Archive

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Drug use may have triggered death of 22-year-old woman

DRUG use could have triggered the brain haemorrhage that claimed the life of a fun-loving young woman. Joanna Francis collapsed at her home in Eskdale Place, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, on September 1, 2002. She was found by a friend and paramedics

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Don't fool with fireworks

FOOTBALL teams have added their weight to a firework safety campaign. Three clubs - Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Darlington - have joined forces with fire and police officers to launch a radio advertising campaign promoting firework safety. Adverts will

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Ameobi taking it easy

AS Newcastle United's first taste of the group stages of the UEFA Cup edges closer, out-of-favour striker Shola Ameobi claims the Magpies should find qualification easy. Newcastle, who firstly face a tricky Premiership fixture at Charlton on Sunday, fly

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Market's return visit

THE popular French market returns to Darlington town centre next week. Traders from across the Channel will be setting up 24 stalls on High Row from Friday, October 22, to Monday, October 25. Their visit marks the fourth year of the French market in the

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Conman's £1m fraud funded life of luxury

A MAN who funded a lavish lifestyle after posing as a trader on the stock markets is facing jail for a £1m-plus fraud. Malcolm Varrick duped scores of people nationwide into handing over big sums of money after telling them they could get generous returns

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Spotlight on African dance company as it moves to spiritual home

THE curtain is set to rise on a performance by an African dance company tonight. Sakoba Dance Theatre will perform at the Arc in Stockton. The group is fronted by Bode Lawal, a Nigerian-born choreographer who has recently relocated his dance company to

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Jobs hopes boosted as business rental plan backed

COUNCIL chiefs are pressing ahead with plans to attract more businesses to their area. Their proposal to create new business premises for rent at Colburn, near Richmond, has been given the go ahead by members of Richmondshire District Council. The £1.5m

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A Voice For The North: Focus on TV advertisement as assembly battle hots up

THE first broadcasts will be screened tonight in what appears to be an increasingly close referendum campaign on a directly-elected assembly for the North-East. With only five days to go before the first votes are cast - and about one-third of voters

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800,000 cigarettes seized by customs in 11 days

TWO people have been arrested and more than 800,000 cigarettes seized during an 11-day Customs and Excise operation in the North-East. Officials have hailed the raids as a major success and have warned that there are more to come in the future. The operation

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Life is sweet for new-boy Collins

NEILL COLLINS has thanked his new defensive colleagues for helping make his switch from Scottish Second Division football to the hustle and bustle of the Coca-Cola League Championship an easy one. Since arriving in August in a £25,000 deal from minnows

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New To Rent

UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL: 1 (-) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind 2 (4) The Passion Of The Christ 3 (5) Monster 4 (10) Girl With A Pearl Earring 5 (-) Dawn Of The Dead 6 (6) Cheaper By The Dozen 7 (-) Van Helsing 8 (7) Out Of Time 9 (8) School Of Rock

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Sea-list celebs

Jack Black and Angelina Jolie joined Will Smith, Renee Zellweger, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in Dreamworks surprising Finding Nemo-like animated adventure Shark Tale. Steve Pratt reports on the latest attempt to crack the family film market. SCHOOL

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Jobs-for-cash couple win £3m NHS pay-out

A COUPLE who once masterminded a jobs-for-cash fraud that netted them more than £250,000 have won a £3m pay-out for their disabled child. Richard Alderson, 34, and his wife, Alison, 36, won £3.15m of public money to help them care for daughter Rebecca

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US girl 'groomed for sex on Internet'

POLICE in the US have issued an arrest warrant for a North Yorkshire man who allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl he met in an Internet chat room. James Horsfield, 36, of Leyburn, is wanted in connection with an alleged sexual assault on a child

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Downing could solve Sven's problem

FRANCK QUEUDRUE wants Stewart Downing to earn an England seniors call-up after proving he has all the credentials to fill Sven-Goran Eriksson's left side by hitting top form at Middlesbrough. Downing has attracted the attention of Manchester United manager

