‘Derby’ rumpus

Police arrested nine youths at Wednesday’s Luton v Watford match. Charges range from assaulting a police officer to possessing an offensive weapon. On three occasions play was held up as fans encroached on the pitch. 18 fans were taken to hospital for treatment. St John Ambulance men estimate that almost 100 fans were treated for bruises, cuts and abrasions during the game.

[May 2, 1969]

Show is a success

When the flower shows start, summer can’t be far away. The St Meryl Horticultural Society’s season got off to a successful start on Saturday when it staged its annual spring show. Despite the unfavourable weather, gardeners were able to produce a beautiful array of spring flowers.

[May 2, 1969]

Public must help nurses

If it is true that young nurses aren’t paid enough to feed, dress and look after themselves, then it is a national scandal, his Eminence Cardinal John Heenan declared on Thursday, during a visit to Leavesden Hospital. He urged members of the public to fight the nurses’ battle for them.

[May 2, 1969]

Charity walkers’ march

About 500 Watford and district teenagers marched through the streets of the town for over four hours in the warmth of Saturday sunshine to the accompaniment of jazz and marching music. They were taking part in the Young Volunteer Forces’ charity walk, and although organisers were somewhat disappointed at the turnout – about 2,000 had been expected to take part – a fairly substantial sum was raised.

[May 9, 1969]

Princess at Elstree

As Princess Margaret’s red helicopter landed at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School, Elstree, on Friday, a cheer rose up from the 500 boys who lined the open space to welcome their royal visitor. Throughout the three and a half hour visit, the Princess met as many boys as possible. The youngest boy in the school, eight-year-old Paul Nathan, presented the Princess with a bouquet.

[May 16, 1969]

Sun goes back

The Sun Printers’ strike is over, the 680 National Graphical Association men having returned to work on Monday. They had been off for a week, refusing to accept rescindment of protective notices. The unusual peace formula entails the company agreeing to pay £5,000 a week into a trust fund which will then be shared out among almost 2,000 workers.

[May 23, 1969]

Seaside holiday

Letters have been going out to more than 100 elderly people in Bushey this week, telling them they will have a seaside holiday this year. Bushey Old People’s Welfare Committee’s holiday scheme will be operating for the first time this year. It was hoped originally to send just 100 old people away for a holiday, but the response to appeals for funds has been so good that the number has now been increased to about 125.

[May 21, 1969]

Council makes history

Herts County Council made history on Tuesday. It elected its first woman chairman – 50 years after the first woman was elected to serve on the Council. The woman who will fill this important position is a Scot, County Alderman Mrs I.D. Paterson.

[May 21, 1969]

Carnival was big hit

With unsettled weather causing many more people to holiday at home, thousands flooded into Cassiobury Park for Watford’s annual spring weekend carnival. Although main attractions followed much the same pattern as in previous years – grass track racing, horse show and gymkhana – it was a highly successful and well-organised carnival, providing the town with an extremely popular holiday attraction.

[May 30, 1969]

What was happening in the world in May 1969?

• The British liner Queen Elizabeth II leaves Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York (May 2)

• Apollo 10 transmits the first colour pictures of Earth from space (May 10)

• The Monty Python comedy group is formed (May 11)

• Race riots occurred in Kuala Lumpur in the aftermath of a general election (May 13)

• Abortion and contraception are legalised in Canada (May 14)

• Venera 5, a Soviet spaceprobe, lands on Venus (May 16)

• Civil unrest breaks out in Rosario, Argentina, after a 15-year-old student is killed by police (May 21)

• Robert F. Kennedy’s murder, Sirhan Sirhan, is sentenced to death. This was later commuted to life imprisonment (May 21)

• The Sudanese government is overthrown in a military coup (May 25)

• Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful 8-day test of all the components needed for the upcoming first manned Moon landing (May 26)

• John Lennon and Yoko Ono conduct their second week-long Bed-In at a hotel in Montreal as a non-violent protest against war (May 26)

• The construction of Walt Disney World in Florida begins (May 27)

• A general strike and civil unrest break out in Argentina following police repression and a civil uprising (May 29)

• Britain’s Trans-Arctic expedition makes its first crossing of the Arctic Sea ice (May 29)

• Riots break out on the Caribbean island of Curaçao (May 30)