Archive

  • Event helps family of injured teenager

    A FUNDRAISING event to help a North-East couple care for their injured daughter in Greece has raised £3,700. Ashleigh Stephens, 13, from Brinsley Court, Coundon, County Durham, is undergoing extensive surgery in Athens after being thrown from the back

  • Dogged by my dress sense insecurity

    Far from empowering their sisters, the stars of Sex And The City are leaving women in a neurotic fudge about what to wear to work every morning. A survey has found that Carrie Bradshaw and her fellow fashionistas have left the majority of women questioning

  • Paula runs into record books again

    GOLDEN girl Paula Radcliffe crowned a record-breaking day for the Great North Run by running the fastest half- marathon in history yesterday. Radcliffe led from start to finish to add the half- marathon record to the marathon record she set in London

  • Letters

    BBC THE idea that a national radio and television service can claim impartiality whilst maintaining a cosy relationship with the government of the day (HAS, Sept 17) is surely a novel one. In many countries, notably in the third world, it is rare to find

  • Wearside League: Cleadon maintain impressive form

    Cleadon SC continue to confound the critics and are establishing themselves as genuine contenders for the championship. Their latest success came against newcomers Gateshead Reserves and although only one goal divided the pair, Cleadon were delighted

  • Comedian's surprise for burglary victim, 88

    A COMEDIAN who once streaked across Wembley to raise cash for charity was quick off the mark to help the elderly victim of a burglary. Chris McGlade not only returned most of the money which had been stolen from the victim, but also brought a beautician

  • Headingley youngsters shine

    Young bloods Joe Sayers and Nick Thornicroft showed star quality at Headingley yesterday - but they could not stop Yorkshire Phoenix losing by three wickets to Gloucestershire Gladiators on the final day of the season. Yorkshire were relegated before

  • Akhtar finishes on top for Durham

    THE Durham members' end-of-season party on Saturday night was cancelled through lack of interest, but a healthy crowd turned up at Riverside yesterday to witness the season's last rites. They were not disappointed as Shoaib Akhtar steamed in as though

  • Family sweat on trial proceeding

    A FAMILY arrived in Greece yesterday hoping it will be third time lucky in their bid for justice following the holiday death of their son. But Pam and George Cummings, of Chester-le-Street, fear it will not be the last time they travel to Rhodes in the

  • Dogged ten-man Quakers learn life is far from easy

    TALK about making life hard. Not content with the easy life, Darlington seem hell bent on giving themselves more work than they really need. There was a certain sense of deja-vu down by the English Riviera at the weekend, as, for the second time in four

  • Yorkshire diary

    If Yorkshire want dazzling strokeplay to be part and parcel of Championship cricket at Headingley then they should insist that umpire Jeremy Lloyds stands in every game! The former Somerset and Gloucestershire all-rounder was on duty in 2001 when Darren

  • Memorial to fallen firemen

    MORE than 30 firefighters from the North-East and North Yorkshire who died on active service have been included on a national memorial. Members of the Firefighters Memorial Trust spent 16 years trying to find the details of every fireman who died on duty

  • Fire brigade prepares for new name

    FIRE chiefs are to abandon the traditional "brigade" title in favour of the term "service" to better reflect their changing role. Durham's chief fire officer George Herbert is recommending that members of the county fire authority approve the amended

  • TV show's ex-copper on community beat

    HEARTBEAT star Derek Fowlds was almost back on the beat when he when he performed the honours at the opening of a community office. The actor plays a retired police sergeant-turned-publican in the hit series filmed at Goathland on the North York Moors

  • Bees bully Pool into submission to deflate boss

    NEALE Cooper's demeanour come 5pm on Saturday said it all. Gone was the beaming smile and gushing praise that followed two memorable wins in five memorable days in the history of Hartlepool United. It takes something out of the ordinary to knock the stuffing

  • Highest death toll as crash biker dies

    THE annual death toll of motorcyclists on the roads of North Yorkshire has reached its highest figure ever. A man, believed to be in his 20s, became the 26th to die this year after a head-on collision with a car on Friday evening. The statistic is the

  • McCarthy finds men in middle who can mix it

    EVEN the Brazilians, the purest purveyors of the beautiful game, recognise that silk must be complemented by steel. For every Romario or Bebeto in the 1990s, there was a Dunga; in the last World Cup, a pragmatic rather than romantic approach eventually

