A VICTORIAN Christmas fair is being held to mark the opening of the Argos distribution centre in Darlington. The 737,000sq ft distribution centre at the Faverdale East Business Park, which opened last month, is home to Argos Direct - the firm's home delivery
SATURDAY at 3pm may not mean a game of football to everyone, just ask Ben Clark. Middlesbrough may play at every time bar the time-honoured slot and the Hartlepool United midfielder has been in the same boat. This weekend was the first time since August
A YOUNG show jumper will train with an equestrian legend next year after impressing coaches at her local club. Courtney Downey, 11, from Bishop Auckland, will receive tuition from David Broom, a show jumping champion of the 1960s, and compete in a short
BOTH Darlington teams will be licking their wounds ahead of Saturday's derby at Blackwell Meadows after being disrupted by injuries in heavy weekend defeats, writes Tim Wellock. Mowden Park will be hoping to have Danny Brown and Eni Gisende back from
PROMISING rugby players from a school had the chance to get their hands on some silverware when Welsh rugby legend Ieuan Evans visited with the RBS Six Nations Championship Trophy. The former Llanelli player is touring schools across the country, and
THERE were six years between them when Nora and Thomas Edgecombe began courting. Now, there are 50 years between them... and counting. Mrs Edgecombe was 16 when she agreed to go out with Thomas, then 22, but the couple celebrated their golden wedding
PARENTS of a desperately ill baby say they remain confident a donor can be found in the next nine days. The parents of five-month-old Lennox Nicholson are keeping a vigil at their son's side in the hope a liver donor can be found. Simon Nicholson, 21,
Tourist railway bosses will this week appeal for funding to link a line to the national rail network. Wensleydale Railway directors will hold talks with representatives from the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward. The company will appeal for
LIAM Lawrence has launched a players' rearguard in defence of under pressure Mick McCarthy insisting the manager's position 'shouldn't even be questioned'. Despite a record of ten straight defeats, nine in the Premier League, the Sunderland boss still
AN event at which all good men must come to the aid of the clarty, the 100th North Eastern Counties cross country championship takes place this weekend. Since the first in 1894, celebrated winners have included Brendan Foster, Steve Cram, Jim Alder -
A TEES trader is the first businessman in Cleveland to be issued with an injunction, after more than 70 complaints from customers. Michael Tolliday has been given the court order and told to pay costs of more than £2,700 after his business, Sofa Studio
TEESPORT owner PD Ports is backing a takeover bid from Australian investor Babcock and Brown, it emerged at the weekend. The owner of the Tees and Hartlepool ports has recommended its shareholders accept an offer of 150p a share, valuing the Middlesbrough-based
AN amazed Chris Riggott last night hit out at the sending off decision that has tarnished his reputation and cost him a place in the Middlesbrough starting line-up for next Sunday's visit of Tottenham. The honest and reliable defender was shown the red
VOLUNTEERS from across the North gave blood samples yesterday in a scientific study searching for traces of the region's Viking legacy. Willing volunteers from across the region and the Scottish Borders gathered at Newcastle's Centre for Life to help
POTENTIAL recruits to meet a district's shortfall of GPs are travelling to the North-East from Germany and Poland on a visit this week. Easington Primary Care Trust hopes up to four of the doctors will be prepared to return to work full-time to fill vacant
WE said last week that David Cameron has made a promising start as Tory leader. And yesterday's ICM poll suggests that the country agrees, with Mr Cameron's election giving the Conservatives a two per cent lead over Labour. He is likely to build on that
IF Steve McClaren offers Rafael Benitez a glass of his finest red wine whenever his Spanish friend pays a visit, it is fair to assume referee Steve Bennett will not be afforded a similar act of hospitality on his future trips to Teesside. On the two occasions
CHRISTMAS shoppers in County Durham are to be given a larger-than-life lesson on recycling while out on their buying sprees. During the run-up to December 25 recycling messages are to be projected onto the walls of supermarkets and prominent buildings
A VICTORIAN Christmas fair is being held to mark the opening of the Argos distribution centre in Darlington. The 737,000sq ft distribution centre at the Faverdale East Business Park, which opened last month, is home to Argos Direct - the firm's home delivery
A THUG who beat a soldier so savagely he was left brain damaged has failed in a bid to have his prison sentence reduced. Corporal Scott Halliday, 26, of the Green Howards, was paralysed down his right side after his head was kicked, stamped and jumped
