Archive
-
Date
Man harassed former partner
A MAN has admitted harassing and assaulting his former partner as well as threatening her if she went to the police. Christopher Steven Mazzetti, 32, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court, on Friday, where he admitted a number of offences against
-
Date
Darlington sign off with another defeat
Darlington's final Football League game ended as so many others have done so this season, with a defeat. Dagenham & Redbridge secured a place in the play-offs with a 2-0 win thanks to a goal in each half at The Northern Echo Arena, leaving
-
Date
Police investigate bogus RSPCA official
A CHARITY is warning residents to beware after a woman claiming to be with the RSPCA tried to gain entry to a house. The unknown woman tried to get into a house in Hipswell, near Richmond by saying she was with the RSPCA and had a complaint about the
-
Date
Brown missing for Pools' relegation decider
ADAM Boyd replaced James Brown in the Hartlepool United for the final game of the season. Pools need to win at Brentford to ensure League One safety, and they have to try without striker Brown, who didn't travel to London with the squad yesterday.
-
Date
Boy suffers head injury in street attack
A TEENAGE boy suffered a serious head injury after being attacked by a man in the early hours of this morning. The 14-year-old victim was with a 16-year-old friend in Newcastle city centre at 1.45am when the incident took place. They were chased by
-
Date
Gavin James Bower – Dazed & Aroused
Sophie Stratford talks to British writer Gavin James Bower about his first novel, Dazed & Aroused, music influences and his second book Made In Britain. Gavin James Bower is a British writer and journalist. He graduated from the University
-
Date
Miller misses out for Quakers
Captain Ian Miller misses out due to injury as Darlington play their final game in the Football League. Quakers are at home to Dagenham & Redbridge and Miller's hernia problem means he is not the line-up and is replaced by teenager Dan Burn
-
Date
Flirt with a yurt
JUST as the sun has started to shine, One Off Places has launched its yurt portfolio. Gone are the days when a budget holiday meant a sleeping mat and a damp tent. There is now a wide choice of yurt sites throughout Europe, where you can be
-
Date
The Riches Beneath Our Feet by Geoff Coyle (OUP, £20)
WHEN we think of the riches beneath our feet, we tend to think of coal and iron and the Industrial Revolution, but mining has a 4,000 year history and has shaped the destiny of Britain ever since the Phoenicians visited Cornwall to trade for tin
-
Date
Art of the Formula One Race Car by Stuart Codling and Gordon Murray (Motorbooks, £30)
THEY might look like amazing devices with their huge wings, aerofoils and chunky tyres, but can Formula One racing cars really be considered art? There is, of course, an artistry to designing a successful racing car. Everything has to come together
-
Date
Hype And Glory: The Decline And Fall Of The England Football Team, From Revie to McClaren by Gavin Newsham (Atlantic Books, £20)
IT always seems to end in tears. Since 1966, the England football team has spectacularly failed to impress, and in Hype And Glory, sports journalist Gavin Newsham explores why. From Don Revie’s team-tinkering to penalty heartbreak under Bobby
-
Date
Pair raise money for hospice
TWO runners have raised more than £3,000 after taking part in last months London Marathon. Michelle Boshier and Peter Rowley, both members of Quakers Running Club, have helped raise money for St Teresa's Hospice. For Miss Boshier it was extra special
-
Date
Play things
More than scraps of paper and a few felt-tip pens, Godly Play is light years on from the Plasticene age. AROUND South Billingham Methodist Church they call David Parkin “The lad”, and with some justification. “If anything needs doing, anyone has
-
Date
Speaker wanted
FOLLOWING last month’s extremely successful tree planting at Low Burnhall, on the outskirts of Durham (Echo, some editions, April 2), the Woodland Trust now needs a volunteer speaker to keep alive all the interest we’ve generated. We’re looking
-
Date
Much ado in the garden
