Always a difficult situation the Fire Brigade
is one of the authorities resources but as this incident illustrates,
it may be better to save the resource to deal with a fire should
it break out.It's not unknown for persons to be in dangerous situations
and even in need of rescue.
Unfortunately in today's world irresponsible groups target Firefighters,
Police, Paramedics, and almost every other branch of authorities
resources, they seem to believe they are fair game and it seems
that many hope to get a reaction but are not backward in accepting
assistance when in trouble.
The crew.
Cpt F A Beale
Fm C Jerome
Fm V Alexander
Fm H Noyce
Fm C Simkins
Fm H Archer
Fm W Cornelious
Fm F Bell
Fm B Bell.
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Research is difficult and it transpires that a young woman employed
by a local business sought an affiliation order against the son
of the house.
On two occasions. both Mother and Daughter refused to be bound over
to be of good behaviour the bench fined the Mother £1, and
Daughter 5/-and both refused to pay.Both the girl and her mother
when taken into custody were eventually transported to Winchester
for imprisonment.
When they arrived at the Prison they found a 'Friend' had paid the
fine and so they were released.
Meanwhile a crowd of Andover residents estimated at 2000 hearing
of the attempt to imprison them determined to make their feelings
known. Arming themselves with 'Cudgels' and Stones they were reported
as rampaging through the town, shouting slogans. Several businesses
were damaged.
The Brigade were called to assist the police in crowed control but
the firemen were attacked by the crowd and their hose cart was damaged.They
retreated back to the fire station.Even mounted police from Basingstoke
failed to tame the crowd.The riot lasted three days.
It was necessary to call extra police and as was customary the town
had to pay the town supplying the policemen for the cost reckoned
to be the equivalent of a 4p rate. The family is not named nor are
the damaged premises.
I got my information from a book 'Old Andover by C J J Berry' which
I loaned from the Public Library.
This book contains photographs and a page of comment on this incident,
together with over 300 other pages, I have not been able to trace
the publishers who I an told went out of business some twenty years
ago it is a little gold mine of information .I am Indebted to my
Local Library who obtained a copy on loan for me.