SUTTONERS skipper Clive Johns believes the chasing pack is playing for third place after predicting a two-horse race for the title between Parley and Poole Town. Johns, who masterminded Suttoners’ return to the top flight last year, has guided them to
MUSIC fans can look forward to a whole weekend of live bands and entertainment in Christchurch starting on Friday. The Christchurch Festival kicks off at 7.30pm on Friday night with the Boscombe Ukelele Social, with 16 bands scheduled to perform
I mentioned in my last blog that I was going to volunteer to help out at the Southampton Beer Festival. The festival was held at the Guildhall in Southampton and it being my personal local festival. I did three of the sessions. Friday Evening and
IN a sweat-soaked gym, heavily muscled Matt Legg now punches a heavy bag, not other people. Fighters like him are packed into Oakmead ABC, a club that is more than ‘rough and ready’. You have to dodge the swinging fists and step over
The huge interest shown in an aerial photo of Poole harbour taken through the window of an airliner has prompted the snapper to produce more. As the 757 flew along the coast, Mark Brazier from Bournemouth had quickly pressed the shutter a few
‘TANKTASTIC’ was the verdict from this year’s Tankfest. The Tank Museum, Bovington’s showcase of military hardware and memorabilia was a huge success and looks set to break all records with crowds of more than 10,000 pouring in over the weekend
DANILO Restivo was a liar and presented a deeply unattractive oddity but that did not make him a killer, his defence counsel said today. David Jeremy QC said the police had believed for many years that Restivo had murdered Heather Barnett.
NEWLY-CROWNED Dave Barton led from start to finish to secure the Dorset Seniors Championship at Lyme Regis. The Bournemouth & Meyrick Park player carded an opening round 75 despite a triple bogey eight on the 14th hole. It gave Barton
TRAVELODGE has applied to turn the former Christchurch Medical Centre into a 68-bedroom hotel. The application submitted on behalf of the hotel chain by RREEF, the owners of the centre and Saxon Square shopping centre would see the centre transformed
DORSET professionals Martyn Thompson and Ben Welch continue their Open quests tomorrow. Both players are just one step away from qualifying for this year’s third major of the year at Royal St George’s next month. Thompson and Welch clinched
BOURNEMOUTH’S new Olympic-sized community cycle track at Slades Farm was officially unveiled at the weekend. Funded by British Cycling, Bournemouth council and housing development contributions, the 250-metre track is constructed from recycled
It's a century! This is blog number 100!! Actually that's not strictly accurate as I did sneak a 13 and a half in ages ago, but I'm going to ignore that. So it's telegram from the queen and blanket over the knees time for the blog, or is it...?
One of Britain’s biggest country estates, that has four villages, a cricket club, a church and a magnificent mansion, has reportedly gone on the market for £100 million. The Crichel estate in Dorset, which spans 5,000 acres, also comes with
KEVIN Spurgeon has one more chance to hone his game before next month’s European Seniors Open at Walton Heath (July 21-24). The European Senior Tour takes a two-week break after this weekend’s Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open in Switzerland.
