Archive
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United 93 (15)
THIS isn't the first 9/11 film and won't be the last, but I doubt if we'll see a better one than British director Paul Greengrass's documentary-style feature about events surrounding the fourth hijacked plane. Because United Airlines flight 93 took
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Dead clever
Lucy Speed loves being one of the girls for a musical, even if it means turning herself into character who died at 17 and spends her time talking to the audience. Viv Hardwick chats to her about Girls Night and her years of soap fame. WHILE some
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June 1, 2006
WHAT'S ON: The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mario Venzago, will appear at the Sage Gateshead at 7.30pm on Thursday June 8. Christian Zacharias will perform Brahms' Piano Concerto No 1. 0191-443 4661. REVIEWS Finzi, Intimations of
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June 1, 2006
IT'S with sadness that this week I have to report the death of yet another legend of country music. Grand Ole Opry star Billy Walker, aged 77, his wife Bettie, who also acted as his manager, and two band members were killed early on Sunday May 21 in
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June 1, 2006
WHAT'S ON: Tonight the Graham Thomas Quartet is at Opus 4 Jazz Club, Travellers Rest, Cockerton (01325) 468177 and on Saturday lunchtime New Orleans Wiggle return to Darlington Arts Centre (01325) 486555. CD REVIEWS New Cool Collective/Trippin'
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June 1, 2006
IN the wake of some fine television coverage of folk and roots music by the BBC earlier this year, and the enthusiastic response from a huge section of the viewing public, there is obviously hunger for more in the same vein. So I am still bewildered
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Album: Less Than Jake: In With the Out Crowd (Sire Records)
So-called American punk band. Not rubbish, but it sounds the same as every single other band of the genre - you may as well stick to Green Day if you like this kind of thing. Much better when they add a little ska element to the mix, as they do
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Album: Ocean Colour Scene: Live At The Jam House (Mosely Shoals Records)
Anyone expecting foot-stomping, ass-kicking tunes will be disappointed with this album - but then it is ten years since Mosely Shoals was released. This is much more considered, full of finely crafted, thoughtful and musically accomplished songs -
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Single: Louie: Dead Man (Universal Island Records)
Raw, punky and energetic, this is a band with attitude that could be going places. The frontman reminds me a little of John Lydon - but I hope he soon realises that you don't have to shout all the time just because you're in a punk band. Still, I enjoyed
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Single: The Feeling: Fill My Little World (Universal Island Records)
When I read the publicity describing this band as "soft rock" and "prog pop" I knew I would hate it. But actually it's not that bad. Sort of happy/hippy-ish sounding and quite nice in a way - but that's as enthusiastic I can get.
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Single: Tony Christie: (Is This The Way To) The World Cup (Tug Records)
Only marginally better in the World Cup song stakes is this re-working of last year's surprise hit - only without Peter Kay's help this time. It's a novelty version of a novelty record. A novelty too far in my opinion.
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The timid Lyons suffer an unwanted league record
THINGS are going from bad to worse for Hetton Lyons who picked up an unwanted record at Norton yesterday when they recorded the lowest ever score since the Northern Rock ECB North-East Regional Premier League was launched seven years ago. They were
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'Safer NHS' review is ready - health chief
A LONG-AWAITED review of medical regulation, which could pave the way for a safer NHS has been completed, The Northern Echo can reveal. It means that the onus is now on the Department of Health to come up with a response to a series of medical scandalsm
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Fun runners and serious racers urged to take part in annual event
RUNNERS across the region are being urged to sign up to an annual event that encourages people to get fit while having fun. The Darlington 10k Road Run, now in its 19th year, regularly attracts more than 1,000 participants of all ages and abilities
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Boxer hits home safety message
BOXER Amir Khan yesterday launched a national campaign that aims to reduce injuries and deaths on railway lines. Last year, three children from the North-East were killed on railway tracks. The death of two Darlington schoolboys at the Five Arches
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Dangers of the rail line
IT is impossible to imagine what John Hodgson and his family are going through. The heartache must be unbearable. His daughter, Catherine, made a single terrible mistake, which on Thursday cost her young life - het up, she strayed on to a railway line
