Archive
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Dramatic entrance for budding actor James
STUDENT James Wilkinson found himself in the spotlight at the launch of Darlington Civic Theatre's summer repertory season. The Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College student joined stars Fenella Fielding, David Griffin and Sophie Lawrence as the four plays
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Residents voice views over the future
DALES residents have drawn up wish lists for the future of their communities - and have placed transport and nature issues at the top of the agenda. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has published feedback reports for Upper Wensleydale, Dentdale
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School meals company backs new regulations
A CATERING company which provides meals to nearly 300 schools in County Durham has backed the introduction of new nutritional standards. But education catering specialist Chartwells said the Government rules must be backed by other measures. Rules for
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MP presents awards to youngsters
HEALTH Secretary and Darlington MP Alan Milburn presented end of term certificates to children at St John's C of E Primary School, Fenby Avenue, Darlington. Pupils from each of the school's year groups were recognised for their achievements and commitment
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Conference spotlight on sports leadership
MORE than 60 pupils from across the region attended a conference on sports leadership. The conference, which was held at Durham University, was a Youth Sport Trust initiative designed to foster leadership skills in young people by encouraging them to
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Burst pipe forces museum closure
WORK is taking place to ensure a visitor attraction reopens in time for the Easter holiday rush, after a pipe burst at the weekend. Staff discovered what appeared to be flooding in part of the DLI Museum and Art Gallery on opening the Aykley Heads complex
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Inquiry into blaze at warehouse
AN investigation has been launched following a serious fire at a warehouse. Firefighters were called to Teesbay Business Park, Hartlepool, after factory staff noticed smoke billowing from a neighbouring building, at 6.30pm on Saturday. They arrived to
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Celebration of cultures
AN event celebrating the multicultural nature of Darlington is being planned. Celebrating Diversity in Darlington, on July 29, is being organised by the Racial Equality Council. The council plans to hold workshops in local schools, backed by a programme
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Hutchison stunned by blank
Sunderland star Don Hutchison reflected on last night's North-East derby at the Riverside Stadium and insisted 'I can't believe it finished 0-0'. The visitors battered away at the Middlesbrough defence, dominating much of the first-half during which Kevin
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Justice flies over the bar
CRIMINAL proceedings against public figures are always fraught with danger. The overriding principal of justice has to be fairness. Juries must look at the defendants and the evidence presented before them with absolute objectivity and without prejudice
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W'Aintree' millionaire is stuck in a little flat
THE millionaire Grand National-winning horse owner hopes to resolve a planning dispute which has left his family living in a one-bedroomed flat. Norman Mason, the owner-trainer of Red Marauder, was refused planning permission to upgrade the farmhouse
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Shopgirl threatened in raid
A SHOP assistant and customer were threatened by a pair of masked thieves who stole a register till and made their getaway in a stolen car. The two men stole the K-registered red Vauxhall Nova from an industrial estate at St Helens, near Bishop Auckland
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Councillors pick team for coming year
THE leadership of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been appointed for the coming year. The annual meeting of the authority's controlling Labour group has elected its officers for the next 12 months. The group elected councillor Cliff Houlding
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Pub campaigners call for buildings register
CAMPAIGNERS fighting the demolition of a pub hope that putting it on a register might save it. Last month, Whitbread launched an appeal after Middlesbrough Borough Council banned it from demolishing The Ladle, at Marton, Middlesbrough. The company had
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Paper derails soccer stars trial
The £8m trial of two Leeds United footballers accused of a street attack on an Asian student was halted yesterday The judge ruled a newspaper article could unfairly prejudice the case against them. Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Wood-gate, of Middlesbrough,
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Bill distances himself from his love-nest home
IT was meant to be a love-nest by the sea, but is now the subject of a bitter dispute. The former Heartbeat star, known to TV around the worldviewers as loveable rogue Claude Greengrass, has placed a legal notice in an evening newspaper in Scarborough
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Protocol can repeat Pontefract success
PROTOCOL can make his previous track experience count in the opening mile-and-a-quarter Apprentice Handicap at Pontefract today. Sue Lamyman's seven-year-old has tried his luck both over jumps at Fakenham and on the level at Southwell's all-weather track
