Archive
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Juninho preparing for final farewell
JUNINHO is poised to end his third stint at Middlesbrough after undergoing a medical and holding talks at Celtic. The Brazilian World Cup winner is still revered on Teesside and news of his pending departure will shock the club's fans. But a conclusion
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Long-awaited name for town football stadium is unveiled
JUBILANT Darlington Football Club chiefs yesterday unveiled the money-spinning sponsorship deal that will see the Quakers' ground renamed the Williamson Motors Stadium. As revealed in The Northern Echo yesterday, the club has signed a lucrative agreement
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Mind the gap
Didn't get the results you wanted and need to apply again, or just fancy some time off? Whatever the reason, more and more students are opting to take a break, from a few months to a year. Nick Morrison reports on the rise of the 'gappers'. JUST outside
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Hodgson targets Zerouali
Darlington are on the trail of a Moroccan international as David Hodgson steps up his hunt for a much-needed forward. The club have requested international clearance to allow Hicham Zerouali, who joined Aberdeen for nearly £500,000 almost five years ago
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Wheels in motion for forest sport
CASH crusaders who hope to create an exciting outdoor sport venue at a popular tourist spot are celebrating a successful first year of the campaign. Plans to develop a series of mountain bike trails and thrilling adventure runs in Hamsterley Forest are
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Dramatic images from river rescue
This is the dramatic moment when two people were air-lifted to safety in a massive rescue operation after their car became trapped in a raging North East river. An RAF helicopter had to winch the pair to safety when their four-track vehicle got stuck
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TV review
Boys With Breasts (C4) Here's another of those documentaries with an attention-seeking title masking a serious documentary on a subject that's not much discussed in polite circles. Some might think it results from someone in C4's factual department being
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Better access to advice
A TOTAL of £9m is being spent in County Durham improving access to business support. Despite help being available to companies, the complexity and number of options can discourage businesses. Thousands of small companies across the county will now have
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Food bug crisis peaks
A FOOD bug outbreak that struck down nearly 100 people over three weeks has finally peaked, health officials have confirmed. Medical specialists were first alerted to a spate of salmonella cases on Tuesday, July 27. The number of cases then rose steadily
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Love divide
Some will see the idea of a New York - London romance as just a cynical ploy to sell C4's latest series to the Americans. But UK star Stephen Moyer has actually lived through long-distance love of this kind. Steve Pratt reports. ACTOR Stephen Moyer could
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Worker relives night of fatal accident
A FARM worker has relived the night a shortcut across a dual carriageway in his tractor ended in the death of two men. Andrew Breckon told a jury he thought his vehicle and trailer were safely within a cut-through on the A19 when the accident happened
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North-East journalist in lucky escape
A PHOTOGRAPHER last night told of his family's lucky escape after they were caught up in the Boscastle floods. Nigel Whitfield, who works for The Northern Echo's sister paper, The Darlington and Stockton Times, was on holiday in Cornwall with his wife
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Celtic-bound Juninho to bid Boro fond farewell
JUNINHO is poised to end his third stint at Middlesbrough after undergoing a medical and holding talks at Celtic. The Brazilian World Cup winner is still revered on Teesside and news of his pending departure will shock the club's fans. But a conclusion
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19/08/04
RAILWAY HERITAGE: I HAVE lived in Darlington some 15 years now and have often taken my son to the Railway Museum and to the Thomas the Tank Engine fun days. This town and area is supposed to have a passion for the railways, yet what is left of the railways
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Walker tells of miracle escape
A PENSIONER saved from plunging 100ft off a cliff edge by his rucksack has told of his miraculous escape. John Mallaby, from Oulston, between Coxwold and York, lost his footing while climbing in the Austrian mountains at Zell am See on Sunday. The 80-
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Parents' plea for answers over Deepcut
THE family of a North-East soldier found dead in suspicious circumstances yesterday joined other bereaved relatives in a new campaign for answers. Diane Gray, of Seaham, County Durham, staged a Press conference with four mothers and fathers to condemn
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Retail sales slow
The first slowdown in retail sales in more than a year could reduce the likelihood of further interest rate rises, analysts predicted. Retail sales have slowed for the first time in more than a year after poor weather hit sales of clothing in July, official
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The men with too much up front
Boys With Breasts (C4): Here's another of those documentaries with an attention-seeking title masking a serious documentary on a subject that's not much discussed in polite circles. Some might think it results from someone in C4's factual department being
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Inquest into teenagers' deaths
Opening inquests were held today into the deaths of two teenagers who were killed in a car crash. Richard Clemot-Escobar and Katy Linighan, both 18, were due to collect their A-level results yesterday, but instead their lives were cut short when the Vauxhall
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Miniature robot creating a buzz
A JAPANESE company has developed a flying robot that looks like a miniature helicopter. The Micro Flying Robot is 3.35in, weighs 0.5oz and follows a flight-route program sent from a computer using wireless technology. On board is a 32-bit microcontroller
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Family and friends rally round to support Freya's trike appeal
YOUNG Freya McGlone is enjoying a new lease of life after friends and family bought her a new set of wheels. Freya, three-and-a-half, was born with cerebral palsy and cannot walk unaided. To raise money for a customised trike, she undertook a sponsored
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Launch of Rainton safety initiative
A safety initiative on the Great North Road has been launched. A £1.5m bridge, replacing the junction at Rainton Crossroads, near Ripon, was formally opened by the Highways Agency. The single-lane bridge, with side roads and traffic signals, has been
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New walk-in medical centre
A new walk-in centre is to be established in Darlington after health chiefs secured a funding boost. The Department of Health has agreed to provide Darlington Primary Care Trust with an additional £100,000 a year for the next two years to help staff the
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Problem of otter who won't go free
WITH her big eyes and loving temperament, Honey the otter is a real cutie, but therein lies a problem. She loves people so much that she flatly refuses to be released into the wild. Each time it has been tried, she simply seeks out the nearest human.
