FEMALE supporters of the Macmillan County Durham Appeal are in for a treat next month. Christine Cartwright, a North-East cosmetics expert, is giving a talk and demonstration on the art of make-up. The event, which will help raise funds for the Macmillan
HUNDREDS of children and their parents enjoyed a ride on a steam engine at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum at the weekend. The Peckett locomotive chugged along between 11am and 4pm on Saturday and Sunday at the museum, in North Road and will be offering
AN art gallery will reopen following a six-month refurbishment with a host of displays and four exhibitions - including masterpieces from the national collection. The Laing Gallery, in Newcastle, opens on Saturday, with Making Faces, which features works
SHOPPERS enjoyed a kind of magic at a speciality market in one of the region's towns at the weekend. Magicians performed tricks in Guisborough town centre on Saturday as Easter shoppers packed the speciality market. Stilt-walkers, jugglers and the Old
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help people in Chester-le-Street with their everyday problems. The Citizens Advice Bureau, in Front Street, is gearing up for a recruitment drive as part of a scheme to expand its service. Manager Vaughan Davidson would like to
FOOTBALL legend Paul Gascoigne has accepted that his professional playing days are over, bringing to an end one of the most colourful careers the sport has ever seen. The revelations came as Gazza turned out for a fundraiser in memory of Newcastle Falcons
RESIDENTS in Hartlepool are being consulted over proposals to create two conservation areas in the town and extend an existing one. There are six conservation areas in Hartlepool - Headland, Park, Greatham, Seaton Carew, Elwick and Church Street. But
BRIAN Lara hit the second highest score of his career to put him in sight of another world record as West Indies progressed relentlessly towards an imposing first-innings total in the final Test. The West Indies captain exploited the best batting surface
POLICE in the North-East have confirmed that a warning circulating the Internet about a sterilisation drug being used in date rapes is a hoax. Fraudsters started circulating an e-mail claiming that rapists are now using Progesterex, a drug which they
AN application to build homes on allotments in a County Durham village has been refused by the Deputy Prime Minister John Pres-cott's office. Sacriston Parish Council wanted to develop part of the land on Cross Lane allotments in the village, near Chester-le-Street
A DAMNING report into Darlington's library provision urges councillors to give urgent attention to building a new complex in the north of the town. The document, which was written by a review group set up to investigate how Darlington Borough Council's
DARRELL Clarke believes Hartlepool United's end-of-season experiences will stand them in good stead. For the fifth season in a row Pool are chasing glory as the season comes to an end. And, after three play-off campaigns and a promotion last season, Clarke
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has urged Ugo Ehiogu to use the final six games of the Premiership season to book his place in the squad for this summer's European Championships - starting with this afternoon's home game against Southampton. Gareth
Who Stole Bob Monkhouse's Jokes? (C4); The Truth About Take That (C4): HAVE you heard the one about the comedian who wrote all his jokes in two books, called them his babies and slept with them by his bed? There isn't a punch line as this is a true story
THE sport of whippet racing has adopted a North-East town as the home for one of its main events. And, as record crowds descended on the region at the weekend, it was easy to see why. It is the third year that the Chudley's Classic English Whippet Derby
AN art gallery will reopen following a six-month refurbishment with a host of displays and four exhibitions - including masterpieces from the national collection. The Laing Gallery, in Newcastle, opens on Saturday, with Making Faces, which features works
SARAH Farley has a vision. She becomes very animated when talking about her dream of enrolling more than 1,000 students on degree courses at Darlington College of Technology. Ms Farley, the college's principal, said she wanted to bring higher education
A NORTH-EAST hotel which has been beset with problems during its construction will finally open tomorrow - ten months behind schedule. The £30m Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, on Gateshead's quayside, is expected to attract millions of pounds to the region's
A MOBILE cinema tour is taking place across Teesside charting the history of mining in Eston. A Century in Stone - The Eston and California Story, is a two-hour documentary about the Eston Ironstone Mine, which closed 54 years ago, and its miners. Over
