Archive

ECHO readers, who responded to a website poll, were split down the middle on banning internet chatrooms. Fifty-four per cent of voters said chatrooms should be allowed, whereas 46 per cent of people wanted them banned.

COUNCIL chiefs plan to end weekly fireworks on Poole Quay and shelve plans for a laser light display throughout the summer. As a residents' association collects signatures in protest against weekly fireworks on the grounds that they pose a noise nuisance

KILL BILL VOLUME 1 Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A Fox, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Sonny Chiba GENRE: ACTION CERTIFICATE: 18 VIEWING GUIDE: Swearing, sex, violence "Revenge is a dish best served cold - Old Klingon proverb

A ROLL of honour to commemorate the people of Poole and surrounding areas who died during military conflicts since 1900 will be created on the internet. Not only will it mark the contribution and sacrifices made by locals, it will also serve as a resource

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (12A) Movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn once quipped: "A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad." It's a barbed insult that applies all too readily to this, Steven Norrington's fantasy adventure, which tries to conceal

PLANTS, animals and the natural world are the inspiration for an unusual outdoor sculpture exhibition at Exbury Gardens, in the New Forest. The magnificent trees and herbaceous borders at Exbury provide an appropriate backdrop for this exhibition, entitled

Alright, so whose bright idea was this then? "Let's all enter the Great Britain Mini-Golf Open." "It'll be great." "We might do well." Yeah, brilliant... It's about 8pm on the Friday night before the Great Britain Mini-Golf Open in Hastings and we've

A £1 MILLION extension at Purbeck House Hotel in Swanage is bucking the trend for hotel closures in the seaside resort. Purbeck House Hotel, which dates back to 1875, has added 20 new bedrooms bringing its total number of rooms to 38. The family-owned

Greetings once again, perusers of all things gigular - it's the Lonergan here again, covering things while Marco's swanning about doing posh gigs at the Cavern in Liverpool. You may have noticed that we sometimes use this space to feature gigs outside

Wilson's the only children's author who can pen such a sad-happy (though a tadge over-elaborate) tale about a girl who loves fairies and make it tantalisingly realistic. Lonely Violet dotes on her controlling brother, Will, who behaves more cruelly after

Great eight for Seasiders South Petherton 1 Lyme Regis 8 STRAIGHT talking during the interval from boss Chris Andrews and an instant shock after the re-start jolted the under achieving Seasiders into a devastating surge of finishing power. Seasiders,

First win for Hawks Bridport Hawks 3 Dawlish 1 AFTER a disappointing start with a 2-0 defeat against Minehead, Hawks regrouped to show their new division their intentions. Fortress Colfox held firm until a few minutes from half time, when the Hawks, who

Blues cruise Bridport 53 Poole 0 BRIDPORT got back to winning ways in style at the Brewery Field. The Blues were quick to open the score with an overhead pass from Jamie Dawe at number 8 in his debut first team appearance. Scrum half Chris Scadding was

Colfox girls get double bronze SIR John Colfox School's talented biathletes claimed a double top three finish in the southern championships in Newbury. A fantastic performance gave both teams a place in the national schools' championships in Manchester

Last gasp Bees Bridport 1 Bishop Sutton 0 NEW look Bridport rediscovered their early season form in an enthralling win over Bishop Sutton at St Mary's Field. After completely dominating an exciting second half, it looked as though the Bees might have

Barnstaple 82 Bridport 70 BRIDPORT'S youngsters went into this game as massive underdogs against a Barnstaple side who finished in the top half of Division One last year. But it was home coach Chris Rook who was looking for answers as Bridport took an

It was good to see that all that practice that David Beckham has put in with Johnny Wilkinson has borne fruit. The way he slotted that conversion between the posts in the game against Turkey was pure perfection. It could also open up a new career as a

MAGNUS Zetterstrom teamed-up with Antonio Lindback to reinforce Pirates' superiority in heat nine of this semi-final, second leg, clash as they progressed into a two-legged final against Eastbourne. Belle Vue, who never really had a hope of pulling back

MAGNUS Zetterstrom teamed-up with Antonio Lindback to reinforce Pirates' superiority in heat nine of this semi-final, second leg, clash as they progressed into a two-legged final against Eastbourne. Belle Vue, who never really had a hope of pulling back