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Fire chief warns arsonists after string of house blazes
A FIRE chief has made an appeal to vandals to stop life-threatening arson attacks. The attacks have happened in a collection of streets at Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, where only five families live, waiting to be rehoused. All the other houses in the
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Designs on a national prize
OUTSTANDING new developments in County Durham are being invited to enter a national design award. Buildings, restoration projects, public art, landscaping and rural design schemes are eligible for the Civic Trust's annual competition to find the country's
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Summer festival about to kick off
TEAMS from Chester-le-Street will be taking on rivals from Tyne and Wear next week as a junior football tournament kicks off an annual summer festival. Fourteen teams will be competing in the under-nines competition, beginning at 9.30am on Saturday, August
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Charity thanks sea-to-sea cyclists
THREE school friends have completed a summer holiday cycling challenge to raise money for charity. Jonathan Dobson, John Quigley and Richard Johnston were given a hero's welcome at Pelton Lane, near Chester-le-Street, following their successful assault
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Soldier died in quayside horror
AN Army corporal was crushed to death between two armoured troop carriers as he supervised their unloading at a North-East quayside for shipment to the Gulf, an inquest was told yesterday. Eirion Rees, 32, a corporal with the 1st Battalion, Kings Regiment
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Battling troops help hospice
THEY fought hard but the small group of Union soldiers were vastly outnumbered by the imposing Confederates when the two sides clashed on County Durham farmland at the weekend. After a fierce battle between bitter rivals on the outskirts of Middlestone
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Mephisto stars in dramatic Ebor
Luca Cumani's reputation as the trainer to follow in Britain's big handicaps enjoyed another boost as he sent out the winner of the totesport Ebor for the second time with Mephisto at York yesterday. But the canny Italian and all the 6-1 chance's backers
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50 lifted to safety in storm drama
MORE than 50 people were airlifted to safety last night after their vehicles were cut off by two landslides. Police said everyone who had been stranded by the extreme weather near the central Scotland village of Lochearnhead, including a number of children
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Call centre workers' voices 'wearing out'
INCREASING numbers of call centre workers are being referred to speech therapists because their voices are wearing out. Dr Graham Williamson, consultant head of speech therapy with Sedgefield Primary Care Trust, said he was seeing more and more call centre
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Young ones are top team
A NORTH Durham football team is celebrating after coming top in a youth football competition. The Beamish and East Stanley Sports U11s won the Sage-sponsored Durham Cup 11-a-side U11s tournament at Maiden Castle. Their recent achievements include winning
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Happy daze for Bryce
BRYCE Dallas Howard used to deny any interest in following in her famous father's footsteps and becoming an actor. She was denying something she'd actually wanted to do from the age of seven when she had a cameo role in Parenthood - a movie directed by
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Oil prices move towards $50 a barrel
OIL prices could hit $50 a barrel by the end of the week, an anaylst has warned. The cost of crude soared to a 21-year high of more than $47 a barrel amid concerns over global supplies. Prices have risen to new records on an almost daily basis since the
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Things go bump... with M Night
The Village continues a run of major movies for Joaquin Pheonix and gives a big screen break to Bryce Dallas Howard. Steve Pratt reports. ACTORS making war movies are used to being sent by the director to boot camp before filming begins. But the cast
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Wartime defences cause worries - six decades on
A LEGACY of plans to prevent a Nazi invasion of Britain 60 years ago is posing a problem for builders working on a leisure development. Investigations are to be carried out after a check on land near Redcar seafront discovered underground anomalies that
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Pupils given chance of film startdom
TEENAGERS have been given an incentive to return to school early from their summer holidays. Students, who will have to wear shirts and ties, can return to Gillbrook Technology College, in Normanby Road, South Bank, at 9am on Tuesday. The youngsters,
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Surge in home buyers
A surge in the number of people buying homes helped boost mortgage lending to a new high in July, figures showed. During the month a total of £29.2 billion was advanced, overtaking the record set the previous month of £28.2 billion. The Council of Mortgage
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Hammer glamour to return
IN the heyday of Hammer Horror, she was one of the queens of scream, bringing a glamorous touch to the blood-spattered scenes on screen. She regularly rubbed shoulders with the likes of Dracula and Frankenstein in classic tales of terror that later became
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Fight goes on to find jobs for workers
ONE in five Samsung employees are still out of work more than six months after it was announced the factory was to close. Figures released yesterday by regional development agency One NorthEast showed that 20 per cent of former Samsung employees made
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Gran At Large
