CONCERNS over the opening hours of the new Bombay Sapphire distillery have been raised by Overton Parish Council. Bombay Spirits Company Limited has applied to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to license the site, including proposed opening
TADLEY RFC are six points clear at the top of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Premier thanks to a 62-12 victory over visiting Aylesbury Athletic on Saturday. The hosts did not make a particularly good start but gradually took control and went ahead with
ARTWORK created by pupils from the borough will feature in a 2014 calendar. Pupils were invited to enter a competition to have their work featured in the Hampshire Interfaith Calendar, and the winners were rewarded at an event at Hampshire County
A VAN driver dragged a young man out of his car in a road rage attack near a Basingstoke roundabout. The incident took place on the A30 near the Winchester Road Roundabout, at about 12.30pm on Tuesday, December 3. The attack took place after
A HAMPSHIRE man has died after drinking a pear drink laced with cocaine. Joromie Lewis, 33, from Gosport, died at Southampton General Hospital on Thursday, December 5, within hours of drinking the Cole Cold Pear D drink. Lab tests on the drink
THE Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has been grounded over a safety concern. Bond Air Services has grounded its fleet of 22 EC135 helicopters as a precaution, while a fault on one, discovered during a flight yesterday, is examined.
A CONSORTIUM of Irish businessmen have completed a takeover of London Irish RFC. The group is led by Mick Crossan, executive chairman of Powerday, the club's primary sponsor, who becomes the new president. Crossan said: "The members of the
THOUSANDS of revellers flocked to Hook to enjoy the annual Christmas Cracker celebrations. The event, which took place in the village last Saturday, saw visitors treated to an array of entertainment including performances from the Basingstoke Rock
STUART Mogg is the latest Bison player to be selected for Great Britain and flew out to Italy this week to take part in the World Winter University Games. The 19-year-old forward, who studies at Solent University, is in action today with GB as
SURVIVORS attended a small memorial service this morning to mark the 25 th anniversary of the Clapham Junction rail disaster. A total of 35 people died and more than five people were injured in the three-train crash, which took place at 8.13am
HE WAS taken to a pub on a lead, was kept in a birdcage, and only weighed as much as an orange when he was rescued from the home of his Basingstoke owner. Thankfully, today, three-year-old marmoset Milo is a picture of good health after being nursed
HEATH End WI: Are holding their Christmas party on Monday, at Heath End Village Hall at 7.30pm. TUESDAY Club: Meets on December 17, from 2pm to 4pm at Heath End Village Hall, for a friendly get-together with tea and home-made cakes. All are
LOCAL Scout group delivery service: The postboxes will only be in place until tomorrow. They are placed at Bramley Bakery, Bramley Village Hall, Clift Meadow Surgery and Sherfield Shop. If you have Christmas cards you would like delivered to residents
CAROL singing: Takes place tonight, at 7.30pm, in front of Asda, with the Salvation Army Band, followed by mince pies and other refreshments at the church afterwards. CHRISTMAS Fun Day: Will be taking place at St Michael’s Hospice shop, in the
TODDLER group organisers: Brookvale Toddler Group has been run successfully by volunteers, but they now need to step down and Brookvale Community Association has the hard but happy job of finding a new team as good as them! The sessions run at
BASINGSTOKE Town manager Jason Bristow is busy preparing for the visit of Conference South leaders Bromley – but he will have to do without captain Wes Daly. The midfield playmaker is suspended for Saturday’s game against his former club (kick-off
CHRISTMAS Tree Festival: There was a fantastic turnout at Christ Church’s Christmas Tree Festival last weekend, bringing together different community groups. The children’s singing was lovely and fun seemed to be had by all. The local talent in decorating
PANTO time: By the time this goes to press, we will be about as ready as we’re going to get, so come on down for a bit of crossdressing, double-entendres, appalling jokes, suggestive singing – in other words, some good, old-fashioned British seasonal
THE Maidenthorne Singers: Will be singing at the Nine Lessons and Carols in All Saints Church on Sunday, December 22, at 4pm. Sadly, Joe Paxton will not be leading the group after the New Year, so if there are any budding or experienced musical
