Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has become Hampshire's THIRD overseas player for 2004. The 22-year-old Tasmanian will arrive at the Rose Bowl at the beginning of May as a stand-in for fellow Aussies Shane Warne and Michael Clarke, who will both be
Winchester City have finally overhauled Wimborne Town at the Sydenhams Wessex League summit. Neil Hards' FA Vase finalists sneaked ahead on goal difference thanks to a 2-0 win at third-placed Gosport Borough last night. Although City secretary Ray Murphy
Fareham Town beat rock-bottom Downton 2-0 at Cams Alders - their sixth clean sheet on the trot. Their opening goal was a cracker from in-form frontman Abdoulie Ndoye, who lobbed the outrushing Downton keeper from way out by the touchline. Town played
SPEED humps on Pack Lane will be ripped up if Conservatives regain control of Basingstoke council in June's elections, according to a leading Tory. County and borough councillor Phil Heath has said that removing the controversial scheme on Pack Lane would
THE annual Hampshire Hunt point-to-point steeplechase, held at Hack-wood Park last Sunday, once again drew a large crowd and was a great social occasion. This is one of the main local sporting events of the year. The point has been put to me that it is
How teachers, parents and pupils have worked hard to turn around the fortunes of Mason Moor Primary School... IT IS a good day to visit Millbrook's Mason Moor Primary. Head teacher David Martindale is ecstatic after receiving a joint visit from four parents
HAMPSHIRE wartime evacuee Michael Franckeiss has given a moving account of how his world was, thankfully, turned upside down during the Second World War. He was taken from the hustle and bustle of central Portsmouth to the idyllic tranquillity of the
FREE NHS refresher training is being offered to anyone who has previously trained for a career in healthcare to help them get back to practice. The offer is open to nurses and midwives in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight region whose registration has lapsed
Today's Principal Arrivals: Grace, refrigerat, 0100, 104; CFF Solent, ro/ro, 0530, 25; Libra Leader, vehicle, 0730, 43; NYK Castor, container, 0800, 204; Chikuma Reefer, refrigerat, 1530, 104; Pacific Leader, vehicle, 1945, 202. Today's Principal Sailings
Meon Valley-based Bike-it Dixon Yamaha rider Andrew McFarlane has moved into second place in the World Motocross Championship after a fantastic result in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. The former Australian champion is only a single point behind new MX2
Winchester teenager James Hillier looks like being one of the front-runners in the Virgin Yamaha R6 Cup after a tremendous display in the first round at Silverstone on Sunday. He took a strong place to Manchester newcomer Adam Jenkinson and might have
Wildern School cruised into the semi-finals of the Under 13s south regional Coca-Cola cup after thrashing fellow Southampton side Bitterne Park 6-0. The first half got off to a slow start with a lot of free-kicks given away by both teams. Wildern took
TONY Feeney now finds himself alone at the helm of Blackfield & Langley. His coach and right-hand man Bill Moore is the latest to leave the lowly Watersiders due to work commitments. Moore's departure comes just weeks after Feeney's co-manager Andy
BAT's poor run of results was halted with a 3-0 win over Portland United at Southern Gardens. With Paul Masters, Dave Lewis and Paul Hodder all suspended and Darren Osman injured, manager Andy Leader gave a debut to youth team left-back Michael Pink,
Fareham Town beat rock-bottom Downton 2-0 at Cams Alders - their sixth clean sheet on the trot. Their opening goal was a cracker from in-form frontman Abdoulie Ndoye, who lobbed the outrushing Downton keeper from way out by the touchline. Town played
SOUTHAMPTON'S first boxing world champion is heading down-under for the first defence of his title. WBU light-heavyweight king Matthew Barney has agreed to fight Australian and IBF Pan-pacific title-holder Jason Delisle on June 5. The big fight will take
Solent Stars Basketball Club are once again running their Mad Skillz Basketball Camps over the Easter break. Aimed at ages 10-16 the camps, running from 10am-3pm, can be attended for one or two days. Excellent coaching will be provided by a variety of
ALL five of the City of Southampton Swimming Club members who competed in the national qualifying biathlon event at Reading did well. It was second and third for City in the boys Biathlon 13-14 years age group. Jaffa Cole (13) was delighted with his overall
HAMPSHIRE'S education chief has said he hopes more schools in the Basingstoke borough ban fatty snacks and sugary sweets at break-times. The Monday Gazette last week revealed that children at Whitchurch Primary School are only allowed to eat fruit and
STUDENTS in Odiham spoke to radio enthusiasts all around the world over the airwaves as part of National Science Week. Members of the Basingstoke Amateur Radio Club visited Robert May's School to introduce the pupils to radio communication. As part of
TRAFFIC was gridlocked around Southampton this morning as roadworks crippled the main routes into the city. Motorists were left languishing in queuing traffic for hours as the knock-on effects of roadworks on Millbrook Road took their toll. Two lanes
A CRACKDOWN has been launched on careless mobile phone users who lose their handsets but claim they have been mugged. Fed up officers are getting tough on fraudsters reporting bogus robberies in a bid to get insurance money to cover the cost of their
