Friday 20th August 2011The Bishop Press Issue 63 Page 1

Published at:First Floor, Town Council O� ces,

Civic Hall Square, Shildon, DL4 1AH.

Telephone/Fax: 01388 775896Duty journalist: 0790 999 2731

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At the heart

Friday 20th August 2011Issue 63

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Newgate Street linchpin to close after 81 years

Marks and Spencer has confi rmed that it will leave its store in Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland early next year. The company has not yet said where it will go, but

campaigners against a development at St Helen Auckland are implying they would prefer to base their operations there. Marks and Spencer has operated out of the

Bishop town centre store since 1930 and County Councillor for Bishop Auckland and town centre café owner Sam Zair said, “Losing M&S will be devas-tating to the town centre. With no disrespect to other businesses, M&S is a crowd-puller and people come from all over just to shop there.”Plans have been submitted for six shops and nearly 200 parking spaces at the former Focus site at St Helen Auckland. These will go before a planning committee in the coming months.Meanwhile Ravenhill Estates, which owns the Newgate Centre in town, is preparing plans to extend the shopping centre and Cllr Zair hopes both appli-cations will be considered at the same time. A spokesman for Ravenhill said, “We are in negotia-tions with parties to bring forward a scheme that provides an unbeatable retail experience while ensuring the prosperity of the town centre remains undiminished.”

Marks & Spencer in Newgate Street is to close after over eighty years of trading in the town.

Shoppers will be forgiven for feeling the blues over the coming weeks as live music takes to the streets of Bishop Auckland town centre.Bishop Auckland’s Theatre Corner will be the venue for The Late Summertime Blues, a series of perfor-mances by local artists, starting on Saturday, 20th August with blues guitarist Gypsy Dave Smith.The Richard Sutton Trio will appear on Saturday 27th August followed by The Rag Pickers Trio on Saturday 3rd September and The Hokum Hotshots on Saturday 10th September.Each act will play four half-hour sets through the day at around 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm.The programme has been organised by Durham County Council with support from the Friends of Bishop Auckland group.Steve McCormick, Bishop

Auckland town centre manager, said, “Over the next few weekends, shoppers will have the chance to hear some exciting performances by experienced and vibrant performers.“And although the musical theme is blues-based, we have specifi cally chosen acts that should appeal to most tastes.”The Theatre Corner location has been chosen to build on the recent efforts of local traders to develop the Four Clocks Quarter of the town centre.Bernadette Rush, Chair of the Four Clocks Quarter said, “We are confi dent the Late Summertime Blues events will enhance the shopping experience in the south end of the town.“Hopefully, this will be the fi rst of many events to come in and around the Four Clocks Quarter of the town.”

Late Summertime Blues in Bishop

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Friday 20th August 2011 The Bishop PressIssue 63Page 2

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After some very successful taster sessions, Age UK County Durham and the Fit & Healthy Gym in Bishop Auckland are putting on a regular weekly drop-in session for the over 50s as part of the ‘fi t as a fi ddle’ project. If you have ever fancied trying out a gym but have been put off by the fast-paced competitive atmosphere why not try our more relaxed sessions? The sessions will run on Wednesday mornings from

11am to 12 noon and will start on 14th September. The gym asks for a small donation of £1.50 per session. Ring Age UK County Durham on 01388 720064 for more information. The gym is also looking for volunteers who would be willing to learn how to supervise others in the safe use of the gym equipment, so if you are interested contact Age UK County Durham on the above number.

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Christopher Morrison pleaded guilty at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court recently to the production of nine cannabis plants and was sentenced to a 60 hours community penalty, plus £85 costs and the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and growing equipment was ordered.The court heard that the 28 year-old, who was released from custody on licence earlier this year, had previous problems with drugs but was currently clean of the habit, as he is about to commence a course at a local college imminently and as part of

the course he would be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. Police had gone to the defendant’s address in Beckett Close, Etherley Dene, during the early hours of 29th June to arrest him on another matter. On conducting a search of the property, nine cannabis plants with growing equipment were discovered in the garage adjacent to the house. The District Judge stood matters down for a report from the Probation Services before passing sentence.

