Archive
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Jolly good Fellowes
Actor and writer Julian Fellowes was determined to "do a Hitchcock" and appear in the first film he's directed, Separate Lies. Unlike Alfred Hitchcock, he didn't do it in the flesh - he's only seen on a TV screen. A scene from the now-axed BBC1
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Pregnant pause
When Amy Robbins had to act giving birth in the latest seies of The Royal she hoped she wouldn't be too realistic - as she was seven months pregnant at the time. Pretending to give birth in the latest series of popular ITV1 drama The Royal caused Amy
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The Abi habit
Siobhan Hayes wasn't expecting still to be appearing in BBC1's top comedy series My Family. She was originally cast in five or six episodes, then her character, Abi, proved popular enough to keep her on. She must be glad that she gave up her lunch
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And the winner isn't...
THE winners went home clutching their awards and feelings of satisfaction but they were losers in the ratings. The performance of TV coverage of two of the year's biggest prize-givings was dismal. Both The British Academy Film Awards, the biggest
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Extra steps
Viv Hardwick talks to Birmingham Royal Ballet artistic director David Bintley about his decision to bring Cyrano back for audiences on Wearside, just as Sleeping Beauty is ready to delight dance fans. WEARSIDE has become a key touring destination for
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Gangster rap
Joining Angela Rippon on stage for Anything Goes was a terrifying prospect for Michael Starke. He talks to VIV HARDWICK about his major musical debut alongside the exBBC announcer while cast members Barry Howard and Middlesbrough's Dawn Spence tell
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Salutary message from a safe haven
As a detective chief inspector in Hartlepool in the mid-nineties, I was often asked to speak in other force areas about the success we had had in cutting crime. Chief Constable Barry Shaw would always check that his counterpart in that area had no
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How the mightly have fallen
A couple of years ago I travelled to Sunderland by train to meet Neil Herron, the man behind the Metric Martyrs campaign. At the time we were on opposite sides of the Regional Assembly fence, so we sorted that out first and then the talk turned to
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The people must decide
POLITICS will never be the new football, but it's good to see local people taking such a healthy interest in the way they are governed. In Redcar and Cleveland and in Darlington, a national trend is being reflected with calls for a referendum on whether
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Kingdom comes
A return to the North-East beckons for Teesside-born actor Iain Ridley who stars in a touring version of children's story Kensuke's Kingdom. He talks to Viv Hardwick about turning the clock back to play a 14-year-old castaway SINCE 1999, Children's
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Forces seek a day of reckoning
Prince Charles isn't the only person to emerge this week as an unlikely dissident. Across the country, magistrates, councillors and the business people and community leaders who serve on police authorities are in open rebellion over the Home Secretary's
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What a nurse
Darlington Civic Theatre favourite Su Pollard is back on the boards next week in her most adventurous role so far, that of Nurse in Romeo & Juliet. She talks to Viv Hardwick about making her Shakespearean debut and a possible return to TV as a hapless
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Just kidding
IF it's true, as I suspect, that mostly women phone-vote for high profile programmes like X-Factor (ITV1, Saturday), why is it that so few females reach the final stages? Currently, sisters simply aren't doing it for themselves. Brenda Edwards has
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Why should we pay for this fantasy?
