Miracle escape from house blast
October 24, 2001
An 83-year-old Sunderland woman escaped without a scratch when her home was ripped apart by a gas explosion yesterday. But her daughter, who was a mile away at the time, was not so lucky.
Pensioner Jane Potts was in bed when the blast blew out the entire side of bungalow home in Redcar Road just after 5am. Her bedroom was the only room left standing. She managed to stumble out of the rubble shocked, but otherwise unhurt.
Shaken out of bed
However, her daughter Barbara Docherty, 56, was in such a rush to get to her mother after a phone call to tell her of the incident that she tripped and fell down the stairs - breaking her arm.
Firefighters said yesterday they were amazed that Mrs Potts survived the blast unhurt. They were called to the bungalow by neighbours who were shaken out of their beds by the blast.
Mrs Potts was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital and was kept in as a precaution. Her neighbours Alan McKenzie, 84, and his wife, Hannah, 82, were also taken to hospital suffering from shock, but were later released.
The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the explosion. A spokesman said first indications were that a gas cooker had been left on.
New York firemen take centre stage at TV gala night
October 24, 2001
Television stars gathered in London lat night for the National TV Awards - but two New York firemen stole the glittering show.
Officers Richard Blatus and Jim Yakimovich were given a standing ovation in the Royal Albert Hall for their bravery following the attacks on the US on 11 September.
They were there to present the award for most popular soap which was won by EastEnders.
The surprise winners of the evening were Geordie presenters Ant and Dec who took the prize for most popular entertainment presenter. Genuinely shocked by the accolade, Declan Donnelly received the award and said: 'I think I am going to be sick!'
Byker Grove
His co-presenter Ant McPartlin added: 'It has been a fantastic couple of years. We are over the moon.' The duo first tasted fame as PJ and Duncan in the Newcastle-based children's drama Byker Grove. They went on to become pop stars and have since hosted a variety of shows including the Saturday morning kid's show sm:TV.
They beat perennial favourite Michael Barrymore to the top award. However, Barrymore took the trophy for most popular entertainment programme. The presenter, who was recently cautioned by police for drugs offences and whose mother died last month, was not at the ceremony to collect his award.
BBC One's The Royle Family was named most popular comedy programme and its star, Ricky Tomlinson, was named most popular comedy performer.
The National Television Award winners in full:
Most popular actor: David Jason
Most popular actress: Amanda Burton
Most popular entertainment presenter: Ant and Dec
Most popular quiz: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Most popular serial drama: EastEnders
Most popular entertainment programme: My Kind of Music
Most popular drama: Bad Girls
Most popular factual programme: Big Brother
Most popular talk show: Parkinson
Most popular comedy programme: The Royle Family
Most popular comedy performer: Ricky Tomlinson
Most popular daytime programme:This Morning
Most popular newcomer: Jessie Wallace (EastEnders)
Special achievement award: Des O'Connor
Grand old lady of the Tees is 90
October 18, 2001
Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge, the grand old lady of the River Tees, celebrated her 90th birthday this week.
The bridge, the only one of its kind in the world still working, was officially opened by Prince Arthur of Connaught 90 years ago yesterday. Since then she has made 1,900,000 plus river crossings. In terms of distance travelled that's equal to the moon and back.
The Victorian bridge was built to replace a long-established ferry. Now consultants are looking at a back up crossing of the Tees between South Bank and east of Port Clarence.
Not many 90-year-olds get to be film or TV stars but this one is a veteran. Her recent appearances have included Billy Elliott and she was recently filmed as the backdrop for the new series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet!
October 9, 2001
Family and friends gathered yesterday to pay tribute to 'Dainty Dinah' who died last week at the age of 102.
Mourners packed St Mary's and St Cuthbert's parish church in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, to bid farewell to Alice Scott - the model whose face adorned countless tins of Horner's Toffee.
Mourners were told about an unforgettable character who was a pioneer in her day. She was almost certainly the first woman to drive a car in Chester-le-Street - turning heads as she drove round a town emerging from the Edwardian age.
Born in 1899, Alice lied about her age to get the job of chauffeur to George W Horner, owner of the toffee factory, when she was aged just 16.
First World War pin up girl
She later became personal assistant to Mr Horner, who picked her out to be the first face of Dainty Dinah.
Her features shone out of posters put up across the North-East, and, when her face found its way to the trenches of the Western Front during the First World War, she became one of the region's most recognisable women.
The Reverend Mary Judson told the congregation about a mischievous and well-loved character.
Chester-le-Street historian Gavin Purdon said: "She showed me her driver's licence, which was from the First World War period. She told me her mother thought her being a chauffeur was absolutely scandalous."
As the town's oldest resident, Alice led a parade through Chester-le-Street last month celebrating the theme of age.
Horner's Toffee factory in the town's South Burns closed in 1960 after producing toffee for 50 years.
October 8, 2001
The High Court effectively closed down Railtrack last night after the Government refused to bail out the company.
Transport Secretary Stephen Byers asked for Railtrack to go into administration. The rail company has debts more than £3.3bn. The order places Railtrack into the hands of Government-appointed administrators, who will continue to run the railways.
Railtrack shares will be suspended and within three to six months the administrators will pave the way for a private company to be set up to replace Railtrack.
Hundreds of people travelling to Blackpool for the Tory Party Conference faced massive delays yesterday. Railtrack engineering works near Derby over-ran by more than 12 hours, causing all trains run by Virgin from Euston to be diverted via Birmingham. Disgruntled Tories missed their Manchester connection to Blackpool and were forced to cram on to a two-carriage Sprinter train
Drivers face ban on
High Level Bridge
October 1, 2001
Motorists may be banned from using the High Level Bridge, one of the major routes across the Tyne.
Newcastle City Council is considering the ban on private cars so that only taxis, buses, goods vehicles and cycles would be allowed to use the listed bridge, designed by Robert Stephenson and opened by Queen Victoria 150 years ago.
Their aim is to give priority to essential traffic and cut what city planners see as 'unnecessary' use of the city centre by private cars.
A spokesman for the Automobile Association said his organisation suspected that many of the motorists using the bridge were doing so because there was no public transport alternative for their journeys. He added: 'I would have thought you would need as many crossings over the Tyne as you can get.'
October 1, 2001
A man who died saving his seven-year-old stepson when a car crashed into a bus stop in East Rainton has been hailed a hero by the close-knit County Durham community.
Michael Logan was taking Craig to a football match when a red Seat Cordova left Durham Road and collided with the stone shelter while they were waiting for their bus.
Mr Logan, 28, flung himself over Craig to save him as the roof of the bus shelter crashed down on top of them. He died, along with 54-year-old Ernie Wilkinson who was also waiting for a bus. Craig was injured but is recovering in hospital.
The car driver has not been named. She is 26 and is also from the East Rainton area. She was taken to Durham University Hospital with minor injuries has been bailed by Northumbria Police until Thursday pending further inquiries.
Mr Logan's wife, Michelle, 32, was too distressed to speak about the tragedy but her mother, Catherine Morrison, said: 'He died a very brave man; that's all we know at the moment.'
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