A Romsey side seriously depleted by injury and skiing holidays were no match for second-in-the-league Old Reigatians. The high-flying visitors were hungry for match points lest the decider for the divisional championship should come down to points difference
Justin Rose was still fighting the demons when the Bay Hill Invitational got off to a stormy start last night. The Hampshire golfer, who has struggled for consistency so far this year, bogeyed the second and dropped two more shots in his front nine. His
I SHARE the anger which Second World War veteran Mr Roy Dykes of Whitchurch feels over the Government's refusal to grant a campaign medal for survivors of the Arctic convoys. The argument that the convoys did not constitute a campaign and therefore do
BASINGSTOKE residents are being urged to have their say over the number of houses they believe should be built in Hampshire. In a county-wide exercise, residents are being given a questionnaire from Hampshire County Council in a special edition of its
A PIONEERING project that will enable marine companies in the south to share their labour resources and collaborate on new contracts has received government support and is now being piloted on the Isle of Wight. The government is providing financial backing
Tae Kwon Do clubs in Southampton are setting their sights on national acclaim following their incredible local success, writes GORDON SIMPSON. The clubs won 79 medals between them in Febru-ary's Hampshire and Dorset Championships and Chris Walker, a third
ROMSEY'S MP is battling to stop Alzheimer's sufferers vital NHS drugs being withdrawn. Sandra Gidley took the fight to the heart of government,Westminster, on Wednesday where a protest was staged by the Alzheimer's Society. Mrs Gidley, the only qualified
BOROUGH council services face widespread disruption next Wednesday because of industrial action by the authority's employees. Around 50 staff at the council's Romsey office and a further 150 staff at the authority's Andover HQ are expected to down tools
THERE'S been a mixed reaction to a revised scheme to transform Strong's former Romsey brewery site into a modern 206-home development. Romsey Town Council is objecting to Stanborough Developments ambitious project on the site which runs alongside Station
THE Department for Transport has announced that GPS-based speed camera locators, like the RoadPilot product range, are fully legal under the Road Traffic Safety Bill and they aid government efforts to deter excessive and inappropriate speeds on the roads
THE mysterious mass disappearance of small piggy-back recycling bins from the borough is causing anger and bewilderment, councillors claim. The issue was raised at a meeting of the full Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council when councillors suggested
RECYCLING in Basingstoke has been boosted by a £1million investment in a fleet of state-of-the-art refuse collection vehicles. This week, in the latest phase of The Gazette's A Place To Be Proud Of campaign, we look at the brand-new vehicles that will
A host of Britain's most popular personalities will be entertaining a crowd in Southampton this weekend. With charismatic comedian Jethro and Corrie star Bradley Walsh leading the packed line-up, there is sure to be no shortage of laughs at The Mayflower
INCORPORATING some of the best known Gershwin melodies, Crazy For You is a vibrant and colourful extravaganza. Wezley Sebastian created a real feast of movement with some ambitious and demanding choreography, although at times the company struggled to
PART of Hampshire's heritage is going up in smoke. The British Military Powerboat Trust has begun to destroy some of its priceless collection of historic craft, some of which were built during the Second World War. As reported in the Daily Echo, the conservationists
A FORMER Hampshire ambulance is to be put to good use ferrying sick villagers to hospital in Kosovo. The decommissioned patient transport ambulance was handed over to representatives from the Hope and Aid Direct charity at Southampton Ambulance Station
AN unpopular film, a strict usher and a grumpy bus conductor were the makings of Pam and Tony West's 50-year long marriage. The Wests have just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a family get-together, rounded off with a relaxing break in
Theo Walcott yesterday signed his pre-contract agreement with Saints - then revealed he began his football career as a goalkeeper! Walcott has attracted interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Real Madrid following his performances
