Archive
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Cheryl Cole 'hurting like hell'
CHERYL Cole says her stage performances leave her ''hurting like hell'' every night. Cole, who injured her toe while training for her Mount Kilimanjaro climb for Comic Relief, said that dancing in heels for her Girls Aloud routine has made the problem
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Tesco says sorry for computer glitch
TESCO apologised to customers today after a computer glitch caused the tills to stop working at about 100 of its supermarkets. Shoppers around the country faced lengthy queues to pay for their goods and a small number of stores had to close because of
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FULL TIME: Newcastle United 3 Middlesbrough 1
NEWCASTLE United won the vital Tyne-Tees derby 3-1. Newcastle started the game looking the brighter side but Middlesbrough opened the scoring at St James' Park thanks to a Habib Beye own-goal after three minutes. Newcastle were level
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Hospital car parking inadequate.
STAFF at Darlington Memorial Hospital may get new car parking facilities. County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust propose to create a new car park with 39 staff spaces and put up a temporary bottle and sharps store. The Trust has
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Out in the open
Interestingly, Durham North MP Kevan Jones has taken the step of handing over his expenses details to The Northern Echo today. He takes the view that members of the public are entitled to know what he has claimed, so why wait for enforced publication
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Headline Game
I was unavoidably out of action for this morning's Headline Game on TFM so my deputy Chris Lloyd stepped in and managed to hold it to a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the week. Tomorrow morning's game is about two men who urinated on a parked car without
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Man accused of double Newcastle murder tells of masked gunmen
A RESTAURANT worker accused of a double murder told a jury today that masked men burst in to their flat before the killings and tied him up. Chinese graduates Xi Zhou and her boyfriend Zhen Xing Yang, both 25, were found with horrific injuries in August
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Owen starts for Newcastle - and Emnes makes shock start for Boro
MICHAEL Owen is back in Newcastle's starting line-up for this evening's crucial Tyne-Tees relegation battle with Middlesbrough. The Magpies skipper, who was dropped for last weekend's defeat at Liverpool, will partner Mark Viduka. Obafemi Martins
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Stroke group could close
A SUPPORT group which has helped hundreds of stroke victims over 27 years could close because of dwindling membership. At one point, Darlington Stroke Club attracted dozens of people to its weekly meetings from across the region. But in recent years
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Sailing club near Bedale seeks new members
POTENTIAL sailors can find out about taking up sailing with an open day being held by a club in North Yorkshire. The Thornton Steward Sailing Club is running the event to show off the skills needed and the fun to be had on the water. The group will
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Police probe random attack links
DETECTIVES are examining links between two random attacks which left one man with a fractured skull and jaw. A second man was also hospitalised following the incidents, which took place within hours of each other in the same area of Darlington. Police
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Park group given artistic help
A COMMUNITY minded artist has donated a painting of one of the region’s celebrated views in a bid to help improve a Darlington park. Council worker Roger Birchall, whose paintings sell for about £400 in galleries, has donated one of his works as the
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Police appeal after gang mug man
A GANG mugged a man for his wallet and tried to take his shoes, police have said. Officers are appealing for information following the mugging on Thursday evening near Darlington’s cattle market. The victim turned into an alley between Rockingham
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Have your say on charity support
A SUPERMARKET in north Durham is asking customers to nominate a charity it can support for a year. Sainsbury’s in Durham wants people to suggest organisations to be the store’s official charity partner. The selected charity will benefit by working with
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Chance to star in fairytale story
OPEN auditions are being held for roles in a north Durham pantomime. Try outs for places in Cinderella at being held at The Empire Theatre, Consett, on Sunday. Pantoni Pantomimes, is on the look out for the region’s perfect Cinderella
