OVER 80 runners raced around rambling road and country in the 55th Shave Cross mini marathon. Bridport man Shaun Dixon headed the field to take the men's title for the five and a half mile challenge. David Patrick, also from Bridport, was second and last
Vital win for Beaminster WEST MOORS 140-8 (3pts) lost to BEAMINSTER 141-1 (19) by 9 wkts. BEAMINSTER clambered their way out of danger after an easy win over sorry West Moors at the Memorial Playing Fields. The visitors, who only turned up with 10 men
FRIGHTENED residents in Canford Cliffs are calling for re-assurance from the police following the murder of Angela Chiu. The 48-year-old Poole masseuse was found stabbed to death in the bathroom of her £1 million home in Haven Road last Friday. Police
Sorry defeat for Symene SYMENE 190-8 (0pts) lost to COMBE ST NICHOLAS 194-3 (5) by 7 wkts. SYMENE crashed to defeat against their nearest rivals for runner up spot. Abysmal catching, which saw four simple chances go begging, and a controversial run out
Hot summer for Beaminster THE summer season was not only Beaminster's most exacting on record but also their most successful. In addition to the long standing Yeovil and Sherborne League, involving the first and second XIs, it was something of an administrative
SIR John Colfox School girl footballers were runners up in the Dorset Youth Games. They were representing West Dorset at the tournament, after winning the regional competition earlier in the year. Poole were the eventual champions, the only team to take
DORCHESTER go to Blandford in the Dorset Premier Division tomorrow badly needing one more win from their last four games to ease their relegation worries. But their cause has not been helped by the unavailability of two of their top youngsters, all-rounders
IT looks as though Dorchester have conceded defeat to their lower ranked neighbours Salisbury in the struggle to sign ex-Cherry Matt Tubbs. Magpies boss Mark Morris twice agreed deals with the 19-year-old striker this week, only to be told that the Wiltshire
PARISHIONERS at Beaminster are celebrating after scooping a prestigious national award for the restoration of their church tower. The congregation of St Mary's Church launched a £500,000 appeal in February 2000 to fund delicate repairs to the decaying
EATING a salad a day may be the easiest way to arrest the UK's decline in the consumption of vegetables, according to a new report. The Government's £52 million Five a Day campaign promotes the benefits of eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetable
TRADERS in Wimborne are calling for the end of a folk festival which, they say, cheapens their town and gives residents a miserable time. Toy shop owner Paul Gruitt says the damage done to Wimborne during its festival weekend in June now outweighs any
FARMER Paul Wilkinson was amazed when his entry in a balloon race landed 3,500 miles away in Kazakhstan. He paid £1 for one of 200 balloons to be released at the Piddle Valley First School fete on June 14 before it drifted across Europe to the central
BUS operator First has turned back the clock by employing a bus conductor in Weymouth. Ticket clippers went out of fashion more than 30 years ago but Mike Coleman has re-established the role - with a new twist. Rather than collecting fares from passengers
THE oldest business in Dorchester town centre is to close next year with a hairdressing salon to open in its place. The historic Templeman store is due to shut in Spring 2004 after owners Simon and Angela Lauder sold the building on the corner of Cornhill
A TEENAGER who was feared paralysed after an attack is now on course to make a full recovery. Kevin Praine, 17, of Lymington, has been walking again after an operation at South-ampton General Hospital. His family had been taking it in turns to stay by
SEAN O'Driscoll believes Cherries can defy the tipsters and mount a genuine Division Two promotion challenge if his squad can stay injury-free this season. Despite clinching the Division Three play-off title in style at the Millennium Stadium in May,
THE brother of a man murdered in last year's Bali bombing says executing one of the bombers will not make the area safe. Tobias Ellwood, whose brother Jonathan was killed in the atrocity, said there would be plenty more terrorists to take the place of
CAR thieves beware - police in Bournemouth have a new tool aimed at tackling car crime head-on. The Decoy Car hits the streets on Tuesday and will be parked in vehicle crime hotspots in the borough ready to catch unsuspecting criminals with its in-built
A ROAD closure scheme aimed at curbing trouble among drunk clubbers in Bournemouth town centre has been branded "unworkable" by the police. The trial to close Fir Vale Road and part of St Peter's Road to traffic from 11pm to 4am on Fridays and Saturdays
SWANAGE hoteliers have hit back at a travel writer's claim that the worst thing about their seaside resort is its 'tacky' accommodation and restaurants. The lengthy article in the Daily Mail would otherwise have tourist bosses rubbing their hands with
AVAST! Shiver me timbers! Splice the main brace! Land ahoy! Hard a-port and all hands on deck...! With scurvy knaves a-plenty and more salty sea dogs than you could shake a shake a reef knot at, Pirates of the Caribbean hoves into view, breaking a bleak
Portland United 2 Bridport 1 BRIDPORT were made to pay for failing to capitalise on their early dominance at Grove Corner. The Bees had started the inaugural Two Counties Cup tie the stronger, forcing the play particularly when former Blue Mick Greeno
