Archive

CENTER Parcs UK is to float on the London Stock Exchange next Thursday, after being sold in a £285m deal. Trading in the holiday chain will begin on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) following the decision by owners MidOcean Partners to sell to

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners opposed to the four former US Navy ships moored in a North-East dock will launch the first offensive of their legal battle on Monday. The High Court will hear Friends of the Earth's application for a judicial review into a decision

REDUNDANCY is rather like death - it's mentioned in similarly hushed tones and, when we hear about it, we're not sure what to say, but suspect sympathy is in order. If we're still working ourselves, we feel both guilty and relieved that we're not in the

AN MP has called for "people's planners" to become involved in local decisions. Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar wants greater public involvement in planning proposals and decisions that could affect the quality of life for residents

GOLF club members dug deep into their pockets to help children and adults affected by a life-threatening disease. The retiring chairman of Bishop Auckland Golf Club presented £4,600 to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust at the end of a busy year. He presented

WHEN ten-year-old George Robinson decided he needed more space to play, he was not only thinking of himself. Creating more space at home meant some of his old toys would have to go and, rather than throwing them out, the East Cowton Primary pupil arranged

POLICE have emphasised there will be no let up in the drive to cut crime across North Yorkshire during Christmas. Operation Ratcatcher was launched last month across the county, encouraging people to report lawbreakers. Since then, officers have been

ARTIST Eiann Cosgrove is staging a Christmas exhibition of work in his home village of Winston. A preview will be held in the village hall on Friday, at 7.30pm. Entry is by ticket only. Tickets are available from the Art Shop in Darlington, the Newgate

Bishop Auckland U17s 0 Darlington Mowden Park U17s 66 The weather cleared nicely over Bishop's picturesque grounds by the banks of the Wear to allow a pleasant run-out for Mowden against a newly-reformed and rapidly improving Bishop Auckland U17 team.

Darlington RA secretary Martyn Jackson is hoping that last Saturday's victory at Ryhope CW will kick-start his team's season, especially in Cup competitions. A year ago, RA were struggling but all of a sudden their form took off and they embarked on a

A MAJOR revamp of a North Yorkshire council headquarters has been branded a total waste of money. The £141,000 flagship scheme for Hambleton District Council's civic centre in Northallerton came under attack as part of a raft of measures aimed at changing

NISSAN unveiled an early Christmas present for its North-East workforce yesterday - a new model, a £95m investment and the promise of more jobs. The decision to build the Micra C+C may also lead to more work for the award-winning Sunderland plant. It

ROYAL carpet maker Hugh Mackay wasn't floored by its latest order - to make a carpet for a German brothel. The company, based in Meadowfield, on the outskirts of Durham City, will be following a design which features a naked woman at its centre surrounded

THE widow of a man found bludgeoned to death in a country lane collapsed in tears yesterday as she and her nephew were found guilty of his murder. Christina Button, 32, put her head in her hands and wept uncontrollably as she was convicted of plotting

YEARS of careful breeding saw a Stokesley farming family win a major dairy award this week when Donaldson Partners of Viewley Hill, Busby, took the supreme county championship in the Yorkshire County Milk Recording herd competitions 2003. Graham Donaldson

Tow Law Area League: Itop match of the week Billy Row Club took over second place from the previous holders, the visiting Esh McKennas. The Club raced into a five points lead when they had singles wins from Gordon Walsh, Harold Parkin, David Hopps, Bob

THE family of a Yarm student held in Iraq say he is not a terrorist, just an adventurer. Urslaan Khan, 21, was arrested by a Kurdish group earlier this month on suspicion of trying to join terror group Ansar al-Islam, which has links to al Qaida. The

TWO more charges have been brought against an African asylum seeker living in the North-East who has appeared in court charged with deliberately infecting women with the HIV virus. Musician Feston Goodwell Konzani, 27, from Malawi, Africa, is already

I HAD the great pleasure of opening a child development unit this week. When you see stories about children who benefit from such facilities there are usually certain words attached, like 'brave', 'battling' or 'little fighter'. The children at the Cleveland

A woman and her nephew are starting life sentences for the murder of her husband, George. Neil Hunter looks at what drove Christina Button to hatch a plot to kill. SCHEMING Christina Button was a woman driven by greed and her desperate need of money.

TWO girls' cross-country teams from Allertonshire School in Northallerton have qualified to represent the North-East in the English schools' national finals tomorrow. The year nine and year seven/eight teams earned their place in the finals, which take

A COCKERTON toy shop hopes to have brought at touch of Christmas magic into the life of a little girl battling against a malignant tumour. Christine and Barrie Lamb, who run the business, received a call on Monday from a Lincolnshire woman desperate to

THE year eight rugby team from Allertonshire School, Northallerton were delighted to win a ten-a-side tournament held by the Yorkshire RFU last month. Four local schools entered the competition for emerging rugby-playing schools, which took place at Northallerton

PASSENGERS on Redcar and Cleveland's best used bus route are to have their say on a £500,000 spending plan for its 60 bus stops. Details of the council's scheme for Arriva's No 63 service, which runs from Redcar bus station to Marton railway station,

Women's Northern League Division One, Chester-le-Street 4 v S Durham R's 2: Chester-le-Street went back to the top of the league after winning a physical encounter at Moor Park. Laura Darmody opened the scoring after ten minutes, then doubled the advantage

