ANY motorcyclist embarking on worldwide travel or riding in near impossible conditions has a tough decision to make when it comes to their choice of protective rider clothing. These days a motorcyclist in EU-approved armour and protective clothing may
HARLEYS vibrate like an old tractor and Sportsters are girlie's bikes. Bet you've heard those comments - I've put in a good few miles on older Sporties and, yes, they did vibrate. I chose to treat that as part of the charm. The new Sportster with a rubber-mounted
A new strategy has been launched by the city council and primary care trust to reduce the suicide rate in Southampton. KATE THOMPSON talks to Jean Swallow about the death of her son... IT'S BARELY a month since Jean Swallow's teenage son Jack took his
ALAN MEW has been involved in an anxious countdown to the DGM Barbados Open - first event on the European Seniors Tour calendar for 2005. The 53-year-old Stoneham golfer ambitiously flew out to the Caribbean last week even though he was just 12th reserve
JUSTIN Rose got a reminder of just how tough life is on the American PGA Tour when he crashed out at the halfway point of last week's Chrysler Classic of Tuscon. The Hampshire golfer followed a level par first round 72 with a four-under 68 - and still
AFTER months mulling over retirement but never quite managing it, Graham Kemp has had the decision made for him. Ruptured ankle ligaments have ruled the Brockenhurst player-manager out for the rest of the season and effectively brought the curtain down
BURSLEDON readers could be set for a new library now that Eastleigh Council has agreed to chip in more than £300,000 towards the project. The executive committee has earmarked £309,000 from its community investment programme as a contribution towards
POP-punk band Freefaller have exploded on to the UK music scene after a helping hand from a digital marketing agency in Hampshire. Lawton eMarketing is the driving force behind an online publicity campaign that helped the band's single, Do this! Do That
TONY Manser is the new managing director of design and colour lithographic printers Cedar in Southampton. He has taken over from company founder Roy Matthews, who is now chairman on the new board of directors. Roy has been running the company in Royal
PAWS LONDON CAPITALS 95 (19, 49, 69) - SOLENT STARS 82 (16, 36, 55) SOLENT STARS s' hopes of reaching the English Basketball Division 1 play-offs have all but evaporated following a poor display at the new Capital City Academy in London. Having played
ENGLAND youth team member Lee Cullen was in superb form during the Weston Outcast Open where he won the event by a canter. The contest also doubled up as a Guernsey qualifier for the NFSA national Championships staged at Burnham-on-sea and Cullen's performance
A LEADING Tory councillor in Winchester has called for the city council's finance chief to resign over the collapse of an important mental health charity. The call came from Councillor George Holingbery over a £350,000 debt owed to the authority by The
CONGESTION charging is not the answer to Britain's traffic problems and it probably never will be. That's the verdict of Autocar magazine. While the population of Edinburgh has recently rejected congestion charging, and other cities - including Southampton
CONFIDENCE is high as Lucky Strike BAR Honda undertakes final preparation for the 2005 Formula One season - with the season opener, the Australian GP, taking place in Melbourne this Sunday. BAR Honda is more determined than ever to pursue its goal of
FORD'S search for the oldest Transit in everyday use in the vehicle's 40th anniversary year has led the company to a builder with a flatbed Transit of almost the same age. General building contractor Neil Cottam, of Preston, Lancashire, runs a 1966 25cwt
SOUTHAMPTON Lexus has helped The Alan Mullally Benefit Year get off to a roaring start by supplying the Hampshire cricketer with a Lexus IS200. Alan's benefit year was launched last month with a gala dinner at The Rose Bowl. A host of different events
A NEW era dawns today as the New Forest joins the ranks of Britain's National Parks. The ancient woodland now has the same status as the Lake District and other areas of outstanding natural beauty that need special protection. The move will result in
