Archive
-
Date
Grainger builds London portfolio
THE UK's largest quoted residential property investor has increased its London assets. The Grainger Trust, based in Newcastle, has announced a £70m joint venture with Genesis Housing Group to buy a freehold property portfolio from the Church Commissioners
-
Date
Contracts may create jobs at K Home
ENGINEERING company K Home International is bidding for millions of pounds' worth of work in the Middle East and South America that could trigger a recruitment drive at its Teesside headquarters. The Thornaby company, which last month won a Queen's Award
-
Date
Shirley Spencer
GARLANDS Call Centres has appointed SHIRLEY SPENCER as head of talent, responsible for the management of Garlands' human resources programmes. She has more than 20 years experience, having worked at Delta Airlines, KPMG and insurer Legal and General.
-
Date
Snail race marks the start of Herriot fun
SNAILS are on their marks for an annual derby race. The snail race at Thirsk racecourse on Monday, May 23, will launch Hambleton District Council's annual celebration of Herriot Country. Known as Herriot Happenings, the celebration involves a series of
-
Date
Two injured in road accidents
Two pedestrians are in hospital this morning with serious injuries after being knocked down in different accidents around the region. At around 11pm last night a 20-year-old man was knocked over in Front Street, Perkinsville, near Chester-le-Street in
-
Date
Ramage's education goes from strength to strength
NOT so long ago Newcastle United defender Peter Ramage thought he might have to leave his hometown club in a bid to further his footballing education. But since injuries have robbed Magpies boss Graeme Souness of several first-team defenders, the 21-year-old
-
Date
How Explorer discovered the route back to success
A caravan manufactirer is gearing up for growth, after a radical shift in both its culture and processes. Deputy Business Editor Dan Jenkins reports on how the Explorer Group changed from struggling cottage industry to modern market leader. UNDER various
-
Date
Mum's suicide after life sentence of fear
A MOTHER who was left for dead in her garden after an attack took her own life because she could no longer bear the terrible injuries inflicted on her face. Caroline Thornton told her family and friends that she had been given a "life sentence of fear
-
Date
Policeman admits killing wife
A depressed police officer today admitted killing his wife who was having an affair with a man almost half his age. Pc Graham Jones, better known as Ivor, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his 36-year-old wife Maria, on the grounds of diminished responsibility
-
Date
'Move over, Miss Daisy. I'm a fast woman now!'
Motorsport is still a male dominated arena, with few female role models. But the Formula Women Championship this summer is hoping to show they are just as competent as their male counterparts. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings reports. I'M approaching a
-
Date
Bobby rescues boy from mud
A BOBBY has been praised for wading into thick mud to rescue a youngster who got stuck while fishing in a pond. The un-named 11-year-old boy was fishing alone with a net in a pond near the Harperley Hotel, at Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, County Durham,
-
Date
Peter Greig, Neil Johnson, David Bradbury, Gary Hendleman, Michael Chipchase
SOFTWARE company Technology Services Group (TSG) has made a series of appointments. PETER GREIG and NEIL JOHNSON have joined TSG's North-East regional division from local company Mandata. Mr Greig's appointment as customer services manager follows more
-
Date
Guided tours behind scenes at Beamish
VISITORS to the North-East's premier open-air museum will get a rare chance to see behind the scenes on a special guided tour. The Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, will be opening its Regional Museums Store on Saturday, May 21. The vast building
-
Date
Charity shop to be opened to aid hospice
A FLAGSHIP charity shop will be opened tomorrow by a long-serving member of staff. The Butterwick Hospice Care shop in Stockton High Street, which will run in conjunction with an existing shop on the street, will be opened by recently-retired retail manager
-
Date
Dramatic award choice
A THEATRE group that teaches scientific concepts through drama has been awarded Investors in People status. Jack Drum Arts, of Barnard Castle, County Durham, is the only community arts organisation in the region to receive the accolade. The award, which
-
Date
The Short Story Competition: Moving story of mother's plight scoops award
THE national short story competition run by The Northern Echo has produced a winner from the region. Teacher Jan Hunter, from Stokesley, North Yorkshire, beat off 282 other entries to win the adult category of the competition with Unconditional Love,
-
Date
Vandals terrorise a town
A GANG of teenagers stormed a country bus, stole the emergency hammer, jumped off, then smashed the window of an ornate bus shelter. The attack happened in Stanhope just after the Crook bus pulled into the market place terminus. About ten youngsters -
-
Date
Endure a challenge
APPLICATION forms are now available for an endurance race. The 14th annual Teesdale Triathlon is being held on Sunday, September 4, at Teesdale Sports Centre in Barnard Castle. It will consist of a 500-metre swim, a 28-km bike ride and a 7.7-km run. It
-
Date
Crackdown on sex pests in public toilets
