Archive
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Last-ditch bid to preserve welfare hall for village
PROTESTORS angry at losing part of a council leisure centre staged a last-ditch demonstration outside a doomed building yesterday. The old Brancepeth Miner's Welfare Hall, in Willington, County Durham, was shut down last night as part of money-saving
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Here's to the spirit of adventure
I BET Ellen MacArthur didn't get a lift to school every day. I bet she wasn't encouraged to lie on the sofa and watch videos, or just play nicely in the house because it was "safer". And any girl who can shin up a 90ft mast in stormy seas has probably
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Keeping faith with George
GEORGE Reynolds' vision of Premiership football for Darlington was always pie in the sky. But while his methods may seem distinctly off-beat his long-term plan at least has a chance of taking the club forward. Being called the Quakers smacks of being
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A case of respect for Becks
IT would be interesting to know what David Beckham understands by the word respect. "I respect your bitch," he was told by Ali G on Comic Relief as he cuddled up to Posh for protection. A few days later Beckham heard Sven-Goran Eriksson confirming him
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Curtain is brought down on quarry row
THE House of Lords drew the final curtain on a long-running battle over rights to reopen a dormant limestone quarry yesterday. Their decision is a landmark ruling which could have implications for planning laws. But for Broadwood Quarry owners, Sherburn
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New burning guides
NEW guidelines have been introduced to control substances used on foot-and-mouth pyres. Tyres were used on one fire at Thornton Rust, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, after an outbreak last month, prompting complaints from people with homes nearby. But a
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Bordering on obsession
WELL, we've come a long way, baby. But is it in the right direction? After the slimline Sophie Dahl, the slimmer line Vanessa Felz, we have now seen the totally reconstructed Geri Helliwell - tanned, toned and honed, with frighteningly flat stomach, sinewy
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Discovery trip for families
A Wildlife trust will be holding a family discovery walk. Durham Wildlife Trust will hold the walk at Blackhall Rocks Nature Reserve, on Saturday. It will last for two hours and is part of a series of events designed to celebrate the lowest tide of the
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Memorial bowls match boosts charity
A COMPETITION in memory of a popular carpet bowls player has raised £350 for a cancer charity. The family of Heather Miller, who lived in Middridge, revived the memorial pairs competition set up shortly after she died, aged 42, from cancer in 1991. They
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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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Colin feels force of new radio role
THERE'S a new man in the hot seat at Forces Radio broadcasting from Catterick Garrison. Colin Woolley has taken over as station manager from Mark Page, who left last month. As well as presenting a new breakfast show, Colin will be responsible for the
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Wealth of experience
TWO mining stalwarts with more than 70 years between them in the coal industry have taken over at the helm of the pitmen's housing association. Bob Olaman, of Dalton-le-Dale, has been elected as the president of the Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes Association
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Staff cleared to use temporary car park
COUNCILLORS have approved plans to allow hospital staff to use a temporary car park, while a new hospital is built. Contractors working on the University Hospital of North Durham, on the site of Dryburn Hospital, in Durham, have been parking on land next
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Stadium debacle a fiasco
WE didn't need the fuel crisis last September to show us how easily things can grind to a halt. This country seems to have been slowly seizing up for years, and the latest example is the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium. As the cost spirals - it's now £650m
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Job Search 2001
Welding inspectors, Teesside, 40hrs pw plus overtime, permanent and temporary, all applicants must have CSMIP, experience and driving licence. Ref: BIG 11207. Bar/waiting staff, Wynyard, £3.70 all ages, 15-30hrs pw on rota, age 18 plus, own transport
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Meet gang gets bright new image
volunteers who give up their time to help out at the annual Richmond Meet will be easier to spot in future. The organisation's Black Hand Gang now have high-quality polo shirts, each embroidered with their name, thanks to landlady at The Unicorn on the
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Don't begrudge nannies a decent wage
WELL, shock horror - nannies are earning up to £22,000 a year. And quite right, too. What was really disturbing about the survey, carried out by Nannytax, a nannies' payroll service, was that so many commentators (mainly women, alas) seemed aghast at
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First Test lessons to be learnt
WE'VE all heard of the Indian karaoke enthusiast, Gerupta Singh, and perhaps even the Iranian Elvis Presley impersonator, Amal Shuckup. But what about all these other Singhs suddenly bursting on to the sporting scene? I can almost hear Gerupta bursting
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Clean-up teams 'go to ground'
NEW measures to further improve the appearance of Hartlepool have been introduced. Three grounds maintenance teams, each comprising three members of staff, have been set up in the southern, central and northern areas of town. Based on the boundaries of
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The naked truth
