Eddy Eats: The Vane Arms, Thorpe Thewles, near Stockton

The mercury had dropped, and Mrs E fancied a cosy country pub with a roaring fire for our latest Sunday feed.

We’d had it on good authority that the Vane Arms at Thorpe Thewles, near Stockton, would fit the bill.

The pub dates back to the early 1800s and has a smart but welcoming feel.

We ordered drinks at the bar, and kept it simple - a lager shandy for Mrs E and a pint of Guinness for me - but there were several real ales on tap and a good wine selection from the cellar. It also looks like The Vane is a mecca for gin enthusiasts. The Gin Board gives a detailed list including The Botanist - “a rollercoaster botanical odyssey in a glass” and Portobello Road - a “unique and powerful blend of nine botanicals including cassia bark and nutmeg”, all served with Fentiman’s tonic.

We were shown to our seats by the smiling owner, Tom, who’s been running the place since 2012 with his wife Vanessa.

I started with a very tasty Home Pickled Sardines on Sourdough Toast. She Who Must Be Fed isn’t keen on ‘strong fish flavours’ - but it didn’t stop her sampling a bit of mine.

Other starter options included vegetarian options of Roast Root Vegetable Soup and Beetroot and Ryedale Cheese Salad, and a Seared Steak and Harrogate Blue Cheese Salad.

For mains, I went for the Roast Rib of Durham Beef, which came with all the trimmings; seasonal veg, roasties, cauliflower cheese. My Yorkshire was a bit crunchy and over-done, but they soon brought another after I pointed it out.

The Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb with a Mint and Redcurrant Gravy, for She Who Must Be Fed, got a definite thumbs-up. A glass of good house red washed it all down a treat.

The food was of a high standard, my only gripe was that there wasn’t enough of it for my liking. I could’ve quite happily eaten it all again.

We rounded off our lunch with a plum crumble, and I have to say it’s the best I’ve ever tasted; melt-in-the-mouth crumble and super-thick, creamy custard. A real winner.

Mrs E was also a big fan of the ‘delicious’ home-made elderflower cordial.

The place itself is very comfortable, think bare floorboards, exposed brick and wood panelling.

It has all the ingredients for a first-rate village pub. A small chalk sign promised conker competitions and pumpkin carving later this month, but there’s a lot to keep the foodies and alcohol connoisseurs happy too.

The owners both have a strong food background. The mid-week lunch and evening menus are a mix of traditional pub fare with a few modern dishes, and quality, local seasonal produce plays a big part.

Boro legend Curtis Fleming, and his wife seemed to like the place too - I spotted them, having a drink at the bar.

If it’s good enough for Curtis, I thought, then it’s good enough for me; although I had to point out to an oblivious Mrs E the fact that she was rubbing shoulders with footballing royalty.

“Eeh, fancy that,” she cooed, “I didn’t have the foggiest!”

We might be back for that conker competition yet.

Hartlepool United: Mark Proctor's sympathy for Colin Cooper after exit from club

I'm very disappointed for Colin Cooper and how it worked out for him at Hartlepool.

And I know Colin will be genuinely upset that he never achieved what he wanted there.

But it has to be said, he knew exactly what he was taking on at Hartlepool - a very difficult job.

You just need to look at their recent history to see that something is not quite right there.

Since they got to the play-offs and just missed out on getting to the Championship ten years ago they have been on the slide and it is very hard to stop that.

Just look at all the ins and outs. They have got through a lot of managers and players and there hasn’t been a lot of continuity or success and not a lot of money for managers to spend either.

Colin knew that. He knew it was a very tough job. He knew exactly what he was getting in to.

But if you want to break into management that’s what you have to do - you have to start right at the bottom at clubs that are in trouble in the table and maybe off the pitch too.

You don’t get to pick and choose your club, you have to grab what ever opportunity comes along and hope that you can make a success, that you can turn a team around and get the results that get you noticed.

A lot of first time managers fail and then never get another chance, even if they are very talented and would make good bosses. But that’s the game. It’s harsh.

It is imperative you succeed immediately - usually with all the odds stacked against you.

Colin knew all that but took the chance anyway and gave it his best shot.

I can sympathise with him. I’ve been there. I had my own crack at management in a club with a lot of problems.

I had been a number two at Darlington under David Hodgson and a coach with Tony Mowbray at Hibernian and while they great experiences that taught me a lot, you do start to feel the urge to take the responsibility for yourself.

You maybe have a different opinion on the way the game should be played or how training should be organised or how players should be used on the pitch and treated off it.

