Archive
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Mature trees are felled by mistake
TRIUMPH turned to despair as residents who successfully fought to save some mature trees in their cul-de-sac saw them ripped from the ground in a development error. All that is left of the five mature trees that lined the opening of Valley Road in Northallerton
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Voices for hospices
A North-East charity will benefit from the largest musical event in the world. The worldwide Voices for Hospices concerts aim to raise cash for hospices. Stockton's Butterwick Hospice Care will host a performance of Handel's Messiah by the Cleveland Philharmonic
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News in brief: Charity opens new base
AFTER seven years of planning, St John Ambulance is to open its new county headquarters and training centre on the Meadowfield Industrial estate, near Durham. People from the community will be able to visit the base to learn first aid and health and safety
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Lorry search
POLICE are still trying to track down a heavy goods vehicle, which was one of two stolen from the Durham County Waste Management premises, on Newton Aycliffe Industrial Estate, on Sunday, August 24, at about 9.45pm. One has been recovered, but a Volvo
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Raid clues sought
POLICE are appealing for information about two burglaries from clothes shops in Bishop Auckland town centre. A large amount of women's clothing was stolen from Marks and Spencer, in Newgate Street, on Saturday night. Garments were also taken from the
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Villagers invited to draw up wish-list for college
VILLAGERS in Sedgefield and the surrounding communities will get the chance to help draw up a wish-list for their secondary school. Sedgefield Community College is one of seven schools in County Durham included in the county's first phase bid to the Government
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Booklet will give advice
A BOOKLET offering advice about planning to people living in a conservation area has been launched. The guide, called Welcome to Stokesley Conservation Area, provides information about repair and alteration to buildings in Stokesley that fall in the conservation
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Revised scheme
A REVISED scheme to build a detached house at Skelton-on-Ure, near Ripon, should be given the go-ahead, planners have said. An outline application to build the property to the north of Oakfold will be considered by members of an area planning committee
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A healthy evening
HARROGATE health chiefs have confirmed details of an open evening later this month. The trust, which is bidding for foundation status for Harrogate District Hospital, will welcome anyone interested in finding out more about local health services at an
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Trust begins Foundation Status bid
HARROGATE NHS Health Care Trust has begun its campaign to secure Foundation Trust status. The trust, which serves a wide area including Ripon, Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Wetherby, has decided to make a preliminary application for
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Search for 'suicidal' brother
AN ARGUMENT between two brothers sparked a rescue search after fears one could have been suicidal. The two men, in their late thirties, from Brotton, ran to the top of Huntcliffe, in Saltburn, during the argument in the early hours of Monday. One of the
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Launch of anti-arson initiative
CHILDREN are to be taught the dangers of fire in a police initiative to cut arson attacks in Stockton. The Arson Reduction Group, formed by the police-backed Safer Stockton Partnership, has launched the anti-arson initiative. It will teach pupils in the
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Schools chalk up awards for attendance
SCHOOLS in Stockton are to receive awards this week for improving pupil attendance. Certificates will be presented to four schools by Stockton Council, which has worked with schools across the borough to improve attendance. Egglescliffe Comprehensive
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Football club's site hits the net
A FOOTBALL team has picked up a prize from The Northern Echo for its website. South Bank United FC's site has been chosen as Pick of the Month by our CommuniGate team. Mark Trainor, who runs the website for the Teesside team, received a pair of digital
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Tait accepts Pearson ban
Darlington manager Mick Tait last night revealed the club will not be appealing against Gary Pearson's sending off at the weekend. The Quakers boss was unhappy with referee Frazer Stretton after Pearson was dismissed for a second bookable offence towards
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Businesses urged to check for blaze risk
BOSSES are being encouraged to invite firefighters to look around their premises. Every week Cleveland Fire Brigade is called out to deal with fires in factories, offices, shops and other workplaces on Teesside. Firefighters are urging employers during
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William's imposing stronghold
Hundreds of the North-East's historic properties will be opening for free this weekend. In our latest Heritage Open Days preview, Chatherine Jewitt visits Durham Castle. OVERLOOKING the leafy River Wear as it weaves its way through Durham City is one