  • Tips from the style police

    WE all do it - open a wardrobe full of clothes, spend ages rooting around, try things on, discard a few outfits and then moan: "I've got nothing to wear." But sometimes, it's just impossible to find the right clothes for a particular occasion. Fortunately

  • We must change or die, warns Blunkett

    THE Government must "change or die" in the wake of last week's by-election blow, Home Secretary David Blunkett has warned. He cautioned that its current difficulties were imperilling the prospect of a third successive General Election victory, and that

  • Cricket round-up: Ayton seal championship

    Great Ayton are champions of the Division One of the Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League after only two games went ahead on the final day of the season. Predictably, their match at Guisborough and Wolviston's fixture with Middlesbrough at

  • £120m wind energy project

    GIANT turbines will begin to take to the North-East sky-line as part of a major wind power project in the next few weeks. Wind farm developer Powergen Renewables is mounting a total of seven 100-metre tall turbines at three rural sites in County Durham

  • Tait to pick up pieces

    Darlington manager Mick Tait is this morning counting the cost of his side's battling 2-2 draw at Torquay. The Quakers chief will learn the full extent of Neil Wainwright's ankle injury, picked up in the first minute at Plainmoor. The former Sunderland

  • 22/09/03

    BBC: THE idea that a national radio and television service can claim impartiality whilst maintaining a cosy relationship with the government of the day (HAS, Sept 17) is surely a novel one. In many countries, notably in the third world, it is rare to

  • Magpies boss hopeful of Bellamy fitness boost

    SIR BOBBY ROBSON is hoping key Newcastle United striker Craig Bellamy will be fit enough to come though two games in 48 hours this week. Newcastle face Dutch side NAC Breda on Wednesday in the first round of the UEFA Cup before making the trip to Arsenal

  • Mongolia on horseback

    A LIFE-saving leukaemia charity wants people from the North-East to help them raise cash by riding horses in Mongolia. The Anthony Nolan Trust will be taking up to 30 volunteers to trek through the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park in July next year. It will

  • Flashpoints fail to halt Boro

    WAYNE ROONEY triggered an ugly touchline confrontation between rival managers Steve McClaren and David Moyes on an afternoon of high controversy at the Riverside. Everton striker Rooney tumbled in the box in the last minute and stayed down as if injured

  • Village leek show successes

    Water company manager David Pattinson has scored a hat-trick of successes at a village leek show. For the third consecutive year he took first prize at the Westgate Village Show, in Weardale, at the weekend, with an entry measuring 135.54 cubic inches

  • Water station plan opposed

    WATER company chiefs hope to gain approval for plans to increase the height of a village pumping station. Northumbrian Water is seeking permission from Darlington Borough Council to lift the height of the Piercebridge station from 1.2metres to 2metres

  • Wet weather fails to dampen show crowd's enthusiasm

    THE weather could have been kinder, but Eggleston Show still managed to draw the crowds at the weekend. Despite a constant drizzle, visitors to one of the last agricultural shows of the season enjoyed the many attractions. The marquees and tents were

  • Campaign for town council gathers petition support

    BISHOP Auckland people are supporting a new attempt to set up a town council as local government reforms draw nearer. Volunteers are touring the town collecting the 1,000 names needed to show the community favours the move, which requires approval from

  • Days of steam remembered

    HARRY Potter fans were given a taste of steam train travel in the style of their hero's journeys to Hogwarts at the weekend. Darlington Railway Museum was offering rides on the Peckett Engine - a fully working steam locomotive. The steam train rides have

  • New fireside sought for loving Fluffy

    A YOUNG cat with a serious heart defect needs a caring home where she can live out the rest of her life in comfort. Vets fear that one-year-old Fluffy might only have two years to live. She is being cared for at a foster home found by Cats Protection

  • New fireside sought for loving Fluffy

    A YOUNG cat with a serious heart defect needs a caring home where she can live out the rest of her life in comfort. Vets fear that one-year-old Fluffy might only have two years to live. She is being cared for at a foster home found by Cats Protection

  • Pensioner traces street's rail ties

    A PENSIONER is going to extraordinary lengths to prevent developers eyeing up an historic part of Darlington. Shirley Ashmore's work is also attracting international attention. She has painstakingly traced the history of Westbrook Villas, an area with

