Archive
-
Date
Welcome for council reform
A NEW-LOOK county council has been welcomed by Richmond's own administration. The Mayor, Councillor John Harris, told a meeting that the new Cabinet-style of local government could mean the town getting a greater say on roads, social services and education
-
Date
Weather help available online
OUR national obsession - the weather - gets its fair share of web space and more and more information can be found online. At the Met Office official site, www.meto.govt.uk, the national weather forecast can be read with the help of colourful graphics
-
Date
Grave regulations are to be relaxed
A TOWN'S burial rules are to be relaxed to allow for more elaborate graves. At a cabinet meeting, members of Middlesbrough Borough Council decided to relax a regulation that had banned the erection of vaults, walled graves and kerbstones. The rule has
-
Date
Pupils caught up in tribal skirmish
NORTH-EAST pupils on an African trip found themselves in the middle of a tribal battle fought with bows and arrows. The 13 teenagers and five staff from Framwellgate School, Durham City, dived for cover when their minibus drove into the conflict in the
-
Date
Model lesson in design for four
MODELS produced by Sunderland students have gone on display at an exhibition dedicated to one of the country's greatest engineers. Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Recent Works is being held at the Design Museum, in London, until February. Brunel, hailed as the
-
Date
Blast victim 'improving'
A MAN who suffered severe burns in a gas explosion was said to be "improving" last night. The victim, in his thirties, was injured in an explosion at his home in Newlands Road, Middlesbrough, on Friday. He was admitted to the intensive care unit at Middlesbrough
-
Date
Here we go again
THOUSANDS of householders across the region are facing an anxious morning as rivers threaten to break their banks and swamp yet more homes. The misery looks set to continue, with floods in Teesside, North Yorkshire and County Durham expected to peak this
-
Date
Acuna puts club before country
Newcastle's Clarence Acuna has given Bobby Robson a tonic by snubbing one of the biggest qualifying games in the World Cup. Acuna is wanted by Chile for their South American showdown with rivals Argentina next week, a clash his country must win to stay
-
Date
Boro threaten legal action
ANGRY Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson last night accused Liverpool and Christian Ziege of "lies and deceit'' over the the German international's controversial move to Anfield. Boro have protested to the Premier League about the conduct of the Merseyside
-
Date
Burning Questions
COULD you tell me about the origin of bield walls and the nature of their use? In some indexes bield is listed as a Scottish term and in others as of Old English derivation. - Jonathan Grimes, Kirk Merrington. THE word is used in Scotland to describe
-
Date
Tallent takes on temporary workers
AN engineering firm that has struggled through an uncertain year in the car components market, looks set to end 2000 on a high after launching a major recruitment drive. Tallent, which employs 900 at its Newton Aycliffe site, is looking to take on around
-
Date
No repeat for bird rescuer
A DARLINGTON man who saved a distressed woodcock more than ten years ago was unable to repeat his success this weekend. Raymond Vincent was working at Darlington Memorial Hospital in 1987 when he rescued a woodcock which had strayed into the basement.
-
Date
Residents urged to evacuate village
ABOUT 300 of a village's residents have abandoned their homes for the second time this week in a bid to avoid the predicted flooding. However, a further 200, tired of the upheavals brought about by the weather, stubbornly stayed put yesterday. The massive
-
Date
Jail warning goes out to truants' parents
PARENTS in County Durham are being warned they face hefty fines and even jail if they let their children play truant from school. Magistrates at Bishop Auckland recently fined one mother £500 with £50 costs after her 15-year-old turned up for school on
-
Date
Spin twins argue case
Ashley Giles and Ian Salisbury will mount a joint campaign to persuade England's selectors of the benefits they could reap through teamwork if they are given the chance to press their claims for the first Test this week. England are undecided about the
-
Date
Home celebration
STAFF and residents at a north County Durham home for the elderly cracked open the wine and cheese to celebrate the home's 30th anniversary. To help mark the occasion at Sunningdale House Residential Home, in Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, staff dressed
-
Date
Councillor dismisses mast risk
A COUNCILLOR who lives within feet of a phone mast has disputed claims that it is causing health problems for children at a nearby school. Councillor Stan Kaiser, of Coniscliffe Road, Hartlepool, where the phone company Orange has a mast, is challenging
-
Date
Former officer to tell of 'racist abuse' at council
A BLACK former council officer will tell Labour activists tomorrow of the racist abuse he said he suffered while working for a Labour-run council. Principal safety officer Mac Williams lodged a claim of racial discrimination against Durham City Council
-
Date
Rock star tells of sadness at funfair in dire straits
