Archive

  • Bresnan career best ensures Phoenix rise to occasion

    Yorkshire Phoenix maintained their sparkling early season form with an emphatic five wicket victory over Somerset Sabres at Headingley yesterday in Division Two of the totesport League. Rarely have Yorkshire looked fitter or more confident at the start

  • Late goal keeps Coxhoe's title hopes alive

    Wearside League: Coxhoe Athletic left it late before clinching the points at Ryhope CW on Saturday. After trailing by two goals inside half an hour they hit back to lead 3-2 only for the Wearsiders to level. A draw looked on the cards but in stoppage

  • Mowden spoil title party

    DARLINGTON Mowden Park continued to make a mockery of their earlier struggles by spoiling the Halifax party with a tremendous display. After thrashing second-placed Macclesfield to ensure safety in their last match, Mowden ended the unbeaten record of

  • Durham's dynamic Dale tames Lions at Riverside

    DURHAM continued their sensational start to the season yesterday with a resounding 138-run win against capital kingpins Surrey. Local lads Liam Plunkett and Gordon Muchall took a big share of the honours, but it was the experience brought to the team

  • Moors hit by eauge yet again

    The UniBond League board have fined Spennymoor again and deducted more points - but stopped short of recommending expulsion. Moors' owner Benny Mottram was summoned to appear in front of the UniBond League Board at Altrincham for failing to fulfil four

  • Players attitude spot-on, Souness

    GRAEME Souness last night hailed the attitude of his young players after a patched-up Newcastle side salvaged some much-needed pride at Old Trafford. The Magpies slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Manchester United - extending their losing run to five games

  • Molenari the star

    Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior Legue: Australian Patrick Molenari starred, leading Sacriston to a match-winning total against newly-promoted Ponteland. Debutant Molenari hit 51, which, together with useful contributions from Tony Claughan

  • Teenage kicks - so hard to beat

    A TEENAGE football manager is claiming the best record in the football league - after a 100 per cent start to his career. David Bogg helped Darlington FC to a 2-0 victory on Saturday against Rushden and Diamonds to take his record to played two, won two

  • McDonald impresses on debut with six-wicket haul

    Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division: Brenton McDonald could hardly have made a better debut leading newly-promoted Billingham Synthonia to victory over Darlington at Feethams. The 21-year old leg-spinner from Victoria quickly

  • Teenage kicks - so hard to beat

    A TEENAGE football manager is claiming the best record in the football league - after a 100 per cent start to his career. David Bogg helped Darlington FC to a 2-0 victory on Saturday against Rushden and Diamonds to take his record to played two, won two

  • Esh in the runs as trio grab half-centuries

    The Readers Durham County League: A trio of players made half-centuries as Esh Winning posted the highest score on the opening day. Newly-appointed Pakistani professional Rizwan Quereshi, local lad John Carmedy and debutant Michael Robson, who has joined

  • Bogus caller charges

    Two men have been charged in connection with bogus caller burglaries across the North-East. The men, who have not been named, were arrested in Durham City on Friday by police investigating a series of incidents in which tens of thousands of pounds were

  • Art prizes announced as exhibition launched

    AN exhibition which every year attracts hundreds of North Yorkshire artists opened at the weekend. Nearly 300 artists, both amateur and professional, living and working in the Harrogate district, responded to the invitation to submit art to the Harrogate

  • Tragic death of promising talent

    A striker so talented he was heralded as 'another Alan Shearer' has died of a heroin overdose. Skillfull centre forward John Courtney trained at Newcastle United's Centre of Excellence where he was singled out as 'one to watch'. But aged 18 and with the

  • Charity plea for victims of torture

    A CHARITY that provides support to victims of torture is to renew efforts to open a centre in the North-East. Last summer, the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture announced that it hoped to open a centre providing medical, psychological

  • Caldwell issues warning of the tough road ahead

    STEVEN CALDWELL has given his team-mates a stark warning of the pressures involved in playing in what he describes as the 'cut-throat' world of the Premier League. Former Newcastle defender Caldwell dropped down a division at the end of last season when

