A NEW drop-in centre for young people has been launched in Northallerton. Based in the Connexions Centre in the High Street, the aim is to offer a one-stop-shop for all the needs of young people aged 16-24. Up to 30 organisations are taking part, to offer
A NEW era has got under way at RAF Leeming. The future of the base as a major communications hub took another step forward when the officer commanding 90 Signals Unit was welcomed to his new headquarters. Group Capt Tim Bishop has arrived at Leeming from
GREEN-minded community groups are invited to bid for cash from a county council fund that helps organisations wanting to improve their recycling, composting and other environmentally friendly activities. The application deadline for the first round
CAR parking charges are to be reduced despite claims the move could lead to a £100,000 council budget shortfall. Richmondshire District Council sparked an outcry when it doubled rates in some car parks last year. Businesses claimed they lost trade because
local people are being asked to nominate the best police officers working within their community. Nominations for the North Yorkshire Police Authority competition to find the county's community police officer of the Year are now being taken. Each
THOUSANDS of plastic ducks fought for honours yesterday in the swirling waters of the River Swale. Richmond's annual duck race has been run every May Day Bank Holiday for 16 years and, over time, has taken on a carnival atmosphere. Yesterday was no exception
CLIMATE CHANGE: I SHARE much of Dr Glen Reynolds' concern that the growth in air travel is not good for the environment (Echo, Apr 25), but I must protest at the statement "...as carbon dioxide, which causes climate change". He is wrong, and misleading
AN education authority was told to submit plans for three city academies or jeopardise £400m in Government funding to repair its schools, it was claimed last night. Keith Mitchell, who last month retired as director of education at Durham County Council
THOUSANDS of people converged on a North-East shipyard last night to enjoy a free concert by 1980s pop duo the Pet Shop Boys. About 14,000 free tickets were snapped up within days by fans, who saw the group team up with the Northern Sinfonia orchestra
A TEAM of young entrepreneurs hit the right note as they surged into second place in a business competition. As the race to be named winners of the Future Business Magnates competition enters the final stages, the team from Durham Choristers' School have
POLICE have confirmed they are not treating the death of a six-month-old Teesside baby as suspicious. Henry Osborne was pronounced dead on arrival at the University Hospital of Hartlepool early on Thursday morning, after an ambulance was called to the
A COMMUNITY has pulled together in a bid to help a doctor in his quest to supply all the diabetic children in his care with an insulin pump. Residents in Willington, near Crook, have raised £1474.50, which was recently presented to Dr Bill Lamb, who works
EMBROIDERERS, artists and visitors have enjoyed a craft exhibition held at a church near Darlington. This year is the 100th anniversary of the Embroiderers' Guild and members across the country are working to raise the profile of the association. The
A NEW garden shop, which stocks goods from around the world, has opened in Darlington. The store, Darling Buds Home and Garden, sells products from as far afield as India and Asia, and is billed as "a garden shop with a difference". As well as garden
RYEDALE has appointed a tourism officer. Sarah Barrowby, 26, is the business liaison officer for the Ryedale Tourism Initiative. She joins a scheme backed by Ryedale District Council and Yorkshire Forward promoting tourism businesses. She will cover businesses
A LONG-AWAITED children's play area should finally be in place in a County Durham village by this summer. Villagers in Heighington have spent about 18 months raising money for the playground, which will be built on the village sports field. The designs
YOUNG footballers could help put a smile back on the faces of youngsters in Africa by donating their old strips. It is the love of the beautiful game that keeps children in a small village in Kenya smiling. Their enthusiasm for the sport, despite the
AN eight-year ambition of youngsters in Whitby to have a skateboard park is close to being realised. As well as £6,666 raised by the young people, The Normanby Trust, led by the Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby, is giving £20,000, Whitby Community
ECHO NIGHT: BEYOND, Price: £19.99, Formats: PS2, Publisher: Nobilis, Family friendly? 12+: IT'S the year 2044. Space travel has long since ceased to be an exciting - and dangerous - occupation. Four decades into the future, the moon is just another a
