ONCE it was a village, a separate community, a rural part of Hampshire on the edge of Southampton with a life and atmosphere all of its own. Today all that has changed and Bitterne has been swallowed up by the city. Roads have changed, the heart of the
Tim Sherwood, Pompey's latest signing, has got one thing in common with Saints fans - a big problem with Glenn Hoddle. Spurs fan Sherwood should make his Pompey debut against Grimsby tomorrow but, after signing this week, could not resist another pop
Today's Principal Arrivals: CMA CGM Baudelaire, container, 0100, 206; Nedlloyd America, container, 0400, 204; MOL Solution, container, 0700, 205; Global Leader, ro/ro, 1000, 43; Atlantica Hav, general, 2030, 102/3; Tinka, container, 2200, 204; Dart 8,
Hundreds of Winchester people have signed a spontaneous petition for peace in the face of the looming threat of war. Wendy Barnaby, who helps organise vigils for peace, said she had been inundated with requests from people wishing to register their protest
Despite a damning report from an appeal judge, plans for a Winchester park and ride extension are not dead, says a county spokesman. The scheme was turned down in the High Court because it was ruled that the county council had not earmarked appropriate
A dustcart driver has lifted the lid on how green waste has also been dumped in landfills under Hampshire's flagship recycling scheme. The whistleblower revealed he had been told "dozens of times" to take lorry-loads of garden and kitchen waste to the
New addition to Winchester City Council's tourism team is events officer, Elaine Robbins. She will co-ordinate and promote the annual programme. One of her key tasks will be to draw together and publish the quarterly What's On in Winchester leaflet. She
Another two Winchester sub-post offices face closure as part of a nationwide shake-up Highcliffe and Hyde are set to shut in April with the agreement, in each case, of the sub-postmaster and Post Office chiefs are now seeking the views of the public.
Because of an anticipated council tax increase, county council leader, Ken Thornber, says he will refuse a pay rise and he wants his colleagues to do the same. "I think it would sit badly with the public if I accepted more money at the same time as council
For the first time in over three years, Hampshire Police say they are on top of recruitment problems which have plagued the force. Maureen Adamson, director of personnel, told the Police Authority that the force should be up to full strength within two
County education officer, Andrew Seber, is the new president of the Confederation of Education Service Managers. His role will involve representing his colleagues in meetings with government ministers, senior civil servants, heads of other national bodies
The late Katherine Milne (89) was a much-loved resident of Longstock who had led an interesting and eventful life. Kat was one of a family of five children, all sent back to England for their education while her parents were living firstly in South America
Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, opened a revamped sheltered housing scheme at Alresford on Friday. In a £3.1m scheme, 16 new flats, 12 bungalows and a communal building have been provided at Makins Court. It also has a new sundial. Unveiling it
Thieves were at work in Winchester's bars over the weekend. At Bar Iguana, a purse holding a phone was stolen on Friday night and, on Saturday, a £150 Nokia was taken from a customer's pocket. Also in Jewry Street, at the Old Gaol House, a purse containing
MY mail bag is still dominated by letters on the situation in Iraq. I've met with church groups in Westminster to discuss these concerns and I can report that, to date, every single e-mail and letter I have received has expressed concern at any UK/USA-led
James Elliot, who has died, aged 92, was organist at St Lawrence Church in Winchester from 1949 to 1968 and helped establish a choir at the newly-formed St Barnabas Church in Weeke. A former deputy secretary of the National Fire Services College in Brighton
Chief Scout's Award certificates were awarded to 18 Hampshire Scouts by Sir James Scott at Mill Chase Community School, Bordon. They came from as far afield as Warsash, the New Forest, Sarisbury Green and Bedhampton. It could have been the last such gathering
Air Commodore Christopher Paul, CB, DFC, MA, C.Eng, FRAeS, Belgian Croix de Guerre, Czech MC, who has died at the good age of 95, had an illustrious service career, But was also well-loved resident of Old Alresford, devotingmuch of his time to support
SOUTHAMPTON'S 150,000-ton megaliner of the future, Queen Mary 2, has won the race to become the flagship of the 2004 Olympic Games. Although still under construction, the huge vessel is to play a vital part in the global sporting event due to be staged
One lucky company in Hampshire could win thousands of pounds worth of free consultancy by being proactive. LeepeckGreenfield has launched 2000 and Free, encouraging companies to get inventive in 2003. How? By logging on to www.leepeckgreenfield.com and
