BJARNE Pedersen stuck two fingers up to his critics as he returned to top form with the aid of his old mechanic Rafal Lewecki – but it wasn’t enough to lead Pirates to victory in Manchester tonight. Poole Castle Cover’s captain, who has
WITH a bumpy dirt track snaking off in to woodland, it may not seem like a millionaires’ paradise. The gravel track, shrouded in trees, appears to lead nowhere and is barely noticeable unless you intentionally set out to find it. But
I MAY be wrong but I seem to remember being told that the size of the sun in relation to the Earth would compare to a basketball next to a pinhead. Or something like that. Similarly, the size of astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle’s intelligence compared
A RANSOM has been demanded from a heartbroken young woman for the return of her beloved boxer dog. Abbie Carne, 19, of Verwood received the anonymous phone call the day after the disappearance of her pet, Roxy – an 11-month-old boxer dog described
A PROJECT to “boost the self-esteem of Blandford” has received £15,000. The award has been made by Dorset County Council in recognition of the work done in the town to promote a rights and respect agenda championed by international charity, Unicef.
“JUSTIN Lee-Collins may be trying to bring back the A-Team, but I’ve gone one better and brought back Rainbow.” Bournemouth actor, comedian and stage school teacher Mike Newman Junior is not a man short on confidence. And having just finished a four-year
HE may have coined the term “Big Bang” but the life of great British astrophysicist Sir Fred Hoyle is being marked with more of a whimper due to “budget difficulties”. A Blue Plaque planned for his former home in Admiral’s Walk in West Cliff, Bournemouth
OH, what a wait! The last turn of the rock nostalgia night, The Fortunes, certainly took their time appearing – leaving the admirably amiable compere, Gary ‘Brother’ Walker raking through his memories and anxiously checking the wings till they
YOU get the feeling when Art Brut were playing the clubs of New York and LA, there were probably fewer anecdotes about the Hogshead in Westbourne and Poole’s old indoor market. But this is a true homecoming for Eddie Argos and his Parkstone
THREE people were taken to hospital – one by Air Ambulance – after a serious crash on the A35 at Winterbourne Abbas on Monday afternoon. A BMW 525 and a Toyota van were involved in the accident on the westbound carriageway of the A35 at around
A REPORT that heavily criticises Christchurch Borough Council’s housing service has been met with disappointment by the local authority. According to the report by the Audit Commission, the strategic housing service provided by the council is “poor”
YOU can view our special gallery of pictures from Dean Court on Saturday by clicking 'Gallery' above...
THE Lonely Planet guide states that one of the best things about Thailand is “the warm hospitality of its citizenry”. However, when my girlfriend and I visited the Thai Restaurant in Poole last weekend, there was little to suggest such hospitality
I WAS set a challenge recently – to see how many meals I could make out of one of those organic vegetable boxes delivered to your door. The task was set by Riverford, a company which started growing and selling organic vegetables from its farm in Devon
LIFESAVERS working with Blandford’s St John Ambulance brigade have seen their hard work rewarded at a ceremony in the town’s Corn Exchange last Friday (24). Blandford’s Mayor, Cllr Sara Loch, and John Lewis, the service’s County Commissioner, were among
EVERY year almost 80,000 Brits holiday in Thailand. Whether they're gap year students, bankers or sun worshippers, few people return from the country without a taste for the fresh and divergent flavours of south east Asia. But recreating
OLYMPIC sailing hopeful Lucy Macgregor visited Hamworthy to inspire the next generation of potential champions. Students from Haymoor Middle School in Poole were trying their hand at watersports at Hamworthy’s outdoor education centre.
DRIVERS faced Monday morning misery in Poole. If the constant rain wasn’t enough, two accidents in the space of 20 minutes on a main road made it a morning to forget for commuters. At 8.05am police were called to the A3049 Dorset Way after a grey Citroen
Since the public have little faith in the Parliamentary expenses procedure why should members not be expected to clock on and off, and be paid accordingly, as do so many employed working folk? K E G Peters, Steeple Close, Poole
We all want a high street full of greengrocers, bakers, butchers, fishmongers etc. If there was enough trade for these shops then they would still be trading. The simple fact is supermarkets have taken all the trade away from the independent trader
Why all the fuss about some outlets accepting euros as payment? Places could accept Monopoly money, coupons or vouchers (and do) if they wanted. As for the reader who says currency laws are being flouted, what is the difference between accepting euros
THE other day I visited the pier area at Boscombe. It looked glorious in the Spring sunshine. The Overstrand, crawling with an army of construction ants, will look quite smart when it’s finished, and the, also the Pierhead, eventually – who knows?
