Archive
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Back to basics with the in-laws
EARLIER in the year my in-laws, June and Jack, moved up to the area from Norfolk. Since the move, they have been busy unpacking boxes, moving furniture and redecorating. They seem to have just about got the inside licked now and have turned their attention
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McLeish gives go-ahead for Flo to join Black Cats
PETER Reid's search for a striker received a major boost last night when he was given the green light to step up his £6m pursuit of Tore Andre Flo. Two days after Flo visited Sunderland, Rangers manager Alex McLeish made it clear he would not stand in
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Protestors demand GM crops rethink
PROTESTORS have called on the Government to rethink GM crop trials after a site in the North-East was found to be contaminated. A trial farm at Oakenshaw, near Crook, County Durham, is among 12 sites in England containing an unauthorised strain of oilseed
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Daughter forced to eat pet rabbit
A SADISTIC father who killed the family pet rabbit and forced his daughter to skin it and eat it for tea was jailed for three years yesterday. Joseph Kernachan, 52, ordered the youngster to smash the rabbit's head on the kitchen top. When she pleaded
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Do they hold key to girls mystery?
A SCHOOL caretaker and his girlfriend left police stations last night after being questioned in connection with the disappearance of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Ian Huntley, 28, the site manager at Soham Village College for the past nine months,
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Children bid for football honours
YOUNGSTERS from two Darlington estates ended a series of football events in their communities when they came together to compete yesterday. Children on the Red Hall and Firthmoor estates have been spending their summer playing football, leading up to
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Cancer advice for workers
MALE workers at Darlington Borough Council are being urged to find out more about testicular and prostate cancer. Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) is working with the council and South Durham Health Care NHS Trust to organise an awareness event it
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Store switch may hit creche
A SUPERMARKET chain's rethink on how it will redevelop its Darlington store could mean parents of young children losing out. Safeway withdrew an application to change its Victoria Road site into a superstore last week because Darlington Borough Council
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Still no end to A-level agony
A FRUSTRATED student was still waiting for an A-level result last night - with little hope of it appearing over the weekend. While thousands of students were celebrating record A-level pass rates, Lyndsay Angus, 19, of Darlington, was still nervously
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News In Brief
Youngsters aid town revamp: Spennymoor town centre will get a new look when youngsters from Spennymoor Youth Theatre brighten up the shopping area. In late October and early November the youngsters will paint panels to brighten up the John Kitson Archway
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Upgrade follows two-year battle
VICTORY is in sight for a group of residents who have campaigned for two years for improvements to their community centre. A £5,000 grant from the National Lottery's Awards for All scheme will provide improved staging and lighting at Terrington village
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Preacher clocks up 75 years spreading word
LIFELONG Methodist Arthur White has clocked up 75 years as a local preacher. Mr White, of Colburn, near Catterick, who celebrates his 98th birthday in two weeks, became a fully accredited local preacher in 1927 and still attends church every week. He
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'No guarantees for the future' at Cummins plant
ENGINE manufacturer Cummins refused to rule out more job losses last night amid renewed fears over its future. The Darlington company announced in July that it was making 50 temporary staff redundant in the latest of a series of cost-cutting measures.
