Archive
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Tyneside set to bid for culture crown
A breathtaking blueprint to bring the European Capital of Culture to Newcastle and Gateshead in 2008 was unveiled yesterday. The bid, which will be presented to the Government today, contains plans for an investment of over £3bn in transport, leisure,
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Milburn under fire over 'old people banged up in care homes' comment
HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn has admitted that hospital bed blocking figures have gone up in the North and Yorkshire regions - against the national trend. During Commons exchanges, Darlington MP Mr Milburn was attacked by Tory Health spokesman Liam Fox
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Schools in line for £45m
SCHOOLS in Redcar and Cleveland could receive a multi-million pound boost, it was announced yesterday. The borough council has been told by the Government it can draw up a plan for a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which it is hoped will bring £45.8m
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Positive young people's achievements celebrated
HUNDREDS of people joined a celebration of youth at Darlington Civic Theatre earlier this week. The first Positive Young People Awards were held to recognise the remarkable achievements of young people in Darlington. More than a hundred youngsters received
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Student's body found
A badly decomposed body, discovered hidden in a London house, has been identified as that of missing South Korean In Hea Song. The body of the 22-year-old student was found earlier this month in a cupboard at the house she had been staying in, on Augusta
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1,000 jobs pledge in bid to be mayor
A POLITICIAN is vowing to bring 1,000 more jobs and 100 businesses to a town if she is elected mayor. Many of those jobs could come with the redevelopment of Middlesbrough's old dockland - Middlehaven - which Sylvia Connolly, Labour's candidate for mayor
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Drug dealer is hit in pocket for his crimes
A CONVICTED drug dealer was yesterday ordered to forfeit assets worth £113,796 acquired as a result of his illicit activities. Thomas Davidson, 37, who rented a Spanish holiday villa as well as owning two homes in the North-East, was jailed for six years
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Youngsters dig deep to help forest
A GROUP of children helped to plant 500 trees yesterday as part of an environmental initiative. The youngsters, from Catcote School, Hartlepool, planted the trees at the town's Summerhill Visitor Centre, as part of the Tees Forest Christmas card recycling
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News in brief, park facelift plans on show
Plans to improve Willington's park will be on display next week. Groundwork West Durham consulted people in the town for their ideas on regenerating Jubilee Park. The plans, drawn up with Wear Valley District Council and Willington Community Partnership
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News in brief
Offices plan for park lodge Darlington Borough Council has applied for planning permission to its planning committee to change the use of the lodge building, in South Park, to an office and associated facilities, with a single-storey extension and improvements
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Villagers want action over leaking drains
VILLAGERS have made a plea for help to stop raw sewage seeping into their homes. People in Close House, near Bishop Auckland, say the drains behind their homes are in such disrepair that they have become a health hazard. Residents in Gurney Terrace and
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Call for springkler systems in schools
SCHOOLS should have sprinkler systems incorporated into their designs, the leader of County Durham and Darlington Fire Brigade has said. George Herbert told yesterday's fire authority meeting that school fires cost the nation about £100m each year, and
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Riverside alert after sex attack
POLICE are warning women walking along a city's riverbanks to beware following a daylight sex attack. The warning comes after an unnamed 20-year-old was indecently assaulted on Dur-ham's Prebends Bridge on Monday lunchtime. The attack, which left the
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Easter fun lined up
DURHAM City's Prince Bishops Shopping Centre has lined up entertainment for youngsters over Easter. The centre's management plans to create a "boredom free zone" for youngsters during the holiday weekend. On Friday, Lewis the Easter stork and Alice and
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Community education head to step down
THE head of Durham County Council's education in the community service is retiring after almost 30 years with the authority. Peter Robinson, of Gilesgate, Durham City, joined the council in 1973 as a youth and community officer in Durham and the Wear
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Getting the best value from your investments
Shrewd followers of the stock market play the discount game when they review their portfolios. Peter Jackson reports ONCE again the matter of value in the form of discount is topical in UK stock markets. The term value is normally considered to mean companies
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Market traders get help to hone business skills
Forget the wheeler-dealer image of market traders. In Darlington, more than 20 traders from the indoor, outdoor and farmers' markets have graduated from a course aimed at providing them with the business skills to put them ahead of their competitors.