Cannabis production

Bishop Auckland Town Council’s Community Fund budgets an amount each year which is to be used to support organisations working for the benefi t of the people of Bishop Auckland.Grants can be paid for projects and activities which can be shown to benefi t Bishop Auckland people, however, the Council are unable, by law, to grant aid individuals.“In Bishop Auckland we are fortunate in having a wide variety of community groups and charities which contribute to the life of the town and as a Council are very aware of the hard work done by volunteers to help make our town a better place to live and work and do our

best to provide fi nancial assistance where needed,” said a spokesperson for Bishop Auckland Town Council.The Community Fund granted over £3,000 in 2010/2011 with donations of over £2,000 to national organisations.Some of the groups who have received money from the Community Fund in 2010/2011 include:-• Bishop Auckland Station

Trust• 2nd Bishop Auckland

Scout Group• Toronto Community As-

sociation (Groundwork North East)

• Auckland Youth & Community Centre

• King James 1st Cricket Club

• Bishop Auckland Badger

Sett • Wear Valley Jujitsu Club• Wear Valley Amateur

Swimming Club• St. Peter's Church -

Parent & Toddler GroupAny organisation who operates in Bishop Auckland Town, Toronto, Woodhouse Close, Cockton Hill or Henknowle and would like to apply for a grant of up to £500 from the Community Fund, can obtain an application form from Bishop Auckland Town Council at the Four Clocks Centre, 154A Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7EH.Alternatively call 01388 609852, email batc@btconnect.com or visit the council’s website at www.bishopaucklandtowncoun-cil.co.uk.

Cash for communities

Paul Barker holds a Provi-sional Driving Licence and earlier this year had six penalty points imposed for motoring offences, however on 4th August he again drove unaccompanied and without displaying L plates. The 19 year-old, of Middlewood Avenue, St. Helen Auckland, pleaded guilty to four charges at

Driver bannedNewton Aycliffe Magis-trates’ Court and was dis-qualifi ed from driving for twelve months under the totting up process, as well as having a further £165 in fi nes added to the £200 which he already owes the court. The court heard how a duty traffi c offi cer had been forced to brake sharply at

a roundabout as Barker had approached at speed. The police vehicle, with blue lights fl ashing, then followed the Hyundai Accent which drove at speeds of between 45 and 60 m.p.h. in 30 m.p.h. zones travelling through two red lights before being stopped in South Church Road.

Quiz nightA Quiz Night in aid of the Friends of Bishop Auckland will be held at Bishop Auckland Rugby Club on Friday 23rd September, between 7pm and 10.30pm.Tickets are priced at

£7, which includes a pie and peas supper, and are available from The 4 Clocks Centre of from any member of The Friends of Bishop Auckland.There will be a raffl e, table

quizzes and quiz rounds.“Come along and enjoy an excellent evening with your compere Alan,” said a spokesperson.For more information call Ann on 01388 604660.

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Friday 20th August 2011The Bishop Press Issue 63 Page 3

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Charity shop appeal after fireAfter thousands of pounds worth of stock was destroyed by a fire at their shop on Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is appealing for donations from the public.Early estimates put the damage at over £35,000 worth of items spoiled beyond repair. Most of the damage was caused by thick, white smoke rather than flames. Seven fire appliances attended the scene and managed to contain the fire to the rear of the building. Witnesses described seeing thick, white smoke rising from back windows and the back door of the shop at around 5pm on Monday 15th August. Police sealed off part of Newgate Street as fire crews tackled the blaze.Barry Greenstreet,

regional manager for the BHF said, “There was so much smoke it has damaged a majority of things in the store. It is a massive loss for us.“We would appeal to the public at this difficult time to look in their homes and donate any unwanted furniture or electrical items to us. We have a storage facility so people can still donate while the shop is closed. We really appreciate the support we get from the community in Bishop Auckland and we are in a position now where we need it more than ever.”No one was injured during the fire and it is not being treated as suspicious. Anyone with furniture or electrical items to donate is asked to call 0844 499 4181 and the store still operates a free collection service for donations.

