Archive
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Why Sawyer's going straight onstage
After spending four years playing gay characters on TV, Toby Sawyer is glad to be going straight in two new plays, he tells Steve Pratt. TOBY Sawyer spent three years in teen soap Hollyoaks as Bazz, a gay lad coming to terms with his sexuality. He then
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First-time buyers locked out by the property boom
SOARING house prices mean the region is among those in the UK with the lowest number of first-time buyers, research has shown. A survey by Sainsbury's Bank found that only 4.5 per cent of the country's first-time buyers were from the region, compared
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Friends and relatives pay tribute to devoted rural nurse
TRIBUTES were paid yesterday to a devoted nurse who tended sick people and delivered babies all over a rugged rural area for more than 20 years. Kathleen Woodman, who has died aged 69, always managed to reach her patients in the hilly district around
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Fears grow for missing woman
FEARS are growing for an Ethiopian woman who disappeared in the region two weeks ago. Tegist Teshome Mekanen, 24, came to the UK in January to work as a domestic helper for an elderly Newcastle woman. She was last seen with her employer outside the Lloyds
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GPG holdings improves de vere hotels bid
LEISURE company De Vere came under fresh pressure to sell its UK hotels - including Slaley Hall, in Northumberland - last night when a major investor raised its bid for a larger stake in the group. GPG Holdings, which already owns ten per cent of shares
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Huddersfield and Coming Around Again, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
TWO plays, eight actors and one new writing festival under the umbrella title Northern Exposure. Huddersfield, by Serbian playwright Ugljesa Sajtinac in Chris Thorpe's English version, is a raw and gritty slice of life. Coming Around Again: The Armley
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Big city sophistication arrives in Teesside
PLANS to convert a nightclub complex into exclusive apartments in the Teesside countryside have been announced. Proposals are well-advanced for the project at the Tall Trees complex, near Yarm, which will involve the construction of apartments, the upgrading
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Pupils face Army challenge
TECHNOLOGY students completed an Army exercise with military precision, building a rope bridge strong enough to cross a ravine. The team building exercise at Bishop Barrington School, in Bishop Auckland, was led by Sergeant Mitch Mitchell and other soldiers
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New test for runner
BLIND runner Peter Elliott, who has raised more than £20,000 on charity runs, hopes to raise at least £2,000 on his next outing, on Sunday. He is taking part in a four- mile fun run in the grounds of Raby Castle during the annual Barnard Castle Meet weekend
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Supporters called on to aid charity
SUPPORTERS of Macmillan Cancer Relief are being urged to support fundraising events. Although the charity has reached its target of £600,000 to improve services for cancer patients and their families in County Durham, volunteers are hoping to hit £750,000
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Pupils pass maths test
CHILDREN from six Darlington senior schools pitted their wits against one another during a mathematics challenge. Year nine pupils from Branksome, Eastbourne, Haughton, Hurworth, Longfield and Polam Hall schools took part in the Darlington heat of the
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Carnival ideas sought
Young people have been invited to offer suggestions about what they would like to see featured in this year's village carnival in Penshaw, between Chester-le-Street and Sunderland. The event, revived for the Millennium, takes place on Barnwell Green,
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Enjoy week of crafts, quizzes and wildlife
VISITORS to a North-East museum can enjoy craft activities, quizzes and an exhibition of wildlife habitats during the half-term holidays. The exhibition, at Redcar's Kirkleatham Museum, in east Cleveland, includes a series of habitats - the seaside, woodland
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Out-of-hours medical service hailed a success
HEALTH officials in Darlington have hailed the introduction of an out-of-hours medical care system as a major success. The scheme, which has been pioneered in the town and neighbouring authorities in the Tees Valley area, is said to have worked smoothly
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The sweet smell of success at Merchant
PERFUME retailer Merchant reported a 22 per cent rise in annual sales yesterday - despite difficult trading at its North-East department stores. Merchant Retail said the 98 outlets of The Perfume Shop were the main driver of growth, increasing profits
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Free check on your pet's smile
CATS and dogs can get their teeth checked free of charge at a Darlington animal hospital next month. The Grange Veterinary Hospital, in Victoria Road, is offering the dental check-ups to celebrate national Pet Smile Month. Throughout June, veterinary
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Fundraisers add Geordie flavour . . .
