Archive
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Social services chief to quit job
DURHAM Social Services director Peter Kemp OBE is to leave his post after almost two decades at the helm. Mr Kemp, 56, the county's social services chief for more than 18 years, is also the longest serving social services director in the country. Announcing
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Red Tape Team breaks 1,000 barrier
MORE than 1,000 businesses have been helped with legal or bureaucratic problems by a team of experts in Yorkshire. Problems with new employment legislation, business taxation and environmental issues are among those which have been dealt with by the Red
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How we've bean had by Heinz
SINCE a million housewives every day may pick up a can of beans and wonder what it's all about, we should at once make it clear that Henry John Heinz never did have 57 varieties. Not so that he'd noticed, anyway. There were more than 60 - plum pudding
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Death crash route claims another victim
A VAN driver died yesterday as one of the region's most notorious roads claimed its latest victim. The accident happened on a single-carriageway stretch of the A66 trans-Pennine route, linking two lengths of dual carriageway between Greta Bridge and Cross
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Juninho being held back by English game - Pele
FOOTBALL legend Pele last night suggested Juninho's failure to come to terms with the English game has cost him a place in the Middlesbrough side. Axed Juninho has not started a match for Boro since the 2-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers on September 13.
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Perseverance pays off as contractors begin facelift
TEAMS of contractors have begun work tidying up a landmark in a market town. Richmond's Norman castle, above the River Swale, has appeared in paintings and is a favourite with tourists. However, brambles and shrubbery beneath the southern walls have grown
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And then there was one
AFTER an opening ceremony transmitted from the Guildhall in London, and an advert for SR toothpaste, ITV's first night burst into life with a variety show featuring Hughie Green, Harry Secombe and band leader Billy Cotton. It was September 22, 1955, and
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Capita boss in call for contracts
THE chairman of a company carrying out Government contracts yesterday declared the region was ready to take on more civil service work. Rod Aldridge, executive chairman of Capita, said Darlington's flexible, skilled labour force and the town's impressive
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Remember, remember the fireworks campaign
PEOPLE are being urged to use a dedicated freephone hotline to combat the misuse of fireworks and associated anti-social behaviour. The phone line can be called from Tuesday next week until November 15 and will deal with information on people building
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Decline in manufacturing
OUTPUT in the UK's struggling manufacturing sector dropped unexpectedly by 0.6 per cent in August, the first monthly fall since March. City economists had been predicting the data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) would register an increase
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No headpine
Sounds of the centuries A concert is taking place at Bede's World, in Jarrow, on Saturday. Harpsicordist Julian Cima will perform "Dances, Fantasias and Laments: Harpsicord Music from 1550 to 1750'' at the museum from 2.30pm. Bede's World curator Laura
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Knitters help charity
VILLAGERS turned out to support a sponsored knitting event which has been taking place for 20 years. Every year in Trimdon Village, residents spend two hours knitting in aid of The Children's Society. This year's event was held in Tremeduna Grange and
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Handmade goods for sale
CRAFTS including painted glass, greeting cards, woodcraft, jewellery, knitwear, watercolours and silk flower arrangements will be available at a series of craft fairs. They will be held at the Methodist Hall, Milton Street, Saltburn on Saturday, October
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Euro caution has not hit trade says survey
BUSINESS leaders in the Darlington area have no regrets that the UK has stayed out of Europe's monetary union, a survey has revealed. The research, carried out by LDS Recruitment's Darlington office among its clients, revealed that 70 per cent of employers
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Pele makes light of 'Magpies' woes during visit to region
IT may only have been a joke, and his right arm may well have been in a sling, but for a moment yesterday, Brazilian maestro Pele answered the prayers of every Newcastle United fan. Laughing and joking with people who had turned up to see the the world's
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Companies join forces to boost chemicals sector
A NUMBER of the North-East's biggest companies are joining forces to boost the pharmaceutical, chemical and bio-industries. It is hoped the collaboration will increase the region's share of a sector that accounts for £4.5bn of the UK's gross domestic
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Capita boss in call for contracts
THE chairman of a company carrying out Government contracts yesterday declared the region was ready to take on more civil service work. Rod Aldridge, executive chairman of Capita, said Darlington's flexible, skilled labour force and the town's impressive
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Men face court for cigarettes burglary
FIVE men knocked a hole in the side of a cash and carry warehouse then stole £7,000 worth of cigarettes, a court heard yesterday. Ian Robinson, 18, Benjamin Kent, 19, David Drummond, 18, Stuart Levy, 21, and Scott Duncan, 20, admitted burglary when they
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New awakening for the cockerel which witnessed history
A UNIQUE fragment of a stained glass window, which survived Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, has finally been returned to the region. Featuring a red cockerel, it was rediscovered by English Heritage amongst unrecorded items from Rievaulx
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Spacemen on a mission out of planetarium