Laura Sams, Head of Sixth Form David Shearer, Amanda Kyle, Hannah Fawcett, (front row) David McCormick, Jonathan Wright.

Students get involved in Social Mobility Scheme

Seven students from year 12 at King James 1 Academy took part in work experience internships at the heart of Government in London for two weeks in July and August. All of the students suc-cessfully applied for places on The Social Mobility Internship Scheme which

involves working in Government Departments in Whitehall. The students, Amanda Kyle, Laura Sams, Sophie Bowes, Hayley McKenna, Jonathan Wright, Hannah Fawcett and David McCormick, all aged 17, spent two weeks living in London and working in several Government Depart-

ments including Defence, Health and Culture, Media and Sport.“All of the students are working extremely well at King James I Academy and deserve the opportunity to experience life and work in London” stated David Shearer, Head of Sixth Form.

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Bishop Auckland Choral Society will be starting their practice sessions on Tuesday 6th September, from 7pm to 9pm in Bishop Auckland Town Hall.The group has a wide and varied programme arranged for Autumn 2011 and Spring 2012.

If you like to sing and would like to join them, why not go along to the Town Hall on a practice night to see what they are doing, or ring Sophie on 01388 834359 for an informal chat. “We will make you very welcome,” said a spokes-person.

Choral society practices

Police in Bishop Auckland are investigating an arson attack on a car on Sunday 7th August. At about 10.45pm a blue VW Jetta, registration KX 56 ZYH, was parked unattended outside its owner's home on Manor

Arson attack on carRoad in St Helens, West Auckland. It is believed three suspects approached the vehicle before setting fire to its interior. The 19 year-old victim and another male gave chase and the suspects fled, crossing the

road and heading towards what has been referred to as the disused railway line.The three males are described as being 18 plus years, wearing grey or dark clothing, and of heights ranging from 5ft 4in to 6 feet.Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Detective Constable Paul Ryans at Bishop Auckland on 0345 60 60 365, extension 673 2363, or the independ-ent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.Two 17 year-old youths arrested in relation to the incident have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Friday 20th August 2011 The Bishop PressIssue 63Page 4

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Family fume at diagnosis delayA local family were distraught to find out that they had been kept in the dark over a terminal cancer diagnosis for over two months. Mother-of-five Catherine Abbot from Bishop Auckland, was admitted to Darlington Memorial Hospital earlier this year with hip complaints. Doctors told her family she had fractured her hip – which they thought strange seeing as she had not suffered a fall. Whilst in hospital the 71 year-old also complained of chest pain. Mrs Abbott

was treated for two weeks before being transferred to Bishop Auckland for reha-bilitation and then allowed home.In May her daughter, Donna Moss, accompanied her to an outpatient appoint-ment, where they were told everything was fine and there was no need for further treatment. However in June the family were visited by their local GP, who broke the news that Mrs Abbott had terminal cancer. Further-more, it emerged that spe-cialists at Darlington had known about her condition

since April.Mrs Moss said, “I am so annoyed that they had the results on April 7th but didn’t tell us until June 3rd. Time is so precious now. Two months have gone and we are all very angry about it.” The family have lodged a complaint with County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, asking for an ex-planation and apology, and for whoever is responsible to be reprimanded. The complaint is being investigated but the Trust was unable to comment due to patient confidential-ity.

Local charity benefits from food donations

Nicky Dixon from Sainsbury’s with Philippa Tomson, the Ark’s Patron (Tyne Tees news presenter).

