SCORTON rally driver Steve Petch came within four seconds of regaining his Malcolm Wilson Rally title, but he and Northallerton co-driver John Richardson had to settle for second best in the second round of the BTRDA Championship held in the Lake District
In a treasure trove anthology called The Footballer's Companion, in a section called The Titans, we again come across the name of Charlie Roberts. It was published in 1962 when many were familiar, perhaps truly titanic - Stan Matthews, Tommy Lawton, Stan
Best Mate wowed his adoring public with a heroic display to win the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup for the third consecutive year to emulate the legendary Arkle. Forced to fight tooth and nail for his place in the history books, he gave his all under Jim
Inter County Championships - Durham and Cleveland senior men's have gained promotion to the premier division following three victories in the division one promotion play-offs last weekend. Wins against East Scotland, Notts and Ulster at Nunthorpe SC afforded
A RIPON sheep producer demonstrated winning lamb selection skills when he won a competition held at Masham Mart by the Better Returns Programme (BRP). Producers were invited to test their skills by relating a pen of live sheep to final carcase conformation
A GOVERNMENT agency was yesterday accused of "sheer arrogance" in deciding to press ahead with the experimental closure of a central reservation crossing at an A19 accident blackspot against the wishes of local people and their elected representatives
Results from the Redcar half marathon 1 801 Terry Wall M (1/305) Morpeth Harriers + AC 1-09.12 2 870 Stewy Bell M (2/305) Chester-le-Street Harrs 1-11.29 3 728 Rob Hand M40 (1/134) Durham City Harriers 1-14.51 4 970 Mark McDonald M (3/305) Lowfell Running
At the recent Hambleton and Richmondshire area gymnastics competition held at Northallerton Leisure Centre two Bedale High School pupils won their respective O13 individual floor and vault competition. Competing against gymnasts from eight other secondary
PEOPLE whose lives are likely to be affected by revived plans for a three-lane A1 motorway between Dishforth and Barton must see new designs as soon as possible, a senior official of the Highways Agency has been told. An announcement by the agency has
The 2004 racing season gets underway at Croft Circuit this weekend with the opening round of the North-East Motorcycle Racing Club Championship held over both days. With over 150 solo competitors and no less than 32 sidecar crews set to take part, the
CHOCOLATE treats are off the menu at a primary school where health has become the watch word. Newker Primary School, in Chester-le-Street, has received a clean bill of health, acknowledging it as a good all-round environment for pupils. It became the
A WIDE range of countryside information has been brought together in a website to help teachers and farmers. Launched at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, the website, www.race-yorkshire.org.uk, is supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society
ENGINEER Harry Smith is in the running to be named as a seaside borough's greatest local hero. Although his work went largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Mr Smith has been described as the hand which laid out Scarborough. He was borough engineer
A multi-million pound centre could be built in County Durham to cater for the boom in interest in local and family history. The popularity of the subject is putting a strain on the County Records Office, which gets 10,000 visits a year. The local studies
Worthington C.I.U. Winter League - Crowtrees look to have one hand on the Second Division trophy and almost certain promotion after they whitewashed their hosts at Ferryhill A. The visitors had wins from Keith McLauchlan, Peter Laverick, Steve Armstrong
A COUNCIL chief has put his hand up to say sorry that a promised recycling bonus will not now materialise. An annual £10 bonus was agreed last year by Teesdale District Council social and environmental policy committee on the advice of expert Dave Gaster
Bishop Auckland will look to upset the odds tomorrow when they travel to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Under-15s English Schools Trophy. Bishops' secretary Garry Purcell says some observers believe that Liverpool are just warming up for the final
Murder City (ITV1), Who Kidnapped Shergar? (C4) - Never let it be said that ITV is short of original ideas. Days after the debut of a police series about ill-matched detectives with the word "murder " in the title, comes a police series about ill-matched
By Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture After a quiet period, wheat prices have jumped back up again. This is due to a combination of slow farm sales, a weaker sterling and some supply agreement contracts being agreed. New crop values improved a little on the
IT was like a scene from the film Apocalypse Now as the formation of evil-looking helicopters chopped their way across the sunny North Yorkshire countryside a few hundred feet up. The only thing missing was the music from Ride of the Valkyries. This was