FOR naked cheek you can't beat our beloved politicians. First they admit that all their parties have rewarded donations and loans with peerages. Then they say that if this scandal is to be done away with, then they will have to have their electioneering
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The Service with the smiles
THE NHS is always good for a laugh. When I was a boy the local cinemas - bug hutches - in downtown Leeds were packed for Doctor in the House and the first of the Carry on Nurse films. The biggest giggle was at the pompous consultant surgeon Sir Lancelot
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A threat we must take seriously
THE excited - nay, hysterical - newsreader told us that Crash had "won out over" Brokeback Mountain at the Oscar ceremonies. I wonder what happened to the modest little word "beat"? Both films have been lauded to the skies, which is fair enough - for
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Safe in the hands of the Government
BIRD flu won't be like foot-andmouth. You can rest assured there won't be a shambles masquerading as a disaster this time. The Government is ready to meet the emergency. We know this to be true, because the Government has told us so. And if you believe
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We need a sex education warning
I COULD never see myself as a writer of bodice-rippers because whenever I've tried to describe sexual going on in my novels, I've always embarrassed myself so much I had to leave the room. But sex rears its head - or whatever other appropriate part
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The Ship Inn, Newton by the Sea
MR Harry Whitton, a gentleman of Thirsk, has left me £500. We'd not met: rather it was a token of what, on a good day, may exist between columnist and reader. It was decided to spend the legacy on a short break in north Northumberland - a Whitton weekend
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The Black Bull, Frosterley
The food is wholesome and delicious, the real ale kept impeccably. The column visits the Black Bull at Frosterley - where the bells ring merrily too MR Michael Winner, who writes a highly entertaining restaurant column for The Sunday Times and makes
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New Inn, Thrintoft
PEOPLE write in about all sorts of things. Columns in the past few months have included notes on the Bumblies, on the etymology of the term "square meal", on the youthful use of "yooz" and - much the most prolifically - on the sex life of Edward VII.
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The Devonport Hotel, Middleton-One-Row
101 is usually a number best avoided, thanks to George Orwell, Paul Merton and a Newcastle killer, but the column fared well at table 101 at the Devonport Hotel GEORGE Orwell wrote 1984 in 1949. Room 101, where a prisoner was subjected to his own worst
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God's Kitchen, Chester Moor
Is a former incarnation as a church a good enough reason to call your eating house God's Kitchen? The column investigates . . . and discovers some pretty heavenly dishes AMONG several possible problems in calling your new restaurant God's Kitchen is
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Wrong-footed on the school run
MY wife hardly ever puts a foot wrong. When it comes to all matters involving the home and the kids, she reigns supreme - a shining example of calm efficiency. So when she does make the occasional mistake, it's well worth making a song and dance about
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The ifs and butts of short-lived love
AS time goes by, there are things I'm not allowed to write about. When the kids were little, I could get away with almost anything. But now they're getting older, I'm censored on the grounds that it's just too embarrassing. I'm therefore not at liberty
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When friendship takes flight
THEY say dads are just big kids. But some dads are bigger kids than others. Take my mate Phil... When the snow came recently, me and Phil took the kids sledging and we let our wives come along for the walk. The kids were all really keen, except
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It's the thought that counts
MEN - no matter how well intentioned - shouldn't try to be thoughtful because they just get themselves into trouble. Let me try to explain... My wife's sister is about to emigrate to New Zealand to start a new life. It's going to be an emotional
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Amazing courage which nailed killers
WE don't know her name. The only picture we've seen is an X-ray of her skull, showing where a bullet shot at point blank range shattered on impact and allowed her to live. She is the un-named friend of 16-year-old Mary-Ann Leneghan, whose killers were
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Where the real danger to our children lies
SOMETIMES we miss the obvious... As we marked the tenth anniversary this week of the shooting at Dunblane - where Thomas Hamilton just walked into a primary school and killed a teacher and 16 of her young pupils - there has been much discussion of increased
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Very PC... and oh, so dull
SO what exactly is wrong with Baa Baa Black Sheep? Children in a number of nurseries have been taught to sing "Baa baa rainbow sheep" instead. Calling a sheep "black" is said to be discriminatory. Odd. As the poor sheep has done nothing wrong, isn't
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Unsuitable boys are just another test, silly!