POLICE are clamping down on the misuse of public toilets after a number of men were propositioned for sex. Officers will target Redcar, east Cleveland, with surveillance to discourage males soliciting in the seaside town. Cleveland Police have received
-
Date
Sports centre may be torn down in favour of homes
PLANS to demolish a leisure centre to make way for dozens of retirement apartments will be discussed tomorrow. Developer McCarthy and Stone is seeking permission from Darlington Borough Council to demolish the Larchfield Sports Centre, in Larchfield Street
-
Date
Pupils aid charity
CHILDREN who learnt about post-war history by singing and dancing have donated £125 to a cancer charity. All 73 pupils at Barton Primary School took part in a concert for friends and family, which included scenes set in the decades after the Second World
-
Date
Opponents kept in check
IT was a case of checkmate when a Teesside school emerged victorious from a regional chess tournament. Pupils represented Yarm Prep School at the UK Chess Challenge Sunderland Megafinal. The competition included some of the best junior players in the
-
Date
Bobby rescues boy from mud
A BOBBY has been praised for wading into thick mud to rescue a youngster who got stuck while fishing in a pond. The un-named 11-year-old boy was fishing alone with a net in a pond near the Harperley Hotel, at Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, County Durham,
-
Date
Animal nurse is 'top dog'
A VETERINARY nurse has won a £1,000 holiday and a major title. Penny Blythe, who works for the Wilson Veterinary Group, in Bishop Auckland, was named Veterinary Nurse of the Year by pet nutrition company Hill's. She has worked at the practice for three
-
Date
Police appeal for help after motorist grabs girl
A TEENAGE girl was grabbed by a male motorist near a Bishop Auckland housing estate. Police are treating the incident, which happened near Bracks Farm at noon on Saturday, as an attempted abduction and have appealed for witnesses. Officers said the 15
-
Date
Courthouse to become centre for arts
A PROJECT to transform an historic building into a modern arts and media centre is now well under way. The first phase of the scheme, at the Old Courthouse in Thirsk, should be completed next month, at a cost of £300,000. The courthouse, which dates back
-
Date
Play on
Middlesbrough Competitive Music Festival hosts its annual concert in Hall Garth School, Hall Drive, Acklam, on Saturday, at 7pm. Competitions to select the Middlesbrough Rotary Young Musician and Singer of the 2005 Festival will take place, followed by
-
Date
Bakers rises to occassion for centre
A NORTH-EAST bakers has donated £30,000 to help keep a community centre in business. The Willows Centre in Stockton has been awarded the money by Greggs Trust to help fund salaries over the next two years. Its Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) funding
-
Date
Out of the woods and into retirement
A WOODSMAN has hung up his axe after 35 years preserving some of the region's most important wildlife havens. Bill Burlton has retired from the Forestry Commission after a career managing conservation projects and recreational facilities at Kielder, in
-
Date
Town hopes to kick off paraolympic sport
A North-East town's hopes of kicking off a future Paraolympic sport will take a step further this week. It is hoped that Darlington can lead the development in the UK of Powerchair Soccer, a six-a-side sport for wheelchair users which originated in Japan
-
Date
Confiscation warning for quad biker
A YOUTH who annoyed villagers by riding noisily around on a quad bike has been warned that his machine will be confiscated if he does it again. The youth, who has not been named, was stopped by police after riding around a field on the edge of Gainford
-
Date
Row brewing over Andy's image - but it's not with Flo
A COUNCIL has denied that plans to create a monument to cartoon rogue Andy Capp were shelved because Reg Smythe's character is not politically correct. Plans to build a 5ft bronze statue of the cigarette and beer-loving womaniser in Hartlepool were mooted
-
Date
Adventure on the high seas
TWO police officers have boarded a yacht crewed by a group of schoolchildren. Beat bobby Martin Rowell and police community support officer Paul Hustwick, from Darlington police, are accompanying pupils from the town's Beaumont Hill School. The vessel
-
Date
Parents and carers achieve success in back-to-school class
THE achievements of parents, grandparents and carers who went back to the classroom were celebrated yesterday. The adults who took part in Darlington Family Learning project have all competed accredited courses with the Open College Network. To mark their
-
Date
Carnival fair raising money for recreation
THE annual Heighington carnival kicks off on Thursday and this year organisers are raising money for a village recreation area. Paul Evans, owner of Carnival Funfairs, will be bringing an Alice in Wonderland ride, hoop-the-duck, a fun house, a shooting
-
Date
Work starts on £16.7m city bus station site
PREPARATORY work has started on a scheme to replace an underground bus station. The station beneath the Eldon Square Shopping Centre, in Newcastle, will be replaced by a £16.7m new one in Prudhoe Street. The station, funded partly by £11m of Government
-
Date
Villagers' petition opposes 'white elephant' building
RESIDENTS have claimed a series of new developments in their village are nothing more than an expensive "white elephant". People living in Staithes say a new office building is not needed and a cars have already been bogged down in a new car park. They
-
Date
Eating Owt: Food that's fir enouigh