IT'S easy to forget what a crucial car the 6 was for Mazda when it launched in 2002. It paved the way for a new generation of accomplished Mazdas - namely the 2, 3 and RX-8 models. With its broad-shouldered stance and coup-like profile, the 6 is a sight
CALLING all lads, dads and granddads - the time has come to pull on your running shoes and raise vital funds for cancer research. The Alberto Culver Run4Fun takes place at Down Grange, Basingstoke, on Wednesday, May 4. It starts at 7.30pm and men of all
RODNEY Copperbottom (voiced by McGregor) is a young automaton, growing up in Rivet Town, a suburb of the bustling metropolis of Robot City. Adored by his parents, Rodney tries to follow the words of his dishwasher father Herb (Tucci): "See a need, fill
A MODERN family home in the village of Cliddesden is marketing through agents Dreweatt Neate with a price guide of £545,000. Crockley House is in Farleigh Road, in a conservation area on the edge of the village. Its quarter-of-an-acre of gardens has views
DEFENDER Toby Redwood's long-awaited comeback for Winchester City was over before it began. The jubilation that followed his return from an 82-day suspension quickly evaporated when his knee buckled in his first training session. "Toby was keen as mustard
FLIGHT of the Phoenix will never be shown on an aeroplane, that's for sure. It boasts an almighty mother of a crash in the desert which would have even the most seasoned air traveller shaking in his surgical circulatory stockings. This strange film, which
AN INNOVATIVE scheme aimed at tackling yobbish behaviour, nuisance crime and obesity has been launched in Basingstoke. Sentinel Housing Group has teamed up with Basingstoke police, the borough's community wardens and GAME - a computer games retailer -
THE new Vauxhall Tigra may be one of the snappiest lookers around, but that has not stopped the auto design specialists at Irmscher from creating a styling pack to give this eye-catching coupe/convertible even more street appeal. The new Irmscher Styling
Southampton could give their slight survival hopes a huge boost tomorrow - even though this week sees the first of two weeks' break for the London and Hampshire leagues ahead of Easter. Saints are the exception. They have their travel-delayed London Division
New interactive displays to be introduced at King John's House in Romsey will help bring the past to life. At the press of a button Florence Nightingale will speak to you across the years. And after her short speech, originally recorded on wax cylinder
TEST Valley's crime-busting neighbourhood wardens have been saved from the axe. The 10 wardens - a back up to the police in the fight against anti-social behaviour - faced the boot after the government announced it was withdrawing all funding for neighbourhood
A NIGHTCLUB, cinema, ice rink or youth drop-in centre could be on the cards for Winchester, as part of the Broadway-Friarsgate city centre regeneration. Developers behind the £100m scheme are considering adding a leisure facility following calls at a
IN 1965 Honda competed in its first full year of Grand Prix motor racing. Coincidentally this was the year that the official British import subsidiary of the Japanese company, Honda (UK), was created. So 2005 marks this double milestone. It's also the
A NEW study into children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been announced by Southampton based medical research charity Hope. The £100,000 project will work with families to help them cope with ADHD in children as young as three
Paul Nicholas examines the fine line between good and evil at The Mayflower next month. He stars in a musical adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story Jekyll and Hyde that will have audiences on the edge of their seats. The show has undergone
TRADITIONALLY the last panto of the 2004/05 season, this entertaining version of Cinderella was written for CATS by a former member. Little time was wasted with no unnecessary overture and action from curtain-up. All newcomers, including the director,
AN EXCITING vision of the future for Woolston is today unveiled by architects behind a £350m regeneration scheme on the former VT warship factory next to the river Itchen in Southampton. The artist's impressions show a bustling new centre for the suburb
CHILDREN beware - the witches of Southampton are coming to get you! More than 35 women were auditioned at The Mayflower to play the parts of 12 bald witches in an adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches which is being brought to the theatre from London
