David Borrett: Back Through the Pages of the Advertiser

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER 1860

FURIOUS DRIVING

George Archer, costermonger, was summoned by Mr John Holloway of Pitt’s Mill, for having driven a horse and cart in a furious manner, to the danger of the inhabitants of the borough on 8 October last. Mr Holloway said that he was walking along the centre of the pavement past Mr Head’s shop in Winchester Street when he heard some children shouting ‘Run, run!’, and at the same time a rattling from a horse and cart. I turned half round and the wheel of the defendant’s cart just missed my shoulder. The horse was running along in the gutter and the off-wheel was running almost in the centre of the pavement. The cart was driven by the defendant who was going far too fast and I would surely have been struck if I had not turned around. Defendant declared that the seat on which he and his wife were sitting had fallen and he had therefore lost control of the animal. This was denied by Mr Holloway who stated that Archer and his wife were sitting on the driving seat at the time and this incident was a repetition of the way the defendant often drove his vehicle about the streets and the way he exercised his horses in Barlow’s Lane on Sunday mornings. The Mayor said the Bench considered the charge fully proved and he himself had witnessed the reckless manner in which the defendant drove about the town. The Bench fined the defendant 10s and 9s 6d costs, which was immediately paid.

A peaceful-looking horse and cart (Image: Supplied) ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER 1899

FOOTBALL - ANDOVER V SALISBURY

The Andoverians have every reason to congratulate themselves on having bagged a brace of points at the expense of Salisbury, at the cathedral city, on Saturday last. The credit is all the greater as the team that played was not nearly so strong as the one originally selected. As Salisbury has been doing wonderfully well in the Dorset and District League it was generally expected that the Cits would prove a warm handful for the Andoverians, and I know the City team is keen on the Salisbury League trophy finding a resting place at home this season. However good their intentions, the players were unable to make a successful start up the league ladder, the Andoverians getting home on the post with a 2-1 victory. I was sorry to learn that there was a series of disgraceful incidents during the game and it is no credit to the referee that he allowed dangerous play with indifference from the outset. Because of this, it was bound to increase in severity until the difficulties became well-nigh insurmountable. The game was one of the roughest in which the Andoverians had ever taken part and several of the players returned home with bruises as a result of the rough tactics adopted. That aside, the wearers of the red and black have now secured a couple of victories in the Salisbury League, and should make a bold bid to secure this trophy, although it is as yet too early in the season to hazard speculations.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER 1924

WEYHILL FAIR – RECORD ATTENDANCE; EXCELLENT PRICES

Weyhill Michaelmas Fair was held on the hill on Friday in exceptionally fine weather, and the attendance in the rows was the largest we remember seeing for very many years. With an abundance of feed of all sorts there was a brisk demand for all classes of sheep, particularly small working lambs. About 10,000 sheep were penned, a trifle in advance of last year, but it goes to show that we are gradually getting back to the standards of pre-war days, when each farm could boast a flock of some dimensions. Bidding was keen, and the lots were soon disposed of. Cattle of the best sorts realised high prices, milch beasts and down calving heiffers making satisfactory figures. Messrs F Ellen & Son sold 5,000 sheep and a few head of cattle; Mr Allan Herbert’s catalogue comprised 3,700 sheep and the majority of cattle, 300 head. Other auctioneers who did business were Messrs Woolley & Wallis, Messrs Waters & Son, in conjunction with Mr H C Knapman and Mr P C Ford.

Stalls at Weyhill Fair before World War I (Image: Supplied)SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 1947

ELM TREE FELLED BY STORM BLOCKS ROAD

Traffic along the main Whitchurch-Andover road was diverted through Longparish on Tuesday when a 60-ft elm growing on Fox Farm, Andover Down, crashed across the road, blocking it for six hours. Nearly 200 yards of telephone wires were ripped down and the main overhead line was in danger of being cut by the weight of the tree resting on it. Passengers on the morning bus bound for Andover had a narrow escape as the tree fell just after it passed by. The tree, found by farm tenant Mr Godfrey, was felled by a heavy gust of wind just before 9 am on Tuesday. A police patrolman was sent out to divert traffic and an AA patrolman was posted at the Hurstbourne crossroads just beyond the site. Mr Godfrey refrained from using his tractor to drag the tree in case it damaged the overhead cable but later six men from the Middleton estate cleared the road. Mr Godfrey said that it was a repetition of five years ago when the same thing happened with an elm tree near the same spot. If he had his way, he would fell every one of the elm trees growing near the road as any one of them could easily fall in a storm but he was not allowed to fell any growing timber on the farm.   

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 1977

MINI-BOOM WELCOMED

News of Andover’s industrial mini-boom was welcomed at Thursday’s meeting of the Andover Town Development Joint Committee. The committee heard that Test Valley Council had agreed to lease four and a half acres of land to five companies, one of which would be taking an option on a further two acres. Cllr Philip Merridale of Hampshire County Council commented: ‘I am very pleased to see that industry is making some progress at a time when people in similar circumstances are not able to make any at all.’