IT has been a year of highs and lows, with some heartwarming tales, court cases and a proposed major change for Basingstoke. 

First we look back to the first four months of the year. 

January

There was a heartwarming start to the New Year when we reported on two schoolgirls who came to the rescue of a 96-year-old woman who they spotted passed out on the road following a fall.

Brighton Hill Community School pupils Evie Hutchinson and Layla Davis were on their way back home on Wednesday, January 4, when they saw pensioner Gladys laying on the road in Carmichael Way.

Gladys was said to be bleeding from the mouth when the pair stepped in to take care of her and help her with her cuts. They also called an ambulance and alerted neighbours to the situation.

A story about a yoga instructor becoming seriously injured on holiday hit the national headlines after being reported in the Gazette in January.

Amor Armitage suffered an horrific accident when her leg and abdomen were cut by the propeller of a boat while she was on holiday with her husband Chase, a stunt performer from Basingstoke.

The yoga teacher said it was a “miracle” to be alive after undergoing four life-saving surgeries to close the wounds and remove a piece of broken bone from her leg.

At the end of January we reported from court on the news that three men were found guilty of murdering a father-of-two from Basingstoke.

Ismaila Kamarra-Jarra, 19, of Milton Close, Basingstoke; Je Daine Carty, 18, of Ferndown Close, Basingstoke; and Cohan Daley, 18, whose address was not given for legal reasons, were all found guilty by a jury of the murder of Frantisek Olah in Basingstoke.

Officers were called at 11.14pm on Sunday, May 22, 2022 to a house in Musgrave Close, Basingstoke.

Frantisek Olah was found inside with serious injuries and he was later pronounced dead in the early hours of Monday, May 23. He had just turned 31-years-old.

There was good news for some in January with the announcement that a new bakery store was opening in Festival Place.

Wenzel’s opened a branch in the shopping centre on January 13 offering a variety of freshly baked treats, including customised cakes, doughnuts, and sweet and savoury platters.

February

February saw the sentencing of three teenagers stabbed a father-of-two from Basingstoke to death.

Following a three-month trial at Winchester Crown Court Ismaila Kamarra-Jarra, 19, of Milton Close, Basingstoke; Je'daine Carty, 18, of Ferndown Close, Basingstoke; and Cohan Daley, 18, were found guilty of murdering Frantisek Olah and sentenced to life in prison.

In February we reported that major US-based leisure operator Great Wolf Resorts had expressed interest in bringing an indoor water park resort to Basingstoke, as one of the first in the UK.

The company expressed an interest in developing the 27-acre council-owned Leisure Park to feature a 500-bedroom hotel, indoor water park, conference facilities, and leisure offerings including mini-golf, mini-bowling, a ropes course, games arcade and selection of restaurants, cafes and bars.

In February, plans to relocate a Basingstoke GP surgery fell through after months of planning.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) approved plans in 2022 to move Chineham Medical Practice to Jameson House.

The multi-million-pound development would have added a further wing to Jameson House, while internally the building in Lutyens Close would have been refitted to accommodate the practice, funded by the NHS and Assura, which develop and manage a portfolio of primary care medical centres in the UK.

The new building was sought because the current site of the surgery in Reading Road is no longer large enough and does not meet the needs of the growing population.

However, after almost two years of talks, the ICB said the move would not go ahead because it does not represent “value for money”.

March

On March 8 Basingstoke residents woke up to a blanket of snow covering the town.

Our coverage included details of school closures, travel disruptions and plenty of photos of children out and about enjoying the snow.

In March there was also the sad news that Basingstoke hairdressers Carey’s had closed after more than 60 years in the town.

Carey’s, which was in Church Street at the Top of Town, told its customers it had closed the shop “with a heavy heart” because of rising costs and competition.

The shop opened in Basingstoke in 1960 by Ian Carey.

There was some positive business news when Basingstoke restaurant Chennai Express was named the best Indian restaurant in the south.

The Wote Street restaurant won The Best Indian Restaurant of the Year South at the Nation’s Curry Awards 2023 held in Manchester.

March ended with the sad news that former Gladiator, Falcon, had died aged 59.

People across Basingstoke paid tribute to Bernadette Hunt, better known as Falcon, who was from Basingstoke.

She died aged 59 following a battle with cancer. Bernadette was a Gladiator on the ITV show for seven series until it ended in 1999.

April

April saw the start of a trial into the murder of Frazer Brabant who was assaulted and found with serious head injuries in the back garden of a house in Gershwin Road, Brighton Hill, on October 31, 2019.

The 31-year-old father-of-two was taken to hospital where he died on January 21, 2020.

We provided live coverage from the trial at Winchester Crown Court after police charged five men with offences involving his death.

There was disappointment in April for families when the Kids Party in the Park festival was cancelled.

Kids Party in the Park was meant to be held in Popley on April 12 offering an event for the whole family including food, fairground rides, entertainment and performances from tribute acts including Spice Girls and Little Mix. 

The event was cancelled because its licence application was refused on the grounds of ‘public safety’.

Basingstoke said goodbye to coffee shop Café Nero when it suddenly closed its branch in Festival Place on April 12.

The café closed because of circumstances ‘beyond our control’, according to a sign posted on the door.

The Basingstoke Bison announced they would be skipping the 2023-24 season because of an upgrade programme to the ice rink.

Planet Ice, which operates Basingstoke ice rink at the Leisure Park, confirmed on April 5 that the Bison would not compete in the 2023-24 season.

The team played their last game at Planet Ice Basingstoke on April 9.

In other major sporting news, Basingstoke Town Football Club finally won promotion as Champions of the Isthmian Legue Southern Central Division.

The footballing Gods were on 'Stoke's side as they overcame all odds to beat South Park Reigate and lifted the coveted silverware.