I THOUGHT it was a wind up. Well, for a start, she sounded like Dame Edna Everage after 15 pints of Fosters. A few months ago I picked up the phone in the middle of the day to hear a broad Australian accent telling me they didn't have my Roos shirt. To
A TALENTED farmer has brought top honours to Teesdale by winning the European vintage ploughing championships, writes Sheila Dixon. Mr Ray Alderson, of Quarry Grange Farm, Bolam, won the title with a 1941 Fordson tractor and Ransome trailer plough, which
Junior round-up Billingham Wolves cruised to a 17-0 win at Telford Trojans in an English U-19 North A League encounter. Tom Griffiths was ruled out with a dislocated shoulder and DJ Flett was unavailable. Telford's netminder Marc Dalton kept out Wolves
A SWALEDALE sheep producer who has a family tree of every sheep born on his farm, is being considered for the title of wool producer of the decade. Mr Brian Thornborrow farms with his wife, Dot, at West Stonesdale at the head of Swaledale just below Tan
A PROPOSED traffic calming scheme criticised by people in Great Ayton has been put back by several months. North Yorkshire County Council originally hoped that, if agreement could be reached with local people, it would be completed before the end of March
A SWITCH in the feeding system on one North Yorkshire beef farm resulted in total savings of £15,000 last winter. And the change to a total mixed ration also cut 100 days off the bull beef finishing time. Normally the bulls would have been finished in
An Indian dance team, five of whose members are blind, helped to launch an arts education agency at the refurbished DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery. The Forge is a one-stop shop for design, delivery and advice, which aims to develop arts education projects
THE Grinton artist, Mike Bilton, who came third in last year's Dover Prize open exhibition in Darlington, is showing a selection of his recent small paintings at the Old School Arts Workshop in Middleham. He moved to Swaledale five years ago after 30
BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Fwd: 829 Mule gimmer lambs, 75 ewes and shearlings, 487 store lambs. Prizes. - 1 P R E Marwood; 2 W F & J C Metcalf; 3 J & K Metcalf. Prices. - Mule gimmer lambs £42, £35 W F & J C Metcalf; £41.50, £41, £39.50, £34
BEREAVED families are being spared the ordeal of receiving mail for deceased relatives under a pioneering scheme. Middlesbrough Borough Council introduced the Deceased Register Cards two weeks ago. Postcards are issued to families, inviting them to fill
A REDCAR woman has made history by becoming the first female member of the town's lifeboat crew. There has been a lifeboat in Redcar since 1802, but crew members have always been men. Mother-of-three Dee Basham has been with the crew for four months following
A FORGOTTEN relic of the region's railway history has been found during gas pipeline works. A signal, thought to date back to the Forties, has stood abandoned in a field near Brotton since the Guisborough to Brotton branch line was closed in the Sixties
RICHMOND driver Mark McAleer has become the first Formula Colway Porsche 924 double champion after clinching the title for the second year running at Brands Hatch. The 36-year-old finished second behind Darlington's Keith Penman in the 14th and final
WEAR Valley's 6,000 council tenants are been given a major say in managing the estates where they live. New Tenant Participation Compacts, due to be launched this month, offer everyone living in local authority homes, including people who have bought
NEW plans to build a heritage museum for north Durham have been outlined. Derwentside District Council officers have drawn up a rough report outlining the possibility of a museum and now plan an extensive feasibility study into the idea, in partnership
BCTG. - Oct 29: pm show jumping, Middleton St George EC, open to non members. Details 01325 332685. Bedale Hunt. - Oct 22: Bedale novice hunter trial at Maunby Hall, Thirsk. For details send sae to Mrs S Pounder, Greengate Farm, Crakehall, Bedale, 01677
SILENCE was golden at Queen Mary's school this week when pupils took to the stage to raise money for Children in Need. Ninety girls at the independent school at Topcliffe took part in a miming competition, performing a series of sketches for their fellow
YOUNGSTERS from east Cleveland primary schools are being served up treats this week aimed at increasing their awareness of healthy foods. The five to ten-year-olds from Harry Dack, St Joseph's, Whitecliffe and Hummersea schools are taking part in the
THE temporary closure of one of York's main bridges could be made permanent after a dramatic improvement in traffic congestion. A public consultation is set to take place over the possible closure to traffic of Lendal Bridge, currently off-limits because
WE are reminded this week that the educational value of cinema extends beyond learning about the facts of life in the back row of the Odeon on a Saturday night. National Schools Film Week is the largest film and education event for schools and colleges
PEOPLE from all over the world will soon be able to trace their Teesside ancestors from the comfort of their homes. Middlesbrough Borough Council plans to become the first in the country to put its births, deaths and marriages records online. It will
Yorkshire and North-East. - Ex-farm in bags: Estima, Nadine, Marfona and other whites, main range £70-£80 a tonne, best quality £90-£100 a tonne. Maris Piper £80-£115. Bulk: Cara and similar £80-£90, reds £100. White varieties £50-£80, best £90-£100.