TEESSIDE AIRPORT: MIKE Parker (Business Echo, Dec 2) places the Echo's support firmly behind the re-naming of the airport. Had the airport been named Durham-Tees Valley in 1964 I am sure that Peel Holdings, the new operators, would be now advocating that

Jennifer Priestley, a former teacher who lives in Staindrop, has unearthed an unsavoury wrangle that seems to have caused an unholy uproar behind the scenes at the village's Congregational Church nearly a century ago. The minister, the Reverend Cuthbert

PLANS to convert a derelict Barnard Castle mill into 16 apartments were given the go- ahead on Wednesday following the latest set of amendments. While members of Teesdale District Council planning south committee remained anxious to see Thorngate Mill

GEORGE BOATENG last night told how Middlesbrough's crop of stars are focused on becoming the first bunch to lift a major trophy at the club in its 127-year existence. Boro's reward for overcoming Everton on Wednesday night in the Carling Cup is a quarter-final

Horizon: Hunt for the Aids Vaccine (BBC2): Ancient Egyptians: The Twins (C4): TWENTY years ago, it was announced the virus that was the probable cause of Aids had been identified. A cure seemed just around the corner. It was stated publicly that a vaccine

Gt Ayton v Stakesby Arms: The teams took to the field with gale force winds and driving rain to contend with. Stakesby went on the attack from the kick off, putting the Ayton defence under immediate pressure. After five minutes Chris Headlam gave Stakesby

AFTER another mainly gloomy year for manufacturing in the North-East, it makes a welcome change to report some good news today. Nissan's decision to build the Micra C+C represents a £95m investment in the company's Sunderland plant and that means more

A NORTH Yorkshire caf and confectionery firm has clinched a top award. Betty's and Taylor's of Harrogate - which has a branch in Northallerton - has been praised for its commitment to staff, customers and suppliers. The well-known firm, which makes cakes

POLICE in Derwentside have scrambled into action to tackle the menace of off-road motorcycles on public rights of way. Officers have taken delivery of two Yamaha WR 250cc machines for use across the district, thanks to a grant of £45,000 from the Derwentside

Darlington lady bowlers had a very successful season last year when they fought their way through to the All England Yetton Trophy team championship to win the bronze medal at Loddon Vale bowls club in Basingstoke. This year's national finals in Wimbledon

WITCHES and wizards have been clashing broomsticks ever since the Harry Potter books first introduced us to Quidditch. Now schoolboy Ryan Quinn, ten, has won the chance to represent his country in the International Quidditch World Cup. After a tough battle

Durham County Cup, Burnmoor 1 Rovers 8: This was Rovers at their best, crushing the previously well-fancied Burnmoor by eight goals to one. They pace of Keith Hutchinson, Michael Ford and Stuart Greig was soon causing havoc in the home defence as they

HOPES of a long-awaited return of the cinema to Saltburn are very much alive. So successful was a recent pilot aimed at assessing interest for it, funds have been found for an extended run. Saltburn Community and Arts Association, which had borrowed equipment

THE Chester-le-Street Town FC under 18s team made football history on Tuesday by going through to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup. A 2-1 third round victory on Derby County's Pride Park ground takes the Cestrians into uncharted territory in the competition

Horse racing is a foreign land; they do things differently there. Like those who only go to church on Christmas Eve and claim - religiously - to be regulars, the column cuts to the chase approximately once a year. Increasingly, it is an enjoyable social

A MOTHER'S emotional appeal for help in catching her son's killer has helped detectives make a possible breakthrough in a decade-old murder case. Police revealed they had arrested two people over the killing of takeaway delivery man Paul Logan who was

MARCO GABBIADINI has his sights set on a return to action on the big stage - against a Premiership side in the third round of the FA Cup on January 3. Hartlepool go to Burton Albion on Sunday in the second round without the experience of the ex-Sunderland

Newfit Services Willington: No one dare say 13 is unlucky to the players of Sunnybrow Brown Trout B for after 12 consecutive defeats they finally landed their first win of the season in comprehensive style at Willington Black Horse Tavern with a three

A SCHOOL was on high alert this week after two possible abduction attempts on youngsters. A woman approached two girls from Romanby Primary School, saying she had come to collect them. Neither went with her, but headteacher Jeff Featonby said everyone

BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed of last week. Fwd: 1,654 sheep. Lt lambs to 111.7p av 101.4p; std to 117.4p av 107.6p; med to 116.5p av 106p; heavy to 107.4p av 102.2p. Cast sheep: Mule to 338; Cont to £38.50; Swale to £30.50. DARLINGTON. - Thurs of last week.

NORTHERN Conservatives have attacked the Government and claimed the costs of promoting a North-East regional assembly are as much as £20,000 a week. North-East MEP Martin Callanan and Hexham MP, Peter Atkinson, say they have been trying to establish the

Norton & Stockton Ancients JFC: Norton U14's faced their hardest game so far this season against Riverside Boys in the third round of the Durham Cup. The standard of football from both sides was of a high degree. The fist half was only moments old

Northumberland is a leader in caring for the victims of sexual assaults. Women's Editor Christen Pears looks at some of the force's pioneering work. A WOMAN has been raped. She feels violated, terrified, alone. The thought of reporting the attack daunts

The Advertiser's Communigate Team is hosting a free web workshop at Delves Lane Village Hall on Friday, December 12. The workshop takes place between 10.30am and 12.30pm, and is open to anyone who wants to build a web site for their hobby, charity or

