By Martin Walker A semi-professional footballer faces the biggest challenge of his life when he plans to run a marathon in memory of a friend this weekend. Sean Tarling is bidding to jog 25.5 miles – just short of the official marathon distance – in memory of local football legend Frank Swinburne. The 28-year-old, who’s never...

Work to build a state-of-the-art indoor football facility in Newton Aycliffe is ahead of schedule. The £1.5m Soccer Factory, which will provide seven 3g five-a-side courts at its new premises on Aycliffe Business Park (ABP), is expected to open later this year. The first of a three-phase refurbishment programme started last month and...

The newly refurbished youth centre in Newton Aycliffe held an event for the people who helped make their dream a reality. Mears who repair and maintain homes on behalf of livin spent two weeks transforming the tired looking centre and the benefits can already be seen. The colourful, modern centre now receives visits from 80 more young...

Confidence in Aycliffe Busness Park is flying high after an announcement to save a threatened factory completed a hat-trick of good news stories. It was revealed on Wednesday that a buyer had been found for the RFMD plant, with Arizona-based Compound Photonics taking on the troubled site. The news came a day after neighbouring Ebac...

By Martin Walker Ross Turnbull is said to be on the verge of re-signing for Middlesbrough. The Newtonian and Aycliffe Today blogger played for Boro in a pre-season friendly at Rotherham on Tuesday night after being without a club since his release from Chelsea this summer. Turnbull spent four years at Stamford Bridge, picking up a...

A US laser technology company has acquired the troubled RFMD plant in Newton Aycliffe. The Aycliffe Business Park site was set to be closed down with the loss of 200 jobs, but Arizona-based Compound Photonics has stepped in. RFMD, a designer and manufacturer of high-performance radio frequency solutions, said in March that it expects to...

Neighbourhood Police Team Sergeant Mark Edwards continues his regular blog on Aycliffe Today… Here we are at the back end of July and the weather continues its attempts to dehydrate members of my team during their daily patrols – no-one’s melted yet! As I script this blog I am currently covering for Inspector Mark Hall on the...

Mother Goose Baby Fairs will be holding a nearly new sale at Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre on Saturday August 31, 12noon til 1.30pm. The sale will give local mums the opportunity to buy and sell good quality maternity, baby and children’s goods. Why not book a stall and sell your unwanted items and keep 100% of your profits on the...

A brilliant range of activities for children and young people of all ages in Newton Aycliffe has been put together for the summer holidays. Activities, which cater for youngsters from as young as five and six up to teenagers, have been organised by the Extended Services working in partnership with Great Aycliffe and Middridge AAP...

More than 280 students from Woodham Academy were congratulated for their hard work and commitment to studies in a recent Rewards Assembly. Students were selected from each of the three houses, Brancepeth, Lambton and Raby, for demonstrating excellent effort and attainment in their recent Rising Star assessments. Students sat with...