Archive
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God v Evil makes for a great fight
Strange (BBC1) Rescue Me (BBC1) 'Yes, I'm Strange," says the hero of this supernatural murder-mystery which has pilot for a new series written through it like Blackpool through a stick of rock. John Strange is certainly a bit of an odd bod as portrayed
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Truck driver has miracle escape
A lorry driver has spoken of his miraculous escape after a concrete footbridge fell on his wagon crushing it to just 12 inches high. Kevin Harker's load smashed into the walkway, which collapsed and crumpled his cabin like a concertina. But somehow the
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Drive to ensure parents clunk click every trip
A campaign has been launched to ensure that parents buckle up their children safely their cars. The scheme is a joint initiative by car firm Jennings Ford and Stockton Borough Council and aims to highlight the importance of ensuring that every child travelling
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Creature capers raise park funds
A GROUP fundraising for a play park invited youngsters to meet creepie crawlies. Lanchester Parklife was launched four years ago to strive to replace and re-equip the County Durham village's play area after Derwentside District Council removed the equipment
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Time travels
GIRLS from Polam Hall Junior School, Darlington, have been on a visit to the past at two Teesside museums. Year one pupils spent a day at the Green Dragon Museum and the Preston Park Museum, in Stockton, to find out more about the area's history. They
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Conservation group against pool redevelopment
A LEADING conservation group could thwart plans to redevelop one of Scarborough's most controversial eyesores, the South Bay pool complex. Once the heart of the resort, it has been derelict for almost 15 years and the borough council has plans to spend
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Appeal over death crash
A MOTORIST died in a head-on collision at the weekend. Cleveland police believe the dead man's car crossed Low Lane, Middlesbrough, into the path of an oncoming vehicle on Saturday. The 32-year-old, who has not been named, but came from Teesside, was
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Cup shield cash aids charities
MONEY from the last year's FA Charity Cup Shield is to benefit three charities in a North Yorkshire town. For the past couple of years the money from the game, which pits the winner of the Premiership league against the FA Cup winners, has been distributed
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Cash boost for Chopsticks
A CHARITY which provides training opportunities for adults with learning difficulties has secured a £700 grant to boost its work. The cash from North-Eastern and Cumbrian Co-Op's community dividend fund will allow Chopsticks, in Northallerton, to invest
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North Yorkshire news in brief
Winners reap their rewards WINNERS of Richmondshire District Council's Best Kept Village and Town competition have been presented with trees to plant to commemorate their achievements. The winning entries were Whashton, in the under 200 population category
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Plea for help tracking fraud
A COUNCIL is calling on people in east Durham to help it crackdown on housing and council tax benefit fraud. Easington District Council is encouraging residents to report people receiving benefit and working on the side. A council spokeswoman said: "Government
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Illegal cabbies targeted in raids
MORE spot checks can be expected on a town's taxi ranks following a successful swoop by police and council officials. Three pirate cab drivers were caught in the crackdown in central Middlesbrough. One of them was already banned from driving and will
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Celebration to mark centre's anniversary
A PARTY was held at the weekend to mark the first anniversary of Ferryhill Online Centre. The centre, at Ferryhill Comprehensive School, was one of the first information and communication technology drop-in centres to open in the UK. It offers learning
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Festive ice rink review soon
A DEADLINE has been set for a decision on whether to install a seasonal ice-rink in Spennymoor this year. Sedgefield Borough Council said the town's ice-rink and German market set up, in the town centre for four weeks over Christmas attracted 4,190 skaters
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Church expands against trend
AT A TIME when dwindling congregations are forcing many churches to close, one has bucked the trend by opening a £200,000 extension to house its growing flock. The Christian Life Centre, in Woodham, has reopened after adding a 350-seat auditorium, kitchen
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Song and dance about Queen's jubilee
FERRYHILL Operatic Society's annual spring revue will this year be a tribute to the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The cavalcade of song and dance, titled Here's a Health Unto Her Majesty, will be performed at Mainsforth Community Centre next week. The show
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Youngsters set scientific challenges
BUILDING a mini-replica of a cathedral clock and measuring the flight of a glider are two of the challenges to be set for a recycling challenge. Next week is National Science Week, and in Bishop Auckland the Green Explorers Rural Recycling Challenge will
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Darlington and South Durham news in brief
Unpaid rent to be written off Darlington Borough Council is meeting tomorrow to decide whether £129,291 of unpaid rent by its tenants can be written off. The council will look at 121 cases where more than £500 in rent is owned. Reasons including tenants
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Comment from The Northern Echo; No gung-ho reactions
