POLICE have raided a cannabis factory in the New Forest. More than 50 cannabis plants and other drugs production equipment were seized when police swooped on the premises near Fordingbridge this morning. Eleven officers and one drugs sniffer dog took
WINCHESTER health bosses have been praised for organising their first-ever learning disabilities week. The skills of all staff at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital who provide services to patients with learning disabilities have been enhanced. It
A TEAM of pupils from a Hedge End school will soon be setting off on a dream trip to the Arctic Circle after winning a national environmental competition. The winners from Wildern School scooped the top prize in the regional Ice Edge environmental contest
IT's the lifeblood of society and every living thing depends on it, but in less than 20 years, Hampshire's water supply could be under threat from climate change. By 2020, hosepipe bans could be as familiar as slapping on suntan lotion and the smell
He was perhaps the most dashing of all Hollywood film stars who managed to steal the hearts of millions and for a short time Cary Grant called Southampton his home. Given the rather unglamorous name of Archibald Alex Leach when he was born in Bristol
PETER Sellers was born Richard Henry Sellers but his parents gave him the nickname Peter after his stillborn elder brother. He was exposed to the variety circuit at a young age through his parents and became a versatile performer. He excelled at dancing
CRAIG David's musical career got off to an early start. He was just 13 when his mum bought him his first set of mixing decks. He started making his own CDs and selling them in local shops as well as DJing in local clubs. He also started working with
IMPRESSIVE moves on the dance floor helped vehicle sprayer Howard Donald become one fifth of Britain's most successful band since the Beatles. Take That - a group of five working class lads assembled by manager Nigel Martin Smith - went on to enjoy phenomenal
MADONNA, Vanessa Mae and Katie Melua have all worked with him. His music has provided the soundtrack for hit films such as Watership Down and the recent box office success Miss Potter. But Mike Batt will always be best known as the mastermind behind
HE grew up in the railway town of Eastleigh and was put on the fast track to 1960s pop stardom. Heinz Burt was 57 when he died seven years ago after a brave battle against motor neurone disease. Born in Germany, Heinz moved to Eastleigh when he was
HE is one quarter of one of the most famous rock bands on the planet. Coldplay have clocked up nearly 17 million album sales and been awarded four Grammies and four Brit awards. And as a result, drummer Will Champion and his fellow bandmates are among
SCOTT Mills shot to national fame in 1998 when, on his fourth day on Radio One's Early Morning Breakfast Show, Zoe Ball fell sick leaving him to head up a five-hour stint on air. "All my family tell me that since I was really small I just wanted to play
Every four hours throughout the day the bells of Southampton's Civic Centre clock ring out Isaac Watt's hymn, Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past. The famous writer of hymns was the eldest of nine children and born in Southampton on July 17,1674. Today he
MANY a toe has tapped to one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's catchy show tunes. He is responsible for such musical greats as Cats, Starlight Express, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sunset Boulevard, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ
BORN IN Glasgow, Mark Knopfler was musical from an early age. He recorded his first single at 16 but it was never released. In his teens he became interested in playing the guitar and bought his first instrument. Although he is left handed, Knopfler
IT IS third time unlucky for a developer wanting to build 12 new houses between homes in a Hampshire neighbourhood. Residents on an estate on the Waterside have been fighting against the proposed backyard development for three years. Now they have successfully
A STRING of free-to-use cash machines will be installed across south west Hampshire to help more deprived communities escape rip-off charges by ATM companies. The Government yesterday published a progress report on its push to place hundreds of these
JACK Hargreaves was a huge star of Southern Television from the mid-60s. He was best known for Out of Town which introduced mostly urban viewers to a variety of country ways, from sheep shearing to trout tickling. Jack had a country background himself
FOR 17 years Sally Taylor has been the face of BBC South Today, presenting and reporting on major local and national events. During that time she has also filmed reports for the National Lottery programme, had her own show on Radio Solent, presented
BREAKFAST TV favourite Fiona Phillips joined GMTV as entertainment correspondent back in 1993. She was soon promoted to LA correspondent and has since become a popular fixture on the famous GMTV sofa. However, Phillip's media career began in radio.
