A RECORD 15 Poole swimmers are among 21 from local clubs heading for Sheffield over the next few days to take on the best of Britain’s rising stars. The others include five from Swim Bournemouth and one from Christchurch Seagulls. The five-day National
IT IS instantly recognisable as the steed of choice for the famous Red Arrows, but the RAF Hawk jet will also be putting on a solo performance at the Bournemouth Air Festival. in the cockpit will be 32-year-old Flight Lieutenant Juliette Fleming, a qualified
A FREE event for anyone looking to buy a new car is being held this weekend. The Daily Echo Motorshow, in association with A-Plan insurance, takes place at Wallisdown Recreation Ground in Talbot Drive on Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and
TEACHING at Poole High School is improving, according to Ofsted inspectors. Last November the secondary school, off Wimborne Road, was given notice to improve. However, during a recent monitoring inspection, inspectors found the quality
A MAN with one of the highest profile jobs in Afghanistan is from Dorset. Lt Col Tim Purbrick from the Blackmore Vale is a TA soldier and the spokesman for Task Force Helmand. The 47-year-old’s job is to articulate the government’s view
IS a photo worth the risk of a war zone? Petty Officer Hamish Burke thinks so. He’s the photographer for 3 Commando Brigade covering their six-month deployment in Afghanistan. The 27-year-old from Ferndown sees it has duty to record
I LOVE breakfast. I go to sleep looking forward to what I’m going to eat the next morning. I think it's my favourite meal. When I was a child, I would munch my way through a bowl of Coco Pops every morning accompanied by a glass of cola (it
A NEW Forest organisation has called for the abolition of the Forestry Commission. As part of a government consultation on the future of forestry and woodland policy in England, the New Forest Association has called for the commission to be replaced
IT’S taken just six weeks to build. But for competitors taking part in the annual raft race at Mudeford RNLI Fun Day this weekend, the sight of one such structure may give a few prospective paddlers the jitters. Staff and regulars at The Ship in Distress
OH no. It’s that time again. My favourite, lived-in jeans are starting to fray on the hems and go through on the knee. I’ve been putting it off for ages, trying to pretend they’re still wearable, but as they’ve now stretched so much I can take them off
A DOG walker who claims he and his pet were repeatedly “dive-bombed” by an aggressive seagull on Bournemouth beach is warning families and pet owners to be on their guard. Jasen De-Botte, 37, and nine-month-old George, a Staffordshire American bull dog
IT will boast five bedrooms, panoramic views of the sea – and an eye-watering price tag of £8 million. The luxury four-storey property will occupy a prime site on the Sandbanks peninsula in Poole – near the home of Spurs manager Harry Redknapp. The
FOUR more Bournemouth primary schools will have to offer more places if council cabinet members agree proposals before them today. St Katharine’s in Southbourne will have to use a temporary building to accommodate 30 more pupils for a two-year
Heavily oiled oceanic birds being washed up dead on a Jurassic Coast beach are the worst a Purbeck marine photographer has ever seen. Naturalist Steve Trewhella helped rescue oiled birds from the Napoli disaster, the cargo ship which broke
IT was the most keenly anticipated double act since the Wills and Kate wedding: Murdoch senior and Murdoch junior versus a load of disgruntled MPs. As James and Rupert sat down in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, the scene was
PLANS to shut three day centres for people with learning disabilities look set to go ahead if cabinet members approve recommendations today. They will be asked to approve the closure of Darracott Day Centre in Pokesdown by the end of September and Malvern
CAMPAIGNERS trying to save Dorset’s libraries will return to the council chamber tomorrow as members debate proposals to withdraw funding from the service. It is D-Day for nine of the county’s libraries, which face closure under Dorset County Council
MANY of us want to buy a bottle of something sparkling to toast that special occasion, but when the moment arrives, the selection process can be rather confusing. What’s the difference between Champagne and Cava, Prosecco and Crémant? For those
EVERY day we put our trust in others. We rely on politicians to make decisions in our best interests, police officers to protect us and journalists to hold authorities accountable. So what happens when that trust is breached? The fallout is clear from
