Archive
-
Date
Union attacks private phones hospital plan
A CONTROVERSIAL scheme to charge patients for private phones and televisions is being extended to another North-East hospital. News that private phones and TVs are being installed at Darlington Memorial Hospital was attacked by the biggest health union
-
Date
Best kept secret is out as firefighter Jonny steps into TV spotlight
FIREFIGHTER Jonathan Regan's life may never be the same. The 29-year-old part-time singer walked through the doors of Channel Four's Big Brother house last night to star in one of TV's most successful shows of all time. He beat thousands of hopefuls from
-
Date
Good health initiative
RESIDENTS of Trimdon Village and the surrounding area are invited to a healthy lifestyle course. The Passport to Health initiative starts in Trimdon Village Hall on Thursday, June 27, from 11.30am to 1.30pm. It will be held every Thursday, for eight weeks
-
Date
Village speed limit moves a step nearer
RESIDENTS who have campaigned for years to have a speed limit enforced in their village may get their wish within a year. The A6072, which carries traffic between the Darlington and Shildon areas, through Redworth, has long been a cause for concern, with
-
Date
Slashed 999 man brands drunk caller 'a menace'
A PARAMEDIC slashed by a violent drunk as he answered a 999 call has branded her a menace to society. Patient Kerry Edeson attacked Tony Keegan with a razor blade as he tried to help her into an ambulance in Washington, Wearside. Yesterday, a court was
-
Date
Building sites shut down in safety blitz
MORE than half the building sites in the North-East checked in a safety blitz by inspectors have been condemned and ordered to stop work. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) officials visited 69 building sites over four days last week, and issued 43 with
-
Date
Heroin seized in raid on pub
HEROIN with a street value of up to £40,000 and a quantity of cocaine was recovered and five people were arrested in a police raid on Tyneside. A number of officers were involved in the raid on the Geordie Ridley pub, in The Precinct, Blaydon, Gateshead
-
Date
Driver is stuck in flooded ford
A MAN had to be rescued after his car became stuck in the swollen River Wear as he tried to drive through the ford at Stanhope last night. Firefighters from Stanhope used a winch to tow the stranded car and its relieved driver to the safety of the bank
-
Date
Man due to be evicted quits house
A MAN due to be evicted by a council, beat the bailiffs by handing in the keys to his maisonette and moving out himself. Middlesbrough Council had previously gone to Teesside County Court and successfully applied for an order to evict 58-year-old Allan
-
Date
Biker nears end US marathon
TRAVELLER Len O'Donnell is preparing to visit Durham's namesake as he nears the end of his 3,640-mile US cycle trip. The 69-year-old Durham county councillor set off in March on a journey from Los Angeles to Washington DC to raise money to replace fire
-
Date
Pupils try their hand at rugby
RUGBY professionals showed off their skills when they visited a Darlington school. Players from Newcastle Falcons caused a scrum at a rugby training camp at Beaumont Hill school. The children were given a talk by players Dave Richardson, Stewart Grimes
-
Date
Village speed limit moves a step nearer
RESIDENTS who have campaigned for years to have a speed limit enforced in their village may get their wish within a year. The A6072, which carries traffic between the Darlington and Shildon areas, through Redworth, has long been a cause for concern, with
-
Date
Comment: Just desserts for Deayton
WE all love to see a rat squirm - and millions tuned in to see a squirming rat on Have I Got News For You last night. But let us not fall into the trap of feeling remotely sorry for Angus Deayton, who was ensnared by the News of the World for taking drugs
-
Date
Death in pub: Licensee gets bail
A licensee facing a charge of manslaughter was granted conditional bail by magistrates yesterday. Steven John Webb, 35, who manages the Rise Carr Hotel, in Whessoe Road, Darlington, is accused of killing family man David Willis. The 51-year-old victim
-
Date
Hot-shot pupils top £1,000 mark in sponsored penalty challenge
CHILDREN at a Darlington school raised more than £1,000 in a sponsored penalty shoot-out competition. As part of Darlington FC's football in the community scheme, St John's Primary School took part in a training course organised by the club. the children
-
Date
Coroner voices fears for safety of cyclists
A CORONER has called for improved cycling routes in North Yorkshire, following the death of a road safety campaigner. Karl Briggs, 65, died last October when his cycle was in collision with a lorry on the A168, at Asenby. At an inquest into the tragedy
-
Date
Woman attacker spared jail term
A MOTHER who battered a woman's face in a drunken fight was spared a jail sentence yesterday. Brenda Cant attacked the woman in her kitchen after an all-day drinking binge three days before Christmas last year, Teesside Crown Court heard. The pair had
-
Date
Soccer stadium rock music plan may be shown red card
DARLINGTON Football Club chairman George Reynolds faces a planning battle with council officials in his bid to use his new football stadium as a concert venue. Mr Reynolds says he wants to book pop legends The Bee Gees to help celebrate the opening of
-
Date
Scouts receive share in cash
A SCOUT group that provides a lifeline for a wheelchair-bound youngster received a £440 boost yesterday. The 1st Great Lumley Scout Group was one of the 15 organisations receiving a share in the proceeds from last year's bonfire and fireworks display
-
Date
Keeper Beresford on the move
MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Marlon Beresford could rejoin First Division Burnley this summer on a free transfer. Beresford, 32, is being released by Boro four years after he arrived from Turf Moor in a £400,000 deal. Burnley boss Stan Ternent confirmed:
-
Date
Plea to join pay panel
PEOPLE with an interest in local government are being sought to play a role in deciding how much their local representatives are paid. The remuneration panel is an independent body which makes recommendations on the level of councillors' allowances, travelling
-
Date
Cousins face house fire claim
TWO cousins appeared in court at Harrogate yesterday accused of arson and conspiracy. Adrian James Stewart, 31, and William Leonard Stewart, 28, who had shared a flat in Chatsworth Place, Harrogate, with a third man - due before the court next week -
-
Date
Anti-cruelty crusaders team up to save the animals
A COUNCIL and a police force are linking up to tackle animal cruelty in a region which has the highest number of RSPCA convictions in the UK. PC Rob King, wildlife officer with Cleveland Police, and Stockton Borough Council animal welfare officer Derek
-
Date
Council staff move into new building
MORE than 200 council staff have begun moving into new offices in a phased operation which will be completed by the end of the month. The staff at the development department for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council are on the move from their offices at
-
Date
Fatherhood tames Max the wandering wallaby
JUST a year ago, Max the lovelorn wallaby was so desperate for company it kept on running away from its York home. But now escape is the last thinking on Max's mind, as the father of several joeys. Max now lives at Monk Park Farm, Bagby, near Thirsk,
-
Date
Nominees list is growing
MORE than 150 people have already been nominated for an inaugural awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of North-East businesswomen. The Women In Business Awards take place on June 14 at the Hardwick Hall Hotel, in Sedgefield, County Durham, where
-
Date
Scheme to crack crime in trouble
A NEIGHBOURHOOD watch scheme in Stockton has lost thousands of members - despite a massive increase in burglaries and car crime in the borough. The scheme had 28,000 members at its peak, but now that residents have been asked to re-register their details
-
Date
Arts grant boosts theatre improvement plan
A theatre created out of a 19th century chapel has been given a multi-thousand pound grant to provide modern facilities for its patrons. The Kirk Theatre, at Pickering, is to get £36,500 from Yorkshire Arts towards an improvement scheme. The theatre,
-
Date
Bid to reduce animal deaths on moor roads
FARMERS pleaded with motorists not to jeopardise the rural recovery yesterday as a campaign to cut the numbers of animals killed on some of the region's most scenic roads was launched. Hundreds of sheep and lambs are killed each year on the North York
-
Date
Contenders for awards
SOME of the region's top entrepreneurs have been selected to go forward to the Northern regional finals of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. The North-East finalists are among 38 for the Northern region, with the winner receiving his
-
Date
The focus is on students' work
SOME of the country's most promising young photographers will showcase their work in a forthcoming exhibition. Final year students on Northumbria University's contemporary photographic course will display their work in the O2 exhibition, from June 11
-
Date
Charity celebrates community awards
Ideas devised by disabled people have been celebrated. Scope, a charity for people with cerebral palsy, has handed out £54,200 to projects in the North-East during the past two years under its Give It A Go Millennium Award Scheme. This week, those who
-
Date
News in brief: Warning not to take tablets
Police are warning drug users in south east Northumberland not to take tablets known as Welchers after eight people were admitted to Wansbeck Hospital after taking them. The tablets are barbiturate-based and highly dangerous, and are blue with a speckled
-
Date
Club is bowled over with enthusiasm
ONE of the area's oldest bowling clubs is set to celebrate a new lease of life following a three-year fundraising programme. A £167,000 bowls pavilion is to be opened amid much fanfare next month at Pelton Fell War Memorial Park Bowling Club, in Pelton
-
Date
Viewers support fight for justice
THE family of the victim in one of the UK's most high-profile murders is backing The Northern Echo's Criminal Injustice campaign. Touched by the plight of Teesside mother Ann Ming, whose daughter, Julie Hogg, was murdered in 1989, Maureen Harvey has contacted
-
Date
Walks festival aims to boost Dales economy
FINAL preparations are under way for a walking event which it is hoped could pump thousands of pounds into a beleaguered dales economy. Community groups and council officers are putting the finishing touches to the Roof of England Walks Festival, which
-
Date
Banned doctor warned that he might face jail
A DOCTOR who did not tell his employers he had been suspended by the General Medical Council and continued to work was found guilty by a jury yesterday. The jury at Teesside Crown Court took a little more than an hour to return guilty verdicts on Dr Michael
-
Date
Liquidator is called in after theatre crash
Experts will meet in the next few days to try to sort out the financial crisis caused by the collapse of the company running one of the region's arts venues. Moves to wind up the Entertainment Team (Durham) Ltd, which was behind the running of the £14m
-
Date
Exotic twist to pub dining
CUSTOMERS at a Newton Aycliffe pub can now enjoy traditional Thai cooking. Landlord Dean Young has incorporated a Thai restaurant called Chandhana, into the Aycliffe Arms, in Silverdale Place. It will be open from 6.30pm to 10pm from Tuesday to Saturday
-
Date
Angus takes it on the nose
