THE certificate of advanced driving from the National Association of Advanced Drivers is not worth the paper it is printed on. It is not, as stated on many occasions, of use in obtaining a reduced car insurance premium. I passed this test 15 years
I LIVE in the Crook South Ward of Wear Valley District Council (which was contested by one BNP, three Liberal Democrat and three Labour candidates at the May 3 local elections). Not one election leaflet was left at my house. No prospective candidate
I REALLY cannot understand some Newcastle United supporters. They are now moaning because it is rumoured that Sam Allardyce is to become their new manager. Not long ago they were shouting from the rooftops for Glenn Roeder to leave the club. Now
THE u-turn by the European Commission over its directive to make all trading in imperial measures, and indeed, referring to imperial units, illegal after 2009, is a victory to be welcomed. The fact, however, that such a plan was envisaged by the
THURSDAY, May, 10, 2007 was a bad day for news as the only thing that it would appear happened was that Tony Blair flew all the way up to the North-East and back to London to tell a handful of supporters that he was standing down as Prime Minister
A big sign should be erected at the entrance to Soapland: DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER. It's as plain as the nose on Cyrano de Bergerac's face that soap and water don't mix. Put a soap resident near anything remotely damp and they tend to get wet, wet, wet
SHAKESPEARE is rightly admired and venerated on this side of the Border, but the Scots have a genuine love for their national poet. Robert, or Rabbie, Burns is more than just a dusty bard of school textbooks. His songs, like his life, are rife with passionate
A MUCH missed country pub is to be revived by new owners. The Comet, at Hurworth Place, closed in February, but now new landlords have vowed to restore it in time for the summer. The pub, set next to the river Tees on the North Yorkshire-County Durham
TEAMS of eight are being sought to take part in a physically demanding charity challenge. A tractor pull will be held in Northallerton High Street on Sunday, July 8, as part of the town's annual carnival. Teams will haul a four-tonne tractor from the
A VICAR is looking for customers as he prepares to clean shoes in Thirsk in aid of charity. The Rev Toddy Hoare is to clean shoes in the town's Market Place to raise funds for Christian Aid. He will be located near Boots from 9.30am-1pm on Monday, May
A COUPLE marked 50 years of marriage by collecting charity donations instead of presents.Pauline and Arthur Hustwick told friends they did not want anniversary gifts, but would accept cash to be shared between the Great North Air Ambulance and the Fire
GROUPS in search of a room to rent for occasional or regular use are being invited to a Newton Aycliffe venue. A project room at the Pioneering Care Centre, on Carer's Way, has been refurbished and is available on Mondays and Thursdays, most weekday evenings
A SCHOOLGIRL'S recipe for success has seen her taste victory in a school's food competition.Darcy Fox, eight, of St Wilfrids School, in Ripon, won a competition to design a menu fit for an athlete.The school's pupils had to create a menu to provide all
MULTI-million pound plans for new one-stop shops for families with young children have been announced. North Yorkshire County Council has submitted planning applications for 11 Sure Start centres. Centres are planned for the Alverton ward in Northallerton
VOLUNTEERS who look after a 17th Century house have exercised their green fingers by growing plants for a fundraising event. The Friends of Kiplin Hall, at Scorton, near Richmond, will hold a plant and book fair in the walled garden on Sunday, May 20,
A HIGH court hearing to decide the outcome of a three-year planning row had been cancelled. Caravan owner Thomas Walker-Coates has submitted a third application to keep his home on land in Sadberge, near Darlington. A proposed judicial review, which
FOUR free events are showcasing a new information and advice service for voluntary and community groups in Wear Valley and Teesdale. Experts Online is a question and answer service that covers a wide range of topics, including grant funding, business
A WOMAN who spent £1,100 with a travel agent is boycotting the company after being fined £45 for parking too long at its sister supermarket. Gillian Parker-Smith is the latest Co-op shopper to be fined for breaching the two-hour free parking regulation
MORE than 20 churches and community groups will take part in a flower festival to be held in New Brancepeth Methodist Church next weekend. The festival, which is being held to mark several anniversaries, including the 300th year after the birth of Charles
HOLIDAYMAKERS in north-west Durham are preparing for take-off, when an expanding North-East travel company opens its latest premises. Hays Travel's Consett branch will be the company's 33rd store in the region, re-enforcing its status as the Association
