Archive
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Winning the takeover game
Taking over a role made famous by someone else can be fraught with danger but some game show hosts have made a career of it JOHN Humphrys has yet to decide whether to adopt Mastermind predecessor Magnus Magnusson's catch phrase: "I've started, so I'll
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Student loses eye after nightclub glass attack
A STUDENT who lost an eye in a nightclub glass attack has spoken of his horror. Surgeons removed the right eye of Paul Gibson, 33, after he was injured in a clash in a crowded club. The trainee teacher was disfigured after being hit in the face with a
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Remote hopes
THE spectre of death hung over my family's TV viewing this week. A good friend, namely the remote control, had been poorly for some time and, having been bounced off the floor once too often had limped along with the help of some garish insulation tape
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French without fears
The stunning countryside and sandy beaches of northern France offer the perfect opportunity for a weekend away horse-riding, as Lindsay Jennings discovers I HAVEN'T galloped flat-out since I was 13 years old and my cousin and I used to race each other
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Vandals targeting community house
VANDALS are holding back progress on plans to create a community house in Chilton. Margaret Taylor, chairman of Chilton West Residents' Association, outlined the problem in her annual report to members. The group received the draft lease on 13 Coleridge
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Prime Minister backing recycling project
A NEW household recycling scheme in County Durham is being backed by the Prime Minister. By the end of August, all 100,000 homes in Sedgefield, Chester-le-Street and Durham City districts should have kerb-side recycling. The Kerb-it scheme will replace
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Village post office to close soon
The post office in St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland, will close on June 16, it was announced yesterday. The closure is part of changes by Post Office Ltd to safeguard urban branches. It follows an announcement last autumn by Post Office Ltd that
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Volunteers wanted for play scheme
AN appeal is being made for volunteers to help support a playscheme for disabled children. Darlington Association on Disability (DAD) wants to provide a playscheme for hundreds of children in the town in July and August. The more volunteers the scheme
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Late artist's work on show
AN exhibition to celebrate the life and work of a south Durham artist who died last year is on show for the last time today. The Man and His Mark, in the McGuinness Gallery at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, County Durham, pays tribute to the late Ben Johnson
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New website highlights regeneration
A website has been launched detailing how regeneration projects are benefiting South Durham. The site, which can be accessed via www.iricd.co.uk, includes a section called Growing Communities, where people can offer articles and information, and advertise
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Police crack down on off-road biking nuisance
POLICE are launch a covert operation to target off-road motorcyclists. Plain clothes officers will patrol the roads around South Park at the weekend, and uniformed officers will be on standby to swoop on youths illegally riding motorbikes. Residents in
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Scrabble sets wanted
A DARLINGTON school is appealing for people to donate old Scrabble sets to help its Polish twin. Hurworth Comprehensive School is twinned with a secondary school in the town of Trzbinia, near Krakow, Poland. The school is organising a Scrabble in English
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Scientists will study region's landscape
SCIENTISTS are planning a project to help them understand the region's landscapes. During the next 15 months they plan to investigate the gravels, silts and peats of the river valleys in the Swale and Ure washlands. They hope to produce a picture of how
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Life is a Cabaret for college drama students
DRAMA students at an east Cleveland college are to stage a musical later this month. The performing arts department at Redcar and Cleveland College will stage the musical Cabaret. The show follows the lives of regulars of the KitKat Club, in Berlin, in
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'Proof that PoWs were killed to protect secret'
In one of the worst 'friendly fire' incidents recorded, 787 allied prisoners-of-war died. They will be remembered next week. Mark Summers reports WERE more than 700 British and Common-wealth prisoners of war sacrificed to protect the intelligence secret
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Care scheme to be a model for future developments
A scheme that is likely to become a model for future development was officially opened in the region yesterday. The Orchards, a £3m extra-care housing project, in Brompton, Northallerton, was launched by Richmond MP William Hague. The complex is the first
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Look beyond crime figures, police urge
POLICE are urging the public not to take the latest crime figures for Wensleydale at face value. Statistics produced for the next meeting of the Western Area Community and Police Group suggest an alarming increase in burglaries, violent crime and car
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Barron can't wait to stamp on new grounds