TEENAGERS from two Teesside schools picked up advice from artists with Royal Academy credentials on how to paint nudes. The youngsters from Keldholme School and Ormesby School, Middlesbrough, were treated to a Middlesbrough Borough Council organised workshop
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Funding bid gets water mill restoration back on course
FOOT-AND-MOUTH may have delayed a bid to restore a piece of heritage in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales - but the project's backers are still determined to press ahead as soon as the crisis eases. A public meeting last summer saw the residents of Gayle
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Force probe into assault claim by former policeman
A FORMER policeman has lodged a complaint of assault - against the police. Cleveland Police last night confirmed it was investigating an allegation of assault, brought by 39-year-old Sultam Alam, against a traffic officer. The fresh police probe comes
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Cash boost helps to promote Greenways to Better Health
PLANS have been unveiled for a project aimed at improving the environment of Derwentside, while at same time building up the health and confidence of the district's residents. Environmental charity Acorn Trust has won more than £42,000 in funding from
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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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Sven wins top marks for effort
T HERE are always people who question sport's relevance at times like these, and generally I dismiss them as tedious twerps. With a rail disaster on top of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, why do we need to concern ourselves with the deeds of someone as shallow
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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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Lives may be at risk with bin fires
POLICE are warning that arsonists who have torched two wheelie bins could be putting lives at risk. The fire-raisers struck twice at South Hetton in east Durham, during the weekend - first at Argyle Square, on Friday night, and then at nearby Argyle Place
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Boys line up with England soccer hero
YOUNGSTERS from an east Cleveland football team have been presented with trophies by a footballing legend. Sir Geoff Hurst, who played in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany, presented trophies to the Cleveland Juniors under-nines football team
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Postie arthur takes delivery of long-service plaudits
POSTMAN Arthur Hart has finally hanging up his sack of letters - after almost half-a-century of making sure the post gets through. Mr Hart is celebrating his 65th birthday today, after 49 years and four months' service with the Royal Mail delivery office
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Russian asthma expert makes visit to region
SUPPORTERS of a Russian scientist who claims to have invented a cure for asthma have the chance to see him in person tonight. Professor Konstantin Buteyko is due to speak about his controversial approach to asthma treatment at Newcastle Civic Centre,
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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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Pub chain confirms plans for nightspot
THE pub chain behind a controversial new nightspot has confirmed more of its plans. J D Wetherspoon's has been given permission to convert the post office on Queen's Road in Richmond - which will mean the counter service relocating to another site in
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Works of art to be displayed
A museum is giving artists a chance to showcase their work. The DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery at Aykley Heads in Durham City, is hosting a rolling programme of work by local crafts people in its shop. The programme will feature nine artists, each
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Remark about eating habits led to assault
A MAN who assaulted his girlfriend by hitting her on the head with a plate and biting her face avoided prison yesterday. David Wilson, 29, of Grinkle Road, Redcar, admitted assaulting his former partner last September, when he appeared at Teesside Crown
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Animal lovers take to streets
DEDICATED RSPCA volunteers are taking to the streets this week to raise money and increase awareness of animal welfare issues. RSPCA Week got under way yesterday, and branches in England and Wales are aiming to raise more than £250,000. Volunteers with
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Forget Tyson
ONLY subscribers to Sky Digital could watch the Lennox Lewis v David Tua fight live and they had to fork out an extra £11.95 for the privilege. As I refuse to have something resembling a wok on my house, deplore the idea of pay-per-view, and have long
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Residents to fight on over burials
VILLAGERS have vowed to carry on fighting against a mass burial pit near their homes where the first carcasses are due to arrive tomorrow. Residents at Tow Law, County Durham, have held protests at the entrance to the former opencast coal site - which
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Plea for help to trace dog
A MOTHER is appealing for help to trace her son's dog, which ran off after their home was burgled. Sandra Keith says the disappearance of four-year-old Max, a Staffordshire bull terrier cross, has left her 14-year-old son, Christopher, heartbroken. The
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Sorry if I annoyed you, says neighbour Mandelson
MP Peter Mandelson has apologised to near neighbours who complained about parking problems and disturbance caused by his home visits. The former Northern Ireland Secretary, who represents Hartlepool, said: "I would like to apologise straightaway for any
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A roofless performance by Boks, or is it Becks?
