ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 26 AUGUST 1892

ARRIVED AT LAST

The fire escape which was ordered by the Corporation so long ago has arrived this morning, and been placed in front of the Town Hall. It appears to be a remarkably serviceable one, of a good design, and Councillor Chamberlain, who has been so anxious about having one as a means of saving life in the event of a fire, and has been principally instrumental in obtaining it, will now doubtless feel content.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 24 AUGUST 1917

NOTICE

WANTED AT ONCE

RECRUITS

Skilled or Unskilled, Men of almost any Occupation,

FOR THE VARIOUS BRANCHED OF THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS.

All ages above 18 and 8 months taken, including those over Military Age. Attractive Occupations and Special Rates of Pay. Full Particulars can be obtained at any Recruiting Office.

A Special Officer of the R.F.C.will attend at the undermentioned Offices on the Dates specified:-

Bournemouth Recruiting Office 27/8/17

Southampton 29/8/17

Portsmouth 30/8/17

O.C.Basingstoke Recruiting Sub-Area.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 28 AUGUST 1942

MR.A.AUBREY — 25 YEARS TOWN CRIER, SGT.-AT-MACE AND ALE TASTER

For more than a quarter of a century Mr.Arthur Aubrey, of 127, New Street, has held the position of Town Crier, Sergeant-at-Mace, and Ale Taster to the Borough of Andover.

As the ringing of bells is forbidden during the war—except in case of invasion—there has been no “crying” in the streets for the last three years. The office of Ale Taster, naturally, has had no official significance for many years, but that of mace-bearer continues with traditional and picturesque ceremony. Since his appointment in 1916—the year when Councillor F.W.Bingham was Mayor of Andover—Mr.Aubrey, thanks to good health, has not missed a single parade, a fact of which he is very proud.

To mark this auspicious occasion, Councillor David Young undertook the secretarial duties in connection with a subscription list, members of the Town Council and the officials making donations, out of which a handsome silver pint tankard, suitably inscribed, was purchased.

On Thursday evening the pleasant ceremony of presenting the tankard took place at the Pelican Inn, and no one was more surprised at the spontaneity of the gift than Mr.Aubrey himself. The reason why this ceremony was rather belated was because of conditions of blitz in the town where engraving took place.

Accompanied by Councillor Young and Councillor H.S.Overmass, the Mayor called on Mr.Aubrey at his home, and then the party adjourned to the Pelican, where, needless to say, a jolly time was spent.

The Mayor made the presentation in the presence of “The Bar,” commenting on Mr.Aubrey’s loyal and willing service to the Borough, and expressing the hope that he would live long to continue the good work.

Mr.Aubrey spoke of his appreciation of the gift and the kind thoughts that prompted it and told with pride and evident pleasure how it had been his good fortune to have been present at all the ceremonial parades in the town, when he and the Town Beadle (Mr.A.G.Baker) escorted the Mayor to Church and other important functions. He thanked the Mayor for the happy remarks he had made and trusted that he would be spared for many more years to continue in the office.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 25 AUGUST 1967

MINK FARM RAIDED — INTRUDERS FREE THOUSANDS FROM CAGES: SOME ESCAPE

More than 8,000 mink were liberated from their cages within the wire mesh compound at Rooksbury Mill Mink Farm, Andover, on Wednesday night. An unknown number escaped from the compound into the copse on the banks of the River Anton through two gates left open by the intruders.

The farm has been the subject of considerable controversy for at least two years following complaints by residents in the area about the alleged nuisance of smells and flies emanating from the premises.

The owner of the farm, Mr.J.J.Kopp, discovered the raid about dusk. As he flashed his torch around the compound he was greeted with the sight of thousands of pairs of gleaming eyes and the shrill shrieks of countless frightened mink.

“It was like a nightmare,” the tired mink farm owners told [the reporter] yesterday morning.

In all there were some 9,000 mink at the farm and no doubt all would have been released if he had not disturbed the intruders. Luckily they had missed two sheds of the most valuable-jet black-mink.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 28 AUGUST 1992

23 REDUNDANCIES AS FAMILY FIRM FOLDS

An old Andover family firm has fallen victim to the recession and is set to close down towards the end of next week, soon after being taken into receivership.

The collapse of shop-fitting and aluminium company Phillips has led to a total of 23 redundancies, 13 of them last week and the rest due soon.

And managing director Christopher Phillips has lost a large part of his personal fortune trying to prevent the closure.

“I’ve used up a tremendous amount of money to keep it going, and I’ve not paid myself a salary for quite a while. I’m not a wealthy man anymore,” said Mr Phillips, whose father founded the firm in Shepherds Spring Lane in the 1950s.