Now set to become an annual event, this year’s Fantastic Family Fun Day starts at mid-day on Saturday 18th August. Last year’s event proved to be a phenomenal success with everyone wanting more and this Saturday it looks like it’s going to
MODEL railway enthusiasts celebrated a quarter of a century of their hobby at the 25th anniversary of the Bridport and District Model Railway Club with an exhibition in the United Church Hall. The exhibits on show came from places such as Petersfield
A RADIO station project will finally take to the airwaves next month. After a year of planning Bridport FM radio will start broadcasting at 1pm from Bridport Arts Centre forecourt for one week from September 17 to 23 on 87.7FM. The community radio project
A GRANT to the tune of £7,400 is music to the ears of a budding producer who spearheaded a recording studio for Weymouth youngsters. Simeon Havard, aged 18, suggested the idea when residents of Weymouth Foyer, Pottery Lane, were asked to come up with
A couple living in Australia took their wedding vows in Dorset. Sarah Bugler and groom Julian Soles tied the knot at the church of St Candida and Holy Cross in Whitchurch Canonicorum. Sarah is the daughter of Roland and Heather Bugler of Lower House
A COUPLE whose love was sparked on a holiday romance walked happily down the aisle. Kelvin Tate, 25, and Hayley Heart, 27, pictured, met seven years ago at a Dorset holiday park. Love blossomed at the park where Kelvin was working and Hayley was on
FAMILY and friends drank champagne to celebrate the 100th birthday of Commander Daniel Duff. The distinguished Navy commander lived in Hunterdon, Somerset before moving to Steepleton Manor Care Home in Dorset a couple of years ago. He was born on August
WINDSURFER Bryony Shaw has lost out on a medal in the RS:X Women’s race on the Nothe course in Weymouth. Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Shaw was seventh overall. She said she was ‘gutted’ but that she had tried her best. She said she was not
Volunteers are being sought to bring a bit of historical character to this year’s Big Green Apple Day in the Bride Valley. The event on Saturday, October 6 is set to raise money to provide a community-built Saxon hut for the Discovery Area at Thorners
WEYMOUTH windsurfer Nick Dempsey has won the silver medal in the RS:X Men’s medal race in home waters. The gold was out of reach before the final race even began due to the lead held by Dutch star Dorian Van Rijsselberge. Dempsey, 31, sailed
PRIME Minister David Cameron heard about Portland 's 'fantastic' Olympic Sailing venue facilities today (TUES AUG 7) as he took to the water to watch the windsurfing stars in action. Mr Cameron arrived at Portland Marina just after midday and
THERE was plenty of heat in the kitchen as top Dorset chefs showed off the county’s finest produce at a festival in Poundbury . The first ever Dorset Festival in Queen Mother Square saw a feast of entertainment and a host of stalls on offer on
POLICE are appealing for help returning these items of jewellery to their rightful owners. Detectives recently issued an appeal after several items were recovered in Swanage town centre when a local man was arrested. Detective Constable Angela
THOUSANDS of pounds were raised on a charity journey to mark the first anniversary of Weymouth Marine James Wright’s death. Children, adults, people in wheelchairs and even dogs took part in the eight day, 180-mile challenge and have made more
Olympic Gold medallist Peter Wilson has put shotgun shooting into the full spotlight of national publicity and will become a fantastic ambassador for the sport – according to CLA deputy president Henry Robinson. Mr Robinson, who farms in Gloucestershire
FOUR leading environmental organisations have joined forces to call for a levy on single-use bags in England, following the success of such levies in Wales and Ireland. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Keep Britain Tidy, the Marine
The greatest Olympic sailor of all time was in demand from the world’s media yesterday... but still found time to read about his exploits in the Dorset Echo. The Echo produced a special souvenir edition to mark his record-breaking fourth gold medal
THE Nothe took on an international vibe yesterday as sailing fans roared their support for their teams. Flags from China, the Netherlands, Cyprus and Australia dominated the Nothe. The crowds joined in enthusiastically, chanting, shouting and
THE Duchess of Cambridge left a trail of smitten sailors in her wake when she visited Portland ’s Olympic venue yesterday. The Team GB Ambassador, who is visiting as many Olympic sports as possible to show her support for the athletes, watched
TEAM GB’s medal hopes continue today with Weymouth's Nick Dempsey and Bryony Shaw in the RS:X Windsurfing showdowns. Action on the Nothe course will begin with the Men's RS:X event from 1pm and will continue from 2pm with the Women's RS:X double-point
PORTLAND’S sailors Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell are ‘having an absolute ball’ at their first Olympics . The duo, both from Weston, are second overall in the Men’s 470 dinghy fleet, just one point away from the gold medal spot, currently occupied
ONE ambassador travelled thousands of miles to be a part of the Olympic experience in Weymouth. Ari Nelson from California, USA, wanted to be in Weymouth for the Olympics and signed up to be an ambassador. She said: “I used to come here on
