Archive
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Organs scandal fails to stem flow of donors
A YEAR after Sally Slater received a new heart, relieved transplant co-ordinators have said the Alder Hey organs scandal does not appear to have affected the number of donated organs. Exactly 12 months have elapsed since the six-year-old from Kirkby Malham
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Partnership schemes aim to answer social housing need
WORK has started on a £1.1m public housing scheme for elderly people. Building at Burnopfield, near Stanley, began just days after another partnership plan to provide 35 flats at Sherburn Park, Consett, was announced as part of a £2.2m scheme. The social
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£1.7m for residents to ponder
PEOPLE are being asked for their opinions on how £1.7m should be spent in their community. Stockton Borough Council is to receive the money for sports and art projects across the borough, with some of it being used to build a sports and arts hall on the
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A unique way to get ahead at school
ANDREW MOLLITT is a maths teacher with a difference. No stereotypical tweed jacket with elbow patches; no dull obsession with equations. Instead, after school, you are likely to find him on a uni-cycle, teaching Richmond Lower School children the thrill
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A taste of life Victorian style
TWO exhibitions have opened at the Margrove Heritage Centre in Guisborough to mark its new season. The centre was closed for the winter but reopened its doors yesterday to anyone interested in the Victorian age. A child's eye view of life in Victorian
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Residents may gain ally in waste site fight
RESIDENTS who have been fighting a bid for a waste recycling and landfill site, between the North Yorkshire village of Scorton and the A1, may win a second vital ally tomorrow. The Environment Agency has already registered an objection to Yorwaste's application
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Voluntary service cooks up extra jobs
JOB seekers did not get the cold shoulder when they went to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service, looking for work. Demand for the charity's frozen meals delivery service has meant the WRVS has had to move into a factory unit three times larger than their
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Recognition for voluntary work 'heroes'
AN MP is calling on organisations to identify older people who deserve recognition for voluntary work. Bill Etherington, MP for Sunderland North, said: "I'm delighted to be involved in this excellent initiative to recognise the contribution older people
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Local elections postponed
Tony Blair today postponed the General Election until June 7. The Prime Minister scrapped his plan to go to the country on May 3 to focus purely on beating the foot-and-mouth crisis. Mr Blair acted as he put the local elections back five weeks in an historic
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Cycling children more proficient
THE expansion of a cycling proficiency scheme is helping to ensure the safety of youngsters across Hartlepool. Courses run by HartlepoolBorough Council and the Health Action Zone are take place in 27 of the town's 30 primary schools. One of the latest
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Former Warrior Longstaff takes top player award
NORTH-Easterner David Longstaff has been named ice hockey's Sekonda Player of the Year 2000/01. David was up against stiff competition in the form of netminders Trevor Robins and Stevie Lyle, fellow forwards Tony Hand and Joe Cardarelli and defenceman
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Governor's supply work at school sparks outrage
A PARENT governor who made allegations against a sacked deputy headteacher has been working at the same school from which he was unfairly dismissed. Sue Whitcombe has been filling in as a supply teacher at Bishopton and Redmarshall School, near Darlington
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Hunt for artistic talent
BUDDING artists are being invited to take part in a competition which is searching for new talent. It is the second time that Bishop Auckland Discovery Centre has hosted the New Local Art competition, sponsored by Cameo Fine Art, in the town. Those entering
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Restaurant staff aid driving project
STAFF at the McDonald's restaurant in Newton Aycliffe swapped sandwiches for sponges to take part in a sponsored car wash. The restaurant has been supporting the Durham Agency Against Crime's Wise Drive for Life appeal, set up by police to encourage youngsters
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Break away win for firm
A DALES holiday development has scooped its second award within a year. The Holiday Property Bond's Lodge Yard scheme, in Askrigg, has been singled out for praise in the Civic Trust Awards, where it was described as an outstanding example of architectural
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GP practice in best of health, says college
A GP practice has become one of only 15 in the country to receive a quality of service award. Staff from the Tennant Street practice, Stockton, Teesside, have been given the Quality Practice Award from the Royal College of General Practitioners. The staff
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Primary style
A children's fashion show will be held at Evenwood Primary School, on Thursday, at 6pm. Tickets cost £1, including refreshments. All proceeds will go towards the nursery unit.