INSPIRED by a television appeal, 11-year-old Oliver Dolbear stood up in assembly at Beaulieu Primary School and asked his fellow pupils for help. They rose to the challenge set by Oliver to collect 100 bags of clothing for the Blue Peter Welcome Home
PART of a Southampton school's playing field could be sold off to help pay for a brand new building, anxious parents heard last night. Newlands Primary School in Ullswater Road, Millbrook, could lose some of its playing fields to fund a multi-million-
AN emphatic NO! That's the message from the leader of Hampshire County Council over plans to drill for oil on farmland in Hedge End. Ken Thornber delighted hundreds of residents yesterday when he ditched the proposals - even if the company later successfully
NEW car parking charges at Andover War Memorial Hospital have caused considerable disruption to its neighbours it was claimed at a joint meeting of Test Valley Borough and Hampshire County councillors. A nearby shopping parade which offers free parking
ANDOVER police are warning women living in the town to be vigilant when walking along the town's many footpaths following three separate reports of indecency in six days. In the first, a man exposed himself to a 16-year old girl as she walked along the
AROUND 70 people gathered at the Castledown Media Centre for the official opening of the facility by TV archaeologist and former Collingbourne resident Phil Harding. Phil, who is well-known as a member of Channel 4's 'Time Team', spoke of the need for
CONCERNED residents packed Weyhill Fairground Hall for the chance to hear why Andover needed a secure unit for the mentally ill. MP Sir George Young called the public meeting so that residents could listen to Dr Sayed Bel-Barco, director of operations
A LENGTHY stretch of road in Longparish is to get a pavement in a bid to improve safety. The 200 metre stretch between the main parking area and the primary school will have a pavement following safety concerns raised by residents in the area. The cost
AMERICAN rock group Jimmy Eat World have been forced to take the slow road to success. Dropped by their record label after two albums, the Arizona group then had to postpone the release of their 2001 album Bleed American following the events in the States
MURMUR headline Sound Explosion at The Joiners on Tuesday alongside the irresistible Serotonin and The Tripods. Armed with catchy, melodic riffs the Southampton four-piece are hoping to land some gigs in London this year. What's On reckons they'll be
A LONG awaited jobs bonanza announced with a huge fanfare in the spring of 2001, which was expected to provide up to a 1,000 jobs in Tidworth and Ludgershall, has yet to provide a single job and may be delayed by a further year or more. Dismayed parish
ANGLO-French performer Monique performs at Romsey's Plaza Theatre tomorrow night. Fusing jazz, world music and chanson and performing in both English and French, Monique is now well established on the UK music scene. As well as performing some well-known
The University of Southampton is to award bursaries of £60,000 to over 30 of elite young athletes - including ones from sixth form colleges. The cash boost comes from two bursary schemes designed to support talented athletes in developing their future
IF you like to sing, a community vocal workshop being staged next month at Chandler's Ford's Thornden Hall could hit the high notes. Allan Petker, a choral director from California, will be presenting a choral harmonies workshop on Sunday April 24, from
DELL great David Armstrong fears Saints must end their "dismal and abysmal" away form to be sure of winning the battle for Premiership survival. Saints travel to Middlesbrough this weekend hoping to add to a paltry total of just three points from a possible
THE verve and sensitivity of one of the world's best string quartets will be at The Anvil in Basingstoke tomorrow. Now on their farewell tour, The Lindsays are well known as experts in the interpretation of the works of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart. Their
ROMSEY TOWN hot-shot Simon De'ath is within twelve of a magical 50-goal milestone for the season. He bagged all three on Saturday, sweeping Romsey to a 3-1 win at Andover New Street and a comfortable fourth spot in the table. Amazingly, De'ath has scored
Young gymnasts from Wellow School have won their way through to the finals of the British Schools Sports Acrobatics Championships. They now go forward to the finals in Stoke-on-Trent in May after triumphing in the Southern Regional Championships, held