And if you do, and the chance comes along, then you need to take it, to test yourself. And I did that at Livingston.

I went in at a very difficult time. The club had just slipped back from a bit of a Golden Era.

They’d been taken over by a millionaire who put a lot of money in and they had a lot of success quickly and got promoted from the bottom division to the Premier League and even played in Europe. It was a bit of a Gretna scenario.

They’d had managers like RIchard Gough, PAul Lambert and John Robertson before me, a Who’s Who of Scottish football.

But the money ran out, they got relegated and went into administration so I went into a bit of a nightmare situation.

I was manager and Curtis Fleming was my assistant and we gave it our best shot.

We did well that season and finished seventh, which given the problems, wasn’t bad, but then the club was sold by to an Italian consortium and we were sacked.

But don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret it. I enjoyed that year. I learnt a lot.

It was different being in charge and putting all my ideas into practice, building a team and playing in a certain way.

We had a decent squad starting to develop. We had Graham Dorrens and Robert Snodgrass as teenagers and they are both in the Premier League now.

Who knows what we may have achieved if we had another year to work with the squad?

But being the manager is very demanding, its emotionally taxing. I learned that too.

There are massive highs and massive lows and there is no switching off. You are thinking about everything 24/7.

And it is not just about the squad. You are not just managing the needs and expectations of the people below you, its the people above and around you as well.

You have to deal with the chairman and the chief executive and people outside the club, commercial and the public, the club staff, you have to manage a lot of relationships and keep a lot of balls in the air as well as run the team. It was a real eye-opener and a bit of culture-shock.

I think when you see managers at small clubs under stress it is as much about what is going on behind the scenes as what is happening on the pitch. The supporters don’t see that bit.

And that bit is definitely worse at smaller clubs.

At big clubs you have a lot of staff, specialist fitness coaches, scouts to analyse the opposition and look at players, nutritionists, people running the reserves and juniors, people in charge of the training ground, PR staff, whatever. Further down the football food chain the manager runs all those things. And more.

You try to make the club as professional as you can but you are restricted by finances.

A lack of money doesn’t just mean you can’t get better players, it has an impact on how you prepare the team. You just adapt as best you can to what the budget allows.

So, as I said, I have great sympathy with Colin Cooper because I know the size of the job he’s been doing.

Fans will only look at results and say he’s failed, and that’s fair enough because at the end of the day it’s about results.

But people in the game, at other clubs, will be aware of what he was up against and will maybe see it differently.

So if he goes looking for another job, an I’m sure he does because I know he has real ambitions to manage, then I think he still has a good CV and his Hartlepool experience can only help.

He has learned about working on a budget, he has tried to play good football and he still has a lot of contacts and so a chairman at another club may think he can bring in some very good players.

I wish Colin well. I really hope he gets back in quickly and makes his next job a success.

Aitor Karanka just missed out on the Manager of the Month Award after being nominated.

I hope he gets nominated again next month as it will mean Boro have had another good run.

And if he keeps on just missing out then Boro will have a good season.

I know some fans laugh about these awards and say they are “cursed.”

And I don’t think Karanka will be gutted that he can’t put the trophy on his sideboard alongside his Champion League medals and the like.

But they are worth winning. It is public recognition of a good run of results for the team and you’d rather win them than not.

If you win two or three over the season then that has got to put you at the business end of the table.

Winning an award like that is a good reward for everyone at the club, it is something to talk about and puts a bit a bit of a spring in the step.

A lot of managers dedicate the award to their backroom staff in recognition of their work on the training ground and that’s nice, a bit of slap on the back is always nice.

So, it would be nice for Aitor Karanka to win these plaudits but I’m sure he would be the first to say it doesn’t really matter - it is what you win in May that counts.

Don't forget, myself and Bernie Slaven are running fun coaching sessions for budding footballers on Sunday afternoons in Redcar. The sessions are for boys and girls aged between five and seven and are at Redcar and Cleveland Leisure and Cummunity Heart between 1-2pm. For more details or to book a place you can call 07476 747442 or email seven.enterprises@hotmail.co.uk

Fears that thousands of children could have nude photos posted online after 'The Snappening'

Thousands of children, some as young as 10, could face seeing nude pictures of themselves posted on the internet.

Message boards on a notorious website called 4Chan have been inundated with details of the “The Snappening”.

Hackers claim they have managed to break in to another image-saving service that allows users of Snapchat to store pictures received before they vanish.

As proof, they have reportedly posted pictures allegedly taken from this third party app but have since deleted them.

