FOOTBALL-mad solicitor Duncan Emmerson jokingly told decorators to paint his office in the colours of his favourite team as he rushed out to court. But he was stunned when he returned to his Sunderland office to find they had taken him at his word and
The Northern Echo has proudly campaigned for the North-East to celebrate its status as the birthplace of the railways. In the latest move, Stuart Mackintosh reports on an attempt to transport a piece of history to Darlington. IT is a name synonymous with
East Durham Deafened and Hearing Impaired Support is holding awareness sessions at libraries throughout the area. They will be at Sedgefield Library, tomorrow, from 10am to noon; Peterlee Library, on February 25, from 10am to noon; Wheatley Hill Library
A KERBSIDE recycling scheme will be launched in Norton next month. Ryedale District Council is testing the scheme, where residents will be able to put out glass, cans, papers and garden waste for recycling. The council set up a mobile information unit
LITTER louts were responsible for maiming and killing thousands of animals last year, according to campaigners. A report published today by Keep Britain Tidy on the number of rubbish-related injuries to animals, shows there were 69,000 in the UK last
STEEPLEJACKS have been hitting the heights to carry out vital church repairs. They attracted skywards glances from shoppers as they helped shore up the weather cock at St Cuthbert's Church, in the Market Square, Darlington. The two steeplejacks were also
A GOVERNMENT whip faced tough questioning from pupils at a County Durham primary school. Houghton and Washington East MP Fraser Kemp visited East Rainton Primary School on Friday, where he sat in on a meeting between pupils on the school council and staff
A COURIER firm is backing one of the biggest charity fundraising events of the year. DHL, in Newcastle, has delivered Comic Relief red noses, free to the region's Oxfam shops, ready for Saturday's launch of Red Nose Day 2003. This year's red nose features
PIECES of an exquisite 15th Century window depicting the life, death and miracles of a saint have gone on display. The exhibition at York Minster gives visitors the chance to see panels of the St William window during its second phase of conservation
RESIDENTS have received prizes after rating a council's environmental services. Georgina Haswell, of Murton, and Joyce Greenwell, of Horden, were entered in a prize draw after completing a survey of Easington District Council services, including refuse
MORE than 900 people packed an art gallery at the weekend in the hope of being chosen for a project by Angel of the North sculptor Antony Gormley. The artist has returned to the region to start work on a commission for the Baltic, in Gateshead, called
THE town council in the North Yorkshire tourist spot of Helmsley is urging residents to back its latest campaign. It is urging traders and residents to help make the town a winner in this year's Britain in Bloom Awards. Town clerk John Dale said that
A LOCAL history group is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an exhibition. Norton Heritage Group was set up to research the history of Norton, Stockton and the rest of Teesside. The group is marking the milestone with an exhibition in Norton Library
WOMEN in the region are dangerously ignorant about the dangers they face from heart disease, according to a new survey. Most North-East women think they have more to fear from cancer than heart disease. But the reality is that heart disease kills four
A PLAY by two North-East writers has been such a success on its debut in the region that a theatre is bringing it back. Bosses at the Customs House, South Shields, have scheduled the comedy Dirty Dusting for a re-run in August to coincide with the South
AN international academic is to deliver a lecture to the University of Teesside via a video link from the US. Professor Edward Said, a critic of US Middle Eastern policy, is to deliver the lecture, titled Palestine, Israel and the Iraq War, from the University
INTREPID Amber Powers, from Darlington, is planning to take part in a ten-day trek through the mountains of Peru in September. The 40-year-old needs to raise a minimum of £3,000 by July for the mental health charity Mind, which has organised the challenge
Richard Whitaker's Alchemist Master, who turned in a much improved display at Southwell last week, is taken to follow up in the Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap at Wolverhampton this afternoon. Horses that travel strongly on sand are always of interest
Spennymoor assistant manager Jason Ainsley says that their next two games will be crucial to Moors' season. Moors edged closer to the playoff positions with a 2-1 home win over Kidsgrove on Saturday, and Ainsley said: "This is a really important week
