Archive
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Return to Blackwell Hill via Portugal
VIA Portugal, it is back to Blackwell. The last person to live in the lost mansion of Blackwell Hill, on the outskirts of Darlington, was John Neasham, garage owner and football club chairman, whose name is still well-remembered in Darlington. His family
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Volunteering a good idea
VOLUNTEERING is a greatly undervalued resource in Britain. In all kinds of ways, volunteers give their time and energy to hold communities together, and it is right to highlight their importance to society. What, for example, would the under-pressure
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New steel boss will rely on workforce to rescue TCP
THE man chosen to lead Teesside steelmaking into a new era last night vowed to work in partnership with the region to make it a success. Speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, Colin Muncie said he wanted to harness the "can-do" attitude of Teesside
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Cats forced to put Kovacs deal on hold
HUNGARIAN trialist Peter Kovacs has told Sunderland he can't provide a quick fix for their goalscoring problems. A candid Kovacs has confessed his hopes of a permanent move to England must go on hold until next season. Hungary's membership of the EU is
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Road tax chitty must be paid
A GET-TOUGH approach is under way to catch the North-East's road tax cheats. The warning was issued yesterday by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at the start of a month-long enforcement campaign. DVLA officials unveiled their armoury to
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Revival of city earns Prescott's approval
THE regeneration of Durham city centre has been praised by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Durham City Council is overseeing a £150m redevelopment that includes the Millennium City complex housing the Gala Theatre. Mr Prescott told the council while
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Court rejects shotgun appeal
A FATHER-of-three named as the leader of a gang of travellers involved in violent clashes in the North-East will not be allowed to carry a gun. Teesside Crown Court has ruled that Louis Welch, a man described as being in charge of members of the travelling
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Sandwich bar opens
A FORMER board member of one of the country's largest hotel chains has drawn inspiration from the US for a sandwich bar in Darlington. Guy Walton has opened GJs on Skinnergate, which is the first of a planned 20 outlets. He has set up the company after
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Storm left with it all to do
HARTLEPOOL golfer Graeme Storm will need to produce the round of his life at Emporda in Spain today to stand any chance of winning back his place on the European Tour. Storm shot a superb 68 in the fifth round of the Qualifying School yesterday, but due
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In a League of his own
The oddball world of the League Of Gentlemen has been a huge success story for North-East born writer Mark Gatiss. With a fourth series planned and a book of the scripts published, he talks to Steve Pratt about the appeal of the dark comic tales. MARK
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Gadfly: Going to town on a new image
HIS e-mail headed "Delusions of grandeur?", a resident of Chilton - a medium-sized village on the old A1 in County Durham - reports that the old place may be getting too big for its roots. The parish council, he says, has commissioned a flag bearing the
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Inquest of North East Serviceman delayed
The re-staged inquest into the death of a North-East serviceman in secret military chemical warfare tests has been put back to the New Year. Wiltshire and Swindon coroner David Masters is to hear the circumstances of the death of Ronald Maddison, at the
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Record trade gap casts doubt over recovery
THE UK trade gap with the rest of the world widened to a record £3.9bn in September. Falling exports and rising imports were behind the estimated rise from the revised figure of £2.6bn in August, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has
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Stress led to assault on wife, court is told
A MAN became violent towards his wife after he set up his own business and could not cope with the stress, a court heard yesterday. John Freeman, 28, of Pendower Street, Darlington, admitted assaulting his wife, Elaine, when he appeared before South Durham
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Youngsters raise funds for hospital
YOUNGSTERS joined in sponsored events to raise money for a Darlington Memorial Hospital ward. Lisa Degnan first got the idea of raising money for the hospital's haematology unit on ward 42 when her mother, Pauline Pybus, was treated there for leukaemia
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Town launches its Christmas cards
CHRISTMAS cards and calendars depicting scenes of Darlington are now available at the town's tourist information centre. Each month of the calendar features images of the town, many taken by the council's photographers. The Christmas cards feature two
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Street robber teenager hit man in face
