THE Incredibles (U) is the latest smash hit to come out of the Pixar stable and it looks, well, incredible. The film is on general release from Friday, November 26 but there are advance screenings at Cineworld in Weymouth on Saturday and Sunday, November
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (15): See review. TAXI (12A): See review. AFTER THE SUNSET (12A): See review. LADIES IN LAVENDER (12A): Judi Dench and Maggie Smith add a golden lustre to Charles Dance's skilful directorial debut about two sisters in 30s Cornwall
A SWIMMING sensation from Bournemouth has added two world records and six medals to her growing stash of awards at the Down's Syndrome world swimming championships. Judith Cooling, 19, from Queen's Park, returned from South Africa last week with two gold
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a supermarket on the site of a former petrol station in Boscombe have been given the green light by civic leaders. Bournemouth Borough Council's planning board voted in favour of the Tesco Express scheme at Christchurch Road by
BOURNEMOUTH Social Services' performance has been given a one-star rating by inspectors for the second year in a row. Inspectors for The Commission for Social Care Inspection said, however, that children's services and adults' services in Bourne-mouth
EVER since it was created in 1993 to help extract child maintenance payments from absent parents, the Child Support Agency has been mired in criticism. Now, following Wednesday's shock resignation of Doug Smith, its chief executive, the Echo looks at
REVIVING Purbeck's water mills in order to produce environmentally-friendly electricity has been raised as a suggestion in the face of fears over global warming. Purbeck District Council was asked to give its views and contribute funds towards the development
THIS is the time of year when local sailors do their bit for the community and on Sunday charity races were organised at both Poole and Lymington. The Poole Winter Series held two pursuit races with handicaps altered to take in to consideration performance
AFTER winning promotion to the top flight last season, Dorset's top badminton team has made a creditable start in their campaign for the Premier Division title of the Inter County Championship. During a weekend of competition at the National Badminton
IT WAS success all the way for local clubs in the National Speedo League with all five east Dorset squads making it through to their respective finals. Ferndown Otters and Bournemouth Dolphins both qualified comfortably for the eight-team Premier Division
BOB Russell has today quit as manager of Screwfix Direct Premier Division Bridport. The former Yeovil Town defender is leaving St Mary's Field due to increased work commitments. Russell, who was appointed Bees boss a year ago following Pete Conning's
BUSINESS leaders in the South West have given strong backing to vocational education in the region but believe not enough is being done to promote the value of skills-based training. A poll commissioned by Foundation Degrees to co-incide with the CBI
PIRATES boss Matt Ford believes Ryan Sullivan will take full advantage of his Grand Prix World Championship reprieve next year. And the Wimborne Road supremo also believes it was right that the Australian and Bjarne Pedersen were among the five riders
MORE than 500 people have signed a petition protesting at controversial plans to close a road through Verwood. County highways chiefs want to close the top section of Manor Road following the opening of the town's new distributor road. But locals fear
THE NEW-LOOK Thomas Hardye School choir will perform its first concert in Dorchester on Saturday, November 27. Formerly known as The Chapel Choir, the ensemble is now known as The Thomas Hardye Singers. Peter Oakes, the choir's conductor says: "The school
THE call has gone out for young local dancers to audition for roles in a lavish production of The Sleeping Beauty to take place at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth next spring. English Youth Ballet is staging the show and is looking for Dorset dancers
WITH Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe as your hosts, you step into a magical movie montage with this stunning spectacular - an enticing array of mind-boggling costumes and amazing dances. The incredibly talented stars of the show, aged from four to
DORSET'S economy will receive a £100 million boost under plans to revitalise a major Dorchester town centre site. Developers claim the regeneration of the former Eldridge Pope brewery site will pump £20 million a year into the county's economy over a
YOUNGSTERS with learning difficulties are speaking out about the problems they face. The self-advocacy group Just Say encourages students attending its meetings not just to speak up for themselves but to listen and support each other. Such is the success
YOUNG fighters will be boxing clever in an upgraded gym thanks to a £1,000 grant. Dorchester Amateur Boxing Club, which is based at the former brewery site in Weymouth Avenue, secured the money from Magna Housing Association. Chairman of the association's
FOXHUNTERS in the New Forest will continue to hunt right up to the day their sport is outlawed. New Forest Hunt secretary Graham Ferris made the pledge as an outright ban on hunting with hounds looks likely to be forced through by the government under
STAMP out crime at the same time as you stamp your letters for the postbox. That's the latest idea being suggested by police for Dorset's rural areas where the county's constabulary could work with village post offices. The scheme, which is flourishing
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE Starring: Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, John Voigt, Liev Schreiber, Ted Levine GENRE: Thriller CERTIFICATE: 15 GUIDE: Swearing, no sex, violence RATING PPPP All's fair in love, war and politics. As American presidential elections
TAXI (12A) BICYCLE courier-turned-cab driver Belle Williams (Queen Latifah) has spent 10 years and countless dollars transforming her distinctive yellow car into a lean, mean racing machine. She quickly earns a reputation as the fastest cab driver in
AFTER THE SUNSET (12A) MASTER criminal Max Burdette (Pierce Brosnan) completes his last job - the heist of one of the legendary Napoleon diamonds from under the nose of the FBI - and sails off for a life of luxury on an island paradise with his beautiful
