Council Leader's good wishes

I WOULD like to extend my sincere thanks to Hampshire residents for their fortitude and resilience during what has been an extraordinarily difficult year – on so many levels.

We have seen our way of life change in ways that we could not have imagined as the COVID pandemic has taken its toll on the way we live and work – as well as on individual lives and those of families throughout our communities.

While we assimilate the difficult news from the weekend – with tighter restrictions and growing viral infection rates - we must also take hope that the advent of the vaccine offers promise for a happier and healthier 2021. For the time being though, it remains critical that we continue to abide by the rules for our respective areas and do all we can to look after ourselves, our loved ones and to keep Hampshire safe.

As many look forward to a few days off over the festive period, albeit on a smaller scale than hoped for, I would also like to pay tribute to the many thousands of key workers – in social care, teaching, health, and many other professions - who have worked tirelessly since March to care for the vulnerable and those adversely affected by the virus, and keep our vital public services going. Your dedication, kindness and compassion have been truly inspirational – and a simple ‘thank you’ does not seem adequate for all that you have done.

For now, however you are spending the holidays – on behalf of the County Council - my very best wishes for a peaceful, happy, and safe Christmas and New Year.

Cllr Keith Mans

Leader, Hampshire County Council

Illegal cargo

David Borrett has opened the door to my ancient memory bank with his mention of an underground tunnel in the upper High Street. With some amusement I recall the tale told to me by my late cousin John Marchment.

The story that he relayed to me, with a twinkle in his eye, was that in the mid 1860’s and onwards illicit liquor, moonshine and other illegal wares would be transported to all points up to Andover and possibly beyond. In Andover the illegal cargo would find its’ way to the old White Hart Inn. It is the Star and Garter now.

It was quickly unloaded and taken along the little known secret underground passageway that ran below the shops and offices right up to the top of the upper High Street where the ill-gotten gains were dispatched by all willing, dubious entrepreneurs of the day.

My father was the number crunching accountant for Messrs Barker Son and Isherwood and he took me down into what seemed like a dark, dank dungeon. This was below the main body of the premises. There were two doors opposite each other, no doubt the entries and exits of the tunnel subsequently sealed off. Spooky to say the least however, it was easy to imagine the shenanigans that went on down there in those far off days.

To avoid detection from the officious customs officers along the route from Southampton to Andover the crates containing the “offending” merchandise would be completely covered with sprats and winkles, some of which were of a rank disposition!

Of course the officers, dressed in their clean cut uniforms, would take one look at the sprats and winkles, wrinkle their noses and wave them through undisturbed not relishing the smelly delving job that was theirs to do.

I like to believe, without doubt, that this was the true reason why this much revered rail track came to be known as the Sprat and Winkle Line. Rewrite the history books please!

John Porter

Millway Road, Andover

Lessons learned

What a year 2020 has been! It brought to mind the old Chinese curse: may you live in interesting times. 2020 appeared to start with some promise, but even before the first lockdown the promise was starting to tarnish, very badly in certain areas. The pandermic has changed us all but in different ways. For some, the result has been to put our lives into a form of limbo. I use the good old Catholic definition of limbo because it is not just about being on pause as per the telly button but it also involves suffering.

This suffering is around the stifling of social contact both with strangers and our own nearest and dearest. Online meetings using zoom and other applications are not really an adequate alternative for face-to-face meetings. Furthermore, the technology is not readily accessible to many either because of cost, capability or inclination. Lockdowns are also not good news for the few shops that we have left, and Andover town centre will be a much more desolate place than it was at the start of the year.

On a more positive note, the pandemic has forced many to re-evaluate what is most important to them. Family, friends, job security, open green spaces and ability to travel. I suspect that we will all have constructed a list of things to do when this is all over. Yet when this limbo comes to a conclusion, I suggest that we do not throw away what we have learnt and go back to the pre-pandemic old ways. We should not forget what we have learnt is important to us all as individuals and our community. We do not want to go back to the same old samey again. Happy New Year to all!

Cllr Luigi Gregori

Town councillor (Lib Dem) for Harroway

History help

I’d LIKE to thank everyone including the editor of this newspaper for their kind comments about my local history column. I’m pleased that it may provide some interest during these difficult times.

Although it is not easy to use primary sources at the moment, such as are available at Hampshire Record Office, I should make clear that all this information isn’t coming straight out of my head. I rely heavily on all the local historians of the past and present who have contributed to our wealth of knowledge about the town’s history and have published their researches for all of us to read.

The list is long but I can mention a number of them whose work is always worth consulting: John Spaul, Andrew Jackson, Diana Coldicott, Craig Fisher, Tony Raper, Martin Coppen, June Harris, John Isherwood, Greg Gregory, Melville Child, Arthur Bennett, Edmund Parsons, Cyril Berry, Derek Tempero and Bert Earney, the last three of whom were all newspapermen. Finally also, Andover History and Archaeology Society’s annual publication, Lookback at Andover, now in its 32nd year, with its diverse articles about Andover and district has an accumulation of local history that is exemplary.

May I whole-heartedly salute all the Andover historians; my bookshelves contain well-thumbed works - all the more so recently - from all of them.

David Borrett

Lansdowne Avenue, Andover

Trouble at tills

What is it with Aldi and Lidl tills, every time they open a till they serve two or three people then they close it and open another one - very annoying when you are in a queue and have to go to another till.Why can’t they just stay open like normal shops all the time, then have a break after an hour or so? Maybe it’s just us being old fashioned or something like that.

D.J. Withers

Monxton Road, Andover

Strategy needed

There has to be an Exit Strategy and public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic. We feel to be back at square one when many countries have seen their lives return to some sense of normality. It’s a shame the Govt is refusing to work cross-Party to tackle this together. It has to start listening to experts, teachers, scientists etc rather than doing U-turn after U-turn. Key workers and those working in the NHS/care homes have been amazing. They are exhausted. And those of us excluded from the Govt’s furlough scheme are financially crippled. Meanwhile, infections soar and Parliament isn’t returning until the 11th. Why?

Sally Yalden, via Facebook

Thank you of the week

I would like to say thank you to the friendly staff at The Anton Arms in Salisbury Road for their excellent service on Christmas Eve.

It can’t be easy working in the pub trade these days - especially with all the chopping and changing going on as we enter and exit various different tiers at the government’s discretion.

But despite knowing their pub would be shutting from Boxing Day as Andover was heading for Tier 4, the staff were cheerful and did their best to make everyone feel welcome and festive.

I take my hat off to them and I hope to see more residents in Andover going out and supporting our local pubs when we can. We must use them or we will lose them.