YOUNGSTERS aged from eight to 16 years can choose from nine different sports for a series of one-hour taster sessions during the half-term holiday. Redcar and Cleveland Council's sports development team is organising the Try Sports Day at Gillbrook College
I MUST congratulate the leader of Darlington Council for his electioneering sleight of hand in respect of the increase in council tax for the townsfolk - an increase well above the rate of inflation, decided by a secret cabinet and not open to debate
THE Chinese New Year came to Durham City on Saturday with a performance of the colourful Lion Dance. The ceremony, performed outside the Gala Theatre by Durham Hung Sing Choi Lee Fut Kung Fu Club, heralded in the Year of the Ram. The lion, brought to
Women's Editor Christen Pears gets a sneak preview of the new Marks & Spencer per una spring/summer collection. THE new spring/summer 2003 collection from per una at Marks & Spencer, designed by George Davies, features slick tailoring, stylish
THE region's most travelled cuddly toy has returned home from its latest globetrotting exploits. In the past few months, Doddy the teddy bear has watched England at the World Cup, climbed the highest volcano in Costa Rica, and had tea at a Japanese temple
A COUPLE who were brought together by the Second World War celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Thursday. David Smith, 80, was serving in the Army and his wife Alice, 79, was a member of the Navy, Army and Airforce Institute (Naffi), when they
WARNING: Watching Hartlepool United can be bad for your health. Because if the blood pressure isn't rising because of the excitement of watching a team go ten points clear at the top of the table, it will be as the clock nervously edges towards 90 minutes
COLIN COOPER left Anfield on Saturday hoping his man-of-the-match performance had improved his chances of winning a new Middlesbrough contract this summer. The defender, making his first Premiership start since September, scarcely put a foot wrong as
Shildon chairman Gordon Hampton last night denied that the Northern League club could be on their way out of their Dean Street home to share a ground with Bishop Auckland. Bishops, who play their UniBond League games on Shildon's ground, have called an
SIR BOBBY ROBSON accused referee Neale Barry of destroying Newcastle United's title dream last night after the official "showed no common sense" in sending off Laurent Robert. Magpies boss Robson was furious with Barry and Dennis Bergkamp after Robert
Police hunting the killer of Amanda "Milly" Dowler today revealed they had not found a match for mystery DNA found on the schoolgirl's clothing. The unidentified male DNA, discovered on clothes recovered from Milly's bedroom, has been matched to DNA found
WARDENS at Guisborough Forest and Walkway are inviting young people to create a new mural for the visitor centre at Pinchinthorpe. The task on Wednesday, February 19, from 1pm to 4pm, will be to produce felt from raw wool as the material for the centre's
A British man was murdered and his wife abducted by two men during a terrifying robbery at their home in Thailand, the Foreign Office confirmed today. Arthur James Green, 63, originally from Ripon, North Yorkshire, was stabbed and then gunned down on
It is extremely tight at the top of the table with just six points separating eight sides. Birtley Town improved their championship chances but they were pressed all the way before defeating Ryhope CW 2-1. Michael Ford broke the deadlock on 56 minutes
THE efforts of primary school pupils have helped Darlington Memorial Hospital's special care baby unit. Catherine Holme, Rebecca Goddard, Rebecca Fielden, Jane Hughes, Emily Seabourne, Karen Jackson and Laura Charlton raised £75 for the premature baby
SAFETY experts say they have overseen a big fall in the number of accidents on the roads in Darlington. Figures released by Darlington Borough Council show that it is performing ahead of road safety casualty reduction targets set by the Government in
HAIR and beauty students have been battling it out in style, in the salon and on the catwalk. Dozens of teenagers studying at Darlington College of Technology vied for honours in the Cava Hair and Beauty Competition. Salon owners and beauty therapists
A school hall is to receive a facelift thanks to a donation from a charitable trust. Skerne Park Primary School, in Parkside, Darlington, has been awarded £200 by the Abbey National Charitable Trust. The money will be used to replace worn-out curtains
FOUR years of hard work paid off for community leaders at the weekend with the opening of a first-class facility. The refurbished St Columba's Church and Clifton Community Centre, in Darlington, was opened to the public on Saturday. The development has