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Gran At Large

OUR grandson knocked over a vase of flowers while he was staying with us last year - well, it was silly of me to have left it at child height. He spread his hands in a sort of shrug. "No worries," he said. His accent was pure Australian. No, Jonah hadn't

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Cook has winning formula

WINNING has become a habit for cook Lynn Pearson , pictured above, who has been named Durham School Chef of the Year for the fourth time. The mother-of-three serves up 160 tasty meals a day from the kitchens of Wolsingham Primary School. She has twice

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It's not too late

Just as the birthday party hangover was clearing and turning 30 didn't seem too bad, I found out I may have left it too late to have kids! According to a new survey half of all women who delay having children until their 30s will never conceive. On the

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Soccer legends tackle cooking challenge

SOCCER legends Malcolm MacDonald, Eric Gates and Bernie Slavin will rekindle simmering rivalries next week when they compete against each other in a cooking challenge. The former football stars will be taking part in a Ready Steady Cook-style culinary

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Pedestrian Pete's good advice

ROAD safety advice was top of the agenda for some Darlington youngsters. Children at Cockerton Primary School celebrated the end of Walk to School Week with a visit from the borough council's safety mascot, Pedestrian Pete. They were among hundreds of

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Company fined £10,000 for polluting beck

A CROP protection company has been fined £10,000 for polluting a beck and killing thousands of fish. CSC Crop Protection Ltd, of Glenearn Road, Perth, Scotland, admitted causing ammonia sulphate to enter Hutton Beck, Richmond, in September last year.

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Club revamp brings new look and jobs

FORTY jobs are to be created following the £1m redevelopment of a Darlington nightclub. The new-look Escapade club, formerly the Mardi Gras, will be unveiled at a VIP launch event tonight. Managers say the 1,400-capacity venue, in Gladstone Street, has

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Police criticised over response

RESIDENTS are feeling isolated from their local police because of a breakdown in communications, says a town council. Shildon Town Council is writing to the chief of police to demand that Durham Police Constabulary meet shortfalls in its new telephone

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Hughes makes good impression

DARLINGTON boss David Hodgson will decide on Canadian defender Tyler Hughes' future next week, writes Lee Hall. Hodgson watched from the stands as Hughes played in yesterday's reserve-team defeat at Huddersfield Town. Hughes, who plays in the Canadian

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N-E unemployment rises despite a record low in UK

UNEMPLOYMENT in the UK has fallen to a record low - but the North-East has seen 7,000 more people out of work in the past three months. Despite most regions in the country seeing a drop in unemployment of up to 14,000, the figures show the North-East

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Railway brings tourist boom

BRITAIN'S newest railway is attracting thousands of visitors to the region, breathing new live into Weardale. Directors of Weardale Railway have revealed that 13,633 passengers have paid their fare to travel on the five-mile track between Stanhope and

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Grief as crash claims two young lives

A DEVASTATED mother has described how she came across the road accident that claimed the lives of her ten-year-old son and teenage daughter. Karen Armstrong became concerned when eldest daughter, Lindsay, 26, called to say her sister, Jenna, 19, and brother

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Cosi Fan Tutte, Opera North, Newcastle Theatre Royal

MOZART'S story of cynical betting on human frailty is impeccably performed by a strong young cast with the support of Opera North's excellent orchestra. Two young soldiers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, are shocked when their older friend Don Alfonso suggests

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Judge praises prison officer hurt in fracas

A prison officer won praise from a judge for trying to subdue an irate young inmate. Susan Gill suffered a broken ankle in the incident at Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, in Barnard Castle, County Durham. As a result of the injury she has been

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Company fined £10,000 for polluting beck

A CROP protection company has been fined £10,000 for polluting a beck and killing thousands of fish. CSC Crop Protection Ltd, of Glenearn Road, Perth, Scotland, admitted causing ammonia sulphate to enter Hutton Beck, Richmond, in September last year.

