IT’S not just wine that gets better with age. Supergroup the Dead Daisies are proof that there’s no substitute for experience and with the release of their new album Revolucion they put the rock back in a rocking good time. The album title
SNOOKER   TEESSIDE LEAGUE Knockout Cup Sponsored by Thai Corner Restaurant The Cup Final was played over the best of 13 frames between Andrew Cuthbertson and Terry Singleton over two legs and turned
POOL   AUCKLAND AREA League (Sponsored by ATAG Cable Solutions & B.S.& P. Bearings) Joint league runners up, Spennymoor Voltigeur and Henknowle Manor faced each other in the semi final of the Team
GAMES   WEAR VALLEY Games League There were 180’s from Alan Beck, Keith Miller, Gordon Coatsworth, Bobby Hall, Brad Chapman and Nigel Watson with Willie Steele making the best finish with a 116 checkout.
DOMINOES   CROOK & District League The first section of the League’s Singles and Doubles Championships were held at Crook Crown. In the Singles there were 38 entries with two qualifying for the Finals Night.
DARTS     OAKLEAF COLLIERY League The reigning champions, Hesleden Club whitewashed their hosts, Easington Colliery Club A to open a nine point gap at the top of the league. Hetton Shepherds remain undefeated
BOWLS   NEWTON HALL quartet win County title The Bowls Durham Ladies National Fours semi finals and final were held at Durham City Bowling Club where the semi finals results were Linda Dodsworth, Judy Henley, Pat Johnson
SUNDERLAND will attempt to hijack Paul Clement’s proposed move to Derby County after Dick Advocaat rejected the club’s offer of a new three-year deal at the Stadium of Light. Having guided the Black Cats to safety in the final two months of the
SUPERSMALL SUVs are big business right now. In fact, you pretty much can't move for them. Visit a car showroom – any car showroom – and you'll find a B-segment SUV.Nissan started the rush with the hugely successful Juke and other manufacturers have piled
A JUDGE has said motorists ignoring police requests to stop before engaging in pursuits face the prospect of prison. The warning was issued by Judge Christopher Prince, on the day he was reappointed as Honorary Judicial Recorder of Durham.
DICK ADVOCAAT has turned down Sunderland's offer of a permanent head coach role. Having guided the Black Cats to safety in the final two months of the season, Advocaat was offered a two-year deal at the Stadium of Light. However, the 68-year-old
DICK ADVOCAAT has turned down Sunderland's offer of a permanent head coach role. Having guided the Black Cats to safety in the final two months of the season, Advocaat was offered a two-year deal at the Stadium of Light. However, the 68-year-old
THERE has been a rotten smell hanging over football's world governing body for a long time. Fifa feels decidedly dodgy and it is high time the air was cleared. If US investigators are proved right, Fifa officials have taken millions of pounds
BOXES of unsold and unwanted Action Man and Star Wars toys that lay untouched in a retired salesman's garage for decades made more than £150,000 at auction today (Wednesday).One collector paid £5,400 plus commission for a rare Action Man judo outfit while
A SUB aqua diver is in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital after being rescued from a well-known water sports lake last week.The 58-year-old man from Norton, near Stockton was diving at Ellerton Lake in the Scorton area, near Richmond, when
MEMORIES 229 was stationed on Hurworth Green, looking at the original Sherwoods garage workshop, which is now a cluster of houses called Greenside Court. Sherwoods’ offices, we established, were in a couple of end terraced houses which faced onto the
HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned against using a banned nerve poison to exterminate vermin.Gateshead Council has received reports of a number of family pets being poisoned by eating what is believed to be strychnine, a nerve poison banned in the UK.In one
TEENAGERS in their final year of secondary school with a 100 per cent attendance record are being tracked down by Durham County Council.Youngsters who have never missed even a half day in class throughout their whole secondary or primary education will
A YOUNG girl who suffered a catastrophic heart attack when she was nine years old was today (Wednesday, May 27) presented with a defibrillator and a cheque for £1,000.Grace Merrington was in the middle of a PE lesson on Thursday, March 27, last year when
THE family of a dad and his toddler son who were killed in a horror crash have paid tribute to them.Michael Jopson, 25, and Tony, 18 months, of Old Tebay, Penrith, in Cumbria died after the crash between a HGV and a car on the A66 at Crackenthorpe on