EUROPE'S largest equestrian touring company is to bring its show to County Durham for the first time. The Chimera production, featuring 30 horses, will be staged at Dalton Park, near Seaham, from Friday, June 1, to Sunday, June 3. The presentation will
ORGANISERS of projects aimed at improving historic sites in Richmondshire have been urged to apply for grants. The district council yesterday opened its latest round of heritage grants, which will see £15,000 shared between conservation and history schemes
A NEWCASTLE-born woman who moved to the Yorkshire Dales at the age of 15 has celebrated her 100th birthday. Gertrude Whitaker celebrated on Thursday with friends, family and a glass of sherry at the residential home at Cross Hills, near Skipton, where
THE New Life Baptist Church in Northallerton will hold a men's day next Saturday. It will include talks and seminars, with special guest speaker Carl Beech, the national director of Christian Vision for Men. The event will finish at 2.45pm, in time for
People say that travel broadens the mind, but it seems the only interesting aspect of any trip for children is finding the answer to the age-old question of "Are we nearly there yet?" It's a question that every parent dreads, particularly as it is usually
PARENTS wept yesterday as their son was jailed for drug dealing. Dale Calow's retired parents travelled from Spain to support him after he was arrested for selling cocaine from his Darlington home. Groups of young women were among the callers who visited
A 44-YEAR-OLD man appeared in court yesterday charged with drug offences. Newton Aycliffe magistrates heard Brian Kidd supplied about five grams of amphetamine and ten grams of cannabis to Steven McCullagh, on November 3. On the same day, Mr Kidd is
SOUTH Tees Hospitals NHS Trust is looking for candidates to join its board. Officials would particularly like to hear from people living in the Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland area. Trust chairwoman Glenys Marriott said: "This is a really important
A COFFEE morning to celebrate National Fair Trade Day is being held today at Sainsbury's, in Middlesbrough. Customers who buy a cake or sandwich from the cafe will receive a free cup of fairly-traded tea or coffee. Donations will go to the Daisy Chain
THE future of Darlington's old bus station will be discussed at a meeting. Arriva leases the depot, on Feethams, from Darlington Borough Council. The lease has 51 years to run. But Arriva will leave the depot if its proposed takeover of Stagecoach's Darlington
STUDENTS at Darlington College are among the best in the country, according to figures. The Learning and Skills Council has named Darlington College in the top 25 per cent of Further Education colleges. The college beat Government targets two years ahead
Jenson Button is not ready to throw in the towel on this season - despite it being the most frustrating of his career. Button concedes a disastrous start to 2007 is far from the worst time he has endured during his seven years in Formula One. That 'accolade
THE owners of a Darlington industrial estate on the route of a multi-million pound bypass have raised traffic concerns about a major development. Plans unveiled earlier this year for a business park on the outskirts of town have already sparked congestion
MYSTERY surrounds the identity of the new tenant of a North Yorkshire town centre shop. Rumours are circulating about who is moving into the former Mr Coleman and Mr Morris store in Richmond Market Place. Workmen have been busy inside the premises this
TEESSIDE youngsters are to have lessons from their peers in a scheme launched by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Reception class children, from South Bank Community Primary School, will be taught by students from Gillbrook College under the initiative
England's selectors start a new international summer this weekend tackling the same problem which has plagued them for the last four years - finding a wicketkeeper capable of scoring runs at Test level consistently. Ever since Alec Stewart retired in
Greg Hicks explains how he's learning to cope with becoming the most hated character on stage. GREG Hicks admits he couldn't wait to play one of theatre's great contemporary anti-heroes, who takes seven hours to die. The 53-year-old says of the epic play
GENEALOGISTS looking to trace ancestors who worked in the railway trade are being invited to an event. An Introduction to Tracing Your Railway Ancestors sessions will take place in Crown Street Library, Darlington. The event has been organised on Tuesday
A VILLAGE'S fundraising campaign has started on a high note after performers raised £400 with an opera night. The evening kick-started Heighington Village Hall Association's bid to improve facilities. Local performers soprano Paulina Rossi and mezzo