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Vandals' figures are off the rails
VANDALISM on Britain's railway network has shot up by more than 30 per cent in the past six years, it has been claimed. Despite campaigns highlighting the dangers of trespassing on railways, official figures show that reports of have increased by a
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Get tough on landlords, urges MP
TOUGHER laws to stamp out deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning were demanded by an MP yesterday, as part of The Northern Echo's Silent Killer campaign. Fraser Kemp, Labour MP for Houghton and Washington East, pressed for changes to ensure landlords
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Ports operator welcomes launch of high-speed river survey vessel
THE operators of Teesport have launched a survey vessel as part of a £500,000 project. Port operator PD Teesport welcomed the launch of the Tees Navigator at its Middlesbrough base yesterday. Redcar MP Vera Baird - who has been involved in The Northern
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Blow as southern ports are approved
THE Government last night gave its full backing to a major new port complex in the south of England, giving another blow to North-East job hopes. Despite overwhelming opposition from residents and environmental campaigners, the Office for the Deputy
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Ten-year deal with Corus to bring more jobs to Teesport
TEESPORT operator PD Ports said yesterday it had created 60 jobs and expects to create a further 30, as it signed a tenyear partnership deal with steelmaker Corus. The port will handle more than three million tonnes of steel for export over the next
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Bid to bring 5,500 jobs to region moves closer
THE fight to bring more than 5,500 jobs to the region with a £300m container terminal on the Tees moved a step closer to reality last night as port operator PD Ports submitted its plans for approval. The company hopes to gain planning permission to
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Government comes under fire for backing port expansion in South
THE Government was last night heavily criticised for approving wide-ranging port expansion in the South when northern ports are better positioned for growth. The report from the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) said the Government had "
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New terminal is not port's only option
TEESPORT operator PD Ports last night vowed to continue with plans to build a £300m container terminal and bring 5,500 jobs to the region - despite reports suggesting its new owners were lukewarm about the idea. PD Ports was taken over by Australian
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Vow to keep fighting as port jobs go south
THE Government last night dealt a devastating blow to plans for a £300m North-East container terminal - and 5,500 jobs - by insisting it was not needed. Whitehall's long-awaited national ports policy review concluded that plans to expand ports in the
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Patrols target rogue traders
POLICE and trading standards officials have joined forces to disrupt the activities of rogue traders. Officials carried out joint patrols and roadside checks on vehicles across Hambleton on Wednesday as part of a national enforcement day. Operation
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Pensioner fleeced of £38,000
A PENSIONER paid more than £38,000 for routine house repairs that should have cost only a fraction of the amount, a court heard. John Stephenson, 41, took advantage of the lonely householder, who he knew to be "a man of some means". He regularly
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Residents join forces to beat the conmen
RESIDENTS are being asked to help keep a town free of bogus callers. Every home in Shildon will receive stickers and information leaflets containing emergency numbers as the town fights the conmen who prey on vulnerable members of society. In a
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Woman conned out of £500 for box of fish
BOGUS callers in a NorthEast town have conned pensioners into spending as much as £500 for boxes of fish. Trading standard officials and police are warning people not to be pressurised into buying unwanted goods following the latest scam on Teesside
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New medical device helps heart patient
A NEW piece of medical equipment has been successfully used to help a NorthEast heart patient. The arrival of the £100,000 Nav-X machine (a hi-tech imaging device which shows the inside of the heart) at the electrophysiology department at The James
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Stem cell research team in £160,000 link with US firm
SCIENTISTS in the region have joined forces with a US company in a bid to speed up the development of revolutionary stem cell therapies. It is hoped that new therapies for patients with liver complaints could be used in hospitals within five years.