Uplyme's teams go top SIDBURY 90-9 (2pts) lost to UPLYME AND LYME REGIS 95-2 (18) by 8 wkts. UPLYME eased past lowly Sidbury to go top of the table, with Woodbury slipping up in a losing draw at Chardstock. The wet wicket suited slow-medium pacer Russell
Victories for Broadwindsor and Melplash CHETNOLE 121-7 (0pts) lost to BROADWINDSOR 122-1 (5) by 9 wkts. BROADWINDSOR cruised to victory against struggling Chetnole at Middleton-Hands. The home side won the toss and put Chetnole into bat on a damp wicket
BRIDPORT complete their pre-season friendly programme at Elite Teamwear Dorset Premier outfit Westland Sports tomorrow (kick-off 3pm). With only a handful of exceptions, Bees manager Peter Conning has a full squad of players, who will be fighting for
CALLS to contact the owners of empty shops to get them to clean up their act have been renewed by Bridport Town Council's plans committee. Members heard that the district council did not have the power to remove posters from premises but there was a fire
BRIDPORT councillor David Tett hopes that a start can be made soon on redeveloping the former Fenwick and Best premises in West Street. Coun Tett, a town and district councillor, told the town council's plans committee this week that he had sought an
NO WAITING orders are likely to be introduced in parts of Bridport to improve road safety. The county council hopes to carry out parking reviews annually instead of every five years on a rotational basis with other towns. Members of Bridport Town Council
PLANS to create an overflow car park in South Street look set to go ahead - but the town council is not happy about it. Leader Charles Wild said that people living nearby and councillors had concerns over the scheme, which would involve a ramp going over
PEOPLE with trees overladen with fruit and no time to harvest it are being invited to Bridport Farmers Market tomorrow (Saturday). Symondsbury Apple Project is launching a fruit swap project and want to put busy tree owners in touch with people who can
CONSERVATIONISTS are stumping up thousands of pounds of their own money in a bid to save an ancient water meadow from development. The anonymous group will be offering £50,000 to brewery company Hall and Woodhouse to prevent Blandford's Crown Meadow being
THE poor weather did not beat Lifeboat Week results, with a total of £20,000 looking possible as receipts still flood in. Chairman of the RNLI guild in Lyme Regis, Fred Colbourne told the News: "The excellent result will once again be due to the generous
POLICE in Dorset have launched their fourth murder investigation in the space of a week after a young mother was found dead at her home in Christchurch (pictured) in the early hours of Thursday morning. Officers went to the address in Southey Road on
SIZZLING south coast resorts have hit back at a budget airline seeking customers on their doorsteps. Outraged by Easyjet ads plastered on buses in Poole and Bournemouth asking "You Are Here....Why?" the tourism offices have sought revenge. Feeling the
SPECTATORS at next Friday's Red Arrows display will have the chance to go home with a souvenir depicting photographs of the team's daring aerial manoeuvres. At the speed the team moves as it swoops and powers through the sky, it can be difficult to convey
HAMWORTHY KSE has supplied Northern Europe's first free-standing liquefied natural gas mini-production facility. Fleetsbridge-based Hamworthy KSE has supplied gas liquefaction process modules, mechanical process equipment and piping under a contract from
THE Daily Echo Film Club in conjunction with UCI offers Echo readers the chance to enjoy top movies at a cut price every week at UCI. Membership is free to every Echo reader who applies and includes: Two tickets for the price of one on one film every
NOT that it tries to disguise the fact, but Hollywood loves a fairy tale ending... and by virtue of that, so do we - apparently. That being the case, be prepared to fall hook, line and sinker for the slender dream-come-true finale of What a Girl Wants
IT seems that you can't market a children's film nowadays, without attaching some sort of gimmick. With the new Spy Kids movie, you get free 3-D cardboard glasses; for Rugrats Go Wild, your little ones can get to experience this pint-sized animated adventure
BRIDPORT Football Club's St Mary's Field ground is set to undergo a major facelift after the Bees received a massive cash boost. A grant of £96,499 has been awarded by the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, supporters of the Football Foundation, and the
POOLE lifting bridge fell victim to the blistering heatwave yesterday when it was unable to close because the metalwork had expanded too much. The 76-year-old bridge opened for harbour traffic shortly after midday but as the two road leaves were brought
A BANNED driver who caused his friend's death has been jailed for seven years. Simon Hickton, 21, who has never passed a driving test, got behind the wheel following a drinking session in Poole. His actions led to the death of 24-year-old bakery worker
Bridport closing in on promotion BRIDPORT 173 (20pts) beat FERNDOWN 155 (9) by 18 runs BRIDPORT secured another important victory over fourth placed Ferndown. They closed the gap on league leaders Fovant, who surprisingly went down to a three wicket defeat
