Archive
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Traders' fears over Asda move
TRADERS fear that a supermarket's decision to quit the town centre in favour of a purpose-built store on the outskirts of town could threaten their livelihood. Supermarket chain Asda will move from the Newgate Centre, in Bishop Auckland, to a new 45,000sq
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Race aims to put show on the map
TWO brothers have helped to revive hopes of putting a 133-year-old North Pennines agricultural show back on the athletics map. Jalal Thompson, 14, and his brother, Khalil, 12, picked up the first two places in the first cross-country race to be held at
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Vicar accused of sexual harassment
A vicar who was sacked following allegations of sexual harassment today denied trying to kiss and hug parishioners, including a passionate embrace with the boss of a tourist board. The Reverend Harry Brown, who is appealing against the revocation of his
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Parents protest at school taxis block
THE PARENTS of a child with severe learning difficulties say their daughter is unable to get to school after their local council withdrew transport. Jackie and Ian Hutchinson, of Northside, Middridge, near Newton Aycliffe, have criticised Durham County
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Vipers reveal players for weekend face-off
Newcastle KBS Vipers coach Clyde Tuyl has added three more names to his roster ahead of this weekend's season face-off. Forwards Karl Culley, Stuart Potts and Michael Bowman have all been training with the Vipers in the run-up to the club's inaugural
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Suddenly, calm is restored
IN my next life I'm going to live in Piccadilly Circus - it will probably be a lot quieter than our house. Senior Son technically left home three years ago. But of course he keeps boomeranging back - not to see his mum and dad, oh no. His visits are entirely
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Darlington - Feethams' tale of fire and ice, joy and pain
RESOUNDING victories, devastating fires and frozen pitches are all featured in a new book about football at Feethams. Former Darlington FC players, including David Speedie, Ron Greener, Alan Walsh and Fred Barber, have contributed to Farewell to Feethams
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White hot show for Yorkshire
Craig White completely dominated Yorkshire's batting in a glorious exhibition of sumptuous strokeplay on the first day of the Championship match against Leicestershire at the Scarborough Cricket Festival yesterday. While wickets crashed around him, White
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Tanker overturns on A66
The Great North Road came close to disaster this evening when a tanker carrying a highly inflammable chemical overturned. The vehicle, carrying ethanol, rolled over at the junction of the A1 and the A66, opposite the Scotch Corner Hotel, early yesterday
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Mud, sweat and cheers
A HORSE called Sarah has been renamed Lucky after firefighters battled to free it from a bog yesterday. Fifteen officers from Darlington, Bishop Auckland and Peterlee, County Durham, were involved in the rescue in a field opposite the new Darlington football
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Is this the footprint of a yeti?
IN 1818, William Marsden, who was the British Secretary in Residence in Sumatra, wrote to the Admiralty of a strange creature on the island. The orang pendek was a short, ape-like animal which spoke in a language none of the native Sumatrans could understand
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Doctor guilty of serious misconduct
A DOCTOR was yesterday found guilty of serious professional misconduct for failing to send a North-East woman with cancer for urgent tests. Dr Nabil Naroz, from Hett Hill, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, had been accused by the General Medical Council
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Last Night's TV: Let's Roll: The Story Of Flight 93 (ITV)
Unimaginable horror brought to the screen. The phone call was the last the young woman ever made: "I just wanted to tell you I love you. We're having a little trouble with the plane." She was aboard United Airways Flight 93, one of the aircraft hijacked
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Darlington - Squawk brings back boy's bird
A LITTLE boy who lost his pet parrot has found him nestling in trees at the bottom of the garden. Shane Stubbings, five, was devastated when Jabba, an African Grey parrot, flew away from the family home in Sedgefield on Wednesday. The youngster had taken
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Darlington - Village unites to try for tidy gardens' prize
FISHBURN Village is forming a committee to enter Northumbria in Bloom in 2003. And organisers want residents of all ages to become involved in helping to improve the look of the village. The project will be co-ordinated by Age Concern Durham County'sIntergenerational
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Young skier wins his first major title
A TEENAGER hopes to rise up the slippery slope to success in the ski-ing world, after emerging triumphant in an unseasonal summer event staged minus the snow. Craig Ruddick, 17, outpaced the opposition on the country's biggest dry ski slope to win his
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John North: Success by the seat of his pants
THIRTY-seven years ago this week, day four of a wet-eared journey into journalism, they sent me to Lartington Hall, a vast and crumbling 45-roomed mansion in which an elderly widow called Olive Field lived effectively alone. She was rich, eccentric and
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Extended trial for air ambulance
A life-saving air ambulance has had its trial period extended for another month after completing more than 80 missions. The Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA) announced today that it has found enough funds to keep the helicopter in the air. The ambulance
