There could soon be a block of flats in Watford named after the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi Court, House or Place would be one of the three blocks in the new Radlett Road development, if the suggestions of Watford’s Housing Services Committee meets with the approval of the Post Office.

 The other two would be named after Annie Beasant, a leading figure in the early trades union movement, and Aneurin Bevan, the founder of the Welfare State. If any of these suggestions is rejected by the Post Office, then Orwell and Pankhurst will be brought in as substitutes.

Names for the Radlett Road Estate are being chosen to reflect the life and interests of Watford’s former Labour MP Sir Raphael Tuck. Street names were selected in January and include Raphael Drive and Monica Close, after the MP’s wife.

More than 70 names were put forward as possibilities for the blocks of flats, including Stalin and Marx.

[From the Watford Observer of August 3, 1984]

 

A lady living at Bushey recently found lying on the ground near her house a young swallow which had fallen from a dislodged nest. The young one was placed in a cardboard box lined with cotton wool and the box was left outside the house.

Shortly afterwards the lady heard chirruping and, on looking through a window, saw the old birds had returned and were fussing around their offspring in an excited manner. Then, to her astonishment, the young bird scrambled awkwardly on to the back of one of its parents and was borne away.

[From the Watford Observer of August 13, 1932]

 

A new public house, feature of the new shopping precinct in Rickmansworth town centre Penn Place, will not be named William Penn as originally intended but The Keystone.

This is in deference to objections by members of the local urban council which thought Penn’s name should not be associated with a public house beacuse of his Quaker views on strong drink.

But, even now, there will be an association with the founder of Pennsylvania, who once lived in Basing House, Rickmansworth. The Keystone arises from Penn’s associations and early references to the state of Pennsylvania as The Keystone State.

[From the Watford Observer of August 7, 1964]

 

Luther Blissett is back at Watford. The much anticipated transfer was finally completed on Monday when officials from Italian club AC Milan flew to Heathrow to complete the deal.

Watford paid a little over half a million pounds to buy back the striker they sold to Milan for £1m just over a year ago.

Blissett reports to Watford tomorrow to sign his own personal contract, the terms of which have already been agreed with Graham Taylor.

Watford chairman Elton John flew to Glasgow on Monday to watch his team in match practice action before departing for the US and his latest concert tour.

“I’m so glad Luther is coming back. This saga has been running longer than the Forsyte,” said the chairman.

[From the Watford Observer of August 8, 1984]

ONLINE FROM 9am SUNDAY: The week war broke out. How the Watford Observer reported the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.