Archive
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Cliff and The Shadows thrill capacity crowd
IF this is really the very last tour by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, then the North-East saw the pensioners hop out in style. Cars and coaches poured into the parking area around the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, tonight, as a capacity audience of
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In Cliff's shadow
Just got back from speaking to the Women's Institute in the chapel at Witton-le-Wear. There was a bit of a lown turnout and Sheila Tock, the chairman, explained why. "There'd have been more ladies here but you clashed with Cliff Richard
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Hoggard hunts for new challenge after Yorkshire split
ENGLAND Ashes winner Matthew Hoggard is looking for a new county after his long association with Yorkshire ended in a war of words this morning. The 32-year-old told a national newspaper he had "effectively been sacked" after being told his
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£1m cannabis haul uncovered
CANNABIS worth £1m has been uncovered at a warehouse on an industrial estate at Eaglescliffe, near Stockton. Police raided the premises after reports that a distinct aroma was coming from the building. It is the largest haul of cannabis
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Brown repays £12,000 cleaning, gardening and decorating expenses
PRIME Minister Gordon Brown agreed today to repay more than £12,000 in expenses after an inquiry found he made excessive claims for cleaning, gardening and decoration at his second home. Mr Brown wrote to all Government ministers urging them to follow
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Ferryhill Carrs Lands Top Award
One of Durham County Council’s local Nature Reserves received a major award for its part in, Ferryhill Town Council’s application for the Northumbria in Bloom regional selection of the Britain in Bloom Competition. Ferryhill Carrs Nature Reserve, an
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Plans for £500m "super hospital" approved
COUNCILLORS who have fought hard in the past to keep their local hospital open have voted overwhelmingly for plans which will lead to its closure. A new ultra-modern hospital on the edge of Wynyard Business Park was granted outline planning permission
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Jaguar XK S - a diesel delight
I DON'T know how they do it, but Jaguar always manages to pull something special out when it really matters. The XK120 was nigh on unbeatable when it appeared in 1948, the C-Type won Le Mans twice yet you could buy one for the road -- in 1951, remember
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Woman attacked by bag snatcher
POLICE are hunting a robber who snatched a womans handbag after pushing her to the floor in a late night attack. The victim was set upon as she left The Eston Hotel on Fabian Road, Eston, near Middlesbrough, at 11.50pm on Friday night. The woman was
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Contentious plans for Victorian Hall
PLANS to develop the grounds of a stunning hall have been met with a wave of objections from local residents. An application has been made to demolish outbuildings at Saltburn's Brockley Hall and replace them with a four-storey apartment block. The
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Three-year ban for driver who led police on 130mph chase
A DRIVER was banned for three years today after leading traffic officers on a high-speed night-time pursuit. James Spencer, 29, was spotted on the A170 towards Pickering, North Yorks, speeding in his Ford Focus on August 22. Police attempted to catch
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Thieves steal tribute to WW I heroes
THIEVES have been condemned for stealing bronze plaques commemorating the men from a parish who died in the First World War. The two plaques were among four on the base of the memorial at St Oswald's Church, Church Street, Durham City, that contain
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Youths arrested over criminal damage
THREE youths have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after allegedly smashing house windows and throwing stones at cars. The trio - aged 11, 12 and 13 - have been released on police bail pending further enquiries into ongoing vandalism in
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Funeral director admits child pornography charges
A FUNERAL director could be jailed after being caught with hundreds of indecent images of children on his laptop computer. Married father Stephen Clough will be sentenced when background reports have been prepared by Probation Service officials. The
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Twenty teams for Tait Tens
HUNDREDS of young rugby players descended on a North-East school at the weekend to compete in a tournament named two international old boys. Barnard Castle School hosted the fifth annual Tait 10s rugby festival named after Newcastle Falcons full-back
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Cash for Chilton scout group
A SOUTH Durham scout group has been given more than £8,000 so that young members can experience life outdoors, The 1st Chilton Scouts are buying camping equipment with a grant from the Big Lottery’s Awards for All programme. The group was formed in
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Warning as purse thefts continue
SHOPPERS have been put on the alert and warned to be extra vigilant as a spate of purse thefts continues in the Hambleton district. Over the last month there were 18 reported purse thefts in Thirsk and Northallerton, prompting officers to carry
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Dignitaries to visit Barnard Castle as part of partnership
