A CHARITY fund that provides festive cheer to needy people in Poole is celebrating its 80th anniversary. The Poole Christmas Parcels Fund was founded in 1932 by the Rotary Club of Poole with help from the Rotary Club of Bournemouth. This year
Outstanding work to preserve precious heathland following a devastating fire, has been marked by a Poole community safety award. One third of Upton Heath was destroyed in a savage blaze in the summer of 2011 and Dorset Wildlife Trust worked hard
SANTA’S little helpers have escaped from his grotto and are hiding out in Poole High Street shops. The town’s popular Find the Elf competition returns from Monday to kick off the Christmas is a Breeze celebrations, sponsored by motor dealership
THE countdown to Christmas will be marked with a host of fun-filled festive events in Boscombe and Pokesdown. The festivities will start with a Christmas carnival in Boscombe this Sunday, between 11am and 6pm. There will be a carnival treasure
BOSS Eddie Howe has tasked his players with producing more of the same as Cherries bid to record a fourth League One win in succession for the first time in more than four years. Kevin Bond’s men achieved the feat when they won six on the
THERE'S just hours to go until Twilight fans see Bella, Edward and Jacob on the big screen for the final time. Breaking Dawn Part 2, the epic conclusion of the Twilight Saga, will be shown at special screenings just after midnight tonight.
THE circus is coming to town to celebrate Bournemouth’s tourism industry in a week’s time. The seventh annual Bournemouth Tourism Awards take place at the O2 in Boscombe on Thursday, November 22, and organisers say nearly 300 tickets have been
ONE of Bournemouth's finest rock acts will be holding a launch party for their debut album next week. Voodoo Vegas play Talking Heads in Southampton on Friday, November 23 and the special show will be recorded for a forthcoming music video, DVD
The Daily Echo is starting a new blog to celebrate small businesses. Whether you're a kitchen-table based crafter, a cake maker, a small business owner or start-up, we want to hear your stories. Why you did it, how you did it, what lessons
AN INDOOR Poole skatepark could be thrilling youngsters before Christmas after planning permission was secured. Tony Hill’s dream of opening a much-needed indoor venue in Poole hit a number of snags earlier this year and the original site fell
ATTEMPTS are still being made to find the cause of death of a woman in her late forties whose body was found in the driveway of a Poole hostel early on the morning of November 5. Coroner’s officers are awaiting the results of tests, but if no natural
THE Blandford School has received an improved grade from government inspectors despite claims the top grades are harder to get than ever. Ofsted judged it to be a good school, a step up from the last inspection when it was said to be satisfactory
Parent Julie Young’s son started at the school in September. She said: “He has cerebral palsy so to get him into mainstream school was fantastic. He has made so much progress and he loves it here – he can’t wait to get to school every day.” Victoria
“WE have the children’s best interests at heart and we have high expectations – that’s why we’re outstanding.” So says head teacher Juliet Muir who has led Bovington Primary to its third consecutive Outstanding rating from government inspectors
Pavilion Dance South West hosts two powerful solos by female performers, starting tonight. Tonight sees dance legend Wendy Houstoun perform her engaging dance-theatre show 50 Acts - a spirited retaliation against ageing that combines movement with
SINGER-SONGWRITER Joan Armatrading has won more awards than you've had hot dinners. Never one to rest on her laurels, Joan will be performing her latest tour at the Lighthouse Poole tonight. Joan is set to deliver a mix of old favourites plus brand
RUNNERS are being encouraged to get into the Christmas spirit with the Santa Fun Run. The event, which has been organised by Rotary Club of Wimborne, is taking place at Badbury Rings on Sunday December 16 from 10am. Runners will get into the
VOLUNTEERS at the Wimborne and Colehill Home Watch are celebrating after reaching an important milestone. The group has reached its 10th anniversary since it was formed in 2002, when individual watch schemes in the area joined together. Members
HENGISTBURY Head residents have given an overwhelming thumbs-down to plans to site a wind farm off the Dorset coast. There was standing room only at the last Hengistbury Residents’ Association meeting as residents listened to a presentation by
THE driver involved in the serious single-vehicle accident on the A338 Spur Road on Tuesday morning remains in hospital in a stable condition. The man is in Poole Hospital receiving treatment to serious injuries after the car he was driving flipped
THE surf reef has not worked, and will never work as a reef, repaired or not. The three million or so has been well and truly wasted. Tourism Chief Mark Smith must inhabit a parallel universe as he maintains that the surf reef is still “a key part
AT the age of nearly 60 I did not expect to be “blown away” by a local band named ‘Tin Cats’ who played at Parkstone Labour Club on November 10. They played quietly through the decades, faithfully recreating songs from Elvis, Pink Floyd, Dire
HOW long does it take to change a few white lines at Sainsbury’s Poole disabled car park area. Due to my correspondence with Poole council (May 31) and Sainsbury’s (June 1), they both agreed (letter from council June 15), five extra spaces should
