Archive
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Pals jailed over search for terrified woman's lover
TWO friends who terrified a woman in her home as they angrily went in search of her new lover were locked up today. The victim's former boyfriend, Mark Trippett, was jailed for two years, and her cousin, Gary Skerritt, received 12 months. Both men admitted
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Former musician quizzed over indecent images
Update: Mr Tucker has asked us to point out that the police accepted that someone else had used his credit card to access indecent images online. Mr Tucker says he was never arrested or charged and has never accessed or viewed indecent images.
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Young farmers wanted for catwalk
TIME is running out for would-be models who want to strut their stuff on the catwalk at the Great Yorkshire Show. The entry deadline for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society's "Find a Model Young Farmer" competition falls on April 30. The society's marketing
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Parish Council Report; April 09...
The Clerk to the Council, Trevor Lewis, reports on some items of discussion at the April meeting of the council... Making a difference! The Parish Council have vacancies for three local Councillors: this is the opportunity to be involved
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Brother of Cheryl Cole stays out of jail until after baby born
THE bad boy brother of pop star Cheryl Cole has been allowed to keep his freedom until after the birth of his first baby. Former drug addict Andrew Tweedy is facing jail after pepper spraying a man in the face and was due to be sentenced at Newcastle
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Headline Game update
Here's the story for tomorrow morning's Headline Game on TFM radio... A Norweigan couple were caught having sex while driving up the motorway. The 28-year-old man and 22-year-old woman were clocked at 78 miles per hour. "The car was veering from one
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Four bidders expected to make offer for Quakers
FOUR different parties are expected to make bids for Darlington FC. The cash-strapped football club is hoping that all four bids will be received before the April 20 deadline which was set by the administrators. Once the offers have been received, the
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Consultation to help unpaid care workers
THE army of unpaid support carers are to be consulted in a bid to identify a borough council's key priorities over the next five years. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and the area's Primary Care Trust (PCT) are collecting the views of
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College plans June music
BISHOP Auckland College is hosting its second free music festival in June. Student and school bands are part of the lineup for this year’s event taking place over two days on the field next to the new college campus on Woodhouse Lane. Pop, indie, rock
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Volunteers needed to preserve heritage
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to ensure Stockton’s heritage is preserved. Stockton Borough Council is looking for people to take an interest in the future of the town and to take part in quarterly meetings. Volunteers are needed to take part in a regular
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Concern for missing man
Police are concerned for the well-being of a 30-year-old man from Southbank, near Middlesbrough, who has been missing since Sunday evening. John Stephen MacNeil is described as 6ft 4ins tall, of stocky build and known locally as Macca. It is thought
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Drugs den closed down
A HOUSE that had become the centre for drug use and anti-social behaviour has been closed down even though police found no drugs during a raid. A crack house closure order was issued to stamp out the problems surrounding 33 Woodville Avenue, Beechwood
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West Auckland Memorial Hall open day
WEST Auckland Memorial Community Association hosts an open day at the Memorial Hall on Tuesday, April 21. The event runs from 11am to 2pm, and includes stalls, pie and peas, and New Age Kurling and Shuffleboard demonstrations from patrons with
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New equipment to combat crime
POLICE in Middlesbrough have been given new kit to help fight crime and anti-social behaviour. Erimus Housing residents have agreed to spend money on high powered torches and Euro Profile lock snappers in a bid to combat problems. Each of the company
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Witnesses sought after attack in Crook
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an assault in Crook which left two men with minor injuries. The pair were attacked by three other males at the bottom of West Road near the roundabout to Peases Way between 2am and 2.30am on March 15. The three
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Nursery support children's heart team
A NURSERY school has raised a record amount of money to donate to charity in its latest annual appeal. The Eden Nursery, at Rushyford, near Newton Aycliffe, raised £4884.20 for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (Chuf) at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.