EXILED Tynesider David Wardle held off a desperate late challenge to win a thrilling 100th North East Cross Country Championship at Bishop Auckland. The 30-year-old graphic designer, wearing the colours of his adopted club, London Irish, drew on all his
IT was ironic that, after colliding with Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann midway through Saturday's 1-0 win, Scott Parker was forced to soldier on without one of his teeth. For once, on a night that bristled with intensity, Newcastle's performance had
GLOBAL warming will increase the risk of floods, droughts and fires in the region, experts have warned. Officials say cities including York will face more flooding as sea levels rise. Higher temperatures will increase the risk of water shortages and moorland
FOR Mick McCarthy, the next 72 hours will be the longest and undoubtedly most testing time of his Sunderland managerial reign. No games against Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal to come, or impending board meetings to discuss the current plight at
There is little doubt that crime can have serious financial consequences for its victims. From the uninsured victim of property crime who cannot afford to replace stolen possessions, to a victim of violent crime whose injuries prevent them working, or
BERT Bossu may have had more than his fair share of criticism this season, but Darlington had their French goalkeeper to thank after Saturday's 3-0 win at Stockport County, writes Lee Hall. Bossu had previously conceded 15 goals in seven appearances for
The Weakest Link (BBC1) The Real Patron Saints (C4) Perfect Day (five) WHAT a shock. I don't mean James and Camilla being knocked out of Strictly Come Dancing. Or even Brenda being voted off The X Factor. No, I'm referring to Basil Brush winning the pantomime
A SKIPPER has told how he was seconds away from death after his boat mysteriously sank off the North-East coast. Experienced fisherman Stephen Horsley said he had prepared himself for the worst before fellow seafarers came to his rescue after the Norwood
A NORTH-EAST college has put its new sporting facilities to the test by hosting a regional badminton tournament. Players travelled to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, from Hartlepool, Guisborough, Scarborough, York and Huddersfield to
A piece of North-East railway history is to be restored to working order more than 20 years after it last puffed into action - but at a museum 250 miles from home. The Victorian steam locomotive, the sole surviving example of its type, has been hoisted
Henry Daly needs to find some new bedtime reading after Mighty Man produced a sensational late lunge to deny The Market Man in the ''Relkeel'' Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. After Moulin Riche crashed out at the fourth-last flight, having made a couple
PARENTS of a desperately ill baby say they remain confident a donor can be found in the next nine days. The parents of five-month-old Lennox Nicholson are keeping a vigil at their son's side in the hope a liver donor can be found. Simon Nicholson, 21,
STALLHOLDERS in a North Yorkshire town have complained about a rival indoor market. Northallerton Town Council allows traders to sell certain goods in the town hall on Wednesdays and Saturdays, both traditional market days. However, some market traders
CHRISTMAS shoppers in County Durham are to be given a larger-than-life lesson on recycling while out on their buying sprees. During the run-up to December 25 recycling messages are to be projected onto the walls of supermarkets and prominent buildings
COUNCILLORS have called for plans to merge Yorkshire's police forces to be scrapped. Members of Harrogate Borough Council voted unanimously to oppose the Government's proposal to merge North Yorkshire with West Yorkshire, or amalgamate the county into
A FAMILY mourning the anniversary of two brothers' deaths found the wreck of the boat they died on for sale on the Internet. Robert Temple, 34, and his brother, Brian Allison, 27, died when the fishing trawler Jan Denise II sank in the North Sea on November
A MULTI-PURPOSE sports facility was christened by scores of young hockey players from across the North-East yesterday. The all-weather sports pitch alongside Meadowfield Sports Centre, near Durham, was opened in a short ceremony before the hockey players
NEW laws will mean taxpayers in North Yorkshire paying more to dispose of rubbish, council chiefs say. Taxes paid by local authorities for waste sent to landfill will almost double in the next five years. Councils will also face fines of £150 per tonne
CHILDREN at a primary school have been hard at work putting the finishing touches to their annual Christmas show. About 90 children from Kelloe Primary School, on the outskirts of Durham City, are taking part in The Night Before Christmas. The children
A TEES trader is the first businessman in Cleveland to be issued with an injunction, after more than 70 complaints from customers. Michael Tolliday has been given the court order and told to pay costs of more than £2,700 after his business, Sofa Studio