TWO Russian space experts held an audience spellbound yesterday by discussing space exploration, including the possibility of man landing on Mars. Alexandre Alexandrov, who flew his first mission on Soyuz in 1983, and Alexandre Martynov, an expert in
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Millionaire denies plotting kidnap to save his business
A GERMAN millionaire accused of kidnapping and blackmailing two North-East businessmen yesterday denied any involvement. Volker Kappler detailed what he did the day the pair were said to have been subjected to their "horrendous ordeal" - telling a jury
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Working out the wealthy and the wicked
Mind Of A Millionaire (BBC2) Taggart (ITV1) Chris Gorman is worth £45m, has 35 TV sets and his own sound studio. But, Mind Of A Millionaire asked, could you pick him out from a crowd? The first in the series about contemporary millionaires - and there
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Millionaire posed as waiter to catch friend
A millionaire on trial for kidnapping two businessmen was posing as a waiter that day to catch out a pal who was cheating on his girlfriend, a court was heard today. Volker Kappler, 37, delivered a pizza to the couple in their hotel room, claimed the
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Investigation into school's 'punishment'
A PRIMARY school alleged to have used a Victorian punishment to stop a child from fidgeting was yesterday being investigated by education bosses. An eight-year-old boy is said to have had his fingers clamped to two wooden blocks, with his hands tied behind
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Toll bridge built by a colourful eccentric
Echo Memories ambles over a fine former toll bridge to arrive at Egglestone Abbey, founded in 1195, beleaguered by poverty and blighted by its uncomfortable proximity to the Scottish Borders WHEN it comes to crossing the Tees, the traffic in Teesdale
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Tait to take second look at O'Halloran
Darlington manager Mick Tait will tonight take another look at former Middlesbrough midfielder Keith O'Halloran. The 27-year-old, who spent a brief spell on trial at the Reynolds Arena earlier this season, has returned to the club in a bid to earn a permanent
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Memorial ride to celebrate opening of 218-mile route
THE national heritage cycle route will open a section in the North this weekend. The 218-mile section, which takes in some of North Yorkshire's most picturesque landscapes, will be launched with a ride in memory of a North Yorkshire man in the Easingwold
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McCarthy boost for Smith
MICK McCARTHY has told Sunderland striker Tommy Smith to keep up the good work and to set his sights on a first-team place, writes PAUL FRASER. Smith, who was without a club at the start of the season, is nearing full fitness after a string of outings
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Inmate prevented from benefiting from crimes
A former prison officer has won a legal fight to stop the inmate who tortured him benefiting from his crimes. Malcolm Joyce, 41, was locked inside a barricaded office, gagged and hooded during a hostage take-over at Castington Young Offenders' Institution
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Becks' backing a real boost, says Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson will launch England's World Cup campaign against Georgia next Sunday boosted by a good luck message from David Beckham. Newcastle Falcons fly-half Wilkinson and England England football captain Beckham recently worked together on a television
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Road to close for lifting of bridge
THE second new bridge of the millennium is to be lifted into place in Durham City this weekend. A 100-tonne crane will lift the 35-metre steel span foot and cycle bridge on to its piers on Sunday. The £450,000 structure will span the A690 in the city
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Pupils take up challenge to combat litter
PUPILS at a Darlington school are taking positive action against litter. Youngsters at Hummersknott School and Language College are showing their support for Darlington Borough Council's anti-litter campaign by tackling the issue in the school grounds
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Scientists set up Eye Research centre
SCIENTISTS from two North-East universities have joined forces to set up the first national centre for age-related eye problems. The Centre for Age-Related Eye Research will be known as NorthEast Care. It will bring together scientists, researchers and
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Pupils' scheme to aid physical skills
PUPILS in Wear Valley have been chosen to take part in an innovative pilot scheme aimed at improving co-ordination skills. Every primary, secondary and special school in the local authority district will be given a range of specialist sporting equipment
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Politicians told to 'walk the walk'
THE Conservative Party will today be urged to place greater importance on business issues by the head of the CBI. Digby Jones, the organisation's director general, is due to make the comments at the party's annual conference in Blackpool. "There was a
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Bus link provides help for needy hospital visitors
ELDERLY and disabled East Durham residents have a new public transport link to help them visit family and friends in hospital. The East Durham Hospital Link is a fully accessible dial-a-ride service to take Easington residents to Hartlepool General Hospital
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Search for trainee arts manager
COUNCIL chiefs in Darlington are seeking someone to train for a management career in the arts. The borough council is one of only nine local authorities in the country to receive an Arts Council Fellowship. The fellowship will provide a bursary of £13,000
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Call for talks after traders quit ailing shopping centre
FEARS have been raised about the future of a Teesside shopping centre after several businesses moved out of the the area. Now, the owner of the Orchard Parade centre at Eaglescliffe has issued a call to Stockton Borough Council to hold talks about the
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Should we give men this power?
