A HAMPSHIRE couple visited one of the county's top tourist attractions - and returned home with a £14,500 Christmas present. Kirk and Julie Richardson were invited to the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, to collect a limited edition car they had won in
Andover 2, Colden Common 0 CFL sponsored Andover started the defence of the North Hants Senior Cup - one of three trophies they won last season - with victory in a one-sided first round tie at The Portway on Tuesday. It was a big night out for Colden
ADSL sides stunned Basingstoke teams in all but one of last weekend's quarter-finals of the North Hants Sunday junior cup competitions with one of the biggest upsets coming from Donny Dolan's Vernham Dean with their 4-0 away triumph against table-topping
Whitchurch United 1, Bournemouth 2 WHITCHURCH were frustratingly so near yet so far to another JWL victory at Longmeadow last Saturday. "The last piece of the jigsaw is always the hardest piece to find," admitted disappointed manager Howard Goddard. Having
HEDGE End's historic carnival is still alive and kicking after volunteers stepped in to save the 80-year-old event from going under. A crisis meeting was called earlier this month amid fears that there were no longer enough people to run the carnival
Winchester police are hunting a sex attacker who tried to rape a teenaged girl as she walked alone late at the weekend. The 18-year-old's ordeal began as she walked in Station Hill near the city's railway station, between 12.30am and 1.45am on Sunday.
Three Winchester schoolchildren have been hailed as heroes for saving an OAP after his wheelchair went out of control. Stan Calder (82), of General Johnson Court, Stanmore, thought his time was up when he lost control of his chair after an angina attack
A mother must spend Christmas in jail away from her three young children because she tried to smuggle heroin into the city prison. Paula Williams (23) pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to possession of heroin with intent. Sentencing, Judge Patrick
A spate of charity box thefts has left collectors despondent in the run-up to Christmas. Most recent was a malicious attack on a Winchester home bedecked with festive lights and figurines. Jim and Wendy Ward, of Sheridan Close, Winchester, were horrified
Is that a fabulous fake gathering dust in your jewellery box or is it the real thing? You can find out at a two-day workshop on antique jewellery at the Adult Education Centre in Winchester. "All that glitters isn't gold," says Alycen Mitchell, who is
THE wheels of a brand new bus service for University of Southampton students and local residents have been officially set in motion. The first two custom-built buses in the new uni-link bus fleet have been running between the city centre and the university's
NEWS that a new super health authority is to be created to cover Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has been criticised by a leading union. A spokesman for the Southampton Health Branch of Unison said the new organisation, which will replace the three existing
SPECULATION is mounting that plans to build a multi-million- pound hotel for international business travellers alongside Southampton International Airport have been scrapped. Eastleigh planners gave the green light to a flagship scheme for a luxury 120
DESPITE what country and western star Dolly Parton says, working nine-to-five could become a way to earn a living for many more Southampton residents - thanks to a new work experience scheme. The Scratch work experience programme will be launched early
THE chances of the south having a white Christmas are increasing. Forecasters are predicting a ten per cent chance of snow-covered streets during the festive period. The news comes as research has revealed how warmer winters are enticing rare birds back
SOUTHAMPTON should stand up to Prime Minister Tony Blair and oppose more faith schools in the city, say Labour party activists. As part of the manifesto they have drawn up for Labour councillors ahead of next May's local elections, the party has come
FOR most youngsters Christmas Day is the most exciting day of the year but for George Sutcliffe the day has an additional significance. Christmas Day is also George's fourth birthday. George is pictured smiling at his mother during The Little School's
AN elderly woman in her seventies is hoping that the thief who stole a Christmas wreath from her front door will have an attack of conscience and return it. "I am a flower arranger. I made the wreath and it is unique," she said. "I used a gold wicker
HAMPSHIRE is not alone in expecting a major hike in the council tax next April, it has emerged following a high level meeting in Winchester. At the meeting, chaired by Hampshire County Council leader Ken Thornber, leaders of other counties in the south
