MANY rural pubs are dying a sad and lingering death, throttled by the forces of 'progress.' In the Winchester area alone in the last decade the number is growing: The Lunways, Shearers Arms, the Dolphin, the Bugle, the Star and the Andover Arms. The reasons
JIMMY ADAMS, former captain of the West Indies, will be coaching at a Family Cricket Day at Wellow Recreation Ground on Bank Holiday Monday (May 30). The event is being organised by Wellow Cricket Club, Coaching for Greater Understanding, and the Mountbatten
PAULTONS were the winners of a rather one-sided clash between two Southern Premier Division 3 sides at Tichborne on Sunday afternoon. Paultons won the toss and elected to bat. An opening partnership of 195 between Touqeer Iqbal and Colin James ensued,
AT THE recent Hampshire Athletics Association Track and Field Championships Bradley Awuah-Peasah stormed into the record books by breaking the championship record for the U13 boys' 200m. Awuah-Peasah, a 12-year-old Mountbatten School pupil, clinched the
THERE was a major shock in the first round of the Hampshire Women's Golf Championships at Basingstoke yesterday when favourite Kerry Smith went crashing out to one of the rank outsiders. Twice champion Smith lost 2 & 1 to Alresford youngster Kelly
FORMER Hampshire bowler Heath Streak rated his match-winning performance as his best for Warwickshire. Streak, Hampshire's overseas player in 1995, took 6-31, his third haul of five wickets or more for his second county. The former Zimbabwe captain said
ARSONISTS have burned down a building used by students with learning difficulties at Queen Mary's College. The building, which contained artwork and learning equipment, was completely destroyed in the blaze on Sunday night. A total of £25,000-worth of
TRAVELLERS living on parkland in Basingstoke were served with an eviction order last week forcing them to vacate the land. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council successfully sought a court order at Basingstoke magistrates court last Thursday to remove
TWO would-be robbers who tried to wrench a cash box away from a Securicor guard in Basingstoke town centre were foiled when he fought them off. The pair struck outside the Abbey bank, Chelsea House, Festival Place, just after 9pm on Friday, May 20, as
B&Q parent company Kingfisher has denied it is planning a break-up of the business. Chief executive Gerry Murphy said the company was in it for the "long-term", despite announcing a 15.6 per cent slump in first quarter retail profits and tough trading
BRITISH American Tobacco is calling for an end to the ban on snus, a smokeless tobacco product the company claims is 90 per cent safer than smoking. BAT, which employs 1,200 people in Southampton - the tobacco giant's only UK production facility, makes
LIQUIDATORS have been taken on for a Hampshire firm that manufactured and installed windows, doors and conservatories. Carl Faulds and Robin Bacon, of Whiteley-based Portland Business & Financial Solutions, are joint liquidators of Gosport Window
TWO local teams of rugby youngsters are heading for Twickenham for the finals of their respective national tournaments. The mainstream rugby season may have finished, but the excitement goes on for Ellingham & Ringwood Under-10s, pictured, and Havant
HAMPSHIRE rugby development officer Clive Cashell is to play in the highest-ever game of tag rugby - on Mount Everest! The 47-year-old New Zealander, pictured, who plays for Hampshire Division One-bound Ellingham & Ringwood, will join a 22-strong
TOTTON'S Jimmy Dean has become a double national amateur champion. The so-called 'rebel with a cause' wrapped up back-to-back ABA novice lightweight titles with an awesome display at the Knottingley Leisure Centre in Yorkshire. Dean took on John Tallon
