Archive

  • Actor Steven Berkoff is ready to visit to Avonbourne School

    FILM and theatre fans are in for a treat next week when one of Britain’s most celebrated actors pays a visit to Avonbourne School in Bournemouth. Steven Berkoff is best known for his role as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy but

  • Cherries: McQuoid loan move on hold

    MILLWALL have pulled the plug on Josh McQuoid moving back to Cherries on loan, the Echo understands. McQuoid had looked set to return to Dorset until the end of the season, with Echo sources earlier today claiming a deal was close. The Echo had chosen

  • Daughter speaks of grief after father's crash death

    A WOMAN has spoken of the terrifying moment her elderly mother blanked out behind the wheel causing a car crash that claimed her father’s life. Annette Andrews told an inquest 88-year-old Grace Kerley appeared flopped in her seat as her Nissan Micra

  • Inquest opened into the death of Ivor Holloway

    AN inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of Bournemouth man Ivor Derek Holloway. The 81-year-old was found dead in a garage in Kinson last week. Evidence was heard that the retired garage proprietor was found dead on Thursday, January

  • Teenager praised for police volunteer work

    AN 18-YEAR-OLD from Poole has been rewarded for his “tireless enthusiasm” volunteering with Dorset Police. Poole Town and Oakdale Safer Neighbourhood Team nominated Calum Maton for the Teenage Award to say thanks for his commitment and giving

  • Appeal for more road signs to direct football fans

    AFC Bournemouth wants more road signs directing fans to Dean Court to ease matchday congestion and confusion. The council has agreed to meetings and has asked the club to contribute towards the costs. Cherries director Rob Mitchell said there was a

  • Talk on state of Poole

    EMMA Harrison, government lead on Working Families Everywhere, will give a speech at the state of the area debate at Poole Civic Centre on Thursday, January 19 at 6.30pm. Richard Dimbleby, chairman of Poole Partnership, will chair a debate

  • Resignation of deputy mayor is a 'slur' on office

    BOURNEMOUTH is in the unprecedented position of having no deputy mayor following the latest cabinet reshuffle. The town’s deputy mayor Cllr Barry Goldbart has resigned the ceremonial post in order to join the cabinet as education portfolio

  • Wareham mother’s plea over drink drive statistics

    A HEARTBROKEN mother whose son’s life was tragically cut short in a road crash has made an emotional plea following a dramatic rise in drink-drive figures over the festive period. The number of arrests during Dorset’s seasonal crackdown rose by almost

  • MP meets David Cameron over rescue helicopter's future

    SOUTH Dorset MP Richard Drax took his fight to save the Portland search and rescue helicopter to the highest level when he met with the Prime Minister. Mr Drax, pictured, was joined at Westminster by Weymouth and Portland councillor Mike Goodman and

  • Sky-diving Major, 74, still jumping for the thrill of it

    HIS career in the skies may be over, but at the age of 74 old soldier Major Barry Andrews is still determined to get airborne. Despite undergoing hip replacement surgery last year, the adventure-loving pensioner from West Moors has vowed to continue

  • Rockets placed sideways led to fireworks fiasco

    THE organisers of a Christmas Festival where rockets flew towards terrified children say fireworks were accidentally placed sideways. Police said around five people were injured when five or six rockets exploded over hundreds of people in Blandford

  • New plans could end car parking problems at hospital

    THERE could be an end to the parking misery for drivers visiting Royal Bournemouth Hospital under plans to make more than 400 extra spaces available to the public. The hospital has been forbidden from using all the parking spaces on its site

  • Two teens arrested after car overturned and closed road

    TWO teenagers were arrested following a single car crash on Canford Heath that left one person in hospital. One man was taken to Poole Hospital after a silver Vauxhall Corsa overturned on Canford Heath Road at around 4.10pm on Monday.

  • Barclays remains a ‘core business’

    BARCLAYS is still a “core business” in Poole despite more redundancies, the council leader says. In total, 126 people could lose their jobs after the company announced it was outsourcing its pensions administration department. Poole Borough council

  • Learn some life skills on course

    Dorset Fire and Rescue Service’s Princes Trust programme are looking for young adults to take part in the brand new 12-week programme at Weymouth Community Fire Service. The personal development programme allows 16-25 year-olds to try many different

  • Ofsted will carry out spot checks

    ALL schools will face unannounced spot checks by government inspectors from September, it has been revealed. The new chief of inspection body Ofsted said he has taken action following claims that unruly pupils and inadequate teachers are kept out of

  • Workmen now manning A35 temporary traffic lights

    WORKMEN are now manning temporary traffic lights onto the A35 at Morden Park Corner after “sequencing” problems brought drivers to a standstill. Fuming motorists complained that traffic being diverted away from the closed A351 north up the B3075 Morden

  • Disruption ahead for motorists at Cemetery Junction

    MOTORISTS are set to face more delays and disruption as roadworks begin at one of Bournemouth’s busiest intersections. For two weeks during the four-week scheme, lane closures will be in place at Cemetery Junction while work to replace the

  • Campaign launched over litter on the beach

    A NEW campaign to keep Christchurch’s beaches and coast free from litter has begun. The Litter Free Coast and Sea Christchurch crusade is being organised by the council to encourage residents to help stop the constant problem of rubbish on the local

  • Putting pride back in our community

    Nowhere demonstrates people deserting the high street and the loss of pride in our communities better than Ashley Road, Parkstone, over Christmas. No festive lights again this year, no Christmas trees either end on the roundabouts like there used to

  • MPs must express views of the voters

    ONE good thing to come out of the last Labour Government was the banning of fox hunting; unfortunately it has never been policed or upheld by the current coalition and now it seems ministers will be given a free vote to repeal it. What arrogance it takes

  • What will happen to storm debris?