PUPILS at King's Somborne Primary School have been taking part in a community project which aims to enhance and improve hedgerows at the village cemetery. The children and their parents joined tree wardens and representatives from the Hampshire and Isle
THE Mayor of Test Valley Cllr Jack Taylor and his wife Joan send this message to readers: Christmas is, to me, a time of year when we should be with our family and close friends, a time of peace and goodwill. But in rejoicing in the arms of our families
NORTH West Hampshire MP Sir George Young has a Christmas message for his constituents. The MP said: "The year 2001 has been dominated by the atrocities of 11 September and the subsequent response. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost
ANDOVER Farmers Market on Sunday will have a tuneful Christmas feel to it. Well-loved band, Test Valley (Mitutoyo) Brass will be playing carols and Christmas music while Andover WI will be serving cups of tea in the Guildhall. The market trades from 10am
AN information leaflet on how to get help from social services and health services during the Christmas and new year holiday is available at GP surgeries, libraries, county council information centres, citizens advice bureaux and community councils. It
YEAR six pupils from Vigo Junior School sang carols outside the Adams store to raise money for Save the Children. The yearly event is organised by the children's store and this year the pupils raised £209.39. Manager Kirsty Dowling said: "It is something
Major efforts are to be made to retain key industrial sites at East Cowes, which could be lost under cutbacks by GKN Aerospace Services. The Isle of Wight Council has hit out at suggestions that GKN's huge north seafront site - including the Columbine
A long-awaited coastal scheme aimed at protecting £6m worth of properties at Niton has been given the go-ahead by the government. Estimated at £4m, the scheme at Castlehaven is the largest coastal protection project to be undertaken on the Island. Providing
THE number of people out of work on the Isle of Wight has risen for the second month in a row according to the latest jobs figures. The Employment Service has revealed that 2,332 people were unemployed at November 8, an increase of 273 on October's figure
IN the past decade an unassuming seaside house at Freshwater, Isle of Wight, has become a mecca for historians of photography. Dimbola Lodge, perched overlooking Freshwater Bay, was the home of pioneering Victorian portrait photographer Julia Margaret
ISLAND health chiefs want to bill the Deparment of Health for transferring patients to mainland hospitals. A meeting of the authority's trust board will hear today that it costs an extra £3 million a year to take patients to hospitals on the other side
TWO cars collided head-on at a Stubbington accident blackspot -- reigniting calls for traffic calming measures in the area. A Ford Fiesta and a Range Rover were involved in the collision at a notorious part of Titchfield Road at 2.46pm on Tuesday. The
CONCERNS have been expressed by Eastleigh MP David Chidgey over information released as part of the local investigation into Creuzfeldt-Jakob Disease (variant CJD). As revealed in the Daily Echo this week, researchers discovered two victims of the disease
THREE weeks, 700 miles - and not a puncture in sight. Those are the impressive statistics of fundraising cyclist Martin Miller who covered miles of rugged continental terrain in a bid to raise much-needed charity cash for Fareham's Rainbow Centre. Although
A MAJOR traffic-calming scheme has been launched on a Totton housing estate that has been plagued by speeding drivers. Hampshire County Council has taken action to force drivers to stick to the 30mph limit at Calmore Drive, Calmore. The work has been
IF Sally the exhuberant labrador was a cat, her owners reckon she would have used up eight of her nine lives by now. Last month ten-year-old Sally made front page news in the Daily Echo when firefighters risked their lives in a dramatic rescue operation
Pirelli Gen 3, Andover NS 4 TRANSPLUS sponsored Andover New Street turned in their worst performance for weeks but came home with all three Hants Premier points last Saturday with diminutive striker Ali Hooper outjumping a 6ft 5ins defender to head the
LAST weekend's matches in the HSA Youth League were the last before the Christmas break but many of them were postponed due to a hard overnight frost. Only two teams still have a 100 per records - Pete Lewington's Hatch Warren Under-14's and Kevin Jones
Andover 5 Blackfield & Langley 0 BLACKFIELD boss Terry Smith ended up with egg on his face after suggesting last week that the Lions are only playing for the money and had no heart for the game. Smith made his comments in a newspaper column last week