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Nursing home staff jobs' fear
DOZENS of workers are waiting to find out if their jobs are under threat after proposals to close a nursing home were revealed. Management at Summerdale, a residential home for the elderly, in Snows Green Road, Shotley Bridge, near Consett, admitted this
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Volunteer will run for charity
A VOLUNTEER worker with the County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted is hoping to raise more funds by taking part in the Great North Run. Peter Sedgewick, already devotes much of his spare time to visiting blind people in their homes
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High flier drops in to find out about science centre bid
ENTREPRENEUR Peter Ogden arrived in style at a school yesterday by landing on the playing field in his helicopter. He visited Framwellgate School, in Durham, to find out more about its bid to set up a science centre. The school officially became a science
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Foreign party
A DARLINGTON soldier will celebrate her 21st birthday in Iraq at the weekend. Private Charlotte Nelson is stationed at an airfield with the 5th Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as part of British troop deployments. The former Longfield
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Teenagers learn the game of life
A SURREAL game show has been used to help hundreds of teenagers in Darlington learn about social issues. A Moment of Truth, a play about a TV reality game show using a Wheel of Fortune and music, was performed by theatre group Industrial Pie at Darlington
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Young adventurers tackle Mongolian desert
IT may not be everybody's idea of a holiday, but one group of North Yorkshire youngsters can truly say they have been on the trip of a lifetime. The intrepid band swapped the comforts of home for the wilds of Mongolia and a diet of yak meat and horse
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Stage school pupils enjoy starring roles
TWO students from the North-East were picked from an international line-up for a stage musical. Sarah Warbey, 15, from Darlington, and Tegan Ellershaw, 12, from Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, were among 70 students performing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
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Medical ship to open to public
A WARM civic welcome is in store for a group of overseas visitors who will arrive in the region today. The Ugandan Children's Choir is to provide a dockside welcome for the Mercy Ship MV Anastasis, when it berths in Sunderland. The vessel, one of a fleet
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Marine exhibition will showcase engineering
COMPANIES working on the River Tyne are hoping to make waves at a marine and offshore sector exhibition next week. The firms will join together under the Tyne First banner at the Seatrade International Maritime Convention at ExCel in London's Docklands
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Youngsters urged to get on board skate park proposal
ENTHUSIASTS are urged to get their skates on if they want a skateboarding park. Middlesbrough Council has sent out 15,000 leaflets and questionnaires asking young people to suggest a location for an arena, the type of surfacing it should have and whether
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Council goes Dutch for dredger
A NEW dredger is about to become a regular sight off the coast. The converted Dutch river barge was launched yesterday by Scarborough Borough Council and given the name of the vessel it replaces - Sandsend. The vessel has cost about £750,000 to buy and
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Magical profits for publisher
PUBLISHING company Bloomsbury said that a magical performance from child wizard Harry Potter in the first half of the year helped it to one of the busiest six-month periods in its history. The London company, reporting financial figures for the six months
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Charity bike ride boost for hospital unit
HOSPITAL bosses have described their delight at the efforts of cyclists who raised more than £10,000 for a neonatal unit. Dozens of people who took part in a 30-mile ride through the North Yorkshire countryside in May attended a presentation night to
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Main car park to close for resurfacing
A £100,000 project to resurface the main car park in Northallerton is to begin later this month. The work will see the Applegarth car park closed from next Wednesday until the following Tuesday, unless there is bad weather. Users are being warned it is
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Pledge to traders over road closures
YORKSHIRE Water has pledged that work on drains and sewers in a town market place will be completed by the end of next month. Contractors have assured Thirsk Chamber of Trade that work throughout the area will be completed by the end of October in time
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Powerdial shows its passion for region
AN EAST Durham communications firm is sharing its profits with schools and community groups. Powerdial Systems, based in Seaham, is sponsoring the Community Commitment Project (CCP). The company, working with BT to provide cost effective communications
