Archive
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Hundreds without electricity
HUNDREDS of homes were still without power across the North last night after 20,000 lightning strikes hit the area. At the height of Wednesday evening's storm, almost 100,000 households in the region were blacked out. Engineers worked to restore power
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Jim celebrates 25 years as castle host
A TRAVEL agent is celebrating 25 years of leading a double life. By day, 56-year-old Jim Cowper wears a sober suit to work in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, but at night he changes into medieval robes to preside over the themed banquets at the nearby
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'I thought I might harm my daughter'
AMIE is sitting quietly in an armchair in a corner of the room while her mother Debbie Wrightson talks. Occasionally, she gets up to get a bag of crisps, or to play with her younger brothers, but mostly she is quiet. Today is a good day, according to
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Please be patient, Williams asks fans
DARREN Williams has called for a bit of patience after Hartlepool United's stuttering start to this season. Pool have yet to find top gear this season and have just a single League One win for their efforts. They salvaged a draw with a late penalty against
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Parents' warning after tot drowns
THE parents of a toddler who drowned in a garden pool warned other families last night to fill in their ponds to avoid suffering the same agony. Julie Johnson and Danny Randall, from Woodside, Brotton, east Cleveland, told of their "intense pain" at the
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Legal delay to second Tyne tunnel
AN objector's legal challenge could delay the start of work on the second Tyne Tunnel by up to nine months, officials fear. The £140m crossing near the existing tunnel between Jarrow, South Tyneside, and Howden, on the Tyne's north bank, was approved
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Cheers!
REAL ale lovers were toasting a stalwart of one of the North-East's biggest beer festivals last night. A special beer has been brewed to mark the efforts of Eddie Turner in keeping the Durham Beer Festival alive during a slump in its fortunes. The former
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We are here to stay, says club
A FITNESS club says it is suffering from speculation over its future after multi-million pound plans for redeveloping its site were unveiled. The riverbank in Walkergate, Durham, has been identified as a site for a £20m development including apartments
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Man jailed for six months after breach of court order
A DARLINGTON man was starting a prison sentence yesterday after being found guilty of breaching his community punishment order. Paul Evers, of Gainsborough Court, was made the subject of the order in December last year after pleading guilty to receiving
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Witness plea in hunt for sex attacker
POLICE are investigating a sex attack on a 27-year-old woman. The woman was near York's Museum Gardens when she was approached by a man on a bicycle at 4.30pm on Wednesday, who carried out a sexual assault. The man was about 40, 5ft 8in, with short blond
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16 years of study reveals women's rail role
A BOOK devoted to the role played by women in running the country's railways was launched yesterday. Railwaywomen tells the story of the thousands of women who worked on railways during the First and Second World Wars. It also describes the first women
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Man is hunted after sex act with horse
A MAN who sexually abused a horse in front of a woman and her 12-year-old daughter is being hunted by police. The pervert was seen in a field near Milldene Town Farm, in Jarrow, South Tyneside, on Saturday evening, carrying out a sickening act with the
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Jim celebrates 25 years as castle host
A TRAVEL agent is celebrating 25 years of leading a double life. By day, 56-year-old Jim Cowper wears a sober suit to work in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, but at night he changes into medieval robes to preside over the themed banquets at the nearby
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Old skills in new courses
TRADITIONAL mat-making skills will be shared during a series of courses across Durham. Four ten-week courses are planned, each costing £30, or half price for senior citizens, where beginners can learn some of the skills which go into making traditional
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The Durham promotion calculator
THIS is the final season of three up, three down, and the least Durham can expect at the moment is to finish third in both the four-day and one-day tables. They are still top in the championship, but Lancashire have gained two more batting points than
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Crash victims are named
TWO motorists who died in road accidents at the weekend have been named by police. Winifred Anne Webber, 78, of Constable Burton, near Leyburn, North Yorkshire, died when her Renault Clio was involved in an accident with a Land Rover Discovery vehicle
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Mother convicted a second time
A MOTHER has appeared in court for the second time for failing to ensure her son attended school. Louise Allinson was given a conditional discharge at Teesside Magistrates' Court yesterday, less than a year after she was fined £100 for a similar offence
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Lotto cash to arrive on open-top bus
THE lucky first winner of a new lottery game has been narrowed down to a corner of the North-East. Organisers of the National Postcode Lottery have revealed that their first £25,000 winner comes from the DH2 postcode area - the Chester-le-Street area.
