In the news:
January
The big freeze blanketed Basingstoke, plunging the borough into chaos. The town made national headlines as thousands of motorists had to abandon their stranded cars. But the weather brought out the best in residents, with communities rallying to provide a helping hand for those in need.
Old Basing beauty Laura Ashfield beat of hundreds of hopefuls to be crowned Miss Basingstoke 2010.
Kingsclere fireman John Taylor joined a team of Hampshire firefighters helping the relief effort
February
Plans were unveiled by borough council chiefs to regenerate Basing View. The multi-million pound project was designed to boost the image of the town.
A band of residents rallied to fight plans for 134 homes on a greenfield site at Worting Farm.
A vicar set off on a 100-mile pilgrimage to Canterbury to raise funds for St John’s Church, Hartley Wintney.
cops swooped to break up a mass protest outside the Atomic Weapons Establishment HQ in Aldermaston.
March
A bid for the job of Basingstoke mayor erupted into a bitter feud when councillors refused to back the deputy mayor, Phil Heath, but instead voted Cllr Keith Chapman as mayor elect.
Police made 29 arrests in a massive drugs crackdown, Operation Riding saw 80 officers carry out multiple raids and arrests on drug dealers across the borough.
Basingstoke fitness instructor Richard Opperman started his bid to run a marathon a month to raise funds for cancer charities.
April
Naomi House Children's Hospice was able to recoup nearly all of its £6m lost in the Icelandic banking collapse. The money was made good thanks to a one-off grant from Hampshire Primary Care Trust.
Parents lost their hard-fought battle to save Chineham Park Primary School after Hampshire education chiefs decided to shut it down.
RAF Odiham Chinook pilot Flight Lieutenant Marc Heal received the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in Afghanistan.
A memorial skate park was given the go-ahead in a tribute to keen skate boarders and tragic car crash victims Jake Burden and Lee Robinson.
And your Basingstoke Observer celebrated its 10th birthday.
May
A memorial match between Basingstoke FC and Millwall was revived. The annual match, remembering eight Basingstoke youngsters killed in 1978 while travelling to a Millwall game, was shelved in 2007, but supporters clubs banded together to bring it back.
A special service was held to honour six heroes killed while trying to defuse a bomb in Nately Scures, near Hook, during World War II.
Four youngsters from Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke were given a tennis masterclass by Judy Murray, mum of tennis ace Andy.
Maria Miller retained her seat as Basingstoke MP in the general election, doubling the votes for Lib-Dem rival John Shaw and Labour's Funda Pepperell.
June
Basingstoke canoeist Peter Mansell set off on a two-day challenge to paddle 120km around the Isle of Wight to raise money for a new clubhouse.
Borough councillors hit out at plans to lower water consumption, despite figures showing that residents have less water available to them than parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Basingstoke Rock Choir released their first album. Pubs across the town prepared for drinkers hitting the bars during the World Cup finals in South Africa in what turned out to be a trouble-free month.
residents expressed outrage after land in Carpenters Down, Basingstoke, was invaded by travellers.
July
Thousands of party-goers descended on War Memorial Park as Basingstoke Live kicked off its fourth year. More than 15,000 people turned up for the four-day event, headlined by world-class acts such as the Ting Tings and Maximo park.
Dog-owner David Hall started his fight for justice after his pet pooch was savaged by another dog.
August
Residents rallied to demand Basingstoke council scrap plans to build on a former allotments site in South Ham.
Winklebury’s Bermuda GP Practice was shut after a safety check declared the building unfit for patients.
The skies over Basingstoke were with giant balloons, despite bad weather grounding some displays.
Fourteen Aldermaston residents were evacuated during a blaze at the AWE nuclear bomb factory. A mum-to-be, aged 16, and her 44-year-old partner came forward pleading for help after council bosses refused them housing.
The £5.9m revamp of The Malls in Basing-stoke town centre finally got under way.
students across North Hampshire toasted their GCSE results.
September
The Battle of Basingstoke, a Civil War skirmish, was re-enacted on Basingstoke Common.
brave 11-year-old Jonathan Cowdrey scooped five medals at the British Transplant Games.
