A CHURCH at East Burton, near Wool, is closing its doors for four months in the new year so that major alterations can be carried out. Members of the Christian Purbeck Vineyard church are planning a dramatic transformation of a former derelict church
POOLE council has stepped in to ensure that passengers are not disadvantaged by a controversial new taxi permit scheme at Tower Park. Richard Jones, the Borough of Poole's taxi licensing officer, said he has "some concerns" over the scheme which has enraged
CHRISTCHURCH continued their recent excellent cup form by progressing to the Hampshire Senior Cup third round with a 3-1 win over BAT at Hurn Bridge last night (Dec 10). Priory, who have made it through to the FA Vase last 32 for the first time in the
LYMINGTON and New Milton returned to the top of the Jewson Wessex League with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Cowes Sports at Fawcett's Field last night (Dec 10). Linnets controlled the match, with Steve Strong giving Graham Kemp's side the lead after
FLY-HALF Daffyd Williams was the star of the show as Ellingham and Ringwood inflicted further misery on Hampshire Two basement boys Portcastrians with a 31-6 victory. Williams landed 21 out of Ellingham's 31 point haul, kicking four penalties, two conversions
Council tax could soar across the county after Dorset found itself dumped at the bottom of the funding league in next year's Government settlement. The county council claims the Government has got its sums wrong in its calculation of money allocated to
PUBS firm Eldridge Pope has today sold its historic headquarters in Dorchester town centre for £8.9 million. It announced the deal, which includes interests in its former brewing and packing business, nearly two years after the Weymouth Avenue site went
Thursday 12 December: Farther + Five Kinds of Silence + Reader - Bartonka; Barely Legal - Plough Inn; Parker - Mr Smiths; Jazz in Mind feat. Tim Eyles - Longs Jazz Cellar; Chris George - Gander; Gentleman's Agreement - Vezuvio; Jiggs Whigham & the
CHILDREN at St John's Primary School in Weymouth have strained their brains to raise money for other children. Pupils from the Coombe Avenue school took part in sponsored quizzes and other activities to raise £507.88 for National Children's Homes (NCH
COUNCIL bosses have carved up departmental budgets in a desperate bid to plug Weymouth and Portland's £2.9 million black hole. Borough councillors met behind closed doors to find a cure for the council's ailing finances in a day-long cross-party workshop
CHRISTMAS is coming and the bin is getting fat with presents at Toymaster in Dorchester. The shop is kindly supporting the Echo's toy appeal again this year and there's a great selection of gifts available at the South Street store for those who need
RESIDENTS of the New Forest - meet your new bobbies on the beat. These men and women have been drafted in to boost the levels of community beat officers covering the district from 26 to 40. They will cover beats throughout the New Forest including New
REPORTS that the King of Swaziland is set to marry his country's Miss World entrant have come as a surprise to staff at one of Dorset's top public schools where he was once a pupil. A photograph of King Mswati III, aged 35, hangs in the reception area
A DORSET council has written to residents in flood risk areas telling them they must look after themselves where possible this winter and not rely on council assistance. North Dorset District Council has sent letters and leaflets to dozens of householders
WITH more than 2,000 employees, Cobham is Dorset's largest manufacturing employer. Cobham is a FTSE 250 aerospace and defence business which has been increasing its competitive position despite the massive changes within the global aerospace industry.
ROY Tazzyman is recognised as a leading figure in the fiercely competitive global metals industry. As MD of VAI UK, he manages one of only a handful of companies in the world capable of designing and building giant steel works. With a background in senior
Sponsored by Business Link Wessex VAI Industries (UK) Limited was established in Poole in 1996 as a subsidiary company of the Austrian-based Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau Group (VAI), a world-leading engineering and metallurgical plant builder and
IN ITS transition from novel to film, The Quiet American is a star-crossed venture. First filmed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1958, the original was beset by the post-McCarthy zeitgeist in the United States. Deemed controversial and subversive, Mankiewicz
Films showing at local cinemas until December 19 28 Days Later (18) Cillian Murphy, Christopher Eccleston, Brendan Gleeson **** Written by Alex (The Beach) Garland and directed by Danny (Trainspotting) Boyle, this uncompromising portrait of a post-apocalyptic
IT is a simple message and it has been made loud and clear. More than 1,100 Echo readers have added their voices to the campaign to save Fourways Day Centre from closure. And as bundles of coupons pledging support were handed in at the civic offices council
MANKIND has suffered from the scourge of tuberculosis for at least 5,000 years. Signs of the disease have been found in an Egyptian mummy dating back to 3,400BC. It is caused by bacteria and thrives in places where people are poor, ill-nourished and crowded
JAMES Hayter bagged a dramatic golden goal winner to fire Cherries into the Southern Section semi-final of the LDV Vans Trophy last night, reports Neil Perrett. Hayter pounced to see off big-spending Cardiff City seven minutes from the end of overtime
CRIME prevention officers in East Dorset are urging people to Keep Safe With Santa this Christmas. Posters have been sent to every retailer and public building in Dorset Police's eastern division covering Christchurch, Ferndown, Wimborne, Swanage, Blandford
A £9 million cash injection for Dorset's roads has been criticised as 'not enough' amid calls for better public transport provision. The county will receive the Government handout in a bid to improve town centre access and invest in structural maintenance
POLICE are stepping in to help children cross a main road after pedestrian crossing lights were turned off next to Weymouth's busiest school. But officers, who responded after parents complained about Wessex Water's decision to turn off the lights outside
A COMMUNITY bank is celebrating a deposit worth nearly £5,000. The Weymouth Budd Bank set up to tackle social exclusion, promote community links and bring people closer together will be using the cash to promote its work at an open day in March. The £4,625
A CHRISTMAS shopper was overwhelmed with goodwill after a cardigan she bought for the festivities and accidentally left on a bench was returned. Audrey Vivian was shopping in Dorchester town centre when she decided to treat herself to the £50 cardigan
WEYMOUTH has raised more than £1,000 for children around the world in a charity art auction. The auction, held at Weymouth College and organised by the Rotary Club of Weymouth, saw artists submitting work and allowing the Rotary Club to take a commission
IF YOU hear cries of "Two little ducks" at Bincombe Valley Primary School on Thursday, don't bother looking around for farmyard animals. The Culliford Way school in Littlemoor, Weymouth, is holding a fundraising grand Christmas bingo and a gigantic raffle
TWO and two equals five - Dorset County Council today pinned its hopes on the Government having got its sums wrong as it dished out cash for next year. The authority insisted that there must be some mistake after the county slumped to the bottom of funding
CHEERS of hi-de-hi and ho, ho, ho, rang around Ringwood as panto star Ruth Madoc joined Santa and his reindeer for the town's annual Christmas parade. Thousands of revellers young and old flocked to the town centre to see Ruth and the rest of the cast
Sponsored by the LSC DEK is the world leader in the manufacture of imaging and deposition equipment used in the assembly of printed circuit boards and related semi-conductor technology. Established in 1968, DEK designs and exports 98 per cent of its production
SHOPPERS using credit cards to pay for Christmas will run up debts which they may struggle to repay, particularly if their economic circumstances change next year, That's the warning from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Consumers are
CHERRIES star Shaun Maher has been rocked by the news that he will be out for the rest of the season after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury. Maher had his worst fears confirmed when he was given the grim verdict following a consultation with
