Archive
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Robson's thoughts turn to an absent friend after third defeat
IF the restless Toon Army were unsure of the root cause for Newcastle United's malaise, Sir Bobby Robson's post-match comments acted as a perfect appraisal. Never one to give a one-word answer when a 1,000-word reply will suffice, Robson could have been
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Schools to draw up a £150m wish-list for new facilities
Schools in County Durham will be asked what facilities they would like as education chiefs draw up a £150m wish-list. A shake-up of education in County Durham is being planned over the next ten to 20 years, costing hundreds of millions of pounds. The
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Shearer calls for a show of mettle
ALAN SHEARER last night told his Newcastle United teammates they must "work their socks off" to extricate themselves from their terrible run of form. The Newcastle captain reckons the fans were right to jeer the home team off the pitch after their latest
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New book tells story of proud rail town
A NEW book looks back over the last century in a town hailed as a "cradle of the railways". Fifty photographs dating back to the early 1900s illustrate Memories of Shildon, published by County Durham Books, the publishing arm of Durham County Council.
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TV review
Rosemary And Thyme (ITV1) Gladiator: Benn V Eubank (five) Diana Mosley: Adolf, Oswald And Me (C4) The Real Ned Kelly (C4) IT was only a matter of time before someone put two of TV most popular genres, gardening and detectives, in the same bed. But I doubt
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Family's ties to show are strengthened
CATTLE and sheep classes returned to an agricultural show at the weekend, and helped cement a family tradition which has lasted for well over a century. It was 134 years ago that the Craig family first became involved with the St John's Chapel Show, in
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Young talent on show as town comes alive with the sound of music
Music fans mingled with shoppers in Spennymoor when the town centre came alive with a colourful mixture of pop and rock music, dance and theatre on Saturday afternoon. Spennymoor Live, which was organised by talentSTAR and the Town Centre Management,
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Town centre premises may be redeveloped
A thriving tyre and exhaust company is planning to move from Yarm High Street, leaving premises free for redevelopment. Derek Campbell, who runs the tyre depot, has made an application to Stockton Borough Council to move his business to Preston Farm Industrial
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Drug service praised by CHC bosses
HEALTH watchdogs have praised a facility which supports people with drug and alcohol problems in Darlington. Representatives of Darlington and Teesdale Community Health Council visited the Elmfield Centre, which has been running in the town since 1993
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Rural nursery opens after £80,000 Lottery grant
A RURAL nursery which has been funded by a National Lottery grant opens its doors today. High Bank Nursery, in Stapleton, near Darlington, is providing 38 places for youngsters and 17 after-school club places. The venture has been launched by Lesley Thompson
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Party to remember murdered Caroline
FRIENDS of murder victim Caroline Stuttle will tonight celebrate what would have been her 21st birthday. Three of her close friends from school and college in York wanted to remember her, and at the same time raise funds for the charity established in
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Unlucky break for snooker star
A former snooker superstar is recovering from the worst break of his career. One-time world champion Joe Johnson is in hospital after fracturing his ankle. The ex-champion, who is ranked 96th in the world, fears that the injury has dashed all hopes of
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Boatowners' anger at harbour plunges
Foolhardy youngsters are putting lives at risk by jumping into Whitby harbour in front of yachts and dinghies. Now boatowners are calling for action because they fear there will be a tragedy. Bryan Clarkson, skipper of the Skylark, which takes parties
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Future of carnival secured as crowds turn out for weekend of fun
Fears for the future of South Bank Carnival were allayed at the weekend after organisers hailed this year's event the best ever. More than 1,000 people attended the carnival, which provided entertainment for all age groups on Saturday, while an Abba tribute
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£570,000 invested in project to improve school buildings
MORE than half a million pounds has been invested to give facelifts to schools across Darlington, council bosses have announced. Hundreds of pupils will this week be returning to schools which have undergone improvement and repair works. Darlington Borough
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Plea to support taxis
Concil bosses have come under-fire following the closure of one of Darlington's best-known taxi firms. John Singh, who was proprietor of Abbacab, hit out at Darlington Borough Council in a letter complaining about a lack of support for the trade. The
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Car parks 'crime free'
CRIME in Darlington's town centre car parks is at an all-time low, according to new figures. The latest statistics for this year show that, up to the end of July, there were only 14 incidents in the car parks covered by the town's closed circuit television
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Boundary wins backing in survey