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Pensioner records an album after operation saved his life
A PENSIONER with musical flair has embarked on his fourth career after recovering from life-saving surgery. Months after surviving a liver operation, Michael Lister, 70, has cut a debut CD of his compositions - and is already recording another one. The
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Myhre on way back for Cats
GOALKEEPER Thomas Myhre is vowing to resurrect his career as he emerges from a year-long "nightmare'' at Sunderland. The 29-year-old Norwegian international, signed by Peter Reid on a free transfer from Turkish side Besiktas last summer, makes his comeback
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No illusions over fasting feat
ILLUSIONIST David Blaine's endurance challenge was dismissed yesterday by the family of a shipyard worker who fasted for almost twice as long. In 1936, George Fairfield, of Sunderland, survived for 72 days on nothing but water and cigarettes, starving
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Snap up some winning ideas
Judges in The Great North Photography Competition have given some tips to amateur photographers planning to enter the competition. Mike Gibb, chief photographer of The Northern Echo, said that when judging begins on September 26 he will be looking for
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Refuse station fighting fund launched
PROTESTORS launched a fighting fund last night as they decided to press ahead with legal action in a bid to stop a refuse handling station being built near their homes. They agreed to demand a judicial review if Durham County Council does not change its
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Desert drinks for 21st birthday girl
A Darlington soldier will celebrate her 21st birthday in Iraq this weekend. Pte Charlotte Nelson, a former Longfield Comprehensive pupil, is stationed at an airfield with the 5th Battalion of Royal Electronic Mechanical Engineers. She is likely to be
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TV review
The Crouches (BBC1) MUCH has been made that this is the first all-black family sit-com produced by the BBC although, intriguingly, it's written by a Scotsman, Rab C Nesbitt creator Ian Pattison. Those with long memories will recall that ITV has already
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Simianna has the speed to land sprint success
STICK by Simianna (2.55) for this afternoon's big sprint the Tote Trifecta Portland Handicap, one of the feature events on the first day of the star-studded St Leger Festival at Doncaster. Alan Berry's filly has been putting in some sterling work over
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It was all right on the knight
FIRST there were the Three Degrees, then the Three Tenors and now, for one evening only, the Three Knights. Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson (right), the club's former chairman, Sir John Hall (left), and lifelong Magpies fan Sir Norman Wisdom
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Campbell proves one risk too many for Sven
Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to protect Sol Campbell from further disciplinary trouble by resting him in tonight's Euro 2004 qualifier against Liechtenstein. Eriksson will still pick David Beckham and Steven Gerrard even though they, like Campbell, are
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Case against ex-mayor dropped
PROSECUTORS have dropped the case against a former mayor who was accused of a confrontation with a constituent in a North-East cemetery. Pat Walker was charged following the incident in Thorntree Cemetery in Middlesbrough, on August 17 last year. Mrs
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Vaughan misses promotion race
England captain Michael Vaughan will not be allowed to help Yorkshire battle for promotion in their last two Championship matches of the season, writes David Warner. Yorkshire have been told by England that they want Vaughan to rest up ahead of the tours
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Charwoman's best foot forward at last
A MAYOR who came a cropper after offering her services as a charwoman during a charity auction has completed her Mrs Mop duties. Councillor Linda Maddison, Mayor of Sedgefield, County Durham, offered to do two hours cleaning as a prize in the auction
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A comedy that's far from cutting edge
The Crouches (BBC1): MUCH has been made that this is the first all-black family sit-com produced by the BBC although, intriguingly, it's written by a Scotsman, Rab C Nesbitt creator Ian Pattison. Those with long memories will recall that ITV has already
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When first they practised to deceive
PRESENTED by Sue MacGregor, a Radio 4 programme, The Reunion, brought together figures who masterminded the general election campaign that swept Margaret Thatcher to power in 1979. A point made with some satisfaction was that the manifesto contained scarcely
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Cricket match raises funds
A CHARITY cricket match is to be staged to help a woman who suffers from a crippling disease. Ann Teasdale, 42, of Newton Aycliffe, had to have her leg amputated after contracting the rare condition Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS). She faced
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Battle intensifies to sink 'toxic fleet' deal