A FIRE service is set to make a formal complaint about a Government inspection report branded 'unprofessional and unfair.' North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority is to take the Government to task over the draft report, which it claims contains unprofessional
PLANS for a huge distribution warehouse north of Ripon have been approved, but it cannot be used until key improvements have been made to a nearby main road junction. The warehouse scheme, which includes offices and parking areas, got the go-ahead from
Sir. - I was very sad to see in the D&S Times last Friday that S&A Trueman, the butchers, in Northallerton had closed. In the last few years Northallerton has also lost a baker's shop, a green grocer, and a fishmonger. Large superstores will continue
TWO Navy warships nudged gently into their berths in the shadow of Newcastle's Tyne Bridge yesterday afternoon. On board, the crews prepared for a few days leave in a town renowned for its warm welcome. But there was a sense of poignancy too as most of
A DECISION on a primary school's controversial application for a public entertainment licence is expected next week after months of wrangling. The bid for the licence by Peter Griffin, headteacher of Northallerton's Sacred Heart Roman Catholic school,
PARISH councillors have moved to put an end to alleged scaremongering over the use of herbicide in a reservoir. Concern has been raised during the past two months regarding the supposed poisonous affect of the weedkiller used in the water park at Middleton
Sir, - I am not intimated by Mr Naylor's personal attacks. Blinded by his own rhetoric, he has failed to grasp the fundamental issues. It was Hambleton District Council's democratically elected representatives that allowed the Cledale farmers' market
Northallerton Town 4 Whickham 1 NORTHALLERTON Town moved up into third place in Division Two after following up their 9-1 demolition of Eppleton in mid-week with a fine 4-1 home victory over Tyneside-based Whickham on Saturday. Town went close to taking
A CHEESE named after Mrs Judy Bell of Thirsk-based Shepherds Purse beat more than 700 others to win the cheese lovers' trophy at the British Cheese awards. Mrs Bell's Blue is made from ewes' milk and is considered to be a true competitor to Roquefort.
WAR widows and veterans in Chester-le-Street could finally receive a tax break that is the norm for their counterparts across the nation. Councillors at Chester -le-Street District Council are considering whether or not to stop including war widows' and
PLANS for new conservation boards with sweeping powers over rural areas have been criticised by farmers and landowners. The government proposes to take powers such as planning decisions away from local authorities and into the hands of management boards
A £250,000 cost-cutting exercise could see the end of free bus travel for hundreds of secondary school children living in Darlington. Currently pupils living over two miles from their nearest or associated school - and those living closer on routes with
THE congregation of St Peter's Church in Redcar is being invited to a special get-together. Rev Stephen Fisher says many people worship at the church but at different times and on different days. "We seldom have a chance to meet all together and get to
PAUL Barker from Thornton le Moor, near Northallerton, won the Your Horse magazine cup at the Horse of the Year Show on Blue Chip Kildalton Lad. He finished just 0.06 seconds ahead of Irishman Mennell Watson and Germany's Hauke Luther and was also third
THE Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is calling for new laws and tougher sentences to stamp out crimes against wildlife. Birdcrime 99, a report published this week, shows that last year 681 crimes against wild birds were reported across the UK
ALTHOUGH warm and with several very pleasant days, September could not really be described as a summer month this year. Last year's was a definite extension of the season. Neither was it autumnal: it was wet and perhaps on the cloudy side but, with only
DETECTIVES investigating the rape of a clubber last weekend have released details of clothing they believe her attacker was wearing. The man met his victim outside the Plastered Parrot nightclub, in Darlington, on Friday night and went on to the Mardi
THE last man on site at a former tobacco factory has already told his new bosses they'll have a hard act to follow. Security chief Jim Mole switched jobs at exactly noon yesterday, starting a new chapter in his life along with the immaculately-kept Rothmans
CAMPAIGNERS last night demanded a public inquiry into a multi-million pound child abuse investigation run by Northumbria Police. The organisation, Falsely Accused Carers and Teachers (FACT), has raised serious doubts over the merit of the investigation
DARLINGTON's strikers are being urged to be greedy to help end their barren spell. Manager Gary Bennett is desperate to improve his side's goal tally with just ten goals so far this season in the league. Only York, Carlisle and Lincoln have a worse and