While other pubs embraced the bank holiday, the column was well fed at the Fir Tree Inn. GETTING on two years ago we received a letter from Harry Blackwood, then the Hartlepool Mail's recently departed editor and victim of that reinvigorated town's greatest
-
Date
Hairdressing student gets head start with creative designs
STUDENT hairdresser Kimberley Fletcher has found herself at the cutting edge of fashion - after her college project caught the public's attention. The 23-year-old, who is taking a level 3 NVQ in hairdressing at Darlington College, persuaded her brother
-
Date
On TV last night
The Child Who's Older Than Her Grandmother: Extraordinary People (five) TWO years ago, a documentary introduced us to Hayley, then aged four, who suffers from a rare genetic disease called progeria, which means she's aging eight to ten times faster than
-
Date
Six of the best for Yorkshire
Yorkshire completed a rousing ten-wicket victory over Northamptonshire at Headingley yesterday to continue a great start to the season which has seen them win their last six matches in all competitions. With storm clouds gathering, openers Matthew Wood
-
Date
Richmond has the winter blues licked
RICHMOND Foods has held on to the title of Britain's largest ice cream maker, after beating the winter blues for a second consecutive year. The group, based near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, posted pre-tax profits of £1.86m for the half-year ending
-
Date
The secret life of the violin makers
He's gone from carving stone animals on his father's farm to one of Britain's most distinguished violin makers, but now a progressive disease is threatening his career. Nick Morrison reports. LATER this year, Roger Hansell will give a talk at an international
-
Date
How the West was won over by Japanese car makers
A QUARTER of a century ago, Toyotas were being dismantled by American autoworkers appalled by the notion of Japanese imports at a time when US car companies faced financial disaster. At the same time in Britain, the industry bowed to pressure from domestic
-
Date
Mobile technology that could help win the war on terrorism
A RURAL inventor working to prevent farm burglaries has come up with a device that could help in the fight against global terrorism. Know Limited, of Saltburn, near Redcar, in east Cleveland, is launching a sophisticated mobile phone detector and signal
-
Date
Lynn's new life is a frill a minute
A WOMAN whose life was blighted by a debilitating illness is celebrating six months as a successful businesswoman. Lynn Rawkins, 33, set up Cockaroo Costumes, in Swan Road Industrial Estate, Washington, Wearside, in November last year. She opened the
-
Date
Youngsters release new arrivals at nature reserve
A CHEMICAL company has created a nature reserve on its site to encourage wildlife. Terra Nitrogen, in Billingham, Teesside, invited schoolchildren to the opening of the reserve, which includes a pond and wildlife meadow. Youngsters from High Clarence
-
Date
Top rating fuels wind-farm fears
FEARS have been raised that the Hambleton district could be the focus for a raft of wind-farm developments. The district, which includes the market towns of Northallerton, Thirsk, Bedale, Stokesley and Easingwold, has been identified as having massive
-
Date
Omar al Janabi, Nazim Balkhi, Mel Soulsby
KNOWLEDGE House has made a number of appointments to its team, which promotes closer ties between North-East universities and the region's business sector. OMAR AL JANABI has joined as a business development manager based at the University of Newcastle
-
Date
Town parade tribute to its war heroes and firefighters
A PARADE to remember the role North-East firefighters played in the Second World War is to take place this weekend to coincide with the VE Day celebrations. The parade of standards from across the North of England and Scotland takes place on Sunday at
-
Date
Lawyers help to close £300m PFI contract
LAW firm Dickinson Dees has helped close the region's largest private finance initiative (PFI) deal. The £300m contract will see Equion design build and maintain two hospitals in Newcastle. The Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman hospitals will be re-developed
-
Date
Train operator praises loyal staff
LONG-SERVING staff for train operator Arriva North East have been praised for their commitment. Drivers, fitters, administrative personnel, controllers, inspectors and supervisors were congratulated for their service - totalling 885 years - at a ceremony
-
Date
Man killed in A1 smash
A MAN died in a motorway crash which caused traffic chaos yesterday. Both sides of the A1M, between Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield, County Durham, were closed for several hours after a car hit a lorry, killing the car passenger. The accident happened
-
Date
Jewel can polish off opposition at Musselburgh
EDDIES JEWEL (3.50) gets his first real chance to shine this season in the Musselburgh Banded Stakes. From a realistic punting perspective the best policy so far has been to keep one's powder dry on Eddies Jewel, however that situation is all change bearing
-
Date
Girlfriend who hid drugs is spared jail
A TEENAGER who smuggled drugs into prison for her boyfriend has been spared jail. Judge Peter Armstrong told Claire Louise Ashcroft she deserved a custodial sentence but he would not lock her up because she had been coerced into the offence. Ashcroft,
-
Date
Concern grows for jail officer
