Archive

  • Hardy cattle return to Dales in plan to protect plant life

    ROY and Irene Newhouse farm one of the most environmentally important farms in Britain. Their 65-acre tenanted holding is on the National Trust's Malham Tarn estate and has four upland hay meadows described as the best in Northern England. This week they

  • Darlington - Rural office complex is set to grow

    A STATELY home which has already won major awards since it entered the business market, has confirmed that it is hoping to build on its success. The converted stables at Aske Hall have won recognition for their design - including that of the Country Land

  • Fury at closure of of maternity unit

    OUTRAGE has greeted the news that a maternity hospital is to be closed down because of a lack of midwives. Expectant mothers were petitioning on the streets within hours of hearing the news on Monday that the maternity unit at Guisborough General Hospital

  • The Tees Valley spreads further afield

    The rise and rise of "the Tees Valley" continues apace. Like an invading army, the term is reaching out its tentacles to capture more and more unsuspecting locations. Ten years ago, nobody (apart, perhaps, from geographers) referred to the Tees Valley

  • Darlington - Reserves go out

    IN THEIR delayed first round Durham Challenge Cup tie last week, Darlington Reserves lost 3-2 away to Washington after leading 2-1 at half-time with goals from Richard Addison and Martin Smith. Darlington had a chance to make it 3-3 when they were awarded

  • Safety lobby pressed over school decision

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to demolish a Darlington primary school and rebuild it on the edge of town will go before the council cabinet on Tuesday. Director of education Geoff Pennington is recommending the cabinet approves, in principle, moving Alderman Leach

  • Ben Gill slates interfering Government

    HARD-working, responsible families are being told how to run their lives by an interfering, inner-city Government. That was NFU president Ben Gill's view of British life, whe he spoke at Darlington NFU's harvest dinner. Mr Gill was at Headlam Hall Hotel

  • Schools to lead £8.5m project

    SCHOOLS in Wear Valley are to be at the heart of a multi-million pound project that could revolutionise the education system. Parkside Comprehensive School,in Willington, its feeder schools and Whitworth Special School in Spennymoor, have been selected

  • Local Hero Awards 2002 nominees

    THE judging has taken place for the grass roots sports event of the year - The Local Heroes Awards 2002, powered by npower. Judges faced the impossible task of choosing winners for an outstanding field of entries - but the decisions will be revealed next

  • Work -soon' on Dressers site

    A MAJOR national retailer is expected to exchange contracts on the former Dressers shop in Darlington within the next couple of weeks, the D&S Times has been told. Developers Terrace Hill, who bought the site two years ago, confirmed yesterday that

  • Anonymous gift restores green to

    A BENEFACTOR has offered to pay Neasham's £1,124 legal bill to make the village green its own. The parish council announced in October that it was to apply to Darlington Council for an interest-free loan to pay for land transfer. If it failed to get the

  • National test

    ROBERT Shields, from Crook, and Saltburn rider Emma Wright have qualified to compete in the first ever Balanced Horse Feeds National Amateur Championships later this month. The championships take place at the Addington Manor equestrian centre, Addington

  • Mayor makes plea to town to find new youth centre

    A PLEA has been issued to the people of Northallerton to rally round and find a new base for a youth group. The mayor, Coun Jack Dobson, says he is disappointed an earlier appeal for help has been snubbed. This week he vowed he would not abandon young

  • County honours for young hockey star

    ALLERTONSHIRE School pupil Andrew Wilson represented the Yorkshire Under 14 team in a triangular tournament against Lancashire and Cheshire last Sunday. Following several selection sessions over the summer in Ilkley and Pickering, the young Richmond club

  • SQUASH

    Durham and Cleveland Veterans County Closed Championships (Boldon SC) Men's Over-35 final: Peter Lonsdale (Guis) bt David Lumsdon (Chester-le-St) 9-0 9-5 9-0. Over-40 final: Kevin Carr (CIS) bt Rob Wytcherley (Dton) 10-8 9-6 9-2; semi-finals Carr bt Colin

  • Shoot and score with double the football fun

    PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2. Publisher: Konami. Format: PS2. Price: £44.99/ FIFA 2003. Publisher: EA Sports. Formats: PS2, PC CD-ROM. Prices from: £34.99 FOR the first time in a very long time, Electronic Art's sporting colossus FIFA was not the best selling

  • The Unibond League

    Bishop Auckland have been told Brian Fairhurst must return to Shildon after they were found guilty of an illegal approach. Fairhurst played for Shildon on September 7, and then four days later played for Bishops in. The FA ruled Bishops did not submit