THE director of a consultant engineering company has been elected chairman for the second successive year. Joe Foley, of Structural and Civil Consultants, has nearly 30 years experience, with a particular emphasis on the design of steel-framed buildings
THE demolition of a derelict nightclub and former cash-and-carry is the icing on the cake for villagers who have fought hard to regenerate their community. In their heyday, George Matthews Cash-and-Carry and Trax nightclub and motel, in Auckland Crescent
RESEARCH in the US carried out by a North-East psychologist supports the use of lie detectors in the supervision of sex offenders. The latest study is a continuation of work that began under Professor Don Grubin, of Newcastle University, in 2001. The
A MILITARY band in north Durham is looking for more members. Young people aged 12 to 18 are being encouraged to join the Durham Army Cadet Force's Borneo Band. Instruments will be provided along with free training. The band meets to practice on Wednesdays
A LONG-AWAITED children's play area should be in place in a County Durham village by this summer. Villagers in Heighington have spent about 18 months raising money for the playground, which will be built on the village sports field. The designs for the
A THEATRE group is hoping that new members will help it celebrate its tenth anniversary. Shildon CentreStage has been entertaining audiences in the town for ten years, and is about to start auditions for its summer pantomime, Scooby Doo. Over the years
AN Internet cafe has opened in a hard-hit area of north Durham. Intercafe in Park Road, South Moor, Stanley, has three computers people can use. It costs 50p for 15 minutes and also has a printing service. As well as being able to surf the net, the cafe
A HOTEL is offering people the chance to hold important family ceremonies in its grounds. Mary Kennedy, sales manager at the Swallow Derwent Manor Hotel, at Allensford, near Consett, is a trained independent celebrant. Ceremonies available are baby naming
MORE than £10,000 has been raised by a group of Hartlepool United supporters after they walked 300 miles to last weekend's game at Brentford. The six set off from Victoria Park on Saturday, April 22, and reached their destination in west London seven
BUSY TIMES: Saltburn Methodist Church will host a coffee morning on Wednesday, May 10, from 10am to noon. On Sunday, May 14, Emmanuel Church will host a soup and cheese lunch, followed by a church service, from midday to 2pm. And on Friday, May 19, Saltburn's
A SAVAGE conflict in Sudan will be focus of an exhibition in the North-East today. Sunderland-born Emer Crangle saves thousands of lives in refugee camps the world over and will highlight the plight of the community from villages in Darfur, Sudan, where
GOVERNMENT inspectors faced a race against time to recover nine tonnes of suspect kebab meat before it was eaten by bank holiday revellers. The Food Standards Agency drew up a list of 46 outlets across the country that may have taken delivery of kebab
RESIDENTS are being warned to guard against bogus callers as major water works are about to begin on Teesside. Northumbrian Water said that although it is due to start the revamp of its supply in Marske next week, it is unlikely that anyone from the company
CHILDREN and young people have been praised for the way they helped shape a major project that will impact on them for years to come. Hartlepool Children and Young People's Plan - known as The Big Plan - was approved last week and councillors were quick
A POINT against his old employers must have been a decent early birthday present for Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren. But McClaren knows the best present that could arrive for him this week is the England job, with the Football Association expected
THERE is no Man of the Match award under the new C & G Trophy format, which was unfortunate for Durham skipper Dale Benkenstein following an outstanding all-round performance yesterday. He first turned round a desperate situation against Northamptonshire
THEIR lifestyles may be a world apart, but Calendar Girl Tricia Stewart and pensioner Cathy Sowerby have one important thing in common - a deep affection for anything connected with the Women's Institute. The two women met for the first time as guests
There was double trouble for Darlington RA in yesterday's Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division game against Guisborough. Not only were they dismissed for a mere 52 runs, but Ashar Zaidi suffered an injury which meant he batted
A NUMBER which is by no means as cushy as most readers appear to suppose rose last week - rose, it might be said, in a glass-sided lift - to the very zenith of personal challenge. Terrified, I lunched alone in the McCoys' Rooftop Restaurant at the Baltic
THE absence of Wayne Rooney was the biggest talking point when Middlesbrough visited Old Trafford last night, but Sir Alex Ferguson added his weighty opinion to the drama by insisting there was no way he would be available for the World Cup. Rooney will
