Archive

  • Embassy visitors see China project

    Pupils trailblazing a project to cross cultural barriers through art will be visited by a delegation from the Chinese embassy today. The drop-in marks the culmination of a series of workshops by China Link Arts at five schools in the Derwentside district

  • Headteacher drew dead mother's cash

    A FORMER headteacher and Ofsted inspector who drew her dead mother's pension for 11 months among thefts totalling nearly £12,000 has been given a suspended jail sentence. Margaret Findley, 57, also took cash 59 times using her mother's cash point card

  • Up there with the stars

    PETER McGOVERN will discover if he has a head for heights the day before starring in The Fiddler on the Roof, in Darlington Operatic Society's latest production at the town's Civic Theatre. Peter, a 16-year-old from Langholm Crescent, Darlington, auditioned

  • Family get together

    A FATHER and son team have taken over a popular village pub. First-time landlords Michael and Kevin Melton have been pulling pints at The Bay Horse in Hurworth for just over a week. Kevin, 22, is delighted to be running his own pub. He said: "I have worked

  • Musical events mark Captain Cook's birthday celebration

    SPECIAL events are to be held to celebrate Captain Cook's birthday next week. Middlesbrough's annual Captain Cook Festival runs until October 27 and marks Cook's birthday on that day as well as celebrating the area's nautical heritage. The festival is

  • Long haul to collect pensions

    PENSIONERS in a rural village will be forced to travel across Teesdale to collect their pensions after it was announced their local post office has closed. Many residents in Staindrop only found out about the closure of the post office when they arrived

  • Row over impact of rail pay dispute

    RAIL-USERS faced another weekend of disruption as the pay dispute between Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) and its train conductors continued into its tenth month. While ATN said that up to 75 per cent of its services were running despite Saturday's 24-hour

  • Mayor's ball is work of art

    WORKS of art created by students in Darlington were the centre of attention at the annual mayor's ball on Friday. The huge indoor artists' garden was created by students from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College. Youngsters were asked to view Darlington

  • Showcase for Jean's dolls

    ORIENTAL dolls hand-crafted by a world-renowned artist are on display at a North-East museum. Durham's Oriental Museum is the venue for the exhibition by Jean Walker, 78, from Teesside. After making her first doll at the age of eight, Ms Walker, a retired

  • Traffic wardens to help cut crime

    TRAFFIC wardens in Darlington are being given extra responsibilities to help improve road safety and cut crime. The wardens have recently moved from their base at Darlington police station to the borough council's offices at Central House, in Gladstone

  • Whistle-blowing policy to be re-addressed

    COUNCIL workers in Darlington are to be encouraged to use the authority's whistle-blowing policy. Councillors set up a Confidential Reporting Policy in 1999 to allow workers to voice concerns about criminal and inappropriate activities within the authority

  • Retailer seeks spiritual guidance

    RETAILER Asda is appealing for some spiritual support for shoppers and staff at its new Bishop Auckland store. The company is looking for a chaplain for its multi-million pound development and is inviting clergy from churches in the area to volunteer.

  • Curie eating

    An Italian food night is being held to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care in the North-East. The event will take place on Wednesday at Darlington College of Technology, and costs £9.95 for three courses. To reserve a place call (01325) 503003. All

  • Comment: Strike action alarm bells

    A WEEKEND has passed since the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) declared the result of its ballot for industrial action. In that time it was to be hoped that signs would emerge that the dispute could be resolved swiftly. Sadly, there is little reason to be optimistic

  • Course 'a success' turning young offenders from crime

    A COURSE aimed at stopping young offenders in Darlington being involved in crime has been declared a success. The police have joined forces with outreach workers and the council's Youth Offending and Community Safety Service to help young people turn

  • Sculptor creates a storm for Duke of Edinburgh's birthday

    ART lovers have been given the chance to see a pony fit for a prince. A bronze sculpture of one of the Duke of Edinburgh's favourite fell ponies features in an exhibition at the Blake Gallery, in York. Artist Sally Arnup, of Holtby, near York, was asked

  • Dawn gets ready for New York

    A RUNNER is tackling the New York Marathon to raise money for a cause close to her heart. Dawn Richardson, of Darlington, is running on November 3, to raise money for a nurse at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, to promote awareness