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Student makes film close to heart
A MEDIA student who lost an uncle to the effects of smoking is making a documentary highlighting the dangers of tobacco. Darlington College student Mark Walton saw first hand the impact of smoking when his uncle died aged just 37 following heart problems
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Young swim champs at Thirsk
THEY are nearly namesakes - and both are great performers when it comes to swimming.. Louise Barton, eight, and Louis Benoit, nine, were the stars of a "Tadpole Gala" at Thirsk swimming pool. They took the top places in the competition held by the Thirsk
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Police appeal after house burgled
CASH and jewellery were stolen from a house in West Auckland over the weekend. The property, located near the Earl of Warwick pub which is on Chapel Street, was burgled sometime between Friday and Sunday at 11am. A substantial amount of property was
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Cash help for tree planting in Dales
CASH help is being offered to landowners who join in a scheme to plant more trees in the Yorkshire Dales. The National Park wants to increase the area covered by native broad-leaved woodland which on a project which will, in turn, help boost
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Tunes For Tilly - 7th May 2009 Thursday
Tunes For Tilly was an event for 14-17 year olds held on the 7th of May. This event was organised by Kim Jones, Paige Robinson, George Sweeten, Jessica Smith, Chloe Spears and Emily O’Hara. The event was held at the Forum music centre on Borough
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Go: Audio gig
7/4/09, the date of the Go: Audio concert. We set off at around 6ish to make sure we got near the front of the queue. Me and my friends were all really really excited. As soon as the doors opened I could feel the adrenalin rushing and my legs turned to
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Residents encouraged to attend police meetings
RESIDENTS are being encouraged to voice their concerns at police meetings being held in villages across the area today and tomorrow. Police and Community Together (Pact) meetings have been set up to discuss local issues with police. The Bishop Middleham
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Members sought for children's theatre group
BUDDING thespians in Shildon are being sought for a children’s musical theatre group. Representatives from the town’s Tearaways Youth Theatre Group are creating the Children’s Amateur Theatre Society (CATS) for youngsters aged eight to eleven to take
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Villages demonstrate their talents
VILLAGERS will showcase the best of the talents at an event to celebrate a top award. Sadberge was a national finalist in the Calor Village of the Year awards last year having won local and regional heats. To celebrate their achievements, villagers
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Sussex v Durham (Friends Provident Trophy)
ED Joyce’s second one-day century in a week against Durham left them chasing a target of more than 300 for the second successive day. The Irish left-hander, who joined Sussex from Middlesex over the winter, made nought and three in last week
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Burglars crime spree in Northallerton and Thirsk
POLICE are investigating a mini crime spree which saw burglars steal £30,000 of farm machinery and a motorbike. Crooks struck in the Hambleton district over two nights last week targeting properties in the Thirsk and Northallerton areas. The thieves
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New tourism chief for North Yorkshire
AN experienced tourism boss is set to bring her expertise to a brand new role created to energise North Yorkshire’s visitor economy. Aviva Pearson has been appointed as the new chief executive for both the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership
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University spends £20,000 changing name
A university has spent £20,000 on re-branding and changing its name. The Univeristy of Teesside will now be called Teesside University, which is was most people already call it. And the jagged U-shape, with a white T inside has been replaced
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North Yorkshire teacher jailed for sex attacks on pupils
A former teacher at a top London school was jailed for four and a half years today for a string of sexual assaults on pupils. Stephen Douglas-Hogg, 50, admitted 13 counts of indecent assault on five boys aged under 14. The history and languages master
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Warning after car break-ins
