I'M glad that more people are keeping the two minutes silence, not only on Remembrance Sunday, but at eleven o'clock on Armistice Day itself - which is today of course. When I was growing up in Leeds, the whole city used to come to a dignified halt at
Rod's Girls (five) Absolute Power (BBC2) VERY early on, Rod's Girls abandoned any pretension of being a serious examination of Rod Stewart's love life, when one of his many girlfriends declared: "He talked to my nipples, that's what he liked". I don't
CYCLE patrols for special constables are being set up in Thornaby in an innovative bid to tackle anti-social behaviour. Last month, a grandmother told The Northern Echo she feared she could have been killed after youths threw a lump of paving slab at
TWO hundred and forty women in the region are to be told they face an increased risk of breast cancer after radiotherapy. In some cases, this risk factor has increased by a third. But experts stress that the women will not necessarily develop breast cancer
North-East bands are being given the chance to perform outside their home towns under a new scheme. The Transit initiative, run by music agency Generator and funded by the Arts Council, aims to give unsigned groups a taste of touring and performing in
SUPPORTERS of Bellefleur (3.50) have every right to believe she will be in full bloom at Sedgefield today. Malcolm Jefferson has entered his six-year-old in the closing Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle, a very weak contest which will not take much winning.
THE ENGLISH IT would be difficult to assemble a more heterogeneous mass of errors, inaccuracies and myths than CT Riley manages to in his letter (HAS, Nov 3) about the supposed ethnicity of the English people. Firstly, the English are not a 'mongrel'
Sunderland Football Club today expressed its disappointment at the decision of the Secretary of State to reject revised plans for its visionary Academy of Light at Whitburn. Appeals were made in September 2002, and the proposals were considered at a public
Yorkshireman and former schools inspector Gervase Phinn talks to Steve Pratt about his lastest book and his enduring love of his birthplace. THAT very morning, Gervase Phinn had gone down to Sandsend beach and sat on a seat overlooking the deserted beach
MICHAEL RICKETTS has received a dubious reward for scoring his first goal of the season - extra training. Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren wants Ricketts, who struck in Saturday's win at Aston Villa, to step up his return to full fitness before the
I'M glad that more people are keeping the two minutes silence, not only on Remembrance Sunday, but at eleven o'clock on Armistice Day itself - which is today of course. When I was growing up in Leeds, the whole city used to come to a dignified halt at
SIR BOBBY ROBSON believes Newcastle United defender Jonathan Woodgate is still a big part of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans. The £10m centre-back made a successful return to action for the reserves last night from the double hernia operation
A WOMAN was in a critical condition last night after a fire at her home in the early hours of yesterday. The 53-year-old housewife, who has not been named, managed to wake her husband, who called the emergency services, and alert their 16-year-old son
AN organisation set up to support soldiers in the Gulf is appealing for help over Christmas. The Support Our Soldiers team is about to embark on a nationwide pack and wrap project and intends to send out as many care packages as possible. Each package
A JUDGE yesterday branded a burglar "a drug-crazed idiot". Teesside Crown Court heard that Kevin Coxon, a heroin addict, could not remember raiding a house in Billingham but he admitted doing it because his fingerprints were found. Judge David Bryant
TWO teenagers will appear in court this week after police made a string of arrests over alleged racist chanting at a football match. The youths, aged 15 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were arrested at Sunderland's match with Coventry at
PETER Gregory, Bowey Construction chairman, is to step down at the end of the month after helping steer the company through the greatest period of change since its formation nearly 100 years ago. Mr Gregory was appointed chairman at a time when the decision
STUDENTS sampled life at sea with the Royal Navy yesterday as the last warship built in the North-East strengthened its ties with the region. HMS Richmond, built at the Swan Hunter yard on the Tyne, has been docked at Newcastle Quayside to enable the
MORE than 700 people braved the cold to wave goodbye last night as the world famous replica James Cook's ship, HM Bark Endeavour, sailed out of Middlesbrough. The vessel made a three-week visit to the Tees town to mark the 275th anniversary of the birthday
