Archive
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England fail to maintain feelgood factor with disappointing draw
A GOLDEN summer of sport? Not when you've got England's footballers to consistently bring you back down to earth with a bump. Not content with ruining June with their laboured performances at the European Championships, Roy Hodgson's side ensured
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Mars bar gives Hebburn energy to win 5-2
Hebburn thumped Billingham Town 5-2 at Bedford Terrace – thanks to a Mars bar. Town took the lead with an early header by Micky Dunwell, but after Hebburn centre forward Tony Stephenson was briefly distracted to eat a Mars bar, he scored a hat
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Failing our youngsters
AS soon as this summer's GCSE results were published, my phone began ringing with expressions of concern from local schools. The goal-posts had been moved on the way English papers had been graded, was the passionate cry. Pass rates had gone down
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Car Torque with ...former Middlesbrough footballer Craig Hignett
FORMER Middlesbrough midfielder Craig Hignett was renowned for having a pretty good engine in his playing days. Now a pundit on BBC Radio Tees and an after dinner speaker, the six-toed Boro coach also has a few tales to tell about his driving history
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Jagielka replaces Terry in England side
PHIL Jagielka has been named in England's starting line-up for this evening's World Cup qualifier with Ukraine at Wembley. The Everton defender replaces John Terry, who injured his ankle in the closing stages of Friday's 5-0 win in Moldova.
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Trade deficit narrows but
The UK trade deficit narrowed to £1.5bn last month after jumping to a record level in the previous month, official figures showed yesterday. Exports of goods surged 9.3 per cent to £25.8bn in July, while imports were down by £700m or 2.1 per cent, according
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Car torque...with author Terry Deary
TERRY Deary is the author of the award-winning childrens’ books, Horrible Histories among many others. The Sunderland-born writer’s car history is equally as compelling. Now living in County Durham he also writes for theatre and radio and is patron
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Car torque...with comedian Patrick Monahan
THERE can't be too many Irish-Iranian-Teesside comedians. In fact, if pressed, I can only think of Patrick Monahan. The winner of the ITV comedic reality series, Show Me The Funny, starred at the Edinburgh Fringe recently with his show, Shooting
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African dignitary visits Shildon museum to strengthen Sierra Leone links
THE Deputy High Commissioner of Sierra Leone has visited a railway museum to help celebrate the links between County Durham and Africa. Tamba Ngegba travelled from London to Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon to take part in the event
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September 11, 2012
A SUMMERS DAY High humidity fills the air Heat oppressive, hard to bear What is to come? Suddenly thunder rends the air Gusts of wind at branches tear Dislodging leaves. Darkening clouds, a storm is nigh Flashes of lightening from an
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Durham Prison governor backs addict centre plan
DURHAM Prison’s governor backed plans for a drug and alcohol treatment centre immediately outside his jail as councillors approved the scheme. Tim Allen said such centres were the backbone of the public response to drug use and the plans, from
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Views sought on impending benefit changes
A CONSULTATION programnme has been launched across the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas on changes to the council tax benefit system. All working age people currently receiving benefit are likely to see changes to the amount they receive under
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Security guard robbed of "large amount of cash" during delivery at Consett bank
TWO masked men stole a cash box after pushing a security guard to the ground. The balaclava-clad robbers struck outside Lloyds TSB in Victoria Road, Consett at about 12.30pm today. A spokesman for Durham police said: “A security guard who had
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Durham v Sussex (day one, tea)
DURHAM needed a run-out to break a sixth-wicket stand of 106, but the man responsible for his partner’s demise, Ben Brown, went on to make an unbeaten 76 in a total of 211. Brown is the latest in a long list of Sussex wicketkeeper-batsmen to make
