Archive
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Unsettling news for ale lovers
A GREAT day for the North-East and a great day for The County pub in Aycliffe. The leaders of two of the most powerful countries in Europe popped in for a swift half or two. But as befits visiting dignitaries not necessarily used to every local custom
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Football - Grangetown feel the pain
CARGO Fleet kept the pressure on leaders Acklam Steelworks with a 3-0 home win over Grangetown Boys Club, taking the lead against the champions when John Patterson put George Pain away and he ran on to open the scoring after five minutes. Mark Wilson's
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Four injured in crash
POLICE arrested a man suspected of drink-driving after a four-vehicle crash early yesterday. A police spokesman said that four people were injured in the accident, beside the Asda roundabout in Stanley, County Durham, at 2am. The accident blocked the
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Verily, a tale of taxes and Tony
AND it came to pass in those days there went out a decree from Nice that all the world should be taxed. This was when Tony was Governor of the land, Gordon sat at the seat of tribute and Robin (him that is called "Fuzzy Face") journeyed in divers countries
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Basketball
Teesside League P W L Pts *Middlesbrough Mavericks 9 9 0 16 Norton I 9 8 1 16 Darlington Devils 9 8 1 16 Tigers 9 7 2 14 Thornaby 9 6 3 12 Thirsk Vikings 9 4 5 8 *Marske Mariners 10 3 7 5 Norton II 9 2 7 4 *Yarm Conyers 8 1 7 0 East Cleveland Ruins 8
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Addicts rescued from life of crime
HEROIN is driving addicts to steal and burgle, a crime beating scheme has confirmed. Police and health experts have long said that addiction to the class A drug is leading people to commit crime for cash to feed their habits. Now the findings of the Sunderland
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Honours even after ten minutes
WHAT a week for Fraser Kemp, that New Labour running dog so famously close to Tony Blair's heel. Fraser was already on to a publicity winner with his Ten Minute Rule Bill to replace the ''elitist'' honours system with one simple, egalitarian Order of
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Councillor campaigns over bird colony
KITTIWAKES in Gateshead have been assured a happy New Year thanks to the help of a bird-loving Eagle. Gateshead councillor John Eagle, who came to the rescue of the kittiwake colony on Gateshead Quays, has welcomed plans for the reinstallation of a kittiwake
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Quakers call in FA
Darlington have asked the Football League to fix a new date for the re-arranged game with Exeter City. Quakers suggested to Exeter that the game - postponed at 1pm last Saturday with the St James Park surface frozen - could be fixed for Tuesday, January
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Waddle back to boots roots
FORMER England international footballer Chris Waddle turned the clock back last night when he played at Tow Law for the first time in 20 years. It was while playing for the Lawyers as an 18-year-old that Waddle was spotted by Newcastle United. It was
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Exams praise for students
STUDENTS at a Darlington school have won praise for their exam success. Carmel RC Technology College students celebrated their achievements in front of an audience of governors, parents and educational authority representatives. More than 58 per cent
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Basketball
Durham League For the last five seasons, Norton and Teesside Huskies have dominated the battle for the top three Durham championship trophies. But their grip could well be ended this season. The two teams with the ability to end their reign are Nissan
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£1.6m boost for mailing centre
A MAILING centre in east Durham has announced it is to invest £1.6m in printing equipment at its new premises. Six new machines, which will be provided by Xerox, will increase the output of MetroMail, in Peterlee, by up to 50 per cent and will allow the
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Fashion students' awards
North-East students Kerry Anne Richardson and Joel Stewart, of North Tyneside College, have scooped prizes at the first Galaxy Clothes Show 2000 fashion awards. Joel, 18, of Jesmond, Newcastle, designed a record bag for Galaxy DJ Simon Phillips. Kerry
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Junior Football
Byers Green The Under-10s Haze team had a very good day on Saturday, defeating one of their closest rivals in the league. They beat South Tyneside 1-0 in the first game and went on to win their league cup quarter final in a local derby with Willington
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Police launch inquiry after stabbing
POLICE are investigating the stabbing of a 34-year-old man on New Year's Eve. Officers were called to a disturbance outside the Dun Cow pub in Ravensworth Road, Dunston, Gateshead, at about 7.15pm. The man, who was stabbed in the throat, was taken to
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Centre will be boost
AN £800,000 community centre, which will open the door to a range of opportunities for residents, is almost complete. The Community Initiatives' Centre cuts an imposing outline on its site, between the rear of Hindpool Close and the railway embankment
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Milburn's best care in world promise
HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn yesterday pledged to make Britain's cancer and heart care the envy of the world. The bold promise came as a report showed waiting times for cancer patients had been cut dramatically in some areas. At Newcastle General Hospital
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Young Samaritans. How can I help?'
