Shields Gazette (South Shields, England) back issues from December 2007:
Wii mania hits town.
Dec 01, 2007 ... SCORES of eager Christmas shoppers queued from 3am yesterday for the rare chance to pick up a Nintendo Wii. Grainger Games in King Street, South Shields, had 50 of the in-demand consoles for sale from 9am, and about 130 people were in the long, snaking queue by 8.30am. ...
Special service for lung disease sufferers.
Dec 01, 2007 ... PEOPLE in South Tyneside touched by lung disease are invited to a special festive ceremony on Monday. The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund (MKMRF) will stage the Christmas Tree of Life event at 7pm, at St Peter's Church, Monkseaton, Whitley Bay, to commemorate those who ...
Wendy gets her own dance academy.
Dec 01, 2007 ... A POPULAR dance school has waltzed into new premises in the heart of South Shields. After 20 years of teaching dance in various church halls, community centres and local clubs, Wendy Hatton has achieved her dream by opening her own centralised purpose-built academy at Rekendyke ....
BNP bidding for borough support.
Dec 01, 2007 ... EXTREME right-wingers are targeting South Tyneside as part of their campaign to win more political support. Activists for the British National Party (BNP) this week distributed copies of their newsletter, called South Tyneside Patriot, in parts of the Primrose ward, Jarrow, ...
Soldiers make a splash to raise cash.
Dec 01, 2007 ... SIX soldiers swam more than 10 miles to raise money to help build a hospice for sick children. Led by Sgt David Cook, the members of South Shields 205 Battery of 101 Regiment, Royal Artillery, raised [pounds sterling]300 for the Grace House Children's Hospice Appeal and Children ...
Food expert gives advice to Chinese.
Dec 01, 2007 ... A FOOD safety expert from South Tyneside is jetting off to China to help its scientists learn from Western testing techniques. The head of Britain's so-called food police will help the Chinese learn from British methods. Alan Richards, from ...
Club regulars mourn barmaid Elsie.
Dec 01, 2007 ... REGULARS at a social club are mourning the death of a popular barmaid who served them for more than 40 years. Elsie Wears, 71, who died after battling cancer for almost a year, was a familiar face behind the bar at the Iona Club in Station Road, Hebburn. She even ...
Parents state their case to keep school open.
Dec 01, 2007 ... PARENTS have handed over a report to council chiefs setting out their reasons to save a village school. The report was written by parents in response to the proposed closing down of Boldon C of E Primary School, and handed over to director of children and young people for South ...
Man's nose bitten off after Rod Stewart gig.
Dec 01, 2007 ... AN ATTACKER who bit off part of a man's nose as he queued for food after a Rod Stewart concert has been jailed. John O'Leary, 43, sank his teeth into Gavin Larkin's face because he wrongly believed he had made a derogatory comment about his wife. O'Leary spat out the ...
Light up for winter festival.
Dec 01, 2007 ... FAMILIES are being urged to get ready to glow for this year's NewcastleGateshead Winter Festival. The event, which begins on Monday, is encouraging people to deck themselves with festive lights - the more creative the better. The festival begins with Glow 07, a ...
Patients assured they're in good hands.
Dec 01, 2007 ... AMBULANCE chiefs have reassured South Tyneside patients they're in good hands if they suffer a serious injury. North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) says patients who suffer trauma, such as major head injuries, will receive the best treatment after a report revealed more than half ...
Worker stole [pounds sterling]7,000 from boss.
Dec 01, 2007 ... AN administration worker blew more than [pounds sterling]7,000 he had stolen from his bosses on nightlife, drink and women. Steven Regan felt he was being treated as a "dogsbody" at the Whitley Bay caravan park where he was reception manager, so pocketed [pounds sterling]7,390. ...
Petrol-soaked soldier in 100mph chase.
Dec 01, 2007 ... A SOLDIER covered himself and his car with petrol while fleeing from police at more than 100mph, a court heard. Lance Corporal Mark Garthwaite threatened to kill his wife and said he would take his own life during a visit to his family in Boldon Colliery in August last year. ...
