SCORES of residents turned out in force to show Christchurch council exactly what their local community centre means to them. Around 200 residents, many armed with placards and banners, staged a noisy protest outside the threatened Mudeford Wood Community
In front of a disappointingly small audience, the lack of atmosphere did not bode well, even with a strong performance from soprano Laura Parfitt, gamely setting the scenarios to the vocal items and filling the Pavilion with a magnificent Una voce poco
NOEL Coward's original production of Blithe Spirit opened in 1941 and audiences today are still enjoying it. Coward described his play as 'a superficial comedy about a ghost'. This, one of his wittiest comedies, makes light of death. The play opens as
This reading and concert, staged as part of the bicentennial celebrations of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, could so easily have been superb. As it was, it misfired drastically. It laboured from the start with two major problems. First it was staged in the
Verwood Town missed out on an ideal opportunity to make ground on the Wessex Division One frontrunners as they were thumped 5-2 by Downton at Potterne Park. Declan McGregor hit a hat-trick, one a penalty, with Matt Holmes and Kevin Thick also
PRAGMATIC Simon Browne played down talk of a Hamworthy United revival – despite watching his team record a third consecutive victory. Hammers pulled four points clear of the Wessex Premier bottom spot with a 1-0 victory over Lymington Town on Saturday
AMBITIOUS Wimborne Town player-boss Alex Browne saw his FA Vase dream disappear but then backed his team’s ability to land the ultimate prize. Browne bagged a late consolation as Magpies exited the prestigious competition with a 3-1 second-round defeat
THOUSANDS of Bournemouth council staff will find out in January whether their pay will go up, down or stay the same. A revised pay and grading structure has been drawn up to ensure the council complies with the equal pay act and does not discriminate
MATT Snook and his best friend John Thornton dreamed of climbing mountains together. As teenagers they climbed the Purbecks and peaks of southern England. They also dreamed of joining the Royal Marines. In March 2008, Lieutenant
A Poole man fears he nearly fell victim of an internet dating scam after his Russian would-be girlfriend started demanding money. Carl Wingrove, 34, decided to give internet dating a try a few weeks ago – and his friend set him up a profile
SHE wrote about idyllic adventures, crumpets for tea and lashings of ginger beer, but a new TV drama portrays Enid Blyton as a bully, a cold-hearted mother and a vindictive adultress. Helena Bonham-Carter stars as the multi-million-selling children’s
I SUPPOSE it had to happen sooner or later, especially at my advanced years, but I’m starting to feel out of touch. See, in the past, I’ve always had a decent grasp of what my sons were into. Teletubbies? Sure, I can tell Tinky-Winky from Po in a heartbeat
A MAN desperate for his son to be released from a Hungarian jail cell will take his plight to Westminster. Mark Turner of Corfe Castle will hand over a letter for Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, urging him to secure the release of his son Michael, who
DORSET veterans will greet the funeral cortege of Rifleman Philip Allen from Verwood when it arrives at RAF Lyneham on Monday, November 16. Members of the Poole and District Royal Marines Association have attended every repatriation since autumn
CHRISTCHURCH QUAY flooded on Saturday morning and the Environment Agency issued flood warnings for Poole and Wareham but both towns escaped the worst. Throughout the day Dorset residents endured the worst storm of the year with winds gusting
