Archive
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AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME IS HIS CASTLE
It is often said that “An Englishman’s home is his castle” (although unlike MPs the rest of us can’t claim to have our moats or even drains cleaned at the taxpayers’ expense). So it is that, when a relationship ends, invariably the hardest asset
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Drug addict stole from church which had welcomed him in
A DRUG addict who stole from a church after being invited in by kind parishioners is starting a 15-month sentence behind bars. Malcolm Waddington's three-month crime spree also included handling goods taken during a handbag snatch and a van break-in.
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OFSTED Glowing Report
Cleve’s Cross Primary School recently underwent an OFSTED inspection and the conclusions of the report have now been published. The final report was impressive with 29 out of 33 categories being judged as outstanding, the others were judged as good
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Funding Boost for Centre
Ferryhill Ladder Centre was delighted recently to receive a funding grant from the Children in Need Charity. The money will help pay for staff salaries which will help support the groups youth sessions for the next two years. A spokesperson said, “
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Brewery Scoops Award
The Yard of Ale Brewery, based at the Surtees Arms, Ferryhill Station has received its 2nd award for its ‘One Foot in the Yard’ ale. The ‘Beer of 2009’ award was presented during the recent Surtees Beer Fest by Wear Valley Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA
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End of an era as village club closes
A VILLAGE club is to close its doors after decades of serving the community. Catterick Civil Service Club, on Dane Road in Catterick, North Yorkshire is to close tomorrow following a downturn in business. Bar steward Peter Gibson, who has worked at
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Jail for party guest who launched unprovoked attack
A BIRTHDAY party guest who left another reveller with horrific facial injuries after an unprovoked attack has been jailed for 20 months. Anthony Williams was on a suspended prison sentence when he brutally assaulted Mark Atkins in a pub in Redcar, east
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Serious crash near Darlington
A MAN has been taken to hospital by air ambulance after two cars collided near Darlington. Firefighters had to cut the man from the vehicle he was travelling in following the incident near the Carlbury Arms, in Piercebridge, near Darlington
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Wine on the Rhine
Gavin Engelbrecht gets a taste of fine wines and music on a cruise on the Middle Rhine in Germany. IT is a fairytale cruise. Castles perched precariously on hilltops float by, with every bend in the river offering fresh vistas and surprises. The
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Ballet’s £379... or free
Teesside-born Richard Ramsay talks about the big screen Royal Ballet debut in Middlesbrough IN the Royal Opera House it will cost you anything up to £379.60 to watch Stockton-born and Middlesbrough-raised Richard Ramsay dance with the Royal Ballet
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Wuthering Heights, Tamasha Theatre Company, Northern Stage
WHEN it comes to an arranged marriage between brooding Bronte and the bling of Bollywood, there are signs that Tamasha’s efforts are close to hitting the Wuther-lode. Ex-EastEnder Deepak Verma’s inspiration of switching the brusqueness of the
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Wedding hell
Benidorm (tomorrow, ITV1, 9pm); Mumbai Calling (tonight, ITV1, 10pm) MADGE is upset. Here she is on the beach in Benidorm in her wedding dress, but lacking one thing – a conscious bridegroom. Why is she crying?, someone asks. “It might have something
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Just so, William
FOR many years the Richmond constituency has benefited from William Hague’s after-dinner speeches and presence at various other events – free of charge. His integrity has been beyond question. However, I am delighted to read that he intends to
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Been there...