DID you know that Becks has now been with Posh for free and a half years? Perhaps when he's finished being the master of right-footed crosses and free kicks he can become a cricket commentator. I'd love to hear him give the score as free hundred and firty
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Celebrities and streakers needed for charity game
FORMER workmates of a man who died after a night out are hoping to find somebody willing to take their clothes off to help raise money for his family. However, the stripper will not be unclothing in front of a bar full of partying charity fundraisers
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Where have all the singers gone?
HAVE you got something to sing about? Probably not. We don't sing any more. At the Choir of the Year final, composer John Rutter complained that we are no longer a singing nation. Except at football matches, of course. I bet the only songs my sons know
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William's ales in the dales
AS this is a sports column I apologise for straying from the beaten track on to the subject of a politician and his avowed love of walking in the Dales. William Hague, MP for Richmond, apparently thinks Wensleydale is the finest place in England. If he
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Go on, send that card...
IT'S THAT time of year when your whole life passes in front of your eyes. Yes, it's Christmas card list time, that annual lurch down Memory Lane. It starts with people you went to school with, through college, first job, to that nice couple you met on
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Christmas, warts and all
WELL, that's the first festive row over... now I know it must be Christmas. It was a rare sunny, frosty morning, crisp and fresh, and we went out to get a Christmas tree. He wanted something the size of the tree the Norwegians put in Trafalgar Square
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Crafty days in the bygone age
VISITORS to an exhibition over the May Day bank holiday will have the chance to make toys from a bygone age. The craft sessions, on Sunday and Monday, have been organised to complement Margrove Heritage Centre's latest display, The Victorians 1837-1901
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A welcome plan for working mums
WILL we ever get it right for working mothers? Well maybe, just maybe. Once upon a time, of course, working mothers were held to be responsible for all the ills of society. Then the climate changed so dramatically, that now any mother who dares to stay
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Experts welcome seatbelts move for town's school buses
SAFETY experts have welcomed moves to cut the risk for children travelling on school transport. New contracts being brought in by Darlington Borough Council will ensure that all vehicles used by primary school youngsters will be fitted with seatbelts.
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Sculpture installed at college
THE latest in a series of major artworks has been installed at a Newton Aycliffe school. The Winds of Change is a stone sculpture in three pieces created by Sunderland based artists Dave Paton and Colin Wilbourne for Greenfield Community and Arts College
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The Pundit's View of our Sven
HOW might a selection of prominent people respond to the news of the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach of the England football team? TONY BLAIR: Hi! I'm a sort of modern guy, y'know. Now look, uh? I mean the old days - they've gone. The bad
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Students in the running for success
TWO pupils, who both run at the same athletics club and study at the same school, have competed for their home county, of Durham. Jackson Creeghan, 14, and Laura-Jane Wright, 12, took part in the mini-London marathon where they achieved high placings
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Maintenance technician, Newton Aycliffe, must have electrical engineering background and be time served, experience with PLC systems preferred. Ref:
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Trainee safety netter, North-East, £3.75ph, 7.30am to 4.30pm Mon-Fri, age 17 plus, required to train to put up safety nets, must have head for heights
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Welding inspectors, Teesside, 40hrs pw plus overtime, permanent and temporary, all applicants must have CSMIP, experience and driving licence. Ref:
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Who are you kidding, Mr Jackson?