More than half the people in York want their local authority boundary to stay the same, according to a new survey. Fifty nine per cent of the 500 respondents to a telephone survey on regional government said they were happy with City of York Council's
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Footballers share same ambulance
TWO footballers from opposing sides shared an ambulance to hospital at the weekend. In the 34th minute of Harrogate Town's home match against Altrincham on Saturday, Michael Ord was stretchered off with a leg injury. The Harrogate player had struck the
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Nursery solves a problem for parents in villages
A rural nursery, funded by a National Lottery grant, opens for the first time today. High Bank Nursery, in Stapleton, near Darlington, is providing 38 places and 17 after-school club places. The venture has been launched by Lesley Thompson, who wanted
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Plans for £800,000 spruce up on roads
Plans to spend £800,000 revamping roundabouts on Teesside are to be considered by councillors. Entrance features on four roundabouts on the A66, between Old Station Road and Teesport, will include improved signs and art work in a bid to boost the area's
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£3.2m lottery winners vow to never return to work
A GROUP of shipyard workers have vowed never to return to work after winning the jackpot on the National Lottery. Peter Gillan, 43, of North Tyneside, John Kelly, 52, of Gateshead, Richard Robson, 37, of Fenham, Newcastle, Andrew Gill, 25, of Wallsend
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Day centre's Floral creations of region's landmarks scoops prize
Clients and staff at a day centre are celebrating after winning a gardening award. The Greenways Court day centre, in Consett, won the County Durham Care in Bloom competition. They impressed the judges with a floral display of landmarks, including the
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Colin keeps his cool for show day
PLANT growers kept their cool over the summer heatwave to create a sizzling display for visitors to their annual show. More than 1,000 people visited Durham and Northumberland Fuchsia Society's 22nd annual show, in Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham
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Police hunt arsonists after drinkers escape club blaze
ARSONISTS are thought to have started the blaze that forced drinkers to flee from a North-East social club. Police are still investigating the blaze at the Elysium Lane New Club, in the Bensham area of Gateshead, on Friday night. It is thought the fire
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Gray day as full-back's Marseille switch breaks down
MICHAEL GRAY'S proposed switch to Marseille was on the verge of falling through last night, writes Paul Fraser. The news will come as a severe blow to the Sunderland full-back, who had been hoping to move to the French club and play his part in a Champions
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Jamie Bell in step to collect £30m fortune
HE achieved global stardom by the age of 13, beat Russell Crowe to a Bafta and mingles with the film world's glitterati - now North-East teenager Jamie Bell is tipped for multi-millionaire status. Billingham-born Jamie Bell is forecast to be worth £30m
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Rivals battle it out as title goes down to wire
IT is still nip and tuck between Guisborough and Saltburn as the pair battle it out for the championship. Both sides won low-scoring matches on Saturday, leaving Guisborough a tenuous 12 points ahead of their rivals with 40 points still up for grabs in
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Norton boost hopes
Norton now have a very good chance of avoiding the wooden spoon after defeating Benwell Hill in their penultimate game of the season. It was a near result though and the Teessiders had only a couple of wickets to spare overtaking the modest Hill total
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Quartet square off for league honours
With only two games remaining, it is still all to play for and although Evenwood and Willington are ahead of their rivals, Tudhoe and Kimblesworth cannot be discounted. All four won on Saturday with leaders Evenwood hurrying to a ten-wicket victory at
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Youth worker post for centre
AN east Durham centre established to provide a helping hand to those living on a deprived estate has secured funding for a full-time youth and community worker. Jackie Thorman will take up her position at the Peterlee Residents in the District of Eden
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Durham Diary
FOR those of us who disapprove of two divisions, the one consolation in Michael Vaughan blaming the county game for England's woes is that the split has had no effect. And in the fourth season of this misguided venture, we go into September with too many
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Police to target speeding vehicles
POLICE are about to launch a crackdown on speeding motorists to protect children as they prepare to return to school. The operation has been planned by North Yorkshire Police on school routes across its western area. Road Policing Group (RPG) officers
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Rejuvenated Arca steals the show as Black Cats march on
FOR Julio Arca, grabbing a breathtaking solo goal at Valley Parade has capped a tremendous turnaround in fortunes at Sunderland. It is hardly surprising that his own return to form has been mirrored by the Black Cats' change of direction. A resounding
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Bridge causes trouble for Derbyshire batsmen