ALTHOUGH we might like to think of ourselves as living in an enlightened society where we look beyond outward appearances we are still surprisingly quick to define people by their disabilities. Francesca Martinez examines the ridiculous preconceptions
A FOUR-year-old Hampshire boy was found wandering the busy streets of Southampton more than a mile away from his primary school playground after walking off during lunch break. Rajvir Kaur crossed four busy roads and walked down a packed shopping street
FORMER binman Steve Jones from the Isle of Wight always has a rubbish holiday - because he travels all over the country to watch dustcarts in action. Every year he goes to a different part of Britain, tracks down the local waste tip and offers to work
ROLY from Grange Hill would be making a beeline for the nearest tuck shop if he caught sight of the new breakfast menus at six Southampton schools. An Outer Shirley Regener-ation Board grant of £119,278 has funded six special breakfast clubs for pupils
A HAMPSHIRE father has completed a sponsored bike ride around the Isle of Wight in memory of his beloved 12-year-old son who died last year. Michael Morris peddlled off on the 60-mile ride with his cousin Paul Lester on Tuesday. The pair were raising
THEY normally take money from people, but a group of generous Inland Revenue staff are giving it away to help youths in Southampton. Staff from the Inland Revenue in Portsmouth have raised nearly £3,000 for disadvantaged young people in their neighbouring
Cheshunt 5, Winchester 13 THE journey from clubhouse to pitch at Cheshunt turned out to be a good indicator of what was to follow. Namely, an uphill struggle through the energy sapping mud, which left you breathless, but somehow satisfied to have got
JAMES BEATTIE should be receiving a welcome phone call from the FA over the next few days. The Saints striker is regarded as a near certainty to be included in the England squad for the friendly international against Australia at Upton Park on February
NO WIGS, no backing tapes and musicians who play their own instruments. If you didn't know better, you might easily mistake T-Rextasy for a proper band. Widely hailed as one of the most authentic tribute acts on the planet, T-Rextasy have been doing their
THOUSANDS of Isle of Wight residents have backed a campaign to save vital services at St Mary's Hospital in Newport. Last week the Daily Echo threw its weight behind the campaign to save the Accident and Emergency Service and the maternity unit at the
CARPET shop owner Dave Hayes is shutting up shop in West Street to run his business from home. After 30 years Fareham's oldest independent trader is moving his business out of the town centre after predicting a downturn in custom once the Market Quay
A SCOUT group is offering you the chance to get a headstart with your summer planting by delivering colourful flowering bulbs direct to homes. The 15th Fareham Scout Group has come up with the idea as a way to raise much-needed funds. For a brochure call
DETECTIVES on the Isle of Wight have launched an inquiry into the awarding of a beach cleaning contract by the Island's Council. Detectives raided council offices and removed computer records and other documents. The contract, worth over £133,000, was
FIFTEEN thousand used Christmas cards have been collected by the Isle of Wight Council in response to a nationwide appeal by the Woodland Trust. Pop star and gardener Kim Wilde launched the card appeal in London in early January on behalf of the trust
HANDY volunteers on the Isle of Wight will be able to display their woodwork skills this year at two new community workshops. The 2003 Woodshed Project, run by the Island volunteers, who help promote environmental awareness to people on the Island, is
A HAMPSHIRE couple were today counting their blessings and saluting firefighters for saving their 16th century cottage which they have spent months renovating. About 70 firefighters battled a blaze in the thatched roof of the home in Chapel Drove, Horton
EASTLEIGH planners have received an application to extend Allbrook's former Old School Theatre. The Itchen Valley Education Trust - a charity linked to the Plymouth Brethren, which provides support for home educated children - won planning approval for
SAINTS have made a transfer deadline double swoop for Derby defender Danny Higginbotham and Nottingham Forest captain David Prutton. Both Higginbotham, 24, and midfielder Prutton, 21, were at St Mary's today finalising deals subject to medicals that could
DEFENDER Paul Williams believes that Saints can't be worried about the opposition's strengths if they are to beat Manchester United at St Mary's tomorrow. Williams is expected to line-up alongside Michael Svensson for the visit of Sir Alex Ferguson's
Winner of the Silver Lion for best screenplay at the Venice Film Festival, the fourth and final instalment of Eric Roomer's tales of the four seasons is a touching comedy which plays with the subject of matchmaking. Unfolding at a leisurely pace and filled
REIGNING champions Andover have signed attacking midfielder Kevin Reacord from Eastleigh. Lions boss Howard Goddard stepped into the breach after 24-year-old Reacord turned down the chance to rejoin his old club AFC Totton. Goddard confirmed: "We've agreed
