BUSY wife and mum Judith Kemp was in a spin when her washing machine stopped working.

The appliance from Comet broke down and a circuit board was replaced. Then it broke down again after just one wash and this time a motor was replaced.

And how many washes did it last this time? Go on, take a guess, and if you said “one” you would be right.

Judith, of Ushaw Moor, County Durham, said: “I have a disabled daughter and a husband who needs a clean uniform every day, so I really need a reliable washer.

“Arrangements were made for engineers to come but they cancelled because they did not have the parts.”

I passed the complaint to Comet and waited to see what would happen.

Spokeswoman Rachel Dunachie told me: “Comet’s highest priority is customer service and we were very sorry to hear about Mrs Kemp’s difficulties.

“Our engineer attended Mrs Kemp’s home and identified several problems, but none with the washing machine itself. The water pressure at her property was extremely low and the machine’s waste outlet had been fitted incorrectly by an independent technician – which our engineer was able to fix.

“He then stayed with Mrs Kemp and watched a full cycle complete to ensure there were no further problems.”

Judith said an adjustment was made to the machine to compensate for the low water pressure.

Comet also sent a gift voucher as a gesture of goodwill.

via Ushaw Moor mum in a spin over washing problems – Sunday Sun.

And he paid tribute to crew member and friend Sandor Feher who was the first victim of the disaster to be identified yesterday.

“The ship was rising and the water was getting closer when the lights went out and we were plunged into darkness,” said Ian Fraser, now back at his home of 16 years in Esh Winning. “I knew then I had to jump or swim.

“We knew this was our chance to go and we just belly-flopped into the water. I was swimming towards the rocks and I looked back and couldn’t believe that just a few hours ago I had been sitting in my cabin watching telly.

“The place we had jumped from had disappeared underwater. All around us people were screaming and shouting.

“The ship was making a terrible groaning, like it was in its death throes. I knew I was lucky to be alive.”

via Costa Concordia cruise singer from Esh Winning tells of ordeal – Today’s News – News – JournalLive.

A Roman Catholic college in County Durham is to have a new role as a business school.

As home to St Cuthbert’s Seminary, Ushaw College trained entrants for the priesthood for more than 200 years.

Its closure in June 2011 led to fears about the future of the historic building, just outside Durham City.

Durham Business School will be based there temporarily during the multi million-pound development of its site on Mill Hill Lane.

The £16.6m rebuilding and expansion work is expected to take about two years.

Ushaw College can trace its roots back to Douai College, which was founded in 1568 in the Spanish Netherlands, now northern France.

BBC News – Durham Business School role for Ushaw College.

St Michaels Chape - Ushaw College

Nicolas Boyes Stone Conservation have been engaged by Ushaw College to commence conservation treatments to the decorative interior of St Michael’s Chapel.

www.nb-sc.co.uk

Nicolas Boyes Stone Conservation

OLYMPICS Minister Hugh Robertson has urged North- Easterners to make the most of this year’s Games, claiming the region’s sporting budget could have been slashed even more dramatically had London not been hosting the event.

Mr Robertson was in the North-East yesterday to mark the start of the 200-day countdown to the Olympic opening ceremony, and visited Durham County Cricket Club, a potential pre-Games training venue, and Deerness Leisure Centre, where he watched a demonstration of gymnastics.

“I also hope it will bring a huge dividend for the North-East afterwards in terms of tourism. When the torch comes to this part of the world, there’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase everything the North-East has to offer and use that to drive tourism going forward.”

Hugh Robertson

Ironically, Deerness Leisure Centre was on the brink of closure last autumn as a result of Durham County Council cuts, only to be saved when Deerness Valley Gymnastics Club raised the funds to take over

via Olympics Minister urges North-East to ‘get involved’ From Durham Times.

Here is the LATEST from the Arriva Bod:

• Ushaw Moor Valley View to Durham (£2.20 single/£3.90 return)
• Ushaw Moor (Centre of the Village known as ALL STOPS)
  to Durham (£2.60 single/£4.60 return)
• Esh Winning to Durham (£3.40 single/£6 return)

NO FARE INCREASE  for Ushaw Moor Valley View

Information on NEW ticket for Esh Winning coming soon from Arriva unsure what this is exactly, info in a week or so.

Arriva North East FB Page http://is.gd/T0lWev

Durham Zones

Durham City tickets are valid in the Durham City area including Framwellgate Moor, Pity Me, Arnison Centre, Brasside, Belmont, Sherburn Village, High Shincliffe, Cock O’The North, Broompark and Bearpark.

Brandon tickets are valid in the Durham City area (as above) and also in the Brandon area including Dere Park, Sawmills and Brandon.

Durham District tickets are valid within Chester le Street, Brasside, Belmont, High Pittington, Sherburn Hill, Sherburn Village, Sherburn House Hospital, Kelloe, Coxhoe, Croxdale, Dere Park, Scripton Gill, New Brancepeth, Ushaw Moor and Bearpark.

Download a map of the Durham network

Durham University and the Trustees of Ushaw College have announced that Durham Business School (DBS) is to temporarily relocate to Ushaw College while a state-of-the-art rebuilding and extension of the School’s current home takes place.

This move represents an important step in the new relationship between the University and the Ushaw Trustees who are now working in full partnership to secure a long-term education-based vision for Ushaw College.

A licence agreement was signed by the Trustees and the University in November  to allow enabling works to be carried out in preparation for the arrival of DBS at Ushaw in April. This is being followed by a lease agreement.

Work will then begin on the £16.6million rebuilding and extension of the DBS’s current Mill Hill Lane home in Durham. Ushaw is set to be home to the Business School until these works, which are expected to take two years, are completed.

The majority of Business School staff and students will be moving to Ushaw, with other staff and students relocating to existing University premises in Durham City.

via Durham Business School to sign lease agreement for temporary move to Ushaw College – Durham University.

Only £10 a year membership and £1.50 per session.

From Streetlife.com MORE Community centre gym.

THIEVES targeting a village cashpoint fled empty handed when they were rumbled by a local resident.

The crooks made their move on the Lloyds TSB cash machine in Esh Winning, County Durham, at around 2am yesterday.

They used a forklift normally used on building sites, to ram the machine and rip it out the wall.But they made such a noise that they woke a nearby resident, who spotted what was going on and immediately rang the police.

Realising they had been seen, the criminals fled the scene on foot.Within minutes, police arrived in cars and vans and a helicopter was launched to try and find the offenders.One resident, who did not want to be named, said police cordoned off the area to investigate.

via Esh Winning cashpoint raiders foiled by resident – Chronicle News – News – ChronicleLive.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,200 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.