Archive
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Triathlete aiming for glory on the world stage
AN athlete is gearing up to take part in the World and European triathlon championships. Dave Gamble, 34, from Croft, near Darlington, has been chosen to represent Great Britain in the rapidly-growing sport, which involves swimming, cycling and running
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Burning Questions
Q: Please can you give me some information on how Castle Eden gets its name? Was there ever a castle there? - Scott Barnes, Darlington A: The Castle at Castle Eden is still there. It is a large house and was built on the site of an earlier manor that
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Partnership targets region regeneration
A NEW approach to regeneration is set to emerge in the region. The Newcastle and Teesside offices of construction consultants Faithful and Gould have joined forces with Regeneration UK to deliver a regeneration programme for the North-East. The partnership
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Reserve status hope for Carrs site
A NEW nature reserve could be assigned near Durham City if Durham County Council agrees. Members of the executive committee will discuss proposals to turn Pity Me Carrs, to the north of the city, into an eight-hectare nature reserve, at a meeting tomorrow
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Police warning to lock out thieves
POLICE have repeated a warning for people to keep their doors locked when they are in their homes after a 78-year-old man was robbed. The man was asleep in his Park Avenue house in Hartlepool when an intruder entered. The man woke up and challenged the
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All aboard for a bus trip down memory lane
BUS passengers stepped back in time on a special trip to raise money for the Butterwick's Children Hospice. The Teesside bus-interest group, 500 Group, offered people the chance to take a nostalgic ride yesterday on one of seven restored vintage buses
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Marina no longer 'ugly duckling'
A MARINA which has developed into one of the busiest in the country is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Work to build Hartlepool marina was started by the Teesside Development Corporation in 1981, but in 1997 it was taken over by the Mandale Group.
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Woman safe
A WOMAN missing for more than a week has returned home. Diane Elizabeth White, 33, went missing from her home in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, Teesside, on April 26. The mother-of-two failed to return from a shopping trip. Yesterday, a police spokes-man
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Government crisis ruling another example of incompetence
THIS week we have yet again witnessed how absolutely incompetent the Government officials are at dealing with the foot-and-mouth crisis - now in its ninth week. The Government has instructed the British Horseracing Board to ban any trainers from racing
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Firefighters rescue trapped dog from river
A DOG had to be rescued by firefighters after it jumped into a river and became trapped. The border terrier was being taken for a walk by two children yesterday afternoon when it jumped into the River Skerne, at Victoria Embankment, Darlington. Its lead
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Shows for young and old
THREE new shows which combine puppetry, punk poetry and Shakespeare have been lined up at Hambleton Community Centre, in Northallerton. The first aims to bring the Bard to a younger audience, with two workshops on Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday, May 16
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Celebration for diamond wedding pair
A MESSAGE from the Queen provided the icing on the cake for diamond wedding couple Ken and Alice Boorman. Mr and Mrs Boorman, of Swaledale Avenue, Darlington, celebrated their 60th anniversary with family and friends on Saturday. They met during the Second
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Realistic lessons in crime and punishment
A CRIME prevention and youth education project will have a captive audience when it takes its message into a Bishop Auckland school. Pupils will feel the full force of the law for a day and could even by locked up by prison officers when they set up a
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Scouts fall in for St George
DARLINGTON Cubs and Scouts straightened their woggles and starched their uniforms for this year's St George's Day Parade yesterday. The youngsters, representing Darlington's Scout groups, took part in a parade from the Town Hall and a commemorative service
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Ghostly tap on the shoulder, and White Lady walks again