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Park and walk plan proposed for school
CHILDREN at a Newton Aycliffe primary school are to benefit from a park-and-walk scheme. Byerley Park Primary School has been selected to take part in Durham County Council's Safer Routes to Schools programme. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the number
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Go-ahead for unvetted school staff
Teachers and teaching assistants who have not been cleared by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) will be allowed to work in schools at the "discretion" of headteachers, the Government announced last night. Education Secretary Estelle Morris said the decision
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Householders warned over poison menace
A CORONER has warned householders to have their fire appliances regularly checked following the death of a pensioner from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Widower Sydney Long was found dead in his home by police after neighbours raised the alarm when he
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Vandals wreck school's benches
VANDALS who went on a summer holiday wrecking spree have left disappointed children with nowhere to sit in the sun. Pupils returned to Willington Primary School yesterday to find playground benches and tables had been damaged during the six-week break
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Fatal dose after binge
ALCOHOLIC Hamayn Jahan died after an all-day drinking binge. The 41-year-old unemployed labourer had been taking a night time sedative, but had probably been too drunk to realise he had taken a fatal overdose, an inquest heard. Deputy Teesside Coroner
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Dead seals may have been shot by fishermen
CONSERVATIONISTS say two dead seals washed ashore with bullet wounds to the head were almost certainly killed by fisherman. The RSPCA received several calls from sickened members of the public who saw the dead mammals on a Hartlepool beach. The bodies
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Mobile phone security offer
CRIME prevention officers are offering mobile phone owners the chance to have them security marked. Customers at the Marks and Spencer store in Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, who take their handsets to the store tomorrow, between 10am and noon, can
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Outdoor activities guide
TWO guides have been launched detailing outdoor activities in the Darlington borough in autumn. The council's Town Guided Walks in Darlington covers weekly walks until the end of November. The walks take place at weekends and occasionally on Wednesdays
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Allotments damaged by vandals
AN allotment association chairman says he is fed up with having to constantly deal with the problem of vandalism. In the 17 years that he has owned an allotment overlooking Durham Constabulary's headquarters, between Newton Hall and Framwellgate Moor,
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Hear All Sides: Fire Services
THE editorial on firefighters' pay (Echo, Sept 3) simply misses the real point. The employers are, essentially, the same people who employ teachers and police. There is no need for an independent investigation to compare pay levels between the three,
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Crossing appeal after road accident
PENSIONERS have urged council chiefs to install a crossing after a road accident. An elderly man was injured when he was struck by a vehicle in Victoria Road, Darlington, yesterday. The man was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital, but his injuries were
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Infection proved fatal
A PENSIONER who died following surgery to cut out a malignant tumour was already in a weakened state, an inquest heard yesterday. William Mason, a retired joiner, of Overdale Road, Park End, Middlesbrough, died shortly after the operation on his colon
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Tree felling plea refused
COUNCILLORS have refused permission to fell a tree, despite protests that it is unsafe. John Burdis, a resident of Marigold Court, Darlington, applied for permission to cut down an 11-metre chestnut tree which is five metres from the rear of his and his
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Police arrest man in knife attack probe
ARMED police swooped on a house in Consett, County Durham, in a dawn raid yesterday to seize a man suspected of attempted murder. The team of 12 armed officers from Durham surrounded a house in Holly Gardens, The Grove, Consett, at 7am yesterday. A negotiator
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News in brief: Autumn term gets under way
ADULTS will be returning to the classroom, thanks to a project in Stanley. The Return to Learn Centre, in the old school in Front Street, opens its doors for the autumn term today. Advice and support for people with dyslexia is available. The group runs
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Man and woman held over fatal crash
A MAN and a woman were arrested yesterday in the wake of a hit-and-run crash that left one man dead and another seriously injured. Mohammed Mofiz Ullah, 68, of Hutton Street, Sunderland, was killed when the Vauxhall Cavalier he was travelling in was hit
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Huge response to film firm's auditions plea
A BOLLYWOOD film company has been inundated with calls from budding actors and dancers wishing to take part in a movie on course to be shot in the region. The first auditions for extras, including speaking and dancing parts, take place above Sharkey's
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Troubled Telewest denies job cut claims
TROUBLED cable company Telewest has moved to reassure staff that it is not planning large job cuts, but said it did see the workforce reducing in the next few years. The group, which employs 500 people on Tyneside, was reacting to a report claiming it
