Snow causing chaos, a new roof for a shopping centre extension, a multi-million pound development and a leading actor filming in the area were among the stories making our headlines five and ten years ago this week.
FIVE YEARS AGO
Beast from the East hits north London and Hertfordshire
Snow was causing chaos as the so-called 'Beast from the East' and Storm Emma hit our area.
Roads and transport networks were severely disrupted, while dozens of schools were forced to close as the area struggled to contend with the wintry blast at the start of March.
Despite the freezing temperatures and extensive problems, the weather did make for some pretty pictures at the time.
Part of the new intu centre is revealed
A new glass dome roof has finally been fitted on top of the new intu extension following months of construction work.
Work began on the roof in October last year as part of the multi-million pound redevelopment on the former Charter Place site in central Watford.
Vicki Costello, general manager at intu Watford said: “It’s fantastic to see the progress moving so quickly and the development taking shape with the iconic glass roof now complete."
The £180 million project, which is due to be finished in January 2019, will revamp the shopping centre into a leisure space and a retail hub.
Work begins on building new homes at Riverwell site
The Mayor of Watford expressed her “delight” at construction work starting on nearly a hundred new homes as part of a £350million development near a hospital.
The Watford Riverwell scheme – formerly known as the Health Campus - has previously been described as an “ambitious plan to transform the land surrounding Watford General Hospital over the next 10 to 15 years”.
The Woodlands aspect of the project includes 95 new homes near Watford General Hospital – including that 29 affordable homes which will be owned and managed by Watford Community Housing.
Jarvis Contracting has been awarded the contract to deliver Woodlands and apartments are expected to be ready to move into in Spring 2019.
TEN YEARS AGO
Harlequin Centre rebrand begins
Shoppers are due to get their first glimpse of The Harlequin Shopping Centre’s impending rebrand to intu Watford this week.
New intu signs are set to be trialled on the mall’s entrance and also over the Kings Car Park over the coming days.
The move comes as part of a nation-wide rebranding exercise being taken by the shopping centre’s operator Intu, formerly Capital Shopping Centres.
Mike Stevens, general manager of The Harlequin, said: "Our signage trial will give us a chance to identify the best design, material and construction options before applying for permission to install permanent signs later in the year.
"Watford was the perfect choice given the high profile and visibility of the centre and the vision and ambition of the mayor, Dorothy Thornhill and Watford Borough Council to establish Watford as a leading regional shopping centre and leisure destination."
Northwood archaeology dig to feature in TV show
The excavation of a Tudor mansion buried under Northwood Prep School is to be shown on television this weekend.
The Time Team dig will be broadcast this Sunday (March 3) at 5.25pm on Channel 4.
Tony Robinson and the rest of the team were at the school’s Moor Park site for a week in May 2012 to discover the secrets of ‘The Manor of the Moor’, a medieval manor which lies under the school’s rugby pitches.
The building was built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, chancellor to Henry VIII, as his family home was also home to the king’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon after their divorce.
Top TV actor films in Chorleywood
David Tennant is filming in Chorleywood today.
The Doctor Who star is recording scenes for BBC1's forthcoming legal thriller, The Escape Artist, in Dog Kennel Lane.
The three-part drama also stars Ashley Jensen and was created and written by David Wolstencroft.
Each episode will be one hour long and is set in the world of criminal law.
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