CONGRATULATIONS to Princess Beatrice. She has an unsuitable boyfriend. What a wonderfully normal 17-year-old thing to do. We've all been there, haven't we? Mine was an Irish army deserter who used to ring up, drunk on Guinness, at two in the morning
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Two are better than one
WHEN you think about it, an awful lot of useful things come in pairs. Arms, legs, hands, eyes, various other bits and bobs - and parents. It takes two to tango, two to make a child. Nature wasn't daft. If she didn't think it took two people to raise
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When talk doesn't come cheap
IT was BT who profitably declared that it was good to talk, and I'm inclined to agree. The public speaking side of my life as an editor crept up on me almost unnoticed and gradually took over. In my first few months of editing The Northern Echo, seven
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Hamming it up at No Ten
WHILE the life of an editor has its trials and tribulations, it also has its undoubted privileges. There are opportunities to meet extraordinary people, visit memorable places, and perform interesting duties. Indeed, as I write, the editor of the Darlington
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Keeping a position of balance
BEING part of the community is an essential requirement of editing a local newspaper. Understanding issues, appreciating what matters to people, and simply caring about an area are important. Having been born and bred in the North-East, that is why
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The case for maximum exposure
THE choice of The Northern Echo's front page picture has again been the subject of debate. A week ago, this column told how a reader had written to say how much he had enjoyed a happy picture showing the children of England cricketers Steve Harmison and
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The strange case of the missing liner
OVER my 26 years in newspapers the technical progress has been mind-boggling. I started out in the days of hot metal and typewriters. Now it's computers, the Internet, mobile telephones, and digital cameras. But sometimes, progress isn't all it's
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Inspiration born of revolution
THE rugged beauty of Weardale has brought inspiration to many artists - landscape painters and nature-loving poets - but never can it have been said to have inspired a pop overture to a revolution aboard a Russian ship. This week, the Pet Shop Boys
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Something of a grey area
The A178 is a journey to the end of the world, to the place where the North-East fades away into the sea and the sky, where land loses its form and gradually churns into water. The houses peter out into sodden farmland, damp horses and shaggy cows
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Farewell, finally, Feethams
AN earthmover rolls slowly across the grass. Almost sorrowfully, it holds out its long arm. In its bucket, it tenderly cradles the lifeless remains of a crush barrier, the barrier's black legs hanging limply over the sides. When human, this is a television
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Into the realms of cabbages
THANKFULLY, World Cabbage Day passed without incident last week. Cabbages, boiling with anger, did not take to the streets, demanding equality for cabbages, or the vote for cabbages or that cabbages should become kings. In fact, in County Durham, the
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Nothing left in its Stead
EMBLETON is a village on the north Northumberland coast, tranquil save for karaoke night at the Greys Inn. Weather warning notwithstanding, we passed last weekend there. It was the home of Sir Edward Grey, later Viscount Grey of Follodon, the Liberal
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Farewell then, great Philhellene
LITTLE wonder that folk first turn to the deaths column and not just, as the very old joke goes, to ensure their non-inclusion. There's so much life in there. Last Friday's paper reported the passing in Richmond, North Yorkshire, of Mr Michael Phillips
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Location, location, location!
LIKE many more residents of that fair city, Janet Murrell in Durham received an invitation last week to buy a "limited edition Durham luxury table lamp". It would cost £99.50, with a "certificate of authenticity" and 100 per cent satisfaction guaranteed
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Pass the swear box please, Winnie
WINNIE Richardson, now 73 and for 35 years a music teacher in south Durham, rings from Bishop Auckland on an indignant note. Though now back home, she's recently had respite care after a knee operation at the Timothy Hackworth care home in Shildon
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A recurring case of vowel play
M GEORGES Perec (1936-82) was a French novelist said best to be remembered for two great works, both of them manifestly barmy. (The French may have a word for it, too.) The first, in French, is a 5,000-word palindrome - that is to say, something that
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Ballot for Asda staff over pay
UNION members at Asda depots in Washington and Teesside will be balloted in a row over collective bargaining and pay, it emerged yesterday. The GMB union said its members at 21 distribution depots and warehouses across the country will take part in the
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'Actor stabbed himself to death'
AN out-of-work actor, whose death sparked a ten-month murder inquiry, stabbed himself to death, an inquest heard yesterday. Jobless Stephen Milburn used a kitchen knife to stab himself twice in the chest at his home in The Grove, Coxhoe, near Durham City
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Dream over for Jeffries after 'rubbish' defeat
