Archive
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Place to park yourself
BOTANIST Dr David Bellamy visited South Park in Darlington almost 40 years to the day since he first stopped off there en route to his then new job at Durham University. He was invited to cast an eye over a new park ranger service that will encourage
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£2.6m deal for museum adds up to annual cut
DURHAM County Council is to cut its annual funding to the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle. Under a five-year agreement replacing a deal which runs out next year, the museum will receive £531,827 annually. The deal amounts to more than £2.6m, but
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Village slates bus company ‘greed’
A BUS company has been accused of putting profits before people after it refused to improve the service from Middleton Tyas to Darlington. Critics say the village has been abandoned by Arriva North-East because timetable changes mean there is
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To pastures new
PARISHIONERS in Teesdale are preparing to say farewell to their woman vicar and to welcome a priest from Nigeria. The Rev Ruth Stables is to retire after serving Startforth, Rokeby, Brignall and Bowes for the past 3½ years. Her replacement
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Town proving a magnet for charity cycling events
STOKESLEY is rapidly becoming an important venue for cycling events in the North Yorkshire area. The annual Stokesley Duathlon, held last month, was well supported throughout the region, and was followed at the end of March with the Chapters
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Riverside plan hopes rest on grant aid bid
PLANS to create a riverside vista to protect and enhance the history of a short stretch of the River Tees are starting to take shape. The Friends of Tees Heritage Park hopes to save a six-and-a-half mile length of the River Tees from development
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Regeneration aims to bring new life to town centres
SHOPS and businesses in three East Cleveland towns are being urged to rise to the challenge of improving trade during the economic downturn. The latest regeneration initiative from Redcar and Cleveland Council is targeting Saltburn, Loftus and Brotton
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Saltburn pier – it’s No 1
SALTBURN’S award-winning pier has scooped another top accolade. It is the National Piers Society’s 2009 Pier of the Year. The pier has regularly featured in the top four from votes cast by the society’s 600 members. This year it has pipped Yarmouth
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On the trail of history
BEDALE is celebrating its history with the launch of a heritage trail. The trail can be followed using a leaflet available from the tourist information centre and by reading the recently-installed interpretation boards at points around the town.
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At last, our webcam disappointment is shared
IF there’s a warm glow about this column today it’s because Spectator has been vindicated over a note which appeared in these columns in September, 2006. The subject was webcams which Redcar and Cleveland Council had placed in several libraries
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Pay peanuts...
THE recent furore over MPs’ expenses has once more thrown the spotlight on the issue of what our politicians are paid. It has become clear that many MPs, and ministers, have taken the view that, with their salaries not being overly generous, the
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Taylor-West takes personal best in Easter sprint event
EASTER Monday saw the annual Darlington & DMC-organised Sprint take place at Croft Circuit with a number of local competitors taking to the track for the opening round of the SBD Motorsport MSA Sprint Championship. A regular rally co-driver
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Northallerton deep in mire after Easter double defeat
Northallerton Town 2 Sunderland Nissan 4 IT WAS a bad Easter weekend for relegation-threatened Northallerton Town with two Division One defeats. On Saturday, new Town manager Mark Fanning made several changes to the side that lost 5-2 away at
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Guisborough among teams to wrest NYSD title from Boro
RARELY has the anticipation of a new cricket season been so high in the Darlington Building Society North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier League. For the first time since the second professionals rule was introduced four years ago, every top
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Broncos stay in hunt for title with vital Richmond victory
Wensleydale League THE GAME of the day last Saturday saw league leaders Richmond Town Academy hosts second- placed Buck Inn Broncos in a real title six-pointer at Earls Orchard. The Broncos arrived nine points behind the hosts – but with three
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Unison reign supreme in stormy County Cup final
HOLDERS Unison GLR retained the North Riding County Cup after a bad-tempered 3-2 victory over The Fountain from Eston in the final at Stokesley on Thursday of last week. A goal from Lee Shardha for Unison was all that separated the sides at the
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Hopes of promotion and fears of relegation as season nears its end