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Sales of cold sore remedy soaring
WOULD-BE holidaymakers desperate to avoid an unsightly cold sore are helping to send sales of a new gadget soaring. Gordon Dougal, a GP in Easington, east Durham, and Darlington surgeon Jim Haslam have sold more than 16,000 of their Virulite treatment
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Freeman team reaches 21 years
HUNDREDS of patients who have undergone life-saving heart and lung transplants in the North-East will help celebrate a remarkable birthday today. It is 21 years since a team of surgeons at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle carried out their first heart
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Transplant milestone for hospital
HUNDREDS of patients who have undergone life-saving heart and lung transplants in the North-East will help celebrate a remarkable birthday today. It is 21 years since a team of surgeons at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle carried out their first heart
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A&E improves - but more money is needed
MAJOR improvements in the way hospitals treat casualty patients have been announced by the Government. But a senior North-East doctor has warned that these improvements might not be sustainable unless extra resources are made available. New figures
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Service to NE heart patients transformed
A LEADING North-East surgeon has defended NHS spending on heart disease after a new study calculated that it cost the UK economy £29bn a year. Heart surgeon Simon Kendall, head of the cardiothoracic service at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough
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Police chairman hits out
A POLICE authority chairman last night hit out at nice words from a Government minister over controversial plans to merge North-East forces. Councillor Dave McLuckie said his Cleveland police authority had no choice but to press on with a judicial review
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Chemical blast: neighbours tell of their fears
LIVING on the doorstep of a chemical plant is worrying, but when residents heard the Billingham explosion many feared the worst. "The house was shaking", "The windows rattled" and "I thought it was the end of the world" were just some of the reactions
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African school benefits from North-East fundraising
AN AFRICAN school where two North-East teachers were murdered by terrorists is to benefit from fund-raising by their friends. Aid workers Richard and Enid Eyeington were shot dead by anti-western Islamic rebels in the breakaway east African nation of
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On your bike
THE blazing African heat awaits a University of Teesside lecturer as he takes part in a 6,000km motorcycle challenge. Julian Carter will be joining over 100 other riders to raise funds for Riders for Health, which supports rural health care in Africa
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Home re-opens
A STATELY home will reopen to the public on Saturday following an 800,000 refurbishment. Beningbrough Hall, near Shipton, now has a network of interactive galleries displaying 130 18th century works of British art. The work has been supported by the
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It's unlucky 13 as Vaughan stalls on road to recovery
Yorkshire v Hampshire (County Championship) : Day One IT WAS unlucky 13 for England captain Michael Vaughan, out to his 13th delivery for only a single on his Championship comeback for Yorkshire against Hampshire at Headingley yesterday. And little
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Thorpe the hero in thrilling climax to ordinary contest
Durham v Leicestershire (C & G Trophy) JUST when it seemed Durham had squandered a position of command against Leicestershire at Riverside yesterday they found an unlikely hero in Callum Thorp. Playing his first one-day game of the season, the Australian
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North-East clubs in hunt for Huth
ROBERT HUTH has confirmed he is close to agreeing a move away from Chelsea - with both Newcastle United and Middlesbrough in the hunt to land him. Huth's agent, Manfred Schulte, has admitted that the German centre-back wants his future sorted out before
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Victory tastes sweet for Curry
Twelve months after clinching the Durham County Championship on home soil, Michael Curry has done it again - but on away soil. The Brancepeth Castle golfer coasted to a seven shot victory over Durham City's Graham Marchbank at a windswept Hartlepool
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Police charge man over child sex ring
A NORTH-EAST man who was arrested in connection with a police investigation into a suspected paedophile ring has been charged by police. Thomas O'Carroll, 60, formerly of Shildon, County Durham, will appear before magistrates today charged with offences
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Crowning glory as county is voted the best in England
NORTH Yorkshire has long been regarded as God's own county by the people who live there. Now, thanks to the congestion, pollution and chav phenomenon associated with Kent, it has been named as the rightful Garden of England. North Yorkshire came
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Crowning glory as county is voted the best in England
NORTH Yorkshire has long been regarded as God's own county by the people who live there. Now, thanks to the congestion, pollution and chav phenomenon associated with Kent, it has been named as the rightful Garden of England. North Yorkshire came top
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Domino wants a flyer