Viv Hardwick has some dates for your spring and summer diary. POPULAR outdoor theatre company The Pantaloons return to the beautiful surroundings of Crook Hall, near Durham, next month for two nights of open-air Shakespeare mayhem, with a fast-paced
-
Date
Death Of A Salesman, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
SOMEONE suggested, at the launch of the Playhouse’s current season, that staging familiar plays by writers such as Arthur Miller and Noel Coward was playing it safe. Pieces like Death Of A Salesman – and Hay Fever which follows in June – may
-
Date
Glad tidings
FUN is a word writer Malcolm Gladwell uses a lot. Writing is fun. Working for the Washington Post was fun. Doing a theatre tour is fun. And his evening of storytelling, which arrives in the North-East next week, makes him feel “like I am in a
-
Date
Hunting
I ECHO S Winn’s comments about hunting (HAS, May 5). We do, indeed, need politicians with wisdom and compassion. Any modern and progressive government should be seeking to create a caring and compassionate society and should be strengthening laws
-
Date
Accessible MPs
BEFORE the General Election, we at the Leonard Cheshire Disability set up our “My vote, my say” website to provide information and advice for disabled people about voting. We also supported many disabled people to contact their local
-
Date
General election
THE Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) congratulates all the MPs who have just been elected in the North-East. We have campaigned on a number of issues to help small businesses drive the recovery of the region’s economy during the election
-
Date
Go hang yourselves
As Britain faces a hung parliament for the first time since 1974, Political Editor Chris Lloyd looks back on the General Election. WHAT message was the great British public trying to send their beloved politicians in this unpredictable, patchwork
-
Date
The best of a bad job
THE people of Britain have rejected Gordon Brown as their Prime Minister – but they have not fully embraced David Cameron. And the temptation to take a chance with the telegenic Nick Clegg was ultimately overcome by the fear among too many that
-
Date
Immigration
MAY I point out to Bernie Walsh the disastrous Labour policy on immigration? He says (HAS, May 1) “immigration has to be subject to an open and honest debate untainted by intimidation. Ignorance must not be the victor”. Over the past 12 years we
-
Date
Housing
A NEED for more houses to be built in general and a lack of affordable homes in particular is a pressing concern for many families. The solution to the problem is a combination of affordable homes for sale plus provision of properties for rent
-
Date
Hedgehog surprises
SITTING in Crook cemetery recently I noticed something small and round that was nosing about among the graves 100 yards or so away. Eventually, it dawned on me what it was – a hedgehog. You usually think of hedgehogs as coming out at night, but
-
Date
14-year-old golfer records first ace
A YOUNG golfer has aced his first hole-in-one less than three years after picking up his first club. Jack McKay recorded the feat during a holiday in Turkey while playing a round with his father and other golfers at the resort. Jack, 14, from Hurworth
-
Date
Clegg: "Voters deserve a good, stable government"
VOTERS deserve a "good, stable government", Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said today as he pledged to approach cross-party talks in a "constructive spirit". Mr Clegg said the result of the election meant politicians had a "duty to speak to each
-
Date
Whitley Bay out to win it for Mark
A YEAR ago this weekend, Mark Taylor was running ecstatically around Wembley after helping Whitley Bay lift the FA Vase. Tomorrow the 27-year-old PE teacher hopes again to get his hands on the trophy – but in hugely poignant circumstances.
-
Date
Plans approved for new children's centre
A NEW children's centre has been given approval to be built on the site of a former children's home. Darlington Borough Council's planning committee has approved one of its own applications for a Sure Start centre in Salters Lane South, Darlington.
