Archive
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Guantanamo four released
FOUR Britons who were returned to the UK after being detained at Guantanamo Bay for up to three years were released last night without charge. Moazzam Begg, from Birmingham, Feroz Abbasi, from Croydon, south London, Martin Mubanga from Wembley, north-west
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More dog days
SOMEONE has been decorating Andy the gangster's house in EastEnders (BBC1). They've scrawled the word MURDERER across the wall. This is a surprise, mainly because they've spelt the word correctly. There can't be too many people in Albert Square who could
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New status for school
MOORSIDE Community College at Consett has been designated with technology status. The school will receive £100,000 Government funding to improve facilities, plus an extra £129 per pupil for the next four years. It will use its extra resources as part
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Seventies fantasies
The Rotters' Club (BBC2): Cast your mind back to 1974 when there were no mobiles, laptops, Princess Diana or Tony Blair. TV viewers had only three channels from which to choose and the powerful unions were capable of bringing the country to a halt. The
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Losing a good bloke
The Rev Canon John "Jumbo" Wilson, one of those priests whom journalists like to describe as a colourful clergyman, has died. He was 79. For 20 years he'd been a soldier - mentioned in Despatches, rose to the rank of major, was master of beagles and carried
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City council fights home plans limits
A FORMAL objection has been lodged over plans to restrict the number of houses which can be built in Durham City over the next 15 years. The city council is fighting plans outlined in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy - the document being prepared by
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Singapore swing for Storm
GRAEME STORM hopes a few words of advice from a seasoned professional can help the Hartlepool golfer maintain the fine form he has shown on the European Tour so far. The 26-year-old recorded his second best finish of his career at Durban on Sunday, when
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Cyberlyne opens new division
SURVEILLANCE and security camera specialist Cyberlyne Communications has set up a division that may create jobs in County Durham. The Bishop Auckland company has set up Cyberlyne Sheet Metal, in Chilton. Cyberlyne managing director Stephen Quigley said
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Northern Rock to create 900 jobs
NORTH-East bank Northern Rock last night said it would bring 900 jobs to the region this year as it continues with expansion plans. The mortgage lender, which is based in Newcastle but also has a contact centre in Doxford Park, Sunderland, will create
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Win £1,000
PEOPLE over the age of 60 are being urged to take part in a national talent contest. The Yours Silver Stars talent competition wants people to take part in the Teesside heat, at Middlesbrough Theatre, on Wednesday, March 23, from 2pm. The winner will
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Does anyone want our family tree?
THE ornamental Japanese tree which has pride of place on the mantelpiece at home is embarrassingly hideous. It has horrible plastic leaves with sickly purple flowers made of glass, sits in a tacky lime green ceramic pot, and is particularly good at gathering
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Family take Greek doctors to appeal court
THE family of a North-East holidaymaker who died in a Greek hospital have been warned they face a barrage of hate when they attend the appeal of three local doctors convicted of his manslaughter. Christopher Rochester of Chester-le-Street, County Durham
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Museum parking row
PLANS to construct an overflow car park at the Locomotion: National Railway Museum won't solve the problem, say residents. People living in the Victoria Street and Station Street, Shildon, have been plagued by visitors to the museum parking outside their
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Class act
She was educated Rita in the movies, but now Julie Walters has moved on to the real life role of head teacher Lady Marie Stubbs who saved London's St George' School from closure. Steve Pratt reports on the always-watchable actress who is also reviving
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Cascade of work follows buyout
SHIPLOADING equipment specialist Cleveland Cascades has won business worth more than £1.6m in its first year of trading following a management buyout. Ninety-five per cent of the Teesside company's production is for export and it is expanding, with three
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Pupils profit from event
business people of the future have been learning the trade at a school enterprise day. The 130 teenagers set up companies and made and sold colourful paper ducks . Year 9 students at Hurworth School Maths and Computing College, Darlington, were put into
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Shipyard appeals to MoD
Defence contracts that would keep North-East shipyards in work and safeguard hundreds of jobs could be announced within weeks. Bosses at Swan Hunter have been pressing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for interim work before it begins an aircraft carrier
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Specialist status will help pupils to excel at school
SCHOOLS across the region are celebrating becoming specialist colleges in a new round of Government designations. Six schools from County Durham are among 11 in the region that will enjoy the status from September. Specialist schools are given £100,000
