Archive
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Français pour une journée.
TODAY Whinfield School in Darlington becomes the epitome of continental chic. Pupils turn out in tricolour blue, white and red to celebrate French Day. Sans doute la recherche fantastique. Kathryn Day, French coordinator said: “The aim is to have
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Police investigate city centre rape
POLICE are hunting three men following the rape of a 30-year-old woman in a North-East city centre. A police spokesman said the victim walking home along Neville Street, in Newcastle, between midnight on Saturday and 1.30am on Sunday when she was approached
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Parish Poll to Go-Ahead
Following the Annual Town Council meeting in which 23 residents voted in favour of a ‘Parish Poll’, the council has announced that the poll will go-ahead. The question to be asked in the poll is, “that the position of Executive Officer be completely
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Snow, hail and torrential rain brings chaos to County Durham
RAIN, hail and even snow brought chaos to parts of the region this afternoon. A thunderstorm hit the centre of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, flooding shops and peppering cars with giant hailstones. Snow fell in Tow Law, while Newgate Street, in Bishop
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Robber attacked shopkeeper with a broom
POLICE in Bishop Auckland are appealing for information after an elderly shopkeeper was attacked with a broom during an early morning robbery. The 75-year-old man was working in the Lateshopper on Proudfoot Drive, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, when
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Cash to boost students' chances
A PILOT scheme to boost the qualification chances of students with special educational needs is being launched on Teesside. Redcar and Cleveland Council is one of ten councils nationwide who have an extra £2.7million to spend over the next two years.
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Man in court over attack on praying churchgoer
A MAN appeared in court today accused of robbing an elderly church worshipper. Clive Morrison, 44, is alleged to have attacked the 71-year-old victim as he kneeled in prayer at St Bede's RC Church, in Sacriston, County Durham, on the morning of Thursday
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Pakistan end Ireland's challenge
IRELAND crashed out of the ICC World Twenty20 after a 39-run defeat to Pakistan at The Oval in their final Super Eights match. Pakistan's captain Younus Khan had spoken of his desire to "crush" the Irish in revenge for their shock reverse against
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Spanish police scale down hunt for missing N-E tourist
POLICE looking for a North-East tourist who disappeared in the mountains of Spain have scaled down their search. Michael Egglestone, a 52-year-old father-of-four, went missing after going hiking in hills near Alicante, on the Costa Blanca, more than
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Stokesley gardens open to all
ENTHUSIASTIC gardeners are throwing open their gates to let all enjoy the fruits of their labours. Some 16 local gardens and two schools are taking part in the Stokesley Open Gardens event on January 27 and 28, from 1pm to 5pm daily. The Stokesley support
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Sedgefield school wins Healthy Teeth Award
Trimdon Village Community Infants School and Nursery Unit are the first school in the Sedgefield area to be award the Healthy Teeth Award for helping children care for their teeth. The school already receives the fluoridated milk to help improve
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Newcastle to face continental opposition
NEWCASTLE Falcons will meet three continental opponents in the group stages of next season's European Challenge Cup. The Falcons will take on Montauban and Albi of France, and Italian side Petrarca, as they attempt to qualify for the knockout stages
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Food of the world
STUDENTS have been preparing food from around the globe as part of the final assessment of their course. A group of 11 Year 10 students from Shotton Hall School and Easington Community Science College, who are working towards a BTEC Level 2 in Hospitality
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Nightime walks seek out rare bird
TWILIGHT treks will seek out an elusive nocturnal bird. Walks in Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham have been organised to spot the nightjar, which vanished from the region in the 1970s. The bird now uses the clear fell sites in
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Young worker has it licked
ONE of Britain's youngest lollipop men is helping children get to school. At just 19-years-old Shaun Nimmo is barely out of school himself, but he has just started working for Middlesbrough Borough Council. The teenager, who also works in a charity
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Charity match proves successful
TWO local charities will be hundreds of pounds better off thanks to the efforts of a new football team. Dormo FC took on a team made up of police officers in a charity match and raised over £500. The cash will be split between Redcar and Cleveland Councils
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Car passenger critical after weekend crash
A CAR passenger is fighting for his life following a crash at the weekend. He suffered serious injuries when the car he was travelling in collided with a BMW. And police are looking for witnesses to the accident involving a Blue Ford Focus and a Silver
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Capsule buried to mark new children's centre
A TIME capsule has been buried to mark the start of building work on a new £1m children's centre. Staff and pupils at Layfield Primary School, Yarm, decided the capsule was an ideal way to mark the creation of the Children's Centre and Foundation
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Cash campaign for chemo ward
VILLAGERS are backing a cash crusade in aid of a hospital that saved a grandmother-of-five’s life. Cancer survivor Kathleen Herron is spearheading a campaign in aid of the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough. Almost a year ago the 54-
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Arts students' inspirational work
ARTS students held an end of year exhibition to show off work inspired by their personal interests. Art Foundation students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, produced the display called Inspire. The 31 students, who
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Race for Life…
I was at Darlington’s ‘Race for Life’ event on Sunday, the sun was shining, the runners were smiling and South Park was looking pristine. Amongst the 4,000 participants were a number of runners from Cockfield, including my daughter Leanne.
