I WAS hanging around Dockgate 20 looking at stuff and talking about bikes when I found a new line being unpacked - Orange County Choppers clothing. OCC have become an international phenomenon since the cable and satellite programme American Choppers followed
Fitness experts help you kick the habit on National No Smoking Day... HUNDREDS of smokers in Hampshire will be looking to kick the habit on national No Smoking Day. LA Fitness in Southampton is helping to motivate those people who are determined to quit
Get back on track with FREE induction and taster sessions at local fitness suites... IT'S the classic story of a New Year's resolution. How many of us promised ourselves that this is the year to get fit, lose weight and lead an altogether healthier lifestyle
HAMPSHIRE Professional Golfers honoured English champion Kerry Smith when they staged their annual dinner at St Mary's Stadium The Waterlooville Curtis Cup player won the Hampshire PGA's Achievement Award to mark her winning the national title last June
TOMMY Widdrington has committed to Ryman Premier outfit Salisbury City for the rest of the season, but whether he stays in non-league football remains to be seen. The tough-tackling midfielder, who made 81 starts for Saints in the early 90s before joining
Downton dropped to the foot of Wessex Division 1 after losing at home to Fareham. Strikes by Lewis Finnemore, Floyd Hamoudu and James Ford powered Fareham into a comfortable 3-0 lead before a late rally from the Robins saw Paul Gulliver and Dan Newman
HAMBLE ASSC hauled themselves off the foot of the Wessex League table with a battling 0-0 draw at Gosport - but boss Danny Bowers missed it! Buoyant Bowers was on his way back from Paris after celebrating his anniversary in the French capital and joked
Today's Principal Arrivals: Lembitu, roro, 0530, 30; Wellington Star, refrigerated, 0530, 104; Le Castellet, roro, 0600, 201; Black Prince, passenger, 0700, 38/9; Maersk Teal, roro, 0730, 34/35; Autoline, roro, 0800, 201/2; Perseus leader, vehicle, 0830
HAMPSHIRE based defence giant BAE Systems has unveiled a £2.09 billion deal to buy US rival United Defense Industries. The move will help BAE capitalise on the increase in spending by the Pentagon as it combats the growing threat of terrorism and maintains
A DIGITAL marketing company in Hampshire has sorted out the nuts and bolts of online publicity for animated cinema blockbuster ROBOTS. Lawton eMarketing, part of Lawton Communications Group, hooked up with US studio giant Twentieth Century Fox International
FRAUD cases heard in this region rose by 40 per cent last year, according to figures from KPMG's "Fraud Barometer". The "detective" arm of the management consultancy giant, which employs 120 people in Southampton, considers fraud cases involving more
SHOPPING centre WestQuay's 'Welcome to a World of Pleasure' marketing campaign has been highlighted in a national award. The British Council of Shopping Centres' Purple Apple Awards gave the pampering and travel-themed campaign a merit in the best advertising
ANDY Forbes warmed up for tonight's Isthmian League Centenary Match against an FA XI at Dulwich by scoring twice for play-off chasers Eastleigh in Saturday's 3-0 win at Kingstonian. Amazingly the former Winchester City hot-shot has now netted 22 goals
HAMBLE ASSC hauled themselves off the foot of the Wessex League table with a battling 0-0 draw at Gosport - but boss Danny Bowers missed it! Buoyant Bowers was on his way back from Paris after celebrating his anniversary in the French capital and joked
IF there was a prouder manager in the country on Saturday than Bashley's Geoff Butler, you would struggle to have found him. Despite being shorn of yet another star player when Richard Gillespie joined Salisbury City on loan last week, the Foresters pulled
Wimborne defender Nick Plank was taken to hospital with a suspected dislocated ankle in their 1-1 draw with BAT at Southern Gardens. Richie Gregory crossed for Dean Platt to head the Tobaccomen into a 15th minute lead but the Magpies levelled five minutes
AFTER taking his first win in the Dulwich Primavera road race 11 years ago, Winchester's Rob Hurd showed when winning the race for the third time that time has done nothing but mature his talent. Hurd is now back in England after spending most of his