A FARM-based day nursery in a Darlington village is keeping it in the family with the appointment of a new manager.Hayley Grainger is now the new manager at High Bank Day Nursery in Stapleton after taking over from her aunt Jennifer Thompson who has moved
DOGS Trust Darlington’s ‘Dogmobile’ rolled into town this week to promote pet rehoming and raise pounds for hounds.The special van arrived at Morrisons in Morton Park today (Wednesday, May 27) and will be back at the venue tomorrow (Thursday, May 28)
SUBSTANTIAL changes to an ongoing development in Hurworth are among the matters to be discussed by councillors next week.Darlington Borough Council’s planning committee meets on Wednesday to make a decision over whether to allow alterations to be made
BOLD plans to cut business red tape and reform benefits were at the heart of a pledge to create millions of jobs and apprenticeships.Small firms welcomed measures in an enterprise bill to ensure suppliers are paid on time, and changes to business rates.A
POLITICIANS, police and charities have welcomed a potential ban on legal highs, while drugs campaigners call for regulation instead.The Queen’s Speech recommended a blanket ban on legal highs with producers and suppliers facing up to seven years in prison.Greater
A PILOT project aims to give parents and carers of young people with mental health problems the advice and strength they need to cope. The Rollercoaster group holds monthly meetings where parents can give each other emotional support and gain access
YOUNGSTERS joined parents and nursery staff to toddle one mile to raise more than £900 to help to tackle autism.Members of the Child's Play Private Nursery, in Ferryhill, took part in the event through the town.Many of the 30 youngsters, aged between
PARAMEDICS dealing with a violent drunk were interrupted by a traffic warden who made them move their ambulance, a court heard. Joseph Mark Betteridge was sentenced at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court yesterday (Tuesday, May 26) for assaulting
A NEW guide book for visitors to Durham has been published.Durham: City, Vale, Dales and Coast includes sections on the county’s four areas and its history.The 32-page paperback has been created by Visit County Durham (VCD) and publisher Pitkin.VCD chairman
FUNDING is crucial to the success of the Conservatives' pre-election pledge to double free childcare for young children, which was confirmed in the Queen's Speech.Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: "While plans
DETAILS have been revealed of some of the concealed compartments that have been used to store illegal tobacco across the North-East.Concerted action against illegal tobacco dealers by enforcement teams during 2014 as part of the ongoing nationwide “Operation
FOUR generations of the same family are taking part in a hospice’s colour run.Lexie Morgan Duffy, six, will be joined by her mother Kimberley Morgan, grandmother Michelle Morgan-Black and great-grandmother Janet Morgan for the inaugural St Cuthbert’s
THE name Danny Kruger will mean nothing to most people, because the former Conservative candidate is but a footnote in North-East political history.However, ten years ago, he briefly led the headlines when he was forced to quit when poised to take on
CLEVELAND Police’s custody suites have been praised for their focus on safe detention but concerns have been raised over the ‘unacceptably’ high number of prisoners with mental health issues held in cells and use of force. A report has been published
A STOCKTON landlord has been ordered to pay £2,450 after failing to obtain a house-for-let licence for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). Shazad Qayyum, 38, of Outram Street, did not attend Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday, May
AN MP is urging people to have their say at two “listening” events being hosted by independent healthcare regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC).Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham said he wanted the organisation to take away an accurate and representative
A NORTH-EAST educationalist has warned that the Government’s rush towards more academies as a way of improving coasting schools is not supported by hard evidence.Plans to take swift action to turn round under-performing schools were confirmed in the Queen
THE North-East faces being left behind as the Government hands more powers to Scotland and English “metro mayors”, it is feared.Today’s (Wednesday) Queen’s Speech offered devolution to the Scottish Parliament and directly-elected mayors in England and