-
Date
Craig to keep cool in heat of the battle
CRAIG Kieswetter is ready to deal with the ‘‘hot air’’ if South Africa decide it is time to remind him of his roots when he walks out to open for England against his native country today. England’s latest South Africa-born recruit has quickly
-
Date
Mabait tipped for Victoria Cup glory
TODAY is one of the busiest days in the racing calendar, with seven domestic meetings. And among them lies one of the biggest betting heats of the year, the Totesport Victoria Cup at Ascot. Twenty-nine horses face the starter at 3.25, among
-
Date
Return for Harmison but Davies is sidelined again
NO sooner has Steve Harmison come off Durham’s amazing casualty list than his place has been taken by Mark Davies, who is the tenth player to be injured this season. Davies has suffered a recurrence of his ankle problem and was due to have
-
Date
Regan denies plotting behind Clarke’s back
YORKSHIRE are one of three counties in the middle of a row between the England and Wales Cricket Board and deposed Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi. ECB chairman Giles Clarke has accused Modi of negotiating a parallel IPL in England with
-
Date
Flannery determined to learn lessons from last year’s heartache
NIALL Flannery insists he has just one thing on his mind this summer – redressing the international balance at July’s World Junior Championships. The 19-year-old hurdler suffered heartache last year, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
-
Date
An up and down year of hits, misses and maybes
The regular football season draws to a close this weekend, with the final round of Premier League and League One and League Two fixtures. But how has the campaign shaped up for the North-East’s five clubs? SUNDERLAND IN the three
-
Date
Anxious wait for Cestrians and Sunderland
DURHAM’S current injury crisis is likely to have an effect upon how teams line up today in the NEPL, with both Chester-le-Street and Sunderland awaiting news about players crucial to their sides. With the County’s problems primarily in the fast-bowling
-
Date
Entries flooding in
ALMOST 500 entries have been received for the two-day North- East Track and Field Championships at Gateshead International Stadium this weekend. The region’s athletics officials are delighted with the upsurge in demand for outdoor competition
-
Date
Button a ‘lion tamer’
JENSON Button is relieved to have finally won over Sir Jackie Stewart. Three-times world champion Stewart was one of many who questioned the wisdom of Button’s decision to quit Brawn GP at the end of last season after winning the title and
-
Date
Chandler is desperate to net Vase hat-trick
WHITLEY Bay manager Ian Chandler is determined to bring the FA Carlsberg Vase back to the North-East when the skilltrainingltd Northern League side face Wroxham from the Eastern Counties League at Wembley tomorrow. Chandler is one of the best
-
Date
Last-minute call-up robs Boro of Shah
THEY say a week’s a long time in politics – it certainly is in cricket, as several NYSD teams will testify. Seven days ago the longtrumpeted debut of Pakistan international leg-spinner Yasir Shah was being eagerly anticipated at Middlesbrough
-
Date
Which players would be at the top of your summer shopping list?
WE asked The Legends, which players would be at the top of your summer shopping list? BERNIE SLAVEN: There is one realistic target who Boro should go for – James Beattie. I was pleased to see Gordon Strachan sign Andy Halliday this week. By
-
Date
Fans need rest but Davey raring to go
NO matter what the scoreline at The Northern Echo Arena today, there is sure to be a sense of relief at the final whistle as Darlington bring an end to their season. They face play-off-chasing Dagenham & Redbridge in their final Football League
-
Date
A ‘bad week at the
office’ costs United SIR Alex Ferguson fears ‘‘one bad week’’ will cost Manchester United their chance of glory this season. United head towards their final game with Stoke still with a chance of becoming the first team to win four league titles
-
Date
Anfield sale put on hold
LIVERPOOL chairman Martin Broughton has dismissed suggestions Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard will have to be sold to ease the club’s mounting debt. Financial reports released for the first time show the club itself made an operating loss
-
Date
Behan buzzing at Bees return
