Archive
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Hooked - on the legend of Capt Cook
A weekend aimed at attracting more holiday-makers to the region has been organised by tourism bosses. Coach and tour operators from all over Britain will flock to Captain Cook Country next weekend as part of a promotion organised by Middlesbrough and
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Duchess's boost for author Rebecca
A SCHOOLGIRL'S efforts to make a name for herself in the world of literature have been given celebrity encouragement. Ten-year-old Rebecca Radigan was amazed when the Duchess of York responded to her plea for help in launching a career as an author. The
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Parents' plea for seatbelts action
PARENTS are backing moves to ensure all vehicles taking children to and from school are fitted with seatbelts. This week, The Northern Echo launched its School Seatbelt Scandal campaign after discovering that a legal loophole meant thousands of youngsters
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Police hunt attacker who stabbed man
POLICE forces across the country are hunting a knifeman who attacked a man causing him severe stomach wounds. The attacker struck at 10pm on Wednesday, in Derwent Street, Hartlepool. His victim, a 33-year-old man who has not been named, was rushed to
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Security stepped up as police warn against soccer violence
POLICE are stepping up security ahead of today's derby match between arch-rivals Hartlepool and Darlington. Officers have reassured the public that there will be a strong police presence before and after the game at Hartlepool's Victoria Park. But their
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Orange says the future is brighter still
MOBILE phone firm Orange is looking at further expansion in the North-East - as well as having recently announced more than 1,500 new jobs. Its new regional call centre at Cobalt Business Park, North Shields, which was confirmed yesterday, will take the
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Proposal to close gates on arsonists
RESIDENTS are proposing to dip into their own pockets in an effort to protect their streets after a number of arson incidents. Homeowners in Coniscliffe Road and Langholm Crescent, Darlington, have come up with an initiative to make the dark alley which
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Searching for those who don't want to be found
HUNDREDS of people will disappear from homes across the country today. They will leave for a number of reasons; troubles at work, abuse, illness, money worries or family arguments. There again there may be no reason for them leaving at all, other than
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Students heard play at gunpoint
A TROUBLED drama student held the sister of actor Jimmy Nail hostage and forced her to listen to his play at gun-point, a court heard yesterday. Lecturer Val McLane and a group of 30 terrified drama students watched in horror as Christopher David burst
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Ofsted 'saved failing schools'
Up to 200,000 children are getting a better education thanks to measures taken to stop schools from failing, education watchdog Ofsted said. Another 100,000 can look forward to the same thing happening to them because of the work being done in schools
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Pride of place for Middleton
THE LONG-SOUGHT Middleton Cup, won for the first time in Durham's 78-year history, will have pride of place at the county's annual dinner on October 28, the last official function of publicity officer Lewis Gordon, who is retiring. Northumberland-born
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Pensioner was held prisoner in house
A FUGITIVE made a pensioner a prisoner in his own home in a bid to escape from armed police, Teesside Crown Court heard. Burglar Heath Randall, 34, crept into 77-year-old neighbour Mohammed Zamman's home as he was praying, said prosecutor Michael Bosomworth
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Pensioner was held prisoner in house
A FUGITIVE made a pensioner a prisoner in his own home in a bid to escape from armed police, Teesside Crown Court heard. Burglar Heath Randall, 34, crept into 77-year-old neighbour Mohammed Zamman's home as he was praying, said prosecutor Michael Bosomworth
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Let's say goodbye with a victory, says Keegan
Kevin Keegan has insisted that England will do everything in their power to close down Wembley stadium in the perfect fashion - with victory over Germany in today's World Cup qualifier. And he expressed confidence that he would not be the last manager
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Destined for greatness since first stone laid
From its very first days, Wembley Stadium has created history. Now the famous old ground will become part of it. The landmark which has played such an integral role in English sport closes its doors for the last time this evening after the World Cup tie
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Protestors outline next pylon move
ANTI-PYLON protestors fighting the building of a 50-mile power line through countryside have revealed their latest action plan. Pressure group Revolt's new document, Guidance for Protestors, has been issued to campaigners giving them advice on how far
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Mentoring scheme to be extended
A SUCCESSFUL volunteer mentoring project is being extended to youngsters who might be at risk of offending or reoffending. Forty trained volunteers on the Sunderland scheme have been matched with young people to provide them with support and guidance.