  • Rejoicing as homes plan is withdrawn

    PROTESTERS celebrated after a developer at the last minute pulled controversial plans to build houses on a grassland area used as a park. Residents of Consett, formed an action group earlier this year to fight plans by Strathmore Homes to erect 13 executive

  • Residents tell court of life 'in the Alamo'

    DURHAM residents fed up with late-night drunken trouble say it is like living in the Alamo. People in and around North Road have joined police in objecting to the 700-capacity Walkabout Australian theme pub planned for the Robins Cinema. This week residents

  • ANGLING

    Yet again river fixtures were severely disrupted on the North-East match circuit when heavy rain resulted in the cancellation of many events and for those that went ahead, competitors were up against it, writes JEFF HERBERT. For the depleted turnout of

  • Darlington - 'Pedestrian heart' plan for centre of Darlington

    PLANS to create a 'pedestrian heart' in Darlington town centre within two years have been revealed. Under the proposals, four main roads would be pedestrianised between 9am and 5.30pm. The changes were suggested in a Town Centre Access Study carried out

  • Darlington - Friends rally round for Ben

    A FATHER has been overwhelmed by the level of support from villagers and friends to raise money for his injured son. Ben Woods, 17, from Hurworth, near Darlington, lost his right arm and left leg after being struck by a train in July. The student from

  • Residents lose village green fight

    RESIDENTS have lost their fight to protect a recreation area after councillors rejected their bid for village green status. People living near The Green, between College View and Esh Winning Primary School, Esh Winning, wanted to safeguard the area against

  • Durham Alliance

    Hartlepool Town drew 1-1 at home to Cockfield in a cracking game with both teams playing at the top of their form. Hartlepool went ahead in the 17 minutes when Stuart Cooper broke away down the left to put a lovely cross into the box for Dave Smith to

  • New concern as Bedale clean-up loses momentum

    TWO senior officers from a local authority are due to meet Bedale councillors on Monday for a face-to-face discussion on standards of cleanliness in the town. It has been claimed that, despite action taken by the district council to improve standards

  • Nissan end Mavericks run

    BASKETBALL - Durham League - Something had to give in the top game of the Durham League first division this week as the two hitherto unbeaten sides, Nissan and Steve Whitehead Joinery and Double Glazing Middlesbrough Mavericks lined up against each other

  • Darlington - Mowden Park hit by bad luck

    DARLINGTON Mowden Park rugby 1st XV continued to have bad luck when they were denied a deserved win by a converted try in injury time at Liverpool St Helens. They lost this Division Three North game 21-20. In atrocious conditions Mowden led 11-8 at half-time

  • Bali blast victim's funeral held

    FORMER England football captain Bryan Robson joined hundreds of mourners at the funeral of a County Durham man killed in the Bali bomb blast. Friends and relatives of Ian Findley, 55, a well-loved garage owner from West Pelton, near Chester-le-Street,

  • Darlington - Police launch new bid to beat burglars

    A SERIES of anti-burglary offensives is being mounted by police in an attempt to halt the seasonal upsurge in house break-ins caused by the long, dark nights. A four-month operation, codenamed Lancelot, is being planned across Sedgefield borough, focusing

  • Soccer ladies net lottery bonanza

    A WOMEN'S football club is celebrating after winning £4,800 from the National Lottery's Awards for All programme. Lumley Ladies FC, which provides competitive football for players aged eight upwards, has only been going since May. The grant will enable

  • Local Heroes Award winners to be crowned

    THE stage is set for the event of the year in the world of grass roots sport. The Local Heroes Awards 2002, powered by npower, take place next Thursday at Tall Trees Hotel, near Yarm. And earlier this week, the judges sifted through a mountain of nominations

  • Why we remember

    SCHOOLCHILDREN in Middleton St George have been learning about the meaning of Poppy Day. On Tuesday, Major Bob Jones accompanied the Mayor of Darlington, Coun Doris Jones, to a special assembly at the village primary school. Maj Jones, 73, who served

  • Darlington - Children plan safety route

    YOUNGSTERS at a Darlington school have had their say in a unique £65,000 scheme to make their journey to school safer. The town's first completed school travel plan was officially launched in a special school assembly at Harrowgate Hill Junior School.

