High School Musical, Mayflower, Southampton ALL-singing, all-dancing, squeaky-clean and just bursting with energy – this stage version of the hugely successful Disney TV and film franchise is simply irresistible. Parents, teenagers and
ROCK icon, author, restaurateur – legendary former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has seen it all and done most of it. For the last few years he’s been on a mission to get back to his rock ’n’roll roots as the driving force behind his new
HAVING won the 2008 UK Family Festival Award, the Larmer Tree Festival has almost finalised its line up of actviities and entertainment away from the main music stages. With exciting and quirky street theatre and shows, there will be more than 150 free
BOURNEMOUTH council says there was nothing wrong with the figures that led them to recommend the closure of the Hengistbury Head outdoor centre. The news comes as it was revealed that several groups have expressed an interest in saving the
IT’S Thursday evening in Auschwitz. I’m standing at the end of the railway line in the Birkenau camp – the last stop for at least 1.1 million people before they were murdered by the Nazis. Joining me are 200 students from schools across the
DOVES guitarist and some-time singer Jez Williams is enjoying a bit of peace and quiet ahead of the band’s UK tour which comes to Southampton Guildhall on Monday. The last couple of years have been pretty draining for the 39-year-old and his
A BRAZILIAN man who turned up at Bournemouth Airport claiming he wanted to visit the town’s “ancient churches and beautiful square” has been removed from the UK after failing to convince officers he was a genuine tourist. The 43-year-old
MEETING Sir Michael Caine and the London headquarters of The Magic Circle to talk retirement, death and life beyond it – it was never going to be an ordinary day. Sir Michael turns in one of his most memorable performances of recent years in
IT’S the time of year when the sun should be out and getting on with its primary job of putting you in a good mood. This is the time we rediscover all there is to enjoy when warmth returns to the world: flowers, wildlife, attractive people
STEVE Way ran 10 minutes faster than last year to finish 28th in the Flora London Marathon. The Bournemouth AC star clocked exactly two hours 25 minutes to finish within 20 minutes of winner Samuel Wanjiru (2:05:10). Way was just 10 minutes down on
Hamworthy may not be particularly hilly but it has the next best thing – a new BMX and mountain bike dirt track. Youngsters from Carter Community School, Poole were asked in a survey by the student council what recreational facilities they would like
WANT to re-live Saturday’s emotional scenes at Dean Court? All the goals and highlights of Cherries’ dramatic 2008-09 season are being released on a limited-edition DVD which is available to pre-order in the Cherries club shop now.
NOTHING is being done to stop seahorse habitats at Studland being damaged more than a year after they were given protection, according to a Dorset conservationist. Steve Trewhella, acting on behalf of the Seahorse Trust, said that although
DAVID Dunn admitted he was left frustrated by Swanage & Wareham’s tactics as Lions successfully defended the Dorset & Wiltshire Cup. In a largely dour encounter at Dorchester RFC, Lions were forced to come from behind to win 13-3 after
NORTH Dorset completed a highly-successful season by claiming the Dorset and Wiltshire Vase. Pete Kennedy’s men saw off Devizes 24-7 at Chippenham, with Simon Keates (conv) and Alex Soskin (try) starting the victory march. Jay Westcar made it 12-0,
A PET boxer dog which was apparently kidnapped and held for ransom has been reunited with its young owner. But now police have arrested a man after claims that Roxy had been given away without 19-year-old Abigail Carne’s permission.
