DORSET looks set for a big chill, as meteorologists are predicting freezing easterly winds and possible snow flurries, beginning this weekend. Richard Wild, weather services commercial manager and senior meteorologist for Weathernet Ltd, predicted: "In
NICK Persons (Ice Cube) is a bling-ed up love machine, a playa and smooth operator with an eye for the ladeez and a mind for shameless flattery. When he's not cruising the streets of Portland, Oregon, in his brand new, state-of-the-art Lincoln Navigator
THE concept of a job for life no longer exists. Business has become survival of the fittest; make one slip and there is always someone younger, faster and hungrier waiting to taking your place. Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) has been lucky: he has worked
GARY Emerson is refusing to push the panic button despite a recent run of poor form on the European Tour that could cost him more than £15,000 in expenses, reports Andy Goodall. The 41-year-old professional needed a season's best score in the second round
HANDBAG? Check. Lipstick? Check. Free frock? Check. Fake smile? check. Good, you're now ready for the awards open season, where the greater-crested celebritus insecuritus can be spotted in all its borrowed-bling glory at various watering-holes, grazing
THE strength of this short biography of Marie Curie lies in its refusal to dwell upon her victory over the sexist establishment, and the author's ability to cut through the myths surrounding Curie's life. Using letters, diaries and interviews, Goldsmith
AN ADVENTUROUS new play area is to be built in Poole Park - creating a goose-free zone. Nearly £100,000 has been made available to transform the open space between Gus Gorillas and the railway station. There will be new paths, seating, play tables, stepping
A WAR veteran who received a £150 parking fine despite doing nothing wrong has been told the penalty will be rescinded - but only if he pays a £10 cancellation fee. Harry Davies, 87, contacted the Daily Echo in disbelief after receiving a letter from
A BEAMINSTER police officer has been hailed a "flying squad" hero after leaping to save a baby on a plane flight over the pacific. PC Vince Bolt went into action when the infant fell from its cot on an aisle shelf during a trip from Los Angeles to New
DORCHESTER fans don't want history to repeat itself when they travel to Hayes tomorrow - but Magpies defender Carl Poore will be hoping it does. On their last visit to the former Isthmian League club more than ten years ago, the Magpies crashed out of
TERRAS boss Steve Johnson today swooped to sign former Tamworth striker Marvin Brown - but Lee Phillips and Steve Tully are on the verge of departing the Wessex Stadium. Ex Bristol City starlet Brown is set to replace Lee Phillips in Weymouth's line up
PARENTS may shun the government's flagship Child Trust Fund savings scheme amid concerns about control over the money when the child reaches 18, it is feared. Under the scheme, when a young person reaches 18 they will be handed a cheque for the full value
BEHAVE or watch out! That's the tough message from police in Ferndown who are targeting unruly groups of youths gathering in the town centre. Officers can use Section 30 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act to disperse groups and ban them immediately from
Fame - The Musical: Lighthouse, Poole Based on the film and TV story of young wannabes at New York's Famed high School for the Performing Arts, this blockbuster musical has been packing in a mainly young and stage-struck audience this week's for it's
DORSET County Council's portion of the council tax will be going up by 3.8 per cent. Members rubber-stamped the increase at a meeting of full council yesterday. The above-inflation rise means the average Band D bill for 2005/06 will go up to £952.92 from
GRATEFUL neighbours have paid tribute to the man who woke them to warn that fire was ripping through his flat. Firefighters say the un-named father-of-two and his wife were woken up at around 3am on Wednesday February 16 when the blaze triggered smoke
INTREPID adventurer Declan Hicks has swapped his gleaming sports car for a noisy old banger as he gets behind the wheel for the 2005 charity Plymouth-Dakar Challenge. Declan, 35, from Gillingham, and co-driver Ed Parke, 29, from Parkstone, left Poole
NEIGHBOURS are logging the activities of unruly youths who drink alcohol and urinate in a historic building in Blandford. The move comes following a spate of problems at the grade two listed Old Bath House in Church Walk. Police have received complaints
AN ANGRY pensioner is squaring up for a showdown with Bridport's "trigger happy" parking attendants. Retired civil engineer David Bryan, of Charmouth, says it's time someone took a stand and he's prepared to go to court rather than pay his fine. He has
RUMOURS that a residents' parking scheme in Lyme Regis has been abandoned, have no mileage in them, according to Dorset County Council. There has been talk among residents of Anning Road that the proposed new residents' parking scheme has been scuppered
TWO pensioners who died in a car smash at a notorious Bridport blackspot on Wednesday have been named as Rhys Lloyd, 89 and Popsy Hopkins, 87. The couple, from Lyme Regis, who had struck up a friendship just six months ago, were returning home after a
THIS week, I've been studying the inconstant nature of time. Okay, in fact I'm writing this in the middle of a few days off (but see? I still thought of you, my loyal public) but that doesn't mean I can't do a bit of temporal philosophy on the side. As
DORSET Safety Camera Partnership has defended its decision to continue using a controversial speed gun - despite a Scottish court ruling yesterday that it was unreliable. A driver accused of doing 132mph on a 70mph road walked free after an expert showed
DONATIONS to the Daily Echo Unicef Children of Asia Appeal reached £81,335 on February 17. The money will be used to help rebuild the lives of the thousands of children who were left homeless and in some cases orphaned in the tsunami earthquake disaster
TO ELTON John, at least, sorry seemed to be the hardest word. But that was almost 30 years back and today, apologising is more en-vogue than a Mukluk boot. If it isn't Tony Blair saying sorry to the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven, it was campaigners