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Vandals target telephone kiosk
A TELEPHONE box was vandalised and cash stolen in a village near Darlington last night. The kiosk in Merrybent was broken into and the contents stolen at about 6pm. Before the attack, a young couple had been using the telephone. As they left the kiosk
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March of striking secretaries
STRIKING medical secretaries will leave the picket line to march through the streets of a city today. Walking behind a Unison union banner, more than 130 medical secretaries will parade through Sunderland in their fight for higher pay. They will march
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Aiming to keep theatre tradition alive
MEN'S hairdresser Bernard Lally has high hopes that live theatre will remain in Crook with a little help from new friends. As the sole survivor of a drama group which met for the first time in a private house 25 years ago, he is leading a drive to recruit
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Scheme to waken 'sleeping beauty'
THE gradual re-awakening of a "sleeping beauty" has been mapped out in a leaflet. Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield, has survived as a landscape garden of the 1750s, but its original layout has partially disappeared under a tangle of undergrowth. Durham
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Tips from the top for dental practice
A DENTAL practice has been taking lessons in communication from one of the country's leading telecommunications firms. Staff at Darlington's Springs Dental Practice were visited by a team of trainers from the town's Orange call centre, to help develop
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active learning
CONSTRUCTION companies have been helping children to learn the value of maths in the workplace. Almost 400 Darlington youngsters have won gold curriculum awards for their work with companies, after the Construction Industry Training Board revamped its
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Turning old jewellery into new designs
ARTIST, goldsmith and designer Steven Gregory is returning to Sunderland's National Glass Centre to offer a service turning old gold jewellery into new designs. Mr Gregory, who has won several Craft Councils goldsmith awards for excellence in craftsmanship
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Football course on offer
DARLINGTON FC's Football in the Community team will run a three-day soccer course next week. The event, which runs from 10am to 3pm each day, is open to boys and girls, aged from six to 14. As well as top tuition from experienced staff, there will be
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Art on the menu as cafe owner transforms his premises
OUT go the checked table cloths and tomato-shaped sauce bottles and in comes the contemporary artwork. It's an unusual concept, but one that has transformed a cafe, in Front Street, Chester-le-Street, into the town's first art cafe. The owner of Moods
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Investment leads to expansion for Derwent
ENGINEERING business Derwent is investing £350,000 to meet a growing demand from customers in the marine and offshore industries. A £150,000 investment from independent fund managers Northern Enterprise has been instrumental in enabling the Tanfield Lea-based
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Plans firm up for £1m wobbly bridge
AMBITIOUS plans to build a £1m "wobbly" suspension bridge across the River Tees to draw tourists to the region has taken a step closer to reality. The first meeting of the project group set up to discuss proposals to build a 500ft rope bridge high above
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Turner aims to hit the ground running next season
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner's sights are set on next season - and getting off to a flyer. Last Friday's defeat to Macclesfield all but ended Pool's play-off hopes and now Turner is focusing on August. Turner's season was hindered by a poor start
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Horticultural show is late bloomer
A horticultural show will be held a week later than usual this year. The event - which is a showcase for everything from carnations to sweet peas - will take place on August 24 and 25. It will still be held in Hartlepool's Borough Hall, on the town's
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Lucky escape
A woman walked away with cuts and bruises from her overturned car after an accident on the A1. The VW Golf left the road after a tyre burst on the southbound carriageway, a mile south of Scotch Corner on Monday night. The car ended up upside down in a
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Landlocked town's plea to minister
TRADE and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt was invited to visit landlocked Harrogate yesterday after implying in the House of Commons that the town was a seaside resort. Miss Hewitt caused hoots of laughter when she made the remark in the Commons on
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Decapitated body found on railway line
A MAN whose headless body was discovered on a railway line yesterday is thought to have been struck by a train only days after a similar death in the region. Emergency services were called to a stretch of the East Coast main line near the railway station
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Action team in drive to help jobless find work