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Machinery auctioned
A FARMER whose family have worked land on the North York Moors for more than a century is preparing to auction machinery collected by four generations. John Wheldon, of Esk House Farm, Farndale, is selling more than 150 pieces of machinery. He said that
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News in brief: Autumn term gets under way
ADULTS will be returning to the classroom, thanks to a project in Stanley. The Return to Learn Centre, in the old school in Front Street, opens its doors for the autumn term today. Advice and support for people with dyslexia is available. The group runs
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Gallaher expansion stepped up with China tobacco deal
TOBACCO company Gallaher has stepped up its expansion drive with a deal to move into China, the world's biggest cigarette market. The group, which produces the Silk Cut and Benson and Hedges brands in the UK, has signed a letter of intent with the China
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Making a name for ourselves
ON Sunday morning, just a few hours before baby Romeo was plucked out of the womb at London's exclusive Portland Hospital, we were welcoming our own little bundle of joy, who chose the same day to emerge into the world at Northallerton's Friarage Hospital
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Big gun Undeterred set to fire
TARGETING valuable sprint races has been the trademark of the David Nicholls' operation over recent years and this afternoon at Redcar he's pointed one of his big guns, Undeterred, at the £8,000 Tote Exacta Handicap. Undeterred (3.30) hasn't exactly had
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Bid for shipbuilding work is launched
THE case for a shipbuilding jobs boost to the North-East was taken to the Government yesterday. A bid for an order worth up to £2.7bn for two new aircraft carriers, to be placed with local firms, was made at a meeting in London by representatives from
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News in brief: Music of the spheres
A COMPOSER from Skinningfield has written a piece of music after being inspired by the discovery of a new planet. The piece, written by Geoffrey Palmer, was inspired by the recent discovery of the planet Mu Ara, and will receive its world premiere at
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New website launched for business people
BUSINESSES in Wear Valley who are looking for world-wide electronic exposure can promote themselves on a new website launched next week. A regeneration initiative targeting the market towns of Stanhope and Crook is backing the project, which is the first
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Probe into how woman was lost in ferry plunge
DUTCH police were last night trying to solve the mystery of how a North-East woman fell overboard from a ferry. The 40-year-old woman, from the Gosforth area of Newcastle, fell over a barrier on the ship's top deck and, watched by her horrified male friend
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How the safety checks backfired
Schools and colleges are suffering a staffing crisis as the Criminal Records Bureau admits the backlog for checks on teachers may stretch to Christmas. Lindsay Jennings reports. ON ANY ordinary start to the new school year, Durham Johnston's headteacher
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World Cup endorsement boosts profits
THE England football team's taste for Jaffa Cakes during the World Cup helped United Biscuits (UB) net higher first-half sales, the group claims. The chocolate, sponge and orange cakes high calorie level meant they were the official snack of Sven-Goran
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Poster campaign targets drivers
MOTORISTS are being reminded to lock up their cars by residents of a Middlesbrough neighbourhood. Members of Southfield Community Council are putting up 24 brightly-coloured signs around their area, warning motorists to beware of car criminals and to
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Mum At Large: Suddenly, calm is restored
IN my next life I'm going to live in Piccadilly Circus - it will probably be a lot quieter than our house. Senior Son technically left home three years ago. But of course he keeps boomeranging back - not to see his mum and dad, oh no. His visits are entirely
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Darlington - Garden skills fund grows
A PROJECT to introduce people with learning disabilities to horticulture is in line for a £112,000 boost. The scheme called Access to Employment, based in South Park in Darlington, was set up two years ago by the Dar*ington Learning Disability Service
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New site for old show
BRITAIN'S oldest agricultural show is setting up on its own showground for the first time. Wolsingham show has been drawing the crowds in Weardale since 1763 when farmers first gathered to exhibit their cattle. Over the years it has had three different
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Offices scheme put forward for derelict town centre site
A TOWN centre site chosen for the construction of a cinema and leisure complex could be used for offices instead. Developer Terrace Hill has applied to Darlington Borough Council for permission to build an office block on the site at the corner of Feethams
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Smith ready to let goals do his talking
ALAN Smith last night vowed to revive his England career at the tender age of 21 after deciding to shed the badboy image that ruined his World Cup dream. The Leeds United striker made a resolution to rein in his hair-trigger temperament when he was excluded
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Vintage vehicles set to take to the road
PARTICIPANTS are being sought for a long-established vintage vehicle event. The 31st Beamish Trophy Trial will set off from the King's Head Hotel, in Lanchester, at 9am on Sunday, September 15. Participants on motorcycles, in cycle cars, on tricycles
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Is agency missing mark - or judged too early?
