Archive
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Making you howl
THERE seems precious little sympathy for Linda Robson over the way her three children wrecked the Birds Of a Feather star's house in Home On Their Own (ITV1, Sunday-Tuesday). As the poor woman wailed over her 20-year-old daughter Lauren turning a designer
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Fundraising team helps town to bloom
FUNDRAISING efforts of the recently formed Ferryhill in Bloom committee are helping the appearance of the town. The committee, led by Doreen Barber and Zena Roddam, has raised £1,000 in three months. To help the committee's efforts, Ferryhill Town Council
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Children's charity provides play boost
A COMMUNITY group in Trimdon Grange is celebrating the arrival of important equipment to help children with disabilities. East Durham Play and Community Network has bought a multi-sensory trolley, with the help of a £3,000 grant from Ronald McDonald Children's
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Scarecrows to star at festival
OLD-fashioned scarecrows, cowpat bingo, and traditional crafts will be among activities at a North Yorkshire village festival. Linton-on-Ouse Festival takes place next month. Village hall chairman Peter Watson said: "We want to make this event different
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Grant revs up Katy's career
SCHOOLGIRL Katy Sunter is making her mark in the high-speed world of motorcycle racing. The 18-year-old from Healaugh, in Swaledale, is one of the top female junior racers in the country. She is soon to compete in the European Championships and in September
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Mail service is 'not good enough'
A NORTH-South divide in mail delivery fell in favour of Sunderland on a day that Royal Mail bosses admitted their service was "not good enough". The postal delivery service admitted that more than a million first class letters fail to arrive on time every
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Diplomatic carpetmakers
A NORTH-East company hopes to bring some Turkish delight to the world of British diplomacy. Specialist manufacturer Hugh Mackay Carpets, of Durham City, has supplied carpets for Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Sandringham, the Tower of London, Harrods
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School given award for work in arts
A COUNTY Durham school has won top marks for its commitment to the arts. Consett Junior School, in Beechdale Road, Consett, is one of 203 schools in the UK to win an Artsmark Gold Award, announced yesterday. The accolade, presented by the Arts Council
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Hope that share deal will save post office
VILLAGERS have rallied to help save their post office by buying £10 stakes in the business. People in Stillington, near Easingwold, have bought more than 200 shares in a co-operative, in the hope of raising enough money to buy the shop. If they succeed
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Disabled man fears family may be left homeless
A DISABLED man says that his family has been left homeless after a string of disasters. Peter Stainer said his wife and their two young children had been left with nowhere to go after a landlord served them with notice to quit the Darlington property.
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Care trust will pilot computer monitoring
OFFICIALS will be able to check the health of Darlington's population at the touch of a button, thanks to a computer system being pioneered in the town. Darlington Primary Care Trust has agreed to become a pilot site for a performance management scheme
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McCarthy gives rallying call to fans
MICK McCARTHY last night begged long-suffering Sunderland fans not to turn their back on the club as season ticket prices were frozen for the fourth successive season. With Sunderland's moneymen nervously awaiting a possible supporter backlash following
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Children offered summer fun days
HUNDREDS of children are guaranteed some summer fun as part of a scheme to keep them out of trouble. Swimming, football coaching, cinema trips, bowling and laser tag games are on the agenda for youngsters in the Harton area of South Shields, thanks to
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Crime-writer's links with town inspires festival