WOULD you trust a man who told you he'd had the contraceptive jab? Now stop laughing. No, neither would I. Would you trust your partner to get the jab? Mmm, well, possibly. If you actually saw him having it done, perhaps. Scientists have developed a male
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Brass band strikes gold with competition win
A FORMER colliery band is celebrating after achieving national success. The First Section of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain has been won by the BHK (UK) Limited Horden Band. The County Durham band, sponsored by the Peterlee flooring
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Police authority to pay for dog kennels
POLICE dogs in North Yorkshire will soon be moving from their draughty old home into warm and modern kennels. The county's Police Authority is to release thousands of pounds to replace ageing lean-to wooden buildings now in use. The money will help create
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Farmer sought after leaving scene of crash
A huge hunt is on for a farmer who wandered off from the scene of a crash while paramedics were treating his passenger. Police fear that Cliff Allen, 50, could be in a dazed and confused state after the accident, and are desperately trying to track him
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A lesson for our footballers
WE are used to English football being in the dock. Usually it is the behaviour of fans which plunges the national game into crisis. The latest crises to confront football, however, are the product of some of its most senior players. With police investigations
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Business park 'will attract investors'
A business park which could create up to 10,000 jobs in the region is waiting for the go-ahead. The next phase of the development, at Newcastle Great Park (NGP), is expected to attract investors from the business world. The park will include corporate
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Robson to stand by misfiring Bellamy
NEWCASTLE UNITED boss Sir Bobby Robson is ready to keep faith with misfiring striker Craig Bellamy. The lightning quick front-man is yet to score a Premiership goal this season and he has struggled to recapture his impressive form of previous campaigns
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Children centres network approved
COUNCILLORS in Darlington last night approved plans to create a network of children's centres in the town's most deprived areas. The centres will offer almost 200 childcare places, serving families in the Central, Northgate, Bank Top, Lascelles, Park
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Teenager 'risked life' after river fall
A TEENAGER risked his life in a vain battle to save his drowning friend who fell into a river, an inquest heard. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Hughes dived into the swollen River Leven, near Yarm, on Teesside, to try to rescue David Steel, 16. The inquest
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Forces unite to arrest 43 suspects at checkpoints
POLICE were celebrating success yesterday in their latest joint effort to combat drug dealers and travelling criminals. An operation, co-ordinated by the North Yorkshire force and stretching from the Scottish borders down to the Humber, resulted in scores
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Granada and carlton given go-ahead for merger
GRANADA and Carlton have pledged to create a "bigger and stronger" ITV following Government backing for their £4bn merger. The media pair remain on course to join forces in January after Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt attached less stringent
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Will we be the last of the big spenders?
ON a midweek day recently - one of the many that prolonged summer through September - my wife and I spent a pleasant hour or so pottering about Runswick Bay. Though not busy, the place was lively enough. The caf and the pub were doing steady business,
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Family's tribute as war hero's headstone returned
DESCENDANTS of a Victorian war hero from the North-East yesterday saw his vandalised headstone put back in place. Among them were Phillip and Tracey Rollo, who discovered years after they had been married that they were descended from the same person
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New look business show launched
ONE of the key events in the business calendar unveils its new look format next Thursday. The Tees Valley Business Show, held at Tall Trees Hotel, near Yarm, has attracted an impressive guest list from companies and organisations across the region. The
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08/10/03
IRAQ HOW fickle is public opinion. Not so long ago Tony Blair was a hero, now he's cast in the role of villain, his fall from grace being, of course, due to the failure to find WMDs in Iraq. And yes, it looks likely they're not there. But one thing David
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Should we give men this power
WOULD you trust a man who told you he'd had the contraceptive jab? Now stop laughing. No, neither would I. Would you trust your partner to get the jab? Mmm, well, possibly. If you actually saw him having it done, perhaps. Scientists have developed a male
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How we've bean had by Heinz
SINCE a million housewives every day may pick up a can of beans and wonder what it's all about, we should at once make it clear that Henry John Heinz never did have 57 varieties. Not so that he'd noticed, anyway. There were more than 60 - plum pudding
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Disc jockey admits cruelty to pet Alsatian
AN unemployed disc jockey yesterday admitted he did not seek veterinary treatment for his dog's broken leg, when he appeared before magistrates. Kevin Leonard Walls, 30, of Geneva Road, Darlington, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Kitts, an Alsatian
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Crash book signings
Amateur historian Ian Pearce, who has written a book about a Second World War plane crash in the hills above Great Ayton, near Middlesbrough, will be available for book signings at three venues. His book is published today to coincide with a memorial
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Girl barred from bus because of religion launches legal challenge
A 12-year-old girl who is barred from a school bus because of her religion is set to launch a landmark legal challenge. Toni Sheavills attends St Bede's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School in Peterlee, County Durham. Her parents have to fork out £1.60
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Protestors plan High Court trip over depot
PROTESTERS trying to halt the building of a refuse depot near their homes are planning to travel to London if their case is heard by a High Court judge. A group of campaigners will make the 500-mile round trip from Stainton Grove near Barnard Castle,