Half of Snapchat users are aged between 13 and 17, and there are grave fears that tens of thousands of leaked images will be of under-age UK children who have been persuaded or bullied into sending naked shots of themselves.

Because Snapchat only produces temporary images on the receiver’s phone, the service has been used by teenagers to flash indecent images to fellow account holders, never suspecting the shots would be captured.

Hackers have bragged that 200,000 pictures, will be released in days.

Worryingly the images are to be released in a searchable database making it easier for pictures to be found and identified.

Children as young as 10 are sending and receiving sexual pictures through Snapchat, said researchers.

The NSPCC found as many as 40% of young children have been swapping sexual images.

Schoolgirls in the UK are increasingly becoming victims of a craze dubbed “porn to order” after being duped into sending rude selfies.

Apps such as Snap Save allow those who receive the pictures to save the image. But they deny being hacked.

Snapchat’s US owners insist their servers “were never breached”.

They said: “Snapchatters were victimised by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practise we expressly prohibit in our terms of use because they compromise users’ security.”

What is Snapchat?

Snapchat is a free messaging app where users can send photos and videos to their friends.

The images, called Snaps, appear on the recipient’s phone for a short set time limit of between one and 10 seconds before they disappear.

As the Snaps are temporary – unless the recipient takes a screen grab – it is often used for sexting.

What is 4Chan?

4Chan is a bulletin board where users can post images and comments on topics from “hardcore” to “Pokemon”.

It has a main board called “Random” with few rules, meaning illicit material – such as hacked photos – is often uploaded.

Most users are anonymous.

Middlesbrough taxi driver urges Government to change laws regarding drivers following grooming report

A taxi driver who set up a petition for tighter controls of minibus drivers has renewed calls for more checks following the revelation that children as young as 11 are being groomed in Middlesbrough.

Rasub Afzal, from Middlesbrough, has spent months urging the Government to change its legislation so that minibus drivers - like taxi drivers - have DBS (formerly CRB) checks before they are given their licence.

The 46-year-old dad enlisted the help of Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald to help with his battle to pass on his petition to Parliament.

The Labour MP confirmed he was working with Mr Afzal and had written to then Transport Minister Norman Baker but had not received a favourable response.

“The Minister said that while he wasn’t saying that there wasn’t any risk at all, he felt the risk was low and that the current regime was adequate,” he said.

But Mr Afzal said although minibuses could carry more people “there are times when there is only the driver and the last drop off”.

Mr McDonald has also written to Mr Baker’s predecessor Baroness Susan Kramer.

“Sadly I received much the same response namely that the Government would not be changing its position on Enhanced CRB checks for PCV drivers,” he said.

“With the benefit of the excellent piece of work done by the council this week, I will raise this issue again in the House at the earliest opportunity.”

Nunthorpe schoolgirl wins special award after fundraising for Finlay Cooper Trust

A caring schoolgirl has become the youngest person to win special recognition from a Teesside charity.

Seven-year-old Pippa Brown raised hundreds of pounds for The Finlay Cooper Fund after taking part in the Middlesbrough 3k fun run.

Now the charity has awarded her a Dragonfly lapel - resembling the charity’s emblem - which are only given to people who have achieved something extraordinary.

Pippa, from Nunthorpe, completed the run in August, raising £430 after getting donations from friends and family.

She was presented with her Dragonfly by two of the Fund’s trustees - Boro legend and former Hartlepool United manager Colin Cooper and his wife, Julie - during a special presentation in front of her schoolmates at Chandler’s Ridge Academy, in Nunthorpe.

Cooper said: “We’re absolutely delighted to present Pippa with this Dragonfly after doing something extraordinary for the Finlay Cooper Fund.

“Because of the Finlay Cooper Fund’s ethos, raising money to help young people, it means a great deal that someone as young as seven has achieved so much for the Fund and raised a fantastic amount of money.

“It’s always humbling to see so many people doing great things in the name of Finlay, and raising more funds for good causes in the Teesside area.”

William Smith, headteacher at Chandler’s Ridge, added: “We’re very proud of Pippa and what she has achieved for the Finlay Cooper Fund - not least for completing the 3k fun run, but for raising all that money.

“All of her friends in the school were amazed when they heard how much she’d raised. A special assembly in the school was the least she deserved.”

The Finlay Cooper Fund was formed in August 2006, by Colin and Julie Cooper, after losing their son Finlay in a tragic choking accident in 2002.

More than £350,000 has since been donated to a number of local causes, including hospices, local youth groups, cancer wards and many other charities.

