Time to catch up on correspondence this week and boy is there a lot of it!

That’s the trouble with holidays, if you’re not careful you get behind with everything so apologies to those who have been waiting for action – and let’s get on with it.

Back on August 8, I published a picture of Mr Wilkinson’s form at Hampden School, South Oxhey, in 1957/58 which had been sent in by Mrs Annette Elworthy who lives in Rainham in Kent.

“I would love to hear from anyone in the picture,” she wrote – and first to respond was Diana Ivory, whose brother Richard Harrison was in the picture.

I spoke to Richard – better known as Henri –  this week. He said: “It was a wonderful school – they had some super facilities” before adding, however, that most of those there seemed less bothered about that and more keen to get to 15 years old so they could leave.

He stayed on an extra year and left at 16 to study agriculture for a career in farming. But, as is often the case, fate intervened.

Henri was mad keen on music and had his own band – Cops ‘n Robbers – based in Watford, who played regularly around the town and released a number of records on Decca and Pye to name but two. You can still hear them online on YouTube (search for Cops and Robbers) and they sound pretty good to me – r’n’b in the Animals mould.

Although the band never had much commercial success, they do have at least one impressive claim to fame: legendary singer songwriter Donovan auditioned to be in the band but was turned down (“He didn’t know enough Chuck Berry songs,” Henri laughed). Their association was enough, however, for the band to get mentioned in Donovan’s autobiography The Hurdy Gurdy Man.

At around this time, Henri’s friend Geoff Stephens had written and recorded a tune which was proving popular. “Winchester Cathedral” became a massive hit (number one in the US, knocked off the top by the Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations), and Henri was asked to form The New Vaudeville Band to promote the hit, and subsequent records, around the world. This they did, even appearing on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show in the States.

Although he “jacked all that in”, as he put it, in the mid 1980s, Henri, now 71, still performs regularly locally. He was drumming with Dave Rance’s Rockin’ Chair Band at the Pump House earlier this month.

 

I also had an interesting letter last month from Barry Darsley, of Ashgrove Gardens, Whitchurch, near Aylesbury. He wrote in the wake of both the commemoration of the outbreak of the First World War and the close of the cricket season. “I hope to draw the two together,” he wrote.

“Frank Chester made his first class debut for Worcestershire at 17 years of age. It was predicted he would play for England but he joined the army in 1914 and was at the Battle of Loos. He was then wounded at Salonika.

“Having lost most of his right arm, in 1922 he became a first class umpire and between 1924 and 1955 was present at 48 test matches. Sir Don Bradman said he was the best umpire he had ever seen and Sir Jack Hobbs said Frank would have been a great England all-rounder had it not been for the war.

“Frank travelled around the cricket grounds on a specially adapted motorbike.”
With his letter, Barry enclosed a picture which is printed here.

Watford Observer:

He continues: “The photograph shows Frank about to sign my programme at a charity match in Abbots Langley around 1949 or 1950. The two lads on my left are the Darbyshire twins. Does anyone else recognise themselves? Abbots played a team of cricketers from India, Australia and the Bedser twins from Surrey. Did the Duke of Edinburgh play in that match? I have a photo of him bowling in 1949 under the watchful eye of Frank Chester.

“We had our own stars, though, in Bob Simons and Freddy Carlisle. Us Hunton Bridge boys would bike up to Abbots cricket games loaded with mum’s jam sandwiches., washed down with Mrs Robinson’s penny drinks.

“I’m now 77 so events are a little cloudy now but hopefully I have stirred someone’s memories.”

Indeed so, Barry. And if you have anything to add to any of Barry’s memories, please do get in contact with us.

 

Another correspondent was Jennifer Langdon, who lives in Bottisham near Cambridge.

She wrote: “My 95-year-old mother, born Ruth, also known as Jean, Waterhouse, has been reminiscing about her childhood in Watford from late 1919, when she arrived from India where she had been born.

“She firstly lived in Watfordfield House, a tied house to the borough waterworks as her grandfather, David Waterhouse, was borough engineer and surveyor from 1890 to 1925, as as Water Engineer until Easter 1920. We have a certificate dated July 27, 1926, to this effect from the Borough of Watford Town Council regarding their high appreciation of his services rendered to the borough.