TONY Jeffries was left red faced after Scotland's Kenneth Anderson put an end to his Commonwealth Games boxing dream at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The 21-year-old Sunderland hopeful lost 17-12 in his light-heavyweight quarter-final, but refused
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Family questioned after body found
THREE members of the same family are helping police with their inquiries after the discovery of a man's body. Detectives are treating the death of Alan Johnson as suspicious. He was found slumped at the bottom of the stairs in his flat in Eshwood Square
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Bullock relishing run in the Pool engine room
LEE BULLOCK admits he is enjoying playing the role of elder statesman in the Hartlepool United engine room. The former York man has been only a bit-part player for the majority of the season, but since Paul Stephenson took command at Victoria Park, Bullock
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Deadlock as ID cards bill is rejected again
MPs and peers were last night still locked in a Parliamentary battle over the introduction of identity cards, with neither side willing to give way. The Government was defeated by the Lords for the fourth time on Monday night over the issue of compulsion
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Chancellor's gamble on tax cuts
GORDON Brown is expected throw a lifeline to struggling seaside towns by slashing tax on arcade machines in his Budget speech today. The Chancellor is likely to cut the tax burden on entertainment and small-scale gaming machines to encourage the survival
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Focus of attention on local company linked to Labour Party loans outrage
CAPITA employs more than 1,000 people in the North-East, the majority of them in Darlington - making the systems company one of the town's biggest private employers. Almost 50 per cent of the company's contracts are with the public sector and it has landed
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Wearside Jack locked up
THE man who tricked police into moving the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper to the North-East was yesterday jailed for eight years. John Humble was told by a judge that his crimes were the worst kind of perverting the course of justice. Judge Norman Jones
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Relatives of stabbed fan fly to Rome
RELATIVES of a Middlesbrough fan stabbed hours before his idols played AS Roma have flown to Rome to be at his bedside. It is thought surgeons have had to remove one of 39-year-old David Allison's kidneys. The father-of-two was stabbed when right-wing
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Appeal after hit-and-run
A WOMAN was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver as she crossed a road at traffic lights. The car hit the 21-year-old with such force, the near-side wing mirror broke off and was left at the scene. The victim had a fractured ankle and heavy bruising on
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Church wrecked by fire
A church that was the scene of a famous Scottish victory over the English has been destroyed by fire. The blaze broke out at St Michael and All Angels Church, in Newburn, near Newcastle, at about 11pm on Monday. The vicar, the Reverend John Sinclair,
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Back to college for Army troops
HUNDREDS of Army recruits are heading back to college to be equipped with all the basic skills for life. The latest batch of soldiers to complete their six months of basic infantry training are now in the classroom at Darlington College at Catterick on
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£8m for young people in town
AN agreement to invest more than £8m in young people in Darlington over the next three years has been signed. The cash will be spent on a number of health and work-related schemes - including encouraging youngsters to set up their own businesses and volunteer
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Decaying school could be replaced
A COLD, damp and crumbling village primary school could be replaced with a £1.8m building. Durham County Council hopes to rebuild Byers Green Primary School, in Byers Green, near Spennymoor, by September. For years, the school's two buildings, which date
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COUNCIL TAX
SINCE the Labour Government was elected Darlington council tax has increased by more than 90 per cent. Darlington Labour Council has just approved a four year budget which will add a further 20 per cent to that increase. The Conservative group agreed
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Online gamer planning his retirement
TEENAGE gamer Jordan McGreevy has left school to run a computer empire from his bedroom Jordan, 16, said goodbye to school friends to pursue his dream of retiring before he is 20. Thousands of users from around the world are logging on to his multi-player
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No evidence that man aided suspects
DETECTIVES are taking no further action against a man they suspected of helping an alleged rapist escape. Three men went on the run after the attack on a 17-year-old girl at the Spice Mahal, in Craghead, Stanley, County Durham, at 10.30pm on April 14,
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Care assistants clear their names
TWO care assistants walked free from court with their good names intact after being cleared of assaulting an elderly patient. Emma Wilkes, 29, and 40-year-old Sandra Bake were both accused of causing bruising to a frail 85-year-old woman by lifting her
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Following in military footsteps
A TEENAGER is following in his father's footsteps by embarking on a career with the military. Sam Mendham, 18, enlisted into the Army at the Catterick Army careers' information office. The teenager has signed up to become a driver with the Royal Engineers
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Will we see an extra levy on patio heaters?