Police have arrested 22 peace protesters attempting to blockade an American spy base. Hundreds of protesters decended on Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, from 4am this morning. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said 22 people had been arrested mainly
DARLINGTON Autotester Paul Swift launched his campaign on the British Autotest Championship last weekend with a win. Curborough motorsport complex near Litchfield was the venue for the opening round of the championship, where 40 competitors from all over
A PRIZE-WINNING cheese company has added another award to its ever growing list. Shepherd's Purse Cheeses of Thirsk has won the national Great British Food Award at the NFU's farming excellence awards. Judy Bell started making cheese on the family farm
Sir, - I am gob smacked. Yes, it is in the Oxford dictionary. Not a pretty expression and the first time, I think, I have ever used it, but here it is warranted. I gaze out from my sitting room window, with wonderment, at the thirteenth century pack horse
A YOUNG table tennis player from Gainford has been adding to a growing list of achievements in recent weeks. David Meads, a modest and unassuming 14-year-old, won the cadet singles title in last weekend's Derby 4 Star select tournament to reach an unassailable
ABBY Blackburn's childhood ambition will come true when she makes her England debut against Wales on Sunday (March 21). Abby, 17, has been dreaming of this day since she started playing rugby at Darlington Mowden Park at the age of five. She was selected
ONE of the nation's leading industrialists is to head a major effort to unite the economic might of the north of England. Sir Graham Hall is to lead a new high-powered project designed to boost the future prosperity of the region. As chairman of the Northern
NORTH Yorkshire has been dubbed a "breeding ground for innovation" after small to medium-sized businesses across the county received more than £4m in awards. Since 1998, Business Link York and North Yorkshire adviser Roger Benson has helped 100 businesses
NEWLY-CROWNED North-East Harrier League champion Terry Wall added another trophy to his growing collection when he scored a runaway victory in Sunday's 22nd Redcar Half Marathon. The 33-year-old Morpeth Harrier, who is preparing for his third Flora London
PARENTS and residents are being urged to continue their fight to stop a mobile phone mast being built near a Darlington school. In November, Darlington Borough Council turned down an application to install the 11.5m Orange mast in Coniscliffe Road, because
ANGRY Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd has called for the doom-mongers around St. James' Park to back Sir Bobby Robson's men to glory. The Magpies' defeat at Tottenham on Sunday and victories for both Charlton and Liverpool have pushed United
SUNDAY saw the Darlington Motor Club run the second round of their club trials championship at Braidley in Coverdale, where an entry of 110 competitors tested their skill round three laps of a 12-section course in heavy continuous rain. From the organisers
Planet Snooker Premier League - After a spectacular win against Jimmy White last week in a local exhibition match, charismatic David Craggs was keen to please a packed Tow Law Club with a good display against Andy Craig of Stanley. Craggs, 28, however
THOUSANDS of Safeway leaflet distributors are to lose their jobs following the chain's takeover. Morrisons bought Safeway for £3bn this year and has started to amalgamate the two businesses. But The Northern Echo has learned that the Bradford-based group
THE mother of a boy who drowned at a North-East beach has called for lifeguards to be reinstated ahead of a crunch meeting next week. A total of £50,000 had already been set aside to reinstate a lifeguard service on the beach. The service had been removed
NORTHALLERTON Town Cricket Club professional Jonathan Barnes has been engaged again for the 2004 season - his tenth successive year. Long established as one of the top all-round professionals in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier League, Barnes
DARLINGTON have moved to sign Middlesbrough striker Danny Graham on loan until the end of the season, a deal which is being funded by supporters. The Associated Supporters' Kitty (TASK) was jointly set up by the Darlington Supporters' Trust and the Supporters
DELIGHTED youngsters are looking forward to finally seeing an £88,000 skatepark in their town. Teesdale District Council has given planning permission for the skate park which will be sited behind Teesdale Sports Centre in Barnard Castle. For many years
A phenomenal river season came to a close at midnight on Sunday and anglers will now only be able to debate the huge catches and eagerly wait for it to start again from the June 16. Saturday's River Swale Preservation Society Mike Winney Memorial Trophy
Sir, - It is becoming weekly more evident that the ruling coterie of Richmondshire district councillors is not thinking or indeed working pro-actively when managing the "animal" it is supposed to democratically control on behalf of the electorate. You