CAMPAIGNERS raising funds for research into a cure for the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma will stage an event with a Geordie flavour to help meet their target. Chris Knighton, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, set up the the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma
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Charity funding call to supporters
SUPPORTERS of Macmillan Cancer Relief are being urged to rally round the cause. Although the charity has hit its target of £600,000 to improve services for cancer patients and their families in County Durham, volunteers are hoping to reach £750,000 by
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All the flavour of France
PEOPLE enjoyed rare delicacies including wild boar and ostrich sausage at a town's first French market at the weekend. Hundreds of visitors attended the three-day, 22-stall market at Stockton's High Street and Wellington Square Shopping Centre from Friday
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Police appealing to parents over dangerous building
POLICE launched a campaign yesterday to stop children entering a former boarding school that is in a dangerous state after being damaged by fire. They appealed to parents to warn boys and girls not to play in St Peter's School, which has been closed for
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Revamp planned for shops centre
A MAJOR revamp of a Tees shopping centre is planned. Eleven small shops are to close in Middlesbrough's Cleveland Centre, and be replaced by four larger stores. Big-name retailers have been lined up for the new-look mall where another 250 car parking
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Group appointed to oversee homes transfer
A LANDLORD has been appointed to help a council transfer its entire housing stock. Sunderland Housing Group has been chosen by Sedgefield Borough Council to help with the delivery of its stock transfer proposal, which it says will bring £116m of investment
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Village to mark old school anniversary
MAJOR celebrations are being planned to celebrate the 200th anniversary of a village's former school. Author Anne Baron has organised a day of fun, feasting and games for the village's close-knit community to mark the anniversary of Thorpe Bassett School
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Fair will show how volunteers make a difference
A FAIR in Durham next month aims to attract more people to help the city's charities and organisations. The Durham Volunteers Bureau, based in Millennium Place, holds the event in the Market Place on Friday, June 4, from 10am to 4pm, to mark National
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Third report is best so far for King's Manor
KING'S Manor School in Acklam is celebrating following the result of its third and most successful Ofsted inspection report. A team of 14 inspectors visited in March, spending a week in the school, observing teaching and interviewing pupils, staff, governors
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Walking to fitter lifestyle
MORE than 13,000 schoolchildren in Middlesbrough are striding out for Walk-to-School Week. Forty of the 42 primary schools in the town are taking part this week. Meanwhile, two six-year-olds have been featured on 5,000 posters promoting the benefits of
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Union's call for more recycling
UNION chiefs have called for the region's local authorities to step up kerbside recycling efforts. Public services union the GMB yesterday published a new analysis of the Audit Commission's figures on councils offering such services to their residents
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Life-saving message campaign extended
A POTENTIAL life-saver is spreading across North Yorkshire. The message-in-a-bottle scheme is designed to allow doctors and 999 teams to discover immediately any information they need to know should an emergency arise at someone's home. It is already
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Chance for nostalgic look back in time
VISITORS to libraries and museums in Stockton are being invited to step back in time. Put that Light Out is a day of music, photographs, book displays and artefacts showing what life was like in Stockton from 1939 to 1945. It will take place at Stockton
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Anfield search is on as Houllier departs post
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has revealed the club would be looking for a new manager ''with a proven track record''. He said ''quality would be the watchword'' be it a British or foreign coach to replace Gerard Houllier. The Frenchman's six-season
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Double cash bonus joy for county's probation service
HARD-pressed probation officials are celebrating a double cash bonus to help them cope with rising demands. The North Yorkshire probation service was left disappointed after its last budget settlement, which gave it an increase on the year before of just
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Parishioners on marks for milestone
MEMBERS of a Methodist church congregation are on their marks and ready to go to mark their 123rd anniversary. Although not usually regarded as a significant anniversary, members of Allhallowgate Methodist Church, Ripon, felt that a special occasion was
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Enjoy week of crafts, quizzes and wildlife
VISITORS to a North-East museum can enjoy craft activities, quizzes and an exhibition of wildlife habitats during the half-term holidays. The exhibition, at Redcar's Kirkleatham Museum, in east Cleveland, includes a series of habitats - the seaside, woodland
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Getting ready for youngsters' summer fun
