Looking to solve contract mystery

9:14am Wednesday 4th April 2007

Sir.-Robert Brown's interesting Memories article on the life of Thomas Burberry reminded me of an old document in my possession.

It is a contract dated April 15, 1919, for the sale of The Restaurant in Winchester Street, Basingstoke, to Thomas Burberry, clothing manufacturer of Hook, and is signed by Thomas Burberry.

Thomas senior would have been in his mid-80s at this time, so was this a retirement project for Basingstoke's most famous son, or was it perhaps his son, Thomas junior, who purchased The Restaurant ?

Also, I wonder if this is the same renowned restaurant frequented many years earlier by that other Basingstoke area luminary, Jane Austen?

Can Mr Brown or Gazette readers shed any more light on this transaction?

-Neil Beattie,
Axford.