SUPERB bowling by Graeme Bridge transformed the game at Derby yesterday and allowed Durham to record their third successive National League win. Chasing Durham's 216 for seven, Derbyshire were cruising at 113 for one in the 20th over when danger man Michael
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Soldier in custody on murder charge
A 24-year-old soldier was remanded in custody today charged with the murder of a fellow soldier at an army base in Northern Ireland. John Smith, a Green Howard, whose address was given as c/o Shackleton Barracks, appeared before Londonderry Magistrates
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Triumph for Hetherton
James Hetherton's horses are running into form again and he teamed up with Dale Gibson to land the £8,000 A Rhodes Handicap with Swynford Pleasure at Ripon on Saturday. It was a desperately close call with Gibson bringing Swynford Pleasure with a sustained
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N-E 'could bring in ban on smoking'
THE North-East could become the first region in the country to impose a ban on smoking in public places, according to a television programme shown tonight. BBC1 documentary series Inside Out says that smoking rates in the region are well above the national
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Ceremony to mark comedy legend's links with North
NEARLY four decades after his death, the legend of one of the world's best-loved comics is being kept alive in a North-East town. Fans of Stan Laurel have a new reminder of his early years in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, the town which gave him his
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Falling for the charms of the older man
I HAVE always been drawn to older men. If I found myself in a busy bar, I'd want to be pressed up against the greying chest hair of a man well into his mellowing middle years. A 'new man' may respect your career and agree to load the dishwasher, but he
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Tait blames basic errors for Quakers' Spotland nightmare
Darlington are fast becoming the whipping boys of the Third Division. Just five League games into the new campaign and it doesn't take a crystal ball to predict what's in store for Mick Tait's weary men, who lie just one place above the Football League
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You write...
IRAQ HAS the BBC's Andrew Gilligan ever expressed regret for the trouble he caused by his report about the Iraq dossier? In the rush to discover the source of Mr Gilligan's information, many innocent people were suspected. It was imperative to find the
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Diners settled bill with 18,000 pennies
A restaurant boss was furious when a group of awkward diners settled their bill - with 18,000 pennies. The police became embroiled in the row between Vincenzo Arceri and a firm who had an office party at his Italian restaurant. The recruitment company
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So farewell then, Curly
Tonight, Curly Watts leaves Weatherfield for the last time, after treading Coronation Street's cobbles for 20 years. He talks to Steve Pratt about life after soap and his return to the stage - in Darlington. Strange and shocking sights greeted visitors
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Health walk held to celebrate move
A SYMBOLIC procession was held yesterday to mark a new era in healthcare in a part of the region. NHS staff walked from Middlesbrough General Hospital, which is now closed, to the James Cook University Hospital, where all wards and departments have moved
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Ethnic community projects share £920,000 in funding
ETHNIC communities in the North-East are set to benefit from a £920,145 Government boost. Four projects in Stockton, Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland will receive the area's share of £15.16m to help isolated men and women from minority ethnic groups
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Smooth Silk to miss out
Silksworth defeated one-time leaders Hylton, but their chances of overhauling table-topping Murton, who were without a game, are remote to say the least. Murton will be the only side to be involved in a double programme next weekend when they will require
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Keeping watch for sea life on N-E coast
VISITORS to the North-East coast were asked to keep a look out for whales and dolphins at the weekend. The Seawatch Foundation invited people to take part in a national survey of whales and dolphins to provide a record of the numbers and variety of whales
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Boro boys taught a harsh lesson
THE much-vaunted Mark Viduka doled out ruthlessness and compassion in the space of a minute as young Andrew Davies learned the harshest of lessons at the Riverside. Centre-back Davies, 18, made a fatal slip as he attempted to take care of Jermaine Pennant's
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Horden land championship
Horden finally clinched the championship when they defeated Hetton Lyons and their only challenger, Burnmoor could only draw at Marsden. The Colliers have been powering their way to the title, especially in recent weeks and there was no way they were
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Why Fiona's back in the frame
Pressing the family needs led Fiona Horner to forget her first love - art. Now, thanks to a friend, she's dusted down her brushes and got out the paint again. Sharon Griffiths reports. Sometimes you need a friend to get you into gear again... That's what
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Mayor to open craft units by the river
craft workshops created as part of Durham City's £30m Millennium City development will be opened this week. The ceremony, at the Fowlers Yard complex, will be performed on Friday by the city's Mayor, Ray Gibbon, and North-East Euro-MP Stephen Hughes.
