THE owner of a chain of trendy cafe bars has hit out at Christchurch council after a second planning application for a new High Street eatery was refused. Alex Reilley, managing director of Loungers, which includes Ludo Lounge in Southbourne and Circo
A SCHEME to transform a prominent corner of the central Highcliffe shopping area has been approved. The plans for Sea Corner in Highcliffe, which sits on the intersection between Lymington Road and Waterford Road, include replacing the window
DOUBLE Olympian Liz Yelling will be taking part in Poole’s eagerly-anticipated Festival of Running. The Parkstone-based runner will also give coaching tips to fellow athletes during the Poole Park event next month. Organisers say there is still time
PEOPLE welcomed plans to reopen and refurbish flats above a historic shopping arcade. FJB Collections has unveiled ideas for 37 properties at the Royal Arcade in Boscombe, which is home to many alterative shops. Bournemouth council hopes
TWO lucky 13-year-old Poole boys had the night out of their lives when they attended a royal premiere in London. The award-winning youngsters not only had the chance to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their first wedding anniversary
Throw your bowler hats in the area and shout “happy new (tax) year!” Okay, perhaps that’s overdoing it, but the one bit of good news is this wipes the cash ISA slate clean. Every UK adult can now put £5,640 in one of these savings accounts,
YACHT club members invited to a meeting about the Poole Bay windfarm voted unanimously against the plan. The event was held at the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Isle of Wight – a similar event is planned at Parkstone Yacht Club on May 1.
BOURNEMOUTH’S Heathlands Hotel will host the Daily Echo-backed South West Baby Show from June 22 until June 24. Following the success of last year’s event, there is still time for companies who provide products or services for young families
THE jury in the Emily Longley murder trial has this morning heard from one of the aspiring model’s friends. Jasmin Snook, 19, told Winchester Crown Court about Elliot Turner’s “obsessive” behaviour towards Emily in the weeks before she died
THERE are a number of ways to combat today’s spiralling petrol prices, but building your own electric chopper from scratch is certainly one of the more unusual. Motorcycle enthusiast Nigel Bryant knows all about surviving economic uncertainty
THE exceptionally gifted international cellist Truls Mork left an impressive mark on a Poole audience in a live Radio 3 broadcast. The often physical and virtuosic demands of Prokoiev’s Sinfonia Conertante for cello and orchestra elicited a ‘wow’ from
AN EMPTY shop was said to illustrate the challenges facing Bournemouth town centre. The former Dorothy Perkins was singled out in a “staggering” presentation by town centre manager Roger Parker. The shop closed last March and is still
THE Chewton Glen in New Milton is famed throughout the world for the exacting standards of its food, health spa and accommodation. The country house is also proud of its recently opened restaurant, Vetiver. Spread across five rooms, including
SOUTH West MEP Ashley Fox is due to visit Swanage today to meet opponents of the huge Navitus Bay Wind Farm scheme. Mr Fox recently added his name to a list of signatories of a letter addressed to Prime Minister David Cameron, urging him to reconsider
TRADERS generally said they welcomed a new Tesco that replaced a “rundown” pub on Holdenhurst Road in Bournemouth. The Tesco Express store in Springbourne opened inside the former Dolphin Pub in February. Andrew Quinell, from Al’s Diner, said: “We have
A NEW charity transport service is taking over the running of Bournemouth Community Transport and the BAT Bus. The new charity service, called Sedcat, is available to anyone with a postcode from BH1 to BH11. There is a £6 annual membership
A DORSET cafe is hosting a very special Queen Bee Jubilee Tea Party to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Bee Shack cafe, at Honeybuns in Naish Farm at Holwell, Sherborne, will be holding a traditional vintage tea party with children’s activities
IF you’ve not had the pleasure of encountering Mr Mraz and his 70s soul style vocals, all that should be about to change. It’s been a four-year wait for Jason Mraz’s fourth album since 2008’s We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, but fans will
THE Met Office is warning of flash flooding and gales exceeding 50mph for Sunday. The British Heart Foundation has cancelled the Dorset Bike Ride in light of the weather conditions. The forecasters say up to 50mm of rain may fall on
A LONG time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Actually, it was 15 years ago in Bournemouth that legendary club night Slinky first launched. To celebrate their birthday, Slinky is holding a special night at the O2 Academy Bournemouth on May 4. With a stellar
ONCE upon a time, Rizzle Kicks – Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule – were goofy local pub rap battlers with a humorous mixtape peddling lyrics of teenage tomfoolery over indie band instrumentals. Now the boys are selling out venues left right
A SOUP run which was threatened with eviction from a Bournemouth church has been overwhelmingly given a reprieve. A public meeting chaired by the Bishop of Southampton decided the Salvation Army service for the town’s homeless could stay at St Peter’
RECENTLY becoming a British citizen, American born comedian Rich Hall is besotted with the quirks and eccentricities of his new home. His latest tour brought him to the Lighthouse Poole, where he’d clearly done his local research with unlikely gags about
AN ENGLAND football shirt and a ball signed by soccer star Paul Gascoigne are among the lots at an auction raising funds for a Bournemouth school. Restaurant dinners, a stay at a holiday let and professional surfing, knitting and golf lessons
LITTLE Harrison Dilling wins over everyone he meets with his cheeky grin. But life is not always fun for the three-year-old and his family, as Harrison has cerebral palsy. Born nine weeks early at Poole Hospital, Harrison was given a routine CT scan
SINGER-SONGWRITER Newton Faulkner performed an intimate show at The Old Fire Station while road testing songs for his forthcoming album. For an hour and a half he played a captivating mix of popular old material and soon-to-be popular new material. Support
THE schoolboy injured by a car as he crossed a Bournemouth road to catch a bus suffered a broken ankle. The 13-year-old was hurt on Kinson Road at around 8.20am on Wednesday near the junction with Cherford Road. The car was being driven