RESIDENTS on a Holbury estate have vowed to continue their battle against a plan to squeeze 15 new properties between their homes. Developer Foreman Homes has gone back to the drawing board after its initial plans were rejected. The company submitted
CROWDS of villagers gathered in Hythe when members of the village's Rotary Club unveiled a clock to mark the 100th anniversary of their organisation. Shoppers will no longer be stuck if they forget their watches after the traditional timepiece was erected
JOANNE MACE was looking forward to seeing Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere and director Peter Chelsom at the press conference for their new movie Shall We Dance? Oh well, two out of three ain't bad... THEM'S the breaks, so the urban saying goes. Tell everyone
BORN Eric Bishop, Jamie Foxx changed his name when he started his career as an entertainer. After honing his stand-up routine and branching out into acting, he eventually combined it with his first love, music, when he recorded an album, Peep This, in
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, The Instant Panto Company, Empire Hall, Totton Sultan Peppah promises his daughter Princess Raisin's hand in marriage to our hero Ali Baba, if Ali can successfully retrieve the missing precious emerald. Director Steven
DO YOU have a penchant for black cats, flying brooms and cackling? If the answer is yes, then you could be starring at The Mayflower in April in the stage production of Roald Dahl's The Witches. The show's producers are looking for 12 local women aged
ONE of Southampton's biggest employers has refused to rule out job losses - despite making multi-billion-pound profits. British American Tobacco, which employs 1,200 people at its Millbrook plant, dropped the bombshell this morning as it revealed annual
IT'S official - Southampton is no longer the home of ocean racing. Just two weeks after the Daily Echo revealed that the city had lost the right to host a stage of the Volvo Ocean race to south-coast rivals Portsmouth, the last of the signs welcoming
AN INTERNAL inquiry has been launched into how a potentially dangerous mentally ill patient managed to escape while in the care of a Hampshire hospital. As reported in yesterday's Daily Echo, 32-year-old Faysal Diiriye went missing while on escorted leave
A NEW era in home-buying is dawning. In the war to woo prospective buyers put off by sky-high prices and rising interest rates, two Hampshire property developers have turned to spectacular luxury extras to boost saleability. And experts are saying the
A RAIL passenger group has said figures that show an improvement in the performance of South West Trains following an overhaul of its timetable should not come as a surprise. As reported in yesterday's Daily Echo, in the first four weeks after the timetable
INSPECTORS have praised a Southampton infant school for its quality of teaching. They found pupils were very well behaved and achieved well at Freemantle C of E Infant School. The inspection team from schools watchdog Ofsted (the Office for Standards
ONE of Hampshire's most exclusive country houses has come on the market - for £1.85m. The 17th-century converted barn, bordering the River Meon, comes with its own swimming pool, gym, landscaped rose garden and paddock. Recently recreated by a mystery
SIR Alex Ferguson famously remarked "it's squeaky-bum time" during Manchester United's title run-in two seasons ago. That saying can be applied to the Basingstoke senior team ahead of their remaining London one fixtures - but instead of chasing league
THE annual Isle of Wight Village of the Year competition will be launched this month. Now in its third year, the competition is run by the Isle of Wight Rural Community Council (IWRCC) and sponsored by petroleum gas supplier Calor. Communities are judged
THE streets of Fareham have become an alcohol-free zone today. The ban on drinking alcohol in public places is a joint police and council effort to tackle violent crime and reclaim the town centre from yobs. They hope that the new by-law, which came into
List of placings and times 1 BAKER James Chichester Runners & AC 32.51 2 HARGREAVES Mark (M40,1st) Bournemouth AC 33.00 3 KING Matthew Winchester & District AC 33.06 4 GRICE Zippy Stubbington Green R & AC 33.52 5 LE GASSICK Mark Stubbington
