Archive

  • Pair take on 24 sports in day

    TWO students have spent their weekend completing 24 sports in 24 hours for charity. The president of the University of York's Athletics Union, Stuart Leslie, and his deputy, Nik Engineer, hoped to raise £450 for the British Heart Foundation. They began

  • 22/11/04

    HOUSE OF LORDS: NOW that the House of Lords has shown its total disregard for democracy by trying to treat with absolute contempt the wishes of the people over the issue of hunting with hounds, is Tony Blair at last going to replace this House with a

  • Slimline Bristow still the craftiest of Cockneys

    ERIC BRISTOW retains a nose which looks like it's met one or two bad losers, a Stoke Newington accent unalloyed by 25 years of global board meetings - "Dartitis - 'orrible fing. Nearly finished me, 'at did" - and a professional's ability to play casual

  • Mercy mission wins Sir Bob over

    AN optician's assistant has returned from Africa after helping people see for the first time and getting the chance to meet Sir Bob Geldof. Michele de Vaal spent two weeks in Ethiopia testing eyesight and prescribing spectacles to people in rural towns

  • From Soapland to the '70s

    Viv Hardwick talks to EastEnder Andrew Lynford about sex and the '70s as he arrives at Billingham Forum's theatre to revive a 30-year-old comedy about the midlife crisis. WHERE have the past five years gone since engaging actor Andrew Lynford quit the

  • TV focus on emotional trip to beauty spot

    ONE of the region's beauty spots will feature in a TV programme to be screened later this month. Aysgarth Falls, in Wensleydale, was nominated by a blind Stockton woman to appear in BBC's Seven Wonders of the North. Mary Osel was a regular visitor to

  • Icy blast brings mayhem to the roads

    FREEZING temperatures caused mayhem on the region's roads over the weekend as temperatures fell to as low as -7C. Police in County Durham and North Yorkshire reported dozens of minor accidents caused by rain falling on freezing road surfaces. The lowest

  • Mother given parent order

    A 13-year-old girl's mother has been given a second parenting order. The teenager appeared at Darlington Youth Court with her mother and admitted breaching a referral order imposed last month for burglary. The youngster, who cannot be named for legal

  • Campaign aid to recycling

    AN environmental campaign boosted kerbside recycling in Darlington by more than 100 tonnes last month. The £450,000 Waste Smart project involved raising awareness of recycling issues in Darlington and County Durham. Canvassers visited more than 18,000

  • Backing for parishes' freedom bid

    PARISH councils in the Darlington area have won an ally in their struggle to sever links with a County Durham umbrella group. Darlington Partnership has expressed support for the move to bring the councils into the national parish councils' association

  • Youth in court for racist comments

    A YOUTH hurled a brick at a car and made racist comments after being chased by a group of men into an alleyway, a court heard yesterday. The incident started after the 15-year-old shouted racial abuse through the window of Faisal Miah's car, which was

  • Nine jailed for involvement in heroin supply chain

    SEVEN men and two women have been sentenced to a total of 27 years in jail for their part in a heroin supply chain. Undercover police bought drugs and carried out surveillance over several months, Teesside Crown Court was told. They were led to John Thompson's

  • Work to commence on help centre for elderly people

    WORK will start in January on a specialist centre to help elderly people in Darlington remain in their own homes rather than going into care. The town's primary care trust has spent three years planning the £1m rehabilitation unit to be built in Hundens

  • Crossing patrol point approved

    A CROSSING patrol point is being proposed for children crossing a busy Darlington road. Darlington Borough Council's highways team carried out a survey in the Brinkburn Road area after receiving requests from parents. The survey included monitoring traffic

  • Charity jumble success

    JENNA Featherstone was the toast of villages in Upper Weardale at the weekend after she raised £610 with a jumble sale for the BBC's Children in Need appeal. Jenna, 14, of Bridge End, Daddry Shield, raised the money by asking villagers from Westgate to