Little Kazia's Christmas wish.
Dec 01, 2007 ... A CUTE little girl hasn't asked for any toys this Christmas - all she wants from Santa is her own head of hair. Kazia-Leigh Rutherford sent a heartfelt entry to the Gazette's Dear Santa competition, hoping he will be able to solve her mystery condition, which is baffling ...
Given not fazed by Jussi rumours.
Dec 01, 2007 ... SHAY Given has shrugged off reports linking Sam Allardyce with a move for Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Allardyce worked with Jaaskelainen during his eight years at the Reebok Stadium, and rumours of a raid on his former club for the 32-year-old Finland ...
Don't expect miracles from Deano and Carlos - Keane.
Dec 01, 2007 ... SUNDERLAND fans shouldn't expect miracles straight away from returning stars Dean Whitehead and Carlos Edwards. That's the warning from Black Cats boss Roy Keane, who is as pleased as any supporter to have the two midfielders back in the side. But from his own ...
Roy on lookout for new recruits.
Dec 01, 2007 ... SUNDERLAND continue to scout and monitor players in the lead up to the January transfer window reopening. Manager Roy Keane has had talks with chairman Niall Quinn, and Sunderland are preparing to make their moves. The manager said: "I have had one or two meetings ...
Barton shocked by Newcastle's 'vicious' fans.
Dec 01, 2007 ... JOEY Barton has warned Newcastle fans they will never see the success they crave on Tyneside, unless they change their "vicious" nature. Barton, a [pounds sterling]5.8m summer signing from Manchester City, has been "shocked" by the behaviour of United supporters - especially ...
Hughes will show no mercy to Newcastle.
Dec 01, 2007 ... BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes has vowed to show no mercy to beleaguered Sam Allardyce today. The Rovers manager has described the pressure his Newcastle counterpart is under at St James's Park as "ridiculous". But his side are eager to rebound from their 4-0 home defeat ...
OAP dies after being found ill in car.
Dec 01, 2007 ... A PENSIONER who was found seriously ill in her car this morning has died in hospital. The 84-year-old woman was discovered in a vehicle in West Boldon at around 10am today. Paramedics were called and ...
Blackburn 3 Newcastle 1.
Dec 01, 2007 ... DAVID Bentley piled more agony on Newcastle United at Ewood Park this afternoon, with his double strike condemning Sam Allardyce's side to their sixth league defeat of the season. The 3-1 loss to Blackburn Rovers also cranks up the pressure on under-fire Allardyce, who has now ...
Sunderland 1 Derby County 0.
Dec 01, 2007 ... SUNDERLAND earned a priceless Premiership lifeline today with virtually the last kick of the game against bottom club Derby County. The clock was in the third minute of time added on at the end of the 90 minutes when sub Liam Miller lifted a cross into the box from the right and ...
Newcastle handed Potteries tie.
Dec 02, 2007 ... NEWCASTLE United have been handed a third-round FA Cup tie away to Stoke City. Sam Allardyce's Newcastle will visit the Britannia Stadium to take on Tony Pulis's Championship side over the weekend of January 5. It will be United's first competitive game at the ...
New exhibition inspired by Bede.
Dec 03, 2007 ... fdfd ...
Poppy Appeal is a record breaker.
Dec 03, 2007 ... FORCES' veterans have reached new heights with a record-breaking collection at a South Shields store. The Royal British Legion raised a staggering [pounds sterling]5,813.72 at Asda South Shields as part of the recent 2007 Poppy Appeal - its biggest collection at the store yet. ...
[pounds sterling]10m green business park is taking shape.
Dec 03, 2007 ... AMBITIOUS plans are taking shape for a [pounds sterling]10m green business park scheme set to create hundreds of jobs in South Tyneside, it was revealed today. A probe of ground conditions at land bordering Jarrow and Hebburn riverside has taken place, and plans for the park ...