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Singapore swing for Storm
GRAEME STORM hopes a few words of advice from a seasoned professional can help the Hartlepool golfer maintain the fine form he has shown on the European Tour so far. The 26-year-old recorded his second best finish of his career at Durban on Sunday, when
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Benkenstein signs for Durham
DURHAM yesterday confirmed the signing of South African one-day international Dale Benkenstein on a three-year contract - and also announced they will be taking a first-class game to Stockton next season. Their interest in Benkenstein was exclusively
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Closing the coalhouse door
For 600 years, coal has been brought out from deep underground in the North-East. Now, the lynchpin of the region's industrial heritage is no more, but, as Dan Jenkins reports, it goes out not with a bang, but a whimper. THE closure of Ellington Colliery
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Recycling poster winners on display
MORE than 1,000 junior recycling champions entered an art poster competition as part of a council's drive to improve the environment. Chester-le-StreetDistrict Council has arranged for the winning posters to go on display at the Civic Centre. The members
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John North: A very civil servant
Getting people into the pub shouldn't be difficult, but Weardale has appointed an official mine host to reach the parts of the dale that others do not. Len Alderson is a local government officer with a refreshing difference. Unique in the UK, his job
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Musical in need of more male actors
AN appeal has been made for male dancers and actors to step forward for roles and chorus parts in a youth theatre's musical later this year. Dionysis Theatre Company has held its first round of auditions for its production of 42nd Street, to be staged
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New store plan starts rumours
NEW plans for a large store development on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland could signal the start of an out of town retail boom, traders say. The application for a 30,000sq ft non-food retail unit off Watling Road, Tindale Crescent, has sparked rumours
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Does anyone want our family tree?
THE ornamental Japanese tree which has pride of place on the mantelpiece at home is embarrassingly hideous. It has horrible plastic leaves with sickly purple flowers made of glass, sits in a tacky lime green ceramic pot, and is particularly good at gathering
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Carry on sarge
Viv Hardwick talks to TV star Philip Franks about taking to the trenches for the emotional drama Journey's End which comes to Darlington next wee. The ex-Heartbeat copper is also keen to direct after his lenghty 'war service'. THE trench war 1914-18 adventures
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New status for school
DEERNESS Valley School at Ushaw Moor, has become the country's first business, technology and enterprise college. It will receive £100,000 of Government funding to improve facilities, plus an extra £129 per pupil for the next four years. It caps an outstanding
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Hoffman's tales
Dustin Hoffman is a big hugger, he tells Steve Pratt. And in his latest role he gets to hug a lot, as well as getting up close and personal with old friend Barbra Streisand. "I WOULD like to stay on sex," says Dustin Hoffman, having devoted the past ten
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Tributes to guiding light of football academy
A MAN whose vision helped create an academy of football excellence for youngsters in a deprived Northern dale has died after a long battle against illness. Mike Cavender, 44, was due to undergo a heart and lung transplant. He died peacefully at his home
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Gould Piano Trio, The Sage Gateshead
THE Gould Piano Trio initiated the Music in the Round series in the intimate surroundings of The Sage Gateshead's Hall Two with an electrifying evening of contrasting works spanning three centuries. The concert began with a poised opening to Mozart's
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Gala theatre meeting cash targets
A THEATRE at the centre of controversy since its opening three years ago has 'stabilised,' a senior official says. The £14m Gala Theatre in Durham City has had a chequered history that includes the collapse of the management company - with debts of £700,000
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£10,000 grant to protect farmers
POLICE have been given £10,000 to launch a campaign to fight crime in two North-East farming valleys. The cash, coupled with a deal with a security company, will pay for extra protection for 500 farms in Teesdale and Weardale. Machinery, vehicles, trailers
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Bouncing boost for Asia appeal
A NURSERY school's children were not going to be put off by bad weather when it came to raising money for the tsunami victims of Asia. The Nursery in Teasdale Street, Consett, had planned to hold a sponsored walk on Thursday of last week, but were forced
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Cascade of work follows buyout
SHIPLOADING equipment specialist Cleveland Cascades has won business worth more than £1.6m in its first year of trading following a management buyout. Ninety-five per cent of the Teesside company's production is for export and it is expanding, with three
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Victorious youth players parade their trophy
Darlington FC's triumphant young players hold aloft the Football League Youth Alliance trophy, presented to them at the Williamson Motors Stadium before the Quakers home match on Saturday. The North-East Conference title - clinched the previous week with
