Archive

  • Last night's TV: Taking a closer look at weird wildlife

    Wildlife Uncovered: UK (C5) The Truth About Gay Animals (C4) A POINT was reached in Michael Dilger's search for the UK's weirdest animals when you wondered if the presenter wasn't a lot odder than anything found in the countryside. He was sitting in the

  • Job Search

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Counter general assistants, Northallerton, £3.70ph under 19, ££4.50ph over 19. No experience necessary as training given. Clearing tables, serving food and general

  • Job Search

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. General assistant, Chester-le-Street, £4.10ph. Required to work in busy food outlet. Duties include food preparation, serving customers, cash handling. Ref: CHM14448

  • Castle Eden brewery takeover complete

    The takeover of the Camerons Lion Brewery by Castle Eden has been completed, safeguarding 130 jobs. Yorkshire Bank, Castle Eden's backer, today transferred funds to Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, the previous owners of the Lion Brewery. The transaction

  • Robson rocked by double injury blow

    NEWCASTLE United's final push for a Champions' League place has been rocked by a double injury blow. Kieron Dyer and Lomana Lualua both picked up groin strains in Saturday's 3-0 home win over Charlton and look set to miss tonight's game at Blackburn,

  • Message of hope for transplant family

    The parents of heart transplant girl Sally Slater have sent a message of support to the family of another youngster who is clinging to life in hospital. Jon and Bridget Slater said they had joined the nation in praying for a donor to come forward to save

  • Castle contract will keep Eston busy until winter

    WINDOW replacement firm Eston has won one of its biggest contracts. The Middlesbrough firm has been awarded the contract from Wimpey Homes to renovate 120 windows at Wilton Castle, in Redcar, which is being transformed into luxury apartments. The contract

  • Are we a society in crisis?

    WHAT are the streets like in Darlington these days? It's pretty scary where I live in London, I can tell you. Violent crime has doubled over the last twelve months. The Government's own figures for London show that there were 48,000 muggings and 20,000

  • Family and friends say goodbye to Leonie

    A town united in grief following the loss of a six-year-old road accident victim as hundreds of mourners turned out for her funeral today. To Leonie Shaw's family, the bright, bubbly little girl who loved dancing and dressing up was a 'princess' and they

  • House with 1930s content worth a fortune

    The country pile of a retired army major could make a cool £1m when it goes on sale this summer. Major Ernest Ambler and wife Vivien moved into Branton Court not far from fashionable Harrogate in North Yorkshire in the early 1930s when the town was still

  • Diamond joy for bill and Edith

    AFTER 60 years at the centre of Bishop Auckland's business and social life, a couple chose a quiet celebration for their diamond anniversary yesterday. Former football club president and golf club captain Bill Botcherby and his wife Edith shared their

  • Minister demands action to tackle stray horse menace

    GOVERNMENT minister Hilary Armstrong is pressing councils and police to act over a stray horse menace plaguing communities in her constituency. The Chief Whip is also asking cabinet colleague Margaret Beckett for advice on legislation as calls grow for

  • Further talks agreed in bid to avert taxi drivers' strike

    TRANSPORT managers have agreed to further consultation to avert a threatened taxi drivers' strike. Angry drivers met town hall officials last night to demonstrate the depth of feeling over the introduction of new tests, which they say could force many

  • Nerve gas death probe 50 years on

    AN inquest into the death of a North-East airman who took part in secret military chemical warfare tests is about to be re-opened after nearly 50 years, the Attorney General said last night. He has given permission for the case of 20-year-old RAF engineer

  • Prize idea taking shape at school

    WORK started yesterday on a prize project to transform a school yard. Longfield School, in Darlington, won a national competition run by Shepherd Construction to have a £10,000 building project carried out. A team of pupils at the school came up with

  • Shearer brace seals Magpies Euro place

    Blackburn 2 - 2 Newcastle - SKIPPER Alan Shearer led Newcastle back into the Champions' League with a double strike as Bobby Robson's side came from behind twice to secure the point they needed and defy the best efforts of old boys Keith Gillespie and

  • Nerve gas death probe 50 years on

    The inquest into the death of a soldier at the Porton Down biological warfare research base is to be reopened after almost 50 years. Attorney General Lord Goldsmith has given the go-ahead for a second look at the death of Ronald Maddison of Consett, County

