A LITTLE bit of Deeside engineering excellence is helping athletes jump across the world to the Olympic Games in China. Singapore Airlines is using one of its Airbus A380 superjumbos, the wings for which are made at Broughton in Flintshire, to get them to Beijing this week.

A West end star will be treading the boards in Aberdeenshire next month. Dan Greavey, 31, who has worked alongside stars such as Steven Gately and Darren Day, will play the lead role in the Deeside Musical Society's production of Cole Porter's musical comedy Anything Goes.

A Children's choir from Uganda is to bring a blend of African rhythm, contemporary gospel music and ethnic dance to the north- east this week. The visit is to try to raise awareness of the plight of millions of children left orphaned by war and Aids.

EMERGENCY crews were on full alert at an airport yesterday, after an inbound aircraft with 21 Airbus workers on board reported a technical problem. Merseyside ambulances were among eight paramedic crews alerted to the incident at Hawarden Airport, Flintshire, yesterday.

QUEEN Victoria was adamant - railways were not to spoil the peace and tranquillity of her beloved Balmoral Castle on Deeside.