Health minister Andrew Lansley visited Basingstoke hospital to hear views of his proposed shake-up of the NHS.
Several protesters were arrested after breaking in to AWE base at Aldermaston.
Two residents opened a food bank in Eastrop to provide food parcels for needy residents.
Asonists targeted an old people’s home under construction in Brighton Hill, Basingstoke.
October
A short film festival was held at Central Studio, Basingstoke, celebrating the towns unsung film-makers.
Two mums from Popley hit out at the county council for not providing crossing points along Carpenters Down after a 12-year-old girl was knocked down.
A group of daredevils walked across burning hot coals to raise cash for Basingstoke Shopmobility and Hampshire air ambulance. plans for the Basing View redevelopment finally kicked off as diggers started tearing down Loddon House and City Wall House.
November
Beleaguered deputy mayor Phil Heath lodged complaints against two fellow councillors after being found guilty of breaching the council’s code of conduct in a row over snow management.
Basingstoke woman Tarnia Betteridge appealed for the safe return of her five Staffordshire bull terrier puppies which were stolen in a raid on her home.
Fifteen-year-old Tom Gilboy welcomed the opening of a new skate park after campaigning for three years to get it built.
A newly-built children's centre faced closure after robbers made of with £1,000 worth of its funds, but a donation from Basingstoke Loddon Rotary club saved the day.
up to 10,000 people flocked to Basingstoke’s War Memorial Park for the mayor's fireworks display.
December
Snows blanketed the borough for the second time in the year. But Basingstoke councillors praised the county council’s road salting efforts, which kept the borough moving.
Basingstoke borough council chiefs were due to decide whether to shut down the notorious Liquid nightclub in Basingstoke after police highlighted more than 90 crimes there over the past year. But their decision was held up by the snowy weather and it was delayed until the new year.
Rower Dave Holby finished his two-year charity row around the world on a static rowing machine stationed in The Malls in Basingstoke.
Eastrop food bank received a surprise donation of £5,000 from Priestly Road-based company Elanco.
And in sport:
Motor racing
Hook-based speedster Rob Collard enjoyed a successful 2010, coming eighth in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season. Collard joined West Surrey Racing for the new season and racked up six podium finishes, but a win remained elusive. He produced some classy drives, including at Rockingham where he finished second, despite starting tenth on the grid.
Nineteen-year-old Basingstoke racer Archie Hamilton came a step closer to realising his dream of following his Le Mans winning grandfather by scooping a podium finish at the French track in the Porsche Carrera Cup in April.
Athletics
Basingstoke sprinter Rob Tobin represented the town on the national stage, scooping silver in the 4x400 for Team GB at the European championships in Barcelona.
The runner worked hard to come back from injury to climb up the ranks to fourth best in the country.
In the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Tobin again took centre stage, scooping a bronze medal in the 4x400.
Rugby
Basingstoke RFC ended their 2009-2010 on a high note, being crowned the best rugby team in the county after beating Portsmouth 39-16 in the Hampshire Cup. This topped off a sixth-place finish in their first year back in the National Three London and SE league.
In July, the Down Grange side welcomed a new head coach in former Samoan international and veteran of three world cups Junior Paramore.
However, this season has seen them struggle, having lost nine matches and won 14. They will hope for more wins to climb up from 10th in the league.
Cricket
Basingstoke cricketers the Bountymen had to settle for sixth spot in Thames Valley League Division One. The Mays Bounty side played 16 matches, winning seven, losing six and drawing three.
But one player who had an amazing year was opening seam bowler Martyn James, who claimed 49 wickets during the year. Four times during the season he took six wickets or more, including a personal best of 8-45, the best of all bowlers in the league that season.
Ice hockey
The Bison have been the crowning glory of Basingstoke sport this season. At the time of going to press, the Herd were gearing up to build on their 11 consecutive victories. They lie third in the league – within touching distance of the English Premier League top spot, having won 19 games and lost only six. Steve Moria's men will be chasing the club record of 15 straight wins back in 1991. Season highlights include a massive 12 -5 demolition of Sheffield Steeldogs in their first meeting followed by an 8-1 victory second time around. Stars of the squad include new Slovak forward Victor Kubenko, who has netted 37 points for the Bison.
