Basingstoke Bison 3, Cardiff Devils 5 THE Bison ended the weekend with nothing to show for their efforts after losing to the visiting Cardiff Devils on Saturday night and at Sheffield 24 hours earlier. The game against the league leaders from Wales got
STEVE Wigley faces a battle to hold on to his job, but he should be given more time. That view might not be popular right now but I don't think there are many managers out there who will change things for Saints. The problems are deep rooted and do not
The raised voices in AFC Wimbledon's half-time dressing room said it all about Bashley's first-half performance. For 45 intriguing minutes, reputations counted for nothing as the unpretentious New Forest club seriously ruffled the feathers of the record-breaking
If Arjan De Zeeuw was one of Harry Redknapp's best signings, El Hadji Diouf has to be one of Sam Allardyce's worst. Captain De Zeeuw arrived at Fratton Park on a free transfer from Wigan after John Bond, his former manager and the father of Pompey coach
Rumours that Dean Holdsworth and Ian Baird have been lined up as Havant & Waterlooville's next managers have been dismissed as "utter rubbish" by secretary Trevor Brock. Although he admits it is not beyond the realms of possibility that former Premiership
STEVE Wigley faces a battle to hold on to his job, but he should be given more time. That view might not be popular right now but I don't think there are many managers out there who will change things for Saints. The problems are deep rooted and do not
ACCOUNTANTS Numerica plan to kick-off the new year with a five-a-side football tournament for local businesses. The tournament will see up to 20 teams of business people battle it out for the Numerica Professionals Shield, at Vida in Southampton. The
SOUTHAMPTON businesses are full of the festive spirit and reaping the benefit on their bottom line because of it, according to new research. Royal Mail estimates that 2.26 million Christmas cards will be sent by Southampton businesses in Southampton this
Southampton held on for a 15-12 success over local rivals Romsey to move into the semi-finals of the Hampshire Gales' Bowl. Four first-half Romsey penalties were not enough as winger Rogan Roy sprinted down the left wing late in the first half before
Gosport & Fareham's dreams of a repeat Powergen Intermediate Cup final visit to Twickenham came to an abrupt halt at the last 32 stage as they were swept away by a former Olympic 4x100 metre athlete in cherry and white. Todd Blythe, a New Zealander
ONE of the smallest churches in Winchester is embroiled in one of the biggest restoration projects seen in the city in decades. St John the Baptist in St John's Street is said to be the oldest parish church in Winchester enjoying probably the finest view
A NEW FOREST newsagent is furious that a new shop has opened across the road from him with a lottery machine - just months after he was turned down for one. Hossein Moghadam took over the busy Londi's Brockenhurst store in Brookley Road just over a year
A NEW skills centre has been opened in New Milton. It's for people who want to gain skills and qualifications in construction, information technology and health and beauty. It's on the Wick Industrial Estate off Gore Road and is being funded by the Learning
Detectives are hunting a sex attacker after an indecent assault on a woman in Winchester. Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, the 21-year-old victim was walking home along Romsey Road after seeing friends. Near the Westgate, a man started talking to
Unions fear staff cuts could be on the horizon at a cash-strapped Winchester hospital. Bosses at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital face a deficit of £5m, although this figure may be knocked down to around £3.6m with sales of land taken into account.
