Archive
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Regional assembly debated
SMALL businesses in Darlington have met to discuss the possible impact of an elected regional assembly. The Darlington Branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) hosted the debate at the Hallgarth Hotel and Country Club. The open meeting attracted
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Traders form an 'exclusive' selling club
TRADERS in a Darlington shopping street are joining forces to encourage more people to shop there. Shop owners in Grange Road, who are all independent traders, met this week to vote in a chairman and secretary of their association, which is called Exclusively
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Scientists now able to extract DNA from fossils
Scientists are one step closer to creating a real Jurassic Park after discovering a world-first technique to extract DNA from fossils. For the first time ever scientists at the University of Newcastle have extracted DNA from a 55,000 year old fossil and
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Pool go West for manager
COLIN WEST will be unveiled as Chris Turner's successor at Hartlepool United in the next 48 hours. West, who was Turner's right-hand man before the latter left to take over at Sheffield Wednesday last week, is also expected to draft in close friend John
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Why I'm glad I'm not posh after all
Well, aren't we lucky not to have servants? Yes, I know it's a struggle having to run our own baths, open our own doors, make our own tea and - gosh - expecting our teenage sons to buy their own porn mags, but sometimes it might just be worth the effort
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20p glazed bowl sells for £35 . . . now that's how to flog it!
THE hammer hits the table, the auctioneer shouts "Sold for £35" and the camera zooms in on a young girl's grinning face. Thirteen-year-old Anne Robinson has just made an incredible 17,400 per cent profit on a bowl and plate she picked up for 20p in a
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If you like a hearty breakfast then it's time to join their club
HELPINGS of toast and fruit are being introduced by two County Durham schools to give children a boost before they begin their school day. At Wheatley Hill Primary, near Peterlee, children on the school council recently tried out various healthy foods
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Wordsworth country - and e-pistles
Last week was quite something, covering several hundred miles and meeting a few thousand people. My tour included compering an excellent Business Link event at Gosforth Park where winners were rewarded by the Learning and Skills Council of Tyne and Wear
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Region's transport gets £2.6m bonus
THE Government gave the go-ahead yesterday for a £2.6m investment in crucial transport schemes across the North-East. The region has been awarded the cash under the Urban Bus Challenge project, set up to tackle deprivation and social exclusion. On Teesside
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Cyclists boost N-E charities
FOUR North-East charities have received a cash boost after ten npower employees got on their bikes to raise money through a coast-to-coast bike ride. The workers covered 190 miles from Whitehaven, in Cumbria, to Tynemouth, in North Tyneside, raising £1,400
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A new favourite in the final furlong
ONE of the region's racing communities is attempting to rival centres such as Newmarket and Lambourn. Trainers at Middleham, North Yorkshire, have already netted £3m in grants this year - the first time the Wensleydale stables have boasted such a success
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Prepared for the worst
Today's fire service strike will be the first for a quarter of a century. But the lengthy negotiations that preceded the action have given authorities a chance to plan for a national walkout. The Northern Echo reveals how the strike will affect you INDUSTRY
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Keep on trucking for extra 300 jobs
More than 300 jobs will be created in the wake of massive expansion plans by a specialist truck design firm. Multidrive announced it was set to quadruple in size after gaining approval to build a second factory in North Yorkshire. The research and development-driven
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Police issue burglary alert
POLICE have warned Bishop Auckland people to keep their doors locked after two sneak burglaries. Two people living on the Woodhouse Close Estate lost cash and other items when each had a handbag stolen on Monday afternoon. One victim, a woman, 60, had
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Real knockout debut
A BOXER has started his amateur career by stopping his opponent in his first bout. Michael Forbes, 20, represented the recently formed Fishburn Amateur Boxing Club at a club contest in Silksworth, near Sunderland. Club officials were unsure how he would
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Dogs go on show to raise charity funds
A NUMBER of lords and ladies, a former demon bowler and a garage boss were in an invited audience when a growing charity made its case for more funding for its work yesterday. North Yorkshire's Aske Hall Estate is already a patron of Canine Partners,
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Modern Circus spectacular is taking to the streets
SEQUINS and feathers have been replaced by combat trousers and skateboards in a modern circus on its first tour of the North-East. The Circus of the Streets arrived in Durham yesterday, bringing with it feats on inline skates and skateboards and daring
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Hear All Sides
CONSERVATIVE PARTY - AFTER Iain Duncan Smith's conference speech, MPs and delegates stood with tears in their eyes clapping their hands in a standing ovation for 'a great leader of our party', the very words of a delegate interviewed afterwards. Just
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Mums protest closure of maternity hospital
