I ENJOY living in central Southampton but when the weekend comes around I normally like to escape the car fumes and congestion for a few hours at least. With the New Forest just ten minutes up the road (depending on the roadworks), it's the perfect destination
THE Basingstoke Bison have a major injury crisis ahead of this weekend's games against the visiting Belfast Giants tomorrow (6.30pm) and Elite League leaders Cardiff Devils on Sunday (6pm). The Herd look set to be without Canadian duo Jeff Ewasko and
DAVID Malone has rocked non-league football by quitting FA Vase and Sydenhams Wessex League champions Winchester City. After three years as director of football, which his seen him pump in excess of £100,000 into the City coffers, the Winchester businessman
HUGHIE Doyle expects to have his old buddy John Robson sitting alongside him on the Alton Town bench tomorrow when the mid-Hampshire club host holders Winchester City in the FA Vase second round. Although former Alton, Totton, Bashley and Winchester boss
VELIMIR ZAJEC, the new executive director at Pompey, has revealed that he WILL be working with the Pompey first team. Former Panathinaikos director of football Zajec paid his first visit to Pompey's Eastleigh training ground yesterday, while Harry Redknapp
VENTNOR have been refused permission to play in the top flight of ECB Southern Electric Premier League cricket next year. Although they won the Division 2 championship by a comfortable margin this summer, their unique Steephill bowl has not attracted
SHANE WARNE and Glenn McGrath were today on the verge of another milestone in their illustrious careers. Warne's 2-65 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at The Gabba yesterday took his World record Test tally to 543. McGrath ended
AS ELECTION day approaches in the US, one soldier (Denzel Washington) realises that his sergeant, now a presidential candidate, might not be the war hero that everyone thinks. Excellent remake from Jonathan Demme, with a superb performance by Meryl Streep
RESIDENTS and businesses are being urged to back plans to make Tadley blooming marvellous - and to not be put off by ongoing roadworks. Tadley Town Council wants to encourage local businesses to sponsor spots of land around the town by planting bulbs
Best selling hardback books for the week ending November 20th supplied by Waterstone's. 1 (2) Himalaya Michael Palin 2 (-) The Grim Grotto: Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket 3 (8) What You Wear Can Change Your Life Trinny Woodall and Susanah
Today's Principal Arrivals: Montlhery, ro/ro, 0530, 203; Auto Atlas, ro/ro, 0530, 40; Dart 2, ro/ro, container, 0530, 30; Nedlloyd Europa, container, TBA, 204; Shenandoah Highway, ro/ro, 2359, 202 Today's Principal Sailings: Emden, ro/ro, 1100, 202; Cap
TWENTY-five workers at one of Hampshire's most famous food producers have been told they are surplus to requirements. Their jobs are being cut by Vitacress Salads, which employs more than 650 people across the south. The company - which hit the business
THIS is the face behind the new voice of recruitment company Kelly Services after a UK-wide search found Southampton industrial branch manager Stacey O'Brien had the sweetest vocal chords. Judges loved the warm and friendly nature of her voice and as
INJURY-hampered Millbrook are the latest side looking to stop the Trojans juggernaut as the leaders bring their seven-match unbeaten run back to Stoneham Lane in Hampshire Division One. After their tense 16-10 success over Fareham Heathens, the home side
THE fledgling Hampshire Special Needs rugby team will be the guards of honour at Twickenham tomorrow after being invited to welcome England and South Africa on to the pitch. The county squad will be heading for rugby's headquarters to play an exhibition
LYMINGTON & New Milton believe they have successfully repelled another notice of approach for one of their star players. Having fended off Basingstoke Town's interest in Ben Thomson and Lymington Town's attempts to woo Jimmy Anderson to Southampton
WINCHESTER City's director of football will quit the club tomorrow, the Daily Echo can exclusively reveal. His shock announcement comes after the team dealt out a 10-0 thrashing last weekend. Malone, frustrated at the club's lack of progress, will stand
HUNT supporters were today preparing a legal challenge to the ban on hunting which they claim will put more than 250 people out of work across Hampshire. Bloodsport enthusiasts say at least that number, including 40 in the New Forest, could be thrown
What's on stage this week... WITH films like Bride and Prejudice on our screens and Asian music hitting the mainstream charts, it is no wonder that British audiences are crying out for more Indian culture in their theatres. Audiences at the Lighthouse
BIBLE stories are being brought to life in an amateur theatre project involving a cast of more than 100 performers. Church-based drama group MDG Players have joined forces with musicians, dancers, actors and musicians from fellow churches to perform Snakes
SOUTHAMPTON hospital bosses look set to close up to 100 beds in their latest bid to save more cash. Some of the beds affected are used by frail, elderly patients who are recovering from operations before they can return home. Health chiefs say these patients
HUNT supporters were today preparing a legal challenge to the ban on hunting which they claim will put more than 250 people out of work across Hampshire. Bloodsport enthusiasts say at least that number, including 40 in the New Forest, could be thrown
