Archive
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Teenage swimmers prompt warning from coastguard
TEENAGERS who went swimming in the North Sea after drinking alcohol have prompted warnings from the coastguard service. A number of youngsters were swimming off the promenade at Whitley Bay at 8.15pm last night when the RNLI had to be called
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Brown on brink, O'Shea in town
WES BROWN spent yesterday on Wearside putting the finishing touches on a move from Manchester United as teammate John O'Shea arrived this morning for a medical. Brown was at Sunderland’s Academy of Light completing a medical, which, if successful
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Relatives of fallen soldiers may have been hacking victims - report
RELATIVES of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan may have been victims of News of the World phone hacking, lawyers said tonight. The Ministry of Defence was seeking clarification from Scotland Yard as sources said families of dead servicemen were
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Police seal off house, make arrest as drugs found
POLICE sealed off a house and arrested a man after an incident in Darlington tonight. Officers were called to the home on Corporation Road around 7pm after reports of windows having been broken. When they arrived a search of the premises
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Van carrying prisoners overturns
A SECURITY van carrying nine prisoners has crashed on the A64 between York and Tadcaster. The van overturned near Slice Lane, just east of Tadcaster, while carrying prisoners from Hull to a number of other prisons. It was originally believed the
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Avast! Skeleton Cove at Lightwater Valley
SPLICE the main brace me hearties, pirates have never been more popular. And, either through good planning or serendipity, Lightwater Valley's new attraction for 2011 is its first themed area, the £1.2m Skeleton Cove – five major rides
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Fund raising for St Teresa's
STARBUCKS STAFF in Darlington are helping to raise money for St Teresa’s Hospice this weekend. They are dressing up with a Hawaiian beach theme today and on Sunday 19th June, customers are invited to participate in an arts and craft session and help
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Walton to exit Black Cats
Sunderland chief executive Steve Walton is to leave the club after three years. Walton and marketing and commercial director Lesley Callaghan, who has been with the Black Cats for 19 years, will step down after agreeing to remain in their posts for two
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Concerns over social care plans
REVIEWS to adult social care spending will ‘hurt disabled people twice' a local support group has said. Gordon Pybus, the chairman of Darlington Association on Disability has said the council is contravening government guidance by changing the criteria
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Next step for community park
A COMMUNITY could gain a £60,000 public garden as early as spring next year after plans have taken a step forward. The Friends of the Hill have submitted a planning application to create the community park on the corner of Glebe Road and Salters Lane
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Manhole will take month to repair
A SINKING manhole in Darlington town centre is expected to take a month to repair, a phone company has said. Telecommuniations firm BT started work to demolish and rebuild the sinking manhole in Priestgate, near its junction with Crown Street, this week
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Birthday ends in sword arrest
A MAN spent his 21st birthday in a police station after intimidating people with a 4ft samurai sword. Otis Gordon had been celebrating his birthday with friends on June 14 and drank until 8am the next morning, when he was arrested for affray and possessing
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The new Citroen DS4 - launch report
BUYING a car used to be so simple. Family cars were either hatchbacks, saloons or estates. A 4x4 was taller, wider and heavier. A sports car was lower, faster and lighter. Giving a car a label was a doddle. Not any more. Citroen reckons the DS4 is
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Consultation over arts centre future
THE results of a survey on how to save the arts in Darlington have been put to a public consultation. About 1,500 responses were collected through Darlington Arts Enquiry Group's Take PART consultation through focus groups and postcard questionnaires
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Hotel prepares for wedding fair
FUTURE brides and grooms are being invited to a country hotel’s first wedding fair. The fair will be held at Helme Park Hall Hotel country house near Crook, County Durham, on Sunday, July 17. Event manager Sarah Donohoe said the event is open to anybody
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Money pours in for church appeal
VILLAGERS say they are well on the way to raising the £140,000 needed to transform a dilapidated Methodist chapel into a multi-use building for all the community. The idea to turn the nineteenth century chapel in Hamsterley, near Barnard Castle into
