If you stroll down Bridge Street this week, you might miss a bit of quiet history happening inside Valley Leisure’s building. Andover is now home to the very first X Cube in the UK.

The Angel Inn has announced a heart-warming new initiative aimed at supporting individuals and families in the local community who may be struggling this festive season. Inspired by Dunelm’s well-known “Delivery Christmas” campaign, the pub is launching its own Delivery Christmas – Giving Tree, encouraging residents to come together and ensure no one is forgotten this Christmas. Set to take place on…

The Hampshire Air Festival is set to take flight on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September 2026 at Thruxton Aerodrome, promising a spectacular weekend celebrating “The Age of Flight”. The two-day event, which aims to become a staple of the UK’s aviation and family events calendar, will showcase more than a century of airborne innovation and entertainment. Visitors can expect an immersive journey through aviation history, beginning with the pioneering aircraft of the Great War and moving through to iconic Warbirds, including the legendary Spitfire—celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary will deploy live facial recognition vans for the first time next week, supporting officers in targeting priority suspects across both counties.

Millway House residents were treated to a festive Cinderella performance by Carousel Theatre Company, bringing music, laughter and Christmas spirit to the Andover care home.

Chilbolton Village Shop and Post Office is celebrating 10 years as a vital part of village life, supporting an older community and playing a central role during the Christmas season.

Test Valley Borough Council has been praised for its strong leadership, community-first approach and positive transformation work following a progress check by the Local Government Association’s corporate peer challenge team. Image: (c) Love Andover A cross-party team of senior councillors and experienced officers spent a week at the council in November 2024 during the original peer review, examining finance, performance and governance across all services.

Andover is preparing for a heart-warming return of one of its most beloved Christmas traditions, as the Andover Santa Cruises announce their schedule for this year’s festive tour. Spanning four evenings — Monday 15th, Tuesday 16th, Thursday 18th, and Friday 19th — the cruises promise to bring the same joy, community spirit and Christmas sparkle that residents enjoyed last year.

Tesco has issued an urgent recall of its Tesco 6 Aubergine Katsu Bao Buns after discovering the product contains milk that is not declared on the label, posing a potential health risk to anyone with a milk allergy or intolerance.

A major HR consultancy based near Andover has been acquired as part of a significant expansion by the Shaw Gibbs Group.

Test Valley Borough Council has launched a two-stage tender process to appoint a contractor for the build of Andover’s new theatre, as demolition work on the former Poundstretcher site is due to complete in the new year. Specialist demolition contractor, Erith, has been on site since October, carefully dismantling the vacant retail unit to leave a clear site ready for development.

Vigo Park in Andover will become home to a brand-new water play attraction, new modern bowls clubhouse, refreshment kiosk and public toilets as Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) approved a £3.5M investment at a meeting on Wednesday 3 December. The decision follows extensive community engagement and planning where residents shared their aspirations for the site. The new facilities will be installed to the south side of the current bowling green, alongside wider landscaping to transform the site and enhance the park’s accessibility.

Rumours have been flying across local social media this week that Marks & Spencer is planning a return to Andover, sparking hopes that the retailer might fill the void left in the town centre since its departure in 2018.

Local adventurer, Jordan Wylie MBE, has reached the summit of an unnamed, unclimbed Antarctic peak, marking the first major milestone of his Antarctic Odyssey expedition. The achievement, confirmed today (Friday 5 December) in a message from the ice, makes him the first recorded person in history to stand on the mountain’s summit.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust held an event on Thursday evening (4th December) to celebrate artist Alex McGarry’s second year as their Artist in Residence. Guests came to see her latest work and recognise the partnership.

Test Valley Borough Council has launched a new public art commission inviting an experienced artist to work with young people to co-create a large-scale mural for Chantry Street in Andover.

Local adventurer, writer, World Record Holder, and star of Channel 4's "Hunted", Jordan Wylie MBE, has been shortlisted for Outdoor Personality of the Year in the Great Outdoors Reader Awards 2026 – the UK’s largest public celebration of outdoor culture.

Andover BID has officially launched its 2025 Winter Photography Competition, inviting residents and visitors to showcase the beauty of Andover Town Centre throughout December. From the icy shimmer of the River Anton to festive lights, steaming hot chocolate, and winter wildlife, the competition encourages participants to capture what makes the town picture-perfect during the colder months. The contest features three age categories — …

Police in Andover have made two arrests in the opening days of Operation Scrooge – the annual campaign targeting shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in the run-up to Christmas.

Andover 20 Basingstoke 17 Saxon Safety sponsored Andover came out on top in a pulsating local derby at the Goodship ground last Saturday against neighbours and old rivals Basingstoke. The visitors have been resurgent in recent months and sat second in the table before this one, but it was the 'All Blacks' who prevailed in the end almost willing themselves to victory with an incredible defensive set late in the game.

Andover New Street FC has further strengthened its ever-growing youth pathway with the introduction of two new training-only teams: the U5s (Green) and U6s (Black). These additions bring the club’s impressive total to 54 youth teams, highlighting its continued commitment to providing grassroots football opportunities for young players in the community. The new squads began their journey at the start of the season, with training taking place on…

Recruitment company Aligra is celebrating a major week of national recognition after winning four industry honours across two of the UK’s biggest recruitment award programmes.

Whitchurch Silk Mill is inviting families to get into the Christmas spirit with a festive Elf on the Shelf Trail on Saturday 6 December, with sessions at 10.30am and 1.30pm.

Nearly 400 knives and offensive weapons have been taken off Hampshire streets following a week of action aimed at tackling knife crime – with police activity carried out in Andover and surrounding areas throughout the operation.

Andover 10 Portsmouth 15 It was another hugely disappointing afternoon for Saxon safety sponsored Andover as they fell to another late try this time at home at home to old rivals Portsmouth. In a dour game very affected by the severe cold and heavy rain, Andover struggled to put together any cohesive rugby against dogged opponents. Callum Barber-Starkey, Roman Barton-Knott and Callum Hollinshead provided excellent lineout ball throughout, and with Nic Reed and Toby Dixon prominent in a scrum that dominated all afternoon, Andover should have done better.