Pharmacist helps to combat cancer.
Dec 03, 2007 ... A JARROW pharmacist has been spearheading efforts to raise awareness of lung cancer. Edinburgh Road Pharmacy has been helping to lead a campaign by the Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) promote awareness and the importance of early detection of the disease. The ...
Straying horses could cause road accidents.
Dec 03, 2007 ... STRAYING horses could spark accidents on a South Tyneside estate, police warned today. There are growing concerns about horses escaping from an insecure field near the Lukes Lane Estate in Hebburn. Police officers say the risk of an accident involving cars, ...
Watch free films for a whole year!
Dec 03, 2007 ... BOND is back in 2008, along with Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and The Incredible Hulk. And with so many big names due on the big screen next year, there's no better time to enter this great Gazette competition. We've joined forces with Cineworld in Boldon to give one ...
Help is at hand for victims of domestic abuse.
Dec 03, 2007 ... dddd FOR many victims of domestic abuse all that keeps them going is the hope that one day their torture will end. That one day everything will be OK. That one day their partner will go back to the loving person they once were. But sadly, that one day ...
Charlie's X Factor dream is over.
Dec 03, 2007 ... X FACTOR finalist Charlie Mole has seen her band Hope kicked out of the top talent competition. The 23-year-old beauty therapist from Sunderland and her four bandmates failed to impress the voting public with their rendition of the Spice Girls song Become 1 and Queen's We Will ...
'I'm not afraid to go to jail' - Joey Barton.
Dec 03, 2007 ... NEWCASTLE United footballer Joey Barton is not afraid to go to jail if he is found guilty of assaulting a former team-mate. The star - who attacked his own fans as "vicious" in an astonishing outburst at the weekend - is due in couyrt in June on a charge of occasioning actual ...
Jarrow folk say 'no' to Shields hotel.
Dec 03, 2007 ... A PETITION to stop a hotel development on South Shields's seafront was signed by more than 1,200 people in just five hours - in Jarrow. Protesters were out in force in the town centre on Saturday, after similar events in South Shields, Whitburn and Boldon. Former ...
Lotto bid could save ferry.
Dec 03, 2007 ... A FERRY that has served South Tyneside for more than 30 years could begin a new life - just 10 miles away. The Shieldsman, which has carried more than 10 million passengers between South Shields and North Shields, is destined for the scrapyard if a buyer can't be found. ...
Youths vandalise Christmas tree.
Dec 03, 2007 ... THREE youths have been arrested after a pub's Christ-mas tree was vandalised. The trio were spotted near the tree, outside the Red Lion pub, in West Boldon. The youngsters, ...
Probe after arson attack on office.
Dec 03, 2007 ... AN investigation has been launched after an office at a South Shields industrial estate was set on fire. The room was destroyed in the incident, which happened ...
Father and son rescued after yacht capsizes.
Dec 03, 2007 ... A FATHER and son were rescued after their yacht capsized in strong winds. The crew of a passing yacht raised the alarm after seeing the men, believed to be aged 47 and 22, from Fenham, Newcastle, struggling to right the vessel. Humber Coastguard immediately launched ...
Trouble-hit pub could be closed.
Dec 03, 2007 ... THE future of a trouble-hit South Tyneside pub will be decided this week. Martha's Vineyard, in Prince Consort Road, Hebburn, was shut for two weeks after an alleged brawl in which five police officers were assaulted in the early hours of Saturday, October 6. The pub ...
Quick-thinking boy, three, saves his grandad.
Dec 03, 2007 ... LITTLE Brandon Snowdon became his grandad's guardian angel after raising the alarm when he suffered a heart attack. Ex-pitman John Snowdon, of Claypath Road, Hetton-le-Hole, was sitting with the three-year-old in the living room of his home when the quick-thinking youngster ...
'Drowned' man turns up alive and well.