FROM an early age, Chris Packham loved nothing more than searching out all manner of wildlife and creepy crawlies around his childhood home in Midanbury, Southampton. After attending Bitterne Park Secondary School and studying at Southampton University's
John Isaac Thornycroft built his first vessel at Chiswick on the River Thames in the late 1800's, and was a pioneer in the production of high speed vessels. Thornycroft specialised in the development of fast torpedo boats and destroyers achieving speeds
CELEBRITY chef James Martin may be a household name all over the UK but he has a piece of his heart reserved for Hampshire. The Saturday Kitchen presenter lives in Winchester, where evidence of his local links are not hard to find. His best selling recipe
FROM Stirling Moss to Michael Schumacher, Murray Walker's career as a Formula 1 commentator has spanned all the champions. His sheer enthusiasm for the sport and his legendary slip-ups made him as much if not more of a star than the drivers. With a
ONE of Britain's most distinguished writers, award-winning author Ian McEwan was born in Aldershot in 1948. His father was an officer in the army so Ian spent much of his childhood in the Far East, Germany and North Africa. After returning to Britain
FORMER civil servant Alan Blair went to Wessex Heartbeat on a three-year contract and ended up staying. Even when he took the decision to retire, Alan could not totally break the links with the charity and agreed to stay on as development director concentrating
Dr David Flavell and his wife, Dr Bee Flavell, lost their son to leukaemia in 1990 - the very disease they studied in their working lives as experimental immunologists. Since then they have built up the children's research charity Leukaemia Busters to
Jim Callaghan was born in Portsmouth where his father was a Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer. His father died when he was nine, plunging the family into poverty. They received no pension until Labour came into office in 1931 and paid the Callaghans a weekly
THE ADVENTURES of a cheeky blue steam engine have captured the imagination of generations of children. Thomas the Tank Engine is the star of a phenomenally successful series of books, has his own television show and hit film and graces the front of everything
ARTHUR Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. Conan was part of his given name but he adopted it as part of his surname in later years. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and served as a ship's doctor before setting up his own medical practice
THE late Ian Wooldridge was probably Britain's best known sports writer. A prolific talent who won many awards during his illustrious writing career, Wooldridge continued to write his much loved columns until the week before he died from cancer. He
BOOKWORMS have been enthralled by his novels for some 40 years. In that time Leslie Thomas has written some 30 titles achieving international sales figures of more than 14 million. His most famous book The Virgin Soldiers was published all over the
BEAR, whose real name is Rupert, was given his nickname by his parents - Conservative MP Sir Michael Grylls and Lady Sally Grylls - when he was just one day old. At 23 he became the youngest person to conquer Everest. He also famously broke his back
A WOMAN accused of being a Southampton brothel keeper has denied any involvement in the prostitution industry. Sharon Moir is accused of raking in tens of thousands of pounds by charging men £150 an hour to sleep with girls from her Panache Escort Agency
A rare 18th century pirate flag has been given a new lease of life by Southampton student. The crudely-stitched Jolly Roger - fashioned out of red wool fabric with a painted cotton fabric skull and crossbones roughly stitched onto one side - was captured
NEW FOREST climber Rhys Jones entered the record books last summer when he became the youngest person ever to scale the highest mountains on all seven continents. The mountaineer from Bartley reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 17 - his 20th birthday
MORE than 40 years in broadcasting has earned hard-hitting interviewer David Frost a knighthood, an OBE and the friendship of presidents and prime ministers alike. He is the only person to have interviewed the past six British prime ministers and the
WHO would have thought the gentle gardener with the relaxing Yorkshire lilt could turn his spade wielding hands to romantic fiction? But Alan Titchmarsh has done just that. His six novels were all best sellers and his memoirs sold 200,000 copies in
A FORMER pupil of Mountbatten School and Language College in Romsey, Charlie Dimmock is still a local resident. Before becoming a star of garden makeover show Ground Force she worked at Romsey's Mill Water Garden Centre. These days the red-headed gardening
