TWELVE Sunderland youngsters have become the first in the city to complete a training programme for young volunteers. The youngsters, all from the Pennywell Youth Project, completed the Volunteer Training Project, which is the only one in the country
BISHOPDALE is threatened with being infected with foot-and-mouth disease because MAFF refuses to sanction a disinfectant mat on the road between it and Wharfedale. Aysgarth and District Parish Council was told on Wednesday there were now confirmed cases
TWO North Yorkshire soldiers, a businesswoman, a traveller and two art shop employees all have something in common. All have won awards presented to adult learners by Darlington College at Catterick. They were selected for their commitment and effort
AN ANNUAL cavalcade of lovingly preserved cars is back on the road despite being threatened this year by the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Organisers confirmed last week that the Beamish Reliability Run, now in its 30th year, will take place next month, but
PRIVATE nursing and residential homes say they may go out of business unless the region's biggest local authority pays them more. The County Durham Care Homes' Association says Durham County Council pays its own homes £130 more per person each week than
A STUDENT is looking forward to the trip of a lifetime to sample the outdoor life in America. Debra Lewis, 18, who is studying advance leisure and tourism, at Durham Sixth-Form Centre, will spend two weeks in North Carolina, on an outdoor education project
WHILE the Australian cricketers stopped off at Gallipoli this week, the England football squad dropped in at La Manga. One group were paying tribute to the 9,000 Anzac soldiers who lost their lives on the Turkish coast in the First World War, most of
WHEN Sandra Maxwell and Anne Chown couldn't find the sun suits they wanted to buy for their children, they started selling their own. Easy peasy. Well, not exactly. "It started as a flippant suggestion," says Anne. "Then after a while, we thought: Why
HEARTBROKEN cat owners say up to eight local animals have mysteriously disappeared or been poisoned in the past month. Stanley resident Jim Callan says seven of his cats have disappeared in the past two years, including one, Felix, which he later found
PREPARATIONS are under way for a ceremony to mark the rededication of Hartlepool's new war memorial. Work is continuing to create the granite structure next to the existing memorial in Victory Square. Next week, 1,179 new names on 15 bronze plaques will
PARENTS have been reassured about their children's health after a nursery nurse died from meningitis. Helen Laing, 24, who worked at the Teesdale Children's Day Nursery, in Thornaby, died earlier this week after contracting meningococcal septicaemia.
A NEW initiative to clean up the image of Stockton was launched yesterday. A set of extra large litter bins are now on the streets in an attempt to encourage people not to drop their rubbish. The 120 wheelie-style bins are big enough to satisfy the most
A MULTI-MILLION pound blueprint for tackling deprivation has been drawn up. The Redcar and Cleveland Partnership - made up of more than 30 public, private and voluntary organisations - has identified three key schemes to begin a three-year programme.
SAMARITANS in Durham have received a financial boost from the people of the city. The listening organisation's Central Durham branch, in Sutton Street, raised almost £978 during National Samaritan Week. The series of events, also designed to raise the
MY daily walk this morning revealed nature at work. First, there was a swallow picking mouthfuls of mud from the edge of a roadside puddle and carrying them off to a farm building where, no doubt, a nest was being constructed. That tiny bird would engage
RUMOURS that a bail hostel is to be built in a quiet village have been scotched by the Probation Service. Protestors have battled plans for a 25-bed hostel in Chester-le-Street for the last eight months, but rumours of a development in nearby Perkinsville
AN INQUEST opened yesterday into a student's death in a two-car collision as he made the familiar drive from home to his father's business premises. Michael Rivett was declared dead at the scene of the accident, on the A690 dual carriageway near the entrance
POUNDING the beat has taken on a new meaning in North Yorkshire - with the launch of the county's first mobile police station. Based on a 7.5-tonne Iveco lorry, the new 'station' will operate in rural areas where there is no permanent police presence.