IAN Robinson can't help but wonder if Lymington & New Milton will pay the price for inexperience when the chips are down in the Wessex League title race. Concerned by a lack of energy and desire in Saturday's 1-1 home draw with title rivals AFC Newbury
EASTLEIGH have been rocked by news that David Hughes's playing days are over for the rest of the season - and possibly for good. The ex-Saints midfielder, who was cruelly forced out of the professional game at the age of 27, has again succumbed to a knee
LUCKLESS Newport IoW midfielder Leigh Cole has broken his leg for the second time this year - this time in three places. The former Havant and Bashley campaigner is back in plaster after taking another heavy knock in his comeback game against East Cowes
BASHLEY boss Geoff Butler reckons Dave Wakefield has been a revelation since senior players Graeme Gee and Mat Jones left the Recreation ground. By his own high standards, the former Havant and Newport IOW winger/midfielder had a poor first half of the
BASED on the DC/Vertigo comic book Hellblazer, this thriller tells the story of irreverent supernatural detective John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), who walks a thin line between evil and good. He teams up with police detective, Angela (Rachel Weisz), who
BASINGSTOKE police have issued more than £10,000-worth of on-the-spot fines for anti-social behaviour in the past year, hitting yobs where it hurts - in the pocket. The law enforcers began handing out the instant penalties to over-18s in February last
RED Nose Day went down a storm across north Hampshire on Friday, with businesses, schools and individuals taking part in crazy fundraising stunts. Thousands of pounds were raised across the borough with plenty of capers. A total of £504.78 was raised
THE latest Renault Scenic introduced in 2003 has added another accolade to its impressive list by winning the "Compact MPV" category in the Auto Express Used Car Honours 2005. Renault Scenic was the first winner in its class of the Compact MPV award when
Today's Principal Arrivals: Copiapo, container, 0200, 205; CFF Seine, roro, 0530, 30; Julietta, cargo, 0730, 102; Autoprestige, roro, 1330; Nordsee, cargo, 2100, 206 Today's Principal Sailings: CFF Seine, roro, 0830, 30; Capricornus Leader, vehicle, am
MEET the new man at the helm of Southampton docks. Glasgow Rangers fan, keen golfer and father of two Douglas Morrison, 53, takes over the reins from current port director Andrew Kent on April 1. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Echo, he told of his
Sixteen league clubs set out on the road for Hampshire Gales Plate silverware late last year. But they will all sit on the sidelines on Sunday as non-league University of Southampton and Jersey United Banks battle it out for the honours. The pair, who
The Premier Division decider between Apple-more and Home James took place on Saturday, with Home James grabbing a 41-35 victory. As their league positions suggest, both teams were very strong and evenly matched, but it was the experience of the Home James
Supporters of Ampfield School have persuaded Hampshire County Council to think again about its closure. The surprise news came via a statement issued by the county at meeting on Tuesday evening, when some 70 persons attended the school to meet adjudicator
TALENTED young Winchester musicians have been showing off trophies won at music festivals across Hampshire. Pupils at Kings School brought home a clutch of silverware from competitions in Southampton and Basingstoke. Among the winners were Christopher
THIS year's Goodwood Festival of Speed promises to be yet another thriller, boosted with the introduction of a woodland special stage for rallying legends. The three-kilometre loose surface stage on the crest of the South Downs will resound to the crackle
DESIGN director Tony Allies set Angela Ganner, corporate business manager at Kings Toyota, a rather unusual challenge - to find him a car which would reconcile his religious beliefs with his high business mileage and personal lifestyle. Luckily for Angela
PLANS for a purpose-built dirt track in the New Forest's biggest town have been drawn up. Youngsters united with civic chiefs in Totton to devise a proposal for £75,000 of improvements to an existing sports complex. A planning application has been submitted
ONE of the most popular tourist areas in the New Forest has a new manager. Rachel Pearson has been appointed resident agent to the Beaulieu Estate, which includes Palace House, the National Mot-or Museum and former shipbuilding village Buckler's Hard.