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid last night again ruled himself out of the England job, then slammed suggestions that Kevin Keegan's successor should be a foreigner. In a hard-hitting assessment of the situation Reid, who feels that Terry Venables is the
A teenager almost died on a notorious road - just days ahead of a meeting between safety campaigners, police and council highways chiefs to discuss the route. The 17-year-old, from the Coundon area of County Durham, was catapulted 70ft after smashing
WOOLWORTHS-to-B&Q owner Kingfisher is expanding into central Europe, snapping up a majority stake in electrical retailer Datart for £780,000. Datart is a market leader in the Czech Republic and Slovakia with a total of 15 stores spread between the
CITY watchers are hoping the resurrection of Newcastle United under manager Bobby Robson will pay dividends on the balance sheet as well as on the pitch, when the company reports full-year results on Monday. Last time round the club's poor performance
AMONGST especially faithful At Your Service readers the church of St John the Evangelist, Lynesack, may ring a distant bell. We'd visited in 1997 on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, observed that The Northern Echo's almost omniscient library was
FROM staying in an igloo, to trekking up a volcano, going on a cattle drive, to jungle camping, British tourists are becoming increasingly adventurous in their choice of holiday. Once it was almost taken for granted that a summer holiday involved two
ONE of the North-East's top photographers is to give a masterclass deep in a 5,000-acre forest. Freelance Jeff Teasdale, of Chester-le-Street, is at Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, on Sunday, October 22, to help visitors capture its rich autumn
CLIFF Richard's secret of retaining the looks of one of "the young ones" is finally out in the open. He has had injections of a special toxin called Botox to get rid of the wrinkles in his forehead. Sales of Botox are sure to soar as a result of the Peter
NEWCASTLE United are eyeing a 'Monster' deal for Everton misfit Richard Dunne. Magpies No 2 Mick Wadsworth checked on Dunne - nicknamed 'The Honey Monster' because of his bulky frame - in the Republic of Ireland's 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Estonia
BY-STANDERS who went to the aid of a dying pensioner intend to make an official complaint about the length of time it took for ambulance paramedics to respond. Officials at the North-East Ambulance Service say their records show that a paramedic reached
A suspected bomb blast rocked the British embassy in Yemen yesterday, igniting fears that Westerners were being drawn into the Middle East conflict as it threatened to spiral into all-out war. As intense diplomatic efforts to end violence between Israel
ALEN BOKSIC last night flashed a "count me in'' message to Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson ahead of Monday's derby clash with Newcastle. Boksic took a battering in Croatia's World Cup qualifier against Scotland in Zagreb on Wednesday night. The £2.5m
THE plight of the red squirrel has been brought to the fore in the classroom with the launch of an education pack. The Red Alert North-East pack, which was unveiled by television personality and environmentalist Bill Oddie, introduces a range of national
A MALIGNED model will attempt to scupper reports that she dislikes Teesside by making a larger-than-life appearance at a football match on Monday. Wonderbra model Adriana Sklenarikova, wife of Middlesbrough player Christian Karembeu, hit the headlines
AN RAF Tornado was involved in an "air miss" with a Boeing 737 passenger jet an hour before a military aircraft crashed nearby, The incident, which is still under investigation by military and civil authorities, was one of three safety alerts in the space
BOMB scares at Ascot and what seems to have been a month's worth of rain in a week has given our stars fewer chances to shine, while the worsening ground has thrown up unexpected results. York managed to complete its meeting and Thursday saw a splendid
They are Britain's most written-about couple, so it is understandable that they should want to chip in a few words of their own. GEORGINA PATTINSON looks at our fascination with the glamorous pair THEY'VE already had his 'n' hers outfits and his 'n' hers
BOTH Darlington clubs have some big games coming up as they continue to go from strength to strength. Darlington entertain promotion rivals Halifax tomorrow and Huddersfield next Saturday, while Mowden Park also stage a top-of-the-table clash tomorrow
ACTION has been taken to try to protect garages on a Hartlepool estate from vandalism. Steel palisade fencing and gates have been put up to prevent unauthorised access to the garages in Wentworth Grove at Clavering. Gangs of youths who have been congregating
