A SPECIALIST valuation officer has been appointed to review the plight of the Hythe Ferry after a 740 per cent rates rise was imposed. The Daily Echo is backing a campaign to save the vital service, which carries 400,000 passengers between the Waterside
WITHOUT Hythe's popular ferry service, the future for the Waterside village looks bleak. Commuters and visitors would be left stranded, forced on to already heavily congested roads to get to Southampton. Trade would be hard hit, with some businesses forced
An age-old craft has been given a contemporary twist in the New Forest... THINK of the traditional art of quilting and you probably conjure up an image of an elderly lady sitting quietly in a rocking chair with needle and fabric in hand. But quilters
Lowly Newport IOW dropped two valuable points in their battle to beat the Ryman Division 1 drop as they drew 1-1 against Bashley at St George's Park. However, defeats for Banstead and Ashford mean that John Linington's men have at least climbed out of
COLDEN Common must have thought they'd be top of the Division 3 table today following their six-goal second half showing against Fleet Spurs. The Commoners had trailed North End by only one on goal difference and their 6-1 spanking of Fleet Spurs looked
DRIVERS were plunged into traffic chaos after a lorry full of baby products crashed - leaving a major commuter route closed for almost a whole day. The 40-tonne truck, carrying Johnson & Johnson baby oil, crashed on the A339 near Kingsclere as it
HERE are two women who have no problem working their way up the greasy pole to riches. Southampton businesswomen Emma Simmonds, 25, and Nicki Dawe, 22, are busy cornering the market in the latest fitness craze - pole dancing. They founded the company
THIS is the man in charge of Southampton's newest hotel. The Jurys Doyle Hotel Group has appointed 29-year-old PJ Kenny as general manager of the £19m Jurys Inn Southampton, which is due to open in May. He will be in charge of up to 100 staff. PJ, who
EEF SOUTH, the regional engineering employers' association, has notched up another successful year representing its member companies at employment tribunal. The organisation's performance in cases that proceeded to tribunal was also better than the national
PHONE mast protesters in Winchester have vowed to take their fight to the European Courts, despite a major legal setback last week. The battle is over communication giant Orange's plans for a new mast on land at Byron Avenue, which those opposed to the
A NEW Forest MP has urged health bosses not to shut a hospital that has served a community for nearly a century to ease a short-term cash crisis. All 20 beds at the Fenwick Hospital in Lyndhurst were closed because of a shortfall of £9.8m in January -
A DISGRACED judge who downloaded child porn from a paedophile website was thrown out of the legal profession yesterday (Thursday). David Selwood, 71, from Winchester, who had himself handled cases involving paedophiles, was spared jail last year after
Citizenship, Eastleigh Borough Youth Theatre, The Point, Eastleigh THIS is youth comedy at its best. The play abounds with sparkling dialogue, performed with panache and timing by the whole cast. The tension on centre stage is enhanced by off-stage players
MORE than 150 young and not so young members of Hampshire's Scout and Guide movement have put the finishing touches to the county's 48th annual Roverang show, which is being staged at Southampton's Nuffield Theatre. Hampshire's annual version of the Scout
HAMPSHIRE youngsters are invited to bid for a place on a free sailing course run by solo round-the-world yachtswoman Emma Richards. The Isle of Wight sailor, pictured, who shot to fame in 2003 when she became the first British woman to complete the Around
FAMILIES who suffered a miserable Easter weekend after water from a burst main flooded their homes have been urged to pursue any compensation claims with water bosses. The move comes as bosses from Southern Water said they could not guarantee a similar
AWESOME foursome Pete Bedford, Andy Waddington, Jenny Earle and Chris Berry ensured Basingstoke completed its best-ever haul of winners' trophies at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Sports Awards. The awards are held annually to recognise achievement in
PARKROAD Powerbikes has come a long way but only a short distance since 1969 when it was a modest motorcycle shop around the corner from its present location. The old photograph shows the shop as it was then, complete with a Triumph Tiger Cub outside
Hawk Kawasaki riders Dean Thomas and Glen Richards chat with Jacqui Rose... HAWK Kawasaki have made an impact in the British Superbike series in the past few years. Founded by Stuart Hicken in 1996, Hawk has grown from a one-rider Supersport team to Kawasaki's
