SHAUN Dyke's presence at Eastleigh's last two matches has heightened rumours that the Winchester City wing-back could be on his way to Sparshatts Stadium next season. The 28-year-old right-sided player is out of contract at Winchester at the end of the
ANGRY Winchester City boss Neil Hards has accused the FA Vase holders of treating their players shabbily. With director of football David Malone quitting for the second time in four months this week, the club's promotion prospects have again been thrown
WEST INDIES fast bowling legend Michael Holding has launched a ferocious attack on proposals to adopt Twenty-20 cricket into international competition. Holding has branded the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to host the first Twenty20 International
MORE strikes could be on the cards if Basingstoke teachers and lecturers vote to take part in planned industrial action over a pension dispute. Last week, representatives from the regional branch of UNISON, the trade union that represents people working
HAMPSHIRE based retail giant B&Q has reported a fall in sales after seeing consumer demand weaken and trading conditions become more competitive. The DIY chain, which employs 1,600 at its Chandler's Ford headquarters, posted a 1.2 per cent decline
WHEN Sue Allen first picked up her mop and bucket as a cleaner at a Hampshire motor dealers, little did she know that 21 years later, she would be running a department. Sue is celebrating 21 years with Winchester's Kings Volvo dealership, where she has
HER great-grandfather Sir Athol Oakeley was a world champion wrestler and her grandfather Sir John Oakeley was an Olympic and America's Cup yachtsman. Now, 11-year-old Olivia Oakeley is aiming to live up to the family tradition of sporting excellence
Reading 87 - Solent Stars 83 STEVE CHANT, coaching his first ever senior English Basketball League game, nearly pulled off a surprise win last night. Only a poor fourth period, when the visitors had Marlin Capers and Paul Silcox fouled out and committed
A SPECIALLY arranged series of tours around England's historic capital Winchester have been set up to mark International Tourist Guide Day. The aim of the tours is to give people a taste of just how much they can see and learn about the old city when
IT'S been dubbed the new XR3I but the sporty new Focus ST making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in less than a fortnight is going to be one of the fastest Focus models yet built with a 2.5 litre turbo engine. Previewing its exciting new performance
NEXT month's Geneva Motor Show will be the setting for two new stars from Honda - the world premiere unveiling of what the next generation Civic for the European market will look like and the all-new Legend saloon. The "Civic Concept" provides a close
HAMPSHIRE-BASED specialist recruitment consultancy Proveya has announced further growth in its capabilities with a key appointment. John Dixon joins as sales director to fuel the company's planned growth in the IT, defence and scientific sectors during
COUNCIL chiefs in the New Forest are attempting to settle a planning row and avert an appeal that could cost taxpayers thousands. Talks are being held with a developer who wants to build more than 300 homes on the former Webbs chicken factory site at
COMEDIAN Jason Byrne brings his high-energy stand-up show to The Point in Eastleigh on February 27. What's On's Hayley Dunlop caught up with the Irishman, who has been described as one of the most exciting comedians around... DURING one of Jason Byrne's
DAPHNE Du Maurier's 1938 novel Rebecca was a masterpiece of storytelling. The thriller was transferred to the big screen by Alfred Hitchcock and was followed by a successful BBC TV series. Now The Mayflower will be transformed into the book's fictional
What's on stage next week... SALISBURY Playhouse is currently staging the poignantly funny play Airswimming until March 5. It tells the story of two young women, Dora and Persephone, who are incarcerated in a hospital for the criminally insane. The two
IN this fast-moving world you can get an instant coffee, an instant tan and now an instant pantomime! The Instant Panto Co. brings together the cream of performers from Southampton, Salisbury and the New Forest's local amateur scene once a year to put
'TO lose one parent is unfortunate, to lose both is careless!' The signature wit of Oscar Wilde in his timeless classic, The Importance of Being Earnest, comes to Sarisbury Green tonight and tomorrow. With acid wit, the play explores the trials and tribulations
NEW healthcare facilities will come a step closer for Thornhill residents with the demolition of their old clinic next month. The former Thornhill clinic site in Farringford Road is to be redeveloped in a £1.5m joint project between the government's New
