The first touch of warm weather brings out the Italian ice cream vendor and it becomes a serious question whether more might not be done than can be affected under the existing rules and regulations to ensure the purity of the wares he deals in. There is every reason for believing the semi-frozen mess which is eaten with such avidity by children in all the poorer quarters of the metropolis is responsible for much disease.

It is quite certain that the mere freezing to which these ices are subjected has no effect on hindering their capacity for acting as disease carriers while no one can watch the conditions under which they are often sold without observing the facilities thereby offered for diffusing infection from mouth to mouth.

[From the Watford Observer of June 1, 1901]


A member of the Middlesex Group of the Disabled Drivers’ Association, Mrs Gwen Creek of Purlings Road, Bushey, returned home last weekend after an adventurous 1,400-mile holiday trip to Ayr on the west coast of Scotland – in her pale blue Ministry of Health issue single-seater invalid tricycle.

Mrs Creek, who has been employed at Kodak for 24 years, contracted polio when she was ten and was severely disabled as a result.

But the disability – she has a back support, wears callipers and can walk only a short distance on the level – has never deterred her from extensive travel. This year’s holiday was arranged by a disabled driver and there were five in the party, travelling together but separately in their tricycles which have a top speed of 45mph.

[From the Watford Observer of June 16, 1972]

 

More than 1,500 women filled Watford Town Hall on Wednesday evening to see The Chippendales, but the American male strippers are unlikely to pay a return visit because their raunchy act contravenes council policy on sexism.

The Chippendales were delighted by the response they received when they first announced the show at the Town Hall. Tickets were sold out in days and a return visit was suggested, but council officials have blocked the plans.

[From the Watford Observer of June 7, 1991]

 

As a General Election went into full swing about rising prices this week, a garage firm at Hemel Hempstead became the first in Britain to cut costs to the public by offering motor fuel to motorists at 2s 6d per gallon.

The fuel, a waste product of North Sea Gas, requires a 24-hour equipment conversion to the car, costing £135, which the garage also undertakes.

It entails a gas cylinder in the boot, guarantees a higher than normal octane performance, with speeds up to 110mph, and with only a loss of nought to 10 per cent on miles per gallon achieved.

The equipment and fuel system – it can be switched back to petrol consumption at a moment’s notice – has the backing of laid down Ministry of Transport regulations.

[From the Watford Observer of June 5, 1970]

 

The Ministry of Food is concerned at the number of mothers who still do not use the supplies of cod liver oil and orange juice available to them at the Food Office.

In Watford, fewer than half the mothers and children are receiving the free cod liver oil, vitamin tablets and orange juice at 5d a bottle which is available to them.

Believing many are ignorant of this source of cheap, but valuable, welfare foods, the Ministry has launched a publicity campaign throughout their Eastern area.

The welfare foods, which include dried milk costing 10½d a tin, are available to every child under five and every expectant mother.

For the mother who recoils at cod liver oil, there is the chocolate-coated vitamin pill.

[From the Watford Observer of June 1, 1951]