PORTLAND United wrap up their pre-season friendly campaign with a trip to Screwfix Division One side, Weston St John tomorrow. The Blues take both their first and second teams to north Somerset for what boss Nick Preston reckons will serve as a 'good
WEYMOUTH will be without their inspirational skipper Hugh Lawes for tomorrow's must-win Dorset Premier Division showdown with Wimborne at Redlands (1.30pm). The ECB coach is attending a family wedding in London with vice-captain Dave Pearce taking up
STEVE Claridge admits he is close to signing Aldershot skipper Paul Buckle. The Terras player-boss reckons the 33-year-old midfielder has a 50-50 chance of making his debut in Weymouth's final warm-up game at Gloucester City tomorrow (3pm). Buckle, who
BRIDPORT Football Club's St Mary's Field ground is set to undergo a major facelift after the Bees received a massive cash boost. A grant of £96,499 has been awarded by the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, supporters of the Football Foundation, and the
WEYMOUTH chairman Ian Ridley today confirmed that the club has yet to reach a financial settlement with former manager Geoff Butler. Butler, who was sacked by the Terras in May, has instructed the PFA to begin legal proceedings to recover monies he claims
BRADPOLE brother and sister Simon and Lucy Jackson's hopes of setting an aviation record nosedived into the Serpentine on Sunday. They were among 40 hopefuls taking part with their home made, man-powered flying machines in the first Red Bull Flugtag in
BEAMINSTER bellringers are taking a softly-softly approach to cut down the noise on practice nights. Sound control is being installed in the belfry to reduce the impact that the loud bells have on neighbours in Church Street and St Mary Well Street. Events
HOPES that West Bay's new enlarged harbour would end the current eight-year wait for moorings were scuppered this week. The £14 million coastal defence scheme, currently under way, will provide a new outer harbour between the two realigned piers. It was
A FORMER pupil of Hooke School who went on to play drums with rock legends like Led Zeppelin and ACDC has asked Bridport music lovers to see if they can remember anything about him in his early days. As a young man Barry Scrannage played with The Shakedowns
BRIDPORT man Peter Douglas Rees has been charged with the murder of all five members of the Chohan family who disappeared from their West London home in February. Rees, 38, who now lives in Portsmouth, was charged in May with murdering Mr Amarjit Chohan
DORCHESTER'S main shopping streets are set to bustle with new life as commercial property is snapped up. National names and local traders are moving in and expanding in a bid to put the county town on the map as a shopping capital. The news comes as plans
A CYCLIST who broke his arm had to be rescued by coastguards when a locked barrier delayed an ambulance crew from reaching him. The victim had fallen from his bike on the promenade at Chesil Cove, Portland. But the ambulance crew sent to help him found
POLICE stepped in to help a group of parched pensioners stranded on a coach in scorching heat. As temperatures nudged 30C, quick-thinking bobbies went in search of water after a coach packed with elderly day-trippers came to a halt half-way up Abbotsbury
LITTLE Connor Ankers is celebrating his fifth birthday with a pledge to donate his toys to Bosnian boy Stefan Savic. Connor, of Ellesdon in Charmouth, heard about Stefan's plight through his grandmother Val Meer who organised a bric-a-brac sale to raise
SHOOTING a Muslim mechanic for his role in the Bali nightclub bombing will not bring back the 202 people who died in the blasts. That was the reaction today from Weymouth hotelier Sharon Merritt who was caught up in the terror outrage. Sharon, who runs
DRUNKEN disco goers are giving Lyme Regis residents a Friday night fever with their rowdy behaviour and filthy language. Revellers leaving the Marine Theatre's weekend discos are urinating, vomiting, shouting and damaging property, say residents living
POLICE in Dorset have launched their fourth murder investigation in the space of a week after a young mother was found dead at her home in Christchurch (pictured) in the early hours of Thursday morning. Officers went to the address in Southey Road on
AS the Cherries kick-off their Division Two campaign at Port Vale on Saturday the Echo begins a new online match report service. If you can't watch the match live you can log on to: www.thisisbournemouth.co.uk/cherries and read all about it. A match report
LIFESAVING equipment paid for by the town is going to waste because there aren't enough volunteers who know how to use it. Defibrillators, stretchers, bandages and even an old ambulance were bought and paid for by voluntary first aid group Response Lyme
A PERFECT partnership ended early on Sunday morning with the death of Mrs Pam Redman at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Mrs Redman, 60, who died after a short illness, had been the inspirational and supportive strength at the side of Woodroffe School
LYME Regis regatta and carnival week kicks off this weekend. It has undergone a serious make-over this year with dates being changed from their traditional spot to make sure they don't clash with those in Bridport, whose carnival is taking place the same
SORRY to go all Fox Mulder on you, but I've recently become aware of something dark and sinister at the heart not just of our government, but society in general. And how did I discover this? By watching the television, of course. Now you may have seen
