Archive
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More glory for Roman fort
THE latest North-East attraction on the Roman Wall has been awarded two more accolades within months of opening. Segedunum Roman Fort, on North Tyneside, was named Heritage Centre of the Year and Northumbria Family Attraction of the Year by The Good Britain
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Turkey Trotters prove fitness and notch up funds
HOSPITAL patients on a revolutionary treatment programme for chronic back pain have stepped out to prove their new-found fitness and raise funds for a support group. Only weeks ago, each of the patients taking part in the Cleveland Nuffield Hospital's
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City draws big crowds for christmas festival
FESTIVE fun flourished across Durham's medieval centre as the city's fourth Christmas Festival drew massive crowds. Gift-hunters flocked to the city for a taste of a traditional Victorian Christmas. The bright weekend weather added to the occasion, as
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Burning Questions
Q: I've often wondered what Byshottle means in Brandon and Byshottles. I've always thought it referred to small communities around Brandon. Am I right? - Mrs M.Dixon, Willington. A: I am not certain what the name means. Brandon itself is thought to derive
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Nursery nurses march on town hall in pay protest
Nursery nurses marched through Darlington to highlight their claim for a better pay deal. Organisers were delighted by a large turn-out, which included parents, schoolteachers, friends, and even colleagues from Dudley, in the West Midlands. More than
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Cricket clubs facing sticky wicket over homes planning decisions
THE future of two of the North-East's oldest cricket clubs could be stumped by local planning authorities. Housing schemes earmarked for Silksworth Cricket Club's ground in Sunderland, and South Northumberland Cricket Club's Gosforth home in Newcastle
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60 patients evacuated
SIXTY patients were evacuated from a hospital after a fire was started in the recreation room of a psychiatric unit. A 19-year-old patient was helping police with inquiries last night, after the blaze at Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The alarm
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Rae sets up Sunderland for leap into sixth place
SLICK Sunderland completed a hat-trick of Premiership victories last night to move into sixth place with a well-deserved win over Everton at the Stadium of Light. Only the woodwork and an inspired performance by visiting goalkeeper Paul Gerrard kept the
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Boro win one at last - new coach Venables
TERRY VENABLES finally linked up with Middlesbrough last night and admitted the fight to save the club from relegation is one of the biggest challenges he has faced in his colourful football career. The former England coach was unveiled at Boro's Rockliffe
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Famous landmark no longer bone of contention at port
A new set of whalebones are in line to replace one of Whitby's most famous landmarks. The existing bones, which form an archway on the West Cliff, in the shadow of the statue of Captain James Cook, are fast deteriorating. Now, leaders in Whitby's twin
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Christmas shopping on the Internet
A Amazon. The household name in online stores is now much more than just a book shop offering music, gifts and videos and more. Good service, punctuality and range of goods plus they send out gift wrapped if ordered. www.amazon.com. BBeeb. The Internet
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Payout of £32,000
A VAN driver has won a £32,000 payout from the Government because it failed to properly protect his right to work a 48-hour week. In a landmark case, which could open the floodgates for similar claims under the European Working Time Directive, David Morris
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Raider shoots his own foot
AN armed robber accidentally shot himself during a bungled off-licence raid. The raider was helped from the premises, in Newcastle's West End, by an accomplice, after shooting himself in the foot. He burst into the Boozbusters store wearing a stocking
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Two killed as copter crashes
INVESTIGATIONS are continuing today into a helicopter crash which killed two people. The aircraft crashed on to farmland at Biggin crossroads, near Sherburn, North Yorkshire, just moments after taking off. Married man Anthony Baldwin, 52, of Colton, Leeds
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Batsman's cupid cabbie
CRICKET legend Brian Lara has cabbie Chris Scott to thank for introducing him to his North-East girlfriend. The West Indies star was travelling in the back of Chris's taxi on a tour of England when he saw a newspaper picture of Lynnsey Ward. He was with
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White lights with clear message
THOUSANDS of white lights were switched on in Darlington railway station yesterday. Mary Butterwick, founder of the Butterwick Hospice, performed the ceremony to light up the Christmas Tree of Lights on the station concourse. Before the switch-on there
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Death probe police seek witnesses
POLICE investigating the suspicious death of a Hartlepool man, whose body was found on a railway line, are appealing for clues to why he was there. Peter Evans, 47, was found on a stretch of track at the rear of the Royal Vaults pub on Thursday night.
