BAT open their defence of the ECB Southern Electric Premier League championship against Liphook on Saturday - with fingers firmly crossed it won't be their swansong season. The imminent closure of the nearby Millbrook factory plant and the social club
NEW funding arrangements have delivered mixed results for Hampshire schools. Schools in the county will receive £3,441 per pupil under the new dedicated schools grant - less than most other Local Education Authorities in the country. However, Hampshire
YOUNG players at Tottonians Rugby Club have received a £750 kit bonus. The club's minis were the grateful recipients of shirts, a kit bag, bibs and caps donated by Barclays Bank as part of the multi-national company's Spaces for Sport Scheme. Barclays
THE days of Melton Mowbray as the focal point of the English Indoor BA Championships are over. After holding the final stages of the principal competitions at the Leicestershire club for 18 years, the championships are moving to Nottingham for the next
A CHARITY which supports older people in Hampshire is appealing for more volunteers. In Hampshire, Independent Age currently helps around 200 people to remain independent through emergency grants, mobility equipment, clothing and household items. Jane
WINCHESTER residents and traders are facing a severe case of dj vu as more disruptions and road closures look set to hit the city centre. The proposal is part of Southern Water's £750m environmental and water quality improvement schemes in Kent, Sussex
ALRESFORD residents are up in arms over a wildlife habitat, near their homes, which they claim is being destroyed. The neighbours say they were recently left livid when more than 40 trees were felled by the owners at the former railway cutting between
New head teachers have been appointed to two primary schools in Winchester. Governors of St Peter's Catholic School, in Oliver's Battery Road North, say it was a "unanimous" decision to appoint Catherine Howells, acting head since Marjorie Dean went on
Villagers kicking up a stink about sewage spread on farmers' fields in Hampshire are gearing up for action. Residents of Micheldever have objected to the pong and possible pollution to surface and groundwater from the sludge - some of it from London-
TOP sausage-maker, Les Smith, has his customers to thank for helping him choose his latest winner. Mr Smith, whose family butchers' shop is in Riverside, Bishopstoke, was named supreme sausage champion at the Great Hampshire Sausage, Pie and Ready Meal
COUNCIL chiefs are taking steps to prevent a catering row at Winchester Guildhall from boiling over. It surrounds a wedding in early August, which 200 guests are expected to attend. Louise Taylor, originally from Liverpool, and Yassir Mahmood, a London-based
WORK has begun on the building of a track at Matterley Basin, near Winchester, in readiness for the British Motocross Grand Prix on June 17 and 18. Over 10,000 fans are expected then and, in September, it will be the venue for the "Motocross of Nations
Cyclist Rhys Lewis is riding from Land's End to John O'Groats - but he will be taking the scenic route for the duration. Usually the distance between Great Britain's two furthermost points is about 900 miles and takes two weeks to cycle. Rhys, 52, a software
A HAMPSHIRE school, a children's group, and a historical society have been awarded cash from the Co-op to help fund various projects. Pupils from Eling Infant School in Eling, Totton, will benefit from the £1,000 donated by the retailer's community dividend
WITH just weeks to go before World Cup fever sweeps across Hampshire, companies are being urged to join in the fun. The Meningitis Trust is encouraging businesses to host football-themed activities to raise funds for the charity and boost staff morale
IT'S D-Day for candidates in Hampshire today as thousands of residents go to the polls in the local council elections. Voters in Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester and Fareham will get the chance to put their cross against the candidate of their choice
ACTION is being taken to stop teenagers risking their lives by leaping off a Hampshire road bridge and plunging 30ft into the River Test. Coastguards and firefighters have joined forces to highlight the dangers of jumping off Redbridge Causeway, scene
Come and support Jacko! Winchester City Football Club are holding a "Testimonial Day" at the Denplan City Ground on Saturday (May 6) on behalf of their former player Michael Jackson. "Jacko" suffered an horrendous injury earlier in the season, breaking
Eastleigh can't do without Shaw ON the day that Eastleigh supporters wore T shirts and wigs as a tribute to goalkeeper Wayne Shaw, his value to them was clearly demonstrated. Eastleigh conceded five or more goals for the first time since December 2004
Reading 2, QPR 1 TABLE-TOPPING Reading played their way into the history books as a late penalty from captain Graeme Murty sealed a 2-1 victory and netted a new English football league record of 106 points. Murty's memorable moment came just six minutes
Michael Svensson has been given six months to resurrect his career. The Swedish centre half, who has been dogged by serious knee problems in the past two years, has been handed a six-month contract to prove his fitness. There had been rumours that Svensson's
GEORGE Burley believes Marian Pahars "has got many years left in him" - even though the Latvian striker has been released after over seven years at Saints. The 29-year-old has paid the price for almost four seasons of non-stop injuries. Pahars has only
Basingstoke Buffalo 1, Streatham Redskins 4 THE BASINGSTOKE Buffalo ended their home play-off campaign in disappointing style as they lost to visitors Streatham Redskins on Saturday night. In an entertaining game, the home side threw everything at Redskins
It was fitting that Hampshire's first Rose Bowl hat-trick was taken by Southampton-born Billy Taylor. Nearly a year after last playing for his home county in the championship, Taylor wasted no time in writing himself into the Hampshire record books after
Billy Taylor became the 13th Hampshire player to take a first class hat-trick, and admitted: "It's good to be back." Taylor was substituted when he made his last championship appearance, against his former county Sussex last July, but he celebrated his
WATER industry watchdog Ofwat is set to fine Southern Water for failing to provide correct information about customer service standards. The water company, which supplies homes in Whitchurch, Overton and Kingsclere, reported the wrong figures to Ofwat
Racing saloons, sportscars and single-seaters from the 70s and 80s will be in action at Thruxton this Saturday They are all part of the British Automobile Racing Club's 'Thruxton Classic' - the first day of car racing this year at the Hampshire track.
