We have a wine to go with most roast meat dishes this week. It has a deep cherry red colour and a bouquet of red berry fruit and a hint of smokey bacon. This is a full-bodied wine of 14 % alcohol full of ripe toasty fruit with a pleasant medium length
Solutions ACROSS 1 Compass. CO+M+PASS 5 Accusal. AC+C+USA+L 9 Erred. ER+RE+D 10 Brass band. BRAS+S(B)AND 11 Methodist. M+ETH+O+D+IST (the anag.) 12 Ennui. E+NNU+I (nun anag.) 13 Rodin. R+ODIN 15 Inclining. (hidden) 18 Bird's-nest
Cryptic Clues ACROSS 1 Company member to exceed limit (7) 5 Charge about around the west of Canada and America with the Fifth Cavalry (7) 9 Sinned with queen again then died (5) 10 A group of players and supporters accompany Polish boy within (
The winner of the prestigious Man Booker Prize will be announced tonight. For the first time, six reading groups - including Darlington's - have been asked to shadow the decision-making, as Olivia Richwald reports. And our own critics give their verdict
A man has been charged with making fake indecent images of children. Gair McNicol is facing 20 counts of making indecent pseudo-photographs of children. The case was adjourned in his absence at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court, today. The 49-year-old
TYNESIDERS know who they are and everybody else does too. Yet not since the middle of the 19th century has there been a detailed study of the remarkable story of how Tyneside was made and how it came to look, sound and behave the way it does. Reissued
SARAH Waters' fourth novel - which begins in 1947 and ends in 1941 - is insightful and enthralling. The first third introduces the main characters: three lesbians, a straight woman and a young man. Their histories intertwine through war-time London
KIRAN Desai's novel tells how the tranquil lives of a group of eccentric residents in a village in the Indian Himalayas are shattered with the onset of the Nepalese independence movement. As each character becomes caught up in the conflict, they are
THIS novel charts a year in the life of John Egan, an 11year-old with an obsession with The Guinness Book of Records, who believes he has a unique ability for lie detection. An awkward boy, John's only friend is his cat and he has a strained relationship
THE problem with reading a book when you have a twoyear-old and a baby is that you have to be able to dip and out when you get time. Books nominated for the Man Booker Prize in the main don't fit that criteria. This is one such book. It is a well-written
THIS historical fiction is one woman's interpretation of what life was like for the convicts stepping blinking into the sun in Sydney circa 1806. Life was tough and reading this shortlisted book, I was just waiting for the next tragedy to befall the
KICKING off a novel inside a woman's womb has to be pretty unique in the world of literature. But then again, a foetus who can pontificate on his future is also an unusual way to start a book. Mother's Milk follows the Melrose family, from Robert,
TWO peace campaigning grandmothers were arrested at a US spy base on the day a new Act aimed at terrorism prevention came into force, a court heard today. Helen John, 68, and Sylvia Boyes, 63, were detained at the Menwith Hill base, near Harrogate,
THE great outdoors is brought indoors when volunteer rescuers begin their latest series of winter lectures. Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team has fortnightly illustrated talks at its headquarters in Hipswell Road West, Catterick Garrison, beginning
TEENAGERS are going undercover to help crack down on illegal fireworks sales. School-age volunteers are being recruited by North Yorkshire trading standards officers as part of a pre- Bonfire Night campaign. They will test-visit shops to see
THE potential closure of its tourist information centre could put new businesses off a North Yorkshire town, it was claimed last night. Town councillors fear the withdrawal of funding for the Northallerton centre will send out the wrong message
STOKESLEY residents are objecting to plans to build 30 luxury flats in a former Victorian workhouse. A decision on the plan to convert Springfield House into 30 one, two and three-bedroomed apartments is expected at Hambleton's planning meeting
ADULTS with dyslexia could improve their reading and writing skills with free tuition. Dyslexia Action in Darlington has funds from the European Social Fund and the Learning and Skills Council, County Durham, to provide the free lessons for adults
VOLUNTEERS gave historic equipment at a Darlington pump house an annual clean this week. Six volunteers from Northumbrian Water joined members of the Tees Cottage Pumping Station Preservation Society to clean the station's pump beds on Monday
WORK to renovate a prominent building that has stood derelict for several years has begun. Brian and Angela Wilkinson are turning 29 Fore Bondgate, in Bishop Auckland, into a cafe bar called Cafe 29. The building, on the corner of the street
GANGS of drunken youths who have terrorised an area of Darlington could be arrested, fined or jailed if their bad behaviour continues - after the town's first dispersal order was signed. The youngsters have spent months drinking, smoking and
STUDENTS have been to Switzerland after sweeping the board in a competition to invent a new sport. Students from Sedgefield Community College, Sedgefield Village, won the competition, run by the Swiss Embassy, in London. As well as the trip to
A DRIVER had to be pulled free from a car after it crashed into a tree and rolled over several times. The silver Toyota Corolla, which came to rest back on its wheels, crashed on the B6279, east of Ingleton, near Darlington. David Kelly, who lives
THERE are plenty of activities on offer for children during next week's half-term holiday. The programme starts in Bishop Auckland Town Hall with a Saturday morning workshop dedicated to trolls. It is aimed at eight to 12-yearolds, takes place
TWO parish councils have been angered by proposals to close a church that serves their communities. The Church of England says it is considering closing St Paul's Church, in Trimdon Station, following demands from its congregation. The church
THREE bus services, restoring a link between local estates and the centre of a market town, were launched yesterday. The market day services link Hilda Park, Gibside and North Lodge to Chester-le- Street town centre on Tuesdays and Fridays.
