With a disappointing defeat behind them in the league Norton had a lot to prove with knew signings and the wind against them they arrived with vigour. The first half saw Norton behind 1-0. Mitchell Little opened up the Midfield of Stockton Town with a
Norton U9B's showed great ability and were able to feed the ball wide to Bob laud on the left, Matty Graham on the right and with James Whinship as striker. Shots were on target but unfortunately luck wasn't. Late in the first half, Barnard castle took
With MP3 input and PC software, electrical instruments have made it into the 21st Century ELECTRONICS and music used to be mutually exclusive bedfellows. Remember that awful Midi synth rock pumped out by groups from Germany? Of course, an instrument
Publisher: Sierra Formats: PC Price: £39.99 Family friendly? 12+ IF you're a casual PC gamer it probably seems as though the only genre enjoying any popularity at the moment is the shoot 'em
A FASCINATING, witty and informative study of one of the world's greatest crime writer which digs well below the surface to expose a more complex character than might have been expected from her books. A golden childhood, an ill-fated first marriage
A MOTHER and daughter were involved in a pub attack on an eastern European woman, a court heard today. Racist remarks were aimed at the woman during the unprovoked incident, at the Pack Horse, in Tanfield, near Stanley, County Durham. The 30-year-old
QUEEN Juana I of Spain (Juana La Loca), the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella has always had a bad press, so it is refreshing to read a work that shows that the sister of Catharine of Aragon was far from a lunatic nonentity. A woman who was instrumental
FROM 17th Century Denmark to the New Zealand Gold rush of the mid 19th Century, Rose Tremain, it seems, can write about anything, and she always manages to create a detailed and authentic world for her characters and their quests. This time it's
IT'S hardly news that Pratchett's Discworld is currently one of the best satirical mirrors available for our own absurd planet - but his latest book still arrives with remarkably topical timing, concerning as it does major wobbles in the financial
UNUSUALLY, Bishop Auckland author Wendy Robertson has set her latest novel not in the North-East but in a corner of north London. It's a London that teems with fascinating characters of all nationalities, classes and backgrounds, a metropolitan
WITH the memorable title For the Unfallen, Hill's first volume of poetry, almost 50 years ago, set him on a path that now sees him widely acclaimed as England's leading poet - "the one certain genius now at work in the English language", in the
THE publisher writes: "Winter Breaks is a no-frills weekend flight to the saddest hotel in the world. It's a grim Saga tour round the pleasures of old age, decrepitude and oblivion." Dying (literally) to go? Gordon Hodgeon, a one-time schools' adviser
LARGELY an elegy for the old North- East: the "Right Jarrow", at least in public perception. Kelly observes The yard's dead, quiet. Chains no longer hold onto ships onto lives. A poem about Swan Hunter's notes: The yards are finished. Kids need
HAS it been done before? A novel in verse? Perhaps it's what used to be called an epic poem. Anyway, written while its author was writer-in-residence at the Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle, Wall tells a story of teenagers living in and
FOR decades they were inseparable, identical twins who dressed, thought and spoke as one. The astonishing Chaplin twins made headlines around the world for their bizarre life as near-perfect clones of each other. Freda and Greta walked in step, ate
WHY so coy, CW? Evidently a parent, since the collection is dedicated to "my children". Almost certainly female, as one poem declares "I was born a Mother/ And mothers stay alive". Like good plain cooking imaginatively tweaked here and there, the
The Environment Agency has unveiled a new flood forecasting system this week to tackle the threat of tidal flooding in Yorkshire and the North East. The new technology will enable flood experts to provide the most accurate tidal flood forecasting all
It all began way back in 1929 when the Bears and the Diamonds competed in the English Northern Dirt Track League. This was the second season of the sport of speedway being introduced into the UK. It continues on Thursday evening at the South Tees Motorsport
HEDGE funds, once the preserve of the ultra high-networth, are becoming more and more accessible to the everyday investor. There are still barriers to entry, however, with most still demanding very high initial investment to participate. A