Sir, - The "explanation" given by English Heritage to Stokesley Parish Council for stripping the town's 17th century packhorse bridge of its status as a scheduled ancient monument is far from satisfactory. Which are the other 40 North Yorkshire bridges

ABSTINENCE could be a recipe for longevity, if Rose Ann Morton is anything to go by. Mrs Morton, a resident at Shoreline nursing home, in Redcar, celebrated her 100th birthday this week with staff and residents who threw a party in her honour. She puts

A woman who conspired with her nephew to murder her husband for a £450,000 insurance pay-out was jailed for life today. Christina Button, 32, looked stunned as the judge at Newcastle Crown Court sentenced her for the ''calculated'' killing. Her accomplice

Horizon: Hunt for the Aids Vaccine (BBC2) Ancient Egyptians: The Twins (C4) TWENTY years ago, it was announced the virus that was the probable cause of Aids had been identified. A cure seemed just around the corner. It was stated publicly that a vaccine

DIVISION One side Browney jumped a place to seventh in the top flight with a convincing, 7-1 win over Jekyll and Hyde Tudhoe United. Browney, promoted from Division Two only last season, were comfortable winners over a Tudhoe side experiencing a mixed

Kate Dixon and Hayley Robson, two promising young gymnasts from the South Durham Gymnastics Club in Spennymoor, both won a gold medal at the North of England Regional Championships on Sunday. The event was held at The Benfield School of Gymnastic Excellence

PUB company J D Wetherspoon has pulled out of its plans to transform an empty property in Crown Street, Darlington, into a superpub. The company was to take over the former First Freeze building opposite the Cornmill car park and turn it into a Lloyds

THIS Christmas is expected to be a record-breaker for the video game industry. The battle for console supremacy has pretty much been won but the fight for second place is still raging and this Yuletide will see a victor emerge. But if you are still bashing

KIDNAPPED children, a girl disguised as a boy and a draught of poison that isn't all it seems. It just has to be Shakespeare. Cymbeline is rarely performed but on the strength of the RSC's latest production, I find myself asking why. The plot is outlandish

I HAD the great pleasure of opening a child development unit this week. When you see stories about children who benefit from such facilities there are usually certain words attached, like 'brave', 'battling' or 'little fighter'. The children at the Cleveland

REDCAR'S MP has welcomed Government action to help stamp out domestic violence. Vera Baird MP has welcomed the changes in the domestic violence provisions in the Queens Speech which she hopes will help victims on Teesside. "The changes will play a role

Richard McEvoy had always looked up in awe at Nick Faldo, but the roles were reversed as the qualifying school graduate produced a stunning opening round to lead the Omega Hong Kong Open. In his first tournament as a fully-fledged member of the European

Muttiah Muralitharan spent five months oiling his joints for the Test series with England and cranked out his magic immediately to provide Sri Lanka with the initiative in Galle. Despite a late fightback by the tourists, the Sri Lankans closed 195 runs

Thirsk and Sowerby played host to the latest fixture in the NYSD Cross Country League, the penultimate race in the Club Championship. Joanna Jackson of M & C won the ladies' race in 20. 38. Angela Hall was the first of a large contingent of runners

AFTER two months of unbridled sporting success, a Darlington school has picked up trophies, titles and even a sponsorship deal. Since returning from the summer break, pupils at Carmel RC Technology College have dominated the school sports in the area,

A MULTI-MILLION pound train fleet destined for one of the North-East's busiest routes has hit the buffers even though it is yet to enter passenger service. Passenger groups have criticised the £250m Desiro fleet claiming the trains are "not long enough

HAVE you ever heard of Sarah Farley? No, well if I told you she lived in Darlington and is one of the youngest college principals in the UK, perhaps you would be surprised. And, if I went on to say that she has just been appointed a deputy lieutenant

THE chief executive of Durham City Council has announced he is quitting, saying his high-pressure job is making him ill. Colin Shearsmith is to retire at the end of the year as chief executive of the city council, a post he has held for six years. Mr

Amateur historian Jack Cavanagh, from Consett, will reveal why many North-East miners fought as sailors during the First World War, in a talk at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, at Aykley Heads, Durham, tomorrow at 2pm. Tickets are available in

A PUB landlady will have her application for a public entertainment licence considered again after councillors deferred their decision last month. Marie Kenny, of The Three Tuns, in Sadberge, near Darlington, has applied for a licence to stage nights

BESPOKE decorations on mugs and vases were among the dozens of Christmas goodies on offer when entrepreneurial school pupils sold their wares. Durham Town Hall was the venue for a trade fair featuring companies set up by teenagers studying commercial

A TOWN yesterday made its own horticultural contribution to National Tree Week. Seaham Town Council working in partnership with Peterlee and District Round Table and pupils from Parkside Infant School carried out a tree planting ceremony in Parkside Neighbourhood

A MAN who bit off another's ear during a night out was jailed for 27 months yesterday. Martin Lawson was involved in a fight outside Silks nightclub in Redcar in August, Teesside Crown Court heard. The 22-year-old had earlier been thrown out of the club

RESIDENTS of Hipswell have urged the authorities to install temporary street lights to ensure children do not walk from school in pitch dark. The lights in Byng Road were taken down in June after inspections showed some of the Northern Electric poles

A SCHOOLBOY will be singing the hits of pop star Robbie Williams in a fundraising concert at Skelton Civic Hall tomorrow. Richard Hart, 15, will be joined by local bands Hellbound and Bles to raise money for the Daniel Moutrey Fund, a charity set up by

