Archive
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Houchen bucks the book trend
''I do not understand why young players write books. I do not know why a player at 25 wants to tell me all about his big experiences. ''When I consider the age I am now, I would have a lot to tell people. But it seems to be an English habit to come out
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Australia regain the Ashes
AUSTRALIA have reclaimed the Ashes after bowling England out for 350 on the final day of the Perth Test. The Australians won the match by 206 runs for a 3-0 lead in the series to regain the Urn. Shane Warne took four wickets in the second innings
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Looking for a band that’s rock-bottom
A SEARCH has been launched to find the worst rock band in a North-East town. In a reversal of the traditional X-Factor-style talent contest, First Stop Darlington (FSD) is looking for a band with no musical ability. The winner of the contest
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The Lifeblood Appeal
As part of The Northern Echo Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region:TODAY* Vane Tempest Social Club, New Drive, Seaham, 2.45pm-7pm* Methodist Church, High Street,
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Burke inspires Falcons
Newcastle Falcons 35 Montauban 0 NEWCASTLE claimed an emphatic victory over a poor Montauban side at Kingston Park to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the European Challenge Cup quarter- finals. The bonus-point victory moves the Falcons
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Darlington £12m road scheme approved
WORK will begin within weeks on a badly-needed £12m road scheme designed to cut congestion in Darlington. The Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor (DETC) was given final approval yesterday by the department for transport (Dft) - clearing the way for
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Police arrest man on suspicion of murdering five women
A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder by police hunting the killer of five prostitutes. The man was arrested at his home near Felixstowe shortly after 7am today. Detective Chief Superintendent Stewart Gull said: He has been arrested
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Young magnates rocket to lead in business challenge
A TEAM of young business brains is setting the early pace in the race to win a competition to find the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The results of the first round of the Future Business Magnates competition have just been released, and see Durham School
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Members of guild celebrate 650 years
CELEBRATIONS have begun to mark the 650th anniversary of the founding of a medieval guild. The Company of Merchant Adventurers of York bought land in Fossgate on December 16, 1356, and built a guild hall, which is now among the city's tourist attractions
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Half-a-million held back at work by skill gaps
HALF-a-million adults in the North-East feel they are held back at work by a lack of maths, English or computer skills, according to a survey. The figures show that almost a quarter of adults in the region feel a deficiency of these basic skills is holding
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December 18th, 2006
TRIDENT: THE Reverend John Stephenson decries the recommissioning of Trident (HAS, Dec 11). Why shouldn't Trident be recommissioned? We live in a very uncertain world and one of the few effective guarantees of stability we have is the nuclear deterrent
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Enforcement for litter-free Christmas
PEOPLE who drop litter are facing hefty fines as enforcement officers step up patrols over Christmas. The environmental enforcement team from Middlesbrough Council will be out in the town's streets over the festive season and will issue anybody who is
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What Katy's doing next
Katy Secombe is carrying the torch of entertainment inherited form her famous - and much loved - father. She tells Steve Pratt about how she has arrived at a leading role in a top musical. KATY Secombe has come up in the world since she was last on stage
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Plans to kickstart facelift for run-down shops parade
A RUN-DOWN shopping parade which has suffered from anti-social behaviour could be in line for a facelift. A meeting of several groups in the town will include a call to pull together to make improvements to the Greenside shops, in Ingleby Barwick, Stockton
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Launch of ratings for care homes
CARE homes in Middlesbrough are to get locally-devised star ratings as part of plans to boost quality and choice. Residents at the homes will be asked about the quality of meals, cleanliness, social facilities and healthcare in the assessments, drawn
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Young magnates rocket to lead in business challenge
A TEAM of young business brains is setting the early pace in the race to win a competition to find the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The results of the first round of the Future Business Magnates competition have just been released, and see Durham School
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Message of peace in winning card
DURHAM City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods has named the winner of her Christmas card competition. Mrs Blackman-Woods met winner Laura Gill at Durham Community Business College. The competition was open to all A-level, and equivalent, art students, and all
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Pupils to stage gig to assist Lesotho
SCHOOL pupils are raising money for South African orphanages in a gig featuring young bands. Twenty students from Durham High School are hosting the concert on Wednesday, to raise money for their month-long trip to Lesotho, South Africa, in the summer
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Police launch Dinosaur in trouble spots
AN operation to tackle anti-social behaviour was launched on Saturday. Police and police community support officers were involved in high-visibility patrols in areas of Stanley. Their efforts focused on trouble hotspots, including the skate park in Chester