YOBS are putting lives at risk by removing lifebelts from a riverbank. Pensioner Bob Jackson said he was saddened when he saw an area of the River Tees known as the Landing Stage, in Yarm, near Stockton, vandalised and strewn with rubbish. The 72-year-old
FORMER world boxing champion Glenn McCrory has told how he was beaten up in a pub brawl. The former cruiserweight title-holder, who has sparred with Mike Tyson, was left battered, bruised and with a "head like a melon" after the clash. The 40-year-old
A POINT against his old employers must have been a decent early birthday present for Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren. But McClaren knows the best present that could arrive for him this week is the England job, with the Football Association expected
A YOUNG poet has won a national award for his work. Tim Jasper, 12, has been named winner of the nine to 12-year-old category in the Ottakar's and Faber National Poetry Competition. The talented youngster, from Sedgefield, County Durham, was judged by
NOVELIST Julia Clarke is celebrating a double success - after her latest work was nominated for one of the country's most prestigious literary awards. Her latest book for teenagers The Other Alice - set in and around her home town of Harrogate - is in
Ian Barnes, athlete extraordinary, regrets that he will be unable to defend his UK Over 70s 1500m title in July he's in a Lions Club duck race instead,Quackers? " I'm president of Darlington Lions, its a big event and I feel I should be there," says the
After two miscarriages and failed IVF treatments, Debbie Taylor had accepted the fact that she would never be a mother. Then a miracle happened, as she tells Steve Pratt. THE time came when writer Debbie Taylor reached the sad conclusion that she'd never
FRANKIE DETTORI already needs a miracle if he is to challenge for this year's jockey's championship - but that's not to say the Italian doesn't continue to attract quality mounts such as Adventuress (3.00) at Bath. Although Dettori is clearly not bothered
NIALL Quinn last night promised Sunderland fans his Irish-based consortium possesses the funds needed to transform the fortunes of a side now confirmed as the worst in Premiership history. And, with chairman Bob Murray underlining his desire to sell his
NOVELIST Julia Clarke is celebrating a double success - after her latest work was nominated for one of the country's most prestigious literary awards. Her latest book for teenagers The Other Alice - set in and around her home town of Harrogate - is in
There is a new film about the events of 9/11. United 93 is the story of the fourth plane - the one on which superbly courageous passengers took on the hijackers and forced the plane to crash into a field in Pennsylvania rather than into The White House
THOUSANDS of people converged on a North-East shipyard last night to enjoy a free concert by 1980s pop duo the Pet Shop Boys. About 14,000 free tickets were snapped up within days by fans, who saw the group team up with the Northern Sinfonia orchestra
LONG-suffering Sunderland fans finally had something to cheer about last night - despite losing 3-0 in the Premiership at home to Arsenal. Former Black Cats' hero Niall Quinn, who is leading a consortium in talks to buy out chairman Bob Murray, was guest
RESEARCH in the US carried out by a North-East psychologist supports the use of lie detectors in the supervision of sex offenders. The latest study is a continuation of work that began under Professor Don Grubin, of Newcastle University, in 2001. The
How do you tell your children that mummy and daddy have cancer? With dignity and courage, discovers Peri Langdale, who speaks to a couple who were diagnosed within a month of each other. ANGELIQUE Falcus vividly remembers her first thoughts when she was
Two men who dived into a river to save the life of a four-month-old baby whose pushchair had rolled into the water have been praised by police. The men, who were working on a nearby barge, managed to upright the buggy after it plunged into the River Ouse
A NUMBER which is by no means as cushy as most readers appear to suppose rose last week - rose, it might be said, in a glass-sided lift - to the very zenith of personal challenge. Terrified, I lunched alone in the McCoys' Rooftop Restaurant at the Baltic
IF Bob Murray is serious about selling his controlling stake in Sunderland to Niall Quinn, he has a strange way of showing it. By inviting Quinn to be the guest of honour at yesterday's home game with Arsenal, the current Black Cats chairman ensured his
PAUL Stephenson has made a passionate appeal to Hartlepool United's supporters ahead of this weekend's all or nothing game with Port Vale. Pool play their final game of the season in front of their own fans, knowing only a win will give them a chance