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Fire chiefs urge firms to install sprinkler systems
FIRE service bosses in the region yesterday urged businesses to have automatic sprinkler systems installed. The call comes after The Northern Echo's main office was saved from serious damage. A blaze broke out in a third-floor storage room of the building
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Blues Brothers swagger back into town
A quarter of a century after the release of the film The Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood, stars of The Best Blues Brothers Show in the World - Ever, will be performing at the Gala Theatre in Durham. With sunglasses and pork pie hats at the ready, the
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Green Howards hero dies aged 93
THE only man to have commanded both the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the region's Green Howards regiment has died aged 93. Colonel Michael Roberts joined the North Yorkshire regiment as a second lieutenant in August 1933. By 1938, he was serving on operations
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Witnesses give blood machine
JEHOVAH'S Witnesses, who believe it is wrong to have blood transfusions, have donated a machine to their local hospital which allows blood to be recycled. Yesterday, a Cell Saver 5 machine, worth more than £11,000, was handed to medical staff at Darlington
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Dryden moved to category C prison
Planning official killer Albert Dryden is looking forward to his first visit outside prison walls after being locked up for almost 14-years. The 64-year-old was jailed for murdering council planning chief Harry Collinson when officers moved in to demolish
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Tait's meteoric rise a boost for England
Newcastle's teenage sensation Mathew Tait is set to make his England debut when the world champions launch their RBS 6 Nations Championship campaign against Wales next week. And the 18-year-old centre, who was still playing for his Barnard Castle School
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Promotion prospects on the line - Hignett
MIDFIELDER Craig Hignett believes Southend United will provide Darlington with a true test of their promotion credentials this weekend. Quakers are unbeaten in 2005 and in their two away fixtures this year have won at then top-of-the-table Scunthorpe
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'Sexual assault as girl made way home'
A MAN pounced on a terrified teenager and subjected her to a sexual assault as she walked along an unlit pathway, a court heard. Kevin Thompson, 41, followed the girl as she walked home in Middlesbrough before jumping from bushes and grabbing her. He
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Wildlife days to help wetlands
WILDLIFE enthusiasts in Darlington are being invited to do their bit for the environment. The borough council's countryside team has organised two practical events to coincide with World Wetlands Day on Wednesday, February 2. From 10.30am until noon,
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Giving tree raises £6,655
A CHRISTMAS fundraising campaign has provided a big boost to a Darlington hospice's funds. The Giving to Life Tree was set up by St Teresa's Hospice in the Cornmill Centre in the town, and allowed people to place their own messages on the tree, which
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Groups offered Carelink coach for social outings
COMMUNITY groups for elderly or vulnerable people around Sedgefield are invited to take advantage of a new community hire coach. Sedgefield Borough Council is offering the 24-seater, which can accommodate wheelchairs and people with impaired mobility,
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School to rise from ashes after arson blow
THE start of work on a £3.2m village school was marked by a special ceremony yesterday. Middleton St George Primary School, near Darlington, was devastated by an arson attack which destroyed much of the building in February, 2003. Education chiefs responded
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Council tax in borough is likely to rise by 4.8 per cent
COUNCIL tax in the Darlington borough could rise by 4.8 per cent, with officials pledging that they will provide excellent value for money. Bosses at Darlington Borough Council said yesterday that the proposed rise would mean taxpayers in a Band A property
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Fears over parking fees
BUSINESS leaders in Malton are calling for a rethink over plans to increase parking charges by 25 per cent. They fear that Ryedale District Council's move to earn an extra £125,000 to help balance the council's budget will damage the town's economy. Roddy
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Students create dramatic costumes
THE days of Darcy and the style of the Regency era have been recreated by students. Design students at Cleveland College of Art and Design were inspired by Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr Darcy in the hit television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Now
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Help shape town's future
PEOPLE on Hartlepool's Headland are being asked to attend another consultation event to help shape the creation of a town square. More detailed designs for the first phase of the project have now been prepared by the designers Ferguson McIlveen. They
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Pupils commemorate 60th anniversary of Holocaust
PUPILS at a North-East school will lead a Holocaust memorial service at their school today. The students from Carmel Technology College, in Darlington, will join millions of people across the country as they commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation
