‘It was a case of wet feet and a kind heart,” said one bus proprietor summoned for carrying an excess number of passengers.

He explained that a number of girls were standing in the rain and although his bus was already full, out of his fullness of heart he allowed them to board the bus to be taken to their work. His chivalry cost him £3.

In another similar case, a bus conductor pleaded that the spectacle of a number of girls waiting in the snow and rain appealed so acutely to his sense of humanity that he permitted them to board his bus, which was already full.

“Since receiving a summons,” he added, “I have come to the conclusion that good turns don’t pay, and I have done with good turns.”

Mr T.E. Penny, defending in summonses for a like offence, asked a witness with regard the excess passengers carried: “They were not heavyweights, were they? Just slim, fairy-like girls – sylph-like creatures.” Sylph-like or not they counted as excess and the bus proprietor had to pay £3 and the impressionable conductor 10s.

[From the Watford Observer of April 1, 1933]

 

There were many more people killed and injured through road accidents in Herts last year than by enemy action during any one year of the war.

Such a sweeping statement would appear incredible, but the truth is revealed in statistics just published and is the more deplorable in view of the expense and effort of Road Safety campaigns throughout the county.

Watford is well up the list with its five fatalities among 643 accidents and with 284 persons injured. Throughout the county in 1947 there were 4,208 accidents resulting in 71 persons being killed and 2,008 injured.

[From the Watford Observer of April 23, 1948]

 

Smoking is simply air pollution on a personal scale. So said Dr W. Norman-Taylor, medical officer for Bushey, welcoming the forthcoming three-day visit of a team of health education experts to Bushey this month.

The team is being sent by the Central Council for Health Education at Bushey Council’s invitation and will visit schools, works canteens, clubs and societies.
Dr Norman-Taylor points out the harmful effects of smoking are beyond question and he is very pleased the council is sponsoring this new attack on air pollution “one of the most important sanitary problems still to be solved.”

He declares the provision of clean and healthy living conditions has always been a major task of the council, but only by personally convincing each individual can much progress be made as far as tobacco smoke is concerned.

[From the Watford Observer of April 3, 1964]

 

Another accident took place on Monday at the site in Prestwick Road where the Ministry of Transport has just refused to allow a zebra crossing.

A 15-year-old who lives in Northwood was knocked down by a car while crossing the road outside Carpenders Park station. She received multiple fractures to her leg and cuts on her face. She was taken to the Watford Peace Memorial Hospital.

Watford Parish Council is still pressing for the crossing.

Declared Councillor J Scott: “They tell schoolchildren to cross at crossings and here they won’t give us one.”

[From the Watford Observer of April 24, 1964]

 

Watford’s traffic will be brought to a stop in many parts of the town on Tuesday, June 7, when more than 60 roads will be used for street parties to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

Applications from all parts of Watford have been flooding into Watford Town Hall for permission to hold the street parties.

It’s not like it was after the war. Then neighbours were able spontaneously to drag trestles into the middle of the road, turn radios on in unison or manoeuvre a piano onto a verge, and have a meal and knees up in sheer celebration.

Now traffic is a major consideration. So street party organisers have to write to the town hall for permission.

[From the Watford Observer of April 15, 1977]

 

The story is told at Chorleywood of an elderly resident who duly put his clock on an hour before retiring on Saturday night. Later his son returned home and not noticing the time, he too put the clock on an hour. Still later, a nephew followed suit.

The next morning, a neighbour was awakened by the old gentleman who asked what he made the time. “Six o’clock” came the reply. “Well,” was the answer. “I make it nine o’clock.” He could not understand why nobody was about as usual.

[From the Watford Observer of April 23, 1932]

 

Sunday postal collections are being tried out in Watford and post office chiefs are gearing up to join a national network by the end of June.

Trials for Sunday collections began on March 18, when boxes outside main and sub post offices were emptied and sorted by staff working overtime.

The collections have not been welcomed by union chiefs who say workers could end up having to work Sundays as a matter of routine.

Problems in setting up the Sunday service have meant post office chiefs are not yet prepared to advertise the collections, but once they do, up to 40,000 letters are expected to flood into the Ascot Road sorting office.

Main boxes in Watford and Abbots Langley are emptied on Sunday mornings and sorted the same day.

This means letters posted before 1pm on Sunday should be delivered in Watford on Monday morning.

[From the Watford Observer of April 27, 1990]

 

The go-ahead has been given to set up a museum in the Queen Anne building on the old Benskins Brewery site in Watford. Watford Council have approved the idea despite Tory protests that the site should be used for housing the elderly.

Converting the building to a museum means the council will have to pay only £50,000 for it, according to its value under civic use. If it had been bought for office use – the Tories’ alternative proposal – the cost would have been £165,000.

[From the Watford Observer of April 28, 1978]

 

Calling all Murphys . . . The manager of the Carlton cinema, Watford, would like to see you on Monday evening.

The film showing there next week is the new Peter O’Toole war epic Murphy’s War. So the manager has decided to invite local “Mr Murphys” along to the cinema on Monday.

“As long as they can prove with a driving licence or something that their name is Murphy, then I will let them in free,” he said.

[From the Watford Observer of April 30, 1971]