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'Town proud of achievers'

STUDENTS will receive awards for their achievements in an Oscar-style awards ceremony tomorrow. Tanni Grey-Thompson will present the awards at the third Celebration of Success event, at Hartlepool College of Education, at 7pm. A total of 23 awards will

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Action over 'crimewave teenager'

A TEENAGER labelled a one-man crimewave who blighted the lives of shoppers in a former mining community has been barred from a supermarket. Durham Constabulary yesterday secured an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) against Andrew Paul Westlake, 15, of

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14/10/04

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY: PETER Hain (Echo, Oct 12) provides enough misinformation to ensure people vote against an elected regional assembly. His fervent hope is that a Yes from the North-East would pave the way for countrywide regionalisation. The Government

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Matalan store to create jobs

FASHION and homewares retailer Matalan is set to open a store in Durham later this month, creating 70 jobs in the area. The 18,000 sq ft outlet follows on from the opening of stores in Consett and Washington earlier this year. The low-cost retailer already

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Shocked grannies and the king of camp chat

Ban This Filth (C4); The Paul O'Grady Show (ITV1): NEVER mind hunting, there are other country pursuits that the Prime Minister should be banning, according to Barbara, the elderly woman who presents Ban This Filth. She was referring to Pony Play, which

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Youngsters prepare to tread the boards

PUPILS from across North Yorkshire are about to take part in the county's first schools drama festival. The five-day festival, which starts on Monday, is being hosted by the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, in conjunction with Richmond School. It will

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Ashes to ashes for ex-vicar's £100,000

A BEST-SELLING children's author saw a fortune go up in flames - when he accidentally burnt the original manuscripts of his first book while moving house. Former vicar Graham Taylor did not realise he had destroyed the original drafts of his book Shadowmancer

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Mallon's bid to stimulate economy

MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon has ordered his staff to operate an open-door approach to business in an effort to stimulate the local economy. Mr Mallon told a gathering of more than 220 Tees Valley firms that the town had neglected the business community

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Loophole is closing on fine dodgers

FINE dodgers are facing imprisonment as the courts and police decide to get tough and close a loophole in the system. Thousands of offenders who ignore warrants could find themselves brought back before magistrates for sentencing. To kick-start the campaign

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Birthday girls clock up 200 years

FRIENDS who share the same birthday clocked up two centuries between them this week. Edith Williams, who is 101, and Anna Alonzi, a mere youngster at 99, were treated to a party on Monday at the Feryemount Residential Home in Ferryhill where they live

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Bringing up eBay

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College to unveil £5m extension

A £5m building project at Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College will be officially opened next week. The project started in summer 2003 and brings all of the college's annexes on to the main site in Vane Terrace. A central feature is a glazed

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Pupils are stars of conference

SIX Teesside schoolchildren had a day they will never forget when they were guests at the Labour Party conference. Elizabeth Smith, Kirsty Barker, Stefan Griffiths, Jonathan Lancaster, Samuel Pitt and Katherine Stevenson, from Redcar Community College

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Solicitors show willing to raise money for charity

SOLICITORS are offering to write basic wills without charge until the end next month - and raise money for charity. Instead of charging their normal fee for a basic will, many solicitors from the area have agreed to waive their charge thanks to Will Aid

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Objections to day care nursery plan

PLANS for a day care nursery in a village near Darlington will go before the council next week. Hazel Tarakji hopes to open a 38-place nursery in a detached house on Middleton Lane, in Middleton St George, for children up to five years old. Mrs Tarakji

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Rush to enlist in time bank

A TIME bank scheme where people exchange skills instead of money has got under way. More than 60 people attended a launch event in Richmond and 30 people and two organisations have already joined the project, which works on the basis that one hour of

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Threat to clifftop homes

CLIFFTOP homes are threatened by instability of the coast, according to a new report. John Riby, head of engineering for Scarborough Borough Council, said in the report due to be discussed at a meeting tomorrow that marine erosion, groundwater conditions

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Men jailed for bid to supply drugs worth over £250,000

TWO men have been jailed for a total of nine years for their part in a conspiracy to supply more than £250,000 worth of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis. Jonathon Moorby, 34, of Pembroke Drive, Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, and Allan Blakemore, 44, of

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Solicitors show willing to raise money for charity

SOLICITORS are offering to write basic wills without charge until the end next month - and raise money for charity. Instead of charging their normal fee for a basic will, many solicitors from the area have agreed to waive their charge thanks to Will Aid