By Ian Lowes WHEN you reach state pension age you don't have to claim your state pension straight away and deferring it could be the best "investment" you ever make. If you can afford to defer your state pension, then, depending on how long you
A university spin-out company is developing technology and products that have the potential to dominate global markets worth billions of pounds. Business editor Kate Bowman reports on how decades of research is finally coming to fruition TERRORISM
A TEAM of microelectronics experts and the company they helped to develop an emergency lighting system have picked up a national award. Kablefree Systems and experts from Northumbria University have developed a radio-controlled lighting system
MORE than 30 jobs are being created with the launch of a document scanning business in Northumberland. UK Digital Storage opened its 10,000sq ft base in Blyth last Thursday. The base includes a large warehouse to archive documents and scanning
ONE of the region's law firms is keeping its clients well-connected with the help of advanced wireless internet technology. Ward Hadaway has turned to technology solutions company Onyx Group, based in Middlesbrough, and its WiFi partner My- Zones
BUSINESSES tempted to break environmental law have been issued with a stern warning by regulators. The Environment Agency has produced a report, which shows that, last year, courts nationally handed out more than eleven years behind bars, millions
CHARITY Age Concern has teamed up with one of the region's law firms to help businesses avoid the pitfalls of the new anti-discrimination laws. It follows the publication of Tribunals Service figures, which show that almost a thousand age discrimination
WE want to use the Italian Job theme in a corporate video. We had heard that published music more than 30 years old is copyright free, so would we be safe to use it? The answer to this query is quite technical, so get that cold towel ready, although
A CONSULTANCY firm has come through what it describes as its "darkest period" to post record financial results. Staff at structural design company AMP Consultants were devastated by the sudden death of co-founder and managing director Alan Caygill
FORMER North-East photographer Tom Stoddart is exhibiting at Nunnington Hall, in York, a collection of his favourite images from a long career in photojournalism which included documenting the fall of the Berlin Wall and the election of President
GARDEN centre chain Peter Barratt's has been sold to a rival business owned by Scotland's richest tycoon. The firm, based in Newcastle, has been bought by Wyevale Garden Centres, which has more than 100 outlets nationwide, and is owned by entrepreneur
STRICKEN Malcolm Engineering Company (MEC) was yesterday forced to stop trading after efforts to find a buyer to rescue it from administration failed. The Darlington firm, which has traded in the town for more than 40 years, confirmed that it
MORE than 250 jobs are to be created in the region in the latest stage of a town centre regeneration project. North East Property Holdings, based in Darlington, wants to build a £4m office on the town's Four Riggs site, which it owns. The company
A HOLLYWOOD legend has agreed to switch on the Christmas lights in a North-East city. Oscar winner Mickey Rooney, who is to make his panto debut at Sunderland's Empire Theatre this year, is to switch on the city's Christmas lights on November 22. The
SEVEN men were arrested after a street brawl involving baseball bats, axes and swords. The men - all from the Darlington area - appeared before magistrates today. The court heard that witnesses spotted two cars pull up at Yarm Road at around 6pm on
A WOMAN who killed her guinea pig when she threw it out of an eighth floor flat window did so because it was being noisy, a court heard. Amanda Wray, who pleaded guilty to ill-treating the pet, was tracked down by RSPCA officers after the concierge of
Every magazine and newspaper is following Amy Winehouse due to her recent behaviour. Reports of her drink and drug addiction, fights with her husband Blake Fielder-Civil. Have led to her parents and in-laws getting involved through the media. Her dad
The World Athletics Championships in Osaka were the last major championship before the Olympics in China next year. Therefore, it was vitally important that all the major contenders for the medals in China put in a good performance to stay on track
PARISHIONERS are being urged to help raise the final £100,000 towards one of the first new churches in Darlington for decades. All Saints and Salutation Church, in Blackwell, is to replace its wooden home that has served the parish since 1937.
