• AUGUST was a great month for University of Southampton student Courtney Davies who claimed a stunning £61million lottery win.

Courtney, 19, who had just completed the first year of a psychology degree, could wave goodbye to the usual student money worries after hitting the EuroMillions jackpot.

She said she had no plans to drop out of higher education after becoming an overnight millionaire as part of a family syndicate.

  • FESTIVAL goers woke up with smoke in their nostrils and no ride home after a blaze destroyed around 80 cars at BoomTown Fair.

The fire which investigators believed was caused by a discarded cigarette, swept through the West Car Park at the music festival near Winchester.

Huge plumes of black smoke were visible from as far as Winchester city centre, four miles away.

No one was hurt in the fire but the festival’s Boomtique campsite was evacuated.

The dance and reggae festival, which attracted 60,000 people, continued but revellers were told to avoid the area.

  • HAMPSHIRE golfer Justin Rose struck gold at the Rio Olympics in the first Olympic golf competition for 112 years.

He edged out Ryder Cup team-mate and Open champion Henrik Stenson in a thrilling final-round battle that was only decided on the 72nd and final hole.

Rose carded a closing 67 at Reserva de Marapendi to finish 16 under par and two shots ahead of Stenson, with American Matt Kuchar claiming bronze.

  • THE speed limit between Redbridge Causeway and Mountbatten Way was dropped from 50mph to 40mph following a major accident earlier in the year.

The city council took the decision to cut the limit following the collision, where a vehicle hit and damaged a flyover on the route.

The council said the damage has been repaired but there are concerns that structures on the road are vulnerable.

The “temporary precaution” was put in place in both directions until a permanent solution was found.

  • THOUSANDS of people took to the streets of Southampton as the city celebrated its first Pride festival for 20 years.

The event was organised to celebrate diversity in the city. It was put on by organisers horrified by the massacre of 49 people in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, two months previous.

  • CRITICISM was levelled at the former head of a scandal-hit Hampshire health trust who continued to rake in a £245,000 salary despite stepping down after months of widespread condemnation.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Katrina Percy dramatically quit in the wake of a series of scandals including the organisation’s failure to investigate the deaths of hundreds of people in its care.

But it was revealed that she was not leaving the trust but being kept on in a “strategic” role with the same salary, sparking anger among grieving

  • SAINTS broke their transfer record when they signed Sofiane Boufal from French club Lille for £16million.

The Moroccan international signed a five-year deal at St Mary’s and his capture smashed the previous record paid for Dani Osvaldo.

He joined goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, who signed from Crystal Palace for £2million, out-of-contract French full-back Jeremy Pied, Bayern Munich youngster Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Nathan Redmond from Norwich City as Saints’ summer signings.

The club also discovered they would be facing Italian giants Inter Milan, Sparta Prague and Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the group stages of the Europa League.