Death has occurred on the 1st May 2022 of a local man, William (Bill) Baggs. He was well known as the voice of Basingstoke Gazette Talking News for the blind and vision impaired. He carefully chose items of interest every week and recorded them on tapes which were then sent out to clients.

He was also known by many local councillors and police as he was the caretaker at Wessex Church where he would set up for the council and police offenders meetings. Also known by the local Hungarians as they were seen in by Mr Baggs every Saturday to the church.

Locally born and raised in Hannington Village then lived in Basingstoke.

He worked for British Telecom for 27 years and fitted many of the phone lines into Basing View offices. He worked in his spare time on the Mid Hants Railway, Watercress Line, Alresford to Ropley in the early days of setting up the train line, phone lines and junctions.

Bill spent many years as a musician in the Royal Air Force Central Band of Music at Uxbridge, seeing tours of duties in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.