Dec 03, 2007 ... A MAN reported missing more than five years ago has been found alive and well. John Darwin was presumed drowned in March 2002, after he took a canoe out to sea from Seaton Carew beach, near Hartlepool, and was never seen again. The ...
Firebugs putting lives at risk.
Dec 03, 2007 ... ARSONISTS are continuing to put lives at risk by setting fires in a troublesome South Shields street. Firefighters in Hebburn and South Shields were called to two reports of houses on fire in Aldbrough Street, Simonside, over the weekend. But they warn the deliberate ...
Five grieving families back new campaign.
Dec 03, 2007 ... BRAVELY these families stand together as a symbol of the heartache left behind by a road tragedy. United by grief, today they tell their stories in the hope it will prevent another senseless death in South Tyneside. They call on all motorists to think twice before ...
Keane gives himself a pat on the back.
Dec 03, 2007 ... ROY Keane was his own biggest critic after seeing his Sunderland side lose 7-1 in their previous game. But after Saturday's victory over Derby County at the weekend he allowed himself a quiet pat on the back. Keane brought five new faces into the starting line-up, and ...
Why I had to drop Gordon - Roy.
Dec 03, 2007 ... ROY Keane said he dropped Sunderland's [pounds sterling]9m record signing Craig Gordon on Saturday for his own good. The Scotland No 1 was left out of a Premier League game for the first time since he came to the Stadium of Light in the summer. But Keane insisted it ...
Late goal was a sickener for new Derby boss.
Dec 03, 2007 ... NEW Derby boss Paul Jewell admitted Anthony Stokes' last-gasp matchwinne was a 'sickener' for his players. It was the first time Jewell had lost his first game in charge ata club, but he remained upbeat afterwards. "I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't think we ...
I want to be No 1 says Ward.
Dec 03, 2007 ... DARREN WARD says he'll do everything he can to keep [pounds sterling]9m team-mate Craig Gordon in the shadows. Gordon was dropped for Saturday's anxious 1-0 home win over Derby, and free transfer Ward justified boss Roy Keane's decision by producing the save of the game from ...
Stokes leaves it late to be a hero.
Dec 03, 2007 ... LEAVING it late had Anthony Stokes in the headlines and out of Sunderland's team last season. When the Dubliner and two team-mates missed the bus for a Championship game at Barnsley almost nine months ago, Roy Keane dropped the trio. Stokes left it late again on ...
Allardyce faces players' revolt.
Dec 03, 2007 ... UNDER-fire Sam Allardyce has told a delegation of senior Newcastle United players he will stick to his guns - and not alter his tactics. Allardyce saw three of his squad last Tuesday in the wake of Newcastle's disastrous home defeat to Liverpool for a frank discussion. ...
United need to show ruthless streak.
Dec 03, 2007 ... SAM Allardyce has called on his Newcastle United to show a ruthless streak after they blew the lead at Ewood Park. Obafemi Martins opened the scoring against Blackburn Rovers two minutes into the second half, but David Bentley soon levelled the scores. And Newcastle ...
Given is sick of letting in goals.
Dec 03, 2007 ... NEWCASTLE United goalkeeper Shay Given admits he is sick of picking the ball out of his net. Newcastle United have conceded 11 goals in their last four games, with Given having been in goal for three of those fixtures. On Saturday two unstoppable strikes from David ...
United close to turning the corner.
Dec 03, 2007 ... GEREMI believes Newcastle United showed the 6,000 travelling fans at Ewood Park enough character to convince them they are close to turning the corner. Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers means Sam Allardyce's beleaguered side have taken just one point from a possible 15 ....
Celtic and Rangers join Newcastle and Sunderland in Masters.
Dec 03, 2007 ... SCOTTISH giants Celtic and Rangers are joining Newcastle and Sunderland in the next Masters tourament to be staged in the region. Motherwell and Middlesbrough will make up the six teams competing for the Masters Cup 2008 at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena. Legends of ...
Miliband welcomes release of teddy bear teacher.