MUSIC fanatic Kymberely Rowbottom has hit the right notes to raise hundreds of pounds for charity. The mother-of-two, from Darlington, staged a keyboard-playing marathon on Saturday in aid of the NSPCC. The six-hour session, at her home in Pateley Moor
A GOVERNMENT minister learned the ropes of Roman living on a museum visit. Arts Minister Baroness Blackstone accompanied pupils from Carville Primary School, Wallsend, on a visit to the town's Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum. She viewed the world
AN Oscar-winning producer returned to the region yesterday for the first public showing of his latest film. Sunderland-born David Parfitt, who won an Oscar for the film Shakespeare in Love, was at The Customs House, in South Shields, South Tyneside, for
A DISABLED North-East woman has told of her invaluable "wonderdog" helper at a special ceremony. Carol Goodman and her dog, Anton, from Darlington, were among the guests of honour at the Leeds event, organised by Dogs for the Disabled. Miss Goodman and
AN ANNUAL exhibition of amateur photography opened in Darlington this week. The Darlington Camera Club's exhibition opened at the town's new art gallery, which has taken over half of the space in the former rates hall, next to the town hall. Over 100
HAIR and beauty students have been battling it out in style, in the salon and on the catwalk. Dozens of teenagers studying at Darlington College of Technology vied for honours in the Cava Hair and Beauty Competition. Salon owners and beauty therapists
IT may boast a fine list of period features, but the ghoulish location of one particular "des res" is enough to scare off the average homemaker. For even the most eager estate agent will find it difficult to extol the virtues of living in the middle of
AN AWARD-WINNING youth drama group is preparing to take to the stage with its first pantomime. The Tearaways, from Shildon, were presented with a chivalry award for the work they did on Bogus Callers. Now they are showing off their skills in pantomime
VOLUNTEERS are celebrating after a petrol company paid for equipment for their computer suite. Shell Oil donated £400 to the community centre in Crookhall, near Consett. The cash will go on new chairs and a printer. Kathy Bailey, the centre's volunteer
INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into the collapse of a newly built Persimmon home, which forced owners of nearby properties to be rehoused. The gable end of a house on the Aiskew Estate, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, gave way last week during an operation
INTERNET use in rural areas across Yorkshire and the Humber is the highest for any region in the UK. A study by The Countryside Agency reveals that 54 per cent of people living in the region go online either at home or at work, partly because of a growing
A RADIO competition has left a phone company's computer system unable to cope with the number of calls. Galaxy 105-106's What's That Noise competition, which encourages listeners to guess the origins of noises in return for cash, has crashed a telecommunications
A RACECOURSE is planning a modern day re-run of its first race. The Sedgefield Silver Plate race of 1730 offered a prize worth ten guineas to the winner. But the revived event taking place on Tuesday, February 18, comes with a prize fund of £6,000 - and
A care home worker has been arrested over the rape of an 89-year-old woman at the residential home where he worked. The woman was attacked at the care home in Jarrow, on Friday, Northumbria Police said. A 50-year-old man was arrested following the incident
A VILLAGE facing a total withdrawal of bus services has been put back on the regular bus route. Kirklevington was threatened with having no daytime services at all after Arriva North-East announced it was cutting journeys on its number 21 service. But
FEATHERED residents of a North-East nature reserve are the newest reality TV stars to be captured on camera. Visitors to Durham Wildlife Trust's sanctuary at Low Barns, near Witton-le-Wear, can spy on the everyday life of its birds through a system of
Two men and a woman were taken to the University Hospital of North Durham with serious injuries following a collision between a red Citroen ZX and a blue Nissan Micra on the A691, about a mile north of Lanchester, at about 6pm on Saturday. Anyone who
MEMORIES of the men who fought in the First World War will go on display as youngsters perform a play about the conflict. Consett Theatre Workshop's junior group will perform the musical, Oh What A Lovely War, at the Empire Theatre, Consett, County Durham
MEMORIES of the men who fought in the First World War will go on display as youngsters perform a play about the conflict. Consett Theatre Workshop's junior group will perform the musical, Oh What A Lovely War, at the Empire Theatre, Consett, County Durham