  • News in brief: Nursery to hold open day

    AN east Cleveland nursery is holding a spring open day this weekend to encourage parents to consider its services. Jack In The Box Nursery, in the old Co-op buildings, in High Street, Loftus, comes under the umbrella of the Redcar and Cleveland Early

  • New knight in kitchen stronghold

    A new knight has stepped forward to join the team at Lumley Castle. Ben Hamida, 49, has been appointed restaurant manager of the Black Knight Restaurant at the hotel in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. He will oversee the day-to-day running of the restaurant

  • Pop Idol has a ball for charity

    CHART-topping band A1, former mer Pop Idol Aaron Bayley and Byker Grove actors were among the stars at a charity ball. The fifth Northern Rainbow Ball, in aid of the Rainbow Trust charity, which supports children with terminal and life threatening illnesses

  • School caretaker's baton honour

    A SCHOOL caretaker will be one of a team of seven to carry the Commonwealth Games baton when it passes through Darlington en route to Manchester in July. Tony Cox, site supervisor at Haughton Community School, Darlington, has been selected as a representative

  • Phillips in fitness race

    STRIKER Kevin Phillips has had his injured ankle encased in a "Beckham-boot" as the Sunderland medical staff try to get the England man fit in time to play at Charlton on Saturday. The 28-year-old centre-forward, who has been troubled recently by stomach

  • Spectre of Green Goddesses as strike looms

    THE Army's Green Goddess fire engines could be seen on North-East streets for the first time in 25 years. The prospect of soldiers being called in to fight fires on Teesside loomed closer following a vote by firefighters to hold a strike ballot. The dispute

  • Woman, 89 mugged on way home from shop

    A WIDOW was mugged as she walked home from shopping. Great grandmother Doris Douglas was set on by two thugs at the junction of Hawthorn Terrace and Lawson Terrace, Durham City, at 2.40pm on Friday. The 89-year-old fell to the ground and her glasses were

  • Doctor blamed for amputation

    A family doctor accused of terrorising surgery staff was also blamed for a patient having to have her leg amputated, a medical tribunal heard today. Members of a General Medical Council tribunal in Manchester heard that a female patient of Dr Ashok Bhagat

  • Charity auction winner Kimberley proves she's an ace reporter

    On Saturday Kimberly Rushforth from Billingham was in the Press box at Middlesborough's Riverside stadium to report on the game with Blackburn Rovers. Fifteen-year-old Kimberly's mother, Collen, had bid £120 for the day out in TFM's Make A Child Smile

  • Aerial views are brought to book

    AERIAL photographs of Richmond dating back to 1927 have been compiled in a book. Richmond, North Yorkshire, From Low Up in the Air, is due to be launched on Thursday by Audrey Carr, whose interest in aerial photographs was sparked by a visit to a teashop

  • Gough and Law in seconds

    DURHAM will not be risking either Michael Gough or Danny Law in their four-day match starting at Derby tomorrow, preferring to let them prove their fitness in the second team. The seconds have a three-day match against Yorkshire at the Riverside starting

  • News in brief: Treat in store for music fans

    Music lovers in Ryedale will be given a double treat when the Dalesman Singers are joined by guests from Wombwell Main Male Voice Choir. The South Yorkshire singers are visiting their friends in the northern part of the county for a concert at Danby Methodist

  • Yorkshire team putting US moguls in the picture

    MORE big film productions could be heading for the broad acres of Yorkshire in the wake of a mission to the capital of the movie-world. A team from the Yorkshire Screen Commission (YSC) has jetted off to Los Angeles to meet the movers and shakers of Hollywood

  • Corus faces shareholders' wrath over chief's pay

    steel group Corus faced the wrath of investors yesterday over its chairman's 130 per cent pay rise. Sir Brian Moffat was paid £558,846 in basic pay and fees last year, compared with £302,818 for the previous 15 months. The revelation earlier this month

  • Firm takes Quayside project to next stage

    WORK on the £45m Trinity Gardens development on Newcastle Quayside has moved a step closer. It follows the legal transfer of ownership of the land behind Newcastle law courts from the city council to Silverlink Property Developments. The event was marked