THERE is a packed programme on offer at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil over the next week, starting tonight with a performance of classical music by Wessex Winds. The concert, which starts at 7.30, will include pieces by Dvorak and Franz Krommer, as well

INTERNATIONAL piano star Madalina Rusu will be performing as soloist when Dorset Chamber Orchestra play at St Mary's Church in Dorchester on Saturday, October 25. Rusu, who last year came first at the International pro-Piano Competition in Bucharest,

TODAY (16) Canford School Choral Society and String Orchestra, United Church, Dorchester Pavao Quartet, Piddletrenthide Church Peasouper, Gillingham School Archaeus String Quartet, Lighthouse, Poole (1.05pm) The Shell Seekers, Lighthouse, Poole Sweet

TRIBUTES were paid today to student Tom Dowdney who died in a car crash a month after his 18th birthday. Tom, of Chickerell Road, Weymouth, was killed in a smash between a Ford Escort and a Vauxhall Astra on the Weymouth to Bridport coast road on Tuesday

BEACH chalets, the crematorium and cemeteries may be privatised in Weymouth as the borough council aims to beat its financial crisis. The moves are to be considered as ways of revamping the authority's finances over the next five years after a special

A LEISURE centre has been slammed by Government inspectors for not having any staff with childcare qualifications. Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre in Dorchester has been forced to improve its school holiday day camps after an Ofsted report found the facility

Thursday 16 October: Kangaroo Moon + Djambo - Mr Kyps; Ricky & Gerry Hearne - Plough Inn, Tiptoe; Crosscut Saw - Malt & Hops, Southbourne; Ariel X - Mister Smiths; Acoustic Lounge - Salisbury Arms, Purewell; Maine Street + Shantytown Lo-Fi + Rick

POLICE have warned residents to be on their guard after an elderly woman was duped into paying over £500 for gardening work at her home in Mosterton. Officers were called after a man turned up at her house and offered to lop some trees. Later he returned

ANGRY residents spoke of their fears at a meeting about the proposed wind farm in Portland Harbour. People from Portland and Weymouth last night gathered in the function room of the Wyke Smugglers pub to air their views at the annual meeting of the Wyke

A HOUSE clearance sale is set to make television stars of Weymouth couple Chris and Brian Finch. The homeowners will be filmed selling years of accumulated clutter to the highest bidder in front of millions of viewers tomorrow. Chris and Brian, from Briar

BIG BROTHER contestant Tommy Wright, who today woke up to national notoriety after a sexual encounter on TV, has been defending his romp with a fellow housemate. Tommy, 18, who is studying GNVQ science and English at Weymouth College, said: "I applied

THE oldest paperboy in town has died at the age of 94. Bunny Joy, whose family has run H and B Joy and Sons newsagents at Overcombe Corner since the early 1950s, died at Weymouth Nursing Home. Bunny was featured in the Echo for his 90th birthday, when

A JOB vacancy in the Antarctic proved irresistible for a Weymouth adventurer. When Craig Nicholls, 37, saw a job advert by the British Antarctic Survey in a newspaper looking for a meteorologist, he applied. Mr Nicholls, who lives with his sister Anne-Marie

A NORTH Dorset town - already lagging behind its rivals - could miss out on hundreds of thousands of pounds unless people start rolling up their sleeves, it has been revealed. Several years ago Blandfordians resolved to form a grass-roots organisation

CHERRIES star Derek Holmes could be sidelined for around six weeks after being struck down by a knee injury. Holmes limped out of Cherries 2-0 defeat at Yeovil on Tuesday after jarring his knee when he fell awkwardly. And the Scotsman discovered yesterday

CHERRIES star Derek Holmes could be sidelined for around six weeks after being struck down by a knee injury. Holmes limped out of Cherries 2-0 defeat at Yeovil on Tuesday after jarring his knee when he fell awkwardly. And the Scotsman discovered yesterday

IF YOU thought traffic was bad already things are only going to get worse. One of Bournemouth's key bottlenecks, which already sees more than 50,000 cars a day pass through, is set to become even more congested. Castle Lane East is home to the Royal Bournemouth

A NEW respite care home for youngsters with learning disabilities and complex needs is being planned in Bournemouth. The Lansdowne Road facility, which will eventually replace Mayfield residential home, will cater for ten to 18-year-olds. Youngsters will

DRUG addicts and drunks are making life hell for doctors in Dorset, it has been revealed. Threats and violence are common in surgeries and hospitals across the county and action must be taken to reduce the risks, it has been claimed. The claims were made