A CORONER has demanded that a Hampshire road be made safer after he heard horrific details of how a teenager was killed. Chris Garner, 13, suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by a car as he cycled home from watching his brother play football
TEACHERS in Hampshire are to be asked if they want to strike over plans for the six-term year. A teachers union has now declared an industrial dispute with the county council over the issue and is to consult its 3,400 members on strike action. The National
ANIMAL welfare campaigners are celebrating a major victory in their battle to prevent New Forest ponies ending up on dinner plates across Europe. The animals are said to be safe after the European Parliament ruled that Britain can retain its ban on the
SEVEN shopping trolleys packed with food were wheeled out of a Southampton banking HQ this week, destined to line the cupboards of the city's poorest families. It marks a giant boost to the Daily Echo's Back to Basics appeal and will drastically alter
DEFIANT campaigners have collected 22,000 signatures calling for the Royal Hospital Haslar to remain open. It's a public show of support not seen since the huge rally in which men and women marched to the hospital after its closure was announced six years
ANGRY staff at the closure-threatened Office for National Statistics in Hampshire were today confronting the man who is wielding the axe on more than 1,100 jobs. Chief executive of ONS in Titchfield Len Cook was opening a £750,000 refit that may have
SOUTHAMPTON University student Angus Maclean finished off a superb cross-country season by leading home the British team in the World University Championships in Torino, Italy. The Team Solent runner, now coached by Tony Fern in Southampton, finished
MORE police officers and more prison sentences are two of the prescriptions from Basingstoke Conservative MP Andrew Hunter for cutting down on burglary. Mr Hunter was commenting on figures obtained by the Conservative Party that, he says, show only 1.7
FOLLOWING huge public demand, Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster musical, Whistle Down the Wind, returns to the New Victoria Theatre, Woking, from Monday, April 5, to Saturday, April 17. Packed with award-winning songs, including No Matter What (made famous
TONY Feeney now finds himself alone at the helm of Blackfield & Langley. His coach and right-hand man Bill Moore is the latest to leave the lowly Watersiders due to work commitments. Moore's departure comes just weeks after Feeney's co-manager Andy
BASHLEY and Newport IoW upset the Eastern Division form book last night by gunning down the pride of Kent. The Bash boys inflicted the first defeat in over 20 games on fourth-placed Folkestone Invicta, but pride of place went to John Linington's lowly
Winchester City have finally overhauled Wimborne Town at the Sydenhams Wessex League summit. Neil Hards' FA Vase finalists sneaked ahead on goal difference thanks to a 2-0 win at third-placed Gosport Borough last night. Although City secretary Ray Murphy
SENIOR executives of HSBC, which employs more than a 1,300 people in offices across Southampton, are to receive an 18.9 per cent hike in their basic pay this year. Chairman Sir John Bond was among the biggest winners of the pay review with his basic salary
THIS was one deal in which nobody minded arguing the sticking points. The corporate finance team at Fanshawe Lofts in Southampton has just completed the acquisition of an adhesive business, Gluelines, on behalf of Croma Industrial Supplies. Croma supply
Southampton's national rally champion Steve Hendy heads west this weekend in a bid to retain the title for 2004. Hendy and co-driver Aled Davies are competing in the Tour of Cornwall, a two-day event based near Newquay. Last year, Hendy finished third
Promotion-seeking Bashley completed a season's double over Folkestone with an impressive 2-1 win at The New Pavilion, pushing them up to ninth. Significantly, it was the first time Invicta had lost since their 3-0 demise in the New Forest on November
Lymington & New Milton put their off-field troubles behind them to burst Christchurch's bubble 4-1 at Fawcett's Field. "It makes a nice change to concentrate on football," admitted manager Ian Robinson, whose team are fighting FA charges of racial
COLIN KENNA warmed up for a shot at the Southern Area title last night with a convincing win over Scunthorpe's Chris Woollas. The Lordshill heavyweight was topping the bill at the Southampton Guildhall in a fight where, in truth, he probably had more
Trojans girls will be back among England's hockey elite again this autumn after snatching the EHA Women's League Division 1 title in a drama-packed finale to the season. Relegated from the top flight last March, they bounced back - seizing the championship
FLEMING PARK pipped fellow Southampton club West Park 41-39 in a superb Polytechnic derby. It was certainly one of the best games I have seen for a long time. There was also an early injury worry - umpire Janice Trasure suffered a calf strain and was
THIS week, instead of featuring a team, I'm highlighting two of our top local umpires. Janice Treasure: An A level umpire who officiates many national junior and youth finals. She is also a regular umpire for National Clubs League and Polytechnic League
Saturday morning in mid March was like June with a clear sky and a warm sun; this was excellent weather for the first club match of the season at Andover Golf Club. For some time now the season has commenced with a traditionally tough match against Dunwood
THE board of Andover FC Ltd are delighted to announce that they have successfully completed the purchase of the lease of the Portway Stadium from the previous owner Ken Cunningham Brown, with the approval of Test Valley Borough Council, who own the ground