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Lotto cash to arrive on open-top bus
THE lucky first winner of a new lottery game has been narrowed down to a corner of the North-East. Organisers of the National Postcode Lottery have revealed that their first £25,000 winner comes from the DH2 postcode area - the Chester-le-Street. The
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Town in the market for right royal occasion
THE Prince of Wales is to help a town celebrate 850 years of market trading. Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, will visit Richmond, in North Yorkshire, during two weeks of events marking the granting of the town's first royal charter
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50ft window plunge
A MAN was in hospital last night after falling about 50ft as he tried to shoo away a pigeon from his window sill. The noisy bird was roosting outside the bedroom window of his fourth-floor flat and began cooing. The 30-year-old decided to climb out on
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Amec wins new contracts worth £100m
AN engineering services company has secured contracts in the chemicals sector worth more than £100m, The Northern Echo has learned. Amec, which employs 400 people in industrial and support services in Darlington, has won a five-year management contract
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Shoptalk
THEY'RE off! Well they will be, any day now. And it will take a small pantechnicon to get them there. Students need a lot of stuff. Back in the Olden Days, I set off for university with two cases of clothes, a bag of books and a portable typewriter. But
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Mother in court on baby murder
The mother of a baby killed in a house fire in Newcastle appeared in court charged with his murder. Danielle Wails, was charged on Thursday and appeared before Newcastle magistrates today. Alexander Gallon, who was four-months-old, died in a fire at a
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On TV last night
The Year London Blew Up: 1974 (C4) RECENT terrorist events in the capital made this documentary a timely reminder that we've been here before. When I say "we", I mean not so much the whole country, as London. During 1974 the city was subjected to 40 attacks
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Somerfield ordered to sell stores
Supermarket group Somerfield has been ordered to sell 12 stores after a study by the UK's competition watchdog. The Competition Commission said it had taken the move to prevent a "substantial lessening" of competition in the local areas of the stores.
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Hotel complex for market town
A DEVELOPER has unveiled plans for a multi-million pound hotel and leisure complex on the outskirts of a North-East market town. The proposed 120-room hotel and golf complex at Humbleton Camp, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, promises to be one of
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Boost for Teesside's mental health services
Almost £80m will be spent on improving mental health and learning disability facilities across Teesside, health officials have confirmed. The Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust says it is the biggest ever single investment of its kind in health services
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Solano: I spurned Reds to come home
NOLBERTO Solano has revealed that he turned down a last-gasp opportunity to join Liverpool in order to become re-united with his beloved Newcastle number four shirt. The Peruvian playmaker, who made 233 appearances during his first spell at St James'
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Rape charge dismissed by crown court
A PRISON officer accused of attempting to rape a woman has had the charge dismissed after the prosecution in the case offered no evidence. Stephen Watts, who works at Durham Prison, had denied the alleged offence, said to have taken place after a night
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Son stamped on father's head
A SON who beat his father and stamped on his head in an apparent revenge attack has been spared jail. Jason Walton flew into a rage at Stephen Scott, who he blamed for being violent towards his mother. Teesside Crown Court heard that Walton was estranged
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Market report
A bid approach for Exel and positive results from drinks maker Diageo helped the FTSE 100 Index make strong gains for the third session in a row yesterday. Plans by Cadbury Schweppes to sell its European drinks operation added to the mix, as the Footsie
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Swinbank heads south chasing win number four
ALAN SWINBANK'S high opinion concerning Ouninpohja has been fully vindicated over recent weeks by virtue of three wins on the bounce in successively stronger races. They don't come much shrewder than Alan, so his decision to despatch the progressive four-year-old
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Boy's love for mum who died in attack
A SCHOOLBOY has spoken of his love for his mother only days after she was killed in an attack at her North-East home. Ten-year-old Kieran Luke asked his grandfather and aunt to speak on his behalf to say how much he loved his mother, Johanna Luke, who