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Summer school impresses
A TEESSIDE summer school has proved as big a hit with government inspectors as it was with the youngsters who attended. The two-week scheme at Abingdon Primary School, in Abingdon Road, Middlesbrough, has been judged so good that funding has already been
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Cancer charity issues evening invitation
A DURHAM charity shop is holding a wine and cheese evening for volunteers, customers and donors. The event will be held at the Cancer Research UK store in Silver Street on Wednesday, August 28, from 5.30pm to 7pm. The store will be selling new, as well
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Solution in sight for fridge mountain
ENVIRONMENT chiefs in North Yorkshire have said they are close to finding a solution to the county's mountain of old fridges. About 20,000 fridges are being stored at a depot in Hessay, near York, awaiting safe removal. Waste management firm Yorwaste
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Death crash man's family may bring private action
THE devastated family of a great-grandfather who died in a hit-and-run accident are considering bringing a private prosecution after the case against the two men in the car was dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it sympathised with the
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Culhane bids to turn from villain to hero
JUST over one month ago Tony Culhane found himself needing a police escort from Pontefract racecourse as angry spectators vented their fury on the blundering jockey, who had carelessly thrown away race he should have won. But this afternoon it could be
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Buddy a friend to punters
REEL BUDDY can once again be the punters' pal by lifting Newbury's Group 3 Stan James Hungerford Stakes. After a sparkling start to the season, when he repaid his supporters in spades by rattling off a brilliant three-timer at Kempton, Haydock and Newmarket
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Pensioner's plea over remote control
AN 82-year-old woman is appealing for the youngsters who stole the remote control for her mobility carriage to hand it in to police. The woman was at the community centre in Durham Road, Redcar on Tuesday, between noon and 1pm. She left her carriage outside
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Community grant means go-ahead for wildlife haven
PLANS by residents to create a wildlife haven on their doorstep looks set to go ahead. North Billingham Residents Association has teamed up with Stockton Borough Council, Billingham Regeneration, and The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust to produce a package
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Mining villages welcome study
RESIDENTS of former mining villages yesterday welcomed a housing study that has looked at ways of regenerating their communities. Kevan Jones, MP for North Durham, commissioned the survey in an attempt to arrest the decline of North-East pit villages.
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Project puts would-be film-makers in picture
BUDDING film-makers are to be given the chance to work with professional equipment. The 123 Digital Media project is open to people of all ages from the Stockton area, to help them create one, two or three-minute films about their community groups. The
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Back to basics with the in-laws
EARLIER in the year my in-laws, June and Jack, moved up to the area from Norfolk. Since the move, they have been busy unpacking boxes, moving furniture and redecorating. They seem to have just about got the inside licked now and have turned their attention
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Fresh start for station
A RADIO station which broadcasts to the Dales has confirmed that it will be beefing up its service to parts of Richmondshire next week. Fresh was launched in the late 1990s as Yorkshire Dales Radio, with a remit to cover most of the national park area
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Smile breaks out in the park
A HAPPY atmosphere has been promised at a two-day festival of live music, dance and entertainment this weekend. The Smile (Sunderland Music International Live Entertainment) music festival was launched in the city's Mowbray Park by the Mayor, Councillor
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In training for export growth
A North-East training company has set its sights on expanding its export market following a three-month secondment to Norway. The trip was backed by Trade Partners UK and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Action in Management, of Durham, has
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Axe chase man sentenced
A MAN chased a policeman out of his home wielding an axe because he was angry when he was woken from a drunken sleep. Michael Wright, 39, of Forber Avenue, South Shields, was woken by police banging on his front door at 10.30pm on February 11. Newcastle
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Fans turn out to greet Jonny
THE nation's favourite fireman was surrounded by more than 200 adoring fans when he opened a new fast food drive-through yesterday. Big Brother runner-up Jonny Regan signed posters and puckered up for the camera before unveiling the McDonald's drive-through
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Red taxi ruling leads to muddle
A TAXI driver is planning to return to court in a row with his local council over the colour of his cab. Taxi driver George Jenkinson, 55, of Minors Crescent, Darlington, challenged the council last month after it ruled his car was not red enough. He
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Research team in bid to ease miscarriage misery
MILLIONS of women who suffer the heartache of miscarriage could be helped thanks to groundbreaking research. One in five women in Britain loses an unborn baby including, recently, the Prime Minister's wife, Cherie Blair. Now a team at Newcastle University