HAMPSHIRE solo sailor Mike Golding will receive a hero's homecoming in Southampton tomorrow. The Warsash-based sailor returns to Ocean Village with his boat Ecover, in which he came third in the Vendee Globe race earlier this month. He is due to arrive
DOORSTEP con men have struck again across Hampshire, bringing the number of raids on elderly people's homes in the county to more than 40 since the start of the year. Tricksters posing as water company officials, social services representatives and charity
THEIR lives crossed paths nearly 50 years ago when a teenager saved a young boy from drowning in a raging river. But after that eventful day they never saw each other again -- until now. Thanks to the Daily Echo, Tony Wharton has been reunited with the
ENTRIES for the Daily Echo Mother's Day competition are coming in thick and fast. More than 100 youngsters have now put pen to paper to create their very own mum masterpieces for the chance to win a selection of prizes. These colourful works of art are
YOUNG fossil-hunters embarked on a dinosaur murder mystery trail as part of half-term week at a Hampshire country park. Fossil expert Tony Holmes and park ranger Richard Sharp treated youngsters to a day of prehistoric fun at Itchen Valley Country Park
A DERELICT former hotel near Weyhill will be demolished and the site turned into a secure unit for the severely mentally ill - if plans submitted by a London based healthcare company are approved. Under the proposal, which has just been submitted to Test
VILLAGE shops have had the stuffing knocked out of them in recent years but in Grateley the community has continued to support its 'local shop' with enthusiasm. Central to the shop's success has been store manager Linda Griffith who has provided the smile
AN Andover man whose pet was stolen while he was visiting a patient in Andover War Memorial Hospital fears the animal could have been taken for dog fighting. Robin Russell from Blendon Drive visited the hospital on Friday evening and left his pet, 'Tootsie
POP star Lucie Silvas owes a lot of her success to Hampshire as What's On's Noel Davies discovered when the pair met up at the recent Power FM Unsung Hero Awards... LUCIE Silvas is in awe of my posh looking dictaphone. "Oh wow, it's a digital one," she
ANDOVER'S newest facility for young people was officially opened at the weekend,in time for the half-term holiday. Nearly 2,500 people were attracted to the grand opening of The Depot Youth Complex at Charlton where a programme of free activities was
SOUTHAMPTON'S first big pop concert of the year is just a week a way. Brit Award nominee, Natasha Bedingfield, performs live at the city's Guildhall on February 25. And if you haven't already got a ticket, don't bother trying now, they sold out weeks
CRICKLADE College's newly-appointed principal June Jarrett has a clear view of how she would like to see the Andover college develop over the coming years to become the hub of community education for all age groups. While accepting that the college has
ANGRY Winchester City boss Neil Hards has accused the FA Vase holders of treating their players shabbily. With director of football David Malone quitting for the second time in four months this week, the club's promotion prospects have again been thrown
ANDOVER'S civic budgies can happily sing on - the threat to their future has been removed says Test Valley Borough Council leader Ian Carr. The Vigo Road aviary had been listed as a potential saving of £7,000 in budget options put before councillors but
THE Bambuu Bar in Southampton's Leisure World is considered to be one of the trendiest hot-spots in Southampton. Various celebrities, including the Southampton football squad have all been spotted in there, partying the night away and if you've ever been
A BLOCK of ice that had been carved in the shape of a heart as part of a competition in Andover's Chantry Centre took four days, 10 hours and 33 minutes to melt. More than 630 people entered the competition to guess how long it would take for the ice
OFF-roaders who have been driving around a Monxton farmer's field illegally have been warned their activities will land them in trouble if and when they are caught. Farmer Ken Hopkins of Manor Farm says the irresponsible and unthinking fun seekers are
FAREHAM Shopping Centre has been sold to an unknown investor for £93m, the Daily Echo can reveal. The centre, which has 76 shops including branches of Marks & Spencer, Woolworths and Boots, had been owned by charity Christian Vision since 2002. The
MARTIN ALLEN needs no introduction to Harry and Jim. The outspoken Brentford manager was given his league debut under Jim Smith at QPR, and finished his career at Pompey after the Bald Eagle snapped him up from West Ham - where he played under Harry Redknapp