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New stroke service could save lives
HEALTH chiefs are introducing a new system for dealing with stroke victims which could buy the precious minutes that save lives. Currently, patients who are identified by ambulance staff as having suffered a stroke are taken to the nearest accident and
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Cyclists to face 'The Beast'
CYCLISTS are being challenged to tackle a route dubbed 'The Beast'. Over the last two years, the Durham Big Ride has attracted hundreds of serious and amateur cyclists, pedalling routes of between three and 25 miles. But 2009's event will have a fourth
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Work experience student sees Richmond vets save dog
A WOULD-BE vet on work experience found herself watching surgeons trying to save the life of a dog. Heather Ealand, a student at Risedale Sports and Community College, Hipswell, Catterick Garrison, saw the operation at the Swale Veterinary Surgery, in
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Charity wins national recognition
A CHARITY that helps thousands of people across the North-East, Yorkshire and Lancashire to find new opportunities in life has won national recognition. Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities (DISC) was highly commended in the prestigious national
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Man fights for life after accident
A CAR passenger is fighting for his life following a car crash at the weekend. He suffered serious injuries when the car he was travelling in collided with a BMW. And police are looking for witnesses to the accident involving a Blue Ford Focus and a
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Animated film
ACTION heritage research by young people in East Durham is being made into animated film for the big screen. Glendene School and Community Arts College, Easington Colliery, a specialist visual arts college, has been working jointly with 19
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Snakes killed in North York Moors blaze
SNAKES and an Australia lizard kept as pets were killed when a fire swept through a family home on the North York Moors. Firecrews were sent to the detached house in Osmotherley, near Northallerton, onThursday, June 11 to tackle the blaze. The fire
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Nelson to exit Pools
DEFENDER Micky Nelson has confirmed he will be leaving Victoria Park this summer, after turning down Hartlepool United's contract offer. The centre half has spent six seasons at the club. Norwich and Scunthorpe are both keen on his services, with Colchester
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Planning wrangle house pulled down near Northallerton
A £400,000 house built without planning approval in North Yorkshire has been demolished after a five year legal battle. Peter Howell built the property in Ingleby Arncliffe, near to Northallerton, sparking a long running dispute with Hambleton
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Dishwasher sparks home fire
TWO adults were treated for smoke inhalation after a dishwasher caught fire. Two fire appliances from Darlington Fire Station were called to an end-terrace house in Blackwell, Darlington, at 8.29am on Monday. Firefighters were at the scene for half
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MP works on real issues as member draw line under expenses
LABOUR Party members in the Bishop Auckland constituency are satisfied that their MP has no questions to answer over her expenses. MP Helen Goodman said members of her Constituency Labour Party (CLP) are more concerned with local issues than the expenses
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Fishy case for police
POLICE are appealing for information after tropical fish were stolen from a garden pond. Koi carp worth around £1,500 were removed from a pond in the back garden of a house in Newton Aycliffe at around 10.50pm on Friday. Officers were
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Tree top tempest
Harrogate-born actor Roger Ringrose returns to his Yorkshire roots for a Ripley Castle production of The Tempest. He speaks to Steve Pratt. AUDIENCES returning to Ripley Castle for Sprite Productions’ annual open air show are in for a surprise
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We Will Rock You, Sunderland Empire
THE show promised to rock you and it certainly didn’t disappoint, as it opened at the Sunderland Empire. The futuristic hit musical, based around 24 of Queen’s greatest hits, was already guaranteed to provide great tunes, but a talented, goodlooking
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Hook, line and sink
Ruth Campbell heads out on the North Sea to fish for her supper – and learns how to cook it too. WE are sailing out of the harbour, sun glistening on the water as we look back on the pretty cobbled fishing village of Staithes with its colourful
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King Creosote Fibbers, York
KING CREOSOTE and his band bring a livingroom atmosphere to Fibbers for their tenth tour gig in as many nights. Tables and chairs are laid out on floor space usually reserved for the huddled crowds. And even when the music starts, non-playing
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Brown's record
IN his column, headed “Give Gordon his due for some things” (Echo, June 11), Rob Merrick expresses the view that Gordon Brown was a brilliant Chancellor for ten years, taking people out of poverty, etc. I have to differ with that view, as someone
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Housing meeting 'a success' - MP
A MEETING to discuss housing was "a positive first step", according to the MP behind it. Roberta Blackman-Woods, Labour MP for Durham, said the meeting, held at Bowburn Community Centre on Friday, June 12, had been a great success and "a positive first
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Atrocities
CORRESPONDENTS Geoffrey Bulmer and Ralph Musgrave (HAS, both June 10) make interesting points concerning the atrocities committed not just by the Nazis, but also by Stalin. But it matters not whether the examples used are the Nazis, Stalin, Mugabe
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Size matters