POLICE are concerned for a missing prison officer who disappeared from his North-East home on Friday. They appealed for 35-year-old Anthony Lawrence Nicholson, who works at Durham Prison, to let them know he is safe. Mr Nicholson, who has been suffering
-
Date
Nurses will meet public
THE work of Macmillan Cancer Relief is the focus of a public information day next week. A team from the charity got together at the Rutson Hospital, in Northallerton, to publicise the event at the Scotch Corner Hotel, on Wednesday, May 18. Macmillan nurses
-
Date
50,000 jubilant Black Cats' fans salute McCarthy's men
SUNDERLAND'S journey to the Premiership has been long and arduous but, last night, the final leg of the club's trip to the top-flight was undoubtedly the most enjoyable. From Cardiff to Crewe and Plymouth to Preston, the club's supporters have travelled
-
Date
Listening to the forgotten voices
FORGOTTEN VOICES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Max Arthur, (Ebury Press, £7.99): THOSE who lived through the Second World War will never forget it and the 60th anniversary of its ending is a poignant time to relive the history of the war in the words of
-
Date
Hospital responds to fears
THE future of a hospital will be discussed at two forthcoming public meetings. Doctors and managers from the Friarage in Northallerton, will explain the work being done to sustain services at the hospital. The meetings in Northallerton and Hawes have
-
Date
Mystery surrounds walker's death
The mystery of how an experienced walker got into heavy seas while walking from Robin Hood'sBay to Whitby remained unsolved after an inquest heard. David Neil Hammersley had been staying at a guest house in Robin Hood's Bay and had been given a flask
-
Date
'Our people are our X-factor'
Chey Garland rose from tea girl to run an empire that employs 2,800 people. She talks to Deputy Business Editor Dan Jenkins about winning Britain's top award for women in business and her plans for the future. WINNING the Veuve Clicquot award for UK Businesswoman
-
Date
When Hitler missed the paper shop
We passed under a tree every day on our way from the new house by the cemetery to my granddad's newsagents' shop. When I say the new house, I mean, of course, the back-to-back in the cobbled street on which mum and dad had just put down a deposit of £200
-
Date
Jonathan Simpson
MANUFACTURING company Komatsu UK, at Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, has appointed JONATHAN SIMPSON as IT manager. The former systems development co-ordinator has been with the company for ten years and will use his knowledge of the company's systems
-
Date
Bikers welcome review of farm-use regulations
OFF-ROAD motorcycle enthusiasts in the region have welcomed Government plans to look again at regulations which riders say could ruin their sport. Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael has written to motorbike clubs after many decided to cancel forthcoming
-
Date
Teesside the next stop for Yakubu
PORTSMOUTH boss Alain Perrin has all but confirmed that striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu will be joining Middlesbrough this summer. The Nigeria international was one of Steve McClaren's main transfer targets 12 months ago but, after preliminary discussions with
-
Date
Vow to revive fortunes of school after shock report
THE new acting headteacher of a pioneering school rocked by claims of high levels of bullying and truanting last night insisted that its fortunes would be turned around. The Northern Echo revealed yesterday how Karen Pemberton had been suspended as head
-
Date
Which way for the market now Tony is back?
Now that we have finally seen the back of politics for the next four years, attention turns to the actual state of the UK economy. The year so far has been one of mixed fortunes. Generally speaking, company results have been very good and, in most cases
-
Date
Tribunals: When does the time limit apply?
The basic rule is that a claim of unfair dismissal must be presented to a tribunal within three months of the date of dismissal, and that late claims will be accepted only where the applicant can demonstrate that it was not "reasonably practicable" to
-
Date
Peer impressed by region's technology advances
THE leader of an influential House of Lords committee has praised the advances made in the North-East technologies sector. Lord Broers, chairman of the House of Lords science and technology committee, spent two days in the region. He visited the New and
-
Date
Community play recounts a dead lead miner's journey to the cemetery
THE tale of a dead lead miner's journey to the cemetery will be recounted in a community play next month. Last Dance of a Dalesman will be performed at five open-air venues in Richmondshire. Some 40 local people will be joined by professional actors for
-
Date
Fund helps Aycliffe Angels
The Big lottery Fund has donated grant money to help with the hunt for Aycliffe Angels and others who leant a hand during the Second World War. Mrs Lucy Thompson and Mrs Ann Symons received £7,850 from the 'Home Front Recall' in a bid to find ladies who
-
Date
Centrica stock holds steady
SHARES in British Gas owner Centrica held firm yesterday after the company warned it was prepared to raise prices again. The group announced it had lost 382,000 energy accounts already this year, but said its first-quarter performance had still been good
-
Date
N-E houses 'still cheap'
THE region saw one of the largest gains in house prices in the UK in March, official figures show. Prices in the region rose by 19.4 per cent year-on-year, the second-largest jump in the UK after Wales. But in the Yorkshire and Humber region, annual house
-
Date