FAMILIES were asked to predict their success at a fun run in Hartlepool yesterday. The Guess Your Time Fun Run was staged at Summerhill outdoor centre as part of its festival fortnight programme. Runners were asked to estimate the time they would take
CENTER Parcs are just an eco-friendly Maplins aren't they? Surely, if you were to cut down the trees, you'd find a traditional British holiday camp lurking in the undergrowth. The basic concept must be the same; you could just exchange the word villa
PUPILS at Dormanstown Primary School came up with a novel way of learning when they picked up microphones at their annual book week. Last week was packed full of fun activities aimed at encouraging the children to read. Highlights included a karaoke sing-along
A GOOD home is needed for a Jack Russell cross because its owners can no longer look after it. Three-year-old Sally is being cared for at a foster home in Darlington. Pauline Wilson, of the National Animal Sanctuary Support League, said: "She'd make a
DEFENCE Minister Geoff Hoon said he believed there was a tremendous sense of prosperity and confidence in Teesside in a visit to the region yesterday. He was visiting Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, with Ashok Kumar, Labour's candidate for Middlesbrough
A CLEVELAND school has won its battle to extend sports facilities at an ancient site. Government inspector Mr Peter Walker has upheld an appeal by Yarm school against Stockton council's refusal of the controversial scheme. His decision came after an inquiry
A GUIDE containing useful information for parents and carers of people with learning disabilities has been published. The directory covers the Hartlepool area, and outlines the services available for disabled adults, children and their carers. Comprising
A CYCLIST was in a critical condition in hospital last night after he collided with a car. The man, from the York area, was making his way down Ormesby Bank, Middlesbrough, at 2.40pm on Wednesday when he was struck by a BMW. The car was travelling in
PLANS for an additional Tyne tunnel took a step closer to reality yesterday. The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority endorsed the new £100m crossing running under the river, east of the existing tunnel. The second road tunnel will be financed,
LIFEGUARDS are back in action on local beaches. The team of six lifeguards employed by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council started patrols at the weekend and will provide a beach rescue service at Redcar and Saltburn throughout the summer months. Last
A DOCTOR who once treated Prime Minister Tony Blair has been suspended for another nine months. Two years after being criticised by the General Medical Council (GMC) for his poor professional skills, Sivaguranathan Srirangalingam, 61, known as Dr Sri,
IT was time for double celebrations when Lee Clarkson, of Mechetronics, in Bishop Auckland, finished his university course. As well being highly commended at the end of the Durham University manage information technology course, he was appointed to the
PLANS to give a mansion a facelift can now begin after councillors approved the project. Wycliffe Hall, between Barnard Castle and Darlington, will see improvements to the interior, outside walls and gardens. The Grade II-listed mansion was sold to an
A ROW about a plan to erect a "Wild West" water wheel has taken an unexpected twist. In a rare move the plan to erect the 5.3m-wide wheel will be put before councillors just weeks after they rejected it outright. Planning officers at Derwentside District
A school is renaming an award after a much-loved ex-pupil who died last week. Joelene Kimbley's battle against leukaemia touched the hearts of people across Teesside, especially at Nunthorpe School, Middlesbrough, where she had been a pupil. Joelene had
EURO MP David Bowe has called on the Government to lift the lid on a secret spying system following a critical report. The Yorkshire and Humber MEP said the report by a special European Parliament committee underlined his concerns over the Echelon network
A MODEL army has crossed the Atlantic in preparation for its next conquest - taking the toy market by storm. Boxed sets of toy soldiers are among more than 500 lots being sold by Teesside toy auctioneers Vectis next week, as an unusual American collection
A STRATEGIC plan for early years development and childcare in Darlington has been published. The plan has been produced by the Darlington Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, after consultation with parents, children, employers and service
A FORMER North-East teacher has risen to the top of the country's biggest Internet music chart. Phil Wilcock, who performs under the name Philo Wilo, has seen his second CD, Singing Ivories, go to the top of the People Sound chart. Mr Wilcock, who lived
MUSEUM visitors and rail fans can now enjoy a taste of an epic journey which was, quite literally to change the pre-industrial world. A 175 years on it is almost impossible to imagine the excitement of a jarringly uncomfortable and, for some, dangerous
A CREW member from a Hong Kong gas tanker was plucked from the sea off Hartlepool yesterday after he fell overboard. The crew of the Lady Elena radioed for assistance at 11.30am, ten minutes after the man fell from the tanker. The Humber coastguard scrambled
THE six-mile ban on the movement of animals in the Whitby area, imposed after foot-and-mouth was discovered at Ashes Farm, Ruswarp, early in April, has been lifted. The islotaed outbreak, 40 miles from the nearest affected farm, was discovered to have
AN AUCTION room with cafe facilities is to be built on the outskirts of Barnard Castle despite arguments that it contradicts the county structure plan. Addisons Surveyors plan to site the auction room on agricultural land next to the A688 entrance to
A NEW computer suite has been officially opened at Teesside High School. Dr John Wilson, head of Teesside University's business school, opened the facility at the Eaglescliffe school. He met parents, staff, and pupils, and watched as some of the pupils
