ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 6 SEPTEMBER 1889

HAMPSHIRE CARABINIERS

The annual prize firing of the C Troop of this regiment was held pm Tuesday last the 3rd inst., by permission of Capt.East, on the admirable new butts at Longstock. Captain Smith, Lieutenants St.John Mildmay and Spencer Portal, and Major and Adjutant Lord Airlie were present, and, as on previous occasions, a full attendance of non-commissioned officers and men. The ranges fired at were 500 and 600 yards, five rounds at each. The first prize (the silver challenge cup presented by Mrs.Smith, with £3 added by the troop officers) was won by Trooper J.H.Tyrrell, with 26 points; the second (£2) by Trooper W.E.Few (last year’s winner), with 25 points; and the third (£1) by Quarter-Master Tyrrell, with 18 points. After the prize firing Capt.East kindly showed the troop his maxim gun, with which he made good practice at the adjoin range at 500 and 200 yards on the figure target. On this range he also set up a running man target, and the whole arrangement of the butts is according to the most improved system, and offers the best facilities for rifle and carbine practice. Mr.and Mrs.East, Lieut.A.E.East and party were present during the afternoon, and very kindly provided the men with refreshments. In th evening the troop dined together at the “Seven Stars,” when the prizes were distributed to the successful competitors.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 4 SEPTEMBER 1914

NOTICE

WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?

Men and Girls of Hampshire, have you forgotten Nelson’s immortal signal, that England expects every man to do his duty?

Have you forgotten the certain road to victory and glory?

Have you forgotten that your member, Captain Faber, an old man, has rejoined the Colours?

GO AND YOU DO LIKEWISE.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 8 SEPTEMBER 1939

ANDOVER — FAMINE IN THE MIDST OF PLENTY

War certainly creates paradoxes. On the one hand one sees national newspapers and the B.B.C. frantically endeavouring to cope with their sudden spate of news and on the other the weekly newspapers find their supply of local news about as plentiful as Eskimos in the Sahara. This is a dull period of the year normally, with few engagements, but it is enough to bring tears to the rheumy eyes of a hardened Editor to see the way in which the word “war” has swept away the few events that we had hoped to report. All sport has been abandoned and social and cultural activities will have to be held in abeyance indefinitely.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 4 SEPTEMBER 1964

SIX MONTHS FROM CENTURY, SPRAT AND WINKLE TO DIE

In two day’s time, ironically only six months from its centenary, the Andover-Romsey line will die.

It was nearly 100 years ago—on Monday, 6 March, 1865—that the line, affectionately called “the Sprat and Winkle,” was first opened to regular traffic; it will die on 6 September 1964. The route was laid on the bed of the Andover-Redbridge Canal, with a base of chalk taken from quarries in the Test Valley, and station platforms were built where once there had been locks and wharves.

The last train will make its sad journey on Sunday, and will finish at Andover Junction Station at 9.26 p.m. This will be the last opportunity to ride by train through one of the loveliest stretches of Hampshire countryside.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 8 SEPTEMBER 1989

ADVERTISER COMMENT

The £13 million scheme to redevelop and extend Andover’s shopping centre is now well under way.

The multi-storey car park, along with the new shopping area, on what was formally the West Street car park, is rapidly taking shape with massive steelwork climbing skywards.

Steel girders are the order of the day, too, in the redevelopment of the existing precinct where the skeleton of the new cover-all canopy is now clearly visible.

There are those who already say they don’t like it.

It is always easy to find fault with something that is incomplete. Remember the story of the ugly duckling?

We suspect that once the canopy is finished, with the steelwork painted and the glass cover in place, the whole town centre will look a whole lot better.

There can be few would deny that the opportunity to park and shop, even in the depths of winter, without having to run the gauntlet of downpour and snow, does hold certain attractions.

Meanwhile, as work progresses, we can congratulate the builders for the way in which the development is being carried out.

The entire town centre shopping area could have been turned into one massive building site.

Instead we have them working evening and weekends as far as possible and while some inconvenience is unavoidable they do seem to be trying their best to keep upheaval to we shoppers, who have to use Andover, to an absolute minimum.

TEN YEARS AGO — 3 SEPTEMBER 2004

BOROUGH LEADER BACKS £26,000 FESTIVAL PLAN

Test Valley Borough Council leader Ian Carr has defended plans for a £26,000 festival to mark the re-opening of the High Street.

The plans, which have come in for some criticism, involve schools and the community in a three-month project culminating ina Time Ring Festival in December.

Ian Carr told members of the full council last week that a major part of the festival would be engendering some civic pride in young people.

“People may say that’s a wast of money but when you try to introduce some civic pride into myoungsters, then I think that is money well spent,” he said.