THE plan to break-up obsolete US warships in a North-East yard hit further problems last night as company bosses battled to keep the deal on course. Environmentalists have already condemned the $17m deal that will see 13 rusting ships from the James River
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No place like home for Cooper at Pool
NEALE COOPER has revealed life at Hartlepool United could not have been made any easier for him. The Scotsman was installed in the Victoria Park hot-seat during the summer after the departure of former manager Mike Newell. And Cooper, who enjoyed a successful
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Cyclist may hold clues to stabbing
A LONE cyclist may hold clues to a stabbing. The biker was filmed on closed-circuit television (CCTV) as a fight broke out between two Somalis. The cyclist was filmed watching paramedics put one of the men, who was stabbed, into an ambulance. Cleveland
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Voices for hospices
A North-East charity will benefit from the largest musical event in the world. The worldwide Voices for Hospices concerts aim to raise cash for hospices. Stockton's Butterwick Hospice Care will host a performance of Handel's Messiah by the Cleveland Philharmonic
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More dual carriageway on A66 'could save 100 lives'
MORE than 100 lives will be spared if two stretches of one of England's most notorious A-roads become dual carriageway, safety experts predicted last night. Highways chiefs have put forward proposals to make two stretches of single carriageway, totalling
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Drilling firm undermines competition
A NEW start-up business in Darlington is helping utility companies cut costs and reduce traffic congestion. Cobra Directional Drilling Limited, which uses a precision method of drilling to install pipes, has resolved a conflict of interests between two
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Schools chalk up awards for attendance
SCHOOLS in Stockton are to receive awards this week for improving pupil attendance. Certificates will be presented to four schools by Stockton Council, which has worked with schools across the borough to improve attendance. Egglescliffe Comprehensive
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Cigarettes haul is seized at airport
A HAUL of a quarter of a million cigarettes with an estimated £50,000 street value was seized by Customs and Excise officers at Teesside International Airport yesterday. The seizure came as officers warned that regional airports were "not a soft touch
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Forty years with church
A CHRISTIAN couple celebrated 40 years of ministering in Richmond with a special service on Sunday last week. David and Pat Rivers moved from West Bromwich to Richmond in August 1963 when Mr Rivers became pastor of the mission, which was later affiliated
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Expansion continues
Vimac Leisure has snapped up two more venues as it continues with its expansion plans. The leisure group, based in Boldon, South Tyneside, recently bought Dontinos nightclub, in Hexham, and has now added two venues in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, to its
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MP visits revamp site
DARLINGTON MP Alan Milburn visited a revamped brownfield site last week to see the work that has been carried out so far. Lingfield Point has undergone a £16m redevelopment that has revitalised the area as a thriving business centre. Up to 200,000 sq
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Cyclists circle town
This year's Borders Bike Ride, a part of Darlington's Cycling Festival that was postponed by poor weather in June, will take place on Sunday and will again support St Teresa's Hospice. There will be two rides, one of 25 miles and one of 50 miles, to cater
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Famous remains and a record-breaker
THOUGH the populace is still a bit over-enamoured of the virgin fisherman from Big Brother, the Orkney Islands proved wholly delightful last week. Many of the islands' mysteries are Anglo-Saxon. No one seemed to wonder why The Orcadian, the weekly newspaper
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TV star returns
ACTOR Robert Hardy, famed for his role in TV's All Creatures Great and Small, returned to mark the restoration of Richmond's Georgian Theatre. He delivered the prologue to the restored theatre's first major performance, The Hotchpotch Pantomime, featuring
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How ministers are failing mums
SO what about mothers? Or dads, come to that? The Government has just launched its new plans for child welfare. In the wake of the Victoria Climbie tragedy, its great aim is to keep track of every child in Britain. There will be new children's departments
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Shame of bikers in police checks
MORE than 40 per cent of the motorbikes pulled over during a police crackdown in the Dales had some sort of defect, officers revealed yesterday. North Yorkshire Police held the checks after complaints from residents about speeding bikers, accidents and
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How ministers are failing mums
SO what about mothers? Or dads, come to that? The Government has just launched its new plans for child welfare. In the wake of the Victoria Climbie tragedy, its great aim is to keep track of every child in Britain. There will be new children's departments
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Was peace an empty promise?
