GROWING old disgracefully is the aim for a colourful group of women in their 50s and above from Southampton. Just like the well-known poem by Jenny Joseph, the city's chapter of the Red Hat Society plan to have plenty of fun in their autumn years. Not
Hampshire couple Emma and Nick Lewis feature on Channel 4's Room for Improvement show this week. KATE THOMPSON finds out more... EMBARKING on a major building project can be nerve-racking at the best of times, but Hampshire couple Emma and Nick Lewis
Dealing with facial paralysis has been a tough ordeal for Margaret Hider. She tells her story to KARENZA MORTON... TRIUMPH means so many things to different people. For a nation at war, triumph is defeating the enemy, in sport it is the sweet taste of
ACCORDING to Bob Hammett you can tell a great deal about a person, just by looking at their face. He spends his days literally measuring faces and collating information about people by looking closely at their features. A life coach and counsellor, Bob
KEVIN Saunders, on his last day as captain of the Hampshire Alliance, produced an unofficial course record and stacked up 41 points to win the Corhampton Cup at Corhampton. The Walhampton professional put an eagle and four birdies on his card and he dropped
Portsmouth-based Strada Contractors Ltd have been unveiled as the new sponsor of the Hampshire Open Championship. Strada Contractors, who specialise in industrial and marine painting, will sponsor this year's championship at Basingstoke on August 31.
AFTER two weeks without speedway on the Island, Wightlink host Rye House Rockets tonight looking to make up a first-leg deficit of 29 points. Last year, Wightlink came back from a 30-point deficit in Edinburgh to win by 31 at Smallbrook and all the team
JOHN CRAWLEY will return to the scene of his glorious Hampshire debut against Kent at Canterbury tomorrow. Crawley returned to form with his highest scores of the season (84 and 40) as Hampshire beat Middlesex by 64 runs at the Rose Bowl. And he is hoping
CONFERENCE National outfit Woking have given Lymington & New Milton welcome support ahead of today's Football Association hearing which will decide if they get the green light for promotion. After the elation of winning the Sydenhams Wessex League
MOST people are surprised to hear that I live in a Victorian house when they find out I live in Basingstoke. For most, Basingstoke conjures up the image of all things shiny and modern - but that's not necessarily the case. There's an abundance of period
Today's Principal Arrivals: Hamburg Express, container, 0330, 205; CFF Seine, roro, 0445, 30; Valmont Express, roro, 0500, 201; Queen Mary 2, passenger, 0700, 38/9; Eddystone, roro, 0800, 203; Autofreighter, roro, 0800, 203; Setubal, vehicle, 0800, 202
ONE of the biggest publishing names in the south is closing its final salary pension scheme to new entrants. Newsquest, which includes the Southern Daily Echo, Hampshire Chronicle, Advertiser and Romsey Advertiser in its UK portfolio of more than 300
HUNDREDS of businesses in one part of Hampshire are being urged to take part in a special awards scheme being launched by cricket legend David Gower. Representatives from firms interested in entering this year's Test Valley Business Awards will be able
IT'S the shop that sells anything and has customers looking only to sell - not buy. A house, a five-ton crane, a military dress uniform and a stick of rock that was a prize on TV's Stars in Their Eyes are all bizarre highlights of an avalanche of items
CONFERENCE National outfit Woking have given Lymington & New Milton welcome support ahead of today's Football Association hearing which will decide if they get the green light for promotion. After the elation of winning the Sydenhams Wessex League
THERE was heartache for Southampton's Olympic silver medallist Peter Waterfield at the FINA Canadian Diving Grand Prix here yesterday. The Athens hero was due to dive with fellow Olympic medal-winner Leon Taylor in the ten-metre synchronised platform
WINCHESTER busker Frank Williams could soon be forced to leave his home by the river following a decision by the courts to evict him. Last month's ruling against the 54-year-old, who can often be seen with his three-legged dog playing the accordion in
THE ninth generation of Mitsubishi's award-winning Lancer Evolution supercar will go on sale in the UK from June 1. A logical development of the special edition Evolution VIII MR, the Lancer Evolution IX combines a series of detail improvements with an
Ever-increasing European consumer demand for Kia products was confirmed once again this week with publication of the monthly new car sales data for April. Kia sales jumped 78 per cent compared to April 2004, with a total of 21,580 vehicles delivered during
POLICE are hunting a serial sex attacker after a spate of indecent assaults in a Hampshire town. The offender has targeted at least four women and girls in Totton. Three of the assaults took place last week. All the crimes have been committed in Ringwood
DETECTIVES hunting thugs who attacked a young couple as they were walking home in Rownhams have appealed for information from the public. A 25-year-old man and his 24-year-old girlfriend were confronted by a gang of up to 20 young people aged 14 to 20
WE'RE cracking crime! That is the message from Hampshire police who have today released figures that show the lowest number of burglaries committed across the county for 30 years. Not since 1974 has Hampshire recorded the same number of burglaries, with
MORE THAN 15,000 people have backed a Daily Echo petition launched to save a vital transport link in Hampshire. Support for the Hythe-to-Southampton ferry has flooded in ever since we revealed that the service could be sunk by a huge hike in business