A Mother-TO-BE died from cancer just weeks after becoming pregnant. Tracy Alexander, who would have been 24 yesterday, was overjoyed when she conceived. But her delight was cruelly cut short when it was discovered she had cancer during a routine hospital
HOME secretary Jack Straw yesterday began a High Court action to jail a North-East man for allegedly distributing video footage of Britain's most notorious prisoner, Charles Bronson. Steve Richards is accused of contempt of court orders banning him from
Niall Quinn yesterday led the praise for Sunderland teammate Kevin Kilbane, who starred as the Republic of Ireland took another stride towards the World Cup finals with a 2-0 victory over Estonia. The Estonian defence couldn't cope with the strong and
A WOMAN told a court yesterday that getting trapped in a lift triggered off bad memories of being raped as a child. The 27-year-old said that when the lift stuck at work she recalled being locked in a cupboard ten years earlier. Then she remembered being
POLICE have urged a 14-year-old schoolgirl missing from home for nearly a fortnight to make contact and confirm she is safe and well. Kirsty Keers lives with her foster parents in Aberfoyle Court in South Stanley, but left home on Tuesday, September 26
In the belief that good stuff comes in little bundles, we are delighted to report Dim Sums' £100,000 success in Redcar's biggest race of the year. Dim Sums is not a case of putting two and two together and making five, of course, but the ever more popular
In the belief that good stuff comes in little bundles, we are delighted to report Dim Sums' £100,000 success in Redcar's biggest race of the year. Dim Sums is not a case of putting two and two together and making five, of course, but the ever more popular
NEWCASTLE Comedy Festival has survived a sponsorship cash crisis to put on 18 nights of non-stop jokes, featuring what it claims is the world's finest comedy talent. Despite losing last year's sponsor, Hennessy Cognac, the November 2 to November 19 £240,000
THE BILLS of residents paying the second highest council tax levels in Britain are expected to be slashed next year. Moves put to Redcar and Cleveland Council could see £17 cut in Band A bills and reductions right across the scale. Chief Executive Colin
A STEP-FATHER accused of cruelty denied in court yesterday that he beat his two adopted children with a belt. The 49-year-old man said that he only tapped his step-daughter a couple of times on the bottom with his bare hand after she had misbehaved. He
THE Roman Catholic priest of St Wilfrid's in Ripon and chaplain to the city's mayor, has died of legionnaire's disease this week. Canon Harold Parker, 73, died of an embolism, thrombosis and legionnaires disease on Monday after being admitted to Harrogate
NORTH Yorkshire Police Authority has appointed a development officer to promote a series of policing issues, including community safety. Joanna Baldwin, a former London police officer, will work directly with the authority's community and police groups
A LOAD of old rubbish was transformed by musical pupils at a County Durham school. Children from Ferryhill Station Primary School used household junk to produce some great sounds at the regional launch of an environmental group's waste theme month. Councillor
A NEW support group for cancer sufferers, their families and carers has been launched in the Durham area. The Helping Hands Cancer Support Group held its first meeting last Thursday at Chester-le-Street Hospital. It will provide support and help for cancer
BUYERS from all over the UK attended the annual show and sale of the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association at Skipton last Friday. No records were broken, but good prices were paid and only nine out of 115 lots were left unsold. There was a
NATIONAL Park bosses from Slovakia have brought an eastern European influence to the Yorkshire Dales. Four visitors from the Low Tatras National Park are visiting the Dales to find out about the work of the local authority's ranger service, and partnerships
A LOTTERY bid is being drawn up to improve a system for preserving the past. Following the abolition of Cleveland County Council in 1996, the Teesside Joint Archives Service was established by the borough councils of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar
IT is a strange contradiction that market traders, who should be stalwarts of free enterprise, are often the most reactionary of individuals when confronted with new trading developments. So the response of some Northallerton market traders to the success
Ashley Air Products Over-40 League Masons Arms, relegated last season, find themselves second bottom in Division One. They lost Premier Division status through deduction of points for a serious breach of rules - fielding an under-age player - but it was
CURFEWS banning teenagers from the streets of crime-hit areas have been backed by the leader of one of the region's biggest councils. Police would be able to apply to local authorities for curfews banning children aged up to 15 from being outside without
