Archive
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Dale Farm travellers quit Newcastle
Evicted Dale Farm travellers who descended on Newcastle following a high profile showdown have shocked residents - by leaving town after less than a week. More than a dozen families descended on Newcastle Great Park, Gosforth, last weekend declaring
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FAMILY JUSTICE REVIEW
The Family Justice Review was published today and despite the reports in a number of our national newspapers, one can’t help thinking it could be a “bit of a damp squib.” An opportunity has certainly been lost to propose any radical changes to the law
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Durham Challenge cup draw
Newton Aycliffe and Shildon are set to play each other for the fourth time this season following the draw for the last 16 of the Durham Challenge Cup today. The two clubs have played each other three times already, with Shildon coming out on top in a
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Durham's dawn of the dead
THE GATES of hell opened in a Durham City shopping centre earlier this week - spewing forth dozens of zombies. The city's Gates Shopping Centre was turned into a scene from the classic horror movie, Dawn of the Dead, as a groupo of enthusiasts put on
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Well done to the News of the World
The News of the World was rightly condemned for its use of phone-hacking, and I had no hesitation in joining the attack on scandalous practices which tainted the image of British journalism. But editorials in The Northern Echo at the time also
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Young, gifted and back
Matt Westcott speaks to Jack Dooley of All The Young ahead of the band's gig at Inside Out in Darlington on Sunday, November 6. Warners signed you to a six album deal. They obviously have great faith in you, does it put any added pressure on
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Pupils return to stage after revamp
YOUNG actors will consider themselves at home when they return to the school stage for the first time in years. Darlington School of Maths and Science students have six weeks to rehearse before the curtain rises on the classic Dickens tale Oliver.
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Appeal for jewellery information
DESIGNER jewellery was taken from a home that was broken into last month. Police are seeking information about the thefts from the house in Low Middleton, Middleton St George, which included a number of items of sentimental value. The house was
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Cycling club set up by youths
YOUNG people who have fallen on hard times have set up their own bike club with help from a charity which helps young homeless people. Ten Tees Valley YMCA residents cycled from Darlington to Stockton yesterday tomark the opening of their new club
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Man jailed for beating girlfriend
A BULLYING boyfriend was behind bars last night for what a judge described as "appalling" behaviour directed towards a long-suffering partner. Jussia Smith was jailed for 20 months for two incidents involving his now ex-girlfriend, who was kicked,
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Durham AAP to set priorities for year
A COMMUNITY forum will hold its annual agenda-setting meeting next week. Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP) will hold its forum event at Durham Town Hall on Tuesday, November 8, at 6pm. Forum members will set the AAP’s priorites for 2012-13 and hear
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Young mum tells of delight at new-build council house
A YOUNG mother with a disabled son has spoken of her joy at moving into one of the first new council homes to be built in Crook for many years. Donna Gibson, 26, and her son Ryan, eight, who has cerebral palsy, are among the first to move into the
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Former Barnard Castle school pals reunion
FORMER childhood friends enjoyed a surprise reunion as they met in a pub located in their former school. Keith Hodgson and Richard Harrison both attended Winston School, in Winston, near Barnard Castle. They had not seen each other for more than 25-
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Rare guitar signed by Sting up for auction
A BASS guitar signed by Sting will be up for grabs at a charity ball being held next week. The Signature Series Fender Bass, which has been signed by the former Police Frontman, will be auctioned at the ball being held in aid of Heel And Toe. The charity
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Sweet shop owner in Shildon aims for award
AN old fashioned sweet shop is in the running for two awards praising its service to customers. Glen and Lyn Neilson, of Sweet Greetings, in Shildon, were named in a short-list of three for a Star Radio Retail North East Award. They were hoping to win
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Best promoted to Ireland squad
GIOVANNI Trapattoni has promoted Leon Best to the Republic of Ireland squad for this month's European Championships play-off double-header with Estonia. Despite his impressive recent form with Newcastle United, Best was initially omitted from the Irish
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Most of region misses out on education cash
MOST of the region missed out today when the Government handed out an extra £500m to build extra school classrooms. Just four of 12 local education authorities received grants that added up to £2.74m, with more than half that sum - £1.53m - handed to
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Whole new ball game for academy system
The academy system, as English football knows it, is about to change drastically following a vote which was controversially passed among the Football League chairmen last week. Chief football writer Paul Fraser talks to the North-East's five professional
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Emnes keeping the faith
IT IS hard to believe Marvin Emnes joined Middlesbrough more than three years ago. Up until January, first team appearances had been sparse and even now very little is known about him. What was known was that Boro had paid £3.2m when they agreed
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Horror on Holy Island
Philip Shotton, from Whitley Bay, explains to Steve Pratt how he managed to win notable support for his ‘seven-day movie’. WITH his boat moored to a buoy in the middle of the Humber, actor and sailor Timothy Spall was given an onboard film
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Tower Heist (12A)
Stars: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Tea Leoni, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick Running time: 104 mins Rating: 2/5 JOSH Kovacs (Ben Stiller) manages one of the most luxurious and tightly-secured residences in the whole of New York City
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Straw Dogs (18)
Stars: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard, James Woods Running time: 109 mins Rating: 2/5 IN 1971, Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs sparked a wide-ranging debate about violence in cinema and the depiction of women. Now Rod Lurie
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Machine Gun Preacher (15)
Stars: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Madeline Carroll, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon Running time: 129 mins Rating: 3/5 ONE man can make a difference in this inspirational true story about thugturned- guerrilla humanitarian Sam Childers
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Sage primary target for US folk invasion
THERE’S something of a US invasion happening across the region’s folk venues in the coming week. Gateshead’s Sage seems to be the principal target, with concerts by Americana fiddle queen Alison Kraus on Saturday, fiddler and singer Bruce Molsky
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Simone Kermes Sings Vivaldi (DG 4779843)
German soprano Kermes has established a formidable reputation with her Vivaldi recordings. Here are two highlights, Amor Sacro and Amor Profano. Highly recommended.
