GIFTED young writers from the Dorchester area have been recognised for their outstanding talents. Maiden Castle Farm hosted a special ceremony to celebrate the winners of the Dorchester Gifted and Talented Spring Writing Competition. The contest was
IN A series of bizarre examples of serendipity, Bridport teacher Joan Bolton has traced her Peterborough family thanks to a neighbour. She started her search in January 2001 after receiving a letter from an American cousin, Richard Klapper, asking for
Event to be held on bank holiday Sunday DORCHESTER Town Football Club is urging the community to get involved with a fun day that will be held in Poundbury. The Dorchester Town FC Community Fun Day will be taking place on The Great Field, where there
A GRANDMOTHER wishes to praise the good Samaritan who found her lost purse and handed it in to Portland police. Sheila Sedgley, 74, of Southwell said she felt sick when she returned home from a shopping trip with her daughter and realised her purse had
BEAMINSTER residents are being asked how best to make use of the Yarn Barton Centre in Fleet Street. The town council has agreed to take it on for a trial period of six months after the community learning centre was forced to fold through lack
IF YOU believe your folklore then summer is here now the first cygnet has hatched at Abbotsbury Swannery. The hatching is almost two weeks earlier than usual and, according to the Benedictine monks who founded the site 600 years ago, marks the first
To see the live results as they come in click here RESIDENTS turned out at polling stations across south and west Dorset to vote in the local elections – and to decide whether they want to change the system for electing MPs. Candidates
A PARISH councillor whose nephew died in Afghanistan is planning a challenge in his memory. Mike Crankshaw, 49, of Puddletown, will paddle the length of the River Stour through two counties to raise money to buy a beach hut in Dorset for wounded comrades
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunities are up for grabs in the Dorset Echo’s competition for readers this week. Not only are we offering 27 sensational prizes but all entries will boost the coffers of the Dorset County Hospital’s Digital Mammography
A MAN apologised to magistrates after taking and crashing his friend’s car following a drinking session. Joshua Benjamin Hunter, of Cambridge Road, Dorchester, had to be freed from the car by firefighters after it flipped on to its side. Prosecutor
Dorset Police are keen to speak to witnesses or anyone with information about the theft. A spokesman said: “Mr Daft reported the theft of the bike from the garage on St Georges Estate Road at 9.18am on May 5. “At 11.39am we had a call from a woman to
A BIKER who lovingly restored a classic motorcycle has been left heartbroken after vandals damaged it in an early morning joyride. Ian Daft, of St Georges Estate Road, Portland awoke yesterday to find his beloved black and chrome 1959 Royal
WHAT: A massive tithe barn built by monks in the 1390s that survived the dissolution of the monasteries and is now a popular family attraction. WHERE: The picturesque village of Abbotsbury, near Weymouth. OPEN: Every day, March 19 to September 4, 10am
“BOOM! A silver mezza!” Those were the jubilant words of Weymouth Olympian Saskia Clark when she landed her first medal with new helm Hannah Mills. The 470 Girls, who joined 2012 campaign forces on February following the retirement of Clark’s former
YOU will need to get your skates on to take part in a wheely great day of family fun in Dorchester this weekend. The county town’s skate park is celebrating its second birthday tomorrow afternoon and evening and everyone is invited along to
FABULOUS drama and music are all in the melting pot this weekend. The King of Denmark is dead. Consumed with grief, Prince Hamlet devotes himself to avenging his father’s death with devastating consequences for his family and the kingdom. Icarus Theatre
Address: Clifton Place, Weymouth Jason is a qualified motor mechanic who has returned from repairing Humv-ees at an American Army base in Kuwait. He was based at Bovington Camp for two and a half years where he worked as a fitter. Jason has a City
Address: Dorchester Road, Weymouth Shelley is a qualified cabinet maker who has worked for Creative Timber and Real Pine in Hastings. He is skilled in finishing, restoration and assembly. Shelley has a national BTEC diploma in motor mechanics from Southampton
MORE than 100 firefighters worked to tackle two separate thatch fires which flared up during the night. Crews have been praised for their efforts for battling the major fires which engulfed properties in East Bexington near Abbotsbury and at
FOLK star Eliza Carthy comes to Bridport next week to celebrate her latest album, Neptune. The album is the solo follow up to 2008’s Dreams of Breathing Underwater and the first record to be released through her own label, HemHem Records. Last year
