Helping charities dovetail
ONE of the joys of my job is being able to bring people and organisations together.
At Barron Media, we have a wide range of...
Appreciating the value of obituaries
EVERY life is a story. And though obituaries may be sad, they are also extremely important, so I couldn't agree more with Sir Billy...
Back to the future
INTERESTING to read the Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026, an annual report published today by the Reuters Institute for the Study of...
Headline Challenge 2026
We are all set to launch the Headline Challenge for 2026.Anthony James McCarthy was the 2025 champ and Mick Sullivan (below) won in 2024.There's...
Ho-ho-no! The night Santa dropped a right clanger
DRESSING up as ‘Santa Claus’ has become a Christmas Eve tradition for me over the past 20 years or more – but spreading the...
Division at the centre
Below is a Facebook post this week from Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen - Tees Valley Mayor.It's strong stuff that underlines a) the seriouness...
A new low for Donald Trump
Let’s just consider the depths to which Donald Trump has sunk with his abhorrent social media attack on Rob Reiner.
First, let’s think of the...
REVIEW | Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Darlington Hippodrome
A gold star panto full of bear-faced cheek!
Panto season sees Goldilocks and the Three Bears open at Darlington Hippodrome. We sent our own Goldilocks...
At 12 years old, a shining example of Christmas spirit
Every year, I'm asked to record a Christmas message for the Darlington Talking Newspaper for the Blind - a wonderful local charity that quietly...
An opportunity for business…and local history
Good news in today's edition of The Northern Echo that Ramside Estates, led by John Adamson, is to take over the derelict St George...
A stark reminder
All governments need to be held to account - and I'm among those who have been openly disappointed by the Starmer government so far.Whoever...
A damning verdict
"Too little, too late". The damning headline verdict from the long-awaited independent report into the British government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.Public confidence was...
Thank you for the days
FROM the distant perspective of my younger days, I always thought being a grandad would be relaxing. I expected to potter rather than dash.
Well,...
A lesson in balance…
One of the projects we love working on most is helping students at Hummersknott Academy to produce their award-winning school newspaper.
A key message we...
Back of the net!
Businesses spend fortunes on marketing but the best ideas are often the simplest and cost nothing.
Take The Longlands Bar, in Middlesbrough, for example. The...
A moving story
My weekly page in The Northern Echo is moving from Wednesday to Saturday this week and it's devoted to Ste Gordon, a popular #Darlington...
Murkier and murkier
So, let's get this straight. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor arranged a private tour of Buckingham Palace - while The Queen was in residence - for...
A scandal that isn’t going away
The King's decision to strip his brother Andrew of his 'Prince' title - among others - and remove him from the Royal Lodge mansion...
The woman who divided Britain
Margaret Thatcher would have been 100 this week, which reminds me of the way The Northern Echo covered her death in 2013
A hugely divisive...
Memories to cherish
Saving Bishop Auckland Football Club, surviving the George Reynolds years at Darlington FC, dodging a death threat as a racing tipster, and striking a...