KERB-crawlers are to be given a stark reminder of the consequences of being caught with a vice girl. Their illegal sex could cost them their job, reputation, driving licence and a £1,000 fine, as well as bringing shame on their family, a six-week advertising
ARCHITECT Xsite is to work on a major festival in the region. The Newcastle company will work on the Dott 07 Festival, which will run from October 14 to 28 in NewcastleGateshead. Xsite is working on a number of projects, including the Digital Enterprise
HUNDREDS of gifted teenagers will be offered extra classes with experts from Durham and York universities, under a £3.6m Government initiative unveiled yesterday. Gifted and talented pupils from secondary schools throughout the North-East and North
AT long last, after all the behind-the-scenes angst, Gordon Brown has been able to formally launch his bid to lead the Labour Party and become Prime Minister. There must have been times when he thought it might never happen but, suddenly, the pieces are
THE leader of Derwentside District Council has retained control of his party after a rough ride in the recent elections. Councillor Alex Watson received unanimous support from Labour Party members and will remain at the helm of the authority. He is now
A DIVORCEE who swindled more than £23,000 in benefits to help pay for her three sons' private educations has been spared jail after she borrowed money to repay the debt. Adrienne McCrai used the money to fund after-school and summer holiday activities
DARLINGTON'S citizen of the year, Darrien Wright, is performing in the town tonight. The winner of television's Strictly Dance Fever is staging Dream It, Live It at Darlington Arts Centre, between 5pm and 7.30pm. Tickets for the show, which will also
THE Parkside Community Association, in Willington, is appealing for tutors and coaches to lead classes and activities for adults and young people. The centre is open at evenings and weekends. Telephone 01388-748558 after 6pm for more details.
ANYONE who goes to the next farmers' market in Middleton-in-Teesdale on May 27 will be able to feel like a film or television star for a while. A horse-drawn carriage will be there to ferry visitors from the mart car park to the village centre, and then
COMMUNITY safety teams are hailing the success of a direct appeal to residents to help cut arson attacks. The number of deliberate fires started across Sedgefield borough during this year's Easter holidays was 23, halved from last year's 47 arson-related
A VILLAGE'S fundraising campaign has started on a high note after performers raised £400 with an opera night. The evening started Heighington Village Hall Association's bid to improve facilities. At a concert held in the village hall, local performers
THOUSANDS of homes were left without power after a cable exploded underground. The force of the blast lifted up a section of pavement in a street in Guisborough. Technicians were last night trying to determine the cause of the power surge, which affected
POLICE are urging car owners to be vigilant after a spate of break-ins. Five cars in the past three days have been broken into in Eaglescliffe and Yarm. In each case, thieves removed the locking nuts and the jack from the boot and stole the alloy wheels
THERE will be a musical greeting for Middlesbrough's newest citizens on Monday. Abingdon School Steel Band will perform as 25 people from 13 countries take part in the town's latest citizenship ceremony. Middlesbrough Councillor Bob Kerr and superintendent
A WOMAN who claimed more than £29,000 in benefits while working as a school dinner lady was spared a prison sentence yesterday. But 41-year-old Tracy Ann Malkin is faced with having weekly deductions taken from her benefit payments for the rest of her
A MULTI-CULTURAL football scheme will culminate in a "World Cup" at Darlington's TFM Arena. Young footballers in Darlington have been training since April for the event, which will take place on Saturday, June 7. More than 140 young boys have been going
A SHOPKEEPER has been fined after he admitted selling alcohol to a 14-year-old boy working undercover for trading standards. Joghinder Singh, of Chapel Food Stores, in Sunniside, Gateshead, sold the boy four cans of Stella Artois lager, not realising
THE new £18m building at Bishop Auckland College hosted its first event yesterday. Students and staff experienced a taste of different cultures at the college's annual International Day. The event, which aims to promote equality and diversity, started
THE riverbank is now tiring of its initial bright yellow rush of enthusiasm. Nature had greeted spring's imminent arrival with a vivid flush of daffodils followed by a splattering of bright dandelions, but a Bank Holiday walk beside the tea-brown Tees
A TEENAGER who supplied undercover police officers with heroin regularly for a month was yesterday locked up for three-and-a-half years. Hussam Abd was caught during Operation Drayton, which was set up to disrupt drug dealing in Middlesbrough town centre