A WAITRESS in a mediaeval manor house was serving up a ghostly apparition to help launch a ghost tour this weekend. Natasha Van Leempoel, a waitress at Durham City's Crook Hall, swapped her maids outfit for a second-hand white wedding dress to depict
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Year draws to a close for mayor
ANOTHER municipal year comes to an end in Richmond this evening when the town council holds its final meeting of the annual term at the town hall. Traditionally, it is an opportunity for the public to have their say on the authority's performance in the
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New drop-in centre to help fight crime
BISHOP Auckland police and Neighbourhood Watch organisers will be among the first users of a village drop in centre opening this week in West Auckland's former library. They plan to hold surgeries every Friday, from 2pm to 4pm. Watch co-ordinator John
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A gross error
JOHN Townend made overtly racist comments on immigration which plunged his party into crisis only days before the General Election campaign. And yet, with the blessing of his party leader, he will be able enjoy all the privileges of being a Conservative
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Britain: the
TWO million years ago, early man had just about figured out how to walk upright, which he did with great success, exploring the world from his native land somewhere in east Africa. About 15,000 years ago, the first immigrants from Asia crossed the Bering
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Nightmare of woman raped in her home
A WOMAN was recovering last night from an ordeal at the hands of a masked rapist who forced his way into her home and attacked her in the early hours. The 31-year-old was alone at her home in Washington, Wearside, when she was awoken by a loud bang at
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Dog fights horror may be on increase
BLOODSPORTS could be on the increase in the North-East and North Yorkshire. Police wildlife officers and RSPCA inspectors across the country say they are receiving record numbers of tip-offs about dog fights and cock fights. The fights are particularly
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lassie comes home - with a family of five
IN a happy ending which could have come straight from a film script, new mum Lassie and her five tiny puppies came home in the nick of time. The wandering Jack Russell's owners, Melanie and Brendan Wade, and their three little girls Chelsie, eight, Abbey
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Jailbird fundraisers make a run for it
A GROUP of adventurous fundraisers broke out of jail and went on the run in aid of charity. Ten teams of two convicts escaped from Durham as part of ChildLine's Great Escape challenge and are attempting to get as far away as possible in 24 hours. The
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Two more shows fall victim to outbreak
MORE popular country events have become victims of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. The decision has been taken to call off Stokesley Show, in North Yorkshire, because of the threat of the disease being spread. And in a separate move, County Durham's Sedgefield
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Finding its station in life
THE Moorcock Inn stands alone, the only hostelry in the 15 lonely miles between Hawes and Sedbergh. For that reason, if no other, we shall return to it shortly. More pertinently, however, the Moorcock is at Garsdale, Garsdale is on the Settle and Carlisle
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Bobby homes in on £4m striking target
NEWCASTLE United will tie up the £4m signing of striker Victor Sikora from Vitesse Arnhem at the end of the season. United boss Bobby Robson was reluctant to discuss the deal yesterday after personally vetting the 23-year-old Dutch international in Vitesse's
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Peter's Andre woe as front man stays home
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid saw his prime summer transfer target snatched away from him yesterday when top striker Pierre-Yves Andre agreed to sign for French champions-elect Nantes. The Wearside boss has been tracking the 6ft 2ins centre-forward -
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Row over speedway racing proposals
A DISPUTE has broken out over proposals for a speedway circuit which backers say could inject thousands of pounds into the Teesdale economy. The plan for the speedway training centre at the Barford Raceway track, near Barnard Castle, looks likely to be
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Towns to benefit from cash windfall
PARTS of two North-East towns are among 22 of the poorest neighbourhoods in the country to benefit from a £1.1bn Government fund. The money has been awarded to Hartlepool and Sunderland under round two of the New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme.