HOW do you improve on perfection? You don't, as first time feature filmmaker Gregory Jacobs learns with this American remake of the exhilarating Argentinian thriller Nine Queens. Remaining true to the spirit of the original, brilliantly conceived by Fabian
BALLROOM dancing is sexy. Recently, millions of us enjoyed our weekly dose of Strictly Come Dancing, marvelling at the smouldering glances, fancy footwork and high-sequinned drama of the tango and cha cha. Australian director Baz Luhrmann kick-started
A TALE of 19th-century quarrying life has landed Purbeck writer Audrey Pembroke her first book deal. Swanage born and bred, Audrey is waiting for the royalties to roll in after her historical romance novel Hearts of Stone was accepted by London-based
Are We There Yet? (PG) UCI *** See review. The Aviator (12A) UCI (not Wed), Odeon (not Thurs), Tivoli (not Fri, Sun) *** Leonardo DiCaprio lines up as legendary Hollywood mogul Howard Hughes in Martin Scorsese's impressive Bafta-winning biopic. Birth
NOW Showing, the Poole Lighthouse film group, meets again on Monday (February 21) to discuss all aspects of films in the Lighthouse programme. An informal get together, Now Showing offers film fans the chance to talk about what they've seen and what they'd
NORA Sinclair likes to meet rich men, marry them and then kill them for their money. So far she has managed to do it at least twice without anyone catching on. Then she meets FBI agent John O'Hara who poses as an insurance investigator and tries to figure
AFTER a very short time together, Kay Clifton's husband goes off to war. After five long years, Bob is to be demobbed and Kay goes to meet him, excitedly looking forward to resuming their happy marriage. Bob brings back with him a friend he says saved
A SECOND woman says a company charged her hundreds of pounds for a simple job. Pauline Iles phoned Southern Plumbing Services after water started pouring down the side of her hairdressing salon, Shades and Shapes, in Canford Road, Poole. The same company
A KIDNEY patient is desperately seeking the one-year-old cat which is like a child to her. Tabby cat Poppy went missing on Tuesday last week after she got into the back of a parcel delivery van. Owner Catherine Coombs, 41, who cannot have children because
MERCEDES-Benz second generation A-Class compact hatchback goes on sale tomorrow across the UK and for the first time includes a three-door body style. At first glance the new model looks very similar to the original albeit with a 53mm wider track and
MAZDA has offered a tantalising early glimpse of its much- anticipated third generation MX-5 sportscar which is set to make its world debut in fourteen days' time at the Geneva Motor Show. The all-new two-seater has a lot to live up to as it follows in
A 'JOLLY Scotsman' has been conning money from churchgoers and elderly residents in the Bridport and Beaminster area. Police are appealing for information after a number of people in the towns handed over money to the man. A staff member at St Mary's
THE Duke of York will officially open the new Curtiss Wright factory at Bridport next month. He will visit the plant on Tuesday March 8 - his second local engagement on a busy day out in West Dorset. Earlier he is scheduled to formally unveil the new
A GROUP of young film-makers from Bridport are in the frame to win a top national award. Their short movie "Taking Pictures", has been nominated in the best drama category at the First Light annual film awards. This star-studded event is the "Oscars"
AN ANGRY pensioner is squaring up for a showdown with Bridport's "trigger happy" parking attendants. Retired civil engineer David Bryan says it's time someone took a stand and he's prepared to go to court rather than pay his fine. He has accused the attendants
TWO pensioners who died in a car smash at a notorious Bridport blackspot on Wednesday have been named as Rhys Lloyd, 89 and Popsy Hopkins, 87. The couple, from Lyme Regis, who had struck up a friendship just six months ago, were returning home after a
PIRATES starlet Ricky Ashworth believes the high standards set by the Wimborne Road club will only help to improve him as a rider in 2005. The 22-year-old - who will be doubling up with his parent club Sheffield this year - made his Elite League debut
Friday February 18 Mountain + Crosscut Saw - Mr Kyps; Tracey Martin - The Foundary Arms, Poole; The Lilettes + support - The Green Room, The Portman Hotel, Boscombe; Bang Lassy - The Green Man, Wimborne; Total Recall - The Grange, Southbourne; Dance On
TEACHERS, governors and councillors in Dorchester have slammed moves to scrap the three-tier education system in the town The future shape of education in Dorset is currently being scrutinised by the county's local education authority. Interested parties
COUNTY council members and staff signed a giant flag at County Hall in Dorchester to back the 2012 Olympic bid. More than 30 members of the council and directors showed their support at yesterday's full council meeting, while in London members of the
TWO BROTHERS have been left 'devastated' after thieves stole their motorbike. Callum and Rory Stamper, of Cambridge Road, Dorchester, left their 110cc off-road bike chained up in their garden shed overnight. When the boy's mother let the family dog out
IN A world of social stereotypes there is none more instantly characterised than that of the Australian male - the unsophisticated, muscular featured, loud-mouthed, chauvinist, larger-drinking, crocodile wrestler. If this is what the men are like it's
A SCHOOL at the centre of a row over children from outside the county and borough boundary getting priority for places over local youngsters is bidding to solve the problem by increasing its intake in future years. Governors of Highcliffe School have
NEVER mind the bollards, what about the bus stop? That was the reaction from some shopkeepers in Broad Street, Lyme Regis, this week when Dorset County Council announced it would be implanting 16 bollards in the south-side pavement. From Monday, county
LYME Regis hoteliers have warned that young people behaving badly could put off visitors and threaten trade in the town. Chairman of the hotels and restaurants association Wayne Bradbury told the News this week that the growing problem of anti-social
SEAN O'Driscoll has brought in promising Aston Villa youngster James O'Connor on a month's loan to cover his defensive crisis. The Cherries boss, already without Jason Tindall so far this season, has seen both Neil Young and Karl Broadhurst forced to