A JOB creation team has a new weapon in its quest to get people back into employment - a 29ft mobile office nicknamed the Action Van. The van, already attracting attention in the Chester-le-Street area, has been touring the district in an effort to improve
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Musicians tune up for new festival
A town on Teesside is gearing up for a new arts and music festival, which gets under way next month. More than 100 musicians and singers will be taking part in competitions in the Hartlepool Music and Arts Festival. The event has been set up to give people
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News in brief: Evacuation as flats flooded
RESIDENTS were evacuated from their homes yesterday after a block of six flats was flooded by a burst water main. Water on the first floor of the flats in Loft Hill, Moorside, Sunderland, flooded into a next-door flat and began seeping through the ceiling
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Would-be visitors can www.darlington
PEOPLE from around the world will be able to make a virtual visit to a North-East town. Darlington Borough Council has launched a tourism website that aims to make the town a top destination. Potential visitors will be able to log on and see for themselves
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Charitable pupils boost environment
TWO primary schools in Hartlepool are doing their bit to help local charities while protecting the environment. St Bega's and St Helen's schools have joined forces with Hartlepool Borough Council and national environmental organisation Encams to pilot
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Medieval castle opens to public
ONE of the region's most impressive medieval castles is preparing to open its doors to the public as it takes another step towards recovery following the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Raby Castle, near Staindrop, County Durham, will open between Saturday and
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Youngsters prove they are not averse to reading poetry on air
TWO Stockton schoolboys have won a poetry competition - and the chance to read their verses live on BBC Radio Cleveland. Joe Nelson, 12, of Norton School, won the senior section and Thomas Gibson, ten, of St Joseph's School, won the juniors. Joe penned
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Former mayor's son sold drugs
A YOUNG single father from a respectable family background turned to selling drugs when he lost his job. Police found drugs concealed in bags above dogs' kennels when they searched the home of Daniel Alvey, 28. They recovered cannabis, amphetamine and
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Teenagers need a place of their own
WHATEVER happened to youth clubs? Oh yes I know, I know - the very phrase conjures up images of ping pong, weak orange squash and a terribly enthusiastic leader utterly lacking in street-cred. But many were good and the best were brilliant. And now they
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Schools in line for £67m
A BIG shake-up of education, which could see several of the region's schools bulldozed and rebuilt, was announced last night. The Government has given the go-ahead for almost £67m of public and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) cash to be made available
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Project to log species will be hard drive
A COMPUTING student will give a new meaning to desert island discs when he lands on a deserted beach - in his case they will be floppy ones. Patrick Ragan will travel to a remote paradise where he will set up a computer system to help scientists research
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Business design team is a cut above the rest
DAVID BECKHAM could be stepping out in style at the World Cup this summer if he follows the example of a North-East clothing design team. Beckham's suit was just one of four outfits designed by the Dewhirst Clothing Company, in Peterlee, County Durham
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Bingo player scoops £60,000
A MOTHER of two has won more than £60,000 after a lucky streak at the bingo. The 42-year-old woman, from Hartlepool, who does not wish to be named, won £59,300 on the national game, a regional prize of £1,028 and a house prize of £147 at the Mecca Bingo
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Maternity excellence recognised
A MATERNITY unit really is delivering the goods. The unit, at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, has been awarded midwifery development unit status - and is the first in the area to win such an accolade. Health bosses said it was "a significant
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All things equal at association
A housing association on Teesside has won an award for employing people with disabilities. Endeavour, in Thornaby, has been granted the Disability Symbol Award. It had to show that it interviewed all disabled applicants for jobs, as long as they met the
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Sven in Dyer dilemna
Newcastle United star Kieron Dyer has to prove his fitness if he is to gain a place in the England World Cup squad. Sven Goran Eriksson has made it clear he wishes Dyer to be in the team, but only if he is fit. Sven is also very cautious about getting
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Were all the danger signs missed?
