Archive

  • Queue is worth it for author's fans

    FOR her hundreds of young fans who queued for hours to catch a glimpse of Jacqueline Wilson and snap up signed copies of her new book, the wait was worthwhile. Older shoppers looked on curiously yesterday as the best-selling children's author stirred

  • Boxing clever!

    HIS adventures have inspired stories, pictures, poems and even rap songs - not bad for someone who is only a few inches tall and made of cardboard. Bill the Box has become a hero among the 400 pupils of St Michael's CE Primary School in Bournemouth. He

  • Taxi jibe winds up yellow cab drivers

    THE CHAIRMAN of the Bournemouth Taxi Association is throwing down the gauntlet by offering a critic of the town's yellow cabs the chance to take a new examination testing his own language skills and knowledge of the area. In a letter printed in the Daily

  • Criminals told 'pay up or you'll pay a heavy price'

    CRIMINALS who refuse to pay court fines face tough new measures to force them to cough up. Dorset and Hampshire are two of the counties taking part in Operation Payback which aims to recover millions of pounds from fine defaulters across the country.

  • CHRISTCHURCH PLANS (March 5)

    153 Salisbury Road, Burton (Salisbury Road 'Burton' Conservation Area); 8/04/0126, formation of rooms in roof space incorporating dormer windows on north and south elevations; E Hauge, 'Tanglewood', Derritt Lane, Bransgore, Nr Christchurch (for Mr &

  • RACE FOR LIFE

    THE partner of a terminally ill man has launched a desperate appeal to try to find his locally-based brother in a bid to save his life. Neil Phillips, 39, was diagnosed with leukaemia just a week ago and is currently being treated at Manchester Royal

  • Toppling crane just misses £3.5m yachts

    A GIANT crane toppled over at a famous Poole boatyard crushing a small lorry and narrowly missing two £3.5m super yachts and an expensive Bentley car parked nearby. The mobile crane was being put through its early morning checks when it crashed on to

  • Hill's fears for Queens Park future

    QUEENS PARK golf professional Richard Hill, who has been made redundant by Bournemouth Council, fears for the future of a course that celebrates its centenary next year. Hill has spent the last 21 years at Queens Park but has seen the operation decline

  • DORCHESTER SET FOR LOTTERY GRANT BOOST

    DORCHESTER Cricket Club is in line to receive another big cash boost from the lottery-backed ECB Community Club Cricket Development Fund. Club officials had a "very favourable" meeting with a Sport England advisor at the town's Recreation Ground and spokesman

  • BEES CAN SWOOP ON LOWLY EAGLES

    BRIDPORT take to the road again tonight when they visit bottom club Elmore in the Screwfix Direct Premier Division (kick-off 7.30pm). It's the fourth consecutive away trip for the Bees, who will be favourites to take all three points from Horsdon Park

  • WHITE SETS TOP THREE TARGET FOR WILDCATS

    WILDCATS chief Brian White is making a bold prediction ahead of his side's maiden season in the Conference League. The man who brought speedway back to Weymouth last year reckons his Wessex Stadium charges will finish in the top three of the sport's third

  • MAGPIES CAN BEGIN THE CLIMB

    DORCHESTER could break out of the Dr Martens Premier Division relegation zone and make a significant move up the table if they can prolong Hinckley United's miserable run tonight. With no-one else in the bottom eight in action, a Magpies victory at Middlefield

  • Law firm hoping to boost its business at property event

    SOUTH Coast law firm Lester Aldridge is hoping to gain business from Cannes' annual international property event MIPIM which starts today and runs until Friday. MIPIM is considered a key international real estate event, bringing together decision makers

  • Celebrating Pirates' success

    SPEEDWAY fans at Wimborne Road for Poole Pirates' curtain-raiser against Swindon on Wednesday night will receive a glossy poster when they buy a copy of their Daily Echo (50p for Echo and A2 glossy poster).

