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Rishi Sunak ultimately to blame for Tory 'chaos', claims Ben Houchen

It was all smiles when Rishi Sunak joined Ben Houchen at Teesside Airport last week to celebrate him winning a third term as mayor, but it's the...

09.05.2024 60

The Northern Echo

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Ben Houchen wins third term as Tees Valley Mayor beating opposition Chris McEwan

Ben Houchen has won the Tees Valley Mayoral Election and secured a third term in the post, it has been confirmed. It has been revealed the...

09.05.2024 60

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Well said, Mr Gibson

WELL done Steve Gibson, Middlesbrough FC owner, for calling out Tory mayor Ben Houchen and backing Labour’s Chris McEwan as the best prospect for...

03.05.2024 20

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Exclusive

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has been accused of “giving away our children’s future” by the chairman of Middlesbrough FC, Steve Gibson, in a...

26.04.2024 70

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Left feeling down in the dumps on a trip to Darlington tip

BY the time you get to my age – 62 next month – you really should be a bit wiser and more dignified. Well, I’ll let you judge whether that’s...

23.04.2024 10

The Northern Echo

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Labour calling on Ben Houchen to reject party money from Tory donor in race row

Labour has urged Ben Houchen to turn down any Tory party money that came from Frank Hester ahead of May’s mayoral elections. Labour candidate for...

26.03.2024 20

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

Trouble in store on a Valentine's Day I'd rather forget

Every now and then, Facebook throws up memories from long forgotten posts. Today, it's given me a Dad At Large column from February, 2015, and it...

18.03.2024 5

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

Mayor pledges to make swimming free for all kids under 11 in reelection campaign

The Tees Valley Mayor has today (Monday, February 5) pledged to make swimming free for all children under 11.  Since Mayor Ben Houchen launched his...

20.02.2024 10

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

A blow by blow account of long lost bravery certificate from Darlington hospital

AT long last, we’ve been having a clear-out of all the clutter our four grown-up children have left behind – and a treasure trove of memories has...

05.02.2024 9

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

'None of this nonsense will happen': Mixed reaction to £1bn TVCA transport plans

Critics of a £1bn transport plan for the Tees Valley, which includes town centre tram services and millions of pounds worth of rail and road...

18.01.2024 40

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'Trams' could run in five town centres within two years, Ben Houchen claims

‘Trams’ could be running around town centres in the Tees Valley in the next two years, Ben Houchen has today claimed. It is one of 26 transport...

17.01.2024 30

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Northern Echo Author

Dial M for memories of courtship before the days of mobile phones

NO matter what other surprises may be unwrapped this Christmas, it’s hard to imagine anything causing more excitement than the old carrier bag my...

15.01.2024 3

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

Plans for £150m rail and bus transport hub to connect region to Teesside Park

Plans worth £150m have today been unveiled for a brand new bus and railway station at retail park Teesside Park. The new transport hub is set to...

24.12.2023 10

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THE ECHO SAYS...

CHILDREN pay the price of growing up in poverty in terms of their health, their well-being and their life chances, but also the country as a whole...

09.12.2023 20

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

Teesside International Airport loses £2.3m but is still well ahead of target

Teesside Airport is still losing money but is edging towards profitability for the first time in years, encouraging new financial reports show.  ...

05.12.2023 30

The Northern Echo

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Mayoral candidates BOTH pledge to save 'vital' Teesside landmark

Candidates bidding to become the next Tees Valley Mayor have both pledged to save a historic industrial landmark. Labour's Chris McEwan launched his...

04.12.2023 10

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

Viva Las Teesside? Mayor puts North East forward for location of new sphere venue

The Tees Valley Mayor has put forward the region as an alternative for a replica of the Las Vegas Sphere. Ben Houchen said Teesside’s workforce...

30.11.2023 4

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

The epic story of a glass eye that symbolises the unseen horrors of war

As Remembrance weekend approaches, PETER BARRON tells the story of how a glass eye, kept in a wooden box by his mother for more than 70 years,...

21.11.2023 4

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

Well, I’ll be hanged! My embarrassing game of Hangman with a seven-year-old

IN a bid to improve our little granddaughter’s understanding of letters, I challenged her to a game of ‘Hangman’. I’d taken Chloe and her...

08.11.2023 10

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comment

IT is the time of year that fills parents with a combination of joy and dread. Halloween kicks off a three month extravaganza of parties and events,...

07.11.2023 9

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

Fears TVCA could burn through £100m in reserves in four years

The Tees Valley Combined Authority expects to use up more than £100m of its reserves in the next four years. Concerns were raised about the...

31.10.2023 2

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Baroness Stowell on how child's play can make a big difference to young lives

PARENTS and carers are children’s first teachers and the tiny things they do, like chatting, reading and playing with their young children make a...

30.10.2023 40

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Nutty at 92 – the bizarre reason my mum ended up in hospital on her birthday

BRIGHT-EYED and bushy-tailed, my dear old mum reached the grand old age of 92 yesterday, and she’s still going strong. In fact, we’re having a job...

23.10.2023 5

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

THE ECHO SAYS

THE working week has ended with the teenagers who were involved in the murder of Newton Aycliffe’s Jack Woodley, 18, failing to get their...

03.10.2023 5

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

First look at future site of £1.5bn Teesside carbon capture power station

The location of a site in Teesside which will soon be home to a £1.5bn clean energy power station with carbon capture technology has been...

29.09.2023 3

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£1.5bn world-leading Teesside clean energy power station breaks ground

A £1.5 billion Net Zero project officially began today (September 27) with a groundbreaking ceremony which will eventually bring thousands of jobs...

28.09.2023 3

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Tees Valley authority spent £7,000 on libel lawyers over Teesworks corruption claims

Public money totalling £7,000 was spent by Ben Houchen’s Tees Valley Combined Authority on legal advice from a top libel lawyer after allegations...

28.09.2023 2

The Northern Echo

Northern Echo Author

So close to a sticky end - the day I was nearly killed by a Midget Gem

WITHOUT wanting to sound melodramatic or morbid, there’s something about being a grandad, and passing the 60-mark, that makes the prospect of death...

12.09.2023 2

The Northern Echo

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