POOLE aims to banish dark nights with a spectacular display of light installations across the town centre and Poole Quay this weekend. And the Brilliance! festival will culminate in an illuminated Light on Time parade through the town on Saturday
TAFFY Richardson insists Poole Town were right to put their Wessex League title quest before county cup glory. Dolphins’ hopes of a league, FA Vase and Dorset Senior Cup treble were ended after their weakened side lost 3-1 to Dorchester in
A KENNEL Club campaign group is calling on dog walkers to make their views heard about Bournemouth council proposals to place restrictions on dogs in public places. The council is consulting on proposals which require owners to clean up dog mess, keep
Poole Olympic sailor Rodney Pattisson has fired a broadside at proposals for a new marina in the harbour. The triple Olympic medallist has added his support to the hundreds of people opposing plans by Poole Harbour Commissioners for a 950-berth
FRUSTRATED drivers on the westbound A31 are suffering long waits this afternoon after a tanker full of aviation fuel suffered a blow-out in a tyre at Ringwood. The lorry driver stopped his vehicle and blocked one lane just before the River Avon bridge
NEW Forest organisations have voiced their disappointment that the area will not be represented on the panel set up to consider the future of UK forestry policy. Announced yesterday by Defra minister Caroline Spelman, the panel will be be chaired
BURGLARS dropped in through the roof of Wimborne Market in a daring night-time raid, making off with cash and a laptop. Once inside, they used drills to de-activate the alarms and plunder cash stores, before whitewashing the scene with bleach
Now, as regular readers of the Taste blog will know, I’m a big fan of Masterchef, in all its forms. I even really like the new-look- re-vamped, Aussie-d up version. But what on earth was up with that veggie challenge this week? From the moment vegetarian
Brothers Victor and Henry Mears, who misled thousands of customers into visiting what they claimed was a Lapland-style theme park, were both jailed for 13 months at Bristol Crown Court today. More follows.
BOURNEMOUTH primary schools could be forced to take on extra children whether they want to or not. Demand for places is increasing every year and a report going to senior councillors next week says places for at least an extra 150 youngsters must be
RICH kids playing at living in the real world can be good value entertainment-wise, and this week, on Channel 4 alone, we had two of them. On Sunday’s Country House Rescue (9pm) we met Hector Christie, a once notorious, now seemingly affable, anti-capitalist
DRIVERS couldn’t wait to get on the Weymouth Relief Road on a day described as a ‘momentous occasion’ for the town. Eager motorists started queuing at its start up to an hour before the cones were finally lifted and drivers were given the go-ahead
CARRYING an olive branch, they’re a sign of peace. Instead, this little dyed-blue dove was found lost and alone in Ferndown’s Ham Lane. Nicknamed Mr Blue by his carers at the RSPCA, he has a bit of colour back in his wings but inspectors
BIMINGHAM-born actress Felicity Jones takes the lead role in life-affirming comedy Chalet Girl. Tomboy skateboarding prodigy Kim (Jones) abandons her passion after her life is touched by tragedy and accepts a job as a Alpine chalet attendant in an exclusive
IT’S a fabulously elegant building. Georgian, with big sash windows, tall pillars and an absolutely vast front door, it was originally a merchant’s house. Now, after various metamorphoses, firstly as an upmarket gentleman’s club, and latterly as offices
LAUGH? I thought I’d never start! Well now is the time to exercise that chuckle muscle because today is National Red Nose Day. It’s a day when people get together to do “something funny for money” and transform lives across the UK and Africa
A PLUCKY pensioner who wrestled with late-night intruders in his kitchen after they burst into his home has spoken of his terrifying ordeal. The 82-year-old grandfather told the Daily Echo: “There was a knock on my back door and I thought it was a neighbour
JANE Errington’s trip to Whitecliff Park started innocently enough. She, her partner Mark Marengo and their three girls decided to spend a few hours in the Sunday sunshine. But this excursion ended up creating a global news story, with radio
THE media is focusing on the wrong area at the Japanese nuclear power plants damaged in the earthquake. They are focusing on the reactor core containment and possible breaches whereas the greatest danger at present, greater even that the well shielded