A SMALL army of mums invaded a council meeting to fight the closure of their maternity hospital yesterday. The women witnessed a special committee being established to scrutinise the closure of Guisborough Maternity Unit. And the mothers and mothers-to-be
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Bad behaviour top of Durham's agenda
DURHAM are to raise the issue of behaviour on and off the rugby field at a county committee meeting next week. The move follows the abandonment of the game between West Hartlepool TDSOB and Gateshead two weeks ago, when referee Michael Hodgson was pushed
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Beathen reaches World Dance finals
A TEN-year-old from Richmond will be taking on the best in the world when she keeps a date in Ireland next year. Bethan Andrews finished second in her age group at the North-East Irish Dance Championships in Gateshead at the weekend. But, although she
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Harvey chasing more joy
MOSS HARVEY (1.30) has a great chance of maintaining his 100 per cent record over fences in the valuable Ashleybank Investments Novices' Chase at Kelso today. Malcolm Jefferson's powerhouse is no stranger to success at the Borders' track - he won two
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Jeans means . . . lots of sweets
A YOUNGSTER can tuck in after winning first prize in a competition - her height in sweets. Rebecca Smith took part in a regional contest, held at the Centre for Life in Newcastle, to design a pair of jeans. She was one of 16 year eight pupils from Greencroft
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Police hunt window trick conman
A DOORSTEP fraudster is being hunted after stealing the contents of an elderly woman's handbag. The woman noticed the man using a tape measure to size up the windows of her home in Ebor Street, York. He said he was from the council and was measuring up
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Putting too much at risk
TO reasonable people the prospect of an 11.3 per cent pay rise is generous in the extreme. To the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union it is insulting. Andy Gilchrist is mistaken. What is insulting is his willingness to put lives and property
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Prescott appeals to fire union as strike is set to begin
As the region prepares today for the first firefighters strike in 25 years, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has appealed to firemen "don't walk, talk." The firefighters' dispute ''puts people and property at greater risk," said Mr Prescott , adding
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Quakers need to find winning habit
They may be a whole lot prettier to watch lately, but with just one win in Darlington's last six league outings, caretaker boss Mick Tait has reason to voice his concern. While Tait can sing the praises of a side clearly lifted under his leadership, the
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Bellamy the saviour as Magpies go through
Craig Bellamy was the toast of Tyneside with the last-gasp winner that clinched Newcastle United's place in the second group stage of the Champions' League. The Magpies' adventure in Europe's elite club competition looked to have evaporated in the De
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Volunteer wins career
HELPING others to overcome their fears of computers has landed a Durham man a job. David Rider, 38, of Langley Park, has worked as a Pathfinder Project volunteer at the town's community centre since January. This week, his voluntary work has turned into
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Workers at the races
STAFF at a County Durham betting shop are to be VIP guests at a race day in Lancashire, after beating off competition from 650 other bookies. The Chester-le-Street branch of Stanley Racing has been made Stanley Standards Shop Team of the Year, for the
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Power to bright sparks
BRIGHT sparks have enjoyed a day of learning with a national power company. Pupils at Catchgate Primary School, near Stanley, County Durham, spent a day working with a team from energy supplier npower. Activities included teamwork, renewable energy, health
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Wages fall way short of average
Every county and borough in the North-East falls below the national average weekly pay for full-time workers, a survey revealed. North-East workers are vastly underpaid and losing out to their more affluent southern counterparts. Employees in the worst
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Cathedral's festive event has Wonderland links
LEWIS Carroll's strong links with Ripon will come to life when his story book characters, Alice in Wonderland and the White Rabbit, make a guest appearances in the city's cathedral. The pair are helping to launch a Christmas gift and food festival which
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Greening gamble starting to pay off
ENGLAND rookie Jonathan Greening last night admitted Steve McClaren took a gamble when he bought him from Manchester United 16 months ago. Middlesbrough boss McClaren paid £2m for the midfielder in the summer of 2001, and last season he struggled to prove
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Mental health support group gets funding
A support group for people with mental health problems in Hambleton and Richmondshire has received a £300 boost from the Yorkshire Building Society. The cash for Mental Health Support has come from the building society's Richmond branch through its Small
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Verdict in rapes trial due today
A JURY sitting in the trial of a 23-year-old man accused of a string of sexual offences, including the double rape of a 14-year-old girl, is expected to retire later today to consider its verdict. Judge Peter Fox told the nine women and three men jurors
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Griffin's career a real rags to riches story
ANDY GRIFFIN admits that Newcastle United's Champions' League campaign has been the making of his career. From humble beginnings, Griffin has finally established himself as United's first-choice right-back in one of football's rags to riches stories.