POLICE have praised a group of Darlington teenagers who have set up their own rave after winning nearly £6,000 in funding. The events at Longfield School have given students something to do on a Friday night - and led to a drop in anti-social behaviour
A NEW Darlington school has been shortlisted for a national architecture award. The Darlington Education Village, which opened in April last year, is in line for the top prize at this year's Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award. The ceremony
ANGRY residents living next to the site of Darlington's new £12.5m link road have been told the scheme will not be changed. People from the Red Hall estate complained after builders began to lay the Eastern Transport Corridor on top of a two metre
A CHARITY has gone from high street to high speed, in an effort to continue its work against poverty. Oxfam has launched Britain's first online charity shop, selling items traditionally sold in its hundreds of stores across the country. And in
THE owner of a dog, found hours from death and collapsed in its own faeces, has walked free from court. Paul James Edwards, 36, was cleared of causing unnecessary suffering to the four-year-old greyhound, called Ben, by failing to provide a suitable
THE strong aroma of cannabis plants has landed one man with a six-month stint in prison. When police called at Anthony Teasdale's Darlington home, they recognised the distinctive smell of the Class C drug and, once inside the property, they discovered
CELEBRITY chef Clarissa Dickson Wright and racehorse trainer Sir Mark Prescott are to face charges relating to alleged hare coursing, it was confirmed today. Officials at Scarborough Magistrates Court in North Yorkshire confirmed the pair were facing
NEWTON Aycliffe took a step back in time when a mural was unveiled to celebrate the completion of a popular community centre. Woodham Community Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, has been up and running since 1986, but has been regenerated in the last
On Saturday 11th August, I went to Hurworth Grange along with some other young people to watch some wrestling. Before I got there I didnt't really know what to expect. The only wrestling I'd seen before was the WWE on T.V and I didn't think it was going
YOUNG vandals are risking their lives by trespassing in a derelict hotel, where neighbours have counted eight fires in the past week. People living in three streets near the former Kensington Hall Hotel, in Willington, signed a petition yesterday
THERE may have been no ice rink at the venue, but that did not stop children enjoying an ice hockey festival last week. The event, at Spennymoor Leisure Centre last Friday, followed a series of coaching sessions led by players from Newcastle Vipers
SIX former students from a Barnard Castle school have been awarded scholarships to help them through university. The A-level students, from Teesdale School, were selected for the awards by the trustees of the Mewhort Trust, set up in the memory
FOOTBALL legend Sir Bobby Robson is to fire the starting pistol for the 2007 BUPA Great North Run in Newcastle upon Tyne on Sunday, September 30. The BUPA Great North Run is Britain and Europe's biggest road race and the world's biggest half-marathon
MORE than £300,000 will be spent in a village centree, in an attempt to help the area restore some of its traditional characteristics. Properties and public spaces surrounding Cornforth's 12th Century green, which is a conservation area, will be
PLANS to run training sessions to improve relationships between officers and councillors at a North Yorkshire local authority have come under fire. The Improvement and Development Agency (IDA) proposes that Richmondshire District Council embarks
AN event for elderly or disabled people and their families and carers will be held next month. The Independent Living Awareness Day is aimed at those living in the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas. It is an informal event organised by the Independent
After demolishing the West Indies at the start of England's cricketing summer, new Head coach Peter Moores was looking for performance against India, much more talented side. West Indies were poor in the test series but looked threatening in the one-day
THE Queen's personal bodyguards took a well-earned weekend break and spent it in Harrogate. About 60 Yeomen of the Guard took time off from their duties and enjoyed an evening of virtual horseracing and a formal dinner at the Cedar Court Hotel
AN MP has agreed to become an ambassador for the arts on the Yorkshire coast. Robert Goodwill, the Tory MP for Scarborough, has pledged his support for the area's arts and culture as it seeks to play a major regeneration role. The MP attended
SUPERMARKET bosses have defended a controversial parking policy after a charity worker became the latest shopper to be caught out by the restrictions. The Co-operative Group says the vast majority of motorists are in favour of arrangements at the
