four railway staff died in the incident at the village of Great Heck, near Selby, North Yorkshire, on February 28, 2001. The inquest was being held
POLICE suspect a teenager was responsible for slashing more than 50 car tyres during a night of destruction. Police are appealing for witnesses after 38 vehicles in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, were attacked during the rampage. Officers believe the
RAILWAY enthusiasts are offered a chance to view the first new engine to be built in Britain for 50 years. The North Eastern Locomotion Preservation Group will meet on Friday to let people look at the A1 Tornado engine, at Hopetown Works, in Darlington
A COMPETITION newcomer has knocked spoon-playing heavyweight Bert Draycott off his pedestal. Former railwayman George Hood is the new cutlery king of the world after Bert tasted defeat for the first time in 30 years. George, 77, blew the crowd away with
The Great North Air Ambulance was forced to make an emergency landing at Teesside International Airport on Saturday. A minor engine problem was discovered and emergency crews were alerted at about noon, but the aircraft touched down without incident.
SPLENDID stands of huge leeks and a dazzling array of flowers were judged at an annual show at a North-East open air museum. Produce on show at the 2003 Beamish Leek Show at the weekend was the culmination of a year's work of 16 members of the Shield
Police with sniffer dogs carried out a drugs swoop on several pubs in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, at the weekend. The raids, which formed part of Operation Goldfish, were carried out with the co-operation of licensees and organisers of a door registration
The Booze Cruise (ITV1): THIS one-off comedy wasn't so much three men in a boat as four men in a car, and one hiding in the trailer as he'd forgotten his passport. They weren't all going on a summer holiday - although, at one point, they did all start
A NORTH-EAST property with strong links to the US will stage a remembrance service to commemorate lives lost in the September 11 attack. Anyone who wishes to pay their respects is invited to participate in the service, which begins at 1pm in the grounds
ONLY the shadows cast by the beechwood hands on the white glass seem to be moving. The cogs, the wheels, the weights and the gears are creeping so slowly that they seem to be standing still. But, from down below, comes a solemn click as the mechanism
A CASHIER was left shaken but uninjured after robbers snatched a till. Police said the two men did not brandish a weapon but were violent when they struck at the sales area of Massingberd's garage in Darlington Road, Northallerton. One robber bought an
EXPERIENCED Gary Breen has backed young Sunderland defender George McCartney to become a star in Nationwide League Division One this season. McCartney has been asked to fill the void left by broken nose victim Ben Clark in recent games at the heart of
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division: It could hardly be tighter at the top of the table as Guisborough and Saltburn go into the last day of the season with just a point between them. Guisborough, aiming to clinch the championship
DARLINGTON Mowden Park comfortably booked a home tie against Division Two club Wharfedale on September 20 when they thrashed Kendal 70-8 in the first round of the Powergen Cup. Given the freedom of Yiewsley Drive by surprisingly modest opposition, the
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a new incinerator at a slaughterhouse seems likely to go ahead despite objections from people living nearby. The North York Moors National Park Authority planning committee is recommended to approve the scheme for the Stable
A football fan who fell asleep as his team slumped to a 4-0 defeat today appeared in court to deny being drunk in a sporting arena. Adrian Carr, 28, of Caithness Road, Middlesbrough, appeared before Teesside magistrates following the incident last month
FOUR children have died after taking the controversial drug Ritalin, figures obtained by The Northern Echo show. Campaigners last night called for an urgent investigation and demanded a review of prescription practices. News of the deaths comes in the
TODDLERS to teenagers ran alongside an inspirational doctor who is jogging to raise money for specialist equipment for children with diabetes. Dr Bill Lamb notched up another ten miles yesterday to take the distance he has completed, since starting his
A DARLINGTON public speaking club is relaunching itself with a new name this evening. Darlington Speakers' Club, formed 11 years ago, will become Speak for Yourself. The group helps people who want to build-up their confidence in public speaking, presenting
ELDERLY people in Darlington and south-west Durham were targeted by bogus callers at the weekend. Detectives are linking a series of incidents which took place on Saturday afternoon. The first happened shortly after 2.30pm in Great Burdon when an 80-year-old
