Geoff Butler has been sacked as manager of Dr Martens Premier Division outfit Weymouth. The former Salisbury City boss was fired along with his Southampton-based assistant Ricky Haysom following David Laws' testimonial game against Yeovil Town on Wednesday
HARTLEY Wintney and the surrounding area will be rocking to the sound of its very own radio station this weekend - broadcast from the back of the village church! Radio Hartley Wintney at 87.7FM is the brainchild of the Reverend Arthur Botham (pictured
Basingstoke MP Andrew Hunter is threatening to name and shame the town's hospital in the House of Commons if bosses fail to get to grips with issues over the care of the elderly. Mr Hunter - who has received a number of complaints from local people -
Today's Principal Arrivals: : MOL Integrity, container, 0400, 207; Caronia, cruise ship, 0630, 38/9; Albatros, cruise ship, 0730, 106; Atlantic Highway, ro/ro, 0800, 202; Nedlloyd Europa, container, 0900, 205; Autosky, ro/ro, 1130, 43; Egmondgracht, general
After a rocky time - with the loss of title sponsor followed by a somewhat controversial change of venue - the Admiral's Cup finally looks to be back on track. Head - and backer - of GBR Challenge Peter Harrison announced at the Royal Southampton Yacht
Southampton youngsters, Tom Colling and Paul Janaway took first and second places in the Junior League Grand Prix event at Poole. Racing in the under-14 age group, Janaway was unbeaten in his four qualifying races while Colling dropped just two points
A GLITTERING multi-million-pound scheme to re-vamp the greatest displays of Britain's motoring heritage has been unveiled at Beaulieu. The National Motor Museum is aiming to raise between £5m and £8m from grants, donations and commercial sources. In launching
A GROUP of conservationists is hoping Daily Echo readers can help identify a mystery object at its Marchwood headquarters. Members of the British Military Powerboat Trust will give a cash prize to anyone who can tell them what the device was used for.
GUNWHARF Quays is proving to be a major south coast shopping attraction, recording almost 5.9 million visitors in its second year of trading. Since it opened at Easter 2001, the Berkeley Group and Land Securities' £200m development on the waterfront at
BUSINESS, education and environment working together motivated New Milton Sand and Ballast to create its Green Bee Schools competition. The ecologically-conscious company is offering one New Forest school the opportunity to have an environmental project
REMEMBER what we used to think of Christine Hamilton? Before Louis Theroux and I'm a Celebrity... worked their magic, the wife of disgraced Tory MP Neil Hamilton was viewed as a cross between Lady Macbeth and Widow Twankey. Whether leaping to her husband's
ARTHURIAN myth may be big on adventure and heroism, but falls short in the convincing female role models department. Here to correct that, and put a modern spin on a well-worn literary classic, are Music Theatre Wales and The Royal Opera House, with their
TWINS Bryony and Kathryn Frost are two stunning faces behind a new national breast cancer awareness campaign. The 19-year-olds from Sandown, on the Isle of Wight, have agreed to be Breast Cancer Campaign sporting patrons, a role that will encourage people
SOUTHAMPTON mayor Brian Parnell and mayoress wife Mary, enjoyed a whirlwind tour of the Daily Echo's headquarters in Redbridge, Southampton. They gained an insight into the complic-ated process of putting together the Daily Echo, which is owned by Newsquest
PROPOSALS to bulldoze a New Forest church and build a new place of worship on the other side of the road have finally succeeded. New Forest Council has approved a pair of applications relating to two plots of land opposite each other in Whitefield Road
HEALTH bosses at Southampton City Council have joined forces with the city's Primary Care Trust in a scheme which aims to crack down on poor health caused by inadequate housing. The Breathe Easy campaign focuses on people - particularly asthma sufferers
EASTLEIGH and Test Valley South Primary Care Trust celebrated its first birthday by saying a big thank you to staff, practices and partners at a special anniversary event at Chandler's Ford Methodist Church. The event also saw the launch of the local
GARETH and Will may have pipped him at the post in the Pop Idol finals, but being the underdog has never got in Darius Danesh's way. The Scottish singer first leapt to fame - or, rather, infamy - in the first Popstars series. Sporty a dodgy goatee and
THESE ten teenage lads from north-east London have taken the boy band format to a whole new level. Many people would cross the street to avoid such a gang of 'yoofs' but demand for this tour has proved so successful that further dates have been added.