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Rugby club given approval to expand
A RUGBY union club is to expand its pavilion headquarters. At an earlier planning meeting, councillors defied officer's advice, and approved an application for Ripon Rugby Union Club's pavilion, off Mallorie Park Drive. The application had to be reviewed
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Online booking for rail travellers
RAIL travellers can now book their tickets online by using the TransPennine Express website. The booking system, available by logging on to www.tpexpress.co.uk, allows people to buy tickets to any destination and also buy season tickets. Tickets can be
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Driver caught eating apple will not launch court appeal
A nursery nurse has dropped her battle with police who prosecuted her for holding an apple while driving, after being told it could cost the taxpayer another £10,000. Sarah McCaffery, 23, of Blackpool Parade, Hebburn, South Tyneside, said the interests
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Drama group to show a 'comedy thriller'
A DERWENTSIDE theatre company is putting on its second show. Find the Lady, presentedby the Shoestring Theatre Company, was written by Michael Pertwee and directed by Bill Wilkinson. Mr Wilkinson said: "It is set in the Delamere Hotel, where the proprietor
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Area to be 'poor relation'
COUNTY Durham will be the North-East's "poor relation" unless a region-wide development plan is changed, a councillor has warned. Ken Manton, Labour leader of Durham County Council, said the draft Regional Spatial Strategy produced by the North-East Assembly
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Northern Rock to create 900 jobs
NORTH-East bank Northern Rock last night said it would bring 900 jobs to the region this year as it continues with expansion plans. The mortgage lender, which is based in Newcastle but also has a contact centre in Doxford Park, Sunderland, will create
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£10,000 grant to protect farmers
POLICE have been given £10,000 to launch a campaign to fight crime in two North-East farming valleys. The cash, coupled with a deal with a security company, will pay for extra protection for 500 farms in Teesdale and Weardale. Machinery, vehicles, trailers
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Wheel clamp revenge may prove costly
AN angry driver was arrested yesterday after trying to drill a wheel clamp from his car. But instead of evading an £80 fine, he snapped the drill bit off in the lock. It means a locksmith will have to be called in to remove the £300 clamp, which was wrecked
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Ways to beat superbug
HEALTH chiefs in Derwentside have adopted a fresh approach to dealing with the threat of the MRSA superbug. Derwentside Primary Care Trust is seeking to minimise the risk of spreading the infection to other patients and health care workers. A report from
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Confidence in fight against crime rises
A SURVEY has shown an increase in public confidence in the administration of law and order on Teesside. The figures were issued by the Cleveland Criminal Justice Board as part of the British Crime Survey. The survey showed that in the year to September
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Service steps in to sort out calls
THE ambulance service has stepped in to handle emergency evening and night-time calls to doctors in North Yorkshire. The Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (Tenyas) has been awarded the contract to handle out-of-hours GP calls in the county
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Fine start sets me up for the rest of the year
Graeme Storm kicked off the European tour in fine style with a top ten finish in South Africa at the weekend. In part one of his tour diary the Hartlepool golfer talks about how his experiences in Durban have made him determined not to slip back on to
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Manager is top class
A MARKETING manager has been named top student in the region after completing his qualification at a Darlington college. Timothy Abbott, 40, studied a postgraduate diploma in marketing at Darlington College of Technology. He was awarded top marketing
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Youth football league opens for business
AN indoor youth football league is being launched in Durham. The Three Lions league will run on Wednesdays between 4pm and 6pm at The Soccarena, the football complex next to Durham City FC's Archibald Stadium, at Broomside Park, Belmont. It is open to
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Trees will make a poplar display
DOZENS of rare black poplar trees have been planted alongside roads throughout Darlington. Thirty of the trees have been obtained by Darlington Borough Council and have been planted in five sites in the area. The trees, recognisable for their bushy broad
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Conservatives pick election candidate
THE Conservatives have chosen a candidate to contest Hartlepool where the party came fourth in a recent by-election. Amanda Vigor, 39, was adopted as Conservative Parliamentary Candidate by the Hartlepool Conservative Association last Tuesday. The tax
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Toshack ignores controversy to name Bellamy in squad
CRAIG Bellamy's next appearance on a football field could come in the red shirt of Wales after John Toshack named the controversial striker in his squad for next month's friendly with Hungary. Bellamy was included in Toshack's first squad as Wales boss
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Coalfields trust hands out £400,000
GRANTS worth more than £400,000 have been awarded to 19 projects in the North-East. The money has come from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and will be used on projects such as the Supporting Parents Network, in Stanley, County Durham. It is getting