A TEENAGER carried out two street robberies on consecutive days within a fortnight of his release from custody, a court heard yesterday. David Young, 17, appeared before Durham Crown Court and admitted a charge of robbery on June 8. The court was told
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Newsletter for carers is launched
MARGARET Banner, who used to work in the advertising departments of newspapers, including The Northern Echo, before she contracted multiple sclerosis, is launching a newsletter to help caring services. She has been appointed a committee member of the
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£500,000 school facelift finished
THE redevelopment of a 300-year-old primary school has been completed. Blue Coat CE Aided Junior School, in Newton Hall, Durham, has undergone a £500,000 building programme, financed jointly by the Diocese of Durham and school finances. Work has included
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Catering company cooks up a success
A CATERING company has won an award for the healthy food which it provides for inmates at a Teesside prison. Specialist prison and police catering company Eurest Criminal Justice (ECJ) has won a Food for Health award for its service at Holme House Prison
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Wildlife guide to help people enjoy park
A STOCKTON wildlife enthusiast has produced a book detailing the birds and other wildlife in the town's Great North Park. Ian Lawson, who lives near the park in Norton Grange, has written the text and done the art work for the book, entitled A Natural
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Grassroots: Crook
ORGAN CONCERT: The North East Theatre Organ Association has organised concerts by Donald Mackenzie, resident organist at The Odeon, Leicester Square, London, on Saturday, at 7pm, and Sunday, at 2.30pm, in the Victoria Centre, Howden-le-Wear. Tickets are
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Cash bid aims to improve services
GOVERNMENT officials have been asked to back moves to improve life for more than 11,000 people in rural east Cleveland. A bid is being submitted to the Government for £2.6m from the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme, which would be invested
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Goffy launches shops promotion
FUN-LOVING Century FM radio presenter Paul "Goffy" Gough has told a few crackers in his time. But it was music to the ears of Teesside shoppers yesterday when he told them how they could win a Christmas hamper. Goffy launched the Dundas Shopping Centre
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£10m to be spent on better tap water quality
ABOUT 200km of underground water mains are to be renovated in a £10m project on the Yorkshire coast. Yorkshire Water engineers are spending three weeks in the Falsgrave area of Scarborough, working on the supply system before the project itself begins
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Developer pledges to keep sports field in public use
A DEVELOPER has pledged to maintain a college sports field for public use. Project manager Paul Langley, of HJ Banks, was speaking after the failure of a residents' attempt to have the field, on New College Durham's Nevilles Cross site, designated as
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Appeal after cat is injured
DURHAM vets trying to trace the owner of an injured cat are urging owners to microchip their pets. The Gilmoor Vets Group, in Gilesgate, is treating a female black cat with only half a tail, which was run over in North Road on Saturday night. The animal
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Bart to switch on town's lights
A SHOPPING centre is preparing for two special visitors this weekend when the annual Christmas light switch-on takes place. The festivities will begin at Hartlepool's Middleton Grange Shopping Centre on Saturday at 11am with a parade to mark Santa's arrival
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Echo Memories: Return to Blackwell Hill via Portugal
VIA Portugal, it is back to Blackwell. The last person to live in the lost mansion of Blackwell Hill, on the outskirts of Darlington, was John Neasham, garage owner and football club chairman, whose name is still well-remembered in Darlington. His family
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School team wings its way to model aircraft competition
ASPIRING aero-engineers will be flying high this weekend if they can repeat last year's success in a national model aircraft competition. The six-strong team from St Leonard's School, Durham, backed by three technology teachers, head to RAF Cosford, in
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O'Keeffe's sizzling Heat wave to continue at Kelso
WITH 11 seconds and nearly double that number of horses finishing in third spot on the flat this summer Middleham trainer Jedd O'Keeffe has every reason to rue his bad luck over the past few months. Ironically it was a switch to the jumping arena which
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Fears raised over pile up of rubbish
RUBBISH has been piling up across Hambleton after new legislation forced a change in council policy. The legislation bans the disposal of animal by-products, including raw meat, fish and bone, on landfill sites. Hambleton District Council wrote to commercial
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Review: Whistle Down The Wind, Sunderland Empire Theatre