WINCHESTER traffic chiefs are pressing for potentially controversial "park-and-share" sites on land near to the M3, the Daily Echo can reveal. Surplus land close to junctions nine, ten and 11 could be converted into car parks that would be used by commuters
WINCHESTER drivers are preparing to fork out for hefty increases in the cost of parking from April 1. New tariffs announced by Winchester City Council show the cost of parking in two of the major city long-stay car parks, Tower Street and Gladstone Street
FORD has unveiled a sport activity vehicle concept (SAV) at the Geneva Motor Show. A stylish three-row mono-space, the SAV concept provides a glimpse of a new design direction for Ford of Europe. Sleek and purposeful, the SAV concept demonstrates new
CUSTOMER deliveries have not yet begun, but Nissan's 350Z Roadster has won its first European accolade - Cabriolet of the Year at the Geneva Motor Show. The jury of international automotive journalists voted unanimously for the 350Z Roadster in recognition
THOUSANDS of bees have been killed in an attack on two hives in the New Forest. Vandals are thought to have knocked over the hives and then pelted them with bricks or stones, exposing the bees to sub-zero temperatures. Beekeeper Laurence Soffe, 69, of
A FATAL accident on a busy Waterside road will spark calls for action at a public meeting tonight. Campaigners who raised a 4,600-signature petition want Hampshire County Council to provide pedestrians with a safe route across the A326, which separates
A MAN was attacked with what is believed to have been a samurai sword during an attempted robbery in the New Forest last night. The victim was walking along an alleyway in the centre of New Milton when he was confronted by a man wielding a 2ft sword or
A HUGE tyre blaze sent plumes of smoke hundreds of feet into the sky over the New Forest yesterday. At its height the inferno could be seen from ten miles. It broke out mid-morning in a pile of about 2,000 tyres at a garage. At one stage there were fears
POLICE have launched a crack down on vandalism, graffiti and antisocial behaviour in a New Forest village. Groups of hooligans have been descending on Sway, intimidating residents and causing damage to buildings and cars. The village has always suffered
Ed Byrne, Theatre Royal, Winchester WITH flowing dark locks, Irish insouciance and a smart but self-deprecating style, this is the Ed Byrne you recognise from the telly, only with one notable exception: he's actually funny. Not call-an-ambulance-I've-laughed-myself-into-an-embolism
A NEW means-tested benefit system is to be introduced for disabled people, despite protests from campaigners. Southampton City Council agreed the controversial sliding scale fees for Direct Payment services to disabled and vulnerable people. It will bring
THEY played a crucial part in serving the country during the Second World War. However, a 21st-century battle to save a priceless collection of boats purpose-built more than 60 years ago has been lost, and now some of the unique vessels face the scrapyard
THE mystery surrounding the death of a Hampshire businessman who was found dead in the boot of a Rolls-Royce deepened today. The body of Norman Carlton was found dead in the boot of his champagne-coloured luxury car where he had spent Saturday night parked
SHIRLEY'S cutting edge new library is more "trendy bookshop" than stuffy institution, according to South-ampton City Council bosses. The £1m revamped library is due to open on Saturday with story-telling, workshops and art demonstrations - and even a
HAMPSHIRE police has stepped closer to quitting its current headquarters in Winchester after submitting plans to build 300 homes on the site. Bosses have confirmed that the force is seeking a new base further south in the county which is likely to be
A GRANNY had a narrow escape after youths lobbed a rock the size of a baking potato through her car window. Carmel Brady was left shaken after the missile shattered the passenger side window of her red G-Reg Peugeot 309 in Stoneham Lane, Swaythling. Carmel
OLDER members of Southampton's Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club will be as warm as toast when they take part in competitions in the future - thanks to a prize-winning performance in a national competition for the over-60s. Seven regular ice skaters at
YOUNG dancers in Southampton are being given the chance to appear in the latest video for pop band Freefaller. Teenagers entering the competition will also win a place on the books of a dance and model agency - as well as seeing themselves transformed