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Young poet wins prize

A BUDDING poet has won a writing competition for the second time. Sedgefield youngster Timothy Jasper, ten, a pupil at Trimdon St William's RCVA Primary School, recorded his second victory in the Darlington Young Poet Of The Year competition. He won the

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Closure of almshouses will end 300-year era

A historic building designed as a shelter for the needy is to close after more than 300 years. Bishop Cosin's Almshouses, in the shadow of Durham Cathedral, provides accommodation for the poor and elderly. But the trust that runs the accommodation block

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Sweet day as lollipop people honoured

LOLLIPOPS were out in force in Middlesbrough when a group of crossing wardens turned up at the Town Hall for a civic reception. The usually unheralded workers were guests of honour for a reception to mark their contribution to school life. Middlesbrough

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Darker nights prompt police warning over garden sheds

POLICE in North Yorkshire are urging people to pay special attention to the security of their garden sheds. Sheds attract unwanted attention from thieves during the hours of darkness and the number of them that are raided increases at this time of year

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£170m shopping centre revamp discussed

PLANS for a £170m overhaul of a city centre shopping mall look likely to be approved next week. The proposals for Eldon Square, in Newcastle, go before Newcastle City Council's ruling executive on Wednesday. If approved, it is expected to create 2,000

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Health trust boss on way to new post

A SEARCH is under way to find a successor to the man who has led the Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust since its inception. Chris Long has been chief executive of the trust since it was established in April 2002. He has now been appointed

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Spotlight on liaison officers

THE work of family liaison officers (FLOs) is to be put under the spotlight at a conference organised by Northumbria Police. The conference, FLOs in the 21st Century, will draw together senior detectives and trained FLOs from the Northumbria force as

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Action over 'crimewave teenager'

A TEENAGER labelled a one-man crimewave who blighted the lives of shoppers in a former mining community has been barred from a supermarket. Durham Constabulary yesterday secured an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) against Andrew Paul Westlake, 15, of

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Anguish as wedding gift firm collapses

A NEWLY married couple have told of their misery following the collapse of an Internet gift service. Martin and Kirsten Richardson were married in August at Lower Dinsdale, near Darlington. Many guests had bought wedding presents through online firm The

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Matalan store to create jobs

FASHION and homewares retailer Matalan is set to open a store in Durham later this month, creating 70 jobs in the area. The 18,000 sq ft outlet follows on from the opening of stores in Consett and Washington earlier this year. The low-cost retailer already

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Spooky tales on board Bookbus

SPOOKY stories are to be wheeled out to rural areas in the region next week. Durham County Council's Bookbus is preparing to take to the road to bring the ghostly tales to young and old. The project is being funded by the county council and the North-East

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School's healthy eating efforts recognised

A primary school's efforts to keep its pupils fit and healthy has earned an award. Bournmoor Primary School, near Chester-le-Street, has introduced a range of initiatives designed to keep its youngsters on an exercise and sensible eating track. Among

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'Oscar'-winning beautician who is easy on the eye

A beautician has won through to the national finals of her industry's equivalent of the Oscars. And only weeks after Sonia Hassanien competes in the British Beauty Awards in London, she will line up in the finals of a top beauty contest. It is her skill

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Care services showcased

CARE services for all ages will be showcased at an event in Redcar today. Transforming Lives has been set up by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's social services department's disability team in partnership with service providers. It has 30 information

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A close shave for fundraiseing mum

A BRAVE mother-of-three let one of her sons loose with a pair of scissors to make the first cut as she underwent a new look in aid of charity. Nancy Deverson volunteered for the sponsored head shave during a fundraising event at The Green Tree pub, Tudhoe

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Matalan store to create jobs

FASHION and homewares retailer Matalan is set to open a store in Durham later this month, creating 70 jobs in the area. The 18,000 sq ft outlet follows on from the opening of stores in Consett and Washington earlier this year. The low-cost retailer already

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Pupils learn skills on site

STUDENTS have been given help with their course work from a North-East business. As part of National Construction Week, building service provider Rok has been working in partnership with Freebrough Community College, in east Cleveland, to help GCSE students