THEY might not make their European bow until next season, but Middlesbrough underlined their continental class with a dogged and disciplined display that ensured it will be Monte Carlo or bust for Chelsea's pursuit of silverware this campaign. Steve McClaren's
A MOBILE cinema tour is taking place across Teesside charting the history of mining in Eston. A Century in Stone - The Eston and California Story, is a two-hour documentary about the Eston Ironstone Mine, which closed 54 years ago, and its miners. Over
BRITAIN'S major political parties are engaged in a tug of war over the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon. Mr Mallon first made clear that he intends to remain an Independent in his weekly column in The Northern Echo. However, there were reports in yesterday's
A TOWN'S council tenants have been told their rent office will close because of low demand, and a rent payment system will be introduced. Easington District Council will shut the Parkside housing office, which was open twice a week, on Friday, April 23
EASTER bunnies visited a Darlington pet store at the weekend. Members of the National English Rabbit Club were at Pets at Home, in Darlington Retail Park, for an education day. Visitors could handle a range of English rabbit types and get expert advice
A TOWN'S quest to form a community partnership has moved a step closer with the help of a £3,500 grant. People living in Shildon are being urged to attend a public meeting at the end of this month to find out how such a community partnership might be
A MAN had part of his ears chewed off in an attack that police believe was a case of mistaken identity. The assault by two armed men happened in Newton Aycliffe, on Friday night and police released the details last night. A Durham Police spokesman said
Big may be beautiful but small can be sexy - actress Lisa Hammond is living proof. Lisa is four feet one inch tall, and playing romantic lead Nicky in BBC2 film drama Every Time You Look At Me is her biggest break so far. But with Mat Fraser, Britain's
TWO of Teesdale's longest- serving hoteliers are packing their bags this month to take on a different challenge, running a French bed-and-breakfast business. Dieter and Audrey Streit moved to Middleton-in-Teesdale 30 years ago, and ran the Heatherbrae
BACK-TO-FORM Balakiref (4.00) is the banker bet at Redcar's opening meeting of the 2004 Flat racing season. The Michael Dods-trained speedster landed quite a gamble when supported from 8-1 to 11-2 on his successful return to action at Southwell a week
It has been a good few days for North Shields following defeats for their closest rivals in the race for the championship. Both Birtley Town and Stokesley SC lost but the Robins go marching on and are now favourites to clinch the title. Their latest success
A CHAPTER in a community's history has come to an end with the retirement of a long-serving postman. Hawson Simpson has delivered mail in the Kirkbymoorside area for 40 years, travelling to nearly 100 homes. He said: "I never went delivering in winter
PLANS to build 68 homes on the site of a former abattoir failed to win the support of district councillors, despite backing from the parish council and the local school. Northern Counties Meat said its Aiskew operation was no longer viable and hoped to
RESIDENTS are invited to step back in time to help shape the future of gardens in Hartlepool. Two more consultation events are to be held this week to enable people to put forward their own regeneration ideas for the Burn Valley Gardens. There will be
DURHAM County Council is holding a bike surgery at Clayport Library, Durham, on Saturday, when people can have their bicycles checked. Experts from Cycle Force 2000 will carry out the free safety checks between 11am and 2pm at the library, after which
COMMUNITY groups have received welcome funding from Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council. Marske and New Marske District Guides have been awarded £250 towards decorating costs for their building. The first Saltburn Scout Group received £500
THE Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary yesterday dutifully played the role of staunch allies of the United States. Without hesitation, they insisted they backed the response of the US to the Iraqi insurgence and that the handover of power to the
A NORTH-EAST hotel which has been beset with problems during its construction will finally open tomorrow - ten months behind schedule. The £30m Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, on Gateshead's quayside, is expected to attract millions of pounds to the region's
NEW evidence could clear two men convicted of a North-East gangland killing 37 years ago. The information is contained in statements taken at the time of the murder but not disclosed by police during the trial of Michael Luvaglio and Dennis Stafford.
