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

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AT THE GREAT TRIALS OF

THRASHING MACHINES

BY THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND,

DONCASTER, JUNE, 1891,

A PRIZE OF £37 10s.

WAS AWARDED TO

W. TASKER & SONS,

WATERLOO IRON WORKS, ANDOVER HANTS, for their

Finishing Thrashing Machine.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 28 FEBRUARY 1919

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NEW CARS

(Post War Models). Deliveries as follows:

A.C., two-seater—May. STANDARD, two-seater—-May.

MORRIS-COWLEY, four-seater and Coupe—June.

PRE-WAR MODELS.

CALCOT, two-seater—April. STELLITE, two-seater—April

AUSTIN CARS (Post War Models).

Touring Model—£495. Cabriolet Coupe—£595. Landaulet—£625.

For All Particulars:—

H.P. MOORE & SONS,

MOTOR ENGINEERS, — — ANDOVER.

Compiler’s note: Allowing for inflation the three priced cars above would be the equivalent of £24,881, £30,503 and £32,041 respectively. Interestingly, from an edition of the Advertiser a few weeks later in 1919 there was an advertisement for a pair of six-roomed well-built modern houses for sale, together with a plot of land suitable for the erection of two additional houses, all for £700! This would be the equivalent today of £35,885.

Typically, an average house in Andover today would cost £275,000 to £300,000. A brand-new Ford Mondeo in 2019 can be purchased for £21,000. Average weekly wages in 1919 were about £4 for males and £2 for females compared with 2019 at £525.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 3 MARCH 1944

TAXI PROPRIETOR’S PASSENGERS

February, 1944, will long be remembered by Mr.S.V.Williams, taxi cab proprietor, of Penton Mewsey. One of his fares on February 14 was Lt-General Sir Charles Bonham-Carter, who in 1936 was appointed Governor-General of Malta, a post he filled with distinction. Exactly a week later Mr.Williams had the honour of driving General Sir William Dobbie, who a few months ago relinquished the post of Governor-General of the Fortress after so capably leading the inhabitants in one of the most successful defensive battles of the present war.

Mr.Williams mentioned to Sir William Dobbie that a week before he had been driving one of his predecessors on a journey in the Andover District, and Sir William told him that it was a remarkable coincidence.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 28 FEBRUARY 1969

TASKERS’ MUSEUM ENGINES AND RELICS FETCH £36,000

Taskers of Andover (1932) Limited’s unique collection of traction engines, road rollers, agricultural machinery and industrial artefacts was sold on Saturday morning at the best attended auction sale ever held in Andover.

The public has never been allowed into Takers’ museum which houses 22 traction engines, that old war-time favourite, the Spitfire, and one of Taskers’ famous “Queen Mary” trailers.

But on Saturday, about 1,300 people took the opportunity of visiting the museum before and after the sale, which was conducted by Christie’s in the canteen of the Anna Valley works.

The canteen was not large enough to accommodate the crowd and hundreds overflowed into the corridors and an upstairs room to which bidding was relayed by loudspeaker.

The sale lasted two-and-a-quarter hours and when it was all over the 156 items produced by Takers during the past 150 years had realised more than £36,000.

The money will help clear the debts of Taskers of Andover who recently went into liquidation.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 4 MARCH 1994

HOME SECRETARY SHUNS COUNTY PLEA FOR MORE POLICE OFFICERS

A special bid by Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for extra police officers has been refused by the Home Secretary, Michael Howard.

Andover magistrate, Mrs Madeline Edmonds, was a member of the deputation which had hoped to persuade Lord Ferrers, Minister of State at the Home Office, of Hampshire’s need for 200 men on the beat.

The decision is in line with the Government’s freeze on extra police officers and follows a similar refusal last year.

Chairman of the county Police Authority, Cllr Matthew Clark, described it as a ‘last ditch attempt’ to get the Government to recognise Hampshire’s special need for extra numbers because it was suffering from aa shortfall of 223 posts.

“Hampshire County Council has done everything it can,” he added.

“The Constabulary has taken on 100 civilians this year to release more officers for frontline duties. We had hoped the Home Office would match our efforts but it has refused.”