The Supersizers Eat (BBC2, 9pm); Real Crime: Rhys Jones – Caught in the Crossfire (ITV1, 9pm) LIKE a fine wine, food critic Giles Coren and comedienne Sue Perkins have got better with age. Okay, so it’s actually only been a little more than a year
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BNP protest
I LISTENED to the response of the egg-pelted BNP leader on television. He had simply been there to listen to questions and respond reasonably to them, and then... such an outrage. Sadly, by choosing egg-throwing rather than argument, it is probable
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Rally to the flag
SO, David Lacey (HAS, June 8) thinks all the ills of our broken country can be laid at the feet of socialism. If he keeps writing garbage like that he will reinvigorate many of the stay-at-home Labour supporters. The Tories did not want a health
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Boots new boss
IS there no justice in this world? We now find that Andy Hornby, who was in charge of HBOS when the bank was on the brink of collapse, has been made chief executive of Boots (Business Echo, June 9). This must make its shareholders and employees
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Browned off, too
CORRESPONDENT Julie Magee (HAS, June 8), whose son had his bottles of sun cream and after-sun taken off him by security guards at the Tyneside Evolution music festival, is not alone in her bafflement. Sun cream was confiscated from me at Wembley
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Police meetings scheduled in Crook
TWO Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings take place in Crook on Wednesday. The first meeting, for Billy Row, Roddymoor, and Stanley, will be held at Stanley Way Community Centre, in Billy Row, at 6pm. The second meeting, for Howden, North
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Euro poll outcome
I AM writing to thank readers who voted for No2EU-Yes to Democracy in the recent European Parliament elections. Our North-East total of 8,066 votes, in a contest where only the establishment parties got any real media coverage, was a creditable
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Quarry plans under spotlight
A QUARRY company’s revived plans to extend its workings are likely to be approved despite objections from ramblers over the moving of a bridleway. Sherburn Sand wants to extract an extra 1.35 million tonnes of limestone and sand from Crime
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Tories pledge to scrap Sats for 11-year-olds
THE Conservatives yesterday announced plans to scrap controversial Sats tests for all 11-year-olds in England if they form the next government. Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove said he would abolish the key stage two exams and replace them
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Moving the goalposts
IN view of the recent controversies over Sats, it is not surprising that the Tories have jumped on them as a policy headline-grabber. Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove says a Tory government would abolish Sats at the end of primary school and
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You’re joking, Sir Alan...
RE your story about businessman and TV personality Sir Alan Sugar calling on firms to employ apprentices during his visit to Gateshead (Echo, June 10). Sir Alan claims he does not have any political allegiance to any party – as he accepts Gordon
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The MPs’ Expenses Museum
WHEN the going gets tough for politicians, it’s always useful to blame the nasty media. Take last week’s tirade by the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Tony Lloyd. “I know journalists are always looking for the next sensation, the next
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Rock on, Toyah
It’s difficult to pin down Toyah Willcox – she’s a singer, actress and writer. She tells Steve Pratt variety is the spice of life and why she doesn’t mind replaying her old hits in the North-East. THE ever-busy Toyah Willcox will be giving
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Same old story for Moxon as Yorkshire fall well short again
TECHNICALLY, Yorkshire’s loss to Somerset will go down as a tight loss on the final day at Headingley, but it was what came earlier in the week that really set up a frustrating loss as Martyn Moxon was left with the same old headache. “When you
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Durham laud pace attack
DURHAM can expect to find an entirely different pitch for their next match at Edgbaston tomorrow, but they are confident that Steve Harmison and Graham Onions can end a long run of Birmingham bore draws. While Onions was the first in the
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No stopping South North as Blaydon’s record is ended
Dukes ECB North-East Regional Premier League A YEAR-LONG unbeaten run by Blaydon came to an as champions South Northumberland, who rarely miss a trick, preserved their own amazing record of not having lost a league match in the last 24, a run
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Boldon’s lead at the top is trimmed to six points
BOLDON held on to their lead in the Warmseal Durham Senior League despite losing points in Saturday’s top test against last season’s champions Burnmoor. But they will be wary of more slip-ups, after their advantage over secondplaced Whitburn
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Croft success sees Lawson rewarded
ROB Lawson survived the lottery of a downpour during the second of two races to be named driver of the weekend at Croft. Having recorded a sixth place finish in the opening race of the Porsche Carrera Cup championship, Lawson, from Barton,
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Marton put the pressure on Boro
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League AFTER their shock defeat in the Kerridge Cup by Marton, leaders Middlesbrough cannot afford to relax for a minute as they are pursued for their championship crown as well. Once again it is their lively
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Vaulkhard suffers miserable weekend
HARRY Vaulkhard must have thought the Gods were against him at Croft this weekend. Racing at his home circuit, a circuit he uses in his employ as a driving instructor, and with tens of thousands of local fans cheering him on, the Newcastle-
