The magistrates at Watford Police Court on Tuesday were called upon to decide whether a certain penny-in-the-slot machine exhibited in a confectioner’s shop at Watford came within the provisions of the Gaming Act of 1845.

The machine was called “Chicago Club House” and by the insertion of one penny, the user received a piece of chewing gum. At the same time, five drums on which miniature playing cards were fixed, rotated. If it were found when the drums stopped that the cards showed certain combinations, the player secured so many points or, in other words, obtained credit to the value of an equal number of pennies.

A constable who tried the machine was lucky enough to secure 20 points and obtained from the proprietor cigarettes to the value of 1s 8d. The Bench found the machine could be used legally and illegally and imposed a fine of 20s.

[From the Watford Observer of June 9, 1934]

 

A breath of society glamour was wafted into Shrodells Hospital, Watford, on Friday when Mrs Hugh McCorquodale (Barbara Cartland), who is a county councillor for Hatfield, visited the Part III accommodation there.

Accompanying her was her daughter, Mrs Gerald Legge, reputedly one of the country’s best-dressed women.

The part of the building which most interested them was that housing nearly 40 old men in the old original Institution building.

After seeing it, Mrs McCorquodale – who has made a wide study of old people’s problems – told the Watford Observer:

“Nothing can be done with a terrible, grim old building of this sort, except to pull it down. This is what I understand is to be done and I have been assured that all the inhabitants will be moved before Christmas.”

[From the Watford Observer of June 22, 1956]

 

Mr C.D. Barnard, of the Elms, Watford, made a non-stop flight, from Epsom to Glasgow, on Wednesday, to carry films of the Derby. Seven aeroplanes were chartered from the de Havilland Aircraft Company, and Mr Barnard started at 6.15pm, dropping by parachute, developed films at Nottingham, Leicester, Leeds etc, and landing at Glasgow at 10.15.

The film was shown in the City at 10.30 and was received enthusiastically.

Mr Barnard expects to be in Romania next week on another Continental tour.

[From the Watford Observer of June 3, 1922]

 

Discovery of a hoard of more than 40 Roman coins has been made in a Chipperfield wood. On July 6, an inquest will be held to determine whether or not the find is treasure trove.

The coins were found by amateur treasure hunter Mr Cyril Fakes, of Belswains Lane, Hemel Hempstead.

Mr Fakes, who is over 60 and at present unemployed, has been searching for coins since last August. He has found over 1,000 but these are the first thought to be of any real value.

He said: “I go out a couple of times a week with my metal detector and walk about the country paths searching for coins. When I found these they were covered in clay and mud and I cleaned them up. They looked in good condition and I took them to the museum at St Albans.”

A spokesman in the Coins and Medals Department of the British Museum said: “These coins are not valuable in a cash sense. They seem to be fairly ordinary for the period (between AD295 and AD306) and some are not in a good state.

“If the hoard is proved to be treasure trove then we have the first pick and pay the finder the market value,” he added.

[From the Watford Observer of June 9, 1972]

 

Dustbin liners may be coming to Watford. They were suggested by Councillor Roy Deane, chairman of Watford Highways and Works Committee, on Tuesday.

He advanced the idea after vigorous protests from members – and a petition from residents in West Watford – over the unreliable refuse collection.

After the dustmen have been, brooms are needed to clean up the mess in alleys in Bradshaw Ward, said Councillor Bill Everett.

[From the Watford Observer of June 26, 1973]

 

It is probable the tenant-purchase scheme of the Watford Corporation, under which 20 houses are to be built at Harebreaks, will be the forerunner of a much bigger scheme. Applications for the dwellings are already being received in considerable numbers.

A purchaser pays £50 down, and the balance of the purchase money is spread over 25 years. The cost of the houses will probably come out at £650, towards which a subsidy of £100 is received from the Government. The repayment, inclusive of principle, interest, rates, and taxes, should be under £1 a week.

[From the Watford Observer of June 21, 1924]

 

The printing dispute which reached a climax on Friday when members of ten print unions stopped working, had an almost immediate effect on trade in Watford as hopes of an early settlement alternated with grim estmates of a protracted struggle.

It is estimated that the dispute involves about 8,000 men and women in Watford and district out of a total of approximately 10,000 print workers.

At the Sun, printing was brought to a complete standstill and a spokesman said on Tuesday that Woman’s Own and a considerable number of other weeklies, monthlies and periodicals were stopped, together with all the jobbing work, though members of unions not involved reported for duty every day.

[From the Watford Observer of June 26, 1959]

 

Vandals keep tying the ropes of the town hall flagpole into knots [which] cannot be untied without difficulty.

“It is an effective way of telling the borough to get knotted,” suggested Councillor Harry Price, the Mayor, at the council management committee meeting on Monday.

The vandalism has got so bad the town hall keeper was unable to fly the Watford flag on the death of ex-mayor Mr Tom Harris or the Union Jack on the birthday of Prince Edward.

[From the Watford Observer of June 27, 1975]



An emergency oven has been built at Radlett, capable of turning out enough bread to keep the people from starving should the shops and bakeries in the village be destroyed in a blitz.

[From the Watford Observer of June 12, 1942]

 

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