ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — ¬17 FEBRUARY 1893

SECOND EDITION — COUNTY BENCH.—THIS DAY.

AFTER DINNERS—AN OLD OFFENDER

Frank G———, labourer, of Andover, was charged with stealing a bag containing a quantity of food, value 3d., the property of William Harding, at Wherwell, on the 16th inst. Prosecutor, a carter lad, said he was at work on the previous day in the fields at Wherwell, and had pit his dinner, which was in a basket, under a rick by the side of the road. He had put it near the road on account of the rain. He missed it at dinner time, and next saw it when the constable brought it to him.—P.C.Lush said he was informed that a dinner had been stolen from Edward Guyatt, and he went in search of the prisoner, whom he overtook on the Longparish Road. He brought him back, and on searching him found part of the dinner on him. He afterwards found the basket under the hedge. Prisoner, when confronted with the prosecutor, said “I am very sorry.” He then locked him up.—The same prisoner was further charged with stealing a handkerchief containing a quantity of food, vale 3d, the property of Edward Guyatt, at Wherwell on the 16st inst.-Prisoner, who has only come out [of] gaol, was remanded till Friday next.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 15 FEBRUARY 1918

NUMBER ONE CALLED IN

On February 5, at Devizes, John Russell Fox passed away at the age of 87. Son of Mr.J.J.Fox, draper of that town, he came to Andover in 1857, at the age of 26, and on January 1, 1858, he issued the first copy of the Andover Advertiser, price two pence, by post three pence; advertisements three pence per line, minimum two shillings and six pence. He rebuilt the front part of the premises 10, High Street, in 1860, the workmen who had been engaged in the erection of Eastfield House, being engaged for the work. However, he tired of Andover and returned to Devizes in the autumn of 1862 where he purchased the Independent, the paper on which he had served his apprenticeship, and continued it until 1876, when it was purchased by the Wiltshire Times.

[Compiler’s note: As reported above, The Advertiser sold for 2d (approximately 1p) in 1858; the 1893 and 1918 issues were 1d (½p); the 1943 issue was 2d (1p); the 1968 issue was 6d (2½p); the 1993 issue was 30p (6 shillings in ‘old’ money); the 2008 issue was 55p (11/-) and today’s issue is 80p (16/-).]

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 19 FEBRUARY 1943

ANDOVER — WILL YOU HELP?

The W.V.S. would be glad to hear from people who would like to entertain members of the American Forces on Sundays. The present arrangement is that the men are brought in by truck at 3.30 p.m. and return at 7.30 p.m. They are provided with some rations to present to their hostesses. Ladies can give a standing invitation for every Sunday or name a specific date, whichever is most convenient to themselves, but the W.V.S. must receive the invitation by first post on Monday at the latest. The American Red Cross inform us that there are many more men who would like invitations tan there are hostesses to receive them.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 16 FEBRUARY 1968

ANDOVER WORKER’S OUTSPOKEN VIEWS

Andover trade unionist Mr.Harry Brown declared at Winchester on Wednesday that he would refuse to work with some classes of ex-prisoners.

“If I had a bloke with me who had broken into a working-class house, I wouldn’t work with him” he told the Winchester and District Employment Committee.

“These sexual offenders are the same” he added.

“I think employers taking them on should give some consideration to the people amongst whom they are going to put them.”

“The strange thing is that you get socially acceptable crimes” observed the committee’s secretary, Mr.A.G.Lock.

“You can get a man who is in prison for motoring offences or for not paying his rates or for beating his wife and nobody worries much about it – in fact, he is almost looked upon as a hero.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 19 FEBRUARY 1993

THE RECEIVERS GO IN AT DUNNING SHOPFITTERS

There is no chance of saving Dunning Shopfitters 1990 Ltd say the Receivers who were called in to administer the ailing company on Friday. Of the 62 employees, 52 have been made redundant, said a spokesman for Grant Thornton, the rest are retained only in a ‘tidying up’ operation.

One of the main reasons for the company’s collapse was a cash flow problem – largely caused by unpaid bills amounting to over £1 million for work completed by Dunnings at the new EuroDisney complex near Paris.

Southampton accountants Grant Thornton are handing the administration of the firm that was set up with a management buy-out after the collapse of the Dunning Construction Group.

The spokesman said the recession had not helped the company which had seen its turnover of £16 million per year halved.

He added: “The chances of saving the company are now non-existent”.

TEN YEARS AGO — 15 FEBRUARY 2008

VOTE FOR TOWN COUNCIL PLEA

Town council campaigners were out in force in Andover on Saturday to argue their case and gather signatures for a petition to the Government.

The non-political campaign headed by local historian and author Anthony Raper, needs to garner the signatures of 10

per cent of the town’s registered electorate of 30,000 to force the Government to sit up and take notice of the call for Andover to have its own council.

Currently Andover is the part of Test Valley without its own town or parish council – instead Andover taxpayers pay a special levy for the borough council to provide some of the services that would have been undertaken by a minor local authority.