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Designer dips into Swan Lake for bridal gown ideas
AN aspiring young designer is hoping her business dreams take off as she prepares to showcase her Swan Lake-inspired couture gown. Cleveland College of Art and Design student Cheryl Holmstrom is looking to follow in the footsteps of royal wedding
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Jail for drunkard who bit girlfriend
A JEALOUS attacker who kneed his girlfriend in the face and bit her on the chin during a drunken argument about her being attracted to another man has been locked up for 18 months. John Shellard was told by a judge: "I hope your period in custody
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Dealer told he faces a lengthy jail term
A JUDGE has told a dealer to brace himself for a prison sentence after he was caught with hundreds of pounds worth of heroin and a large stash of drugs money. Simon Butler admitted possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply, and possessing criminal
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Traffic-free route for mass cycling event
THOUSANDS of people are set to get on their bikes in Middlesbrough this weekend for a cycling event for all ages and abilities. Sky Ride Middlesbrough, organised by Sky, British Cycling and Middlesbrough Council, is a free mass participation cycling
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Summer fun
HARTLEPOOL Borough Council is running the Out of School Care (Oscar) programme to keep children occupied during the summer holidays. Children aged three to 16 can attend one of two centres in Miers Avenue and Wynyard Road to take part in a range of
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Wildcats open BBL season with local derby
DURHAM Wildcats start their first season in the British Basketball League with a double header against local rivals Newcastle Eagles. It is a dream start for the Wildcats, who have spent the last six years playing amateur basketball before taking up
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Claudia's father contacted police following hacking scandal
THE father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence has asked police if his or his daughter's mobile phone was hacked. Peter Lawrence has contacted North Yorkshire Police looking for reassurances that no voicemail messages on phones connected with
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Rotary Club gets new President
A GARDEN party was held to mark the handover of office at Thirsk Rotary Club. Incoming President Malcolm Sollitt has taken over the role from Alistair Ratcliffe. The party was attended by about 50 Rotary Club members and their partners at the home of
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New, New York
Ruth Campbell and family find out that there is always something new to discover in New York. CLIMBING to the top of the Empire State Building, going to a Broadway show, taking a boat trip to the Statue of Liberty and walking through Central Park
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Mill fits the bill
The Mill in Caldwell, North Yorkshire, had fallen on hard times when it was bought by its current owners more than 20 years ago. Now it is back to its old glory, says Sarah Willcocks. YOU wouldn’t be able to tell now, but once upon a time,
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Within these walls
Peaches, figs, vines… not what you would expect growing this far North. But they can all be found in Whitworth Hall’s fascinating walled garden, says Sarah Willcocks. A VICTORIAN garden on a quintessential English estate near Spennymoor is not the
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Police launch fresh appeal to find owner of vicious dog
POLICE are renewing their appeal to find the owner of a Stafforshire Bull terrier that bit a three-year-old and his brother. The incident occurred near Clifton Bridge, York at about 4pm on June 26. A three-year-old boy suffered dog bites to his chest
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Robopocalypse by Daniel H Wilson (Simon & Schuster, £19.99)
THE author of How To Survive A Robot Uprising and How To Build A Robot Army, turns his attention to a documentary-style novel about an apocalypse brought on by sentient machines. A survivor pieces together the story of what happened, recounting
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To War with Wellington by Peter Snow (John Murray, £9.99)
WELLINGTON’S march from the coast of Portugal to victory at Waterloo is one of the greatest military achievements in British history, but the great hero had many smaller heroes (both officers and men) serving under him. It is they and their achievements
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Sorry, I’m British by Ben Crystal and Adam Russ (One World, £9.99)
CARTOONS – eg hikers face a hoarding saying A Warm Welcome to Yorkshire. Like It or Lump It – set the tone of this “insider’s guide to Britain from A-Z”, That’s from Allotments to Zebra Crossings, via such traditional or contemporary features
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Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction by Jonathan AC Brown (OUP, £7.99)