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Calendar girls bare their souls
On the eve of the premeire of the film about W1 women who went naked for charity, the real-life Calendar Girls tells Steve Pratt how the making of the movie split their ranks. THE aim of the middle-aged Women's Institute members from North Yorkshire who
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German man dies after swim tragedy
A HOLIDAYMAKER has died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the sea. The 64-year-old German man, who was on holiday with his wife, was swimming off the coast at Sandsend, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, when he got into difficulty. A passer-by
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Attacks strike fear into bus and train passengers
THE full impact of crime on the region's public transport network is revealed in a new report published today. Safety campaigners have demanded tighter security on buses and the railways in the North-East after the survey showed that one in three people
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Rivals battle it out as title goes down to wire
IT is still nip and tuck between Guisborough and Saltburn as the pair battle it out for the championship. Both sides won low-scoring matches on Saturday, leaving Guisborough a tenuous 12 points ahead of their rivals with 40 points still up for grabs in
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Smoking ban nears
A BAN on smoking in enclosed public places is being promoted by health chiefs. A report to the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT) said the organisation was "uniquely placed" to promote the tobacco control agenda. Director of public health for the area
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Rowntree sweetens Seaton's bid
Seaton Carew are still in with a chance of promotion after overtaking Bedale's 180 with nine overs but just two wickets remaining. Richie Evans contributed a valuable 40 with seven boundaries and Danny Robinson steadied the innings with an unbeaten 47
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Strike-breakers criticised as buses take to road
BUS services in York came to a standstill at the weekend after drivers walked out in pursuit of a better pay deal. Senior bus company staff and agency drivers took over routes to keep park-and-ride services running. They were watched by strikers as they
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Fire checks offered as three members of family are killed
RESIDENTS are being urged to take up an offer of free fire safety checks in a town where three members of a family died in a blaze. Two-year-old Megan Yates was yesterday still critical in hospital after she suffered 31 per cent burns in the fire at a
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Ethnic community projects share £920,000 in funding
ETHNIC communities in the North-East are set to benefit from a £920,145 Government boost. Four projects in Stockton, Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland will receive the area's share of £15.16m to help isolated men and women from minority ethnic groups
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Search on for talent to star in new show
People of all ages are being invited to take part in a version of one of Gilbert and Sullivan's greatest operettas. After the success of the Pirates of Penzance at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, in February, young and old alike are being recruited for a follow-up
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Festival of fiction keeps youngsters in tune with their environment
CHILDREN listened to a series of stories at the weekend as a free festival came to Darlington. The environment-themed event brought storytellers from across the country to the Drinkfield Marsh nature reserve. Visitors enjoyed displays of circus skills
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Farmhouse to be converted
PLANS to refurbish farm buildings on the outskirts of Darlington are likely to be approved by councillors. An application has been submitted by Martin Corney for an old farmhouse and other buildings at Low Skerningham to be turned into three single-storey
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Park hosts fun activities
A community enjoyed a storytelling and arts festival in the countryside yesterday. The event took place at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, in Billingham, where there was a variety of activities for all ages including a circus skills, didgeridoo performances
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MP opens nursing home's sensory garden
A sensory garden has been opened at a nursing home by Redcar MP Vera Baird. Hillview Nursing Home, Eston, celebrated the unveiling of the garden with a Victorian-themed party which included cream teas, a balloon race and stalls. The BUPA-run home teamed
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News in brief
Disability roadshow: Wear Valley Disability Access Forum takes its Accessibility Roadshow to Weardale this week. See it on Thursday in Ireshopeburn Village Hall, at 10am, St John's Chapel at 11am and Rookhope Village Hall from 3pm to 4pm. Friday's sessions
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Hear All Sides
IRAQ: HAS the BBC's Andrew Gilligan ever expressed regret for the trouble he caused by his report about the Iraq dossier? In the rush to discover the source of Mr Gilligan's information, many innocent people were suspected. It was imperative to find the
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Boogie down to try £45,000 dance floor
Dancers will have every reason to get into the groove at a North-East pub. A £45,000 dance floor has been installed at The Cross Keys, in Yarm High Street. It is a computer controlled world-first, underlit with 16 million colour variations and replaces