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Scheme aims to bring back tree from verge of extinction
A MAJOR environmental project has been launched to boost numbers of Britain's rarest native tree. The magnificent black poplar, once almost as common as the oak, has almost vanished from the landscape and is in danger of disappearing altogether. But Darlington
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Coaches to bridge the rail
COACH company National Express promised last night to ride to the rescue of rail passengers facing a nightmare Christmas trip to the North-East. Bosses said they would be laying on scores of extra services to cope with the expected Christmas rush. Continuing
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School seminar on childcare ideas
A DARLINGTON school hosted a seminar on new guidance for carrying out assessments of children in need and their families. Hummersknott School welcomed representatives from Darlington Borough Council, County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS
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Four seasons in one view - thanks to hard work of volunteers
A LASTING view of a small North-East community has gone on display. More than 13 months after it was first suggested, Seasons of Ebchester, four colourful textile panels depicting the north-west Durham village's past, present and future, were officially
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Woman quizzed over assault
A WOMAN at the centre of an alleged assault involving England star Kieron Dyer has been questioned by police. The 30-year-old walked into a police station and volunteered her side of the story, after a 22-year-old woman claimed she had been injured in
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Free car parking for Christmas
TEESDALE District Council is to relax charges in the Galgate car park, in Barnard Castle, in the run- up to Christmas. From next Saturday to December 23, parking charges will be waived between 3pm and 6pm. On Sundays, December 10 and 17, the free parking
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Video clue to missing teenager
RELATIVES of a teenage girl who ran away from home after living a secret life say they are 90 per cent certain they have spotted her on security camera footage from London. Lisa-Marie Perry, 17, went missing from her home in Lanchester, County Durham,
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Dying woman's plea to lost brother
AN appeal has gone out for a North-East man to contact his sister in Australia who is dying from a brain tumour. Jennifer Foster has lost touch with her brother Charles, who was living in County Durham when she last heard from him. Charles Foster, 52,
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Police launch new appeal over mystery death
DETECTIVES investigating the death of a man found lying in a street near his home have renewed appeals for information from people in the area. It came after six people were released over the weekend after being questioned by police trying to discover
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Harold's pebble prank is a real gem
A SCEPTICAL pensioner posted an ordinary pebble to a company which claimed it would polish it up - and got an emerald in return. Now Harold Longstaff, of Lyon Walk, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is wondering if he has a back garden full of precious
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Jinglebell cheer . . . or jinglehell?
IT'S enough to make you walk out. As if spending hours trawling around the shops is not bad enough at this time of year, the last thing you need is Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody belting out of every store. That is is the feeling of bosses at electrical
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Airport's passenger numbers flying high
PASSENGER numbers at Teesside International Airport have reached record levels, despite a series of recent setbacks. The annual report for the year to the end of March this year shows that numbers have increased by 73 per cent over the past six years.
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Mast campaigners to meet phone company
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a 41ft mobile phone mast near their homes have won a meeting with communications company One2One. The residents of West Cornforth, near Ferryhill, are hoping to persuade the company to relocate the mast away from the village
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Scout HQ plan sparks objections
PLANS for a new scout headquarters in school grounds look likely to be approved despite residents' objections. Scouts in Marske have applied to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for permission to move from their basebehind the Tithe Barn, Marske High
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Stressed-out Dawn casts away her cares
WORKING wife Dawn Hodgson believes she has come up with the perfect way of getting rid of stress - by taking up fly fishing. For her, there is no better way of switching off than casting out over a reservoir or river for a trout or salmon. Dawn, who helps
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Oh Dolly, there's a chance to win a house for just £1 . . .
