IN the early years of the century various little street scenes would be enacted which would have no place in life as we know it today. Occasionally a barrel organ would be pushed through the streets, and upon the owner turning a handle the latest tunes would be churned out in a mechanical fashion.

Sometimes a small monkey would be perched on top, dressed in a tiny cap and jacket, and would collect the odd coins offered by passers-by. Occasionally little groups of small girls would join hands and dance round happily in time to the music.

In the early years, many of the roads, especially in the outer and newer parts of Watford, were unmade. In the winter months they would become a sea of mud and puddles, and in the summer would become powdered earth and in a breeze would raise clouds of dust.

In an attempt to allay this, the council would send round a water cart, this being a large tank on wheels, pulled along by a horse.

The driver sitting up in front would pull a lever and release a flow of water through a pipe at the rear of the cart rather in the manner of a giant watering can.

Needless to say this arrangement provided only a very short term effect and the road surface dried very quickly.

It was the practice of small boys to chase after carts such as this and attempt to obtain a free ride, but sometimes their only reward was a thorough soaking from the water.

In the early days, street lights were provided by gas, and each evening, at dusk, the lamp lighter could be seen carrying a short ladder or a pole, and would turn on each standard light individually and would reverse this process each morning by turning the lights out.

With the arrival of electric power and the transfer to electric street lighting the lamp lighter faded into oblivion.

In the 1920's and 1930's such things as refrigerators, washing machines, and deep freezers were unknown to the housewife, who managed as best she could to keep food fresh and cool in hot weather.

Business firms however, such as butchers, dairymen, fishmongers, and the like were able to benefit from a supply of ice from the Watford Ice Co, in Wiggenhall Road.

This firm, on request, would send along a lorry loaded with large blocks of ice, and two men, each using a large pair of tongs, would carry a block of ice into the premises as ordered.

With the advent of the modern system of refrigeration this system became obsolete and fell into disuse.

The Watford Ice Co, still operates from its factory but is no longer engaged in the production of ice.

Another interesting character in the streets of Watford was the muffin man who would make his rounds ringing a hand bell and carrying on his head a large tray containing fresh muffins, freshly made each day, and these would often provide a tasty tea for a family.

In a similar manner, another man would carry a tray on his head containing cats meat, and he would be followed by a procession of local cats all hoping for the opportunity of a quick meal.

Another street character was the rag and bone man driving his horse drawn cart and shouting his cry of "rag bone".

He would purchase any unwanted items for a few pence, but sometimes children would approach him with some small item such as a piece of cloth, and be rewarded with a goldfish in a jam jar or a paper windmill on a stick which would spin round in the breeze.

Sometimes little groups of bemedalled ex-Servicemen from the First World War would appear in the streets singing or playing musical instruments in the hope that they cold earn a little money.

These ex-service veterans had been promised a brave new world on the cessation of hostilities, but were not able to be found employment, were given no pension, and no scheme such as the dole was in force.

They were therefore obliged to beg in the streets to obtain money.

July 12, 2002 11:00