ROMSEY'S ancient White Horse Hotel is set for a major facelift and an important town waterway will become a feature of its new-look grounds. A specialist hotel management company - Stroud Valley Ltd - is being brought in to take over the day-to-day running
MORE than 700 people put their hearts into probably the biggest fund-raising event Romsey has ever seen when they stepped out into the sunshine at the Broadlands Estate on Sunday. Some walked and some ran, but all had the same aim. They were all taking
PLANS for a brand new day nursery in North Baddesley have been fast-tracked towards reality by Deputy PM John Prescott after a year-long planning battle. Jane Dyke, who already runs her successful Yellow Dot nurseries at Hocombe Road and North Millersdale
A ROMSEY baby arrived so quickly that he had to be delivered at home by his dad with a midwife giving instructions over the telephone. The hectic but happy event happened in the early hours of last Wednesday morning - a day after little Peter Stewart
A SPECIAL drug testing laboratory is to be set up at Winchester police station. It will handle any drugs confiscated from revellers at the 18-hour Homelands music event being held at the weekend. The festival, headlined by The Streets, is expected to
LOCALS have staged a protest outside a former Winchester pub which developers are demolishing to replace with a budget supermarket. Aldi has applied for planning permission to build a store on the site of the disused Chimneys pub in Stockbridge Road,
HIS favourite team may have been relegated but young Saints fan Rob Barlow has led his own team to victory in a national fantasy football competition. Rob, 13, from Totton, has taken the top spot in Match magazine's Megastars Fantasy League, which allows
SHE IS affectionately called "Lady Jane" by some of the poorest and most wretched people on Earth. The title recognises Jane Walker's remarkable ten-year crusade to help desperate families clinging to life in the shanty towns of the Philippines. Since
CASH strapped health chiefs are to dramatically axe all but three of Hampshire's 19 ambulance stations in a cost-cutting move. The massive restructuring move however has been condemned by union leaders as leaving rural areas in a "post code lottery.''
HUNDREDS of people took a shopping break yesterday to have a mole checked over by a skin expert - and for a handful, it could prove to be life saving. About 400 women and more than 100 men dropped into the free Mole Watch clinic at WestQuay's Marks and
OLYMPIC diving silver medallist Pete Waterfield made a splash when he opened a new family centre in Southampton. The Millbrook resident was guest of honour at the official opening of Pickles Coppice, a new purpose-built health centre, which has brought
TINSELTOWN magic sprinkled its stardust to cast a spell over Southampton, lending the city some of the glamour and glitz of a Hollywood premiere last night. Cameras flashed as showbiz celebrities strolled up the red carpet and stepped aboard Southampton's
Comedian Milton Jones is a regular at Southampton's Jongleurs. ALEX HARVEY found out what makes the funnyman tick... Milton Jones has acquired many things during his stand-up career so far; a Perrier Best Newcomer Award, a Time Out Best Comedy Performance
What's On alternative guide to the south's stage scene... THE world's greatest Bard-busters, The Reduced Shakespeare Company, are back, bringing madness and mayhem in bucketfuls to the Salisbury Playhouse on Monday. Prepare to witness all 37 Shakespeare
AN appropriately timed celebration of the 60th anniversary of VE Day comes to Hamble next week as the award-winning Hamble Players perform And a Nightingale Sang by C P Taylor. This is a refreshingly different portrait of family life during the Second
CASH strapped health chiefs are to dramatically axe all but three of Hampshire's 19 ambulance stations in a cost-cutting move. The massive restructuring move however has been condemned by union leaders as leaving rural areas in a "post code lottery.''