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Major work on road to cause traffic delays
MOTORISTS travelling in and out of Hartlepool are being warned they could face delays. Work is due to start on a section of the A689 between Sapper's Corner and Truro Drive today and is expected to last 12 weeks. The scheme will include the construction
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Evening needs Italian touch
A LIBRARY is on the look-out for someone who can "parliamo Italiano" for a summer event. Esh Winning Library reading group is planning an Italian Evening on Thursday, June 7, but so far is out of luck in finding someone who can do the introductions in
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Heart centre's chances of survival 'good'
MANAGERS at the region's heart transplant centre say they are confident it will avoid the fate proposed for the renowned Harefield Hospital, in London. Three of the country's seven transplant centres, including Harefield, may have to close after a review
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Army defends spending on expanding its fronts
THE Army last night defended its policy on cosmetic surgery, after it was revealed that a female soldier at the North-East's largest military base received a free breast enlargement operation. Lance Corporal Angela Inglis, of the Adjutant General Corps
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Advice service expansion plan
MORE services are planned by a busy advice service which helped a record number of people last year. Wear Valley Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) has been given funding for six extra sessions away from its base in Bishop Auckland's Lightfoot Institute. In
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Dyslexia courses given power boost
TEACHERS have been given a helping hand to support children with dyslexia and reading problems. As part of a community involvement programme, Yorkshire Electricity has given £20,000 to the Dyslexia Institute, to support literacy courses for teachers throughout
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Renewed plea over venue for skaters
YOUNGSTERS with nowhere to go to make the most of their rollerblades, skateboards and BMX bikes have renewed pleas for help from a council. It is not the first time that the Richmondshire district authority has tried to find a site for a new facility,
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Business hints
A SEMINAR to help businesses trying to set up in the Sedgefield borough is being held in Shildon on Thursday. Barclays and Sedgefield Borough Business Services (SBBS) have joined forces to run a third programme of their Start Right courses. Barclays'
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Six-year-old injured in road collision
A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy suffered two broken legs and a broken wrist when he was in collision with a car, police said. The accident happened on Saturday afternoon when the youngster was crossing Woodham Way, in Woodham Village, near Newton Aycliffe, County
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Gigantic support for Lions
STAFF at communications company ntl gave the British Lions rugby team an unusual good luck message as they prepared for their summer tour of Australia. The company, which is sponsoring the tour, is asking its staff in 25 offices nationwide to sign a giant
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Girl hurt in accident
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a road accident in which a seven-year-old girl was badly hurt. The girl was in a collision with a car in Broomside Lane, Belmont, Durham City, County Durham, at 6.15pm on Saturday. Both her legs were broken and she
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Relative fights for forgotten war hero
BORN in a tight-knit Victorian working-class County Durham community, he fought for the Brit-ish Empire in India, was awarded the Legion D'Honour by the French for bravery in the First World War and was nominated for the Victoria Cross. He also played
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Vrooming good time
MOTORSPORT fans enjoyed a double treat at the weekend. A vintage car rally took place at Jackson's Landing, Hartlepool Marina, yesterday, with more than 100 cars on show, including a 1927 Morris Oxford coupe. Meanwhile, the Hartlepool and district motor
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Disc jockeys help hospice to clean up
PRESENTERS from Darlington radio station Alpha 103.2 rolled their sleeves up to take part in a charity car wash. The disc jockeys offered to clean shoppers' cars at the Asda supermarket, in Whinbush Way, Darlington, with the proceeds going to St Teresa's
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Army denies its meat caused the epidemic
THE Army denied last night that it was responsible for the foot-and-mouth epidemic. But it admitted it supplied waste food to the pig farm at the centre of the outbreak. Slops from the kitchen at Whitburn Training Camp, near Sunderland, were fed to pigs
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Summer season line-up
Bishop Auckland Town Hall has announced its summer entertainment line-up, which features the Hull Truck Theatre Company's new production, Frankenstein, on May 17, and the Cwmni Ballet Gwent, which will perform an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. On May
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Quality draws theatre crowds
DELIGHTED Middlesbrough Theatre manager David Lindsey has greeted a 25 per cent jump in attendance figures as a clear indication that audiences will support quality shows. He said: "Our vibrant mix of professional music, drama and comedy and the best
