LITTER - Let's Bin It. That's the message of the latest phase of The Gazette's Basingstoke - A Place To Be Proud Of campaign. Last September, The Gazette launched the campaign which aims to focus on the people and organisations that make the town and
VIC Lee is a man on a mission. With more than 245 square miles of urban and rural roads under his care, and a small army of staff at his command, it is his job to co-ordinate everything from rubbish collection to pest control. Mr Lee, who is the head
INSPIRED by The Gazette's Litter - Let's Bin It initiative, Julian Burke has mounted his own one-man campaign to clear up a neglected local beauty spot. Mr Burke, of Augustus Drive, Roman Park, Basingstoke, spent months walking his dog Suzie through woodland
HEDGEHOGS and swans are some of the animals that suffer at the hands of litterlouts. Discarded everyday items such as ice cream pots and chewing gum can injure and even kill local wildlife. Eileen Unnuk, the hospital manager of HART Wildlife Rescue in
As part of The Gazette's Litter - Let's Bin It campaign, we put the spotlight on a family which is doing its bit to blitz the rubbish. A DEDICATED Tadley family has been tackling a large litter black spot with an army of its own small black spots. John
AFTER seeing her dad battling cancer, Hampshire schoolgirl Anja Arnott wanted to help others living with the disease. Sarah Cole reports... FOR chatterbox Anja Arnott, it was the ultimate challenge. The nine-year-old schoolgirl, who can "talk for England
HAMPSHIRE all-rounder Shane Watson must become one of the biggest swingers in town if he is to force his way into the Australian Test team, according to outspoken former Australian captain Ian Chappell. The 23-year-old recently wrote his name into the
MARK Lisk can't wait for the new campaign to begin after completing his move from Bashley to Salisbury City. The 31-year-old left-sided player has finally put pen to paper for the Wiltshire side, closing the door on his second spell with the New Forest
RELIEVED as Lymington & New Milton are to have been cleared of FA charges of racial abuse, the question remains: How did it ever get that far? After months of anxiety the Sydenhams Wessex League club and four of their players - Jimmy Sheppard, Alan
POLICE in Winchester say they are still keen to speak to the family of a dead woman whose ashes were found in a casket in the river Itchen. An anonymous member of the public handed the wooden casket in to police after fishing it from the river last month
A SENSE of deja-vu descended when I learned last week that more "travellers" had pitched camp in the neighbourhood, this time in Popley. Once again, I immediately contacted the borough council and local police, exploring options. It is time to raise the
THE sinking of ill-fated liner Titanic is one of the 20th century's most enduring tragedies. As if to prove it, Southampton's community history officer Sheila Jemima has been hit with an avalanche of inquiries from around the world as the 90th anniversary
JOHN CONDIE explains why personal items from Titanic attract so much interest When RMS Titanic slipped her moorings in Southampton docks at the stroke of noon on Wednesday, April 10, 1912, to set sail on the maiden voyage that would end so tragically,
SOUTHAMPTON Airport baggage handlers have voted for summer strikes over a "bad deal" pay offer from employers Aviance. A hefty 80 per cent want to walk out if the dispute can't be resolved, threatening widespread disruption to the busy summer holiday
LAW firm Clarke Willmott has been appointed as the main solicitor for civil debt recovery on behalf of HM Customs and Excise across the whole of England and Wales. Previously three solicitor firms handled the work, and this is the first time the contract
GAVYN Davies, the millionaire economist, who was once linked to buy-out talk over Southampton Football Club, could easily net more than £68.2m if he wanted. Five years ago the Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs floated - and the former chief UK
BLUSTERY conditions didn't stop more than 100 competitors going afloat for the Lymington open species boat competition - and catching pretty good fish. Top prize in an event sponsored by Lowrance and the Sea Angler magazine was a Lowrance Echo echo sounder
A MASSIVE rescue operation has been launched by Southern Electric after a power surge wrecked appliances in more than 1,800 Marchwood homes. The company has rented Marchwood Village Hall for several days to enable residents to take their damaged goods
A NEW Forest horse lover is searching for a hero she believes may have saved her life. The cycling Samaritan gave emergency first aid to Kim Compton after she was thrown from a horse and cart. Nine-year-old Welsh Cob Alfie had become startled by a nearby
TWO men who carried out a terrifying armed robbery at a Southampton video store are behind bars - thanks to Daily Echo readers. Andrew Pepper and Jason Williams were jailed for a total of ten years after targeting the premises in Queensway. It was occupied
IT HAS grounds which were designed by the most famous English landscape gardener of them all - Capability Brown. Yet for the last 40 years, the historic Stoneham House - one of Southampton University's oldest buildings - has been joined in an unlikely