A TOWN'S links with Agatha Christie has made it an ideal host for the first crime-writing event as part of an international festival. Mrs Christie disappeared from her home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on December 3, 1926, before emerging at the Old Swan
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31/05/03
TORTURE: I'M SURE the diabolical torture of playing heavy metal songs and the Sesame Street theme tune will break the Iraqi captives and force them to speak (Echo, May 20). It is not only Iraqi prisoners who find such sounds culturally offensive. I find
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2,500 jobs lost after Amulet calls in the administrators
A TOTAL of 2,500 jobs are to go at the Amulet Group, the parent company of personal injury claims firm The Accident Group. The Amulet Group, which provides legal expenses insurance for personal injury claims, was placed in administration yesterday and
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Proving they're true blue
It's billed as the Blues Brothers' final tour but don't be surprised if Jake and Elwood are back on stage another last time... it's all down to supply and demand. Viv Hardwick meets one of the men behind the shades BRAD Henshaw wishes he had a pound for
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New care home may ease bed blocking
THE bed-blocking problem hitting some of the region's hospitals could be about to ease, according to officials. Latest figures show that in County Durham, 56 beds - almost the equivalent of two 30 bedded wards - were occupied by patients who should have
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The mystery of the pink tights
Steve Pratt pays a visit to Chester, a city of mystery, records - and a Roman army that won't go away Saturday morning shoppers don't quite know what to make of the man in pink tights sitting astride a horse outside Chester Town Hall. Watching as he reads
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Hartlepool gamble that failed to pay dividends
IT seemed a strange decision at the time and, in hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best choice Hartlepool United chairman Ken Hodcroft has ever made. The smart money appeared to be on former manager Chris Turner's number two Colin West taking over, until
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Carlisle target striker Conlon
Darlington caretaker boss Mick Tait has confirmed that Third Division rivals Carlisle want top scorer Barry Conlon. The 17-goal striker has been continually linked with a move to Brunton Park, despite pledging his future to Quakers for at least another
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Lights, camera, action
A former American news broadcaster has bought the revolution of digital video-journalism to Newcastle Michael Rosenblum takes a wad of notes from his pocket and offers me a fiver if I can tell him what the BBC Look North news item he's just shown me was
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Shameful
STEEL maker Corus last night delivered a devastating snub to thousands of workers and their families by refusing to attend a crucial summit to discuss the future of the industry. The Anglo-Dutch producer was offered a seat at the special steel summit
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Lights, camera, action
A former American news broadcaster has bought the revolution of digital video-journalism to Newcastle Michael Rosenblum takes a wad of notes from his pocket and offers me a fiver if I can tell him what the BBC Look North news item he's just shown me was
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I've been speeding again - 999 driver
AN ambulance driver facing prosecution for speeding while delivering a life-saving organ for transplant yesterday admitted breaking the law again while on a similar dash in the North-East. Mike Ferguson revealed he broke the limit while taking a liver
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Nature's resilience at human hands
THIS morning I watched the heron lift off from its morning river patrol. It rose gradually but gracefully into the morning mist and glided gently towards a position further up stream. The water was teeming with small fry so I am sure it must have eaten
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Tobacco smugglers blamed for job cuts
A REPORT has revealed how cigarette smuggling is forcing North-East shopkeepers to shed jobs. Retailers Against Smuggling, released today by the Tobacco Alliance, shows that most independent shopkeepers are losing £1,000 a week because of trafficking.
