TEACHER Jodie Holliday is about to put her theatrical skills to the test by setting up a drama group in a remote part of Africa. The 25-year-old, from Brompton-on-Swale, is stage managing Richmond amateur dramatic society's latest production. She will
South Park South Park, a splendid park of parks, With varied ancient trees A gentle river flowing round Bears ducks, moorhens and geese. The flowers smile brightly from their beds And blossom trees blush pink. A fragrance fills surrounding air, From wallflowers
A UNION is seeking urgent talks with the American Embassy over plans by President George W Bush to impose new duties on US steel imports. Mr Bush is proposing measures which could lead to new tariffs on the import of steel products, hitting steelmakers
POLICE teams from all over the country made a splash at the weekend when they took part in a lifesaving competition. The event, organised by Cleveland Police, gave competitors the chance to demonstrate their skills in scenarios staged at Hartlepool Marina
A CHAMPION fighter hopes to clinch a world title. Steven Harbisher, 18, of Marton, Middlesbrough, won a series of bouts at Darlington's Dolphin Centre to become the UK's top tae kwon do fighter for his weight. Along with a medal and a certificate, he
BADLY placed speed restriction signs will not stop reckless motorists speeding through a small village, residents have claimed. People in Middlestone Village, near Spennymoor, have been campaigning to have the speed limit halved to 30mph for more than
PASSENGERS cheered and champagne flowed as romance blossomed at 33,000ft. Blushing 19-year-old Jayne Fuller cried with joy when boyfriend Philip Wood's marriage proposal was relayed over the tannoy during a flight to Turkey. She said: "Everybody on the
THE ruins of an ancient monument provided a dramatic backdrop to a feast of music from bands around Teesside. The Cleveland Accordionnaires started the programme at Gisborough Priory, Guisborough, followed by The Guisborough Big Band, and local band Outside
Tony Blair today called a halt to the clean-up programme on farms hit by the foot-and-mouth epidemic. The cost of disinfecting British farms is running at £2 million a day - 10 times higher than on the Continent. Mr Blair has now ditched the programme
TWO divisions was designed to keep interest alive in county matches until the end of the season, but with six games to go things already look cut and dried. The three teams who went up last year are coming down again, while Sussex and Hampshire will be
A LARGE injection of cash to help revive a market town's flagging economic fortunes could be on its way. Council chiefs are hoping to secure funding which could play a big part in the regeneration of Bedale, which they say is the town in greatest need
Bench mark: Sitting in the office all day, glued to a computer screen could soon become a thing of the past, thanks to a new hi-tech park bench. The new bench in Suffolk is the most technologically advanced in the world and will allow people to plug their
FIREFIGHTERS were called to the former Dressers store in Darlington's High Row on Saturday afternoon, following reports of a fire. The two-storey property is empty while demolition work takes place inside, in preparation for the next tenant. A spark is
AFTER a quarter of a century of nagging from his wife, Brian Harrison finally got round to moving his garden shed. While he was aware of an air raid shelter in his garden, he was not prepared for what else lay beneath the shrubbery - Roman remains, which
YOUNGSTERS have been rewarded for their hard work with an end-of-term spending spree. Sixty-five year ten pupils at Easington Community School, in East Durham, received £50, £100 and £250 vouchers to spend in McGurks store, in Sunderland, and WH Smith
MICHELANGELO I HAVE followed with interest The Northern Echo's reporting of the Michelangelo sketch of a woman, which was discovered at Castle Howard. In my humble opinion, Michelangelo's ability to pose the human form was his hallmark, and all Madonnas
REMARKABLE bowling by 20-year-old Mark Davies set Durham on the way to a seven-wicket win against Sussex, which took them level on points with Worcestershire at the top of the Norwich Union League second division yesterday. Moving the ball into the right-handers
artists are being offered the chance to capture some of the spectacular scenes from a popular beauty spot, on canvas, through a workshop. Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, is the venue for a one-off watercolour and sketching workshop led by North-East
A FAMILY of four returned from a holiday in the sun to find their home destroyed by a gas explosion. The explosion took place at a house on Rednor Gardens, Howdon, North Tyneside, and severely damaged the house, just before 3pm yesterday. Neighbours alerted