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Regiment's last soldier retires
WHEN MAJOR Christopher Lawton celebrated his 55th birthday last weekend the occasion marked not only the end of an illustrious army career, but concludes an era as well. The last serving member of the original Durham Light Infantry, his retirement closes
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Shearer baffled by injury jinx
ALAN Shearer has conceded that he has "no idea" whether Newcastle can still finish in the top six, after claiming that Jean-Alain Boumsong's hamstring strain is the latest example of an injury curse that is wrecking Newcastle's season. The sight of Boumsong
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Hewitt ignores problems to fight on
Lleyton Hewitt battled through the pain barrier to win a second straight five-set epic and book his place in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Hewitt again needed on-court treatment for a hip injury as he scraped past Argentina's David Nalbandian
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Lottery's £8.75m brings museum a step closer
PLANS to create a flagship museum for the North-East took a step closer to reality last night with the announcement of an £8.75m boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Great North Museum will bring together the natural history collections and archaeological
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27/01/05
AUCKLAND CASTLE: ONE reason why tourists visit Auckland Castle is to see Francisco Zurbaran's paintings of Jacob and his 12 sons. The Zurbarans are an integral part of the Long Dining Room and that is where they should stay. At least Bowes Museum and
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Visitors check in at airport for glimpse of refurbishment plans
DROP-IN sessions to explain proposals for a revamp of a North-East airport were staged for the public yesterday. The plans include a refurbishment of the main terminal of Durham Tees Valley Airport and creation of a business park, with the development
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UK Land wins £100m deal
ONE of the region's largest property developers has won a contract at Newcastle International Airport. Property investment and development company UK Land Estates has won the tender for the £100m Southside expansion which, once completed, is expected
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Most wanted: police issue pictures of six topping list
POLICE in the region have released details and photographs of six men they want to talk to about a variety of offences. Local people are being asked to be the "eyes and ears'' of Cleveland Police, who are appealing for their help in tracking the men down
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Ex-Page 3 model bids for Blair's seat
A FORMER page 3 pin-up and glamour actress, who has just turned 60, is to challenge Tony Blair for his Sedgefield seat in the next General Election. Cherri Gilham, a Hill's Angel on The Benny Hill Show who appeared in the movie The Stud, is standing against
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Pfizer to sell N-E factory
VIAGRA maker Pfizer said last night it was selling its plant in Northumberland, placing 571 jobs in jeopardy. The global pharmaceutical company said it was shedding up to 400 jobs at Sandwich, in Kent, and the site at Morpeth would be sold. The company
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Receptionists' hard work is rewarded
RECEPTIONISTS from GP practices across North Durham have been rewarded after completing an intensive training course. Lady Ann Calman, chairman of Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust, presented 11 GP receptionists with certificates as they
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Greek legal battle looms
THE generosity of the public has overwhelmed the Chester-le-Street family fighting to secure the convictions of Greek doctors for their son's death. The parents of Christopher Rochester, 24, who bled to death in hospital on Rhodes in 2000 after a balcony
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Young wrestlers take on a fighting team
WRESTLERS from across the region are to stage a major bout in Consett when they take on an American trained group. Members of North-East Wrestling are going head-to-head with stars from Hammerlock National Wrestling Association (NWA) UK. The club has
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TV star Lesley's golden year awaits
Viv Hardwick chats to opera star Lesley Garrett about approaching her 50th birthday after her most successful year yet as a TV performer and her stage tour ambitions for 2005. SHE may only be the coalminer's great-great granddaughter, but top soprano
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'Hospital needs £24m to catch up'
DARLINGTON Memorial Hospital needs more than £24m spending on it to bring it up to scratch, according to a new report. The County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is drawing up a five-year plan to modernise the town's hospital. With hospitals
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Parents back bid to tackle bullying
PUPILS and parents at a primary school are working together to tackle bullying. Throughout the week, children at Whinfield Primary School, in Darlington, are concentrating on the issue with the aim of driving bullying out of their lives. The school sent
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Brazil adventure inspires group
YOUNG theatre group members whose lives were changed by a visit to some of the world's poorest communities are highlighting a powerful message on domestic violence to visitors to Bishop Auckland Town Hall. Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans created an
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Voles under protection