HOUSING chiefs remain concerned at Government plans to give 1.3 million people the right to buy their own homes.The Conservatives’ pledge to extend Margaret Thatcher’s flagship Right to Buy to housing association tenants was a key moment of the General
GOVERNMENT plans to restrict “little supported” strike action could be a pre-cursor to even greater cuts in the public sector, it has been claimed.The Trade Unions Bill, included in the Queen’s Speech, will see a 50 per cent voting threshold for union
DINOSAURS have arrived in North Yorkshire - as part of a new £300,000 adventure golf course.The 18-hole challenge by Lightwater Valey theme park, near Ripon, took five months to build and is the only one of its kind in Yorkshire.Jurassic Adventure Golf
ANIMAL welfare groups have welcomed the absence of plans to repeal the ban on hunting with dogs in the Queen's Speech.However the hunting community itself was quick to point out that they didn’t expect it to be mentioned – and that the Government must
A CITY has elected its 413th mayor.Councillor Jan Blakey, a county councillor for Coxhoe, was installed as the new Mayor of Durham in a ceremony full of pomp and tradition at Durham Town Hall today (Wednesday, May 27).Cllr Blakey said she was honoured
THE spotlight will fall on cricketing ‘derby’ rivals as newly-erected pylons are switched on for the first time, on Friday (May 29).Six 55-metre floodlighting structures have been rapidly mounted at Durham County Cricket Club’s Emirates ICG (International
POLICE in Germany are baffled by the theft of toilet seats from the new interior ministry in Berlin. The loo seats were stolen months after taps went missing from the ministry, which is responsible for security. Interior minister Thomas de
A MUTUAL has appointed a new finance director.Darlington Building Society (DBS) has welcomed Christopher White to the role.Born in Middlesbrough, Mr White joined DBS in 2012 as general manager of finance, having previously worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers
A SHEEP farmer repeatedly targeted by travelling criminals has supported a cross border Farmwatch scheme that saw police stop and search 200 vehicles.Jonathan Metcalf, 49, of Teesdale, County Durham, has been the victims of thieves three or four times
THE trial date is to be moved in the case of a man alleged to have started a series of fires in a town over a five-day period earlier this year.Andrew Derbyshire previously appeared at Durham Crown Court via video link from the city's nearby prison, accused
A 17-year-old was taken to hospital after being found following a police search.Officers were called to look for the teenager at about 9.35am on Wednesday after reports he was in a distressed state. The incident took place near Catterick Leisure Centre
A SKY diver has raised £700 for a North-East palliative care charity.Stephen Forster, whose day job is as a mortgages assistant with the Leeds Building Society on Tyneside, jumped from approximately 12,500 feet at Peterlee skydive academy.Travelling at
THE discovery of hundreds of dead fish has prompted an investigation into a possible pollution incident.The Environment Agency said a 14km stretch of Aldbrough Beck, at Aldbrough St John, near Darlington, was affected.The waterway is a tributary of the
A NORTH-EAST student with links to Nepal was delighted by the support shown by classmates following the earthquake that recently rocked the country.Sam Kitson, 15, of Polam Hall School in Darlington, spent every school holiday in Nepal where both his
A FORMER Labour MP has viewed a scheme set up to help improve the health and fitness levels of residents in Shildon.Derek Foster was invited to look at the virtues of the Health Express which is run by Bishop Auckland and Shildon Area Action Partnership.Amongst
A FOSTERING agency is celebrating after being awarded Investors in People gold status for the second time.Reach Out Care Fostering Services, which is based in Newton Aycliffe and works with local authorities across the region, also has an Outstanding
FOLLOWING CT Riley’s letter concerning the Conservative plan to scrap the European Human Rights Act (EHRA), I did a bit of research (HAS, May 26). It didn’t take long to discover the proposed replacement, The British Rights Bill, will be a watered
I FIND the news that the Army has decided to allow the two servicemen recently found guilty of the brutal attack in Catterick Garrison to continue to serve an insult to all those who are serving or have served in the Armed Forces (Echo, Apr 25).
