Stories for 31 October 2003
Bournemouth Cherries
Make or Break!
BOSS Sean O'Driscoll believes Cherries' pioneering Playershare scheme will "undoubtedly be the difference between success and failure" this season. more...
Flu bug threat to team
MANAGER Sean O'Driscoll's wafer-thin Cherries squad could be further stretched by a flu bug which is threatening to hit the camp. more...
Striker set for Cherries trial
CHERRIES have invited freed Ipswich Town striker Matthew Robinson to spend a week on trial at Dean Court. more...
Bournemouth Columnist
Tories sport few reserves
YOU know, there are a lot of similarities between the Conservative Party and dear old Tottenham Hotspur. more...
Bournemouth Leisure
With The Sound Of The Sea - Charlotte Fairbairn (Hodder) £10
SAMUEL'S Bay is the main setting in Athene Brown's early life. more...
Safe Harbour - Danielle Steele (Bantam Press) £17
Eleven-year-old Pip, spending summer on a beach, watches her mother Ophelie grieve over the loss of her husband and son. more...
The Water's Edge - Louise Tondeur (Review) £6.99
Thirteen-year-old Rice, having lost her mother, washes up at a Bournemouth hotel, The Water's Edge. more...
Seabiscuit (PG)
BASED on a true story, this little charmer of a movie provides something of an antidote for all those tender souls whose sensibilities are reeling from the onslaught of blood and gore emanating from cinema screens over the last couple of weeks. more...
Holes (PG)
SIGOURNEY Weaver, Jon Voight and Tim Blake Nelson add the steadying adult hands to this excellent family film that seems to understand what it is to be a kid. more...
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
WHEN Tobe Hooper made his seminal slasher The Texas Chainsaw Massacre way back in 1974, his budget was miniscule, not even stretching to $150,000. more...
Film Club (31.10)
THE Daily Echo Film Club in conjunction with UCI offers Echo readers the chance to enjoy top movies at a cut price every week at UCI. more...
Last night of festival (31 Oct)
THE PURBECK FILM FESTIVAL showing movie classics and favourites at a variety of venues closes tonight. Here's the final day's programme. more...
The Matrix Revolutions (15) preview
THE Matrix Reloaded ended on a tantalising cliff-hanger which is speedily resolved at the beginning of this third film. more...
Bournemouth News
Package travel hit by `uncertain times'
PACKAGE holiday bookings for next summer are 30 per cent down as consumers face a hike in prices of nearly 20 per cent. more...
Ghostly Echo
IT is not unusual for staff to be coming and going from the Daily Echo's head office in Bournemouth at strange times. more...
Plan to save golden sands
PLANS for a multi-million pound sea defence system to protect Bournemouth and Poole's beaches from erosion have been outlined. more...
Gulf war heroes honoured
SERVICEMEN and women from Dorset and Hampshire are well represented among those being honoured today for their courage during the recent hostilities in Iraq. more...
Hospital rapped over man's `hip op'
A KNEE and a hip - it doesn't take a surgeon to decipher which one is which but at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital there appears to be some confusion. more...
Parents help Dragons to fight another day
PARENT power has helped to save a popular after-school club, which was set to close its doors today. more...
Road works chaos is coming our Way
TRAFFIC chaos is on the cards because of plans to dig up Bournemouth's Wessex Way during the daytime after Christmas. more...
Enough to drive a man to drink!
RECEIVING a police letter telling you your son has been caught under-age drinking is a nasty surprise for any parent. But for William Davies it was a real shock. more...
Do it yourself!
JUST three minutes help is all frail war pensioner Ron Newton is entitled to receive. more...
Bournemouth Pirates
Poole to be talk of town
PIRATES chief Matt Ford hopes their 2003 treble-winning team will go down in folklore as much as the club's much-loved pioneering 1969 British League champions. more...
Poole to be talk of town
PIRATES chief Matt Ford hopes their 2003 treble-winning team will go down in folklore as much as the club's much-loved pioneering 1969 British League champions. more...
Bournemouth Sport
Bowers' brace of Purbeck victories
Bournemouth's cycle-cross champion Stuart Bowers takes on the country's top riders again in the third round of the National Trophy series at Ipswich on Sunday (2 Nov). more...
