You have looked at Phil Coopers website and maybe The Parish Mag website run by Steve Hoffman so you will see there is lot going on.
I used to live in Longstock in a large company house very much back of nowhere. I was asked to lecture at the Testbourne Community Centre, came along, gave my first talk, jumped in my car and drove the 14miles back home. When I came to do my second talk a guy came out to the front and said "Before you start Mr Burgess would you like to come for a drink afterwards ?" They had obviously retired to the hostelry after my first talk and decided to invite me.I said yes and then after the end of my lecture a key thing happened. As we walked down the street everyone said Hello.I thought "If I ever move I will come here".
I finally left The John Lewis Partnership in 1981 and bought a house right in the centre of town.It was to be short term, it was small, until we found somewhere bigger. We loved it so much we stayed in that house until the kids were bursting it.We moved to the old Silk Mill Managers House, Silk Mill House, still in the centre of town. Our present residence is an eco freindly pad nearly on the outskirts but what I do love is the towny feel. People still say hello all the time and passing motorists have the Whitchurch wave.

I went to a talk by Charles Landry on city design ,in Winchester, (15minutes away) and it highlights that we still have some things of value that have been eliminated from many places.There is a lot of activity right now to recreate essential vitalities in the town.The schools are great and
there is very little crime.
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Graham

We used to live in a village in Wiltshire & always liked Whitchurch when we visited.  We luckily managed to move here some years ago, and I love the range of shops, the countryside around & through the town, especially the Test, and its (fairly) easy drive to bigger towns/city around it - Andover, 'Stoke, Winchester, Newbury.
Schools - didn't get on with the head of the primary school, but luckily he's left now.  The secondary school has a great head, Hilary Jackson, who has pulled the school up by its bootstraps & is doing a wonderful job.  Shame it had to go down the 'Fame' route of specialist school, but it doesn't seem to effect the academic courses.
Youths hanging about - see some by the Town Hall, but never see any trouble.
Driving through the town can be an experience sometimes.  The first time I drove up London Road in evening rush-hour I never thought I was going to make it home.  But you do get used to it!
Hope that helps.