  • Garden shed opposition

    PLANS to build a shed in a back garden to house pigeons have been approved despite objections from neighbours. People living in Clifford Avenue, Bishop Auckland, urged members of Wear Valley District Council to reject the application for planning permission

  • Councillor ban threat after speaking out over flats plan

    A COUNCILLOR could face disqualification after speaking out on behalf of residents at a planning meeting. Councillor Chris Foote Wood was told by legal advisors that he should declare a prejudicial interest in proceedings relating to plans for the conversion

  • 'Council deal not enough to pay care home staff'

    A CARE home owner says there has only been a partial improvement in a financial crisis which forced him to threaten to close his premises. Health and council chiefs agreed last week to enter into block booking contracts to guarantee paid beds at the threatened

  • Children plant a seed of hope

    CHILDREN on Teesside have been remembering loved ones lost to cancer - while raising money to help other sufferers. Each of the pupils attending Hemlington Hall Primary School, near Middlesbrough, has planted a daffodil bulb in what has been dubbed a

  • Councillor issues challenge to protestors over £55m scheme

    A PROTEST leader is being challenged to submit his ideas on a seafront's future to detailed financial analysis. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is backing developer Persimmon Homes to produce a £55m development on the 35-acre Coatham Enclosure site

  • MP sheds light on cure for vandals

    AN MP says a council could have the cure for the vandalism of a town's library in its own hands. Guisborough Library is being targeted by hooligans responsible for graffiti and broken windows and police have appealed to the public to be vigilant. But

  • Decades of indoor market end as traders told to leave

    UP to 50 traders and their assistants have been ordered to leave the market hall in Middlesbrough's Hill Street Centre by December 31. Landlord Sun Alliance has agreed to hand over the area covered by the indoor market to a sports store chain. Shop fitters

  • Christmas present offers a whale of a time

    AT 8ft long and 6ft tall, it would make an unusual Christmas present. The creators of the model blue whale, made of chicken wire and papier-mch, are looking for someone to give it a new home. It was made for the Sunday School float at the Thirsk Festival

  • Riggott happy to follow quiet route to first-team regular

    WITH so many international star names playing alongside Chris Riggott, the calm and assured defender's rise to first team regular has been largely overlooked. But against Liverpool, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka failing to end personal

  • Lifetime of anguish over as pair meet

    MORE than 60 years after a brother and sister were cruelly parted, a tearful reunion has taken place thousands of miles across the ocean from their former North-East home. Patricia Lumley, 74, recognised her brother, Brian Pratt, 69, as soon as she saw

  • Villagers seek action to improve communities

    RESIDENTS of twin villages are pressing for cycle routes for youngsters, more activities for young people and a survey on affordable housing. They are three of the key issues raised by residents of Nawton and Beadlam, near Helmsley, as a result of an

  • £100,000 winner is 'walking on air'

    A GRANDMOTHER who won more than £100,000 playing bingo said she was walking on air. The 56-year-old, from York, who does not want to be named, won the National Bingo Game prize of £100,000, as well as a regional prize of £1,010 and the club prize of £100

  • Panels to keep out rain at bus station

    PASSENGERS will be protected from the elements by a £600,000 scheme at a busy bus station. Glazed panels are to be installed at the Park Lane Interchange, in Sunderland, which is used by thousands of people each week. Panels will be installed between

  • Website appeal for more tasteful Christmas

    A CHRISTIAN website based in the region has called for inflatable Santas and flashing Rudolphs to be left in the loft this year. In an appeal for a more tasteful Christmas, the editor of thegoodnews.co.uk has called on households to do away with the "

  • Boro edge ahead in the chase for Champions League spot

    WHEN Liverpool travel to Monaco tomorrow they will be playing for far more than the three points they need to ensure qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League. Given the way Rafael Benitez's side were unceremoniously brushed aside by Middlesbrough

  • Fancy dress fun at school

    Staff and children at Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary School wore fancy dress to raise money for Children in Need. The idea came from children at a school council meeting to decide how pupils would raise money for an annual charity event. Each child paid