  • It's Green for go in Thornaby

    THORNABY GREEN (3.20) has ticks in all the right boxes at Hamilton's opening flat fixture of the current turf campaign. Although David Barron's sprinter faces stiff competition from his 15 rivals in the six-furlong Sam Is Back Handicap, it is still possible

  • The Lifeblood Appeal

    As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region: TODAY * Community Association, Tyne Road, Stanley, 2pm-7pm * Community Centre, Linthorpe Road

  • Club on ball to promote anti-bullying

    A NORTH-EAST football club is helping to promote an anti-bulling campaign. Manager Mick McCarthy has officially launched the sale of Sunderland Football Club's Lighting up Lives wristbands to highlight the initiative. Since the introduction of the club

  • Widdecombe's setting the pace

    Former Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe showed how she had benefited from being a Celebrity Fit Clubber when she visited the North-East at the weekend. With party workers in tow, the hard-hitter set a scorching pace as she canvassed members

  • 'I wired up my car - and I'd do it again'

    A MAN who wired his car up to the mains to shock vandals insisted last night that he has no regrets and would do it again if forced to protect his property. Peter Bayles - a staunch supporter of Tony Martin, the farmer who was imprisoned for killing a

  • Boro back on track for Europe

    STEVE McClaren believes his players have "got the bit between their teeth" in their quest to bring European football back to the Riverside. With confidence running high in the camp following the 4-0 drubbing of relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion

  • Horror attack on off-duty doorman

    AN off-duty doorman who stepped in to break up a brawl in a city centre bar was mutilated - by a woman who bit off his ear. Mark Barrett was enjoying a night out with girlfriend, Beverley Little, in Newcastle when the fight broke out beside him. Trying

  • McDonald impresses on debut with six-wicket haul

    Brenton McDonald could hardly have made a better debut leading newly-promoted Billingham Synthonia to victory over Darlington at Feethams. The 21-year old leg-spinner from Victoria quickly changed the course of the home side's innings when he was introduced

  • Nemeth stars on Robbo's return

    THE irony wasn't lost on Bryan Robson. On a day when he was greeted like a prodigal son by the club that gave him his managerial break, the former Middlesbrough boss found himself stabbed in the back, metaphorically speaking, by the last player he signed

  • Promotion party sealed with a kiss

    THE celebrations had only just begun on the Stadium of Light pitch after Sunderland's 2-1 win over Leicester had guaranteed a return to the Premier League when manager Mick McCarthy made a swift exit. He'd joined his players to salute the fans on the

  • Hoggard ends Somerset's resistance

    It took until the second over after tea before a double strike by Matthew Hoggard snuffed out Somerset's surprisingly stiff resistance and brought Yorkshire victory by an innings and 44 runs in their first home Championship game of the season. Despite

  • Child protection rules blamed as cricket club drops juniors

    TOUGH new child protection regulations are being blamed for a village cricket club having to abandon its junior teams. This weekend, for the first time in nearly 20 years, Barningham Cricket Club, in Teesdale, County Durham, will begin the cricket season

  • 'Migraine' sufferer 'lucky to be alive'

    A RADIO presenter who complained of headaches for more than 20 years is recovering after a five-hour brain operation to repair what doctors described as the largest aneurysm they have ever seen. Father-of-two Tim Ellingford put the headaches down to migraines

  • Judges start the ball rolling to find young sports stars

    PEOPLE are being encouraged to nominate sporty youngsters for the annual Darlington sports winners scheme. The awards recognise sporting achievement from all local enthusiasts, whatever their level, over the past 12 months. The categories in this year's

  • Town's children join store's birthday celebrations

    CHILDREN were the guests of honour at a shop's birthday bash. Staff at Wilkinson, in Darlington, spent Saturday blowing up red balloons and handing them out to children, along with masks, stickers and sweets as the shop celebrated its tenth birthday.