JUDGING by the reception Robbie Elliot received on Saturday night at St James', you'd be forgiven for thinking that everyone of the 29,021 fans had just turned out to welcome one of their own back to Newcastle A Tyneside-born player is always held in
TRUSTY loser Quixall Crossett cantered to a record defeat yesterday in the 100th race of its 12-year career. The lagging nag had the cheering crowds behind it as it held up the rear end of the 12-strong line of racers, at Southwell racecourse near Nottingham
Visitors were entertained at a hospital's annual garden party for the last time, at the weekend. For almost 40 years, the highlight of Tindale Crescent Hospital's fundraising social calendar has been its annual garden party. Sadly, as the hospital, near
HUNDREDS of youngsters will converge on the North-East today, to take part in the largest regatta of its kind in Europe. More than 300 competitors, sailing 22 dinghies, have entered the National Youth Regatta, held at the Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club
A MALE voice choir with a long history has launched a recruiting campaign in an attempt to attract new members. Stockton Male Voice Choir was formed in 1948, and has been going strong since. It has only 24 members, but would like to have at least double
AN international police investigation is under way after thousands of people across the North-East had money taken from their bank accounts. Fraud squad officers believe conmen have already netted more than £2m, and thousands more could have lost money
POLICE are investigating the death of a man, understood to be in his late 50s, whose body was discovered at home. Police broke into the house at The Oaklands, Middleton-St-George, near Darlington, on Saturday morning, after neighbours become concerned
WORK still has not restarted on a multi-million pound hotel, close to one of the region's airports, months after a minor hitch brought construction to a halt. Planning permission was granted for the hotel at Teesside Airport in the late 1990s, but a series
MP Vera Baird has opened new offices for a company providing free business advice to people in the town. DHP Enterprise has moved from offices above Kwiksave, in Alma Parade, to a unit at the Redcar Station Business Centre. The organisation has a six-strong
TAXPAYERS in Derwentside are likely to have to fork out an extra £250,000 to deal with a backlog of housing benefit claims. Officials are bracing themselves for a third critical report from watchdogs into the year-old backlog, which at one point reached
PEOPLE were given the chance to experience the thrills and spills of jet skiing at the weekend. Round one of the British Waterways Tees Challenge took place beside the Tees Barrage, in Stockton, with some of the sport's top competitors showing how skilful
A cerebral palsy victim who was attacked by youths as young as 11 has been left too frightened to leave his home, a friend said today. Alan Powell, 32, was kicked by a girl and four boys aged between 11 and 14 as he went to buy some tissues at his local
TWO policemen were injured when their armed response car crashed, burst into flames and ignited bullets in the boot. The officers had been driving along a country road between Hamsterley Mill and Rowlands Gill, near Gateshead, Tyneside, when the crash
AN oil painting of one of the region's most colourful historical characters has gone on display at a museum in the region. The 18th Century portrait of Baroness Amelia Darcy by Francois-Hubert Drouais is on show at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle,
TIM SPERREVIK may have played his way into a Hartlepool United return on Saturday. The striker, signed from Fana 12 months ago, but sent back to his former club for a summer-long loan, showed why Chris Turner was prepared to take a gamble on the front
The scoreline may suggest otherwise, but Darlington eased to victory over Billingham Town on Saturday in a game which saw Neil Maddison make his first appearance for the club. Saturday's game also saw Gary Bennett hand trialist, left-back Simon Betts,
AN ancient sheep show, which was revived last year after a gap of 108 years, has fallen victim to the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Hundreds of people turned up last September for the show at Langdon Beck, in Forest in Teesdale, which Lord Barnard described
CHOCOLATE company Nestl is relaunching one of its most popular products, in a bid to appeal to the adult market. Smarties Giants, which were first introduced four years ago, are being relaunched by the York company and will be in the shops from today.