  • TV chef Rick cooks up surprise visit

    AN award-winning Yorkshire cheesemaker has had a surprise caller at her farmhouse home near Thirsk. Judy Bell was preparing dishes, using her Shepherd's Purse cheeses, when she was told a top TV chef was on his way. She said: "I had an hour's notice and

  • News in brief: Students' art goes on show

    STUDENTS' artwork inspired by the Orient is being showcased at an exhibition in Durham. Final year students at New College have produced textiles, photography, paintings and other art on the theme of Oriental Inspirations. To prepare for the exhibition

  • Pledge by new-look authority

    A NEW health authority has pledged to focus on the four R's - regeneration, relationships, resour-ces and renewal. County Durham and Tees Valley Health Authority was launched on April 1 as part of the Government's plans to modernise the NHS by giving

  • New cafe proves hit with hungry students

    THE popularity of school meals has grown at a Teesside school with the introduction of a cafe. Cafe 2K2 is proving to be so popular that the number of meals provided for students at Billingham Campus School has risen from about 120 each day to 600. The

  • £110m deal for Dixon Motors

    CAR retailer Dixon Motors is to be snapped up by Royal Bank of Scotland. Lombard North Central, a subsidiary of RBS, has agreed to pay £109.7m for the Doncaster chain of car showrooms. The 300p-per-share deal will ramp up Lombard's motor business. It

  • Curtain up on wartime romance

    THE upheaval of the Second World War will be the backdrop to a musical in Hartlepool later this month. A team which produced a previous successful show in the town with a stage adaptation of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, will perform a very different, story

  • Workers retire

    Three workers at Hartlepool Borough Council, who have more than 100 years' service between them, are to retire. Norman Maylor, Ray Cranston and Reg Hartill work at the council's Lynn Street depot. Mr Maylor has been a scorer at the town's Park Drive Cricket

  • A word or two about our new library . . .

    THE smallest library in Redcar and Cleveland reopened yesterday following a major revamp. Dormanstown Library has been expanded from a former shop in Farndale Square to occupy the adjoining vacant shop, increasing its size by 50 per cent. It means the

  • Ma Potter moves to Tyneside

    CHARGRILL restaurant chain Ma Potter's is opening premises at Land Securities' £70m Gate development on Tyneside. It will be the chain's tenth restaurant. Mark Tousey, director of Ma Potter's, said: "We are excited about coming to Newcastle. Not only

  • All the best of the Georges

    CRY God for Harry, England and all that, it is St George's Day. Readers may have forgotten, or never known in the first place, or be stopping in to wash their hair. The English now celebrate St Patrick's Day, a treasonable transference of allegiance for

  • Scots going bananas over H'Angus

    H'Angus the Monkey is crossing frontiers - the Hartlepool mascot's fist at mayoralty made about ten column inches at the weekend in the up-market Scotland on Sunday. "A dead ringer for one of the Banana Splits," claimed SoS, which would have stirred memories

  • Warning over young drinkers

    POLICE chiefs are warning east Durham licensees that they must play their part in tackling the problem of under-age drinking or risk paying a tough penalty. The message follows a police operation which led to the Peterlee branch of a national newsagents

  • Power play leads to £14bn merger - but jobs are at risk

    POWER companies National Grid and Lattice are to merge to form a £14.8bn company and the UK's largest utility. The companies said they would create National Grid Transco, which would be 57.3 per cent owned by National Grid shareholders and 42.7 per cent

  • Murder investigation extended

    Detectives investigating the murder of a father of seven have been given a 36-hour extension to continue questioning three men in connection with the incident. Police were called to a disturbance in Raleigh Road, Norton, Teesside, at 10pm on Sunday, where

  • The rise and rise of a political pugilist

    AFTER a lifetime on the fringes of French politics, and the despised fringes at that, Jean-Marie Le Pen now finds himself very much centre stage. And the spotlight will be a godsend for a man who has always courted controversy. While his most infamous

  • Sharon Griffiths meets...The busy bee making the Dales buzz

    For someone who was supposed to have retired nine years ago, Kate Empsall is still rushing around Upper Wensleydale, making plans for the future THE countryside is open for business again. After last year's disaster, the Dales are doing their best to

  • Job Search

    MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234.Tees jobs. Sports development officer, Hartlepool. Scale 5 £15,741-£17,265pa (pay award pending). Two years' experience. Experience of developing activity programmes

