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Chris was appointed editor of the Gazette in January 2012. He is also a former Gazette news editor. Chris has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has previously worked in senior positions in Newcastle, Exeter and Nottingham.
A Teesside window and doors firm has celebrated a special milestone with a five-figure investment in the future of the business.
Family-run Sealtight Windows (NE) Ltd. manufactures and sells UPVC doors and windows from its Skipper’s Lane premises, employing a staff of ten.
The company, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary, invested £20,000 in a showroom with support from supplier Solidor.
General manager Richard Lake, whose stepfather Keith Bell founded the business and mum Veronica Bell is a director, said: “We took the decision to showcase what we make and supply.
“We were quite hidden on Skipper’s Lane, we were never able to demonstrate the quality of the product.
“We’re not one of the big nationals; we’re a small local company with a good reputation and we get a lot of work through recommendation.
“We tick all the boxes for people that want to support a local company.
“We try to be the opposite of what people expect; we don’t start at one price and come down. We don’t really undercut our competitors. You pay for what you get, and we rely on the quality of our product, installation and service.
“Being able to manufacture means we can also correct things and make things at short notice, we have that flexibility.”
The company celebrated a successful year with a competition to win a free door.
Richard added: “The couple that won were very happy.
“It’s been really good, celebrating our 21st birthday is a good milestone for a window company - and we have no plans to go anywhere.
“We are investing in the future of our business.”
A Billingham company is featuring in a national Government ‘advent calendar’ campaign to celebrate small businesses.
Cambridge Research Biochemicals (CRB) is behind door number 16 of the Business is GREAT festive calendar - which opens online today.
The calendar features 24 ‘diverse and innovative’ small businesses from across the country.
CRB was handed £65,000 from the £30m Regional Growth Fund programme in 2013, enabling it to move from its current base at Belasis Park in Billingham to the neighbouring Enterprise Zone site at Belasis Hall Technology Park.
Each of the 24 businesses involved in the calendar has received government support or used its services, from help with exporting to new markets and tax relief for innovation, to hiring apprentices to grow their teams.
CRB has backed the campaign to let other firms know about the advice and support available to them.
The company, which provides custom-made research tools for the International Life Science Community, has gone for growth with help from the Enterprise Zone’s five year Business Rate relief scheme
It specialises in the production of peptides and antibodies, which are crucial for furthering medical research, drug discovery and development and health care provision.
Emily Humphrys from CRB said: “We knew we needed to expand to take advantage of new markets and opportunities.
“The financial support from the Enterprise Zone’s five year Business Rate relief scheme has provided us with a business-ready infrastructure, meaning we can focus on growing our business, sooner rather than later.
“We’re very proud of the business we have built and grown, and to celebrate our successes by being part of the Business is GREAT advent calendar is fantastic. Here we join 23 other businesses across the country highlighting the organisations and people doing great things for small businesses, and the government support that has made some of it possible.”
The Business is GREAT campaign is run by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).
Local Growth Minister Penny Mordaunt said: “The GREAT campaign is all about showcasing the best of British and in Cambridge Research Biochemicals we certainly have a shining example of that.
“They’ve shown what can be achieved with hard work and the right kind of support in place. And that’s why we are investing millions in enterprise zones - providing top-class business incentives and world-class infrastructure and making sure that companies have the necessary tools to grow their business, create jobs and drive forward the economy.”
To find out more about the businesses involved or support available, and to follow the small business advent countdown every day visit: http://ift.tt/1sygoti .
Did Muhammad approve of torture? For Ahmadi Muslim leader Qasim Rashid, the answer is “no” – a “no” so unequivocal that Rashid holds up Muhammad as an example for the U.S. – newly sullied, in his view, by the just-released torture report – to follow in its treatment of prisoners of war.
This all sounds like a mainstream media dream: a moderate Muslim invoking Muhammad to rebuke the U.S. for its torture practices. The only problem with this gloriously multicultural scenario is that Qasim Rashid is a relentlessly disingenuous writer. Previously he has whitewashed the reality of jihad violence and Sharia oppression; dissembled about the Qur’an’s sanction of deception of unbelievers; lied about the presence of violent passages in the Qur’an; lied about the Qur’an’s sanction of beating disobedient women; lied about the nature of Sharia; and called for limitations on the freedom of speech and expression to outlaw behavior and speech some Muslims may find offensive. When challenged about the “facts” he has presented, he (like virtually all other Islamic supremacists) responds with furious ad hominem contempt, but no substance.
But he tells the mainstream media establishment what it wants to hear and fosters the complacency and ignorance of non-Muslims regarding jihad terror, and so his abject inability to defend his preposterous claims is of no import: he continues to be given a platform all over. Here he takes advantage of the controversy over the just-released torture report to claim that Muhammad rejected torture — while cynically refraining from mentioning all the evidence to the contrary.
In “5 Lessons From Prophet Muhammad to Stop Torture” in the Huffington Post (of course) last Wednesday, Rashid claimed:
…Were the world to adopt Muhammad’s example of compassion, tolerance, and civility, such a torture report would not exist, because torture itself would not exist.
Yes, because Muhammad would never have approved of harsh interrogation techniques, would he? Well, let’s see: Muhammad’s earliest biographer, Ibn Ishaq, records that when Muhammad was trying to determine whether or not his favorite wife, Aisha, was guilty of adultery, he asked a slave, Burayra: “So the apostle called Burayra to ask her, and Ali got up and gave her a violent beating, saying ‘Tell the Apostle the truth.’” (Ibn Ishaq 734) Muhammad is not recorded as having rebuked Ali for violently beating this woman.
Nor was that an isolated incident, as we shall see.
Rashid continues:
Here are five lessons the CIA, ISIS and humanity at large can learn from Prophet Muhammad on how to stop torture.
1. Stop engaging in pre-emptive war
Prophet Muhammad forbade pre-emptive war, all forms of terrorism, violently revolting against a government no matter how unjust, and even went to the extent of forbidding civil disobedience lest it lead to violence.
All forms of terrorism? But Muhammad is reported as having said: “I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror…” (Sahih Bukhari 4.52.220). One may argue that he didn’t mean modern-day terrorism, but given the other incidents that I will recount in this article, the claim that he forbade “all forms of terrorism” is fanciful in the extreme.
While not mentioning that hadith or the Qur’an verse telling Muslims to “strike terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah” (8:60), Rashid plows on:
When Muslims faced incessant and brutal persecution in Mecca from 610-620, Muhammad forbade any violent or incendiary response to the governing authorities. He offered his companions three options — remain and bear the persecution, try to change laws through peaceful argumentation, or leave.
Many Muslims left — some to Abyssinia where they sought and received refuge under the righteous Christian King Neghus. Others left to Medina, where they forged a peaceful alliance with the Jews and soon established a unified secular state governed by the Charter of Medina. Fighting was then only permitted in self-defense once Muslims were pursued and attacked, just as the Qur’an 22:40 allows: “Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged — and Allah indeed has power to help them.” Once in defensive war, the Qur’an only permits killing active combatants, as elaborated next.
Rashid omits all mention of the Qur’an’s teaching on offensive fighting. Ibn Ishaq explains the progression of Qur’anic revelation about warfare. First, he explains, Allah allowed Muslims to wage defensive warfare. But that was not Allah’s last word on the circumstances in which Muslims should fight. Ibn Ishaq explains offensive jihad by invoking a Qur’anic verse: “Then God sent down to him: ‘Fight them so that there be no more seduction,’ i.e. until no believer is seduced from his religion. ‘And the religion is God’s’, i.e. Until God alone is worshipped.” The Qur’an verse Ibn Ishaq quotes here (2:193; cf. also 8:39) commands much more than defensive warfare: Muslims must fight until “the religion is God’s” — that is, until Allah alone is worshipped.
