TOP stopper Max Frampton plans to make the most of a football-free festive period before assessing his options after being surprisingly dropped by Poole Town. After keeping 11 clean sheets in 21 league matches for the Wessex Premier Division leaders,
MANY Poole parents faced an unexpected drive to Keynsham after the team coach failed to turn up. The Division One club came fourth in the gala and finish 12th in a table of 18 teams. Sarah Meaker was involved in four of Poole's seven wins, including
FERNDOWN Otters are almost certainly heading for their first Speedo League national finals in May after achieving a stunning third place in the Western final at Millfield. The result also secured them third place in the Premier Division table - their
WIMBORNE Wayfarers Ladies edged to a 2-1 victory over Weymouth in tough conditions at Queen Elizabeth's. The visitors took an early lead, but Wimborne's pressure soon told and Ruth Fermor levelled matters with her first goal for the club midway through
SWANAGE and Wareham Ladies were left to rue a dose of bad luck in their 1-0 reverse against Beaminster. Lynette Thompson and Liz Lawler both hit the woodwork in the opening period, as Swans went into the break level. And despite having the bulk of the
WESSEX TeamBath are officially the top side in England. The Poole-based National Division One outfit stormed to the top of the league with victory over City of Wolverhampton. Wessex started slowly, however, as the visitors roared into a 7-1 lead thanks
PEOPLE on low incomes are being encouraged to take out mortgages they cannot afford, leaving them in debt and facing homelessness, the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has warned. The charity said dubious advice from brokers, irresponsible lending decisions
I HOLD firm to Groucho Marx's philosophy of life that says that I would never join any club that would have me as a member. Maybe I'm just getting too old for this lark, but the notion of becoming one of the Facebook millions fills me with the same kind
WHILE most of us are putting up tinsel and decorating the Christmas tree, one young Christchurch couple is facing eviction from their home this festive season. Richard Brawn, his girlfriend Rachael, their 14-month old son and two dogs may be forced to
PLANS to bulldoze a Boscombe hotel and replace it with 63 flats are set to be approved despite objections from local residents and a council conservation officer. Civic planners are being recommended to grant permission for the Fircroft hotel in Owls
SWANAGE doctors backing a campaign to save the town's day centre say its closure would cause "misery, isolation and stress" for those who rely on it. The GPs at Swanage Medical Practice have thrown their weight behind the fight for the future of the
A PENSIONER was lucky to escape serious injury after getting tangled in a rogue surf kite and dragged into a wall. Brian Phillipson was driving home along Sandbanks Road at 1pm on Saturday when the powerful kite, being used by a surfer in Poole Harbour
COUNTY fire chiefs are reeling following one of the poorest government payouts in the country - one they argue will put lives at risk. Dorset Chief Fire Officer Darran Gunter, who has written to local MPs and Fire Minister Parmjit Dhanda expressing grave
BOOGALOO seemed like the perfect name for a funky bohemian café with character. Since the unconventional café opened several months ago in Boscombe Precinct it has been frequented by everyone from students to Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson and its name
TWO poignant remembrance events have been held by Poole's Lewis-Manning Hospice as part of their Light up a Life campaign. Their first Christmas carol service took place at Wimborne Minster when the roof was raised by the voices of the Bournemouth Male
A BODY found in a Blandford river is strongly believed by police to be that of a missing woman who jumped into the water to rescue her dog. Dorset Police marine section was joined yesterday by Avon and Somerset police force's underwater search divers
Funeral For A Friend, Opera House, Boscombe THE support act Kids In Glass Houses seem somewhat confused. They are convinced they are in London, but this is quite clearly Boscombe. This is met with a baffled response from the crowd, although most still
"VICTOR Hugo on the garbage dump!" screamed the headline in the Observer on Sunday, October 9, 1985. Well, there's one theatre critic kicking himself, as 22 years later Les Misérables is still playing strong in the West End and around the world and has
Bournemouth council is set to receive £300,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to provide a long-awaited crossing over the River Stour. The crossing will enable walkers, horse-riders and cyclists to travel safely from Bournemouth to Hurn Forest and Bournemouth
SCOOTERS that could slice off a child's fingers when unfolded, toys with small bits that could choke a toddler, and fairy lights with unfused, two-pin plugs. These are a few of the items trading standards officers hope youngsters will not be finding
PARAMEDICS faced the ordeal of treating their own colleagues after an ambulance crashed on its way to a 999 call. An investigation was launched after the emergency vehicle collided with a white Ford Transit van on the B3078 Cranborne Road on Tuesday
It's official - the nation is addicted to Facebook. It will come as no surprise to many, particularly anyone who works in an office, that UK adults spend much more time on social networking sites than any of our European neighbours. An Ofcom report out
IMAGINE the scenario: It's December 25. The spuds are buttered and ready for the oven, your guests have settled down to watch the Queen's speech and you're about to put the kettle on for a cuppa when... WHOOM. The power goes. Not the most convenient