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The sort of advice you don't need
High summer in Britain is dubbed the silly season by the media because of the number of bizarre stories that fill the pages. The reality is that, with Parliament in recess, the media's reliable source of news fodder is missing and so it has to dig deeper
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Viduka's international ambitions
MARK Viduka last night admitted his career would finish unfulfilled if he was unable to lead his native Australia into a World Cup finals. As well as playing in the Premiership, the Middlesbrough striker has also featured in the semi-finals of the Champions
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Family tells how children fled devastation caused by Katrina
A NORTH-EAST couple have told how their children fled New Orleans to escape the devastation wreaked by hurricane Katrina. Susan and Peter Close, who grew up in Stockton, Teesside, spent 20 years in the Louisiana city and two of their children, Sarah,
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Prisoners in topping challenge to support therapy centre
A GROUP of North-East prisoners will make a break for it on Sunday as they take on a challenge for charity. Nine inmates from HMP Kirklevington Grange will take part in the Roseberry Challenge to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre in
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Mother's anger in wake of gun alert
A MOTHER has hit out at shops selling ball bearing (BB) guns after her son was involved in a security alert on a train. The woman, who did not want to be named, said she was concerned someone could be shot by police. Armed officers cornered four youths
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Hangover is easing at Diageo
THE company behind Guinness hinted last night that the slump in demand for ready-to-drink brands was easing as it posted a two per cent rise in annual operating profits. Diageo scaled back spending on promoting brands such as Smirnoff Ice after worldwide
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Big push to meet skills shortages
NINETY per cent of the region's employers in textile and footwear are struggling to find skilled recruits. A survey by Skillsfast UK, the skills council for the clothing and textile sector, found that a shortage of workers with the right qualifications
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Bombings hit takeover target
Takeover bidders have walked away from talks to buy a struggling tea and coffee specialist. The announcement comes a week after Whittard of Chelsea warned that the London bombings could affect trading at some of its stores for months to come. It also
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Union leaders to discuss oil rig holidays
UNION leaders representing North Sea oil workers will meet today to decide their next move in a long-running dispute over paid holidays. The dispute is over holidays given to 17,000 oil rig workers, complaining that employers had resisted giving them
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Manufacturers struggle as raw material prices soar
MANUFACTURERS facing pressure from falling sales and rising raw material costs have been cutting jobs at the fastest rate for two years. The squeeze on the workforce came as companies continued to report lacklustre levels of activity - though the performance
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Brands to be sold following slow growth
Cadbury Schweppes put the drinks operation behind Oasis and Orangina up for sale yesterday after its growth lagged behind other parts of the business. The group is inviting offers for its Europe Beverages division, which analysts think could be worth
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Dyson takes to the road
THE inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner is to share his technology with the motor industry. Sir James Dyson plans to use the motors from his vacuum cleaners to power fans and starter motors in cars. The inventor will be hoping he can repeat his clean-up
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McGrath fitness would be boost for England players
England are hoping to prove their point to Glenn McGrath in person next week as they enter the final Test seeking to end 16 years of Ashes torment. Michael Vaughan's men go into the fifth match of the npower series with a 2-1 lead and need only a draw
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Redcar double for Nicholls
Adrian Nicholls is enjoying his best season and he was left only one short of a half century after completing a double on The Terrier and Sawwaah at Redcar yesterday. The Terrier was opening her account at the third attempt in the Cockle Maiden Auction
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Town gets ready as soap stars compete on pitch
THERE are only a few days left before a star-studded soccer tournament gets under way. The clash between a team of soap stars and a team of former North-East professionals is the highlight of a day of football in Darlington. Before the celebrity match
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Wilkinson handed bench duties at Sale opener