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Proposal to convert waste land into cemetery for pets
COUNCILLORS are to visit a piece of overgrown land to see if it is suitable to be turned into a pet cemetery. Members of Derwentside District Council's planning committee decided a site visit was necessary, before granting Yvonne Wilson's planning application
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Residents are moving into their new homes
KEYS to new homes have been delivered in time for Christmas. Residents have started moving into bunglaows at the £1.6m development, at a site where properties had been demolished. The two-bedroomed bungalows at Tregarth Close, in the Saltersgill area
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Youngsters kickstart plan
YOUNGSTERS in the North Yorkshire market town of Kirkbymoorside have persuaded the town council to provide better play facilities. Several young people sent a letter to the council asking for a facelift of the Ryedale View play area and now questionnaires
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Ceremony marks successful end to five-year campaign
VILLAGERS turned out to celebrate the re-opening of their parish hall following a £40,000 refurbishment and five years of work. Richmond MP and shadow foreign secretary William Hague performed the opening ceremony at Hutton Bonville, near Northallerton
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Estate manager dies, aged 78
IVAN Brett, a well-known figure in North Yorkshire's country life, has died at the age of 78. Mr Brett, of Snainton, near Scarborough, was a surveyor and manager of Viscount Downe's estate at Wykeham for many years, having previously been estates manager
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NHS chairman steps down
THE chairman of the beleagured Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust, Richard Grunwell, is leaving. Mr Grunwell, a solicitor and former Scarborough councillor, has been in the job for four years. The trust has been dogged by debts and needs to
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Illegal building work is stopped
ACTION has been taken to halt illegal building work on a site in North Yorkshire. Hambleton District Council's planning officers visited Springwell Lane, Northallerton, after a developer began work without permission. In July, members of the planning
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Council makes a difference
COUNCIL bosses are celebrating after their authority took a top spot in a competition to find authorities that are making a difference. Hambleton District Council took one of ten prizes in the awards, organised by Local Government Yorkshire and Humber
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Pantomime prize gives Imogen the happiest day of her life
A SEVEN-year-old who met a pantomime cast after winning a theatre competition described the event as the best day of her life. Imogen Bristow, from Barnard Castle, County Durham, enjoyed a VIP visit to the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, on Saturday
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Filmmaker takes the plunge for video diary
EVENTS in a market town have been recorded for the latest in a series of video diaries. Filmmaker Mike Porter, who has filmed in Richmond since 1960, has released his seventh Richmond Diary in video and DVD format. Local people are recorded describing
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Fencing champion to pass on advice
YOUNGSTERS are being given the chance to learn how to fence tomorrow with a Yorkshire champion. Madeleine Wivell, the Yorkshire under-16 girls fencing champion, will offer expert tips to children aged ten and over at two Hyper Holidays sessions at Hambleton
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Restaurant owner offers a cracking way to slim
A CHRISTMAS pudding who turned into a Christmas cracker is to open a slimming class in the new year. Christine Spencer, from Leyburn, has lost 2.5 stones with Slimming World and has become a consultant for the company. Three years ago, she was a size
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Stop the thieves - mark your bike
BIKES bought for Christmas can be security marked for free to help deter thieves. Clinics are being held in Richmondshire over the next month, with neighbourhood police teams providing free identification marking and advice. The scheme is funded by the
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Prize trip on the cards
WINNERS of a Christmas card competition have been treated to lunch with senior councillors and officers. The annual North Yorkshire County Council competition was run this year by the adult social care operations unit. People who use elderly people's
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Sew far, sew good
A WORKSHOP has been held to promote and inspire pupils' creativity in textile and fashion design. The idea was to give young people at Framwellgate School, in Durham, an insight into the fashion industry and running their own business. Students worked
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Tynedale help Blaydon go clear - now for the crunch
BLAYDON were grateful to Tynedale for doing them a huge favour on Saturday but will be in no mood for seasonal offerings when their neighbours come calling this week. A 13-3 win at Hull Ionians took Blaydon seven points clear at the halfway stage in
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Bah, humbug - it was so boring
Born Equal (BBC1); Toulouse-Lautrec: The Full Story (C4): Tis the season to be jolly - unless you happen to be a BBC scheduler determined to be Scrooge-like and put a damper on the Christmas party spirit. Born Equal was as unrelentingly grim a drama
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Experience tells on day of Young and Old
THERE is a clear need for the changing face of Acklam Park to be accompanied by rugby at a higher level than North Two East, and Middlesbrough look assured of an immediate return to North One. A month ago they had West Hartlepool breathing down their
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Victorian-style party at museum
ONE THOUSAND visitors helped create a Victorian festive mood at a museum charity event. It is the first year the Victorian Christmas celebrations at Preston Hall Museum have been held in aid of charity. But Stockton Borough Council's museum service got