  • Charity jumble success

    JENNA Featherstone was the toast of villages in Upper Weardale at the weekend after she raised £610 with a jumble sale for the BBC's Children in Need appeal. Jenna, 14, of Bridge End, Daddry Shield, raised the money by asking villagers from Westgate to

  • Garden shed opposition is rejected

    PLANS to build a shed in a back garden to house pigeons have been approved despite objections from neighbours. People living in Clifford Avenue, Bishop Auckland, urged members of Wear Valley District Council to reject the application for planning permission

  • Anger as visits to elderly are cut

    DURHAM City Council has been criticised for cutting the home visits that care wardens make to pensioners. The council's Liberal Democrat leaders say the warden service will be more flexible and responsive and blame cuts in Government funding for the decision

  • Trust to unveil smoking policy

    A HEALTH trust will unveil its smoking policy at a public board meeting on Friday. Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust wants to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases by eliminating passive smoking in its premises and actively encouraging

  • Award-winning student lands a first for college

    A PLUMBING apprentice haswon an award for his studies. Ian Sancaster, 18, of Gilesgate, Durham, has won the JB Wilkinson Shield for the region's best plumbing student from the Worshipful Company of Plumbing Masters. It is the first time a student at New

  • Tractor Boys' run at an end

    FOUR days after manager Mick McCarthy switched on Sunderland's Christmas illuminations, the club's new leading light, Stephen Elliott, provided the goalscoring spark that sent the Black Cats back into the top three of the Championship. The 20-year-old

  • Confusion fears delay road sign changes

    HIGHWAYS bosses have delayed replacing more than 60 road signs to the renamed Teesside Airport over fears that it could confuse motorists. The owners of the airport renamed it Durham Tees Valley Airport on September 27, despite widespread protests. But

  • Quakers' fans left to rue missed shopping opportunity

    A spot of early Christmas shopping would have been a more worthwhile - and probably more enjoyable - exercise than enduring Darlington's worst performance of the season on Saturday. Many left after the third goal with still 20 minutes to play; at full-time

  • Film prop maker seeking sponsorship for adventure in France

    RACHAEL Jones will be paying close attention when she goes to watch a new Hollywood blockbuster this winter. For when the burning chandelier comes crashing down during a key scene in The Phantom of the Opera, it will be her work the audience sees going

  • McMahon must wait for international bow

    MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has voiced his amazement that the burgeoning teenage talent of Tony McMahon has not received its rewards on the international scene. McMahon's outstanding form at right-back has meant Boro have been able to cope in the

  • Police seeking civilian staff

    MORE uniformed civilian staff are being recruited by a North-East police force. Northumbria Police is aiming to take on dozens more police community support officers after winning Home Office funding. It already has 51 support officers and another 43

  • The Buddhist Boro man

    Buddhism and football may seem incompatible, but Mike Whitaker is combining the two in meditation classes. He talks to Sarah Foster. PICTURE the scene: your team has just lost a crucial match and fellow fans are streaming from the terraces, shaking their

  • Satan's Grotto described as tasteless

    ONE of Britain's leading tourist attractions has come under fire for a hellish Christmas grotto featuring elves impaled on spikes and robins roasting over an open fire. The York, London and Edinburgh Dungeons have been criticised by Christians for satanic

  • Police inquiry into death of woman

    POLICE are investigating the death of a 72-year-old woman in a rural village. Officers were called to Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, by the ambulance service on Saturday morning. The woman, named as community worker Audrey Mac-kenzie, was

  • Confusion fears delay road sign changes

    HIGHWAYS bosses have delayed replacing more than 60 road signs to the renamed Teesside Airport over fears that it could confuse motorists. The owners of the airport renamed it Durham Tees Valley Airport on September 27, despite widespread protests. But

  • Fury over football star's 'racist' jokes

    A FORMER football star was last night at the centre of a fresh racism row after telling a charity function of his backing for shamed TV pundit Ron Atkinson. Ex-Liverpool and Chelsea striker David Speedie also stunned sections of the audience at a Darlington