AFTER making the commitment to rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein, Britain has a duty to ensure that a viable and secure alternative regime is in place. There can be no dispute, therefore, over the Government's decision to send 1,000 extra troops to Iraq. Further
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'Sick' tenants shop drug den suspects
COUNCIL tenants who are sick of their neighbourhoods being turned into drug dens have helped police arrest dozens of suspected heroin dealers. More than 30 people have been arrested during an operation to combat drug dealing in Newcastle and North Tyneside
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Last Night's TV: A comedy that's far from cutting edge
The Crouches (BBC1): MUCH has been made that this is the first all-black family sit-com produced by the BBC although, intriguingly, it's written by a Scotsman, Rab C Nesbitt creator Ian Pattison. Those with long memories will recall that ITV has already
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Pub side that hit the big league
Echo Memories discovers that the origins of today's Darlington Football Club lie with a 1918 team of forge workers. IN storybook style, a pub football team was catapulted up the leagues by a fluke of fate and inflicted upon mighty Newcastle United their
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Young footballers look like champions
A new football team is hoping to take the league by storm in new kits. Shildon Town Juniors Under-12s will compete in the Russell Foster Youth League. The team, which is made up of youngsters from Shildon, West Auckland and Newton Aycliffe, have a lot
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Officials resist development plan
PLANS for a home beyond a village development limit would have a detrimental impact on the area's character and should be refused, planners have decided. An application to replace stables and a barn with a detached home, at Primrose Cottage, Limebar Lane
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News in brief: Charity opens new base
AFTER seven years of planning, St John Ambulance is to open its new county headquarters and training centre on the Meadowfield Industrial estate, near Durham. People from the community will be able to visit the base to learn first aid and health and safety
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Funding available for rural projects
MORE than £1m is still available to fund agricultural projects across North Yorkshire. A total of £1.3m is still available for projects that will be delivered by December, 2005. The scheme is funded by single regeneration budget money from the regional
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Two special needs schools to cost £11m
A MULTI-million pound shake-up in education could see children with special needs attend two new schools. Plans have been announced for two buildings, costing £11m, to replace four existing schools in the Wear Valley and Sedgefield areas. The plans will
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Mother is spared jail sentence
A PREGNANT teenager who kicked a fellow reveller at a house party escaped jail yesterday. Newcastle Crown Court heard that mother-of-one Kayleigh Chapman, 18, joined in the attack at a New Year's Eve party in Pallion, Sunderland, after boyfriend Stephen
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Dig up the past at archaeological site open day
MEMBERS of the public are invited to look at life during the Iron Age at an open day at Foxrush Farm in Dormanstown. The site was discovered through aerial photographs and geophysical surveys in the 1990s. Tees Archaeology and Redcar and Cleveland Borough
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Public inquiry will be held over controversial car park
A PUBLIC inquiry will be held into controversial plans to use recreation land in Durham as a temporary car park. The Sands, next to the River Wear, could have to serve as a replacement for spaces lost while the nearby Walkergate site is redeveloped. The
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Players to boost literacy
FOOTBALLERS have been given a new goal to aim for - boosting literacy skills in local schools. They are swapping their boots for books in an initiative launched by the York City Learning League. The scheme hopes to forge links between the Minstermen and
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'Sick' tenants shop drug den suspects
COUNCIL tenants who are sick of their neighbourhoods being turned into drug dens have helped police arrest dozens of suspected heroin dealers. More than 30 people have been arrested during an operation to combat drug dealing in Newcastle and North Tyneside
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Moment train driver knew his friend had been killed
A FREIGHT train driver trapped in the wreck of his cab after the Selby rail disaster reached out for his friend's hand - and found him dead. Experienced driver Andrew Hill, 42, yesterday recalled the horrific aftermath of the crash in February 2001 which
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Models take to catwalk for charity show
A range of autumn and winter clothes will be displayed in a charity fashion show tonight. Local fundraising champion Lil Sowerby, MBE, and friends are holding the event at the Catholic Club, off Durham Road, in Ushaw Moor, near Durham. It will feature
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Women's team on FA abuse charges
A WOMEN'S football team is facing charges from the Football Association after allegedly hurling foul-mouthed abuse at a male referee. Four members of the Boldon Ladies Club were sent off for abusing ref Vincent Geall during the match against Middlesbrough's
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Dead miner's £261 payout 'is an insult'
THE family of a miner who worked down the pit for 50 years has received a posthumous compensation payment - of only £261. Stanley Price's daughter, Dorothy, who has fought a ten-year legal battle on her father's behalf, described the payment as an "insult
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News in brief: Anyone for tennis taster?