ON the surface, the Morton Palms business park development in Darlington seems a perfect "flagship" project for One NorthEast. The regional development agency can champion its role in a development which will hopefully create 2,000 jobs for the region
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Pensioners' glorious gardens
GREEN fingered pensioners have one of the best views in the North thanks to their own hard work. Gardens at Runnymede Court, in Bishop Auckland, have been voted runners-up in a best garden award scheme run by the Hanover Housing Association. Flower beds
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News in brief: Coroner calls for signs
A CORONER has called for better signs on a busy North Yorkshire road following the death of a motorcyclist. A verdict of accidental death was recorded by Michael Oakley, North Yorkshire East Coroner, on a 30-year-old despatch worker of St John's Avenue
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News in brief: Autumn term gets under way
ADULTS will be returning to the classroom, thanks to a project in Stanley. The Return to Learn Centre, in the old school in Front Street, opens its doors for the autumn term today. Advice and support for people with dyslexia is available. The group runs
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Returning to school
A TEACHER training programme launched on Tuesday has attracted students from all walks of life - including a bank manager, a probation officer and a lorry driver. A group of 15 graduates have given up their jobs to take part in the year-long primary school
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News in brief: Railway trust volunteers call
WEARDALE Railway Trust needs volunteers to restore track between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland. The trust hopes to reopen the line by 2004. Call Kevin Hillary on (01388) 775126, or Dave Foxton on (01388) 817901. MUSICAL INTERLUDE: The first in a series
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They're all going on a lucky holiday
MOTHER-of-two Nicola Murray and her daughters are gearing up for a surprise trip to a Pontins holiday camp, thanks to The Northern Echo. Lifelong Echo reader Kathleen Race of Hunwick, near Bishop Auckland, won a prize draw for the short break and gave
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Ruling hailed as 'end of low pay in the NHS, forever'
UNION officials have hailed a historical equal pay ruling which could affect up to a million women workers in the NHS. Yesterday's decision by a Newcastle employment tribunal that women health workers were discriminated against means that some nurses
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Saintly music from Bede tribute band
A MUSIC group will perform a tribute to a famous saint during a September tour. Opus Anglicanum, a small, professional early music group, has developed a programme dedicated to the 8th Century Northumbrian saint, Bede. In a tour comprising four recitals
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Grassroots: Chester-le-Street, Birtley and District
GOLF DAY: Members of the Wheatsheaf 2000 Golf Society are travelling to the Woodham Golf Course for their games on Wednesday. ORGAN MUSIC: The North East Organ society will be entertained by Daniel Watt at 8pm on Wednesday, in the Red Lion at Chester-le-Street
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Swimmer back on form
A TEENAGE swimmer whose career was almost ended by a crippling shoulder injury is back on the medal trail. Eighteen months ago former national schools' champion Chris Surtees, 17, from Hunwick, was one of the most promising young swimmers in the country
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Community store celebrates
A SUPERMARKET which was built as part of a pioneering community partnership is celebrating its first birthday this week. As part of its plans to build the store on the site of the former Hugh Mackay carpet factory at Dragonville, Durham, Tesco formed
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Darlington - Books and brews
SHOPPERS can now enjoy a coffee while browsing through the latest best sellers at a Darlington bookshop. Ottakars in the Cornmill Centre reopened on Friday following major refurbishment, including the installation of a new Costa coffee shop. The new look
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Nurses dialysis unit reduces travel time
The first kidney dialysis unit in the UK to be run by nurses rather than consultants has slashed travel time for North-East patients. Until the new unit opened at the University Hospital of North Durham, patients who need kidney dialysis in that area
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Youth hostel's future in doubt
The future of one of the country's smallest youth hostels is in doubt. But the cash-strapped Youth Hostels Association (YHA), which has been considering the future of the hostel at the hamlet of Ellingstring, Masham in North Yorkshire, has now tabled
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Planning dispute puts jobs at risk
QUARRY bosses have diverted investment out of a depressed dale, putting jobs at risk, over a planning dispute. Sherburn Stone Company director Paul Allison is threatening to cut overtime at Broadwood Quarry, in Frosterley, and blames County Durham's '
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Campaigner mourned
THE FUNERAL was held last week for a well-known civic campaigner following his sudden death on his return home after a night at his local pub. Friends and fellow pressure group members gathered for the funeral of Tom Lay at Durham Crematorium on Friday
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Darlington - School bus too full for non-Catholic