HARRY REDKNAPP has promised Saints fans: If we stay up, this relegation battle will be a one-off! In an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo today, the Saints boss insists he is confident the club, currently second from bottom, can avoid the dreaded
SOUTHAMPTON is facing its first docks strike for decades after crunch pay talks between dock workers and the port owner collapsed. The Transport and General Workers' Union is now asking members in the city and across the country if they want to walk out
THE COST of scrapping last month's world cruise of P&O's ill-fated Southampton vessel Aurora has dramatically risen, it was revealed today. P&O's parent company, Carnival, originally said that the cancellation of the 103-day cruise, because of
THE Gazette Sports Awards event is just two weeks away and today, in the second of our previews of the various category finalists, we look at the club-of-the-year contenders. All the winners will be revealed on Friday, March 4 at the Apollo Hotel at one
HOW do you improve on perfection? You don't, as first time feature filmmaker Gregory Jacobs learns with this American remake of the exhilarating Argentinean thriller Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas). Remaining true to the spirit of the original, brilliantly
Films showing in the Hampshire region until 24th February. THE AVIATOR (12A): Martin Scorsese's lengthy biopic of reclusive industrialist Howard Hughes, paints a vivid and sumptuous portrait of the Hollywood golden age. Leonardo DiCaprio is incredibly
A COMPANY which is headquartered in Basingstoke has the technology to stamp out the killer superbug MRSA. STERIS, a worldwide leader in decontamination and infection prevention, has been given the green light by the Rapid Review Panel of the Health Protection
LEADING professionals in Basingstoke are warning businesses to gear up for a hefty hike in their overheads. Business rates - already one of the biggest overheads for firms - are being dramatically reviewed following a revaluation of every commercial property
A CONTRACT worth up to £35million has been won by Centerprise International, the Basingstoke-based computer manufacturer founded by entrepreneur Rafi Razzak. The Central Buying Consortium (CBC), the largest of the public sector consortia in the UK, has
BAGHDAD is a city that everyone has read about or seen on television virtually every day since the start of the war in Iraq. It is also the name of a run-down bungalow in north Hampshire which could be full of Eastern promise for those scouring the property
ONE of the top ice hockey players in the world, National Hockey League star Kirk Maltby, will be a special guest at tomorrow's Basingstoke Bison game against the Coventry Blaze. He is coming to watch younger brother and Bison captain Shawn Maltby in action
MICHAEL CLARKE has been warned to expect the hardest Test series of his career against England this summer. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes Clarke will find the Ashes much harder than his first two Test series in India and at home to New
IF, LIKE me, you were glued to the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and can't wait for the next series, then I reckon this is the film to provide the interim hit of sequins, sashays and salsa. On the surface Shall We Dance? looks like it has everything you
Today's Principal Arrivals: CFF Seine, roro, 0530, 30; Maersk Wave, roro, 0730, 40; CMA CGM Debussy, container, 0745, 207; City of Lutece, roro, 1100, 201/2; Nordsee, cargo, 1630, 204w; Autofreighter, roro, 1630, 201; Autoprestige, roro, 1700, 203; Nedlloyd
MONEY from the £93m sale of a Hampshire shopping centre is to fund missionary work in war-torn African countries, the Daily Echo can reveal. An unnamed investor paid out the sum for Fareham shopping centre, netting its owners a £15m profit after little
SHAUN Dyke's presence at Eastleigh's last two matches has heightened rumours that the Winchester City wing-back could be on his way to Sparshatts Stadium next season. The 28-year-old right-sided player is out of contract at Winchester at the end of the
SANDOWN & SHANKLIN will be looking to their neighbours to give them a helping hand in the race to the Hampshire One title when Isle of Wight receive leaders Trojans. The Hurricanes, who meet Millbrook, are certainly hoping that Neil Brading's side
THERE are no two ways about it. Southampton absolutely have to win tomorrow. Defeat to fourth-bottom county rivals Petersfield will open up a commanding gap between the pair and with three teams almost certainly to be relegated from London Four South-West
UNIVERSITY College Winchester is drawing up plans for a £1m athletic track. The college has confirmed that it is working up proposals for a 400-metre artificial running track at its playing fields at Bar End. The proposal would complement its current