Address: Wardcliffe Road, Weymouth Adam has been carrying out agency work for the last two years including factory work, processing work and heavy lifting work all over Dorset. He has also worked in restaurants and bars doing dishwashing and
A MAN told how 50 firefighters tackled a blaze that ripped through the thatched roof of his cottage. Andrew Atkinson, 40, an assembler, said fire spread quickly through the thatched roof of his brick and flint home in the hamlet of Winterborne
UP TO 30 jobs look set to be axed at Weymouth College as it faces funding cuts totalling £1million. Shocked staff were told yesterday afternoon that the college has to make ‘tough’ decisions and balance the loss of seven per cent of its income
COASTGUARDS and police teamed up for two separate searches in west Dorset for people who went missing within a few hours of each other. Both people, who rescuers believed could have harmed themselves, turned up safe and well following intensive searches
As the chairman of Weymouth Carnival 2011, it is great to see the town revelling in the fantastic weather we all enjoyed over the last few weeks. Hopefully all the long-suffering local businesses are enjoying an extra added takings bonus. We as the
While I sympathise with the family whose dog was put down (I like dogs) I saw the goings-on when he was caught at Wyke Regis the other week. I was held up on the main road and, along with most of the other drivers, rapidly wound up my window when I
While I am not a member of the EDL, nor a particular fan of their brand of awareness-raising, I was curious enough to go along to watch their rally in Weymouth on Saturday. This was mainly because I don’t like being told by the liberal left what I am
A CLASSIC of intrigue, love and drama will be played out at Weymouth’s atmospheric Nothe Fort next month. The town’s drama club has been selected by the Royal Shakespeare Company to perform a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This
THE parents of a disabled toddler are trying to start up a charity for their son. One-year-old Bradley, who lives with his mother and father in Weymouth, has been diagnosed with the rare brain disorder lissencephaly and may not live to see his third
THE Football Association is investigating the circumstances surrounding Ben Gerring’s recent appearances for Bovey Tracey despite still being under contract with Weymouth FC. The central defender, who recently rejected re-engagement terms
CAPTAIN Mark Smith believes the painful memories of last year’s toil will ensure complacency does not become an issue for Bridport. The Brewery Field outfit, who commenced their Dorset League Division Three campaign with an eye-catching victory over
PAUL Payne welcomes back Dean Janaway and Dan Hutchens for tomorrow’s trip to Blandford in the Dorset Premier League (1.30pm). The Weymouth skipper believes the duo can help build on the encouraging signs in last weekend’s 113-run defeat against heavyweights
BEAMINSTER skipper Ross Baker has bolstered his side ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Bere Regis to the Memorial Ground (2pm). Baker has confirmed three alterations to the XI that suffered a disappointing Dorset League Division Two reversal against Ferndown
MICHAEL Watson is itching to make his return to the greens at today’s Minchin-hampton Pro-Am. After a long winter’s break, the Wes-sex Golf Centre pro is back in action this morning, hoping to get the new campaign off to a flyer in Gloucestershire.
MARTYN Richards hopes to banish the memory of last year’s capitulation against tomorrow’s opponents Poole Town with victory in East Dorset (1.30pm). Dorchester looked on course for a vital win in their push for the Dorset Premier League crown, but after
A PAST Olympian returned to Weymouth to test out a new sail and triumphed in round one of the United Kingdom Windsurfing Association’s 2011 national championships. David Hackford, 47, who competed in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, claimed the
A TEAM of three intrepid windsurfers including Olympian Nick Dempsey undertook a gruelling ‘master blast’ in support of a charity close to their hearts. Weymouth Windsurfing Association co-founder Andrew Chandler and Tris Best of the Official
JON and Steven Welch will both be handed the chance to impress as Chickerell United aim to go out with a bang at home to Westland Sports tomorrow (3pm). The Chickens bring the curtain down on an inconsistent campaign without key personnel in the form
THE CONSERVATIVES have strengthened their control of West Dorset District Council in the local elections. Campaigners fighting the district council’s proposed move to new offices in Dorchester’s Charles Street development hoped that opposition