It is unlikely we will see a Budget speech fizzing with any significant changes, but clarity would be welcomed in a number of areas. Low taxes are not anticipated, but neither are any major rises. Inheritance tax reform is likely to remain a damp squib
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National finals set for Stockton
TOP players from across the country will be in the region this week battling it out in the National Premier Tennis Finals. Twelve regional winners will be at the David Lloyd Centre, Tees Barrage, Stockton hoping to win the £10,000 prize. The finals, at
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Pupils bring classic tale to life on stage
YOUNG pupils at a Durham school are preparing to go on stage with one of Hans Christian Andersen's favourite tales. The curtain will go up on a production of The Emperor's New Clothes at Bow School, Durham, tonight. The whole of the school's years three
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Awards presented for smoking bans
BOSSES who have made their workplaces smoke-free have been recognised at an awards ceremony. Eleven east Durham employers were presented with National Clean Air awards by Easington Primary Care Trust at the ceremony in Shotton Hall Banqueting Suite, in
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Probe into crash of police van and car
AN investigation has been launched following a collision between a police van and a car. The driver of the car involved, a Golf GTi, is being treated for injuries in hospital. Cleveland Police claim the Peugeot police van was answering an emergency call
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Fans prepare for match walk
SUNDERLAND football fans are planning to walk 32 miles to a match in aid of charity. The Billingham branch of the Sunderland Supporters Association will make its eighth annual charity fund-raising trek from Teesside to the Stadium of Light for the Fulham
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Pitch plan set to be refused
PLANS by Knaresborough Celtic Football Club to move to a site at Thistle Hill, Knaresborough, look set to be refused. The club has applied for permission to build a pavilion and 50-space car park alongside six football pitches. Planning officers at Harrogate
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Hopes dashed for a bridge to ease crossing congestion
HOPES that a bridge could be built to ease congestion at a busy level crossing have suffered a major setback. Council officials have recommended that design work on the £5m project for Low Gates in North End, Northallerton, be stopped. Campaigners have
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Brown insists players must treat Ball as boss-in-waiting
SUNDERLAND'S crop of Championship-bound footballers have to perform for caretaker manager Kevin Ball as if he is the man who will be taking over permanently in the summer. That is the belief of fit-again striker Chris Brown, aware that three more defeats
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Mad Dog improving his game
MIDDLESBROUGH'S innovative coaching techniques are benefiting Emanuel Pogatetz's defensive game but one thing the Austrian is quite keen to retain is his Mad Dog image. When Steve McClaren took over he followed a system used by Sir Clive Woodward during
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D1 OILS produces first batch of biodiesel from South American weed
GREEN fuels company D1 Oils has successfully produced its first batch of biodiesel using oil from a South American weed known as jatropha. Teesside-based D1 processed the 20 tonnes of biodiesel using crude jatropha oil, grown in China, at its D1 20 test
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ALAN SHEARER'S NEAR MISSES
1996 Charity Shield runners up: Shearer's search for a winners medal began against the side he turned down to return to his hometown club. The Magpies were thrashed 4-0 by a rampant Manchester United. 1997 Premier League runners up: Newcastle may have
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Inflation rises to hit target
THE rate of inflation rose for the first time in five months in February to hit the Bank of England's target of two per cent, official figures showed. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was driven up from 1.9 per cent in December and January to two per cent
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Amazing courage which nailed killers
WE don't know her name. The only picture we've seen is an X-ray of her skull, showing where a bullet shot at point blank range shattered on impact and allowed her to live. She is the un-named friend of 16-year-old Mary-Ann Leneghan, whose killers were
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'Diana laptop' thief was drug addict
A habitual drug user has been jailed for eight months for stealing computer equipment linked to the former top cop leading the enquiry into the death of Princess Diana. Far from being an MI5 plot to steal secrets about the Diana investigation the laptop
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Did Gordon keep his promises?