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Nursery ready for bike challenge
CHILDREN from a Darlington nursery got on their bikes to promote a charity cycle ride being organised by BBC Television's children's programme Blue Peter. Street entertainer Mini Mansell entertained the youngsters from the Kids and Co Nursery at Darlington
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Memorial site homes and youth centre plan rejected
Plans for two developments on the site of a former Second World War air raid shelter and memorial to Canadian airmen killed in battle, have been thrown out. More than 40 people objected to a proposal to build 28 detached houses on the site, to the south
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Lego-style school slots into place
A project to build a school building has been completed in four days. Temporary classrooms to replace fire-ravaged Hardwick Primary School, in Sedgefield, County Durham, which was hit by an arson attack in January, have been erected on the site. The 32
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Safety accolade for firm
AN engineering company with a below average accident rate has received a safety award. Moor Control and Engineering, of Stockton, Teesside, was presented with the award by the British Safety Council. The company had to show it had a low accident rate,
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Cycle bridge slots in place
A CYCLE bridge was installed at the weekend in a military-style operation. Three pieces of the bridge, each weighing about 20 tonnes, were manoeuvred into place across the busy A689 near Sedgefield, close to the site of the former Wynyard Station. The
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Heavy casualties in battle - on the game board
A SERIES of battles took place in the North-East yesterday. However, the only casualty was pride, as one of the biggest war games exhibitions in the region got under way. The Spring Offensive 2001 event, in Stockton, Teesside, attracted enthusiasts from
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Pub team is fired into Action
A SMALL skip fire was a sobering experience for a pub's staff, who decided to take first-aid and fire safety exams. The fire behind The Courtyard in Guisborough was tackled by a member of staff, but the incident made the rest of the team realise how little
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Exhibition provides the bear facts about much-loved toy
THE history of the world's most popular cuddly toy was laid bear yesterday. Durham's cheekily-named Teddy Bear emporium, Bear Bottoms, unveiled its exhibition into the history of the toy. Spanning 100 years and featuring bears from every decade of the
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Boy's pets die in arson attack
A BOY has been left devastated by arsonists who killed his two guinea pigs. The vandals struck at about 1.30am yesterday, at the Victoria Close allotments, New Marske, east Cleveland, causing about £3,000 damage. They set fire to three allotment buildings
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Activist risks return to Burma
HUMAN rights activist James Mawdsley returned from a secret visit to Burma at the weekend, just six months after he emerged from a lengthy stay in jail. The 28-year-old democracy campaigner spent the past three weeks visiting political prisoner friends
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Will advice day set up for pensioners
THE Chester-le-Street branch of the charity Age Concern is holding Will Advice Days to help pensioners make provision for their loved ones. Staff have set up two advice days where people can be taken through the procedure. Emma Howitt, Age Concern's information
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Okon confident born-again Venables will spurn ITV_offer
PAUL OKON is convinced the lure of a big-club offer from Europe is the only threat to Middlesbrough's hopes of holding on to Terry Venables. Australia skipper Okon, a member of his national squad when Venables was in charge of the Socceroos, believes
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Compensation cut means more misery for farmers
FARMERS affected by foot-and-mouth fear they could struggle to rebuild their livelihoods after the introduction of new compensation rules. Payments for livestock slaughtered under a scheme to protect animal welfare were cut yesterday from 100 per cent
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Another mass grave dug up
HUNDREDS of animal carcasses were exhumed from a mass grave yesterday after officials realised they had been buried in the wrong place. Investigations following the appearance of discoloured water at the site revealed the livestock created a risk of contamination
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Ant and Dec open real Byker Grove
NORTH-EAST superstars and TV personalities Ant and Dec have opened the real life Byker Grove. The SMTV presenters and former Byker Grove stars were guests of honour at the opening of the Gala Field Youth Centre at Newbiggin Hall near Newcastle yesterday
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Advice centre is just the job
AGRICULTURE Minister Joyce Quin visited a Jobcentre which opened on Saturday to offer advice to workers affected by the crisis. While in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, she spoke to farmer's wife Barbara Robinson, who works at the Jobcentre. Together
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Running for her love of life
LESLEY was just yards away from finishing the final, formidable mile of the London Marathon when she let go of the Breast Cancer Campaign balloon she had been carrying all the way through. She sprinted the last lap and shone with obvious pride as the
