FESTIVAL director James Shepard is challenging runners to beat his time in the London Marathon. The 60 year old is co-director of the Larmer Tree Festival in north Dorset and will be tack-ling the race in aid of the MS Society. And he thrown down
A MUM is on the run to raise money and make play time happy for the children at a special school. Angie Hogg, of Kitchener Road, Weymouth, will take part in the London Marathon in April to help build a new playground at Westfield Arts College where her
WILDLIFE lovers fear Dorset’s rich countryside could be at risk under a shake-up of protection practices in the Budget. Dorset Wildlife Trust and the RSPB are among a group lobbying for the government to maintain the level of protection for wildlife
The Easter holidays are coming up and here’s one event that isn’t solely for the youngsters. On Tuesday 3rd April Cadbury’s and Groundwork are presenting Spot vs. Stripes, an event to get everybody involved in fun and games. We all know who Cadbury’
DEFENDER Sam Poole has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing a brain scan. The Weymouth youngster has been suffering from migraines ever since last Saturday's horrific clash of heads with team-mate Ben Gerring at Brackley Town.
A WEST Compton author is hoping to rally support for his new book about murderous birdwatchers. Writer Kevin Parr, whose work has appeared in various publications including The Idler and Anglers Mail, moved to Dorset last summer from Winchester. He
A MOTHER of two gay daughters has set up her own support group for parents coming to terms with their children’s sexuality. Colette Hill, 57, has launched the Ricochet group, which will meet in Dorchester every Saturday to offer advice to the families
YOUNGSTERS from Damers First School in Dorchester have been carrying on what Prince Charles started. A group of 15 children helped plant trees along Bridport Road just outside Poundbury that will form part of a new avenue. The Prince of Wales started
WEYMOUTH reader Phyllis Clarke brought in these images of Puddletown Carnival in, she thinks, 1996. What spurred her to pop them in was the sight of the price of petrol back then – 59.4p for a litre of unleaded, 64.4 for a litre of 4-star. But she says
AN RSPCA employee is taking a leap for the good cause and taking part in a charity skydive to raise some much-needed cash. Emma Slyfield, 22, an animal care assistant, will do the tandem skydive in May, as part of staff efforts to raise money
MORE glamour this week from Geoff and Liz Chapman who, judging by these photographs, spent much of their heyday rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous in Weymouth. Beauty queens, television entertainers and actresses all came to the resort
IN THE late 1980s and early 1990s the scourge of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and authority figures way beyond was journalist Simon Regan and his monthly publication, Scallywag. Simon, who had worked for the News of the World, specialised and
THE life story of a Dorset woman who broke the mould is the subject of the next play to be performed by Weymouth-based AsOne Theatre Company. It is said that struck by lightning as a baby, 19th-century fossil hunter Mary Anning was destined to be special
SPRIGHTLY Beryl Gray celebrated her 82nd birthday getting “mobbed” by young clubbers at a drum and bass night. She got a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ from the queue at Boscombe’s O2 – and demands to set up her own Facebook page. Beryl is a volunteer
MORE than 250,000 people are expected to enjoy attractions at the Jurassic Coast Earth Festival 2012 over the summer. It will celebrate the world heritage site with events in towns including Weymouth and Lyme Regis. The five-month-long
THIEVES smashed their way into a Dorchester shop before stealing cash from the premises. The raiders broke into Carpets Select, in the Grove Trading Estate, through a window on Friday night and stole around £300 cash. Steve Wheller and
RAIL passengers faced major delays after a man was killed after being hit by a train on the Weymouth-Waterloo line. The fatality happened at Surbiton in Surrey yesterday afternoon but the whole line was plunged into chaos for the evening rush-hour.