CHRISTMAS celebrations: Have been in full swing this week. Following last weekend’s successful Christmas fayre at Farleigh, The Fox at Ellisfield was bulging at the seams for Ellisfield Ladies Festival of Carols and Christmas songs. The group,
CHRISTMAS at Immanuel: Immanuel Church, in Danebury Road, Hatch Warren, will be holding the following services in the run up to Christmas: This Sunday, the service is at 10am, as usual; on Sunday, December 22, there is no 10am service but a candlelight
CHRISTMAS Quiz: The Oakley Allotment Keepers are holding a Christmas Quiz tomorrow, at St Leonard’s Centre. It starts at 7.45pm, and teams of six are welcome to enter. It is £5 per person, and 20 per cent of the profits will go to the Bluebells
FOSTER parents needed. Do you care enough to help? Short-term fosterers for dogs and cats are urgently wanted whilst their elderly or terminally-ill owners are in hospital. Also dog-walking for people who are too frail to manage and hate the thought
HALL carol singing evening: Is taking place on Tuesday, 7.30pm, at Pamber Heath Village Hall. Come along for our great annual Christmas get-together. Tadley Concert Brass will be with us to provide the musical backing, and there will be ‘short
SO LONG...and thanks for all the greens! It is with much regret that we have discovered Andrew Dingley will no longer be providing Christmas trees at Prior’s Farm, Mattingley. Through his hard work of many years, this had become a local tradition
CAROL singing at the village hall: SingBramley presents “A Christmas Sing-Along” on Saturday, from 7pm to 9pm. Adults £5, children £3 (under-fives free). Tickets on the door, or call 01256 880075 or tickets@sherfieldvillage hall.co.uk. CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS dance: Is taking place on Saturday, 8pm until late. Tickets £10, including a light supper, from 9700627 and 9700282. CHRISTMAS Concert: Tadley Concert Brass Christmas Concert is being held on Saturday, in the Tadley Community Centre,
COUNCILLORS’ Surgery: The next South Ham/Berg Estate Councillors’ Surgery will be held on Friday, December 20, 7.30pm-8.30pm at Westside Community Centre, in Paddock Road. If you require advice on housing, benefits, anti-social behaviour issues, social
“A CHRISTMAS Festival”: Tonight, at 7.30pm, at the Ambrose Allen Centre, in Franklin Avenue, Tadley Band presents “A Christmas Festival”. Entrance is £4 on the door. Refreshments will be available and there will be a raffle as well. For more information
FROM sleeping in the boardroom at the Camrose to playing in front of more than 70,000 people at Old Trafford, former Basingstoke Town midfielder Sergio Torres certainly has an interesting story to tell. And so it is fitting that the Argentinean
THE Basingstoke third team welcomed league leaders Andover II to Down Grange last Saturday, with injuries forcing the hosts to field a side containing several players out of position and without a bench to call upon. Andover started strongly, scoring
A CREWMAN from RAF Odiham has been honoured at a star-studded ceremony. Sergeant Anna Irwin, of 18 Squadron, won most outstanding airman at The Sun Military Awards last night. The 34-year-old saved the lives of eight injured British soldiers
AS THE festive season approaches, NHS Blood and Transplant is calling for Basingstoke people to step up and give a truly important gift this Christmas – blood. Blood stocks tend to drop between November and the New Year, and hospitals desperately
Sir.–Wind farms in this part of Hampshire are much in the news at the present time. Arguments are advanced both for and against each new planning application. Those supporting green energy vote enthusiastically in favour; those who fear that the
FORGING new contacts, building new relationships and getting a better understanding of doing business in China – all of these were pluses that a leading Basingstoke businessman gleaned from being part of a high-profile trade mission. Stephen Blatchford
THE Battle Proms returns to Highclere Castle next year. And buying tickets for the event is now even easier, thanks to the new e-tickets. The 14th annual Highclere Castle Battle Proms concert will take place on Saturday, August 2 and will include
AFTER a difficult few weeks for animal rescue charity STARescue, volunteers finally had something to celebrate at a fundraising event. The charity, run by Shirley King, was raided by the RSPCA in early November and 50 cats were taken away from
AFTER another weekend in which his side took maximum points, Basingstoke Bison player/coach Doug Sheppard has reiterated his belief that he has a team capable of maintaining a title challenge. Victories over the Telford Tigers and Guildford Flames
