BY the time this letter is
published it will be less
than two months until the
centenary of the beginning
of the First World
War.


Having searched the local
council websites for information
on commemorations
and finding nothing new I
decided to contact both St
Mary’s Church and the Royal
British Legion to find out
what services or parades
might be taking place on or
about the anniversary on 4
August.
 

To my surprise both organisations
have confirmed that
there are no plans to mark
the centenary in Andover!
 

What a disgrace for a town
like ours with such strong
military ties, particularly to
that conflict.


I know it is not everyone’s
cup of tea – to remember
such a distant conflict – but
chances are if you are at
least three or four generations
British you will have
someone in your family that
fought, and most likely died,
during that war.


It was a conflict that shaped
the entire political landscape
of the 20th century, leading
directly to the Second World
War and thereby the Cold
War and whose repercussions
are still being felt today
in areas such as the Middle
East, the Crimea and even
the currently – much
maligned – European Union,
which would not exist had
the rest of the continent not
wanted to prevent France
and Germany going to war
for a third time!


It is therefore inexcusable
that we are doing nothing to
mark such an important
event in Andover.


It says a lot about the calibre
of the councillors we
have in Andover that they
care more about the
Christmas lights than they
do about the sacrifices made
by the people of the borough
during the ‘Great War’.


And if you think I am joking
just look at the minutes
of last week’s meeting of
Andover Town Council at
which councillors were still
banging on about the Christmas
lights, even though it
was almost June, whilst
there was no mention of the
upcoming anniversary.


Test Valley Borough
Council and Andover Town
Council, you are an embarrassment
to this town, its
wonderful military heritage
and service personnel past
and present.


You should be well and
truly ashamed of yourselves
but I would bet that not one
of you reading this are even
the least bit bothered that
the anniversary will pass
unmarked.


History, and hopefully the
electorate, will judge your
apathy appropriately.


Mark Brown, The
Avenue, Andover