Angus Deayton faced his sternest critics last night following revelations of his cocaine-snorting sex romps. Steve Pratt watched as he was thrown to the Have I Got News For You lions. When presenter Richard Bacon was caught taking drugs, the head of children's
-
Date
Big Book keeps pupils in big picture
Primary school pupils will use a book to teach them about energy efficiency. It was produced by the energy office at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council as part of a Kiddergy project. The first book was handed to St Bede's School, in Marske. The Big
-
Date
Three have day to remember
THREE teenagers had tea on the terrace with their MP before visiting 10 Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister. Redcar MP Vera Baird was asked to nominate three pupils from schools in her constituency to meet the Prime Minister and she chose 14-year-olds
-
Date
In the Picture: The other Royal family
The combination of sex, money and lavish costumes has proved a winner in the past for the makers of royal sagas. But can the Queen Mother's story revive interest in the House of Windsor? The ingredients outclassed anything a glossy American soap could
-
Date
Castle Eden go top after Billingham victory
CASTLE Eden romped to the summit of the Teesside and District Union after a devastating performance against visitors Billingham on Thursday night. Led by Division One's leading points scorer last season, Graham Border, Eden's scratch section took maximum
-
Date
Brandon aim high
Brandon are aiming for a top four place at least this season. They go into today's home game with Willington unbeaten in their five matches and secretary Ian Johnson said; "Since we came into the league a couple of years ago, our target has always been
-
Date
Visitors promised a peasant time at museum
PROFESSIONAL peasants will demonstrate ancient arts when they visit a North-East museum tomorrow. Visitors to Newcastle's Hancock Museum, from 10.30am to 3.30pm, will be able to find out about life as a peasant, learn about bodging and see baby birds,
-
Date
Town's court looks doomed
THE death knell has been sounded for Chester-le-Street Magistrates Court, following more than a year of debate over which County Durham court will face the chop. County Durham Magistrates' Court Committee has finally taken the decision to close the Chester-le-Street
-
Date
Council condemns vandal attacks at leisure sites
VANDALS have been causing problems at two community facilities in the Ryedale area. They have targeted the Derwent play area, in Norton-on-Derwent, and Lady Spring Woods, Malton. Play equipment has been broken and glass left at the sites, which are used
-
Date
Vandals strike blow to sports club cricketers
CRICKET club officials are appalled that new equipment installed just three weeks ago has been vandalised beyond repair. Newton Aycliffe Cricket Club laid a new artificial practice strip and set up new nets with the help of a £4,000 National Lottery grant
-
Date
Glimmer of hope over castle wrangle
HOPES are being raised that a long-running wrangle over a 700-year-old castle in Kirkbymoorside is about to come to an end. English Heritage has told the town council, which owns Neville Castle, that one of the agency's conservation engineers is to carry
-
Date
Plan rejected over flood fears
A PLAN to build a workshop for repairing and storing farm machinery has been rejected by planners because the area is prone to flooding. Almost 130 residents tabled protests about plans to build the workshop behind Skellholme and Burnside at Fishergreen
-
Date
School ready for jubilee fun
PUPILS of Reid Street Primary School in Darlington will be holding a day of events to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Children will take part in an assembly for the whole school on Friday morning next week, which will include a procession of class
-
Date
Grassroots: Washington
FOLK AT THE CENTRE: Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies will entertain in the Davy Lamp Folk Club tonight in the Biddick Arts Centre ANY ANSWERS: The Ox and Plough in Oxclose holds a general knowledge quiz at 8.30pm on Wednesdays PENNY FOR THEM: Asda in the
-
Date
Lamp illuminates new mayor's term
THE new mayor of Darlington has been honoured with a tradition which was shelved seven years ago. Doris Jones, 59, of Middleton-One-Row, became the new mayor at a ceremony Darlington Town Hall last Thursday. And for the first time in seven years, Coun
-
Date
Born-again band is one big family
A LONG-PLAYING former colliery band is back in tune having almost returned to its roots. Durham County Cricket Club and Chester-le-Street District Council offered a lifeline after hearing the Newcastle Brown Ale Band was in danger of disbanding. Members
-
Date
Move to prevent 'double taxation'
A MOVE to bolster parish and town councils and prevent people being charged twice for services has been welcomed in County Durham. Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael launched a guidance note on financial arrangements with parish and town councils to
-
Date
News from the Gurilds and WIs
Catchgate WI MRS Gallagher welcomed members and guests to the annual general meeting - WI Adviser Mrs F Weatherspoon and Mrs R Bates and Mrs D. Mackie from Annfield Plain WI. The Golden Thread, Let Every Day be a Good Day, was read by G Grainger. Minutes
-
Date
Sacked workers win pay fight
WORKERS sacked without consultation from a clothing factory have won a two year battle for compensation. Former employees of the Susie Radin factory, in Crook, are celebrating after an employment tribunal awarded them 90 days pay. The London company has
-
Date
No takers for Sunderland's French flop Laslandes
SUNDERLAND could find themselves stuck with £3.6m French misfit Lilian Laslandes - despite placing him on the transfer list earlier this week. For although the striker's agent, Phillipe Flavier, has been searching for a new club for the past six months