DORSET residents are being offered the chance to help shape the future of England’s only World Heritage Site. As part of its prestigious status, awarded by UNESCO in 2001, the steering group behind the 95-mile stretch of the Jurassic Coast
BOURNEMOUTH council says there was nothing wrong with the figures that led them to recommend the closure of Hengistbury Head outdoor centre in Southbourne. The news comes as it was revealed that several groups have expressed an interest in saving the
A ONCE-popular New Forest campsite has been re-opened and given a fresh identity for the new season. The site at New Park, Brockenhurst, was previously run by John Korbey of New Park Farm who retired in 2004. Now the 100-pitch site has
DO you dare to come face to face with a terrifying T-rex or fancy a close encounter with a flesh-eating Baryonyx? If so, Bournemouth will be the place to be this summer where a thrilling Dinosaur Encounter awaits locals and visitors alike. The Bournemouth
THE Echo spent Monday afternoon with Cherries goal hero Steve Fletcher for a special video feature. Talking candidly in 'Fletch's Bar', the Dean Court legend spoke of his pride at Cherries' 2009 Great Escape and how he feels about his future both in
PURBECK has decided to embrace the euro in a bid to boost visits from abroad. Following in the footsteps of Bournemouth and Poole’s plans to accept the European currency, the area, which relies heavily on tourism, has decided to get involved too. Dorset
WHAT started as a mere morsel of a foodie event, served up to mark the millennium, the annual Christchurch Food and Wine Festival has spread over the years into a huge banquet for the senses. Now it is one of the most important dates on the
ALLISON’S wish is finally becoming a reality. Members of the Allison Riley Memorial Foundation will open a community café at the Heatherlands Centre on Barns Road, Ferndown, on Friday. The café will be open on Friday evenings with the aim of providing
EVERYTHING is in place to deal with an outbreak of swine flu in Dorset, say experts. Health professionals are urging people not to panic as the first British cases of the new human strain of the virus, usually associated with pigs, were confirmed
TAKE the quality and precision you find in a German car, translate that into a building and you have the Huf Haus. In prestige property circles, the Huf is spoken of in hushed tones and afforded the kind of reverence usually reserved for period
BORN in Boscombe in 1934, sport was in Bill’s blood from day one. His father, also called Bill, was a footballer for Charminster and Christchurch while his Uncle George was an opening bowler for Hampshire. So it came as no surprise when Bill signed
HOW does Cherries’ Great Escape II rank in the all-time list? Well, let’s consider other notable achievements in the club’s history … •Promotion from Division Four in 1971, with John Bond’s side playing flowing football and Ted MacDougall scoring
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
ALL the way from Bowling Green, Kentucky, punkpoppers Cage the Elephant are taking a couple of weeks off recording their second album in the States to play a UK tour which includes The Old Fire Station on May 7. And they want to meet you! Well
SHERBORNE has a new bishop. Dr Graham Kings, the vicar of St Mary’s Islington in the Diocese of London, has succeeded Bishop Tim Thornton who became Bishop of Truro last year. Dr Kings said he felt a “deep call” to work in to Dorset
THE credit crunch has led some pet owners to abandon their pets, with charities and organisations that care for animals stretched to capacity. Fifty-seven per cent more pets have been dumped during the last year and the problems seem to be
I AM writing to you to draw your attention to a gross injustice. Gurkhas have served this nation loyally for nearly 200 years. On Friday the British government kicked these loyal servants in the teeth – and not for the first time. How can men who have
IN 2007-08, 229 workers died in accidents in British workplaces. Twenty-eight of these people were employed in the south-west of England, four of whom worked in Dorset. Thousands more die from occupational diseases, like mesothelioma or cancers linked
I MUST congratulate the leader of Poole Liberal Democrats. He is becoming the veritable expert at finding the wasp in the ice cream – turning good news into bad. (What’s the Game with Play Areas, Letters, April 24). Poole leisure services has set
JUST a quick warning to other dog owners in Corfe Mullen. Coco, our chocolate Labrador, was bitten by an adder on Wednesday afternoon near the car park at Springdale Road. Her face swelled to twice its size and she looked terrible. Her nose was
