THE recent publication of old photographs of Andover sent me delving into some of mine.

Suddenly an aerial shot of yesteryear emerged — my playground circa 1959.

It was a magnet for all my football school mates and a dozen or so bikes piled on top of each other was a regular sight outside our house.

People from all walks of life must remember the greatest sporting arena that Andover once had. It is Kellys’ sports ground in all its summer glory.What a playground it was!

It is framed at the top right by the rail line and Weyhill Road. Millway Road houses and gardens form the right hand side and Salisbury Road runs along the bottom. The left hand side of this aero shot is taken up by Burnfields golden wheat fields where playing amongst the straw bales at harvest time was a must for little urchins like me. In the right top quarter stands Kellys’ printing works surrounded by a good number of air raid shelters that we used to play in as kids amid the rusty ladders and broken glass. Millway Close makes its way in from Weyhill Road, top right, and vehicular access continues all the way through the centre of the allotments. At the apex of the sports field can be seen Kellys’ Club, later New River Club. Many a boisterous Friday and Saturday night would be enjoyed there.

Next to it can be seen Kellys Dance Hall, home to many enjoyable pantomimes in the 1950s and a superb venue for bands and groups in the years that followed.

The sporting arena itself had two hard courts for tennis and also a hockey pitch.

If you look carefully a match can be seen in progress. In the centre was the jewel in the crown of this sporting utopia and was by far the best cricket square for miles around. Next and closer to my heart is the football pitch where I scored many goals, a few real ones and many more imaginary!

On the left hand side standing guard, is a posse of beautiful trees which were known as the Seven Sisters. Nearby, the hedgerow can be seen running down towards the allotments and meeting the triangular orchard that was Mum and Dads. My sister Tina and I shared it with around forty chicken as well as a dozen vicious geese and Dad’s prize winning pigeons. This area is known today as Magnolia Close. The lower wheat field is Floral Way and the upper wheat field is where St John the Baptist School and John Hanson School reside. Their grounds led up to what was SCATS grain silo which is just out of shot to the left.

Down through the mists of time there were a great many sporting achievements by the sportsmen and sports ladies of Andover, and indeed from afar, who once upon a time enjoyed this top sporting mecca of yesteryear.

John Porter, Millway Road, Andover