THERE were threats from Albert Dryden long before the date of the ill-fated attempt to demolish his bungalow on June 20, 1991. By many, these were taken as merely the rantings of an impassioned eccentric, who would never follow them through. But at the
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Police seek witnesses in Gateshead stabbing
A man was found lying dead in the street after being stabbed by police last night. Detectives had been called to Beach Street, off Sunderland Road, Felling, near Gateshead after picking up reports of a fight. When they arrived they found a man lying on
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Soaring noise level verdict postponed
PROTESTS over an RAF training base's plans to change its flight paths have forced councillors to postpone their verdict on the matter. Members of Hambleton District Council's cabinet had been asked for their views on changes to the circuits used by aircraft
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Teenagers need a place of their own
WHATEVER happened to youth clubs? Oh yes I know, I know - the very phrase conjures up images of ping pong, weak orange squash and a terribly enthusiastic leader utterly lacking in street-cred. But many were good and the best were brilliant. And now they
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A poignant but inevitable demise
DRIVING around my local countryside, I often witness a benefit of foxhunting that is rarely recognised and has nothing to do with fox control. Strung out on the road verge are groups of hunt supporters. I recognise some of them - mainly elderly men. Taken
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Sweet (and sour) memories of honey carts
GRIST to the mill, or midden as the case may be, last week's column recalled midnight mailmen - the night shift, as it were - and other infragrant euphemisms. The response was properly cautious. The midnight mailmen, or honey carts - daisy carts in Gillian
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Murder, mayhem and a bit of Soul
MONEY is the root of all evil as David Soul's growling American accent gives us frustrated playwright Sidney Bruhl, who has moved into the irony and steal business. Rich wife Myra (Susan Penhaligon) finds herself confronted with a husband hell-bent on
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Search for a decent return
Timing can be crucial when switching PEP and ISA funds. Trevor Kirkley offers a guide through the main indicators POOR performance is the prime reason why investors switch PEP and ISA holdings but what is a fair way to judge whether or not your investment
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Great Dane to lead a Wearside exodus
DANISH goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen has rocked Sunderland by admitting he will be looking for a move this summer. And the 25-year-old giant shot-stopper could be one of three leading players, along with ace striker Kevin Phillips and skipper Michael Gray
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North-East murder suspects arrested
A North-East couple have been arrested in Spain in connection with the murder of a British woman on the Costa del Sol, the Foreign Office confirmed today. Richard Monteith, 50, and his wife Anne Marie, 47, from Whitley Bay were arrested in connection
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Parents and teachers join pupils in theme party history lesson
FRILLY shirts and funky flares were the order of the day for pupils when they were transported back to the 1970s. Teenagers at Malton School donned their finest 1970s' attire for two theme nights, which were attended by teachers and parents. Deputy headteacher
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Grassroots
ANNUAL MEETING: The Delves Lane Community Association will hold its annual meeting at 7.30pm next Wednesday. MUSIC NIGHT: Surefire entertainment presents Chartbusters 2002 at 7pm, on Friday, April 5, in Consett Empire. Tickets cost £5. CASH BOOST: A grant
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Bunny Beckons public to sample new hall attraction
OWNERS of a medieval manor house, about to open for the spring and summer season, believe it will prove a popular attraction this year. Crook Hall, which dates back to 1286 as the home of landed gentry Peter del Croke, lies tucked away on the River Wear
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Bishop to lead 'Exodus' pilgrims
THE Bishop of Durham is to lead a pilgrimage following the route of the Exodus. Having led a successful pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2000, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull now plans to retrace the path taken by Moses, leading the Hebrews from enslavement
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Hear All Sides: KENNETH WOLSTENHOLME
KENNETH Wolstenholme died yesterday in Torquay at the age of 81. None of us in a nation that loves football will ever forget his immortal words, those 14 words quoted probably more than any others in the English language: "Some people are on the pitch
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Woolworths optimistic after poor performance
Woolworths boss Gerald Corbett has forecast a recovery at the high street giant in the coming year after seeing profits tumble. The company made a loss of £46.4m in the year to February 2, compared with a profit of £54.3m in the previous year. A drive
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Wallpaper firm set to capture design world
A new wallpaper design business in Hartlepool hopes to take both the DIY and motorbike worlds by storm. Moto X Design, based at Oxford Road in Hartlepool, was set up in January by husband and wife Susan and Andrew Gaffney, after the couple found it impossible
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Tired motorists a danger to themselves and others