BARNARD Castle will play host to a group of international dignitaries as part of the campaign to attract new investment to the town. Officials from France and the Netherlands are on a three day economic and cultural visit at the Bowes Museum from Friday
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New home for Coundon couple
THE first couple to find a new council home under a management company’s choice-based lettings system have received their door keys. All 4,500 houses managed by Dale & Valley Homes in Wear Valley are now allocated under a system which lets people waiting
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All Time Low
On September 25th I went to Newcastle, the O2 academy. All Time Low are an American band so the tickets sold fast when they were released in Britain. The band only played in Newcastle and London in the UK so the academy was full and the atmosphere bouncing
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Werewolves
Werewolf stories are told all over the world and stories can come form the beginning of history so that makes werewolves the oldest of mythical monsters!! The first documented werewolf attack was in Germany in 1591. Dogs were set upon a 'wolf' that
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Parking relief for Applegarth parents
RELIEVED parents have been told they will not have to pay for parking when dropping off or picking up their children from school. Mums and dads had been facing the prospect of forking out every time they delivered or collected their youngsters from the
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Sir Cliff set to rock the North-East
NOWADAYS they are about as far removed from "the Young Ones" as it is possible to be. Let’s face it, Cliff Richard is 69 on Wednesday, Newcastle-born Hank Marvin is 68 in two weeks time, Chester-le-Street raised Hank Marvin is a sprightly 67, while
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Thousands given drink advice
FIVE thousand people in the region have now been given advice on their drink problem as part of a major research project. The North-East is one of three areas where people who are either endangering their health or getting into trouble with the police
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Village store to reopen following revamp
A FOOD store in a Teesdale village will unveil a new look following the completion of a 220,000 revamp. The Co-op store in Cockfield, near Barnard Castle, is being updated with modern decor, new shelving, flooring and refrigeration plus a more shopper-friendly
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National success for young poet
A VILLAGE school is waxing lyrical after chalking up another success in a national poetry competition. A Year Six pupil at Sowerby primary has taken the top prize in the Young Writers "Poetry explorers – Poems from England" competition.
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Orchestra North East, Durham Cathedral
The newly branded Orchestra North East launched itself in grand style with concert in Durham Cathedral. The band, formerly known as the Durham Sinfonia, spread its new wings under the baton of the Gateshead-born John Wilson; one of the region’s
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Orchestra North East, Durham Cathedral
The newly branded Orchestra North East launched itself in grand style with concert in Durham Cathedral. The band, formerly known as the Durham Sinfonia, spread its new wings under the baton of the Gateshead-born John Wilson; one of the region’s
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Teabags are a hit at new-style services
OLD teabags were given a new lease of life at an innovative tea party for the whole community held in a village school. Around 50 people turned up to the event, where they learnt how to grow cress in tea bags and make art from tea bags that are dried
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County prepares for winter
TRANSPORT chiefs in North Yorkshire are preparing for a hard winter. Thousands of toms of salt have now been stockpiled in readiness for the cold weather. The county council’s highways department has 40,000 tons in stock, with a further 10,000 tons
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October 12, 2009
WATCHING WAVES We sat on the beach Watching waves pound the shore, Just coming and coming More and yet more. Every flowing, ne’er ceasing With no end in sight, Like the love of our Father Holding us tight. The waves played games As the higher
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A Life Like Other People’s by Alan Bennett (Faber & Faber, £12.99)
PLUCKED from Bennett’s bulging auto-biographical door-stopper, Untold Stories, but now published in a very pleasing mini (5inx7in) format, here are Bennett’s memories of his parents and his upbringing in Armley, a lower-middle-class suburb of
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Former aircraft engineer who was cleared of murder takes compensation case to Court of Appeal
A FORMER aircraft engineer from the North-East who spent 14 years behind bars before he was cleared of murder takes his case for compensation to the Court of Appeal today. Andrew Adams, from Newcastle, had his conviction quashed in January 2007 after
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To The Sea and Back: The Heroic Life of the Atlantic Salmon by Richard Shelton (Atlantic Books, £18.99)
EVERYONE knows of the salmon’s astonishing migrations and remarkable ability to live in both salt and fresh water. Shelton, one-time head of the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory at Pitlochry and now director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, delivers
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Stokesley – Aspects of Victorian Everyday Life; Stokesley – Further Aspects of Victorian Everyday Life (Stokesley Local History Study Group)