CAR owners in a Teesdale village have been warned to be on their guard after three cars were broken into at the weekend. The cars were all parked in the Main Road and Eden Crest area of Gainford, near Barnard Castle and all of them had their
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Wrestlers head to Northallerton
A WRESTLER who has competed across Europe is returning to the Hambleton Forum where he made his debut in the sport. Martin Kirby, 26, of Thirsk, has appeared on numerous wrestling TV shows and has competed in front of thousands of fans. He is to head
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Family escape arson attack on home
A FAMILY of six had a lucky escape when arsonists targeted their home. The blaze caused extensive damage to a house and two cars in Lane Place, Grangetown, near Middlesbrough during the early hours of Friday. The fire was discovered around 2.30am by
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Celebrate mining heritage
COUNTY Durham’s mining heritage will be remembered in a month-long celebration. Events and exhibitions will be held at Clayport Library, in Durham, throughout May. Two exhibitions - one from Durham County Record Office showing images of mining and another
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Rules change at Ripon Choir School
TIMES are changing at Ripon Cathedral’s famous Choir School. The 50-year-old rule that boys who join the cathedral choir have to be full boarders at the school has finally been relaxed. Boys and their parents will now be able to choose whether the choristers
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Community clean-up launch
A CAMPAIGN to wipe out graffiti, dispose of dog mess and banish flytipping in an east Durham village is being held this week. The Wheatley Hill Community Clean-up involves Durham County Council staff joining forces with residents to tackle a wide range
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Thirsk school teacher put in stocks
PUPILS are gearing up to put a teacher in the stocks and to then throw sponges at him to raise funds for charity. Alistair Cowey, of Queen Mary’s School, at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, is to be put in the stocks as part of the school’s summer fete
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Parking extension plans at hospital
STAFF parking at Darlington hospital is expected to be extended. Plans have been sent to Darlington Borough Council to demolish a laundry building, recreational building and other buildings to form a 39 staff car park at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
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Designs for life
With a family name like Conran, cooking and designing come naturally to Sophie. Steve Pratt talks to her. PIGEONS fly overhead. We see them through the glass skylight. “Will they end up in a pie?” I ask Sophie Conran, a pie-maker of some renown
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Heroes and villains
Heroes (BBC2, 9pm); Ideal (BBC3, 10.30pm); The Shield (Five USA, 11pm) IT’S twice the drama tonight as the latest series of Heroes comes to a close with an action-packed double bill that might well change the show forever. However, before fans can
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Heroes and villains
As Ripley Castle celebrates a major milestone, Sir Thomas Ingilby is uncovering colourful family tales of villainy and heroism, romance and drama, some of which, he tells Ruth Campbell, will have his famous ancestors spinning in their graves...
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Free school meals
DURHAM County Council is “delighted” to be selected for a Government experiment to provide primary school children with free meals (Echo, May 1). There is no such thing as a free meal and in the small print we find the experiment will cost £17m
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Labour voter
THE Nationwide Building Society has just said it is experiencing the biggest rise in consumer confidence in two years. How the Tories must be dreading an economic recovery before the next election. David Cameron, who is so vociferous in his condemnation
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Margaret Thatcher
THAT Mrs Thatcher, eh? Still being talked about (HAS, May 6 and 7). Y’know, loathe her or hate her, you just can’t help despising her. – Eddie Dougall, (exiled Coundonian), Suffolk.
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Pro-computer
AS somebody with a disability that badly affects my handwriting, I was appalled by the bigoted and ignorant remarks by CT Riley (HAS, May 5) about the use of IT in schools. How well I remember my school days in the Sixties; the agonising struggle
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Academy
DID Roberta Blackman-Woods MP see all the local people protesting against the academy proposed for Durham City. I hope she saw how much they cared deeply about the bad decision to create an academy and close a perfectly good school in Belmont.