  • Neighbours raise objection over hotel expansion plans

    A PLAN by millionaire businessman Duncan Bannatyne to expand a Darlington hotel is being recommended for approval by council officers, despite objections. The Grade II-listed Grange Hotel, in the town's Southend Avenue, was acquired by the chairman of

  • Community cafe cash lift

    A DARLINGTON community group has been given a £1,200 boost to continue its work. The Skerne Park Community Enterprise Association was awarded the grant by the Abbey National Charitable Foundation. The windfall will be used to carry on the services which

  • Moyes defends Everton star's actions

    EVERTON boss David Moyes last night dismissed as "nonsense'' an apparent claim by Middlesbrough counterpart Steve McClaren that his side were guilty of unsporting conduct in a heated encounter. McClaren rounded on Moyes in an unseemly touchline spat,

  • Terminally ill to benefit from new post

    STATE-registered di- etician Tessa Aston has joined a palliative care team set up to help people who are terminally ill. Tessa's new post at the Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust has been funded by Macmillan Cancer Relief for three years.

  • Parking ban will solve rush hour congestion problem

    A TRIAL traffic order which has helped to cut congestion on a busy route into a city centre is to be made permanent. Experimental restrictions were introduced in June last year to clamp down on nuisance parking and waiting on Gilesgate Bank, which brings

  • Tour operators take a bus trip into Wonderland

    LEADING tour operators from across the country were in North Yorkshire over the weekend for a showcase event. Ripon in Wonderland, so named because of Lewis Carroll's links with the city, was a tour designed to encourage new visitors to come to the area

  • Radio listeners dig deep during charity auction

    LISTENERS to a trial local radio station proved their generosity at the weekend during a charity auction. Durham Local Radio (DLR) is entering the last week of a near month-long run which is part of its bid to win a broadcasting licence for the city and

  • Crowds ignore rain to make show a success

    TORRENTIAL rain failed to deter 14,000 people from visiting the 131st Stokesley Show at the weekend. Organisers were delighted with the increased number of entrants, especially in the sheep and cattle sections, and the return of the goat section and sheep

  • Distracted Mowden pay the penalty for progress

    THE price of progress is that Darlington Mowden Park will place a bigger premium on next Saturday's first national league derby than on what is now an annual flirtation with the Powergen Cup. When they had to win the Durham Cup to get into the national

  • News in brief: Invitation to health meeting

    PATIENTS and staff are invited to attend the annual meeting of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust. The meeting will take place at 12.30pm, on Friday, in the boardroom at the University Hospital of Hartlepool. It will highlight the work carried out

  • Baby has Donna dancing on air

    TV presenter Donna Air is celebrating the birth of a daughter. The baby, who has not yet been named, made her entrance into the world at the St John and Elizabeth private hospital, in London, on Thursday afternoon, weighing 7lb 6oz. Air and her boyfriend

  • Invitation to a day of sculpture

    PEOPLE have been invited to try their hand at making a sculpture next month. The 18th annual Gateshead Family Sculpture Day is being held at Saltwell Park, in Gateshead, from 11am to 4pm, on Sunday, October 5, with people of all ages encouraged to go

  • Contest to focus on regenerated areas

    AMATEUR photographers are being urged to capture the regeneration of their community on film. About £45m of Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) money is being spent on run-down and poor areas in County Durham. The funding is going to hundreds of environmental

  • Opportunity to play rugby with the best

    FALCON power is helping to attract young rugby talent in the North-East. Members of the region's premier team, Newcastle Falcons, are passing on coaching tips to youngsters on local development programmes. Among the clubs helping to develop the Falcons

  • Plans for shopping revamp on display

    VILLAGERS are being given the opportunity to examine proposals to revitalise their shopping centre. Residents and traders are taking the chance to express their views on plans for a £400,000 upgrade of the commercial centre of Shiney Row, on Wearside.

