IF MOTTISFONT's performances of late have been of the stuttering nature, their victory last Saturday was a return to what they are capable of. In a competitive and thoroughly entertaining match, Font produced perhaps their best display of the season against
The Mountbatten School & Language School's U14 girls' team has qualified for the English Schools Athletic Association Bazuka National Swimming Championships. The team qualified for the freestyle relay finals through the Divisional championships. The
PAUL Doswell still has faith that Eastleigh will squeeze through to the Ryman Premier play-offs, but he admits he's not as confident as he used to be. After riding high in second place behind Yeading, the Sparshatts Stadium club have fallen away in their
Fleet Town's former Newport IoW defender Andy Darnton will miss the visit of his old club to Calthorpe Park tomorrow. The Southampton-based centre-half, pictured, limped out of Tuesday's vital 2-0 basement win over Ashford Town with another hamstring
EASTLEIGH loan striker Barry Mason has struck up a cracking partnership with Richard Gregory in the BAT attack. The pair combined to pull off the week's shock result on Tuesday when the Tobaccomen shot down Wessex title-chasers Gosport Borough 1-0 at
NEIL Moss has vowed that Cherries will "put things right" as the search goes on for an elusive clean sheet. The Cherries goalkeeper and his defensive colleagues have failed to register a shut-out in 11 matches since a 2-0 win over Bradford more than two
A GRIEVING student has organised an art exhibition as a tribute to the memory of her boyfriend who died in a car crash last year. Kelly Runcie was devastated when the news of Mike Noble's death was broken to her. She had only been with him just hours
FIRMS across the south will continue to fall victim to fraudsters unless the government steps in and acts, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned today. The call comes as the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) launches a scam awareness campaign designed
England boss Andy Robinson has admitted changes were essential for his team's RBS 6 Nations Championship showdown with France at Twickenham. The World Cup holders will take on last season's Grand Slam champions on Sunday, after calling up five players
AFTER winning Britain's first Olympic diving medal for 44 years, life was never going to be the same for Southampton's Peter Waterfield. And as he prepares to return to competitive action for the first time since his Olympic silver medal winning achievement
TONY HILL will be gunning for his first major senior boxing title tonight when he takes on Paul Molbey for the Southern Counties ABA crown. The former British and junior Olympic champion overcame an injury to his left thumb last week to make it through
VOTERS in the Test Valley have one month to ensure their names are on the borough's latest electoral registers. Bosses at the electoral registration department have now published a list of voters' names but are worried some people may not have been included
THE future of Ampfield Primary School has again been left hanging in the balance. Three of the four groups represented at a a meeting of the Schools Organisation Committee at Winchester - Hampshire Education Service, a school governors' group and the
BUILDING work on a long-awaited 120-bedroom hotel on the outskirts of Winchester should start within six months. City council planners approved a revised scheme next to the INTECH complex at Morn Hill. Planners had already approved two previous applications
BMW has announced the introduction of the BMW 130i, pictured, - a version of its new baby in the Ford Focus class that is powered by the world's lightest six-cylinder petrol engine, a 3.0 litre to boot! First seen on the BMW 630i and the BMW 330i, the
THE Suzuki Jimny Estate, the compact SUV that has provided so many customers with their first taste of 4x4 motoring, now benefits from a major facelift and at no extra cost. With a fully refreshed and redesigned interior, sparkling new VVT engine, and
ALREADY an established face in Brockenhurst, Balmer Lawn Honda is officially launching its recently refurbished dealership in Dibden Purlieu. Like the successful Brockenhurst premises, the Dibden branch is an official Honda sales and service site, fully
STAFF at Hythe Marina are in no doubt about who rules the roost at work these days. For the past nine months they have enjoyed a daily visit by a family of swans who have made the marina their home. Every day the swans wait at the lock gates to be let
THEY should be learning in class, but instead they shop, meet friends or watch television at home. Often youngsters skipping school are with their parents. The shocking extent of truancy in Southampton can be revealed today by the Daily Echo. One in five
MOSCOW-based Imperial Ice Stars will soon be dazzling audiences in Southampton on their first UK tour. The Sleeping Beauty on Ice will take to the ice-adorned stage at The Mayflower from February 15 -20, and the spectacular show is sure to thrill and
DETECTIVES have sealed off part of a Southampton park to search for human remains, the Daily Echo can reveal. Officers launched the investigation after a tip-off to the city's major crime team saying a body could be buried at Riverside Park in Bitterne