STEVE Tate would not hesitate to appoint Taffy Richardson as his right-hand man at Newport - if and when he becomes available from Lymington & New Milton. Although the toughnut midfielder is likely to see out the season with the Jewson Wessex League
BASINGSTOKE Town's Craig McAllister was joined by former Southampton Academy player Brett Poate in a trial match for Queen's Park Rangers Reserves this week. Unfortunately for the pair it was not the best platform to parade their skills as a wind-wrecked
Eastleigh midfielder Kevin Reacord has signed for Andover. The 24 year old, a former Totton player with a prolific goalscoring record, will be in the squad for tomorrow (Saturday's) game away to ASSC Hamble. For the latest match reports, features and
THE CHAIRMAN of the Isle of Wight Council Councillor Heather Humby has sent a message of good wishes to Cowes-based yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur who with her 13-member crew is this week starting her round-the-world record attempt on board the 110ft giant
The Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble has entered a team for the Admiral's Cup in Cowes in July. The club announced this week that the team will consist of Team Tonic, a Farr 52 owned by Nick Hewson and skippered by Jeremy Robinson, and an as-yet-un-named
Ellen MacArthur has put her cash where her ambitions lie by backing a 7-1 bet to set a new non-stop round the world record in her giant catamaran Kingfisher 2. The Cowes-based yachtswoman has placed £800 with William Hill on her beating the current Jules
Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell made a disastrous start to their 2003 Star campaign when they finished the first day's racing in the 2003 Rolex Miami Olympic Class Regatta in Florida in 52nd place. The pair, who made history in 2002 when they became the
With the other teams below them all faltering, Tottonians lock on the London Division Four South-West title looks as good as secure, but they can slot in the final piece of the away-day jigsaw when they visit Old Emanuel. They were not convincing in beating
Does lightning strike twice? That is the question hanging over the second crunch derby in successive weeks between Ventnor, second bottom of Hampshire Two and runaway unbeaten leaders Isle of Wight. David Ball's side upset the applecart on Sunday by dismissing
Time is running out for Ropley's alternative church services and worshippers have accused diocesan officials of dragging their ecclesiastical feet. They are waiting for a diocese judgment on whether the church-status licence for the village hall should
A high-speed section of the A31 road has claimed another life, just days before the installation of new crash-barriers. Matthew Hole (25), of Bridge Road, Alresford, was killed at 1.30am on Saturday. His J-reg white Rover left the road on a left-hand
Some of Hampshire's most seriously ill will benefit from a huge lottery cash boost awarded this week to healthcare services for children. Naomi House Children's Hospice, which supports terminally-ill children and their families, has won its bid for a
Winchester MP Mark Oaten has welcomed news of a stay of execution for the King Edward VII hospital in Midhurst. He was a member of a cross-party group of MPs who held an eleventh-hour debate in Parliament, pressing the Government to save the hospital.
Memory Matters, a carers' education course developed by Hampshire Elderly Mental Health Services, is about to resume in Winchester, and people who care for someone with memory problems are being given the chance to take part. "The object is to help carers
Residents aired their frustration over Winchester's traffic problems at a town forum meeting. Hardly a chair was empty in the Guildhall's Saxon Suite as over 80 people grilled city and county council members and officers. Many criticised the redevelopment
A programme of improvements at Henry Beaufort School in Winchester has received backing from county education chiefs. The project now moves to its final stage at the county council, where it must gain the approval of leader, Ken Thornber. The scheme,
A Conservative plan to extend "right-to-buy" to housing association tenants would be "totally wrong" for Winchester with its shortage of affordable homes. That's the view of Lib-Dem MP, Mark Oaten, who has slammed Tory parliamentary candidate, George
Two prisoners who tried to break out of their first-floor cell at Winchester jail by removing bricks are still being questioned by police. The 21-year-olds, both from Southampton, made their bid for freedom on Saturday night. A police spokesman said they
A riding school is pinning hopes of survival on its newfound residents Bats have been seen in the rafters of the indoor school at Bow Lake Farm, in Portsmouth Road, Colden Common. For owner, Sandra Emery, her daughter, Joanna, and the stables manager,
Staff at Winchester's Trinity Centre are looking for volunteers to help in the kitchen. The centre, at St Paul's Hill, provides advice and support services covering a wide range of problems, including housing and homelessness, drugs and alcohol, safe