A HOLIDAY centre to give adults with learning difficulties a short break was opened yesterday. The £1m Hawthorn House, in Newton Hall, Durham City, has been designed to have a "hotel feel", and can cater for up to eight adults at a time. The Durham
A SCHOOLBOY who was named among the top ten performers in the country has been praised by his headteacher. Consett pupil Andrew Bell was among the top ten in the country in the GCSE manufacturing double award, according to Edexcel, the UK's largest
A SERIES of free advice sessions will be held across County Durham for anyone interested in setting up in business. Start-up specialists The Enterprise Group has organised the Cafe Enterprise sessions, to give people the opportunity to ask questions
A MINIBUS which helps hundreds of people with mobility problems get out and about has been given a makeover. The 16-seat vehicle, operated by the Durham City Shopmobility scheme, has been in service since February, but has now been given a new
VILLAGERS rallied round when a young pupil suffering from leukaemia took a turn for the worse. Ethan Purvis appeared to be through the worst of a three-year programme of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when he came home from school
A "POTENTIALLY catastrophic" attempt to siphon petrol from a parked car resulted in a Middlesbrough man being sent to prison. Anthony Muldoon was spotted by security camera operators as he lay on the floor with a knife, tampering with the pipes
A DRUG ADDICTED burglar who targeted commercial premises to fund his habit has been jailed. Stuart Collins pleaded guilty to two burglaries when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. The 27-year-old, of Grange Road, Middlesbrough, broke
A 69-YEAR-OLD man had to be cut free from his car following a collision with three other vehicles in Hartlepool. His car overturned in the accident, at about 7.40pm on Sunday, in Marlowe Road. The silver Vauxhall Corsa was travelling towards Macefield
LIFE-SIZED puppets are to be used to get an anti-fly tipping message across to adults. The puppets of a fly-tipper and a householder are already on film, having featured in a fourminute movie called On the Fly, produced by the Environment Agency
A HOUSING company is offering a cash reward to help police stop yobs on motorcycles making people's lives a misery. Middlesbrough's biggest landlord, Erimus Housing, is behind the offer of £1,000 leading to the prosecution of tearaways racing
THE ILLEGAL drugs trade was dealt a blow this morning when a major police operation involving dozens of officers resulted in the arrest of ten suspected heroin dealers. Officers carried out a co-ordinated series of raids centred on private houses in
A TEENAGE driver who killed a 17-year-old girl while racing with his friends at up to 100mph was jailed for eight years today. Luke Grimes, 19, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing, after
THE man responsible for one of Britain's worst cruelty cases has been sentenced to six months in prison after ignoring a lifetime ban on keeping animals and causing unnecessary suffering to his dogs. Lee Howard, was jailed for six months last year after
YORKSHIRE and the North-East were today officially declared "low risk" areas for foot and mouth disease. As a result farmers in the region can move livestock from farm-to-farm under strict biosecurity measures. However, the all-important autumn sales
If you fancy frogs' legs, why not hop along to Floaters Mill, where the distinctly fishy food will leave you feeling buoyed up When seagulls follow a trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea' - Eric Cantona, 1995 SOME
DANNY Wilson admits he has some hard thinking to do when it comes to selecting his strikers. Ian Moore took his tally to four for the season with a pair in Saturdays' eye-catching win at Leyton Orient. But that came a week after the summer signing from
A BOY who fell from the roof of a block of flats climbed scaffolding which had not been sealed off, an inquest heard today. Adventure-seeking Adam Tiffin and his pals had been able to slip through an opening in scaffolding and clamber up a
A POLICE officer appeared in court today charged with indecently touching girls as young as seven. Mark Verity, 21, is alleged to have indecently touched six girls between April 2005 and April this year. Verity, of Ringstone Road, York, was suspended
The new life massage at Matfen Hall Hotel's spa proved the ideal treat for mum-to-be, Lindsay Jennings IF ever there was a time to have a massage this was it. Seven months pregnant, with leg cramps acting as a regular nocturnal alarm clock, not to
She rose to fame in Byker Grove and since has carved out a career as a presenter, model and actress, yet Donna Airs most valued role is playing mum to daughter Freya, she tells Sarah Foster IT isnt quite what youd expect from someone who used to live
WHEN reading any of the national newspapers or listening to any comments from politicians, it is very easy to forget that the UK livestock industry is approaching meltdown. As a reflection of the interest in such matters by the ruling party, it