A SCHEME to improve the pony stock in the New Forest has been given a helping hand by the area's biggest crowd-puller. The New Forest Show Society has provided a home for stallions taken off the Forest in a bid to reduce the number of foals being born
CIVIC leaders in Southampton have condemned plans to axe ten urban post offices in the city. Members of both the Liberal Democrat and Labour groups joined forces to condemn the proposed closures at a meeting of full council. City Council leader Councillor
POLICE swooped on Andover town centre at the weekend as part of a Safer Streets campaign to reduce the fear of crime. Friday night's police operation, the first of its kind, targeted illegal drug users, rogue licensees and drunken troublemakers in a pre-Christmas
THE Great Middle Wallop Escape got this year's BBC Children in Need fundraiser off to an early start as Army Air Corps teams used their ingenuity to get as far away as possible from base - for free. The Three Musketeers from 132 Aviation Squadron - Taff
WILDHERN resident Sue Howell's wanderlust has surfaced once again - inspiring her to hit the road for another rally driving adventure with good friend Molly Falcon. This time, Sue's parrot green Peugeot 106 - better known as 'the grasshopper' - will tackle
DAVID Malone has rocked non-league football by quitting FA Vase and Sydenhams Wessex League champions Winchester City. After three years as director of football, which his seen him pump in excess of £100,000 into the City coffers, the Winchester businessman
HE'S made millions as one half of the chart-topping pop duo, Savage Garden, which sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, and had hits including Truly Madly Deeply and I Knew I Loved You. But dressed in a pink T-shirt, combat trousers and flip-flops
ANY hopes that the old shop in Appleshaw next to the Walnut Tree pub might one day reopen have been quashed after planners gave permission for it to be used for residential use. It's owned by the occupiers of the adjoining house and they have been using
TEST Valley risks accusations of bei-ng discriminatory against the ethnic Gypsy group unless it adopts a 'corporate approach to the needs of gypsies and travellers' the council's executive has been told. At a meeting in Romsey on Wedn-esday councillors
THE Government minister spearheading an act of law to give disabled people better access to shops has visited Enham. Maria Eagle, Minister for the Disabled, is overseeing the final stage of the Disability Discri-mination Act (DDA), making it illegal for
THE Mayor of Test Valley breathed fresh life into Andover when he opened the second phase of a major new entertainment venue - and picked up a cheque for his charity. Cllr Neville Whiteley and the Mayoress, Mrs Janet Whiteley, were on hand to unveil the
FLOODS, draughts and global catastrophe could threaten the well being of people within a generation unless significant progress is made in the fight against global warming, a group meeting for the first time heard. The group met at Winton School in Andover
TEST Valley Deputy Mayor, Cllr Peter Boulton, could have been forgiven for thinking he had entered a Lilliputian world when he was asked to plant a tree. Dignitaries often get asked to plant trees - but last week it was to celebrate the Andover Model
Havant 2, Basingstoke Town 1 BASINGSTOKE Town's interest in the Nationwide Conference league cup ended at the first-round stage after they went down to a narrow defeat on the south coast. Ernie Howe's side got off to the best possible start on Monday
CLOSED-circuit TV security cameras will finally operating in Bishop's Waltham next week after months of delay. The equipment was installed during the summer, but a problem with the broadband connection that enables the cameras to be monitored meant there
BUDDING pop stars are now enjoying their very own music academy after a £1.5m performing arts centre opened its doors at a Fareham school. Brookfield Community School in Sarisbury Green is now home to the state-of-the-art combined drama, dance and music
STEVE WIGLEY has spoken of his intention to lead Saints beyond the end of this season. Some were predicting the Saints head coach could lose his job regardless of the result against Pompey last week but, buoyed by the 2-1 win, Wigley has repeated his
FORMER Norwich star Darren Kenton is putting his childhood alliances behind him for tomorrow's crunch clash at Carrow Road. Kenton joined the Canaries at the age of 12 and remained at the club right up until May 2003, when he joined Saints on a Bosman
GEORGE CURTIS, one of Saints' finest post-war players, has died in Essex. He was 85. The skilful, elegant midfield player was the creative force in a Saints side which narrowly missed promotion to the top flight three years running between 1947 and 1950
VIKING Citron is holding a test drive open weekend for the new C4 from Friday, November 26 to Sunday, November 28. Visitors to the dealership at The Autoplaza, Houndmills, during the three days can view and drive the stylish new car. The C4 will be presented
THREE key signings - that's the hard target for Basingstoke Town boss Ernie Howe as his side focus their sights on securing a top-five spot in the Nationwide South. With the team out of all but one cup competition, concentrating on the league is definitely