HANDS in pockets, shoulders hunched and lost in thought, the young man shuffles further into the depths of despair. If he has friends, they can't help. In a region where machismo is everything, how can he open his heart to them? If he has parents, they
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Children to get scooter safety lessons
YOUNGSTERS are to be given scooter safety lessons in an effort to prevent Christmas celebrations turning into a New Year nightmare. Backed by Cleveland Police, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has launched a safety course after micro scooters became
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'Stay away' plea to kerb crawlers
A LEADING councillor said he backed a red light district crackdown on kerb crawlers. Councillor Ken Walker, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said the latest in a series of name-and-shame court days for men caught by police with prostitutes "underlines
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Former police boss to root out fraudsters
THE former head of Durham CID has been handed the task of rooting out theft in the NHS. Detective Superintendent David Grey retired from the force last month after 34 years' service. He will take up a newly- created regional post within the National Health
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Boxer tries to speak
DOCTORS treating boxer Paul Ingle say he has attempted to speak for the first time since suffering life-threatening injuries in the ring. The 28-year-old from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, had emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain after
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Harry Mead writes...
NOW that we are truly into a new millennium, as the Queen usefully reminded us, I find I have become part of an "underclass'' - a source of concern to our caring Government. I am on the wrong side of what it calls the "digital divide''. In other words
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Museum upgrade
NESTLING among the exotic treasures in Durham's Oriental Museum is an unprepossessing boxwood statuette of an Egyptian servant girl. And if she has a slightly bemused expression on her face it is little wonder, as this diminutive servant girl is literally
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Letters
FOX HUNTNG SO the anti-blood sport lobby has really got its teeth into banning fox hunting, and I wonder if it is always for the reasons it professes. Foxes are vermin, they have to be controlled and their numbers reduced. Any form of control can involve
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Internet link for remote villages
A SCHEME to introduce the Internet to some of the most remote areas of the region is being piloted in a North Yorkshire village. The move follows an announcement by Tony Blair a few weeks ago in his Sedgefield constituency, when the Prime Minister hinted
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Parents' joy as fears for 'cri-du-chat' boy prove unfounded
ALMOST from the moment he was born, Stephen McKinney made strange, cat-like noises. When he was eight months old, a leading geneticist told his mother, Jane, that Stephen was suffering from an extremely rare genetic disorder, called Cri-du-Chat - the
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Funding boost for arts centre
THE University of Sunderland is celebrating a £250,000 boost towards its centre of arts excellence. The grant, from the Northern Rock Foundation, will help the university start the next stage of its £20m centre for the arts design and media at St Peter's
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Catching up with falling standards
I HEARD an interesting talk last week entitled: "Is Britain A Third World Country?" It was by the veteran travel writer Don Thurbold. Don has travelled the world over the last 40 years and he knows as much as anybody about Third World countries. His conclusion
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History dig puts houses on hold
ARCHAEOLOGISTS could disrupt the building of two houses on the outskirts of Darlington. Outline planning permission is to be granted by Darlington Borough Council for the houses at land, near East Lea, Little Stainton. The site, however, lies within an
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Student's career taking off fast
A STUDENT has gained his private pilot's licence after only two months of training. Gary Fox, 22, of Dene Gardens, Houghton, Wearside, has now set his sights on becoming a commercial airline pilot as he continues his studies in avionics at York University
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Junior Football
Auckland and District Ebac Youth League Darlington Cleveland Bridge have resigned from the Under-18 Auckland and District Youth League because of difficulties in getting players. The club, newcomers to the league this season, won one of four league cup
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Killer tells of guilt over deaths of children
A MAN convicted of killing his three children has vowed that no one will stop him from mourning the youngsters. Graeme Alderton has revealed in a letter, written while still in prison, how he feels "guilt day in, day out" that he is alive and they are
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Ice Hockey - Arrows hit bullseye
