It's Foster Care Fortnight in Southampton and the search is on for carers to look after youngsters in the city... WHEN little Isabel Hines drew a picture of her family recently - there were six people in the painting - including her mum and dad, brother
Alresford clubman David Maskery made light of his first trip to Lee-on-the-Solent by shooting an impressive 39 points in soggy conditions to win the Hampshire Alliance's Corhampton Cup. He won by six points from Swanmore's Neil Stephenson, still awaiting
POMPEY chairman Milan Mandaric is believed to have lined up former Belgium national manager Georges Leekens to replace Harry Redknapp at Fratton Park. Mandaric flew out to Brussells last night and is believed to be ready to give 55-year-old Leekens the
WHEN Shane Warne was unveiled as Hampshire skipper five weeks ago, he promised attacking cricket. There was plenty of that from his side yesterday. But a more adventurous declaration would surely have brought Hampshire a sixth win in as many games in
WINCHESTER City have been dealt a sickening blow - just days before the weekend's FA Vase final. Despite romping away with the Sydenhams Wessex League title at the first time of asking, the crestfallen Hampshire club have been overlooked for promotion
CELEBRATING its 20th birthday this year, Paultons Park attracts more than 550,000 visitors annually. It now has even more activities than ever, with in excess of 50 rides and attractions for all ages - three of which are brand new for 2004. There's plenty
Today's Principal Arrivals: CFF Solent, ro/ro, 0530, 25; Montlhery, ro/ro, 0530, 201; OOCL Qingdao, container, 0730, 207; Patriot, vehicle, am, 40/41; Don Quijote, vehicle, 1230, 34/35. Today's Principal Sailings: &O Nedlloyd Hudson, container, 0800
GOLFING legend Nick Faldo practises his putting on an all-weather green at his Berkshire home - thanks to Huxley Golf, based at New Alresford, near Winchester. The firm constructed the specially-designed practice tee and putting green for Nick. Nick,
"EVERYBODY OUT!" was the cry many employers dreaded hearing during the 1970s. But employment problems in the 21st century come in a more subtle form and complex legal problems can easily creep up on the unsuspecting employer. The employment team from
PROFESSIONAL people are being urged to think about becoming mentors to young adults as a way of using their skills to help others. Mentoring is a growing phenomenon, and one that can produce some real, positive results. Surveyor Richard Sturt, who works
CITY of Southampton swimmer Chris Jones struck gold at the Youth Southern County Championships at Crystal Palace. He won the 19-year-and-over 200m breaststroke final in 2min 28.36. Jonathon Audis claimed a double bronze in the 19-and-over 100m backstroke
EXCELLENT blonde rays continue to be taken from marks off both the Nab Tower and The Needles. Clive Archer was the latest to strike when he heaved a 25lb 4oz specimen over the gunnels of his own small boat, Seahawke. Anchored over a mark just a few miles
Not only has The Gazette changed in its appearance over the years but there have also been major changes in the way it is produced. Reporter HUGH CADMAN looks back on how it has gone to press during its 125 years THE first copies of the Hants and Berk
RED-FACED traffic bosses who forgot to pack away traffic lights have apologised for causing three-mile tailbacks on a busy Hampshire highway. Rush-hour traffic ground to a halt for two hours yesterday on the A326 because of the blunder by Glendining (
Dave Gorman, Southampton Guildhall, YOU can almost imagine Dave Gorman telling you about his latest adventure across a couple of pints down your local pub. As soon as he walks onto the stage he sucks you into his latest madcap mission and you're rooting
IT'S official - yellow is the new white. The first of a new generation of bright yellow ambulances has been unveiled by Hampshire Ambulance Service. Four new Mercedes specialist transfer ambulances are the start of a multi-million pound vehicle replacement
HAMPSHIRE police will continue to ban male officers from wearing earrings. Complaints were made about the uniform policy that allowed female officers to wear earrings but not men, prompting criticism that the rule was anti-gay and discriminatory. The
AN explosion caused by a kite landing on an electricity substation caused power to be lost at 33,000 homes and businesses in Fareham and Gosport yesterday. Firefighters and police from the two towns were inundated with reports of automatic fire and burglar
EASTLEIGH residents may soon have an improved bus service if council chiefs back plans to spend £200,000 on a service overhaul. It is part of a new scheme to try and encourage more people to use public transport by providing a higher quality, more reliable
A NEW interactive exhibition at Eastleigh Museum is aiming to bring visitors face to face with the past as they explore the life and death of the Anglo-Saxons. The Invaders exhibition is billed as "family friendly". Children can have fun dressing up to
