New leader for Bournemouth’s first free school

One of Dorset’s leading educators has been appointed to lead Bournemouth’s first free school. Alex Prout takes on the role of Executive Head Teacher at Parkfield School from Terry Conaghan, who is on long-term sick leave. Graham Exon, the chair of Parkfield’s Interim Academy Board (IAB), said: “We are pleased to announce the appointment of an experienced Interim Executive Head … Read More

Tanks for the memories

The first man ever to command a tank in battle only volunteered for the secret mission because learning to fly aeroplanes was so dangerous, his daughter has revealed. Captain Harold ‘Morty’ Mortimore commanded tank ‘D1’ on September 15, 1916, at The Somme in World War One. His place in history occurred because he had crashed an aeroplane while training with … Read More

Red, orange, YELLOWS!

Yellow Buses made Bournemouth’s Bourne Free Festival a bit brighter by donating £200 from its Carbon Stoppers initiative that it runs jointly with the Daily Echo. The LGBT parade and associated festivities has been running for 12 years and is a celebration of all the diverse life in the town. Thousands of visitors attend each year to soak up the … Read More

Peeks anticipates a cracking Christmas

Through the summer one Dorset business has been organising the sale of three-and-a-half million Christmas crackers. Peeks, based in Christchurch, has become one of the country’s leading suppliers of crackers and has seen orders up 20 per cent on last year. The company works about six months ahead of the real calendar so while most people were enjoying their summer … Read More

Celebrations mark 100th birthday of ‘living legal legend’

Celebrations have been held to mark the 100th birthday of one of the best known members of Bournemouth’s legal community. Guests toasted the health of Harry Ellis at a special party organised by Ellis Jones Solicitors, the Dorset and New Forest law firm which bears his name. Among the speakers at the event at Bournemouth’s Miramar Hotel was Nigel Smith, … Read More

Berry Recruitment rises to logistical challenge

A football tournament between departments of the Gestamp factory in Cannock raised over £1,200 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. The event was organised by Berry Recruitment, which has an onsite division at the the automotive giant. The tournament was held in the name of Stephen Sutton MBE, the charity activist from Burntwood who died from cancer in 2014. He became … Read More

Businesses emerge thanks to Bournemouth school

Five years ago students from a Bournemouth school had a dream of helping people from developing countries set up their own businesses. Today that dream is a reality and Avonbourne College’s Project Emerge has loaned more than $6,000, helping launch 216 businesses along the way. So how has a project set up by students from Dorset set about changing the … Read More

New look for property professionals

Portsmouth Property Association (PPA) – the body that brings together the city’s industry professionals under one umbrella group – has a new look website.