Junior round-up Sunderland Arrows broke their duck on Saturday when they won their first English Junior (Under 16) North A league match of the season. The Wearsiders defeated Altrincham Jets 5-3 at Hillheads Whitley Bay. It was sweet revenge for Arrows
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Swimming
British junior water polo international Angie Winstanley-Smith (Sedgefield) played her part in Britain finishing second, just seven points behind Germany, in the annual three nations junior international swimming contest in Hamburg with Italy third, writes
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Backing for house roof plan despite objections
PLANNERS are to overrule objections from neighbours and a parish council over a house roof extension in a village, near Darlington. The extension to a rear roof of a house in Woodlands Way, Hurworth Place, is intended to provide two first-floor bedrooms
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Police give thanks for poor New Year weather
ICY winds and driving rain meant many New Year revellers stayed at home, rather than take to the streets. Police throughout the region said that New Year had passed off relatively uneventfully. In Darlington, police praised the behaviour of revellers
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Happy politically correct New Year
I'M SITTING listening to the bells of Old Bailey as I set out my predictions for the New Year. January: Tony Blair in a keynote speech for 2001 claims that his promise to "modernise" the country has now been completely fulfilled. As he speaks, Great North
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Fives and Threes
CIU Pairs Championship Quarter final results: G Bryant & P Dobson (Mount Pleasant) beat J Egglestone & S Bell (Crowtrees); S Smith & C Stainsby (Darlington) beat S Farquhar & S Dixon (Town End Farm); J Hancock & D Patterson (Belmont
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'Obey or face consequences'
TEENAGERS Shaun Tweddle and Steven Small did not have much time for school. As the boys played truant they would spit at passers-by from a first-floor flat, start fires to taunt firefighters, and bully younger children on the Hardwick estate, at Stockton
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Hoteliers check in at Bureau
THE region's top hoteliers have literally jumped into bed together - putting their considerable weight behind the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative's Convention Bureau. Due to open for business this month, the fully serviced commercially operated Convention
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Hooligans get orders to abide by law
THE Hardwick estate in Teesside, appears to be experiencing a downturn in anti- social behaviour. According to Councillor Bill Noble, who has lived on the Stockton estate for 35 years, the lull has coincided with the introduction of anti-social behaviour
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Lamenting the man who fell to earth
I GREW up in awe of David Bowie. His moody, distinctive tones wafted through our house as my older brother and sister played his Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane albums over and over. They and their friends worshipped him. They wore clothes like him, dyed
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Darts
Willington League The Victoria Club extended their lead to 12 points at the top after they only dropped three points to the visiting Hunwick Joiners Arms. The gap at the top was surprisingly opened out when second placed Willington Burn went down by two
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Take 24 pebbles and a chandelier
AS if we don't have enough to do at this time of the year, the December issues of the glossy magazines are full of suggestions on how to waste hours, days and weeks preparing for Christmas. With so many more rival mags determined to outdo each other,
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Hospital offers scheme for jobless youngsters
UNEMPLOYED youngsters are being given the chance to gain a foot on the ladder in the health service. A number of jobless people have already gained permanent posts at Hartlepool General Hospital, thanks to a scheme of three-year modern apprenticeships
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Games
Magnet League Fives and Threes Division A Results: Rolling Mills B 2 Bank Top A 6; Bank Top B 2 Albert Hill WMC 6; Hole in the Wall 5 Archdeacon 3; Central WMC 3 Cumby Arms 5. P W D L Pts Albert Hill WMC 13 7 3 3 17 Cumby Arms 13 7 2 4 16 Bank Top A 13
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Renaissance man gets his comeuppance
JOHN Prescott has the sort of lived-in, jowly face that casts serious doubts on any plans God may have to use him as a sunbeam. But even he looked more miserable than usual on Thursday as he took the wraps off his grand proposals for an "urban renaissance
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Bridge repair bill soars after flood
THE November floods have resulted in an £800,000 repair bill for North Yorkshire bridges. That figure is on top of a bill of £2.7m needed to reopen Richmond's Mercury bridge, which suffered during the June flooding. Maintenance and strengthening work
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In a spin over the Euro army
STOP lying to us, Mr Blair, and admit that the European superstate project is well-advanced. In 2001 it will become apparent, despite the smoke and mirrors of the Government's spin-doctors, that we are losing more and more control of our own country.
