MAY I bring it to our readers’ attention what a veritable source of information the paper is, but in particular in this instance, the section devoted to Back Through The Pages.

Three articles are so pertinent simply because of their current topicality: 1 One is entitled ‘Is Andover Dirty?’ Dated circa 50 years ago today.

I particularly liked the suggestion that the high street be disinfected by a water cart.

2 ‘Copper Kettle to open for business again’.

Dated 25 years ago, currently this restaurant is currently opening on Sundays to trial roast dinners.

3 Another is dated 10 years ago entitled ‘In tandem to go for re-election’.

With our elections just round the corner and our beloved MP retiring, this is particularly poignant.

But from my perspective, the paper proves with this section, once again, if ever it needed proving, that once a story is in our paper, it’s there for all time.

There is a place for online accessibility but nothing compares to actually holding a newspaper in your hands and going backwards and forwards in your memory with times and incidents that form part of one’s life.

So 50 years ago we were complaining that Andover was dirty?

May I point out that people charged with cleaning our town up, some of them, bless their souls, were not even born then.

And as for those complaining about kids dropping litter, I say the problem has been around for 50 years and more. It is not a current phenomenon, clearly demonstrated by this section of the paper. I wonder if any of the contributors to that article, ever picked any litter up themselves, or joined in with any litter-picking groups?

Bringing things to the attention of the council is all very worthy, as is writing and submitting your thoughts to the paper.

But I often wonder, instead of asking, ‘what is the council doing for us?’ why people don’t stop and think, ‘What can I do to help the council?

‘Or indeed our own environment’.

Manuela Wahnon Andover Via e-mail

Is litter an historic problem in Andover?

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