  • Man jailed for rape 24 years after attack

    A double rapist was jailed again today, after DNA evidence linked him to a sex attack more than 20 years ago. Paul Logan, 45, of Drybeck Court, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, pleaded guilty to raping a 19-year-old croupier in 1980. Judge David Hodson

  • Thousands of bulbs planted

    YOUNG swimmers swapped the pool for dry land at the weekend when they turned their hands to gardening. Members of Thirsk White Horse swim team planted more than 3,000 crocus bulbs as part of the work in preparation for next year's Britain in Bloom competition

  • Exhibition reveals glimpse of the future

    A BLUEprint for the future of Pickering is be revealed at an exhibition. The event, in the Memorial Hall on Saturday, where artists' impressions will be on display, is the latest move by the Renaissance Market Town Initiative in Pickering. Spokesman Jim

  • Defiant mood as hunters gather

    AS the riders assemble and the hounds bound around the frosty field, rays of sunshine burst through the clouds to create a typical picture postcard country scene. But this is no typical November's day for the enthusiasts and supporters of Bedale Hunt,

  • Fury over football star's 'racist' jokes

    A FORMER football star was last night at the centre of a fresh racism row after telling a charity function of his backing for shamed TV pundit Ron Atkinson. Ex-Liverpool and Chelsea striker David Speedie also stunned sections of the audience at a Darlington

  • Designer chosen for £1.4m project

    A DESIGNER has been chosen to create a £1.4m town square in the region. The new town square at Hartlepool's Headland will be designed by Middlesbrough company Ferguson McIlveen. Stuart Drummond, Hartlepool mayor, and members of the North Hartlepool Partnership

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Nothing funny about racism

    FOOTBALL is doing its best to kick racism into touch. But the appalling scenes in Madrid last week, when black England players were openly abused with monkey chants from the terraces, show that there is a long way to go. It is against that background

  • Hunter aims to attract top continental stars to Hartlepool

    HAVING successfully defended the British super-bantamweight title on Friday night, Hartlepool boxing sensation Michael Hunter's stable are now setting their sights on attracting continental stars to the North-East. When Hunter stopped old foe Marc Callaghan

  • From Soapland to the '70s

    Viv Hardwick talks to EastEnder Andrew Lynford about sex and the '70s as he arrives at Billingham Forum's theatre to revive a 30-year-old comedy about the midlife crisis. WHERE have the past five years gone since engaging actor Andrew Lynford quit the

  • Crew missing as wrecked trawler is found

    A MISSING trawler was yesterday located on the bed of the North Sea, but with no sign of its two-man crew. Search teams using specialist sonar equipment found a submerged vessel near the mouth of the Tyne. Last night, it was confirmed as the Jan Denise

  • Darlington youngsters overpowered by Bees

    DARLINGTON'S youth policy may eventually pay rich dividends, but first they have to make sure they are not muscled out of National Three North by expensively-assembled outfits like Bradford and Bingley. With two teenagers in their back row, Darlington

  • Concern for market hit by competition

    TRADE at a struggling market is being hit by competition from nearby shopping centres, councillors have been told. Hambleton District Council is looking at ways to improve the Tuesday market in Bedale amid concerns over its future. A council committee

  • Delight at pothole repairs pledge

    A PARISH councillor who protested about potholes, amid claims that they were damaging vehicles, has praised a county council for its swift action to tackle the problem. Councillor Ernie O'Keefe, a member of Kirkby Malzeard Parish Council, raised the issue

  • Tackling Christmas crime

    POLICE in Stockton are carrying out a Christmas operation to foil thieves who take advantage of shoppers laden with presents. There will be additional officers on patrol each day from December 15 until January, with extra help from community support officers

  • St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Middlesbrough Town Hall

    A LARGER than usual audience at Middlesbrough Town Hall was treated to a feast of Russian music from the venerable St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. The programme started with a spirited rendition of Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave, setting the tone for the

