Archive

BRAD Wheal admitted it was “incredible” to take a wicket on his first-class debut.The 18 year-old became Hampshire’s youngest opening bowler in living memory when he took the new ball against Middlesex.And he made an immediate impact, bowling former England

CHIEF executive Neill Blake has confirmed Cherries will not expand the capacity of Dean Court for their debut season in the Premier League. The club revealed feasibility studies had been conducted as to whether to increase the 11,700 capacity by

AFC Bournemouth have announced a 15 per cent increase for adult and junior season tickets and a 19 per cent increase for concessions ahead of next season’s Premier League bow. Standard prices range from £550 to £760 for adults, with concessions

A SOUTHAMPTON man accused of plotting a cyanide terrorist attack ‘idolised the IRA’ because his ginger hair was associated with its history, a court heard. Mark Colborne, 37, became obsessed with targeting “non-Aryans” and allegedly planned to

You don't need to be in Chelsea to see some spectacular plants. Exbury Gardens is at its best at this time of the year as the rhododendrons and azaleas explode into colour. The world famous gardens in the New Forest, owned by the Rothchild

Lawrie McMenemy thinks Saints boss Ronald Koeman should win the Premier League manager of the year award. The club were considered relegation candidates by many last summer when Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert

MICK Jenkins has left his role as director of football with Sydenhams Premier Division outfit AFC Portchester. The former Havant & Waterlooville and Dorchester Town boss exits Wicor Recreation Ground following the club's best ever season.

Hampshire skipper Ian Walker has led his Volvo Ocean Race team to the top of the competition’s in-port series as stage seven of the round-the-world epic gets underway. The Warash sailor, onboard the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing boat alongside Southampton

SHOLING chairman/manager Dave Diaper is putting his faith in the next generation. The Boatmen have signed up four youngsters ahead of next season. Academy trio Owen Roundell, Dan Dove and Jordan Brooks have joined first-team winger Tobi Adekunle

A CITY church will be preaching to the nation as it gets its moment of fame. TV programme Songs of Praise will be filming at New Community Church in Southampton’s Central Hall this Friday. Film crews will then return to the church on Sunday

Hampshire’s Joe Gatting cracked 57 off just 38 balls as Burridge raced to their first Premier Division win of the season, beating Alton by five wickets at the Jubilee Ground.Gatting hit three sixes and six fours in his no nonsense knock as Burridge sped

Winchester’s Theatre Royal hosts a vibrant dance spectacle performed by students from the University of Winchester and Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, USA, later this week (May 19-20). The showcase is a culmination of a collaboration

A CHILDREN’S charity has launched a service in Southampton to help young people recover from sexual abuse. The NSPCC will be offering youngsters and their families a free programme to support them as they recover from the trauma. Letting the

GOSPORT Borough have acted swiftly to draft in rearguard recruits for the 2015/16 National League (Conference) South campaign. With just 40 goals conceded, Borough boasted the division's strongest defence last term on their way to a fine sixth-placed

Ian Williams completed an impressive comeback to seal a third place finish as he began his defence of the World Match Racing Tour at the Congressional Cup in the USA. The Lymington-based sailor, a five-time world match racing champion, found himself

AN EXPLORER who conquered Everest today teamed up with a Hampshire epileptic cancer survivor in an attempt to row one of the world's toughest oceans. James Ketchell, the first person to row the Atlantic Ocean, climb Everest and cycle unaided around

I JOINED the Liberal Democrats, a quarter of a century ago when Paddy Ashdown became leader. By then, I had a dislike of the Conservatives, and could never vote for Labour. Nothing has changed. The aim of the game is, to get into Government

Over the course of the election where the Liberal Party stood four candidates I was shocked at the amount of times the media confused the Liberal Party with The Liberal Democrats. Apart from the Liberal in the name they couldn’t be more different

I WAS surprised that a Frenchman with a dog act appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” recently. Surely there must be many home-grown performers who should be appearing on the show rather than foreigners, or am I just being xenophobic? PHILIP G

So young Brits who go to fight against Isis are to be regarded as criminals? How crazy is this? Brits who worked and often died working for the Resistance against the Nazis were and are rightly regarded as heroes and heroines. BRENDA KNOPF,

IF WHAT I read is true that West Ham are reducing their season tickets by about 50 per cent because of the big pay out the Premiership are getting, then well done! I hope other football clubs follow suit, but I doubt it. KENNETH BRUMPTON

I AM very concerned about Mr Hawkins in your letters page last Saturday. He has “a problem with not waking under ladders”! Does he sleep under ladders then? Must be uncomfortable, surely? PETER C. JACKSON, Lee-On-The-Solent

BEING the ever romantic type of male in his mid 50s. I decided to take my wife for a nostalgic meal on the seafront in Southampton. There I was one early evening a few months ago and I turned to my lady and said: “Claire, let’s go for a meal by

