A FLEET of 25 craft are preparing to battle it out on the water for the RNLI raft race at West Bay. Organiser Alan Jackson said: “We are looking forward to a nice sunny Thursday evening and hope that people feel inclined to put their hands in their pockets
DORSET County Hospital is pressing ahead with cost-saving plans by reducing its number of beds. Chiefs at the Dorchester hospital have indicated that £12m-worth of savings need to be made by March next year and cutting the number of beds has been named
FORMER war correspondent Kate Adie officially opened an art exhibition in Cerne Abbas. The former BBC news chief, who is best known for reporting from trouble spots around the world, opened the Cerne Valley Art Exhibition on Saturday. This was alongside
POLICE discovered a haul of drugs worth more than £2,000 when they searched a Weymouth home, a court was told. Father-of-three Darren Paul Chapman, of Norfolk Road, Weymouth, was jailed for 33 months after he admitted possessing cannabis and cocaine
A SENIOR officer said Dorset troops in Afghanistan are seeing “positive signs for the future”. Major Jonny Kitson is the second in command of 1 Rifles, the battalion formed the Devon and Dorsets in 2007, which is halfway through a six month deployment
CRICKET fans will be bowled over by the entertainment at a charity event supporting patients with bowel cancer. The Ducks and Drakes Trust is holding a cricket challenge and fund day at Plush Cricket Ground on Saturday, August 20 from 12noon. There
THE HEADTEACHER of a Dorchester School bade an emotional fare-well after 40 years of teaching. Jane Mockridge, who has been at Manor Park First School for the last six years, received a special present from staff and children on her last
A RARE stone horse from the Chinese Ming dynasty that stands nearly 7ft high is to be sold in Dorchester – and could fetch £100,000. The funerary stone sculpture was one of six that stood along the route to the entrance of a nobleman’s tomb in southern
A REBEL campaigner and author who was passionate about the Dorset countryside has died. Rodney Legg, 64, lost his battle with cancer, his friends said. Described as unpredictable and eccentric at times, Mr Legg was known to fight his
ONE business was inspirited by the Echo’s lifesavers campaign to get 160 signatures in just two days. The Co-Operative Store on Portland Road, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, put out a copy of the petition on their counter and have been overwhelmed by the response
A SPECTACULAR time-lapse digital photography movie showing the unusual night-life of Portland will be among the films showcased in the ICCI arena. Former national newspaper photographer Norman Lomax is looking forward to seeing his Portland Timescapes
SAILORS are urging holidaymakers and residents to plan ahead for the 2012 Games next summer. Members of the Weymouth Sailing Club, including Paralympian Megan Pascoe and New Zealand Olympic-class windsurfer Natalia Kosinska, posed with a 2.4mR keelboat
THE family of a young father who was set on fire have condemned partygoers who laughed as he was engulfed in flames. The parents and sister of David Day have been asking “Why?” since they had a call from the Odstock burns unit in Salisbury telling them
AWARD-WINNING musician, singer, producer, twice Mercury Music Prize nominee, winner of more than five BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and scion of the UK folk royal family, Eliza Carthy is one of the UK’s pre-eminent modern musicians. Having played a sell-out
IT ALL used to be so simple. A nice roast on Sunday, cold meat and salad on Monday, Tuesday mince up the rest of the leftover meat and knock up a nice, comforting pie. A few staple recipes to fill Wednesday and Thursday, which we probably rotated
THERE was joy at the birth of a second baby for a Dorchester family. Baby Leo Dominique Lance Simpson was born at Dorset County Hospital on July 18, weighing 5lbs and 13oz. Mum Alicia Curtis, 19, and dad Samuel Simpson, 18, said that he was doing really
A FILM-MAKER who worked with Morecambe and Wise left a lasting legacy with his coverage of the liberated concentration camps. Hugh St Clair Stewart was born on December 14 1910 at Falmouth, Cornwall, and was educated at Clayesmore School in Dorset.