SIX weeks of healthy fun activities are planned for north Durham youngsters this summer. Derwentside Leisure has unveiled its Six Weeks Off programme, sponsored by Stanley Taxis, to keep children entertained over the school break. It includes regulars
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Bus company make change to timetable
TIMETABLE changes on some bus services run by Go North-East come into force this week. Routes affected by the amended schedules include the 179 between Chester-le-Street and Concord, in Washington, where rush-hour morning schedules undergo the biggest
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Tyre checkpoints in safety drive
DRIVERS may be flagged down at random by police at checkpoints in Teesside this week. Cleveland Police are looking out for worn and wrongly inflated tyres to help reduce road casualty figures. Working with the Tyre Industry Council, the force says its
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Huddersfield and Coming Around Again, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
TWO plays, eight actors and one new writing festival under the umbrella title Northern Exposure. Huddersfield, by Serbian playwright Ugljesa Sajtinac in Chris Thorpe's English version, is a raw and gritty slice of life. Coming Around Again: The Armley
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'Justice has been done' says mum as son's killer gets life
THE mother of a teenager stabbed to death on his 18th birthday said yesterday she was confident her son's killer would never be allowed back on the streets. Mary Best's son, Paul, bled to death after David Mitchell, 19, plunged a kitchen knife into his
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Hear ye, hear ye . . . double check that ticket
NORTH-East TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss and town crier Colin Beswick yesterday gave a last call for a National Lottery winner to collect their winnings. Lotto operator Camelot is still to pay £266,555 to a player from the Durham and Chester-le-Street
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A fitting solution to the housing shortage
IMAGINE a world without the bricks and mortar that have been in use since Georgian times. Instead, imagine houses built in factories - houses fitted with toilets, sinks, baths and every other convenience you might expect, before being carried on a lorry
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A recipe for disaster that falls flat
Hell's Kitchen (ITV1): EVERYONE'S taking advantage of Channel 4. First the BBC pinches its chief executive Mark Thompson as its new Director General. Now the channel finds that ITV has been using C4's Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares as a trailer for its own
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25/05/04
IRAQ: IT is now reported that over 55,000 Iraqis have been killed in the war and its aftermath. The intolerable evil that Tony Blair used to justify war was the fear that the regime of Saddam Hussein would use weapons of mass destruction against 'the
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Drivers urged to take part in bug count
BIRDWATCHERS are calling on North-East motorists to help with an new survey - by counting the number of squashed bugs on their number plates. The RSPB's Big Bug Count runs from next Tuesday and is aimed at finding out if the insect numbers are declining
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Diva sings praises of Korea's musical children
MUSICAL instruments could be an area's next export - to North Korea. Children in the Asian country love nothing better than singing and dancing, according to North-East diva Suzannah Clarke, who is a major celebrity there. While on a three-week visit
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When the boss is listening
The recent case of Morrison v Avocet Hardware plc dealt with an interesting issue relating to monitoring of telephone calls made at work. In the case, both sides asserted different human rights in support of their claims and it fell to the Employment
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'Employers who ignore older workers are making a mistake'
Q I saw something on the news the other day about new laws coming in to prevent age discrimination among employers. I am in my 50s and fortunate enough to be with an employer at the moment, but I had to go to countless interviews before being accepted
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Vodafone profits soar
Mobile phone operator Vodafone saw profits soar to £10 billion as it added 13.7 million new customers worldwide. The company also saw its bottom line loss for the year to March 31 fall from £6.21 billion to £5.05 billion. Accounting charges of £15.2 billion
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Hunt for evidence by Neale officers
DETECTIVES who are re-examining the case of disgraced surgeon Richard Neale have hinted that they may be looking for new evidence. Following a four-hour meeting with representatives of Neale's victims, a joint statement was issued by North Yorkshire police
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Station's reversal of fortunes welcomed
HIGH-speed trains are to stop at a North-East station giving travellers a direct rail link to the South-West. Chester-le-Street railway station narrowly escaped closure during the 1960s, but was yesterday granted Intercity status. Slow local trains will
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Real life on the dole
Unemployment is at its lowest level for nearly 30 years, but not everyone is sharing in this bonanza. Nick Morrison finds out what life is like on the dole in boom-time. IT was one of the most arresting television dramas of the decade, and it bequeathed
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Dawson heads home