FOR his ninth budget last year, Gordon Brown got back into bed with prudence. It was a budget for the elderly, with promises of free bus travel, and for the young buying houses or the even younger attending school. He stayed clear of controversy in the
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More sleaze please, Mr Blair
OUT of all the current bad news for New Labour has come what the party leadership must regard as very good news. An opinion poll taken in the wake of the peerages-for-cash scandal reveals that 73 per cent of voters believe that New Labour is now at least
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Sponsorship deal
Newcastle computer components firm Mobilx has extended its sponsorship deal with the Newcastle Mobilx Vipers. Mobilx signed up as the headline sponsor of the Newcastle Vipers at the start of the season, in a two-year deal that agreed the ice hockey team
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A spectacularly inadequate life, but for the Ripper hoaxes
THE image of Wearside Jack was that of a menacing and mysterious figure. But yesterday, he was unveiled in court as a hopeless alcoholic who never had any meaningful employment. John Humble was a heavy-drinking loner who was known by locals as John the
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STP fits challenges into schedule
SHOPFITTING and joinery firm STP has completed one of its most challenging projects to date - fitting five shops, in two countries, in eight weeks. The company, based in Rowland's Gill, near Gateshead, fitted four shops in the UK and one in Paris for
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Ballot for Asda staff over pay
UNION members at Asda depots in Washington and Teesside will be balloted in a row over collective bargaining and pay, it emerged yesterday. The GMB union said its members at 21 distribution depots and warehouses across the country will take part in the
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Bridge builder's £3.3m contract
ENGINEERING specialist Cleveland Bridge has landed a £3.3m contract to build a replacement bridge in Teesside. The Darlington-based company, which became embroiled an a dispute with Wembley contractor Multiplex in 2004 after building the stadium's iconic
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Scotland Yard probes 'Labour honours sale'
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into the alleged sale of honours by the Labour Party. The Metropolitan Police announced yesterday that its Specialist Crime Directorate was looking into three complaints relating to alleged breaches of a 1925
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Market report
Strong gains by steel maker Corus were offset by a bout of profit-taking as the FTSE 100 Index struggled for direction yesterday. Shares in former British Steel group Corus soared 11 per cent to its highest level for more than five years amid reports
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Farewell then great Philhellene
LITTLE wonder that folk first turn to the deaths column and not just, as the very old joke goes, to ensure their non-inclusion. There's so much life in there. Last Friday's paper reported the passing in Richmond, North Yorkshire, of Mr Michael Phillips
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Roeder remains confident
CARETAKER boss Glenn Roeder accepts the whole country is writing off Newcastle United's chances of claiming a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. But Roeder, realistic while trying to retain a confident approach, feels the people that matter inside
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Fish diet 'may curb cancer'
Eating oily fish rich in omega 3 fats may help prevent the spread of prostate cancer to other parts of the body, British scientists said today. Researchers found that fatty acids, found in salmon, mackerel and fresh tuna, could stop tumour cells invading
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It's not about personal glory insists Shearer
GLENN ROEDER feels Alan Shearer's ten-year service to Newcastle United is worthy of being rewarded with silverware but, as the Magpies head to Chelsea for an FA Cup quarter-final tonight, the talismanic skipper maintains glory for the club is far more
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Muslim cleric mourned at park service
HUNDREDS of mourners attended the funeral in Darlington of a leading North-East Muslim cleric yesterday. The turnout was so great for the service for Syed Ismail Ali, of the town's Jamia Mosque, it had to be held in a nearby park. Mr Ali died on Monday
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I must have been mad
IT was described by the prosecuting barrister as haunting and sinister and by the judge as cleverly contrived. The creator himself admitted it was eerie when he was questioned by police about it more than a quarter of a century after it was made. The
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Don't penalise 4X4 owners twice
FARMER John Dennis drives a Toyota Landcruiser. He is a former chairman of North Yorkshire County Council and lives at North Farm, in Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire. Drivers are always apprehensive when the budget comes round, but
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Mum and baby son missing
Police are appealing for information following the disappearance of a 19-year-old mother and her newborn son. Emma Bates, who is described as vulnerable, was last seen with her 15-day-old son, Leon, at noon yesterday, near the Metro station in the centre
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'Actor stabbed himself to death'
AN out-of-work actor, whose death sparked a ten-month murder inquiry, stabbed himself to death, an inquest heard yesterday. Jobless Stephen Milburn used a kitchen knife to stab himself twice in the chest at his home in The Grove, Coxhoe, near Durham City