NEW media company Fuseboxdesign is helping the North-East film industry compete with the best in the world by designing a website promoting the region's expertise. The company, part of Newcastle architect Red Box Design, has created a site for Northern
CRANE company RS Industrial Services has invested £250,000 in a training division. The division of the company, which was founded as RS Cranes in 2002, is the latest in a series of improvements since its move to a four-acre site at Haverton Hill,
A SHOPPING mall is preparing to host a European village market for the first time. Dalton Park, near Seaham, will stage the event from Thursday to Sunday, May 20. More than 20 stallholders will be offering a range of goods from Greek olives and creamy
The Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League is starting to take shape as clubs play their fifth league games of the season today. Northallerton have roared out of the blocks and are the only club to have a perfect record. Led by Liam Botham there
STOCKTON-BASED Sudanese international Rabah Yusuf, who now competes for London club Newham and Essex Beagles in the British Athletics League Premiership, will be chasing the senior men's 200m title in this weekend's North-East Track and Field Championships
DARLINGTON hooker Dan Oselton will make his first start for Durham against Staffordshire at Gateshead today, but his brother Joe is unavailable and is replaced at tight head by Durham University's Tim Walford. The winners will earn home advantage in the
Birmingham have signed teenage midfielder Fabrice Muamba on a permanent basis from Arsenal. The 19-year-old has signed a three-year contract after an undisclosed fee was agreed with the Gunners, following his season-long loan to Blues. Birmingham manager
Wigan manager Paul Jewell has admitted he is getting ''fed up'' with all the talk of West Ham's off-the-field misdemeanours and claims it will play no part in the build-up to his side's crucial must-win match at Sheffield United tomorrow. Victory would
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has warned he will need to sign ten extra players for next season if his team beat Arsenal tomorrow and qualify for the UEFA Cup. Redknapp is adamant the additional workload of a European campaign would almost certainly
GLENN ROEDER frequently cited injuries as a reason for Newcastle United's poor performance this season and, before a new appointment has even been made, his successor will start with two star names on the treatment table. The Magpies confirmed yesterday
Dave Penney has been at the centre of speculation linking him to jobs higher up the Football League, but Darlington chairman George Houghton says the manager is going nowhere - and has even likened him to Sunderland supremo Roy Keane. After leaving Doncaster
West Ham striker Carlos Tevez is not planning to leave Upton Park but his future remains undecided. The Argentina international, who has spearheaded West Ham's battle against relegation, hopes to still be at the club next season. Tevez's Upton Park future
After a season of success, failure and a sense of what might have been in the North-East, The Northern Echo reviews the campaign for our five professional clubs. MIDDLESBROUGH IT may not mean silverware or even European qualification, but three points
FUTURE'S DREAM spearheads a four-pronged raiding party to Ascot by Middleham's Karl Burke, who is throwing plenty of darts at the board in the hope at least one hits bulls-eye. As far as prize-money is concerned, Future's Dream (2.20) chases the biggest
EVEN a desperate draw close to the adjacent corn field might not stop Ocean Gift (7.45) handing his backers a nice present in the Dick Peacock Handicap at Thirsk this evening. Nigel Tinkler's new recruit produced a more-than-promising second start for
ALMOST 15 years on, Sky Sports televised its 1,000th live Premiership fixture on Thursday night. Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Blackburn was perhaps not the most appealing way to reach the milestone, but there aren't too many matches left this season that
Lawrie Sanchez admitted it was a wrench to end his triumphant spell as Northern Ireland coach but insisted he could not resist the draw of managing Fulham full-time. Sanchez's temporary stewardship at Craven Cottage was yesterday made permanent with the
GARETH Southgate has already identified his transfer targets for next season and is in talks with several clubs prior to Middlesbrough's final Premiership fixture against Fulham tomorrow. The Boro manager was keeping his cards close to his chest regarding
ROY KEANE has spent the last nine months detaching himself from his Sunderland players, in the knowledge that the day would arrive when he had to be ruthless. That day has arrived. The Sunderland manager, with a massive rebuilding programme on the agenda