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Frantic rescue attempt fails to save pensioner in blaze
A WOMAN has died in hospital after fire ripped through her home. A rescue attempt by neighbours and a motorist, and the efforts of firefighters failed to save the life of Jean Nicholson, 61, who had been smoking in bed when the blaze started. She managed
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Industry calls for 16,000 recruits
CONTINUING economic growth in the construction industry will provide thousands of jobs in the North-East over the next five years according to a report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The report, Construction Employment and Training
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Business park developer keeps busy
THE lead developer at Teesdale Business Park, Terrace Hill, is continuing to create a business address among the most sought-after in the North-East. A progress report from North-East director, Philip Leech, covers the development of another top-specification
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Eggs success
Hundreds of Easter eggs have been collected for distribution to needy people in Darlington. The Eggstravaganza 2001 appeal was supported by Alpha Radio 103.2, the Asda store chain, and car dealer CD Bramall, in partnership with Darlington Borough Council's
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Anger over burial site threat to stock
FARMERS are angry at proposals to bury hundreds of slaughtered animals near healthy livestock. It is claimed that carcasses from Ashes Farm, at Ruswarp, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, are being transported for burial at Richmond, North Yorkshire, an area
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Appeal to lorry driver after death crash
A MAN has died after his van was in collision with an overtaking car. The crash happened just after 10pm, on Friday, as the 57-year-old, of Hemlington, Middlesbrough, was travelling north along Hemlington Lane, Hemlington, in his Ford Fiesta van. The
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Dating show's singles search
SKY One's outrageous dating show, The Villa, is looking for contestants in the North-East. The show takes four single men and women to a luxury villa in the Mediterranean for a week. All their details are put into a match-making computer programme so,
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Radio quiz win helps family dream come true
STEPHEN Hawley never thought he would have such a good start to the week until he won £10,000 on a radio show. The Coxhoe man listened as his birthday, December 18, was announced and rang the Galaxy 105-106 breakfast show. He then correctly answered three
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Geoff honoured for countryside work
A FORMER civil servant has been awarded a medal for his work in protecting the North Yorkshire countryside. Geoff Mackley, of Heselton, near Bedale, was presented with it by the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) at a ceremony, in Thirsk
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Accident verdicts on crash couple
AN elderly couple died in a North York Moors road crash after the man was taken ill at the wheel of his car and crashed into a van, an inquest at Scarborough was told. Verdicts of accidental death were recorded on Frederick Wootton, 79, a retired diesel
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Edmond catches the eye
Here we are again. Another Grand National. A great day's racing and we're all scratching our heads looking for the winner. It's never easy to find but over half of the last 27 winners had starting prices ranging from 9-1 to 14-1. It's also worth noting
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Local groups get £85,355 Lottery bonus
Grants totalling £85,355 from the National Lottery Awards for All programme have been made to 24 groups in Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, Easington, Durham, Sedgefield, Teesdale, and Wear Valley. Sedgefield Community College is getting £1,777 for table
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Consultant wins appeal
SACKED surgeon Mr Neil Hebblethwaite has won his appeal against his dismissal, despite the original finding of misconduct being upheld. The specialist, who worked at The Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was sacked from his post as
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Careers course is British first
SIX candidates have been chosen to train as careers advisors. Careers service Future Steps has chosen the group out of 300 applicants for the country's first in-house careers advisor training programme. The intensive nine-month course will culminate in
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Residents resigned to disposal site plan
VILLAGERS are coming to terms with the news that a plot of land on the edge of their community will be a foot-and-mouth disposal site. The land, off the A68 at Tow Law, County Durham, will be used to slaughter, burn and bury animals. The Ministry of Agriculture
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Community groups celebrate boost from National Lottery
COMMUNITY groups in North Yorkshire have been handed more than £1m in National Lottery funding to launch projects helping thousands of people. A total of ten clubs and organisations in Richmondshire, Hambleton, York, Scarborough, and Craven have been
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Soldier focuses on film duties
AN army corporal is developing a career in film while serving with a regiment which recruits in the north-East. Stew Greenan, 25, joined the Green Howards after leaving St Patrick's School, Thornaby. After basic training, he qualified as a physical training