SADDAM Hussein is undoubtedly a major threat to his own people and to the rest of the world. When US Vice President Dick Cheney arrives in London today to talk to Tony Blair, he is expected to press for Britain to support a large military attack on Saddam
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Season to forget for Quakers
The postponement of Saturday's game suggests Darlington are certainly being made to prolong the agony of what's been a disastrous season and one which most fans will be glad to forget. But there can't have been many complaints about the decision to postpone
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'Black Cats too strong to go down' - Williams
VERSATILE England 'B' international Darren Williams is convinced that Sunderland are too strong to put him through another relegation nightmare. The 24-year-old Teessider was part of Peter Reid's team which suffered the agonies of an instant drop from
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New records for memory man
MEMORY man Creighton Carvello is claiming two world records. The 57-year-old former psychiatric nurse set out at the weekend to remember a minimum of 12 digits flashed on a monitor for one second and ended up remembering 13. The Middlesbrough man, who
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Boss of bust firm to stay in top post
A BUSINESSMAN whose firm has gone bust is keeping his seat on a government advisory group to small businesses. The circumstances of the Teesside recycling firm's collapse were not clear last night, but its boss, Paul Morgan, is keeping his seat on the
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Illegal cabbies targeted in raids
MORE spot checks can be expected on a town's taxi ranks following a successful swoop by police and council officials. Three pirate cab drivers were caught in the crackdown in central Middlesbrough. One of them was already banned from driving and will
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Domestic violence forum in spotlight
THE Mayor of Darlington joined forces with a group of Brownies and Guides at the weekend to raise funds for victims of domestic violence. Councillor Isobel Hartley helped to pack bags at the Safeway store in the town centre, alongside girls from the Darlington
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Spotlight turned on rout of British
A MILITARY museum is breaking with tradition by staging a talk about a 19th Century rout of the British Army. For more than ten years the Saturday talks at the dli - formerly the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery - in Durham, have concentrated on the
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Teesside news in brief
Children run to thank mothers EVERY mum was a winner yesterday. About 200 children took part in Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's first Junior Fun Run, which was over a two mile course. Every child crossing the finishing line at the Kirkleatham showfield
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North Durham and Tyneside news in brief
Heating scheme 'just the tonic' A SCHEME using doctors' surgeries to prescribe home heating has been hailed a success. Eight surgeries in the Easington area took part in last year's Warm Homes on Prescription initiative, run by Easington District Council
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Dramatic draw sets up N-E FA Cup derby
LAST night's FA Cup draw offered the mouth-watering prospect of a North-East derby in the semi-final of the world's most famous football competition. Middlesbrough have been drawn against Newcastle - if the Magpies can overcome Arsenal in a replay in
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Tyne-Tees clash?
THE prospect of an all-North-East FA Cup semi-final loomed large after last night's draw. Middlesbrough will meet Newcastle on Sunday, April 14 - provided the Magpies beat Arsenal in the quarter-final replay. The other tie is an all-London affair as Chelsea
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The arts showpiece where visitors will come second
THE head of the region's flagship multi-million pound arts centre says he is not interested in visitor numbers. Sune Nordgren, director of the £47m Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, has also told a magazine that he will not popularise Baltic
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Toffees come unstuck as Boro reach last four
THREE goals in seven exciting first half minutes booked Middlesbrough's place in the FA Cup semi-finals for only the second time in the club's history. And, after yesterday's 3-0 quarter-final win over Everton, manager Steve McClaren will now be hoping
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Sexual health awareness conference to be held
A conference aimed at improving sexual health awareness will be held on Teesside later this week. Delegates from around the country will gather at the James Cook University Hospital's education centre on Saturday for the third Teesside Sexual Health Conference
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Under-fire Robert to the rescue
LAURENT ROBERT rescued his Newcastle career, as well as the Magpies' FA Cup campaign, by applying the French polish which his game had been badly lacking. The enigmatic winger produced a superlative equaliser - and with his less-favoured right foot -
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Westwood remains defiant
CHRIS Westwood has issued a rallying call to his under-achieving teammates. Hartlepool United's play-off hopes have all but disappeared following disappointing 1-1 draws with Lincoln and Bristol Rovers. But Westwood backed the sentiments of boss Chris
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Dabizas backs first eleven for Highbury success
NIKOS DABIZAS insists a full-strength Newcastle can repeat their Premiership triumph at Arsenal when they return for the FA Cup quarter-final replay on Saturday week. Centre-back Dabizas is convinced the likely availability of injured trio Kieron Dyer
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West draw gives boost to Terriers' title hopes