AN aircraft with a faulty warning light caused a second emergency in two days at Teesside Airport yesterday. The Cessna 441, operated by Flight Precision, a company which checks flight aids, had been forced to carry out an emergency landing at the airport
GUISBOROUGH in Bloom has organised a raffle to raise funds to erect a basket tree at the town's Market Cross. The prize - sponsored by Northumbrian Water - is a day out for two adults and two children at Kielder Leisure Park. Raffle tickets cost 10p each
Bedale & West of Yore PC. - All mounted activities cancelled until further notice. British Eventing. - June 10: Cross country training competition at Thirsk to include ditches and water in two classes, 2ft 9ins and 3ft 6ins. Sae for schedules to Helen
WHOEVER is named Secretary of State for Health on June 8 will be handed a dossier and call for action from Teesside. The Liberal Democrats at Stockton asked 2,000 people in the borough for their diagnosis of the condition of the NHS. Suzanne Fletcher,
A VANDAL-damaged memorial marking one of the most famous battles in English history is to be repaired. The sandstone obelisk marking the Battle of the Standard near Northallerton was the target of thieves at the beginning of May. They hacked off two bronze
"DON'T shoot me, I'm only the messenger," was the appeal by Mr Mike Lowe, Durham County Council's countryside officer, to members of Teesdale foot-and-mouth task group. His plea came as members reacted angrily to new government guidance regarding public
A NEW auction house will provide a massive boost for a dales economy by drawing buyers from across the region, councillors and business leaders have claimed. Teesdale District Council's development control committee has backed plans for an auction room
AN appeal has been made for residents to hunt out old photographs of a Hartlepool park. Photographs of the Peter Pan statue, the drinking water fountain and the bandstand in the Burn Valley Gardens are needed for a council project. Back to Our Roots is
TEACHERS can try their hands at being a discovery detective in Great Ayton. The Captain Cook schoolroom museum and the North Yorkshire business and education partnership have teamed up to provide a free day out for teachers and their families at the museum
HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn has become embroiled in a row over his latest election leaflet. The leaflet shows a photograph of staff at Darlington Borough Council's elderly persons home, Westfields House, with the caption "Long-term unemployment in Darlington
GREEN belt campaigners in Cleveland are stepping up their drive for action. An open meeting is being held in Guisborough next week as a follow-on to moves already made by the Council for the Protection for Rural England. Since last year, CPRE has been
YOUNGSTERS from Dormanstown Primary School came up with a novel way of learning when they took to the microphones at their annual book week. Last week was packed full of fun activities aimed encouraging children at the school, near Redcar, to read in
A CRUMBLING water slide at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre is to be removed, but a replacement has not been ruled out. The supporting structure and staircase of the water flume, which was installed in 1988, has deteriorated badly. It would have cost £20,000
A BEMUSED caretaker was left to care for a horse and its new foal after it broke into a school field to give birth. Colin Green, caretaker at Kirkleatham Hall School, Kirkleatham Village, was alerted to the equine intruder after it was spotted by a man
THE next exciting stage of Park View Online, the school's very own website, is ready to go online. Students and staff have been producing ideas and resources to fill the pages of the education tool of the future. The website has already been used in interactive
A NEW health campaign has been launched with a month of fun activities for those wanting to get fit. The Get Out and Go campaign aims to encourage people to develop a more active lifestyle while enjoying the countryside and parks around Teesside. Tees
MEMBERS of an amateur dramatic theatre company have voiced their horror at the threat to the future of the Billingham Forum. Campaigners from the Stockton Stage Society met the borough mayor, Councillor Terry Bean, yesterday, to hand in a 1,500-name petition
A MAN abducted two 11-year-old girls and took indecent pictures of them in his home, a court heard yesterday. Peter Ainsley, 55, of Elm Way, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, is on trial at Teesside Crown Court on two charges of abducting a child last
Middlesbrough, searching desperately for a top-line striker, were yesterday linked with a move for Gabriel Batistuta - for the second time Boro have joined Chelsea in inquiring about the 33-year-old who is hoping to finish his career with two seasons
Tim Henman came close, so close, but in the end he again headed out of Roland Garros before the first week was done and with what-ifs and what-might-have-beens on his lips. This time the British number one was beaten 4-6 6-4 6-4 3-6 7-5 in three hours
HOME shopping group N Brown has pulled out of talks to take over the Littlewoods chain of stores. The news followed speculation that the struggling retailer was in talks to be taken over by N Brown in a £500m deal. N Brown said in a statement that preliminary
COUNCILLORS will hold surgeries in the following Redcar and Cleveland wards: Today: Coatham, 156 High St West; Dormanstown, Park Court Community Centre; Guisborough, Stumps Cross Community Centre; Redcar, Laburnum Library. All 6-7pm Tomorrow: Brotton,
A COACH used to give outings to elderly and vulnerable people has proved so successful that it is to be made available every day of the week. The Carelink Coach, run by Sedgefield Borough Council, was established in 1998 and guarantees affiliated groups
A MONEY-RAISING competition for charity has proved a success. A riding obstacle course based on the TV show It's A Knockout, raised more than £500 for the Riding for the Disabled Unicorn Centre, at Hemlington, near Middlesbrough. Thirteen sponsored teams
Michael Vaughan became the latest member of the England dressing room to benefit from the outstanding recent form of Graham Thorpe and prevent Pakistan taking control of the second Test at Old Trafford. Yorkshire's Vaughan hit his highest Test score of