  • Pertino to edge out in-form rivals

    WETHERBY'S decision to stage an extra jumping fixture has been rewarded with a bumper turn-out for the seven-race card. Potentially one of the most exciting contests is the Siemens Handicap Hurdle, with a clutch of in-form horses, including Gipsy Geof

  • Backpacker's runeral held in York

    The funeral of 19-year-old Caroline Stuttle who was killed while backpacking in Australia was taking place today. Miss Stuttle died nearly two weeks ago after falling 30ft from a bridge in Bundaberg, 220 miles north of Queensland, after she was attacked

  • Gamble pays off as town's obelisk lined up for repairs

    RICHMOND'S crumbling obelisk can look forward to a facelift now that a £50,000 gamble by the local authority has paid off. Richmondshire District Council agreed on a compromise over the monument's destiny earlier this year when it became clear the authority

  • Noise reduced on police spotter plane

    A police spotter plane should be fitted with a revolutionary propeller design by the summer, ending years of complaints about noise. The crime fighting plane, which is kept at Teesside Airport, between Darlington and Stockton, is shared by the Durham,

  • Graves of miners have been lost

    The final resting places of 40 men and boys who died in the region's worst ever mining disaster have been lost, The Northern Echo can reveal. Burial records name the grave sites of just 128 men and boys who died in the Stanley Burns Pit disaster of 1909

  • Autrans can help Cummins save millions

    ENGINE manufacturer Cummins is outsourcing its logistics business. Autrans, which already carries out materials handling functions for car manufacturer Nissan's Sunderland operation, is to take over the function at the Darlington Cummins plant. Cummins

  • Job projects win £1.2m backing

    SCHEMES to improve employment opportunities for jobless residents in deprived areas of Sedgefield borough have been backed by £1.2m of European money. The West Ward of Newton Aycliffe, the Sunnydale and Thickley Wards of Shildon and the coalfield communities

  • £55,000 grant aid to fund youth workers

    YOUTH workers are to be appointed in Ferryhill and Chilton following the award of a £55,000 grant. The project, to develop a support structure for young people, is being funded by Sedgefield Borough Council's Single Regeneration Budget local partnership

  • News in brief: Mission marks 164th year

    Darlington Town Mission is holding an annual service of thanksgiving to celebrate 164 years of service to the people of Darlington. The event will take place on April 29 at 7.30pm at Bondgate Methodist church. Speaker is Alistair Sharp and music will

  • Indecency case teacher's 'ordeal' is over

    A TEACHER accused of indecently assaulting children has been bound over by a court after no evidence was offered against him. Timothy Dobson, 43, of Claxton Avenue, Darlington, faced seven charges of assaulting girls under the age of 11. Teesside Crown

  • Challenge adds up to gold for three

    A DARLINGTON school has come top of the class in a national maths competition. Illona Stanga, Ruhul Abdin and Jack Smith, all from Branksome School, won gold certificates in the Schools Intermediate Maths Challenge. Fifty Branksome pupils took the test

  • Comment: The might of Le Pen

    IN many respects, the spectacular success of Jean-Marie Le Pen in the race for the Presidency is a peculiarly French phenomenon. He was helped on his way to the final round of voting by the vagaries of an electoral system which allowed 16 candidates to

  • Cruelty charges are dropped in Leonie case

    Charges of child cruelty have been dropped against the driver and passenger of a car allegedly involved in an accident which claimed the life of a six-year-old girl. Leonie Shaw died after being struck by a car as she tried to cross the A688 near her

  • Officer leads crackdown on wildlife smugglers

    A BIRD watching North-East police officer is heading a national squad targeting animal smugglers. PC Chris Kerr, serving with Cleveland Police, has been appointed to spearhead the UK's first National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit, announced by Environment

  • A word or two about our new library . . .

    The smallest library in Redcar and Cleveland reopened yesterday following a major revamp. Dormanstown Library has been expanded from a former shop in Farndale Square to occupy the adjoining vacant shop, increasing its size by 50 per cent. It means the

  • Asylum family's backers on march

    Supporters of a family of Macedonian refugees will be on the march this Saturday as part of a campaign for them to stay in this country. An immigration appeal tribunal in London has already declared that Marjun and Lile Dimitrievski, of Redcar, east Cleveland

  • Policing on the cheap - or the answer to safer communities?

