Archive
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It's Posh Spice's mum on phone . . .
WHEN Steven Hicks answered his phone and was told he was talking to Victoria Beckham's mother, he thought it was a wind-up. But the call was genuine and Posh's mother, Jackie Adams, told Mr Hicks the news he had longed to hear - that his seven-year-old
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Pink shop waves white flag . . . with hint of lemon
A PINK and purple shop front which caused a heated planning dispute in a town centre has been painted over. Peter and Ann Lown called in decorators to tone down their 300-year-old shop in Market Place, Barnard Castle, County Durham, and put an end to
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Grants will help keep firms ahead
MORE than £350,000 is available to support innovation by North-East companies. The Industrial Case Awards scheme is offering eight companies the chance to apply for grants of £48,000, over three years, to improve their research and development. The grants
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It won't be over until they catch all of them
THE mother of a woman murdered almost eight years ago last night described the "bitter-sweet" feeling of hearing police name her killer while three other suspects remained at large. Computer sales manager Julie Smailes, 27, was found stabbed and strangled
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Lion-hearted benefactor whose gifts grace park
Our series on Darlington's South Park looks at the lions, both real and plaster, and follows an eagle's fortunes. Over the course of time, the eagle has lost its beak and most of one wing, and the lion has been bashed about the face on so many occasions
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Riggott has high hopes
AT a time when England's European Championships bid looks like being hindered by a defensive crisis, the name of Middlesbrough's Chris Riggott has never been mentioned. At the Riverside, Riggott is still regarded as third-choice and only plays when there
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TV review
Rule one: don't poison the boss Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (C4) Born Rich (C4) IF you invite a combustible TV chef into your kitchen, try not to poison him. Unfortunately, Tim Gray, head chef of Bonaparte's restaurant in the West Yorkshire town of Silsden
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Rule one: don't poison the boss
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (C4), Born Rich (C4) - If you invite a combustible TV chef into your kitchen, try not to poison him. Unfortunately, Tim Gray, head chef of Bonaparte's restaurant in the West Yorkshire town of Silsden, failed to follow this
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Hospital is one of the best in the country
A North-East hospital has been named as one of the top 40 in the UK. James Cook University Hospital, part of South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, was honoured at a ceremony in Birmingham last night. The 1,000-bed Middlesbrough hospital was praised by the leading
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It won't be over until they catch all of them
THE mother of a woman murdered almost eight years ago last night described the "bitter-sweet" feeling of hearing police name her killer while three other suspects remained at large. Computer sales manager Julie Smailes, 27, was found stabbed and strangled
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Family and friends mourn 'snubbed' Labour stalwart
A LABOUR Party stalwart who was snubbed for speaking out against the war in Iraq has died aged 81. Last night, members of Joan Smith's family spoke of their anger after the pensioner was banned from attending Tony Blair's anniversary party last year,
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Jobs fall, but confidence rises
FIFTEEN months of rising employment in Darlington came to an end last month, with a fall in the number of workers in the town. But business confidence has risen, which reflects figures released by the British Chambers of Commerce, and the North-East Chamber
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Happier beach rendezvous this time for one old soldier
As the 60th anniversary of D-Day approaches, Chris Lloyd meets a couple who are celebrating their own diamond jubilee on the Normandy beaches. Sixty years ago, D-Day veteran Dickie Atkinson's colonel branded him "a very selfish young man". The invasion
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Praise from inspectors
A ONCE-FAILING school has been praised by inspectors for raising its standards. Eastbourne Comprehensive School, in Darlington, has received its third monitoring visit since it was put into special measures 17 months ago. Two inspectors from Her Majesty's
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Residents say roadworks endanger lives
ANGRY residents say their lives are being put at risk because of roadworks in a busy Darlington road. People living in East Mount Road say that lorries and cars are having to mount the pavement to avoid gas mains work being carried out for Transco. They
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Another easy way to pay the rent
TENANTS in the Easington area have an easier way to pay the rent. Easington District Council has launched a flexible payment system - allpay.net. It allows tenants access to 82 outlets in the district, and a further 40,000 in the UK, to make sure their
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RSPCA branch calls for help
ANIMAL welfare volunteers have warned their branch may have to close because of a lack of funds. South Durham and North Yorkshire RSPCA branch members care for abandoned and ill-treated cats. But secretary Vanessa Robinson said the group was having to
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Residents demand action to stop sewage 'health hazard'
RESIDENTS are calling for action to prevent untreated sewage flooding on to a main road in front of their homes. Heavy rain in Skinningrove causes untreated sewage to rise up through manholes in Mill Lane, near the Tom Leonard Mining Museum, in front
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Chief pays glowing tribute to 'vastly experienced officer'
A POLICE chief last night paid tribute to a popular senior officer who has died only two years after retiring. John Guest, of Chester-le-Street, who gave almost 40-years service to Durham Police, died after a short illness on Monday. He served throughout
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Young stars ready to rock