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Burning Questions
Q: When does an accent become a dialect and when does a dialect become another language? Are Italian, Catalan, Spanish and Portuguese accents/dialects of the same language, or defined as being different languages and will American become a separate language
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Housing scheme facing objection
A BID to build homes for ex-miners and other elderly people on a revived green area of a former pit community may face opposition from villagers. Parish councillors meet in Pittington, near Durham, tomorrow to discuss plans lodged by the Durham Aged Mine-workers
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Youth hunted after assault
POLICE are hunting a youth who followed a 13 year-old boy on his way home and indecently assaulted him. The youngster was walking along Melrose Avenue, Billingham, Teesside, at about 5.15pm on Saturday when he noticed he was being followed by a male aged
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Budding dancers get tips from A star
CHILDREN in Darlington have been participating in a workshop led by a dancer from the internationally acclaimed Phoenix Dance Company. Pauline Mayers took the youngsters through some steps at the Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday, with the help of
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Appeal to lorry driver after death crash
A MAN has died after his van was in collision with an overtaking car. The crash happened just after 10pm, on Friday, as the 57-year-old, of Hemlington, Middlesbrough, was travelling north along Hemlington Lane, Hemlington, in his Ford Fiesta van. The
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Looking Back; Free, but not too popular
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Col Ropner MP, on Monday informed his constituents that he had made up his mind not to speak on any subject during the greater part of the first session, for the reason that he had a great deal to learn, and generally
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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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Road safety moves follow fatal crash
SELF-EMPLOYED gardener Ian Lauchlan, a new father of twins, died when he was involved in a head-on crash on a country lane near Scarborough, an inquest was told. Now, North Yorkshire County Council has plans to spend £20,000 on safety measures in the
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Past Lives; On foot, on stage and on the page
THE heroes of last week's piece about British prisoners of war in Italy trekking hundreds of miles to meet the advancing Allies, I now learn, are to return to that country next month to thank the contadini who gave them hospitality. More than half a century
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Hail-and-ride taxibus takes to the road
A NEW taxibus service is helping to give villagers the run-around. The hail-and-ride shuttle service for Lanchester operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 10am and 1pm. All rides cost 40p and people can get on and off where they wish. The
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Radio favourite Goffy grills the young pretenders
THE tension was palpable as I was ushered into the waiting room. While I had arrived feeling quite relaxed, I found it impossible not to pick up on the nervous energy emanating from the dozen-or-so wannabe radio stars who had responded to adverts on radio
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Volunteers appeal for help in new ambulance base bid
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to provide a £300,000 headquarters for a Teesside branch of St John Ambulance. The Marske and Redcar branch of St John Ambulance started in a wooden hut off Station Road, Marske, after the Second World War. In the early 1970s
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Sunday jazz proves a hit
A CONGREGATION abandoned the traditional Palm Sunday church service and got all jazzed up instead. Dozens of visitors to St Andrew's Church, Grinton, Swale-dale, were treated to a two-hour jazz concert by international six-piece band Speakeasy, headed
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Villagers demand traffic speed cut
ACTION is being demanded to cut traffic speed in Redworth, near Darlington. Villagers fear that motorists driving too fast through the village could cause death or serious injury. The main road into Redworth has a 60mph restriction. Darlington Borough
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Thousands brave rain to visit spring show
THE first green shoots of spring brought out the crowds at the North-East's first major garden show of the year. Thousands of people braved wet weather on Saturday to visit Gateshead Spring Flower Show. The rain led to flooding and the closure of two
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Marathon badminton session to aid orphans in africa
THREE police officers downed truncheons and picked up their badminton rackets to help orphans in Africa. PCs Steve Norman and Phil Bird were joined by Inspector Mark Rhodes, from North Yorkshire Police, for a 24-hour badminton match to raise funds to
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Karembeu off as derby deadlock frustrates Boro
CHRISTIAN KAREMBEU dealt a self-inflicted blow to Middlesbrough's relegation fight when he was sent off in a tempestuous Tees-Wear clash at the Riverside Stadium last night. The World Cup-winning Frenchman lost his cool with Sunderland substitute Darren
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Bunker the answer to nuisance