The great medieval scholar Ibn Qayyim (1292-1350) also outlines the stages of the Muhammad’s prophetic career: “For thirteen years after the beginning of his Messengership, he called people to God through preaching, without fighting or Jizyah, and was commanded to restrain himself and to practice patience and forbearance. Then he was commanded to migrate, and later permission was given to fight. Then he was commanded to fight those who fought him, and to restrain himself from those who did not make war with him. Later he was commanded to fight the polytheists until God’s religion was fully established.”
In other words, he initially could fight only defensively — only “those who fought him” — but later he could fight the polytheists until Islam was “fully established.” He could fight them even if they didn’t fight him first, and solely because they were not Muslim.
Nor do all contemporary Islamic thinkers believe that that command is a relic of history. According to a 20th century Chief Justice of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh ‘Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Humaid, “at first ‘the fighting’ was forbidden, then it was permitted and after that it was made obligatory.” He also distinguishes two groups Muslims must fight: “(1) against them who start ‘the fighting’ against you (Muslims) . . . (2) and against all those who worship others along with Allah . . . as mentioned in Surat Al-Baqarah (II), Al-Imran (III) and At-Taubah (IX) . . . and other Surahs (Chapters of the Qur’an).” (The Roman numerals after the names of the chapters of the Qur’an are the numbers of the suras: Sheikh ‘Abdullah is referring to Qur’anic verses such as 2:216, 3:157-158, 9:5, and 9:29.)
As an Ahmadi, Rashid may reject this understanding of the Qur’an and jihad, but it does exist, and he must know it exists. To ignore it entirely and give the impression that it doesn’t exist is cynical and deceptive.
And his cynicism and deceptiveness don’t end there. He continues:
2. Stop justifying collateral damage
Drone strikes, indiscriminate bombing, and collateral damage have each sadly become part of the American military experience. Prophet Muhammad categorically condemned any act of violence in which civilians, property, or places of worship were harmed.
Following Muhammad’s guidance, Abu Bakr the first Khalifa commanded to the Muslim army about to embark on battle,
“O people! I charge you with ten rules; learn them well… for your guidance in the battlefield! Do not commit treachery, or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy’s flock, save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone.”
As history’s first major figure to condemn collateral damage in word and in deed, Prophet Muhammad demonstrated a high precedent that even the most advanced nations today cannot match. Today’s leaders can end the war atrocities engulfing our world by following Muhammad’s example of justice and compassion.
Collateral damage: “It is reported on the authority of Sa’b b. Jaththama that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him), when asked about the women and children of the polytheists being killed during the night raid, said: They are from them.” (Muslim 4321)
There is still more. Rashid says:
3. Stop indefinite detention for POWs
The Afghan and Iraq wars are long over. Yet, America continues to maintain numerous POWs in Guantanamo Bay, and likely in other undisclosed locations. Prophet Muhammad categorically condemned this practice. After permitting Muslims to only fight in self-defense, the Qur’an 47:5 next commands Muslims to release POWs immediately as war comes to an end.
Actually, Qur’an 47:5 says: “Soon will He guide them and improve their condition.” That is not in any clear sense a command to release POW’s immediately as war comes to an end. Ibn Abbas in his commentary on this verse explains: “He will give them success to perform righteous deeds (and improve their state) and improve their condition and intention; it is also said that this means: He will save them in the Hereafter and improve their state and accept their works on the Day of Judgement.” To whom is Ibn Abbas referring? Not to prisoners of war, but (according to his gloss on 47:4) to “those who are killed in obedience of Allah on the Day of Badr, referring here to the prophetic Companions.” Ibn Kathir interprets the verse in a similar way, without any reference to freeing prisoners of war at the end of the war.
Without mentioning this anomaly, Rashid goes on:
Maintaining POWs well after the war has ended creates distrust and animosity among allies and enemies alike, and is beneath the standard of a civilized country. Rather than usurp human rights with indefinite detention, rather than provide propaganda material to extremists, rather than violate its own Constitution and international law, we should all learn from Prophet Muhammad’s example, and justly release POWs.
4. Stop mistreating POWs
POWs, during and after the war must be treated with the dignity all human beings deserve. Historian Sir William Muir well records how Prophet Muhammad commanded his companions to treat POWs:
The Refugees had houses of their own, received the prisoners with kindness and consideration. “Blessings on the men of Medina!” said one of these in later days: “they made us ride, while they themselves walked afoot; they gave us wheaten bread to eat when there was little of it, contenting themselves with dates.” It is not surprising, therefore, that some of the captives, yielding to these influences, declared themselves Believers, and to such their liberty was at once granted. The rest were kept for ransom. Such as had nothing to give were liberated without payment; but a service was required… To each were allotted ten boys, to be taught the art of writing; and the teaching was accepted as a ransom.
Mind you, this was at a time in Arabia when Muslims captured during battle suffered the fate of torture and death. Yet, in response, Muslims demanded the ransom of education, fed POWs with their own food and sheltered them with their own shelter. Once war ended, Muhammad immediately released all POWs. This is how he brought lasting peace to a former Arabian wasteland engulfed in constant war.
Mistreating POW’s: “When Muhammad saw Hamzah he said, ‘If Allah gives me victory over the Quraysh at any time, I shall mutilate thirty of their men!’ When the Muslims saw the rage of the Prophet they said, ‘By Allah, if we are victorious over them, we shall mutilate them in a way which no Arab has ever mutilated anybody.” (Al-Tabari, vol. 7, p. 133; cf. Ibn Ishaq 387)
And: “Anas reported: Eight men of the tribe of ‘Ukl came to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and swore allegiance to him on Islam, but found the climate of that land uncogenial to their health and thus they became sick, and they made complaint of that to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him), and he said: Why don’t you go to (the fold) of our camels along with our shepherd, and make use of their milk and urine. They said: Yes. They set out and drank their (camels’) milk and urine and regained their health. They killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. This (news) reached Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he sent them on their track and they were caught and brought to him (the Holy Prophet). He commanded about them, and (thus) their hands and feet were cut off and their eyes were gouged and then they were thrown in the sun, until they died.” (Sahih Muslim 4131)
Rashid concludes with a dishonest coup de grace:
5. Stop justifying torture
Nothing justifies the torture the CIA meted out to those 119 human beings. Indeed, in response to those arguing safety, the report concludes that America was not made any safer as a result of these barbaric practices. This was just one among many reasons Prophet Muhammad categorically forbade torture.
For example, as recorded in Sahih Muslim, “Hisham ibn Hakim passed by some people in Syria who had been made to stand in the sun and had oil poured over their heads. He asked, “What is this?” It was said,
“They are being punished for not paying taxes.” Hisham said: I heard Prophet Muhammad say: “Verily, Allah will torture those who torture people in this world.” Likewise, Jabir ibn Abdullah reported that Prophet Muhammad commanded: “Do not torture the creation of Allah the Exalted.”
Indeed, Prophet Muhammad’s compassion extended beyond humans as he also specifically forbade torturing animals, declaring, “A woman was punished because of a cat she had imprisoned until it died; thus, she entered Hellfire because of it. She did not give it food or water while it was imprisoned, neither did she set it free to eat from the vermin of the earth.”
Muhammad, according to Islamic tradition, didn’t just justify torture. He ordered it: “Kinana b. al-Rabi`, who had the custody of the treasure of B. al-Nadir, was brought to the apostle who asked him about it. He denied that he knew where it was. A Jew came (T. was brought) to the apostle and said that he had seen Kinana going round a certain ruin every morning early. When the apostle said to Kinana, ‘Do you know that if we find you have it I shall kill you?’ he said Yes. The apostle gave orders that the ruin was to be excavated and some of the treasure was found. When he asked him about the rest he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr b. al-Awwam, ‘Torture him until you extract what he has,’ so he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head, in revenge for his brother Mahmud.” (Ibn Ishaq 515).