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University threatened by falling student numbers
SUNDERLAND University is reported to be fighting for survival because of falling student numbers. According to Natfhe, the lecturers' union, Sunderland and five other universities have been put under emergency supervision by the Higher Education Funding
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Better homes on way
WORK on housing improvements costing almost £650,000 is under way in Hartlepool. A total of 105 houses on the Owton Manor estate are being upgraded with money from the Single Regeneration Budget and Hartlepool Borough Council. Improvements being carried
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Offbeat love story on offer
BATTLING baguettes and ghosts set the theme for a bizarre love story which takes to the stage this week. The Spike Theatre visits Tow Law Community Centre on Wednesday, at 7.30pm, as part of its national tour. Featuring just three actors, the black comedy
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Wedding milestone
A DEVOTED couple refused to let health problems get in the way of their golden wedding celebrations. Peter Hammond was admitted to hospital suffering from a stroke just days before the 50th anniversary of his wedding to his wife, Lily. The couple, from
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Battling Barron remaining upbeat
SKIPPER Micky Barron insisted his Hartlepool United teammates would put Saturday's draw behind them as they home in on success, writes NICK LOUGHLIN. Pool gave a below-par display as they were stifled by Halifax at Victoria Park, but Barron - who has
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Windass upbeat despite setback
DEFIANT Dean Windass marked his eagerly-awaited Middlesbrough debut with a goal in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, then insisted: "We'll survive.'' The £1m signing from Bradford City, denied his Boro bow in the victory at Newcastle a fortnight earlier
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Northerners 'most giving'
PEOPLE living in the North of England are the most generous in Britain, according to a new survey. Caring Together, an organisation aiming at getting people to donate money regularly through payroll giving, has revealed that 88 per cent of those in the
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Jackerin has form to win
Following sprinters in form is always a good idea and Jackerin, who has been running well of late, looks the one to be on in the Windsor Festival Claimer at Lingfield. Julie Craze's six-year-old ended a long losing run when scoring over six furlongs at
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Protest gathers strength over animals burial site
RESIDENTS and farmers have spoken of their fury as the process of burying 150,000 sheep just yards from their homes began at the weekend. Attention is already turning to where the next burial site will be in County Durham after the carcasses are buried
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Rise in school class sizes among worst in England
SCHOOLS in the region are experiencing one of the country's highest rates of class size growth. Figures to be released this week are expected to reveal that class sizes in secondary schools are at their highest for ten years in many areas. Among the worst
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Warm welcome
THOSE long winter nights won't be quite so much of a challenge for a North Yorkshire Scout group, thanks to a National Lottery grant. The 1st Thirsk pack will be prepared when temperatures plummet in future, with more than £3,000 from the Millennium Festival
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Superlative Given leaps to Magpies' defence
APPARENTLY there's no such thing as an easy game at international level. That may be so, but Shay Given had spent his previous two matches as a largely redundant figure and had gone into Saturday's game hoping to make it a hat-trick of clean sheets following
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Easington move clear after double from Scott
EASINGTON took a giant step towards safety with a 4-2 win over Billingham Synthonia on Saturday. Easington have won two games inside a week, and are now three points above the relegation zone with games in hand on the teams below them. Manager Wilf Constantine
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Digger theme hits the spot
OWNERS of the North-East's latest theme park hailed their first weekend a success yesterday. Staff at Diggerland, at Langley Park, near Durham City, were expecting to have had almost 1,000 visitors by the time it closed yesterday. Children and adults
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Black Cats can still claw way into Europe, says O'Leary
LEEDS UNITED boss David O'Leary, who has guided the Yorkshire club to the last eight of the Champions League, believes that Sunderland will still qualify for Europe, despite slipping back to sixth place in the table. Leeds hoisted themselves into third
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Faltering Falcons clinch their play-off place
NEWCASTLE Falcons turned a stroll into a scramble before clinching their place in the Zurich Premiership play-offs yesterday. After sitting out the heavy defeats at Leicester and Wasps, Jonny Wilkinson put club before country to the extent that his ferocious
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Memorial garden keeps on growing
NEW trees have been planted in a garden of remembrance on the site of an enemy bombing campaign during the Second World War. On October 21, 1941 the Zetland Club in Coathan Road, Redcar was destroyed by bombing and 15 people were killed. The site was
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Salon competes in national contest
A HAIR and beauty salon has proved to be a cut above the rest by winning a place in the regional finals of a national competition, today. Saks, in Durham Market Place, has reached the Northern finals of the L'Oreal Colour Trophy. The brief was for the
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Fallon has the class and contacts to land championship again
The turf season is now well under way and the jockeys have all returned from their winter breaks. Some stay at home and ride on the all-weather while others venture around the globe in their quest for success. The top jockeys are obviously eyeing the
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Out-of-school learning scheme launched to raise performance
THE City of Sunderland's education and community services department is launching an out-of-school-hours learning programme today. The scheme is financed by the New Opportunities Fund and the Department for Education's standards fund. Every school in