BEACHES across Hampshire have been recommended for their excellent water quality in the Good Beach Guide 2005 out today. More than 800 beaches in the UK were monitored for bathing water quality last year between May and September, with 427 being recommended
HUNDREDS of people took a shopping break yesterday to have a mole checked over by a skin expert - and for a handful, it could prove to be life saving. About 400 women and more than 100 men dropped into the free Mole Watch clinic at WestQuay's Marks and
THE second Test Valley Business Awards were opened to entries by legendary former England Test cricketer David Gower. David Gower, a Test Valley resident, encouraged companies to take part in the awards scheme as entrants, or as sponsors, both offering
THE Pete Doherty revolution rolls into Southampton tonight when the most talked about rock star of recent time arrives in the city to play The Joiners with his band Babyshambles before headlining at the Homelands festival in Winchester on Saturday. There
CHARLTON Lakes looks set to be closed at least until the middle of July as the Environment Agency struggles to establish why hundreds of fish died two weeks ago. The agency has been carrying out tests on the fish and the water since the catastrophe, but
What's On's ultimate guide to the south's club scene. POWER FM's dance music legend Martin Metcalf host the first of his Champagne PussyKat night's in Southampton at Bar Fruit tonight. The award winning DJ and party king has launched what can only be
SOUTHAMPTON riff drillers The Heights were meant to be headlining at The Joiners tonight alongside fellow city rockers The Rock'n'Roll Band, until a certain Mr Pete Doherty decided to bring his band along for a warm-up gig ahead of their Homelands slot
THERE will be a Hampshire Farmers' Market in Andover on 5 June from 10am until 2pm in the High Street. More than 45 stallholders will be giving shoppers the chance to sample some of the finest food and drink that Hampshire has to offer. All produce present
Your guide to the south's jazz, blues, folk, classical and alternative music scene. RISING star in the world music scene, Daby Toure appears at The Anvil in Basingstoke on Saturday, 8pm. One of the surprise hits of the last WOMAD Festival, Daby successfully
ANDOVER folk were able to show their support for their long established hospital on Saturday when the League of Friends held the annual hospital fete. The league, which is always looking for new members, helps to raise valuable funds for much needed items
PARKING wardens and eventually CCTV will be used to combat the problem of able-bodied people abusing disabled parking spaces in Andover High Street. Test Valley Borough Council leader Ian Carr told Andover Councillors' Forum the wardens will go on evening
More than 100 firefighters from across Hampshire and Wilt-shire battled a blaze at the Poplar Farm Inn, Abbotts Ann in the early hours of yesterday. It's the second time in four weeks that firemen have been called to the pub. This time, the remainder
MOUNTAIN bikers will descend on the Isle of Wight this weekend for a biking festival which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. The Wight Diamond Mountain Bike Festival runs from today until Monday at Ninham Farm, Shanklin. The weekend will be packed
HAMPSHIRE'S rising 400 metres star Robert Tobin heads for the sunshine of Spain's Costa Brava tomorrow looking to build on his solid start to the season at Loughborough last weekend. The 21-year-old Southampton University student clocked 46.29 seconds
SOUTHAMPTON teenager Nick Ball produced Britain's best performance at the European Cup of Race Walking in Miskolc, Hungary. The 17-year-old Barton Peveril student, pictured above, finished 18th in the junior men's ten-kilometre race, clocking his third-fastest
THE story of how people dug for victory in the dark days of the Second World War will be told when a new exhibition opens at Hampshire County Council's Manor Farm Museum tomorrow. The story of farming in the war years - entitled 'Turning To The Land'
TINSELTOWN magic sprinkled its stardust to cast a spell over Southampton, lending the city some of the glamour and glitz of a Hollywood premiere last night. Cameras flashed as showbiz celebrities strolled up the red carpet and stepped aboard Southampton's
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY manager Paul Sturrock continues to play down the prospect of getting one over previous employers Saints in the Coca-Cola Championship next season. Sturrock, who controversially parted company with chairman Rupert Lowe just two matches
SAINTS are hoping to tie up their first close season signing by landing exciting young winger Jason St Juste. The pacy 19-year-old left-sided midfielder is considered a hot prospect - despite having only 15 League Two appearances for Darlington to his
THIS summer, thousands of fun-seeking Britons will be heading for the sunny climes of Ibiza to guzzle the heady cocktail of sun, sea, sand and heaving nightclubs. One of the island's biggest talents is brilliant yet arrogant DJ Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye
