I  drove past Maureen Charlton last week – she’s the Watford housewife who was offered a fortnight’s acting work as a dwarf in the third Star Wars film currently being shot at Elstree Studios.

Remembering her excitement when I met her a month before shooting began, I pulled up to ask how she had got on.

Maureen, of Queen’s Road, could say only that it had been great fun and it was equally nice to be an ordinary housewife again.

As for the rest, I had to phone the film’s production office because Maureen had been sworn to secrecy in her contract.

A spokesman for Lucas Films, makers of The Revenge [sic] of the Jedi, confirmed the gag was on.

He told me: “All I can say is that the film lives on surprises and Mrs Charlton’s part is one of them. The film opens in America in May. I’m afraid you will have to wait until then to find out.”

[From the Watford Observer of February 19, 1982]

 

A 24-year-old Kings Langley girl, Miss Peggy Cocks, has had an adventurous career. Her globetrotting brought her new excitement last week, when she found herself to be the only Englishwoman in the room where Mahatma Gandhi died.

She had gone there to take “Bapu’s” photo – instead she secured one of the assassin, presumably exclusive.

When Miss Cocks is at home, her address is Gallows Hill Lane, Kings Langley. Peggy’s urge to wander the globe was almost ended in 1944 when, as a WAAF driver, she lost a leg in a London bomb incident.

Undeterred by such misfortune, she took a secretarial post in New Delhi and by the time she left England, little more than six months ago, she had become proficient at dancing again and is still persevering with tennis.

[From the Watford Observer of February 6, 1948]

 

“Yes,” mused the Arctic explorer, “at one time we came within an ace of freezing to death. Luckily, however,” – he gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling – “we had the presence of mind to fall into a heated discussion.”

[Time for a smile from the Watford Observer of February 22, 1930]



The death, at the ripe old age of 91 years, of James Neate, an Army veteran took place on Saturday at Croxley. The deceased had served for 33 years and six months, fought under Lord Wellington throughout the Peninsular War.

He attended the funerals of George III, George IV’s daughter (Princess Charlotte of Wales), the Duke of Kent, Caroline of Brunswick, the Duke of York, and George IV. He was the last park constable to keep the gate opposite Buckingham Palace, until the police took over that duty about 1868.

[From the Watford Observer of February 12, 1881]

 

Some human remains were found in a scavenger’s cart, which had conveyed some refuse to one of the allotment gardens. The refuse was collected from a large section of the High Street and the remains were the greater portion of two hands, which medical inspection pronounced to be those of a woman. The police were immediately acquainted with the discovery but on account of the evident age of the remains, no great importance is attached to the matter.

[From the Watford Observer of February 10, 1883]

 

The new Watford swimming baths at The Elms will, it is anticipated, be opened in May. They are unique in so far as they are the only electrically heated swimming baths in the country.

[From the Watford Observer of February 25, 1933]

 

The Watford Borough Council was described as “an octopus reaching out its tentacles for tasty morsels” by the president of the Rickmansworth and District Chamber of Trade (Mr E.H. Worley) at the annual meeting of the Chamber, held in the Baptist Church Hall on Monday.

“Boundaries and frontiers have always caused trouble,” Mr Worley said. “Germany was the ‘octopus’ of Europe, trying to swallow up its neighbours.

“Watford, too, is an ‘octopus’ which after slumbering for many years has now awakened and has discovered Croxley Green is a very tasty, nutritious morsel.

“We hope there will be no policy of appeasement here as there was in Europe. We hope Rickmansworth’s representatives will not talk to the Watford Council in the way Chamberlain talked to Hitler.” 

[From the Watford Observer of February 16, 1945]

 

Water Lane is still impassable owing to the floods, and complaints are very numerous. In two places, people are obliged to go ankle deep in water. The authorities have the matter in hand and if they could extemporise some means of enabling foot passengers to keep dry feet, it would be much appreciated.

[Plus ça change from the Watford Observer of February 6, 1897]

 

Watford played off their snow-delayed F.A.Cup tie with Rotherham at the 14th attempt at Vicarage Road on Wednesday.

They won 2-0 and visit Southampton next Wednesday in the fourth round. But switching the match with Rotherham to a midweek afternoon cost Watford dear in terms of attendance for the “gate” was slashed to 4,649.

Twelve ticket holders, unable to attend an afternoon game asked for, and will get, their money back. One supporter told Watford to keep his money but asked for a programme.   

[From the Watford Observer of February 22, 1963]

NOSTALGIA NOTE: The joy was short-lived. A week later, the Golden Boys visited Southampton – and lost 1-3. As the Watford Observer put it: “Watford’s Cup hopes died on the bone-hard, balding turf at The Dell on Wednesday in a brawling game which reached heights of enthusiasm if not skill.”

 

As evidence that a man admitted to the Berkhamsted Institution was “mental” it was stated at the Guardians’ meeting on Monday that to every question put to him he answered: “Yes”. Only once did he vary his reply and then he said: “West Ham”.

[From the Watford Observer of February 1, 1930]

 

Witness George was asked by Mr Matthew Arnold, who was defending a boy: “When you saw the boy setting fire to the hay-rick, why didn’t you shout and stop him?” Witness: “Well, sir, if everybody shouted at anybody when they saw them going to do something, nobody would never do anything and nobody would never be caught, would they, sir?”

[From the Watford Observer of February 7, 1931]

 

These stories concude the Nostalgia column first published in the Watford Observer on February 28, 2014. The next Nostalgia column – with information on disappearing larch trees, the fourth British Winter Waterski Championships at Rickmansworth Aquadrome and the 'Great Sarratt Wheel-Wobbler' among many other things – can be found in this week’s Watford Observer (dated March 7, 2014 and available in newsagents now, priced just 90p) or read online here from 4pm on Thursday.

If you have anything to add – or would like to tell us anything you think our readers may enjoy about Watford’s history – we are always pleased to hear from you. Contact Nostalgia, by clicking here watfordnostalgia@london.newsquest.co.uk