VIDA was today opening its new £2m state-of-the-art floodlit five-a-side football venue at Millbrook in Southampton. Vida are offering their pitches FREE of charge all this week (June 14-21) to any teams that want to come down and try out their facilities
HAMPSHIRE bowler Billy Taylor fulfilled a boyhood dream when he took his maiden five-wicket haul for his home county. Southampton-born Taylor, 27 was given the chance to play first class cricket by south coast neighbours Sussex after being rejected by
SCORES of staff at Southampton's Ordnance Survey are getting to work under their own steam as part of National Bike Week. But big-hearted bosses have arranged a slap-up breakfast for those that do get on their bikes on Wednesday, Bike2Work Day. The mapping
A HAMPSHIRE company has launched on the Internet selling adventure equipment - for dogs. The Lymington-based dog-loving dotcom, called Canine Spirit, sells everything the courageous canine could need. Products on offer to fearless furry friends include
RICHARD HANNON'S form matched the glorious surroundings of Goodwood on Friday evening. Hannon trained four winners, including Preston Shinko, who won The Southern Daily Echo Handicap. The Daily Echo's managing director Stewart Dunn presented Hannon with
THERE was more international recognition for Southampton's Golden Ring Boxing Club when Iain Weaver battled his way to becoming a British Four Nations champion. The 14-year-old competed against the best of Ireland, Wales and Scotland to take the 40 kilos
MORE than 500 Scouts, Beavers, Rainbows and Guides turned out for a colourful carnival this weekend, as they took part in a massive circus-themed parade. Dressed as circus animals, clowns and even a cycling elephant, a series of ten floats paraded on
Youngsters at primary schools across the New Forest are to compete to build the best solar powered model car. Prizes in this year's Solar Car Challenge will be awarded for best car body and the fastest car. The winners will be entered into the Hampshire
EMOTIONS ran high on Southampton Common yesterday - and not just because some of the UK chart's biggest names were there to play live. The tenth annual Power in the Park was perfectly timed to catch the wave of excitement building ahead of last night's
HOUSE prices are soaring in market towns, a survey has shown, with two Hampshire spots cropping up in the costly top ten. With scores of city dwellers turning to the country, demand has sent prices shooting up in Ringwood, now ranked the third most expensive
HAMPSHIRE Police have been urged to improve crime-fighting in a key report by government inspectors . The force must do more to crackdown on burglary, robbery and violent crime, said Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). HMIC inspector Sir
SOUTHAMPTON has one of the lowest rates of car theft in the UK according to a national motor survey. The survey, conducted by Endsleigh Insurance, analysed more than five years of policy claims data from across the UK. It covered tens of thousands of
THERE'S still time to make a claim for a share of £10,000 in our great community giveaway. The applications to The Daily Echo and Combined Insurance Make it Happen awards have been coming through our post box thick and fast. But we want to hear everyone's
IT was rock and goal on the Isle of Wight this weekend. Blazing sunshine and a top quality line-up of acts, plus England's crunch football match against France, made this year's huge Isle of Wight music festival a weekend to remember. An estimated 35,000
THE MAN in charge of the Fareham and Gosport police's Basic Command Unit has hailed it a success after burglary rates fell by nearly 50 per cent in two months. Set up in April following the merger of the former police divisions of Gosport and Fareham,
IT is intended to save lives, but questions are being asked as to why this new pedestrian crossing at Chandler's Ford has been put so close to a blind bend. Now taxi driver Michael Read, who lives nearby, has called for it to be re-sited because he fears
STUDENTS from Eastleigh's Barton Peveril College are being sent on a shopping expedition. But it is a fact-finding mission that will decide which town centre retailers deserve the accolade of Accessibility Awards. About 20 students will be taking part
SAINTS midfielder Anders Svensson is expected to start for his country against Bulgaria in Lisbon tonight. Both countries reached the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup but have failed to make much of an impression since. Svensson has shaken off the injury
SOUTHAMPTON teenager Mark Bicknell caused a sensation in the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Golf Championship when he reached yesterday's final at North Hants. The 17-year-old Stoneham clubman went through as a rank outsider, but there was
WINCHESTER CITY have made Fareham Town's Jamie Musselwhite their second summer strike capture as interest hots up in their 76-goal marksman Andy Forbes. City's director of football David Malone confirmed yesterday that the FA Vase winners had signed 21
A LATE, devastating, truly shocking nightmare for English football eyes that saw Zinedine Zidane score two goals in injury-time to deny England what had appeared to be the most glorious of starts to their European Championship campaign. Sol Campbell stood
WINCHESTER CITY have made Fareham Town's Jamie Musselwhite their second summer strike capture as interest hots up in their 76-goal marksman Andy Forbes. City's director of football David Malone confirmed yesterday that the FA Vase winners had signed 21