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Embalming: the inside story
For years a hairdresser, Janet Officer has now changed career to use her skills as an embalmer. Women's Editor Sarah Foster speaks to Janet and her boss and finds out why they feel their work is a vocation.THEY both wear black from head to toe, the standard
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Gig Review: Babyshambles, Middlesbrough Town Hall
DRUGS, supermodels and now suspicious deaths, it can only be Pete Doherty. He rolled into Middlesbrough with Babyshambles, seemingly determined to prove that before he became tabloid fodder he was capable of creating quite spectacular music.Forget the
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Brambles theme in artwork
YOUNGSTERS have worked with a local artist to create a distinctive mosaic for their community.Youths aged nine to 14, from Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough, worked with Andy McKeown to create the Brambles design in their youth and community centre, in Marshall
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Hear All Sides
DRAINAGE WORK: I WROTE to Northumbrian Water in July last year, after another risk of flooding and asked if they would consider increasing the drainage pipe capacity in Baff Street, Spennymoor. I am pleased to inform residents that work will soon start
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Festive tree wonderland
A PARISH church has been transformed into a winter wonderland, with more than 50 Christmas trees lit up and decorated by local firms and organisations. Businesses each paid £30 for the privilege of putting their own designs on the trees in St Mary's
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City sends greetings to 'imprisoned' Palestinians
SHOPPERS in Durham were asked to sign a Christmas card to send to people in the Middle East.The card is to be given to church leaders Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the head of the Roman Catholic Church
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Christmas sparkles in city's silver festival
PRIZES were given out on Saturday in Durham's Silver Christmas Festival.The ceremony took place in Durham Market Place as part of the festive celebrations.Christopher and Rebecca Conn, of Great Lumley, won a hamper from Waitrose as part of the Christmas
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Chandelier could be lit for final time
A PRICELESS chandelier could be lit for the last time following months of debate about its future.The wooden piece has been the subject of lengthy discussions with councillors over whether it should be removed to be preserved.The piece, which adorns the
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First Ashes ton will be first of many for laid-back opener
Richard Dawson, the former England and Yorkshire off-spinner writes exclusively for The Northern Echo. IT WAS a great effort from Alastair Cook to grind out his first Ashes century and I'm sure that won't be the last. But it was a hammer blow to England's
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Nurses raise funds for presents to patients
A TEAM of nurses is preparing up to deliver 100 Christmas hampers to patients. The fundraising efforts of community psychiatric nurses Angela Freeman, Carolyn Fisher, Stephen Bell and Kenny Moore raised more that £1,300 for the hampers. People with
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Aladdin, York Grand Opera House
The younger members of the audience needed no encouragement to join in. They shouted, they screamed, they hollered and they stopped Widow Twankey wiping her runny nose on her sleeve. If pantomime was only for children (and some might say it is), this
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Village campaign for trees continues
VILLAGERS campaigning to save the trees in their community have vowed to keep fighting despite receiving two set backs. Power company Northern Electric Distribution (NEDL) says it needs to clear the canopies of about 40 trees in North Close, near Spennymoor
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Tributes to school's dedicated organist
PUPILS at a village school are to say a final thank you for the music to a former headteacher who has played the organ at every carol service for the past 40 years. George Dixon has been at the keyboard for the festive show at Heighington CE Primary School
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Raising cash
A FOOTBALL club is holding a Christmas fundraiser. Bishop Auckland FC will hold the party to help raise money for their proposed new stadium on Friday. The event will take place at the Belverdere Club in Kingsway, Bishop Auckland. There will be music
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Chris Coleman an inspiration
GARETH Southgate prepared for tonight's game by hailing Chris Coleman as an inspiration, writes Will Scott. Southgate and Coleman were teammates at Crystal Palace in the early 1990s and have remained friends ever since. The Boro boss revealed they still
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Teenager Cattermole well on the road to becoming skipper
LEE Cattermole returns to the scene of one the proudest moments in his fledgling football career when he steps out at Craven Cottage this evening. Cattermole became the youngest captain in Middlesbrough's history when he was handed the skipper's armband
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Coxhoe continue ascent
Wearside League: Coxhoe Athletic maintained their steady rise up the table when they secured their fifth win of the season at the expense of Boldon CA. It was a close call though and the only goal came with just ten minutes remaining. Stephen Clifford
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Shildon manager bans any title talk despite emphatic victory
Arngrove Northern League: Shildon manager Gary Forrest has banned talk of a title chase after they hammered Northallerton 8-3 on Saturday. After a dismal run of one win in seven league games Shildon are now back into third place, but Forrest said: "The
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Hear All Sides
ACADEMY CONCERNS: IS Darlington Borough Council trying to pull a fast one yet again by persuading the Government to provide more taxpayers' money to make good the lack of repair and/or maintenance of Eastbourne School over the years? (Echo, Dec 12).