RESIDENTS in Thornhill adopted the party spirit for a day of celebration and nostalgia when they commemorated VE Day. The event at Hinkler Parade in Thornhill, Southampton, saw members of the community share their memories of the happy day 60 years ago
THE organisers of this month's Homelands festival near Winchester have revealed to the Daily Echo that they tried to sign up The Beastie Boys to perform at the event. Darren Hughes, who runs We Love Music Ltd - one of the chief organisers of the one-day
RUFUS Wainwright, a singer-songwriter whose melodic, theatrical songs hark back to the bygone age of Tin Pan Alley, cabaret and opera, makes an appearance at Poole Lighthouse on Sunday. Rufus was born in 1973, the son of esteemed folk music luminaries
DABY Toure, a rising star in the world music scene, appears at The Anvil in Basingstoke on May 28, at 8pm. One of the surprise hits of the last WOMAD Festival, Daby successfully blends the sounds of Africa, Paris and international pop in equal measure
HUNDREDS of people enjoyed the spring sunshine and crowded into the grounds of the Old Vicarage in Titchfield for the village's annual church fete. The fete has gone from strength to strength over the past 100 years and is one of the biggest events on
AFTER an aborted, low-key attempt some time ago, Cadillac is now back and more serious about making its brand work in the UK. The famous American carmaker is coming to a town near you with more fanfare than a Disneyland parade. Not really. Bringing out
AN EDWARDIAN house bought in a tired state has been totally renovated and refurbished in the past 18 months. The 1904-built semi-detached home stands in Beaconsfield Road, in the Fairfields area of Basingstoke, and had lost many of its original features
IF YOU'RE a fan of stand-up comedy, don't miss a chance to snap up tickets for the Newbury Comedy Festival, which starts on Saturday, July 9, and features some of the biggest names in British entertainment. Among those appearing at The Corn Exchange are
PSST, want a BMW K1200S for free? Of course you do, so get up to the British Motorcyclists' Federation Show in Peterborough on May 21-22 and enter the free draw, it's as simple as that. The bike, like the one pictured, is just one of the many attractions
WARMER weather, a bank holiday weekend and the chance to go to the seaside makes up for riding through all the wretchedness of winter. So needing no further excuses I set off on May Day for the Paignton Bike Festival in the company of Dave and Mr Frog
BOTLEY Park tournament professional Dean Plant has opened up with an impressive fourth place in the first EuroProTour event of the season at Wensum Valley. Plant carded 72, 70 and 71 for a three-under par total and a cheque for £1,550. He finished six
HAMPSHIRE are third in the county championship's first division after beating Middlesex - with the help of FOUR wicketkeepers. First choice gloveman Nic Pothas will have a fitness test before the championship match against Kent tomorrow morning after
THIS historical epic should count itself lucky that last year's terrible Troy and abysmal Alexander didn't strike it off the Hollywood list of "possible genres to make money". So praise be for Britain's own Ridley Scott, who's still out fighting in the
SHANE Warne reckons he has the advantage over Andrew Strauss ahead of this summer's Ashes series following their duel during Hampshire's win against Middlesex. Middlesex and England opening batsman Strauss faced Warne for the first time yesterday and
BRITISH Gas has sought to reassure its 1,000 call centre staff in Southampton in the wake of mass defections by customers across the UK. Nearly 400,000 clients over the past four months have voted with their feet over fuel bill rises by switching to rivals
IN-STORE displays at Southampton's John Lewis have helped win Kate Ryves a medal. Kate, 27, a section manager in visual marketing at the WestQuay retailer, wowed judges in the City & Guild's national medals of excellence. Her work ranges from styling
A SOUTHAMPTON entrepreneur has launched a business offering sports fans access to their sporting heroes. Called Nobok, the London based firm has already signed up Sir Bobby Robson as its ambassador and boasts names such as Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Martin
DETERMINED darts player Mark Thomson used some unnecessary barracking as an incentive for victory as he picked up the £1,000 Daily Echo Hampshire Open title. The Swindon man grew up in Portsmouth and proudly wore a Pompey FC badge on his shirt during
WINCHESTER'S Rob Hurd was again in action when he went out to defend the overall yellow jersey in the Gizmondo-Sigma Sport race series in Surrey. This series is designed by the organisers to bridge the gap between local races and the national premier
HAMPSHIRE celebrity gardener Charlie Dimmock will open Alresford's annual Watercress Festival on Sunday to mark the start of the British watercress season. The festival will see a string of performers take to the streets with theatre, puppetry and juggling
A CONCERT to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War will be held at Winchester Cathedral on July 29 at 7pm. The Cooper Big Band will perform hits from the 1940s and 50s. Ron Moonesinghe, band leader, said: "It will be an honour to
THE Toyota Hilux was famously the vehicle the Top Gear television team couldn't destroy. Now an all-new model has broken cover, combining the legendary toughness of its predecessor with more room in the cabin, extra load-carrying capacity and better quality