  • Stolen toolbox had sentimental value

    A thief left a family distraught after stealing a toolbox that belonged to their late son. The sneak thief is thought to have struck shortly after midday on Tuesday last week in Burnopfield. The 73-year-old householder raised the alarm minutes later after

  • New bus routes could bring chaos to town centre

    CHAOS in Crown Street has been forecast following plans to re-route up to 155 buses an hour down a narrow and busy street in Darlington. Plans to pedestrianise the town centre during the day, which will include a ban on vehicles in four main shopping

  • Vital flood defence work delayed by rising costs

    HUNDREDS of families in two flood-hit communities face an agonising wait for a scheme to protect their homes. A flood defence scheme to protect the County Durham villages has been delayed because the estimated £4.5m cost has risen to £7.8m. Homes in South

  • Why we'll soon be not waving, but drowning

    IT is said that the director Ridley Scott used the image of Teesside's chemical plants as inspiration for the futuristic setting of his seminal film Blade Runner. The tropical climate and communities built high in the sky may have seemed far fetched but

  • Grain report

    by Robin Twizell RMD Agriculture WHEAT prices have remained unchanged to a little firmer, owing to slow release from farms. News that Ukraine wheat may now be allowed into Brazil helped in sentiment, in that it is another home for their surplus. Oilseed

  • Not too sure about the lilac, Laurence, says Lady Ingilby

    THE BBC Changing Rooms television series this week featured the estate of Sir Thomas and Lady Ingilby - Ripley Castle, near Harrogate. The show, screened last night, had an Upstairs Downstairs feel to it. Sir Thomas teamed up with new designer Gordon

  • City manager moves on

    DURHAM city centre's manager is leaving after 18 months in the job. Chris Rawlinson helped to organise the successful Durham Christmas Festival last year. She will take-up a similar role in Colchester early next month once this year's Christmas build-up

  • Prices from special autumn livestock sales

    HAWES. - Thurs of last week. Annual Show & sale of registered & unregistered Swaledale rams. Fwd: 86 aged rams to £500 av £85.06 (up £16.97 on 2000); 116 shlg rams to £9,000 av £182.51 (up £132.02). Prizes . Aged rams: 1 J&A Lawson & Son

  • City move up the league

    Gosforth 13 - Durham City 24: DURHAM City rugby 1st XV continued their climb up the Northumberland and Durham Division One league table by defeating Gosforth on Saturday. This win moved them from tenth to seventh. An attacking run by Attwood put Potts

  • Villagers win first round but waste plan could go to appeal

    PROPOSALS for a waste transfer site at Brompton-on-Swale were rejected by planning councillors but relieved residents were warned to brace themselves for an appeal. Richmondshire District Council environment committee agreed with planners that the scheme

  • Emma set for Solihull debut after jump-off win

    NORTHALLERTON rider Emma Boynton will be making her debut at the Blue Chip championships at Solihull next year after winning a jump-off in the Equiline Horseboxes Discovery qualifier at Stainsby Grange. The 13-year-old, who is trained by Ian Brown, rode

  • JUNIOR RUGBY - Durham County

    In poor conditions at Wigton, Durham County Under-16s recorded excellent wins against their Cumbrian counterparts. Durham Under-16 Schools ran out winner by 38-3 thanks to a pair of tries from Mac Garbutt (English Martryrs,Hartlepool), Ross Barry (Barnard

  • Coxhoe Boys on the march - Coxhoe Boys

    Coxhoe Boys Bobby Orton's side remain unbeaten after a 6-1 win over Chisick, Sunderland last weekend. It was a tough match against a strong outfit but goals from Jamie Lawson (2), Michael Owen (2), and George Hesler (2) gave Coxhoe all three points. Daniel

  • Prices at the markets

    DARLINGTON. - Thurs of last week. Fwd: 67 cattle, 791 sheep. Heavy steers to 117.5p av 100.2p; med to 111.5p av 109.5p; lt hfrs to 113.5p av 110.5p; heavy to 131.5p av 101.3p; med to 128.5p; av 109.5p; heavy bulls to 108.5p av 90.3p; med to 102.5p av

  • Five were in fine voice

    THE five finalists for the role of town crier for Chester-le-Street faced the acid test last Friday, when they stood before a crowd of shoppers in full town crier regalia to shout a five minute proclamation. The competitors battled to hold the attention

  • Drink and be sober

    AN overhaul of the licensing laws, due to be unveiled in next week's Government White Paper, should take us a further step along the road to a more civilised drinking culture in this country. The need to encourage a more sensible approach to alcohol was

  • Letters: Banham's shame

    Sir, - At least John Major is ashamed but Sir John Banham is not. I hasten to add this is nothing to do with Edwina Currie. His shame should be in regard to the report he produced when abolishing Cleveland County Council. Frank Cook MP has recently criticised