  • Youngsters brush up their skills for library

    YOUNGSTERS in Colehill were rewarded for the painting efforts in a presentation at their local library. Winners from three different age groups received prizes from Colehill parish chairman Janet Dover after their entries in the competition held last

  • Church in internet cafe plan

    A WIMBORNE church has unveiled plans for £1 million project to build an internet caf - the first in the town. St John's Church has already raised half of its target and gained planning permission for the ambitious scheme which is expected to attract young

  • Under Thomas' spell

    HALF a century after his untimely death following a whisky-drinking binge in New York City, the words of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas are as powerfully lyrical as ever. And rarely more so than in his play Under Milk Wood. Written for the radio but adapted

  • CLAMPDOWN ON CLAMPERS

    DORCHESTER'S car clamping nightmare could soon be over. Dozens of families have criticised a clamping operation in the Somerleigh Road area of the county town in recent months. The row hit the headlines when a post office van was clamped while carrying

  • Singer Bragg in BNP storm

    DORSET singer and political activist Billy Bragg came under fire today after claims that he supported beating up British National Party members in the street. Mr Bragg, who lives near Burton Bradstock and is known for his support for left-wing causes,

  • Readers' letters

    CAMERAS JUST PART OF ROAD SAFETY PLAN OVER the last week there has been a great deal of media interest in the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership and the work that we are currently undertaking. I would like to take this opportunity to respond and hopefully

  • Work starts on new RSPCA sanctuary

    WORK has started to build an animal rescue shelter for West Dorset. RSPCA supporters have been raising cash for the centre near Dorchester for more than four years, after launching a £500,000 appeal. Now their hard work has finally paid off after long-serving

  • Schools in desperate need of crossing patrol

    PUPILS in Dorchester need help crossing a busy road so they can get to school safely. Dorchester Middle School and the Thomas Hardye School, both in Queen's Avenue, lack a school crossing patrol to guide youngsters through rush-hour traffic before and

  • Show boosts baby Sophie's fund by £900

    THE Sophie Vallis appeal received another boost when the Weymouth Operatic Society raised £900. The society collected money from the audience and society members at every showing of its production of Kiss me Kate. Sophie, from Weymouth, who benefits from

  • Children's delight at rocking horse

    A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy is donating a treasured toy to children with learning difficulties. Ethan Hoare, of Bryn Road, Weymouth, was sorting out his toys and realised he no longer played with his big rocking horse. After a consultation with his mother, Dionne

  • Giving Arms a hand

    A COMMUNITY has rallied to ensure the swift re-opening of a fire-damaged village pub. Around 20 locals of the Langton Arms in Tarrant Monkton lent a hand at the weekend, cleaning and tidying up the damage caused when the 17th century pub's thatched roof

  • I'm falling over with laughter

    IT is said (usually by those with no qualms about stereotyping entire nations), that while Germans are devoid of humour and Americans don't do irony, the British love a laugh, and enjoy nothing better than seeing someone slip on a banana skin. Ha, blinking

  • Heaven and Mel

    MEL Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ will open in Dorset cinemas later this month amid accusations that it blames Jews for the death of Jesus. The film - which the Hollywood star directed and bankrolled - took an astonishing 40 million

  • Heaven and Mel

    MEL Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ will open in Dorset cinemas later this month amid accusations that it blames Jews for the death of Jesus. The film - which the Hollywood star directed and bankrolled - took an astonishing 40 million

  • Friends reunited-then lost again

    ONE-TIME Bournemouth DJ Terry Slade could not believe his eyes when he looked across a football crowd leaving the England v Tunisia match in Marseilles and spotted his old mate John Thompson whom he had not seen for years. That was back at the time of

  • To the manor reborn

    ONE of the biggest proposed housing schemes for Purbeck has finally been unveiled. The 1,000 new homes just south of Wareham would go a long way to meeting the district's 3,800 quota of new housing required by the government. A supermarket, new school

  • NEW FOREST PLANS (2.03-26.03)

    2 Melrose Cottage, Waters Green, Brockenhurst; 80728, conservatory extension; New Forest Care and Repair, Public Offices, 65 Christchurch Road, Ringwood (for: Mr & Mrs D Newton). Setley Ridge Vineyard, Lymington Road, Brockenhurst; 80764, continued

