Archive
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Dynamic duo keep alive Saltburn's title dreams
Super performances by openers Phil Ramage and Tony Bell laid the foundations for Saltburn's huge total in their top-of-the-table clash with Redcar. Although the match was drawn, Saltburn were the happier side, gaining eight points more than their opponents
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North referendums for home rule
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced this afternoon that three northern regions will be allowed to vote on the formation of regional assemblies. Referendums will be held in the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, and the North West, probably
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Woman dies after 12 years in coma
A CAR crash tragedy left a woman in a coma for 12 years before she died. An inquest in Durham heard that Patricia Whale, 54, of High Spen, near Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, died in May last year at Shotley Bridge Hospital. She had been admitted to hospital
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Teen forum
A WEBSITE which was set up to raise awareness of sexual deviancy on the Internet has added an on-line forum for teenagers, parents and carers. The website - www.internetsafetyinteesside.co.uk - was the idea of former Teesside steelworker David Stenson
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Caution over referendums
THE Northern Echo welcomes the news that the Government will announce today that the North-East and Yorkshire are to hold referendums on whether they fancy regional government. Some may say it is about time too, given that this was one of Labour's manifesto
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'Bionic' heart op gets the go-ahead
SURGEONS have revealed they will carry out the region's first artificial "bionic" heart implant later this year. A team at the Freeman Hospital's transplant centre expects to perform the revolutionary operation in the autumn. If all goes well, it should
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Estate blow as church hall lost following arson strike
A CHURCH hall has been demolished after it was gutted by fire following an arson attack. Children are thought to have been responsible for the blaze which gutted the hall adjacent to St Agnes' Church, in Easterside, Middlesbrough. The fire was started
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GPs launch bid to trace unidentified diabetes sufferers
MEDICAL staff are reaching out to the 1,100 dales residents they estimate are silent sufferers of an incurable condition. GP practices in the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT) are improving services for the 2,617 diabetic patients already registered
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Who is killing our pets?
SADIE the cat is grumpy. She leaps off the sofa and knocks an ornament from a shelf, swishing her tail in anger because she has not been out for more than a week. Her owner, Angela Watson, said: "I just daren't let her out. I daren't let any of them out
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Mother's bid to overthrow law heard by Lords
A MOTHER'S fight for justice for her murdered daughter will be presented to the House of Lords tomorrow as justification for an ancient law to be scrapped. Lord Brian Mackenzie of Framwellgate, who supports the move, will speak at the second reading of
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Mystery as town clerk goes missing
Concern was growing last night for a town clerk who has not been seen since he left his home early on Saturday. A weekend-long search for 55-year-old Terry Robson switched from his home area of Spennymoor, County Durham, to the Northumberland seaside
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Burnmoor prove to be tough
Burnmoor won their third game in succession to give other clubs an indication that they will not easily relinquish the title. They scored steadily in the early stages before their innings at Durham City gained momemtum. Professional Mark Benfield led
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Police powerless as girl of 12 is sent Internet porn
POLICE were last night investigating claims that a 12-year-old girl was stalked by a man on the Internet, but admitted they could be powerless to act. The youngster, whom The Northern Echo is choosing not to identify, was sent pornographic images and
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Answering the call of the wild
I think I've been stuck in a time warp. I went away for one week's holiday (not far, just camping in Scotland) but when I returned, my garden had put on a month's worth of growth. I had made sure to cut the lawn the day before departure, and had left
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Twin spin attack sparks Lanchester win
Lanchester strengthened their position at the top of the table, defeating Backworth while Newcastle City went down to Sacriston. Once again, it was the twin spin attack of Banda (4-28) and Farouk Iqbal (4-35) which paved the way for Lanchester's fifth
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Witnesses needed
Detectives investigating a disturbance that left a 29-year-old man with serious head injuries are appealing for witnesses to step forward. Police were called to a home in Station Road, Eston, at around 8pm on Saturday. The victim was last night still
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Assault man fighting for life
A MIDDLE-aged man has been left fighting for his life after a vicious assault outside a Hartlepool pub. The 55-year-old is now on the critical list with severe head injuries after the attack outside the King Oswy pub in King Oswy Drive in the early hours
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£800 damage as city's toll bollard bites back
A toll road's rising bollard has claimed another "victim". Sean Kenny, of Tow Law, County Durham, said he was unaware that Durham City's toll road, at the entrance to the Market Place, had become automated. So when he approached the toll point last week
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Are you suffering from middle-aged dread?