THE football results over the weekend – with Southampton FC scoring an emphatic victory over Aston Villa – mean that, barring a turn-up for the books, the club is likely to be playing in Europe next season. True, the squad have to watch to see

Ryan Duffield smashed 51 off 25 balls as South Wilts opened up a seven-point lead at the top of the ECB Southern Electric Premier League with a convincing 88-run win over Ventnor at Steephill.The Western Australia left-hander launched three big sixes

I was horrified to read in the Daily Echo of the so-called ‘celebration’ by students at Crofton School who pelted each other with eggs and flour to mark the end of their schooling. Worse still, this was supported by parents who bought the eggs

REFERENCE your report in Friday’s Echo of the road accident involving a cyclist in Bursledon Road. I do hope that the young lady recovers quickly from her injuries, and the bus driver too, from what must have been a nasty shock to him. What

ON May 7 Andrew Pope was re-elected as a Labour councillor in Redbridge. If he really believes in democracy then he should resign and stand as an independent in a by-election. The residents of Redbridge voted for a Labour Councillor and that

I WOULD like to say thank you to the gentleman at Southampton Central last night. Yesterday my mum and her friend went to see Top Hat at the Mayflower which they said was outstanding. They left the show to get the train home. On arriving

AUSSIE Ben Ashkenazi took centre stage as Lymington inflicted a first defeat – by a 22-run margin – on Premier Division new boys Sarisbury Athletic at the Sports Ground.Ashkenazi, a Melbourne-based right-arm medium-pacer who is with the Elite Cricket

I AM looking forward to reading in full the letters that Prince Charles has written, which have been secret until now. Especially his interference and support for a badger cull and how TB in cattle is blamed on the badger. According to my research

THIS dark and verbose comedy sees writer, Charles Condomine (Steve Reading) engineering a séance, commanded by the eccentric medium, Madame Arcati (Peta Reading) who manages to summon Charles’ dead first wife, Elvira (Jacquie Arnott), who proceeds

England Under-19 captain Joe Weatherley hit a century before his two Australian tour team-mates Mason Crane and Brad Taylor bowled the Hampshire Academy to a crushing 146-run victory over Bashley (Rydal) on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground. Weatherley

HEY are going for gold again. Bosses at Hampshire-based and world-renowned Hillier Nurseries and garden centres are working flat out on their Chelsea Flower Show exhibit Crossing Continents and staff shirts capture what it is all about. Hillier's

ORGANISERS of the first ever Common People Festival started the party fun early as they 'yarn bombed' trees in the city centre. With just days to go before the metropolitan knees-up, the Common People team brought a taste of their Bestival antics

The Hudsucker Proxy will open at Nuffield Theatre on Tuesday May 19 following a week’s delay due to injuries sustained by two cast members. Nuffield delayed the first week of performances of their new production of The Hudsucker Proxy due to an

In a hugely entertaining treble-bill by two of the country’s foremost playwrights, a talented team of four players, under Sarah Newman’s firm direction, didn’t put a foot wrong, first bringing to life the minutiae of two 1980’s Yorkshire office workers

TICKETS for the 16th Winchester Festival of the Arts are now on sale. The organisers say they are delighted to introduce a varied programme across different arts genres. At the launch in April chairman of the festival Tim Guerrier said: “Although

ICONIC British band Wet Wet Wet will embark on their The Big Picture Tour in 2016, arriving at Bournemouth International Centre on Wednesday 2 March 2016. The legendary group has sold over 15 million records whilst notching up over thirty UK chart

AIRLINE bosses braved the elements this morning to officially launch nine new routes from Bournemouth Airport. Flybe Chief Executive Officer Saad Hammad and airport Managing Director Paul Knight took to the tarmac to unveil the Spirit of Bournemouth

A TEENAGER who was critically injured when a £1million speed boat flipped over in Southampton Water remains in hospital this morning. Simon Dredge sustained a life-threatening head injury when the Vector powerboat he was riding in struck a buoy

This Bank Holiday Monday the Larkin family will be romping across the stage at Groundlings Theatre in a production of Darling Buds of May - a new 1950s Rock and Roll Musical. The production runs at the Portsmouth venue until Saturday May 30.

A BORN and bred Winchester musician is set for a homecoming gig at a popular city centre venue. Ben Forrester, stage name Elijah Wolf, is part of independent alternative pop harmony The Gravity Drive with his wife Ava. The two met in Winchester

WINCHESTER Discovery Centre is set to welcome BBC Folk Awards winner, Jackie Oates. During a 10-year career the singer and fiddle-player has won the folk award for best newcomer and best traditional track. As well as five acclaimed solo albums

There was a remarkable double success for Southampton at the latest stage of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Two of the city’s diving stars set the event in La Rochelle, France, alight with a duo of stunning performances – making it a dream

A DECISION on a controversial development on the edge of Romsey featuring hundreds of homes and a sports complex will be made tomorrow night. Councillors are recommended to give permission to 275 homes at the Ganger Farm site at Woodley. If