Research now shows there are more first-time mums in the 30-34 age group than in the 20-24 age group... WHEN the Daily Echo revealed how a 42-year-old woman had been removed from a waiting list for fertility treatment that could have given her the child
THE Paultons Golf Centre team of Neil Williamson, Robert Tang, Michael Self and their professional Mark Williamson set a new record score in winning the Hampshire PGA's 2005 Algarve Pro-Am Tournament. Although the Paultons quartet shot an amazing 54-under-par
THERE''LL be no easing up from leaders Lymington Town just because they've clinched promotion to Division 1 next season - as Blackfield & Langley found to their cost yesterday. John Pyatt's men notched up an amazing 19th clean sheet of the season
SHANE WARNE will arrive at the Rose Bowl next week "in the form of his life" according to Australian coach John Buchanan. Warne warmed up for the forthcoming English domestic season with Hampshire by starring in his country's 2-0 series Test win in New
A PROMINENT figure at one of Hampshire's biggest employers quit his high-profile job following internal disagreements over a £1 billion modernisation programme, it emerged today. Dr Rob Witty stepped down from his role as technology supremo at National
The business team here at the Daily Echo has teamed up with Fontwell Park Racecourse to offer a fantastic prize for readers, worth £1,000. Fontwell Park is hosting a VIP company day out at the races on Wednesday, May 25, and you won't have to pay a penny
VOLUNTEERS who help sports people have been thanked at a special event hosted by Hampshire County Council in the Great Hall in Winchester. More than 280 people, nominated by the county's governing bodies of sport and local authorities, attended. The county
ALL the hard work of talented pupils at Noadswood School in Dibden Purlieu paid off at their annual Easter music concert. Scores of students practised tunes including Rivers of Babylon, Barbara Ann and A Whole New World for weeks in preparation for the
TWO teenagers, who launched a vicious attack on a man in a busy Winchester street, have been given detention orders. Daniel Shaw and Joseph Gilmore, both 17, were captured on the city's CCTV network trying to stamp on the victim's head during the attack
UNIVERSITY College, Winchester, is to take the name, "University of Winchester", following confirmation of its new status. Having received the confirmation from the Quality Assurance Agency that Winchester met the criteria for full university title, the
THE case of a man facing a murder charge was adjourned earlier this week because he had been admitted to a prison medical wing. David Page (45) is accused of murdering his wife, Val (51), who was the manager at the Carroll Youth Centre, Stanmore, Winchester
WINCHESTER police are appealing for witnesses after a man was twice viciously attacked near the city centre. The assaults, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday of last week, left the 42-year-old Winchester man with serious facial injuries. Police
STORIES about princesses and dinosaurs proved most popular when pupils at a Southampton primary school took home free books after the school became the first in the city to join a new national reading scheme. Staff at Shirley Warren Primary signed up
CANTABILE, a vocal ensemble with an unrivalled reputation throughout Europe for their breathtaking harmonies, make a welcome return to The Theatre Royal, Winchester, on April 6. With their rich, vibrant sounds, they take their audience on a musical journey
FORMER Saints favourite Matt Le Tissier joined young footballers from Sarisbury to launch a fundraising campaign to raise money for children with cancer. The players, from Sarisbury Sparks Football Club, launched the campaign, Kick for Clic at Southampton's
GREEN-minded Eastleigh council has pledged to recycle an ambitious 50 per cent of the borough's waste within five years. This is the major aim of a waste management strategy masterminded by the powerful executive committee. Its prime object is to recycle
BUDDING artists aged 12 or under are being invited to get drawing and represent a Chandler's Ford eating spot in a national competition. The Hut Beefeater in Bournemouth Road, Chandler's Ford, wants children from the Eastleigh area to choose their favourite
NEW opening hours at Hedge End police station will swing into action from Monday. The station in St John's Road will now be open to the public from 8am to 8.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on Saturday, with a closure each day between 12.30pm and
WHEN I picked up the Buell at Dockgate 20 I asked Bob Tile if there was anything to watch out for. "Yes, the fun!" And that was what I did. My first thought when I sat on the Buell CityX was that it seemed rather tall and the tank had a rather intimate
