CERNE ABBAS OLYMPIC torch: Cerne Abbas First Schools and members of the community will be forming a human Olympic torch on the Cerne Giant. This endeavour, which will be accompanied by considerable media coverage, takes place on Monday, May 28 at
COASTGUARDS searching for three missing fishermen off Portland have found a body. Dorset Police said a body believed to be one of the fishermen from the boat Purbeck Isle was recovered from the sea at 5.30pm today. The family of crewmembers
COMMUNITIES across Dorset can bid for a share of £2million to protect and improve their local sports playing fields. The National Lottery investment is on offer in the latest round of Sport England’s Protecting Playing Fields fund to enhance local playing
ORGANISERS have been forced to move Weymouth’s RNLI lifeboat week because of the Olympics. The annual showcase is usually held in July when there are a host of events and activities. But the RNLI volunteers have switched the week to May 20 to 27 instead
A GROUP of fiery women from Dorset’s control room are limbering up to join the fight against cancer. The Firey Controllers, a team of at least seven female control operators from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, will be making their presence felt alongside
WEYMOUTH hosts its first Race for Equality tomorrow. People will be walking, running and wheeling down the Esplanade. The event, which starts at 11am and has a 1.5k and 3k route, will be raising money for a centre for disabled people, carers and older
THERE is not long left for walking women to qualify for an early bird registration fee for the sixth Midnight Walk in Weymouth in aid of the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust. The walk, on Saturday, August 18, will introduce a new 13-mile route for those who
RESCUERS are scouring 350 miles of sea in their search for three fishermen feared dead. The search operation will continue until sunset tonight, they say. The three missing Weymouth fishermen have been named locally as David McFarland
DEVASTATED loved ones said goodbye to a beloved dad and friend and addedd: “He was always there when we needed him.” Family and friends of Dorchester man Mick Stroud paid tribute to ‘an absolute legend’ who was loved by everyone who knew him. The 63
A DORSET watercress farmer has celebrated the 250th anniversary of the sandwich with the ancestor of its creator. The 4th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu is believed to have invented the snack, with the first ever creation containing cold roast beef, horseradish
FUNDRAISERS are getting on their bikes to support Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. The charity’s second annual Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge takes place on Sunday and is looking for the public to give the cyclists a cheer on their way.
THREE-TIME Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie secured a historic sixth Finn world title today, albeit in frustrating circumstances. The 35-year-old, who will start the relay of the Olympic flame at Land’s End this morning, held a 20-point cushion
A DORSET mayor has come under fire again after boycotting the church service for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. A decision by Bridport Mayor David Rickard to let his deputy Geoff Ackerman do the honours has been condemned. Coun Rickard’s refusal to attend
TEN NEW governors have been appointed for Dorset County Hospital. A total of 13 governor positions were the subject of elections this month and the successful candidates will now help shape the future of the Dorchester hospital. Three patient governors
SEMI-SKIMMED milk will be fuelling endurance athlete Tim Ellis on the greatest challenge of his life – an 87-mile run, 22-mile kayak and 180-mile cycle. The sports enthusiast from Portland is setting off at dawn tomorrow to push his body to
DETECTIVES in Weymouth are appealing to a good Samaritan to come forward following an alleged assault in the town. Officers are also keen to speak with any witnesses and anyone who may have information. The incident involving a man and
RESIDENTS viewed plans for a £6million solar farm at a public exhibition. They took a closer look at the scheme to install thousands of solar panels across two fields on the outskirts of Weymouth. Wessex Solar Energy invited people to have their say
A ROBBER has been jailed for five-and-a-half years after admitting attacking a hotel worker and stealing cash. Steven Williams, of Wimborne, pictured, was one of two men responsible for attacking a member of staff at the Premier Inn along Ringwood
A TWO-vehicle collision on the Weymouth relief road caused delays. The collision involving two silver cars happened near the Littlemoor roundabout early yesterday afternoon. Police officers were called to the scene at 12.39pm in two police cars. The
A FORMER airline pilot who has helped transformed the lives of people with disabilities said he was ‘honoured’ to receive his MBE. John Lambert received his medal from Lord Lieutenant for Dorset Valerie Pitt-Rivers at a special ceremony at County Hall
A HUSBAND and wife who are wanted in connection with a stabbing have links with Dorset. Hertfordshire Police are appealing for information after a man in his 30s was stabbed in the chest on May 11. Frank Varey, 32, from Lancashire and Louise Varey,
THE search for three missing fishermen is continuing. Weymouth Lifeboat is expected to return to refuel and resume the search. The Purbeck Isle went missing around 6pm last night after it failed to return to port. Lee Fisher, of
A CORONER has said that ‘there are too many unanswered’ questions over the death of a Weymouth man whose body was found at a nature reserve. Walkers discovered the body of 69-year-old Peter John Norman at the Lodmoor Nature Reserve on January 20 this
