Archive

The London Waterloo to Weymouth railway line is closed between Southampton and Brockenhurst/ Bournemouth all weekend. Buses replace trains.

Firefighters were called to a chemical incident at the Portland Heights Hotel yesterday. Crews from Weymouth, Portland and Poole arrived at the scene after receiving a call at around 8.45am. A ‘strong smell of chemicals’ was reported to be

A DORSET cinema is on a mission to celebrate and support World Autism Awareness Day. The Cinema Exhibitors Association is inviting members to put on and promote Autism Friendly Screenings in our local communities all over the country between April

IMAGES of the forthcoming film adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd are helping to promote the Thomas Hardy trail in West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland. A new leaflet helping visitors to explore parts of Dorset that inspired the great writer

POLICE are urging residents to be vigilant against phone bank scams after a number of people reported falling victim in the last few days. An appeal was released last week after four reports of a scam where the fraudster posed as a police officer

WEYMOUTH Martial Arts Centre’s Darren Anstey is the new BIKMA British A-class heavyweight Thai boxing champion. He stopped experienced Combat Academy campaigner Arvyvas Junkas two minutes into the first round of their contest following a devastating

DORCHESTER museums and attractions are joining forces for another night of fun. The popular Museums at Night event has become a fixture in the county town calendar in recent years, offering entry to eight venues for a single ticket price. The

WEIGHT loss experts are offering free weigh-ins, BMI measurements and advice at meetings in Weymouth and Dorchester next week. Weight Watchers is opening its doors for people to come in and experience its meetings for free. Local Weight Watchers

COUNCIL chiefs and union members united to bid a fond farewell to a tireless campaigner. Pamela Jefferies is retiring after 14 years as branch secretary for the Dorset county branch of Unison and more than 20 years working for Dorset County Council

GROUPS of Dorset mums have expressed their support of a woman who was branded a ‘tramp’ for breastfeeding her baby in public. A picture of Emily Slough was posted on Facebook alongside the derogatory comment after she was snapped feeding eight-month-old

TOP quality baby clothes, toys and equipment will be on offer as the NCT (National Childbirth Trust) holds a Nearly New Sale in Dorchester. The Weymouth and Dorchester branch of the NCT is running the sale from 10am to noon at the Corn Exchange

DORSET Police have released a picture of a man they wish to speak with after a fraudster duped shop staff in Weymouth. The incident, which took place in Matalan at the Jubilee Retail Park, involved a man entering the store, picking up goods from

A West Dorset woman has told how she lost five stone in weight in six months after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. Jodie Martinez, from Bridport, was diagnosed with the illness this time last year following tests after she suffered a miscarriage

LYME Regis Town Council has withdrawn its planning application to move the Monmouth Beach chalets. The town council submitted a planning application to move the chalets seaward to try and protect them from landslides from Monmouth Cliff. The

THERE is still time to get involved in a fundraising motorcade event for Dorset renal patients. The Kidney Fundraising Convoy (KFC) on Saturday, March 29 will see cars and motorbikes ride from East Undercliff Drive in Bournemouth to the Fleet Air

STUDENTS from Thomas Hardye School learnt lessons from genocide survivors. The Dorchester school held a series of events to mark Holocaust Memorial Week in recognition of its status as a Beacon School in Holocaust Education. Every pupil heard

AS the Russian bear consumes the Crimea, the EU threatens an increasing number of sanctions. Meanwhile, Ukraine is left looking on nervously, as are other former Soviet states. But, apart from imposing travel bans, freezing assets and talking

RESIDENTS in Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset who pay their council tax by direct debit have a chance of winning a prize. A prize draw has been launched by West Dorset District Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to encourage

PLANS for a new primary school in Bere Regis are a step closer. It comes after Dorset County Council’s Cabinet agreed to invest £5million in the project. The new Bere Regis school will be the last element in the £37.2million Purbeck schools

WEYMOUTH College has received praise in recognition of its commitment to young people in and leaving care. The college has been awarded the Buttle UK Quality Mark which is given to institutions that commit to support a young person who has been

VOLUNTEERS are needed to help clear up the county’s beaches this weekend. On Sunday, clean-up operations will take place at Chesil beach and Ringstead, near Weymouth. Each clean will involve collecting debris which has been washed up during

DORCHESTER Town have secured the services of Exeter City striker Elliott Chamberlain on loan until the end of the season. The Grecians’ hit man, who started his career at Leicester City, will go straight into Phil Simkin’s squad and is expected

FROM THE Last Supper to E.T., a variety of sand sculptures have appeared on Weymouth’s seafront in years gone by. Whilst a number of sculptors have taken advantage of Weymouth's 'special sand', the work of Fred Darrington and his grandson Mark

MORE than £5million has been handed to Dorset County Council to repair potholes and resurface roads damaged by severe weather. It came after the government announced how it would be sharing a £183.5million emergency fund amongst councils in England

WEST Dorset MP Oliver Letwin has been given a new role helping communities fight back from floods. He has been appointed the Ministerial Representative for Flood Recovery in Dorset and Devon and will be holding meetings today including an event

PARENTS are up in arms after a bus company put its school bus fares up by 50 per cent. They are banding together to try and get First Bus to change its mind. They say it is unfair for the price to leap from £100 for three months to £50 a month

FOUR of Dorset’s most popular summer festivals are looking for Volunteer Champions to lead a field survey force. Dorchester Festival, which runs from May 22 to 26, B-Town Throwdown (June 6-8), b-side (September 5-14) and Inside Out Dorset (September

THE flamboyant, zippy and charismatic Elvis McGonagall makes a welcome return to Beach and Barnicott tomorrow from 7.30pm. MC’ing an evening of performance poetry he will be accompanied by the ‘visceral, poignant and riotously funny’ Luke Wright

What fabulous weather we have just had whilst visiting our parents in Weymouth to celebrate our daughter’s second birthday. Our days were filled with ice cream, fish and chips and dipping our toes in the sea along with many promenade walks.