PARENTS of a Darlington schoolgirl fear for her safety after council bosses refused to allow her on the school bus - because of her religion. Victoria MacKenzie, 12, who lives in Lawrence Street, had free school transport to Carmel RC Technology College
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Student rowing honour
A THEOLOGY student has been chosen to represent Britain in the world rowing championships. Peter Rudge, 20, a student at Durham University, will join the men's eight crew in the championships in Seville, Spain, later this month. He coxed the British men's
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Nursing agencies' foreign setback
NURSING agencies say recruiting hospital staff from abroad is leaving them in a no-win situation. This weekend, Filipino nurses will arrive at the University Hospital of North Durham to fill 40 full-time vacancies for nurses. They are the latest influx
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FA lifts ban on football club
THE extraordinary ban imposed on Spennymoor United by the Football Association for the first two weeks of the season, lifted only on Thursday last week, was all because of a 'misunderstanding' by an un-named FA official. Spennymoorsecretary Brian Boughen
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Teenagers injured in fireball crash
A TEENAGE motorist involved in an accident at the weekend faces more than two weeks in hospital after extensive surgery. Stuart Welch, of Masefield Crescent, Sunnybrow, near Bishop Auckland, underwent a six-hour operation on his right arm, which was badly
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Darlington - Period house destroyed
BULLDOZERS went in to demolish a period townhouse in Darlington last week. Chesterfield House, in Stanhope Road, was destroyed in work which began on Friday. The controversial scheme was given the go-ahead in January following a battle by residents to
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Hodge upstages MacGill to lead Durham to victory
DURHAM were undaunted by Stuart MacGill's bag of tricks last night as the leg-spinning wizard of Oz was upstaged by his countryman Brad Hodge. With Hodge following his 77 in Monday's win against Somerset with an unbeaten 91 off 105 balls, Durham recorded
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Gloom greets lights plan
RESIDENTS fear a picturesque area will be ruined by dazzling lights if plans for a multi-sports pitch are approved. After already having its plans for the pitch rejected, Durham School has resubmitted them to Durham City Council. It wants to convert an
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Toll rant sparks anger in city
A MOTORING correspondent's scornful attack on Durham has provoked fury in the city. Mike Rutherford's rant in the car magazine Auto Express, against the imminent road toll scheme in Durham City, has incensed residents and officials in the city. In his
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Student gives villagers say in their future
RESIDENTS of a village which has its roots in Saxon times are being given a say in the future of their community. Claire Lamb, 29, from Sherburn Village, is carrying out a survey of village life as part of her degree in Environmental Management. Questionnaires
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Demand for more beds at hospital
FIVE thousand people have signed a petition calling for more beds in Durham's new main hospital. The signatures, collected by the city's Liberal Democrat party, have been sent to Health Secretary Alan Milburn. The £97m University Hospital of North Durham
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Warning over poison menace
THE coroner in the inquest into the death of a pensioner has warned householders of the dangers posed by carbon monoxide. Widower Sydney Long was found dead in his home by police after neighbours raised the alarm when he failed to open his curtains. A
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Police paying September 11 tribute in visit to New York
NORTH-EAST police officers are joining an emotional transatlantic pilgrimage to mark next week's anniversary of the world's worst ever act of terrorism. Four officers from Peterlee, County Durham, and one from Ponteland, near Newcastle Airport, will leave
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Tom tops the list of leek show winners
TOM Ruecroft won the Dave Franks Trophy for the best leek at the annual Sedgefield Social and Horticultural Society Leek Club show. He also won the Ramsden Trophy for the best stand of pot leeks and the Carpet Magic Trophy for most points in vegetable
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Restoring views fit for a king
VIEWS that were once fit for royalty are being revealed for the first time in centuries with the beginning of work to save a crumbling royal fortress. Sheriff Hutton Castle, near York, was once a favoured home of Richard III but has not been lived in
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Shoppers' passport to prize giveaway
SHOPPERS scooped a range of prizes yesterday after taking part in a summer competition. The prize passport summer giveaway, which featured on Century Radio's Goffy in the Morning breakfast show, asked people to collect passports from stores in Durham's
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New-look supermarket open for business
A SUPERMARKET chain yesterday unveiled its new-look store following a £1m revamp. For the past six weeks staff at the Safeway store, in Durham's Milburngate shopping centre, have stayed after work to help with the refit. Yesterday, the results were revealed
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Homes approved for chemicals factory site