How do you know when you've reached middle age? Tell-tale signs include opting for elasticated waists and Velcro-fastening slippers, says best-selling author Sue Townsend. She tells Hannah Stephenson about why it doesn't have to be all downhill from 40
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Struck-off nurse fails in work bid
A NURSE struck off for roughly handling a patient failed in her bid to be restored to the nursing register on Friday. Bongiwe Nogcantsi, 42, of York, was struck off in 2001. A professional conduct committee found her guilty of misconduct on three allegations
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Battle to preserve village schools
PARENTS and governors are preparing to fight village school closures. Durham County Council caused widespread dismay with an announcement that up to 23 schools could be shut and dozens more merged over the next ten to 15 years. The authority said the
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Vandals stop targeting building site
VANDALS have stopped targeting a building site on a Darlington estate, according to developers. Youths had been plaguing the Moorfield housing development on Firthmoor. A show home had all its windows broken and security guards complained about abusive
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Moves to cut speed of estate traffic
MEASURES to slow traffic are to be introduced on a Darlington estate after residents complained about speeding vehicles. People on Firthmoor called on Darlington Borough Council to impose a 20mph speed limit on the estate last month. Although that has
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Council homes sell-off plan sparks concerns
A COUNCILLOR has raised concerns over a plan to sell off all of Hartlepool's council houses to a housing association. Tenants are to be balloted next month to see if they support the scheme to transfer 8,000 houses, worth about £19m, to Housing Hartlepool
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Course offers handy hints on car repairs
A CAR maintenance course has been arranged for people who want to save money on repairs. The short course is being held by Middlesbrough College, through the Hemlington Initiative Centre. Staff members Steven Joyce and Ian Brewster, who teach car maintenance
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The female refugees looking for hope
As National Refugee Week gets underway, Women's Editor Christen Pears visits a group of female refugees in Sunderland. AT eight months pregnant, Ruth exudes a rare serenity. Calm and unruffled, her hands rest on her bump as she talks. There is no trace
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News in brief
Pupils prepare summer panto: CHILDREN are having fun while learning thanks to an educational project embracing the performing arts. Pupils from across Chester-le-Street are involved in the production of a summer pantomime, Celebrate, which will be performed
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Students support residents in fight over car park plan
STUDENTS have set up a "solidarity camp" on a threatened piece of common land to support residents in their fight to stop a car park being built. Durham University Social Forum has pitched tents on The Sands riverside area, in Durham, nearly half of which
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Paramedic's microlite challenge
PARAMEDIC Jon Ker is swapping his air ambulance for a microlite to take part in a three-week flight across Europe to raise cash for the service. A senior paramedic with the Great North Air Ambulance, Mr Ker will leave Teesside Airport on Thursday heading
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Drivers told of changes to speed limits
COUNCIL officials in Hartlepool have announced changes to local speed limits to try to improve road safety. The main alteration will be on Hart Lane, where a stretch with a 30mph limit will be extended to just beyond the Tarnston Road junction. A 40mph
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Man fined £50 for dropping cigarette end
A PENSIONER has been fined £50 for dropping a cigarette end in a North-East town. James Scott, 74, will have to hand over almost half a week's pension for dropping the one-inch roll-up stub in Redcar High Street's new litter free zone. The long-time smoker
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Breaking up Close companions
THE 'for sale' signs are going up outside the houses in Brookside Close now that Channel 4 has confirmed the Liverpool-set soap will end after 21 years in November. The axing won't just leave a gap in the schedules, but put dozens of actors out of work
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North-East pride bolstered as university leads the way
A NORTH-EAST university has been named one of the UK leaders in transfer of technology. A survey showed that Newcastle University's £5m sale of its shares in its spin-out company, Novocastra Laboratories, last year, represented the most profitable equity
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When stars burn too brightly
