Archive
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Road closed as firefighters deal with hybrid car fire
A ROAD on Portland was closed after a hybrid vehicle caught fire. The A354 southbound was closed near to the New Star Inn at Fortuneswell yesterday evening to enable firefighters to extinguish the flames. Fire crews were called to the scene
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Afloat: Scilly Islands talk inspires cruisers to make visit
WEYMOUTH & Portland Cruising Association members packed out Castle Cove Sailing Club last Tuesday to hear Chris and Tess Reid’s talk on their visit to the Isles of Scilly. Having sailed there on four separate occasions, spending nearly 10 weeks
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Afloat: Ben Richardson beats poor weather to claim Castle Cove win
THIS year’s autumn race series at Castle Cove Sailing Club was badly affected by adverse weather conditions. So much so that four of the 12-race series had to be cancelled. However, the remaining eight races were fiercely contested. The
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Letter: Who is this man?
Where’s our erstwhile MP gone? Did I miss the announcement of his resignation/retirement? Yesterday a leaflet arrived with the words “Richard Drax” written in large print above a picture of a bronzed, youngish man with broad cheeks and twinkly
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Escaped bird of prey rescued by fire service
FIREFIGHTERS were called to an unusual incident in Weymouth after an escaped bird of prey got caught in a tree. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said that a crew was sent to Windsor Road after a call came in reporting the bird's plight
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Playgroup funding may be withdrawn after back-to-back 'inadequate' inspections
Supporters of a childcare provider fear it could lose funding from Dorset Council after back-to-back full Ofsted inspections rated the service as ‘inadequate’. Crossways Playgroup, which is based in Crossways Village Hall, has been under pressure
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Letter: Supporting carers to prepare for the future
THIS month we’re supporting Carers Rights Day, and this year the focus is on supporting carers to prepare for the future. It is estimated that there are 7.3 million unpaid carers in the UK, and we know from experience that many of these unpaid carers
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Anglers 'Hook Up' to help raise money for Dorset County Hospital
More than 30 anglers have 'Hooked Up' to help raise funds for Dorset County Hospital. The anglers met on October 9 for their Hooked Up event at Todber Manor fishing lakes, whereupon they raised a total of £1,200 for the Day Surgery Unit of Dorset
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Driver who left country receives 11 year prison sentence for causing crash which killed husband and father
A MAN has been jailed for 11 years after he caused a head-on crash which killed a Weymouth dad who was heading home from his son’s graduation. David Grant-Jones and his wife Heather, from Weymouth, were travelling back from Portsmouth University
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Shelter which was focal point of anti-social behaviour is removed
A shelter which became a focal point for anti-social behaviour has been taken down. A spokesman for Weymouth and Portland Police said: “After working with partner agencies, a shelter in Southwell, Portland, which has been the scene for anti-social
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Magpies: Dorchester's cup loss no link to league form – Brooks
DORCHESTER Town boss Callum Brooks felt the Magpies’ Southern League Challenge Cup exit at Frome on Tuesday evening could not be related to Saturday league form. Brooks, who was the subject of criticism from Magpies’ fans in the wake of Saturday
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Fire callouts rise to seven year high while number of firefighters falls
FIRE callouts in Dorset and Wiltshire rose to a seven-year high last year, amid a decrease in firefighter numbers over the last five years. The Fire Brigades Union said it was deeply concerned by the significant rise in fires across England following
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Half of Co-op store could be replaced with 24-hour gym
ONE of Dorchester’s biggest town centre shops could be split in two with part of the business becoming a 24-hour gym and fitness centre. The Co-op in Trinity Street is asking Dorset Council to agree a change of use with part of the store to be
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'Superloo' construction disturbs new seafront lights
Work on the construction of Weymouth’s new beach front office and so-called ‘superloo’ complex has been progressing, but the ongoing building work has affected the newly installed seafront lights. A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: “You may
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Hospital arts exhibition 'draws' on Dorset for inspiration
A new exhibition has recently been set up in one of the main display areas at Dorset County Hospital. Drawing on Dorset is a recent publication by arts charity Dorset Visual Arts, in association with Evolver Magazine. The new exhibition associated
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Lend 'elfing' hand for heart charity's life-saving research