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Nicola Beneditti: Italia (Decca 4764342)
British violinist Benedetti presents her first disc of Baroque repertoire, taking inspiration from her Italian roots to record a vibrant selection of works by Vivaldi, Tartini and Veracini. It includes a sizzling rendition of Vivaldi’s Concerti
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In Time (12A)
Stars: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Wilde Running time: 109 mins Rating: *** NEW Zealand-born screenwriter and director Andrew Niccol has consistently conjured dark clouds
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McCormack & Yarde Duo/Places & Other Spaces (Edition Records EDN1028)
Pianist Andrew Mc-Cormack and saxophonist Jason Yarde made good impressions on their visits to the North-East, but there’s even more of a spark about these duo performances. Both are profoundly talented musicians and this setting seems to provide
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Nigel Price Organ Trio/Heads & Tales (Woodville WVCD135)
This 2CD digipack presents guitarist Nigel Price in two different formats. Disc 1 features his organ trio with Pete Whittaker on the Hammond A100 and Matt Homes drums, plus guests Alex Garnett on tenor and baritone saxes and Snowball on congas.
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Mark Chesnutt: The Ultimate Collection (Complete MCA Singles 1990-2000) Humphead Records HUMP115
IN 1990 Texas-born Mark Chesnutt signed to the MCA record label despite being affectionately known as “the human jukebox”. His repertoire was mainly song covers, and he knew the words to more than 1,000 country songs, but Chesnutt proved his worth
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Fingersnap happy
David McAlmont and Guy Davies chat to Steve Pratt about forming a double act called Fingersnap which is touring to Newcastle. YES, says David McAlmont, they do argue. “We see that as part of the process,” he explains. “We really enjoy what
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More pain for Jane
NO ONE called Jane is plain whether she’s Tarzan’s jungle companion, a wartime strip cartoon (with the accent on strip) or Ian Beale’s hard-done-by wife in EastEnders (BBC1). We last saw Jane skipping merrily out of Walford having rid herself
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Robson sure McDonald will soon hit goals trail
BARRY ROBSON insists Scott McDonald remains as important as ever to Middlesbrough, even though he has still only scored one goal all season. While Boro returned to the Championship’s top three after a 3-1 win at Doncaster on Tuesday, McDonald
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Mignolet and O’Shea are sidelined
STEVE BRUCE fears goalkeeper Simon Mignolet will be facing a “couple of months” on the sidelines and defender John O’Shea will be out of action for a number of weeks. As well as breaking his nose in a collision with Emile Heskey during Saturday
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Life in a single day
Life In A Day (BBC2, 9pm) Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare (C4, 8pm) Symphony (BBC4, 9pm) LIFE in a Day reveals how, every day, 6.7 billion people view the world through their own unique lens. The film documents a single day on earth through a multitude
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Union votes for pension strike action
THE prospect of a strike by millions of public sector workers increased today after members of the biggest public sector union voted in favour of industrial action in the bitter row over pensions. Unison said its members, ranging from school dinner ladies
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Greece scraps referendum plan
MARKETS have soared in the last hour on rumours that Greece has scrapped plans to hold a referendum on the Eurozone rescue plan. Although the Greek Government has said nothing official, privately it seems the referendum has been called off. The move
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The poison of a Euro referendum
PERHAPS the greatest mystery about David Cameron is how a leader who is so popular can have so few friends? Make no mistake, the Prime Minister remains his party’s greatest asset and his personal ratings comfortably outperform those of the
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Caring for our heroes
AT this time of year, with the Poppy Appeal under way, it is right that we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting wars for their country. But it is just as important to remember those who have survived conflicts but continue to
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Last of the Few
Len Davies is one of two men from our region still alive who fought in the Battle of Britain. Chris Webber talks to him about his experiences. LEN DAVIES, a bright grammar school lad who was keen to fly, met up with a gang of other young teenage
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Teenager robbed in Consett
THIEVES took off a teenager’s jeans in order to steal his possessions during a late-night robbery. The 17-year-old was attacked as he walked home in Sherburn Terrace, Consett in the early hours of the morning. Shortly before 1am on Friday, the victim
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Community clean-up planned
HOUSEHOLDERS are being invited to have a pre-Christmas clear out as part of a community clean-up next week. Skips are to be placed in streets around east Durham over a five-day period so residents can dispose of some of their bulky waste. The community
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Road works to start
TRAVELLERS are being warned they face disruption as work gets underway next week on a major road improvement project designed to improve bus journey times. A 12-week programme of road works in the area around the Barley Mow roundabout and the Drum Lane