AWARD winning theatre company Illyyria will be presenting the Gilbert and Sullivan favorite HMS Pinafore on Bridport’s atmospheric Millennium Green on August 14. Set on board the warship HMS Pinafore, the opera cheerfully mocks such Great British
AUTHOR Brian Bates has written a moving tribute to the men and one woman of Dorchester who gave their lives during the First World War. Dorchester Remembers the Great War (Roving Press, £12.99) tells the wartime stories of nearly 300 Dorchester
The sailing action and coverage of other Olympic sports will continue to be shown on the two giant screens at the free Weymouth & Portland Live Site on Weymouth Beach. The free sports arena on Weymouth Beach will be offering people the chance
KEEN Cerne Abbas gardener Adrian Coombe found that his hard work paid off when his garden won the medium Garden category of Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife-Friendly Garden award. Adrian, who has lived in the village for 12 years and is a member
A TOP fashion retailer is the latest name to come on board at Brewery Square as the next phase of the Dorchester development takes shape. Phase Eight has signed up to take up a 1,600-square-foot unit overlooking the square’s fountains in the building
It is almost unbelievable that the Bayside festival should collapse halfway through the Olympics . This is a fiasco. It is difficult to find words strong enough to describe this incompetence. Which is why Ian Bruce’s statement that this mess
Sailing wasn’t a spectator sport – it is now! Try telling the tens of thousands of people who watched Ben Ainslie ’s remarkable winning sail that sailing is not a spectator sport. It never used to be – boats were dots on the horizon. The
Having emigrated four years ago to Spain, it has been an absolute privilege to watch the wonderful pictures of the Olympic Sailing events from my hometown, Weymouth, on the television. However, after following the news reporting and individual
CHINESE Laser Radial Olympic champion Lijia Xu praised her Weymouth coach for making her gold medal win possible. The 24-year-old staged a confident performance yesterday in front of the thousands of spectators on the Nothe course to win her country
PORTLAND'S Olympic contender Alison Young admitted her first Olympics had been a ‘great experience’ despite narrowly missing out on a shot at the podium. The 25-year-old completed her London 2012 regatta with an impressive fourth place in yesterday
CHEERS from the crowd on the Nothe spurred Weymouth Olympian Paul Goodison on as he fought through the pain to complete his medal race. The 34-year-old saw the chance to defend his Olympic Laser dinghy crown fade when he put his back out on the
TEAM GB put on a strong display on home waters on day nine of the Olympic sailing regatta. Portland ’s Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell kept the pressure up on their Australian rivals in the men’s 470 fleet yesterday. The British duo produced
BUSINESS is starting to pick up following a busy weekend in Weymouth, and traders are thanking four-time gold medal winner Ben Ainslie with helping to attract more visitors. Around 100,000 visitors flocked to the area to watch the sailing over
THE ‘original anarchist’ celebrated his birthday in style with sausages, crocodiles, plenty of slapstick and his long-suffering missus Judy. Mr Punch best known to families the world over as the cheeky rogue at the seaside turned 350 at the weekend
THE Bayside Festival may have closed but an attraction nearby in Weymouth is really taking off. Jurassic Airlines, which takes passengers on a flight back in time, is proving to be an Olympic hit. The 12-seat Boeing-737 flight simulator outside
DORSET’S Match Race Girls Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor are preparing to up their bid for Olympic silverware ahead of their quarter-final showdown against Russia today. The Team GB trio, who were seeded seventh after the opening
WEYMOUTH’S Nick Dempsey is preparing himself for his assault on Olympic windsurfing silver today. The Athens 2004 bronze medallist currently sits second overall, 11 points clear of Germany’s Toni Wilhelm in bronze medal position and 17 points ahead
RAIN once again washed away hopes of any action on day two of Dorset's clash at Devon in the Minor Counties Western Division. Both teams are now hoping to stage a one-day game today but with more showers expected in Exeter there is a
DANNY Clay is the key ingredient the Terras have been missing in recent seasons, according to Brendon King. Not only has the Weymouth boss been impressed with the combative midfielder’s performances on the pitch but he is also delighted with the
BEAMINSTER 240-2 (18pts) beat CHRISTCHURCH 192-7 (6pts) by 48 runs AN UNBROKEN 178-run partnership between Simon Jones and Richard Bugler led Beaminster to a vital win in Dorset League Division Two. In danger of being cut adrift at
BROADSTONE THIRDS 125 (17pts) beat BRIDPORT 107 (6pts) by 18 runs DEPLETED Bridport fell to an agonising defeat at Brewery Field and now face a huge fight in their bid for Dorset League Division Three survival. Saturday’s 18-run loss at the
BUCKLAND NEWTON DORSET Historic Churches Trust (DHCT) Cycle Ride: There is always a goodly number of residents and people from around the village taking part in this cycle ride – could it be you as well this year? This ride will