I HAVE performed my public duty with regard to the European elections, but as they are the main culprits in this expenses scandal I did not vote for any of the three leading parties. This means, of course, that I took Conservative elder statesman
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Electoral reform
THE caught-out political leaders of the three main parties now appear to be at panic stations. All seem to be coming up with solutions to the current expenses scandal and their own roles in it. Given that they are all neck-deep in the squalid mess
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In the Ascendant
Blessed with glorious evening sunshine, an open-air Ascension Day service takes place at a ruined abbey. ALONE among Christianity’s great feasts, Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday – and thus on a school day. Back at Timothy Hackworth
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BNP
THOSE of us who lived through the Second World War could not help feeling insulted by Tuesday’s election broadcast by the BNP as it totally misrepresented Winston Churchill. I quote directly from his speech at Zurich University in 1946, which
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MPs' expenses
DESPITE the national outrage over MPs’ expenses, flying undetected under the radar are the MEPs. With a few clicks of the mouse I can find substantial financial information about North-East Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall. As for Conservative
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Afghanistan: the toll goes on
HAS the MPs’ expenses story now run its course, and is it not time to get back to the problems we have in Afghanistan? Over recent days a number of soldiers have been killed, and all we have done is talk about politicians’ expenses. It’s a pity the
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Boylesport
The country has gone Britain’s Got Talent crazy. As the favourite to win, Susan Boyle, tries to cope with the pressure, Steve Pratt recalls that opportunity has knocked for many hopefuls in the past. ON Bank Holiday Monday night, a staggering two-thirds
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Closing in on a deal
NOTHING is ever quite as straightforward as it may seem when it comes to Darlington Football Club. Reports yesterday that Raj Singh had become the Quakers’ new owner proved to be premature. An agreement is close, but there is still work to be done
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Collingwood can’t save Durham from T20 defeat
TAKING advantage of Paul Collingwood’s availability for one game did nothing for Durham as they suffered another embarrassing home defeat in the Twenty20 Cup last night. Leicestershire, who had lost their first two games, clinched a last-ball
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Recent win gives Yamal edge over quality rivals
GOODWOOD’S Listed On The House Stakes could be a Group race in all but name with the likes of Premio Loco, Yamal, Bushman, King Of Dixie and Unnefer all lining up. However, the formbook tells us Premio Loco and King Of Dixie are much better on
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The hits, misses, ups and downs of a miserable campign
The Northern Echo looks back on a season to forget for Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Sunderland, Hartlepool and Darlington. SUNDERLAND FOR the second year in succession, Sunderland avoided relegation by a whisker but it would be a huge mistake
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Man dead, woman critical after serious accident
A PENSIONER has died and a female driver is critically ill in hospital after a serious road crash in County Durham last night. Police believe the 69-year-old man, who was driving a blue Nissan Micra north-east on the A690 near West Rainton at 5.40pm
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Shields provide tough opposition
FOR the third consecutive week Stockton face one of the Dukes NEPL’s top sides, not an ideal scenario for a team desperate to pick up some points to relieve their plight at the foot of the table. After meeting both South North and Chester-le-Street
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Roses encounter goes way of Lancashire again
YORKSHIRE lost their second Twenty20 Cup match to Lancashire inside four days last night, this time in front of a packed crowd at Headingley. At Old Trafford on Tuesday Yorkshire scored just 105-8, and on their home patch they only bettered it
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Thorman is living his dream
NEIL Thorman was a ball-boy the last time St Helens visited the International Stadium but he will occupy centre stage when Gateshead Thunder take on the Carnegie Challenge Cup holders this evening. Thorman, who turns 25 next Thursday, will lead
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Wilson on the up after personal best
BIRTLEY’S North-East hammer champion, Katy Wilson, moved up to third place in the UK under-23 rankings when she threw a personal-best 48.29m at the CAU Inter-Counties Championships. The 20-year-old Newcastle University dental student had her
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Colin returns to Guisborough to make it a Murray foursome
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League IT’S REUNION time at Guisborough today as Colin Murray returns to the club where his three siblings play to form a fearsome family foursome – and if the Murrays are in mint condition it spells
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Ponting unsure of Flintoff’s impact
AUSTRALIA captain Ricky Ponting has started the pre- Ashes war of words by claiming a half-fit Andrew Flintoff can have little positive impact on the destination of the urn. Ponting, and his relatively inexperienced squad for the forthcoming ICC
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Boyd’s faith in Brown
ADAM Boyd admits he had the time of his footballing life alongside Joel Porter in a Hartlepool United shirt – and now he is desperate to replicate that back at his hometown club. Boyd and Porter shot Pools to the League One play-off final in
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De Brito screams as Venus exits
PORTUGUESE 16-year-old Michelle Larcher De Brito grunted her way into the limelight at the French Open on a day Venus Williams made her now customary early exit from Roland Garros. While Williams, the third seed, was slipping to a fourth third-round
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Injury sees Murray coast into last 16