Jewel can polish off opposition at Musselburgh
EDDIES JEWEL (3.50) gets his first real chance to shine this season in the Musselburgh Banded Stakes. From a realistic punting perspective the best policy so far has been to keep one's powder dry on Eddies Jewel, however that situation is all change bearing
-
Date
Food that's fir enouigh
While other pubs embraced the bank holiday, the column was well fed at the Fir Tree Inn. GETTING on two years ago we received a letter from Harry Blackwood, then the Hartlepool Mail's recently departed editor and victim of that reinvigorated town's greatest
-
Date
Job Search: Vacancies
Exam Invigilators. £5ph, 15hpw, Monday - Friday 9am - 3pm. No experience needed as training given. Duties are to invigilate exams, hand out papers and any other duties as required. Temporary. Will be required to provide an enhanced disclosure at their
-
Date
Growth assured as company doubles income
INSURANCE group BiB plans to double the size of its business over the next five years. The Darlington-based insurer has pledged to significantly increase the £22m-worth of business it handles through its underwriting, personal lines and commercial departments
-
Date
Lisa-Jayne Crighton
l LISA-JAYNE CRIGHTON has been appointed human resources and training manager at Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. She is responsible for overseeing and managing the career progression, training and employment matters for 170 full and part-time staff at the
-
Date
Mum's suicide after 'life sentence of fear'
A MOTHER who was left for dead in her garden after an attack killed herself because she could no longer bear the terrible injuries inflicted on her face. Caroline Thornton told her family and friends that she had been given a "life sentence of fear" following
-
Date
Not so Smoggie any more
FOOTBALL fans are being told to stub out their cigarettes from next season. Middlesbrough FC - long nicknamed the Smoggies by rival North-East fans - is to ban smoking in all areas of the Riverside Stadium. Boro chief executive Keith Lamb said: "We do
-
Date
Tread carefully: a safety message police never tyre of giving
POLICE used an unopened bypass to demonstrate high-speed emergency breaking to raise awareness of faulty tyres. To launch this year's North-East England Tyre Safety Campaign, the police and the Tyre Industry Council demonstrated the dangers of running
-
Date
Hussey's men Breese to win
BRING on the Roses rivals. That was the battle-cry from Durham skipper Mike Hussey after leading his team to their third win out of three in the championship. They consolidated top spot in division two by beating Somerset by four wickets at Stockton yesterday
-
Date
Opportunities abound in Baltic states
companies in the region are being offered the opportunity to develop links with Estonia as part of a UK Trade and Investment trip in July. UK Trade and Investment has teamed up with the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) to organise a market research
-
Date
University expansion gets £12m backing
A NEW research and teaching centre at one of the region's leading universities has won £12m backing. The centre, which will cost £38m in total, will be the flagship of York University's proposed £500m campus extension. Codenamed Complex X, the centre
-
Date
Comment from The Northern Echo: What went wrong?
THE parents of hundreds of school pupils in Darlington can be forgiven for being confused. In April, a pioneering project linking the failing Eastbourne Comprehensive with the successful Hurworth Comprehensive was hailed as a great success. The "federation
-
Date
Michael Ryder
MICHAEL RYDER has been appointed group property maintenance manager at Vimac Leisure. The role involves looking after properties in the Vimac estate from South Yorkshire to Scotland. He has been involved in building design and management for 25 years,
-
Date
Partnership will boost N-E games industry
THE region's video game designers have signed a commercial alliance with two international partners. GameHorizon, the North-East games developer association, has agreed deals with the Digital Media Alliance in Florida, US, and GameInfinity, in Seoul,
-
Date
Windass key to success, Hodgson
DAVID HODGSON last night rued his unsuccessful attempt to land Dean Windass as the difference between success and failure this season. Quakers narrowly missed out on the play-offs at the weekend, when they were edged out on goal difference by Northampton
-
Date
Radio One musical festival hailed huge success
ORGANISERS of Sunderland's other weekend party - Radio One's Big Weekend in Herrington Country Park - said the event was a resounding success. More than 30,000 music fans attended the party and police dealt with only a handful of minor incidents. Andy
-
Date
Hoop a duck for charity
THE annual Heighington carnival kicks off on Thursday and this year organisers are raising money for a village recreation area. Paul Evans, owner of Carnival Funfairs, will be bringing an Alice in Wonderland ride, hoop-the-duck, a fun house, a shooting
-
Date
School's clean sweep in rugby
A NORTH-EAST school with a proud rugby history is carrying on its traditions after making a clean sweep in the county championships. The U13s, U14s, U15s and U16s at Barnard Castle School, in County Durham, were all county cup winners following a long
-
Date
Endure a three-sport challenge
APPLICATION forms are now available for an endurance race. The 14th annual Teesdale Triathlon is being held on Sunday, September 4, at Teesdale Sports Centre in Barnard Castle. It will consist of a 500-metre swim, a 28-km bike ride and a 7.7-km run. It
