Archive
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End of an era as Sir John bows out
FOR A man with such high standards of accomplishment, Sir John Hall probably regards Newcastle United as unfinished business - but he will always be a favourite with the fan. He took over in November 1991 and genuinely believed that, with his help, the
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Record number tried to quit on No Smoking Day
A RECORD number of smokers in the region tried to quit on No Smoking Day last month, figures reveal. In total, 73,406 smokers in the North-East, almost one in five, tried to kick the habit and one in three, about 121,000, asked for information about
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50 days to go
The main objective of our Make a Fresh Start campaign is to help the people of the North-East prepare for the July 1 workplace and enclosed public space smoking ban and to highlight the health risks posed by smoking. On the above website, you can listen
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Quakers sign three
JOHN Brackstone has signed for Darlington after being released by Hartlepool United. And the left-back is one of three to sign for Quakers - Hull City defender Scott Wiseman and Motherwell winger Kevin McBride have also put pen to paper. Wiseman spent
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Urmo Aava succeeds on rough gravel roads of Sardinia
Suzuki driver Urmo Aava has claimed his first Junior Rally Championship victory of the season on round three of the series, the Rally d'Italia Sardegna. Aava finished over a minute ahead of his team mate P-G Andersson, in second. The result means that
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Consistency brings points lead for “Mad Mark”
There is everything to play for in the third round of the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship at Lydden Circuit on Monday (May 28). There has been a different winner in each of the two events run to date, Dave Bellerby (Northallerton) winning
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Bears 'Italian Job'
Redcar Bears today signed 21-year-old Arlo Bujega - who steps straight into the team at number four when the Rye Rockets visit the South Tees Motorsport Park in Premier League action at 7.30pm on Thursday evening. Arlo has developed his speedway education
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Jardin de Mailis Jurancon sec 2004 from France
If you want a change from chardonnay and fancy something French and dry, this is one try. It's a bright straw colour with acacia and toast aromas. On the palate there's a flavour of grapefruit and mango. This is a nicely balanced dry wine with a spicy
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De Bortoli Cabernet / Merlot 2006 from Australia
This week's wine has a deep garnet-red colour and a pronounced bouquet of blackberries and blackcurrants. On the palate there's a definite taste of blackberries and spice with a hint of mint and chocolate plus a little vanilla oak. It's 13 per cent
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May 23, 2007
Solutions ACROSS 7 Sweeper. (two meanings) 8 MrRight. M(R+R)IGHT 10 On one's toes. (two meanings) 11 Geck. GEC+K (GCE anag.) 12 Coxswain. (straight cryptic) 14 Harlem. (anag.) 15 Irish setter. IRIS+H+SETTER 19 Do well. D(O)WELL
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May 23, 2007
ACROSS 7 Brush with what a modern 23 might be (7) 8 What some girls are looking for may involve the Head of Russian resistance (7) 10 Alert where nails may be found (2,4,4) 11 Mock GCE failed by Kirkpatrick (4) 12 One over the eight? (8) 14 Performing
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Billionaire bids for Newcastle United
BILLIONAIRE businessman Mike Ashley's St James Holdings Limited have announced the acquisition of approximately 41.6 per cent of Newcastle United. The group paid more than £55 million to buy the controlling interest from Sir John Hall's family. For
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Newcastle United: a new beginning
BILLIONAIRE businessman Mike Ashley has bought a 41.6 per cent holding in Newcastle United. The move is believed to be the springboard for a full takeover bid. St James Holdings Limited, a company set up specifically to buy shares in the club, has acquired
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Late April sunset over Beadnell Harbour taken by Andy Dippie
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The new man behind the Toon
MIKE Ashley was once described as "Britain's answer to Howard Hughes", partly because of his intense desire to maintain his privacy. But his hopes of keeping a low profile will be severely tested now he has bought a controlling interest in Newcastle
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Have Your Say: Billionaire buys into Newcastle United
Billionaire businessman Mike Ashley's St James Holdings Limited have announced the acquisition of approximately 41.6 per cent of Newcastle United. The group paid more than £55 million from Sir John Hall's family. What are your thoughts on the takeover
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Billionaire bids for Newcastle United
BILLIONAIRE businessman Mike Ashley's St James Holdings Limited have announced the acquisition of approximately 41.6 per cent of Newcastle United. The group paid more than £55 million to buy the controlling interest from Sir John Hall's family.