-
Date
Andy's world-class ride
CONSETT policeman Andy Huddlestone has just become one of the world's premier trial bike stars. Sgt Huddlestone beat some of the highest ranked trial bikers in the world, many of whom are professional, in the six-day International Motorcycle Trials in
-
Date
MPs call for drug centres
TEESSIDE MPs are calling for better drug programmes and rehabilitation centres in the area. Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar has sponsored an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons calling for more and better Government-funded drug
-
Date
News from the Guilds and WIs
Belmont TG THE monthly meeting of Belmont Guild was held on Wednesday, May 1, in Belmont Comprehensive School. Chairman Mrs M Parker opened the meeting and minutes of the previous meeting were read by the secretary, Mrs T Harrison. The financial report
-
Date
Gardening: Green for safety in the garden
MY heart had jumped straight into my mouth, but I couldn't get any words out. I wanted to jump up but was frozen solid to the bench. You know that feeling when everything happens in such slow motion, you can see what is happening but can't do anything
-
Date
Town council airs big plans
A WIDE-RANGING programme of projects and events for the next 12 months has been unveiled by Ferryhill Town Council. In his annual report to members, executive officer Jamie Corrigan has outlined progress made on current schemes and plans for the next
-
Date
'Sabotage' scare on region's rail track
A TRACK fault with chilling similarities to the Potters Bar crash was discovered on a North-East stretch of the East Coast Mainline, The Northern Echo can reveal. The company responsible for the upkeep of the high-speed rail link, Jarvis, said nuts had
-
Date
Darlington aim to keep pressure on Guisborough
Darlington aim to keep the pressure on reigning champions and leaders Guisborough in the weekend's double programme. Following today's visit to Marske they entertain Normanby Hall at Feethams tomorrow and that back to back wins would give them a real
-
Date
Businessman disgraced
A FORMER business leader who once spearheaded a community's crime-fighting drive stood disgraced last week when he was convicted of forgery. Peter John MacGregor, 64, admitted ten charges of forging insurance certificates on his home computer, which were
-
Date
Courageous beat bobby commended
A BEAT bobby has been commended for courage after tackling a knifeman. PC Nigel Craig was with new constable Claire Trewick on her first nightshift when they were sent on an emergency call to a house in Great Lumley last September. There a drunken man
-
Date
MP calls for holiday scam blitz
THE Government has pledged to clamp down on rogue holiday companies after a North-East MP claimed a holiday scam had conned people out of thousands of pounds. North Durham MP Kevan Jones addressed the House of Commons on Tuesday to highlight the growing
-
Date
Young stars ready to step into the limelight
THREE students are about to rub shoulders with the stars after being awarded scholarships for Darlington Civic Theatre's summer season. Lucy Bradshaw, 21, from Stanhope Road, Darlington, Catherine Harper, 17, from Gilderdale Close, Darlington, and Rebecca
-
Date
And here are his new neighbours
The 11 other housemates in the new series of Big Brother are: Alex, 23, a half-German male model from Essex He is a car fanatic, who loves playing the didgeridoo and does 200 sit-ups each morning Will miss most: His VW Beetle, his house and his radio
-
Date
Disco night is the business
PUPILS at a Darlington secondary school have been dancing towards a £50,000 fundraising target. Branksome School wants to raise the cash to bid for specialist business and enterprise status. Pupils asked for a disco- style event to be held and management
-
Date
Give Spike a sign to come home
CLEVER, intelligent and with a nose as sensitive as any, Spike is a fun, sprightly and energetic puppy. But call the six-month-old's name and the terrier won't come running - because it is deaf. Because of its deafness, Spike is now also homeless, having
-
Date
News in brief: Thieves strike twice at house
A house in Stephenson Street, Ferryhill, was burgled twice in two days. The first break-in was between 9.30am and 11am on Wednesday, when a kitchen window was smashed and two mobile phones, one a Nokia 3210, valued at £180 were stolen. Burglars struck
-
Date
Authority at peace with Sting yoga plan
NORTH-EAST rock star Sting is in tune with planners over his bid to open a yoga room in his 17th Century farmhouse in the Lake District. The star and his actress wife Trudie Styler snapped up the Grade II listed building last year for just under half-a-million
-
Date
Housing team criticised in audit report
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council has been criticised in a report which has given its housing maintenance service a zero rating. The independent Audit Commission report says the service is 'poor and has uncertain prospects for improvement.' The report says the
-
Date
Sneak-in burglaries warning
DETECTIVES have issued a warning after two homes were burgled by thieves who sneaked in through unlocked doors. Both houses were in the Colleges area of Darlington, and a large quantity of jewellery was taken from one. It is thought a thief who burgled
-
Date
Cup glory is sweet after 29 years
A PRIMARY school football team is celebrating cup winning success for the first time in 29 years. Cleves Cross Primary School, in Ferryhill, has been entering the Spennymoor and Ferryhill Primary Schools Football Association Five-a-Side Football Festival
-
Date
Project makes child's play of learning
A SCHEME to improve toddlers' speech and language through drama looks set to continue after a six-week trial was a huge success. Sure Start Wear Valley, an educational group for pre-school children, hopes to run more courses with theatre group Cap-a-pie