-
Date
Anger prompts reward
A BOOKSELLER is offering a reward in the hope of catching vandals who smashed his shop window. The side window at Curlews bookshop, in Barnard Castle Market Place, was smashed between 5.30pm and 8.30pm on Thursday, May 5. Although it was only a small
-
Date
Anti-bully award for students
students who have given up their free time to stamp out bullying have been recognised for their efforts. Debra Lanceley, Danielle Martin, Sarah Morton, Rebecca Moseley, Claire Robson, Gemma Strong and Andrew Embleton, from Wolsingham School and Community
-
Date
Council accused of lacking pride in the history of town
A COUNCIL has been accused of being "ashamed of its town" after failing to create a suitable landmark to commemorate the area's glorious past. Despite being the birthplace of the world's first railway line, Stockton has virtually no memorial to its illustrious
-
Date
Pupils on air to interview football stars
PRIMARY school pupils will get the chance to try their hand as radio sports presenters tonight when they tackle Middlesbrough's star midfielder Bolo Zenden. The youngsters from Breckon Hill and St Augustine's schools are part of a gifted and talented
-
Date
Yobs smash up sports pavilion
VILLAGERS are furious with hooligans who smashed a pavilion that had been used by a bowling club for more than 40 years. After damaging the outside of the building and pulling down part of a canopy at the weekend, they broke into the building on the Hazelgrove
-
Date
TV celeb turns to story telling
ACTRESS Denise Welch turned celebrity storyteller at a bookstore yesterday. The North-East-born former star of Coronation Street and Soldier, Soldier, was at the storytelling event at Waterstones, at the MetroCentre. She read extracts from The Shayped
-
Date
Learners week will highlight courses
THE wealth of opportunities available to adults interested in returning to learning in Chester-le-Street will be highlighted during a week of events. Adult Learners' Week takes place from May 23 to May 27 when there will be 29 taster sessions for residents
-
Date
Charity match
An annual charity football match is taking place this weekend. The over-40s match between Billingham Wynyard and Billingham Town is happening on Sunday, at Billingham Town's ground on Bedford Terrace. It will be in aid of Butterwick Hospice and the Great
-
Date
£23m pledged to bring schools into 21st Century
MILLIONS of pounds are to be spent improving schools in North Yorkshire to provide the county's children with the best possible facilities. Temporary classrooms will be replaced, schools made more accessible for disabled pupils and out-dated facilities
-
Date
Former national bowls champ has died
A FORMER national bowls champion who played an important role in developing the sport in the region has died at the age of 91. Janet Auld, from Sunderland, won the Alpha Rose Bowl as the All-England individual champion in finals played at Wimbledon in
-
Date
Aspiring designers in the spotlight
THE North-East finals of a competition to find the young designers of tomorrow takes place this week. Durham County Cricket Club, in Chester-le-Street, hosts the fourth annual regional final of the Audi Young Designer 2005 competition, tomorrow. It is
-
Date
College students visit America as part of robotics course
STUDENTS have been given a State-side experience to broaden their international knowledge of industry. Nine teenagers from Redcar and Cleveland College, who are studying engineering, visited Cleveland State Community College in Tennessee, US, as part
-
Date
Tragedy of the child pensioner
The Child Who's Older Than Her Grandmother: Extraordinary People (five): TWO years ago, a documentary introduced us to Hayley, then aged four, who suffers from a rare genetic disease called progeria, which means she's aging eight to ten times faster than
-
Date
Vandals terrorise town centre
A GANG of teenagers stormed a country bus, stole the emergency hammer, jumped off, then smashed the window of an ornate bus shelter. The attack happened in Stanhope just after the Crook bus pulled into the market place terminus. About ten youngsters -
-
Date
Residents given chance to shape future of town
RESIDENTS living in central Middlesbrough will have their say on plans to demolish and regenerate the neighbourhood. The council is hosting a series of drop-in sessions to get people's views on the controversial scheme for the older housing in the town
-
Date
Pizza delivery man's knife ordeal
A PIZZA delivery man was threatened with a knife by a drunk demanding he drive him to a pub. Police said the 38-year old was unhurt, but left shaken by the encounter, which happened in Rowan Place, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, at 8pm last Friday. He
-
Date
Carver backs Scott to land Pool top job
NEWCASTLE United academy director John Carver believes Martin Scott 'deserves' to get the Hartlepool United job permanently - despite being in competition with the former Sunderland defender for the post. Carver, and former boss Chris Turner, last week
-
Date
Exiled Tibetan nun in third cathedral visit
A YOUNG Tibetan nun in exile in the Himalayan foothills of North India is to visit North Yorkshire for the third time - to improve her English and computer skills. For Thamchoe Dolkar, it will be a chance to renew friendships established during her previous
-
Date
Blind faith on Kilimanjaro - and all for the love of Judy
ATTEMPTING to climb Africa's highest mountain is not a decision made lightly. But when Judith Moran was diagnosed with terminal cancer, it was the easiest decision her husband Patrick had ever made. Having lost his sight in one eye, 55-year-old Mr Moran