CLOWNING around has helped put Hampshire at the centre of the world's funny map. Talented jesters in the county scooped a third of the awards at a ceremony described as the Oscars of the clowning industry, beating competition from across the globe, The
A tuk-tuk to get you to church on time! IF the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles are looking for some offbeat transport for their wedding day, Darren Baker and Andy Ellison have the answer. Forget the Bentley or the antique Roller. They could
PUPILS from a Hampshire school were so moved by images of the destruction following the Boxing Day tsunami, they decided to take action. Pupils at Bartley Junior School have raised more than £3,000 and filled dozens of boxes with toiletries, food and
AS one archaeological dig finishes in Winchester today, another one is due to start on an adjacent site. Archaeologists move off the Staple Gardens dig today and work on a Jewry Street car park is due to start in a week. The car park behind the library
SOUTHAMPTON'S troubled Itchen Conservative Association met last night to try and select a candidate to fight the forthcoming General Election. But the question of who will take on Labour's John Denham in May's expected contest has still to be resolved
THE people of Andover have until Monday to decide whether or not they want a carnival procession. Since Andover Lions Club president Fred Harper appealed for more help to run the event just one offer of aid has been forthcoming. Now the club is holding
PROFESSIONAL ice sculptor, Wayne Pride, proved a cool customer at Andover's Chantry Centre when he created a heart sculpture from a block of ice - in time for Valentine's Day on Monday. The work was the centrepiece of an ice melting competition in the
THE memory of best friend Katherine Hou-ghton will push Carolyne Connolly through the pain barrier when she runs the London Marathon in April. Cheering her on every step of the way will be Bob and Angela Houghton, from Goodworth Clatford, who lost their
ANDOVER police have issued an e-fit of a man they would like to interview in connection with a burglary in Enham Alamein on 8 January. The elderly occupants of the home in Chapel Lane, Andover, were watching television at about 5.45pm when they heard
VILLAGERS in Upper Chute have decided to bombard Kennet planners with protest letters in a bid to stop their local pub from being converted to housing. Planners have received an application from Doublevision Inns Ltd to convert the building to a dwelling
THE Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has a treat in store this week with an entire concert dedicated to the wonderful music of Heir Mozart. The orchestra will appear at the Southampton Guildhall on Thursday starting with the beautiful melodies of Mozart's
ONE of the most heartfelt pleas for help so far in the Andover Advertiser's Make a Difference campaign comes from the post-16 section of Icknield School. Known as the FE Centre, 17 students are learning independent life skills at the bungalow in Vigo
THE Southampton Jazz Club has scooped something of a coup with it latest concert, a performance by the world famous John Etheridge's Sweet Chorus. John is one of the country's unsung musical hero's having played with the likes of jazz giants like Soft
A NEW professional chamber orchestra makes its debut performance at Southampton's Turner Sims Concert Hall on Sunday. The Venetian Ensemble of London are a tribute group to Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi, whose Four Seasons is included in the programme
SAILORS have made British naval history during an exercise at a base near Fareham this week. Southwick Park in Southwick played host to sailors from HMS Southampton, Westminster and Edinburgh as they took part in a major global computerised war games
THEY may have some way to go to emulate their soccer heroes - but at least the football team at Eastleigh's Crestwood College now looks the part. Youngsters at the business and enterprise college's campus in Shakespeare Road, Boyatt Wood, are celebrating
Time for bed," said Zebedee. The makers of The Magic Roundabout film have taken the moustachioed, springy wizard's words to heart. This computer-animated foray into the Enchanted Village will lull a sizeable proportion of the audience to the Land of Nod
THIS week's third animated feature is aimed at youngsters who have grown up with Klaus Baumgart's best-selling children's books. First published in 1996, the charming series has sold more than two million copies worldwide and has been translated into
A LIFE in politics is a furious media circus of photo opportunities, fake smiles and carefully crafted soundbites. Caught somewhere in the middle of this relentless spin are politicians' children, the pawns in a battle for the hearts and minds of the
STOCKBRIDGE, as expected, succumbed to Wessex Division 1 leaders City at the Rec last Saturday in the quarter-finals of the Hampshire Senior Cup, writes Ian Henderson. Stocks fought hard, particularly in the first half, but the extra experience and fitness
ROMSEY schoolboy rider James Humby has signed for the Oxford Silver Machine speedway team. James, who's 15, has progressed through the various levels of junior speedway, which ultimately led to him winning the British Under 15 Junior Championship in 2003
LYMINGTON & NEW MILTON boss Ian Robinson suspects the Wessex League is not quite as go-ahead as some people think. After his trip to East Anglia sussing out tomorrow's FA Vase opponents, Bury Town, he reckons there is much to admire in the Eastern