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Speed looking for Wales' quick change of fortune
Wales skipper Gary Speed reaches the milestone of 60 caps with a burning desire to change his nation's image as losers. The Newcastle midfielder will lead out his country against Norway at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in their World Cup qualifying crunch
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Giving thanks at an all-ticket affair
Like Wembley Stadium, whose last we shall see today, Newcastle's Roman Catholic Cathedral was strictly all-ticket - and with a little plan on the back, to direct the faithful to their seats. Like Wembley there was also a fulsome programme and a press
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Council chips in with vinegar advice
HOUSEHOLDERS are being asked to abandon their kitchen and bathroom sprays and return to vinegar and newspaper to clean their windows. The people of Middlesbrough are being asked to use elbow grease and methods which went out the window decades ago to
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Giving thanks at an all-ticket affair
Like Wembley Stadium, whose last we shall see today, Newcastle's Roman Catholic Cathedral was strictly all-ticket - and with a little plan on the back, to direct the faithful to their seats. Like Wembley there was also a fulsome programme and a press
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Elliott sets sights on goal glory
Darlington midfielder Stuart Elliott is looking for his first league goal today in the derby at Hartlepool. Elliott, who was signed from Newcastle during the summer, has scored three goals for Quakers already, but all of them have come in Worthington
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Pupils learn truth about child care
IT smells like a baby, it weighs as much as a baby, and it certainly cries like a baby - but teachers hope that a doll will put youngsters off having their own children straight away. Prudhoe Community High School, in Northumberland, has bought two fake
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Mounted officer suing force over 'danger horse' injuries
A FORMER mounted police officer is suing his force after he was injured by a "dangerous" horse he was riding. PC Charles Cunningham was left with incurable back and neck problems after his horse, Prelude, went out of control twice and tried to unseat
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Too drunk, says fatal beating teenager
A TEENAGER who battered to death a man making his way home from a New Year's party told a court he was so drunk he didn't know what he was doing. Malcolm Wilson, 46, was killed after attending a Millennium party last year. Newcastle Crown Court heard
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Wanted: men to strip and tease
A CHAMPION bodybuilder is hoping to set female hearts a-flutter by starting a strippers' group to rival the Chippendales. As a former amateur bodybuilding star, Richard Wild is no stranger to strutting his stuff for an admiring audience. Now he hopes
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Hotel in final phase
THE transformation of a hall is taking shape as a multi-million pound development reaches its final phase. Seaham Hall, a grade II-listed mansion overlooking the County Durham coastline, is scheduled to reopen as a hotel early next spring. The former
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Students urged to apply for share of £1m
STUDENTS in the North-East are being invited to apply for a share of £1m to address the social and educational issues in their communities which they think are important. The money is on offer through Barclays New Futures, one of the country's largest
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Champion Kimtai looks to defend his 10k crown
KENYAN road-racing ace Julius Kimtai will be hot favourite to lift the £1,000 first prize in tomorrow's star-studded Auckland Castle 10K. And the Coventry-based athlete, who is defending his title, will be trying to set a new course record after some
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Just the ticket for a cheap lunch
CUT-PRICE Sunday lunches are on the menu for bus passengers in moors communities, thanks to a national park authority. About 20 pubs and cafes in the North York Moors area are offering discounts of up to 20 per cent as part of a scheme to encourage use
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Battle for the LSE rumbles on
THE war of words between the London Stock Exchange and the predatory Swedish group attempting a hostile takeover of it rumbled on yesterday. Sweden's OM Gruppen, whose £755m swoop has met determined resistance, has accused the LSE's board of having "no
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Time to rebuild Serbian bridges
THE Serbian people have reclaimed their country. Now Europe and the rest of the West must help them rebuild it. The rise of Vojislav Kostunica, a Serbian nationalist, would have be seen as worrying in the West were it not for the fact that he was replacing
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Third boost for town's young people's centre
A YOUNG people's centre is going from strength to strength after achieving three major successes in recent months. The OK4 centre, based at Coatham Memorial Hall, in Redcar, east Cleveland, has just appointed a new project leader, Jessica Lanfranconi,
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Beware of pitfalls
MP3 music is supposed to be the future of personal hi-fi, or so the ads would have us believe. But there are major pitfalls awaiting the uninformed... BELIEVE the hype and you must be wondering how it was possible to listen to your favourite music on