WEYMOUTH’S familiar skyline is changing as a landmark building takes shape. Engineers are ahead of schedule on work to construct the Weymouth Tower, a new waterfront tourist attraction which will give people a bird’s eye view of the resort and the Jurassic
WOW, it’s March already, and there’s now less than six months until the Games! Since racing in Miami in January at the Olympic Classes Regatta, Annie, Kate and I have been training in Cadiz, Spain. It’s amazing how much we were looking forward to
A WEYMOUTH mother has told how she is facing ‘a life sentence’ after a drink-driver killed her loving husband. Trudy Bartlett, of the Lanehouse Rocks area, said the ‘very silly’ decision of Steven Cleal to get behind the wheel after drinking last summer
AFTER more than 280 days of hard work carried out over two years by hundreds of volunteers, Osmington White Horse near Weymouth is back to its original splendour. The historic monument was officially recognised by Princess Anne, who took the opportunity
Torchbearers FORMER Weymouth teacher Neil ‘Doc’ Hardisty will be one of the inspirational torchbearers carrying the Olympic Flame through Dorset this summer. A full list of county torchbearers can now be seen online at london2012.com
A BIG-HEARTED gesture accompanied the golden wedding celebrations of Dorchester couple Alan and Janet Cousins. As they celebrated 50 years together, Alan and Janet asked for guests attending their party to donate to the British Heart Foundation’ The
WHEN the world’s top windsurfers gather in Cadiz, Spain, today for the opening ceremony of their championship event, Britain’s Bryony Shaw will be among them. But the Beijing Olympic bronze medallist will be making a last-minute decision
EXCELLENT cooking, laughter and shared interests are the secrets behind one couple being together for 60 years. Pamela and Eric Bird, from Charminster, will be celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary on Saturday, surrounded by their friends and
A COUPLE who first met in their prams have just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Peter and Dora Hutchings, both 91, from Preston, met on the Esplanade when they were being pushed in their prams. Mr Hutchings said: “As far as I know our nannies
TWO people were taken to hospital with 'serious injuries' after a collision in Weymouth. The crash occurred at 7.45am this morning and a man and a woman were taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. Their injuries were 'serious
NEARLY 100 people who packed a public meeting were urged to throw their weight behind alternative plans for the St Michael’s Trading Estate in Bridport. There was standing room only in the newly-refurbished Bridport Town Hall as proposals from the Enterprise
May I through your page thank the irresponsible, uncaring horse rider(s) that rode their mount along the footpath (yes footpath, not bridleway) at the top of Kestrel View one recent Sunday lunchtime and allowed their mount to defecate for four yards along
It was refreshing to read in the Echo the honesty of the council’s management committee chairman, Mike Goodman, who said that the fiasco over Condor ferry berthing was “the responsibility of the whole council ... all councillors have been involved in
This terrible accident on Wey-mouth Way has been waiting to happen for a long time. It is a most dangerous road and traffic comes down it very fast. We need a crossing linking the footpath to the nature reserve. It is shocking that road ‘improvements
I read with some interest a recent Echo story about the voluntary league of friends cafe at DCH being commercialised and taken over by the hospital to be run for profit. In a recent visit to Weymouth minor injuries unit, the lady at the league of
I REFER to the shocking fatal accident on the main road in Weymouth between Chafeys roundabout and the Swannery Bridge. A family has paid the price and a little five-year-old girl has paid with her life because of inept management and shocking planning
PEOPLE are being urged to start making travel plans now for the Olympic sailing events. History will be made this summer when Weymouth and Portland hosts the first-ever ticketed event for Olympic sailing, and the seafront comes alive with free cultural
Dorchester Town will be seeking redemption tonight when they do battle with high-flying Chelmsford City (7.45pm). Saturday’s dismal show at rock-bottom Thurrock saw the Magpies fall to successive defeats for the first time under Alan Knight
WEYMOUTH boss Brendon King has delved into the loan market and signed Yeovil Town defender Rhys Baggridge. The 19-year-old, who has spent the last three months at Poole Town where he netted four goals in 15 outings, comes in as defensive cover for Ben
BRIDPORT v MERTHYR TOWN DAN Wise is expected to shake off a minor knock and take his place on the field for tonight’s visit of promotion-chasing Merthyr Town (7.45pm). The Bees’ midfielder scored what proved to be the winning goal at Odd Down on Saturday
PORTLAND UNITED 3 BLANDFORD UNITED 1 LIAM Currell’s brace helped Portland United return to the Magna Dorset Premier League summit. The Blues fell behind at Grove Corner to a strike from Albert Harwood but their new recruit soon equalised and then
CHICKERELL UNITED 2 SHERBORNE TOWN RESERVES 1 LIAM Miles played a starring role as Chickerell United overcame basement boys Sherborne Town Reserves at Cranford Avenue. The all-action midfielder, who was handed the captaincy for the game, smashed
SHAFTESBURY 0 BRIDPORT RESERVES 1 LEE Cleal pulled off a fine penalty save as Bridport Reserves returned to winning ways at second-bottom Shaftesbury in the Magna Dorset Premier League. The Bees, who were still smarting from their Dorset Senior Trophy
AARON Cook appears to be in good shape approaching this summer’s Olympic Games in London after striking gold in the -80kg category at the Dutch Open in Eindhoven. The Dorchester-born taekwondo ace’s success also included sweet revenge over compatriot
DORCHESTER 27 WIMBORNE 11 DESPITE playing 50 minutes a man short, Dorchester climbed to third in Southern Counties South with victory over Dorset rivals Wimborne. The visitors started well at Coburg Road, gaining position in Dorch-ester’s 22 and several
