The Pond on The High Street c1955, Watford
The Pond on The High Street c1955, Watford Ref: W40044
Memories of The Pond on The High Street c1955, Watford
The Odeon
I was a member of the Odeon choir and it was around this time that we were taken to I think it was the Festival Hall, to compete against choirs across England and I got a bronze medal, I think it was the Star Festival. Unfortunately my medal has been mislaid over the years but I remember that we were later taken to a recording studio in London - Tothill Street - where we recorded for an early television programme. Unfortunately, not having a TV I never got to hear the recording. The Odeon was part of our childhood with 6d seats downstairs and 9d seats upstairs. Opposite the Odeon was the Three Kays coffee bar where two or three years later we would meet and pool our money to get into the Jazz Club at halftime if the bouncer was willing to sell us interval tickets. We met Johnny Duncan and his Blue Grass Boys, Acker Bilk, Ken Colyer. We would then walk home with bare feet as we... Read more
Benskins Brewery
I lived in Bushey and then in Oxhey Village for all of my childhood, first in Aldenham Road, and then in Oxhey Avenue, and later in Villiers Road. In the early 70's I was living in Oxhey Avenue and my friend Annette lived in Woodwaye off Eastbury Road. When she came round on her bike I used to either walk or ride my bike to the other side of the railway bridge at the top of our road, when she went home. We would often be wearing our stripey socks and have a tartan scarf tied round our wrists - we were both big Bay City Rollers fans. Most Monday evenings we used to catch a bus to the Civic Centre in St Albans. We were never totally sure we were on the correct bus until it went past the big Waitrose that used to be on St Albans Road just before the Dome roundabout. There was a disco at the Civic Centre every Monday evening, but my mum always... Read more
Watford & local memories
Read and share memories of Watford and Hertfordshire inspired by Frith photos.
Vicarage Road Football Stadium And Watford Football Club
I first saw Watford play - in their old blue and white colours - at the end of the 1955-56 season. The only cover was the so called "Main Stand" and on the opposite touchline the "Shrodells Stand" named after the adjacent Shrodells Hospital (now Watford General Hospital). I would stand behind the goal on the left of this picture as the terrace was steep with plenty of barriers to lean on and high enough to give a view of the whole pitch. Halfway through the second half, newspaper sellers would walk around the terraces selling the Evening News or the Evening Standard with the half time scores from other grounds and sometimes even a short match report for the first few minutes of other games! The Watford ground staff would hang numbers on hooks at the edge of the greyhound track with half time scores too. The code letters for the other games were printed in the programme. I went to most home games and sometimes even reserve games... Read more
Childhood
I was 4 when we moved to Watford. They were just nearing completion of the subway which ran from the top end of the town to the Town Hall, and where the library is now situated, and we had 3 cinemas then, the Odeon, which had moved to the centre, next door to Le Caprise, wich was a nice little restaurant, the Empire, which was next door to the Palace Theatre, and the Carlton, which was down Market Street. They had also enlarged the pond area with waterfalls. As I grew up, I worked for the Co-op, Gade House, which I lovd, and we sold a range of table mats which had Francis Frith pictures of old Watford on them. My one regret is that I never got to see the park gates before they were demolished.
Disco Days
I was 6 I think, I and my sister would go to Saturday morning pictures, then, about 11.30, go to Top Rank and would disco dance the Saturdays away. I remember I would either have a cold glass of milk, because the milk machine was lit up, and you could see it in the dark of the disco, or a Panda Pops, 'It's frothy man', great advert. Then about 12.30 go up to the swimming baths that were up the top end of town, that's gone now, why do so many things have to change? And we would dive in because we were so hot from all the dancing we had done, God, I miss those days.
Cross Street Watford
Carol Collins, nee Bass. We often had the cows come in our back garden in the 1950s, they used to walk them to market.
Watford/Bushey
We moved to Bushey in the early 1960s. My love of Top Rank came as I grew up with Waford being a big town. My dad worked on the new M1 Cox's corner, which now I understand is not there. Tthere were fields all around. We used to play in them, something "Park Avenue" was the big road, a pub called the Otter's Inn. I went to a school called "High Wood" and then on to a school that the George Michael attended - how posh am I? I remember watching Alma Coghan's funeral, the Jewish cemetery was not far away from Coldharbour Lane, Bushey.... we were asked to stand up and pay our respects. I loved every minute of my time at that school, my love of English and History is forever in my mind, and oh boy I will not forget my English teacher Mr Arthur and History Mrs Mather, thank you both. Uou inspired me....xx
Top Rank Dance Hall
I remember the Odeon being redeveloped as the Top Rank Dance Hall about 1964. We used to come over from Borehamwood during 1965 on a Thursday night which was over 18's only and Saturday nights as well. Had some great times there. Good music and atmosphere.