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Children contribute to mental health day
SCHOOLCHILDREN will make a contribution to mental health awareness by taking part in a guided walk. Staff from the Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trust are marking World Mental Health Day, on Tuesday, by organising the walk around Middlesbrough's Albert
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Private handover of borough services control a step closer
CONTROVERSIAL plans to hand over control of council services to a private firm took a step closer to realisation yesterday. But a final decision over which company will run the services has been deferred until next month. At a cabinet meeting, Middlesbrough
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Care homes project on verge of gaining council approval
A MULTI-MILLION pound project to create extra care homes for the elderly is on the verge of gaining council approval. The Broadacres Housing Association has submitted plans which would see Orchard House at Brompton, near Northallerton, demolished and
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Chloe's comfort for bus stop crash girl
A SCHOOLGIRL has been praised for comforting a fellow pupil injured when a car ploughed into a bus stand. Chloe Edmondson, 15, was walking to the stand in Bedale Avenue, Billingham, when she heard a loud smash and was confronted by injured and distressed
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Jaw-dropping sight to behold
THE weekend of our visit to Winchester, it rained. It rained as we left Darlington, it rained as we passed through North Yorkshire and the Midlands, and it rained as we drove through the south. It rained so much that I began looking out for long queues
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So farewell then, Wembley
THE first time is always the best, so they reckon, and it has to be said, it was memorable. The match was a bit special, too. It was the 1971 FA Cup final. She was the daughter of the High Sheriff of Derbyshire, they were the mighty Arsenal and we were
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A quacking idea
PUPILS from a North-East nursery have raised money for a national meningitis charity - and dressed up as ducks for the occasion. The youngsters from Hurworth House School Nursery, near Darlington, County Durham, took part in a sponsored toddle around
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Children want bit of peace
PUPILS at a school near Bishop Auckland are appealing for volunteers to help them create a quiet haven. Children at Parkside Comprehensive School, Willington, want to develop a quiet garden. Julie Mountain, from Durham County Council, gave a talk on various
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Firms encouraged to bid for share of export market
A NEW export initiative from Trade Partners UK designed to help British companies gain a crucial foothold in the lucrative export markets of Western Europe has been launched. The initiative will see firms from the North-East participate in a trade mission
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A reunion at the Rovers for Murray and Souness
Alan Murray has trained amid goose grease (a euphemism) in Darlington South Park and among detritus (another) on Seaton Carew sands. He has marched with the Saints and witnessed Portuguese men at war but never in his life seen anything like Blackburn
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Retail park is sold for £30m
A DARLINGTON shopping development has been sold as part of a massive £126.6m property deal. The Darlington Retail Park is one of four developments to be bought from retail warehouse specialist developer Grantchester Holdings by Coal Pension Properties
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Fears over road maintenance
MINOR roads in County Durham could suffer if the council becomes responsible for the cost of maintaining the A167, it has been claimed. The road, from Newton Aycliffe to Chester-le-Street, is in line to be detrunked, which means responsibility for improving
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These Irish eyes are not always smiling
NOBODY can doubt that Mary Coughlan's singing comes straight from the heart. The Galway-born performer - who appears as part of Tyneside Irish Festival 2000 - has had the sort of life that reads like a real life soap opera. The troubles of this mother-of-five
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French to be quizzed over truck death
AN inquest into the death of a North-East lorry driver killed while working in France has been opened and adjourned. John Ward, 46, died last month from serious head injuries after his lorry left the road and overturned near the town of Sarthe, in Northern
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School unit reaps benefit of civic fundraising drive
A SCHOOL's unit for blind and partially-sighted youngsters has been given a £15,500 boost by a former mayor. Councillor Margaret Adair raised the money while she was Durham's first citizen during the 1999-2000 civic year. She gave the money to the unit
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Illuminating experience as duke beholds gospel beauty
PRINCE Andrew, the Duke of York, visited the North-East yesterday to see the Lindisfarne Gospels - with tourism bosses hoping he will be the first of many tourists to see the manuscript. Northumbria Tourist Board is hoping the gospels draw the same intense