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Durham Big Meeting taken by Jack Turton
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St Helens Church, Kelloe taken by Jack Turton
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Staithes taken by Bill Stevenson.
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Van driver charged over family's deaths
A VAN driver has been charged with four counts of causing death by dangerous driving following a crash that killed several members of the same family on the A1. The 22-year-old will appear before magistrates in Northallerton, North Yorkshire on Wednesday
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Mayor Jeff gets free drinks for life after cafe opening
DURHAM City's Mayor has been promised a free cuppa any time he calls at a cafe he officially opened. In one of his final duties in the role, Jeff Lodge did the honours at Cafe Cenno, formerly the Balcony Bistro, in Durham Indoor Market. The cafe opened
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Outstanding efforts to be rewarded at ceremony
OUTSTANDING work by parents, grandparents and other carers is to be recognised at an awards ceremony this week. The Derwentside Achievement and Volunteer Awards, known as the Star Awards, will take place at Stanley Central Club on Friday, recognising
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Dales man helping in earthquake recovery
A MAN who grew up in the Yorkshire Dales is helping people in Java to rebuild their lives a year after an earthquake struck. Bill Marsden, 41, has lived in Indonesia for 12 years and works with the Red Cross. He was born and brought up in Grassington,
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Training scheme for illegal bikers
ILLEGAL motorcyclists are to be given the chance to get on the right track thanks to financial backing from the Lottery. The Safer Middlesbrough Partnership has secured £42,852 from the Big Lottery Fund to pay for a project to give young people better
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Memorial match raises £200
AN annual charity football match in memory of a Royal Marine who died 13 years ago has raised £213 for St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham. Witton Gilbert and Framwellgate Moor United meet each year to play for a trophy in memory of Lee Stephenson, who
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Pupils join judges in national book competitions
PUPILS at a Durham school are being given the chance to play a part in the judging of two of the country's leading children's literature awards. Students at Durham High School for Girls have been selected to shadow the judging of the Carnegie Medal for
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Conversion gives new life to 1848 workhouse
THE first phase of a £5.7m project to convert a former workhouse into housing for people over 55 has been completed. The buildings, that once formed Stokesley's workhouse, were operated by North Yorkshire County Council as a home for elderly people.
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Youngsters enjoy French cafe culture
FRESH croissants and hot chocolate helped bring a continental feel to a school yesterday. Youngsters at Skelton Primary School celebrated their success at learning French with a day of themed activities. Pupils and staff dressed up for the day, which
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Good progress on £5.7m conversion
THE first phase of a £5.7m project to convert a former workhouse into housing for people over 55 has been completed. The buildings that formed Stokesley's workhouse were operated by North Yorkshire County Council as a home for elderly people. S4 Developments
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£90 fine returned to man with brain tumor
A PENSIONER recovering from a brain tumour has got his money back after being fined £90 for parking in a supermarket car park - despite displaying a disabled parking badge. Lawrence and Marie Smith received a £45 fine - increased to £90 if not paid
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Well-known country woman dies aged 97
A WOMAN who was well known in farming circles in the Richmond area has died at the age of 97. Alice Porter was born at Waitwith Bank Farm, near Richmond, the youngest child of Jane and John Porter. She had two sisters, Mary and Martha, and a brother,
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Sisters behaved 'like apes at feeding time'
TWO drunken sisters behaved like "hysterical apes at feeding time" when they racially insulted staff at a takeaway restaurant. Rachael and Nicola Anderson climbed on the counter, shouted racist abuse and hurled a hand-bag at staff in a row over an order
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Fears for future of arts after shake-up
THE leader of a youth theatre group says art projects may suffer because of a major management restructure at Teesdale District Council. The re-organisation, which will save £116,000, will see a cut in the number of senior management posts from nine
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First meeting: Mayor plan given the cold shoulder
A NEW council made a low-key start by voting not to give a town its first mayor. Greater Willington Town Council, which held its first meeting on Monday night, will instead have a chairman, Councillor Jim Smith, and vice-chairman Councillor Brian Myers
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Lorry attacked yards from police
A LORRY driver who parked his vehicle less than 20 yards away from a police station says vandals have caused £5,000 worth of damage to it. Mark Sumpton, 39, of Langmere, Spennymoor, County Durham, drives throughout the UK and Ireland for Belfast firm
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Teenager had a bag with 48 ecstasy tablets
A TEENAGER found to be carrying a bag of ecstasy tablets when searched by police has been spared jail. Robert Richardson, 18, of Woodville Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, had a bag of 48 ecstasy tablets in his pocket, with a street value of £240.
