The new year has already started, and we have been told that Andover is truly depressing. Some may agree and some not. The people who have come from the London overspill I know like Andover, and have made it their home. We are lucky we are surrounded by countryside and villages. Andover is an ideal place to live and is a totally commutable place, ideal for travelling to cities around us.

Everything is changing, businesses need to make money so can’t carry on making a loss. That’s why shops are closing. We have to change with the times. There are lots of independent businesses in Andover and chain stores, so our aim is to support what we’ve got or otherwise we will lose them.

READ MORE: Andover nominated as one of UK's 'most depressing' towns in 2024 poll

I reflect on the things people are talking about, more shops, entertainment, clubs and leisure. More purposeful things for young people to do and a sustainable bus service and an accessible hospital.

I think everybody has forgot the conception of Andover being a market town, we have history and we need to keep it.

I know there were more shops in the past and the town was different, yes the retail business has changed, people are shopping more online which takes money away from local businesses. Some local businesses can order goods for you keeping money in the town.

Towns are changing to a cultural society, other towns are changing the same way, none of us like change but we can’t make it go back. I am told so many times, that was then, this is now. I am one of the old school.

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We have come to be a multicultural society, do we see these people saying how depressing our town is? As far as I can tell they are happy here, so we must try to work with all nationalities now.

People have forgotten the amount of work we have here, some factories have gone but we still have a lot of big companies in Andover and surrounding areas and we don’t really have employment issues in this area, other places are not as lucky as us.

I can only say Andover is a lovely place to live in. Andover is very much a community society, we all pull together if anybody needs help. You only have to see with a fundraising event raising £7.507.44 for our local Andover hospice.

Let's be positive and not negative on this matter.