As veteran actor Richard O'Brien reclaims his role as the evil Child Catcher in the hit musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Southampton this week, he admits that his " life of decadence and debauchery" could present a few problems. The 65-year-old star
THE average mortgage taken out by a first-time buyer has nearly tripled during the past 10 years, figures showed today. In 1996 people borrowed an average of just £39,811 to get on to the property ladder, but this had soared to around £120,500 by 2006
IDENTITY thieves used detailed knowledge of a Bournemouth man to steal two phones together worth £450 despite his security measures. Martin Bartlett shreds his paperwork, never uses a credit card and only buys small items like CDs online but he still
AN MP is calling for roadside drug tests and increased police patrols to deter young drunk and drugged drivers from getting behind the wheel. Conservative former minister Chris Chope said: "More youngsters are taking the risk because the chances of them
PROPOSALS to demolish an eyesore derelict car showroom in Pimperne and replace it with much-needed homes have been given the thumbs-up by North Dorset planners - as long as low cost housing is included. As reported in the Daily Echo, the council's development
SWANAGE FOLK festival is serving up yet another varied programme of experiences and entertainment this year. It kicks off on Friday with a concert in the main marquee on Sandpit Field with Steve Tilston, Cloudstreet and New Rope String Band. And those
A BOURNEMOUTH tourism chief is calling for more wet weather facilities in the resort after the UK's wettest summer on record. Statistics show that more rain fell in June, July and August than at any equivalent time since records began. Soggy Britain
NATIONAL press reports of a plague of wasps providing a sting in the tail end of the British summer have been grossly exaggerated according to local experts. Pest control firm Rentokil has seen a 125 per cent national rise on last year in call-outs to
THE Co-op has promised to rebuild its fire-gutted store in Hamworthy, Poole, and retain all 49 staff. The devastating fire which broke out around 5am on Saturday, September 1, wrecked the 8,000 sq ft supermarket and the blackened remains will have to
NOSTALGIA is big business these days, but easily the most unexpected manifestation of the 30th anniversary of punk rock's so-called Summer of Hate is Tory leader David Dave' Cameron's apparent hijacking of the ultimate anti-Establishment anthem, the Sex
DINNER parties, once characterised by starched linen, candelabra and complicated, elaborate dishes, have undergone a transformation. With our modern, fast-paced lives these gatherings have adapted into more informal occasions that demand interesting
SITTING in the grounds of Rhinefield House, on a warm sunny day, enjoying afternoon tea is a pleasure indeed. The setting is perfect and is both tranquil and beautiful. To one side of our table was a large rectangular pond with fountains playing and
IT'S all very well sharing your dining experience - and often your conversation - with dozens of other people, but we're delighted to see that booths are back in fashion! Whether it's a group of friends or you're searching for the intimacy of that one-on-one
ONCE upon a time, organic produce cost the earth and was enjoyed almost exclusively by posh restaurants and fanatical environ -mentalists. But times have changed and many people are now making the switch to organic, having discovered the benefits it
UNHAPPY workers are costing their employers £40 million a day by wasting time, according to a new study. Research by careers advice service learndirect showed that almost one in three workers daydream every day or spend time trying to find another job
THERE'S a Fashion, Hair and Beauty Spectacular coming to town. On October 18, Society Magazine and the local HNB Salon Group, are staging an extravaganza of fashion, hair and beauty at the Opera House, Boscombe, featuring real clothes, for real people
A POOLE woman who refused a £40,000 offer from developers for her garden has spoken of her fears that homebuilders will consume all urban green spaces. Claire Dinmore, 41, has lived in her terrace home on Croft Road for just over a year - but already
A PENSIONER who was crushed to death under the wheels of a refuse truck in Wimborne Square was in town to withdraw money ready for a two-week cruise. Betty Hunt, 82, who was walking with the aid of a stick when tragedy struck at lunchtime on Thursday
A BOURNEMOUTH councillor who called for the courts to get tough with the town's firework night yobs has hit out at the first penalty imposed. Cllr David Smith had previously called for anyone convicted of taking part in the violence that followed Bournemouth's
SPORTING history was made in Bournemouth at the weekend when adventurer Miles Hilton-Barber became the first blind person to pilot a high-speed catamaran. Mr Hilton-Barber, who made history last week by becoming the first blind person to pilot a jet
A LANDMARK hotel in Fordingbridge looks likely to become a substantial care home for the elderly. Al Donnelly, proprietor of Fritham House nursing home at Fritham in the New Forest, is buying the Ashburn Hotel in Station Road, Fordingbridge, from Garry
WITNESSES have told of seeing a "wall of flame" in a blaze which gutted a Co-op store in Hamworthy on Saturday. The fire was initially thought to have been arson, but investigators have not yet found evidence it was caused deliberately. See link below
JASON Crump will line up in Pirates' crucial Elite League clash at Peterborough tonight (7.30pm). And Poole Castle Cover chief Matt Ford has stressed "We haven't given up on the title chase" despite two of their remaining fixtures being re-scheduled
BOSS Kevin Bond watched Cherries slump to a second successive Dean Court defeat and then demanded a return to home rule. Substitute Luke Rodgers grabbed the only goal of the game as Port Vale completed a hat-trick of consecutive wins at the Dorset venue
THE solution to Cherries' mystifying home form could be far simpler than Kevin Bond seems to think. After watching his side suffer a second successive Dean Court reverse, boss Bond was at pains to proffer an explanation. Impressive in their two away
