This shiraz is a deep, dark red colour full of extract. The nose is pronounced with a little spice and a hint of burnt rubber. It tastes of rich black plums and is full of berry fruit flavours with black pepper and spice in the background. It's 14 1/
REVIEW your company's present performance and look at the trends, both economic and consumer, for indications on your company's staying power. Assess your options for growth and, if you decide growing is the business's priority, then plan for it
I WAS privileged to witness military history in the making on February 1. It was an occasion full of optimism, together with great sadness. The famous regiment with which I served across the globe for 12 years, The Royal Green Jackets, is no more
LEADERSHIP comes in many guises. In its most obvious form, it is the ability to garner and motivate those around you. It is about setting standards and benchmarks that encourage others to act accordingly. But we shouldn't get leadership confused
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM was one of England's best known conductors. From 1906 until his death in 1961, he captivated audiences with the musical scores he brought to life. His contemporary, Sir Henry Wood, was equally renowned and found greatest fame
HISTORICALLY, the prosperity of this nation was founded on trade, maritime in particular. In many ways, the country has become a victim of its modest geographical proportions and its success as a commercial hub. The South-East is now plagued by
FOR those who fear Chinese economic domination in the 21st Century and others who condemn its authoritarian government, there is much to chew over here. Even more to chew over when Peerenboom, Professor at Law at UCLA, asserts that a) China provides
THERE are more than one or two eyeopeners in this selection of the gifted, the good, the glamorous and the downright villainous, with the likes of Madonna, Billie Jean King, and Diana, Princess of Wales rubbing shoulders with Joan of Arc and Mary
THE invasion of East European workers may not be welcome in some quarters, but an inflow of their sumptuous art would be a different matter. "European" art has tended to be Western European which means that centuries of key artistic developments
Migration is a sore point with many people in Britain but Khalid Koser has no time for these "Little Englanders" in this short but masterful guide on the subject. He dismisses fears on jobs and threats to the benefits system, stressing how migrants
CALLS for legendary former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley to be granted a posthumous knighthood yesterday won the backing of Merseyside MPs. Almost 30,000 football fans have signed a petition on the 10 Downing Street website arguing that North-East born
WHAT an excellent idea by HarperCollins to highlight a famous life in such a concise, informative and entertaining way that even the most casual of readers will be tempted. In the case of Caravaggio there is a lot to tempt for he was an innovative
THIS dossier of the centuries-long slaughter of British wildlife from beavers to wolves, from house sparrows to golden eagles makes for shameful and distressing reading. Indeed, man has an awful record whether dealing with wild or domestic animals
ELEGANT, but effective Bow Street policeman Matthew Hawkwood had many close encounters during his service in Wellington's Peninsular campaign, but an assignment involving London's Resurrectionists, the body-snatchers who supply corpses for dissection
THE Quick Read campaign, featuring top authors at cheap prices, is intended to switch people back to reading and should have no difficulty in winning more converts with this beguiling tale of a love-lorn Liverpool lass who finds happiness on a chance
A SERIES of stories about femme fatales from six to 60 who are deadlier than the male and often prove it in the bloodiest way. Evil and danger stalk these pages in the most frightening way and mere men are advised to be on their guard if they dare
YOU can't put a price on Freda Lightfoot's stories from Manchester's 1950s Champion Street Market. They bubble with enough life and colour to brighten up the dreariest day and they have characters you can easily take to your heart. Flower
Booker Prize winner Pat Barker is a hard act to follow, particularly if you happen to be her daughter. Sharon Griffiths talks Anna Ralph about the difficulty of coming to terms with the fact that she, too, wanted to be a writer. FOR years
Publisher: Atari Formats: PSP Price: £34.99 Family friendly? 12+ TAKE yourself back to a time when shooters were really shooters. The Metal Slug appreciation society stretches far and
Publisher: Konami Formats: PS2 Price: £34.99 Family friendly? 12+ OMI, a monk who also happens to be a master of the martial arts, leads three young would-be dragons on an action packed worldwide
£38.50 from www.amazon.co.uk IF you fancy looking like an extra from a Star Trek Borg episode here's the perfect device. Following in the footsteps of another handset design icon, the mobile that started the shift toward sleek and stylish, this
£49.99 THIS travelling companion needs no fixings at all as it lives happily on the sun visor in your car, or indeed anywhere else you feel fit to place it. When you are at your journey's end just take the unit with you and use it at home or in
£19.79 THIS baby is about as simple as it gets. A cigarette lighter adaptor and a compact speaker unit. It supports Bluetooth for wireless communications but the speaker can struggle in a noisy car.