A bid to reduce aircraft noise around Southampton Airport has led to increased complaints from Winchester residents. As an experiment, from April to June this year, pilots changed their normal course when nearing the runway. The effect was that many flights
FOR years they battled to have their own parish council, grass roots politicians who could serve the local people effectively. But less than two years after Whiteley Parish Council convened for the first time the authority is in disarray. Resignation
Winchester City Council's Christmas present to citizens is a huge hike in the cost of parking outside their homes. The parking review group has recommended that an annual permit for residents and visitors should increase by two-thirds from £15 to £25
A Romsey yob has been barred from every pub in Hampshire. Lloyd McKenner (22) was given the two-year ban by New Forest magistrates under an anti-social behaviour order. It effectively prevents him from entering all pubs and other licensed premises. He
A Winchester man, once described by a judge as a "lethal nuisance" on the roads, has been jailed for five months for a fourth count of driving while disqualified. As he was sentenced at Basingstoke Magistrates Court, Robert Northey was described as someone
A Hampshire ambulance volunteer has been hailed a hero for speedily coming to the aid of a boy who nearly severed his nose after crashing through a glass front door. Eleven-year-old Joe Dennehy tripped as he ran up the front steps of his home in Beech
WE should have been told sooner. That was the overwhelming thought of workers at a Hampshire firm who are demanding to know why those charged with guarding their pension fund kept them in the dark about a £55m black hole. More than 40 past and present
FRUSTRATED detectives are turning their hunt for an expert gang of jewel thieves closer to home. Officers desperate to catch the raiders who are thought to have been at large since 1999 and have bagged thousands of pounds of jewels, say now they could
SOUTHAMPTON'S WOW factor will be apparent for all to see in ten years' time according to city chiefs. Iconic buildings such as the West Quay Stage Three development, the planned arts quarter and the huge projects scheduled for Town Quay and the former
SOUTHAMPTON'S Social Services chiefs could be in the red by more than £1.4m by the end of the financial year. The black hole in the city's social services budget will be revealed at a meeting of the city council's Cabinet today. The "overspend" for social
ARTS projects in Romsey have received a vital cash injection. Hampshire County Council has dished out grants to a series of schemes, including Romsey and District Carers' Forum and the town's annual Beggars Fair. Young carers will have the chance to experiment
THE COLLAPSE of a bus deal which could cost council taxpayers in Southampton up to half a million pounds is due to come under the spotlight today. Members of the city council's ruling Liberal Democrat Cabinet are due to consult on how to proceed with
HAMPSHIRE health chiefs have backed calls by thousands of campaigners determined to save the Royal Hospital Haslar. Members of the county's health review committee have issued the strongest indication yet that the historic Gosport hospital could be retained
A WASTE transfer plant has been given the green light despite fears it could increase traffic on a busy Hampshire road. Council chiefs have allowed an application to change the use of land at Pegham Industrial Estate in Fontley Road, Fareham from a scrapyard
CARERS Together: Working with Basingstoke Alzheimer's Society, the group would like any local people who have been attending groups to know that the December meeting will be a lunch at the Star pub in Kingsclere on December 2, at noon. Any Bramley people
BRIGHT Start Pre-school: The children looked forward to a visit from Pudsey Bear on November 19. They were celebrating the bear's birthday. Pudsey came to say hello to the children and brought presents with him. He also gave me a nice hug. Pudsey Bear
CANCELLED: Casino Royale, the Bond-style casino night due to be held last weekend at the village had to be cancelled. The evening, set to be the smartest affair in the area, was under-subscribed by this time last week, so the organisers decided this was
CATCHMENT areas: The governors of all three schools are currently being briefed, and definitive rulings by the county council are due to follow before very long. More news as soon as it becomes available. VANDALISM: Reports continue to emerge concerning
WHAT a wonderful effort: Despite the quite dreadful weather recently, of driving snow and rain, that produced apparently ideal tree-planting conditions, Cliddesden Community Conservation Group and an army of volunteers planted approximately 1,600 trees
AFFORDABLE housing: Is it time for more affordable housing in Ellisfield? The topic is currently in the news and, with house prices so high, it's likely to move up the agenda. FARRIER'S Field: In the l990s, Tim Sullivan, then a parish councillor, and
MUSIC Hall: The talented people who turned up for this event last Saturday had a hugely enjoyable evening. Presumably as it was something new, numbers were below those needed to break even, so the Village Club has lost money. This is not the first time
CALENDAR: The Women's Institute did it and many sports teams have done it. Now it is the turn of the Legion's Corp of Drums to bring out a calendar. For the cost of £5, you can get an A3-sized calendar of the memorial visit to France last June. If you
IONAN Tales: The first theatre evening of this season saw Jim MacCool presenting two of his Ionan Tales in Pamber Heath Village Hall on November 13. He related The Boxer's Tale and The Story of Sawney Bean to an audience that also enjoyed his renditions