  • Young super cooks

    TEENAGERS Megan Hutchinson and Melissa Carr have won recognition for their culinary skills. The two 13-year-olds from Parkside Secondary School, Willington, have been voted the North-East's best up-and-coming chefs in a national school dinners competition

  • Wearside League

    Stokesley SC moved to the top of the table with a five goals blast against Boldon CA last Saturday and secretary Peter Grainge believes the side is capable of going all the way. "It has certainly been a learning curve for us since we joined the League

  • Pye revels in testing conditions

    HEAVY rain during last weekend provided the Northallerton Motor Club with three big waterfall sections for their Bilsdale Trophy Trial on Sunday. The event attracted 111 entries and was run over one big lap, taking in seven groups of sections. It started

  • Remembrance services

    A SPECIAL service will mark the unveiling of a new war memorial site as part of Remembrance events this weekend. All Saints Church war memorial in Shildon has been relocated to the town's Redworth Road. The occasion will be marked with a special service

  • Four in court for benefits fraud

    FOUR people have been convicted of illegally claiming nearly £32,000 in benefits. The four, all aged over 60, admitted wrongly claiming Housing and Council Tax Benefit from Derwentside District Council. One man from Dipton failed to declare that he was

  • Sea swim succeeds

    A DURHAM teacher and a former paratrooper last week completed a daring mission to swim from the Northumberland coast to the Farne Islands. Sol Walker, a teacher at St Leonard's RC School, and former paratrooper Stuart Dowding swam from the seaside town

  • Revealing wonders of hidden depths

    AFTER spending 35 years in local government, Malcolm Hey took early retirement and decided to concentrate on his hobby. That hobby - underwater photography - has now become almost a full-time business and his expertise has just won him an accolade in

  • Looking Back

    FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Woollen Tam O'Shanter hats are a special feature at Jaques and Jaques Ltd, of Darlington. November signifies the height of the Autumn season, when every department is crowded with goods. The shop's windows are one

  • Competing to keep countryside skills alive

    DOZENS of drystone wallers and hedge layers competed in a competition to showcase their traditional countryside skills at the weekend. The event at Ragpathside Farm, Lanchester, was organised by the Tyne Tees Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and the

  • Tees Components set to end season on a high note

    TEES Components may hold the key to tomorrow's final day of the Flat season, having bounced back at Newmarket and put the disappointing Cesarewitch run behind him. He landed the valuable two-mile handicap at headquarters in fighting fashion and Mary Reveley

  • Darlington - Steve strikes gold in World Masters

    FERRYHILL cyclist Steve Davies is back from the World Masters' Games in Melbourne after winning three gold medals and a silver. "I just seemed to have magic legs," said Mr Davies, 50, an insurance broker with BIB in Darlington. He joined 25,000 other

  • Be like Clint - or the Fat Controller

    AN AUCTION of promises aims to boost a village hall appeal fund with items such as a complete Hornby train set and a pair of buffalo hide boots with links to film star Clint Eastwood. Other promises include a day at Thirsk races, two relief milking sessions

  • Mo and Vera open centre

    MO Mowlam returned to her old stomping ground last Friday to see for herself the brand new town centre she helped to create. The former Redcar MP and Northern Ireland minister said the new £26m Regent Walk shopping centre would help to recreate the town's

  • North Yorks still leads the regional house price league

    NORTH Yorkshire has retained its top slot in the North-East and Cumbria for the highest overall average house price of £82,050. That is despite the fact that its growth in the last quarter of 1.6pc was the second lowest in the region according to the

  • Casting light on paintings inspired by the dark

    MINING is dead. Long live mining art. The gradual closure in the last half of the twentieth century of all the pits in the Great Northern Coalfield, an area stretching from just south of Cockfield in Teesdale to the coastal collieries at Amble, ended

  • Fallen remembered

    THE services and parades are being held to mark Remembrance Day on Sunday: Redcar: The Royal British Legion parade will leave the Royal British Legion Club in Coatham Road at 10.40am marching to the war memorial for an 11am service. Boosbeck: 2.30pm wreath-laying

  • Signs improved after road death

    AN inquest has heard that signs warning of a dangerous road bend that claimed a motorcyclist's life have been improved. Experienced biker Richard Stothard, 37, of Princess Street, South Hylton, Sunderland, failed to negotiate a right-hand bend on the