MICHAEL Jackson is in Britain this week, lecturing us all on how to bring up our children. This, from a twice-divorced man who employs more than a dozen nurses and nannies to care for his two children, Prince and Paris, and who, seven years ago, faced
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If we work longer, who will volunteer?
THE Government wants to let us work longer, wants to abolish automatic retiring ages at 60 or 65. So who's going to do the voluntary work? At first glance it seems fine - just look at Newcastle United and Bobby Robson. For every person skipping happily
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The world really has gone mad
THE minimum wage is to go up to £4.10 an hour. Which still means that the low paid would have to work for nearly two weeks to buy the very ordinary looking T shirt that Victoria Beckham wore to Brooklyn's birthday party. We might need a minimum wage.
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Volunteers asked to jump to it
A CHARITY is appealing for volunteers to take a fall to raise funds. The County Durham and Teesside branch of the British Red Cross Society is holding a sponsored abseil from the Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough, on May 27. Participants are required
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Officer at the forefront to stop crime
A LONG-SERVING police officer has become the latest member of a regional crime fighting team. Cleveland officer DC Gordon Howes has taken up a post at the Chester-le-Street base of Crimestoppers. He will work with police from the Durham, Northumbria and
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Simply George Best
AS the George Best obituaries are being dusted off and polished up, how many of them, I wonder, will end with the words: "we may never see his like again." Anyone tipped to be the next Best in the last 30 years has usually been put down with the observation
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Real crimes deserve real punishment
SITTING in the solitude of their bed-sits or back bedrooms, logged on to a virtual world which appears cut off from reality, many of those men involved in the world's largest Internet child porn ring found it chillingly easy to convince themselves they
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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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Pleading the case for the farmers
AS A country parson for 13 years, I got to know farmers well. Very down-to-earth sorts they are too. I recall a rather delicate individual complaining to a farmer's wife after the annual agricultural show dinner that, in his speech, her husband had made
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Giving the little ones too much
DID Shakespeare have a Musical Teddy Bear Play Mat? Did Einstein have a Playalong Interactive Barney? Did Jane Austen have a Princess Barbie Horse and Carriage? Probably not. If they had, it seems, we might not have heard of them. Too many toys stunt
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The two-way street of tolerance
TOLERATION seems to be very much a one way street at the moment. Suppose for a minute that I was discourteous and sacrilegious enough to take a copy of the Muslim scriptures out into the street and ceremoniously set fire to them. I might end up with a
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Fire chief voices concerns at increase in arson attacks
CONCERNS are growing over an increase in arson attacks on Teesside. New fears follow the death of a dog in the latest incident. Firefighters were called to a terraced house in Upton Street, Middlesbrough, at about 12.30am yesterday. They found it well
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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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Jesus, who's this then?