RITCHIE Humphreys believes Hartlepool United won promotion after doing it the quiet way. Pools ended their season in second spot after racking up a club record 88 points during the campaign. But a swift return to League One looked a long way away back
AFTER another week at St James' Park when off-the-field problems have overshadowed football matters, Nigel Pearson has leapt to the defence of Michael Owen by insisting the striker is 'absolutely driven' to play for Newcastle United. Chairman Freddy Shepherd
England defender Jonathan Woodgate has promised he will be back in time for the new season after undergoing knee surgery. The 27-year-old Middlesbrough star is available for tomorrow's final game of the Barclays Premiership season against Fulham, but
THERE is perhaps something symbolic in the fact Middlesbrough have launched a new club crest in the season Emanuel Pogatetz has reinvented himself. Boro yesterday replaced the old rounded badge, that has been in existence since the rebirth of the club
A rural community is greeting passers-by with a splash of colour.Publican Rob Cairns has decorated the gable end of the Victoria Inn, in Front Street, Cassop, near Durham, brightening the gateway to the village, on the A181.Artist Paul Richardson, from
A GROUP of friends completed a 150-mile coast-to-coast bike ride as part of a campaign to raise £2,000 for charity.The six men, all originally from Thrintoft, near Northallerton, rode from Whitehaven to Tynemouth in under four days.Last year, Steve and
WOMEN'S Institute branches have got together to hold a basket bonanza for a hospital children's ward.Members of Catterick, Hackforth, Richmond, Kirby Fleetham and Middleton Tyas and Moulton WI branches have filled baskets with a variety of items to raise
LOLLIPOP lady Brenda Shields finished her first school crossing shift in sub-zero temperatures and vowed to quit the job.But that first frost-bitten experience was soon forgotten and yesterday, she retired after more than 25 years on patrol at Pelton
A DAY in the park will be no picnic for two travel agents when they take part in the Race for Life.Michelle Craggs and Riccy Hunter, who work at Travelcare, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will take part in the 5km run in Gateshead for Cancer Research
BIDDERS for the new inter-city East Coast rail contract last night attempted to allay fears that half-hourly train services from the North-East to London could be cut.The four bidders who hope to take over the existing GNER franchise were quizzed on their
GORDON Brown hinted he may scrap the £5bn identity card scheme as he launched the campaign that is expected to make him the next Prime Minister.Speaking at a London gallery, the Chancellor ducked a challenge to give his full backing to the controversial
IMPENDING changes in local government could halt a council's controversial move to new headquarters.Borrowing restrictions on existing district councils in the run-up to their anticipated abolition could mean a shortfall in cash for the scheme.Councillor
AN Air force squadron has taken to the skies again - half a century after it was grounded.Originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, 76 Squadron flew from RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York.During the Second World War, it flew Halifax bombers
NEWCASTLE United chairman Freddie Shepherd has been caught out by a couple of Liverpool fans who filmed his response to their request for Michael Owen to return to Anfield. The gaffe-prone football chairman offered to carry Owen back to Liverpool.Video
Durham v Kent (County Championship) : Day Three DURHAM suffered their first rain of the season yesterday and it precipitated an unwelcome collapse, which might have become calamitous had Dale Benkenstein not been dropped.The captain was on ten when he
Yorkshire v Worcestershire (County Championship) : Day Three Yorkshire got rid of their pent up frustrations over weather delays by routing Worcestershire for 129 when play finally got under way at Headingley Carnegie yesterday and they made them follow
A BISHOP Auckland youth theatre group has received a cheque from County Durham's European exchange partners.Groups from the county's twin areas of Kreis Wesel, in Germany, and JaszNagykun-Szolnok, in Hungary, are in the county for four days visiting various
A CHILDREN'S charity worker who invented a fantasy story for youngsters with emotional problems is about to see his work turned into a professional educational aid for schools.Ronnie Rowbotham, a children and young people's participation worker at a Barnardo's
ELIZABETH Bowman has three good reasons never to forget her 100th birthday.The centenarian, from Easington Lane, had three parties to celebrate.Mrs Bowman was born in Easington Lane and, apart from a time in service in London, has spent all of her life
NORTH Durham MP Kevan Jones visited a Chester-le-Street primary school yesterday to learn about its efforts to encourage children to walk to school.Bullion Lane Primary School has introduced Park and Stride as a scheme to promote healthy exercise for
