IN the highly skilled hands of Hampshire sculptor, Caroline Dear, an anonymous lump of rock undergoes a remarkable transformation from a piece of rough stone to a creation of great beauty. Today the strength of Caroline’s work and her reputation
CONTROVERSIAL Lapland New Forest is continuing to disappoint its customers by refusing their demands for refunds. The disastrous Christmas theme park – where elves were seen fighting and Santa was spotted on a cigarette break – closed without
HAMPSHIRE round-the-world sailor Sam Davies took time out her gruelling Vendée Globe campaign to make a list of resolutions for the New Year. Davies, currently in sixth place following the retirement of race rival Jean-Pierre Dick, made the
A NEW Year’s Eve party came to an abrupt end for one Southampton family when their baby decided to make an early appearance. Zuzanna Iliniec and husband Mirek were at a friend’s house enjoying the festivities when Zuzanna’a waters broke three
THERE are fears for elderly people as a Siberian blast hits Hampshire. Plummeting temperatures, fierce gales and a stinging chill factor for weeks to come will put elderly people at risk, a charity has warned. This weekend will be
Today’s principal Southampton arrivals: Wan Hai 605, container, 0030, 205; Queen Victoria, passenger, 0700, 106; CMA CGM Debussy, container, 0830, 206. Today’s principal Southampton sailings: Tsingtao Express, container, 0030, 207; Maersk Tanjong
Former Saints star Wayne Bridge is set to leave Chelsea for Manchester City after the clubs agreed a fee believed to be around £12m. The left-back has made 141 appearances for Chelsea since his £7m-plus-Graeme Le Saux move to Stamford Bridge
Saints winger Nathan Dyer has joined Championship rivals Swansea City on loan until the end of the season. Dyer started only three matches during his three-month loan spell at Sheffield United but has signed in time to play in Swansea's FA
TWO men are being held by police following a blaze which ripped through a bed and breakfast hotel near Southampton. The fire severely damaged an unoccupied bungalow building at Primrose Cottage in Allington Lane, West End. Eighteen fire
OH yes it is! Dalian Players and the Fitzell-Roberts Dancers take to the stage once again next week with their annual pantomime fix for 2009. This year’s festive spectacular is Sleeping Beauty, which runs from Wednesday January 7 to
CELEBRATE the great American Songbook at Salisbury Playhouse until January 10 with a sparkling evening of music by Irving Berlin. Equally at home on Broadway or in Hollywood, Berlin wrote scores for classic musicals, including the phenomenally successful
AFTER its most exciting sutumn season ever, sxsc is going back to its roots for the winter 2009 series of Americana shows at the Railway Inn, Winchester. The season kicks off on Thursday with Minnesotan singer-songwriter Ben Weaver, supported by Jane
A GRANDAD has been hailed a hero after his decision to work yesterday saved a historic restaurant from devastation. It was chance that Trevor Bartlett went to work for a couple of hours and spotted The Ferry Restaurant go up in flames.
TRADITIONALLY a recession is good news for the entertainment industry as a good night out is considered a necessity in dark times. But in the past home entertainment meant three TV channels or board games! In 2009 we have many households with mutli-channel-surround-sound
THE COLLECTIVE guilt of Germany’s ‘second generation’, struggling to come to terms with their parents’ role in the Holocaust, underscores every elegant frame of The Reader. Based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink, this handsome and emotionally devastating
Aimed at teenage girls, this is a sequal to the popular movie that charted the upheavals and roller-coaster romantic travails of four friends, united by the discovery of a pair of jeans, which magically fitted them all. The original cast, including
ONE of the most beautiful and moving horror movies of recent times hits the screen again on January 7. Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, The Orphanage is about a woman who brings her family back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage
2008 was an incredible year in the world of arts and entertainment. We at Scene South were on hand to bring you all the news and reviews from top theatre, music and culture. Here’s our guide to the very best the year had to offer: Best gig: Without
BASED on the best-selling book by Bernard Schlink, The Reader is already hotly tipped for Oscar glory. The film opens in post-Second World War Germany when teenager Michael Berg (David Kross and Ralph Fiennes) becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna
Saints manager Jan Poortvliet has suffered a huge New Year blow - after Jack Cork joined Watford on loan. Cork has made a big impression in a struggling Saints side this season and his decision to rejoin new Watford manager Brendan Rodgers,
For generations, the streets around the Southampton shipyard were thronged with workers but now they are empty, construction sheds and workshops have been razed while the quayside, once bustling with activity, is deserted. More than five years ago Vosper
DEPARTMENT store chain John Lewis today reported a rise in takings during Christmas week after its clearance sale attracted bargain hunters. But sales at its Southampton store at WestQuay shopping centre for the week ending December 27 were
