Archive
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Bruce secures double transfer
SUNDERLAND took their summer spending to £21m yesterday when manager Steve Bruce made further progress on his recruitment drive by completing deals for Craig Gardner and Ji Dong-Won. Both Gardner and Ji have signed three-year deals after
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Abeid signs on
MEHDI ABEID has become Newcastle United’s latest signing today, with manager Alan Pardew focused on adding further new recruits. Abeid, who turns 19 next month, is a French Under-19 international who qualifies to play for Algeria and France
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Taylor opts for a move to Cardiff
TONY MOWBRAY believes he did everything he could to keep Andrew Taylor at Middlesbrough after the versatile defender decided his future lies with Championship rivals Cardiff City. Taylor, absent when the Boro squad returned to pre-season
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Quakers complete transfer coup as Lee arrives
Darlington have moved a step closer to completing their summer makeover after defender Graeme Lee joined the club. The experienced former Hartlepool United centre-back has signed a one-year deal at The Northern Echo Arena – six months after
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Bedlington lose second tour match as jet lag catches up with them.
First Division club Bedlington lost their second tour match in Buffalo on Wednesday night -- but they went down with dignity. The Terriers lost their second game inside 24 hours by 5-1 against Buffalo, who were stronger opposition than Niagara United
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What’s going on here then?
I’m indebted to Nigel Bell for this photograph that he captured whilst on holiday in Spain. Could it be that ‘our hero’ has become a sex god? I’ve known for sometime that Tuppers fame had become global, since being reported on the blog, but
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Darlington sign Lee
Darlington have today announced the arrival of centre-back Graeme Lee.The experienced former Hartlepool United defender has signed a one-year contract at The Northern Echo Arena The 33-year-old was released by Notts County with whom he won promotion
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Sunderland land Gardner for £6m
SUNDERLAND have completed the signing of former England Under 21 international Craig Gardner from Birmingham City for a fee believed to be £6m.Gardner, just hours after the Black Cats announced the arrival of South Korean Ji Dong-won, has signed
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William Walton: Symphonies (Hyperion CDA67794)
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Martyn Brabbins gives brilliant performances of Walton’s work. The dramatic first symphony contains an astounding palette of colours and packs an emotional punch, while the second is more
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Monty Alexander/Liftup (Jazz legacy Productions JLP1001012)
This is a selection by Monty Alexander’s Trio at its very best, recorded at various concert halls between 2007-2010. With the finest support from bass player Hassan Shakur and drummers Herlin Riley or Frits Landesbergen Monty gallops through Come
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Civic leaders sign armed forces covenant
CIVIC and military leaders have joined volunteers to sign a covenant that aims to bring the civilian and Armed Forces communities together. The Armed Forces Covenant has been launched by the Conservative government to officially recognise the sacrifices
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Glastonbury final stop for Wine, Women and Song tour
SUZY Bogguss, Matraca Berg and Gretchen Peters have each carved their own niche in the world of music and the trio’s Wine, Women and Song tour came to a close earlier this week with an appearance at Glastonbury. Such is their popularity they have
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Family affair
Ruth Campbell looks at the family-friendly festival at Deer Shed next month, while Sophie Stratford catches up with Latitude. ONE of the UK’s newest and most successful family music festivals, set in beautiful North Yorkshire parkland, is set
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The Max Factor
MAD Max Branning is a man who doesn’t know how to keep it in his trousers. There was all that business with Janine that came to a head one Christmas with a very revealing X-rated video being put on the telly instead of the Queen’s Christmas
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Bear facts
Inside Nature’s Giants: A Polar Bear Special (C4, 9pm) The Choir That Rocks (ITV1, 9pm) Walking the Amazon (Five, 9pm) THE Bafta award-winning series returns with a one-off feature-length Arctic special in search of the world’s largest land carnivore
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I Met A Man Who Wasn't There, Darlington Civic Theatre
TWO actors who will be familiar to TV fans feature in this twohanded play by Philip Meeks, billed as a supernatural spine-chiller. Brian Capron, whose performance as Corrie’s charming murderer Richard Hillman had audiences riveted for many weeks
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Tanks but...