THE BBC has reconstructed the face of Jesus Christ - and he's not how we imagined at all. But the makers of the television documentary, The Son Of God, say their image of a swarthy, coarse-featured man with short hair, produced with the aid of computer
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Indecent exposure man sought by police
DETECTIVES are describing an incident in which a smartly dressed man exposed himself to a group of girls as young as three as an "isolated incident". The seven girls were in the Thompson Street West area of Darlington when they saw the man's small burgundy
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Satisfying crash of huge egos
IN Rwanda, people are starving. In Mozambique, whole communities have been wiped out. Children have been orphaned. Thousands of families are homeless. Meanwhile, here in Britain, what do Vanessa Feltz and Anthea Turner - two of the six stars who have
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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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Turning to the good life
SOMETIMES it seems that there's hardly a village or town in the North Yorkshire Dales or Moors without its resident potter. They flock there with grand plans and high ambitions and most last little more than a season or two. A few, however, have the skill
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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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Cricket is Spout of action in North Yorkshire
Cricket, perhaps inevitably, resumes without the undulating glories of Gillamoor and High Farndale, the unique splendours of Spout House or Rievaulx's timeless tapestry. The Feversham League has been hit by foot-and-mouth, too. The league, pride of North
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Paying the real price of cheap food
IT SEEMS cruelly symbolic that a 6ft tall plastic hamster at this week's Millennium Dome contents sale went for £3,800 to the owner of a farm visitor attraction in Kent. For it gives us a nightmarish glimpse of the sort of countryside of the future many
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Successful jailbreak earns cash for centre
A GROUP of fundraisers raised more than £5,000 when they took part in a charity jailbreak. Ten teams of two convicts set off from Durham on Friday as part of ChildLine's Great Escape challenge and attempted to get as far away as possible in 24 hours.
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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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Jail for biker with string of offences
A MAN with a string of previous convictions for driving while disqualified was jailed for 12 months yesterday for committing the same offence. Stephen Hill, 20, of Lightfoot Grove, Stockton, Teesside, admitted dangerous driving and driving while disqualified
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Let's hear about the real dangers
MOST parents of young children will confess to feeling anxious about the MMR jab. For we are the ones who must take them to the doctor's surgery for the injection and then hold them tightly on our knee, reassuring them that everything will be all right
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Electricity meter raider is locked up
A MAN who broke into the same flat twice to raid an electricity meter was jailed yesterday at Teesside Crown Court. Paul Wennington, 24, of Harrison Street, Darlington, admitted burglary in the street in which he lived and burglary with intent to steal
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More police officers due to return to school
MORE police officers are going back to school to take the fight against crime to the younger generation. In Sunderland, 15 schools have joined a scheme launched last year at Pallion Primary School in which beat bobbies have bases next to classrooms. The
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Bridge restored to its former glory
GRACEFUL arches beneath a North Yorkshire bridge are unmarred by steel supports for the first time in months, with a crane arriving yesterday to hoist them clear. Richmond's Mercury Bridge was damaged in floods in June last year - with steel lattices
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Sport course on show at prison
INMATES at Holme House prison in Stockton showed off new skills at a meeting involving potential employers, job agency staff and officials from the prison. All are involved in an NVQ Sport and Recreation and Learning Through Sport Course. The prisoners
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Job Search 2001
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Activities organiser, Stanley. Required by nursing homes. Must have ability to motivate residents. Experience preferred. Age 22-plus. Ref: STG 13936
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Fundraisers hit the road to travel coast to coast on bikes
MORE than 50 council staff will be taking part in an epic cycle ride across the country to raise money for charity. The Newcastle City Council employees will cover 180 miles from Morecambe to Scarborough in just three days when they embark on their fifth
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Hospice call for collectors
A HOSPICE is looking for collectors to help it gather money for its fundraising lottery. The Teesside Hospice Lottery provides funds to keep the hospice running and a team of street collectors are needed to get members' subscription money in the Teesside
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Fun of the fair coming this way
ALL the fun of the fair is coming to Northallerton later this week. The town's traditional May Fair gets under way on Thursday at 6pm with an official ceremony near the town hall. The fair will stay open until 11pm on Thursday and opening hours for the