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Students heard play at gunpoint
A TROUBLED drama student held the sister of actor Jimmy Nail hostage and forced her to listen to his play at gun-point, a court heard yesterday. Lecturer Val McLane and a group of 30 terrified drama students watched in horror as Christopher David burst
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Saints are sinners as Mustoe bags winner for Boro
Middlesbrough handed out a lesson in quick fire football and returned home with a specially arranged LDV Trophy with a 3-2 win at St Mirren. The biggest mystery of the 90 minutes was that they did not win by a much greater margin. Despite that scoreline
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Whey aye man, us Geordies are a reet turn-on
A GEORDIE accent sounds common, but an Irish accent is sexy, according to a straw poll of North-Easterners. A national poll to find the nation's sexiest accents by the Alliance and Leicester, found that Irish comes top with 25 per cent of the vote, with
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Woman slid on McDonald's Egg McMuffin
MOTHER Elaine Armstrong was left wheelchair-bound after she slipped on what is believed to have been a McDonald's Egg McMuffin. The former youth training instructor claims her life was ruined after her fall at a shopping centre in Hartlepool five years
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Taylor may pull plug on talks
Players' representative Gordon Taylor has threatened to pull out of vital talks aimed at finding an alternative to the present transfer system. Taylor, chairman of international players' union FIFPro, is privately sceptical about the chances of a consensus
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Get tough plea on wild crime spree
WILDLIFE officers from Durham Police have joined colleagues across the country to discuss problems facing birds, badgers and other endangered animals. Among those attending a conference in Bristol this weekend is Durham Police wildlife liaison officer
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Farmer found dead with gun
A FARMER has been discovered dead with gunshots wounds. He was named yesterday as Alan Paul Shardlaw, 46, of Mortar Pit Farm, Sneatonthorpe, near Whitby, in North Yorkshire. Police said a gun had been found alongside his body at the farm. There were no
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Petrol crisis overshadows results
THE continuing effect of last month's petrol crisis is likely to overshadow proceedings next week when a number of retailers announce their results. Furniture group DFS, which posts its full-year results on Thursday, is expected to show solid pre-tax
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Tourism hopes for pit village
THE terraced streets of a County Durham pit village may seem an unlikely tourist attraction, but that is exactly what they could be thanks to a new blockbuster film. Easington does not appear in tourist guides, and day trippers are rare, but locals hope
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Paying in for a bigger retirement pension
Q I am going to be paying Voluntary National Insurance contributions for the next six years to help me get a bigger retirement pension. Can I use these contributions to get Incapacity Benefit if I go sick? A No. Voluntary Contributions count only towards
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Arnison and Elliott put friendship on hold
PAUL Arnison had been expecting a wind-up call from Stuart Elliott. And sure enough, the Darlington midfielder was soon on to his Hartlepool United opponent with today's derby the main topic of conversation. Arnison will this afternoon go head to head
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It's follow my leader as Bennett shows the way
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is urging his players to follow his example at Victoria Park this afternoon. Quakers go to Hartlepool for the first Division Three derby of the season, looking to add to their play-off double over Pool in the spring. But
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Bennett's early warning
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is urging his players to follow his example at Victoria Park this afternoon. Quakers go to Hartlepool for the first Division Three derby of the season, looking to add to their play-off double over Pool in the spring. But
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Residents vent fury at flood prevention meeting
WORRIED residents who fear they will be hit for a second time by devastating floods have heard plans aimed at averting another disaster. At a meeting this week, officials put forward plans that should stop South Church and West Auckland being hit by floods
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Too drunk, says fatal beating teenager
A TEENAGER who battered to death a man making his way home from a New Year's party told a court he was so drunk he didn't know what he was doing. Malcolm Wilson, 46, was killed after attending a Millennium party last year. Newcastle Crown Court heard
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Man sold duty free cigarettes from car boot
A MAN who sold bootleg cigarettes from the boot of his car has been convicted of evading duty. Arthur Pickard, 68, of Ruislip Close, Stockton, was caught selling duty-free cigarettes in Stockton town centre. Yesterday, at Teesside Crown Court, he admitted
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Authority accused of -arrogance' over delay