    Community wardens are on patrol in towns across the region, but one of the country's most far-reaching schemes - attacked by some as 'policing on the cheap' - is set to be copied by the Metropolitan Police. Hayley Gyllenspetz takes a look at Darlington's

  • 'Doctor offered wage rise for sex'

    A NORTH-EAST GP terrorised surgery staff with temper tantrums, asked a receptionist to buy him cannabis and promised her a wage rise in return for sex, a tribunal heard yesterday. Dr Ashok Bhagat, 52, was so aggressive that his surgery manager quit her

  • Councillors' tribute to party stalwart

    COUNCILLORS have paid tribute to a former colleague who has died at the age of 75. Tommy Dodd represented Woodhouse Close, Bishop Auckland, on Wear Valley District Council until ill health forced his retirement. Members will stand for two minutes' silence

  • Display to capture memories of high days and holidays

    PEOPLE of all ages are being asked to help compile a brief history of a community. Spennymoor Youth and Community Association is putting together an exhibition of photographs of important events in the town's Bessemer Park, where the community centre

  • A pint please . . . and how much is the painting on the wall?

    AN artist's colourful creations are being snapped up after they went on display at a pub. Paul Muncaster, 22, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, has used a range of media, including hot wax, oil paintings, and Biro drawings for his Colours and Compositions

  • Boro boy Gordon targeted by ambitious Gillingham

    FIRST Division Gillingham are ready to offer a lifeline to forgotten Middlesbrough defender Dean Gordon. Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler is eager to add 29-year-old Gordon's experience to his squad for a promotion push next season. Injury-plagued Gordon,

  • Man spared jail over romance with girl, 14

    A MAN who had a relationship with a schoolgirl was spared prison yesterday after the court heard both had lied about their age. She claimed to be 15 and even doctored her birth certificate, although she was a year younger. Her boyfriend, Ian Dolan, claimed

  • News in brief: Hills Walk

    Geographer and local historian Maurice Holliday will lead an eight-mile walk, called Poetry and Landscape, in the Softer Derwent Hills on Friday, starting at 10am from the main car park at Blanchland. Walkers should take a packed lunch. The walk costs

  • Nerve gas death probe 50 years on

    An inquest into the death of a North-East airman who took part in secret military chemical warfare tests is about to be re-opened after nearly 50 years, the Attorney General said last night. He has given permission for the case of 20-year-old RAF engineer

  • Estate refurbishment marked

    AN £8.5m showpiece redevelopment of a pre-war housing estate has been officially opened. Sir Michael Duncan, a board member of the Housing Corporation, visited Tunstall Estate, in Silksworth, Sunderland. The project saw 172 Sunderland City Council homes

  • Anger at insurers' asbestos legal bid

    UNION leaders have attacked an insurers' bid to derail a legal challenge which could benefit thousands of asbestos sufferers. The House of Lords said yesterday that an appeal aimed at overturning a controversial judgement last year, which meant compensation

  • Private means private

    England coach Sven Goran Eriksson last night refused to be drawn on speculation over his relationship with TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson. Facing the Press for the first time since reports of the supposed affair surfaced, he insisted: "My private life -

  • Keeping abreast of contemporary art

    THE prized assets of a glamour model are being immortalised in glass in a delicate hands-on operation by glass experts. Danni May's most famous body parts were yesterday moulded for posterity at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. She underwent the

  • Family of tragic backpacker sets up 'travel dream' fund

    THE family of murdered backpacker Caroline Stuttle is to set up a memorial fund to help other youngsters realise their dreams of travel. An initial collection for the appeal, which is in its early stages, will be held at Caroline's funeral, today. The

  • Family firm fined £20,000 after machine death horror

    A FAMILY firm has been fined £20,000 after a worker was killed when a drilling machine was activated as he stood inside. James Sapsford had been changing a drilling tool inside a vertical boring machine at Triple T Engineering when the start lever was

  • Why fascism is on the march

    After Jean-Marie Le Pen's surprise showing in the French presidential election, Nick Morrison looks a the rise of the extreme right in Europe - and a politician with a dubious past AN EARTHQUAKE, a thunderbolt, a cataclysm - the result of the first ballot