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Banahan confident his England time has come
Argentina 24 England 22 MATT Banahan believes he is ready for anything Test rugby can throw at him after emerging from England’s 24-22 defeat by Argentina with his reputation further enhanced. The giant Bath winger has adapted to the international
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Lions are fighting fit
THE British and Irish Lions could have a clean bill of health heading into Saturday’s first Test against South Africa. Only full-back Rob Kearney is unavailable for the Lions’ next game – an appointment with the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth
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McGeechan set to go with Bowe time
TOMMY Bowe admits his career has ‘‘really rocketed’’ as the British and Irish Lions prepare to launch him at world champions South Africa. Less than two years after failing to make Ireland’s World Cup squad, Bowe is in the form of his life.
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Pearce wants to win for injured Taylor
STUART PEARCE has urged his England Under-21s team to win the European Championship trophy for Newcastle defender Steven Taylor who misses the competition through injury. Pearce revealed that Taylor was “devastated” when his nagging Achilles
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Nelson remains wanted
SCUNTHORPE and Norwich are leading the way in the race to sign Micky Nelson on a free transfer. The defender, out of contract at Hartlepool United, is to leave this summer after six seasons at Victoria Park. Pools offered the centrehalf a deal
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Bruce sets sights on £20m triple swoop
STEVE BRUCE starts work at Sunderland this week aiming to make a £20m breakthrough in the transfer market with Darren Bent, Richard Dunne and Lee Cattermole in the manager’s sights. Tottenham Hotspur striker Bent has been deemed surplus to requirements
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Barnes takes inspiration from Taylor
JOHN Barnes believes he can make his mark as a manager by achieving success on a limited budget at Tranmere. The former England and Liverpool winger is poised to be confirmed as the new boss of the League One club, after calling time on a short
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Broad joy in England victory
STUART Broad claimed the perfect revenge for his World Twenty20 finals mauling two years ago with another disciplined display to knock India out of this year’s competition. The Nottinghamshire seamer’s main contribution to the inaugural tournament
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Sanya set for windfall
SANYA Richards is in line to claim another cash windfall at the venue where she won US Dollars 500,000 almost two years ago. Richards, who then shared the IAAF Golden League jackpot with Russia’s pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva, produced another
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History on Murray’s side at Wimbledon
ANDY Murray is developing a habit of re-writing the history books but having been crowned king of Queen’s yesterday there is just one more record left to break. The 22-year-old world number three became the first Brit to lift the trophy at Queen
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England spurred on by booing
PAUL Collingwood revealed boos from the Indian supporters provided the motivation for England’s narrow World Twenty20 victory at Lord’s. Collingwood’s men were victorious in their must-win contest by three runs – eliminating the defending champions
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Ireland press Sri Lanka
IRELAND captain William Porterfield admitted his side had given everything after coming narrowly short of another World Twenty20 shock. The Irish, who followed their World Cup exploits of 2007 by eliminating Bangladesh in the group stages of
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Magda makes it a first
MAGDALENA Rybarikova won her first career title after defeating Na Li in straight sets in the AEGON Classic final at Edgbaston yesterday. The Slovakian 20-year-old, ranked 58th in the world, had never reached an WTA final before but made short
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No Curbs move says Llambias
NEWCASTLE UNITED managing director Derek Llambias has denied Alan Curbishley is being lined up to take the helm at St James’ Park. Alan Shearer has failed to agree terms with Mike Ashley as the owner attempts to sell the club, leading to Curbishley
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Gibson dismisses reports Middlesbrough up for sale
STEVE GIBSON, the Middlesbrough chairman and owner, has rubbished reports claiming he’s about to become a tax exile and put the club up for sale. Gareth Southgate returned to his desk last Monday following a short break and has predicted there
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Hobby worth following at Warwick
HOBBY has run some fine races in defeat over the past couple of seasons and a deserved success could come her way in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Warwickshire Oaks. The four-year-old ran out an impressive winner at Warwick back in July 2007 but
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Patient leads fund drive to say thanks
VILLAGERS are backing a cash crusade in aid of a hospital that saved a grandmother-of-five’s life. Cancer survivor Kathleen Herron is heading a campaign to support The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough. Almost a year ago
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Club’s cash plea to mark World Cup triumph
HISTORY is repeating itself for non-league footballers commemorating their club’s finest hour with a match against Italian giants Juventus this summer. Northern League side West Auckland Town FC have secured the David and Goliath clash in Italy
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Service centre plans would create 50 jobs
PLANS to expand a long-established service station beside the A1 have been drawn up. The owners of Leeming Bar Services, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, say their proposal would create 50 jobs. The plans include improved parking and a new
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Are you sitting comfortably?