The Darlington ladies inter-club six-rink team improved their Durham County League championship chances with a good performance against previous champions and local rivals Hartlepool over the last week. Without any doubt star performance was turned in
AGE Concern in Darlington may be forced to make job cuts in an attempt to save money, a spokesman has admitted. But rumours that the service is due to close amid a financial crisis have been quashed. Age Concern employs 30 people, as well as 70 volunteers
THE arrival of mobile phone technology in remote parts of Swaledale has been welcomed. Government guidelines urge planners to look fav-ourably on phone mast applications and a number of local authorities recently signed an agreement with the Mobile Operators
PLANS for a floodlit athletics track at Guisborough are finally racing towards the finish after ten years of struggle and hope. Two years ago, the project was moved from Saltburn to Guisborough because of difficulties connected with the original choice
Wilington League - Willington New Inn dented the chances of their hosts at Willington Lion and Unicorn taking the Championship when they only dropped two points. However the Unicorn were fortunate when Willington Club and Hunwick Joiners Arms, who are
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Humorous incidents and experiences in the auctioneer's sale room formed the subject of Mr Arthur Brockett's paper at last week's meeting in Darlington of the Auctioneer's Institute. One of the stories concerned a landowner
LMA MANAGER 2004. Published by: Codemasters. Formats: PS2, Xbox. Price: £39.99. On sale: now OK, so the Premiership may have lost its ability to thrill everyone apart from Arsenal fans, but that's no reason to give up on football. The beauty of management
THE pace of modern life is leading more and more people to Eunice Musgrave's door. As a hypnotherapist, she has helped dozens of people overcome phobias, panic attacks and even physical problems rooted in stress. In the surroundings of her comfortable
THE fight for the Safeway supermarket chain cost Morrisons nearly £11m in advisors' fees alone, it has emerged. The high-profile takeover battle - which at one point involved six parties - took nearly a year. Morrisons made the initial bid for Safeway
PEOPLE living in far-flung parts of Richmondshire were this week given assurances on how a new out-of-hours doctors' service will work. The Aysgarth GP surgery has been earmarked as a satellite centre for the upper dales. This will be used as a meeting
An election candidate for a North-East constituency, containing three prisons, will discuss alternatives to custody with a Home Office minister today. Roberta Blackman-Woods, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate to replace Durham MP Gerry Steinberg
CANCER patients in the North-East have the lowest survival rates in the country, according to a major new report which highlights inequalities in care. The National Audit Office (NAO) said measures introduced by the Department of Health in the past decade
A FLOORING company is investing £500,000 in a new wood division. Planet Wood has been established by Darlington-based CreateCity which will initially sell its solid wood products through its seven Frank's Factory Flooring retail outlets. In 18 months,
Newfit Services Willington Darts: Willington Brewer's Droop beat the visiting Hunwick Quarry for the loss of four points to move further away from the wooden spoon position. The home side had singles wins from Steve Smith, Ron Smith, John Moore, Jimmy
ABBY Blackburn's childhood ambition will be realised when she makes her England debut against Wales on Sunday. The 17-year-old has been dreaming of this day since she started playing rugby at Darlington Mowden Park at the age of five. She was selected
PARENTS of 61 children suspended from school for defying a ban on throwing snowballs have been told there will be no reprieve. The pupils were excluded from lessons at Seaham School of Technology for three weeks for deliberately disobeying an instruction
A HAT shop set up by a farmer's wife to provide an extra source of income has a new showroom. Business has grown steadily at Pat Robinson's branch of Get Ahead Hats - part of a chain of hat shops run by a co-operative of farmers' wives - since it opened
MIXED messages from a powerful Government agency are no good for anybody, especially those whose lives are likely to be irreversibly affected yet again by revived plans for an A1 motorway between Dishforth and Barton. We are all supposed to be driving
SPRING officially begins this weekend and advance signs are already plentiful - daffodils are in bloom, some of the hedgerows and trees are revealing their new leaves and some may bear blossom, the grass looks greener and the birds are singing. Indeed
Richmond Town: Richmond Under-8s travelled to Barnard Castle on a blustery Sunday morning. The opening encounters were even with both teams finding it difficult. Towards the end of the half Dylan Wardale opened the scoring and he and Adam Cocks added