  • University underpins firm's sweet success

    ONE of the North-East's most successful and innovative small food manufacturing companies is preparing to conquer new national markets. Artisan Foods won five awards and generated a flood of inquiries at the recent Guild of Food Retailers' Great Taste

  • Outrage and concern at maternity hospital blow

    GUISBOROUGH erupted in outrage this week over the closure of the maternity unit at the town's hospital. Angry mothers-to-be immediately mounted a protest campaign after hearing the ward would close next Friday owing to a shortage of midwives. A petition

  • Charitable trust plan for town's old station to be examined

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to develop Richmond's former station building took more twists and turns this week. Richmondshire District Council resources committee deferred its final decision at a meeting on Wednesday night. The deferral followed a five-hour discussion

  • Bus depot closure sparks fresh fears of cuts in service

    BUS users are worried about possible cuts in services following the announcement by Arriva North-East that it will close its Stokesley depot in February. The firm says all activities will be relocated to its Redcar depot and it is hopeful that the 39

  • Radio station gets an airing

    DURHAM is to get its own radio station, briefly, ahead of plans to give it its own permanent broadcaster. Durham FM will take to the air on 107Mhz from this Sunday until Friday, December 6, with a mixture of popular music and local information. The Radio

  • Warning to solid fuel buyers

    HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned to be wary of conmen when buying solid fuel. Over recent years, Durham County Council's consumer services department has received complaints and detected a number of solid fuel traders supplying short weight. Philip Holman

  • Darlington - Link-up plan for tourism centres

    THE tourism centre in Darlington could soon be linked up to others in the area. Northumbria Tourist Board is hoping to work with local authorities across the region to create a Northumbria Network of Tourism Information Centres (TICs). The network would

  • Maths is flying high

    TEENAGERS learned how maths could help land them an RAF career in a series of challenges. Pupils at Fyndoune Community College in Chester-le-Street, were the latest to take part in the activities through the RAF's maths challenge workshops, on Tuesday

  • Cash shortfall threatens park's future

    TIME is running out for a flagship play park that will close unless it can raise £16,000 by January. The team of volunteers that runs the £145,000 play area at Delves Lane Village Hall, near Consett, needs the cash to pay for wardens and supervisors.

  • WOMEN'S HOCKEY

    Sunday Invitation Ladies League - Richmond 4 v 4 Norton Norton came out blazing and were incredibly very strong in attack. With some very quick young players they made short work of the Richmond defence scoring three goals in the first ten minutes, from

  • Darlington - Amdega man gets OBE

    A BUSINESSMAN who has helped to rejuvenate a 128-year-old Darlington conservatory company has received an Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace. Colin Taylor, 42, managing director of timber conservatory maker Amdega, was awarded the OBE for

  • Post is far cry from teaching

    A RETIRED schoolteacher has been picked as Chester-le-Street's first town crier. Marjorie Dodds was the only woman out of five candidates short-listed for the post, all of whom were put before an impromptu audience of town centre shoppers and judges last

  • Leisure booklet on the way

    SPORTS fans and art lovers could soon have all their needs at their fingertips. Derwentside District Council is putting together a comprehensive sports and arts directory. The booklet, due out early next year, will list every arts or sports club, community

  • Cleveland League

    In Division One Redcar Cons. B team were playing host to the Redcar Lakes A team. Gary Beckett got the Lakes off to a great start after compiling a brilliant 92 break, this the highest recorded so far this season, this aiding to beat Lee Millar in their

  • Darlington - Saints marching on

    DUE TO waterlogged pitches the Darlington Dalecom Church and Friendly Football League weekend fixtures were reduced to four games. Aycliffe Saints kept up their challenge at the top against another side pushing for league honours, Darlington The Mowden

  • Protest over illegal parking

    DRIVERS are being urged to stop parking illegally on a street that leads to bungalows for elderly and disabled people. Residents of the Spennymoor cul-de-sac say they are prisoners in their homes because the road is regularly congested with cars. A single

  • Darlington - Parents relieved as play ban is lifted

    COUNCILLORS have successfully fought for the removal of a 'no ball games' sign which was forcing children to cross a busy road to reach the only remaining play area in their village. The sign angered parents in Aycliffe Village, who claimed the grassed

  • Lumley sink poor Chester

    Chester-le-Street Juniors 2 Lumley Juniors 3 THE Chester-le-Street Town Juniors made six changes from the line-up that started against Hartlepool United in the FA Youth Cup ten days earlier but it brought no change in fortune or result as the Cestrians

  • Durham County Super League

    In the last two weeks there has been more twists in the race for second place. In a rearranged game Shildon entertained Bishop Auckland and were eight points behind Crook B with this game in hand, however it was the visitors who stormed to a 10-4 win.

