ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 10 FEBRUARY 1893

CURRENTE CALAMO

The Town Council, at their meeting on Saturday, took a wide precaution against the recurrence of such an incident as recently occurred with regard to the Recreation Ground tenders. By the acceptance of Mr.Annett’s tender for £90 the incident is closed, and although much might be said on the whole question, no good can result by re-opening it, especially in the face of the resolution carried on the initiative of the Mayor. He proposed, and the Council unanimously agreed, that in future each person tendering for work should accompany his tender with a sum of two guineas as a guarantee that he was a bone fide competitor; while should his bona fides be above suspicion, and he should prove the victim of carelessness will not fall on the ratepayers but on himself. To what trouble and expense Corporations may be put without some such guarantee was well illustrated by Alderman Moore in connection with a neighbouring Corporation, and it is well to guard against anything of the kind occurring here. Mistakes it is not always possible to avoid, but when they occur it is only right that those who make them should suffer the consequences rather than the innocent. We hope, however, that the new rule will have the desired effect of preventing them.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 8 FEBRUARY 1918

MRS.BOOTH AT ANDOVER

The local Salvation Army officers, Ensign and Mrs.Darby, are to be congratulated on their successful endeavours in getting Mrs.Bramwell Booth, the busy wife of General Booth, to come to Andover on Wednesday and to describe to interest audiences the splendid work which is being carried on throughout the world. Attended by her secretary, Major Goodall, Lieut.-Col.Hillary, Lieut.-Col.King, Staff-Capt.Dalziel and other officers, Mrs.Booth addressed a drawing room party presided over by the Mayoress on Wednesday afternoon, when she justified the self-denial appeal, and in the evening spoke to a crowded meeting under the chairmanship of the Mayor. Salvationists came from far and near, including Staff-Capt.Renshaw and Ensign Franks, from Australia, who are chaplains with their comrades in the great war.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 12 FEBRUARY 1943

YOUNG WOMEN CHARGED — 19-YEARS-OLD GIRL IMPRISONED FOR BREACH OF RECOGNISANCES

Two young women appeared before a special sitting of the County Bench on Tuesday morning on a charge of locating themselves on War Department land of February 6 for a certain purpose.

They were Doris M———, aged 21, a native of Barnsley, and Lavinia A——— E———, aged 19, W——— Road, Camberwell.—Both of them pleaded not guilty.

The magistrates on the Bench were Lady Hort (in the chair), Mr.W.Rich, and the Hon.Diana Darling.

P.S. W.E.Wyatt said he saw the accused at South Tidworth Police Station at 10.55 p.m.the same day, and when he asked E——— what she was doing in the district she said “I came down to see a boy. He is the soldier I was with. Here’s my railway ticket.” Witness added that he knew her character, and that in December, 1942, she had resided at a brothel in Thruxton. He asked M——— what she was doing in Tidworth and she said she had come down with E——— to see a soldier, and in a reply to a question as to how long she had been there said she had come down on the Wednesday and was staying the at Church of England Institute. Witness asked her how she earned her living, and she said she had been working at a cafe in London.

M———, in a statement, said they were not down for the purpose alleged. They were down there to see two boys, who paid for their room from the Wednesday to the Friday night, and were going to pay for Saturday night’s accommodation. They kept in during the day and saw the boys at night.

E——— said she was down to see a boy, whom she knew before she had got into trouble before, and who had met her in London.

Each of the accused was fined £5, the alternative in each case, being a month’s imprisonment.

E——— was then charged with a breach of her recognisances which she entered into at the time of [her] January conviction, the condition of her probation for two years being that she would reside with her parents at W——— Road, Camberwell.

The accused told the Court that it was her intention to have gone home.

P.S.Wyatt gave formal evidence of the conviction of E——— in January.

The Chairman said E——— had been bound over and put on probation at a previous Court. She had failed to keep it, and would have to go to prison for three months.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 9 FEBRUARY 1968

TOWN HAIRDRESSERS UP IN ARMS OVER BY-LAW

Andover hairdressers have described as impracticable and ridiculous a proposed new borough by-law which, they claim, will result in an inevitable increase in the price of haircuts.

Andover Borough Council’s Public Health Committee has approved model by-laws which include an amendment stipulating that “Every hairbrush, comb, or similar instrument used on the premises shall be sterilised or otherwise adequately washed or cleaned after use on each customer.”

The amendment has been accepted by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, who framed the model by-laws. If infringed the penalty is a fine of £20.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 12 FEBRUARY 1993

COUNTY’S LOWEST COUNCIL TAX, BUT OTHER COSTS HAVE TO BE COVERED

Test Valley is on target for setting the lowest council tax in Hampshire.

But because of the council’s £½ million overspend this year, residents will be asked to make up £400,000 to put the council’s working balance back up to £¾ million.

Tax payers will also have to contribute £350,000 towards bad debts left over from poll tax.