HE'S pledged his allegiance to Southampton and is set to dazzle supporters at St Mary's for another season. Now Saints' female fans are rejoicing for another reason - as James Beattie becomes the city's most eligible bachelor. The 26-year-old heartthrob
The aim of The Gazette's campaign is to make this phrase something that our town and borough becomes synonymous with. For far too long, Basingstoke has been the butt of jokes. For far too long, Basingstoke has been the target of ill-informed criticism
CHILDREN who attend Overton Pre-school Playgroup are independent and caring - according to a glowing report compiled by Government inspectors. The Ofsted inspectors also said the 63 children at the playgroup are provided with a "very good" nursery education
STAFF at Box hairdressers gave up their Sunday morning lie-in to raise money for a local boy with a rare genetic disease. The salon was open from 10am until 3.30pm, during which more than 30 clients got their hair cut, raising £1,500. Riccardo Amodeo,
A BOROUGH school has received a top award for its commitment to promoting the arts. The sound of samba music echoed through the corridors of Basingstoke's Bishop Challoner School as pupils crafted their own jewellery, took part in pantomimes and created
BUSINESS-MINDED pupils from Basingstoke's John Hunt of Everest Community School are celebrating after scooping honours at borough and county level. The team were honoured with an award for innovation at the overall Young Enterprise County Contest in Winchester
STAFF at a Basingstoke firm are going bananas as they throw their support behind the town's only hospice. Banana firm Fyffes and St Michael's Hospice are celebrating the beginning of the summer sunshine with the launch of "Go Yellow" month. "Go Yellow
AN INSPIRATIONAL Basingstoke man wants to transform a small embankment into a celebration of the poets who are commemorated in the town suburb where he lives. George Potten wants monoliths dedicated to the 11 poets - namely Shakespeare, Milton, Browning
THE man who helped launch Southampton sing-ing sensation Craig David's career is back with a new band. Mark Hill, formerly of Artful Dodger, launches The stiX at Talking Heads in Southampton on Friday. The gig coincides with the release of The stiX's
THE PROWESS of sporting stars from the Basingstoke area has helped the borough to its best-ever haul of county sports awards. The prestigious Hampshire and Isle of Wight Sports Awards were held in March at Winchester's Theatre Royal - and Basingstoke
TWO writers who put together a book of Crap Towns have admitted that Basingstoke is not as bad as it has been painted. Sam Jordison and Dan Kieran, of The Idler magazine, visited the town they had labelled Britain's ninth worst after The Gazette - which
ESTABLISHED local band Curfew are looking for a lead guitarist to join their seven-piece line-up. The group have been gigging in and around Southampton pubs and clubs for more than two years and have plenty of future bookings. Led by Alison Walton's powerful
A RISING talent is to appear at Portsmouth Guildhall tomorrow. Tom Baxter, who recently appeared on Later with Jools Holland, is supporting Jamie Cullum at the venue. Tom's debut single, This Boy, is set to be released on July 19. It comes from his forthcoming
THE PARENTS of murdered teenager Hannah Foster have backed a texting system to alert family and friends if people go missing. Trevor and Hilary Foster attended yesterday's launch of Safetytext in London by the father of Lucie Blackman, a former BA hostess
AN OPEN air music festival for 1,500 revellers this weekend has been moved from Wickham over safety fears. Bigtop 2004 will now be held at the Pyramids Centre in Southsea, Portsmouth after policing costs forced a change in the venue. Scores of music lovers
A POPULAR tennis club near Eastleigh has been beaten by the vandals and will have to close. It comes two months after the Daily Echo revealed that it would take a miracle for the under siege Bishopstoke Tennis Club - launched in the Wimbledon glory years
IT'S all change at the top level of Southampton based Carnival UK, the parent company of shipping lines Cunard, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Ocean Village and Swan Hellenic. The moves come in the wake of an enlarged UK operation that has more than
PAUL STURROCK wants to trim his Saints squad - to ensure he can give youth a chance. With a couple of players possibly still to come in and with Sturrock already saying the current squad is two or three top heavy, it would indicate that several of last
IF ANY of the Saints squad has over-indulged over the summer, Paul Sturrock has promised to use his tried and tested methods to find them out. With most of the Saints squad reporting back for duty at Staplewood yesterday, the annual 'get match fit' exercise
IT'S an ongoing battle for Tadley's litter wardens as they take on the town's litter louts. Dave Owen and Roy Martin both work for Tadley Town Council and spend every weekday morning scouring the town's streets for old cigarette packets, drinks bottles
PUPILS at two Basingstoke secondary schools have been asked to sift through their own rubbish in a bid to reduce the amount of waste they produce. Earlier in the year, pupils at Bishop Challoner and Cranbourne schools took part in a Basingstoke council
NOT one of the everyday folk who leave things behind, but more like the womble Madame Cholet, Maureen Dowsett has waged war on litter in a Basingstoke suburb for 25 years - and she has notched up two awards in the process. Now the award-winning litter