ANDY MURRAY plans to go deep into the French Open after being given an easy ride into the fourth round last night. The British number one was ahead 7/6 (7/3) 6-3 in his round-three match against Janko Tipsarevic when the Serb retired with what
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Moyes out to gatecrash the big-four
DAVID Moyes will lead Everton out at Wembley with a warning to the big four of English football: ‘We want your money’. The Everton boss is aiming not only to claim Everton’s first trophy since they won the FA Cup back in 1995, but he wants to
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Neville is now an ‘Evertonian’
PHIL Neville has been told he is an Evertonian now and that his Manchester United career is behind him. Neville, 32, has three FA Cup winners’ medals from his time at Old Trafford, but Everton’s chairman and owner Bill Kenwright believes the
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Drogba hopes Cup triumph will ease pain
DIDIER Drogba has offered to apologise once again for his foul-mouthed behaviour after Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final exit to Barcelona. The Ivorian striker, preparing for today’s FA Cup final against Everton at Wembley, has already said
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Boro preparing for life with Downing
MIDDLESBROUGH are pinning their hopes on Stewart Downing returning to full fitness before the end of the year, after accepting the England winger could still be at the Riverside Stadium in January. A week after surgery on the foot he fractured
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England team to play for Britain
AN England football team is set to play as Great Britain at the London Olympics after a compromise deal was struck with the other home nations. The agreement removes the major stumbling block to a GB football team at the 2012 Games although it
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Perez claiming Ronaldo ‘agreement’
REAL Madrid presidential hopeful Florentino Perez has claimed ‘‘an agreement’’ is in place for Cristiano Ronaldo to join the club. Perez’s comments in the Spanish press are bound to irritate Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot
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Beating the drum in praise of Quinn
When ownership of Sunderland switched to Ellis Short this week it brought to a close an unforgettable phase in the club’s recent history. Sports Writer Andy Richardson spoke to leading Drumaville consortium member Louis Fitzgerald. IN spring 2006,
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Mancini job odds shorten
THE odds on Roberto Mancini becoming Sunderland’s new boss tumbled last night after the former Inter Milan and Lazio coach reiterated his desire to take charge of a Premier League club. Niall Quinn was in Dublin yesterday but the chairman is
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Axe is price of failure for Newcastle’s staff
STAFF at Newcastle United are bearing the brunt of the team’s relegation from the Premier League after it emerged that up to 150 jobs are being axed by the club. The cuts signal a drastic 50 per cent reduction in commercial and administrative
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Corry has no regrets
MARTIN Corry will bid an emotional farewell to English rugby at Twickenham today amid a sense of fulfilment that enables him to retire without regret. His body battered from 14 years of professional rugby, Corry hopes to last the distance when
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Lions dismiss injuries in hunt for early prey
THE British and Irish Lions’ injury jinx will follow them into their South Africa tour opener against a Royal XV today. Wales number eight Andy Powell is battling to overcome a hand problem, which is understood to have been caused by an insect
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Thrown to the Wolves
ON this day precisely 125 years ago, around 20 men attended a meeting unanimously to form Wolviston Cricket Club. Practice nights would be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; annual subscription would be 2/6d for men and 1/6d for boys. Any member
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Loss-making caravan firm shuts seven outlets
CARAVAN and motorhome firm Discover Leisure – with three main dealerships in the region – has closed two thirds of its branches and reported significant losses. Interim results for the firm, which owns the former Barrons dealership in Darlington
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Surveillance specialist focusing on museum
SURVEILLANCE specialist 2020 Vision has won a contract worth more than £100,000 to provide security for the region’s newest visitor attraction. The Tyneside company has installed 45 cameras in the Great North Museum, in Newcastle, which re-opened
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Cyclist’s anger as driver leaves accident scene
A CYCLIST has hit out at the car driver who knocked her off her bike and drove off without leaving his details. Lisa Anderson, 42, of Spennymoor, County Durham, was knocked off her £2,000 machine on the A177 at Coxhoe when the black Vauxhall
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Man jailed for touching girls ‘remains in denial’
A MAN jailed for indecently touching two teenage girls remains unrepentant, a court heard. Leonard Michael Young was yesterday jailed for eight months following his recent conviction for groping the girls in separate incidents. The 61
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News in brief: Blacks Leisure goes into red
BLACKS Leisure moved into the red yesterday after problems at its boardwear section offset steady trading from its camping and outdoor clothing shops. The group – of which Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley owns 29.9 per cent – made losses before
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Market report
M I N I N G c o m p a n i e s helped the London market hold its head above water yesterday as higher commodity prices boosted confidence. Gains were driven by positive economic news from Japan and the US, while the price of oil hit a fresh
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Jade martials efforts to be an international winner
A TEENAGER from the North-East has come first in an international martial arts competition. Jade Slavin, 16, from South Magdelene, Medomsley, near Consett, County Durham, won gold in the Dutch tae kwon do championships, last weekend.