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Police tracking crime lord after 11 arrested in raids
POLICE say they are determined to track down a Teesside crime lord following the arrest of 11 people and the discovery of a drugs factory. Officers have recovered an estimated 10,000 cannabis plants, with a street value of between £250,000 and £500,000
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Families get say on flooding measures
FAMILIES who have lived with the threat of flooding will get a chance to have their say on a multi-million pound project aimed at protecting their homes. The risk of 28 homes in Newton Hall, Durham City, being flooded after heavy rain is to be reduced
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Rape accused protective of alleged victim - court hears
A MAN accused of rape and indecent assault told a court that he doted on his alleged victim and was protective of her. Mark Stanford denied sexually abusing the woman, while describing how he had been mistreated by his violent step-father. The 32-year-old
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Thief steals car with pensioners inside
A THIEF who sped off in a stolen car glanced in the rear view mirror to see a shocked elderly couple staring at him from the back seat. The opportunist joyrider spotted the keys had been left in the ignition as the owner leapt out to go into a shop.
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On the prom
The only way to promenade used to be on foot...now stretch limos and dumper trucks are coming into play. AMONG journalists more than most, the single maxim about there being no such thing as a free lunch may be familiar. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
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Bird watch
ROY Dennis is walking along a clifftop being dive-bombed by birds. It's like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, although a wave of his hand is enough to deter these feathered creatures from attack. Later, on Bass Island, off the East Lothian coast
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Too many cooks?
With a plethora of TV programmes giving us conflicting advice on how to bring up our children, it's no wonder that parents' confidence is low. MOTHER knows best. Ha! It's a long time since anyone said that and meant it. Mothers, it seems, know nothing
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Firm takes on two landmark pubs
TWO of the region's landmark pubs have been taken over. The King's Arms, in Reeth, Swaledale, North Yorkshire, and the George Hotel, in Piercebridge, County Durham, have been acquired by Tadcaster Inns as part of a £20m deal. The George Hotel was one
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Some good issues for Gordon to tackle
BETRAYING more than a hint of self-satisfaction, Gordon Brown, Prime Minister in all-but residence, is making his triumphal tour of the country, setting out his wares. But they're all strangely insubstantial. Or rather not strangely, since dealing in
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Work starts to clean up rotting ship
WORK has started on removing the environmental hazard posed by a decaying former Navy minesweeper berthed in the region. Staff from British Waterways and the Environment Agency yesterday began pumping out the bilges of TS Kellington, moored at the Riverside
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In charge of an inspired getaway
DURHAM City's first boutique hotel, Grafton House, has appointed a guest relations expert. JAMES HOLE, formerly guest relations manager at Seaham Hall Hotel and Serenity Spa, in County Durham, will take up the role of operations manager. The ten-bedroom
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Expansion plans outside of the UK
A HIGH-TECHNOLOGY optical equipment company in County Durham will market its products globally after breaking into several new markets. NeoSensors, based at NetPark in Sedgefield, is targeting the UK market as well as Germany, the US and Japan, with its
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Motorists help Durham celebrate 125th year
MOTORISTS would not have known it, but they were helping to mark the 125th anniversary of Durham County Cricket Club when they ground to an unexpected halt in the middle of Durham City yesterday. The photographers approached paparazzi proportions as they
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Air Angels in the TV spotlight with show
THEY have captured the secret lives of traffic wardens and been behind the scenes in hospitals, airports and police stations, and now TV documentary makers are turning their attention to the Angels of the North. That is to be the name of a new reality
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Murray now a major doubt for Wimbledon