  • Touring toy library opens

    A TOURING toy library opened in East Cleveland on Monday. Alison Nairn, of the Redcar and Cleveland and Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, said: "The toy library features toys and musical instruments for all children. "We will be visiting

  • Cup money under threat

    Northern League clubs are hoping that FA Cup prize money won't be affected by the recent resignation of FA secretary Adam Crozier. Since Crozier arrived at the FA, prize money in the FA Cup in the early rounds of the FA Cup has increased substantially

  • Programmes in place to help residents fight heart disease

    A HOST of initiatives and events are already in place to improve the health of people in Wear Valley. Leading the drive is Britain's first local authority funded community fitness officer, appointed in 1986. In a bid to reduce the risk of heart disease

  • Theatre festival fun takes off

    AN annual children's theatre festival took place in Durham for the first time this year. The Take Off 2002 festival, billed as England's only professional theatre festival for young people, brings together leading theatre companies, which produce innovative

  • Return of a village treasure?

    I was pleased to learn that several parishes in Nidderdale, one of North Yorkshire's loveliest dales, are considering the reinstatement of lengthmen as a means of maintaining their roads and verges. There is nothing new in this idea, for lengthmen were

  • New indoor surface keeps standards high at the Unicorn

    THE winter dressage series at the Riding for the Disabled's Unicorn Centre began on October 29 and attracted a large number of high-standard entrants. The series is sponsored this year by feed specialists Dodson and Horrell, who are providing gift vouchers

  • County's village green ruling hands victory to community

    VILLAGERS are celebrating victory in a long-running dispute over land they believe belongs to the community. Residents in Great Langton, near Northallerton, are delighted at a ruling over land in the centre of the village which had been used for leisure

  • Darlington - School feels let down as bid fails

    A COMPREHENSIVE school has failed in the first stage of its bid to become a business and enterprise centre. Branksome School in Dar*ington was aiming to raise £50,000 to gain the specialist status this year. But only just over half that amount has been

  • Cestrian signs for Stockport

    DEDICATED Chester-le-Street Town Juniors midfielder Daniel Newby has signed a two year contract with Second Division Stockport County. Newby has had an excellent start to the season and played a key role in the club's successful FA Youth Cup campaign

  • Wilks prepares to take on best in the world

    FORMER British junior champion Guy Wilks is set to contest the biggest event of his career when he competes in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain next week. After finishing third in the competitive Super 1600 class in this season's British Rally Championship

  • Health campaign gets a boost

    A PIONEERING healthy living partnership launched in Wear Valley is a model that could be put in place throughout the UK, Health Secretary Alan Milburn has said. The Advertiser's sister paper The Northern Echo teamed up with Wear Valley District Council

  • Village scheme wins cash from Government

    PLANS to build high-quality elderly people's homes and other community facilities in a North York Moors village have received a boost, following a £126,000 award. The Abbeyfield House scheme is earmarked for a site near Castleton railway station. Its

  • Park plan aired

    PLANS to regenerate a park that was once the jewel at the heart of a mining community were unveiled this week. View Lane Park in Stanley has become virtually a no-go area after years of neglect. On Monday its owners, Derwentside District Council, revealed

  • Letters: Danger of debris

    Sir, - The Environment Agency's policy of abandoning the safety teams which used to inspect the Tees and remove trees that could fall into the river when in flood and go on to dam downstream bridges and cause flooding, is putting everyone at risk. Northumbrian

  • WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

    Tyne Tees Girls - Youth League - League Challenge Cup round two - Under-12s Barnard C. 5 v 5 Stock. West End (aet) Barnard took the lead having got of to the better start only to see Stockton respond quickly and then taking a 3-1 lead. Castle came out

  • Agricultural red tape more profitable than farming

    REGULATIONS and bureaucracy are stifling British agriculture. Sir Don Curry, chairman of the Policy Commission on the Future Of Food And Farming, said it must be slashed, although previous attempts had resulted in more being churned out. "An industry

  • Consett Sunday League

    IT was nice and Lee-easy for second Division Annfield Plain Demi as they sent the Highwayman crashing out of the Consett Charity Cup. Despite their First Division status and home advantage, the West Pelton outfit were floored 2-0 to goals from Lee Carriss

  • Coundon's Cup hopes ended

    The Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitation League As with last week, the torrential rain on Saturday put paid to several of this week's games however, it is a testament to the good work being put in at Hundens Lane that all games scheduled to take