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Traffic accident may have caused death
Police believe a man whose body was found lying in a roadside ditch may have died as a result of a traffic accident. The body of Lorenzo Crosswaite, who was 52, was found just north of York and the cause of death has yet to be established. But it is thought
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£50 fines threat to people who litter town centre
PEOPLE who drop litter will face on-the-spot fines as part of a campaign launched by Darlington Borough Council later this month. The crackdown on litter, backed by The Northern Echo, will be launched in two weeks time. The on-going initiative will see
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Man found not guilty in rape trial
A 23-year-old who admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old schoolgirl in the back of his car was today warned that he would face jail for the offence. Mark Cochrane, of Balmer Hill, Gainford, near Darlington, was told by Judge John Walford that he faced
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Police say crackdown on young nuisances is working
A CRACKDOWN on youth disorder at teen hot spots is paying dividends, but there is still work to do, say police. Officers in Derwentside, County Durham, launched an operation two weeks ago to tackle petty criminals and unruly teenagers blighting the lives
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Dyer's respect for hosts
KIERON DYER is calling on his Newcastle teammates to use tonight's opponents Feyenoord as their role-models, as they bid to keep their European dreams alive in Rotterdam. The Dutch giants were dumped out of the Champions League at this stage last year
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Advice service expanding as families sink £1m into debt
FAMILIES living in an unemployment blackspot are on their way to running up record debts of more than £1m. A second money advice specialist is being recruited by Middlesbrough Council to help cope with the ever-increasing tide of debt misery. Trading
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Swede dreams are made of this
Let's start with something of a riddle for you. How can you be on holiday less than an hour after leaving home, and yet soon drive for days without seeing another British car? The answer begins with boarding the DFDS ship Princess of Scandinavia on the
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Cartoons and the French connection
COLUMNS over the next few days may betray a slight French accent: we're just back from a short break in Paris. Alone in that agreeably autumn city, the sumptuous decoration of Galleries Lafeyette - like Binns, only 100 times grander - suggests that Christmas
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100 years of war to reclaim streets
Echo Memories takes a look at the 100-year battle to create a pedestrian haven in Darlington town centre - a project started in the 1890s which might finally be realised in the 21st Century The pedestrian-isation of Darlington town centre is back on the
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Anger over Blair stance on Deepcut
THE father of a North-East soldier who died in mysterious circumstances at a UK Army base has criticised Tony Blair for blocking calls for a public inquiry into non-natural deaths at other British bases. Geoff Gray, whose 17-year-old son, also Geoff,
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School projects boosted by grants from bank scheme
STUDENTS across North Yorkshire are to benefit from a share of a £1m Barclays investment programme. Grants of up to £10,000 have been awarded to four schools in the county under the Barclays New Futures Scheme - the largest education project of its kind
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Varga is Turner target
NEW Sheffield Wednesday boss Chris Turner is set to resurrect a move for Sunderland's out of favour defender Stanislav Varga. Centre-back Varga was tracked by former Owls' boss Terry Yorath before he left his post earlier this month. And it is understood
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Campaign to make city top attraction
A CAMPAIGN which hopes to turn York into the number one tourist venue in the country has been officially launched. The major marketing drive has been launched this week to lure more tourists to the city and the tourism bureau will hit 40,000 homes with
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Gazza to sign for £20-a-match team
Footballer Paul Gascoigne has gone back to his roots - and is due to sign for a minor league team with an average crowd of just 80. The midfield genius, who has thrilled crowds in the world's greatest stadiums, is training with Albany Northern League
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Wardens go on patrol to help clean up streets
UNIFORMED wardens are taking to the streets in Wear Valley as part of a pilot scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime. Five wardens have been taken on to help clean up the areas of St Helen Auckland, the Woodhouse Close Estate in Bishop Auckland