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Formidable foes ally against Brown
IN quite extraordinary scenes in the House of Commons, a point was driven home by slick screenplay. The powerful lobby and determined campaigner Joanna Lumley has proved formidable against the politicians. There is a question as to whether the
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Political correctness
THIS morning, my son of eight asked if “Pakistan” was a bad word. His mum replied: “No, it’s a country.” Ten minutes later his headmaster rang to inform us that a white child’s parents had reported that my son had used the abbreviated word for
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Dusty Springfield
AS a child of the Sixties like your reviewer (Echo Books, May 5), Dusty Springfield was always part of my young life, right from her time in The Springfields through to her solo career when she became one of the early Sixties greats with the Beatles
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Sausages, Onions, and rare steak
SOME people are born with names made for headlines – especially in the world of sport. How often was George Best Simply the Best or Back to his Best during his magical career? How many times must Hartlepool golfer Graham Storm find himself Storming
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A sorry chapter
WILLIAM Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies tells of a group of well-educated children who find themselves stranded on a paradise island miles away from reality. They try to live by the rule of democracy but, without any restraints upon them except
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Raise your glasses
Filmgoing enters the third dimension as more cinemas are equipped to show movies in 3D. Steve Pratt puts on the special glasses and watches the films that are coming straight at you SITTING in the cinema in the past. few months, I’ve
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Trainers hail revamped York
YORK clerk of the course William Derby is excited about the prospect of quality racing returning to the Knavesmire this week. The Yorkshire track lost its showpiece Ebor meeting in August due to waterlogging, and extensive work has since taken
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Daly storms back
ANYBODY who thought John Daly was finished as a golfer will be thinking again after he stormed into a share of second place at the BMW Italian Open in Turin. Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik took the title by a runaway six strokes, closing with a joint
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Mixed emotions for Centurian Muchall in Hove stalemate
A FIRST century for three years for Gordon Muchall was reason for joyous celebration, but there would be some at Hove on Saturday who felt that in allowing him to compile it as he did, Durham killed the game. In truth, barring a sudden return
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Racing at Knavesmire after drainage and irrigation scheme
ALL eyes this week will be on York when they open their doors for the first time since last July, with the traditional three-day Dante Festival, with seven races on each day, starting at 1.40 pm. It’s the first time racing will take place on
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Wilks debuts in Latvia
COUNTY Durham rally driver Guy Wilks is set to debut the MML Sports Mitsubishi Evo X in Latvia next week. Wilks, from Darlington, but now based in Chester-le-Street, will take on four other national champions in Rally Talsi (MAY 16/17) in front
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Durham get travel sickness
DURHAM’S ludicrous schedule caught up with them yesterday, when they performed as though they were still on the coach. After four tough days at Hove the team bus took them to Bristol, where they arrived at 10.30pm ahead of the Friends Provident
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Boro hit top spot after a Sunday success over Blackhall
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League, Premier Division NEW leaders emerged over the weekend as one of the most unpredictable starts to a season featured the third challenger in as many weeks. After Hartlepool set the early pace, to
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Tykes have injury concerns
YORKSHIRE will assess the fitness of both Michael Vaughan and Andrew Gale before making a decision on their team ahead of today’s Friends Provident Trophy meeting with Gloucestershire. Both failed to play on day four of the Tykes’ County Championship
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Cestrians move into top three
UNBEATEN Chester-le-Street are breaking the Tyneside stranglehold. With Stockton and Norton struggling in the bottom two places, Durham Academy yet to win their first match of the new season, and Sunderland taking a beating at the hands of South
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Why we need a free press
We all make mistakes - and we all know there are times when newspapers get things wrong. They are sometimes guilty of sensationalism, intruding when there is no genuine public interest, and getting basic facts wrong. But the MPs' expenses scandal is
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Sunderland beat Liverpool
SUNDERLAND reserves rounded off their leaguewinning season in style with a 2-1 win over Liverpool, writes NEVILLE PILKINGTON. The Black Cats had the better of the first period, taking the lead one minute before the interval through Jordan Laidler
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Inspirational Kerr stars in Whitley’s win at Wembley
FA VASE FINAL Whitley Bay 2 Glossop North End 0 WHITLEY Bay became the first team North-East team to win at the new Wembley Stadium with a well-deserved win over Glossop in the FA Carlsberg Vase final. Whitley’s matchwinner was Lee Kerr