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Police raid houses of suspected organised crime group
THREE people have been arrested after co-ordinated raids were carried out by police investigating a suspected organised crime group. Breakfast-time raids were carried out at four houses in Milton Grove, Dene Crescent and Brackenhill Avenue in Shotton
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Spongers
I AM absolutely disgusted by the Wilson family from the Meadowell Estate, Tyneside, who were recently highlighted on Look North. They said that the £500 they received in benefits every week was not enough. I have two jobs, my main job being a custody
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Ferryhill Town Council
HOW much longer is Ferryhill Town Council prepared to flout the law in respect to public access to council meetings? At the last council meeting six members of the public were admitted, while at least twice that number were turned away. We were told
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Volunteers
"Having made a considerable difference in someone's life" is among one of the many dictionary definitions of "to volunteer". Fisheries and Environment Minister Richard Benyon would certainly agree with that - as one of the country's richest MPs he called
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Homosexuality debate
I DID not see the letter by Susan Willis regarding homosexuals (HAS, Oct 22) but have read several of the responses, including the editor's. Hear All sides is, indeed, an ingenious title for readers' letters, as Harry Mead wrote in his column (Echo, Nov
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Crook
JUST when you thought human wickedness had plumbed absolute rock-bottom we read the case of Samantha Cookes (Echo, October 26) who systematically conned a loving, childless couple out of their savings in a surrogacy scam - an act the judge described as
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Disability
WHY is the Government taking money from disabled people by scrapping disability living allowance? Before he became Prime Minister, David Cameron said on the television for all to see and hear that anyone who is genuinely ill will be looked after. Now
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Palestine
MY robust contributions to these columns seem to be out of favour these days, but at least whoever opens them will read them. The Palestine authorities applied to the UN for full membership of Unesco (the United Nations Education, Cultural and Scientific
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Heritage
History is sometimes distorted because it is often written by the conflict winner, it may be twisted due to the frailty of human memory or simply the effect of later developments in the passage of time. It must never been affected by people who don't
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Eurozone
REGARDING the letter by H Foster about the crisis in the Eurozone (HAS, Oct 31). He hopes it won't lead to a two-tier EU. Has he not noticed that the EU has been at least a two-tier operation for decades. Until the advent of the euro, we had France
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Horns of a dilemma
As I often say, being an editor requires knowing where to draw the line. Censorship is an extremely difficult tightrope to walk and it's not always easy to know what should be cut. All of which brings me to the question of whether we were right
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Jury retires to consider verdict in fatal police shooting
THE jury at the inquest into the death of a man armed with a crossbow who was shot dead by a police marksman has retired to consider its verdict. Coroner Andrew Tweddle yesterday directed the inquest jury that they can only find that Keith
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Unions to press on with strikes
STRIKES by three million public sector workers are still planned for later this month over a pension squeeze – despite concessions that the Government described as the “chance of a lifetime”. Union leaders vowed to press on with a day of action
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Cricketers jailed for Lords betting scam
THREE of the world's top cricketers were jailed today for their parts in a match-fixing scam that rocked international sport. Pakistan's former Test captain Salman Butt, 27, received a 30 month sentence and fast bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, was
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Where to go for the best fireworks show in 2011
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE LISTING FOR FIREWORKS DISPLAYS IN 2011. FOR A LIST OF DISPLAYS THIS YEAR (2013) VISIT: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/10775874.Caution_urged_over_fireworks_celebrations_across_the_region/ COUNTY DURHAM Chester-le-Street
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Mischief night stirs up trouble
DOZENS of firework-related incidents of anti-social behaviour have been reported on an estate in the run up to bonfire night. Last month, beat teams in Eastbourne, Darlington, dealt with 26 incidents of anti-social behaviour and three offences of
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Two teenagers arrested over Twitter abuse aimed at Newcastle United star
POLICE have arrested two teenagers in connection with racist abuse posted on a Newcastle United footballer's Twitter account. Sammy Ameobi, who plays alongside older brother Shola, was called a 'n....r' by a follower with the username JonnnnyPhipps
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Win Newcastle v Everton tickets
The Northern Echo has teamed up with Thomas Cook Sport, official travel partner of Newcastle United, to offer three lucky fans the chance to win a pair of tickets to their Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday. Alan Pardew will be
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Durham and Darlington Fire Brigade issues zero tolerance to 'Bonfire Night' thugs
