In the days before celebrity magazines, if you wanted to know what our home-grown celebs were up to, you would look in the Watford Observer – and never was that more true than in the week of June 17, 1983.

For in that week, the Observer featured not one, not two, but three celebs all of whom had been busying themselves at local events the previous weekend.

Firstly, there was actor Richard Briers, who had been at Borehamwood’s charity mini-marathon to officially start the runners including, as our picture shows, ten-year-old Paul Cato, of Penn Road, Mill End.

“Paul had more than just his race number card to encourage him over the 11-mile course – he also carried the autograph of actor Richard Briers of The Good Life television series.”

Next came “eye-catching” (I think you could get away with that sort of description then) Judy Geeson, star of popular television series Danger UXB, who opened the Sunshine Fair, in aid of blind children, at Northwood Preparatory School in Sandy Lodge Lane, Rickmansworth.

“The fair lived up to its name,” the Watford Observer reported, “and visitors enjoyed a perfect summer’s day in the beautiful grounds of the school.”

Finally, one of my comic heroes – comedian Eric Morecambe – attended Camphill Village Trust garden party, the highlight of which (apart from Eric’s presence) was the opening of Raphael House by Sir George Burns, Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.

Eric spent the afternoon signing autographs. “It was a proud moment for Louise Nickel,” the paper reported, “when she was given a hug by the TV star.”