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Thieves target allotment site for second time
POLICE are appealing for information after a second theft of animals from allotments in as many months. A pigeon crate and six chickens were stolen from an allotment site in Howlish View, Coundon, near Bishop Auckland overnight on Tuesday April 7 to
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Run-down Abbey farm to become holiday complex
THE National Trust is about to start work on a project to convert a set of currently dilapidated historic buildings into holiday cottages. How Hill, by the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate near Ripon, was acquired by the trust in the
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Water firm's £4m upgrade plan
A WATER company is preparing to spend up to £4m in an effort to protect more than 100 homes from flooding. Northumbrian Water put its £500,000 plans to protect 31 homes in Belmont and Carrville areas of Durham City on public display on Tuesday. But
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Kind-hearted nurses plan reunion
A NURSES’ group which helped generations of hospital patients its to hold a reunion. The Shotley Bridge Hospital Nurses’ League will hold its 42nd anniversary get-together in Consett Civic Centre on Saturday, April 25, from 2.30pm. Over many years,
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Fifties fashions come back to life in Thirsk
THE distinctive styles of the 1950s are coming to Thirsk next month. The town’s World of James Herriot centre is teaming up with Rural Arts to host a special talk on fashion in a decade that saw women reinvent themselves after the war years
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Veazey excited by Spanish test
PAUL VEAZEY is relishing the prospect of contesting round one of the Spanish Supersport Championship this weekend. Veazey has completed five successful days of testing for the Barcelona-based Joe Darcey team and heads into the first of seven rounds in
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Search for farming's catwalk models
TIME is running out for would-be models who want to strut their stuff on the catwalk at the Great Yorkshire Show. The entry deadline for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s "Find a Model Young Farmer" competition falls on April 30. The society’s marketing
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Looking back at family history
A POPULAR initiative to explain local and family history sources at a series of short lunchtime talks continues later this month. The Northallerton and District Local History Society is holding the next one at 12.30pm on April 24, at the County
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Top professions becoming more socially exclusive - Milburn
DARLINGTON MP Alan Milburn today urged the Government to encourage more children from average income families to aspire to professional careers. Former health secretary Alan Milburn expressed his shock that professions such as law, medicine, media and
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Beauty students sail into dream jobs
TWO students are about to become globetrotters as they set sail into their new careers after securing dream jobs. Darlington College beauty students, Jayde Carter and Ashleigh Barker, both 19, were picked from hundreds of applicants to work on board
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Swimmer ready for channel challenge
A WOMAN is preparing to swim the English Channel to raise thousands of pounds for a charity that sends rescuers to disasters around the world. Julie Ryan, 42, from Welburn, North Yorkshire, is a member of the International Rescue Corps. She was challenged
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Councillors to debate climate change strategy
COUNCILLORS are to be asked to approve plans to spend thousands of pounds on a local authority’s efforts to fight climate change. Members of Hambleton District Council’s cabinet committee will debate the draft climate change strategy at a meeting
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Police officer in court on death crash charge
A POLICE officer has denied causing death while driving without due care and attention. PC Thomas David Hart pleaded not guilty to causing the death of 25-year-old Amiee Walsh, while responding to an emergency call on October 18 last year. The Cleveland
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Horseracing season starts in Thirsk
RACEGOERS are gearing up for a new season of flat racing as Thirsk Racecourse hosts its first meeting of the season. Based on Station Road the course celebrates its 154th-year with a planned 14 race meetings which start with the Spring Meeting. The
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Crowds flock to Redcar for bank holiday racing
REDCAR Racecourse marked a new era with its highest Easter Monday crowd for six years. A total of 6,000 people - plus children - visited the Tees Valley racecourse for what is traditionally the start of its racing season. The family enclosure was especially
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Rock star's North Yorkshire apopointment
ROCK star Andy Summers is heading north to reveal another of his talents - photography. And visitors to Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley will be the first people in the UK to view a major new exhibition of his work. The guitarist with the Police, Andy
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Animal charity boosts £1.5m rebuild bid with Easter Fair
A CHARITY has boosted its £1.5m fundraising appeal to update its facilities to cater for animals near to Thirsk. The Blue Cross Centre, at Topcliffe, is undergoing upgrade work to its care facilities which in some cases date back to the Second
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Not so great, Scott
At The Northern Echo, we like to have sports writers who know their stuff and follow their instincts. Congratulations are, therefore, due to Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson who tipped the winner of golf's US Masters at 100-1. "I'll be having an each-way
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Woman dies after car hits bus shelter
A WOMAN has died after the car she was driving crashed into a bus shelter. The woman, who has not yet been named, was driving a Ford Ka when it collided with a shelter on Tunstall Bank, in Ryhope, Sunderland, at about 2.30am on Tuesday. A man who was
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MOD play down reports Prince damaged aircraft at North Yorks base
THE Ministry of Defence has played down reports that Prince William damaged an aircraft during his RAF training at a North Yorkshire air base. According to reports, William grounded the Tucano aircraft after flicking a switch that caused the plane to
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April 14th, 2009
FRIENDSHIP FORCE Oh how the conversation roars Around the tables and at the bars Visiting folk from distant lands Join forces warmly shaking hands. Welcome speeches carefully presented To travellers and friends contented With wine
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Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction by Richard Bellamy (Oxford University Press, £7.99)
CITIZENSHIP is central to the existence of any country, whatever its form of government, but increasing demands for autonomy by vocal minority groups and the rise of globalisation threaten its very survival. This outline of citizenship throughout
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Paranoia: The 21st Century Fear by Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman (Oxford University Press, £9.99)
FEARS about terrorism, crime, drugs, climate change and the like have apparently reached such proportions among our stressed-out population that around a quarter of people have regular paranoid thoughts – and the rest of us probably worry that
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The Kill Call by Stephen Booth (Harper Collins, £17.99)
DERBYSHIRE detectives Diane Fry and Ben Cooper have little to go on when the body of a well-dressed man is found on the moor. But as the case unravels they become almost submerged by a wealth of evidence and leads which involve them in the violent
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The Murder Stone by Louise Penny (HeadLine, £6.99)
A CANADIAN whodunnit involving a family at war with itself, a hotel haunted by suspicion and a detective with more red herrings to follow up than you would find on a fishmonger’s slab.p Even Poirot’s little grey cells would be tested here.
