From Our Files: Flood of concerns...Thatcher’s guest spot...charity shop boom
50 YEARS AGO
FLOODING by surface water and sewage in Sway has caused so much concern in the village that the parish council held a special meeting in the hall.
Blame for the trouble has been attributed to the inadequate system of drainage and the increasing building being carried out without proper provision for the added load placed on the existing systems.
At Meadens Garage on the B3055 where road improvements have been carried out the stream which was formerly carried by one 3’ diameter pipe has been replaced by two 2’ pipes in parallel which have slightly lower capacity.
These pipes not only have to carry water from the village but also water from the Forest via a brick culvert at Manchester Road railway bridge.
The worst affected area is Widden Close where it adjoins the railway embankment under which the water flows through an 18’’ diameter pipe but the pipe cannot cope with the flow and results in flooding in parts of the close.
One villager at the meeting who has lived in Calcutta and Bombay warned of the threat of typhoid as sewage overflowed from the manholes. Talking about a new development one other said once completed a 12’’ pipe will “go up to Dennett’s and the whole place is going to be flooded”.
The parish council chairman summed up saying: “This wretched stream was an open ditch in the past and was in a farmer’s property where they could clear it out as they did for their own benefit because they wanted the ground sweet, not sour, but no longer is this the situation.”
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IF the present rate of inflation continues a man starting work at the age of 19 on a salary of £1,800 a year would have to earn £100,000 a year by the age of 40 to keep pace with inflation, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, the shadow chancellor, told a meeting of the Christchurch and Lymington Conservatives.
Mrs Thatcher was quoting from a debate in the House of Lords in which Lord Stokes cited the examples of age and wages in relation to a yearly rate of inflation of 20 per cent.
“This cannot go on,” said Mrs Thatcher.
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THE daughter-in-law of a Pennington couple was among the survivors of a Jumbo Jet disaster in Nairobi and despite the fact she was burnt in the crash she brought another seriously ill passenger to safety.
Margaret Hooker saved the life of an American woman after the Boeing 747 broke up and exploded shortly after take-off. The woman was trapped in her seat and Mrs Hooker saw that she was badly burnt.
She said: “I could see a big gaping hole in the bottom of the plane in front of us. I got the other woman out of the seat and said ‘It’s alright, I won’t leave you’ then I dragged her by the arms towards the hole.”
There was fuel spilling everywhere and shortly after getting out the plane Mrs Hooker said: “There was a terrific explosion and the whole lot went up.”
25 YEARS AGO
GLOWING plaudits and “amazing” levels of customer service have won Sway station the titles of ‘most friendly small station’ and ‘best station in the South’.
The national awards were part of the Railtrack Station of the Year Competition, when passengers are asked to nominate stations.
Sway station assistant Ian Faletto was singled out for his “beyond the call of duty” approach to helping passengers. He told the A&T that he takes pride in being friendly and helpful, adding: “People deserve it don’t they?”
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A WARNING that the commercial heart is being drained from New Milton has been given after the arrival of two more charity shops on the high street. British Heart Foundation and Marie Curie Cancer Care are the latest two charity clothes shops to open.
Councillor Ken Drew has blamed high rates and rents which are pricing smaller shops out of business. He said: “My concern is that we are losing our town centre. Small businesses can’t keep their doors open because rents and rates are so high, I was speaking to a friend who is paying nearly £100 a week in rates alone.”
He said the “last thing” New Milton needs is more charity shops as they do not attract out-of-town shoppers. He said: “Eight in one small town is a bit over the top.”
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A CHRISTCHURCH garage has closed its doors after trading as a family business for 70 years. Tony Livy, the owner of the Grove Garage, has retired, much to the regret of his loyal customers.
It had always been Tony’s ambition to take over the running of the garage which his parents set up in 1929. He started work there as soon as he left school at 16 in 1951 and apart from two years’ National Service, he worked there until earlier this month.
“It was always my destiny to carry on the business,” he said. Apart from a few brief spells he has lived on the garage site for his entire life. “When we started the cars were pre-war and to say the least a bit basic.”
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CHRISTCHURCH Council is offering the chance to receive a free Xmas tree – in return for helping the countryside wardens to clear pine and scrub tomorrow at the north end of St Catherine’s Hill.
The pine and scrub are smothering rare and important heathland on the hill which is a site of special scientific interest. People are advised to wear stout footwear and warm clothing.
