Famous Watfordians

Famous Watford

Five Famous Watfordians

• Geri Halliwell (Geraldine Estelle Halliwell) b 06-08-1972. Most famous as Ginger Spice in girl group the Spice Girls. She became a UN ambassador before embarking on a solo music career.

• Vinnie Jones (Vincent Peter Jones) b 05-01-1965. Footballer most renowned for his foul play. He turned actor in 1998 in the film Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. Other films include: Gone In 60 Seconds, Swordfish and Snatch.

• Nick Knight (Nicholas Verity Knight) b 28-11-1969. Left hand opening batsman. Played for Essex then Warwickshire and England. Retired after 17 tests and 100 one day Internationals. Middle name taken from 1930s England bowler Hedley Verity.

• Josh Lewsey MBE (Owen Joshua Lewsey) b 30-11-1976. Born in Bromley, Kent, but grew up in Watford and went to Watford Grammar Boys School. Played for Bristol and Wasps
• as well as England internationally. He earned his first England cap in 1998 against New Zealand.

• Henry J Wood (Henry Joseph Wood) b 1869 d 1944. Founder of the BBC Proms concerts at the London Royal Albert Hall. He set out to "train the public in easy stages, popular at first, gradually raising the standard" until he had "created a public for classical and modern music."

• Stephen Andrew, Canadian television reporter, anchor and talk show host

• Michaela Breeze, female weightlifter

• Ian Cashmore, television presenter of Ghosthunters

• Anthony Berkeley Cox, crime fiction author

• Cyril Fletcher, comedian

• Nikki Grahame, reality star and television personality

• Kenny Jackett, former Swansea City FC manager

• Tim Lovejoy, Sky Sports Soccer AM presenter

• Mo Mowlam, Labour politician

• Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat politician

• Stuart Parkin, physicist

• Paul Robinson, West Bromwich Albion football player

• Terry Scott, TV and Carry On actor and comedian

• Kelly Smith, England and Arsenal footballer

• Gareth Southgate, Middlesbrough F.C manager and former England footballer

• Bradley Walsh, Coronation Street actor and comedian

Celebrity attraction

• Henry VI stayed in Watford the night before marching on to St Albans during the War Of The Roses in 1455.
  
• Daniel Defoe described the town as "very long, having but one street" in 1724.
  
• Sir Elton John became director of Watford Football Club in 1974 and resigned in 2002.
  
• Mikhail Gorbachev visited CASE Communications at Watford Business Park in 1989.