MEANDERING last Saturday afternoon along a minor road – a very minor road – in Teesdale, we came across a Chinese police tank. It’s not very often you get to write opening paragraphs like that. The tank had clearly been there a long time, weeds
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What a day to be a father
FATHER’S Day is a once-a-year opportunity to let dads know how special they are: to treat them; tell them they’re the best; and generally make them feel good about themselves. In the run up to this year’s Father’s Day, I’d made a public declaration
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Family appeal for help for youth disability charity
THE parents of a severely disabled teenager have made an appeal for help to pay for mobility equipment to allow her and other disabled children a new lease of life. Laura Davenport, 18, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, which has left her with no independent
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NORTH YORKSHIRE: News in brief
JAZZ CLUB: Pianist Keith Nichols brings his quintet to Sowerby Music for a programme of Twenties and Thirties jazz, on Saturday, July 9, at 7.30pm, in St Oswald’s Church. Tickets cost £11, or £12 at the door, subject to availability. To book, call
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Moveable feast
The itinerant essayist forgets all that they say about today’s news and tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappings. IF it’s Friday, it must be Reeth. If it’s Midsummer Day, folk must be half-perished to death, chimneys smoking incorrigibly like a fifty-a-day
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CCTV of suspected shoplifter released
POLICE have released a CCTV image of a woman suspected of stealing from a supermarket. The suspect was captured on CCTV in the Co-op store, in Leeds Road, Harrogate, at about 6.45pm on Wednesday, June 22. She is seen to fill a hand basket, with goods
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Too generous?
I DO think you are being exceptionally generous in describing the creature who shouted “bang, bang” to PC David Rathband as a “woman” (Echo, June 28). One tries not to stereotype, but when I saw this loutish behemoth lumbering into court, I
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A tribute to Peter Falk
I WAS sad to hear of the death of Peter Falk last week (Echo, June 25). Not only did he play one of the best TV detectives – Columbo – but he was also a great actor. I think Columbo was a part he was born to play, but he was not first choice.
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Lifelong learning
DURING, and immediately after, the Second World War some of us enjoyed largely studentcentred learning where students with a range of abilities studied elements of education together. Co-operation enabled people to achieve levels of understanding
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Thanks
I WOULD just like to say a big thank-you to the very kind people who helped my mother on Wednesday, June 22, when her mobility scooter overturned on Haughton Road near Albert Hill, in Darlington. Several people stopped to pick her and her scooter
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Monarchy
A DISCUSSION should take place about monarchy. It should not be about personalities. It should be a rational discussion. I agree with Tony Benn, who relinquished the peerage to become a commoner, that we should concentrate on issues. When monarchies
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Bad behaviour
I LIVE on a housing estate in Bishop Auckland that has been plagued with anti-social-behaviour for just over three years. During this time the estate has been transformed from a decent, respectable area to something that resembles a ghetto,
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Shopping
FIRST we had the “virtual shop”, now we have the “pop-up” shop. This is the brainchild of Planning Minister Greg Clark in response to David Cameron’s insistence that local groups should be able to set up their own community shops to breath new
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Bus services
A DEFICIENCY in Darlington’s bus services is the absence of a bus stop on Victoria Road outside Sainsbury’s supermarket. This makes it awkward, if not impossible, for people who do not own a car to do substantial shopping at Sainbury’s without
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Out of touch
THE veteran Labour MP for Middlesbrough, Sir Stuart Bell, has twice in a matter of days shown just how out of touch he is with his constituents. Firstly, it’s astonishing that he stated people from housing estates do not buy national newspapers
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Ji signs up for Sunderland
SUNDERLAND have finally completed the signing of South Korean striker Ji Dong-won.Ji has signed a contract that will keep him at the Stadium of Light until the summer of 2014 after a fee was agreed with his club, Chunnan Dragons. It is thought that Sunderland
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The right to fight back
AN Englishman’s home is his castle – and he has every right to defend it. We, therefore, support Justice Secretary Ken Clarke in spelling out more clearly that people may legally use “whatever force necessary” to protect themselves and their homes
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Extra council tax relief for military personnel
MILITARY personnel on active service abroad are to have their council tax relief doubled from Friday. The move, part of the Armed Forces Covenant announced in May, will come into force on July 1. From that date council tax relief for
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Turning the screw on pensions