ORIGINALLY scheduled for release late last year, Danny Boyle's charming fairy-tale seems slightly out of place, set as it is in the days leading up to Christmas. Ten-year-old Anthony Cunningham and his eight-year-old brother Damian are struggling to come
ANYTHING Arnold Schwarzenegger can do, Vin Diesel can do it better. That seems to be the message of The Pacifier, a fast-paced family comedy cut from the same cloth as the preposterous Kindergarten Cop. Not content with bulking up as America's newest
HOMEOWNERS have modernised a Victorian cottage in the hamlet of Wolverton Common. Stoke Cottage was built around 1850 and extended 25 years ago to create a three-bedroomed detached property with a family bathroom. The owners have now put it on the market
HAMPSHIRE manager Paul Terry demanded an improvement from his batsmen after his side were crushed by county champions Warwickshire. Terry's Division One table-toppers lost by ten wickets in two days at Stratford-upon-Avon after being bowled out for 184
THEY may be rare but Hampshire's three County Championship defeats under Shane Warne have all been emphatic. Last season Warne's men lost just twice - to Notts by an innings and 118 runs in two days and to Essex by 384 runs. But yesterday's ten-wicket
IT'S far too early to talk about winning championships. But Bashley (Rydal) believe that if they can beat title favourites BAT Sports at the BCG tomorrow, they could be in contention for this season's ECB Southern Electric Premier League honours. Thrilling
I AM grateful to Gazette Newspapers for letting me, your new Member of Parliament, take over this regular Wednesday column. MPs have a wide-ranging role and I hope that I can give you an idea of the things that I do and my thoughts on the issues facing
PLANS for a controversial £400,000 bus lane in Basingstoke have gone on display to the public. The scheme for a bus lane, along 230 metres of Brighton Way, is part of the larger £1.5million set of improvements planned for Brighton Hill Roundabout. These
TALENTED students at a Basingstoke college have landed a clutch of awards after competing in the final of a prestigious performing arts competition. The Year 9 and 11 pupils from Costello Technology College beat competition from thousands of youngsters
Today's Principal Arrivals: Nedlloyd Africa, container, 0030, 204; CFF Seine, ro/ro, 0445, 30; Thomson Celebration, passenger, 0500, 101; Cervantes, ro/ro, 0545, 105; Clonmore, container, 0700, 34/35; Auto Atlas, ro/ro, 0930, 40; Le Castellet, ro/ro,
EXCLUSIVE mineral water supplier Hildon, which has its bottling factory nestling in the chalk hills of Hampshire and is drunk by the prime minister Tony Blair, pictured, has seen a specialised marketing drive reap results. Hildon, which employs 85 people
MATTHEW BARNEY fears it might not be possible to finally shut the mouth of arch-rival Carl Froch - because he won't be able to miss the British and Commonwealth champion's sizeable nose! The duo have been trading insults over much of the past year and
SOUTHAMPTON fight fans are going to be treated to a south-coast boxing bonanza next month when SIX of the region's leading professionals all fight on the same Guildhall show. Topping the bill on June 26 will be Lordshill heavyweight Colin Kenna, in a
TEST Valley's weekly household rubbish collections could be axed in an attempt to meet government and European recycling targets. Consultants are carrying out an a review of the borough's waste collection services and the cabinet is expected to analyse
HEALTH chiefs are worried by delays in completing a new treatment centre at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. The £11m centre, which will mainly cater for day patients, has been beset by chronic problems. The project was late in starting
THE SLEEK new Porsche Cayman S will go on sale here in November priced from just £43,930 including VAT, and standard equipment will include leather interior and top tinted windscreen. This sporty two-seater to slot in between the Boxster (priced from
JAGUAR has achieved a remarkable and much-needed success in the latest JD Power and Associates Initial Quality Study just published in the United States. This major achievement for Jaguar was led by its best performing model, the X-Type saloon, which
WHEN you are good at your job and winning the right rewards you are likely to choose a car reflecting your success and individuality as well as bringing the right technological trimmings. Among the prestige badges, one that stands out for a tradition
PROTON has introduced an enhanced Impian into the current Proton range. This updated and refreshed four-door saloon offers customers the following benefits: air conditioning with pollen filters anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control 16in alloy wheels