TENSIONS are mounting as the region’s local football leagues enter the final stages of the season. Unison GLR retained the North Riding County Cup after a bad tempered 3-2 victory over The Fountain from Eston in the final at Stokesley on Thursday
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Hamilton saddles two to victory at Redcar
MICKY Hammond has his horses in great form at the minute, and that was advertised to good effect by Chernik, who came home 23 lengths clear of his rivals at Carlisle last Saturday. The Middleham trainer followed up with another winner on Tuesday
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Five out of seven for top trainer Easterby
TRAINER David Easterby trained five of the seven winners at the Middleton Point to Point meeting held at Whitwell on the Hill on the Sunday before last. Easterby’s third winner came in the feature race, the four-mile Grimthorpe Gold Cup which
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Pony and riding club dates
Barnard Castle & Teesdale Riding Club. – Apr 18: combined training at Brookleigh, contact Chloe 07967594685. May 3: Hunter Trial at Brookleigh, contact Viv 07500- 967539. Barnard Castle & Teesdale Juniors. – April 25: combined training
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Soley enjoys winning start to eventing season
PONY and Junior European gold medalist Libby Soley has made a winning start to the new British Eventing (BE) season, which started this month. Libby, who turned 18 in January, started her BE season at the Oasby one-day event in Lincolnshire, where
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Science park provides exciting opportunities for three new firms
THREE new businesses have moved into a 75-acre Teesside science park since the start of the year. The new tenants at the Wilton Centre include a company offering specialist research and analysis in nano biotechnology, a technical services company
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Chapman makes a change to resurrect fortunes
RIDER Melissa Chapman has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes after making the switch from eventing to dressage this year. After a disappointing eventing season last year, with many competitions cancelled due to the bad weather, Chapman decided to
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Changes in association
IT WAS a case of all change at the annual meeting of Wensleydale Business Association. After many years of involvement with the association, Liz Lawson stood down from the board and from her role as webmaster. Rima Berry also stood down as chairman
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Photographer finishes Rome shoot and heads for home town
A TEESSIDE photographer has just completed a £30,000 commission for Renault. Alan McPhail, from Thorpe Thewles, near Stockton, was hired to shoot the photography for a new European campaign promoting Renault’s 54-point control check on their used
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Grain business plans to raise members’ incomes
THE UK’s largest farmer-owned grain business aims to increase member incomes by £20m a year. Openfields was launched in November last year after the merger of Grainfarmers and Centaur. Graham Lacey, group commercial director, said it aimed to increase
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Agricultural college sets up welfare unit to breed happy pigs
AN AGRICULTURAL college is living up to its reputation of leading the field when it comes to high pig welfare. The new unit at Bishop Burton College was the only one in the UK to farrow outdoors on straw when it was officially opened in 2007.
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Shearers in short supply
A SHORTAGE of foreign sheep shearers could cause major animal welfare problems this summer. The British Wool Marketing Board said about 500 shearers from New Zealand and Australia normally shear wool off 5m of the UK’s 14.5m sheep. But new identity
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Kirkby Wiske farmer wins at spring show
RENOWNED North Yorkshire sheep breeder Cecil Hutchinson won both classes at Skipton Auction Mart’s second early spring show of ewes with lambs at foot. Trading as AC & C Hutchinson of Brickyard Farm, Kirkby Wiske, Northallerton, he had both the
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Enter farm wildlife awards
THE 2009 Silver Lapwing Awards, the UK’s leading farm conservation competition, is now open for entries. It is the 40th anniversary of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Awards and, for the first time this year, they are sponsored by Waitrose
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Project to increase wild birds on farms launched
A NEW project has been launched to help boost wild bird populations on North-East farms. The Farmland Bird Initiative will work with local farmers – especially in County Durham and Northumberland – to secure a brighter future for birds in the region
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Crop trials give information on improving oilseed rape yields
SOIL compaction is a key issue for oilseed rape and has to be the starting point for successful crops. It was one of the key messages given to farmers attending a meeting of the North-East Biofuels Oilseed Grower Network project in support
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Everly’s 104b High Street, Yarm
Rising from the ashes of Chadwick’s DURING this recession, many restaurants will, inevitably, go to the wall. Some will deserve to, others may not. Whatever the reputation of an establishment, it’s hard doing business at present.