West Auckland virtually conceded the title to Bedlington after they threw away a two goal lead at home to Consett on Saturday. West, 11 points behind the leaders in second place before the game, have dropped five points in the past week and must now content
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Cup sees Moor's unbeaten run end
Spennymoor's run under new manager Tony Lee came to an end when they were beaten 1-0 in the semi final of the Chairman's Cup by Worksop on Saturday. Moors had previously gone on a 12 game unbeaten run, but they lost to a second-half goal - and manager
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Time to name good citizens
PEOPLE who do their best to help others are set to be honoured in the first Darlington Mayor's Community Awards. In the past, the accolades have been known as the Citizen of the Year Awards, but this year three categories have been created to encourage
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Fruit option proves a break-time hit with young pupils
THE traditional break-time biscuit snack has been abandoned at a village school as pupils try out healthier options. The 110 youngsters at Ainderby Steeple CE Primary School, near Northallerton, are tucking into a variety of fresh fruit. They have the
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Hospice helped with storage
A SUPPORT group has lent a hand to a hospice by supplying it with a new storage facility. The Elvet Charities Support Group donated a new custom-made lymphoedema cabinet to St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham. The gift has eased congestion by removing the
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Rethink urged over medical centre
ARCHITECTS are to be asked to go back to the drawing board before councillors make any decision over Aldbrough St John's new medical centre. Richmondshire District Council's planning committee was told that most people who live in the area are supportive
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Cooking up a storm
MILITARY chefs from across the region cooked up a winning recipe in a competition designed to test their military and culinary skills. Teams from the Territorial Army's Tyne Tees Regiment and 251 Field Ambulance, which recruit from across the North-East
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Hear all sides
PETER LEE WHAT a good picture of Councillor David Taylor-Gooby, dressed as Peter Lee (Echo, Mar 4). How good it is that the great man is still remembered. I was a teenager when Peter Lee died in 1935. I remember my grandmother telling me he had, at one
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Trust volunteers help residents create wildlife haven for future
A GREEN charity is helping villagers create a little haven for wildlife near their community centre. Tantobie Community Centre, near Stanley, called on the expertise of the Acorn Trust, in Delves Lane, to help plant a hedge near the building. At the weekend
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Crunching numbers
Q: WE talk of millions, billions and trillions. What comes next? - W Sewell, Bishop Auckland. A: A MILLION is a single word for a thousand-thousand and is numerically written as 1,000,000. The numerical definition of a billion, in Britain at least, is
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Summer end for centre revamp
A MULTI-million pound transformation of a sports and community centre should be completed this summer. A £2m injection from the Government's New Deal for Communities and European funding will mean a new full- size sports hall with changing rooms and showers
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Plea to children after bus tragedy
SCHOOLCHILDREN may hold the key to a 12-year-old's death under the wheels of a bus. Jamie Wells fell as he attempted to step down from a moving double decker at a road junction, just yards from a stop near his home. It is understood the 40-year-old woman
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There's no time to paws in the race for uk team places
A NORTH Yorkshire forest echoed to the sound of Alaskan malamutes and Siberian huskies straining at the leash in the UK Sled Dog Championships at the weekend. Ninety teams, some from as far away as Dorset and northern Scotland, took part in the competition
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Leadership and learning celebration
A STRING of successes from the North Stockton Education Action Zone were celebrated at a conference. It took place at the Oakwood Centre at Eaglescliffe and the main speaker was Dame Patricia Collarbone, director of the London Leadership Centre. Her presentation
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Cultural diversity celebrated
A CELEBRATION of cultures from around the world took place in Darlington town centre at the weekend. The Darlington and Durham County Racial Equality Council held its third annual Diversity Day at the town's Dolphin Centre on Saturday. The event featured
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Community art on disk
A COMPACT disk featuring art produced by the community has been launched in Darlington. The multi-media disk, called Resurgence, contains six digital animations created by community groups in the town at workshops led by digital artist Steve Messam. It
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Transport boost helps club to go with a whoosh
AN after-school project has won almost £12,000 to transport youngsters safely to and from outlying villages. Wheatley Hill Out of School Hours (Whoosh) Club serves local youngsters and those from Hutton Henry, Thornley, Ludworth and Wingate. With the
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Officer tunes in to therapy centre
ANSWERING calls of distress is all in the line of duty for PC Brian McCarthy. But for his latest mission the 35-year-old is not switching on his siren - but taking along his guitar instead. Singing police trainer Brian has already released an album of
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New home for Sure Start group
A Sure Start programme in Darlington is to get a new home. The project provides facilities to the under-fives so they can have the best possible start in life before they begin school. Support is given to parents through health care, social services and