Marske United recovered from two successive defeats to draw 1-1 at Whitley Bay on Tuesday night. Marske took the lead after eight minutes through Darren Sankey from a through ball, but Steve Cuggy levelled after 41 minutes from a Dennis Livermore cross
BUTCHER Jim Laird has become the first butcher in east Cleveland to receive a licence under a new Government scheme for licensing butchers shops. Mr Laird has been a butcher for 45 years and he and his wife Irene took over Bells Butchers, in North Road
PLANS for a major extension to an established quarry near Ripon which would double both output and the number of lorry movements will be considered by North Yorkshire councillors on Tuesday. Hanson Aggregates is being asked to give £3,200 towards improvements
BUS companies should face the same penalties as train companies if services do not run as advertised, it was said this week. Passengers in one of the areas worst affected by strikes involving Arriva North-East bus crews earlier this year have now reported
A VILLAGE reservoir has helped a model boat club prove it is the fastest in the country. Darlington and district model boat club has come out tops in the national fast-racing competition judged from events held around the country between March and October
EFFORTS continue to create a massive bureaucracy at Newcastle to serve the objectives of those who would give the North-East full-blown regional government. In our Durham and Cleveland editions today we report on the empire building going on at the existing
Teesside League THORNABY resumed where they left off last season, relying on Steve Butler to shoot them to victory with Darlington Devils on the receiving end in the opening week. In an even first quarter Devils were down by four points but a series of
RESIDENTS in Hartlepool are being urged to have their say and help decide their local council's future. The Government has recently announced changes in the way that councils will be run, to try to make decision-making simpler, faster and easier. People
BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed. Fwd: 1,406 sheep. Bull calves to £150. Lambs std to 93.3p av 81.4p; med to 84.8p av 78.2p; heavy to 79.4p av 77.7p. Cast ewes. - Mule to £22; Cont to £20; Texel to £24.80; Leics to £20; Suff to £30.50; Swaledale to £20.50; Teeswater
PLANS to convert a mill to provide additional accommodation at a hotel are likely to be approved when councillors meet next week. Derwentside district councillors will be recommended to approve plans for the Harperley Hotel, Harperley, near Stanley, County
AN appeal has been made for foster carers to look after children in the Stockton area. Stockton Borough Council is eager to hear from anyone who has considered fostering and has stressed that many people are suitable for the role. Carers can be young,
SCHOOLCHILDREN in eight County Durham villages are working on an arts project after winning a National Lottery grant. The villages of Trimdon Grange, Trimdon Colliery, Trimdon Village, Bradbury, Mordon, Sedgefield, Fishburn and Bishop Middleham have won
By Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture FEED wheat prices have remained unchanged for non-assured grain but have fallen for assured grain as more grain comes on to the market. Values have fallen below £60 in some areas which only brings forward the grain that
WORK at a major County Durham waste tip is back on track after fierce criticism for failing to meet its targets. Campaigners last year called on the Environment Secretary, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, to call in Durham County Waste Management
AN exhibition of students' art that was inspired by the culture of the East has gone on display at Durham University's Oriental Museum. The work, by Year 10 and 11 pupils taking GCSE Art and Design at Spennymoor School, and students on the BA (Hons) International
A SUCCESSFUL crime-fighting operation is looking for recruits. Bedale Mobile Watch was formed in 1998, involving residents making regular patrols in the area to help police in the early hours. A recent operation led to four North-East men being arrested
RICHMOND area riders are saddling up next Saturday to support a campaign to reduce the number of equestrian accidents on the roads. Twenty people are taking part in national horse and road safety day for a campaign launched by Horse magazine and the Peugeot
A MARATHON coffee morning involving more than 1,500 pupils and staff at a Guisborough school has raised more than £250 for charity. Laurence Jackson School staged the event as part of the tenth anniversary World's Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan
JANET Boynton and Alison Fender of Ripon City Golf Club have reached the finals of the English Ladies Golf Association Millennium Foursomes, which take place at Edgbaston Golf Club on Tuesday. The pair began their journey to the last 64 in the country
