Former Woodham Academy Art student Alivia Hoy has been crowned North East ‘Artist of the Year’ 2021. Alivia’s work, an acrylic painting of her sister, who still attends Woodham Academy, stood in front of a wild seascape, wowed the judges (Artists Stuart Jones and Emily Ward and Dr Solomon Lennox, Head of Northumbria University Arts...

A new campaign from destination management organisation Visit County Durham inspires consumers to ‘Escape the Everyday’ in Durham this summer. The campaign, which received grant funding from VisitEngland’s Destination Management Organisations’ (DMO) Recovery Marketing Fund, will see local recovery marketing activities delivered by Visit...

By Bob Wood Newton Aycliffe FC's second pre-season fixture saw them come out with their first win having finished on the end of a 1-3 defeat, albeit in respectable fashion, against Vanarama National League North side Spennymoor Town prior. It was the Wearside League visitors who took the lead early on when the referee's assistant flagged for...

Drivers who put the lives of others at risk are being encouraged to change their ways as Durham Constabulary launches three new safety camera vans. The force’s Road Safety Bureau (RSB), which was launched in 2020, has been targeting those who continue to flout the rules of the road by speeding, not wearing seatbelts or using mobile...

Students from a leading college in County Durham are supporting the future of workplace health and wellbeing. The brief from the Better Health at Work Awards (BHAWA) will see students from New College Durham channel their creativity to create engaging videos to promote health and wellbeing for organisations in County Durham. Students are set...

Patients being treated for long-term effects of coronavirus in County Durham and Darlington are benefitting from a new mental health and wellbeing initiative. The Reading Well initiative, by The Reading Agency, is providing book collections to support patients in the region being treated for post covid syndrome, also known as long Covid. The...

Lee Weldon’s weekly round-up from the wicket… Saturday 3rd July – NYSD Division 2 Newton Aycliffe 1st XI v Blackhall 1st XI – weather was mild but with frequent showers. Newton Aycliffe won the toss and chose to bowl first. Match Sponsored by Unison Blackhall 1st XI 253 all out after 47.2 overs James Layfield-Carroll 4 for 49,...

Young people are being encouraged to make a splash with free swimming sessions at County Durham’s leisure centres. Durham County Council has put together a host of summer pool activities for children and young people aged 18 and under living in County Durham. From fun with inflatables, to general swimming, the free sessions are all part of...

As excitement builds for England’s Euro 2020 quarter-final against Ukraine, fans are being encouraged to enjoy themselves but act responsibly. Durham Constabulary says its officers will be out there all weekend – “we hope you don’t need us, but we’ll be there if you do” they said. “We are expecting large numbers of people to...

By Paul Dalton Miles, miles, miles were the order of the week, however we start our round up with the shortest race of the week, as several members of the club took on the Kirkleatham 5K on Wednesday, June 2023. First home for the club, and finishing third overall on the night, was John Firby, in a time of 17:58. After getting lost in the...