SOUTHAMPTON golfer Richard Bland was enjoying the best week of his golfing career a year ago this week. But on the anniversary of his momentous Challenge Tour Grand Final victory in Bordeaux, the Stoneham clubman was having a nightmare in Madrid. Bland
Barry Blankley has told his Bashley players their good form must continue when they host Dr Martens East Division strugglers Spalding. Blankley, whose side have only lost one game this season, has a full squad to choose from tomorrow. He said: "It's another
FOOTBALL facilities across the county are receiving a welcome boost in the form of funding, thanks to Hampshire FA's involvement in the Football Foundation - the UK's largest sports charity. Made up of the FA Premier League, the FA itself and the Department
A WOMAN whose car plunged into a Hampshire river was saved from drowning by two men in a dramatic rescue. Yacht owners watched in horror as the vehicle careered off a boat launch slipway into the fast-flowing River Hamble yesterday. The Vauxhall Astra
TUCKED away from the heavy traffic of the M27 motorway and the busy A27 is a special place, a haven of peace, history and strong village pride that is Bursledon. It will always be an important place to me as it was here, now 50 or so years ago, I spent
THOUSANDS of shoppers are expected to descend upon Basingstoke this weekend to visit the town's new Festival Place shopping and leisure complex. A packed programme of events centred around the theme of metamorphosis have been laid-on from today through
A GLASS of champagne was prescribed by top Basingstoke cancer surgeon Professor Bill Heald and his wife Bounce after their daughter Lucy - the wife of tennis superstar Tim Henman - gave birth to a daughter. Rose Elizabeth, the Odiham couple's first grandchild
ELEVEN new sites for travellers may have to be found in the Basingstoke area under new proposals being considered by Hampshire County Council. A county report on gypsies and travellers says that a total of 120 new temporary sites are needed and Basingstoke
FIREFIGHTERS will not desert Basingstoke in a major emergency, a union representative has said. Firefighter Lud Ramsey, who has been co-ordinating the strike preparations in Basingstoke, told The Gazette he and his colleagues will break the strike if
LOYAL Basingstoke Town fans are digging into their own pockets to help pay the players' wages. Calling themselves "Friends of Basingstoke Town Football Club", a group of fans are canvassing for money in a bid to help pay the players from now until the
The talents and courage of Emma Richards have been given a stern test during the second leg of the Around Alone race - but the Hamble yachtswoman is holding on to her second place despite encountering one of the worst storms in her sailing career. Earlier
A stiff easterly breeze greeted the fleet competing in the second race of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club winter series last weekend. In around 15-20 knots of wind, there was a Class 1 win for Mike Garvey's X Parrott X332 who won by more than three minutes
Despite a storny weather forecast which predicted torrential rain and force seven winds, around 22 dinghies turned out for the first race of the Solent Dinghy Circuit staged by Lymington Town Sailing Club. As the fleets got away in a gusty Force 5, the
Hull Thunder 2 Basingstoke Bison 3 STEVE MORIA scored his first league goals for the Basingstoke Bison, including the game winner, as they gained quick revenge on Hull Thunder with a 3-2 win on Sunday night. If was the visitors who drew first blood as
THE Premier Division clubs are back in action tomorrow after two weeks of cup matches, and the New Inn versus Labour Club game at Brighton Hill looks to be the pick of the bunch. New Inn, fresh from their North Hants May Cup victory against Pickett Piece
Hayes 1 Basingstoke Town 0 DESPITE staging a late rally, which saw the Hayes goal swamped like the Alamo, Town were unable to grab a late equaliser and stumbled to a single-goal defeat against their Middlesex hosts. Galvanised by the late introduction
DANIELLA Bird has been called up by England for the under-17 international friendly in France today. It is the first time Bird has made it into the England squad and it is also the first time the under-17 girls have played an international friendly outside
BASINGSTOKE Town will wait on late fitness tests on Glenn Howes and Ricky Allaway before naming their side to face Sutton United at the Camrose tomorrow. Winger Howes has a sore ankle and defender Allaway is suffering from a calf strain. This could rule