THE Government’s painful squeeze on public-sector pensions is the right policy – being forced through at the wrong time and in the wrong way. It is a tough message for teachers, council staff and others to hear, but there is no alternative to significant
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Chief constable repeats job commitment following misconduct inquiry
A CHIEF constable who faced calls for his resignation after admitting gross misconduct has reaffirmed his commitment to the job. Grahame Maxwell, of North Yorkshire Police, was issued with a final written warning earlier this year, after helping a relative
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All a buzz about Sea of Bees
THERE are the California girls that you know, sun-kissed and white-toothed, easy on the grey cells, easy to tire of. Then there are the other California girls, the ones you can't shake. Julie Ann Baenziger – Jules – was born in the suburbs of Roseville
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Clash over impact of mass strike
UNION leaders and ministers clashed today over the impact of a strike by public sector workers who mounted picket lines outside schools, Government buildings, job centres and courts. Click here to view picture from today's strikes The
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Pensions at heart of dispute
Today, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, including teachers, are on strike. Stuart Arnold answers key questions about the dispute. Q:WHAT is this about? A:PUBLIC-SECTOR unions object to proposed changes to pensions they say will mean
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Woman critical after motorbike collides with truck
A WOMAN is in hospital with serious injuries after a motorbike she was a passenger on collided with a truck. Police are appealing for witnesses after a red Honda motorcycle collided with a white Ford Transit tipper on the B6271, Brompton-on-Swale to
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Profits jump at Northgate
DARLINGTON-headquartered vehicle hire group Northgate has reported soaring profits following a restructure. Pre-tax profit rose by 47 per cent to £53.8m in the year to 30 April 2011 thanks to increased hire rates and a strong used car market
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Crucial Crew highlights safety message
THE perils of messing about on railway lines and in rivers was brought home to nearly 1,000 children on Tuesday. Primary schoolchildren from Redcar and east Cleveland also had the chance to talk about crime in the annual Crucial Crew event. Experts
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Car crashes into doctor's surgery
A PENSIONER was taken to hospital after his car crashed into the wall of a doctor's surgery. The car was embedded in the side of the Parkway Medical Centre, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, shortly before 4pm on Tuesday. The man, who has not been
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Chance to attend fostering roadshows
PEOPLE interested in fostering or adoption are being encouraged to attend a series of roadshows to learn more about it. Stockton Borough Council's child placement team has been inundated with inquiries after it launched a campaign to recruit carers
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Helping to map future of town
DOZENS of youngsters will come together on Monday to map out what needs to be done to secure a brighter future for the town. Hartlepool's West View Project, a long-established young people's charitable organisation in the north of the town, is hosting
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Art deco building to be demolished
PLANS to demolish a Thirties art deco house in Eaglescliffe and replace it with three detached houses have been approved. Developers can now start work on demolishing The Rookery, in South View. Members of Stockton Borough Council's planning committee
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Town wants your views on the arts
ARTS lovers will have the chance to put forward their ideas on the future of cultural provision in Darlington. A plan for the future of the arts programme will make progress with a series of public discussion and consultation events. An independent
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Pupils dig in for a growth industry
GREEN-FINGERED pupils have harvested the first crop from their school allotment. Red Hall Primary School put in raised beds at the school's allotment site at the start of the year. Pupils planted a variety of vegetables in the patch, the first
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Park picnic
A picnic is being held in South Park, Darlington, today to mark Breastfeeding Awareness Week. The event, which starts at noon, aims to promote breastfeeding and raise awareness of the needs of breastfeeding mothers. NHS Breastfeeding Support groups
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James to be VIP guest at British Grand Prix
A BRAVE teenager is geared up for the trip of a lifetime as a VIP guest at the British Grand Prix. James Gregory, 13, from Stockton, has been invited to join Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone after his mother saw an advert at Great Ormond Street
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Youths strangle sheep with rope
A FARMING family have been left distraught after a campaign of vandalism and attacks on animals has led to a sheep being garrotted. A dog walker spotted a gang of youths wrestling the sheep to the ground in a field near Evenwood, County Durham
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£117,000 grant will celebrate footballer
THE story of the world’s first black professional footballer, whose career started in the North-East, will be celebrated in a series of events. The Heritage Lottery Fund has given £117,000 to the Football Unites, Racism Divides (Furd) campaign