MUSIC students will tonight perform a feast of rock songs from Hollywood films. Young people from New College Durham will be performing the show called Hollywood Roxx. The concert will span a wide range of Hollywood history including the more recent romantic
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Plan ruling leaves home owners angry
HOME owners have expressed their anger after a housing developer won a planning appeal they say will force them to live in the shadow of an estate. Bowey Homes Limited has been given approval by the office of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to finish
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Travel students dress to impress on their charity walk
tourism students caught the eye as they walked into a city centre and back to their college campus in aid of charity. Students on New College Durham's BTec travel and tourism course dressed in various outfits for a good cause. There were French maids,
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Londis deal may trigger windfall
FIFTY Londis shopkeepers in the region will share a £1.5m windfall if Musgrave succeeds in its attempts to buy the group. The Budgens owner has tabled a second bid for the network of independent stores which has been recommended by the Londis board. The
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Double boost for unemployed people
A SCHEME has been launched to help job seekers overcome barriers to work. The Win project was launched yesterday at the opening of JobCentre Plus, in Thorntree. The office is the latest to open in a national programme which will eventually replace all
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Warning about lottery con letters
POLICE have been asked to investigate a promise of riches from Europe that could empty bank accounts in the north. Safia Rasool, of Middlesbrough, received a letter from Spain congratulating her on winning 463,617 euros on a Spanish lottery. It also included
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Chernobyl group's appeal to help mum
A CHARITY that looks after children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is appealing for help to support a disabled mother. The Friends of Chernobyl's Children bring youngsters from the Mogilev region of Belarus to Britain for a short break to
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Time to shut the Frank up?
THE computer system went down again last week. Desperate times needing desperate measures, we went for a haircut instead. It's when ears began to prick. The barber's plays TFM Radio. TFM plays, fairly incessantly, the cacophonous commercial for Frank's
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Tally ho! Foxhound Shepherd heads for India
A foxhound is about to leave its kennels to travel half way around the world to answer a call for help from a hunt in India. Four-year-old Shepherd - an Old English foxhound from the Hurworth Hunt pack, based at West Rounton, North Yorkshire - is wanted
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A big weekend at Croft
FORMULA Three action comes to Croft this weekend for the first of three headline events over the coming months. With a superb line-up of supporting races as well as the UK's premier single seater championship, the Bank Holiday weekend event promises to
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Mother's move to Ireland to forget painful memories
CLOSE to tears, Joy Gilmour recalled how she had been forced to leave her native North-East to start a new life in Ireland. The grief she felt over the murder of her daughter, Julie, had been too much to bear and she could no longer live at her home in
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Strong pound leads to slump at BAT
BRITISH American Tobacco has blamed the strong pound for a three per cent slump in profits in the first quarter of the year. The tobacco group is in the process of shedding jobs at its Darlington plant. It said weakness in nearly all of its key currencies
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Fuel prices to remain high as BP makes record profits
SOARING oil prices have helped BP achieve record first-quarter profits. The UK's biggest company made £2.64bn in the first three months of the year - equivalent to £335 a second and up 17 per cent on the same period the year before. The figures were revealed
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A big weekend at Croft
FORMULA Three action comes to Croft this weekend for the first of three headline events over the coming months. With a superb line-up of supporting races as well as the UK's premier single seater championship, the Bank Holiday weekend event promises to
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Heroin seized in Stockton
HEROIN worth more than £130,000 - was seized by police today. Stockton Police Drugs Unit found heroin worth £125,000 at an address in Stockton. The discovery was made in a follow-up search after police had earlier recovered heroin worth £6,000 at an address
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Three contracts on horizon for Amec
ENGINEERING company Amec has its sights set on three new contracts. The offshore engineering group confirmed yesterday that it was laying off the majority of its workforce at its Tyneside shipyard after it failed to secure any further orders to replace
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Keeping up with the beautiful people
The United States may be the obesity capital of the world, but New Yorkers have to be different, as Mark Sage reports. Visitors to New York often ask the same question while they wander the streets soaking up the tourist attractions - where are all the
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28/04/04
EDUCATION: The proposal by Ofsted chief David Bell to change the law on schools holding a daily act of worship is another step in the move to eliminate Christianity from schools. Beginning the school day with assembly has always been an important part
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Time for Sven's shot-shy strikers to find their shooting boots
SCOTLAND, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland might be in international action tonight but, with the start of Euro 2004 just 45 days away, England's players will be sat at home with their feet up. Perhaps a wise move as they come towards the
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Give the supermarkets their due
They have their faults, but superstores have made our lives much more exciting. Supermarkets are taking over the world - but would we really have it any other way? Tesco has just made record profits. They get £1 from every £8 spent by British consumers
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Time to shut the Frank up?
