RED telephone box: As a result of pressure from the parish council, BT has reinstated the phone box at the junction of Hatch Lane and Belle Vue Road.

GATEWAY features: Three roads in Old Basing have been identified for installation of gateway features to the village.

These are Byfleet Avenue, Hatch Lane and Park Lane.

It is proposed to install standard gateway features consisting of a brick pillar with speed limit and welcome signs and a roundel.

Proposals also include alterations to the over-run areas at Park Lane to tighten the junction and lower entry speeds, and a new kerb line to widen the footway on the eastern side of Hatch Lane.

MILKINGPEN Lane: The parish council is to request that the borough council installs a footpath from Church Lane to The Street, traffic lights at the railway bridge and lighting on either side of the railway bridge.

PIGGY Dam: Sheila Grassi called to say that she thought the original name for the dam on the River Loddon just off Newnham Lane was Piquet Dam, from its initial construction of stakes or pickets (piquet in French).

However, 94-year-old Mrs Beck, from Cavalier Road, has advised me that it was called Peaked Ham when she played there as a child and over the years the name has been transformed to Piggy Dam.

PARISH council: The next meeting is on Monday, at 7.30pm, in the pavilion committee room.

RECREATION ground: The play equipment will be out of action from today until March 18, for health and safety work to be carried out.