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Reluctant hero Fulop will be watching crucial derby
IT COULD be that Marton Fulop’s flying, right handedsave in the fourth minute of injury- time keeps Sunderland in the Premier League, but the Hungarian goalkeeper is not prepared to think like that just yet. His stunning stop from Gary Cahill
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Hiddink calls for UEFA to be compassionate
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 4 GUUS Hiddink believes it would be ‘‘curious’’ if UEFA were to heavily punish Chelsea or striker Didier Drogba in the fall-out from the Champions League exit to Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. UEFA have yet to rule on the unacceptable
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Ronaldo in Fergie dissent
Manchester United 2 Manchester City 0 SIR Alex Ferguson brushed off the petulant reaction of Cristiano Ronaldo to his second- half substitution at Old Trafford and claimed it was exactly the kind of reaction he wanted. Ronaldo was substituted
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Coloccini admits it’s not like the brochure
WHEN Fabricio Coloccini joined Newcastle last August, he always expected May to be a momentous month for the Magpies. Back then, though, he thought he would be heading into the Champions League rather than the Championship. Having made a
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Main a wanted man
FULHAM today begin negotiations with Darlington for striker Curtis Main, but Craig Liddle hopes Quakers do not lose the talented teen on the cheap. The 16-year-old spent last week with the Premier League outfit and impressed during a trial
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Barrichello makes F1 quit threat
RUBENS Barrichello has threatened to quit Formula One if he senses team orders coming into play in his fight for the title with team-mate Jenson Button. For the fourth time in five races this season, Button stood on the top step of the podium
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Gateshead make history
Gateshead Thunder 34 Oldham Roughyeads 16 GIVEN that you are not allowed to pass the ball forward in rugby league, The Northern Echo Darlington Arena was the perfect choice of venue for Gateshead Thunder’s Carnegie Challenge Cup fifth-round tie
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Man in court on firearms charges
A MAN will appear in court this morning to face charges in connection with a gun attack on a house. The 33-year-old was arrested after an incident in Allison Street, Guisborough, east Cleveland, last Monday, when a gunman fired a weapon into a house.
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Gearing up for a vital inspection
A HERITAGE railway faces a make-or-break week as it prepares for a crucial line inspection. Rail inspector David Keay will be on the first train to run from Weardale to Bishop Auckland, on Wednesday, checking the track is fit for a connection with
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Student hits out over £38 bank charge
A STUDENT has hit out at her bank after she was charged £38 for going overdrawn for only 24 hours. NatWest agreed to refund the money after being contacted by The Northern Echo. However, 17-year-old Eleanor Layton, of Alverton Drive,
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Handmade touch at new centre
A BRICKMAKER has helped to create a community building. The York Handmade Brick Company, in Alne, North Yorkshire, has provided 50,000 bricks for the Galtres Centre, in nearby Easingwold. The £1.1m sports and entertainment centre will open next
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City diary
ANOTHER round of job cuts at BT and an update on bad debts from HSBC will dominate the City agenda this week. HSBC is the last of the major UK banks to report on first-quarter trading when it updates today. It said consumer banking had shown
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Housebuilder hoping to exceed targets
A HOUSEBUILDER has defied the widespread crash in the sector to exceed its construction goals for 2008-9. Keepmoat Homes North- East has hailed its encouraging post-Christmas performance as helping it to complete and sell 283 properties against
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North-East firm aids fight against flu
A NORTH-EAST company is helping to create a handheld device that can help to detect and diagnose flu and avian flu. Orla Protein Technologies, of Newcastle, has signed an agreement with electronic firm Japan Radio Company to develop the biosensor
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‘Cruel’ move to split up twins at schools
A DECISION to send twins to different primary schools has been condemned as cruel by campaigners. The children, from Darlington, were to be separated for the first time in their lives before an 11th-hour U-turn by the borough council. The Northern
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Time called on nightspot
A CONTROVERSIAL bar has become the latest nightspot to call time on city centre drinkers. Walkabout – an Australianthemed pub – opened in a former cinema building in Durham City five years ago. Housed in what was the Robins Cinema, in North
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On-site learning for college students
A CONSTRUCTION and development company has helped advance the ambitions of a group of students by inviting them to see work at two of its sites. Whelan Construction invited the Middlesbrough College construction students to see the expansion
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Award honour for private investigator