FOUR charities have received donations from children on Teesside. Children at six primary schools, including Clavering, St John Vianney, St Bega's, Stranton, St Helen's and Lynnfield, in Hartlepool, have been collecting unwanted items that can be sold
INTERNET shoppers are being warned to be vigilant in the run-up to Christmas. Stockton Borough Council's trading standards officers surveyed 12 websites to make sure they complied with rules. Test purchases were made to ensure the sites' descriptions
PLOTS of land which were to be included in a series of controversial village land sales are no longer to go on the market. The two sites, in Witton Gilbert, near Durham, were among five identified by the city council as suitable for disposal. Other sites
PUPILS and staff from a primary school have won praise from education experts. Levendale Primary School, in Yarm, was congratulated by inspectors after its recent Ofsted inspection. The report on the school, which teaches 216 boys and girls aged three
AN "iconic" £26m extreme sports leisure centre could be built in the area. Plans for the leisure and watersports centre have been drawn up in the hope of filling a gap in the leisure and tourism market and bringing additional money to the area. Members
NEARLY a third of electric blankets tested by trading standards officers in Darlington have been found to be dangerous. Faulty blankets cause house fires and 97 per cent are caused by those that are more than ten years old. To try to prevent a tragedy
A BOOK chronicling the history of a North Yorkshire market town has been published. More than 70 people attended a reception to celebrate the launch of An Illustrated History of Ripon, by Maurice Taylor. Mr Taylor has lived in Ripon for more than 30 years
NOEL WILSON sends Lady Suesanne (1.10) to Wolverhampton with every chance of continuing the stable's recent revival. Wilson's wife, Nicki, was badly injured in a racecourse spill at Ripon during the summer, but all is now well and with the Malton yard
HOW do you say Happy Christmas in Bulgarian? What does a Frenchman eat for Christmas dinner and why were turkeys supplied with boots in Victorian times? All is revealed in a new book of festive trivia, Christmas Facts, Figures & Fun, by Cameron Brown
A SMALLER rival of car dealership Reg Vardy is lining up a £480m move to wreck an agreed takeover of the family-run group. The offer from Manchester-based Lookers for Vardy would trump a current deal from Pendragon, which is the largest of the three firms
THE groups have been drawn, the route to the final has been planned and England are being tipped by many to end 40 years of hurt and lift the World Cup in Germany 2006. Having been gifted the ideal first stage draw, where only Sweden should pose any sort
Bishop Auckland's misery at the bottom of the UniBond First Division continued with a 3-0 defeat at Kidsgrove on Saturday. Bishops have failed to win any of their last 11 league and cup games, and they are now seven points adrift of second bottom Warrington
BLAYDON leapfrogged back above Darlington and after last week's hiccup at Hull they confirmed that they have the strength to be serious promotion contenders in National Three North. Darlington can't match that depth and this was a harsh lesson for some
A homeless couple who suffered hardship while camping on a riverbank for seven months were given their best-ever Christmas present today - a roof over their heads. Kevin and Susan Howe, who lived in a tent beside the Tees at Barnard Castle, after being
DID somebody mention a crisis? When it comes to Darlington you just couldn't make it up. On the back of a run, which had seen Quakers record just two wins from 16 games, manager David Hodgson had bore the brunt of criticism from fans in recent weeks -
MYSTERY surrounds an old photograph showing hundreds of people witnessing a mock hanging outside a dales pub. The photograph was believed to have been taken in the early 1900s outside the then-Phoenix pub, in the market place at Stanhope, in Weardale,
SPACE CADETS: LIFE is full of disappointments and, for the majority, dreams will never come true, so people compromise until their life has little or no resemblance to that which they desired. Many will only experience such dreams on a karaoke at the
Conservationists today hailed the discovery of five different species of owl in new woodland areas of the region. Sightings of little owl, barn owl, tawny, short-eared and long-eared owls have been reported at Coatham Wood, near Stockton, and South Burdon
THE main waste recycling centre in Darlington will re-open today after undergoing a £750,000 revamp. The tip off Whessoe Road, run by Premier Waste Management, has been closed for two months while an extensive Government-funded refurbishment was carried
NEARLY a third of electric blankets tested by trading standards officers in Darlington have been found to be dangerous. Faulty blankets cause house fires and 97 per cent are caused by those that are more than ten years old. To try to prevent a tragedy