Bishop Auckland are launching a new kit in time for their Durham Challenge Cup final against Billingham Town on Easter Monday. Manager Brian Honour turned researcher to discover that the last time Bishops wore a white kit was in the Amateur Cup final
Sunderland Catholic Club Over-40s League - Division One Consett, although still top, looked almost certain to finish in the runners-up spot. They dropped two very valuable home points by only managing to draw 1-1 against Moor House and now have the way
LMA MANAGER 2004. Published by: Codemasters. Formats: PS2, Xbox. Price: £39.99. On sale: now OK, so the Premiership may have lost its ability to thrill everyone apart from Arsenal fans, but that's no reason to give up on football. The beauty of management
PARISH councillors representing moorland villages will fight plans to withdraw places on trains for schoolchildren. Danby Group Parish Council is angry about proposals by North Yorkshire County Council to take up to 50 children from outlying villages
A man was recovering in hospital today after becoming trapped in a disused lead mine with a broken leg. The man, aged in his 40s, got into difficulties at the mine in Gunnerside, Swaledale in North Yorkshire on Thursday night. Emergency services arrived
Spraire Lasses met Norton & Stockton Ancients at the Norton ground in a highly competitive and entertaining game. With the wind behind them Norton started full of determination but Spraire's Jordan Atkinson opened the scoring with a powerful run from
GOLDEN GLORY will be here by the time you are reading this, perhaps over your cornflakes, or at the office in coffee break time, as we go to press before the final afternoon of the Cheltenham Festival, and Ferdy Murphy's Truckers Tavern has yet to run
BRITAIN'S most successful high-altitude climber has set his sights on his next target - the seventh highest mountain in the world. Alan Hinkes hopes to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri, 8,167m high, in May, and flies out to the Himalayas at the end of this
THE World of professional golf could be beckoning a young amateur who has recently enjoyed success in Europe. Jamie Birkbeck finished in the mid 30s out of more than 146 professional golfers at the European Professional Development Tour in Oliva Nova,
A FORMER pit village's main shopping street is in line for a facelift. Front Street, Wheatley Hill, east Durham, is due to be improved and villagers are being asked their opinion on the proposals. The scheme is likely to focus on shops, paving, street
HOSPITAL PARKING: Further to the letter on parking at the new Chester-le-Street Community Hospital (HAS, Mar 8), I thought it useful to clarify the car parking arrangements for patients and visitors to our hospital. The number of disabled parking bays
Funding has enabled a local history group to preserve more than 200 of its photographs on CD. The money, provided by the County Durham Foundation, will ensure Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre's archive photo collection will survive, even if the paper originals
A FLAGSHIP children's centre has been given the go-ahead despite protests from neighbouring residents. The development, which will link the award-winning Wingate Community Nursery School to an existing family centre, was sanctioned at a meeting of Durham
Cleveland County's combined finals were held at Thornaby Indoor Bowls Centre last weekend. Several well known players were successful in more than one event. Jackie Carson and Di Smart triumphed over June Allison and Sally Pass 26-9 in the ladies pairs
WELL, I did observe in this column a few weeks ago that it would be interesting to see how Stephen Harmison fared in the West Indies. There was a slight implication perhaps that he might find it a little tougher than in Bangladesh, where his five for
Sir, - I doubt if many of your readers are aware that a Driving Restriction Order at High Cleugh, Ripon has been issued to "allow the erection of bollards across the road so as to prevent vehicles from contravening the existing Access Only Order on Borrage
A man from Teesside has had the chance to use training equipment as a reward for serving the RAF for 41 years. Barrie Jackson, 56, of Hartlepool, piloted a Tornado fighter jet simulator in a training exercise against simulated enemy planes. The event
A DISTRAUGHT woman is appealing to thieves who stole her camcorder containing tapes that have a sentimental value to return them. The JVC camcorder and 8mm tapes were taken last Friday night from Michelle Devine's flat above The Lambton Castle pub, in
THE original punk poet is coming to Teesside. John Cooper Clarke will perform some of his poems such as The Day My Pad Went Mad, I Married a Monster from Outer Space and You Ain't Nothing But a Hedgehog. The middle-aged poet, who will give the reading
SPRING sunshine bathed pupils from a primary school when they attended a wedding ceremony and baptism on Wednesday. The young ones from Ingleton School learn about religious ceremonies and the importance of marriage as part of the national curriculum.