MICKY BARRON'S attentions are already fixed on Division Two. Hartlepool United's season might have ended just seven days ago, but skipper Barron - only the third captain to lead Pool to promotion - has his sights set on the fixture list. Pool start next
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Appetite grows for broadband
A survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has revealed a big demand for broadband. Following recent criticism of Government rural broadband initiatives by both BT and the Countryside Agency, a recent FSB survey reveals continuing frustration
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Dog owners face being fined in crack down on dirt
DOG owners who fail to clean up after their pets are running the risk of incurring on-the-spot fines. Officers from Hartlepool Borough Council say they will not hesitate to issue £50 fixed penalty notices to people who allow their dogs to foul public
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Restaurant celebrates repeat award
STAFF at a Stockton restaurant are celebrating after winning an award. The KFC, in Wellington Square, has won the Restaurant of the Year for the second consecutive year. The award was given to the restaurant by the company's head office, following a series
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Police target vandals on railway track
POLICE are planning an offensive to tackle the problems caused by young vandals on a railway line at Stockton. Officers will be using converted off-road motorbikes to ride alongside the tracks while a police helicopter will be scrambled to help them catch
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Opportunity knocks for young artists
YOUNGSTERS have brightened up their village community centre with a £10,000 upgrade. Children in Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, worked with local artist Mick Brown to create murals inside the young people's community room, next to the village junior school
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Gondola extends its offer
Gondola has extended its offer for Pizza Express by one week. Last month Gondola trumped a rival bid by Pizza Express former chairman and chief executive Luke Johnson and Ian Eldridge with a £277.8m offer. The bid vehicle - backed by the owner of the
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Vital access to rural bus lifeline is being widened
A SCHEME which helps people with mobility problems get out and about is expanding. Almost 1,600 people across County Durham are now registered with Durham County Council's Access Bus. The service provides regular links to popular destinations, including
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PM's surprise call at blaze school
PUPILS at a school, which was almost destroyed by arsonists, were yesterday given the chance to show a very special visitor around their temporary classrooms. Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was in the region to visit his Sedgefield constituency, popped
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Salute to the heroes who toppled Saddam
FAMILIES of those killed in the campaign to topple Saddam last night welcomed the announcement that Britain is to officially salute its war heroes with a thanksgiving service. But North-East mother Julie Maddison, whose son Christopher died during an
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Movie launch just the job for driver Paul
NORTH-EAST stunt driver Paul Swift has been called in to launch the modern version of classic action movie The Italian Job in New York this weekend. The Paramount Pictures publicity blitz will be screened live on the Jay Leno Show. But even Hollywood
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Move It can shift it and land win number four
LINGFIELD-BOUND Move It (3.45) has proved to be a colt who can really shift by rattling off a quick-fire sprint hat-trick during the past month. All tracks seem to come alike to Roger Charlton's flying machine, successful at Bath, Windsor, and Sandown
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Change of kit colours Sir Bobby's big day
FOOTBALL legend Sir Bobby Robson was thrilled yesterday to receive an honorary doctorate - but not so happy to don the colours of his side's fiercest rivals. The former England manager was granted the highest honour Newcastle University can bestow, an
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McClaren aiming for a lucrative double boost
STEVE McCLAREN last night demanded that Middlesbrough aim for their highest-ever Premiership finish at Bolton tomorrow - and boost his summer spending power. Boro, currently tenth, could finish as high as eighth or as low as 13th depending on the way
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Nuisance call victims told to act immediately
POLICE and mobile phone companies have urged victims of nuisance calls to report them immediately in the wake of a case which proved "a living nightmare" for a family in the region. Kristin Thompson was made the subject of a two-year restraining order
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10/05/03
NISSAN - Nissan is of vital importance to Sunderland and the North-East for a number of reasons. It exemplifies the talents and hard work of our community. The company works at the cutting edge of manufacturing technology. It has an extensive and comprehensive
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Feeling fine now it's nearly summertime
WELL I have seen most of the signs now. Nature is letting us know that summer is officially here. I have heard the woodpecker marking out his territory with his head and chiselling out grubs in the distant copses. I saw my first dancing swallows on Thursday
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TV's Selina backs fight to curb light pollution