IT could easily be a case of third time lucky for Domino Dancer (2.10), a leading contender at Ayr in the opening two-year-old EBF Maiden Stakes. Howard Johnson's juvenile has twice knocked on the door, most recently on a visit to Newcastle, when finishing
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June 1, 2006
YOU can glean a lot of information from the way in which a football team acts. For the last seven days, Brazil have been holding open training sessions in Weggis, a lakeside resort in the foothills of the Swiss Alps. Fans have been able to see the
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Still going over so well
Carol Lynley actually hates curising, but has enjoyed a career based around the fame of being a survivior from The Poseidon Adventure in 1972. She tells Steve Pratt she would have loved to have played a cameo in this year's re-make of the liner knocked
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Under the sea
Tough guy actor Kurt Russell gives away a big secret about the remake of Poseidon, but it isn't that he could be mistaken for Mel Gibson or that he's a Scientologist like Tom Cruise or John Travolta. Steve Pratt sits in on the tough guy actor's international
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Real Pickles
North-East writer Michael Chaplin was delighted to bring the tale of Wold Cup saviour Pickles the dog to television, even if the star of the show wasn't quite the footballer that was required. Steve Pratt helps roll back the clock to 1966. WRITER
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Chemical plant blast heard 20 miles away
RESIDENTS living near a chemical plant at the centre of a huge explosion believed they were under attack from terrorists. The blast, at the Terra Nitrogen (UK) Limited site in an industrial area off Haverton Hill Road, Billingham, Teesside, at 12.15am
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Staff learn
A UNION has hit out at HM Revenue and Customs after it sacked temporary clerical workers by computer message. The workers, based at the Waterview Park offices, in Washington, Wearside, were brought in on short-term contracts to help tackle problems with
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Villagers to host fair
MANY of a village's residents were so pleased with the first summer fair they held last year that they are planning to make this year's event bigger and better. A children's fancy dress contest and sports will be among the events at the recreation ground
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The return of the lengthsman
A COMMUNITY has looked to the past for maintenance of its roads and footpaths. John Carter is the latest "lengthsman'', or community highway worker, to start work in County Durham. Lengthsmen, who had responsibility for maintaining specified roads, were
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Garden party to say thanks to volunteers
HELPERS who have given up their time to support the work of Easington's Primary Care Trust (PCT) are to be given an official thank-you. More than 300 volunteers have been invited to a garden party at Peterlee's Shotton Hall tomorrow, where they will be
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Concerns raised at security camera coverage of towns
A COUNCIL has come under fire for appearing to suggest that any extension of security camera coverage will involve a choice between two towns. Hambleton District Council shelved a £17,000 package involving three long-awaited cameras for Bedale last year
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Residents angry over proposals to block playing fields access
RESIDENTS are furious a fence will be erected to block their access to playing fields. Richmondshire District Council officers are unhappy that residents have installed gates in their back gardens to access the playing fields at the village primary school
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College building proposal expected to gain approval
PLANS to construct a college complex in County Durham are expected to win approval next week. The multi-million pound scheme, which includes a single-site campus for East Durham and Houghall Community College, has been recommended for approval when it
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The magic of fairytales at Crook Hall
CHILDREN from all over the area have been spellbound this week by an event which saw them come face-to-face with fairytale characters. Crook Hall, in Durham City, which boasts a secret garden and a maze, has been the setting for a magical half-term Fairytale
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4,000 dog owners in scheme to curb strays
DURHAM City Council says more than 4,000 residents have joined its responsible dog ownership scheme to reduce the number of strays on the streets. The council is offering £10 vouchers towards the cost of micro-chipping pets, so they can be returned
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Leanne earns top learner award
A CAREER change has seen adult learner Leanne Reed win an award. Miss Reed, from Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, was presented with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Outstanding Learner of the Year award. After leaving school in 1998 without any
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Traders join forces in effort to promote shopping area
TRADERS in Bishop Auckland are hoping to give a new lease of life to a once-bustling strip of shops in the town. Shop owners in the cobbled alley of Fore Bondgate have held a meeting to discuss ways of improving the appearance of the street. They also
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Thieves hit council depot
A TEESDALE District Council depot was broken into over the weekend. Thousands of pounds worth of engineering equipment was stolen from the depot on Stainton Grove Industrial Estate, near Barnard Castle, between Saturday lunchtime and Tuesday morning.