Darlington Gymnastics Club are currently celebrating after an excellent performance at the recent Regional Club Grade Championships. More than 100 girls took part in the competition held at the City of Newcastle Gymnastics Academy, with twelve of the
WELL, I did observe in this column a few weeks ago that it would be interesting to see how Stephen Harmison fared in the West Indies. There was a slight implication perhaps that he might find it a little tougher than in Bangladesh, where his five for
Dunston went top of the First Division on Tuesday when they beat Jarrow Roofing at Federation Park. Dunston produced one of their best performances of the season, hitting the woodwork three times. They took the lead with a shot by Micky Farrey after 44
The Albany Northern League is to continue with the golden goal format in cup ties. The world governing body, FIFA, has decided to abolish the golden goal rule in international cup competitions, and revert back to a full 30 minutes of extra time. And there
A MAN who died after crashing his motorcycle was unused to riding the vehicle with a pillion passenger, an inquest heard. Robert Williams, 38, of Thorntree Road, Thornaby, Teesside, died of shock and multiple injuries after he lost control of his Suzuki
The first round will be played on Friday, March 26, deadline 8.30pm. The draw is as follows (games may be rearranged by mutual consent). Results to be forwarded to C Holmes within seven days of the deadline otherwise both competitors may be expelled from
AN MP is meeting a chief constable to discuss fears that police uniforms have been "dumbed down". The meeting between Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh and North Yorkshire chief Della Cannings will take place in the next few days. It comes in the wake of
Darlington Harriers and Athletic Club - There was a strong turnout from the Harriers at the 22nd Liberata Redcar half-marathon on Sunday, March 14 and with considerable success. In strong windy conditions Bernadette Taylor continued her impressive form
TRUSTEES of a public hall are delighted that a £6m refurbishment plan has been approved. But planning officers have warned that unless an agreement is reached over disabled access to Witham Hall, Barnard Castle, County Durham, the application may have
WITH Cheltenham all done and dusted it could pay to start concentrating on the Flat beginning with Stage Two (2.00) and The Bonus King (5.00), both fancied to collect on the Polytrack at Lingfield today. Stage Two, a late-maturing three-year-old who makes
OVERALL the National Audit Office report into cancer treatment services makes for depressing reading. While the fall in death rates is to be welcomed, the rise in the number of cases and the variation in the standard of care are alarming. It is clear
LMA MANAGER 2004. Published by: Codemasters. Formats: PS2, Xbox. Price: £39.99. On sale: now OK, so the Premiership may have lost its ability to thrill everyone apart from Arsenal fans, but that's no reason to give up on football. The beauty of management
A VICAR and volunteer groups in Guisborough have called for action over the continuing deterioration of St Nicholas' churchyard in the town. Over the last ten years, it has become a target for vandals who have smashed some gravestones and scrawled graffiti
THE Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is known for his occasional reluctance to engage with his critics, other than with his fists of course. But his office's decision to ignore North Yorkshire in planning a series of public consultation meetings on
DARLINGTON'S player-coach Craig Lee yesterday played down the pressure on his side as they prepare for tomorrow's derby at home to Darlington Mowden Park. With all the top sides to play in their four remaining games, Darlington need one more win to be
A FOOTBALL club chairman last night received the highest honour a town could bestow upon him - and became its youngest ever recipient. Middlesbrough Football Club chairman Steve Gibson was conferred with the Freedom of the Borough of Middlesbrough. The
PARENTS are being urged to give their opinions in a review on the future of Darlington's primary schools. By 2008, it is estimated that there will be 1,400 extra primary school places in the borough, and Darlington Council's lifelong learning review group
ORGANIC food producers in Yorkshire feel despair at the Government's decision to allow the growing of genetically modified maize. This was the view taken at the annual meeting at Thirsk of Yorkshire Organics, a group of 44 organic farmers and supporters
PLANS to reinstate a Weardale rail line have been given a £990,000 boost by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The railway, currently mothballed, was built in 1847 as an extension to the first public railway in the world, the Stockton & Darlington line. Weardale
Few of us have heard of EB, a terrible and little-known incurable disease. But a new TV documentary being screened next week could change all that, says Health Correspondent Barry Nelson When Jonny Kennedy finally made it to 10 Downing Street last year
