WITHIN minutes of taking over as mayor of Basingstoke, Cllr Gerry Traynor had to use his casting vote in the council chamber. After the local elections earlier this month left the Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition with 30 councillors opposed by 26 Conservatives
NOT even the indifferent weather could prevent thousands of residents enjoying themselves at the Popley Festival yesterday. Despite the grey skies and bouts of rain, people turned out in force on Sunday to get a taste of what was on offer at the popular
AIRLIFTING marines out of a fierce firefight in the heart of Iraq was RAF Odiham's "finest hour", according to the base's commander. Wing Commander Gavin Davey, the current acting station commander, has spoken for the first time of the harsh conditions
TOWN centre CCTV could be overhauled in a bid to improve security in Basingstoke. Members of the police force and the borough council have been meeting to discuss developing CCTV coverage. They will be visiting the Festival Place CCTV control room at
FOUR Basingstoke Gymnastics Club members had successful outings at national grade finals as members of southern region teams. Gemma Tydeman was the youngest in her British voluntary level one championship at Kettering but the 13-year-old took the overall
A BASINGSTOKE pub's plans for an FA Cup final to remember were dashed in the cruellest way possible - on and off the pitch. A power cut left the Southampton fans at the Castle, in Old Reading Road, unable even to listen to the game - let alone watch it
STRIKER Neville Roach has proved player loyalty still exists in football, by turning his back on a lucrative deal and pledging himself to Basingstoke Town by signing a two-year deal on Saturday. This is further brilliant news for the Camrose outfit as
ONE of Hampshire's biggest fundraising events may be driven off the road by a 3,750 per cent bill increase, it has been claimed. Organisers of the Daisy Chain Run say the charge for hiring Gang Warily at Blackfield unexpectedly soared from £47 last year
POLICE have narrowed their investigation into the death of a motorcyclist on one of Hampshire's busiest roads, following a post-mortem. It was initially thought that David Atherton, killed on the A31 at Ringwood, had fallen off his bike and been run over
IT'S all over. A teary-eyed James Beattie acknowledges the Saints supporters at the end of a dramatic FA Cup Final. But although the team went down 1-0 to Cup holders Arsenal, their performance and that of the fans was hailed a winner, producing one of
SOUTHAMPTON may have lost the FA Cup Final but their fans were the real winners on the historic day in Cardiff, according to the city's first citizen. Mayor of Southampton Brian Parnell was among the thousands who travelled from the south coast to the
THE Saints fan seen crying by millions of people across the world at the FA Cup final has revealed the reason for his tears. Damon Heritage wept as the traditional pre-match hymn Abide With Me came to a close at the Millennium Stadium. The 42-year-old
THREE sailors from the Southampton area have been airlifted to safety after sending a dramatic text message from their racing yacht which capsized in a severe gale off the Isle of Wight. John Fisher and John Hanson, both 32, and Duncan Barr, 34, were
The Daily Echo gives The Cedar Special School, in Nursling, the chance to showcase its activities. By head teacher Brian Hart THE Cedar School is a special school maintained by Southampton City Council for day pupils aged from two to 16 plus. However,
SAINTS goalkeeper Antti Niemi is out of Finland's friendly with Norway on Thursday - and is facing a race against time to be fit for the Euro 2004 qualifiers early next month. Niemi was stretchered off midway through the second half in Cardiff after suffering
ANDERS SVENSSON has pledged his future to Saints - by admitting the experience of playing in his first FA Cup Final had left him hungry for more success on the south coast. The midfielder, who starred for Sweden in the World Cup, has been the subject
No, you're not seeing double. Southampton's twin White Sisters are set to change the face of British cruising and the city's port in the years to come. The two identical ships, Oceana and Adonia, will be together for the first time in Southampton Docks
Glamorous, stylish and as fresh as a brisk walk on deck, the twin White Sisters, Oceana, and her sister ship, Adonia, are setting sail for a new era in British cruising. The two superliners have ushered in a new degree of sophistication on the high seas
Some of the most experienced and respected ships' captains have been appointed as masters of Oceana and Adonia. In command of Oceana is Captain Steve Burgoine, who joined P&O as a deck cadet in 1966 and sailed on the vessels Soudan, Ballarat and Chusan
GAZETTE photographer Jason Allen has been honoured with a top award in a major photographic competition. Jason was named runner-up in the Fujifilm Local Newspaper Photographer of the Year category at The Picture Editors' Awards ceremony at the Guildhall
A CAMPAIGN against plans to build a motocross track at Odiham has received a major boost after a Hart council officer recommended that planning permission be refused. The proposal for land at Down Farm, off Ford Lane, was submitted by Cllr Robert Benford
GAZETTE Newspapers has been presented with the mayor's prestigious award to business. The presentation of the civic accolade was made by outgoing borough mayor Cllr Rita Burgess at the annual council meeting on Thursday. Cllr Burgess - who has just completed