Bridport Bridport
£1million store plan creates 15 new jobs
SOMERFIELD is investing more than a million pounds in its Bridport store creating 15 new jobs. more...
Garden footpath put back on map
A GOVERNMENT Inspector has decided a footpath in West Bay missing from the definitive map is to be put back on it. more...
Homes plan for West Bay garage site
PLANS to demolish West Bay's Harbour Garage to make way for a major new housing development have been welcomed by town councillors. more...
Multi-storey car park row
RENEWED calls for a multi-storey car park in the centre of Bridport this week sparked a fresh row over how to tackle the town¡¦s growing traffic problems. more...
Neighbours jailed after police fracas
TWO Bridport neighbours have been jailed after a police officer was kicked during a row. more...
Topsy Ann's parting gift
THE final chapter in the eventful history of the Topsy Ann motor launch was written on Tuesday when the profits from her sale were presented to three maritime organisations. more...
Plan for "starter homes" opposed
A STARTER homes development at Bridport is being opposed by town councillors. more...
Battle for Eype Down looming
EMOTIONS are running high in Eype since the new owner of Eype Down has applied to put up fences around what villagers have come to think of as their common land. more...
East Dorset News
Councillors rubbish waste facility plans
EAST Dorset councillors have objected to county council plans to place a controversial waste treatment facility near residents in Ferndown. more...
Lyme Regis Lyme
Skate group formed
RESIDENTS in Charmouth have formed a steering group to raise funds for a skateboard park in the village. Parish councillor Hilary Cleden - chairman of the playing field and cemetery committee - says the group wants to raise around £20,000 for an area of hard standing at the playing field. Coun Cleden said: "We very much want to increase the facilities for youngsters." Coun Cleden said the area would also be a space for other activities such as volleyball, basketball and possibly tennis. The steering group, led by parent Jane Morrow, is looking in to possible grants and finding out about the necessary equipment. Coun Cleden told the News: "People grumble about petty crime, but you have to give the young people something to do." more...
Council blasted over affordable housing
LYME Regis town council should be doing more about affordable housing, or it might as well tell youngsters they haven't got a chance. That's the view of councillor Stan Williams, who was firing on all cylinders at Wednesday's town council meeting after a recent break. He said: "It is the most important issue in this town and we should be asking for meetings and doing something about it!" Coun Williams said the town council should be meeting with the district council and talking about social housing. Coun Ken Meech, who is also a district councillor, said the responsibility for providing social and affordable housing lay with the housing associations and not the district council per se. But Coun Williams said this was passing the buck. "So what are we going to do?" he said, "do you really believe we we're going to get the 69 or whatever affordable houses we're supposed to be getting? From what you're telling me, we should all pack up and go home." Coun Owen Lovell, also a district councillor, said: "The main money will come from regional housing associations. It's not as simple as you are saying. The district are doing all they can but the government is holding all the funding." Coun Meech said he had asked Coun Williams two years ago, to conduct a housing survey on behalf of the town council, "but he failed to do that, and now he's pointing the finger at us." Coun Lovell said the district council was waiting for legislation to go through that would allow them to charge up to 90 percent council tax on second homes. more...
Gimme shelter, say town's women
PLENTY of women in Lyme Regis would jump at the chance of cleaning a bus shelter for £25, town councillor Nigel Clarke assured the council on Wednesday. "After all, it's just a shelter, not rocket science" he said. Coun Clarke made the suggestion while councillors were discussing the cleaning of the town's bus shelters. Town clerk Mike Lewis suggested to the council that cleaning the shelters was becoming too difficult for town council staff. The shelter at Cobb gate was difficult to access and the council lacked the proper equipment. With the Charmouth Road shelter and the possibility of another in King's Way soon, he felt the job should be contracted to the cleaners employed by the county council, which would cost £25 per shelter, per month. But Coun Clarke felt the job should be offered to someone in Lyme Regis, saying that for £25 , a lot of women in the town would jump at the chance. Councillors agreed to budget for cleaning and invite tenders, and for painting the bus shelters black, to match the new street lamps. more...