LAST weekend saw the first overall race win for the Mazda RX-8 team in the Production S1 series of endurance races at Natasha Firman's home circuit of Snetterton in Norfolk. The car, in its new livery - a copy of the most famous Mazda endurance racing
UK drivers are less likely to enjoy driving fast, less likely to have had a speeding ticket and less likely to have made a mobile call from their car than most of their continental neighbours, according to European research highlighted by the RAC Foundation
DETECTIVES investigating an armed raid at the Little Chef in the New Forest have made a fresh appeal for witnesses. Three members of staff were tied up after masked raiders burst into the 100-seater restaurant alongside the A31 at Picket Post near Ringwood
CHILDREN at a Waterside nursery and pre-school enjoyed a Worzel Gummidge-style tale about an ill-fated scarecrow. Members of The Kindergarten at Fawley heard all about the misfortunes suffered by Scratchy when he attempted to behave like a human. The
ABOUT 200 passengers on board the luxury P&O cruise ship Oceana are stuck in their cabins today after a suspected outbreak of the Norwalk virus. The 77,499-tonne vessel left from Southampton on May 19 and was on a 17-night cruise around the Mediterranean
CELEBRITY gardener Charlie Dimmock will say an emotional farewell to her mother and stepfather at a funeral service in Hampshire planned for next month. Charlie and her family have organised the service for Sue and Robert Kennedy at Romsey Abbey, near
TROUBLED singer Pete Doherty stole the limelight at the Ivor Novello awards, just 24 hours before performing in Southampton. Pete and his band Babyshambles are due to play The Joiners tonight, with Doherty accompanied by supermodel girlfriend Kate Moss
BUS bosses in Hampshire believe the answer to cutting the amount of toxic emissions produced by their vehicles may lie in the humble sheep. Pioneering trials are under way in the county to power a specially adapted bus with sheep's urine. Stagecoach South
BEACHES across Hampshire have been recommended for their excellent water quality in the Good Beach Guide 2005 out today. More than 800 beaches in the UK were monitored for bathing water quality last year between May and September, with 427 being recommended
Hungry for some laughs? What's On gives you the definitive line-up of the best comedy in the south this week... HE'S feared by Parliament more than George Galloway dressed in a Batman suit waving a Father's 4 Justice banner and he's performing live at
THE brilliant West End classic Blood Brothers opens at the Lighthouse in Poole on Monday. Hailed by critics as the greatest musical of the decade, this international smash hit has triumphed around the world. Scooping no less than four awards for Best
What's on in the south this week... THE Southampton Stage Dance Festival opens today with hundreds of local dancers competing in daily competition in a week long event to find the best performers in the south. The event runs until next Friday and is being
THE wife of critically ill football fan Jamie Turner has spoken from her husband's bedside at Southampton General Hospital to make another heartfelt appeal for his attackers to come forward. Karen Turner's 45-year-old husband was beaten with a baseball
PLANS to charge drivers to park in Southampton's district shopping centre car parks have been given the green light by city transport chiefs. The new charges are due to come into force in January next year and will see motorists paying £5 if they leave
A PIONEERING £1m detector van is set to revolutionise the way that transport bosses in Southampton repair the city's roads. The Canadian-designed machine - one of only three in the country - has been hired by city chiefs and will survey the state of repair
CELEBRITY gardener Charlie Dimmock will say an emotional farewell to her mother and stepfather at a funeral service in Hampshire planned for next month. Charlie and her family have organised the service for Sue and Robert Kennedy at Romsey Abbey, near
BUS bosses in Hampshire believe the answer to cutting the amount of toxic emissions produced by their vehicles may lie in the humble sheep. Pioneering trials are under way in the county to power a specially adapted bus with sheep's urine. Stagecoach South
OLYMPIC diving silver medallist Pete Waterfield made a splash when he opened a new family centre in Southampton. The Millbrook resident was guest of honour at the official opening of Pickles Coppice, a new purpose-built health centre, which has brought
Southampton DJ James Zabiela is one of the country's biggest underground dance music stars and a firm favourite with revellers at Homelands. NOEL DAVIES met up with the Woolston-born DJ ahead of his set at tomorrow's festival... JAMES Zabiela is a nerd
STAFF and members of the public clashed angrily with health chiefs on Wednesday over proposals to close 22 beds on Nightingale Ward at Andover War Memorial Hospital. The proposed cuts - which will now form the basis of consultation - are part of the first