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Memories through the lens of an abbey stonemason
VISITORS can enjoy a fascinating glimpse of the more recent history of an ancient ruin, thanks to a legacy from a local family. Bilsdale-born stonemason John Weatherhill worked at Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, for 30 years and has been credited with
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Keeping it in the family
IF there's one thing that will give you a leg up in the world of showbusiness - other than good looks and talent - it's family. There has been a spate of younger brothers and sisters hitching a ride to fame and fortune on the coat-tails of their older
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Sisters under the skin
Claire Rushbrook was a hit alongside Liza Tarbuck in the comedy drama Linda Green. Her new part as a Mancunian wife with love troubles is only going to add to her appeal. Rushbrook didn't hesitate for a moment when she read the script for BBC One's new
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Racing: It's a mans game
Andrew Douglas visits the Isle of Man, where he discovers that motorbikes are only part of its attraction to tourists. IF you think the Isle of Man is all about TT week, it is - but there's lots more besides. This years bikers' extravaganza was a major
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Calls by Churchill for more workers
AN insurance company is to create 120 jobs in the North-East after securing new contracts. Churchill is recruiting more workers for its call centre in Stockton, Teesside, which already employs 600 people. In the past two years, the company has increased
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Region's roads take their toll
A TRAINEE pilot from an RAF base in North Yorkshire has been named as the victim of a motorbike crash. Luke Jonathan Lockyer, 24, a student pilot at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, was killed when his bike was in collision with a car near to the base on Wednesday
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Review bid to swell fortunes of towns
RESEARCH is under way into methods to boost the fortunes of market towns across the Hambleton district. A review has been announced which will try to establish how many more companies would consider expansion or relocation to the area if the right training
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Ecstasy sentence fuels debate
A ROW over inconsistent sentencing erupted last night after a judge sentenced a first-time offender to three years in jail. Judge Mr Justice Bennett, sitting in London's High Court, handed a three-year jail sentence to Ecstasy dealer Christopher Proud
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Proud parents give boost to baby unit
THE parents of a boy born ten weeks premature have expressed their gratitude to a hospital by raising more than £6,000 for its special care baby unit. Tiny Matthew Corder weighed little more than a bag of sugar when he was born at Queen Elizabeth Hospital
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Late goals sink Pools
Hartlepool United's 100 per-cent record came to a cruel end at Victoria Park on Saturday. Chris Turner's men were defeated by two quick-fire Macclesfield goals in the last ten minutes to condemn Pools to their first defeat of the season. The Silkmen grabbed
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Quakers must rise to university challenge
Darlington complete the final round of their very own university challenge this afternoon with two new faces ready and waiting to answer any questions asked of them. Just a week after visiting Cambridge, perennial undergraduates Oxford come to Feethams
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'Wenger praise is very flattering' - McClaren
STEVE McCLAREN is flattered to hear that Arsenal's double-winning manager Arsene Wenger has tipped Middlesbrough as dark horses for honours this season. It was on the eve of last term, when McClaren took his first tentative steps into the managerial arena
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Sailing with Cook's ghosts
When Captain Cook set off on his voyage, all he had to record his epic was a quill pen and parchment. More than 200 years later it was a different story, as Steve Pratt discovers There wasn't a breath of wind. The sea was tranquil. And Captain Cook's
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Six out for Magpies' opener
NEWCASTLE United's jubilant mood after their Champions' League qualifying victory in Bosnia was punctured yesterday by confirmation that they will be without six players for Monday's Premiership opener against West Ham. Magpies manager Bobby Robson last
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Madonna sets her sights on grouse moor
SHE may seem the most unlikely candidate to join the hunting, shooting and fishing brigade, but Madonna is rumoured to have set her heart on acquiring a prized North-East grouse moor. Speculation sweeping the villages of northern County Durham is that
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If you live in this village, there's a one-in-four chance you've shared in a lottery win
THE champagne flowed yesterday outside the little village store that became a goldmine for National Lottery players. Members of the 84-strong Lottery syndicate, who scooped £86,100 between them, gathered outside Stainton Stores to congratulate each other
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Top award for soldier
A BISHOP Auckland soldier has landed one of the Army's top honours. Private Craig Patterson has been awarded the prize for best recruit, which recognises the person who has performed to the highest standards throughout their recruitment course. The award
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Keep football in perspective