WHAT is it about men and steam engines? I'm not one of those people who thinks there's an unbridgeable gulf between men and women. I don't think we're so different from one another that we can't begin to understand what makes the other sex tick. But there
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Fight goes on to find jobs for workers
ONE in five Samsung employees are still out of work more than six months after it was announced the factory was to close. Figures released yesterday by regional development agency One NorthEast showed that 20 per cent of former Samsung employees made
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Bekki strides out for centre
A TEENAGE volunteer is to compete in this year's junior Great North Run, to raise funds for a day centre for people with dementia. Bekki Godfrey, 15, is spending most of her summer holiday entertaining mental health patients at St Hilda's Day Centre for
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Opposition to homes on college site
NEARLY 130 homes could be built on the site of Darlington College of Technology after it makes a £30m move to a new base. Luxury property developer Charles Church has submitted plans to the borough council for apartment blocks, detached and town houses
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Plan opposed
AN application to build 16 homes on land at Skipbridge Garage, Hurworth Moor, is being recommended for refusal by Darlington Borough Council planning officers. A report to next Wednesday's planning meeting says there is adequate housing in the area and
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Man fined
Maurice Rowell, 21, Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, admitted affray and was fined £100 by the town's magistrates yesterday. A charge of criminal damage to a police vehicle was adjourned to September 14 and may be dropped if he pays £52.88 compensation
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Olympic fun
THE Frosterley Funlympics on Saturday, August 28, has been organised to coincide with the Athens Olympic Games and to raise money for the village hall. It will start with a duck a race, at 11am. There will also be a disco in the village hall, at 8pm.
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Damage charges denied
Lyndsey Marie Gormally, 23, of South Terrace, Staindrop, denied using threatening behaviour, two counts of criminal damage of police vehicles, and assault of two police officers when she appeared before Bishop Auckland Magistrates. David Anthony Gormally
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Volunteers wanted for stadium bid
CAMPAIGNERS looking to create a £1m sports stadium in Wear Valley are appealing for volunteers to join their ranks. Plans for the sports track and training centre could become a reality if more people join the project committee, according to acting secretary
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Campaign for better health
Doctors and Darlington Primary Care Trust are leading a campaign to tackle coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory disease, high blood pressure, strokes, asthma and epilepsy. A patients database will be drawn up so each surgery knows which
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Riding school threatened by dispute over floodlights
THE owners of a riding school will learn today if they will be permitted to keep four floodlights they say are essential for their business. William and Marjorie Fife, who own the school at Whitethorn Farm, in Stillington, near Easingwold, believe losing
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Referendum publicity vote by council
Teesdale District Council's Corporate Strategy Group is to decide on Monday whether it should be involved in any advance publicity to promote the referendum on a Regional Assembly being held on November 4. The council has six weeks to publicise the referendum
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Girl praised for pool rescue
THE mother of a six-year-old boy who almost drowned in a swimming pool has praised the 12-year-old girl who saved her only son's life. Sarah Laville, of Pytchley Road, Guisborough, was at the baths in Guisborough, east Cleveland, when she saw Ben Eddon
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Exhibition focus on city's architecture
AN exhibition highlighting some of the lesser-known architectural treasures of Durham will be unveiled later this month. Durham City may be famous for its cathedral and castle, but the exhibition at the city's Heritage Centre and Museum shows off some
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Agency agrees to sponsor event
REGIONAL development agency One NorthEast has signed up to sponsor InterTech 2004. The event, staged at County Hall, Durham, on October 11 and 12, offers companies access to global counterparts. The format of quick, pre-arranged meetings has attracted
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Conservative embarrassment over Hartlepool campaign
The Conservative Party today faced further embarrassment over its campaign to win the Hartlepool by-election. Yesterday, businessman Gus Robinson, who took on Peter Mandelson for the Tories in the last General Election, said he may stand as an independent
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Interest rates take their toll
Nearly £4,000 has been wiped from the value of the average home across the UK as higher interest rates continued to take their toll on the property market, figures have shown. Even in the North-East and North Yorkshire, house price inflation has significantly
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University refuting plagiarism attack
BOSSES at a North-East university angrily denied its new policy on plagiarism condoned students who copied someone else's work. A story in the Times Higher Education Supplement today says the University of Sunderland is ignoring undergraduates who copy
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Pushing ahead with fundraising