    POOLE householders are going to have trouble next year if we have a 60mph storm chaos the same we had on January 3, when the council bring in the new ‘no garden refuse’ pick-up in the winter months. What will we do with the remnants of our garden, boughs

  • Is there any sign of a conscience?

    WHEN Big Issue seller Ralph Millward was killed three years ago, the response from the community was extraordinary. Few realised before the 41-year-old’s tragic death in Westbourne how much he’d touched the hearts of the shoppers and residents

  • Building futures for budding musicians

    BUDDING local musicians will now be able to enrol on a new course that offers professional music training in Bournemouth from next month. The Academy Of Contemporary Music (ACM) is to open the ACM Regional South Coast on Wimborne Road, Bournemouth

  • Who clears up the mess after hunts?

    I WAS very interested in the letter on hunting with dogs, sent in by Cllr Phillip Eades (‘Call for hunting vote will be a step backwards’, Echo, January 6). I agree with everything he said, but what I would like to know is, when the hunt is on, who clears

  • Why were the toilets shut on sunny day?

    LAST Saturday, Branksome Dene Chine. Lovely sunny day, many people, children and dogs on the sands. Parking ticket machine working, but both public toilets firmly locked, It is hardly the image for a leading tourist resort. Do we really want to encourage

  • Town is crying out for indoor facilities

    I READ with interest and fond memories the letter from Eileen Tyson (Echo, January 10) regarding the Imax and the former Pier Approach Baths. I totally agree with her; let’s have an Olympic-size pool and bring back the other facilities which were in

  • Make better job of mending potholes

    IN these times of local council belt-tightening it is crucial to ensure that value-for-money is achieved in all council contracts. Repairs to potholes on the roads are hard enough to come by and so had been particularly heartening to notice that on my

  • E-fit released after robbery terror

    POLICE hunting a man who robbed an elderly lady of her handbag in her home last week have released an image of the man responsible. Detectives investigating the “awful” robbery in Bluebell Close, Highcliffe last Friday are asking people with information

  • Shining star of jazz at Lighthouse

    THOSE lucky enough to have secured a ticket for the sold-out Liane Carroll Trio at the Lighthouse Poole will enjoy an evening of stylish jazz. Having gained rave reviews for last year’s album, Slow Down, Liane Carroll returns to Poole to kick

  • Facebook rants of thugs who killed Big Issue seller

    THE teenage killers of a Bournemouth Big Issue seller are out of prison after just two years. Warren Crago, who was part of the gang that beat Ralph Millward to death, is now using his police custody picture as his Facebook profile picture.

  • Jobs lost as Little Chef closes

    ROADSIDE restaurant chain Little Chef is to close 67 of its 161 sites, including the one at St Leonards near Ringwood. A meeting was held on Wednesday at which staff were informed that their jobs would be going when it closed on January 31. However,

  • Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Lighthouse, Poole

    EMERGING from the concert hall from this thrill-a-minute Brahms bonanza, I felt as though I had been bathed, scrubbed and firmly towelled in all those gorgeous harmonies and highly charged emotions. In the absence of an indisposed Thomas Dausgaard the

  • Footfall in town centre up due to Primark store

    THE “Primark effect” helped drive up shopper numbers in Bournemouth by 27 per cent during 2011. Special events and cheaper parking helped but Primark played the key role. The store opened in Commercial Road in November 2010 and reversed

  • Non-league: Ryan returns to Royal Racing

    SKILFUL winger Ryan Wignall has rejoined Belgian League outfit Royal Racing FC Montegnée following a three-month spell in Dorset with Wimborne Town. Former Liverpool Academy star Wignall joined the Magpies in October and had played his part

  • Non-league: Stewart steps in to fill Bash void

    MANAGER Steve Riley has moved swiftly to solve Bashley’s goalkeeping crisis by signing veteran stopper Stewart Kearn. Kearn, who was on Sheffield Wednesday’s books as a youngster, has joined the Southern League outfit on dual registration from Christchurch

  • Cherries: Lee recognizes Fletch's worth to team

    LEGENDARY Cherries frontman Steve Fletcher still has a major role to play at the Seward Stadium. That was the view from manager Lee Bradbury after the veteran striker had rolled back the years with a dramatic injury-time equaliser in the 2-2 draw at

  • Cherries: We're now a scalp claims Cummings

    WARREN Cummings believes Cherries must now prepare for being seen as “a scalp” after franking their League One play-off credentials. Club captain Cummings returned to the starting line-up as Cherries extended to 11 matches their unbeaten

  • Swimming: Woodward wants a three-way merger

    SWIM Bournemouth assistant coach Sam Woodward has called for a fresh look at the idea of creating a South East Dorset “super-club” by merging the area’s three main clubs. The former Bournemouth Dolphins head coach believes a three-way merger between

  • Non-league: Poppies' cup defence in honour of Ernie

    HOLDERS Bournemouth Poppies marched into the semi-finals of the Wessex League Cup following a resounding 4-0 win over Bemerton Heath Harlequins at Victoria Park on Tuesday. And boss Ken Vaughan, whose charges beat Winchester City in the final in May,