MUCH has changed since Andrew Lloyd Webber's emotionally charged musical stormed the West End in 1998. The high-cost, clever, two-tier mechanical stage and the train rushing towards the audience were abandoned long ago for a simpler tour set which puts
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Bernard's form proving Robson right
SIR BOBBY ROBSON insists Olivier Bernard's impressive form is conclusive proof that Newcastle United were right to fight to keep the Frenchman at St. James' Park. Bernard has recovered from an uncertain start to the season to emerge as one of the Magpies
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Ghost ship is due to dock in N-E today
AFTER five weeks at sea, an international spat between Britain and the US and a costly High Court battle, the first two vessels in the Ghost Fleet will arrive in the North-East today. First to arrive will be the Caloosahatchee, a veteran of the US Sixth
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Boss at centre of Ghost Fleet row confident of legal victory
After all the argument, U-turns, claims and counter-claims the first two ghost ships will finally arrive in Teesside today. Gavin Havery looks at what they will contain. THE defiant businessman behind the controversial deal to scrap America's unwanted
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New sports complex and music arena for Teesside
A new sports complex and music arena could be built as part of ambitious £1 billion regeneration plans. The first outline of proposals, designed to create hundreds of jobs and change the landscape of industrial Teesside, were unveiled yesterday. The sports
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Mills staying at Riverside
DANNY MILLS will not be heading back to Leeds United following Peter Reid's sacking, writes Paul Fraser. The England international is on a season-long loan deal at Middlesbrough and the Yorkshire club are known to want the full-back to return. Eddie Gray
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United front puts pressure on the US
EUROPE and Asia have joined forces to increase pressure on the US to drop its protectionist steel tariffs or face the consequences. A united front is threatening billions of pounds of retaliation against products ranging from oranges to Harley-Davidson
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£3,000 for brave driver
FAMILY and friends of a university professor who was killed in an accident while on holiday in Italy have raised more than £3,000 for the man who risked his own life to try to save her. York University Professor Sally Baldwin, 62, died on October 28,
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Babies without maybes
A report released today could allow couples on fertility treatment to choose the sex of their babies, but is this really what most people want? Boy or girl? You choose. From today, you might be able to. A report due out today is expected to allow fertility
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Going to town on a new image
HIS e-mail headed "Delusions of grandeur?", a resident of Chilton - a medium-sized village on the old A1 in County Durham - reports that the old place may be getting too big for its roots. The parish council, he says, has commissioned a flag bearing the
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Generator predicts dark times ahead
THE electricity generator hoping to take control of the debt-ridden Drax Power Station yesterday revealed it was considering mothballing plants in the US. International Power warned it faced a difficult year ahead as the US economy continued to try to
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Hot weather hits food sales
RECORD summer temperatures contributed to a 16 per cent slump in Northern Foods' half-year profits to £32.5m. The company, which issued a profits warning in September, said brand sales of non-chilled foods had been badly hit by the hot weather. Northern
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Health centre ban for patient
A PATIENT who plagued medical staff with phone calls has been banned from visiting health centres throughout the area - unless it is an emergency. Susan Hills, of Park Lane, Guisborough, east Cleveland, repeatedly called medical centres run by Langbaurgh
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Southgate's Euro hopes hit by injury
MIDDLESBROUGH skipper Gareth Southgate's chances of playing in next summer's European Championships were dealt another blow last night. The 33-year-old was forced to pull out of England's friendly with Denmark this Sunday after picking up a thigh injury
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Gary's four from four
Bishop Auckland's Gary Wearmouth made it four wins from four outings when he took the latest round of the North East cyclo-cross series. Wearmouth, who missed the previous round at Stocksfield to contest a National Trophy event at Ipswich, resumed his
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Wildlife project prompts protests
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build two wildlife lakes at a farm near Ripon could be given the go ahead next week, despite objections from the local community. Robert Staveley, the founder of theme park Lightwater Valley, has put forward the proposals for Carr
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£10m to be spent on better tap water quality