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Jobs hopes boosted as business rental plan backed

COUNCIL chiefs are pressing ahead with plans to attract more businesses to their area. Their proposal to create new business premises for rent at Colburn, near Richmond, has been given the go ahead by members of Richmondshire District Council. The £1.5m

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Boost for hospice

A TIRELESS charity supporter, who has overcome personal setbacks, has boosted a hospice appeal. Lil Sowerby, backed by fellow members of the ladies darts club and officials at Ushaw Moor Catholic Club, organised fashion and variety shows. The two events

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Rapist told girl to think of attack as birthday present

A TEENAGER who raped a girl on the eve of her 18th birthday told her to think of it as a present. Lee Stephenson forced himself on top of his victim while she slept in her bedroom, Teesside Crown Court was told. Stephenson, 19, of Coronation Avenue, Bishop

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Scary Sarah

ONE advantage of being married to a nurse is that she can tend your wounds when your psycho stalker stabs you, as happens to Martin Fowler in EastEnders (BBC1). Mind you, wife Sonia's record of keeping fiances alive isn't good. Little Jamie, her previous

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Fairly funny

Jack Dee makes his sitcom debut as a fairground boss in Tunnel Of Love on ITV1. The stand-up comic is enjoying the opportunity to create laughs from someone else's script. Steve Pratt reports. JACK Dee may be regarded as one of Britain's foremost funny

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Journalists protest at regional TV cutbacks

JOURNALISTS at a North-East television company are writing to MPs over plans to halve the number of regional programmes on ITV. Broadcasters at Tyne Tees are worried that proposals by media watchdog Ofcom to reshape the size and content of the television

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Very Little Women, York Theatre Royal

ACTORS are warned never to act with children or animals. To that list must be added stuffed animals. These creatures - a selection of inanimate beasts including cats and kittens - threaten to steal scene after scene of Lip Service's version of Louisa

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Little and large artwork on display

Artist Gina Morton's contrasting methods of creating watercolours are to be featured in a one-woman exhibition which opens this month. The successful painter, who is based in Darlington, is to put her large and tiny offerings on display in the Castle

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Lady Jane looks a class above rival fillies

JANE JUBILEE (3.25) warrants plenty of respect in this afternoon's big race at Newmarket, the £100,000 Tattersalls Autumn Auction Stakes. The Mark Johnston-trained two-year-old filly did little wrong at the start of her career, first of all running away

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Battle against career criminals stepped up by police

CAREER criminals who make a living from the black economy are being targeted in new moves to hit offenders in their pockets. Police across Durham will be working to claw back funds from criminal activities which account for hundreds of thousands of pounds

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Lady Jane looks a class above rival fillies

JANE JUBILEE (3.25) warrants plenty of respect in this afternoon's big race at Newmarket, the £100,000 Tattersalls Autumn Auction Stakes. The Mark Johnston-trained two-year-old filly did little wrong at the start of her career, first of all running away

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You Write

Student spending: M D Chadwick (Advertiser, week ending October 9) has wrongly managed to conclude that all the woes of the city are the fault of the student population. It is most likely that the Safeway store will close. It was built at a time when

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Post offices to close

THE Post Office has confirmed it is to close 11 branches around County Durham next month. Campaigners have been fighting against the proposed closures for several weeks since it emerged that their future was under review. However, despite a concerted

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Downing could solve Sven's problem

FRANCK QUEUDRUE wants Stewart Downing to earn an England seniors call-up after proving he has all the credentials to fill Sven-Goran Eriksson's left side by hitting top form at Middlesbrough. Downing has attracted the attention of Manchester United manager

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Printing problem blamed for election leaflets gaffe

AN election watchdog last night admitted an embarrassing blunder when it emerged that thousands of leaflets explaining how to vote by proxy in the referendum for a regional assembly had been sent out to voters only hours before the deadline to register

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Nightclub given permission to open at the last minute

NIGHTCLUB bosses were reprimanded yesterday for widely publicising their opening night - despite not having an important council licence. Escapade - formerly known as Mardi Gras - opens in Gladstone Street, Darlington, tonight after undergoing a £3m refurbishment