MY first visit to CMW Motorcycles in Chichester came as a surprise. It's far bigger than the outside would suggest, and inside are some of the most exotic bikes in the world - Ducati. The family-owned and run business was founded by Alan Morgan in 1947
IT'S a ferry link that has operated between Hythe and Southampton since AD400. Each year more than 400,000 passengers make the 20-minute journey that connects the edge of the New Forest with the city. Now the Daily Echo is joining the fight to keep the
In 2003, Tanya McHale's mother found her six-year-old daughter trying to cut her flesh off because she was so unhappy with her weight. Two years later SALLY CHURCHWARD finds out how Tanya is getting on... TANYA McHale is no ordinary eight-year-old girl
IT wasn't a boring stalemate by any stretch of the imagination, but both Salisbury and Eastleigh drew defensive satisfaction from yesterday's 0-0 Ryman Premier draw at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium. While Salisbury's assistant manager Barry Blankley pointed
THE Sydenhams Wessex League summit meeting between table-toppers and title holders Winchester City and four-times champions Lymington & New Milton in 11 days time took on extra significance last night. That's when Ian Robinson's Linnets' drew level
SURVIVAL expert Ray Mears will be handing out top tips on wilderness living when he drops into Southampton's Waterstone's bookshop. The bushcraft and survival instructor will be signing copies of his new book at the WestQuay bookshop, on April 19. Ray
Today's Principal Arrivals: EW McKinley, refrigerated vessel, 1800, 104; Orion Diamond, ro/ro, 2000, 101; Ariana, ro/ro, container, PM, 102 Today's Principal Sailings: Oriana, passenger, 1700, 106; Jingu Maru, vehicle carrier, 1830, 34/35; APL Ireland
A HAMPSHIRE businessman has turned a struggle to find a decent plumber into a million-pound business. Bruce Greig, 29, launched 0800handyman after waiting at home for three days for someone to come and fix a leaking pipe. In the end, he did it himself
SOUTHAMPTON marketing and communications company Carswell Gould Associates is scoring on and off the pitch after bosses installed table football. The Town Quay-based firm has doubled in size, scored a raft of new business wins and recruited four new team
IN ONE of the most dramatic matches seen for a very long time, the Isle of Wight pulled off a stunning 47-46 victory at Reading on Sunday in the Premier Trophy. But the Islanders were quickly brought back down to earth yesterday at Rye House's small 240
TWO junior members of the Lymington club stole the show during the Wessex Division of the National Federation of Sea Anglers annual meeting, held at the St Leonards Hotel near Ringwood, where they were presented with the division's two major junior awards
AUDI has taken four awards with the A6, pictured, named Company Car of the Year in the Fleet News Awards 2005. The awards reveal the best cars, vans, service companies and fleet managers in the £40 billion fleet industry, which accounts for more than
A SCHEME to transform an eyesore in Winchester into a new caf plaza could still be on the cards, despite fears the council had vetoed the scheme. Traders in St George's Street want to see the cobbled area known as Casson's Block transformed into a new
A CAMPAIGN to get more Hampshire householders to recycle everyday items was launched in Winchester. Former Olympic athlete Roger Black was at the launch. Recycle for Hampshire is the brainchild of the Integra partnership, which represents the 11 district
A BATTLE to have a narrow Ringwood town centre road closed to traffic has finally been won. Peter Smith, who tirelessly campaigned to have the road shut off, says the mix of traffic and children in The Quomp was an accident waiting to happen. The Quomp
BUNNIES and bonnets were on display in Ringwood on Saturday as record numbers of youngsters took part in the town's annual Easter parade. Dozens of contestants from tots to teenagers thronged the Furlong Centre to show off their homemade headgear before
HEALTH chiefs in Winchester have backed plans to axe around 150 jobs and close hospital wards in a bid to balance the books. The directors of Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust and Mid-Hampshire Primary Care Trust this week agreed a drastic plan
WORRIED residents spoke of their fears of a housing explosion in the region at a public meeting in Winchester on Wednesday. More than 100 people were at the Guildhall to discuss the 20-year-plan drafted by Government body, Seera, the South East England
A £5m scheme to transform part of a run-down area in Winchester's Jewry Street has moved nearer. Developer and owner of the site, Mohamed Bakhaty, wants to see a new restaurant, offices and flats on the former home of an antiques centre, flower kiosk