A 17-YEAR-OLD girl is recovering after being subjected to a serious indecent assault. A police spokesman said the victim was attacked as she walked along Simonside Avenue, toward the main road junction of Churchill Street, Wallsend, North Tyneside, at
Lifeboatmen rescued an injured man from a boat which was adrift in the North Sea last night. Alerted at about 5.45pm, Tynemouth Inshore Lifeboat rescued the man, who was in his 40s, from a boat off the coast of South Shields. He was taken to South Shields
A SCHOOL caretaker who has dedicated 38 years of his life to Sunday league football, is to receive a long-service award. Derek Pratt, 63, from Durham, started out in 1965 managing, coaching and even paying the bus fares for many of the players with Durham
THREE young singers from the North-East have won prizes in a national talent competition. Sarah Warbey, 15, from Darlington, and Christopher Mitchell, 17, from Durham, won the duet section of the Festival 4 Stars in Glasgow. The teenagers, who sang Last
VILLAGERS fighting to save an historic mill chimney have lost their battle after demolition contractors were given the go-ahead to move in. The 150-year-old Wilford's Mill chimney in Brompton, near Northallerton, is to be demolished on safety grounds,
FIVE police officers armed with CS gas subdued a man who had acted as a peacemaker in a confrontation between gangs of youths, a court heard yesterday. Peter Scott, prosecuting, told Harrogate magistrates how Paul Semple turned violent on a night out
CYCLE patrols for special constables are being set up in Thornaby in an innovative bid to tackle anti-social behaviour. Last month, a grandmother told The Northern Echo she feared she could have been killed after youths threw a lump of paving slab at
THE fragility of the world airline market was highlighted yesterday by a double dose of bad news. British Airways, long hailed as the premier carrier, revealed pre-tax profits in the six months to September 30 had slumped to £60m from £310m. The trading
A SERVICE to help male victims of domestic violence has received a £5,000 National Lottery grant. The Cockerton and Branksome Living Enterprise (Cable) service in Darlington has received the money from the Awards for All scheme. David Regan, who also
PUPILS at a Darlington school have beaten a challenge set by their headteacher. Karen Pemberton, headteacher at Eastbourne Comprehensive School, asked pupils to fill 100 boxes with Christmas gifts for orphanages in Georgia, Bosnia and the Czech Republic
A LOVABLE dog who has captured the hearts of charity and kennel workers is in need of a new home. Alfie, a Bedlington terrier cross breed, was handed to North-East Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue when a change in personal circumstances meant his owner could
A FAMILY centre has expanded its range of services by introducing a pre-school group. The group was launched at the Lighthouse Family Centre, in School Aycliffe, yesterday. Geoff Walvin, of the Harvest Christian Bookshop, in Darlington Arts Centre, performed
A FAMILY centre has expanded its range of services by introducing a pre-school group. The group was launched at the Lighthouse Family Centre, in School Aycliffe, yesterday. Geoff Walvin, of the Harvest Christian Bookshop, in Darlington Arts Centre, performed
THE first two toxic Ghost Fleet ships were being towed up the English Channel last night despite a fierce battle to keep them out of Britain. The decommissioned US navy vessels, Canopus and Caloosahatchee, which are heading for Hartlepool, are due arrive
THREE masked robbers - one armed with a pair of scissors - fled with a quantity of money after holding up a fast food restaurant. A police spokesman said robbers struck at McDonald's drive-through in Washington, Wearside, at 9.20pm on Saturday. The spokesman
VISITORS to a Hartlepool museum will be able to see one of the world's greatest cultural and religious treasures on display. A top quality facsimile copy of the Lindisfarne Gospels, created in the early 700s, has gone on view at the Museum of Hartlepool
TESCO has recruited a secret agent in an attempt to corner the Christmas shopping market. Nagging pensioner Dotty, the face of Tesco, has teamed up with actor Sir Roger Moore, best known for playing secret agent James Bond, for the supermarket's festive
SUPPORTERS of Bellefleur (3.50) have every right to believe she will be in full bloom at Sedgefield today. Malcolm Jefferson has entered his six-year-old in the closing Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle, a very weak contest which will not take much winning.