After his tour de force of disingenuousness, Rashid concludes:
It is not a lack of intelligence, but a lack of morality that permitted this barbaric act of torture to occur at all. The CIA, ISIS, and indeed the world at large can learn volumes about compassion, justice, mercy, and morality from Prophet Muhammad, the man who successfully brought peace to a warring world.
The world is warring all over today because of Muhammad’s teachings. It is a peculiar lack of morality that would create this deceptive piece, with its calculated omissions and frankly false conclusion. If Rashid is asked about this post, he will sneer that it is not peer-reviewed; he will not answer any of its substantive refutations of his dishonest claims. He cannot do so — both because the traditions about Muhammad don’t bear out his claims, and because of his own intellectual and moral dishonesty.
Qasim Rashid apparently doesn’t want the world to know that Muhammad commanded and approved of torture. He wants people to think that he forbade it. The effect of this will be to foster ignorance and complacency about the jihad threat. The blood of the next victims tortured by Islamic jihadists will cry out to Qasim Rashid from the ground on which it is spilled.
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In a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi requested he not negotiate towards a possible prisoners swap with Hamas, Western sources have said.
PLS48.net said that the telephone call between the two men, conducted on November 28, concentrated on discussing the issue of the Israeli prisoners and deaths at the hands of Hamas.
The sources said Al-Sisi asked Netanyahu to delay discussing the issue of the Israeli soldiers with Hamas, which demands facilitating the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and lifting the eight-year siege on the coastal enclave.
According to the sources, Netanyahu asked Al-Sisi to raise the issue however, the Egyptian premier requested the matter be left until it has “become cold” as this would put additional pressure on Hamas.
The Western sources said that Netanyahu does not want a new prisoner swap similar to the one conducted between Israel and Hamas in 2001, when Israel released 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, half of which were serving life sentences.
Al-Sisi has been trying to hinder negotiations in order not to give an additional sense of victory to Hamas, the sources said, as he believes this would strengthen the movement’s power.
Following an Israeli attack on Gaza this summer, indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks were held in Cairo to discuss the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and ending the Israeli siege on the enclave.
Egypt suspended hosting the talks while it conducted “security operations” in Sinai, along the border with Gaza
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – A Palestinian prisoner who has been serving a 24-year sentence in Israel since 2003 on Saturday signed an official marriage contract at a religious court in Nablus upon which he became officially and religiously married to his 35-year-old cousin.
The Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights said in a statement that 40-year-old Riyad al-Zamil and his 35-year-old cousin Khuloud Faysal Hannun signed a marriage contract and became officially husband and wife.
The bride signed the contract herself at the religious court in Nablus, while the groom’s brother Tariq signed the contract on behalf of him by virtue of a Power of Attorney.
The groom has been detained since 2003 and is supposed to spend 14 more years in Israeli custody. Three years before he was detained, he and his cousin planned to get married but never followed through.
Several family members attended the ceremony which brought an atmosphere of joy to the family despite that the rituals were different from traditional rites.
“Getting married gives long-term prisoners a new spirit and more hope, resilience and challenge,” says the director of the Ahrar center Fuad al-Khuffash
Rhys Williams came through his first competitive game in 11 months with a clean bill of health.
The goalless Barclays Under-21 Premier League clash between Boro and Aston Villa at Burton’s Pirelli Stadium was the Australian’s first appearance since the 0-0 Championship draw with Wigan on January 28.
On that occasion, Williams collapsed to the turf in first half stoppage time and it was subsequently confirmed that he’d suffered a torn Achilles heel.
Against Villa on Monday night, Williams played the opening 66 minutes for Paul Jenkins’ side, who stay third in the table after earning a point.
BORO U-21S: Ripley, R Williams, Weledji, Burn (captain), Bennett, Tinkler, Jowers, Maloney, Wyke, Griffiths, Brobbel. Subs: Coddington, Fry, Cooke, Kitching, Chapman.
VILLA U-21S: Hill, Leggett, Wildin, Cowans, Webb, Toner (captain), O’Brien, Calder, Drennan, Sellars, Nehemie. Subs: Crooks, Watkins, T Strain, Humphries.
Fresh figures indicate that major arms-producing firms and military service providers in the United States and West European countries dominated the global arms market in 2013.
According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday, sales of military hardware and services by the world’s top 100 arms firms stood at USD 402 billion in 2013, down two percent compared to the previous year.
The Sweden-based institute listed the top 100 arms companies, 38 of which were based in the United States, one in Canada, and 30 in Western Europe, making up almost 85 percent of the 2013 global arms sales.
The 10 biggest arms sellers accounted for half of last year’s arms sales. US-based Lockheed Martin kept the top spot ahead of its American rival Boeing and UK-based BAE Systems.
The report further said sales of the 10 Russian firms on the list reached USD 31 billion, up 20 percent from 2012.
“Russia’s military budget is increasing,” said SIPRI researcher Siemon Wezeman, adding that the country “is serious about modernizing its armed forces.”
However, Chinese companies were absent from the top 100 list due to lack of reliable data. The institute said nine Chinese arms firms could likely be included in the list.
MKA/NT/AS
A biker was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries following a collision with a car.
The crash happened at 4.35pm today at the junction of Hartburn Lane and Hartburn Avenue in Stockton.
Emergency services attended the scene and Hartburn Avenue was closed off to the public.
The rider was taken to Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital and the road was later reopened.
Any witnesses to the collision have been asked to call police on the non-emergency 101 number and ask for PC Fawcett of the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, quoting incident CVP-14-220413.
The proposed mass conversion scheduled to be held on December 25 will not be allowed under “any circumstance” and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been clamped in the city, a senior police official said here yesterday night.
“Under no circumstances will we allow the proposed mass conversation programme slated for December 25,” DIG of Aligarh Zone Amit Agarwal said.
He said, “The so-called ‘ghar waapsi’ programme organised by the Dharam Jagran Samiti can become a law and order issue for the state and irrespective of the finer details of this event it cannot be allowed to be held.”
Agarwal said that prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been clamped in the city.
Taking note of the outfit’s plan to “convert a large number of people” on December 25, the district authorities had last week issued a warning to those trying to disturb communal amity and asked citizens not to get provoked.
“Religious conversion is a matter of personal choice and the law permits it. However, if certain groups deliberately try to provoke communal sentiments by misusing this provision, then we will certainly not allow this to take place,” District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash had said on Friday.
Leaders of the Aligarh-based outfit have announced that they will conduct a mass conversion ceremony at a local college here on December 25.
Amid row over alleged forced reconversion in Agra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had last week said his government had ordered strict action against those responsible for the act.
“I have ordered strict action on the issue as it came to light. The local administration is also identifying those involved in the act and taking action against them,” Yadav had said.
–PTI
By TCN News,
Mumbai: Films like Garm Hawa that offer a unique perspective on partition are of particular relevance today, given the current Indian regime that is characterised by a communal and fundamentalist outlook, noted film director MS Sathyu told Teesta Setalvad in this week’s special interview of Communalism Combat on Hilletv and Sabrang.com.
his interview is one of a series Audio-Visual interviews, jointly produced by Communalism Combat (www.sabrang.com) and www.hillele.org
Speaking on the occasion of the re-release of the award winning film, Garm Haw that showcased the trauma and violence of partition through the plight of those Muslims who opted to stay behind, Sathyu spoke at length along with colleague and fellow traveller Shama Zaidi who is also the co-scriptwriter of the film
Questions on the ‘nationalism’ and ‘patriotism’ of Indian Muslims, the attendant discrimination in access to livelihood and enforced ghettoization and segregation echo through the powerful depiction, showcasing present day realities for Indian minorities that have in no way lessoned, 67 years after Independence and Partition. Salim Mirza (played by Balraj Sahni who died the day after the last day of dubbing for the film was complete) says with conviction, ”Gandhiki ki shahadat ke baad koi khoon kharaba nahin hoga”, words that mock the reality that is today
For More:
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A Christmas tradition which raises money for charity has already hit £10,000 in donations.