A Wildlife trust has teamed up with local authorities throughout the region to help raise public awareness of threats facing the endangered water vole. As part of the campaign by Durham Wildlife Trust, an information panel was unveiled yesterday at Wapping
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Mulligatawny is back on track
DESPITE being pulled up on his latest outing, Mulligatawny (3.20) still makes plenty of appeal in the Weatherbys Handicap Chase at Plumpton. Nick Gifford's 11-year-old has been plagued by injury throughout his career, which at least has had the benefit
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Coronary care grabs worldwide attention
CORONARY care in the North-East is to be held up as a shining example to the world at a major European health conference. About 500 delegates from around the world will be told how a pioneering programme of care operated in Darlington has proved a boost
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On TV
The Rotters' Club (BBC2) Cast your mind back to 1974 when there were no mobiles, laptops, Princess Diana or Tony Blair. TV viewers had only three channels from which to choose and the powerful unions were capable of bringing the country to a halt. The
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Nursing leader denounces violence on hospital staff
VIOLENCE against NHS nursing staff is a national disgrace, according to the president of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Sylvia Denton denounced rising levels of attacks on hospital staff during a two-day visit to the North-East. "One in six nurses
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To Ten To Rent
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL: 1 (2) Catwoman 2 (1) Walking Tall 3 (-) Whole Ten Yards 4 (-) Raising Helen 5 (8) Troy 6 (3) Super Size Me 7 (6) I, Robot 8 (-) The Bourne Supremacy 9 (-) The Hillside Strangler 10 (-) Hellboy Published: 27/01/2005
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Go-ahead for Dales homes
A £10M project to build affordable homes for workers in the Yorkshire Dales has got the go-ahead. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has approved a plan that could see several hundred homes built in the park. The scheme has been launched after
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Traders say new car park is great news
A NEW multi-storey car park will open in Darlington before Christmas, it has been announced. Work begins next month on the £6.5m development in Crown Street, which will provide 410 spaces - 160 more than present. It will also include a new 31,000sq ft
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Club faces fight for survival
A TOWN's football club is facing a fight for survival after its chairman of four years announced he was quitting the club. Fans hope that Benny Mottram's decision to leave Spennymoor United will not spell the end of the club but instead be the start of
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Drama group to show a 'comedy thriller'
A DERWENTSIDE theatre company is putting on its second show. Find the Lady, presentedby the Shoestring Theatre Company, was written by Michael Pertwee and directed by Bill Wilkinson. Mr Wilkinson said: "It is set in the Delamere Hotel, where the proprietor
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Driver caught eating apple will not launch court appeal
A nursery nurse has dropped her battle with police who prosecuted her for holding an apple while driving, after being told it could cost the taxpayer another £10,000. Sarah McCaffery, 23, of Blackpool Parade, Hebburn, South Tyneside, said the interests
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Show full of surprises
A THEATRE company based in Derwentside is putting on a new show. Find the Lady is the second production by the Shoestring Theatre Company. It was written by Michael Pertwee and directed by Bill Wilkinson. Mr Wilkinson said: "The play is set in the Delamere
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McClaren left empty-handed
STEVE McClaren has reluctantly accepted that he might be unable to sign anybody this month, despite admitting he has new players recommended to him "every day". The Middlesbrough boss has spent most of January scouring Europe for a left-back to provide
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Ska showcase
FANS of Ska music are invited to a night showcasing the best of the region's Ska bands. The Arc, in Stockton, is hosting the concert next Thursday, which will feature bands from across Teesside. Stockton six-piece Ask My Cat, The Hot Quiche Conspiracy
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Sleuth Amy inspects Rome
SHARP-eyed schoolgirl Amy Coyle found herself whisked off to Rome thanks to her powers of observation. Amy, 15, of Ushaw Moor, who studies at Deerness Valley School, was one of 12 winners of an internet Super Sleuth competition that tested entrants' powers
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Lottery's £8.75m brings museum a step closer
PLANS to create a flagship museum for the North-East took a step closer to reality last night with the announcement of an £8.75m boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Great North Museum will bring together the natural history collections and archaeological
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Safety must come first
THE closure of the North-East's last deep coal mine at Ellington marks the end of proud era in the industrial history of the region. The miners of the North-East served for generations in conditions most people would find intolerable. Many have been left
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Close encounter with birds of prey
A FALCONER gave children in a Chester-le-Street school a rare treat when he dropped in with some of his feathered friends. Youngsters at South Pelaw Infant School saw five types of owl, including European eagle, barn and tawny, as well as a falcon. They