THE computer system went down again last week. Desperate times needing desperate measures, we went for a haircut instead. It's when ears began to prick. The barber's plays TFM Radio. TFM plays, fairly incessantly, the cacophonous commercial for Frank's
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Bishops dream shattered at Pompey
BISHOP Auckland Under-15s were hit with a cruel sucker punch in the decisive second leg of the final of the English Schools Trophy last night. After peppering Portsmouth's net for long periods in search of the goal that would bring them back into the
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Shoptalk
SUPERMARKETS are taking over the world - but would we really have it any other way? Tesco has just made record profits. They get £1 from every £8 spent by British consumers. Supermarkets have changed the High Street and seen off butchers, bakers, post
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Mentor Speed gets praise from Viana
HUGO Viana last night thanked Newcastle teammate Gary Speed for helping him to find his feet at the heart of the Magpies' midfield. Viana has struggled to adapt to the physical demands of the Premiership since making a £9.5m move from Sporting Lisbon
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Veterans win funding to visit battlefields
THE first wave of the North-East's Second World War veterans have landed lottery funding so they can revisit battlefields. John Morrison and George Brown are the first two men who make up the 'advance guard' first awards announced today. (Wednesday April
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Hunt for rapists who offered late-night drinker lift home
POLICE were last night hunting two men who raped a woman after offering her a lift home. Detectives are appealing for taxi drivers and drinkers in Middlesbrough to help them find the men responsible for what was described as "a despicable crime". The
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Super Sweeney praised
MARK Tinkler last night gave a glowing reference to the teenager who has filled his midfield place in style in recent weeks. Since Tinkler moved into Hartlepool United's back four to compensate for the loss of Micky Nelson, Tony Sweeney has made his mark
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How DNA evidence helped track down Julie's killer
IT was a microscopic spot of blood discovered on a pillowcase that could not be seen by the human eye. Found in Julie Smailes' bedroom, the blood proved, almost eight years after her tragic death, that the 27-year-old had been murdered by drug user John
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Apology is not enough
GEOFF Hoon's unreserved apology to the relatives of the four young soldiers who died at the Deepcut Barracks is long overdue. The families have been treated with crass insensitivity by both the Army and the Ministry of Defence. While Mr Hoon's apology
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Sponsored bungee jump raises £1,500
A SPONSORED bungee jump has raised £1,500 for charities in Ferryhill. The jump, organised jointly by the Ferryhill 2000 group and Ferryhill Town Council, was so successful it could become an annual event. A total of 34 jumps were made from a crane erected
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'We will not be ignored any more'
Earlier this week, Tony Blair's Middle East policy was condemned by dozens of former senior British diplomats. Today, Peter Smith, chairman of Teesside Against The War and a spokesman for the Respect coalition in the North-East, says it is time to give
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Hydrotherapy pool available
A HYDROTHERAPY pool at the Pioneering Care Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, is now available for group sessions. The pool can be booked by groups of up to eight people. It is one of the centre's most popular features and can be used, without referral, by anyone
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Gazza tells of his suicidal thoughts
GEORDIE football legend Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne has admitted that he wanted to end it all. The colourful former England star admitted he contemplated suicide while he was battling with alcoholism. He made the revelation on a visit to Liverpool to raise
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Tributes after death of retired policeman
A POLICE chief paid tribute last night to a senior officer who has died just over two years after his retirement. John Guest, of Chester-le-Street, who served for almost 40 years with Durham Constabulary, died after a short illness on Monday. He served
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Bishop visits revamp church
THE Bishop of Jarrow officially dedicated new visitor facilities and improvements to the space of worship at a Hartlepool church last night. The Right Reverend John Pritchard led a service of dedication at St Hilda's Church, on the Headland. In a nine-month
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Concern over plans to build 111 homes