Andy Murray has admitted he is in a race against time to be fit for Wimbledon after ruling himself out of the French Open. The British number one confirmed what most people had suspected yesterday by calling time on his bid to be ready for Roland Garros
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Ryan gets the selectors vote
England have called upon the experience of county stalwart Ryan Sidebottom to add accuracy and control to their attack for this week's second Test against West Indies. Durham's Graham Onions, who had an eight wicket haul at Edgbaston last week, was in
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Company makes links with Far East
PORT company Global Transport Logistics (GTL) is continuing its in-roads into the lucrative Far Eastern market by establishing a new division in Hong Kong. The firm, based at Teesport, has set up GTL Asia to help increase its presence in the region,
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M&S profits soar
THE revival of Marks and Spencer continued yesterday as the group posted its biggest profits for nine years and revealed plans to create 10,000 jobs through further expansion. Unveiling profits of £965.2m - an increase of 28.5 per cent - chief executive
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Hospital chiefs give approval for scan after complaints
HOSPITAL bosses have agreed to bring forward a delayed heart scan after the family of a patient complained to The Northern Echo. Factory worker Bruce Haigh, 61, from Coxhoe, County Durham, decided to go private to get the heart scan he needed. But on
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Bus companies dismiss claims over new powers
BUS companies in the North last night poured scorn on claims that town halls will gain "London-style" powers to decide routes and fares, forcing them to run unprofitable routes. Go North East and Arriva, which run most services in the region, said a long-promised
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Hot favourite Curry remaining cool over chances
A FOCUSED Michael Curry could become the first post-war golfer to win three Durham Amateur County Championships in a row this weekend. He remains, however, as cool as the pink trousers he wore on his maiden triumph. In 2005, as the 25-year-old came from
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Residents kick up stink over rubbish collection policy
RESIDENTS have given their backing to a campaign to overhaul refuse collection in a North-East town. The move comes on the day the man at the centre of the rubbish row said he would go to prison rather than pay a £50 fine. Chris Grainge, of Columbia
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Strike action averted as pay dispute ends
A PAY dispute which led to workers at a County Durham engineering plant staging two seven-day strikes has been resolved, The Northern Echo can reveal. Employees at the Tanfield Engineering Services factory, in Stanley, have opted to accept a three per
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Time for reassurance
IT is no real surprise that Remploy is to drastically reduce the number of its British factories. The signs that a major reorganisation was on the way have been clear for some time. Nevertheless, the stark reality that 32 of its 83 factories are to close
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Lee-Barrett is Pools first summer signing
DANNY Wilson last night made his first signing of the summer when Coventry keeper Arran Lee-Barrett moved to Hartlepool United. And making the move in the opposite direction is likely to be Pools No 1 Dimi Konstantopoulos. Both keepers are out of contract
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Benitez fears heart couldn't cope with Istanbul repeat
Rafael Benitez fears he will need to call a doctor in Athens' Olympic Stadium tonight if there is a repeat of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League epic with AC Milan. The Reds famously launched an astounding comeback from three goals down against Milan in
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Milan victory would not remove stains from Italian game
IT should be the jewel in Italian football's crown. Less than ten months after Italy's national side were crowned World Cup winners, AC Milan stand just 90 minutes away from their club's seventh European title. Victory over Liverpool in this evening's
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Struggling families must pay back £90m
SOME of the poorest families in the region will be ordered to hand back millions of pounds overpaid to them in tax credits, it emerged last night. Figures show families in the North-East and North Yorkshire have been overpaid nearly £90m in the past
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Helping strike Olympic gold