£199 from www.carphonewarehouse.com THE first Bluetooth hands-free kit with a colour screen. Not sure why a Bluetooth device needs to hold your contacts and pictures but this little gadget does. It also boasts an individual polyphonic ringtone
£69.99 from www.carphone warehouse.com IF cash is short, why not try this little gadget? Designed as a companion to the award winning Chocolate mobile (7.5 million sales in Europe last year) this headset is much more than a pretty face. The
A WOMAN found dead in the street at the weekend has been identified as a 31-year-old. Police are still trying to piece together where Elizabeth Anne Lee went and who she was with before she was found dead on Saturday. A post mortem examination has proved
£229 from www.navman.com PETROL-heads may remember that the name F40 was given to one of the greatest Ferraris of all-time. Certainly this sat-nav solution comes loaded with features normally found in other, more expensive car navigators, all packaged
ONE of the most shocking scenes ever witnessed on primetime TV was shown on ITV Evening News on February 27: the unspeakable cruelty with which a large number of helpless dolphins were slaughtered by gangs of Japanese butchers in what can only be
A TEENAGER celebrating his 16th birthday was murdered when he stepped in to help a friend under attack. Glen Corner, who had just found out he passed 8 GCSEs, grabbed Lee Firman in a bid to stop him using the knife he was holding to another lad. But
ENSURING that your company stands out from the crowd in today's competitive marketplace is crucial for every business, no matter what sector they operate in. Giving your firm a brand identity and highlighting the differences between what you can
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmoreland and Lonsdale, has said Fairtrade is desperately needed for farmers in this country. The chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on hill farming told the recent National Farmers' Union annual conference
The National Farmers' Union has two new county chairmen in the region. Tom Neill has taken over the Northumberland branch and John Gatenby the East Riding. Mr Neill has a 2,000-acre arable and livestock farm with his wife, Jean, and son, James, at Howtel
FEARS have been raised that a farmer or gamekeeper will be seriously hurt or even killed by poachers and criminals. The situation is so worrying that a recent meeting in Weardale, County Durham, attracted more than 70 gamekeepers and farmers. Kenneth
DAIRY farmers have been urged to persuade their MPs to join a Parliamentary campaign for a fair milk price. They currently receive 4p a litre less than it costs to produce and - for the eighth year running - receive the lowest price in Europe. A meeting
GUNG Ho Fat Choy" brings in the Chinese New Year. I say this every year at Yuan Tan to the proprietor of my local takeaway and get the same nonplussed expression. Apparently, the correct pronunciation is essential if you want to get free prawn
I need to take action to recover money that is owed to my business. Can I recover the costs involved and any interest? WHEN you issue court action, you can recover your full legal costs and interest, in addition to the debt. You can also claim
A MULTIMEDIA production company has been launched in the North-East by an award-winning photographer. David Glen Walker is well-known for his work with high-profile figures such as England manager Steve McClaren, rugby star Jonny Wilkinson and former
THE property team at law firm Watson Burton advised engineering firm Aker Kvaerner (AK) on the multi-million pound sale of its headquarters on Teesside. Last month, AK announced its plans to move its head office from Richardson Road, in Stockton, to Surtees
As Shanghai shook world stock markets last week, wobbling those feeble new private sector pensions geared to share prices rather than final salaries, I wondered if a shrewd investment might be sitting alongside the checkout at Marks & Spencer. That is
A SPECIALIST coatings business in the North-East has been sold to a US firm in a multi- million pound deal. Tor coatings, based in Birtley, County Durham, has been bought by Ohio-based RPM International Group, which employs more than 9,000 staff worldwide