THOSE with a morbid curiosity are invited to an open day in Stockton on Saturday - at a funeral parlour. People are invited to view the services offered by the Co-operative Funeral Service at its funeral home in Norton Road. Divisional manager Phil Hogarth
DURHAM'S congestion charging scheme has been praised as extremely successful by an influential committee of MPs. The city introduced the country's first congestion charge in October on Durham City's peninsula, which includes the castle, cathedral and
A CHARITY event has been organised on Teesside in memory of a girl who died from a rare form of cancer. The bowling challenge night at The Hollywood Bowl, at Teesside Park, on Monday, March 10, at 7pm, has been organised by The Katie Trust, named after
Big hearted northerners have raised £300,000 to boost cancer services in record time. Officials from the Macmillan Cancer Relief Fund say they have been staggered by the response to their appeal. Just over a year after the £600,000 target was announced
A FORMER council leader has said his family was the target of a "crude and cruel'' vendetta. Councillor Ken Walker hit out following a row over ornate garden railings costing more than £1,000, which were erected outside his daughter, Linda's, home in
THE value of sight and the challenges faced by people with poor vision come under the spotlight in two new exhibitions in Hartlepool. They are running at Hartlepool Art Gallery until the end of March under the banner Double Vision. They both challenge
A PRIMARY school was so tired of waiting for council bosses to find them a crossing patrol warden that the deputy headteacher decided to do the job. Every weekday, at 8.30am, Clare Marriott puts on a yellow coat and hat and carrying a lollipop stick she
A COMPREHENSIVE school has gained special college status backed by £83,000 sponsorship from parents and industry. Students from Ferryhill Comprehensive School will arrive in their classrooms today to be told that the school will become the first Business
KEEN walkers gathered for the first in a series of walks designed to encourage people to enjoy a healthier lifestyle. The three-mile walk, which followed the former railway line between Bishop Auckland and Brandon Way, marked the first in a programme
CLUB CALL: Crook Town Cricket Club wants to hire a professional for the coming season. Applicants should contact (01388) 763284. A Valentine's family disco will be held in the club on Saturday, from 7pm to 11pm. ARTHRITIS SUPPORT: People with arthritis
A NATIONAL campaign to help people stop smoking has won the support of Hambleton District Council. No Smoking Day is held on Wednesday, March 12, this year and leaflets and displays giving advice on how to quit will be on show at council offices. The
MUSEUMS in the North-East will be among the first to benefit from £70m of Government funding. The region is one of three across the country to have been chosen for the first phase of the Renaissance in the Regions scheme. Aimed at promoting regional museums
THE Lord Chancellor has appointed 11 magistrates to serve in North Yorkshire. Roger Alcott, of Easingwold; Mark Badminton, of Thirsk; Dr David Belbin, of Escrick; Paul Ironmonger, of Fulford; Paul Campey, of West Haddesley; Beverley Foster, of Osgodby
DAREDEVIL Bishop John Pritchard will be putting his faith in God when he walks across hot coals for charity. The Bishop of Jarrow will be taking up the challenge in aid of St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham City. He will be one of a team of volunteers who
A water company is offering one lucky couple the chance to clean up in a Valentine's Day competition with a difference. Rather than being whisked away to Rome or Paris, the winners will sip chilled champagne at a sewage works. Yorkshire Water has come
A HORSE is recovering after being trapped in a septic tank for about two hours. Firefighters were called to Box Nook Farm, in Greenside, Gateshead, on Saturday morning after the animal, called Scout, became trapped in the 6ft by 6ft container. The horse
THEY are big enough to make any schoolboy go green with envy but, sadly for them, these conkers don't grow on trees. The giant specimens, along with some equally outsize sycamore seeds, were created as part of the National Trust's centenary celebrations
OPEN Country, a North Yorkshire group which helps disabled people enjoy the countryside, has published a directory of accessible walks, outings and wildlife watching spots. The group, managed by Harrogate and District Community Transport, is part-funded
SCHOOL entrepreneurs have been making waves in the world of commerce by helping to keep a struggling swimming pool project afloat. A-level students from Wolsingham School and Community College acted as business troubleshooters for the Weardale Open Air
SCHOOL entrepreneurs have been making waves in the world of commerce by helping to keep a struggling swimming pool project afloat. A-level students from Wolsingham School and Community College acted as business troubleshooters for the Weardale Open Air
