LAST Sunday, I sat down to write this page. I have an online store of old photos from many years, many of which can be seen on my Facebook Page - Basingstoke Memories - People and Places.

By complete accident, I found the Gazette from April 19, 1968. The big news being that 70 new shops will open in the new Basingstoke Shopping Centre on November 12, 1968.

M&S will be the only remaining original shop, when the town reaches its 50th birthday.

I'm saving the main photos until the anniversary, but here are a few things that happened around this time 50 years ago.