PETER Ward this week gave the thumbs up to Rod Rosier about resuming his Middleton Cup career. After ruling himself out of the inter-county championship in the past couple of seasons because of business commitments Ward said: "I will give it a go. I think
ENGLAND cricket legend David Gower is starring in a Desert Island Discs-style interview to raise funds for a church organ fund in a village near Winchester. David, 49, pictured, who lives in Hampshire with his wife Thorunn and two daughters, will talk
THETHIS is the final designs for a £4m "Superchurch" in Hythe. Catholics on the Waterside hope the church will get the planners' blessing. Impressions of The Church of the Resurrection will be displayed at an exhibition and submitted for planning approval
PUPILS have been putting pen to paper because they are fed up with vandals damaging trees in their school grounds. Some 70 letters have been written by children in Year 4 at Poulner Junior School highlighting the problem by children and their teachers
LICENSEES in Winchester city centre have reacted angrily to council chiefs' decision to axe hanging basket displays because of a possible hosepipe ban. At a PubWatch meeting last week, they said the council had left them feeling high and dry. They claimed
EASTLEIGH: The day Princess Anne came to put a grand old Lord of steam back on the rails IN her heyday she was the boat train which carried the rich and famous from London to join the luxury transatlantic liners in Southampton. This week the steam engine
A SOUTHAMPTON pre-school at the centre of a safety inspection by government investigators has been given the all-clear. Ofsted inspectors have ruled that Manor Road Pre-School will be allowed to carry on as normal after being satisfied it is safe. The
DRIVERS caught persistently breaking the speed limit by Hampshire residents will be targeted by traffic cops, it has emerged. Yesterday, the volunteers who will 'catch' their neighbours speeding and report them to the police posed for photographs. The
MARWELL Zoo will be going rhino mad today as the venue of a national campaign to help save the endangered animals. Events begin with a break-out by two 'rhinos' from the international London HQ of the charity Save the Rhinos who, after 'rampaging' through
A HARD week's cricket has brought mixed results for Hampshire with a disappointing defeat in the Championship followed by a quite remarkable win in the C&G against Essex. Sussex was always going to be a hard game for us, but having bowled them out
New boss required after disappointing campaign WALTHAM's last game of the season was at home to the impressive Hayling United, with the Bishops' injury-ravaged squad down to its bare bones. Waltham were under pressure from the start, and had a lot to
Bognor Regis Town 2, Basingstoke Town 1 A DISAPPOINTING display and result in their final fixture of a difficult, turbulent campaign brought Basingstoke Town's troubled 2005-06 Nationwide South season to a welcome close. New Camrose Blues manager Francis
A DREAM will finally become reality for the young people of Whiteley when their long-awaited skatepark opens next month. Youngsters have waited years to see the controversial skatepark built on the Meadowside Recreation Ground after the project faced
A HOTEL damaged by fire after being struck by lightning is to rise from the ashes. The Holiday Inn Fareham, in Cartwright Drive, has been shut since June. Many of the 70 staff were either moved to other hotels or lost their jobs. Now a major refurbishment
EASTLEIGH: The day Princess Anne came to put a grand old Lord of steam back on the rails IN her heyday she was the boat train which carried the rich and famous from London to join the luxury transatlantic liners in Southampton. This week the steam engine
THEY have been taking the dancefloor by storm at Hedge End. As part of the Hampshire celebration of dance, Wildern School was the stage for Move - an exciting day for the community aimed at the diversity of cultural dance. Classes for all ages were held
Michael Svensson has been given six months to resurrect his career. The Swedish centre half, who has been dogged by serious knee problems in the past two years, has been handed a six-month contract to prove his fitness. There had been rumours that Svensson's