YOUNG Bournemouth contemporary prog rockers Evolver has released their new EP, which is now available on iTunes. Sci-Fi Queen has been picking up glowing reviews for the band that made it to the finals of last year’s Dorset Music Awards at the O2 Academy
IDEAS on new uses for a boat store at Mayor’s Mead car park near Christchurch Quay should be submitted by April 30. Community and business members are urged to come forward with proposals for using the 184 square metre building on a rentable
THE Countess of Wessex made a rare trip to Swanage yesterday – and this time the weather did not spoil the day. She was in the historic seaside town to officially open Swanage’s new guiding headquarters, where she met local rainbows, brownies
A DRINK driver killed after his car ploughed into a lamppost has left a priceless legacy for four strangers. Stephen Male, from Poole, drank 12 pints of lager in the hours before his 5am crash on the A3049 Dorset Way. His head injuries were so severe
TERESA ANN WEEKES AKA BRADLEY, 48, of Henbury Close, Poole. Admitted driving a Peugeot on Ringwood Road with 97 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. Fined £130, victim surcharge £15 and disqualified from driving for 23 months. To be reduced
BARRINGTON JOHN ATFIELD, 35, of Howard Road, Bournemouth. Admitted using threatening and abusive behaviour. Fined £135, victim surcharge £15 and costs £85. Also admitted stealing numerous items of groceries and alcohol to the value of £40 from Tesco PLC
CHRISTMAS and Easter in future look to have been cancelled in Poole Park after the council built a compost bin where reindeer and piglets roam. Chris Bullen, who runs the popular miniature railway line around a lake in the park, says the actions
POLICE are appealing for public help to trace a 15-year-old girl who has been missing from her home since Monday, April 9. Stacie Richardson, who has links to Dorset, was last seen by her concerned family in the Chaddleworth area of Newbury
BENJAMIN EDWARD WOOLLEY, 29, of Kings Road East, Swanage. Admitted driving a motor vehicle down High Street with 103 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. Community order made to carry out unpaid work for 120 hours while supervised.
BENJAMIN THOMAS WILSON, 20, of Spring Close, Verwood. Admitted assault. Community order made to carry out unpaid work for 160 hours supervised. Costs £85.
STEPHEN ANTHONY BATH, 58, of Ashtree House, Purewell, Christchurch. Admitted driving a Land Rover on the A338 Wessex Way in excess of 50mph. Fined £300, victim surcharge £15, costs £35 and disqualified from driving for 35 days.
I WRITE in total support of the letter written by David H Wells of Merley regarding his views on the Imax centre. What a terrible waste to pull down this modern innovative building, surely a use could be found for this large expensive icon. I have
The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust marked the UK’s first ever NHS Sustainability Day on Wednesday 28 March. The ‘day of action’, which ran from 11am-3pm, had interactive stands in between the two restaurants
ACCORDING to my records, last week was the wettest drought since 1987. GRAHAM CRIBB Branksome Wood Road, Bournemouth
I WONDER how many solar panels could be fitted to the south and west facing elevations of the Waterfront building, also possibly the roof top to assist the heating of any swimming pool complex? How many readers recall that a number of Bournemouth businesses
IN my opinion the much maligned IMAX building should have its name shortened to MAX and be turned into an exhibition centre dedicated to the life and career of Bournemouth’s most famous entertainer Max Bygraves. GEOFFREY LINDLEY Branksome Wood Road
I WAS just down by the pier in the wind and the rain today – there was nothing to do, and nowhere to hide. The decision to demolish the Imax is a bad and wasteful one because with minor tweaking it could provide useful covered space and a wide range
IN REPLY to Alan Gerault’s recent letter, I know that the vast majority of people I meet are delighted that this council is taking firm and decisive action to improve our town for visitors and residents alike. Our decision to rid ourselves of the much-derided
APRIL isn’t over and there’s already some bad news about Christmas. If Chris Bullen, boss of the Poole Park Railway, mounts his usual festive grotto with live reindeer this year, there’s an obstacle he’s going to have to get around. That obstacle
A POLICE community support officer has appeared in court to deny biting her girlfriend on a night out. Denise Jane Lockyer stood in the dock at Bournemouth Magistrates Court to face charges of assaulting Joanne Briggs and stealing her phone
SO it’s bye bye IMAX. The cinema, which opened its doors in 2002 for less than a year, is to be demolished with work due to start in September. Bournemouth council dismissed the option to reopen the controversial cinema – but would you have
AFTER 48 years Brucie was back at the Pavilion Theatre Bournemouth. Clearly he knew his audience and was received with considerable applause from the moment he came on stage. Accompanied by the Strictly Come Dancing band it was non-stop
The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has scored in the top 20% in a number of areas in a national survey of outpatients. The results of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) survey, collated by the Picker Institute
THE all-night closure of Poole’s Twin Sails Bridge has resolved some of the problems but further night-time repairs may be required. The £21.6million bridge has suffered a range of niggling problems since it was completed and opened to traffic
ELLIOT Turner boasted he could go to prison for 10 years and “still be a millionaire” in a rant about killing Emily Longley, a court heard. Former Uplands pupil Turner, 20, made the claims after leaving exclusive Cafe Shore in Sandbanks, Poole, following
Staff at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals (RBCH) have rated their Trust among the top 20% of all acute Trusts in the UK in a number of areas. Staff who responded to the survey said that they: •Would recommend RBCH as a place
BRITAIN'S first beach wedding has taken place on Bournemouth beach this morning. Frazer Seed and Kate Smith won a competition on ITV show Daybreak and were married in Bournemouth's wedding beach hut at 8.10. Our reporter was on the scene
AN accident on the Wessex Way northbound is causing delays to drivers leaving Bournemouth this morning. The single vehicle accident is between the Cooper Dean roundabout and Blackwater junction. More follows.
