October

A FATHER spoke out after being left “humiliated” by the way he and his disabled three-year-old son were treated by staff at a petrol station.

Karsten Bulner attempted to enter Weyhill Service Station with son Leon and his assistance dog Fern but were turned away.

When he tried to explain that the two-year-old dog was to support his son’s disabilities, the cashier coldly informed them that his manager had said, “no dogs, end of.”

“It’s quite humiliating and embarrassing, it’s disgusting,” Karsten told the Advertiser.

The company that runs the store later apologised and said it was “appalled” at what had happened, with company higher-ups called in and an investigation launched immediately.

Andover Advertiser:

On October 16, less than six months after its election debut, the Andover Alliance was rocked by the departure of deputy town major Lauren Banville.

Cllr Banville launched a scathing attack on the party, claiming her voice ‘wasn’t heard’ whilst also sharing the revelation that she had been in a romantic relationship with town mayor and party leader, Cllr Richard Rowles, but that the pair had since split up.

October also saw the adopted children of one of Andover’s last Normandy veterans pay tribute to the former Coldstream Guard.

John Munnery died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, September 25, at the age of 94.

The day after his death marked precisely 18 years since the passing of his wife, Audrey, and one of the couple’s sons, Richard, spoke of “how glorious they were as parents” to him and his siblings.

He said: “To adopt six children speaks volumes of mum and dad, I think. Back in the ’50s it was tough to be adopted.

“But they chose to do it and they made that decision to have six children and I think that’s remarkable.”

November

With the November nights drawing in, leading food delivery service Deliveroo attempted to beat the winter blues with the announcement that it was recruiting local drivers with a view to establishing a presence in the town.

Harrison Foster, Deliveroo’s UK Regional Director, said: “We’ve seen a huge demand for Deliveroo in Andover and we’re excited to be launching next month; we’re really excited to be creating new work opportunities for local people.”

Andover Advertiser:

The mayor of Andover town council also made further headlines in the first issue of the month, by backing calls to disband the very authority he is in charge of.

In a damning attack on fellow members of the authority he said: “I totally condemn and distance myself from the actions of these so-called councillors.

“Chairing meetings containing these individuals has become impossible due to their lack of procedural and legal knowledge, and their failure to take my advice as chair and that of our proper officer.”

TVBC leader Cllr Phil North weighed in on the situation, describing it as “utterly extraordinary”.

But perhaps the biggest story of the month was the mounting opposition to the controversial proposal to build an incinerator in the Test Valley countryside near Barton Stacey.

Wheelabrator, the firm behind the plans, launched a public consultation in November and was met with widespread opposition from residents, campaigners, local councils and even interested celebrities.

Andy Joliffe, from the Keep Test Valley Beautiful group, was one of the voices to warn against what he believed to be misleading information given by Wheelabrator.

“There is a lot of information missing,” he said.

“They haven’t conducted a transport study or air quality study but are reaching conclusions without doing the studies. Someone not qualified will believe what they are reading which is an assumption rather than fact. I would challenge those assumptions…

“I’m yet to meet someone apart from those who work for the company who think it’s a good idea. People are aghast that this will be brought here.”

Andover Advertiser:

December

LESS than two months after the death of John Munnery, Andover was mourning the loss of another of its war heroes after the passing of Thomas Waite at the age of 96.

And in the December 6 edition of the Advertiser, his step-son, Dennis Kenway, paid tribute to his father, who was involved in the Normandy landings, saying: “He has left a very large space in our family circle.

“He rarely spoke about the war, but when he did just once his stories were listened to with so much interest by those listening.

“He really was a one-off, and the mould has been broken he was a great living human being.”

Kit Malthouse also extended his majority as he was re-elected to be MP for North West Hampshire at the country’s first December election since 1923.

Andover Advertiser:

And as December 25 drew nearer, the council looked to banish the ghost of Christmas present with the ghost of Christmas past, unveiling plans to return the town to its former glory days and rejuvenate Andover town centre.