HAVING been forced to postpone the show last year, Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company finally presents its production of Oklahoma! at the Pavilion, Bournemouth, when it opens a four-night run on Wednesday, April 29. The company
I WROTE a while ago about the closing of the entrance to the Russell-Cotes Museum from the street. You very kindly printed my objections. I had the great pleasure of being able to use that entrance again for some weeks while work was being carried
It is high time the rules regarding the responsibility for informing the DVLA that drivers suffer from a condition that impairs their ability to drive were changed. An 86-year-old acquaintance of mine who is terminally ill and suffers from frequent memory
I am writing to encourage your readers to do something amazing in 2009 by jumping on their bikes to help children with cancer. CLIC Sargent, the children’s cancer charity, is giving people the chance to swap their cycle helmet for a sombrero on a fantastic
Can we really believe it? Another £120,000 for four support staff to assist the £80,000 a year, four day week, executive director for business improvement! (Daily Echo, April 20) The director is a highly experienced local authority manager. Not much
Ed Perkins in not far off the truth when he suggests reasons why politics goes down badly in this country, (Opinion, April 24) but the solution is far more complicated than he or perhaps other pundits might imagine. I hold no particular brief for Gordon
GETTING fit in the open air is proving a real hit in Poole with a green gym being put through its paces. Twenty-nine pieces of outdoor gym equipment from rowing machines to balancing bars has been installed at nine locations across Poole Park
A TASK force has been convened to plan the county’s response to a flu pandemic which it is feared could kill 9,000 people in Dorset. The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Local Resilience Forum – which is made up of the county’s emergency services
DORSET councils are preparing for a legal battle against the government over plans for green belt development. Barrister Timothy Straker QC has been tasked with finding legal grounds to challenge housing figures laid out in Regional Spatial
Not normally a man given to football analogies I am on this occasion forced to say: It was a game of two halves, Brian. From a moody, atmospheric, haunting and often beautiful beginning Ultravox's pioneering electronica soared and cascaded, the crystal
FAMILIES, experienced cyclists and novices turned out in force for The British Heart Foundation Great Dorset Bike Ride on Sunday. Organisers said more people took part than ever in the event which started and finished at Queen Elizabeth School
STEVE Fletcher brought to a close one of the most tumultuous chapters in Cherries history and then said: “This must never be allowed to happen again.” Fletcher grabbed a fairytale winner as Cherries secured their Football League status with
NOT surprisingly, Eddie Howe seemed a little taken aback by one line of questioning at his post-match press conference. As he basked in the glory of keeping Cherries in the Football League, it hit him like a bull in a china shop. For
VERWOOD Town’s disappointing season finished with their weakened team on the receiving end of a 2-0 scoreline at East Cowes Victoria in Wessex Division One. Boss Adie Arnold, meanwhile, is searching for a new assistant manager/coach for next season,
POOLE Town coach Steve Cuss refused to be too harsh on his title-winning players – despite their season finishing with two consecutive defeats. Dolphins, unbeaten going into their final two matches of the campaign, lost 5-1 against Wimborne on Thursday
COMPLAINTS about the behaviour of Big Issue sellers in Bournemouth town centre are running at an all-time high. Town centre manager Roger Parker said he has never had as many incidents raised with him by tourists and traders. He said: “The complaints
BUCCANEERS rider Luke Priest claimed he had “nowhere to go” after clattering into Newport’s Sam Hurst during a controversial National League cup-tie in Wales yesterday. But the Bournemouth Castle Cover heat leader said he didn’t bring the Hornets
IF Steve Fletcher was Cherries’ goal hero, then it was former chief executive Laurence Jones who provided the assist. As if Eddie Howe’s script-writers had not been working enough overtime during the past four months, up stepped legend Fletcher
CO-owner Paul Baker wants to reward Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall for keeping Cherries in the Football League with new contracts. Baker was among the crowd at Dean Court on Saturday to see Howe and Tindall mastermind the final leg of Cherries
EDDIE Howe put the finishing touches to Cherries’ relegation revival and then paid a glowing tribute to iconic striker Steve Fletcher. Howe said: “I feel very relieved and it was a fantastic day. I’m so pleased we managed to do it in front
POSITIVE Darren Powell believes Wimborne Town can mount a title challenge next term after producing a scintillating season finale. Late goals from James Stokoe and Dave Town earned Magpies a 3-3 draw against 10-man VT FC at Cuthbury on Saturday. The
REFLECTIVE Steve Riley expressed his delight at Bashley’s fine five-match winning streak – but admitted his team could have again reached the play-offs had they been more efficient. Bash, who battled against relegation for much of the season, finished
WHETHER it be talking to shopkeepers and children or holding public meetings on street corners, the Police Community Support Officer is the modern-day bobby on the beat. Dorset’s 165 PCSOs walk an average of nine miles a day and have become
A CONCERNED mum has said she will never holiday in Bournemouth again after her three-year-old son picked up a needle on the beach. The woman, who does not want to be named, said she was horrified to see her toddler clutching a discarded needle after
PLANS to allow library customers to issue and return books themselves will save £190,000 a year in staff costs. Bournemouth council has reassured library workers that no permanent employee will be made compulsorily redundant once the self-service machines
BUS users in Burton and Christchurch have been issued a reassurance that they will not be left stranded when Wilts and Dorset pull their service at the end of May. Dorset County Council and Christchurch Borough Council are working together to reduce