MATT Ford is still counting the cost of the disruptive April weather and admits: “It is killing the sport.” The speedway supremo revealed Poole and their counterparts from around the country had been hit hard by the persistent recent rain. Pirates have
RIVAL manager Alex Pike has warned Poole Town: Form will count for nothing in the play-offs. Ex-Wimborne Town boss Pike is hoping to get one over on old pals Tom Killick and Taffy Richardson by guiding Gosport Borough to Southern League promotion at
BOSS Glenn Burnett is hoping returning striker Alex Baldacchino will inspire New Milton Town to a final-day relegation escape. The prolific frontman will feature for Linnets as they bid to beat the Wessex Premier drop tomorrow. Milton’s top-flight status
MANAGER Simon Browne wants Hamworthy United to find a suitable replacement for outgoing chairman Bruce Scammell but is warning that candidates will have “big boots to fill”. Scammell, who has been associated with Hammers for more than 20 years, is due
DIRECTOR of golf Neil Pike has declared Ferndown’s interest in hosting the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship final. The Dorset club hosts the tournament’s West Region qualifier on Tuesday and stages the regional Open Championship qualifying
FOUR Dorset teams secured top-six finishes at the Centre Parcs National Schools Championships in Sherwood Forest. Bournemouth School for Boys and Bournemouth School for Girls both achieved creditable fourth places in their groups of nine. The boys were
THE managers and coaches from Corfe Mullen United defeated their counterparts from Broadstone 4-1 in a match to raise money for Julia’s House. Simon Edwards scored twice for Corfe Mullen, while there was one apiece for Ben Ansell and Paul Vivian. Rob
MUSCLIFFE concluded a successful season by claiming the Dorset crown at the County Ground. Tom Rickman netted the only goal of the game on 60 minutes as the Division Three champions toppled their Division One counterparts in a tight tussle. Muscliffe
OLGA had six members selected to represent Great Britain in the recent European Trampoline, Tumbling and DMT Championships in St Petersburg, Russia. The Poole-based club’s 2016 Olympic hopeful Nathan Bailey, 18, won a silver medal in the men
TOP local footballer Carl Poore has revealed he is facing the agonising decision of whether to retire due to arthritis – at the age of 29. The Poole Town star is set to make the tough call in the next month after struggling to regain full fitness following
STURMINSTER Newton star William Fox-Pitt will step up his bid to capture the richest and rarest prize in world eventing this weekend. So difficult is the Rolex Grand Slam to achieve that only one rider has previously accomplished it – Fox-Pitt’s Great
WESSEX junior Annie Tinker stepped into the shoes of Olympic hopeful Megan Viggars in a top international tournament in Italy. Tinker was part of the England junior squad for the three-day Memorial Ferruccio tournament against European and American opposition
THEIR biggest game of the season was a step too far for Wimborne’s threadbare squad in the Dorset under-15 county cup final at Canford Arena. Injuries to two players in their 3-0 win over Rossgarth, three days earlier, and a further injury
WIMBORNE girls under-13s matched the club’s boys’ feat by securing a league and county cup double at Canford Arena. It is the girls’ first season together in which they have won all 18 of their Dorset League games, scoring 192 goals. Hollie Lemon put
UNDERDOGS Corfe Mullen United Juniors under-11s gave unbeaten Southside Angels a fright in the county final at Canford Arena. Juniors took a surprise lead against the Dorset Winter League champions and were level at the interval thanks to an
BEARS under-13 girls crowned a successful season by winning the St George’s Trophy in London. The Bournemouth, Ellingham and Ringwood team won all of their matches at the Grasshoppers RFC ground. The under-13 girls side, which was only formed in September