-
Date
Former factory worker died from asbestosis
A FORMER nanny and chemical factory worker died from prolonged exposure to asbestos, an inquest heard yesterday. Beatrice Bainbridge, 84, of Neville House Residential Home, Darlington, worked as a nanny before becoming a pipe insulator at Darlington Chemical
-
Date
Blunkett will not call police inquiry
THE Home Office has turned down a request to conduct a public inquiry into the affairs of Cleveland Police in the wake of the Operation Lancet debacle. Earlier this year, Arthur Preece, former leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, wrote to Home Secretary
-
Date
Project makes child's play of learning
A SCHEME to improve toddlers' speech and language through drama looks set to continue after a six-week trial was a huge success. Sure Start Wear Valley, an educational group for pre-school children, hopes to run more courses with theatre group Cap-a-pie
-
Date
Threat to city court averted
DURHAM'S threatened magistrates court has escaped closure after court bosses decided Chester-le-Street will be axed. The magistrates court at Durham has been staring closure in the face for nearly a year, as the County Durham's Magistrates Courts Committee
-
Date
Good health initiative
RESIDENTS of Trimdon Village and the surrounding area are invited to a healthy lifestyle course. The Passport to Health initiative starts in Trimdon Village Hall on Thursday, June 27, from 11.30am to 1.30pm. It will be held every Thursday, for eight weeks
-
Date
Carers 'failed little Sophie'
social services failed a 13-month-old baby who died in a pool of vomit shortly after being fed a concoction of cheesecake, Weetabix, milk and ice-cream by her stepfather, a coroner said yesterday. At the end of an inquest into the death of Sophie Casey
-
Date
Gipsies allege harassment
THE president of the National Gipsy Council has hit out at police for allegedly harassing travellers - and says the case could be taken to the Home Office. Hughie Smith has made a formal complaint to David Kenworthy, Chief Constable of North Yorkshire
-
Date
Eight vehicles in accident
THE upper deck of a car transporter collapsed as it travelled along a busy North-East dual carriageway yesterday. Three new cars it was carrying were damaged and the transporter was towed away after the incident at 10.45am, on the westbound carriageway
-
Date
Police swoop on N-E truants
MORE than 230 truants have been picked up by police on the streets of a North-East city in a single day. Police were surprised to find so many pupils absent from school in the Sunderland area during a crackdown this week and have condemned parents who
-
Date
Judge's son is child porn suspect
A JUDGE'S son was among those arrested in a series of swoops on computer child porn suspects. Peter Hall, 41, son of the late circuit judge George Hall, was among 36 people held by police across the country in Operation Ore, which targeted paedophiles
-
Date
It's a crazy Cup world
ANDREW Kipling is flagging up his support for England's bid to lift the World Cup. The 37-year-old has painted the front of his house in Gouldsmith Gardens, Darlington, in the colours of the cross of St George as a sign of his unstinting support for the
-
Date
Exclusion zone as fire hits quay
A 300-YARD exclusion zone was thrown up around a North-East industrial estate last night during a major fire. More than 50 firefighters were called in to tackle the blaze which was fanned by high winds at Devlins Quay on the Wagonway Industrial Estate
-
Date
Jail for man who got girl, 13 pregnant
A MAN who got a 13-year-old girl pregnant was jailed for nine months yesterday. Teesside Crown Court heard Alan Dawes was 36 when he had sex with the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said Dawes, now 37, had sex with
-
Date
Poison-pen letter writer walks free
A POISON-PEN letter writer who threatened to carry out a Dunblane-style massacre of children during a two-year hate campaign walked free from court yesterday. Ian Julian Walker was mentally ill, Teesside Crown Court heard, when he called himself Soldier
-
Date
New in brief: Concern for missing woman
POLICE are trying to trace a 30-year-old woman who has gone missing from her home in Middlesbrough. Alison Jane Buckley, of Portman Street, has not been seen by friends or neighbours for several months, although her disappearance was only reported to
-
Date
Born-again band is one big family
A LONG-PLAYING former colliery band is back in tune having almost returned to its roots. Durham County Cricket Club and Chester-le-Street District Council offered a lifeline after hearing the Newcastle Brown Ale Band was in danger of disbanding. Members
-
Date
Static growth now weakest since 1992
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown's growth forecasts appeared far too optimistic yesterday as new figures showed the UK economy almost fell into recession at the start of the year. The Office for National Statistics said gross domestic product (GDP) in the first
-
Date
Benny's example is outstanding
FORMER Electrolux worker Benny Devine has returned to the company to guide warehouse staff through their NVQs. The training officer, 46, joined South West Durham Training, at Newton Aycliffe, after 23 years with Electrolux in Spennymoor. Leaving school
-
Date
Chiefs' joy over new fire station
EMERGENCY service chiefs are celebrating the completion of work on a new fire station. Firefighters could attend their first call-out in July from the base, near York. Proposals for the Clifton station, on the York outer ring road, sparked controversy
-
Date
Drivers warned
DRIVERS are being warned to check their vehicles are in order before Northumbria Police launches a tyre safety week. From Monday, officers will be asking motorists to have their tyres checked by experts from the Tyre Industry Council. The checks will
