Click HERE to nominate your choice

VOTES have been flooding into the Daily Echo in our search to find Hampshire's Top 100.

A dazzling array of music legends, stars of the stage and screen, historical figures and sporting heroes have all attracted strong support.

One name that keeps cropping up is Colin Firth, the dashing actor best known for his roles in the Bridget Jones films and the BBC TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

One reader nominating Firth - who was born in Grayshott - told the Daily Echo: "He's handsome and is one of the most talented, overlooked actors today."

Another popular choice is Olympic silver medallist Iwan Thomas, who lives in Netley.

Nominating the British and European 400-metre record-holder, one of his supporters said: "He is a great athlete and has done a lot for promoting sport in Hampshire."

New Forest mountaineer Rhys Jones, who entered the record books last summer, when he became the youngest person ever to scale the highest mountains on all seven continents, is also winning votes.

One fan of the 21-year-old climber from Bartley said: "For such a young person to achieve as much as he has done is incredible.

"He is carrying on with equally good work through giving talks to people from various walks of life and raising money for Wessex Heartbeat."

A new entry is Herbert Collins, an architect who loved Southampton and designed the Uplands Estate in Highfield, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s.

He was also involved with developments in the Bassett Green, Thornhill Park and Swaythling districts.

Other famous faces securing nominations include the hovercraft inventor Sir Christopher Cockerell, people's champion Esther Rantzen and record-breaking yachts-woman Ellen MacArthur.

The Daily Echo will publish a supplement on June 20 to pay tribute to Hampshire's true talents.

Who would you like to see in the top 100?

We need you to send in your suggestions to ensure the supplement also contains the results of a unique readers' poll.

Your favourites do not need to have been born in Hampshire but they must have had a strong association at some point in their lives and have made a notable contribution to the county or the country.

Click HERE to nominate your choice