ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 27 OCTOBER 1893

HURSTBOURNE TARRANT — CHAPEL ANNIVERSARY

On Sunday the Primitive Methodist Society held their chapel anniversary, when two appropriate and instructive sermons were ably delivered by Mr.William Needle, of Longstock Grange, to good congregations, and the collections amounted to £1 0s. 10d. On Monday a public tea was provided in the chapel, and over 100 persons sat down, Mesdames Wiltshire, Ball, J.Briant, H.Briant, and Miss Briant waiting at the tables. After tea the chapel was crowded, every seat being occupied, to hear the popular lecture on “The Tongue, the best and worst of everything,” given by the Rev.J.Arthur Alderson, the chairman being supported on the platform by the lecturer and Mr.W.Richardson. The hearty laughter and applause at intervals showed that the lecturer’s effort was fully appreciated by his attentive audience. Miss Marie Towse, of Filey, effectively rendered the following solos during the evening:—“He Wipes a Tear from every Eye”; “Mother’s with the Angels now” and “Let the Angels in.” The collection taken at the close amounted to £1, which was considered excellent, as it consisted entirely of small coins.—A vote of thanks was given to the Chairman, Lecturer, and Miss Towse, proposed by Mr.Richardson, and seconded by Mr.Cox.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 25 OCTOBER 1918

VICTIM OF INFLUENZA

Yesterday morning Mr.C.Green, of High Street, died from the effects of influenza. He was the chief assistant to the Executive Officer under the Food and Coal Control Orders, and was at his work until Monday night, and by his death the local committee has lost a very reliable servant. In happier days before the war Mr.Green was the main organiser of football in the district, and for many years acted as secretary to the Andover Football Club, and was ever ready to assist the village clubs in every way. He also had a great deal to do with the Andover Temperance Band, both as a player and a secretary, while he found time to take an active part in the organisation work of the Liberal Association, and was regularly seen at the local revision of electors. His sons all joined up to fight the Central Powers, two are still in the Army, and one has been invalided out, and to them and to others of the family much sympathy will be extended in their sudden bereavement.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 29 OCTOBER 1943

BACK AT HIS OLD POST

Mr.L.Lester, who came to Andover as manager when the branch of Marks and Spencer was opened in 1937 and joined the Navy in January, 1941, has been invalided out of the Service and has resumed the managership of the local branch. He would like to resume his former contacts and wishes to revive the many activities of the Firm on behalf of local and kindred charities. The first step in this direction will be a window display and sale of British Legion poppies.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 25 OCTOBER 1968

THIS IS THE SCHEME TO INTEGRATE YOUNG AND OLD

Acre Court – Andover borough council’s latest £190,000 housing scheme to near completion – is not just an attractive high density new development. It is also an interesting experiment. — one of integration of old people with young married couples. The ground and first floors of all three blocks are set aside for elderly residents and the top two floors are three-bedroomed spit-level [sic] maisonettes.

There are 44 old people’s flats and 22 maisonettes in the blocks which are grouped on the east, north and west of a central car park.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 29 OCTOBER 1993

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — OPPORTUNITY IS MISSED

Mr B L Robinson writes from Tangley, Andover:

We have all heard about the Sheehy report on the police and the concern that is being shown by many people to parts of it.

As a Tangley parish councillor I was concerned about losing our village policeman. Our council, after listening to our Pc Thomas on the problems this will cause country areas, decided to invite our neighbour parish councils to a joint meeting to discuss with the police the full implications this recent report will have on all of us.

Imagine our surprise and disappointment that not one of those parishes could be bothered to think about the parishioners who elected them and attend the meeting.

Here was an opportunity for us to do something for our parishes before the problems arise. It is no point complaining after the changes have been made and we have even less policeman on the beat then we have now.

TEN YEARS AGO — 24 OCTOBER 2008

WORLD’S FIRST ON RIGHTS FOR TOWN

Andover is engaged in a trailblazing project to turn the community into a rights respecting town – according to the Children’s Commissioner for England.

Sir Al Aynesley-Green made his comments during a major conference held at Andover College and St Mary’s Church, called Towards a Rights Respecting Community.

Organised by the Andover and Northern Test Valley Education Partnership, the acting chairman of which is John Hanson Community School headteacher Steve Evatt, the conference celebrated the progress made in the field of rights, respect and responsibilities.

But it also looked to the future with the aim of creating the first rights respecting community in the country.

Part of the purpose of Friday’s conference was to start defining a rights respecting community – because the project is so new and has not been done before. But one of the main hopes is that the rights, respect and responsibilities programme in the schools will spread throughout the town as the children leave school and grow up.

Guest speaker was the Children’s Commissioner, Sir Al, who told the Andover Advertiser that what the town was trying to do was unique in the world.

During a keynote speech in St Mary’s Church he said when people were involved in something new it was easy to lose sight of where it fitted into the grand plan of things.

“And I will tell you that what is happening in Andover is truly exceptional,” he said.

“I travel all over the country, all over Europe, all over the world for that matter, and I can tell you that this initiative here – focused initially in the rights respecting schools programme and now the aspiration to be a rights respecting town and community – is truly exceptional.”