NEWCASTLE Falcons have opted to keep Jonny Wilkinson on the bench for tonight's Guinness Premiership opener at Sale. They have also sprung a surprise by preferring former England Under 21 lock Geoff Parling to Scotland international Stuart Grimes, who
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Reign of terror
A 12-YEAR-OLD boy who intimidated and assaulted his family and smeared faeces on the walls of their home scared his parents so much that they failed to ensure he attended school. Jamie Crozier went to school only five times in six months during the reign
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Plans unveiled for golf course and 120-bed hotel near town
DEVELOPERS say a hotel and golf complex near a town could help it become one of the region's leading tourist destinations. The plan by developer Primula to build a 120-bedroom hotel and 18-hole golf course near Barnard Castle, County Durham, could bring
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In memory of a hospital worker
A CONCERT is to be held in memory of a hospital worker. Pat Conlon, who was superintendent radiographer at Darlington Memorial Hospital, died in March after a short illness. The wife of ex-Darlington and Hartlepool United footballer Bryan Conlon, her
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£50,000 payout
A SENIOR local government worker has been awarded £50,000 in compensation after a tribunal ruled he had been unfairly made redundant. Fred Craggs, the former chief architect at Easington District Council, in County Durham, was made redundant by the authority
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Hard-hitting dvd fires homes message of driving dangers
A HARD-HITTING DVD aimed at highlighting the effects of traffic accidents to young drivers has been praised by a Government minister. Jim Fitzpatrick, who has responsibility for fire, visited Cleveland Fire Brigade headquarters yesterday to watch a demonstration
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Investigation after rabbit's body dumped
AN investigation has been launched after a woman found a dead rabbit in a carrier bag dumped in her garden. The badly decomposed remains were crawling with maggots. Shocked RSPCA officials, who are investigating the incident, say the pet had been dead
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Burglar stole from dead grandmother
A BURGLAR used money stolen from a 94-year-old grandmother to buy beer, despite knowing she was lying dead in her home. Gavin Gage, 22, broke into the woman's house in Bute Court, Sunderland, on August 21 and found her body in the shower. But instead
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Club's saviour stole the takings
A SOCIAL club official credited with saving it from closure stole more than £2,000 in takings, a court heard yesterday. Harrogate magistrates heard how the work done by 52-year-old Gerald Evans as secretary of the town's Harlow Hill Social Club was largely
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Council to deliver forms to voters
HOUSEHOLDERS are being urged to fill in a form for the new register of electors. Residents of Middlesbrough are being warned that failure to fill in a form - soon to come through their letter box - could not only disqualify them from voting in future
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Police hunt for young camera thief
A thief snatched a digital camera from a woman as she walked to a friend's Newton Aycliffe home to show her some holiday photographs. The woman, who is in her early 20s, was walking towards a path near Hatfield Road when she was confronted by a group
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New school becomes reality after 25 years of waiting
A PROMISE made 25 years ago will finally be fulfilled next week when a group of Darlington children start at a new school. In 1980, Durham County Council education bosses proposed to transfer Harrowgate Hill infant and junior schools to Thompson Street
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Council -undemocratic' over homes demolition debate
A COUNCIL may not have time to address the concerns of residents whose homes are earmarked for demolition. Residents were hoping to put questions about a decision to flatten 1,500 terraced homes in Middlesbrough to a meeting of the borough council on
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Man attacked
A MAN was left unconscious after being attacked in Crook. The victim, who was in his early 20s, was punched and knocked unconscious in the attack, which involved about 12 men in Crook Market Place, on Sunday, at 11pm The victim was taken to Bishop Auckland
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Television personalities to be the stars of a charity auction
A SWEATSHIRT worn by former Coronation Street star Bruno Langley will go under the hammer to raise money for children with diabetes. The soap souvenir is among a host of memorabilia that will be auctioned this weekend to raise money to buy insulin pumps
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Late licence bid
COUNCILLORS will consider a music venue's application to extend its alcohol licence. The Forum Music Centre, in Borough Road, Darlington, has applied to the borough council for a new licence. The centre presently serves alcohol from 11am to 11pm, Mondays
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Success for town's back to work scheme