The removal from the records of Romsey's 22-17 win over Guernsey a fortnight ago has meant that New Milton & District's home clash with Farnborough is now a top of Hampshire Division 1 clash instead of third against second. Romsey have dropped to
Barry Blankley has told his Bashley players their good form must continue when they host Dr Martens East Division strugglers Spalding. Blankley, whose side have only lost one game this season, has a full squad to choose from tomorrow. He said: "It's another
BOXER Matthew Barney has world titles on his mind after Sunday's impressive points victory. The Southampton fighter displayed his renowned silky skills to comfortably defend his Southern Area belt against Jamaican Olympian Chris Nembhard over ten rounds
THE big guns showed their strength in the first week of matches in the Southampton and District Premier Division, with three 9-1 victories and one of 10-0. Last year's champions, Snows A, beat their C team 9-1 with Jeremy Wilson and Malcolm Cummins winning
FAWLEY Refinery bosses have vowed to always ring the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service when they have an incident which merits it. There were suggestions at a New Forest environment meeting at Fawley's Jubilee Hall that the refinery leaves incidents to
ASK anyone to name to a famous love story, and chances are they will reply with Romeo and Juliet. The tragic Shakespeare classic is the ultimate tale of romance and passion (with a little bit of death thrown in for good measure). In the hands of Yuri
WHEN Benedict Allen does a job, he does it properly. The daring British explorer, who will be offering a thrilling alternative to The Antiques Roadshow at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton this Sunday, has immersed himself in alien cultures more completely
SOUTHERN Theatre Productions are keeping it in the family in their latest show. The talented amateur group are performing the rarely seen musical version of Cinderella by Rogers and Hammerstein - and five of the cast and crew are from the same family.
FORMER Saints star Bruce Grobbelaar has won a hollow victory in his marathon battle to clear his name over match-fixing allegations. A majority of the Law Lords overturned the appeal court's decision to quash a libel verdict in his favour. But they were
TELEVISION star Rolf Harris has put his artistic talents to good use while raising money for a Hampshire charity. The celebrity, who presents Animal Hospital, has designed the Christmas card to be used by Wessex Heartbeat, the support charity of Southampton
PLANS are under way to expand the breast cancer screening service in Southampton after it was agreed to merge the facilities offered in Hampshire. A review of the services offered in the county showed that the facility covering Southampton and Salisbury
TUCKED away from the heavy traffic of the M27 motorway and the busy A27 is a special place, a haven of peace, history and strong village pride that is Bursledon. It will always be an important place to me as it was here, now 50 or so years ago, I spent
Said the honeybee To the gooseberry: "We will never see eye to eye. You're not like a flower You are much too sour, So I'm afraid I must pass you by." When the rhubarb proposed To a lovely red rose, She said "No! You're too full of lust. I am hoping to
DESPITE singer Ian Dury's untimely death, his band The Blockheads are just too good to disband. Continuing to spread the music of Dury, The Blockheads appear at The Brook on Thursday with the great man firmly in mind. They released an album, Ten Turnips
WHILE rumours of a Led Zeppelin reunion are still rife, the band's former frontman Robert Plant is happy enough getting on with his own projects. Plant released his solo album, Dreamland, earlier this year and admits that for the first time in years,
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to build 240 more homes in Fareham are celebrating after the scheme was thrown out. Developer Laing Homes had hoped the decision by Fareham council not to give permission for the scheme at Peters Road, Locks Heath, would be
THIS is the latest artist's impression showing how the £30m Market Quay shopping and leisure complex will change the face of Fareham town centre forever. The centrepiece of the attraction will be a five-screen cinema providing a welcome boost to the town's
TITCHFIELD Carnival makes a return to the village's streets on Monday October 28. Veteran Pompey goalkeeper Alan Knight will be guest of honour and crown carnival queen Natalie Stevens, 21, of Southampton Hill, Titchfield. This year the colourful carnival
