THE MYSTERY of the origins of a glass bottle engraved with T Hounsome Petersfield – and found by litter pickers – has been solved, thanks to Post readers.
The bottle was believed to have been found in a ditch and it was cleaned up by Rosemary Clark of the litter pick team.
Sussex Road resident Eric Porter said the soft drinks company had been based in College Street between Barham Road and the central car park exit.
Penns Road resident David Weeks added Hounsome’s bottles of lemonade and ginger beer were sold at Doug Willmotts shop at the station (now a florists) as well as other shops in the town, and there was a deposit for returning the bottles, and soda syphons, made by the company.
Jonathan Hounsome said the factory at 26 College Street was started by TA Hounsome (1882-1926) and continued by his widow Ida Gertrude (1882-1950).
Then it was run Frank Mells Hounsome until its closure in 1966, when the company was sold to Hartridges of Hambledon.
Jonathan added: “Just before they sold to Hartridges, I went round the factory collecting labels from various products, which I still have, along with various bottles.
“I visited the Hartridge factory about 20 years ago and the soda syphons were still in use and doing the rounds of various pubs.”