ABOUT 200km of underground water mains are to be renovated in a £10m project on the Yorkshire coast. Yorkshire Water engineers are spending three weeks in the Falsgrave area of Scarborough, working on the supply system before the project itself begins
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Exotic carnival's eastern touch will brighten up dark winter streets
A GIANT elephant is one of the attractions expected at a British Asian carnival in the region. Between 5,000 and 7,000 people are expected to attend the Runga Rung - The Colour of Colours - event on Thursday, November 27, in Darlington. The carnival replaces
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E2E provides route into better career
A YOUNG Bishop Auckland man is one of the first in the country to get a job through a national initiative aimed at getting young people back into education and work. James Ross, 18, from Bishop Auckland, was offered a job only a week after starting on
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Going to town on a new image
HIS e-mail headed "Delusions of grandeur?", a resident of Chilton - a medium-sized village on the old A1 in County Durham - reports that the old place may be getting too big for its roots. The parish council, he says, has commissioned a flag bearing the
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Attack left teenager with broken nose
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy was left with a broken nose, chipped teeth and a bleeding mouth after a town centre scuffle in Darlington, a court heard yesterday. Michael Winn was treated at Darlington Memorial Hospital after he was attacked by Neil Beck, 20, in High
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North's children who live in poverty
ALMOST one in three of all North-East children live in poverty, according to figures released today. Barnardo's, the UK's largest children's charity, is launching a campaign to highlight the levels of child poverty throughout the country. The charity
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Silence descends as the region remembers
THOUSANDS of people across the region remembered the nation's war dead yesterday by pausing to observe the Armistice Day silence. The two-minute silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marks the moment the guns fell silent at the end
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TV review
Celebrity Wife Swap (C4) Royal Gardens (BBC2) ANYONE who felt Major Charles Ingram deserved being severely punished for cheating his way to the jackpot on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? would have rejoiced on hearing that he was being incarcerated with
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Plans for improved A66 to be unveiled
THE public are to be given the chance to see long-awaited plans to improve the A66 trans-Pennine road. A series of exhibitions will be held on plans for the route, which is recognised as one of the most dangerous in Britain. The Government gave the go-ahead
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Shoe shop shines
AN award-winning shoe shop is celebrating its first anniversary. Rubber Sole, in Darlington's Blackwellgate, was created with the help of the Darlington Business Venture's Start Right in Business programme. It was recently nominated in three categories
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Hodgson makes fans plea
David Hodgson has called on fans to play their part in saving Darlington's season by turning out in force for Saturday's visit of Lincoln City. The new boss has already reluctantly accepted that there are no funds available for team building. And as Quakers
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Hot weather hits food sales
RECORD summer temperatures contributed to a 16 per cent slump in Northern Foods' half-year profits to £32.5m. The company, which issued a profits warning in September, said brand sales of non-chilled foods had been badly hit by the hot weather. Northern
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Students enjoy awards success
STAFF and students from Darlington College of Technology have been honoured for their efforts. More than 200 people picked up prizes at the college's annual awards show at the Civic Theatre on Monday night. A packed audience enjoyed a ceremony compered
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Affray man fined £50
A TEENAGER attacked the ex-boyfriend of his 14-year-old sister because he believed he had given her Ecstasy, a court heard yesterday. Stephen Holmes was assaulted at his home in Darlington in January by James Rance, South Durham Magistrates' Court was
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New estate inspires art
YOUNGSTERS are being asked to draw inspiration from one of the North-East's biggest developments for an arts competition. Children from six Darlington schools are working with playwrights, poets and film-makers on a series of projects related to the West
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Police puzzled at barefoot pyjamas girl
POLICE are trying to solve the mystery of a girl seen walking barefoot through a town in her pyjamas. The girl, thought to be aged about ten, was spotted walking through Tynemouth, North Tyneside, at about 10.45pm on Monday night. Police launched a search
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Team reaches silver standard
YOUNGSTERS from Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre completed a gruelling fell challenge to gain their silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards. They journeyed for 30 miles over three days, camping at Holwick and Baldersdale in Teesdale. There were two groups of four