-
Date
Cathedral concert to mark jubilee
THE Queen's golden jubilee is being marked with a cathedral concert by the British Red Cross next month. It will feature Durham Sinfonia, conducted by Andre de Ridder, playing works by Handel, Tchaikovsky and Walton. The Durham Singers, directed by Alan
-
Date
Grassroots: Chester-le-Street Birtley and District
CHURCH IMPROVEMENTS: People who visit Perkinsville Methodist Church are asked to make donations towards the cost of a new heating system, toilet facilities and decor-ation. PARISH APPOINTMENTS: Brian Walker was re-elected as chairman of Great Lumley Parish
-
Date
Nil points for style - but we still love it
The Eurovision Song Contest is back on our screens tonight. Christen Pears looks at what makes this tacky exhibition so successful. EVEN long-serving host Terry Wogan admits it's "rubbish" but the much-derided Eurovision Song Contest still holds a strange
-
Date
Town to attract cylists
THE post-industrial town of Consett could become an attraction for thousands of cyclists, if a new promotion scheme works. Derwentside District Council has erected a number of signs on the coast-to-coast cycle way which passes the town in an attempt to
-
Date
Communities link up for event
COMMUNITY leaders are gearing up for an annual celebration. The Communities Together event, involving residents from Pennywell, Ford and South Hylton, in Sunderland, will take place on June 22. Since it started two years ago, it has become so popular
-
Date
Efforts continue to ease jobs blow
A TASK force set up to support 147 workers facing redundancy at a North-East cement works has revealed details of a plan to regenerate the area. The group was formed following the announcement in January that Lafarge (UK) is to close its Blue Circle plant
-
Date
Seeking answers to an intoxicating question
A CHAIN of convenience stores has been chosen to help discover what motivates shoppers to buy beer in off-licences. Coors Brewers has teamed up with Bell's Stores for an eight-week trial in its Guisborough store that will see customers confronted by a
-
Date
World Cup joy in a can
A GADGET contained in a tin of beer meant World Cup ecstasy for a football-mad councillor. Little did Michael Malone, deputy leader at Derwentside District Council, know but his tin of Budweiser contained a magic button which activated a transmitter in
-
Date
Launching new book about the ship
A book has been written about an old ship and work to restore it to its former glory on Teesside. Professor Andrew Lambert, an authority on naval history at King's College, London, has studied the frigate Trincomalee, the oldest ship afloat in the UK.
-
Date
'Convicts' on run for charity
CHARITY "convicts" set off on a great escape from the appropriately named Court Inn yesterday. Pairs of convicts raising money for ChildLine Yorkshire and North-East aimed to get as far away from the Durham pub as possible in 24 hours with the help of
-
Date
Treasury of works on display
TREASURES from one of the region's most important landmarks, depicted in beads and embroidery, will be on display at Durham Cathedral. The exhibition has been created by adults with learning difficulties and mental health problems from the group Craft
-
Date
Pupils active for 24 hours to raise cash
PUPILS jumped, swam, ran, walked and bounced their way through 24 hours as they raised £2,500 for their school. From 9.30am yesterday to 9.30am today, 120 pupils and sports staff from Roseberry Comprehensive, in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street undertook
-
Date
Victim gave chase to ski mask robber
THE victim of a street robbery helped catch her masked attacker by chasing after him and taking note of his car's registration number. Freda Mulvey, 56, was walking through an underpass at West Pelton, County Durham, when she was attacked by John Coatman
-
Date
Boundary change calculations need rethink - council
A NATIONAL committee which looks at boundary changes for local authorities is being asked to rethink its proposals for a Teesside authority. The Boundary Commission has suggested changes for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, but the council says the
-
Date
News in brief: Toddlers fill gym classes
Demand for gym classes for toddlers is overwhelming leisure staff in Stokesley. Two more classes will begin at the town's leisure centre next month, for youngsters aged from six-months to three. Thirty youngsters and their parents already attend courses
-
Date
Sid and Jimmy's royal parade day
A POLICE force was given free rein to help celebrate the sovereign's reign. Two Cleveland Police horses, Sid and Jimmy, joined a Golden Jubilee tribute to the Queen's love of equestrian pursuits, at Windsor Castle. The two horses and their riders, PC
-
Date
Concerns raised over miles patients may travel for ops
CONCERNS have been expressed about NHS plans for patients in North-West Durham to travel to Bishop Auckland - a 45-minute car drive and a two-bus journey from Stanley - for non-urgent operations. But patients' watchdog the North Durham Community Health
-
Date
Hear all sides: SINGLE CURRENCY
HUGH Pender (HAS, May 11) believes we must join the euro or retreat into a state of disastrous isolationism. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can stay in the EU and keep the pound. We can keep trading with Europe and the rest of the world just
-
Date
Education chief moves to Wearside
THE woman in charge of education in Middlesbrough is moving on. Barbara Comiskey, currently corporate director of education for Middlesbrough Council, has been appointed to the post of director of education by Sunderland City Council. She began her career
-
Date
Student's top North art accolade
