WHY so glum about the expenses crisis engulfing Westminster? Every cloud has a silver lining, after all. Think what a dire state the economy would be in, for example, had so many of our glorious leaders not been snuffling away in the trough, buying
A PENSIONER from Christchurch is astonished at being charged £26 for going less than a pound over her arranged overdraft. Josephine Fletcher, 63, has been a customer of Natwest for 20 years but was shocked to discover she had been charged the standard
CONTRACTS have been signed for the redevelopment of Gillingham’s leisure centre. District and community leaders have put pen to paper on a £6 million project to redevelop the dated Hardings Lane facility as a joint community and leisure facility.
CALLOUS vandals have struck again at a Christchurch allotment, beating to death 18 chickens over the weekend. This is the latest attack at the Roeshot Hill Allotments in Lyndhurst Road over the past six weeks with sheds being broken into, possessions
DORSET Police have released an E-fit likeness of a man they are seeking following an attempted burglary on Crookhays in Shaftesbury. At 11.45am on Wednesday, a man posing as a water board official tricked his way into the home of the 73-year-old
The world’s most prestigious plant parade, the Chelsea Flower Show, officially opens to the public today. The Queen and senior royals toured Royal Hospital, Chelsea, yesterday while exhibitors put the finishing touches to the 42 gardens and
A “LAST ditch attempt” is to be made to postpone a road closure that will divert traffic near a primary school in a tiny North Dorset village. Community leaders in Hazelbury Bryan will come face-to-face with County Hall highways chiefs on Friday
MICK Taylor knows a thing or two about pressure – his first gig with The Rolling Stones was 40 years ago this summer in front of 250,000 people at the famous Hyde Park memorial show for Brian Jones, whose place in the band he had just taken. Four years
IT is a movement famously started in the county and now an adventurer with Dorset links has become its chief. Action man Bear Grylls, 34, has become the youngest ever Chief Scout and there couldn’t be a man better suited to the job.
HOLT United boss Wayne Jerome believes youthful exuberance has kept his side going right until the end of the season. The Bulls triumphed 3-0 at home to Dorset Premier League rivals Westland Sports in their final home game on Saturday.
COUNTING Crows have pulled out of their BIC gig tonight. The decision to postpone the show was made soon after lunch as singer Adam Duritz is “unwell”. It’s the second time the show has been postponed after the band delayed their entire
A WINDING-up petition issued against AFC Bournemouth Limited remains in place following a court hearing earlier today. It was lodged in March by Lees Lloyd Whitley Solicitors on behalf of PCA Events Limited, the company involved in helping
TOURIST chiefs in Dorset are already hoping for a boom summer with recession-hit holiday-makers choosing to stay in Britain rather than travel abroad. Long-term weather forecasts are also painting a rosy picture for seaside resorts like Bournemouth
PIRATES chief Matt Ford has confirmed the Dorset club are leading the race to secure Hans Andersen’s signature. Ford is hoping to bring the Danish star to Wimborne Road in order to boost Poole Castle Cover’s flagging play-off hopes. He told the club
Si Crockett from Bournemouth has been offered an opportunity of grabbing a recording deal as a wildcard entry to the National Grand Final of Live and Unsigned. Si Crockett will be up for a national public vote after he just missed out on an automatic
SCHOOL children in Blandford will swap school uniform for sports kit on Thursday (21) in a bid to highlight the plight of the town’s threatened leisure centre. Students at schools in the Blandford Schools Network are all taking part in the
TOM Killick has moved quickly to bolster his Poole Town squad in the wake of Jason Harvell’s shock departure. Although he is still searching for a keeper to fill the gap left by Harvell, the Dolphins boss has secured the services of talented left-sided
AS the saying goes, there’s no place like home. For Air Traffic this certainly rings true ahead of their homecoming gig at V (formerly Landmarc) on June 17. The indie pop rockers are currently recording their long-awaited second album and will
A DRIVER was rushed to hospital with suspected back injures on Monday morning following a three car crash in Poole. The driver was taken to Poole Hospital after the 8.40am smash in Stanley Green Road, between Palmer Road and Sterte Road.