POLITICIANS in Westminster are now debating the fate of 80,000 disabled people as they decide whether to grant Government the power to remove the Personal Independence Payment mobility component, which will be replacing Disability Living Allowance, from
WITH recent changes in the weather we may escape the worst effects of a long, dry period, but with climate change, a growing population and increased demand for water it is important to prepare for similar dry periods. Action is needed as soon as possible
AS a nation, we are all told that our life span is increasing. Many more lucky people are to receive the Queen’s birthday card. Are they really lucky? Apart from a close relative, very few people will be interested in anything you have to say. I know
SO, a 19 per cent hike in gas and electric bills from August is announced and the consumer has no say in the matter. My business partner came up with a brilliant thought. If every household in the country turned their gas off for just one day every
WHILE Andrew Bird, principal, Bicycle Accident Law, Edinburgh, (Letters, June 11) is offering advice to cyclists, perhaps he would be good enough to give some helpful advice to pedestrians who, when they are where they should be, are unfortunate enough
Steamed Ginger Sponge (Serves a generous 4) 100g self-raising flour 2 rounded tsp ground ginger 1tsp mixed spice 1 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda 100g suet 100g fresh breadcrumbs 165g jar preserved
HAVING read over the years about problems, etc, about Bournemouth and Poole’s refuse collections and now the latest talk of Poole having to pay for garden waste, I feel they have nothing to complain about. Under Christchurch Council we pay the council
THE government says you should work longer and that many on welfare benefits are capable of work. Whilst there are people on benefits that could work, this is not the same as saying there is work out there for them. Even before the recession, many
REGARDING ‘Disabled man’s mum to fight on’ (Daily Echo, June 9), Lorraine Zavadil should not accept any cut in funding at all. Her son Tarik has an irreversible syndrome with very high risk factors. If he was previously assessed as needing 24-hour care
THOUSANDS turned out to enjoy Winton Carnival on Saturday with floats, marchers and live music adding to the party atmosphere. Families lined the streets as the colourful procession, led by Bournemouth Carnival Band, made its way along Wimborne Road,
THEY say a dog is a man’s best friend, but black lab Mungo is a lifesaver, according to his owner Barbara Houston. For when she became wheelchair bound eight years ago, Barbara, who suffers with Transverse Myelitis, a neurological disorder, says it had
THE final pensioner to escape from a blazing block of flats “could have kissed” the firemen who got her out. She was one of 35 people aged 60 and over in a four-storey block of flats when the fire broke out in Bourne-mouth around 8.55pm on
ASK food writer Simon Hopkinson to name his favourite recipes and he sounds like an English schoolboy. “Parsley sauce, mushrooms on toast, leek and potato soup,” he sighs. “I can be knocked sideways by new dishes, but, well... Fray Bentos
SQUEAKY-voiced comedian Joe Pasquale’s will be asking Bournemouth audiences to pull his finger. Joe is on a personal mission to cheer everyone up and put a smile on people’s faces in these dark and dismal times and his Pull My Finger show aims to do
A GROUP of “worse for wear” men who had to be rescued after getting stuck in mud late at night have been described by the RNLI as “extremely lucky”. Poole Inshore Lifeboat was launched at the request of Portland Coastguard at 12.30am on Saturday after
HATS off to all those who took part in the Poole Race for Life yesterday. (Though given the hot conditions, I bet a large number of runners wished they had taken some form of headwear to keep the sun off.) The annual Race for Life events – last
THE trial of Danilo Restivo enters what could be its final week. After six weeks of evidence and cross-examination, prosecution and defence counsels are due to deliver their closing speeches today. The judge, Mr Justice Burnett, is likely
CROWDS flocked to Bournemouth beach on Sunday as the sun returned to the Dorset coast. After a foggy and cloudy start summer made a welcome comeback after weeks of so-so weather – and sun-worshippers wasted no time in making the most of it.
PINK ladies turned up in their droves to raise cash for a cancer charity in Poole. The annual Daily Echo-backed Race for Life event in Poole Park saw more than 1,700 women and girls take part to drum up money for Cancer Research UK.
BOSS Lee Bradbury could secure Cherries’ first summer signings this week after launching bids for AFC Wimbledon midfielder Steven Gregory and a mystery Championship centre-half, believed to be Crystal Palace's Adam Barrett. The Cherries
IF his ears weren’t ringing, the alarm bells certainly were. Against the backdrop of raucous scenes of excitement and amid a cacophony of air horns and screaming fans, Chris Holder’s Millennium Stadium hopes looked all but over. Champion of last year
MATT Metcalfe starred with both bat and ball as Dorset edged day one of their Minor Counties Championship clash against Wiltshire at Devizes. Metcalfe dug the visitors out of a hole with a watchful 60 at the bottom of the order, putting on 63 with Ed
THE new Dutch owner of Poole’s Dolphin Shopping Centre, property company Wereldhave, says residents will soon start to see improvements. Introducing the company to the business community at an event held at the RNLI, managing director Andrew
CHAIRMAN Eddie Mitchell has confirmed that Cherries have rejected another offer for Rhoys Wiggins. Mitchell revealed Watford as the latest club to fail with a bid to sign the left-back after they revived their interest late on Friday. The Hornets targeted
EVERGREEN Greg Hancock stormed to his third British Grand Prix title and then tipped Pirates star Chris Holder to “dominate” the world championship for years to come. Holder finished third behind the 41-year-old American and Dane Nicki Pedersen at Cardiff