POSTMAN David Atkinson has proved a first-class athlete after qualifying for the Ironman triathalon world championships, in Hawaii, in October. The Ironman competition, which involves a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and full marathon run of 26.2 miles
AN excited young fan tugged furiously at her father's sleeve and pointed at Quixall Crossett as he performed his warm-up trot. "That's the horse that always loses," she shouted above the din, as he began to gather speed. The public had turned out in thousands
A CRIME prevention scheme to cut burglaries and improve home security in east Newcastle has just helped its 600th household. Compass Watch, funded by the Home Office, was launched last October to allow residents who have been burgled, neighbours and anyone
A GROUP of young high fliers will be reaching for the skies from today, as the University of Teesside hosts its second summer school for gifted and talented pupils. Organised in conjunction with Middlesbrough Borough Council, the Flying High Summer School
COUNCILLORS are being urged to award a £10,000 grant towards a project to repair an historic bridge. Hambleton District Council has received a request to aid the £362,000 scheme to save Myton-on-Swale bridge, near Helperby. Councillor Peter Sowray contacted
STUDENTS at a Darlington school enjoyed an end of term pow-wow to mark the end of studies into Native American Culture. The year seven pupils at Haughton Community School enjoyed the sessions as part of literacy sessions. They have explored traditions
It is high time there was a review of the safety policy in amateur and apprentice races. In the last couple of weeks, both Chester and Pontefract have seen nasty falls in these type of races. These races are important to teach our young jockeys their
STAFF at the world-renowned Bettys tearooms were put to the test when they swapped their tasting spoons and pastry forks for paintbrushes. Tea blenders, coffee roasters and bakers from across the company, based in Harrogate, joined forces to create a
VILLAGERS in Heighington have been warned to be on their guard against sneak thieves during the summer. Police say that with many people spending time in their gardens, items which are attractive to thieves could be left unattended. These include tools
FAME beckons for one North-East band as it celebrates double success by being invited to take part in a celebrated festival. Resthouse, whose members are from Shildon and Newton Aycliffe, had barely come back down to earth after winning a battle of the
A landmark theatre is hoping an army of supporters will swing into action to raise money to cover the cost of ambitious plans to restore it as a living museum. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already pledged more than £500,000 towards the rejuvenation of
Tracing the origins of sea-coal Q: WHAT is the origin of sea-coal? Is it waste from mines such as Horden, Blackhall and others that returned to the beaches by wave action or is it in origin some coal-bearing seam that comes to the ground surface somewhere
A WINE merchant staged a charity challenge with a difference at the weekend to raise money for his brother. Teams travelled from all over the country to Swinton Park, near Masham, North Yorkshire, to battle for supremacy in quad biking, archery and clay
A CAF-BAR and restaurant, boasting the North's first pizza bar, opened at the weekend, creating 40 jobs for bar and restaurant staff. Hide Cafe Bar and Grill, at Yarm, Teesside, takes its name both from its location, hidden away off the High Street, and
A MAN who has been out of work for five years has become one of the latest people to benefit from a scheme aimed at helping the unemployed. Gary Turnbull, 38, of Annfield Plain, Stanley, has started work for Orange Communications after receiving help
MOIRA gesticulates as she talks. Her hands are long-fingered and expressive and she uses them to emphasise her point. You find yourself looking at them as she talks. They resemble the finely tapered fingers of an artist or a musician, used to holding
MORE than 10,000 people filed their way through Sunderland's newly-opened winter gardens and museum at the weekend. Visitor services manager Helen Franklin said last night: "The response from residents was overwhelming. For many, who had known the old
A SERIES of workshops will help bring to life characters from a play written by youngsters from a drama group. Children from the Laurel Drama Group, Bishop Auckland, have been working on the story A Rainbow Down Our Street, all year. The project has been
IT was a moving occasion that prompted a tear or two. Packed into a small church, they came to witness the renewal of marriage vows by eight old soldiers and their wives. For Leonard Fitzroy-Smith and his wife of 56 years, Helen, it was not only a demonstration
YOUNGSTERS from a pioneering education scheme were praised for their achievements at a presentation evening. The young people all attend Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Education Other Than At School scheme at the Eston Centre, near Middlesbrough
WE'VE known it was coming for some time, but the speed with which Darlington's new football stadium has been built has taken everyone by surprise. The people of Hurworth have been taken aback that it can be clearly seen from the edge of the village, motorists
PUPILS at Burnopfield Primary School have proved themselves to be at the head of the pack when it comes to sporting activities. Their end-of-term sports day was all the more significant for the school, which this year has been awarded a coveted Activemark
A YOUNG Redcar man is helping to provide medical care while on duty in Cyprus. Gunner Wayne Cann, 18, is working as a team medic with the Army, and provides initial first-aid until back up arrives. He is on a six-month stint on the Greek island, working