IT WAS a chilling start to 2009 for the intrepid fundraisers who braved the icy depths of Hampshire. More than £4,000 was raised for two good causes with almost 200 swimmers taking the plunge. At Gosport more than 150 swimmers shook
POLICE are waiting to question a 63-year-old man following a dramatic siege on a Hampshire housing estate. The man was taken to Southampton General Hospital yesterday following the three-hour stand-off at an address in Hamtun Crescent, Totton
A FIRE investigation is underway today after a blaze ripped through a bed and breakfast hotel near Southampton. The fire severely damaged an unoccupied bungalow building at Primrose Cottage Bed And Breakfast in West End Eighteen fire fighters
The England and Wales Cricket Board has refused to comment on reports of a rift between national team captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores. It has been claimed the pair clashed over the decision not to recall former skipper Michael Vaughan
THE City of Southampton (Albion) Band would like to thank all their friends and supporters who attended their traditional Christmas concert at The Point, Eastleigh on December 21 last. In addition to the much loved sounds of brass, guest artistes included
DESPITE the money spent by the PCT and SHA to convince the sceptical Southampton citizens of the proposed fluoridation benefits, the South Gloucestershire PCT has also launched its own feasibility/consultation process. Their PCT board are even more naive
THERE is a long-term unemployment problem, however Minister James Purnell is Tory Boy with large knobs on. His reform to the welfare system omits to mention that bosses calls the shots on jobs. Mr Purnell should ask employers if they favour giving jobs
NO to fluoride! Fluoride tackles symptoms not causes. Mass medication, dental fluorosis, lower IQ, and it's a toxic waste. Some people drink more water than others, elderly and babies may be more at risk. Who will look into a death of bone cancer to see
ANDREW Panero replies (December 10) to my letter of November 29, suspecting that I am a tool of Tory intrigue against public sector employees. I confess that I believed, like many people, that council staff retire at 60 “at the latest’’. Largely because
THE last thing I wish on anyone is to lose their jobs. But the reality is, you can not keep pumping money into Ford or any other motor company, when there are few buyers for the finished product. We are in recession, people are not going to rush out
LAST orders were called at a Hampshire pub for the final time yesterday. The Stanmore Hotel in Winchester served its last drinks after regulars lost a battle to save it from being demolished and turned into a 56-bedroom care home. Punters said their
Hampshire model Lucy Pinder steps into the Big Brother house tonight as the celebrity version of the reality show hits the television. The 25-year-old from Winchester, one of the female celebrities taking part in the show along with Ulrika
Southampton airline Flybe is offering free insurance to its customers, enabling them to get a full refund if they lose their jobs, it was announced today. Under the group’s “book with confidence guarantee”, people who book flights, car hire
SAINTS legend Matt Le Tissier says the club has nothing to lose when they take on Manchester United in the FA Cup third round. Jan Poortvliet’s side go into the game as massive underdogs, but Le Tissier said they can be relaxed about the occasion.
Saints are sweating on the fitness of Adam Lallana and Andrew Surman ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third round clash with Manchester United. The pair are both suffering from ankle injuries but are desperate to play in what would be the highest profile game
Rail passengers across the south will today have to fork out for fare rises well above the inflation level. Customer watchdog body Passenger Focus said rail travellers would ''shudder and shiver'' when they saw the new fares. But the
CRIME-BUSTING lampposts could be installed in Southampton’s troubled city centre parks this year, the Daily Echo can reveal. Hi-tech cameras would be attached to new smart lampposts in the worst crime hotspots and beam footage to surveillance centres
THE NET may be closing around a gang of serial burglars which has been preying on the elderly and disabled and claiming to be elite police officers. Vital to the police hunt is an e-fit of one of the men – who claimed to be working for special
Laws and strategies to reduce knife crime are in a ''mess'' and failing to deliver any reduction in the number of victims, according to a Hampshire expert. Dr Bob Golding said research he had carried out showed Government action to reduce violent
ROMSEY’S Great Woodley Post Office will reopen – but exactly when is unclear. Post Office chiefs say the branch at Warren Gardens which closed suddenly last August following a routine audit of the business and the suspension of the sub-postmaster David
A total of 17 households approached Southampton City Council regarding home repossessions between January and June 2008, compared to 14 for the whole of 2007. Trevor Pickup, chief executive of The Society of St James, a Southampton charity
FIREFIGHTERS have tackled 14 chimney fires between Christmas and the new year. Fire service Assistant Chief Officer, Kevin Butcher, said: “Every winter we respond to a number of chimney fires as a result of householders not cleaning them regularly