TWENTY-one butchers, 13 grocers, ten tailors and two watchmakers, one of whom doubled as a dentist. Yes, Stokesley in the 1860s, the focus of these booklets, was certainly a different place from today. Looking at matters such asagriculture, railways
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Fountains Abbey: The Cistercians in Northern England by Glyn Coppack (Amberley, £17.99)
ANOTHER softback reissue, with minor revisions to the original of 2003. The promise of its full title isn’t fulfilled, but its authoritative, yet very readable, account of Fountains itself, by a senior English Heritage figure, makes you wonder
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Reid worthy of Ireland recall, surely
GIOVANNI TRAPATONNI shuffled in discomfort after being pressed and pressed on whether or not Andy Reid will be back in Republic of Ireland colours during his reign. The Italian boss, however, offered no guarantees. In fact, as he tried to
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Of policemen and motorways
PEOPLE have clearly been studying the 1965 aerial view of the Covered Market in Darlington which was in last Wednesday's Memories (Echo, Oct 7), because a couple have pointed out the policeman waving his hands in the middle of High Row. (Actually, properly
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Whitby – Photographic Memories compiled by Cordelia Stamp (Francis Frith, £12)
THIS is a softback version of an excellent collection originally published four years ago. Veteran compiler Cordelia Stamp often provides an engaging personal touch. Her caption to a picture of the wonderfully complex Guinness Clock
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Harry Gration’s Yorkshire Sporting Heroes (Dalesman, £9.99)
'MR Yorkshire Sport’ since he became a Look North (Leeds) presenter in the mid-Eighties, Harry Gration here presents short, well-illustrated personal profiles of his top 30 Yorkshire sporting heroes. Nudged by Geoff Boycott, John Charles heads
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Bradman… And The Summer That Changed Cricket by Christopher Hilton (JR Books, £18.99)
ADDED to the coloured clothing, floodlights and general razzmatazz ushered in by Kerry Packer’s World Series in 1978, the recent innovation of Twenty20 cricket truly amounts to a revolution in our “summer game”. Christopher Hilton strives hard
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Metal guru
It took some years for Michael Kusz’s career in metal sculpture to take off, but now his creatures are flying all over the world, says Catharine Hewitson. ARRIVE at Michael Kusz’s workshop and you will be greeted by a charming little rook perched
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Weight problems
ONE of your News In Brief items, headed “Weight problems” (Echo, Oct 7), said research by British universities discovered that obesity is associated with anxiety and depression. They must be delighted with the results of their research. If only
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Wind farm plan
RE plans to erect a wind farm of 13 turbines at Hamsterley, County Durham. Figures from the National Grid show that during the cold, windless days of last February we derived on average our electricity from the following sources: coal, 44.5 per
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Life class
Life (BBC1, 9pm); All Saints (BBC2, 1pm). DAVID ATTENBOROUGH has been doing it long enough to be an icon of the small screen. Different people remember him for different things. Perhaps narrating many BBC wildlife documentaries, or for his celebrated
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State pensions
SO, politicians want us to work longer to qualify for our state pension. Well, how many of them have tried digging trenches in about six inches of mud when it is lashing down with rain, tried laying paving kerbstones, or handling steel on a frosty
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Guide memories
RE your letter from Christine Armstrong (nee Graham) about Girl Guides (HAS, Oct 2). Girl Guiding is celebrating its centenary so it is good to know that Christine’s memories of the happy times spent in the 1st Close House Guide Company, who met
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Lisbon Treaty
IT is interesting Ireland voted “Yes” to Europe in the re-run referendum despite concerted attempts by British Eurosceptics to engineer a “No” vote. The British anti-EU group Open Europe has been campaigning for a “No” vote. The UK Independence
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Dangerous dogs
YOU reported another vicious attack by a dangerous dog (Echo, Oct 6) and yes, once again, it was a Staffordshire bull terrier. Not only did it attack a Bishop Auckland family’s pet puppy, but a girl of four was hurt and her father required treatment
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I'm voting Labour
YOUR Comment column (Echo, Oct 6) was perfect and emphasised the stark choice, or rather lack of it, for the electorate next year. Do we really wish David Cameron to be our next Prime Minister or have we all forgotten Conservative policies
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Credit crunch
YOU can’t have forgotten who was to blame for the “credit crunch”. You know which section of society is greedy, sleazy and entirely self-serving. How dare anyone expect the public sector workers to make the sacrifices to put things right. Clearly
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Shooting galleries
THE main producer of heroin is Afghanistan, the money from which goes towards funding the Taliban and al Qaida. This means that Justice Secretary Jack Straw’s recent call for the NHS to provide facilities and free heroin to addicts, in clinics
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Conservative policies
LAST week I watched the pleasant, but dim David Cameron being received at the Tory conference like some latter-day Messiah. I often wonder: has he ever visited planet Earth? So he intends taking people off incapacity benefit and putting them