Free tennis taster sessions are offered by Stockton Council and Teesside Sport. The sports development team is also giving youngsters the chance to represent Stockton in next year's Youth Games. Tennis sessions will be held in Billingham Campus School
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News in brief: Students join star line-up
TWO performing arts students from the North-East have been chosen from an international line-up to take part in a stage musical. Sarah Warbey, 15, from Darlington, and Tegan Ellershaw, 12, from Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, were among 70 students performing
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Health chiefs strive to cut suicides rate
HEALTH chiefs are aiming to drastically cut the suicide rate in Darlington after it was revealed to be one of the worst in the region. Statistics show 17 people per 100,000 take their own lives in the town each year, compared with a regional average of
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Man hit partner with yard brush
A MAN attacked the mother of his five children with a yard brush after returning home drunk, a court heard yesterday. Darlington magistrates were told that Michael Eyles, of Trafford Street, Darlington hit Barbara Smith over the head after she rejected
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Litter pickers plea
PARISH councillors are calling for litter pickers to help keep their village clean. Complaints have been made to the authority in Middleton St George, near Darlington, about rubbish being dumped in the water park. The local model boat club has suggested
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News in brief: Actress is lunch star
Actress, writer and chef Jane Asher will be the guest speaker at a ladies luncheon in aid of St Catherine's Hospice, in Scarborough, on November 12, at the St Nicholas Hotel. Tickets are £25. For details, call (01723) 378046. Chapel burglary: St Olave's
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Fundraiser has caravan challenge
A CHARITY worker who appealed for unusual items to sell has been given her first challenge - a folding caravan. Marion Cowper, manager of Oxfam in Darlington, issued a challenge last month for people to provide her with weird and wonderful goods to sell
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Fundraiser has caravan challenge
A CHARITY worker who appealed for unusual items to sell has been given her first challenge - a folding caravan. Marion Cowper, manager of Oxfam in Darlington, issued a challenge last month for people to provide her with weird and wonderful goods to sell
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No illusions over fasting feat
ILLUSIONIST David Blaine's endurance challenge was dismissed yesterday by the family of a shipyard worker who fasted for almost twice as long. In 1936, George Fairfield, of Sunderland, survived for 72 days on nothing but water and cigarettes, starving
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Engineering company may have to scrap expansion
AN ENGINEERING company fears it may be forced to scrap its expansion plans unless a controversial housing development gets the go-ahead. Allerton Engineering, in Northallerton, hopes to sell its headquarters to housebuilder Persimmon Homes. Bosses say
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Exhibition will show the drama of county
THE drama of the Yorkshire landscape is featured in a major exhibition at one of the county's stately homes. Nunnington Hall, a National Trust property near Helmsley, is featuring the work of Bedale artist Sue Lawson. About 40 of her works are on show
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Lowest bills for county
WATER users face a possible £10 rise a year for water supplies and sewerage. Yorkshire Water has announced it is asking Ofwat to approve the rise of 3.6 per cent plus inflation to meet the cost of new European environmental legislation and a rise in Government
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Pulling out all the stops
AN OPEN workshop is being staged for budding musicians who would like to become church organists. The Newcastle and District Organists' Association is running the event, at St Cuthbert's Church, in Shotley Bridge, near Consett, on Monday, October 6, at
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Chernobyl charity to set up new link
VOLUNTEERS are needed in Durham to help children from Belarus who are still suffering the after-effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The Chernobyl Children's Life Line enables children, aged between eight and 15, to visit England for a month, to
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Tait accepts Pearson ban
Darlington manager Mick Tait last night revealed the club will not be appealing against Gary Pearson's sending off at the weekend. The Quakers boss was unhappy with referee Frazer Stretton after Pearson was dismissed for a second bookable offence towards
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Battle intensifies