UK BUSINESSES are losing international contracts because of a lack of language skills, recent research has shown. Companies are missing out on contracts, worth nearly £750million every year, in countries where English is not the main language, through
A SHATTERING blow has been dealt to recycling in the borough after a well-used glass collection point was taken away. Last year, the recycling bin in the Barley Mow car park, Oakley, was removed at the request of the pub's owners, the Spirit Group. Oakley
FLYING boats played a brief but dramatic part in Southampton's history during the 20th century, with passengers enjoying a standard of service comparable to that of the ocean liners of the era. Thanks to an Awards for All Lottery grant, the Gantry Youth
HAMPSHIRE could be in the grip of a drought in just six weeks' time. That's the warning from worried environment and water bosses who say there is a dramatic shortfall in the amount of rain in the county for this time of year. In the past three months
PASSENGERS on the Hythe Ferry have reacted with shock to news the service to Southampton may be forced to close next winter. Ferry bosses White Horse say they will not be able to keep the business afloat after that if they are made to pay soaring business
BRITAIN is heading towards a hepatitis C crisis, an expert at Southampton University has warned. Professor William Rosenburg says estimated case numbers are a "gross underestimate" and claims the NHS is facing a time-bomb of potentially fatal liver problems
AN ATTEMPT to make the centre of Tidworth more attractive by planting decorative willow trees along the River Bourne has been thwarted by vandals who snapped off five trees just a few hours after planting. The 10 feet tall trees, planted by contractors
THREE Andover teenagers had a lucky escape when the car they were travelling in was struck by a hit-and-run driver. Terry Anderson, aged 17, was left 'in complete shock' when a trip to pick up his brother and a friend resulted in his car being written
COLLINGBOURNE Ducis is formally celebrating the reopening of its village hall tomorrow when David Paterson the one remaining trustee from the original group that established the village hall trust will unveil a celebratory plaque to record the event and
SCOTTISH rockers Idlewild perform at the Guildhall in Southampton on Thursday, April 7. Idlewild have got a huge following in the USA. The band are currently in Austin, Texas, performing in the South by South West international music festival. They have
TEST Valley Bor-ough Council has drawn up contingency plans in advance of Wednes-day's planned nat-ional strike by civil servants. Members of the Public and Commer-cial Services Union voted in favour of strike action in response to the Government's proposals
ELECTRO pop rockers Plastic Toys ooze more confidence than David Beckham's left foot and they're playing the Railway Inn in Winchester on Thursday, 8pm. Support comes from the equally brilliant Entrapy and Blue Stone Suns. Contact 01962 867795 for more
A HIGHWAYS official has made a public apology for disruption caused by road works in Andover's Winchester Road. At a joint panel meeting between Hampshire county and Test Valley Borough councillors, Barry Armstrong, who oversees highway schemes in this
YOUNGSTERS were in good voice at a Swan-more nursery as they staged a sponsored singing event to raise money for charity. A week-long programme of fundraising antics has been staged at the Greenery Nursery School to mark the 12th anniversary of the group
YOUNGSTERS from Park Gate Primary School are putting the finishing touches to their costumes and stage as they gear up for a production of Scheherazade. A total of 180 pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are involved in acting, singing, dancing and scenery on
A TWO-HOUR sponsored knit-a-thon netted £150 for charity. The annual event run by Hampshire Red Cross was held in North Baddesley. The group of knitters made baby layettes that will be used in an African orphanage. Event organiser Wendy Knight MBE, a
CALLING all lads, dads and granddads - the time has come to pull on your running shoes and raise vital funds for cancer research. The Alberto Culver Run4Fun takes place at Down Grange, Basingstoke, on Wednesday, May 4. It starts at 7.30pm and men of all
THE history of cinema is littered with unforgettable screen partnerships: Bogart and Bacall, Hepburn and Tracy, Kermit and Miss Piggy. I think it's safe to assume that Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz won't be joining the hallowed pantheon any time soon.
Hitch (12a) Self-assured 'date doctor' Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens (Will Smith), helps the socially inept men of New York find love. But while helping latest client, accountant Albert Brennaman (Kevin James), Hitch falls for street-smart culture vulture Sara