TELEVISION personality Selina Scott is backing a campaign to cut the amount of light pollution blighting the North-East's skies. The former breakfast TV celebrity, who last month stepped into a row over a village pub's lights opposite her parents' home
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Fred, 104, snookered by thief
A 104-YEAR-OLD who was the victim of a conman said last night that only his love of snooker allowed the thief into his home. Fred Dickinson, from Hartlepool, was watching the World Snooker Championship final on Bank Holiday Monday when a man claiming
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Winning the takeover game
Taking over a role made famous by someone else can be fraught with danger but some game show hosts have made a career of it JOHN Humphrys has yet to decide whether to adopt Mastermind predecessor Magnus Magnusson's catch phrase: "I've started, so I'll
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Farmer fined for milk levy protest
A DAIRY farmer attacked the work of the Milk Development Council when he was taken to court yesterday for failing to follow its financial rules. Andrew Proctor, who farms in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, told Harrogate magistrates that the council was
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Shoppers taken back to Sixties
SHOPPERS in Darlington's Grange Road have been stepping back into the 1960s as part of a three-day street party. The event has been running over the past two days and finishes today. Traders in Grange Road organised the event to promote the street as
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Teacher echoes his old school success
TEN years ago, as a promising young footballer, Michael Garmston captained his school team to cup victory. Now he has led the same school team to success as a teacher. Mr Garmston was head boy at Hurworth Comprehensive School, near Darlington, in 1994
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Highlighting safe sex
YOUNGSTERS are being offered the chance to win bookmarks and keyrings as part of a health campaign to promote safe sex. Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust has teamed up with youth centres to organise a range of competitions as part of National Condom Week
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Stars back status bid
PUPILS at a Stockton school enlisted the help of three sports stars yesterday in an attempt to raise funds for their sports college status bid. Former Middlesbrough star Garry Pallister, current player Colin Cooper and athlete Allison Curbishley visited
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District plans to attract more tourists
THE district of Ryedale is to be promoted as a year-round destination for short breaks. A marketing blueprint for the area's tourism industry says Ryedale has a wealth of historic sites - mansions, ruined abbeys, castles and churches as well as scores
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Addict is jailed for burglaries
A HEROIN addict broke into two elderly women's homes in a burglary spree to feed his habit, shortly after his release from a prison sentence. Dean Merritt was yesterday jailed for five-and-a-half years after a court heard the effect his latest crimes
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Good luck message from 'Artie'
TOMMY Steele has given a boost to a musical society's show which he helped to make famous. He has sent a hand-written letter to Harrogate Operatic Players who take centre stage at the town's theatre from June 24 to 28 with the hit musical Half a Sixpence
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Taking on role for park upgrade
PLANS to upgrade a park gardens in Hartlepool have taken a step forward. Consultants Banks of the Wear has been appointed by the Burn Valley Gardens Rejuvenation Consortium to oversee a project to regenerate the area. It will work closely with the consortium
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Life is a Cabaret for college drama students
DRAMA students at an east Cleveland college are to stage a musical later this month. The performing arts department at Redcar and Cleveland College will stage the musical Cabaret. The show follows the lives of regulars of the KitKat Club, in Berlin, in
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News In Brief
Trio may hold clues to attack : POLICE are hoping to trace a taxi driver and two passengers who could hold clues about a town centre attack. The driver of the yellow taxi picked up a man and a woman at about 2am near the 42nd Street nightclub, in Hartlepool
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Hinkes abandons attempt on Nepal peak
MOUNTAINEER Alan Hinkes has made the decision to return home after contracting a serious bronchial infection while trekking through the Himalayas. The climber, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, had to be flown from his base camp to the capital of Nepal
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McCarthy plans low-key exit for beaten troops
MICK McCARTHY has confirmed Sunderland have no plans for a "lap of dishonour" as the curtain falls on their season of shame tomorrow. After 14 successive defeats, the Sunderland manager knows it would be laughable for his players to accept the plaudits
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Business advice from a beer mat
REGIONAL development officials are hoping North-East drinkers will discover the spirit of enterprise in the bottom of a pint glass. They have produced 250,000 beer mats as part of an ongoing campaign to make people think about setting up their own business
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Taking credit for saving the postman
'PLEASE check that information in this notice is correct. If the details are wrong, phone the Helpline because the amount of your award may be too low or too high." If only it were that easy. The Inland Revenue only exists as a giant wheeze to ensure