  • Wanderers stand firm to pile more pressure on Robson

    A VICTORY for Sir Bobby Robson on the weekend of his fourth anniversary at St. James' Park would have been the perfect way to kickstart Newcastle United's campaign. Instead, a battling Bolton Wanderers were the typical party-poopers and Newcastle's alarming

  • Puppy love for bikers

    A CONVOY of motorcyclists turned up to The National Canine Defence League (NCDL) with some welcome aid. Thirty bikers from the Hartlepool Misfits motorcycle group spent two months collecting donations of pet food, dog treats and toys from homes and businesses

  • Doctors launch airborne service

    THE first flying doctor helicopter service to operate outside London is about to go live in the region. A team of doctors from James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough has joined forces with the Great North Air Ambulance Service. If the service

  • 'This is not a holiday camp'

    Their own swimming pool and sports hall, and outdoor activities to boot - do young offenders get an easy ride? In the second in a series of special reports, Nick Morrison looks at what life is like for young people in custody. 'IF you compare it to prison

  • Strikers put to shame

    MART POOM poked fun at Sunderland's misfiring strikers last night after his amazing equalising goal at Pride Park. Poom, 31, has scored more goals than Michael Proctor this season following his stoppage-time header that salvaged a point for Sunderland

  • Deflated McGrath has no excuses

    Captain Anthony McGrath made no excuses and pulled no punches when bad light and then rain put paid to Yorkshire's chances of beating Gloucestershire at Headingley on Saturday and condemned them to another season in division two. Victory would have brought

  • Cooper calls for supporters to turn out in force

    HARTLEPOOL United are hoping for a rare event tomorrow night - a Victoria Park sell-out. Despite all the successes of recent years, Pool have never put the house full signs up at home and the club is seeking a packed stadium when West Brom visit in the

  • Home designer calls in firm

    A kitchen firm has been chosen to help world-renowned designer Bruce Oldfield create an exclusive housing development. Grange Interiors has been appointed to supply kitchens for the £17m Carlton Terrace project, which involves restoring 14 Georgian and

  • We must change or die, warns Blunkett

    THE Government must "change or die" in the wake of last week's by-election blow, Home Secretary David Blunkett has warned. He cautioned that its current difficulties were imperilling the prospect of a third successive General Election victory, and that

  • Playing a round for a good cause

    THOUSANDS of pounds are expected to be raised for a North-East hospice following a charity golf day. Twenty-three teams took part in the event at Blackwell Grange, Darlington, supporting the town's St Teresa's Hospice. It was the second time the competition

  • Families in new push for 'truth'

    THE Government was last night facing unprecedented demands to order a public judicial inquiry into scores of non-combat deaths at British Army bases. Families of soldiers found dead from gunshot wounds at Deepcut Barracks joined relatives whose loved

  • More advice from the style police

    Following the success of What Not To Wear, style gurus Trinny and Susannah are back with a new book. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports. WE all do it - open a wardrobe full of clothes, spend ages rooting around, try things on, discard a few outfits

  • Red alert as foresters plant obstacle in way of grey tide

    FORESTRY officials are sprucing up Europe's largest man-made woodland to provide a protected haven for the endangered red squirrel in the North-East. Plans to plant stretches of oak trees to contrast the vast expanse of conifers in the 155,000-acre Kielder

  • Why village has caught Fame bug

    IT'S not very often that the atmosphere in a North village is crackling with tension - but that was before Fame Academy. When the BBC's show is on the air, there's barely a TV in the North York Moors community of Castleton that is not tuned to the gruelling

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: So who's the real blunderer?

    BY any standard, the Liberal Democrats' victory at the Brent East by-election was a notable political achievement. For Ian Duncan Smith to describe the success as a "strategic blunder" smacks of a Conservative leader clutching at straws to salvage some

  • Lifesavers to receive official accolade

    CREW members from the international "mercy ship" M/V Anastasis will tomorrow receive a civic greeting as part of their stay in the North-East. The international lifesavers have been playing host to thousands of schoolchildren and other visitors since

  • Bonne de Fleur is the Smart choice

    BRYAN SMART had to sit and suffer while his horses weren't running too well during mid-summer, but patience is a great virtue when it comes to training thoroughbreds and thankfully the winners are once again beginning flow for the Sutton Bank-based handler

  • Youngsters use art to beat litter

    YOUNGSTERS are using their artistic skills to persuade people to not drop litter. Children and teenagers were given the challenge of designing posters to encourage residents and visitors to Guisborough to keep the town tidy. The competition was organised

  • Distracted Mowden pay the penalty for progress

    THE price of progress is that Darlington Mowden Park will place a bigger premium on next Saturday's first national league derby than on what is now an annual flirtation with the Powergen Cup. When they had to win the Durham Cup to get into the national

  • Bonne de Fleur is the Smart choice

    BRYAN SMART had to sit and suffer while his horses weren't running too well during mid-summer, but patience is a great virtue when it comes to training thoroughbreds and thankfully the winners are once again beginning flow for the Sutton Bank-based handler

  • News in brief: Trust in search for Santa Claus

    DURHAM Wildlife Trust is looking for people to play Father Christmas during December to help raise money for its conservation and education work. The trust manages a wildlife garden at Strikes Garden Centre, in Lambton Park, Chester-le-Street, and runs

  • Weekend TV: Haven't we seen this before, dear?