Gaynor Edwards highlights the best of the rest.... EIGHT local choirs are featured in this year's Winchester and County Music Festival, which is staged at Romsey Abbey on May 10 and Winchester Cathedral on May 17. Four choirs in Romsey Abbey will perform
POMP and ceremony was out in full force yesterday when the 30th Mayor of Fareham was invested. Councillor Marian Ellerton was handed the chain of office from her predecessor, Councillor Pam Bryant, making her the first citizen of the borough. The former
TWINS Bryony and Kathryn Frost are two stunning faces behind a new national breast cancer awareness campaign. The 19-year-olds from Sandown, on the Isle of Wight, have agreed to be Breast Cancer Campaign sporting patrons, a role that will encourage people
A FATHER of six and keen surfer has been appointed the new archdeacon for the Isle of Wight. Wales-born Dr Trevor Reader will become the most senior Anglican clergyman on the Island from September. The 56-year-old will succeed the Ven Mervyn Banting,
A GROUP of volunteers is tidying up vandalised Ryde Cemetery and trying to brighten the town's tarnished reputation. Among those lending a hand are Ryde Isle of Wight Council members David Knowles and Ernie Fox. MP Andrew Turner also dropped by to give
THE POPULAR Trinity Theatre in Cowes could be sold for development and replaced by a new purpose-built community theatre half a mile away on Cowes High School. Developer Christopher Scott this week confirmed he had been approached to investigate the possibility
MAJOR work is in hand to try and reduce the number of accidents on a notorious stretch of Sandown road. Measures including improved signing will be installed along Yaverland Road, between the Grand Hotel and Marshcombe Shute, in a £20,000 project. The
HUNDREDS of Chandler's Ford residents are launching their biggest house-to-house collection of the year on Sunday. They will be making the annual approach to their neighbours and friends to support the work of Christian Aid. Organisers say that by doing
England boss Sven Goran Eriksson has confirmed he will not pick any Saints or Arsenal players for the friendly in South Africa later this month due to their involvement in the FA Cup final. The international match in Durban takes place on May 22 - just
THE TOWN of Darkness Falls, New England, has been cursed for the past 150 years by the spirit of Matilda Dixon, a local woman who was unjustly hanged for the murder of two children. Ever since, her ghost has terrorised the youngsters of Darkness Falls
EVERYBODY gets a lucky break from time to time. But Tomas (Leonardo Sbaraglia) has more than his fair share. Having survived a plane crash, he is tutored to absorb the luck of ordinary people and gamble with it. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, this
EX-Leyton Orient striker Aaron McLean scuppered Bashley's chance of a first Hants Senior Cup triumph at St Mary's last night. But any doubts about the New Forest side's potential for Premier Division football were swept away by a thoroughly professional
Cardigan Connor's long-standing Hampshire links have provided a direct spin-off for Ventnor, who parade a promising young Anguillian all-rounder in tomorrow's Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 opener against New Milton at Fernhill, 1pm. Chaka
THE loneliness of the long-distance sailor was one of the hardest things Hampshire's record-breaking Emma Richards had to deal with during her epic voyage in the Around Alone Race. The sole British entrant in the race, the youngest at 28 and also the
ONE DAY after Isle of Wight time trialist, Dave Dent (SP Systems Wightlink RT) won the last of three races organised by Vectis Offshore Sports CC over the bank holiday weekend a small group of clubmates came competed at Goodwood Motor Circuit, and two
SO MUCH of life revolves around it, but so little stage time has been devoted to it - until now, that is. The theatrical value of the male member was well and truly proved with the recent eye-watering West End hit Puppetry of the Penis. But it's fallen
HERE'S wishing the Saints the best of luck - signed, sealed and delivered. Southampton is sending its best wishes to the Saints ahead of their biggest day in 27 years, the FA Cup final. The whole city, including the Daily Echo, has been invited to send
DIGNITARIES marked Britain's 30 years in Europe by raising the continent's 12-star flag above Southampton's Civic Centre. City mayor Brian Parnell was joined by council leader June Bridle and Liberal Democrat group leader Adrian Vinson for the ceremony
ALL creatures great and small will converge on Hampshire County Council's Manor Farm Museum at Botley at Sunday for a service of thanksgiving for pets. The open-air service - dubbed Bless This Mouse - will be held in the grounds of the picturesque 13th
Joan Armatrading is a notoriously infrequent interviewee. GAYNOR EDWARDS seized the chance to talk to one of the most influential women in rock... JOAN ARMATRADING is an intensely private person, not known for courting publicity - but then she doesn't
THE DEATH of a bird watcher whose charred body was found at the wheel of a burned out car at an Island beauty spot remains a mystery. An inquest this week failed to determine whether Richard Stone's death was due to a bizarre accident or suicide. Police