A LABOUR-RUN council has been accused of "arrogance" for delaying a U-turn over local government secrecy. Councillor Tony Richmond, leader of the Conservative group on Darlington Borough Council, said that the Labour-controlled authority should not have
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Father and daughter fought with clubs
A FATHER and daughter at daggers drawn found themselves standing in the same Crown Court dock yesterday. Geoffrey Platt, 53, and Amanda Platt, 20, admitted threatening behaviour when they were said to have set about each other with golf clubs taken from
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Father and daughter fought with clubs
A FATHER and daughter at daggers drawn found themselves standing in the same Crown Court dock yesterday. Geoffrey Platt, 53, and Amanda Platt, 20, admitted threatening behaviour when they were said to have set about each other with golf clubs taken from
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Youth held after attack on visitors
A YOUTH was in custody yesterday after a group of Norwegians on an educational visit to Scarborough were beaten up by locals. The altercation began on the seaside resort's Foreshore Road at about 10pm on Thursday. But fists began to fly when both groups
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Devastating Monty setting the pace
Colin Montgomerie broke one record and equalled another as he began the defence of his Cisco World Match Play title with a sparkling victory over Ryder Cup teammate Padraig Harrington at Wentworth. Montgomerie, winner of the last three Volvo PGA championships
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Schoolboy had sex with a girl of eight
A SCHOOLBOY who sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl at least ten times walked free from court yesterday. The 14-year-old from Darlington, County Durham, was given a two-year supervision order after admitting one charge of unlawful sexual intercourse
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Schumacher closing in on Ferrari's crowning glory
It may have cost more money than the Millennium Dome, but Michael Schumacher could on Sunday finally realise Ferrari's £1bn dream. The Dome's future may be in question but Schumacher is on the threshold of ensuring himself a permanent place in the history
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Tanfield group invests in employees of the future
EXPANDING engineering company, The Tanfield Group, is investing in its future workforce by creating five new positions for trainees. The company, based at Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, currently employs more than 200 staff. It has further boosted those
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tanfield group invests in employees of the future
EXPANDING engineering company, The Tanfield Group, is investing in its future workforce by creating five new positions for trainees. The company, based at Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, currently employs more than 200 staff. It has further boosted those
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Youngsters set course for outdoors fun
PUPILS from a Teesside school will be pointed in the right direction next week at the launch of an orienteering course at Stillington Forest Country Park. The youngsters from William Cassidi Church of England Primary, Stillington, are being led around
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North-South divide still alive
BRITAIN'S biggest mortgage lender The Halifax believes the property market is continuing to come off the boil. But its regional breakdown of house prices for the third quarter of the year showed there is still a sharp divide in prices between the North
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Turner concentrating on his 'match of the day'
ENGLAND take a back seat this afternoon on Teesside as Hartlepool United entertain Darlington. The Division Three rivals go head to head as the national spotlight is on England and Germany at Wembley. The Victoria Park crowd is expected to be down on
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Beware of pitfalls
MP3 music is supposed to be the future of personal hi-fi, or so the ads would have us believe. But there are major pitfalls awaiting the uninformed... BELIEVE the hype and you must be wondering how it was possible to listen to your favourite music on
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Armour is 'life saver' say crash cops
TWO police officers, who were hurt when their panda car crashed on their way to a reported brawl, have told how their protective body armour saved them from serious injury. PC Emma Downing, 27, and her passenger probationer PC Hannah Wilson, 23, were
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POOL TAKE DERBY HONOURS
Hartlepool United won the battle of the North-East this afternoon when they triumphed 2-1 at Victoria Park over rivals Darlington. Kevin Henderson netted after eight minutes when Adam Reed left an attempted back header short and Tommy Miller doubled the
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Former pit villages earn tidy praise
FOUR decades of good citizenship and community pride were celebrated at a hardy annual award ceremony. Representatives from some of County Durham's smaller communities came together at County Hall for the 40th anniversary of the County Durham Tidy Village
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Parking charges scheme dawns
THE first phase of a controversial scheme to charge drivers to park on the streets of Durham comes into force on Monday. Residents in the Elvet and Whinney Hill areas of the city will need permits to park, otherwise they will have to pay charges. Visitors