ISN’T it about time for some really serious common sense thinking on how public money is spent? When emergencies like in Japan arise we help out where and when we can. Nobody wants to see anybody suffer so why are we still seeing images of child poverty
IT is somehat disconcerting to find out that Dennis the Menace celebrated his 60th birthday this week. As a boy I was a Dennis fan, even if his behaviour, in those dimly remembered days, inevitably ended with a slippering. Dennis has always misbehaved
WHAT is Poole Council coming to? When people enter Poole Park and see the flower bed in full bloom it is lovely. We have nothing left in the high street and compared with other towns, Poole is very ‘dull’. Most of the roundabouts now have huge plants
ON MONDAY while walking my baby grandson in Redhill Park I saw a mother breaking several large branches from one of the trees, which was heavy with blossom, for her children to play with. I considered speaking to her about damaging public property but
POOLE Loses its Flower Beds (Echo 10th March). Cllr Brookes seems hopping mad at the decision to grass over the flower beds in the park, his comments are nothing more than ‘hot air’ and proves to me he hasn’t been through the park of late. Poole Park
WITH reference to your two articles on flowers one on floral display planting and the other on the illicit picking of flowers the type of which I was proudly wearing on March 1st. I find it very disconcerting that it should even have entered anybody
YOUR article in Saturday’s Echo Magazine (When Saxons Ruled, 12/3/11) made rather too much of Coombs Ditch. The article described it as a second Romano-British defence against the ravages of Saxon invasion. Coombs Ditch runs along part of the ridge
TWO brothers are due to be sentenced today for misleading customers over the failed Lapland New Forest attraction. Victor and Henry Mears were found guilty in February following a two-month trial at Bristol Crown Court. They were convicted of five counts
The last time Richard Herring performed in Wimborne was six years ago when 40 people came to see him. On this occasion, however, a more sizeable crowd is poised to enjoy the reworking of his 2001 show Christ On A Bike. The show’s subtitle
MAGPIES star James Stokoe believes his side owe it to the Cuthbury faithful to strive for the highest possible league position this term. Wimborne have all but secured their Southern League status with basement boys Andover firmly rooted to the bottom
BOSS Graham Kemp is determined to fend off interest in Ben Dickenson after revealing a host of clubs are keeping tabs on Christchurch’s hot prospect. The teenager is the latest player to make the transition from the Priory youth side to the
BOSS Lee Bradbury has tasked his players with putting together another unbeaten run as Cherries begin the countdown to an enthralling league finale. Back-to-back defeats by Exeter and Southampton have seen Cherries slip off the pace as the race for
JASON Pearce is desperate to exorcise the ghost of Brunton Park after admitting he is still haunted by Cherries’ relegation at the venue. Pearce lined up against Carlisle in May 2008 when Cherries’ fate was sealed by a 1-1 draw on the final day of a
PETER Kennedy is set to step down as North Dorset head coach due to his increasing work commitments with O’Neills Sportswear. Kennedy, who spends a large amount of his time working in Ireland, said: “My job at O’Neills has expanded to take in the whole
PIRATES chief Matt Ford has voiced his backing for Jason Doyle after recalling the Australian to cover for crocked compatriot Darcy Ward. Poole’s Elite League hopes were yesterday dealt an early blow with the news that Ward will miss the start of the
POOLE Town’s hopes of avoiding more promotion misery this season depend on one final option – upgrading their Tatnam headquarters. Dolphins are understood to have shelved, for next season at least, potential plans for a ground-share with Bournemouth
A COUNCILLOR is calling for Bournemouth and Boscombe piers to be privatised and transformed into commercially viable family attractions. Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts said: “What we need is more privately owned leisure operators based at the seafront
MANAGER Simon Browne has welcomed praise of Hamworthy United’s entertaining style – but wants his defence to clamp down on the goal-fest. Hammers have offered spectators great value for money this season, with their league games averaging four
HARRY Arter insists he is ready to return to Cherries’ promotion battle – even though he will have a foot in both camps for their next assignment. Arter is midway through a month’s loan with Carlisle and sits out Cherries’ clash against the Cumbrians
