Wiki, the only living Kiwi bird in Europe, whose home is the Royal Zoological Gardens, Edinburgh, recently made a rare daytime appearance to meet the four sons of Mr and Mrs Ian McDougall, of Heronsgate, Rickmansworth.

The four – Dugald, Hamish, Callum and Torquil – are the great grandsons of the founder of the Kiwi Polish Co., Mr William Ramsay, who emigrated to Australia from Scotland in 1906 and named the company in honour of his wife, a New Zealander.

It was the first time the McDougall brothers had had the chance to meet this unusual bird of a species now near extinction.

[From the Watford Observer of October 3, 1969]

NOSTALGIA NOTE: There are five recognised species, two of which are currently vulnerable, one endangered, and one critically endangered. All species have been badly affected by historic deforestation but currently the remaining large areas of their habitat are well protected in reserves and national parks.

 

Watford is to have its second public statue. The lonely bronze maiden on the Town Hall lawn is to have the distant company of “Man and Woman”, a striking modern sculpture in white Portland stone, on the new landscaping by the Church Street multi-storey car park.

It is the work of Mr Andrew B. Miller, now in America, and a former pupil of Kingsfield School, Oxhey. The sculpture, just over 6ft high and valued at £600, has been presented to Watford Corporation, and is being collected from the Royal Academy, where it has been exhibited.

[From the Watford Observer of October 6, 1967]

 

Plans to build a huge lorry park near the Berry Grove roundabout are to be opposed strongly by Bushey Urban Council.

The scheme, which would provide 300 overnight lorry spaces, was described as “totally inappropriate” for the Bushey site at Thursday’s Engineering and Planning Committee meeting.

The 15-acre site, flanked by the A41, M1 and the roundabout, would also house sleeping and catering blocks. The committee decided the park would be unsightly and could be dangerous to other traffic.

[From the Watford Observer of October 13, 1972]

 

A story told at a Watford Methodist gathering the other evening concerned two circuit stewards meeting a new minister – whom neither knew – at a railway station. There was no passenger alighting from a train wearing a clerical collar.

At length they approached a gentleman with the query: “Are you the new Methodist minister?” and received the unexpected reply: “No; it’s dyspepsia makes me look like this.”

Another story also concerned a new parson who had been at the church some months before he had visited all his members. Calling on one woman he observed: “I don’t think we’ve met before.” “O, yes we have,” replied the woman; “I heard you preach the first Sunday you were here six months ago and I’ve been ill ever since.”

[From the Watford Observer of October 29, 1937]