ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 17 MARCH 1893

FOOTBALL — WHITCHURCH v. KINGSCLERE

This encounter took place on Wednesday 8th, in beautiful spring-like weather, when Whitchurch was victorious by seven goals to nil. Winning the toss, the visitors played with the wind in their favour. Kingsclere started the ball, but before the game was two minutes old Whitchurch had drawn first blood with a high kick from Hutchins. Give and take play was now the order of the day for a few minutes, till Lloyd got hold and made a splendid run up the field, and centreing to Webb he scored number two. The ball being started, it was very soon taken into the home quarters, where it was quickly got through the uprights again, making the score three to nil in favour of Whitchurch. At halftime Webb started the leather again, but it was not long before it was got into the home quarters, and the visitors putting on four more goals the game ended as stated above. For the winners all played a sound game It must be stated that Whitchurch had eight playing who had done duty for them in their junior cup tie in past seasons; whereas with Kingsclere it is their first season, so that the result must not be wondered at. The Whitchurch team was as follows:—Goal, J.Roe; backs, R.Webb and J.Butler; half-backs, E.Dance, C.Baker, and W.Stevens; forwards—right wing, W.Hitchins and T.Weeks; centre, H.Webb; left wing, L.Lloyd and Backhouse.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 15 MARCH 1918

THE HAMPSHIRES IN KUT

Writing to the Morning Post from the House of Commons under date March 7 Col.W.V.Faber [MP] says: “Sir,—News has now been received of some of the 5th Hants Howitzer Battery who were taken prisoners at Kut-el-Amarah. Eight of the men reported missing are now at Ada Bazar, near Constantinople. This is the first news received of them since November, 1915. It is a matter of extreme urgency to send them money, parcels and letters, and I would suggest that the Turkish authorities are urged to allow one of the missing men to write a report giving (1) the names of the prisoners in the camp and whether they are well or ill; (2) the names of any known to be dead, stating date and place; and (3) a list of necessaries they are in greatest need of. There has been no greater strain in this war than the fate of the Kut prisoners.

[Compiler’s note: Col Faber was MP (Conservative) for the Andover constituency from 1906 to 1918]

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 19 MARCH 1943

LUDGERSHALL CANTEEN — CATHOLIC BISHOP BLESSES THE BUILDING

A ceremony unique in the history of Ludgershall took place on Sunday morning, when the Lord Bishop of Clifton opened and blessed the Catholic Women’s League Canteen, a spacious single-storey building situated near the railway embankment in what is known as the “Doctor’s Meadow.”

The large hall of the canteen will serve a double purpose, and while it will provide comfort and recreation for troops of the Allied Nations, on Sunday mornings by the opening of double doors at one end, it becomes a chapel for the holding of services for members of the Catholic faith in the district as well as soldiers of the same faith. Up till recently Father Hickey, C.F., of Tidworth, has said mass each Sunday at the Drill Hall, but now that Catholics have their own chapel it will be said there in future.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 15 MARCH 1968

OVER 1,200 WALKERS RAISE £2,500 TO BUY MINI-BUS

The old “Sprat and Winkle” line had never known anything like it! Even in the profit-making days of British Railways the line had never carried as many people on a one-way journey as it did on Sunday when more than 1,200 walkers took part in a “Rail-in”—a sponsored walk along 14 miles of disused railway track between Mottisfont and Andover.

And when it was all over the walkers, who were sponsored for so much per mile, had raised the staggering total of more than £2,500 to buy a mini-bus for the Icknield Training Centre for the Mentally Handicapped.

£17,000 CENTRE FOR ANDOVER’S YOUTH

Having operated for over five years from the Youth and Adult Centre in Bridge Street, the Andover Youth Club, recently moved into new premises. The club caters for some of the leisure-time pursuits of the young adults of Andover.

While continuing to make use of the old premises for certain activities, the club’s social base, from which operations spring, is now at the youth wing attached to the County Secondary School in London Road.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 19 MARCH 1993

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MAASTRICHT Consultation Meetings

Vernham Dean Village Hall, Vernham Dean

Saturday 20 March 1993, 8pm

Stockbridge Town Hall, Stockbridge

Saturday 27 March 1993, 6pm

Harris Hall, Church Close, Andover

Saturday 3 April 1993, 6pm

Sir David Mitchell MP

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