Winchester City took the lead after three minutes at Christchurch when Mark Smith swung the ball in from the right and Ian Mancey fired home from 15 yards. Matt Bicknell added a second midway through the half after keeper Max Frampton had parried efforts
Bloc Party, The Pyramids, Portsmouth AS THEY ended the current part of their British tour before jetting off to Europe and the States, Bloc Party gave a sell-out audience an evening to remember. The band - with their 2005 take on punk - have already gathered
"IF A NEW school is what parents in Whiteley want - then we will do our best to try to deliver." This is the message to parents from Hampshire County Council chief Ken Thornber as a consultation gets under way to try to resolve the schools shortage crisis
SABOTAGE has been ruled out as a cause of the plane crash which claimed the life of a Hampshire soldier. Investigators said it was still possible that the RAF Hercules aircraft was shot down in Iraq. Acting Lance-Corporal Steven Jones, pictured above,
WE are watching you! That's the message from police to a gang of up to 80 yobs who have been blighting the lives of residents in a quiet residential neighbourhood in Bishop-stoke with rowdy, drink-fuelled behaviour on Friday evenings. Eastleigh police
SENIOR MP Martin Linton helped Eastleigh's Labour party celebrate 50 years in the town at a special reception. The occasion at the Wells Place Centre also saw three stalwarts honoured for their efforts. Elsie Truscott, who joined the party in 1953 and
SAINTS' FA Cup final captain Chris Marsden has been forced to retire from football through injury. The 36-year-old midfielder, who made more than 150 appearances for Saints between 1999-2004, has been forced to admit defeat in his battle against a long-standing
THE director of the West Ham academy believes that Harry Redknapp is the best man to blood the club's talented youngsters. Tony Carr, 55, has been involved with the West Ham youth set-up for several years and reckons the likes of Theo Walcott and Martin
Saints under-18s bid to reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup tonight. The club have never reached the prestige final in almost 50 years of trying. And they have never impressed more than they did in 1956 when they shocked the legendary Busby Babes
WE Love... Homelands will take place on Saturday, May 28, at Hampshire's breathtaking natural amphitheatre of The Bowl, on the Matterley Estate. For 2005, the Mean Fiddler organisation and We Love... bring 17 hours of creative, cross-genre programming
A POSITIVE outlook, buoyed by improving consumer confidence, is a springboard for business at Winterthur Life UK after a record-breaking 2004. In the past five years, Basingstoke-headquartered Winterthur, which employs 800 people, has seen a massive 255
YACHTMASTER and property specialist Katie Russell will be looking for a fair wind when she sails in the Fastnet Race 2005 in August. There's a summer of races ahead of Mrs Russell and her eight-strong crew, but she is confident that they will qualify
FAREWELL to winter and welcome to a new riding season. And BMW Motorrad Great Britain has planned quite a welcome. This Saturday, all UK Motorrad dealerships will offer motor-cyclists the chance to win a brand new K1200 S superbike as a celebration of
ENJOY a free weekend at a premier bike show while your bike (I hope) earns money. Not a dot-com sign tied to a lamppost, but what's on offer to entrants in the Carole Nash "Best in Show" competition at the BMF show held on the East of England Showground
When teenagers go off the rails, who should take the blame - the parents, or the children themselves..? FROM anti-social behaviour to youth crime and truancy, teenagers often make headlines for all the wrong reasons, with the finger of blame firmly pointed
53 years ago a Southampton audience were lucky enough to be entertained by comedy legends Laurel and Hardy... Review: Laurel and Hardy at the Southampton Gaumont, February 1952. Laurel and Hardy - in person - are the big attraction of this week's variety
He's produced Craig David and had chart success of his own as part of the Artful Dodger... MARK Hill sits fidgeting in an expensive-looking chair. Reaching forward he takes a calming sip of tea from the stylish black mug lying next to him on a table.
