The week uncle Ray sold more discs than Elvis

Mr Cottrell said: “In the article Mr Rycroft mentioned Ray Walter. He was my uncle and I have some further information on him.

“He did, as mentioned last week, become a recording artist under the name Eddie Parker. He toured the UK in early 1950s with the pianist Winifred Atwell and the trumpeter Eddie Calvert.

“He later moved to South Africa where he recorded the Cilla Black hit You’re My World under his real name of Ray Walter.

“This record actually reached number two in the South African charts in 1964 – the week it was at number two, The Beatles were at number one and Elvis Presley was at number three.

“His work in the music industry led him to Australia for a couple of years, then on to Los Angeles where he died in 2009.

“He was married three times. His second wife later married the American singer David Cassidy. I understand he was a close friend of Rod Palmer, who was also mentioned in last week’s article.”

Do you know anything more about Ray Walter, or Rod Palmer?

Paul King from Worcester has written in about two boys from Watford who stayed at the Watford Union Workhouse, before fighting in the Zulu war.

He said: “I am the present keeper of the AZW medal awarded to Daniel Gordon who was one of five boys sadly killed at Isandhlwana in the Anglo Zulu war of 1879.

“This was the battle on January 22 that resulted in the total annihilation of the British and Colonial forces at Isandhlwana and which immediately preceded the more well known battle at Rorke’s Drift.

“I understand that Daniel and his friend James Gurney spent time in the Watford Union Workhouse prior to their joining the 24th Regiment of Foot (The Warwickshire Regiment) in December 1877.

“Daniel enlisted at Chatham, Kent, on December 6, 1877, aged 13 years and James enlisted, also at Chatham, on December 20, 1877, aged 15.”
Mr King also sent in some information about the workhouse, from West Watford History Group.

The workhouse in Vicarage Road, which is now Watford General Hospital, had use of its own chapel named St Barnabas’.

The chapel was still used when the site became Shrodells Hospital, but was demolished when it was judged to be structurally unsound in 1962.

The organ was sent to All Saints’ Church in South Oxhey, the stained glass window and font were given to St Bede’s, Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green and the chapel bell was sent to St Oswald’s Church in Croxley Green.

There were also several memorial plaques, one of which was made out to James Gurney and Daniel Gordon, after their death in Zululand.

Mr King added: “I’d be extremely interested to find out what happened to the memorial plaque that was in the chapel and where it’s now located?

“I really would like to go to see it, and to reunite Daniel’s medal with it. I wonder if any of your readers might know the whereabouts of the plaque?”

Do you know anything about the plaque, or the two boys mentioned in the letter? Do you know anything more about the workhouse? Do write and let us know.

These three pictures of Leggatts Way nursery children (top), staff (above middle)  and both children and staff enjoying a VE party (above) in 1945 or 1946 have been sent into Nostagia by reader Raymond Maddocks.

The party was held in the alleyway behind house number 124 or 180.

Do you recognise yourself or anyone else in the pictures? Please let us know.

Ernie MacKenzie from Gammons Lane has written in with his memories of Odhams.

He said: “I remember Ernie White when he was the machine room manager at Odhams, it was Ernie who interviewed me, and gave me my job working on the Goss photo gravure press in the machine room.

“He was a hands-on manager, who was well liked and respected by everybody. I can remember Ernie taking early retirement in the 1970s, when Don Ryder (who was the boss of IPC that owned Odhams) decided to pull the plug on the Mirror magazine, resulting in the loss of approximately 750 jobs across the board.

“The Mirror magazine was a supplement that was inserted into the Daily Mirror newspaper every Wednesday.

“It only lasted nine months, because of advertisement space not being taken up by customers.

“When Ernie retired in 1970s, his machine room was printing, folding and stitching 52 million copies in an average month.”

Four babies born in the Watford Maternity Hospital on the same day as Prince Andrew, in February 1960, received birthday presents in the form of celebratory tankards.

The West Herts and Watford Observer, dated February 26, 1960, reported the event under the headline: “Babies Will Get Tankards”.

It reads: “Fifteen minutes after the Queen gave birth to the new Prince at 3.30pm on Friday, Mrs Eileen West gave birth to her first baby, a boy, at Watford Maternity Hospital.

“It was nearly a birthday present for Mrs West, who was 21 on Tuesday. Her baby weighed 7lb 6oz at birth, three ounces heavier than the Queen’s baby.

“Mrs West and her soldier husband, Peter (a private in the Northamptonshire Regiment), live at Tudor Way, Mill End. They are going to call their boy Kevin John.

“Three other babies were born at Watford Maternity Hospital on Friday. First came a baby boy to Mrs Joan Button, who lives at the Bushey Heath caravan site.

“He arrived at 1.25am, weighed 7lb 6oz and will be named David Leslie.

“At 6.35pm a girl was born to Mrs Kathleen Mooney, of Park Road, Watford. The baby weigh 7lb 2oz and her names will be Christina Mary.

“Forty minutes later Mrs Doris Laffoley, of St Albans, gave birth to a boy, Martin John. His birth weight was 6lb 2oz.

“Watford District midwives delivered both these boys. In the first case the team was staff midwife Joyce Glendinning and pupil midwife Sylvia Butler.

"The second case was in the hands of staff midwife Margaret Robinson and pupil midwife Hazel Bird.

“All six babies are to be presented with a pewter tankard by the Hospital Committee in celebration of the distinction of being born on the same day as the new Prince.”

Do you know Peter and Eileen West and their son Kevin, Joan Button and her son David Leslie, Kathleen Mooney and her daughter Christina Mary, or Doris Laffoley and her son Martin.

Were you born on the same day as Prince Andrew? Do you still have your memorial tankard?

Do any other Watford residents share their birthday with a celebrity?

This Nostalgia column was first published in the Watford Observer on January 11, 2013. The next Nostalgia column – with information about Mill End Senior School, the mysterious Watford Union Workhouse and Emile Corteil, who died during the D-Day landings – can be found in tomorrow’s Watford Observer (dated Friday, January 18, 2013) or read online here from 4pm next Thursday, January 24, 2013.

If you have anything to add – or would like to tell us anything you think our readers may enjoy about Watford’s history – we are always pleased to hear from you. Contact Nostalgia, by clicking here abinnie@london.newsquest.co.uk