Memories of Andover

Mother's brother and sisters

Just after the war Dad, Mum and I would travel every other weekend to visit aunts and uncles and cousins on our Norton motorbike and sidecar. We usually based our visit with Aunt Flo and Uncle Stan (a wartime despatch rider, now back with his wife), they lived at 27 Wellington Road at the top end of a steep road about 100 metres up the hill, and the amazing thing was their Golden Retriever would bark as soon as the bike turned into the road and Aunt Flo would put the kettle on, knowing we were not far away. Some holidays I spent with them and I would always have to accompany my aunt to the Weslyan Chapel in town for the Sunday morning service, and in the afternoon I would either with local lads or alone go up to the Dell, such a peaceful walk. I think my uncle's parents lived opposite. I remember a big fuss made when my aunt gave birth to Pauline Elizabeth, I was about 14 at the time and did not at that time understand the significence of a lady in her mid forties giving birth to her first child, although I do remember the surprise that the event caused, even to my aunt, as her doctor had failed to realise she was pregnant until about 7 months in, from memory she turned out a beautiful girl. I did not see a lot of my Andover relations after that. I also had a cousin, Brian Rogers, son of Hilda and Vic just down the road, and mum's brother William Ernest (married Edna), they had two boys, David 9 months older and Kenneth nine months younger than I. On a trip to Europe from Australia I visited them once in about 1978 when Ken was or had just been mayor of Andover, unfortunately having been in Australia I have lost touch with any relatives who might still be living in England.

The Library

Before Chantry Way was developed, the town library was situated in the building on the right of this picture.  The thrill of being able to indulge myself, for free, in books, books and more books still resides in me today. I swear I can still smell the distinctive aroma of the building once you stepped through its doors!

happy days

I was stationed in the RE's in Andover - Barton Stacey camp. Remember shopping in 'International Stores' supermarket as they had good looking girls ! I also recall being in a cafe when some of the Troggs came in. Happy days, must return for a visit some day.

Saturday afternoon shopping

I do remember Andover about this time. We lived in Tidworth at the time and my father had a car with petrol allowance as he was a Barrack officer. We went to Andover, mum, myself and him every Saturday afternon and had to park centrally. It had all gone when we last went - just modern car parks now. He did a truly nineteen forties thing and sat in the car whilst we shopped. What a lovely childhood I did have there.


Joan Battershill (nee Norman)

The Old Andover Grammar School

This building, now a museum was in the 1940s the home of a famous old Andover gentleman Mr A C Bennett. He wrote a book about Andover St Mary's Church and played the organ in the church. He was also my piano teacher at 2 shillings a lesson(10p) and I don't think anyone tried his great patience more than I did.
I remember well as a lad of 11 years walking up to that, what seemed, huge door and banging on it and hearing him shuffling down the stairs to let me in. He must have felt the cold at his age as he always wore several layers of overcoats.
In hindsight I wish I had practiced more instead of regarding it as a chore at the time which kept me from my pals. He was a very nice man and a true Andoverian.

Winchester Street Quaker Burial Ground

This picture brings back childhood memories of the 1940s. Behind the wall on the left was a Quaker burial ground, a small grassy area on which one was free to stand upon.Opposite the wall were thatched cottages which were destroyed by fire later in the same decade I believe. A friend of both me and my sister was living in one of the cottages at the time.

My time nearAndover

WE were married in July 1966. As I was stationed at Middle Wallop, after our honeymoon in London we caught the train to Andover and stayed for 2 nights at the White Hart (is that the name? Opposite the old bus station near the canal and post office). We hired a flat on Weyhill Road and decided we must have a washing machine, so with great reluctance bought one on HP - sinful in those days) at a place opposite Squire's electrical shop near the post office.
After a while we moved to rotten old Married Quarters in Middle Wallop and had our first child, Julian there. (He was born at the War Memorial Hospital in Andover - I would go there each evening and stop for a pint at The Railway Tavern near the station.)
Most Saturdays we would do our shopping in Andover - a right fuss that was too as going back we had multiple shopping bags, a baby and a fold-up pram to take on the bus! Luckily people were more patient in those days than they are today. We would buy cheaply off the market and perhaps have tea in an a rickety upstairs cafe at the lower end of the market where it met the High Street.
Opening a bank account in those days required the written authorisation of my Commanding Officer and we were treated like some lower form of life by the bank manager (National Westminster Bank toward the bottomof Market Street). God knows what would have happened had we asked for a loan!

We were always hard up but those were happy days.

There used to be a cinema on the London Road and opposite that there was a Working Man's Club where we sometimes went to dances and I attended Labour Party meetings.

Left that part of the world in 1969 when I left the army.

Memories of my two years

We spent two years in Andover, two of the children went to Eastfield School and one daughter was born there. If I remember right, I had to get the baby milk from a pub. I have been back a few times and my goodness what a change has taken place, hardly could find my way around. I remember the really pretty villages, all the thatch roofs, lovely memories.