Sainsbury’s Bishop Auckland donates bread every week to Ark On The Edge Animal Rescue Sanctuary to help feed some of the animals.The organisation rescues and rehomes any domestic animals, and also rescues and returns animals to the

wild. The food donation scheme is aimed at charities and organisation that could really benefit from receiving surplus fresh food products that would otherwise go to waste.Tom Phillipson, store

manager said, “We hate wasting food and really believe that old saying ‘Waste not; want not’ We are really happy that local charities, within our community can benefit from our food donations scheme”

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How to contact us:By email:bishoppress@yahoo.co.ukBy post or in person:Bishop Press, First Floor, Town Council Offices, Civic Hall Square, Shildon. DL4 1AH.By telephone or voicemail:(01388) 775896 or 07909 992 731.Leave items for the paper at:Woodhouse Close Library / Town Hall LibraryHow to advertise:We can design an eye catching advert tailored to your specific needs. A breakdown of costs is available bishoppress.comThe Bishop Press is delivered free of charge to homes and busi-nesses in Bishop Auckland, Tindale and Toronto and has sister papers in Ferryhill & Chilton and Shildon.

Bishop press The

Jonathon Thomas Peter McDade pleaded guilty at Newton Aycliffe Magis-trates’ Court to stealing foodstuffs valued at £23-58 from ASDA Stores in Bishop Auckland. On Sunday 10th April the 23 year-old, of Rosyth Road, Sunderland, entered the store accompanied by his girlfriend Jane Menzies.CCTV captured images of items being placed into

Asda theft chargea sports bag which was located on the back of the shopping trolley and Jane Menzies received a fixed penalty notice for her part in the crime. In mitigation McDade, who is currently subject to a suspended sentence on other matters, stated that the theft had not been planned but had been an opportunist act. McDade was fined a total of £250, including costs.

Give bloodA blood drive will be held at Bishop Auckland Rugby Club on Tuesday 30th August, between 2.30pm

and 3.45pm, and from 4.30pm to 7pm. To make an appointment call 0300 123 23 23 or visit blood.co.uk.

A local branch of The Salvation Army is seeking unwanted Girl Guides and Brownie Uniforms. The outfits will be given to the Salvation Army’s Sunshine

School for the Blind in Kingston, Jamaica. If you have any old uniforms lying around, please call The Army on 01388 777358 or Margaret on 01388 776034.

Uniforms sought for blind school

Friday 20th August 2011The Bishop Press Issue 63 Page 5

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People out shopping in the town centre can now pick up more than just their weekly groceries – they can get some free careers advice too.Bishop Auckland College has opened a new advice shop in a nearby shopping centre to make it easier for local people to find out about the courses and training on offer.The innovative move by has seen managers take advantage of a vacant retail unit in the town’s Newgate Centre to launch the Careers Information Shop.Shoppers can pop in for advice from 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday and on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm on new full and part time courses starting next month at the college’s £32m campus on Woodhouse Lane.One of the first to take

advantage was Vanessa Storey, who dropped in on Saturday afternoon. The 23-year-old from Willington is a former Bishop Auckland College student now working as a nursery nurse, but wanted information on a part-time evening nail art course.The mother-of-one said, “I had been planning to visit the college anyway, but hadn’t had the time to go in. So when I saw the new advice centre while out shopping, I just went in. It was really handy and the member of staff was a former tutor – she was really friendly and took my details and I’ll be getting a call back to see how I can fit the course around my other commitments.“I think having the in-formation shop at the shopping centre is a really good idea.”The shop’s opening

coincides with the launch of the college’s new part-time guide.Principal Anne Isherwood said, “We already have a training centre on the first floor at the NewgateCentre, and once we became aware of the vacant unit downstairs we thought it offered a great opportunity for the college to make careers advice and information on our courses available in the heart of the town centre.“We are running this as a three month trial to see how popular it is with the general public, but have had really positive feedback from the first couple of days.”The new part-time course guide can be downloaded from the college website atwww.bacoll.ac.uk/part-time-courses.html or for more information call 01388 443000.

Pick up your groceries – and some free careers advice!

Vanessa Storey popped in for some careers advice.

This week in History

August 1941

Adolf Hitler ordered a temporary halt to the systematic T4 euthanasia program of the handi-capped due to protests.