A man involved in a police chase died when the car he was driving plunged over a 170ft cliff and into the sea. The crash happened after police on the Isle of Wight had pursued a white Vauxhall at Totland for several miles. Officers used a Stinger device
THE sixth Isle of Wight Extreme Sports festival is currently taking place at Yaverland. Supported by the Isle of Wight Council and other sponsors, the event - which runs until October 30 now features five major events. Breathtaking competitive and non-competitive
A MAJOR fireworks display at Eastleigh's Lakeside Country Park is set to go ahead - even though it falls on a day when full-time firefighters are planning to take strike action. The country park's first big attempt to light up the sky has been earmarked
IF YOU'VE never seen a Hitchcock film before and you want to know what all the fuss is about, you couldn't start in a better place than Vertigo. Made in 1958, the film is as beautiful and hypnotic as ever. Based by Hitchcock on a French novel, Vertigo
Films showing in the Hampshire region until October 31 28 DAYS LATER (18) ** : A virus that locks those infected into a permanent state of killing rage, is accidentally released and spreads over the world. Twenty-eight days later, a small group of survivors
The two form teams in Division One go head to head tomorrow when leaders Portsmouth travel to Burnley. And Pompey's current Player of the Month, defender Linvoy Primus, has warned his colleagues to expect a real battle at Turf Moor. "Burnley are going
A GIFT at Christmas is the theme for the latest Daily Echo writing competition. You can tackle the theme in poems or stories in any way you wish - the only rules are that poems must not exceed 30 lines and stories must not exceed 1,500 words. As in all
Key - CCH: County Championship, NCL: National Cricket League, C&G: Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy, 20/20: 20 Overs Trophy, TOU: Tourist Match April 18 / 21 CCh Worcs(away) (4 days) April 23 / 26 CCh Glamorgan (away) (4 days) April 30 / May 3 CCh
Today's Principal Arrivals: CMA CGM Ravel, container, 0230, 206; OOCL Korea, container, 0300, 204; Aurora, cruise ship, 0630, 105; Autosky, ro/ro, 0630, 201 link; Caronia, cruise ship, 0630, 38/9; Titus, vehicle carrier, 0730, 34/35; Yeoman Bridge, bulk
A British team, led by GBR Challenge tactician Adrian Stead, is expected to compete against other national crews from Europe in a new round-Europe race, starting in Italy in 2004. The biennial event, Europrix, will be open to teams from all European countries
FORTRESS Down Grange will once again bid to repel an invasion. Nearest rivals, Camberley, travel to Basingstoke, seeking to rupture the unbeaten division three south start 'Stoke have made on their home turf. In their first match at the Grange this season
BASINGSTOKE's ice skaters ended up with a fistful of medals after the recent Basingstoke Open held at the Planet Ice Arena. In total, the home skaters won 13 out of the 35 classes on home ice and finished with a medal tally of 47. Basingstoke skaters'
In his exclusive Daily Echo column, British America's Cup yachtsman (and passionate Saints fan) James Stagg looks back at GBR Challenge's performance in the first of the Round Robins in the Louis Vuitton Challenger finals in Auckland. How does he think
Havant have their biggest test of the National League Division 3 South season so far when they host promotion-rivals North Walsham, a side they have never beaten in four attempts previously. Walsham, a place below Havant in fifth but with a game in hand
Andover can open up a gap between themselves and the winless bottom two if they can beat one of them at the Goodship Ground tomorrow (3pm) as troubled Wimbledon arrive for a huge four-pointer in London Two South. The week off has helped Keith Mitchell's
The top two and the bottom two in London Four South-West meet - and it could mean good or bad news for Tottonians and Trojans, with victories apiece vital for their own personal goals. For Trojans, it is a chance to break their league duck against the
COLIN KENNA and Audley Harrison have finally gone head to head in a ring - but so far it's only in sparring! Southampton's big heavyweight hope Kenna has been using the Olympic super heavyweight champion to help put the final touches to training for his
New Forest CC played host to the final race of this year's South District League Championship for the Rawlinson Trophy last week. Steve Clark (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) dominated the men's event, winning the outright competition and veterans category