A sponsored pushchair and bike ride, takes place from Oakies Fields, Tanfield, near Stanley, to the Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street, tomorrow, at 10am. The event has been organised by parents in the Stanley area, to raise money for the special care
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Reaping the benefits
A CAMPAIGN to ensure pensioners claim all the money they are entitled to is being launched this month. The campaign, organised by County Durham Partnership Against Poverty, gets under way outside the Tesco supermarket, in Chester-le-Street town centre
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Case for school bus strengthened
A LONG-running dispute between education bosses and a parish council over transporting 20 pupils to school, has taken another turn. Parish councillors at Wombleton are stepping up their campaign to get a better deal on transport for the village's Ryedale
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Footwear exhibition on show
THE findings of a Durham University postgraduate research team on the footwear of people through the ages will go on show next month. The display will be in Durham's Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology, by the riverside footpath on the peninsula. The
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Finalists for Echo environment competition
THE shortlist has been announced for The Northern Echo's community environment competition. For the first time in Making a Difference's six-year history, four projects have been selected for a visit by the judging panel on September 8. The schemes are
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Vote was unanimous
THE latest rise in the cost of borrowing was decided unanimously by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). All nine MPC members voted to raise the bank's base rate by a 0.25 per cent to 4.75 per cent earlier this month in an attempt to
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Gran At Large: Getting steamed up about the engines
WHAT is it about men and steam engines? I'm not one of those people who thinks there's an unbridgeable gulf between men and women. I don't think we're so different from one another that we can't begin to understand what makes the other sex tick. But there
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Re-think call over hospital proposals
THE Government has intervened in the growing row about the future of a North-East hospital. Campaigners fear that proposed changes to health services on Teesside will lead to the closure of the University Hospital of Hartlepool. After a public rally against
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Campaigners fight to save post offices
CAMPAIGNS are being launched to save post offices from being closed as part of a national downsizing programme. The Post Office has revealed that branches at Masefield Close, East Stanley, Hollyhill Gardens, South Stanley, and Durham Road, Blackhill,
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Tributes paid to man devoted to local heritage
TRIBUTES have been made to a local historian who has died at the age of 71. Bill Colley, of Byers Green, near Spennymoor, devoted much of his life to ensuring that the heritage of nearby villages is not forgotten by future generations. He produced matchstick
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O'Brien's Cool Cat won't be caught napping
ONE COOL CAT bids to help redeem a desperately disappointing season for top Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien by taking this afternoon's £200,000 Nunthorpe Stakes on the final day of York's Ebor meeting. With the enviable amount of firepower at O'Brien's disposal
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Perfect start for Wright-Phillips
SVEN Goran Eriksson last night hailed Shaun Wright-Phillips' "dream debut" after the Manchester City midfielder lit up England's 3-0 win over the Ukraine with a scintillating 72nd-minute strike. The 22-year-old, who earned his first call to the full squad
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Prescott buoyant as assembly vote papers go out
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott said yesterday he was confident the forthcoming referendum on the proposed North-East regional assembly would be a success, despite the controversy over all-postal voting. However, he said that he could not be so certain
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Young reporters on Olympics mission
ARMED with pens and notebooks, a group of schoolchildren from the region are reporting on the Olympics. Eight teenagers flew off Greece yesterday as part as part of a Government-backed project. The pupils, from Middlesbrough's Kings Manor and Hall Garth
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Stadium buses are go
DARLINGTON Football Club has agreed a subsidised bus scheme to help fans get to and from Saturday games. The club has been working with bus company Stagecoach and Darlington Borough Council to arrange the subsidised scheme, which starts with the home
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Aussies sign off summer in style
Australians Darren Lehmann and Ian Harvey bid farewell to Yorkshire Phoenix last night with sparkling all-round performances to help bring a crucial totesport League win over Leicestershire Foxes Yorkshire triumphed by 34 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis
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Lively day at Middleton Outreach
A sharp game of dominoes was being played by a bunch of jovial ladies, who looked as skilful as any team of men, when I nosily looked into Norman Richardson House at Middleton in Teesdale on Tuesday to see if anything was going on. It was the jolly weekly
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Schoolgirl facing caution over false claims that she was raped
A SCHOOLGIRL is to receive a police caution after claiming that she had been raped. The 13-year-old girl said that she had been subjected to the sex attack in the doorway of an alley next to the Purple Onion bar, in Middlesbrough town centre. After detectives
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Museum hosts tribute to war heroes