A RE-ARRANGED charity bike ride, which was postponed earlier this year, will now take place on Sunday. The Border Bike Ride, part of Darlington's annual Cycling Festival, raises moneyfor St Teresa's Hospice in the town. It features a 25-mile ride and
A TOWN centre at the heart of a Northern Echo campaign to support local traders has a new man at its helm. Derek Toon has been appointed as the town centre manager for Bishop Auckland, whose traders joined forces with the Echo to launch the Shopping for
THE parents of a soldier who died at Deepcut Army barracks will meet senior police officers today to voice concerns over the investigation into his death. Private Geoff Gray, 17, from County Durham, was one of four soldiers who died at the barracks between
A FORMER steel erector who survived a near-fatal fall is now chalking up success in the classroom. David Hatton was working on a roof when it collapsed. He plunged 20ft on to concrete, shattering his ribs and puncturing his lung. After surviving the fall
A TOWN centre at the heart of a Northern Echo campaign to support local traders has a new man at its helm. Derek Toon has been appointed as the town centre manager for Bishop Auckland, whose traders joined forces with the Echo to launch the Shopping for
AN empty town centre building in Middlesbrough could soon undergo a multi-million pound transformation. A development company is hoping to buy the ten-storey Teesside House, which has been empty for six years. Cleveland Police raided the building in May
AN ARTIST'S cottage has once again become a gallery for paintings that are expected to capture the attention of art lovers. Three women artists, all with quite different styles, have teamed together for the seventh year running to present an exhibition
A COUNCIL'S regeneration work has won an award. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.(RICS) North-East Award for Excellence was received for Gateshead Council by its cabinet member for development and transport, Councillor David Bollands. RICS
VILLAGERS who have been left stranded by bus service cuts are demanding a rethink. People living in Hesleden, east Durham, said the decision to axe public transport has caused problems. Local businessman Andrew Borthwick has launched a campaign to have
A TOWN'S orienteering club is hoping to raise its profile after being awarded £4,155 in National Lottery funding. The Swaledale Outdoor Club, in Richmond, will be using the money in partnership with Richmondshire District Council to develop the sport
THE importance of the River Wear to Durham City is featured in a new exhibiton. Held every year, the public exhibition is put together by students on Durham University's MA in Museum and Artefact Studies course. Entitled Wealth of the Wear, this year's
HORRIBLE Histories author Terry Deary will launch a less gruesome book on the region's heritage this week. Sunderland-born Mr Deary, who lives in Burnhope, near Stanley, County Durham, will be at the Beamish Museum on Wednesday, to launch its guide book
HORRIBLE Histories author Terry Deary will launch a less gruesome book on the region's heritage this week. Sunderland-born Mr Deary, who lives in Burnhope, near Stanley, County Durham, will be at the Beamish Museum on Wednesday, to launch its guide book
CRIME has fallen in Derwentside. Instances of recorded crime for April to June fell year on year from 1,744 to 1,579. The detection rate is about 30 per cent. Police fielded 6,476 calls, up from 6,288 last year. Drugs offences rose by 61 per cent, from
WITH more than a year's work under their belt, members of a sports group are working hard to raise the profile of voluntary sports clubs in the Ryedale area. Next on the agenda for the Ryedale Sport and Active Recreation Executive (RSARE) is the creation
A TOWN post office may have to close its doors in a programme of modernisation that will safeguard the future of other post office branches in its area. The Harrogate outlet could close at the end of the year as Post Office Limited restructures its national
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to encourage the people of North Tees to become involved with the running of their local hospitals. North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust is targeting people living in Sedgefield, Stockton, Hartlepool and east Durham. Its aim
ACTION has been promised to improve safety at a busy road junction which residents claim is dangerous. Campaigners from a sheltered housing scheme in Guisborough say the junction of New Road and Westgate, the main shopping street, is increasingly dangerous
STUDENTS at North-East universities have been shortlisted in a media competition. Degrees North, the University of Sunderland's student newspaper, has been recommended for student magazine of the year and small budget publication of the year in the Guardian