  • Graham has a whale of a time

    CONSERVATIONIST Graham Megson is back on dry land - after cruising across the Bay of Biscay to see bio-diversity in action. He believes in the 'Think Global, Act Local' message and is writing local bio-diversity action plans for the district councils

  • Nicole is minding her language

    SHE may be only 15, but Nicole Boardman has already passed a GCSE with flying colours. The pupil, from St Francis Xavier School, Richmond, sat French two years early in the summer and managed an A* grade. As her mother, Ivy, is from Mauritius, perhaps

  • Pace-setters put in five-star away shows

    Leaders Birtley Town and second-top Wolviston won 5-0 playing away from home and coincidentally both led by three goals at the halfway stage. Birtley quickly took the initiative against bottom-of-the-table Jarrow who failed to capitalise on first-half

  • Residents given a say

    RESIDENTS can have their say over controversial plans to turn a former quarry into a landfill site this month. Private waste management firm Sita wants to use Path Head Quarry, near Ryton, Gateshead, for landfill. Planning permission for the scheme was

  • Authority lends some expertise

    LEISURE chiefs have stepped in to ensure the opening of Colburn's new sports centre next monday. Richmondshire District Council agreed to help after the Colburn Community Partnership failed to find a suitably qualified manager. As a result, the authority

  • Flood advice opportunity

    AN event to give advice on how to protect homes from flooding is to be held in North Yorkshire later this month. The Environment Agency is hosting a flood fair on the Knavesmire, in York, from 10am to 4pm, on October 27. On display will be a range of

  • Fairs aim to match jobless and vacancies

    JOBSEEKERS are invited to learn about employment prospects at two fairs. The events will be held at the Glebe Centre, Murton, on Wednesday, November 6, and at Peterlee Leisure Centre, on Wednesday, November 13, both from 10am to 3pm. They will feature

  • Prize-giving as jubilee school unveils new library

    THE latest development at one of the region's schools has been unveiled. The library at Polam Hall School, Darlington, was opened on Friday by Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo. Mr Barron unveiled a plaque in the library, which has been refurbished

  • More room for nurseries

    TWO North Yorkshire village schools are trying to raise thousands of pounds to provide better teaching accommodation. Teachers and governors at Leavening county primary school, near Malton, want £20,000 to fund space for nursery school youngsters, while

  • Sports fun for pupils

    PUPILS took part in a fun sports day at the weekend thanks to a youth group's efforts. A team of 19 young people from Kelloe and Quarrington Hill, which lack leisure facilities and youth provision, has been awarded almost £15,000 from the Prince's Trust

  • Champion Hunter has the world at his fists

    NEW world champion Michael Hunter insists nothing will stop him in his quest for further glory. The Hartlepool boxer claimed the vacant WBF super-bantamweight championship on Friday night with a scintillating performance against Sweden's Frankie De Milo

  • Iron Age finds put on show for visitors

    A COLLECTION of Iron Age finds went on display yesterday as a two-week archaeological excavation drew to a close. Visitors to Foxrush Farm, Dormanstown, Middlesbrough, were also given the chance to try their hand at making a clay pot in the traditional

  • Monks to sing vespers

    FORTY monks from Ampleforth Abbey will sing vespers at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday. The Ampleforth community is the spiritual successor to the Benedictine monks of Westminster Abbey, exiled by Queen Elizabeth I in 1559, said James Darley, spokesman

  • Get on your loan-bike

    AN initiative has been launched to encourage people to get on their bikes. The Pedal 2 Work scheme was set up for people throughout Hambleton and Richmondshire. The scheme lends bicycles to those who may face transport problems. To qualify, cyclists must

  • The Albany League: Hat-trick heroes star in West Auckland win

    WEST AUCKLAND pair Phil McGuire and Michael Carter both scored hat-tricks as West thrashed Prudhoe 7-2 on Saturday, writes Ray Simpson. West finished seventh last season and have had a mixed start so far this season, but they turned on the style to beat

  • News in brief: Security boost for phone users

    POLICE are encouraging mobile phone users to keep them safe by taking up a free security package. Mobile phone firm Orange has donated £2,150 to the Sunderland City Crime Prevention Panel initiative, which aims to reduce the number of stolen phones reported