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School's health efforts rewarded
STAFF and pupils have won an award for health. Escomb Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, has scooped an award from a Healthy Schools initiative in recognition of its attitude to the mental, physical and emotional health of pupils. The primary has introduced
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TA men honoured
THREE part-time soldiers have been honoured for their work in the Territorial Army. Sergeant Kenny Robson, from Darlington, was awarded a second clasp to his TA Efficiency Medal after serving as a volunteer for 22 years. Sgt Robson, 47, is an office worker
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£38,000 -'the cost of each TDC-won' job
THE controversial Teesside Development Corporation came under renewed attack last night over the huge cost of its job creation programme. Bosses of the now-defunct body, which piled up losses of up to £40m, have always trumpeted the jobs and investment
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Racing veteran rallies to say thanks
VETERAN rally ace Arthur Senior used his latest race to pay a debt of gratitude to the heart specialists who saved his life. The daredevil pensioner, still going strong 18 years after a bypass operation, criss-crossed the country in the Rally of the Tests
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Environmental works
Environmental work is planned for the Dean Bank area of Ferryhill. Improvements are to be made to a bus shelter used by elderly residents in the Durham Aged Miners houses at Joseph Patterson Crescent and William Kerr Crescent. Town councillors have agreed
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Five-a-side tournament
APPLICATION forms are available for Great Aycliffe Town Council's annual five-a-side football knockout competition. The tournament, which is free for teams to enter, is again sponsored by the Gregg Little Testing Centre and the Fiesta Centre, who have
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Survey reveals gulf in levels of care
VARIATIONS in the standard of care offered by hospitals across the North-East and North Yorkshire have been highlighted in an independent survey of the nation's hospitals. The Good Hospital Guide, compiled by health service scrutineer Dr Foster and published
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Boro's swift treble has manager lost for words
STEVE McCLAREN last night insisted that Middlesbrough have the belief to carry them to an FA Cup final appearance at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on May 4. Boro booked a last-four place with yesterday's 3-0 home win over Everton, and a buoyant McClaren
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Inspectors praise school for its quality of education
A DERWENTSIDE school that beat its national tests target for seven-year-olds has won praise from inspectors. Leadgate Infant School and Nursery Unit provides a very good quality of education, which enables pupils to reach very high standards, according
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Region's railways are on track for first-class future
IT'S full-steam ahead for developments in the North-East rail network during the next decade. The region is to be at the vanguard of the first real rail revival since the Beeching axe fell during the 1960s. New stations are to be added on existing lines
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Boro top 50 points but slip nearer to relegation
MIDDLESBROUGH suffered the rare torment of winning 51-0 and taking a step nearer relegation on Saturday. With three likely to go down from North One, Boro need to catch Aspatria, but they scrambled to a 30-27 win at home to Bradford and Bingley. Considering
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Mark Equal to keep Pipe alight
Before the current jumps season had really got underway last year Martin Pipe reportedly said he was unsure whether he had the quality in his team to enable him to regain the trainers' title. But with over 200 winners already on the board and more than
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Chillimedia's online boost for hospice
TEESSIDE Hospice has launched its own website with help from a Middlesbrough Internet company. The firm, Chillimedia, helped the hospice to revamp its old site as part of the its new page. The new site offers information on all the products and services
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Don't get us into a new Gulf War, Blair told
Britain should shun any mass-scale attack on Iraq which inflicts further suffering on civilians, International Development Secretary Clare Short insisted yesterday. Accepting that Saddam Hussein's weapons programme is a major threat to international security
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Mobile phone mast request causes concern for residents
THE cost of a better mobile phone reception appears higher than one Wensleydale community is willing to pay. Hawes is in a blind spot for some national networks and, after years of delicate negotiation with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority,
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Hospitable Pool hand Rovers draw
SO Victoria Park is the most inhospitable football ground in the country is it? According to football and lifestyle expert Andy Stockhausen of the Bristol Evening Post it is. His preview of Pool's encounter with Bristol Rovers on Friday caused ructions
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Dancers in step for charity
A GROUP of young dancers are rehearsing for a show to raise £5,000 for charity. The youngsters from The Tiffany School of Dance, in Darlington, will be performing at Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday, April 13. The show will include nearly 200 children
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Business group seeks mentors
A GROUP of businesswomen are looking for mentors to help them get the best out of their companies. The Darlington Women into Business Network is seeking people to join its mentoring scheme. The network, supported through the European Social Fund, has
