Archive
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Novel way to raise cancer funds
FIRST editions of classic children's novels, including Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter, are going on sale. The books will be at the UK's largest children's and illustrated book fair at Harrogate's Crown Hotel, North Yorkshire, which will raise funds
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Headteacher bans flares in school after safety fears
FLARED trousers have been banned from a North-East school because the headteacher said they were dangerous. John Hallworth has sent pupils home from Thornhill School, in Sunderland, for wearing fashionable hipster trousers, which sit low on the waist
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Man thrown off mower into traffic
A MAN was badly injured after he was thrown from the seat of an industrial lawnmower into the path of traffic. The man, who has not been named, sustained a broken collarbone, head and back injuries after he was hit by up to two cars. He was taken to the
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McClaren backing unlucky Christie
STEVE McCLAREN is confident that Middlesbrough striker Malcolm Christie will bounce back from his latest injury nightmare. Christie will undergo surgery next week after suffering a stress fracture to the same leg that was broken just ten months ago. The
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Flower tub with links to the past
EQUIPMENT from a smelting mill that closed 100 years ago is being kept in the garden of one the workers' relatives. The Blackton lead smelting mill, which employed 125 men, was dismantled at Eggleston, near Barnard Castle, in 1904. As well as the mill
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Eliza marks her century with party
ELIZA Hall, who has celebrated her 100th birthday, did not have far to travel in Stockton to find the love of her life. She married Philip, the boy next door in Hume Street. Although he was a Roman Catholic and she a member of the Church of England, they
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Scheme to help women
AN organisation aimed at encouraging women living in rural areas to develop new skills has doubled the number involved over the last year. WORCNET (Women's Opportunity for Rural Contact through Networking, Education and Training) has grown from 180 women
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Forum to offer a tourism link-up
PEOPLE providing accommodation across Hambleton are joining forces in a new group. Up to 40 people are expected to attend the first meeting of the Hambleton Accommodation Forum in Thirsk later this month. Tourism bosses from the local council, who are
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Students work together to create a little piece of heaven
TEENAGERS are doing their bit for the community by creating a nature reserve. The youngsters made sure the reserve will be open to all by building a viewing platform for disabled people, overlooking the secluded valley where the project is based. The
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Tory leader writes off North election chances
MICHAEL Howard dramatically wrote off the Tories' chances across much of the North yesterday insisting: "We can win the election without winning there". In an interview with The Northern Echo, the Conservative leader did not deny that the Liberal Democrats
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£170m plan may revive proposal
A MULTI-MILLION pound development that will transform an area near Darlington's railway station could tempt developers back to an abandoned plan for a shopping centre. The £170m proposal for Central Park, which was launched yesterday by Tees Valley Regeneration
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Top Ten To Rent
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL: 1 (-) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind 2 (2) Paycheck 3 (7) Bruce Almighty 4 (4) The Passion Of The Christ 5 (9) Monster 6 (-) Cheaper By The Dozen 7 (-) Out Of Time 8 (8) School Of Rock 9 (-) Brother Bear 10 (10) Girl With A
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Beautiful world
Ex-Miss World Aishwarya Rai hasn't quite given Bollywood the kiss-off. She explains to Steve Pratt why emotions won't be running riot in Bride and Prejudice. And the movie's director Gurinder Chadha reveals how she's attempted to fuse Hollywood and Bolywood
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Balance of power is with Becky
A TEENAGE motorcycle trials rider has been named junior champion of Europe after winning two out of three competitions this year. Becky Rennison, 15, from Morton-on-Swale, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was also placed 20th in the world championships
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Choir calls for members
A CHOIR is looking for new members to join its ladies' section. Scorton Singers celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and is looking for new members of all ranges - alto, second soprano and soprano - to join its practices on a Monday evening. A Christmas
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The art of being a dad
EVEN if I say so myself, I wasn't bad at art when I was at school. I even managed to scrape a respectable A-level. And I'm delighted to say that it looks like that talent has rubbed off on my 12-year-old daughter. She takes her art very seriously. Ever
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Girl tells rape trial jury of struggle