  • Campaign to save pottery's archives

    AS the clock ticks down to the auction of Poole Pottery's museum and archive collection a call is being made for all those interested in saving the items for Poole to meet on Wednesday evening. It is hoped a plan of action can be hatched to co-ordinate

  • SEASIDERS WILL FEEL AT HOME IN WINDIES

    WEYMOUTH'S cricketers will be facing the strong arm of the law in Barbados next month. The Seasiders go head to head with the island's Police Cricket Club as part of their two-week pre-season Caribbean tour. And the visitors should feel at home when they

  • BE RUTHLESS

    BOSS Steve Claridge is calling on Weymouth to show a ruthless streak when they travel to Moor Green tonight. The player-boss yesterday watched Dr Martens Premier Division leaders Crawley Town cruise to a 4-0 win at basement boys Chelmsford City to open

  • SKIPPER'S DECISION SETS BLUES FOR TITLE

    Dorset & Wilts Division Two South Bridport 39 Martock 0 BRIDPORT asserted themselves as title favourites with a resounding victory over championship rivals Martock at the Brewery Field. The Blues ran in six tries in this top of the table decider and

  • Debt legislation has just failed to pay off

    ONE of the great joys of running a business is landing a big order but often the joy turns to gall when your hard-won customer fails to pay on time. Five years ago, with a loud fanfare, the government passed legislation to curb late payment. We at the

  • No compensation for policy-holders

    THE government has ruled out compensating policy-holders of troubled mutual Equitable Life after the Penrose Report found the society was the "author of its own misfortunes". Financial Secretary to the Treasury Ruth Kelly said the report by Scottish judge

  • Matt playing down talk of repeat show

    PIRATES chief Matt Ford is not making any bold predictions about where they will finish in the Elite League - despite the fact they are the bookies favourites to lift the title. Twelve months ago, he stressed with conviction that he felt 2003 would be

  • Tuning up for a new challenge

    THE roar of growling engines screamed out across central Poole, the unique smell of burning methanol wafted around the stadium and streams of dirt spun out from behind the flashes of blue. Yep, the treble winners are back and it's speedway time again.

  • Zorro's gunning for title success

    NEW Pirates captain Magnus Zetterstrom believes they have a "realistic chance" of winning the Elite League title this year. The popular 32-year-old Swede takes over as skipper of Poole RIAS from Tony Rickardsson. And Zorro - as he is affectionately known

  • It's just deserts for kind-hearted Sam!

    DORSET mother-of-two Sam Leiber-Young will be getting on her bike for an African adventure in aid of charity. The 37-year-old part time lecturer and administrator will be taking part in a challenging cycle ride through the landscapes of South Africa in

  • Birthday tea is magic for Mabel

    FAMILY and friends from all over the world gathered near Dorchester to help celebrate Mabel Reep's 100th birthday. Around 50 guests yesterday raised a glass to the guest of honour at the Pine Lodge Farm Tea Rooms in Stinsford. Mrs Reep, who lives at Montrose

  • Closed toilets 'will not reopen'

    PUBLIC toilets closed in April last year will never reopen, councillors have been told. Proposals have been put forward for alternative uses for 10 toilets around Weymouth and Portland that were shut down due to a lack of money to bring them up to date

  • It's only rock 'n' roll... but they like it!

    USUALLY the loudest noises heard in the "blink-and-you're-through-it" village are the church bell, the cheers of spectators at football matches and the whoosh of traffic on the B3347 Ringwood-Christchurch road. But rockers Sue Harper and Ian Head have

  • Clive's £15m flutter on new biome

    A DORSET wildlife enthusiast is involved in a project which could outstrip the phenomenal success of Cornwall's Eden Project. Property developer and butterfly expert Clive Farrell, who lives near Sherborne, has won planning permission for a transparent

  • PLYMOUTH? - HO-HO!

    CHERRIES boss Sean O'Driscoll has made light of newspaper speculation linking him with the vacant manager's position at Plymouth Argyle. O'Driscoll is reported to be one of the names in the frame to replace Paul Sturrock who left Home Park to join South-ampton