ADMINISTRATORS yesterday blamed fierce competition and tight margins for the collapse of discount car chain CarShock. BDO Stoy Hayward is carrying out a business review of the retailer after it plunged into administration late last week, threatening at
SWAN Hunter owner Jaap Kroese has revealed he lost £18m trying to save the Tyneside shipyard. But the Dutch millionaire yesterday said he would get back the money he put in when the Wallsend site is redeveloped for industrial or business use. The 68-
YEARS ago, when customers wanted a component made, they would arrive at Altec Engineering with a scrap of paper and a roughly sketched outline of what they were after. They would hand it over to Ron Waite at his workshop in the former Co-op abattoir in
SHARES in construction firm Rok fell continuously yesterday despite the company revealing its sixth successive year of record results. The group - which plans to quadruple its workforce in the North-East to 600 over the next three years - saw its share
INDUSTRIAL services group Chieftain has made its second acquisition on Teesside in six months. The Newcastle company has acquired Middlesbrough-based Kevin Lloyd Limited for an undisclosed sum, taking on 70 extra staff. The move follows the purchase of
A NORTH-EAST firm is recruiting 30 financial advisors after clinching a national contract with a construction workers' union. Hanson Wealth Management, based at the Boldon Business Park, in Sunderland, has struck a deal to provide advice to members of
A BURGLAR carried out a smash and grab with a difference - leaping head-first through a pane of glass. CCTV cameras caught the raider peering through a glass door before standing back and sizing it up. He then launched himself through the door, exploding
A FUTURISTIC upgrade of Richmond School has moved a step nearer with the formal submission of a planning application. Project manager Faithful and Gould has designed a £32m scheme to upgrade the school. Working with North Yorkshire County Council and
A MARKET selling goods from around the world will launch the start of Fairtrade Fortnight. The stalls will be pitched in Durham City's Market Place on Friday, from 10am until 5pm, and organisers hope it will become a regular event in the city calendar
WHEN young offenders turned to helping their communities, they also raised a healthy sum for a North-East charity. About 40 young people assisted in making holly wreaths to sell over Christmas as part of their involvement in the County Durham Youth Engagement
A project devised to help young people transform rundown housing into modern affordable homes for themselves was launched yesterday. The first scheme of its kind in County Durham, Youthbuild is a joint venture between the Centrepoint charity, Easington
BUSINESSES in Billingham have helped to close a town centre drugs den. The property in Rothbury Street was boarded up yesterday after police obtained a closure order from magistrates. The house, which police described as a well-known source of illegal
TRADITIONAL Evensong services are boosting congregations at a parish church. The choral services at 6.30pm on the second Sunday of the month at St Mary's Church, Richmond, feature singing by the church choir, which has 18 trebles, aged seven to 18, and
CHILDREN from a new school breakfast club marked World Book Day by eating a healthy meal and spending time in the school library. Pupils at Le Cateau Primary School, Catterick Garrison, listened to Green Eggs and Ham, a story by bestselling author Dr
A FAST food restaurant is facing strong opposition in its attempt to stay open for almost 24 hours a day at weekends. The McDonald's branch, established seven years ago beside the northbound A1 at Leeming Bar Services, opens at 6.30am and its licence
A COUPLE whose family are devoted to music have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Raymond and Marjorie Evans, from Crook, have seen their children and grandchildren follow Mr Evans into the Bearpark and Esh Colliery Brass Band, near Durham.