A STUDENT who claims she was raped has told how she pleaded with her two attackers to be set free. Teesside Crown Court heard how the 17-year-old girl struggled with Wayne Burdis and Ashley Allon telling them that she wanted to go home. Interviewed by
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Poacher's catch was double limit
AN angler exceeded the permitted catch by almost double the limit on a water company reservoir, a court was told. John Milburn's excess of 15 trout over the permitted bag limit of eight cost him £200 in fines and costs, plus a year-long ban from Northumbrian
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There's MUTV, Chelsea TV . . . now Quakers TV
IN the modern age of football, it has become essential for the game's elite clubs - Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid - to operate their own TV channels. With a wealth of match highlights, interviews with managers and iconic stars, they provide
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Railway expansion heralds plans for museum on site
THE world's oldest working railway celebrated a major expansion yesterday, then unveiled its plans for a museum. A £120,000 engine shed was opened at Tanfield Railway, near Stanley, County Durham. The Tyneside Locomotive Museum Trust, which owns the site
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Lowry painting bought for city
THREE paintings by LS Lowry have been secured for the North-East public thanks to a £175,000 National Lottery grant. The works, which are on show at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, were painted during the 1960s. They illustrate a different aspect
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Lynch relishes chance to pin down his place
MARK Lynch is determined to use Sunderland's next outing as his chance to oust team-mate Stephen Wright from the right-back spot. The former Manchester United trainee has made just one Championship start since his summer move from Old Trafford. But that
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Home bird
Geraldine James wasn't too keen on touring while her daughter was young. So a starring role in Home at York seems appropriate. She also talks to Steve Pratt about a new TV role in hit comedy Little Britain. Geraldine James is debating whether to reveal
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Twist as US plans to scuttle warships
A NORTH-EAST company believes its controversial plan to scrap unwanted US warships will still go ahead, despite a new plan to scuttle redundant vessels instead. Hartlepool-based Able UK has a contract to dispose of 13 vessels from the rusting US Reserve
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Mark Thomas, Newcastle Comedy Festival, Exhibition Park
AS an anarchical activist and comedian with a conscience, Mark Thomas had the crowd in the palm of his clenched fist at the Newcastle Comedy Festival. He jumped from right-on cause to right-on cause with great effect, targeting figures and organisations
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N-E lifeboat crewmen quit yacht race to save lives
LIFEBOAT crewmen from the North-East have saved four lives - off the coast of Greece. The five men, and their two friends, were taking part in a yacht race off the island of Levkas when they heard a distress call on channel 16 of their VHF radio. The
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Park Lake gives up its secrets
THE draining of a lake in a North-East park is nearing completion. Specialist equipment has been set up in South Park, Darlington, to remove 400 truckloads of silt to a landfill site over the next two weeks. The work is part of an ongoing £3.9m project
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Offensive to target hardcore criminals
A SMALL band of criminals responsible for thousands of crimes and incidents of anti-social behaviour are being targeted by an offensive which gets under way next week. Durham Police have identified a hit-list of 40 "hardcore" offenders - the majority
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Jobs axe falls as high costs hit Lionweld
A STEEL manufacturer forced into receivership by high raw materials costs is to make 37 workers redundant, it announced last night. Lionweld Kennedy, which is based in Middlesbrough, manufactures, fabricates and installs steel-based products including
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Actor Ian supporting Christmas fair
ACTOR Ian Carmichael will be the guest at a popular Christmas fair next month. The fair, at Castle Howard, near Malton, North Yorkshire, on November 4, will raise money for the NSPCC. Mr Carmichael, who starred in Lucky Jim and School for Scoundrels,
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Insight into intellectual property
MORE than 150 business delegates are expected to attend a one-day intellectual property exhibition and seminar programme next week. The event, at the Hotel St Nicholas, in Scarborough, on Monday, has so far attracted interest from across North Yorkshire
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Traditional fare is served at museum
TASTY traditional treats will be on display at a North-East visitor attraction this weekend. Staff at Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, are hard at work preparing dozens of dishes for the centre's annual Harvest Home Supper. From tomorrow until
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North-East hopes to gain from its Shanghai links
BUSINESSES in the region are hoping new ties with Shanghai will help North-East companies and universities gain access to the Chinese technology market. Regional development agency One NorthEast has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shanghai