THE popular news presenter started his media days as a tea boy at the Birmingham Mail. Fred Dinenage - who was born in Birmingham - worked his way up and got his big break when he was working with Annie Nightingale, now a radio presenter, on the Brighton
ESTHER RANTZEN is best known for presenting BBC consumer show That's Life, through which she established children's charity ChildLine. The show's combination of heart warming stories, comic misshapen vegetables and hard hitting investigative journalism
THE great uncle of Prince Charles, Lord Mountbatten was the man who accepted the Japanese surrender in 1945. He was also the last Viceroy of India, a country which, for 150 years, was the jewel of the British Crown. He became the last Viceroy as it was
SARAH Ferguson, known affectionately as Fergie, grew up on Dummer Down Farm in Hampshire. She has an aristocratic background with royal Stuart ancestry. She married into the current royal family on July 23, 1986 when she wed Prince Andrew. The couple's
ADRIAN Flanagan's epic voyage round the globe via the polar regions is back on course. He wants to be the first person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe via the polar regions. His journey was almost sunk by Russian red tape but the Daily Echo
A TEENAGE girl was recovering today after a railway line drama at Chandler's Ford. The 18-year-old received serious leg injuries after being struck by the Totton to Romsey train. She had serious injuries but they are not believed to be life-threatening
Ben Ainslie, MBE is British sailor and a double Olympic gold medal winner. Currently living in Lymington, Ainslie won gold at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in the Laser sailing class and repeated the trick in 2004 in Athens, this time in the larger Finn
Derek Warwick has been classed, like Sir Stirling Moss, as one of the greatest drivers who never became Formula 1 World Champion although he won quite a few other titles. Affectionately nicknamed Delboy from the time when aged 16 he drove a three-wheeler
Ronald Diaper, who fought in the canvas ring as Ronnie Draper, brought boxing glory to Southampton in the late 1940s. He retired from the sport in 1951 after 54 professional fights, without being knocked out in a career that had seen him top contender
BURST to prominence at the The Open Championship in 1988, famously pitching in at Royal Birkdale's final hole to tie for fourth while still an amateur. Won the prestigious Hampshire Hog trophy in 1994 and lowered his handicap to plus three, at age 14
Terry Paine, MBE, born in Winchester in 1939, remains Southampton Football Club's all-time record appearance holder, playing a huge 713 league games. Over an 18-year period the Saints talisman scored 160 goals for the club, and also earned all of his
Harry Redknapp, born 1947, has a long-standing, controversial relationship with football in Hampshire, having managed Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Saints during a 23-year management career. After a distinguished playing career at West Ham and Bournemouth
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS (206-7) BEAT WARWICKSHIRE BEARS (166) BY 40 RUNS There may yet be a County Championship and Friends Provident Trophy double for Hampshire this season. Hampshire completed three of the most memorable days under Shane Warne's captaincy
FORMER PE teacher Dee Caffari is the first woman in history to sail single-handed non-stop around the globe against prevailing winds and currents. Born in Hertfordshire, she now lives in Southampton with her partner and coach Harry Spalding and is the
David Gower, born 1957, is a former Hampshire cricketer and England cricket captain. After making his debut for Leicestershire in 1975 he eventually moved to Hampshire in 1990, where he played for three years. Gower scored well over 25,000 first class
Sir Chay Blyth, CBE, born in Scotland in 1940, is most famous for being the first person to sail alone non-stop around the world against the prevailing winds. A former army sergeant turned sailing pioneer, his achievements include rowing the Atlantic
Robin Smith, born in Durban, South Africa in 1963, was a revered Hampshire batsman and captain in the 80s and 90s. Making his Hampshire debut in 1982, he is statistically the county's best batsman since C B Fry and one of the most loved. His ferocious
Sir Alf Ramsey, 1920-1999, is famous for winning the World Cup for England in 1966. As manager his no-nonsense style and tactical knowledge was the backbone of his success, and his faith in youngsters such as Alan Ball and Martin Peters was vital to
Ted Bates MBE was the most legendary and influential figure in Southampton Football Club's history. So great were his services to the club as a player, manager and board member over 66 years, that he earned himself the title of 'Mr Southampton.' Bates
WORLD cup winner Alan Ball MBE was best known for being the youngest member of the 1966 squad to triumph at Wembley, a game in which he was named man of the match for supposedly covering every blade of grass. But for Hampshire people, who took him to