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Fast-food break investigation
OFFICIALS have promised to investigate after foot-and-mouth epidemic workers - allegedly still wearing their white overalls - called at a McDonald's restaurant for a meal. The two men are reported to have gone into the fast-food chain's Catterick Garrison
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Schools in dance project
CHILDREN are learning the arts of dance and film as part of a schools' project. Cleveland Arts has teamed up with local artists to develop a short scheme for pupils. Aimed at introducing them to the idea of dance as a means of expression, it culminates
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Beach gets a spruce-up by volunteers
Volunteers pitched in to clean up a beach at the weekend. People of all ages joined together to tidy up Saltburn beach, in an event organised by the Saltburn 500 club, which has adopted the beach as one of its projects. It has already been involved in
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An ill judged invasion of privacy
NAOMI Campbell is right. She IS entitled to some privacy. Gosh, I never thought I'd say that... The model - not, shall we say, renowned for her sweet good nature - is suing a paper which pictured her outside a clinic and wrote about her being treated
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Centenarians toast their birthday milestones
ONE of the region's tiniest communities might once have held the key to long life. A sign from the A68 points to Salter's Gate, near Tow Law, which is a hamlet of a few isolated cottages. But when Isaac Hirst celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday,
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Lasting the distance on the oche
WRITING this column means I've reached the age of pontification, when it's easier to sit on a bar stool and muse about life than to stride purposefully to the oche and test your nerve in a tension-packed darts match. Calling at my favourite pub on the
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This is just one strip too much
HAVEN'T we all, by now, seen enough pasty, mottled, quivering flesh to last a lifetime? And I'm not just talking about our nearest and dearest. The nude calendar is out-dated, it has had its day. I just wish someone had told the ladies of Haydon Hunt
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Pebbles is definitely baarking up the wrong tree
IT IS a case of mistaken identity for Pebbles the newborn lamb who thinks she is a dog. Forget skipping in the green fields, the three-week old animal from Weardale Sanctuary in Stanhope is more at home curled up in front of the fire. Owner Sally Rowley
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Surgeon on manslaughter charge
A SURGEON appeared before magistrates yesterday accused of the manslaughter of a patient. Pravin Chaturabi Patel, 51, of Kenton Road, Harrow, Middlesex, was not asked to plead to the unlawful killing of Andrew Ryan, 20. Mr Ryan, of Pilgrims Way, Gilesgate
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A chance to make music in Romania
PERFORMERS from the region are being invited to show off their talents to the people of provincial Romania on a goodwill visit this summer. County Durham haulier Bill Troup has become an unofficial British ambassador to Romania, having transported hundreds
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Schools to play part in teacher recruitment
THREE schools in the region are to play their part in attracting more teachers into classrooms. Macmillan College in Middlesbrough; Lobley Hill Primary in Gateshead; and King James' School in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, will become designated training
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Christian fundraisers clash over charity stalls
A DISPUTE over the date of a church cake stall has left a sour taste in the mouths of rival fundraisers. The Christian Aid group in Crook and Willington wants to launch Christian Aid week with a charity stall in Crook market place on May 12. But the same
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Working out is abso-lutely fabulous
WORKING out in the gym doesn't help us lose weight after all. Now they tell us. Scientists have confirmed what, if we're truthful, we knew all along, that the best way to keep fit is by eating less and keeping moderately active throughout the day. So
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Prostitutes attacked by same man - court
FOUR prostitutes were attacked at knifepoint by the same man, a court was told yesterday. Paul Kennedy, 38, picked them up in his 4x4 Vauxhall and then demanded money from them, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday. Paul Worsley, QC, prosecuting, said
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No man from the ministry
A COUNCIL committee launched an attack on Maff last night. A working group set up by Richmondshire District Council, in North Yorkshire, had invited a ministry official to answer questions and update its members on the battle to contain the disease. But
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Shake-up to promote democracy
A Council has agreed to a shake-up which it says will strengthen democracy. Durham City Council was one of the first authorities to pilot the cabinet system as part of the Government's drive to modernise local government. The Labour-run council is consulting
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Prostitutes 'attacked by same man'
FOUR prostitutes were attacked at knifepoint by the same man, a court was told yesterday. Paul Kennedy, 38, picked them up in his 4x4 Vauxhall and then demanded money from them, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday. Paul Worsley, QC, prosecuting, said