NORTH-EAST rock star Mark Knopfler has expressed his sadness at the imminent demise of one of Britain's oldest and best-known funfairs. Spanish City at Whitley Bay - one of the region's best-known attractions - could be facing the bulldozer. Mark Knopfler
-
Date
Heather's helpline for victims of accidents
North-East charity campaigner and model Heather Mills, who lost part of her leg in a road accident, launched a free accident line for victims of personal injury yesterday. Heather, 32, who was brought up in Washington, Tyne and Wear, threw herself into
-
Date
Jewellery seized in farm raid
POLICE are hunting thieves who raided the home of a dales farmer while he and his wife were attending a sheep society dinner in Scotland. The thieves were disturbed when the alarm went off at the couple's home at Eastgate, Weardale, County Durham. But
-
Date
Law change call after jail mayhem
A JAIL has been hit by three days of mayhem that saw more than 30 cells smashed by inmates. Thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused as 32 cells were wrecked by youths causing havoc, it has been revealed. The trail of destruction at Castington Young
-
Date
Police in hunt for daylight rapist
POLICE are hunting a rapist who attacked a 17-year-old woman in broad daylight. Detectives in Wearside want information to help catch the man who attacked the teenager as she walked along a bridle path, close to Monkwearmouth College, Shiney Row, near
-
Date
Students provide help for disabled
STUDENTS from Bishop Auckland College spent part of their half-term holidays helping at a playscheme for disabled youngsters. Andrew Roe and Gareth Bailey gained valuable experience working with the youngsters, and it helped them to gain voluntary hours
-
Date
Cards mark start of the giving season
DURHAM'S Tourist Information Centre is getting in the Christmas spirit with its annual sale of cards for charity. For the tenth year, the busy centre, in the city's Market Place, is selling cards to raise money for charities including The Samaritans,
-
Date
Chartered surveyors are looking at a business boost
CHARTERED surveyors throughout the country are reporting a steady growth in work thanks to confidence in the construction industry. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reports that growth is up for the the eighteenth quarter in succession
-
Date
Investigation launched after blaze at city hotel
ABOUT 120 guests were evacuated from a city hotel yesterday when fire broke out in a second floor corridor. Smoke belched from several windows of the Royal County Hotel in Old Elvet, Durham City, as flames spread. Guests, many wrapped in blankets, were
-
Date
Radio DJ adds touch of magic to the christmas countdown
A TOWN has hired the services of Father Christmas to promote a programme of Yuletide cheer. The jovial old gent, alias Magic 1170 radio presenter Bruce Edwards, handed out timetables, listing Middlesbrough's Ice Magic Festival events. The brochures give
-
Date
Village 'ruined' by machinery
RAILTRACK'S efforts to replace sections of East Coast Main Line during the weekend did not meet with universal approval. Great Aycliffe town councillor Bill Blenkinsopp said heavy machinery has ruined the look of a village in County Durham. Aycliffe Village
-
Date
Business booming at Vulcan Ironworks
ONE year on and a local ironworks is booming thanks to help from a Sunderland Community Project. Following redundancy from Grove, John Fletcher and Eddie Henderson launched Vulcan Ironworks in September 1999, with the help of advice from Pennywell Community
-
Date
Pair killed in road accident
A MAN and woman were killed when their car was involved in a road accident on Saturday morning. Helen Ruth Burrows, 39, and Thomas Herriot, 51, both of West Terrace in Coxhoe, County Durham, died when their Peugeot 309 was involved in a collision with
-
Date
Tasty deal for charities
A RED-HOT event designed to raise money for children is being staged at an Indian restaurant. The Cleveland Tandoori Restaurant, in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, will contribute to the Kingfisher National Curry Day 2000 by inviting diners to a special
-
Date
Police warn of tough action as -egging' craze sweeps area
RESIDENTS of a normally peaceful community have been angered by an egg-throwing craze. About a month ago, Yarm police started receiving reports of eggs being thrown at people's houses. Now they have coined the term "egging" to describe the latest craze
-
Date
Army targets range upgrade
A BID for an extension to the Army's Bellerby ranges between Richmond and Leyburn is up for debate when planners meet tomorrow. The need for upgraded shooting facilities was established under the armed forces' Options for Change programme in 1992, but
-
Date
Primary School pupils and staff line up for a memento of the millennium
PUPILS and staff from Croft Church of England Primary School, near Darlington, had an enjoyable time when they posed for a group photograph as part of The Northern Echo Millennium Schools series. Teacher Jenny Huddleston said: "The picture is very good
-
Date
Work starts on bridge repairs
TEMPORARY traffic lights will be in operation from today when work begins to strengthen a bridge in north Durham. The lights will control single lane traffic on the B6302 Hamsteels New Bridge, at Esh Winning, while the work, costing £80,000, is carried
-
Date
Customers praise watchdog service