Today's Principal Arrivings: Autofreighter, ro-ro, 0100, 201 link; P&O Nedlloyd Drake, container, 0500, 206; Grace, refrigerated, 0700, 104; Vedette, general cargo, 0715, 36; Kassel, ro-ro, 0730, 34/5; Sea Crusader, ro-ro, 1000, Marchwood; Tampere
ATHERLEY completed a hat-trick of wins in the Famous Grouse Home Nations Classic with a 9-6 (63-58) triumph over Five Rivers. Larry Collins, Dave Edmonds, Peter Line and skip Colin Thresher topped the bill for Atherley with a 21-10 fours success away
Winchester city council has chosen Thornfield Properties to redevelop the Broadway and Friarsgate area of the city. Cabinet members were told that Thornfield had been the only company to come forward with a serious interest in the project. The scheme
In a desperate bid to cut waiting lists, Winchester's main hospital is splashing out £1.5m on sending patients to the private sector. Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust is striving to meet the Government's stringent 12-month maximum waiting
Andrew Milne, a civil engineer with Hampshire County Council's surveyors' department, has had a big win. He came top in the national papers competition of the Institution of Civil Engineers. His paper, on low-noise surfacing for roads, drew upon his experience
Tara Burke (27), of Overton, reports from China, where she is working in her first teaching job through VSO, with some surprising impressions of Hampshire held by Chinese students When VSO offered me a two-year teaching placement in Xianning, people kept
A Winchester soldier has hit the mark in a shooting competition in Australia. Lance-Corporal Adam Ball (24), a member of the British Army combat-shooting team, was up against military squads from around the world in the Australian Army skill-at-arms meeting
Staff at Winchester Volunteer Bureau are issuing a New Year Challenge. They would like everyone to think about helping another person at some point during the coming year. Your commitment could be as little as one hour to run an errand for someone who
A bid for funds to restore part of one of the oldest almshouses in England has been refused because the charity still has council cash in its coffers. Leader of Hampshire County Council, Ken Thornber, has refused to give more funding to a revamp, costing
CRUISE giant P&O Princess left the door ajar today for Cunard owner Carnival to pull off a takeover coup. P&O Princess is standing by its "merger of equals'' with Royal Caribbean but has given shareholders enough time to consider any new bid from
ADRIS, the Totton-based AutoCAD dealer and software programming company, has finally passed the £3m turnover barrier after 19 years of business. For the last five years Adris has been close to the seemingly unachievable £3m goal. This year their net turnover
SOUTHAMPTON-based insurance giant Skandia has set in motion a £210m plan to boost the services it provides to independent financial advisers. Skandia wants to buy Oxford-based IT services group Lynx in a deal that recognises the growing importance of
AN INVESTIGATION is under way today after a prisoner transport van caught fire on the M3 and an inmate escaped. Both security men in the van tackled the fire, which started in the back of their Group 4 van, after pulling onto the southbound hard shoulder
MEMBERS of militant farmers group Farmers for Action staged a further protest outside Tesco 's main distribution depot at the Nursling Industrial Estate in Southampton last night. Around 30 farmers parked their vehicles outside the food giant 's Hampshire
WORKERS at one of Hampshire's biggest employers have been warned that job losses cannot be ruled out following a sweeping government shake-up. The warning from the boss of Ordnance Survey, in Southampton, comes after it was announced the business would
AN INVESTIGATION is under way today after a prisoner transport van was deliberately set alight on the M3 and a prisoner escaped. Both security men in the van were assaulted as they tackled the fire, started in the back of their Group 4 van, after pulling
POLICE are stepping up patrols in a bid to crack down on a gang of teenage 'thugs' who have been terrorising elderly shoppers in Andover town centre. In what could be the most serious incident so far officers are investigating a possible assault in which
FLAMBOYANT television chef Richard Cawley caused quite a stir when he appeared in Andover's Chantry Centre on Monday. Richard, who is a regular on our TV screens in the BBC TV programme Ready, Steady Cook, created a series of seasonally inspired dishes
TEENAGE boys have been risking life and limb by playing a game of 'chicken' with passing motorists on a busy street in Andover. Police have received a number of reports of incidents involving boys, aged around 13 and 14, racing out into the road and trying