Every year thousands of people across Teesside remember loved ones during the festive season, by placing a dedication on the Teesside Hospice Tree of Life.
Over the last 19 years, funds raised have played a vital role in helping the hospice care for local people suffering from cancer and supporting their families.
Today it was announced that the this year’s Tree of Life - which is based at the Hillstreet Shopping Centre - has surpassed the 2013 total, already having raised £10,000.
Fundraising manager Jayne O’Byrne said: “I want to say thank you to the Hillstreet for having our principal tree in the centre of their mall and to all those who have made a dedication either in person or online so far.
“Without this kind of local support, we could not raise the £2.4m we need each and every year to run our specialist palliative care service to over 3,000 people across Teesside.”
The Tree of Life offers people the chance to celebrate the life of a loved one, honour their memory or send a festive wish to somebody they care about while symbolising the spirit of Christmas.
Other Trees of Life can be found at Tesco in Ingleby Barwick, B&Q on Skippers Lane Industrial Estate, Middlesbrough and Teesside Crematorium.
Dedications can be made until December 21 by placing a small donation when you complete your tag which is placed on the tree.
Online dedications can also be made by clicking here.
The completion of a £3.7m congestion-cutting scheme is a welcome sight for Teesside drivers.
Work at the A19 and A689 Wolviston Interchange near Wynyard, is the first of four “pinch point” schemes to be completed in the North-east - which will improve journeys for those in the area.
People travelling in and around the area where the work has been ongoing, have had to deal with delays to their journey times since May this year - when the work began.
Highways Agency project manager Steve Bishop said: “This is great news for drivers in the region.
“It will have a positive impact on drivers using this important junction.
“The scheme will cut congestion and reduce journey times which will be beneficial for the local economy and will also improve safety for drivers using the junction.”
As well as cutting down on traffic jams, drivers will notice other changes.
Full-time traffic signals are now in operation on the roundabout and the eastbound and westbound A689 approaches to the A19 junction have been widened from two to three lanes.
Improvements have also been made to the existing southbound entry slip road onto the A19.
A new pedestrian route has been provided on the northern side of the junction, with signal controlled crossings over the A19 slip roads.
The existing pedestrian crossing on the A689 east of the A19 has also been converted to a signal controlled crossing.
Stockton Council’s Cabinet member for regeneration and transport Councillor Mike Smith said: “Improvements to the road network are vital as businesses in the north of our borough are continuing to develop and expand, while the number of people living in the area is also growing.
“Congestion cutting schemes like this will help to support more business start-ups, the growth of existing companies and make it easier for people to get to and from work.
“Stockton is a fantastic place to live, work and do business so I’m delighted people travelling through the Wolviston Interchange, whether it be for business or pleasure, can now do so more easily and safely.”
A dad in a family break-up who tried to snatch back his partner’s car with their two children in it was spared prison today.
Jamie McPolin, 28, from East Cleveland, had planned to sell the Ford Fiesta when he spotted it outside a friend’s house.
He released their three-year-old boy from the child’s seat and he was holding their baby girl in his arms when his ex ran out to stop him.
She jumped behind the wheel to prevent him from taking the car, but he dragged her out and snatched the keys before driving off in another car.
Prosecutor David Crook told Teesside Crown Court that McPolin, from Loftus, had breached a non-molestation order taken out by his 28-year-old partner when their four-year relationship ended last December.
It was agreed that she would keep the car in lieu of maintenance.
On April 24 she drove it to a friend’s home leaving the children in the car outside, and she was shocked when the three-year-old walked into the house. Then she saw McPolin taking the baby from the car.
She suffered a cut to her left thumb in the struggle as he dragged her out by the wrists “like a rag doll”, according to her friend.
A few days later McPolin scared her by appearing at her home again in breach of the order, saying that he had dropped off some nappies for the baby.
Mr Crook said that McPolin was also in breach of a 12 months’ suspended prison sentence imposed in June 2012 for inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Julian Gaskin, defending, said that the couple had later chatted on Facebook which gave McPolin hopes for a reconciliation.
He had since been prescribed medication for stress and he was unable to work because of his medical problems.
Mr Gaskin told the judge: “There seem to have been an unusual set of circumstances born out of the breakdown of the relationship when he was under stress.
“I would urge you to step back from imposing an immediate sentence of custody.”
Judge Deborah Sherwin told McPolin: “Any breach of a court order is a serious matter.
“Any incident that involves a struggle with your former partner which is witnessed by others and your children is a serious matter.
“It seems to me that there is work that can properly be done with you as part of an accredited domestic violence programme.”
McPolin, of South View, Loftus, was given a four months’ jail sentence suspended for two years with supervision and 29 sessions of a domestic violence programme.
He was also given a five years’ restraining order banning him from his contacting his ex after he pleaded guilty to common assault, two breaches of a court order and breach of a suspended sentence.
Three Championship clubs have been hit by a January transfer embargo after tough new Financial Fair Play rules start to bite - but Boro are NOT at risk.
Leeds, Blackburn and Nottingham Forest will all be banned from activity in the next transfer window after failing to control spending.
They all incurred losses more than the £8m loss permitted.
Football League bosses also now auditing the accounts of QPR, Leicester and Burnley - all promoted last season term - plus the three relegated and could issue further sanction soon.
A statement said: “An initial analysis of FFP submissions from the current 24 Championship clubs indicated the three clubs have failed to meet the fair play requirement and consequently all will be subject to an FFP embargo.”
Some media reports had suggested Boro may have been vulnerable.
But club chiefs have long insisted they complied with the tough new accounting regime.
The speculation was based on the £14m loss reported by Boro in their last annual accounts to the end of 2012/13 - well above the £8m limit.
But the FFP regime - covering a period up to the end of of last season is a complex process and is not based on the company trading loss.
It includes discounts for certain spending.
Boro have a Category 1 Academy and the £2.5m running costs of that can be off-set against the FFP total.
The club have also restructured financially over the past two years and debt levels have been reduced.
And the period also covered reductions in the wage bill with the exit of big earners like Scott McDonald, Kevin Thomson, Nicky Bailey and Stephen McManus.
This year’s spending on fees and wages will go into next years accounts - but a new system has been agreed to start in 2015/16 so next year’s permitted losses will increase to £13m as clubs plan towards the new ceiling.
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School/nursery name : Coatham C.E. Primary School
Address: Coatham Road, Redcar TS10 1QY
No. of pupils in nursery class : 26 on the morning session and 26 on the afternoon.
What projects are you currently/recently doing with the pupils? We are following the whole school theme of history this half term by looking at our families and how we change over time. Children are enjoying painting members of their families, measuring each other and sharing stories such as Owl Babies and Titch.
Contact name and number : Sue Greer on 01642 486291.
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A brand new opera composed with the help of a charity that uses music and opera to help homeless people will get its premiere in Middlesbrough.
The River Keeper is a collaboration between Streetwise and North-east folk band Bridie Jackson and The Arbour and will be performed at Middlesbrough Town Hall tomorrow.
The band will play a double bill alongside the performance of the opera which is a timeless story of hope, love and the power of the elements.