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Battle to save post offices

ANGER greeted confirmation last night that the Post Office is to close 11 more North-Eastbranches, despite protests from local communities. The latest round of closures is in addition to the 53 that have already taken place in the region. Four branches

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Comment from The Northern Echo: Post offices must be saved

THE Government's insistence on encouraging people to switch benefits payments to their bank accounts sounded the death knell for many of our smaller post offices. Deprived of a large volume of their trade, branches were no longer viable. The Government's

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Man found dead after house blaze

A MAN was found dead amid smoke and flames at his home yesterday. The victim, believed to be in his late fifties, was confirmed dead at the scene, the ground floor of a two-bedroom semi-detached property in Belmont, on the outskirts of Durham. Neighbours

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Gang related

John Alderton tells TV & Entertainments Editor Viv Hardwick why he's delighted to be taking on a major theatre tour which involves wife, Pauline Collins, and daughter, Kate, plus one of his sons. POPULAR actor John Alderton has retired and come back

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Teenagers take rough with the smooth on forest cycling course

TEENAGERS sampled some white-knuckle mountain biking this week at one of country's most popular cycling centres. Four boys from a residential school sampled downhill adventure cycling at Hamsterley Forest's Endeavour mountain biking range, in County Durham

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£10,000 to help run nature reserve

THE region's newest nature reserve has received £10,000 to ensure guests get the most out of their visits. Hedley Hope Fell, near Tow Law, County Durham, was opened as a reserve by Durham Wildlife Trust on September 10. Durham County Council is contributing

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Battle to save post offices is all in vain

ANGER greeted confirmation last night that the Post Office is to close 11 more North-East branches, despite protests from local communities. The latest round of closures is in addition to the 53 that have already taken place in the region. Four branches

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Closure of almshouses will end 300-year era

A historic building designed as a shelter for the needy is to close after more than 300 years. Bishop Cosin's Almshouses, in the shadow of Durham Cathedral, provides accommodation for the poor and elderly. But the trust that runs the accommodation block

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Government plans two-tier education

THE North-East will be left with a two-tier education system if independent academies planned for the region go ahead, unions warned yesterday. The Government wants to have 200 city academies in the UK open by 2010 and is keen to see one developed in

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Town invests in road safety

WORK on the latest phase of a £400,000 road safety project in Darlington is under way. A pedestrian crossing is being instal*ed in Whinbush Way at a cost of £80,000. It is part of a major scheme that will eventually see six crossings upgraded and two

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Once upon a time....

NEWCOMERS to the Durham dales find themselves at the centre of the thirteenth North Pennines Storytelling Festival, starting this week. Organisers chose the theme Old Settlers, New Settlers for the three-day event which opens on Friday. Storytellers are

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Journalists protest at regional TV cutbacks

JOURNALISTS at a North-East television company are writing to MPs over plans to halve the number of regional programmes on ITV. Broadcasters at Tyne Tees are worried that proposals by media watchdog Ofcom to reshape the size and content of the television

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Toppled vase? No worries

OUR grandson knocked over a vase of flowers while he was staying with us last year - well, it was silly of me to have left it at child height. He spread his hands in a sort of shrug. "No worries," he said. His accent was pure Australian. No, Jonah hadn't

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Bringing up eBay

Fans include Cherie Blair and Sir Paul McCartney, and you can get everything from a private jet to a bucket of water. Nick Morrison looks at how a nation of shopkeepers has embraced the ultimate global marketplace. WHEN David Beckham's left leg went from

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Meat producer aiming to be cut above the rest

AN award-winning meat producer is to expand his business with the help of funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Stephen Knox, who farms at Patrick Brompton, North Yorkshire, produces a range of meat products that

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Prescott given grilling over downgrading of services at hospital

DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott swept into a former steel town yesterday to drum up support for the Yes vote in the referendum for an elected North-East regional assembly. During his whistlestop tour of Consett, County Durham, he was confronted over

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Store gets back its drinks licence