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Expansion good for all the family
A SINGLE mother who set up a business to provide after-school activities for children is expanding the classes after Christmas. Di Jackson, who set up Planet Sport Kids' Club after becoming disillusioned with Darlington's lack of after-school activities
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Get on course
VOLUNTARY organisations can now book training courses with Darlington CVS. Darlington CVS, which supports voluntary organisations and charities, has organised a number of full and half-day training sessions on subjects ranging from basic food hygiene
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Gift from the stars
PANTO stars have pledged their support to the Giving Tree appeal. Stars from Cinderella, which is being staged at Darlington Civic Theatre, have offered their support to the appeal, which has been organised by Darlington Borough Council for the past ten
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Musical merit
A 13-year-old school boy is celebrating after passing his grade five music theory test with flying colours. Tim Jasper, who lives in Sedgefield, and who is a pupil at Carmel RC College, in Darlington, achieved a pass with merit at the recent Associated
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Notts win sweet for White
At the third attempt Darlington-born Alan White finally enjoyed a visit to the 96.6TFM Arena by grabbing the winner for Notts County - but it was not the first time he had scored a goal in his hometown. Playing as a one-off for Haughton FC nine months
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Dyer once again desperate to show his injury problems are a thing of the past after another comeback
IT would be fair to assume that Kieron Dyer would be incredibly frustrated with his latest spell on the sidelines following the best part of two seasons out with a recurring hamstring problem. Yet he admits to being "relieved" with the latest blow he
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Penney remains pragmatic
DAVE Penney refused to condemn referee Anthony Taylor, but the Darlington manager felt three key decisions proved their undoing at the weekend. The Cheshire official ruled out a Darlington goal in the first half, and after failing to award the home side
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Festival celebrates community spirit
DOZENS of residents from one of Darlington's newest communities enjoyed a festival organised to encourage residents to get involved with their local park. About 50 residents from the West Park estate attended the first winter festival in West Park. Children
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Braving the cold to sow new seeds
Youngsters braved the morning frosts at the weekend to plant 20 trees in a nature reserve.The children, along with parents and grandparents, are all part of Bishop Middleham's Carrot Club.The group, which meets weekly, is concerned with promoting healthy
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Author tells tale of scandal and suicide bid
THE author of a newly-reprinted book will be giving two free talks tomorrow about the history of Darlington.The book, Memories of Darlington 3, is by Chris Lloyd, deputy editor of The Northern Echo, and is compiled from his Wednesday local history columns
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Connolly vows to get his share of goals, if chances come
DAVID Connolly is backing himself to score the goals to fire Sunderland into the top six - so long as his team-mates create the chances, writes Adam Murray.The striker has scored only three times since his August deadline day move from Wigan, but a hamstring
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Martins makes his Premier mark
Newcastle United 2, Watford 1.OBAFEMI Martins' match-winning brace on Saturday seems to suggest the Nigeria international is finally adjusting to life in the Premier League.His second half double, either side of Hameur Bouazza's 57th minute equaliser
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Referee takes the fans' blame after Darlington's fourth defeat in a row
Darlington 0, Notts County 1.AS angry Darlington fans vented their frustration towards rookie referee Anthony Taylor at the final whistle on Saturday, the players they paid to see were spared what would have been a justified barracking. Taylor's display
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Victims of quest for coal remembered in village
A MEMORIAL to honour those who died in the quest for coal was unveiled at the weekend.The Bowburn Mining Memorial includes the names of the 52 men and boys who were killed and fatally injured at Bowburn Colliery, County Durham.It also pays tribute to
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Family celebrates a new home thanks to council land deal
A COUPLE will move into a purpose-built bungalow this week ending their struggle to care for their disabled children in a cramped terraced house.The move comes after Helen Blackburn and partner Alistair Howe appealed to Wear Valley District Council for
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Sunderland do their bit to reward the 4,000 travelling convoy of fans