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Another fine plan for Stan Laurel tribute
THE man who kick-started the rejuvenation of a railway station now hopes to transform Stan Laurel’s former school into a museum dedicated to the legendary comedy actor. Michael O’Neill, one of the founders of the Bishop Auckland Station Trust
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Murray: This time I can beat Nadal
Andy Murray last night vowed he is ready to avenge last year's heartbreaking defeat to Rafael Nadal and reach his first Wimbledon final. The fourth seed eased into the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over Nadal's countryman Feliciano
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Sharpe tees off at Rockliffe
Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe will be among a 120-strong field when Rockliffe Hall plays host to the North-East leg of the William Hunt Trilby Tour today. The event, boasting 20 golfers from the region, has become one of Britain's most popular
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Yorkshire slump to another defeat
Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale claimed this week was pivotal to his side's chances of success in this season's Friends Life t20. After one of their three games it is not looking good as the Tykes last night slumped to an eight-wicket defeat to Leicestershire
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Dale seals place in record books
DALE Benkenstein, the rock on which so much Durham success has been built, wrote his name indelibly into the county's record books yesterday. He sealed a five-wicket win against Lancashire at Liverpool by cutting left-arm spinner Gary Keedy
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Green tax will hit householders and heavy industry
A GREEN tax to encourage new wind farms and nuclear power plants could push tens of thousands of households into fuel poverty but do nothing to reduce emissions, a report has warned. The carbon floor price, announced in Chancellor George Osbornes March
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Nurse accused of indecent assaults
A NURSE sexually assaulted female patients as they recovered from breast enlargement operations at a private hospital, a court heard yesterday. It is claimed that Gavin Nicholson groped the alleged victims at the Spires Hospital, in Washington
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Woman left pet dog in filthy conditions
A CHILDREN’S worker has been banned from keeping animals for five years after she failed to obtain treatment for her dog’s cancerous tumour and left him in filthy conditions. RSPCA inspectors who attended Ann Marie Huntley’s house in Shildon,
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Mobile camera van bid to improve road safety
A MOBILE safety camera that targets speeding bikers and motorists has been launched as police try to cut the number of road deaths in the region. North Yorkshire Police yesterday unveiled its monitoring van, equipped with cameras that can spot
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Hidden shame of forced marriage goes on agenda
THE hidden shame of forced marriages and honour-based violence will be brought centre stage when a campaign arrives in the region tomorrow. With hotspots identified in Teesside and Tyneside, specialist charity Karma Nirvana has organised a series
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Church gives blessing for pole dancing lessons under its roof
A CHURCH has given its blessing for pole dancing lessons to take place under its roof. Fitness instructor Sarah Cockerill teaches her troupe at Yarm Road Methodist Church, in Stockton. Women slide up and down the poles in the aisles
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Beautiful machine at Isle of Man anniversary
A NORTH-EAST motorcycle enthusiast will be stepping back in time when he rides a machine dating back almost 100 years in a historic race. Wallace Holmes, from Darlington, will climb aboard a 20-geared 1912 Rudge TT Multi at the 100th anniversary
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Remains of fall death man reburied
ELEVEN years to the day after his funeral, Christopher Rochester was re-buried yesterday after his body was exhumed for DNA samples. A private ceremony was conducted at the side of his grave in Ropery Lane Cemetery, Chester-le-Street, by his
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Federer crashes out
Roger Federer was the major casualty on men's quarter-final day at Wimbledon as he tumbled to a five-set defeat against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The match which became a sensational Centre Court contest began with third seed Federer easing through the first
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Workers urged to join pensions strike
UNION chiefs have urged members to unite in a show of strength today over proposed changes to their pensions. Strike action will close more than 600 of the region’s schools, with thousands of teachers walking out in protest that the Government
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Smith reaches Open with borrowed clubs
Kent's Andy Smith overcame a substantial lack of practice and a set of borrowed clubs to secure his place in next month's Open at Royal St George's. Smith's playing time over the past few months has been severely restricted by an operation on a twisted
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Durham hold their nerve
EXPERIENCE was the key for Durham yesterday as they survived a few jitters to secure their crucial five-wicket win at Liverpool. Dale Benkenstein remained totally unflappable in his chanceless unbeaten 60 after Paul Collingwood had set Durham
