THESE views of Hackwood Road, both captured at its junction with Cliddesden Road, are separated by half a century.

The older photo helps to provide a possible answer to a mystery.

Currently the Toll House Kiosk and some other businesses are within the block with the address of 42–44 Hackwood Road.

The house/office to its left (our right) is number 51 though it may once have been named Ediscote.

The houses 40, 41, 43, 45, 47 and 49 are on the opposite side of the road so it would seem that numbers 46, 48 & 50 were contained within the thatched building which, for reasons unknown, had ceased to exist by 1948 and perhaps much earlier.

Marc Neun's memories of Basingstoke will be returning for 2018 next week but in the meantime, readers who have ideas for archive features to appear in these pages should email basingstokememories@gmail.com.