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New directors elected to chamber of commerce
THREE directors have been elected by York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. President Andrew Lindsay, 46, a partner at York-based commercial lawyers Denison Till, succeeds HSBC banker Mark Vines. Diana Golding, who is manager of the Coppergate
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£20m data centre is opened
MORE than 50 jobs have been created as one of Europe's largest data centres opens in North Yorkshire. TSYS has invested £20m in the Knaresborough centre, which will deal with European-wide credit, debit and retail card transactions. The company, which
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The better side of Genghis Khan
His name became a byword for barbarism and his horde terrorised the entire known world, but his exploits put him at the front rank of military leaders. As archaeologists claim to have found the site of his palace, Nick Morrison looks at the life and myths
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When you can't be too careful
THE headteacher who insists children must wear safety goggles to play conkers has a point. "You can't be too careful, especially when health and safety inspectors are watching," he said. Shaun Halfpenny even went so far as to risk his own life by going
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Equal right to fair treatment
IT is not in dispute that the good health of miners at the coal face was put at risk by their working conditions. A great many have suffered ill-health and premature death as a direct result of their occupation. Natural justice dictates that those who
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Weatherman Fish retires after 30 years
Britain's longest-serving TV weatherman Michael Fish retired yesterday after charting more than 30 years of the nation's sunshine, showers and storms. The moustachioed, bespectacled presenter admitted "I'll be in tears later" as he prepared for his last
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Prince Charles welcomes Royal Hall restoration plans
Prince Charles has expressed his delight at efforts to save Harrogate's famous Royal Hall theatre. The Prince, who is patron of the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, has welcomed a study to see if £8m could partially restore the 100-year-old crumbling building
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North teachers make the awards shortlist
TWELVE teachers from the North-East and North Yorkshire have been shortlisted for the national Teaching Awards 2004. Each won a category in the regional rounds of the awards and will compete for a national prize at a ceremony in London on October 24.
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Dad At Large
EVEN if I say so myself, I wasn't bad at art when I was at school. I even managed to scrape a respectable A-level. And I'm delighted to say that it looks like that talent has rubbed off on my 12-year-old daughter. She takes her art very seriously. Ever
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Wishlist for youngsters
A TEENAGE girl has carried out her own survey of improvements youngsters want to see in Darlington. Jennifer Smith, 13, who lives in the Hummersknott area, conducted the survey after deciding to investigate what changes were needed. She asked what young
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Former policeman dies on holiday
COLLEAGUES have paid tribute to a long-serving policeman who died a month into his retirement during a holiday in Cyprus. PC Derek Lucas, 59, spent most of his 27 years of service in the Wear Valley division, developing close links with rural communities
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Police hunt double sex assault man
POLICE are hunting a man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl and a 60-year-old woman in Sunderland. Both attacks took place between 8pm and 8.30pm on Friday. The woman was assaulted in Railway Row. The man also molested a 14-year-old girl in Mount Road
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Meeting snub angers district VIPs
COUNCIL bosses have reacted with anger, after a meeting on local government was called - and they were not invited. A public meeting to establish a town council for the 24,000 residents of Stanley will take place in the Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley,
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Stars of Sunnydale
AFTER finding winning ways in borrowed team colours, some of the area's most successful girl footballers are opening the season with their own sponsored strip. Under-16 and under-14 teams from Sunnydale School in Shildon, County Durham reached the final
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Emily's head over heels after contest win
YOUNG Emily Talbot is already proving she has got what it takes to reach the top of her sport. The five-year-old, from South Stanley, won first prize in a graded trampoline competition, in Ashington, Northumberland, last weekend. A pupil at South Stanley
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Planning future at touch of a button
RESIDENTS used electronic voting pads to tell council leaders how they should forge a new future for their community. A conference titled Your Community Your Call, was staged at Murton's Glebe Centre yesterday, by Easington District Council. Opening the
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Affordable homes likely to be built with cash from tax rise
Projects that are likely to receive money following increased council tax bills on second homes have been announced. Richmondshire District Council cut the council tax discount available to second home owners from 50 per cent to ten per cent this year