POLITICAL and military officials from all over the world are to attend a service commemorating the liberation of Europe at the end of the Second World War. The Combined Service Memorial Weekend, at the Yorkshire Air Museum, in Elvington, York, will be
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Sports stadium campaign plea
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to create a million-pound sports stadium in Wear Valley are appealing for volunteers to support them. Plans for the sports track and training centre could soon become a reality if more people join the project committee, according to
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Pit pony gets carrot cake to celebrate his 30th birthday
ONE of the region's last surviving pit ponies marked a milestone anniversary yesterday. Pip celebrated his 30th birthday at the Beamish museum, near Stanley, County Durham. One of the last pit ponies to work in the Durham Coalfield, he has spent the past
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Aid appeal for Bangladesh flood victims
AN appeal has been launched in the North-East to help the millions of victims of flooding in Bangladesh. The country has suffered its worst monsoon since floods devastated the country in 1998. The death toll is about 900 so far and still rising, and millions
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Theatre company chooses dramatic way to help repairs appeal
A DRAMA group is celebrating its golden jubilee with an original production called Rubicon Crossing. Saltburn '53 Drama Group has delighted audiences during its many years of presenting amateur theatre in the town, bringing classic plays to the stage.
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Lewis digs in at rainy Colchester to stem the flow of failures
DURHAM skipper Jon Lewis was at his most dogged yesterday as he kept his side afloat at soggy Colchester. He is not in good form and he never looked secure, but in tricky conditions he battled all day after the 1.45 start to remain unbeaten on 74 out
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All smiles as sun reigns at show
ORGANISERS of the 151st annual Sedgefield Show were delighted at its success after fears it would be a wash-out. Torrential rain earlier in the week prompted fears that the Sedgefield and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society may cancel the
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N-E visitor centres get 'excellent' tag
THREE attractions in the region are flying the flag as accredited visitor centres of excellence after passing a national assessment. Kirkleatham Museum, near Redcar, east Cleveland; the Weardale Railway, in Stanhope, County Durham; and Preston Hall Museum
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Archers' sundae best
ATAXI is called for, The Northern Echo to Walworth. "Northern Echo to Woolworth's," repeats the controller, and is perforce reminded of the misdirection of his ways. Woolworth's is a 100-yard dash from here, probably less when the Olympic games are on
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Sven's substitutes make the difference
The storm clouds that had erupted over St James' Park had left by the time the final whistle blew on England's 3-0 win over Ukraine last night and, if Sven-Goran Eriksson is willing to put his trust in youth, the brooding currents that have dogged his
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Vaughan in search of history
England go in search of history today in the final npower Test against West Indies with captain Michael Vaughan believing they have now have a squad capable of developing together over the next few years. Years of inconsistency have caused the selectors
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Testing times on and off the pitch for Newcastle's schoolboy star Tait
GETTING your A-Level results is always a nerve-wracking experience but, for Wolsingham's Mathew Tait, today promises to be particularly fraught. While most teenagers will be filing into their school office to receive the dreaded sealed envelope, Tait
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Bus driver denies charges
A bus driver denies charges relating to his driving prior to a crash while carrying youngsters to a school. Robert Dale, 57, is alleged to have been texting a message on his mobile phone at the time of the accident, outside Staindrop Comprehensive School
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Pub's the toast of the town
A PUB that has won national recognition for its promotion of real ale is again the toast of local beer enthusiasts. The Beamish Mary Inn at No Place, near Stanley, was voted pub of the year by the County Durham branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra
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New chapter about to open at library
WORK is about to start on an upgrade for one of the library and information centres run by North Yorkshire County Council. The authority is working on a programme of improvements to its libraries across the county and Easingwold library is next on the
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Helping hand on computers for youngsters
A COUNCIL has donated 50 computers to the Prince's Trust to help young people establish small businesses. The computers will also help youngsters to access employment training or further education and work with the Excel Clubs run by schools to get them
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Jibes upset Big Brother girl
BIG Brother contestant Michelle Bass was angered when she made a return to her home town only to be heckled by passers-by. The 23-year-old, one of the stars of the Channel 4 show, took a shopping trip with sister Sarah, 18, in Newcastle. She was upset
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Theatre company chooses dramatic way to help repairs appeal
A DRAMA group is celebrating its golden jubilee with an original production called Rubicon Crossing. Saltburn '53 Drama Group has delighted audiences during its many years of presenting amateur theatre in the town, bringing classic plays to the stage.