A THOUSAND fewer tankers a year will be using an East Dorset landfill site following the installation of a pioneering new treatment centre, claims the company that runs it. Sita UK says that the new £500,000 treatment plant at its Beacon Hill site in
I WENT to see the Mona Lisa last week. A visit to beautiful Paris wouldn't really be complete without nipping into the Musee du Louvre to take a look at her. The portrait, by Leonardo da Vinci, is said to be the most famous painting in the world. Certainly
CHERRIES boss Kevin Bond has received a welcome boost after securing the services of Reading trio James Henry, Alex Pearce and Scott Golbourne for the festive period. The talented teenagers, who initially joined Cherries on a month's loan at the start
Dangerous Obsession, Bournemouth Little Theatre Club ALTHOUGH I had seen this thriller some years ago I had, thankfully, forgotten how it ended, because the audience having no idea of the denouement is vital for it to really work. It is set in the luxurious
NORTH Dorset MP Robert Walter is pushing for action to ease overcrowding on trains and increase the frequency of trains for commuters. He has signed a House of Commons Early Day Motion which criticises the government for ignoring repeated requests to
A FORMER maths teacher, disabled during a freak accident at an Olympic qualifier 18 years ago, has been picked from thousands of hopefuls to wield the Olympic Torch. Wendy Morrell, who suffered a devastating brain injury when a stray discus hit her in
A step has been taken towards banishing the plastic bag and excess packaging in Poole. The Borough of Poole's local economy overview group has agreed to set up a working party involving traders from the town centre, Ashley Road and Broadstone to discuss
LYMINGTON'S new £36 million hospital has scooped a major design prize at the Building Better Healthcare Awards. The 100-bed Lymington New Forest Hospital at Ampress, which welcomed its first patients in January, beat off strong opposition and took the
ENGLAND star Kevin Pietersen today signed a new three-year contract with Hampshire Cricket. A delighted Pietersen said: "I get a really warm welcome from the Hampshire fans whenever I am down at The Rose Bowl and I look forward to that continuing in
PAUL Telfer has reluctantly decided to call time on his Cherries career after just five months. The Scotsman this week agreed to cancel the remainder of his contract at Dean Court. Telfer has struggled for form since joining Cherries at the start of
ONCE nicknamed the Whippet because of his slender frame, professional darts player Andy Fordham began to pile on the pounds after a back injury forced him to stop playing football. Downing 25 bottles of pilsner lager before each darts match did not help
ADAM Skornicki has admitted it was a "dream come true" to have signed for Pirates. The 31-year-old Pole put pen to paper yesterday and was unveiled to some of the club's main sponsors during a gathering at the Inn in the Park at Branksome last night.
LOYAL servant Neil Young has expressed his delight at returning to Dean Court and admits it would have been a "great shame" to end his Cherries career on a low. The linchpin defender was this week recalled from a loan spell with Cherries' non-league
ONE look at our front page today, along with the video footage on our website, will tell you that there can sometimes be a very thin line between replica and real. The very fact that one of the guns in question - and I have to admit that I chose the
PIRATES chief Matt Ford believes new-signing Adam Skornicki is a rider who lifts his game in a winning team. The 31-year-old Pole, owned by Wolverhampton, completed his loan move to Poole Castle Cover yesterday. Skornicki, who spent last season with
CHERRIES have parted company with QPR defender Dominic Shimmin after just 17 days at the club. The 20-year-old's loan spell has been cut short by mutual consent, although reports suggest Shimmin has been recalled by QPR. Although Shimmin trained with
A PENSIONER has been hailed a hero after saving two neighbours from a devastating flat fire. Firefighters said it was a miracle nobody died in the blaze, which gutted a ground-floor apartment in Princes Road, Ferndown, yesterday morning. Barbara Bristow
YOUR Christmas present could kill a loved one - that is the warning from Dorset armed police. "It's only a matter of time before armed officers shoot someone carrying a BB gun," the head of the tactical firearms unit told the Echo. They showed the Daily
The Wizard of Oz, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Ever since the classic 1939 movie catapulted Judy Garland to fame and a precarious future, making her the Amy Winehouse of her day, The Wizard of Oz has been an integral part of popular culture. It's
AS Cherries crashed to the foot of League One at Tranmere on Saturday, two significant results elsewhere highlighted the ponderables facing the ailing Dorset club. In Berkshire, Reading secured one of the greatest wins in their history when they lowered
NEW loan signing Lee Thomas made an immediate impact for Hamworthy United as his hat-trick saw off East Cowes Victoria. Thomas, a recent recruit from Poole Borough, earned Phil Simkin's side a place in the Wessex League Cup fourth round by netting three
PLAYER-manager Christer Warren described his Wimborne Town side's performance as "nothing special" as they comfortably beat Hythe and Dibden 4-0 in the Wessex League Cup. Striker James Stokoe bagged a brace, with Steve Whitcher and Tom Vavrecka also
ROOKIE goalkeeper Adam Tong played a starring role as Poole booked their place in the third round following a dramatic penalty shootout win at Tatnam last night. The 16-year-old stepped in at the 11th hour after Max Frampton had chosen not to cup-tie
RYAN Long's late winner earned New Milton Town a vital victory in the Wessex Premier Division relegation battle against neighbours Lymington last night. Long's strike settled the derby deservedly in Linnets' favour, according to boss Trevor Parker.