WE view with a great deal of suspicion plans by fuel price protestors to blockade oil refineries. That they have chosen to attempt to resurrect their campaign a few days before the General Election is no coincidence. While no one should deny members of
PETER MANDELSON is a magnet. Amazingly so, considering he's not even in the Cabinet. Immediately he arrives in a Hartlepool shopping street, camera crews are attracted from all over the world to stick to his side. "G'day, I'm from Australian TV," says
Gareth Southgate has declared that he must leave Aston Villa this summer if he is to force his way back into the England team. And while he would ideally prefer to play in the Champions League, he would be willing to consider a move to Tottenham to link
Shay Given fears Newcastle United fans won't forgive him for putting in a transfer request midway through last season. Given enjoyed an outstanding year and regained his place in the Republic of Ireland team, who face Portugal this afternoon. But he has
A SECURE lorry park to help combat diesel thieves was opened in Hartlepool yesterday. Peter Mandelson, chairman of the Hartlepool Partnership, was at the event to open Parksafe, at the Longhill Industrial Estate. The park is a large fenced enclosure monitored
LUIGI Luzzatti sounds like a man who might have had a sense of humour. Maybe even a warped one, because his name suggests the sort of godfather who might get a wry chuckle out of putting the severed head of a horse in the bed of a disaffected member of
PUPILS who have sold more than £1,600 worth of goods after forming their own company have won through to the regional final of a Young Enterprise contest. Managing director Stuart Walker, aged 16, and his Balls of Fire team, Alan Lumley, Jennifer Partridge
BEACH lovers are being warned about the dangers of inflatable dinghies after a group of children were swept out to sea at Saltburn over the Bank Holiday weekend. The quick actions of 19-year-old lifeguard Andy Catterson saved the day when he rescued four
HOURS of dedicated bird watching have gone into a publishing first, which should prove popular with ornithologists and other North-East nature lovers. But, A Summer Atlas of the Breeding Birds of County Durham, should also prove a useful guide for planners
NATIONAL media, ever seeking a fresh angle on a largely moribund general election campaign, have dwelt much of late on the two constituencies of Sedgefield and Richmond, the adjacent political home bases of the principal protagonists on June 7. The scrutiny
Don't ask me to round up your piglets if they escape. My score after playing the pig pen game was two suckling piglets and four drowned piglets. Never underestimate the educational value of the web. I learnt, thanks to the Emmerdale website and the piglets
YOUNGSTERS stepped back in time yesterday to see what life was like for their counterparts of more than a century ago. The Junior Friends of the Beck Isle Museum, Pickering, took part in a "dabble-day" to get some hands-on experience of Victorian life
A GRADE II* mansion is to be given a facelift after being granted listed building consent to carry out a large number of alterations. Wycliffe Hall, which was sold to an anonymous buyer for £2.5m last summer amid much speculation about its new owner,
AN aspiring film-maker hopes to use his debut film to put a North-East market town on the silver screen. Performing arts student and former stonemason Adrian Morgan-Hopper, 28, has spent about two years putting together his first film, The Girl from France
HARNESS racers in County Durham are being forced to travel to York to compete because of foot-and-mouth restrictions. The North-East Standard Bred Association normally relies on the help of farmers to stage meetings in grass fields, but the restrictions
Sir, - I refer to the recent articles published by various newspapers and publications about the aims of Coun Mrs B Punshon during her year as Mayor of Guisborough. I would like to set the record straight on certain matters. 1, Guisborough in Bloom was
A MAN who spent his working life digging for the "black diamond" celebrated his own sparkling anniversary with his wife, after 60 years of marriage, yesterday. Henry Campbell, 82, and his wife Rhoda, 81, received the traditional diamond anniversary card
AN intrepid young traveller is appealing for sponsorship to help him fund a project in a Pakistani village. Christopher Kemp, 18, from St Mary's Grove, Spennymoor, will fly out to Booni in the Chitral Valley, Pakistan, this August, to teach primary school
A PARISH warden is celebrating his success in a pigeon racing competition. Mick Crooks from Staithes, near Whitby, the parish warden for Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, has won the Up North Combine Gold medal for pigeon racing for the
LYNNE Bezant, the 56-year-old who gave birth to test-tube twins this week, has been condemned as selfish, feckless and irresponsible. She's far too old to be having children, say her critics. But no one seems to have considered that, perhaps, the rest
A STUDENT has put the first stitch in a special tapestry designed to raise funds for a training college for the disabled. Jonathan Gibson, 58, is inviting people to pay to put a stitch in the tapestry at Finchale Training College, in Durham City. The
THEY call it the golden hour because it can make the difference between life and death. Time and speed are of the essence. If rescuers can deliver a critically injured person to hospital inside 60 minutes or so of a crash, chances of survival are greatly
A GOLF club has made great strides in encouraging youngsters to take up the sport since a schoolgirl's appeal for more girls to join her in playing the game. Woodham golf club's junior section was made up of 59 boys and one girl when 12-year-old Isabel
NEW security measures are to be introduced in five blocks of flats to protect residents from youths who are terrorising their homes. The flats in Muir Grove, Kintra Road, Kilmory Walk, and Kinbrace Road, Hartlepool, and Danby Grove, Seaton Carew, are