Two new multimillion pound projects to slash hospital waiting times a look set to go ahead. Health chiefs in Winchester and Southampton have agreed initial proposals to create two linked Diagnosis and Treatment Centres (DTC), in a bid to drive down patient
A Winchester woman married to an Iraqi has spoken of her fears for her husband's country and family if war breaks out. Gill Chalabi, of Cranworth Road, has been wed to Baghdad-born Zuhair for 26 years. While her husband was "too despairing to speak",
The Barton Farm development dominated debate as Winchester City Council cabinet members decided to publish their new local plan. The document outlines what kind of schemes would be welcome in the area and those that are not. The Barton Farm proposal,
Business Link Wessex has announced its participation as sponsor of the Small Business of the Year Award category for the 2003 Winchester Business Excellence Awards. The announcement from Business Link, completes the line up of seven leading local organisations
Clive and Beth Houghton will be on their way to paradise on Monday. They are visiting the village and orphanage that they and members of Immanuel Church in The Broadway, Winchester, have planned, designed and built with the help of local people. It is
With Hampshire County Council about to run its third UK Youth Parliament election, workshops for budding YMPs are being held tomorrow at Havant Civic Offices, Basingstoke Council Offices and Totton Youth Centre. Those attending will participate in a range
Staff and customers at the Wine Bar and Bistro in Bishop's Waltham have helped to raise £6,000 for the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. The money, which will go to the Nick Jonas ward, is the proceeds of a charity golf match at East Horton
Even at the age of 100, Alresford's Eddie McLeod is the life and soul of the party. With his ready wit, sense of humour and zest for life, he takes a keen interest in the world around him. He and his wife, Joyce - a mere 93 - thoroughly enjoyed a large
Winchester firefighters say Government threats to stop strikes have made them all the more determined to pursue the pay claim. Earlier this week, deputy prime minister, John Prescott, outlined plans to introduce new legislation to pave the way for an
While some may have been cleared, many hurdles remain for Winchester's £90m Friarsgate project. Winchester City Council cabinet members received a progress report from director of development services, Steve Bee. Under the scheme, the area between Friarsgate
Council taxpayers will be left to foot the bill for scrapping a looming pile of abandoned cars, says Hampshire MEP, Chris Huhne. The Lib-Dem has hit out at Whitehall plans to make the last owners of low-value secondhand cars pay disposal costs. Under
After an appeal for a 1950s-style iron and ironing board in the Hampshire Chronicle, Winchester's Chesil Theatre was overwhelmed by the response. Winchester resident, Francheska Pattisson, have provided the props for their forthcoming production of Look
The South Downs Campaign has welcomed the South Downs National Park Designation Order which was placed on deposit this week. It marks the start of a public consultation which lasts until February 28th. The SDC is now urging people to register support
An ex-forestry worker is taking on his ex-bosses in a bid to stop specimen trees being felled near his Ampfield home. Knapp Lane resident, Graham Ralph, is furious at Forest Enterprises plans to chop down Monterey pines and other trees bordering his Hawkers
PLANS to transform Totton town centre have been approved following a consultation exercise that revealed widespread support for the scheme. Three local authorities involved in the multi-million-pound project have given it the go-ahead after studying the
A HUGE campaign has been launched to save a "beautiful oasis" in the centre of a New Forest town. Hundreds of Lymington residents have signed petitions and protest slips in a bid to prevent the Fairwinds Garden Centre being bulldozed by a developer. The
A major new initiative designed to bring new business and job opportunities to the Isle of Wight has been launched by the chairman of the South East England Development Agency, Jim Brathwaite. Project Cowes, a joint enterprise between Seeda, the Isle
Life's a drag at The Mayflower this week, where you are as likely to find outrageous costumes in the audience as on the stage, thanks to the arrival of The New Rocky Horror Show. So if you've been looking for an excuse to go to the theatre wearing little
THE VAST majority of opera is the exact opposite of Hollywood films. While you're pretty certain that however tough the going gets in a movie there'll be a happy ending. You can almost guarantee that however well things seem to be going in an opera, it
ANTI-war campaigners who boarded a military supply ship bound for the Gulf in the Solent yesterday have vowed to return - if the vessel moves. Two protesters who set up camp on Lyra J, which was carrying military cargo from Marchwood, left the vessel
HAMPSHIRE is at the centre of a new black panther alert. A mother-of-two came face-to-face with one near Winchester this week, it emerged today. A schoolteacher has also told how she came eyeball-to-eyeball with the mystery creature that has sparked a