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Tributes paid to superb police officer
COLLEAGUES have paid tribute to a long serving policeman who died a month into his retirement during a holiday in Cyprus. PC Derek Lucas, who was 59, spent most of his 27 years' service in the Wear Valley division. He joined the police in 1977 after 14
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Katie flies the flag for civic societies
THE task of helping to set up civic societies in towns across Yorkshire has gone to a 23-year-old from the US. Katie Bishop, a post-graduate student at York University, has become the first development officer for the Yorkshire and Humberside Association
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Staff help magic up funds for play area
PARENTS and teachers have been dressing up to help pupils raise money to replace outdoor play equipment stolen from their school. The 400 pupils at Ormesby Primary School, near Middlesbrough, took part in sponsored events this week including a sponsored
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Villagers launch appeal for £150,000 community room
A £150,000 fundraising appeal has been launched to save a village playgroup by building a new community room. Fountains Playgroup has been based in a dilapidated, temporary, second-hand cabin at Fountains Primary School, in Grantley, near Ripon, for eight
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Father jailed after £40,000 of drugs are found
A FATHER of twin babies was jailed yesterday after he was caught with £40,000 worth of amphetamines. Teesside Crown Court heard that a Cleveland Police dog found 4kg of drugs when officers stopped a car near Leven Viaduct, on the A19, in Teesside. Matthew
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Red letter day as MetroCentre
A NEW mall opened at Gateshead's MetroCentre yesterday helping it regain its crown as the largest shopping and amusement centre in Europe. The Red Mall was unveiled at the shopping complex with attractions including acrobatics, an 18,000 charity balloon
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Helping workers to balance lives
REPRESENTATIVES from businesses and local authorities in the Tees Valley will launch an information pack for employees this week. More than 40 companies will attend the Judges Country House Hotel, in Kirklevington, tomorrow. They will be met by guest
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Chance for families to learn IT skills
GRANDPARENTS and parents are going back to school in a project aiming to get more people using computers. The e-family learning project is taking place in the new £300,000 computer suite at Greencroft School, in Annfield Plain, near Stanley. It will train
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Port of Tyne is cruising, say officials
OFFICIALS from the Port of Tyne are celebrating the end of a bumper cruise season after welcoming nine ships during the course of the year. A total of 5,288 cruise passengers visited the port and are estimated to have spent more than £317,000 in the area
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New library is just the ticket
A RECENTLY-OPENED library is proving a hit with villagers. The Enterprise and Development Centre in The Bye, The Grove, near Consett, opened a library three months ago. It is stocked with more than 400 titles, from children's novels, crime stories and
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Use it or lose it challenge is thrown down to villagers
A call has gone out to families to help save their village hall by joining in community activities. In June, a new management committee took over the running of Byers Green Village Hall, near Spennymoor. The group is now calling on residents to back efforts
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Four-way battle for rail contract
THE race to secure the lucrative franchise for east coast rail services began in earnest yesterday with the final invitation to tender. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has published the final specification for the contract to run services from the
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Worldwide interest in conference
THE North-East is preparing to host a worldwide business event today. Delegates from across the globe are visiting Tyneside over the next few days for the Integrated Advisory Group (IAG) networking conference, hosted by law firm Ward Hadaway. IAG is a
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£20m data centre is opened
MORE than 50 jobs have been created as one of Europe's largest data centres opens in North Yorkshire. TSYS has invested £20m in the Knaresborough centre, which will deal with European-wide credit, debit and retail card transactions. The company, which
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Neville wishing Welsh star Giggs was English
Gary Neville joined Sven-Goran Eriksson in admitting his wish that Ryan Giggs was English as he faced up to the challenge of marking his Manchester United team-mate this weekend. Eriksson has revealed that Giggs is the one British player he would most
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Asbo man jailed for threat to kill official
A MAN barred from town centre shops because of his abusive behaviour threatened to kill the council officer responsible for the ban, a court heard. Brian Birmingham, 24, the subject to an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) brought by Stockton Borough
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US election helps profits take off