THIS is Southampton's first glimpse of P&O Cruises' new superliner, Arcadia, the largest vessel to be purpose-built for the UK market and due to be based in the port from next spring. Originally the vessel was to enter service with Cunard as Queen
FORMER crew members of the legendary Cunard liner, Queen Mary are meeting in Southampton with the aim of forming an official association next week. This follows an impromptu gathering earlier in the year at the Cowherds public house in the Avenue when
TOGETHER they embody decades of Southampton's heritage, rekindling memories of past glories and looking ahead to a new era in maritime history. In reality, of course, due to the timing of their service the four great Cunarders were never able to all meet
ANOTHER week, another player out for the rest of the season for Saints - this time it's Danny Higginbotham. The versatile defender, who has been employed at both left-back and in the centre of defence for most of the season, has had his appendix removed
Peter Lorimer has outlined the qualities needed for Leeds' latest managerial appointment to succeed in guiding the club back into the Premier League - and that could be the cue for Gordon Strachan to return to Elland Road. Following Eddie Gray's departure
PAUL Sturrock has identified the calibre of players he wants to buy this summer - experienced Premiership talent or top-class foreign imports. The Saints boss, pictured above, has had a prolonged spell to examine his squad and has already decided he needs
SIR ALEX FERGUSON has spoken of the "shock" he felt after learning Saints great Danny Wallace was suffering from multiple sclerosis. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo, the most successful manager in the history of English football admitted
RALPH McTell loves to talk about his obsession with music. A remarkably skilled folk musician (pictured) who has been fated to go down in history as "the man who wrote Streets of London", he's still passionate about the process of writing tunes after
More women are heading out of the house and going to the gym to get in shape and feel good. Kate Thompson and Sarah Lefebve decided to join the throng and find out the fascination... THERE'S something oh, so satisfying about thumping a punch bag just
COWES Sports secured the Sydenhams Wessex Combination Cup with virtually the last kick of the match against Eastleigh at Grigg Lane. With the score still goalless and a penalty shootout looming, substitute Shaun Taylor crossed into the box and when a
WILL Kendall has vowed to captain Hampshire his way. Kendall captains unbeaten Hampshire for four weeks, starting against Yorkshire at Headingley in the county championship tomorrow. The former Hampshire vice captain then leads the county in the totesport
SOUTHAMPTON University has signed a multi-million-pound research agreement with defence giant BAE Systems and one of its joint venture companies, AMS Limited. The deal marks the start of an important new strategic partnership twinning the university's
GET on the phone to get in the running... Following the launch of the 2004 Hampshire Business Awards, the search is now under way for the brightest business stars in the county. The sponsors of this year's awards - Bond Pearce, KPMG and The Royal Bank
ELLIE STEEL was one of the stars of Southampton Diving Academy elite team that performed well in the international Pepsi Diving Cup in Gran Canaria. A 16-strong team joined forces with three elite members of the Luton team to form the British squad and
A HAMPSHIRE man grew so fed up waiting for a bus he took one and drove it home. He sneaked into the driver's seat, started up the single decker and piloted it three miles towards his home in a nearby village. The man then abandoned the vehicle and walked
UNCERTAINTY today surrounds the future of a Winchester College teacher who was cleared yesterday of child cruelty. Peter Metcalfe, 51, was acquitted of the alleged three offences against boys under the age of 16 after prosecutor Peter Henry told Winchester
ONE of Hampshire's most popular arts events, The Winchester Festival, has been formally launched at a special celebration at the city's Guildhall. The festival, which is now in its seventh year, features everything from opera to children's music and stage
VILLAGERS in the New Forest are celebrating the completion of a £200,000 project to transform the heart of their community. Fawley's historic square has been given a major makeover in a bid to make it a safer and more pleasant place for pedestrians. New
WITH graveyards running out of space, the government is calling for our views on allowing graves to be exhumed to make room for new interments. WHEN Home Secretaries issue consultation documents, it's usually only political and pressure groups who respond
CATS has broken The Mayflower's box office records by becoming the Southampton theatre's biggest-selling show over a four-week period. The classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical attracted more than 55,000 customers during its run from April 13 to May 8.