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Travels with a Doddy bear
DODDY the globetrotting teddy bear could be the region's best-travelled cuddly toy. The pride of Dodmire Infant School, in Darlington, Doddy has popped up in numerous exotic locations around the world. The school's headteacher, Maureen Dixon, encourages
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Cricket club hit by restrictions
VANDALISM and the foot-and-mouth restrictions have driven members of a cricket club to the point of despair. John Pratt, of Hunwick Cricket Club, near Crook, County Durham, said: "Because of the foot-and-mouth crisis, we have been unable to visit the
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Threat moves nearer to rare breed of cattle
THE world's oldest living breed of cattle is under renewed threat after sheep on adjoining land had to be culled. North Northumberland had been free of the foot-and-mouth up until a few weeks ago when a case was reported at a farm in the village of Millfield
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Detectives arrested over -leak' to Mr Big
TWO detectives and a retired police officer have been arrested and are due to appear in court over alleged links to a drugs baron. Detective Sergeant Ian Weedon, Detective Constable Paul Hardy and retired Detective Sergeant James McSorley were arrested
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Don't panic, villagers told
VILLAGERS in community affected by foot-and-mouth were urged last night not to panic as the burning of cattle continued. Residents of Heighington, near Darlington, have expressed fears about smoke from two pyres near the village. A total of 190 cattle
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Museum is venue for learners' week
A NORTH-EAST museum will soon be host to curators, creators, woodcutters and writers - all in the name of Adult Learners' Week. Beamish Museum will hold a series of events to coincide with the Campaign for Learning national event between May 14 and 18
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Cupboard fire
Two houses were damaged by a fire that started in an airing cupboard in a house in Derwent Close, Hartlepool, yesterday. Smoke affected a neighbouring house
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Computer aid from college to children
A COLLEGE is sending 150 unwanted computers to one of the poorest places in the world, to help orphaned and ill children. Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough is donating the computers to the authorities in part of South Africa where there is only one
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Exodus worry for churches
YOUNGSTERS who leave the Church of England after confirmation are causing concern. At the annual Sedgefield Parochial Church Council meeting, the Reverend Martin King, Rector of Sedgefield, said the parish, like most others, was unsuccessful in keeping
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Parents spell out special school needs
PARENTS and carers of children with special needs in a North-East town have told educational officials exactly what their youngsters want. Residents were asked by Stockton Borough Council what they thought of the education their children received and
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Shedding light on airman missing after bombing mission
NEW light has been shed on the case of a North-East airman shot down while on a bombing mission during the Second World War. The Northern Echo can today publish a picture of Sergeant Charles Rowland Metcalfe, who was part of a seven-strong Halifax bomber
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Good food club offers a taste of things to come
CHEAP and healthy food will be on offer when Redcar's first Good Grub Club opens its doors tomorrow. Two years ago, dieticians from the Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust launched the first club in east Cleveland to provide a place for local people
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Tourist campaign pushes the boat out
A campaign is aiming to get classic car and bike enthusiasts to visit the region. The Tees Valley Tourism Board, covering Teesside, Hartlepool and Darlington, has been working on a package tour to persuade tourists from Northern Europe to visit the area
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Roadworks warning to drivers
MOTORISTS who use Wessington Way, Sunderland, are being told to allow extra time for their journeys. Sunderland City Council is starting a programme of routine maintenance work on the city's high-speed roads, from today. The work was due to start on the
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Hospice turns cans into cash
A HOSPICE is swapping collection tins for aluminium cans in a big recycling campaign. Bishop Auckland's Butterwick Hospice hopes to collect a million aluminium drinks cans, and wants schools, factories and the public to help them reach their target. The
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Bunker is best for golfer Richie
A CHAMPION golfer is hoping that for once he lands all his shots in the bunker. Durham Mount Oswald club champion and head greenkeeper Richie Hood is doing the Namibia Target Golf Challenge to help raise funds for two youngsters to go on a mercy mission
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Ant and Dec get a new 'Byker Grove' role
NORTH-EAST TV personalities Ant and Dec have been asked to open an activity centre described as a "real-life Byker Grove". The pair will launch the Gala Field Youth Centre, at Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle, today. The SMTV presenters, otherwise known as Anthony
