A hit at the recent Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, Santosh Sivan's epic drama traces the life of Emperor Asoka, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, who ascended the throne of Magadha in the 3rd century BC. Asoka desperately wanted to extend the boundaries
The Coen brothers are renowned for their meticulously scripted and executed thrillers, most tinged with wickedly black humour. The Man Who Wasn't There is a noir thriller, shot in glorious black and white, which is heavily influenced by the work of Pulp
SWANAGE's newest art gallery has opened with a brilliant variety of paintings, sculpture and stunning modern furniture. Quarr Gallery, at 7 High Street, has work ranging from neo-classical paintings in the style of the Italian and Dutch Old Masters by
CIVIC chiefs have agreed on plans to safeguard the future management of Wareham's ancient walls. The landmark monument dates back to Saxon times but it is coming under pressure as it also used as an important public open space by local people. The unique
Into The Void (Finn M'Coul's, Weymouth): Finn's call on the service of this Black Sabbath tribute band to celebrate Hallowe'en. Prizes for the best ghoulish fancy dress. Phlegm (Three Compasses, Charminster): This band intends to explore rock's more humorous
FRIDAY (26) Gothic Chicken (Mariners, Maiden Street, Weymouth): The Goths are the first band to play at Mariners since guv'nor Mike Shalts' sad passing. Torn Apart (Finn M'Coul's, Westham Road, Weymouth): Blink 182, Green Day, Nirvana, and Metallica from
SO MUCH stuff, so little time. How on earth am I meant to get to sleep when people will insist on setting up noteworthy gigs which I then have to write about? I'd arranged my desk just so as well, with a little bed of straw for my weary head on the computer
Channel League Division 1 Weymouth 4 Exeter 1 Weymouth started strongly, putting pressure on the Exeter defence straight from the whistle. They were soon rewarded with a good run from Marianne Geraty who laid the ball off to Lynda Drewitt who opened the
I went to the opticians a couple of weeks ago to have my eyes tested and get a new pair of glasses. The males in my family are all short, short-sighted and short of hair, so my genes dictated that I was to be no Adonis, and I certainly haven't disproved
Under-12s Division Three United Dorchester 0 Weymouth FC 17 Weymouth celebrated the hand-over of their new kit with a comprehensive victory at neighbours United Dorchester. The young Terras proved unstoppable as they raced into a 6-0 half-time lead and
DORCHESTER RES 2 SHAFTESBURY 0 DORCHESTER are five points clear at the top of the Dorset Combination League after seeing off the challenge from their nearest rivals at the Avenue Stadium last night. But the Magpies most experienced second team line-up
DORCHESTER-based drivers Anthony Willmington and Andy White are on cloud nine after being handed the chance to rub wheels with the big boys of the motor rallying world in next month's prestigious Network Q Rally. Their entry for what is the last round
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Pinocchio, Weymouth Pavilion (2pm) Weymouth Choral Society, Holy Trinity Church, Weymouth Batna Marimba, Weymouth Arts Centre Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir, St Mary's Church, Dorchester String Whistle, Dorchester Arts Centre Ring
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31 Festival of Light workshops, Dorchester Arts Centre Ring Around the Moon, Bridport Arts Centre Rasputin, Poole Arts Centre BSO, Poole Arts Centre West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29 Festival of Light workshops, Dorchester Arts Centre The Lighthouse, Poole Arts Centre James Last and his Orchestra, Windsor Hall, BIC West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 Blithe Spirit, Weymouth Pavilion Joanna MacGregor Ensemble Bash, Poole Arts Centre West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
WEYMOUTH Choral Society is gearing up for its new season, which begins next month with an Autumn Concert in Holy Trinity Church, Weymouth. The performance, at 7.30pm on Saturday, November 3, will include popular pieces by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn
WEYMOUTH Drama Club is in high spirits as it celebrates 70 years as one of the town's top entertainment providers. And to commemorate seven decades of dramatic successes, the club is staging the Noel Coward classic Blithe Spirit at Weymouth Pavilion from
ART historians believe they may have traced a historic royal portrait to Dorset - and it could be worth more than £3 million. They say the intimate painting of a mother and child dated 1840 could be an undiscovered portrait of Queen Victoria cradling
MORE THAN 70 ex-pupils went back to school at a special event at Moreton Tea Rooms. The newly converted tea rooms were formerly the village school, which was closed in the 1960s after its facilities were deemed inadequate. But old pupils were invited
A SHOCKING pornographic website advertising orgies in Weymouth has been condemned as bad for the town's family image. A seedy swingers group based in the town has set up the internet site. The group claims it holds orgies at a house in Weymouth and at