It will be home from home for off-spinner Richard Dawson when Yorkshire visit Exmouth tomorrow for a tricky third tie with Minor Counties' side Devon in the C&G Trophy. But although Dawson will be among familiar faces he has no intention of doing
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Nicholls to complete transfer
CAMBRIDGE United are to complete the permanent signing of want-away Darlington midfielder Ashley Nicholls next month. The 22-year-old has been offered a two-year contract to remain at the Abbey Stadium following a successful loan spell. Nicholls has been
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Why Sawyer's going straight onstage
After spending four years playing gay characters on TV, Toby Sawyer is glad to be going straight in two new plays, he tells Steve Pratt. TOBY Sawyer spent three years in teen soap Hollyoaks as Bazz, a gay lad coming to terms with his sexuality. He then
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McInerney drawn to 'buoyant market'
A housebuilder is hoping to make its mark on the buoyant North-East market with the £8.75m acquisition of a Sedgefield company. McInerney Holdings has announced its acquisition of Alexander Developments (North East) with immediate effect. The move is
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Atos Origin UK moves in with the blue-chips
AN international IT company has chosen a site in Teesside's largest business park. Atos Origin UK has taken a ten-year lease on 8,000sq ft of office space at Teesdale, Stockton. Its offices are in Westminster, a building in the St Mark's Basin area of
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Driver, 19, led police on 20-mile chase
A TEENAGER led police on a 20-mile chase at speeds of up to 70mph in a stolen car, a court heard yesterday. He ignored four red traffic lights and twice negotiated roundabouts the wrong way, hurling scaffolding poles at his pursuers as he went, Harrogate
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Rooney can do an Owen says McClaren
STEVE McCLAREN is convinced that Wayne Rooney can have the impact at Euro 2004 that Michael Owen had on the 1998 World Cup. Liverpool striker Owen was only 18 when he crashed home the wonder goal in the ill-fated clash with Argentina in St. Etienne that
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Eat, sleep and breathe football - thanks to one man's vision
Even by the standards of the North-East, Stewart Dawson is passionate about the beautiful game. During the past ten years, that passion has led to the transformation of land just outside Durham. The development will provide football facilities for the
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Four freed by boss Cooper
NEALE Cooper's squad shaping for next season has moved on with the release of four players. And Cooper is now ready to secure the futures of his young prodigies, who played major roles in securing a play-off place. Mark Robinson, Anthony Williams, Scott
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Spotlight on mental health care for elderly
THE needs of older people with mental health problems are to be championed by a care trust at a conference today. The aim of the conference, organised by County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, is to raise the profile of mental health
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Job Search: Vacancies
Sales assistant, Darlington. Meets NMW, 16hpw. Must be aged 21+, experience preferred but not essential as training will be given. Ref: DAE 39424. Domestic cleaner, Darlington. £4.85ph, 24 hours per week. Experience preferred but not essential as training
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Fashion store's move hit by delay
PLANS for a designer clothing chain to move to a prime site in a North-East town have been delayed for the second time. Bertie had planned to open a store at the former Dressers site, in High Row, Darlington, at the start of the year, but the move was
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Night for beauty and beasts
THIS evening's meeting at Sedgefield features not only six interesting jumps' races, but also a 20-runner line-up for the final of the Miss Durham Beauty Contest, together with a Galaxy FM music show plus free drink for the first 2000 paying ladies through
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Going straight
TOBY Sawyer spent three years in teen soap Hollyoaks as Bazz, a gay lad coming to terms with his sexuality. He then spent a year playing gay bar manager Tom in the revamped Crossroads. Two soaps, two gays - it's easy to see a trend developing. As an out
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Second family in stillbirth tragedy
A SECOND family has gone through the trauma of having a stillborn baby following a controversial shake-up of maternity services, The Northern Echo can reveal. Clare Storey joined the call for full medical and surgical cover to be reinstated at Bishop
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Biker Hobbs overcomes the odds in Cup
GUISBOROUGH'S Dennis Hobbs moved to within eight points of the lead in the THINK! British Superbike Cup after a superb performance against the odds at a sun-drenched Mondello Park this weekend. Aboard his Scott Leathers sponsored 1000cc Suzuki, the 21
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Hats off to fundraisers
EVENTS including a sponsored head shave have raised more than £1,000 for a severely disabled three-year-old boy. Staff at the Rural Payments Agency, based in Northallerton, have been fundraising for Joshua Peacock for the last year. In total they raised
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Workers reveal piece of history
One of Newcastle's historic treasures has been revealed as part of a £55m development taking place on the city's Quayside. Although partly visible from City Road, Corner Tower, part of Newcastle's original medieval town wall, has long been hidden from
