ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 24 MAY 1889

CORRESPONDENCE — A COUNTRY HOLIDAY
I shall be glad if you could allow me to ask your readers for funds, new and old clothing, and provisions, in order that I may be able to give a week or fortnight’s holiday in the country to as many of my poor parishioners as possible. Their terrible life stories are written in the darkest pages of the evidence tendered to the Royal Commissioners appointed to enquire into the sweating evil. A short stay in brighter and healthier spots than their homes would give these poor people a more hopeful view of life, and would encourage many of them to make an effort to leave the neighbourhood in which, save for voluntary help, they enjoy all the horrors and experience none of the joys of life. If any of your readers could, in addition to helping us in the ways already suggested, receive and pace a few children with respectable cottagers, we would undertake to send the children into the country neatly clad and in a cleanly condition. If before helping your readers would like to know more of this parish I will gladly send a pamphlet describing it in detail.—Yours obediently, A.OSBOURNE JAY, Vicar, Holy Trinity Church, Shoreditch, London, E.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO — 22 MAY 1914

CORRESPONDENCE — EMIGRATION
Sir,—Please allow me as a native of Andover, a small space in your valuable paper, to state that I would like all those thinking of emigrating to Canada not to be influenced by agents going round and preaching to the public of the prospects in Canada. At the present time in the whole Dominion there are about seven millions of people, and there are about one million unemployed. Hundreds of people are landing in this country every month leaving good jobs in the old land only to arrive here to meet starvation. Most of the people are led to think they can pick up dollars in the streets. I myself have been in the country five years , and have a little idea what it is like. Canada is alright for capitalists , but it has no room for mechanics of any kind. These few lines are not written to lead the public to think I am one of the unfortunates, but as a warning to those thinking of coming this way.—Thanking you, Mr.Editor, and trust I am not intruding too much on your valuable space, I am yours, etc.
F.GUY, Ontario, Canada.

The “unemployed” applies to mechanics and not agricultural labourers.—Ed. A.A.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 26 MAY 1939

CORRESPONDENCE — PEACE GROUP “PIFFLE”
Sir,—I should like to inform the members of Andover Peace Group that their letter last week was sheer piffle. If war did come they would be the first to creep behind those who have given voluntarily of their services in the national interest, in order to protect themselves. They should thank their lucky stars that they live in a land of freedom; had they resided in some countries at the present time stern measures would have been adopted to stop them spreading their poisonous propaganda, and prevent them from libelling those who are truly working for peace by being prepared.—Yours faithfully, A.F.J.Knight. 4, Whynot Lane, Andover.

FIFTY YEARS AGO — 22 MAY 1964

BRICK SHORTAGE THREAT TO DEVELOPMENT HOUSING
As the “Advertiser” reported recently, the shortage of bricks is hindering Andover’s town development housing project off Salisbury Road. So serious has been the shortage that bricks ordered for the contract for the Smannell Road housing estate (Area 12) have been diverted to the Salisbury Road project. “I was frightened at one stage that we would come to a full stop,” said Mr.John Whittle, London’s Town Development Manager, at a meeting of the Andover Town Development Joint Committee at the Guildhall yesterday afternoon.
Mr.Whittle warned members that serious consideration would have to be given to departing from traditional building methods and adopting the use of “industrialised building techniques” or, as Mrs.E.Dennington, one of the L.C.C.’s representatives put it, the use of a “pre-fabricated type” of dwelling. 

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO — 26 MAY 1989

MAYOR MARKS COMPANY MILESTONE
World leaders in the manufacture of stairlifts, Stannah, in Andover, unveiled their 50,000 product off the manufacturing line in front of the workforce on East Portway.
And to further mark the achievement the company is giving the value, £1,500, to the charity, Arthritis Care, many of whose members us the Stannah facility. The workforce will also benefit from the production milestone with garden seating presented by the company for their use at the headquarters building.
Test Valley borough’s new mayor, Cllr Eric Sier, unveiled the 50,000 product and with the Mayoress, Mrs Eileen Sier, toured the factory and also visited Andover Training Centre on the same estate where 200 control arms for the stairlifts are produced weekly.

TEN YEARS AGO — 21 MAY 2004

SOUTH WEST TRAINS START TOTAL SMOKING BAN
Smoking will be banned on all South West Trains’ services from Sunday when the new timetable is introduced.
The move follows a partial ban, with smoking already forbidden on the majority of trains on the network.
Head of customer service Andrew Fairbank said: “We felt the time was right to implement this total ban as new trains are gradually replacing older stock and we want to keep them in tip-top condition.
“This new policy brings us in to line with many other transport operators and is also in response to feedback we get from passengers who object to smoking on trains.”