MR DAVID Blunkett may be education secretary, but his geography seemed to be slightly, and delightfully, wonky during a live broadcast of Any Questions? from Bedale high school. In one of those questions presumably chosen as a way of relieving the pervading
THIS week's column is dedicated a truly wonderful, special creature - the grandma. Great. Reliable. Admirable. Nice. Dutiful. Magic. Accomplished. That spells "grandma". I've met hundreds of "great" grandmas during my travels with the Dad At Large Roadshow
A £3m scheme for disabled shoppers has been officially launched. By November, Middlesbrough will have its own Shopmobility scheme thanks to organisations, including Middles- brough Borough Council, the National Lottery's Charities Board and Royal Sun
HOW high or low can specialist oilseed rape growers go if they're to maximise Royal's yield response and subsequently profitability? That is one of the key questions the Springdale Farms trial is designed to answer within the next few weeks as it assesses
THE Yorkshire Agricultural Society, organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show, has decided to cancel the 2001 event which was due to be held from Tuesday, July 10, to Thursday, July 12. The decision was made following concerns at the continuing random outbreaks
PARENTS and young children in a North-East town have been warned to vigilant after bogus council workers tried to entice a teenage boy into a car. The Mayor of Middlesbrough, Councillor Pat Walker, last night warned children and young people to be on
THE reality of war was brought home to a group of students who paid their respects to a soldier from their home town who died in the battlefields of Ypres. The group of 36 year nine students from Sunnydale School, Shildon, visited the battlefields of
Sir, - Mr Lol Bailey is to retire as chairman of Northallerton Hospitals League of Friends at their AGM on June 1, having served the Friends and the Northallerton hospitals with great distinction during these past eight years. Lol's drive and energy has
WORK on a £400,000 redevelopment of one of the area's leading rugby clubs will begin in the coming weeks. Consett Rugby Club has received official confirmation from National Lottery agents Sport England that its third bid for Lottery cash was being granted
FORGET Buckingham Palace. The garden party of the year will be taking place at Helmsley next week. For organisers of the Helmsley Walled Garden project - an ambitious £130,000 restoration of the venue's central Victorian orchid house - will be celebrating
COUNCILLORS have approved revised proposals for parking restrictions in Durham, even though some residents objected. Durham County Council's highways committee has backed the introduction of the last of three schemes in and around the city centre. The
FORMER managers at a North-East ship repair yard have stepped into the arena as potential buyers. The Cammell Laird yard at Teesside was mothballed in April when the company went into receivership. The yard's former owner, Eric Welsh, has made a bid to
A GROUND-breaking centre that will help hundreds of disabled people live a more independent life was opened yesterday. Gateshead Borough Council's Disability Loan Equipment Centre was declared open by the town's mayor, Councillor Joseph Hattam. The Team
NURSE leaders are calling for more training places to be made available to help tackle staffing problems in the NHS. The call comes after a student was told that nurse training places at all 76 universities in the country which offer the course were oversubscribed
PYLONS could be to blame for spreading foot-and-mouth disease in North Yorkshire, according to a leading scientist. The cluster of seven cases near Picton has spread along electricity grid lines. Prof Denis Henshaw at Bristol university believes the electric
WHAT have the ice at St Moritz, the all-weather at Southwell and the fast going on the Sussex Downs in common? The answer is Mark Johnston's 33-1 surprise winner, Akbar, who landed the Bonusprint Rated Stakes at Goodwood under Michael Hills on Thursday
A MAJOR new study says only one course of action can stem the spiral of decline in the Tees Valley. With the area spotlighted as being at the bottom of the economic pile, the report says a united front is vital to attract new investment and create jobs
Dozens of beds are being blocked in a North Yorkshire acute hospital as a lack of cash leaves elderly patients with nowhere else to go. Up to 40 pensioners have been occupying beds which could be put to more productive use at Harrogate District Hospital
A TRAFFIC calming scheme in Sedgefield has been delayed because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. The Durham Road project, to install two chicanes in an effort to cut speeding, will now go ahead in July. The scheme, which has been pursued by Durham County
A MAJOR refurbishment of a North-East railway station has been put on hold because the train operators cannot afford it. Thornaby station, near Stockton, Teesside, was in line for major improvements funded by Stockton Borough Council, the Rail Passenger
ANGRY villagers hit by floods last year have accused council officers of treating them as "expendable" and using their village as a "plug hole". Residents in Brompton, near Northallerton, have been told there will be no new defence work to protect them
THE historic market place witnessed two parades in as many days as the Bedale 750 celebrations warmed up. The date on which Henry III granted the market charter fell on Sunday, when festival organisers, councillors, representatives of local organisations
EVERY Tuesday since 1251, it's been market day in Bedale. The old place may never more magnificently have set out its stall, however, than in the parish church service last Sunday which began a summer of 750th anniversary celebrations. Even the Old Testament
THOUSANDS of pounds worth of counterfeit clothing were handed to a charity yesterday by Darlington Borough Council. The 700 items of clothing, mainly T-shirts, polo shirts, fleeces and tracksuit bottoms, were seized by trading standards officers during