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Ex-magistrate cleared of assault
A FORMER magistrate who hit the headlines when his son murdered his ex-wife fought back tears yesterday when he was acquitted of assault. It took the jury at Newcastle Crown Court two hours to find Paul Geldart not guilty of assault occasioning actual
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Eating Owt: The perfect pitstop for weary walkers
The column finds Sunday lunch at The Wheatsheaf, Borrowby, a just reward after a walk. A SUPERB pub and a very pleasant Sunday lunch lie at the end of today's column, but since a meal is always better when it's been earned, readers may first care to take
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Baby food poison threat
A Briton accused of trying to blackmail an American supermarket chain by threatening to poison jars of baby food pleaded not guilty at a court hearing today. David Dickinson, 43, of Middlesbrough, has been indicted on two charges by a grand jury in California
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Museum given £1.5m porcelain collection
A SUPERB collection of more than 500 pieces of porcelain worth £1.5m has been given to a North-East museum after being hidden from sight for nearly ten years. A gallery is being prepared so that all the colourful and striking items can go on permanent
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Young artists focus on bistro setting
A DURHAM college and a city restaurant have joined forces in a bid to give art and design students a taste of the real world. Students at New College were given a brief to create a suitable piece of work to be displayed in the picturesque courtyard area
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Council shake-up for region unveiled
THE seven district councils of County Durham could be scrapped if the North-East votes for a regional assembly in October's referendum. Yesterday, the Boundary Committee announced its two options for reshaping local government in the county. One option
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Family's fond farewell to Lady Bridget, a woman of integrity
ONE of the region's most famous old families was in mourning yesterday following the death of Lady Bridget Worsley, aged 77. The wife of Sir Marcus Worsley, former Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, and sister-in-law of the Duchess of Kent, Lady Worsley
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Follow trail of the Vikings
CHILDREN can enjoy a wide range of Viking-related activities at a North-East attraction during half-term. Margrove Heritage Centre, near Guisborough, east Cleveland, will host a rune trail, quizzes, Viking games and dressing-up in Viking clothing. A family
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Sweeping away councils to pave the way for assemblies
THE most powerful argument against elected regional assemblies is that they would simply add another layer of government bureaucracy - and waste taxpayers' money. Therefore, Tony Blair insisted last year that two-tier local government in Durham, North
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New test for runner
BLIND runner Peter Elliott, who has raised more than £20,000 on charity runs, hopes to raise at least £2,000 on his next outing, on Sunday. He is taking part in a four- mile fun run in the grounds of Raby Castle during the annual Barnard Castle Meet weekend
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Supporters called on to aid charity
SUPPORTERS of Macmillan Cancer Relief are being urged to support fundraising events. Although the charity has reached its target of £600,000 to improve services for cancer patients and their families in County Durham, volunteers are hoping to hit £750,000
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Court orders mother to take parenting lessons
A MOTHER of four was yesterday made the subject of a parenting order after she admitted failing to ensure her son attended school. The 33-year-old woman, from Darlington, was ordered to complete a six-month course of parenting classes when she appeared
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School anti-bully scheme catches eye of Government
AN innovative Internet scheme that is helping to tackle bullying at a Darlington school has attracted the attention of the Government. The Guardian Angels initiative, at Eastbourne Comprehensive School, is believed to be one of the first of its kind in
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Guides can carry on camping
A NEWTON Aycliffe company has helped a local Guides group by providing equipment for a camping trip. When Tracy Mounsey took over as leader of Newton Aycliffe Guides she discovered that there had been no camping trips for at least seven years. Even worse
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Town's website attracts international interest
PEOPLE from all over the world are logging on to a town's website in order to keep in touch with their roots. Since the Shildon Net Forum was relaunched in February, more than 1,100 people have visited the site to share memories of their time living in
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Student joins recycling research team
A NEW team member has joined scientists carrying out pioneering environmental research. Durham University PhD student, Ed Simpson, 22, is working on a project that aims to turn household waste into a compost-type substance for use in agriculture. His
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Deepcut families vow fight in courts
FAMILIES of soldiers who died at Deepcut Barracks vowed last night to take legal action after the Ministry of Defence refused to hold a public inquiry. Parents of the four soldiers who died at the Surrey base, including Private Geoff Gray, of Seaham,
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Anniversary cake appears familiar . . .