National Vegetarian Week is an opportunity to experiment with a variety of ingredients that we might not usually think of using. Here are some more recipes to try. Tofu Kebabs with a Mustard Mayonnaise Dressing Serves 4 250g/9oz regular tofu,
From cherry to sundried to plum, the tomato is a key ingredient to add flavour to a whole variety of dishes, ranging from simple cous cous to Italian pastas. As well as their distinctive flavour, tomatoes are one of the most powerful antioxidants
TIMES are hard in many ways, but it’s not all bad news. At the refurbished and recently re-opened Neptune Harvester in Boscombe, for example, they’ve cut the prices on all main-course meals, and it seems to be doing the trick, as they were doing
National Vegetarian Week, which starts today, is not only an excuse to embrace all that is vegetarian, but also an opportunity to experiment with a variety of ingredients that we might not usually think of using in our daily repertoire. So why not join
As a hardened omnivore, I'll be the first to admit that vegetarian wines sound like something Neil would try brewing in The Young Ones. But Vegetarian Week (May 18-24) is a good time to look at what makes wine fit the vegetarian bill.
AS Britain’s new queen of the silver screen, Tess Street is very much Top Gun. But growing up in Bournemouth she never dreamed that one day she’d be rubbing shoulders with royalty and rolling out the red carpet for Hollywood A-listers.
THAT was odd. Christchurch MP Chris Chope’s Employment Opportunities Bill, which would effectively abolish the minimum wage, was listed to be debated last Friday. But he pulled it at short
THE tragic death of their baby son has prompted a Bournemouth couple to raise money for the hospital that cared for him. Seth Staples was just 24 days old when he passed away in December due to a massive bleed on his brain. His parents
CUTTING speed limits from 70mph will not reduce the number of injury accidents on the A31 near Ringwood, claims the Highways Agency. Instead the agency is to launch a driver education scheme later this year and is looking into putting up speed-activated
CANDLES were lit and a two-minute silence held by homeless people and volunteers to remember Big Issue seller Ralph Millward – just a week after the 41-year-old’s battered body was found in Bournemouth. A roadside shrine of flowers and messages
A DWINDLING group of veterans will cross the channel for the 65th anniversary of D-Day – but one Swanage man will never join them. Dave Squirrell does not want to remember some of the things he saw that day. “It stirs your memory up too much,” said
A BID to redevelop the former B&Q site in Bournemouth looks set to succeed at the second attempt. The new proposals for the rundown, derelict site will go before the council’s planning committee tonight, when officers will recommend they are granted.
A MULTI-million pound revamp of a major retail park could bring thousands of shoppers flocking to Poole. Four retail giants and a luxury gym are moving into a commerce centre at Branksome, creating hundreds of jobs. Last week John Lewis
VICTORIOUS Lee James has dedicated his fifth European Challenge Tour title to his dad Les after winning this weekend’s event in France. The 36-year-old won the Allianz Open Côtes d’Armor Bretagne after a dramatic play-off victory over German
CHERRIES assistant boss Jason Tindall believes cash-strapped Weymouth would be foolish not to offer the vacant managerial post at the Wessex Stadium to his close friend Marcus Browning. Tindall took charge of Weymouth following the club’s previous financial
Review: Funnybone comedy club at the Centre Stage Sporting a hairdo reminiscent of Kevin Keegan’s nineties perm, Maff Brown couldn’t resist making himself the butt of his jokes. The first act kicked things off with a witticism about his
AS the saying goes, there’s no place like home. For Air Traffic this certainly rings true ahead of their homecoming gig at V (formerly Landmarc) on June 17. The indie pop rockers are currently recording their long-awaited second album and will be dropping
BUS-USERS in Burton and Christchurch will soon be hopping on board improved services following Wilts & Dorset’s decision to axe some of their routes in the area. Christchurch Borough Council and Dorset County Council have worked in partnership to thrash
“IT’S grim out there” – that’s the verdict of one Tory MP who has faced the wrath of voters and gone out canvassing amid the expenses scandal. Desmond Swayne, New Forest West MP, said the public’s anger was entirely justified but admitted it
A DORSET MP has come under fire for a last-minute “pull” of his controversial bill, which sought to give people the right to work for less than the minimum wage. In a week when MPs sparked public fury with their expenses claims, Christchurch
PIRATES have approached Antonio Lindback with a desperate SOS for help. But Wimborne Road chief Matt Ford believes the struggling club’s fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high of a Rio Rocket return. Ford said: “I have contacted Tony Rickardsson
CHERRIES boss Eddie Howe is poised to reward youth team pair Steve Hutchings and George Webb with their first professional contracts. Striker Hutchings and midfielder Webb are both expected to be offered initial three-month deals after impressing Howe
FUZZY the dog had a lucky escape after he was rescued from the River Stour by firefighters. It’s believed the nine-year-old Jack Russell cross Patterdale dog had been in the water for over an hour before the alarm was raised at 7.20am on Saturday
5 years ago: The Shrouds – The Old Firestation, Bournemouth (20.5.04): Local student band who went on tour to France. Don Williams – BIC (22.5.04). George Benson – BIC (23.5.04). 10 years ago: Kenny Rogers – BIC