A PETITION has been set up to try and save a community resource centre set up to help a town recover from the loss of one of its major employers. The Shildon Centre faces closure after 20 years, after Durham County Council announced plans to withdraw
A PROJECT designed to help tackle the problems of homelessness in Darlington will be launched next week. Churches in the town - working with Darlington Borough Council, charity bosses and local traders - are offering a haven for people with nowhere to
SANTA CLAUS will be taking to the streets of Darlington this week, as the run-up to Christmas begins in earnest. The Bondgate Round Table's festive float is one of the highlights of the season in the town - and Santa has a busy schedule this year. His
A PROJECT designed to reverse social and economic decline in parts of Darlington has led to a number of initiatives being launched. The Local Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy aims to improve the lives of residents, with different groups working together
THE future of a doctors' surgery in the centre of Darlington is to come under the spotlight this week. Health chiefs are meeting to decide how to deal with the problems being faced by the Parkgate practice. Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) is to consider
FIREFIGHTERS were last night preparing to tackle a huge fire after a series of explosions ripped through an oil storage depot in what is thought to be the biggest blaze since the Second World War. Only two people were seriously injured among the 43 casualties
ANOTHER film documenting the heroism of a Second World War airman is to be produced, it has been announced. The Wartime Memories Project launched a DVD last week, charting the story of the campaign to honour Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski. A statue of
EFFORTS are under way to recover assets of crime from a fraudulent funeral director, who has admitted stealing money from the families of elderly people. Christopher Westcott, 51, is awaiting sentence in the New Year for theft of amounts between £1,125
The jury in the trial of a family GP accused of murdering three patients will retire tomorrow to consider its verdicts, a judge said today. Retired doctor Howard Martin, 71, denies murdering patients Frank Moss, 59, Stanley Weldon and Harry Gittins, both
FIFTY people were evacuated from their homes last night and a man was taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a commercial garage. The victim had been working in the garage when an oxyacetylene cylinder caught fire. He was taken to Sunderland Royal
DIVERS have found and raised a stolen car that was pushed into a river after a three-day search. Divers from Northumbria Police found the red Mazda 323 20ft down on Saturday afternoon after an extensive search of the River Tees. It was brought out of
MARTIN Scott was quick to pay tribute to his side after they defended a "horrible" scoreline. Goals from Steven Istead and Dean McDonald gave Hartlepool United a 2-0 lead over Bournemouth by half-time. And, despite the odd hairy moment after the visitors
MOTORISTS in the North-East who drive the morning after a heavy drinking session are to be targeted in Europe's biggest crackdown on drink-driving. Cleveland Police Assistant Chief Constable Adam Briggs, the UK's representative on the European network
In the new movie, The Family Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker sheds her Sex and the City bonds to play uptight character Meredith. She tells Steve Pratt how she likes to celebrate Christmas with her large family at home. As Carrie Bradshaw in TV's Sex And
DID somebody mention a crisis? When it comes to Darlington you just couldn't make it up. On the back of a run, which had seen Quakers record just two wins from 16 games, manager David Hodgson had bore the brunt of criticism from fans in recent weeks -
ALAN Shearer last night defended his aggressive style of play and told Arsene Wenger to look a little closer to home in the search for an overtly physical footballer. Wenger accused Shearer of over-stepping the mark in the aftermath of his side's 1-0
THOUSANDS of people flocked to a North-East harbour at the weekend to see the region's first Christmas boat parade. About 25 boats were decked out in fairy lights and covered in Christmas trees, climbing Santas and fake snow for the magical parade in
DURHAM racing driver Sean Gaffney hopes his acceleration through the world of motorsport will hit full throttle when he takes part in testing for the Spirit Formula Ford outfit next week. The 19-year-old began last season in the Avon Tyres Clubman Championship
WE said last week that David Cameron has made a promising start as Tory leader. And yesterday's ICM poll suggests that the country agrees, with Mr Cameron's election giving the Conservatives a two per cent lead over Labour. He is likely to build on that