South Cleveland Garages Teesside League - DIVISION ONE - Bedale FC 0 Hartlepool FC 2 Bedale were no match for Hartlepool after an evenly contested first half. A minute into the second half Hartlepool took the lead when Glen Watson and Ian Davies combined
HUNDREDS of people with learning disabilities could soon benefit from more work opportunities across North Yorkshire. A number of work experience-style schemes are already operated by the county council. More than 120 people with learning disabilities
He was an elusive fugitive - an animal on the run who evaded capture for months. Andrew White finally meets Dwain the dog. FRIENDLY, obedient, playful and well-mannered - surely this can't be the same stray dog which shunned attention for so long. But
PROTESTERS have vowed to fight tooth and nail to stop 30 wind turbines being built a mile off the coast at Redcar. More than 70 residents, many representing local community organisations, gave the proposed 450ft-high turbines a resounding thumbs down
BARNARD CASTLE. - Wed of last week. Fwd: 857 sheep. Hoggs lt to 133.9p av 122.6p; std to 136.4p av 124.8p; med to 133.3p av 127.5p; hvy to 130.4p av 124p. Cast sheep: Cont to £85; Mules to £66.50; Suff to £70; Swale to £45. Goats to £30. Tues. Fwd: 319
DARLINGTON threw away a golden opportunity to move well away from the Division Three relegation zone when they turned in a dreadful defensive display at home to Cambridge United last Saturday. Their recent revival had made Quakers hot favourites to pick
SUPPORTERS of Darlington Football Club were today eagerly awaiting an announcement on the Quakers' future. Administrators Wilson Field were in talks yesterday with the Sterling Consortium, the financier that holds a mortgage on the Reynolds Arena. A statement
Last Sunday's Holderness point to point was the 50th to take place at Dalton Park. The Members race, a competitive affair, was fittingly won by Dolphin Square who is owned by the meeting's chairman William Bethell. Given an enterprising ride by Niall
Cherry Lips... Sherbet Dips... Flying Saucers... Liquorice whips... Sour Plums... Army and Navy Mixture... THE names take you right back to childhood. This isn't a sweet shop - it's time travel. It's enough to get you counting your pocket money again.
CORUS'S plans for steelmaking on Teesside were under attack last night for ignoring market trends and being too inflexible. Michael Leahy, general secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC), cast doubt over the company's business plan
PEOPLE living on a Darlington estate were urged to join the recycling revolution yesterday - by the town's MP Alan Milburn. The former Health Secretary joined borough council workers in taking to the streets of Red Hall in a bid to encourage more people
TEACHERS have been on a fact-finding trip to Australia to learn from their counterparts down under. Ann Furniss assistant headteacher at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College, led the trip, which also included Melanie Harbinson, Paul Simpson and Chris
A ROW has blown up over claims that land belonging to a bankrupt former millionaire has been sold to developers by mistake. Developers Abstract Integrated Health Care (AIHC) have threatened to sue former millionaire Ted Winter for holding up work on a
MICK McCARTHY has resigned himself to the possibility of failing to add to his Sunderland squad ahead of next Thursday's transfer deadline. McCarthy has been assessing the market on an on-going basis to try to identify players who would strengthen the
THE artistic skills of a nine-year-old girl have won her top prize in a national competition - with the help of teenage magician Harry Potter. Charlotte More was asked to design a character using apples, in a healthy eating competition run by Le Crunch
Murder City (ITV1) Who Kidnapped Shergar? (C4) NEVER let it be said that ITV is short of original ideas. Days after the debut of a police series about ill-matched detectives with the word "murder " in the title, comes a police series about ill-matched
A SCHOOLBOY rugby player has learnt he will not be released from international duty to help his school mates in a prestigious cup final at Twickenham. Mathew Tait, of Barnard Castle School in County Durham, had hoped he would be able to fly back from
Sir, - Chris Coles' letter (D&S, Mar 12) regarding his worries about his job at Nosterfield quarry was concerning in that it contained a number of misconceptions. The Friends of Thornborough have never suggested that Tarmac wishes to quarry the henges
THERE'S something vaguely disconcerting about choosing a meal from the menu in a restaurant with a picture of Margaret Thatcher glowering over you. Under such a stern gaze, this diner had a strong feeling that he should not mess about while choosing what
PRIVATE health care group Bupa has hailed its international expansion a success as sales hit a record £3.37bn. Bupa, whose interests include health insurance, hospitals, care homes for the elderly and health assessments, said its overseas operations -
FEARS that a parking row could hit a major revamp of the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, have been allayed. A compromise scheme has been agreed to head off a possible deadlock. Last month, a senior health trust officer warned that Northallerton Town
