A BUSY recycling centre that has been closed since October for expansion work is back in business again. The Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Wade Road, Basingstoke, has doubled in size to provide more bins and car parking spaces. The reopening
BETWEEN them, Hazel Stillwell and David Fish could have saved up to 549 lives - simply by rolling up their sleeves on a regular basis. The pair are two of the most dedicated blood donors in the Basingstoke area, together clocking up an astonishing
AT THE Gazette, we like to practise what we preach, so on Monday, a group of Gazetteers trooped off to each give a pint of the red stuff. Supporting The Gazette Life-Blood Campaign, seven members of staff have saved up to 21 lives - as each donation
FREE tea and biscuits and the chance to have a lie down during work hours are just two of the more superficial reasons to give blood. But, on a more serious note, the satisfaction of knowing you could make a real difference to at least one person's
IT HAD always been my intention to give blood. It seemed like a small thing I could do that would make a big difference. Unfortunately, I never seemed to have the time or motivation and reassured myself there must be loads of people giving blood already
WHEN you give blood, the process that follows after you have left the donor session is a far cry from your blood simply being whisked off to a needy patient. Blood collected at donor sessions in north Hampshire soon finds itself at the Southampton
CHINESE hamsters play a leading life-saving role when it comes to haemophiliacs and people with other blood disorders. The small rodents' ovary cells are genetically modified to produce a part of the blood that enables it to clot - something that the
YOUNG singers will be hoping to hit the right note as the next round of Pop Academy semi-finals gets under way. Earlier this year, acts from eight primary schools across Hampshire were selected to take part in the contest's grand final. To get through
Sir.-I welcome the news of the possible return of Hampshire Cricket to May's Bounty, as reported in The Gazette on Thursday, May 25. I am a Hampshire member and attend most games at the Rose Bowl. Despite the fact that the ground is excellent, it
Sir.-Since the end of last week, and ahead of any law, the Camrose Social Club in Basingstoke has introduced no smoking anywhere inside the clubhouse. This is a brave move. There are some smokers who are members of the club, and I am sorry if they
Sir.-What a good letter about the Haymarket Theatre by Anthony Savin in last Thursday's Gazette. He seems to be right on every count it is not enough, as he says, to sign the petition to save it. We should show what we mean by action, and attend
Sir.-At the beginning of 2005 and since the beginning of this year, in the Tadley area, we have been experiencing mindless damage to our garden effects. Last year, we lost electricity and thought the fuse had blown. We checked it, but it was not at
Sir.-This letter is going to seem somewhat unusual, but it's for my parents. I live in the USA, but spent most of my life growing up in Basingstoke. I went to St Bede's Catholic school and then John Hunt of Everest secondary school. I have been
Sir.-My husband, myself and two friends recently had the pleasure of eating at Dayers Restaurant in Wote Street, Basingstoke. I would urge anybody who appreciates good food, wine and service to visit this restaurant. The food is excellent and the
A BOROUGH council campaign to clamp down on cigarette butts littering the streets has won a new green award. The "Bin Your Butts" campaign, which ran in 2004, helped Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council become one of the first organisations in the
TEMPORARY road closure: I have received a notice telling me that there will be a temporary closure of Heath End Road to allow for the provision of anti-skid surfacing and lining. The closure will come into effect on June 12 and should last no longer
ISLAM at a Glance: Was the title of a programme of presentations, poems and hymns held at Viables Craft Centre, enabling visitors to improve understanding of the Muslim community. Guests were made welcome, enjoyed refreshments and, hopefully, now understand
BRAMLEY Church and CMS summer fair: On June 17, the summer fair will be held on Clift Meadow, with a very full programme of events opening at 2pm. The animal attraction will be Ali, the camel, while a bouncy castle, horse and cart rides, a toy stall
WELL done Great Binfields school: The school took first place for the fastest car in the Basingstoke heats of the Hampshire Solar Challenge. It now qualifies for the finals on July 13, at Thruxton. TAYLOR'S Farm: A new community facility is going
COMPETITION: Cliddesden, Farleigh Wallop and Ellisfield Horticultural Society's Best Gardens competition is to be held on or around June 19, depending on the weather. Classes include best combined flower and veg, best flower, best veg, best container
FLOWER festival: Visit St Andrew's Church, Farleigh, on Saturday and Sunday, June 17 and 18, between 11am and 5pm. The grounds of Portsmouth House will also be open on both days, and cream teas available from 2pm to 5pm. MUSIC for a Summer Evening
CHRISTIAN Aid Week: The congregation of Immanuel with St Mark's took full part in Christian Aid Week as usual, and with local collections raised a total of £1,778.27. The church would like to thank the residents of Hatch Warren for their generous contributions
JAZZ on the lawn: The Friends of St Mary's jazz evening is at Foxhill House, Fox's Lane, on Saturday, June 24, from 7.30pm to 11pm. Tickets cost £8.50 from village shops or £10 on the gate. STREET party: Tickets are available for the Busy Bees'
SUMMER fair: Maple Ridge school, which is situated next to The Vyne Community School, is having a summer fair on Saturday, June 17, from 11am to 2pm. There will be fun for all including a roller coaster and pony rides. Also, a man from Cholderton
ALLOTMENTS: The new OBAGS secretary, Louise Courteney, is extremely pleased with the result of the allotment plant sale held a couple of Sundays ago. There was a profit of £326, which was amazing considering the abysmal weather that morning. She