  • No monkey business from charity CD

    SONG-WRITING library assistants hope their musical notes will turn into banknotes to help victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. Shaun Liddell, Peter Kidd and Steven Clayton, who work at Durham County Council's Clayport Library, in Durham City, discovered

  • Dreams can come true

    A TEENAGER who wants to star in Les Miserables has secured a place at a London drama academy. Selected from more than 15,000 applicants, Charlene Fairish, 17, from Burnmere, Spennymoor, won place at the international £10,000-a-year Mountview Academy for

  • Music for the spring

    YOUNG musicians are hoping to hit the right notes at a concert this week. Barnard Castle School's Spring Concert will bring together scores of musicians from the school's wind band, chamber choir, senior orchestra and jazz ensemble and will mark the end

  • Parker, the King of cards

    The unscripted story so far: following the little contretemps between Messrs Bowyer and Dyer, former referee Eric Henderson rings to recall a similar civil war outbreak at Darlington, probably late 1980s. Eric can't remember the opposition, only that

  • Extra staff needed to tackle work

    COUNCIL planning officers could be given extra staff to tackle an increased workload and improve performance. Wear Valley District Council meets on Thursday to discuss proposals for re-staffing its regeneration department where activity and staff turnover

  • Man dies after street attack

    A 53-YEAR-OLD man died in hospital at the weekend after suffering serious injuries during an assault. A police spokesman last night identified the victim as Thomas Noble, 53, of Moreland Street, Roker, Sunderland. Mr Noble, who was assaulted in Roker

  • Drums are beating for harmony and fun

    THE arrival of a consignment of African drums this week will see the official launch of a new community group. Tees Valley World Drummers - Drumz - will receive £2,600 worth of fairly-traded drums to their headquarters in Marton Road, Middlesbrough. The

  • Youngsters step out with nature

    YOUNGSTERS are hitting the forest trail during a series of free treks. The guided walks, at Guisborough Forest, near Pinchinthorpe, started last weekend as part of a joint campaign by the Forestry Commission and the British Heart Foundation. Children

  • Thousands invited to arts festival

    THOUSANDS of postcards are being sent to young people inviting them to a music and arts festival. The event will span three days and see youngsters taking part in workshops in music, art, drama and dance. The festival - organised by Connecting Youth Culture

  • Parlez vous?

    CLASSES in holiday languages are being held at the Park View Community Association, Church Chare, Chester-le-Street. For further details, contact 0191 388 1043.

  • £5m flood defence scheme for Tees to get the go-ahead

    A MULTI-million pound flood defence scheme for the River Tees is expected to be given the go-ahead this week. The plan for flood defences at Lustrum Beck, Stockton, will go before planning chiefs on Wednesday. If it is approved, work will start on the

  • Cooper recreates medieval tankard

    ONE of Britain's few remaining coopers has been putting his skills to good use, but for water rather than the usual beer. Jonathan Manby usually makes traditional wooden beer casks for Theakston's Brewery, at Masham. But his latest creation is a replica

  • 'Horrible shock' at bombing death

    A WIDOW has described her grief after her husband was killed in Iraq by a suicide bomber. Father-of-three Alan Parkin died when his convoy was targeted on the notorious "Road of Death", near Baghdad Airport. The 44-year-old, from Consett, County Durham

  • New owners give pub a £100,000 refit

    AN 18th Century pub has undergone a £100,000 refit. Esmond and Jeanne Watson have bought the Dog and Gun at Potto, North Yorkshire, for £500,000 after selling their Middlesbrough camera business, Cameramart. They have spent a further £100,000 on expanding

  • Bishops come in from the cold

    The Backtrack column goes back in time to the days when men were men and played football whatever the conditions. Back in 1955, Bishop Auckland took on Ipswich in an FA Cup tie, despite the country being in the grip of a big freeze IN from the cold, recent

  • Bosses seeking better N-E deal

    A DELEGATION of North-East business leaders will seek commitment from leading politicians to address major issues facing the region. Managers from companies employing thousands of staff and contributing millions to the local economy will be at the British