A MYSTERY benefactor with a talent for making dolls' houses has come forward to help a pub appeal for the second time. The craftsman, a modest friend of The Vane Arms, Thorpe Thewles, near Stockton, has donated a doll's house for the second year running
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Police plea after man attacked
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an attack on a 61-year-old man. The attack happened as the man, who lives at Normanby, Middlesbrough, was walking home with his dog from the Parklands pub on Friday. He had walked from Skipper's Lane to Lynton Road
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D-day looming for £360,000 sports pitches development
A £360,000 sports development could soon be on the way in Seaton Carew. Hartlepool Borough Council will tomorrow decide if land to the south of Seaton Cricket Club, currently used for grazing, should be turned into four different sport pitches. Seaton
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Brownies mark 80th birthday
A BROWNIE pack marked its 80th birthday with a weekend of celebrations. Members of the 1st Redcar Brownies, based at Guide Hall, on West Dyke Road, staged the events to mark the anniversary and raise the group's profile. Starting on Friday, the pack's
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Pub landladies call time on organisation
A PUB landladies' group has called last orders after 30 years of operation. Margaret Briggs, a retired publican, carried out the last duty of the Redcar Ladies Auxiliary when she handed over the organisation's gold chain of office to John Sargison, managing
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Message from past replaced for the future
A MESSAGE in a bottle found in the roof space of a North Yorkshire village hall has inspired the community to launch another into the future. A note in an old lemonade bottle was found by contractors working on the refurbishment of the reading room at
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Car dealership backs fight against arson
A CAR dealership has pledged its support for an anti-arson initiative by supplying organisers with transport. Arriva's Peugeot dealership, in Longlands Road, Middlesbrough, has donated a new Peugoet 206 van to the Arson Investigation Team, set up by Cleveland
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Riverside rescue to be Tel's swansong
TERRY VENABLES last night admitted his rescue mission at Middlesbrough is likely to be his last job in football. The former England coach, out of the game for nearly two years since the end of a controversial spell at Crystal Palace, will on Friday begin
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Venables' arrival leaves Robson with an uncertain future
TERRY VENABLES' arrival at the Riverside leaves more questions than answers. The former England coach has taken charge of crisis-hit Middlesbrough until the end of the season, with a brief to protect their threatened Premiership status. But what happens
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200 jobs fear at aerospace company
THE jobs of more than 200 workers were hanging in the balance last night, after it was revealed a North-East aerospace firm was in the hands of receivers. Aerospace Systems and Technologies, of Consett, (AS&T) has hit problems only a year after it
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Switching off the cancer cells
WHEN Darren Scrine hit his 30th birthday he felt tired and listless all the time. At first he put it down his demanding job and busy family life. "I turned 30 and I thought my energy levels were going. I just thought I was getting older," he recalls.
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'I'll battle on' vows injury victim Shearer
Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer is vowing to battle through the pain barrier to give manager Bobby Robson a huge fitness boost. The 30-year-old striker missed his first game in the 15 months since Robson arrived at St James' Park last Saturday when he
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Jobs blow to 75 workers
A MANUFACTURING firm has announced plans to close one of its production facilities with the loss of 75 jobs. Negotiations with unions at Thorn Lighting are still on-going, with management hoping to transfer staff to different sites at its Spennymoor base
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Judge sees positive side in guilt of GM crop protestors
FIVE activists were yesterday found guilty of destroying genetically modified (GM) crops at a North-East farm. But the judge who convicted them said he accepted they honestly believed they had "positive motives". A four-day trial at Darlington Magistrates
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TEDCO boosts business
TYNESIDE Economic Development Company's (TEDCO) new South Shields business centre is a winner when it comes to getting the region to work. TEDCO Business Works has been named as a winner in the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Northern Branch Year
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Driver suffers 'heart attack'
A DRIVER died yesterday afternoon after he lost control of his car, which careered into a garden. The local man, who was in his sixties, was driving in Etherley Road, at Etherley Grange, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, when he suffered a suspected heart
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So-called healthy foods are bad for wealth
SO-CALLED healthy foods do little for the wealth of people across the North, a consumer protection test revealed. A survey across the North of 200 everyday groceries, each deemed "healthy products", revealed they represent poor value for money compared
