ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 7 APRIL 1893

THE EXTRAORDINARY WEATHER

The glorious summer weather of the past month has deceived alike flora and fauna, and even the cuckoo has been making himself heard in the grounds of Hillside, under the impression, no doubt, that summer has arrived once more. At Tedworth the Banksia rose may be seen in full bloom, while the gardens all round are perfect pictures, all the fruit trees being covered with bloom.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 5 APRIL 1918

BUILDING SOCIETY

The annual meeting of the Andover Building Society was held on Thursday, when there was the usual small attendance. Owing to the war activities of the society had been very much curbed, no new buildings can be commenced by the members, and existing houses are generally above value if offered for sale. Members paid in £182 and withdrew £49 during the year, while £280 was advanced on mortgage. At the end of 1917 £2185 was on mortgage to members on six properties, and £96 2s. had been repaid in the year. A dividend at the rate of 4 per cent, will be paid out of the undivided profit to shareholders, who had £25 to their credit during the year.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 9 APRIL 1943

CORRESPONDENCE – OUR DUSTBINS

Sir,—In these days when galvanised articles are both expensive and difficult to get, surely there is an alternative whereby the local authorities could empty out those last bits and pieces in our dustbins without that hearty little bang on the side, which so soon batters them and causes them to bend and crack. A little scraping instead of a bang would give our dustbins a new lease of life.—Yours truly,

Mrs.VERA TUCKER,

120, Salisbury Road, Andover.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 5 APRIL 1968

GAVE THEM A FRIGHT

The roar of a Vulcan bomber shattered the mid-morning quiet of Penton Corner yesterday as it swooped low over houses and trees. One resident, Mrs.Madge Hill, of Beech Close, admitted: “I was scared stiff.”

Mrs.Hill, who had worked for R.A.F Andover for 29 years added: “I thought he was going to dive straight through my house. I suddenly heard this dreadful noise and so I looked out into a field and saw a horse rearing up.

“Then I saw the aircraft with vapour pouring out the back. He went over the airfield and then went straight up.” After living at the top of Monxton Road for 28 years Mrs.Hill emphasised: “Even though I have seen all types of aircraft coming down low, I must admit that I was worried. It wasn’t funny, I can assure you. I could make out every line on the aircraft.”

It was later discovered that the Vulcan almost certainly came from Boscombe Down. The Press Liaison Officer, Sqn.Ldr.R.J.A.Good told the “Advertiser” that they had one Vulcan at the base and this was engaged on “partial climbs” – these are climbs which are started from low altitudes using less than all four engines.

Sqn.Ldr.Good said: “It could be that he started a climb in that area. I know that that particular aircraft was flying this morning because I saw it.”

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 8 APRIL 1993

A DAMNING REPORT ON THE YOUNG

Young people in Andover take little exercise, eat unhealthy foods and spend their time blotting out reality with drugs, alcohol, television and loud music, according to a new report.

These findings are the fruits of a youth needs survey carried out by an independent consultant for the Society of Voluntary Associates.

Gina Ingram spent nearly two months in the town talking to young people aged from 14 to 25 and associated agencies.

She draws a picture of a racist, sexist, homophobic town with little tolerance for those who don’t conform.

Young people, she concludes, seem to have no sense of their past, no vision of their future and no feeling of where they are, socially or politically.

According to the report, half of those aged from 16 to 20 regularly take small amounts of ‘soft’ drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy and amphetamines.

But with many youngsters starting to drink at the age of 11, drink is the most common substance used and abused.

Young people getting slightly drunk often leads to them doing silly, unthinking things resulting in people getting injured, personal problems or difficulty with the law.

Homelessness is a big problem, with the shortage of jobs forcing unemployed youngsters to stay in their parents’ home.

More than half of Andover’s population are of child-producing age and the report says the tensions caused by lack of affordable housing are close to breaking point.

Single mothers are a prominent group and the report claims that in the past, housing many of them on King Arthur’s Way encouraged a ‘small prostitution industry’.

TEN YEARS AGO — 4 APRIL 2008

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — DEMOCRACY ADVISOR CONSIDERS ANDOVER AS NEXT STOP

I am part of a team of international community advisors working in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and I have been at home in Andover for a few days’ leave over Easter. One of the things we are advising our Macedonian hosts about is how a proper democracy works, avoiding the old style Soviet system of one party politics and an executive (or Politburo) of handpicked party functionaries. Reading of Mr Carr’s intentions for Test Valley Borough Council in my Andover Advertiser the other weekend, I will be recommending to my international colleagues that we make Andover our next assignment, as our local party chairman clearly also needs some advice on how a democracy works.

Andrew Whiteley, Turin Court, Andover