A DOCTORS' surgery is hoping to improve its services to patients by building an extension. The Bewick Crescent Surgery, in Newton Aycliffe, has applied for planning permission to add two new GP trainer consulting rooms, a new accounts room and a sub-waiting

Worthington CIU Winter League: Wheatley Hill B became the last team to record a victory in any division but had to make a great comeback to beat the visiting Sacriston. Paul Taylor put the Hill ahead but Kevin Laing levelled. Mark Appleby moved Sacriston

A Yorkshire Premiership battle is on the cards in the final of the Kall Kwik Harrogate and District Squash Championships. Top seed Ian Cawthorne (Chapel Allerton) and second favourite Simon Myring (Harrogate Squash) are both on course for the showdown

DRIVERS in Richmondshire have been warned to cut their speed or fall foul of new anti-speeding equipment. Two matrix boards, which flash up motorists' speeds, and a pro-laser speed gun have been bought by the community safety partnership and trials begin

A FREE testing service for sheep scab and lice is being offered by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, following concern about the innacurate diagnosis between the two. Samples received up to February 28, 2004, will be examined free where ectoparasitic

A LINGERIE shop owner is looking for a woman to paint her premises because she fears a male decorator would be bad for business. Sadie Ayton has fitted thousands of women in her 30 years in business. Now she needs someone to decorate her shop in Sea Road

A COMMUNITY health scheme is preparing to celebrate its first anniversary. Launched in east Durham last year, the Health For All project, which has funding for four years, aims to tackle a wide range of issues. In its first year, the scheme made more

THIS Christmas is expected to be a record-breaker for the video game industry. The battle for console supremacy has pretty much been won but the fight for second place is still raging and this Yuletide will see a victor emerge. But if you are still bashing

The Northern Echo's music website is holding a survey to find out what kind of music should be featured at its next gig. Music website Revolution hosted its first Platform gig on November 21. The acoustic event drew a sell-out crowd at the Darlington

THE company which wants to scrap a toxic fleet of rusting US Navy ships in the North-East has warned it may lose out on more lucrative work should the deal collapse. Able revealed that construction work to bring two part-completed oil tankers back into

An out of sorts Tees was carrying two foot of extra water for the Thornaby AA Presidents Cup, pegged between Croft and Hurworth, yet Darlington's Martin Chapman still managed to see off the opposition, practically doubling the next best with 13.2.0 from

A RESIDENT fears her council estate is overrun with vermin after catching 34 rats in five days. Chris Grimwood, who lives on the White Hill Crescent Estate, in Pelton Fell, near Chester-le-Street, realised the extent of the problem when she opened her

HARRISON and Hetherington this week announced new marketing arrangements to give greater flexibility to clients. From January 1, all its sale centres will operate under general market licence whereby the six-day standstill rule is adopted, owing to ongoing

Coxhoe Boys Club: FRIDAY night's floodlit match at Spennymoor United's Brewery Field went according to plan with Coxhoe Boys Under 15s winning their top of the table clash with Whitburn Boys 6-1. In the first half Coxhoe, who try to arrange a match at

Winter County Cup: Durham and Cleveland men were unfortunate to miss out on promotion with second place in Division 3A by the small matter of just two rubbers from three days of play in Northampton with two wins and one defeat. Also with two wins were

Concerns are growing for a missing teenager. Emma Phillips, 14, was last seen at her foster home in Whickham, Gateshead, on Tuesday, November 25. It is the third time she has gone missing this year. She is 5ft 7in, of large build, with long, blonde, curly

FATHER Christmas swapped his reindeer and sleigh for a lifeboat crew and an inshore lifeboat. Six crew members from Redcar Lifeboat Station pulled Father Christmas and Mayor Norah Cooney in the D-class lifeboat on its launching carriage from the Claxton

IN some parts of the country, tomorrow is still known as Old Christmas Day. This stems from the changes to our calendar in 1752, although the changes were introduced to other parts of Europe almost two centuries earlier. Because the changes were made

THE US averted a full-scale trade war with Europe at the eleventh hour after President George W Bush decided to scrap steel tariffs. The US steel industry had been protected for 21 months by the tariffs, imposed on imported steel. Matters came to a head

ARTIST Miranda Petersen is bracing herself for local reaction to her first exhibition on home soil. A display of her paintings and decorated mirrors went on show at Chester-le-Street Library this week. The Chester-le-Street-based artist said it was the

TWO of the region's water groups reported contrasting fortunes in their recent performances. AWG posted a 15 per cent fall in half-year profits as it announced plans to sell the bulk of its global business during the next six months. But utility group

MPs have called for a parliamentary inquiry into companies planning to outsource work abroad. The demand came as Commons Leader Peter Hain said that firms outsourcing call centre work contribute to Britain's prosperity with expanded services and more

Wilton first travelled to Durham City first on Saturday in a bid to extend their impressive unbeaten run to eight league games. They started brightly creating plenty of chances but with a solid performance from man of the match defender Danny Morgan,

SUPER Gary Fox stole the show, literally, at South Durham ABC's show recently. Fiery Fox was handed the boxer of the night award at a packed Hardwick Hall Hotel after an exciting contest with Lambton Street's Terry Lowther. It was sweet revenge for South

THE MAN leading the inquiry into the death of paedophile Arnold Hartley has asked the public to put aside their prejudices and help police. Detectives hunting the killers of the 73-year-old from Redcar are scrolling through CCTV footage to find which