A THUG who beat a soldier so savagely he was left brain damaged has failed in a bid to have his prison sentence reduced. Corporal Scott Halliday, 26, of the Green Howards, was paralysed down his right side after his head was kicked, stamped and jumped
AN appeal has gone out for unwanted holiday coins and notes to turn into funds for terminally ill people. Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond is hoping his fundraising appeal for the town's hospice will receive a big boost from the initiative by a businessman
DARLINGTON RA manager David Woodcock labelled Saturday's 4-1 home defeat by Penrith as "one of our worst ever performances" as they slipped further behind the promotion pack. The RA have made a good start to Northern League life, but they lost badly for
IF Steve McClaren offers Rafael Benitez a glass of his finest red wine whenever his Spanish friend pays a visit, it is fair to assume referee Steve Bennett will not be afforded a similar act of hospitality on his future trips to Teesside. On the two occasions
Crook Town want another home draw in the last 32 of the FA Vase after they demolished Ford Sports 8-2 at the Millfield on Saturday. Even though they conceded an early goal, Crook swept their opponents aside with a six-goal first half blast to put them
FIREFIGHTERS were last night preparing to tackle a huge fire after a series of explosions ripped through an oil storage depot in what is thought to be the biggest blaze since the Second World War. Only two people were seriously injured among the 43 casualties
MYSTERY surrounds an old photograph showing hundreds of people witnessing a mock hanging outside a dales pub. The photograph was believed to have been taken in the early 1900s outside the then-Phoenix pub, in the market place at Stanhope, in Weardale,
A teenager has left home with a convicted sex offender ten years her senior. Gemma Norman's worried parents begged the pregnant 16-year-old to leave Paul Turner after they discovered his sordid past. Turner, 27, originally from Cramlington, Northumberland
HELEN Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, is backing a campaign to tackle the levels of debt faced by disabled people. Disability charity Leonard Cheshire has produced a report, In the Balance, which highlights many factors that can contribute to disabled
FIVE ambulance drivers raised more than £1,000 for charity as they embarked upon a bicycle ride across the breadth of the country. The team, from Bishop Auckland ambulance station, cycled 140 miles from West Cumbria to the North Sea in only two days,
THE main waste recycling centre in Darlington will re-open today after undergoing a £750,000 revamp. The tip off Whessoe Road, run by Premier Waste Management, has been closed for two months while an extensive Government-funded refurbishment was carried
A PETITION has been set up to try and save a community resource centre set up to help a town recover from the loss of one of its major employers. The Shildon Centre faces closure after 20 years, after Durham County Council announced plans to withdraw
COUSINS Caroline Bradley and Joanne Vest are making an emotional expedition to South America next year in aid of Cancer Research UK. The 27-year-olds, from Durham, are busy raising funds to go on the trip of a lifetime, to the Andean foothills of Peru
THREE separate village development schemes, including a village hall and low-cost housing, will be considered by planners tomorrow. The planning applications have been tabled as extensions to the Watermill Estate development at North Stainley, near Ripon
YOUNG recruits are being sought by a group of sea cadets offering a range of activities for those with, or without, sea legs. The Seaham Corps of the Sea Cadets, in County Durham, is open to girls and boys, aged ten to 18. The group caters for youngsters
Wearside League: Annfield Plain, enjoying their best season for some years, hit Gateshead Low Fell for six when the sides met in the Second Round of the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup at the International Stadium on Saturday. The home side held out until the
A BOOK shop has reopened after a five-week refurbishment. The owners of Books and Beats, in Leyburn, say the work has meant some people are noticing the store for the first time. Eric and Helen Kemp took over the store 16 months ago. Mr Kemp said: "It's
STUDENTS will experience life in the Eighties with the play Gregory's Girl this week. Pupils at Rye Hills School, in Redcar, were putting the finishing touches to the show at the weekend in preparation for the opening night on Wednesday. Head of drama
A CAMPAIGN to spruce up the environment for Christmas is under way. Easington District Council's environmental services team joined forces with street wardens in a two-week initiative aimed at tidying up the area's litter and fly-tipping hot-spots. The
A NORTH-EAST college has put its new sporting facilities to the test by hosting a regional badminton tournament. Players travelled to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, from Hartlepool, Guisborough, Scarborough, York and Huddersfield to