The darkly humorous tale is created from the stories told by the cast of Streetwise Opera performers and set around the River Keeper - who has lived on the riverbank for 100 years, watching as people feed their hopes and dreams into the waters.
Streetwise Opera stages a major new opera production every two years - this latest production will be supported by a Little Opera Season, a set of smaller new opera commissions being created with Streetwise groups across the country.
“I have admired the work Streetwise Opera do for a long time, so it’s a real honour to be asked to compose a new piece for this incredible group, whose fearless and committed working style is nothing short of inspirational,” said Bridie.
“Musically, it’s been an exciting opportunity to work outside of my comfort zone, and I’m looking forward to being involved in performing the new piece.”
Streetwise Opera’s Matt Peacock said: “Ever since our North-east groups sang Bridie’s Final Lullaby for the Holocaust Memorial Day, I have wanted us to work with her again. Her music is sensational and she is one of the most exciting artists working in the North east.”
All of Streetwise’s opera productions feature performers who have experienced homelessness. Streetwise has worked with over 3,000 homeless people since its foundation in 2002 and runs regular programmes at Middlesbrough’s mima and at The Sage, Gateshead.
Tickets for The River Keeper at Middlesbrough Town Hall tomorrow at 7.30pm are £10, £7 concs.
Boro can soon pull away from the Championship pack and launch a relentless promotion push.
That is the view of Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy, who believes it is only a matter of time before the division’s top teams begin to pull away at the summit.
Bournemouth rose to the top of the Championship on goals scored after their 5-3 win over Cardiff, just ahead of Boro who dismantled Steve McClaren’s Derby at the Riverside.
The Teessiders travel to Portman Road on Saturday looking for a first win in Suffolk in nine attempts - with the winner in with a chance of being top of the pile at Christmas.
The top six are separated by four points and the top 12 by only nine - but McCarthy doesn’t expect that to remain the case for very long.
“I don’t think so at the end,” he told the East Anglian Daily Times.
“I think I’m looking at Middlesbrough, Derby, Bournemouth, they’re the best sides.
“We haven’t played Middlesbrough yet but Bournemouth and Derby are the best two teams we’ve played and we’ve only played 21 games, there’s a lot of football to be played and they may well pull away.
“Maybe we will as well, I don’t know. I don’t forecast anything for us or forecast for everybody else, we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.
“Wolves lost five on the bounce and then they’ve beaten Sheffield Wednesday (1-0) at Sheffield Wednesday, which sums the league up for me.”
Aitor Karanka will be looking to extend Boro’s fine league run that has seen them lose only one of the last 16 matches, but come up against an Ipswich side in fine form themselves.
Saturday’s draw at Bolton means Ipswich are now unbeaten in eight matches themselves and have lost only once in the last 17 matches.
But McCarthy is remaining grounded, despite his side’s impressive form.
“You know me, I won’t be getting carried away with it because there’s a kick up the arse waiting for you all the time in this league,” he said.
“It’s a matter of keeping going. The league is relentless and you’ve got to be fairly ruthless in it and take your chances when they come, and make sure that you’re on blob every week.
“If you just let your guard down you can get beat, and then suddently you’re ona two or three-game run where you’ve not won one.”
A Teesside man has been jailed after he spat at a member of staff at York Train Station.
Anthony Cornwell, 24, had been out drinking in York and had returned to the train station to catch a train back to Teesside.
He was in the Whistlestop shop, inside the station, and began to verbally abuse and swear at a member of staff before spitting at them.
The victim alerted British Transport Police officers who were patrolling the station. They searched the station and discovered Cornwell on platform five waiting to catch a train to Middlesbrough.
He was arrested and taken into custody where he was charged with assault.
The incident happened on Saturday November 22 at about 5pm.
Cornwell, of Caernavon Close, Grangetown, appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on Thursday December 11 where he was handed a 10-week jail term and ordered to pay £100 compensation.
Inspector Richard Price said: “We welcome this sentencing and hope that it sends out a strong message out that we will not tolerate this type of offensive, drunken and abusive behaviour on stations or on trains.
“The victim was extremely shaken following this unpleasant and violating assault.
“In April we launched Operation Vanguard at York station, a weekly operation held on a Saturday nights. The operation involves BTP officers working alongside rail staff and railway revenue protection staff from train operators to identify passengers who are heavily under the influence of alcohol, work together to identify and decide if passengers are fit to travel, and are not drunk and disorderly and then deal with accordingly.
“Operation Vanguard was brought in following an increase in the number of people travelling to York from the North-east and across Yorkshire for the day to visit pubs and bars then returning to the station to catch trains home, often heavily under the influence of alcohol.
“Too often we then have to deal with these people later in the day and into the early evening.
“They are turning up at York to catch the train back heavily intoxicated and as in this case causing problems, being abusive and often putting themselves, members of the public, rail staff and officers at risk.
“This is just not acceptable for other passengers and staff and we will be proactive in intervening in any issues.
“This is not about trying to spoil people’s fun or ruining their day out. It’s about educating people to be aware of their alcohol consumption and their behaviour when around other passengers.”
Boro will be backed by their biggest away following of the season so far after selling out all 7,000 tickets for the trip to Blackburn.
Boro will be backed by the huge showing of support from the travelling Teessiders for the Championship clash at Ewood Park on Sunday, December 28.
More than 5,500 tickets had been sold by the end of last week but the superb display and result against Derby on Saturday obviously tempted fans into snapping up a ticket while they still could.
The club confirmed all tickets had sold out just after lunchtime.
Boro's previous biggest away crowd this year was almost 5,000 at Wigan when a Patrick Bamford goal in the second half secured a point for Karaka's men.
Those who want to join the waiting list for a Blackburn ticket are being told to contact the ticket office.
Illegal fireworks and counterfeit clothing were seized in a pre-Christmas crackdown across Middlesbrough.
Officers from Middlesbrough Council’s Trading Standards team swooped on private houses and retail outlets.
They carried out checks to ensure fireworks complied with safety standards and that they were stored safely and not sold to children.
Three warrants were executed at private houses and the inspection of 22 retail outlets included two unlicensed retail sellers.
Officers seized fireworks, counterfeit clothing, handbags, trainers and illegal tobacco.
Investigations are ongoing.
The operation was part of a multi-agency programme.
Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive member for adult social care and public health, said: “The black market in fireworks and counterfeit goods is nothing more than organised crime, and puts members of the public in very real danger.
“Fireworks are explosives and therefore their storage and sales are subject to strict controls which the illegal sellers flout.
“This could lead to dangerous consequences for other members of the public living in the vicinity of the illegal store.
“The work by Trading Standards also ensures that Middlesbrough traders are not unfairly damaged by the black market, helping to protect the local economy and local jobs.”
As well as launching the Fireworks Hotline to report illegal sales, Trading Standards worked closely with other agencies including Cleveland Police, the fire brigade and the Council’s Neighbourhood Safety Team to identify and take action against illegal sellers.
Middlesbrough Council’s environmental health manager Judith Hedgley added: “The action we have taken this year sends out a clear message to illegal sellers – they have no place to hide and we will take swift action to protect the public from their activities.”
A carer who wrongly claimed more than £61,000 in benefits has avoided prison after a judge heard she was a victim of domestic violence.
Mum-of-four Dawn Bryan, 41, was told to enjoy Christmas by a judge who heard how her life was controlled by an abusive partner leading a “double life”.
Now she is back together with the boyfriend, now apparently a changed man following the “wake-up call” of recent events.
The judge said at Teesside Crown Court that Bryan’s references were the best he had ever seen.
Bryan claimed four types of benefits over a six-year period without telling the authorities she was living with a man who was working.
She illegally took a total of £61,182 from the state in income support, council tax benefit, housing benefit and jobseekers’ allowance between 2006 and 2012.