    Margery And Gladys (ITV1): Tony Robinson's Romans (C4): FIRST, Rosemary And Thyme. Now, Margery And Gladys. Do I detect a trend here - one for taking two senior actresses and pairing them up as TV odd couples? You can just hear producers thinking: "That

  • Lots of bottle . . .

    TENS of thousands of fun runners can look back on the 2003 Great North Run with added pride after taking part in a record-breaking feat. Paula Radcliffe's world best time for the half-marathon was described as "the cherry on the cake" by delighted organisers

  • Blaydon bow out to battling Tynedale

    BLAYDON'S winning start to the season ended with an 11-7 defeat in their Powergen Cup second round tie at Tynedale. It was a bruising derby and the dubious reward for Tynedale is a trip to Nuneaton, who topped National Three North last season and won

  • Radcliffe hits new high with Great North Run joy

    SUPERWOMAN Paula Radcliffe devastated her rivals as she set a new world half marathon best time in yesterday's BUPA Great North Run. The 29-year-old clocked 65 mins 40 secs - four seconds quicker than the previous best, run on a faster course in Lisbon

  • Neighbours raise objection over hotel expansion plans

    A PLAN by millionaire businessman Duncan Bannatyne to expand a Darlington hotel is being recommended for approval by council officers, despite objections. The Grade II-listed Grange Hotel, in the town's Southend Avenue, was acquired by the chairman of

  • Radcliffe hits new high with Great North Run joy

    SUPERWOMAN Paula Radcliffe devastated her rivals as she set a new world half marathon best time in yesterday's BUPA Great North Run. The 29-year-old clocked 65 mins 40 secs - four seconds quicker than the previous best, run on a faster course in Lisbon

  • £400m 'lost' to aviation industry

    THE North-East is missing out on nearly £400m each year because of tax breaks and subsidies given to the aviation industry, Friends of the Earth claimed last night. The environmental group called on the Government to make the industry pay its own way

  • Queen of the jungle

    I HAVE returned from my all too brief tropical sojourn. To be precise though, I was in a sub-tropical destination. I was chasing big game in the rocky outcrops and arid scrubs in South Africa's Kruger game reserve. Every day was filled with a million

  • Haven't we seen this before, dear?

    Margery And Gladys (ITV1): Tony Robinson's Romans (C4): FIRST, Rosemary And Thyme. Now, Margery And Gladys. Do I detect a trend here - one for taking two senior actresses and pairing them up as TV odd couples? You can just hear producers thinking: "That

  • £5,000 grant aid for school

    Bishop Middleham CE Aided Primary School is celebrating a £5,000 grant from the National Lottery's Awards for All programme. "The school is delighted to receive the award, which will allow the provision of after-school fitness opportunities," said headteacher

  • Rescue team seeks cadets

    A SEARCH and rescue team is looking for young people to join its cadet group. Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team is one of the few mountain rescue teams in the country which runs a cadet group. Cadets, who must be aged between 16 and 18, take

  • Wet weather fails to dampen show crowd's enthusiasm

    THE weather could have been kinder, but Eggleston Show still managed to draw the crowds at the weekend. Despite a constant drizzle, visitors to one of the last agricultural shows of the season enjoyed the many attractions. The marquees and tents were

  • District councils to share services

    THREE district councils are joining forces to share services, in a measure which is expected to offer significant savings. Durham city, Easington and Sedgefield councils will outline the partnership project later this week. Under the title the South East

  • News in brief: Challenge to snappers

    AMATEUR photographers are being invited to capture the regeneration of their community on film. About £45m of Single Regeneration Budget money is being spent on run-down areas in County Durham for environmental, educational and community-based projects