More information about the Fund can be found at http://ift.tt/QaLG7y

Stockton offender who woke up with loot from burglary spared jail despite 'dreadful record'

An offender who woke up with loot from a burglary has been spared jail despite what a judge described as “a dreadful record”.

Duane Birdsall, 33, was arrested following a burglary at a home on Durham Road, Stockton on June 23.

Forensic evidence did not implicate him in this but he admitted handling stolen goods from the burglary - an Xbox and an iPad - then helped return the property, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.

Prosecuting, Sue Jacobs said: “He was arrested and interviewed without the presence of a solicitor.

“He stated that he couldn’t remember anything other than waking up near some of the items that had been taken.”

He told police he had taken zopiclone sleeping tablets and was on a heroin reduction programme.

The victim knew him and was caused “considerable distress”, added Ms Jacobs.

He had 50 previous offences including burglary, deception and theft, but had been out of trouble since 2007.

Defending, Julian Gaskin told the court how Birdsall relapsed into heroin misuse after losing his job.

He said: “Sometimes it’s the only comfortable warm thing that gives him stability in life, oddly.”

He said Birdsall had been an active participant in a methadone programme to tackle his heroin adiction.

He also noted that his client, who walked into court on crutches, had recently suffered a broken foot.

Mr Gaskin said: “This is an individual who can do positive things.

“He got himself into employment. That was quite a positive step for him. He’d kept out of trouble and was leading a positive life.

“It is regrettable that he has lost his job.”

He added that Birdsall was worthy of support in the community.

After asking Birdsall whether he was able to stand, Judge Howard Crowson said: “You have got a dreadful record, but no convictions since 2007 except for this.

“This is handling stolen goods very soon after a burglary, quite upsetting for the householder, aggravated by your previous convictions.

“I balance against it that you actually ensured that they got their property back as much as you could.”

He sentenced Birdsall, of Station Road, Darlington, to a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months with six months’ supervision and a tagged six-week curfew from 8pm to 6am.

Billingham Stars aim to halt rise of Manchester Phoenix

Billingham Stars face their toughest weekend to date as they take on English Premier League side Manchester Phoenix home and away in the British Challenge Cup.

The Ultimate-Windows Stars travel to Altrincham this afternoon for a 7pm face-off against a Phoenix side sitting third in the EPL before hosting them in the reverse fixture at the Forum tomorrow (6.30pm).

After a promising start, Billingham have lost their last three encounters in the revamped cup competition to leave them languishing at the bottom of the seven-team mini league.

Last weekend’s heavy 10-2 road defeat to National Ice Hockey League rivals Blackburn Hawks was particularly hard to swallow, and left the Stars with considerable food for thought ahead of what is, on paper, a much stiffer challenge.

Billingham can take heart from the fact that their best performance to date this season has been against EPL opposition when they were defeated 5-2 at the Forum by title favourites Telford Tigers in a much closer contest than many anticipated.

Competition rules prevent Manchester from icing all four of their imports, but the team coached by Great Britain legend Tony Hand will still be a major test for Billingham.

Stars general manager Allen Flavell wants his side to give it their best shot this weekend and earn the respect of their higher level opponents.

Flavell said: “I’m really looking forward to the challenge over this weekend – it’s a great learning experience for the lads.

“This Challenge Cup has given us a chance to play teams from a higher level to use as a benchmark and gauge how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go to compete at this level.

“Last weekend a hard game was always on the cards and it got a lot harder when we lost James Flavell at the end of the first period.

“Mark Watson stepped up cold for the start of the second period and we got burned.

“It’s not a game we want to relive in a hurry, but this week we have regrouped and refocused.

“We have a talented squad so we’ll bounce back.

“Manchester are a professional team and a very capable side – we just need to show them what we’re made of.”

The Stars coaching team expect to be without Jamie Pattison for this afternoon’s Altrincham trip, while netminder James Flavell faces a late fitness test after withdrawing from last Sunday’s heavy defeat to Blackburn at the end of the first period.

Injury worries linger over Jack Davies, and Ben Davison will be unavailable for both games.

This weekend’s fixtures

National Ice Hockey League (North) Moralee Division 1: Sutton Sting v Manchester Minotaurs, 4.30pm today; Whitley Warriors v Sheffield Spartans, 5pm tomorrow.

British Challenge Cup: Manchester Phoenix v Billingham Stars, 7pm today; Sheffield Steeldogs v Solway Sharks, 5.30pm tomorrow; Billingham Stars v Manchester Phoenix, 6.30pm tomorrow.