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Johnston eyes repeat of Lingfield success
MARK JOHNSTON plays one of his trump cards at Lingfield today where Shanty Star (3.15) lines up for the mile-and-a-half Group Three Derby Trial sponsored by Attheraces. Johnston is no stranger to success in the £60,000 feature having hit the jackpot 12
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We are closing the Real gap at the top, Robson
SIR BOBBY ROBSON has given Newcastle United's rising stars the perfect compliment by insisting they are closing the gap between themselves and European champions Real Madrid. The Newcastle chief had to sit and watch the Champions League semi-finals this
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'I'm glad I was laughed off stage'
Sunderland-born child star David Parfitt moved behind the camera to become the Oscar-winning producer of Shakespeare In Love. As his new film opens in cinemas, he tells Steve Pratt why he's glad he abandoned acting David Parfitt knew he'd made the right
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Feeling fine now it's nearly summertime
WELL I have seen most of the signs now. Nature is letting us know that summer is officially here. I have heard the woodpecker marking out his territory with his head and chiselling out grubs in the distant copses. I saw my first dancing swallows on Thursday
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Developers get behind culture bid
THE developers of a North-East business park have thrown their weight behind a capital of culture bid saying it would be good for business. Highbridge Business Park, the developers behind North Tyneside's Cobalt Park, say winning the title of European
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Figures lead to calls for rate cut
THE REGION'S beleaguered manufacturers have suffered another blow, according to new figures. Britain's manufacturing companies have just suffered their worst month since last October. According to figures just released by the Office for National Statistics
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A place for a fitting tribute
EVEN some of the ardent opponents of the military action in Iraq had little but admiration for the members of the armed forces who took part. The British Army, Navy and Air Force delivered what was asked of them. They freed the people of Iraq from the
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Hospice patients given a lift
CLASSIC car drivers went an extra mile yesterday to give hospice patients a trip back in time. Vintage cars which arrived at the Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland, County Durham, collected patients for a short drive to nearby Witton Castle, where
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Appeal for calm after racial tension spills over into fight
POLICE last night appealed for calm after they broke up a street fight which started on Thursday afternoon. The fight, which involved about ten white youths and ten young males of Asian origin, broke out in a car park near North Lodge Park, in Darlington
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College to build £19m fame academy
PLANS were unveiled yesterday for a £19m fame academy in the North-East that will be the biggest in the UK. Newcastle College is to build the further education centre for music, performance and media, at its Rye Hill campus. The complex will cater for
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Shildon date for Deacon
OLYMPIAN Jared Deacon, who won Commonwealth Games and European Championships gold medals in the Great Britain 4 x 400m relay squad last summer, will be the star attraction at the annual North-East Track and Field Championships, which is being held at
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Wearside spell comes to sad end for Phillips
HOW apposite that the zenith of Kevin Phillips's six years on Wearside came during a downpour of Biblical proportions at St James' Park. For Phillips, whose winning goal in the tumultuous Tyne-Wear derby of August 1999 anointed Sunderland as the North-East's
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City holds its breath for bank report
A clutch of financial results from major UK companies is likely to be overshadowed by the Bank of England's quarterly inflation report on Wednesday. Retailers are again in the spotlight, with analysts looking for further signs of economic slowdown dampening
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Food for the soul
Despite, or perhaps because of, a food and drink festival, the congregation at a Leyburn church was a little thin LEYBURN had a Food and Drink Festival last weekend, sub-titled "The party in the Dales". The parish church played a key role with floral
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Remote hopes
THE spectre of death hung over my family's TV viewing this week. A good friend, namely the remote control, had been poorly for some time and, having been bounced off the floor once too often had limped along with the help of some garish insulation tape
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Peng cheers Moxon
MARTYN Moxon looked a little glum when Durham were 35 for three in the ninth over yesterday, but by lunchtime there was barely a furrow on his brow. Durham were 200 for three with Nicky Peng on 100 after scoring at almost seven an over in partnership
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Shock for family in trial over death in Greece
A FAMILY on the brink of flying out to Greece to see medical staff stand trial accused of killing their son have been told there will be no translator. Christopher Rochester, 24, bled to death unattended in a Greek hospital in June 2000. The bar and entertainments