DROP the veil, tear away the burka and learn the truth about Muhammad the man, his beliefs and his inspiration. His persona has become larger than the man himself, and has been manipulated to further various causes, but this short study sets the
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Popular Errors Explained by Stewart McCartney (Preface, £14.99)
UNASHAMEDLY borrowing Schott’s typeface but with the addition of illustrations, this handsome larger format book, whose York-born author has worked on the Brain of Britain, Mastermind and Round Britain Quiz, tills much the same ground as the Book
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The Second Book of General Ignorance by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson (Faber £12.99)
ANOTHER follow-up helping, by the producer and researcher of the BBC panel game QI. Unlike Schott’s lists, the entries here are snappy cameos: eg “What kind of stripes make you look thinner? Vertical ones, surely? Nope...” Some questions might
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Schott’s Quintessential Miscellany by Ben Schott (Bloomsbury, £12.99)
TROUBLE with factual miscellanies is that no matter how many are produced, of whatever size and scope, it is always possible to produce as many again – ad infinitum. So we have here what the title perhaps hints is the best of Schott’s previous
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Cutbacks to street lighting approved
CUTS to street lighting to save up to £400,000 a year have been approved. The North Yorkshire scheme, to be implemented over the next four years, will involve dimming some lights, switching some off for part of the night, and switching some off altogether
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LA Noire
Publisher: Rockstar Games Formats: PS3, XBox 360 and PC Price: £49.99 (PS3, X Box) THE Sega Mega-CD was the first games console to claim its software could place a player in a virtual world that was indistinguishable from a film. Unfortunately
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Police name car crash victim
A PEDESTRIAN who died after being hit by a car as he crossed a village road was today named by police as Brian Ainscough. The 30-year-old man from Wordsworth Avenue, in Wheatley Hill, County Durham, died shortly after arrival at North Tees Hospital,
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Man arrested over Annfield Plain bomb alert
A MAN has been arrested in connection with a suspect package which sparked an alert after it was found in a betting shop yesterday. Parts of Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham, were cordoned off when the package was found at the premises
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Knitters can help improve old folks' lives
KNITTERS are being urged to get their needles clicking to help make life better for the elderly this winter. Age Concern North Yorkshire has thrown its weight behind the Big Knit 2011 and wants people to get creative and start making little woolly hats
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The Wiz, Quarry Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
SOMEWHERE over the rainbow – well, Yorkshire actually – you’ll find Dorothy and her friends Tinman, Scarecrow and Lion. But as familiar as the characters and the story are, this musical twists L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz into
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Supernanny knows best
Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance (C4, 8pm) Afghanistan: The Unknown Country (BBC2, 9pm) The Perfect Suit (BBC4, 9pm) WHEN the Supernanny first came bounding onto our telly-screens, many wondered what made this woman so special that she knew
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Passing out parade planned for young firefighters
TEENAGE lifesavers will be marking the completion of their studies later this month. A passing out parade for young firefighters from Northallerton is being held on July 19 at 7pm. Northallerton fire station has been running a Young Firefighters Scheme
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Market report
THE London market struggled to make headway yesterday after banks and mining stocks slid following renewed fears about the strength of the global economic recovery. But the FTSE 100 gained only 6.5 points, closing at 6024, after factory orders
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Small beer
PERHAPS the only visitor with a copy of the Good Beer Guide in his briefcase, I spent the weekend at the Methodist Conference in sunny Southport. Reference to it has already been made in yesterday’s Backtrack column, will continue in Saturday’
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Social networking surgery planned for Great Yorkshire Show
A SOCIAL networking surgery designed to help novices promote their businesses and make the most of websites will be held at the Great Yorkshire Show. The one-off surgery, which will be held on the first day of the event, on Tuesday, (July 12) has been
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Charity for young people reaches halfway point in refurbishment fundraising
A CHARITY for young adults with learning difficulties have reached the half way point in their fundraising drive to make their headquarters a more eco-friendly place. Just the Job, which gives job opportunities and experience to young people who