MO MOWLAM, who is standing down as Redcar MP, urged people yesterday to make sure their voices were heard at the election as she launched a Labour poster campaign. The poster, which shows a yellow Post-it type note with a reminder to vote for schools
A NEW centre for a youth project in Saltburn has been opened by patron Middlebrough South and East Clevland MP Ashok Kumar. Youngsters from the Doorways Youth Project helped with the decorating, plastering and painting of the new purpose built drop-in
A SAILING club's hopes of building a new clubhouse have received a boost. Teesdale Sailing Club applied to build a clubhouse on the site of the existing timber one, as well as new changing facilities and an office. The club is based at Grassholme Reservoir
A PARISH warden in East Cleveland is celebrating success in a pigeon competition. Mick Crooks, the warden for Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, has won the Up North Combine Gold medal for pigeon racing for the second year running. The event
RESIDENTS have been leg waxing, bungee-jumping and disco-dancing to raise money for a sick child. People in Katie-Leigh Tones' home town of Crook have been fundraising since the two-year-old was diagnosed with cancer. She is undergoing intense chemotherapy
A COUPLE have raised hundreds of pounds by opening up their home for charity. The chairman of the Take Heart Support Groups, Malcolm Griffiths, and wife, Joan, opened their Newton Grange home to the public for a spring fling supper and drinks evening,
A SCHEME to help wipe out childhood poverty in east Cleveland is celebrating its first anniversary. The Sure Start East Cleveland Partnership is part of a national government initiative aimed at eradicating childhood poverty in deprived areas. It was
THE number of non-infected animals slaughtered under foot-and-mouth measures in North Yorkshire far outstrips confirmed cases. Of the 148,354 animals culled in the county, less than one-third (40,359) were identified as having the disease; the other 107,995
TROUBLEMAKERS are drifting to a Teesside town to avoid Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems already in place in surrounding areas, it was claimed last night. Residents in Eston, Middlesbrough - who say local businesses are being badly affected - are
A VISION of angels yesterday heralded the launch of a memorable musical event. International soprano Suzannah Clarke and harpist Kate Wilson - known as The Angels of the North - are the stars of A Musical Picnic In The Park, at Hurworth Grange, Hurworth
A TRIUMPHANT football team was given a civic reception to celebrate their magnificent success. Players and officials from Redcar Workingmen's Club took the Carlsberg Pub Cup to the Mayor's Parlour on Wednesday so it could be inspected by Redcar and Cleveland
GRANTS of up to £15,000 to non-agricultural businesses suffering from the impact of foot-and-mouth disease are included in a £2.5m package of measures drawn up by Yorkshire Forward. And Richmondshire which, until last week, had suffered the largest number
DURHAM Cathedral was this Friday hosting a spectacular musical celebration of the life of St Cuthbert. Will Todd's oratorio, Saint Cuthbert, was being performed by the Halle Orchestra and a chorus of nearly 200 singers drawn from across the North-East
A 19-YEAR-OLD man was killed when his car was involved in a collision on the outskirts of Durham City shortly before 4pm on Saturday. Michael Rivett, of Robin Lane in West Rainton, was driving south west on the A690 opposite the entrance to Ramside Hall
SWIMMERS from Yarm School came out on top in the annual Stockton schools' championships. After two wins in the individual events, Yarm really prospered in the relays. Showing great team spirit and strength in depth, they won all four events. The individual
FIVE hundred people gathered at a public meeting to back an appeal campaign launched on behalf of a young jockey who was convicted of murdering a father of two. The family of former Newcastle United hopeful Gary Walton, who was found dead near his home
RELATIVES sent cards and messages from the other side of the world to help the linchpin of their family celebrate a milestone. Jeannie Pattison, of Fleet Street, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday. She spent her early
A SCHOOLBOY has fought his way back from injury to represent his country in the world BMX championship in America. Nine-year-old Danny Hart, from Redcar, is one of the UK's rising stars and many in the sport believe he will impress on the international
FIRE officers praised a man after he called them rather than trying to tackle a blaze himself. Officers from Coulby Newham station were alerted to a fire at Eagle Park, Marton, in Middlesbrough, at about 9.40am yesterday. It took them just ten minutes
UNIVERSITY researchers are seeking parents-to-be for a study on child rearing. The Durham University team hopes its efforts will help increase understanding about the different ways parents interact with their offspring. The study will follow parents
STAFF at an ethnic community centre are objecting to plans for a neighbouring pub to stay open all day. The manager of the Stockton International Family Centre has written to Stockton Borough Council to express his objections to a proposal by Martini's
A COUNCIL probe into alleged professional misconduct by a senior official is still going on more than two months after it was launched. Ron Thompson, operations manager for transport and buildings at Durham County Council's Service Direct Department,
VETS are searching for a home for a one-eyed cat which was left for dead after being hit by a car. The female white tabby cat was taken in by staff at Darlington's Kensington Veterinary Centre after it was discovered lying injured in the road. It had
YOUNGSTERS in Skelton have launched an appeal for a rugby teacher. The 13-year-old boys are frustrated because they want to learn rugby, but don't have a coach. One of the group, Daniel Green, said: "We play football all the time and it gets a bit boring
NEW Marske Junior Football Club are almost £1,000 richer thanks to a series of donations from the North-East Co-op, East Cleveland Health Action Zone and Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council.The team was very grateful for the donations.