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Cleared of rape
Man’s tears after party attack trial A MAN accused of a Christmas house party rape broke down in tears yesterday after a jury ruled that he did not attack the woman. Lee Tobin was acquitted at the end of a three-day trial, five months
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Plaque celebrates work of a Uruguayan heroine
A MEMORIAL plaque has been unveiled to a woman from the region who helped found Uruguay’s nursing service. Hannah “Ana” Packer is credited with being a driving force behind the medical development of the South American country. A virtual
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Judge’s plea as killer is jailed
A JUDGE has backed the heartfelt plea of a grieving father who urged young people not to carry knives after his son was stabbed to death. Judge David Hodson, the Recorder of Newcastle, yesterday added his “small voice” to the appeal
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Arsonist’s attacks were ‘for fun of it’
A TEENAGE arsonist who went on the rampage “for the fun of it” and left neighbours heavily out-of-pocket was yesterday locked up for a year-and-a-half. Wesley Doran fire-bombed two cars and broke into three others parked outside the same complex
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Shoplifting couple used child as decoy
A COUPLE who took their nineyear- old daughter on a shoplifting spree to act as a decoy were yesterday heavily criticised by a judge. Serial con-man Paul Evans was jailed but his partner, Pamela Smith, was spared prison because she had never before
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The hunt for Claudia targets rail travellers
THE hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence has taken to the rails – with thousands of travellers across the region being brought into the search. Posters featuring the 35-yearold, who disappeared more than two months ago, will go on display
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Attack on ‘shocking’ lack of spending on transport
THE North-East continues to be in the slow lane when it comes to spending on transport, the region’s leading business organisation has said. The North-East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) claimed figures from the Treasury show that almost four times
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Grandmother’s nightmares over her ‘mixed up little kid’
Murder victim Simon Everitt’s childhood was overshadowed by the break-up of his family – something which would have a lasting effect. Rachel Wearmouth reports. HE was fouryears- old when his parents drifted apart and he and his baby brother
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Four arrested after hit-and-run death
FOUR people have been arrested and bailed in connection with the hit-and-run death of a North-East football fan on Sunday night. Michael Taylor, known to most as Lee, was hit in West Wear Street, Sunderland, as he celebrated his team staying
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‘We’re trying to save plant’
STAFF at the closurethreatened Corus plant have been reassured that the Government is trying to keep it open. Minister for the North- East Nick Brown has been in talks with management and union bosses to try and work out a plan to secure contracts
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Shock as port staff told of jobs threat
ABOUT 120 workers at Teesport were last night told they face an uncertain future due to the potential closure of the nearby Corus plant and the loss of work from another major client. Teesport operator PD Ports told its “shocked” 585-strong
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'Let them rot in hell' for murder
THE family of a North-East teenager who was tied to a tree, doused in petrol and then burned alive said last night they hope his killers “rot in hell”. Simon Everitt, originally from Escomb, County Durham, was heard to mutter a prayer as he
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Men versus boys in charity match
A SCHOOL’S fourth annual football match between staff and sixth form students raised more than £2,000 for a hospital charity. The event, organised by former pupil and referee Andrew Spenceley, drew in close to 300 spectators to the town’s Brewery Field
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Council set to turn down homes plan
A BID to build 250 homes on former industrial land in Darlington looks set to be blocked by council planners. Officials have recommended that permission to build the new estate off Whessoe Road is refused. Officers at Darlington Borough
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Auction mart plans £500,000 expansion
A POPULAR auction mart will undergo a £500,000 expansion to cope with a 50 per cent increase in trade over the past three years. Thirsk Farmers’ Auction Mart has announced the ambitious scheme which Yorkshire Forward is backing with a £102,000
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Call for tribute to Fifties air crash victims
A CAMPAIGN to commemorate eight men who died when their planes collided over a village is under way. John Ward, chairman of the Richmond Swale Valley Community Initiative, says he is shocked that the story of the 1951 Hudswell air crash, in
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Seven-day countdown to find Quakers cash
DARLINGTON Football Club’s former vice-chairman, Raj Singh, has been given seven days to find the finances to buy the stricken club, it emerged last night. Mr Singh could be in place as owner of the club for the start of the new league season