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Headline Game update
Easter break over, we're back into the Headline Game on TFM radio and off to a good start. The story was a tricky one...Roman Catholics in Philadelphia were stunned when a broadcast of the Pope's Easter message was interrupted by an advert
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Tell Me Something by Adele Parks (Penguin, £6.99)
Best-selling author, literacy ambassador, mother and wife, Adele Parks makes quite a story. Maxine Gordon hears all about our home-grown chick-lit heroine. ADELE PARKS’ literary seeds were sown 30 years ago when she would spend hours making
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Relaxing the lines
Former NHS nurse Lynn Evans has had a career change and is now administering a cure for wrinkles. Jenny Needham reports. IT was after watching a TV programme by Leslie Ash that Lynn Evans decided to change career. Ash, the actress who became
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Less strip, more tease
Steve Pratt learns more about tassel twirling from one of the women who run Club Boudoir, which bills itself as the North-East’s leading burlesque cabaret show. TEN years ago people would have looked at Jill Edmunds with a blank stare and
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Mitsuko Uchida, The Sage Gateshead
MITSUKO UCHIDA fans were disappointed when the artist had to cancel her previous concert at The Sage Gateshead, but good things come to those who wait, and Uchida kept her latest date at the venue with a programme that gave full voice to her
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Fix it for Janet
Gok’s Fashion Fix (C4, 8pm). FASHION guru Gok Wan is not impressed with what he finds inside Janet Street-Porter’s wardrobe. One silver dress provokes the comment that “you’re going to look like a jacket potato on bonfire night” from him. He’s
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Gold standard
Lead mining once dominated in Killhope Wheel, in Weardale. Now it’s got its own museum and lovely cafe. JOHN WILKINSON left Weardale when lead mining was on its knees, returned from the Yukon with a fortune in gold. They called him Klondike Wilkinson
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Snow bonus
RE the recent £250 payments to Crown Prosecution Staff employees in London for managing to get into work during adverse weather conditions on February 2. What about the police, fire service, doctors, nurses, paramedics, carers, etc. They, along
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Music blight
CORRESPONDENT Catherine Davison said that she’s fed up with music blaring out in shops and banks, but admits that she plays loud music in her car (HAS, April 10). While I can understand her frustration at Michael Jackson booming out of stereos
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Faith
LABOUR councillor Paul Blanchard publicly expressed the view that praying for the safe return of missing York University chef Claudia Lawrence is pointless. Faith is felt in varying degrees and ways about many different things and ideas. It brings
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Hunting
CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron has promised a free vote over repeal of the Hunting Act should he become the next occupant of No 10. So, let’s see the truth about fox and stag hunting in Tory election leaflets. Their commitment to re-legalise
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Euro poll
LABOUR deputy leader Harriet Harman is sounding the alarm before forthcoming polls for the European Parliament by warning that Labour will face a “challenge” and is preparing to blame the recession and an anti-government protest vote. She is deluded
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Concierge service
KEITH Dewison claims that the concierge service staff based in high rise accommodation across the borough of Stockton are no more than glorified doormen (HAS, April 10). Concierge officers’ duties are to patrol, observe and report. In actual fact
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Town Hall fat cats
WE were delighted to read in the press that all councils in England will be forced to disclose the pay and perks of their chief executives under new regulations designed to crack down on town hall “fat cats”. Disclosure rules on all public expenditure
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limate change
