Aycliffe Monthly | Page 15

VIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW relocating to larger premises on Aycliffe Business Park. • Objections are made against a new 80-home development near Travellers Green. • Police launch an investigation after a 25-year-old man from Wales was left with a serious head injury after he was assaulted in the early hours of the morning, in Humphrey Close. • Dan Mellanby controversially resigns as manager of Aycliffe FC just a fortnight before the start of the Northern League kick-off. He's later replaced by former New Zealand international Adrian Webster. • Meanwhile, the annual Frank Swinburne Memorial Trophy match against Northallerton Town raises £500 for Great Aycliffe Cancer Support Group. AUGUST • The Government confirms the first Universal Technical College (UTC) for the North-East will be in Newton Aycliffe - the South Durham UTC, sponsored by the University of Sunderland, Hitachi Rail Europe and Gestamp Tallent. • Ebac clinches a deal to sell freezers through national firm Argos. • Newtonian and student journalist Zoe Skerrett starts a four-week internship programme with Aycliffe Today as part of her journalism degree studies at the University of Sunderland. • Local businessman John Wade buys Aycliffe Village boozers The North Briton and Telegraph, but refuses to rule out bulldozing the troubled Brit. • The last ever Great Aycliffe Show takes place after being an August Bank Holiday tradition for 29 years. • South West Durham Training (SWDT) celebrates double delight after striking an Apprenticeship deal with Hitachi Rail Europe before it's rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. SEPTEMBER • Aycliffe charity cyclist Anthony Cox completes a 24-hour, 300mile challenge from London to Newcastle to raise £1,500 in memory of Mark Bulman, a Newtonian who passed away from cancer. • Aycliffe FC are looking for their third new manager of the season already after Adrian Webster quits. • Tekmar Energy is named Company of the Year award at Aycliffe Business Park’s Make Your Mark awards event. Aycliffe Today's prestigious business magazine is named Best Newcomer. • Aycliffe cricket team’s season ends with a draw against Wolviston as they finish the season fifth in the NYSD League second division. • A £650,000 footpath to link Newton Aycliffe and Shildon, named the Locomotion Way, is officially opened. • Award-winning restaurant The County celebrates a £50,000 makeover after seeing another record year in turnover. • Great Aycliffe Town Council confirms the annual Fireworks Display will return in November. NOVEMBER • Aycliffe printers HPM and Addo goes into administration with the loss of 12 more jobs but is bought by Addo Printing in a pre-pack deal. • Newton Aycliffe falls silent on Remembrance Sunday during a touching tribute in the town centre. • Proposals for Greenfield Community College and Sunnydale Community College to become one school are approved. • Aycliffe woman Lisa Phillips, 37, is jailed for five months after lying about being pregnant in a bid to avoid jail, when she was originally convicted in October 2013 for stealing £14,700 from her aunt. • In another exclusive, Gestamp Tallent’s Plant Director Peter Gallone talks to Aycliffe Today editor Martin Walker in the November-December issue of our business magazine. • Finley Structures reveal plans to convert the former Presswork Metals factory into a state-of-theart leisure facility including a rock climbing facility. • Former Prime Minister and Sedgefield MP Tony Blair visits Woodham Academy - we brought our readers an exclusive video interview with Mr Blair. OCTOBER • A £40,000 Multi Use Games Area at Horndale Park is officially opened. • Aycliffe FC appoint former West Auckland boss Peter Dixon as their new manger. • Tributes are paid to popular Newtonian Darren Ablewhite, who dies suddenly. • Ebac add 40 new staff to its team as the production of chest freezers cranks up. • Plans are revealed to demolish the Oak Tree pub and replace it with two sets of two-storey apartment blocks for people aged over 55. • More than 11,000 cigarettes and nearly 9kg of rolling tobacco are seized from raids in Aycliffe and Chilton. • Merchant Place Developments reveal plans to bring 4,500 new jobs to Aycliffe BusinessPark with a five-year plan to develop Merchant 2 and 3. DECEMBER • Aycliffe Cricket Club have become only the second club in NYSD history to win the prestigious Gold Club of the Year two years in a row. • Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg gathers support for reform and increases the pressure on the Government to review UK drug policy. • Aycliffe Today reveals plans by the University of Sunderland to create a new scheme designed specifically to offer firms on Aycliffe Business Park a free graduate scheme dubbed Development in Newton Aycliffe (DNA).