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Win is an advert for talent of students
TWO North-East business school students have completed a double by coming first and second in a competition to understand the effects of advertising on children. Ross Cockton and Ian Moody, from the University of Sunderland, beat competition from hundreds
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Raided site's boss
A MAN who runs an animal sanctuary that was raided by police and the RSPCA has spoken of his devastation. Cliff Spedding, 45, said he was unable to understand why officers raided the Hope Animal Sanctuary, in Loftus, east Cleveland, which he has run for
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Disability equality event
A CONFERENCE to explore the future of disability equality is to be held in the North-East later this week. The Next Steps conference, at Durham's County Hall, has been organised by Durham County Council. Speakers from the Department for Transport, the
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Honour for Tom after 34 years of help
A RETIRED shop manager, who used his head for business to save a struggling workmen's club from the bailiffs, has been honoured for his long service. Tom Ward has served two spells as secretary at Hunwick Workmen's Club during his 40 years on the committee
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Parking charges to rise
A HEALTH boss has defended a rise in car park charges at a hospital that has parking problems. Parking fees for patients and visitors to Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital will go up by 10p next month. Charges were introduced to pay for security
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Man jailed for moving
A 52-YEAR-OLD man who had just found new work was jailed for four months after admitting drink-driving. Dennis Shaw, of Forster Street, Darlington, was also banned from driving for three years at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday. He was stopped
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Tributes paid to councillor's contribution
TRIBUTES have been paid to the deputy leader of Durham County Council who died suddenly at home on Monday, aged 71. Councillor Don Ross, right, from Bearpark, near Durham City, had been a member of the Labour-run council since 1987, representing the Framwellgate
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Live shells in car
A 25-YEAR-OLD man from a farming family received a conditional discharge after live cartridges were found in his car. Dominic Reeve, of Coldmoor Cote Farm, Chopgate, near Stockton, admitted having the cartridges in his car on August 8 last year. Reeve
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Study time pays off
A COMPANY that gives its staff time to study for qualifications has seen nine employees come through with flying colours. Time spent studying during working hours has paid off for the BiB Group workers, in Darlington, who have gained professional certificates
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Pupils take to the catwalk for school show
GIRLS at a Darlington school proved they are top of the class in the fashion stakes by organising their own show. Sixth-form students at Polam Hall School raised £800 for Breast Cancer Care through the event, which showcased clothes, hair and make-up
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No evidence that man aided suspects
DETECTIVES are taking no further action against a man they suspected of helping an alleged rapist escape. Three men went on the run after the attack on a 17-year-old girl at the Spice Mahal, in Craghead, Stanley, County Durham, at 10.30pm on April 14,
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I'm the man, says Macey
England's athletes enjoyed a brilliant golden hat-trick on the third night of athletics in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Dean Macey won the decathlon despite more injury problems, Lisa Dobriskey was a surprise winner of the women's 1500 metres
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Check mate for youngsters
CHESS masters of the future have taken part in an annual tournament. About 40 young players competed in the 14th Richmondshire Chess Festival at Richmond Lower School. Organiser Vicki Walker, a teacher at Richmond School, said: "We don't worry too much
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Fairtrade campaign backed by town MP
A CAMPAIGN urging shoppers to buy goods from countries where producers get a fair deal has been given top level backing. The Bishop of Durham and Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman both supported Fairtrade Fortnight and signed a petition supporting the
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National award for recycling
A COUNCIL has been rewarded for its recycling initiatives. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been awarded Beacon status for its recycling and waste management services. The status recognises and rewards innovative and exemplary teaching and learning
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Thieves strike as warning ignored
CARELESS residents are ending up car-less on Teesside - triggering a rebuke from a senior police officer. Acting Inspector Glynn Bass, Cleveland Police crime prevention officer in Middlesbrough, says eight burglaries could have been avoided over the weekend
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Work starting on cycleway
WORK is under way to create a safer route for walkers and cyclists. The Guisborough Market Town Partnership has secured its funding for the footpath and cycleway between Walton Terrace and New Road. The route will mean pedestrians and riders no longer
