A SCULPTURE in memory of Monkey World founder Jim Cronin is being unveiled tomorrow night. Friends and family will pay tributes to him at the ceremony in his memorial area at the Ape Rescue Centre near Wool. The sculpture was made by Steve Winterburn
A RARE portrait of Dorset poet William Barnes's wife went under the hammer in Dorchester. Duke's Auctioneers believe the oil painting is the second only known painting of Julia Barnes. The formal oil canvas is thought to have been completed in 1830.
A CYCLIST was injured after going through the windscreen of a car during a collision in Chickerell today, police said. Dorset Police said a man was placed on a spinal board by an ambulance crew after the collision with a grey Ford Focus at around lunchtime
SISTERS Liz and Lou Gardiner completed a north to south fundraising bike ride for their step-dad Jack Burkitt. They completed the ride for Jack, who had been fighting Motor Neurone Disease, before he died recently. Liz and Lou, who were brought up in
PRIVATE housing tenants in Dorset could save up to £700 a year on energy bills if landlords installed straightforward energy-saving measures, according to new figures. A survey commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust reveals more than 70 per cent of
STAFF and pupils at Wyvern School in Weymouth are celebrating after receiving a £10,000 cheque. The money, from the St James's Place Foundation, will be used to provide new playground equipment on the school site off Dorchester Road. Assistant headteacher
PAT SHUKER was delighted to join hundreds of people in the great gorilla run in London to raise money for the Gorilla Organisation - but she was even more pleased to get out of the gorilla suit she had to wear to take part. She said: "It was so hot that
DIAMOND couple Eric and Doris Sherwood from Dorchester had a sparkling time celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. They returned to the same hotel on the Isle of Wight where they spent their honeymoon in 1948. Eric, 86, and Doris, 83, were received
Learn how to spread the word about green issues BE INSPIRED and spread the green message. The Dorset Climate Change Coalition in association with the Dorset Strategic Partnership is running two free speaker training courses for people who want to learn
A PHENOMENAL piece of theatre explodes onto the stage at Dorchester Corn Exchange tomorrow night. Extraordinary by The Detonators is a startling piece of technicolour brilliance and the perfect antidote to a wet autumn evening. A film extra with dreams
Apologies for the gap in bringing you the news from our villages. We have been visiting our little family who have relocated to Burgundy. Very sadly, this month sees the official retirement of Rev. Pam Thomas from our parish. Pam has been Priest
A NEW fire station for Weymouth will be a hot topic of discussion over the next three months. Dorset Fire Authority is to hold a 12-week consultation into plans for a community fire station at the former Westhaven Junior School site in Radipole Lane,
BURGLARS fled from a house near Dewlish after being disturbed by the owners. The two men were spotted as they searched downstairs during the lunchtime break-in at the house in Crowthorne. Inspector Les Fry of Dorchester Police said: "The residents came
A GREEN space in Weymouth needs friends. People who visit Lodmoor Country Park and want to make it an even better place to visit are encouraged to attend a meeting next week. Residents have got together with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council with
BRIDPORT Leisure Centre is seeking emergency funds to keep it afloat after a massive rise in its energy bills. Trustees are in urgent talks with West Dorset District Council after being told its electricity bill will more than double and gas soar by
TWO companies who sparked a pollution alert in the grounds of a City stockbroker's Dorset mansion have been fined. Ken Biggs Contractors and Woodstone Construction were ordered to pay a total of £7,749 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to contaminating
JUST a reminder, if you want to book the village hall during the next few months please contact Mrs Lilian Matthews at 40 Cocklands, on 01305 266082, as she now keeps the hall diary. RAINBOWS, Brownies and Guides have restarted after an eventful summer
SOUTHILL Community Centre is where the short mat bowls club meets from 2pm to 5pm every Monday and Wednesday afternoons. They also meet on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm Since starting over ten years ago, this club continues to thrive, always keen
THERE are Wonderful Things on display at Bridport Arts Centre's Allsop gallery, which is displaying a selection of art works from the town's museum. Arts centre director, Lindsay Brooks explained: "The title of the show, Wonderful Things, comes from
THE Extra Mile chauffeur firm based in Chickerell are the proud new sponsors of the Chickerell Under-12s Youth Football Team. Micky Coles, owner director of Extra Mile, was born in Chickerell and started his successful business here creating jobs for
FRUSTRATED sculptor Robin Beuscher has thrown in the towel after years of toil and not a single sale or exhibition of his work. The Dorset-based artist has decided to sell his entire life's work on auction website eBay because of his disillusionment