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Labour plays the blues
AFTER last year’s election defeat, Labour is looking for new ideas and directions. “Blue Labour” is a strand of thinking being put forward by academic Maurice Glasman, whom new Labour leader Ed Miliband has just elevated to the House of Lords
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Music group's summer concert
THE Northallerton-based female voice choir, the Alverton Singers, will be presenting their annual summer concert on July 16 at 7.30pm in the town hall. They will be performing a varied programme of choral and solo pieces, including classical
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An abuse of freedom
THERE was already considerable public concern about the culture of telephone hacking at the News of the World when it involved celebrities and politicians. The fact that the grieving family of a murdered schoolgirl are now caught up in the growing
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New training opportunity for young unemployed
A GROUP of teenagers are being offered the chance to join an innovative project which will develop their skills, encourage them to learn and improve their chances of securing a job. PROJECT-U, based at Darlington College’s Catterick Skills Centre, is
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Reunion
MAY I say a big thank-you to everyone who attended the Hurworth School reunion on Friday July 1. We had a wonderful time and it is always nice to meet up each year with the “girls”. The whole day was special and our cookery teacher also managed
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Iran
I, along with Pete Winstanley, was “surprisingly enlightened” on discovering that the Republic of Iran had the fastest declining fertility rate in the world (HAS, June 29). I was even more surprised when Pete informed us all that Iran was using
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Chariots of The Gods?
I HAVE just read a fascinating book called Chariots of The Gods? by Erich Van Daniken. He asks the question if aliens, or spacemen as he refers them as, are the real reason behind religion? There are cave paintings from thousands of
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Another Wimbledon classic
I WATCHED a great deal of Wimbledon. Probably too much since, when the sun shines, it is nearly always better to be out and about, even if merely pottering in the garden, than indoors staring at a box. Still, stare for long periods I
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Piffle?
HAVING written very few letters to The Northern Echo in recent months, and having taken no part in the recent squabbling between Christopher Wardell and his various detractors and admirers, I was a little surprised to find myself at the top of
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Long lived
EVERYONE is being told they will have to work longer to get a pension as people are living longer. Then we are told people are dying earlier than they should because they are overweight, eating junk food and getting no exercise. You cannot have
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Church closure
FOLLOWING your recent report (Echo, June 25) about the decision to recommend closure of St Laurence Church, in Middleton St George, I would like to clarify the situation. In September 2008, our insurance company would no longer provide public
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Wedding day (off)
ONE of the schools in Bishop Auckland had a day’s holiday for the royal wedding this week. Don’t ask me which nuptials, it may even be those in Monaco. I believe that some schools oblige parents to seek permission in writing to take their children
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Carers
CARERS in Redcar and Cleveland need all the support they can get. And they certainly don’t get it from this Labour council, which was recently slammed by independent inspectors for its care services. The report last year concluded that the council
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Budget cuts
THE cracks are appearing in the Coalition Government’s budget deficit strategy. Whether it’s education, social care, the NHS, the police or even the Armed Forces the message from this government is clear: cut, cut and cut even more. We all know
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Sour grapes
REGARDING the article in The Northern Echo about the failed efforts of the Tory candidate for the Middlesbrough seat in the last General Election (July 4). Toryboy John Walsh is reported as having said: “if the government cuts are bad everywhere
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Chinta geared towards Papin
BAPAK CHINTA is set to run in France before tackling some of Europe’s best sprinters in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August. Kevin Ryan’s Norfolk Stakes hero confirmed the promise of his pillar-topost victory in a Hamilton maiden with a superb
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Nadis is the tip
LOS NADIS has taken a bit of time to warm up this season but after landing an amateur riders’ event last time, he could strike again in the Turmeric Handicap at Catterick. The seven-year-old took a drop in grade to win at the third time of asking