IT looks good enough to eat and it really is - but sweet-toothed youngsters are going to have to wait a few days before they can tuck in. Harrogate Ladies' College is celebrating its 100th anniversary on its existing site with two months of celebrations
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Resignation sparks reshuffle
THE cabinet of a Teesside council has been reshuffled after its cabinet member for environmental improvement resigned. Zetland councillor Bob Stanway will replace Councillor Barbara Harpham, who resigned from the cabinet of Redcar and Cleveland Borough
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Young artists focus on bistro setting
A DURHAM college and a city restaurant have joined forces in a bid to give art and design students a taste of the real world. Students at New College were given a brief to create a suitable piece of work to be displayed in the picturesque courtyard area
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Residents band together to tackle arson-blighted area
A COMMUNITY blighted by vandalism and petty arson is pulling together to clean up its streets. South Moor, near Stanley, has one of the highest rates in County Durham for street arsons, known as secondary fires. Fire chiefs have launched a pilot project
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Quakers' creditors accept package
The future of Darlington Football Club was safeguarded today after creditors voted to accept a last-ditch rescue package. The holders of just over 88 per cent of the Quakers' debts voted in favour of a company voluntary arrangement proposed by the club's
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Choir among cash aid recipients
A choir is to get aid towards buying a new piano while a teenage rugby team will get help towards the cost of equipment in the latest round of funds allocated by Scarborough Borough Council's northern area committee at Whitby. The Dalesman Singers, who
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Former T&S directors make £60m bid for Londis chain
SHOPKEEPERS at the centre of a long-running battle for convenience store chain Londis were being courted by a second £60m bidder last night. The potential approach to shopkeepers, including 50 in the North-East, by two former directors of T&S Stores
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Firms trip over the language barrier
COMPANIES are missing out on valuable overseas business because of poor foreign language skills among their staff, according to a report published today. A survey of 1,000 exporters found that four out of five could not conduct business in a foreign language
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Man, 30, stabbed as he stood up to gang
A HOUSEHOLDER was stabbed and slashed after opening his door to a man being chased by a knife-wielding gang. The 30-year-old man suffered cuts to his back and face after stepping into the street to speak to the youths. Yesterday, he was in hospital in
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Teacher elected to national role
A NORTH Yorkshire teacher is to play a national role in the future of teaching. Judy Moorhouse, a head of year at Richmond School, has been elected as chairwoman of the General Teaching Council for England (GTC). She is the first woman to be elected to
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Environmentalists praise MP
A NORTH-EAST MP has been congratulated by Friends of the Earth for her support of a campaign in Parliament that would help keep millions of people warm in winter. Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, east Cleveland, supported an amendment to the law requiring all
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Concert date
A MUSICAL event is to be staged in Darlington Arts Centre next month. The concert, on Thursday, June 10, is the culmination of work by Darlington Orchestra and composer Andy Jackson on the Mozart 4 Kidz project. Youngsters will join the orchestra on stage
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Flotation planned to fund expansion
One of the largest private bingo operators in the UK is to float on the stock market to raise funds to expand the business, it announced yesterday. Carlton Clubs hopes to achieve a valuation of £40m when it floats on the AIM market of the London Stock
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Job Search: Vacancies
Commis chef, Northallerton. £4.50-£5.50ph dep on experience. 40hpw, includes evenings and weekends. Permanent. Experience preferred although not essential as training will be given. Ref: NOE 21998. Kitchen assistants/waiters/waitresses, Bedale. Meets
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The Great Debate - My View: A force for good, or an extra layer of government?