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Spider Boy is about to become a movie star
NOTORIOUS North-East crook Spider Boy will be paid to make a film about youth crime when he is freed. Charity bosses have lined up a plum job for boy criminal Tommy Laws, now 20. He is to make a video warning youngsters from problem estates to stay away
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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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The trouble with working from home
MORE men than women want to work from home. I blame it on the wallpaper. The best thing about working from home - which I've done for nearly 20 years - is that you don't have to get dressed properly, you can take a break whenever you like AND you get
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Firefighters taking unusual steps to deter young hoaxer
FIREFIGHTERS are taking unusual steps to try to catch a young hoaxer who is putting lives at risk. In the past couple of weeks, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have received a number of calls from the hoaxer. On each occasion, he
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A short-term fix for Boro's long-term problems
CAN you Adam and Eve it? A famous East Ender coming to coach the Boro. Tel Boy won't find an Albert Square in Middlesbrough, but he will find an Albert Road if he has time to explore beyond the confines of the Riverside and the training ground. There's
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Why rogue doctors get away with it
I FEEL confident no more parents will go through the same heartache as those who have suffered in the grotesque Alder Hey body parts scandal. Action has already been taken to make sure of that. But I am troubled by the ease, yet again, with which an inadequate
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Our basic instinct is to fight
A NICE festive theme this week: violence. Some, like stricken boxer Paul Ingle, fight to make a living the best way they can; others, like the rival football fans at the Sheffield and Lancashire derbies, do it out of sheer animal hatred of the opposition
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Police record fall in crime figures
POLICE have recorded an overall drop in crime during the past year, although there are still some blackspots. All four districts in the Cleveland force area have recorded a reduction in house burglaries, with Langbaurgh showing the steepest fall of 17.8
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Don't forget to say thank you
SO there you are, you've eaten the chocolates, watched the video, played the game. You might even be wearing the new jumper or jewellery and have already hit the High Street to spend the voucher. But have you said thank you for them? An amazing number
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When will Jenna's parents grow up?
WHEN a teenage Dawn French was going out to a party, her father told the cuddly youngster that she looked really great. Consequently, Dawn believed she did, and despite her curves, bounced cheerfully off to have a good time, a normal life and, grounded
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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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The real scandal of Jeffrey Archer
JEFFREY Archer has gone too far. His loyal, long-suffering wife Mary may have stood by him through bankruptcy, betrayal and political scandals. But surely even she can't let him get away with it this time. Her husband is a national disgrace. He should
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Grey Peter (or how to make a Zimmer frame)
BLUE Peter for grown-ups - now there's a thought. Grey Peter, perhaps. As long as it's not on late night Channel 4 where it would be really Blue - the mind boggles with what they would do with sticky-backed plastic and some cocktail sticks... But John
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Cleanliness conscious residents earn awards for their brush strokes
TWO residents have received an award for their efforts to improve their local environment. David Stokes and Margaret Newman yesterday received the award for Individual Environmental Improvement by the Tidy Britain Group as part of the Queen Mother's Birthday
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H'Angus is ready for Mandy
THE legendary ex-Liverpool boss Bill Shankly once observed: "Football is not a matter of life or death. It's more important than that." Such obsessions are clearly unhealthy and, sadly, Shankly did not survive long after his retirement. But he was surely
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What of the other millions who dies?
IN A typically snide article last week, The Times newspaper, owned by the republican Rupert Murdoch, informed us that the Queen would not be attending the Holocaust Day ceremonies and that she would be "going on a shooting trip with her husband instead
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Parkinson to drop in for a cuppa
TELEVISION veteran Michael Parkinson will be doing his bit for charity next month - by taking tea in North Yorkshire. The chat show king has agreed to attend a refreshing event at the Garden Room Restaurant, in Harrogate's Harlow Carr gardens, on May
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Call for witnesses to attack
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an assault in which a man was beaten with a baseball bat. The incident happened on Saturday at 11am, at Essex Close, Redcar. The two attackers, who were both white, also damaged his property. One of the attackers
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Classless society? You must be joking...