County Super League Crook B clinched the Championship despite struggling in their final match at Durham before edging through by two points. Shildon had the chance of going above them but they also struggled to beat the visiting Bishop Auckland by two
QUAKERS' manager Gary Bennett stepped up his search for a reliable strike partner for the overworked Lee Nogan this week after his side's disappointing derby defeat at Hartlepool. A bid to bring Jamie Coppinger back to Feethams on loan from Newcastle
IT'S EASY to take the good things of life for granted, especially when it comes in a carton or as a daily delivery on the doorstep. So when a cow and her calf arrived at Hutton Rudby primary school, the pupils were able to make the connection between
THE NEW heads of a three-in-one East Cleveland school have been announced. Alison Fraser, East Cleveland Education Action Zone Learning Manager, has been appointed principal of Freebrough Community College, the amalgamation of Rosecroft, De Brus and Warsett
CHILDREN from across the region put their best foot forward as part of an international event. International Walk to School Day was celebrated last week by schools throughout Britain, America and Canada. Children from Redcar's Coatham Primary School were
CAMPAIGNERS rocked by the decision to allow a controversial flats development in the West End of Darlington now face the prospect of losing a neighbouring Victorian house. The owners of the building, formerly the Grantley nursing home in Carmel Road North
A COUNCIL is seeking to allay fears about the effect a fireworks extravaganza will have on a Darlington park. Sections of South Park were left badly churned up by heavy vehicles, which had to plough through mud during the recent rain-hit Darlington Dog
Norman Fowler Memorial Spectators anticipated a high quality, high scoring quarter final when the former top break holder, Steven Bennett of Newton Aycliffe met the current high break holder, Andrew Aisbitt of Bishop Auckland over a best of five matches
A COUNCIL that says it can no longer afford to keep a threatened pre-school open has managed to find £8,000 to stave off its closure. But angry parents at Kirk Merrington Pre-School feel the popular facility should still be funded by the council entirely
NORTHERN ECHO moved into the top half with a 1-0 win over Copper Beech DCS. After a goalless first-half, Paul Mansfield scored the decisive goal when his shot was deflected into the net. Team Scania kept up their 100 per cent record with an awesome goal
PUPILS at Darlington's Haughton Community School are in training for a major African arts festival, to be held next month. Named after a Ghanaian proverb, All Dwelling Places Are Not Alike (Adpana), the event's main aim is to increase pupil awareness
A MUSIC roadshow which is touring the country arrives in the North-East next week. The Lloyds TSB Live music bus, a fully-adapted double decker, is designed to give schoolchildren the chance to explore the new role of technology in creating and recording
MIDDLESBROUGH is set to receive a new £10m City Academy to replace Langbaurgh and Keldholme secondary schools. The Middlesbrough Academy is likely to serve 1,200 pupils and is part of the government's commitment to improving education standards for inner
TWO ROBOT enthusiasts may have lost the battle but they do not intend to lose the war. Tonight the BBC 2 programme Robot Wars will feature Hurworth teenagers Richard Neely and Phill Sievers, along with Richard's dad Phil. Their heavyweight monster, Mazakari
A NEW arts education agency has been launched at the refurbished DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery. The Forge is a one-stop shop for design, delivery and advice that aims to develop arts education projects throughout the county. As well as producing high-quality
POLICE have urged a 14-year-old schoolgirl missing from home for nearly a fortnight to make contact and confirm she is safe and well. Kirsty Keers lives with her foster parents in Aberfoyle Court in South Stanley, but left home on Tuesday, September 26
HEALTH bosses who are being asked to back a £17.2m expansion scheme at a North-East heart unit have been warned that even more money will be needed to bring down waiting times. Heart surgeons at South Cleveland Hospital in Middlesbrough want to treat
HIS side may have lost by eight wickets in the African sunshine, but a Bedale cricketer has made local history by playing for England. Paul Grayson, an all-rounder who plays for Essex, was called on at only a few days' notice to cover for the injured
Wales, not rated as good enough to play in the £1m Alfred Dunhill Cup for the past three years, moved within touching distance of the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Germany at St Andrews yesterday. Having already beaten England 3-0, the Welsh trio
