ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 11 OCTOBER 1889

PRESENTATION

A novel and interesting ceremony took place on Tuesday last at the Adelaide Road Building Works, the occasion being the presentation of prizes to twenty of the workmen in Mr.Beale’s employ, who have recently been engaged at Harewood Cottage in sundry works of alteration and repairs for Mr.L.W.Hurford, of Down House. Instead of a workmen’s supper, which is sometimes given to workmen on the completion of work of this kind, Mr.Hurford thought he would take a fresh departure, and very kindly collected 20 useful presents, which by his wish were drawn from a box simultaneously with one of the workmen’s name, and the present bearing the number drawn was handed to the workman. The proceedings cause considerable amusement, as it happened that the single men got articles suitable for housekeeping; while those who were perhaps not the greatest of readers became recipients of books, &c. The presents were varied, from a dinner service to a pocket book, and froma teapot to “Work on Prophecy and Modern Thought.” At the conclusion of the proceedings a heart vote of thanks was proposed to Mr.Hurford, for his kindness in giving the presents, by the man who had worked longest on the premises, and being seconded by another was carried unanimously.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 9 OCTOBER 1914

WORK FOR THE COUNTRY

Major Faber is hard at it on Salisbury Plain getting a battery of Royal Artillery ready for service in France or Germany. He is very optimistic as to the course of events in the near future, but finds that the double allowance of work allotted with a view to early completion of training is turning him into a light weight, and if he should get a day off with the hounds he will weight out a stone lighter than last year. Should he meet any of his old workers in the division and they should mention past days, he would probably murmur “Politics, what are politics; cannot remember such things.”

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 13 OCTOBER 1939

STOCKBRIDGE — TOWN HALL CLUB OPENS

A number of members of the Stockbridge Town Hall Club have been busy recently erecting a “black-out” system in their Clubroom, and on Monday the premises were opened up to the youths of the village, and an attempt made to start the club running for the winter months. As residents are aware, there are few “amusement places” for the young people of Stockbridge, and the re-commencement of the club is a step in the right direction. Run entirely by the young lads of the parish, the club has facilities for billiards, table tennis, darts and other indoor games, and there are daily papers and periodicals provided for reading. Several of the members of former years, however, are now sering in H.M.Forces, and any lad over the age of 14 would be made very welcome.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 9 OCTOBER 1964

SUBWAY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR USE IT WOULD GET

The suggestion that a subway be constructed under the busy Weyhill Road near its junction with Meadow Way has been turned down.

At their meeting on Wednesday members of Andover Road Safety Committee received a letter on the subject from the divisional road engineer.

Referring to the committee’s own representations for a subway and the petition sent by a group of local residents, the engineer stated: “We are, of course, well aware of the amount of traffic on this trunk road, but we do not consider that there is a sufficiently great, sustained and concentrated need for a crossing to justify the considerable expense of a subway. You will realise that even with the expanding road programme there are insufficient funds to carry out more than a small proportion of the many works that are needed and all proposals must be considered on a priority basis.

“You will be aware that construction of the Andover by-pass is programmed to start within two years and that Weyhill Road will cease to be a trunk road from the time that the by-pass is opened. Also, all through traffic will be removed by the Andover redevelopment and there will be comparatively little use of this length of road after that time.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 13 OCTOBER 1989

NEW YEAR START FOR £9M HOTEL

Work will start in the New Year on a top class, £9 million hotel in the centre of Andover.

The international chain, Copthorne Hotels, a rapidly growing subsidiary of the airline, Aer Lingus, will operate the four star 102 bedroomed complex on the edge of the £16 million re-vamped Chantry Centre.

The announcement of Copthorne’s involvement was made by Tim Sullivan, chief executive of TMCI Leisure, site developers, who said the new hotel will be known as The Andover Copthorne.

“Andover will join an impressive list of cities including London, Birmingham and Manchester in the UK and Paris, Brussels, Barcelona and Lusaka worldwide, where Copthorne operate premier four star hotels.

“There are 14 Copthorne Hotels open, or about to open, with four more under construction, and plans to take the total to at least 33 over the next few years,” he said.

Test Valley’s chief executive, Gerry Blythe, is:”Absolutely delighted that a firm commitment has now been given to go ahead with the new hotel which the borough council has been trying to activate for some time.”

10 YEARS AGO — 8 OCTOBER 2004

NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR ‘HEART OF VILLAGE’

Nearly 200 villagers crowded around Goodworth Clatford’s village shop to watch it being officially reopened at the weekend.

The shop had been closed for a week while its new management, The Clatfords’ Shop Association gave it a facelift.

Former shopkeeper Jane Storer spoke of her mixed feelings at the handover.

Delight because it had always been her and her late husband, Tony’s dream to see the shop eventually handed over to the village.

Sadness because Tony hadn’t loved to see the dream become a reality.

“We felt very strongly that a village without a shop loses its heart,” she said.

She will now continue to run the post office.

Shop association chairman Jo Winchcombe was lavish in her praise of those who had carried out the shop refit before Cllr Pat West, performing the official opening, told the watching crowd: “You’re a wonderful village” abd echoed Jane Storer’s words with: “This (the shop) is the heart of your community.”