A DARLINGTON Council scheme has helped 30 companies fill vacancies. The Central into Work project helps residents of the North Road, Northgate, Central and Bank Top areas of Darlington find jobs. The project helps unemployed people with CVs, interviews
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Police appeal for witnesses to vicious late night attack
AN appeal was made last night for witnesses to a sustained early hours' attack to come forward to aid police inquiries. The unprovoked assault took place in Framwelgate Peth, in Durham, as the 26-year-old victim made his way home from a city centre night
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Man held after petrol death threat
A MAN doused himself in petrol and threatened to set himself on fire after a domestic dispute. Police and firefighters were called by the man's wife to an address in Hambleton Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, on Wednesday. Officers spent about
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Become a better actor
A DRAMA group is holding workshops to enable people to become better actors. The Allerton Players have organised the sessions, which will be led by Middlesbrough actor Leslie Simpson. He has appeared in films Dog Soldiers and Descent. Kate Staines, chairwoman
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Rich-poor divide is widening - experts
BRITISH society is still divided into rich and poor, despite improvements in living standards, according to a study released yesterday. People in the poorest areas generally have the worst access to services, such as housing, education and health care
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Mother charged with son's murder
THE mother of a baby who died in a fire at their North-East home was last night charged with his murder. Single mother Danielle Wails was arrested on Wednesday by officers investigating Sunday's blaze at her home in Links Road, in the Cowgate area of
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Kyle: Strikers have just borrowed my shirt
DETERMINED Kevin Kyle last night threw down the gauntlet to Mick McCarthy's new £3m strikeforce when he declared: "Your shirts are only on loan". McCarthy recently added Jonathan Stead, Andy Gray, Anthony Le Tallec and Daryl Murphy to his ranks as he
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Tennis serves good cause
A CHARITY tennis championship takes place in Durham City this weekend. Six teams of young tennis players, aged from eight to 12, will take part in the event on Sunday to raise money for the Mayor of Durham's Appeal. The two-hour challenge takes place
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Swinbank heads south chasing win number four
ALAN SWINBANK'S high opinion concerning Ouninpohja has been fully vindicated over recent weeks by virtue of three wins on the bounce in successively stronger races. They don't come much shrewder than Alan, so his decision to despatch the progressive four-year-old
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Wenger's praise for Cats convinces defender Hoyte to make switch
JUSTIN Hoyte admitted he did not need much persuading to join Sunderland from Arsenal after his boss Arsene Wenger lavished praise on the club. Hoyte moved to the Black Cats on transfer deadline day on a season long loan to become Mick McCarthy's 12th
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Stadiums score top marks
SUNDERLAND and Newcastle may be languishing at the bottom of the Premiership but their football stadiums both get top marks in a survey. Hull's KC Stadium is top of the table with the Stadium of Light voted runner-up in a TV survey. St James' Park was
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Wellock's World
NEWS of Michael Owen's signing apparently brought a long queue of people waiting to bare their backsides in Fenwick's window. Now the man himself could walk through the Newcastle department store stark naked and people would exclaim: "My, Mr Owen what
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Twin centurians put Durham in with a shout of promotion
DURHAM'S acting captain Paul Collingwood and Dale Benkenstein both hit centuries to pass 1,000 championship runs for the season yesterday as they skilfully averted the threat of an embarrassing defeat by bottom club Derbyshire. At 59 for three in the
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Eriksson bets big with a tactical shift
Sven-Goran Eriksson faces one of the biggest tests of his reign as England coach this weekend as he prepares for a dramatic shift in tactics to face Wales in Cardiff. Eriksson is poised to choose a key World Cup qualifying tie to embark on a new experiment
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First World War uniforms secured
UNIFORMS from the First World War have been proudly worn for the first time in the UK by re-enactment enthusiasts. Members of the Heugh Gun Battery Trust paraded the streets in the Women's Auxiliary Army Core uniforms from 1916. There are only three in
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Me and my health: Bill Nighy
BILL originally wanted to be a journalist and after a short spell with a magazine, ran away to Paris in his late teens to write "the great novel" - but he only managed to write the title. Back home, a girlfriend suggested he should become an actor, so