THE CLOUGH factor has given Hartlepool United the opportunity to end their live TV jinx. Pool's FA Cup second round tie at Burton Albion - managed by Nigel Clough, son of Brian - will be played on Sunday, December 7, televised on BBC1 at 1pm. And after
For the past month, residents in a North-East village have been bemused by the appearance of secret agents apparently reconnoitring for a VIP visit. But, as Andrew White discovered, no one is saying for certain if the President is really planning to drop
John Pulling's first visit to a soccer match led him to a career as a football hooligan. Now a reformed character, he has written a book about his experiences. Neil Hunter reports. IT was July 19, 1966, and the country was in the grip of World Cup fever
GARETH SOUTHGATE has never threatened to follow Alan Shearer's lead and retire from international football, despite being snubbed on a regular basis by Sven Goran Eriksson. This morning the experienced Middlesbrough skipper will perhaps feel his decision
IN the decorative capacity for which the column is understandably and rightly renowned, we had been the guest speaker in May at Weardale Flower Club's golden jubilee dinner. The theme was of considering the lilies of the field - how they grow - the meal
A MAJOR police operation has been hailed a success only two weeks after it was launched, officers said last night. Operation Ratcatcher is designed to encourage people in North Yorkshire to inform on criminals in their area. Since the campaign was launched
You know what they say about great moments in sport? On Sunday they lasted about 20 seconds. That was how long elapsed between Shildon pulling Notts County back to 3-2 and County scoring their fourth, the time that the club now in administration feared
A TWIN died after the car he was driving crashed into a wall and overturned, an inquest heard yesterday. Lee Winspear, 23, from New Skelton, near Saltburn, was driving a Skoda Favorit on Stanghow Road, between Skelton and Lingdale, on February 24, when
US duties on imported steel introduced last year are illegal under international trade rules, a World Trade Organisation appeals panel ruled. The officials said the panel upheld the major findings of a July ruling, issued following a complaint from the
Seasonal moulding operative, Newton Aycliffe, £5.36 per hour, 11.30pm to 8am Monday to Friday. Must have good hand and eye co-ordination. Experience preferred but training available. Ref: NEU 17854. Fork lift truck driver, Newton Aycliffe, £5.90 to £6.23
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. HGV Class 1 driver. £260pw, 50hrs pw, Mon-Fri. Required for nationwide deliveries. Must be 25-plus with three to five years' Class 1 experience. Some overnight stops
THERE were calls for an inquiry yesterday after a murderer and child-beater was given a council house in the North-East. Neighbours of Brian Murphy called for him to be evicted after learning of his violent past. Police say they told Newcastle City Council's
New Darlington manager David Hodgson last night warned fans there is no quick fix. Hodgson spent most of yesterday in his office, where he revealed, after a day of phone calls, he was "in the process" of making his first addition since taking over from
Rod's Girls (five): Absolute Power (BBC2): VERY early on, Rod's Girls abandoned any pretension of being a serious examination of Rod Stewart's love life, when one of his many girlfriends declared: "He talked to my nipples, that's what he liked". I don't
You know what they say about great moments in sport? On Sunday they lasted about 20 seconds. That was how long elapsed between Shildon pulling Notts County back to 3-2 and County scoring their fourth, the time that the club now in administration feared
RISING STAR Ashlea Pearson will be pushing her vocal skills to the limit when she appears in concert later this month. The talented 13-year-old has arranged a charity concert for Children in Need and will be singing for two hours when she appears at the
PETER Gregory, Bowey Construction chairman, is to step down at the end of the month after helping steer the company through the greatest period of change since its formation nearly 100 years ago. Mr Gregory was appointed chairman at a time when the decision
PROPERTY development and investment company Terrace Hill Group has completed its first major residential investment deal on Tyneside with a £4.61m transaction. The acquisition of Sallyport House, in City Road, Newcastle, gives Terrace Hill 43 freehold
CONSTRUCTION is under way on the redevelopment of Queens Park, the 225,000sq ft office and industrial development by UK Land Estates in the heart of Team Valley. The redevelopment of the 12-acre former Ingersoll Rand headquarters is being undertaken by
SHE may have left her bandmates behind, but chart-topper Beyonce proved she was just as good on her own when she played the North-East on Sunday night. The singer, part of three-girl group Destiny's Child, showed off her stunning vocal talents in a stage