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Football team hoping to have a home soon
A VILLAGE football team which has had to play two seasons away from home has a chance of getting its own pitch at last. The team had to leave its pitch on a farm at Bowes, near Barnard Castle, during the foot and mouth epidemic. Since then has been trying
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Creche expands
A UNIVERSITY creche for students and staff with pre-school children has been improved. St John's College - Durham University's only college with a creche - has expanded following refurbishment, with funding from Durham City Council's Early Years Development
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Village will be cleaner by design
A SEDGEFIELD girl's design for an anti-litter poster is to be displayed in the village. Olivia Coates, ten, a pupil at Sedgefield Primary School, won the competition organised by Sedgefield Town Council. Children from the village's two primary schools
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Community groups share in National Lottery windfall
COMMUNITY groups across County Durham are celebrating windfalls after scooping a share of the National Lottery. More than £31,000 will be donated to groups in the south of the county through the Lottery's Awards for All scheme. Among those to gain from
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Football centre rejected to protect the green belt
SUNDERLAND Football Club is to assess its next move after being refused permission over revised plans for a training centre. The Office of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced yesterday that it was refusing planning permission for developments
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Disabled teenager was punched and kicked
A STUDENT who punched and kicked a disabled teenager was given a six-month conditional discharge by magistrates yesterday. Jonathan Wilkinson, 18, attacked cerebral palsy sufferer Christopher Buck, also 18, after he approached him outside Queen Elizabeth
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Fathers show footy skills
A GROUP of fathers and their children were given a chance to try out their football skills with professionals. They took part in the Dads Aloud event, which was organised by Roseann Szomoru, Full Service Schooling (FSS) co-ordinator for The Hermitage,
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Town crier campaigns for bridge
TOWN crier Nancy Buckle has launched a petition calling for repairs to a bridge which was gifted to a town. Knaresborough town crier Miss Buckle has taken the action over the closure to vehicles of the wooden bridge at a River Nidd beauty spot. Agricultural
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Children praise school sponsor
YOUNGSTERS at a Teesside school have been singing the praises of one of their sponsors. Pupils at Wheatlands Primary School, Redcar, sang songs and read out thank you letters to representatives of Wilton firm Air Products for providing their school with
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Councillor chosen to champion youth
YOUNG people in North Yorkshire have a new champion to help them be heard in the corridors of power. One of the youngest members of the county council, Gavin Williamson, 26, has been given the new role. He will work alongside the county's Connecting Youth
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Surgeries to speed up service
A PRESCRIPTION collection service designed to save patients and GPs time has been expanded. Under the Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust scheme, patients can order repeat prescriptions in the usual way then turn up at a pharmacy three days
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Wildlife project prompts protests
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build two wildlife lakes at a farm near Ripon could be given the go ahead next week, despite objections from the local community. Robert Staveley, the founder of theme park Lightwater Valley, has put forward the proposals for Carr
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Ensuring bright future in town
AN east Cleveland community will reap the reward of its hard work with the switching on of the town lights. Members of the Saltburn 500 Club have installed the town's Christmas lights after once again raising the more than £4,000 to pay for them. Community
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Jailed: cheating accountant who wrecked farmers' lives
AN accountant who cheated £650,000 out of close friends and farmers reeling from the effects of foot-and-mouth disease was sentenced to five years' imprisonment at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. Thomas Alder, 54, who used to live at Eggleston, near Barnard
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Awards presented to community groups
FIVE community projects have received awards. Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust presented Community Health Awards at a ceremony at County Durham Cricket Club, in Chester-le-Street. Joint winners were Durham Stroke Club and Chester-le-Street
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Conference focus on town growth
A VISION of Darlington as a major regional centre will be presented to a conference of business leaders in the town today. More than 120 guests will attend the Darlington Development Showcase at the Viewpoint business suite, in Northgate House. The event
