The swimming pool at Aycliffe Leisure Centre is set to reopen to the public next week. Six Durham County Council-run facilities will be welcoming swimmers back from Monday (August 10), for the first time since being forced to close in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. But sessions at Aycliffe – as well as at Louisa Centre, in Stanley,...

A historic town hall will reopen to the public this week after being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Durham Town Hall will also be extending its opening hours from one day a week to four days a week. The venue, in the city’s Market Place, had been open every Saturday until being forced to close in March due to government...

More businesses are set to benefit from a financial support scheme set up to help them deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Durham County Council is widening the eligibility criteria for its local Discretionary Grants Fund so that hundreds more businesses can benefit. The authority is making the changes to ensure that as much of...

Former Greenfield student Lauren Fletcher is to feature in the prestigious 2020 Photographers Awards Book, having been selected as one of the finalists in the category celebrating student talent. Lauren left Greenfield in 2017 and was inspired to specialise in photography following a school visit to an exhibition at Bowes Museum based upon the...

A collection service introduced to help people in County Durham access library books is to be extended. Durham County Council introduced its ‘pick and collect’ service earlier this month to enable people to borrow books for the first time since lockdown restrictions were introduced. Although anyone can use the service regardless of where...

Newton Aycliffe-based software innovator Excelpoint has undertaken a brand review and unveiled a new corporate brand identity and website. The new brand identity reflects Excelpoint’s commitment to achieving its vision of empowering organisations worldwide to create efficient enterprise-wide business systems and workflows, changing the way...

Students at Greenfield Community College have been given a valuable opportunity to work with professional artists and school staff as part of a creative summer learning programme led by Greenfield Arts. Staff and practitioners welcomed two groups of Year 6 students as part of a comprehensive offers to support and ensure a smooth transition to...

The boss of Newton Aycliffe-based Tekmar Group has revealed he will step down in the next year after the firm recorded another turnover hike. After 12 years with Tekmar, chief executive James Ritchie has decided to resign from the board, handing responsibility to Alasdair MacDonald. He will remain with the Aycliffe Business Park firm until...

Lee Weldon’s weekly round-up from the wicket... Saturday 1st August – NYSD Division 2 Newton Aycliffe 1st XI v Saltburn 2nd XI – weather was cloudy and mild. Aycliffe won the toss and chose to bowl first. Match sponsored by Crafter’s Companion Saltburn 2nd XI 112 all out after 34.1 overs Jack Slatcher 3 for 19, Michael Howe 2 for...

Despite not shining academically, the chief executive of Tekmar Group has had an incredible rise to success that began as a schoolboy entrepreneur. Peter Barron talks to James Ritchie… Even as a schoolboy, James Ritchie had an eagle eye for business. Accompanying his grandmother to car boot sales as a 10-year-old, he remembers making an early...