  • Officer from Argentina trains with British forces

    Twenty years ago Caesar Fragni's father went to war with the British. Today Caesar became the first Argentinian soldier to train with the paras since the liberation of the Falkland Islands. Kate Bowman reports. Two decades ago they were deadly enemies

  • The burden of forever playing the game

    Q CAN you help me identify the following poem? I cannot recall the poet, or the rest of it. It starts as follows: There's a breathless hush in the Close tonight, Ten to make and the match to win, A bumping pitch and a blinding light, An hour to play and

  • New airline jobs for Newcastle

    Fast-growing budget airline easyJet plans to establish a regional base in Newcastle, it emerged today. More than 100 jobs are likely to be created through the expansion, with the first flights taking-off next Spring. A network of routes from Newcastle

  • Burning Questions: The burden of forever playing the game

    Q CAN you help me identify the following poem? I cannot recall the poet, or the rest of it. It starts as follows: There's a breathless hush in the Close tonight, Ten to make and the match to win, A bumping pitch and a blinding light, An hour to play and

  • Stephenson rockets to hat-trick in Falcons win

    A 13-MINUTE hat-trick by winger Michael Stephenson carried Newcastle into the second round of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup yesterday. They will face Treviso, surprise winners against Castres, after surviving a brief scare at the end of the first half

  • Library website

    A new library website has made it possible for readers to reserve books online. Darlington Borough Council's catalogue of books and music can be searched on the website. Users need their library card number to reserve an item. The site is at www.darlington.gov.uk

  • 'Back me over road gritting spending'

    A COUNCIL chief is urging residents to back him in his bid to win back a cut in the winter road gritting budget. Highways officials at Durham County Council last month agreed to cut its winter maintenance fund for the whole county by £400,000 - meaning

  • Residents urge scrapping of plans for green space homes

    A RESIDENTS' group is urging a council to scrap plans for a housing development after a planning inspector advised against it. As part of an inquiry into the Local Plan for the Durham area, Government planning inspector John Sheppard looked closely at

  • Chance to air views on green path plan

    A PUBLIC meeting will be held tomorrow to give people a chance to find out more about plans to construct an innovative vehicle-free route in Hartlepool. Officials from Hartlepool Borough Council are planning to create a greenway along the eastern side

  • New route to work opens for jobless

    A NEW pathway into work has opened to help unemployed people in Hartlepool. Called Work Route, the project helps jobless people gain the vital experience and qualifications they need to become self-employed in the construc-tion industry. The scheme, backed

  • Pupils take a walk in the park to admire their handiwork

    PUPILS from a Billingham secondary school took a walk in one of the town's parks to mark a special occasion. The youngsters from St Michael's RC School have been working with artist and blacksmith Graeme Hopper to design benches and a bridge for the newly-refurbished

  • The Monday Page: Why we need another children's hospice

    The North-East has more than 1,000 children with life limiting or life threatening conditions, but only a handful of specialist hospice beds. Women's Editor Christen Pears meets two women who are campaigning for a new children's hospice for the region

  • News in brief: Security boost for phone users

    POLICE are encouraging mobile phone users to keep them safe by taking up a free security package. Mobile phone firm Orange has donated £2,150 to the Sunderland City Crime Prevention Panel initiative, which aims to reduce the number of stolen phones reported

  • News in brief: Appeal follows road accident

    A 48-YEAR-OLD man suffered serious head injuries after being involved in an accident with a car in Stockton on Friday night. The incident happened at 7.55pm in Yarm Lane, near to the Kwik-Fit garage. The man, who is from the Haverton Hill area, was taken

  • Hudspith ponders his future

    GREAT Britain international Mark Hudspith might not run another marathon after collapsing during the Commonwealth Games two months ago. The 34-year-old Morpeth Harrier returned to competition yesterday in the Nichol Hunter Cross Country Relays at Blaydon

  • Waddle issues barrage of criticism

    HOW long will the Sunderland fans give Howard Wilkinson? we all wondered as we headed to the Stadium of Light on Saturday. How long will it be before the bouquets are replaced by brickbats; before the dissent shown by many supporters at his appointment

  • Police investigate officer's vehicle misuse

    Durham Police last night confirmed that it has launched an inquiry into allegations that an officer misused a police vehicle during the weekend, just 14 months after two PCs based at the same station were forced to quit for having a sex romp with a schoolgirl

