Just thought I'd bring to your attention someone I interviewed recently. Her name is Anna James and she's 22, and I think she has a really special writing talent. I came across Anna because she's involved in a project by New Writing North which encourages
Imieniny Pawla, Milosza Sprawy polskie Zauwazyli nas! Media w kraju i w UK sporo mówia o tym, ze rzesze Polaków przebywaja na 'Wyspach'. Reportaze analizuja czy to dobrze, czy zle. Angielskie gazety czesto pisza na temat przyslowiowego polskiego hydraulika
Thanks very much to Janet Stewart for becoming the first person to respond to my Big Brother Blog and offer the sobering thought that Big Brother made her "ashamed to be British". Jade reckons she's off to India to apologise in person... hope they
A year ago Patrick Winter, a young South African, was in Namibia completing his military service. Now, during the country's first free elections, Patrick is back - back in the country he once defended and the place where he fell in love for the first
A HIT-AND-RUN victim was sent home from hospital to take paracetamol after doctors failed to spot he had two badly broken legs. Father-of-two Robert Moore was left for dead after a van ploughed into him just yards from his front door and sped away from
An 87-YEAR-OLD former war hero was refused a bottle of his favourite sherry until he could prove he was over 18. Stunned pensioner Jack Archer thought the cashier was joking when she asked for proof of his age. But when she persisted Mr Archer was
For review this week is an Australian wine from their speciality red blend of grapes. It has characteristics of both in that the colour comes out as medium red-purple and the nose is a little spicy but full of red berry fruit. It has a rich flavoursome
The people of Moscow fought, despite their reservations about Stalin and his system, with a stoicism forged amidst the privations of their pre-war lives, and matched only by the ferocity of their enemies. For many, the years in which they had won the
Many readers of this book will remember what it was like living under the shadow of the Cold War. The ever present anxiety that at some point, because of some miscalculation or hubris on the part of our leaders, we would find ourselves in the middle
This work is reissued to coincide with a major feature film adaptation. The film adaptation of "Tsotsi" is the official selection of South Africa for Best Foreign Film (Academy Awards 2005) and was awarded Best British Film and the Audience Award at
PRIMARY schools in north Durham are hosting visitors from Kenya and Zambia as part of a project to foster closer relations between the countries. Headteachers Salome Kariuki, from Nairobi, Kenya, and Mercy Mwiya, of Lusaka, Zambia, brought colleagues
LIFE is certainly sweet for a north Durham couple who have celebrated their diamond anniversary. Dominic and Elsie Bove were married on January 22, 1947, at St Wilfred's Church, in Bishop Auckland. They got together because their fathers were friends
A COUNCIL has pledged more than £1m to improve care for vulnerable and elderly residents. It is hoped the deal between Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and Redcar and Cleveland Independent Providers will increase the number of care homes throughout
A SERIAL sex offender has been banned from having relationships with any woman unless he alerts the police. Thomas Stephens had previously been sentenced to eight years in jail, in 1997, for rape, and to four years, in 1986, for a similar charge. The
STYLISTS at a Durham City hair salon are planning to cut a dash for charity in a 390km bike trip around India. The charity bike ride will see competitors travelling in Rajastan to raise thousands of pounds for the Women for Women Organisation. For several
A COMMUNITY organisation in Hartlepool has received a national quality standard for information, advice and guidance for a second time. Owton Fens Community Association (Ofca) works with residents living in some of the most deprived communities in the
A GROUP of devoted volunteers has scooped a regional award for the best advertising campaign. Middlesbrough Council's Community Safety Volunteers campaign beat competition from the private and voluntary sectors to win top honours among 52 entries. The
MEMBERS of a club held their latest meeting at a new Darlington business. More than 50 members of Darlington Business Club attended its latest social evening at Wadesdeli, in Coniscliffe Road, Darlington. The evening also included a tasting event of cheeses
AN appeal over an application to build 128 houses on the site of a former office has been withdrawn. Last year, Stockton Borough Council's planning committee refused an application by Broseley Homes Ltd to redevelop Billingham House, the former ICI administration
THE winter gritting of dales roads will continue despite the withdrawal of plans for a permanent salt store, council officials have pledged. Proposals to build a road salt and grit store at Appersett, near Hawes, in upper Wensleydale, were withdrawn after
PLANS for a £680,000 conservation scheme around a village green, said to be the biggest in Europe, will be revealed today. The huge investment, in the form of several grants, will be used to upgrade the historic centre of West Auckland, and plans will
A TEESDALE road is so dangerous when icy that it is putting the safety of schoolchildren at risk, according to a villager. Durham County Council has been criticised by Helen Thompson for not gritting the road between Bolam, where she lives, and Ingleton
A HOME carer, accused of taking money from an elderly man she helped to look after, left court with her good name intact. Dawn Heslin, 45, yesterday was alleged to have stolen more than £300 from the 85-year-old widower she shared caring duties for,
DALES artists have been offered the chance to exhibit their work free in the reception of a National Park Authority's headquarters building. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is inviting the artists to exhibit in the foyer of its building in
THE school cook who helped celebrity chef Jamie Oliver improve school dinners has visited a Darlington school to pass on advice. Nora Sands visited Whinfield Primary School, where she spoke to staff who have completed courses to improve their skills.