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Funding offer to boost pride in town
PEOPLE are being urged to take advantage of a campaign to make Hartlepool more attractive. The borough council's Pride in Hartlepool initiative can offer up to £5,000-worth of support to neighbourhood improvement schemes. However, there is concern that
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Off-duty coastguard saves lives
An off-duty coastguard out for an evening stroll ended up saving two boys from drowning. A third boy was rescued by a surfer after the youngsters got into trouble trying to swim against the tide at Saltburn, east Cleveland. Skinningrove-based coastguard
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Fight to save post office
A PENSIONERS group has launched a campaign to keep a post office open. The Neville Parade branch office in Newton Aycliffe is one of 11 in County Durham and Darlington which could be permanently closed from November. The Post Office say the closures are
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Citizens given public welcome
SEVEN people became British citizens in the first public citizenship ceremony in Darlington. The ceremony was introduced in England and Wales in April and is now the only way to become a British citizen. It requires those taking part to make a public
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Invitation to debate regional assembly
A DEBATE on the environmental impact of a regional assembly is to take place later this month. The region will vote on a proposed North-East assembly in a referendum on November 4, and the North East Environment Forum has organised a debate to consider
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All for one...
The RSC are back in the North East with a touring version of Julius Caesar visiting Northallerton just before the winter residency in Newcastle. Viv Hardwick reports on the updated Shakespeare play which promises plenty for all. PUTIN'S Russia or even
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Monk spreads green message by solar power
A HARE Krishna monk has arrived in the North-East on a solar-powered bicycle. Karlis Derics, 28, originally from Latvia, is using the bike to cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats as part of a project to raise awareness of clean energy and vegetarianism
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Tip Ten To Rent
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL: 1 (-) Kill Bill - Vol 2 2 (1) Gothika 3 (2) The Girl Next Door 4 (3) Monster 5 (-) The Cat In The Hat 6 (4) Starsky And Hutch 7 (5) Welcome To The Jungle 8 (6) School Of Rock 9 (7) Along Came Polly 10 (-) Willard Published: 19/08/
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Getting steamed up about the engines
WHAT is it about men and steam engines? I'm not one of those people who thinks there's an unbridgeable gulf between men and women. I don't think we're so different from one another that we can't begin to understand what makes the other sex tick. But there
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Footwear exhibition on show
THE findings of a Durham University postgraduate research team on the footwear of people through the ages will go on show next month. The display will be in Durham's Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology, by the riverside footpath on the peninsula. The
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Success is relative for duo
RESEARCHING the past unearthed some surprises for two women studying their family trees. Ivy Green, a retired catering lecturer at Darlington College of Technology, decided to return to the classroom to trace her ancestors through a genealogy course,
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Lap-dance club gets approval to reopen
A TOWN'S first lap-dancing club can re-open on Thursday nights after councillors gave it official approval yesterday. Private-dance nights will take place upstairs in The Lounge nightclub in Darlington after a series of alterations were made and house
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Sides move further apart in Wembley Stadium row
RELATIONS between Cleveland Bridge and the main contractor for the new Wembley Stadium deteriorated further last night. Australian company Multiplex has said it was not responsible for the Darlington company pulling out of the showpiece £757m project.
