Archive
-
Date
Where’s that year gone?
This time last year the Middle House was closed, a cold and desolate looking place surrounded with drifting snow. Then, Andrew Pattison and his partner Sandra took on the tenancy and the rest, as they say, is history! Patty and Sas (As they are better
-
Date
Medal joy in Poland for Lowe and Dickons
Jemma Lowe, Jessica Dickons and Hannah Miley each won a medal as Great Britain enjoyed a good first day at the European Short-Course Championships in Szczecin. Lowe, from Hartlepool, a double finalist at the World Championships in Shanghai this summer
-
Date
Brown and Collins give Barron a boost
JAMES Brown and Sam Collins return to the Hartlepool United this weekend. The pair will both board the team bus this morning, as Pools head for tomorrow's game at Brentford, giving caretaker boss Micky Barron a welcome boost. Barron, Pools first-team
-
Date
Three rescued from floodwaters and bridge collapses in Yorkshire Dales
SEVERE gale force winds are battering the North-East and North Yorkshire this evening causing widespread disruption, and heavy rain combined with melting snow has flooded rivers and weakened bridges. 10.15pm North Yorkshire Police
-
Date
Another Earth (12A)
Rating: 2/5 ODDBALL drama opening with a horrific car crash in which a drunk high school student (Brit Marling) causes an accident, killing two passengers in the other car and putting the driver (William Mapther) into a coma. She gets out of jail
-
Date
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (18)
Rating: 2/5 THREE years after Harold and Kumar escaped Guantanamo Bay, the stoner buddies deck the halls with illegal substances in a loud, brash and outlandish escapade featuring potty-mouthed outbursts and gross-out moments wrapped in festive
-
Date
Review: Puss In Boots (U)
Rating: 3/5 ONE of the best things to come out of the Shrek movies was Puss In Boots, a character fully deserving of his own movie. As with so many films these days, this is a prequel – the story of how the feline fighter came to acquire
-
Date
Review: New Year’s Eve (12A)
Rating: 3/5 CHRISTMAS hasn’t happened yet, but already we’re celebrating New Year’s Eve in a film from the same team, led by director Garry Marshall, that gave us Valentine’s Day. The format is much the same – a couple of dozen characters
-
Date
North-East shoe shop workers face uncertain future
EMPLOYEES at a shoe group with 14 stores in the North-East and North Yorkshire faced an uncertain future tonight after it went into administration. Business advisory group Deloitte was yesterday appointed as administrator of the Barratts Priceless
-
Date
Christmas tree festival
A CELEBRATION of Christmas trees takes place in Witton Park this weekend. Witton Park Methodist Chapel is inviting people to its Christmas Tree Festival which is being officially opened by Councillor Rob Yorke at a service tomorrow, at 7pm. Opening
-
Date
Making room for learning
ADULTS can get back into learning after a nursery school transformed a room. The community room has been created at Crook Nursery School after county councillor Eddie Tomlinson provided £2,000 from his Three Towns Area Action Partnership (AAP) Neighbourhood
-
Date
Rubbish and recycling collections as normal
Residents in County Durham are being reminded to put their refuse or recycling containers out on their normal collection day following the industrial action last week. Oliver Sherratt, head of direct services at Durham County Council, said: “We do understand
-
Date
A tribute to those you love
THREE more services will be held before Christmas at which people can remember their loved ones. The Light up a Life services have been organised by the Butterwick Hospice, based in Bishop Auckland, and two services have already been held in Evenwood
-
Date
Rodrigo Y Gabriela: Area 52 (Rubyworks)
MEXICAN duo Rodrigo and Gabriela used to have a raw edge to their work, but 1.2 million album sales later and they are now about as polished as you can get. This new album is effectively an old album reinterpreted, but take my word for it, it’s
-
Date
The Pineapple Thief: Variations on a Dream (kscopemusic)
IT’S taken some time for The Pineapple Thief to appear on my radar. But it’s definitely a case of better late than never. Atmospheric, well-structured, deep and thoughtprovoking, Variations on a Dream is a re-release of the band’s 2004 album, then
-
Date
The Puppini Sisters: Hollywood (Decca)
COMPETITION for the Forties tribute slot seems to grow ever hotter, but the Puppini Sisters (they are unrelated Stephanie O’Brien, Kate Mullins and Marcella Puppini) have the ability to stay ahead of the rest with style, glamour and plenty of originality
-
Date
'Tis the season to want comfort food
I hope you're all doing really well with your own personal weight loss. Again I've had some lovely messages of support but what really makes me proud is the fact that so many of you have decided to take control and lose those lbs that have been