THE plan to break-up obsolete US warships in a North-East yard hit further problems last night as company bosses battled to keep the deal on course. Environmentalists have already condemned the $17m deal that will see 13 rusting ships from the James River
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News in brief: Charity opens new base
AFTER seven years of planning, St John Ambulance is to open its new county headquarters and training centre on the Meadowfield Industrial estate, near Durham. People from the community will be able to visit the base to learn first aid and health and safety
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Grasroots: Chester-le-Street, Birtley and District
TRADITIONAL LUCK: A Corn Dolly weekend is being held at Beamish Museum on September 20 and 21. The museum, hosting the 21st European Open Air Museum Conference, was recently visited by museum experts from many European countries. Business news: The Durham
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Neighbourhood bus service boost
A NEW community bus service is proving to be just the ticket for a neighbourhood. A weekly volunteer-manned minibus shuttle service has been organised to take people who do not own a car from their homes in west Middlesbrough to out-of-town supermarkets
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Invitation to fizzingly good do
ONE of the county's finest stately homes is inviting guests to be wined and dined within its stunning surroundings at its most sparkling event this year. People are being offered the chance to slip into their posh frocks and dinner jackets and go to Castle
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Discounted food courses
SMALL and medium-sized food businesses can take advantage of a subsidised programme of courses at the University of Teesside from this month. The University's Food Technology centre is repeating the subsidised courses, designed for the food and drink
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Exams success for trainee teachers group
A GROUP of students on Teesside has achieved the highest qualifications required for teaching adult basic skills. The trainee teachers at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough, are the first in the north to have reached a level four rating in literacy
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Grassroots: Yarm and Eaglescliffe
CHARITY DRAW: Yarm District Lions Club's annual charity draw is in aid of Butterwick Children's Hos-pice and other Lions' charities. Raffle tickets are available from any member of the Yarm club, or at Safeway store, in Ingleby Barwick, on Thursday, Friday
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Gadfly: Famous remains and a record-breaker
THOUGH the populace is still a bit over-enamoured of the virgin fisherman from Big Brother, the Orkney Islands proved wholly delightful last week. Many of the islands' mysteries are Anglo-Saxon. No one seemed to wonder why The Orcadian, the weekly newspaper
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Success grows
DARLINGTON and Sedgefield once again proved themselves unrivalled when the Northumbria in Bloom honours were awarded this week. Darlington won the best small city award for the ninth time in a row and the 14th time overall and Sedgefield carried off the
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Pulling out all the stops
AN OPEN workshop is being staged for budding musicians who would like to become church organists. The Newcastle and District Organists' Association is running the event, at St Cuthbert's Church, in Shotley Bridge, near Consett, on Monday, October 6, at
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Invitation to Mini owners is just the job
MORE than 200 Minis could be taking to the streets tomorrow night to beat the crowds anxious to see the long-awaited remake of The Italian Job. The owners have been invited to a special screening of the movie by dealer Victoria BMW and Mini, in Harrogate
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Jealous boyfriend threatened family
A MAN left his girlfriend a nasty surprise because he believed she was sleeping with another man, a court heard yesterday. John Barker covered Julie Jackson's home in paint then left human excrement in an ornamental vase, Darlington magistrates were told
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Cheers! Theakston is back in the family
ONE of the most famous names in British brewing, T&R Theakston, is on course to be handed back to its founding family after nearly 20 years. Scottish Courage announced that it is in advanced negotiations with members of the Theakston family to return
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Fretwell tastes his first double
OWNER John Fretwell was in no mood to leave Catterick empty-handed yesterday and sure enough his two runners, Fictional and Out Of Mind, both won. The Mansfield-based businessman was confident of bold show from his brace of two-year-olds, particularly
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Is fluoride too much to swallow?