Wartime
I was taken by my parents to the Odeon Cinema in December 1939 and heard the song 'There'll always be an England' sung for the first time. Whenever I hear this song today, it takes me back to the Odeon - I was 13 at the time. I was born in Watford in 1926 and have many many memories of Watford during the peace years of the 1930s and the war years from 1939-1945. I had an office overlooking the Pond from 1958-1983 and remember the day the High Street was closed to traffic for the start of the one-way system. I also remeber Harold Macmillan making a political speech at the old Conservative club by the Pond in, I think, 1959. Richard Hughes
Watford Market
I can remember my mum taking us to Watford market, I just loved it, I was about 8 or 9, and loved looking at all the cheap jewellery, and coloured rubber balls, and toys, it had such a magical feel about it to me.
Mum always had to have a bowl of cockles with vinegar and pepper on them, from the fish stall.
We would just wander around, there were puppies for sale and kittens! And mum used to buy some Gibsons sausages as they were prize-winners! I can't remember if it was outside Cawdells that there was a 1d laughing policeman in a glass cage. That was 50 years ago and I still sometimes dream that I am back there just looking around with eyes wide open at all the lovely things they sold there.
Watford Odeon Cinema
I worked in this cinema in 1960, just tearing tickets. There was a woman who worked in the confectionery kiosk who had been there since it opened; her first job had been as pianist during the silent era. She went on to work until the cinema was closed and pulled down. (Sorry I do not know her name). It was during my sojourn there that the film "Psycho" was distributed and I recall that during the week it as shown there were two miscarriages in the cinema due to the "extreme nature" of the film - how times have changed eh. Unusually for the time, no person was allowed into the cinema once the film had started.
Vanishing Watford
My family moved to Watford in 1953 to a large house in Rosslyn Road, a side road within a few yards of the Rickmansworth Road right opposite the Town Hall concert hall entrance. I spent virtually all my childhood there plus the teen years and left when I was 20 to live in Dorset.
My enduring memories of Watford include the wonderful Mocha Bar on the Parade where we could buy real Italian Espresso Coffee. The fabulous rolls and baking from Chef Corner Cafe. The toy shop next to the Cookery Nook cafe. Both Department Stores, Clements and Cawdells, the latter of these two would have a Santa Ride to see Santa and we'd go on a fake boat which undulated the way toy boats always do and someone rolled the scenery past the window to make you think you were going on a sleigh ride to meet Santa. Then they let you out of a different door to the one you came in on so it seemed like... Read more
Miniature Train Rides in The Park
Close to the Grand Union Canal which runs through Cassiobury Park is a splendid miniature railway. It loops through woodland, has level crossings over footpaths and criss-crosses several lines before returning to the terminus beside the canal. I remember going on this as a child myself, and then taking my son David in the 1980s.
More recently I took my niece for a train ride in 2002 one hot summer's day. We needed ice creams to cool down afterwards! That same summer I saw a grass snake swimming across the canal from the busy towpath side to the sanctuary of the quiet reedbank on the opposite side.
Cassiobury Park is a magnificent asset for Watford residents with everything you could wish for: sports pitches, woodland walks, canal towpath, wild life, paddling pools, train rides and picnic spots - all within 15 minutes walk of the town centre. It's the jewel in Watford's crown and holds a special place in the affections of older residents who still... Read more
Fig Tree
It was always my understanding that the person buried had asked for a fig to be put in one hand and a plum stone in the other and if there were a God, the fig would grow!
Fig Tree - St Mary's Church Yard, Watford
I remember seeing this tree in St. Mary's churchyard. It was growing out of a grave, and the story was that the tree was growing out of the buried person's body.
Bulls Escape
Around 1954 my Mother took me to Watford shopping and the market. We lived at the time in South Oxhey, we would catch the train from Carpenders Park Station and get off at Watford High St station which was the lower part of the high street. This particular day I remember walking up the high street holding my mothers hand and I remember a lot of people running and panicking. My mum held me tight and rushed me into a shop front and all of a sudden there was a herd of cattle {black} coming very fast down the high street, stampeding past us. Of course I was petrified like my mum. I remember someone saying they had escaped the slaughter house and broke free. I have never forgotten that. I wonder if anyone else can remember it.
Cawdells Arcade
We moved to Watford when I was 8 and I remember our regular trip from St Johns Road to the market behind Cawdells where we bought our dog Jally. There were so many stalls selling good quality goods, I still have the china teaset my mother bought - "Blue Chelsea". I spent my formative years in Watford and was dragged kicking and screaming away when I was 16.
The Weekly Trip to Watford
I was not born when the photo was taken in 1906 but I do well remember our weekly shopping trips to the Watford market just after world war two.
There would always be time to visit the top end of the high street to admire the large golden fish in the pond. I found later that they were Golden Orf.