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So where did the snowman go?
Caring aunt Sue Bala is hot on the trail of thieves after a snowman was snatched from her garden. Sue spent three hours helping her nephew and niece Thomas, 11, and seven-year-old Jessica Jaitly build 3ft Frostie. But the youngsters were devastated when
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Boro take care to get O'Neill back
MIDDLESBROUGH wing-back Keith O'Neill is being wrapped in cotton wool amid fears of a recurrence of the back trouble which forced him to miss the final three months of last season. The Republic of Ireland international was a late withdrawal from the New
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Capital punishment again for Magpies
Newcastle were stunned last night as they crashed to another defeat in the capital after both Nolberto Solano and Kieron Dyer were sent off. The Magpies slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Tottenham in a match that exploded into action after Peruvian Solano gave
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Fitzgerald's trip North shouldn't be ignored
When a Southern-based jockey of the calibre of Mick Fitzgerald travels to Scotland for one booked ride, it's time to sit up and take the hint. And, if the meeting passes an early morning inspection, the Irishman can make the long trip to Musselburgh worthwhile
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Rolls-Royce in £74m sale of its turbine business
AERO-engines group Rolls-Royce has sold the bulk of its Vickers Turbine Components business to the private equity arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland in a deal worth an estimated £74m. But Rolls revealed it is keeping hold of its Vickers Pressing business
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Building up a jobs bonanza
CONTINUING economic growth in the construction industry will provide thousands of new jobs in the North-East over the next five years according to a new report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The report, Construction Employment and
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Darts and Dominoes
Aycliffe and District League Darts P W F A T C Royal Hotel 18 16 91 35 32 9 Horndale A 18 15 89 37 30 14 Red Lion 17 14 82 37 28 17 Southerne 18 13 78 48 26 12 Oaktree 17 11 65 54 22 10 *Iron Horse 18 11 79 47 21 7 RBL 17 10 64 55 20 8 Navy Club B 18
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North-East builds enterprise culture
THE County Durham Development Company (CDDC) believes the technologies of the future will be research and knowledge-based, and to exploit the industial opportunity to the full, the North-East must develop the kind of environment and entrepreneurial culture
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Pigs perish in farm barn blaze
A NUMBER of pigs were believed to be killed when a fire swept through a barn. Half an hour before midnight on New Year's Eve, a blaze started at Old Park Terrace Farm, at Byers Green, near Spennymoor. About 30 tonnes of baled hay caught alight in a timber
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Advisors tackle debt problems
PEOPLE suffering from debt stress have been given hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Citizens Advice Bureau at the Neighbourhood Centre, South Terrace, South Bank, near Middlesbrough, is offering free confidential advice on many kinds
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Lawrie aims to turn back the clock after a blank 18 months
Paul Lawrie knows it is high time he was noticed again, 18 months on from the win which made him world famous. Without a victory since the day that changed his life his Open championship triumph at Carnoustie the 31-year-old Scot accepts that this week's
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Wishes are brought to book
YOUNGSTERS at a school in Middlesbrough have created their own reminder of the millennium. David's Dream has been created by the pupils of St David's School. The book was made by the children themselves and contains their millennium wishes. Some of them
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Railtrack given deadline
Rail Regulator Tom Winsor last night got tough with Railtrack - ordering the company to produce a recovery plan more tailored to the needs of train operators. Railtrack now has until January 18 to produce its plan so that both train and freight companies
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The Echo says...