The Hampshire Cricket League last night voted in favour of overseas players for its clubs. A proposal was made by Flamingo and seconded by Fareham & Crofton for foreigners to be banned from the Hampshire League for the forthcoming season. But a year
THE Gazette today launches a new phase of its Basingstoke - A Place To Be Proud Of campaign as we urge readers to breathe new life into the borough's recycling drive. Last month, The Gazette revealed Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council recycled just
THE conviction of mass murderer Jeremy Bamber may be one of the great miscarriages of justice in recent years, Basingtoke MP Andrew Hunter has claimed. Bamber - who lobbied Mr Hunter from prison to take up his battle to have the convictions overturned
A 14-YEAR-OLD pupil suffered major head injuries in an accident with a school bus on a controversial road - prompting renewed calls from residents for the speed limit to be lowered. The teenager, a pupil at The Hurst Community College, was cycling along
BEHIND-THE-SCENES drama at the Haymarket Theatre in Basingstoke took centre stage at an employment tribunal this week as the former theatre director claimed unfair dismissal. The tribunal heard Alasdair Ramsay allege he was forced out of his job after
TOUGH court orders designed to curb neighbourhood menaces have saved the Basingstoke community £500,000 by cutting the cost of crime. The news is revealed in a police report on how Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) meted out to criminals have had a
ALL new Subarus are to come with three years' free servicing as part of an aggressive new sales drive. The offer runs until April 30 and covers the entire Impreza, Forester, Legacy and Outback line-up. It gives owners three years' peace of mind up to
THE final edition of Alfa Romeo's classic two-seater sports car is now available in three striking exterior colours, featuring unique 17 inch spoked alloy wheels teamed with black leather trim. The special version Alfa Spiders are available in Alfa red
MITSUBISHI Motors UK has taken the wraps off the fastest saloon car ever produced by a major manufacturer - and this astonishing 175mph supercar is being completed in Southampton. Built to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mitsubishi's entry into the
Kings SEAT Southampton, part of the Hampshire-based Snows Motor Group, are pleased to announce the impending arrival of the new Toledo. With the Toledo, Seat has created a family car which offers more versatility, functionality and unprecedented space
Today's Principal Arrivals: CMA CGM Ravel, container, 0300, 207; CFF Seine, ro/ro, 0530, 30; Autoracer, ro/ro, 0630, 201; Bunga Raya Dua, container, 1200, 205; Emden, ro/ro, 1630, 43 Today's Principal Sailings: Autoprestige, ro/ro, AM, 203; Autotransporter
FOR most people, swimming the equivalent of the Channel would be challenge enough. But a group of Southampton swimmers decided to make it even harder - by only using their arms. Calling themselves Legless, the team swam concurrently in adjacent lanes
Pauline Johnson, the managing partner of Southampton-based solicitors Coffin Mew & Clover, is pictured here on the right as part of an unusual fundraising effort for the Asian tsunami relief appeal. Pauline and practice manager Sara Lloyd, left, invited
After the surprise of losing their much-coveted Hampshire Cup crown to Andover last season, Basingstoke want their trophy back. Having won the county competition for the previous five seasons, the Down Grange outfit have been talking about nothing else
ROMSEY'S historic Sadler's Mill could be much older than people think. Excavations carried out in connection with restoration and redevelopment work at the mill have uncovered remains of a much earlier mill. The Mill is owned by Anthony and Sarah de Sigley
BOROUGH councillors are set to splash out £3million on upgrading facilities at Romsey Rapids. Members of the cabinet have agreed funding but the final decision lies with the full council and members are expected to make their views known on February 25th
BAND 'D' council taxpayers in the Test Valley will be paying an extra 77p a week when this year's bills drop through letterboxes next month. And the average Band D taxpayer is likely to be coughing up an extra £40.59 pence this year, bringing the total
AN IDEA that began in a Sherfield English barn is about to become Britain's newest digital TV station. SoundTV - the brainchild of Sherfield English-based TV entertainer Richard Digance and comic and former Capital Radio presenter Mike Osman - hits the
THE main gates of Winch-ester's cemetery are currently shut but there is no cause for alarm. Engineers are hard at work renovating the iron gates at the graveyard at Magdalen Hill throughout the week. Access to the large cemetery has been maintained with
Sportiness, versatility and value for money - three of the key attributes of the Mazda RX-8 - have all been recognised by Britain's fleet professionals who voted the Japanese marque's flagship model the best Sporting Car in the annual Fleet Excellence
PLANNERS have breached one of their own policies in a bid to ease the growing shortage of care home places in the New Forest. Proposals to bulldoze the vacant Sway Place rest home in Station Road, Sway, and replace it with a new 60-bedroom complex have