MARI WILSON comes to Havant later this month armed with a jukebox of greats from all eras of early pop. The pop singer rose to prominence in the Eighties with her sixties influenced Jazz style. Now she is touring England with a new show; Ready

THE South's leading maritime training academy could be on the move. Plans are currently being discussed to move the Warsash Maritime Academy on to Southampton Solent University's main campus. The university insists there are currently no plans

ORGANISERS are gearing up for next month’s Lockerley and East Dean Carnival. And the first step of the journey was choosing the Carnival Queen and her court. This year’s procession on Saturday June 27 is themed on children’s books. Officials

A HUMAN rights activist in Iran will be speaking at the next meeting of Southampton’s Amnesty International group. It will be held on Monday, June 8. Krisztina Sáaróy will be talking about human rights in the Middle Eastern country at the community

SOUTHAMPTON airport is to host an airline’s new twice-weekly service to one of Italy’s largest cities. Flybe has started its new summer service from Southampton Airport to Milan, operating Wednesdays and Saturdays. This latest service boosts

SEAFARERS are urged to be prepared before going out on the water after a couple had to be rescued off the Hampshire coast. The National Maritime Operations Centre had to help a couple who called 999 from a speedboat after finding themselves in

One hundred and 76 seconds – that’s how long it took to make Saints striker Sadio Mane one of the world’s most talked about footballers. The striker re-wrote the history books by firing the fastest ever Premier League hat-trick in front of more

Any thoughts that Saints’ season might just have been fizzling out have been well and truly extinguished. A thrilling first half display set pulses racing as they hammered Aston Villa 6-1. And results elsewhere mean that going into a mouth

DRIVERS are this morning facing motorway delays of about 20 minutes. Those travelling along the westbound M27 are facing heavy traffic and delays from junction 10 at Fareham and junction five at Eastleigh. There is also heavy traffic on the

HE’S one of the biggest names in the music industry and he’s coming to Southampton. Fans of Bob Dylan couldn’t believe their luck when the American musician announced he was coming to the O2 Guildhall for a concert later this year. The singer-songwriter

SOUTHAMPTON residents and commuters are being urged to do their bit for the city's air quality by leaving their car at home. My Journey Commuter Challenge is running across the county this month encouraging people to save time and money and boost

A MAN accused of causing the deaths of two girls in a car crash appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday. Lily Butterfield-Godwin and Abbey Rogers, both 19 and from the New Forest, died after the car they were travelling in crashed into a

A HEARTBROKEN Southampton mum has paid tribute to her son who died suddenly aged just 20, describing him as “loved by everybody”. Tributes to Josh Payne - pictures >> Popular Josh Payne died in hospital on Saturday, leaving his

IT IS described as a "lifeline" for elderly people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds in Southampton – and now it is under threat. For at least 20 years members of the West Indian community and other ethnic backgrounds have been socialising,

THE INQUEST into the death of a Hampshire popular teenager who was killed in a road crash has been opened. Southampton and Western Hampshire Coroner’s Court opened and adjourned the hearing into Nick Brisland’s death, who was riding his motorcycle

A FORKLIFT truck driver who forced himself onto a woman and sexually assaulted her is today behind bars.Jaroslaw Latuska hung his head in the dock at Southampton Crown Court as he was jailed for 15 months for the attack.The Polish national was sentenced

A WOMAN beaten up by a stranger looked like something out of a horror film when she was found by a passer by on a Southampton street, a judge heard. After being told by her partner their relationship was over, Gina Burghardt had gone for a walk

DOG owners in Southampton flocked to learn about the importance of tick bite prevention by taking advice from an unlikely source – The Only Way is Essex star Lydia Bright. As part of the No Bite Is Right’ ‘Tick-Nic’ event organised by Bayer Animal

PART of Winchester’s bustling High Street was brought to a standstill when peaceful protestors took to the streets.Known as the Winchester People of Action, a group of around 30 gathered at the Brooks Centre, placards in hand to stand against austerity

STEVEN Davis admitted Saints’ 6-1 win against Aston Villa was a surreal game to play in. Southampton 6-1 Aston Villa - in pictures >> The midfielder enjoyed a memorable afternoon on his 100th Premier League appearance for the

SAINTS captain Jose Fonte insisted there was a sense of relief as the team ended a poor run of form in style with their 6-1 destruction of Aston Villa. Ronald Koeman's side had gone four games without a win as they headed into their final home

A TAXI driver felt he was running for his life after being subjected to a terrifying late night armed robbery. Dilsher Razvan had just begun his shift and his first call took him to Archers Road where two men and a woman were standing outside a

A HEARTBROKEN mum has appealed for the return of irreplaceable photographs of her children after she was mugged as she walked to work. Tracy Kyte has been left in pain and ‘absolutely petrified’ following the robbery of her handbag containing her