TALENTED young chefs from North Yorkshire have cooked up some national praise for themselves. The teenagers are among those bagging honours in a design-and-cook challenge. Amy Allen, from East Cowton, and Hannah Williams, from Northallerton, received

THERE was certainly no shortage of action at the Reynolds Arena last Saturday, but that was little consolation to Quakers fans as they watched their side lose two players to red cards and throw away a two-goal lead. The dismissals of Ryan Valentine and

Darlington manager David Hodgson last night thanked supporters who are launching a new scheme to help boost the club's fight against relegation. With finances tight at the Reynolds Arena, the Darlington Supporters' Trust has joined forces with the Supporters

GUISBOROUGH Town Council has announced the winners of its competitions for traders. The event heralded the start of late-night Christmas shopping in the town The winners were presented with their prizes by Mayor Anne Franklin. The results were: Fancy

PRIMARY school pupils are competing for a tidiness prize. Classrooms at Crook Primary School are always spick and span as children compete each week for two Golden Broom awards. Caretaker Keith Robinson marks the rooms daily and rivalry is keen. As well

A SPORTS and arts wing built at a cost of £483,000 has been opened at a Redcar primary school. Newcomen Primary School, in Redcar, has been fitted out with a new arts studio, a sports hall for games, music and drama, a soft play area and community area

MAKING little of the French-style mini-jumps hurdles, Patriarch Express under Niall Hannity gave our Fifteen to Follow another boost at Haydock on Saturday. Geoff Harker's charge looks a useful sort and went clear easily a long way from the line, to win

Darlington Albion: The Under 10s were at home to Richmond Town Juniors at the weekend. Two goals from Jack Scarr and one from Luke Fawcett gave Albion a 3-0 lead at half time, further goals from Jack Peart and Callum Sweeten gave Albion a 5-1 win. The

Division One: Game of the day saw Killinghall Arms take on league leaders Newton Aycliffe Sports Club. It was a superb all round team performance by the home side causing the Sports Club problems from start to finish, and they deservedly took the lead

Third from bottom Thirsk pulled off a shock win over league leaders Harrogate Squash II in Division One of the Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire Squash League. Two of the three clashes went to five games, the third to four as Thirsk took a 2-1 win. Afterwards

DURHAM City Council leader Sue Pitts said she was disappointed that a Greater Durham option did not appear among the Boundary Commission recommendations. The new ruling Liberal-Democrat regime drew up the Greater Durham option, which would have extended

THE search is on for 100 brave people to plunge into the sea at Whitby on Boxing Day in the cause of charity. The town's Lions Club which is organising the event, says 80 per cent of the money raised will go to the dippers' nominated charity with the

THE widow of a man found bludgeoned to death in a country lane collapsed in tears yesterday as she and her nephew were found guilty of his murder. Christina Button, 32, put her head in her hands and wept uncontrollably as she was convicted of plotting

MAGIC lamps, fairy godmothers, giant's treasure and magical bears are just some of the get-rich-quick traditions that theatres are employing to bring in the silver this Christmas. Tim Healy, Lisa Riley, Darren Day and Berwick Kaler - starring for an incredible

A COLLECTION of detailed drawings of the Rocket - one of Britain's most historic locomotives - will come under the hammer next month. The drawings are among a selection of railway-related items included in a Newcastle four-day Christmas sale by auction

Richmond and Zetland Harriers combined their Annual General Meeting and Presentation Evening on Sunday 23rd November. There are pros and cons to all functions and after the sumptuous environs of Aske Hall in 2002, this year the Club was more than happy

Darlington Under 14s entertained Billingham in the First Round of the County Cup and they made light work of a difficult task. Playing on pitch four the visitors had the advantage of the considerable slope during the first half, keeping in touch at half-time

A MOTHER'S emotional appeal for help in catching her son's killer has helped detectives make a possible breakthrough in a decade-old murder case. Police revealed they had arrested two people over the killing of takeaway delivery man Paul Logan who was

County Super League Championships: Steve Thompson of Durham B and Alison Harrop of Consett Stateside won the Durham County Super League Singles Championships played at Sacriston Daisy Hill. There were 46 entries in the men's competition with Sue Seal

A NEW project to teach French to four-year-olds has been launched in County Durham. St Bede's RC School in Lanchester, a specialist language college, is working with its partner primary schools to bring modern foreign languages to children during their

There were no surprises in the Archbold Trophy the only thing that players and spectators alike had to put up with was the inclement weather. Although the ground conditions were against good constuctive football we still had some very good ties even if

FOUR Eaglescliffe College students have teamed up to form one of the most promising jazz acts in the North-East. Cherie Gears, Michael Wolfindale, Joel Harding and Tim Hillsdon have been performing together as the Cherie Gears jazz quartet for a year,

RELATIVES of a North-East football legend yesterday unveiled a plaque in his honour at a diabetes centre library. The widow and daughter of Harold Shepherdson, who achieved recognition as England's trainer when the team won the 1966 World Cup, were joined

Hetton Lyons Cricket Club entertained Penrith Grey Bull in the Football Association All England Sunday Cup Third Round. The game, played at Eppleton CW. Top man Jamie Clark blasted Hetton into the next round with a stunning hat-trick of goals. Hetton

Whitehill FC holders of the League Challenge Cup went out of the competition losing at home 2-0 to Coxhoe Athletic. Coxhoe went 1-0 up in the first half on 30 minutes. Neil Charlton received the ball on the halfway line, beat three players before slipping