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Publicity drive to take visitors near forgotten areas
TOURISM gems in the Durham Dales were on show at the weekend during a publicity drive aimed at attracting visitors in their coachloads. Tour operators and travel organisers were surprised by the variety of attractions and scenic locations in Weardale,
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Anger at plan for new care home
COUNCIL officials are to press ahead with plans to use open land in Darlington for new care homes, despite objections from people living near one of the sites. Last year, Darlington Borough Council identified four pieces of land which it wanted to make
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Darlington and South Durham news in brief
Vandals in car wrecking spree VANDALS left a trail of damage over the weekend after targeting a dozen cars parked in neighbouring streets in St Helen Auckland. Detectives are appealing for witnesses to the damage, which took place early on Saturday. Several
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New image as centre focuses on the arts
A NEW name and image are planned for a community centre about to undergo a £400,000 summer overhaul. Hambleton Community Centre in Bullamoor Road, Northallerton, is to be transformed into an arts venue. Improvements will include tiered seating, a wooden
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Decision to back scrapyard is final insult, say villagers
VILLAGERS have described a decision to allow another car scrapyard opposite their homes as the final insult to their community. Ros Henderson, a founder member of Craghead Residents' Association and Neighbourhood Watch in the village, said neighbouring
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Village library turns over a new leaf
A VILLAGE has found the perfect way to celebrate World Book Day - by opening a new library. Wingate Library, which has served the community since the 1950s, closes today to move to a new home. About 6,000 books, including 300 new ones, will be transported
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Summer end for centre revamp
A MULTI-million pound transformation of a sports and community centre should be completed this summer. A £2m injection from the Government's New Deal for Communities and European funding will mean a new full- size sports hall with changing rooms and showers
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The Monday poem
Moonlight Last night I stood at my window The curtains opened wide, To see the moon on its nightly rise Across the ever changing skies And you came to my side. Was the moonlight playing tricks With my imagination? No words were spoken, nothing said. A
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Councils to ensure effective services
A GROUP of North Yorkshire councils is to benefit from a Government initiative to improve access to services. The partnership of nine local authorities in the county is one of only 24 across the UK to gain Pathfinder status, which brings support of £100,000
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The Geordie blockbuster
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet star Tim Healy was the perfect choice to lead the new BBC Byker-based gritty comedy series about family life on the dole The BBC's new comedy-drama Breeze Block sounds about as Geordie as could be. And I don't just mean the accents
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Reading all about it for the first time
A bagpipe-playing pig, a smiling vicar (finally) and a first time in the pulpit have all been helping a North-East church pull in the crowds Like (say) sales executive or sex industry worker, the term "reader" - when applied to the Church of England -
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What life below stairs was really like
The antics of the upper classes and their servants at the fictional Gosford Park have been intriguing cinema-goers for the last few weeks. As one of the region's favourite stately homes opens its doors to visitors fo the new season, Women's Editor Christen
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People made to feel safe with scheme
A SCHEME to help people feel safer in their homes has been launched across three areas of Sunderland. The Home Safe Scheme will provide additional home security measures, such as door and window locks, security lights, burglar alarms and marking equipment
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School's health efforts rewarded
STAFF and pupils have won an award for health. Escomb Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, has scooped an award from a Healthy Schools initiative in recognition of its attitude to the mental, physical and emotional health of pupils. The primary has introduced
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Gig on the Tyne - and the Wear and Tees
NORTH-EAST rock legends Lindisfarne are back on the road promoting a new album 30 years after their biggest commercial success. The Geordie band, who have released a 13-track disc, Promenade, began a 40-date national tour at the start of the month. They
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Project to offer former soldiers space
A PROJECT which will offer homes to former service personnel with nowhere to go has been given a £6,000 boost. The Ministry of Defence Joint Service Housing Advice Office at Land Command headquarters has sanctioned the grant towards the conversion of
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Advice available for would-be bosses
A ten-week course is on offer at Redcar and Cleveland College for people in east Cleveland who want to become their own bosses. The two-hour informal evening sessions start on Thursday, April 11, running from 6pm until 8pm. They will involve experts,
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Players on cue for £3,000
A HOLIDAY camp chain is offering young snooker stars the chance to win £6,000 in sponsorship. Pontin's will award sponsorship packages worth £3,000 each to two young players who win a tournament, being held at Prestatyn Sands Centre, North Wales, next