A DRINKS licence has been granted for the new manager of a grocery store which three times failed test purchases of alcohol by underage customers. But North Durham licensing magistrates warned Sean White and his two deputies, Scott Preston and Gary Parkinson

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Fast food changeover

YORK-based food manufacturer the Salad Garden has changed hands after being bought by a father-and-son team. Alan and Mark Hawley, of Hawley Foods, said they were planning significant capital expenditure and job creation after taking over the firm, which

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Women demonised by St Bob

IF only women would spend more time in the kitchen, accept men the way they are, put themselves last and learn to put up with their lot without complaining so much, the world would be a much better place. That was, more or less, in a nutshell the argument

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Ex-pitmen's lawyers urge better offers

LAWYERS representing thousands of ex-miners have urged the Government to make improved compensation offers. Yesterday, legal experts advising former pitmen warned Government officials that the only way to speed up the painfully slow lung damage compensation

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Gran At Large: Topple vase? No worries

OUR grandson knocked over a vase of flowers while he was staying with us last year - well, it was silly of me to have left it at child height. He spread his hands in a sort of shrug. "No worries," he said. His accent was pure Australian. No, Jonah hadn't

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TV review

Ban This Filth (C4) The Paul O'Grady Show (ITV1) NEVER mind hunting, there are other country pursuits that the Prime Minister should be banning, according to Barbara, the elderly woman who presents Ban This Filth. She was referring to Pony Play, which

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Young poet wins prize

A BUDDING poet has won a writing competition for the second time. Sedgefield youngster Timothy Jasper, ten, a pupil at Trimdon St William's RCVA Primary School, recorded his second victory in the Darlington Young Poet Of The Year competition. He won the

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£80,000 for crossing

WORK on the latest phase of a £400,000 road safety project in Darlington is under way. A new pedestrian crossing is being installed in Whinbush Way, at a cost of £80,000. The crossing links with a cycle route from Sparrow Hall Drive to allow access to

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Ken's bid to give hospital a boost

A FORMER patient has launched an appeal to secure entertainment systems for a community hospital. Ken Shaw, 73, of West Tanfield, near Bedale, spent three weeks in the Rutson Hospital, Northallerton, in September. During that time he was forced to take

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A firm 'no' to cutprice Christmas

A COUNCILLOR'S proposal to trim down the cost of Christmas has failed to win support. David Bell told this week's Hurworth parish council meeting that he was concerned about the cost of having a tree on the village green. It costs up to £800 to have the

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Hospital car park plan

PLANS to increase the number of parking spaces at Darlington Memorial Hospital will go before councillors next week. Durham NHS Trust wants to redesign the car park to provide 57 extra staff and 96 extra visitor spaces. The plan will go before the borough

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Students take to the catwalk to raise funds

BUDDING models from a Darlington school raised £565 by taking part in a fashion show. Pupils from Hurworth Maths and Computing College donned Hooch and Bench clothes to model for their classmates. About 200 parents and youngsters attended the evening,

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Plea over stolen chest

A RARE tea chest which was imported from India in the late 18th or early 19th Century has been stolen during a burglary. The chest was taken from a home in Brandsby, near Helmsley, on Tuesday night. It is about 4ft long and 2ft wide and stands on four

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Pupils take pride in village

pupils have taken a pride in their village by planting flowers on their millennium green. The children, from Peases West Primary School, near Crook, worked with representatives from Groundwork West Durham and Wear Valley District Council. Youngsters from

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Kind cook gives lobster its freedom

A kind-hearted cook decided to let an elderly lobster loose rather than put it in the pot. The creature, aged around 50, was freed by Geoff Dixon manager of The King Prawn Company. He was offered the massive creature for sale but, moved by its old age

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Gifts for vicar's retirement

THE Reverend Martin King was showered with gifts upon his retirement from a Sedgefield church. An embroidered stole, a card signed by parishioners, a booklet of pictures of St Edmund's Church from the junior church and a cheque were among the gifts he

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Hats off to donors for helping centre

A BOWLER hat and an old fashioned trouser press are among a host of attic treasures to be auctioned off to raise money for a community centre. The items have been donated by users of the Neville Community Centre, Newton Aycliffe, to help raise funds which