A MUSEUM has announced a 'five figure' sponsorship deal following 12 months of negotiations. The Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington, near York, has joined forces with Drakes MG Rover dealership of Shiptonthorpe, East Yorkshire, to drive forward the Museum's

A dictation and typing company, servicing the needs of clients around the UK from offices in County Durham, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Telergos was established by Ken Kyle, in Barnard Castle, in 1993, as a subsidiary of a French parent company

Division One, Hartlepool FC 7, Stokesley SC 0: Hartlepool moved into fourth place due to this thumping of visitors Stokesley. Steven Graham gave Hartlepool the lead in the 29th minute, Lee Haggan making it two. In the second half Hartlepool took a firm

AMBULANCE staff who battled through snow and ice to help victims of the Selby rail crash have been given special honours to recognise their actions. Nearly 150 staff from Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (Tenyas) were involved in the disaster

THIRTY shops in east Cleveland have joined a thumbprint signature scheme to reduce credit card and cheque fraud. The shops in the Redcar area decided to support the scheme following a successful pilot by Cleveland Police at the Londis store in Windy Hill

THE town of Shildon is no stranger to football glory. Now a girls team is hoping to bring more honours to the County Durham town. Just weeks after the town's football team travelled to Notts County for an FA Cup clash, Sunnydale Comprehensive School's

EXPERIMENTAL bus lanes will be introduced during work on one of Darlington's key radial routes. The so-called North Road Corridor of Certainty is the borough council's project to upgrade the area between the Inner Ring Road and Longfield Road. It was

IT could be mistaken for a You've Been Framed TV practical joke - a parked car blocked in by a newly installed bus shelter. But no one is laughing: certainly not the owner of the car who legally parked on the privately owned frontage of his own offices

IT IS going to be very interesting to see how two of the best footballers to come out of County Durham, Bryan Robson and Colin Todd, make out in their efforts to help the owner of a North Yorkshire amusement park. More of Flamingo Land in a moment, but

Billingham Bears remain top of the English Under 16 North A League following a 3-0 victory over Whitley Tomahawks at Forum Ice Arena. Bears opened the scoring at 02.15 on their first powerplay from Robert Dowd. Two minutes later the lead was doubled with

The Durham Coast league held their annual presentation event in the Glebe Centre, Murton when the guest speakers were Mike Amos and Ken Gardner. Newly elected chairman Roy Simpson presided and paid tribute to the work of retiring chairman John Lowery,

Despite recently reporting an operating loss, Comeleon is to launch a share issue to fund the purchase of its parent company. Tanfield created Comeleon and floated it on the Alternative Investment Market three years ago. The firm was planning to develop

ALMOST three-quarters of pupils at a village primary school took part in a world record singing bid. An optional event, 44 of the 60 children at Nettlesworth Primary School, between Durham and Chester-le-Street, joined a simultaneous performance of a

Darlington manager David Hodgson last night thanked supporters who are launching a new scheme to help boost the club's fight against relegation. With finances tight at the Reynolds Arena, the Darlington Supporters' Trust has joined forces with the Supporters

ALL horses, ponies and donkeys will be required by law to have an equine passport by the end of June 2004, but the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is reminding its members that it is a relatively straightforward task to apply for the passport

IF Father Christmas set up his grotto in The Tardis, the result would probably look a lot like Connelly's. From the outside, Connelly's toy shop on The Bank, in Barnard Castle, looks pretty small. But once you're inside it, room leads to room leads to

THE use of an area of open grassland in Durham as a temporary car park has come another step closer. City councillors have agreed to resurface a section of The Sands, alongside the River Wear, to provide 340-parking spaces. But the council must now win

The Charity League semi-final, first leg drew two premier division teams together at Jesmond Parish Church. Alistair Gibson put Jesmond one ahead before the break. Four unanswered goals from David Rowe gave Consett St Patricks a commanding lead. Gibson

THE festive season in Chester-le-Street was launched on Saturday when the town's Christmas lights were officially switched on. District council chairman Tom Harland turned on the lights that adorn the Christmas tree near the Market Place and which are

JUST when we thought markets were beginning to settle down, in steps Defra and reassesses the crop size. It reduced wheat production by about 0.5m tonnes, which meant our wheat market went up £5 a tonne on Monday. Since then, the markets have lost £2

A COUNCIL has been fined by the local government watchdog for its lack of action in reducing fumes and noise from a garage carrying out paint spraying and body repairs. Teesdale District Council was ordered to pay £750 to Mike O'Sullivan and his wife

PERHAPS the leaders of Hambleton District Council know something the rest of us don't. Why else would they be thinking of spending £141,000 on revamping the 15-year-old civic centre at Stone Cross when it is just possible local government is going to

IF Father Christmas set up his grotto in The Tardis, the result would probably look a lot like Connelly's. From the outside, Connelly's toy shop on The Bank, in Barnard Castle, looks pretty small. But once you're inside it, room leads to room leads to

FRUSTRATED detectives are pouring over television footage in a bid to identify people who could help solve a murder. Police are becoming increasingly angry at the lack of response to their appeals for help in solving the murder of pensioner Arnold Hartley

BARNARD CASTLE. - Tues. Show of breeding cattle. Fwd: 236 store & breeding cattle. Judge: Mr Tipling. Prizes. - Hfr & calf: 1&2 D Buck. Cow & calf: 1&2 P Dowson (champion). In calf hfr: 1 WD Richardson; 2 SH Watson & Son. Prices