STUDENTS from a Durham school have taken part in an international science project which gave them an insight into leading research. The sixth form pupils from Durham High School for Girls, who are studying science subjects, travelled to Wageningen
A FREQUENT burglar was warned to expect a prison sentence when he returns to court for sentence for his latest offence. Robert Stevenson, 34, was spotted on private CCTV footage in a back lane in Horden, County Durham, at 6.30am on May 15, shortly
PEOPLE who throw dirty nappies and syringes into recycling bins are being threatened with prosecution. Refuse collectors have been finding the items alongside dog faeces and broken glass in blue bins meant for recyclable waste in Derwentside.
DOG owners are being urged to keep a town clean and tidy - or face a fine. It is acknowledged that most owners act responsibly and clean up after their pets in Hartlepool, but they are being urged not to let their standards slip. Craig Thelwell
SPORTING legend Colin Jackson CBE is preparing to be bowled over by the achievements of inspiring people. The record-breaking hurdler will meet individuals from all over the country, including seven nominees from the Teesside area, when he presents
NEARBY residents are objecting to plans to build 30 luxury flats in a former Victorian workhouse. A decision on the plan to convert Springfield House, Stokesely, into 30 one, two and three-bedroomed apartments is expected at Hambleton's planning
A POLICE operation using a dog with a nose for illegal drugs will be carried out again following initial success. Three arrests were made in Yarm High Street when officers from Cleveland Police used a dog in licensed premises during Operation
A DEFIANT Roy Keane last night dismissed suggestions that he would walk away from Sunderland if the club's fortunes did not improve, and insisted he was prepared for a baptism of fire when he moved to the Stadium of Light six weeks ago. Keane
Stoke City 2 Sunderland 1 EARLIER this month, Stoke boss Tony Pulis took his players on a three-day training camp organised by the Royal Marines. After watching his side concede two goals in four minutes against the Potters last night, Sunderland
This World: Black And White And Read All Over (BBC2) - The Holy Hottie (C4) THE next time I see a sheep's head being taken into the Editor's office, I'll know it's his birthday. It'll be our MD taking a leaf out of the book of Deon du Plessis, hands-on
FOR little better reason than that we spent Saturday in Guiseley, and that political correctness is supposedly a child of modern times, we start today with Sooty (and Sweep). Izzy-wizzy, let's get busy Sooty, it may be recalled, was a glove puppet
Instead of criticising Madonna over her adoption of an African baby, we should be asking ourselves what we are doing this week to help those less fortunate in the world. BABY as fashion accessory? True, there is a strong whiff of publicity about
MIDDLE EAST IN his letter (HAS, Oct 11) David Lacey attacked Hugh Pender's description of Israel being the principal aggressor in the Middle East, stating that Israel pulled out of Gaza over a year ago and wants nothing but peace with its neighbours
T HERE is something troubling about Madonna's adoption of 13-month-old David Banda. We may doubt Madonna's motives. Pop stars need headlines. Her apparently altruistic action has guaranteed her plenty. We may doubt the way she has gone about the
A 1913 photograph of Whitby in the famous Francis Frith postcard archive shows a young girl in a sunbonnet descending the town's ever-popular 199 steps. Head down, her intent attitude as she places her right foot with obvious deliberation on the
A semi-professional poker player, Paul Gourlay wins around £25,000 a year. As he prepares for Europe's most prestigious tournament next week, he tells Lindsay Jennings why he's aiming for the big time. IT is almost 2am and Paul Gourlay has not been
AS the new academic year gets under way, students moving into accommodation in region have been warned about the the potential dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, also known as the silent killer. The region's gas mains company Northern Gas
A SEARCH is being launched to find out, quite literally, whatever happened to The Likely Lads? The classic comedy show, which made stars of James Bolam and Rodney Bewes, is one of countless programmes from the golden age of British television