AT the last General Election New Labour made a great deal of capital out of the allegations of sleaze which plagued Conservative ranks. It was swept to power on a promise to clean up the public's perception of politics and restore the values of transparency
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Move to curb speeding with traffic trials
DURHAM County Councillor Ken Manton has told Sedgefield villagers of a low-cost traffic management trial to assess the viability and effectiveness of traffic calming measures along Durham Road. The road has been the subject of numerous speeding complaints
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Calls for review on phone masts
A COUNCILLOR has criticised the way telecommunication companies are allowed to put up smaller mobile phone masts without planning permission. West Auckland councillor Sonny Douthwaite said letting the companies erect masts less than 15 metres without
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Pressed into action by trousers crisis
AS the bearded members of 1980s rock band ZZ Top once sang: "She's got legs - she knows how to use them!" Entrepreneurs Jill Gibson and Lavinia Nicholson, both of whom are a striking 6ft tall, have certainly used their traffic-stopping pins to good financial
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Keith reaches end of racecourse marathon
A HORSE-RACING fanatic has cleared his self-imposed final hurdle by visiting all 60 tracks in England, Scotland and Wales. The finishing line was crossed by Keith Johnson, of Aycliffe Village, County Durham, when he visited Fontwell and Plumpton earlier
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Youngsters tread the boards
PUPILS from a village primary school followed in the footsteps of professionals when they trod the boards at Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal. Eighty-two youngsters, from Middleton Tyas CE Primary School, took part in a Christmas concert before a full
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Staff shortage forces hospice to cut beds
A HOSPICE has taken half of its beds out of use after health bosses admitted they were struggling to fill top medical posts. St Benedict's Hospice, at Monkwearmouth Hospital, Sunderland, can accommodate 16 patients, but has been forced into the latest
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Invitation to reading group
SOUTH Bank Women's Centre is hosting a reading group where women can read a book at home and then meet to discuss the issues within the text. One book that has already been read and discussed is Union Street, written by Teesside author Pat Barker, and
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Woman foils would-be mugger
A PLUCKY woman refused to give in to a would-be mugger when he tried to snatch her handbag. The woman, aged 60, had been walking along Manor Road, St Helen Auckland, at 9pm on December 29 when a youth approached her and tried to grab her handbag. A struggle
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No European fears for confident Hutchison
Don Hutchison yesterday put Sunderland on Euro red alert and urged manager Peter Reid not to worry about the possibility of a blow-up. Reid is wary of discussing the prospect of playing European football next season after watching his side self-destruct
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Why Santa snubbed the Boro
'TIS the season to be jolly. Tinsel-decorated Christmas trees gaily wink through thousands of festive windows across the region and barely a child can sleep for eager anticipation of Santa's arrival. So let's put aside all cynical thoughts for the next
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Cigarettes crackdown is paying off
PROSECUTIONS for selling cigarettes to children have reached a three-year high as a result of visits by youngsters working undercover. Seven traders in Sunderland were caught selling cigarettes to children posing as smokers after trading standards officers
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Fake or funky, the tree tells all
THIS weekend, many of us will be putting up our Christmas trees, but what will yours say about you? Fake fir: "Of course, you can hardly see the difference,'' you tell friends, but they're not convinced. You are sensible, prudent and practical. You don't
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Our children are losing their liberty
'WAS it school bullies who killed that boy on his way home from the library?'' asked my incredulous nine-year-old the other day. It's at times like this that the world can appear, both to children and parents, a grim and frightening place. The murder
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Squash
Harrogate League Division One P W L Pts H'gate Squash 1 8 8 0 89 Moortown I 8 7 1 88 Ilkley I 8 5 3 71 Headingley 8 5 3 67 Nomads 8 4 4 58 Harlow I 8 3 5 43 Collingham 1 7 3 4 40 Harlow II 8 1 7 40 Ilkley I 7 3 4 35 Otley I 8 0 8 12 Division Two H'gate
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Rescue centres kept busy with unwanted pets