The transition from child star to adult performer is a difficult one, but Steve Pratt talks to three young actors who are determined not to fall by the wayside. Bobby Driscoll's corpse, needle marks in the arm and surrounded by empty beer bottles, was
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Authority to brief MPs on shake-up plan
A COUNTY'S MPs and Lords are to be briefed over a radical education shake-up that could see 23 schools closing in coming years. Durham County Council leader Ken Manton will head a delegation from the authority to outline its controversial "blueprint for
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Bikers save casualties as crashed car burns
MOTORCYCLISTS who stopped to drag casualties out of a crashed car just before it caught fire have been hailed as heroes by the ambulance service. A black Peugeot 307 containing six young people left the westbound carriageway of the A64, near the junction
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Killeen turns the screw as Durham creep home
WHAT a difference two days make - or was it the increase of 25 overs? After the frenetic activity of Friday's Twenty20 Cup launch, the National League seemed rather humdrum yesterday as Durham completed a double over the same opponents at Trent Bridge
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Plans drawn up to develop new nature reserve
PLANS are being drawn up to develop Darlington's newest nature reserve. Brinkburn Nature Reserve has been an important wildlife area for decades and has recently been designated a Local Nature Reserve by Darlington Borough Council. The main focus of the
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Refugee doctors funding dilemma
DOZENS of refugee doctors in the region who want to work for the NHS are being held back by lack of funds, it was claimed last night. While about 60 medically qualified refugees in the region are trying to retrain to get jobs in the NHS, only five have
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Hanged man's sister speaks
THE sister of a County Durham man found hanged has spoken out about her fears that his withdrawal from a controversial drug may have altered his personality. Steve Sanders, 38, a former chef from Logan Street, Langley Park, was prescribed the anti-depressant
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Warship from past wins tourism title
ADMIRAL Nelson's last surviving frigate has landed a tourist award. HMS Trincomalee, restored to its former glory in Hartlepool at a cost of £10.5m, was named small visitor attraction of the year at the Pride of Northumbria Awards. The vessel attracts
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Out of the shadows comes a Potter challenge
HE may be a wizard among wizards but it seems Harry Potter may have finally met his match in a vicar from North Yorkshire. Ottakar's, Britain's leading book chain, has chosen Shadowmancer, a children's ghost story written by clergyman Graham Taylor, as
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Woman dies after 12 years in coma
A CAR crash tragedy left a woman in a coma for 12 years before she died. An inquest in Durham heard that Patricia Whale, 54, of High Spen, near Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, died in May last year at Shotley Bridge Hospital. She had been admitted to hospital
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16/06/03
SCHOOL CLOSURES: THE Labour founding fathers of Durham County Council used to believe that "nothing was too good for the bairns" and allocated resources accordingly. Recent reports suggest that the present Labour Group seems to say that "nothing is too
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Art of football
IF you want to find a classic example of an unmade bed, then most parents don't have to look much further than the nearest child's bedroom. Imagine (BBC1, Wednesday) brought us scenes of artist (although many wouldn't use the title) Tracey Emin arranging
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George Orwell - A Life In Pictures (BBC2)
See George Orwell shot in the Spanish Civil War. See George Orwell report on the industrial slums of South Yorkshire. See George Orwell go down a coal mine. See George Orwell in the Home Guard during World War Two. It was rewarding to find from this biographical
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Johnston's dreaming of more joy at Royal Ascot
MARK JOHNSTON'S love affair with Royal Ascot began with Double Trigger's pulsating success in the 1995 Gold Cup - an unforgettable victory which has since led to a string of big-race wins for the unstoppable Middleham trainer at the world's most prestigious
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Durham Diary
ONE of the few people not totally happy with Durham's staging of a Test match was former trundler turned pundit Simon Hughes. He attempted in The Daily Telegraph to compare Riverside's shabby peripheries with the chaos he alleges surrounded his first
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Thumbs up for school's library
IT may sound like something from a James Bond film but technology that recognises people from their thumbprints has been installed at a village school library. Sacriston Junior School, near Chester-le-Street, recently refurbished its library, throwing