FORMER Bournemouth bank manager Brian Carpenter is hoping to rally support among the business community for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital's £2.5 million Jigsaw scanner appeal. The cause is very close to Brian's heart. Three years ago the Ferndown father-of-two

MYSTIC RIVER (15) Sometimes it's not possible to let sleeping dogs lie - they simply wake up of their own accord. In Mystic River, a fragmentary thriller adapted from Dennis Lehane's gripping novel, three men bound by a traumatic past are thrown together

KILL BILL VOLUME 1 (18) Quentin Tarantino back on blistering form - see review. THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (12A) SEAN CONNERY is the legendary Alan Quartermain in this action adventure. MYSTIC RIVER (15) A powerful tale of shattered innocence

PLANTS, animals and the natural world are the inspiration for an unusual outdoor sculpture exhibition at Exbury Gardens, in the New Forest. The magnificent trees and herbaceous borders at Exbury provide an appropriate backdrop for this exhibition, entitled

TONIGHT (16) Showerhead/False Pretences (Finns, Westham Road, Weymouth): A double-bill of the new wave of young Weymouth rock bands, both of whom mix alt rock covers with well-crafted original material. Jam On It (Verdis/Mariners, Maiden Street, Weymouth

Mountainous coffee table-sized guide to our planet (well, maybe not science teachers') with superb colour images. It's divided into sections on history, land, ocean, atmosphere and the tectonic (gulp) planet. If you've a geek in the family Earth should

Third, too, in Patterson's heavily researched, political thriller series about US President Kerry Kilcannon. He marries but joy is marred when his missus's brother-in-law massacres her relations. (Weddings never go to plan, do they?) So Mr President takes

Third novel in (Sharpe) author Cornwell's compelling Holy Grail series. It's 1347 (teenagers' wake-up time) and Thomas is sent off with the archers (not you, Joe Grundy) to track the sacred relic, waging war against his enemy cousin. But the hunter becomes

Fifth straight win for Bitz Division One Autobitz 35 Portland Stone 31 AUTOBITZ maintained their 100 per cent record in a closely contended match. The Bridport team took a slight lead and managed to hold on throughout, looking fit, confident and working

Clean sweep for Colfox SIR John Colfox School runners swept the board in the latest south west Dorset schools' cross-country at Budmouth Technology College. The school won in every age group they entered with seven finishing in the top 12 of the year

Poole Yacht club has one of the most active youth groups in the country realising that without new blood a club can quickly stagnate and suffer the fate of waning enthusiasm not only in the racing classes but from volunteers who have been volunteering

FERNDOWN Otters confirmed their status as Dorset's leading club when they comfortably saw off local rivals Bournemouth Dolphins and Poole in the National Speedo Leagues Premier Division West. Otters were without three of their leading swimmers - Karen

BOURNEMOUTH were given a harsh wake-up call as Maidenhead ruthlessly exposed their frailties in the Southern Premier League. The newly-promoted outfit went into the game with their confidence sky-high following their opening day win over London Wayfarers

SPORTS Club International have today published their 2004 Youth Football Festivals brochure. The Weymouth-based company are offering events across the country for girls and boys aged from seven to 15. Their programme includes tournaments in Great Yarmouth

WEYMOUTH boss Steve Claridge is being tipped as one of the leading contenders for BBC's Superstars crown, writes Paul Baker. The Terras player\manager is among a cast of 44 male and female competitors who will be doing battle over the next seven weeks

STEVE Claridge has ruled himself out of a dramatic return to old club Millwall after the Lions yesterday parted company with manager Mark McGhee. The Terras boss, who enjoyed a successful stint with the London club before taking over the Weymouth hotseat

EIGHTY key business figures gathered to showcase Poole's best tourism operators at the new Echo-backed Sibbett Gregory Palms Awards. FJB Hotels celebrated a double victory as John Butterworth scooped Tourism Personality of the Year and also shared the

DAVEY Watt faces an agonising wait to see if he will be fit to line up for Pirates in the British League Cup final at East-bourne this weekend. The Australian rider sustained a suspected broken scaphoid during Poole's 46-44 home win over Belle Vue in

A CHILDREN'S charity has joined forces with Poole Speedway to help a terminally-ill five-year-old boy swim with dolphins in Florida. The Bluebell Children's Trust is to hold a raffle and collection for Harrison King at the speedway meeting in Poole Stadium