COUNCILLORS in Darlington are expected to delay the appointment of a developer for a multi-million pound education village. Darlington Borough Council had been due to choose a contractor to build the £34m development at a meeting on Thursday. But officers
THE number of young people from Darlington contracting sexual diseases on holidays is one of the concerns being raised at a sexual health seminar this week. The event will highlight the growing problems associated with youngsters going on holidays abroad
FIRE chiefs last night praised two bystanders who jumped into a river to save a woman. The father and son waded into the River Wear at Milburngate, in Durham City, yesterday and stayed with the woman until firefighters arrived. Durham station officer
SPACE TRAVEL: I COMPLETELY disagree with the comments of Keith McAllister (HAS, Sept 3). I believe the Space Shuttle missions by Nasa do have a key to a happier and brighter future here on earth. Most of the Shuttle missions are for servicing and/or expanding
This weekend, there will be 250 buildings in the North-East taking part in English Heritage Open Days, giving people the chance to see inside historic buildings. Today, Chris Lloyd looks at what is on offer in Darlington, and gives a glimpse into the
The Booze Cruise (ITV1): THIS one-off comedy wasn't so much three men in a boat as four men in a car, and one hiding in the trailer as he'd forgotten his passport. They weren't all going on a summer holiday - although, at one point, they did all start
THE president of Ireland will be guest speaker at the North East Chamber of Commerce's (NECC) annual meeting next week, it has been announced. Mary McAleese will attend the function at Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club, at Kingston Park, Newcastle, on Tuesday
A CHARITY cricket match is to be played to help a North-East woman suffering from a crippling disease. Ann Teasdale, 42, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, had to have a leg amputated after contracting the rare condition Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Five years ago, the Butterwick Children's Hospice opened after readers of The Northern Echo raised £500,000 to build it. In the first of a series of articles on the work of the hospice, Chris Webber meets a family whose lives have been transformed by
HARTLEPOOL UNITED'S future would appear to be in safe keeping. Jim Provett might have had to wait and wait for his chance, but when it came he took it with, naturally, both hands. Since being handed his chance just two games into the season, the 20-year-old
A MAN has been charged with the attempted murder of a 20-year-old Somali asylum-seeker. The 42-year-old Dutch national, who will appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court today, has also been charged with an offence under the Immigration Act, Cleveland Police
A DREDGER to keep the harbours of Scarborough and Whitby, in North Yorkshire, free of silt will be launched by the mayor of Scarborough, Councillor Freda Coultas, tomorrow. The converted Dutch river barge, which cost £750,000, is to be named after the
KEVIN Sayers and Lynn Berry are to tie the knot after a whirlpool romance. The couple are celebrating their engagement after they were brought together during a bubbly encounter in a health club hot tub. Lynn, 34, a child psychiatric nurse, met Kevin
MORE than 100 hopefuls have signed up for a screenwriters' course, and a further 48 people have put their names on a waiting list. The University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough, is holding two classes for the first 20-week course starting this month, with
IT'S a perfect, late summer evening. The sun, low in the sky, glints through the trees, and the stone houses that border the green glow in the soft, golden light. The door of the village hall is ajar and the sound of female voices drifts out into the
Wearside League: Darlington RA won for only the second time but would be pleased with their performance against Gateshead Reserves at Brinkburn Road. Stephen Johnson scored three times and after hitting two goals in the first 15 minutes, he clinched RA's
THE last time these sides met Darlington won an absolutely cracking game 33-19 in the 2001 Durham Cup final. Both teams have supposedly moved on since then, the result being that Saturday's Powergen Cup tie was the sort of dour, scrappy affair which will
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Division One: The championship and promotion to the Premier Division is still up for grabs with four sides in contention. Wolviston enjoy a narrow four-points lead over Great Ayton with both sides having
A CHARITY worker told yesterday how he received a death threat from the Russian mafia. Convoy Aid founder Rod Jones said he offended the ruthless killers after helping one of their victims - a seven-year-old child. The girl's father, a forestry commission