SUNDERLAND'S promotion chasers were last night given a timely reminder by manager Mick McCarthy and defender Gary Breen: 'We have achieved nothing yet'. The Black Cats travel to play-off rivals Ipswich Town - 3-1 winners at Rotherham on Saturday - this
A NORTH-EAST academic is preparing for the challenge of a lifetime in one of the world's most inaccessible and beautiful places - the Inca Trail, in Peru. Jim Bradshaw, the University of Sunderland's deputy vice-chancellor, is heading to the South American
A BUSINESSMAN hoping to build the first of a series of eco-friendly holiday villages in the region has won the backing of the Bank of Scotland. Matthew Spence's Ecobuild UK group has been given £400,000 by the bank's corporate division. The money will
A FRESH investigation is to be launched into a high-profile North-East murder case. An outside police force will examine allegations against a number of unnamed Cleveland Police officers who were involved in the Lee King murder inquiry. The latest investigation
Evidence which casts doubt on the convictions of two men blamed for a notorious gangland killing has come to light. Neil Hunter examines how it could be used to clear their names. THE case against Michael Luvaglio and Dennis Stafford was never a strong
DARLINGTON step out at Roots Hall this afternoon knowing a win will bring them to the brink of their holy grail - league safety. And fresh from Saturday's diligent win over promotion-chasing Mansfield, David Hodgson's men couldn't face Southend in a more
NEW evidence could clear two men convicted of a North-East gangland killing 37 years ago. The information is contained in statements taken at the time of the murder but not disclosed by police during the trial of Michael Luvaglio and Dennis Stafford.
NOT long ago and the only way Adam Boyd was leaving Victoria Park was on a free transfer. The way he is playing now, Hartlepool United will be lucky to hang onto their enigmatic talent for much longer. Boyd is self-propelling his hometown club into the
I AM recovering from a minor medical ailment that has given me some major grief in the embarrassment department. I noticed a worrying growth on, how shall I put this, the base of my spine (if you catch my drift) and imagined all sorts of malignant cancers
METRIC MARTYR: I WOULD like to request a posthumous pardon for Steve Thoburn from his crime of weighing produce in a measure of pounds and ounce which Her Majesty's subjects could understand. I would also request that a petition should be raised to remove
BACK-TO-FORM Balakiref (4.00) is the banker bet at Redcar's opening meeting of the 2004 Flat racing season. The Michael Dods-trained speedster landed quite a gamble when supported from 8-1 to 11-2 on his successful return to action at Southwell a week
SIR BOBBY ROBSON last night hailed Jonathan Woodgate's 'England-class' performance after yesterday's goalless draw with Arsenal. The Newcastle United defender was instrumental in ensuring his side blocked out the Gunners' frightening front two of Thierry
Striker Lee Hughes scored 11 minutes from time to earn West Brom maximum points against Gillingham and keep the pressure on Norwich at the top of the Nationwide First Division. Hughes pounced from close range to secure a 1-0 victory, their sixth in a
NEWCASTLE stood toe-to-toe in a heavyweight contest and slugged it out with the side Sir Bobby Robson rates as the greatest he has seen on these shores in his 71 years. In an absorbing encounter at St. James' Park, Arsenal had to be satisfied with a draw
CRAIG LIDDLE will miss this afternoon's crucial relegation clash at Southend but teammate Matt Clarke isn't too concerned. Because waiting in the wings is a young man Darlington boss David Hodgson has already dubbed "the next Craig Liddle". Brian Close
Who Stole Bob Monkhouse's Jokes? (C4) The Truth About Take That (C4) HAVE you heard the one about the comedian who wrote all his jokes in two books, called them his babies and slept with them by his bed? There isn't a punch line as this is a true story