LONG-suffering Sunderland fans finally had something to cheer about last night - despite losing 3-0 at home to Arsenal in the Premiership. Former Black Cats' hero Niall Quinn, who is leading a consortium in talks to buy out chairman Bob Murray, was guest
THOUSANDS of people converged on a North-East shipyard last night to enjoy a free concert by 1980s pop duo the Pet Shop Boys. About 14,000 free tickets were snapped up within days by fans, who saw the group team up with the Northern Sinfonia orchestra
TWO Darlington businessmen are putting their fitness to the test by taking part in a charity endurance event later this month. Simon MacConachie and Nick Clark will both compete in the Quaker Triathlon, which will see participants swim 400 metres, cycle
A home library and information service has started in Boroughbridge. The service, operated by North Yorkshire County Council, works with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service to deliver books to people who find it difficult to get to the library and information
A PLANNING application for a residential development on the site of a derelict garage in Darlington is to be debated by councillors. The former filling station in Parkgate has been closed for some time and now the site owner, the Co-operative Group, has
AN exhibition of artwork goes on show in County Durham today. Terry Culkin's latest pieces can be seen at Chester-le-Street Civic Centre. He has worked as an art teacher in various schools across the region and was head of the art department at Parkside
A SCALED-DOWN plan for a private care home for the elderly in a conservation area is facing opposition. Orchard Care Home wants to build a 71-bed development on part of the former site of the Rose Manor Hotel, Boroughbridge, which has ceased trading.
A MUSIC venue in Darlington is to host a summer ska season. The Forum, in Borough Road, will host Bad Manners, on June 30, The Beat, on July 22; The Selecter, on August 12; and Neville Staples Specials, on September 9. Tickets are £15, or £12 for members
AN attempt to build a home on the former Harrogate-to-Ripon railway line is facing opposition from planning officers. Officers are recommending that councillors refuse the scheme, with the possibility that the line may one day be re-opened given as one
PLANS for a sports centre in the middle of Ryedale have received support. Ryedale District Council has given its backing to £75,000 being spent on plans for a centre in Malton, after an offer from Competition Line UK Ltd, which builds public sector sports
COUNCIL staff are holding a party to mark the first anniversary of their community office. A cake, decorations, an exhibition of children's art and musical entertainment are planned for next Tuesday. The office in Dundas Street, Richmond, was opened a
FORMER world boxing champion Glenn McCrory has told how he was beaten up in a pub brawl. The former cruiserweight title-holder, who has sparred with Mike Tyson, was left battered, bruised and with a "head like a melon" after the clash. The 40-year-old
VOLUNTEERS are providing £338,000 of unpaid time a year to help 9,000 young people in Ryedale, a report has said. Andy Brown, leader of the Ryedale Child and Youth Project, said there were 367 volunteers in the district - which is one of the largest and
PEST control officers in Chester-le-Street are getting ready to tackle wasps brought on by the milder weather. Common wasps, known mainly for nuisance value, make their appearances in early summer and remain with us until autumn. Householders are often
A FURIOUS Thierry Henry last night accused Sunderland's players of adopting X-rated tactics in their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal. Henry, who had a hand in all three of his side's goals, was particularly incensed by substitute Dan Smith's last-minute tackle
GOVERNMENT inspectors faced a race against time to recover nine tonnes of suspect kebab meat before it was eaten by bank holiday revellers. The Food Standards Agency drew up a list of 46 outlets across the country that may have taken delivery of kebab
A COMMUNITY has pulled together in a bid to help a doctor in his quest to supply all the diabetic children in his care with an insulin pump. Residents in Willington, near Crook, have raised £1,474.50, which was recently presented to Dr Bill Lamb, who
A LETTER book kept by a merchant or agent in the 1700s will be on display at a local history lecture this week. The letter book, which dates from 1734, was uncovered by staff at Stockton Reference Library last summer and contains newspaper cuttings and
PEOPLE can join in conservation work and learn about small mammals next weekend with two park events. Stockton Council's parks and countryside team is inviting nature-lovers to learn about voles and shrews living in the grasslands of the borough on Sunday