THERE was a mystery shopper in Basingstoke last week - and it was none other than Stuart Rose, chief executive of Marks & Spencer. The top man of the national retailer was in an upbeat mood as he blended in with the customers touring the £7million-plus
LAST year a young entrepreneur wrote to The Prince of Wales inviting him to visit her award-winning business in Basingstoke to mark its fifth year of operation. He was unable to accept the invitation from Liz Jackson, 31, who set up her thriving business-to-business
SPECULATION about the state of the property market is back on the menu for discussion at dinner tables. But one thing is certain - if a house catches the imagination of buyers, the calls to view still come flooding in. The proof comes from Knight Frank
BEECH Lodge was originally a single-storey gatehouse to the Ewhurst Park Estate, but has been extended to create a family-sized home. The original lodge dates from Victorian times, and its setting in Ramsdell gives it a rural location, six miles from
LYMINGTON & New Milton believe they have successfully repelled another notice of approach for one of their star players. Having fended off Basingstoke Town's interest in Ben Thomson and Lymington Town's attempts to woo Jimmy Anderson to Southampton
STEVE Tate thought he'd seen the quickest thing on two legs when he played alongside Andy Forbes at Winchester City last season. But having tried to keep pace with the scampering feet of Bashley's Richard Gillespie, he has changed his mind. "I challenged
TICHBORNE PARK, denied a Southern Electric Premier League slot at the end of the 2003 season because their off-field facilities were not up to scratch, are celebrating promotion at the second time of asking. They will join Fair Oak and Andover 2nd XI
A HUGE oil tanker giving off a pungent pong was asked to leave Hamble's giant BP oil terminal to purge its tanks at sea. BP staff noticed the offensive smell from gas identified as mercaptan sulphide as the Maltese-registered Isabella was being loaded
A CHINEHAM playgroup is being forced to close after 23 successful years. The Three Balloons Playgroup, which meets in Chineham Village Hall on four weekday mornings, will go out with a bang at the end of this year - with the group's last-ever nativity
TONY Robinson's new book is a fascinating insight into the lives of people far worse off than most of us in modern British society. Based on the successful TV series of the same name, the book charts the plight of employees whose lives were never touched
MARK GATISS'S debut novel is everything you would expect from one of The League Of Gentlemen. Darkly funny and scintillatingly shocking, The Vesuvius Club tells one of the many adventures of Lucifer Box. Living in the sumptuous environs of Edwardian high
Best selling paperback books for the week ending November 20th supplied by Waterstone's. 1 (1) The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown 2 (7) Angels And Demons Dan Brown 3 (8) A Short History Of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson 4 (-) The Five People You Meet In Heaven
SAVINGS and salaries are set to double in the next 15 years, according to new research. The average wage in 2020 is forecast to be almost £50,000 and average savings £22,000, Alliance & Leicester's report into future financial habits claims. Apathy
WITH NOTHING to fear and everything to gain, Tottonians head to unbeaten league leaders Jersey knowing that they have the upper hand having completed the double over the Channel Islanders last season. The only side to leave the Island victorious last
WINCHESTER people will have a greater say over increasingly controversial planning issues. The city council will use private consultants to help produce blueprints for sites being targeted by developers. Its cabinet released £55,000 for the scheme which
A HAMPSHIRE woman who suffered from depression for nearly 40 years and was even sectioned has made an astonishing recovery - after having her fillings taken out. Mary Stephenson claims she suffered decades of serious mental health problems because mercury
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a mobile phone mast at the "gateway" to the New Forest have been rejected. Vodaphone wanted to install the 12m mast beside the Cadnam Roundabout, which is used by traffic heading into the Forest from the M27. But the application
ANYONE planning on visiting The Nuffield theatre in Southampton this Christmas had better wrap up warm. Because temperatures are set to drop when the Southampton theatre puts on its biggest production to date, The Snow Queen. Written by Hans Christian
THE sun will come out for some poorly children in Salisbury thanks to the generosity of Salisbury Amateur Operatic Society. This award-winning group is performing the heart-warming musical Annie and sponsoring Naomi House, the children's hospice at Sutton
A VISION of how Southampton's library service will develop in the 21st century will be put under the spotlight today. Over the next decade, the city's central and district libraries could undergo a radical revamp, with extended opening hours and extensive
FUNDRAISING fever spreads across Hampshire today as hundreds of people embark on charitable challenges for BBC Children in Need. From fancy dress fun runs to head shaving and hair waxing, people young and old are raising as much money as they can for