MORE than £7.5m in fines issued by courts in the North-East last year was never collected. It means that offenders escaped with not paying 37.6 per cent of the £20.05m they were ordered to hand over by magistrates across the region. The worst area for
MORE than 200 people turned out to see a group of young people stage a community talent contest. It is the second year that Auckland Youth and Community Centre, in Woodhouse Close, have held the contest, which was the idea of young people living on the
A COUNTY Durham MP has stepped in to try to resolve the dispute over the closure of Teesdale's only JobCentre. Derek Foster, MP for Bishop Auckland, has arranged a meeting with officials from the Department of Work and Pensions, and officers and members
Cancer charity Macmillan is appealing for volunteers to help with its gift wrapping service next month. A team from the charity gift wraps presents bought at The Bridges shopping centre, in Sunderland, in exchange for a donation from shoppers. The event
THE controversial restructuring of Durham Police was hailed as a positive step for the county by the force's new area commanders yesterday. Chief Superintendents Michael Banks and Derek Hall said the decision to get rid of the constabulary's six divisions
THE controversial restructuring of Durham Police was hailed as a positive step for the county by the force's new area commanders yesterday. Chief Superintendents Michael Banks and Derek Hall said the decision to get rid of the constabulary's six divisions
A meeting of Hartlepool's Central Area Police and Community Safety Forum will take place in committee room B of Hartlepool Civic Centre, on Thursday, at 10am. Among the items on the agenda are a presentation on security and by-laws in parks, plus updates
PUPILS are celebrating after receiving an award for keeping fit and healthy. Roseberry Junior School, Billingham, won the Sport England Activemark award. It is valid for three years and was awarded to the school for the different after-school activities
THE controversial restructuring of Durham Police was hailed as a positive step for the county by the force's new area commanders yesterday. Chief Superintendents Michael Banks and Derek Hall said the decision to get rid of the constabulary's six divisions
SHOPPERS were given the chance yesterday to see how difficult it is for traders to gauge the age of young people at a Redcar supermarket. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's trading standards unit displayed six photos of people, each with the choice
A PUB landlord is asking regulars to sign a pledge to say they will spend more time with their families. Robert Middlemiss, landlord of the Church Mouse, in Chester-le-Street, said he had noticed that families with grown-up children were less likely to
A READING challenge for youngsters proved to be a resounding success. A total of 57 children started the Reading Maze challenge at the library and information centre in Great Ayton and 52 of them completed it. They were all presented with their certificates
STUDENTS sampled life at sea with the Royal Navy yesterday as the last warship built in the North-East strengthened its ties with the region. HMS Richmond, built at the Swan Hunter yard on the Tyne, has been docked at Newcastle Quayside to enable the
FIRE crews used heart massage to save a dog after it fell in the River Wear. Residents reported the dog in trouble at about 9.30pm on Sunday in Gill Road, Sunderland. A spokeswoman for Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade said: "A firefighter secured by a rope
THE Friarage Hospital in Northallerton has received a £1,000 donation from RAF Leeming's mechanical transport (MT) section. The RAF team won the money after putting their footballing skills to the test at last year's annual RAF driver's football tournament
THE widow of a Darlington magistrate has raised more than £3,000 for charity by running the New York Marathon. Mother-of-two Melanie Albrighton, whose husband Ken died from cancer last November, aged 49, finished the race in under four and a half hours
NEIGHBOURS have paid tribute to a woman who died alone in her flat, days before she was discovered by her brother. Madeline Wiper, 45, was found dead at her home in Pierremont Crescent, Darlington, on Friday. She was last seen alive on Sunday, November
A FOREIGN musician is set to appear before a North-East court to face charges of assault after three women claimed he had given them Aids. The man, from Malawi, is set to appear before a judge at Teesside Crown Court today. Cleveland Police said he had
DERELICT land turned into a community garden has been opened by Durham's Mayor Ray Gibbon. The 12-acre Welfare Site allotments near St Agatha's Close, in Brandon, was used by flytippers for several years until it was bought by Brandon Allotments Ltd.