Charter specialist Air Partner said a surge in business from the presidential election campaign had helped its US division return to the black. The Gatwick-based company, which hires out aircraft to customers ranging from governments to celebrities, said
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John North: A brush with the pitman painter
The column visits Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens for a Norman Cornish exhibition and finds the grass is truly greener. THE art master was called Mr Raymond, known to us clever clogs grammar school kids as Teezy-Weezy, after the society hairdresser
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Healthcare unions give their backing to elected regional asembly
AN elected regional assembly could have a leading role in tackling the North-East's poor health record, unions say. The assembly would have no control over the provision and running of hospitals and GP surgeries, but it would have responsibilities in
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Menu designed by youngsters
STUDENTS at a North Yorkshire school are going to sample a menu dreamed up by two of their fellow students this month. The Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, ran a competition to design healthy and attractive school dinners, as part of British Food
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Buildings on shortlist
ENTRIES have been flooding in for a best new building competition in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Experts will now draw up a shortlist of 12 buildings from the 60 nominations received. Categories in the national park authority competition include
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Work finally begins on £500m project to develop riverside site
WORK has finally started on a £500m flagship redevelopment scheme in the North-East. After years of false starts, plans and wrangles, work has started on the Middlehaven site, opening up Middlesbrough's dockland for development. The work, which began
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Bellamy fights for the cause
CRAIG Bellamy is refusing to get too settled into his new midfield role, but the Newcastle striker will continue to put side before self for as long as manager Graeme Souness wants him to. Bellamy has started just one game up front under Souness, with
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Miners - the huge price of justice
LAWYERS handling compensation claims by ex-miners and their families face a potential cash bonanza of more than a billion pounds. New Government figures show that solicitors handling industrial disease claims by 245,000 miners and their families have
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Home bird
Geraldine James wasn't too keen on touring while her daughter was young. So a starring role in Home at York seems appropriate. She also talks to Steve Pratt about a new TV role in hit comedy Little Britain. Geraldine James is debating whether to reveal
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Whip crack a-play
Actress Frances Barber and Victoia Smurfit were fascinated by the world of the dominatrix featured in TV's latest Trial and Retribution two-parter. Steve Pratt reports. IF you happened to have been in a Camden sex shop not long ago you might have encountered
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Hospital's tribute to artist
PHOTOGRAPHS of idyllic fishing and rural scenes will now greet patients as they make their way along the corridors of the James Cook University Hospital. The work of Victorian photographic pioneer Frank Meadow Sutcliffe now grace the walls and continue
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Art auctioned for charity
ART and exercise will come together this week when Hartlepool people are urged to join in events to celebrate World Mental Health day. The link between mental and physical health is the central theme of a week of events, which begins with a guided walk
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Don't let bad weather put you off Dales
ALMOST a quarter of tourists have blamed the weather for putting a dampener on their visit to the Yorkshire Dales. A survey by the national park authority found that while more than half said nothing had ruined their stay, 23 per cent said bad weather
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Red letter day as MetroCentre
A NEW mall opened at Gateshead's MetroCentre yesterday helping it regain its crown as the largest shopping and amusement centre in Europe. The Red Mall was unveiled at the shopping complex with attractions including acrobatics, an 18,000 charity balloon
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Alcohol licence revoked after sale to girls of 14
ALCOHOL was sold to 14-year-old girls three times in ten minutes at a Consett grocery store, a court heard. Licensing justices were shown police video footage of pairs of girls entering Kwik Save in Front Street, and leaving after buying bottles of alcopops
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Proctor lays down challenge
Darlington bounced back to form in style on Saturday and now the club's fringe players have been challenged to raise their standards if they want a place in the team. After signing four players in a month, some of the squad are facing a crucial period
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Chris gets on his bike for charity
A PUB landlord cycled 430 miles in five days to raise £2,000 for cancer research. Chris Brown, 53, owner of the Manor House Inn, near Shotley Bridge, cycled from Aberdeen to home as part of Cancer Research UK's Man Alive campaign, which focuses on cancers
