THE memory of a man who loved West Bay water polo is being honoured in the tenth annual sporting awards in his name. Bridport Leisure Centre is hosting the Betambeau Awards, set up to celebrate the sporting achievements of local youngsters.
DORCHESTER Town's Blue Square Bet South match at Weston-Super-Mare tomorrow has been postponed after a 5pm pitch inspection. Like a large number of grounds across the country this morning the Somerset club's Woodspring Stadium was hit by the big
AN AFFORDABLE housing group is launching a new development for 30 homes in Bridport. Bridport Cohousing has pinpointed a proposed site for 30 properties plus such shared facilities as a meeting room and one-acre community allotment garden which
A PAIR of Dorset artists have provided a boost for the county’s wildlife. Sculptor Sally Derrick and painter Adrian Whittlesea raised £2,000 for the Dorset Wildlife Trust after donating ten per cent of their sales from an exhibition at Tolpuddle
NATURAL England has issued a rebuttal to claims that the Lulworth Estate can no longer repair the steps leading to Durdle Door beach. In the row over who is responsible for the crumbling steps to the world-famous landmark a spoke-sman for Natural
A WOMAN who died following a fall at a Blandford care home did not want to be a nuisance to staff, an inquest was told. The inquest at County Hall in Dorchester was told that 89-year-old Pauline Mary Pengelly had experienced a number of falls after
YOUNG footballers are stepping up a gear in their goal to reach America for a tour in 2016. The Bridport Youth Under 13 team need to raise about £38,000 to travel to play counterparts in Seattle. Now they have paid tribute to supporters who
DORCHESTER Town’s Blue Square Bet South clash at Weston-super-Mare tomorrow is just one of many that has fallen victim to the weather today. Other clubs that have seen their games called off include Yeovil Town, Bridport, Portland United, Chickerell
WEYMOUTH and Portland is set for a boost as the national sailing academy gears up for its busiest year yet. The news comes as the academy at Osprey Quay gets the green light to acquire a derelict piece of land opposite so it can expand its car
WEST Dorset residents are set to enjoy a freeze in council tax despite a reduction in district council funding. West Dorset District Council says it will receive nearly ten per cent less from central Government to pay for local services in 2013
PUB landlord Chris Arnold is in the driving seat for a new career as an author with his London bus. He bought an old London Routemaster bus and restored it to working condition after his daughter Charlie said she needed a lift to her prom.
A WATERCRESS company demonstrated community spirit by helping to clear roads around local villages. Stuart Carless, landcrop production manager at The Watercress Company at Waddock Cross near Dorchester, and his team went out with their ploughs
AN 18-YEAR-OLD man appeared at court this morning in Weymouth charged with multiple drugs offences. Storm Darch, formerly of Beverley Road and now of no fixed abode, entered no pleas at Weymouth Magistrates Court to offences of possessing, with
WEST Dorset District Council is to close its offices at Stratton House in Dorchester for the final time this afternoon. The authority has been in the process of moving to new offices in South Walks Road for several weeks and the process will be
BUS workers in Dorset are preparing for possible strike action. Transport union RMT says it will be balloting 500 members across Wilts & Dorset buses for industrial action in response to proposed working conditions. Wilts & Dorset,
THE RSPB in Weymouth are holding a weekend dedicated to the UK’s biggest bird; the mute swan. Turn up anytime between 10am and 3pm at the RSPB’s Wild Weymouth Discovery Centre at Radipole Lake on tomorrow and Sunday and families can take part in
A PUBLIC park and ride service between Weymouth and Dorchester will be axed at the end of the month – but council workers will get their own minibus service instead. West Dorset District Council said it will trial the minibus for three months but
A FORMER music teacher has denied allegations that he indecently assaulted an underage boy. Sir Peter Frank Graham Newson-Smith, 65, appeared at Dorchester Crown Court in connection with two charges of indecent assault on a boy aged between nine
THIS can be a difficult time of year to find something to keep the whole family occupied and entertained. This week, luckily, help is at hand from two leading theatre groups who are bringing their excellent shows to West Dorset for several dates
Langton Matravers Parish Council is leading a funding bid for urgent repairs to a leisure route in Purbeck, following complaints from the public. The Priest’s Way from Swanage to Worth Matravers has deteriorated to the extent that deep pools make
Why is it people are no longer able to follow simple signs or bylaws these days. Many areas of Portland have a sign on the green areas stating “no cycles or vehicles on mown verge” yet people have no respect for this law and continue to churn the
What happened to the gritters on Monday night and Tuesday morning (14/15 January) on the Dorchester-Bridport Road? I got to the western boundary of Winterborne Abbas at 8.45am for my usual visit to Bradpole to teach Chi Kung, starting at 9.30am