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Security camera team wins award
A SECURITY team from Derwentside has won the best use of technology category in the North-East round of the British Security Industry Association's (BSIA) annual Security Officer Awards. The Project Genesis team of CCTV security camera operatives works
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Young actors create hard-hitting radio drama
YOUNGSTERS from a renowned issue-based drama group have produced a series of adverts about domestic violence for a radio station. Members of Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans, based at King James I Community College, in Bishop Auckland, have created adverts
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Murder victim's family want answers
THE family of a disabled man who was beaten to death in an alleyway in an apparently motiveless attack have begged his killer to tell them why he did it. Stephen Humphries, 53, was so fiercely beaten in the attack - which took place behind the Nags Head
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Rugby field bollard key causes ruck
PARENTS have reacted angrily to a mix-up over access to playing fields that meant ambulance staff were unable to get close to injured players. Barnard Castle Rugby Club was hosting two matches against teams from Redcar Rugby Club, on the Demesnes playing
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Storm in a chamber pot
THE loans-for-lordships scandal is extremely disappointing. Tony Blair set the rules on donations to party funds and then appears to have deliberately circumnavigated them by seeking donations. It is most disappointing for those in the North-East who
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Drug dealer must go to prison
A DRUG dealer who was allowed to walk free because jails were full must spend two years in prison, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. Thomas Scarth, 19, was given the custodial sentence after three appeal judges found he should have been imprisoned
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Rok will expand to employ six times more tradesmen
PROPERTY developer Rok will bring more jobs to the region as part of aggressive expansion plans. Rok Property Solutions chief executive Garvis Snook said the number of tradesmen employed by the firm would increase six fold, while the number of branches
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Scotland Yard probes 'Labour honours sale'
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into the alleged sale of honours by the Labour Party. The Metropolitan Police announced yesterday that its Specialist Crime Directorate was looking into three complaints relating to alleged breaches of a 1925
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Farewell then, great Philhellene
LITTLE wonder that folk first turn to the deaths column and not just, as the very old joke goes, to ensure their non-inclusion. There's so much life in there. Last Friday's paper reported the passing in Richmond, North Yorkshire, of Mr Michael Phillips
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Promising Kitski can land on his feet at Towcester
ON a day when winners look hard to find, it could be worth keeping Kitski (3.25) in mind for Towcester's two-and-three-quarter-mile Beginners' Chase. Ferdy Murphy's representative pulled up on a miserable trip to Hereford a couple of weeks ago, but that
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England all square after India win
England completed a remarkable final-Test victory at the Wankhede Stadium to share the series with India. England won by 212 runs after dismissing India for 100 midway through the afternoon session. Off-spinner Shaun Udal was England's hero with four
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Wainwright focusing on the football
THE arrival of a new chairman at Darlington has been a major talking point among fans, but midfielder Neil Wainwright says the Quakers' squad are focusing purely on football. George Houghton's takeover was announced last Friday before officially taking
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Family-run arcades win
PLANS to impose high taxes on super casinos should encourage the survival of family-run arcades in seaside towns. But as critics attack the move as too little to late, local amusement arcade owners have welcomed the news. The Chancellor is to announce
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Corus prices climb after speculation of merger talks
STEEL group Corus last night saw its share price shoot seven per cent higher following a report which said it had held merger talks with a Russian rival. According to the Financial Times (FT), Corus has discussed a partnership with Evraz - Russia's largest
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On TV
The Best Man (ITV1) Brian Sewell's Grand Tour (five) HERE'S a little tip that might save your life one day: if you're being pursued by a psychopathic killer don't take refuge in a clifftop house with a fence in a state of disrepair. Kate failed to heed
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Amazing courage which nailed the killers
WE don't know her name. The only picture we've seen is an X-ray of her skull, showing where a bullet shot at point blank range shattered on impact and allowed her to live. She is the un-named friend of 16-year-old Mary-Ann Leneghan, whose killers were
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The Northern Echo panel gives its predictions on the budget
Lucy Madden, 16, from Darlington, is an AS-level student at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in the town. A lot of students would like to see more investment in higher education. Top-up fees are incredibly unpopular. I think the Government will announce