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Part-time soldiers have their day
A TASTE of weekend Army life was offered to potential volunteers on Saturday, when TA centres throughout the North-East held open days. The Army Cadet Force was also on parade for 13 to 16-year-olds who wanted to join. New rates of pay and bounty have
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Brewery tasting success
ONE of the region's breweries won a silver award for a bottled beer in a national contest. Castle Eden Brewery, near Hartlepool, won the award for the Castle Eden Challenge beer at the International Beer and Cider Competition, in London. The beer, which
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Brigade team rescues bank fall walker
A RESCUE team hauled a man to safety after he broke his leg in a fall down a steep bank yesterday. Leslie Williams, 48, of Seaham, County Durham, had been walking with his seven-year-old nephew near Seaham Hall when he slipped and fell. Passers-by raised
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Award hope for wind of change
AN inventor is hoping his system for generating electricity for schools and community buildings will win him an award. Scientist Dr Garry Jenkins, 47, of Rowlands Gill, near Gateshead, invented the Gazelle wind turbine after eight years of experiments
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Burning Questions
Q: WHEN and how did the printed language of music develop and become universal? - RB Job, Thirsk. A: MUSICAL notation can be traced back to ancient Egypt around 300 BC, but the form we know today has its roots in ancient Greece. The earliest symbols of
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Probation service under one umbrella
THE region's probation service will come under the direct control of the Government from today. A single National Probation Service has been created in line with Home Secretary Jack Straw's crime reduction strategy. It will see local probation services
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Police make arrests in drugs operation
SIX people have been arrested in Hartlepool for alleged drugs offences. A woman arrested in Kinbrace Road, at 3.15pm, on Friday, was allegedly carrying a Class A drug in a Peugeot car, and was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
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Former vet back in the front line
A FORMER vet who works in a supermarket has been called back to the field to help with the foot-and-mouth crisis. David Belford, 51, sold his veterinary practice in Appleby, Cumbria in 1999 and moved to Crossgate Moor, Durham, because his wife had secured
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Police seek clues to car vandalism
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after the tyres on three vehicles were slashed at Sunnybrow, near Crook. The two cars and a van were parked in South Street overnight on Friday night when they were attacked. All four tyres on a Peugeot 309 car were
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Investing is safe as houses
PROPERTY in North Yorkshire seems set to prove a sound investment, according to figures produced by a market magazine. Your Mortgage commissioned independent analysts, Prophit, to research the history of house prices in the region through the Land Registry
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Injury problems mounting
DARLINGTON'S list of injured stars reached double figures after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient. Already without six players for the season, plus Adam Marsh and David Brightwell on the treatment table, Mark Ford (ankle), John Williams (groin) and
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Tributes paid to retiring magistrate
A MAGISTRATE who has presided over thousands of criminal cases during more than a quarter of a century has stood down from the bench. Dorothy Maskery sat for the last time at Derwentside Magistrates' Court, at Consett, County Durham, last Wednesday, on
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Clinic offers cheap rates
A homeopathic clinic is promising low-cost treatment. Homeopathy provides a holistic remedy, taking into account all factors concerning the patient. Treatment is often expensive, with appointments costing up to £60. The clinic, run by Dunelm Complementary
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Sunderland fail the acid test
SUNDERLAND'S first - and last - competitive venture into Europe came courtesy of a memorable 1973 FA Cup final victory over Leeds United. It would be ironic if this sixth consecutive Premiership defeat at the hands of the Yorkshiremen put the kibosh on
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Grant bids considered
DARLINGTON councillors are to consider seven applications for grants from the authority's community leisure chest. The fund has a budget of £4,500 for 2000-2001, and about £1,000 is left. A number of sport and social clubs have applied for cash to help
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Teenagers invited to Russia
TEENAGERS with a sense of adventure are being offered the chance to travel to Russia this summer. Durham County Council's international office is organising an exchange visit with 15 young people from Durham's twin city, Kostroma. The Russian teenagers
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Comment from The Northern Echo; A date that is far from set
BY all accounts, Tony Blair will today announce that he has effectively postponed the General Election until June 7. This is a typical piece of New Labour politics. Mr Blair desperately wanted May 3; he equally desperately wanted not to have to wait until
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Club seeks party animals
A NIGHTCLUB is offering free entry and drinks to people who know how to kick-start a party. The Top Hat, in Spennymoor, is in the middle of a £1m transformation and will relaunch later this year as the Cube. In a bid to draw crowds back to the venue which
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Pub bid looks likely despite stiff resistance
A CONTROVERSIAL bid for a new pub in the heart of a market town seems set to go through, despite resistance from other landlords. Publicans in Richmond, North Yorkshire, point out the number of bars and restaurants is already close to saturation point
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End of an era as 'institution' closes doors
THEY came to witness the last rites of a proud institution - and to pick up a bargain if they could. For this was the final day's trading at Dressers - bringing an end to 150-plus years of high street trading. Outside, on Darlington's High Row, the Saturday
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Reliant rally call