A VILLAGE's nuisance problems could be solved by a "youth bunker". Police and community leaders hope a brick shelter for teenagers will keep them off the streets of Etherley and Toft Hill, near Bishop Auckland. Police have received many complaints about
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Not a gram of comfort for lbs and oz ,trader
METRIC martyr Steven Thoburn yesterday lost his landmark battle to sell his fruit and veg in pounds and ounces. The case, sparked by the sale of a 34p bunch of bananas, could now leave campaigners facing a legal bill of £175,000 and has sparked a bitter
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The day the law went bananas
NEVER before has so much attention been focused on a simple bunch of bananas. In fact they became, in the words of a district judge yesterday, probably the most famous bunch of bananas in legal history. At 25p a pound, the sale of the fruit on imperial
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Screams as couple fail to keep Internet twins
Alan and Judith Kilshaw yesterday lost their legal battle to keep the nine-month-old babies they said they legally adopted over the Internet. A High Court judge made an order which will result in the twins being returned to Missouri, in the US, where
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Letters
TOURISM TO help the tourist industry in places like the Lake District, the Government should reopen the fells and high tops to walkers. There are no sheep on the hills at this time of year as they are all in the enclosed low lying fields for lambing and
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So what's Sophie done wrong then?
What do you do with a woman who says that Gordon Brown has greatly raised taxes, that Tony Blair doesn't understand the countryside and behaves in a high-handed presidential manner? I would say, give her the job of Chief Political Correspondent at the
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Quakers aim to tame the Shrews
Darlington assistant manager Mick Tait wants his players to keep their unbeaten run going at home to Shrewsbury tonight - and virtually assure safety. Quakers go into the game six points clear of bottom club Torquay, and victory against the Shrews could
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Dickensian twist pays off for family baker Milligan's
MILLIGAN'S, the North-East's largest independent family-run bakery which runs 42 shops, restaurants and cafes in the region, has expanded its operations into Harrogate. Milligan's Bakery, based on the Newburn Industrial Estate in Newcastle, has invested
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Daily argument is the key to wedded bliss
FRED and Kathleen Willans believe the recipe for a good marriage is having an argument every day. Having just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, the couple speak with some authority Mr Willans, 81, and his wife, 80, who live in the Mowden area
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Unstoppable Tiger
A month after having to answer questions about a so-called slump, Tiger Woods is on the highest of highs. If at first his victory at Augusta didn't quite sink in, it surely did in Orlando yesterday. By placing the Masters trophy alongside the US Open,
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Church tower abseil appeal
THE Friends of Sedgefield's St Edmund's Church are raising money towards its upkeep with a sponsored tower abseil on June 9. The church's tower is the highest in the county after Durham Cathedral. The event is being organised by an Army team. Linking
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On the buzzers
Middlesbrough Football Club is to host A Question of Football competition. The quiz, in aid of the Butterwick Children's Hospice, takes place before the club's match with Sunderland, at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, on Wednesday, April 25. Players
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Driver took ill at wheel, couple's inquest hears
AN elderly couple died in a road crash on the North York Moors after the man was taken ill at the wheel of his car and crashed into a van, an inquest at Scarborough was told. Verdicts of accidental death were recorded on Frederick Wootton, 79, a retired
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Farmer 'devastated' by culling of rare pigs
FARMER David Pike was last night trying to come to terms with the loss of more than 200 rare Gloucester old spot pigs, many of them fathered by a boar called Boris. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food moved in yesterday to cull
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Trust backs mobile childcare group
A mobile creche is to operate in east Cleveland, allowing parents to develop their education and training. The creche is run by the East Cleveland Holiday and Out of School Web, at Loftus. It will travel to community centres throughout the area to provide
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Helping hands earn praise
ORGANISATIONS which help people transform their lives through learning have been praised for their work. Following the launch of the national Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) programme, a host of North-East groups have earned the Guidance Council
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Police sides aim to help tackle cancer
TEAMS of football-mad police officers are lining up to play a mini tournament, with the goal of raising money for charity. The event, at Thornaby tonight, is being supported by the region's senior clubs, with Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle promising
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Anger over prison treats
