What ever happened to......

Cadbury’s Spira’s

 

But you can probably still find some old episodes of Rising Damp on YouTube.

 

Used to work in Garston Maccyds around then. We used to get to take home any left over food at closing time.

I often went home with a couple of pizzas, a box or 2 of nuggets, a big mac or quarter pounder, cheeseburgers and loads of fries.

A great time to be alive.

I got sacked at some point. Not for stealing mind!!!!!

 

French bread pizza ...... staple diet as a student

 

Memories! Old English Spangles were my sweets of choice at Watford games in the early 80s.

 

My two favourite Wimpy bars were the St Albans Road one (obviously) and the one that was up above the fountains on Hemel high street.

A way better burger than McDonalds and Burger King etc in my opinion. I liked the flatty one that came in the brown wholemeal bun with mayonnaise.

 

Pleb! Us cultured fan's from the 'Wood lunched at Watford's superior "Wendy's" - with its fantastic burgers or, showing how classy we truly were, a bowl of chilli (with two crackers and a sachet of chilli oil).

 

Best Wimpy was the one in the high street that had part of the upstairs decked out like a spaceship. Had my birthday party there when I was about 7 and Mr Wimpy was there in full costume. Probably been picked up by operation Yewtree by now.

Think it was where the Moon Under Water is now...

 

Huckleberry’s burgers! better than any wimpy or Maccys

 

Wimpy never used to be fast food, it was waitress service. Knickerbocker Glory anyone?

 

And, I *think*, root beer.

 

Was a shame it was replaced by burger king

 

The Pondarosa

ciggerette sweets

That coffee shop in Watford that used to roast coffee beans. Way before Costa, Starbucks Etc, probably not long after coffee was invented. Never went in there, not 100% sure of its exact location. But it made the high street from Ketts to Clements smell of burnt toast!

 

That was the place my mum and dad used to take us for a special treat - had a stripy awning on the front if I remember correctly.

My parents have thoroughly annoyed me this week for various reasons, but digging out the almost lost memory of trips there has softened my stance a bit.

 

Did they used to play gigs in Watford?

 

They played at least once. The famous 'secret gig' at the Verulam Arms in 1983. Apparently their head of security was the landlord at that time.
http://auralsculptors.blogspot.no/2013/02/verulam-arms-watford-14th-february-1983.html

I think they would have also played at the Colosseum at some point.

 

Yep
https://i2-prod.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article9764109.ece/ALTERNATES/s508/*****Images-71720752.jpg

 

I’ve not lived in Watford for a long, long time, as a small child, my mum, as a treat, used to buy me a jam doughnut from ‘ Lovedays ‘ bakery. Is Lovedays still there and do they still sell delicious jam doughnuts?
And If I remember correctly, ‘ The Handy Stores ‘ used to be next door to Lovedays, which I think is where I used to get my lucky bags from

 

Had some Findus Crispy Pancakes last week. Cheese filled and like a furnace on the inside.

 

Big Ben

Big Bender for me.

 

I can certainly confirm that the bouncers at the Verulam were very professional indeed, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were used to rather bigger things.

Certainly the kicking they gave me outside that pub was super efficient.

Rapid, brutal and very, very painful.

 

They probably mistook you for Leon Trotsky.

 

Not sure, I reckon they mistook me for an amateur boxer judging by the way they got me on the 'ropes' surrounding a nearby set of roadworks and beat seven colours out of me....

 

Remember Toys Galore on the high street? just by the fly over where the mcdonalds is now. What a shop that was. Much better than the one in charter place.

 

I have a vague memory seeing the posters up.

 

Mr Bee’s sweet shop next to the the Sally Army in north Watford. I remember my first experience of brain freeze after eating an ice lolly or mr whippy from there.

 

Not sure about it once being a Wimpy but did you know that the Moon's building has quite an extensive history. At one time it was being turned into an underground station!

This from Wikipedia..

"The property purchased by the Metropolitan Railway at 44 High Street is located on the western side of the street close to the junction with Clarendon Road. The original building was named Derby House, and after extensive refurbishment in 1916 which included refacing of the frontage and the addition of two medallions of Queen Victoria, the rear garden was opened as The Empress Winter Gardens and Tea Lounge.

The premises still stand today and have local listed building status, although the elaborate Winter Garden buildings which once stood behind the property have been demolished. For a brief period in 1921, the Winter Gardens served as a makeshift cinema, serving teas to patrons in the intervals. After acquisition by the Metropolitan Railway in 1927, 44 High Street was let out to a succession of tenants and eventually passed to the Lewis Omnibus Company, which was itself taken over by the London Passengers Transport Board in 1933. In the following years, the building was used as a furniture shop and later it became a branch of the clothing retailer, Next. Today the building is occupied by Wetherspoons as The Moon Under Water public house"


More reading here.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watford_Central_tube_station

 

The Watford joke shop where I used to get little bags of smoke powder to light on the vic road terrace .... and those hilarious little bangers that you put in ciggies

 

I thought it was further up, just after the Co op?

 

Someone posted on the Watford memories FB page today suggesting it was next to the One Bell. The building that is now Specsavers apparently.

Does that sound right?

 

Have to say no. In my mind it was further up nearly opposite where the old cinema on the Parade was. But I'm not 100%

 

Nice. The main reason to go.