I ADMIRED Ray Mallon’s zero tolerance policy towards crime – we need much more of it. But is he guilty of zero tolerance towards the dissenters regarding so-called man-made climate change? I am one, and so are many eminent scientists. The Al
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Blair and Iraq
ALL credit to our former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, for publicly expiating his role in the Iraq war (Echo, April 10). Mr Blair is obviously a man of profound conscience and sensitivity. Perhaps he should consider making amends with the long-suffering
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We mustn’t warm to this myth
EVERY totalitarian regime needs its defining myth. With the Nazis, it was the “Aryan” fantasy of racial purity. With the USSR, it was the dictatorship of the proletariat. With secularised, semi-pagan Western societies in historic decline, it is
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Police answer cries for help
North-East drinkers who get into trouble with the police are being warned where their drinking could lead them. Health Editor Barry Nelson reports on a £1m national pilot scheme being tested in the region. IT seems ironic that a North-East problem
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Backing our airport
THESE are dark days for regional airports. As well as falling passenger numbers caused by the recession, air travel operators are facing unrelated difficulties not of their doing. The Northern Echo has highlighted the problems faced by Durham Tees
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Synners stun Durham in final
Non-league round-up UNDERDOGS Billingham Synthonia pulled off a shock against Durham City to lift the Durham Challenge Cup for the first time in 18 years. Played at West Auckland, Synners’ hero was striker Jamie Magowan who hit the winner eight
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Barker at the double
Redcar report DAVID Barker has found the secret to Wovoka and the sixyear- old again put his best foot forward as he completed a near 71-1 double for the Scorton trainer and jockey Tony Hamilton at Redcar yesterday. The 11-4 chance had made a
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Why not look Lovely at Yarmouth?
LOVELY Thought was a pretty ready winner on her latest visit to Yarmouth and merits the utmost respect on her return to the track for the freebets.co.uk Free Online Bingo Handicap. Having shown precious little in three maiden outings, the application
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North Shields reunited after seeing the Doc
FORTY years almost to the day since they became the last Northern League team to lift the FA Amateur Cup, the players of North Shields were reunited at a joyous dinner last Thursday. Famously they were the red, red Robins, but it was the weekend
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Tykes must get tough
YORKSHIRE director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon has called on his players to be more ruthless when County Championship action gets underway next Tuesday at Durham. The former England opening batsman was pleased with a useful workout
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Quakers’ spirit is praised by Penney
DARLINGTON twice fought back from a goal down to during a thoroughly entertaining four-goal thriller yesterday. Jason Kennedy and Pawel Abbott got Quakers’ goals either side of half-time at The Northern Echo Darlington Arena. Bury’s promotion
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Davies forced out
DURHAM seamer Mark Davies has suffered a setback in his attempt to get fit for the opening championship match against Yorkshire at Riverside next week. After returning a few days early from the England Lions tour of New Zealand because of an
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Hatters go down
LUTON manager Mick Harford spoke of his heartbreak after the Hatters were relegated from the Football League. A goalless draw against Chesterfield, combined with wins for Grimsby and Chester, meant that Luton – who were deducted 30 points at
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Cabrera ready to make a lasting Masters impression
ONLY a week ago people were wondering what had gone wrong with Angel Cabrera. Ranked the game’s ninth best player three and a half years ago and US Open champion in 2007 – after out-gunning Tiger Woods no less – he had slumped all the way to
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Can Pools win one more?