The Southampton Diving Academy is all set to welcome diving clubs from across the south of England to the Quays to take part in their Invitational Competition tomorrow and Sunday. Eight clubs, from locations ranging from Luton to Plymouth, will bring
Marchwood Military Port was targeted by a group called Hope and Disarmament, which suspected the base was stockpiling weapons for use against Saddam Hussein. Two Hampshire people were among a team of self-appointed "weapons inspectors" who broke into
AUSTRALIA wasn't always the land of sunshine and opportunity we now see it as. For the first British settlers, deported there as convicts by the government, it was a place of harsh conditions, dangerous wildlife and unknown terrors. This is the background
THREE more arrests were made yesterday in a police crackdown on organised football thugs. As reported in later editions of Thursday's Daily Echo, eight people were arrested in a series of dawn raids across Southampton yesterday. More than 150 officers
PEACE protesters stormed a Hampshire military base to hunt for weapons likely to be deployed in a war with Iraq. Marchwood Military Port was targeted by a group called Hope and Disarmament, which suspected the base was stockpiling weapons for use against
THE lead singer of 1980s band Deacon Blue has offered to put on a benefit gig in aid of striking Hampshire firefighters, who will have their pay packets docked when they walk out next Tuesday. Ricky Ross, who had a string of Top-30 hits with the group
A SOUTHAMPTON man has spoken of his joy at finally receiving compensation after a drawn out row over a faulty computer that saw him threaten two companies with legal action. Stephen Stringfellow, 40, of Kingston Road, Freemantle, ran up hundreds of pounds
IF IT'S the illuminations you're after, forget Blackpool. Paul Weller brings his latest tour to Bournemouth on Tuesday night supporting the release of his sixth studio album, Illumination, which has already spawned the single, It's Written In The Stars
IT MAY be more than 25 years since Elvis Presley last performed live on stage - for obvious reasons - but people are more in love with the King of rock 'n' roll than ever before. A quarter of a century on from Elvis's death, the quiffed sex god is still
BRIGHTON hopefuls British Sea Power bring their UK tour to The Joiners on Monday, supporting the release of their new single. Childhood Memories hits the streets next week and is expected to get a higher placing in the charts then their beloved Brighton
SOUTHAMPTON'S Fleeing New York celebrate their first EP with a date at The Joiners Arms. The three tracks on the EP were recorded at the Harmonic Distillery in the summer and represent the strongest material yet from the threesome. "We've been working
A WORRIED mum has launched a one-woman crusade to get a safe crossing point outside a busy Chandler's Ford school. Caroline Brown, of Osborne Drive, Chandler's Ford, decided to launch a petition after seeing problems day after day as hundreds of children
SOUTHAMPTON docks is again living up to its reputation of being the centre of the UK cruising industry with four ships alongside the port yesterday. Around 10,000 passengers passed over the quayside during a busy day for the many local suppliers and service
SOUTHAMPTON skipper Jason Dodd has spoken of the club's delight at seeing Agustin Delgado back in action. The Ecuadorian £3.2m signing scored twice for Saints Reserves in his comeback match this week and is now back in first-team training after spending
England's bowlers earned their reward for a hard day in the field at the WACA after Marcus Trescothick became the latest member of their Ashes squad to suffer an injury scare. Aiming to make a amends for a disappointing batting display when they were
Hampshire's first home game back in Division Two of the Frizzell County championship in 2003 will be against Yorkshire, one of the two other sides to be relegated last season. But the first two games of the season will both be away from home, when Shane
MAJOR plans which would dramatically change the character of the world famous River Hamble should be scuppered. That was the overwhelming view as villagers, boat owners and people who make their living in the sailing mecca, issued a resounding "hands
IT MAY have been a hair-raising occasion, but hundreds of pounds were raised for a very worthy cause. To celebrate the launch of its new-look salon, FHC for Hair, in Elmwood Way, Winklebury, held a hair show on Monday to raise funds for the Mayor of Basingstoke's
