ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 9 FEBRUARY 1894

ANDOVER COUNTY BENCH.—Saturday

Before Capt.Sutton and J.C.Forster,Esq.

SEEKING WORK.—George L----, of Andover, was brought up in custody charged with neglecting to maintain his wife and family, who had become chargeable to the common fund of the Andover Union.—Prisoner said he had been away trying to get work at Stratford, and failing had come back to go into the workhouse. He had 3s. when he left and he had borrowed 1s. from sister to bring him back.—John Coster, relieving officer, said the man and wife disagreed. There were six children, and the wife and the children came into the workhouse the same day he left, the 16th January.—Prisoner, who said he was going into the workhouse, was discharged with a caution that if he left his wife and family again he would be sent to prison, and he was told he must not discharge himself from the workhouse till he had got work and could take his wife and children out with him.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 7 FEBRUARY 1919

COMING ELECTIONS

Elections for County and District Councils will shortly take place, and there will be more contested seats than has been the custom in Hampshire. In the case of the county body it is felt that as they have practically to control agriculture in view of some of the orders sent out the time has arrived for some farmers to be on that body. Regarding District Councils, the contest is likely to turn on rural housing, and sitting members will be called upon to show what they have done in the matter. In the case of the parish of Andover there will be Guardians to be elected, but up to the present there have been no names of fresh candidates mentioned, and most of the Andover representatives can claim a double figures innings.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 11 FEBRUARY 1944

NOTICE

The Hero of the George Cross Island of Malta to visit Andover.

A PUBLIC MEETING Will (n.v.) be held in the Drill Hall, East Street, Andover

(By kind permission of Lt.-Col.G.E.Millner, D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C.)

To be addressed by Lt.-Gen. SIR WILLIAM DOBBIE

G.C.M.G., K.C.B., D.S.O., Governor-General of Malta, 1940-1942 upon

“THE HAND OF GOD IN MALTA”

On Monday, 21st Feb., at 7.45 p.m.

The Chair will be taken by HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR OF ANDOVER

Supported by Lt.-General E.F.Norton, C.B., D.S.O., M.C., Colonel A.Lethbridge, C.B.C, D.L., Lt.-Colonel G.E.Millner, D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., and Air Vice-Marshall E.W.Havers, C.B.E.

A GUARD OF HONOUR of the 1st Hants Home Guard will be inspected by Sir William Dobbie, and the BAND of the 1 Hants Home Guard will accompany the singing,

There will be a COLLECTION on behalf of the Re-equipment Fund of the King George V. Memorial Hospital for Merchant Seamen, Malta.

ADMISSION FREE. Doors open at 7 o’clock.

A limited number of Tickets for Reserved Seats can be obtained from Messrs.Pond, 70, High Street. These Tickets will not be available after 7.30.

The Meeting will be relayed to an overflow gathering in the Town Hall, presided over by the Deputy-Mayor (Councillor S.R.Bell). General Dobbie will also attend and give a short closing address.

General Dobbie will also address a YOUTH MEETING at 2.15 on February 21st in the DRILL HALL, when His Worship the Mayor will preside. All Young People from 10 to 19 are invited. No Tickets required.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 7 FEBRUARY 1969

PETER CYCLES FROM WALLOP TO WEST BROMWICH AND BUYS AN F.A. CUP-TIE TICKET!

Peter Davis, the Advertiser’s junior reporter (19) can certainly be described as a soccer fanatic, for on Saturday, he cycled from Wallop, where he lives to West Bromwich and back-just to purchase a ticket for tomorrow’s F.A. CUP 5th round clash between W.B.A. and Arsenal.

He started out at one o’clock Saturday afternoon and stayed with his aunt at Birmingham overnight. On Sunday, he nipped over to the Hawthorns and then took his place in the queue for cup tickets.

His route took him from Wallop to Swindon, over the Cotswolds to Stour-on-the-Wold and then to Birmingham via Stratford-on-Avon.

Altogether he cycled 220 miles in 16 hours.

But cycling is not a new experience for this energetic Albion-mad young man.

“Last autumn, I cycled around France and Germany,” he said.

“I had to wait two hours before I bought mine,” said Peter, smiling as he clutched the yellow-coloured 3in. x 3in. card which is his passport to see the Throstles* defend the trophy they won at Wembley last year.

Having purchased his ticket, Peter set off again on the return trip, cycling through snow as he neared Hampshire.

But he won’t be making such heavy work of his journey to the Midlands tomorrow. “I’m going by train!” he smiled,

*Compiler's note: The Throstles was the early nickname of WBA — today known as The Baggies.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 11 FEBRUARY 1994

AND THE RAIN CAME DOWN AND THE FLOODS CAME UP …

Like King Canute trying to hold back the waves, the men from the National Rivers Authority battled bravely to stem the flooding River Swift in Hurstbourne Tarrant.

“We clean this river every year, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Bernie Chubb, waist deep in water as he pulled weeds from the Swift in an attempt to prevent further flooding.

The previous week, the river, which has run dry for three years, was too deep to wade into some places, and had spilled over on to the Hurstbourne Tarrant to Vernham Dean road, making it impassable to traffic.