I WONDER how many readers have seen the attractive new Dolphin Mews development by Signpost Housing in Seabourne Road, comprising 25 flats for general needs rent and parking? Besides providing much-needed social housing it produced a capital receipt
WOW – what a fantastic atmosphere! AFC Bournemouth’s players delighted their fans last Saturday afternoon with a 2-1 win over Grimsby. This saved the club from relegation. A chorus of “We’re staying up” greeted the end of the match, and ‘Eddie Howdini
I WAS very pleased to read Cllr Trent’s letter (April 24) where he puts the trivia of much “mirror” party politics in context with the clear and overwhelming evidence that we are destroying our planet. Climate instability is not abstract theory. It
IT HAS now been some time since Sir Michael Pitt completed his report on issues regarding Poole planning committee. I note that Cllr Anne Stribley, chairman of the planning committee, writing in Poole News, welcomes the report, but makes no mention
FROM the 14th century Galway was ruled by 14 merchant families and when Cromwell invaded 300 years later his forces insultingly dubbed it the ‘City of the Tribes’, referring to the families. The locals adopted the name in defiance, and it stuck
'Allo 'Allo: Lighthouse, Poole Much loved sit-com 'Allo 'Allo lives again in this romp-along stage show which revisits one of the most popular TV comedies of the late 20th century. It delivers exactly what the audience want - an instantly
DRAGON slaying was afoot in the historic surroundings of Corfe Castle on Sunday (26). Young visitors to the castle were invited to join the attack on the 35-foot, smoke-blowing beast rampaging through the grounds of the 11th century fortress
EAST Christchurch SSC are champions of the Hayward Sunday Premier League after injury-hit title rivals Branksome Railway crashed to a 6-0 defeat against Branksome Conservative. Anthony Winders bagged a hat-trick with Danny Wilson (2) and Scott Davidson
CHAMPIONS Berrans Park Avenue Reserves finished with a 1-0 win over Lovett thanks to a Dan Whittington strike midway through the first half. Runners up Queens Park Rovers Reserves shaded it 4-3 in their final game of the season against AFC Face with
NEIL Middleditch hopes Pirates’ boo boys will get off Bjarne Pedersen’s back after his scintillating 14-point performance in Poole’s 45-43 defeat at Belle Vue last night. The Dorset club’s team manager revealed the Dane’s old mechanic Rafal
CHERRIES’ management duo Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall both see their immediate futures at Dean Court – but know new owners may have different ideas. The pair masterminded a remarkable turnaround when they piloted Cherries to Football League
HAMWORTHY Recreation boss Steve Manuel has opted to step down as manager at the end of the season. Despite his side being in the Dorset Premier League title hunt throughout the campaign, Manuel is keen to take a rest from the hotseat. He is one of
M A HART Poole Bay Challenge Cup winners Bournemouth Electric landed their second trophy in three days when Max Wilcock settled the issue 1-0 at Sway to clinch the Hayward Saturday Premier Division title. Sway’s hopes of finishing second had suffered
SECOND-placed Pennington St Marks Reserves were twice in arrears against Branksome Celtic in Division Five, but came back through Tom Brown and a Barry Ward penalty to force a 2-2 draw. Ben Irvin and Dean Barter were the Celtic scorers. Henleys Electric
AMID scenes of jubilation, it was former Cherries chief executive Laurence Jones who provided the voice of caution. Lifelong Cherries fan Jones sounded a half-time rallying cry to supporters during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Grimsby. His impassioned speech
IMAGINE sitting on the sofa one night watching the television when a snake slithers across the floor in front of you. For Kerry Allison this particular nightmare came true. And as well as the unexpected reptile visits, the petrified
THE 92-year-old man who was viciously attacked in his Talbot Woods home over two weeks ago has been released from hospital. The veteran sustained injuries to his face and body following the assault in Dulsie Road, Bournemouth, in the early hours of April
5 years ago: Nick Harper – Mr Kyps, Ashley Cross (29.4.04). Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve – BIC (30.4.04): Wonderful one-off show in which Elvis and his Attractions pianist played exactly what the hell they liked. John Martyn
DETECTIVES investigating a serious assault on a young woman in Bournemouth have released an efit of a man. The 19-year-old woman from Winton was knocked unconscious in the terrifying attack as she walked along Wimborne Road, between 3.30am