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Professional cricketer raped me, court hears
A WOMAN told a court that she woke to find a professional cricketer raping her. The woman said 27-year-old Mohammed Fazal, a professional with Saltburn, east Cleveland, was having sex with her. Mr Fazal denied sexual contact with the woman, but prosecutor
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Party to celebrate pool's anniversary
VOLUNTEERS who rescued their local swimming pool from closure have celebrated the first year of its success. Campaigners in Weardale fought a year-long battle to save the pool in Wolsingham after Wear Valley District Council announced it could no longer
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Building approved despite anger over loss of heritage
A VICTORIAN villa will be restored to its former glory under plans that sparked anger at a council meeting. The new owner of Copsewood, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, will demolish outhouses and greenhouses to make room for seven detached homes. Stockton
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Secret of long life? Hot water and hard work
ONE of the oldest residents in the North-East has celebrated her 105th birthday surrounded by her close-knit family. Jeannie Pattison spent the afternoon with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren at Howlish Hall Nursing Home, in Coundon
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Visitor picks up tips from museum
A guest at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle returned home yesterday having taken some tips on how to improve visitor numbers at her own museum in Hungary. Andrea Fodor works at the Castlemuseum Nagyteteny, in Budapest, the country's only furniture museum
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Artist raising awareness about world climate change
THE curtain will go up on a cultural event in the North-East in less than a fortnight. But yesterday, there was a hint of things to come when an artist gave a preview of his work. London artist Michael Plinsky unveiled his video about climate change,
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Helicopter
PLANS to use a field as a helicopter landing site have come under fire from people living nearby. Guy Brudenell has applied for permission to change the use of the field, which lies 170 metres from his home at Beechcroft, in Nawton, near Helmsley. The
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Parking fees to increase
VISITORS to a seaside town can expect to pay more for their parking next week. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has announced its first increase in car parking charges for two years. From Monday, the cost of parking for two hours rises from £1.10
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Forums to explain changes made in recycling scheme
A SERIES of drop-in question and answer sessions will be held to enable people to find out more about a recycling initiative. Five events are to be held in Hartlepool to keep residents informed about the expansion of the council's alternate weekly collections
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Childcare service ready for launch
AN open evening is to be held where parents can find out more about a childcare service at a school. St John Vianney RC Primary School, in King Oswy Drive, Hartlepool, is holding the event on Tuesday, from 6pm to 8pm. It is proposing to launch a day nursery
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Mayor's £10,000 boost for charities
A MAYOR has given three local charities a boost by sharing out £10,000. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's outgoing mayor, Councillor Peter Spencer, completed his year of civic duties by handing over cheques to children's hospice Zoe's Place, Teesside
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IT course to help find jobs
A FREE computer course is being run to help people in east Durham find employment. It is aimed at beginners who want to gain skills or qualifications and those who want to brush up on what they know. It starts on Tuesday, at Seaham Library, from 9.30am
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Decision due on bungalows for elderly people
PLANS for 12 special care bungalows for older people next to a nursing home at Leeming Bar, near Bedale, are expected to be approved next week. NHP Management wants to build the "close care" bungalows, representing a halfway house between housing and
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Floyd tribute band to visit castle
THE spirit of Pink Floyd will be at Ripley Castle next month when a tribute band perform their most popular songs. Off the Wall have been touring Europe over the past year and performed to 10,000 people in Spain in March. Set on a stage in front of the
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Pair's half marathon after air team rescue
RUNNERS are to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance after an injured colleague was rescued. Matthew Lamb and Nick Brightey, of the Potter Group, will take part in the Great North Run half marathon. Warehouse worker Wayne Crick was helped by the
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New pet project
SOAPLAND is not famous for happy families. Soap relatives living in harmony are rarer than a sane person in the Big Brother house. Take camp Rovers barman Sean (go on, take him, he's standing around like a spare rib in a Chinese restaurant) in Coronation
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Dead clever
Lucy Speed loves being one of the girls for a musical, even if it means turning herself into a character who died at 17 and spends her time talking to the audience. Viv Hardwick chats to her about Girls Night and her years of soap fame. WHILE some
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Oh what an original Cyn
Sex In The 80s: Madam Cyn's Home Movies (C4): The exploits of Cynthia Payne were a godsend for headline writers - THE WAGES OF CYN screamed one - and provided endless pleasure for policemen, politicians and other pillars of society. But as Madam Cyn
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Exams are a testing time for us all
FRESH from reaching the six-feet mark, the Big Friendly Giant - as our eldest is to be known from now on - is in the middle of his GCSEs. It's a highly pressurised, traumatic and exhausting time. It can't be easy for him either. The mental scars from
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An Old line in mole catching
Since moles are part of the underground movement, the average townie's knowledge may be limited to that good-hearted little fellow in The Wind in the Willows or to that long-sung song about the mole that lived in a hole. Who sang it? The answer at
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Where the money really goes on marriage
The shops are full of floaty dresses and fancy hats. Stately homes and posh hotels take big adverts to tell the world about their lavish catering facilities and elegant rooms for that special occasion. Yes, it's that time of year again when everyone
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June 1, 2006
GEISHA ARTICLE: I WOULD like to comment on the opinions of Sarah Foster in her article on the geisha (Echo, May 25) who myself and my colleague, Jill Clay, brought to North Yorkshire last week. It would appear the article was vastly under-researched
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The teacher who clipped the Hun's wings
It's a Boys' Own tale of amazing derring-do - the First World War pilot who shot down the German ace who flew with the Red Baron. Chris Lloyd recounts the story of the Richmond schoolteacher whose story has been a secret for over half a century.