“It says he guided the growth of Watford from a small, ill-equipped urban district to a considerable and fully developed borough. He ensured the town had a good and adequate water supply and used his skill to raise the sewerage and sewage disposal to a position of health and safety.

“She later moved to Morningside, Rickmansworth, which was a school run by her aunt, Mrs Ethel Bandey. Her uncle, Mr Wallis Bandey. was musical and played the organ.

“My mother is very keen to know what happened to these properties.”

So. Can anyone out there help? It seems Morningside was acquired by Colne Valley School, Rickmansworth, for expansion in 1933, but does anybody know any more?  Please reply via the usual channels and I’ll forward any information.

 

Two pleas for help, next, the first from Rowena Paterson, who describes herself as “an old Leggatts School pupil from the 1960s”.

Rowena is after any photos of the Leggatts School 50th reunion that took place at the school on October 12, 1984 – 30 years ago next month.
Secondly, an unusual request from Cathrine Marie Carr who is trying to help a friend of hers locate her birth mother.


“She lived in Oxhey Road, Watford, in early 1966 and her name was Elizabeth Susan Robinson, known as Susan,” she writes. “She would have been 21 years old and worked as a bank clerk. In December 1966 she moved to Wentworth Close, Hempstead Road, after giving up daughter Sarah Trudie for adoption.”

If anyone has any information they want to impart on either of these requests, let us know and I’ll pass your details on.

Next up, our old friend Ernie Mackenzie, of Gammons Lane, Watford, who has written about the picture we ran some weeks ago showing then Watford FC manager Ken Furphy using a pony and trap to promote the club’s new season back in August 1967.

He writes: “The boy sat next to Ken on the pony and trap is his son Keith, and the gentleman with the straw hat, who has control of the pony, is Les Simmonds. The photo typifies the eagerness and enthusiasm that all these characters had for the club.

“Sadly, Watford FC lost to Walsall on that opening day. The previous season, Watford finished in third place behind QPR and Middlesbrough, so the fans had big expectations for the new season. Although Watford did finish the season in the top half of the division [they were sixth out of 24 with Oxford United crowned champions] it was still a disappointing season because of the fans’ expectations.

“The highlights of the season were the emergence of Tony Currie, the 7-1 thrashing of Grimsby Town (with G.T. playing at left back for Grimsby that day) and the arrival of Barry Dyson.

“Dear old Ken and Les absolutely worked their socks off for Watford FC. I regard Ken’s tenure at Watford a far greater achievement that G.T. or Aidy, because Ken managed Watford on a shoestring budget, while GT and Aidy had far better financial resources.

“Les was a much-loved and liked local character who served the football club for more than 50 years. Les was like a stick of rock. Cut through him at any part of his body and you would find the words Watford FC.

“Of course, as we know now, the seeds of success had already been sown in that 1967-68 season that would bear fruits of enjoyment for fans with Watford finishing the following season as champions and promoted to Division 2.”
 


To close this week’s column, an update with regards the centenary of the onset of the First World War.

Simon Colbeck, of Claremont Crescent, Croxley Green, writes on behalf of  the Watford Quakers WW1 CO film project.

He writes: “The bravery, hardship, sacrifice and sorrow of the combatants in World War One are rightly remembered during the centenary.

“The impact on families and communities at home is also coming alive in re-discovered personal stories and many centenary projects and events.

“There has been less attention to those who refused the call to arms and the consequences they had to face. The challenge presented by this very small minority is as relevant today as it was then.”

Watford Quakers have produced a 30-minute documentary called Watford’s Quiet Heroes: Resisting the Great War, telling the stories of those who defied the call to arms.

The premiere of the film is on Saturday, October 4, at 8pm, at the Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre, Local Board Road, Watford.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the producer and some of those featured in the film. Seats can only be booked via heroes@watfordquakers.org.uk or 01923 269599.

Mr Colbeck continues: “Following the launch, the film will be available as a DVD (with additional features) and online via YouTube. It is suitable for an audience aged 11 and over.”