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House to be built in heart of old village
Permission has been granted for a new detached house to be built in a medieval village. The site is within the historic core of Low Ellington, near Masham. A report from Harrogate Borough Council's heritage unit said aerial photographs indicated earthwork
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Village police house to be demolished
A village police house, which was extended in 1986 to provide a rural beat office, is to be pulled down. Council planing officers have given their backing for the police building at North Stainley, near Ripon, to be replaced with a house. Harrogate Borough
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Police hunt arsonists after drinkers escape club blaze
ARSONISTS are thought to have started the blaze that forced drinkers to flee from a North-East social club. Police are still investigating the blaze at the Elysium Lane New Club, in the Bensham area of Gateshead, on Friday night. It is thought the fire
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01/09/03
Rosemary And Thyme (ITV1), Gladiator: Benn V Eubank (five), Diana Mosley: Adolf, Oswald And Me (C4), The Real Ned Kelly (C4) IT was only a matter of time before someone put two of TV most popular genres, gardening and detectives, in the same bed. But
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Customers facing £10 rise in water bill
WATER bills are set to rise almost £10 a year for some customers. The annual rise of 3.6 per cent plus inflation imposed by Yorkshire Water is to meet the cost of European environmental legislation and a "significant" rise in Government taxes the company
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Police closing in
Police said last night they were closing in on a missing 14-year-old girl who disappeared with a 46-year-old family friend last week. Detectives want to find Stacey Champ, from Gillingham, Kent, before she spends another night with David Milner. The search
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England boosted by return of Thorpe
Graham Thorpe will resume his career for England in the final npower Test against South Africa this week confident he is ready to perform again at the highest level after a year's absence from the international arena. The Surrey left-hander was the only
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McClaren confident of Riverside turnaround
STEVE McCLAREN has rubbished suggestions that Middlesbrough are among the Premiership's relegation favourites after picking up only one point from their first four games. The Boro manager admitted his "disbelief'' after his side had contrived to lose
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Man to appear in court on death charge
A MAN is due in court today over the death of a 29-year-old last week. The unnamed 38-year-old, who lives in Newcastle, will appear before the city's magistrates this morning charged with the murder of Lee Johnson. Mr Johnson, a single man, who lived
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Lanchester extend lead
Lanchester are just about home in their challenge for the title. They now lead Newcastle City by 61 points with only three games to play and cannot be caught - unless City win their appeal against the ten points, which were docked from them earlier in
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£3.2M lottery winners vow to never to return to work
A GROUP of shipyard workers have vowed never to return to work after winning the jackpot on the National Lottery. Peter Gillan, 43, of North Tyneside, John Kelly, 52, of Gateshead, Richard Robson, 37, of Fenham, Newcastle, Andrew Gill, 25, of Wallsend
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Plans for floodlighting at popular tourist landmarks
A host of east Cleveland landmarks could soon be illuminated to improve the area's image. Gisborough Priory, Saltburn Pier and the Redcar Clock are among the sites that may be floodlit. Residents' views about the plan to improve the area's image with
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McGurk emerges as a star of the future
Darlington fans may not have had too much to shout about so far this season but the emergence of David McGurk may provide some encouragement. The 21-year-old defender capped another impressive performance with his first goal for the club at the weekend
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Danger of computer hackers revealed
COMPUTER hackers can obtain personal bank details and hospital records at the click of a button, a security expert has revealed. And thousands of businesses in the North-East and North Yorkshire using the latest wireless technology are at risk. In one
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Artist leads Chinese festival day
AN artist from Taiwan is coming to the region to introduce youngsters to a traditional festival. The Moon Festival is a Chinese celebration of family reunion and the harvest day. Artist Chun Chao Chiu will be at the Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology
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Woodward says goodbye to run
Half-backs Austin Healey and Paul Grayson mirrored England's frustration after a performance that saw the Six Nations champions surrender their 14-Test unbeaten record and left several players sweating on World Cup places. England, for the first time
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Tragic families grieve on anniversary of Diana death
FAMILIES of road accident victims joined in a tragic roadside memorial campaign launched yesterday on the anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Small plaques appearing on verges and paths across the country mark the spot where a loved one was lost or