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McCarthy pulls Lawrence out of comfort zone
LIAM Lawrence has been unable to relax since joining Sunderland - but the all-action midfielder isn't complaining about the lack of a "comfort zone". Lawrence has featured in all three of the Black Cats' Coca-Cola Championship games this season after
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Airlift to rescue pair from river
TWO people had to be winched to safety last night during a dramatic rescue operation from a swollen river. Two crews of firefighters and an RAF Boulmer helicopter took part in the fight to free the man and a girl from a Mitsubishi Shogun after they had
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John North: The Archer's sundae best
The column visits a farm devastated by foot-and-mouth disease, now a thriving ice cream parlour. A TAXI is called for, The Northern Echo to Walworth. "Northern Echo to Woolworth's," repeats the controller, and is perforce reminded of the misdirection
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Fatal stabbing: Neighbour named as victim's husband
THE man found hanging after a young woman was killed outside her home was her husband, police revealed last night. Nusrat Ali, 25, was stabbed in her front garden at the home she shared with her mother and five sisters in Lothian Road, Middlesbrough,
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Chris and Gareth hoping to celebrate sweet success on the Internet
BROTHERS Chris and Gareth East may have just the thing for chocoholics who have diabetes. Two years ago, they set up the Chocolate Factory at Thornton Dale and expanded into nearby Hutton-le-Hole the following year. After inquieries from customers, they
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Driver hunted after two die
POLICE were last night hunting a driver who fled the scene of a road crash in which two people died. Three cars were involved in a collision in the Great North Road, in Newcastle, at Barras Bridge, just before 2pm yesterday. Two of the drivers died. The
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Land clean-up call
A DARLINGTON woman is calling on the borough council to tidy up a forgotten part of the town. Phyllis Eastwood has lived in Feethams for more than 50 years, but has become fed up of a neglected patch of land. The buildings on the site of Robinson's auctioneers
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Busy line-up for pub's charity month
A PUB has a host of activities lined up for its annual charity month. The Brown Trout, at Sunnybrow, near Willington, is about to launch its third charity fundraising campaign to raise money for the Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland and Macmillan
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Boiling water threat
A MAN threatened to pour a pan of boiling water over his stepfather, a court heard yesterday. The case against Peter Charles Hutchinson, 40, was adjourned for pre-sentence reports. Hutchinson,who used to live with his mother and stepfather in Middlestone
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Charity ball
Asda Bishop Auckland will host a masquerade ball in aid of the Parkinson's disease unit at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, at The Manor House Hotel, West Auckland, on Sunday, September 12, at 7pm. For tickets call (01388) 600200.
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Auctioneers' base backed
AN auctioneers' firm is likely to gain permission to establish a new base in Darlington. The Thomas Watson auction house, in Northumberland Street, submitted proposals to Darlington Borough Council, for a second base, on the Yarm Road industrial estate
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Birthday is bonus for fundraiser
A PENSIONER who decided to mark his 70th birthday with donations, rather than gifts, has helped a young leukaemia survivor to raise funds for research. Maurice Cook, of Woodlands Way, Hurworth, near Darlington, raised £810 with a joint party at Hurworth
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World championship challenge
A YOUNG athlete has overcome a debilitating condition to qualify for his second world championships. Michael Turnbull, 20, will travel to Germany next month to compete in his second World Biathle Championships. The achievement is remarkable for an athlete
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Death of man not linked to assault
A MAN found dead in his house had been attacked by youths only hours before his death, it emerged yesterday. William Dumble, 47, was found collapsed at his home in Agar Road, Farringdon, Sunderland, on Monday lunch- time. He was confirmed dead at the
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Store loses its alcohol licence
A GENERAL dealers store that sold alcohol to under-age test buyers yesterday lost its off-licence. North Durham licensing justices' revoked the licence held by Densham's, in Ashfield, Shotley Bridge, near Consett, following an unopposed application by
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Prize winner in the driving seat
A MAN has seen off competition from more than 5,000 people to win a four-wheel drive vehicle. Yesterday, Bob Coady who is a partner in a plumbing business in Chester-le-Street, was handed the keys of the Mitsubishi Warrior. Mr Coady, who runs Abbey Heating
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Workshop to discuss N-E self-rule
A WORKSHOP to prepare community groups for a possible North-East Regional Assembly takes place tomorrow. Derwentside Community Empowerment Network is holding a seminar in Consett Civic Centre. Network co-ordinator Rose Seabury, who is based at Catchgate
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Wall walk plan
NORTHUMBRIA Ramblers' Association will hold a free guided, five-mile walk for families along Hadrian's Wall on Sunday. Meet at the car park near Greenhead at 11am. People are invited to bring picnics. For further details, go to www.ra-area.org.uk/northumbria
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Pianist Jill to perform in North
A LONDON recording star with an international reputation has been secured to play at a North-East venue. Pianist Jill Crossland will perform at the 17th Century Chapel at Sir William Turner's Almshouses, at Kirk-leatham, near Redcar, on Friday, September
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Loan funds club project
EXPANSION work at a golf club has taken place after a bank provided a £700,000 loan. Teesside Golf Club, in Acklam Road, Thornaby, has renovated the clubhouse, increasing the size of the function room and improving the locker facilities. The work has
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Tributes paid to respected teacher
COLLEAGUES yesterday paid tribute to a respected teacher who died following a long illness. Richard Browning, known as Rick, died in hospital on Friday, aged 59, after a battle against multiple sclerosis. His teaching career was spent in three of Sunderland's
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Views invited on access legislation
PEOPLE are being given the chance to say how countryside areas should be opened for public access. Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, North Yorkshire County Council is involved in the new access legislation for those areas outside the national
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Fence call after trailer hits house
A couple are calling for a change in the planning rules after a trailer crashed into their house. At about noon yesterday, the trailer rolled into the home of Mark and Margaret Ingledew, in Dale Grove, Leyburn, smashing windows and damaging brickwork.