WINCHESTER'S fleet of public buses has been given a partial overhaul in a bid to cut pollution. The steps have been taken by operators Stagecoach in partnership with the MIRACLES project run by Hampshire County Council and are aimed at reducing particulate
A CAR to stir the emotions, the stylish new Citroen C6 will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. A true grand tourer, the C6 combines cutting-edge technology with stunning looks. The latest in a long line of classic, large Citroens, that includes
NATIONAL championship motor sport came to Hampshire last weekend for great down-to-earth action in traditional style. The Walsingham Trophy event organised by the 750 Motor Club at Langrish, near Petersfield, was a round of the British Trials and Rally
ONE of the most important pre-war racing cars to come to the market in recent years will top this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed sale on June 24. The 1933 Bugatti Type 59 3.3 litre Grand Prix Two Seater, Factory Team Car 'Voiture Moteur No 3' is surely
VAUXHALL will unveil the second generation of its hugely-successful MPV trendsetter, the new Zafira, at the Geneva Motor Show next month (March 3-13). The stylish new Zafira features dynamic design and driving performance as well as a larger, high-quality
PLANS to transform Hythe Promenade by giving it a major £700,000 makeover have been given the go-ahead. The long-awaited scheme cleared its final hurdle yesterday when it was approved by Hampshire County Council leader Ken Thornber after months of debate
Andrew Kent, 57, has been at the helm of Southampton's biggest business success story for 16 years. The port generates an estimated £1.6 billion every year for the local economy. But his tenure has not been without controversy. Business editor Ron Wain
GISELLE, the ultimate romantic ballet, comes to The Mayflower next month. Performed by the English National Ballet, Giselle is a whirlwind of emotions that will set pulses racing when it opens at Southampton's premier theatre on March 15. Mary Skeaping's
FIRE broke out at a Southampton home just hours after planning inspectors visited the site to decide if it should be turned into flats. Fire crews from Redbridge, St Mary's and Eastleigh were called to the blaze, which severely damaged the roof and first
SAINTS chairman Rupert Lowe is taking legal action against two newspapers, the Daily Echo can reveal. Two writs have been lodged at London's High Court by lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Lowe, who has been in charge at Southampton Football Club since 1997
SOUTHAMPTON is facing its first docks strike for decades after crunch pay talks between dock workers and the port owner collapsed. The Transport and General Workers' Union is now asking members in the city and across the country if they want to walk out
THEY turned out in their hundreds to cheer and applaud a group that has been part of the New Forest for 224 years. Villagers staged a massive show of support for the New Forest Hounds (NFH) when it met for the last time before fox-hunting was banned at
ANDOVER'S Phoenix Centre has been the focus of a wide range of activities this half term but the trustees are looking for even more community involvement. To help them gauge what people in area around River Way and Pilgrims Way would like from their centre
THE owners of a miniature Jack Russell called Alfie claim he scared off a burglar who was in their Enham Al-amein home. His owners Mike and Julia Lloyd, of Chapel Lane, said 14-year-old Alfie charged towards the burglar when he entered their living room
THE Turner Sims plays host to an extraordinary concert tomorrow evening, with some of the brightest stars in British jazz coming together to celebrate the work of innovative Caribbean saxophonist and composer Joe Harriott, whose musical legacy is a massive
SHAUN Dyke's presence at Eastleigh's last two matches has heightened rumours that the Winchester City wing-back could be on his way to Sparshatts Stadium next season. The 28-year-old right-sided player is out of contract at Winchester at the end of the
UNCERTAINTY may lead to trained staff leaving the neighbourhood warden service in Andover - Test Valley Borough Council's executive has been told. The scheme was funded by a central government grant in a bid to improve community safety and the environment
What's on for the week ahead... THE hotly-tipped Black Velvets bring their cocksure mix of rock, punk and glam tunes to The Joiners on Monday as part of an extensive UK tour. The Black Velvets are four lads from Liverpool with a shared love of everything