THIS classic Noel Coward comedy of bad manners captures and celebrates a quintessential Englishness while simultaneously satirising its delicious awfulness. The ironically named Bliss family snarl politely through their unseemly squabbles in the presence
SCHOOLGIRL pregnancies across Southampton are continuing to rise despite a massive campaign to reduce teenage parenthood. Figures show 239 girls aged between 15 and 17 fell pregnant during 2002/03 - compared to 194 in 1999. The increase comes as a blow
A HAMPSHIRE man grew so fed up waiting for a bus he took one and drove it home. He sneaked into the driver's seat, started up the single decker and piloted it three miles towards his home in a nearby village. The man then abandoned the vehicle and walked
TRUANTING youngsters were targeted yesterday as a major crackdown on antisocial behaviour was launched in the Lordshill and Lordswood areas of Southampton. Education welfare officers from Southampton City Council accompanied by police officers patrolled
THEY thought they had won a famous victory. But now Southampton residents face a fresh battle over plans to site a mobile phone mast next to a school in the city. Angry Bitterne residents managed to get plans to build a giant mobile phone mast near Bitterne
MORE than £2,800 was raised for cancer research by students from the University of Southampton during a sponsored row. The 30 students who took part are all members of the university boat club. They rowed in shifts of one hour each non-stop for 48 hours
ARE you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin. It's story time across homes, libraries and schools in Southampton as the quest to find Southampton's favourite book for toddlers to share has begun. The shortlisted six books are available in all of the
THE first of this year's four Basingstoke Junior Tennis Circuit tournaments brought success for Totally Tennis players on their own courts. The circuit, which is sponsored by De La Rue, is designed to provide local players, aged under 14 and just starting
Southampton 1, Aston Villa 1 SAINTS derailed Aston Villa's Champions League dreams by holding them in a full-blooded game at St Mary's. Villa's Juan Pablo Angel notched his 23rd goal of the season by converting a controversial penalty after referee Howard
Watford 1, Reading 0 READING failed in their bid to win three games in a row for the first time this season amid a lacklustre performance at Watford. Yesterday's defeat meant the Royals had to settle for ninth place in Division One to end dreams of a
AN investigation has been launched after it is thought a tropical spider bit a shopper at a Hampshire supermarket. It is believed that when the woman picked up a bunch of bananas the spider crawled out and sunk its fangs into her hand. But bosses at Sainsbury's
We now know that HMS Daedalus will never become home to male asylum seekers but what the row over what to do with the controversial site rumbles on and the former base is back in the headlines after last week's Channel 4 Despatches documentary Keep Them
TRIUMPHANT residents cheered after civic chiefs last night voted to throw out plans to redevelop Hedge End's Wildern Mill with 251 flats - including an 11-storey tower block. Too big, too ugly, out of character, more suited to a city centre and likely
EASTLEIGH'S allotments wars have spread to Westminster with a call for Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to intervene. Allotment land at Woodside Avenue, South Street and Monks Way is under threat as Eastleigh Council pieces together a massive town
A MAJOR improvement programme to the marking of the Nab Channel in the eastern part of the Solent has been undertaken by Trinity House. The revised marking, costing about £300,000, involves one of the busiest stretches of water around the British Isles
FORMER crew members of the legendary Cunard liner, Queen Mary are meeting in Southampton with the aim of forming an official association next week. This follows an impromptu gathering earlier in the year at the Cowherds public house in the Avenue when
A MAJOR improvement programme to the marking of the Nab Channel in the eastern part of the Solent has been undertaken by Trinity House. The revised marking, costing about £300,000, involves one of the busiest stretches of water around the British Isles
THIS is Southampton's first glimpse of P&O Cruises' new superliner, Arcadia, the largest vessel to be purpose-built for the UK market and due to be based in the port from next spring. Originally the vessel was to enter service with Cunard as Queen
SHE's a real gem. The world's newest luxury cruise ship, the 90,090-ton Jewel of the Seas, showed off her sparkle as she was officially named in Southampton. Towering more than 12 decks high, Jewel of the Seas, the latest of the new generation of modern
SIR ALEX FERGUSON talks exclusively to Jeremy Wilson... Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the part Danny Wallace played as he laid the foundations for English football's greatest winning machine. Wallace joined Manchester United from Saints in September 1989
Tickets for the Danny Wallace testimonial are on general sale at £15 for adults and £5 for concessions. Some of the footballing superstars planning to take part include: Paul Ince, Dennis Rofe, Ian Wright, Paul Parker, Denis Irwin, Gary Pallister, Jimmy