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Boro firm up Slovenia trip
MIDDLESBROUGH have confirmed their opponents for their upcoming tour of Slovenia.Tony Mowbray takes his squad next week for a fitness camp in the north-east of the country, which will be supplemented by games against two top flight Turkish sides and one
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Pupils say goodbye to their headteacher
A HEADTEACHER of a leading independent school is to retire this week after more than seven years in charge. Marie Green has been head teacher at Polam Hall School, in Darlington, since January 2004. She retires this week, at the end of the summer
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Neighbours object to bungalows proposal
NEIGHBOURS have objected to two more bungalows being built in a village cul-de-sac. A planning application for the two properties, in The Wayside, Hurworth, will be discussed by Darlington Borough Council's planning committee on Wednesday. There
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Newcastle United owner moves into designer fashion
SPORTS DIRECT, founded by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, has bought an 80 per cent stake in designer fashion chains USC and Cruise, for £7m. USC has 38 stores in the UK and had sales of £70m in the year to January. Cruise has 10 UK stores
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Magpies target wants to stay at PSG
NEWCASTLE’S hopes of signing striker Mevlut Erdinc remained in the balance last night after the player revealed he did not wish to leave Paris Saint Germain. Manager Alan Pardew was awaiting word from the Ligue One side once new manager Leonardo
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Homes about to be built in eco-village
THE first phase of housing development in an eco-village is set to begin. Lingfield Point, in Darlington, hopes to begin building 270 homes early next year in what will be the first phase of a £100m sustainable mixeduse community. The site is
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Long-lost relatives meet for first time
IT began as a local history project – but culminated in a family reunion for relatives who previously hadn’t even known each other existed. In April, the village of Sessay, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, held an archive exhibition as part of the
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Councils are given £17m for projects to cut car use
THE region was given more than £17m yesterday to help people leave their cars at home and travel by bus, bike or on foot. Five bids were awarded funds from a Government scheme for small-scale improvements to cut carbon emissions and boost economic
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Exclusive? How did we get that then?
At The Northern Echo, we have two news conferences a day - one at 12.30pm and the other at 4pm. Heads of department - the news editor, sports editor, business editor, chief sub-editor etc - come into my office to discuss the stories of the
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Scout hut project hits funding milestone despite difficulties
A £375,000 PROJECT to build an eco-friendly scout hut and community facility has passed the £50,000 mark despite encountering fundraising difficulties. The Beckside Project was set up last year, with the aim of replacing the existing hut, on the banks
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Archbishop tells of illness ordeal
THE Archbishop of York has spoken of how seriously ill he became during a recent stay in hospital. Dr John Sentamu was admitted to hospital, in London, in May, suffering from severe gastro-enteritis. An examination revealed he had appendix problems
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Police hunt betting shop bomb hoaxer
POLICE are hunting those responsible for a bomb alert that led to part of a village being sealed off yesterday. Police cordoned off an area around Front Street in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham, for several hours after the discovery
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Khan could face Mayweather
Amir Khan is on a collision course for a bout with Floyd Mayweather late next year, according to Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer. The WBA light-welterweight champion has the next 18 months of his career mapped out, starting
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Grieving family tell of heartache
THE mother and wife of a soldier have spoken of their heartache after hearing they will never know what led to his death. David Grout was involved in an altercation hours after returning from Afghanistan and died seven days later. An inquest heard
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Bomb expert had 'funny feeling' before explosion
A NORTH-EAST bomb disposal expert said he had a “funny feeling” moments before he was killed by a hidden 40kg device in Afghanistan, an inquest heard yesterday. Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Sergeant Major Charlie Wood, from Middlesbrough, died
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Woman and child escape from fire
A WOMAN and a child have had a lucky escape after fleeing from a serious house fire. Fire crews were called to St Hilary Close, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, shortly before midday yesterday. The woman and the young boy, who is believed
