North-West Hampshire MP Sir George Young opens the new Test Valley Golf Club Academy. It comprises a ten-bay covered driving range and a full short game practice area and is adjacent to the Test Valley course in Overton near Basingstoke. The opening ceremony
EASTLEIGH are targeting Fareham Town's goalkeeper Lee Webber as the man to provide competition for Wayne Shaw at the Sparshatts Stadium. Paul Doswell, manager of the Ryman Premier title-chasers, has lodged notice of approach for the Southampton-based
FAREHAM coach firm Lucketts Travel is on the expansion trail with a £100,000 investment programme in a new workshop. The investment in the future follows strong demand for luxury coach travel. Work has started on the new workshop at the company's headquarters
A "WORRYING" number of smaller firms have no idea about impending changes to laws on pensions and age discrimination, according to a new report. A survey of 200 firms found that almost half were unaware of changes in the Pensions Bill and how they would
THE development of Barton Farm would wreck what makes Winchester a special place, according to a veteran campaigner. Alan Weeks said it was crucial to retain the city's landscape setting and that meant rejecting plans to develop 2,000 homes on farmland
BRAD Bird, director of the highly-imaginative new film The Incredibles, is one of Hollywood's most innovative film-makers. Making his first animated feature when he was just 14, he went on to work on The Simpsons, before moving to the big screen with
POOR Tony Christie. Having spent the last 15 years living in Spain, he has just returned to the UK - and has caught a cold almost immediately. "It's brilliant to be back, but the weather's not great! It's the change in climate for me - living in Spain
JOHN Prescott is digging in to help campaigners fighting plans to sell off their allotments for housing. As our fun picture, left, depicts, the Deputy Prime Minister has pitched in to order a public inquiry into a Hampshire council's controversial bid
A TEDDY bear symbolises the progress that Lucia Middleton has made since she was born 13 weeks' prematurely. Not only did she weigh just 1lb 4oz, the tiny baby, who was once dwarfed by the toy, had stomach problems that would require surgery within months
DRIVERS had a taste of the tailbacks they will face over the next week on one of Hampshire's busiest roads when it was closed as part of long-running repairs. Traffic ground to a standstill in Southampton yesterday as engineers closed one of the main
SOUTHAMPTON'S social services bosses have admitted they are "going to have problems" plugging a yawning £700,000 gap in their budget next year. The department is currently more than £1.4m in the red, as revealed in yesterday's Daily Echo. City social
TEACHERS and nurses are being given the chance to benefit from a new housing development. A block of 12 one-bedroom flats in Rosida Gardens, Hill Lane, was officially opened by Cllr Paul Russell, pictured right, Southampton City Council's housing supremo
A MARCH is taking place tomorrow to raise awareness of Aids among the university population in Hampshire. The Student Stop Aids Society will be leading a peaceful demonstration in Southampton city centre. The event, which marks World Aids day, will begin
WARSASH residents worried about late-night drunken behaviour on their doorstep will tonight oppose plans for a local pub to renew its late licence. Residents living near the village's Ferryman pub have voiced frustration over drunken louts disturbing
Steve Wigley looks set to remain Saints manager - for at least another week. Speculation has again been rife that chairman Rupert Lowe would replace his head coach in favour of a more experienced man following Saturday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
ANTTI NIEMI has delivered a damning assessment of the season so far, admitting: "There is no one who can really say they've done well." Saints' Player of the Year made a welcome return to full training yesterday, leaving head coach Steve Wigley with a
WHEN Apollo Creed challenged Rocky Balboa to a rematch following a draw in their first bout, everybody thought the classier, flashier Creed would wipe the canvas with the earthy, honest Italian - but they were wrong. While the Stallion may have lacked
IAN McMillan, the artistic director and conductor of the London Pops Orchestra, has me totally excited about this Saturday's show at The Anvil in a matter of minutes. Fair enough, I love Christmas anyway - but their festive extravaganza, with its sing-alongs