As with the run-up to any election, the forces on either side of the debate about establishing a regional assembly are intensifying their assaults upon the public. The referendum during the autumn is steadily seeping into our consciousness at every level
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Bishop's hopes for greater Church unity
THE new Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle has arrived in the region with a message of hope - and he has spoken of the need for unity in the Church and dialogue with other faiths. Canon Kevin Dunn, who will become the twelfth Roman Catholic bishop for a diocese
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Job Search: Vacancies
Cleaning operative, Chester-le-Street. £4.50ph. Permanent. Previous office cleaning experience preferred, but not essential as full training will be given. Ref: SOC 9233. Hair stylist, Chester-le-Street. Exceeds NMW. 40hpw, permanent. Must have at least
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Engineers prepare for world speed record attempt
A BRITISH team is preparing to try to break the world electric land speed record - with the help of North-East electrical engineering specialists. Slater Drive Systems, of Newcastle, is part of an alliance supplying the main engine, composed of an electric
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Moxon hopes Shoaib is fit for Trent trip
DURHAM are still hoping that Shoaib Akhtar will be fit to return against Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in the four-day match starting today. After missing the defeat by Glamorgan with a rib injury, the Pakistan paceman travelled
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Herbal remedy is the business
one of the biggest commercial herb gardens in the North is thriving in North Yorkshire. Sandhutton Growers is the brainchild of Alison Dodd, a Cordon Bleu chef and catering specialist who tackled the frustration of not being able to find the fresh herbs
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The race is on for Miss Durham
BEAUTY contests. The very title conjures up images of leggy lovelies teetering awkwardly on the catwalk in white stilettos and swimsuits. Later, after a quick change into big hairdos and long dresses, they'd attempt to impress the judges with their commitment
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Night for beauty and beasts
THIS evening's meeting at Sedgefield features not only six interesting jumps' races, but also a 20-runner line-up for the final of the Miss Durham Beauty Contest, together with a Galaxy FM music show plus free drink for the first 2000 paying ladies through
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The New Year sales that went on and on . . .
Who is going shopping ? Somebody must be, as figures showed retail sales in April up 0.3 per cent from March. More significantly, sales are up 6.1 per cent from the same month a year ago. This is broadly in line with economists' forecasts and helps to
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You say Linlith-go I say Linlith-gow
The FA Cup Final Escape Committee (and Scotch Pie Fest) headed off on Saturday on its sixth annual outing - Linlithgow, this time - and was at loggerheads before barely the meeting had begun. Mr Peter Sixsmith, for whom the excursion was a sort of cross-border
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The perfect pitstop for weary walkers
The column finds Sunday lunch at The Wheatsheaf, Borrowby, a just reward after a walk. A SUPERB pub and a very pleasant Sunday lunch lie at the end of today's column, but since a meal is always better when it's been earned, readers may first care to take
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Thirlwell's Sunderland warning
PAUL Thirlwell has warned his former Sunderland teammates not to expect an easy route back to the Premiership next season. Thirlwell is currently weighing up his options after being axed by Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy following last week's play-off
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Ten-year-old killed as he fetched football from roof
A ten-year-old boy has died after falling through a skylight as he tried to retrieve his football. Jordan Toward was playing football with friends at the Geoffrey Rhodes Centre, Byker, Newcastle, on Friday evening. The ball became stuck on the roof of
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Northern men 'run deadly risk'
NORTHERN men are dodging the doctor and risking their lives to cancer, according to a new survey. Too many men are ignoring symptoms of cancer because they dislike going to the doctors, say Cancer Research UK. In the North of England the poll revealed
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Bike deaths verdict
ACCIDENT verdicts were recorded on two motorcyclists who died on Dales roads within weeks of each other. Martin McLoughlin, 34, of Darlington, and John Hewitt, 59, of Sedburgh, Cumbria, were both experienced bikers who bought new machines just weeks before
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Riverside development welcomes new tenants
ANOTHER two tenants have moved into a riverside office development in Newcastle. ARB Interior Linings and Look C have moved into the Waterfront development at Newburn Riverside, Newcastle, meaning the scheme is now more than 90 per cent let. ARB supplies
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When will Whitehall make up its mind?