BRIAN Le Boutillier's injury hit side defied the odds and an aggressive and skillful home side to come away from Fawcett Fields with a maximum on Saturday. The match was billed as being between two sides looking for a fourth position finish but with Lions
Amid incredible scenes of emotion, CFL-sponsored Andover Rugby Club were crowned champions of Hampshire for the first time at Foxcotte Park last Sunday. Tears were flowing almost as freely as the beer when skipper Marc Wilding lifted the Hampshire Cup
WINCHESTER hospital staff are being lured away from the city's worst parking trouble-spot with the offer of free park-and-ride spaces. Workers at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital are being tempted out of their cars and on to public transport in a bid
HE is arguably Winchester City's wackiest fan. Terry Bone was always going to stand out in the crowd showing the world how proud he is of the team's recent fantastic achievements. His efforts were cheered on by almost 2,000 people when he dressed up as
THE future of a top Winchester festival is looking brighter - despite being cancelled this year because of a lack of volunteers. The Winchester Folk Festival, a long-term fixture in the city's social calendar, has been rescheduled for 2005. An appeal
ANIMAL welfare campaigners are today celebrating a major victory in their battle to prevent New Forest ponies ending up on dinner plates across Europe. The animals are said to be safe after the European Parliament ruled that Britain can retain its ban
NORMALLY dour Ofsted inspectors came over all lyrical after their visit to Totton's Abbotswood Junior School. "The pupils of the school live with music in their souls and spirituality in their hearts," they enthused uncharacteristically. The high praise
A VITAL service used by thousands of New Forest residents will receive a royal seal of approval next week. The Duchess of Gloucester will visit New Milton on Wednesday to officially open an information centre at the town hall in Ashley Road. The centre
AN AMBITIOUS project to raise £250,000 for a much-needed school scheme is under way in Hook. The village junior school, in Church View, needs to raise the small fortune to pay for a desperately-needed extension to the hall. So far, the campaign has raised
THE county education authority was, last Thursday, set to fix a school year of six more-or-less equal sessions. Cllr Don Allen, the county's executive member for education, was being asked to approve the option for the 2005-6 school year. Although the
POTENTIAL barristers and court judges from a Whitchurch school fought off stiff competition to win a place in the regional finals of the Magistrates Mock Court Competition. Testbourne Community School won through the first round of trials at Basingstoke's
DAILY Echo journalists have been singled out for praise in national awards. Woman's editor Kate Thompson and deputy sports editor Simon Straker were nominated in regional newspaper publisher and Daily Echo owner Newsquest's editorial awards. More than
IT WAS a heartfelt plea that would mean the difference between and life and death for a child. When Southampton woman Natalia Savelyeva made an urgent appeal to raise £19,000 for a life saving operation for her best friend's baby in Uzbekistan - she was
IT'S A lesson they'll never forget. What seemed like harmless fun to Bobbie-Lee Spake and her two friends playing with matches quickly spiralled out of control putting the lives of dozens of people around them in danger. The chilling realisation that
SOUTHAMPTON has slipped even further behind in processing housing benefit claims giving it one of the worst records in the country for paying on time. The Department for Work and Pensions, which describes housing benefit as a "vital weapon on the war
FIRE chiefs were left hot under the collar after their brigade website led browsers to a risque adult site. The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service had its site address www. iwfire.org emblazoned across all its vehicles and on letterheads in an attempt
MORE than 500 staff at Eastleigh's train care depot are poised to benefit from a shake-up in their debt-laden company, the Daily Echo can today reveal. There had been growing concerns that French engineering giant Alstom would sell off its UK businesses
BOOZE-fuelled yobs have gone on a wrecking spree at a Chandler's Ford recreation area just weeks after a state-of-the-art skateboard park opened. Tree saplings were torn apart and fires were started beneath the new shelter and now local councillors are
TIME was when Japanese diesels were a motoring rarity, but Mazda is among those Far Eastern manufacturers now embracing the oil burner, with its plucky little hatch, the 3, as the most recent beneficiary. Stylistically, the 3 is one in the eye for many
THE golf season is soon to begin in earnest - and one of the Basingstoke area's leading professionals is starting a junior golf drive to promote the game among youngsters in north Hampshire. Richard Lewington, a pro at Sherfield Oaks, is running an Easter
ALASTAIR Campbell is to face the public at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in a question-and-answer session chaired by Simply Red star Mick Hucknall. An Audience With... will see Tony Blair's former director of communications and strategy talk about
WHAT was once a two-up-two-down cottage has been extended into a three-bedroomed home which is thought to have been built in the 1960s. Oakley Cottage has a rural setting on a country lane in Swallowfield, with fields to the front and back, and has a