-
Date
Smokin’ with Kasabian
Emerging bands The Smokin’ Barrels and Little Comets, from Newcastle, have plenty to celebrate in the next few days. NEWCASTLE-based band The Smokin’ Barrels warm up for tonight’s mouth-watering gig supporting indie giants Kasabian, with a
-
Date
Bianca won’t thank yer... Ricky
IT’S Christmas and a familiar figure is roaming Albert Square. He may well be a jolly fat person with a beard and red suit, handing out presents and going ho-ho-ho all over the place? No, it’s not Big Pat because she’s decided not to do her Santa
-
Date
Fuel allowance
I THINK it is a disgrace that this Tory-led Government has robbed old-age pensioners of their fuel allowance, making it even more difficult to keep warm this winter and putting lives at risk. They are robbing the needy to give to the greedy. William
-
Date
Heroes and Villans
IT may not be a huge leap from Askern Welfare to Askern Villa but, just three years ago, it represented a pretty nifty name change, nonetheless. Last Saturday, the Villa were home to West Auckland, Carlsberg FA Vase last 64. “The biggest game
-
Date
Death role
Without You (ITV1, 9pm) Kevin's Grand Designs (C4, 9pm) Law & Order (Sky 1, 10pm) SINCE her days in the heady limelight of C4 soap Brookside, Anna Friel has proved herself an admirable actress. She’s graced theatre stages, the big and small screen
-
Date
The North is taken for a ride
BUS passengers in the North are being taken for a ride again, this time to deliver a pre-election Tory bung to London Mayor Boris Johnson. Regular readers of this column will know I have long-criticised the failure of successive governments to reverse
-
Date
Pensions
AN important part of Chancellor George Osborne’s autumn statement dealt with benefits and pensions. Mr Osborne said in 2010 that the state retirement pension would be linked to average earnings, the consumer prices index or rise by 2.5 per cent
-
Date
Skinnergate spectre
THIS letter is for all those who regard paranormal activity as nonsense. My wife and I were recently enjoying a relaxing drink in Frankies Bar, in Darlington, when we felt a spine chilling nip in the air. We were shocked, but strangely amazed,
-
Date
Disgusted
REGARDING Jeremy Clarkson’s ill-timed remarks about public sector strikes (Echo, Dec 2). This man continues to make opinionated comments on whoever he chooses and then thinks by saying sorry it is okay. It isn’t. The people taking action to protect
-
Date
Israel
GEOFFREY BULMER’S letter about Israel (HAS, Nov 28) was very interesting. In 1948, I was a National Service peace-keeper in Palestine. Mere weeks before Israel’s formation, I was in a group of time-expired soldiers held up by Jewish terrorists
-
Date
Immigration
HAVING read The Northern Echo and HAS for 50 years, the most irritating letters I have read have been from Peter Winstanley. Mr Winstanley stated in one of his latest rants (HAS, Dec 2) that this country could not function without immigration
-
Date
Hunting
FOX hunting is still alive and well all over the country. Hunts still go out twice a week in County Durham and the country. Recently, about 30 men and women on horseback with the same amount of hounds and the same amount of people in Range Rovers
-
Date
Keep the deal alive
IT was with immense sadness that we learned yesterday that negotiations over the £15m sale of the Zurbaran paintings are in deep trouble. The creation of a cultural attraction in the fantastic setting of Auckland Castle, and its beautiful grounds
-
Date
Unfinished business
John Hatton meets notorious gangland criminal Dennis Stafford to talk about his fight to quash a 45-year-old murder conviction. VIEW Stanhope Castle from Stanhope’s tiny market place and you see a tower, a gatehouse and a grimly- castellated
-
Date
Police seek burglar with a conscience
A GUILT-ridden burglar who returned a television he had stolen along with an apology and cash is being tracked by police. The thief broke into a house in Newcastle at 5.10am on Sunday, November 20, took a 32-ins Samsung television and sped
-
Date
Youngsters making a difference
MEMBERS of a youth council and their friends have been awarded certificates for helping out in their village. Twelve youngsters, from Sadberge, took part in the voluntary sector's national Make a Difference Day project in October. They made
-
Date
Call for public input as library faces closure
EIGHT councillors from three different wards are asking for public input into what could be the final chapter of a village library. A public meeting will be held for the 10,000 users of Cockerton library to give their views about the potential closure
-
Date
Thai boxers win medals
TWO young Thai boxers have returned home from the European championships with a clutch of medals. Ellis Corrie, 14, won a gold medal in his 61kg category at the second Balkanian Children's European Muaythai Championships at the weekend.