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Timetable set for new £3m bus station
A TIMETABLE outlining the arrival of a £3m bus station has been published. Work is expected to start in January on a new bus station in Mary Street, Stanley, which planners hope will open by next October. Derwentside District Council has put up poster
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Children manage Robbie's career
YOUNGSTERS have been given £100m to manage the careers of Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams -in an attempt to teach them maths. Fantasy Top 40 is a maths challenge that is being introduced to schools in the region, with pupils being given a virtual budget
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Court rules actions lawful after injured man arrested
POLICE who arrested a man who was seeking their help acted lawfully, a court ruled yesterday. Andrew Taylor approached Cleveland Police after he was attacked on the same night that he proposed to his girlfriend. He wanted police to arrest his attackers
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Young musicians audition for pop mogul
BUDDING pop stars had the chance to shine before one of the music industry's most successful managers, when he visited a North-East studio. Genius Entertainment, of Stanley, was asked to showcase bands and musicians for US businessman Richard Rashman
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Healthcare unions give their backing to elected regional asembly
AN elected regional assembly could have a leading role in tackling the North-East's poor health record, unions say. The assembly would have no control over the provision and running of hospitals and GP surgeries, but it would have responsibilities in
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Dad At Large: The art of being a dad
EVEN if I say so myself, I wasn't bad at art when I was at school. I even managed to scrape a respectable A-level. And I'm delighted to say that it looks like that talent has rubbed off on my 12-year-old daughter. She takes her art very seriously. Ever
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Butcher ploy
THE way to a man's heart is not through his stomach but through stripping together. Wallpaper stripping, that is. And painting. There's nothing like the smell of wet gloss to set your pulses racing. Widower Ashley Peacock dips his brush in the pot of
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07/10/04
HUNTING: IN view of recent claims concerning the uncertain future of their hunting dogs made by the pro-hunt fraternity during their recent very public demonstrations, I would like to point out that annually about 3,000 dogs are put down by hunts after
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TV that's truly testing
The Challenge: Jungle (BBC2): AS he attempted to combine a full-time job and the training schedule of a full-time athlete, office worker Mark Daniels made a confession to camera: "Think very strongly before you put an application in for a TV programme
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Intertech days
The Intertech 2004 event run by the County Durham Development Company will be held in county hall, in Durham City, on Monday and Tuesday. As well as ten-minute "speed-networking" sessions, there will also be a series of seminars examining key issues in
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Women encouraged to have bigger say on issue
WOMEN are being encouraged to have a bigger say in the North-East's future. The North-East Women's Forum is holding events around the region in the run-up to the vote on an elected regional assembly on November 4, explaining what an assembly will do and
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Work finally begins on £500m project to develop riverside site
WORK has finally started on a £500m flagship redevelopment scheme in the North-East. After years of false starts, plans and wrangles, work has started on the Middlehaven site, opening up Middlesbrough's dockland for development. The work, which began
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Miners - the huge price of justice
LAWYERS handling compensation claims by ex-miners and their families face a potential cash bonanza of more than a billion pounds. New Government figures show that solicitors handling industrial disease claims by 245,000 miners and their families have
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Drug dealer ordered to pay £49,400
A COURT has confiscated almost £50,000 of drug dealing profits made by the son of a prominent North-East businessman. Frazer Goodwillie, 24, was jailed for three-and-a-half years in July after he admitted supplying cannabis, possessing cocaine and cannabis
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Cattery appeal turned down for safety issues
A PLAN to build a cattery in a Teesside village has been refused. An appeal application to build a cattery at Newton Bewley, near Billingham, was dismissed by a planning inspector. Government civil servant George Arrowsmith said he made his decision because
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Jail term for drink-driver
CHARITY worker Toni Hird was jailed for three months yesterday after driving when more than five times over the drink-drive limit - six months after being banned from the roads for a similar offence. Harrogate magistrates heard how Hird, 33, had been
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Children invited to enter poster contest
A POSTER competition to raise awareness about keeping children safe and happy in their families has been launched this week. The competition is aimed at young people aged between four and 16 in the Middlesbrough and the Redcar and Cleveland area. Mary
