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OVERTON

The National Schools have been closed three weeks in consequence of measles, the disease having been exceedingly virulent, no fewer than fourteen having died. The schools are now reopened, but those at Laverstoke and Whitchurch are both closed.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 6 APRIL 1917

CORRESPONDENCE – ANDOVER TRIBUNAL

Sir,—No doubt a great many people have read the comments concerning the Andover Tribunal which appeared in a recent issue of that remarkable paper called the Daily Mail, and I should not have troubled you with this letter had it not been for the apparent insinuation therein contained that one of the reasons for the Tribunal’s adjournment for a month of the hearing of the cases then to come before them was because my clerk’s name was included in the list for review.

As a matter of fact the Tribunal never know what cases are to come before them until they are read out at the public sitting, so that it is obvious that the cases then to come before them had nothing whatever to do with the adjournment. The Mayor fully stated what the reasons were, viz., those which appeared in the Andover Advertiser.

Why my name as Town Clerk, and as such Clerk to the Tribunal, should have been introduced into the report in the Daily Mail, I fail to understand, unless it was I had some enemy to whom a favourable opportunity occurred to give the poor old Town Clerk, who has borne the burden and heat of public life for 34 years, a dig in the ribs; if so it must have been as “balm in Gilead” to the mean little souls of the writer of the article, and the person giving false impression.

I may mention my clerk (the only one I have) was, with the consent and entire approval of the former Recruiting Officer, Col.Peyton, given exemption on the sole ground that he was engaged in the absolutely necessary public work of this borough, and as to his being a “young” man of 35, he is 37 years of age, and a married man with two young children and a widowed mother to support.

I need hardly say that I have always throughout my lengthy official life endeavoured at all times and on all occasions to put the interests of the public before any private consideration of my own.—I am, sir, yours truly, THOS.E.LONGMAN, Town Clerk.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 10 APRIL 1942

ADVERTISEMENT

APPEAL TO WOMEN 31 AND OVER

Women are urgently needed for Full or Part Time jobs. Do YOUR share to help the war effort by offering your services for valuable work in the factory. GOOD WAGES can be earned; compassionate leave will be granted to the wives of Service men. Cheap meals in works canteen and transport facilities are available. Varied and interesting vacancies exist for both trained and untrained women. If you can work for your country either full or part time from 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., or 1.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m., send particulars at once to Personnel Officer, Taskers of Andover (1932) Ltd., Andover. If you cannot work the above enquiries are invited giving particulars of the hours you can work.

PART TIME WAGES—7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. (6 shifts) £1/7/5 per week plus piecework. 1.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. (5 shifts) £1/2/10 per week plus piecework.

FULL TIME—£2/13/3 per week plus piecework

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 7 APRIL 1967

WHITCHURCH SOAP FACTORY CLOSES

After 35 years of soap and glycerine manufacture, the firm of Davis Products, Ltd., of Station Road, Whitchurch, will cease production from the end of the month. As a result 12 employees will become redundant.

The principle reason for the closing down of the works, which was announced this week, is due to the increasing use of synthetic detergents instead of soap flakes for laundry use and the fact that the giants of the industry now use a continuous automated process, making it almost impossible for the smaller manufacturer to compete.

The company was started by Mr.John Davis, then managing director, who retired in 1957 when the firm was acquired by Initial Services Ltd.

The products made were toilet soap base, supplied in bulk to some of the better known toilet soap makers, Davex soap flakes and flakes for laundry use.

Glycerine, a by-product, was also recovered and for 20 years was distilled to B.P. and dynamite grades. Some hundreds of tons were made during the last war for use by ordnance factories for explosive manufacture.

Four of the staff at the works including the manager (Mr.C.J.Greenwood), who joined the firm in 1933, have completed over 30 years service with an aggregate of 129 years. It appears that all the redundant workers are confident of securing employment and working at least until retiring age.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 10 APRIL 1992

NIGEL’S PURE PLEDGE

Fish farmer Nigel Jackson is prepared to take his health into his hands in a bid to prove his commitment to the environment.

To show councillors how clean the water joining the Test from proposed new ponds at Longparish would be, Nigel, of the Dever Springs Fish Farm, has offered to drink polluted water passed through a revolutionary new filter, which he hopes to use at the ponds.

“We are a very environmentally aware industry and the water matters more to us than to anybody else. Using this method, within three to five years we will be able to tell the public they could drink from any of our outlets,” he said.

If the Longparish scheme goes ahead, it will be the first in the country to use the new filters, which operate by growing bacteria which feed on fish faeces in cylinders of Flotex, a material usually found in sewage plants, covered with a glass fibre membrane.