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Reprieve hope for leisure centres
THREE of six council-run leisure centres threatened with closure look likely to be saved, The Northern Echo can reveal. Durham County Council chiefs will today recommend the closure of centres in Ferryhill, Crook and Sherburn, after concluding
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Flush puppy
A FOUR-WEEK-OLD puppy was flushed out of a drainpipe by firefighters after he fell in a drain. The tiny Jack Russell pup fell into the hole after a manhole cover was removed in the back yard of a house in Eldon Lane, near Bishop Auckland. The
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Community marks 60th anniversary of tragedy
A NORTH-EAST community will gather today to remember those who died in a mining disaster 60 years ago. The Eppleton Colliery disaster happened on the morning of Wednesday, July 6, 1951, when seven men were killed in an explosion and two were
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Coach stowaway is used to teach immigration issues
THE plight of an immigrant who stowed away beneath a school coach is being used to teach pupils about the desperation that drives people to enter the country illegally. Hummersknott School, in Darlington, said it was using its recent experience
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Contador hails an ‘important’ day
Defending Tour de France champion Alberto Contador punched the air in celebration at the end of yesterday's fourth stage in Brittany - despite being beaten to victory. Spaniard Contador, racing despite being the subject of a Court of Arbitration for
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Defiant Moxon believes Tykes can progress
Director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon has still not given up hope of Yorkshire qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 competition. Yorkshire lie seventh in the North Division table having played 12 of 16 group matches
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Swann lifts the lid on ‘Matchswing’
England have had to digest back-to-back defeats by margins of six wickets and 69 runs against Sri Lanka - but they have an alternative method of assessing their Series woes. There could have been little doubt in anyone's mind, at Headingley
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Woods out of Open
Tiger Woods is out of next week's Open Championship at Sandwich as his injury agony goes on. Not prepared to take the gamble that he did at the Players Championship on May 12 - he shot 42 for nine holes and then quit - the three-time champion will miss
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Prison healthcare group cuts 21 jobs
A PRIVATE firm that controversially took over health services in North-East prisons from NHS trusts is cutting 21 jobs. Eighteen nursing-related posts are being lost on a voluntarily basis, while three administrative staff have been made compulsorily
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Barnard Castle recognised as digital business centre
A DIGITAL business centre in rural County Durham has been recognised for boosting job prospects in its community. NeST Business and Community Hub in Barnard Castle, which is part of DigitalCity Business (DCB) in Middlesbrough, won the Business and Economy
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J&B Recycling bags Tees Valley waste contract
A TEES Valley family firm aims to make the region a recycling hotspot after it won the contract to supply all bottle banks across the region. J & B Recycling has been awarded the £1.5m a year deal to collect and manage waste from 76 recycling
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BSkyB confirms 800 jobs at new contact centre
SATELLITE broadcaster BSkyB confirmed yesterday that it is to open a call centre, employing 800 staff, in the North-East. The firm will open the centre in Gallowgate, Newcastle, creating jobs for sales and customer service staff, in October
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Drive Vauxhall nets award
A NORTH-EAST car dealership is celebrating after being crowned one of the top ten in the country. Drive Vauxhall, on the towns Burn Road, was the regions sole representative on the Bodyshop of the Year honours list after achieving exceptionally high
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Esh manager stays busy
While most managers have a break or think about players and coaching plans during the summer, Esh Winning manager Andrew Soppitt has hardly been away from the club. Soppitt, who was appointed manager in March, has not only been busy in the
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Darlington we need your votes!
Le Cateau Community Primary School in Catterick Garrison has reached the final 6 schools for a Ronseal playground make-over. We need votes from the public to help us win this prize. Our school may look leafy and green but our playgrounds are
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Pre season friendlies begin
The close season has now officially finished, and the pre-season friendlies begin tonight. The league season begins on August 13th. July 6th Billingham Synthonia v Darlington RA, Jarrow Roofing v Washington