AN Andover couple who became engaged at the stroke of midnight on 31 December 1944 are now celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. Syd and Betty Goodwin, of Eardley Avenue, met at a dance in Edinburgh. The couple were engaged for just six week's
BASINGSTOKE Town are currently eighth in the Conference South, and five points away from the play-off places which they had occupied for most of the season. With 12 games left, their fate is very much in their own hands and the countdown to reach the
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has lodged plans to build a food store and 89 homes in Fareham - potentially bringing more than 350 jobs to the town. Planners will now consider the application for a 40,000 square foot supermarket - about half the size of the
CIVIC chiefs have promised to reclaim the streets of Fareham from the yobs when the town centre becomes an alcohol-free zone in less than two weeks' time. Councillors unanimously agreed a ban on drinking alcohol in public places should be introduced on
DRILLING for oil could begin in Hedge End within months, the Daily Echo can reveal. Oil giant Northern Petroleum has applied for permission to set up an exploratory drilling well on farmland off Woodhouse Lane in Hedge End. If Hampshire County Council
SCHOOLCHILDREN from Eastleigh are helping to revamp a well-used subway. The pedestrian link beneath the M3 which joins the Boyatt Wood area of Eastleigh with Scantabout in Chandler's Ford will be closed for ten days while workmen give it a major facelift
KEVIN PHILLIPS is set to make a return to first team action in the FA Cup-tie against Brentford tomorrow. Saints' nine-goal top scorer has been out since the middle of January when he injured his ankle in the defeat at Newcastle. But now Harry Redknapp
PAUL SMITH can't wait to take on former club Brentford - and admits there has already been a bit of banter with his ex-teammates. The Saints goalkeeper has impressed in recent weeks as replacement to the injured Antti Niemi and knows Brentford will pose
THEO WALCOTT'S agent has revealed that Arsenal and Chelsea ARE interested in the Saints starlet - but the 15-year-old is set to commit his long-term future to Southampton. Flying winger Walcott has been on the books of Key Sports Management for the last
Andrew Kent, 57, has been at the helm of Southampton's biggest business success story for 16 years. The port generates an estimated £1.6 billion every year for the local economy. But his tenure has not been without controversy. Business editor Ron Wain
WHEN Andrew Kent closes the door to his office at Ocean Gate in Atlantic Way, Eastern Docks, on March 31, it will only be after his in-tray is cleared. That means many of the 210 ABP staff at Southampton may have to wait a bit longer than 5.30pm to give
ROYAL Navy warship HMS Southampton is coming home to her namesake city for the first time in four years. The Type-42 destroyer, pictured above, will spend this weekend renewing acquaintances with many of her affiliated organisations and charities. Due
SOUTHAMPTON docks' owner Associated British Ports today shrugged off the loss of its Dibden Bay plans with a rise in pre-tax profits of four per cent to £135.4m. Figures released by the company confirm that the port of Southampton still leads the way
ERNIE Howe says he is hitting his head against a brick wall as he tries to change the fortunes of his struggling side. The Basingstoke Town manager is keen to bring new blood to the club but is having no luck trying to attract players to join his Conference
BALLROOM dancing is sexy. Recently, millions of us enjoyed our weekly dose of Strictly Come Dancing, marvelling at the smouldering glances, fancy footwork and high-sequinned drama of the tango and cha-cha. Australian director Baz Luhrmann kick-started
THE concept of 'a job for life' no longer exists. Business has become survival of the fittest; make one slip and there is always someone younger, faster and hungrier waiting to taking your place. Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) has been lucky: he has worked
NICK Persons (Ice Cube) is a bling-ed up love machine, a 'playa' and smooth operator with an eye for the ladies and a mind for shameless flattery. When he's not cruising the streets of Portland, Oregon, in his brand new, state-of-the-art Lincoln Navigator
AN EDWARDIAN home is within a couple of hundred yards of Basingstoke's new shopping and leisure facilities in Festival Place. Although modernised, the terraced house still has a wealth of original features, according to selling agents Simmons and Sons
THINK restaurant chains and most people's first thoughts are of greasy, spotty teenagers grunting as they throw an unpleasant-looking substitute for food at you. My worst experience in such an establishment, which shall remain unnamed, came a couple of