A PAIR of armed robbers who held up a Weymouth post office with a sawn-off shotgun have been given lengthy prison sentences. Stephen James McCourt, 49, and James McMillan-McHendrie, 59 appeared before Judge Samuel Wiggs at Bournemouth Crown
DIG THIS! Tonight is the first night of a spectacle that will include a performing JCB digger, dancers, singers and musicians at the Olympic sailing venue. Hundreds of Dorset pupils are teaming up with young musicians, dancers, plus a teOlyam of 20 actors
A West Dorset craftsman has been roped in to help achieve a spectacular modern-day version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Martin Young, pictured, of Sitting Spirtually, based in Yawl Hill Lane, Lyme Regis, has made three of his bespoke wooden rope
DEL Boy might be the star of Only Fools and Horses, but he’d be lost without social-climbing second-hand car dealer Terrance Aubrey ‘Boycie’ Boyce. A fan of three-piece suits, Cognac and cigars, Boycie was the butt of many jokes. That Boycie revolutionised
Can one ask what number of West Dorset residents are members of John Grantham’s Public Holds WDDC to Account group? West Dorset has more than 79,000 residents on the electoral role, who every four years have the opportunity to vote in councillors to
The council in their wisdom switch off all the street lights at midnight in order to save all council tax payers money. So why is it that Gould’s Folly is lit up like a cruise liner all night long? P Holmes Linden Avenue Dorchester
As a result of our garage sale we are delighted to say we will be sending a cheque for £600 to the Fortuneswell Carers Unit at Dorchester Hospital. Our special thanks go to our friends who helped us and everyone who supported us with donations and the
CAN I reassure all residents (and in particular recent arrivals, Have Your Say, April 26 and May 3) that the bedding plants for the floral displays on the seafront and Esplanade will be planted out, as always, from the last week of May onwards. Putting
I OWN a holiday home at Weymouth Bay Holiday Park – also I keep a boat in Portland Marina. So I spend nearly all summer in and around Weymouth. On Saturday I had to catch the bus to Portland as I have done many times before. When the bus left Debenhams
A CHARITY is appealing for gardeners to get growing in a Dorchester allotment. Age Concern UK is looking for volunteers of all ages to help out with its community allotment in Alington Road. The group acquired the area two years ago as a project to
THE British Sonar Team are raring to go for this year’s Paralympics but first their sights are set on victory at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Holland. The Portland trio of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas are in Medemblik, training
Racing news OLYMPIC sailor Hannah Mills will take time out of her busy training schedule to start this year’s Round the Island Race. She will be competing in the annual race around the Isle of Wight alongside fellow Team Volvo sailors
BATTEN down the hatches, hoist up your petticoats, strengthen your underpinnings and brace yourself, ladies, Weymouth is poised to welcome the UK’s fastest rising band of the metal world. Since winning both Kerrang!’s best newcomers award and Metal Hammer
FISHERMEN have joined a major search for three missing men on a boat off Portland. Portland Coastguard and the Weymouth RNLI began the search last night for the Weymouth fishing vessel, the Purbeck Isle. The search resumed this morning
THREE race wins amid ‘unbelievable’ conditions on the penultimate day of the JP Asset Management Finn Gold Cup in Falmouth yesterday has seen Ben Ainslie move within touching distance of an historic sixth Finn World Championship title. With a 20-point
MIDFIELD maestro Ashley Nicholls has signed a new one-year deal with the Magpies to the delight of Phil Simkin. The 30-year-old was one of Dorchester Town’s standout players last season and retaining his services has been one of the club’s main priorities
WEYMOUTH Ladies have qualified to play in the country’s top tournament, which is specifically staged for National League sides. The resort outfit will travel to Ashcombe School, Dorking, to compete against the elite ladies’ teams over the weekend
DAVE Trotter is backing Weymouth to build on the positives from last weekend’s defeat when they host Blandford tomorrow (1.30pm). The Seasiders went down by six wickets at Broadstone but the final result did not tell the whole story. Trotter, who
MARTYN Richards must wait another week at the very least to make his first outing of the new season. A knee injury has kept the county town captain sidelined thus far and any hopes of making a comeback for tomorrow’s home clash with Ferndown Wayfarers
BEAMINSTER are still waiting to kick-off their Dorset League Division Two campaign after suffering back-to-back postponements due to the recent wet weather. Frustrated skipper Will Everitt is now keeping his fingers crossed ahead of tomorrow’s trip
A CLASSIC match is on the cards at Brewery Field tomorrow when Bridport go toe-to-toe with local rivals Portland Red Triangle in Dorset League Division Three (2pm). The last time the two sides locked horns in 2011 it ended in a thrilling tie and both
NOSTALGIA and the lure of Weymouth and Portland’s world-class sailing waters have tempted veteran Olympian Mike McIntyre back to competitive racing next month. The Olympic gold medallist, who claimed victory at the 1988 Seoul Games, will be making a
A SEARCH has resumed this morning to find a missing Weymouth fishing boat with three crew members aboard. Portland Coastguard was alerted yesterday evening and began the search for the Purbeck Isle DH104 assisted by Weymouth RNLI, the NCI at
