I had been looking for a change of direction for some time. I was past 50 and had spent some years wishing I could branch out into more general subjects while still covering Watford FC.

Laying out pages and fretting how we will fill them when the rain wipes out cricket at a weekend, can pall after 25 years.

Colleague Grelle White, who was editor of the Watford Observer’s Go section, had given me some opportunities for feature writing and I had thoroughly enjoyed them. I had written a feature of Cassiobury House and D-Day, popping down to Watford Museum in the process.

Then, one day in 1994, Andrew Lewis, curator of the Museum, came in the office and approached me with an idea. The Museum had featured Wartime Watford, complete with an Anderson Shelter and the exhibition had proved to be particularly successful. They had collated lots of tapes and statements. Perhaps I could attempt a feature on the town at war?

I welcomed the concept although I was slightly dubious how much material would be available. After all, I speculated, south west Herts was never really a target for strategic bombing; The Blitz was largely a London affair and apart from the old story about a number of American soldiers being killed by a VI in a house of ill repute in North Watford, there did not seem too much scope.

In short I was well wide of the mark in the misinformation department.

My bookshelf at home was full of books on World War Two. I was fascinated by the grand sweep of events, the tragedies, the ironies of ‘victory” but initially the idea of south west Herts in the War seemed somewhat small beer.

I met Andrew at the Museum, took possession of a large bundle of papers, several cassette tapes and took them home. The duties of Sports Editor and covering Watford FC took up too much of my life as it was, but I realised that any involvement in a war-project would have to be undertaken in my spare time.

In order to do that, I had to want to commit.

I read the papers compiled by the Museum, listened to the tapes, popped into Hertford and looked at their ARP reports on the war.

I then met up with the Ausdens, John and Peter, who had been at the Grammar School during the war and were deeply entrenched in everything Watford.

The war in south west Herts had become very real to me by then.

I mentioned the project at the next management meeting and it was decided to produce a supplement to coincide with the 50th anniversary of VE-Day. I know I was particularly grateful to Advertising Manager Mike Rogers because if advertising people smell anything with which they can sell adverts, they pounce quickly.

Mike, however, saw this as a promotional exercise and sought to finance the printing through adverts and nothing more. It gave us scope for something in the region of a 30,000-word opus on Watford and south West Herts in the War.

It did not take long to realise that the Blitz also encompassed Watford quite significantly but even more surprising was the locality’s involvement in prosecuting the war.

The making of Halifaxes, Mosquitos, suitcases for spies and radio equipment for the French Resistance, the felling of wood for Mosquitos, the making of dummy tanks and armoured cars, Mulberry Harbours and so much more, took place in this neck of the woods, not least the repairing of so many planes damaged in combat.

Before long I had enough to fill two supplements. I was hooked.

People say I am never happier than wrestling with a project, even though I might mutter irritably that I will be glad when it is over and I can get back to normality.

However, I have learnt that ‘normality’ for me is no more than taking a breather while I cast around subconsciously for the next project.

Watford at War proved to be a successful publication, but as soon as it was published, more anecdotes and items of interest came my way.

I felt good but I also felt a little empty. ‘Normality’ was a little rudderless. Before long I was suggesting Watford in the Fifties might be a potentially interesting supplement.

And on and on it went, back to 1900 and forward to 1979.

So I am very pleased the supplements are being put in book form, and that the various and numerous additions I picked up subsequent to their initial publication, could be added to the whole.

It makes for a unique and detailed history of the locality and being retired, I have plenty of spare time in which to update the decades. It has become a labour of love, pure and simple and I know the Editor, Peter Wilson-Leary, who has laid out the books, has given much of his own time to these projects.

I must admit, however, there are times when I think back to Andrew Lewis. He must have been a much shrewder judge than I suspected.

Andrew! Just what did you get me into?

[See the Watford Observer website or Nostalgia Page for details of the book Watford in the 20th Century (south west Herts 1939-59) out this week.]