Risk of death in town cemetery
LYME Regis town council is stepping up its maintenance of the town cemetery amid fears that collapsing memorials could cause injuries or even death. The council has formed a working party of councillors who will visit the cemetery regularly to record all grave markers that need urgent attention or need monitoring. The council is also trying to contact relatives of those whose grave stones are in need of repair and wants to put £5000 in the budget to pay for maintenance when families cannot be traced. Town clerk Mike Lewis said on Wednesday; "Safety measures are taking place. We are making endeavours to contact family members. This is really an on going process and will be an ongoing job for several years." The move comes after Coun Ken Whetlor attended a meeting about health and safety in cemeteries. He learnt that in the last ten years there have been five deaths recorded in the UK that can be directly attributed to collapsing memorials, usually the result of children playing in and around the stones. He recommended to the council that it should do all it could to protect the public and its staff from possible injury. Staff warned that the cemetery surface had become increasingly uneven with individual graves subsidising, and ground movement pulling many of the graves apart. Town clerk Mike Lewis said the council staff had been doing remedial works on many of the headstones for some time now, but it was often difficult to trace families of those buried in the cemetery. Coun Peter Williams suggested a simple "push-test" could tell whether the memorials were unsafe , and those that were should be laid down flat. But Mr Lewis said: "It's not as simple as that. It is a very sensitive thing to do, to lay them down." Mr Lewis said the council had resolved a to bury new headstones deeper in the ground. Old ones had simply been concreted to a plinth which made them unstable. He said: "The townspeople are generally pleased with the conditions of the cemetery as measured against some of the neighbouring ones where such a high level of care is not maintained." more...
Mast has to go, says golf club
A CONTROVERSIAL Tetra mast has been bunkered by Lyme Regis golf club after its members voted to have it removed. The club resolved not to extend permission for the mast to stay in a secret ballot at the AGM last Thursday. Club member Brian Thornber said: "Along with many other members and as a resident of Lyme Regis, I'm very pleased it's been turned down." The 60ft high TETRA mast went up at the club in April, for what was supposed to be a six month trial period. Many club members and nearby residents were incensed because they had not been consulted by the golf club's management beforehand. The TETRA scheme had attracted controversy nation-wide as 3000 of the masts, or base stations, were rolled out as part of Airwave's scheme to provide a high level of radio coverage for the emergency services. People were concerned over the health risks posed by the masts with protestors maintaining that the radiation from TETRA masts is more dangerous than that from mobile phones, because of a higher power output. Members were further angered when the district council granted retrospective planning permission for the mast, which meant it would be there until April 2004 at least. But now that members have had their say, the mast will have to be dismantled as soon as possible. Club chairman Ian Hobson told the News in April that the club would benefit financially from the mast for an undisclosed sum - thought to be around £6,000. He was unavailable for comment this week, but said at the time he thought the mast was for the benefit of the community and complied with all the relevant guidelines. Mr Thornber said it was a question of the perceived dangers of Tetra masts which worried people, adding: "We are concerned at the proliferation of masts everywhere, not just at the golf club." At the same meeting, members also voted in favour of a resolution that in the future, should the golf club be approached by other mast owners, the club must consult members first. more...
New Forest News
Forest network helping to care for young homeless
YOUNG people in the New Forest who find themselves homeless and in need of a bed for the night can find an open door at a network of Nightstop voluntary host families across the district. more...
North Dorset News
MP tilts at wind farms bid after `bad answer'
MP ROBERT Walter has vowed to fight on against wind farms being built in his North Dorset constituency after crossing swords with a minister in Parliament. more...
Purbeck News
Residents complain of shooting school noise
A CLAY pigeon shooting school in Purbeck has come under fire from local residents complaining about noise. more...
Weymouth News
New debate over parking
RENEWED calls for a multi-storey car park in the centre of Bridport sparked fresh controversy over how to tackle the town's growing traffic problems this week. more...
Garage demolition plan is welcomed
PLANS to demolish West Bay's Harbour Garage to make way for a major new housing development were welcomed by town councillors this week. more...
Store to create 15 new jobs
SOMERFIELD is investing more than £1million in its Bridport supermarket creating 15 new jobs. more...
Farmers fear county will lose dairy cows
FARMERS in Dorset are making a stand against national supermarket chains after fears the dairy industry could disappear from the county. more...