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A way with words
After novels set in Gateshead and Hartlepool, writer Jonathan Tulloch moves into the world of art dealers and high finances in his new book. Sharon Griffiths hears how his interest in Van Gogh’s work influenced his latest book. WRITER Jonathan Tulloch
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Shirley gets her happy ending
SIR Harold Evans has emailed from New York to say how much he enjoyed his return to Darlington, where he edited The Northern Echo in the Sixties. Harry, now 81, came back to the Echo just over a week ago as part of his efforts to promote his fascinating
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Support our troops
THE size of the Territorial Army has fallen dramatically since the end of the Cold War. In 1997 there were more than 57,000 people in the TA. According to the latest MoD statistics there are now only 19,300 trained reservists. Yet the TA is more
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Pin your hopes on the Cushion
BRIAN Meehan has his strongest ever team of juveniles this season and Pin Cushion can give him yet another winner in the EBF Cayley Rayers Loyal Royals Maiden Stakes at Windsor. Beautifully bred, by sire-ofthe- moment Pivotal out of the crack
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Rugby Union round-up
TYNEDALE’S trip to Cornwall ended in disappointment when they surrendered a 17-13 lead at Launceston by losing the ball on the home 22 and allowing a winger to race 70 metres to score, writes TIM WELLOCK. The try was converted by Tony Yapp, who
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Smith feels Quakers need nasty streak
DARLINGTON need to develop a nasty streak, according to Gary Smith after their latest defeat. Steve Staunton’s first game in charge ended in a 2-0 loss at top-of-the-table Dagenham & Redbridge, leaving Quakers with two points from 12 games.
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Dagenham 2 Darlington 0
Dagenham 2 Darlington 0 STEVE STAUNTON had a fair idea what to expect before he took the Darlington job. Being rock bottom of the table tells its own story. On Saturday, the Irishman saw for himself what he has let himself in for as
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Petrarca Padova 27 Newcastle Falcons 29
Petrarca Padova 27 Newcastle Falcons 29 NEWCASTLE Falcons’ Director of Rugby Steve Bates declared himself satisfied with the result, if not the performance, as Newcastle started their Amlin Challenge Cup campaign with a 29-27 win away to Italian
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Blaydon 11 London Scottish 29
Blaydon 11 London Scottish 29 AFTER a summer of rebuilding Blaydon were under no illusions that they could hang on to fourth place in National League One, and after Saturday’s lesson they will revert to the more realistic aspiration of survival
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Just my luck
Congratulations to the organisers of the St Teresa's Hospice Ball at Hardwick Hall on Saturday night. It was, as ever, a magnificent event, with first-class food, wonderful company, and dancing to the superb Dean Solomon Band. It was memorable for lots
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Ukrainian diary
IT is the morning of England’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk, and I am waking up almost 500km away in a hotel room in Kiev, nursing an extremely sore head. It is not a good way to start what is going to be a very long
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Cats star urging a cautious approach
ANDY REID has hailed Sunderland’s new-look attacking formation but warned supporters not to expect a comfortable victory over Liverpool this Saturday. The Irish midfielder has enjoyed the best spell of his Black Cats career under Steve Bruce
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England boss shrugs off Rio’s slump in form
FABIO CAPELLO insists he is not concerned about Rio Ferdinand’s slump in form. No matter what trials and tribulations England have gone through over the years, Ferdinand has always been a reliable performer. Good enough to earn a place in FIFA
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International woe for Boro defender
MIDDLESBROUGH defender Sean St Ledger admitted that he thought he had scored Ireland’s winning goal in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Italy. The player on loan at the Riverside from Preston North End until January cemented his reputation
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Guthrie hails new faces
DANNY GUTHRIE has been delighted with the addition of new faces to the Newcastle United squad that has bolstered Chris Hughton’s resources. Despite the Magpies’ impressive start to life in the Championship, the shallowness of the squad led
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Flares not to blame
ENGLAND players insist the flares thrown in the direction of goalkeepers Robert Green and David James by Ukrainian fans were not responsible for their first competitive defeat under Fabio Capello. Green’s area was littered with a dozen coloured
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Ice cream maker on a roll
A FAMILY favourite dessert is enjoying a renaissance since production restarted at a North Yorkshire firm. More than 25 miles of Arctic Roll were sold each month by Birds Eye during the Eighties, but sales slumped in the Nineties and production
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Care firm looking for 70 more staff
A SPECIALIST care provider is to create more than 70 jobs in the North-East over the next three months. Integrated Support, based in Stanley, County Durham, said the increase in staff was needed to support the development of several new care
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Pensions company expands workforce