A COUPLE forced to scrap their wedding day because of a cash shortage are planning a lavish ceremony after winning £10,000 in a local radio station competition. Louis Bell and Tracy Evans, both 27, were due to marry today, but money problems meant they
THE North-East economy is again showing a marked difference in performance between manufacturing and service companies. Business Survey North-East, a quarterly review of companies in the region, has produced its report for the third quarter of 2000. The
FORMER jockey Tracy Wentworth found love in the weighing room when she met her ideal Husband. The 33-year-old was working as a stable girl for trainer Nigel Tinkler when she bumped into apprentice jockey Eugene Husband in 1993. Love soon blossomed, but
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner insists he has no worries about throwing Norwegian striker Tim Sperrevik in for his League debut this afternoon. Pool go to Rochdale with Sperrevik replacing leading scorer Kevin Henderson, who was forced out of last
NO SELF-RESPECTING member of society can tolerate abuse of children, but how far should we go in investigating it? And what are the risks of innocent people being drawn into the net? Northumbria Police have recently employed an unusual investigative tactic
A SCHOOL for children with special educational needs will be officially opened today. MP Nick Brown will unveil a plaque at Sir Charles Parsons School, in Newcastle - which caters for children aged 11 to 19, who have severe, profound and multiple learning
THE freezing salty spray mixed with fine sand blasted into my face as I thundered along the beach. Suddenly my speeding world tilted alarmingly and the sand and water loomed up towards me. I teetered briefly on the edge of disaster with a strong force
A NORTHALLERTON trader has claimed he could be forced out of business by the giants of retail, just days after the supermarket boom was blamed for the closure of a family firm. Robert Brown, who owns Link Stores on The Link in Romanby, says he has suffered
A FREEZING winter faces a County Durham woman who has returned to North Korea, anxious to find out how this year's harvest has fared. Miss Rebecca Sirrell, aged 36, flew home to Middleton St George this month for a short break from her job as a health
WORK has begun on the £15m stadium that will help Darlington Football Club's push for the premiership. Only days after construction firm Taylor Woodrow bowed out of the project, multi-millionaire chairman George Reynolds signed a deal with the County
A POLICE force being sued by a former officer, who almost died after a brick smashed through his windscreen, has denied it should have fitted reinforced glass prior to the attack. PC John Robinson, then 34, suffered horrific head injuries and was almost
MORE THAN 250 people flocked to Northallerton at the weekend to see birdwatching Goodie Bill Oddie present his show, Follow That Bird. A very down to earth performer, he delighted the audience at Hambleton community centre with stories of his life in
Four soldiers from The Green Howards Regiment appeared in court yesterday charged with murdering a man outside a nightclub. Thomas Myers, 20, of Hartlepool, Wayne King, 20, from Yorkshire, David White, 22, from Cleveland, and Marc Hunter, 18, who gave
FRUSTRATED England striker Kevin Phillips - not even on the substitutes bench in Finland in midweek - has pledged to shoot his way back into the international reckoning. Last season's Premiership top gun with 30 goals, Phillips knows that the only way
AN epileptic woman was robbed of her purse as she suffered a fit in the street. Police investigating the theft in Washington, Wearside, have slammed the thief as "despicable". The 23-year-old woman was walking along Willow's Close, Columbia, Washington
VOLUNTEERS at Bishop Auckland's Butterwick Hospice are celebrating after winning The Northern Echo's environmental competition. The Making A Difference award goes to their recycling scheme which has raised more than £40,000 for hospice funds in just five
THE total value of the UK buy-out market in 2000, has already eclipsed last year's figure of £16.9bn. The £17.4bn for the year so far represents a three per cent rise, and includes more than £100m worth of deals taking place in the North-East. The average
Bryan Conlon, the classic big bustling centre forward - and Shildon lad, still better - has died, aged 57. Though his 251 Football League appearances were with clubs all over the country - Millwall, Norwich, Blackburn Rovers, Crewe and Cambridge among
DARLINGTON council has been urged not to succumb to the temptation of off-loading a £40m bill to bring its council houses up to scratch in the next 30 years. Members of the resources scrutiny committee recommended to Tuesday's cabinet meeting that it
A woman trying to blackmail a retired international footballer by telling him she had recordings of them having phone sex said he should be in trouble with the police for the lies he had told about their relationship, a court heard yesterday. Carolyn