-
Date
Charity for disabled has new branch
A NATIONAL charity that designs and makes specialist equipment for disabled people has set up a new branch in North Yorkshire. Remap, which stands for Rehabilitation Engineering Movement Advisory Panels, now has a group in Harrogate and Ripon. The charity
-
Date
Festival attracts record crowds
A RECORD number of people attended a North Yorkshire show over the Bank Holiday weekend. About 21,000 visited the three-day Dales Festival of Food and Drink in Leyburn, about 1,000 more than the previous year. Gerald Hodgson, a member of the organising
-
Date
Patients should question the drugs prescribed by their GP
PATIENTS in Darlington are being asked to take an active interest in their health care to improve safety around prescriptions. A campaign is being launched to improve medications practice in the town, in which the public will be encouraged to question
-
Date
Poetry in print
PARENTS and children have taken their first steps into the world of poetry. After nine-months, the SureStart nursery, in McNay Street, Darlington, has produced three books of illustrated rhyme. Seven parents and 12 children created Kids Mess and More,
-
Date
Teacher in rifles ordeal at school
TWO teenagers have been caught on camera firing air weapons on a North-East school's playing fields The youths broke into Darlington's Longfield Comprehensive School fields and started shooting indiscriminately at birds with what are thought to be air
-
Date
City tribute
TRIBUTE was paid yesterday to the thousands of Danish sailors who kept the convoys sailing during the Second World War. About 150 former merchant seamen attended a civic reception in Newcastle, which was home to more than 4,000 Danes during the war. They
-
Date
Town parade tribute to its war heroes and firefighters
A PARADE to remember the role North-East firefighters played in the Second World War is to take place this weekend to coincide with the VE Day celebrations. The parade of standards from across the North of England and Scotland takes place on Sunday at
-
Date
Mum drunk in charge of child
A MOTHER has been charged with being drunk in charge of her child. Police were called after it is alleged that Suzanne Dale, 38, went into the Anson Hotel in Wallsend, North Tyneside, with a baby in a pram. The infant, who is four months old, had been
-
Date
Dr Stan Higgins
THE North-East Process Industry Cluster (Nepic) has appointed DR STAN HIGGINS as chief executive. Nepic was recently formed by the merger of two organisations in the North-East, the Pharmaceutical and Speciality (P&S) Cluster and the Teesside Chemical
-
Date
Villagers' petition opposes 'white elephant' building
RESIDENTS have claimed a series of new developments in their village are nothing more than an expensive "white elephant". People living in Staithes say a new office building is not needed and a cars have already been bogged down in a new car park. They
-
Date
Don't dive into the IT deep end
Picture the scenario - your IT manager wants a new system that is quicker, better and sexier than the one you have. Inside, you are yelling NO, and want the madness to stop, but he is so convinced this new technology will bring unbeatable value to your
-
Date
Off-licences scrutinised to tackle under-age drinking
POLICE are gearing up to check whether hundreds of off-licences are sticking to the law on under-age drinking. The Durham force will launch a "test purchase" operation at the weekend in which teenagers are sent to try to buy alcohol. The move is part
-
Date
County electors stay true blue
THE boundary divisions may have been redrawn but that was where the shake-up ended as far as the county council elections in North Yorkshire were concerned. With all the votes in, the colour of the biggest county in England remained resolutely blue, with
-
Date
Survival is the only goal for Black Cats
WITH the euphoria of Sunderland's Championship win gradually beginning to subside, a level-headed Carl Robinson has insisted that Premiership survival must be his side's principal ambition next season. If the Black Cats midfielder had any reservations
-
Date
Workers 'devastated' by firm's closure
UP to 500 jobs are at risk after the surprise closure of a civil engineering company yesterday. The O'Donnell Brothers group, which employs about 200 staff in Billingham, on Teesside, and about another 300 in Newcastle, is believed to have gone into administration
-
Date
Hussey's men Breese to win
BRING on the Roses rivals. That was the battle-cry from Durham skipper Mike Hussey after leading his team to their third win out of three in the championship. They consolidated top spot in division two by beating Somerset by four wickets at Stockton yesterday
-
Date
Sisters doing it for themselves
It took a male writer to satisfy Amanda Daniels' desire for a play projecting strong women, as Steve Pratt finds out. AFTER a performance of Third Finger Left Hand, actress Amanda Daniels was accosted by a woman in the foyer who told her, "It's so wonderful
-
Date
Solvency will not be a problem at Bioniqs
A COMPANY that grew out of research at one of the region's universities is close to its first major deal, after only two months in business. Bioniqs, which started out at York University, has produced a range of environmentally-friendly solvents. The
-
Date
Wartime heroes and villains