IN the Australian desert, defence officials from both sides of the Atlantic wait with bated breath for the massive bomb to detonate. The experiment will establish how building components would fare if a munitions store was blown up by terrorists. At the
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Warning sounded in wake of MS right-to-die case
NORTH-East councils are being warned not to break the law after a landmark case ruled carers must leave a woman to die if she begins to choke. Durham County Council has agreed to accept the conditions of a living will made by a former schoolteacher from
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TV review
Hell's Kitchen (ITV1) EVERYONE'S taking advantage of Channel 4. First the BBC pinches its chief executive Mark Thompson as its new Director General. Now the channel finds that ITV has been using C4's Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares as a trailer for its own
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Deepcut families need answers
DEFENCE Minister Adam Ingram's rejection of calls for a public inquiry into the deaths at Deepcut Barracks comes as no surprise. Since concerns were first raised about Deepcut, the Government has appeared more intent on avoiding, rather than tackling,
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Hard work reaps reward
HARD-pressed probation chiefs are celebrating a double cash bonus to help them to cope with rising demands. The North Yorkshire probation service was left disappointed after its last budget settlement which gave it an increase on the year before of just
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Creditors vote on deal to save Quakers
THE 11th-hour rescue of Darlington Football Club is due to take another step forward today as creditors prepare to vote on a deal to save the Quakers. A meeting of creditors takes place at the club's Neasham Road stadium this morning, with a proposal
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Grand day out in store for Herriot fans
TICKETS are selling fast for the opportunity to follow in the tracks of the world's most famous vet. The Herriot Railway Tour will be a chance to see the area where Alf Wight - the real James Herriot - lived and worked. The package features a visit to
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Reynolds reveals new retail venture
PUTTING his troubled times at Darlington Football Club behind him, George Reynolds yesterday revealed his plans to become a fashion guru. Predicting his new business venture would transform him into "the new Versace of the rag trade", Mr Reynolds said
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Cooper on Aberdeen shortlist
NEALE Cooper is in the frame for a return to Aberdeen - this time as manager. The Hartlepool United boss is under consideration for vacant position at Pittodrie after the sacking of Steve Paterson yesterday. The Dons have appointed Willie Miller to make
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Deepcut families vow fight in courts
FAMILIES of soldiers who died at Deepcut Barracks vowed last night to take legal action after the Ministry of Defence refused to hold a public inquiry. Parents of the four soldiers who died at the base, including Private Geoff Gray, of Seaham, County
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Discipline procedures head agenda
The impact of new discipline and grievance procedures is heading the agenda during a visit by the policy and decision-making body of Acas to the region. The Acas Council is holding its monthly operational meeting, this time in Newcastle, and will also
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Why Sawyer's going straight onstage
After spending four years playing gay characters on TV, Toby Sawyer is glad to be going straight in two new plays, he tells Steve Pratt. TOBY Sawyer spent three years in teen soap Hollyoaks as Bazz, a gay lad coming to terms with his sexuality. He then
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Bomb's finder lucky to be alive
A NORTH-EAST man who picked up a live bomb and kept it in his jacket pocket was last night hailed as the luckiest man alive. Neville Bougard, 55, had picked up the mystery metal object after finding it beside some roadworks. Intrigued by what it might
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£78m bill to protect coastline revealed
A SUM of £78m needs to be spent in the next five years safeguarding the future of the Yorkshire coastline, according to a new report by engineers. Much of the money will come from the Department of Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (Defra), said
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Thanks friends, you helped to save my life
Hotelier Tom Bachelor owes his life to a quick-thinking family of holidaymakers and a dedicated air ambulance crew. Their combined efforts ensured Mr Bachelor, from Middleham, in the Yorkshire Dales, survived after he suffered a heart attack while touring
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Footballer dies during game
SHOCKED students saw a member of their college staff collapse and die while playing football with them. Joe Smith, a 43-year ICT technician, was taking part in a five-a-side game after work at Northallerton College last Wednesday with other staff and
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'Justice has been done' says mum as son's killer gets life
THE mother of a teenager stabbed to death on his 18th birthday said yesterday she was confident her son's killer would never be allowed back on the streets. Mary Best's son, Paul, bled to death after David Mitchell, 19, plunged a kitchen knife into his
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No worries in Wales for Bellamy
CRAIG Bellamy has insisted that there is "no problem" in him playing for Wales on Thursday, despite Newcastle United failing to give their blessing for his return to the international fold. The injury-prone striker was left out of Mark Hughes' original
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Let's make 2004 a bloomin' great year for the city, say leaders
PEOPLE are being urged to get behind a city's entry in this year's Britain in Bloom competition. Durham has reached the finals in seven of the past ten years and was the overall winner in 1995. Durham City Council now hopes residents, community groups
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Why the studs are playing nearer home
AFTER winning away all season, the lads of Eston Bank Hotel FC are finally to play nearer home turf. But this team isn't in a Sunday league. It will be on stage at Stockton's Arc theatre in a play about the joys and miseries of playing football after
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Lamenting our green and pleasant society
I still haven't got over my holiday, though I've been back in London for two weeks. Culture shock, that's what I'm suffering from. There I was in the sunny Algarve for ten days, in the countryside, amid the cork forests and the fragrance of eucalyptus
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Retired librarian among seven veterans honoured by France
A WAR veteran from the region received France's highest military bravery award yesterday for his part in the country's liberation. Dennis Cox, 83, a retired university librarian, served as a liaison officer on the French submarine, Curie, on patrols in