THE Premiership is back. In millions of eyes, football is important again. For thousands of supporters across the country, there are new dreams to cling to, new nails to bite. Here in the North-East, we wish our clubs well. Can Sir Bobby Robson's Newcastle
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A blank Rovers return for Reid
THE last time Peter Reid headed across the Pennines with anything approaching the level of pressure he is under at present, the Wearsiders' boss was facing a similar headache. A lack of firepower had seen Sunderland slip towards the bottom three, and
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Police plea for help to catch tricksters
THIEVES who tricked their way into an elderly woman's home and stole cash may have preyed on other people nearby, police believe. The woman answered her door in Bowman Street, Darlington, to a man who claimed he was fitting a kitchen in a neighbour's
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Shows are chance for gardeners to shine
TWO flower shows are being held in Darlington over the next month. The first takes place on Monday, August 26, at St Cuthbert's Church Hall, in the town's Market Square. An open show with 32 classes, it allows exhibitors to show chrysanthemums, dahlias
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Refuse collection changes come in for criticism
A COUNCILLOR has criticised proposals to alter the way refuse is collected in Darlington as a cost-cutting exercise. Darlington Borough Council's refuse collection system is one of the most expensive in the country and the authority is making changes
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Return of the wet weather predicted
FORECASTERS were last night predicting that wet weather is on its way back, but first the region is expected to bask in continued hot summer sun. Temperatures in some parts of the region could be as high as 26C (79F) today. However, the glimpse of summer
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Village custom offers a feast of entertainment
A FOUR-DAY feast of entertainment opens tomorrow with both modern and traditional sports. The Scorton Feast can trace its history back 300 years when the whole community took a holiday at the same time, celebrating with several days of eating, drinking
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Removal decision attacked by judge
A REFUGEE support group has applauded a judge's decision to return an Aids-stricken asylum seeker and his traumatised son from the North-East back to London. Mr Justice Roberts described the decision by the Home Office to remove the father, who was tortured
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Quakers frustrated by U's
Darlington missed a hatful of chances as they failed to register their first home win of the season against Oxford. Quakers lost 1-0 to a very defensive visiting side who clearly came to Feethams for a point and went away with three. Steve Basham scored
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£90m shake-up aimed at transforming health care
A HUGE privately-funded health care modernisation programme has been launched in the region. The £90m investment scheme aims to upgrade, expand and refurbish health centres and clinics throughout County Durham and Teesside. If it succeeds, it should transform
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Town's renaissance put top of the agenda
THE RENAISSANCE of Stockton will be on the agenda again at a meeting next week. Stockton Renaissance, the Local Strategic Partnership for the town, is to discuss how Tees Valley and regional government can help the town's progress. David Slater, from
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Deadline set for problem conifer
FOLLOWING delays blamed on nesting birds, a problem conifer is finally facing the axe. Horace Bingham has been pressing Middlesbrough Council for several months to remove the tree from his back garden. Since he moved into Darwen Court, Hemlington, the
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Chemist calls for more women scientists
A TEESSIDE woman has proved that engineering isn't just a job for the boys. Christine Thompson, 24, from Redcar, is an inspiration to other young women hoping to follow a career in science after scooping the Teesside Science and Engineering Award from
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Missing girls - worst fears confirmed
A CARETAKER and his girlfriend were today SAT arrested on suspicion of murdering Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, police sources said. The grim development in the 13-day hunt for the missing ten-year-olds took place in Soham and was the first confirmation
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Engine maker braced for more woes
Heavyweight corporate results will be thin on the ground again next week, but the market should still be kept on its toes by eagerly-awaited figures from Rolls-Royce and a range of economic data. The engine maker's woes have been well flagged and the
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Environment service wins praise
THE quality environment service provided by Hartlepool Borough Council is good and has excellent prospects for improvement, according to an independent report from the Audit Commission. The inspection team gave the service two stars because it provides
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Sisters' business is making giant strides
TWO sisters have big designs on the children's play market. After years of going to birthday parties and play venues across the North-East Michelle Ware and Samantha McDine, from Gateshead, developed their own business idea for a play factory. Nearly
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Staff create safe site for children
SWEAT, toil and a lick of paint have helped transform a derelict site into a safe play area for children. The land adjoining the Salvation Army community centre in Southwick, Sunderland, was previously too dangerous for children from the centre's creche
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New bus service will travel through toll area