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Grow your own – it’s easier than you think
BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and garden designer Joe Swift is proof that even beginners can succeed on an allotment. With hardly any previous veg-growing experience, Joe took on a 250sq m allotment a 20-minute train journey from his home
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The misery queen and the romantic daughter
Bestselling author Jenny Tomlin, mother of actress Martine McCutcheon, tells Hannah Stephenson that her daughter’s forthcoming novel will not be like her dark tales of abuse. THE queen of the misery memoir, Jenny Tomlin, mother of actress Martine
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Baffling buildings, odd clocks and curiosities
THE fascinating stories behind many baffling buildings and other curiosities found in the Tees Valley feature in a new book. Local author Robert Woodhouse has brought together some of the best, including puzzling earthworks at Thornaby Green;
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Haydn’s Creation, Dolphin Centre, Darlington
THE charm, liveliness and drama of Haydn’s creation story was splendidly presented by Darlington Choral Society and Darlington Sinfonia. The orchestral introduction, depicting the world without form and void, was muted and somehow shifting, with
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New play about a football first
THE Gala Theatre in Durham staged the premiere last night of a play about a tale of triumph that has passed into North-East legend. Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather, commissioned by director Simon Stallworthy, was written by Ed Waugh and Trevor
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Hope role springs surprise
SELENA Blain plays a lead role in Darlington Operatic Society’s forthcoming production of Cole Porters Anything Goes after landing the part her mother, Avril Leach, played for the same society 15 years ago, that of society debutante Hope Harcourt
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Jazz season offers a wide-ranging choice
WITH visits by Ian Shaw, Clare Teal and Sheila Jordan among others, this has already been a good season for jazz singers and it looks like continuing for some time with the Sage, Gateshead presenting performances in May by two of our very best
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Saving money
Sir, – I read in the local press that Hambleton councillors are, among other possibilities, considering granting a three-week “holiday” from their proposed parking charges during the 2009 Christmas period, as part of their wish to “do as much as
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A marsh hare
Sir, – While enjoying Nicholas Rhea’s articles in Weekend Times, he follows the popular but technically incorrect description of the Common Brown Hare (D&S, Mar 6). The correct term is not “As mad as a March Hare” but “As mad as a Marsh Hare
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Part of a process
Sir, – I refer to P Johnson’s letter (D&S, April 10) regarding proposals for a car park etc at Osmotherley and have some sympathy with his views on the manner in which the proposals have been presented. However, I believe that Coun Swales
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Unsubstantiated
Sir, – I refer to Michael Bridgen’s article (D&S, Apr 10) regarding Moorwatch, the new campaign to tackle crime in the Yorkshire Dales. While this joint initiative to protect rural communities and environment is to be welcomed, claims made
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Parking options
Sir, – There is obviously no simple solution to the car parking problems in Yarm because any land that might have been used for this purpose is occupied by housing. There is a conflict of interest between short- and long-stay parkers and it
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Excuse my French – it’s the village of Grosmont
THE SCENIC village of Grosmont, to the west of Whitby, has an exotic name. Clearly French – and pronounced as such Growmont – this was the creation of some continental incomers to England in the early 13th century. Now Grosmont is, once we get
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Tune in to the joyous songs that reward an early start
The dawn chorus reaches a crescendo in May. Birdsong lover Ruth Campbell joined a group of enthusiasts very early one spring morning. UNIVERSITY lecturer Jane, from York, became hooked while listening to a blackbird which sits on top of the
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What next?
Sir, – The ridiculously renamed Teesside airport, which is nowhere near either the Tees Valley or Durham, now has its information centre closed and operated from Liverpool, we understand, and has lost most of its flights. What a sad end,
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Green dreamers
Sir, – The green shirts billow in the wind, fanned by the ever turning blades and government grants. Sadly though, there is no free electricity and at best only two per cent of UK’s requirement will be provided, assuming a constant wind velocity
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Developers’ determination
Sir, – The front page article in your April 3 Cleveland edition clearly indicated the determination of wind turbine developers to proceed with planning applications for areas of the countryside that are totally unsuitable. Councillors on
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Indecent advert
Sir, – I have noticed that both The Northern Echo and the Darlington & Stockton Times have chosen to publish ads for sex chat lines. This week there were three such ads. I am surprised and disappointed in these days of equal rights that
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Tories no better
Sir, – James Wharton, a Conservative candidate, (D&S letters, April 9), draws our attention to the possibility that the government may go “cap in hand” to the IMF debt-shop, due to its “excessive borrowing and wasteful spending”. In his opinion
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Short-sighted on parking
Sir, – The traders in Yarm who wish to increase the limit for daytime parking in the High Street from two to three hours (D&S, April 10) are short-sighted. To tie up a space for an extra hour would have the effect of reducing total parking
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Why the Dickens did author draw inspiration from the North-East?
SOME time ago, I was chatting to an author who lived in the Home Counties and I happened to mention the links between Charles Dickens and the north-east of England. She then surprised me by saying she knew of no such links so I told her about his
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Plenty of sunshine after snow
AFTER a run of mediocre months stretching all the way back to May 2008, March put us firmly back on a positive footing. It was generally the warmest and driest since the brilliant one in 2003. For some locations in the Dales, it was the most arid
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April 17th, 2009
From this newspaper 100 years ago. For next week the management of the Darlington Hippodrome have secured J W Rickaby, burlesque character comedian, who comes direct from his great success in Australia. Mdlle. Sidy Nirvana will present some charming
