Archive
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Television star Kate opens new college
TELEVISION news reporter Kate Adie has officially opened a college of technology. Woodham Comprehensive School, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, has become Woodham Community Technology College, through a £650,000 Government grant. It was granted special
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Price reductions lead to profits fall at North-East firms
FIRMS in the North-East have been forced to reduce prices in the last six months, leading to a fall in profits. According to the latest Business in Britain survey from Lloyds TSB Commercial, fierce competition has been blamed for this downwards spiral
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Pub death man was former junior striker for Magpies
A MAN found dead near a North-East pub was once Newcastle United's top junior striker, collecting awards as a promising teenager, it emerged yesterday. Gary Walton won the club's Golden Boot for scoring 39 goals for the reserves in 1980-81, in the middle
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£5.4m tonic for health blackspot
HEALTH chiefs have been given a £5.4m cash injection to fight Teesside's notorious problems. With more than 100 local initiatives already in place, the Teesside Health Action Zone is targeting the Government cash at the area's biggest killers - coronary
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Ex-policeman wins award on new pub beat
A FORMER policeman who decided to start a new career as a landlord has had his pub nominated for an award. Jeff Hunt has been running the Black Horse, in Low Willington, near Crook, with his wife, Cathy, for eight months. It was their first attempt at
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Fares doubled for children
TRANSPORT chiefs are to double fares for children travelling on Tyne and Wear's Metro system during evenings and at weekends to tackle unruly behaviour. The move to scrap the 25p Metro ticket for under-16s will cut Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority's
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Mad Frankie boxes clever at the alternative gang show
AFTER what seems like an eternity away from his desk, Mike Amos returns with tales of .... Mad Frankie Fraser enters to a cross between the theme from The Godfather and the overture from Steptoe and Son. As one they rise to applaud. Welcome to the Gang
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Hospital injury unit faces cut in hours despite objections
PLANS to cut the hours of the Consett area's minor injuries unit look likely to win important backing despite objections. County Durham and Darlington Health Authority will be recommended on Thursday to support the North Durham, Health Care Trust's proposals
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Head goes following police inquiry
THE headteacher of a County Durham primary school has resigned after a police investigation into misuse of school computers. Paul Clemmens handed in his notice as head of St Joseph's RC Primary School, Newton Aycliffe, on Friday. He had been suspended
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Steven Dillon picks up top apprentice award
IT'S not everyday you're invited to the House of Lords to pick up a top honour in your trade from a fully paid up member of the upper house. But then it's not everyday you land the title of top JTL apprentice in the North-East region, and for Steven Dillon
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England cricket streakers spared court appearance
TWO streakers who dashed on to the pitch during the England cricket match at Chester-le-Street will not be charged. The two men bared all on Saturday, as England beat the West Indies in the Nat West Triangular Series at the Riverside Ground, home of Durham
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Nicholls is looking dandy for four wins
In recent memory few trainers have made such a lasting impression in a short space of time as Thirsk-based David Nicholls. The former jockey, who is only in his seventh full year with a licence, has really carved a niche with his sprinters and he notched
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Steelworkers braced for fresh cuts
STEELWORKERS rocked by redundancies on Teesside last week are bracing themselves for a fresh round of job losses. Speculation is mounting that Corus, the country's biggest steel producer, is to axe 1,600 jobs in South Wales within the next few days. Corus
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Sharon Griffiths writes
HERE'S a tip for Tony Blair - little girls are born to talk. Well, we all knew that, didn't we? Right from the moment they go to toddler groups, little girls bustle round the Wendy House chatting, while the boys' only communication is to beat each other
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Safeway criticises council over land sell-off decision
THEY are scratching their heads in the cafes and muttering in the pubs. Few things have raised the ire of people in the market town of Barnard Castle, County Durham, so much for years. The question they are all asking is how did it go so badly wrong?