THE North-East and North Yorkshire have emerged as two of the worst blackspots for the persecution of birds of prey. The news comes as the Government launches a countrywide team to target crime against wildlife. Figures from the RSPB show that
A PENSIONER caused chaos when he trundled along the fast lane of a busy dual carriageway in his 8mph mobility scooter. A long tailback built up behind the slow-moving scooter, but its driver stayed unphased by the hooting of horns. The mystery
A DRAWING pin which choked an eight-year-old girl may have somehow fallen into her drink, an inquest heard yesterday. Gabriella Rose Clemmit died after choking on the plastic capped pin despite medical staff fighting for almost an hour to save
THORN Lighting is hoping to revolutionise the way we light our homes with a new technology that is expected to underpin hundreds of jobs in the region. The company, which employs 700 people in Spennymoor, County Durham, is on the verge of securing
A CONSULTANT was discovered connected to a drug dispenser by her partner after she killed herself at the hospital where she worked. Clinical director Fiona Clarke, head of the critical care services department at Middlesbrough's James Cook University
TRAVELLERS from the North-East have been arrested on suspicion of swindling people across France. Nine men, reportedly from Darlington, were rounded up by 40 French police officers in a dawn raid on a camp they had taken over. The travellers
DARLINGTON Football Club officially sacked manager David Hodgson last night and accused him of breaching Football League rules concerning payments to agents. The club issued a statement saying it had sacked Hodgson following a hearing at the
EUROPE'S biggest Army base will be eerily empty from next month - further evidence of the demands being made on Britain's soldiers. About 5,500 troops from Catterick Garrison are heading to Iraq, leaving just a token force behind at the giant North Yorkshire
THE mother of a 17-year-old boy who died from testicular cancer has urged teenage boys not to "die from embarrassment". Lesley Ransome's son, Tom, developed a lump on his testicles but was too embarrassed to discuss it with his family. It was only when
VINCE TAYLOR is to leave his post as director of implementation of The Northern Way initiative. He is departing to try his hand at portfolio work after 18 months at the helm of the Northern Way project - a collaboration between three regional development
NORTH-EAST housebuilder Bellway warned that challenging market conditions would put pressure on margins as it posted a 3.2 per cent rise in pre-tax profit. However, it said because of its emphasis on low-cost housing, it remained confident about future
STEEL group Corus confirmed last night that it had received a £4.1bn bid proposal from Indian group Tata Steel. After weeks of speculation, Corus, which employs 3,000 people in the North-East, said discussions were taking place with Tata, although it
WORKERS at Premier Foods' Quorn factory on Teesside will meet union officials today to discuss possible strike action. Employees at Premier's Billingham factory voted in favour of industrial action on Monday evening, after failing to reach an agreement
A SCHOOLGIRL was lured to a meeting with the bogus boss of a modelling agency after being contacted through an internet chat-room, a court has heard. The 15-year-old had doubts after meeting a representative of the fictitious Spain-based company - who
BALAKIREF (2.30) might well have the bookies reaching for their tin hats and running for cover when asked to chalk up prices for Nottingham's six-furlong Oval Handicap. Confidence was high behind the Michael Dods' trained sprinter on his latest course
STEWART DOWNING has, for the first time, revealed the extent of the anger he felt after being axed for England's infamous defeat in Croatia a week ago. But, speaking to Northern Echo SPORT, the Middlesbrough winger is desperate to prove his critics and
TEESPORT'S expansion is crucial not only for the North-East, but for the good of the UK as a whole, the State of the Nation report claimed. In a ringing endorsement of PD Ports' arguments for its £300m container terminal, Ice said the Government needed
Hartlepool Utd 3 Rotherham Utd 1 EVER since breaking into the Hartlepool side in 2003, David Foley has offered plenty of promise. And last night the striker proved he can turn fulfil that potential.The Johnstone's Paint Trophy is the least glamorous
