IN LAST week’s Gazette, it was reported that The AA has U-turned on it’s plans to move its headquarters from it’s current home of Fanum House.

Fanum House was opened by The Queen in November 1973 after the company relocated from Leicester Square in London.

It is one of several buildings named Fanum House across the country, ‘Fanum’ being The AA call sign.

The eighteen-storey (274 feet or 83.5m) tower block with its distinctive net of aluminium fins is the second-tallest building in Basingstoke and, in its day, was said to be the tallest building between London and New York.

As a child, I remember travelling back from my grandparents in London and there was always a contest on who’d spot the AA building first, meaning we were nearly home.

Here are some pictures of Fanum House over the years.