She persisted in the lie that she was a single mum in interviews with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and review forms.
Investigators were told the couple had six horses at Aislaby Grange Farm in Eaglescliffe, said prosecutor Rebecca Brown.
They lived with two cars - a Jeep and a Vauxhall Astra - on Saltersgill Avenue, Middlesbrough.
They had a joint bank account, money went back and forth between their accounts and Bryan’s partner paid bills at their next home on Oxford Road, Linthorpe.
Ms Brown said: “The fact that the defendant was living with him meant she was not entitled to the benefits that she was receiving.
“The prosecution would say that these were lies told by the defendant again and again.”
When she was interviewed in 2012, Bryan said she and the man were then “totally estranged”.
She denied living with him and “feigned ignorance” of banking transactions and the fact that she was named as his next of kin, added Ms Brown.
Bryan, now of Mandale Road, Acklam, Middlesbrough, admitted eight benefit fraud offences involving making false statements and failing to notify the authorities of a change in her circumstances - her first convictions.
She became distressed and cried in the dock as it was revealed that the maximum sentence for her offences was seven years’ imprisonment.
She had paid back some of the money and had no assets, said the prosecutor. No claims for compensation were made.
Rachel Dyson, defending, said character references showed she had suffered “prolonged domestic violence for in excess of 20 years”.
Her partner accepted as much in a letter written by him to the court, added Ms Dyson.
She said: “There has been significant pressure placed on Ms Bryan throughout this relationship.
“Every aspect of her life was controlled - who she could socialise with, what she could wear, where she was allowed to get a job depending on whether there was an excess of males at that particular place of employment.
“The control also covered what money she had access to.
“Effectively he was leading a double life, with other females involved in other areas.
“He kept her bank cards. He obtained debt in her name. Everything was put into her bank account which she didn’t have access to.”
Ms Dyson said Bryan only had access to child benefit which she collected from the post office.
The partner had a “wake-up call” after she was hospitalised - not through his actions - and he was spoken to by police for the first time.
Now the couple were back together and he was in court.
Miss Dyson said Bryan was a loving mum who supported charities and now worked as a care and support worker.
She said the horses were ponies rescued by Bryan, but not paid for by her, continuing the work of her mother for the RSPCA and the Saltburn Animal Rescue Association.
The judge, Recorder Graeme Cook, told Bryan the fraud involved “an exceedingly large amount of money” which created problems for genuine benefit claimants.
He said: “I accept to a point that you were under some pressure and coercion.
“I’ve read the pre-sentence report. It clearly is full of remorse.
“I’ve also read the best references I’ve ever seen in relation to somebody’s character.
“They speak very warmly to show you are helpful towards others.
“You found yourself in a relationship that you had difficulty getting out of. That relationship has brought about this offending.”
He did not accept that she led a “lavish lifestyle”, and said Bryan’s problem was her partner.
“He seems to have changed,” the judge added.
“I would hope that what he has put you through will serve as a lesson to him as well.”
He gave her a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 18 months’ supervision.
He told her: “Enjoy Christmas. Get on with your life without any more detriment to the public purse.”
Bryan said “thank you so much your Honour” as she left the dock to be hugged by loved ones.
Mystery surrounds the bloodied remains of an animal which were discovered on a public green this morning.
Police were called to the green off Frobisher Road in Thornaby at around 10am following reports of a dead deer.
However, upon police arrival at the scene, there was no deer or remains to be found.
Craig Glynn, 28, who saw the unsightly animal remains before they mysteriously disappeared said: “I came out at about 9.30am this morning and the bag was there.
“It was a clear but frosted bag. It was completely bloodied.
“When I approached the bag I did not want to touch it too much because there was lots of blood but you could see fur.
“I contacted the police but within 40 minutes the bag was gone.”
Another resident, who did not wish to be named, had also witnessed the bag lying on the green, in full view of passers-by.
They said: “I looked inside and it was all guts and blood.
“I could see the skin was darkish brown.”
Did you see the unsightly remains? If so, contact us at news@eveninggazette.co.uk.
Jerusalem: The Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets to the Gaza border after Islamist group Hamas launched a drone during a military parade it held in the coastal territory Sunday to mark the 27th anniversary of its establishment, Israeli media reported.
Footage of the drone, which Hamas touted as having been locally built, was posted on social media sites. One short clip on Facebook showed the aircraft circling the skies over Gaza City to the roar of cheering crowds at the rally, though it did not cross into Israeli airspace, Xinhua reported.
An Israeli military spokesperson would not confirm reports that jets had been scrambled to possibly intercept the Hamas drone. “We are familiar with the incident. The IAF is ready and equipped to deal with any aerial threat to Israel,” he said.
A military source was quoted by The Jerusalem Post as saying that jets were scrambled to the border, but were ordered to return to base after it was deemed that the drone does not pose a threat.
In an annual show of prowess to mark its founding in 1987, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, showcased long-range missiles mounted on trucks as well as naval commandos and members of its other fighting units brandishing weapons.
Khalil al-Haya, among several senior Hamas officials who addressed the rally, boasted that the group was capable of infiltrating into Israel by sea, air and land
Disadvantaged young people in Middlesbrough have been honoured at The Prince’s Trust & Samsung Celebrate Success North East Awards having succeeded against all odds.
Having been targeted by bullies during her time at school, Jade Savvery’s confidence reached an all-time low when her father tragically died in a motorbike accident.
After realising she needed extra support, Jade, 21, from Coulby Newham, was referred by teachers to the Prince’s Trust xl programme which supports young people who are struggling at school by helping them with their confidence and motivation.
As a result, Jade soon learned to overcome her difficult emotions and has now been named as runner up for the Young Ambassador of the Year award.
She said: “Being named as a runner-up is amazing. Being a Prince’s Trust Young Ambassador has given me so many fantastic opportunities and I‘m so glad that I can inspire others with my story.”
Despite believing that it would never be possible, Jade went on to study childcare at college after which she secured a job as a care assistant for the elderly, before realising her ambition of working for the NHS. She is now a decontamination assistant at James Cook University Hospital.
Since being invited to be a Young Ambassador for The Trust, Jade has taken every opportunity to raise its profile and inspire others by speaking and networking at local and national events.
Jade also became the face of a campaign to promote individual giving, working hard with campaigners to tell her story and raising more than £17,000.
She is now unrecognisable from the troubled young person she once was, transforming into a young woman with the confidence to approach people, try new things and push herself forward.
Jade said: “I didn’t think I would make it through school. I find it hard to believe where I am now. The Prince’s Trust has seen me through some dark times and I am so grateful to them.”
Now in its eleventh year, the awards recognise the achievements of disadvantaged young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community.
Ben Bason, 15, from Billingham was the runner up for the Middlesbrough College Educational Achiever of the Year award which recognises those who have overcome significant personal barriers to develop new skills which enabled them to re-engage with education.
Ben was forced to leave school when his ADHD made it impossible for him to focus in the classroom. Studying alone at home made him feel socially isolated with no real hopes or ambitions. This is when Ben decided to turn to the Prince’s Trust and get his life back on track.
Lauren Dalton, 20, from Hemlington was also recognised after transforming her life despite struggling through unimaginable difficulties. Lauren was the runner up for the Samsung Young Achiever of the Year award having bounced back into life after once feeling beaten by bullies.
A practically flawless Boro comprehensively out-thought, out-fought and out-played Derby to top the table for a few hours and in the process won due credit across the board for their excellent performance.
Karanka won the battle of the bosses too with the way his team was prepared and a match strategy that he trusted his teams on the pitch and in the dugout to deliver – and they didn’t disappoint.
The heights of on-field craft were matched by the unrelenting intensity of the graft and concentration that never waned.