  • Fundraisers aim to give girl a voice

    FUNDRAISERS are trying to raise enough money to help a Teesside teenager overcome serious communications problems. Leanne Joyce, from Dormanstown, developed encephalitis as a baby, leaving her unable to speak and causing paralysis in her left arm. Now

  • Having a ball for children's charity

    A GLITTERING ball staged to raise money for a North-East charity has been hailed a resounding success. About £70,000 is likely to have been raised at the Rainbow Trust's annual ball, in Newcastle, where 1980s band Go West entertained 300 guests. The event

  • Controversial parking charges bring in more than £100,000

    A COUNCIL has raked in more than £112,000 in less than six months through the introduction of controversial on-street parking charges, it has emerged. Darlington Borough Council installed parking meters on several streets in and around the town centre

  • 25/04/05

    BUSINESS BURDEN: I NOTE with interest Peter Parnaby's letter (HAS, Apr 13). As the UK's leading non-party political lobbying group for Small Business (in excess of 185,000 members), we have been arguing the issue of business rates and would agree that

  • Youngsters stepping out for Bugsy Malone

    A LARGE cast of youngsters has been completing final rehearsals for a stage production of Bugsy Malone. Up to 60 children, aged six to 15, of the Durham Stage School will appear at the Durham Gala Theatre at 2pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Stage

  • Work starts on site to create 22 rental homes

    WORK has started on the site of a £2.17m housing scheme that will provide 22 new homes to rent. The Majestic scheme, on Gilesgate, in Durham - a site formerly owned by Durham City Council - is being developed by Three Rivers Housing Group. The development

  • Pool seeking lifeguards for the summer

    AN appeal has gone out for lifeguards to man County Durham's only heated open-air swimming pool. Volunteers who run the pool at Stanhope, in Weardale, are concerned they may not be able to open the pool for the summer unless enough recruits are found.

  • Stage set for a fairy godmother

    A GIRL is hoping for a fairy godmother or father to make her dreams come true. Francie-Jo Heward is only 13, but the junior tap dance champion already has her heart set on a stage career. The Northumbrian junior tap dancing champion has earned the chance

  • Watchdog member's warning to GNER

    THE bitter franchise battle for operating trains linking the region with London and Scotland is far from over despite GNER being awarded the contract for the next ten years, it was claimed last night. Vociferous rail campaigner John Davison, of the passenger

  • Dickens of a role for Frazer

    There's no respite for Rupert Frazer, who is on stage from start to finish during a new adaptation of David Copperfield. He tells Steve Pratt how he's been inspired by the great author to put pen to paper. ACTOR Rupert Frazer was sitting in a corner doing

  • 'I wired up my car - and I'd do it again'

    A MAN who wired his car up to the mains to shock vandals insisted last night that he has no regrets and would do it again if forced to protect his property. Peter Bayles - a staunch supporter of Tony Martin, the farmer who was imprisoned for killing a

  • Thomas' season finished

    LUCKLESS Stephen Thomas may not play again this season after the Darlington midfielder suffered his latest injury setback at the weekend, writes Lee Hall. The 25-year-old has been told he faces three more weeks on the treatment table after limping off

  • Pool have plenty of experience for the saga of the play-offs

    WHEN it comes to squeaky bum time at the end of the season, Hartlepool United are guaranteed to get everyone twitching. Losing at Doncaster on Saturday means there's a good chance their season's fate will hinge on the final day of action. And, given their

  • Keeping it in the Adams family

    Film-makers won the approval of the family of the late Dougals Adams with their movie of his cult novel, The Hitchhikers' Guide To the Galaxy, but pleasing all the fans has proved to be more difficult. Steve Pratt reports. Plans to bring The Hitchhiker's

  • Redcar's Hepples flies the flag

    REDCAR-BASED Stephen Hepples flew the flag for the North-East when he ran the fastest short leg in the National 12-Stage Road Relay Championships at Sutton Coldfield. The 25-year-old Teesside finance officer ran 14 mins 15 secs for the 5K circuit, lifting