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Burglary and car crime reduced
THE number of recorded crimes dropped last month according to the latest data released by Cleveland Police. Figures for September show recorded offences fell by nearly 12 per cent while detection rates rose by three per cent to 25.2 per cent. Assistant
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Pupils face test of endurance
PUPILS from a Darlington school put themselves to the test when they tackled an Army endurance challenge. Eastbourne Comprehensive School took part in the 16th Kings Division annual schools competition at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks, in Strensall, York
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Getting the balance right
HEALTH workers in Darlington are being helped to get the right balance in their lives by a dedicated officer. Pauline Woods has been appointed work/life balance co-ordinator by Darlington Primary Care Trust to ensure staff are happy in their jobs and
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Wardens easing fear of crime on estate
RESIDENTS of a Darlington estate feel safer thanks to the introduction of community wardens, a report has found. But people in Firthmoor would still like to see more police in their neighbourhood, according to Martin Wood, from Renaissance Consultants
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Youths in cemetery told they could face prison
YOUTHS congregating in a Darlington cemetery at night have been warned they could face prison. PC Chris Horner, Firthmoor's beat officer, told a community safety meeting on the estate that he had hidden in East Cemetery to frighten teenagers who were
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happy family needs a new home
A CAT and her two kittens are looking for a home. When Tabbatha's owners moved house, they could not take her with them, so they gave her and her four kittens to the National Animal Sanctuaries Support League, near Darlington. Two of the kittens have
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Susan offers accounts aid
A LOW-cost service aims to help community groups in rural north Durham balance their books. Susan Bell has been appointed as accounts administrator at the Enterprise and Development Centre in The Bye, The Grove, near Consett. Along with supervising wages
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Man is jailed over child porn
A MAN was jailed yesterday for downloading child pornography from the Internet. Alec Tranter's mother wept at Teesside Crown Court after the judge heard that he had apologised to her when police arrived at their home with a search warrant. They seized
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Stamp duty refund thanks to the Echo
A COUPLE have got the £1,400 they paid in stamp duty refunded thanks to The Northern Echo. Chris and Norma Nelson found their Pease Street home in Darlington was exempt because it is in a disadvantaged area. Since a change in the law, it means they do
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Vote to excuse councillor
A LOCAL authority is to vote on whether to extend a leave of absence for an ill councillor. Councillor Jo Fergus, the Conservative member for Gainford on Teesdale District Council, has been unable to attend meetings since breaking her hip in June. If
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Residents are delighted by grant for community centre
RESIDENTS of a Darlington estate are looking forward to creating a modern facility after receiving a major Lottery grant. Members of the Red Hall Community Association are celebrating the award of £123,000 from the Big Lottery Fund. It will go towards
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Manon inspired
Opera North's new music director Richard Farnes is taking charge of the Leeds-based company at a time of enormous upheaval, but he couldn't be happier. He talks to Viv Hardwick about his baton charge. 'THE best £73 I ever spent' has led to award-winning
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Delays on High Street
MOTORISTS are being warned of possible delays as work gets under way on a road safety initiative. The pelican crossing in Northallerton's High Street is to be replaced by a puffin crossing. Work will start on Sunday October 17, and the High Street will
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Lifeboatman honoured for skilful rescue
A 41-YEAR-OLD lifeboatman whose courage and skill saved a teenage girl was given a bravery award yesterday. Michael Farline was among six people praised by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society. Mr Farline, from Filey, North Yorkshire, led the rescue of the
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Charity sets up text helpline service for young people
A PIONEERING text helpline for young people will be launched at the weekend. The Chester-le-Street branch of the charity Mind is launching the service in the district on World Mental Health Day on Sunday, following a survey in local comprehensive schools
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DJs' verbal sparring is exam poser
FOR as long as can be remembered, nervous English students have opened their examination papers expecting to be asked for in-depth analysis of the famous works of Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, TS Eliot et al. But this summer, decades of tradition were bizarrely
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£170m plan may revive proposal