Sir, - Peter Ridley's article (Past Lives, May 25) came at a powerful time for me. My mother drove an tram in West Hartlepool in the First World War. Father courted her as she drove. He sat in a corner and read poetry to her when opportunity permitted
SUPPORTERS trying to protect the future of Guisborough's Chapel Beck Park are urging Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to include the park in its local open space strategy plan. After winning the battle to stop the park being turned into a car park
MRS DOREEN Whitehead, who runs the Hagues' favourite B and B near the far end of Swaledale, came over as a wonderfully warm character with a full share of good Yorkshire common sense when interviewed for a full-page feature in a national daily. The interview
WHEN one of the Liberal Democrats' poster vans arrived in Hartlepool yesterday, candidate Nigel Boddy drove it up to The Battery on the Headland where his grandfather had served the town in the First World War. Underage Tommy Harrison, from Wingate, had
THE National Crime Squad is appealing for help in tracing a North-East man who disappeared after being charged with drug dealing. Zaffar Majid, 38, of Benedict Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, vanished while on bail last September. Mr Majid, who
A MOBILE play unit will be taking to the roads to offer fun for the children of Ferryhill and Chilton. The area's Sure Start partnership has been given approval by Sedgefield Borough Council to buy the unit at a cost of £32,500. It will tour Chilton,
PYLONS protestors claim a cluster of foot-and-mouth cases in North Yorkshire have spread around electricity grid lines. The claim has been made by Revolt, the group campaigning against the National Grid's plans to erect a line of giant pylons through
COTHERSTONE Primary School was visited by Sylvia Stuart for an Indian day. She did different activities with each class. Class four performed traditional dance moves and some children were dressed up in saris made of silk. Mrs Stuart wore lots of bangles
THE influential Moorland Association has a new chairman. Air Cdre Simon Bostock of the Dallowgill Estate in Nidderdale has taken over from Sir Anthony Milbank of Barningham, who has retired after 15 years in office. Air Cdre Bostock has been on the association's
A PARISH council is gearing up to fight for a school swimming pool to be kept for the community. The small pool at Durham Lane primary school in Egglescliffe needs thousands of pounds of work to bring it up to scratch. The parish council fears this could
NURSERY school pupils have been getting dirty for a good cause by helping with a wildlife project. Pupils from Golden Flatts Primary School, in Hartlepool, took part in the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust's Wildflowers from Waste project. They sowed a mixture
POLICE are urging people to keep shed and garage doors closed during the summer months to stop thieves. There has been a spate of thefts from outbuildings in Bishop Auckland during the past few weeks. Police believe thieves have seen bikes and other items
A NINE-year-old lone girl soccer player among 170 boys is having to leave her club and play in an all-girl side. But so far Chelsea Kitchen's search for the girls' junior team has drawn a blank - and fears are growing that she could be sidelined by red
POLITICIANS may be stepping up their campaigns for the General Election, but students from Park View Community School in Chester-le-Street are one step ahead in the race to the polls. While politicians were still dithering over an election date, the students
DESPERATE Russian sailors - who were stranded when their ship was impounded in a North-East port - have gone on hunger strike in the hope of finally getting back home. The Vismark Gloria was impounded for being unseaworthy last November. Now two out of
BOGUS water company workers, who tricked their way into a pensioner's home and stole money, may have been responsible for a similar incident shortly after. A male caller at a house in Roslyn Street, Darlington, questioned the householder about water contamination
WHEN five-year-old Philip Guy woke one morning unable to use his right hand and leg his mother, a nurse, suspected something was seriously wrong. But the family, from Richmond, was shocked to learn their little boy had suffered a stroke. Since that distressing
FOR the second successive home match Durham will chase a victory target on what promises to be an exciting final day against Nottinghamshire at the Riverside. Gone are the days when Wednesday starts often meant no play on Saturdays and, as against Middlesex
DOG lover Roy Bevington had double cause for celebration after his first taste of the country's premier competition. He came away with two best of breed honours from the Crufts national championships, for showing Hungarian wire-haired Vizslas Tola and
AIDS experts in the region are urging greater condom use after a 61 per cent increase in HIV infections within three years. The number of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the Northern and Yorkshire region exceeded 100 for the first time in eight years as
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - On Sunday morning last a pony mare belonging to Mr George Pinkney, Leeside farm, Hilton, near Gainford, foaled a couple of fine colts. Considering the size of the mare, 12 hands, this is an event almost unparalleled
WILLIAM HAGUE accused Labour last night of taking the family doctor service to the brink of collapse after GPs threatened a mass resignation from the NHS over their contract negotiations. The Tory leader seized on a ballot by GPs, warning they would quit
FUN days held this week have been used to promote a scheme to boost children's development. Sunderland City Council is hoping to launch a Sure Start programme for the Southwick area of the city. The schemes, which bring various agencies together, are