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MP gives his backing to community bus service bid
AN MP has given his backing to a bid for a community bus service for a rural area of Darlington. Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson has called on Darlington Borough Council to give funding to the group behind a community bus service for Sadberge , Bishopton
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Hodgson is fishing from a small pool
ROY Hodgson has admitted his pool of English players is shrinking fast. Following the withdrawals of Chelsea duo Ashley Cole and John Terry over the weekend, then Theo Walcott with a virus yesterday morning, Hodgson needed to reinforce his squad
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A1 works could cause delays
OVERNIGHT work is to be carried out on the Great North Road in North Yorkshire from next week - and drivers are being advised to plan their route to avoid delays. The Highways Agency will resurface sections of the A1 southbound from Barton to Scotch
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Sports centre plans to go on show at open day
PUPILS and parents are to get the first glimpse of plans for a £2m sporting facility as a Darlington school opens its doors to the community. Longfield School, which became an academy of sport in August last year, will be showcasing its multi-million
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Norse code
Vikings (BBC2, 9pm) Double Your House for Half the Money (C4, 8pm) One Born Every Minute: Twins and Triplets (C4, 9pm) Lilyhammer (BBC4, 10pm) AFTER Coast, A History Of Scotland and The Last Explorers, presenter Neil Oliver is back
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Secrets of success to be shared at business breakfast
A BREAKFAST seminar to help small companies win contracts from big businesses will be launched in the region tomorrow. Wilton Group chief executive Bill Scott will officially open the first Hartlepool Business Breakfast at The Innovation Centre, on Queens
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Saved... and no mistake
Chris Hyde was a hell-raising biker living a life of drugs and violence when, he says, God rescued him from death on an American mountainside. Now, he is going to India as a Christian volunteer to serve the poor. Mark Tallentire reports AS Chris
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Man arrested after beach stand-off
POLICE last night arrested a man whose actions had led to parts of a North-East town being brought to a standstill yesterday. The stand-off in Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool , began after a concerned family member contacted Cleveland Police yesterday
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Man jailed for teen sex abuse in 1980s
A MAN who sexually abused a teenage girl more than two decades ago has been jailed. Neil Sharp, 75, of New Bridge Bank, near Chester-le- Street, was given a two-year prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday. The court was told he
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Roadshows ahead of major police changes
A SERIES of roadshows ahead of the election of a new police and crime commissioner are to start later this month. The new commissioner will replace the current police authority and will be one of the biggest changes to police governance, the wider
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Our great days in Olympic sun
As the Paralympics came to a spectacular end at the weekend, eight pupils from Dyke House School, in Hartlepool , shared the excitement in London while acting as volunteers. One of them, Millie Dawkins, kept a diary of a special five days YEAR
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Priceless volunteers
THE British stars of the Olympics and Paralympics enjoyed a richly deserved victory parade through the streets of London yesterday. What the public do not get to see is the dedication that goes into winning medals over many years, on cold dark
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Archbishop who saw no persecution
DR Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has announced his retirement and, from his recent writings, he sounds like what my dad, an old Second World War RAF man, used to refer to as “demob happy.” In other words, knowing he is coming to the
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Soldier is jailed for knife offence
A YOUNG soldier lost his Army career and his liberty after brandishing a knife in public. The incident took place while Tony Lee Delaney was undergoing Army training at Catterick , North Yorkshire, on April 1. Durham Crown Court heard that
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Wind farms: A load of hot air?