YORKSHIRE is to be the national focus for non-food crops with a new centre at York Science Park acting as the hub for industry expertise. A farm at Rudstone, near Driffield, will provide practical demonstrations of the potential for such crops. Car parts

SPECTATOR has never thought for one moment that any of his colleagues might be a dodgy character. But proof that Neighbourhood Watch is working in at least one North Yorkshire village just over the border from Darlington comes from a colleague who has

FOUR options have been put forward for the future of North Yorkshire if regional government becomes a reality. The choices, set out in a Boundary Committee consultation paper, include the preferred option of the county's district councils - the division

COUNTY Durham could disappear under radical proposals for the future of local government in the North-East. On Monday, the Boundary Committee released its recommendations for a system of unitary authorities for the county. The current two-tier system

Spennymoor this week signed their fifth goalkeeper of the season. Moors have lost recent signing Chris Tierney back to Northern League club Horden and his replacement, Martin Kearney, is going to be missing for five weeks because of suspension. Moors

Award-winning Rdaio Cleveland presenter Matthew Davieshas decided to make his debut as panto dame. He tells Steve Pratt that he's tired of people slagging off the Christmas tradition which is a brilliant introduction to the stage for children. No one

The Northern Echo's music website is holding a survey to find out what kind of music should be featured at its next gig. Music website Revolution hosted its first Platform gig on November 21. The acoustic event drew a sell-out crowd at the Darlington

FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - On Thursday afternoon, a donkey belonging to Mr I Weighell, farmer, Romanby, was being ridden home by his son from school, up Northallerton's main street, when it was startled by some mischievous boys holding a handkerchief

FAST-IMPROVING Nick McCormick showed his seniors a muddy pair of heels to clock the fastest time in the second DP Furniture North-East Harrier League fixture at Sunderland, writes Frank Johnson. The 21-year-old Morpeth Harrier, who moved back to the region

Willington Ladies League: Willington Club B moved 14 points clear at the top of the darts section after they completed the fourth whitewash victory in the league to date with the visiting Willington Cottles B being the sufferers. This was the second maximum

Annfield Plain Cricket Club secured their best win over the season with a shock success at Blackhill Comrades. Ben Smith was the difference between the two sides by putting away both goals in the 2-0 win. Blackhall Mill lost out 4-0 to Lntz4 who netted

SECONDARY school pupils in the region will be the next to benefit from brain-boosting pills. Capsules containing a mixture of fish oil and evening primrose oil have already helped under-achieving junior school children in County Durham. Now, they are

THE Chapter House in Durham Cathedral was the setting for a Nativity play performance by The Chorister school. More than 60 children took to the stage on Tuesday to perform a Christmas play entitled 'It's a Baby'. Pictured are Isaac Walton as the innkeeper

Stanley Royal continued to show the way with an 11-0 victory over Felling Mulberry and that after being three up at the break. Mark McGee went on to score four goals, there was two from Mark Patterson and others from David Hagan, Graham Kendal, Alan Todd

A BLAZE ripped through a North-East scrapyard last night when 60 tons of waste metal went up in flames. Plumes of smoke could be seen high above Ward Bros, in Cleveland Street, Albert Hill, Darlington, after a fire started in the processing part of the

RUGBY World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson has overtaken England captain David Beckham in the battle to be sport's number one charity champion. An England rugby shirt worn by Wilkinson sold for £1,000 more than a Real Madrid shirt signed by Beckham at a charity

Winter Scramble: A scramble is always a popular competition both in winter and summer and last Sunday was no exception, with excellent scoring, Ian Smith's team carding 12 birdies, but only managing third place to the winning team of Kevin Rayner who

ONE of the region's forgotten medieval art treasures and drawings of lost County Durham landmarks can be viewed on the Internet from today. Staff at the British Library, in London, have trawled through its vast archives for historic paintings and documents

A TAXI driver is recovering after a thug robbed him in what police described as a nasty and unprovoked attack. The unnamed victim picked up three youths outside the bus station at the rear of Front Street in Stanley, at about midnight on Sunday. The trio

TALENTED school pupils gathered for a gymnastics festival aimed at getting more youngsters interested in sport. Pupils from 14 schools impressed parents, teachers and peers with energetic displays at King James Community College, in Bishop Auckland. Members

BUS passengers who use services between Harrogate and Ripon can look forward to a better service. Harrogate Borough and North Yorkshire County Councils have confirmed they are to invest a total of £225,000 in Harrogate and District Travel's route 36.

Concerns are growing for a missing teenager. Emma Phillips, 14, was last seen at her foster home in Whickham, Gateshead, on Tuesday, November 25. It is the third time she has gone missing this year. She is 5ft 7in, of large build, with long, blonde, curly

AN eyesore corner of Teesside is to be transformed thanks to a £195,000 improvement grant. The wilderness that is Farndale Field, Middlesbrough, will soon be unrecognisable when it is turned into landscaped open ground complete with a play area, seating

A WEEK of consultation over the future of a Sunderland hospital has brought a vision likely to meet royal approval. Talks about Cherry Knowle Hospital in Ryhope have involved everyone from householders, traffic engineers, councillors, shopkeepers and

TWO elderly ladies were targeted by bogus officials on the same day in Darlington. A woman in her eighties allowed a man claiming to be from the water board into her home in Brougham Street at 4pm on Tuesday. While he kept her occupied by turning on taps