THE building of more than 300 flats, cottages and houses will go ahead on the former Darlington Chemicals factory site in Faverdale. The plans, which were approved by Darlington Borough Council's planning committee yesterday, will form part of the West
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Last curtain call for theatre secretary
THE curtain has come down on a Darlington theatre worker's career after 27 years. Director's secretary Betty McFall, 65, retired from her job at Darlington Civic Theatre yesterday. Her family has long connections with the theatre, because her grandparents
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Bus brings safety at work advice on site
A CAMPAIGN to cut the toll of deaths and injuries on construction sites in the North-East has arrived in Gateshead. The Working Well Together bus visited the International Music Centre site at the start of the week, where a team raised health and safety
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Roadshows to combat cancer
A MEDICAL team has hit the road in a bid to urge people across the North-East to keep ahead of cancer. Consultants and nurses are behind a series of roadshows across Teesside, South Durham and North Yorkshire this week. Nurses are on hand to offer advice
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Customs raid yields tobacco worth £30,000
TOBACCO with a retail value of more than £30,000 has been seized during a raid in County Durham. Customs officers seized 308 kilos of Golden Virginia hand-rolling tobacco, following a visit to a house in West Cornforth. A team of five customs officials
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Publican may lose licence due to scarf
A pub landlady who was fined for displaying an offensive football scarf above her North-East bar now faces the possibility of losing her licence. Yvonne Mann, 42, could be forced out of the pub business if police object to her being the licensee now that
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Team to build £2m centre
A GROUP of sports clubs has formed a consortium and drawn up plans for a £2m outdoor sports centre. The Ryedale consortium hopes to create the complex at Malton, near the site of the town's rugby club. Sports clubs across the town decided to pool their
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Tributes follow death of community worker
TRIBUTES were paid last night to a highly respected community worker who has died suddenly. Ian Fletcher was one of the best-known characters in Hurworth, near Darlington. Mr Fletcher was the general manager of Hurworth Community Association, based at
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Wanted: dogs for police training
A NORTH-EAST police force has been issuing "wanted'' posters to local vets because it is trying to recruit dogs. Durham Police's dog training centre has only one animal booked on its next course, which starts on Monday, September 16. In a bid to find
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'The best day out in history'
SCARBOROUGH is to open the doors on some of its hidden heritage to over 800,000 visitors this month. Events arranged by Scarborough Borough Council, as part of Heritage Open Days 2002, co-ordinated by The Civic Trust, include guided walks around historic
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Man bailed over May Day riots
A MAN arrested on a warrant after allegedly jumping bail on charges arising out of the May Day riots in London last year has been freed on bail. Jobless Mark Walker, 22, of Dewely Hall Close, Cramlington, Northumberland, who is accused of causing more
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News in brief: Autumn term gets under way
ADULTS will be returning to the classroom, thanks to a project in Stanley. The Return to Learn Centre, in the old school in Front Street, opens its doors for the autumn term today. Advice and support for people with dyslexia is available. The group runs
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Service sector activity increases as sales fall
THE latest economic figures have painted a mixed picture of Britain's economic recovery. Figures showing better-than-expected activity levels in the UK service sector provided the economy with a much-needed boost. However, last month high street sales
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Wimpey gains from boom in property sales
BUILDING firm George Wimpey, which has sites across the region, has unveiled a sharp surge in profits, after benefiting from the property boom. Wimpey said the acquisition of McAlpine Homes, bought in October last year in a £450m deal, had also contributed
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Invitation to residents
PEOPLE in Stokesley are being urged to attend a public meeting to discuss a scheme to reshape social and community service. Plans will be on view for the modernisation of care provision for the elderly through the building of a £2.5m complex of one and
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Quakers Reserves denied derby joy by late Pool show
TWO goals in as many minutes denied Darlington their first derby victory of the season yesterday as their Reserves drew 3-3 with Hartlepool United reserves at Seaham. Ten days before the clubs' first-teams meet at Victoria Park, Quakers managed to throw
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Bloom award stays in the family
CHRISTOPHER Stapleton is the youngest ever winner of a prestigious regional horticultural award. The Spennymoor teenager followed in the footsteps of his father Colin and grandfather Harold to be named North-East Champion at Durham and Northumberland
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Comment: Is football above the law?