A WEST Moors man woke in horror to find a masked knifeman in his bedroom. The raider, who was wearing a red monster mask, demanded money and stole an unknown quantity of cash from the 54-year-old's wallet. Detective Sergeant Stuart Balmer of Ferndown
LOCAL MPs want the Gulf War Syndrome to be looked into officially after an independent inquiry called for the government to acknowledge the condition exists. The demand also comes as a US report linked symptoms of veterans from the 1991 conflict with
CHILDREN In Need kicks off on Friday with a multitude of events involving hundreds of people from across the area, including a giant baby, Elvis and a bunch of students. As ever, Pudsey Bear will be going walkabout around Bournemouth and Poole in several
THE mother of a 17-year-old boy has said: "I just want to know why my son died." Happy-go-lucky Stephen Ruggier died in his sleep at his Iford home on October 4 this year of what is thought to have been an "adult form of cot death", an inquest heard on
Unless otherwise stated, expect gigs to start at around 8.30pm to 9pm. TONIGHT (18) Loose (Mariner's, Maiden Street, Weymouth): I'm hearing good reports about this new young rock band, given to covers from Metallica and the like. Lo Numbers (Tickled Hippy
1 Pear Tree Close, Bransgore; 83181, rear conservatory; R W Peggs, Gables Cottage, Kivernell Road, Milford on Sea (for Reverend Jeffries). 3 Mount Pleasant Drive, Bransgore; 83188, two storey rear extension; DJ Early, 23 Wortley Road, Highcliffe (for
A POOLE man who scarred a teenager for life after slashing him across the face with a Stanley knife has been jailed for four years. Tony Wilkinson, 24, from Merrow Avenue, was high on crack cocaine and alcohol when he launched an unprovoked attack on
THE spirit of Christmas is by-passing Poole's car parks, Liberal Democrats claim. A proposal to reduce charges to benefit residents and retailers during the festive season was thrown out by the ruling group. Cllr Brian Clements, Liberal Democrat leader
Tully signs contract extension STEVE Tully today gave new head coach Steve Johnson a boost by pledging his long-term future to Weymouth. The Terras player-of-the-year has penned a 12-month contract extension with the club, taking his current Wessex Stadium
WOW Fiddler on the Roof Weymouth pavilion YOU'VE seen the film, now go and see the stage version of the hit musical that broke all the rules yet became one of the best loved shows of all time. A thought-provoking story line about political unrest, religious
A BOOK that studies cultural differences against the backdrop of the dying days of the British Raj is being brought to vibrant life in Dorset's leading arts centre next week. In EM Forster's A Passage to India, a young English woman, Adela Quested, moves
DORCHESTER Choral Society will honour St Cecilia, the patron saint of music, this weekend with a concert in St Mary's Church. Hail! Bright Cecilia will include performances of Britten's Hymn to Cecilia and Purcell's Hail! Bright Cecilia. Three of the
TODAY (18) WOW's Fiddler on the Roof, Weymouth Pavilion Arabian Nights, Buckland Newton village hall Lunchtime recital, Lighthouse, Poole Jacqueline Wilson's Bad Girls, Lighthouse, Poole Kiss of Death, Octagon Theatre, Yeovil TOMORROW (19) WOW's Fiddler
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18 The Yardbirds+Arecibo Blueshouse - Mr Kyps; Quadrophonia - The Gander; Live n Loud - Circa + support + Nikki Hann - The Central; Rubber Soul - Crime Rockets + Cordia + Fans of Kate + Bazuzu + DJ Hot Burrito- King Arthur's Court; Fony
NEW YORK, Beirut, Sydney, Caracas, Dubai..... and now Dorchester. A superstar DJ is coming to the county town for the Casterbridge Christmas Cracker night as part of a world tour. Top trance DJ Judge Jules will be performing at town nightclub Klimax on
ANGRY residents living near half-finished road works in Weymouth claim they are being kept up all night by rumbling traffic. Families living on the busy A354 Dorchester Road said they have not been able to sleep since the tarmac was ripped up, leaving
WHAT'S the connection between a Yorkshire pit village, bhangra, a BBC Radio presenter and our own County Town? The Angel Brothers, that's what. The Brothers bring Indian rhythms from a Yorkshire pit village to Dorchester Corn Exchange tomorrow as the
FOUR women started fighting after a row on a bus turned to violence, police said today. Police said trouble flared on a late-night journey from Weymouth to Portland when the two pairs of passengers started verbally abusing each other. They clashed after
DORCHESTER'S world-class town crier could soon be back on the streets. Internationally renowned crier Alistair Chisholm says he is considering a comeback after traders in the county town rallied round to encourage him to return. His comments came after
CAR PARK charges in Dorchester could rise by as much as 30 per cent. The cost of parking in the county town's long-stay car parks could increase by 30p under the latest proposals from West Dorset District Council. The move would mean that the cost of
COMMUNITIES relied on volunteers to patrol the streets and tackle villains long before we had a paid police service. It's not surprising then that volunteers continue to swell the ranks of Britain's part-time police force, the Special Constabulary. Think
FOXHUNTERS in the New Forest will continue to hunt right up to the day their sport is outlawed. New Forest Hunt secretary Graham Ferris made the pledge as an outright ban on hunting with hounds looks likely to be forced through by the government under
A SCHOOL teacher from Christchurch currently serving as a Territorial Army officer in Iraq has appealed to Echo readers to help him give youngsters in the strife-torn country a sporting chance this Christmas. Brett Bader, 30, a Lieutenant with the Devonshire
CHERRIES chairman Peter Phillips has moved swiftly to clarify the club's position regarding the possibility of signing John Spicer on a permanent basis. Phillips was responding to a story which surfaced yesterday suggesting Cherries had "not made any
ONE of the joys of being a journalist is the cargo of post which arrives on your desk each day. I use the word 'cargo' loosely. Some days the only offerings are Morrisons alerting us to the fact their sausages are on special offer, or perhaps a rural