Jimmy Dickinson, 1925-1982, was a legendary player at Portsmouth Football Club, holding the club record for the most ever appearances. He played an incredible 764 league games for Pompey, scoring nine times, and only Swindon's John Trollope has made
Barry Richards, born 1945, is a legendary South African batsman and current president of Hampshire Cricket. Known for his superb technique and perfect strokeplay, he brought his outstanding talent to Hampshire in 1968, and played for the county for ten
THE fate of plans for a gypsy and traveller transit site in Southampton will be decided tonight. The city council's planning panel must decide whether to grant planning permission for the 12-caravan, six-plot site on land at Monks Brook in Swaythling
Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie OBE, 1933-2006, was a Hampshire cricket legend, captaining the county to its first ever County Championship win in 1961. Mackenzie was a left-handed batsman who represented Hampshire between 1951 and 1966, and became the club's
It was one of Hampshire's greatest sporting achievements, and still burns brightly in the memory of all those lucky enough to remember it. On May 1 1976 Lawrie McMenemy's Second Division Saints side defeated red hot favourites Manchester United to lift
Lawrie McMenemy MBE, born 1936, is the most successful manager in Southampton Football Club's history. He is best known for leading his then second division Saints side to a shock 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the 1976 FA Cup final at Wembley
OLYMPIC Silver medallist Peter Waterfield claimed Great Britain's first medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens together with synchronised diving partner Leon Taylor. But it was in 2002 when he first rose to fame after becoming Commonwealth champion
Shane Warne is an internationally-renowned cricketer famed as much for his antics off the field as for his high-speed legspin bowling. The Australian sportsman retired from international cricket in January 2007 but will continue to play for Hampshire
John Arlott had a wonderful gift for evoking cricketing moments. John Arlott was many things - a poet, author, wine connoisseur - but above all became famous as a cricket broadcaster. He was born of humble beginnings in 1914 in Basingstoke and brought
Known not only for his sporting talent but also for his infectious laugh, Kriss Akabusi certainly brightened up the south coast during his years here. Akabusi, a former army PT instructor, moved to Locks Heath in the early 1980s to train with Southampton
THE BATTLE for passengers at the south's airports continued yesterday with low-fare giant Ryanair "guaranteeing" to have the lowest fares on the south coast. The Irish-owned airline also unveiled its latest cut price promotion - 50,000 seats for £10,
Pay to rid us of rats IT started when Pirelli Cable Works was demolished; Rats were evicted and found new homes in people's back gardens. They nest under sheds, or burrow under paving stones, if we are not careful it could turn into a serious problem
HOW I miss Radio Solent, because the station is unrecognisable now. So much for the friendly new look what with the young ladies' saucy prattling (does my bum look big in this? etc). Julian Clegg is turning into a one-man clown-show with his daft antics
A HAMPSHIRE superyacht designer is flying to Malta this week to give advice about the superyacht industry. Barry van Geffen, pictured above, chief executive of Laurent Giles Naval Architects in Lymington, is a board member of Superyacht UK, a group within
EVERYONE remembers their best teachers. They play a vital role, helping shape the lives of young people. The Teaching Awards (TA), a kite mark for teachers across the UK, was founded in 1998, and has been sponsored by BT for six years. The TA celebrate
I HAVE to report additional antisocial behaviour within our once peaceful village of Fair Oak. This is despite of all the good work performed by the over stretched police. Most weekends of late, many people suffer a tirade of loud, foul-mouthed abuse
JACKIE Nunn (Letters, June 11) wrote regarding the traffic dangers on Manor Farm Road. I, too, have contacted the council about the speed and parking problems outside the infant and junior schools. We desperately need a 20mph limit and tough penalties
I READ in the Daily Echo about the scrapping of the annual Festival on the Common. Why doesn't the council combine the annual festival with the yearly Springwatch? This is a splendid event and is attended by many of Southampton's families. Surely there
DN Grant (Letters, June 4) rightly justifies the erosion of rights under ten years of Tony Blair. Labour persuaded the middle classes in particular for a change of government in order to get elected, only to impose the highest tax burden in over 30 years