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John North: Small, but perfectly performed

Pint-sized Eileen Young may be 90 but she's still sparkling as the fairy who no-one loves at 40. SUPER trouper Eileen Young marked her 90th birthday this week by reprising her party piece - No One Loves A Fairy When She's Forty - and by threatening to

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Magic Macbeth

Viv Hardwick talks to Darlington-educated Royal Shakespeare Company star Ruth Gemmell. DESPITE spending most of her childhood in Darlington and marrying a well-known actor from Newcastle, actress Ruth Gemmell admits she's never returned to the North-East

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Resource centre plans lined up for two towns

COMMUNITY resource centres are to be developed in Whitby and Knaresborough. Gordon Gresty, North Yorkshire County Council's director of business and community services, said in a report to the executive next week that the Whitby centre will be developed

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Serving up local cuisine for Chinese

A MOUTHWATERING meal awaits a Chinese delegation on a fact-finding visit to the North-East. The five-member team, travelling under the auspices of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef) are to be treated to delicacies caught

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Geordie Jeans closes due to rent increases

THE owner of discount retailer Geordie Jeans blamed rising rents and the buying power of supermarkets for the closure of the firm's last store. Geordie Jeans will shut down for good after 30 years in business when its only remaining store in the region

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Burberry profits looking good with sweet smell of success

FASHION brand Burberry kept up its recent strong sales performance yesterday as it hailed the success of its new fragrance. The rejuvenated group said the product, Burberry Brit for men, had contributed to a 31 per cent rise in licensing revenues as overall

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Firm not pressed for deadline, say owners

ADMINISTRATORS for a North-East manufacturing firm deny that a deadline of two weeks has been given to find a buyer for the company. Pressworks Metals, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, went into administration last week throwing the fate of about 250

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Store gets back its drinks licence

A DRINKS licence has been granted for the new manager of a grocery store which three times failed test purchases of alcohol by underage customers. But North Durham licensing magistrates warned Sean White and his two deputies, Scott Preston and Gary Parkinson

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Nightclub given permission to open at the last minute

NIGHTCLUB bosses were reprimanded yesterday for widely publicising their opening night - despite not having an important council licence. Escapade - formerly known as Mardi Gras - opens in Gladstone Street, Darlington, tonight after undergoing a £3m refurbishment

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Police call on bike owners to reclaim property

POLICE are desperate to reunite scores of stolen bikes with their original owners. There are almost 40 bikes collecting dust in a storage room at Darlington police station, many of which will be destroyed or sent to auction if their rightful owners don't

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Views wanted on landscape plans

RESIDENTS are urged to give their views on plans to improve a coastal town. Householders in Seaton Carew are invited to a consultation event next week to look at plans for removing the North Shelter and replacing it with a landscaping scheme on the seafront

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MetroCentre is breaking records

MORE than half a million visitors have flocked to a revamped North-East shopping centre in its first week. The Gateshead MetroCentre regained its title as the largest centre in Europe when it launched the Red Mall last Wednesday. The £85m mall has attracted

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£10,000 to help run nature reserve

THE region's newest nature reserve has received £10,000 to ensure guests get the most out of their visits. Hedley Hope Fell, near Tow Law, County Durham, was opened as a reserve by Durham Wildlife Trust on September 10. Durham County Council is contributing

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Nina's milestone is marked

AGE is no barrier to keeping fit - as octogenarian Nina Stevens can testify. She is one of the oldest and longest-serving users of the Hambleton Leisure Centre, in Northallerton, and has just clocked up her 500th visit. Nina, from nearby Brompton, rarely

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Help at hand for tracing family roots

PEOPLE interested in researching their roots are being offered help by a team of experts. To link up with the current BBC 2 TV series, Who Do You Think You Are? North Yorkshire County Council is holding two family history surgeries at Northallerton library

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Disgust at school bus driver's Soham 'joke'

A BUS driver has been removed from a school run after making a sick joke about the Soham murders to two girls. Ray Brown, 61, asked the teenagers: "Where are your Manchester United shirts? I am Ian Huntley." The distressed girls reported his comment to