  • Hunt for thugs who threatened nine-year-old girl

    A GANG of thugs threatened a nine-year-old-girl before stealing her personal CD player and smashing it in front of her. Sarah Doherty was in Sedgefield Park, County Durham, when a group of five boys, aged about 13 to 15, approached and threatened to hurt

  • Warning over Ascot prices perception

    A TOURISM boss has warned that people are being put off attending a Royal horse racing meeting in the North this summer because of the prices being charged by hotels. Gillian Cruddas, the chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, has written to 250 accommodation

  • Two charged after death of stabbing victim

    POLICE announced early today that they had charged two men in connection with the murder of a man stabbed to death in the street. Cleveland Police said one man had been charged with the murder of Craig Stephenson and the other with violent disorder and

  • Break in attempt foiled by woman

    Two men who tried to smash their way into a town centre shop at the weekend were foiled by a woman who looked out of her window in the middle of the night. She saw them swinging a heavy object against the large plate glass window of the Woolworths store

  • Police report fall in crime and huge drug haul seizure

    A NORTH-EAST police force has reported a reduction its year-end crime totals Crime dropped by 9.5 per cent across the Northumbria Police area in the 12 months ending March 31. The total number of recorded offences fell from 157,051 to 142,122. Violent

  • County coaches seek to use their influence

    PHIL Lancaster and Craig Lee will again be using their influence as Durham county coaches to try to strengthen their Darlington side for a promotion push in National Three North next season. One of the big successes this season has been the introduction

  • Youngsters stepping out for Bugsy Malone

    A LARGE cast of youngsters has been completing final rehearsals for a stage production of Bugsy Malone. Up to 60 children, aged six to 15, of the Durham Stage School will appear at the Durham Gala Theatre at 2pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Stage

  • PoW radio goes on display

    A RADIO made by a prisoner of war to listen to news of the conflict's progress has gone on public display for the first time. The late Harry Watson, a sergeant fitter with the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry's (DLI) Motor Transport in North Africa

  • School aims to help stop anti-social behaviour

    A SCHOOL is hoping to open its doors to children on Friday nights in a bid to keep them off the streets. The project at Branksome Comprehensive School in Darlington follows a police project to dry up the alcohol supply in the area and stop anti-social

  • Father's plea to find missing son

    A FATHER has made a heartfelt appeal to anyone who can help him find his son, who has been missing for five weeks. Police are involved in a region-wide hunt for 23-year-old Andrew Zachert, who left his home in Billy Row, Weardale, County Durham, without

  • MI5 failed to thwart terrorist, says ex-spy

    THE North-East's biggest ever terrorist attack could have been averted, but for blunders by the intelligence services, according to ex-spy David Shayler. The allegations are contained in a book by the former MI5 agent, who was jailed in 2002 for revealing

  • Returning the favour

    Double Dutchman Clyde Wijnhard has told his manager that it's pay-back time. Two successful penalties on Saturday took the bustling centre-forward's tally to 15 goals this season, five coming in his last four matches since returning from a suspension.

  • Figures reveal fewer people dying from gas poisoning

    FAR fewer people are dying from carbon monoxide poisoning as the message hits home about the dangers of old gas fires and boilers, new figures show. Only 12 lives were lost nationally in the 12 months to March last year, the lowest figure since statistics

  • Durham's dynamic Dale tames Lions at Riverside

    DURHAM continued their sensational start to the season yesterday with a resounding 138-run win against capital kingpins Surrey. Local lads Liam Plunkett and Gordon Muchall took a big share of the honours, but it was the experience brought to the team

  • 'I lived with wolves to escape the Nazis'

    After her Jewish parents were rounded up by the Nazis, Misha Defonseca set off on an epic journey to the East to find them. In a remarkable autobiography, she tells how wolves helped her survive. Sarah Foster heard her story. THE little girl was slumped