SHANE WARNE gets the chance to reach his 1,000 first class wickets milestone in the Test area this week. The Hampshire skipper, pictured above, entered Victoria's Pura Cup match against Queensland last week needing just five wickets to reach the four-figure
BARRATT Homes and George Wimpey are among the biggest names on a shortlist of developers bidding to build the £350m Woolston riverside project for Southampton, the Daily Echo can reveal. Just five proposals remain from the initial 22 received to build
BARRATT Homes and George Wimpey are among the biggest names on a shortlist of developers bidding to build the £350m Woolston riverside project for Southampton, the Daily Echo can reveal. Just five proposals remain from the initial 22 received to build
UP TO 70 middle managers are sweating on their jobs as part of an efficiency drive at one of Southampton's biggest employers. They face four weeks of uncertainty before British Gas cuts 31 team manager posts, saving hundreds of thousands of pounds. The
Downton dropped to the foot of Wessex Division 1 after losing at home to Fareham. Strikes by Lewis Finnemore, Floyd Hamoudu and James Ford powered Fareham into a comfortable 3-0 lead before a late rally from the Robins saw Paul Gulliver and Dan Newman
Lymington & New Milton manager Ian Robinson handed Jimmy Sheppard the skipper's armband against Bemerton for what was probably his last ever match in a long and distinguished local career. "Jimmy starts a suspension now which takes up until the end
ON THE open match scene, 20-year-old Lee Cullen from Netley has once again been on fine form, winning his section during the 150-peg Fountain Open held at Seabrook. Cullen, an England youth team member, used a combination of whites, lug and harbour ragworm
HAMPSHIRE police has stepped closer to quitting its current headquarters in Winchester after submitting plans to build 300 homes on the site. Bosses have confirmed that the force is seeking a new base further south in the county which is likely to be
NEW Government guidelines are set to help companies improve performance by picking more women and employees from diverse backgrounds for top jobs. A publication, called Building Better Boards, has been produced with help from the Institute of Directors
ALMOST 1,000 red balloons were released as Test Valley's Testway Housing launched its new charity, Transform. Focussing on tackling anti-social behaviour, supporting young carers and providing homes for some of the region's poorest families, the new organisation
Daily Echo education reporter Clare Kennedy joins a team with a mission - to get stayaway children back at their desks at school... HE'S 14 years old and should be at school. Instead he is in his bedroom while his mum is downstairs watching television
MORE than 50 people packed into an inquiry staged in an effort to improve parking for residents in Southampton. The inquiry was held to review whether current residential parking schemes were working or if new controlled zones could be introduced in other
HOSPITAL bosses in Southampton today denied they were losing the battle against the MRSA superbug after figures revealed a rise in the number of cases. There were 34 MRSA infections at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust between April and September
Two-goal Scott Joyce and Karim Bennsaouda were on target as Bournemouth Poppies triumphed 3-0 over Alton Town.
VIRTUOSO saxophonist Andy Sheppard heads this year's Turner Sims Concert Hall Artist Choice festival. The world-famous instrumentalist has hand-picked all of the artists who will perform at the four-day festival, which starts on Thursday and includes
LIBERAL Democrat party leader Charles Kennedy was visiting the Isle of Wight today. Mr Kennedy, pictured, was joining the Liberal Democrat's prospective parliamentary candidate for the Island, Anthony Rowlands, and planned to travel up the River Medina
RESIDENTS in Fareham are heading towards alternate week bin collections because they are not meeting recycling targets Council chiefs warned the fortnightly collections would go ahead if people didn't increase their recycling by 13 per cent in the next
THE future is still uncertain for a near-deserted naval training base near Fareham - nearly a year after its closure. Among the possible uses for Southwick Park at Southwick are a new home for the Royal Military Police, currently based at Roussillon barracks
FORMER Saints boss Steve Wigley insists "expectations are high" as the club's Under-18s prepare to reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup. Saints are hot favourites to win the prestigious competition, having knocked out strongly-fancied Arsenal at
HARRY REDKNAPP believes he has pulled off a major coup with the signing of striker Henri Camara. The Senegalese ace has netted four goals in five starts plus two as a sub since arriving at St Mary's on the final day of the January transfer window. Camara
THE Geneva Motorshow was this week set to mark Fiat's return to the station wagon segment with the world premier of the New Croma. Fiat once led this segment, in terms of comfort and technological innovation, with 1986 seeing the introduction of the Croma
TONY Purslow Mercedes-Benz has proudly unveiled the new CLS-Class model. The unique four-door, four-seater coup boasts characteristics that previously seemed at odds, such as dynamism and size, power and elegance, looks and practicality. The result is
THE Electric Variety Show, at The Anvil on Tuesday, March 15, from 7pm, is a variety show with a difference. It is the culmination of a term-long project showcasing the talents of five primary and secondary schools from the Basingstoke borough and part
WE Love... Homelands will take place on Saturday, May 28, at Hampshire's breathtaking natural amphitheatre of The Bowl, on the Matterley Estate. For 2005, the Mean Fiddler organisation and We Love... bring 17 hours of creative, cross-genre programming
A FORMER Rover car executive is in the driving seat to put a professional body on the fast track to increasing its membership and national profile. Robert Jolley has just stepped into his new role as an executive director of the Institution of Economic
A BROWNFIELD site in the centre of Hook has been transformed into a gated courtyard residential complex by Barratt Homes. Now one of the recently-built homes in Foundry Close is being sold through the village office of estate agents Redwoods for £289,950