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Air crews head for Iraq
AIR crews have left an RAF base to patrol Basra International Airport in the run-up to the Iraqi elections. In total, 150 airmen from RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, are helping to provide tight security for Sunday's poll. They are protecting the perimeter
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Annual search begins for talented musicians
AN annual search for talented, young local musicians is again under way in Chester-le-Street. The Rotary Club, working with the James Etherington Music Trust, is inviting youngsters living in the Chester-le-Street and Durham areas to apply for an award
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Calls to speed up improvements at A66 blackspot
ONE of the key figures behind expansion plans for a North-East airport has backed calls to speed up improvements to an accident blackspot. Peter Nears, strategic planning director of Durham and Tees Valley Airport owner Peel Holdings, has vowed to help
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Offer to buy cherry trees after attack
TWO brothers have offered to buy cherry trees in memory of their late parents to help replace 28 trees destroyed by vandals. John and Robert Marshall have made the offer to Harrogate Borough Council, which has been forced to pay out £3,000 to buy new
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News from the Guilds and WIs
Witton Gilbert WI: President Cynthia Thompson, welcomed 36 members to the January meeting. She thanked everyone who had taken part in members' night in December and congratulated them on raising £86.25 to be shared between the Cooper Hall roofing fund
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Health centres plan for town
HEALTH chiefs want to develop services in the Stanley area by building two new medical centres. Derwentside Primary Care Trust hopes to demolish the existing surgery and replace it with an up-to-date centre. It would provide services such as audiology
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Council to take on fly-tippers
A COUNCIL has pledged to tackle fly-tipping on a Darlington estate. Residents of Lascelles Park say people are dumping rubbish, including furniture, in Aldbrough Walk. One woman told a meeting of the estate's residents' association: "We have reported
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£60,000 footpath scheme under way
WORK on a £60,000 scheme to improve safety for pedestrians and schoolchildren in Darlington has begun. The borough council is spending the cash on laying a footpath under the bridge in Cleveland Street, in the Albert Hill area of town. Pedestrians have
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Student lands top honour
A MARKETING manager has been named the region's top student after completing his qualification at a Darlington college. For the past year, 40-year-old Timothy Abbott has been studying a post-graduate diploma in marketing at Darlington College of Technology
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Protest at plan to shut down footpath
PLANS to close down a pathway that has become a haven for criminals in Darlington have met opposition. Borough councillors are meeting next month to discuss the closure of the walkway connecting Ullswater Avenue and Railway View, near Neasham Road. A
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Conversion plan causes museum upset
PLANS to convert council offices into houses have been submitted. Richmondshire District Council wants to sell its offices at 33 Frenchgate, in Richmond, for housing to raise money for its new headquarters in Colburn. But the scheme has angered volunteers
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Officer plans European cycle ride after retiring
A COMMUNITY policeman is retiring after 30 years. PC Dai Davies, 55, will work his last day for North Yorkshire Police on Monday. He received a lifetime achievement award last year and the Ryedale Community Police Office of the Year award in 2003 for
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Bishop's blessing for hall
A RETIRED Bishop of Durham has opened a church centre built with parishioners' money. The parishioners of All Saints' Parish Church in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, raised nearly £500,000 in 14 months. Michael Turnbull, former bishop, and his wife, Brenda
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Healthy way to solve snack attack
Pupils on Teesside have been given lessons on how to stay healthy, safe and alert. St Gerard's RC Primary School, in Hemlington, near Middlesbrough, and Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust school nurse Vivian Bradley organised a healthy living day for 151
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Council criticised after boy fails to gain place at school
AN independent inspector has criticised a Teesside council for the second time in two days. Yesterday, The Northern Echo reported that Stockton Borough Council was found guilty of maladminstration for refusing respite care to an autistic man. Now the
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More than £100,000 raised for victims
A FUND set up to raise money for the Sri Lankan victims of the tsunami disaster has topped £100,000. The Right Reverend John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, started the appeal because the diocese is twinned with the Anglican church of Sri Lanka. The
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The death of coal
THE region's once-proud mining industry drew its final breath yesterday as the closure of the last North-East pit was announced. The loss of Ellington Colliery, in Northumberland, and 340 mining jobs, signals the end of production in what was once the
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School is first to get council funding