  • 'Fat-buster' trainers shape up to provide expert advice

    THE first of a new breed of "fat busters" have been trained by a North-East university. Thirteen people have completed an anti-obesity training course at the University of Teesside. The newly-trained course leaders can set up community-based weight management

  • It's time to believe once more

    The city of Sunderland is bathed in red and white as supporters who saw their dreams of glory ripped apart three seasons ago dare to believe once again. The Black Cats nose-dived into the Football League at the end of the 2002-03 campaign. It was devastating

  • Wijnhard brace hits the spot

    GIVEN their erratic form this season, Clyde Wijnhard and Darlington may have more in common than most would imagine. Much like his employers, Wijnhard's performances have had fans purring one week and seething the next. From his memorable goal at Oxford

  • Watching Brief: The unpredictables leave fans guessing

    Will they or won't they? That's been the question no Darlington supporter has been able to answer all season and, despite having only 180 minutes of football left to play this season, nobody can predict with any confidence whether or not Quakers will

  • Washington mark their return in great style

    Washington celebrated their return to the league, recording the biggest win of the day at Easington where they had five wickets to spare. Matthew Thompson, with an impressive 4-18, played the leading role restricting the Colliers to only 117 with most

  • Stepping out to raise charity cash in memory of relative

    A MOTHER and daughter team are to run 5km for the third successive year in memory of a relative. Joyce Forster, 46, and Ashley Gent, 18, have taken part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, in Darlington, for the past two years. Their first race was

  • Gaffney 's good start

    DURHAM teenager Sean Gaffney made a good start to the 2005 Avon Tyres Formula Ford Championship at Brands Hatch at the weekend with solid eighth and fifth place finishes in the opening two rounds of the series. Testing in the pouring rain earlier in the

  • Lifting the scales from my eyes

    I recently read that women would own 60 per cent of this country's wealth in 20 years' time. I can believe it. Girls are out-performing boys in school and professional women have learned how to juggle their high-powered careers with motherhood. Women

  • Magpies' pride restored by teenage kicks

    GRAEME Souness signalled a change in Newcastle's transfer policy last week when he echoed Alan Hansen's famous assertion that "you can't win anything with kids". Ultimately, yesterday's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United proved him right but, by naming a

  • Northern Echo Cricketer Of The Month Award

    Once again, The Northern Echo will be running the popular Cricketer of the Year award. Sponsored by cricket equipment specialists Mike Gough Sports of Hartlepool, the aim is to recognise spectacular achievements in North-East cricket. Who can forget the

  • Police report fall in crime and huge drug haul seizure

    A NORTH-EAST police force has reported a reduction its year-end crime totals Crime dropped by 9.5 per cent across the Northumbria Police area in the 12 months ending March 31. The total number of recorded offences fell from 157,051 to 142,122. Violent

  • No tickets

    Metro operator Nexus caught 281 people throughout March riding the system without a ticket. The 281, from across the region, were caught evading fares on the Metro and have been prosecuted through the courts. They were ordered to pay £34,860 in fines

  • Improving bus stops

    COUNCILLORS are to be given a progress report on efforts to improve bus stops in the Darlington area. The borough council is keen to increase the number of people using public transport and believes it must upgrade bus stops to help achieve that. Proposals

  • Pupils start tucking into their profits

    YEAR ten pupils on the Prince's Trust programme at a Darlington school have opened a profitable tuck shop. The five youngsters, at Beaumont Hill School, started the break time shop as part of the entrepreneurship and enterprise section of the trust's

  • Finishing touches to village fair

    THE finishing touches are being put to a village's medieval fair. Sedgefield will host the annual medieval fair on Saturday, May 21, starting at 10am with entertainment on the village green all day. A parade marshalled by Ray Barron, will be led by The

  • Pupils waste no time with their message

    PRIMARY school children have persuaded the council to install litter bins in their home town as part of a project to keep their streets clean. More than thirty year four pupils from Escomb Primary School, Escombe, near Bishop Auckland, stood up this week