  • Singles fightback not enough

    IT was no Sunday morning stroll by the seaside for Durham as they continued their build-up to the Northern Counties season with a narrow 8-9 defeat to the British Universities Sports Association. Ted Kirtley's side fought back strongly in the afternoon

  • Books: Town's tale of murder and malice

    It was one of Britain's worst ever miscarriages of justice. A 17-year-old gardener with a reading age of 11, was wrongly convicted of a horrific murder and, without the determination of one man, he would be in prison still. Amanda Brown talks to Don Hale

  • Driving challenge launched in style

    A TASTE of life behind the wheel of a fire engine was on offer to the North Yorkshire patron of a cancer charity yesterday. Lady Crathorne was in the driving seat of the appliance at Northallerton fire station to launch the second Ladies' Driving Challenge

  • Police seek clues to the death of father-of-seven

    A MURDER inquiry is under way following the death of a father-of-seven outside his home. Police were called to a disturbance in Raleigh Road, Norton, Teesside, at 10pm on Sunday, where they found Mark Anthony Richardson unconscious. The 39-year-old had

  • Attacker escapes jail term

    A MAN who broke another's jaw with a punch escaped the prison sentence he feared yesterday. Instead, Benjamin Cooper was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work and to pay his victim £400 compensation, plus costs of £350. Cooper, 22, was found

  • Wanted: poet to extol N-E values

    THE Campaign for a North-East Assembly is backing for calls for a poet laureate to represent the region. The association wants the creation of a post for Regional Laureate for the North-East, who would act as a champion for the region, highlighting its

  • Forces groups' fury over pensions error

    EX-SERVICEMEN'S organisations last night reacted angrily to a new pensions blunder by the Ministry of Defence. The MoD admitted that a mistake which led to thousands of disabled soldiers having their pensions taxed had also affected the Royal Navy. The

  • Chip shop with a difference set up by pupils

    TWO pupils will set up their own chip shop next month. But Rachel Nee and Neil Peckett will not be selling food - they have teamed up with the RSPCA to offer pet owners the chance to have their cats and dogs micro-chipped at knock-down prices. The Harrogate

  • Celebration of music plans revealed

    PLANS for York's biggest ever celebration of music, as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations and the national BBC Music Live festival, were announced yesterday. York Live Music Festival will incorporate local BBC Music Live entertainment, as

  • Tenants to have say over ownership

    COUNCIL house tenants on the North Yorkshire coast are in favour of a new local housing association being set up to manage their homes, a survey has found. Scarborough borough councillors have begun an initiative that will decide the future of housing

  • Lace trouble fails to stop Kemp in thrilling finish

    SUNDERLAND Harrier Mark Kemp won the North-East 10K Road Race Championship, despite having to stop twice to tie his laces. "I must have lost 20 metres each time," said the University of Northumbria student after winning a thrilling sprint finish with

  • Hunt for youths after bus attack

    TRANSPORT operators are working with police to catch youths who attacked a bus. Police said supermarket worker Brian Winward was lucky to escape with just a black eye and a grazed cheek after being struck in the face by a stone thrown through the vehicle's

  • Business groups agree in principle over merger

    PROPOSALS to unite two business groups to help further local economic prospects have moved a step closer. Following extensive discussions between the Malton and Norton Town Centre Management Company and the local Chamber of Trade, a decision to merge

  • Spotlight falls on needs of the disabled

    A college aims to educate the public on issues which confront the disabled at an awareness day next month. Darlington College at Catterick opens its doors between 10am and 3.30pm on Thursday, May 2, when seminars, stalls and workshops will be arranged

  • Hear all sides

    EUROPE DJ WHITTAKER (HAS, Apr 12) states that: "The UK economy has half our total trade and services with Europe's 370 million customers." Whilst there is widespread perception that the eurozone is the UK's most important trading partner, it has been

  • Why dads should get more of a say

    Musician and divorced father-of-three Bob Geldof has hit out at the idea mothers should be granted automatic custody of their children following a separation. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports THE Equal Parenting Council calls it "the worst social

  • Hamilton worry for Tykes

    Yorkshire are keeping fingers tightly crossed that there is a big improvement in their fast bowling when they open their defence of the County Championship against favourites Surrey at Headingley tomorrow. New skipper Darren Lehmann is the only addition

  • Lifestyle: Want to look younger (naturally)