THE Purbeck Folk Festival has struck gold in the Purbeck Hills with a stunning summer line up. The festival runs from August 26-28 at Langton Matravers and boasts a headlining turn from Seth Lakeman. The talented folk star has won a
BOY BAND of the moment, The Wanted have announced their first ever UK arena tour for spring 2012. The five-piece group will be heading to the BIC on March 2. The band became one of the biggest breakthrough acts of 2010, with their 2011 BRIT-nominated
HE may be one of the biggest names in Hollywood, but actor Tom Cruise is reported to be such a loud snorer that he has installed a “snoratorium” in his home to give his wife Katie Holmes some undisturbed sleep. While most people in the UK could not create
SURELY only countries which decided to give up their own currency for the euro should be called upon to bail out those which did and have subsequently failed financially? Why should Britain be ruined when at least our politicians did have the sense to
I wonder how many people realise that there are no longer people employed as 'street cleaners' - in the way most of us remember - you know - Trigger in Only Fools and Horses. I've just spoken to Purbeck District Council and Dorset County Council and they
PRAISING buses and dogs. Regarding the two recent letters by Mr Tipton of Canford Cliffs, who in my opinion is a welcome addition to your letters page, however controversial his views might be. He seems to have just exploded on the scene, not caring
I WAS disturbed to read of the ongoing uncertainties regarding the Winton and Glenmoor schools (Daily Echo July 15). It is proposed that approximately seven teaching assistants jobs from each school are to be axed. Even more disturbing is the fact that
THERE is always something in view looking out to sea. Even in the winter when pleasure craft no longer bob about inshore there are the giant tankers and rusting container ships ploughing up the channel, their navigation lights blazing through
A MILK tanker driver died when her vehicle left the road and rolled into a field. The 52-year-old driver, from Blandford, was pronounced dead when police arrived at the scene of the incident shortly after 2am on Tuesday in Dorchester.
I NEED to say a huge thank you to all those local people who contacted us at Montacute to offer support around our building problems. It is good to know our work is highly regarded in our community. We are looking at academy status to offer more
I AM writing on behalf of Childreach International who recently took part in a street collection in Bournemouth. We would like to extend our warmest thanks to the people of Bournemouth who donated to our fundraising street collections in the
On behalf of a wide team of people who work with me to make the Bourne Spring Trust run its Centre in Springbourne and help it be a place where community wellbeing and activity thrives, I would like to offer my gratitude to all those who attended a fundraising
If, as Sir Graham Watson (Postbag July 14) asserts, Conservative and UKIP MEPs scuppered the vote for even higher CO2 emissions targets, then I for one am cheering in the aisles. When there is a substantial and growing body of scientific opinion which
IT’S probably not healthy to trust such a small number of people as I do, but in a strange way, it offers comfort from abject disappointment in the future. Being a glass-half-full bloke doesn’t always sit comfortably with being a cynical journalist,
FIVE fire appliances were sent to Bournemouth town centre on Tuesday afternoon after reports of a fire in a building in Westover Road. Four fire engines and an aerial ladder platform were sent to the YMCA at 5.20pm. It transpired that
A CONTRACTOR who worked on the major refurbishment of Marks and Spencer in Bournemouth town centre four years ago has been convicted of putting workers and shoppers at risk of being exposed to asbestos. After a 14- week trial at Winchester
CHERRIES chairman Eddie Mitchell has sounded out a defiant message to would-be suitors of Danny Ings, telling them: “He’ll cost you at least £1m.” Mitchell’s comments come after reports in south London suggested Cherries had told Crystal Palace they
LUCKLESS Carl Poore knew it was time to seek medical help with his troublesome ankle injury after falling over while walking down the street. The Poole Town captain was stretchered off during Dolphins’ FA Vase semi-final clash at Whitley Bay on April
EDDIE Mitchell is backing the club’s team of strikers to come up trumps – even though midfielder Marc Pugh reckons they need more firepower. Pugh, in an interview with a local radio station, said he felt Cherries needed “a few more players in order to
BOSS Lee Bradbury believes new loan signing Scott Malone will prove to be an excellent addition to his Cherries squad. Bradbury gave the left-back a 60-minute run-out during Cherries’ pre-season friendly against Wimborne Town last night.