A WOMAN was ambushed by three men and raped as she made her way home from a Love Parade party at the weekend, it has been revealed. A police spokesman said the 21-year-old victim had been with friends at Newcastle's Exhibition Park shortly before minutes
NINETY talented pupils from the North-East are to begin their summer holidays with a week at school. However, this will be a classroom with a difference, as the gifted youngsters involved from the borough of Stockton take part in a summer school with
EMPLOYEES from transport services organisation Arriva have been thanked for their help in a major project in the North-East. The 18 members of staff have been presented with award by group chief executive Bob Davies following their involvement in a year-long
STUDENT shot-putter Samantha Coulson is making her way in the world of athletics. The 15-year-old pupil at Northallerton College has just put in a promising performance in the English Schools National Championship. She won the right to represent North
FIVE members of staff have bid farewell to Reid Street Primary School in Darlington. Glyn Hickman, Barbara Mawer and Jean Henderson are all leaving teaching, while Helen Thorogood and Pamela Walker are going to other jobs. Mrs Mawer, who is a year four
A GOVERNMENT regeneration agency has pledged to further boost the rural economy, following a year which has seen the largest ever investment in North Yorkshire. Yorkshire Forward has published its second annual report, detailing its achievements during
BUSINESSES across the region are being warned of a predicted slow down in the economy in the next few months. That could lead to firms closing or having to lay-off workers, said Bill Midgley, vice-chairman of the North East Regional Assembly. National
AN MP has joined forces with British Gas and The Northern Echo to highlight the dangers posed by carbon monoxide poisoning. Durham City MP Gerry Steinberg is backing the company's awareness campaign against the colourless and odourless gas, known as the
A teacher who seduced a schoolgirl and sent explicit e-mails before having sex with her during private tuition sessions was today jailed for two years. Jason Kevin Ratcliffe, 25, bombarded the girl with more than 130 e-mails before enticing her to have
IT was a case of up, up and away for those taking part in a great balloon race at a Darlington church. Thousands of balloons were released yesterday by parishioners at St James the Great Church. The balloon race was part of 125th jubilee celebrations
Darlington's Carmel RC Technology College has been recognised for its outstanding arts programme offered to pupils. The college has become one of the first in the country to receive The Arts Council of England's new Artsmark award which encourages excellence
THE last time Belgian opposition visited St James' Park was Newcastle's first night of European football under the stewardship of Kevin Keegan. It was a party night on Tyneside with the Magpies boasting a virtually unassailable 5-0 lead, and an impressive
A FUNDRAISING event in aid of Darlington's St Teresa's Hospice proved a "knockout" success. Staff from a number of Darlington companies battled with giant inflatables and water hazards to take part in the Knockout 2001 event, which took place yesterday
Stockton Borough Council will be carrying out maintenance work in Oxbridge Lane, Stockton, from today until Friday. The work will require the use of temporary traffic signals during off-peak hours.
A PRIMARY school in Hartlepool has become the first in the North-East to achieve the first stage of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) award scheme. The project, which was completed last week, is run through Hartlepool College of Further
A SIX-A-SIDE football tournament will give youngsters from both primary and secondary schools the chance to battle it out to see who is the best. The competition, hosted by Shildon Juniors FC, is looking for entries from under-eights, under-11s, under
WORK on a £91,000 project to give a market town a new-look tourist information centre (TIC) is expected to get under way later this year. Hambleton District Council has revealed its preferred plans for the relocation of the Thirsk visitor centre and wants
A SERIES of public meetings have been arranged in a "let the people speak" exercise over plans to merge two of North Yorkshire's National Health Service primary care groups into a joint trust. North Yorkshire Health Authority is planning to merge the
A £3.5m pub and restaurant opened at the weekend. Cathedrals is housed in Durham City's former police station, and brings together six food and drink concepts under one roof. The restaurant, bistro and bar opened on Saturday and the coffee shop, pantry
A DEAF couple have tied the knot, exactly a year after the groom proposed on top of the Eiffel Tower, in Paris. Jacqueline Barnes, 26, of Darlington, and Craig Jones, 32, of Middlesbrough, have been together for eight years, since meeting at a deaf club
TEENAGERS are being offered the chance to break their way into the music industry with a new free school for DJs. The teachers organising the academy for 13 to 18-year-olds, in Consett, hope their qualifications into the art of the club DJ will eventually
Live ammunition exploded in the boot of a police armed response car when it burst into flames after a crash, police today confirmed. The intense heat of the fire ignited the bullets, which were stored in a secure safe in the vehicle. Police are investigating
Live ammunition exploded in the boot of a police armed response car when it burst into flames after a crash, police today confirmed. The intense heat of the fire ignited the bullets, which were stored in a secure safe in the vehicle. Police are investigating