HUNDREDS of footpaths closed because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic are being reopened. County Durham countryside wardens are walking paths in East Durham, which has escaped the epidemic, to check there is no risk in allowing walkers on them. Routes will
A FUN farewell party was held at St Matthew's church hall, Leyburn, on Sunday to say goodbye to the vicar, the Rev Jim Blackman, and his family. More than 80 people attended the lunch, including the Methodist minister, the Rev Jennifer Lunn, and RC Mgr
FASHION victims are invited to attend an unusual show presenting the latest in catering wear. The practical clothing will be given the catwalk treatment at the fun evening organised by the Food for Thought Business Club, part of Stockton Borough Council's
A ROAD repair scheme is to get a makeover because of complaints from local people. Rosecroft Lane, in Loftus, linking the secondary school to the town centre, has been closed for some time because of a landslip last November due to flooding. The road
RESIDENTS living near a foot-and-mouth burial site are threatening to sue the Government over what they claim is illegal pollution. Villagers living near the Inkerman burial site, at Tow Law, County Durham, have fought a bitter battle to have the site
THE farmers accused of starting the foot-and-mouth epidemic are to be prosecuted over alleged breaches of animal health regulations, officials confirmed last night. But Bobby and Ronnie Waugh are to be allowed to keep the £50,000 compensation they received
UNIVERSITY of Teesside student Ian Cole has a plan to help Middlesbrough Ladies Football Club (MLFC) reach the top. The 22-year-old design marketing student has reinvented MLFC as "Boro Lasses". He said: "In three to four years' time ladies football is
IMMACULATELY dressed in a grey suit, shirt and tie, Gus Robinson has the look of a man who knows his way round the ring. It's not surprising really, he's spent most of his life fighting - sometimes in the ring, other times for business, and too often
The Riding for the Disabled's Unicorn Centre at Hemlington raised over £500 recently by resurrecting the TV programme It's a Knockout. Thirteen teams of three from the area took part in a riding obstacle course, wearing blindfolds if they could ride,
A NEW motorway service area in North Yorkshire could be a step nearer. Richmondshire District Council and the county council held differing views on a site when Westminster was considering upgrading the A1 between Dishforth and Barton in the early 1990s
A project to improve public safety in rural communities has been launched by emergency services chiefs. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has teamed up with police and ambulance bosses to develop a pilot scheme, which will run for 18 months throughout
A POSTMASTER was threatened with a hypodermic needle by a man claiming to have Aids who had tried to break into his house. The would-be thief attempted to slash Andrew Molloy a number of times as they struggled in the street at Rillington, near Malton
A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to return one of the region's finest Victorian parks to its former glory will take a step forward today with the refilling of its lake. Northumbrian Water will turn on the tap at Saltwell Park lake in Gateshead, where it is
THE memories of 11 years aboard the Sir James Knott lifeboat came flooding back for former lifeboatman Dave Phillipson. For the boat, which went out of service in 1989, has been restored and reopened for public viewing at Kirkleatham Museum. Mr Phillipson
THERE was something for everyone at a feast of art held at Tennants' auction centre, Leyburn, last week, which raised just over £10,000 for a youth charity. Some of the more fascinating little paintings took some finding, tucked away around corners, and
HUNDREDS of decomposed carcasses may be dug up and incinerated near a County Durham village after the animal remains re-emerged from a burial site. After suffering the trauma of loosing his cattle and sheep to foot-and-mouth disease, farmer Gerard Beveridge
PROFESSIONAL actress and jazz singer Miss Susan Jinks has given up the bright lights of London to return to her native Richmond. She left the town 16 years ago to go to drama school and has since performed in America, Europe and across the UK. She recently
A COUNCIL leader has hit back at accusations that his authority gave no financial support to a failed town centre management scheme. Harrogate Borough Council leader Geoff Webber said the authority had ploughed thousands of pounds into Harrogate Town
GUISBOROUGH teenager Dennis Hobbs' hopes of world championship glory ended when he crashed out of the Donington Park World Superbike championship meeting last Friday. The 18 year-old had managed to secure a wild card ride for the Italian-based Team Lightspeed
A NEATLY tendered garden in County Durham left a green fingered guru scratching his head. Garden designer Nicholas Roeber conceded he will find it difficult to improve Gerry Cox's prized 'patch', after running the rule over the garden at the rear of his
A GROUP of prisoners is helping a Teesside hospice with a fundraising drive. The inmates from Holme House prison, in Stockton, have been helping prepare mail-outs of more than 100,000 awareness leaflets from the Butterwick Hospice. The leaflets, which
A POWER station will play host to a charity fun day this summer. Hartlepool Power Station will be the venue for the Hartlepool and District Hospice's It's a Knockout competition, on Saturday, July 28. Hospice organisers are looking for teams of six to
A VETERINARY practice has launched an appeal to raise £10,000 for a piece of equipment which will help pets in Darlington. The Stanhope Park Veterinary Practice is hoping to raise the money by the end of the year in order to buy a video endoscope. This
UNADVENTUROUS customers at a Peterlee pub have got cold feet over a charity walk over hot embers. Organisers of the challenge have had to cancel the event because they could not get enough volunteers. Only six out of the 30 people needed for the stunt