MYSTERY surrounds the death of a keen mountain cyclist whose body was found at the bottom of an 80ft high cliff, an inquest was told. The inquest, in Middlesbrough, heard that the day before Peter Brown, 37, was discovered at Highcliff, above Guisborough
Lecturers at a North-East university yesterday began taking industrial action over the threat of compulsory redundancies. Tutors at the University of Sunderland have decided to work to rule, boycotting administrative duties, and will go on a one-day strike
THE victims of a knife and an alleged CS gas attack have criticised the Crown Prosecution Service, claiming: "Justice has not been done." They are furious that a schoolgirl involved was charged with two minor assaults instead of more serious offences
POLICE chiefs last night described fears for public safety over a bitter on-going feud between two rival North-East gangs. Violent clashes between members of the travelling community, dubbed the "Hawkers" , and town centre drinkers known as "Townies"
A JUDGE yesterday branded a burglar "a drug-crazed idiot". Teesside Crown Court heard that Kevin Coxon, a heroin addict, could not remember raiding a house in Billingham but he admitted doing it because his fingerprints were found. Judge David Bryant
VOLUNTEERS at a community centre have created an arts and crafts centre for people with dementia. Charity workers at The Clevearc Training Centre, in Stockton's Maritime Road, have created the facility after receiving £5,000 of DIY products. The equipment
A SEARCH is on for two people to perform the opening ceremony for a restored bridge put out of action after it was partially washed away three years ago. Someone representing the young members of the community and an elderly resident are being sought
KEY members of North Yorkshire County Council have paid a fact-finding visit to Catterick Garrison. They wanted to learn about developments planned at the Army base and how these would impact on the services provided by the county council. Developments
PETER REID was last night sacked for the second time in just 13 months as Leeds United brought his disastrous reign at Elland Road to an end. Reid, axed by Sunderland in October 2002, paid the price for Leeds's terrible start for the season that culminated
A SCHOOL must raise standards in three core subjects and improve attendance levels, Government Ofsted inspectors have said. Bader Primary and Nursery School, in Thornaby, gives children a solid educational foundation, the inspectors' report noted. However
THE thousands of people who die on the nation's roads each year are to be remembered at a service in one of the region's cathedrals. Relatives and friends of road victims will be joined by the men and women of the emergency services who attend the devastating
AFTER only four days in his new post, it is perhaps too early to pass judgement on Michael Howard's tenure as party leader. But it is fair to suggest that, in announcing his shadow ministerial team, he had the opportunity to begin making his own distinctive
IN the decorative capacity for which the column is understandably and rightly renowned, we had been the guest speaker in May at Weardale Flower Club's golden jubilee dinner. The theme was of considering the lilies of the field - how they grow - the meal
CONSERVATION experts have gone underground to spend a "nuclear winter" restoring a relic from the Cold War. English Heritage is spending £250,000 turning a partly subterranean atomic bunker into what is likely to be the region's most bizarre visitor attraction
THOUSANDS of North-East pop fans were left disappointed last night, after US star Christina Aguilera cancelled her first concert in the region on doctor's orders. The 22-year-old singer was due to perform before a sell-out crowd of 7,000 at the Telewest
A CHARITY which offers sanctuary for exotic animals is trying to raise funds to seek a court injunction against its eviction from its rented property. Peter Heathcote, chief executive of the Exotic Animal and Welfare Trust, said his curator was barred
HUNGARIAN striker Peter Kovacs wants to use his Sunderland trial to prove he can help the club rediscover their goalscoring touch, wrties Steven Baker. Sunderland's promotion campaign has suffered in recent weeks as they have scored just once in their
PROPERTY development and investment company Terrace Hill Group has completed its first major residential investment deal on Tyneside with a £4.61m transaction. The acquisition of Sallyport House, in City Road, Newcastle, gives Terrace Hill 43 freehold
NORTH-EAST sea cadets will be trained in shipshape fashion thanks to a £30,000 grant. Newcastle Building Society will give the cash over the next three years to the North of England Cadet Forces Trust, which serves sea cadet corps, Army cadet corps and
A TOWN is being switched on to broadband internet tomorrow following a campaign by residents. People living in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, will be able to access the high-speed internet connection when BT upgrades the telephone exchange. Vale of York
A WITNESS who saw a car shortly before it hit and killed a pensioner said it was "an accident waiting to happen". The inquest into the hit-and-run death, which brought calls for a change in the law, opened yesterday with two men once arrested over the
A LIFEBOAT was launched in record time to save a drowning man. Whitby's inshore lifeboat was mobilised to rescue the man, who was in difficulties in the town's harbour. He had broken both legs, but did not realise it at the time because the water was