A FIRM originally formed to administer rail workers’ pensions has undergone a major recruitment drive as more companies outsource their pension schemes. Pensions administrator rpmi has gone through a reorganisation that has involved taking on
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‘Wasting £1m to stop fair wage fight’
COUNCILS across the North-East are wasting about £1m of taxpayers’ money attempting to stop women winning equal pay, according to union bosses. According to the union Unison, local authorities across the country were spending up to £1.3m each on
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Bosses feel the Byte for the homeless
MORE than £15,000 was raised for disadvantaged children in the region as business executives gave up their beds for charity. Forty people braved wet and windy conditions on Friday to take part in North-East Byte Night, an event which encouraged
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Medals given to TA war heroes
TERRITORIAL ARMY soldiers from the region who secured a Nato headquarters in the aftermath of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan were honoured yesterday. The men from the Territorial Army 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers were among soldiers
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Back-up not needed for hospital shake-up
FEARS that patients could become confused over where to go for treatment a week after a major upheaval in hospital services have not been realised, according to health officials. At the beginning of the month, Bishop Auckland Hospital’s accident
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Police hunt for missing woman
POLICE are appealing for information about the whereabouts of 53-year-old Kendra Smith, of Thornaby, near Stockton, who was last seen leaving her home for a train bound for London. CCTV footage shows her arriving in King’s Cross Station at 9.10pm
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Rare sheep called in to tackle bracken
CONSERVATIONISTS have drafted in a small army of sheep to nibble away at a prickly problem. With rare plants near Derwent Reservoir, County Durham, disappearing under a sea of bracken, a small flock of rare Soay sheep is halting the spread by
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Sailors survive their high seas adventure
RUSSIAN gunboats, a spell in captivity and force nine gales tested the resolve of 71-yearold sailor Jeffrey Allison, but despite the ordeal the intrepid adventurer has vowed to return to the high seas. After docking in Hartlepool yesterday
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Robber used knife to threaten store staff
A ROBBER threatened a pregnant woman at knifepoint before escaping with more than £3,000-worth of sterling and euros from a shop. Police last night appealed for help to trace the hooded raider, who struck just before closing time at The Cheque Centre
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Raising money is a walk in the park
A CANINE cornucopia took over a countryside walk as owners and their pets stepped out for charity yesterday. About 100 dogs and their handlers strolled around Chester-le-Street’s Riverside walk as part of Paws for a Cause, the first sponsored
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Pipers make their mark in Moscow
PIPERS from across the North hit the right note despite being given the wrong music when they played at the Moscow Military Tattoo. Musicians from 102 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers Pipe Band were given music for pan pipes instead
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Remembering Jill
MORE than 30 friends and well-wishers attended the unveiling of a bench in memory of a popular journalist who died last year after a long battle with cancer. Jill Neill was Richmond reporter for The Northern Echo and its sister newspaper, the
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Father of missing chef will travel to Scotland
THE father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence will take his appeal for information outside England for the first time to mark seven months since her disappearance. Peter Lawrence will hand out leaflets to commuters at Waverley station, in Edinburgh
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Mother shopped son to the police
A MOTHER who shopped her teenage son to the police sobbed with relief when he avoided jail. Linda Allen did everything she could to keep her son, Liam, on the straight and narrow. She even resorted to locking the household alcohol in their shed
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Putting skills on show at city garden
TRADITIONAL North-East crafts blossomed at a botanical garden at the weekend. Silversmith Les Howe and his wife, Vivienne, an artist and card designer, demonstrated their skills and techniques to visitors at Durham University’s Botanical Garden.
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MP supports Friends’ latest campaign
A GROUP’S campaign to save rainforests from destructive soya farming has won the support of its local MP. Darlington MP Alan Milburn has thrown his weight behind Friends of the Earth’s Food Chain Fortnight and its campaign to increase awareness
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County’s authority could close offices
THE region’s largest local authority could be about to cut some of its offices in a bid to make savings, The Northern Echo has learnt. A document circulating its headquarters in Durham City, and passed to the Echo, suggests that “office rationalisation
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Tax rise warning if budgets slashed
COUNCIL taxes may have to rise if authorities across the region are to cope with savage budget cuts. That was the view of at least one local council last night as unions warned of tough times ahead. All political parties have admitted that public