  • Magistrate must wait to hear of charges

    A former magistrate and councillor will have to wait another month to find out whether he faces charges after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a woman. Paul Geldart, of Darlington, who denies the allegation, was arrested in August after a woman

  • Replacement ambulances on the way

    REPLACEMENTS for controversial American-made ambulances, which were branded as unsafe by paramedics, will be on the roads by next spring. North-East Ambulance Service (NEAS) officials have agreed to speed up the replacement of its remaining Chevrolet

  • Wilkinson calls the tune for Piper

    IT seems that Peter Reid's immediate legacy to Sunderland is a squad literally not fit to grace the Premiership. Howard Wilkinson may have run his new charges ragged in his first full week in command at the Stadium of Light. But even the type of punishing

  • Wear in a relegation battle now - Phillips

    KEVIN Phillips warned Sunderland fans last night to prepare for a long, hard winter after the striker admitted they are already fighting to save their Premiership skin. As Sunderland slumped to second bottom after Charlton Athletic beat Middlesbrough,

  • Blaydon getting better

    BLAYDON tuned up for Saturday's visit to Darlington Mowden Park by recording their second win from six games in National Division Three North. They remain third from the bottom, but after an encouraging display against leaders Nuneaton the previous week

  • Smith exorcises his demons at long last

    SURELY there's no stigma attatched to this defeat for Denis Smith. Disappointment maybe and a sense of what might have been certainly, but losing to Hartlepool United this season is no stain on the character. That's unlike the sense of disbelief Smith

  • Success of open access scheme

    THE guardians of some of Britain's most spectacular landscapes are celebrating this week. The Barrier Free project, in the North York Moors National Park, is finally coming to a close after more than two years of work involving public, private and voluntary

  • Shearer celebrations marred by surrender

    IT was supposed to be a celebration, but the champagne may have been left firmly on ice at Alan Shearer's Ponteland pile on Saturday night. With a club career 300th goal up for grabs against his former club then, as Rovers boss Graeme Souness agreed,

  • Tinkler well on his way to target

    MARK Tinkler this morning sits proudly at the top of the Hartlepool United goalscorers list. One above Eifion Williams, two above Gordon Watson and seven goals from 14 games isn't a bad return for a midfielder. And after being set a target of ten for

  • Woman murdered after turbulant relationship

    A couple's turbulent relationship came to a devastating end with a gruesome murder in a house fire, a court heard. Victoria Barker, 30, was found dead in the burnt out remains of her living room at her County Durham home after a blaze was deliberately

  • Wake-up call comes too late for Quakers

    THERE must be less discomforting ways to motivate the players than relying on the opposition going three up. If Darlington can perform like they did in the final ten minutes on Saturday, the league table may well have a whole new look to it. It wasn't

  • College caretaker accused of drugging and raping children

    A college caretaker from Darlington drugged children with chloroform and raped them while they were unconscious, a court was told yesterday. Two alleged victims of John James Sanderson told police that it went on for years until they were adults. They

  • Unibond League: Bishops on road to safety

    BISHOP Auckland are on the road to safety after they came from behind to beat Stocksbridge 2-1 at Dean Street. Bishops are now third from bottom and if they continue this form then they should soon reach midtable. Manager Brian Honour said: "It was a

  • News in brief: Time to book and be spooked

    A SPOOKY Halloween storytelling session will take place on Thursday, October 31. Adults and children are welcome to attend in fancy dress at the Drinkfield Marsh car park, in Whessoe Road, Darlington. Cost is £1 and the event starts at 6.30pm. To book

  • A fruitful partnership

    THE first fruit tree in a garden centre orchard was planted to celebrate National Apple Day yesterday. Strikes Lambton Garden Centre, at Bournmoor, near Chester-le-Street, is establishing a Golden Jubilee mini-orchard in its wildlife garden with the help

  • Inquiry widened over Army deaths mystery

    DETECTIVES investigating the mysterious deaths of four young soldiers at an Army barracks are reported to be widening their investigation. Surrey Police are expected to make a witness appeal over the tragedies, at the Deepcut Barracks, near Camberley,

  • Help wanted to track thief

    POLICE are seeking help to identify a man who stole from a Newton Aycliffe store. The man is responsible for a theft from Woolworths in the town centre on June 20. At noon on that day he entered the shop and stole three Bush stereos valued at £120. He