  • Far-East trade talks planned

    LINKS between the North-East and Far-East will be strengthened when a senior official from the Japanese Embassy visits Newcastle this week. Newcastle Mayor George Douglas will welcome Shigeyuki Hiroki, from the Japanese Embassy in London, at the city's

  • Charity offers a range of festive ideas

    AN arts charity is helping to reduce the cost of Christmas with a free day of craft ideas. Rural Arts, in Thirsk, will stage Festive Delights at Sowerby Community Primary School on Saturday. Professional artists will demonstrate techniques including monoprinting

  • Norwegian tree gift on its way to N-E

    A FESTIVE gesture of goodwill between a North-East city and its Scandinavian twin will be repeated next month. For the 55th successive year, civic leaders in Bergen, Norway, have sent a Christmas tree from the Fana Forest to Newcastle. The 20ft tree will

  • £6m appeal hopes to secure bright future for museum

    ONE of the region's most popular museums is launching a multi-million pound appeal to help bring it into the 21st Century. The Bowes Museum is hoping to raise millions of pounds to improve the fabric of the building and also the range of exhibitions on

  • Quakers' fans left to rue missed shopping opportunity

    A spot of early Christmas shopping would have been a more worthwhile - and probably more enjoyable - exercise than enduring Darlington's worst performance of the season on Saturday. Many left after the third goal with still 20 minutes to play; at full-time

  • Connolly sticks to a tried and tested formula

    Billy Connolly's World Tour of New Zealand (BBC1 Sat); X Factor (ITV Sat); I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! (ITV Sun): Following his ill-advised comments about the death of Ken Bigley, Billy must be wishing he could jump back on his bike and head back

  • It's eight of the best for Darlington RA

    Darlington RA extended their lead at the top of the table to four points when they hit luckless Ferryhill Athletic for eight on Saturday. There was no stopping the Brinkburn Road side and once they established a three-goal lead by the interval, the result

  • Cooper's home rule can help keep the peace at Pool

    THE fixtures have fallen somewhat kindly for Hartlepool United. Six out of seven Saturdays sees them play at home. From October 16 to December 11, there's only one weekend away. Thankfully, this was it. Which means, on current form, it is the only weekend

  • Band concert

    Frosterley Village Hall and institute is holding a concert featuring Bluesmatic, on Saturday, from 8pm to midnight. Tickets are available on (01388) 529423 or (01388) 527778. Published: 22/11/2004

  • Chris aims to make breakthrough

    RACING driver Chris Dent is aiming to secure a drive with the top team in Formula Renault UK after an impressive performance in the championship winter series. Dent, from Durham, was fourth quickest in the wet at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire during

  • Heartache as memorial to son unveiled

    FOR schoolboy Keith Jiggins, there was only one place to be, after home and school. The tragic eight-year-old looked forward to his weekend visits with his grandparents to Hartlepool's Historic Quay. And that is where a poignant memorial to Keith, who

  • Corrie star gives Christmas party a cracking start

    CORONATION STREET star Keith Duffy hobbled into town to ensure Durham's Christmas buying season got off to a VIP start. The actor, who plays Irish charmer Ciarran in the ITV soap, injured his leg during filming in Manchester but still made it to the cathedral

  • Boyband star lights up town centre for Christmas

    BOYBAND star Lee Brennan lit up Darlington at the weekend. The 911 singer, who is appearing as Peter Pan in this year's Civic Theatre pantomime, joined Father Christmas to switch on the town's Christmas lights on Saturday. Musical entertainment was provided

  • Driver angry at false theft accusation

    A SUPERMARKET has apologised to a customer wrongly suspected of driving off without paying for petrol. Clare Cassidy was shocked when police investigating an incident a few days before called at her house and cautioned her. They asked her to go to the