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Giving away common sense
THE judgement of two of our best-known high street retailers is called into question today. At a time when the prevalence of knives on our streets is making headline news around the country, and police forces are urgently promoting knife amnesties,
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Boateng delighted to secure Riverside deal
GEORGE Boateng last night expressed his delight at signing a new three-year deal with Middlesbrough and insisted he had never intended leaving the Riverside despite his protracted contract talks dragging on for the best part of a year. The Northern Echo
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Derby goal wins vote
LIAM Lawrence's volley against Fulham early this year may be in with a shout of winning Match of the Day's goal-of-the-season award - but he insists he netted a more important one last term. The Sunderland midfielder struck a stunning left-foot volley
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It's unlucky 13 as Vaughan stalls on road to recovery
It was unlucky 13 for England captain Michael Vaughan, out to his 13th delivery for only a single on his Championship comeback for Yorkshire against Hampshire at Headingley yesterday. And little else went right for Yorkshire after Craig White had won
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Shearer cool on hot-seat
ALAN Shearer last night delivered a blow to all Newcastle United fans hoping their former skipper would one day return to the club as boss. Shearer has always kept his cards close to his chest during his playing career at St James' Park as to whether
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Scott Wilson Column
YOU can glean a lot of information from the way in which a football team acts. For the last seven days, Brazil have been holding open training sessions in Weggis, a lakeside resort in the foothills of the Swiss Alps. Fans have been able to see the likes
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Domino wants a flyer
IT could easily be a case of third time lucky for Domino Dancer (2.10), a leading contender at Ayr in the opening two-year-old EBF Maiden Stakes. Howard Johnson's juvenile has twice knocked on the door, most recently on a visit to Newcastle, when finishing
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Beckham feels on top of the world
HE might be no stranger to the curse of the broken metatarsal himself, but David Beckham has insisted he will enter this month's World Cup in better shape than ever. Four years ago, it was the England skipper who was battling his way back to fitness after
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Pledge of slowdown in move towards police force mergers
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to merge the region's police forces into a single "superforce" were last night buoyed by a fresh pledge from the Government. Police Minister Tony McNulty announced that the pace of the controversial mergers would slow down because
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Bus services to be hit by strike
INDUSTRIAL action will leave passengers across Teesside, County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire without buses for 24 hours next Monday. A long-running pay dispute has resulted in Arriva North-East drivers calling a series of one-day strikes after
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Trout are destroyed as fish farms fear spread of disease
THOUSANDS of rainbow trout have been destroyed in a bid to halt a rare virus threatening to devastate fish farms. Government officials have slaughtered 19.5 tonnes of fish at an unidentified trout farm in North Yorkshire. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries
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Police hunt hooligans who fail to give up passports
POLICE in the region are hunting 18 known football troublemakers who have not yet surrendered their passports ahead of the World Cup finals. Last night, forces across the North-East warned hooligans who did not adhere to Tuesday night's deadline to expect
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Prolific teen thief back in jail after high-speed chase
A PROLIFIC teenage burglar and car thief has been sent back to prison for his part in a crime in which he was nearly run over. Amar Majid, of Marton Road, Middlesbrough, was involved in a high-speed chase on the A19 in a car he helped to steal from a
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Wonder-dog's winning streak at the races ends in Dash for finish
A GREYHOUND that rewrote the record books after it was nursed back from a crippling injury by two schoolboy brothers narrowly missed out on a sixth straight victory, despite starting seven metres behind his competitors. Another Link, who smashed all records
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New book challenges 'wimp' image of Christian men
AN author is hoping to challenge the "wimp" image of Christian men in his new book. Baz Gascoyne is returning to his home town of Darlington to launch Cut to the Chase, which he penned with Billingham-born Lee Jackson. The pair, who are concerned at the
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Community hospital's surgery unit to close
THE controversial closure of a day surgery unit at a community hospital is to go ahead. The decision to close the unit at Shotley Bridge Hospital, near Consett, County Durham, was taken last night despite pleas from council and primary care trust leaders
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Last picture show as fake DVDs destroyed