  • Pupils celebrate launch of online centre

    PRIMARY school youngsters and their parents celebrated the launch of their online centre with an afternoon of entertainment. Children at Peases West Primary School, in Billy Row, near Crook, thrilled parents with songs, drumming and other performances

  • Bid for day nursery to be checked out

    PLANNING chiefs are to take a closer look at an application for a children's day nursery in Fishburn. An application for the conversion of a four-bedroomed detached house, at West End in the village, to a 35-place children's day nursery has been received

  • School blaze may have been deliberate

    A BLAZE which wrecked disused classrooms at a Bishop Auckland school may have been started deliberately. The building at King James I Community College was left in such a dangerous condition by Saturday night's fire that investigators could not get inside

  • Children's play areas to be removed over safety fears

    CHILDREN around the Wear Valley District are losing 15 council-run playgrounds after a report condemned them as unsafe. Work starts today to remove swings and other equipment from the sites and improve another ten. Nine swings and a slide were cordoned

  • Investigation into care patients received before they died

    AN investigation has been launched into care given to two mentally ill patients before they died at a North-East hospital. The investigation comes a year after police announced there would be no criminal charges brought against the hospital. This follows

  • A time to remember

    Clocks are turned back to years of war and conflict at events all over the region. Palestine 1945-1948 MORE than 50 years ago, they were risking their lives on a daily basis as they tried to keep the peace during one of Britain's forgotten wars. At the

  • Boost for region's economy

    THE North-East economy is continuing to improve, with employment, investment and exports all increasing, according to a survey. The latest quarterly economic survey, carried out on behalf of the North-East Chamber of Commerce by Economic Research Services

  • Interested in halloween fun . . . then follow the witch guide

    GHOSTS and goblins will be on the prowl at a leafy tourist attraction next week as Halloween draws closer. Youngsters can trail among the trees at Thorp Perrow Arboretum, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, with resident witches Aggie and Morag for a spooky

  • Introduction to watercolour art

    Bearpark Artists Cooperative is holding a watercolours for beginners session in Bearpark Community Centre, on Saturday, November 2. The course runs from 10am to 3.30pm and costs £20. Parents taking children to an art workshop from 10am to noon on the

  • Market's 'donkey charter'

    A LOCAL authority which invoked an ancient "donkey charter" to block a farmers' market, has relaxed its decision. The market, which was to have been held last month in Stockton's Wellington Square Shopping Centre, will now go ahead on Wednesday following

  • News in brief: Fitting tribute to arts teacher

    A NEW performing arts studio has been dedicated to a former teacher who died from cancer earlier this year. Christine Elsam was a media and theatre studies teacher at Scarborough Sixth Form College. She had previously worked in television and the theatre

  • £120,000 damage in air hangar fire

    AN estimated £120,000 of damage was caused when fire broke out in a barn used as an aircraft hangar. Fire officers were called to the blaze at High Flatts Farm, South Pelaw, near Chester-le-Street, shortly before 3am yesterday. By the time they arrived

  • News in brief: Health and fitness link up

    GPs have joined forces with a council fitness team to offer patients free consultations on exercising their way to health. Willington Health Centre is open from 1pm to 4pm on Tuesdays for 20-minute sessions with health and fitness consultant Tony Pearson

  • Townsfolk have their way over traffic

    HELMSLEY traders and residents have won their fight to keep car parking in the town's Market Place and have succeeded in blocking plans for one-way traffic systems. Three options had been put to the town in a bid to improve the traffic problem and road

  • News in brief: Concern for missing man

    POLICE are appealing for information about Robert Scott Clive, 30, who was last seen on October 8 in Alvinton Avenue, North Shields, North Tyneside. He is 5ft 11in, white, with short dark hair and a snake tattoo on his arm, and walks with a limp. Anyone

  • Scheme to cut police driving accidents

    A SCHEME to cut the cost of police driving accidents and raise driving standards in the force is about to be launched. Under the scheme, by Durham Constabulary, due to start next month, selected vehicles will be fitted with black box data recorders and

  • Oktoberfest tastes success

    A TRADITIONAL German beer festival - with input from other nations - came to the region at the weekend. Durham's Gala Theatre was the venue for Oktoberfest, the city's first international beer, wine and food festival, on Saturday and Sunday. Among the