DOCTORS' surgeries in Dorset have scored well in an annual check that rewards high standards. Results for each practice vary according to data from the NHS Information Centre but overall the county is delivering high quality care when measured against
A PIECE of crystal was handed over amid celebrations when Portland's Royal Manor Arts College received a national award. The college won the Future Vision Tour Award for building links with feeder schools and people living on the island. Headteacher
A 90-YEAR-OLD woman was the victim of a "despicable distraction burglary" in Dorchester, police said. Officers are appealing for witnesses after the elderly woman had cash and jewellery stolen from her home in a burglary involving a man posing as a water
AN OUTRAGED mum has criticised a town centre store for its display of "puerile, offensive and downright disgusting" T-shirts. Julie Samoeulle has complained about T-shirts featuring slogans in the window of the Shirt Shack clothing store in Weymouth
THE skyline is changing around the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy where there are plans to install a two kilowatt wind turbine. With the 2012 Olympics set to be the greenest ever, the academy is leading the way by demonstrating that sports
THE skyline is changing around the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy where there are plans to install a two kilowatt wind turbine. With the 2012 Olympics set to be the greenest ever, the academy is leading the way by demonstrating that sports
THIS is Bowleaze Coveway as you very rarely see it - not a parked car in sight! This was the sight that greeted me when I ventured up the Coveway recently to view the preparations for the Wind and Sails spectacular. The police had certainly set out to
TWENTY-one golfers turned up to play in memory of Jamie Webster, a well-loved and respected Portland character'. Jackie Bowler sent these pictures in of the players and said: "It was a beautiful, hot day - a bonus for the fair-weather players - at the
THIS is the first glimpse of how Weymouth's £84 million relief road is going to look. Dorset County Council has issued a timeline for its scheme with initial work involving fencing and site clearance. And the long long awaited route - from the Manor
SHAUN Brooks praised the character of his side after last night's FA Cup second qualifying round replay win at Newport County. A Nick Crittenden brace handed Dorchester their first victory in 12 games and a place in the third qualifying round after the
DORCHESTER Town Football Club are all set to host another action-packed boxing show at their Jewson Stadium home. The Autumn Tournament, which takes place this Saturday on the county town pitch, is being held in conjunction with Dorchester Amateur Boxing
JUST HOW GREEN HAVE YOU BEEN By Pat Staff, Weymouth resident and supporter of Friends of Lodmoor Country Park "GREEN issues are a relatively new thing - it wasn't something that was talked about when I was growing up. "Having said that,
DORCHESTER Town's dream of emulating Havant and Waterlooville's FA Cup run is alive and kicking after the Magpies produced a superb fightback to stun Newport County. Shaun Brooks' men trailed at half-time to a seemingly much improved New-port, but their
FA Women's Cup LAUNCESTON FC LADIES 2 WEYMOUTH FC LADIES 2 (Launceston won on penalties) WEYMOUTH suffered penalty heartache as they crashed out of the FA Women's Cup after a battling performance in Cornwall. The Terras travelled to Pennygillam Stadium
SARAH Skidmore swept the board on the final day of competition in the Brewin Dolphin Dorchester Tournament. Skidmore won the ladies' singles, ladies' doubles, mixed doubles, veterans' mixed doubles, and the Rod Skidmore Cup for player of the tournament
Whilst the proposal to develop a tram route from Weymouth to Portland (David Henshaw, 12 September) may seem superficially attractive, it ignores one glaring problem. It is that most of the proposed route is along the existing Rodwell Trail - the walking
A SILVER Saxon clothes fastener found by a metal detector enthusiast near Dorchester has been declared as treasure. The hooked tag dating back to the ninth century and weighing only 4.81g was described by senior archaeologist Claire Pinder as very uncommon
NEW men's captain Andy Stiles believes Weymouth's Hampshire League Division One curtain-raiser at Hasle-mere on Saturday (2pm) could be their "most difficult" game of the season. The Seasiders go into the clash buoyant following last weekend's 9-2 HA
Channel Division One SALISBURY II 2 WEYMOUTH 4 WEYMOUTH Ladies made a winning start to this season's Channel Division One campaign. The Seasiders, who finished second in the table last season, won 4-2 at Salisbury Seconds on the opening day thanks
SIMON Wakely grabbed a third place finish at the final round of the Great Britain Cross Country series held near Leicester. The result though, put the Dorchester rider in fourth spot overall having missed out on the third round. The final stage of the
PORTLAND Amateur Boxing Club have received a £250 boost courtesy of a mystery donor. Echosport recently reported that the island club has had to make do without a main sponsor for the past two years. One Portland-based business has come forward to offer