A CLASSIC car fan is seeking three-wheeler collectors to join him at a charity rally. Les Briggs, of Billingham, near Stockton, Teesside, enters the Ripon Old Cars rally each year to raise funds for cancer research. Mr Briggs, who is the only Reliant
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Church may sell castle's art treasures
Paintings which have hung in the Bishop of Durham's residence for more than 250 years may be sold by the Church of England. The works, valued at £10m, by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran, are in Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, County Durham. The
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Time running out for market hall traders
MARKET traders, who refused to allow their premises to be modernised, may have to shut or move their businesses as their leases expire. In 1997, Chesterfield Properties, the owner of the Castlegate Shopping Centre, in the heart of Stockton, offered market
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Territorials in rallying call for new recruits
"WE Want You!" was the message issued by the Territorial Army at the weekend as it launched a drive for recruits. Units from Darlington, Newton Aycliffe and Bishop Auckland opened their doors to the public to mark TA Day on Saturday. On display were weapons
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Health officers swoop on illegal meat trade
ILLEGALLY imported dried and frozen meat on open sale in the North-East has been seized in a series of raids. Health officials removed more than 500 packets of beef products and pork spring rolls from two Chinese supermarkets plus frozen pork won tons
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A chance to air the family heirlooms
RESIDENTS are being encouraged to dig out their family heirlooms for a television broadcast. BBC's Antiques Roadshow is being recorded at Hartlepool on Thursday. The team of famous experts will be at the Mill House Leisure Centre in Raby Road from 9.30am
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Scooter rider hurt in crash
A MOTORCYCLIST suffered head and leg injuries after a collision with a taxi in Green Lane, Yarm, on Saturday. The injured man was riding a Peugeot scooter along the road, near the railway station, at 2.50am when he collided with the rear of a Peugeot
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Bikers targeted in safety drive
A crackdown on the dangerous actions of motorcyclists could see riders ordered off the road within days of being stopped by police. Three police forces are joining together this month to cut anti-social behaviour by riders in rural areas. Traffic officers
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Tourism office 'snub'
OWNERS of a Yorkshire Dales holiday cottage have billed their local tourist information office for lost income, claiming visitors were encouraged to give the area a miss. Paul Wood and his wife Pam, who live in Wensleydale, told a client to contact Leyburn
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Hague casts his vote over website offer for companies
CONSERVATIVE leader William Hague gave his vote to an online offer, during a recent visit to The Northern Echo. The paper builds websites for non-profit making organisations across the North-East and North Yorkshire and pupils from Brompton-on-Swale Primary
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Nice views from a far pavilion
A COUPLE of hours earlier, about 250 miles down the A1, John Major's beloved Chelsea had turned over Middlesbrough. Little wonder, then, that as he arrives at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, Britain's last Prime Minister is grinning that distinctly
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N-E firms link up
TWO North-East firms have joined forces to ensure a massive fibreglass tank arrives safely in Malaysia. Peterlee's Condor Products specialises in the design of custom-made fibreglass tanks and were faced with the problem of getting a £23m product to the
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Tribute paid to neighbour
A SCHOOL has paid tribute to one of its best loved neighbours who was dubbed "Mr Wave-a-Lot" because of his friendly wave to generations of pupils and staff. Peter Haighton Smith had been confined to his home in Arthur's Avenue, Harrogate, overlooking
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Bikers warned of fast action
A crackdown on the dangerous actions of motorcyclists could result in riders being ordered off the road within days of being stopped by police. Three police forces are joining together this month in an operation to cut the anti-social behaviour of riders
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Frayed nerves getting better of Turner's men
CHRIS Turner believes the weight of expectation might be playing its part in Hartlepool United's promotion push. Pool extended their unbeaten run to an unheard of 21 games in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Halifax, a game in which the Division's fourth-paced
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Beattie's six-try record helps Darlington top ton
WINGER Paul Beattie marked his return to the Darlington side with a club record of six tries in Saturday's 105-0 win at home to West Park Bramhope. Although the total fell just short of the 107-8 win against Keighley two years ago, the margin was also
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Pucker up, we're going European
THE traditional stiff upper lip could soon be replaced by the sound of puckering lips, according to a North-East expert. A growing European influence may trigger a rise in the number of affectionate couples kissing in public. That is the forecast of Dr
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More market research for town centre
THERE is to be more research into the feasibility of farmers' markets in Richmond, despite some unease over the impact on shops in the town centre. The town council has always had the interests of shops on the Market Place in mind when the prospect of
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Pressure mounts after costly Whelan howler
THE TENSION was etched on Terry Venables' face for virtually all of the 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge. He afforded himself the odd playful bit of banter with the Boro hordes housed behind the dug-out. But there was no disguising what head coach Venables
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No comfort zone but Quakers edge to safety
A year ago when Darlington were chasing promotion and were well clear of fourth place, their biggest danger was complacency. That costly run of just two wins in the last 12 matches may be proves the point, but Quakers are at the same crossroads again.