A NORTH-EAST school yesterday celebrated becoming the first in a programme that will see scores of crumbling secondary schools given a new lease of life. Money has been awarded to Oxclose Community School, in Washington, Wearside, as part of Sunderland
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Learning the lessons of Rio
YOUNG theatre group members are helping to show the impact of domestic violence in a new exhibition at Bishop Auckland town hall. The exhibition, by Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans, comes in the wake of a week-long trip to the slums of Rio de Janeiro
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County is North-East's 'poor relation'
COUNTY Durham will be the North-East's "poor relation'' unless a region-wide development plan is changed, a leading councillor has warned. Ken Manton, Labour leader of Durham County Council, the region's biggest local authority, has criticised the draft
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Not too high a price to save lives
IT must have looked like a scene from a Keystone Cops film. Deploying a plane, helicopter and squad car in pursuit of evidence after a young female motorist was caught eating an apple at the wheel does appear absurd. Spending £10,000 chasing nursery nurse
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Children to learn about environment
CHILDREN will be able to learn more about wildlife and the environment during half-term. The Durham Wildlife Trust will be running a variety of programmes at its visitor centres. Litterbugs, which looks at what can be recycled from the average lunch box
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It's money for art's sake
Viv Hardwick looks at the impressive £1m plan for Darlington Arts Centre and talks to Arts Head Lindsay Tuck about the aim of creating a new home for youth theatre and dance in the North-East. A NEW dawn may be breaking for youth theatre in Darlington
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Hospital unveils new screening unit
A NEW multi-million pound breast screening unit has opened at a hospital. The facility is the first stage of an £8m development at York Hospital and boasts two extra advanced mammography rooms, including dedicated digital biopsy equipment. There is also
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Mulligatawny is back on track
DESPITE being pulled up on his latest outing, Mulligatawny (3.20) still makes plenty of appeal in the Weatherbys Handicap Chase at Plumpton. Nick Gifford's 11-year-old has been plagued by injury throughout his career, which at least has had the benefit
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Dale faces 4.9pc tax rise
COUNCIL tax payers in Teesdale can expect a rise of no more than 4.9 per cent in the coming year. However, the exact figure has yet to be decided. At a public meeting this week, head of finance Joanne Kellett said the Government had only increased its
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Residents angry as BT ignores verbal protests
TELEPHONE company BT has angered Tow Law residents by putting up a pole a few feet from their homes. People in Station Street thought they had persuaded the company to move the pole, which arrived outside Helen and Alan Mayman's home as they returned
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Virtual vision of village's future
A TEESDALE village is to be given a virtual transformation by a team exploring the use of renewable energy. The village of Cockfield has been picked out by research staff from Northumbria University, in Newcastle, for a study which will look at the extent
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Residents win MP's support in fight against parking ban
RESIDENTS of a Durham suburb are being backed by their MP in fighting a ban on parking outside their homes. People in The Sands have needed permits to park in the road since Durham County Council introduced on-street parking restrictions across the city
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Latvian employees granted a temporary home at work
A FIRM housing two Latvian men in a caravan because they find it difficult to recruit local workers has been told it can keep the makeshift home on site for six months. RE Duffield and Sons Ltd, based at the timber yard in Melmerby, near Ripon, applied
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Students get healthy with breakfast at the farm
STUDENTS have been tucking into bacon and sausage sandwiches as part of Farmhouse Breakfast Week. The youngsters, from Starbeck Primary School in Harrogate, were also treated to fruit and milk at the Great Yorkshire Showground, courtesy of the Yorkshire
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Recycling will aid children's charity
GREEN-THINKING residents can support child victims of the Asian tsunami as they clean up the environment. It is hoped changes to refuse collections on Teesside will improve recycling rates and raise money for charity as £1 will be donated for every tonne
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North MPs' mileage bid fails
FOUR North-East MPs last night voted for a car allowance of 57.7p a mile - twice the AA's estimate of the cost of wear and tear. John Cummings (Easington), Bill Etherington (Sunderland North), Derek Foster (Bishop Auckland) and Gerry Steinberg (Durham
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Wales next stop for in-form Collins
DANNY COLLINS has been rewarded for his impressive performances at the heart of Sunderland's defence by being handed his first international call-up. The 24-year-old was included in John Toshack's first Wales' squad to face Hungary at the Millennium Stadium
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Innovators moved by human transporter
A NEW method of getting around has been introduced at a business centre to inspire youngsters to become entrepreneurs and innovators. The North East Business Innovation Centre (BIC) has an area called Big Ideas, which is designed to help people come up