  • Reality check for Boro at the unhappy Valley

    AN early Jason Euell strike proved enough to deny high-flying Middlesbrough a return to third in the Premiership yesterday. The former England Under-21 international struck after just five minutes to end Boro's four-match winning streak. Charlton had

  • Revitalisation of villages plan is drawn up

    PROPOSALS to revitalise three villages have been drafted as part of County Dur-ham's first Parish Plan. The plan, covering Croxdale, Sunderland Bridge and Hett, was funded through the Countryside Agency's Vital Villages initiative. It was drafted following

  • Gowan's fury as Shildon crash out

    SHILDON manager Ray Gowan blasted his team after they crashed out of the FA Carlsberg Vase 4-1 at Cammell Laird on Saturday. Gowan believed that his team were "humiliated" and added: "We have reached a watershed in our season. "We were let down by a number

  • Hospital recruits 14 physio staff

    NORTH Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust has recruited 14 junior physiotherapists in its biggest single intake of physiotherapy staff to date. The five male and nine female starters are based at the University Hospital of Hartlepool. The new arrivals have

  • Blair's summit to beat firemen

    PRIME Minister Tony Blair last night ordered Downing Street's emergencies committee to produce a battle plan for the imminent series of firefighters' strikes. Civil servants from the Ministry of Defence, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and other

  • Rocket mishap proves blow to Britons' work

    A LAUNCH-pad tragedy has shattered the hopes of two British graduates of becoming the first European students to have an experiment in space. A Russian soldier was killed last week when an unmanned Soyuz rocket crashed back to earth seconds after lift-off

  • Judge is appointed honorary recorder

    NORTH-East judge Peter Fox QC has been handed a rare honour. Judge Fox has been appointed Honorary Recorder of Middlesbrough and becomes the first senior legal figure to hold the office. At the opening of proceedings at Teesside Crown Court, on Friday

  • Town greets composition

    A CHRISTIAN musical by composer Roger Jones will be performed in Northallerton next month. The composer's National Touring Party and a locally-formed ecumenical choir will be taking to the stage at the Hambleton Forum, on November 16, at 4pm and then

  • Millionaire announces plans for another ten health clubs

    MILLIONAIRE businessman Duncan Bannatyne last night announced plans to build a further ten health clubs across the UK next year. Darlington company Bannatyne Fitness, the country's largest independent health club operator, already has 23 sites open or

  • Victim detained

    A 45-year-old man was kept in hospital with serious head injuries after a road accident in Norton High Street. The incident happened at 5.55pm on Saturday when the man was involved in an accident with a Vauxhall Frontera car. He was taken to the University

  • Mountain bikes put up as prizes for quiz

    Five mountain bikes are up for grabs during half-term at leisure centres across the borough of Stockton. Youngsters booking themselves on activities or courses have the chance to win one of the bikes. Entry forms are available for children on courses

  • Another big step for one brave little girl

    Taking part in your first dance competition would be a big day for any little girl. But for three-year-old Hannah Maxwell-Jones, who was born with a terribly disfigured face, it was a particularly special landmark after surgery in the US. Hannah's parents

  • Fair ban angers gipsy riders

    PROTESTING gipsies are to meet police and councillors after they were prevented from running their horses through a North-East town at the weekend. They were told by police that the traditional spectacle in Yarm, Stockton, which has become part of the

  • Study shows military museum outpost could create 300 jobs

    ABOUT 1,500 people would directly benefit from an ambitious scheme to create a northern outpost of the National Army Museum, a report has claimed. An economic impact study into the £19m proposal showed it would have major positive knock-on effects for

  • Memories of mining revived by museum

    MEMORIES of mining days are being evoked in a museum exhibition. Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund's Awards for All scheme, the Old Fulling Museum of Archaeology, in Durham, has been able to participate in a Celebrating Local History project

  • Children rewarded for art efforts

    TALENTED school children have been rewarded for their colourful contribution to the Northumbria In Bloom painting competition. About 100 children gathered at Spennymoor Town Hall for a ceremony aimed at celebrating the hard work they had put into their

  • Vanessa has eyes on national title

    VANESSA Raw has top prizes in her sights after winning the regional heat of an optician's competition. The 18-year-old, from Durham, won the north of England title in the Specsavers Look of 2002 competition. She goes through to the national final, in