SHOPPERS have the chance to learn how small changes in their habits can affect the big picture of climate change this week. Climate Dome, a touring exhibition of displays, screens and interactive features, was in Durham City yesterday. The inflatable
BUILDING work has started on an £800,000 project to create a much-needed workshop and resource centre for a learning disability charity. Chopsticks is building its new base on half an acre of land at Northallerton Business Park. Yesterday, the charity's
THREE teenagers subjected a bus driver to an "appalling" mob attack after a drink and drugs session. Out-of-control friends Keiran White, Barry Crosby and Matthew McGarry were told by a judge that they deserved to be locked up. But Recorder Taryn Turner
A DRUNKEN young man threatened to burn down a guest house after being told he could not see his father. David Lee Pennock was "in high dudgeon" after being turned away from Windermere House, in Langley Moor, near Durham, when his father refused to see
NINE jobs could be lost in Weardale because an expanding business cannot find a new site. Builders merchant Ian Wallace is selling his premises in Lydgate Lane, Wolsingham, to finance a move to a bigger plot. He has been given outline planning permission
A COUNCILLOR has assured people in his ward that they will not miss out on money from homes that have been built in the area. John Bailey, the Wear Valley District councillor for Howden-le-Wear and the surrounding villages, responded to fears expressed
A HOMELESS man has been banned from drinking in three Teesside towns to curb his abusive behaviour. Derek John Lowe was given a five-year Asbo in his absence at Teesside Magistrates Court yesterday. The 33-year-old is now barred from drinking in central
AN artist who finds inspiration from the spectacular Weardale landscape on his doorstep has opened an exhibition in Bishop Auckland Town Hall. Gateshead-born former art teacher Allan Archibald now paints at his home in Uppertown, Wolsingham. He taught
AN outspoken councillor has complained to the council after it claimed he is not attending enough training sessions. Last week, Darlington Borough Council's standards committee claimed Councillor Peter Foster had only been to four sessions last year.
A FUTURISTIC upgrade of Richmond School has moved a step nearer with the formal submission of a planning application. Project managers Faithful+Gould have designed a £32m scheme to upgrade the school. Working with North Yorkshire County Council and engineering
AN "ugly" traffic sign that cost almost £10,000 is still not working - more than two months after it was installed. The digital sign, on Stonebridge, opposite St Cuthbert's Church, was bought to tell drivers how many spaces are left in the multi-storey
A gang accompanied by a girl aged about five stole a large amount of jewellery from a Middlesbrough shop at the weekend. The gang went into Herbert Brown's jewellers in Newport Road and distracted the staff before members of the group used a tool to force
A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a suspected street fight in Hartlepool. Police were called to the King Oswy Drive area of the town in the early hours of Sunday after reports of a man being stabbed. He is believed to
STAFF at a council have vowed to make changes after it was branded as the least improving in the country by a national assessor. In the Audit Commision's 2003/2004 Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), Teesdale District Council was given a poor
FAMILIES in Newton Aycliffe celebrated the opening of a £635,000 children's centre at the weekend. Parents and carers have helped choose the services offered at the Sure Start centre, next to Stephenson Way Primary School. Developed in partnership with
READERS in Darlington have chosen their favourite novels of all time. Library users were asked to pick what books they would save if their homes were on fire as part of a day of events to mark World Book Day. Although Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
THE future of a school which was once classed as failing has never looked brighter, its deputy headteacher has said. A new headteacher is to be appointed this week to continue to improve Branksome School, in Darlington. The school was taken out of special
ARMY bomb disposal officers have carried out a controlled explosion this lunchtime on a rusting shell. The explosive, which appeared to have been recently dug up, was discovered at around 9am by a street cleaning worker wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped
DEFENDANT Patricia Lumley said she was "very bitter" about the way she had been treated after lawyer Nick Freeman - nicknamed Mr Loophole for winning motoring cases on legal technicalities for some famous names - got her off a drink-driving charge