-
Date
Traders turn on the style
MARKET traders are being urged to compete for the title of best dressed stall in the run-up to Christmas. Traders at Darlington's covered and open markets are being asked to deck the stalls with decorations to create a festive atmosphere for the contest
-
Date
Crook sack Adamson and Maitland
Second Division Crook Town this lunchtime sacked management pair Paul Adamson and Brian Maitland. The move follows Crook's draw at Thornaby on Tuesday night, a result that left them twelfth in the table. Chairman Kieran Bennett said: "We thought it
-
Date
Leyburn pensioner hammer attack: Woman in court
A WOMAN accused of trying to murder a pensioner with a hammer in a public toilet block has appeared in court by video link. Ellen Margaret Louise Pounder, 47, of Carperby, near Leyburn, spoke only to confirm her name at Teesside Crown Court, in Middlesbrough
-
Date
Design students benefit from plumbing experience
DESIGN students in the North-East have been given experience of dealing with a commercial commission by the UK's largest independent plumbing company. The students on the Art & Design (Interactive Media) diploma course at Cleveland College
-
Date
Newcastle Airport celebrates second boost
A NORTH-East airport was last night celebrating a second day of good news after a travel operator said it was to introduce direct flights to the United States from the facility. Monarch Travel Group owned Cosmos Holidays said yesterday it was to introduce
-
Date
Port operator launches new apprenticeship in "most vulnerable" area
A PORT operator has launched a new apprenticeship scheme in the North-East. The new Dock Operations apprenticeship, launched by PD Ports at its Teesport facility will provide 18 months of training to 13 apprentices. The scheme is the
-
Date
30 flooring workers lose jobs as firm collapses
THIRTY workers at a North-East flooring firm have lost their jobs and the company has gone into administration. New City Flooring Ltd, based in Houghton-le-Spring, called in administrators on Monday after being hit by the economic downturn. It was confirmed
-
Date
Caterpillar announces multi-million pound investment in its Tees Valley plant
CONSTRUCTION vehicle maker Caterpillar has announced a multi-million pound investment in its Tees Valley plant just weeks after it emerged £10m was being poured in to its County Durham facility. The £50m investment announced yesterday is
-
Date
Amelia on an X-Factor rollercoaster
X FACTOR hopeful Amelia Lily said her "rollercoaster of a journey" on the show has made her even more determined to win. The singer, who was voted off in the first week only to be brought back to replace bad boy Frankie Cocozza, said being
-
Date
Passenger dies after early-hours crash
A 23-year-old man has died after a Mitsubishi pick-up truck went out of control and hit a tree. The incident happened on a country road near Thornton Steward, near Leyburn, at about 3.15am on Sunday morning. The three occupants, all local men, were
-
Date
Man, 23, dies after North Yorkshire pick-up truck crash
A 23-year-old man from Carthorpe has died after a Mitsubishi pick-up truck went out of control and hit a tree. The incident happened on a country road near Thornton Steward, Leyburn, North Yorkshire at about 3.15am on Sunday morning. The three occupants
-
Date
Land charity celebrate drystone wall project
A LAND charity is celebrating the completion of a project to repair a dry stone wall that has seen more than 150 people give their time over four years. The Richmondshire Landscape Trust, which works to protect green spaces around the district, decided
-
Date
High winds causing problems in the North-East
THE GREAT North Air Ambulance has grounded one of its three helicopters due to high winds today. Rapid response vehicles were used to treat casualties instead of the helicopter, which is based in Lang Wathby, Cumbria. The other two,
-
Date
Teesside University lecturer to face no action in phone hacking probe
TEESSIDE University lecturer, Bethany Usher, will face no further action in connection with phone hacking investigation, it has been revealed. Last week she became the 17th arrest under Scotland Yard's Operation Weeting. Ms Usher, who
-
Date
Christmas show for pupils
PUPILS at an independent school are saddling up for a special Christmas production. Seven to nine-year-olds at Queen Mary’s School, in Topcliffe, near Thirsk, are presenting Roald Dahl’s version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where the dwarfs appear
-
Date
Penney leads list for Pools vacancy
WITH Micky Barron taking charge of Hartlepool United this weekend, chairman Ken Hodcroft will start his search for a new boss next week. Former Darlington boss Dave Penney remains favourite with the bookies – he was as short as 4/5 last night
-
Date
Man hospitalised after break-in
DETECTIVES are investigating after burglars assaulted a 23-year-old householder, leaving him needing hospital treatment. Two men broken into a flat in Gisburn Avenue, Acomb, York, at about 7.30pm, on Tuesday. The householder was hit with as metal
-
Date
Rooney ban reduced
WAYNE Rooney's Euro 2012 ban has been reduced to two matches following a successful appeal to UEFA and he will now be available for England's third group match against Ukraine. UEFA's three-man appeals panel today reduced his original three-match