TO tie in with the Census, the Government has just issued a new way of classifying occupations - and within an hour of it being mentioned on Radio 4, about 10,000 people had logged on to find out where they come in the great pecking order. So much for
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Campaign to save miners' old hall
PROTESTORS angry at losing part of a council leisure centre staged a demonstration outside a doomed building yesterday. The former Brancepeth Miners' Welfare Hall, in Willington, was shut last night as part of saving cuts at the Spectrum Leisure Complex
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Radcliffe takes the honours
THERE'S no doubt where my sporting Oscar goes this week. Becks would be among the nominations, but after so many glorious failures the winner has to be Paula Radcliffe. There's probably more meat on a butcher's pencil than on Paula, but what heart she
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Why I don't want to go back to school
THE story of four-year-old Amber Pask who, because she suffers from a rare, life-threatening nut allergy, is only allowed to attend school if her mother is constantly by her side, struck a chord with me this week. I have a son who suffers from a similar
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Thoughts for Patrick's mum
Patrick is only a few weeks old and is named after St Patrick - on whose day he was found, wrapped in a shirt, left on a doorstep. His young mother had given birth to him alone and then waited for her parents to be asleep before slipping out of the house
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A little humility please
IN these days when Premiership footballers have access to psychologists to get their mental preparation right, perhaps someone can tell me why many of them seem to behave like morons. Are they born with a personality defect, or does their pampered, closetted
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Reaching the depths in entertainment
PERHAPS you think things are not so bad? If you still harbour a few cherished thoughts about Britain as a respectable country with standards of public decency and good taste, just look at the sort of barbarism which has been going on this week. Eminem
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Gang who set upon students blasted by judge
A JUDGE decried four young men who set upon a group of innocent students for reflecting their home area "in a bad light". Three Durham University undergraduates were making their way through the city centre in the early hours when they came across the
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The thief who struck more than the wrong note
AS WELL as the main organ, we have a lovely 19th Century chamber instrument in our church which is chiefly used for the anthem during the Holy Communion. This organ is in the south aisle and the choir leave their places in the chancel to stand beside
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Grow up and get a life!
O THE delights of Wacko Jacko! Did you see the pictures of him talking to the students at the Oxford Union? The idea that Oxford university gives ear to a pathetic clown like Michael Jackson encapsulates just what's wrong with higher education today.
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Who is behind the yob culture?
IF WE go on like this we shall soon all be back in our prams, shaking our rattles and crying: "Goo!" The whole country seems to be in its second childhood. Examples? Millions of us last week tuned in to watch Celebrity Big Brother: glued, transfixed to
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The deadly legacy of 'hate crimes'
THE police have been "swooping" here in London. They have been raiding houses in the early hours and arresting perpetrators of so called "hate crimes". It makes you wonder: aren't all crimes in a sense hate crimes? What would a "love crime" look like?
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Spinning a political message
'HI. Now look, y'know, because I'm a regular kinda guy, I just wanna level with you and tell you why The Sun decided - sorry, I mean why I decided - to postpone the date of the General Election. But it's not true - it's really not true - that this has
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Like Bridget, we're younger for longer
THE good thing about Bridget Jones is that she is 32. The fictional heroine of Helen Fielding's brilliantly successful column/novel/film might act like a particularly irritating 15-year-old and make you long to slap her silly self-indulgent face, but
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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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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
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FA must keep shirts on
THIS column is not designed for straddling the fence, but there have been a couple of disputes this week where the need for compassion has clouded the issue. Firstly, the Wycombe footballer who was sent off for rapturously removing his shirt when they