ELDERLY people in Andover have been warned to be on their guard against high pressure security alarm salesmen. Sgt Kevin McCarthy issued the warning following incidents in the Basingstoke area during which elderly people have been targeted. The method
PRINCE Michael met the four men who doggedly pursued the Hotspur project to make the dream a reality. Starting with just a damaged tail section and part of the undercarriage Jack Gillett, David Hawkes, Red Meaton and Willy Forbes pressed on with the project
PRINCE Michael of Kent made a flying visit to the Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop last week to unveil a very special new glider. The Prince is the museum's patron and has a keen interest in aviation. After his arrival in a Gazelle helicopter he
THE development of community associations on each Andover estate could help counter some of the social problems in these areas, borough councillors have been told. There is already a major initiative to develop a community centre near the site of the
IT'S 23 years since Belgian-born singer and composer Jacques Brel died in Paris, but his music is now more popular than ever. Next month sees the Theatre Deux Rives, from Rouen, paying homage to the man whose work has been recorded by the likes of Rod
THE Queen's Jubilee may not be until June next year but the village of Weyhill is already making plans to celebrate the event in style. Celebrations are planned for the Bank Holiday on 3 June and will be based on the new Fairground Village Hall. Events
YOUNG and old enjoyed a thoroughly traditional Christmas in Andover when the mayor of Test Valley, Cllr Jack Taylor, held an open air carol service outside the Guildhall. Children, especially, were fascinated by the age-old performance of the colourful
APPEARING as Mother Christmas, behind the bar of the Bourne Valley Inn, St Mary Bourne, has turned out to be a tough role for 30-year-old Michelle Young. The mother of two from Andover, who is raising money for the local branch of the National Childbirth
AMBITIOUS and controversial plans to demolish Hurstbourne Park and build a new property on the Whitchurch estate are back on track after being halted by Basing-stoke and Deane Borough Council. The authority slapped a building preservation order on the
Lymington Tide Times up to and including Wednesday 2nd January 2002. Times shown are GMT. Thursday 20: High water 01.57 and 13.54 Low water 07.71 and 19.50. Friday 21: High water 03.02 and 14.52. Low water 08.13 and 20.33. Saturday 22: High water 04.14
A much-needed jobs boost has been given to the Isle of Wight this week with the news that BAe Systems at Cowes has won planning permission for its major role in a multi-million-pound project to build six UK Type 45 destroyers. The company at Cowes, one
AN INQUEST was due to be resumed on the Isle of Wight today into the death of a 49-year-old man whose body was found on a beach nearly four months after he disappeared during a dive off the Needles. DNA testing was needed to identify the remains of Michael
A DELEGATION comprising Isle of Wight Council leader Shirley Smart, deputy Harry Rees and local MEP Roy Perry, has returned from Paris where it was promoting the Island at the Islands Committee of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions. The
SUBSTANTIAL pressure from Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner, pictured, has paid off as the Parliamentary Ombudsman has decided to investigate the role that the government and regulator have played in events concerning the troubled insurance company Equitable
PIRATES invaded Ventnor when the Coastal Centre invited children to hunt for treasure or face walking the plank. Thirty-two children arrived dressed as pirates and face painting and pirate hats completed their outfits. Led by Blackbeard (aka coastal officer
CINDERS may not be able to go to the ball after a fire that destroyed part of a Titchfield Community Centre. The Mill Lane centre's annual panto - held every year in February - is under threat if fire damage cannot be fixed. This year it is Cinderella
A VILLAGE POST office which was on the brink of closure is now enjoying a new lease of life, after it was saved at the 11th hour. Durley Post Office had traded out of the village's former general stores for seven years when the owners decided to sell
A LEADING Conservative councillor pressed Eastleigh Borough Council to have second thoughts about its local plan review, which has sparked a row with the county council. At this week's borough council meeting, Colin Davidovitz urged the Liberal Democrats
A WELL-KNOWN former West End school teacher Stella Delf, pictured, was today chalking up 100 years. The youngest of eight children, Hampshire's latest centenarian comes from a family which has a long life gene. For her sisters lived to the grand ages