Maria Michael was on top of the world yesterday after one of her works was voted the north's most popular piece of student art work. The York student was named as the winner of the Bar Culture award at a ceremony in the city's Slug and Lettuce pub. The
-
Date
People asked to rise to the occasion
PEOPLE taking part in jubilee celebrations are being asked to make a pastry model of one of east Cleveland's best known landmarks. One of the activities on offer at the jubilee celebrations taking place in the grounds of Gisborough Priory is to make a
-
Date
Windfall gets group going
Two sisters running a parent and toddler group in Skinningrove are urging more people to become involved because the group needs all the help it can get. Sure Start East Cleveland provided £16,000 so that the group could equip its own room at the village's
-
Date
Agency defends delay on double death fall report
AN agency conducting an investigation into the death of a mother and her 11-year-old autistic son has vowed not be rushed into publishing a report - despite being two months past its deadline. The County Durham Autistic Support Group, which had helped
-
Date
Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League
Leaders Sacriston will miss Paul Burn when they defend the only unbeaten record at Benwell and Walbottle. Burn, who many consider was unlucky to miss out on a contract when Durham County went first class, has been in scintillating form in the early games
-
Date
Settled side key to Murton
Murton, who toppled leaders Silksworth last week and moved into pole position, enjoy the luxury of having to make only one change for their visit to Castle Eden this afternoon. This is their fifth fixture and they have been able to field their strongest
-
Date
Skipper Birbeck backing Cestrians to retain title
Chester-le-Street captain Tony Birbeck is enthusiastic about his side's chances of retaining the championship and few will doubt his optimism following the arrival of paceman Ashley Day from Hetton Lyons and Birbeck's brother Shaun from Eppleton during
-
Date
Give Spike a sign to come home
CLEVER, intelligent and with a nose as sensitive as any, Spike is a fun, sprightly and energetic young puppy. But call the six-month-old's name and the terrier won't come running - because it is deaf. Because of its deafness, Spike is now also homeless
-
Date
Villagers to cast votes for parish seat
A SEAT on a grassroots authority will be vacant next month. A place on the parish council of Bagby and Balk, near Thirsk, is up for grabs at an election on Thursday, June 6. But as the vacancy is for Bagby parish, only the 368 electors registered for
-
Date
News in brief: Pipe repair work delayed
GAS industry company Transco has agreed to delay work in Scarborough after warnings it would cause congestion in the holiday season. The borough council asked Transco to rethink its plan because main roads into the resort would have become jammed with
-
Date
Archbishop to open school development
THE Archbishop of York will open a £200,000 development at a village school next week. Dr David Hope will be joined by educationalist Sir Christopher Ball for the ceremony at Husthwaite CE Primary, near Easingwold, next Thursday. The project, to create
-
Date
News in brief: /image>
A house in Stephenson Street, Ferryhill, was burgled twice in two days. The first break-in was between 9.30am and 11am on Wednesday,when a kitchen window was smashed and two mobile phones, one a Nokia 3210, valued at £180 were stolen. Burglars struck
-
Date
Council to issue proof of age cards
TEENAGERS across County Durham are to receive proof of age cards, highlighting the law on sales of cigarettes, solvents and alcohol. County council consumer officials launched the new Connexions Card which will also be on offer to teenagers in neighbouring
-
Date
Medical team is
COMMUNITY medics who have helped reduce heart disease deaths in the Durham dales have been voted best in the country. The lifesaving Coronary Heart Disease Prevention Team from the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust won two nationally recognised awards under
-
Date
MP joins fight to stop pong
A SEWAGE works is continuing to cause a number of problems for local people. Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, was asked to find out why Marske sewage works had caused flooding on the stray and a bad smell in the air. Mrs Baird said: "Northumbrian Water told
-
Date
Grassroots: Derwentside
PLAYING AT WORK: Nice Work If You Can Get It is being staged by Classic Entertainments in Stanley Civic Hall at 7.30pm next Saturday. Tickets are £7. ROYAL TRAINS: Two trains will run from 11am to 5.09pm on Sunday to Tuesday, June 2 to 4, on The Tanfield
-
Date
Parents fight car park plans
A CONSETT woman has unearthed a covenant which she hopes will scupper attempts to turn land used as playing fields into a car park. Sandra Reynolds has joined up with other parents to oppose a plan to turn the land to the east of Dixon Street in Blackhill
-
Date
Jinx strikes again
ENGLAND'S injury jinx struck again yesterday when midfielder Danny Murphy returned home after breaking a bone in his left foot, writes PAUL FRASER. The Liverpool star has fractured the same metatarsal as skipper David Beckham, who is still fighting to
-
Date
Trial of strength
DURHAM and Northumberland meet today at Spennymoor in a Muras Trophy match which will be regarded as a trial of strength before their big Middleton Cup clash next month. The arch-rivals are always fiercely competitive, but today's match takes second place
-
Date
Cement workers accept transfers
UP TO 40 families could quit an isolated dale in the wake of a cement works closure, sparking fears of a knock-on effect on businesses and schools. Lafarge Cement, which is shutting its Blue Circle works at Eastgate, Weardale, in August, has confirmed
-
Date
Rabbit away at Haydock