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Police in chemical spill exercise
MOTORISTS are being urged not to worry when a road is used to test emergency plans for dealing with chemical spillages. The exercise will take place on the old A19/A689 slip road, north of the Wolviston-Billingham roundabout, half a mile west of Newton
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Gearing up for bike trek
A HUSBAND and wife teaching team are gearing up to pedal 2,000km to raise money to help handicapped children in the North-East. Jim and Maria Frazer, from South Shields, will cycle from the North-East to Portsmouth, then cross the Channel by ferry, before
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Purple cauliflowers cooking up interest among shoppers
WE'VE all heard of giant marrows and prickly pears - now prepare yourself for the purple cauliflower. It may look like nature's greatest mistake, but it is already gracing the plates of households in County Durham. Sold for the same price as your normal
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Temp boost for Tallent Engineering
CAR part suppliers, Tallent Engineering, has been boosted by the addition of a number of staff at its North-East base. The firm, which employs 900 people, has seen an upturn in its fortunes after an uncertain six months in the car supplies market. The
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Old boys meet for reunion
INGENIOUS adaptations were given full marks from former residents when old boys of Richmond School were welcomed back to look around their one-time boarding house, now the new Friary hospital, in Richmond. The party of 140 old boys, partners and friends
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Food thoughts of home
Whatever the relief map topography before the varicose vein operation, things went decidedly pear-shaped thereafter. The case notes two weeks later recorded DVT and PE. DVT's a deep vein thrombosis; PE's not exactly physical exercise, either. (A single
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Thousands of pupils to get free transport
NEARLY 100,000 school children in the North-East are to get free bus and Metro rides as part of a scheme to encourage more parents to leave their cars at home. Primary school pupils living in Tyne and Wear could get free travel on weekdays up to 7pm during
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sharon takes on the best
SWIMMER Sharon Read is heading for uncharted waters with an appearance in a national finals. The 15-year-old has competed in the national championships of her native South Africa, but next month competes for the first time against the cream of British
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Care centre adults to join in with the fun
MORE than 100 adults with learning disabilities from around County Durham will be taking part in a fun day at Peterlee this week. People from many of County Durham Care's day centres are expected to join the fun at the Shinwell Centre in Stephenson Road
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Activities lined up for school holidays
A SIX-week programme of fun has been lined up for youngsters on a Durham estate during the school holidays. Eight to 16-year-olds on the Sherburn Road Estate will be able to enjoy football, netball, orienteering, arts and crafts, thanks to funding from
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Landmark for Scottish society
DURHAM Caledonian Society is celebrating 50 years of promoting north-of-the-border culture. The society, which was founded by Scottish exile James McLeish, is holding an anniversary dinner dance on Thursday in Durham University's Grey College. The society
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Determined Student pushes aside dyslexia to achieve success
A STUDENT is proving that dyslexia is no barrier to learning and is determined to encourage others to overcome their disability. Tony Corkin, who left school when he was 16 years old with few qualifications, graduated last year from the BSc applied microbiology
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Cornerhouse is set for regeneration
A MIDDLESBROUGH leisure company is about to open the doors on an ambitious programme of regeneration that will not only bring back to life one of the town's most historic buildings, but will also create 20 new jobs. The Comerhouse, based in the premises
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Unions meet to discuss job cuts
UNION leaders on Teesside will meet tomorrow in a bid to discover more details about proposed redundancies in the steel industry. The multi-union committee will get together on the Corus site at Redcar five days after hearing of the devastating news that
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Bewitched by the Harry Potter muse
I WAS in the pub the other night and someone was being very sniffy about the doctorate awarded by Exeter University to the children's writer JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books. The books were "only fiction", he said - and worst of all only fiction
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Well we'll be blessed, watch out for the waterborne bride and Vroom
IT will be a case of the bride and vroom when Paula Green has her marriage blessed on Saturday. For the water sports fan will be joining her new husband, and the clergyman who married them, on jet skis, for a somewhat unusual ceremony. Paula and Colin
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Now it's spend, spend, spend
THERE was a lot of trouble with spin yesterday. How the Tories mocked when, early in his speech, Chancellor Gordon Brown tumbled over his words and proposed "three policy announcements to underspin the economy". He meant, of course, to underpin the economy
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Retailer expands creating 700 jobs
DEBENHAMS has unveiled plans to open two new department stores in the region creating 700 jobs. The stores will be at the Gateshead MetroCentre and in Sunderland, with the firm also revealing it will be re-siting its York store, with the potential for
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Book early for playschemes, say organisers
PARENTS are being reminded to book in advance to make sure their children get places on summer playschemes. A registration day is being held tomorrow, from 9am to 1pm, at six playscheme venues across Hartlepool. Hartlepool Borough Council is operating
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Fears allayed over doctors' surgery
A CHILTON doctors' surgery is to stay open for the time being. Fears were expressed by the local residents' association that the Ferryhill and Chilton Medical Practice, in Durham Road, was to move, causing problems for elderly patients. Doctors say they
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Mentoring service to help firms
BUSINESSES in the North-East can now share their expertise with smaller businesses thanks to a new mentoring service from Teesside University. The E-mentoring service has been devised at the University's School of Business and Management, and is provided