VAUXHALL has stormed to the top of the UK sales charts, toppling nearest rival Ford. With a total of 26,723 car sales in April, the Luton-based manufacturer won 14.9 per cent of the total market share, compared to Ford's 13.8 per cent. The news comes
WOMEN are more focused on developing long-term workplace skills than men. That is according to new research conducted by Hobsons Young Professionals Recruitment Review. Women are also more prepared to change jobs in order to get better training opportunities
A TEAM of 30 soldiers from Marchwood-based 17 Port & Maritime Regiment marched through the streets of Guernsey to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the island's liberation from Nazi occupation. Thousands of holidaymakers and islanders lined the
The original Queen Mary faces uncertain times in America and sometime in the future the same fate could lie in wait for QE2. Shipping editor Keith Hamilton examines the possibilities for the two great Cunarders... FOR decades she was the elegant epitome
TV'S most insane scientist arrives in Winchester for a day of explosive entertainment, as the amazing Dr Bunhead, Blue Peter's resident extreme scientist, presents his Recipes for Disaster show at the Theatre Royal on May 28. Live on stage, Dr Bunhead
A SOUTHAMPTON MP has dramatically rejected a job in Tony Blair's new government. The Prime Minister asked John Denham to become a junior minister in the Department for Work and Pensions. But the Southampton Itchen MP said this would be "considerably less
A MURDER inquiry was launched today after a man was shot dead in a Southampton block of flats. Detectives were called to the flats in Freemantle last night where they discovered the body of a man believed to be in his thirties. It is thought he had been
"WE can't take any more" - this is the message being sent to Whitehall by Hampshire's civic chiefs and MPs, who have pledged to fight any more new homes being built on the south coast. The South East Plan already suggests 138,000 homes will need to be
"PLEASE come home." That's the heartfelt plea from the parents of missing 14-year-old Buddy Coakley, who vanished six days ago. The Southampton teenager was last seen by his family at 7.50am on Wednesday when he left to go to Bellemoor School, in Shirley
SOUTHAMPTON'S most famous family man, Lawrie McMenemy, helped launch the city's search for more foster carers. The former Saints manager was at the Marlands Shopping Centre to chat to prospective carers and raise the profile of Foster Care Fortnight.
ON YOUR marks... The first meeting of the Daily Echo running club took place on Sunday - and about 40 women and children made it to Southampton Common. Living has joined forces with Tim Tavender, a personal trainer from Extrafit, to offer FREE running
THIS time last year, Basingstoke Town FC was at its lowest ebb after missing out on an automatic place in the revamped non-league set-up. A drubbing by Lewes and failure to qualify outright for the new Nationwide South league led to manager Ernie Howe
TWO free fun days for children under five and their parents, grandparents, childminders and carers will be back at Hedge End and Eastleigh this summer by popular demand. Last year more than 400 people enjoyed a variety of activities - including face painting
SILVER Skills is the name of a showcase in which Fair Oak Art and Craft Society will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. From May 14, the society will be displaying at the Eastleigh Museum an extravaganza of paintings and craft work. The exhibition will
The original Queen Mary faces uncertain times in America and sometime in the future the same fate could lie in wait for QE2. Shipping editor Keith Hamilton examines the possibilities for the two great Cunarders... FOR decades she was the elegant epitome
HARRY REDKNAPP is hoping Sir Alex Ferguson's notoriously long memory won't include the dramatic loss of the Premiership title ten years ago. Exactly a decade ago the Saints boss was up against the legendary Manchester United manager on the final day of
FORMER Saints manager Glenn Hoddle says that he is "open minded" about on-loan St Mary's striker Henri Camara returning to Wolves in the summer. Wolves secured a British loan-transfer fee record of £1.5m last summer when Camara moved to Celtic. That came
DAVID PRUTTON could make a sensational return against Manchester United on Sunday - even though he won't have played a competitive match since the end of February. The 23-year-old midfielder has been missing for more than two months after receiving a
SAINTS face an anxious wait to hear whether Peter Crouch will be suspended for the final day decider against Manchester United. The club's top scorer with 16 goals this season was red carded after throwing out an arm in the direction of Gonzalo Sorondo
THE all-new Suzuki Swift should signal the start of some interesting times at the Japanese carmaker. Improving on the meisterwerk of mediocrity that was the most recent Swift wasn't difficult. A favourite among continental car hire firms and invariably
WEST Indian pace bowler Gavin Tonge will replace Charl Willoughby as Basingstoke and North Hants' overseas star in this season's Home Counties League campaign, which started last Saturday tomorrow at Slough. The 22-year-old from Antigua played for the
ERNIE Howe has moved swiftly to re-sign a number of key players as he begins plotting Basingstoke Town's assault on the Nationwide South league next season. Just days after ending the 2004-2005 campaign on the high of a 3-0 win over Thurrock - a victory
ORIGINAL features have been retained in a modernised Victorian home which is close to the centre of Basingstoke. George Street is the location for the mid-terraced property (pictured), which has sash windows, cast-iron fireplaces and stripped wood floorboards