ONE little lady is making a big impact on litter in the Cranbourne area of Basingstoke. At four foot nine inches tall, Olive Wigley is only petite in stature. However, her efforts in clearing up rubbish near her home in Radford Gardens, Cranbourne, Basingstoke
WHEN it comes to litter, Gazette readers have plenty to say. In response to our Litter - Let's Bin It campaign, scores of readers have written, e-mailed and called our office to highlight areas of the borough that are blighted by litter. Details of the
A DISABLED woman was left housebound for almost two weeks after the wheel of her motorised scooter was punctured in a glass-strewn subway in Basingstoke. Margaret Smith, 57, of Bermuda Close, Popley, suffers from osteoarthritis and cellulitis, and is
A new approach to helping Southampton's prostitutes to give up their work is under way in Southampton. Kate Thompson finds out more... TRICIA Kenyon can often be seen walking the streets of Southampton's inner city in search of prostitutes. She has made
SUPERFIT flame-haired gardener Charlie Dimmock is looking forward to starting the largest Race for Life event in the country which takes place at Southampton Common on Sunday, July 18. Up to 10,000 women are expected to complete the 5km course on Southampton
SAINTS skipper Jason Dodd was a double winner in a celebrity charity golf event to raise money for breast cancer. Eight-handicapper Dodd scored 42 Stableford points to win the charity prize from his old Southampton teammate Francis Benali, and led his
FORMER England captain Nasser Hussain believes that Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas, left, could both play one-day international cricket - at number eight. Hussain, speaking ahead of England's crucial NatWest series match against the West Indies
EASTLEIGH manager Paul Doswell is still pinching himself after securing the signature of classy midfielder Martin Thomas on a free transfer from Exeter City. The 30-year-old former Southampton trainee brings with him a wealth of Football League experience
SOUTHAMPTON'S ill-fated liner Titanic will be remembered in a series of simple ceremonies as the city commemorates the 90th anniversary of the world's most famous shipping disaster on April 12. It was in April 1912 that Titanic sank with the loss of hundreds
BRITAIN'S only living survivor of the sinking of Titanic has opened an exhibition marking the 90th anniversary of the tragedy. Milvina Dean was only nine weeks old when the massive liner hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 15 1912, and sank,
The tale of Southampton's ill-fated Titanic continues to cast its spell over the decades. Keith Hamilton looks at a new book on the White Star liner Titanic, at the same time the most famous and infamous name in Southampton's shipping history, has never
Today's Principal Arrivals: Royal Princess, cruise, 0500, 106; CFF Seine, ro/ro, 0530, 30; Cervantes, ro/ro, 0530, 105; Crystal Ray, vehicle, 1230, 43; Sapphire Highway, ro/ro, 1800, 102; Tampa, ro/ro, 2330, 34/35; OOCL Qingdao, container, pm, 207. Today's
AN OPEN air commemorative service took place yesterday on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Around 400 people attended the short service and wreath-laying ceremony at the Titanic Engineers' Memorial in Above Bar Street, Southampton
On the ninetieth anniversary of Southampton 's worst seafaring disaster we look back at how the tragic news of the Titanic was reported. Extracts from the Hampshire Independent on Saturday April 20, 1912. W E give full details below of this sad happening
THE WIDOW of a former Cunard White Star line chief engineer is set to make an emotional farewell to her husband next week when she scatters the ashes of her husband over the site where Titanic sank in the north Atlantic 90 years ago. Dennie Farmer, 71
A HISTORIC watch which stopped at exactly the time the illfated Titanic sank beneath the waves of the north Atlantic is expected to sell for around £25,000 when it is auctioned in Southampton in April. Chauffeur, John Gill, 24, perished along with 1,520
A UNIQUE menu from Titanic was expected to fetch £40,000 when it goes under the hammer today. The menu from the liner's first class restaurant is signed by Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, who survived the 1912 disaster. Auctioneer Alan Aldridge said: "Officer
IN the Oscar-winning film Titanic he was the man who plucked Kate Winslet to safety from the freezing north Atlantic. In real life, fifth officer Harold Lowe was the true hero of the disaster, when he fired his revolver to warn off stampeding passengers
IT'S ALL change at the top for the Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The organisation, which has 1,000 members employing 100,000 people across the region, held its AGM last night at its headquarters in Bugle Street, Southampton
OVER the past few years the high-profile redevelopment of Southampton city centre, incorporating WestQuay and adjacent developments, has somewhat overshadowed the main suburban shopping centres within the city. Indeed concern has been expressed by many
EASTLEIGH manager Paul Doswell is still pinching himself after securing the signature of classy midfielder Martin Thomas on a free transfer from Exeter City. The 30-year-old former Southampton trainee brings with him a wealth of Football League experience