WHITE RABBIT (2.20) could take some catching in the day's most valuable contest, the £70,000 Tote Credit Club Silver Bowl Handicap at Haydock. Just about everything has dropped right for Tim Easterby's useful three-year-old filly, especially the unseasonably
-
Date
Teenagers to get proof-of-age ID cards
TEENAGERS across County Durham are to receive proof of age cards, highlighting the law on sales of cigarettes, solvents and alcohol. County council consumer officials launched the new Connexions Card which will also be on offer to teenagers in neighbouring
-
Date
French exchange ends on sour note
A 40-YEAR tradition of friendship between Bishop Auckland and its twin French town has ended on a sour note. It wasn't that the residents of Ivry-sur-Seine, near Paris, said 'non' to any more visits - they just didn't reply to any invitations or write
-
Date
Sewage plans 'unacceptable'
PLANS for a new sewage system have been criticised in the first stages. Northumbrian Water is legally obliged to build a sewage treatment works in Skinningrove and has shortlisted ten possible sites to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which will
-
Date
Musicians on song for the proms
SCORES of classical music fans enjoyed two rousing concerts at the weekend. A Promenade for Youth and A Last Night of the Proms at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington attracted performers and audiences from throughout the region. Youngsters including The
-
Date
Pratt display boosts injury-plagued Durham
DURHAM'S injury jinx had a silver lining yesterday in the shape of Gary Pratt's best first-class score of 66. Skipper Jon Lewis joined the casualties, but the back injury which forced him to miss his first championship match for four years spared him
-
Date
Council seeks to get arcade listed
AN AMUSEMENT arcade gutted in a blaze may be granted listed building status. J Noble and Sons Amusements recently applied to Chester-le-Street District Council to redevelop its fire-damaged premises on the town's Front Street. The fire took hold in the
-
Date
Bramble keen on Magpies
IPSWICH defender Titus Bramble would "love the opportunity" to join Newcastle United. The Magpies are lining up a £6m deal for 20-year-old Bramble following the Tractor Boys' relegation. And the player's agent, Jonathan Barnett, admitted: "The lure of
-
Date
Honour for chemistry professors
TRAIL-BLAZING chemistry professors at Durham University have been elected to a leading scientific body for producing work of international importance. Judith Howard CBE and David Parker have been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the highest
-
Date
Workers and shoppers get retail therapy
RETAIL workers in the region have received a boost with news that two big names are improving their operations. Supermarket chain Asda plans to create 1,250 jobs as part of an expansion of its distribution operation, including 120 in the North-East. And
-
Date
McRae drafted into Durham's back row
DURHAM have drafted Middlesbrough captain Ritchie McRae into their back row for today's match against Northumberland at Darlington as Mowden Park's Darren McKinnon could not confirm his availability. The match brings down the curtain on Durham's 125th
-
Date
The men who kept ministry's legacy alive
ALTHOUGH John Wesley sowed the seeds of Methodism at High House 250 years ago, it was three men who helped keep his legacy alive in the 1980s. The chapel, built by lead miners and their families after Wesley's first visit to Weardale, had fallen into
-
Date
In the Picture: The other Royal family
The combination of sex, money and lavish costumes has proved a winner in the past for the makers of royal sagas. But can the Queen Mother's story revive interest in the House of Windsor? The ingredients outclassed anything a glossy American soap could
-
Date
Annette's final hit
SONGBIRD Annette Wardell saw a dream come true when she sang the national anthem at the FA Cup final in Cardiff. Before a crowd of 80,000 and a worldwide TV audience of more than 200m, the 29-year-old opera singer from Marske and five other members of
-
Date
Gardening: Green for safety in the garden
MY heart had jumped straight into my mouth, but I couldn't get any words out. I wanted to jump up but was frozen solid to the bench. You know that feeling when everything happens in such slow motion, you can see what is happening but can't do anything
-
Date
Mission that brought music to the chapel
THE mission to bring a grand new organ to High House Chapel in Upper Weardale was similar to that journey taken by John Wesley 250 years ago. The organ was a legacy from the crowd disaster at the Victoria Hall in Sunderland, in June, 1883, which trapped
-
Date
Historic ride remembers Wesley's amazing journey
Methodists and fellow Christians from across the North-East will gather in Weardale on Sunday to celebrate a special date - the 250th anniversary of John Wesley's epic journey through the Weardale valley. In the second part of his special report, John
-
Date
At your service: Undivided attention
HAMSTERLEY has a pub, a club, a riding school, a shop and a hall. A placard on the road into the village announces that Secondary Cause of Death will be at the hall on May 24 and 25, though fails to make clear whether it is a play, a heavy metal band
-
Date
Charity bid aims to get group moving
A CHARITY is appealing for help to raise £135,000 to buy a minibus and static caravan. As well as covering the cost of buying the new equipment for the Darlington and District Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the cash will also help with running
-
Date
No funding for skateboard park
TEENAGE skateboarders are causing havoc in Saltburn because they don't have proper facilities. Councillor Joan Sands, who represents the Saltburn ward on Redcar and Cleveland Borough and Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish councils, wants to see proper