19 August 1919

Afghanistan gained full independence from the United Kingdom.

20 August 1953

The Soviet Union publicly acknowledged that it had tested a hydrogen bomb.

August 1911

The Mona Lisa was stolen by a Louvre employee.

22 August 1962

An attempt to assas-sinate French president Charles de Gaulle failed.

23 August 1990

West Germany and East Germany announced that they would unite on October 3rd.

18

21

LettersHave your say...

Dear Editor,

Bishop Auckland welcomes KFC – and its mess! As the new store opened at the weekend it seems the town has got a whole lot dirtier, as every street seems to be covered in the Colonel’s face, be it cups, boxes or wrappers.

The time it took to get served in the drive thru - I could have cooked a Sunday lunch at home and still had time to have a pint in the pub!

Why is it all these fast food companies are happy to take our money but seem to have no commitment to the local environ-ment? When I raised the litter issue with a Manager - their response was it has nothing to do with us what customers do with their rubbish.

Come on KFC you can do better than that!!

Name and address withheld on request.

Dear Editor,

We would like to thank Bishop Auckland Town Council for granting us funding from its Community Fund earlier this year to help us set up and run our Parent & Toddler Group.

The church was able to launch its toddler group at the end of June, and it has grown steadily since then, none of which would a have been possible without the start-up funding from the Town Council.

We look forward to what the future will bring for the group, which runs every Wednesday morning from 9.30am - 11am in the church hall.

St Peter’s Church, Bishop Auckland

Send your letters, on any subject, to The Bishop Press, 3-4 First Floor Offices, Shildon Town Council Building, Civic Hall Square, Shildon, County Durham, DL1 1AH.

Alternatively, email bishoppress@yahoo.co.uk

Friday 20th August 2011 The Bishop PressIssue 63Page 6

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Gun threat…for a sandwich!A nightshift worker was accosted last weekend on his way to work when a thug attempted to steal his packed lunch. The teenaged robber pushed a black handgun against Garry Bell’s temple and tried to grab his carrier bag containing a sandwich, bag of crisps and a bottle of pop. Mr Bell was able to scare off the youth and continued on to work and completed his shift. It was only after telling his girlfriend of the incident the following day that the magnitude of the event dawned on Mr Bell and he contacted police.“If this youth was willing to do this to me, what would he do to someone else?” said Mr Bell. “I don’t know

why I didn’t react. I’m quite aggressive and don’t get intimidated. I just thought it was a prank and it was a toy gun.“It was only later I realised it might not have been, and even if it was just a BB gun, if it had gone off against my temple, it probably could still have killed me.”“If I’d been an older person I might have handed the bag over, or had a heart attack.”Mr Bell was walking next to the Lidl store near Tindale crossroads at 9.40pm on Sunday 7th August when the teenager, believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, approached him and asked what was in his carrier

bag. “I told him it was my bait” said Mr Bell, who continued, “he can’t have been from around here because he asked what bait was.” It was then he pulled the gun and tried to grab the bag. The youth is described as being aged 15-17 years, between 5ft 8in and 5ft 10in tall, stocky, with light coloured curly/wavy hair.Detective Constable Peter Lonsdale said, “It is unclear whether this was a real gun, a replica, or one which fires ball bearings, but of course the victim had no way of knowing.”Anyone with any informa-tion is asked to contact Det. Con. Lonsdale on 0345 60 60 365 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Skate park officially opened

Youngsters gathered at the opening to take advantage of the facilities.

Local youngsters gathered at Bishop Auckland Recreation Ground on Saturday 13th August to try out their new skate park at the official opening of the facility.The project was brought to life by Bishop Auckland and Shildon Area Action Part-

nership when Councillors Sam Zair and Neil Harrison donated £20,000 for the scheme from their neigh-bourhood budgets.Groundwork North East have been working with various partners to secure funding for the skate park, which regularly attracts over 70

young people a night. Two years ago, a group of young people approached Cllr Zair with a petition to build a skate park, as they felt there was a lack of facilities in the area, prompting Groundwork and Durham County Council to leap into action.