THE 500-strong herd of deer at Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, is at the centre of row over Government orders to reopen public rights of way across Studley Royal deer park. Last week, the Rural Task Force ordered the roadway and footpaths in the deer park
Troubled steel giant Corus is warning it could have to axe thousands more jobs. New trade restrictions being drawn up by the US could limit exports of British steel. The move threatens the future of four of Corus's UK steel plants. The Anglo-Dutch firm
COUNCIL officers are concerned about the lack of land and buildings in a North Yorkshire town for business use. Harrogate Borough Council's economic development officer, Nigel Avison, said the demand for premises was growing, particularly for small businesses
A cerebral palsy victim who was attacked by youths as young as 11 has been left too frightened to leave his home, a friend said today. Alan Powell, 32, was kicked by a girl and four boys aged between 11 and 14 as he went to buy some tissues at his local
IT is truly hard to believe that a doctor condemned in the Bristol heart baby scandal is still benefiting financially because the law is unable to stop the gravytrain. James Wiseheart is still receiving a pension based on a salary boosted by a merit award
WEDDING day flower girl Sophie Graham, who was knocked down and left for dead by a hit-and-run driver, has made a good recovery from her injuries. The five-year-old's first words when she woke in her hospital bed were: "Can I have a bacon buttie and some
A WOMAN was ambushed by three men and raped as she made her way home from a Love Parade party at the weekend, it has been revealed. A police spokesman said the 21-year-old victim had been with friends at Newcastle's Exhibition Park shortly before minutes
A TEENAGE partygoer was recovering in hospital last night after apparently taking drugs at the Love Weekend - a city-wide music festival. The 19-year-old man, who has not been named, travelled to Newcastle from the Manchester area with three friends on
A TEESSIDE town's entry into a floral competition was saved by a company that nearly destroyed all its hard work. Vital gas mains work at the entrance to Saltburn meant a prominent grass verge was dug up. So, just days before judges arrived from the Northumbria
A SECONDARY school is celebrating after it notched up a national success. Hall Garth School, Middlesbrough, has been awarded the Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark for Secondary Schools. The success follows the announcement the school had become one of
A SCHEME to keep young people off the streets and out of trouble during the school holidays will be launched in Hartlepool today. Summer Splash offers a range of activities, including canoeing, basketball, music and dance, arts and crafts, and barbecues
HUNDREDS of prizes will be given out next month to reward youngsters for wearing their bicycle helmets. Spotters will be out in Stockton and Gateshead, from Sunday, August 5, to Sunday, August 19, as part of the Helmet Watch campaign. Now in its third
A TOWN centre became a blaze of colour, with dancers from across Europe taking part in the Teesside International Eisteddfod. Organised and impromptu concerts will be held on stages in Victoria Square, Cleveland Shopping Centre and Captain Cook's Square
A 120-year era in education came to an end on Friday, when teachers packed up the last books and pens and waved goodbye to a Victorian school house. The amalgamation of Middlestone Moor Junior School and Spennymoor West Infant School has been on the cards
A SPLASH of colour was brought to the skies at the weekend when kite enthusiasts from all over the country gathered to show off their skills. The kite festival, organised by Darlington Rotary Club to raise funds for charity, attracted entrants from across
PRE-SCHOOL staff are celebrating the findings of their recent Ofsted inspection. It was the first Bishopton pre-school inspection since joining Darlington's Early Years and Childcare Partnership, less than a year ago. In all curriculum areas of the foundation
HOUSE prices in the North are on the increase despite growing fears of a recession, according to a recent survey. Research carried out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed that housing markets in the region are the strongest
A YOUNG mother who says her life has been ruined after taking a controversial anti-smoking pill is calling for it to be banned. Five days after taking the pill Zyban, 25-a-day smoker Amanda Sinclair, 25, collapsed in front of her two young children. She
A TEAM of scientists from the region has made an important discovery which could pave the way for new treatments for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Applying the fruits of the Human Genome Project, researchers at Newcastle University have identified
PARENTS Carol and Raymond Gage had so much faith in son Christopher's ability to become a showbiz star they sold their home to raise the £36,000 he needed for performing arts college. At the weekend, their sacrifice paid off as 70 members of Christopher's
COUNCIL heads have refused to provide a "quick fix" solution to end a row over the withdrawal of a Darlington bus service Darlington Borough Council has begun a tendering process to find an operator to run the 32 and 33 services which cover Mowden, Albert
WORKERS at a North-East depot are celebrating after they produced their company's employee of the year for the second year running. Jenny Bowker is the cash office manager at cash and carry firm Batley's Preston Farm Industral Estate warehouse at Stockton
REVIEWS Simpsons Wrestling. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Format: PS1. (£29.99) HOMER Simpson was recently voted the greatest TV personality of all time. The guys at Electronic Arts must have been whooping with joy. The world's biggest software publisher
