Everything sold on our stall in Andover High Street on Friday mornings is hand made, home made, home grown in the Andover area. We make and sell cakes and savouries, plants and flowers, jams, chutneys and honey, eggs and all manner of craft from cards to cardigans. The stall began back in 1946 when representatives from 12 local Women’s Institutes considered the possibility of starting a Market St
all in Andover to sell surplus produce from village gardens. A Local Trading Licence was refused at first but 1,000 signatures were collected and the case successfully taken to Wi******er Court. The first Market stall opened on Friday 6th December 1946 in George Yard. The takings on that first day were £4. Helpers had straw on the ground to keep their feet warm! We became affiliated with W I Country Markets Ltd in 1947 and in 1950 moved under cover into the building formerly used as the Services Canteen. This was at the rear of the Star and Garter Hotel (The Danebury). Then in November 1967, we moved to the Guildhall in the High Street. On 6 December 1996 Andover & District W I Country Market celebrated 50 years of trading, at a time when it was the largest of 24 Markets in Hampshire. Hampshire Farmers’ Markets held their first market in Andover High Street in 2000. In addition to having its own stall; Andover W I Country Market served refreshments in the Guildhall on this occasion and for subsequent Farmers’ Markets until February 2006. On 1 January 2005 WI Country Markets Ltd become known nationally as Country Markets Ltd and we became ANDOVER COUNTRY MARKET. On 29th February 2008 we held the last market inside the Guildhall and on 7th March 2008 began trading from an open air stall in the High Street once more, having travelled full circle. On 5 April 2013 MARKET FOR ALL SEASONS was launched as an independent co-operative again in order to sell an even wider range of goods and today we now have second and third generation producers.