  • UniBond League: Moors extend unbeaten run

    Spennymoor stretched their unbeaten run to ten matches with a 2-2 draw at Radcliffe Borough on Saturday, writes Ray Simpson. But Moors coach Graeme Clark was left with mixed emotions from the game. "It was a real Jekyll and Hyde performance. "We were

  • Brass band competition bows out of venue in style

    SOME of the country's top bands travelled to the North-East at the weekend for the 28th Brass in Concert Contest. It was the last time that the event was staged at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham, which has been its home for 19 years. Next year

  • Dyer is a victim of 'witch hunt'

    CRAIG Bellamy has launched a spirited defence of team-mate Kieron Dyer and claimed there is a 'witch-hunt' to hound the England midfielder out of St James' Park. Dyer was back in the Magpies XI on Saturday at Selhurst Park, making his first league start

  • Air cadets get fundraising lift

    AN air cadet corps' fundraising effort has been given a flying start by a local company. Members of 1407 (Newton Aycliffe) Air Training Corps wrote to employer 3M Aycliffe requesting a small prize for their fundraising raffle. Instead, the group has been

  • Campaign aid to recycling

    AN environmental campaign boosted kerbside recycling in Darlington by more than 100 tonnes last month. The £450,000 Waste Smart project involved raising awareness of recycling issues in Darlington and County Durham. Canvassers visited more than 18,000

  • Roofing give Cammell the hump

    Jarrow Roofing pulled off one of the shocks of the round when they beat the much-fancied Cammell Laird 3-1 on Saturday. The Merseysiders were one of the favourites for the competition, but Roofing belied their lowly league position in the ANL First Division

  • Education inspectors praise improvements at school

    OFSTED inspectors have praised the advances made by an east Durham school. Following their recent visit to Easington Community School, the inspectors said it was improving. They highlighted substantial improvements in standards, teaching and ethos since

  • Inspector overturns refusal of barn plan

    A COUPLE have won the right to go ahead with the conversion of a barn. The applicants, of Loud Farm, Loud Hill, Greencroft, near Stanley, will be allowed to turn the barn into four homes with detached garages and to build a stable block. They appealed

  • No place like No Place for author

    A HISTORIAN is hoping his six-year labour of love will finally put an end to the confusion surrounding the unusual name of a former pit village. Bill Lees, 71, has written a comprehensive history of No Place, near Stanley, County Durham, charting the

  • Police ready for 40 per cent rise in domestic violence

    POLICE are issuing cameras to officers to tackle an expected 40 per cent increase in domestic violence over Christmas. Dozens of cameras are being issued by Cleveland Police to ensure the aftermath of attacks are captured on film. Last year, 10,000 cases

  • Dixons sounds death knell for video recorder

    THE death of the video recorder comes a step closer today as the country's largest electrical goods retail chain announces that it is stopping selling them. Dixons is to phase out video cassette recorders (VCRs) after more than a quarter of a century,

  • Villagers have say on the way ahead

    VILLAGERS have been given the results of a survey into what people believe needs to be done to improve life in their communities. An appraisal is being carried out in Coxhoe and Quarrington Hill, in County Durham, that will form the basis of an action

  • Drinking drivers face stark warning

    CHRISTMAS shoppers will be shown a graphic illustration of the tragic results of drink-driving with the launch of a new campaign. The community safety partnership in Hambleton will stage simulated car crashes in high streets and market places throughout

  • Boro edge ahead in the chase for Champions League spot

    WHEN Liverpool travel to Monaco tomorrow they will be playing for far more than the three points they need to ensure qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League. Given the way Rafael Benitez's side were unceremoniously brushed aside by Middlesbrough

  • Hodgson gets his message home

    DARLINGTON'S shell-shocked players were left to quietly reflect on their performances after Saturday's 3-0 defeat at home to Lincoln City. Skipper Craig Liddle revealed there was little manager David Hodgson could say in the dressing room after Quakers

  • University preparing to honour graduates

    A UNIVERSITY chief is guaranteed to have met thousands of people by the end of this week. Professor Graham Henderson, the vice-chancellor of Teesside University, will shake hands with 2,000 graduates as he presents degrees, diplomas and certificates.

