A DEDICATED band of Verwood residents are hoping to re-ignite their campaign for an all-age games area and outdoor gym costing £140,000. The Active Games For All (AGFA) group want to transform the damp left-hand corner of Verwood Recreation
CARTER’S Quay may have got the green light, but residents of Hamworthy, Poole, were far from turned on by Electric Avenue. A public exhibition of plans by Inland Homes to transform their nine-acre former Pilkington Tiles regeneration site received
RINGWOOD Town Council has increased their security measures at Carvers Recreation Ground following the recent traveller encampment at the site. At a meeting of the recreation, leisure and open spaces committee on Wednesday, town clerk Terry
A THREE-DAY musical festival at Upton Country Park is being hailed as the south-coast music event of the year. Popular Poole live music venue Mr Kyps and Big Bear Events have teamed up to bring you the first Upbeat Festival over the August
SHE’S still delivering library books to the elderly – at the age of 90. Enid Rothwell has been volunteering at Colehill Home Library Service for 15 years. Every three weeks, she visits people who can’t get out and about, picking up their read books to
JAMES McAvoy and Michael Fassbender have taken on a daunting challenge in stepping into the shoes of Professor Xavier and Magneto. But the rising young stars recognise there’s as much pressure in reprising roles best known for being played by Sir Patrick
IT doesn’t happen often, but you could hear a pin drop in the BIC’s Windsor Hall as a packed crowd was mesmerised by Derren Brown. The illusionist, who famously played a game of Russian roulette on live TV and predicted the National Lottery
FOR Funnybone Comedy Club, Richard Morton was where it all began. The Geordie comedian was the first ever act to appear at Centre Stage and in tribute to their maiden performer, his poster has been adorning the back wall ever since.
A “CRUMBLING” support on Boscombe Pier was damaged by a contractor’s boat, it has been confirmed. Bournemouth Council said the damage was caused by a barge that was being used for remedial repairs. The company responsible will have to pay for planned
“RESIGN, clear off!” were the cries as Derek Borthwick faced the wrath of voters at a public meeting. He was elected as an Independent to Bournemouth Council in May, but decided to join the Tories four days later. A vocal minority of the 50-strong audience
TRADERS are literally putting out the bunting now that Charminster is back open for business. Roadworks are finishing today after six months of work at one of Bournemouth’s busiest junctions. The road is already open to traffic, the
YOU wonder if Jamie Oliver expected America to punch back quite so hard when he hit Hollywood with his latest food revolution TV series. Perhaps so, as the young visionary has sent a replacement to keep us on our cooking toes while he's fighting
Flat Iron Steaks with Date-infused Barbecue Sauce Serves 4 4x175g lean flat-iron steaks Salt and freshly milled black pepper For the barbecue sauce: 4tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled and
MOVIE bosses have revealed 007 will return to cinemas in October next year. The 23rd James Bond film will be released in the UK on October 26 and the working title is simply, Bond23! Daniel Craig reprises his role as the smooth-talking secret agent
HERE we go again (Part 233). Panorama films horrific abuse of inmates at the private Winterbourne View ‘care’ home near Bristol. Viewers see footage of a woman apparently being trodden on, hosed with water and abused, and other patients generally treated
ACID-TONGUED writer Julie Burchill is embroiled in a thrilling Twitter spat with the singer Lily Allen. Burchill described her as “an overprivileged cry-baby” so Allen dubbed her “a bitter old troll”. Meanwhile, over at the Hay Literary Festival, comedian
A sordid past caught up with a 74-year-old grandfather yesterday when he was locked up for a catalogue of child sex offences. Silver-haired Raymond Pardy from Paddington Grove, Bournemouth, was finally brought to justice years after first abusing a nine-year-old
DRIVERS faced major tailbacks after a car crashed into a tree and closed the eastbound A338 for two hours yesterday. Police said it was 'fortunate' other cars did not crash too. The elderly female driver suffered chest pains and breathing difficulties
LAST Thursday, I had to collect some relatives from a late night arrival from the Canaries, only to be met with what I can only describe as an obstacle course to enter the passenger collection area of Bournemouth Airport. To add insult to injury, I
I REFER to Philip Whitelegg’s letter (Echo, May 28) in which he repeats his views regarding cycling on the Promenade. He says that the Prom was constructed for pedestrians and not pedal traffic. However the fact is that it is now a wide carriageway
IS England/the UK incapable of using its own initiative? Why do we have to use America as an example to follow, (Is It Time We Banned Smoking In Public? Daily Echo, May 26) and ban smoking in public if we think it’s a good idea? There is no excuse
LAST-minute half term heatwave could draw up to 80,000 people to Bournemouth beaches this weekend, say tourism bosses. With temperatures on the rise, the sandy beaches are expected to be brimming with visitors making the most of the last weekend
THE quickest way to get the country back on its feet would be to pass a law allowing only taxi-drivers and barbers to run for parliament! ROBERT READMAN, Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth
I WAS puzzled by the person from Boscombe’s letter about Kelly’s Kitchen. I accept and would defend his right to state his views as a British tax payer but as a Boscombe resident his council tax goes to Bournemouth not Dorset County Council or Christchurch
THERE are many reports of an extremely bad publicity in regard to aged patients. This is not so in regards to Bournemouth and Christchurch. I am 79, a bilateral amputee and have had many and various operations throughout the past 35 years and have always
IT was Sunday, May 15 and I was 39 weeks and six days pregnant. The next morning I woke at 3.30am with pains and contractions – about eight minutes apart – and decided to ring the hospital at 4.30am to arrange going down (this was my second pregnancy,
Dorset Fire said around 700 square metres of forest was destroyed in a fire yesterday. Crews were called to Hurn Forest around 4.40pm, near St Leonards, by Ringwood. Three fire engines and seven Land Rovers were on the scene.
A MOTORIST was lucky to escape serious injury after a collision with a speed boat as he drove through Poole. The bizarre accident forced police to close one of the town’s busiest roads to deal with it. The drama unfolded after a small speed boat on
JASON Pearce’s move to Peterborough United hit the buffers due to a staggering 50 per cent sell-on clause in the defender’s contract, the Echo can exclusively reveal. Pearce had been expected to discuss terms with the Championship new boys after Posh
CAMPAIGNERS presented a petition against NHS reforms to the constituency office of a Poole MP. Members of 38 Degrees and the Bournemouth and Poole Anti-Cuts Coalition (BPACC) wanted to meet Robert Syms, but said he cancelled the appointment