A DNA test has confirmed beyond doubt that the human remains found in woods near Hartley Wintney are those of murdered schoolgirl Amanda Dowler. Her remains are now expected to be released to the family to allow for funeral arrangements to be made. Dental
HAMPSHIRE'S chief constable has renewed calls for a regional police pay allowance after constables in the South were found to be 15 per cent worse off than their northern counterparts. Paul Kernaghan appealed for the Government to introduce an allowance
BASINGSTOKE council's chief executive Katrine Sporle is leaving the borough to take up a high-powered Government post. Katrine, 47, who has been the leading council officer at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for the past eight years, has been appointed
BASINGSTOKE MP Andrew Hunter is making a last-ditch plea to the Government to step in over controversial plans to close Beech Down Primary School. Last Friday, members of the School Organisation Committee backed the decision of Cllr Don Allen, Hampshire's
Hopes are riding high in the GBR Challenge team this week after they posted a superb victory over Denis Conner's Stars and Stripes. The Brits' win came in the second Round Robin to move them up to equal third place. Lying in fourth after the first round
Buying a car can be a minefield even for those who know the difference between the windscreen wash and battery fluid so imagine how it can be for a lone female with the only criterion being the colour! Ali Kefford reports... MY elderly Peugeot 205 looked
FORMER New Forest firefighter John Powell has rolled out his own Green Goddess after an eight-year labour of love. Mr Powell has finished restoring the 50-year-old vehicle - for which he paid only £50 - just as other Green Goddesses are being brought
UNCERTAINTY hanging over Southampton-based marine outfitters Nicholson Interiors has lifted now that the operation has been acquired by an Australian company. Nicholson Interiors, which went into administration six weeks ago, is now owned by Image Marine
THIS friendly but competitive one act festival promises to be bigger and even better this year. Over three nights, audiences can enjoy seven one-act shows performed by amateur groups from Hampshire, Dorset and as far afield as Guildford. The groups will
A WOMAN whose car plunged into a Hampshire river was saved from drowning by two men in a dramatic rescue. Yacht owners watched in horror as the vehicle careered off a boat launch slipway into the fast-flowing River Hamble yesterday. The Vauxhall Astra
A MAN wanted in connection with a violent killing in Denmark is believed to be on the run in the UK - and he has links to Hampshire. Police are keen to question Reginald Roy Blythin, 54, following the shooting of a man found floating in a harbour in Hou
THEIR new album's called Songs For The Deaf, but they are probably one of the loudest bands around. Queens of the Stone Age are earning a reputation as one of the best rock bands in the world and their live performances show why. The fact that they managed
THE world would be a different place if everyone enjoyed their job as much as Glenn Tilbrook. The former Squeeze frontman will be doing what he likes best at the Wedgewood Rooms on Sunday - playing an improvised set and even taking requests. "I started
SURREY rockers Hundred Reasons are fast becoming the band of the future. While American rock bands such as Slipknot and Queens Of The Stone Age are taking the world by storm, Hundred Reasons are doing a great job representing the UK. Having already received
21st-Century boys T-Rextasy ride a white swan to The Brook, Portswood tonight. The Marc Bolan and T Rex tribute act are said to be the best T-Rex tribute band on the circuit, and are led by the larger-than-life Danielz. The band has gigged around the
A WARNING has been issued by police after a disabled elderly couple were duped out of cash by two conmen posing as maintenance workers. Alice and Monty Theobald were returning from a shopping trip when they were greeted on their doorstep by a man claiming
IT HAS been running for more than 50 years - but now the 6th Chandler's Ford Brownies needs more leaders to guarantee the unit's future. The current adult leaders are leaving after ten years and the pack of 24 girls has yet to find replacements. Chandler's
LAURO'S Brasserie only opened six weeks ago, but because the restaurant's owner is one of Hampshire's best loved chefs, it already has a solid customer base and is fully booked at weekends. Filipino-born Lauro (Larry) Aman has lived in Britain for 28