PIRATE copies of films have been destroyed during an amnesty to clamp down on illegal DVDs in the North-East. A mobile shredding unit was in the Mall, Middlesbrough, and Northumberland Street, Newcastle, encouraging people to hand over their pirate discs
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Campaigners' anger at shop's knife offer
CAMPAIGNERS last night criticised a North-East department store's decision to give away knives - in the middle of a national amnesty designed to stem the growing knife culture.Binns, in Darlington, ran an in-store offer where every shopper over 21 was
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E-fit release may provide clues to girl abduction bid
POLICE have released an e-fit of a man they want to question in relation to the attempted abduction of a teenage girl.The Northern Echo reported last month how the middle-aged man tried to grab the girl after asking for directions.The 16-year-old victim
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Store's 'joyriding' T-shirts withdrawn
A Woolworth'S store in Stockton has been ordered to take children's T-shirts off its shelves after it was accused of glamorising joyriding.The tops were emblazoned with the slogan "Drive It Like You Stole It".Last night, the mother of a boy killed by
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Inquest verdict on remand prisoner found dead in cell
A REMAND prisoner who admitted strangling his girlfriend to death, took his own life by tying a television wire around his neck. Andrew Maguire, 34, of Hexham, Northumberland, was found dead in his cell at Durham Prison by warden David Pilkington. He
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Top marks for Knappet and Parker
Oxford UCEE v Durham CCC (UNI) : Day One IT WAS a few degrees warmer in The Parks yesterday than when Durham used to visit in perishing mid-April, but were any degrees to be awarded for cricketing prowess they would have gone to the Oxford UCCE batsmen.Coventry-born
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Split up and you'll pay up
Unmarried couples could be ordered to sell their homes, pay lump sums and share pensions in the event of a break-up, the Government's law reform advisors said yesterday. The Law Commission said the two million cohabiting Britons should be able to make
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Chance to visit 'haunted' battle site
PEOPLE with an interest in the paranormal and things that go bump in the night can take part in a ghost hunt at one of the region's haunted spots. Regular ghost watches are held at the Heugh Battery on Hartlepool's Headland, with the next event taking
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John North: An Old line in mole catching
Since moles are part of the underground movement, the average townie's knowledge may be limited to that good-hearted little fellow in The Wind in the Willows or to that long-sung song about the mole that lived in a hole. Who sang it? The answer at the
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Dad At large: Exams are a testing time for us all
FRESH from reaching the six-feet mark, the Big Friendly Giant - as our eldest is to be known from now on - is in the middle of his GCSEs. It's a highly pressurised, traumatic and exhausting time. It can't be easy for him either. The mental scars from
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Film: Under the sea
Tough guy actor Kurt Russell gives away a big secret about the remake of Posiedon, but it isn't that he could be mistaken for Mel Gibson or that he's a Scientologist like Tom Cruise or John Travolts. Steve Pratt sits in on eht tough guy actor's international
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Last Night's TV: Oh what an original Cyn
Sex In The 80s: Madam Cyn's Home Movies (C4): The exploits of Cynthia Payne were a godsend for headline writers - THE WAGES OF CYN screamed one - and provided endless pleasure for policemen, politicians and other pillars of society. But as Madam Cyn
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Soap Watch: New pet project
SOAPLAND is not famous for happy families. Soap relatives living in harmony are rarer than a sane person in the Big Brother house. Take camp Rovers barman Sean (go on, take him, he's standing around like a spare rib in a Chinese restaurant) in Coronation
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Comment from The Northern Echo: Giving away common sense
THE judgement of two of our best-known high street retailers is called into question today. At a time when the prevalence of knives on our streets is making headline news around the country, and police forces are urgently promoting knife amnesties, Binns
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The teacher who clipped the Hun's wings
It's a Boys' Own tale of amazing derring-do - the First World War pilot who shot down the German ace who flew with the Red Baron. Chris Lloyd recounts the story of the Richmond schoolteacher whose story has been a secret for over half a century. IT was
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Hear All Sides
GEISHA ARTICLE: I WOULD like to comment on the opinions of Sarah Foster in her article on the geisha (Echo, May 25) who myself and my colleague, Jill Clay, brought to North Yorkshire last week. It would appear the article was vastly under-researched
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Television: Real Pickles
North-East writer Michael Chaplin was delighted to bring the tale of Wold Cup saviour Pickles the dog to television, even if the star of the show wasn't quite the footballer that was required. Steve Pratt helps roll back the clock to 1966. WRITER Michael
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Film: Still going over so well