List of placings and times 1 SHELDON Erica 36.58 2 BENSON Georgia 37.50 3 SQUIRE Christina Team Concept 38.50 4 SHEPHERD Debbie (W40,1st) 40.05 5 PITTS Sally (W40,2nd) Witney Roadrunners 40.37 6 TARLTON Angie 42.38 7 TRITTON Gabby Littledown Harriers
DAVID PRUTTON described himself as an "idiot" for the moment of madness that could see him miss the rest of the season. The Saints midfielder was overcome with rage after being sent off for a second bookable offence against Arsenal on Saturday - the sixth
THE LONG Way Round tour is back. A whirlwind promotional tour has been scheduled so that followers and supporters of last year's most-talked- about two-wheel journey, The Long Way Round, can meet adventurer and celebrity Charley Boorman. The tour will
DO YOU dare to bare so you can become Southampton's official billboard babe? Living has teamed up with skincare giants Dove to offer Daily Echo readers the exclusive chance to become a model in their latest campaign. Eye-catching posters and adverts challenging
ROMSEY-based nutritional therapist Anna Osgerby offers some advice to help boost the immune system and banish winter colds... IF you are plagued with recurring colds, it could be time to give your immune system some TLC. The immune system is a complete
SOUTHAMPTON motor dealer Lexus have struck a new sponsorship deal with one of the brightest young golfing teams in the area. South Winchester's junior team currently have five youngsters training with Hampshire, with two of them already in county sides
HAMPSHIRE golfers have the opportunity to qualify for this year's Nick Faldo Series which has teamed up with golfsurgery.com to create seven free-to-enter golfsurgery.com Faldo Series qualifiers. There is one golfsurgery.com Faldo Series Qualifier in
Today's Principal Arrivals: CMA CGM Bellini, container, 0200, 206; Hong Kong Express, container, 0330, 205; Lembitu, roro, 0530, 30; Olivia, vehicle, 0530, 203; Hartland Point, roro, 0800, rlc3; Chikuma Reefer, refrigerated, 1530, 104; P&O Nedlloyd
UP TO 1,200 workers at the British American Tobacco cigarette factory in Southampton have helped the global company make global profits of nearly £1.9 billion. The seed-to-smoke giant saw pre-tax profits rise by 20 per cent from nearly £1.6bn last year
THERE'S a boom in hotel and hospitality jobs, with two major regional hotels launching recruitment drives. The Macdonald Botley Park Hotel, Golf and Country Club aims to attract 20 new members of staff following a multi-million-pound refurbishment programme
FINANCIAL services giant Skandia, which employs 1,500 people at its UK headquarters here in Southampton, racked up an enviable set of results for last year. It saw a 43 per cent rise in year-on-year sales, while the share of the independent financial
A NEW industrial park is to be built in Lymington. Called the Lymington Enterprise Centre, it will comprise 21 brand new industrial or warehouse units ranging in size from 500 sq ft to 1,679 sq ft. Each unit will have a six-metre high ceiling and will
WINCHESTER has finally woken up to the massive redevelopment at the heart of the city centre. Some 250 people packed into the Guildhall to hear about plans for the £100 million Broadway-Friarsgate redevelopment last night. Architect Paul Appleton and
THE Volkswagen Touareg has confirmed its off-road prowess once again by setting a new world altitude record for a motor vehicle of 6,080 metres (19,947ft). This achievement, undertaken in a standard-engined Touareg 3.2 litre V6, has been officially recognised
TODAY the New Forest becomes England's first new National Park for 17 years. CHRIS YANDELL looks at the new organisation that will run the area, and what it will mean to residents and visitors... IN a small office overlooking Lyndhurst High Street, a
ONE of the most eagerly-awaited films of this year is definitely Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Twelve. The sequel to the smash hit from 2001, which brought together stars such as George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt on screen
FORMER Saints star James Beattie has been beaten up in a row outside a night spot as he celebrated his birthday, it was reported today. The striker, who now plays for Everton, was left bleeding on the pavement after the attack. He was allegedly kicked