THE UK’s leading heart charity is in desperate need of volunteers across Dorset this Christmas to help raise funds for life saving research. The charity hopes the people of the Dorset can lend an ‘elfing’ hand this festive season, by volunteering
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Top honour as holiday park given tourism food award
A Weymouth holiday park has been presented with a top tourism food award. Chesil Breeze bar and grill at Chesil Vista Holiday Park, Wyke Regis, was crowned winner of the Customer Choice Food Award for Family Fun destinations at Hoseasons’ 14th
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"Extremely short sighted": Residents object to revised plans for four homes in garden
A revised outline application for four homes has been submitted for the garden of Martleaves House at Wyke Regis. It asks for a different access than a previous scheme, which was also for four homes. Three objections have already been received
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Terras: Mark Molesley's delight at Weymouth's 10-game unbeaten run
MARK Molesley hailed Weymouth’s “strong underbelly” away from home as the Terras chalked up 10 league games unbeaten with an entertaining 1-1 draw at Billericay Town on Tuesday. Both sides missed a succession of chances at New Lodge, the best coming
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Solving a murder - whilst living with Alzheimer's
A multi award-winning play following a police detective with dementia will be performed in a village near Dorchester. Forget Me Not - The Alzheimer's Whodunnit is the creation of Leicester-based comic, poet and psychiatric nurse, Rob Gee. The story
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Terminally ill man 'pimps up' scooter with the latest gadgets
You may have heard of Pimp My Ride but what about Pimp My Scooter? A terminally ill man from Milborne St Andrew has upgraded his mobility scooter with the latest technology. Robert Strawbridge, 66, purchased his mobility scooter from Dorchester
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Here's what the South Dorset general election candidates plan to do about child poverty
South Dorset general election candidates have shared their thoughts on how to tackle child poverty as figures show shocking levels within Weymouth and Dorchester. A report by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) says that 4,050 children in Weymouth and
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Rail passengers warned of weekend travel disruption
LONG-distance passengers on the Weymouth-Waterloo line are warned their journeys will be disrupted this weekend and next. Buses will replace trains between Bournemouth and Southampton Central this Sunday until late morning as the line will be closed
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Letter: Why offer us free travel that doesn't exist?
WE READ an article in the Dorset Echo whereby Mark Reddy from First Wessex bus company in Weymouth, said there was free bus travel for all veterans attending the remembrance service in Weymouth last Sunday week, November 10. What really was the
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Plans revealed for waste incinerator energy plant
NEW plans to build a £105 million waste energy plant on Portland have been revealed. The proposed Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) would be built at Portland Port and, according to Powerfuel Portland, the company behind the plans, would use household
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Two Dorset areas boast more than 8,000 different species of plants and animals - can you guess where?
In a celebration of Great Britain's biodiversity, the team at Holidaycottages.co.uk have undertaken a study to reveal the number of distinct species in each area of the country. Using data from the National Biodiversity Network (NCN), the accommodation
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Join together and remember a loved one at dedicated service this Christmas
Services are taking place across Dorset as part of Weldmar Hospicecare's Light up a Life appeal. With readings and carol singing supported by local musicians and performers, the services provide an opportunity for people to remember their loved
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Dedicated mum swims length of English Channel to raise money for kids' gym club
A LOCAL resident has swum the length of the English Channel to raise money for Weymouth and Portland Recreational Gymnastics Club. For Natalie Dodds, this meant swimming 1,416 lengths of her local swimming pool. Despite setting herself a target
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Renowned pianists in village gallery concert
TWO of the UK's foremost pianists are joining forces to present a concert exploring the masterpieces of early 20th century music. John Law and David Gordon, who are trained both classically and in jazz, will perform excerpts from Stravinsky's Rite
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The 'card ninja' all the way from New Zealand
EXPECT deadly and risky fun as Javier Jarquin, otherwise known as Card Ninja, performs his extreme card-flicking stunts at Dorchester Arts on Sunday, November 24 at 2pm. Using genuine playing cards, he dazzles audiences with displays of decks as
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Fatal crash trial enters closing stages as judge prepares to sum up case
THE jury in the trial of a man accused of causing a husband and father’s death in a head-on crash have heard closing comments from the prosecution. Adrian Wojciechowski, 29, denies a charge of death by dangerous driving after his BMW collided with