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Surgeon is found guilty of bullying
A SURGEON who bullied and verbally abused hospital staff has been handed a reprimand after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct. Dr Lukas Van Vuuren, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire
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More men to follow MP's lead to quit
FATHERS holding key jobs across the country could be set to follow in former Health Secretary Alan Milburn's footsteps, according to campaigners. A study by the University of Hertfordshire has found that fathers work longer hours than men without children
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Street star Toyah soon to be a girl about Toon
CORONATION Street's Toyah Battersby is to return to the nation's screens - as a Geordie. Manchester actress Georgia Taylor will star in a new sitcom that has been likened to Sex and the City. And she has turned to a Street co-star for help getting to
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Unsworth helps Eden climb to top
Castle Eden moved into pole position for the first time when they defeated Boldon CA and Hylton and Murton drew their top-of-the-table clash. Richard Ede, Allan Unsworth and Tony Banks combined to send Boldon back to the pavilion with 153 runs on the
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Tracking the origins of The People
Q WHAT is the difference between an Eskimo and an Inuit? - Doug McKenna, Stockton. A THE term Eskimo is applied to a wide group of people. Eskimos inhabit an area spanning more than 3,000 miles, including Greenland, northern Canada, Alaska and part of
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Tracking the origins of The People
Q WHAT is the difference between an Eskimo and an Inuit? - Doug McKenna, Stockton. A THE term Eskimo is applied to a wide group of people. Eskimos inhabit an area spanning more than 3,000 miles, including Greenland, northern Canada, Alaska and part of
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Norton make a Marc
Former Durham County player Marc Symington and captain Kenny Gresham combined to earn Norton their first win of the season on Saturday. It looked as if the Teessiders were on their way to defeat against Philadelphia when four batsmen contributed only
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14/06/03
HEALTH SERVICE: THERE is a difference between telling people how to run their lives and firmly advising them that they are causing much of their own ill health by their lifestyle, especially where smoking, drinking, drugs and obesity are concerned. There
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Disabled say estate needs more ramps
DISABLED people on a Darlington estate say they feel trapped because of a lack of wheelchair ramps. Vera Maven and Elizabeth Wake, of Deepdale Way, on the Red Hall estate, are wheelchair users. They say the lack of ramps and dropped pavements on their
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Top class hockey pitch launch
A water-based hockey pitch which is the only one of its kind in the North-East was opened at the weekend. There are only 12 world-class pitches in the UK, and Durham University has the most northern pitch in the country. The site is part of the English
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Fair trading fashion show
A FASHION display of styles from Third World countries is being staged by Durham University students in the town hall. It will feature Fairtrade fashions from India, South America and Nepal. The students co-ordinating the show belong to the University
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Sunshine ensures record carnival crowds
WEEKEND sunshine brought a record 5,000 crowd to Shildon Carnival, which organisers say was the most successful yet. Residents lined the streets for a parades of floats, which was reduced in number because of safety considerations. Traders added to the
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Auction and shoot to aid air ambulance
A CLAY pigeon shoot and auction in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance is held at Teesdale Gun Club, Mickleton on June 30. No pre-entry is required, but there will be an entry fee applicable. All shooters must have their own insurance. A number of prizes
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Free Internet equipment offer
BUSINESSES in Crook are being offered free Internet equipment as part on an initiative to bring broadband services to the area. The first 350 who sign up for the campaign will be able to claim a free ADSL modem worth over £100 and a free broadband set-up
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Neighbourhood Watch
PEOPLE worried about crime in Darlington can attend a meeting with police and Neighbourhood Watch leaders at Feethams cricket ground on Thursday, at 7pm. The event has been organised to revive interest in Neighbourhood Watch after it was discovered that
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Prescott to decide on allotment plan
A BID to allow building on allotments in a County Durham village has been called in by the Deputy Prime Minister's office. Sacriston Parish Council has applied for outline planning permission to build homes at Cross Lane Allotments, in the village near