A VIEW of Portland and Weymouth harbour was the perfect backdrop for one couple’s happy day. Ruth Ashdown married Stuart Martindale, who live on Portland, on June 23 at the Boat that Rocks restaurant in Portland Harbour. It was the restaurant’s first
A TRANQUIL scene of a deer peering inquisitively across a bed of bluebells has won Dorset photographer Kris Dutson a national award. Kris initially won the South West regional award of The National Countryside Photography Competition and it was only
A FORMER builder from Dorchester died after falling down a flight of stairs, an inquest heard. Paul Martin Fennell, 56, of Cambridge Road in Dorchester, was found at the bottom of the stairs in the communal hallway of Victoria Court. West Dorset deputy
REGULAR Looking Back correspondent Brian Jackson has been in touch with information about a featured ship plus further details of the Air Service vessel Rafmoor. He writes: “With reference to Looking Back in the Echo of July 19, I can add the following
A FORMER Weymouth teacher turned literary sensation is returning to the county that inspired her series of novels. Kirsten Espensen, who taught at St Andrews School and Westfield Technology College, hit the big time last year when her Stonewylde
FORMER metallurgist Trefor Morgan has very kindly lent us a selection of old photographs of the Whiteheard torpedo works and Wellworthy’s at Ferrybridge. He found the pictures dumped in a skip in 1994 when the factory closed and has kept them ever since
Those young residents of Littlemoor between 4 and 7 years who are taking part in the Circus Stars summer reading challenge might like to know that there are extra events on Wednesdays. Between 2.30 and 3.30 the library will be doing Circus Capers;
I KEEP hearing the words openness and honesty when reading the few details released about the latest Academy proposal for Portland schools, yet the reality is far from it. At the very least parents and members of the community should have been given
With reference to the letter asking if Buffalo Bill has been to Weymouth (You Say, Saturday, July23) On February 10 1890 in the Old Jubilee Hall, St Thomas Street, Weymouth, there was a concert given by Sequah and his band to thank Weymouth people for
HAVING recently returned from our trip home to see our family in Weymouth, we were struck by the vast improvement to vehicular access to the town centre afforded by the new bypass and roundabouts. However, these undoubted improvements are offset by
Last week Dorset’s county councillors voted by a whisker for a cut in funding which will, in time, lead to the loss of small libraries across the whole county. Everyone knows the county council is strapped for money but it wasn’t to save money that
A SPIRITED performance from tailenders Matt Metcalfe and James Hayman got Dorset to within touching distance of Oxfordshire after day two of an absorbing Minor Counties Championship clash at Dean Park. Starting the day on 23 without loss, Dorset made
Controlled burning will take place on heathland near Dorchester this week. The aim is to help officials learn more about dealing with fires which have devastated some of Dorset’s rare wildlife habitats in recent years. The blaze which destroyed around
WEYMOUTH boss Brendon King is hoping to open contract talks with Ben Gerring and Kyle Bassett over the next couple of days. The talented duo took part in a trial game at Blue Square Bet Premier outfit Stockport County on Sunday but it appears they both
PHIL Simkin praised his fledgling Magpies after they fought back to secure a draw at Hamworthy United last night. A youthful Dorchester contingent, bolstered by the inclusion of fit-again Ashley Nicholls and fellow midfielder Jamie Symes, fell
DORCHESTER THIRDS 134 (4pts) lost to PIMPERNE 138-3 (20pts) by seven wickets A POOR batting performance on a very friendly wicket proved costly as Dorchester Thirds went down at the hands of fellow promotion hopefuls Pimperne. An excellent 81 not
BRIDPORT’S Stephen Wiltshire set a new record while on international duty. The Dorset Disabled Cricket Club member, who travelled to Newport, South Wales with five other team-mates, smashed an unbeaten 105 off just 46 balls to record the first-ever century
FORMER Weymouth director Shaun Hennessy believes personal opinions must be put to one side in order to safeguard the club’s future. The ardent fan’s company Blondz has become the Terras’ new main shirt sponsor and he is hoping more local businesses
SOME 270 dedicated golfers took part in Ashley Wood’s annual captain’s weekend. In wet and windy conditions, the format was an individual stableford with a bit of a twist. The captain had holes three, six, 11 and 16 cut with two flag holes, one being
NETBALL coach June Reed was honoured at the annual South West Regional Awards. Reed, who coaches and volunteers at Weymouth Junior Netball Club, scooped the Grassroots Coach Award at Taunton Vale Sports Centre. The seaside outfit currently has 38 members