  • Schools win cash in recycling challenge

    PUPILS from Sedgefield schools have been competing in a recycling competition that awards them cash prizes and tree saplings to plant in school grounds. Ferryhill Station School, in Ferryhill, was first and won £400 in the Yellow Woods Challenge to recycle

  • Ballot papers due to arrive for elections

    POSTAL voters in North Yorkshire will receive their ballot forms for the county council elections this week. Election workers are compiling 11,000 postal voting packs for the council elections. Once these have been completed, the teams will put together

  • Police boxes open for public's suggestions

    RESIDENTS in north Durham are being encouraged to make suggestions to their local beat bobby to tackle crime in rural areas. Police post boxes are being put up in Derwentside so people can post comments to local officers. The boxes are white and rectangular

  • Child protection rules blamed as cricket club drops juniors

    TOUGH new child protection regulations are being blamed for a village cricket club having to abandon its junior teams. This weekend, for the first time in nearly 20 years, Barningham Cricket Club, in Teesdale, County Durham, will begin the cricket season

  • A visit to mark peacetime friendship

    GERMAN guests are coming to Sedgefield as part of a friendship link. Sedgefield Twinning Association has invited 23 people from Hamminkeln, in the north Rhine region of Germany, for a week next month. Association chairman Dr Joyce Jordan said: "It is

  • Group aims to put culture at heart of the community

    PLANS have been unveiled for a group aiming to put culture and creative activity at the heart of everyday life for a north Durham community. The group, being set up as part of Chester-le-Street's local strategic partnership, will examine ways to pool

  • Show tribute to legendary writer Miller

    EXTRACTS from top playwrights' work will be performed this week by North-East drama students in memory of legendary writer Arthur Miller. The Public and The Private production explores the lives of people from the early 20th Century through to today and

  • Golfing tribute to tragic Louisa

    A CHARITY golf day has been organised to raise money for the Hambleton and Richmondshire branch of the MS Society. It takes place on July 25, at Romanby Golf Club, near Northallerton, and has been sponsored by the town's deVries Honda. The day will feature

  • Students' horticultural talents paint a creative picture

    COLLEGE staff and students are hard at work creating an entry for the Harrogate Spring Flower Show. Askham Bryan College, near York, won gold awards in the garden design section of the last two shows and horticulture students hope to repeat the feat this

  • Life-changing sports scheme gets go-ahead

    PLANS to build sports facilities in two isolated villages have been given the go-ahead. Fundraisers in Gillamoor and Fadmoor, near Kirkbymoorside, have been granted approval for the two-phase project by planners at the North York Moors National Park Authority

  • Bishop rededicates restored church tower

    A NEWLY-RESTORED church tower was formally rededicated at the weekend. The blessing of the tower at St Colomba's Church, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, by the Bishop of Whitby, the Right Reverend Robert Ladds, marked the culmination of five years of fundraising

  • Villagers celebrate the dragon slayer

    CROOK was buzzing with hundreds of revellers on Saturday when a community partnership organised a St George's Day party. As the first of many celebrations planned for the town, the Crook Community Partnership put on the celebration, which lasted well

  • Comic cuts

    A feast of comedy is promised next month when the Catch 22 Comedy Club returns to Arc, in Stockton. The bill for the show, on Thursday, May 5, includes funnymen Dan Nightingale and Tony Law with tickets costing £7 and £5 for concessions. To book, call

  • £3bn crisis for councils

    LOCAL authorities in the region are facing a £3bn pensions blackhole that could take up to 30 years to clear, The Northern Echo can reveal. Economic experts and union chiefs say authorities will have to take drastic action to avoid a looming financial

  • Advice has benefited the over-75s

    A PROJECT by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to encourage Darlington's elderly population to claim their benefit entitlements has got off to a great start. In one month, the over-75s project has helped more than 50 people in the town by providing them

  • Shipman review prompts changes

    A NEW post has been created at Darlington Primary Care Trust - ahead of more robust checks that are expected to come into force as a result of the Shipman review. GP Hilton Dixon has been appointed medical director of the trust to provide clinical leadership