BILL Lawrence (HAS, Sept 10) is correct to say our trade union, Solidarity, is registered with the authorities, but not affiliated to the TUC (as are many other unions). We choose not to because: 1. We believe in "One Big Union" - a concept pioneered
YOU reported that Chancellor Alistair Darling has been called before the Commons Treasury Select Committee to explain his handling of the Northern Rock crisis (Echo, Sept 22). All of the participants in this, the Government, the Financial Services
RE your story about the payout for a CCTV operator sacked amid allegations that close-up pictures taken during a photo-shoot for US artist Spencer Tunick's naked art installation on Tyneside were sold in North-East pubs (Echo, Sept 22). Once again
A MAJOR police operation involving dozens of officers has resulted in the arrest of ten suspected heroin dealers this morning. Officers carried out a quarter to nine this morning police carried out a co-ordinated series of raids centred on private houses
I SHARE Mrs Margaret Bond's fondness for the Jarrow Crusade (HAS, Sept 21) and have always believed it to be an important part of social history. The Jarrow Crusaders highlighted the decline of British industry which began after the First World
IT has been suggested Gordon Brown may call a General Election next month. Is it not time for people, especially in the northern parts of England, to stop saying they always vote Labour and start thinking which is the best party for the people,
IN reply to columnist Rob Merrick (Echo, Sept 13) and correspondent LD Wilson (HAS, Sept 20) previous Prime Minister Tony Blair promised the people of Britain a vote on the subject of the EU constitution/treaty. At this time, I see Gordon Brown
DID you hear Sarah Montague going at Gordon Brown yesterday morning on The Today Programme? It was like two cats in a barrel. Nagging and pestering, she was, about whether Brown was going to call a general election. Surely she didn't think he would
AS the dust settles on the cricket season, it is right that we pay tribute to the achievements of Durham County Cricket Club. Not content with claiming the Friends Provident Trophy last month - the club's first piece of silverware since gaining
As speculation mounts over the possible date of the General Election, Political Editor Chris Lloyd examines Gordon Brown's party conference speech and tries to predict when the Prime Minister will go to the country. GORDON Brown didn't soar. He didn't
PRIME Performer can live up to her name by following up a debut success in Beverley's Nuffield Hospitals 50th Anniversary Celebration Novice Stakes. The Acclamation filly won over this course and distance, despite being slowly away and being
JOHN Wells has predicted a much tougher challenge'' for the England pack in Friday's World Cup eliminator against Tonga at Parc des Princes. England smashed the Samoan forwards to build an imposing victory platform in Nantes on Saturday. But
BRIAN Ashton must take one of the toughest decisions of his rugby career this week. He must drop his World Cup captain. Or, more accurately, he should not restore Phil Vickery to the starting line-up for the door- die eliminator against Tonga
INDIA defied all pre-conceived theories about cricket's newest format by relying on their natural skills to beat Pakistan by five runs to win the inaugural ICC World Twenty20. The last of the world's leading countries to embrace Twenty20 cricket
AFTER falling to defeat against MK Dons' route one tactics, Darlington manager Dave Penney is not keen on the rudimentary approach to football Paul Ince's team displayed. Penney saw his Quakers side suffer their first league loss this season thanks
KENWYNE JONES has successfully put his days as a defender behind him and Roy Keane is now looking for the £6m striker to live up to his billing - with some suggesting he is Sunderland's answer to Didier Drogba. Keane would rather not have the
LIVERPOOL boss Rafael Benitez believes Steven Gerrard is paying the price for his recent outings with England. Gerrard played in both Euro 2008 qualifying wins over Israel and Russia, despite being a doubt with a broken toe. Benitez said: eeIt
MARTIN Jol has admitted his surprise'' at speculation he wants to quit as Tottenham boss while the club have denied they have held an emergency board meeting. Manager Jol described any suggestion that he is on the verge of quitting as a load of
MIDDLESBROUGH were yesterday rocked by the loss of influential midfielder Julio Arca until Christmas after scans confirmed medial ligament damage. Arca's fears were realised on the day manager Gareth Southgate had been encouraged by hearing that
ARSENE Wenger has been promised a mammoth £70m transfer kitty after Arsenal revealed themselves to be one of Europe's richest clubs. Figures unveiled yesterday show the Gunners' move to the Emirates Stadium has driven a near 50 per cent increase
