Information AboutAldershot |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ALDERSHOT | |
| towns in hampshire | |
| rushmoor | |
Aldershot is a town in the English County of Hampshire , on heathland 55 km (35 miles) southwest of London , and is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town is separated into five Wards , these are:
The nearby villages of Ash and Ash Vale are in the county of Surrey, though their postal addresses are "Ash, Aldershot, Hampshire" and "Ash Vale, Aldershot, Hampshire", respectively. Aldershot is known for its connection with the British Army which established a permanent camp in the area for instruction in military manoeuvres in 1854 . GEOGRAPHY Aldershot is located at (51.2500, -0.7833) 1 . The town is generally between 70m and 100m above sea level Ordnance Survey . HISTORY On 22nd February 1972 five women and an army priest were murdered in a Car Bomb attack on the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters at Aldershot. This blast was later claimed by the Official IRA as revenge for the shootings in Londonderry that came to be known as Bloody Sunday . TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS The Railway Station and bus station are both situated off Station Road. SHOPPING IN ALDERSHOT Local people will tell you that in the 1950s Aldershot was the premier place for shopping. But not any more. Since the 1950s it has suffered long-term decline, in recent years the decline has accelerated. Several factors are seen to be to blame: The gutting of the heart of the town for a shopping mall, amalgamation of Aldershot and Farnborough to form one local authority, the opening of a superstore on the outskirts of town. Aldershot is now dead and dying – boarded-up shops, empty shops, junk food shops, empty streets, yobs hanging around on the streets. Aldershot had a monthly farmers market, but it pulled out. The weekly Thursday market is a remnant of its former glory. Spring 2006, the Co-op announced it too was pulling out of Aldershot. All the local councillors seem capable of is wringing their hands and shedding crocodile tears. S L Martin writing in the ''Aldershot News'' summed up the situation, when he said the only future for Aldershot would be as a small market town (cf nearby Alton, Hampshire ), small and compact with a range of quality retailers, not the same identikit national chain shops seen in every other town. Neighbouring Farnborough, Hampshire has fared little better. Half the town centre is earmarked for demolition for a superstore. Like Aldershot, it has an air of desolation. For shopping local people go to Farnham , Guildford or further afield. In fact anywhere other than Aldershot.
EDUCATION
LEISURE AND RECREATION Aldershot plays host to many sports facilities such as Aldershot Tennis Centre , Aldershot Bowling , Aldershot Pools And Lido , Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre and Alpine Snow Sports (Dry Ski Centre) . SPORT The local professional football team is Aldershot Town F.C. . Pre 1992 the club was known as just Aldershot F.C. until it went bankrupt. It then reformed as Aldershot Town F.C. Aldershot Cricket Club is also based in the Town. MEDIA The local press are the "Aldershot Mail", the "Aldershot News", the "Aldershot Courier", and the "Surrey-Hants Star" . In-depth coverage and analysis of local social and environmental issues are by Blackwater Valley Environmental Justice ( alt site ). POLITICS Aldershot's MP is Gerald Howarth ( Conservative ), with a majority of 5334 (May 2005). Of the 41 councillors on Rushmoor Borough Council, 15 represent the 5 wards that comprise Aldershot. Of these councillors, 8 are Conservative , 5 represent Labour , 1 represents the Liberal Democrats and there is 1 Independent. FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM ALDERSHOT
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