-
Date
Police tackle metal theft
FIVE men have been arrested and a dozen scrap metal dealers inspected as part of an ongoing police operation to combat metal thefts across County Durham. Yesterday's day of action took place across the Durham force area under the banner of
-
Date
£15m bid to save Zurbarans on the brink of collapse
THE £15m deal to save the Zurbaran paintings is on the verge of collapse, The Northern Echo can reveal, and the project to turn Auckland Castle into a cultural tourist attraction may be in tatters. Philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer is ready to
-
Date
Campaign to stop needless alcohol-fuelled deaths launched
A CAMPAIGN aimed at stopping people being killed by a drink-fuelled punch has been launched. Punched Out Cold will see officers from Durham Police use strong images of an outline of a figure lying on a pavement and a covered body in a morgue
-
Date
Philanthropist to stand by £15m pledge
On 31 March 2011 the Church Commissioners and I announced that I would purchase a series of 12 paintings by the artist Francisco de Zurbarán, which have hung since 1756 at Auckland Castle (home to the Bishops of Durham), for the price of £15 million
-
Date
Gang caught by police surveillance
A COURT has heard details of the “large-scale” distribution of cocaine and regular trips between Darlington and Liverpool involving drugs worth more than £500,000. Prosecutors told a jury yesterday that extensive police surveillance and vehicle
-
Date
Quakers’ kids up for the cup against Newcastle
Darlington's teenagers take centre stage this evening with a North-East derby being the first of a cup double-header for the club. Saturday sees Quakers begin the defence of the FA Trophy with a tie at Grimsby Town while tonight their under
-
Date
Ewart seals place on LPGA Tour
Catterick golfer Jodi Ewart has sealed her place on the LPGA Tour for the first time. Ewart claimed a tied fourth place finish at final qualifying to secure a place among the world elite, which has been her aim. Ewart posted a 70 on the final day and
-
Date
Gyan unlikely to return to Cats in January
MARTIN O'NEILL has learned it is highly unlikely Asamoah Gyan will be allowed to return to Sunderland early from his loan in the Middle East. O'Neill has expressed an interest in finding out what the striker's situation is after inheriting
-
Date
Pardew concerned over Magpies’ contracts
ALAN PARDEW fears the recognition Newcastle United have been receiving for their climb up the Premier League could have a negative impact on their attempts to tie down key players. The Newcastle boss has been working with managing director
-
Date
Amelia Lily: "Kelly Rowland ate a Parmo in my kitchen"
FOR most 17-year-old-girls from Middlesbrough, the idea of music superstar Kelly Rowland eating a parmo in your kitchen while chatting to your parents would be the result of a particularly odd dream. For Amelia Lily Oliver, it was the latest
-
Date
Safety fear over festival crowds
HUGE crowds at the Lumiere light festival came “very, very close” to triggering a serious incident, councillors were told yesterday. Kingsgate Bridge, over the River Wear, was shaking and people began to panic during the spectacular festival held
-
Date
Council changes story on swings
A COUNCIL criticised for removing playground equipment after a health and safety audit last night claimed the swings had been removed because they were corroded and unsafe. Durham County Council was criticised for removing all but one item from
-
Date
Six jailed for brutal hammer assault
A MAN was stamped on and battered with a hammer, metal chair leg and cosh during a terrifying attack in his girlfriend’s home. Paul Gauchi was also struck and strangled with a weightlifting belt as a gang of yobs went on a violent rampage.
-
Date
Hartlepool increase dependence on owners increases
Hartlepool United are now indebted to club owners Increased Oil Recovery Ltd to the tune of £13.3 million pounds. At yesterday's annual general meeting, chairman Ken Hodcroft revealed the football club was subsidised by £1.4m in 2010, adding
-
Date
Festive rally is delayed
THE postponement of a popular Christmas rally is due to the organisers of a recent event exceeding a pre-arranged noise limit, Croft Circuit has said. The Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally was due to have been held at the track near Darlington on December
-
Date
Wright fight off after brain concerns
NIGEL WRIGHT'S hopes of claiming a British title at the third time of asking have had to be put on hold after his big fight had to be called off. Wright is said to be 'absolutely gutted' after failing a brain scan for the first time in his 11-year career
-
Date
Falcons are prepared for Wilkinson return
NEWCASTLE Falcons will get a tantalising glimpse of their star-studded past tonight when Jonny Wilkinson returns to Kingston Park, but head coach Alan Tait is hoping the club will develop similar big-name players in the future. Wilkinson
-
Date
Boro seek to tie up complicated Bates contract
MIDDLESBROUGH have not received any fresh bids for skipper Matthew Bates, as Swansea City prepare to make a new year offer for the defender. Although Bates is not thought to be interested in a move to Swansea, the matter of his contract still
