Archive
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Leaked memo casts doubt over Ford site
A HUGE question mark has today been thrown over the future of Southampton’s giant Ford plant, warn union bosses. They say a top secret company document leaked to the Daily Echo shows the plant may be being earmarked for closure. The confidential
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Home-made explosives found in car
WORKERS had to be evacuated and roads were closed today after a vehicle containing what appeared to be home-made explosives was found. Police asked staff to leave local premises following a report of what they believed was home-made fireworks
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Job cuts, services slashed and council tax rise... That's the Tory plan
SOUTHAMPTON City Council Tory chiefs have drawn up a draft budget which will see 128 jobs axed, services slashed and council tax rises – to plug an £11.3m black hole in the budget. Charges for council services will be hiked as the council’s
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Wotte confident of changing Saints' fortunes
MARK Wotte held his first press conference as head coach this afternoon and announced he is confident Saints will survive. Wotte was appointed after the resignation of Jan Poortvliet on Friday night and takes charge for the first time in
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The Mayflower shows that are sure to be hits with the kids
TWO hit children’s shows are set to delight youngsters at The Mayflower in Southampton this season. Transferring from TV, the pre-school favourite animations LazyTown and SpongeBob SquarePants come to the city in the summer. One of the most successful
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Aladdin Gantry - Youth Theatre
GANTRY Youth certainly know how to get an audience buzzing. The group, aged six years upward, has a joie-de-vivre that is rarely matched in pantomime. Congratulations to director Neil Gibbs for inspiring such enthusiasm, and giving us a laugh-a-minute
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Ed Byrne’s night at south’s theatres
FOLLOWING a massively successful 2008 Ed Byrne is returning to the south coast with his critically acclaimed Different Class. The show examines how out of place Ed feels within society. He doesn’t understand the youth of today, older people annoy him
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Man jailed for life for killing girlfriend and young son
A HAMPSHIRE man who savagely murdered his partner before smothering his four-year-old son to death and laying him out in a bizarre ceremony on his bed was today jailed for life. James Conan, 65, repeatedly knifed Kirsty O'Connell, 21, because
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Fines for dropping cigarette butts
TWO women have been fined hundreds of pounds for dropping cigarette butts in a Hampshire town centre. Sarah Richards was just two yards from a bin when she was spotted throwing her ciggie on the ground outside Fareham Library last August. A month
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Take a chance . . . on Mamma Mia
BUDDING Bennys, Bjorns, Agnethas and Anni-Frids took a chance on a new singing workshop – and said Thank You For The Music. Fifteen singers – 12 adults and three children – took part in a workshop to perfect their performances of all the Abba tunes
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Man mugged by gang after stopping to help youths
A GANG of youths mugged a man in his 50s after pretending they needed his help. The man was getting off a bus in Botley Road, Romsey, when the four approached him and asked him to help them. He followed them into Elm Tree Gardens and took his phone
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Forensic search after suspicious death in Hampshire town
A BUSY part of a Hampshire town centre remains sealed off today after a man’s body was found early this morning. Sniffer dogs and forensic officers have been scouring the scene all morning after town centre security guards made the grisly discovery
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Ssh! Library worker Sharon has joined Calendar Girls hunt
DARING Sharon Knight is the latest to bare almost all in the hunt for the south’s very own Calendar Girls. Husband Brian took the photograph of Sharon, 46, working in the study of their home in Shirley, Southampton, after she suggested they
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Father never got over dog attack on his son
A FATHER who never recovered after seeing his young son viciously mauled by a dog hanged himself, an inquest heard. Terry Davenport, who was 43, suffered severe post traumatic stress disorder after holding his five-year-old son’s injured face
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Mums and dads in Winchester buggy dash for charity
DOZENS of parents braved the wet weather yesterday to line up for the start of the 2009 Winchester buggy push. The charity event saw mums and dads push their little ones round a two-kilometre course starting and ending at Winchester Rugby Club
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MP raises ambulance response times in the Commons
AN MP has demanded more funding for ambulances in South Hampshire following Daily Echo reports about patients being let down by emergency services. Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey, told the House of Commons that the cases of an 85-year-old
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Skilled workers hold key to city’s recession battle
THE Southampton area’s highly skilled workers will protect the city from the worst of the recession and help it recover more quickly, experts predict today. A study of the economic performance of the UK’s largest towns and cities says Southampton is
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EU threat to the future of fishing
IT’S an ancient art form passed down through the generations. Living on the coast, leisure fishing is also an integral part of the lives of many Hampshire families. Today it is the most popular sport in Britain, with an estimated 1.4 million people
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Gillian’s stick men catch eye of the judges
AN artist from Southampton specialising in drawings of stick men has been hailed a promising entrepreneur by the prestigious Courvoisier Future 500 Members Network. Gillian Jeffery, owner of Pinman Designs, creates her own range of humorous greeting
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Hard water problems
WITH regard to the recent newspaper reports regarding a little boy's eczema and hard water in this area, would any investigations into this problem like to consider the implications of urging us to always wash our clothes at 30 degrees and not higher
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Taxing times
Taxing times RE your headline on 8.1.09 (42,000 taken to court over unpaid council tax). I paid our January instalment on my first pay day after Christmas, albeit eight days overdue, but the last payment nevertheless. We received a court summons. No
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Would he be called a Burk?