WORK to develop Portland's Boscawen Centre into a housing and hotel complex looks set to start next spring. Housing chiefs at developer Comer Homes, who bought the centre from the Ministry of Defence, are hoping that planning consent for the project will
DORCHESTER youngsters met up with council officials to discuss whether part of a town car park could be cordoned off for skateboarders, cyclists and in-line skaters. Organised by Dorchester Youth Extra, an action group run by teenagers, last night's meeting
PROLIFIC West Dorset wildlife photographer Colin Varndell has again been praised for his pictures. He has been awarded highly commended status for a striking image of local wild flowers - snake's head fritillaries - in the British Gas Wildlife Photographer
HOPEFULS are being urged to audition for acting parts and backstage roles in Dorchester's new community play. Casting workshops are being held at the Thomas Hardye School and Eldridge Pope buildings from November 3 to 4 as preparations continue for the
A DORSET council chief has denied claims the number of staff on hand to deal with flooding problems this winter has been halved by redundancies. Chief executive of North Dorset District Council Alan Greaves said that despite staff restructuring in the
AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS (12) Frothy romantic comedy satirising the phenomenon of the celebrity couple. Actress Gwen (Catherine Zeta Jones) and her estranged actor husband Eddie (John Cusack) are a superstar couple with a secretly fraught relationship, while
The Coen brothers' comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? transported Homer's Odyssey to the Deep South, with a soundtrack of infectious American roots folk music. When the soundtrack was released, it became a massive hit. Now, directors Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus
It seems that Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell were wrong - gentlemen don't prefer blondes... at least not young gentlemen like Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), who dreams of becoming a US senator. Warner is dating Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon),
HOW typical of a season in which winds have all too often been too light or too heavy. When Enterprises gathered at Parkstone YC for their Southern Area Championship last weekend they could have been in the Doldrums - just six days after the stormiest
LIVING up to her name Avalanche crushed her Class 1 opponents with a storming win in Parkstone YC's open cruiser winter race last Sunday, the third of the series. After a cracking start skipper Barrie Lovelock, chairman of Poole Yacht Racing Association
Frank E Finn (Boot Inn, High Street, Weymouth): Celtic airs to rock'n'roll from Frank. Dr Stomp and Professor Oz (No 10 Caf Bar, East Street, Bridport). Gut and Steel (The Isobar, Weymouth): Contrasting acoustic guitar styles from Andy and Mark. Bodgit
The Chosen Ones (Players, The Esplanade, Weymouth): Barely out of short trousers (sorry chaps!) and they're seasoned giggers already. Fiery blues-rock and original material from 9 to 11pm.
SUNDAY (28) Let Me Out (Finn M'Coul's, Weymouth): Joe Cocker to Ricky Martin, Beatles to Travis from Mark, Andy and Pete, from 7pm. Sugar Mama (Hope & Anchor, Bridport): Acoustic, female-fronted blues, from 3pm. Version 2:0 (The Anchor, Weymouth):
SATURDAY (27) Gothic Chicken (Old George, Trinity Street, Dorchester): Association to Zombies, an A to Z of the Chicken's set. Dr Stomp (Hope & Anchor, Bridport): ...and Professor Oz, I'll bet. Hillbilly hoe-down is what you get, played on fiddles
TONIGHT (25) Los Pacaminos featuring Paul Young/Ben Waters Band (Weymouth Pavilion Ocean Room, The Pavilion, Weymouth): There were some tickets left at time of going to press, so you should be able to get in on the door - but get there early. Tickets
I WAS saddened to learn of the death last Saturday night of Weymouth nightclub owner Mike Shalts after a long illness. I first met Mike in the early 1980s when he took over Verdi's Wine Bar in Maiden Street, Weymouth, when he asked me to find bands to
HINCKLEY United star Stuart Storer will use his Brighton and Hove Albion connections to get the lowdown on FA Cup rivals Weymouth. The 34-year-old defender plans to call Dorchester Town goalkeeper Mark Ormerod ahead of Saturday's fourth qualifying round
A COMBINATION of match-rustiness, heat leader absence and inspired opponents conspired to succumb Poole to a massive 32-58 defeat at Wimborne Road on Wednesday night. The Pirates first meeting since their away win at Eastbourne on October 6 was contested
POOLE Pirates' bid for silverware has been dealt a major blow following the injury of fans' favourite Krzysztof Cegielski. The 22-year-old heat leader was involved in a track spill in Poland at the weekend and will miss all three of Poole Pirates' Craven
FORGET plans for a new supermarket - inventor Ted Wells has come up with a much bolder plan to put Wimborne on the map. He wants to re-erect the spire on the Minster which fell down one market day 400 years ago. And it has been suggested that a phone
