User:Mwphoto/Watford

Watford is a town and district (styled as a borough due to the historical charter granted by Henry VIII) located 15.5 miles (25 km) north west of Charing Cross in London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway.

Watford district has 80,000 inhabitants. The parish of Watford Rural covers an area to the south of the borough of Watford (which is largely urbanised), in the Three Rivers district.

Transport
Watford is within the M25 motorway with Watford Metropolitan Line station at the outer edge of the London Underground system. There are faster trains to central and north London from Watford Junction and Bushey stations. The Metropolitan Line branch is due to be diverted to Watford Junction via the disused Croxley Green branch.

Watford also has its own airport, listed as Watford Regional Airport, but known locally and offically as Elstree Aerodrome. Many private charters, and well as occasional holiday charters take off from here, with the request customs service contributing to the popularity of this hub. Many celebrities are known to travel through Watford, due to its location close to the world famous Elstree Film and Television Studios.

Politics
Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly-elected mayor, currently Dorothy Thornhill of the Liberal Democrats. She is the only directly-elected Liberal Democrat mayor.

Claire Ward has represented Watford in Parliament since the 1997 general election in the Labour Party interest. Her constituency includes the whole of Watford Borough and in addition five wards from Three Rivers district.

Nightlife
The High Street running through the town centre is the main place for any activity at night. The part of town is sometimes referred to as the café quarter, and has a high concentration of the town's bars, clubs and restaurants.

It was confirmed in the Watford Observer on 30th October 2005 - to the surpise of few residents - that Watford is the 'binge drinking capital' of Hertfordshire.

Culture
Watford has many amenities for a wide range of cultural activities, there are two theatres and various public spaces that are used for art displays.

Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre Watford Palace Theatre Watford Museum Cha Cha Cha café and Harlequin centre.

North of Watford
The phrase 'North of Watford Gap' is widely used to describe areas of the United Kingdom that are north of London and the Home Counties. This has been shortened over time to "North of Watford". The phrase possibly refers to the Northamptonshire village of the same name, about 50 miles further north, which traditionally was an important waypoint on the old east-west and north-south coaching routes and the point where the main north-south road, rail and canal routes came together at a gap in the hills known as "Watford Gap". Watford in Hertfordshire is much better known and so frequently mistaken, in the context of this phrase, for the same place.

An alternative theory is that many of the original signs at the southern end of the M1 motorway bore the legends "Watford" and "The North", Watford being the first major town on that route.

People
Watford was the birthplace of:
 * Michael Bentine, politician and ex-Goon
 * Terry Scott, Carry On actor and comedian
 * Bradley Walsh, Coronation Street actor and comedian
 * Mo Mowlem, politician
 * Vinnie Jones, footballer turned actor
 * Geri Halliwell, singer and former Spice Girl
 * Kelly Smith, England's best-known women's footballer
 * Ray Cooper, percussionist (performed in both Elton John's and Eric Clapton's bands)
 * Roderick Rees

Twinning
Watford has six twin towns. These are:


 * Mainz in Germany. Linked since 1956.
 * Nanterre in France. Linked since 1960.
 * Novgorod in Russia. Linked since 1984.
 * Wilmington in the USA. Linked since 1985.
 * Pesaro in Italy. Linked since 1988.
 * Plymouth in Devon. Linked since 1997.

Other Watfords

 * Watford, Ontario, Canada
 * Watford, Northamptonshire, of Watford Gap fame.

Sport
Watford is home to professional football club, Watford F.C., who are currently in the Championship. Saracens Rugby Club moved to Watford and shares the same ground, which is in Vicarage Road.


 * Watford Football Club
 * Saracens Football Club (rugby union)