Andover, Bridge Street From Level Crossing 1939

Photo ref: A49011

I attended Andover Grammar School from 1952 until 1956 and must admit that the swimming pool was my favorite part of the school. I have fond memories of the friends I made there, a lot of whom I am still in touch with. My father was a great angler and Mr. Dreghorn our geography teacher asked if anyone could get hold of some Perch to clean the bottom of the Pool during the winter, and my father duly ...see more

I remember arriving at Andover railway station in 1950 and asking how I could get to RAF Amport where I was to spend the next 18 months or so doing my National Service. Eventually an old pre-war coach turned up and we chugged our way through country lanes ocassionly stopping to drop off elderly ladies and waiting while the driver helped them carry their shopping into their houses.. Most weekends I played hockey ...see more

I well remember the open air swimming pool where we used to go for swimming lessons from Norman Gate primary school as well as the open air pool at the Grammar School featured in one of your photos. However my first experience of swimming was in the River Anton. Where the river comes under the railway line, it comes through an arch bridge and on the Andover side of the bridge was a large pool, where an H girder ...see more

During the late 50's and early 60s, I remember that during Carnival Week there was always a Mardi Gras night. There was a dance floor in front of the Guildhall and many fairground stalls. I always remember being weighed at one of these stalls on a chair contraption. The main activity was throwing confetti at one another and trying to stuff it down strangers necks!! When I got home my mother would not let me in the house until I had undressed at the backdoor and got rid of all the confetti.