  • Action call over menace of louts

    THE heads of two education centres have been called before a special council meeting to account for their students' behaviour in a town centre. Guisborough Town Council has also come up with a programme designed to prevent gangs of youngsters causing

  • Day of nostalgia at police station

    BOBBIES from across Cleveland took the chance for a last look around their old beat. Dozens of policemen, retired and still-serving, were invited back for a photocall at the 150-year-old Loftus police station before it closes. "We've had an excellent

  • Riverside chance for young footballers

    CHILDREN who take advantage of a half-term football course could find themselves kicking a ball at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium. Youngsters who sign up for training courses organised by Middlesbrough Football in the Community will get to take part

  • News in brief: Appeal follows road accident

    A 48-YEAR-OLD man suffered serious head injuries after being involved in an accident with a car in Stockton on Friday night. The incident happened at 7.55pm in Yarm Lane, near to the Kwik-Fit garage. The man, who is from the Haverton Hill area, was taken

  • Hear All Sides: Bali Bombing

    YOUR comment (Echo, Oct 15) states that it could be assumed that, after Afghanistan, that justice was seen to be done. That was never the case, as the American President stated it would be a long battle and would affect us all. The Bali bombing was an

  • Foot-and-mouth charges dropped

    Further charges against a pig farmer believed to be at the centre of last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak were dropped today because they were not in the public interest, the prosecution said. Breeder Bobby Waugh, 57, of St Luke's Road, Pallion, Sunderland

  • What would your sewing teacher say?

    THERE are some weird and wonderful ingredients in modern embroidery, as an exhibition in Durham proves. Sharon Griffiths reports. THINK "embroidery" and what comes to mind? Probably neat and precise little stitches following a neat and precise pattern

  • McClaren laments domestic break

    STEVE McClaren last night admitted the international break could have come at the wrong time for his Middlesbrough players. Boro, who suffered defeat at Charlton yesterday, did not look the same side that had gone four games without losing prior to the

  • Family leave for Bali to identify victim

    The family of a North-East man killed in the Bali bomb blast flew out to the island yesterday to help identify his body. Ian Findley, 55, from West Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was one of more than 30 Britons who died in the blast at

  • Councils lobby MPs for more funding

    The fight for a fairer funding system will be stepped up tomorrow when council leaders argue for an extra £130m for the North-East. Coun Tony Flynn, chairman of the Association of North East Councils, will lobby Northern MPs to highlight the "substantial

  • 'This was the day that I died'

    Millions of people have reported near-death experiences, but without a scientific explanation, claims are often greeted with scorn. Lindsay Jennings reports. IT WAS the little things she noticed which made the experience disturbingly real. While the doctors

  • Reyna blow for Sunderland

    HOWARD WILKINSON could be facing a major injury worry over midfielder Claudio Reyna, who hobbled out of Sunderland's 1-0 home defeat by West Ham with suspected knee ligament damage. The United States World Cup captain came off in some distress with ten

  • Bali victim attended York school

    One of the victims of the Bali terrorist atrocity was a former pupil at one of the oldest public schools in the country, it emerged yesterday. Clive Walton, who was 33, was one of more than 180 killed when the packed Sari nightclub was blown to pieces

  • Souness leads plaudits for an England 'great'

    THE glowing tributes to the achievements of one of England's greatest goalscorers started soon after the final whistle was blown at Ewood Park on Saturday. Firstly his manger Sir Bobby Robson called it 'colossal', and his teammates joined in the praise

  • Talking Point: Why Moyes Keeps Rooney under wraps

    AS his defeated teammates left the Goodison pitch, Thierry Henry waited for Everton's celebrations to wind down before making his exit. He sought out Wayne Rooney, offered him his congratulations, then left the stage clear for the Premiership's newest

  • Taylor to fight his corner

    DARLINGTON manager Tommy Taylor has vowed to "stick it out" following Saturday's home defeat against Boston United. A small group of Quakers fans gathered near the players' tunnel to show their discontent towards Taylor and chairman George Reynolds revealed

  • Sacked presenter's double honour

    SACKED radio presenter Alan Wright was last night celebrating a double accolade. Mr Wright, ousted by BBC Radio Cleveland last month, won a coveted silver Frank Gillard award at the radio industry's "Oscars", for the best response to a news story. And

  • Rise in weights won't stop Paddy

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