Nicknames WHEN I read Don Thomas castigation of the Royals I referred to my own daily dialogue with friends and colleagues, who all at some time using words and names in the conversations. Limey, Yank, Kiwi, Paki Wap, Scouser Geordie, Big Ears, Lofty
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Blame yourself
I WAS surprised to read in this evening's Daily Echo that Toni Goodchild is claiming compensation from an aged lady. She claimed she was in the house at the time, why wasn't she looking after her age one year son? Not leaving him with a lady age 85
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Words fail me for a heading, so I leave it to you!
Re; Councillor Don Thomas letter of 16th January 2009. FIRST of all, I'd like to know how old he is, so that we can gain what experience he has had of the Royal family. I served King and Queen and country for 24 years, in the Royal Navy and will NEVER
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Racist remark? I thought it was good humour
Re Prince Harry's racist remarks I AM pleased to see the letters in the Echo regarding Prince Harry's racist remarks. Why has the media made a story out of this? I think it was just good humour. Think instead of his caring of some unfortunate
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Has Councillor Thomas thought this through?
Has Councillor Thomas thought this through? Regarding your letter: Its time to end Royalty IN around 1653 Oliver Cromwell tried it by accepting leadership of a kingless Protectorate. What would be the alternative today? When Zimbabwe became independent
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Monday 26 January
Today’s principal Southampton arrivals: CMA CGM Tosca, container, 0530, 206; Herm, container, 0830, 204; Grande Scandinavia, roro, 0830, 204; Tampere, roro, 2200, 34/34. Today’s principal Southampton sailings: CMA CGM Vela, container, 0100, 206
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Town sealed off after body found
PART of a Hampshire town has been sealed off after the discovery of a man's body. Town centre security staff in Basingstoke found the body near the Anvil Theatre bridge in the early hours of this morning and police are treating the death as
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Eastleigh fail test of promotion credentials
EASTLEIGH did all the right homework on the Students of Team Bath. But Ian Baird’s men miserably failed this latest examination of their Blue Square South promotion credentials with a 3-1 home reverse on Saturday. After a fine run of just one defeat
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White hails North's all-round ability
Hampshire manager Giles White says Marcus North will be used as an all-rounder by the county. North has been signed as Hampshire’s overseas player for the first two months of the season while Imran Tahir recovers from his season with the Pretoria Titans
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Welcome to the year of the Ox
CROWDS lined the streets to join Southampton’s Chinese community in welcoming in their new year. Despite the rain, hundreds of people turned out yesterday as a glittering dancing dragon brought the city centre to a standstill, start the beginning
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Collapse leaves 18-storey Meridian TV site scheme in doubt
THE firm behind a massive development of 550 homes on the former Meridian TV site in the heart of Southampton has become the latest victim of the recession. Oakdene Homes, which grew on the back of soaring south coast property prices, has been
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Poortvliet's departure a real shame, says Benali
SAINTS legend Francis Benali described Jan Poortvliet’s departure as a “real shame” – and admitted he would have liked it if an “outsider” had been brought in to replace him. Poortvliet quit on Friday after just eight months in charge with Saints second
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Wotte outlines his survival plan
SAINTS’ new head coach Mark Wotte has outlined his vision for the club. The 48-year-old has taken over from fellow Dutchman Jan Poortvliet, who resigned on Friday. Wotte, who joined the club last summer as academy director and reserve team manager
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Le Tissier urges Saints fans to unite behind team
MATT Le Tissier has urged Saints fans to unite behind the team in the wake of Jan Poortvliet’s departure as head coach. The Saints legend said he was surprised the Dutchman had chosen to step down from his role. However, he welcomed the appointment
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Flooding theory over young PC’s fatal crash
FLOODING could have caused a tragic crash that killed a young police officer, it has been claimed. Hampshire PC James Drew, who was 27, died after he lost control of his Skoda Octavia on the A31 Alresford road near Winchester and careered into
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Education chiefs plan 165 new school places
EDUCATION bosses want to create 165 new reception school places in Southampton within the next five years because of rising birth rates. They were today unveiling plans that could see existing primary schools enlarged while infant and junior
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£20m rapid bus route reaches new milestone
A NEW £20m transport link between two Hampshire towns will take a major step forward this week. The proposed bus rapid transit scheme linking Fareham and Gosport via a disused railway line is coming before Hampshire County Council for approval
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Schools rule out 'golden handcuffs' deals to recruit teachers
HEAD teachers at two Southampton schools have said they do not want to introduce £10,000 “golden handcuff” payments to help recruit teachers. Both Joanna Anslow at Woodlands Community College and Chris Kelly at Chamberlayne Park said they were
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Call for urgent repairs to pavements
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for urgent repairs on pavements in a Hampshire town before wheelchair users and pedestrians are badly injured. Staff and residents at Romsey’s Leonard Cheshire care home Fryers House drew up a list of faults with the