A consumer watchdog service has been praised for its efforts in a customer survey. More than 90 per cent of people surveyed said North Yorkshire Trading Standards dealt with queries promptly and courteously. The survey used a sample of 600 advice service
-
Date
Parents in talks over school's future
PARENTS, pupils and teachers at one of the region's schools are to be consulted about its future. Proposals to turn Henry Smith School, in Hartlepool, into a Church of England voluntary aided school are to be discussed by all those interested in education
-
Date
School plants tree for Anne
STUDENTS at a Spennymoor School were among hundreds of County Durham youngsters who took part in tree planting sessions in memory of Jewish diarist Anne Frank. The students planted white blossom cherry trees in the wildlife oasis in the school's grounds
-
Date
Puppet theatre makes learning fun
PRIMARY school children are being entertained by a puppet theatre production, sponsored by Royal Mail to visit ten schools in the region. This week, the curtain rose on the play, Frogs and Snails and Teddy Bear Tales, at Frederick Nattrass Primary School
-
Date
Councillor -'oses sight' to help those injured in conflict
PRIME Minister Tony Blair has left one of his constituents in the dark - but it is all for a good cause. Mr Blair visited Trimdon Labour Club, where he put a blindfold on David Newell, a Sedgefield Borough councillor, who is losing his sight for a week
-
Date
Injured jockey Scott opens revamped pub
INJURED National Hunt jockey Scott Taylor reopened the Cumberland Arms, in Bishop Auckland, on Friday night. The pub is a favourite of many of Scott's racing friends, including former jockey and equine dentist Dean Crossman. It was closed for six weeks
-
Date
Land sale plan by priests' college
A REPORT highlighting potentially-lucrative uses for the site of a troubled training school for Catholic priests, has been published. Ushaw College, which lies on the outskirts of Durham City, is planning to sell some of its buildings to developers, to
-
Date
£22m bridge to begin journey along river
THE spectacle of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge being inched into place will begin this afternoon, or tomorrow. The arched bridge, which will become a Tyneside landmark when it opens next year, will be eased into position by one of the world's biggest
-
Date
Headteacher angered by bus firm's move to change route
A HEADTEACHER is furious he was not consulted over changes to a bus route used by pupils to get to school. Children have had to make alternative arrangements to get to Ferryhill Comprehensive since the route of the No.2 service was altered to miss out
-
Date
Queen Mum 'chirpy'
THE Queen Mother was last night "in remarkably good form" despite a broken collar bone. Her grandson, the Prince of Wales, spoke to the 100-year-old Royal on the telephone before visiting her at Clarence House. Along with others who have spoken to her
-
Date
Surgeons separate twins
Surgeons were due to complete the long and complex operation to separate Siamese twins Jodie and Mary late last night. A team of 20 medics had been working since 9am to separate the twins at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, where they were born in August
-
Date
Quakers try out Woods
Darlington are giving a trial to Chesterfield defender Steve Woods. The former Stoke City player has lost his place at Saltergate, partly because of the arrival of former Darlington defender Steve Tutill from Feethams during the summer, and is available
-
Date
Browning takes aim
BROWNING has the right sort of ammunition to gun down his rivals at Lingfield, this afternoon's sole surviving meeting following yesterday's abandonment of the other two scheduled fixtures at flood-hit Sedgefield and Huntingdon. The Marcus Tregoning-trained
-
Date
Scrabble fundraiser
SCRABBLE buffs got down to business in a marathon game to raise money for charity. Darlington Scrabble Club organised the 12-hour "Scrabblethon" in aid of the Butterwick Children's Hospice. Mayor of Darlington Councillor Dot Long dropped into the Dolphin
-
Date
A winning chapter
Some of the country's top writers were at Bishop Auckland Town Hall yesterday for a literary competition that is achieving national importance. Booker Prize winner Pat Barker, Whitbread Award winner David Almond and best-selling children's author Anne
-
Date
Sports scheme aims to aid unemployed
A PROGRAMME aimed at providing free sports tuition for unemployed people is being launched on Teesside. Middlesbrough Football Community Centre is starting a "Sports Ed Programme" to improve the self-esteem as well as the health and fitness of unemployed
-
Date
Mallon 'spied on by M15' protest
HOME Secretary Jack Straw is to be asked to investigate claims that MI5 was used to spy on suspended senior detective Ray Mallon. Yesterday, Middlesbrough South MP Ashok Kumar said he was "deeply concerned" and would be raising the allegations with Mr
-
Date
Hunt for pair after garage raid
POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a robbery at the Save Garage in Tindale Crescent, near Bishop Auckland. The incident happened at 9.25pm on Thursday night. The two male suspects were both wearing dark clothing, balaclavas and were about 5ft
-
Date
Sign pointing to imperial victory
CAMPAIGNERS bidding to retain imperial measurement claimed a small victory in the North-East. A member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), which is behind the "Guard the Yard" campaign to preserve traditional British measurement, spotted what he claimed