REMEMBER, remember the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th (and still counting) of November. Why don’t those who really want to celebrate a gunpowder plot of many centuries ago, do it on the actual date? I cannot be
CHRISTCHURCH council says that the town centre does not need a community centre. When my father became a widower, he started to go to a Help the Aged lunch at Druitt Hall, where he found friendship and a new purpose in life. Loneliness can be hard
STUNNING images of Dorset have helped the latest Daily Echo book to top the list of best-sellers in a major book store. Dorset: A Photographic Journey in an Olympic Year is top of the pile at Waterstones in Bournemouth. Despite tough competition
LEE RODERICK CADMAN aged 41 of Larch Way, Ferndown. Proved in absence that he drove a Nissan on Christchurch Road, Bournemouth in a condition likely to cause danger of injury, namely insufficient transmission of light through the front nearside window
LOUISE JULIE MARSHALL aged 42 of Poole Road, Wimborne. Proved in absence that he drove a Mini on Wimborne Road, Poole whilst not wearing a seat belt. Fined £200. To pay victim surcharge of £15. Costs of £85. DANIEL ROBERT GENGE aged 23 of Colin
KATIE DONNA WILLIAMS aged 30 of Avon Road West, Christchurch. Proved in absence that she failed to identify the driver of a BMW who was alleged to have been guilty of an offence. Fined £600. To pay victim surcharge of £15. Costs of £85. Licence endorsed
BRUCE KELLY JACKSON aged 43 of Wellwood Close, Poole. Proved in absence that he drove an Audi on Longfleet Road, Poole without third party insurance. Fined £600. To pay victim surcharge of £15. Costs of £85. Licence endorsed with six points. Also proved
MAGDALENA ANNA PIOTROWSKA aged 21 of Wakely Road, Bournemouth. Admitted to driving a Volkswagen through a red light on A350 Holes Bay Road at junction with Sterte Road, Poole. Fined £35. To pay victim surcharge of £15. Licence endorsed with three points
Voters are being asked to choose two new councillors today - one in Branksome East and one in Littledown and Iford. There are six candidates for the Branksome East seat, on Borough of Poole council, caused by the resignation of Conservative Stephen
JACK Dee, master of the deadpan delivery, simply oozes droll indifference to whatever life puts in his path. And while you cannot help thinking he’s just dragged himself rather unwillingly onto stage, he’s one of the few stand-up comics to get
It’s twenty-two years since the world lost, within weeks, two American masters in the craft of music; Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. Here, under the dynamic David Hill, we were reminded of their powerful influence and musicianship. Bernstein
SIXTY years ago my family contributed and were involved with building Druitt Hall Old People’s Welfare Centre and permanent Christchurch Coronation Memorial. It was on land given to the people of Christchurch by Charlotte Druitt. The council
THE fight is on to save the Dorset’s Coastguard rescue helicopter after an influential Parliamentary committee urged a government rethink. The Transport Select Committee has expressed concerns that consultation was not done before it was announced
WHAT will you be doing today? The chances are that you won’t be voting or have voted in the elections for Dorset’s police and crime commissioner. At least that was the prediction, with dire warnings from pollsters and think-tanks that turnout
VOTING in the election for Dorset's Police and Crime Commissioner got off to a slow start on Thursday morning. By 8.30 only 13 people had voted at in the West Southbourne ward at the Trinity Methodist Church. “The car park is empty and
Temporary traffic lights in Magna Road are causing ong delays for drivers this morning. It was caused by multiple-way traffic lights at the junction of Arena Road, leading to Canford Park, installed to allow repairs to a leaking water main.
CONDOR Ferries has expressed its commitment to Poole, following the disappointment of the return of its year-round fast ferry service to Weymouth next summer. Poole has received a considerable boost since February this year when a crumbling harbour
FOUR hundred litter louts a month could be fined by a private company under tough tactics being considered in Poole. The council admits it could be accused of a “Big Brother approach” if it adopts the scheme but says the public wants firm action
AFTER six years of intensive fundraising a new £1.5 million Jigsaw building has been given the go-ahead by Royal Bournemouth Hospital directors - and it could be open by 2014. The Board of Directors at RBH has given the go-ahead for the drawing
MATT Ford insists Sam Masters has more to offer – and could hand him a second chance to prove it at Wimborne Road. The Australian struggled to live up to his big billing during an inconsistent 2012 campaign for Pirates. Masters arrived at Poole
PROMOTER Matt Ford has hinted that Pirates legend Bjarne Pedersen could make a sensational Poole return by admitting: “I wouldn’t hesitate to use him.” Ford revealed there was a possibility that he might still consider Pedersen in his 2013 plans
CHARLIE Gajic’s second-half winner settled in Verwood Town’s favour a topsy-turvy Potterne Park encounter against Wessex Premier strugglers Lymington Town. Gajic applied the finishing touch from close range to Kris Anderton’s probing free-kick
NEW recruit Warren Byerley tonight opened his goal account to earn Poole Town a share of the spoils from a 1-1 draw at Bishops Cleeve in Division One South & West of the Southern League. The Dorchester Town striker, who has been dual registered
