Greenfield Community College head teacher David Priestley was one of only two headteachers invited to speak at a prestigious national conference. He spoke to more than 1,000 educationalists at the SSAT Conference (Schools, Students and Teachers Network), which was titled ‘Pure Imagination’, at the International Conference Centre in...

Two northern engineering powerhouses have formed a partnership to bid for a £500m contract to build new trains and a depot for the Tyne and Wear Metro. From 2022, the existing metro fleet will be replaced with brand new high technology trains and maintained at a newly-constructed site at Gosforth, Newcastle. Hitachi and Spencer Group will...

Police are looking for willing volunteers to help ensure elderly and vulnerable people are kept safe during the winter. ‘Snow Angel’ volunteers will support the police with clearing paths of heavy snow and ice and deliver essential provisions to those who are less mobile. Durham Constabulary have joined forces with housing association,...

The Aycliffe Juniors footballing exploits continued with the penultimate round of games before the Christmas break. There were some great performances but not all got the result they deserved. The Under 6’s played a friendly against Swalwell Juniors on Saturday. It was a great game that Aycliffe won 5-3. William (2), Finley (2) and Reagan...

Former Woodham Academy student Abbie Finn is embarking on an amazing career path performing as part of the Jamie Lloyd Company’s ‘Pinter at the Pinter’ at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London. The versatile drummer, composer and arranger is performing alongside some amazing cast including Martin Freeman, Lee Evans and Michael...

South West Durham Training works with many of the biggest engineering and manufacturing companies in the region. They include GSK, Hitachi Rail, Husqvarna, 3M Cummins in Darlington, Ebac, MTE and Nifco UK in Stockton. Apprenticeship packages and commercial programmes are tailored to the demands of these and other local employers, with...

Whickham 1, Newton Aycliffe 2 By Dave Strickland Newton Aycliffe travelled to Whickham and came away with a 2-1 win – and this time it was their turn to score a vital goal in second-half injury-time. Whickham dominated the first half, but a tactical change in the second half for Aycliffe led to them pushing further forward and taking...

Efforts to reduce air pollution are underway as homes in County Durham keep cosy this winter. As the cold months draw in, residents will be looking for ways to keep their homes warm. Durham County Council is raising awareness, in conjunction with DEFRA, about the impact of biomass boilers and wood burning stoves on air quality. DEFRA wrote...

Newton Aycliffe-based Commercial Expert has added to its team once again after another successful year. Greater demand for Commercial Expert’s specialist broker services has led to new appointments to ensure they continue to deliver the personalised service that clients have come to expect. The first appointment sees Abigail Taylor join...

By Donna Campbell Saturday morning’s weather may have been slightly damp but this didn’t stop the runners of ARC from starting the racing weekend. First up was the Croft 5k race which took place on the race circuit at Croft. This race was first introduced in the Summer as part of the Summer Festival of Running and was brought back for a...