CHRISTMAS bazaars: Abbey Court would like to thank everyone who turned out to their recent bazaar in the snowy weather. VACANCY: Melrose Hall is still looking for an office administrator. If you are interested or want to find out more, please contact
PERFECT pitch: Now that the wicket has been put to bed for the winter, don't think that Rotherwick's cricket activity has been suspended as well! The winter is not a closed season for us as we have two teams competing in the North Hampshire Cricket Association
VILLAGE hall: The AGM was held on November 17, and was well attended. Matters arising out of last year's minutes were raised and it was noted that bookings had increased, but so have running costs. Fundraising has been successful, ongoing projects discussed
TREES: Did you plant a tree in Silchester way back in 1977? A survey is being made to trace all the trees and safeguard those that have survived. Contact Stella Balderstone on 0118 9700362. TADLEY Concert Brass: Will hold their Christmas concert in St
PANTO: Next Friday and Saturday, Christchurch Players are presenting Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. For tickets and information, call Barbara on 0118 9816762 or Hazel on 0118 9814949. CHRISTMAS shopping to London: On Saturday, December 4. For further
Sir.-With regard to the Tesco express protest, as reported in Monday's Gazette. What a pathetic load of moaners they all are. Did they not have gangs hanging around before Tesco arrived? Oakridge is well known, and has been for years, for gangs of yobs
Sir.-We at BATS and the cast and crew of Calamity Jane would like to send a massive thank you to all the audience who attended the run of the show. The society is proud to support children's charities, and for the duration of the shows run we collected
Sir.-I would like to express my concerns about the proposed closure of the post office in South Ham. This will cause a great deal of difficulty for people in their late 70s with walking difficulties like myself. People in wheelchairs find it difficult
Jim Smith has revealed that Pompey fans have asked Harry Redknapp to take charge of Saints. Following Redknapp's departure from Fratton Park last week and Saints' disappointing 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace, speculation over the weekend saw Redknapp
GOALSCORER Andreas Jakobsson admitted it was down to the players to ease the air of discontent swirling around St Mary's. The crowd voiced their disappointment several times during Saturday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace with chairman Rupert Lowe and
SIX adult gymnasts from Basingstoke shared medal success at the recent British veterans championships in Ipswich. The Basingstoke Gymnastic Club members, remarkably, brought home gold and silver medals in a first-ever entry into the championships. The
IT WAS a depressing, wet Friday afternoon and my mood was feeling very similar to the weather. I sat down to talk to the young violinist Chlo Hanslip and suddenly the world became a happier place. Chlo's enthusiasm for life and her music is so infectious
David Malone took a seat in the stand at St George's Park on Saturday as Newport winched themselves out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Molesey. After quitting as director of football and vice-chairman of Winchester City, Malone, pictured below
Mark Kelly, in the hot seat in the absence of assistant manager Barry Blankley, was not amused after Salisbury slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Harrow Borough Kelly said: "We made a great start and should have gone in at half-time 2-0 up but Leigh Phillips
Today's Principal Arrivals: Dart 2, ro/ro, container, 0800, 30; NYK Andromeda, container, 1030, 206; Montlhery, ro/ro, 1130, 201; Chikuma Reefer, refrigerated vessel, 1200, 104; Lykes Hero, container, 1330, 207; Nekton, cargo, 1400, 107; Clonmore, container
WORK has started on a £200,000 scheme to support a reduced speed limit through a village near Winchester. Traffic bosses at Hampshire County Council have proposed a series of measures for Colden Common, similar to those introduced in Twyford. But Twyford
A Hampshire family of gypsies has vowed to continue its fight to remain on land in Swanmore, in spite of losing a planning appeal. The Hughes family appealed against Winchester City Council enforcement notices in respect of land the family own near Buena
Police community support officers (PCSOs) could soon be patrolling the streets of Hampshire. This week, the Home Office agreed to fund 25 of the new civilian officers, who will be trained by police and have many of the powers of their regular colleagues
Plans to site more phone masts on top of the BT telephone exchange in central Winchester has re-fuelled campaigners' concerns about possible health risks. Planners last week approved applications from T-Mobile and O2 to put up further masts on top of
Villagers are drawing up an action plan to consider the future of South Wonston village hall, which is under threat of closure. Increased running costs, plus work to make the premises more accessible to disabled people, will leave it in the red. But that
Santa Claus came to town last week as the Christmas lights were switched on in Winchester --heralding the start of the festive season in the city and the rush for the shops. Stores in the city centre opened late on Thursday as the cast of the Theatre
A FED-UP boss is hoping a point salvaged by Saints this weekend will lift the flagging spirits - and work rate - of his beleaguered staff. Loyal fan Terry Harnett and his army of builders know only too well what it's like to feel the Monday morning blues