Burnley 2, Sunderland 2.CELEBRITY Burnley fan Alistair Campbell picked the right home match to write in his programme notes about how important it is to recognise the value of an away support.The former No 10 director of communications/spin doctor feels
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Talking Point: Keith Houchen bucks the book trend
''I do not understand why young players write books. I do not know why a player at 25 wants to tell me all about his big experiences. ''When I consider the age I am now, I would have a lot to tell people. But it seems to be an English habit to come out
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Police and pubs join forces to stop under-age drinkers
ALTHOUGH Friday nights are generally the quieter ones in Darlington, it's just a week before Christmas and the town centre looks pretty busy.It's the first night of a new Pub Watch initiative to crack down on under-age drinkers and I'm out on patrol with
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Barron can look ahead with confidence after winning run
IT'S taken around five months of football, but Hartlepool United have finally put to bed any mental scars from last season. After being relegated in May, when the recent play-off and promotion successes at the club came to a sudden halt, Pools took their
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O'Sullivan to be asked to explain Barbican exit
World snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker maintains Ronnie O'Sullivan will be asked to explain his walkout at the Maplin UK Championship. 'The Rocket' stunned everyone at the Barbican Centre in York on Thursday when he conceded his quarter-final against
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83-year-old fights back to foil raid on house
AN elderly man has fought back against bogus officials after they tried to get in his home. The 83-year-old, from Stockton, blocked a punch by one man who tried to get into his home and threw a punch back. The pensioner answered a knock at his door on
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McGrath praised after ending Cook's heroics
CENTURY-MAKER Alastair Cook paid tribute to Glenn McGrath after the veteran seamer took two late wickets to put Australia within touching distance of regaining the Ashes. Cook defied the Australian attack for almost seven hours on day four to record his
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Difficult pill to swallow
THE Prime Minister's spokesman and John Prescott have denied that a leaked memo suggesting that the Government is seen as a "shambles" has come from a senior Downing Street aide. And while Mr Prescott has dismissed the memo as the work of someone insignificant
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Were armed raids on shops carried out by same gunman?
DETECTIVES from neighbouring North-East forces met yesterday to investigate whether two armed robberies were carried out by the same gunman.Police are also checking with colleagues around the country and believe the robber who carried out last week's
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Magical moment for our brave boy
SIX-year-old Alumbeni Makwela-Wali was concentration personified as he carried his candle and used it to trigger the 2,000 lights on the 30ft Christmas tree.The lighting within Durham Cathedral was lowered and the congregation could make out only silhouettes
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Judge to rule on Farepak refunds
A HIGH Court judge will decide today if some of the people who lost money in the collapse of Christmas savings club Farepak will share a near £1m refund in time for the festive season.The sums involved for the several hundred savers may amount to no more
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Grieving widow overwhelmed by help after Farepak collapse
A GRIEVING widow has been overwhelmed by the generosity of people for giving her children something to look forward to at Christmas.Debbie Shah was devastated when her husband, Riku, 29, was found dead last month.Mrs Shah, also 29, believes he took his
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Christmas: What's it all about?
From Santa to holly wreaths, angels and Wise Men, the traditions of Christmas are legion. The Rev Peter Mullen attempts to unravel its mysteries.AngelsThese creatures did not get their wings until the medieval painters came along. Originally an angel
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Living next door to heaven
SOME of the region's best neighbours have been rewarded following a search to find the North-East's Neighbours From Heaven.As an antidote to the all-too-familiar stories of neighbours from hell and anti-social behaviour, the competition invited people
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Sports hero Dash narrowly misses place in semi-final
SPORTING hero Dash the greyhound narrowly missed out on a semi-final cup competition place after he was piped to the post by a whisker.The North-East's favourite greyhound was knocked out of the competition when he was beaten to fourth place after a photo
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Police make arrest after man's death
DETECTIVES investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a stream made an arrest yesterday.A 32-year-old local man was last night being interviewed in connection with the death of Darryl Craig, 44, who lived in Endcliff Crescent, Scarborough.Police