NORTH Yorkshire County Council's building design and management unit is offering free training sessions for contractors from now until April. The programme aims to inform and advise small and medium-sized enterprises on legislation, best practice and
A DARLINGTON tennis club has been granted planning permission to install more floodlights, despite opposition from neighbours. The New Blackwell Lawn Tennis Club, in Carmel Grove, will install floodlights on its fourth court. The club already has lights
Design changes will improve a Sunderland school's replacement building. Local organisations including Timber Frame Solutions (TFS), Dorin Construction, and Maughan Reynolds and Partners have teamed up with Sunderland City Council and Grangetown Primary
A CHARITY is £1,000 better off thanks to the generosity of the Freemasons of Durham County. The mayor of Stockton, Councillor Jean O'Donnell received the cheque on behalf of the Cornelia De Lange Syndrome Foundation. The foundation provides services that
ROGER KIRK, who was headteacher of Easingwold School from the early-1980s to 1993, has died at the age of 69. He was a lay reader in the Church of England for more than 40 years and, until recently, was chairman of the management committee of Northallerton's
TRAFFIC has been banned from using parts of Scarborough's Marine Drive, which links the resort's North and South bays, because of safety fears. Officials say the drive is suffering from storm damage and parts of the pavement and railings used by thousands
PLANS to redevelop St John's Square in Seaham have moved a step closer after councillors backed a £30,000 feasibility study. Officials consider the square is vital to the town's image. it is home to a number of key public services, including the bus station
THOUSANDS of women workers who lose out on wages during school holidays could benefit from a landmark tribunal in the North-East, due to start today. Four women employed at schools by Middlesbrough Council will claim sexual discrimination against the
YOUNGSTERS curbed their chatter to raise money for cancer sufferers in a sponsored silence. Pupils at Easington Community School were among those across the UK taking part in Macmillan Cancer Relief's sixth annual Hold Your Tongue Challenge, on Friday
ELSWICK Harrier Ryan McLeod ran the race of his life to take third place and lead the North-East's junior men to gold medal glory in the Reebok Inter Counties Championships at Nottingham. The 18-year-old Tynesider, son of former Olympic Games 10,000m
THE deadline to check whether voters will be eligible to post their votes in Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's postal election is Monday, March 11. To check whether you are elegible, or if you have any questions about the elections, call the confidential
ANIMAL lovers are hoping to come up with a solution to a lost dog problem online. The Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Sara), is trying to trace owners or find homes for dogs via its website. So far two puppies, one of which had been abandoned in a
HUNDREDS of anti-war supporters will travel to London from the North-East at the weekend to protest against war with Iraq. More than 20 coaches will leave the region on Saturday to take part in the march, which is expected to be the biggest in British
A MOBILE police station has moved to Linthorpe this week in a high-profile operation to reassure residents on the outskirts of Middlesbrough. From today, the unit will be parked at the Cenotaph, with up to six officers working from noon until midnight
INTREPID Amber Powers, from Darlington, is planning to take part in a ten-day trek through the mountains of Peru in September. The 40-year-old needs to raise a minimum of £3,000 by July for the mental health charity Mind, which has organised the challenge
A soldier providing cover during the fire strike who made two hoax 999 calls to his unit has received a military jail sentence, an Army spokesman said. The soldier, who has not been named, was stationed in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, during last weekend's
THE leaves that decorated the trees on the scenic approach to Middlesbrough's picturesque training ground were beginning to lose their green hue when Steve McClaren made a telling admission. It was September, and McClaren not only confessed he did not
THE deadline to check whether voters will be eligible to post their votes in Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's postal election is Monday, March 11. To check whether you are elegible, or if you have any questions about the elections, call the confidential
And the winner of the best actress Oscar is Nicole Kidman - by a nose. The prosthetic proboscis worn by the Australian actress as writer Virginia Woolf in The Hours has given her the lead in the 75th Academy Awards race. When the nominations are announced