  • Review after pervert got school job

    A CHARITY that found a paedophile a job in a North-East school is reviewing its procedures. The Shaw Trust, a national charity that provides training and work opportunities for people who find it difficult to get a job, helped pervert Roy Dungay become

  • Souness backs Kluivert to become the Dutch master

    GRAEME Souness has decided a little amateur psychology will help him get the very best out of Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert. The Newcastle manager is hoping the mere mention of international team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy will be enough to get the 28-

  • Pensioner's cause of death still unknown

    A police investigation into the unexplained death of a pensioner continues. Officers were called to the home of 73-year-old Audrey McKenzie, of Kirby Malzeard, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, by ambulance crews on Saturday. The woman was taken to Harrogate

  • Clark adds to injury woe

    NEALE Cooper's injury woe shows no signs of easing. Ben Clark is the latest to join the list, after he damaged a hamstring in training last week. And Cooper revealed Steven Istead and on-loan Lewis Goburn were ruled out of Saturday's defeat at Sheffield

  • Films offer glimpse of home

    MOVIE buffs will this week be given the chance to enjoy films from northern and eastern Europe. Kino, the regular film night at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough, is linking up with the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, to present the Northern

  • The Buddhist Boro man

    PICTURE the scene: your team has just lost a crucial match and fellow fans are streaming from the terraces, shaking their heads and cursing. You understand their despair - over the years, you've felt the pain of defeat many times. Except this time, it's

  • Short-term deal puts Webster's return Down Under on hold

    AUSTRALIAN midfielder Adrian Webster got more than he bargained for when he returned to England for treatment on a career-threatening knee injury earlier this year. The 24-year-old was due to fly home during the summer after recovering from medial ligament

  • Icy blast brings mayhem to the roads

    FREEZING temperatures caused mayhem on the region's roads over the weekend as temperatures fell to as low as -7C. Police in County Durham and North Yorkshire reported dozens of minor accidents caused by rain falling on freezing road surfaces. The lowest

  • Mowden query postponement rules

    DARLINGTON Mowden Park have questioned the procedures which allowed their National Three North match at Blaydon to be called off at 10.30am on Saturday. Blaydon called in local referee John Richardson, who decided that the Crow Trees pitch was 80 per

  • Fans get chance to play at Premiership stadium

    A FOOTBALL stadium is to become a field of dreams for all aspiring Jimmy Floyd Hasselbainks or Gareth Southgates. Supporters of Middlesbrough Football Club will get the chance to put on their club strip and boots and run out of the tunnel onto the hallowed

  • McCarthy set to call Birmingham in a bid to get Carter

    MICK McCarthy last night revealed that he has spoken to Birmingham boss Steve Bruce in an attempt to secure the services of midfielder Darren Carter until the end of the season. Carter, who joined the Black Cats on a three-month loan in mid-September,

  • My days with princesses and film stars

    Miriam Murray spent seven years as a nanny to European royalty in Madrid. She tells Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings about children's parties at the Spanish royal palace, meeting legendary actress Grace Kelly and how her young charges became a second family

  • Boris The Spider is ready to strike

    BOOKMAKERS had better look out lest they become victims of a deadly strike by Boris The Spider (3.30) at Southwell today. Two starts ago Boris The Spider inflicted a considerable amount of pain on the local layers by landing an 11-2 triumph when taking

  • Boss defends his change in formation

    Darlington were well-beaten on Saturday but David Hodgson rebuffed any claims that a change in formation and team selection played any part in Quakers' downfall. After Darlington slipped to 13th in the table following their sixth league defeat of the

  • Tractor Boys' run at an end

    FOUR days after manager Mick McCarthy switched on Sunderland's Christmas illuminations, the club's new leading light, Stephen Elliott, provided the goalscoring spark that sent the Black Cats back into the top three of the Championship. The 20-year-old