FORMER Westlife singer Brian McFadden plays his first solo gig in the south on Tuesday at the Guildhall in Portsmouth. Wil Marlow talked to the star about life in the pop world on his own... IT'S been a year of mixed fortunes for Brian McFadden. Last
ANDOVER is to get its first fully licensed sex shop despite a flood of objections from disgruntled neighbours. A total of 32 individual objections were received by Test Valley Borough Council as well as a 20 name petition complaining that pornography
What's on in the south this month. BRITPOP favourites Supergrass headline at the Pyramid Centre in Portsmouth on Sunday. Back in 1994 when British music was as stagment as dish water, the Oxford trio released their debut album Caught by the Fuzz and quickly
FIREFIGHTERS from Andover and Ludgershall were among those called on to fight a major blaze to thatched properties in Wiltshire on Sunday night. At one stage more than 100 firefighters were tackling the blaze at East Grafton, two miles north of Collingbourne
MORE attention needs to be focused on Andover's rich and eventful past if the town is to get itself on the map in future, Andover councillors have suggested. Former borough council employee John Barrell, raised the topic at a meeting of Andover Councillors
ORGANISERS of the Hatherden Summer Fete say the show proved to be a real success for the community on Saturday. "We would like to thank everybody who turned out to help, those who attended and our sponsors," said fete committee member Catherine Morton
ANDOVER is thought to be the third town in Hampshire to get a 'Discovery Centre' which will open up a whole new world of learning and possibilities in the town. At a meeting of Andover Councillors' Forum Test Valley Borough Council leader Ian Carr said
SEA Britain and Trafalgar 200 events explode into life at Fareham's Fort Nelson this weekend, with a fictional battle on Portsdown Hill. As 2005 marks the 200th anniversary of Nelson's famous victory over the French and Spanish fleets, actors from the
THE mother of a little girl who was knocked over in Whiteley has spoken in the hope that a new crossing warden will be found to man the busy road. Rachel Meill watched helplessly as daughter Alex walked into Yew Tree Drive and was struck a car last October
A NEW state-of-the-art, customer service centre should be up and running at the civic offices in Fareham this year. Council bosses are pushing ahead with a project that will see a one-stop shop built on the ground floor of the council offices in Civic
COACH Todd Bennett always feared that Team Southampton's exciting 400 metres hurdles prospect Emma Duck would have an iffy race sooner or later. That moment came in last weekend's Loughborough International when the 24-year-old from Townhill Park played
A MALE crew member on Southampton's luxury liner Queen Elizabeth 2 is in police custody after an alleged serious sex attack on the ship. In a short statement today owners Cunard said: "We can confirm that on Wednesday May 25, a male crew member of Queen
ABOUT 200 passengers on board the luxury P&O cruise ship Oceana are stuck in their cabins today after a suspected outbreak of the Norwalk virus. The 77,499-tonne vessel left from Southampton on May 19 and was on a 17-night cruise around the Mediterranean
SAINTS target Jason St Juste is a product of Simon Clifford's revolutionary Brazilian Soccer School. Clifford is the Teeside primary school teacher who fell so in love with Brazilian football that he jacked in his job to set up his soccer schools with
STEVE WIGLEY admitted Saints' "bitter blow" of relegation made him decide the time was right to leave St Mary's for the second time in six months. As reported in later editions of yesterday's Echo, the 43-year-old has stepped back up to the Premiership
HOMEOWNERS have modernised a Victorian cottage in the hamlet of Wolverton Common. Stoke Cottage was built around 1850 and extended 25 years ago to create a three-bedroomed detached property with a family bathroom. The owners have now put it on the market
SHERFIELD Oaks professional Richard Lewington had his hands full dealing with the 75-plus children who attended the Young Masters Golf programme taster held at the 36-hole complex last Friday afternoon. But he took it in his stride to introduce many new
HOLLYWOOD continues to pillage the vaults with this teen-friendly new version of the cult 1953 horror-thriller starring Vincent Price, the first feature produced by a major studio in glorious 3-D. Sadly, Jaume Collet-Serra's bloodthirsty take on House
What's On looks at the arthouse films on local screens... THE Lighthouse in Poole has three very different, but equally brilliant films on offer from today for filmgoers to enjoy. Hotel Rwanda (12A), directed by Terry George, is the first mainstream film
Which films were top at the box office this week. 1. STAR WARS 3: REVENGE OF THE SITH (12A): The final piece of the Star Wars puzzle slots neatly into place, a dark and emotionally intense chapter concentrating on the fall of Anakin Skywalker and his