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Mappa Mundi, Dorchester Corn Exchange Komedy of Errors, Winfrith village hall Ring Around the Moon, Bridport Arts Centre The Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs, Poole Arts Centre West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Ring Around the Moon, Bridport Arts Centre Tony Lee, Tommy Whittle, Tony Archer and Bobby Worth, Poole Arts Centre West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30 Emperor's New Clothes, Drax Hall, Bere Regis (10.30am) Festival of Light workshops, Dorchester Arts Centre Ring Around the Moon, Bridport Arts Centre Rasputin, Poole Arts Centre West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28 Edward Fox reads Eliot's The Four Quartets, Poole Arts Centre Festival of Performing Arts concert, Regent Centre, Christchurch West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27 The Far Sky Country, Ansty village hall (4.30pm) Blithe Spirit, Weymouth Pavilion Massed Bands of the RAF, Poole Arts Centre West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 Blithe Spirit, Weymouth Pavilion Dennis 'Bad Bone' Rollins and Band, Poole Arts Centre West Side Story, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
AN EXHIBITION of work inspired by Weymouth and the Dorset coast will soon be on display at Art in the Square, Hope Square, Weymouth. This is the second year that artists Yvonne Edwards and Ray Goodey have held an exhibition, which this year will run from
THE nine-piece Zimbabwean percussion band Batna Marimba is all set to play at Weymouth Arts Centre on Saturday, November 3. The concert is all part of a concerted bid by the arts centre's action group to turn it into a thriving venue hosting arts and
WITH half-term almost upon us, Artsreach has announced its line-up of theatrical wonders aimed at keeping the small people occupied during their week's holiday. The list of events kicks off on Saturday with a performance of The Far Sky Country - a re-telling
A HOST of popular favourites will be belted out by The Massed Bands of the Royal Air Force when they take to the stage at Poole Arts Centre on Saturday. The theme from 2001 A Space Odyssey, Holst's Planet Suite, The March of the Siamese Children from
BOURNEMOUTH Sinfonietta Choir is returning to Dorchester for a concert that will include Durufle's requiem Bach's Komm Jesu Komm and Patrick Gowers' Ave to Augustine, which celebrates St Augustine's arrival in Canterbury 1,400 years ago. Samuel Barber's
CARER Matthew Cook told of his relief and sadness today after he was cleared of the manslaughter of Terry Benham at Winchester Crown Court. Mr Justice Richard McCombe ordered a jury to find Mr Cook not guilty after hearing how Mr Benham, 30, had waited
RESULTS of a record-breaking Dorset Echo poll on the future of Wey-mouth's historic harbourside railway line will be announced in tomorrow's paper. The poll has captured the imagination of readers and the Echo office has been flooded with coupons over
A MEETING to herald a new dawn in the fortunes of Dorchester was dramatically rescued after proceedings threatened to descend into chaos. Guests at a meeting to talk about the future of Dorchester, held at the Brownsword Hall at Poundbury and hosted by
A THIRD show has been pulled from Weymouth's Pavilion Theatre in just a month. The promoters of the Three Irish Tenors on November 1 decided to pull out of the show because they were not expecting a big enough audience. Pavilion bosses said ticket sales
DRIVERS in Dorset could soon face a blitz from mobile speed cameras. In a major shift in national speeding policy police are to deploy more mobile cameras in a bid to stop 'surfing' - when drivers slow down to pass fixed cameras and then speed up afterwards
HUNDREDS of vicious mink are again on the loose in the New Forest after a suspected fur farm break-in. Government trappers were drafted in on Wednesday as part of a police-led operation to control and contain the hordes of killer animals released from
AN inquiry into airport security has been demanded after the wife of a retired Lyme Regis butcher was allowed to board a plane with two meat skewers in her handbag. Dot Tuffin passed through tightened security checks at Luton Airport unchallenged, before
PROLIFIC West Dorset wildlife photographer Colin Varndell has again been praised for his pictures. He has been awarded highly commended status for a striking image of local wild flowers - snake's head fritillaries - in the British Gas Wildlife Photographer
UP to 4,000 customers in Dorset have been supplied with drinking water containing too much nitrate. The Drinking Water Inspectorate has issued a public notice stating that water from Wessex Water's treatment works at Milborne St Andrew has on occasions
CHAIRMAN Tony Swaisland says Cherries must maintain average gates of at least 5,000 just to keep their heads above water once they move into their multi-million pound new home. They have already sold all 6,000 tickets available for the two stands that