MPs voted on Monday to give health officials powers to add fluoride to water. What difference will it make, and should we drink it whether we like it or not? Nick Morrison reports. IT'S a waste product from making fertiliser and it's almost as poisonous
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10/09/03
AMERICA: HOW many more Americans are going to come over to England to show us how it should be done? We now hear on the BBC news programme that the Government is to appoint an American as head of standards to show the British people how to improve the
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Harmison set for rest
DURHAM have resisted the temptation to pitch Stephen Harmison into their match at Bristol starting today following his heroics in the fifth Test win at The Oval. If Durham beat Gloucestershire to keep their promotion hopes bubbling, they will almost certainly
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Pest charge may be scrapped
CHARGING for pest control has led to a 50 per cent fall in call-outs and an increase in the number of rats in Hambleton. Councillors are now considering scrapping the charges amid fears that infestations are going unreported and poor baiting is making
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Charity wants to branch out
COUPLES seeking marriage guidance may soon be able to find help closer to home. Relate North-East is seeking thousands of pounds towards the launch of an outreach service in Richmondshire to help couples struggling to salvage relationships. The charity
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Minster's fees gamble pays off
A CATHEDRAL'S newly-introduced admission charges have brought an encouraging £5,000-a-week boost to its struggling finances, according to figures revealed yesterday. York Minster officials say the compulsory £4.50 entrance fee introduced early last month
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Planes for bmi
AIRLINE bmi is to take delivery of four Airbus Industrie A319 aircraft with options for five more. The first three are due for delivery in the next six months and will feature in the summer schedules beginning March 28. The fourth aircraft is to be delivered
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Echo Memories: Pub side that hit the big league
Echo Memories discovers that the origins of today's Darlington Football Club lie with a 1918 team of forge workers. IN storybook style, a pub football team was catapulted up the leagues by a fluke of fate and inflicted upon mighty Newcastle United their
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Powerdial shows its passion for region
AN EAST Durham communications firm is sharing its profits with schools and community groups. Powerdial Systems, based in Seaham, is sponsoring the Community Commitment Project (CCP). The company, working with BT to provide cost effective communications
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Valuation day
Jewellery, silver, ceramics and pictures can be valued in the Ballroom Suite at Walworth Castle Hotel, Darlington, next Wednesday, between 11am and 3pm. It will cost £2 for the first item and £1 for every item after. Proceeds will go to the Butterwick
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Computer virus charges
TWO North-East men have been charged with conspiring to create a worldwide computer virus. Jordan Bradley, 20, of Bates Avenue, Darlington, and Andrew Harvey, 22, of Scardale Way, Durham, will appear before Consett Magistrates Court on September 18. The
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Striking bus drivers accept wages offer
BUS strikes that caused disruption to scores of passengers in a city centre ended yesterday after a pay deal was agreed by drivers. The drivers voted to accept a revised pay offer from management and bring an end to the industrial action that had halted
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Rethink over Reynolds hearing
A JUDGE has ruled that a court hearing to publicly examine George Reynolds over his business affairs should switch dates and venues. The Darlington Football Club chairman was due to appear at the town's county court on September 22 after one of his former
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Selling N-E to the movie men
THE region's stunning scenery and varied landscape could be the key to bringing A-list movie stars to work in the North-East. Bosses at Newcastle-based Northern Film and Media, the people entrusted with attracting big budget movies to the region, have
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How ministers are failing mums
SO what about mothers? Or dads, come to that? The Government has just launched its new plans for child welfare. In the wake of the Victoria Climbie tragedy, its great aim is to keep track of every child in Britain. There will be new children's departments
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Mother is spared jail sentence
A PREGNANT teenager who kicked a fellow reveller at a house party escaped jail yesterday. Newcastle Crown Court heard that mother-of-one Kayleigh Chapman, 18, joined in the attack at a New Year's Eve party in Pallion, Sunderland, after boyfriend Stephen
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Has time healed the rift that tore the Theakstons apart?
THEIR story reads like the script of a TV soap opera. Torn apart by divided loyalties, undermined by outsiders and overwhelmed by the cheque book of a global company, the Theakston family have been the subject of idle bar room gossip for decades. They
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Making hospice a happy home
The only North-East Children's Hospice, the Butterwick, is five years old this week. Chris Webber talked to head nurse Gail Humphry about the work done there. GAIL Humphrey conducts a tour of Butterwick Children's Hospice, in Stockton, with a quiet and
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Simianna has the speed to land sprint success
STICK by Simianna (2.55) for this afternoon's big sprint the Tote Trifecta Portland Handicap, one of the feature events on the first day of the star-studded St Leger Festival at Doncaster. Alan Berry's filly has been putting in some sterling work over