A HEADTEACHER is counting the cost of a rash pledge after offering his services as a window cleaner. Wolsingham Primary School head Sam Underwood has volunteered for a window cleaning marathon at one of the biggest houses in the village to raise money
A HEARTBROKEN widow is to sue steel makers Corus over the death of her husband. Bob Powlay, 54, was involved in welding work on a roller which had sheared on a 48-year-old conveyor belt at the Portrack pipe works, Stockton. He was fatally injured when
CRAIG BELLAMY might be quick, but Thierry Henry showed yesterday that he has the va-va-voom that marks him out as a class above Newcastle United's jet-heeled tyro. Billed as a match that would amount to a sprint finish between Bellamy and Henry, the Wales
THE proverbial kick up the backside has never done anyone any harm - Darlington's Ian Clark can vouch for that. Prior to last week's defeat at struggling Swansea, caretaker boss Mick Tait had challenged one of his strikers to stake a claim for a regular
Five years after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Lesley Thompson says she's never felt more positive. In the last of our three-part series, she talks to Women's Editor Christen Pears. LESLEY Thompson had been at the clinic all day. By the end of the
ALL your yesterdays could be preserved in steel forever in a new art project. The public of Redcar is being given a unique chance to have their memories of their home town immortalised in a series of seafront panels. On Tuesday, a team of four questioners
MARK Robinson and James Coppinger go back a long way. Best friends, they grew up together in Guisborough, lived nearby and used to play for the same Hartlepool United team. But when then Pool boss Chris Turner opted against signing the forward on his
WAR ON IRAQ: AMERICA has once again stood head and shoulders over the rest of the world by giving its damning verdict on the evil dictator Saddam Hussein. I, and most of this nation, back President Bush and Tony Blair on their quest to remove such an
SUNDERLAND defender Jody Craddock last night implored his teammates to fight the mental torment of their inexorable slide towards relegation. Craddock, one of his side's better performers in Saturday's crushing 4-1 defeat at Tottenham, has called for
THERE appears to be no end to poor Michael Proctor's misery. Having endured the excruciating embarrassment of scoring two of his side's three own goals in the 3-1 home defeat by Charlton a week earlier, the young Wearsider wasted a brace of chances against
A GROUP set up to investigate the closure of Guisborough Hospital's Maternity Unit has begun compiling a report to decide its future. Work began last Friday after the final session of interviews was completed, at which a midwife supervisor shared her
HEALTH Minister Alan Milburn visited youngsters at a Darlington school on Friday to present a healthy eating award. While presenting the certificate, the Darlington MP told pupils at Skerne Park Primary School it was important to exercise and to eat a
Darlington have the players to "compete with the best," according to young midfielder Ashley Nicholls. Quakers were made to settle for a point on Saturday after twice taking the lead against promotion-chasing Rushden. "I think we showed today that we
WEEKS of deliberations finally produced two Newcastle Falcons players for Mowden Park, and now more discussions will be needed to decide whether they face The Cats or Bedford Athletic next weekend. The visit of the South African stars to Kingston Park
ARMED police have carried out raids across the Guisborough area in the hunt for two gunmen who shot a man at point blank range. Their 23-year-old victim, who staggered to hospital alone after being shot in the lower abdomen on Tuesday, was still under
THE leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is writing to the Deputy Prime Minister to ask why Teesside has been left out of a £500m plan to tackle poor housing. Newcastle and Gateshead are both to benefit from John Prescott's plans to improve
LAURENT ROBERT spiked the Gunners' Premiership title push - then shot himself in the foot! The Frenchman's third goal of the season brought Newcastle level in the 53rd minute of a pulsating contest at St. James' Park yesterday after fellow countryman
A COUNCIL leader will not fight his marginal seat in forthcoming elections but will instead stand in a safe ward. Labour's David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, has been accused of running scared by a rival leader. Coun Walsh represents
WHILE Darlington's promotion hopes in North One were dented by a 22-18 defeat at Chester, the fact that Macclesfield also lost means they still have every chance of finishing second. Victory in all their eight remaining games would certainly be enough