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Celebration at the Ritz
SUN-BAKED ground at Catterick should help Colway Ritz (3.45) turn on the style in the mile-and-six-furlong Pickhill Handicap. Trained at Muggleswick, near Consett, by Wilf Storey, Colway Ritz has been a wonderful stable servant, winning ten races in a
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Looking back to the age of clean
THIS month's fad for my five-year-old is Thomas the Tank Engine, so last weekend we went down to York to the National Rail Museum to look at engines. To complete the rail experience, we took the train. It was an Arriva TransPennine. It was over-priced
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Police clerk helped herself to items of lost property at station
A POLICE clerk decided to steal lost property at the station where she worked because she was desperately short of money. The 21-year-old, who worked for Cleveland Police, pilfered money and goods before her thefts were discovered. Kate Hanley, 21, pleaded
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Tommy Smith to out-sprint rivals
PROVIDED Tommy Smith (3.25) gets his own way up front, Musselburgh's richest race of the year, the £50,000 Scottish Sprint Cup, is there for the taking. John Wainwright's runner represents a classic case of light the blue touch paper and watch the fireworks
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Bank's shareholders have say
EUROPE'S biggest bank became the latest institution to come under fire from shareholders angry about "fat cat" boardroom payments. HSBC was given a lukewarm reception at its annual meeting in London from campaigners anxious to block the re-election of
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Troop's Scout hut targeted by 'dirty' raiders
'DIRTY' burglars have left their mark in three bizarre raids in north-west Durham. Thieves twice broke into the Scout hut in Stanley and ransacked it. In the first incident, the raiders urinated in the kitchen and in the second, human faeces were left
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Preview night huge success for potter
A LEADING potter has proved a hit even before his exhibition opens to the public. Works by Ivar Mackay, of Alnwick, Northumberland, are on display from today to Sunday, August 31, at the Oriental Museum, Elvet Hill, Durham City. The exhibition, called
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Chance to become expert patients and aid others
PEOPLE in Sedgefield borough living with a chronic medical condition are being offered a chance to become expert patients. The Expert Patient Programme is a national scheme developed by the Department of Health, which offers courses to help people manage
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Mayor's charity bonus
THE outgoing Mayor of Ferryhill has presented cheques to representatives of his two good causes for the year. The mayor, Councillor Ken Campbell, raised just over £2,700 from various fundraising events during his year in office. He presented cheques for
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Warning over door-to-door antiques men
HOMEOWNERS are being warned not to deal with doorstep traders after reports of men calling door-to-door offering to buy antiques. People in and around Malton have received fliers through their doors from people offering to buy antiques from them, particularly
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Tarmac gang strikes
TRADING standards officers are investigating another tarmac gang scam. A Harrogate woman thought it was too good to be true when a caller offered to fill some potholes in her drive with tarmac "left over from a job down the road". Unfortunately, it was
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Indoor pursuits on offer for children
SCORES of youngsters have enjoyed activities including indoor climbing. Children made the most of a range of activities at Greencroft School, in Annfield Plain, Stanley. They included Brazilian football skills, graffiti art, street dancing, nail design
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Villagers to debate hotel flats scheme
VILLAGERS opposing plans to close a hotel in the childhood village of author Lewis Carroll will have their say next week. A public meeting will be held on Friday, to discuss proposals to convert the Croft Spa Hotel, near Darlington, into 39 flats and
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Relief at drop in village disorder
CRIME and disorder in a north-west Durham village have fallen, thanks to a scheme which gives young people somewhere to go. The finishing touches have been put to a £25,000 youth shelter project near Medomsley and District Community Centre in the Denes
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Community fears over rise in nuisance crime
VILLAGE residents have expressed concern about what they say is an increase in nuisance crime in their area. People in Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, say that incidents of vandalism and disorder have increased because of a lack of continuity with the
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Man arrested after off-road bike accident
AN 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a collision which left a pedigree dog badly injured. Flame, a five-year-old Irish red setter bitch which has appeared at Crufts, was hit by an off-road motorbike while walking along a bridlepath
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Sporting honour against odds for ice-cool teenager
A TEENAGER who refuses to let a blood condition rule his life has won a place in a national sports team. Richard Lawson, 14, from Burnopfield, near Stanley, County Durham, is a haemophiliac, meaning any form of hard physical contact can lead to internal
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Disabled man fears family may be left homeless
A DISABLED man says that his family has been left homeless after a string of disasters. Peter Stainer said his wife and their two young children had been left with nowhere to go after a landlord served them with notice to quit the Darlington property.