THESE days, we all love a bargain don’t we? Well you have to. For example, the other day I bought a new coat. It wasn’t my size, it looked dreadful but it had 70 per cent off so I couldn’t resist. But when it comes to live music you’d be hard
AFTER a couple of weeks where venues remained dark while everyone recovered from the pantomime season, West Dorset’s live entertainment springs back to life this weekend. Those temporal tricksters The Time-Travelling Magicians are back in the county
REGARDING bus passes for OAPS: I find it morally disgusting that West Dorset District Council cannot afford to subsidise travel for the elderly, disabled and those with mobility problems who are often travelling to Dorset County Hospital before 9.30am
A CLASSIC piece of Victorian noir theatre is coming to Dorset next week with a glittering cast of stars. The Woman in White is the story of an innocent young woman being duped by her unscrupulous husband. It is a tale of madness, betrayal and
DORCHESTER Town can live within its means as a community-owned club, according to chairman Shaun Hearn. Majority shareholder Hearn agreed to give his stake in the Magpies’ to the club’s Community Trust and “is sure the club will do well if everybody
BRENDON King is hopeful that Mark Ford will be fit to face Frome Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium tomorrow (3pm). The Weymouth forward suffered a hand injury in Tuesday night’s defeat against Leamington but the full extent of the damage is still unclear
DAN Thompson has left the Magpies to join Ryman Premier League side Bognor Regis for a month. The striker, on-loan at the Avenue from Portsmouth, scored two goals in five appearances for Phil Simkin’s side.
THE group being handed the majority shareholding in Dorchester Town will act as the “glue that holds everything together” at the club. That’s the opinion of Dorchester Town FC Community Trust secretary Dave Ring as the start of a new era at the
CHRIS Wilson is so desperate for tomorrow’s game at Holt United (2pm) to get the go- ahead that he would even be willing “to play it in a foot of snow”. Portland United have played just two matches in the last month and it is clearly a cause for
DORSET SENIOR LEAGUE STEVE Reynolds has likened his side’s Dorset Senior Trophy tie with Okeford United (1.30pm) to “a soap opera”. Tomorrow will see the two teams endeavour to play the third round clash for the fifth time but once again the
BRIDPORT top scorer Ryan Dovell has set his sights on doubling his goal tally in the second half of the season. The 32-year-old has hit the back of the net 11 times so far as the Bees have struggled in the Toolstation Western Pre-mier Division.
Under-18 FROME 12 DORCHESTER 15 DORCHESTER completed a league double over Frome thanks to a stirring second- half display. After last week’s dire performance in defeat to North Dorset, the coaching staff demanded a robust response and they
PAUL Harding is excited about the prospect of seeing a full-strength pack in action against title-chasing Sherborne tomorrow (2.30pm). Tim Comben, Harry Charles and Tom Smethurst are all back available for Weymouth for what promises to be an intriguing
THIS week has taught us the importance of preparation and attention to detail. We are learning that there many elements to a successful sailing campaign – boat handling, racing tactics, fitness, and one of the most important – equipment preparation
OLYMPIC legend Sir Ben Ainslie has been named the British Yachtsman of the Year for an unprecedented sixth time. The title, awarded by the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA) in association with yacht insurers Pantaenius UK, caps off a year
WHEN Paralympic contender Megan Pascoe is not training and racing at world cup circuit events around the globe in her 2.4mR keelboat, she is a strong supporter of borough club racing. The 26-year-old Portland sailor is now in Miami, Florida to
THE FOLLOWING schools are reportedly closed due to adverse weather. The Dorset County Council schools website is currently down but will will update you shortly. Please let us know below if you have confirmation that your school is closed.
West Bay Coastguard were tasked to observe a small boat, following a 999 call from a concerned bystander. The boat which was anchored half a mile offshore yesterday morning, was recognised as a local dive boat, nothing untoward was found.
SEVEN people were held by police after a raid on Littlemoor in a crackdown on crime in the area. The nighttime swoop follows a spate of crime and anti-social behaviour that has been plaguing the Weymouth estate in recent weeks and months. Armed
A SUPPORT group for parents of gay children is urging people to share their worries. New research carried out by local group Ricochet has indicated problems are more than halved when people share their concerns with others in the same situation
A COLLISION which killed a Weymouth teen was a sad accident, a coroner has ruled. The inquest in to the death of 19-year-old Lewis Monks, who died in a collision with a bus on Friday June 8 last year, found there was nothing the bus driver could
A NATIONAL chiropractic seminar is to be held in Weymouth. Mats Hansson and his team at the Hansson Chiropractic Centre are hosting the event on Advanced BioStructural Correction (ABC). ABC has been developed to attempt to improve people’s