ARE we harnessing our wind energy correctly and effectively? When we have far more reliable tidal energy around our coast, are we running up an expensive cul de sac with massive wind farms? Isolated farmhouses can certainly use wind turbines effectively
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Freed pilot planning to return to Africa
A PILOT who returned home at the weekend after spending months in jail accused of mass murder spoke yesterday of his determination to return to the African country where he was imprisoned. David Simpson, 24, from Gillamoor, near Pickering, North
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Courage
JUDGE Peter Bowers believes burglars have a “huge amount of courage” to break into people’s houses (Echo, Sept 6). I read his comments with something akin to despair but, sadly, not surprise. Allowing a drug addicted thief who had burgled three
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Plans announced for Lanchester care home
PLANS to turn a former care home into £6m community facility have been unveiled. Lynwood House, in Lanchester , was closed by Durham County Council, in October 2010 to cut costs. The site has been acquired by Derwentside Homes, which has submitted
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Competition prize
MY wife and I had the good fortune to win one of The Northern Echo’s competitions recently and we would like to thank everyone concerned. The prize was a pair of tickets to see a Joe Longthorne concert at Darlington Civic Theatre on Friday, September
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Durham v Sussex (day one, lunch)
DURHAM put Sussex in to bat on a sunny morning and reduced them to 104 for five at lunch with Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions both picking up two wickets at the Lumley End. Onions and Ben Stokes struggled at the Finchale End, where Callum Thorp
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Cuts
I WRITE in support of Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council, who wrote about the difficulties facing local authorities in a climate of cutbacks (Echo, Sept 8). It is totally unfair for people to make such crass sound bite comments such
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Internet shopping
I LIVE in Newton Aycliffe and recently drove to Northallerton to do some shopping. I wanted to buy an expensive Kitchen Aid mixer that was available in an electrical goods shop in the main street. It was on sale at £409. I spoke to a very
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Shopping
I DISAGREE with opinions expressed in HAS recently about the new shopping development in St Helen Auckland. I think that County Councillor Rob Yorke and his colleagues should be congratulated for having transformed what was a rundown industrial
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Child poverty
IT was most disappointing to learn that Save the Children is to focus its efforts on children within the UK due to rising levels of child poverty (Echo, Sept 8). It is obvious that 13 years of New Labour and a little over two years of the coalition
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Anger over job creation funding
THE failures of the Government’s job-creation scheme for the North are “nothing short of scandalous”, a report warns today – with only four per cent of funding reaching the frontline. The flagship Regional Growth Fund (RGF) comes in for its harshest
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Resignation
AFTER two-and-a-half years of this coalition, propping up a Conservative government which has no mandate, I can no longer justify my membership of the Liberal Democratic Party and try to defend the indefensible to my constituents. I have therefore
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Giant sunflowers leave others in the shade
TOWERING sunflowers are stopping traffic in a North Yorkshire village - where a gardener has cultivated the giant plants. Villagers living in Gilling West near Richmond are used to seeing 90-year-old Jimmy Reid caring for super-sized vegetables
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Plans announced to downgrade services at Friarage Hospital, Northallerton
HEALTH bosses have today announced plans to end consultant-led maternity services and 24-hour paediatric services at Northallerton ’s Friarage Hospital. Following months of protests by people across North Yorkshire, including a mass-march through
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Community groups to benefit from fund
A COMMUNITY centre is planning to bid for a share of a controversial £500,000 made available by a council. The money had been earmarked by the now-defunct Wear Valley District Council for the renovation of the Elite Hall, in Crook but, after that
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Council comes to aid of sisters plagued by wasps
A COUNCIL has removed a wasps’ nest that was blighting the lives of two elderly sisters’ only hours after they issued an appeal for help. Joan Winship and Peggy Smethurst were originally told they would have to pay Durham County Council to remove
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Subsea Innovation unveils growth plans
THE new boss of a North-East subsea company has outlined aims to double the size of the business within three years. Martin Moon, who joined Subsea Innovation Limited in June, believes the business has excellent capacity to grow with both its current
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Bishop appointed to economic review team
A HIGH profile team has been appointed to produce a bold new strategy to help drive the North-East economy over the next 20 years. The Local Enterprise Partnership (Lep), which covers County Durham, Tyneside, Wearside and Northumberland, has commissioned