The Head Coach solved the nagging problem of winning at home against another leading side by playing the first half like an away game.
Boro’s compact 4-4-2 teamwork smothered Derby’s 4-3-3 through the centre and out wide and cut off any supply to their opponent’s frustrated front three.
Going the other way they pressed high, hunting turnover in twos and threes, then tellingly Ram raided on the break.
It took less than six minutes to make the breakthrough by what’s become a favoured Red route to goal.
An Adam Reach bye line cut back reached Bam-Bam and he reduced the Rams to rubble with a step back into space and cross shot that went in off Grant’s far post.
The first half margin should have been greater when Boro’s front two found echoes of finishes and misses in their last two games.
Just like at The Den, a Bamford shot was parried by the keeper and came out to Vossen but he rhymed with his miss against Blackburn rather than his notch at Millwall.
His shot gave Grant the same chance his header had given Eastwood and the Derby gloveman produced a similarly competent save.
But this Boro weren’t to be denied or allow The Rams a sniff at the other end with Dimi a spectator until first half added time when he fielded a desultory long range effort.
McClaren made two half time subs, matched up Karanka’s 4-4-2 and looked to go more direct but Boro weren’t having that.
If Leadbelter and Clayton were masters of a midfield three they weren’t going to be phased by one less and Karanka had decided to go more front foot, unleashing his full backs to raid up their flanks.
More chances were created and Grant had to evidence his credentials more than once but Vossen and Bamford opened up The Rams back line with a neat passing move.
The only thing that could have stopped a Bamford brace was the Shotton foul that floored him and red carded the centre back.
There are few certainties in Championship footy but a Leadbelter spot kick is as close as it comes and he duly beat Grant all ends up.
That topped off another complete personal performance by Boro’s talismanic skipper, matched by what he got from his team-mates and rounded off by his properly ‘feet on the ground’ comments after the game.
Boro pressed, harried and threatened to the end but couldn’t add more goals to their tally that the performance merited.
On the only occasion Derby got near Boro’s goal in the dying minutes they discovered that Dimi wasn’t for giving up his clean sheet this time.
A miserable McClaren didn’t dust off ‘magnificent’ to describe Boro – he would have been so right – but this was a Special K day!
The Riverside roar greeted the final whistle, those in attendance had enjoyed a stunning home display against Steve McClaren's table-toppers.
Boro's superb showing against the Rams on Saturday - live on Sky - will surely put bums on seats for the Boxing Day clash with Nottingham Forest.
Patrick Bamford fired Boro ahead against Derby, his sixth goal in seven games, before Grant Leadbitter hammered home from the spot to secure the points.
Were you at the Riverside for the game? Have a flick through our gallery of pictures of Boro fans in the stands.
It’s great news that Rhys Williams will be back in competitive action on Monday.
He’s had a horrendous year and must be massively relieved to see the light at the end of a very long tunnel.
An Under-21 game against Aston Villa isn’t the Boro first team , but it shows he’s not too far away.
I know Rhys really well from my time at Boro and he’s a quality player.
If I were a centre-back at the club, I would be looking over my shoulder because when they see how good Williams is on the training ground, they’ll recognise a quality player.
I feel for Rhys because I know what he’s been going through since he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a game against Wigan in January.
I was sidelined for almost an entire year when I was injured on New Year’s Day 1985.
It was a Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park and I was playing for Sunderland.
I remember over-reaching for the ball and feeling a massive pain in my groin.
As you do, I tried to play on and that just made things worse.
It was an awful day, we lost 3-1 and Peter Beardsley scored a hat-trick.
I don’t think I went back with the team after the match, I jumped in the car and went home to Middlesbrough with my wife.
At the time I didn’t realise how serious it was. I thought I would be back in three or four weeks, but I ended up not playing again until December 14.
I had an awful time and so did the team. We were relegated from the old Division One and I could do nothing to help the lads.
In the League Cup, however, we went all the way to the final.
It was terrible having to watch the lads from the stands and I tried everything in my power to play at Wembley.
I asked the club doctor to give me the biggest possible cortisone injection hoping it would enable me to play against Norwich City in the final.
We know now that too much cortisone is a very bad thing but I was that desperate.
Of course, it didn’t work, and as the injury was in a sensitive, fleshy part of the body so it just made things worse.
The day of the final was one of the worst of my life. It was a massively emotional day and I struggled to keep it together.
I remember travelling up Wembley Way on the team bus and the Sunderland fans walking up to the stadium were holding up their kids to get a better look at the players.
They were waving and cheering and wishing us well but I was just a bystander.
I thought my chance of playing in a Wembley final had gone for good - it broke my heart.
Many players never get the chance to play at the famous old venue and there was no guarantee that I would ever get another chance.
As it happens I captained Boro in the Zenith Data Systems final against Chelsea in 1990, so that was a huge honour.
But I didn’t know that when Sunderland ran out against Norwich almost 30 years ago.
The game was moderate and Norwich won but we still had a post-match reception. I held it together all day but broke down completely on the night, I was so emotional.
Being out for so long is an absolute sickener but, with hindsight, I think I benefited from it in the long run.
It made me appreciate just how lucky I was to play football for a living.
I guess before the injury I had been taking may career for granted.
Suddenly, at the age of 25, it was possible I would never play again and that was a frightening prospect.
Being injured is incredibly tedious and frustrating, especially when you don’t know when you will be fit again.
I didn’t have an accurate recovery date, so I didn’t have something to aim towards, it was an open-ended thing and I just kept receiving setbacks, breaking down time and again.
You certainly miss the crack with the lads.
You come in on a morning, see them for a few minutes when you get changed and then head off in different direction.
They would go out into the training ground while you had to trudge off to a cold gymnasium for rehab work. It’s a very solitary existence and it seemed to go on forever.
I hated watching the first team from the stands at Roker Park, especially as we were really struggling, it was a double whammy.
That said, when I returned to the first team in December 1985 I was absolutely flying.
I felt fantastic and had a great second-half of the season, unlike the team.
I must have been playing well because I was voted third in the North-east Football Writer’s Player of the Year awards, which is good going considering I missed the first four months of the season or so.
It wasn’t a good season for Sunderland, though, because we were relegated to the old third division and I left early the next season, signing for Sheffield Wednesday.
Boro seem to be doing well without Rhys but I think Aitor Karanka will be delighted to have such a talented player at his disposal, it will be like having a new signing at the club.
When Tony Mowbray was manager, we debated long and hard about Rhys’s best position.
He could play in midfield and in defence, but I think we concluded that centre-back suited him best.
We liked to play the ball out from the back and having someone like Rhys, who is so good in possession, was a huge advantage.
I’m not sure the Aitor likes to play would necessarily suit the classy Aussie. I certainly don’t see him playing as one of the two holding midfielders in place of Adam Clayton or Grant Leadbitter.
He can play in a midfield diamond, so he’s still a useful asset, but I think defence is his most likely position in Karanka’s team.
Some of the newer lads maybe don’t know just how good Rhys is, but now he’s training with the first team they’ll soon find out.
His presence will keep the other central-defenders on their toes, they won’t like him breathing down their necks and that can only improve standards in the squad, which already look extremely high.
It’s easy to forget that we had offers from Premier League clubs for him so he’s highly-rated within the game.
LUCKNOW, India: A Hindu priest-turned-lawmaker vowed on Friday to convert hundreds of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism on Christmas Day, despite a police investigation into an earlier round of conversions.
Religious conversions in multi-faith India are threatening to sow fresh discord as Muslim groups and opposition parties accuse organizations tied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party of trying to undermine the nation’s secular foundations.
This week, police said they were investigating a case in which Muslim slum-dwellers complained they had been tricked into a Hindu conversion ceremony in Agra, lured by the promise of cheap government rations and voter identity cards.