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Support needed for counsellors
A COUNSELLING service which helps people with alcohol and drug problems is looking for board members. The Albert Centre, in Middlesbrough, which was launched 25 years ago, is hoping that candidates from the business and voluntary sectors come forward.
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Pair to be locked inside box
A BIZARRE challenge in which two volunteers are locked inside a perspex box for five days in a North-East shopping centre will get under way next month. Wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, the pair will be locked up in the MetroCentre, armed with a phone
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Schoolgirl smokers get patch therapy
TEENAGE girl smokers are queuing up to get nicotine patches from their school nurse. The 13 and 14-year-olds, some with 20-a-day habits, are breaking their addiction with nicotine replacement therapy. The groundbreaking scheme, thought to be the first
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Youngsters entertain the crowds
TALENTED youngsters from a community arts project entertained crowds yesterday as part of the annual Redcar High Street fun day. Children from Topline, based at Bankfields School, Eston, presented two hours of performances. The group, which attracts about
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Enrolment day
AN enrolment day has been arranged at a college. Students can attend Askham Bryan College, Guisborough Centre, on Thursday, September 2. Anyone interested in signiing up for some of the advanced qualifications on offer should attend the enrolment day
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Pupils praised for results
YOUNGSTERS in Redcar and Cleveland have been praised for their English and maths exam results. Provisional figures for 11-year-olds show improved key stage two results. Fourteen-year-olds maintained the trend with key stage three improvements. Councillor
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Consultant takes on key role
A NEW consultant practitioner has joined the breast unit at the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton. Elizabeth Dean will work with mammograms, ultrasounds and tissue samples, and with patients at the symptomatic breast clinic. She will also
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Council's alarms warning
A WARNING has been issued to householders in Hartlepool urging them to be on their guard against a free alarm offer. The message from Hartlepool Borough Council's trading standards team comes after it received a number of calls from members of the public
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Transplant Games swimmer strikes gold
CHAMPION swimmer Denise Baker is celebrating a double gold success at the British Transplant Games. The Darlington athlete returned from the Norwich event with two gold medals and a silver to add to an already impressive collection. Mrs Baker had a kidney
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Security TV system safeguards town park
A CLOSED circuit television surveillance system installed to stamp out vandalism in a town's park is up and running. The equipment, installed at Shildon Town Council offices to overlook Hackworth Park, has been hailed a success after less than two weeks
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Boo-boys lambast Dyer
AS the excitable crowd quickly gathered around the England team coach there were plenty of cheers and a few jeers. David Beckham, Michael Owen, Frank Lampard and David James - one by one they all trooped off and up towards the main reception of the Milburn
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Plans for 36 more ships not ruled out
THE firm which wants to scrap a toxic fleet of former US Navy ships last night played down the possibility of a further 36 heading to the North-East. But Able UK again repeated its desire to bring more redundant vessels to its Hartlepool base, not withstanding
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One-third of farmers breaking HS regulations
Government inspectors found almost a third of farmers breaking health and safety regulations, during recent farm visits. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited 100 farms in North Yorkshire in June and July. They found defective ladders being used
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Keeping eyes on the prize
THE advent of the Olympics in Athens has naturally focused attention on London's bid to host the 2012 Games. Opponents of the bid have drawn attention to the spartan crowds in Athens, suggesting the Olympics is losing its popular appeal. However, the
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Frock shock
THE Rovers' bowls team is in a state of disarray after the secret of Hayley, Weatherfield's answer to Big Brother winner Nadia, is revealed and threatens their chances of winning the championship. But the captain of the Slaughterman's Arms team is adamant
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Olympic hopeful being cheered on back home
A NORTH Olympic medal hopeful will be cheered by thousands of people in her home town when she goes for gold at the weekend. Rower Alison Mowbray, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, will compete in the final of the women's quadruple sculls on Sunday. After
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Nestl misses profits target
COFFEE and sweets manufacturer Nestl has fallen short of profits forecasts after sales were affected by poor weather and rising crop prices. The Swiss group, which runs the Nestl-Rowntree factory in York, said conditions were particularly difficult in
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Row over bike event road chaos
ORGANISERS of last weekend's British Superbike Championship event have rejected claims that it caused traffic chaos. About 35,000 people descended on Croft Circuit, near Darlington, for the racing, being held in the North-East for the first time. Major