YOU cannot imagine how thrilled I was to learn last Monday that the Number 2 bus from Branksome in Darlington now goes to Redhall, via Darlington train station, instead of stopping in the town centre. Previously, since the No 25 bus was taken off
THOUGH not a Newcastle United supporter, I am pleased as a supporter of North-East football that they have preserved their Premiership status, albeit by the skin of their teeth. At the same time I find the constant refrain from their supporters
I READ about the threat to the proposed historical nightshow attraction at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland (Echo, May 23). It seems there is no joined-up thinking in Durham County Council, as in March, the council approved the building of a visitors
EVERYONE related to Middlesbrough Football Club should be holding their heads up high this week. The result against Norwich City was heart breaking in the Championship play-off final. But there were many positives that will hopefully be a platform
FORMER Darlington manager Dave Penney has been charged with assaulting a police officer. Now assistant manager at Southend United, the alleged incident occurred during a night of celebrations after his team won at Wembley in the League Two play-off
AIRPORT bosses have vowed to bring more services to the region after seeing the lure of Belgium and Ireland help increase passenger numbers. Newcastle Airport welcomed 4.56 million people last year, with new services to Brussels and Dublin pivotal
A TAXI firm has promised to take Teesside University students in a vulnerable situation home even if they do not have the money to pay for it.Boro Taxis, one of the largest private hire firms in the North-East, has made the pledge in after signing up
A FORMER pipeline factory site left to become an eyesore is to be considered for an application to build almost 50 new homes. The site in Catterick Road, Colburn, was occupied by InPipe Products, a manufacturer of equipment for the inspection and testing
BOSSES at De La Rue, which operates the world's largest banknote factory on Team Valley, Gateshead, will press ahead with turnaround plans as it tackles falling profits and fierce competition from Europe. Pre-tax profits dropped by more than a
TWO men who were seen running away from a lake with a dead swan have appeared before magistrates charged with intentionally killing a protected wild bird. When confronted by a bystander they said they had thought it was a wild goose. But Peterlee
BOOKWORMS still have a chance to snap up tickets for a talk-in with one of the UK’s most high-profile authors. Lord Jeffrey Archer will be attending an evening at Rockliffe Hall in Hurworth, near Darlington on Friday, June 19. The evening offers
DETECTIVES investigating the murder of a North-East takeaway worker say they are following a number of new leads following an appeal on BBC One's Crimewatch programme last night (Tues). Tipu Sultan, 32, was killed almost instantly after being shot
A WILDFLOWER walk planned for Friday, May 29 will take place as planned but with alternative transport because of construction works affecting the Wensleydale Railway. A special coach will leave from Leeming Bar Station at 10am, when the train would normally
A NEW village notice board has been unveiled in a Dales village.Councillor Jane Ritchie, chairman of Burton-cum-Walden Parish Council, and former district councillor Matthew Wilkes did the honours at a recent ceremony.The parish council thanked Mr Wilkes
A LANDLORD and developer are creating a new community development to provide valuable new extra care provision in the Thirsk area.Tristar Homes is working in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council to create and extra care scheme at Sowerby Gateway.It
SOME 200 intrepid cyclists are about to test themselves to the limit.They will be covering 200 miles in two days when they cycle from Chatsworth House in Derbyshire to Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire.They aim to hit a £600,000 fundraising target in
TONY Blair is to step down as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of powers after eight years in the role. The former prime minister and Sedgefield MP will quit the role - which he took up immediately after leaving Downing Street in 2007 - next month
A decade ago Liverpool achieved one of the most remarkable victories in football when they won the Champions League final despite trailing 3-0 at half-time to AC Milan. Carl Markham looks back on the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ IT was the match which
A NEW Foodbank distribution point has opened in a small village.The County Durham Foodbank food collection point will operate from the YMCA at Fencehouses near Chester-le-Street every Tuesday from 1pm to 3pm.Stuart Hudson, Foodbank distribution centres
A TODDLER who battled a rare eye cancer was guest of honour at the launch of a new fund raising drive.Little Zak Sutherland, from Houghton-le-Spring, was diagnosed with the rare eye cancer retinoblastoma and has already undergone chemotherapy and laser
Following on from this month’s Mental Health Awareness Week earlier this month, Robert Beaumont meets a York man who owes his life to his local branch of Mind MARTIN Warley is a big man. In every way. He is well over six foot, with broad shoulders
A £500,000 project to build a new church hall has been given a £20,000 boost.Fundraisers hoping to rebuild St John’s Church Hall in Meadowfield, near Durham have been pledged £19,000 from the Durham County Council neighbourhood budgets of Councillors
