May 1, 2001
The Tyne Bridge is to be lit up in all its former glory.
A £200,000 scheme will restore the old-style lighting on Tyneside's most famous landmark.
When the bridge was built in 1928 the road across was lit by rows of ornamental gas lamps. Today there is a clutter of electric lighting with some lamps mounted on the old columns and others strung under the arch of the bridge on trolley bus wires.
The new scheme will restore the old style lighting columns on the parapets across the bridge but will use powerful electric lamps to help drivers and pedestrians. It will also provide visitors with a spectacular new view of the bridge lit up by the rows of restored lamps on either side.
The bridge is a listed building order so special permission is needed but the job is expected to go ahead in the summer. * See the Tyne Bridge at www.tynebridgewebcam.com
Corus confirms 6,000 job losses
May 3, 2001
Steel-maker Corus today confirmed that it is to shed 6,000 jobs in the UK - 1,000 of them on Teesside. Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers said the decision by Corus was regrettable.
He said he particularly regretted the fact that Corus had rejected out of hand the steelworkers' rescue plan for the industry. He went on to announce a £48m package for those whose jobs will be lost. This would work out at £2,5000 per worker.
Visitors flock in for
rare sunny Bank Holiday
May 8, 2001
Visitors flocked to the countryside yesterday to witness a rare event for Britain - sunny weather on a Bank Holiday Monday!
Many areas hit hardest by the foot-and-mouth crisis reported encouraging signs of a tourism recovery. The North York Moors National Park saw its visitor numbers return to normal after falling by about half because of the crisis.
While the footpaths are still closed to walkers, visitor centres proved very popular.
Large areas of Cumbria still remain closed to walkers but the attractions that were open welcomed the crowds. Ambleside had the busiest day of the year so far - but visitor numbers were still down on a normal Bank Holiday.
Beamish Museum staged a typical May Day festival of yesteryear. Children from West Pelton Primary School were dressed in costumes from the turn of the 20th Century and held a ceremony to crown the May king and queen in the colliery village school.
The Bank Holiday festival in Deneside Park, Seaham, drew the crowds who saw the Durham Rams Morris Dancers and may pole dancing with youngsters from Deneside Junior School.
May 8, 2001
Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs was back behind bars last week ending his 35 years on the run.
His 6,000-mile journey from his Brazilian hideaway ended at Belmarsh prison, in south-east London.
He flew into Britain in an executive jet chartered by The Sun newspaper and was immediately arrested. After a brief appearance at West London Magistrates' Court to formally return him to prison, the 71-year-old was back behind bars.
Outside court, his solicitor said he would be asking the Court of Appeal to review the outstanding years of his sentence. Biggs, rendered virtually speechless by a series of strokes, had shuffled in with the aid of a walking stick and answered questions with a barely audible grunt. He had left Rio de Janeiro amid chaotic scenes as reporters sought to get a glimpse of the famous fugitive.
May 16, 2001
Douglas Adams, author of surreal futuristic books including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and So Long And Thanks For All the Fish, died this week. He was 49.
Douglas created Hitchhiker for radio and it was turned into TV in the 1970s. He conceived the idea for the website, h2g2, an online encyclopedia to 'life, the universe and everything' created by and for its audience. The site can be found at: www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide
May 18, 2001
Holiday-makers had a terrifying end to their trip when their plane pulled out of a landing at Newcastle Airport at the last second because another jet was on the runway.
The Brittania airways holiday flight from Malaga had been cleared to land when the pilot suddenly pulled the craft back into the air.
The pilot told the 100 shocked passengers he had to do it because there was something on the runway.
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said the case had not yet been reported to them but what had happened was a common standard safety procedure called a go-around and not a near miss.
He said that although unnerving for passengers, it was normal procedure and happens four or five times a day at Heathrow.
May 24, 2001
Nissan is laying off 30 temporary workers at its Sunderland plant and slowing down production for a month because of a European car sales slump. Wearside is Europe's most productive car plant and won the £235m contract to build the new Micra in January, safeguarding 1,300 jobs. Seventy-five per cent of the cars made there are exported to Europe.
May 25, 2001
The driver of the Land-Rover involved in the Selby rail crash appeared at York Crown Court today charged with causing the deaths of ten people by dangerous driving.
Gary Hart, 36, from Strubby in Lincolnshire, spoke only to confirm his name and address. He was remanded on conditional bail to appear at Leeds Crown Court on July 13.
Ten people died when the early morning Newcastle to London train collided with Mr Hart's Land-Rover on the east coast mainline at Great Heck, near Selby, North Yorkshire, in February. Mr Hart, whose vehicle ended up on the line after leaving the M62 and sliding down a grass embankment, managed to get out shortly before the collision.
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