A PUBLIC consultation will be held to decide the fate of a landmark city pub. Regulars at the Elephant and Castle in Bursledon Road have fought for more than a year to save their drinking hole from being torn down and turned into housing. But the pub
SHE gives medical care to babies in Hampshire every day and is now preparing to raise funds for children much further from home. Alyson O'Donnell, 40, is a consultant neonatologist at Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital. In May next year she will walk
THOSE were the days - when policemen walked or cycled their beat. These revealing pictures from 92 years ago show Southampton's Woolston Division Police on parade. The first photograph focuses on the policemen - or "Peelers" as they were then still nicknamed
JIM Dixon is backing his Basingstoke side to build upon their first league win of the season by claiming the scalp of London one leaders Worthing. Confidence is high in the 'Stoke camp after their 28-5 win over Thanet last weekend at Down Grange. Senior
ANDOVER resident Vince McGarry is fed up waiting for Testway Housing to repair garages damaged during storms in February. He lives in Calder Court, River Way, and says three garage blocks received structural damage during high winds nine months ago. Workmen
MEMBERS of the public were invited into Andover Museum on Saturday to taste and experiment with healthy recipes. Chef Davina Tibbetts, in connection with Hampshire Fayre, cooked up some top tastes as part of the museum's current Marvellous Meals exhibition
HUGHIE Doyle expects to have his old buddy John Robson sitting alongside him on the Alton Town bench tomorrow when the mid-Hampshire club host holders Winchester City in the FA Vase second round. Although former Alton, Totton, Bashley and Winchester boss
CHARLTON is a step closer to getting the crematorium none of the villagers want. Five years ago Test Valley Borough Council planners turned down an application for outline planning permission to build a crematorium - but an appeal was allowed in 2002.
CHRIS Martin is one of the three people on the world who I consider to be a friend, aside from the band and my family," smiles Danny McNamara, frontman of Britpop band Embrace about the Coldplay star. "We play each other stuff over the phone all the time
What's on in the South this week.. JUST two months ago Motorhead fans were shocked at news of Lemmy, the band's veteran frontman being ill. Lemmy had contracted a bad infection in his foot after an earlier injury and in September he was forced to cancel
HAMBLE Lifeboat is in jeopardy unless a new base can be found, service chiefs have warned. Health and safety red tape means the rescue service, one of the busiest in the country, could fold unless it moves to a new home. The 24-hour all-year-round inshore
CIVIC chiefs have agreed to earmark £58,000 towards developing an off-road cycle route between Chandler's Ford's Thornden School and Otterbourne Hill. The stretch would form part of the National Cycle Network and aid Thornden School's ambition of making
Dave Merrington's match preview... POMPEY: After Watford, Saints needed to bounce back and that is exactly what they did. Over the 90 minutes they had more commitment, they looked prepared mentally and were up for it more than Portsmouth. It was not a
THE first service customer visited Alan Gibson Mazda last week, nearly three weeks before the new dealership's doors are officially opened to the public. Julie Wild, from North Waltham, had seen an advertisement in The Gazette for the new franchise at
JUSTIN ROSE secured an unconventional win in a skins event in India - but it was still a triumph he was very happy to achieve. Competing against world number one Vijay Singh, Open champion Todd Hamilton and Daniel Chopra, Rose won $42,500 by beating his
IF YOU haven't yet ventured into the foyer of The Anvil for one of the Sunday lunchtime concerts, you've been missing a treat. Last Night's Fun entertained diners in October, and next in line are the fantastic double-bill of John Renbourn and Jacqui McShee
MASTER criminal Max Burdette (Pierce Brosnan) completes his last job - the heist of one of the legendary Napoleon diamonds from under the nose of the FBI - and sails off into the sunset, bound for a life of luxury on an island paradise with his beautiful
ALL'S fair in love, war and politics. As American presidential elections throughout the years have proved, scandal and muckraking can sway the allegiances of fickle voters. And a candidate's service record on the battlefield has always been a badge of
AMERICAN filmmakers continue to plunder the rich pickings of Europe and Asia for potential remakes. Taxi is a case in point. Luc Besson's 1998 smash hit, which became the largest grossing film in the history of French cinema, has been souped up into a
Films showing in the Hampshire region until 25th November. ALFIE (15): Jude Law steps into the role made famous by Michael Caine, playing a philandering chauffeur who finds himself in trouble when one of his conquests falls pregnant. ALIEN VS PREDATOR
IT'S NO wonder the regulars enjoy tucking into good home-cooked food at a Tadley pub - because it's simply the best. Husband-and-wife publicans Derek and Patt Toogood have won the accolade of Pub of the Year for Catering in their group, the Pub Estate
IT MUST be nice to forever have the word "heart-throb" attached to your name. But, as I learn from London's Burning star Glen Murphy, who suffers from this very labelling, it's not the sort of thing one's wife will let one get too attached to. "There's
