Each week the Advertiser's heritage writer David Borrett brings readers interesting news stories and letters from editions of the paper from years gone by.

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 30 DECEMBER 1859

ANDOVER TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOCIETY

On Monday last, the society held their Christmas festival at the Town Hall. About 150 people sat down to tea when the happy and glorious appearance of the gathering fully proved that there are other and better ways of keeping holiday than by drenching the system with alcoholic beverages. After tea, the meeting was addressed by friends of the cause in Andover, who by their eloquence and forcible arguments proved that the society here is not wanting in men of praiseworthy zeal and undeniable talent and intelligence. At the conclusion, unanimous thanks were accorded to the worthy Mayor, for the use of the Town Hall, to Mr J Beck who ably presided, and to the ladies for their invaluable services in the tea department. We must not omit to make mention of the musical ability displayed by the members of the Band of Hope, most of whom were present, and who, by several appropriate pieces which they sang, did great credit to their instructor. Several, we hear since the meeting, have signed the pledge. We believe that meetings like these cannot fail to be productive of good.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 30 DECEMBER 1898

WORKHOUSE CHRISTMAS DINNER

Andover Advertiser: The Workhouse in Junction Road c1905The Workhouse in Junction Road c1905 (Image: F Pearse; courtesy David Howard)

As Christmas Day fell on Sunday this year, the Board of Guardians arranged that the special dinner voted for that day should be given on Monday, and in anticipation of that event, the officials had for some time previously been busily engaged in decorating the dining hall, the sick wards, the chapel etc, so at every turn there were bright mottoes, fancy lamps, pictures, wreaths and artificial flowers met the view, and gave the whole a legendary Christmas appearance. On Monday at 12.45 pm the inmates were assembled in the dining room, while a number of visitors attended to assist the officials in the service of the meal. There was an abundance of roast beef and other joints, with plenty of vegetables, while beer and mineral waters were supplied. Then followed plum pudding, so that those who did not enjoy a thoroughly good meal had not the guardians or the waiters to blame. At the close of the meal the guardians were heartily thanked for providing the meal, and the officials were cheered for their exertions to make it a success. In the afternoon, visits were paid to the inmates in their wards by the Jolly Jacks and other entertainers, so that the means of spending a pleasant dy were ample.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 28 DECEMBER 1923

THE BUSY POST OFFICE

The Christmas season is always a busy one for the Post Office naturally, but this year the traffic was unusually heavy. Thanks however, to the happy working of the staff in every department from Mr Sladden, the postmaster, down to the humblest worker, the business was carried through with despatch and with general satisfaction to everybody. The public responded fairly well to the invitation to post early, but there are still a large number of people who will not post till Christmas Eve, with the inevitable consequence that Monday was exceptionally heavy, and we are afraid that many of those parcels were not delivered till late in the week. There was a noticeable increase in the number of packets, while the number of parcels delivered were 800 in excess of last year. The ordinary staff was supplemented by the addition of 20 who were appointed through the Labour Exchange. It is nice to know that work was thus found for a number of deserving cases, the extra money thereby gained coming in very acceptable just now.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 31 DECEMBER 1948

HEARTBREAK CORNER HAD A SLACK TIME

There was only one department of the Post Office which was not unusually busy during Christmastide. Known to the staff as Heartbreak Corner, it gives ‘first aid’ to damaged parcels, but so conscientiously did the public follow the Postmaster General’s advice that there were few which were badly packed. Of the 40 casualties dealt with during the holiday rush, the majority were incoming gifts, mainly of tinned food, where sharp edges broke their wrappings.

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 31 DECEMBER 1976

BRANDY’S CHRISTMAS DAY DIP

Brandy, a three-year-old colt caused quite a splash when he went for a dip on Christmas Day. He is owned by garage proprietor Mr Peter Clark, of Weyhill Road, Andover. Brandy managed to get out of the paddock behind the garage and plunge into Mr Clark’s swimming pool. Andover firemen set up a makeshift ramp and Brandy clambered out of the pool, a little shaken but otherwise unhurt. Brandy was taken into the garage and dried off with heaters while the firemen went home to a late Christmas dinner. Mr Clark explained: ‘Brandy is normally kept in a field at Monxton and he frequently gets out and goes for a paddle in a stream nearby. We brought him over for Christmas and put him in the small paddock behind the garage. The water in the pool is quite murky at the moment and he probably thought it was like the stream and jumped in.’