Dec 03, 2007 ... FOREIGN Secretary David Miliband today welcomed the pardon and release of 'teddy bear teacher' Gillian Gibbons. The South Shields MP said she was in "remarkably good spirits" as she prepared to fly home to Britain after more than a week in Sudanese custody. After ...
When Tim Healy 'died' on stage in Jarrow.
Dec 04, 2007 ... ACTOR Tim Healy is as much a part of Geordieland as stotties cakes and the Tyne Bridge. Perhaps best knwon for his starring role as brickie Dennis in the classic TV comedy series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, the Tyneside actor has decided to tell his life story in a new DVD. ...
Maternity ward among UK's best.
Dec 04, 2007 ... BABIES born in South Tyneside are getting off to a good start in life as its labour wards are rated among the cleanest in the UK. New mums and tots can rest assured they are being cared for in a germ-free environment after South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust scored highly in a ...
Mystery bug gave teen the creeps.
Dec 04, 2007 ... THIS gruesome creature caused a teenager to jump out of his skin after he found it in the pocket of a new sports top. Corey Barras, 15, screamed after he put his hand in the hooded top and pulled out the creepy crawly - the size of a two pound coin. His sister Amy had ...
Underage boozers told 'Enough is Enough'.
Dec 04, 2007 ... UNDERAGE boozers and the shops which sell them alcohol are being targeted in a Christmas crackdown. As part of the force-wide campaign entitled Enough is Enough, police will be targeting drinkers and outlets which fuel the problems by selling drink to under 18s. ...
Company pitches in some cash.
Dec 04, 2007 ... THE ball has started rolling with donations for our Pitch In For Kids campaign. South Tyneside Football Trust is planning an ambitious [pounds sterling]650,000 project that would see new all-weather football pitches and floodlights installed at Monkton Stadium in Jarrow. ...
Christmas spirit right up our street.
Dec 04, 2007 ... FREDERICK Street in South Shields came alive with a spectacular Christmas festival backed by all its traders. Young and old came together for Saturday's annual event, which celebrates the Laygate area of South Shields. It was put together by the Rekendyke ...
Speed camera van slashes accidents.
Dec 04, 2007 ... A CONTROVERSIAL speed camera van has helped slash the number of road accidents. Miffed motorists contacted the Gazette last month after the van was spotted parked on a grass verge on Hedworth Lane. One driver claimed the van was blocking his view and made conditions ...
Teen school plan just the business.
Dec 04, 2007 ... TEENAGERS are being targeted with ambitious plans for a new type of business school in South Tyneside. Based on a US concept, Studio Schools are seen by the Government as a way of reaching young people who are disengaged with traditional education. The establishments ...
Town hall treat for young people.
Dec 04, 2007 ... SOUTH Tyneside youngsters were rewarded for their efforts with a trip to the Town Hall. A group of 35 young people from De La Salle youth club, based at St Wilfrid's school, in South Shields, received their Mayor's Award Level Three certificates from the Mayor, Coun Tracey ...
Teen vandals must pay for wrecking spree.
Dec 04, 2007 ... TEEN vandals who ripped wing mirrors off cars during an early morning wrecking spree have been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]1,405 to their victims. Paul Pearson, David Doneghan, Luke Walker, Dean Wright, and a 17-year-old who can't be named for legal reasons all pleaded ...
Future's bright for Hedley Hall.
Dec 04, 2007 ... VOLUNTEERS had plenty of energy when they gave a bright face-lift to a famous Victorian building in Hebburn. A team of volunteers from EDF Energy set to work with brushes and gallons of paint yesterday at Hedley Community Hall, in Argyle Street. The hall has been part ...
The visit nobody wants.
Dec 04, 2007 ... IT'S the news no family wants to hear - that a loved one has been killed. And it when the support of a family liaison officer becomes crucial. PC Steve Grainger tries to sum up his role as a family liaison officer (FLO):"We are the personal police service no-one wants to have." ...