ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 21 OCTOBER 1892

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SOUTH-WESTERN

Mr.Wyndham Spencer Portal, who succeeds to the chairmanship of the South-Western Railway Company, is the descendent of an ancient family, which for years has led society in Hampshire. Since the latter part of the 17th century, when after the revocation of the edit of Nantes the Portals were driven from France, they have resided at the village of Laverstoke, which the brother of the new chairman, Mr.Melville Portal, practically owns. Mr.W.S.Portal is connected with, if he is not actually proprietor of, the Laverstoke Paper Mills, where is manufactured the paper from which Bank of England notes and postal orders are made. He is third surviving son of the late Mr.Spencer Portal, of Freefolk Priors and Laverstoke Park, Hants, and was born in 1822. He is president of the Hampshire Friendly Society, and one of the founders of the Hampshire Reformatory School, and of the Southern Counties Education Society. He is a magistrate for Hampshire, and was for several years one of the visiting justices of the Hants County Prison. He is a firm supporter and earnest advocate of temperance principles. Mr.Wyndham Portal resides in an historic house known as Malshanger House. It is erected on the site of the palace of William Warham, that Archbishop of Canterbury (1504-1532) who was ousted from his privileges by Wolsey. Mrs.Portal will be recalled in connection with an act of admirable generosity. Under the will of the third Lord Wolverton she and her sister became entitled to £300,000 each by virtue of what they believed to be a mistake. They took only £100,000 each, and gave up the rest to the bearer of the title.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 19 OCTOBER 1917

HURSTBOURNE PRIORS – WOMEN ON THE LAND

Women are doing grandly in the way of helping the farmer on the land, and they have been proved to rise to all occasions in good and bad weather. After the tremendously heavy rains of Tuesday night women were seen in the mangel field on Wednesday in their sack aprons dabbling about amongst mud and wet mangel foliage, glorying in their work. They would not have tolerated reading about such work in pre-war times, leave alone taking an active part in tillage.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO —23 OCTOBER 1942

NOTICE

Sister Susie sifts cinders for soldiers

— it doesn’t seem much of a war job but if every home in the country sifted cinders and put ‘em back on the fire the nation would

SAVE 2 MILLION TONS OF FUEL A YEAR

Issued in support of the National Fuel Economy Campaign by

WESSEX ELECTRICTY

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 20 OCTOBER 1967

PUBS HARD-HIT BY BREATHALYSER

The first week of the breathalyser tests has been quiet in Andover and district. Quiet for the motorists, the police and the publicans. Motorists are apparently heeding Mrs.Barbara Castle’s warning not to drink and drive — and so far Alcotest 80 has yet to be used in Andover, Whitchurch, Tidworth, Ludgershall or Stockbridge.

Many licensees report a drop in trade. Mr.Fred.Jeanes, licensee of the British Oak at Smannell, for instance, complains his trade is down by 45 per cent.

Said Mr.Jeanes: “Our takings on Saturday night were only half of what we normally take. People had a drink-they didn’t know what to do with themselves — and then went home dejected and disgusted. We did have a partial recovery on Sunday but there isn’t a glimmer of hope for the future.”

Mr.H.Chittenden, of the New Railway Inn at Andover, said “The drop in sales is about 25 to 30 per cent.

“I said it would definitely affect everyone, and it has. The week-ends used to be my busiest time but even that has dropped. My car park is empty in comparison with what it used to be like.”

Another pub with an empty car park is the Railway Tavern. “But” said Mrs.E.G.Hall, wife of the licensee, “during the week we couldn’t grumble at all. Saturday was the only day we had a drop in trade, and then it was raining all day.

“We must be getting more local trade because people are walking instead of bringing their cars.”

Mr.Bob Bryden, of the Bishop Blaize reported: “It wasn’t too bad but Saturday showed a drop in trade. I don’t know whether to blame the weather or the breathalyser. The only other thing is a shortage on the amount of spirits consumed.

Mr.M.Glancy, the Bar Manager at the Bell Inn, Weyhill, estimated the drop in trade to be about 30 per cent.

“We have about 90 per cent car trade here and not so many people are bringing their cars. Those that are driving are having one pint and going home whereas they used to stop for half a dozen. They are cutting down on everything except soft drinks.”

Mr.Anthony Wade, licensee of the Plough, Grateley, commented: “It is certainly down but it is difficult to say by how much because of the usual season drop. Friday was very good, Saturday not so good and Sunday was about normal. Local trade hasn’t been affected to any extent.”

Mrs.Pat Joselin, wife of the licensee of the Anton Arms, Andover, commented: “It is a little bit difficult to tell because we are in process of altering our lounge, but I should think our trade has dropped by about eight per cent.”

Mr.William Bird, of The Crown at Upton, “It has had little effect. We are about five per cent down but that doesn’t mean much at this time of the year. I would say our week-end trade was about normal.”

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 23 OCTOBER 1992

CALM BEFORE THE STORM?

Queries about the new council tax have started to flow into Test Valley Borough Council’s Beech Hurst HQ after government leaflets explain the replacement for the poll tax arrived on local doormats.

And the trickle is expected to grow into a flood as the change-over date of April Fool’s Day 1993 draws nearer.