ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 2 FEBRUARY 1894

ANDOVER BOROUGH BENCH

Tuesday.—Before Messrs.H.Dowling, W.Bracher, and C.H.Green.

DRUNK IN CHARGE OF HORSES.—George C-----, carter, of Amport, was brought up in custody charged with being drunk whilst in charge of three horses and a waggon in Weyhill Road on the previous afternoon.—P.C.Whitehorn said that when riding down Weyhill Road in the police cart with Supt.Miller he saw prisoner in charge of three horses and a waggon. He was staggering about on the road endeavouring to whip the horses, but he was so drunk that he could not hit them. By the directions of the Superintendent he got down and went to prisoner, whom he was afraid would be run over. He gave the waggon and horses into the charge of another man, and took prisoner to the police station, as he was incapable of taking care of himself. Prisoner’s father said that his son had not been well for some few days past, and probably the drink he had given him in Andover had taken hold of him.—The Bench declared it a most serious offence, and fined prisoner 20s., including costs.—Prisoner sobbed considerably for fear he should be sent to gaol, but the money was paid.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 31 JANUARY 1919

WHY NOT BROUGHTON?

There is a strong desire that the Parish Council should make application to the War Office for some of the captured German guns, seeing the noble part “boys” from the village have played in the Great War. They have sealed their patriotism with their blood and rest in France, in Flanders, and at the ocean bottom. “Greater love hath no man than this.”

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 4 FEBRUARY 1944

THE TIDWORTH DRUMMER

Tidworth and Ludgershall were mentioned during a wireless play produced in the B.B.C.’s Home Service on the afternoon of January 16. The playwright was Norah Richardson, who formerly resided in Junction Road, Andover, and its title was “The Demon Drummer of Tidworth.” It was built around the legend of the drummer of Tidworth, whose ghostly drum is supposed to beat as a warning of coming misfortune to the person who hears it.

The playwright, who has no doubt made a vast study of her subject, bases her play on a slightly different version to that give in “Ingoldsby Legends,” and referred to in that very interesting booklet, “Folk-Lore Legends, and Superstitious Customs in connection with Andover and Neighbourhood,” written by Mr.M.Gillett, and published in 1917.

The story, as related by Mr.Gillett, tells how many years ago when Salisbury Plain was a treeless waste, one Sergeant Gervasse Matcham chose Andrew Brand, a young drummer, to accompany him when he took pay to another regiment some distance away.

During a halt by the wayside. The sergeant’s avaricious temperament overcame him, but he realised that if was to make off with the money and live a life of ease in the future, the drummer boy would have to be removed. The drummer was struck down, and the murderer fled pursued by the sound of a beating drum. He reached the sea, only to be taken by the Press gang. He confessed and was hanged, and awiting him on the gibbet was the ill-omened raven.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 31 JANUARY 1969

OUR “POLITE” REPORTER

“Advertiser” reporter, Chris Heal is so polite that he was nearly arrested yesterday!

Chris was carrying out a door to door opinion survey in Vigo Road, Andover.

While he was still out on the job the “Advertiser” office received a telephone call from a woman interviewed by Chris.

She asked if he was really sent out by the newspaper.

“I thought of ringing up the police about him,” she said. “I didn’t think that he could be a reporter-he was so polite!”

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 4 FEBRUARY 1994

INSPIRED CHOICE AS MARY BECOMES HAMPSHIRE’S FIRST WOMAN LORD LIEUTENANT

Hampshire has made an inspired choice in the selection of the county’s next Lord Lieutenant to follow the late Sir James Scott who died in November.

The mantle of representing the Queen in Hampshire has fallen on Mrs Mary Fagan who has extremely close links with Andover, now serving as chairman of the Macmillan Hospice Appeal, a post she accepted after death of Lady Brecknock, the president after whom the hospice was named.

Sadly, the new appointment has forced Mary Fagan’s resignation from the Andover NHS Trust which came into operation almost a year ago and on which she served as a non executive director for patient care.

That decision was not an easy one but she feels her interest in hospital management must now widen as she travels the county.

She is firm, however, that her commitment to Andover hospice will remain to the degree that she will be cooking the Christmas turkey for the patients in the hospice as usual, plus will appear in her new capacity locally as soon as asked, admitting to a ‘special soft spot for Andover’.

TEN YEARS AGO — 30 JANUARY 2009

BOROUGH FACES HUGE SHORTFALL

TEST Valley Borough Council has lost around 10 per cent of its projected income for the next year following the collapse in interest rates. On Wednesday evening glum faced cabinet members agreed to send officers away to chop almost £2 million from their budget plans – a move that will almost inevitably result in job losses, increased charges and reduced activities.

For many years the council has enjoyed the income generated from good rates of interest on £61 million invested largely from the proceeds of the sale of the borough’s council houses.

Last year investments provided £2.7 million towards the £17.5 million cost of Test Valley’s services.

Cllr Peter Giddings, the economic portfolio holder, said: “To achieve a balanced budget £1.87m has to be found – this is unprecedented.

“I have been involved in the budget of this council for 25 of the last 32 years and we have never had a situation like this.”

Mr Giddings said every one per cent drop in interest rates would lop £600,000 from the council’s income and between 1 October last year and 9 January this year the rate of return the council could expected crashed from 6.25 per cent to 2.25 per cent.