PLANS to turn a popular hotel and restaurant into student accommodation have been dismissed on appeal.Barbara Murphy, from the Kingslodge, wanted to turn the 21-bedroom hotel, on Waddington Street, Durham City into rooms for 57 university students – plans
AN ambitious scheme to transform a 900-year-old castle into a world class arts and cultural centre has received one of the biggest Lottery grants ever awarded in the region. The £9m Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant will allow Auckland Castle Trust
DURHAM needed only 42 minutes to complete a six-wicket win at Worcester and leap to the top of the table. With 48 needed on a sunny morning, Paul Collingwood scored the first 16 before his haste to finish the job saw him edge Charlie Morris to
MEASURES to ban rises in income tax, VAT or national insurance over the next five years are at the heart of the first Conservative-only Queen's Speech in almost two decades, unveiled amid lavish ceremony at Westminster. Prime Minister David Cameron
COMPANIES are being urged to take advantage of a popular event. The Tees Valley Business Summit takes place later this year, offering an exhibition and presentations, as well as workshops on areas such as supply chain opportunities and funding
IT was a fine balancing act. Handed a spirit level for guidance, Chancellor George Osborne was deep in concentration. Kitted out in high-visibility jacket and hard hat, his brief was simple; lay a course of bricks. Tentatively picking up
THRASHING New Zealand’s bowlers around Lords, Ben Stokes’ belligerence was yet another reminder of the North-East’s cricketing prowess.The all-rounder’s first innings 92 wasn’t the first time, and certainly won’t be the last, that a Durham player excels
SHARES in banknote printer De La Rue have fallen by about 10 per cent this morning as it reported a drop in profits amid "difficult market conditions". But the business which operates the world's largest banknote factory at its Gateshead site said
Having always loved a bargain, after the birth of her son, Francesca Gott set up a website dedicated to promoting deals. Sarah Foster meets her UNBELIEVABLE though it seems, Francesca Gott once furnished an entire house for £50. She had just moved
ELLIS SHORT is ready to give Sunderland’s new head coach a handful of new signings this summer after listening to the advice of Dick Advocaat. Short expects to confirm today whether Advocaat will remain in charge on Wearside after his short term
MIDDLESBROUGH’S players returned to the North-East yesterday determined to put Monday’s Wembley heartache behind them, with defender Ben Gibson convinced Aitor Karanka will still be around to lead a promotion charge next season. Karanka’s first
WITH Newcastle United sporting director, Lee Charnley, set to open formal talks with Steve McClaren before the weekend, Jack Colback has admitted this season has been a “wake-up call” for everybody involved with the club. Having watched the Magpies
THE Queen’s Speech will today include a Jobs and Apprenticeships Bill that will pave the way for three million new apprenticeships to be created over the next parliament.That is an impressive target – but is it realistic?Training young people in the skills
BOSSES at a £6.6m business hub have added to their team as they bid to support more companies.Business Central Darlington has welcomed Margaret Binns and Ian Frostwick.Ms Binns joins as services executive, with Mr Frostwick recruited as an operations
THE man charged with leading the Government’s Northern Powerhouse has launched his drive to invigorate the region’s economy and business landscape. James Wharton has pointed to a brighter future for the area, saying it will play a crucial role
EUROPE’S largest private label ice cream maker will continue targeting rivals to strengthen its market position. Bosses at R&R Ice Cream, in Leeming Bar, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, say they have not ruled out further deals for competitors
FINGERNAILS on a blackboard. It makes you wince just thinking about that horrible grating sound, much to the amusement of the unaffected. My aunt has a similar pained reaction whenever anyone drags their fingers across a balloon, its chafing
Coronation Street (ITV, 9pm) CORRIE'S Tracy Barlow, played by Kate Ford, has killed before – evil boyfriend Charlie Stubbs was bumped off when she found he'd cheated on her – but tonight viewers will have to decide if she's nasty enough to burn
AN award-winning foster carer is facing jail for a string of serious child sex crimes carried out before he was to revel in the national spotlight.Bill Rathbone appeared on television show Tricia with his wife, Brenda, in the early 2000s after they received
A FAMILY have spoken of their devastation after their beloved husband and father who lived and worked in the UK for 15 years was forbidden from re-entering the country due to an immigration rule change. Daniel Botha, 53, who has six British children
THRILLING cycle racing will be back in the North-East on Thursday when the Pearl Izumi Tour Series returns to Durham. Thousands of people are expected to line the city’s cobbled streets as elite athletes including Olympic champion Ed Clancy go
A MAN who had sex with a schoolgirl almost half his age is starting a two-year prison sentence. Gary Cooper, 27, slept with the teenager three times during what a court heard described as "an affair". Cooper confessed to police after his arrest
THE big news coming out of Skoda is the launch of the new Superb Estate.With 2,000 litres of load room – once the seats are folded - you really could fit everything and the kitchen sink in.Built on the group’s MQB platform, Skoda says the Superb Estate