A COMMUNITY arts group has started rehearsing for an ambitious musical project. Natural High, a dance, drama and singing group based in Willington, is to stage the musical Oliver in July. The production marks a change of direction for the group, which
POLICE have condemned an arson attack on a school as an "act of extreme stupidity". A wastepaper bin was set on fire in a wooden doorway at the entrance to Bedale High School at 10.30pm on Friday. A passerby called the fire service, which attended and
PLANNED council tax rises will cost an extra 51p per week for the lowest band houses in Darlington, say authority bosses. However, critics of Darlington Borough Council's proposed charges have warned that the forthcoming budget will take too much out
A NEW generation of street cleaning equipment has been unveiled by Darlington Borough Council. Unlike a traditional street sweeper, the machine cleans and washes the street, helping to remove spilled food and stains from outside shops and restaurants
STAFF at a Darlington post office have made an official complaint to council bosses who approved plans for a residents-only parking scheme outside their shop. Subpostmaster Peter Warne says that new restrictions outside the Ken Warne outlet, in Cleveland
Unless you've been on the moon for the past week, you'll no doubt have heard (and be sick of) all the debate surrounding Big Brother and the allegedly racist treatment of Shilpa Shetty by other housemates. I must admit, I don't watch it. I find it
THE Northern Echo is launching a new weekly column tomorrow. Like all columns, it will contain a mixture of local news, views and advice - but with one unique difference. It will be in Polish. It will be called Echo Pólnocy, which is Polish for "The
A MAN who made hundreds of thousands of pounds selling counterfeit films and CDs has been jailed for a year. Andrew Wood, 36, conspired with married couple Ann and James Cowan to sell disks copied on a production line at the Cowans' home. Wood, who lived
HOME Secretary John Reid yesterday pledged to investigate why £575,000 was paid in compensation to a suicidal prisoner. Speaking to The Northern Echo, Mr Reid said he understood the growing anger over the huge out-of-court settlement to the inmate at
THE number of people who lost their lives in road accidents in County Durham has fallen by a quarter in the past year. A total of 29 people died in 2006 compared to 40 the previous year. Last year's fatalities included 13 drivers and three passengers
WHATEVER the law says, ancient or modern, the scavengers of Branscombe beach must have known that what they were doing was wrong. Taking goods that belong to others is stealing and those who descended like hungry hyenas on the Devon coast should be thoroughly
RIVAL bids outlining the future of councils in the region will be submitted to the Government tomorrow -plans that could pave the way for the abolition of more than 12 councils. England's 34 shire counties -including Durham, North Yorkshire and Northumberland
ENGLAND'S calamitous tour Down Under crashed to a new low as Andrew Flintoff's men plummeted to the bottom of the Commonwealth Bank Series standings after an embarrassing 90-run loss to New Zealand. Chasing only 211 runs for victory on a batsmen-friendly
CONSTRUCTION has started on a £6.2m commercial property development that will expand a flagship business park and create 150 jobs. Rivergreen Developments has started work on a range of business units at Hartlepool's Queens Meadow Business Park. In
BUSINESS services provider Vanguard has won a contract with a national medical group taking it closer to its target turnover of £1m. The group, which is based in Gateshead, has agreed a deal, worth about £50,000, with Peacocks Medical Group, in Newcastle
TERRORISM B KIDD says that following the recent conflict in Lebanon, Hezbollah was "condemned for war crimes by Amnesty International" (HAS, Jan 20). In fact, Amnesty called for the investigation of alleged war crimes by both Hezbollah and the Israelis
A TYNESIDE environmental services company has received a £500,000 investment to develop its method of cleaning contaminated land and water. Sivex Engineering Limited, in South Shields, South Tyneside, is one of the first businesses in the region to
OFFICIALS at Catterick are due to hold an 8am inspection this morning as a result of frost threatening to claim the meeting. "We have been forecast between -1C and -4C and the lower it gets, it obviously worsens our situation," reported Clerk of the Course
FERRYHILL Flyer Phill Nixon could be about to hit the silver screen after appointing a PR guru to handle his meteoric rise to fame. The Northern Echo can exclusively reveal that Mr Nixon and his new agent, Garry Thornburn, are already in talks with movie-makers
