The Basingstoke, Thatcham & Newbury Observer was a group of local free newspapers for the Basingstoke and surrounding areas of north Hampshire, and the towns of Thatcham and Newbury in Berkshire, England. It was published weekly, and was available free for readers to pick up from various shops and public outlets in and around Basingstoke, Thatcham & Newbury.
The newspaper was launched as the Basingstoke Observer in association with local radio station Kestrel FM in 2000, and was owned by the Milestone Group until it was sold in a management buyout in September 2006; following several changes of ownership it ended up owned by Taylor Newspapers Ltd. In June 2015 the Observer brand was extended to titles in Newbury and Thatcham. [1]
It was a sister publication to the Oxfordshire Guardian . The newspapers closed in May 2018. [2]
Berkshire is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berkshire in 1957 because of the presence of Windsor Castle, and letters patent were issued in 1974. Berkshire is a county of historic origin, a ceremonial county and a non-metropolitan county without a county council. The county town is Reading.
Newbury is a market town in the county of Berkshire, England, and is home to the administrative headquarters of West Berkshire Council. The town centre around its large market square retains a rare medieval Cloth Hall, an adjoining half timbered granary, and the 15th-century St Nicolas Church, along with 17th- and 18th-century listed buildings. As well as being home to Newbury Racecourse, it is the headquarters of Vodafone and software company Micro Focus International. In the valley of the River Kennet, 26 mi (42 km) south of Oxford, 25 mi (40 km) north of Winchester, 27 mi (43 km) southeast of Swindon and 20 mi (32 km) west of Reading.
The Observer is a British newspaper published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its sister papers The Guardian and The Guardian Weekly, whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993, it takes a social liberal or social democratic line on most issues. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
West Berkshire is a local government district in Berkshire, England, administered from Newbury by West Berkshire Council.
Catenae Innovation is a British Digital Media and Technology company. Originally a cross media proprietor with holdings in radio, publishing and television, the company now focuses on the digital media and technology sector.
The Breeze Basingstoke & North Hampshire was an independent local radio station serving Basingstoke and the surrounding area of North Hampshire. Owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio Network.
Thatcham railway station serves the town of Thatcham in Berkshire, England. It is 49 miles 45 chains measured from the zero point at London Paddington. It is served by Great Western Railway local services between Reading and Newbury and Bedwyn.
Newbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2019 by Laura Farris, a Conservative. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and has been in continual existence since then.
Greenham is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. Greenham commences immediately south-east of Newbury and is in West Berkshire. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Greneham.
Ashmore Green is a small hamlet in Berkshire, England. It is situated just to the west of the village of Cold Ash and to the north of Thatcham in the West Berkshire district.
Newbury Building Society is a building society based in Newbury, Berkshire in the south of England. 'The Newbury' was established in 1856 and is one of the oldest surviving building societies in the United Kingdom. It provides mortgages and savings products from its branches in Newbury, Hungerford, Thatcham, Abingdon, Didcot, Wokingham, Andover, Alton, Basingstoke and its newest branch opened in early 2013 in Winchester. Assets at 31 October 2020 were £1.234bn.
Thatcham Town Football Club is a semi-professional English football club based in Thatcham, Berkshire. They are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division and play at Waterside Park. The club is affiliated to the Berks & Bucks Football Association
West Berkshire Council is the local authority for West Berkshire, a unitary authority in Berkshire, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district.
Thatcham Reed Beds is a 67.4-hectare (167-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Newbury in Berkshire. It is part of the Kennet & Lambourn Floodplain Special Area of Conservation and an area of 14 hectares is a Local Nature Reserve. An area of 35 hectares is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
The Oxford Journal was a free newspaper distributed throughout the city of Oxford in the county of Oxfordshire, UK. It was published under licence by Taylor Newspapers Ltd.
The RG postcode area, also known as the Reading postcode area, is a group of thirty postcode districts in England, within twelve post towns. These cover west and central Berkshire and north Hampshire, plus a small part of south-east Oxfordshire and very small parts of Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire.
The Oxfordshire Guardian Group was a collection of six free newspapers distributed throughout Oxfordshire in England. Launched in July 2011 the papers circulation in Oxfordshire include editions for Witney & Carterton, Oxford City, Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford and Wantage & Grove. The paper was published by independent publisher Taylor Newspapers and was a sister publication to the Basingstoke, Thatcham & Newbury Observer group of newspapers. The Oxfordshire Guardian claimed to be the highest circulation newspaper in Oxfordshire.
The 2011 West Berkshire Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of West Berkshire Council in Berkshire, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
Padworth Common Local Nature Reserve is a 28-hectare (69-acre) Local Nature Reserve on the edge of the hamlet of Padworth Common, between Reading and Newbury in Berkshire. It is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
in September 2018 the Basingstoke Observer relaunched and is now part of Observer Media Group.