Newton Aycliffe 2, Shildon 4 By Dave Strickland Newton Aycliffe lost at home to neighbours Shildon in the Durham Challenge Cup this week. It was an entertaining game for the spectators, particularly in the second half. Shildon started well and went close with a couple of early shots. Aycliffe then had a good chance, with Kurt Matthews...

A mother has spoken of her joyful first Christmas with her adopted children to encourage others to give the gift of a home. Durham County Council has 27 children waiting for adoption and, this festive season, the authority is appealing to people to consider providing a family and a future to youngsters in care. For Sara and her partner,...

A new project that aims to pilot smart digital initiatives to boost trade and foster economic growth in North East ports has been launched. Digital and industry experts, academia, regional authorities as well as the Port of Berwick, Port of Blyth, Port of Sunderland, Teesport and Port of Tyne will seek to develop distinct satellite-based...

Schools and community groups can book free talks about rubbish and recycling to help them start 2019 with greener habits. John Shannon, Durham County Council’s strategic waste manager said: “We’re offering free talks and assemblies to encourage groups to make it their New Year’s resolution to do their bit for the environment and find...

It was the final round of fixtures in 2018 for the Aycliffe Juniors football teams at the weekend. A few teams had no scheduled match and were already getting ready for Santa but others were involved in some great games. The Under 7’s Whites braved some cold conditions and put in a very good display. Their efforts resulted in a 7-3 win with...

News travelled fast as students from Greenfield Community College heard about the great choice of show for the annual school performance. Little Shop of Horrors is a Broadway and West End favourite and competition for places was fierce. Students once again made it very difficult for judges as they produced quality auditions for the major...

Residents in County Durham are being reminded of changes to rubbish and recycling collections over the Christmas period. Bins will be emptied as normal up to and including Friday, December 21, with collections affected during the weeks beginning Monday, December 24, and Monday, December 31. Revised Christmas collection dates will be: •...

Santa Claus is coming to town! Great Aycliffe Town Council have finalised the big fella’s traditional route around Newton Aycliffe on Christmas Eve. There are 14 new routes, so residents should check the times carefully for their areas. The 14 routes are: ROUTE 1 Area Aycliffe Village Approx....

Formula Plastics managing director and Aycliffe Business Park Community board member James Goodliffe gives his verdict on what Brexit means to his company... Uncertainty continues to cast a shadow over manufacturers as our Government tries to negotiate its way out of the European Union – and this continues to have an impact on companies like...

By Donna Campbell The focus for last week’s racing was the North East Cross Country Championships which took place at Wrekenton on a cold and very windy day. There was a good turn out from the club despite the conditions and which meant that our Team Tent had to be taken down to prevent it blowing away. The race was held on a course...