  • WOMEN'S FOOTBALL - Durham City

    Durham's FA Cup run came to an end against a well organised Newcastle Ladies side from the Northern Combination League. City battled really well for most of the first half until Newcastle broke the deadlock ten minutes before the break. Newcastle quickly

  • Comic joins fight to keep elderly safe

    A YOUNG couple with a small child have escaped with pensioners' cash in two bogus caller thefts. Durham Police have launched a campaign, backed by comedian Ken Dodd, to encourage old folk not to let strangers into their homes. The comic's picture will

  • Bus company to close depot

    ARRIVA North East was this week seeking to allay fears that bus services in East Cleveland will be affected by the closure of one of the company's depots. Thirty-nine bus drivers and other workers at its Stokesley branch have been told their depot is

  • Sea swim succeeds

    A DURHAM teacher and a former paratrooper last week completed a daring mission to swim from the Northumberland coast to the Farne Islands. Sol Walker, a teacher at St Leonard's RC School, and former paratrooper Stuart Dowding swam from the seaside town

  • Gangsters take the stage

    SCHOOL uniforms will be swapped for feather boas and trilby hats when a youth theatre stages its latest musical production. Members of the Rainbow Youth Theatre are rehearsing for their production of Bugsy Malone, which tells the story of New York gangsters

  • A most Peculier anniversary

    A MASHAM brewery has created a special ale to mark its 175th anniversary. Peculier Peculier, described as a strong, smooth, tawny-coloured bitter, has been pulled for the first time through the hand pumps at the Theakston brewery visitor centre. To celebrate

  • Sea swim succeeds

    A DURHAM teacher and a former paratrooper last week completed a daring mission to swim from the Northumberland coast to the Farne Islands. Sol Walker, a teacher at St Leonard's RC School, and former paratrooper Stuart Dowding swam from the seaside town

  • Bali blast victim's funeral held

    FORMER England football captain Bryan Robson joined hundreds of mourners at the funeral of a County Durham man killed in the Bali bomb blast. Friends and relatives of Ian Findley, 55, a well-loved garage owner from West Pelton, near Chester-le-Street,

  • Jazzy little number sees the light again

    AN EXQUISITELY hand crafted mascot's uniform last worn during the glory days of pit village jazz bands has seen the light of day after decades in a loft. The uniform, which once belonged George Harris of the No Place Nobblers, was brought out again after

  • ICE HOCKEY - Wolves rack up another win

    Junior round-up - Billingham Wolves have three wins to their name in English Under-19 North A League this season the latest being a 5-2 victory at Kingston Predators. Wolves took a fourth minute lead through Stuart Gibbon and Robert Dowd made it 2-0 a

  • Tennis

    North East Club - Winter League Red Group: Rothbury 5, Gosforth II 3; Stocksfield 3, Jesmond 5; Gosforth II 0, Stocksfield 8. Orange Group: NLTSRC 8, Blaydon II 0. Yellow Group: Collingwood 5, Ponteland 3; Jesmond III 0, Morpeth 8; Gosforth 8, Jesmond

  • Child care grants awarded

    THOUSANDS of new child care places will be created across the North-East thanks to a lottery boost of more than a million pounds. The New Opportunities Fund is ploughing £1,490,661 into the region's pre-school and after-school clubs. The money will also

  • Quakers face tough road test

    DARLINGTON caretaker manager Mick Tait is facing up to a run of three successive away games which could make or break his aspirations to do the job on a permanent basis. Quakers did well enough in last Saturday's 0-0 home draw with Lincoln City to keep

  • Chance to enjoy Christmas on ice

    CHRISTMAS will be a holiday on ice for people in Durham with the arrival of a temporary skating rink in the city centre. The 300 square metre rink, hired from Austria, will be set up next to the Gala Theatre in Millennium Square from Thursday, November

  • Angling club wins approval for expansion

    PLANS to extend an angling club have been approved by councillors despite protests from residents of a nearby village. Bishop Auckland District Angling Club was granted permission to build a club house and car park at Wadsworth Fishery, Witton Park. The

  • Lingdale make into next round

    A Hoggarth & Sons Eskvale and Cleveland League - Boosbeck Utd v Lingdale Tavern Playing in difficult conditions both teams had chances to score. Lingdale were unlucky not to take the lead when Breckon had a goal disallowed after the ball burst the