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Minister too calm in teeth of storm
The question on most people's minds as the new turf Flat season gets under way is: 'Should we be racing during the foot and mouth crisis?' I train horses and also farm cattle and sheep, so I can see both sides of the argument. At Denton, we have disinfectant
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'Listen to us' plea as village
A CALL has been made for more local input after residents managed to stop the burning of contaminated animals at the last minute. People living in Hawes, North Yorkshire, hit out at late plans by Maff to burn animals from nearby Ashes Farm. Fears that
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Appeal to trace family picture
A FAMILY historian is asking the public to help him find a long-lost picture of his great-great grandfather. Northumberland man John Batey believes his ancestor William Stewart, who used to take part in boat races on the River Derwent, had his picture
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Council in clear over claims
THIRTEEN complaints have been lodged with the local government ombudsman against a council, figures reveal. However none of the allegations, which date from May last year, resulted in maladministration judgements against Darlington Borough Council. The
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Jobless self-build a future
VISITORS are to be welcomed to the house that Jack built, and John's, and Jim's . . . Unemployed Middlesbrough people have been taught essential job skills and encouraged to build a future for themselves. Delegates from southern Scotland and all over
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Long slide helps to raise air fare
BIG-HEARTED Territorial Army medics joined a daredevil nurse to raise money for a mercy mission to Mozambique. Soldiers from 201 Field Hospital, in the North-East, helped staff nurse Joan Woodyer abseil from the top of North Tees General Hospital, Stockton
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'Cubes craze' has shoppers feeling foolish
RED-FACED shoppers tried to buy the latest craze to sweep the US - microwaveable ice-cubes. Curiosity got the better of some customers at the Asda supermarket, Newgate Centre, Bishop Auckland, as they rushed to the tills to buy the items at just one pence
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Bar room goes in police station space reshuffle
CHANGES are being made to Darlington police station because of a shortage of space for operations. A lack of office space, plus the need for a communications centre to house updated radio equipment, has created the need for the redevelopment plans. One
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Teenager in court
A TEENAGER stood accused of arson at a North-East school at Teesside Crown Court today. The youngster, who cannot be named, is accused of setting a fire at West Park Primary School in Hartlepool on October 26 last year. Another teenager, who also cannot
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'My son was a monster'
SHEILA'S mild-mannered son comes into her room and gently starts brushing his mother's hair for hours on end, while she sits and does her cross-stitch. But she's also got a son who shouts, screams and throws whatever comes within reach when she asks him
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Youth club youngsters premiere film at arts festival
A FILM made by young people was premiered at the weekend as part of the final celebrations of an arts festival. A series of art workshops have been running at South Bank Youth and Community Centre, near Middlesbrough, for the past six months. Young people
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New energy tax comes into effect
THOUSANDS of firms in the region face higher energy bills because of an energy tax that comes into effect today. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is already campaigning for changes to the Climate Change Levy, which aims to tax business according
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Farmers find lifeline on Net
ONE of the area's newest Internet businesses has seen trade increase since the start of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Durham City company longenough.com has had calls from farmers' wives across the country wanting to buy fashion clothing. The firm supplies
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What's hot and what's not
Knit one: Forget therapy or drowning your sorrows, Monica Lewinsky says knitting saved her from going to pieces after her affair with Bill Clinton caused a scandal. Now Miss Lewinsky has became such a prolific knitter that she is selling handbags and
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New role for martial arts champion
TYNESIDE soldier Anthony Tate was a top official at the Army's martial arts championships, in Aldershot, Hampshire. Mr Tate, 38, a warrant officer in the Life Guards, is a former Army tae kwondo champion, and captain of the Army team. He said: "I took
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The Monday Poem
The Lighthouse Round and round goes the light Casting its beam into the night. A ship appears on the tide And drops its anchor down the side. Round and round goes the light Casting its beam into the night. A ship with lights aft and fore Comes to rest