A FORMER Southampton magistrate who also ran four pharmacist shops has died aged 91. Leslie Guy was a regular on the city's Monday bench at court - but is better remembered by relatives for his famous Linctus 289 concoction, which staved off the Guy family's
SCHOOLS, clubs and businesses across Southampton are being invited to clear out their wardrobes in aid of charity. DHL Southampton and the British Red Cross are asking people to donate old clothes that can be sold to raise funds for the Blue Peter Welcome
BRIGHTON Hill Community College (BHCC) in Basingstoke has scooped the title School of the Year 2004 in the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Awards. LTA president Charles Trippe and chief executive John Crowther will present college PE teacher Madeline Probyn
NEW prop Roberto Bussati has followed his close friend Sebastian Berti to Down Grange and he hopes to make an equally good impression as the Chilean fly-half. Argentinian Bussati arrived in Basingstoke from Rhyl, north Wales, where he has been playing
A LITTLE bit of colour goes a long way. That was the message to a group of youngsters from the Ashcroft Arts Centre in Osborn Road. Armed with cans of spray paint, the 12 children created a mural masterpiece on one of the car park walls as part of a two-day
CHRISTMAS whist drive: Eileen Monger and her daughter, Sharon, will be holding a whist drive on Monday, at 7.30pm. It is at the Memorial Hall, on The Green, Tadley, in aid of the British Polio Fellowship. Admission is £2, and I am assured there are good
ST MARK'S Christmas fair: A quick reminder that the Friends of St Mark's Primary School will be holding a Christmas fair next Tuesday, from 3.30pm to 6pm, at the school. The fair will include stalls selling plenty of festive goodies such as Chocoholics
THEATRE: Tickets are on sale for Hook Players' production Fish out of Water. This is a sad, but amusing, tale of two women who jet off for a few weeks of sun, sea and such-like. As you can imagine, not everything goes exactly how it should, giving you
MOTHER and toddler group: A new group has just started, called Coffee-pot. It meets on a Wednesday, from 9.30am to 11.30am, in the youth wing at Aldworth Science College, Western Way. For more information, call 01256 473698. BASINGSTOKE Ladies Choir:
CAROLS: On Wednesday, at 7.30pm, it's Carols at the Manor. This is a traditional carol-singing evening, which everyone is welcome to attend, and is in aid of Save The Children. Tickets, costing £3 for adults and £1 for children, are available from Redwoods
SOUTH View infants and nursery: The Christmas fair will be next Thursday, from 5.30pm to 7pm. Any donations will be greatly received. On December 17, at 1.15pm, the school will break up for Christmas and return on January 4. OAKRIDGE Infant School Christmas
A PILOT scheme to fight the flab and encourage healthy eating has won over pupils and parents at Bishopstoke's Stoke Park Junior School. An after-school Cook and Eat course, where children and their parents learnt about cooking and eating healthier food
BISHOPSTOKE Parish Council is calling for Eastleigh's parking attendants to enforce no waiting restrictions outside the village's Stoke Park Junior School in Underwood Road and Stoke Park Infant School in Abbotsbury Road. Members of the village authority
Sir.-This is the story of a day in the life of a South West Trains Goldcard customer last Friday. After rushing to get to Basingstoke station, my usual 8.31am train was not displayed on the information board at all and the next one was delayed. Another
Sir.-Regarding the closure of the Child Support Agency (CSA) office in Basingstoke. It has finally been acknowledged, publicly, that the CSA is a complete shambles, and the department shows systemic mis-management. I feel Doug Smith and the executive
Sir.-I read in last Friday's Gazette what I believe to be misdirected thoughts within Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council that Basingstoke should apply for city status. Would I have been alone in nearly falling off my chair with disbelief? The well-worn
Sir.- It seems strange that, with all the recent publicity about protecting people from passive smoking, not one MP, Government member or children's charity has spoken up for the most vulnerable in our society. What about all the children who are confined
Sir.-The potential loss of a new school site at Sherfield Park is something that should concern every Basingstoke resident because it is symptomatic of a deeper problem. Plans for housing development are approved by Basingstoke council only when services
Sir.-What a wonderful achievement! After 30 years of struggle for survival, Basingstoke should be very proud to have retained its professional repertory company when so many theatres in the country lost theirs many years ago. I joined the Horseshoe 25
Sir.-I don't believe the postal spin machine which claims that services are getting better. Earlier this year we sent a birthday card to our grandson in Bath, which failed to reach him. Showing admirable determination, my wife posted a second one. That
Sir.-I write regarding the tragic train crash near Newbury on November 6. It is tragic that people were killed, whether they be passengers, train staff or others, but any clamour for significant changes to practice on safety with regard to the half-barrier
TIMMY Murphy was in seventh heaven at Newbury on Saturday when the Hennessy Gold Cup was the jewel in a four-pronged crown of winners for the jockey. Murphy, the big race winner on Celestial Gold, cemented his association with Martin Pipe and David Johnson