  • CCTV scheme proves a success

    IMPROVED communications between police and operators of closed circuit television cameras in a town centre have proved successful. On Friday night, fights between groups of drunk partygoers were stopped as the cameras in Crook relayed vital information

  • MI5 failed to thwart terrorist, says ex-spy

    THE North-East's biggest ever terrorist attack could have been averted, but for blunders by the intelligence services, according to ex-spy David Shayler. The allegations are contained in a book by the former MI5 agent, who was jailed in 2002 for revealing

  • Groups to quiz the candidates

    VOLUNTARY and community groups are to quiz election candidates about what they will do to secure the long-term future of many bodies. A number of European and Government grants to the voluntary sector come to an end next year which, according to the pressure

  • Librarian musicians record CD for charity

    SONG-WRITING library assistants hope their musical notes will turn into banknotes to help victims of the Asian tsumani disaster. Shaun Liddell, Peter Kidd and Steven Clayton, who work at Durham County Council's flagship Clayport Library, discovered they

  • Horror attack on off-duty doorman

    AN off-duty doorman who stepped in to break up a brawl in a city centre bar was mutilated - by a woman who bit off his ear. Mark Barrett was enjoying a night out with girlfriend, Beverley Little, in Newcastle when the fight broke out beside him. Trying

  • So close for young designers

    TWO Teesside students narrowly missed out on winning a national design innovation award at the weekend. Lisa Richardson, left, and Rebecca Hurst, both pupils at Bydales Secondary School, in Redcar, displayed their designs for a glove torch and automatic

  • Rooney close to substitution

    Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he was about to haul Wayne Rooney off moments before the teenager unleashed his Old Trafford wonder-strike yesterday. Manchester United looked to be heading for their third successive Premiership defeat until Rooney strode on

  • Grant enables club to expand services

    A NORTH Durham youth club has been awarded a £9,125 grant to help improve its facilities for young people. The grant to Chester-le-Street Youth Club has been made by Nestl's Make Space campaign, a national project that supports the work of after-school

  • Delight as street wardens honoured

    MIDDLESBROUGH'S street wardens have received a top Government standard, in what will be seen as further support for Mayor Ray Mallon's tough approach to fighting crime in the town. The workers have been granted the Warden Quality Standard, a national

  • Police probe fatal fall from flat

    POLICE are treating the death of a man who is believed to have fallen from a first-floor flat as suspicious. Michael Holey, 31, was found with multiple injuries on the pavement outside the flat on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. He was taken to hospital

  • Students make an artistic impresion on tsumami family

    A TEACHER who was in Sri Lanka when the tsunami hit has set about raising money to build a house for victims of the giant wave. Janet Jinadasa was in the country's capital, Colombo, on Boxing Day when the devastating tidal wave struck the country. Inspired

  • Residents plan to turn back clock

    AN appeal has been issued to find wartime memorabilia for a street party celebration. Housing Hartlepool, the not-for-profit housing company that took over the town's former council housing stock last year, is spearheading plans for a Second World War

  • Blackhall off to flying start

    Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Division One: Blackhall posted an early notice of their intentions to make an immediate return to the Premier Division when they hurried to a nine-wicket victory against Redcar. After dismissing the Seasiders

  • Celebrities failed to grab attention

    Celebrity Wrestling (ITV1): Welcome, we were told, to "the toughest show on TV". I agree. This is certainly the toughest show to watch because it's so unremittingly awful. The only winners will be the BBC, whose struggling Strictly Dance Fever might pick

  • £3bn crisis for councils

    LOCAL authorities in the region are facing a £3bn pensions blackhole that could take up to 30 years to clear, The Northern Echo can reveal. Economic experts and union chiefs say authorities will have to take drastic action to avoid a looming financial

  • Court for man who breached his Asbo

    A MAN has spent the weekend in police cells after being arrested for breaching an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) imposed on him in December. Paul Noble was arrested by Darlington Police after residents reported he was banging on doors and causing