RE Pete Winstanley's letter regarding political correctness, claiming it does not exist (HAS, March 1). In Frankfurt in 1923 communists set up The Institute for Social Research overtly to study Marxism, but with a covert agenda to invent and promote
DAVID Lacey obviously sees Israel as being under threat from Iran in his analogy (HAS, Feb 26). Western intelligence has pointed out that Israel has about 200 nuclear bombs. Iran has none. Indeed, its nuclear programme cannot even provide enough
FURTHER to your letter about Frank Sinatra (HAS, Feb 26) following your feature about prominent people who made a successful comeback (Echo, Feb 16). Asa Yoelson, born in 1883, was singing on the stage at 13 and starred in the first talking movie
UKIP has an excellent leader and spokesperson in Nigel Farage and contrary to rumour, the party is growing. This may lie behind Ukip's recent persecution. When the Liberals illegally accepted £2,400,000 from a Swissbased businessman, they kept
THERE have been many reports recently on a new study by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), showing that the total cost to business of new regulations imposed since 1998 is £55.66bn. One of the reports in a national paper thunders "Labour's
A LIFE-SIZE cut-out of a police officer was stolen from a North-East supermarket - so the thief could practise his dancing, a court was told yesterday. In a scene likened to an episode of Jeeves and Wooster, the 16-year-old, from Newton Aycliffe, County
NEW laws to prevent ugly development near World Heritage Sites such as Durham Cathedral and Hadrian's Wall will be unveiled this week. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell will announce that any planned high-rise buildings near Britain's most treasured sites
If she thought life on Albert Square was depressing, former EastEnders actress Lindsey Coulson is now consumed by a much grimmer reality, she tells Steve Pratt. LINDSEY Coulson has her head in her hands and a look of exhaustion on her face. The role is
THE recent revelation that 700,000 people in Britain are suffering from dementia is a gross underestimation. A more thorough research programme has demonstrated conclusively that as many as ninety per cent of the population is demented: and that is why
ONE of the experts almost loses me at the start. Mary Rose Barrington from the Society for Physical Research informs us that the institute was set up "to investigate those faculties of man, real or supposed, that aren't explicable on any generally recognised
Jimmy O'Reilly has not had the best of starts to 2007 but Northerner could bring about a welcome return to form for the yard at Southwell. The Mark Of Esteem colt showed a glimmer of ability in maidens for John Norton before improving for stepping up
A WORLD War Two veteran was stunned after he tried to send a parcel to his grandson fighting in Afghanistan only to be told it was three-quarters of an ounce overweight. Albert Payne, 80, went to the Post Office to send his 23-year-old grandson, Lee,
THE daring exploits of a war hero who belonged to one of the region's regiments will be remembered later this month. Author and historian Harry Moses will tell the story of his close friend, Major Ian English MC, at the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum
Billingham Synthonia, the world's only football club to be named after an agricultural fertilizer - you know, synthetic ammonia - are within a step of Wembley, new and improved. Wembley it will certainly be, the FA Vase final on Sunday, May 13 a warm-up
THE thing that strikes you straight away are all the cards. At first glance, Clinic 36, on Darlington's Duke Street, is an old-fashioned sort of hairdressers, but up above the main shop floor becomes a wig fitters. It's to a quiet, private room, that
JASPER, THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER I walked this dog from a pup to nearly three, There was something special about Jasper and me, To see him run in the woods was a joy, He would bring something for me, I would tell him 'good boy', They said he was flighty,
Children have discovered the carcass of a dog that may have died from a gunshot wound after being injured in illegal fights. The youngsters found the Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog in a carrier bag on a playing field only days after police carried
Martin Corry could regain the England captaincy for Sunday's RBS 6 Nations showdown with title favourites France, just two months and three Tests after he lost it. England's injury problems mean skipper Phil Vickery and another potential leader, Jonny
EVEN the most ardent Sunderland supporter would have laughed off talk of automatic promotion when the club crashed to the foot of the Championship table in August, but Tobias Hysen has revealed that Roy Keane predicted a top-two finish in his very first