    Massage and aromatherapy can keep you younger for longer, according to aromatherapist Caroline Innes. Women's Editor Christen Pears meets her THE beauty business is worth billions of pounds. Women, desperate to retain their youthful looks, buy countless

  • Power play leads to £14bn merger - but jobs are at risk

    POWER companies National Grid and Lattice are to merge to form a £14.8bn company and the UK's largest utility. The companies said they would create National Grid Transco, which would be 57.3 per cent owned by National Grid shareholders and 42.7 per cent

  • Work Inc buys Capco Interiors

    COMMERCIAL interiors business, Work Inc has bought Capco Interiors, in Nottingham. Work Inc, which has offices in Newcastle and Leeds, operates in the North-East and Yorkshire. Its role involves designing and providing commercial interior solutions, and

  • New knight in kitchen stronghold

    A NEW knight has stepped forward to join the team at Lumley Castle. BEN HAMIDA, 49, has been appointed restaurant manager of the Black Knight Restaurant at the hotel in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. He will oversee the day-to-day running of the restaurant

  • Why artist bill's work went to the wall

    WHEN art graduate Bill Harris decided he needed a larger canvas for his work he turned the whole wall of a gallery into a painting. His work - Beyond the Mirage - can be seen along with the paintings by his fellow University of Sunderland fine art MA

  • 'Headland shopping precinct will not be bulldozed'

    RESIDENTS living in a historic area of Hartlepool are being reassured there is no plan to demolish a shopping precinct and residential area. Following a lot of rumours, Tim White, Hartlepool Borough Council's director or regeneration and planning, has

  • Pupils help with search for a star

    EXPERIENCED coach Geoff Henderson could help serve up Britain's next great female tennis player. Summer coaching courses are under way at Durham High School for Girls, with more than 60 youngsters taking part in the initial session at the weekend. Tennis

  • Metnor's expansion programme is rolling

    ENGINEERING support services Metnor Group is planning further expansion across the UK as a result of another excellent year. The Newcastle business, which opened offices in Glasgow and London in the last year, saw pre-tax profits rise by 32 per cent to

  • Plans unveiled to cut crime and disorder

    PLANS for a community wide crackdown on crime have been unveiled. Tackling anti-social behaviour and the drugs trade are priority targets in Middlesbrough's three-year Crime and Disorder Strategy. John Richardson, Middlesbrough Council's corporate director

  • Are we a society in crisis?

    WHAT are the streets like in Darlington these days? It's pretty scary where I live in London, I can tell you. Violent crime has doubled over the last twelve months. The Government's own figures for London show that there were 48,000 muggings and 20,000

  • Pine keeps on growing

    A FURNITURE company is opening a new flagship store in the region. Durham Pine's superstore at Team Valley Retail Park, in Gateshead, will open on Saturday, creating eight new jobs. The store continues the company's national expansion programme that aims

  • Writing in rhythm in the room at the top

    Poet Anne Stevenson was thinking about retirement until she won Britain's biggest literary prize. She talks to Women's Editor Christen pears about her life and her poetry SOME claim poetry is outdated, even obsolete, but for Anne Stevenson, it is more

  • A Gent worth honouring

    Having decided that he was better at cricket than football, John Gent played a dozen second team games for Rockliffe Park in 1946, recalls that his number of catches exceeded his total of runs but was back the following year for pre-season practice when

  • A Gent worth honouring

    Having decided that he was better at cricket than football, John Gent played a dozen second team games for Rockliffe Park in 1946, recalls that his number of catches exceeded his total of runs but was back the following year for pre-season practice when

  • All the best of the Georges

    CRY God for Harry, England and all that, it is St George's Day. Readers may have forgotten, or never known in the first place, or be stopping in to wash their hair. The English now celebrate St Patrick's Day, a treasonable transference of allegiance for

  • Quakers look at tactics

    Darlington have already decided on next year's battle plan for what they hope will be a much more fruitful season than the last two. Feethams chief Tommy Taylor is a firm advocate of the 4-4-2 formation. He usually uses two wingers, but on Saturday at

  • Near-miss for teenagers walking through rail tunnel

    A train driver was forced to make an emergency stop after almost hitting two teenagers inside a tunnel. The freight train was travelling through Grinkle Tunnel, between Easington and Loftus, east Cleveland, on Monday (April 22) afternoon when the driver