FEW at Brentford will remember Denis Behan being released without making an appearance, but later today the Irishman is intent on finally making a name for himself at Griffin Park. Behan, along with the rest of the Hartlepool United squad
-
Date
Ancelotti urges Blues to grab title chance
CHELSEA coach Carlo Ancelotti has warned his players there is no room for error as they approach the biggest game of the season against Wigan tomorrow. Victory in their Barclays Premier League clash with the Latics at Stamford Bridge would
-
Date
Colback may face Wolves
SUNDERLAND might be on the verge of adding an international midfielder to their ranks but another of the club’s highly-rated Academy graduates is looking for an early opportunity to prove he can be a success story next season. After a successful
-
Date
Aussie Williams’ soccer mission
MIDDLESBROUGH and Australia starlet Rhys Williams is on a mission to convince a nation obsessed by cricket, rugby and Aussie Rules that football should be regarded as the number one sport Down Under. And he believes that a successful World Cup
-
Date
Hunt’s Tigers clause has Newcastle on the prowl
NEWCASTLE transfer target Stephen Hunt has revealed he has an agreement to leave Hull City following their relegation from the Premier League. Hunt was the subject of a £5m bid from Wolves in January, but Hull chairman Adam Pearson opted to
-
Date
Redknapp is named top boss
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR boss Harry Redknapp has been named Barclays manager of the season. The award recognises the 63-year-old’s achievement in guiding Spurs to fourth place in the Premier League and securing qualification for the Champions League
-
Date
Bruce already set for a summer of change
EVEN if Sunderland climb into the Premier League’s top ten with a final-day victory at Wolves tomorrow, manager Steve Bruce is ready for a summer of change when up to 11 members of his first-team squad could move on. The Black Cats’ £8m
-
Date
Hayman doesn’t rule out return to Falcons
CARL Hayman will make his final appearance for Newcastle Falcons this afternoon, but the All Blacks legend has refused to rule out a possible return to the region in the future. Hayman will skipper Newcastle in their final game of the season
-
Date
Jimenez has no regrets
SPAIN’S Miguel Angel Jimenez insists he has no regrets about swapping sunny Sawgrass for soggy Turin, despite a difference of almost £1m in prize money. Jimenez is in contention to win £186,000 at this week’s Italian Open, but only after turning
-
Date
Taxpayer counting cost of dirty food takeaway
A TAKEAWAY shop boss was ordered to carry out unpaid work yesterday at a cost of thousands of pounds to the taxpayer. Zhu Shi, 48, from China, speaks no English, and a Mandarin interpreter will have to be hired for his 240-hour programme at
-
Date
Orders upturn at loss-making electric van company
ELECTRIC vehicle maker Tanfield yesterday reported an operating loss of £21.4m for last year, but has enjoyed a better start to this year with a full order book for its vans. The company, based in Washington, Wearside, blamed a lack of credit
-
Date
Corus brings in Citigroup to find a buyer for TCP
STEEL firm Corus, which has been accused of dragging its feet over selling the mothballed Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant, has appointed Citigroup to try and find a buyer. The appointment comes after concerns raised by unions since mothballing
-
Date
Mayor boosts cash appeal for injured soldiers
A NORTH-EAST mayor has boosted an appeal to raise money for injured soldiers. Councillor Jim Ruck, the Mayor of Darlington, presented a cheque for £2,500 from his mayor’s appeal fund to The 3 Rifles Swift and Bold campaign during a ceremony
-
Date
Former boxer told to pay victims £25,000
A FORMER boxing champion who turned to loan-sharking has been ordered to pay back almost £25,000 from the proceeds of his crimes. Neil Pattison was jailed for a year after he admitted making thousands of pounds worth of illegal loans to residents
-
Date
Concert to thank staff at hospital
JAZZ singer Sandi Russell, who owes her life to the skill of kidney specialists in the region, is giving a gala performance to thank them. Ms Russell is originally from Harlem, New York, but lives in Durham City. After more than eight
-
Date
Man jailed for attacking police officer
A MAN who attacked a police officer after drinking two bottles of vodka was yesterday jailed for 15 months. Peter Thompson lunged at PC Paul Trippett when the officer said he was going to search him on October 27. He threw several punches