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Teachers in the firing line as schools' cash shortage bites
SCORES of teachers in the North-East and North Yorkshire are facing the sack - victims of the nationwide schools cash shortage and falling pupil numbers. The Northern Echo surveyed every local education authority in the region. Only one - Darlington -
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New support centre to help hearing and sight impaired
A CENTRE providing facilities for people with sight and hearing impairments is opening in Darlington. The facility will be at Vane House, which is presently being used by Darlington Borough Council's social services department as a drop-in centre for
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Father who beat family pet in front of children is jailed
A MAN was jailed yesterday after he admitted beating the family pet in front of his children. Wayne Pearce, 37, of Byland Court, Washington, Wearside, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to Jack the collie dog, at a hearing in
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Boro boost as Spurs end Phillips interest
MIDDLESBROUGH'S hopes of attracting Kevin Phillips to Teesside received a boost last night when Tottenham dropped out of the race to sign the Sunderland hot-shot. Boro are one of a number of clubs monitoring Phillips' situation on Wearside and manager
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New era as police deploy 38 support officers on the beat
POLICING in North Yorkshire has entered a new era with the appointment of 38 community support officers. The officers will be deployed across the county and are part of Chief Constable Della Cannings' drive to put more people on the beat. "They will provide
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BAA at the head of results line-up
AIRPORTS operator BAA heads another strong line-up of major companies reporting results next week. The impact of the war in Iraq and the outbreak of Sars in the Far East and elsewhere on the travel industry have been well documented, not least by airports
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TV's Titchmarsh sees his film crew crash
TELEVISION gardener Alan Titchmarsh watched horrified from the ground as a helicopter carrying his film crew crashed yesterday. The Jet Ranger aircraft came down near Once Brewed, just outside Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Four people, including the pilot
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Nature's resilience at human hands
THIS morning I watched the heron lift off from its morning river patrol. It rose gradually but gracefully into the morning mist and glided gently towards a position further up stream. The water was teeming with small fry so I am sure it must have eaten
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Making you howl
THERE seems precious little sympathy for Linda Robson over the way her three children wrecked the Birds Of a Feather star's house in Home On Their Own (ITV1, Sunday-Tuesday). As the poor woman wailed over her 20-year-old daughter Lauren turning a designer
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Robson still in for Pederson
NEWCASTLE UNITED remain interested in Norwegian star Morten Gamst Pedersen, despite missing the opportunity to see him in action on Thursday night. Magpies chief scout Charlie Woods was expected to watch the young striker play for Tromso against Staebek
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Lewis reaches landmark to steady Durham bid
DURHAM'S Mr Dependable, skipper Jon Lewis, batted all day at Headingley yesterday to break a county record. When he reached 118 in the penultimate over, cutting Steve Kirby for his 13th four, he passed John Morris's leading total of 5,670 first-class
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Newell's spell in charge proves short and sweet
SECOND DIVISION new-boys Hartlepool United last night dramatically ended manager Mike Newell's six-month spell in charge. The shock move comes just weeks after the former Blackburn Rovers and Everton striker, in his first managerial job, guided Pool to
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Think again Corus
SHAMEFUL. That is our opinion of Corus this morning. Union leaders, politicians and senior business figures - with the notable exception of Dr John Bridge, chairman of One NorthEast and the Steel Taskforce - will gather for a summit this weekend to debate
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Wesley, wisely
Even the bracing North-East winters couldn't deter John Wesley, born 300 years ago next month, from from falling for Newcastle's charms EVEN before the Bigg Market became obese, before little girls strutted half naked and young men and worse had unceremoniously
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48-hour delay for drugs probe
CUSTOMS officers investigating the discovery of drugs in a truck were forced to fly in an interpreter to question the foreign driver. Investigators had to pay for the Flemish interpreter after they discovered the driver could not speak English. They had
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EastEnders: Going up East
As the new family prepares to enter Albert Square, North-East Arts Writer of the Year, Steve Pratt looks at the - sometimes unhappy - history of ethnic minorities and soaps Few but the most fanatical soap fans will remember Albert Square's Karim family
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Helping Iraq war animal casualties
PEOPLE in the North-East are being asked to help Iraq's animal casualties of war. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has set up an emergency appeal to raise £160,000 to help animals that are suffering through lack of basic medical
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Fears of cricket parking misery
FEARS of parking chaos are growing as a North-East town prepares to stage its first ever cricket Test match. Thousands of fans from across the world will descend on Chester-le-Street next week, when England take on Zimbabwe at Durham County Cricket Club's