With BT Openworld Broadband, it's plain sailing - literally! We're offering one lucky user the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to an Olympic Sailing Day on Wednesday 28th May in Cowes, courtesy of BT Openworld Broadband. This is a unique opportunity
Today's Principal Arrivals: Oceana, cruise ship, 0600, 106; Celtic King, container, 0700, Con Term; APL Pearl, container, 1330, 206; Angela J, container, 1700, Con Term; Heinrich Behrmann, container, 1930, Con Term; OOCL Fortune, container, 2359, Con
Sir, - Can I say how disappointed I am with the services we are supposed to receive with money paid out in Council Tax. I live in Broadwater Road, my husband and half- a-dozen other men and women take care of much of the garden as they can. This year,
Sir, - Nearly three months ago I was what is now termed 'a pavement victim', having cracked a bone in my right foot after tripping on the kerb near Romsey park. I was housebound almost three weeks. The first week hobbling about in bedsocks, and on painkillers
Sir,-Romsey Woolworth store is seeking a new local good cause or children's charity to support as part of the Woolworth's Kids First charity. Woolworth's Kids First is an independent charity that empowers the employees to improve the quality of children's
7 UP were the winners of the annual Basingstoke Netball League end-of-season tournament at Russell Howard Park. Some 24 teams entered the fun versatility tournament with players swapping positions throughout. All the teams had a full day's play. The standard
BASINGSTOKE and North Hants, the top club cricket side in the area, are trying to add to past glories this season. At the moment they are waiting to see if new skipper Charl Willoughby will be playing for them or is selected for South Africa's touring
Hampshire 21pts Oxfordshire 22 A MISSED conversion attempt in the third minute of stoppage time at Basingstoke on Saturday meant Hampshire missed out on a first Twickenham final in the County Shield. In a rugby match that paired two unbeaten pool winners
HAWK Wing became one of the few horses to win a group one race by a double-figure margin when landing the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes by 11 lengths at Newbury on Saturday. In a magnificent front-running display for trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Mick
HISTORY will forever record that the 2003 FA Cup was won by Arsenal - but the magical legacy it has left in Southampton will never be forgotten. The football match itself may well have been edged by the Gunners, but the day belonged to Saints and their
ALL clouds had silver linings at Beaulieu's National Motor Museum when thousands of motoring enthusiasts flocked to its autojumble. Despite the rain which sent people diving for cover on Saturday, the organisers were still able to report a reasonable
Hundreds of investors, business owners and managers are expected to gather at Winchester's Intech Centre next month for the Innovention 2003 Competition and Exhibition. The annual event, hosted by Business Link Wessex and organised by the South East Hampshire
The corporate finance team at Fanshawe Lofts has just completed the acquisition of Prolec on behalf of their clients, Strainstall Group. Based at Cowes, Strainstall has worldwide experience in stress and load measurement for the marine transportation,
SUPPORTERS turned out in force yesterday to give Gordon Strachan's side a heroes welcome on their return to Southampton. More than 300 fans gathered outside the Friends Provident St Mary's stadium to roar their approval as the team coach rolled in from
SIMPLY fan-tastic! Gordon Strachan's yellow army travelled in their thousands to roar on the Saints in Cardiff. And, despite the result, supporters turned the final into a colourful carnival and were sent home with a warm message from the Welsh capital
ALTHOUGH one Hampshire couple spent much of their wedding day clowning around, the vows they took were certainly no joke. Woolston-based clowns Crazy M and R-Jay, of Laurel Close could think of no better way to tie the knot than to have a clown-themed
THE colourful excesses of the world's most famous rock 'n' roll band are honoured in a spoof tribute show at The Anvil, Basing-stoke, next month. In celebration of the Rolling Stones having made it to their 40th anniversary, their spoof counterparts,
WHEN little Matthew Cooper first went to The Rainbow Centre he could not sit up by himself or walk at all. Now eight months on the laughing three-year-old has taken his first tentative steps with a pair of small walking sticks and can even climb up stairs
THE FA Cup is traditionally a breeding ground for heroes and, despite Saturday's 1-0 defeat, the turf of the Millennium Stadium provided fertile territory for one Saints youngster. Leaving aside for a moment the controversy over whether Fabrice Fernandes
GORDON Strachan shrugged off the acute disappointment of ending up as an FA Cup Final loser by telling his players: I'm proud of you. The Saints boss insisted the squad who have achieved so much this season were a credit to themselves and the club at
The ship's crown is her funnel. It is one of the most distinctive features of any vessel and it has to be both functional and, at the same time, stylish and striking. Oceana and Adonia both have a sweeping, curved funnel that fits the overall appearance