INSPECTORS have praised a Southampton infant school for its quality of teaching. They found pupils were very well behaved and achieved well at Freemantle C of E Infant School. The inspection team from schools watchdog Ofsted (the Office for Standards
TYPICAL! You wait years for somebody to name a bus after you - then suddenly your get an entire fleet named in honour of the great and good of our fair city. Last year the late Daphne Topple, who was a regular Uni Link bus user, was given the first accolade
SCHOOLS tennis in Basingstoke received a further boost this month, when Totally Tennis received new equipment to enhance the delivery of its hugely-successful schools programme. The equipment, which includes 90 mid-size rackets, 200 balls and wheeled
BIG hair will be the dress code for hundreds of people across Hampshire who are planning to make this year's Red Nose Day fundraiser the best yet. On Friday, March 11 the tenth Comic Relief event will see people take part in a variety of crazy stunts
SOME of Africa's finest musicians and singers will be performing at The Anvil, Basingstoke on Saturday, March 12. Africa 05 Live, featuring South African trumpeter Claude Deppa and his seven-piece band with divas Rachel Magoola, Pauline Oduro and Ayinke
FOR the third year running, popular French cabaret artiste Monique comes to the Plaza Theatre, Romsey for an evening of Anglo-French music fusing jazz, world music and Gallic songs. Monique's latest show, which you can see at the Plaza on Saturday, March
Zum 3, Forest Arts, New Milton Opening this wonderful concert by strolling nonchalantly into the audience playing world-class violin, Adam Summerhayes led Zum 3 through a delightful mix of music. From Argentinian tangos and waltzes to witty original compositions
A MESSAGE from health chiefs telling GPs not to send patients to Cosham's Queen Alexandra Hospital has been labelled proof that the doomed Royal Hospital Haslar is still desperately needed. Portsmouth Hospitals Trust sent out the emergency memo to the
CATCH-me-if-you-can king James Baker led from the front once again as he took the Hampshire Chronicle Winchester 10k Road Race title. Freezing conditions and snow flurries failed to put runners off the popular race and more than 550 of them managed to
FIFTEEN Eastleigh homeowners could find out today whether they are in for a cash bonanza when developers sweep away their houses for a multi-million-pound apartment complex. Brookworth Developments Ltd wants to demolish 13 detached and two semi-detached
WORK has started on a £90,000 Hampshire County Council safety improvement scheme at Eastleigh's Wide Lane - a busy stretch of road on the approach to Southampton International Airport. The work is expected to take eight weeks but county chiefs say great
FUNDRAISERS are set to hold a meeting next month to hand back cash that was raised towards an ambitious scheme to get a disused Eastleigh swimming pool back into action. The Shakespeare Community Pool Project was launched more than a decade ago in a bid
HUNDREDS of jobs are to go after Brittany Ferries sank a deal to take over P&O's Portsmouth Le Havre cross-Channel route. Ferry operator P&O stunned Hampshire last September when it axed routes to Caen, Cherbourg and Le Havre from Portsmouth as
AFTER months mulling over retirement but never quite managing it, Graham Kemp has had the decision made for him. Ruptured ankle ligaments have ruled the Brockenhurst player-manager out for the rest of the season and effectively brought the curtain down
HARRY Redknapp knows that David Prutton genuinely is distraught at his sending-off - and is backing the 23-year-old to learn from his mistake. "After the game his parents were there and I've never seen anyone so low in all my life," said Redknapp. "I've
HARRY REDKNAPP will ring the changes against Brentford in the FA Cup tonight, recalling Kevin Phillips and picking an entirely new midfield. With David Prutton suspended, Nigel Quashie cup-tied, Graeme Le Saux suffering with 'flu and Jamie Redknapp rested
BRENTFORD manager Martin Allen believes that his side's best chance to pull off a giant-killing against Saints has gone. The League One play off hopefuls have home advantage tonight and showed how tough they are to beat at Griffin Park when they scored
