WELCOME to your bigger and better Gazette – with more content, new features and competitions.

In the summer, we ran a reader survey, and I am grateful to all of you who responded. We asked you what you thought of The Gazette, and what you wanted to see more of.

The majority of those who responded said they liked The Gazette, trusted it, felt it kept them in touch with what is going on in the area, and were pleased that the newspaper campaigned on issues that matter to the readers.

Many of you said your week would not be the same without your Gazette.

Your much-appreciated feedback has helped us to shape the content of the new-look Gazette – and I hope that you like what you see and read.

Just as it has done since the paper first rolled off the presses in 1878, The Gazette will continue to be at the heart of the local community.

The editorial team will continue to bring you the best coverage of local news, sport, leisure, business and other local information that you want to read about, in-paper and online, and we will continue to vigorously campaign on local issues that matter to our readers.

For our valued advertisers, our advertising team will continue to provide a competitive in-paper and online service that will ensure they reach a massive local audience – one that is currently the largest in the history of The Gazette, and which is far bigger than any other newspaper operation in the Basingstoke area.

Thank you to all of our readers and advertisers for your loyal support in the past and present, and I hope that you will continue to read, and enjoy, your Gazette in the future.