Brave youngsters who have hearts of gold
A BROTHER and sister have repaid a debt of gratitude - handing over more than £800 in vital funds after beating a killer heart condition. more...
Ben's a retriever
BEN the collie just hates litter - and he's on a mission to clean up the town. more...
Free entry to county museum
DORSET County Museum is throwing open its doors on Sunday to offer visitors a day of free activities more...
Garden team really dig their new look
VOLUNTEER gardeners are digging for success after getting a new image. more...
Merger is on cards for cancer charities
TWO leading Dorset cancer charities are in discussions which could see them merge. more...
Our atomic kittens
ABANDONED kittens have been melting hearts at a veterinary practice. more...
Hallowe'en calls for blood
HALLOWE'EN fiends will be asking people for a bit of blood today - for the National Health Service. more...
Volunteer drivers step forward for pensioners
PENSIONERS who appealed in the Echo for help have been thrown a lifeline. more...
Gymnast Laura, 13, is picked for Britain
A DORCHESTER athlete has been selected to represent Great Britain in an international competition. more...
Roman remains will be probed
PARKING restrictions will be imposed in Dorchester next month while investigations are carried out into condition of a part of the town's Roman heritage. more...
Cash pledge for Dorset education
EDUCATION chiefs have welcomed the pledge of a cash boost for Dorset schools. more...
Hettie nurses a scorching ambition
PSYCHIATRIC nurse Hettie Harrower is set to take on the Sahara desert to help cancer sufferers. more...
Campaigners urged to join million-signature protest
CAMPAIGNERS braved the rain last night to back calls to axe the tax. more...
10 per cent maximum tax increase
TAX RISES in Weymouth and Portland next year will be below 10 per cent. more...
Readers' letters
FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON MY LITTLE BUS RIDE more...
Stefan to stay on ward for now
Stefan Savic will not be visiting Weymouth today as originally planned. more...
Dorset heroes in Iraq conflict are honoured
ARMED SERVICEMEN across Dorset have been honoured for their part in the war in Iraq. more...
Drugs ring is busted by police
POLICE have cracked a Weymouth-Guernsey drugs ring. more...
CAR PARKING FEES ROCKET
CAR park charges are set to soar again. more...
Weymouth Sport
MAGPIES VICE CHAIRMAN MILLER TAKES BACK SEAT
DORCHESTER FC director Keith Miller has stood down as the club's vice-chairman because of work commitments. more...
HARVEY'S KNOCKOUT FINISH FOR WEYMOUTH
EXPLOSIVE Joseph Harvey may have thrown his last punch for Weymouth Amateur Boxing Club. more...
COME ON ! MAKE SOME NOISE
STEVE Claridge says Weymouth's FA Trophy home clash with Merthyr Tydfil is `huge' for the club. more...
HOT-SHOT KEELER BACK TO FACE EAST ENDERS
MAGPIES hot-shot Justin Keeler is expected to return to the starting line-up as Dorchester break new ground with an FA Trophy trip to Leyton in London's East End tomorrow. more...
CONNING : THE TALKING'S OVER - LET'S GET GOING
PETE Conning admits he cannot wait to take his bow as Portland United's new manager tomorrow. more...
NEW STAND AND A NEW ERA FOR BEES
BRIDPORT kick off a new era both on and off the pitch tomorrow when Paulton Rovers are the visitors in the Screwfix Direct Premier Division (kick-off 3pm). more...
MAGPIES INTO THE UNKNOWN
DORCHESTER Reserves boss Phil Simkin admits he does not know quite what to expect when unpredictable Cobham Sports visit the Avenue Stadium in the Dorset Premier League tomorrow. more...
CUP ROLES REVERSED
THERE'S a role reversal for Dorset Premier League newcomers Dorchester United who find themselves in the position of favourites when they travel to Cranborne tomorrow to take on the Dorset Senior League side in the second round of the Dorset Senior Cup. more...
IT'S CRUNCH TIME FOR SOUTHERN COUNTIES
THE Rugby Football Union's fixture computer has thrown up two games this weekend that could go a long way to deciding the destination of the Powergen Southern Counties South championship trophy. more...
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