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Concern over bus service home for nightclubbers
A NEW bus service designed to help young people get home from one of North Yorkshire's biggest nightclubs is already causing concern. From the end of this month, an early morning shuttle service will collect Easingwold teenagers from the Ikon and Diva
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Boy of 15 attacked man with bottle
A BOY of 15 rammed a broken bottle into a man's neck after catcalls in the street turned to violence, a court was told yesterday. Schoolboy Peter Marron, whom a judge said could be named, had challenged off-duty teacher Simon Laing to a fight. Mr Laing
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Single mother homes scheme being debated
A PROPOSAL to build accommodation for young single mothers in Darlington is to be considered by the borough council. The Tees Valley Housing Group wants to demolish Gladstone Hall, a former residential nursing home in Gladstone Street, and use part of
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Musical project hits high note
A MUSICAL masterpiece, which involved more than a hundred of the region's schoolchildren, has scooped a national prize. Arts and Business Awards are presented to projects which show what can happen when culture and business join forces. A partnership
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Pair found guilty of attack in nightclub
TWO men were locked up yesterday for a savage attack on a man in a seaside nightclub. David Hopwood, 30, was in hospital for three days after he was beaten unconscious with bottles and kicked during a night out in the Club Kudos, in Redcar. Paul Temple
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Grant helps to beat burglars
A SCHEME to help the victims of burglary on Teesside has received a major boost after receiving Government cash. Tees Valley Partnership has established a scheme called Safe in Tees Valley and has been awarded a £26,000 Home Office grant. Under the programme
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Emap aims to restore stability
Magazine and media group Emap, which owns TFM and Metro radio stations, announced yesterday that profits had gone up 23 per cent. The company, which is most famous for the so-called "lad-mag" FHM and gossip publication Heat, hailed the performance of
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Pledge for future expansion as group celebrates 150th birthday
STAFF who monitor the movement of ships on the River Tees are celebrating the 150th birthday of the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority. Set up by the Tees Conservancy Commissioners on November 9, 1852, the group of politicians, businessmen and industrialists
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Becks' link-up play boosts Vodafone
Mobile phone company Vodafone smashed City expectations by posting a 41 per cent increase in underlying pre-tax profits for the first half of the year, with a little help from David Beckham. Chief executive Sir Christopher Gent said margins and turnover
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Swings and roundabouts for upbeat gases company
Industrial gases group BOC was upbeat about the future despite the uncertain outlook at its troubled semiconductors business. Dismal conditions in the chip-making industry have continued to put pressure on BOC Edwards, although the company said its wider
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Why I'm glad I'm not posh after all
Well, aren't we lucky not to have servants? Yes, I know it's a struggle having to run our own baths, open our own doors, make our own tea and - gosh - expecting our teenage sons to buy their own porn mags, but sometimes it might just be worth the effort
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Motel opens for business
A £3M pub/restaurant with adjoining motel opened for business this week. Broomside Park Brewers Fayre and Travel Inn opened on schedule on land adjoining Durham City AFC's Archibald's Stadium on the Belmont Industrial Estate. It became the 280th in the
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Lorry and buses safety in spotlight
IMPROVED lorry and bus safety comes under the spotlight at a free seminar staged near Durham City today. Commissioner Tom McCartney said the event is aimed at helping new recruits to the lorry, coach and bus industry ensure their vehicles are roadworthy
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Painting offenders in positive light
ART work produced by young offenders in Sunderland has gone on display. The exhibition of abstract paintings at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art in the city follows a series of workshops involving artist Paul Merrick and youngsters aged ten to
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Cartoons and the French connection