POLICE in Winchester have issued a warning to vandals in the city after a second spate of late-night car damage in under a month. Almost 30 cars were scratched while parked on three city streets between July 1 and July 4. The attacks come just four weeks
WINCHESTER theatre campaigners are this month marking one of the darkest moments in the history of the Theatre Royal. Thirty years ago the theatre was closed and its long history as a cine-variety theatre looked to be over. It was only thanks to the efforts
SOME of Winchester's best known VIPs were arrested at the weekend - and only released once they had raised more than £150 for charity. The jail-and-bail event was held to raise cash for the Pinder Centre that provides help to adults and children with
In the second part of our series focusing on Southampton's Newtown and Nicolstown as part of Crime Reduction and Environment Week (CREW), the Daily Echo looks at how the influx of asylum seekers has marked the beginning of a fresh chapter in the history
A HOLE-in-the-wall gang is believed to have stolen golfing equipment worth up to £50,000 after breaking in to a Chandler's Ford golf store by knocking down an internal wall from the shop next door. The gang struck on Friday night at Nevada Bobs Golf Shop
AMBITIOUS plans to restore one of Southampton's most historic buildings move a step closer today. Planners are set to discuss a scheme this Tuesday. The plan is to replace railings around Holyrood Church's Chancel and the memorial to the Titanic tragedy
THESE images show just how bad fly-tipping has got in Hampshire The grainy CCTV footage shows a man and his accomplice making SIX journeys in a red car to dump rubbish at a beauty spot on the edge of Southampton. The dumped rubbish included furniture
IT was a jamboree with a difference. The Rose Road Association, which has been one of Southampton's most notable charities for more than 50 years, held its first family fun day at its new home. Despite the squally showers that swept over the association's
THE Red Lodge School is celebrating after students were given special awards for music and art. The hand chime team at the Southampton school, which caters for 121 special needs pupils aged from 11 to 16, helped the school earn a Musicmark award. The
THEY have lost 61 stone between them - and they will be striding out with pride when they take part in Southampton Race for Life. The Sexy Synners are a 42-strong team of women drawn from three Slimming World clubs. The women belong to the Lordswood and
A COMMUNITY hero's campaign to honour poets who provided the inspiration for road names in his Basingstoke suburb is gathering momentum. The famous names of Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, Chaucer and Byron all feature around the roads of Popley
AN INDEPENDENT study has found Basingstoke hospital to be the most improved in the UK. It was given the title by hospital benchmarking company CHKS, which looked at 17 key areas, including the time patients spend in the hospital and day surgery statistics
NEARLY 1,000 men and boys did their bit to help the fight against cancers that affect the male population by turning out for Basingstoke's Alberto-Culver Run4Fun. This year's event - the third of its kind - attracted a record number of entrants and is
Eve's Only Son, The Verra Cruz and XisLoaded, The Joiner's Arms, Southampton FAREHAM four-piece band Eve's Only Son warmed up the Joiner's Arms when they took to the stage to open a quality line-up. The group opened with a confident, rip-roaring riff
A GRIEF-stricken father, whose daughter was killed by a drunken driver in a horrific head-on smash, welcomed the length of his eight-year sentence and then added: "Let's hope he is sat there thinking of what he has caused to our family." Brian Fisher-Lathwell
A QUESTION mark hangs over the future of vital emergency services at a former Hampshire airbase after the Ministry of Defence announced plans to sell it. Both the Hampshire police spotter plane and the coastguard's helicopter are currently based at HMS
COMMONWEALTH champion Michael East, like every other world-class British athlete, has turned down the opportunity to compete in tonight's Lausanne Super Grand Prix. Instead, the Portsmouth athlete is totally focused on this weekend's Norwich Union Olympic
YOUNGSTERS at Eastleigh's Alderman Quilley School are celebrating news that they had become unique in Hampshire. For the Cherbourg Road school has become the county's first specialist engineering school in a move which head teacher Sue Ryder-Morgan says
THE largest shipment of wind-turbine blades ever exported from the UK has left Southampton on board Atlasgracht, the longest vessel to be operated by Isle of Wight based Vestas Wind Systems. A total of 60 sleek 35-metre long aerodynamic wind-turbine blades
THE 151,400 ton RMS Queen Mary 2 is in the forefront of a new crew-training initiative aimed at raising on-board passenger service levels to even higher standards. New crew members are now undergoing an extra five weeks of instruction as part of the shipping
PAUL STURROCK is hoping that persistent speculation over the futures of James Beattie and Antti Niemi will end soon. The Saints boss has again confirmed that he has not had a single inquiry for Beattie during the summer - and that includes Newcastle.