A MERE eight points separate the top six clubs in ECB Southern Electric Premier League Division 1 after seven rounds of matches. Top pair BAT Sports and Havant share the lead with an average of 16.50 points per game - the 2003 champions are marginally
LYMINGTON edged out Hursley Park by two runs, courtesy of a bizarre run-out off the penultimate ball, to put themselves in the box seat for what promises to be a fascinating chase for the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 honours. An absorbing
THE casualties of the battle for Normandy and the hospital staff who treated them will be remembered in an event at Netley's Royal Victoria Country Park today. Once the country's largest military hospital, the Royal Victoria was located in the grounds
Today's Principal Arrivals: CFF Solent, ro/ro, 0530, 25; Le Castellet, ro/ro, 0530, 201 link; P&O Nedlloyd Drake, container, 1030, 207; APL Germany, container, 1100, 205; Grande Spagna, ro/ro, 1400, 105; Acacia Ace, vehicle, 1730, 201/2; Ville De
MARK Price, regional corporate director at The Royal Bank of Scotland, reminds local businesses they have just four days left to get their entry forms submitted to be in the running for the 2004 Hampshire Business Awards. Forms to enter this year's three
WITH Euro 2004 commanding the nation's sporting attention, it was appropriate that Le Tiss should score at Salisbury yesterday. Only five runners were declared for the stamina sapping 14 furlong handicap. But it proved to be the most exciting race of
WINCHESTER'S first ever Race for Life was a major success, with a capacity 1,200 women taking part in the fundraising event. The sun shone down and the crowds gathered to cheer on the women who had come to complete the 5km course at River Park Leisure
FESTIVAL bosses are promising this year's Winchester Hat Fair will be bigger, brighter and better than ever before. Britain's longest running festival of street theatre is guaranteed to go off with a bang as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. Every year
HISTORY will be made in Winchester this week when Hampshire's newest university is officially launched. King Alfred's College has been given the power to award its own degrees instead of relying on Southampton University for accreditation. The college
WINCHESTER families are getting ready to welcome 11 Russian children who all suffer from ill-health as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The youngsters, from Belarus, will spend a month in the city enjoying the clean air and wholesome food.
A NEW Forest widow who returned home last week to find the front of her bungalow wrecked is demanding action on road safety. Marjory Wright had spent the afternoon with a friend when she came home to learn a Mercedes had careered off the road and smashed
NORMALLY the boats are the stars of the show. But for once the classic collection of vessels on display at the former Husband's Shipyard in Marchwood, were overshadowed by another form of transport. Members of the South Hants Vehicle Preservation Society
IT was the hottest party in town - literally. Thirty thousand pop fans basked in glorious sunshine and temperatures of more than 29 degrees C, on Southampton Common yesterday for the tenth annual Power in the Park free pop concert. The soaring temperatures
FIRST the ecstasy - and then the late, late agony. It was a case of deja vu as England fans across Hampshire watched their heroes lose to two goals scored in the dying seconds of the big Euro 2004 clash with France. As bemused drinkers in the Mitre pub
LITTLE Olivia Pooley thinks nothing of walking to school with her pals. The eight-year-old is just one of 19 pupils who regularly make their way to Ludlow Junior School in Woolston on the Walking Bus. Mums and dads take it in turns to supervise the youngsters
HELP is at hand for Southampton people with a long-term illness or health condition. Southampton City Primary Care Trust is running a new course offering weekly sessions covering everything from pain management techniques to dealing with anger, frustration
IT was rock and goal on the Isle of Wight this weekend. Blazing sunshine and a top quality line-up of acts, plus England's crunch football match against France, made this year's huge Isle of Wight music festival a weekend to remember. An estimated 35,000
THOUSANDS of football fans suffered additional Euro 2004 heartbreak last night when they missed the dramatic end to the game because of a power failure. More than 10,000 customers including homes, pubs and social clubs missed out on the stunning climax
PLAY time turned to horror for a Hampshire toddler who nearly lost her sight after being mauled by a Labrador. Two-year-old Molly-Mae Esposti of Lee-on-the-Solent needed three hours of emergency surgery on her face after she was attacked by the dog at
BISHOP'S Waltham was awash with sporting heroes on Saturday as the sports-themed carnival procession took to the streets of the town. The Tour de France, Olympic flames, 118 marathon runners and the first modern Olympics were among the great sporting
THEY were painting the restaurant red and white at Boswell's in Eastleigh to mark the kick-off of England's Euro 2004 football campaign in Portugal - and raise cash for the NSPCC. Flags were being flown at the eatery in the town's Swan shopping centre
A HAMPSHIRE man's naked rights campaign got into top spin at the weekend. Steve Gough, the Eastleigh father of two who has become known as the Naked Rambler, took part in the World Naked Bike Ride campaign in Hyde Park. The bare-it-all cycle trek was
SAINTS striker Marian Pahars has shaken off a groin strain ahead of Latvia's debut in a major football championship finals tomorrow. The country with a population of only 2.3 million face tournament dark horses the Czech Republic tomorrow. And Pahars