On one of our visits there was quite a large gathering of people at the pond, bunting flags and ballons festooned the railings around the pond and quite a few very large model war ships were sailing. I think the celebration was in aid of our victory at sea, but if anyone can offer some information, please do.
My First Walk From Croxley to Watford
I would have been aged seven years when I first remember walking with my family from Croxley over the golf-links and Grand Union into Cassiobury Park.
The park was so beautiful with flower beds and a paddling pool and further along was a bandstand, people out for a walk were dressed finely and all was peaceful.
At the exit from the park was the wonderful stone gatehouse with iron gates that formed an impression in my mind of elegance. As I grew older and started to travel frequently to and from Watford along the Rickmansworth Road I would often glance over at the gates with fond memories.
New School
I attended Little Green School, and they thought it would be a good idea for us to go and see the new school being built, I don't know why as we were too young to do any building lessons.
Proud of my Watfordian Roots
I was born in Watford Hospital March 1961. There is evidence that we - mum, dad and l - lived in Durban Road, and Wellington Road. I'm told one of these 'homes' was a flat in which l became proud owner of a little pink teddy - left on my pram by a neighbour, my mum says - she thinks it was a raffle prize from the local fair. I still have her to this day. Dad Peter Simmons was born July 1925 and spent most of his life living at Nicholas Close, he told us stories about how he had a cousin who was a trainer/groundsman for Watford FC, of how his Grandad James died from injuries sustained whilst trying to lift a cart horse which had fallen in the gravel pits owned by James brother Thomas Joseph. Dad attended Leggatts Way Senior Boys school in 1939 before starting his butchery career with Fisheries on a market stall in High Street, Watford, then working in a butchers shop which... Read more
Watford Town Hall
I am visiting Watford on Wednesday as my husband is playing bowls for Kent! My mother [ Barbara Whiter ( nee Neech) who was born in Watford, and who is 90 in April, and now living in Colchester, Essex. ] just happened to mention something of interest! While at art college she made a wooden shield with the Coat of Arms that went over the main door of the Town Hall. Does anyone know if it is still there and if not where it might be? I recently learned my old school [we moved away when I was 14] Leggetts Way is now a housing estate!
My home is now Chatham, Kent.
The Town I Grew up in
My family moved to Watford in 1964 when I was 6-years-old. We moved down from Northumberland via the west of London. I finally moved away from Watford permanently in 1989. We lived in a flat above a shop on the busy St Albans Road in North Watford and I attended Callowland infants and junior schools. Later on, I went to Victoria Boys School in West Watford until it was burnt down in 1973 and from there to Grange Park School in Bushey.
I recall Watford in the 1970s, or at least parts of it, being a very rough place. As a teenager as I was beaten up on the street in broad day light on at least two occasions, both times because I sported long hair. For all of that, I have some very happy memories of the town. I particularly liked walking in Whippendell Woods and would often end up at the Clarendon Arms in Chandlers Cross. I am told it became another victim of changing times... Read more
Watford Fields Infants School
I remember walking in deep snow in Watford in January 1982. I had to carry my son David Norfolk on my back through the snow to reach Field Infants School. When we got there I discovered that the school had tried to close for the day by phoning parents to warn them. The message failed to reach our family as we had very recently moved into Oxhey Village from Northwood so our David (coming up for his fifth birthday) spent the day in the school's nursery accompanied by a handful of other children and supervised by most of the teachers and the dinner ladies who had nothing else to do except play and try to keep warm! When I collected him - again by piggy back - in the afternoon he said "Daddy Daddy its been such fun, can I come to school again tomorrow?". He thought school meant playing in a nursery all day surrounded by adults wanting to play with him!
Linking A Family Member to A Place
My great grandfather was in the met police force in his day. His name Walter Lewis Cox.He lived in a big house 43 capel road. I would like to know if the address still stands and what is the dwelling. Walter lived in that house for over 50yrs his serviving daughter at the time of his death in 1966 sold the property some yrs later her name was Edith Cox she sometimes got Marjorie did anyone know this lady and are there any photograghs of Capel road old or new. I would be most greatful
Born in Watford
my memories of Watford start in 1947 when I was born in the front bedroom of our house in Liverpool Road from the 1950s till approx 1968 there is not much I didn't know about the town I first went to school at Watford fields changing to Victoria boys school. We did our train spotting at Watford Heath where the train had to slow down to take on water from the chutes that ran between the lines. the cattle market was up the side of the post office in market street and on the other side of market street just down a bit was the slaughter house I remember going there with friends and watched as they killed a cow I didn't like it one little bit. on the corner of market street was the Rose and Crown they still covered the floor with saw dust in those days oppersite was the entrance to the Arcade which led you into the market where my mother had a stall right at... Read more