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A presentation event is to take place for the winners of the Bishop Auckland in Bloom competition.The event will be held on Wednesday 31st August

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Teenage rape case to Crown CourtA 15 year-old Bishop Auckland boy who has been charged with raping a 13 year-old boy has had his case transferred to

Durham Crown Court.The teenager has also been charged with several other counts of sexual assault.

Seen your photo in The Press?If you’ve had a photograph published in The Bishop Press and would like a copy to keep for yourself, you can buy a copy from our offices in Civic Hall Square, Shildon. We can print 6” x 4” high quality glossy photos of any full-size photographs

that appear in the paper. This would make an ideal memento. A small charge of £1.50 per photo applies, which goes towards the upkeep of your local not-for-profit community newspaper, delivered fortnightly free of charge.

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Friday 20th August 2011The Bishop Press Issue 63 Page 7

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Jimmy Lee Donnelly, of Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland, will return to Newton Aycliffe Mag-istrates’ Court on 7th September after being released on conditional bail. The 25 year-old faces charges of causing criminal damage to the window of a house in Walker Drive where his ex-partner lives and also of assaulting her.The court heard that at around 10pm on the night of Saturday 6th August, his ex-girlfriend had been out socialising with friends in Bishop Auckland when Jimmy Donnelly had spat in her face before throwing a

Ex-partner assaulted

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drink over her. She had followed him and tried to hit him but had missed and then Donnelly had struck her in the mouth and had again spat in her face. Outside of the public house, the altercation had continued and Donnelly had spat in her face for a third time. The alleged victim had returned home with a friend and, during the early hours of Sunday morning, Donnelly was seen crouching down under the front window after the front door had twice been tried. From an upstairs window

she shouted at him, telling him to leave but Donnelly responded by throwing a large lump of wood through the window and threatening to come into the house. The police were called and Donnelly was arrested. In interview he told police that he was jealous and had been drunk. Since the incident Donnelly’s father had paid £100 towards the window repair. The District Judge adjourned matters requesting a full pre-sentence report from the Probation Services before releasing Donnelly on con-ditional bail.

2 Bed Terrace House to RentShort Street, Bishop Auckland

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An Evening Of Clairvoy-ance will be held at the Manor House Hotel in West Auckland on Sunday 21st August at 7pm. International clairvoyant

Trevor Bright, from Scar-borough, will be hosting the evening to help raise money for Butterwick Hospice. Tickets are £10, which can be purchased on the door.

An evening of Clairvoyance

Trevor Bright will host the clairvoyant event.

Advertise in The PressCall Jeff on

01388 7758960790 999 2731

Do you have leaflets for your business?

The Bishop Press is delivered to around9,000 homesLeaflets distributed from just 2p each

(01388) 775 896

According to an investiga-tion by The Sunday Sun, County Durham had the highest number of residents to report rat sightings to the c o u n c i l last year, with residents in Bishop having one of the highest rates in the county.A p p a r e n t l y 150 people in the town requested the council tackle rodent problems

in their area, with only Seaham, Chester-le-S t r e e t ,

I think I smell a rat!!Darlington, Shildon and Peterlee reporting more cases.

Shildon had a hefty 207 cases, while

Sunnybrow had just 17 cases.

Some of the

lowest in the county

were Sherburn Hill in Durham with 14 and rural Staindrop with just 12 reported sighting in the village.

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Friday 20th August 2011 The Bishop PressIssue 63Page 8

SportLocal leagues, competitions and events...