A MULTI-MILLION pound development that will transform an area near Darlington's railway station could tempt developers back to an abandoned plan for a shopping centre. The £170m proposal for Central Park, which was launched yesterday by Tees Valley Regeneration
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Lowry paintings bought for city
THREE paintings by LS Lowry have been secured for the North-East public thanks to a £175,000 National Lottery grant. The works, which are on show at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, were painted during the 1960s. They illustrate a different aspect
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Diet advice at allergy fair
A faIR will be held in Durham Town Hall on Sunday for people who suffer from gluten allergies. Dieticians from the University Hospital of North Durham will be at the annual event to give advice and information on coeliac disease. Food manufacturers who
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Spiders point the way for a perfect aim
WATERPROOF spiders are helping cut toilet cleaning costs at 25 North-East bars. Yesteryear, a Wigan pub company, is gluing more than 100 plastic spiders to urinals. The idea is that male customers will aim at the spiders, meaning less spillage and thousands
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Santa's grotto trips
A LAST call has been made for youngsters wanting to climb aboard a steam train to Father Christmas. The Tanfield Railway, near Stanley, is running The North Pole Express to take parents and children on a rail ride to visit Santa in his grotto. The only
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Family celebrations as Jack reaches 100
A RETIRED miner was yesterday surrounded by his family as he celebrated his 100th birthday. Jack Jolly, a resident at Glendale House, Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, was born in Ushaw Moor near Durham and, after leaving school at the age of 14, went
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North's poor record for burn victims
SURGEONS say North-East families suffer more burns around Bonfire Night than their counterparts in the South. A study by plastic surgeons at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, showed that local children were much more at risk of bonfire and firework-related
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Innovators recognised at awards night
SOME of the leading innovators in the North-East came under the spotlight last night when an awards ceremony took place. More than 200 people attended the Spirit of Innovation Awards at the Marriott Hotel, in Gosforth, Newcastle. From a record 90 entries
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Pledge to keep bus station clean
BUS company Arriva has promised to clean up its rubbish-strewn bus station in Durham. Durham City Council said it had received several complaints about the state of the facility in North Road since the weekend. City council workmen used to have the contract
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Ben Nevis challenge is the measure of pilgrim's progress
A GROUP of young people scaled the dizzy heights of the highest mountain in Britain in their quest to raise money for a two-week adventure in France. Members of the Pilgrim Club, which is based in Shildon, took on the Ben Nevis challenge to raise as much
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Woman jailed for window drug sales
A WOMAN who sold drugs to people through her parents' kitchen window was jailed for four years yesterday. Tanya Bygate was seen by officers who set up surveillance outside her Washington home handing small packages through the window for money. Newcastle
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Call for community to unite to secure new sports ground
A LEADING figure on a Teesside council is calling on the community to spearhead a £400,000 bid for a new sports ground. Councillor Alex Cunningham believes that is the only way to gain the funds to redevelop the Harold Wilson Ground, in Thornaby, near
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Bank's rate-setters have much to ponder
RATE-setters at the Bank of England were given plenty to ponder last night after figures on house prices and manufacturing output confounded expectations. While experts are certain the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will keep interest rates at
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Murder accused to fight court's ruling
A NORTH-EAST businessman has lost his battle to avoid extradition to Singapore for a double-murder trial. A judge in Australia has upheld a decision that Michael McCrea, who grew up in Penshaw, Wearside, should be deported over the deaths of his chauffeur
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Return to the good old days
NEALE Cooper feels Hartlepool United are getting back to last season's way of playing. But he knows they will face a big test tomorrow night, when they go to League One leaders Luton and former boss Mike Newell. Newell's unbeaten side have dropped just
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Butcher ploy
THE way to a man's heart is not through his stomach but through stripping together. Wallpaper stripping, that is. And painting. There's nothing like the smell of wet gloss to set your pulses racing. Widower Ashley Peacock dips his brush in the pot of
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On TV last night
The Challenge: Jungle (BBC2) AS he attempted to combine a full-time job and the training schedule of a full-time athlete, office worker Mark Daniels made a confession to camera: "Think very strongly before you put an application in for a TV programme