Carol Lynley actually hates curising, but has enjoyed a career based around the fame of being a survivior from The Poseidon Adventure in 1972. She tells Steve Pratt she would have loved to have played a cameo in this year's re-make of the liner knocked
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To Ten To Rent
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL: 1 (-) Big Momma's House 2 (1) Fun With Dick And Jane 3 (4) Chicken Little 4 (7) Jarhead 5 (2) Walk The Line 6 (3) Aeon Flux 7 (6) Just Friends 8 (5) Rumour Has It 9 (9) Running Scared 10 (10) Just Like Heaven Chart
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Theatre: Dead clever
Lucy Speed loves being one of the girls for a musical, even if it means turning herself into a character who died at 17 and spends her time talking to the audience. Viv Hardwick chats to her about Girls Night and her years of soap fame. WHILE some will
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Tea at Three to help hospices
A DARLINGTON hospice is encouraging people to join them in creating the nation's biggest-ever tea party. Throughout this month, thousands of workplaces, schools and homes across the country will be taking part in Tea at Three, to support the UK's 220
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Man threatened to stab wife to death
A 48-YEAR-OLD man avoided prison for threatening to kill his wife and children because he had already spent 168 days in custody. Geoffrey Hoare, of Corbridge Crescent, Darlington, appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday charged with threatening to
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Family ends 101 years in business
ONE hundred years of traditional butchery are coming to an end with the retirement of John and Barbara Carter. They are one of the last local links to the days of delicacies such as hot ducks with gravy and of window displays featuring boiled pigs' heads
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Norton a no-show, but the show must go on
HUNDREDS of dance fans from across the region saw a local contestant make a final bid to win a television talent show. The three remaining couples on BBC's Strictly Dance Fever came to Darlington during a whistle-stop tour to win over fans ahead of Saturday
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TextVibe scheme hailed a success
HUNDREDS of young people in Darlington have signed up to a mobile phone messaging service, launched in response to a damning report on the town's youth service last year. The TextVibe scheme came into operation a year ago today, and allows young people
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Can new park revitalise jobs blackspot?
A business park could bring 200 jobs to the region - if it is given planning permission. Plans are being drawn up for phase one of the £5.6m venture at Bracks Farm, on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Work could start at the end of the
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Large slice of food company to be sold off
DALEPAK owner Northern Foods yesterday put nearly half its business up for sale as part of a restructuring aimed at turning its fortunes around. The company, which is not planning to sell its Dalepak frozen foods factory, in Leeming Bar, near Northallerton
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Competition forces Ottakar's to accept cut-price takeover
BOOKshop chain Ottakar's agreed to a takeover by HMV yesterday after conceding it faced a losing battle against supermarkets and online retailers. The deal for Ottakar's is worth nearly £63m - significantly less than the £96.4m offered by Waterstone's
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Leading the way in tax relief take-up
SMALL businesses in the region are the most likely to apply for tax relief, a survey revealed yesterday. Nearly 80 per cent of small companies in the region make the most of Small Business Rate Relief, compared to only 48 per cent nationally, according
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Watchdog to open office in the region
SPENDING watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) is opening an office in the region. The NAO, which has its headquarters in London, said yesterday that it was looking for a site in Newcastle large enough to offer a full range of services. The organisation
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Jobs safe after Esh Group buys firm
CONSTRUCTION group Esh has bought a company out of administration, safeguarding more than 100 jobs. Esh Group, which is based in Durham, announced yesterday that it had acquired Stephen Easten Limited for an undisclosed sum. Stephen Easten, which has
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Hire company sees profits rise
THE country's largest tool hire company, Speedy Hire, yesterday posted a 25 per cent rise in annual profits and forecast further growth. The company, which leases equipment such as cement mixers and drills to the construction industry, revealed that
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Steelmaker hit by costs and prices
STEELmaker Corus reported a fall in profits yesterday after a decline in steel prices and higher energy costs. The Anglo-Dutch group, which employs nearly 3,000 people in the North-East, announced that operating profits fell in the three months to the
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Helen Cannam: Where the money really goes on marriage
The shops are full of floaty dresses and fancy hats. Stately homes and posh hotels take big adverts to tell the world about their lavish catering facilities and elegant rooms for that special occasion. Yes, it's that time of year again when everyone suddenly
