Each week the Advertiser's history writer David Borrett brings readers interesting news stories and letters from editions of the paper from years gone by.
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 30 AUGUST 1861
CAUGHT AT LAST
In the month of February 1860, Thomas Batt, of the parish of Wherwell, was summoned to appear before the borough magistrates on a charge of stealing a sack of rape and swede greens from a field in the occupation of Mr Thomas Fowle, near Rooksbury Mill.
Immediately after the service of the summons, Batt absconded, and the case was heard in his absence.
After remarking on the general bad character borne by the defendant, the bench sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.
From that time, nothing was heard of Batt until Saturday last, on which day he was seen in New Street by P S Reeves, who at once apprehended him on a warrant of commitment, and he was immediately forwarded to Winchester gaol to serve his time of imprisonment.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 31 AUGUST 1900
CORRESPONDENCE – THE FIRE AT THE RAILWAY TAVERN
Dear Sir: In your report of the fire which recently occurred on my premises, I observe that you erroneously attribute the outbreak to an overheated flue from a copper, and I think, in fairness to myself, that mistake should be corrected.
The fire in the copper was not even burning after 1 o’clock on the afternoon of the fire, which it will be remembered was discovered at 4.20 on that afternoon.
The chimney is an ordinary brick one and was not foul, having been swept within the last few weeks.
There is no sign whatever that the fire originated in the flue.
Immediately on the alarm being given and on finding where the fire was, I ran upstairs and through the room above the kitchen where the copper is, and into the loft beyond, at that time there was no fire in the room above the kitchen but it was just coming into the loft from the adjoining stable which has a door leading into Millway Road, and it was very evident that the fire commenced in that stable, and the wind which was blowing towards the inn took the flames along the whole range of buildings until stopped by the Fire Brigade.
The origin of the fire is at present a mystery.
Yours faithfully, Christopher Sawford, Railway Tavern.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 28 AUGUST 1925
TOO MUCH HURRY
Ronald H Pepler was summoned for driving a motor cycle to the common danger of the public in London Street on 15 August.
The defendant said he could not tell the speed as he had no speedometer.
P S Bulpitt said at 8.30 pm on the day in question he was patrolling London Street and he saw the defendant come round from London Street at a speed he estimated at between 35 and 40 miles an hour.
He swerved out to pass a motor car, and witness signalled him to stop, and told him he was driving too fast in a street.
Pepler said he did not think he was driving at more than 15 miles an hour and that when he was stopped by the officer, who said he was going 30 miles an hour, he replied that he was not aware he was going at that speed when he came in from London Road.
Alfred Parfitt, of 77 London Street said he saw the defendant and estimated he was travelling at 30 miles an hour.
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 1950
‘BE BRIEF, BE BRIGHT, BE GONE’.
An entertaining talk on public speaking was given by Rotarian, Mr G M Radwell to Rotarians on Tuesday.
Giving his address the title ‘To speak or not to speak’, Mr Radwell said his purpose was to encourage would-be speakers to have a go and to try to induce shy Rotarians to give talks at Rotary meetings.
Why was it, he asked, that a man could become quite eloquent at home or in the bar of his club, and yet when he mounted a rostrum he was gripped with a paralysing fear and behaved more like a criminal in the dock?
It was generally thought that good speakers were born and not made, but he was of the opinion that the majority were manufactured.
It required 65 muscles to make a frown and only 15 to produce a smile, so the speaker’s advice was: Be brief, be bright, be gone, and if it was any encouragement to his listeners, there was no hell for public speakers in the next world because they suffered so much from critics in this one.
FORTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 1978
TRADERS WANT SAINSBURY’S KEPT OUT
More than 50 traders in the Andover area this week protested against Sainsbury’s being given permission to open a supermarket in Bridge Street.
They claim that another supermarket in the town is a threat to the livelihood of small grocery shops, especially in the villages.
And they have sent a petition to the Test Valley Borough Council – with copies to all members of the Northern Area Planning Sub-committee which was due to meet last night.
The sub-committee will consider Sainsbury’s plan to erect a retail store with ancillary facilities and a 150-space car park.
The traders insist that Andover does not have the catchment area to support another large supermarket.
A spokesman for the traders, Mr John Burbidge, told the Advertiser yesterday, ‘I know the public want Sainsbury’s here, but a lot of small grocery shops will go to the wall.
‘Everyone will suffer, especially the village shops. They will be the most vulnerable.
‘Andover does not have the population to support another supermarket.’
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