A FIRE brigade has confirmed it will take a zero tolerance approach to attacks on firefighters after it emerged North-East crews have been targeted in four separate incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour in the past week. Firefighters have
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14-year-old girl sold to Teesside businessman for £40, conference told
MORE than 150 North-East children have been subjected to devastating sexual exploitation, a charity has claimed. But even that shocking figure, which includes 124 young victims from Teesside, eight from Darlington and 19 from Newcastle, hides the
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Government asked to help fund cost of investigation into Chief Constable of Cleveland Police
THE Government is being asked to help meet the costs of a criminal investigation into Cleveland Police’s chief constable. James Wharton, Stockton South MP, has met Home Secretary Theresa May to raise concerns about the potential financial impact
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Patients will 'vote with feet' if Darlington hospital loses further services to Durham
A COUNCIL leader has warned NHS bosses that any further transfer of services away from its town’s hospital could lead to people voting with their feet. Councillor Bill Dixon, of Darlington Borough Council, was speaking after a decision by NHS
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Hillerby considers quitting because of "dreadful" referees.
Norton manager Conrad Hillerby says that he will seriously consider quitting management if the standard of refereeing in the league doesn’t improve soon. Hillerby is furious with some of the officiating of his team’s matches in recent weeks, and he is
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Mental help service helps almost 500 Armed Forces personnel at Catterick Garrison
ALMOST 500 Armed Forces personnel have sought help from a fast-track mental health service set up in the region last year. As the nation prepares to mark Remembrance Sunday, when attention falls on those who have given their lives in conflicts
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Bishop of Durham backs idea of 'Robin Hood' tax
THE North-East’s most senior churchman – a former financier – has backed calls for a “Robin Hood tax”, saying banking must return to serving the common good. The new Bishop of Durham, The Right Reverend Justin Welby, spent 11 years in the oil industry
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Warning over Bishop Auckland shops plan
AN out-of-town shopping development will “ring the death knell” for local traders, it has been claimed. The warning came as the owner of the Newgate Centre, in Bishop Auckland, confirmed it was suspending plans to revamp the facility after permission
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RAF hero Bob Saiger dies aged 90
A DECORATED war hero who survived being shot down five times and flew more than three times the recommended number of missions has died at the age of 90. Bob Saiger earned several medals, including one during the Battle of Britain, in a distinguished
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Western Approaches targeting a Towcester triumph
Western Approaches ran a highly promising race on her recent hurdling debut at Cheltenham and has been found an ideal opportunity to get off the mark at Towcester. Nicky Henderson's four-year-old was victorious on her bumper debut and followed that up
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Jackson adamant she can weather this year's cold snap ahead of Olympic trials
Jo Jackson fears the English winter, but she is adamant she can weather this year's cold snap and arrive at March's Olympic trials firing on all cylinders. It was this time two years ago that heralded a disastrous period in Jackson's burgeoning
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Westwood closes in on highest-earner tag
Lee Westwood has the chance to achieve another milestone in his career this weekend - biggest earner in European Tour history. In a clear sign of the times, the opportunity comes not in Europe, but in China, at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament where
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Wine bottling business gets funding top-up
THE world's biggest filler of mini wine bottles has won government funding to boost production at its County Durham headquarters. Greencroft Bottling in Annfield Plain, Stanley will recruit 25 new workers before Christmas to join a production line that
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At risk Everything Everywhere jobs could be outsourced overseas
ALMOST 100 North-East mobile phone workers, nearly half of them in the Tees Valley, are facing an uncertain future after Everything Everywhere announced plans to slash more jobs and potentially offshore others to an Indian firm. The firm, formed by the
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Larsson won't be looking for excuses
SUNDERLAND'S form may have finally started to improve, but Seb Larsson has warmed up for this weekend's trip to Old Trafford by insisting a summer of change can't be used as an excuse for failure. After spending the first few months towards
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An ‘honour’ to lead Quakers – Moore
Ronnie Moore says he would be "honoured" to become Darlington's next manager after becoming the bookies' favourite for the job. Quakers chairman Raj Singh is looking to fill the vacancy created by Mark Cooper's departure at the beginning of
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Pardew plans working perfectly
ALAN PARDEW is a stickler for the finer details of match tactics. Stoke City, one of the Premier League's most difficult opponents in front of their own fans, found that to their cost this week. Newcastle United sit third in the top-flight