THE timing important, it was a few days before the furore surrounding the wretched and inappropriately named Ms Goody - her and her yet more egregious maternal parent - that Bob Harbron wrote from Norton-on-Tees about Camp Coffee. All these years, said
Predictably, a political opponent of Iain Wright, the Labour MP for Hartlepool, is demanding his resignation over the proposed closure of the town's hospital, the defence of which boosted his general election victory. But shouldn't a bigger (let's make
You Don't Know You're Born (ITV1) Five Days (BBC1) 'As far as I can tell," Coronation Street's Anne Kirkbride was telling us, "my great-grandfather lived in that bus shelter over there". He wasn't, as you might conclude, sleeping rough. She meant that
A CONVICTED rapist carried out a sex attack on a woman while living at a hostel on licence, the Probation Service confirmed last night.Christopher Ernest Scott carried out his latest attack while living on licence at a probation hostel in York, having
DARREN WARD has already started to plan for the Premiership after triggering a 12-month add on clause in his contract which keeps him at the Stadium of Light beyond this season.Having dislodged Ben Alnwick in the Sunderland goal last October, Ward has
JASON Robinson has been ruled out of England's pre-RBS Six Nations training camp and is a doubt for the opening game against Scotland on February 3.The Sale captain reported for duty at Twickenham but was sent home along with fellow wingers Mark Cueto
A FRIEND who found a hairdresser stabbed and dying pleaded with her to fight for life, a murder jury has heard.Boxing coach John White was walking towards the New York Barbers, in Nelson Street, Newcastle, when he saw a woman lying outside the shop covered
SOUTH African Test batsman Jacques Rudolph has decided to stop representing his country in order to take up a three-year contract with Yorkshire as a Kolpak signing.He will join up with his new teammates at Headingley Carnegie at the end of March.Rudolph
A PROBATION Service expert who distributed child pornography while setting up a £10m Home Office database of sex offenders was sentenced to 14 months in prison yesterday. Vincent Barron, 49, sent ten pornographic images of children, aged between five
FARMERS and suppliers may be afraid to give evidence of unfair practices in the supermarket sector, an official report suggested yesterday. The Competition Commission said its investigation into the grocery sector had not produced as much evidence from
WHAT'S in a hair cut? Quite a lot if you're Hillary Clinton. This week she announced she was running to be president of the United States. Her hairdresser could have told us that years ago. Most of us occasionally use a new hairstyle to announce a new
MPs will today demand rapid improvements to "dilapidated" railways to ensure a planned £300m container terminal at Teesport can compete with ports in the South. A report by the Commons transport select committee attacks the Government's "ports must pay
WHEN the far-right British National Party started delivering leaflets in Trimdon, County Durham, Margaret Brown was disappointed, but not surprised. She has lived with racism all her life. Margaret was born in Notting Hill, London, in 1957, to a white
A TRIO of Darlington's long-term injury victims will soon be available, with Sam Russell leading the way after successfully coming through his comeback game unscathed.The goalkeeper has missed ten games with a broken leg suffered in November but played
A TWISTED killer who stabbed an amateur photographer to death for his camera bag helped to convict himself by filming his confession.Scott Nichols sneered into his own mobile phone and growled "murderer" shortly after killing Lee Phipps, 31.It also emerged
FIREFIGHTERS formed a guard of honour yesterday to pay their last respects to tragic friend and colleague Tim Tasane.More than 60 members of North Yorkshire Fire Brigade stood to attention outside his funeral in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.Police stopped
TONY MOWBRAY does not expect Newcastle United to pay the £9m demanded by West Brom for arguably the best young defender outside of the Premiership.Curtis Davies remains one of Glenn Roeder's top targets this month but the inflated price-tag has put off
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Massimo Maccarone is to become the second £8m signing to leave the Riverside for nothing this week. Ugo Ehiogu will complete a move to Rangers before the weekend, as Maccarone, the club's record £8.15m purchase from Empoli in the summer