-
Date
Man granted his wish for prison sentence
A MAN who said he would rather go back to prison than sign the sex offenders’ register was granted his wish by magistrates yesterday. Andrew Brandon Kirtley told a court he did not belong on a register for rapists and paedophiles after he was
-
Date
Hundreds of runners prepare for race
RUNNERS are under starters orders for a road race. People of all ages and abilities can take part in the Middlesbrough Healthy Town 5km Race, which attracted more than 1,000 competitors last year. The event, on Sunday May 16, will take in
-
Date
Mayor fears impact of ‘inbred’ film on town
A TOWN’S mayor fears plans to film a £100,000 horror movie called Inbred will give a bad impression of the area. Film-makers hope to begin shooting the film in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, in July. The plot revolves around a group of wayward teenagers
-
Date
Ex-councillor’s shame over parish funds fraud
A FORMER councillor who defrauded nearly £4,000 from parish funds has been given a community order. David John Phelps used his position as a financial officer for Witton-le-Wear Parish Council, in County Durham, to convince members to sign
-
Date
Pupils’ oriental art wows vice-chancellor
A UNIVERSITY vice-chancellor was so impressed with a school art exhibition that he bought one of the main pieces. Artwork of pupils from Spennymoor School, in County Durham, was displayed at the Oriental Museum, in Durham City, as part of the
-
Date
Grief shared as ‘Dipton’s Hero’ is brought home
THE body of a North-East soldier killed in Afghanistan was brought back to the UK yesterday amid emotional scenes. Sapper Daryn Roy, of 21 Engineer Regiment, from Dipton, near Consett, County Durham, died after his vehicle hit an improvised
-
Date
Police lead drive to target suspect vehicles
A POLICE-LED operation took place in the region yesterday as part of a national drive to target commercial and large goods vehicles. The focus of Operation Crassus was for police to gather intelligence, identify and recover stolen equipment,
-
Date
Pledge that polls chaos will never happen again
THE voting chaos that left hundreds of people queuing outside polling stations when ballot boxes closed will never happen again, election watchdogs vowed yesterday. The Electoral Commission is carrying out an inquiry into what happened – which
-
Date
Leadership needs to be re-energised
LABOUR’S Roberta Blackman-Woods, who defied the bookies to retain her Durham City seat, last night predicted Gordon Brown would soon step aside because the party’s leadership needed to be “renewed and re-energised”. Despite poll predictions
-
Date
First female MP pledges to put town first
DARLINGTON’S new MP has promised to put the town’s needs before those of her party. Jenny Chapman was elected on a majority of 3,388 on Thursday by voters in Darlington to be the town’s first homegrown MP in a generation. She is also Darlington
-
Date
Congratulations for winner from tragic MP’s brother
ASHOK KUMAR’S brother was one of the first people to congratulate new Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Tom Blenkinsop. The former union official successfully withstood a concerted effort from Tory candidate Paul Bristow to hold the
-
Date
Closure of steelworks leads to vote upset
THE dust is settling on the aftermath of the shock election result in one seat. The closure of the Corus Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant delivered a fatal blow to Vera Baird’s hopes of holding on to her Redcar seat. Liberal Democrat Ian Swales
-
Date
Cause of fatal house fire not being treated as suspicious
POLICE and fire officials say that a house fire that killed a 52-year-old woman was not suspicious. Estelle Teesdale died in the blaze at Scott Street, in Shildon, County Durham, on Thursday. Mrs Teesdale, who was formally identified
-
Date
Deal or no deal?
NICK CLEGG was facing a momentous decision today after opening talks that could see him anoint David Cameron as Prime Minister within days – perhaps in a formal coalition. Last night, his team was beginning face-to-face talks with Richmond
-
Date
'Bewildered' village mourns postmistress
Villagers joined a family in mourning yesterday to pay their last respects to a popular postmistress who was found dead in her own home. Joe Willis reports. NEARLY seven weeks ago, the body of Diana Garbutt was found in the living quarters