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Diamond day for James and Doris
JAMES and Doris Findlay did not have the easiest of beginnings to their marriage. Having only been released from German captivity during the Second World War, Able Seaman James tied the knot with Doris before he set out to sea again for the rest of the
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Delay over school bus park decision
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a bus park at Richmond School will have to wait before the planning authority votes on the controversy. The school says it needs to improve parking for home-to-school transport, which contributes to traffic jams traffic
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Festival promises plenty of colour
THE skies will come alive with colour when an international festival of kites, music and dance takes off in the North-East next month. As one of the biggest and most popular events of its kind, the International Kite Festival at the Northern Area Playing
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Darren praises college support
A YEAR after his life was changed for ever, a Stockton triathlete has thanked the college that is helping him realise his dreams. Darron Shields was out training on his bike when an accident left him paralysed and in need of a wheelchair. But the 34-year-old
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Life's a beach for store staff
AN OPTICIANS in Redcar swung into summer mood at the weekend by holding a beach party - in the shop. Specsavers' store directors Julie Jones and Julie Breen gave the go-ahead for their nine-strong team to turn up to work on Saturday dressed in shorts,
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Toni's in the money as reward for loyalty
A WOMAN has won £250 in shopping vouchers after signing up to a new reward scheme. Toni Finn, a lunchtime supervisor at Ayresome School, Middlesbrough, was the first winner to receive the top prize of £250 in vouchers for shops in the town's Cleveland
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Promise over petition demand for better health deal
A PETITION was handed to Teesside MP Ashok Kumar calling for more health services for people with lung problems. Members of the Teesside Breathe Easy Group made their point at a march through Victoria Square, Middlesbrough, on Saturday to coincide with
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Grassroots: Chester-le-Street, Birtley & District
MEET YOUR MP: North Durham MP Kevan Jones will hold an on-street surgery from 10am until noon, on Saturday, in Kimblesworth. Appointments can be booked on 0191-371 8834. BUSINESS MEETING: Durham Business Club is holding a workshop on reviews and assessments
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Gone but not forgotten
John Pringle has begun a huge task - paying respects to the men who gave their lives on the battlefield during the First World War. Jim McTaggart reports. As John Pringle gazed at the names of 125 men on his town's war memorial, he set himself a mammoth
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Chris takes part in 15-hour Gulf race
A NORTH Yorkshire soldier has taken part in a 100-mile run through Iraq and Kuwait to raise cash for the children of colleagues who died in the Iraq conflict. Sapper Chris Brown, 20, from Northallerton, joined 19 soldiers on the 15-hour sponsored run
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Iraq troops lead way in royal birthday celebrations
GUNNERS from two regiments which saw action in the Gulf earlier this year were among troops chosen to fire a 21-gun salute to mark the Queen's birthday. A detachment from 40 Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Alanbrooke Barracks at Topcliffe, and a detachment
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Protests over plans to solve traffic problems in town
RESIDENTS are attending a meeting tonight to block plans drawn up to solve traffic problems. Traffic heading to and from units and offices on the Gallowfields estate, in Richmond, are supposed to use Gallowgate and Green Howards Road. But many drivers
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Spotlight turned on wartime prison life
MILITARY enthusiasts gain-ed an insight into life behind the barbed wire of the German and Italian prison camps of the Second World War. The director of the Second World War Experience Centre, Dr Peter Liddle, travelled to the regimental museum of the
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Seaton close gap on leaders
Seaton Carew made further inroads into Wolviston's lead at the top of the table when they overtook the target of 178 set by Bedale with four wickets and an over remaining. Richard Carruthers scored a century yet still finished on the losing side. His
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Tudhoe tip-top
Tudhoe strengthened their grip at the top of the table with a weekend double, following up Saturday's win over Langley Park by defeating Etherley in yesterday's programme. Chris Renshaw (51), Michael Crane and Colin Barker enabled Etherley to make a respectable