A grave warning was issued to motorists who drive when tired at a North-East cemetery yesterday. The Government launched its latest road safety campaign at Linthorpe Cemetery in Middlesbrough with some frightening statistics and a three-dimensional mock
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McClaren continues Riverside clearout
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren continued his Riverside clearout yesterday with the departure of two strikers. Andy Campbell joined Cardiff City for £950,000 after a successful loan spell, whilst Colombian Hamilton Ricard has signed for Bulgarian
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Housing proposal sparks anger
ENVIRONMENTALISTS and residents of Teesside's largest housing development are forming a campaign group to stop developers building on a greenfield site. People in Ingleby Barwick are angry because Stockton Borough Council approved a planning application
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Book tells us it should never have happened
IT has taken former police sergeant David Blackie two-and-a-half years to write his book on the shooting of planning officer Harry Collinson. Yet, throughout his interviews with people most affected by the chilling murder, there has always been a common
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Cement workers' fury over pensions
CEMENT workers due to lose their jobs in five months time are gearing up for a pensions battle which could net them tens of thousands of pounds. GMB union bosses say they will go to court to fight for extra cash for 147 workers at the Eastgate plant,
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Cabinet firm doubles premises
A cabinet maker is set to double the size of its premises, after receiving vital assistance from Business Link York and North Yorkshire. Work on Philip Bastow Cabinet Maker's new 2,400 sq ft workshop and showroom in Reeth, Swaledale, is expected to be
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Fatal errors of the Butsfield shooting
A SENIOR firearms officer has broken his ten-year silence to launch a stinging criticism of the police handling of the North-East's most infamous murders. Almost a decade since Albert Dryden was convicted of gunning down council official Harry Collinson
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Sweet (and sour) memories of honey carts
GRIST to the mill, or midden as the case may be, last week's column recalled midnight mailmen - the night shift, as it were - and other infragrant euphemisms. The response was properly cautious. The midnight mailmen, or honey carts - daisy carts in Gillian
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Easing fears about child's future
Simon Gill offers sensitive financial advice AS independent financial advisers we often get involved in areas that are very sensitive and may have been a source of worry for people over a number of years. It is particularly pleasing when such a matter
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Ironworkers' leader who gave his life to the cause
JOHN Kane was born in Northumberland, but lies in an overgrown grave in Darlington. He was quite literally kicked out of his home town, but ended up as the "champion of 35,000 of the hardest working men in all the land" and one of Darlington's "most remarkable
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Pair get green berets
TWO young north Durham soldiers have endured 30 weeks of some of the toughest Army training in the world to receive green berets. Graeme Carr, 23, of Chester-le-Street and Ian Ronald. of Shotley Bridge have now become Royal Marine commandos. An Army spokesman
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A poignant but inevitable demise
DRIVING around my local countryside, I often witness a benefit of foxhunting that is rarely recognised and has nothing to do with fox control. Strung out on the road verge are groups of hunt supporters. I recognise some of them - mainly elderly men. Taken
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Fertility pioneer set to retire
Thousands of parents, children and babies across the region have reason to stop today and pay silent thanks to the region's very first NHS fertility treatment sister. Sister Alison Lambert, who has helped the dreams of infertile couples come true since
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Family firm expands with new dealership
ONE of Darlington's best known family firms has expanded with the purchase of another well-established motor dealership. Peugeot dealership company Williamson Motors, a third generation family firm, has bought Nelsons, of Spennymoor, for an undisclosed
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Family centre hopes for disused factory
A REPORT is to outline plans for a family centre next to a disused factory. Sedgefield Borough Council is hoping to establish a third Sure Start centre at Dean Bank, next to the former Praxis textiles factory. The Sure Start programme, which supports
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Showtime call
ENTRIES are being invited for one of the most popular events at this year's Great Aycliffe Show. Local people become stars of the show for the handcraft exhibition, which will be held on June 22 and 23. Organiser Marie Robinson said: "With 80 classes
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Teenagers take up DIY challenge
INSPIRED by the success of television's Changing Rooms programme, teenagers at a youth club are transforming a village hall. Several weeks ago, members of Kirk Merrington Youth Club set themselves the challenge of creating a quiet haven in the village
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Wardens called in to cut crimes
STREET wardens have begun pounding the beat in Ferryhill in an initiative designed to cut crime. Two wardens have been seconded from Sedgefield Borough Council's Community Force to cover the Dean Bank and Ferryhill areas of town. Three Rivers Housing
