ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO FRIDAY, 11 JANUARY 1884 TEMPERENCE MISSION The Andover Good Templars announce a mission extending over next week, when Mr. Horrocks, the converted clown, together with his wife, will deliver addresses.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO FRIDAY, 8 JANUARY 1909 ST MARY BOURNE — SOMETHING LIKE A START The first day of the year was a very happy one for the old folk in this village, as Mr. Atkins, of Diplands, with his customary generosity entertained them to dinner and tea.

About 50 sat down to a splendid repast, prepared under the superintendence of Miss Gascoigne. After the dinner the old men filled their pipes, and having got them all going a musical programme was put in hand.

The time passed very quickly and pleasantly, and the generosity of Mr. Atkins was very much appreciated. Altogether the first day of 1909 was a red letter one in the history of the old people, for in addition to having what one of them declared was the best meal she had ever had, a number of them had commenced the day by going to the village post office and drawing the pensions, which as one old dame remarked she was very thankful to get, as she never expected to receive it any more than the three acres and a cow that had been promised her. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO FRIDAY, 12 JANUARY 1934 INDIAN TALES AT CLATFORD — CHIEF OS-KE-NON-TON For many years, boys, both young and old, have delighted to read about “Cowboys and Indians,” and have followed the vicissitudes of Buffalo Bill, Deadwood Dick and Big Chief So-and-so with interest. However, it is only on very rare occasions that a Chief from over the water is seen in the flesh, and one of those occasions was on Monday evening at the Goodworth Clatford Village Club, when Chief Os-Ke-Non-Ton, a genuine Red Indian, told the tale of the Red Indians in song and story.

Chief Os-Ke-Non-Ton is a typical Red Indian from the story books. Of average height, his skin is an attractive copper colour, which is accentuated by his long locks of raven-black hair. When he first strutted on to the stage, there was a gasp of delight from the row of youngsters in the front—and no wonder, for the Chief presented a most picturesque figure.

White beaded moccasins were on his feet, his trousers and tunic were of soft buckskin with tasselled edges, and surmounting all was a magnificent head-dress of golden eagle’s plumes, which fell in graceful curves right down to his ankles. During the course of his talk, several cherished ideals of the schoolboy were shattered, in particular that the tomahawk is not a weapon of war, and that the Red Indians knew nothing of the joys of scalping until the arrival of the Puritans, who introduced it.

FIFTY YEARS AGO FRIDAY, 9 JANUARY 1959 MAYOR EXPLAINS HIS SPORTS CENTRE IDEA The Mayor of Andover (Cllr R. S. Harrison) has for some time been considering the possibility of a sports and social centre being provided for Andover. On Wednesday afternoon he called a meeting—purely an exploratory and explanatory one—of a number of local residents and businessmen to whom he outlined his ideas and sought their views.

Opening the meeting the Mayor said that comments at a recent carnival committee had strengthened the view that there was a need for a concrete objective of generally popular appeal to which the funds from the carnival could be devoted.

He had also been approached from another source regarding swimming facilities in the town and the need for an indoor pool.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO FRIDAY, 13 JANUARY 1984 THE CURSE OF JACOB AND ESAU Broughton is a village waiting to see whether an old superstition bringing bad luck and misfortune will come true on 7 February.

For that is the day the Mr John Garrett says he will have to fell one of the 40-foot yew trees standing only two feet away from the front of his house, “The Yews.”

The tree, know as Jacob, the smooth one, is rotten and grows side by side with another tall yew, Esau, the hairy one, and to Broughton people the trees represent the heart of the village.

But Mr Garrett’s problem is that Jacob could fall and injure someone, involving him in an enormous claim for damages. He insists that unless an “extraordinary solution” can be found the tree comes down in February, on the day his insurance cover for the tree runs out and cannot be renewed.

John Dawkins, a native of the village whose windows look out on the trees, has fought together with wife, Pam, a parish councillor, to keep Esau standing.

“If Broughton exists it is in those trees,” he says. “If anything happens to them disaster will befall the village. Everyone says that. My mother always said the trees protect us. They are very famous and we believe them to be about 900 years old.

“They are absolutely immortal, the root and heart of Broughton. They’ll have to take me out of the village the day that tree comes down.”