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Boost for scheme to get children fit through football
A DRIVE is being launched in Middlesbrough to get children fit through playing football. Children in the home town of Premier League Middlesbrough FC will benefit from a £148,000 healthy living project. The Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports
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Plea over fireworks
PEOPLE setting off fireworks late at night in Hartlepool are being urged to be more considerate to residents. Police in the town have received numerous complaints from residents in the Lindon Grove and Eldon Grove areas, bounded by Elwick Road and Park
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Sophie scores top mark for safety
A SCHOOLGIRL is streets ahead when it comes to road safety. Sophie Williams, 11, has just made history as the first pupil in the Redcar and Cleveland Council area to score 100 percent in her cycling and pedestrian training. Thousands have successfully
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Airport name change wins backing
PLANS to change the name of Teesside International Airport yesterday won backing from business leaders. The re-branding of the airport has been the subject of great debate since it was revealed last month that commercial operators favour a city-based
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Progress in heritage site effort
PROGRESS is being made in the bid to win World Heritage status for two North-East churches whose roots date back to the early Christian era. A long-running campaign aims to bring the designation to the pre-medieval monasteries of St Peter's Church, in
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Communities website scoops award
A WEBSITE dedicated to the history of two tiny communities has won a prize from The Northern Echo. The site, at www.communigate.co.uk/ne/themarsh, is dedicated to Coatham and Warrenby, in east Cleveland, and is run by Sheila Barker. It has been chosen
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North East Killer to remain anonymous
A man convicted 14 years ago of the brutal killing of a North-East woman has won the right to remain anonymous during the hearing of his appeal. In a unique ruling, three judges in London imposed restrictions banning the media from naming the man, the
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Wear your poppy for babies not yet born
A TRUTH about war that brings you up with a jolt is that, within a generation or so of any war ending, its causes are a mystery to the young. This applies even to the two world wars, which run like chasms across the 20th century. How many people who came
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Refugee charged over HIV infection
AN asylum seeker living in the North-East has become the second person in the country to be charged with deliberately infecting women with the deadly HIV virus. Musician Feston Goodwell Konzani, 27, from Malawi, Africa, is facing three counts of causing
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12/11/03
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT: CREATING regional assemblies will be like putting millions of pounds down the drain. Another gravy train for our washed-up MPs and local councillors and their quango friends to fleece tax payers of more money. Now we have Tony Blair
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Exhibition is testament to artistic skills
AN exhibition of artwork produced by adult learners has opened. The collection of more than 70 pieces is on show in the gallery at Greenfield Community and Arts Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Adult learners who attended painting and drawing
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Babies without maybes
A report released today could allow couples on fertility treatment to choose the sex of their babies, but is this really what most people want? Boy or girl? You choose. From today, you might be able to. A report due out today is expected to allow fertility
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Babies without maybes
Boy or girl? You choose. From today, you might be able to. A report due out today is expected to allow fertility clinics to help couples choose the sex of their baby. Not for medical reasons; for inherited illnesses - which would be wonderful - but just
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When the major met his match
Celebrity Wife Swap (C4); Royal Gardens (BBC2); ANYONE who felt Major Charles Ingram deserved being severely punished for cheating his way to the jackpot on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? would have rejoiced on hearing that he was being incarcerated with
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Survey says 36,000 jobs are threatened
AS many as 36,000 manufacturing jobs will be lost during the next three months despite general optimism among producers, according to a new survey. The Regional Trends Survey, published by the CBI and Experian Business Strategies, highlighted a worrying
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Row led to brain damage, court told
A SHOPKEEPER was left severely brain-damaged after he was thrown from the bonnet of a car following a heated argument over a packet of cigarettes. Rakhvinder Singh Garcha has "reverted to being a young child", unable to dress or wash himself, communicate