MICHAEL Owen is growing increasingly resigned to the need for a hernia operation after undergoing a second scan on his injured groin yesterday, writes Scott Wilson. The Newcastle striker was scheduled to have a private consultation yesterday evening
HE might be Newcastle's player of the season so far, but Geremi last night revealed just how close an in-form Charles N'Zogbia came to walking out of the club this summer. N'Zogbia's Newcastle career appeared to be as good aclas over in May, when
A SEX attacker who preyed on the same victim for nearly two decades was jailed for 16 years yesterday. James Campbell, 45, of Howick Park, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, had denied a series of sickening attacks. But a jury last week found him guilty
MORE than 1,000 balloons have been released as part of a campaign to raise £250,000 to save a 19th Century church. Fundraisers at St Laurence's Church, Middleton St George, near Darlington, sold the helium-filled balloons for £2 each. The release
MAYHEM broke out in a restaurant when a man who lived above the premises ran amok one evening. John Paul Kidd struck the manager, fracturing his skull, and caused £2,500 worth of damage in the spree at the Millennium Restaurant, in Framwellgate
A MAN has been arrested after two brothers were shot near their home in broad daylight. Both men needed treatment by paramedics after being shot with what police suspect was a highpowered ball-bearing gun in Thornley, near Peterlee. The brothers
A ROCK star's concerto celebrating the beauty of Durham City will be premiered next month to mark the 175th anniversary of the city's university. Former Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord, 65, will be one of four soloists, playing Hammond organ
FIVE fundraising cyclists set off from the region yesterday to help a cancer patient pay for a life-extending drug he cannot get on the NHS. Dave Hill, 45, from Darlington, has been told that a revolutionary new drug called Tarceva is now his
A MAN targeted elderly women and snatched their bags to fund his addictions, a court heard. William Maxwell Abel, 36, was yesterday jailed for at least twoand- a-half years at Durham Crown Court, after admitting robbing a 60-year-old woman in
A SELF-MADE millionaire who said he had been forced out of the company he helped create has been found dead at his new factory. The body of Ashley Renham was discovered by a member of his family at Middleton Miniature Mouldings, in Barnard Castle
PLANS to base a new generation of super-scanners at major NHS hospitals in the region have been delayed. In April, regional health bosses told The Northern Echo that a £5m Pet (positron emission tomography) scanner would be available to NHS patients
A TEENAGER was badly beaten after a vicious, unprovoked attack by a gang. Robert Chapman was "left for dead'' after three men stamped on his head and rained down kicks and punches on his face. Police were last night hunting the gang who carried
Former Durham Light Infantry soldier Bob Rogers has made an emotional return to the North-East after the death of the wife he met through an incredible twist of fate. Gavin Engelbrecht reports A FORMER soldier has made an emotional return to the
THE court case against six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon, who is accused of race-fixing, has begun at the Old Bailey, in London. Mr Fallon, 42, is being tried alongside North Yorkshire jockeys Fergal Lynch, 29, of Boroughbridge, and Darren
TRIBUTES were paid last night after the death of the long-time figurehead of North-East clubland. Jack Amos, 75, who was known as the Jack of Clubs, died of cancer at his home in Blackhill, Consett, on Saturday. He overcame lung cancer when it
A WORK of art that may breach child pornography laws has been seized from a leading North-East art gallery by police. It was revealed last night that officers from the Northumbria force removed the exhibit from Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary
A LONG-SERVING fire officer has risen through the ranks to be earmarked as the next chief of a North-East brigade. Iain Bathgate has been selected to become the new chief officer for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Brigade. He will take over from Richard
A COUNCIL tax rebate will be given to members of the armed forces deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Des Browne announced. All troops who pay council tax for a property in the UK will receive the £140 tax-free rebate for their six month
ONE of Darlington's oldest residents has died aged 105. Former housekeeper Dorothy Hoyland died peacefully on September 19. Born in 1902, in Penistone, South Yorkshire, she came to the area after the Second World War, moving to Barton in 1946 to work
Durham's West Indian all-rounder Ottis Gibson was tonight named as the Professional Cricketers Association player of the year. The award is voted for by fellow county professional players and has been won in recent years by Andrew Flintoff and Michael