  • Livery yard approval scheme gets thumbs up

    THE British Horse Society has had a huge success with its new Approved Livery Yard scheme launched in July. Since then more than 1,500 information packs have been sent out, 65 livery yard applications are currently being processed and several yards have

  • Chape and Sowerby put Tyne and Wear on top

    Emergency Services League: Tyne and Wear regained top spot with a 6-1 victory over Sedgefield with two goals each for Lee Chape and Sowerby and a goal each from Billy Khatib and Scott Curtis, Simon Morley scored Sedgefield's consolation goal. Easington

  • Defra smiles on request to make visit an annual event

    A VISIT by top-ranking agriculture officials to the Yorkshire Dales could become an annual event. On Thursday and Friday of last week, farmers and other small businesses took the opportunity to demonstrate at first hand some of the problems facing people

  • Couple and child trick old people

    A couple with a small child have conned pensioners out of cash in two separate incidents. The thefts occurred as Durham Police launched a campaign, backed by veteran comedian Ken Dodd, to encourage old people not to let strangers into their homes. The

  • Darlington - Bright inventors win Smart funding

    BRIGHT ideas from some of the region's most go-ahead companies have been rewarded with almost £1.5m in grants. An awards ceremony at County Durham's Beamish Hall recently brought together the cream of North-East talent in the business world. All 29 winners

  • Letters: Privatisation

    Sir, - Labour voters should feel let down after the new Education Secretary, Charles Clarke MP, refused to stick by Tony Blair's manifesto commitment to rule out University "top up fees". The Government is getting ready for a great U-turn that will pave

  • Cider with rosy apples draws crowd

    CIDER with rosy apples was just one of the products demonstrated at a "Tiddly Pomme" orchard event at Bagby, Thirsk, on Thursday of last week. The event, sponsored by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group in North Yorkshire, drew so many people that

  • City turn on the style for victory

    Durham City 4 Consett 2 DURHAM City produced some of the finest football seen in the Albany Northern League for many years when they established a commanding 4-0 lead in the first 17 minutes of their first division clash with Consett at the Archibalds

  • SQUASH - Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire League

    Two newcomers had their first head to head, Boroughbridge coming out on top with a 2-1 verdict against Catterick Garrison. Wins by Joe Royle and Dave Flintoff tipped the scales Borougbridge's way. The Boroughbridge side, which has won sponsorship from

  • Chance to enjoy Christmas on ice

    CHRISTMAS will be a holiday on ice for people in Durham with the arrival of a temporary skating rink in the city centre. The 300 square metre rink, hired from Austria, will be set up next to the Gala Theatre in Millennium Square from Thursday, November

  • Thornaby Village's steady rise continues

    Hathaway and Cope Stokesley League - Thornaby Village 3 v 1 Stokesley Thornaby Village continued their progress up the league with Mark Casey putting them ahead after 15 minutes. Neil Nelson brought Stokesley level scoring after an earlier shot had rebounded

  • Darmody hammers in another four

    Boldon 3 Chester-le-Street 6 CHESTER Ladies recovered from their worst start this season to progress to round two of the Northern League Cup. A bizarre opening half hour saw Boldon take the lead through a dubious penalty by Kerry Ann and extended their

  • Guy gears up for top rally

    Former British Junior Champion Guy Wilks is set to contest the biggest event of his career when he competes in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain later this month. Following on from his successful season in the British Rally Championship where he finished

  • Tow Law Bass League

    Tony English became the hero of Tow Law Rose and Crown when he took the only point from the visiting league leaders, Tow Law New Market, who moved twelve points clear with a match in hand. The leaders had singles points from David Dixon, Kenneth Atkinson

  • Police seek witnesses to knife fight

    DETECTIVES investigating a knife fight in which four bystanders were wounded said it would have been witnessed by up to 100 revellers - and they have appealed for witnesses to come forward. The attack happened in the early hours of Sunday near Trades

  • Recycling scheme running late

    A MAJOR recycling programme due to start in November has been put back until January, because of a delay in Government funding. Every household in West Durham is to get a collection box for recycling. But a three-month delay in the £700,000 grant from

  • Pier pride of place

    LONDON artist Sarah Woodfine is exhibiting the results of three months working in the Cleveland area. Pride of place at an exhibition of her work has gone to a model of Saltburn Pier. The show, at Middlesbrough Art Gallery on Linthorpe Road, is open from

  • War hero's family traced

    A SECOND World War flying ace whose dying action was to save an entire village is to be honoured by the community. And his only surviving son will be there to witness the occasion after being traced by The Advertiser's sister paper, The Northern Echo.