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Bishop into final By John Phelan

Despite hovering at the basement of the NYSD Premier League the Bishop Auckland 1st team have salvaged some pride from the season by reaching the final of the Teesside University NYSD Fifteens competition. They did this by beating Stokesley on Monday evening. Bishop batted first and despite being 30-0 off 3 overs closed on 88 with J.Beaumont taking 4-13. However Bishop bowled and fielded well to leave the visitors on 85-9.That win came after an encouraging draw in the league on the Saturday against Darlington. Bishop batted first and made

231 thanks to 117 runs from Phil Holdsworth and 51 runs from Matthew Cowling. In the Darlington reply of 130-8 Dan Conway took 4-33, Callum Oldfield 2-26, James Robinson 1-41 and Matthew Cowling 1-10. The 17 points Bishop took from this game leaves them with a good chance of avoiding relegation should the weather behave itself. Both the 2nd and 3rd team fixtures were lost to the weather last weekend. The weekend before only the 3rd team played and they drew with Blackhall who batted first and made 140-7 with Liam Bell taking 3-28. Bishop replied with

101-9, Liam Bell being run out off the last ball but he helped Bishop to pass the 100 mark and gain an extra bonus point which leaves the team in fourth place in the league. Finally just a word about Under 15 bowler Liam Bell who has been returning some excellent figures for the 3rd team. These include 3-28 against Blackhall, 5-30 against Middlesbrough, 8-42 against Maltby and 1-27 versus Saltburn.On Saturday August 20th the 1st team are away to Billingham, the 2nd team entertain Wolviston while the following day the 3rd team entertain Hartlepool.

Bishop Auckland Rugby Club is to hold a Sports-man’s Dinner in an effort to raise funds to expand the Club’s facilities.The Rugby Club has, since 1976, grown beyond all ex-pectations. Today it boasts three senior teams and eleven junior sides who compete in the county at all age groups.With this rapid growth there is an urgency to expand the Club’s facilities. The Club is currently expanding its club house facilities to provide a professional sporting en-vironment for the players, parents and families who currently support the club

in the area. This Sportsman’s Dinner will, hopefully, raise funds towards this de-velopment, particularly for groundwork prepara-tion and the equipment needed.The guest speaker for the evening will be Rugby Union’s Jeff Probyn, voted at one time, the best prop in the world. A spokesperson commented “It takes a man of character to play tight head prop, the toughest position on the field, failure in this position ensures failure for the team. “International Rugby, 37 times for England, 2 world

Cups and 2 Grand slams, Jeff has proved his skill in the front row arts in every situation and Jeff has a wide experience of speaking, from the Houses of Parliament, via hundreds of Rugby Clubs.”Tickets for the Dinner are £30 each. Should you wish to book on behalf of your business / organisa-tion then tables for ten persons are available for £290, and a half-table for five persons for £145.Anyone wishing to purchase tickets should contact Penny Macnair on 07979975866 or Leigh Foulger on 07815134762. Alternatively, email lfoulger@bishopaucklan-drugby.co.uk.

Rugby Club to hold Sportsman’s Dinner

Tell us about your team’s

achievementsEmail us at

bishoppress@yahoo.co.uk

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St. Mary’s Juniors FC celebrate 25 yrsBishop Auckland St. Mary’s Juniors Football Club is celebrating its 25th birthday this year with a commemorative ball in The Bishops’ Suite at Ramside Hall on Friday 9th September.There will be a three course meal, entertain-ment and disco from

7.30pm until midnight. Dress code is formal and tickets are priced at £30 each. This is a non-profit making event purely to mark this milestone in St. Mary’s history. Everyone is welcome to attend, tickets are available from 07732083904.

BISHOP AucklAnd FcnEW SEASOn FIxturES

Saturday 20th AugustAway v Whitley Bay (FA Cup extra preliminary round)

Tuesday 23rd AugustAway v Tow Law Town

Friday 26th AugustAway v Norton & Stockton Ancients

Monday 29th AugustHome v Newton Aycliffe

Saturday 3rd SeptemberHome v Jarrow Roofing

Wednesday 7th SeptemberHome v Spennymoor Town

Bishop Auckland Cricket ClubKingsway, Bishop Auckland

Tel: 01388 603371Friday 2nd September from 7pm till late

Amazing Female VocalistPAULA BEST

Free Admission