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Campaign to help pensioners get their cash
A CAMPAIGN is being launched to ensure pensioners claim their full cash entitlements. Age Concern and Durham County Council's welfare rights unit will be holding advice sessions. The campaign, called Your Rights Week, begins on Tuesday, April 9, and will
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Euro MPs' foot-and-mouth fact-finding visit to North
EURO MPs investigating last year's foot-and-mouth epidemic are to visit the North-East and North Yorkshire. About 40 members of the European Parliament, complete with interpreters and support staff, will be in the region on April 19 as part of their examination
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Environment learning aid
DARLINGTON schools are being offered the chance of extra teaching support to educate children about the environment. The Tees Forest environmental organisation, whose backers include the Countryside Agency and the five borough councils in the Tees Valley
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Sex abuser jailed after nine years
A SEX abuser was jailed yesterday after his victim reported him to the police, nine years after the offences were committed. A 19-year-old girl who was haunted by the memory finally told her boyfriend about Alan Charman, said Paul Cleasby, prosecuting
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MMR alternative company advises GPs to claim funds
THE private healthcare company behind the recent separate Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) clinics held in Darlington, is advising GPs to claim target payments from the Government. Although the Government wants doctors to use the MMR injection, the law
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Concern over rail food takeover bid
THE provision of food services on UK trains was set for investigation today amid fears that passenger choice could soon be restricted. Regulators will look at the proposed takeover by catering company Compass of rival Rail Gourmet, operator of services
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Nurse denies pills accusation
A MALE nurse became hyperactive and started talking gibberish after pocketing addictive painkillers, an inquiry heard yesterday. David Garthwaite kept the pills instead of giving them to a patient at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, it is claimed
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Comment from The Northern Echo: The words of immortality
WITH seconds remaining of the 1966 World Cup final, Geoff Hurst collects the ball on the left just inside the German half. It may just be tiredness, but the ball never seems to be running cleanly, it always needs to be dug out. Nevertheless, Hurst out-paces
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Minister in court on sex charges
A FORMER church leader has appeared in court charged with carrying out a series of sex attacks. The Reverend Neville Husband, 64, was suspended by the United Reformed Church after three people came forward with accusations dating back to the late 1970s
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MP bids to help stricken miners
NORTH Durham MP Kevan Jones is organising a meeting for former miners awaiting claim settlements for industrial illness and disease. Representatives from the Department for Trade and Industry and Thompsons Solicitors will attend the meeting on Friday,
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£6,000 pledged for Neale fight
MORE than £6,000 has been pledged to try to win a public inquiry into the Richard Neale scandal. Campaigners representing 250 victims of the North Yorkshire surgeon need at least £10,000 to mount a legal challenge. The women are unhappy that the Government's
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Detectives question nine after gang fight
POLICE investigating a brawl between rival gangs which left a man needing plastic surgery have had a "disappointing" response from the public. Despite that, detectives arrested nine people - men and women - in swoops across Derwentside yesterday, on suspicion
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Business news in brief
£47m defence contract ENGINEERING group AEA Technology is to create up to 300 jobs after winning a £47m contract from the Ministry of Defence. The MoD has appointed AEA, based in Didcot, Oxfordshire, sole supplier of the batteries and chargers used in
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Falling birth rate threatens schools
MIGRATION from the North-East has contributed to a sharp drop in birth rates in the Tees Valley, according to a report. Figures presented by the Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit yesterday make worrying reading for schools. A drop in the size of families
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Mountaineer heads for big peak No 12
NORTH-East mountaineer Alan Hinkes has announced the next instalment of his bid to become the first Brit to climb all 14 of the world's highest mountains. Alan is flying to the Himalayas later this week to tackle Annapurna - at 8,091m high, one of 14
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Bowing to the force of tradition
Their glory days may have been more than 500 years ago, but longbows have not been entirely consigned to history. Nick Morrison meets one man who is keeping the tradition alive. AS the crowds queued up to have a go at firing arrows, Dennis Brown's attention
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Fashion boosts House of Fraser
AUSTRALIAN model Elle Macpherson and fashion designer Paul Smith helped boost profits at House of Fraser over the past year. The department store group, which owns Binns, in Darlington, said pre-tax profits for the year to January 26, rose 44 per cent
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Bikers served speed warning