A NORTH-EAST private investigator has been recognised as one of the best in the business by his peers. National Enforcement Services’ chief executive, Andy Coates, has received the Frank Martin award from the Association of British Investigators
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Newcastle victory in Tyne boat race
THERE was some good news on the sporting front for Newcastle for a change when the city’s students scored their first victory against Durham in the university boat race. The Newcastle crew clinched the overall trophy on Saturday at the 13th
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Father and his sons take charge of football match
A REFEREE has been helped by his two sons to oversee the final of a youth football competition. Chris McConnell, 39, and his sons Rob, 16, and Phill, 14, from Consett, County Durham, officiated together for the first time on Saturday in the
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‘Corus contract must be honoured’
AN MP has warned of the “terrible” consequences for the North-East if a consortium is permitted to breach a supply contract. More than 3,000 jobs at Corus on Teesside are at risk after an international consortium pulled out midway through a ten-year
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Monumental effort to raise charity cash
MORE than 4,600 women took part in the first Cancer Research UK Race for Life in the region this year. The Sunderland Race for Life was held yesterday in Herrington Country Park, on the outskirts of the city. Cancer Research UK-funded
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Harmison challenged to stake Ashes claim
STEVE Harmison may have missed out on an England appearance on his home turf this week – but the Ashes door has not been closed on the Durham paceman. While Graham Onions will play his second Test at his Durham county headquarters, having snared
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Cats edge closer to survival
Bolton Wanderers 0 Sunderland 0 BACK in late November a drubbing at the hands of Bolton brought an end to the Roy Keane era at the Stadium of Light. Six months later and the same opposition marked the start of another new chapter in the history
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A matter of life or death
IN most seasons, the North- East mini-league is a matter of parochial pride. In the next three weeks, however, it will be a matter of Premier League life or death. With two weeks of the season to go, the region’s three biggest sides fill three
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The most important derby game of all
ALL North-East derbies are important, but some are more important than others. When Newcastle and Middlesbrough lock horns at St James’ Park this evening, they might well be competing in the most important of the lot. With just two more games
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Former PoW who ran rings round his captors
As part of the VE Day celebrations, Second World War veteran John Caygill describes his experiences to Lucy Richardson. AT the age of only 16, John Caygill signed up for the British Army without telling his parents. He went on to serve in North
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Claims shake-up likely to be approved
As the anger over MPs’ expenses shows no sign of abating, two North- East politicians have been drawn into the row. Andy Walker reports. A SHAKE-UP of the way politicians claim expenses could be introduced today as two North-East MPs – plus
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Scrutiny over Blair mortgage
TONY BLAIR could face scrutiny over funding for his property portfolio after details of the former Prime Minister’s claims were reported in The Sunday Telegraph. Mr Blair took out a £30,000 mortgage in Trimdon, County Durham, shortly after he
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Bid to bring back Heathrow flights
AN airline is poised to reconnect County Durham and the Tees Valley with London within a couple of months, The Northern Echo can reveal. Excelsis Airways is hoping to start three round trips a day from Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTV) to Heathrow
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10,000 hits for missing Claudia website
A WEBSITE set up in an attempt to find missing chef Claudia Lawrence has received more than 10,000 hits since it was set up on Tuesday. The disappearance of the 35-year-old, from York, is being treated as suspected murder. She was last seen near
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Sikh new year celebrated with procession
THE streets of a town have been brought to life with a colourful procession to mark the Sikh new year. About 2,000 people walked from the Sikh Temple in Lorne Street, Middlesbrough, to the Centre Square yesterday morning. The parade,
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Quakers supporters prepare themselves for the worst
FANS of crisis-hit Darlington Football Club are planning for the future, should the Quakers go out of business. Supporters have already started to discuss plans should the worst happen and the 125-year-old club be forced out of the Football League
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Police appeal for calm before derby day match
POLICE are warning they will come down hard on anyone trying to cause trouble at tonight’s Premier League Tyne-Tees relegation dogfight. Middlesbrough travel to St James’ Park, Newcastle, for an encounter that could have a crucial bearing on whether
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Vicar hopes his Toons will lift team to glory
A FOOTBALL-mad vicar has changed the words to hymns to try to help Newcastle United pull away from the relegation zone. The Reverend Glyn Evans’ revised hymn book includes Lord of the Toon, to the tune of Lord of the Dance, All Things Black