TOTTON schoolchildren turned the clock back more than 100 years to sample life in a Victorian classroom. Pupils at Hazel Wood Infant School dressed in period costume and experienced the type of lessons and discipline seen in the late 19th century. Teachers
Encore Youth Theatre will feature its very own hero when it brings West Side Story to the Theatre Royal, Winchester. Unlike other children, Adam Nowell had no dreams of being a fireman or an astronaut when he was older. He was diagnosed with leukaemia
THE hit musical Les Miserables comes to The Point in Eastleigh courtesy of Centrestage Youth Productions. (CPYT). This youth group, which operates a free membership scheme to help encourage children from all backgrounds to join, has been working hard
POLICE are following up new leads in the hunt for two robbers who left a pensioner for dead on a compost heap in a Southampton park. Officers returned to the scene a week after Dennis Tierney was attacked in Riverside Park in a bid to find any witnesses
PRESSURE is mounting on supermarket chiefs to include a medical centre in their plans to build a state-of-the-art store and flats on the site of a Southampton bus depot. The scheme to build a Sainsbury's on the First bus depot in Portswood Road includes
LEISURE chiefs are to spend £600,000 replacing a park football pitch with a petanque rink, a skatepark and four mini soccer areas. The largest pitch at Veracity Recreation Ground in Sholing, Southampton, will make way for the new facilities. The project
IT WAS a labour of love which took her around the world in six months. Now Southampton granny Hazel Khan has finally completed her 18,240 piece jigsaw only to find one piece missing. Hazel, 70, of Stafford Road, Shirley, could not believe it when she
ON the eve of Tidworth becoming a town in its own right it is almost impossible to buy a map of the whole place. The problems is so acute that, on occasion, emergency vehicles have had to ask passers-by the way because no definitive map of the town is
A PURPOSE built doctors' surgery offering residents a wide range of health services, including minor operations is set to open in Tidworth on 21 February. The Castle Practice in Ludgershall commissioned the new health centre for the patients of its Elm
MEMBERS of Ludgershall Parish Council say the £60,000 spent by Wiltshire County Council on traffic calming measures at Meade Road would have been better spent in other parts of the village. They say that the idea, which has resulted in a raised table
A CAMPAIGN to get more people to take up allotments in Ludgershall has proved to be a blooming success. There are now 60 plots let in the village which has its own thriving gardening club. The allotments, in Bell Street and Deweys Lane, are let to villagers
HE'S one of the legends of disco-soul music and the voice behind some of the biggest songs of the 70s. What's On's Noel Davies chatted with Hot Chocolate's Errol Brown from his home in Barbados, ahead of the star's show at Bournemouth's Pavilion Theatre
THE grand opening of The Depot youth complex in Charlton is all set for tomorrow. With an emphasis on sport, the complex provides three outdoor floodlit netball courts, a sports hall and a skate park. One of the netball courts is designed as a multi-use
BOASTING more bling than Mr T and the kind of cheeky-chappy rhymes that make Mike Skinner sound like MC Hammer, Welsh rappers, Goldie Lookin Chain, are the freshest thing to happen in hip hop since The Beastie Boys brought middle England out in a nasty
ONE of Southampton's biggest soul bands performs live at The Red Lion in Totton tomorrow night. The Rufus Stone Soul Band have been making sweet soul music for more than 20 years, building a loyal following with their up-beat salutes to the legends of
VILLAGERS in Upper Chute have decided to bombard Kennet planners with protest letters in a bid to stop their local pub from being converted to housing. Planners have received an application from Doublevision Inns Ltd to convert the building to a dwelling
NEW Zealand grunge-popsters Steriogram bring their bubbly guitar grunts to The Joiners in Southampton on Thursday for an evening pumped full of mosh-out riffs. The South Seas guys shot top fame courtesy of their irresistibly catchy, Walkie Talkie Man,
A LONG-awaited £30m leisure and shopping development designed to bring Fareham into the 21st century is nearing completion. A late-night bar and restaurant is due to open next week, leaving a five-screen cinema as the only remaining piece of the Market
POLICE have vowed to step up patrols in Bursledon following a series of public order incidents in and around the railway station. Yobs, who have been making life hell for nearby residents, are believed to be responsible for torching a car in the station
Homesick Anders Svensson finalised a summer move back to Sweden yesterday and confessed: Saints have never seen the best of me. The enigmatic midfielder has signed a pre-contract agreement to return to Elfsborg - the side which Saints bought him from
STRACHAN could be on his way to St Mary's next weekend. But Saints fans thinking 'not another managerial change!' can rest assured that the Strachan in question is Gordon's son, Gavin. Gavin has been a regular in the Hartlepool squad this season and his
HE'S a sponge, he's square (well, more of a trapezium to be honest) and he wears pants (white Y-fronts). SpongeBob SquarePants is an unlikely hero for our hi-tech modern era but the absorbent yellow fellow has become a cult figure on the Nickelodeon cartoon