POLICE yesterday issued a stern warning to bikers heading for the dales and moors this summer, after a man lost his leg in a crash. Traffic officers have teamed up with the British Motorcycle Federation and national park authority to crack down on motorcyclists
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Daffy Watch makes blooming return
The Farndale Daffy Watch is back this season, available from the North Yorkshire Moors Association website. It provides regularly updated photographs of the wild daffodils growing in Farndale, encouraging visitors to visit the area using the Daffodil
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Museum could be turned into hotel
VISITORS to a museum could in future pay to stay there overnight. Consultants are recommending the council, which owns Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum, near Redcar, sells the listed building to a developer to turn into a hotel. The museum would then move
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New twist in missing man case
The search for a missing 58-year-old man took a new twist today when his car was found in a remote village on the North York Moors. Graham Waugh left his home in North Cave, East Yorkshire, early last Sunday morning to visit a relative and has not been
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Police operation snares paramedic
POLICE set up a sting operation after an 84-year-old woman claimed a paramedic had attempted to touch her breasts. An officer, who had been watching through a keyhole, stepped in after Garry Fordham begin to examine her. The 38-year-old, of Rawcliffe
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Grotto's comeback
A coastal pub steeped in the lore of smugglers has been given a new lease of life with a £600,000 facelift. Marsden Grotto, south Tyneside, now called the Tavistock at the Grotto, re-opens on Friday. The grotto, which has a history as a public house stretching
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Swoop on two million cigarettes
A DAWN raid has led to 2.6 million smuggled cigarettes being seized by Customs and Excise officers, it was revealed last night. The cigarettes, worth more than £450,000, were discovered at industrial premises in Newton Aycliffe. Twenty officers swooped
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Police pursue Dealer a Day drugs drive
SUSPECTED dealers continue to be targeted in a police crackdown on drugs. A 23-year-old man has been charged with possession of heroin and bailed to appear before Teesside Magistrates' Court, while a 31-year-old man has been cautioned for possession of
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TA digs in for garden
SOLDIERS from the Territorial Army have helped to create a sensory garden for children with special needs. The garden has been built next to Catcote School, in Catcote Road, Hartlepool. Built around a group of trees in the school's garden, it is designed
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News in brief, walled garden's rejuvenation
A WALLED garden's rejuvenation is the subject of a talk at a charity lunch at Aske Hall, near Richmond. The event, has the Duchess of Northumberland and Ian August, her project manager, as guest speakers. They will explain how the garden at Alnwick Castle
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Rethink on waste to hit targets
NEW methods of waste collection are to be introduced in an effort to hit challenging Government targets. The trials follow a rethink about rubbish disposal in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire. The district council has only 12 months to hit the
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Top award is bestowed for second time
COUNCIL staff working with North Yorkshire teenagers have won a second top award. The student support section of the county council's education department has won an Investor in People charter mark for its commitment to staff development. It also received
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High-tech show leaves lasting impression
COMPUTER peripherals firm Lindy Electronics is celebrating a successful trip to the world's biggest technology exhibition. The Middlesbrough company was the only independent North-East technology company to have a presence at the annual CeBIT exhibition
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Teacher fits the bill for new position
A college teacher is leaving his position to take up a senior post at a new sporting centre of excellence. Andy West, lifelong learning manager at Northallerton College, is joining King's Manor School at Acklam, on Teesside, as community and sports development
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Pupils review past medicines
CHILDREN from a Dales school were given a glimpse of the past during a two-day workshop on a doctor's lot a hundred years ago. Baked turnip, cobwebs and herbal tea were among the remedies hardy Yorkshire families used to swear by at a time when minor
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BT invests millions to create super centres
BT is spending £11.4m on converting three of its call centres in the region's into next-generation sites. The move is part of a £100m investment by the telecoms group to create a network of 30 multi-function contact centres. The new multi-function sites
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Teenagers who blinded girl are jailed
Two youths who shot a teenager in the eye leaving her blind in one eye have been jailed. Schoolgirl Nicola Diston was left screaming in agony with blood streaming down her face when a pellet went through her eyelid and lodges itself in her skull as she
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Healthy market boosts Barratt profits
Housebuilder Barratt Developments has credited the booming house market for a surge in half-year profits. Newcastle-based Barratt, which builds houses from £60,000 to £3m, said all its regional markets had been buoyant during the second half of 2001.