Hartlepool United 2 Scunthorpe United 3 CHRIS TURNER has set his side a straight-forward target for the remainder of the season. On this showing, however, even winning one more game might prove too complicated a task for Hartlepool United
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Campions League
Tonight sees the first two Champions League quarter-final second-leg ties take place, and Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson does not expect to see a surprise. CHELSEA (3) v LIVERPOOL (1) (ITV1) IT could have been one of the matches of the season, but
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Reina: do not dismiss Reds
GOALKEEPER Jose Reina insists Liverpool have the ability to overturn Chelsea’s lead and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. Liverpool trail 3-1 from the first leg of their quarter-final at Anfield and this evening need to score at least
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Edwards wants to assist Jones again
WITH Kenwyne Jones having scored his first goal in nine weeks on Saturday, Carlos Edwards last night promised to set up more chances for the Sunderland striker in the final six matches of the season. Jones ended a barren spell that stretched to
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Boro creating leaders
IT might not be a pleasant experience at the moment, but Gareth Southgate feels Middlesbrough’s ongoing relegation battle will create a future generation of leaders. Boro currently boast the youngest squad in the Premier League, and six members
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Carroll plays for his hero
ANDY CARROLL last night claimed that playing for “his hero” would enable him to transform himself from fringe performer to fullyfledged Premier League force. Having previously watched Alan Shearer from the stands at St James’ Park, Gatesheadborn
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Bard work pays off for designer Phil
A NATIONAL project to celebrate the life of William Shakespeare has used the work of a designer from the region to bring it to life. Phil Ogden, from Thornton-le-Moor, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has created the work for The Shakespeare Birthplace
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Couple plan to follow in footsteps of Incans
CHARITY fundraisers will trek across Peru to the Lost City of the Incas to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. Matthew Duckworth, of Sessay, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, and his girlfriend, Teri Laskowski, from Reading, will walk the
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Raw power on show as crew return to their spiritual home
The crew of HMS Illustrious recently visited Newcastle, their spiritual home. Gavin Englebrecht took the opportunity to spend two days on the aircraft carrier. EXPERIENCING the raw power of a Harrier taking off from the flight deck of an aircraft
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£60,000 improvement shines a porch light on heritage
A VILLAGE has celebrated the latest in a series of developments at its church. A £60,000 learning porch has been created at St James’ Church, in Coundon, County Durham, and was opened during a family fun day on Easter Sunday. Information
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North-East is making its musical mark
A PIECE of music based on a North-East university is the highest new entry in the country’s top 100 classical favourites. Deep Purple rocker turned classical composer Jon Lord with his Durham Concerto was placed number 75 in Classic FM’s annual
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Good times ahead for pigeon fanciers
CASH is winging its way to a group of pigeon fanciers in the region. Racing birds will be easier for members of Billy Row Homing Society, near Crook, County Durham, as the money will pay for sophisticated timing equipment. Voluntary organisation
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Pioneers moulded out of Pennine lead
An exhibition follows the trail of North-East families who, when the region’s lead mining industry collapsed, pursued dreams of striking it rich during the Gold Rush. Bessie Robinson reports. A NEW exhibition on the gold fever that sparked a rush
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Cancer sufferer Kieran enters 3km family run
AN inspirational young cancer sufferer will take part in a 3km fun run for his favourite charity Kieran Garbutt, eight, of Norton, near Stockton, is battling bone cancer, but plans to join the rest of his family in Sunday’s Redcar Family Fun
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Runner converts miles into smiles
A RUNNING coach with nearly 30 years’ experience and dozens of halfmarathons under his belt will tackle his second full marathon for a cancer charity. John Brant will run the London Marathon later this month to raise money for the North of
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Standing up for the interests of savers
Successive cuts in interest rates have hit savers in the pocket, but one organisation, with a branch in the North-East is fighting back. Stuart Arnold reports.p IT is remarkable to think that base rates back in October were at five per cent. Now
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Teen is proud to be selected for national talent camp
A PARTIALLY-SIGHTED teenage footballer is a step closer to his goal of representing England after being chosen for a national talent camp. Gavin Watson, 14, who has been playing the sport since he was two-years-old, has been selected for the
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Youngsters meet their television heroes
HUNDREDS of children met their television heroes at a shopping centre yesterday. Children’s TV character Peppa Pig visited Darlington’s Cornmill Centre, along with her little brother, George. The queues to see the Baftanominated characters
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Noah expense spared for film screening
YOUNGSTERS attending a film screening yesterday got more than they bargained for. Members of the King’s Church, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, built a mock-up ark and dressed as animals to greet visitors for the screening of comedy film Evan
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Airport owner reassures concerned passengers
THE owners of a North-East airport have assured passengers that it has a long-term future. Peel Airports, which owns Durham Tees Valley Airport, has dismissed reports that suggest it might struggle to survive the recession. At the weekend, the
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Football club zip wire to raise charity funds
DAREDEVIL fundraisers are needed to take part in a charity zip wire challenge at a football ground. Sunderland AFC Foundation, the club’s charitable group, is offering people the chance to travel 600 metres over the pitch at the Stadium of Light
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Matthew on target for success
A TEENAGER is celebrating after he won a regional archery award seven months after he first picked up a bow and arrow. Matthew Mason, 15, of Gilesgate, Durham City, beat off competition to become the Under 18 Junior Novice Champion in the Durham
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Region in ‘eye of the storm’ as recession batters country
THE North-East will be in the “eye of the storm” as recession decimates British industry, according to a study. Figures from The Work Foundation name four North- East areas in the top 20 hardest-hit as the unemployment rate rise. Busy cities
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Hopes of deal to rescue Quakers
A MILLIONAIRE businessman is expected to table a bid for Darlington FC that could end the club’s administration nightmare as early as next week. Raj Singh, the Quakers’ former vice-chairman, said he hoped to have the deal tied up by this time