A NEW shuttle bus serving the country's first toll-road area will carry its first passengers on Monday. Travellers will be able to use the bus to reach the peninsula, in Durham City, home of the cathedral and castle World Heritage Site. The service, called
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The exhibition that hopes to put trains back on track
RAIL enthusiast have organised a touring exhibition which opened in County Durham yesterday. Maps, model trains, photographs and old British Rail uniforms all feature in the display, for which railway heritage organisations throughout the county pooled
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Theatre thief left a letter of introduction
A BUNGLING burglar who left his calling card when he smashed his way into one of the region's oldest theatres was jailed for 31 months yesterday. Heroin addict Randall Whitelaw dropped through a skylight at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond, North
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All the fun of the fair on the way
A "TRAVELLING theme park" will descend on a North Yorkshire town next month, complete with a host of fairground rides. The event, at Catterick Garrison, will be held next to the Tesco supermarket from Wednesday, September 4, to Sunday, September 8. It
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Sailing with Cook's ghosts
When Captain Cook set off on his original voyage, all he had to record his epic was a quill pen ad parchment. More than 200 years later it was a different story, as Steve Pratt discovers There wasn't a breath of wind. The sea was tranquil. And Captain
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A little less of a beautiful game
I disappointed myself on Wednesday night. I backed the wrong team. But I wasn't the only one. "The roar in here was as big as anything in the World Cup," said the landlord of my lunchtime Darlington pub. And the World Cup included England putting three
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When the going gets tough
ITV's flagship daytime show This Morning will, according to the press release, have "a stronger emphasis on transforming viewers' lives" when it return to screens at the beginning of next month. Bosses are also keeping their fingers crossed that it will
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No sting in the tail for sorry Durham
DURHAM batsmen fell almost as rapidly yesterday as slaughtered wasps in the Press box, where the more humane scribes ushered out a few of our stinging visitors. There was no compassion from Michael Kasprowicz, however, as the Australian proved far too
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Great Dane focusing on better days ahead
THOMAS Sorensen insisted last night that Sunderland were stronger for last season's chastening relegation battle and claimed: "It's looking very positive." As Sunderland prepared to begin their fourth successive Premiership campaign with today's trip
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Boro earn point at St Mary's
Middlesbrough, who lost their first four league games last season began this campaign with a goalless draw at Southampton. Boro had chances to win the game with Alen Boksic just unable to get on the end of Carlos Marinelli's teasing cross. New signing
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Consumer plant may be subject of bid
PART of a bed-making factory in the region could soon be taken over by rival Slumberland. The Dunlopillo firm, which employs 320 workers at its Pannal site in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has confirmed that it is in talks with an "interested party" about
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The blind leading the faithful
Mark Turnbull's Sunday morning songs of praise has been running on BBC local radio for a month now. And despite the 3.30am alarm call, it's his dream job IT'S 5am on Sunday and Mark Turnbull's the first into BBC Radio Cleveland in Middlesbrough. There's
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News In Brief
Teacher tribute hospice boost: Youngsters have helped to raise funds in memory of a teacher who died earlier this year. Pupils at Catchgate Primary School, Derwentside, held fun days to raise cash following the death of Irene Marrs, from cancer, in February
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Busy month for teenagers' support group
A SUPPORT service for teen-agers has helped 199 young people since opening its doors just over a month ago. Connexions County Dur-ham aims to bring together experts who can help 13 to 19-year-olds with any problems they are likely to face, ranging from
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Hear All Sides
VANDALISM: ALTHOUGH I have lived in Darlington for 25 years, I walked through the North Cemetery for the first time recently and I was deeply shocked at what lay before me. It was like a war zone with gravestones knocked over and damaged beyond repair
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Foundation could help backpackers in trouble
THE mother of murdered backpacker Caroline Stuttle has said she will dedicate her life to a foundation set up in her daughter's memory. Marjorie Stuttle, 53, has established Caroline's Rainbow Foundation as a tribute to the 19-year-old, who was attacked
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New Jersey kid calls for some positive passion
EVEN a slice of Old Firm experience had not prepared Claudio Reyna for the passion and anger that boiled over during Sunderland's pre-season tour. A man who grew up in the tranquility of the Garden State, Reyna was plucked from the comfort of the Bundesliga
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Turner's top dogs relishing pressure
HARTLEPOOL United entertain Macclesfield today knowing the home supporters are expecting goals, goals and more goals. After two victories - against Carlisle and Boston - Pool sit top of the pile with the only 100 per cent record in the Third Division.