Hazelgrove occupies a steeply sloping site, which runs down from the main coast road to the seafront at Saltburn. Lord Zetland donated the land to the community about 100 years ago but, in recent times, it has become overgrown and neglected. The area
A man who subjected a 15-year-old boy to an hour-long hostage ordeal in the wake of a "road rage" incident has won a three-year cut in his jail term at London's Criminal Appeal Court. Neil Brian Franklin, 29, from Carlisle, was sent to prison for eight
THE new chairman of the National Sheep Association has launched a scathing attack on the new hill farm allowance scheme. Mr David Smith said the agriculture minister claimed the switch from headage to area payments will leave more than 50pc of producers
Angela Winstanley-Smith (Sedgefield) has been selected for the GB team to swim in the annual Three Nations junior contest in Hamburg on December 16-17, writes ERIC WILKINSON. In doing so, she follows in the footsteps of her club mate Matthew Bowden by
IT is hard to believe our Government ministers were all teenagers once. Those surging hormones, all that anger and resentment. The spots, the insecurities, the desperate need to prove they were grown-up and worldly. Have they forgotten what it felt like
DURHAM Johnston students come from a wide area in and around the city, including Bowburn, Coxhoe, Brandon, Meadowfield, Shincliffe and Langley Moor. One of the worries that new students have is how they are going to travel to school. Year Six children
A ROYAL Air Force accident inquiry board has called for a review of low-level flying procedures in the wake of a high-speed jet crash in Northumberland last year. A report into the accident, which happened near Kirkheaton, revealed the pilot was trying
THE vicar of Great Ayton, a self-styled "out-of-condition country parson", will be absent from church on the Sunday of the Great North Run. The Rev Paul Peverell will swap his pulpit to pound 13 miles in a half mara-thon to raise money to aid cerebral
The Great Britain Olympic squad was applauded for its successful games in Sydney last month where they amassed a total of 28 medals including 11 gold. But despite the euphoria experienced by the majority of the British athletes there was disappointment
FIRE officers have issued a warning over a village's derelict chapel that has been hit by vandals. The former Methodist chapel in Hurworth Place, near Darlington, was the scene of a recent blaze when youngsters broke in and set fire to rubbish inside,
A TINY East Cleveland congregation has been helped by the Queen Mother in its struggle for survival. Her contribution of a candy jar to a celebrity auction run by Loftus Methodist Church members was its top lot. The auction raised £550 towards their redevelopment
CUSTOMS officers this week made a major breakthrough in the battle against contraband cigarettes smuggled into the region. An undercover anti-smuggling team raided a warehouse, near Stockton, and broke up one of the main distribution points - known as
STUDENTS from Redcar and Cleveland are set to take the Millennium Dome by storm today. A group of youngsters are giving a performance in the Dome and artwork by students from Redcar and Cleveland College will also be on display. The performance and exhibition
IT'S A return to Premiership action on Monday as Boro face Newcastle at the Riverside with all the passion of the first top-flight North-East derby of the season. And Bryan Robson is anticipating an exciting 90 minutes. "All our players know how much
Nearly 30 children aged seven to 16 from Tees and Hartlepool Yacht Club took part in an end of season sailing competition at the Jackson Dock, Hartlepool Marina, no doubt inspired by Great Britain's Olympic sailors. The day started with a heavy mist on
Blackfyne ALL three of the club's younger teams won in the Apollo Doors Gateshead Mini League. At U-8 level they ran away with the game beating Redheugh B 7-0, the goals coming from Daniel Tool, Andrew Turnbull, James Severs, Jack Ward and Ben Camsell's
BRIDE-to-be Jane Greig threw her weight behind plans to look her best on her big day. The 28-year-old's weight was tipping the scales at 16 stones when fiance Doug popped the question last New Year's Eve so mother-of-two Jane decided on drastic action
A REDCAR teenager is showing true girl power by beating older boys at their own game. Thirteen-year-old biker Kay Hawthorne, from Kent Close, was crowned winner at the Junior Motorcycle Racing Association's British Championships held near Blackpool at
Sir, - It was with great dismay I read that Mr Neil Hebblethwaite, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, had been dismissed from his post at the Friarage hospital, Northallerton. I believe this action will in time be found to have been a grave
Although there was a disappointing turnout for the RAFA Leeming Charity Open on Saturday, the £1300 raised was outstanding, writes JEFF HERBERT. Fished on the middle Swale the loyal supporters who turned up enjoyed the best river action of the weekend