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Shakespeare fans gathering in city
The British Shakespeare Association is holding its annual conference in the North-East. About 500 delegates from around the world are visiting Newcastle University for the four-day celebration of all things Shakespearean. The event will finish on Monday
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Fitness with the WOW factor
THE first time I saw the dazzling interior of Wear Valley council's Wellness On Wheels mobile gym I was impressed. With its array of top-of-the-range gym equipment, its air conditioning and its sophisticated electronic fitness monitoring system, the WOW
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Timely reminder of a reign of terror
The Year London Blew Up: 1974 (C4) RECENT terrorist events in the capital made this documentary a timely reminder that we've been here before. When I say "we", I mean not so much the whole country, as London. During 1974 the city was subjected to 40 attacks
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Bowyer case delayed
NEWCASTLE United footballer Lee Bowyer's court appearance next week has been postponed pending a legal challenge in the High Court, his lawyer said yesterday. The 28-year-old was due to answer a summons following an on-pitch brawl with team-mate Kieron
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Stories that must be told
IN the last week, we have reported two stories about the deaths of young children caused by their mothers' drugs problems. These are stories that make you weep. On Saturday, we told how Fiona Milson, 33, of Malton, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to manslaughter
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Trim your post-hols tummy in a week
DRINKING and eating too much is all part of the fun of a holiday but is often a passport to weight gain and sadly, those pounds don't fade away like a tan. GMTV's health and fitness expert, Nicki Waterman, says post-holiday bulges are the most common
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Site could house 10,000 workers
ELECTRONICS group LG Philips has put its Durham factory on the market for more than £5m. Agents Knight Frank predict that if offices are built on the site, it could provide employment for more than 10,000 people. LG Philips closed its TV tubes factory
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Open study rise
FIGURES from the Open University in the North have revealed a rise in the number of students under 25 who have enrolled for courses. Last year, the university had 1,107 students from the region, up by almost 150 per cent since 1996/1997
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Boy's love for mum who died in attack
A SCHOOLBOY has spoken of his love for his mother only days after she was killed in an attack at her North-East home. Ten-year-old Kieran Luke asked his grandfather and aunt to speak on his behalf to say how much he loved his mother, Johanna Luke, who
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Hodgson's sights set on top spot
IT was seven years ago this month that David Hodgson became the last Darlington manager to occupy a top league position - tonight he could repeat the feat. On September 12, 1998, goals from Marco Gabbiadini and Jason DeVos ensured a 2-1 win at Plymouth
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Homes regain power after storms
The last remaining homes without power since violent thunderstorms battered the region on Wednesday have now been reconnected. Supplies to 100,000 homes across the North East were disrupted after lightning strikes on electricity distribution equipment
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Chemical firm given go-ahead
CHEMICAL company Huntsman has cleared the final hurdle for a £200m plant in Teesside. Huntsman received unanimous support from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee for a low density polyethylene plant at the Wilton International site
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Cancer survivor plans fundraising effort
CANCER survivor Michelle Thompson is taking on a challenging feat. The mother-of-two, from Leyburn Road, Darlington, is training for the Great North Run this month to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief. Running the world's biggest half-marathon is
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Premier provides sales support
LEISURE group Whitbread has maintained sales thanks to a good performance by its Premier Travel Inn brand. Premier achieved an eight per cent improvement over the 24 weeks to August 18, offsetting falls by Whitbread's pub restaurants - Brewers Fayre and
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Victims demand aid in city under water
THE people of New Orleans begged for help last night as sick and injured disaster victims were dying on the streets. Refugees demanded food and water as bodies piled up in the chaos. And it was revealed that music legend Fats Domino was among the many
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Falcons ambition still the driving force behind Tait
TWELVE months ago, Mathew Tait's burning ambition was to establish himself as a regular in the Newcastle Falcons first team. Tonight, as the Guinness Premiership gets underway, the 19-year-old harbours exactly the same hopes ahead of the new campaign.
