A NATURE-LOVING woman spent several hours in a stand-off with tree surgeons who had arrived to fell a treasured horse chestnut near her home. Angela Butler clung to the trunk of the 40-year-old horse chestnut in Manor Lane, Old Basing, for five hours
AS THE mother of three daughters, Meryl Streep knows both the innate appeal and destructive dangers of the fashion industry. The 57-year-old star plays Miranda Priestly, an ice queen of couture, in her new dark comedy The Devil Wears Prada. Decked
THE 13 Totally Tennis Junior Coaching Award candidates returned to the indoor centre last week to complete module two. The course, which was devised by Totally Tennis director Nigel Long, is open to applicants from Years 10 and 11 (aged 14 to 16) at
THE official completion of phase two of the Stand Up 4 'Stoke appeal was marked at a special unveiling ceremony on Saturday at Down Grange. On show for the first time was a commemorative wall containing 371 named bricks, sold in an initiative that
Basingstoke 22pts, Cleve 55 WHAT should have been a glorious day for 'Stoke in front of a large crowd turned into a worrying slip-up in their league campaign. Saturday was set aside for the opening of the new stand at Down Grange and the home side
Basingstoke Town 1, Welling United 3 AN abysmal first-half performance saw Town go down to their sixth defeat of the season and slip into the Conference South relegation zone. The team's leaky defence conceded a goal within 60 seconds of the kick-off
Basingstoke Bison 3, Hull Stingrays 4 THE Bison staged a great comeback on Saturday to tie the game after being 3-0 down - only to have their hopes dashed as Elite League new boys Hull Stingrays scored the winner in the final three minutes. On paper
Reading 1, Manchester United 1 IT IS a measure of how far Reading have come and are holding their own in the Premiership that manager Steve Coppell admitted to feeling slightly disappointed his side did not take the prize scalp of Manchester United
A TEENAGER and two young sisters were seriously injured in two separate road accidents in the borough on Saturday afternoon. A 13-year-old youth, who has not been named, is in a specialist hospital unit in Southampton after being in collision with
POLICE have named the man who stabbed his pregnant girlfriend 10 times and was then found dead in a burned-out car. Oneal Laveve Small, 39, stabbed Magdalena Stapleton, who is four-and-a-half months pregnant, while she was visiting her next-door neighbour
PATIENTS have been assured that plans to relocate two Basingstoke doctors' surgeries to a landmark building near the town's railway station are forging ahead. Proposals to move Church Grange Surgery and Bramblys Grange Health Centre - which together
Sir.-Hannah Williams in The Gazette (September 14) gave a clear explanation as to why she supports Councillor Keith Chapman's decision to ask Christine Bradwell to manage the Haymarket Theatre. Mrs Williams explained that "Basingstoke deserves better
A ROAD-GOING Audi Q7 SUV featuring a Le Mans race-bred V12 TDI engine bristling with 1,000Nm (738ftlbs) of torque is now the world's most powerful diesel passenger car. Benefiting from technology honed in the development of the V12 unit that powered
ADVANCE notice: Of Ashford Hill's art with music weekend. This will take place at St Paul's Church, on Saturday, October 7, between 1pm and 5pm; and on Sunday, October 8, between 11am and 4pm. The exhibition includes work by local artists and craftsmen
HERITAGE Weekend: Bramley played its part by, once again, opening the Granary on the corner of Minchens Lane. The entrance steps were lowered for this special occasion so that visitors could look into the interior of the early-19th-century building
RAINBOWS: Girls meet at the Church of Christ the King on Wednesdays, from 5pm to 6pm. I called in to say hello on September 13, when I found girls in a circle, with an older girl asking the younger ones to name a country they would like to visit.
OPEN day at Four Lanes infant and junior schools: On Tuesday, October 3, there is an opportunity for prospective parents to see both schools in action and to meet the headteachers and staff, listen to talks and have guided tours. TGIF Youth Club for
CRAFT fair: Cliddesden's annual craft fair is on October 1, from 10.30am to 4.30pm, in the hall. In addition to a variety of stalls, there will be morning coffee, lunchtime snacks and afternoon tea available. WEBSITE: The village's website can be
WALK: Twenty people joined the Ellisfield autumn walk recently; perhaps enjoying the last of the summer sun. The walkers covered a six-mile circular route, starting and finishing at The Fox. Many thanks to Ted Dowson, who led the walk, and "rear
PLANNING matters: Anyone wishing to comment on the planning application for a new pub at Beggarwood has until September 29, when the consultation period ends. If you wish to contact the council's planning department to view the plans or express a view
INDOOR market: The next indoor market will be on Saturday, September 30. SONGS From The Shows: The Kingsclere Singers present a random selection of songs from famous musicals with Aileen Thomson as guest soloist, at St Mary's Church, on Saturday, September
ALDWORTH Science College: Has adult education and family learning courses available. To book a course or receive information, contact the community office on 01256 473698, as the new term has started. It is taking enrolments for all its courses,
DEFT Fingers: This new art and craft group got off to a flying start recently at Pamber Heath Memorial Hall. Why not come along and enjoy the afternoon with your current project? Everyone who came last week was willing to pass on their expertise
FAMILY learning: Although the enrolment date has passed, it is not too late to sign up for fun and learning, as some of the courses start in October. There are two times to choose from for PEEP - either 9.30am or, if you have trouble getting up, you
WE ARE the champions... Was the refrain from the tennis courts earlier this month as the Rotherwick Tennis Club's annual tournament concluded with two brand-new winners! Membership secretary Quentin Sharp took the honour as Top Gentleman Player and
CALENDARS: Are going like hot cakes. I have sold more than 200 in five days, which tells you how good they are. Orders to me please. TABLE top sale: The Brownies' sale was a great success and raised more than £150 for their funds. A good well-organised
FIRSTLY: My apologies for not answering any calls for the last two weeks. I spent a fortnight in glorious Devon and just got lost to the world. On my return, there were a number of calls on my answerphone but, alas, it was too late to do anything
A MODERN double-fronted detached home with a village setting is on the market for £450,000. Estate agent Poulters, which has brought The Laurels (pictured) in Little London to the market, believes the property was only built about six years ago.