AN INJURED 64-year-old man was hauled up a cliff to safety on Wednesday night in a joint rescue by firefighters and a coastguard team. The man had got into difficulty 35ft down a 45ft steep gullied incline on a cliff behind Windy Corner Car Park near
A LONG-running row that has pitted the world's most exclusive yacht club against Isle of Wight Council planning chiefs has finally come to an end. The Royal Yacht Squadron has now replaced the last of the synthetic windows it installed without necessary
THE area's two outstanding 400 metres prospects will be stepping down a distance at this weekend's Hampshire AA Track & Field Championships at Portsmouth's Mountbatten Centre. Commonwealth Games relay silver medallist Melanie Purkiss and her training
GORDON Strachan admits Jo Tessem might have played his way into Saints' FA Cup final team to take on Arsenal. The Norwegian, pictured, was one of the few to come out of Wednesday's 6-1 Highbury beating with any credit - scoring once and giving centre-backs
IT WOULD be hard to imagine how Fight Club could be turned into a frat movie but director Todd Phillips has sunk to the occasion. Old School borrows heavily and self-consciously from David Fincher's movie, with several scenes leaving the viewer in no
DODIE Smith's coming-of-age adventure, which opens with the immortal line "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink," has been enthralling readers of all ages for more than 50 years. So Tim Fywell's film adaptation has much to live up to, and thankfully
Can Bashley (Rydal) make lightning strike again and knock title holders Havant off the ECB Southern Electric Premier League championship scent? That's the poser on the eve of a potentially key Premier Division 1 affair at Havant Park (1pm), from which
Shirley Robertson's Team Volvo Yngling Olympic campaign crew from Portsmouth lost one of its member this week when Inga Leask quit for health reasons. Leask has spent the last 18 months as part of the very successful three-women Olympic Keelboat Team
As one bank holiday weekend melts away the second is almost in sight. Still not made plans for the Monday? This year's Glyn Charles Pursuit Race takes place on May 26 at Hayling Island Sailing Club and will be a great way to come and meet, sail with,
A HAMPSHIRE hospital worker has been charged with drink-driving following a car crash which killed his wife. Philip Turner, 40, was said to be more than twice the legal alcohol limit when his wife's MGF sports car was in an accident with a people carrier
THE man who founded Paultons Park and turned it into one of the most popular venues in the south for a family day out has died suddenly at the age of 68. John Mancey had the vision of creating a leisure park for children of all ages and their families
DETECTIVES hunting the killer of Hampshire student Hannah Foster are using the Daily Echo in their bid to track down the prime suspect in India. Copies of front page articles have been shown to detectives from the Indian equivalent of the FBI in a bid
HEAVY rock is an ageing genre these days, but there's still a huge fan base and a dedicated press. The old guard are going strong (think dear old Ozzy and his ilk) but lately some new blood has entered the arena (think The Datsuns). Of that old guard,
THEY took their protest to the capital, held open-air rallies and staged marches through the streets of Lee-on-the-Solent. But still demonstrators are not missing a single opportunity to make their strength of feeling known against plans for an asylum
POSTAL bosses have apologised for haphazard deliveries in Titchfield Common with no letters being delivered at all some days. The Royal Mail today blamed last week's dismal service on staff sickness with 15 postal workers at Fareham's sorting office taking
THE SPLENDOUR of India's national parks is to be recreated on the Island in an ambitious project to help secure the future of the magnificent but endangered tiger. Senior staff at the Isle of Wight Zoo, home of the Island's Tiger Sanctuary, have just
FIREBUGS targeting East-leigh have put a car dealer on the brink of closure after an arson spree in which five vehicles went up in flames. Two cars standing on the forecourt of Eastleigh Trade Centre in Dutton Lane were torched by arsonists on Monday
As one bank holiday weekend melts away the second is almost in sight. Still not made plans for the Monday? This year's Glyn Charles Pursuit Race takes place on May 26 at Hayling Island Sailing Club and will be a great way to come and meet, sail with,
HOW do you let go of the past when it means cutting yourself off from everyone and everything you hold dear and starting anew? That's the dilemma facing British portrait artist Colin Ware (Colin Firth), an affable chap who is unable to contain his shock
Films showing in the Hampshire region until May 15. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (15): Michael Moore's Oscar-winning documentary about gun control in America. BULLETPROOF MONK (12A): A mystical Tibetan warrior picks an unlikely youngster to take over the role