VOLUNTEERS helped to beautify a popular countryside haven yesterday.Members of Saltburn Women's Institute (WI) joined Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's countryside wardens to help plant a hedge behind the Woodland Centre, in Saltburn Valley.The initiative
AN award-winning school choir is dreaming of a part in a West End musical.Cockerton CE Primary School, Darlington, has launched a bid to perform in the final of BBC talent show Any Dream Will Do.The winners of the online competition will also be invited
A POPULAR postman has been given a cheque for £877 from residents on his old round.Trevor Bunker, 62, retired last month from his route in Hurworth, which he had for the past ten years.He was presented with the cheque at Hurworth Methodist Church, on
A £50,000 Lottery grant has meant a wildife education centre will be created in double-quick time at a County Durham animal sanctuary.The centre, at the Ark on the Edge rescue base on, Woolley Hill Farm Woodland, near Barnard Castle, was expected to be
ENVIRONMENT Secretary David Miliband has urged the North-East to do its bit to stop climate change, as he launched a recycling scheme in the region.The South Shields MP told an audience at Durham University that if everyone living in the city swapped
RAIL crews worked overnight on Thursday to replace 200ft of track damaged after a freight train derailed.East Coast services were brought to a standstill when the EWS-owned freight train, from Drax power station, in South Yorkshire, derailed at King Edward
FORMER Health Secretary Alan Milburn has landed a £25,000 job advising the manufacturers of Pepsi and Walkers Crisps - despite criticising junk food in the past.The Darlington MP has been appointed to PepsiCo's new advisory board, which will meet four
A CENTRE named after Alan Shearer for profoundly disabled people was opened by the footballing legend yesterday.The former Newcastle United and England captain opened the centre 12 months after his testimonial match at St James' Park. He donated the money
MIDDLESBROUGH fans have praised the Premiership side for going back to its roots after it revealed a new badge reflecting its 131-year history.The crest replaces an emblem that was designed for the club's rebirth following liquidation in 1986. Supporters
NURSES who look after heart patients have received national praise for their work in cardiac nursing awards.Staff in cardiothoracic services at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, were shortlisted in three categories - winning one and
RESIDENTS and schoolchildren teamed up yesterday to clean up their neighbourhood.Branksome and Cockerton West Community Partnership organised the litter-pick, which took place in the streets around Branksome School.Pupils from Mount Pleasant Primary School
A VILLAGE bobby who groped a schoolgirl after meeting her through a teenage internet chatroom has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.James Hunter was a constable with North Yorkshire Police when he targeted the 14-year-old girl, from Darlington, last
THE North-East has become the first region in the UK to launch a training programme to tackle predicted skills shortages in civil engineering. Fears have been raised about future employment in the sector and its popularity among young people, which could
ENVIRONMENT Secretary David Miliband yesterday praised the North-East for helping the UK lead the way in tackling climate change. The MP said that the emerging green energy industry on Teesside was something to be celebrated and that it would play a
A DALES community is at the forefront of the switch to renewable energy sources.Community Energy Solutions (CES) was launched yesterday as a two-year pilot project to deliver clean, renewable energy alternatives to 20 communities across the North-East.As
MISSING Madeleine McCann should have been celebrating her fourth birthday with her family today - but as her anguished parents waited for news last night, there was still no trace of the kidnapped youngster.On the eve of what should have been a joyous
Award-winning TV double act Mitchell and Webb are entering dangerous territory by transferring to the big screen. They talk to Steve Pratt about how easy it is to lose your head Comedy double act David Mitchell and Robert Webb have split up. Before fans
Ever wondered why we cry when we laugh and whether there's a relationship between our personalities and our ringtones? Richard Wiseman has devoted his life to investigating the most fascinating facts RICHARD Wiseman has made a career out of investigating
TWO teenagers who tracked and caught rapist Martin Walsh have won an Anne Frank Award.Adam Barker and Johnathan Stoker were nominated by university lecturer Geoff Pattison, who read about their heroic actions in The Northern Echo.Nineteen-year-old Walsh