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Ramsdens announces plan to double in size
PAWNBROKER Ramsdens has announced plans to double in size over the next five years after securing £15m bank funding. Having achieved a 50m turnover in 2011 - a year-on-year growth of 52 per cent - the Middlesbrough-based firm, which employs about 400
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School head's tribute to Bishop Auckland river victim
A HEADTEACHER has paid tribute to a teenager who died while swimming at a bathing spot. Colin Dodds, 16, was with two friends in the River Wear at The Batts, in Bishop Auckland , when he got into difficulty at about 5.15pm on Saturday. A large
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Union slams bonuses to senior council officers
UNION leaders have criticised bonuses and payments for extra responsibilities totalling nearly £50,000 given to senior officers at two local authorities. While the majority of staff at Hambleton and Richmondshire councils are subject to a three-year
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Pickpocket stole thousands from elderly North-East shoppers
A BULGARIAN fraudster stole £10,000 from elderly shoppers during a pickpocketing tour of Britain, including the North-East and North Yorkshire. County Durham, Northallerton , North Yorkshire, and Middlesbrough were among the places Stancho Georgiev
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Probe as Hartlepool dock worker dies in 30ft fall
AN investigation has been launched after a dock worker was killed in a 30ft fall at a North-East port on Sunday. The 59-year-old, named locally as Bob Harrison, was supervising the loading of steel tubes into the hold of a cargo ship, the Bright
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Jacques relishes the CL t20 Champions League challenge
Phil Jaques has backed Yorkshire to make a significant impression on next month's Champions League t20 event in South Africa. The White Rose will turn their attentions to preparing for the competition once the County Championship campaign concludes at
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Newcastle youngster ponders international future
GAEL Bigirimana has spent the last week dreaming of winning international honours - but the highly-rated Newcastle United youngster admits he does not know which country he would like to represent. Bigirimana is eligible to play for four different
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Darlington-based care provider, Castlebeck, sacks and suspends staff in mistreatment probe
A CARE provider at the centre of a national abuse scandal has sacked or suspended more than a dozen members of staff at residential homes across the region following fresh allegations of the mistreatment of vulnerable residents. Darlington-based
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Dark comedy aims to put Darlington on the cinematic map
A GROUP of friends aim to put a town on the cinematic map with an independent film. Mark Timmins, 27, of Skinnergate, Darlington, wrote the script to dark comedy Medicine six years ago, but never found the money or the right time to make the film
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Rugby club awaits Darlington stadium decision
A DECISION on a key aspect of a multi-million pound scheme to transform a mothballed North-East stadium into a rugby academy could be made as early as next month. Mowden Park Rugby Club last week announced plans to take over the 25,000-seater Northern
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Family critical of housing company after death of woman at warden-controlled Eston home
THE family of a grandmother who died in a fire at her warden-controlled home have criticised the way that alarms coming from her property were dealt with by a housing company. Patricia Moore, 73, died of smoke inhalation when an electrical fault
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Disabled still being let down despite Paralympic success, say North Yorkshire women
DESPITE the success of the Paralympics, a traumatic airline experience endured by two severely disabled women highlights the need for better facilities and more understanding about the needs of people with disabilities, their carers say. One
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Wood poised for his Emirates debut
ASHINGTON'S Mark Wood is in line for his home championship debut when Durham entertain Sussex in the final match of the season, starting today. With little at stake, Durham may as well give Wood another opportunity after his five-wicket haul won
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Meyler selected for international debut
DAVID Meyler will make his international debut this evening as the Republic of Ireland take on Oman, but as expected, fellow Sunderland midfielder James McClean will remain on the fringe of Giovanni Trapattoni's set up in the wake of his expletive-filled
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Five questions that will be answered by the Ukraine game
HAVING kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign with a resounding 5-0 win over Moldova on Friday, England return to action with a home game against Ukraine tonight. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson raises five questions that will be answered
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Murray makes history in US Open
ANDY Murray has capped the most memorable summer of British sport by winning the US Open. The Scot won an epic battle with Novak Djokivic, beating the Serbian in a five-set match lasting almost five hours - 7-6 (12-10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2.