-
Date
Santa and Cinders launch festive season
CHRISTMAS came to Darlington this weekend with Santa Claus in the thick of the action. Santa took part in the traditional reindeer parade through Darlington town centre, on Saturday. The jolly one and his helpers were pulled round in his sleigh by a Cairngorm
-
Date
Quiz show buys john a ticket to ride in style
IT was like something out of a fantasy tale. Gateshead music teacher John Ward would pass the car showroom on his way to school and gaze lovingly at the classic models he longed to own. He knew he could not afford to buy one ... until he went on ITV's
-
Date
Residents spell out their views on estate's future
RESIDENTS of a council estate in a small County Durham village came together to discuss its future at the weekend. The future of Lily Gardens housing estate, Dipton, near Stanley, was on everyone's lips at the Planning for Real Day in the village. With
-
Date
Making room to help young homeless
EMERGENCY overnight hosts are needed for young homeless people in Sedgefield borough. The Sedgefield Youth Accommodation Forum has launched a project which it hopes will offer safe and local homes for vulnerable people to stay overnight. Sedgefield Accommodation
-
Date
Anita enjoys right royal day out
AN ardent monarchist saw one of her dreams come true when she was presented to the Queen Mother at St James' Palace, in London. Anita Atkinson, who has more than 1,700 royal souvenirs, was among ladies from the Queen Mary's Clothing Guild who had the
-
Date
Armed robber sought
DETECTIVES investigating an armed robbery at a post office believe the masked culprit may have targeted other businesses before his raid. Wet weather may be partly to blame for the lack of witnesses to have come forward since the robbery in Darlington
-
Date
Fun on the run for youngsters
YOUNG athletes who completed the junior version of the Great North Run have been presented with their own medals. A group of 32 pupils from South Stanley Junior School, in Stanley, completed the three- mile route on the day before the adult version. During
-
Date
DLI's last VC hero celebrates 86 years
THE last surviving member of the Durham Light Infantry to hold the Victoria Cross celebrated his 86th birthday yesterday. Captain Richard Annand, of Whitesmocks, Durham City, got a fitting tribute from friends and former DLI soldiers when two buglers
-
Date
Step in the right direction for walkers
A PLAN to improve accessibility and safety on public rights of way has been approved. At a meeting last week, Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet agreed to adopt the so-called Milestones approach to managing the public rights of way network. Under
-
Date
Tournament triumph for Polam
A GROUP of Darlington pupils has returned from a music, speech and drama competition with a variety of trophies. Six girls from Polam Hall School achieved eight first places, complete with cups, bowls and shields at the Teesdale Tournament. A further
-
Date
Barnardo's centre to help child prostitutes
A HAPPIER new year is in prospect for abused youngsters forced into a life of prostitution. Workers have moved into a secret location in Middlesbrough, which will be transformed into a centre of operations to rescue youngsters from prostitution. The children's
-
Date
Woman earns top award for achievements
A WOMEN'S centre manager has been recognised with a top award for serving as an example to her sex. Sue Anderson, manager of the South Bank Women's Centre, near Middlesbrough, has been named the Tees Valley Woman of Achievement 2000. Designed to recognise
-
Date
CAB to provide improved service
MORE help is being made available to people in the Hambleton area who need advice on a wide variety of issues. The district's Citizens' Advice Bureau is increasing its service to people in the district with outreach sessions, and has amended opening hours
-
Date
Superstore expansion project set for rejection by planners
A SUPERMARKET firm's plans for a major expansion of its Northallerton superstore are on the verge of being shelved. Councillors are expected to throw out Tesco's bid to create a 44,000 sq ft supermarket in East Road when they meet this week. Planning
-
Date
In brief
POOL RESOURCES: Eleven staff at Richmond's swimming pool have added to their skills by completing a lifesaving course. All of them have been awarded the Royal Lifesaving Society's Millennium Medallion after passing tests on emergency procedures.
-
Date
Hedge Layers shape up for countryside competition
COUNTRYSIDE enthusiasts were keeping one of the traditional rural arts in the spotlight over the weekend. The annual hedge-laying competition for North Yorkshire has been running for ten years. The rain held off yesterday as competitors created hedges
-
Date
Thousands flock to park to witness flaming colourful display
THE night sky above Darlington exploded in a kaleidoscope of colour as the fireworks display thrilled crowds on Saturday. Organisers had feared the bad weather and muddy conditions might deter people from visiting the South Park show. But they need not
-
Date
Prisoners offered advice on business
PRISONERS looking to get into business ventures of the legal kind will be given a helping hand thanks to a programme launched in the region. The scheme aims to provide prisoners with the necessary skills to set up their own businesses after their release