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School in rat scare cleared
A NORTH-EAST school was allowed to reopen yesterday after its second rat scare in recent years. The 1,060 pupils at Seaham Comprehensive enjoyed a long weekend break after pest controllers were called on Friday. Rats had been seen in the grounds of the
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Community shocked by killing
A SHOCKED community was last night coming to terms with its second gruesome murder in three years after the body of a man was found lying in a pool of blood in a pub garden. As they surveyed the scene outside the Miners Arms in Coundon, County Durham,
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Residents given say over grants
RESIDENTS living in north Richmondshire are to get their say on how millions of pounds of new European grant aid could be spent. The district was granted Objective Two funding status by the European Union earlier this year that could release millions
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it's free by pedal-power
AN unusual sight will greet a city's visitors this summer - a pedal-powered taxi. The sustainable transport service, similar to a rickshaw, can carry up to three people. The first vehicle, which took to the roads of Newcastle yesterday, will take tourists
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Lucky Scott lands prize bike
TEENAGER Scott Sweeney was the envy of his friends at the weekend, when he rode home on a free mountain bike. Scott, 13, of Woodvale Road, Darlington, won the £189 imported Adirondacki mountain bike in a competition at the Iron Horse Cyclery, in Clark's
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Council under fire over business park
A PARISH council has been accused of trying to block a multi-million pound development in Wolsingham. A resident believes Wolsingham Parish Council is using a church-funded community magazine to stir up ill-feeling against an £8.8m Internet park planned
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Charity appeal
TYNE-TEES Television weatherman Bob Johnson is urging people to raise money for a cancer charity in this year's Great North Run. Mr Johnson, who will be taking part in the Great North Walk, wants runners to tackle the half-marathon on October 22 for Macmillan
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Paul steps up a gear at jennings
PAUL Dodds is steering his way to a brighter future thanks to the training and support provided by his employer. Mr Dodds, 31, of Blackhill in Consett has spent the last 12 months undertaking a number of written and practical tests at Ford's plant in
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Pupils build on their science skills
PRIMARY school pupils have been letting their hard work take the strain as they enjoy the last couple of days left of the summer term. Youngsters from year six at St John the Baptist Primary School, Ragworth, Stockton have been taking part in a science
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Plea for contract cash to be used on road cleaning
HAMBLETON District Council has defended its decision to use £33,000 to replace vehicles after a councillor demanded to know why it was not being used for street cleaning. Councillor John Coulson raised the issue this week with the authority's environmental
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Charity music festival
A FREE music festival will be held at Wensleydale Rugby Club, Leyburn, on August 5. Proceeds will go to the charity, Motivation, which runs wheelchair projects throughout the developing world. The annual event is organised by disabled dancer Michael King
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Sharon in at the deep end
YOUNG swimmer Sharon Read, above, is heading for uncharted waters with an appearance in a national finals. The 15-year-old has competed in the national championships of her native South Africa, but next month competes for the first time against top British
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George's tactics criticised by union
A FOOTBALLERS' union last night criticised Darlington chairman George Reynolds for lifting the lid on the club's wage bill. The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) said it was saddened that the Quakers supremo had chosen to make public details
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Talks go ahead on under-threat schools
MEETINGS are to be held tomorrow to discuss the future of three secondary schools earmarked for closure in east Middlesbrough. As part of Middlesbrough Borough Council's proposal, Keldholme, Langbaurgh and St Anthony's RC School would close and a new
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New transport strategy aims to save cash for businesses
BUSINESSES are being given the chance to save cash and help the environment as part of a new transport strategy. A consultant taken on as part of a five-year initiative in North Yorkshire is now offering free advice to firms in considering the impact
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Hague to open multi-purpose police office
TORY leader William Hague is to launch an initiative set up to improve the police service in a Dales community. North Yorkshire Police has established a base in Hawes after teaming up with the Upper Wensleydale Community Partnership. The one-stop shop
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Samaritans seek helpers
THE Samaritans in Durham hope to recruit more volunteers to help with their work. The charity's Mid-Durham branch based in the city needs more people to man its telephones lines - a third line was added last year to meet an increased demand for its service
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Good rate of entries for village show
THE 147th Sedgefield Agricultural and Horticultural Show will be held on the Robert Brown Showfield West Park on August 12, and entries are already coming in at a good rate. Show secretary Susan Curry feels that this augurs well for a successful show.
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Campaigner in running for award
A WOMAN who has devoted years to raising awareness of cancer has been nominated for a national award. Mary Lee, 56, of Stokesley, is one of 25 women from across the country to go through to the final stages of the Avon In Praise of Women Awards. Mary
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Learning shop will highlight education opportunities
A LEARNING shop where people can choose courses and training is to open in Spennymoor. Spennymoor Learning Town, which will open in Festival Walk in autumn, aims to give people a second chance at education. The number of young people who have left school
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Postman admits to delay and theft of mail
A POSTMAN pleaded guilty to delaying and stealing mail after hundreds of letters and parcels were found at his home. Michael Barlow, 24, from Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, appeared before Bishop Auckland magistrates yesterday. The court heard that