CANCER patients in the region have the lowest survival rates in the country, according to a major new report which highlights inequalities in care. The National Audit Office (NAO) said measures introduced by the Department of Health in the past decade
A BUSINESSMAN has expressed his disappointment with his local council after being ordered to repaint the front of his shop. Peter Lown, the owner of Castle Cards in Market Place, Barnard Castle, has been refused planning permission to keep the front of
AN appeal to create a sensory room for people with Alzheimer's disease is half way to its target. The Durham and Chester-le-Street branch of the Alzheimer's Society is marking the charity's 25th anniversary with a £5,000 fund-raising drive and has raised
SEVEN people were arrested in a series of morning raids in the North-East yesterday. More than 50 officers were involved in the operation, codenamed Palmar, which targeted seven homes in the Dean Bank and Lakes estate of Ferryhill, County Durham, and
SECOND World War veterans across Teesside are being urged to take advantage of a fund set up to pay for visits to areas where they served. Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, asked them to come forward amid concerns the money allocated will go to the
A SCHEME has finally been agreed in principal for the enhancement of Long Street, Thirsk. The barren-looking street, one of the main entrances to the town, looks likely to receive a contribution of £50,000 to enhance it from Hambleton District Council
A company priding itself in all things English has made its stock market debut. Quintessentially English was set up as a cash shell to acquire businesses specialising in teaching the English language at home and abroad. The company is hoping to buy companies
Bishop Auckland League - Crook White Swan, the early league leaders, recovered from their first defeat last week and pulled through in the decider against the visiting Bishop Auckland Snooker Club. The Swan had two points from Dave Stewart and one each
CORUS'S plans for steelmaking on Teesside were under attack last night for ignoring market trends and being too inflexible. Michael Leahy, general secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC), cast doubt over the company's business plan
THE TV executive who launched God TV has swapped heaven for hell to spearhead Britain's first Horror Channel. The idea for a satellite channel devoted to horror came to managing director Tony Hazell as he watched the Sci-Fi Channel on Sky. He decided
A PROPOSAL to create three single farm payment zones in England is now understood to have been agreed by farming organisations. A Tenant Farmers' Association meeting in Skipton on Wednesday was told that the rift originally caused by the idea had been
A remarkable collaboration is linking the North-East and Barcelona in a homage to one of our most visionary writers. Steve Pratt reports on turning one of George Orwell's most heartfelt works into an international drama. Beneath the CCTV camera, the numbers
Michael Owens grabbed a late, late goal to complete a terrific comeback against Town Castle Rovers on Sunday which has almost assured Coxhoe of the divisional title. The Under-15s were trailing 3-1 with just six minutes to play but showed tremendous spirit
A LIFELONG fascination with the sea and its iridescent waves has moved to centre stage for Piers Browne this year. "Maybe I should buy a boat," he mused as he studied the seascapes he has already completed, ranging from a large study of Whitby harbour
A WOMAN was in hospital with serious burns last night after a fire broke out on a farm. The blaze happened at Hauxwell Grange Farm, at Marwood, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, shortly after 1pm yesterday. The victim, Hazel Dent, was the only person
JOSEPH JOB wants to be at Middlesbrough next season and is hoping to be reunited on Teesside with fellow countryman Geremi. Job is out of contract in the summer and there are fears that he may move on for nothing - with tomorrow's opponents Birmingham
THE region's wild bird populations appear to be doing well. A recent report from the Department for the Environment states that North-East populations, including farmland and woodland birds, rose by 14pc between 1994 and 2002, while Yorkshire enjoyed
A Hoggarth and Sons Eskvale and Cleveland League - Highland Laddie v Gt Ayton either keeper was troubled for the first 30 minutes. Laddie were then awarded a free kick after a backpass to the Ayton keeper. Neesam took the kick, squared to Combellack who
A lorry driver has died after his chemical tanker crossed the central reservation of the A1 and hit a telegraph pole. The accident, which happened at approximately 6.30am today, has caused massive delays on the busy stretch of motorway near Catterick.
MPS are to investigate the way the armed services look after raw recruits, after the deaths of four young soldiers at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey. Surrey Police released the results of their final report earlier this month into the deaths of County Durham