TENTH birthday celebration: Popley Fields is 10 years old this year and, to celebrate, is having a party on Saturday, June 24. Taking part is absolutely free, although there will be plenty to spend your money on. There will be a barbecue and a beer
LADIES who lunch. In Rotherwick will include Marylyn Abbott on Monday as the featured guest speaker at the Ladies Luncheon Club at Tylney Hall. Ms Abbott is well known in international gardening circles, not least for her award-winning restoration
NEW community facility at Sherfield Park: Consultation on the floor plans and elevations for this new facility begin next Monday, and continue until Friday, July 21. Details can be found on the borough council's website. Council officers will be at
SILCHESTER Players: Are holding auditions for their next play on Tuesday, June 20, at 7.30pm in the hall. There are parts for three men and seven women (one of whom is still at school). There will be a murder mystery Play On to be produced in October
EVENTS at the library: On Wednesday, June 14, 21 and 28, there is a storytime for the under-fives, from 10.15am. Also on June 21, from 7pm to 9.30pm, there is a scrapbooking session. The cost is £3 and includes tea and coffee. Bring your own materials
STRESS is the fastest growing cause of absence from work but help is at hand in Basingstoke with the official opening of a new health clinic. Business people, among others, can now leave the strains of work at the office and head to Sandles Health
THERE were a few folk with red eyes waiting outside Vue Cinemas, Festival Place... but not one of them would admit to knowing anything about the coming of the anti-Christ. No, their demonic glares probably stemmed from the fact that, for a start, it
HAVING just read Richard E Grant's excellent new book, The Wah-Wah Diaries, I wasn't going to miss the chance to see the film it catalogued the making of. This movie is based on the actor's own childhood, which wasn't your everyday run-of-the-mill
BOB Munro (Robin Williams) and his dysfunctional family rent an RV for a road trip to the Colorado Rockies, where they ultimately have to contend with a bizarre community of campers.
DAVID Gibson, the one-time deputy musical director of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, will introduce a number of stars from the final years of the famous company in A Feast of Gilbert & Sullivan at The Anvil. Gilbert & Sullivan were pretty much the
THE Philharmonia Orchestra plays the last orchestral concert of The Anvil's 2005-06 International Concert Series at The Anvil on Wednesday, June 14. This will be conducted by the engaging-yet-meticulous Mikhail Pletnev, whose technique and genius as
ESTATE agent Chris Walsh has moved into top gear to find a buyer for an Oakley home and win his reward of a spin in a 1972 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. The clock has started to tick on the one-month time limit for Mr Walsh to find a purchaser and vendor
I ONCE read a lovely quote that said: "Our eyes reflect the character of our inner selves for all the world to see. Like the eyes of a house, windows can express the individuality behind the bricks and mortar giving life to a design which truly sets the
STRONG mailing lists and success in matching the right buyers to sellers is leading to many vendors opting for low-profile marketing of their homes. But this approach is described as a "double-edged sword" by Mark Potter, of Knight Frank's Basingstoke
VIKING Peugeot in Basingstoke today unveils the brand-new Peugeot 207 at Houndmills Autoplaza. The unveiling will be followed by a weekend of family fun to celebrate the launch of this stylish model. There will be a whole host of activities for
BASINGSTOKE College of Technology's Context Programme has been delivering literacy skills training for employees at Mobility Seating. As this neared completion, BCOT talked to the company learning representative about what other training needs the
IN THEIR first-ever season in the British Athletics League, Basingstoke and Mid-Hants' men are already challenging for promotion. All expectations were exceeded when they won the second of four meetings last Saturday at Kingston, Surrey. Only four
HOOK driver Rob Collard achieved his best result of the British Touring Car Champion-ship season at Thruxton on Sunday, June 4. In a televised three-race meeting on the Hampshire track, he managed a third-place finish in mid-afternoon. Matt Neal
THE cricketers of Basingstoke and North Hants made swift progress into the third round of the Evening Standard Trophy with a seven-wicket win over Wokingham at May's Bounty on Sunday, June 4. The star of the show was opener Richard Vinn, who carried
R AND B Sports and New Inn contested two finals each at the Basingstoke and District Football League annual six-a-side tournament in War Memorial Park on Sunday, June 4, when more than 50 teams took part. Saturday league runners-up R and B came up
A CINEMA-GOER was left red-faced after he was pointed out as a terror suspect during the screening of disaster flick United 93. South African Wayne Bruyns, 45, was approached by security guards in Vue cinema, in Basingstoke's Festival Place, after
CYCLISTS stepped on the pedals for charity by taking part in the Lions' annual bike ride. About 50 bikers set off from Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke, on Sunday morning to embark on a charity ride to raise money for a number of good causes. They
HOMES had to be evacuated and an Army bomb disposal unit carried out a controlled explosion after a Basingstoke resident found a hand grenade while digging in his back garden. The drama unfolded on Sunday morning in Grove Road, Black Dam. Police
POLICE cordoned off an area of Basingstoke town centre after an elderly man was injured in an armed robbery. The 72-year-old was approached by two youths outside Wagamama restaurant, in Festival Square, at about 1.15pm on Tuesday, June 6. One of
BIN the gum that is the message from Basingstoke traders who are backing The Gazette's call to stamp out the problem of sticky streets. As part of the Basingstoke A Place To Be Proud Of campaign, The Gazette is raising awareness about how much discarded