FOR more than 10 years, Margaret Vidow has helped friends and relatives by giving them lifts and doing their shopping. Her efforts have now been acknowledged in Hampshire County Council's "Good Neighbours" Awards. Margaret (81), from Stanmore, Winchester
HAMPSHIRE libraries are reintroducing a four-week loan for books, music, audio books, language packs and information videos. However, the current one-week borrowing limit will continue to apply to most videos and DVDs. As prices are rising elsewhere,
With the Easter holidays upon us, parents are once again having to juggle work commitments with childcare. Many may turn to babysitters. But should they really leave their youngsters in the care of other children..? YOU'D never knowingly put your own
EARLIER this month students from the Theatre Royal in Winchester performed as part of selection process to win a place at the National Theatre in London. The performance of Just was part of the world's largest celebration of youth theatre, National Theatre
BANK holiday visitors watched in horror as a Hampshire zoo's new prize exhibit was mauled to death before their eyes. A three-month-old Amur leopard cub was attacked by its father in front of shocked day-trippers at Marwell Zoo near Winchester. An investigation
A CONTROVERSIAL scheme to build 14 new homes and two blocks of flats at a site in Dale Road, Southampton is due to go under the spotlight of city planning chiefs next Tuesday. The project would see nine existing properties in Dale Road knocked down and
THE long-running police hunt for one of Hampshire's most wanted men has been wound down, the Daily Echo can reveal. Detectives have been desperate to capture the Farley Mount rapist since he first struck more than 14 years ago. Now the inquiry is being
ARE you Hampshire's very own Victor Meldrew? Living with you or working alongside you could be someone who is the original Mr or Mrs Grumpy. No amount of happy banter can lift them from thinking life is just one dark tunnel. If you know someone who fits
A POLICE investigation has been launched after more than £20,000 damage was caused during a suspected arson attack at a business in Hampshire. Ten cars were destroyed in the blaze and another two damaged when intruders set light to one of the vehicles
A SPECIALIST valuation officer has been appointed to review the plight of the Hythe Ferry after a 740 per cent rates rise was imposed. The Daily Echo is backing a campaign to save the vital service, which carries 400,000 passengers between the Waterside
FAMILIES who suffered a miserable Easter weekend after water from a burst main flooded their homes have been urged to pursue any compensation claims with water bosses. The move comes as bosses from Southern Water said they could not guarantee a similar
MELISSA is a very happy Colobus monkey at Marwell Zoological Park after her dream came true and she gave birth. Last year Melissa had to watch while another monkey in her enclosure, Bobo, proudly cuddled her own baby called Ebony. Keepers at the park,
METAL detectors could be used to search patients and visitors at a South-ampton psychiatric unit plagued by suicides. Bosses at the city's Department of Psychiatry are considering introducing hand-held machines as part of a security review to stop weapons
MUSIC takes centre stage at The Anvil in Basingstoke in April with performances by experimentalists Trevor Watts and Jamie Harris, country specialists The Arlenes, acoustic guitarist Martin Simpson, four-piece Dr Faustus and rising singer-songwriter Amy
HEALTH bosses have been told by the chairman of Hampshire County Council's Health Review Committee that plans to shelve building a community hospital in Fareham until 2010 would be seen as a "promise broken". In a meeting, which is due to take place today
SEWAGE chiefs have shelled out a whopping £250,000 to try to put an end to the grim stench wafting from a Fareham sewage works. The infamous "Peel Common Pong" that regularly permeates the air around the Peel Common Wastewater Treatment Works is an unpleasant
NEARLY 90 budding actors and actresses took part in Harrison Primary School's latest production of Alice in Wonderland. A musical version of the traditional play was performed to three packed audiences. Year 4 pupils at the Fareham school have taken six
FAMILIES and staff at the Wildern Opportunity Group in Hedge End are to benefit from an award of more than £1,500. The group, based at the 2000 Centre in St John's Road, helps parents of children with special educational needs by giving them the opportunity
SAINTS striker Dexter Blackstock was a national hero last night after bagging his first England goal in dramatic circumstances. The second-half substitute grabbed a last-minute winner for the Under-19s against Sweden at Bury's Gigg Lane to ensure England