A HOUSING developer hopes to increase the number of properties it builds on a brownfield site close to Darlington. Developer George Wimpey North-East received planning permission in October to build 84 homes on the C N Hadley industrial site, in Middleton

PUPILS at a Darlington school are having a green Christmas this year with the help of an environmentally-friendly tree. Dodmire Infant School has been given a real Christmas tree, lights and decorations by npower, as part of the energy firm's Green Christmas

A COMMUNITY group is withholding payment for play equipment until the firm which built it returns to replace faulty parts. Youngsters on the Red Hall estate, in Darlington, have been blamed for some damage to the equipment which prevented MP Alan Milburn

A CAMPAIGN group fighting to stop motorbikes and HGVs speeding through the North York Moors National Park has won a major show of public support. Supporters of Bilsdale Against Noise and Danger (Band) turned out in force to a meeting which was also attended

A NEW restaurant in Northallerton has clearly found its own special recipe for success. Since opening at the end of the summer, The Caf in High Street has gone from strength to strength - bucking the trend befalling other restaurants in the town. Work

TWO girls' football teams are bracing themselves for the final of the North Yorkshire County Cup, which takes place today. Wensleydale School and Rosset High School, from Harrogate, will contest the final after getting through a series of rounds against

Last weekend the deplorable weather blustery winds and driving rain turned the pitches into muddy quagmires and good football became almost impossible and it became a game of two halves, one with the wind and rain and the other against it. In the Premier

VILLAGERS are to help draw up an ambitious refurbishment scheme for their busy shopping street. Durham County Council has handed over £250,000 to Wheatley Hill for the facelift of the commercial heart of the community. It is hoped that the windfall will

CHESTER-LE-STREET TOWN JUNIORS are through to the fourth round of the FA Youth Challenge Cup after they overcame FA Premiership Academy side Derby County 2-1 at Pride Park Stadium on Tuesday evening. The youth side of the Albany Northern League First

MORE than 70 senior citizens celebrated Christmas early with a free dinner at a top restaurant. The Crab and Lobster, in Asenby, near Thirsk, invited senior citizens from the villages of Topcliffe and Asenby for lunch. Entertainment was provided by the

With no league action last Saturday the Arthur Reed Memorial Shield Competition sponsored by Leven Bridge Engineering Ltd and the Wilf Leader Trophy took centre stage. Arthur Reed Memorial Shield Sponsored by Leven Bridge Engineering Ltd. Quarter Finals

ARTIST Eiann Cosgrove is staging a Christmas exhibition of work in his home village of Winston. A preview will be held in the village hall on Friday, at 7.30pm. Entry is by ticket only. Tickets are available from the Art Shop in Darlington, the Newgate

A POPULAR project outlining how to access the rich seam of local mining history is being extended into the New Year. The Durham Miner Project helps to show interested people how they can carry out their own research into aspects of local colliery heritage

SCORES of crooks dodging community punishments handed out by the courts are to receive a rude awakening. Special arrest teams have been organised across Tees-side to round up up to 80 people avoiding justice. Those rounded up in the first force-wide operation

Shildon striker Garry Barnes is closing in on the club record score of 61 goals. Barnes scored twice in Saturday's 5-1 home win over Esh Winning to take his tally for the season to an amazing 37, and with Shildon still in four competitions, then there

DARLINGTON are hoping that the increased interest they have noticed since the World Cup will continue at tomorrow's home match against Tynedale. The clubs have not met before in league combat as the Corbridge side have generally been well ahead, spending

MORE than 20,000 workers have improved their skills thanks to a Government training scheme. The scheme, which offers a package of support to help unskilled employees, will run in Tyne and Wear, Birmingham and Solihull, Derbyshire, Essex, Greater Manchester

BETTER collaboration between business and academia will bring significant economic benefits to the UK, a report has concluded. The Lambert Review, commissioned by the Treasury, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Trade and Industry

On Sunday, 23 November, 9 Quakers competed in the Yorkshire Dragoon 7.7 mile road race at Hartlepool. On a bitterly cold day, Gordon Richards was first home for the club finishing 21st out of 164 competitors in a time of 49:18, followed by John Clarke

Nunthorpe B vs. Tyne & Wear Cadets: Bruins made hard work of the first quarter closing the 50 point handicap by only six points. Bruins applied a 3-2 pressing defence in the second quarter and began to dominate the game by forcing errors from the

THE cream of the region's budding pop talent will perform a showcase concert this weekend. Dozens of youngsters hoping to be the next big thing are taking part in the event, held at the Lamplight Arts Centre in Stanley. The Christmas Pop Party, organised

NORTHALLERTON-based permit holder Fred Kirby should not return empty-handed from Southwell on account of Forest Dante's (1.20) excellent claims in the Golf And Racing Handicap Chase. The giant ten-year-old is an absolute certainty to tower over his rivals

THREE businesswomen from the region have been honoured at ceremonies in the North-East and Yorkshire. Fiona Cruickshank was named North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 at a ceremony at The Assembly Rooms, in Newcastle. The managing director of

IT IS going to be very interesting to see how two of the best footballers to come out of County Durham, Bryan Robson and Colin Todd, make out in their efforts to help the owner of a North Yorkshire amusement park. More of Flamingo Land in a moment, but

A PENSIONER who thwarted a knife-wielding car thief with a judo throw spoke of his delight last night as his attacker was jailed. Hans Hindle, 66, was stabbed six times in the head, neck, back and stomach and slashed across the face by Stuart Banks, 19