SOME of the nation's most evil criminals have been given Playstations to keep them happy behind bars. Inmates at Durham Prison have been treated to the computer games consoles as a reward for good behaviour. Bosses have spent thousands of pounds on the
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Home role just the job for Helen
GIVING elderly people in residential care a greater say in how they run their lives is a passion for Helen Charlton. Helen has been appointed manager of Westerleigh, a 55-bed residential home and day centre in Scott Street, Stanley. She has spent her
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Search starts for young sportswinner of the year
Budding sports stars are being invited to enter the Darlington Young Sportswinner of the Year competition. Monthly winners will be chosen in June, July, September, October and November, with a final in December. Former winners include swimmer Nicola Jackson
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West end fame beckons
YOUNG performers are dancing on air after being chosen for a West End show. Twenty-three girls from the Constellations dance school, at the Jubilee Hall, New Marske, east Cleveland, will take to the stage of Her Majesty's Theatre, London, on May 27. They
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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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'Meet the public' plea by MP
AN MP is challenging police chiefs to get out into the community to discover people's crime fears. At the latest public meeting organised by Middlesbrough South and east Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar and suspended Detective Superintendent Ray Mallon, Dr Kumar
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Woodland creatures on parade
AN amateur drama group has been drumming up support for its forthcoming production. The St Teresa's Parish Productions (Stepps) group is performing a dramatised version of Kenneth Graeme's classic The Wind in the Willows, at Darlington College of Technology
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Challenge to budding authors
A WRITING competition is being organised at Bishop Auckland Town Hall to encourage budding authors. The contest, called Practice to Deceive: The Sentinel, offers prizes of £500, £200 and £50 in book tokens. It is sponsored by Durham County Council's arts
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Fire death figures falling, says report
THE number of accidental deaths and injuries from fires on Teesside is steadily falling, according to a report. Cleveland Fire Authority's Best Value Performance Plan for the coming year contains performance figures from April last year to February. It
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Plan rejected
AN application to build a four-bedroom house in Spennymoor has been rejected because it would be too close to neighbouring properties. The plan for a detached house at Walkworth Lane was turned down by Sedgefield Borough Council's development control
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ME group's funds joy
A SUPPORT group for sufferers of a little-understood illness has been thrown a lifeline. The Cleveland ME Support Group has been awarded £1,500 from the ICI fund. It is operated by volunteers who are sufferers or carers of those suffering from myalgic
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Exercise scheme paying dividends
EXERCISE is just what the doctor ordered for the patients of two practices in North Yorkshire. GPs at surgeries in Great Ayton and Hutton Rudby are referring patients to Stokesley Leisure Centre for fitness training, as part of an Exercise by Prescription
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Exhibition provides snapshot of 100 years of photographers' work
A SHOW celebrating 100 years of photography was launched at the weekend. Stockton's Focus "This exhibition celebrates the 100th birthday of a group dedicated to the best in serious amateur photography." The show runs at both venues until April 28. They
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Service of RAF staff honoured
RAF personnel have been honoured for their services overseas in a ceremony at the fighter base at Leeming. Airmen and women were presented with general service medals with clasp for operations in support of the aircraft policing the no-fly zones over
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Bitter-sweet moment for jockey Richard
IN the middle of a Press conference in front of the world's media, Richard Guest's mobile rang. Quick as a flash, he answered: "Richard Guest, National-winning jockey". This was his moment in the spotlight and no one was going to deny him it. Three years
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Racing ambitions built on business
THE rags-to-riches story of Red Marauder owner Norman Mason is almost as fantastic as the epic race which shot him to fame on Saturday. It was the culmination of 26 years as a racehorse owner for the 63-year-old Wearsider, who made his money through the
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Countryman's Diary; Motto is: better safe than sorry
IN addition to the emotional and financial effect upon farmers due to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, it has already had a devastating impact upon the entire economy of the countryside. Its lengthy tentacles have touched many individuals who might
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Cash boost for women's activity group
AN activity group for elderly women has been given a £3,000 boost from the National Lottery. Members of the Age Concern Gold Collective Club, in Newton Aycliffe, will be able to expand their activities and invite guest speakers to give talks and demonstrations