ONE of the kings of storytellers had a new throne to sit on when he entertained North-East children. North Yorkshire schools inspector turned children’s author Gervase Phinn was the first person to spin yarns from a story seat designed by pupils
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Bodger is home safe – the lucky dog
A FAMILY pet who went missing when thieves stole a van with him inside has been found safe and well. Bodger, a border collie, was found after an off-duty policeman spotted an appeal for information on Bodger’s whereabouts on The Northern Echo
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Lovely atmosphere at village carnival
FAMOUS characters from yesteryear invaded a Teesdale village when it held its annual carnival at the weekend. The two-day event in Bowes, near Barnard Castle, started with a fancy dress parade and competition on Saturday. Entrants stuck
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Hospital ‘envy of the country’
PLANS for a £500m super hospital which could be the “envy of the country” will be submitted today. North Tees Hospital in Stockton, and Hartlepool General Hospital, would be scrapped in favour of a singlesite facility at Wynyard, near Hartlepool
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Patients’ fury at ‘offensive’ drug remarks
CANCER patients have hit back at comments made by a senior health official who compared getting life-saving drugs to buying an expensive car. Professor David Barnett, chairman of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Exellence’s (Nice
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Carers awards will be searching for the stars
A CHILDREN’S charity is looking for disabled youngsters and their carers who deserve to be made a star. The Children’s Foundation Stars Awards celebrate the achievements of children, their carers and friends whose lives have been affected by any
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Charity walkers enjoy a sunny day
THOUSANDS of people stepped out at the weekend to take part in the Diabetes UK Great North Walk. The walk took a picturesque ten-mile route in and around Sunderland – beginning and ending at the former colliery site of Herrington Country Park
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Study calls for Parliament to debate ‘Star Wars’ scheme
THE “Son of Star Wars” missile defence project – in which the region’s US air bases will play a key role – will put all of Europe’s security at risk, MPs have warned. The highly-controversial ballistic missile defence (BMD) scheme should only
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Exhibitions focus attention on plight of child soldiers
THE plight of child soldiers around the world is explored in new exhibitions which opened at the weekend. Two works by leading sculptor Laura Ford and a third from awardwinning photographer Dean Chapman opened at the Durham Light Infantry Museum
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Changing room ban for mucky football players
AN amateur football team face being kicked out of the league for repeatedly leaving their council run changing rooms in a filthy state. Tudhoe United FC have played in the Spennymoor Sunday League, in County Durham, for a decade. But
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Cream of rowing talent compete in 176th Durham Regatta
THE cream of rowing talent from across the country was in the North- East at the weekend for the 176th Durham Regatta. Thousands of people turned out to watch the keenly contested races. The regatta, dubbed the Henley of the North, was
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Thousands run in the sun at Darlington's Race For Life
THOUSANDS of women and girls ran, jogged and walked around a North-East park to raise money for charity yesterday. Bright blue skies greeted the 4,000 participants in the Darlington Race for Life as they made their way round the 5km course.
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Church with the community at heart
A CHURCH is to undergo a £780,000 facelift which the congregation hopes will put it at the heart of its community. Middleton-in-Teesdale Methodist Church – a former Wesleyan Chapel built in 1870 – is in dire need of repairs. “Raising
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Bosses took £1.7m as 2,500 lost their jobs
DIRECTORS of Remploy received more than £1.7m in bonuses in the same year as 2,500 workers lost their jobs, it was claimed yesterday. The Government-owned company, which employs disabled people, closed 28 factories in 2007, including ones in