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHURCHILL by Richard Holmes (BBC Worldwide, £20): AS well as Sir Winston Churchill's wartime activities, this TV tie-in with an eight-part BBC series examines his early life, including his troubled schooldays, flamboyant political
-
Date
Sisters doing it for themselves
It took a male writer to satisfy Amanda Daniels' desire for a play projecting strong women, as Steve Pratt finds out. AFTER a performance of Third Finger Left Hand, actress Amanda Daniels was accosted by a woman in the foyer who told her, "It's so wonderful
-
Date
The man who is building bridges to a healthy future for troubled Cleveland
It has been a difficult few years for some of Darlington's oldest engineering companies, particularly Cleveland Bridge. But, under the ownership of one of Saudi Arabia's biggest companies, there is a future. Business Editor Julia Breen talks to Jon Dale
-
Date
Job Search: Vacancies
Telesales executives, must have experience, training given. Ref: BIS 15902. Cook, must have NVQ 2/3 and hold or be prepared to obtain basic food hygiene certificate, experience in catering industry preferred. Ref: BIS 15945. Care worker, must have six
-
Date
Renewable energy could generate 25,000 N-E jobs
THE Government last night predicted that the North-East would play a major role in the renewable energy industry which, it said, could create up to 35,000 jobs by 2020. The Government vote of confidence came as Middlesbrough-based Marine Projects International
-
Date
Schoolfriends take tribute journey to battlefields of France
FIVE former school friends are leaving the North-East for France this week to pay tribute to the soldiers who did not live to see peace. The friends, all from County Durham, bought and restored an old minibus for their three-times-a-year pilgrimages to
-
Date
Law firm strengthens the team
FOUR solicitors have been appointed to North-East law firm Ward Hadaway's business team. Former gymnast AUSTIN WOODS, 32, represented Great Britain more than 70 times before studying law at Newcastle University. Mr Woods, who owned and operated his own
-
Date
Output fall catches the City by surprise
THE beleaguered state of the UK manufacturing sector was brought home last night by figures showing the sharpest drop in output for nearly three years. Economists expressed their shock at the performance, which involved a 1.6 per cent fall in production
-
Date
Job Search: Vacancies
Internal sales person, Northallerton, 45hrs pw Mon-Fri and alt Sats, good knowledge of building trade and some sales skills required. Ref: NAL 2149. General stock hand, Ripon, 40hrs pw between 7am and 5pm Mon-Fri, must be 18-plus and hold full driving
-
Date
Storing cocaine paid for pets care
AN orphan who stored drugs at his home in return for £100 a week to spend on his pets has been jailed for three years. Thomas Peters was approached by dealers to keep cocaine at his council house so they could evade being caught by police. But officers
-
Date
Concern for welfare of missing youth
POLICE are concerned for the welfare of a teenager who has been missing from his home for several days. Jamie Roy Marriott, 15, of Stooperdale Avenue, Darlington, was reported missing by his mother last Friday, but had not been seen for a couple of days
-
Date
The Lifeblood Appeal
As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood Appeal, which aims to encourage people in the region to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions: Monday, May 16 Civic Hall, Medomsley Road Consett, 2pm-4pm Community Centre, Wynyard Road, Owton
-
Date
Company confident future is secure
THE man drafted in to help save one of the North-East's most famous companies last night said the future was secure - despite work being due to run out in the summer. Jon Dale, who was appointed president of Darlington-based Cleveland Bridge this year
-
Date
Five years for driver who killed while high on drugs
A BANNED driver who killed a passenger after crashing while high on a cocktail of drink and drugs was jailed yesterday for five years. Lee Aaron Fitzgerald had drunk at least five pints of lager and taken cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis before getting behind
-
Date
It's westward bound where the Reeks are found
Friday's column supposed McGillycuddy Reeks to have been a character in one of Sir Walter Scott's novels, and was so helplessly off the scent that the nose for news may incurably have become congested. McGillycuddy reeks, it may be recalled, was the horse
-
Date
A charming business for working mum
GLASS charms for wine glasses are the basis of a thriving business that enables its director to work and look after her young children. Suzanne Kelly, a French and Spanish teacher from Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, set up Charming Weddings in October
-
Date
Hospital project to help bereaved
AN unusual project that aims to improve the care offered to patients and bereaved relatives, has been launched by a North-East hospital trust. A team at the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking the views of members of the
-
Date
Echo Technology: Don't dive into the IT deep end
Picture the scenario - your IT manager wants a new system that is quicker, better and sexier than the one you have. Inside, you are yelling NO, and want the madness to stop, but he is so convinced this new technology will bring unbeatable value to your
-
Date
Takeover doubles size of bakery
A BAKER whose factory was destroyed by fire has risen from the ashes to more than double in size. Pie producer Tindale and Stanton (T&S) has bought the Bakehouse Craft bakery, in Gateshead, as a replacement for its bread plant in Stanley, County Durham