But Yogi Adityanath, a four-time member of parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said an even bigger ceremony to convert Muslims would be held in the northern town of Aligarh as scheduled and that it was an entirely voluntary affair.
“We have been doing this every year for the past 10 years. It’s not a conversion, its a homecoming,” he said, adding that the families signing up for the ceremony were originally Hindus. India’s 1.2 billion people are predominantly Hindus. But the country also has some 160 million Muslims and a small proportion of Christians.
The constitution grants equal rights to everyone, but critics say hard-line Hindu groups have become more assertive since the BJP came to power with a strong election victory this year and that the worst fears of minorities may be coming true.
Last week, a government minister apologized for making derogatory remarks about non-Hindus. On Friday, Sakshi Maharaj, another Hindu activist parliament member representing the BJP, withdrew his remarks that the man who shot independence leader Mahatma Gandhi was a patriot.
Gandhi was assassinated by Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse and for years rightwing Hindu nationalist organizations were banned, even though they were exonerated of the killing. Sakshi’s remarks touched off an uproar in parliament where opposition MPs refused to allow any business until he retracted.
“These people talk of development, but are trying to create a rift in society,” Hussain Dalwai, a Congress lawmaker said.
The BJP denies any bias against minorities but says it opposes appeasement of any community. Modi has said he wants to focus on delivering economic growth for all Indians. But his rivals say he has to rein in the hard-liners in his camp who are pursuing a divisive agenda.
“These conversions are just the beginning,” warned Mulayam Singh Yadav, a leader of a regional group. “If this spreads to other parts of the country, there can be riots.” (Reporting by Sharat Pradhan; Additional reporting and writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Nick Macfie)
A burglar returned cash to a football academy where he had stolen from a children’s fundraising cup.
Darren Green, 30, said he went to Top Corner Sports to see his nephew play football but seized his chance to steal in a “moment of madness”.
CCTV showed him cycling up to the Middlesbrough building when it was accessible to the public for a football tournament on the evening of November 11.
He went into the closed bar area and stole a black cash box and a cup full of money for children’s fundraising, Teesside magistrates heard.
Prosecutor Lynne Dalton said Green was challenged by a suspicious witness and said he worked at a nearby office.
He later confessed what he had done to his boss and to police.
He paid back £150 to the football academy, which is home to five children’s football teams.
Green, of Wordsworth Road, Teesville, Middlesbrough, admitted the burglary, the 41st offence on his record and his first since 2011.
Dominic Tate, defending, said: “Clearly he’s made a massive mistake. He recognises the error of his ways. He realised that almost immediately.
“He went back later that night to try and rectify things.
“However it was the following day he then returned and repaid the money, with additional money also.
“He understands that he shouldn’t have done this. Essentially it was a moment of madness.
“His original intention was to see his nephew play football. He saw the cash and unfortunately took the incorrect decision to take that money.”
Mr Tate said Green was currently working as an Avon rep and volunteering for a local garage, and his pregnant girlfriend sat in the public gallery.
“He does have a record but it has been a significant amount of time since he’s troubled the courts,” added Mr Tate.
“He has made positive steps in turning his life around.
“He’s made a monumental error of judgment. He’s shown extreme remorse.”
Robert Birch, chairing a bench of three magistrates, told Green: “We do note that you are remorseful, that you made an early guilty plea and the money was repaid.
“On the other hand Top Corner Sports is a community asset and therefore this is a crime against the community really, and we do have to take that into consideration.”
Green was given a one-year community order with supervision and 60 hours’ unpaid work, and ordered to pay £100 costs.
No one was available for comment from Top Corner Sports.
A group of bowlers is hoping that plenty of Wish tokens will be rolling their way this year.
Marske Bowling Club was founded in 1961 by a group of would-be bowlers when land was donated by Lord Zetland for the purpose of sport and recreation.
Since then the club has developed significantly and the club’s playing area is now even regarded as one of the best greens in the area.
Everyone is welcome to play bowls at the thriving club whether they wish to play socially or competitively.
All members at the club also get the opportunity to play in various competitions including league, county and national level.
The club boasts two men’s teams in the EBA League, two mixed teams in the Cleveland League and the Cleveland Triples League, three rinks in the Teesside South Veterans League and a team in the Teesside Ladies League.
Last year, the club entered The Gazette’s Wish campaign and used the support they received from readers to help with maintenance costs as well as repairing the lawnmower.
With regards to this year’s campaign, Doris Clark, of the club, said: “We need to renew our ageing bowls mats and we need tarmac paint to refurbish the concrete area around the green plus sealant.
“The green keeper would also like a fertiliser sprayer.”
Every year The Gazette’s Wish campaign gives away thousands of pounds to not-for-profit groups and organisations benefiting the Teesside community.
Each registered group will be guaranteed a share of our £40,000 fund.
The more tokens a group collects, the bigger its share of the prize pot.
Tokens are now appearing daily in The Gazette. The last token will appear on January 21.
Submissions for tokens will close at 5pm on Monday, February 23.
To help Marske Bowling Club, send your tokens to: 4 Coast Road, Marske by the Sea, Redcar, Cleveland, TS11 7LZ.
Rhys Williams could make his first appearance in almost a year tonight as Boro Under-21s look to end 2014 on a high.
Paul Jenkins’ men have endured a stop-start league campaign so far but could draw level with leaders Newcastle if they can beat Aston Villa in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League.
They will be boosted at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium (kick-off 7pm) by the return of Williams, 26, who suffered a serious Achilles injury in January and has been on the road to recovery ever since.
Head coach Aitor Karanka confirmed the versatile Australian is in contention to feature tonight as he looks to step up his fitness ahead of a possible first-team return next month.
Williams joins up with a Boro second-string in good form, having progressed to the last 16 of the Under-21 Premier League Cup and snatching a late win at Bolton recently.
Sitting third in the league but only three points off the leaders, Jenkins has targeted maximum points on the road tonight.
“It seems ages since we have played a run of league matches,” he said.
“We haven’t had any rhythm with the league, but we’ve dusted ourselves down and picked up wins against Hull in the cup and then at Bolton.
“They were two positive results and two very positive performances – and we’ll be looking to build on that against Aston Villa.
“It would be nice to finish off the year with a win. The lads have come up against some experienced players, certainly against Hull and Bolton, but they’ve stood up to that challenge and not let it phase them.
“It’s been good experience as that’s what life is like as a professional footballer – and the lads have all embraced that.”
Striker Charlie Wyke is unlikely to feature, meaning Ryan Brobbel, Callum Cooke and Jordan Jones all come into contention to lead the attack.
Most of us are now looking forward to days of present-giving, spending time with loved ones and gorging on food as Christmas rapidly approaches.
But all the jollity and generosity has a cost, with parcels, cards and packages to order and post to ensure you make the people you love happy.
This guide from Mirror Online may ease the stress a little.
For second class mail the recommended last posting day is Thursday, December 18.
For first class items the date is Saturday, December 20 but Royal Mail special delivery guaranteed items will still arrive even if posted on Tuesday, December 23.
This will be at a cost premium of course.
International post to Western Europe was recommended to be sent by Saturday, December 13.
So it's a little late to be thinking of sending items to your Continental friends.
The last post will be on Christmas Eve. While the next deliveries will arrive on Saturday, December 27
Amazon's Super Saver delivery has a last order date of midnight on Friday, December 19 while their First Class orders must 'in the basket' by midnight on Sunday, December 21.
Other Amazon options are here.
John Lewis offers 'click and collect' services and other express delivery options for those last minute buyers.
Deadlines for Christmas and New Year food orders for Marks & Spencer can be seen here.