Alan Mew missed out on his full European Seniors Tour card at Pinta last week - but the man from Stoneham is assured of at least a dozen starts next season. The 52-year-old former Hampshire champion took a respectable 19th slot at Final Tour School in
BASHLEY skipper Mat Jones faces a fortnight out after an X-ray revealed a hairline crack in his left leg. He fractured it a month ago when he was caught in a sliding tackle, but it wasn't confirmed until last week when Jones saw ex-Saints physio Don Taylor
Portsmouth captain Arjan de Zeeuw insists he and his teammates must concentrate on their game when they take on Watford in the Carling Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night - as the fall-out from manager Harry Redknapp's Fratton Park exit continues to rumble
Today's Principal Arrivals: CFF Seine, roro, 0530, 30; Turandot, vehicle, 0730, 40; Autofreighter, roro, 0830, 201; Isolde, vehicle, 1230, 34/35; Pacific Angel, vehicle, 1330, 202; Gran Bretagna, vehicle, 1630, 201; Pongo, cargo, 1800, 102/3; Ilona G,
THE Hampshire engineers behind proposals for a landmark new bridge have submitted their groundbreaking design to the government. For the world famous New Forest company Gifford, the submission of the £14m Twin Sails bridge design to the Department of
HIGH street retailers in Hampshire are feeling the squeeze due to a sluggish start to Christmas spending. Analysts say the successive rise in interest rates, along with hikes in gas and petrol prices, has dampened consumer spending in the run-up to the
SOUTH coast-based accountants and business advisors Tenon celebrated the fifth birthday of their Chandler's Ford offices with a drinks party for more than 200 local contacts. Guests were entertained with a caricaturist and mind reader, both supplied by
England youth team member Lee Cullen from Netley romped to victory during the Weymouth Echo Open along the Ferry Bridge section of Chesil beach where dogfish garfish and poor cod supplied most action. Cullen opted for the long hike to the Boundary Stone
HERE'S Puss - and she's trying on her boots. The star of this year's Winchester Theatre Royal pantomime, Puss In Boots, took a break from rehearsals for a festive trip to the city's High Street. Puss (Sarah Whittuck) also popped into Boots the chemist
POLICE chiefs have sparked fury in a New Forest village by planning to hold a meeting about its antisocial behaviour problems behind closed doors. Residents of Hordle, near Lymington, have complained about gangs of teenagers wreaking havoc and causing
A NEW Forest village is appealing for lottery cash to carry out vital repairs on a much-loved community facility. Fundraisers from Rockbourne claim their 100-year-old village hall is the lifeblood of the community. But without repairs, they say it will
A TEACHER on the Waterside admits he looks like a boiled egg after shaving his hair and beard off for charity. David Robinson, of Langdown Junior School in Hythe, was sad to lose his beloved beard, which he had cultivated over the last ten years. The
DAREDEVIL Sam Woodsford is going to massive lengths - hundreds of feet up in the air - to raise money for his new workplace. The 19-year-old set his heart on a new career helping people with autism after an inspirational summer holiday. He spent time
TRUSTEES of a failed company pension scheme which has left more than 1,250 people facing financial heartache have today broken their silence for the first time. They revealed that the price of saving the pensions of hundreds of Hampshire people would
OVER to you - that's the message to residents all over Eastleigh now that civic chiefs are backing a move for a blue plaque scheme to spotlight the former homes of the famous and any sites of historical interest. Councillor Steve Broomfield wants to boost
A NEW road has been officially opened - wide enough for a tram that might never arrive. Civic leaders gathered at Westbury Manor Museum to open Harper Way, named after the late Commander Malcolm Harper, OBE, the town's first Honorary Alderman. The road
A TEENAGER'S fundraising waves are helping to keep afloat a Fair Oak haven for animals. Animal-lover Lisa Cook, 18, set herself a target to swim 11 miles in about four weeks with one-hour evening sessions at Eastleigh's Fleming Park Leisure Centre. The
OVER to you - that's the message to residents all over Eastleigh now that civic chiefs are backing a move for a blue plaque scheme to spotlight the former homes of the famous and any sites of historical interest . Councillor Steve Broomfield wants to
HAVE you ever booked what should be a peaceful, sun-drenched and relaxing summer holiday, only to have hassles at every turn? The plane is delayed for hours, a hapless tour rep, the hotel is overbooked and your room is still occupied when you arrive?