WALK down any street in Britain and you will see how important - and influential - football is. Children everywhere wear the strips of the teams they support and associate with, and they often wear the names of the individual players that they idolise
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Art exhibition
ARTISTS Pat Johnston and Bernard Smith have brought their work to Billingham for a month-long exhibition. The two artists will be displaying their work at Billingham Art Gallery until October 5. The gallery is open from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
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Does this belong to you?
WEDDING rings, precious medals and even a mandolin have been unearthed by staff at Redcar and Cleveland Council who have just gone through lost property dating back for more than a decade. Now they are appealing for help to find the rightful owners of
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Fight to save listed church
MEMBERS of the congregation of a church threatened with closure yesterday vowed to fight the proposal. All Saints' Church, in North Street, York, is one of six in the city recommended for redundancy in a new report by the Archbishop of York's Commission
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Staff checks delay keeps school closed
A PRIMARY school was forced to delay its first day of term because criminal record checks on new staff members had not been completed. Children at Bullion Lane Primary School, in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, stayed at home yesterday for what should
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Fleeces could help young trees
GARDENERS at a National Trust hall will be nurturing their young trees with sheep fleeces this winter. Visitors at Nunnington Hall, Near Helmsley, may mistake this strange procedure for a bizarre ritual, but the fleeces in fact have a horticultural dual
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Engineering representatives seek change to draft EU law
MANUFACTURING leaders from the UK were in Strasbourg yesterday to fight draft legislation that gives temporary staff the same rights as permanent employees. The draft EU directive gives temporary agency workers the same terms and conditions as permanent
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Gun advice on the web
A WEBSITE offering advice on firearms has been set up by Cleveland Police. The force's firearms licensing unit has compiled the site, which features advice on storing and transporting firearms safely and how to deactivateor sell a gun without breaking
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Consultants brought in to assess the district's assets
A STUDY has begun which it is hoped will boost the fortunes of Richmond and the Swale Valley. The Richmond Swale Valley Initiative, the brainchild of Richmondshire District Council and the Countryside Agency, has appointed consultants to carry out a survey
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Website gives customers a taste of home
SOUTHERNERS from as far afield as Suffolk and Hampshire, are tucking into traditional Geordie fare thanks to a website set up by butcher Patrick Loughlin. J Loughlin and Sons was established 50 years ago and has two shops in Chester-le-Street, County
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Last chance for dinner
THE final date to get tickets for the Mayor of Stockton's annual charity dinner is fast approaching. Those wanting a table at the event should make their reservations now. This year, the dinner, to be hosted by the Mayor, Councillor Jean O'Donnell, is
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N-E visit forges Far East links
ONE of the world's leading Buddhists is helping forge stronger links between the North-East and Taiwan during a visit to the region. The Most Venerable Namrol Rinoche, a senior abbot from Taiwan, and his assistants, Tenzin Lama and Chiali Lin, travelled
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Nurseries gain accreditation
SIX childcare groups have secured quality accreditation thanks to a partnership's support. Following 18 months of preparation, assessment and verification, Concord, Thorney Close and Thompson Park nurseries, and Pennywell Early Years Centre have been
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Invitation to discuss future services
PEOPLE in Stokesley are being urged to attend a public meeting to discuss a scheme to reshape social and community services in their community. Plans will be on view for the modernisation of care provision for the elderly through the building of a £2.5m
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Darlington - Rhythm 'n' Brews back again
DARLINGTON Arts Centre is staging a four-day festival of live music and real ale next week. The centre and the Darlington branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) will present its annual Rhythm 'n' Brews spectacular, which starts on Thursday and runs
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Family to attend New York memorial service
THE FAMILY of the only North-East victim of the twin towers atrocity are bracing themselves for an emotional trip to New York for the first anniversary of the attack. Terry and Linda McMahon, from Chester-le-Street, plan to attend the memorial service