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Top speakers lined up for inaugural event
HIGH-profile business commentator Justin Urquhart Stewart is marking May 17 in his diary as the date to address an inaugural County Durham business event. The former barrister will be the principal speaker at the first County Durham Business Show, backed
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Musical launch for new restaurant
ITS neighbour is the biggest tourist attraction in County Durham, so it is only natural that a new restaurant opened nearby should aim just as high. Management at the Monboucher Restaurant, in the former drawing room of Beamish Hall, are confident it
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German help may come at a cost
THE German plant of US automotive parts supplier Federal Mogul could be set to take its Wearside work overseas. Federal Mogul Burscheld, the Rhineland subsidiary of the US group which owns the Sunderland plant, is the only party to put an offer on the
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Crime-fighting centre rescued by cash boost
A renowned crime-fighting centre in the North-East has been given a quarter of a million pounds cash boost just months after it was threatened with closure. News of the investment comes days before Harperley Hall, near Crook, County Durham, is due to
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Glowing furniture innovation will ease kids' fears
Children who are scared of the dark will be able to put their ghosts to rest thanks to a new invention to brighten up their bedrooms. Paul Veitch, Richard Imms and Michael McGuigan, from Stanley, County Durham, have designed innovative night time bedroom
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Get on the list for free subscription
THE April edition of Tees Valley and County Durham In Business magazine is now being distributed free to subscribers. This issue focuses on the exciting new developments in Darlington, including Morton Palms business park, which is expected to provide
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Funding to benefit village youngsters
NEW facilities could be created for youngsters as part of a scheme of improvements for a former pit village. Groundwork East Durham and Durham City Council's Single Regeneration Budget Six are drawing up proposals to brighten up the centre of Ludworth
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Take advantage of falling life cover costs
There may be savings to be made when you review your old policies. Neil White reports THE chances are that if you haven't reviewed your life assurance cover in the last few years then you could be paying considerably more than you need be. Five years
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Shops improvement scheme under way
A package of improvements has begun at a shopping area in Hartlepool. The first phase of the work on Brierton shops involves measures to improve the appearance and boost security. A canopy overhanging the front of the shops is being removed to make the
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News in brief, Fundraisers hit £50,000 mark
The landlord of a Teesside pub has raised more than £50,000 for charity in the past ten years. Pete and Maureen McNeil, who run the Norton Tavern, in Station Road, Norton, made the announcement at a recent presentation evening. During the evening a cheque
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Fire brigade invites views on service
TEESSIDE residents are being invited to have their say about the service provided by Cleveland Fire Brigade. A summary of the fire service's Community Plan is published in the council magazines of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland
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City monopolises the top spot for game choice
DURHAM'S cathedral and castle could soon be taking their place on the Monopoly board. Features of the World Heritage Site could replace locations such as Park Lane and Mayfair when the latest regional version of the game is produced later this year. Sunderland
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House needs on-going repairs as trains shake foundations
A family who say heavy freight trains are shaking their home to its foundations claim a Railtrack inspector joked they needed an exorcist to fix the problem. Jeff and Winn Kane, who have lived next to the East Coast Main Line for the last ten years, say