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Training group focuses on Middle East market
A TEESSIDE-based training consortium is predicting that it could pick up millions of pounds worth of business next year following a major drive to promote its services in the Middle East. The Teesside International Training Consortium brings together
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Campaign targets Christmas Crooks
CROOKS who try to Christmas shop on the cheap are being targeted by a police campaign. Officers are removing persistent pickpockets from the crowds in a campaign against teams of shoplifters and thieves in Hartlepool. This year's campaign also involves
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Slimmer lost for words
CHRIS Bisset lost more than weight when she joined a slimming club - she lost the stammer she had suffered all her life. She had always wanted to lose weight but was shy to seek help because of her speech problems. Chris, of Stockton, decided to act as
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Brick injury victim orders scene pictures
A MAN left with terrible injuries in a brick attack has commissioned pictures of the spot where he almost died in an attempt to regain his memory. Euan Kellie, 23, was left fighting for his life following the incident outside the Tuxedo Princess floating
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Charity shop book is worth £1,500
VOLUNTEERS at a charity shop unearthed a literary gem when they dusted off a book which had lying around the store for months. The North-East Oxfam workers found a rare first edition copy of Virginia Woolf's second novel, Monday or Tuesday. The book,
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Female officer in 'fling with prisoner' inquiry
A FEMALE prison officer has been suspended for allegedly having a fling with a man jailed for molesting a terrified pensioner. Bosses at Frankland Prison, Durham City, suspended the officer ten days ago and have launched an inquiry. The day after she
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N-East patients test a leukaemia wonder pill
A NEW "wonder pill" pioneered by North-East patients was last night hailed as a revolutionary cure for leukaemia in a move that could change the way cancer is treated forever. Doctors hope the experimental new treatment - known only as ST1571 - can be
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Plea for help after raid on village store
DETECTIVES are seeking information about an armed robbery at a village store on Saturday night. A man wearing a ski mask and armed with a crowbar burst into the Co-Op store in Butterwick Road at Fishburn, near Sedgefield, County Durham, at about 8.30pm
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Club buy-out collapses
A GERMAN supermarket chain has pulled out of buying a North-East social club. Lidl had planned to buy Cockerton Band and Musical Institute, Darlington, hoping to build a store on the site. The club planned to use a smaller building on the same site to
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Students to get discount cards
YOUNG people will be among the first to take advantage of a trial reward scheme, launched in the region today. Government minister Malcolm Wicks will announce details of the Connexions Card, which provides discount incentives for youngsters aged 16 to
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Pipes to hit high notes
A SET of Northumbrian small pipes with a colourful history is expected to fetch a four-figure sum at auction this week. The instrument, made in the early 19th Century, belonged to a succession of pipers to dukes of Northumberland over the past 70 years
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Rape allegation officer
A NORTH-EAST police officer must wait until next month to learn if he is to be charged over a rape allegation. The officer, a sergeant in the Northumbria force, was arrested by police investigating claims that a woman was raped on Tyneside. He was questioned
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Family escapes unhurt from bedroom blaze
THE front bedroom of a Darlington house was severely damaged by fire yesterday afternoon. Firefighters were called to the terrace house in Brunton Street, just after midday. The blaze was quickly brought under control, and no one was injured, but the
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Rejection of phone masts plan prompts applause
PROTESTORS crammed into a council planning meeting and spontaneously applauded a decision to throw out two separate plans to erect mobile phone masts in their County Durham village. About 40 villagers from Burnopfield turned up to the Derwentside District
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Olympic stars aid switch-on
RICHMOND will be aglow over the festive period after the town's official Christmas lights switch-on was helped by its Olympic stars. Guests at the ceremony were swimmer Nicola Jackson, above left, and rower Alison Mowbray, second right, both of whom were
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Residents in line to have greater say
A SCHEME to give residents a greater say in the running of their estate is to take a step forward. Plans are being drawn up to hold a ballot in the Central Estate area of Hartlepool to form a management team, which could be running by April. It is part
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Forest in honour of journalists
FOURTEEN distinguished North-East journalists were honoured yesterday when their families, friends and colleagues turned out in force to plant trees in their memory. One of The Northern Echo's millennium projects last year was to help establish a community