AN EMOTIONAL tale of lust and intrigue will be played out at Weymouth Pavilion next week when the town's drama club stages The Herbal Bed. Peter Whelan's play, which is based on a true story, is set in the Stratford Upon Avon of 1613, where Susannah,

A BRACE of old favourites return to Dorset next week courtesy of the ever-popular Artsreach initiative. That wacky trio of musicians The Old Rope String Band bounce back with four performances of their trademark combination of comedy and sounds. The band

IT'S ALL go at the Regent Centre in Christchurch over the next few days, when everything from Chaucer to top musicals and award ceremonies. On Saturday, Geoffrey Chaucer & Co present musical variations of The Clerk's and Pardoner's Tales, two very

LOCAL bards can give their verses an airing tomorrow night when Dorchester Arts Centre hosts one of its regular Poetry Cafes. The guest slot on the night will be Patience Agbabi, former poet-in-residence in a tattoo parlour and now a lecturer at Cardiff

YVETTE Staelens and Michelle Hicks, otherwise known as Roots Quartet, are playing at the New Inn at West Knighton next Thursday. The misleadingly-named duo have been working together as singers, musicians, performers and workshop leaders since 1991. They

YOU can catch the Canford School Choral Society and String Orchestra at Dorchester's United Church tonight when they perform pieces by Brahms, Bach and Parry. The concert is at 7.30pm and tickets are £6, including refreshments. Tickets are available from

THE Portland Singers and Weymouth Concert Brass are teaming up to present a concert of Proms-style music at St John's Church, Weymouth, next Tuesday. The performance, which will also include hits from stage and screen, starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5

ONE of the world's most sought-after pianists, Freddy Kempf, is giving a recital in Sherborne on Saturday. Freddy, who became the youngest ever winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1992 when he was just 15, will be playing pieces by Beethoven and

RENOWNED singer and actress Mary Rose Mallia will be taking to the stage at Wey Valley School tomorrow night for a concert with some of the school's top young singers. The performance, which is part of Wey Valley's International Concert Series, is entitled

FREE CHECKS ON OFFER AT HEALTH AWARENESS DAY FAMILIES in Dorchester are being urged to get fit physically and mentally at a Health Awareness Day on Saturday. A bouncy castle for all ages, skittles and the chance to take part in a stress management seminar

Thursday 16 October: Kangaroo Moon + Djambo - Mr Kyps; Ricky & Gerry Hearne - Plough Inn, Tiptoe; Crosscut Saw - Malt & Hops, Southbourne; Ariel X - Mister Smiths; Acoustic Lounge - Salisbury Arms, Purewell; Maine Street + Shantytown Lo-Fi + Rick

SPORTS enthusiasts were given a sneak preview of a proposed £6 million leisure centre for Dorchester when plans for the project were unveiled for the first time. The Duchy of Cornwall has teamed up with the Wessex Sports Charitable Trust to build the

THE future of the important South West Coast path, which provides access to the Jurassic Coast, is under threat because of a lack of funding, council chiefs claim. Dorset County Council, together with the National Trust, maintains and manages the stretch

THE man who has steered a hospital's league of friends for many years is due to retire. David Crosthwaite has been involved with the Dorset County Hospital League of Friends since it was founded nearly 50 years ago and will step down as chairman next

A COMPANY has come under fire from Portlan-ders after fencing off a section of common land. Blue Water Horizons, who operate a yard on crown common land at Ferry-bridge, put up 385 metres of fencing around their site in February. Islanders are upset at

LICENSEES John Ford and Karen Trimby are celebrating after the West Bay was named Dorset's dining pub of the year. They received the accolade in the 2004 edition of the Good Pub Guide. The couple took over the former West Bay Hotel in 1999 and have successfully

LOCAL food producers and suppliers could be encouraged to bid for county council food and catering contracts. The move forms part of an investigation looking at whether the authority should adopt procurement policies which encourage the provision of food

SENSITIVE Green Belt land on the outskirts of New Milton should not be given up for housing development, New Forest planners have insisted. The current inquiry into the district Local Plan - the development blueprint for the next decade - has heard calls

OH the joys of life on a campsite! No dishwasher in your average motorhome, so the pots and pans, crockery and cutlery from the evening meal have to be hauled over to the toilet block where there are outside sinks with hot water provided. In early autumn