A FOREST on the North York Moors could become a key training venue for the 2012 London Olympics following the completion of England's most extensive network of mountain bike trails.The 34 miles of purpose-built and sustainable routes have been created
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60,000-mile bird caught at reserve
EXPERTS believe a tiny bird caught at a nature reserve will have travelled more than 60,000 miles in its life.The willow warbler, which weighs the same as a pound coin, was caught by ringers at the Foxglove Covert reserve, in Catterick Garrison, North
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Teenage rapist has his sentence reduced
A TEENAGE rapist's minimum term behind bars was yesterday cut by a quarter by Appeal Court judges.Detectives who led the inquiry after the attack by Martin Samuel Walsh, last July, last night spoke of the "disappointment" for themselves and the victim
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Closures mean loss of 2,000 jobs for disabled
MORE than 2,000 workers are facing unemployment after the UK's largest employer of disabled people closed half its factories.In the North-East, Remploy factories in Spennymoor, County Durham; Hartlepool; Stockton; York; Ashington, in Northumberland; and
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'It's been like a family to us'
It has helped thousands of people with disabilities find rewarding employment. As Remploy announces the closure of 32 factories, Lindsay Jennings looks at how the organisation has evolved over the decades.HER face beams out from the Remploy website. Radiating
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Historian creates history
A HISTORIAN who writes about a North-East town has claimed her own slice of fame by becoming its first Mayor. Former Teacher Barbara Laurie was elected last night when the first meeting of Bishop Auckland Town Council voted unanimously to create the
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Williams could make the move to Quakers
Eifion Williams, released by Hartlepool, could be a target for Darlington as the striker has revealed his preference to stay in the North-East A number of League Two clubs are interested in securing the Welshman's services, with Quakers high on his list
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Mum-to-be in ambulance trip trauma
A MOTHER-TO-BE was taken across the country by ambulance because of a false alarm - and then told she would have to find her own way home. Gemma Evans, 22, of Whitby, North Yorkshire, was taken to Scarborough General Hospital by ambulance along with her
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No new clues in hunt for Jenny's body
POLICE yesterday searched a field for clues to the whereabouts of the body of missing shop worker Jenny Nicholl. Detectives said nothing of significance had been found. The search took place in a small field at Woodhouse Farm, near Richmond, North Yorkshire
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Neighbour hailed a hero after fire rescue
A NEIGHBOUR is being hailed a hero after rescuing a pregnant mother and her toddler son from their burning home and carrying them down a ladder. The woman, six months' pregnant, and her family, are said to be lucky to be alive after being trapped inside
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Car plunge tragedy will remain mystery
THE reason why a car swerved violently and plummeted 50ft into a swollen river, killing an elderly couple, will remain a mystery, a coroner said.Harold Douglas Elkins, 88, known as Doug, and his 68-year-old wife, Sheila, died when their Nissan Micra left
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Gale of the century
FOR sale: rural property, large farm, spacious buildings, lots of land ... and one wind farm.The first wind farm to come up for sale in the North-East has gone on the market this week, with a price tag of £3.25m.The three turbines, plus four more which
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Sibierski rejects offer of new one-year deal
ANTOINE Sibierski has turned his back on Newcastle United less than nine months after the Magpies offered him a much-needed opportunity to resurrect his career.But Nolberto Solano, who is also out of contract this summer, will sign a new one-year deal
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Beauty queen fails to make it a double
NORTH-EAST beauty queen Anjlee Desai failed to inherit the Miss Great Britain 2007 crown from her sister this week.But the 22-year-old singer says she is looking to the future and has already been in the studio recording tracks with her band
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Viduka leaves Boro to play the waiting game
MARK VIDUKA'S failure to deliver a quick decision on his future has left Middlesbrough in limbo, with manager Gareth Southgate forced to stall on his rebuilding plans aimed towards achieving a place in the Premiership's top ten next season.And with the