CHRISTMAS has brought with it the yearly tales of woe for animal sanctuaries. Pet rescue centres have found themselves struggling to cope with the number of extra dogs and cats, many of which are thought to be unwanted presents. At the National Canine
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Hope of jobs
PLANS have been unveiled for a factory that will bring much-needed jobs to the North-East. Derwentdale Engineering Limited, which trades as Hart Engineering, is proposing a factory near its plant at the Stella Gill Industrial Estate at Pelton Fell, near
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Football - Wearside league
Wolviston secretary Keith Simpson reckons his side is in with a good chance of clinching the championship after moving into second position following an emphatic victory at Boldon CA. It was Wolviston's 15th win in 20 outings and they are now two points
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Billiards
CIU Individual League Ithe round-robin at Willington Jim Alcock of Wingate came away with six points after never losing a frame to Arnold Fleming of Crook or Norman Greener of Thornely. In the first match Alcock took the first frame against Greener easily
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Snooker - Bitter blow for Old Shildon
Worthington CIU Team KO Cup Ain-off on the respotted black after recovering from needing three snookers in the final frame cost First Division leaders, Old Shildon a place in the third round when they went down by seven points at home to Third Division
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Duvets gift puts dogs in comfort zone
DOGS at a Darlington rescue centre have been snuggling up to their new duvets thanks to the generosity of a dry cleaning firm. The National Canine Defence League centre in Sadberge was delighted when Sketchley decided to donate the unwanted duvets left
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Warning on colleges
HEADTEACHERS warned yesterday that the Government's bid to create 1,000 specialist college comprehensives would create a two-tier system. The Secondary Heads Association demanded a radical overhaul of the policy, under which comprehensives receive thousands
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Darts
Cleveland Mens Super League Billingham Green were at home to Middlesbrough South at Visions Club, Paul Skelton (20.76) beat Norman Stringer (19.55) 3-2 to put the visitors one up. Gary Stephens (29.53) beat Glen Durrant (27.37) 3-2 to level the match.
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Police use CS gas spray to stop fight after pub party
POLICE used CS gas spray on revellers after a New Year's Eve party erupted into violence. Officers were called to the Huntsman pub, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, early on New Year's Day, after reports of fighting outside. Acting Inspector Vince Addison
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Workers join forces for hospice
STAFF at a Newton Aycliffe office have joined forces with factory workers on the town's industrial estate to raise funds for the Butterwick Hospice. Workers at the Lloyds TSB Word Processing Centre, above Blakes pub, took part in the hospice's 2000 for
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Mum delighted to give birth to hospital's first baby of the year
A VERY special delivery was made early yesterday morning when one of the first babies of the new year was born. The boy, who has yet to be given a name, made his mark on the world by weighing in at 6lb 10oz, at Hartlepool General Hospital, at 3.37am.
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All white on night for Harry's arrival
DON and Judith McClurg battled through blizzards to have a special millennium celebration with the birth of their boy. The happy couple, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, were oblivious to the celebrations going on around the country as they held their tiny
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Football - Leyburn lifted by Wilkinson
Wensleydale Creamery League Leyburn maintained their one point lead when they visited Reeth and won 3-0. James Wilkinson put them in front from the penalty spot after nine minutes and the same player made it 2-0 five minutes from the interval with a 20
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Cometh the millions, cometh the man
ANOTHER week, another classic example of the Prime Minister upstaging his humble Health Secretary. It's not that Tony doesn't trust Alan. It's just that Mr Blair can't resist hogging the limelight when it comes to announcing zillions of extra cash for
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Explorer's act of real courage
I LISTENED with interest to Polar explorer Robert Swan talk movingly on radio last week about his battle with alcoholism. The Boys' Own-style adventurer from County Durham, who now makes his living giving inspirational talks to business people about leadership