A POLICE hunt has has been launched after three mutilated hedgehogs were discovered in Hampshire, it was revealed today. The three hedgehogs were found burned, or squashed between wooden boards, in Basingstoke. Police say the offences took place in
Went to see and listen to the London Welsh Male Voice Choir at Fareham last week and had a great time. I was not too sure I would enjoy the evening but it was fantastic. Although I tried my best not to do a John Redmond and sing "dum-di-dum" while looking
Click here to check out our list WHO are the men and women who have made Hampshire famous around the world? Is it the county's historic figures like Queen Victoria, Lord Mountbatten and King Alfred? Or perhaps it's Hampshire's famous literary
Today's Southampton arrivals: Euphoria, container, 0230, 205e; Autoline roro, 0630, 201; Trinidad, vehicle, 0730, 34/35; Morning Chorus, vehicle, 1330, 43; Balmoral, passenger, 2030, 46; Philipp, container, 2030, 203; Grand Quest, roro, 2100, 43; Green
FRESH from their victory in the Global Rock Challenge, pupils from Priestlands School in Lymington have shown us just how talented they are. More than 100 performers and stage crew destroyed the competition and rocked the judges' socks off with their
THE BODY of a Hampshire woman lay undiscovered for days on the floor of her squalid house, an inquest heard. Valerie Miles was officially being looked after by her son Kalvin Ford, who was being paid to do so. But when Valerie, 60, was discovered dead
A unique UK rapper will complete his tour of six Hampshire schools today. Recycler the rapping robot won't be pulling any punches. His job will be to deliver an entertaining and interactive performance which brings recycling to life. The show is designed
Hockley's Gary Stubbington won the ERIF UK Match-play Championship at Tylney Park last week. Stubbington defeated Wellow's David Porter with a five foot birdie putt at the 20th hole of an exciting final. Not only was it Stubbington's first victory
HAYLING Island's Mark Thistleton and North Hants' Matt Allen both made it through to today's matchplay stages of the British Amateur Championship, but there was disappointment for Liphook's Sam Hutsby who missed out by one shot. Thistleton breezed
A 35-YEAR old man has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm after a firefighter was punched and left in a coma. Police confirmed James Cooper, of no fixed abode but who is local to Southampton, was charged last night - a day after being arrested
George Burley has begrudgingly accepted Martin Cranie's reasons for quitting Saints. The 20-year-old defender has rejected Saints' new contract offer after becoming frustrated at a lack of first team opportunities at St Mary's. Burley said: "Unfortunately
Now I know what it must have been like for former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy when Shane Warne was at his peak. I have never seen Warney bowl as well for Hampshire as he did against Durham on Monday. It was like the Shane Warne of old.
More evidence from the Southampton Crown Court brothel trial Also giving evidence for the defence was a former escort girl employed by Sharon Moir through the Panache Escort Agency. The woman, a brunette dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, told the court
AT just four days old she suffered a heart attack and brain haemorrhage which left her fighting for her life but three years on little Isabella Saunders is competing in her first sports day. Three-year-old Isabella from Fareham, will be joining her classmates
IT's the lifeblood of society and every living thing depends on it, but in less than 20 years, Hampshire's water supply could be under threat from climate change. By 2020, hosepipe bans could be as familiar as slapping on suntan lotion and the smell
THEY have always been the best of pals but they were parted for six long weeks. Pensioners Dot Darnton and Pat Fitall's enforced separation happened when the lift broke down at their council-owned block of flats. Dot, 84, was stuck on the top floor
A HAMPSHIRE schoolgirl's passion for shoes and art has seen her stomp ahead of her rivals and win a national competition. Emily Diaper, pictured, 14, is one of just eight young artists to win the role of designer for the official Kids Week 2007 poster
RACE for Life in Southampton is full and once again 10,000 women will take part in the 5km charity challenge. With a month to go until the big day, organisers had to close entries for the race on Southampton Common, but if you missed out on a place you
IT IS third time unlucky for a developer wanting to build 12 new houses between homes in a Hampshire neighbourhood. Residents on an estate on the Waterside have been fighting against the proposed backyard development for three years. Now they have successfully
Nick Knight believes Kevin Pietersen will be the key wicket for Warwickshire in today's Friends Provident Trophy semi-final. The former Warwickshire captain top scored with 118 when the counties last met in a one-day match - Hampshire's 18-run C & G
