Oxhey’s Coronation Beer is in grave danger – it has been deprived of its police guard during the night before The Day.

“We will either have to make arrangements to employ a watchman ourselves – the point is, who is going to watch the watchman? – or we will have to ask the contractors to see what they can do,” the chairman of the Coronation Committee, Mr H.E. Cook, told Watford Rural Parish Council on Wednesday.

Only that evening, he said, Herts Constabulary had told him they could not supply a police guard for the materials sited on the golf course the day and night before the celebration.

“A few days ago I had a message from the police headquarters to call on them, I did and confirmed the arrangements that had been made some months ago verbally and since confirmed officially of their official form. This evening, there is no policeman,” he went on.

“What we are going to do with all the equipment I just don’t know. I am also very concerned about the stocks of beer that will have to come on to the site the day before,” he said.

Mr. F. E. Walters had a happy thought. He suggested: “If you have some of the beer the previous evening, there will be much less to look after.”

[From the Watford Observer of May 29, 1953]

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