COLUMNS over the next few days may betray a slight French accent: we're just back from a short break in Paris. Alone in that agreeably autumn city, the sumptuous decoration of Galleries Lafeyette - like Binns, only 100 times grander - suggests that Christmas
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Young 'bra-strap pincher' fights sex register listing
A schoolboy who was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register after admitting to "smacking girls' bottoms and pinching bra straps" is at the centre of a High Court row over the blacklisting of unconvicted juvenile offenders. Two judges heard yesterday that
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Schools' choir sets the tone for festivities
A CHOIR of 240 young voices launched Bishop Auckland's Christmas celebrations yesterday. Eight primary schools in the Bishop Auckland area each sent 30 pupils to the concert in Bishop Auckland Methodist Church, Cockton Hill. The children had previously
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Tunnellers who dug for victory
A VIDEO telling the story of how miners dug for victory on the Western Front in the First World War has been released. Thousands of North-East colliery men volunteered to fight the Germans in Flanders but some served their country on the front line using
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Tragic end to job despair
DESPAIR at delays with benefit payments may have led a 33-year-old frustrated job seeker to put an electrical wire noose around his neck. Deputy Cleveland Coroner Gordon Hetherington said of Nigel Kelly, who was found hanged in a Middlesbrough lodging
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Award for car rental franchise
A DARLINGTON car rental company has won a national award. The local Thrifty car rental franchise fought off tough competition from larger franchises to win the National Marketing Award at the Annual Car Rental Convention for its activities and success
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No one to blame for man's death
A VERDICT of misadventure has been recorded over the death of a pensioner who died in hospital after an operation. In announcing his verdict into the death of John Goodall, Cleveland deputy coroner Gordon Hetherington said: "That does not mean something
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Last Night's TV
The anarchy and ecstasy that was The Tube - The Tube - Twenty Years On (ITV) THE Tube ran for just five years in the 1980s, a relatively brief TV life but one that had a huge effect on music shows on the box. The show was a big risk as it relied on enticing
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Strikers in the firing line?
When the nation's firefighters went on strike 25 years ago, it seemed the whole country supported their cause. But will they enjoy the same sympathy this time? Lindsay Jennings reports IT WAS the anonymous Christmas presents left on the doorstep for David
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A cynical end to a very sorry saga
The decision to vaccinate from the start of any future foot-and-mouth outbreak vindicates the pro-vaccination stand taken by this column throughout last year's crisis. But merely to say "I told you so" is a waste of precious space. What needs highlighting
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Officers will face discipline hearing
TWO Cleveland Police officers are to face a disciplinary hearing after an investigation into alleged corruption in the force. A detective sergeant, neither of whom has been named, has been charged with a string of disciplinary offences and a police constable
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Green Goddesses respond to fires in North-East
Green Goddesses have been called to three separate incidents in the North-East in the first half hour of this evening's strike, a spokesman for the authorities said. Army personnel were called to put out a fire in a recycling bin outside a store in Stockton-on-Tees
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Shearer praise for young Euro heroes
WISE old head Alan Shearer last night saluted the way Sir Bobby Robson's rookies have grown from boys to men during Newcastle United's Champions League journey. At 32, Shearer is still the Magpies' attacking axis. But tonight, here at De Kuip against
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100 years of war to reclaim streets
Echo Memories takes a look at the 100-year battle to create a pedestrian haven in Darlington town centre - a project started in the 1890s which might finally be realised in the 21st Century THE pedestrian-isation of Darlington town centre is back on the
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Cabinet backs school move despite protests
THE controversial relocation of a Darlington primary school moved a step closer yesterday, after the borough council's cabinet approved the plans. Alderman Leach Primary School is on the verge of being moved to the new West Park development, in the Faverdale