England completed their expected emphatic victory over Bermuda after gaining useful practice for the majority of their squad in yesterday's opening World Cup warm-up match. Restricted to two practice games before the start of the tournament - the other
NEWCASTLE United manager Glenn Roeder has hailed the whole-hearted attitude and dedication of the club's top goalscorer Obafemi Martins. The Magpies boss believes his £10m signing could easily took the easy option and shown a lack of commitment, following
AN appeal set up to help an eight-year-old boy who lost his family in a road accident reached its target in 24 hours.More than £1,000 had been pledged by lunchtime yesterday to the Miracle Fund set up by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance after four members
Sunday TV highlights for me included Peter Purves declaring "I love that bitch" when asked for his opinion on a much-fancied wire-haired fox terrier on the Crufts preview. And at last, Meerkat Manor finally got interesting when it all kicked off between
GOAL hero Ben Clark acknowledged Hartlepool weren't at their best at the weekend but says it is the sign of a good side when they play poorly yet still win. When Clark netted after 32 minutes victory looked assured. But Hereford hit back twice to level
DARLINGTON midfielder Micky Cummins admits fans have yet to see the best of him this season, but the Irishman has promised to raise his game when it matters most during Quakers' crucial League Two run-in. Cummins, signed from Port Vale during the summer
GARETH SOUTHGATE has highlighted George Boateng's desperation to play through injury this season as an example of the character being shown throughout the squad. After an inconsistent start to the campaign, mainly due to the knee problem sustained in
A SIGNAL failure on the East Coast Main Line caused severe delays on the North's rail routes yesterday. Many train services were delayed or cancelled after a signal transformer failed just after 7am, affecting the line between East Cowton, in North
"It would be a sad day if misplaced risk aversion deprived children of such activities (as adventurous school trips). On the contrary, adventure activities provide the ideal opportunity to make children risk-aware by involving them in practical decision-making
A LIFE-SIZE cut-out of a police officer was stolen from a North-East supermarket - so the thief could practise his dancing, a court was told yesterday. In a scene likened to an episode of Jeeves and Wooster, the 16-year-old, from Newton Aycliffe, County
THE father of a Red Cap murdered by an Iraqi mob said last night he feels more confident that his killers will eventually be brought to justice. John Hyde, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was speaking after the families of all six military policemen
A MAN who lured car salesman David Rice to his death has admitted murder. Steven John Bevens, 39, changed his plea to guilty to the murder of the 42-year-old, known as Noddy, on the fifth day of his trial at Newcastle Crown Court. Mr Rice had been shot
A BIKER lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into trees after being struck on the helmet by a pigeon, an inquest heard yesterday. Coroner Michael Oakley described the accident as a "million to one chance". Paul Askew, 49, was riding his Kawasaki
RED Row was on the 18th Century estate of Bonny Bobby Shafto - as in "Why, that's bloody bonny, that is" - so called because that was the colour of the roofs. Once there were ten cottages. Now only three remain, the largest of which - once home to 25
SPECIALIST riot control officers had to be called in to keep order at a North-East young offenders' institution, The Northern Echo can reveal.Officials had to draft in 59 control and restraint officers from prisons in the North-East, North West, Yorkshire
HEALTH bosses have turned down an appeal by a North-East cancer patient who needs a wonder drug that could extend her life.Kathleen Devonport, 63, from Chilton, near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, has advanced kidney cancer and has been told by her NHS
MEMBERS of a workingmen's club described last night how they fled gasping for breath after a noxious gas was suspected to have been sprayed into the building. Nearly 200 people were forced to evacuate the Newbottle Workingmen's Club, in Newbottle, near
AN old factory that could become the UK's first eco village may pose a serious asbestos threat, former workers have claimed.Owners of the former Paton and Baldwins factory in Darlington, now known as Lingfield Point, want it to become a flagship ecological
He is better known in the North-East as a captain of industry. But with his debut comic novel garnering rave reviews, Paul Torday is set for a whole new career path. He tells Lindsay Jennings why he's not ready to leave the boardroom yetIT was