AN ECLECTIC line-up of music is being played across Dorset this weekend, as well as comedy and the best of the West End and Broadway. Fans of Simon and Garfunkel are in for a treat tonight when Bookends bring their greatest hits to Dorchester Arts

My apologies again There are two sides to the angry exchanges at the packed precept meeting in January in Easton. I’ve already made a very public apology – it’s now an appropriate time to reiterate that apology and give the other side of the story

A MAN who was found with burns at a Weymouth beauty spot is critical but stable in hospital. The man, who has not been named, was left fighting for his life after an incident at Furzy Cliff a week ago. Police, paramedics, firefighters and coastguards

DORSET'S fire service could be recruiting apprentices to tackle the problem of an ageing workforce. Of the 798 people employed by Dorset Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS), only 91 are under the age of 29. Those at the top have called the situation

RESIDENTS are kicking up a stink after the temporary closure of public toilets on the Jurassic Coast. Signs have been put up at the block in Osmington Mills by West Dorset District Council directing people to use the facilities of The Smugglers

It comes to something when one of your band’s songs is voted one of the top 50 Indie Anthems of All Time by the NME, used as the backing music for Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month competition and – possibly the greatest honour the world can bestow

A DORSET musical group has snubbed an invitation to play at a prestigious Formula One Grand prix over concerns about human rights violations. The Magic Drum Orchestra, whose members are from the Dorchester area, turned down the chance to perform

A CHEMICAL incident was investigated by Dorset Fire and Rescue Service at Portland Heights this morning. Crews from Weymouth, Portland and Poole arrived at the scene after receiving a call at around 8.45am. A ‘strong smell of chemicals’ was

ARTISTIC creativity will be celebrated as well as local food and drink at the third Dorset Festival at Poundbury’s Queen Mother Square. The event, which has attracted thousands of visitors in recent years, has been renamed the Dorset Food and Arts

DORCHESTER Town chief Phil Simkin will look to use his side’s sensational win at Sutton earlier in the season as inspiration for tomorrow’s showdown with the promotion hopefuls at the Avenue (3pm). A second-half Brandon Goodship goal and a courageous

ITEMS from a cargo that washed overboard last month are continuing to wash up onto Dorset beaches. Cigarettes, pet food, sachets of tea, packets of feta cheese and olives are just some of the items that have been found. The cargo was separated

JASON Matthews has admitted he would be keen to make some of his loan signings permanent members of the Terras’ squad for next season. However, as Matthews stated, that is entirely dependent on each player’s personal circumstances at their parent

WEYMOUTH Rowing club took two men’s and two ladies’ teams, along with their boats Penny, and Isolde, to the prestigious Three Rivers Race at Caradon Gig Club, Saltash, Cornwall. This year saw one of the largest fields ever, with more than 54 boats

IT’S up, up and away as air shows are lined up for Weymouth Carnival – including the Red Arrows and a display to mark the anniversary of the First World War. And it’s down, down and away as a heart-stopping bungee jump bounces in. They are

RIVALS Chickerell United and Upwey & Broadwey will lock horns at the Stalls tomorrow (3pm) in a contest that could have major implications on the Dorset Senior League title race. The reverse fixture was a heated affair back in January, with

ANGRY Portlanders have hit out in a dispute over the nomination of town mayor in the aftermath of a revolt caused by the 1,000 per cent precept proposal. Councillors have met to nominate the Portland Town Mayor – and the results have been labelled

BRIDPORT take their three-match unbeaten run to Melksham Town (3pm) tomorrow, with boss Trevor Senior declaring: “We owe them one.” That fighting talk comes a month after the Bees were beaten 6-2 by the Wiltshire side in front of their own supporters

Ned The Post, Champagne Rosie and Theatre Evening are the three to choose from in the Wil-ton Men’s Open at Milborne St Andrew tomorrow. The former pulled up on his reappearance at Didmarton, but has a formidable record between the flags with nine

TWO wins from their last three league games is the target Dorchester have set themselves as they try to end their Southern Counties South campaign on a high. Martyn Peel’s men go to second-placed Trowbridge tomorrow before a home clash with Frome

AN ‘ACT of mercy’ – that was how a judge described a son’s bid to kill his cancer-ridden mother as she laying dying in Dorset County Hospital. It came as Iain Campbell Harrison was sentenced for admitting attempting to murder his mother Hope, 74

WEST Dorset MP Oliver Letwin has been given a new role helping communities fight back from floods. He has been appointed the Ministerial Representative for Flood Recovery in Dorset and Devon and will be holding meetings today including an event