MORE than 150 people attended a public meeting to voice their objections to a proposed development of 111 homes. The application to build the properties at High Grange Farm, Normanby, has concerned nearby residents who packed into the Parklands pub, in
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£300,000 sports park will offer paradise on wheels
FANS of the full range of wheeled and skate-related sports can look forward to using top of the range facilities later this year. Work began yesterday to build what will become the North-East's biggest wheeled sports park, at Silksworth, in Sunderland
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Oster hoping to stay on Wearside
THIS time last year, Sunderland midfielder John Oster was resigned to leaving the Stadium of Light. Former Black Cats boss Howard Wilkinson had recalled him from a three-month loan spell at Grimsby but, as Sunderland tumbled out of the Premiership, Oster
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Council wins parking fines appeal in High Court
A NORTH-EAST authority has won a High Court battle after fears that a magistrates ruling would allow hundreds of motorists escape parking fines. Durham County Council appealed to the High Court after magistrates in North Durham decided that summonses
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Odd jobs service is launched
A handyman service for vulnerable people in the Stanley area has been launched. The Green Corridor Handyperson project offers practical help with small jobs that improve the safety and comfort of elderly and disabled residents in South Stanley, South
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Students set for Skillbuild
THE biggest event in the construction trade calendar is to take place in County Durham this week. Neighbouring colleges will join New College Durham students to take part in the Skillbuild competition on Friday. It is open to anyone studying construction
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Take notice of Fallon
KIEREN FALLON'S booking for the North Yorkshire-trained three-year-old Flipando (2.10) could prove to be highly significant at Ascot today. David Barron doesn't often call upon the services of the reigning champion jockey, but, when Kieren does get the
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Farewell to remarkable Nellie, 102
FAMILY and friends gather at a Dales church tomorrow to say farewell to a remarkable woman who died at the weekend, aged 102. Nellie Alderson's determination kept her active in the latter years of her life, even learning to swim shortly before her 100th
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School report full of spelling errors
Government inspectors have been challenged to go back to school, to learn how to spell. The reproach to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's department follows the award of Beacon status to Middlesbrough for its work in cutting crime. The assessors'
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Hamilton suffers major injury blow
THE unfortunate Gavin Hamilton has suffered a big setback in his attempt to relaunch his first-class career with Durham. The former Yorkshire all-rounder has damaged ligaments in a thumb and needs an operation, which will keep him out for two months.
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Anti-terrorism exercise in Newcastle
The first major anti-terrorism exercise outside London took place in the drizzle of a crowded city centre today. Police, paramedics and firecrews donned gasmasks and protective suits as screaming volunteers poured from Newcastle Civic Centre in a simulated
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Veterans must start season without star performer Riddell
DURHAM County Veterans are determined to get their season off to the perfect start today - even if they have to do it without top man Bill Riddell. Seaton Carew's Riddell is ruled out of Durham's opening game against Cheshire at Wearside because of personal
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Crash driver 'had severe tunnel vision'
A MAN accused of being responsible for the death of a consultant pathologist in a road accident should never have driven because he suffered from severe tunnel vision, a court heard. Retired accountant Ronald Addy, 82, of Murray Walk, Darlington, denies
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Anger over 'lack of consultation' about job losses
CORUS is to shed 236 jobs as part of a shake-up at its steelworks in Scunthorpe. Union leaders branded the announcement a disgrace, accusing the company of paying lip service to the concept of consultation. When chief executive Philippe Varin took over
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Anger over 'lack of consultation' about job losses
CORUS is to shed 236 jobs as part of a shake-up at its steelworks in Scunthorpe. Union leaders branded the announcement a disgrace, accusing the company of paying lip service to the concept of consultation. When chief executive Philippe Varin took over