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Men arrested in cannabis swoop
Five men have been arrested and £20,000 worth of cannabis recovered in police swoops on homes in the south Durham area. The raids, carried out by officers from Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe, were part of Operation Doors which targeted vehicle crime and
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Hundreds add names in fight to save cinema
HUNDREDS of people have shown their support for preserving one of the region's last remaining independent cinemas. The future of The Robins cinema, in Durham City, is again looking shaky as pub developer Regent Inns launches another offensive to try to
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Band strikes up in soldiers' honour
AN Army cadet band added a musical touch to a memorial ceremony in Cumbria. At Durham Army Cadet Force's annual camp, the cadet Borneo band played at a ceremony to honour the dead, at the village of Warcop near the A66 in Cumbria. In common with most
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News in brief: Sheep blamed for death crash
A WANDERING moorland sheep was partly to blame for a crash in which a motorcyclist was killed, an inquest was told. A verdict of accidental death was recorded on steelworker Graham Brown, 46, of Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, who collided with the rear of
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Heritage sites open their doors
DOZENS of hidden attractions are to be revealed to the public in a major celebration of the region's rich cultural heritage. Historic properties in County Durham and Cleveland will be opening their doors for four days of free access, as part of the Civic
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Youthful appeal
FUNDRAISING for an appeal to create a mobile youth centre in the Yorkshire Dales is getting under way. A series of events is planned and the first, Soul in the Dales, is on Saturday , and will be a social event at Bolton Castle, near Leyburn. It will
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Bookworms invited to meet-the-author events
A "READ-IN" for lovers of written works of fact and fiction will give people in the North-East a chance to quiz authors first hand over their story lines. Members of reading groups will gather at County Hall, Durham, for newBOOKS.mag, the first event
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Darlington - Club plans floodlights for football pitch
FOOTBALL fans and players will benefit from new improvements proposed for the Darlington Railway Athletic Club. Plans have been submitted for the erection of a spectator stand and floodlights to the main football pitch at the Darlington club on Brinkburn
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News in brief: Music of the spheres
A COMPOSER from Skinningfield has written a piece of music after being inspired by the discovery of a new planet. The piece, written by Geoffrey Palmer, was inspired by the recent discovery of the planet Mu Ara, and will receive its world premiere at
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Turn school run into a walk, parents are urged
PARENTS are being urged to find alternatives to the car to get their children to school. Road safety officials in Hartlepool want people to use cars less and walk to school, easing congestion outside school gates. If there is no alternative to using a
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Parents call for 'rat run' safety
RESIDENTS fear for their children's safety because drivers are using their back lane as a rat run. People in Bow Street, Slater Place and The Leases, in Bowburn, are calling for action before a child is seriously injured or killed. They say motorists
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News in brief: Railway trust volunteers call
WEARDALE Railway Trust needs volunteers to restore track between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland. The trust hopes to reopen the line by 2004. Call Kevin Hillary on (01388) 775126, or Dave Foxton on (01388) 817901. MUSICAL INTERLUDE: The first in a series
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Darlington - Gipsy site to remain under review
A GIPSY site given six months to 'clean up its act' is still causing neighbours to complain, councillors have been told. But the problems are considered by officials to be less serious. In February, Durham County Council's cabinet was told that people
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Summit's call leads to quick response
A NORTH-EAST council has responded immediately to a plea issued for action against poverty, exclusion and environmental deprivation. The call for help was delivered at the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg where the work of local authorities was hailed
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The cream that could end cancer nightmare
SCIENTISTS in the region have made a stunning breakthrough which could lead to a cure for cervical cancer - the second most common form of the disease in women. It kills about 1,250 women in the UK every year and thousands more worldwide. Professor Jo