  • Care homes scheme to be debated

    PROPOSALS to build two care homes in Darlington are to go before borough councillors for consideration this week. St Martins Care has submitted plans to Darlington Borough Council, seeking permission for the development on the site of the vacant Lawns

  • Bad day for rats as control charges are scrapped

    CHARGES for rodent control are to be scrapped by Hambleton district councillors. Their decision, which comes into force immediately, follows fears that the charges have deterred people from seeking help. The controversial £25 charge was introduced on

  • Record day at stables benefits charities

    RECORD crowds at this year's Middleham Stables Open Day raised the event's best ever amount for good causes. Eleven charities have benefited from more than £20,000 that was raised. Richmond MP and former Tory party leader William Hague presented the cheques

  • News in brief: Invitation to health meeting

    PATIENTS and staff are invited to attend the annual meeting of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust. The meeting will take place at 12.30pm, on Friday, in the boardroom at the University Hospital of Hartlepool. It will highlight the work carried out

  • Crowds ignore rain to make show a success

    TORRENTIAL rain failed to deter 14,000 people from visiting the 131st Stokesley Show at the weekend. Organisers were delighted with the increased number of entrants, especially in the sheep and cattle sections, and the return of the goat section and sheep

  • Youngsters use art to beat litter

    YOUNGSTERS are using their artistic skills to persuade people to not drop litter. Children and teenagers were given the challenge of designing posters to encourage residents and visitors to Guisborough to keep the town tidy. The competition was organised

  • Squirrel gives big support to road message

    A SIX-FOOT squirrel helped promote the message about road safety. Safety Squirrel, Middlesbrough's road safety mascot, took part in the launch of Brake Road Safety Week in Captain Cook's Square, on Saturday. The annual event emphasises the need for safe

  • Consultants support major improvement to busy road

    HOPES of improvements to one of the busiest trunk roads in North Yorkshire have been given a boost. Consultants have completed an in-depth study into the A64 on behalf of a group of regional partners. They concluded there was a case for improvements which

  • News in brief: Riders' date at Herriot venue

    CYCLISTS raising money for veterinary charities are due to make a stop-off in Thirsk today. The nine riders, all taking part in the Tour de Vets, will call at the World of James Herriot visitor centre half-way through a 420-mile ride between London and

  • Victorian theatre's new use as first cinema

    A SEASIDE town is to open its first cinema. Saltburn Community and Arts Association has borrowed equipment from Northern Film and Media but is hoping to obtain funding for a permanent cinema at the Saltburn Community Theatre, in Windsor Road. Arts developer

  • Update on bid to transform recreation ground

    COUNCILLORS will this week discuss the progress of a bid that aims to develop footballing opportunities at a recreation ground. Earlier this year, Hartlepool Borough Council agreed a draft plan for Grayfields after talks with local residents and sporting

  • Stage is set for partnership's annual event

    AN evening of entertainment is planned to highlight issues affecting Hartlepool. Interactive displays and stage performances are included in the annual general meeting of The Hartlepool Partnership. The partnership was set up in 1999 to bring together

  • Appeal over festive plan

    THIRSK market place could be turned into a winter wonderland for Christmas next year. Plans have been unveiled to transform the area by creating a skating rink, snow slope, craft marquees and food halls. It is estimated that the scheme to attract more

  • Gipsy 'horse flashing' to go ahead after police lift ban

    THE gipsy tradition of "horse flashing" at Yarm Fair has been saved following the decision to lift a ban imposed last year. Gipsies have ridden their horses along High Street for centuries to show off the animals prior to the sales. The Cleveland Police

  • Boost for young players

    THE days of putting down jumpers for goal posts are over for football-mad youngsters at a village primary school. Players at Esh Laude RC Primary School, in Esh, near Durham, were yesterday using new goals mounted at the village playing field. The youngsters

  • News in brief: Trust in search for Santa Claus

    DURHAM Wildlife Trust is looking for people to play Father Christmas during December to help raise money for its conservation and education work. The trust manages a wildlife garden at Strikes Garden Centre, in Lambton Park, Chester-le-Street, and runs

  • Energy that doesn't cost the earth

    As Energy Efficiency Week gets underway, Christen Pears finds out how far one couple have gone to make their home more environmentally friendly. WHILE most people have a satellite dish on the side of their houses, Alice Wood has a solar panel. There's