THE start of cricket's World Cup was in turmoil last night as England dithered over whether to travel to Zimbabwe for their opening game. The crisis overshadowed the beginning of the showpiece tournament which opened with a thrilling match between South
A FAMILY who have finally moved back home after six months in temporary accommodation remain in fear of flood water returning to devastate their lives for a third time. Maureen Beauchamp and husband Steven were forced out of their house in Chantry Road
IT started as an unpaid Saturday job but today, Adrian Watson works for one of the country's leading hair salons as an award-winning stylist. The team at Saks, in Northallerton, is celebrating Adrian's recent success after he picked up the Men's Image
RAIL enthusiasts are today launching a campaign to bring a famous steam locomotives to a museum in the region. North-East firms are being asked for help to transport the loco Blue Peter - a real giant of the glory days of the railways - to Darlington's
A SCHEME in Derwentside that helps pre-school children get a better start in life is to expand. Sure Start provides affordable childcare and education opportunities for parents and carers. A programme in Stanley has been such a success that it will be
LONG before the arrival of the children's television prog-ramme, Blue Peter was best known as a symbol of the golden age of railways. Built in Doncaster in 1948 and named after a Derby winner, it first worked express trains along the East Coast Main Line
A LOCAL artist's masterpiece dating from 1908 is expected to fetch a third of a million pounds at a Christie's auction later this month. The value of the 6ft-high paining of nude men frolicking on the beach has rocketed since it was sold in 1960 for 35
DISCLOSURE of the Lord Chancellor's inflation-busting pay rise came at a very inopportune moment. In the same week as Gordon Brown was reminding public sector workers of the need for restraint, his Cabinet colleague seemed quite content to collect a 12.6
AN AWARD-WINNING youth drama group is preparing to take to the stage with its first pantomime. The Tearaways, from Shildon, were presented with a chivalry award for the work they did on Bogus Callers. Now they are showing off their skills in pantomime
VOLUNTEERS are celebrating after a petrol company paid for equipment for their computer suite. Shell Oil donated £400 to the community centre in Crookhall, near Consett. The cash will go on new chairs and a printer. Kathy Bailey, the centre's volunteer
A 20-year-old man has been charged with the attempted murder of a man shot in the leg last week. Anthony Walls, 23, is under armed guard as he recovers from his injuries after the shooting, in Guisborough, east Cleveland, last Tuesday night. The suspect
A CHURCH congregation welcomed its new vicar yesterday. About 500 people gathered to witness the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, install Neville Vine to his new parish. Mr Vine was installed as vicar for the parish of St Andrew's
DISCUSSIONS are continuing into whether next year's Great North Run can be expanded to take in more people. Places in what is already the world's biggest half-marathon are becoming increasingly coveted among runners. Three months before the official closing
A BLINDFOLD bowling challenge has been organised by a charity in an attempt to boost funds. Volunteers are needed to take part in a sponsored event for the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). Money raised from the challenge, which will take
BUSINESSES in a County Durham dale look certain to get a boost with the arrival of hundreds of ramblers from around the country. The Roof of England Winter Walks event will be based in Middleton-in-Teesdale next week and organisers are confident that
THE group behind controversial plans to regenerate Billingham town centre have moved to allay fears that they are ready to "push through" proposals. Opponents of the £25m facelift fear a meeting of the Billingham Partnership Board tonight could spell
NEW £300,000 plans for coastal defences have been drawn up for one of the region's most flood-hit villages. Skinningrove had a relatively trouble-free 2002 after new defences were installed following the disastrous floods of 2000. But plans to spend a
Two kinds of miracle WE'RE so used to copycat TV drama - if something's successful repeat the formula until it dies from old age - that anything remotely original is seized upon as gratefully as a thirsty man finding a bottle of water in the desert. The
The first inmate to escape from a modern-day British prison ship was being hunted by police last night. The 28-year-old man, serving two years for threatening behaviour, escaped from HMP Weare at Portland, Dorset, yesterday. No details were released about