EARLY birds will not only get the worm, they will also hear the wonderful sound of wild birds, during morning walks. The first of two strolls around two of Stockton's parks will take place on Sunday, at the Billingham Beck Valley Country Park, setting
RESIDENTS are being urged to saddle up for the second of a town's guided cycle rides. The Myton Meander starts from the Myton House pub, in Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, at 10am on Sunday. The seven-mile ride will take cyclists from Ingleby Barwick
Stockton's parks and countryside team is running a Bat Walk, in Preston Park, on Friday, from 8pm to 10pm. Walkers will join enthusiast Ian Bond on the walk looking for bats in and around the park, as well as learning more about the creatures. The event
The allegations that Durham County Council was bullied into accepting three academies is set against a background of Govenment plans to open 200 of the flagship centres by 2010. Olivia Richwald reports on the relentless march of the city academy. THE
AN education authority was told to submit plans for three city academies or jeopardise £400m in Government funding to repair its schools, it was claimed last night. Keith Mitchell, who last month retired as director of education at Durham County Council
PORTSMOUTH are ready to test Newcastle United's desire to hang on to midfielder Amdy Faye with a £1m summer offer to take him back to Fratton Park. The player has been far from successful since his £2m move just over a year ago, and the Magpies will be
A 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an alleged attack on former world boxing champion Glenn McCrory. The ex-cruiserweight title holder, who once sparred with Mike Tyson, needed hospital treatment after the incident inside the Three
LONG-suffering Sunderland fans finally had something to cheer about last night - despite losing 3-0 in the Premiership at home to Arsenal. Former Black Cats' hero Niall Quinn, who is leading a consortium in talks to buy out chairman Bob Murray, was guest
IF Bob Murray is serious about selling his controlling stake in Sunderland to Niall Quinn, he has a strange way of showing it. By inviting Quinn to be the guest of honour at yesterday's home game with Arsenal, the current Black Cats chairman ensured his
INSPIRED by Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup heroics, skipper Matt Clarke has called on his Darlington team-mates to stage their own remarkable recovery this weekend. For a second year running an inferior goal difference could be the deciding factor in Quakers
DEVIL'S RUN made the most of his local knowledge by heroically landing yesterday's John Smith's Durham National at Sedgefield. Trained two minutes up the road by haulage contractor and businessman John Wade, who is also a director at the course, Devil's
PAUL Stephenson has made a passionate appeal to Hartlepool United's supporters ahead of this weekend's all or nothing game with Port Vale. Pool play their final game of the season in front of their own fans, knowing only a win will give them a chance
A STUDENT will take part in an eco motoring challenge to raise money for a wildlife charity. Peter Deytrikh, 18, will swap his car for a newer model to show how newer cars are more economical and better for the environment. At the end of the two-week
UP to three-quarters of workers employed in job centres throughout the region are expected to take part in a 48-hour strike, starting today. Nationally, about 90,000 staff in job centres, benefit offices and the Child Support Agency are expected to take
UP to three-quarters of workers employed in job centres throughout the region are expected to take part in a 48-hour strike, starting today. Nationally, about 90,000 staff in job centres, benefit offices and the Child Support Agency are expected to take
INSPIRED by Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup heroics, skipper Matt Clarke has called on his Darlington team-mates to stage their own remarkable recovery this weekend. For a second year running an inferior goal difference could be the deciding factor in Quakers
AN art student from the North-East has gone on a pilgrimage to Norfolk to recreate a photograph in memory of his late father. Adam Hogarth posed for a picture outside the Sealife Centre in Great Yarmouth - the exact location where his father Chris was
Matthew Hoggard returns to the Yorkshire side against Sussex at Headingley tomorrow for what could be his only Championship appearance of the season. The England fast bowler will spearhead the attack with Australia's Jason Gillespie and the hope is the
THE City Academies policy was announced by David Blunkett, the then Secretary of State for Education, in March 2000. He hailed the plan as "a radical approach to promote greater diversity". Academies would replace failing schools or meet demand for places