TWO years of campaigning for improved road safety along a Southampton rat-run will come to an end later this year after regeneration funding for traffic calming work was approved on Wednesday night. However, strict conditions have been placed on securing
EVERY child has memories of banging on saucepans and biscuit tin lids. But the potential in Jake Dore was spotted from an early age. He has swapped his wooden spoons for a pair of drumsticks with competition-winning results. Jake, 11, has scooped the
THE first paint brush has been lifted towards the refurbishment of a popular Southampton youth club. Millbrook Youth Club in the grounds of Millbrook Community School in Green Lane, Millbrook, has been awarded a £68,000 regeneration grant to fund major
CAN you imagine Marty Wilde giving up his rock 'n' roll lifestyle to pursue a career as a celebrity gardener? Unlike his daughter Kim, happy to swap the trappings of showbiz for a kneeling pad and some secateurs, the original king of Britrock would be
TIM SHERWOOD finally signed on the dotted line for Pompey this week, ending a season-long pursuit by manager Harry Redknapp. The former England international midfielder, who'll be 34 on Sunday (Feb 2) has agreed a loan deal until the end of the season
THREE of the biggest names in British jazz join Southampton Youth Jazz Orchestra for a unique performance of big band music at the Turner Sims Concert Hall on Sunday. Saxophonist Jason Yarde, trumpeter Sean Corby and drummer Rod Youngs are current, or
IF JAMIE Cullum hadn't found fame as a jazz musician, he could easily have gone into the celebrity lookalike business. For as well as being one of the hottest young talents on the live music circuit, singer-pianist Jamie bears an uncanny resemblance to
A LONG-RUNNING luncheon club in Stubbington for the elderly and disabled faces closure unless more volunteers come forward to help. Once a fortnight the Stubbington Lunch Club's 20 members look forward to meeting friends over a hot meal, coffee and biscuits
YOUNGSTERS at an Isle of Wight school spelt out a life-saving message as part of a campaign to get motorists to slow down on the south's roads. A total of 336 pupils from Lake Middle School spelled out the word THINK in their playground - the same number
HIGH-flying Island woman Carol Clynes is celebrating this week after she received an Isle of Wight lottery loan to turn her passion for birds of prey into an exciting new business venture. Carol, of Main Road in Chillerton, has set up the Wight Wings
A DAMNING report into the massive financial losses incurred by the Island's council during last year's Rock Island festival has slammed "sloppy" reporting procedures between the authority and the group appointed to oversee the running of the event. Ticket
SOME of the hundreds of archaeological finds excavated by Channel Four television's programme Time Team are on display at Sandown's Dinosaur Isle until March 28. The County Archaeology Service are to hold a launch event today at Dinosaur Isle for the
A COMPETITION which could see about £40,000 given to tenants of an Isle of Wight housing association to smarten up their homes has been officially launched this month. The Environmental Improvement Competition is now in its seventh year and is open to
THE CHAIRMAN of the Isle of Wight Council Councillor Heather Humby has sent a message of good wishes to Cowes-based yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur who with her 13-member crew is this week starting her round-the-world record attempt on board the 110ft giant
IT COULD be said to be a refreshing change when politicians with opposing views go out of their way to be polite to one another. But a letter from Eastleigh MP David Chidgey to the constituency's prospective Tory candidate Conor Burns has raised some
A JOBS bonanza is on the cards here in the south on the back of the UK's biggest ever warship project. Southampton's Vosper Thornycroft (VT) has been vying for a large part of the multi-billion pound order to build two of the next generation of aircraft
AFTER the big themes and occasionally ponderous science friction of AI: Artificial Intelligence and Minority Report, Steven Spielberg returns to safer ground with a slick mainstream flick straight out of the top drawer. Catch Me If You Can recounts the
IF THERE is such a thing as growing old gracefully, then somebody forget to tell Suzette (Goldie Hawn) and Lavinia (Susan Sarandon), the middle-aged double-act who cackle and cavort through Bob Dolman's comical road movie. They bump and grind younger
DESPITE the title, which must have led many an unwitting teenager into the cinema, David Cronenberg's latest offering is a far cry from his best-known film, The Fly. Rather than the SFX-laden sci-fi antics we are used to, The Spider gives us the much
Films showing in the Hampshire region until 6 February. 8 MILE (15): Eminem stars as a poor aspiring rapper who turns to music to try to gain some respect.- Odeon Cinema, Southampton; UGC, Oc ean Village. ABOUT SCHMIDT (15): A retired insurance-risk calculator
